Chapter 6: Too much preparation and stressful moments. [15th - 31st May 2013.]

Summary: The one with all the stress.

Lazily, she rolled onto her side. The calendar on the bedside table said it was the 15th of May. Last thing Lydia Martin remembered was coming home exhausted from writing her final paper of High School and the insane jubilation that had followed afterwards.

It had been loud and wild and she hadn't had the energy to throw a party but that little impromptu celebratory get-together the pack had thrown had more than made up for that. When she tumbled into bed two nights ago, she knew it was going to be a very LONG sleep. She rolled onto her back then, sprawled out amidst the sheets which were tangled around her slender legs.

She had vague memories of using the bathroom, shuffling to the kitchen for a glass of juice and . . . Well, basically that was it. She hadn't done much the previous day and she has absolutely no regrets about that. Hell, she earned it.

There was a jar of strawberry juice on the table which she interpreted as her mom's way of saying; "eat this, or I'm going to think you're sick and call the doctor." and with an indulgent smile, she sat up in bed. Her bones creaked like the floorboards of a century old wood house owned by an equally frail old woman as she propped up on the pillows. She always fell asleep on her phone so she instantly went to patting the sheets in search for the device.

When she found it, it was at a 43% battery power and had several messages and calls, most of which were from Jordan. With a smile, she run her fingers through her messy locks and tried to not pay attention to the fact that according to her time, it was almost 5pm as she read the messages. Each message showed more concern than the last. Well, except the last one because she assumed by then, he had spoken to her mom and she had assured him that she was fine.

She waited, the phone held to her ear with one hand while the other held the glass of juice to her lips. Two rings later and she heard the unmistakable voice of her man on the other end of the line.

"Lydia..." It wasn't a question... Or a statement. It was like a whisper of love. Or perhaps it was just her sleepy and tired mind adding cave effects to Parrish's voice.

"I just woke up and saw your missed calls and messages. Sorry I worried you." She whispered, her voice still gruff for not having spoken in at least 36 hours.

"No that's okay. I'd sleep too if I were you." There was a brief pause on the line where Parrish reinstated to himself why he hated phone calls while Lydia hummed at the refreshing taste of the juice although it was obviously squeezed hours ago. "You're feeling rested now?"

"Oh yeah I am. Maybe *too* rested because I think if I try to get up from bed, I may crumble into a heap of jelly." She muttered, gurgling the juice in her mouth before swallowing.

"Oh well, that's too bad." Parrish muttered from the other end.

Something in his voice and tone had Lydia setting the half empty glass on her thigh. "Why's that?" She asked, genuinely curious.

"Because I was going to ask you to have dinner with me. Nothing fancy. Just pizza and maybe we can stay up real late."

"Mmm on a school night?" She liked the idea. It was going to take a little getting used to for Jordan to ask her out on weekdays because he had tended to be a little too critical about that. "My, Jordan... If I didn't know better, I'd think you were trying to help me celebrate the end of my high school career."

He chuckled from the other end, the sound causing an instant smile on her features. "Then I guess it's a real good thing that you know better. So, what do you say? I'll close from work at 21:30."

"Just pick me up at home whenever you're ready okay? I'll be waiting."

"And I'm already counting the minutes. See you soon." He hang up then, Lydia unable to say much afterwards. Parrish didn't really get sappy. He usually teased her, innuendoes and the like, but never the sap and as little as that had been, it had been one.

So maybe her heart was pounding in her chest and she could taste her pulse but a part of her kept asking her what the big deal was, and the truth is, she had no answer to that one.

"Why weren't you picking my calls?" Malia asked from the doorway of Kira's bedroom, not bothering to enter the room this time. They hadn't had a civilized conversation in the longest time and a part of her yearned for her girlfriend while the other part was just plain irritated by the obvious cold shoulder she was being treated to. It has been four whole days since they wrote their last paper, after all.

"I wanted to be alone." Kira replied simply. A sketchbook lay open on her bed, filled with clothing designs that Malia knew she had made and although she wasn't much into clothes and dresses, she wanted to have a glimpse through that because admittedly, Kira really was good at drawing extremely beautiful dresses and judging from the color pencils and HB pencils strewn across the bed, she was certain there have been some new additions.

Shuffling, she leaned against the door post, arms folded across her chest as she stared at her girlfriend who just lay on the bed. She was yet to look up at her. It was never the case. Usually, she'd be up and in her arms before she was through the door, an act which has more than once, landed them both in a heap on the floor. Of course, if they were alone, they turned that heap into something really productive.

"Are you avoiding me?" She asked after a while when it seemed Kira had no intention of saying anything more.

The kitsune sat up then, pushing the sketch book aside and making a show of arranging the pencils into their containers. "Why would something as absurd cross your mind?" She muttered casually, still not looking at her.

"I don't know. . . Maybe because you haven't spared me a single glance since I walked in here? Like you don't want to see me. You're giving me the same cold shoulder you've been giving me since Scott and Isaac got together." Malia exclaimed and almost regretted it when Kira's head shot up and her eyes fixed on her, a burning fire in them that she has never seen. She had asked to be looked at, but not in that manner. Definitely not.

"There you go again. Scott and Isaac. Isaac and Scott. Stiles and your father. Your father and your cousin. Any more people you'd like to blame everything on?" Kira snapped, her face still looking calm. Too calm for comfort.

"I'm not blaming them. I'm just mentioning that-"

Kira started muttering wildly in Japanese before she seemed to snap out of her haze and fix her gaze once more on Malia. "That I'm jealous of Isaac because he's now with Scott? That I regret being with you? That I want Scott back? Yeah go on. . . Tell me. It's not like I've heard it a *million* times already from you. Kira is jealous. Malia is never jealous because her reason for being so angry at the fact that Stiles is dating is because it's her father and not just because she regrets having cheated on him with Kira." The Japanese girl muttered, her cynicism very clear and the way she slipped into that third person -like she usually did- alarmed Malia like it always did.

"Kira, I'm not. . . You think I'm jealous. . . Wait, you think I regret. . .? Why would you even think that?!" The coyote couldn't understand that. Nothing about that made sense to her.

"I read about it online. Apparently, they call it projection. When you feel something and you don't really like it so you start pushing your emotions and thoughts on someone else, trying to make them feel bad. Look, I won't blame you if you regret the way things happened between us. Really. It's natural for you to regret when you cheat on-"

"Will you stop reminding me of what I did? As I recall clearly, you didn't find it so disturbing when you were taking my clothes off, giggling like a ticklish fish whose right spots were being paid attention to so stop throwing it into my face that I cheated on Stiles."

"Oh. Oh right. I guess this is the part of it that I have been waiting for. Kira seduced Malia, she tore off her clothes and debauched her even when she knew she was still with Stiles. Bad Kira. How despicable of her to-"

"Will you stop talking like that?" Malia chipped in, visibly frustrated.

"- Do something like this and continually tell Malia that she was the one who cheated?" She continued as if Malia hadn't said anything at all.

"I can't have a conversation with you. You're talking nonsense. For some reason, you feel like shit and you would like for me to feel that way too." Malia shook her head indignantly at Kira, who had managed to someone stand in the middle of all that. "You call me when you're feeling sane and can have a civilized conversation without your insane jealousy and insecurities clouding your brain and making you sprout nonsense." And then she was cutting through the house quickly in an attempt to get far away from the place as possible.

"Yeah I doubt that!" Kira called out, her voice shaky. Her whole body was trembling as she slammed her bedroom door shut and slumped against it, sliding to the floor and staying there till she lost track of time. "Stupid . . . Stupid . . . Stupid . . ." She muttered every few minutes to herself, locked up in her own brain and her cheeks glistering from the tears she had no idea had escaped.

Scott hastened down the stairs at the sound of his doorbell. He had been at home lazying about and with a partner in crime like Isaac, it was more a "wear me out and cuddle me" operation. It was lovemaking sessions amidst cuddles and laughter or better yet, cuddles and laughter amidst lovemaking sessions.

Needless to say, he was positively worn out and has been for the past week since they had written their final paper, yet when the doorbell rung and he caught a whiff of whom it was, he all but run down the stairs more out of habit than deliberately. He pulled the door open, a smile finding its way automatically onto his face. "Kira. What are you . . . I mean, come in." When she smiled back at him and nodded in acceptance to the invitation, he stepped aside and let her in, closing the door behind them.

"Are you alone?" She asked quietly, her nervousness coming at a surprise to him.

Taking a brief look upstairs at where he had left Isaac, naked in the sheets, he looked back at her and nodded slowly. "Yeah I am. Is there anything I can do for you?" Scott made a show of walking to the kitchen and setting a pot on the fire.

"Oh, I uhh . . . I think you have my algebra book with you and I was packing . . . I mean, packing all the books I used in high school so I came for it."

He didn't need special wolf senses to know she was lying through her teeth. He knew her. More than she thought he did, and perhaps more than he should but he has always been a deep lover and noticing things was just one of the things that happened to come with it. "Still arguing with Malia?" He asked quietly, gently.

Kira contemplated saying no and she knew that even though he would know she was lying, he wouldn't call her up on it, yet for some reason, instead of denying it, she just sighed and pulled up a stool to the counter, sitting on it and bracing her elbows on it. "Maybe?"

"Maybe you should cut her some slack. You know she has a valid reason for being flipped out about the thing she's flipped out about." He muttered, somehow managing to sound soothing to her instead of judgmental and accusatory.

"I do understand that. I mean, if my dad got with you, I'd probably want to kill myself. Or him. Or as impossible as it feels right now, you." She sighed dramatically, reaching out to take the cup of steaming coffee which Scott slid across the table at her.

Scott cringed. Nothing about that mental image was pretty and he didn't think he could be blamed for being mortified by it. "Then why?" He managed to ask.

"It's just the way she goes about it. No one says she has to be okay with it. No one asks her to think and feel a certain way yet she expects it of everyone. She's manipulative and insecure and the worst thing is that she projects her thoughts and feelings onto others and tries to make them feel bad when she's the one who is supposed to feel bad." Exasperated, she slammed the cup onto the counter-top but kept her fingers wrapped around the mug to keep them warm.

"Why do you say that?"

"I think the real reason she's not okay with all that after 6 months of knowing and 4 months of being sure, is because she's jealous of the fact that Stiles found someone . . . people, is more accurate but still. What I mean is, she's not really upset about Peter and Stiles, or Peter and Derek or Derek and Stiles and more about the fact that Stiles found someone -Anyone- to love and is now not hers."

Scott sighed, leaning on the kitchen island across from her, his bare abdomen pressed to the cold surface. "Does that bother you?" He asked quietly. He had just pulled on a pair of sweats when the doorbell had rung, and in his haste, he hadn't even realized they were bigger and made for someone a few inches taller.

When she looked up from her cup, her eyes met his, his easy smile coercing one out of her. "It doesn't. At least not so much as it bothers me that that's all we seem to talk about for the last few months. I mean, I haven't had a good laugh, or felt happy, in such a long time because she has gotten this stupid idea in her mind that *I'm* jealous. Jealous of the fact that you're with Isaac now." He didn't flinch. She really appreciated that.

Scott stared silently at her for a while before he reached across the island for her hands, taking them in his in a very familiar gesture. "Are you?"

It was a simple question. A terrible question but still a simple one and with anyone else she would be pissed but it was Scott and it had little to do with the fact that she was at one point in love with him, and more to do with the alpha's sense of conviction. "Am I jealous of what you and Isaac have?" She muttered softly as if repeating the question would help and perhaps it did. "I guess I am. But not because we were together once and I want you back. No. No offense. I just guess that even a fool sees the easy way you are with each other and everyone yearns for someone like that so I'm as jealous of Isaac for having you as I am jealous of you for having him." She smiled, thrilled that she could finally put a meaning to her feelings on the matter.

"And Malia. . .?" Scott started to ask.

"Used to be that person for me. For a long time, she was. Nowadays, it's just arguments and foul emotions, headaches and tears and I guess I'm questioning that." She replied with a wan smile, her fingers squeezing back gently when his squeezed hers.

Scott pulled back from the island and slowly around it to pull her up into his arms, wrapping his muscled arms around her and sighing when her arms came up slowly around his shoulders to hug him right back. "You're a tough one. I know you'll figure something out. Something that makes you feel better." He whispered, palms rubbing slowly up and down her back and chin pressed atop her head.

Kira smiled, swaying slowly with Scott, just enjoying being held like that for a while before, as if in sync, both pulled away.

"So . . . Honestly, do you think your algebra book could be with me? Or was that a ploy to get me to talking?" He teased.

The kitsune let out a sultry laugh as she stepped out of his arms. "I seriously think so, but knowing you, it's probably somewhere you have no idea of, or with Stiles. Both of which can take time to find so call me when you find it, okay? I'll come for it."

"Or I'll bring it to you." He replied, following her as she made her way to the door.

"I'll see you around, Scott." She leaned in to press a kiss to his cheek then she was gone, zooming down the street in her car.

With a sigh, Scott shut the door and turned around, eyes skimming up the stairs to where he knew his room was, and knowing who was in there waiting for him.

Perhaps needing reassurance.

"I can explain that." Scott muttered from the doorway, biting into his bottom lip like he had been doing since he walked up and saw that Isaac was rolled up on his stomach and wasn't sprawled on his back like he had left him. It was the typical avoidance move and he felt panic rising in his throat.

"You don't have to." Isaac muttered, flipping around onto his back again and folding his arms behind his head on a pillow.

"No but I feel I owe you-" Scott started to say, his quick and shuffled steps into the room was almost comical and Isaac couldn't help the smile that tugged at his lips.

"Nothing. Scott, come on, don't be ridiculous. Between you and I, there are no secrets and a lot of trust." He sat up fully when the alpha took a sit at the foot of the bed as if terrified of coming any closer. "Besides, I believe the expiry date of a relationship is how many secrets are between a couple. You and I . . . We don't have any secrets. Old or new. And when we remember any, we tell the other about it so the way I see it, you and I are gonna be stuck together for a very long time and I'd rather not spend much of that time demanding and expecting explanations for things you do when it's so much easier and better to trust you." He flashed his boyfriend a lopsided grin.

Scott's signature crooked smile crept up onto his face and barely restrained himself from closing the space between them and hugging Isaac. "I hugged her." He muttered instead.

"I know that." Isaac replied with a shrug. "I also know that for some reason, it made you happy to do it. And she was happy too but that's not what's important to me, Scott. What's important is the fact that you acted like you wanted to, even knowing I was up here."

"How's that helping?" Scott asked flabbergasted as he lifted a leg onto the bed, facing Isaac fully now.

"Because it symbolizes trust. Or something along those lines. I really don't know but the fact that you didn't hide away from me just means that you felt in your gut that you were doing the right thing and doing nothing wrong."

"I did. But sometimes the right decisions can hurt-"

"I'm a lot less fragile than you think, love. Much less fragile." And with a grin, he pulled Scott into his arms, the effort knocking him back and sending Scott sprawled on top of him.

"Point taken." Scott muttered, sliding his arms silently around Isaac and remaining there. After a while of companionable silence though, he whispered. "I can't help being worried about her."

"I know." Isaac whispered back, rubbing Scott's back soothingly, much in the same manner the alpha had rubbed Kira's only a few minutes prior.

With a small and contented sigh, Scott rested his head on Isaac's chest. It wasn't the most comfortable of sleep positions but he was exhausted as hell and although it wasn't entirely comfy to be lying in that position, he kept his head down, eyes closed lightly as he focused on the movement of Isaac's palms on his back, roaming lazily, soothing and just . . . Present. His presence was enough for him and he must have known when he started to sleep because the taller boy started to hum in addition to the gentle caresses.

"I love you. Don't know what I'll do without you." He muttered against Isaac's skin, recalling with a smile what Kira had said about their relationship.

"Let's hope you never have to find out then." Isaac whispered again to the sleepy Scott before resuming his humming.

"I'm just so fed up of that. It seems to be all everyone's talking about." Stiles grumbled as he stepped out of the kitchen and sat down on Derek's back, a glass of milk in his hand.

The werewolf had been lying on his belly in the longest couch in the room, hoping to catch some sleep as he felt really tired. He didn't even want to entertain thoughts of how in hell he got to be tired this early in the morning or how strange it was that he was. He had gone to sleep relatively early the previous night and had slept peacefully, only waking up sometime around midnight when Peter had slipped into bed with him then almost immediately going back to sleep yet here he was at 9am, sleepy as fuck while Peter went about typing on his laptop like he had had 10 hours of good sleep. He hated the man. "oomph" that had been unexpected the way Stiles had plopped down on his back like he was a couch but the initial discomfort wore off, and with it, all hope of falling asleep within the next hour. "And that's why I don't think we should also talk about it." Derek mumbled grumpily.

"Well, how can I not? I went to Scott's house yesterday and he and Isaac were on the subject. Apparently, Kira came to talk to Scott and they hugged and smooched and stuff." Stiles replied, taking a sip of his milk and almost choking on it when Derek suddenly jerked up.

"They did what?" He found it unbelievable and a glance at Peter said the same. The man had stopped typing and was just staring at Stiles.

"Well, they didn't smooch and kiss but they hugged. And then talked about when they were dating and love and arguments and basically, Malia." Stiles relaxed again when Derek's body stilled again.

"I am a very strong believer in karma." The hunky beta muttered after a while.

"I don't know. . ." Peter started to say, then stopped.

"She's your daughter, I get that. Apparently, she's my cousin but she has her head too high up her ass I can't help it." Derek muttered, knowing what Peter had been about to say.

"It's a good thing Kira has someone to talk to. She and Scott broke up on good terms." Peter mumbled.

"I think I know where this is going." Stiles chipped in, the glass of milk now on Derek's back as he stared at the other man from across the room.

"It's not going anywhere. I'm just saying I wish Malia had someone to talk to when she hits a roadblock." Peter defended calmly.

"She did." Derek replied, not as indulging as Peter. "And what did she do? She bit all their heads off. You can't blame them for staying out of her crap. Cora nearly beat her into a pulp a few days ago."

"She did what?" No, of course Peter hadn't known about that.

"Malia was being rude, as usual, about us. In spite of her recently unusual calmness, Cora snapped and shut her down. Then threw her out of the loft and told her it was my house and until she was ready to be mature, she should stay out of it. And a few other things." Derek recalled with an air of enjoyment.

"I didn't hear much of that because I was in the kitchen with Derek talking about your Ghanaian girlfriend." Stiles muttered when Peter turned his gaze to him.

With a sigh, the man closed his laptop and got up. This was just frustrating and he would love it if he didn't care as much as he did but alas, there he was, worrying like a father.

It really sucks.

Stiles lay in bed, his cell phone hanging from the tips of his fingers as he debated what to do then as if deciding, he sent a text to the one person he trusted not to make a big deal out of his thoughts and yet, manage to give him sound advice.

Stiles- (21:43) -Can I talk to you? -

Isaac- (21:44) -Sure. Do you want to come over? -

-(21:44) -Or if it'll make you feel better, I can come over. -

Stiles- (21:45) -You don't need to. I hope this would be brief. -

- (21:45) -I need advice on something that's been bothering me. -

Isaac- (21:45) -Alright. Shoot. -

Stiles- (21:47) -You know that day I visited? When you said Kira had come to talk to Scott because it seems she needed someone to talk to? -

Isaac- (21:48) -Uuuuuuuhhhhh... Yeah, I do. Where are you going with this? -

Stiles- (21:48) -Well, I told the guys about it and it got really tense in there. -

Isaac- (21:50) -They're tense because Kira hugged my boyfriend or maybe Scott hugged her? Wow, I'm touched. -

Stiles- (21:50) -Not about that, idiot. -

- (21:51) -I mean the fact that she could just come to Scott and y'know talk to him about stuff. -

Isaac- (21:51) -Ooh. -

- (21:51) -Oh wait. . . No. No way in hell are you even considering THAT!-

Stiles- (21:51) -But why not? It doesn't feel like she's pack anymore. -

Isaac- (21:52) -That's not your fault. Or your problem. -

Stiles- (21:52) -Isn't it? If I didn't get with her dad, she'd still have me to talk to. -

Isaac- (21:53) -Oh right. So, what, you were supposed to eternally remain single while she goes about enjoying lesbian sex? -

Stiles- (21:54) -Isaac. -

Isaac- (21:54) -Stiles! -

- (21:57) -Look, get that stupid thing out of your head that you were supposed to always be around for her. She hasn't been a coyote in more than a year. She has had sex. Straight, gay, who knows how many. She knows right from wrong, hell she even wore a dress once. -

Stiles- (21:57) -What's your point? -

Isaac- (21:59) -My point is, stop treating her like that fragile coyote in the woods and start treating her like an independent girl capable of taking responsibility for herself. -

Stiles- (22:00) -It's just that Peter is distressed and Derek isn't helping. He claims it's karma. -

Isaac- (22:00) -I believe in karma too. -

- (22:01) -And I don't think there's much you can do for Peter. He's a big guy. He'll think of something. -

Stiles- (22:02) -So you think it's a bad idea for me to try talking to Malia? -

Isaac- (22:04) -No. I think it's just wrong for you to blame yourself because that'll mean when you talk to her, you'll be gullible and might end up taking blame for all her shit. -

Stiles- (22:05) -Right. Maybe I'll calm down a bit before talking to her. -

Isaac- (22:05) -That'll be better. -

Stiles- (22:05) -Thanks, Isaac. -

Isaac- (22:06) -Anytime. And goodnight. -

Stiles- (22:06) -Sleep tight. -

- (22:06) -Scott's lucky. -

- (22:17) -Forget you ever got that. -

Isaac - (22:18) -I'll try. -

Walter jumped -figuratively- when the door to his room slammed open but his senses picked up the scent before he could wonder who he was. Not that it was surprising. Wearing only his boxer shorts, he managed to roll out of the way just in time to avoid being crushed by Isaac's body. He was staying in the wolf's room here in the loft because he didn't have the means to get an apartment, and Derek wanted to keep an eye on him so Isaac had offered. And he had accepted.

"Did I do something to deserve being squished into nonexistence this hot afternoon?" He asked lightly, his British accent only serving to escalate the humor in his tone. The weather was starting to heat up naturally as the days drew closer and closer to summer.

"Am I supposed to feel jealous when my boyfriend hugs his ex and holds her for a while?" Isaac asked instead, almost as if he hadn't heart Walter's words.

"Well, normal people do." The vampire replied with a shrug, pulling himself up into a sitting position to fluff the pillow before falling back onto it. "Why the sudden interest in the jealousy routine? You never struck me as the type."

"I'm not. The jealous type, I mean, and I guess that's the problem. Scott hugged Kira. Actually, a lot happened before that. Starting with him literally running out of bed the moment he smelt her at the door, then the cozy talk downstairs and all the euphoria I kept sniffing from her and then the hug. . ."

"So, if you're not jealous about that, what are you jealous about?" Walter asked, brows furrowed in slight confusion as the wheels in his brains turned, trying to sort through Isaac's words.

"Nothing. It's just that Scott seemed to expect me to be jealous or mad or something. Some kind of negative emotion he would have to talk me out of." Isaac replied easily, finally turning to look at the pale boy beside him.

"I did say normal people would, in the beginning. But then, you're not normal. Not in a bad way . . . Just in your own way and it's endearing, I guess. I think Scott just confused you for a normal person for a while there. I'm sure afterwards, he realized his mistake."

"I don't know how I feel about that."

"There's really nothing to feel. You flirt with people all the time and I don't see the alpha stomping his foot and growling in jealousy. In fact, mostly, he's the first one to find it funny so why would he expect you to be jealous *if* he was flirting?" Walter really couldn't understand.

"Maybe it has to do with the fact that she's his ex. Meaning, at some point, he was *really* interested in her."

"Or maybe he trusts you completely but he doubts you trust him completely. At least not when it comes to your love relationship and not the alpha - beta one." Walter supplied helpfully and slouched when Isaac sat up quickly to look down at him with worried eyes.

"You think that's it? He doesn't think I trust him?"

"I'm hardly the one you should be talking to about this, considering a) I've never been in a relationship and b) I'm really new at all things werewolf and to clarify, I think he trusts you but since we were listing reasons why he would expect you to be jealous, I mentioned a practical one." When Isaac's face still reflected his murky thoughts, Walter sighed. "Of course, there's some who believe that jealousy is an integral part of love. Hell, some even believe that if you don't get jealous, it means you don't love thoroughly although personally, I think it's bull."

Isaac shook his head and fell back onto the bed beside Walter. "So, we've narrowed it down to what, me not being normal, Scott thinking I don't fully trust him and ooh yeah . . . Me not loving him enough to fear feeling any real loss if he left me. Wow."

"I'm all for the first one. The third one is totally absurd."

"Yeah..." He muttered to himself and reached out to gently punch the other's shoulder.

"Of course, there's the possibility that you can upright ask him. That's always efficient." Walter murmured after a while.

"Or I can just forget it. A million bucks says Scott has already forgotten it."

"What, the hug, what caused the hug, or what happened between you two after the hug? I don't know . . . but with Malia and Kira in that sour place, you don't forget because all you have to do is sniff them, or hear them argue to remember."

"True." Was all Isaac said then in a way that was *not* him, he muttered; "You think he's gonna leave me for her?"

"Are you insane? No don't answer that. I don't see the future, I'm not psychic and I haven't known Scott for long but you and him, you're mates. People hardly leave their mates. Vampires don't, even though for a vampire to find their mate, it's a one in a million chance. You can fall in love but to be mated is a commitment that our nature just doesn't allow but you wolves. . . That's a different thing. You and Scott are definitely mates, I'll bet my life on that."

Isaac made a sound that sounded like "pfft" but said nothing more. Talk of mates. . . He had talked of Scott finding a mate but never thought of an *actual* mate and perhaps that terrifies him.

"If any pack member is in trouble, Stiles included, Scott can keep his cool but if something were to happen to you, I think he'll willingly break his 'no killing' code and the whole pack will support it because they all know, even though they don't know that they know."

"That's some scary shit." Isaac whispered.

"You wanted me to reassure you so I am. You and him will be fine." The teen vampire said, flipping onto his stomach and plopping his chin in his palm.

"Yeah. . ." Isaac agreed with a grin. "Wanna go for a run?"

"You just never learn, do you?" He asked with a smirk and with a whooshing sound, he was dressed in slacks and sneakers.

"This time, an actual run. No superpowers." Isaac laughed as he got up and hooked an arm around Walter, steering him out of the room.

"I'll try but no promises."

In just her green and cream crochet hot pants and a grey hoodie which was several sizes bigger because it wasn't hers, Lydia padded barefoot out of the bedroom sometime that morning. She hadn't bothered to check the time because she had nowhere to go that day.

She went straight the kitchen which was a contrast to the rest of the apartment with white kitchen cabinet, a single frosted glass window with light green floral pattern curtains and a black and while tiled floor. Pulling the fridge's door open, she rummaged through for something she could eat. "Soup . . . Fruits . . . I guess I can squeeze out some juice . . . Oh, crackers. There's a cake . . . Uh . . . What's this?" She muttered to herself as she turned a Ziploc back in her hand, brows furrowed as if looking at it long enough would give her an idea what it is.

"It's pancake dough." Jordan said from behind her and she turned just her head to give him a smile before shutting the fridge's door.

"I didn't mean to wake you up." She says when she turned around fully.

"Oh no, you didn't. We slept in. It's almost midday so I'm guessing a part of me realized if I didn't want to fall sick, I need to wake up. Or perhaps just to get some food to eat. Will you bring me that dough?"

She opened the fridge again, pulling out the bag and handing it to him before bringing out some oranges, a pineapple and an apple to squeeze for juice.

She had come to him in that manner every two nights since that day they went to see the therapist together, usually to give him comfort. They spent the night talking and playing games till she was worn out or he was, or they both were, then fell asleep. Most nights, she woke up in the middle of the night to him sobbing or just moving around restlessly in his dream and she held him, slender arms around his bulky frame till his breaths calmed and then she spent hours afterwards trying to get back to sleep, mostly failing.

She had told Scott about what was happening with Jordan because he had asked. Apparently, he had noticed something was wrong and that, that really surprised her because how did Scott McCall do it? One moment he was as dense as black oil paint and the next, he's actually capable of noticing stuff.

She shook her head to clear it, eyes roaming over Jordan's really gorgeous body from where he was standing at the stove making pancakes. He only wore gray baggy sweatpants which hung low on his hipbones, back muscles taut and firm, glistening attractively from the little rays of sunlight that snuck in through the curtain.

"You do know I can feel your eyes on me, don't you?" Parrish muttered without actually turning around and Lydia couldn't help the light stain that crept into her cheeks. "And I also know that you just blushed but I refuse to be tempted." His tone resonated humor and Lydia couldn't help chuckling.

They still hadn't gotten to that bridge yet. It's been a year and some since they started dating and for some reason, he hasn't come any closer to her than he had when they started but after the past few weeks, she had resigned herself to stop expecting anything to happen anytime soon. Jordan had a problem and now she understood, or will understand if he out and out told her he had issues with intimacy.

She didn't think he did, though. Everything else was intimate. The hand holding, those little strolls, the spooning, the play dancing, the long conversations about everything and nothing, the insanely arousing kisses, she loved it all. Couldn't get her fill, really, and could survive a lifetime on just that.

She walked to the sink and stuck the bowl of fruits under the faucet before turning to him, her forefinger trailing a thin line down his biceps. "You can't blame me for wanting. I do like what I see." Her smile was slow and lazy in coming and when his eyes followed her finger all the way to his wrist then up her arm to her shoulder then gradually her face, it was with the same look in his eyes as she had.

Want.

Intense desire.

"Lydia. . ." He croaked, then cleared his throat before starting again but she was shaking her head.

"Really, I guess this is a lesson in growing up. You can't always get what you want. Adult world and all-"

He turned to her, stepping closer to press his thumb on her naturally full lips. "But that's the thing. I want you to have everything, Lydia. Everything you want."

She blinked, looking up at him solemnly for a while before that slow smile crept up her face again. "Come on, we're both adults and it doesn't matter. Besides-" In the next moment, his hand had moved into her hair, combing it back from her face and Lydia couldn't help the shiver than run down her spine when she felt him coming closer till his lips were only a breath away from hers.

But then Jordan turned his head so that his lips cruised up her cheek, over her temple and she felt her bones melting, body pliant when she slipped into his arms.

Her head fell back, and she offered to him like she had been doing since he met her. No, it wasn't sex. She just gave everything, opened herself up for him, gave him the permission to drink from her. He wanted to be gentle, tender because the feel of his large hoodie on her with only a peek of the hot pants she wore underneath showing, and the rays seeping through the kitchen, he thought the day called for tenderness.

But as he felt himself sink into that soft, lush mouth, as her fragrance whispered seductively around him, he dragged her hard against himself with his other hands and plundered, instantly desperate and greedy. No rational thought would find its way through the intense sensations she always brought to his being.

Raw hunger coursed through him, causing him to groan out in pleasure and he couldn't pull himself away from her, couldn't stop his mouth from seeking more of hers.

Lydia's trembling hands skimmed over his face, into his hair and tugged on the short strands. Her body, shuddering from the onslaught, pressed urgently to his. When she whispered his name, she was breathless. But he heard her, heard her through the blood pounding in his head, heard that soft, shaky sound.

She was trembling, or he was, and slowly, needing to catch his breath, he pulled away. Silently, her head fell onto his chest, forehead pressed against his skin as her breaths fanned over his nipple. His fingers run through her long mane of fiery hair in an effort to arrange them before wrapping his arms around her and pulling her to himself, just hugging her.

They stood there for what felt like forever, him slouched and hunching over her shorter frame before he heard her laughing softly. "What now?"

"I think the pancake is burnt." She muttered, sniffing the air.

With a chuckle and a bustle of limbs, he turned around to turn off the stove then spoke over his shoulder at her. "I think my utility bill will be really high this month. Those fruits are *thoroughly* clean." And that had her turning sharply to turn off the faucet.

"Sorry about that but I'm going to take only half the blame for almost flooding your kitchen."

"Yeah maybe I should stop kissing you." Jordan muttered in a faux serious tone.

"Don't you dare." They worked in companionable silence for a while before she muttered; "Apparently, I'm graduating top of my class."

"And that surprises you because?"

"Of course, it doesn't surprise me. I'm just not thrilled about having to write a speech and all that stuff when all I wanna do in the next few months is fall asleep and remain asleep."

"What if I promise to help?" Jordan offered as he set the syrup on the table beside the plateful of pancakes.

"I would definitely love that. I just have no idea where to start from."

"You can start with a theme. Which would you want?"

"Friendships, maybe. Everlasting friendship." She poured the cocktail of fruits into two glasses and handed one to Jordan. "Maybe family. I don't think the pack is the only cluster of friends in school. Others have found that too so I think I'll go with that one. A sense of belonging, friendships that would last beyond Beacon Hills."

Parrish leaned in to press a kiss to her forehead. "You'll do terrific."