-Stiles's POV-

Wow, who would have thought that Thursdays could actually be worse than Mondays? Finally at 4 am he got a bit of sleep, but really how could he have any sooner with all this crap in his head, the moment he decided to not think about Peter and his awful insinuation, he thought about Isaac and their hug, that was a nice friendly gesture on Isaac's part but for Stiles brought so many new problems, because he can't deny anymore that he is not only just a bit attracted to the other boy, the feeling of him so close felt like revelation, he could have punched Scott right there for interrupting their moment. His back kept tingling all night where Isaac had stroked him. In the morning he was contemplating for almost ten minutes if he should shower or not, because obviously he is becoming a werewolf by being close to them because he didn't want to loose the lingering smell of Isaac despite the fact that he couldn't smell it anyway. But just the illusion was enough to make him hesitate. Only the knowledge of the other werewolves' questions made him jump into the shower. Stiles knows that Isaac would have hated to have to justify just being a friend. And Stiles is also annoyed by it, Isaac shouldn't have to justify being nice, it doesn't mean anything only because he doesn't do it so often.

And then there was also the continuing memory of Isaac going on a date, and the fact that Stiles had no clue what they did or didn't do and that he had never felt so much like hating someone he didn't even really know. And he knows that he doesn't have the right to.

So he tried to be extra friendly in the morning when Sue came over to them, Isaac didn't seem to happy about it weirdly, he just grunted and went to his class ten minutes before it actually started.

Scott had told him earlier that Isaac didn't say anything about his date, but that he could

smell her on him and that they had kissed obviously.

Stiles could have lived without that information, but he had asked so he deserved it really.

All during English he thought about possible reasons to not join his friends for lunch, but his sleep deprived brain didn't have any ingenious ideas, and other than not being able to answer anything his English teacher asked, nothing came out of his search for ideas.

Lydia joined him on their way to lunch and for once looked up from one of her many books, "Are you okay? You seem a bit tired."

A bit was the understatement of the century.

Stiles, "Nah I am fine, didn't sleep too well."

Lydia looks straight ahead, "Hum, so what do you think of Sue anyway?"

Stiles looks at her shocked, but no she doesn't know why he couldn't sleep, no even Lydia can't read his thoughts, "I don't know, I don't know her well enough to have an opinion."

Lydia chuckles dryly, "Sure, because that has ever prohibited you from forming an opinion. I don't think she is too bad, I am just not sure if she is the right person for Isaac."

Stiles looks at her questioningly, "What do you mean? What kind of gi … person do you think he should be with?"

Lydia suddenly gives him a knowing grin, and oh shit, he just walked right into it.

"I would say someone who can get him out of his shell, someone who he doesn't have to act so damn cool with all the time and I have a feeling that he would also like someone who he can care for, so that he doesn't feel like he is helpless."

Stiles swallows hard. "Wow you really got deep into shrink mode there."

Lydia flips her hair as they enter the lunchroom, "Nothing I can't do during a slow moving pack meeting."

Stiles sits down next to Ethan still a bit baffled by Lydia, not that she should be able to surprise him anymore. But well she can.

Isaac sits across from him talking with Sue, they seem comfortable, it seems more natural then it did yesterday, so their date must have been good, well it ended in a kiss so naturally it was good.

Stiles sighs in exhaustion.

Ethan, "You seem tired, sleepless night again?"

Stiles leans against him and lets his head fall onto his shoulder, it's just nice to have a warm body to rest his head on even if it doesn't smell completely right.

Stiles, "Nah, I think I got almost three hours of sleep."

Stiles can hear Ethan smiling when he says warmly, "And that sounds very healthy."

Ethan slowly strokes Stiles's head. And Stiles decides to skip food and just closes his eyes, watching Isaac and Sue wasn't entertaining anyway and this feels good, and easy.

He hums pleased.

"You need to eat something Stiles! You won't get through Lacrosse practice if you don't." comes the grumpy voice of Isaac.

Stiles huffs but decides that he is probably right, opens his eyes and sits up.

He starts eating when he registers that Scott looks a bit strange at him and that Lydia looks at him with a smirk.

Stiles, "What?"

Scott, "Are you okay? You normally never just do what anyone tells you to do, you always start to argue if someone orders you around."

Stiles looks at him confused, "Really? I don't know man, Isaac was right so why should I have fought about it?"

Scott doesn't look completely satisfied.

Sue, "So, Isaac mentioned yesterday that you are somewhat of the backbone of your little group, what exactly do you think makes you so important to them all?"

Lydia chuckles slightly from the side, but doesn't care to elaborate.

Stiles looks baffled at Sue and then at Isaac who seems very fascinated with his empty plate all of a sudden.

Stiles, "Ahem, I don't know I didn't even realize that Isaac thought that I was."

Allison, "Well you are."

The rest of their group nod, even Aiden.

Stiles, "Really you all think so, isn't Scott our …, I mean you know."

Allison, "Yes he is, and everyone is important, but you are the one who keeps us together, Lydia is here because you are her friend and you stood by her side when no one did, I would feel too awkward here after everything that happened if it weren't for Lydia and you and yes now also Isaac. Derek trusts Scott because of you and vice versa. Ethan and Aiden are here because you allowed them to be. And I think no one here wants to imagine what would happen to Scott if he didn't have you."

Sue, "Who is Derek?"

Lydia, "He is a friend of ours who doesn't go to this school, you don't need to worry about the details, this doesn't concern you. And Allison you forgot to mention how Stiles is connected to Isaac. But maybe Isaac would like to elaborate that himself."

She grins at the werewolf.

And Stiles doesn't need to hear more, this is too much already.

Isaac, "I am not sure if Stiles feels comfortable with this, and we talked about it already, he knows how I f … how … that I appreciate his friendship very much."

Lydia huffs in dismissal and just wants to say something, but Stiles can't do this anymore, he stands up, "Sorry I forgot I had this thing, I see you later." With that he just dashes out of the room, out of school he leans at a wall in a quiet corner and calms his breath.

He loves them all so much, and it was so nice of Allison to say that but can't they understand how much responsibility they hand him with this, how much pressure he is under? He slowly sinks down on the wall sitting on his heels and counting his breaths. He can feel the emerging panic attack. The roaring in his ears already started and he can feel his blood pumping through his veins with too much force, his breathing stocks, he can't do this, he knows from experience that this doesn't kill him but right now he is sure that his heart will stop working any moment now. It will just give up from exhaustion.

He can feel hands on his shoulders and someone talking to him, but he can't look up all he can concentrate on is a small patch of asphalt under him, and the drumming of his thundering heart.

The pressure on his shoulder grows stronger until he can feel a pinch from claws that break his skin and the trickle of blood. He looks up surprised and the bluest eyes he has ever seen greet him. He doesn't think that he ever had the opportunity to study Isaac's eyes from such a close range; they don't loosen their appeal one bit.

Isaac says something, Stiles can see his lips moving, but his ears are still roaring, so he can't understand him but Stiles also realizes that his heart rate is slowly coming down and that he feels like breathing again. Isaac pulled him out of his panic attack.

He smiles gratefully and tired at Isaac, softly he whispers, "Thanks"

Isaac rubs slow circles where he broke his skin, it doesn't really hurt it just stings slightly.

Finally he can understand Isaac, "Can I get you something? Is there something that helps you when you have them?"

He is tired and his brain is mush, so he won't let himself held accountable for what he does next.

Stiles leans his head carefully against Isaac's, placing his hands on the others chest, he whispers, "You helped, you always help, no matter what I do or what I say, you help."

Isaac continues rubbing his shoulder not moving away, "And I will continue to."

Stiles smiles, he hears someone yelling not far from them, it gets him back into reality. He backs away a bit, looking at Isaac's unreasonably handsome face that seems more relaxed than he has ever seen it. Stiles can't help but blush slightly, they are still so close.

Isaac, "What happened, what triggered it?" He is still stroking Stiles's shoulder and that is what makes it impossible for Stiles to lie or evade the question like he normally would.

Stiles, "It's just … this is a lot of responsibility. I mean don't get me wrong I love you all, it's just … Peter… he kind of insinuated, not that I think it was serious, you know him and his dark humour, but I told him before you arrived yesterday that I would never let him touch me even if we were the last people on the planet. And then later, when you saw him whispering to me, he said that I shouldn't underestimate what I would do willingly if it would mean keeping you guys safe."

Isaac's eyes get golden yellow for a second, but are back to their normal unnatural blue immediately, he has so much control, he is a really talented werewolf, Stiles always thought so.

Isaac, "Okay, I already hated him, this didn't help. You probably wouldn't agree with a plot to smother him in his sleep?"

Stiles chuckles and his chuckle grows into a full on laugh, all his tension falling away from him and the picture of Isaac with a pillow pressed to Peter's face is just too much.

Isaac smiles at him despite the fact that he doesn't seem to really get what was so funny.

They stand up and Stiles says, "Thank you, thanks for helping and thanks for listening."

Isaac looks at him contemplative and then hugs him, this time Stiles can anticipate it and his arms find their place on Isaac's back.

Isaac presses him close and whispers, "I won't let him force you to do anything, ever!"

Stiles feels a tear trickling down his eye, stupid amazing werewolf, makes him cry in the middle of a school day.

Stiles, "Why … why do you care so much?"

Isaac moves a bit so he can look Stiles straight in the eyes, "Why shouldn't I, everyone of the others would act exactly like I would, you heard Scott he would love to get rid of Peter."

Stiles still sniffling slightly, "Yeah I know, but, I mean, it's not the same with them, it's different with you. You are … I know that Scott is the Alpha and stronger and so on, but I don't want him to worry any more than he already does, but with you I feel like I can lean on you. I don't know why and I also feel like we are closer in a way than the others. I am sorry I shouldn't have said that, it's not, I am sorry."

He starts to move away when Isaac speaks up, "What's with Scott, aren't you and Scott, I mean isn't he the closest person besides your dad for you."

Stiles smiles fondly, "Yes he is very close and he has a fixed immensely important place in my life. But I didn't talk with him about Peter, he didn't ask me about him, I didn't talk with my Dad about it either. And sometimes it just feels like when I talk about stuff like my mum or how it felt to be the completely helpless human that he tries to understand me but isn't really able to. It's different with you."

Isaac nods, "Okay." He looks a bit flustered, if Stiles wouldn't know better he would say that he is blushing.

They walk back to their classes in silence, they are both a bit late, Stiles couldn't care less.

-Stiles's POV-

Stiles walks up and down in front of the cinema, he isn't the only one waiting for someone, it's the typical Friday evening mixture of people on dates and friends. He isn't sure to which one he belongs today probably the ones with a date, that is what Ethan wants, and what Stiles also wants, sometimes.

He is nervous, it reminds him of when he waited for Isaac in front of the cinema, only that it feels different. Stiles is nervous right now because he doesn't know what to expect from their date, how far it will go, but he knows that Ethan will come and he knows that they will have a good time. With Isaac he hadn't been sure that the werewolf would show up and then if they wouldn't maybe fight the whole time. If he thinks about it like this he doesn't understand why the nervousness he felt with Isaac was better in a way, it isn't rational to prefer something that is more uncertain, difficult and way more chaotic.

Thankfully Ethan soon approaches with a broad grin hugging Stiles in greeting. It's nice. Perfectly fine, not every hug has to be earthshattering.

Ethan, "Ready?" Stiles smiles at him and they go buy tickets, or better Stiles tries to buy his own ticket but Ethan takes it upon him to pay for it. At least he can buy his own popcorn. He should find it romantic, but he is really not into this patronizing thing.

The movie's nice enough not spectacular but fun. This sums up quite a lot of the evenings he spends with Ethan.

Ethan, "Do you want to go for a drink?"

Stiles nods, he can't just leave it here, he has to give this a real chance, lunch with Isaac and Sue is bad enough as it is if he wouldn't at least have Ethan as a distraction he couldn't bear it.

The place is nice, couples just finished their dinner, they sit down on the bar and thanks to Danny's great fake Ids get some beers.

Ethan, "So, did you like the movie?"

Stiles shrugs his shoulders, "It was nice and fun."

Ethan, "So you didn't really like it?"

Stiles surprised, "I didn't say that, why would you think that?"

Ethan smiles at him, "Come on, nice and fun? That is never the summary of something that is really great and especially with you, who described the latest episode of Supernatural in words like epic, amazing and the best thing ever, nice and fun doesn't mean anything good."

Stiles looking at his feet in thought, "But it could. And it wasn't a bad movie."

Ethan, "No it wasn't, but there is a difference between being not a bad movie and being a really good movie. The first one is 'nice and fun' the second one is 'the best thing ever'."

Stiles, "But maybe it doesn't always have to be 'the best thing ever', there are so many movies out there that are just good, shouldn't that be enough?"

Ethan looks at him questioningly suddenly, "We aren't really talking about movies are we?"

Stiles twitches, "Sure we are, what else would we talk about? Anyway, Lacrosse was gruel today!"

Ethan very seriously, "Stiles if you …"

Thankfully he gets interrupted, not so thankfully the interruption comes from Sue, who seemingly just finished her date with Isaac, great. So Stiles should have asked where they had planned to go, that is what he gets for not wanting to by nosy.

Sue, "What a coincidence!"

She smiles broadly at them, apparently happy to see them, Isaac stands in his normal arrogantly manner at her side. He doesn't look happy to see them.

Stiles, "Well we live in Beacon Hills, it's not as if there are too many places to go to."

Isaac, "I thought you were planning on going to the cinema."

Ethan, "We were, we watched 'Machete Kills'."

Isaac's eyes shimmer in slight anger, but he has it under control pretty quickly.

Stiles, "I am sorry, but you said you didn't have time and I wanted to watch it. But it wasn't all too good anyway."

Ethan studies him, "Just a moment ago you said it was nice and fun."

Isaac, "That's the same as not good in Stiles's world. If he describes anything as less than great it's not really good."

Ethan a bit pissed, "I know that! But thanks for the lecture in how to understand him."

Isaac smirks, "You are welcome."

Sue leans a bit into Isaac, "Was nice running into you, but we should get going, we wanted to walk around a bit before he has to get me home."

She says it with a glittering in her eyes that lets no doubt to what she really plans on doing with Isaac, and Stiles wants to vomit. It doesn't matter that she is a perfectly nice girl he can't stand her right now.

Isaac, "Yeah you are right we should get going, nice to see you."

For a moment Isaac meets Stiles's eyes and he feels like he can detect a hint of sadness there, but that doesn't make any sense.

When they are gone Ethan gets up and pays for their drinks.

Stiles, "We don't have to go already, we could have another one."

Ethan looks at him slightly annoyed, "It's not as if that would get us anywhere, so lets just stop this charade, I'll drive you home, your father wouldn't want me to let you drive under the influence."

Stiles, "It was just one beer! But thanks anyway."

They go to his car in silence, when they are inside Stiles decides that he doesn't want to end it this way.

Stiles, "What did you mean by charade?"

Ethan, "You don't like me, not like that, and you try and everything, but you really don't and if I have to defend myself one more time against Isaac because of you I will punch his pretty little face into pulp."

Stiles chuckles slightly, "Sorry for him, he can be pretty annoying I know. But it's really not like that I do like you, I swear! I am just so new to this, and when I see you talking to Danny I have no clue why you are even interested in me. I am in no way like him."

Ethan, "You actually are in quite a few ways like him not that that is why I like you. But it doesn't hurt that you are both very loving, utterly loyal people."

Stiles smiles at Ethan, "Thanks, that's nice."

Ethan smiles back, "Okay so maybe just going after one drink wasn't my best idea."

Stiles nervously, "Well, my father has a night shift, if you want to you could come in."

Ethan looks at him seriously, "You are sure?"

Stiles, "Yes, yes I want you to."

Ethan smiling broadly, "Good, that sounds nice."

They park in front of his house and Stiles leads him up to his room, because there is no reason to stay in the living room this time. His heart is fluttering, but he will do this, he won't just stay alone at home and think about what Isaac is doing with Sue, no he will get his own distraction.

In his room Stiles is nervously shuffling around, trying to get rid of his dirty laundry.

Stiles gestures to one of his bookcases, "That is where I keep my comic books, there you can see my desk where most of my research magic is happening then my closet where all my hoodies come from apart from the ones that you see in varying parts of the room, that there is a lamp, really nice, lights the room very well and …"

Ethan interrupts him and moves closer to him, "It's okay, I understand that you are nervous, I won't do anything you don't want to!"

Stiles nods and Ethan bends his head down so slow that he gives Stiles every chance to back down. But he wants this, he really does. He doesn't need a perfectly alabaster skinned smirking werewolf in his life.

Ethan kisses him hesitantly at first, it's nice enough and Stiles decided earlier already that he wouldn't back down. Ethan deepens his kiss a bit and opens his mouth with his tongue, still not too bad. And Stiles can feel how his hormones start working and he just lets himself go with it and leans into Ethan, he places his hand on Ethan's chest, it feels nice. Ethan presses back at him and somehow they land on Stiles's bed Ethan on top of him, probably some kind of werewolf agility trick.

Now Ethan starts kissing his neck and Stiles has to stop himself from thinking too much because his stupid brain decides just now to think of the last time Isaac visited him in his room and that that was the thing that started this all. Ethan is shirtless all of a sudden and that is a pretty good distraction from his traitorous thoughts. Ethan starts to pull on Stiles's shirt now and Stiles gets up a bit so Ethan can remove it. He feels self-conscious despite the fact that they all have seen enough already in their locker room, but Ethan doesn't seem to have anything against his body. He just strokes his hands over Stiles's chest and when he brushes over his nipples Stiles jolts a bit, yes he can get on board with this, this is really good.

Ethan moves back to his mouth and kisses him full on again while letting his hands stroke up over his back, suddenly Ethan jerks back a bit and turns Stiles so he can look at the piercing marks that Isaac left the day before.

Ethan, "What happened? Who did this?"

Stiles, "It's nothing!"

Ethan looking Stiles now straight in the eyes, "Nothing? A werewolf pierced you with his claws, either someone attacked you and you forgot to tell us or you had another werewolf in your bed!"

Why does he have to blush now, why?

Ethan gets a furious look about him, "What the hell! You are acting like such a nice innocent guy and that is what you are really up to?"

Stiles shakes his head strongly, but the blushing still isn't going anywhere, "No! No, it's not like that, it wasn't, I swear it wasn't, I just had a bit of a panic attack and Isaac didn't know what else to do."

Ethan seems a bit less furious now, but still as doubtful, "Isaac, huh? What exactly is it with you two, because this whatever it is you two are having doesn't seem all that innocent."

Stiles swallows hard, still red as a tomato, "It's not … he just helped me, that's all he does. And he is straight anyway, so …" and Stiles just shrugs his shoulders because really it seems useless to be jealous about someone who couldn't be less interested in him. When he watches Ethan's face contort in frustration he realizes that he is wrong.

Ethan, "So if he weren't straight?"

Stiles helplessly, "He is so it doesn't matter."

Ethan, "Oh it really does! You want to be with him don't you?"

Stiles swallows hard he can't look at Ethan anymore and very fast he says, "It's not like that, I and he, there will never be a I and Isaac so why think about it, and anyway most of the time he is a smirking bastard we fight more often than not, he is infuriating beyond reason and says stuff that makes me want to skin him, but he also makes me laugh and cares about me, so what I wanted to say he is my friend and nothing more, it's not like we wouldn't drive each other mad if we ever tried something like being more than friends not that that is even an option or a consideration."

Stiles feels like the word vomit he just had might be under the top ten of his worst ones.

Ethan looks sad and tired now, "You are in love with him."

Stiles jerks his head and stares at Ethan in shock, "I am not … it's not … he just … I don't know what you are getting at."

Ethan sadly, "You can't even deny it, it's fine, well no it's not fine, I would have liked to have that information before I got invested, but your feelings aren't your fault."

Stiles weak, "I don't … but I really don't want to be in …"

Ethan smiles sadly at him, "We can't choose who we fall for."

Stiles nods slowly, "So we are…?

Ethan cocks his eyebrow, "Over! Obviously, I don't do this second choice thing, I mean look at me I should be the first choice!"

Stiles chuckles lightly, "Yes you really should."

They both put their shirts on and Ethan says, "Well I'll go then, don't worry we can still be friends."

Stiles nods and moves to his window when Ethan leaves his house, he follows the werewolf with his eyes until he can't see him anymore. Only then he lets himself fall onto his bed with a string of "Shit, shit, shit, I hate you Isaac, shit, shit, shit."

Because even if it didn't feel perfect with Ethan even if there were no butterflies, it still was very nice, it made him feel wanted in a way he had never felt before, and it made his stupid crush at Isaac bearable. And it was only a stupid crush he wasn't in love with the stupid white-skinned devil, he couldn't be, his heart wouldn't be able to get through this.

-Isaac's POV-

He and Sue have been walking for a bit now, talking about this and that, but they have been silent for the past five minutes so Isaac just says, "Well this is nice."

Not good, but better than thinking about stupid Ethan with stupid Stiles.

Sue stops suddenly and looks at him questioningly, "Nice, really? Do you have an idea what I had in mind when I suggested going for a walk? And I can guarantee you it had nothing to do with actual walking or talking!"

Isaac looks at her clueless until he realizes what she is saying, oh, he should have kissed her and maybe something more. Hmm, that's not good, because he kind of realized on their last date that that really wasn't his thing, she probably wouldn't want to know that.

Isaac, "Ahem…"

Sue, "Oh my god! You don't want to! What the hell? You know you asked me out, not the other way around!"

Isaac rubs his neck, "I am sorry, I didn't know, it's not … you are really hot and great and all I don't know I just don't really feel it, I am sorry!"

Sue huffs annoyed, "Great, that helps wonderfully, so who is it?"

Isaac confused, "Who is what?"

Sue, "Who is it you always think about when your face gets this distant look, who is it that doesn't make you want to kiss me, who is it that you try to make jealous with me?"

Isaac, "I really don't think that that has anything to do with the kissing thing." And it's weird because as he says it he realizes that it really doesn't, and he still isn't sure what to do next maybe he will just never be with someone, he is fine with that, but he won't force himself to be with Sue or any girl if it doesn't feel good.

Sue, "But there is someone, so again who is it?"

Isaac, "It's not … I am just … I didn't plan on making anyone jealous and I mean I couldn't have it's not like this person feels like that."

Sue now softly, "It's Stiles isn't it?"

Isaac shocked, "What? Why would you think that?"

Sue smiles tenderly, "It's fine don't worry, I won't tell anyone, it's how you talked about him the other day, and you always look where he is in school and you get a light scowl on your face if he is with Ethan. To be honest if you know what to look for it's pretty obvious, but I don't think your friends know."

Isaac swallows hard and leans back against a tree, "I don't … I really don't know what to say to that."

Sue, "Then don't say anything, just drive me home, it wasn't nice to get me into this mess, but I can live with it and I will still brag with having dated one of the hottest guys in school even if only briefly."

He drives her home and they chat nicely, she waves at him before she walks inside her house. Isaac starts driving back without thinking about it, his head is spinning.

Because one thing is clear now, he likes Stiles, and not in the same way he likes Scott. He really has no clue what to do with this information, his thoughts are just a string of 'I like Stiles, I can't, I really like him, I can't, I want to touch him, I can't'.

When he finally concentrates on the road again he realizes that he stopped. In front of Stiles's house.