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Isaac is dozing in the McCall guest room, which is uncomfortably bare after he'd packed up and left Beacon Hills well over a year ago. He's been back for three months now, yet calling it his room again still feels foreign. Almost everything seems different from what he left it as, and he has a lot to get used to, but he's slowly adjusting.
School got out about an hour ago, and Isaac is right in the middle of a well-deserved afternoon nap. Scott had him running patrols most of the night. After returning to Beacon Hills with Mr. Argent, post Dread Doctor fiasco, the pack has been on high alert. So far, nothing has gone wrong except Isaac’s internal clock.
He has headphones on, but he still hears the soft knock on the door. Werewolf hearing has its perks.
“Come in,” he says softly, slipping his headphones off and letting them hang on his neck. Scott pads into the room, looking sheepish.
“Sorry, did I wake you?” he asks, smiling guiltily.
Isaac shrugs. “Not really, ‘s okay. What's up?” He silently hopes Scott doesn't ask him to pick up another patrol. He'd do it without complaining, he'd do anything for Scott, but he just wants to sleep.
“I have a sort of, uh, strange favor to ask,” Scott begins.
Isaac, with his very active, anxious imagination, is immediately on guard. “Okay…” he says uneasily. His first thought is that Scott wants him on another patrol. Or maybe he wants Isaac to move out, stay with Argent? He wants to stay with Scott, he likes Scott, trusts Scott-
“Don't worry!” Scott cuts in, sensing Isaac’s rising stress, “It's nothing bad. Well, depending on how you look at it. It's kinda weird. I would ask Stiles but I don't think it's very believable; we're, like, best friends. So I thought, hey, I'll ask Isaac, because I'm pretty sure she doesn't know you, but if you don't want to it's totally fine-”
Isaac listens quietly while Scott rambles on. He thinks it's cute when Scott gets like this. He likes Scott’s voice, it's very calming and friendly. Like Scott. He likes Scott. He's sure he makes it obvious, too. How can he not? Besides the blatant pining, he's pretty sure he reeks of adoration whenever Scott walks in the room.
“-and I didn't want to tell her I wasn't interested, so I panicked and I told her I have a boyfriend. And I know you're straight and all-”
What.
“-but I really need someone to be my fake boyfriend. Just for tonight. Please?”
Isaac has probably been gaping at Scott for an eternity before he has the brains to respond.
“Huh?”
Smooth, real smooth .
Scott immediately backs down, looking ready to leave, “That's okay, man. It's a lot to ask, sorry. I'll ask Danny, or something…” he bites his lip. He turns for the door.
“Wait! I'll do it.”
Scott whips around, a wide grin on his face. “You're serious?” he asks in disbelief.
Isaac nods. “It's just for one night, right? How bad could it be?” he replies, meek.
Scott practically skips back into the room and splays himself on the bed next to Isaac. He looks excited, but Isaac doesn’t read into it. All he can think of is how royally fucked up this whole situation is.
“You might wanna get comfortable for this, it’s a long story,” Scott starts.
Isaac looks pointedly at the oversized sweatshirt he’s wearing and the many pillows lying scattered around the bed. “How much more comfortable can I get?” he asks. Scott laughs and rolls his eyes.
“ Anyways , there’s this girl, Ellen,” he continues. “She’s a grade younger than us, and she kinda has a crush on me? At first I thought, like, maybe she wanted to be friends. But dude .” He gives Isaac an exasperated look, “She won’t leave me alone! I tried telling her I wasn’t looking to date, y’know, to let her down easy, but she wouldn’t let up. I didn’t want to lie, but she’s really starting to bother me, so today I uh, told her I had a boyfriend and now she wants to meet him, err, you.”
Isaac nods, starting to smile. Scott is ridiculous. “And you agreed, because…?”
“If I said no, she would have thought I was lying!”
“Okay...” Isaac isn’t as convinced. He quirks a brow at the other boy.
“Whatever, what’s done is done, man.” Scott looks disgruntled, clearly put out that he could have avoided this situation entirely. “Like I was saying, she invited us to a party tonight over at the Diaz’s, and I told her we’d be there. So, we’ll be there, right?”
Isaac shrugs, “Yeah.” He wonders if Scott can see right through his calm exterior. He’s trying his hardest to seem relaxed, but the idea of being Scott’s boyfriend, if only for a night, is kind of getting to him.
“Cool. And, like, I don’t want to make you uncomfortable, so we can set some ground rules for tonight. I figured the most obvious one would be no kissing. Anything to add?”
“Uh,” Isaac is a little side-tracked by the idea of kissing Scott. He can feel the blush creeping to his cheeks and he wills it away with all of his soul. “Whatever’s cool with you is, um, cool with me.” His face is as red as a tomato.
He thanks some higher being that Scott isn’t looking at him, but rather at his phone.
“Shit, I gotta go,” he says suddenly, sitting upright. “I forgot I have a shift at the clinic today.”
Scott promises to repay Isaac some way or another as he’s racing out the door, phone pressed to his ear to call Deaton.
“See you at eight,” Isaac calls after him. He waits until he hears the front door shut.
Isaac releases a breath he didn’t know he was holding. He falls back onto the mattress, staring up at the ceiling in muted horror.
What has he gotten himself into?
They pull up to the party on Scott’s bike. Isaac detaches himself from Scott in stiff movements, the icy winter air has chilled him to the bone. He wonders if Scott minds how he clung onto him as he drove, his face tucked into his shoulder to avoid the wind.
If Scott noticed, he doesn’t say anything about it. “Ready?” he asks, rubbing his hands together to warm them up.
Isaac doesn’t answer. He looks up at the house. The loud, booming bass playing from inside rumbles in his chest and he can already see how many people are inside--it’s a big party. Suddenly Isaac feels overwhelmed.
“You okay?” Scott asks, noticing the dread in Isaac’s expression. “You can back out, if you want. It’s okay.”
Scott is a saint, truly. But Isaac won’t step down, not now. “I’m fine,” he responds, managing a small smile. “I’m just a little worried Ellen won’t believe us.”
Scott hums thoughtfully. He almost looks unsure himself. After a minute of silence, only the sound crickets and party music between them, Scott shrugs. He reaches his hand out towards Isaac.
Isaac blinks, not processing the gesture.
Scott snorts and takes Isaac’s hand in his own. Oh. He fixes him with a teasing smile. “Guess we’ll have to make it believable, then,” Scott says as he pulls Isaac towards the house.
Isaac grins and lets loose a doubtful laugh, but follows him dutifully into the party.
The party seemed a lot more tame from the outside, Isaac thinks grimly as he twists his way through a tightly packed crowd of high-schoolers, dragged along by Scott.
He’s secretly relieved that the other boy is still holding his hand. Large crowds like these make Isaac nervous, there’s nowhere to move that isn’t already occupied by another person. It makes it hard to breathe.
Scott knows this. He leads them to the other side of the house, near the stairs where there’s not as many people.
Scott easily parts the crowd as he walks, greeting more than a few people as he makes his way through. He looks so natural amongst the sea of bodies, lit up by the brightly colored lights, a relaxed smile ever-present on his face. He’s right at home, whereas Isaac may as well be on another planet.
His hand in Scott’s helps, though. It makes him feel like less of an alien. Makes the tight space, squished between countless other bodies, that much easier to breathe in. It’s grounding.
They reach the stairs and Scott begins to scan the crowd. He nudges Isaac. “Do you see Ellen?” he asks over the music. Isaac gives a quick glance around the house. He has no idea what she looks like.
“No,” he responds. “What do you want to do when we find her?”
He almost thinks Scott didn’t hear him when the alpha doesn’t respond, so he leans down a little so he can ask again.
Scott moves at the same time, and suddenly they’re nose-to-nose.
Isaac startles, jumping back an inch so Scott doesn’t get the wrong idea. Which would actually be the right idea, but it’s not what Isaac wants him to be thinking about. Anyways.
“Did you hear me?” he asks.
“Yeah,” Scott begins, biting his lip. “I, uh, hadn’t thought this far ahead.”
Isaac snorts. “Good job.”
Scott fixes him with dirty look. “I’m gonna get drinks and think up a plan. Stay here,” he says, letting go of Isaac’s hand. He hadn’t even noticed they were still holding on.
Isaac scoots closer to the wall when Scott leaves. He looks at the sea of faces and tries to pick out which one might be Ellen. What did she look like? Was she pretty? Tall, short, average? What color hair did she have?
He doesn’t have to wonder for very long.
Scott returns a few minutes later holding two plastic cups and a girl hanging off his arm. He’s wearing a blatantly forced smile and his eyes scream help me , while the girl seems completely oblivious, and totally smitten as she laughs and pulls on his arm insistently. She must be Ellen.
“Isaac!” Scott calls, making a beeline for his beta. Oh, boy. The moment had arrived. He can’t fuck this up. He sucks in a deep breath to quell his nerves.
Isaac puts on a grin. “Hey, babe,” he responds, in a way he hopes sounds casual. Scott slips his arm around Isaac’s waist and he tries not to seem startled by the pet name. He takes the drink the other boy hands him.
“Isaac, this is Ellen,” Scott introduces, gesturing towards the girl.
She’s pretty, Isaac notes. Bright blonde hair falls down her back in waves. She has a full figure and long legs, nice eyes and rosy cheeks. Her lips are curled upwards in a sneer.
Isaac is a little put off by the sneer, but he holds out his hand. “I’ve heard a lot about you,” he says.
Ellen shakes his hand reluctantly. She doesn’t seem very enthused at him being there. “Only good things, I hope,” she says, standoffish.
Isaac purses his lips. “Sure.”
Scott chokes on his drink, giving Isaac an incredulous look. Isaac shrugs. He doesn’t like her attitude, no matter how cute she is. He can’t help that he’s petty.
Ellen doesn’t seem to know how to reply. The three of them are silent for a good minute.
“So, how long have you two been dating?”
Scott and Isaac freeze, unprepared to answer the question. They look at each other, gaping, fumbling for words. Scott speaks first, blurting the first thing that comes to mind.
“A month!”
Ellen looks unimpressed, maybe even a little offended. Isaac can’t tell with that always present sneer on her lips. “Really? You never told me you had a boyfriend until today.”
Scott looks like a deer in headlights. Isaac would be amused if they were in a different situation; Scott is an awful liar. He, on the other hand, has had plenty of practice with his father and Derek to know how to pass off a convincing fib.
“We’ve been talking for a month,” Isaac corrects, smiling. “We made it official a few days ago. Right, Scott?”
“R-right.”
Isaac winks at him, and Scott returns it with a smile. The thank you is clear in his eyes.
Ellen gets more and more disappointed the longer they stand there, though she tries to hide it. Her eyes keep darting around for an escape, to save herself from further embarrassment.
The song changes overhead, one that Isaac is unfamiliar with. Ellen’s eyes light up. Oh no.
“Oh my gosh, I love this song,” she wails, grabbing Scott’s arm, pulling him towards the crowd. Isaac’s eyes narrow protectively. He really doesn’t like her. He’s Scott’s boyfriend, fake or not, and she knows it. Yet she’s hanging all over him, while Isaac is standing right there. He wonders what’s in her cup, and how much she’s had tonight already.
Ellen keeps tugging on Scott’s arm. “C’mon, guys, let’s dance,” she whines.
Scott looks unsure. He gives Isaac a look. Isaac bites his lip.
“I dunno, Ellen…”
She huffs and stamps her foot. She actually stamps her foot, like a kid throwing a tantrum.
“Come on. You don’t want to dance with your boyfriend?” she jeers, like it’s a challenge. And it just might be one. If they don’t dance together, she’ll know they’re faking.
Scott frees his arm from Ellen’s grasp and offers his hand to Isaac. “Want to dance?” he asks, like it’s a question. They both know it’s not.
Isaac takes Scott’s hand. “Yeah,” he lies. Ellen follows them into the center of the party where everyone is dancing.
Ellen is definitely a dancer. She knows what she’s doing, knows that she looks good doing it, and she’s grinding on just about everyone around them.
Isaac has no idea what to do with his body, this isn’t his usual scene. Scott’s trying, really, but it’s hard when your dance partner is stiff as a board.
Ellen is starting to notice, too. She’s been watching them out the corner of her eye the entire time. She’s suspicious. She eyes Scott with a hungry gaze, and when she thinks Isaac isn’t looking, whispers in his ear. He hears her, regardless.
“Your boyfriend isn’t much of a dancer,” she purrs, her voice sultry. Anger boils in the pit of Isaac’s stomach, threatening to bubble over.
Scott laughs nervously, stepping closer to Isaac. He can sense the other boy’s discomfort. Isaac holds him there with a hand on his waist, instincts taking over, telling him to protect. The wolf is howling inside him.
Scott grabs the hem of his shirt. “Dance with me,” he almost begs, desperately wanting Ellen to go away and leave him alone. Isaac doesn’t process his words, too busy controlling his anger, holding back his wolf. He glares daggers into Ellen.
She’s watching the two boys with that ugly sneer, a haughty look in her eyes.
“You two aren’t even dating, are you?” she declares, as if she’s one step away from cracking a code. It’s not a question.
Ellen reaches out to grab Scott.
The next few seconds happen in slow motion.
Isaac knows he has to do something. There’s two options. He could wolf out and let his anger take control. He could make Ellen pay for practically preying on his alpha, ignoring when he told her no, purposefully making him uncomfortable. It’s what he wants to do, what his fingers itch to act on. His human side, however, the side that is petty and snarky and impulsive, all things Isaac, has a better idea. All he has to do is break one little rule.
Isaac lifts Scott’s chin and kisses him, hard.
The deafening roar of the party is muffled, like he’s underwater, and time seems to slow down by infinity. This is something he has wanted for a long time. It’s not the best circumstance, and Isaac knows he’ll have to play it off as nothing when this moment is over, but now he finally knows. He knows how Scott’s lips feel against his, that he tastes like altoids and carbonation, that he’s kissing him back.
Scott McCall is kissing him back.
Isaac is the first to pull away, and reality snaps back into place like a rubber band.
He thanks some higher power for the magenta party lights that mask the flush creeping all the way down to his neck. Scott stares at him with wide, incredulous eyes.
Isaac dares a glance towards Ellen. She’s speechless, much like Scott, but he’s pretty sure he sees her eye twitch.
“Satisfied?” he asks.
Ellen stammers, shaking her head like she can’t believe it’s true.
Isaac thinks now’s as good a time as any to ditch the girl, and he guides Scott further into the mass of people. He stops when Ellen is out of sight.
They stand there, motionless, while the crowd dances oblivious around them. Scott still hasn’t said anything. Isaac is beginning to think he shouldn’t have kissed him.
“Sorry,” Isaac says, not meeting the other’s eyes. “I shouldn’t have done that.”
Scott licks his lips, “So why did you?” His tone betrays nothing. Naturally, Isaac assumes the worst.
He's been perfectly conditioned by past experiences to put up a wall of excuses at the first sign of trouble, anything to make the repercussions less severe. His need to explain his actions is impulsive by now, an immediate reaction that he can't seem to shake, even though his father is long gone. “I’m sorry, I-I was just trying to help get Ellen off your back. I wasn’t thinking. I know you said we shouldn’t kiss, I don’t, it’s just-”
“Isaac.” Scott touches his wrist. He doesn't grab him or shake him or speak over him. Just touches his wrist in a way he knows Isaac won’t react poorly to.
Isaac trails off, watching the other with guarded eyes. He's still on edge, despite Scott’s efforts.
“Yeah?”
“Do you like me?”
“I--” Isaac’s mind is racing a mile a minute, matching the rapid rhythm of his heart. His immediate thought is that of regret. Regret for kissing Scott, for agreeing to this ‘fake boyfriend’ scheme, for liking Scott in the first place. He knew it would only cause trouble in the long run. He knew, yet he never stopped. He still likes Scott, has for years.
Looking at him now in these bright magenta lights, his wide chocolate eyes staring into Isaac’s, he realizes something. He’s tired of hiding this crush, or whatever it may be. It’s an uncomfortable weight in his chest, holding him back, holding him down.
In any other situation, if it was anyone but Scott, he'd lie and probably never speak to them again. Years of his father's abuse had taught him not to trust, and it had taken ages for Isaac to relearn that trust with Scott. It’s the only thing that pushes him to say these next words.
“Yes. Yeah, I do.” He feels a lot of things at once, mostly fluctuating between relief and regret.
Scott raises his brows, surprised by Isaac’s admission. There’s a hint of a smile on his lips that does well to quell Isaac’s nerves. At least he’s not mad.
“How long?” Scott asks. He's closer now; someone must have bumped him.
“A while,” Isaac admits, because there’s really no point in lying anymore. His cards are on table. He can panic over this another time, it’s a problem his future self will have to deal with.
“Well, why didn’t you tell me?” Maybe bringing Scott deeper into the party was a bad idea. There’s too many people here, and Isaac feels Scott’s thigh touch his own as they’re pushed closer together by the mass.
Isaac wills himself to stop blushing and backs up, tries to make some more space for the two of them, for Scott’s sake.
He doesn’t have to ponder the other’s question for long at all. “I knew you wouldn’t like me back.”
Scott holds Isaac in place, pulling him back, only relenting when Isaac’s eyes were on his. “Isaac. Tonight...why do you think I asked you ?”
Isaac freezes. That's not possible. Whatever Isaac thinks he's implying, he isn't. “Wh-” he doesn’t have time to finish before Scott’s lips are on his and, holy shit, did he die and go to heaven? Is he being pranked? Is this some kind of cruel joke? It’s the second time that night, and ever, that he’s kissed Scott McCall.
It’s a real kiss this time; it’s not forced or one-sided or uncomfortable. Isaac is stunned, but he moves almost on instinct to kiss Scott back and hold him there, hands grasping the other boy’s sides.
Scott has him wrapped up in the kiss, his arms linking around Isaac’s back, body pressed into his. The crowd almost forms a circle of space around them, like a scene from a movie.
Scott pulls back, but not before pressing a few chaste kisses on the side of Isaac’s mouth. The smile that lingers on his lips is coy. “Do I have to spell it out for you, just to make it official?”
Isaac nods, a stupefied grin of his own beginning to form.
Scott laughs, a loud, hearty laugh that makes him throw his head back and expose his neck, tan and kissable. Isaac has a few ideas on that which he tucks away for later.
“I like you, dummy.”
It's like wedding bells to hear Scott say it. Isaac knows he probably looks dumb, standing there grinning like a kid on Christmas. He thinks he spots Ellen from the corner of his eye, seething with rage.
He leans down close to Scott’s ear.
“In that case, why don't we keep this fake boyfriend thing going for a little while?”
Scott laughs and kisses him again.