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“I guess congrats are in order,” Isaac says as Kyle sits in his living room, leaving the guitar case next to him.
“Who told you?” Kyle asks, smiling.
Isaac snorts, grinning. “Who told me?—Please, I’m the first one they told even before they bought it.”
“And all this time you didn’t say a word,” Kyle shakes his head with disbelief.
“They told me because I know how to keep a secret. And it was a secret because they wanted it to be a surprise… the perfect Christmas present I guess.” At least he’s sure that is what Stiles wanted and the truth is that both Stiles and Jackson are pros at that.
“Hell, I wish I had seen your face,” Isaac shakes his head. “You were fucking surprised, weren’t you?” Isaac raises his eyebrows.
“Are you kidding? Of course, I was surprised.” Probably in shock would be more accurate.
“Because you’ve only been asking them for half a year…” Isaac waves his arm.
“I know I have but I didn’t think… I mean… You know what they said when I told them.”
“Yeah, they expect you to graduate and get some degree, but they didn’t say they were against you pursuing a music career in the future if that’s what you want.”
“Exactly… they gave me this freaking lecture about my future and college…” The truth is that he didn’t know what to think after that. “But I guess… you know, I guess insisting finally paid off.” But even after having asked a few times, when he got that big package on Christmas Day, he remembers being breathless for a moment after seeing what was inside—He was staring at it and it was hard to believe that it belonged to him. Even today, it still feels kind of surreal. It’s one thing to ask for something and a very different one to finally have it in your hands.
Without a doubt, it’s the most precious possession he’s ever had and he’s not sure that Isaac or anybody else who hasn’t been where he’s been might actually understand it. He’s not sure that even his parents can truly understand it.
Isaac snorts. “You’re wrong. You didn’t get it because you insisted—Of course, that might work on other people, but your parents aren’t part of them. And they didn’t buy it because they wanted you to be happy at Christmas—You got it because they finally believe you. Because you proved to them that this is not some kind of temporary hobby that you’ll leave aside when they least expect it. In other words, this shows they trust you. So, you know…”
“I do,” Kyle nods. This is the second thing he’s ever been sure of in his life because the first one was when he knew that wanted Jackson and Stiles and his two sons to be officially his family forever.
“And that’s fine. I’m not gonna fuck it up.” Somehow Kyle feels like repeating it against n but there’s no real need. If there is somebody who knows he is for real, that is Isaac. In many ways, he wouldn’t believe in himself if it wasn’t for him.
“Yeah, I know” Isaac nods. “Well, can I see it?” Isaac points at the guitar case.
“Yeah,” Kyle takes out the guitar carefully and hands it to Isaac who sits down again, inspecting every detail.
Isaac snorts, playing a few notes.
“What?” Kyle frowns.
“Nothing. It’s beautiful,” Isaac smiles. “The quality of wood and the attention to every detail makes a lot of difference. The price of something like this is not exactly… you know… very affordable.”
“I never asked them to get me something expensive,” Kyle says in a tone both defensive and offended.
“Come on, I didn’t mean it like a bad thing. If you can have it, I say you deserve it and this is all your father’s doing for sure. I mean, your dad agreed because he hates arguing with him, and of course, I’m sure he also liked it… but this choice has your father written all over it. It sounds amazing.”
“I told them I just wanted something—”
“Look,” Isaac interrupts him as he plays a few notes. “It doesn’t matter what you wanted or what you expected—You’re only half Stilinski, okay? The sooner you understand that, the better. Your other half has never changed for as long as I’ve known him. He drove a Porche to school, loves designer clothing and your grandparents always gave him everything he wanted. And I’m not saying he’s like them because obviously, he married your dad who is so different and equally stubborn… but yeah, I’ve seen your father getting his way too many times to be surprised anymore, and I have to say, this is one gorgeous guitar and he certainly did his research before choosing this thing.”
“Can you believe they made me promise to take good care of it?” Kyle rolls his eyes. “Like if I was five years old… Like I didn’t plan on doing it.” Kyle shrugs.
Isaac snorts. “Yeah, well, that’s just your parents being your parents… that’s what parents are programmed to say. They’re not gonna tell you to 'do whatever you want with it,'” Isaac smiles.
The reality is that before Beacon Hills nobody really cared and he always did whatever he wanted. He’s not sure if people around him ever think about that or they just assume that he’s so used to his new life that he’s forgotten what his life was like for thirteen years.
“Anyway, you’re here to show me what you’ve been working on and I really wanna hear it, so here,” Isaac says, giving the guitar back to Kyle “Let’s hear how it sounds with your own guitar this time.”
Kyle is sure it doesn’t sound much different but hell, strangely, playing the notes actually feels different.