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Isaac reaches for the first aid kit to find his hand trembling terribly. He clenches his hand into a fist and takes a few deep breaths.
He's fine, he's fine, he's fine, Isaac reminds himself. He unclenches his fist and grabs the first-aid kit.
He returns to Scott who waits for him on the couch, and plants himself on the coffee table. Werewolves didn't necessarily need first-aid kits, but disinfecting wounds helped them heal even faster and they just made clean up easier in general.
He coats a cotton ball in peroxide and starts cleaning at the gash above Scott’s left eyebrow. His hand still shakes but only slightly.
They'd walked into one of Monroe's traps tonight. She'd kidnapped Liam and as they were on their way out from rescuing him she played a high pitched frequency that echoed throughout the entire building and made it impossible to think.
Everyone except Scott, Stiles, and Lydia struggled to keep standing. Stiles immediately started grabbing the others by the back of their shirts and pushing them forward while Lydia grabbed onto Kira, and Malia specifically to guide them out.
Isaac had only made it a few feet before falling to his knees, clutching his ears in an attempt to block out the sound.
The walls shook suddenly, explosions sounding past the insidious humming noise.
Scott roared to give them strength and Lydia screamed to try her hand at cancelling out the frequency and Isaac isn't sure which caused it, but the others ran faster - away from him who still couldn't think past the noise.
Scott had come back for him immediately, but an explosion had gone off as soon as he'd reached Isaac and he'd chosen to shield Isaac with his body. The ceiling above them came crashing down, and Scott had simply taken not only the impact but the bruises, the gashes, the blood, and all of the pain - so much pain that he'd passed out and Isaac had to dig them out of the rubble and carry Scott out.
All Isaac could do on the ride home was take away his pain and watch the gashes on his back heal - which had drained Scott of most of his energy because the cut above his left eye was still there and so was a massive bruise between his shoulder blades.
Scott yawns loudly, drawing his attention. "I'm starving...Do we have any leftovers from yesterday?"
Isaac swallows because he hasn't spoken in awhile and he still feels cold with fear and anxiety. "I ate them for breakfast, but I can make you something while you shower."
Scott smiles sleepily at that, and he realizes he stopped halfway through cleaning the wound and this was just Scott's attempt to pull him out of his thoughts. He resumes cleaning, but his fear doesn't settle and neither do his thoughts.
The explosion replays in his head on a loop, the cries of pain Scott let out ringing in his ears and replacing everything else. No matter what the others said, it was his fault Scott had gotten hurt - he'd been the only one who needed rescuing.
"Why do you keep coming back for me?" Isaac blurts, and then it's like a dam breaking. "I mean, I'm helpless in a fight, all I do is get my ass kicked and make you get hurt saving me. Why do you even keep me around?"
Scott's fingers wrap around his wrist, stilling his hand. "Why do I keep you around?" Scott repeats, a frown on his face, and Isaac wishes he could take the question back.
"Well...I guess for a lot of reasons," Scott says. "You're my friend for starters, and I care about you - a lot and um, well I like you. I like who you are and I like spending time with you."
Isaac glances up, eyes wide and mouth slack because he wasn't expecting an actual answer. He thinks Scott will stop there, but he gives Isaac a smile and keeps going, gently squeezing his wrist.
"I like watching you talk about comic books, and I like hearing about your life in France, and I like how you have a vendetta against that little French bistro because it gave you food poisoning, and I like when you laugh at my dumb jokes, and when you insist I cheat at Mario Kart, and when you spend hours shopping for clothes because you like trying new styles and I tag along and we end up getting burgers and ice cream after."
"I like seeing you in the morning when you're not quite ready to be awake and sitting with you quietly as we drink our coffee. I like how you always insist I have the last slice of pizza and pretend it's a hard sell when I insist you do. I like having you next to me in battle because I know you have my back and because it's easier to protect yours."
Isaac blinks, feeling a wetness in his eyes he wasn't expecting and a warm feeling in his chest that replaces the fear and anxiety.
"So...I keep you around because I trust you. I keep you around because I know you're stronger than you think and I can always rely on you. I keep you around because I want you around - always."
Isaac can't help the grin on his face, soothed so much by that last part he almost cries.
Scott reaches forward to lift his chin with his thumb and forefinger. "And this, this makes it all worth it - all the hits I take saving you, all the pain," Scott says. "Just knowing that you'll be there after to take care of me...that I'll still get to see you smile."
Isaac flushes, studying Scott for a half a second just to confirm he wasn't reading this wrong before he kisses him. He's thrilled when Scott pulls him closer by the front of his shirt and deepens the kiss.
"Wait," Scott murmurs against his lips, "I left out the most important reason."
"I think I got the idea."
"Maybe, but I think you need to hear it," Scott says. "I think words are really important to you."
They were. They always had been, especially when his dad went around spewing them like daggers.
Scott gives him a light peck, and pulls back so he can look Isaac in the eyes as he says, "I love you."
His stomach does a flip, and his heart skips but still, his first instinct is to not believe the words - his past experiences with love not ideal and he isn't sure he's heard those words since...well, he doesn't even know when.
"I love you," Scott repeats, his hand unfurling from his shirt and moving it up to cup his cheek. "And I'm always going to go back for you."
His beautiful brown eyes are soft and pleading and full of affection and he's reminded that this is Scott McCall - the person he trusts most in the world - and he starts to think maybe, just maybe he can believe in those three little words again.
"I love you too," he whispers, a little scared of the consequences despite himself, his heart beating faster.
Scott smiles and leans forward to kiss the edge of his mouth. "I love you more."
Isaac gains a bit of confidence and says, "This isn't a competition, McCall, but...I love you most," and it makes him cringe a little, but Scott rewards him with a kiss and he forgets it. He forgets everything for awhile.