Stiles POV
All too soon, it's time for Scott and I to start heading back. We need to get ready for the ceremony tonight. The pack, Melissa and Chris are going to meet Dad, Kara and I at Deaton's animal clinic before we leave, in order for them to drink the potion that'll allow them to breathe underwater. We walk back to the jeep and get into our usual seats. I start the engine and drive back towards Scott's house. I don't think our parents will be impressed that we missed school, but that doesn't matter. I don't care and Scott doesn't care. As we drive back to his house, we laugh and talk about the most random and insignificant things, but it's still a special moment because I'm with Scott. Eventually, I pull up into the driveway of Scott's house. I pull the key out of the ignition and turn to the True Alpha.
"Well, thank you again for today. I had an amazing time. I'm glad that you took my mind off the ceremony. Even now, I feel more calm about it, since I've spent the day with you and I know that you'll be there with me tonight." I smile cheerfully. Scott gives me a smile in return. "It's nothing, Stiles. I'll always be here for you." Scott replies.
"I don't really want to leave you, but I know I should spend some time with my dad at home before we meet all you guys at the animal clinic." I sigh reluctantly.
"Oh, before you go, I need to give you something!" Scott exclaims quickly.
"What do you-" I begin, but Scott cuts me off.
"I'll be right back!" Scott chirps before he jumps out of the car and races into his house. I can't help but chuckle at Scott's eagerness. I take my seat belt off, but continue to wait in the car for a few minutes before Scott rushes back outside again. I can see him holding a fairly large gift bag. My curiosity to see what's inside the bag grows, but I also can't believe that Scott decided to get me a present, even after I told him not to. I shake my head slightly at him as he practically skips towards the car. He opens the door and jumps into the passenger seat of the jeep. "Happy birthday, Stiles. I know you'll love what I got you." Scott grins at me, looking like an excited puppy.
"Scott, I told you not to get me anything." I try to say in a stern voice, but it doesn't work very well.
"Yeah, well, too bad. I didn't listen. I wanted to get you something. You deserve something nice for your birthday, especially you're 18th." Scott smirks. I roll my eyes and chuckle, knowing that there's no use in arguing with my boyfriend about this. Scott hands me the bag. I slowly look inside and my eyes widen at the haul inside. My eyes first land on the new and shiny metal baseball bat Scott has given me. Memories of me using my baseball bat in supernatural fights suddenly come back at me. I smile at the memories. I also remember the time where I went to Scott's house to get him to help me find the dead body and he almost attacked me with a baseball bat, thinking that I was a 'predator'. I chuckle and push the baseball bat aside to see the rest of the gifts.
The next thing my eyes land on is the video game. I pull it out to have a look at it. "No way!" I laugh in surprise and delight as I see what video game it is. "Yes way." Scott giggles.
"You remembered that Mario Kart was the very first video game that we played together? The first video game that I ever played?" I ask in awe.
"Yup." Scott replies with a nod.
"Thanks, dude. It's awesome. We definitely need to play it soon." I smile at Scott as I place the video game back into the bag. I then pull out a framed photo of Scott and I with our arms slung around each other's shoulders before a lacrosse game. I think it was about a year ago. We are in our full lacrosse gear except for our helmets. We smile excitedly for the camera. "I think I remember that game. Thanks to you, Beacon Hills had the biggest win in years." I grin, turning to Scott.
"Yeah. It was a great night." Scott agrees with a smile. I place the photo frame back in the bag.
"There's still one more thing." Scott informs me. I dig around in the bag curiously. Finally, my hand grasps onto a small box. I quickly pull it out. I look over to my boyfriend with raised eyebrows. "Open it." Scott encourages. I shrug and then proceed to open the box. Inside lies a small photograph of Scott and I as kids. We would have been no older than 10 in that photo. The two of us are sitting next to each other at an outdoor table at the park, smiling happily at the camera. There is a sandwich in my hand while there is an apple in Scott's. It looks like we are both trying not to burst out into laughter while the person took the photo. I smile again, enjoying the reminders of our childhood. We have really seen each other grow up over the years and we've been through so much together. "Wow, thank you so much, Scott. You were right. I do love it." I thank him for the whole gift as I close the small box again and place it in the bag.
"Yeah, you can put that photo inside that locket of yours, opposite to your family photo. I thought that now you will always carry around a piece of all the people you love the most. I'm not saying that you don't love the rest of our friends or anything. I think you get what I mean... Right?" Scott explains to me. I turn to him and stare into his warm chocolate brown eyes for a few moments, unable to express my feelings in this moment. "Of course, Scott. Thanks for these amazing presents. I absolutely love them. They're perfect." I smile brightly. Scott beams back in response. I lean over towards Scott and caress his face with my hands as I pull him in for a blissful kiss. Scott kisses back. My eyes flutter closed. The kiss is slow, sweet and loving, but I can still feel the fireworks igniting inside of me. As always, I enjoy the taste of cinnamon and wood on Scott's lips. To me, it's a really earthly flavor. I can feel Scott's hands play with locks of my hair. Scott's cheeks feel smooth and warm under my hands. I wish we could stay in this moment forever, but I know we can't. Slowly, I pull away.
"I'll see you at Deaton's in an hour, okay?" I remind Scott. He nods in understanding before opening up the door and starts to get out of the car. "I love you." Scott says with a smile before he turns away from me.
"Love you too, Scotty." I reply as I watch Scott get out of the jeep, close the door and walks towards his house. I start the jeep's engine again and drive away, with Scott waving goodbye from his house. Once I get home, I see that my dad is already there, waiting for me in the kitchen. He's not in his work uniform either. I wonder how long he's been home? "So, Stiles. Did you enjoy school today?" Dad asks, raising an eyebrow. I close my eyes for a moment groan a little, knowing that I'm busted already. "Look, Dad, I'm really sorry-" I begin to apologize.
"No Stiles, it's okay. You don't need to apologize. I'm just glad that you had a good time. I know you. I know that you would have been worrying and stressing out about tonight if you were at school today. When I see Scott tonight, I'll thank him for taking you out." Dad interrupts me with a smile.
"Wait, how did you know that I skipped class with Scott?" I ask curiously.
"I wasn't born yesterday, kiddo. He's your boyfriend and it's your birthday. Also, I saw that dazed smile as you walked into the kitchen." Dad chuckles and shakes his head.
"Oh. Right." I reply.
"So, are you ready for tonight?" Dad asks me.
"Uh, I hope so." I tell him honestly. Dad pats me comfortingly on the shoulder.
"Don't worry; I will be there to support you the whole time, as will Scott and the rest of your friends." Dad smiles assuringly, making me feel a bit better.
"Thanks, Dad. I love you. I don't know what I'd do without you." I reply with a grateful smile.
"I love you too, son. Now, you probably should go get some rest before the ceremony tonight." He tells me. I nod in agreement and start making my way out of the kitchen until Dad calls me back. "Kara is okay, yes? She got a ride home from school?" Dad asks me curiously.
"Yeah, Isaac took her back to his place. I guess they'll be meeting us at the animal clinic." I inform my father, who nods in approval. I then turn around and make my way out of the kitchen, up the stairs and into my bedroom.
~~~
Dad and I climb out of my jeep and head towards the animal clinic. My heart starts thumping nervously. Dad wraps an arm around my shoulders and squeezes me comfortingly as we walk towards the entrance. I look to my dad and smile gratefully for a moment. I then take a moment to look around to get an idea on who's already here. I can see Scott's motorbike, Melissa's car, Chris' car, Lydia's car and Derek's car. Dad and I walk into the animal clinic. No one is in the waiting room, so we walk past the counter and into the back room. There, we see Deaton, Scott, Melissa, Chris, Derek, Lydia, Isaac and Kara already waiting for us. We only have to wait for Malia, Liam and Kira. Everyone greets me in a friendly manner and wishes me a happy birthday.
After the greetings, I walk over to Scott's side to wait for the others. He wraps an arm around my waist, pulling me close. I can't help but smile to myself and lean my head on Scott's shoulder. I don't care if our parents are watching. Everyone looks happy for us, including my dad and Scott's mom. "So, you two weren't in school today. Where did you go?" Lydia asks curiously.
"Oh, uh, just around." Scott answers casually. We exchange a smile and a small chuckle.
"Usually, I would be mad, but I think I'll let it pass just this one time." Melissa says as she places her hands on her hips. Her expression is a mixture of a stern parent and satisfaction. Scott laughs slightly uneasily at his mom's comment. I guess they must have talked about it when Scott got home too. I'm curious as to how that conversation went, but I decide not to ask. "Do you have any idea on what to expect tonight?" Derek asks me curiously.
"Not really, no." I shrug. Dad then steps in and explains the general idea of the evening. I start to feel nervous again, butterflies rising in my stomach. However, I feel Scott's arm squeeze around me protectively and comfortingly. I turn to look at him. "It'll be fine, Stiles. I promise. You don't need to be nervous. I'll be with you the whole time." Scott quietly assures me. I mouth the words 'thank you'. I really am grateful to have someone as caring and supportive as Scott. The journey to get to this point might have been extremely painful, long and hard, but it was worth it.
After a few more minutes, Liam arrives. He seems excited about tonight. A few minutes after that, Kira and Malia arrive. They look a little flustered and disorientated, their cheeks tinged pink. I raise my eyebrows curiously as they enter the room together. I quickly exchange a smirk with Scott before turning back to the two girls. "Ah, good, you're here. Now we can get started." I say enthusiastically.
"But before that, are you two okay? You seem a little flustered." I add before anyone can say or do anything else.
"Yeah, yeah. I just had to pick Malia up and then we got caught up in traffic." Kira answers with a nod. Her eyes are slightly wider than usual as she responds and she sends me a slightly nervous smile. Malia on the other hand seems to be acting normal. Well, besides the small smirk on her face. I hold back my own smirk and chuckle. I'll have to ask them about their behaviour later. I turn to Deaton as he places a tray down on the table. A dozen beakers filled with the nasty looking grey potion are sitting in the tray. Everyone walks over to the metal bench to have a closer look. Everyone starts gagging and coughing at the foul stench, especially my Dad, Chris and Melissa, all of whom have probably never seen this potion before. I shudder as I see the bubbles bursting in the thick, gooey mixture.
"It still smells like rotting fish I see." Malia groans and scrunches her nose in disgust.
"Sorry, but this is the best that I can do." Deaton shrugs.
"You're sure this is safe, Deaton?" Chris raises his eyebrows questioningly.
"We've used the potion before when we went down to Atlantia with Stiles to help him defeat Vanessa and her army, so yes, it is safe. It'll last for 24 hours." Scott speaks up before Deaton has time to answer. Scott lets go of me and reaches for a beaker of potion. Everyone watches him curiously as he lifts the beaker closer to his lips. "I guess I have to lead everyone again." Scott chuckles.
"At least we will be even today, since I've already had to drink a disgusting potion made by Deaton." I nudge Scott in the arm.
"True." Scott nods in agreement.
"Lets have a toast then." Kira suggests. Everyone agrees with the idea. Scott turns to look at me with a bright smile. "Happy birthday, Stiles." He says as he raises his glass into the air, gazing at me with happiness and love. I grin back at him. "Happy birthday!" Everyone else calls out joyfully in response, knocking the beakers together before skulling down the potions. Once again, everyone reacts badly to it, including Deaton. Dad, Kara and I take a step back as we wait for everyone to recover, giving them enough space. Dad nudges me in the arm. "At least we won't ever have to go through this sort of reaction again, huh Stiles?" Dad comments. I nod in agreement.
"I have a feeling that the pack will have to go through this a lot though. Especially Scott." Dad smirks at me. I can't help but blush slightly with embarrassment. I look away from my dad while him and Kara chuckle at me. After a few more moments, the land dwellers start to get over the horrid taste of the potion. I quickly walk over to Scott and make sure he's okay. The werewolf nods in response, his breathing a little heavy. I hold onto his hand and turn to Deaton, who still looks a little sick. I hold back a smirk. Finally he has got some payback for all his nasty potions. "Are we ready to go?" I ask the veterinarian.
"Yes, I think so. Let's get going then." Deaton nods.
"We don't want to be late." My father adds on. With that, we all make our way out of the animal clinic.
~~~
Along with my boyfriend, Kira, Kara, Lydia, Malia, Liam, Isaac, Derek, Chris, Melissa, Deaton and Dad, I walk down towards the sand. Thankfully everyone was wearing their swimwear under their clothes, so all they had to do was shrug off their clothes and place them back in the vehicles. Everyone is chatting happily around Scott and I about the ceremony tonight. Scott intertwines his hand with mine, which makes me smile. I look over to him to see Scott staring back at me. "Are you feeling a little bit more excited about tonight? You'll have me, your closest friends and family there with you." Scott asks me curiously. I consider the question for a moment.
"Well, I'm still nervous, but it has calmed down a little. I think I'm a little bit excited now too because I know that the people I love and care about will be there with me." I answer honestly.
"I'm sure Ben, Max, Selena and Crystal will be looking forward to seeing you again. They'll be as excited as us." Scott comments.
"Yeah, me too." I agree with a smile. By now, we have reached the shoreline. I look around at everyone.
"You sure you want to go?" I ask them. They all nod firmly in agreement.
"Okay then. Let's go to Atlantia." I grin before running into the water and diving beneath the waves, my friends and family following close behind me. It doesn't take long for me to transform. I flick my tail happily as I turn around to face everyone else, my gills quickly taking in the salt water. Everyone is looking at me with admiration. Melissa's eyes are staring at my tail, which makes me blush slightly. I understand why she would be staring though. However, I do notice her holding her breath. "Relax Melissa, the potion works." I assure Scott's mom. After a moment, she lets out a huge breath. Everyone chuckles as her eyes widen in surprise. "Wow, this is so cool." Melissa comments.
"It sure is." Scott nods in agreement. Kara and Dad swim up alongside of me, their scales shimmering slightly in the water as the late afternoon sunlight shines into the ocean. "I guess I'll lead the way?" Dad suggests.
"Yeah, sounds good. I'll stay at the back to make sure nobody is left behind." I reply.
"And I'll stay in the middle of the group." Kara nods. I quickly explain to the others about the plan, as they might not have been listening just before as they were talking excitedly amongst themselves. With that, Dad starts to swim south at a pace that everyone else should be able to follow. Melissa, Chris, Deaton, Derek, Liam, Lydia, Malia and Kira quickly swim after my dad. Kara turns to me. "I'll go catch up." She says before taking Isaac's hand and swims towards the middle of the group. I chuckle as I hear Isaac call out in surprise. I guess he wasn't expecting that or Kara is swimming faster than he thought she would. Now it is only Scott and I left. "You can swim with the others, you know." I point out. Scott shrugs.
"I can, but I don't want to. I want to swim with you." Scott answers simply. I feel myself blush a little, even underwater. "Okay then, let's go." I say and hold out my hand for Scott. The werewolf gladly takes it and squeezes it comfortingly. I smile brightly at him before I start swimming towards the others, Scott right by my side. "I have to say that I really love swimming with you." I admit after a few seconds.
"I feel the same way." Scott agrees.
"I can't wait to take you on a tour of the kingdom. We should be able to do it in the next couple of weeks or so. I just love showing you the underwater world!" I exclaim excitedly.
"And I love seeing it all, especially with you. It makes me realize how big this world really is." Scott admits with a smile.
"Oh, I also really want to take you to a full moon ceremony. It really is quite magical." I add as the two of us continue to swim further out into the ocean, one of us with a tail and one of us with legs. "I told you that you would be able to, wouldn't I?" Scott says with a smile. I smile back at him gratefully.
"Yeah, you did. Thank you for having so much faith in me. I really needed it." I tell the werewolf and give his hand a gentle squeeze. "It's no problem, Stiles." Scott replies. I watch as his eyes gaze over my tail as it flicks through the water for a moment. His expression is one of amazement. He then looks back into my eyes. "I don't know if I have told you this before, but your tail is really beautiful." Scott smiles at me with awe. Again, I feel myself blush.
"Thanks, Scott." I reply with a small smile as I look down for a moment.
"Anytime." I hear Scott answer in response. I glance back over to him to see the True Alpha staring at me with love, admiration and awe. I smile softly at him. "Come on, we should probably swim closer to the others." I suggest as I pick up the pace a little, Scott quickly following suit.