Sooooooo... Not really sure where this came from. I'm not adding any new angst or drama... Just a little bit of wistfulness...
"Want some help?" Scott asks startling Paul who yelps jumping a few feet away. "Sorry." The wolf says with a grimace. Paul shakes his head. "My fault. Too much in my head didn't feel you coming." "Yeah I called your name a few times before I came in." Scott says gesturing back out towards the bedroom. "It's OK Scott don't worry about it." Paul says with a smile. Scott stammers a bit "I just didn't want you thinking I was just...walking in to your bedroom." Clearing his throat he changes the subject. "So….need help?" Gesturing at the small jar of cream Deaton had given Paul. Paul had been squirming looking over his shoulder into the mirror trying to apply some to his back. "Yeah. Please." Paul says with a chuckle sliding the jar towards Scott. "It's working pretty well." Scott says noting the complete lack of scars on Paul's arms and chest and upper back. "Yeah." Paul says looking down at himself. "I've been tempted to use the whole jar at once but Deaton said it would cause a rash if I had too much on my skin at once." "Yeah it's some pretty strong stuff I helped him make it." Scott says applying the smooth mixture over a few scars and a burn mark.
"It's starting to take longer each time but Deaton told me that was normal." Paul says twisting so he can watch Scott in the mirror. "Yeah you build up a resistance pretty quickly. If it stops working before they are all gone if you wait a few months it should start working again. Or we can puppy pile too. That might give it enough kick." Scott says giving Paul a squeeze on the shoulder before turning to wash his hands. Paul yawns silently closing his eyes a moment. Scott sees this in the mirror and asks "Having trouble sleeping?" "Nah." Paul says yawning again. "Was up pretty late working. Think I'll take a nap." Paul is halfway to the bed when he stops and turns around. "Did you need something?" "Huh?" Scott says tilting his head to the side. "Just wondering why you came looking for me." "Oh." Scott says with a small grin. "I was just checking on you." At Paul's pursed lips Scott ducks his head. "I know, you don't like being treated any different. I'd check on you even if nothing had happened. I know Kyle and Isaac had to leave." Paul's expression softens and he gestures with his head at the bed. "Wanna?" Scott smiles brilliantly. "Sure I'll be back in a minute though."
Scott leaves the room and rounds the corner towards the stairs stopping stock still when he sees Derek standing at the top of the stairs. "Got a minute?" Derek asks.
Once in the study behind closed doors Derek considers Scott a moment before speaking. "Is this going to be a problem?" Scott blinks several times before replying. "It's not what it looks like." Derek gestures to one of the chairs in the room and sits facing his Beta. "We never told anyone." Scott says staring at the floor. "I tried to talk to him about it but he refused to even acknowledge it." "What?" Derek prods. "When the witch was trying to control us. We… he had fallen on the stairs.. I heard the noise and came out to see what happened. He seemed dazed a bit then something happened." Scott pauses. Derek's eye brow arches when a flash of arousal fills the room. "We both leaned in and kissed. It was.." Scott exhales jaggedly at the memory before continuing "As if I hadn't had any water for days and Paul was a lake. The only time I've felt such a connection….such...want..is with Danny. It was over almost instantly but...Ever since…" "We need to talk to Deaton." Derek says pulling his phone out. "No." Scott says with a shake of his head. "I already have umm…. The witch didn't make me feel anything…..new." Scott looks down and shakes his head. "I've always liked him. It was never a big deal. I kept it to myself. He's with Isaac and Kyle and I'm OK with that. She just….amplified it for a moment. It's just...I feel like a door was opened between us that I haven't been able to close. I love him….I care about him….It's just not a problem I've never felt any jealousy or anything like that." "Is he your mate?" Derek asks softly. "No." Scott says softly shaking his head. "No Deaton says my feelings are just plain ole human ones. How rare would it be to have three mates?" Scott asks with a chuckle. "Sorry." Derek says. "Don't be." Scott says earnestly. "Danny is more than enough for me. I just have this...extra set of emotions for Paul." "OK." Derek says sighing and drawing the word out. "I've already talked to Danny about it." Scott says with a shake of his head. "How did that go?" Derek asks. "He'd picked up on it a little but knew I'd explain things eventually. The only way…..I'd ever do anything or even let Paul know is if he needed me…..Or us. Danny likes Paul...just...not the same way but thinks with some time we could make it work….If we needed to." Derek exhales seemingly still concerned but satisfied with Scott's explanation. "You'd better…." Derek says gesturing up at the ceiling with his eyes.
Scott hurries up the stairs and down the hall to his room. Stripping down to a t-shirt and boxer shorts he throws his pants on the bed before heading to Paul's room. The human is already in bed and breathing softly. Scott slips into bed and carefully pulls the sleeping form in to his arms. Paul "hmmmms" softly turning in to the embrace. Scott slowly drags his nose up the side of Paul's head inhaling softly his wolf rumbling with contentment with the close contact with their pack mate.
A short while later Scott's eyes snap open as Paul whimpers and squirms restlessly. "Shhhh." Scott says softly. "Everyone is OK." He whispers. "You're safe, no one can hurt you." Paul shudders and draws closer to Scott. "Isaac and Kyle are fine, everyone is safe. The whole pack is here for you" With a muted whine Paul settles down. Scott places a chaste kiss on Paul's temple. "I'll always be here for you."
Paul is floating lightly somewhere between dream state and consciousness. He feels a tug and is soon wrapped up in a presence. It's warm, strong and confident. His initial confusion is soon allayed when he realizes the presence is Scott. No not Scott. He thinks. Something else. Suddenly it hits him. His wolf. The wolf pulls Paul in tighter curling around him. Paul welcomes the strong primal feelings of protection, belonging, and love.
Paul loses track of time simply enjoying the comfort being given by Scott's wolf. He slowly becomes aware of another. Soon he is enveloped. He immediately recognizes the new comer. Stiles. Paul sighs inwardly as the two wolves love and comfort him. He looks for Stiles and Scott and faintly almost imperceptibly he finds them. They are both however idle and unresponsive. Asleep. He realizes. He is considering giving the pack bond a tug to see if he could find the rest of the wolves when the third wolf arrives. He knows who it is before he even fully comprehends that someone has arrived. While Scott and Stiles's wolves felt the same in his mind Isaac's is much larger and more powerful. The three are swept up by the presence. Paul can feel the love Isaac's wolf has for the others but the love, possessiveness, ownership, adoration and joy he has for Paul is so strong it is almost tangible. Paul returns the flood of emotions with his own as the group continues to curl closely around Paul.
The soft artificial click of a phone taking a picture causes Paul's eyes to flutter open. Blinking a few times he looks up and sees Kyle standing next to the bed with his phone in his hand. "Hey fancy face." Paul mumbles sleepily sitting up slowly he looks down and sees Scott snuggled against his side. A muscled arm thrown across Paul's chest. Paul's other side is occupied by Isaac and Stiles who is half off the bed mouth open and snoring softly. "Sleep well?" Kyle asks with a grin as Scott burrows his face in to Paul's side groaning sleepily. Paul tilts his head to look at Isaac and sees his mate smiling back at him. "That was a new experience." He says as Kyle climbs on the bed. "Not completely new." Isaac says with a grin smoothing down some of Paul's bed head hair. "Remember the closet?" Isaac says. Paul's eyebrows furrow a moment before shooting up. "Yeah when we slept in the closet it felt like you were wrapped around me all night. So it wasn't you? It was your wolf?" "You know it's not a separate ...entity right?" Kyle says. "It felt more like...base instincts." Paul says. "Why doesn't that happen every time we sleep?" Paul asks sitting up in bed eliciting soft growls and huffs from Scott and Stiles as they put their arms around his waist. "I've heard about this but don't know much about it." Kyle says. "Maybe we could ask Deaton." "So do you normally connect with each other wolves in sleep?" Paul asks. "It's pretty common." Isaac says putting his arm around Paul's shoulders and pulling him close. "Finding you in there though is pretty rare. Today you were just…..there."
"I guess we're just talking now." Stiles says with a sigh before sitting up. "I'll see what I can find out. Would be cool if your connection to the bond is getting even stronger than it was before. Come on Scotty nap time is over." Scott groans stretching slowly before standing up with a yawn. "Help me make dinner." "Thanks for taking care of me." Paul says giving Scott's hand a squeeze as he moves off. "Any time." Scott says with a grin looking back over his shoulder as he follows Stiles to the kitchen.
Yeah not sure where that thought came from. Although thinking back through the story and how Scott has been towards Paul it seems to fit. Like I said though. Not looking to add any drama. Just adding a little bit of residual damage.
Guys my muse for writing has all but dried up. Yes I have been busy with work, travel and training but it's been tough to think of how I want to finish. I very much want to finish this story and not be one of those people who has a WIP drag on for years. Realistically I think I have 1 maybe 2 chapters left and 1 single chapter follow up story.