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Photographs lined the living room wall in front of him. It was his idea, when they first moved in to build a photo wall. His Grandmother used to have one in her basement, and when Scott was little he was enamored with it. He remembered sitting on his Grandmother’s lap, looking at the photographs of his grandparents through the years, his Mother at all different stages of her life, and then the baby photos of him.
He never forgot it and made sure to make his own. It was beautiful, a place where they were able to store all their memories for everyone else to see. It was Scott’s most treasured possession, and his favorite room in the house.
He moved further into the room looking at the photos from their youth, the ‘Pre-Stiles Days’ Long before, they became best friends and lovers, what felt like a lifetime ago. One photo was with his grandparents when he was little eating mint ice cream on a park bench, another with his Father and Mother in happier times, one of on his first day of first grade, the day he met Stiles.
Stiles had his own row of pictures centering on his family. One of his parents wedding day, one of his Mother pregnant with him and smiling, radiant on a window seat. A hospital photo of his birth, both his parents beaming and teary eyed. A photo of his Dad’s swearing in ceremony as Sheriff, two of Roscoe on the day the Sheriff gave it to him, and the day Stiles finally had to lay it to rest. The photos were a stark contrast to each other, one displaying unbridled joy and the other a somber affair. Last was a crumple and worn out photo of Stiles and his Mother at the park months before she died. Stiles used to carry it in his wallet, right behind his license everyday until they bought this house.
After those were photos from their grade school years, a photo of them playing together at the beach, the pair jumping off swings, their first sleepover, the time they both broke their arms jumping off the fort in Stiles backyard (The Sheriff tore it down the very next day), and their first day of middle school. All of those photos showed the starry eyed children they used to be.
In the center of all those are photos from their teenage and college years. A photo of the whole pack together at the high school lunch table before Allison, Boyd, and Erica died. One of the rare moments where they were all sitting together, laughing, engaged in various conversations. A photographer from the year book had given it to Scott on graduation day. There’s a photo of Isaac, Jackson, and Scott and Stiles first day of college as they squeezed in to their four person dorm. Lydia, Kira, and Malia in their dorm room with matching bedspreads. One of Isaac, Derek, Stiles, and Scott at his Mom’s house on Christmas in freshman year. A black and white photo of Lydia, Scott, and Stiles fishing at the lake house that Lydia had given them for Christmas. A canvas photo of Stiles, Scott, Isaac, and Derek on Issac's wedding day. One of Lydia and Stiles dancing together, heads bent, on her wedding day.
Scott continued walking, lingering, and looking at every photograph. He laughed and smiled at the few pictures they had taken while they were dating. The beach and the carnival had been his favorite moments.
In the middle of the wall was their first memento picture. The first piece of the photo wall. It was a picture of the two of them the day they moved into this very house. That was 51 years ago. Their clothes were covered in splotches and splatters of paint but they were grinning from ear to ear and Stiles was giving Derek the thumbs up as best as he could while standing on a small stepladder and holding a roller in the one hand.
Scott couldn't remember ever being that happy at the time. Stiles had surprised him by buying the house. It was a tiny, blue, run down house not far from their graduate school. It had the ugliest red mailbox, a bright red door, and a wrap around white porch that looked like it had seen better days. But, Scott had never seen anything more beautiful in his life.
He fell in love with the house, the same he did Stiles: effortlessly, without even knowing it.
The first day of moving in was hell. Scott was stressed from medical school, the endless studying, Stiles was in the middle of law school finals, tempers were short, and the house was in utter disarray. More work than Stiles had ever anticipated when he bought it.
The bathroom wallpaper was warped, full of mold, and would have to come down immediately. Even the bedroom floorboards looked moldy, and the three of the stairs broke they minute they walked up them.
Stiles had a panic attack in the middle of an argument they were having while ripping up the floorboards. Thinking back Scott can’t even remember what the argument is about, something about plates or cups.
“I just wanted to do this right Scott and the whole thing is falling apart around us. Maybe it’s a sign?”
Scott just wrapped his arms around him and told him that the place was perfect, and that the house was a blank canvas. A canvas they could build and shape together. Something that was just theirs. A testament to the love that they were slowly building together. They made love on the living room floor, surrounded by wrapping paper, boxes, and ripped up floorboards.
It took them about two weeks to get the floors and tiles ripped up and replaced, Derek helped them build new stairs, and made them new cabinets for kitchen, Lydia picked out the new wallpaper for the bathroom, Kira, Parrish, and Jackson helped to paint the living room. Isaac and Cora signed on to paint the spare room a god awful red that Stiles and Scott kept just to endlessly mock them with.
Boxes were in strange places all over the house. One room was completely filled with boxes, that Scott couldn't even remember what the hell was in them. But all and all the boxes were starting to look a little less like the Great Wall of China when everyone arrived to help them move in their newly purchased furniture.
Finally, they had set about painting the outside of their new house, they started painting at 7am and didn't finish .. or rather ..stop until 10pm. Scott’s arms, shoulders, and neck were beyond sore from the non-stop rolling, bending, reaching and taping. But they were happy. Sore, and very exhausted but happy nonetheless.
They we're painting, fixing and in parts rebuilding their new house and making it perfect for them.
It was a house built solely on love and Scott wouldn't have it any other way.
He smiled warmly and caressed the picture, moving on to the second picture Stiles had carefully tacked on to their wall. It was a picture of them on their wedding day. Underneath that was their Save The Date invitations that Lydia designed herself and Stiles insisted they had to have up on the wall. Surrounding the invitation were two more wedding photos. Instead of having a photographer, they had decided to place disposable cameras at every table and let their guests take pictures. The top three were placed on the wall. Scott and his Mother’s son and mother dance, a photo of the wedding party lined up by the lake, and of course Stiles and Scott sharing their first dance as husband and husband.
The day was small and intimate and a day Scott would never forget. He became the luckiest man in the world that today.
He was so nervous that he hardly slept the night before. He kept rehearsing his vows, reminding himself not to trip and thinking how his life was about to change in just a few short hours. When morning light shone through the window he hadn't had a wink of sleep. He was frazzled and nervous driving almost blindly to the lakehouse, grabbing the tux Lydia picked out, out of the backseat and rushed into the house and into the dressing room.
A heavily pregnant Kira was already there along with his Mom, and Derek, his best man, and Lydia (the maid of honor) as they barked orders at the rest of the wedding party. A glowery Derek loving the free chance to boss people around and his Mom was just glowing, fussing over his tux and making sure his bow tie (Stiles insisted) was on just right.
The buzz of activity was frantic and nerves started to set in. He actually felt like he was going to throw up and that his throat was going to close any second now.
When it was time, his Mom came down to get him. All of the guests were there and Stiles was waiting for him at the alter a stretched Kodak smile on his feet as he bounced on his feet talking excitedly to the matron of honor – who winked at her own husband before smiling warmly at Stiles.
It warmed Scott's heart that they had friends who loved them that much.
Melissa walked him to the end of the aisle that would take him to the alter at the dock where he would start that new chapter in his life. Mr. McCall- Stilinski. He was so nervous that he noticed his shaking.
He took a deep breath and he could feel himself swaying on his feet. When he opened his eyes again, he wasn't staring at Stiles’ happy face or had that horrible wedding march music blasting through his ears and setting his already frazzled nervous on fire.
No.
He was staring at the smiling face of Allison. She stood infront of him with the same short brunette hair and her eyes still sparkled with warmth as she glanced at him and took his hand gently in hers. Even that familiar tingle he always got when she touched him was still there, making him shiver.
"Hey Scott," the sound of her voice reverberated in his ears and he felt a great calm come over him. "Today's the big day huh?" She asked with her soothing voice, a slight glint of sadness in her beautiful brown eyes.
"Yes" Scott replied with a broad smile beaming across his face as he thought of Stiles. He waited a year for this day.
"So why are you here?"
Scott faltered for a second and scratched at his head. "I guess I was so nervous. I just needed a moment to get away. Make sure I was doing the right thing."
"Do you love him?" She asked softly.
The words rolled around in his head, and he wasn't able to answer at first. So afraid of hurting Allison. Allison waited a couple of minutes, then asked him again.
"Yes, I do love him."
"Then what are you waiting for Scott. He's there waiting for you. Get a move on." He reached up and stroked her chestnut locks with his hand.
"Goodbye Scott. Kiss Isaac for me."
“I love you Allison.” The sadness in his voice was easy to hear. As much as he loved Stiles, Allison was the first person to own his heart.
She bent down and whispered in his ear "I wish you the best of luck.” Then she gave him a soft kiss on the cheek and he felt her warmth seep down through his being and into his soul.
His Mom squeezed his hand and snapped him out of it. He opened his eyes and could of sworn he saw Allison waving from behind the flower display, winking at him before fading out of sight. His cheek still tingled from her kiss.
His Mom whispered his name and he turned to look up at her with a beaming smile and tears in his eyes.
"You had me worried there for a second baby. Are you ready now?"
He nodded in approval and he turned to smile at Stiles, and started walking down the aisle just as the organist started the wedding march as he took his first step towards becoming Stile's husband.
It was the first day of the rest of his life.
It was the happiest day of his life to declare his love for Stiles in front of everyone and become his husband.
The way Stiles came into his life resembled a hurricane: he barreled through and pulled him right in and he hasn’t wanted to get off his wild ride since. At that time he didn’t know how to live without him. Couldn’t even imagine his life without Stiles and he never wanted to.
They got each other like nobody else got them. They shared everything. It was easy. It was natural. It was like gravity, how can you fight it? How can you not fall?
And, everyday with Stiles he fell just a little bit more, it was insanely, ridiculously and happily wonderful.
He glanced at the pictures of their third anniversary party.
While the party was sweet and touching celebrating their love with friends and family, it was when they were alone that was memorable. Scott had set up the backyard with Lydia and there was a picnic display in the middle of the lawn that was surrounded by dozens of candles and there was rose petals leading out into the blanket, that had all Stiles favorite things on it. Chocolate covered strawberries, Reese cups, and two hamburgers and curly fries.
Stiles wound his arms around Scott’s neck and tangled his fingers in Scott’s hair. "Dude, I do believe you're a romantic Mr. McCall- Stilinski.”
Scott grinned at him, but he knew there was a slight twinge of pink on his cheeks. "Anything for my best bro husband."
Stiles leaned down and kissed him, groaning as he molded himself as close to Scott as possible. "I love you Scotty." He whispered against his lips.
As he lowered them to the ground, the food forgotten about he echoed Stiles heartfelt sentiment against his neck. "I love you too Stiles."
They had made love through the night, dancing together to their wedding song while wrapped up in the thin blanket Lydia had laid out for them.
It was that night, that led them into the journey of parenthood.
Scott passed the photos of them and their children, Allison and Cooper and little Claudia.
Scott remembered the utter shock on Stiles face when they returned to the house, giddy, naked, and tripping over their blanket, when they found two peacefully sleeping black-haired and tan skinned babies on their front porch, wrapped tightly in blankets and a note made out to the Alpha McCall. Twins born to dead human Mother and an Omega, who wanted more for his children they he could provide them. The note said that he wanted them to grow up in a strong, stable, pack that would protect them and love them and came two towns over just for the McCall pack.
Scott instantly wanted to keep them, but he knew it wasn’t an ideal situation. Stiles had just opened a law firm with Jackson, Scott was working 12 hours shifts at the hospital as the head of Pediatrics.
But, Stiles just looked him, daring Scott to contradict him and said "I think we are going to need more room." Then he flashed Scott a small smile and slowly placed his hand over the twins. "Hello McCall- Stilinski spawn."
They called up the werewolf council to help get a legal adoption in place the very next day.
And, from there on they went over and beyond to bond with the twin bundles of joy (and later as he would find out chaos) named Cooper John and Allison Grace. Scott went on every midnight diaper run and did every midnight feeding. Stiles read them detective novels and legal statue books to them at night, determined to make Cooper and Allison “pint size lawyers” The twins were menaces with sharp minds, sharp tongues, and hearts as warm as Scott’s.
Seven years later when Cooper and Allison were in third grade, a much talked about adoption had gone through of a little girl Scott had treated and bonded with instantly. The wait was long and he knew Stiles feared they would never be approved.
Scott bought the twins shirts that said I am going to big a brother, and I am going to be a big sister. He gave them the shirts to put on before school in the morning and sent them down the stairs dressed in their tee-shirts while Stiles was busy in the kitchen getting their breakfast ready.
He heard the stairs creak under his weight as Stiles ran up the stairs, nearly tripping over his own feet. His hair was still messy from rolling out of the bed this morning and his pajama pants were falling off his hips.
But, Stiles was grinning from ear to ear as he gives him a questionable look. Scott can only nod and laugh as Stiles tackles him and kisses him fiercely while the twins laugh, smile and making gagging noises from behind him.
Claudia Charlotte McCall- Stilinski, nicknamed Dee at birth by John, was sweet, trusting, creative, and loving and made their family feel complete.
Scott traced the outline of their faces with his aged fingertip. Their children took up the most spots on their wall. Underneath their first day home pictures were adoption papers, their birth certificates side by side with their tiny footprints. Everything was up there from their first missing teeth, their first steps, their first birthday, first Christmas. Their first day of kindergarten, middle school, high school, and college. And later each of their wedding days.
Cooper was married his high school sweetheart Rin Parrish, the daughter of Kira and Jordan Parrish, after they both graduated from medical school.
Allison had married Alex Whittemore, the middle son of Jackson and Malia straight out of high school but divorced eight years later and she was now seeing Cameron Hale, the eldest son of Derek and Lydia Hale.
Dee had waited to marry until she 29 years old and she married Johnny Lahey, the youngest son of Isaac and Cora.
Next to the photographs of their children were their grandchildren.
Nate Whittemore was their first grandbaby. Born to Allison long before Scott was near ready to be a grandparent. Stiles was livid and devastated when he found out that his baby girl was having a baby at the tender age of sixteen. His little girl who he still considered a baby was having a baby of her very own. It didn't help matters that the father was no other than Alex Whittemore.
He softened when Allison threw herself at her Dad and sobbed on his shoulder, letting out all her fears. He stroked her hair and promised her that he would be there for her no matter what. He looked at Scott with tears in his eyes as he promised Allison that he still loved her and nothing would ever make her stop.
It was a rough nine months with many tears and fights but on that late Tuesday night in December during a severe snowstorm, in their bathroom Nate was born and it was all suddenly worth it. He had tuffs of blonde hair and Allison’s green eyes.
Nate was the pride and joy of the family spoiled to death by everyone.
Nate grew up to be a fine young boy; he was a big brother to two little sisters Addison and Caroline. He was smart and talented and he was now a freshman in college majoring in computer science. Addison had just started fifth grade and Caroline was enjoying her first year of first grade.
Jason and Jensen were born ten years later to Cooper and Rin. They were twin boys who were as different as night and day. Jason had Cooper’s blue eyes and tan skin. While Jensen looked like his mother who had shiny black hair and memorizing green eyes.
Jensen and Jason were freshman in high school and getting in enough trouble to make Cooper's stunts look like nothing.
Five years later after the arrival of Jensen and Jason was the birth of Temperance "Tempe" Lahey and two years later Robert "Bobby" Lahey.
His eyes were happy as he surveyed images of the life they had together, full of love and desire and affection. His eyes landed at the photo on the top of the wall. The last photo to be placed on their wall. It was of him and Stiles; they were snuggled together on the porch swing with two-year-old Bobby in their lap. They were smiling and staring at each other. They were both wrinkled and gray haired but they were still so much in love even after 51 years together.
Stiles died four months after that photo was taken, nearly eight months ago. He wiped a tear out of the corner of his eye, he was heartbroken and sad and lonely. He missed Stiles with every breath that he took, life was empty without him to make Scott laugh and make him smile. He never wanted to learn to live life without him.
That was why he periodically wondered into the living room he just wanted to be surrounded by their life and feel Stiles around him.
When he was in this room, he didn't feel so alone in the life that they had built together, and didn't feel like a significant part of himself was missing.
"I love you, Stiles" His lips curved into a happy smile as he placed a kiss on the photo of him holding their son and slowly shuffled out of the room closing the door behind him.
Until next time. Until he was able to join Stiles in the next chapter of their lives.
But for now, he had their wall. Their personal reminders of their life and love.
And that was enough.