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Part 97 of All I Saw Was You
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Full Moon Ficlet Prompt #270: Never Again
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Published:
2018-09-01
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1,359
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1/1
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37
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Is There Anything Your Father Can’t Do? (aka Right in the Middle)

Summary:

Ilya and Kyle share life experiences and discover that they may have something in common.

Notes:

This is one more chapter without Jackson or Stiles (even if they are mentioned and very present) and the last time I posted a similar chapter it was very disappointing, so that's why I am very afraid of sharing this one even if I think that it brings new things to the story.

So, I'd love to know what you think of this chapter... I still hope it's fun and interesting for somebody.

This is a pretty meaningful chapter to me. It's based on things that have happened to foster kids, so those interviews are what inspired me to write it.

Oh and this starts in a pool and it's still really hot where I live in Spain, so I felt like this couldn't be more perfect to be shared today.

Thanks so much to my betas for this chapter: AllisonDiamond and Abbyholy who helped me to improve it.

(See the end of the work for more notes.)

Work Text:

It’s sunny and certainly hot enough to have a swim. Kyle is standing near the door that leads to the backyard and he’s watching Ilya swimming from one side of the pool to the other. It’s effortless and Kyle can’t help the little jealousy he feels at the sight. Ilya has no idea how long Kyle has been standing there, when he stops at one end, he sees the boy looking in his direction.

“Get in!” Ilya signals with his right arm. “The water feels good!”

They got him a swimsuit too, so it’s not like he can’t use the pool if he wants.

Kyle simply shakes his head, turns around, and goes back inside the house.

Ilya sighs but doesn’t insist. If he doesn’t want to be in the pool with him, he’s not going to pressure him. He knows he needs time to get used to being there.

When he gets out of the pool he finds Kyle reading a comic book on the sofa and he sits on the opposite side. Stiles and Jackson went shopping and Daniel had a soccer match, so they are alone in the house.

“You can get in now if you want. I’ve finished.”

Kyle doesn’t say anything at first and Ilya waits.

“It’s okay. I didn’t… I don’t want to,” Kyle finally says without looking up.

“So, it wasn’t because of me…” Ilya suggests.

“No, it wasn’t.”

“You don’t like water or something…” Ilya frowns.

“It’s not that.” Kyle shakes his head, obviously bothered by the conversation.

“Okay. Fine.” Ilya grabs the remote control and turns on the television. He’s about to find something to watch when Kyle speaks again.

“I can’t swim, okay?” Kyle finally looks at Ilya.

“There… happy now?” Kyle shrugs.

“Hey, I didn’t mean it like that. I was just wondering. I thought you were avoiding me. Besides, so what if you can’t swim… You can learn, right?”

Kyle huffs a laugh.

“What? What’s so funny?” Ilya raises his eyebrows.

“You guys… you have a solution for everything, haven't you? Everything is so easy.”

“And when you say guys, who are you talking about exactly?”

“Who do you think?” Kyle shakes his head. “Your parents…” Kyle waves his right arm. “You… your brother… it’s like you think you can fix everything so easily.”

“That’s not true. But swimming? That I could fix… or my father, he’s an excellent swimmer. Actually, he was the captain of the swim team back in high school. I’m sure he wouldn’t mind. He taught me and my brother, and now my brother is also in the team.”

Kyle snorts and shakes his head. “Why am I not surprised… Is there anything your father can’t do?”

“Yeah, I guess he’s pretty good at everything… but his pancakes are not as good as my dad’s.” Ilya smirks.

“Although I’d have to kill you if you ever repeated those words.” Ilya smiles and Kyle can’t help it but to do the same.

“So you mean, you’ve never been in a pool?” Ilya asks.

“Well, I’ve never known anybody with a pool before…” Kyle waves his right arm. “So, no.”

“I went to the beach in L.A. sometimes. I liked to see the sea, but it’s not the same, I guess,” Kyle admits.

The fact that the idea hadn’t crossed Ilya’s mind suddenly makes him feel really stupid. And also, the last thing he wants is to make Kyle feel uncomfortable or out of place.

“So, what’s it like?” Ilya sits sideways on the sofa, turning off the television.

“What do you mean?” Kyle frowns, sitting sideways too.

“Being a foster kid? I mean, if you don’t want to tell me, it’s okay. You know, I’m a curious person… I guess that’s something you should know about me.”

Kyle snorts. This is not where he thought the conversation was going if they were actually having one. “It’s… pretty much 24/7 awesomeness, what do you think?”

“I—” Ilya hesitates.

“It sucks, okay? You live with people who don’t give a shit about you. And you never know how long you’re gonna stay there. You’re afraid that the next day somebody will wake you up at 6 am saying: ‘Pack your bags—you’re out!’ They move you around like a puppet.”

There’s a silence after that. A few seconds when Kyle knows that Ilya wants to say something but he’s probably afraid of saying the wrong thing.

“I don’t know.” Kyle finally continues. “I guess you get used to living a certain way. You know... just not letting yourself get too comfortable. Not making real friends anywhere. You get used to people treating you differently. I had a foster father who wouldn’t let me or my foster brother stay alone in the house, so we were locked out until he got home every weekend and weekdays too. The agency knew about it but they didn’t think we were in any danger, and teens are hard to place, so they didn’t do anything. When I had enough I left... Everything I owned was in my backpack… my whole life... until it was stolen… and I ended up coming here.”

“I’m sorry,” Ilya says with sincerity.

“Why?”

“I’m sorry that... you know… that your parents died. That you don’t have a family. I can’t imagine not having mine.”

“Yeah, well… it is what it is, right?”

“I’m sure that my parents and Derek will find you a family who cares about you. Derek is cool, you’ll see… and my parents are stubborn as hell. I’m sure they will never let you go through that again.”

Kyle stays silent and Ilya feels like he needs to say something.

“You know, people treat me differently sometimes, too. Especially, when I was little but it still happens…”

Kyle looks at him with curiosity.

“Because I’m deaf, in case you didn’t notice.” Ilya waves his arms, smiling.

Kyle can’t help but smile too.

“I know it can’t compare to your story… I guess it’s totally different… but it’s also complicated.”

“What do you mean?”

“Well, apart from the fact that my parents… hell, the whole pack have worried about me my whole life… about my feelings... the truth is that with this.” He touches the hearing aid in his right ear. “I can hear but for hearing people, I’m still deaf, while for deaf people, I can hear… and talk… so it’s like I’m in the middle… nobody fully accepts you… and that’s not gonna change no matter how old I get.”

“And before you ask me, no… I’m not jealous of my brother, or of you, for that matter.” Ilya continues, “Being deaf is not a curse… or whatever some people think it is. It’s just… it’s part of who I am, and besides, being human has many advantages too. The whole werewolf thing can be a lot of drama, believe me.”

There is silence after that and Ilya is about to get up when Kyle speaks again.

“Your brother told me, you know?”

Ilya simply frowns.

“He told me you’re real brothers.”

“You mean—”

“He told me you don’t have a mother… that you’re related. I mean, he told me about your father...”

“He did?” Ilya raises his eyebrows in that way that remind people so much of Stiles.

“We were talking and I asked him some questions... too many, probably. He said he didn’t want to lie about it.”

“And not to tell my father, I guess…”

“Yeah, that too.”

“Okay.” Ilya licks his lips.

“I just… I thought you should know.”

“If he told you, he had his reasons. And it’s good that you know,” Ilya nods. The truth is that he understands perfectly why Daniel trusted him. “I’m going to grab a snack… if you want one—”

“About what you said...” Kyle interrupts him.

Ilya looks at Kyle with a questioning look.

“I mean, the teaching me part… were you serious?”

It obviously takes Ilya a little by surprise but he thinks he hides it pretty well.

“Yeah, I was.” Ilya nods.

“Cool.” Kyle licks his lips and gets up to follow Ilya to the kitchen.

Notes:

I'm otg2012 on Tumblr if you wanna share any thought.

Kudos would be awesome if you liked it :)

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