Fear, Love and Snow

Chapter 18

"Stiles..." Lydia whispers, her voice cracking slightly as she starts to walk forward, knowing that she should get Stiles' attention. He doesn't seem to hear her, still caught up in his own world of grief.

"Stiles!" Lydia tries again, louder this time, sounding breathless as Scott continues to heal until there is no more ice, causing Scott to stumble and move a little bit from the desperate defensive and protective position he was in to protect Stiles from Theo just before. Scott gasps, taking in his first breath after thawing out, blinking in shock and confusion.

Stiles finally notices the warmth and the movement of the 'statue' that he is clinging onto desperately as well as hearing Lydia calling his name, so he slowly looks up in confusion and hope to see Scott alive and well, the color returning to his skin, his hair brown again (not even the small white streak that had been there for years remains) and he is most definitely not a block of ice anymore. "Scott?" Stiles asks, a smile appearing on his face as he quickly gets to his feet, still holding onto Scott, his eyes still filled with tears. Stiles waits with baited breath, not quite sure whether or not believe that this is real.

"Stiles," Scott replies breathlessly with a warm and happy smile on his face, glad to see that Stiles is okay, not really caring that he was an ice statue just moments before. Stiles lets out a relieved and joyful cry and then pulls Scott into a tight hug, sobbing into his now warm shoulder, his body shaking in relief. Scott hugs Stiles back just as tightly, closing his eyes and sighs happily, not wanting to let go, afraid that he'll lose Stiles again.

"Oh my god, oh my god, you're okay! You're alive!" Stiles cries heavily into Scott's shoulder, overwhelmed with joy and relief.

"I thought that I killed you!" Stiles adds, his voice breaking a bit as he continues to sob.

"It's okay. You're okay. I'm okay, Stiles. I'm here. I'm here with you." Scott says softly, rubbing Stiles' back comfortingly, a single tear falling from Scott's eye. Eventually Stiles pulls away from the hug so he can take a look at Scott, his eyes still very puffy and red from all the crying. Stiles cups Scott's face with his hands, to make sure that it's real. Feeling its warmth and softness almost sends Stiles into another wave of sobbing, but he manages not to.

"You sacrificed yourself... For me?" Stiles asks, shaking his head in disbelief.

"I love you," Scott admits simply and truthfully, causing Stiles' heart to skip a beat for a moment and then melt a little bit.

"I love you too, Scott." Stiles replies, letting out a shaky laugh of relief, happy tears still falling from his eyes. Scott smiles in response, taking Stiles' hands from Scott's face and squeezes them gently.

"An act of true love will thaw a frozen heart," Lydia says with a smile, repeating the words she heard Derek use about trying to heal Scott when she was back at the school with the others.

"I told you that he loved you, Scott." Lydia adds with a satisfied smirk, drying her eyes once again as she walks over to the two boys, who are still crying silently in relief, not letting go of each other's hands. Lydia chuckles as she notices the both of them blush. Lydia suspects that the act of true love that saved Scott was shared between the both of them, the first part being Scott leaping in front of Stiles to save him while sacrificing himself, and the second part being Stiles crying and grieving in despair while hugging onto Scott, feeling lost and helpless without him. It might not have worked if one of those two parts were missing. True love should be a two way thing anyway, in Lydia's opinion.

"Yeah, yeah, okay Lydia." Scott mumbles, obviously a little embarrassed.

"And I'm really sorry for not realizing that the person that I am really in love with and want to have by my side for the rest of my life was right there in front of me the whole time. Well, when you weren't locked in your room, of course. Still, that doesn't change the fact that you're the best thing that has ever happened to me. I just wish that I didn't have to work all of this out by crushing on Theo. You were so right about him. I'm so sorry." Scott apologizes to Stiles with a sheepish smile. Realization finally dawns in Stiles' eyes, a bright smile appearing on his face. He takes a step back and pulls his hands out of Scott's looking at them in amazement.