"Everybody says there's two kinds of hearts

Where one loves and one goes to war

Some make peace and others get even

No solid ground to stand for"

Lover. Fighter. by SVRCINA

Isaac and I were laying on my bed, my head on his chest and his arm wrapped around me. We had arrived back in Beacon Hills about two hours prior and instead of going back to Scott's, Isaac came home with me for our much needed talk. But for a while, we didn't actually get around to talking.

Simply laying there basking in each other's company was relaxing. We didn't say anything. We just cuddled. Talking would bring up the problem at hand, and we were holding out on it, saving it for later. Neither of us wanted to move or let go, for if we did, we knew it'd be over. But even with my eyes closed while tracing random patterns on his chest and with him rubbing a spot on my waist, we knew it wouldn't last. Couldn't last.

"We should talk," he whispered, staring up at my ceiling.

"I know," I replied. "I'm just. . ." Preparing myself. Cuddling with you one last time. Not wanting to move.

"I know. Me too."

A few more beats of silence passed. "But if we don't," I started.

"Then we never will," he finished.

"Do we even need to talk out loud? We're doing a great job telepathically already."

Isaac laughed quietly. It was nice to hear. Comforting. Familiar. "I wish I could say we didn't, but you know we need to."

I sighed, knowing he was right. "I love you, Izzy. I just don't think it's romantic love. It may have been once, but not anymore. I think I just didn't want to admit it."

He squeezed me tighter. "I'm right there with you. I know I used to. God, I was head over heels for you. It was pretty pathetic. I don't know how you didn't notice. I followed you around like a lost puppy. But something changed. I think it's because I got the bite. After that, it was less love and more possession. I didn't want you because I loved you, but more because it wasn't just me and you. Does that sound weird?"

"No, it sounds about right," I muttered. "Lydia said something about my fox-spirit falling in love with human you, not your wolf. It could be the same the other way, too. Your wolf picked up on your feelings and took me as yours because we were around all these new people, but it doesn't share the feelings."

"Sounds like a bad supernatural romance book, honestly. Our animals aren't compatible so we can't be together." We laughed together.

"It totally sounds bad. Maybe we should star in a soap opera or write a book. Make some money from our woes."

"That would be the worst book ever. You know how many grammar and spelling mistakes it'd have? I can't write for shit."

"Oh, I know. I've tutored you in English, remember?"

He groaned and chuckled. "Yeah, I remember. Worst time of my life. Your face when I kept getting that one question wrong about, agh, what was it about? Shakespearean language?"

"Yeah, I think we were reading and analyzing Macbeth."

"I hated every minute of it."

"You were pretty bad," I agreed. With a sigh, I forced myself to sit up, curling my legs under me. Isaac pushed himself up so he was sitting against the headboard of my bed. "We're still friends, right? No 'we dated so we can't even look at each other' bullshit? Because despite everything, you're still my best friend."

Isaac nodded and held out his hand with his pinky up. "Promise?"

Hooking my pinky with his, I said, "Promise."

"One kiss for the road?"

I frowned and narrowed my eyes, unamused. I playfully kicked him. "Who said you were leaving, mister? Just because we've cleared that up does not mean you get to up and run. We have years of patented and approved ways of having fun, and you're not bailing on that just because we broke up."

Leaning his head back, Isaac laughed. "Alright, missy. So bossy."

I shrugged dramatically. "And yet you decided to date me, so really, you can't complain."

"I'll complain until the day I die, and you know it. Remember, you decided to date that, too."

"Alright, Scarf Boy."

"Beanie Head."

"Wolf Man."

"Eevee."

"Lapdog."

"Swiper."

"Moon Moon."

"I hate you."

"Except you don't."

He stuck his tongue out at me.

Monday after school, Riichi cornered me at my car before I could leave, twisting his hands and tapping his foot nervously.

Looking him over with concern, I asked, "What's wrong?"

"I, uh, I think I'm ready to see them," he answered quietly, not meeting my eyes.

Reaching out, I grabbed his hand. "Are you sure?" Riichi forced himself to look up at my eyes and nod a few times. "Okay, get in the car." I unlocked the doors and climbed into the driver's seat while he went around to the other side and got in. Starting up the car, I turned down the blaring music so I could talk to my brother. "Neither of them will be home for a few hours, so maybe we should make something for dinner. Then when they get home we can sit down and talk."

Riichi grimaced as he slumped down in the passenger seat. "I hope Mom doesn't get too mad."

I blew a raspberry as I pulled out of the parking lot. "She's your mother."

"Oh, shut up. If anything, you're more like her than I am. I'm a calm river. She's a catastrophic hurricane, and you're a raging wildfire."

I shrugged and made a face. "Hey, man, you're the one that died. For once, I won't be the one she's mad at. For once, I'll be the good child." I gave him a pointed, smug look before turning back to the road.

Riichi shook his head and made a noise of disbelief. "You're the one dating a werewolf."

"Actually, Isaac and I broke up, and you literally ran away with a werewolf and faked your death. You're the whole reason she hates werewolves. And now her whole reason will be blown to shit. Part of me wants to make this reunion as explosive as possible, so I can rub it in her face." Riichi's eyes wandered over to me and they were filled with minor worry. I didn't appreciate it. "What?"

"You have problems."

I nodded. "Thanks for telling me something I already know."

When we got home, Riichi stared up at the house for a few good minutes from inside my car, not wanting to go in. He hadn't entered the house in years, yet it looked almost the exact same on the outside.

Inside was a different story. The beige walls he remembered were a light gray or white. Most of the family pictures that hung on the walls had been put into storage and were replaced with nice pieces of artwork from local artists and Dad. The couches had been replaced three years prior, going from brown faux leather to dark gray suede. The wood floors were still dark cherry wood, but other than that, most of the interior had been swapped out for something different. Something that lacked heart.

As Riichi walked through the first floor of the house, he let out a low whistle. "Mom really did not handle my death well, huh?"

I shook my head with a sigh from where I stood behind him. "No, she did not. All the pictures are in the attic if you want to see them. And she didn't change your room. Couldn't bring herself to."

Riichi stopped at the staircase and gestured to the paintings lining the walls going up to the second floor. "Any of those yours?"

"Of course not," I grumbled, crossing my arms over my stomach.

My brother frowned and turned to me. "Why not?"

"Why do you think?"

"Did Mom seriously tell you to stop drawing?" I didn't answer him, instead choosing to walk into the kitchen. "Sara, don't avoid the question."

"I'm not avoiding anything," I said, opening the fridge. "You already know the answer."

"Maybe I was hoping you'd say otherwise," Riichi countered, shutting the fridge so I'd look at him. "She told you to focus on your studies and be more like me, didn't she?"

"Of course she did!" I exclaimed, waving my hands around with a glare. "You were the good kid. You were good in school. Never had temper tantrums. Always did your work and chores no questions asked. Never talked back. You even skipped a grade." I slumped against the island. "I was the one drawing on every surface I could. The one who never wanted to come inside. The one who questioned everything. The one who got paint everywhere. And after the fire, I became you. When she did talk to me, she got on my case about everything and asked why I couldn't be more like you. And being you filled the void of not having you."

"Imōto. . ." Riichi trailed off as he reached towards me. Collecting me in his arms, he held me tight, resting his head on mine. I remembered when we used to be the same height. Now, he was four inches taller, same height as Derek. "I'm sorry you had to go through that. I didn't think that would happen without me here."

"I don't blame you," I muttered into his shoulder.

"Maybe you should."

Pulling away, I looked up at him, frowning. "I can't. You're my nīsan. You were just doing what you thought was right to keep Cora and us safe. Mom's just. . . being a bitch."

Riichi chuckled against his better judgment. "Sure. What do you want to make for dinner?"

"Yakisoba?" I suggested, knowing it was his favorite as a kid. "I think we have all the ingredients, except for maybe oyster sauce. But we should have pork and the noodles. I can make a quick store run for what we don't have." I started pulling out everything we needed, putting the frozen pork underwater in the sink so it'd thaw. Riichi was silent behind me as I lined everything on the counter, so I turned around to look at him. "What's up?"

"Do you maybe want to make it into a dinner party?" he asked.

I took a step back and shook my head. "Whoa, whoa, whoa, what?"

He shrugged. "Maybe she'll be less likely to yell if there are other people over."

Looking directly into his eyes with a stern gaze, I said, "So you want to invite werewolves into our house while we talk about how you were trapped in a house fire with werewolves that was set by a werewolf hunter then ran away with a werewolf which all led Mom to hate werewolves. Did I get that right?"

A few beats passed before he conceded. "Yeah, you're right."

"Of course I'm right. If you really want to eat with all my friends, it'll have to be another night." I was about to return to the ingredients on the counter, but I stopped. "Why do you want them over?"

His eyebrows pinched together, and he shook his head, crossing his arms over his chest. "I-I don't."

I immediately called bullshit, and he could see it on my face even before I said anything. "Riichi."

"Fine, okay, I want to meet them all." He shrugged his shoulders. "Is that a crime?"

"But why?" I raised an eyebrow. "You want to vet them, don't you?"

Riichi pursed his lips. "Maybe. Okay, I do. I'm your big brother, of course I do. Isaac, Scott, and Boyd seem good, but they're all I know, and that meeting was incredibly brief. You have friends for once. I want to be in the loop."

I gave him a small, grateful smile. "That's sweet, but it also makes me not want to ever invite them over. Even if Mom gets past the whole werewolves and hunters thing." I gestured to the ingredients on the counter. "Look, I'll be right back. We're missing oyster sauce and bonito flakes. Could probably add a red pepper and onion, too. I think Simba's in my room if you wanna see him. Stay here. Be good."

"Yes, Mom."

I rolled my eyes and left the house.

My trip to the store was quick. Along with what we needed for yakisoba, I bought a few flavors of mochi ice cream for dessert. Despite Mom being a health freak, she did like mochi and ate it on the rare occasion. And I knew this would be a time she'd want to pig out on something sweet. But while she liked the coffee flavor, I preferred mint chip, Dad liked strawberry, and Riichi had liked mango as a kid.

Riichi was where I left him in the kitchen, but he was holding Simba and had been joined by someone, and they were laughing.

"Scott?" I called, pausing at the entrance to the kitchen. The two boys turned to look at me. "What are you doing here?" I set the grocery bags down on the island.

"Oh, I just came to return the book I borrowed," Scott explained. He gestured to his backpack that sat on the stairs. "You left school before I could give it back. Then your brother invited me to join you for dinner."

With a stoic expression, I turned to look at Riichi who had the decency to look sheepish as he scratched behind Simba's ears, holding the cat like a lifeline. "Did he really?"

Scott glanced at us both awkwardly. "Did I miss something?"

I smiled sincerely at Scott. "We'd love to have you for dinner, Scotty. My brother's just a coward."

"I am not!" Riichi argued. Simba, opposed to anything remotely resembling hostility, jumped down from Riichi's arms.

I full-on glared at my older brother while pointing at Scott. "You invited a werewolf to dinner with someone who hates werewolves because you don't want the focus on you! Coward. Plain and simple."

"I can go," Scott chimed in.

"No," Riichi and I said together.

"What's done is done," I told him. "We have plenty of food." I turned back to Riichi while I took the mochi ice cream out of the bags. "No mochi for you."

Riichi gaped wistfully. "You got mochi?"

"Of course I got mochi. Mom loves the coffee one." Moving passed Scott, I put the boxes in the freezer. "But no mango for you."

"Scott can go."

I grabbed Scott's arm before the werewolf went anywhere. "Nope, you blew it already. Scott's staying." Riichi silently grumbled and rolled his eyes. I looked at the boy beside me. "You ever tried yakisoba?"

Scott shook his head. "No idea what it is."

"It's pretty much just pork, noodles, and vegetables. You a picky eater?" He shook his head. I patted his bicep. "Then you'll be fine." I turned to a lower cabinet and pulled out a cutting board then grabbed a chef's knife from the block to start cutting up vegetables.

Scott sat on one of the barstools on the other side of the island to get out of my way. "Are you sure you should be cooking?" I raised an eyebrow and looked at him. He made a little rewind hand motion. "It's just. . . last time I was here, the kitchen looked like a bag of flour exploded."

I ignored Riichi's incredulous expression. "That was Isaac's fault."

The werewolf chuckled and folded his hands in front of him. "Of course it was."

I playfully brandished the chef's knife in my hand. "I will shank you." Scott held up his hands in surrender but laughed anyway. "And I'll have you know, the cake turned out okay." I then pointed the knife at Riichi. "Nīsan, make yourself useful and cut up the pork."

"Do I get mochi?" Riichi asked, grabbing the pork out of the sink.

"If you don't fuck it up."

"Wouldn't dream of it, imōto."

Dinner was almost ready by the time one of our parents got home. Thankfully, it was Dad. He would be easier to deal with than Mom. Riichi, Scott, and I turned around at the sound the front door opening.

"Whatcha cooking?" Dad called from the entryway, probably taking off his shoes and coat.

"Yakisoba!" I yelled back. Wiping my hands on a hand towel hanging from the stove, I looked at Riichi. "Ready?" Riichi nodded.

Scott realized what was going on. "Oh, you haven't. . ." He trailed off, but Riichi and I knew what he meant, both of us nodding glumly. "And that's why I shouldn't. . ."

I shrugged. "Too late now, Scotty."

We could hear Dad's footsteps coming towards the kitchen and we all held out breaths and looked. Dad halted in the archway, glancing at everyone. "Oh, I didn't know we were having guests over." His eyes then met Riichi's tentative ones, and he frowned. "Wait, no. That-no."

"Yes," I said simply. "It's Riichi."

"Hi, Dad," Riichi greeted, waving awkwardly with a hesitant smile while moving around the island towards him.

Dad raked his eyes up and down his son, confused at the sight of him. "Riichi?" The man took a few steps forward.

"It's really me, Dad." Dad surged forward, pulling Riichi into a big hug.

I turned to Scott and waved him over. Scott clambered off the stool and joined me by the stove. "We should give them a few minutes," I said quietly.

"If I'd known that that's what this dinner was for, I would've definitely left," Scott assured. Always a puppy dog that likes to make everyone happy.

I chuckled and nudged him with my elbow. "It's alright, Scott."

"Honestly thought you'd have told them by now."

Shrugging, I stirred the dish in the wok. "He wanted to stay with Cora until everything calmed down. Not that I can blame him. Our mom is kind of difficult."

"Should I be worried about meeting her?" Scott asked, looking over at me. "Or your dad, for that matter?"

I shook my head. "Nah, you should be fine. It's not like I'm introducing you as my boyfriend or anything. Just don't say you're a werewolf. It might come up at some point but don't make an effort to bring it up, 'kay?"

"Gotcha."

I turned off the stove upon noting that dinner was finished. Then we both turned away from the stove to look at how the reunion was developing. By the archway of the kitchen, father and son donned sad, earnest expressions as they talked about where Riichi had been in the past few years.

Leaning over to Scott, I whispered, "I'd hate to be him right now."

"Me too."

Glancing back at the clock on the stove, it read five-fifteen. Mom should arrive soon. Her last client session always ended at five. I tapped my thumb anxiously on the handle for the oven, and Scott reached over, setting his hand on top of mine.

"Everything will be fine," he reassured quietly. "Relax."

Forcing the tension from my shoulders, I exhaled deeply and stopped tapping my thumb. "Thanks, Scotty." I gave him a grateful smile. "Glad you could suffer through this with me."

He playfully shrugged. "Free dinner." I shoved him away which made him laugh and I joined in.

This brought Dad and Riichi's attention to us. Both of us froze as the two male Todd's focused on us instead of each other. Dad then fully realized we had a guest that he hadn't met before. "I don't believe we've met yet." Dad walked forward and held out his hand. "I'm Michael."

Scott shook my dad's hand. "Scott McCall."

Dad recognized the name. "McCall? You work with Dr. Deaton, right?"

"That's a little weird, Dad," I pointed out.

"Oh, sorry, Deaton just talks about his assistant a lot."

"He does?" Scott asked bashfully. Oh, great, even Dad can bring out the puppy dog.

"Yeah, and how he's a werewolf." Us three teenagers sobered up fast, straightening up where we stood. Dad noticed our change in demeanor. "It's alright. I won't say anything. I live in a house with weird fox creatures, a werewolf is nothing."

Our heads snapped towards the sound of the front door opening. "I'm home!" my mom called.

"In the kitchen!" Dad replied. He took in a deep breath and went to Riichi's side. Even Dad knew he needed to be prepared.

I leaned into Scott's side, not ready for the storm that was my mother. I was all of a sudden incredibly grateful for his presence. At least I wasn't alone with my family. Once I spotted my mother from my spot by the stove, I bit my lip nervously, waiting for the hurricane to hit. She stopped and froze once she saw all of us.

Bringing my hands up with a big, overdramatic grin, I said, "I made dinner."

Dinner was tense. I sat next to Scott and across from Riichi while Mom and Dad sat at the opposite ends of the dinner table. Scott and I kept glancing at each other and at Riichi during the awkward silence. Every time I looked at Mom, I saw her staring at her plate and occasionally shaking her head as if she was still trying to comprehend Riichi being alive.

It made sense. She had taken his death the hardest out of our family. While Dad and I never returned to 'normal' we were a lot closer to it than she had been, setting aside my trust and anger issues and Dad's passiveness. At least we weren't almost unrecognizable personality-wise.

I made eye contact with Riichi and gestured my head towards Mom while looking at him pointedly. He looked exasperated then gritted his teeth, knowing he should be the one to say something.

Riichi cleared his throat and I noticed Mom twitch in the corner of my eye. "So," Riichi started slowly, "this dinner. Pretty good, huh?"

I glared across the table and Riichi shrugged uncomfortably. He mouthed, I panicked. Sighing and shaking my head, I shoved a mouthful of noodles into my mouth.

"Yeah, it's great," Dad agreed, joining in on the awkwardness. "Did you try something different?"

Briefly closing my eyes, I silently told myself not to slap them. Like father like son, though, right? Evade, avoid, elude. "Yes, I did," I begrudgingly answered after swallowing my food. "I cooked the pork in tamari sauce before adding it to the veggies and the noodles and adding the yakisoba sauce."

"Well, it's great," Riichi said. I shook my head at him. Not helping, I mouthed to him. Riichi didn't react, turning to look at Scott beside me. "What do you think, Scott?"

Scott froze as the attention turned to him. He slowly lowered his fork, glancing around the table as all eyes were on him. "Oh, um, yeah, it's, uh, pretty good," he stuttered. "Never tried it before."

"Glad we could introduce you to a new food," Riichi said.

"Chikushō," I muttered, roughly setting down my fork. I couldn't take it anymore. "Look, we just need to talk it out. We're getting nowhere. And if Riichi hadn't been a coward and invited Scott to stay, I'm sure we'd be yelling at each other by now." I pointed at Scott as he opened his mouth. "Don't apologize. I'm not blaming you."

"Who is he?" my mom asked, pointing at Scott with her fork.

"He's a friend who knows everything about all that, and that's not the point," I argued. "We need to clear the air. Riichi, you start."

Riichi slumped back in his chair. "Yeah, yeah, I know." He set down his fork and looked at Mom. "Mom, I'm sorry. I shouldn't have let you all think I had died, but after the fire, I thought that if the hunters knew Cora and I had lived, they'd finish the job, and I didn't want you all to get hurt. I was eleven. It was the best decision I could come up with on the fly, so Cora and I ran, and we were hiding in South America for years. I didn't think things would go belly-up here in the meantime. But seriously, deciding to hate all werewolves just because you thought I had died? That makes no sense."

"Neither does running away to South America," Mom countered, her eyes narrowing at him. "You-you were dead because of werewolves."

Riichi threw his hands up. "No, I was dead because of werewolf hunters. It's not the same thing. Werewolves aren't inherently evil. You always taught Sara and me to befriend them, see them as equals, and then you flip on a dime for something that they hadn't provoked? And then you berate Sara's best friend for becoming one?"

My eyes widened at Riichi. Even as children, I had never seen him angry. Maybe annoyed or a little frustrated, but there was never any full-blown anger. That was my thing or our mom's thing. His face grew redder with each word as he glared at our mom and sat up straight.

Mom had a similar reaction to me, shocked and worried. Fear the water that's no longer calm.

Riichi noticed her change in demeanor. "Yeah, she told me about your reaction to finding out Isaac was a werewolf. She also told me about you comparing me to her. I can handle you being angry at me for keeping me being alive a secret or her being angry at me for leaving her alone, but I'm gonna cross the line at you being the reason she won't pick up a sketchbook. It's one thing to encourage getting better grades, but it's another thing to discourage hobbies."

My fists clenched on top of the table. "Riichi, please," I tried to say, wanting him to change the subject to the real matter at hand. It was also more embarrassing because Scott was sitting right next to me. And as much as I trusted him and didn't mind him knowing about our family problems, he didn't need to hear it first-hand.

"No, no," Riichi said firmly. "If we're gonna lay the problems out there, it's got to be everything. I can admit my mistakes. Namely, I ran away. I admit it. I was a scared child and ran away with my best friend because she had no one, and I wanted to help her more than I cared about returning home. I don't regret it even if I do feel guilty. Who's next?" He looked expectantly between Mom and Dad. "Neither of you? Alright. You both stopped being parents after that day. For different reasons and in different ways, but it doesn't change that fact."

As much as I thrived in anger, I couldn't sit there any longer. I wasn't drowning in anger which would sustain me. I was drowning in something worse, something I couldn't quite place. Something like sorrow.

My breath quickening and my heart rate rising, I abruptly stood from the table, pushing the chair out as I went, then I quickly left the room, hurrying through the hall, to the foyer, and out the front door. I heard footsteps behind me, but all I could focus on were my burning lungs. Blood pounded in my ears, drowning out the world around me. My skin warmed dangerously close to lighting on fire.

"Sara, Sara, hey," I heard Scott say behind me. A hand touched my arm and I wrenched away.

"I-I can't breathe," I forced out, stumbling over my feet as I reached out for the railing on the porch.

Scott moved to my side, tentatively reaching out again and setting a hand on mine. "I know, okay? I know, just look at me. Everything will be okay." I slowly turned to face him and he smiled at me. "That's great, great. Breathe with me, okay? In." He made a show of taking in a deep breath and I tried to copy, my throat dry as I inhaled. "Out." I copied his forceful exhale, hiccuping in the middle. "It's okay, it's okay. You're doing great. Try it again. In. Out. In. Out. In and out."

My heartbeat and breathing slowly returned to normal along with my body temp. Exhaustion coursed through my limbs, so I slumped against the railing, briefly closing my eyes. "You were right, Scotty," I said quietly. "I'm not good at confronting emotions that aren't anger." I looked up at him again. "How did you know what to do?"

Scott shrugged nonchalantly. "Stiles, mostly. I had a panic attack last year, and he helped me through it," he explained. "He tricked me into thinking I was having an asthma attack which helped distract me and focus my breathing. And by this point, I've gotten kinda used to helping you calm down, even if it's usually from anger. Thought it might be similar."

I huffed and grinned. "Yeah, I guess you have. You know, of all the scenarios of telling my mom and Riichi being alive, I never thought he'd call her out on things, especially not with a friend over. I'm sorry you had to see it."

Scott brought his hand to my upper arm. "You don't have to apologize. What else are friends for? Do you want me to call Isaac?"

I shook my head and sighed. "No, I should probably get back in there. We have a lot to work through. And thank you, for everything."

"Anytime."

Imōto - Younger sister

Nīsan- Older brother

Chikushō - Oh hell, oh shit, damn it

Reviews:

Piffthemagicdragon21: Aw thanks, but yeah no, Isaac/Sara is no more lol. Well, romance wise.

Captain Boshtet: So for kitsune, I've just gotta say first and foremost that I am not using one source for them. I am pulling from mythology sources (which obviously varies greatly) along with Teen Wolf mythology and other things like roleplaying sources because I wanted to make it a unique portrayal. Next, in my quest to learn more about kitsune, I've done a lot of research about their abilities. Some I've axed, typically ones that don't fit with the Teen Wolf mythos and others that I just found odd. As for foxfire, I've decided to differentiate between their powers specific to their kitsune type and foxfire. I know in a lot of descriptions of their powers they are considered one and the same, their powers being called foxfire, but I didn't really want to do that since to me it just seemed a little strange (meaning I think of 'foxfire' as being more mythical and instinctual and their 'regular' powers as being more natural and individualized for each type).

Momochan77: Thanks so much! I'm glad you like her!

Laisrmartinelli: Thanks! I plan to! And believe it or not Scott/Sara wasn't originally part of the story when I first started writing it lol, but it definitely has been incorporated.