Insert typical apology for slow update here.
Going to ATTEMPT weekly updates not sure how well that's going to work. May more likely be every 2 weeks.
Added a small flash back to Ch 4. I decided the panic attacks needed something more.
Paul drives quickly down the gravel road to where his Airstream is. "Holy crap what the hell am I going to wear?!" Paul mutters to himself moving quickly through the vacant campground towards his site. Stopping quickly he jumps out of the Forerunner and walks briskly towards his camper. Once inside he quickly starts to clean and organize things. While mostly tidy the small space has become a little cluttered since arriving in Beacon Hills. The new job taking up quite a bit of his time even when at home.
Quickly running out of space to hide things Paul settles for shoving some of the bulkier items in the back of the Forerunner. He keeps trying to get to the shower but then something else will catch his eye that needs to be cleaned or straightened. Stripping off clothes as he goes Paul loses track of time enjoying the music blaring from the sound system he had built in to the Airstream. Eventually he's down to just his boxer brief's on his hands and knees cleaning singing loudly. He's got his face nearly on the floor trying to reach something that's rolled under one of the built in seats when slowly he becomes aware of something…it has weight almost like a presence in his mind. Just then a shadow falls across him and he freezes before turning and catching sight of Isaac frozen with his hand in the air as if he was about to knock. His mouth hanging open with a lock of shock on his face. Paul's mouth also falls open as he realizes how he must look. Down on all fours in his underwear singing and bouncing around. He quickly stands up. He looks down at himself then back up at Isaac. Mouth working for a moment Paul finds his voice. "Uh Hi! You're early?" He questions looking over at the clock on the laptop. "It's a quarter till 6. Uh.. I'll wait out here?" Isaac says noticing Paul's blush going halfway down his chest. Even the battered condition of Paul's chest and back not lessening the sheer want and desire he is feeling after seeing his nearly naked mate on all fours face down ass up. "Crap Isaac I'm really sorry I just lost track of time. Give me a few minutes..." He must think I'm a total dumb ass. Paul thinks looking around frantically for something to cover up with. He is distraught at the thought he may have ruined his one chance at something great.
Isaac hears Paul's heart jack hammering away and picks up on the scent of nerves and disappointment. He steps inside and puts a reassuring hand on Paul's shoulder concentrating on calming him. "Hey." He says softly now that Paul had shut the music off. "We've got all night it's OK please don't be upset. I've got a couple of emails I need to reply to. He says pulling his phone out with his free hand and wiggling it. Take all the time you need. Grab a shower, do what you'd planned on doing. It's OK." Stroking his thumb on Paul's shoulder he feels the man start to calm down. Paul takes a deep calming breath and lets it out looking into Isaac's eyes he smiles shyly. Your eyes are so beautiful. Isaac thinks. "OK thanks. If you're hungry or thirsty help yourself to anything." Paul says reaching up and giving the hand on his shoulder a light squeeze. "I'll give you the grand tour once I'm properly clothed." At that Paul turns and darts into the tiny bathroom after grabbing some clothes that had been laid out on the foot of the bed. Isaac smirks and looks around the small space. Inhaling he pulls the condensed scent of his mate in through his nose memorizing the smell. He takes a seat at the small table and exhales slowly willing his arousal away. The thought that his mate is naked just feet away causing his wolf to pace anxiously. Looking around Isaac notes things are quite a bit cleaner than when he was in the Airstream the last time. He's scrubbed this thing down so that it's practically brand new. No wonder he lost track of time. He shakes his head with a fond smile.
Standing he goes to the tiny kitchen area and pulls a bottle of water out of the refrigerator. Looking up he frowns at the broken storage cabinet door. With a sigh Isaac walks back and sits down. A few minutes later the shower shuts off and Isaac hears some rustling in the bathroom. Moments later Paul emerges fully clothed running a towel over his short blonde hair. He smiles brightly at Isaac. "Better?" asks Isaac returning Paul's smile. "Much, thanks for not being mad." I got to see you nearly naked how is that something to be mad at? Isaac thinks with a smirk. "Anyone who'd be upset with you over something like that isn't worth your time. It's nice out here. I see why you like it."
"Well…so this is home." Paul says tossing the towel back in the bathroom and gesturing around the camper. "I've got a nice comfortable bed back here. The one that came with the camper wasn't that great so I bought a new mattress that's way more comfortable." Isaac stands and walks back to stand by Paul while he gestures around the small sleeping area. It's small but cozy. Storage nooks and a LCD TV mounted on the wall. "In here is kind of an all in one thing. The bathroom is the shower. Everything in here is water proof." Isaac looks in and sees that the room is about the size of a single shower stall with a small toilet and sink. There is a raised edge at the door to keep water from flowing out and a drain in the floor. "That's pretty cool everything you need in one small space." Paul nods "Yeah the only thing I had to do was add an inline water heater. There is a tank water heater that runs on propane but it only holds 6 gallons of water so you have to shower pretty quickly. Sometimes I need a long shower to help with my stiff joints." Isaac wonders darkly if the "stiff joints" are a result of the injuries someone had inflicted on him. "Since I have electricity here the inline heater heats the water as I use it so I can be in there as long as I like. The same way with the climate control." Paul says gesturing to the unit on the ceiling. "There is AC and a furnace standard. However the furnace uses fuel like the water heater does. I had the unit upgraded so that when I have electricity I can run the heat and not have to worry about running out of fuel."
"You'll need that this weekend it's going to get pretty cold. How well insulated is this?" Isaac asks placing his hands on Paul's hips and scooting around him in the narrow passage to sit back down. "Well Airstream is pretty high end but this is their smallest least expensive model. So I'd say just so-so. I did a few months in Maine during winter and the heat ran nearly constantly. I was comfortable but there were a few times I thought that if it was much colder the heater wouldn't be able to keep up." Gesturing to the small kitchen area. "Pretty obvious what this area is. For me and how I live it's really all I need. The only down side is that I cook pretty frequently so with such a small refrigerator I'm going to the store every few days." Isaac nods then turns and gestures to the large TV sitting across the length of the dining table. "I take it the 50" TV is not standard equipment?" Paul laughs and Isaac smiles at the way his chest warms at the sound.
"No that's pretty much the only thing that I kept from my house. I have a few things in storage in Texas but I thought I could use it more or less OK. Unfortunately it's more of a pain that anything else. It blocks those windows, I have to remember to take it down and cushion it when I am on the road, and it's really too large for the space. You can't comfortably watch TV sitting that close to it. You have to sit in the middle of the bed facing this way to see it from back there which is silly since there is a decent size TV on the wall in the bedroom already. So mainly what I do is use it for background noise. If I'm cooking or in the shower I'll put it on. One thing it is good for is work. I can log in and then put status screens up. When I'm waiting for things to process I can keep them up on the TV and then go about my business without needing to stare at the laptop all the time. I'm on the laptop quite a bit but since moving here I've been sitting outside with it enjoying the quiet." Isaac looks over at the laptop "Pretty nice laptop you a gamer?" Paul leans against the counter looking at Isaac fondly. "I bought that the same week I bought the camper. I have a nice gaming machine and monitor but it didn't seem practical having them in here so I picked up a laptop that was more or less the same specs. I've always really enjoyed video games I'll go through periods where I may play an hour a two a week. Other times I'll be playing for hours a day. It can be a welcome…..distraction sometimes." Isaac notices Paul's emotions shifting a little more towards somber and decides to change the subject. Fuck not now please. Paul thinks as he feels panic starting to set in. "Absolutely we should play something sometime I can bring my laptop over or you can come to my place. I live pretty close by. Ready to head out?"
Paul nods without saying anything a blank look on his face. Isaac picks up on Paul's struggle to reign in his emotions appearing to be lost in thought. Rising slowly Isaac moves in to Paul's space and puts his hand on his frantic mate's shoulder again sending warmth and safety over the still forming mate bond. Not wanting to embarrass Paul Isaac elects to not say anything but stand there a moment. "How do you do that?" Paul asks as the panic flushes away almost in the blink of an eye. Isaac smiles warmly shrugging nonchalantly "Just a gift I guess." He says gently stroking his thumb down the side of Paul's neck. Paul opens his mouth to apologize. "shhh." Isaac says soothingly trailing his hand down Paul's tense bicep and squeezing gently. Looking down in to the slightly shorter man's eyes Isaac continues softly. "When you're ready to talk about it I'll listen. I promised remember?" Paul exhales softly shaking his head yes. He leans forward and places a soft kiss on Isaac's cheek before hugging him briefly. "You're amazing." Paul whispers softly before pulling back. "So…" Paul says face blushing slightly "Movie?" Subtly inhaling Paul's scent as the negativity is washed away to be replaced by calm and ease Isaac smiles warmly. "Come on handsome, you like popcorn?" He says taking Paul's hand and leading him out of the camper.
Pulling in to the parking lot at the theater Isaac sees a familiar baby blue Jeep and pulls in next to it. Reaching out for the pack bond Isaac gives a gentle tug and is surprised when he feels 4 replies. "huh." He says aloud. "hmm?" Paul says looking over at him. "Looks like some friends are here. Stiles, Derek, Danny and Scott." "Really?" Paul says looking around. "That's Stiles's Jeep." "How do you know they are all here?" Paul asks. Thinking fast "Oh I just forgot it was date night. They like to double date and go to the movies. Is that OK?" Isaac says looking to Paul to gauge his reaction. He hears a jump in Paul's heart rate and sees his hands ball up in to fists. Paul stares at him blankly breathing heavily. Isaac takes one of Paul's hands and gently forces it open gently running his fingers over the crescent shaped red marks left from Paul's finger nails. Looking back up he sees Paul looking at him a look of fear and defeat in his eyes. "They hurt me." Paul whimpers out as tears begin pooling in his eyes. "One of them… pretended to like me….asked me out to the movies….then he and his friends…" Paul shakes his head and shudders.
"Who's this?" the young guy asks walking in to the room. "Some fucking queer that thought my cock was on the menu. We're just teaching him a lesson… Fucking FREAK." Mark says spitting in Paul's face before punching him in the face several times while he's held up by two other men. "Hold up." Says the new comer. I have an idea."
Isaac unfastens both of their seat belts and pulls Paul over on to his lap. He puts his arms around Paul's chest and holds him close. "I'm sorry Paul I promise. It slipped my mind we can go someplace else. I'm so sorry." Isaac says desperately. I've got to learn what the triggers are it's like walking through a fucking mine field. "I….I can't do this.. I thought I could…...you're a good guy Isaac you deserve…." Paul trails off with a broken whimper. Isaac kisses Paul gently on the cheek before turning him slightly so they could see eye to eye "Hey." He says gently. "I don't give up that easy. If you can look me in the eye and honestly with no reservation tell me you want me to leave you alone then I will. Otherwise, my promise to you still stands. Whenever you're ready. It can be right now or next week or next month. Share this with me and I promise you I'll do whatever I can to make it better. You're stronger than you give yourself credit for. I can feel it. Whatever they tried to do didn't work because you're here, you're alive you've won." "I'm.." Paul starts. "NO." Isaac says forcefully cutting Paul off. "You are not broken. Even if you were, I'd be right here to help you pick up the pieces." "Why do you care?" Paul whispers. "You're special. Don't ask me how, I just know."
Isaac can feel the rest of the pack. They had felt when he'd tugged on the bond and had moved towards the Jeep. When they had heard and felt Paul's dismay they had frozen at a discreet distance. All of them are now sending comfort and reassurance over the bond. Paul's eyes open and he looks around. "What is that?" He says. "What?" Isaac says knowing that Paul was talking about the bond. Even though he hadn't been claimed as his mate he was slowly becoming more in tune with the rest of the pack. Several of them had made a point of touching him transferring not only their scent but their acceptance of him in to the pack. "It's like…." Paul shakes his head. "I can't really explain it. You calm me. This though it feels like." Paul looks around outside the Jeep. Before shaking his head. "Whatever it is I like it. It's nice to feel safe. I haven't felt safe in a really long time." "Would you like to go home?" Isaac says squeezing Paul gently. "No actually. I feel….I feel fine…... let's go meet up with your friends." Isaac tugs on the bond again and the two couples start walking towards the Jeep again. "Actually looks like they are going to meet with us." Isaac gestures with his chin through the windshield and the 4 men walking towards the Jeep. There is a brief flash of fear from Paul that goes away almost immediately. "They would never hurt you. You're safe with us." Isaac says softly. "OK." Paul says his emotions stabilizing again after another burst of reassurance from everyone. "Guess I should uh." Paul says gesturing to his seat. "Oh yeah sorry." Isaac says helping Paul back in to his set. "You're crazy strong." Paul says smiling. "Come on let me introduce you to everyone." Isaac says giving Paul's leg a quick squeeze before sliding out of the Jeep.
"Hey Paul!" Stiles says happily pulling Paul in to a hug. "Sorry for acting weird the other day. As I'm sure Isaac's told you I'm a bit of a spaz sometimes." He says squeezing Paul. Paul stands there shocked for a moment before returning the hug. Closing his eyes and enjoying the feeling of good he gets from Siles. "Stiles stop man handling Isaac's date." The man Stiles had walked up with says. "Sorry." Stiles says sheepishly releasing Paul and stepping back. "You know Danny." Isaac says. Paul smiles at Danny who extends his hand. When Paul takes Danny's hand the other man reaches forward and grips his elbow with his other hand. Danny smiles warmly at Paul. "This is Danny's husband Scott McCall." Scott steps forward smiling warmly as he clamps Paul on the shoulder while also shaking his hand. "Great to meet the guy Isaac's been going on and on about." Paul blushes a little and glances at Isaac who's also gone a little red. "Thanks nice to meet you too." "The frowny one over here is Derek Hale my husband." Stiles says gesturing with his head. Derek steps forward with an eye roll. "Great to meet you Paul." Derek extends his hand which Paul takes. Paul had felt strong positive emotions from everyone else. When he takes Derek's hand he feels an even stronger wave of comfort but also authority, protection, and strength. His breath leaves him in a whoosh as stands there for a moment soaking in the feelings. He notices everyone has gone still and sees a small smirk on Derek's handsome face. "Sorry uh." Paul says releasing Derek's hand and stepping back and leaning in to Isaac unconsciously when he moves to Paul's side. "I'm a little out of it tonight. Uh….. so when does the movie start?"
"We should just be able to catch it." Stiles says pulling his phone out to check the time. Isaac puts his arm over Paul's shoulder and the group heads towards the theater. After dropping way too much money at the concession stand everyone is seated towards the back of the theater. Once the movie starts Isaac shifts a little and presses his leg up against Paul's. Paul goes stiff for a moment and just when Isaac is about to pull away Paul leans over against Isaac. Danny leans forward and looks over at them he gives Paul a thumbs up "Told you he was a sweet heart." He whispers to Paul. Isaac and Paul both smile shyly at each other but say nothing. Halfway in to the movie Paul whispers to Isaac "I'll be right back, restroom." Before standing up. "Me too." Isaac says following Paul out.
Business finished both Paul and Isaac are coming out of the restroom when it happens. Isaac has his hand on the back of Paul's neck squeezing gently causing Paul to smile and shiver slightly. Just then a group of 5 younger men walks by "How sweet it must be date night." One of them says "fucking faggots." Another one says. "Freaks" Paul stops and recoils backwards in to Isaac. Isaac immediately pulls Paul behind him and glares at the youths. "You'd best move along now." He says menacingly. "Or what? Gonna slap me bitch? There are kids here keep your faggotness in the bedroom." The first one says. Paul shudders and gasps for breath desperately trying to stay on his feet. "Look the bottom's having a hissy fit." One of them laughs. Isaac takes a step back pressing himself against Paul. "Leave now!" Isaac says menacingly just barely able to keep from shifting to protect his mate. One of the men steps forward to shove at Isaac. He never makes contact though because in an instant he's face down on the floor about 10 feet away. Peter dusts his hands nonchalantly. "Boys….I think it would be best for you to do what he says before anyone gets hurt." Seconds later the rest of the pack shows up looking like murder. "Man we were just fucking around." One of them says. "Yeah we didn't mean anything." The one on the ground says. "How about you go fuck around someplace else." Scott says angrily taking a step forward. Without anything else said the group shuffles quickly down the hallway and out the exit.
Isaac spins around and cradles Paul's face in his hands. "Are you OK?" He asks. Paul shakes his head yes as a couple tears roll down his cheeks. The pack can feel the terror radiating from the shaken man. Breathing deeply Paul finally says "Let's go back to the movie." "Are you sure? We can go do something else." Isaac says. "Do you want me to take you home?" Paul swallows and pauses for a moment. "No I'm OK now. This shouldn't ruin our night." Looking around at everyone else. "OK?" He asks. Everyone else nods "Thanks Peter." Paul says. "Don't mention it." He says simply before nodding at the group. "Gentlemen." He says before striding away. "Man loves his dramatic entrances and exits." Stiles says as the pack turns and heads back to the theater. Isaac holds back a little bit and pulls Paul aside. "Are you sure you're OK?" Paul nods but says nothing. "Can I hug you?" Isaac asks softly. Paul nods again and lets out a quiet noise that's a cross between a sob and a whimper as Isaac wraps his arms around him. "I'm sorry, I try so hard…to put it behind me. Then something will happen and….. it's like I'm right back there and they are…." Paul manages to get out while he sobs silently, shaking in Isaac's arms. "It's OK. It's OK." Isaac whispers. "No one will ever hurt you when you're with me, or any of my friends. We look after our own." Isaac puts his hand on the back of Paul's head and gently pushes him down so that his face is resting against his shoulder and neck. He strokes Paul's hair gently and holds him tightly. Paul's frantic breathing causes him to unknowingly draw Isaac's scent in through his nose. Warmth love and safety over take his panic bringing him down quickly. Paul shudders slightly then whispers "Thanks Isaac." With a firm squeeze Paul steps back. "Let's get back before we miss too much." Isaac reaches up and gently squeezes Paul's neck again before saying. "Come on handsome."
Back in the theater the rest of the pack subtly touch Paul as he and Isaac squeeze by in front of them to get back to their seats. Each touch bringing Paul back a little bit more, making him feel a little more secure. Back in their seat Paul immediately leans in to Isaac. Isaac pushes Paul back gently causing a look of confusion from the other man. Isaac flips the arm rest up on the seat before pulling Paul closer. Paul smiles and leans against the taller man who wraps his arms around him protectively. Unable to stop himself Isaac leans down and sniffs softly at Paul's neck before placing a soft kiss on the soft skin. That's…odd. Paul thinks but says nothing. He opts instead to snuggle closer to Isaac's side. Minutes later he's asleep.
"Is he OK?" Scott whispers to Isaac. "I think they triggered a flash back or something. I don't know the details but someone tricked him by acting like they were interested and then he and others did…something to him." Isaac whispers back straining to keep from growling. "He's been tortured." Isaac finally manages to grunt out closing his eyes to hide the furious yellow. "Do you know who did it?" Derek asks. Isaac shakes his head stroking Paul's arm gently. "Not yet." He says with a low growl. The vibrations from the growl cause Paul to stir and his eyes snap open as he jerks upright. "What was that?" he says looking around. Grimacing when several people "shhhh" him from a few rows up. Isaac chuckles. "It's OK." He whispers in Paul's ear. "I think you just heard something in the movie." Paul exhales then whispers back. "Sorry for falling asleep on you I'm a lousy date huh." Isaac turns Paul's face looking in to his eyes before he smirks and rubs his nose on Paul's. "You're perfect." Popcorn rains down on them and Stiles whispers for them to get a room.
A short while later the movie is over and everyone walks out to the parking lot talking amongst themselves. Derek notices Paul looking around the parking lot. "They are long gone. Peter is good at getting his point across." Paul smiles a little smile. "That he does." Once they are back at the Jeeps everyone hugs Paul good night. When it's Derek turn he pulls Paul in tightly. "I'm sorry about what happened. If you see them again call Isaac or me right away OK? Isaac put all our numbers in his phone." Paul smiles "You guys are all so warm." Paul smiles and steps back when Derek releases him. "Come on let's get you home." Isaac says taking Paul by the hand and walking the few steps over to his Jeep.
The drive back to the campground is quiet but not in a bad way. Paul stares out the window most for the trip. His scent is calm and breathing relaxed. About halfway home Isaac reaches over rand takes Paul's hand causing Paul to look at him. "Is this OK?" Isaac asks quietly. Paul smiles, really smiles without holding back. So gorgeous. Need to see that more often. Isaac thinks. "It's more than OK." He says squeezing Isaac's hand.
Pulling up behind Paul's Forerunner Isaac shut the Jeep off and climbs out following Paul over to the door of the Airstream. Paul turns to him and smiles. "I had fun, bad bits aside I really enjoyed tonight." Paul says. Isaac smiles softly cupping Paul's cheek with his hand and stroking his cheek softly with his thumb. "I'm so glad that I met you. I hope that tonight is the first of many." Something soft and cold starts falling on them. Looking up they see large snowflakes starting to fall. "I hope so too." Paul says stepping forward into Isaac's warmth. Looking up Paul flicks his eyes from Isaac's full lips up to his eyes. Isaac leans down and presses his lips to Paul's. The kiss is gentle and soft. Isaac slides his arms around Paul's back. Paul would be embarrassed by the needy little sound that comes from the back of his throat if Isaac hadn't made the same whimpering sound of want. Isaac gently slips his tongue inside the warm mouth and slowly twines it with Paul's. As they stand there gently exploring each others mouths the snow starts coming down more heavily and the wind picks up. Isaac pulls back slowly providing support for Paul who's legs have gone a little weak. "You should get inside it's getting pretty cold out here." Isaac whispers. "I love the snow." Paul says "Can't wait to see how it looks in the morning. I hope my wolf is OK." Looking around them in the darkness. "I'm sure he's fine." Just wishing he could curl up with you in front of a fire. "If he's not in his den already I'm sure he will be soon." Isaac says with a smirk. "I'd invite you in but I'd hate for you to get the wrong idea." Paul says still holding on to Isaac. "No need beautiful. I should go anyway." Isaac says stoking his hand though Paul's soft hair. Nodding Paul steps back with a small smile on his face. "Good night." Paul says "Good night." Isaac replies turning with Paul as he turns and unlocks the door. Isaac reluctantly releases him and watches as his mate smiles at him before stepping inside and closing the door.
Isaac is in the Jeep about to shift in to reverse when he sees the door to the Airstream fly open and Paul come rushing out. Before he can open the door Paul is at his window smiling shyly. Isaac lowers the window but is unable to say anything before Paul is grabbing his face with both hands and kissing him. When they pull apart a few moments later both are breathing hard and in need of air. "I just needed one more before you left." Paul says blushing deeply. Isaac's stunned face smiles brightly. Paul runs his thumb over Isaac's kiss wet lips. "Let me know when you make it home?" he asks. "Definitely." Isaac says. Paul smiles and steps shyly away from the Jeep. He waves at Isaac backs up and then turns driving away. Isaac sees Paul standing watching him go until he goes around a curve in the road.
In bed Paul find himself rapidly falling asleep when his phone beeps with a new message.
From Isaac: Made it home, hope you're warm in bed. Great time tonight talk to you tomorrow.
To Isaac: warm and comfortable. Hope you are too. Look forward to hearing from you.
From Isaac: night gorgeous
To Isaac: night tall sweet and sexy.
