Hold Me Closer | Stisaac (Serendipity, Book 1)

Chapter 26

Run away, run away, run away
You don't know who to run from
Nowhere to go, nowhere to go, nowhere to go
No road is left to run on
I was born, I was born with horns
Demons couldn't shake me up
Bring it on, bring it on, bring it on
- ONEOKROCK, 'Make It Out Alive'

The Uber driver had barely stopped the car before Isaac was tumbling out of the backseat and practically gliding up the driveway to Stiles's house in his haste.
A voice at his shoulder startled him. He whirled around with a shriek, fist raised to the shadows. Jennifer reared back, narrowly escaping his blow.
"Holy fuck!" she exclaimed, tightening a gray cardigan over her tee-sweatpants ensemble. "It's just me."
"Didn't anyone ever tell you not to sneak up on a gay man in the darkness?"
"Darkness? There's, like, a million street lamps on this road alone." She cocked her head at his still-raised fist. "Good for you, though. You were ready."
He brought his arm down. "Sorry."
Jennifer laughed and rolled her eyes. "Hey, at least you missed. Eric's gotten decked a few times for sneaking up on me in the kitchen at three a.m. I've almost punted my son across the house before, too. Little crotch demon fits way too well in the shadows." She nodded at the front door. "Stiles call you?"
"Yeah."
"Me too."
Without another second wasted, the two of them rushed up the front steps and would have burst right through the door if it hadn't been locked. They slammed into it, and each other, with matching shouts of pain.
"Oh, fuck me," Jennifer sighed, rubbing her elbow ruefully.
Isaac ignored the throbbing in his forehead and was about to knock when Jennifer halted him with a raised finger and dug out a set of keys from the pocket of her sweats. She closed and locked the door behind them as she called out for Stiles.
No response.
They traded a concerned look and immediately fanned out in search of him, as if they were trained military personnel instead of a half-drunk man who never exercised and a petite woman who would probably have to jump just to punch someone in the throat.
She flew into the living room, while Isaac glanced at the empty kitchen on his way through to the hallway. The bedroom door was ajar, but the lights were off. Isaac peeked in; it was empty as well. Jennifer's voice beckoned him to the bathroom.
Isaac whirled around and crossed the hallway to the bathroom to find Jennifer standing over Stiles, who had taken up residence in his bathtub. He clutched a metal baseball bat in his hands, and jumped slightly as Isaac crashed into the room.
As soon as Stiles caught sight of him, he abandoned the bat and hauled himself out of the tub. Isaac collided with him in the middle of the bathroom, immediately pulling him into his arms.
"I told you not to come," Stiles whispered.
"And I told you I would be here."
Isaac glanced at Jennifer. She watched them patiently, her eyebrows creased slightly. Her eyes conveyed most of what Isaac was feeling: she was downright fucking distraught.
"Stiles," she said gently, "were you hiding in the bathtub?"
Stiles pulled away from Isaac to face her, but allowed an arm to remain wrapped around his waist. "I wanted to be prepared. I knew he'd look in the bedroom first."
"Do you think he's going to come here?" Isaac asked.
"What did he say when he called?" Jennifer added.
Stiles swallowed. "Just the usual. How dare I hurt him, how dare I get him arrested, ruin his life. He misses me, he's sorry, and I'll pay for what I did."
"He threatened you?" Isaac said.
"Of course he did," Jennifer answered.
"He's not afraid to break a restraining order," Stiles said. "And if he was able to get away with what he did, even assaulting officers, I...He probably thinks he's invincible and I'm starting to think that too."
"There's only so much his mother can do to save him," Isaac pointed out. "He would be an idiot to try to come here now."
"That's never stopped him before," Jennifer replied. "Did you report it to the police?" Stiles shook his head. She whipped her phone out of her pocket and dialed. "I'll handle it, okay? Just try to relax."
She disappeared out of the room, likely aware that Isaac wanted a moment alone with Stiles. Her voice faded as she moved throughout the house. Slowly, Stiles sank to the floor, his back against the wall. He leaned his head back and closed his eyes. Isaac sank to his knees beside him and rested a hand on his leg.
Stiles opened his eyes again. A single tear slid down his cheek, but more glimmered in his eyes. The sight of it felt like a knife twisting inside Isaac's chest. As Stiles locked gazes with him, his bottom lip trembled.
"I'm scared," Stiles croaked.
Isaac bent forward and placed his forehead on the top of Stiles's head. Stiles caught at his wrists, circling them with shaking hands. "Don't worry. We've got you."
Stiles sniffled. "He'll come for me. It's just a matter of time."
"And we'll handle it. We can get security camera, new locks. Or you can stay with me, or Jennifer, or, fuck, even switch between us."
Stiles chuckled through his tears. "Like a child of divorce."
Isaac couldn't help but smile. Even now, Stiles was cracking jokes. "More like a child that has people who care about him."
"I can't ask that of you. Neither of you."
"So don't ask, just take the offer. I know Jennifer would agree."
With perfect timing, Jennifer's voice, raised with anger, incoherently echoed to them through the cracked-open bathroom door.
"You could sleep in my room and I could take the couch, if that made you more comfortable," Isaac suggested.
"Don't be stupid. I'd never make you do that."
"Stiles, you're not helpless here. We will find a way."
"Why are you so sure?"
"Because I refuse to be anything else. Not when it comes to you." Stiles squeezed Isaac's wrists. Isaac kissed his forehead. "Have you eaten dinner yet?"
Isaac felt him shake his head. He stood, and all but ordered Stiles to go rest in the bedroom while he grabbed him something to eat. He could tell Stiles wanted to resist, but he instead allowed himself to be propelled into the bedroom. Isaac left the door open, somehow knowing that it would make Stiles feel more comfortable.
He found Jennifer sitting at the island counter, head in her hands. She raised it as he entered and looked at him, dejected.
"They're not going to do anything," she said quietly, glancing at the hallway to be sure Stiles couldn't hear.
"What do you mean?"
"They're fucking useless. They basically told me to get fucked. She just kept saying, 'We can't do anything until the restraining order has been violated,' and when I finally got sick of telling her that it has been, more than once, she insisted they couldn't do anything until he's in imminent danger, or Chris has come to the house."
Isaac gaped at her. "That's—that's insane. What—"
"I know, I know. She also told me that since Chris's name is on the lease, he can fight to be allowed back onto the property. For all we know, he's doing that right now."
"Do you think he even knows he can?"
Jennifer shrugged. "If he doesn't, I'd bet Regina does, and she would've told him."
"But if he knows he could eventually come back, wouldn't he have tried to by now?"
"It's probably complicated. I mean, he'd had to go before a judge, they'd have to approve it...I think under the circumstances of his arrest, even though that bitch managed to bail him out, he isn't sure he'd win."
"That's good, right?"
"I guess. For now. If that's even what's going on."
"Should we be trying to get Stiles a new place to live?"
"I don't think it would hurt, but we can worry about that when we have to. Right now, we need to keep Stiles safe and find a way to nail Chris for breaking the restraining order."
"If the police won't help, our best bet would be the judge who granted it."
Jennifer nodded. "But it's the weekend now. We can't do anything until Monday morning."
Isaac wiped his hand over his face. He was now stunningly sober. "I need to get Stiles some food. He hasn't eaten."
"I'll order him something."
"Oh, no, I offered it. I've got it."
"Shut up. I'll handle it." She smiled. "The only thing you need to be doing right now is be with him. I'll get us all some food. I can smell the alcohol on your breath, so I'm sure you need it, too. Thank you for coming. I know he wouldn't admit it, but he needs you."
"He needs you too."
"Then how lucky is he that we're both here, right?"
"I think we're the lucky ones."
"I can agree with that."
"I think I'll stay the night here. Make sure he gets some rest."
"Brilliant idea. I'll camp out on the couch. Why don't you go in there and keep him company? I'll bring you the food when it's here."
"Thanks, Jennifer."
"Don't mention it."
Isaac glanced at the open bedroom door and the darkness within which he knew Stiles was lying there, full of anxiety and pain. He also knew that there wasn't a damn thing he could do to truly help. He was just a band-aid. A temporary tourniquet tied around a gaping wound that was bleeding out too quickly.
Tears stung Isaac's eyes suddenly. An overwhelming tide of emotions roared inside his chest and drowned him from the inside out. He sucked in a breath.
"Oh, honey." Jennifer slid out of her seat and placed a hand on his shoulder. "What's going on? What are you thinking?"
Isaac furiously wiped away his tears. "I'm so terrified for him. And I feel fucking helpless. I just don't understand why this is happening to him. To him, of all people. He doesn't deserve this. And I can't help him, I-I can't t-take it away. I can't stop it. I can't fix it."
"You're here. Supporting him. Fighting for him. Caring for him. That's all that you can do, and you're doing great at it, by the way. No one has cared for him like this before, and I'm over the fucking moon that you found him. Somehow, you found him, and his entire life has changed in all of the ways that he's wanted, that he deserves. That's because of you. So don't sell yourself short."
"But he's still in this house, holding onto a baseball bat because he's scared." Isaac scoffed bitterly.
"Change doesn't happen easily, or all at once. And Chris is like a fucking leech. Sucking the life out of everything he touches. But the thing about leeches? They die if they don't have something to feed on. Stiles has stopped feeding him. All we need to do is keep him away long enough that he finally goes away for good. When that happens, Stiles won't be holding onto a baseball bat. He'll be holding onto you."
Isaac shrugged. "I'm not sure if that's true."
"How in the world could you not be sure? As soon as you came into the room, nothing mattered to him but you. He dropped that bat like a goddamn hot potato because you are what he really needs."
"Because I'm scared that he's going to find the chance to run away before he can really escape all of this. That he won't stay because he's just too scared to. And I don't know anymore if Chris disappearing for good is going to be able to fix that."
"I don't know you very well, but I get the very strong impression that you won't let that happen. If he runs, you'll chase after him. He won't get far."
Isaac choked out a sob, but sucked it back in as a fresh wave of tears forced their way down his cheeks. "I love him," Isaac admitted. "I love him so much. But I feel him slipping away. I'm t-terrified that he's going to slip away before I even get the chance to really call him mine."
I love him.
Saying it out loud, Isaac felt for the first time just how true it was. He'd thought it so many times, almost said it even more than that, but he'd never said it. Never let him truly indulge in the truth of it, the weight of it. That love curled around him like a snake, expelling all of the air out of his lungs and crushing him slowly. The only way he would be able to breathe away was to know that Stiles felt the same. To hear him say those words. For him to say those words and stay.
Jennifer's eyes shimmered. Her hand fluttered to her throat, as if she were trying to force down her own emotions. "I'm sorry. But don't give up, okay? Not yet. Have faith in him."
"I'll die before I give up on him," Isaac said vehemently.
Jennifer smiled at him weakly. "I know. I know."

Make it out alive
Set this world on fire now
Don't give up
It's gonna be alright
'Cause I won't let you burn now
We're gonna make it out alive
- ONEOKROCK, 'Make It Out Alive'

When Isaac finally made his way into the bedroom, Stiles was lying on his back, staring up at the ceiling. He'd barraged himself beneath the covers with every pillow on his bed. Only his face poked out. At Isaac's entrance, Stiles exploded beneath the synthetic wall, sending the pillows scattering. He shoved them away, wordlessly making room for Isaac.
Isaac laughed as he rolled himself into the bed, crashing to a stop with a leg thrown over Stiles.
Unsatisfied, Stiles ran a hand up Isaac's leg to grip his waist and tug gently. Understanding, Isaac slid himself onto Stiles, slotting himself between his legs perfectly. Stiles wrapped his legs about Isaac's waist and pulled him down on top of him. Isaac buried his face in his neck while Stiles rubbed a rhythm into his back with the palms of his hands.
"I'm glad you're here," Stiles whispered. "I don't think I can sleep without you."
"There's nowhere else I'd rather be," Isaac stated simply.
He breathed in deep, allowing the scent of Stiles to fill his veins, his chest, to the point of combustion. Lemons, lavender, and coconut shampoo. He ached to say it now, so that Stiles would know just how much he truly meant it. The words echoed in his head like the ripples of water after a tossed pebble.
I love him. I love him. I love him.
But he didn't say a thing.

Tonight, tonight, tonight
I'm screaming on the inside
I was trying to hide, trying to hide, trying to hide
Now I'm ready for this ride
Gotta face, gotta face the unknown
It's the only way to live
I'm ready to go, ready to go, ready to go
Somewhere I've never been
Won't give up this fight
- ONEOKROCK, 'Make It Out Alive'

AUTHOR'S NOTE:

Please leave any feedback that you have while reading! Thank you all for reading, commenting and voting :) Visit the story on AO3! My username there is @/burningahighwaytohades.

Find the soundtrack of songs that inspired, or coincide with, this work on Apple Music and YouTube.

Hold Me Closer, a Stisaac fan-fiction by iceandtanqueray: the soundtrack: https://music.apple.com/us/playlist/hold-me-closer-a-stisaac-fan-fiction-by/pl.u-55DPpLVh8kg86BW