| CHAPTER TWO, The Rope That Begins to Fray |
…Isaac approached Scott's room and watched as the boy slipped on his own jacket, Scott's back to the door. Scott picked up his helmet before turning to leave. Upon seeing Isaac, Scott gasped, his eyebrows jumping along with his body. "Whoahhh."
Isaac, who was leaning against the frame, only smirked, looking at the helmet in Scott's hand. "Where ya' goin'?" Isaac asked, looking up into Scott's face.
"Uhhhhh, I-tshh-I was gonna' go get some food to eat," Scott replied, squirming both bodily and facially as he walked towards Isaac.
"Oh cool, I'll come with you," Isaac replied, seeing right through Scott's glass-transparent lie.
"Nah' dude, it's okay. I can eat alone."
"What are you getting?" Isaac asked, his eye lids fluttering in amusement, a smirk pulling at his mouth; toying with Scott was too easy.
"Ughhhh," Scott began, breathing out with slight anxiety. "Mexicannnn…" Scott slowly posed, clearly trying to deter Isaac. He would have none of that.
"Dude, I love Mexican it's…" Isaac began and turned to leave the room, knowing it was game, set, and match. He also couldn't help but chuckle to himself on the inside at his own remarks: he knew Scott was part Mexican, and considering Isaac's current budding feelings, he couldn't help himself.
Scott started forward, his playful face changing to a more serious look. "Isaac," Scott interrupted. "I can eat alone; it's okay." Isaac knew Scott was only trying to keep Isaac safe from whatever was going on. Scott was empathetic in that way.
But again, Isaac wasn't having any of that. He smirked at Scott and said, "You're not going alone. C'mon." Isaac backed out of the room, never losing contact with Scott's face. The ball, while the match was clearly over, was in Scott's side of the court now.
Scott only peered at Isaac twice as he reluctantly left his own bedroom and the two made their way for Scott's bike. "Derek is planning an attack," Scott began as they made their way through the house. "They're going after Deucalion in an hour. I want to meet with him first. Try and stop whatever he's planning."
"Do you think that'll work?" Isaac posed.
"I've got to try. Too many people are dying. Too many have already died. If I can prevent any more, I've got to do this."
Isaac only nodded, letting out a wary and cautious sigh nonetheless. They mounted onto Scott's bike and headed off to meet with the scariest man they've ever had the displeasure to come across.
— Ʌ | Ʌ | Ʌ —
"We're just gonna' talk to 'em," Scott reiterated after dismounting the bike. "Try to reason with him. That's it." Scott seemed so sure this could work, though that verbal assurance could either be confidence or naivety. Scott looked back at Isaac, who only returned the stare. "What?" Scott asked, looking back at Isaac and then forward again.
"Nothin', it's just that I—" he began. "I'm actually kinda' hungry now," he finished before walking to Scott's side.
Scott pat his shoulder before letting out a sigh and saying, "So am I." Good, now he and Scott were on the same level of caution, even despite Scott's valiant attempt at putting the strong face forward.
— Ʌ | Ʌ | Ʌ —
The skirmish began and ended before Isaac realized. One second he and Scott were fighting with the combined twins and the next Isaac was pulling Scott away from the ledge to run. Thanks to Allison's distraction, and Derek's sacrifice—which he hated admitting—Ennis lay atop the center of an escalator, the twins had been separated and lay on the floor in pain, and Kali was at the feet of Deucalion's perch.
Despite their flight to Scott's bike, Isaac was seemingly dragging Scott, who was still in shock by Derek's tumble over the ledge. Isaac mounted the bike first, placing the helmet over his head and revving the bike. "Scott!" he yelled once. And then again. Scott, who'd been gazing at the spot where Deucalion was sitting, twisted his head to the call and joined Isaac on the bike. Within seconds, they were both heading off into the night.
"We have to go back!" Scott finally yelled as they parked alongside the guard rail of an unlit one-lane road. "Boyd and Cora—"
"Are fine," Isaac said, his hands on his knees as he tried to catch his breath, mostly from attempting to prevent himself from hyperventilating. "I…I saw them leaving."
"Derek…we have to go back for Derek."
"There's nothing we can do, Scott."
"We have to try!"
"Scott!" Isaac yelled. Scott only looked into Isaac's face for a second before returning his gaze to the woods. Isaac walked up to Scott and placed a hand on Scott's shoulder. "There's nothing we can do," Isaac said calmly. "There's nothing you could've done."
"It's my faul—"
"No. It's not," Isaac said, taking that hand and wrapping it around Scott's shoulder, pulling Scott's back against Isaac's front and side, Isaac's other hand resting atop Scott's shoulder. They stood there for a moment, Isaac searching for the words to get Scott to expel those thoughts of blame. But they never came. "C'mon. Let's go home." Scott only nodded and they mounted the bike, Isaac taking the handles once again.
— Ʌ | Ʌ | Ʌ —
Tonight was different than Monday. Tonight Scott joined Isaac in his bed. And tonight, no inches separated it them. Isaac had gotten ready for bed and was already laying down when Scott came in, still garbed in his slashed v-neck. He looked as if his brother had just died, and in some ways his 'brother' had. Isaac scooted over so his back was only inches from the wall the bed was up against. Scott sat on the edge of the bed, his back to Isaac, his gaze at the carpet near the door.
"Scott," Isaac began, resting a hand on the other boy's lower back.
That was only word exchanged between them as Scott laid down. Isaac moved right behind him, despite the pain in his shoulder where the combined twins had strained, and placed a hand on Scott's bicep, his chest against Scott's back for the second time that night. The room was silent but for the mostly steady breathing. No tears fell. No whimpers or light cries emitted. Just breaths. A surprising serene silence that ultimately led them into the morning with plenty of sleep…somehow.
— Ʌ | Ʌ | Ʌ —
Friday was even more interesting than Thursday. When Isaac awoke, Scott was already gone; when the beta found Scott, the latter was already on the steps before the porch, seated and gazing out into the scene before him.
"Stiles is gonna' pick us up," Scott stated when Isaac closed the front door. Isaac didn't reply. He only sat next to Scott and joined him in gazing out. When Stiles finally pulled up in his jeep, the two boys quickly piled in and off they went.
"Oookay," Stiles said after a few minutes of silence. "Is anybody gonna' fill me in?" No one said anything. "Seriously, you guys are like the walking dead. Or rather sitting dead but you get my point."
"Derek's dead," Scott blurted out.
"Run that by me again," Stiles replied, his eyes widening and his eyebrows raising.
"Derek's dead. And it's my fault."
"Whoa, whoa. Back up. Rewind. Derek's dead? How? When? Why?"
Scott proceeded to break it down. The plan to reason with Deucalion. Derek's interruption of the plan. The fight. Allison's saving grace. And last but not least, Derek's tumble with Ennis over the ledge. And, of course, all laden with word after word and insinuation after insinuation of his own guilt.
"Dude," Stiles began as he parked the car in the near-empty school lot, "it's not your fault. For the hundredth time." Scott only shrugged before getting out and shuffling towards the bus.
Stiles and Isaac exchanged looks as they walked behind Scott. "He's been like this since last night," Isaac said. "You're his best friend…is there anything you can do to take his mind off it?"
"Maybe," Stiles said.
They boarded the bus and Isaac watched Stiles sit next to Scott in the back. He took a seat towards the front before Boyd joined him; his shoulder appeared to be healed from Kali's slash. They only exchanged looks before looking forward. It was going to be a long ride. And it would only be longer when Boyd and Isaac watched Ethan walk onto the bus. The little shit shot them a smirk before passing them to sit with Danny, who was resting his eyes and had the back of his head resting on the top of the seat.
"Don't even think about it," Isaac said, catching Boyd glancing back at the twin. Boyd looked forward again, saying nothing.
— Ʌ | Ʌ | Ʌ —
Isaac was doing his best to prevent Boyd from doing anything to Ethan when he saw Stiles and…Allison?…helping Scott into the men's restroom that was closed for renovation. Unable to check up on Scott, due to Boyd, who he wasn't physically holding back anymore, Isaac decided to wait.
It paid off as Stiles and…Lydia?…emerged moments later. And Stiles was in a panic. "Stay here," Isaac said almost warningly. He was sure Boyd wouldn't do something: Danny was talking to Ethan, who was leaning up against some tree.
"Stiles," Isaac began as he hopped onto the bus, seeing Stiles digging through Scott's backpack in the back of the bus. "What's wrong?"
"It's Scott," Stiles said, looking up for a moment before returning to his search.
"What's wrong with Scott?" Isaac's pulse sped up slightly faster, recalling the moment earlier when he noted Scott was still hurt.
"He's not doing good," Stiles replied as he stood up with one of Scott's shirts in-hand. "He's...he's dying." Stiles slipped past Isaac and hurried off. Isaac's eyes flashed yellow. Suddenly, everything turned red. His breathing hitched. He was off the bus. The next thing he knew it he was wailing into Ethan's jaw. The little shit only smiled at him. He didn't even fight back. Only Danny tried to stop him and Isaac easily shrugged him off.
And then his name was being called. "Isaac! Isaac! Isaac!" Finstock. And then Danny was grabbing at him again. And again he threw him off. "Knock it off!"
"Isaaaac!" thundered the voice. Scott's voice. The voice that mattered. His next punch stopped midway. He slowly rose and turned towards the voice, fist still raised, Ethan's shirt still clutched in the other. He was panting and when he saw Scott standing before him, he let go of the twin. Scott was looking at him. Only him. He wasn't angry. He wasn't disgraced. He was concerned. Isaac breathed out again, looking down from Scott's gaze for a moment. He saw that the wound wasn't affecting him. And then he looked back up at Scott and the tiniest of smiles tugged at the very brink of the corners of his mouth. He noted a crowd had formed. It was quiet but for the inaudible mutters. People were staring. Both at Scott and himself. He looked down again and Scott did the same before looking back up at him. He refused to look back when he couldn't help it any longer.
"Everyone back on the bus!" Finstock yelled, looking from Isaac to Ethan, who was now being helped to his feet by Danny. "Lahey, front seat. Got it?" Isaac turned to face the coach and only looked at him before heading to the bus. He took the first seat on the left as he was told. He sighed in relief, smiling to himself when a hand grasped his shoulder. It was Scott.
"I'm okay," Scott told him, giving him a reassuring smile. And by all appearances, he was. And in that very moment, prefaced by all the rage and adrenaline, that's all that mattered right then. Scott walked towards the back, followed by Allison, Stiles, and Lydia. Finstock joined them as the last one on and he sat directly behind Isaac.
"Face forward," he warned. "If I even think you're gonna' glance back, we'll pull this over and I'll leave you to walk back to the school and explain to them exactly why you're suddenly not joining us anymore."
Author's Note: After 3x04 I found myself thinking about Teen Wolf nonstop for the next week, specifically about Scisaac. I had picked up on their budding friendship since the rave last season and was delighted to see it pick up by 2x11 and even more thrilled when it blossomed during the first four episodes of Season 3. And then the ending of 'Unleashed' came around and fuck my life. The teasing was so direct. So in our faces that I couldn't stop thinking about it. So here's my attempt at my favorite Teen Wolf pairing and even more so my attempt at gurgitating some of the Scisaac churning in my head.
'Anchor, Alpha, Amant' is going to be my attempt at making a Scisaac relationship fit as snugly into the canon storyline as possible. Given the trend of things, I'm hoping they'll leave enough windows open for that to happen; that said, I'm implying that this will be released based on each episode. My hope is to squeeze some xXx into this but that all depends on the producers. Because there's no guarantee, I'll eventually be writing separate one-shots or such that will guarantee that. Thanks for reading and comments, of course, are welcome.