Stiles ran his fingers through Isaac's hair as his boyfriend finally got some well deserved rest. Even though he was safe now and well on the mend, Stiles felt the need to keep touching him, just to keep reminding himself of that fact. This had been one of the longest days in recent memory and Stiles was exhausted beyond belief, but he was too wired to even think about falling asleep. Sitting and watching Isaac was all he needed at the moment.

Scott had driven them to Deaton's, since Stiles was in no way willing to part from Isaac, even if it was only the distance of the rows of the jeep. Isaac stayed awake in his lap the whole time, setting a new record for tenacity if you asked Stiles. Scott had pulled all the pain he could from him, which was surprisingly not a lot. Isaac mumbled that he wasn't really in pain, which was a relief to all of them.

He walked into the clinic under almost his own power, with Stiles by his side for mostly his own benefit. Deaton was already apprised of the situation, so he was ready with supplies as soon as they walked in. Isaac was hooked up to an IV drip before Stiles even noticed the needle. They sat him down in a visitor's chair, since Isaac adamantly refused to even touch the exam table. Stiles wanted to storm back to the warehouse and burn the whole thing down at the thought of why that was.

Deaton asked Isaac questions about anything he could remember, in case they needed wolfsbane or normal human medicine to handle it. Isaac's voice was losing power with every word he spoke, but he answered everything to the best of his abilities. As soon as Deaton got all of the information he wanted, Isaac tipped his chin to his chest and asked in an exhausted voice if he could pass out. As soon as he got the okay, he was gone. Stiles sat down next to him to make sure he didn't fall out of his chair, while Deaton picked little bits of wolfsbane out of Isaac's ankles and wrists and wiped all of the dried blood off his body.

"How is he?" Scott asked, hovering in the doorway of Stiles' room. He'd driven them all back to the house and carried Isaac inside, instead of trying to rouse him from his much deserved rest. Isaac would probably complain about it later, but Stiles didn't care. They were going to take care of him until he was back on his feet.

"The same," Stiles sighed, pulling the blankets up higher when Isaac shivered. He'd been doing that on and off since he'd fallen asleep. Stiles didn't want to risk disturbing him by trying to wrestle him into clothes, so he piled every blanket he could find on him. If Scott wasn't here, he'd be under the blankets as well, sharing his body heat.

"Good, that's good," Scott mumbled, digging his toe into the carpet.

"What is it?" Stiles asked, knowing his best friend well enough to know that something was on his mind.

"Allison texted me. She said everything was going well and they should be on their way back soon," Scott replied, tapping a finger against the doorframe. "And Boyd took Erica to Derek's loft. He asked if they could come over, but I told them to wait."

"Thanks," Stiles murmured. He knew that everyone would be eager to see Isaac was okay with their own eyes, especially his fellow Betas, but he was going to be selfish right now. Stiles needed to have some time with Isaac alone, just to convince himself that this was over. His brain knew, but his heart still needed to hear Isaac say that he was okay in a way Stiles could actually believe. "What else?"

"What do you mean?"

"I can tell there's something you're holding back, so just say it. But if it's another crisis, I'm tagging out."

"What happened in the warehouse with that Alpha," Scott started, glancing away in hesitation.

"What about it?" Stiles pressed, feeling his agitation rise at the mention of that asshole.

"What you did."

"What about it?" Stiles snapped. Isaac stirred a little at the sound, so Stiles ran his fingers through his hair until he settled again. "Let's take this downstairs so we don't disturb Isaac." Stiles shooed Scott out of the room before taking one more long look at Isaac. He still didn't like the idea of letting him out of his sight, but if this conversation went where he thought it would, it might get loud. Winnie hopped on the bed and curled up in a ball next to Isaac's head. At least he'd be in good hands. Or paws.

Stiles trudged his way down the stairs, muffling a yawn behind his fist. What he wouldn't give to be curled up on that bed too. But it would have to wait. Scott was pacing in the living room when Stiles found him, looking more nervous than he should've with the kind of relationship they had. After all they'd been through together.

"Let's hear it," Stiles said, crossing his arms defensively. He knew he wasn't going to like what he was about to hear.

"I'm worried about you."

"You don't have to worry about me, Scott. The day was saved and everyone is okay. The road to get here may have been a little bumpy, but-"

"Bumpy? You call what you did bumpy?" Scott asked incredulously. "I can't believe you're being so flippant about this."

"How am I supposed to be about this? The good guys won. High fives and handshakes all around."

"Stiles, what you did to that guy wasn't right."

"That guy? You mean the one who had been torturing Isaac for hours, almost to within an inch of his life? Who had already killed a guy and dumped his body like trash? Who was bragging about the way Isaac's blood tasted right in front of us?" Stiles ground out, clenching his fists hard enough that he could feel the bite of nails in his palms. "I know you're not standing here and sticking up for that guy."

"I'm not! He deserves to be punished for what he's done! But what you did was not punishment. That was revenge."

"That was retribution! That was only a fraction of what he deserved! If he gets to stay breathing, every breath he takes should be a reminder of what he's done and what can be done to him."

"Do you hear yourself right now? It's like I don't even know who I'm talking to!"

"I'm still the same person."

"I don't think you are and that terrifies me," Scott whispered, staring at him with haunted eyes. "This magic, this power you've gotten. It's changed you."

"No it hasn't. Not the way you're talking about it," Stiles denied, gritting his teeth. He knew Scott had been holding this back the moment he'd found out about his new abilities, he was just waiting for a justification to bring it up. But Stiles wasn't going to back down about this. His mom had done magic and she was the best woman he'd ever known. The magic wasn't in control of him, he was in control of the magic.

"Stiles, you were ready and willing to kill all of those people. That isn't you!"

"Maybe it is."

"When we were planning on how to find these guys, you were arguing with Erica when she suggested killing. And then you perform magic and your opinion changes."

"And you didn't see what I saw! You didn't see them drain an innocent man of every drop of blood in his body. And you didn't know exactly what was happening to Isaac. But I did. So yeah, I wanted to kill them. This world has no place for people like that."

"But we had them. They were all tied up and there was a plan in place for how to take care of the problem. And you still used a spell to make his teeth fall out."

"Just because Chris Argent says that they'll be locked up forever doesn't make it true. What's to stop them from going right back to what they were doing? They are still dangerous and can kill without effort, but at least he isn't going to get the enjoyment from it like he was before."

"I just- you heard what Deaton said about how magic can change a person. You said you wouldn't use it to hurt anyone."

"Scott, if I'd had a gun, I would've shot him," Stiles said seriously. "Magic is just the tool I have in my arsenal. Like your claws or Allison's arrows and daggers. I don't see you confronting her every time she has to use them. Why am I being held to a different standard?"

"Because she doesn't fall into a trance and lose time. And she doesn't recite a spell that could kill everyone around her while she's in it," Scott shot back. Stiles opened his mouth a few times, but didn't know how to respond. Maybe he had moments where he'd lost control, but it wasn't his fault. Wasn't it worse that all the damage everyone else had caused had been when they had a clear head?

"I've never hurt anyone innocent, even in that state. Doesn't that count for something? After all these years, haven't I earned your trust? Your faith?" Stiles asked, unable to hide the hurt from his voice. If Scott was going to treat him like a stranger, he didn't know where their friendship would go from there. "I stood by you after you were bitten, no matter what. When you were convinced you were a monster, I was there. When you didn't know how to control it, I was there. But now I'm doing something and trying to figure it out, and you can't accept it? Accept me?"

"You know I never wanted to be in this world."

"But you are. And I am. This is who we are. Fighting against it is futile."

"But I'm not going to let it shape who I become."

"And who have I become, Scott?" Stiles whispered. He needed to hear that his best friend still saw who he was deep down. That he may have flaws, may be struggling, may make decisions that he wouldn't agree with, but was still a good person. That this was just something they would have to get used to eventually, like everything else. That Scott still knew his heart.

"I don't know."

"Scott, I think you should leave." Both of them turned to find Isaac standing at the bottom of the stairs. He was still a little wobbly, but he was upright. And he had enough stamina to put on a pair of lounge pants and a hoodie. Another piece of Stiles' soul settled at the sight.

"Isaac, what-"

"Scott," Isaac said sternly, tipping his head toward the door. Stiles couldn't remember a time that Scott had ever been kicked out of his house, but he wasn't going to stop it from happening now. He was feeling raw from their talk and questioning himself in a way that he wasn't expecting. Scott was one of the best guys he knew and he wouldn't be saying these things to him out of cruelty. He truly believed that Stiles was turning into someone he didn't know. And that hurt.

"But," Scott mumbled, looking toward Stiles defensively. Stiles glanced away, watching Scott deflate in his periphery. They weren't in the right mindset to continue this discussion. They probably shouldn't have started it at all, after the stress of the past day. Once they got their bearings back and had clear heads, they could finish their talk. "Okay."

"I'll call you tomorrow," Isaac said quietly, trying to smooth over any hurt feelings. Scott nodded, sending one last look toward Stiles before walking away. Stiles didn't move until he heard the front door close behind him, then he rushed toward Isaac. Isaac was moving too, so they met in the middle of the room in a desperate embrace.

"You scared the shit out of me," Stiles mumbled into Isaac's shoulder, wrapping his arms around him as tightly as he dared. Isaac was solid and there and perfect.

"I know. No more splitting up after this," Isaac sighed, pressing a kiss to Stiles' temple.

"You shouldn't be up yet," Stiles said, leading him over to the couch. They sank down onto it, tangling their limbs to try to maintain as much contact as possible. "How are you feeling?"

"Tired," Isaac admitted, burrowing down into Stiles' neck. Stiles scratched his fingers along Isaac's scalp, making the taller boy sigh in contentment. "I think I'm all healed, but it took a lot out of me."

"You should've stayed in bed then," Stiles lightly chastised.

"I would've, if my boyfriend and his best friend hadn't been yelling at each other downstairs," Isaac scoffed.

"How much of that did you hear?" Stiles winced. So much for them not disturbing Isaac.

"Enough."

"Oh."

"Stiles-"

"Do you think I'm a monster? That I'm going dark side because of my magic?" Stiles blurted out. He didn't want to hear the answer, but he needed to hear the answer. Because if Isaac agreed that he was turning into a bad person, then it had to be true. Isaac leaned back so they were face to face and cupped Stiles' cheek in his hand.

"You are not a monster. And you're never going to be a monster," Isaac said earnestly. Stiles leaned into his touch, desperate to believe him.

"But Scott-"

"I love Scott, I do, but he's naive. He's clinging onto innocence with all he's got, since he was forced into this life, but it's not realistic. He needs to accept that not everything is black and white."

"But-"

"I learned what evil was before I learned what good was. Scott is the opposite. And he's scared that if anything strays from his view of what the world should be, that he's giving in to the dark. But sometimes there isn't a choice. It's how you feel about it that determines who you are inside."

"What do you mean?"

"After the Alpha pack, after what you did to save me from Deucalion, you were terrified to use your magic. You felt so guilty about using your power like that, even though you had no choice. And when I stopped you when we were in the warehouse, it wasn't because I thought what you were doing was wrong. It was because I didn't want you to feel guilty afterwards. I know your heart and that hurting people is the last thing you want to do. I also know that you're willing to do whatever it takes to save the people you care about, no matter the cost to yourself. So no, you aren't going to the dark side. The people who are don't worry themselves to tears over it."

"Oh," Stiles sniffled, feeling Isaac wipe away the tears off his cheeks. He hoped Isaac was right, because what he said sounded better than all the thoughts swirling around in Stiles' head. But he had the opportunity to kill that Alpha in the warehouse and didn't take it. And he let Ms. Blake go, even though the thought of her coming back for revenge still kept him up some nights. Stiles had chosen not to end any lives, even though he had the power to and justification. He may have spoken in anger about doing so and deep down he knew he would if it was a choice between one life or another, but he hadn't. Maybe that restraint was what was keeping him on the side of good. "Will you say all of that to Scott?"

"I can, but I think that's something the two of you need to work out together."

"I don't think he wants to listen to me anymore," Stiles muttered.

"I think he has a hard time accepting that you're fully in this now. And not just because of him. You're here and you embrace it by choice, in a way he can't. Maybe he thinks that if he can convince you to stay away from it, it's like he's saving you. When he couldn't save himself."

"That makes sense," Stiles conceded. He knew Scott would do anything he could to be normal again. Seeing Stiles dive head first into it when he didn't have to probably messed with his head. "Since when did you get all wise?"

"Almost dying gives a guy time to think. And I seem to do that pretty often."

"No more of that. Only safety and happiness for you from here on out," Stiles said sternly, pushing Isaac back so he could lay on top of him. He put his ear to Isaac's chest, letting himself be reassured by the strong beat of his heart.

"Deal," Isaac sighed, wrapping his arms around Stiles' back and holding him snug to his body. Stiles knew that declaration was easier said than done, but they could pretend for tonight. Tomorrow's problems could wait.