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Chapter Text

Leaning against the side of his blue truck, Theo let the sun shine down on his face, feeling its warmth and letting the quiet peace around take over him. He knew in a couple minutes the quiet would be over when all those impetuous teenagers came running out of school and into the parking lot. That specific noise was something Theo hated with a passion and he wasn't sure why he kept doing this to himself. There was no reason for him to be here almost every day and endure the sounds of hormonal and hyper-active kids talking all over each other as if the world wasn't a messed up place. No reason at all.

As if to point out his obvious falsehood, his crappy phone vibrated in his pocket, shaking him out of his peaceful moment. Groaning to himself, Theo fished the phone out of his pocket and glanced at the screen, already knowing what he'd see. Like every time, it was a text from Liam, telling him he was done with practice and would be out in a couple minutes. Pocketing his phone again, Theo looked back up at the sky and let his mind wander.

He wasn't sure when exactly he'd become Liam's personal chauffeur or why he was going along with it when he could just easily tell him to fuck off. Deep down, Theo knew there was no way in hell he'd say no to Liam but Liam didn't need to know that and Theo would never admit that out loud, especially because he wasn't sure why he couldn't say no to him. Liam could get anything he wanted from him if he just so much as asked and he couldn't explain it. He couldn't explain why he felt the need to give him everything and more or why when Liam had asked him to stay after the war, he just did even though there was nothing for him here in Beacon Hills. The power the beta had over him scared him to death.

It's been something around a month since the war had 'ended' and the hunters retreated from Beacon Hills. Around a month since Monroe had fled and had started terrorising supernaturals outside of Beacon Hills instead. Only a couple of weeks for them to get back to their normal lives and pretend like everything was fine. Like they weren't all on high alert still and kept their eyes and ears open at all times.

Well, everyone with a working brain was on high alert. Not so much the puppy pack. After everything they've been through, they were still oddly easy to catch by surprise because they weren't paying attention to their surroundings 24/7. That was something Theo would maybe never understand. Surviving in all kinds of circumstances has been drilled into him for so long that he could never even imagine to be this careless. The puppy pack was lucky that Theo had decided to stick around and be their guard dog, which was also something he'd never say out loud and if someone even dared to hint at him being a guard dog or giving a shit about the puppies he'd just murder that person and let the body disappear. Wouldn't want to give Scott another reason to mistrust him.

The loud chatter of students made him avert his gaze. In waves, students were flowing out of the building and into the parking lot, complaining about their teachers or making plans for later or gushing about someone they found attractive. All inconsequential nonsense to him but he knew that most people cared about those irrelevant things; probably because they haven't been raised in the sewers by mad scientists.

Over all the chatter, Theo picked out Liam's voice faster than he'd like to admit. From the sound of it, he was talking to Corey about something that happened at practise and Mason was throwing in some comments here and there, Nolan tagging along but mostly staying quiet. That kid was still not entirely comfortable around them because he still reeked of guilt when Theo paid close enough attention. He got it, he really did, but it was unnecessary. Yes, he may have been involved in trying to get them killed but he was still just a kid. A scared, manipulated kid acting out of fear. Theo didn't blame him as much as he maybe should but he knew how strong fear could be and what it can do to you or make you do. But if Nolan ever so much as laid a finger on Liam again, Theo would not hesitate and rip his throat out. There would be no mercy, not when it involved the beta. Whatever that meant.

“Hey, Theo” Liam approached him with a big smile on his face, the other three still in tow.

Seeing them coming over to him with no; or almost no; fear on their faces or in their scents hit him again like a brick. He wasn't sure what exactly did the trick or when it happened but somehow Liam's friends were tolerating him in Liam's life. No, they weren't just tolerating him anymore judging by their faces. They were totally fine with Theo still being around; even Corey; and spending all of his time with Liam. He wasn't entirely sure why it was hitting him right now because them not hating him anymore wasn't totally new. Maybe it was the fact that all of their faces seemed to reflect being glad to see him, which no. That couldn't be true. He must be misreading their facial expression, which meant he was losing his ability to read people and that couldn't happen. He couldn't fail like that. No, there must be something else going on. They couldn't actually be glad to see him right now, right? That wasn't possible.

“Took you long enough” Theo grunted out, silencing his stupid thoughts. Questioning the simplest facial expressions and almost spiralling because he couldn't decipher them was not something he should do, especially not with people around. “I do have other things to do, you know? I don't have all day”.

“Oh, yeah? And what's that? Driving around in your truck?” Liam raised an unimpressed eyebrow at him, calling him out for his obvious lie. Of course, Liam knew Theo had nowhere else to be but he really didn't have to rub it in.

“Work” Theo spat out, glaring at Liam just because he could but it only made the beta snort unaffected. Of course, Liam also knew Theo only worked at the vet clinic in the mornings or around midday. He needed to stop telling Liam things.

“Sure, whatever you say, Raeken” Liam humoured him, visibly amused.

“Just get in the damn truck, Dunbar” Theo rolled his eyes for show, marching over to the driver's side of the truck.

“Can you give the others a lift?” Liam asked him totally unbothered by Theo's theatrics, opening the passenger door.

“Doesn't he have his own car?” Theo got into his truck, pointedly avoiding to look at Liam and obviously referring to Mason's car, that was way better than Theo's own truck.

“It's at a repair shop” Liam's gaze was burning a hole into his temple, so he gave up and looked at Liam, which was a huge mistake on his side. “Please?”.

Sooner or later, Theo needed to find a solution for this very problem. He needed to find a way to resist Liam's puppy dog eyes but right now, they were so endlessly blue blue blue that he just couldn't say no. Instead of admitting defeat directly, Theo made a big show of groaning and rolling his eyes again before he let out an annoyed “Fine”.

Beaming like the sun itself, Liam turned around to his friends and told them to get in before climbing into the passenger seat and making himself at home right next to Theo. Irritated by this stupidly infuriating beta, Theo just started the car wordlessly and drove off. By habit, Liam immediately fiddled with the radio and Theo didn't stop him … again. It was becoming a massive problem. With music now softly playing in the background, Liam started telling him about his day in the most enthusiastic way possible, his hands moving wildly while he was talking. Every now and then, Mason added something or Corey commented on lacrosse related stuff but it was mainly Liam talking and everyone else listening, especially Theo but again, he'd never admit that out loud. There was lot lately that he kept doing that he wouldn't ever admit to anyone.

After dropping the other three off, Theo drove them over to Liam's place. Now that it was just the two of them in the truck, Theo seemed to relax instantly, not having realised how tense he has been before. Maybe other people getting glimpses of; and judging them for it; his and Liam's whatever it was made him way more nervous than he was aware of. But Liam was something good in his life and he couldn't afford to lose it. He didn't wanna lose it, didn't wanna lose him apparently. So, he might be a little scared of Liam's friends judging him and potentially telling Liam to drop him, which was definitely something he wouldn't survive emotionally. Not that he actually understood why or would ever tell Liam that. No, that was a thought he tried to bury deep inside his sister's stolen heart. No one needed to know how weak he has become and how dependent he was on Liam's light. Not even himself.

Arriving at the Dunbar-Geyer house, Liam didn't get out immediately. No, he kept looking at him expectantly as if he thought Theo just knew what he wanted from him. After glancing at the car keys again, Liam finally seemed to understand that Theo couldn't read his mind. Took him long enough. “You wanna come in? My mom's made lasagna and she always overdoes it, so there's gonna be plenty left to share with half of Beacon Hills”.

Noticing the sudden layer of nervousness in Liam's chemosignals, Theo looked at him now, automatically turning the engine off. “Don't think I can say no to lasagna but I know you're only using this to lure me inside. Biology?”.

“I hate biology. I just don't understand what the fuck she's trying to tell me” Liam groaned out, getting out of the truck with Theo following right behind him. “I don't get how you understand anything. Anything!”.

“Being an experiment for half of your life does have it perks in the long run” Theo couldn't help himself. Dark humour was his thing but Liam just stared at him in a mix of annoyance, anger and sympathy. “Too soon?”.

“You're seriously insufferable” Liam only shook his head at him, climbing the few stairs to his front door.

“You already knew that and still, you bribed me with food to get my help. What does that say about you?” Theo smirked at the back of Liam's head, fully aware that Liam knew what kind of face he was making. Maybe he was becoming a little bit predictable. Oh well, could be worse.

“That I need better friends”.

With that, Liam opened the door and walked inside but Theo haltered in his steps, only for a second but it was enough for Liam to glance back over his shoulder to make sure Theo was coming inside. Acting like nothing happened, Theo crossed the doorstep and closed the door, immediately being engulfed by the smell of a home and freshly made lasagna and Liam.

“Sweetheart, is that you?” the voice of Liam's mother Jenna sounded from somewhere in the close distance.

“It's me. Hi, Mom. Theo's with me” Liam greeted her back just as loudly and marched in the direction of the kitchen, following the smell of lasagna.

Still a bit dazed, Theo just robotically followed him. First, Liam called them friends and now it sounded as if Liam's mom was supposed to know who he is? What even was this day? And okay, Theo wasn't an idiot. He knew that he and Liam were sort of something that one could call friends but Liam has never said it out loud before and Theo wouldn't dare to do it. And he also has never been inside the house with Liam's parents present because he wasn't sure how much they knew. Theo knew Liam had told them about the supernatural around the time they had all pretended to leave town but he didn't know to what extent and if that included Theo's past. He really hoped it didn't but at the same time he wanted them to know, so they could tell their son to get better friends. Ex-criminals didn't make good friends and someone needed to tell Liam that. And of course, Theo was aware of Liam being his only friend and that he hasn't had a single friend in forever and that he would be insanely lonely without Liam and his constant unwanted presence but Liam also just deserved better.

“Hi, Darling. You must be Theo. It's nice to meet you” Jenna's voice tore him out of his mental spiral and brought him back to the present situation of meeting Liam's mother, who seemed to be excited to meet him, which could only mean she didn't know. Maybe it was better this way.

Forcing a polite smile onto his face, Theo accepted Jenna's hand and shook it as steady as he could right now. “It's really nice to meet you too, Mrs. ...”.

“Please, Love. Call me Jenna” she interrupted him with a warm smile before returning to her work at the kitchen counter. Letting his eyes scan the various items, it looked like a salad in progress. “Why don't you two get comfortable in the living room until I'm done, mh?”.

“Okay” Liam pecked her cheek before skipping away and into the living room, leaving Theo to just follow him again like a lost puppy. Very fitting because that's how he felt.

Sitting down on the couch, Theo felt the heart in his chest squeeze oddly at the thought of Jenna's kind smile. This form of kindness and warm welcome was something he obviously wasn't used to and didn't know how to handle. It made him definitely uncomfortable and a part of him wanted to run away while a different part of him wanted to soak it all in and enjoy this moment for as long as it lasted. Kindness wasn't something he was offered on a daily basis, so he selfishly took it until it was ripped away again. He accepted it although he knew he didn't deserve it but old habits die hard. He'd always be selfish and greedy.

Thankfully, Liam had barely any time to interrogate him because Mason kept blowing up his phone with text after text and when he finally stopped, Jenna called them over for dinner, telling them Liam's stepdad had a late shift at the hospital, so he wouldn't join them. During dinner, Theo mainly listened to Liam and his mother talk about their days but naturally, way too kind Jenna tried to include him and asked him about his day as well, which should be received as a normal question but for him, it was almost like a punch to the gut. No one really bothered to ask about his day, other than Liam of course. So, he wasn't really sure what to tell her because he still didn't know how much she knew about him.

Somehow he managed to formulate an answer that didn't offer up too much; not that there was too much to tell; but still satisfied the stunningly beautiful woman across from him. There was definitely some kind of reaction when she figured out that Theo was working and not attending school but she didn't dwell on it and moved on. He didn't understand why.

After dinner, Theo and Liam went upstairs to tackle biology and it was a welcomed distraction from his maddening mind. For around two hours, Theo tried everything to make Liam understand just a sliver of what they were apparently doing in biology but it was hopeless. Biology and Liam Dunbar just didn't go together. It was kinda endearing how hard he still tried to understand it, how he didn't just give up. Theo would have given up ages ago but Liam never gave up.

“I give up” Liam announced ironically only a couple seconds after Theo was thinking about his stubborn endurance.

“No, you're not” Theo insisted sternly. “You can do this. You might never become a pro in biology but you'll be able to figure this out. Enough to pass your class”.

“Do you really think so?” Liam looked up at him with big eyes, resembling a wolf pup a bit too much. It was quite fitting.

“I do, Little Wolf” Theo smiled at him; a rare smile that wasn't or didn't feel fake or forced. That only ever happened around Liam, whatever the fuck that meant. “You're too stubborn to give up. Monroe didn't manage to kill you. Do you really want biology to take you out?”.

“I'd prefer the hunters” Liam let his head fall onto his desk dramatically. “At least that'd be quick and painless”.

“Unless they capture you first and torture you for the fun of it just because they can” Theo remembered his very own incident with hunters and an electric fence, tending to turn his trauma into jokes but Liam looked at him again as if he were mental. “Too soon?”.

“I genuinely don't know what to say”.

When it got too late, Theo headed out and got into his truck, watching Liam's window for a stolen moment. Reminding himself that stalking wasn't socially accepted, he started the truck and drove off, heading for the preserve. After a short drive, he parked his car in his usual spot and got out. Stepping out of his clothes and squeezing them into a small duffle bag, Theo let the shift take over his body until he was in his animal form. Even after weeks, he wasn't used to the daily pain of it.

Grabbing the duffle bag with his snout, Theo ran into the forest of the preserve, following the familiar path. Deep in the woods, he came to a stop when he reached his hide-out. Dropping the bag, he got comfortable on the blanket he had left in his den and tried to make his wolf body relax. With the moon high in the dark sky and the forest quiet around him, Theo had a little bit of hope that he might get some sleep but he just knew that at one point the nightmares would find him. Like every night.

-------

Liam was fuming. Everything had been so great until a couple seconds ago. Somehow he had coaxed Theo into attending his latest lacrosse game and he had actually shown up. He had taken a seat in the bleachers next to Corey and Alec and had looked the slightest bit like he was partly enjoying himself, which had made Liam more than happy. Seeing them getting along now for real did something to his insides he couldn't explain but none of that mattered now.

The only thing that mattered now was the blanket he was holding in his hand. The blanket that had been shoved deep underneath the driver's seat right next to a small duffle bag. The blanket and duffle bag he hadn't been supposed to find, like ever. The blanket and duffle bag he had indeed found when he had dropped his phone in the most comical way possible while Theo was out at the gas station doing his thing. Like he always seemed to do, right? He always just did his thing without explaining shit. Like for example sleeping in his truck for months without saying anything to any of them; to Liam. A part of him understood why Theo didn't say anything to the rest of the pack or why he didn't tell him months ago but why hadn't he said something to him by now? Liam really thought they were friends. Friends who told each other things but apparently he was wrong. Apparently Theo really didn't know how a friendship worked, which made sad kind of sense.

Pushing the items back under the seat, Liam let himself fall back into the passenger seat and debated what he should do now. That Theo was homeless and hadn't told anyone saddened him to no end but the more Liam thought about it, the more he was angry at himself. He should have known. He had been the one to bring Theo back from skinwalker prison and had ultimately thrown him back into a life where he had nothing left. No family, no friends, no home. Liam really wanted to punch himself for never thinking about this. Of course, he had nowhere to go. The Dread Doctors were gone and like this, Theo had nothing again. No home to return to, other than his beloved truck, which really explained why Theo was so possessive of it. It was all he had.

Trying to calm his heart and chemosignals down because Theo was coming out of the gas station shop right now, Liam knew he had to come up with a plan. For right now to explain the state he was in because there was no way in hell Theo wouldn't be able to smell the worry on him and for Theo's situation in general. Knowing now, he couldn't just ignore it. But he had to find a way that wasn't too obvious. A way that didn't include Theo finding out that he knew. A way that didn't scream pity. Theo would never tolerate pity directed at him or accept random help. He was too damn stubborn.

“Did someone die?” Theo looked weirdly at him when he got into the truck. “You reek of worry”.

“Well thanks” Liam tried to glare at him but Theo looked totally unimpressed. So, he waved his phone around as if that would explain anything. “Just found something out that worries me but it's not worth mentioning. Did you murder someone in there? You surely took your time”.

“Yes, the overly flirty cashier. Had to get rid of her body” Theo replied way too casually, starting the truck.

“That doesn't sound as unlikely as you want it to, Theo” Liam pointed out dumbfounded, a squeezy feeling spreading through his chest at the thought of how overly flirty she had to have been for Theo to joke about murder. What was overly flirty for him anyway? Did he flirt back before it started to annoy him? Did he get her number and was just pretending to be annoyed? Was he actually up for anything like that? Flirting? Dating? Hooking-up?

“Where did your thoughts go, Little Wolf?” Theo pinched his arm lightly, tearing him out his wrong thoughts.

“What?” Liam turned his head around to look at him, totally lost and hoping he didn't smell too weird right now.

“You zoned out there for a minute, Dunbar” Theo smirked amusedly, making Liam scowl at him just because. “No need to get all frowny. I didn't kill the hot cashier, not today”.

“You're insufferable” Liam huffed and crossed his arms over his chest like a child. So, Theo had paid attention to her long enough to conclude that she was hot? Interesting.

“You can walk if you want” Theo wasn't buying his sulking.

“Just drive” Liam grumbled into his non-existent beard.

Smirking to himself, Theo did just that and let Liam be. It should be an awkward or tense silence between them now but it just wasn't. It was still entirely comfortable even in silence and Liam felt himself relax again, uncrossing his arms and just watching the town pass by them. There was something about Theo's truck that always made him feel totally at ease. He couldn't explain it even if his life depended on it.

“Don't even think about tricking me again to help you with biology. Deaton actually needs me today at the clinic for something. I seriously don't know what for but whatever” Theo broke the silence when they stopped in front of his house.

“Damn it, Deaton ruined my plan” Liam played along easily, thankful for the given opportunity to get them back to normal before parting ways for the day. Hopefully that would make Theo forget about his former worry and stop him from asking questions he didn't know how to answer cause he couldn't lie to save his life, least of all to Theo.

“I make sure I tell him that” Theo was almost grinning.

“Tell him next time he's keeping you from helping me with biology, I'm gonna find him and end him” Liam got out of the truck, closing the door maybe a bit too carefully.

“Wow, so violent, Little Wolf. What would Scott say?” Theo gasped dramatically, a twinkle in his eye.

“What Scott doesn't know ...” Liam trailed off with a big grin on his face, walking backwards towards his front door.

“And I'm insufferable?”.

“Always”.

“I'm not gonna pick you up tomorrow”.

“Whatever you say, Theodore”.

“I seriously hate you”.

“Feeling's mutual”.

“Are you getting inside now or what?”.

“Just admit you already miss me”.

“I can not stand you right now”.

“That's why you're sitting”.

“That's it. I'm leaving”.

“No one's stopping you”.

“I'm never coming back”.

“Sure. I'm gonna see you tomorrow then”.

“Little shit”.

Grinning to himself with his heart feeling strangely warm, Liam stepped into the house and closed the door without another word, leaving Theo to his cursing and grumbling. He knew Theo would be there tomorrow, like always. No matter how annoyed he was with him, Theo would always pick Liam up. He'd never leave him behind. Liam just knew that.

Being met with an empty house, Liam was reminded that his parents weren't home today, which gave him the perfect opportunity to come up with a plan for Theo's situation without having to explain why he was so absent-minded or worried. Of course, he could have lied and told them something was up with Mason or Corey or Alec …

Alec! That's it! He knew how to help Theo now without it being suspicious. Damn, he could be quite clever sometimes.

Grabbing his keys again, he glanced outside to make sure Theo wasn't still around before heading out again. The way wasn't short but he legged it anyway. It gave him time to come up with a plan to convince them to help out even though they had no reason to do so. He needed this to work.

Arriving at the apartment building, Liam just headed inside and straight towards the familiar steel door. To his surprise, he didn't even need to knock cause the door was opened right when he reached it, revealing Derek and Peter with two entirely different expressions on their faces. Peter just looked like something had crawled up his ass and died there; the usual; while Derek looked mildly curious, which was a lot for him to show on his face. Being here now, he hesitated. Liam really hadn't thought this through.

“Liam” Derek said simply, gesturing for him to come inside.

“Sorry for just barging in …”.

“No, please. Burst into my home any time you want” Peter marked sarcastically, leaning against the staircase leading to his bedroom. “At least you say sorry, unlike your friends”.

“Ignore him” Derek dismissed Peter and his antics, leading Liam over to the couch. “What brings you here?”.

“I … I might need your help” Liam sat down on the couch with him nervously, not entirely sure how to convince Derek to help Theo when he's so protective of Scott. “You remember Theo?”.

“The kid who killed Scott?” Peter threw in unnecessarily.

“The kid who was tortured and experimented on for half of his life and has nothing, no one” Liam got immediately defensive.

“Don't come at me. I like the kid” Peter looked way too smug.

“Not helping” Liam flashed his golden eyes at him for a second before turning back to Derek, who looked … well, Liam wasn't sure what he saw on his face. “Look, I know you have no reason to help him out but he's living in his truck and I … I feel responsible for his situation. I brought him back and didn't even consider that he had nothing to go back to. No family or home or anything. But he's my responsibility and I can't let him live in his truck. It's not safe”.

“Then just let him live with you”.

“He'd never accept that” Liam was getting annoyed by Peter's comments. “He can't know that I know. That we know”.

“So, you want Derek to offer him one of his apartments because that's less suspicious” Peter sounded totally done with him. “How do you expect that conversation to go down? 'Oh, Theo. One of my apartments is empty, why don't you take it for free because that's what I wanna do for the guy who killed Scott'. Very inconspicuous”.

“Shut up” Liam growled at him angrily.

“Can't handle the truth? He's a murderer, little beta” Peter was visibly enjoying this.

“So are you” Derek pointed out neutrally, not giving away if he was on board with the plan or not.

“Exactly. And you're out here living your best life. So, why shouldn't Theo get the chance to …”.

“Again, he killed Scott” Peter interrupted him casually.

“But he's alive” Liam balled his hands into fists. “You tried to kill him too and no one bats an eye at you nowadays, which is definitely stupid and naïve but that's not the point”.

“No, the point is that you wanna convince Derek to let a cruel murderer live in his building …”.

“You already live here” Liam levelled him down with an icy stare, not stepping down any time soon.

“I didn't kill our precious Scott” Peter aimed for sympathy.

“No, but you tried” Liam glanced at Derek but he was just letting them argue, totally unbothered. “Who knows if you'll do it again at one point? No one trusts you and you're still roaming around free. How's that fair?”.

“I've changed” Peter smiled degradingly at him.

“Sure” Liam snorted unconvinced. “You know who actually changed but doesn't claim to have changed? Theo. Who's a victim in all of this”.

“Okay, now you're losing the plot …”.

“A victim of circumstances” Liam just talked over Peter, so entirely done with him. “He just tried to survive. None of us would've turned out any better if we had gone through what he went through since he was nine. Nine! Cut him some slack”.

“Yeah, no”.

“Derek, please, say something” Liam decided it was about damn time to just ignore Peter completely. He had plead his case and now it was up to Derek to decide.

Before Derek could say anything, Liam picked up on a third heartbeat close by and an angry scent. Looking up, he saw Malia coming down the staircase and stopping at Peter's side. Great, he should probably just leave now and prepare the guest bedroom for when he kidnapped Theo to help him. His parents wouldn't argue with him as much as the Hales.

“Are you out of your mind?” she looked right out livid. “Be glad we're allowing that piece of shit to even be out there. If it were up to me, he'd be back in the ground where he belongs”.

“But it's not up to you because everyone knows you should not make any big decisions” Liam blurted out before he could stop himself but he was so fed up with everyone.

“Maybe you shouldn't either. The last you made brought a murderous chimera back into our lives and now said lives are in danger again, thanks to you” Malia looked way too much like her father right now.

“No, they're not” Liam huffed annoyed. “At least not more than before. The only people threatening our lives are the hunters, not Theo. He's in danger too out there”.

“As if I care”.

“You don't have to but I do” Liam was getting desperate now. He needed them to understand that Theo wasn't a threat.

“But why?” Malia looked about ready to blow up. “Bringing him back because he could help was one thing. But he's still here and totally useless. Just let him be and he's gonna leave at some point. Problem solved”.

“No” Liam felt his throat closing up at the prospect of Theo leaving Beacon Hills. “He wouldn't leave”.

“I'd make him leave”.

“Oh my god! Can you stop your pathetic act?” Liam exploded now, standing up from the couch and stomping over to her. “Yes, he shot you. Boohoo. That was on you, not him”.

“Are you insane?”.

“You were insane to put your trust in him …”.

“Weren't you the one who trusts him now?” Malia cut him off with a sly smile on her face.

“Totally different scenario and you know it” Liam glared up at her, seeing her flinch almost unnoticed. “You let him 'help' right after he killed Scott. You should have known better. That he betrayed you in an instant shouldn't have come as a surprise. You only have yourself to blame. We all knew not to trust him at that point but you still chose to let him play with you. So whatever feelings are connected to that incident are something you should deal with on your own. Don't put that on him”.

After his little rant the entire apartment was deadly silent. His chest was heaving rapidly and his claws had dug into his palms to keep the rest of his composure. He hadn't meant to say all of that but he had been thinking it. For a while now. Malia's violent hatred towards Theo was entirely misplaced and it got on his nerves. Scott had a solid reason not to trust Theo, Lydia did as well (but she was definitely up for giving him a second chance even if she hadn't said it out loud) and even Stiles, if less than the other two. Mason had a good reason to dislike him as well as Corey but they came around. So, why couldn't she get over herself?

“I trust him because he's saved my life more than once ever since I brought him back” Liam started again, softer now. He was trying to make them understand what he saw. “I haven't forgotten about his past nor am I excusing everything he did but I put it into perspective and moved on. He's still just a kid, who deserved a lot better than the hand he was dealt. I trust him because I've seen him change. It's still a work in progress but it's there. He cares and is struggling with that, yes. But he's my responsibility and I need to make sure he's fine, which he isn't. I would offer him my home but he … he'd never accept that. He'd never admit that he's struggling. He'd never admit it because he's afraid of being a failure. I need to make him feel like he isn't because he really isn't”.

Feeling way too vulnerable right now, Liam looked from Malia and Peter over to Derek, the one who mattered right now.

For a moment, Derek was only silently studying him, which made Liam wanna squirm under his scrutinizing gaze but he resisted the urge as much as possible to come off as strong and unshakeable. After another beat, Derek just stood up and walked over to him with a neutral face. “Okay”.

“Okay?” Liam breathed out.

“You made your point. I trust you on this” Derek put one hand onto his shoulder, squeezing it slightly. “But if anything happens, it's on you. He's your responsibility after all”.

Liam was nodding before he even registered it, feeling so relieved and happy right now. “Of course. Thank you”.

Huffing and puffing, Malia stomped upstairs but no one paid her any mind. Peter crossed his arms over his chest and sent him an odd look. “It's those puppy dog eyes. No one can say no to that”.

“He can have the free apartment across from Alec's” Derek totally ignored Peter, like he normally did.

“Makes sense. Place the new stray right next to the last stray we picked up and let live here” Peter apparently couldn't help himself. He always had to give his two cents. “For free, I might add. Completely and utterly for free, Derek”.

“I know” Derek suddenly walked away from them and into his kitchen, wordlessly ending this conversation but there was something that was still worrying Liam.

“You can't let him know we're doing this to help him” Liam rushed out before he lost Derek's attention completely. “We need to find a way to make him move into the apartment on his terms or he'll run”.

“And that would be the end of the world” Peter rolled his eyes at him, obviously not caring one bit.

Derek on the other hand stopped in his tracks and turned back around to Liam with a smile on his face, that took all of his worries away. “Don't worry, Liam. I think I know what to say to him. He won't question it”.

Chapter Text

By now, Theo was questioning what he was even doing here. When Liam had texted him that the Hales were calling in a very spontaneous mini pack meeting and he was expected to show up, Theo hadn't known how to feel and he still wasn't sure what he felt. This mini pack meeting included the entire puppy pack; even Nolan apparently; but also Malia and Peter, which … those were definitely people he was trying to avoid. Being in the presence of three Hales, who hated his guts and probably wanted him all dead was very unpleasant, even for someone like him. Even with being used to never being liked or wanted. This was a whole other level of awkward. He'd prefer Stiles over this any day. He was at least straight-forward enough to call him out any chance he got. The Hales on the other hand had the tendency to stare a lot, if they were not actively trying to rip his throat out. Theo definitely preferred violence over silence. Damn Liam and Theo's inability to say no to him. He shouldn't be here right now.

“So, I'm getting straight to the point” Derek clapped into his hands to make sure everyone's attention was on him. No 'Thank you for coming and dropping everything' or something. Typical Hale behaviour. “Peter and I are leaving”.

“What?” Liam gaped at him in shock but there was something else about him right now. Oddly enough, Theo couldn't say what it was but he seemed stressed and anxious and very nervous. Was that just because of the pack meeting or was there something else? Earlier in the truck the amounts of worry in the beta's scent had caught Theo entirely off guard and he still wasn't sure what the cause had been. Was this related to his tense state now? It couldn't just be the Hales leaving.

“We have a lead on Monroe, so we're gonna chase it to find out if it's legit” Derek let them know casually. That always casual and unbothered attitude was something Theo could admit he appreciated. There was no bullshit with Derek. “More supernaturals have been captured and killed and we need to stop it. Scott needs us out there”.

Scott, who was like a brother to Derek and who was the sole reason he had come back to Beacon Hills in the first place. Scott, who he had killed and Derek was painfully aware of that. Theo knew he shouldn't be here and it got clearer by the second but he'd stay put. For Liam. And to find out why they had wanted him here in the first place. It was odd.

“Shouldn't we do something to help?” Liam questioned predictably. Always the first to jump up and offer help to total strangers. It was reckless and dumb.

“Stay alert and keep each other safe. Here in Beacon Hills” Derek looked sternly at him but for a moment something seemed to pass between them that Theo couldn't grasp. Since when did Liam and Derek have some kind of secret silent conversation skills? Theo had to keep an eye on that. “That's all you need to do for now. Keep your eyes open and friends safe, Liam. That's enough for now”.

“Which reminds me of something that worries me and I need it fixed before we leave” Peter piped in surprisingly, drawing everyone's attention on him. Except for Malia's. She kept leaning against the staircase in the back and glared at the floor. Theo was surprised she hadn't tried to kill him yet.

“What is it you need fixed?” Derek sounded exasperated already. Normally, Peter's issues weren't real issues. They were a waste of everyone's time.

“We're standing in it” Peter replied as if that made any sense.

“I don't follow”.

“Course not” Peter rolled his eyes, walking into the middle of the room, everyone's eyes following his movements. “Let me explain it to you, yeah? While we're out there playing Scott's personal two-men army, no one's here making sure your precious little building stays in tact”.

“I'm sure it's gonna be fine” Derek didn't take him seriously and Theo was about to zone out of the conversation when he picked up on something. Liam's chemosignals seemed to be going crazy right now, although he was trying to temper them down. In vain, of course. Something about this conversation made him nervous. Theo didn't get it but he was intrigued.

“Fine? This building has been anything but fine the last couple of years, Derek!” Peter huffed vexed, earning eye rolls from literally everyone in the room, even Malia. “If you're all so quick to dismiss my rightful and very justified worries, then it won't be an issue for you to keep an eye on it”.

“You want us to keep an eye on this building?” Mason asked slowly, obviously not sure if he was joking or not.

“Yes!” Peter exclaimed annoyed.

“As odd as it sounds, he isn't entirely wrong” Derek sided with his uncle to everyone's surprise. “Monroe and her hunters probably know about my building and with us gone, only Alec is left living here and that isn't safe”.

“Ey” Alec huffed offended, making the puppy pack chuckle.

“I'm just saying you living here all by yourself without us around is dangerous. What if Monroe is leading us onto one wrong track after the other to distract us and she comes back here?” Derek got serious now, scaring Alec in an instant.

“No reason to scare him like this” Liam shot Derek an angry look, rubbing soothingly over Alec's arm.

“I'm just saying, Alec isn't used to this lifestyle. This life full of danger. Not yet and I sincerely hope you never have to get used to it but you probably will” Derek sighed heavily, looking the tiniest bit guilty. “I promised Scott to keep you as safe as I can and that's me doing this. I need someone to keep an eye on you and if Peter insists, on this building”.

“Okay and how do you expect that to work out? Should we patrol your building everyday? You do remember that we're all still in school, where we're obviously keeping an eye on Alec already” Liam asked irritatedly but the nerves in his scent were getting stronger. Almost strong enough to throw Theo off. What was going on?

“I'm well aware, Liam” Derek just stared at him with his typical Hale stare but Liam didn't even flinch. It almost looked as if he was sending Derek a warning look but that couldn't be, right? Theo wasn't sure because suddenly Derek was looking at him with loaded eyes. It would make his heart jump if he had less control over it. “That's why I need you to do it”.

“Excuse me?” Theo spoke up for the first time since arriving, feeling everyone's eyes on him, especially Malia's.

“We chose you for the job” Derek told him so damn casual as if he were talking about the weather. Before Theo could say anything, he continued. “You're the best option”.

“You don't even know me” Theo pointed out tensely.

“Not really but Scott called you for back-up and you came. That's good enough for me. I trust his judgement” Derek explained his decision to him and it made him deflate.

“I don't” Peter threw in nastily. “But no one cares what I think”.

“We really don't” Liam glared darkly at him, apparently really not a fan of Peter Hale.

“So, you want me to patrol your building every day? I'm not a guard dog” Theo was so not on board with this stupid plan and yes, he was aware of the irony of his words but no one needed to know that. “I do have things to do”.

“Yes, Deaton. We're aware” Peter sported an entirely unimpressed expression on his stupid face.

“Theo, I don't expect you to guard my building every day and night” Derek addressed him directly now, his voice taking on a tone he couldn't place, which was happening way too often lately. “I think it would be easiest if you just moved in for the time being. Liam's parents wouldn't like him living here all on his own, Alec already lives here but can't do it alone and Corey ...”.

“You want me to move into your building?” Theo froze where he stood against the wall, his mind running a million miles per second. Why would Derek offer him this as a solution? Was there no other way? He couldn't know, right? No, he wouldn't care about Theo sleeping on the streets.

“It's the easiest way. Like this, you're here already and it doesn't look suspicious on the outside to anyone who might be watching this place. Also, I would feel a lot better with someone else around to make sure Alec is alive at the end of the day. Not that you have to babysit him” Derek explained his reasoning. “You're aware of your surroundings, you have good instincts and reflexes. I can tell. Maybe the rest of the pack can learn from you. Would make it harder for them to get caught by surprise. One worry less”.

Compliments and praise was the last thing he had expected to receive today. That wasn't something he could handle, not when it sounded sincere. Letting his gaze drift across the room, Theo felt like he was missing something but he was definitely not the only one. Mason and Corey looked entirely confused by what was happening while Alec just looked all huffy and offended like a child. It was kinda endearing. But what made his breath hitch was Liam. He looked hopeful and still oh so anxious. Did he want him to say yes and do this? Why would he want that? What was he missing?

“I …”.

“Just do it” Malia pushed back from the staircase to stomp out of the apartment with a showy huff, leaving an awkward silence behind.

“Please, Theo?” Liam spoke up unusually hesitant, immediately gaining his attention, just like everyone else's. “It sounds like a solid plan and you're the only one who can do it”.

Locking eyes with him was a mistake. Liam's eyes were normally already so blue but they looked extra blue right now. So big and hopeful and just blue blue blue. And if this meant so much to Liam for whatever reason, Theo could never not do it. Every since Liam had brought him back, Theo couldn't seem to say no to anything Liam asked or did. It was as if his entire being was incapable of denying him anything. Why, he wasn't totally sure or didn't want to think about because it would lead nowhere. Liam had brought him back to life; in some sense; and Theo felt like he owed him for the rest of his life now, so there was only one answer right now.

“Okay, fine” Theo sighed out begrudgingly, making Liam beam like the sun in a heartbeat. Maybe stupid wasn't such a bad thing, after all. “But only until you're back”.

“Of course”.

...

So, apparently he was really doing this. With nothing more than his small duffle bag, Theo was making his way towards where Derek was waiting for him with the keys for his new temporary residence. Unlike planned, he wouldn't move into the apartment right across from Alec. No, he'd take the one downstairs closest to the entrance because it made way more sense if he was supposed to keep the building safe. Also, he didn't want Alec to be able to sense or hear everything he was doing or the other way around.

On his way, he picked up Malia's scent and it made him falter again for the split of a second. That was the one thing that stood out to him the most in this entire situation of him playing guard dog for this stupid building; and Alec but whatever. Malia lived here as well and no one even mentioned that during their impromptu pack meeting. Why was no one expecting her to keep her home safe? Why make him move in when she was already here and why was she allowing it? Being neighbours with her wouldn't be a pleasant experience. Maybe she hadn't objected because she wanted to use this opportunity to kill him in his sleep. Well, joke's on her. He barely slept to begin with.

Reaching his new 'home', Derek wordlessly handed him the keys, glancing at his duffle bag just for a moment. If he was suspicious or found it strange that this was all Theo had brought with him, he didn't say. Perks of Derek always minding his own business. Walking inside after Derek, Theo let his eyes wander around the place. There was an open kitchenette close by the door on his right side that opened into the living space only filled with a small table and a couch. On his left was another door; probably some kind of storage room. Walking past the bathroom also located on the left side, Derek showed him where the small bedroom was, also pointing out the glass double doors leading onto a small balcony. A balcony that wasn't overlooking anything really but it was nice anyway.

“Cora was supposed to live here” was all Derek had to say before handing him another set of keys. “Spare keys. Maybe place them at the clinic, just in case”.

Still overwhelmed and dumbfounded, Theo only nodded and closed his fist around the keys. Just as wordlessly as before, Derek simply left, closing the door behind him and successfully cutting Theo off from everyone and everything. For way longer than he'd ever admit, he was just standing in the small corner between the double doors to the balcony and his bedroom, not sure what to do next. He couldn't remember the last time he had a place like this to himself, he had anything to himself. Ignoring the sting in his chest at this being temporary, Theo shook himself out of his stupor and entered the bedroom to put his few clothes down somewhere before heading into the bathroom to take a much-needed shower. Having a shower to himself, if only for a couple weeks, was a heaven-sent gift and he'd make use of it as much as he could before being thrown out into the dirt again. He still wasn't sure how he deserved this or what the actual purpose of this plan was but he would not look a gift horse in the mouth. Not this time. Not when he ached for some kind of something. Some sense of normal. Even if it was only a borrowed kind of normal. A stolen kind.

Before he could decipher what the fuck he even meant with that, there was a knock on his door. Throwing on some pants, Theo walked to the door and opened it to reveal a sheepish-looking Liam. He should have seen this coming.

“Why are you already bothering me? I just moved in” Theo really wanted to sound annoyed but he had the feeling that he had failed miserably. Maybe already stepping aside to let Liam in wasn't helping in sending the right message.

“Exactly” Liam marched in as if he owned the place and Theo just let him naturally, closing the door with a huff. “I'm here to make sure you're settling in okay and haven't set the place on fire yet. Or run away because the couch has wronged you”.

“Like arson or by accident?” Theo couldn't help but ask slyly. “I have you know, setting things on fire isn't really my style. That's more an Argent thing”.

“You're hilarious. Did you know that?” Liam looked at him totally unimpressed.

“I think I'm pretty funny, yeah” Theo grinned smugly.

“You and you alone” Liam shook his head at him, heading for the kitchenette and starting to rummage through the cabinets like they were his. No shame whatsoever.

“What exactly do you think you're doing? I wasn't aware this was your place” Theo leaned against the counter with the sink.

“It's yours. Same difference” Liam dismissed him unbothered.

“I could kick you out” Theo pointed out, drumming his fingers along the counter, getting slightly cold by now without a shirt.

“You could” Liam stopped rummaging, emerging with a pot and a triumphant smile on his face. “But you won't”.

“Don't be so sure” Theo grumbled irritatedly, watching Liam clumsily set the pot up as if he wanted to cook something, which was starting to worry Theo. Maybe setting things on fire wasn't his thing but Liam would definitely manage to burn this place down if he let him actually attempt to cook anything. Why that was his first action in Theo's flat was beyond him. “Okay, what are you up to? Can you even cook?”.

“How hard can it be?” Liam pulled noodles out of a backpack Theo hadn't noticed before, ripping the package open and sending some of the uncooked noodles flying.

“Why don't you set your own kitchen on fire? Make a mess there” Theo's irritation grew by the second, especially when Liam totally ignored the scattered noodles. “I should really kick you out”.

“Have fun with that” Liam filled the pot with water and put it on the stove, to Theo's horror actually turning it on.

“You have no idea what you're doing, do you?” Theo stepped closer to the stove, pushing Liam aside with his hip.

“Ey, I was doing just fine” Liam for real pouted like a baby.

“Just fine making a mess in less than a minute maybe” Theo took over, making sure he kept his distance to the stove. “Stay away from my stove or I'm gonna kill you”.

“As if you can do any better” Liam huffed while attempting to look over his shoulder at the pot. In vain.

“I've watched the dread doctors experiment on teenagers for ages. Think I can handle cooking noodles” Theo pushed him off, ignoring his pained face any time Theo joked about his cruel past. “Why noodles? Just plain noodles?”.

“You underestimate me” Liam fished something else out of his backpack, proudly putting it next to the stove. A glass of classic tomato sauce with basil. What else.

“You have the taste of a toddler” Theo couldn't resist an eye roll, which led to Liam sticking his tongue out at him. “And act like one”.

“Be nice to me. I brought you food” Liam stuck his bottom lip out in an attempt to look even more pouty.

“Correction. You brought me uncooked food and tried to set Derek's place on fire. Should I say thank you?” Theo loved to rile him up. Their banter was easy and familiar. Something he desperately needed right now.

“Yes, you're welcome” Liam crossed his arms over his chest, just watching Theo cook noodles now.

“Unbelievable” Theo bit down on a smile, not wanting Liam to see how much he was enjoying this right now. “Is this gonna be a thing now? You showing up uninvited and unannounced with uncooked food making a mess of this place and expecting me to save it?”.

“No, definitely not”.

It definitely became a thing. Over the next two weeks, Liam made himself at home at Theo's place. If he wasn't refusing to leave Theo's truck until he drove them to his place after he had picked up from something, he just showed up out of the blue whenever he pleased. So naturally Theo kept his fridge and cabinets stocked up, only because he didn't want to eat plain noodles with tomato sauce every time Liam chose to bug him. No, this little baby wolf needed better taste. In food and people alike. Or he wouldn't spend his time with an ex-criminal in his borrowed apartment cooking one meal after the other and pretending this was normal for them. Maybe it was becoming normal for them but Theo refused to acknowledge that.

To his horror, Liam wasn't the only one forgetting who he was. Apparently, Alec also had chosen to ignore the older pack member's warning and stop by all the damn time, bugging him even more than Liam and Theo hadn't thought that was fucking possible. If Liam was a baby wolf, Alec was a damn newborn puppy. All big eyes and wonder and no sense of privacy. Living alone; with his family and pack dead; Alec had no one to tell him what not to do or when to go home. Unlike Liam, whose parents always expected him around the same time. So getting rid of Alec was always exceptionally hard.

So hard that Theo started to wonder if he even wanted to get rid of him. There was something about Alec. Something he couldn't grasp or put into words. When he was around and Theo knew where he was, he always felt oddly at ease. With Alec safe inside his own four walls, Theo could relax in a way he didn't understand. It almost felt as if he gave a shit about this kid's safety, which no. He definitely didn't. It didn't matter that said kid seemed to have imprinted on him for whatever reason. He definitely saw something in Theo that Theo himself didn't see or couldn't say what it was. It made Alec almost a bit clingy but thankfully, he never actually touched Theo. That was off limits for everyone. Well, except for Liam maybe but did punching each other and pushing the other away and out of harm's way count as touching? Theo wouldn't say so.

And this wasn't even the worst part. No. More often than not, Liam dragged Mason and Corey with him during his sneak attacks. By now even Nolan, who always looked like he wanted to be anywhere but here. Theo could relate to that. He also wanted them, especially Nolan, anywhere but in his flat. He really didn't know when his place had become the puppy pack's new meeting place. Most of the time, they had no apparent reason to even come over. Nope, they were just doing homework or made plans or played stupid video games on the TV they had brought over a couple days ago. A TV in Theo's place just so they could stick around and play their little games here to annoy him even further. And Theo … Theo let them get away with it every day, all the damn time.

Like right now. Only a second ago, his doorbell had rung and he had known who it would be. He could have ignored it. He could have. He had just come home from work and wanted nothing more but peace and quiet. He could have ignored them, if Liam hadn't shouted through the door that he could smell Theo and hear his heartbeat and he'd break the door down if he wouldn't open it. So really, he'd never stood a chance. Liam Dunbar was a menace to society.

“Was that so hard?” Liam barged into the room as soon as Theo opened the door.

“Maybe I didn't want you here. Ever thought about that? I could have other plans” Theo allowed the rest of the cavalry to come inside.

“You? What plans would that be? Killing someone?” Liam joked totally unfazed by his antics. “That can wait. First, we need food. Killing on an empty stomach isn't smart”.

“He's got a point. It makes you sloppy” Alec threw in as if they weren't just talking about killing someone but some mundane task like … Theo couldn't think of anything.

“Sloppy I could still kill you in my sleep” Theo shot daggers at Alec with his eyes just because he wanted to.

“Then I'll see you later”.

“You all seriously have no survival instincts. What if I weren't joking?” Theo's had enough of them. Their lack of fear and absolute nonchalance irritated him to no end. When did he become the pack's mascot? Or rather a babysitter.

“Then you're gonna have a lot of blood to clean off the floor and counters later. Not sure it's worth it” Corey plopped down on the couch, already turning on the TV.

“You still can't keep barging in all the damn time. What if …?”.

“What if what?” Liam challenged him cheekily.

“What if I had someone over?” was what Theo blurted out because he couldn't think of anything else but then he snapped his mouth shut, not even wanting to think about that.

“Could you have anyone over? Is there someone?” Mason's ears perked up in interest, always the gossip.

“Forget I said anything” Theo grumbled to himself, stomping towards his kitchenette when everyone was just looking at him with too much curiosity. Feeling Liam's eyes on him the most, Theo just got out the ingredients for mac&cheese. “What?”.

“Nothing. I just … I've just never considered you having anyone over. Never crossed my mind and now I feel bad” Liam was chewing on his bottom lip almost violently, his scent taking on an odd note Theo couldn't exactly place.

“I wasn't being serious” Theo started on the food to busy his mind as much as he could. “I'm not having anyone over. Other than you idiots”.

“I know, I know …” Liam's voice trailed off for a moment, his eyes boring into Theo's temple as much as he was staring at him but Theo couldn't look at him right now. He couldn't say why but he just knew it wasn't a good idea. “But if you ever had someone over and … Just let me know, so we won't bother you then?”.

“Yeah, sure. You bother me all the damn time” Theo sent him a quick look of sheer disbelief and dismissal. This was not something they needed to talk about. There'd never be anyone. Not for Theo. He wasn't made for attachment.

Probably able to sense that this conversation was over and wouldn't lead anywhere, Liam didn't say anything and just glanced at the food Theo was making, a happy smile spreading across his face. “Mac&cheese?”.

“Not in the mood for something complex. Deal with it” Theo tried to play it off but he knew that Liam knew and that really sucked but he wasn't doing anything to prove him wrong. He was letting Liam bathe in the knowledge that Theo was making his favourite food without Liam having to beg for it. He should stop this before it got out of hand but he couldn't seem to do anything other than letting it happen because Liam looked way too pleased and happy about simple mac&cheese. And a happy Liam was sadly all Theo wanted to see, which he would definitely never admit. He'd rather die. No, attachment and affection were not good things in his book. He sucked at them as today proved perfectly. It needed to die.

“Oh, I'm dealing just fine with you liking me, Raeken” Liam smirked nastily at him, already sprinting away from him.

“I'm gonna kill you, Dunbar” Theo threw the used and dirty whisk after him, only making Liam cackle while the others were not reacting at all. Too used to their antics and Theo wasn't sure if he liked that any more than Liam just waltzing into Theo's bedroom to take a nap like he lived here. “I'm gonna kill you right after your nap. Nice and slow. With that dirty whisk covered in your beloved mac&cheese”.

Derek and Peter have been gone for around three weeks now and Theo had started to refer to the flat as his and that wasn't good. It wasn't his and never would be his. It didn't matter that more and more things inside that flat were his, it still wasn't his place and he'd have to get rid of those rare belongings when he moved out again. He couldn't stash his books in his truck without someone noticing and asking questions he didn't want to answer, so they had to go in the near future, which sucked because he really loved reading. But at the end of the day, a hobby wasn't something he deserved, even less a place to call home. And to remind himself of that, he visited the one place besides the bridge that always brought him back to reality when he was allowing himself too much fantasy and illusion. Delusion really.

Looking down at the names engraved into the stones, Theo felt his sister's heart squeeze in his chest at the sight. It wasn't his first time here but every time it knocked the breath out of his lungs, which was only fair. After all, he had taken the breath out of theirs. And for what?! Useless power that he didn't possess anymore. Killing Josh and taking his power had brought him back in the long run, yes. But has it been worth it? No part of Theo could answer that with yes. His blinded hunger for power and a place to belong had only made him weak and lonely and left him with nothing. Nothing other than guilt.

Burying his twitching fingers in the pockets of his pants, Theo wanted to leave because being here made him feel uneasy but he just couldn't make himself move. He never could. He owed them more than a meagre pity visit every once in a while, so he should at least suck it up and face his actions and their consequences. He couldn't run from the blood on his hands.

Lately, he felt like that was exactly what he was trying to do. Run from his mistakes and pretend they never happened and it was so easy when the puppy pack was acting all normal and unafraid around him but it was an illusion. They knew what he had done and what he was still capable off and he was sure they still expected him to relapse. To lose control and kill someone, so they could say I told you so. Why they bothered to stick around and wait until it happened was a mystery to him though. Did they want it to be one of them?

They should know better. Liam and Mason and especially Corey should know better. They knew what happened to the people around him. They knew what he had done to Tracy. He had wronged her the most and they all knew it, probably resented him for it and rightfully so. She had stuck by his side until the bitter end while everyone else had abandoned him. She had tried to help him, only for Theo to take more from her than she could give. Only for him to dig his claws into her and literally suck the life out of her when all she'd ever done was care about him. Well, she shouldn't have. They shouldn't either. Because that's who Theo was, right? The monster who hurt the ones around him. Everyone, no matter who you were. The blood on his hands proved that and the puppies needed to remember it.

Suddenly, he picked up on a new heartbeat coming his way and tensed up immediately. It was familiar and steady. Too steady for the current situation. Or maybe Theo was losing his cool now, which seriously couldn't happen. He needed to get a grip on his body. He was better than this.

“So” Corey's voice shook him to the core, although it was way too gentle for that. “This is happening”.

Silently, Theo waited until Corey was standing right next to him, his eyes fixed on Josh and Tracy's graves. Only then was Theo able to convince his voice to work, if barely enough to say anything really. “Afraid so”.

Dead silence was what followed and all Theo wanted to do was run. Run back to his truck and drive off. Run away and never look back, leave Beacon Hills behind. Leave everything behind, change his name and start a new life. It sounded very tempting. Very. But also very cowardly. He was anything but a coward. They wouldn't let him be a coward.

“You could have left unnoticed” Theo decided to break the heavy silence with the obvious.

“I could have”. A beat passed. “But I figured you'd picked up on my scent already, so …”.

“Right”.

“You know, I don't come here as often as I should” Corey wasn't leaving inexplicably. It made Theo feel dizzy. “I never really know what to say but I feel like I have to say something, I guess. Anything really. To Josh, at least. After all, he's the reason I'm still alive”.

And again, Theo wasn't sure what to say. What did Corey expect him to say to this? They weren't friends, they had a bad past and Corey should really run for the hills. Instead, he was standing with him at the graves of the people Theo had killed. It could have been him six feet under.

“I could have killed you” Theo threw into another loaded silence. Why? He wasn't sure but it needed to be addressed.

“I know” Corey exhaled calmly. “You didn't”.

“Cause you were smart enough to leave” Theo admitted against his better judgement. It was the truth after all and a part of him was trying to stop lying. Not sure why.

“Maybe. I'd say I was just scared enough to be brave for once but smart works too” Corey's lips quirked up for a moment.

“I almost got you killed at Eichen” Theo reminded him for whatever reason. Apparently, he wanted to start a therapy session or support group. Something was wrong with him.

“Malia saved my life” Corey shrugged like it was nothing.

“She tried to kill me” Theo really needed to stop talking.

“Scott almost paralysed me trying to find Liam” Corey recalled casually, almost sounding amused.

“Yeah, well. No one's perfect, I guess” Theo kept his eyes fixed on Tracy's grave, feeling absolutely horrible about killing her. When it wasn't his sister, Tracy was haunting his dreams.

“Not even a True Alpha” Corey seemed to agree with him, which was odd in and on itself. What was his plan? “Or the Chimera of Death”.

Those words hit him like bricks and he couldn't control his initial reaction quick enough but he recovered fast enough to play it off as nothing. He would never let anyone see him recoil because of some words. No matter how much they triggered him or made him wanna claw his skin off his bones.

“I'm quite literally the perfect killer, thanks anyway” Theo forced a predatory smirk onto his face.

“That lies in the eye of the beholder, I guess” Corey didn't so much as flinch at Theo's words, like he was seeing right through him. The irony wasn't lost on him. “I'm still here. Liam is still alive and Scott survived and kicked your ass. Wouldn't call that the perfect killer. Might have to change that on your resume. Could be misleading”.

Entirely dumbfounded, Theo could only stare at Corey as if he were crazy because he sure as hell had to be. “Are you for real right now?”.

“I'm just saying if you're trying so hard to prove you're something that you're not, start a little lower” Corey looked at him now, his eyes full of mischief and something else. Something a lot deeper and scarier. “Maybe start with being more than an ally”.

Opening his mouth to fire a snark comeback at him, Theo came out empty. There was nothing on his tongue that he could say. Corey had robbed him off his words with whatever the fuck just happened. Was he saying what Theo thought he was saying? He couldn't be. Not right at the graves of people he had killed! Not right at the reminder of what could have happened to him and Hayden as well if they had been less loyal to the people they loved. Corey was mental.

“Also, guilty really doesn't smell nice but it's definitely an improvement. Better than nothing”.

And with that, Corey was leaving, disappearing into thin air at one point just to prove that he could have gone unnoticed but had chosen not to. And Theo was left gaping after him, wondering what any of this meant. Was that … Has this been … Did that count as … A headache was definitely on its way. For the life of him, he couldn't figure out what Corey's goal has been and that irked him. Reading people was his thing. That's what he was good at but lately, he couldn't read anyone at all. Everyone around him acted so unlogical and none of their actions made any sense. It was messing with his head and it looked like he was losing his strongest ability. But if he could not read people anymore, what was his purpose?

He couldn't answer that question. Not today.

Making sure no one else was around, Theo turned back to their graves and let out a heavy sigh, feeling his chest contract for some reason. Feelings and emotions were still a mystery to him. He couldn't figure them out either. It was definitely something the dread doctors hadn't taught him, more the exact opposite and now that was biting him in the ass.

“I know I've said it before and it will never be enough but … I'm really sorry. You didn't deserve this” Theo mumbled under his breath quietly, not wanting anyone to overhear. He felt his paranoia creeping in now after Corey. “You deserved better”.

And with that, Theo also left and didn't look back this time. On his whole way 'home', he was wondering what his purpose was when his former abilities were all useless now. Did he still have a place here somewhere? Any use at all?

Chapter Text

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“Where's the use in that?” Liam groaned as he pushed his biology book to the side, officially giving up.

With a heavy sigh, he let his head drop onto the desk and rested his forehead on the cool surface. He and biology would never become friends in this lifetime. It just made no sense to him whatsoever and nothing he read ever stuck with him. He could study for hours and it would still be pointless because those books weren't explaining it in a way he understood or made any sense to him. The only time biology made sense to him was when Theo explained it to him. Somehow he had found a way to get the information through Liam's thick skull.

Speaking of Theo, he has been oddly absent today. Earlier, he had only sent a text to tell him he couldn't pick him up today because he was needed at the clinic, which was so strange and made Liam feel all jumpy for some reason. He was definitely not worried like Mason had said. Why would or should he be worried because Theo stood him up once? Not that he actually stood him up. No. He was busy with his job, his very real and grown-up job that he needed more than he wanted people to know. So, Liam was obviously not worried about Theo. He could handle himself.

That restless feeling inside of him was unambiguously caused by something else. Undoubtedly. Certainly. Surely.

The moment his phone started ringing, Liam let out a startled scream and fell backwards with his chair with how hard he jumped at the sudden sound, crashing to the floor with an impact. Cursing under his breath, he untangled himself from his fallen desk chair and scrambled to his feet as quickly as possible, grabbing his phone hastily and answering Scott's call with a newfound urgency. Something was clearly wrong.

“What's wrong?” Liam bypassed any form of greeting. When Scott called around this time, something was up.

“Monroe was spotted two towns over. She and her hunters attacked a pack living there” Scott came straight to the point, sending cold shivers down Liam's spine. “Derek and Peter are already on it but they need our help”.

“What can I do?” Liam was already rushing down the stairs to gather his shoes and jacket.

“The entire pack was killed except for one girl” Scott's words made him halter in his steps, a way too familiar fear creeping back into his bones. That could be them one day if they didn't find a way to finally stop Monroe. “She got away and is on the run but hunters are still after her. We found their tracks. They are leading …”.

“To Beacon Hills” Liam understood before Scott could even finish the sentence.

“More its general direction but yes. She could pass through if she makes it that far” Scott confirmed in a steady voice, not needing to say what he wanted Liam to do.

“I'm on it. I got this” Liam assured him with a confidence he wasn't actually feeling but needed to be there.

“I know you do”.

With that, the call ended and Liam already started a new one. Hopefully, he'd pick up. Liam needed him right now.

“Biology can't be bad enough for you to call me at this time or are you actually losing your head?” Theo picked up the phone way quicker than Liam had expected and the simple sound of his voice made Liam's body relax for a moment.

“What? No! I'm not losing my head, Theo” Liam exclaimed indignantly, shortly forgetting why he called in the first place. “At least not because of biology”.

Theo must have picked up on something in his voice or whatever because his voice sounded a lot more serious when he next spoke. “What is it, little wolf?”.

“Monroe” was all Liam got out before his fear crept back in, making his entire body tense up but shake at the same time.

“Are you hurt?” Theo asked urgently, taking Liam entirely by surprise. Why was that his first question?

“No, I'm fine for now. She attacked a pack two towns over and only one of them survived. She's on her way here if Scott read her tracks right and I … I know you don't … Derek and Peter are already informed and Scott is going after Monroe this second but someone needs to find her because hunters are still after her and … I'm gonna head out now in hopes of finding her before they do and …” Liam hesitated for a moment, not sure how Theo would react but Liam needed to be honest here right now. “I need you out there with me, Theo. I can't do this without you”.

For three awfully long seconds, it was deadly silent, which made Liam's heartbeat go crazy. He could feel his heart actively trying to jump out of his chest and there was no way Theo couldn't hear that through the phone. But then Theo's voice was all it took for his heart to calm the fuck down.

“Where are you right now? I'm coming to get you”.

“Was just about to head out …”.

“Stay where you are” Theo didn't let him finish, the rustling on the other end signalling that he was on the move already. “I'll be there as fast as I can. Don't go without me”.

“I won't” Liam assured him quietly, his chest feeling awfully warm right now. Was he getting sick?

“Oh, and I'm calling Corey on the way. We're gonna need all the help we can get” Theo said something he really hadn't expect to ever hear coming from him.

Before Liam could react to that statement, his phone vibrated against his ear, signalling a new text. Taking his phone off his ear to glance at the screen, Liam let out a long sigh. “Scott just texted that he told Malia as well and she's on her way to the preserve, meeting us there”.

“Okay”.

The silence of the house while he was waiting gave Liam the creeps. It was stressing him out to just wait around and do nothing but the thought of facing off hunters again so soon after rescuing Alec wasn't an ounce better. The fear inside of him was strong and had an iron grip on his heart. The only good thing was that Theo hadn't said anything about calling Alec, which was a relief. He should stay out of this for now. A tiny part of Liam also wanted to stay out of this. The part of him that still got nightmares of berserkers and ghost riders and faceless monsters. But he had no time to be a coward.

After even more long minutes of waiting, Liam finally heard the telltale sound of Theo's truck, speeding along the streets. In an instant, Liam left the house and sprinted towards the truck, immediately spotting Corey in the backseat. Theo must have picked him up on the way. Not questioning it, Liam got into the truck without saying a word, glad that his spot in the passenger's seat was still available, which was an odd thing to focus on right now but he couldn't help it.

Wordlessly, Theo drove them to the preserve as quickly as possible. The entire time, the air in the truck was tense and filled with worry and fear. It made Liam feel better and worse at the same time. Better because he wasn't alone in his fear. Worse because with everyone scared to death how could they stay focused enough to save someone other than themselves?

Getting out of the truck, they were met with a highly focused Malia. “She didn't come through here yet. There are no tracks or anything and I can't smell any hunters nearby”.

“Which could mean she's still alive and out there, coming our way” Liam tried to stay optimistic although he wasn't feeling it.

“Or she's already dead” Theo had to say what Liam was most afraid of. Of course. Always the negative one.

In response, he only got a growl from Malia, which was an odd kind of progress. At least she wasn't actively trying to kill him right now, which was very appreciated but not the point. Letting the growl speak for itself, Malia simply headed into the woods, expecting them to follow her.

“Was that necessary?” Liam threw Theo a pointed look, not keen on any more added tension. “Could have just swallowed that comment for once”.

“Hate to break it to you but swallowing isn't really my thing” Theo smirked at him in the most self-satisfied way known to man. It was absolutely ridiculous.

“I seriously hate you right now” Liam was so not giving Theo any reaction to that comment. Nothing that he could run with and bring back up whenever he wanted. Nope, no way.

“You called me. Wanted me to help” Theo shrugged totally unfazed, his eyes twinkling with mischief.

“I'm definitely regretting that right now” Liam tried to look angry but he knew it wasn't convincing anyone, least of all Theo. As annoying as he was being right now, Liam was still glad he was here. With Theo around, Liam always felt a lot braver. He didn't need to know that though.

“Can you two flirt later?” Corey made his presence known, shutting both of them up successfully. Liam was definitely not blushing. There was no reason to. “I can't see Malia anymore and I don't think she's keen on waiting for us to follow her. Let's go before something bad happens”.

Avoiding Theo's eyes, Liam walked into the forest with Corey, his comment not giving him any peace. “We weren't flirting”.

“I fucking hope not” Corey said more to himself and Liam really didn't understand why his words stung him so badly. Something must have shown on his face because Corey took one look at him before glancing at Theo quickly, who was for sure avoiding eye contact with both of them. “Because if that was you flirting you need some serious help”.

“I don't need help …”.

“Why so defensive?” Corey looked way too smug right now. “I thought you weren't flirting”.

Fish-mouthing like a complete idiot, Liam didn't know what to say. They hadn't been flirting. Why would they flirt with each other? Especially like this. No, they could flirt better than that. They didn't need any kind of help. Not that they were flirting or would ever flirt with each other. God, no. They were just allies and starting to become friends. They weren't …

“I'm not sure you two are aware of this but rescue missions are normally more silent” Theo saved him from having to finish his thought. Pure irony. “Especially when you're trying to stay alive with hunters possibly around”.

“Hate to say it but he's right” Malia scared the shit out of him when she just popped up out of the dark, his heart racing like crazy. And no, he wasn't paying attention to Theo looking at him right now. It didn't matter to Liam what he was thinking. “You could be heard all the way at the edge of the woods for all I know. So, voices down now. We need a plan”.

“Any ideas?” Theo asked her calmly but Liam could see right through him. He wasn't as unfazed as he pretended to be. Something was making him nervous too but he was way better at masking it than any of them.

“We should split up. Like this, we can cover more ground in less time” Malia suggested logically, so they all just nodded in agreement. “Corey, you come with me. I'm seriously not in the mood to endure Liam. Howl if you need help”.

“Ey” Liam huffed offended but inside he was glad to be paired up with Theo. They just worked well together.

“Don't pout, baby wolf” Theo chuckled amusedly, heading into the opposite direction of their friends.

“I really don't like that nickname” Liam followed him grumpily, pouting even more just because.

“It suits you” Theo wasn't even looking at him. He was on high alert. Liam could tell by the badly masked tension in his shoulders and the set of his jaw. Theo was scared too.

“I'm not a baby” Liam tried to focus on his wolf senses but he still wasn't really good at it. Every little sound of the forest made him feel jumpier than the last. He couldn't tell the sounds apart or focus on any scents other than forest animals.

“No, you're a baby wolf”.

“Remember how you told us to shut up because we're on a mission? Take your own advice” Liam glared at Theo's side profile until Theo looked at him for a moment.

“Feisty” Theo grinned cheekily at him.

“Now you're making me sound like a cat” Liam just couldn't stop talking. Somehow it eased his nerves the tiniest bit.

“If the shoe fits” Theo was clearly enjoying this but Liam was confused why he was indulging him so openly. After all, Theo had been the one who told them to shut up and he had been right. It made no sense.

“I'm a werewolf. Cats don't necessarily like me” Liam had no idea why he even bothered explaining that. He sounded like an idiot and knew Theo would point that out any second now.

“A puppy then. Puppies can be feisty”.

Okay, what was up with Theo? Why wasn't he telling him to shut up and be quiet? Why wasn't he telling him to focus if even Liam himself knew he should do that? Was he so sure that no one was even close to them that he just let him talk nonsense or was it something else? He was acting strange.

“Just shut up. You're irritating and I need to focus” Liam tried to be reasonable but Theo was confusing him big time.

“Me? You're the one who's been talking non-stop. Do you think I was able to focus like this? I couldn't hear a single thing over the sound of your loud v …”.

“Shut up” Liam's ears perked up when he heard something not far from them.

“Okay, rude. Why should I …?”.

“Seriously, Theo. Shut up” Liam faced him now with a wild look on his face, fear taking over his body. “I think I heard something. Twigs cracking and …”.

Another quiet sound in the distance made him shut his mouth close, whirling around to locate the sound but the fear was thumping in his ears, overshadowing his senses. By now, Theo was on the same page though. His stance signalled that he had heard the sound as well and was ready to attack what or whoever was coming their way. This close to the edge of the preserve it could be anything or anyone.

With Theo by his side, he walked closer to where the sound had come from, keeping their eyes open for any sign of danger close by. Even without the chemosignals, Liam could tell that Theo wasn't okay. He was way tenser than he normally was in a situation like this. Or at least, it was way more visible. But he had no time to ponder over this insight.

Out of nowhere, a figure sprinted their way. Right in time, Liam realised that it must be the girl they were trying to find and not a hunter in attack mode. Exchanging a look with Theo, they sprung into action. With the speed she was running at, all they could do was present themselves as a human wall and catch her body as good as possible without hurting her too much, slowing down her survival sprint. She ended up mainly in Theo's arms and looked entirely disorientated.

“Don't worry. We're here to help you” Theo immediately tried to stop panic from overcoming her, panic caused by being stopped and held by total strangers. “No one's gonna hurt you”.

“Hunters” she brought out through some heavy pants. “Still close. I can't …”.

They understood immediately. In less than a second, both of them let the shift take over their bodies, getting ready to fight for their lives yet again. Without hesitation, Liam let out a loud howl to call for Malia and Corey. They would need them if they wanted to survive this and protect the girl at the same time. In sync, they headed towards a spot that was better for hiding, the girl still clinging to Theo. Surrounded by walls of trees, they sneaked behind the biggest rocks they could find, hoping for the best. Without knowing how many hunters were in the preserve right now, Liam couldn't tell if they stood a chance.

“Do you know how many hunters were after you?” Theo asked her quietly, not even trying to make her let go of him. Which was definitely an odd sight considering Theo never seemed to like physical contact in any way.

“At least five, maybe more”.

“We could survive this after all” Theo didn't sound as optimistic as Liam had hoped he would.

“We can take five” Liam said for the girl's merit.

“If Malia and Corey show up in time” Theo muttered under his breath but they could both clearly hear him, which he definitely knew. It wasn't helping Liam's state.

“Very helpful” Liam shot him an unimpressed glare. “I'm Liam, by the way. And that dick is Theo”.

“I'm Talisa”.

Before any of them could react to that or say anything else, they heard footsteps in the distance. Slowly approaching, heavy footsteps. Hunters. Straightening up, Liam got into position to peak around the rock but Theo pulled him back in a heartbeat, shooting daggers at him with his eyes. Rolling his own at his dramatics, Liam gave in for now and didn't look.

By now, Liam could smell the scent of gun powder clinging to the hunters just like the telltale smell of pure hatred mixed with fear. Your cliché hunter smell. Not something Liam would ever be happy to smell close to him. It made his skin crawl.

“Stay down” Theo whisper-yelled at both of them.

The closer the hunters got, the angrier Liam became. Yes, he was still terrified and every hunter's step intensified that fear but like always, it turned into anger with him. Anger he could barely control, especially when he saw how terrified Talisa was right next to him. They were cowering in fear behind a stupid rock while the hunters were out there, waiting to kill them and enjoy doing it. That fact alone made his blood boil and of course, Theo knew that. He had kept his eyes on him the entire time but was now actively reaching out to nudge his knee, a silent way of telling him to stay put and not do anything stupid. To not let the anger get the best of him right now.

Too bad Liam's anger was already fully in control and the only thing holding him back right now was the hand on his knee. So, when he picked up on his two friends' heartbeats nearby, he was ready to attack as soon as Theo let go of him. Instead of letting go though, his grip only tightened as if he knew.

Before his friends could reach them, shots were fired and right after, Malia's roar echoed through the preserve. Now nothing could hold Liam back, not even Theo's hand. Already knowing that, Theo retreated his hand and jumped to his feet with Liam, telling Talisa to stay down until he said otherwise. Together, they attacked the closest hunters, knocking them down, so the two of them could get to Malia and Corey. A quick headcount told Liam they were surrounded by around six or seven hunters. Depending on how they played this, they could all make it out alive unscathed. They should have called Parrish though. They were always better with him.

“I called Parrish” was the first thing Malia told him over knocking a gun out of a woman's hand as if she had read his mind. “He and the sheriff are on the way”.

“Corey?” Liam wondered where he was when he couldn't spot him anywhere. “Is he …?”.

“Told him to wait and stay out if it” Malia explained quickly before roaring again and kicking down another stupid hunter. “Can't really fight”.

“But get her to safety” Theo seemed to be thinking out loud close to him, a hunter in his grip struggling to break free. With one swift motion, Theo knocked him unconscious for now. “I have an idea. Keep going”.

Before he could react, Theo ran over to a random tree and a second later, he was gone. Invisible. How he had known Corey was right there was beyond him. Ducking out of the way of a few bullets, Liam hid behind a tree and focused on his hearing, trying to find out what Theo's idea was and why he needed Corey. His whole behaviour was off today.

“You're the only one who can do it. With you, she's invisible and you can get her out of here. Both of you” Theo's voice sounded still very close to him. The plan made sense.

“What about you?” Corey seemed to hesitate for a moment.

“We're gonna be fine. Gonna knock them all out and wait for the sheriff to take them into custody. Easy” Theo was obviously trying to reassure Corey but Liam could easily tell that Theo wasn't believing himself. Which was odd. Again.

“If you die, I'll kill you” Corey's voice sounded stern but shaky at the same time. When had he started to care so much?

“Not planning on dying today”.

“No one ever does”.

“Just go and take her with you. I'll be fine”.

“Fuck, okay”.

Tuning back into the present situation, Liam got out of his hiding spot and ran at the hunter trying to shoot Malia. Taking him down, Liam wrestled with him until the gun was dropped but the hunter was still not giving up, pulling a knife from his belt and stabbing it right into Liam's left side without mercy. Crying out in anger more than fear or pain, Liam simply punched him in the face, rendering him unconscious for now. Blood was tickling from the hunter's nose but Liam felt no guilt or shame. He deserved it and way worse actually.

“Theo!”.

Talisa's invisible scream made his head whip around so fast that Liam swore he could hear his neck break. The sight of Theo on the ground with a hunter on top of him trying to stab him into his chest made Liam even angrier and he just reacted without thinking it through. In an instant, he ran over and tackled the hunter off of Theo and to the ground with a loud roar. Everything in him wanted to sink his claws into that guy and make him feel endless amounts of pain but in the end, he opted for just knocking him out too. By now, most hunters should be out like a light.

In his blind rage, Liam hadn't even realised that he was completely in the open now, right in the middle of a clearing. The guns started firing immediately and he felt many bullets penetrating his skin and flesh but those were regular bullets, which could only mean these were new hunters and Monroe had probably sent them after Talisa to prove themselves. They didn't really know what they were doing yet. At least not all of them and that could be their way out of this mess.

While Liam ran straight at the shooters, Malia came from behind and Theo joined them as well, looking slightly pale. One of the now visibly new hunters got scared and tried to run for the hills but Malia pursued him directly, leaving Theo and Liam in charge of taking care of the rest. In the distance somewhere, Liam could swear he heard the familiar sirens of a police car, which gave him new hope. Parrish was here.

The sound of a gun being reloaded and clicking into place right behind him made that hope vanish instantly. Another hunter had snuck up on him in the midst of it all. It had to be a different hunter because most of the others were either out cold, running away from Malia or being held down by Theo at this very moment. The scent of that hunter was also oddly familiar, so Liam had definitely faced them before. Maybe while rescuing Alec. Now he had to rescue himself.

Suddenly a strong hand pushed him out of the way with momentum and right against the nearest tree, landing with a thump, feeling some of his bones break in his back.

“Get away!”.

That was definitely Theo's voice. Blinking against the dark spots dancing in front of his eyes, Liam had to watch in horror as the familiar hunter, in sync with anther one who had appeared out of the shadows, was shooting mercilessly at Theo, who just took it. Bullet after bullet hit his body until he fell to the ground with more holes grazing his limbs than anyone should ever have to endure but the hunters both did not look like they were about to stop. Before Liam could gather the strength to stand up though, he smelled fire and knew they were saved. The sheriff's voice sounded loudly and told everyone to drop their weapons while Parrish marched at the resisting hunters, who ran as fast as they could.

Leaving them to it, Liam hoisted himself up and stumbled over to Theo, who was still lying on the cold ground without any sign of life other than his slowly moving chest. Falling down right by his side, Liam tried to get an idea of how bad his wounds were but all he saw was blood and barely healing bullet holes all over Theo's body. The smell of wolfsbane hit his nose so hard he almost recoiled.

“Theo, hold on. Please, stay awake” Liam took hold of Theo's hand and started siphoning his pain. It was almost unbearable but Theo had saved his life; again. Liam could endure the pain for as long as it was necessary. “Why did you do this?”.

Instead of an answer from Theo, Liam got something even more unexpected. Malia knelt down next to him. “We should get him to Deaton. That much wolfsbane is bad, even for a chimera as stubborn as Theo”.

Already nodding way too much, Liam heaved Theo's body off the ground with Malia's help; he was not gonna question this for now; and carried him towards the police cars. “Can you give us a lift to his truck? He won't make it long enough …”.

“Get in the car. I'll drive” Sheriff Stilinski opened the backseat door for them before getting into the car himself.

Not questioning this either, Liam carefully manoeuvred Theo's body inside and got in after him, placing his head in his lap and immediately going back to taking his pain. “Are you …?”.

“I'm right behind you” Malia cut him off, closing the door on them. “I'm just gonna help Parrish and the deputies with the hunters for a second”.

“Call Corey?” Liam felt like Corey would probably want to know. After all, he had told Theo not to die today.

“I will”.

The drive passed by in a blur; could definitely be because he wouldn't stop taking Theo's pain; and not a single thought manifested itself in his brain other than he hoped Theo would make it. He couldn't lose him. The thought alone scared him to death. No, Theo needed to live. He would live. He was a master of survival. A few hunters couldn't take him out.

At the clinic, Deaton got to work immediately while the sheriff headed back out to meet Parrish and the other deputies. Liam could only watch and stare in fear and worry as Deaton worked on Theo's body, getting all the bullets out and burning the wolfsbane out with a fucking torch. Apparently it had been two different kinds of wolfsbane, which only made Theo's injuries worse but according to Deaton, he'd make it.

When the doctor was cleaning everything up, Liam took a seat next to Theo and tried to relax but with him losing consciousness before they had even reached the clinic, Liam's heart was still racing like crazy. He could have lost him. Theo could have died saving his life. He needed to stop doing that.

Focusing on Theo's heartbeat, Liam felt his other worries about him creeping back in. “Have you noticed anything unusual about him lately?”.

“Unusual in which way?” Deaton asked while packing a few things away.

“I don't know. Odd behaviour? Doing or saying things that feel out of character for him?” Liam thought back to Theo not hearing things before Liam or letting him talk way too much on this rescue mission.

“Don't we all have those moments?” Deaton surveyed him curiously, probably trying to figure out what his deal was.

“I mean, yeah but not Theo” Liam insisted on something being wrong. “Today, it felt like he wasn't himself until he saved my life”.

“What made you feel that way?”.

“Him not hearing the hunters first although he's always alert for example” Liam looked down at Theo, making sure he was still out. He wouldn't like Liam talking about this.

“Okay, that is a little odd for him. Unusual for sure” Deaton had to admit, which didn't make him feel better.

“Do you think it's like what happened to Derek? Is he losing his abilities?” Liam panicked instantly, his mind trying to figure out what could have happened to cause that.

“I don't think so. Nothing indicates that” Deaton shook his head, being way too casual about this whole mess.

“But then what …?”.

“Maybe he's just had an off day” Deaton simply looked at him.

“Theo doesn't have off days. He doesn't do that” Liam snorted, feeling offended for Theo. But then he looked down at Theo again, who was still so pale and this familiar mushy feeling spread through his body again. Liam couldn't say what exactly it was. Worry? Pity? Sympathy? Maybe all of those. “He'd never allow himself to have an off day”.

“Not everything has a medical reason, Liam. Maybe he is just going through things mentally” Deaton was eyeing the wounds on Theo's chest that weren't healing as fast as usual.

“Like when Scott wasn't healing because he didn't have us” Liam felt a sting in his heart at the thought.

“Exactly”.

“That's even worse” Liam realised belated, groaning in sheer despair. “He doesn't do emotions. How am I supposed to help him when there's nothing I can do? I can't force him …”.

“Who says you need to do anything?” Deaton didn't let him spiral but his question didn't soothe him at all.

“Me?” Liam pointed at himself in disbelief. “He keeps risking his life for me. I can't just do nothing when there's obviously something going on with him”.

“But like you were about to say, you can't force these things” Deaton reminded him softly. “Emotions work themselves out most of the time but it also takes time. A lot of it”.

“So, I'm just supposed to sit back and watch him struggle?” Liam felt defeated. This wasn't right.

“I never said that”.

Without any kind of explanation, Deaton left the room and all Liam could do was stare after him in confusion. Ignoring the doctor's odd behaviour for now, Liam focused on Theo and his breathing and steady heartbeat, watching his wounds heal slowly but surely.

For what felt like hours, Liam was just sitting next to Theo until a movement caught his eye. Immediately, his head snapped up and he was met with Theo looking at him, his eyes still a bit unfocused but not any less beautiful. When Theo squeezed the hand Liam was using to hold onto him, he thought for a second that it was an accident but then Theo actually tightened his own grip on Liam's hand and just left it at that. Now they were actively holding hands and Liam didn't know what to do. He blamed it on the blood loss.

“How are you feeling?” Liam asked him quietly, feeling the need to stroke some of Theo's messy hair out of his face but he resisted the urge to do it. Theo would kill him.

“Peachy” Theo attempted to grin at him but it fell flat. Especially because he still had blood on his teeth.

“Charming as always” Liam chuckled fondly. “Wanna sit up?”.

“Sure”.

Another thing he wasn't going to question today was Theo letting him help without a remark or comment or objection. Not when he was still looking a little weak sitting up. But there was something he didn't understand and has never gotten an answer to. Something he couldn't hold back, no matter how hard he tried. He had to know. It didn't make any sense.

“Theo?” Liam hesitated because he really shouldn't ask this but he was nothing if not impulsive, reckless and stupid. “Why do you keep saving my life?”.

Freezing almost unnoticed for a moment, Theo put on his neutral mask and Liam hated to see it. He hasn't done that around him in weeks. “Because”.

“That isn't an answer” Liam felt his anger rising up.

“It is to me” Theo insisted stubbornly, looking anything but comfortable right now and Liam hated it.

“Why are you …?”.

“Sorry to interrupt but Corey and Mason are here” Deaton stopped their moment from escalating any second just in time by walking back into the room. “Wanted to check on you”.

“Is Talisa …?”.

“She's with Alec”.

“Okay, good” Liam breathed out a sigh of relief, refusing to look at Theo right now. His anger would make him say words he didn't mean just because Theo was not letting him in, so he decided to leave. Be the bigger person. “I'm gonna go and talk to Mason. Let Corey know you're fine. After all, he didn't want you to die either. Maybe you're gonna answer him”.

Well, screw being the bigger person.

“Liam …”.

“No” Liam didn't let him speak. Now he didn't wanna hear it anymore. “I'm still tense from the fight. It's better if I leave”.

“Okay”.

“I'll be in the waiting room” Liam still had to let him know that he wasn't abandoning him for good. Even though Theo had never said it; of course not; Liam knew he was scared of being alone. It was clear as day to him. So, he wouldn't leave.

Hearing Theo's tiny sigh of relief made his heart skip a beat but he pushed it down and ignored it. Right now, he was angry that Theo wouldn't answer a simple question but in a moment, he'd be fine again because this wasn't worth the anger. Liam knew why he had helped Theo in the fight, why he had wanted him there in the first place. Maybe it was the same for him.

Chapter Text

Staring up at the grey sky, Theo let his mind wander for a moment. The events of yesterday kept playing in his head on loop. The confusion, the fear, the hatred, the pain, the anger, the desperation, the guilt. Maybe he had been wrong before. Maybe people did feel more than one emotion at the time. It definitely fucking felt like it to him at the moment. He was feeling so damn much but he couldn't make sense of it. Not one clear thought could be verbalized in his head and that just wouldn't do. Words were his strong suit. What was he without words? Without his sharp tongue?

A pathetic and weak mess, that's what he was without his words. Yesterday had proven that. Yesterday he had been weak to no end. Yesterday he had fumbled for words around Liam like an idiot. Yesterday he had almost died because he was a failure. Such a failure that he could taste the mercury on his tongue although he knew it wasn't actually there. Not even the delicious taste of his tea could help with that phantom.

Lately, everything has been too much for Theo. His stupid feelings were all over the place and he just couldn't sort them out in any way or form. He wasn't used to feeling so much, to being able to feel so much without punishment right around the corner. But now it seemed like he was actually supposed to feel everything he was feeling and he didn't know how. Genuine feelings and emotions were foreign to him. He only knew how to use other people's feelings against them for his own good. But he wasn't doing that actively anymore, so …

“I knew it” Liam's voice startled him so much that he almost dropped his tea. Looking around in search of the beta, Theo found him outside of the building looking up at Theo on his little balcony, disappointment clearly written on his face. “Open the fucking door or so help me God, Theo”.

Not waiting for a response, Liam marched into the building and presumably straight towards Theo's place. Sighing heavily and finishing his tea, Theo walked back inside and headed for his front door, putting his cup down in the sink first though.

“Why are you not ready?” Liam grumbled out when Theo opened the door, stomping inside with a huge pout on his face.

“For what?” Theo had no idea what Liam was talking about.

His question only seemed to make Liam even angrier, if that was possible. Who would have thought Theo could ever be even the tiniest bit afraid of little old Liam? Definitely not him but right now, he was terrified of saying the wrong thing and setting him off. And he would say the wrong thing. That's what he was good at. Using words to rile people up.

“Did you just choose to forget that we're all meeting at Scott's to debrief after yesterday's chaos?” Liam was seething with barely concealed anger, imaginary steam clearly coming out of his ears. It shouldn't be such a cute thought.

“No” was all Theo replied, not trusting himself right now. His mind was still an absolute mess.

“No …” Liam cut himself off for a moment to take a breath, fixing Theo with a cold stare. “You never planned to come”.

“Don't think anyone wants me there” Theo dismissed the matter, walking back to his sink to start on his dishes. He needed to do something with his hands. Something good. Something to make them feel clean for just a moment.

“I don't care what they want. Scott said all of us. All includes you, Theo” Liam stood his ground, stubborn as always. “You did the most. You have every right to be there”.

“Stiles is not gonna agree. You can tell the story without me and just let me know if they said anything useful” Theo was avoiding Liam's eyes with all his willpower but nothing has ever been harder for him and that said a lot about his mental state. He had endured torture. He could do this.

“I really wanna punch you right now” Liam growled through gritted teeth, his eyes most probably glowing golden.

“Then what are you waiting for? An invitation?” Theo rolled his eyes to come off as unbothered but he still couldn't look at him. He'd prefer Liam's violence over his kindness.

“You … You're unbelievable” Liam was barely holding himself together. Theo almost had him at the point where he would punch him. “For the love of God, can you stop with the damn dishes for one second and fucking look at me?!”.

“What if I don't want to?” Theo was scrubbing one and the same plate so excessively that he was surprised it didn't break yet. Kinda like him, how poetic.

In reply, Liam only let out a frustrated growl and Theo fully expected him to finally punch him square in the face. It's what he'd deserve. Instead, Liam took him fully by surprise and just threw his arms around Theo's middle in something that resembled a hug, if Theo's posture weren't so awkward. In shock, Theo dropped the plate but kept his hands stiffly in the soapy water, not breathing because he was terrified.

“What are you doing?” Theo brought out tensely.

“Releasing stress” Liam mumbled into Theo's chest, his hair tickling his chin and like this, making the hug more real.

“By …” Theo choked on the word due to his throat being so damn dry, so he cleared it. The sound was way too loud for their quiet moment in his silent flat. “By hugging me?”.

“Yes, Dumbass. Hug me back” Liam got more comfortable in that still weird position, kinda side-hugging him but at the same time trying to fully hug him like a koala.

“My hands are wet and I've got soap on …”.

“Just hug me back, for God's sake” Liam tightened his grip on him, probably trying to make it clear that he wouldn't let go.

With dripping hands, Theo tried to wrap his arms around Liam without hurting him but this angle was just all wrong for an actual hug. Or at least Theo thought so. Not that he could remember many hugs in his life. Seemingly picking up on his struggle, Liam loosened his grip a little and shuffled around until he was squeezed in between Theo and the sink, his arms tightening around him again but this time it felt less awkward. Still tense as ever, Theo let his own arms wrap around Liam's body, feeling him relax in his hold, which took some of the tension away. With Liam's face now quite literally tucked into his neck, Theo could feel his breath on his skin. The feeling sent goosebumps down his spine and arms, his sister's heart wanting to do fucking backflips in his chest.

“Please, come with me” Liam set his whole body on fire when he spoke up, his lips grazing Theo's skin. Thank god, he always had a grip on his heartbeat and chemosignals. “I don't wanna do this alone”.

Ignoring that Liam literally had so many other people at the debriefing, Theo felt his insides break at the pleading tone in the beta's voice. Liam wasn't someone who begged for anything other than biology not to exist or more sleep in the morning. If Liam made such a big point of letting Theo know that he wanted him with him, how could he ever say no to that? Realistically, Theo couldn't deny him anything, especially not if he was clinging onto him like this. It messed with his insides and turned them into useless goo.

“Okay” Theo gave into the feeling of the hug and let his head rest on top of Liam's for a moment, soaking up the warmth coming from the beta. He felt the warmth deep in his bones.

“I should probably let you go” Liam sighed against his neck, Theo's arms involuntarily tightening around him. “To let you get changed”.

Realising how tightly he was clinging onto Liam, Theo let go of him as if he got burned, taking a step back to get some space between them. “Right. I should probably do that”.

“Yeah …” Liam trailed off, keeping his eyes fixed on the floor.

“I'll be quick” Theo brought out before rushing out of reach and right into the bedroom, leaning with his back against the wall for a moment to regulate his breathing.

As fast as lightning, Theo threw on some more appropriate clothes than joggers and a tank top before leaving the room again to face Liam, who was waiting on his couch. Seeing him there somehow reminded him of their moment yesterday after he had woken up in the clinic. Maybe it was the thoughtful look on his face but Liam's question came back to him and he couldn't stop his mouth from talking.

“I owe you”.

At that, Liam looked up, justifiably confused. “What?”.

“I owe you my life, little wolf” Theo tried again but there was no easy way of saying what has been going through his mind ever since Liam had brought him back from hell. “You've done so much for me although you had every reason not to give a single flying fuck about me. You still did. Do. Somehow. I can never repay you, so all I can really do is …”.

“Die for me?” Liam knew where he was going with this, standing up from the couch now to face him for real. “You said you wouldn't die for me”.

Being reminded of their shared lie in the hospital elevator, Theo couldn't help but grin the tiniest bit at the irony. “Well, so did you. We both knew it was a lie”.

“Then let me tell you something that isn't a lie” Liam stepped closer to him for whatever reason, awakening the instinctive reaction in Theo to take a step back but he didn't. “I don't want you to die for me. I want you to live. For yourself”.

The sincerity in Liam's eyes and the missing skip in his heartbeat made Theo swallow dryly, his voice hoarse and quiet when he tried to speak. “I don't know how to do that”.

“Theo …”.

“But I'm trying, okay?” Theo dared to lock eyes with Liam and let him see a fraction of what was going on inside of him, if just for a moment. It was terrifying. “This is me trying”.

“I know” Liam offered him a gentle smile, something he really didn't deserve but wanted aimed at him anyway. “And I'm not saying you can't help me or protect me. I'll do the same for you. I did the same for you. Just don't die on me, yeah?”.

A moment passed between them and Theo got the feeling that Liam wanted to say so much more but was holding back for Theo's sake and he really appreciated that. He wasn't sure if he could handle any more emotions right now. “I'll try”.

“Good”.

And because Liam looked like he really wanted to hug him again, Theo ignored all sense of reason and just pulled him into another hug, burying his his nose in Liam's hair. His scent filled all of his senses, which seemed to calm down all of his anxious thoughts and worries. If only for a moment. This right here felt like something he could want again. If Liam allowed it, Theo would hug him every day. But he wouldn't ask for it.

Breaking apart, they wordlessly headed for the door but Liam stopped in his tracks before they could walk out of the flat. “Oh, and for the record. You don't owe me anything. Get that out of your stupid brain”.

“My brain isn't stupid” Theo felt deeply offended, completely ignoring what Liam had just said because he was wrong.

“It is if it keeps telling you that you owe me for bringing you back. You paid your dues months ago when we fought the ghost riders together and you helped Scott against the Nazi” Liam became deadly serious, grabbing onto his wrist. “I did not bring you back so you'd owe me. Yes, I wanted your help but I didn't plan on using your freedom against you. Admittedly, I expected you to bold at the first given chance but you didn't”.

“I couldn't” Theo said simply. Those words held so much meaning but he didn't know how to explain it without quite literally stripping mentally naked. He preferred not to do that.

“The others wouldn't have hunted you down, I swear. Well, Malia maybe but I would have stopped her from …”.

“That's not what I meant, Liam” Theo had to cut him off. This entire conversation was driving him crazy. He just wanted to leave and hopefully not talk anymore today. He was so tired. The exhaustion ran deep in his bones.

“Oh” Liam snapped his mouth shut, studying him for a long moment. Theo wasn't sure what Liam was reading in his face but he was afraid the brutal truth was written there plain as day and there was nothing he could do about it. Whatever he had found in Theo's expression, it seemed to settle something in him because he let go of Theo's wrist and opened the front door. “Just … stop thinking you owe me. You don't”.

With that, Liam ran down the few stairs and straight out of the building, presumably towards Theo's truck. Taking a moment to just breath, Theo pushed Liam's words aside and headed out as well. Even if Liam told him this a million times, it would not become more true. Theo owed him everything and he would make sure Liam never got seriously hurt.

Getting into his truck, Theo just started the engine and drove off, Liam getting comfortable in his seat. While driving Liam kept quiet and Theo was grateful for that. His thoughts were loud enough. Of course what he had told Liam has been the truth for why he kept saving his life but it wasn't the sole reason. That other reason was something he didn't dare to even think about. He wouldn't allow that thought to come through. That wasn't something he would ever acknowledge. So Liam had to make due with the one half of his reasoning.

Arriving at the McCall house, Theo could hear the others inside and his pulse picked up but he wouldn't let Liam hear it. No more questions from him today. Theo was bare enough for one day. For one life.

Together with Liam, he got out of the truck and walked up to the house. Before they could even knock or just head inside, the door opened and Stiles was staring down at them. Resisting the urge to role his eyes, Theo acted as nonchalant as ever. He wouldn't let Stiles get to him, especially not today. But the first words he uttered already showed how difficult this dumb debriefing was gonna be.

“Huh, what gives me the honour of seeing your unpleasant face, Raeken?”.

And Theo really wanted to run, far far away, but how would that look?

-------

“I came just for you, Stiles” Theo replied slyly next to him, the usual face of nonchalance back in place. “It's my daily pleasure to annoy you”.

“Lucky me”.

“Shut it, Stiles” Liam pushed passed him, dragging Theo with him by his wrist. He really wasn't in the mood for Stiles' sarcastic comments right now. Too much had happened that had left him riled up and ready to explode.

“Woah, calm down. It's not my fault you have to spend so much time in his unpleasant company that it's already affecting your sour mood” Stiles trailed after him, being charming as ever. “Remember how you all wanted him to stay when I told you to send him back into the ground? How's that going for you so far?”.

“Really good actually. He just saved my life yesterday” Liam shot back as calmly as he could, which really wasn't calm at all but there was nothing he could do. He'd known Stiles would piss him off today but he hadn't expected him to start right away and make it his mission to turn Liam into a murderer.

“Yeah, not sure if I believe that” Stiles eyed him appalled, a hint of disgust hitting the air between them.

“That's your problem” Liam just walked into the McCall living room and right over to Mason and Corey, sitting down with a force that almost send him right back up.

Taking a deep breath, he sought out Theo's eyes, which was easy because they were already on him from across the room. Of course, Theo was leaning against the wall, looking like his usual unbothered and totally bored self but Liam knew better now. He could see how much Stiles' behaviour had affected him and would affect him as long as he was here.

“What's your problem?” Stiles just couldn't let it be, all eyes in the room now on them, sceptic or confused or intrigued.

“I'm sick of your assumptions, that's all” Liam replied as collected as he could muster to be, focusing on his breathing and remembering how tightly Theo had hugged him when he had finally given in to what he wanted. The phantom feeling of that hug was still embracing him, keeping him calm when all he wanted to do was bash Stiles' head in.

“You can't seriously expect me to tolerate him after everything he's done” Stiles looked at him as if he had lost his mind.

“I think I can but I'm not asking you to do anything. Just drop the hostile act. It's getting old” Liam's fist had tightened so much that he was digging his claws into his own palm to keep some sense of control and not lash out yet. Stiles' hostility made him angry beyond belief.

“Just like you defending him” Stiles retorted peeved. “Aren't you tired of defending a murderer?”.

“No” Liam said simply and this time, he didn't need to force himself to stay calm. He was calm because it was the truth and no one could change his mind. The fact that he could smell how angry Alec and Talisa were at Stiles right now was also helping his anger. They were on his side, even if that wouldn't count in Stiles' book. It did in Liam's.

“Unbelievable” Stiles threw his hands up in despair. “Liam, he killed people. Many people”.

“He's saved my life. Many times” Liam was so tried of this repetitive argument. Stiles just needed to get over himself. “Also, can we stop talking about him as if he isn't right there?”.

“Yeah, okay. Let's address the problem in the room directly” Stiles averted his attention onto Theo now and no, that wasn't what Liam had meant. Stiles should really be careful right now. “Theo, Darling. How's it been outside of hell? Not too cold I hope. Must have been suffocating down there”.

“Okay, that's enough. It's getting ridiculous” Isaac spoke up now. Liam has only met him recently when he had come back from France to help them against the hunters but so far, he really liked him. He was a no-bullshit kind of person. “Scott?”.

“Isaac's right” Scott decided that apparently now was the right moment to say something. Him not intervening earlier and letting Stiles talk about Theo like this only fuelled Liam's anger. For someone who claimed he saw Theo as an ally, he sure as hell didn't make him feel welcome. “We're here to address the current situation. Not fight”.

“That's a bit difficult if you get attacked before you're even inside” Liam huffed to himself, knowing everyone could hear him clearly. Mason immediately reached out to comfort him.

“I didn't attack you” Stiles claimed defensively.

“You attacked Theo and questioned my words” Liam was not backing down this time. He didn't care that everyone was watching them and probably judging him for making such a scene but he couldn't sit back and let Stiles walk all over Theo, who wouldn't defend himself because he agreed with Stiles. “Which is even worse”.

“I'm not questioning your honesty or anything, Liam. Just your sanity at this point”.

Just when Liam was about to jump up and bash Stiles' head in this time because enough was enough, Theo stepped away from the wall to gain Stiles' attention. “Hate me all you want, Stiles. I couldn't care less. But don't let that out on him”.

“Wow, protector Theo. That's a new role I haven't seen you play yet. Not convincing” Stiles looked at Theo with so much hatred and disgust but he didn't even flinch. Liam, on the other hand, was ready to defend Theo and step in between them if he had to. “Your acting skills are slacking”.

“And your empathy is lacking entirely” Lydia intervened now, visibly done with their pointless fight.

“For him?” Stiles actually pulled it off to look even more disgusted. Liam would be impressed if he weren't so mad.

“For everyone right now, Stiles” Lydia shot him an annoyed look, making him snap his mouth shut for a moment. “Keep it to yourself for now, yeah? We have important issues to talk about and have no time to argue”.

Everyone, even Stiles, was smart enough not argue with her and like this, they were finally able to get to the debriefing part of the meeting. Scott focused his entire attention on Talisa to make her feel comfortable but she looked anything but it, glancing at Theo over and over again. Nonetheless, she told them about what happened. How the hunters had attacked her pack of werecheethas and killed all of her family and friends right before her eyes. How she had managed to outsmart a hunter to have enough to time to make a run for it and how she had quite literally run into Theo and Liam.

With everything she had told them about the new hunters' methods and based on the fact that they had followed Talisa into Beacon Hills without hesitation and tried to kill every supernatural on sight, they should all be on high alert. Monroe was definitely done hiding in the shadows. She was back with full force and they needed to be prepared for when she would come for them. Because she defensively will.

“We were hiding behind some big rock until Liam and Theo had to fight off the hunters” Talisa was finishing off her story, everyone listening in silence. “Then Theo literally appeared out of thin air due to invisibility guy …”.

“Corey” Mason helped her out.

“Corey, right” Talisa offered him a tiny smile. “He and Theo led me away from the hunters before Theo left to go back and Corey brought me to safety”.

“Good job, Corey” Stiles praised him like a father would.

“Thanks but it was Theo's quick thinking that made it possible and without him …”.

“Take the praise, kid” Stiles didn't wanna hear it.

“Isn't only mine to get” Corey's stoic expression didn't waver one bit and Liam was glad to have him on his side as well.

“Ah, I see what's happening” Stiles clicked with his tongue, about to say something awfully sarcastic as usual. “You're Team Theo too. Shocker”.

“Stiles” Lydia hissed at him while Mason shot him an angry glare, tightening his arm around Corey's waist.

“No, seriously. He was part of Theo's evil pack before, remember? There is probably some weird mental bond between them that makes Corey unable to see Theo for who he really is” Stiles seriously wasn't able to read the room but Liam could, even through his rising anger. To his surprise, almost everyone looked annoyed or angry but with Stiles and not Theo. They were presumably all done with this shit show.

“Or maybe I see him this way because I judge him based on his current actions, like saving Talisa and Liam” Corey was surprising everyone by getting loud. That really wasn't his thing. He never said much during pack meetings, especially not to Stiles or Scott. “You're blind to it because you're still holding a grudge”.

“Because he killed Scott and put my father in the hospital, where he almost died as well!” Stiles was losing it now, making Alec and Talisa flinch at the volume of his voice.

“One of those wasn't on purpose”.

Liam knew the moment he had let the words slip out that it had been a mistake. Everyone's eyes landed on him and a part of him wanted to morph into this very couch but the other part of him wanted to stand up and make his voice heard because he was fucking tired of having this argument over and over again every time Stiles was around and Theo was involved. This had to end but as angry as he was getting, he knew he would say something he'd regret later. And the most irritating part was that Theo was just leaning against the wall, letting it all happen with a stone-cold expression on his face.

“Excuse me?” Stiles gaped at him in sheer disbelief. “How would you even know that? You were busy trying to kill Scott! Because of the guy you're defending, by the way”.

“He might have put that thought in my head but let's face it. With the supermoon around, Hayden dying and Scott's lack of initiative, I was angry enough to kill him all on my own”.

And yep, there was the second thing he shouldn't have said. He was only making this situation worse with things he had been thinking every now and then but admittedly, it was the truth to him. His amplified anger strengthened by Hayden's death and supported by Scott's out-of-character behaviour the previous days, he knew the library incident could have happened just like this without Theo's involvement. Saying that out loud just hasn't been smart and he knew that. He didn't need Theo's eyes snapping to him immediately at his words to know that. But he couldn't take them back.

“Oh, is that so? Then maybe we should focus on that instead, shall we?” Stiles' chemosignals were going crazy. It made Liam wanna vomit. “Is that why you're defending him every single time? Are you pulling some Bonnie & Clyde shit on us now? Have your next team-up murder planned already?”.

Seething with anger at this point, Liam got up from the couch and walked to where Stiles was standing next to Scott, poking him in the chest harshly. “I'm defending him because you keep attacking him! Get over yourself! He's suffered enough!”.

“Wow, the sad boy act really worked on you” Stiles whistled out unfazed. “Wake up, Liam”.

“It's not an act!” Liam flashed his eyes at Stiles.

“Stiles” Scott said warningly, putting a hand onto his shoulder but it wasn't doing anything and was definitely due to Scott expecting Liam to physically lash out at Stiles any minute.

“Please” Stiles rolled his eyes, shrugging Scott's hand off. “Do you really think he magically changed by the snap of your finger? Should have left him in the ground a little longer for that to be believable”.

“Maybe we should put you in the ground next time!” Liam was seeing red. The anger was in full control now.

“Liam!” Scott's voice reverberated through the room, clearing Liam's mind the littlest bit but he only took barely a step back from where he had pushed Stiles against the wall.

“No” Liam swirled around to look at his alpha, letting his eyes travel around the room. Everyone was rooted to their spot, only Theo had actually moved closer to him but not close enough to be comforted by that. “You wanted a debriefing of what really happened? Theo saved my damn life. That's what happened and I'm so fucking tired of you letting Stiles talk to or about him like this! That's not how you treat your allies”.

“Liam” Theo's voice was so close now, his hands resting on both of his shoulders to keep him in place. Instantly, Liam felt his heartbeat slow down and his pulse stop racing, his ragged breathing trying to sync up with Theo's. “Drop it. It's a waste of time and not worth it”.

“It's worth it to me” Liam turned around to him with pure determination, his eyes flashing for only a moment. You're worth it to me. Taking a calming breath, Liam turned back around to Scott and Stiles, everyone waiting for what he'd say next. By now, he really couldn't make it worse. “Look, I don't wanna argue about this every damn time but you won't change my mind and I'm tired of hearing you insult him all the time”.

“For a reason” Stiles pointed out unnecessarily.

“He's been our enemy, so what?!” Liam groaned out madly. “So has Deucalion to you or Peter, who you willingly team up with all the time although we all know he only helps us cause of Malia. He doesn't give a shit about any of us. Only her”.

“She's his daughter” Stiles said matter-of-factly. “Also, …”.

“I don't wanna hear it” Liam cut him off before he could spew more bullshit. “You give second or third or fourth chances left and right but it's Theo where you draw the line? He risked his life for me more than once. Can't say the same about Peter”.

“Peter is …”.

“Shut it, Stiles” Malia chose this moment to join the heated conversation, making everyone hold their breath collectively. “Seriously, drop it”.

“You …” Stiles fish-mouthed at her in shock. “Are you siding with Thiam now?”.

“I'm not siding with anyone. I'm just tired of your yapping and Liam's chemosignals are making me wanna kill someone” Malia wrinkled her nose in disgust and Liam would blush but he was still too angry. “Hate to say it though. Liam and Corey are right”.

“Excuse me?!”.

“Shut up” Malia only rolled her eyes at him, too used to his theatrics. “I'm just saying I was there, you weren't”.

“What happened?” Scott asked her tentatively, making Liam realise that Scott wasn't sure if he believed Liam's report.

“He saved his life” Malia said as if she was talking about the weather but her words made Theo tighten his grip on Liam's shoulders for a moment. The touch settled something inside of Liam that he couldn't name. “This much wolfsbane would have killed Liam in mere seconds”.

Watching Scott close his eyes for a moment, Liam held his breath, not sure what to expect next. When Scott opened his eyes again, he was looking at Theo, who immediately dropped his hands from Liam's shoulders, making Liam wanna whine at the loss but he wasn't that out of control yet. “Thank you, Theo”.

With shock and terror still present in his eyes, Theo only nodded once at Scott in acknowledgement. Liam lost it. “Really now? That's it? You believe it now because she told you but when I tell you, it means nothing?”.

“Liam …” Scott started softly, reaching out for him with his hand but Liam instinctively stepped back and right into Theo's personal space, where he froze for a second.

“No” Liam said strongly, ignoring how good it felt to be this close to Theo. The circumstances weren't right. “I'm so tired of this. Get over yourselves!”.

“Li” Theo said so quietly he almost didn't hear it, touching his left upper arm in an attempt to calm him down and it was working but Liam didn't want it to work. Not with everyone eyeing that little action so closely. He's had enough.

“If you really think being sent to literal hell wasn't bad enough and you keep treating him like this when all he does is save my damn life, then don't bother reaching out to me. I'm done with this. We're leaving!” Liam announced to the whole room in pure rage, his sole focus Theo's hand on his arm. Which he took to grab his wrist and drag him out of the house with him.

“He doesn't mean that” Theo brought out while being dragged outside like a rag doll.

“Oh, I do!” Liam slammed the door shut behind them to make a point, hearing Stiles ask Scott indignantly if he would really let Liam talk to them like this. It only made him angrier.

“Stiles!” everyone in the room exclaimed at the same time.

Letting go of Theo's wrist, Liam closed his eyes and inhaled deeply, letting the sun shine down on his face for a second. Without looking at Theo, Liam walked down the pathway back to the truck, where he just leaned against it to wait for Theo, who was just watching him curiously. There was something in his eyes that made Liam insanely nervous. So, when Theo finally made his way down as well but stopped right in front of him instead of going around the truck to get inside, Liam did not lift his head. He was the slightest bit embarrassed by his behaviour. He didn't regret defending Theo; he's done it before but never with Theo in the room. Theo having seen him like this made him terrified of finding out what he thought.

When Theo just kept looking at him this up close, Liam lost the battle with himself, looked up and snapped at him. “What?!”.

Smirking to himself but way softer than normally, Theo just shook his head a little, his eyes still fixed on Liam with an emotion swimming in them that Liam couldn't place. It made him wanna duck his head but he was too stubborn to do that. Taking him entirely by surprise, Theo flicked his nose with his finger quickly before making his way over to the driver's door. “And you say I don't owe you, little wolf”.

Dumbfounded, Liam was frozen to the spot, his nose tingling where Theo had briefly touched it. Shaking himself out of the shocked state he was in, Liam opened the truck door to get inside, knowing full well that at least someone in that house had watched them and listened in. Wanting some damn privacy, Liam settled into the truck without saying anything, hoping Theo would understand what he wanted; needed really; without having to spell it out, which was unlikely but Liam could still hope.

Silently, Theo started the truck and Liam felt some of the tension falling off of him. For the first time in what felt like hours; but in reality were only around thirty minutes; he could actually breathe again without feeling like he might choke on the air or vomit on the spot from all the chemosignals in the room. If he was this riled up from this disaster of a meeting, he really didn't wanna know how Theo really felt. Not that he would find out. Theo would never tell anyone.

Pretty soon, Liam realised that Theo was actually taking the route to his place instead of Liam's, which made a small smile bloom on his face but he tried to hide it by staring out the window. Theo really didn't need to see how happy he was about that. Liam was sure his chemosignals were giving him away anyway. He really needed to get a grip on them.

“You know” Theo broke the silence between them, glancing at him for a moment before looking back at the street. “I'm quite interested to see how Stiles is gonna react when he finds out you forced Derek to give me an apartment”

“Don't really care anymore” Liam seriously couldn't care less about anything Stiles had to say at this point. His opinion on him or Theo really … Wait … Oh, no. Did he hear that right? How in the world had Theo figured that out? It was so typical for him to just drop the bomb like this, out of fucking nowhere. “Um … I mean, I did no such thing. Why would you say that?”.

“Oh, so you didn't talk Derek into letting me stay in one of his flats cause you somehow found out you brought me back to nothing?” Theo raised an eyebrow at him knowingly, stopping the truck at a red light.

“Definitely not” Liam still refused to acknowledge what he had done although he knew there was no point in lying to Theo. He could tell a mile away even if Liam had the simple ability to lie.

“Can you say that to my pretty face?” Theo twisted around a bit to look at him, smirk in its usual place. Liam still refused to look at him. The trees outside were more interesting.

“Your face is not that attractive. Get over yourself”.

Pretty. Liam had meant to say his face wasn't that pretty. He had no idea where the word attractive had come from. He did not in any way think of Theo's face as attractive. Or of any part of Theo as attractive for that matter. That was not a word that was in any way or form correlated to Theo in Liam's mind.

“Liam” Theo said a lot softer now, all hints of smugness or humour gone from his voice. He sounded almost raw or dare he say vulnerable. ”Look at me and answer my question, Little Wolf”.

The sound of his almost fragile voice made something crack inside of Liam and all he wanted to do was turn his head around and look at Theo but he just couldn't do it. He wasn't sure what would happen then. He couldn't say.

“Please?”

And god, damn it. Theo was so good at this. Liam really shouldn't be as surprised or shocked as he was. Of course, Theo knew how to make him do exactly what he wanted. That was his strength after all, right?

Bracing himself for whatever he would find in Theo's eyes, Liam twisted around to face him but the breath got knocked immediately out of his lungs. Theo looked anything but calculated. He was tense and totally ignored that the light wasn't red anymore. He was staring at Liam with big eyes and something like wonder in his eyes but that couldn't be, right? Liam was definitely reading this wrong.

“Did you ask Derek to give me the flat because you found out I have nowhere to go?” Theo asked again but his voice was barely a whisper at this point, almost stumbling over the last part of his question. It made him wanna hug the shit out of him right here, right now. But he held himself back.

“No” Liam tried to lie again because he was that much of an idiot, looking straight into Theo's eyes, but he could feel and hear his heart skip a beat and knew there was no way Theo didn't hear that as highly alerted as he was. So, Liam gave up. “Damn it, you need to teach me how to lie”

“Not sure that's your forte, Little Wolf” Theo replied a bit belated, sounding a little dazed but the lazy smile growing on his face made Liam incapable of pointing any of that out. So, when Theo started the truck again, Liam stayed silent and looked back out the window, which was the only reason he was able to catch Theo's mumbled “Thanks”.

There was really nothing he could do about the spike of happiness in his chemosignals now but this was also the first time he didn't care. As much as they were dancing around being too emotion-heavy most of the time, Theo deserved to know how Liam really felt right now. He has already seen Liam defend him like a lion, so there was really no harm in letting him now that he was happy about having the privilege to see him like this. So unguarded; for Theo's standards. And judging by the matching, horribly hidden smile; that was definitely tinted with disbelief; Theo seemed to appreciate his honesty.

For the rest of the drive, they were both silent, no words needed. Arriving at the apartment complex, they both got out and made their way to Theo's flat, still in silence. Inside, the flat, Theo headed straight for his kitchenette to put the kettle on for some tea. An electric kettle he had insisted on finding and buying because apparently the American way of making tea was a monstrous insult to tea itself. That's what happens when you get dragged all over the world by the dread doctors. You apparently develop a refined taste for tea and find out that Americans suck at making tea the right way, which is treated like a personal insult to his very being. When it came to tea, Theo was ridiculous but Liam thought it was endearing anyway and Theo's tea was one hundred per cent better than any he's had before.

But seemingly Theo wasn't just in the mood for a soothing tea after this shitty meeting. No, he wordlessly started making some quick and simple mac&cheese, which warmed Liam's heart because he was that weird. Knowing he couldn't really do anything to help, he jumped onto the counter by the sink; so right behind Theo; and just watched him cook, throwing some random comments in every now and then to fill the actually nice silence between them. Even if the silence was really nice and comfortable, Liam was still a little on edge from earlier and couldn't seem to fully relax but Theo's presence was definitely helping. Being surrounded by his scent lingering all over the flat and the source of it being right on front of him loosened some of Liam's tense muscles and made him kinda sleepy. He should probably text his mother that he was staying at Mason's because he knew there was a chance he would fall asleep very soon if Theo didn't stop him. The exhaustion from being so angry mixed with the delicious tea and in a couple minutes the food were the perfect recipe to make him fall asleep in seconds. Maybe that was Theo's plan, after all.

“Wanna put something on?” Theo moved his head into the direction of the TV for a brief moment. The old TV he and Mason had brought over under the cover of playing video games here because he knew Theo would have never just let him gift him his old TV for no reason, so he had made one up. A stupid one but it had worked. “Could use some distraction”.

“On it” Liam jumped off the counter and headed for the couch, turning the TV on and using this opportunity to put on something he really wanted to see. No one ever let him.

“Course” was Theo's only comment when he brought two plates over to the couch table and saw the documentary about the Roman empire Liam had chosen on the screen.

Not being able to place the tone of his voice, Liam panicked. “I can put something else o …”.

“No, it's fine” Theo sat down and handed him his plate, getting comfortable. “I already know you like history”.

Having nothing left to say to that, Liam just started the documentary, burying himself deeper into the couch cushion's with his plate of mac&cheese in hand. The smell took over all of his senses. Theo could cook really well, which was still a mystery to him. He doubted that the dread doctors had taught him how to cook while simultaneously cutting him open over and over again to experiment on him. Okay, that was exactly the kind of thing he shouldn't be thinking about right now.

Returning his focus to the documentary, Liam got lost in it pretty quickly. Theo has been right. He does love history, especially the history of ancient empires, lost empires. He couldn't exactly say why but it was fascinating to him to see how they had lived, how they had fought and loved, even how they had died in some way. He loved to see their traditions and culture and find connections to their lives. He could spend all day learning about this if he had the time. Sadly, none of his friends really shared his interest and passion for history. Yes, Mason knew a lot by default because he was just that smart but history wasn't his passion project. No one ever really listened to him ramble about something he had just read or found out. No one ever let him put on his documentaries.

Except for Theo. Theo, who had been impressed by his love for and knowledge of history back at the zoo. Theo, who never told him to shut up when he randomly remembered some historical fact and just had to share it. Theo, who let Liam watch his silly little documentary right now and wasn't complaining. Theo, who looked actually quite invested right now but Liam knew better than to point that out.

Close to the end of the documentary, Liam realised Theo had fallen asleep at some point, his head falling to the side in an painful-looking angle. Not wanting to wake him because Liam had the feeling Theo needed all the sleep he could get, he just scooted closer, so Theo's head could rest on his shoulder.

When the documentary was over, Liam turned the TV off as careful as possible, trying not to wake Theo up. Thankful that he didn't have to go home because his mother thought he was at Mason's, Liam let his head roll back while he tried to get comfortable enough to also fall asleep. With the weight of Theo on his shoulder, Liam fell asleep in an instant.

When he was startled awake by some light movements, Liam had no idea how late it was but it was dark out and he could barely see a thing. Glancing down at Theo, he realised that he had woken him up but not on purpose. It looked like Theo was having a bit of a nightmare, still resting against his shoulder. When he heard Theo mumble his sister's name in his sleep, Liam felt cold shivers rush down his spine. This had to be a really vicious and cruel nightmare that Theo seriously didn't deserve. And it was their fault he was having it.

Instinctively, Liam's hand moved into Theo's hair, starting to card his fingers through it. When he realised what he was doing, he was about to stop immediately but then he felt Theo subconsciously reacting to it. The tension in his shoulders vanished instantly and his breathing slowed down, no more names falling from his lips. Deciding to ignore all the ways this could backfire massively, Liam continued tracing his fingers through Theo's really soft hair, his other arm reaching over to rub with his thumb over Theo's right arm, that was pressed against Liam's side. The soothing touches seemed to keep the nightmare at bay for now. Liam wasn't sure what that meant but right now, it didn't matter. He had a job to do.

Probably making a huge mistake and going to regret this in the morning, Liam stopped his movements for a moment to take a hold of Theo's still sleeping body. He must really be exhausted if he didn't wake up from someone touching him without permission. Ignoring the lack of consent right now for the greater good, Liam moved them around slowly and carefully until they were lying down on the couch, Liam with his chest pressed against Theo's back. Even though Theo was slightly taller than him, he fit perfectly into Liam's arms and right under his chin. Liam wasn't questioning this observation.

With one arm thrown over Theo's waist to keep him close; and from falling off the couch; Liam felt sleep tugging on his every limb. Feeling Theo's heartbeat reverberate through his own chest, Liam let himself relax and sleep take him. With Theo safe in his arms and the nightmares nowhere to be found, Liam didn't really care about the next morning.

Chapter Text

When the sun hit his face, Theo was a bit disorientated. There was never any sun bothering his face when he woke up in his bedroom. He also never felt as warm, well-rested and mainly safe as he was doing right now, which were all three things he wasn't aware he was even capable of feeling, so naturally it scared him. Coming more to it now due to the unwanted fear growing inside of him, bits and pieces of last night were coming back to him. More precisely, his nightmare. Another nightmare of his dead sister chasing him down the dark corridors of the hospital. Another nightmare of Tara ripping the heart right out of his chest and taking back what's rightfully hers. A nightmare that had just suddenly stopped and turned into an otherwise dreamless sleep, that had left him so well-rested that he almost felt good.

That observation made him realise something else. He wasn't in his now apparently permanent bedroom. No, blinking one eye open, he recognised his sparse living room, which did explain the sun being able to bother him this early. The second thing he realised was that he wasn't alone. First, he could hear a second heartbeat right behind him and then he could feel it against his back, beating slow and steady. The familiarity of this heartbeat made him freeze where he was lying on his old and uncomfortable couch. With Liam's arms wrapped around him as if that wasn't the scariest thing that has ever happened to Theo. Why Liam was still here, was holding him so gently and was able to sleep so peacefully with Theo this close was beyond him. The fear from before doubled down and all he wanted to do was run. Run because he wasn't hating their position as much as he should. Run because he shouldn't feel this safe in Liam's arms. Run because Liam shouldn't feel this safe around Theo. Run because he felt good and bad about this at the same time and good things didn't happen to him without a prize. Good things never lasted and he wanted Liam to last. Just not like this. Not this close. Not this intimate. Not … not when touch still scared him more than anything.

So, it was only logical that Theo's first instinct was to flee. Flee the intimacy and put some much-needed distance between them. Well, it looked like even fast asleep Liam didn't agree with him. Because when Theo tried to untangle himself from Liam as carefully as possible in his terrified state, Liam's arms only tightened more around him, holding him in place. Automatically, he froze at the feeling of someone else's hands so close to him, expecting the usual pain but obviously it wasn't coming. Deep down, he knew Liam wouldn't hurt him unless he really deserved it but muscle memory was a real bitch. There was nothing Theo could do in such a vulnerable situation. The memories would always be stronger.

Realising he wouldn't get out of this, Theo tried to make his mind shut up and relax as much as he could until Liam woke up, which was not something Theo was looking forward to. It would be hella awkward. But for now he pushed those thoughts away and breathed in the familiar scent of Liam Dunbar, feeling his body relax instantly. Not acknowledging that reaction for now, Theo's mind started to wander. Liam not wanting him to leave wasn't new. Theo should know better.

Taking a shaky step back, Theo's eyes were still fixed on Gabe's lifeless body. Absent-mindedly, his fingers traced over his own arm, where the black lines had been only a few minutes ago. The feeling of taking Gabe's pain had been overwhelming, leaving him completely lost and confused. His hands had been able to do something good. Something other than protect Liam Dunbar. This was a surreal feeling, that he couldn't sort out and didn't know how to deal with, so he did what he always does. He just didn't deal with it for now.

Commotion around him tore him out of his thoughts. Taking a look around, Theo saw Melissa checking if everyone was okay and something in his stomach twisted at the sight, knowing full well she wouldn't check on him. No one would and he had no one to blame but himself. Why that suddenly mattered to him he couldn't say. Maybe he had hit his head. Hit it hard enough to unlock all those buried desires.

Just when he was about to sneak away unnoticed, a warm hand held him back, closing around his arm just enough to make him stop in his tracks. “Wait”.

Liam. Of course it was Liam. No one else would care if he just up and left and never came back. Scott had accepted him as an inevitable ally for the time being but now the war was over and he wasn't needed anymore. Scott would not need to call him again any time soon because Liam was in danger, so all Theo could really do for the pack was leave. Give them one less threat to worry about. But of course, Liam would make it complicated, like he had complicated a lot of things for Theo.

“Theo, I …” Liam trailed off hesitantly, his scent reeking of nerves and anxiety. Something in his voice made Theo turn around to face him, which was a huge mistake when he was met with Liam's big blue puppy dog eyes. “Stay”.

And that was a request he hadn't seen coming. Not right now, not ever really. Not in a voice that vulnerable and quiet, a voice that wasn't normal for Liam Dunbar. Liam had never sounded like that before, not when talking to him. And it was just one single word. One simple word but it held so much meaning that it made Theo's knees buckle a little, hopefully still unnoticed. One word that could mean so much. One word but Theo instinctively knew what Liam was asking of him. Liam wanted him to stay, not just right now. For good.

And how Liam had figured out that all Theo wanted to do was run away, away from Beacon Hills as far as possible, was a mystery to him. Maybe it was written on his face after all. Maybe he was that easy to read, even for Liam Dunbar. Maybe he was becoming predictable. Maybe he was becoming weak because there was not a single second where he didn't know that he couldn't refuse him. Those eyes … those eyes were a weakness he needed to fix. Maybe he could fix it while staying.

“Okay”.

Stay. That's all Theo could think about. Liam would always ask him to stay and Theo would always do just that. Even now.

But staying in Liam's arms right now was not good for him, no matter what his stupid body said. His mind was racing and he didn't know how to stop it. Being this close to Liam without any danger in sight made it possible for all of his confusing and unwanted feelings to make themselves known, rattling on the bars of the cage he had locked them up in, deep down inside of him where no one could ever find them again, not even he himself. For months now, he'd tried everything in his power to leave those feelings unacknowledged and one morning of lying in Liam's arms for whatever reason wasn't gonna destroy his hard work. No, those dumb feelings would never get acknowledged. It wouldn't do him any good.

So, he forced his mind to shut up and be quiet for once. Just like he forced his heart to calm down when he felt Liam stirring awake behind him. Pretending to be asleep, Theo waited to see what would happen now. With Liam awake and aware of their situation, he would surely put some distance between them because there was no chance in hell; and Theo has been in hell, he would know; that Liam actually wanted to be this close to him. Consciously, Liam would never choose …

Forgetting everything he wanted to say, Theo's mind went blank when he felt Liam's nose burying into his hair for just a moment, breathing him in and making all of Theo's nerve ends tingle at the feeling. Then he started to actually untangle himself from Theo's body but not without tracing his fingers over Theo's arm for a brief moment as gentle as if he were made out of glass, sending a wave of goosebumps down his entire body. Trying not to react to visibly, Theo stayed put and let Liam stand up, his footsteps quiet on the cold floor of Theo's flat. When Liam was inside the bathroom and the door closed, Theo got up as if he was burned, heading for his bedroom to get a moment to himself but even here he could faintly smell Liam, his scent lingering somewhere in his sheets because that idiot had a tendency to take naps in Theo's bed when the puppy pack bothered him every so often. Ignoring all of that for now, Theo changed out of his wrinkly t-shirt to put something on that wasn't smelling like Liam.

Throwing the worn t-shirt onto his bed, Theo left the room again and was met with Liam exiting the bathroom, haltering both of them in their steps for just a moment, a very awkward and unwanted moment. There was no need for them to be all awkward around each other now. Nothing happened and Theo wouldn't act as if it had. They were still just Liam and Theo, allies becoming friends. End of story.

“Breakfast? Or does Jenna want you home for breakfast? Did you tell her you weren't coming home?” Theo headed for his small kitchenette, hoping he was convincing in his played nonchalance. Inside he couldn't shake the feeling of Liam's arms around him off, making him feel all squeezy.

“She knows” Liam answered simply, his heart not entirely skipping a beat but it sounded funny. Liam wasn't actually lying but he wasn't telling the truth either, which intrigued and worried Theo at the same time. Liam never kept things from him, as stupid as that was, and Theo had gotten used to it. To the honesty between them but he'd always known it wouldn't last. Nothing ever did. “A quick breakfast sounds like heaven but I should probably really head home after that and take a shower”.

“I have a shower right here” Theo reminded him before he could stop himself, biting down on his own tongue until it hurt. He deserved the pain for being so reckless.

“Okay” Liam obviously accepted the offer gratefully.

“Pancakes okay with you?” Theo rummaged through his cabinets to busy himself and not look at Liam.

“Sounds good to me” Liam answered predictably. There was literally no food he wouldn't eat, especially when he didn't have to try and make it himself. Typical wolf.

“Figured” Theo rolled his eyes, mainly to himself. Getting the pan and a bowl out, Theo threw Liam a quick look. “This might take a little while. You know where the shower is”.

“Are you saying I stink?” Liam huffed fake offended.

“I wasn't gonna say anything …” Theo smirked at him, happy to play along when all Theo could smell on Liam was himself. He needed that to change and quickly.

“I see how it is” Liam clicked with his tongue just for effect. “You do know I don't have any clothes here, do you?”.

And well, that was something Theo hadn't really thought about. He knew friends shared clothes sometimes, probably in situations like this but he wanted to get his own scent off of Liam, not make it more prominent. He really couldn't win this round, could he?

“Since when do I have to give you permission to go through my stuff? It's not like this has stopped you before” Theo rolled his eyes again but this time for Liam to see, starting to pour the needed ingredients into the bowl. “But keep in mind that I am very much taller than you”.

“Piss off” Liam flipped him off before marching into Theo's bedroom. The normalcy of this interaction calmed his nerves a little. They were still the same. Still mainly just bickering.

While Liam was in the shower, presumably wasting all of his hot water, Theo took care of their breakfast, whisking up enough pancakes for him and the always starving beta in a heartbeat. Relaxed now, he put the pancake plate onto the counter and got out two more plates for them, grabbing the maple syrup and whipped cream on the way. Lastly, he got out some fresh strawberries he had bought yesterday and cut them into pieces. He loved strawberries and was glad that he could afford them by now due to his job. They tasted a lot better when they weren't stolen but freshly bought.

Just when he put the strawberry bowl next to the other plates, Liam emerged from the bathroom in a cloud of steam, clad in Theo's clothes and hair still a little wet. The sight made Theo's throat go dry for a moment but he simply looked away and sat down in his seat by the counter, grabbing a still warm pancake and starting to eat. It helped with his throat immediately and also made his stomach feel better. Food was the solution for absolutely everything. It also made you incapable of having a long conversation and wasn't that just perfect?

Liam joined him at the counter and they ate their delicious breakfast in mostly silence. The calm around them settled Theo's mess of a mind for a short period of time.

But when Liam had left and Theo was alone with his stupid thoughts, his mind just wouldn't shut up. Too much had happened in the span of just a couple days and it was all a lot for Theo to handle. Most of it was hard to process, especially because he sucked at dealing with feelings and emotions. The dread doctors had forced their world view into him for so long that it was difficult now to unlearn all of that trauma. Without literally breaking that wasn't possible and Theo didn't break.

But he knew he needed to face what was weighing him down. He was smart enough to know that he couldn't ignore the situation away, like he was doing with certain feelings. This was something he needed to face because he wanted this life he was trying to build for himself to stay. He wanted this sliver of something good he was experiencing to keep going, even if he knew it was unlikely to happen. Not to him. Not when he didn't want to face his demons and their aftermath.

But where would he even begin? Definitely not with that. No, never. That was out of question. It brought him right to one of the things that were begging to be processed though. Liam getting him an apartment. Liam figuring out that Theo had nowhere to go other than his truck; and the preserve but he didn't need to know about that; and caring enough to wanna change that. Liam not addressing the situation at hand but fixing it anyway in the only way he knew would not make Theo run for the hills. Him doing that meant the world to Theo but he had no idea how to put that into words, how to let Liam know how grateful he was for his care and kindness. Kindness and care he simply couldn't handle, always wanting to run.

Like he had wanted to run yesterday from the stupid debrief meeting. The meeting that had been more of a fight than an actual debriefing. It had made him feel too much at once, particularly because of the conversation with Liam just minutes before. Their conversation had been a first step into the right direction but it had left him feeling vulnerable and raw in a way he didn't like. It had left him violable to Stiles' usual insults and remarks. Stiles' words had hurt like a bitch but Liam's protective behaviour had been like a balm for those wounds.

Wounds he didn't know how to ever heal or deal with. His wounds ran deep, probably even deeper than the wounds he had left on other people. Like Malia, who had surprisingly not tried to kill him. She hasn't even been hostile towards him, which has been the biggest shock of the day. Her actually advocating for him in some twisted way had left him baffled and dumbfounded. After that you could have told him that his sister was still alive and he would have believed it.

But she wasn't and the heart beating in his chest was proof of that and would always remind him of what he had done; or in this case hadn't done. His nightmares would never let him forget all of his sins but … Was there a way for him to move on from this for real and live an almost normal life? A life where he had a job, a place to live and maybe even some friends? A life where he had things he had always longed for? A life where he wasn't just the sum of his mistakes and his worst parts? A life where he could do better, do good.

Good as in helping save someone's life. Like he had helped in rescuing Talisa from the hunters. Or as in keeping an eye or ear out for Alec, always making sure he was home and safe. Or good as in risking his own life to protect Liam from a wave of wolfsbane-laced bullets. Of course, he had told Liam he kept saving his life because he felt like he owed him, which wasn't a lie and he definitely did and would until he died. But it wasn't the sole reason. Theo just wasn't ready to face that yet.

Clearly, he wasn't ready to face the possibility of losing Liam or he wouldn't have thrown himself into the line of fire like this. Or he wouldn't have thrown him into that damn elevator to keep him safe. Or he wouldn't have stopped him from killing Nolan and Gabe because he knew it would eat Liam alive right after. Or he wouldn't have turned around the moment Scott had told him Liam was in danger to put himself in between Liam and certain death yet again. Or he wouldn't have stayed so fucking easily. Around that time just for Liam.

By now, he was glad he had stayed because Beacon Hills was home after all. At least in some way. Here, he couldn't run from his demons. Here, he had to face the honest truth.

And the honest truth was … Theo was tired of running. Tired of living in constant fear. Not fear of hunters or other threats. Fear of himself and his past. Fear of being alone, lonely. He didn't want to be lonely anymore. Being lonely and desperately wanting to change that had brought him into this mess but he knew better now. His power trip had been wrong and he would change it if he could but he can't. He can't undo the past, he can't bring Tracy and Josh back to life, he can't unkill Scott and he can't tell Tara how sorry he was for standing by and letting her die. He can't stop the dread doctors from turning him into a cold-hearted weapon but he can try to undo the damage. He can try to do better and help instead of destroy. He can try to talk about some things and let people in … someday.

Then again, he had no idea how to let people in because he hadn't been allowed the luxury of friends or a pack, let alone love in any way or form. Kindness was a foreign concept to him, just like care. He didn't know if he was capable of being kind and caring without it seeming fake but he was willing to try. Because there was someone who had wormed their way into Theo's life, wasn't there?

Somehow, Liam had managed to make Theo let him in, at least partly. How he had done it, Theo had no clue. There was just no way he could ever live without the beta again. He had found a way to creep into his life and make himself at home there totally unnoticed. And he had dragged the rest of the puppy pack with him because of course, he had. And Theo … he didn't hate it. Yes, they annoyed him most of the time because they were loud and reckless and wild but Theo liked being annoyed by them.

He just didn't know how to accept any of this because he was still convinced that he didn't deserve happiness. He didn't deserve a good life without having to pay for it at some point. Liam would say now that Theo had already paid for it in hell but Theo felt like that wasn't enough. He had to make up for his past somehow but was trying to be good and helping the pack really enough? It couldn't be. No matter what Liam said, Theo still felt the need to prove himself.

Prove he was trying to be good, prove he could be trusted, prove he wouldn't kill them anymore, prove he wasn't plotting something behind their backs, prove he could be different. He wanted to be different so bad. He wanted to be someone, who deserved Liam as a friend. Who deserved the puppy pack's trust. Who deserved and received kindness and love.

If that made him greedy and selfish … well, then it just did. Wasn't he allowed to want something good for himself after everything he's been through? After all the torture and abuse caused by the dread doctors, after losing his family and his life, wasn't he allowed some slack? Some form of a second chance at life? Even if he had no idea how to take that second chance. Even if that second chance scared him to death. It scared him more than the blood on his hands. It didn't scare him enough though to throw it away if he got it for real. And being pulled back from hell was very much real, right?

Liam would say so … He really needed to stop mentioning Liam so much . It was getting ridiculous. He needed to learn how to let other people in. Like Alec and even Corey, who apparently wanted to be let in. Then his hyper-focus on Liam would vanish and his mind and heart would know peace, right?

------

Liam was having a crisis and he hasn't even reached his house yet. Last night … last night had messed with his head. Last night had been the best sleep he'd gotten since he was bitten. Maybe even before that. No weird dreams, old memories or nightmares. Just warmth and calmness. All because he had technically spooned Theo all night and … he had enjoyed it. A little too much to be considered normal. The thought of it wasn't supposed to make him feel all giddy.

The last time he had felt something remotely close to this had been with Hayden but it wasn't the same. Obviously not because he was straight. Straight as a ruler. There was absolutely nothing between him and Theo. Theo, whose clothes he was still wearing and whose scent was engulfing every single part of him. Taking a shower there had been a mistake. He really needed to get into his own clothes and burn Theo's but that would be rude, considering he didn't have that many to begin with. Also burning them would indicate that something was wrong with them, which there wasn't. Nothing was wrong and nothing happened. He wasn't developing anything for Theo. He couldn't because he was still straight. So whatever crisis he was having because of last night had to vanish and what better to do than ignore it until it goes away. Just like Theo had done.

Due to his mind running a thousand miles per second, he didn't pick up on the familiar scent and heartbeat until it was too late. Until he was already inside of his house, where Scott was apparently waiting for him. Letting the door fall shut, Liam looked at his alpha, who was studying him closely. Belated, Liam realised that Scott could obviously tell that he wasn't wearing his own clothes. Theo's scent was all over him and that really didn't look all too good but Liam couldn't care less. He had done nothing wrong. He didn't need his judgement.

“What are you doing here?” Liam broke the tense silence.

“You're mom let me in, said you stayed at Mason's” Scott explained why he was all alone in Liam's house, his words making Liam's heart start racing. “I wanted to talk to you”.

“About what?” Liam should really move away from the door and join Scott in the living room but his feet were glued to the floor, his instincts telling him to run.

“What happened yesterday” Scott came straight to the point, his voice still gentle. His body language told Liam that he was obviously waiting for Liam to get closer but he didn't want to.

“I have nothing more to say. I said everything I needed to say and I don't regret a word” Liam stood his ground, having the feeling that Scott wanted him to apologize for his outburst. “I know Theo said I didn't mean it when I said you shouldn't bother contacting me if you don't stop treating him like shit but I meant it. He deserves better”.

“Liam, we're your pack. We don't …”.

“What? Treat our allies well?” Liam didn't wanna hear it.

“You know that's not true” Scott came closer to him know, probably realising that Liam wouldn't move.

“Do I?” Liam levelled him down with a hard stare. “When you called us to rescue Alec, you said that night you needed everyone you could get but that was a lie. You didn't even try to contact Theo. He would have come and you know it”.

Stopping a couple steps in front of him, Scott looked very conflicted. It should make Liam feel bad because he was his alpha after all but he only felt the need to defend Theo. Scott claimed he was an ally but he wasn't treating him like one, not once putting Stiles in his place when he kept putting Theo down or actually calling Theo for help. That one time during the war didn't count. Scott had been desperate.

“Look, I'm not expecting you to become best buddies after everything that happened but he doesn't deserve your cold treatment” Liam started again, locking eyes with Scott because he wasn't backing down. “You had ally-ships with worse people than him. It isn't like you to be so cold to someone who is asking for a second chance”.

“He never asked for a second chance, Liam”.

“Not with words, no” Liam agreed with that statement but he knew better than his alpha. “He would never ask because he knows better than to expect that you'd believe anything he says. But actions speak louder than words. His actions speak a clear language. How many more times does he have to help and risk his life for you to care? Since when do you not care?”.

“He killed me, Liam” Scott reminded him strongly.

“And he paid for it by being sent to literal hell, which I still think was way too harsh for someone who's a victim too but that isn't the point” Liam could feel himself getting angry again, his usual response to strong emotions. “The point is that he paid his dues and came back a different person. With everyone else, you see the good in them. Why not Theo?”.

Silence was his only answer. Scott still looked at him like he was going insane, his eyes dropping to Theo's t-shirt over and over again. His true thoughts were clearly written on his face and it only doubled Liam's anger. He needed to get away.

“I see” Liam grabbed the doorknob behind his back blindly, his eyes never leaving Scott's. He needed his message to come across and get understood. “Until you can answer that question don't expect me to show up to any pack meetings”.

“Liam, don't do something you might regret” Scott tried to hold him back when Liam opened the front door again. “She is still out there, trying to kill all of us”.

“That includes Theo” Liam glared at his alpha, struggling to keep the anger at bay. “The only thing I would regret is leaving him to fend for himself when I have the means to help”.

With that, Liam left his house again to get away as far as possible, not caring what Scott thought or would do now alone in the Dunbar-Geyer house. He just couldn't understand why Scott didn't see that Theo was trying or why it wasn't enough. Stiles holding a petty grudge made sense but Scott was better than this. It hurt a deeply rooted part in Liam that his alpha acted like this towards someone he cared for so deeply.

Ignoring the voice telling him to go back to Theo, Liam took a right turn and headed for Mason's house. It was a Saturday after all and he just knew Mason and Corey were both home and besides, Theo wouldn't be home anymore. He had work. Just for a couple hours to help with some things in the clinic because it was a weekend but still. Liam didn't wanna bother him at work. Also, he really needed to get some space between them for a few hours. Just because friends spend time away from each other. Yeah, that's why.

Reaching Mason's house, Liam rang the bell and only a few seconds later Mason opened the door and waved him inside, Corey chilling on the couch. Without any questions, his best friend led him over to the couch as well and made him take a seat, Corey saluting him funnily. The presence of his two friends immediately extinguished some of his anger, not enough to fully calm him down but enough to make it less likely that he'd destroy something any time soon.

“You look angry” Mason eyed him concerned.

“I am” Liam settled deeper into the couch, his friends just waiting for him to continue. “Scott was just at mine”.

“Because of yesterday?” Mason guessed rightly, which didn't help at all. Had he overreacted after all?

“Yep” Liam popped the p for effect. “He doesn't get why I defend him the way I do, I guess”.

“We do” Mason smiled softly at him, settling his nerves. “We know you're right. He is different or we wouldn't be hanging around him so much. We've seen him change”.

“And we have your back” Corey agreed with his boyfriend, sending Liam a supportive smile. “I also don't like how Stiles talks to him, makes me think he doesn't trust me either”.

“He probably doesn't” Liam huffed annoyed just at the mere thought. “And I know I gave you a hard time as well …”.

“You were only looking out for your best friend” Corey cut him off understandingly. “And we worked it out”.

“We did” Liam was the one smiling at him now, remembering their time of bonding. “Why can't Scott and Stiles do the same with Theo? He isn't some monster”.

“They will come around” Mason assured him but he didn't sound convinced by his own words.

“They won't and I'm tired of the constant fighting” Liam exhaled heavily, the entire situation weighing down on him. “I don't wanna put Theo through more of this”.

“What are you gonna do? Remember, we're on your side” Mason asked worriedly, trying his best to not let it show too much. Mason really was the best.

“Keep them apart as much as I can, which won't be that hard” Liam played with the hem of Theo's t-shirt, the scent oddly comforting right now. “Oh, by the way, I told my mom I stayed at yours last night. Just in case”.

For a moment, Mason and Corey exchanged a strange look before looking at him with nasty glints in their eyes. He was well and truly fucked. “Where have you been last night?”.

“Stayed at Theo's, fell asleep” Liam knew he was starting to blush, he could feel it but he couldn't say why it was happening right now. Nothing was going on.

“And you don't want your mom to know that why?”.

“Um …”.

“Is that Theo's shirt you're wearing?” Corey eyed him with a poorly hidden smirk, knowing the answer already.

“I took a shower there earlier, so …” somehow Liam felt like he was making things worse, he just couldn't explain why.

“Uh-huh”.

“Don't uh-huh me. Nothing happened. Nothing to see here” Liam got immediately defensive, feeling his ears heating up.

“Are you sure about that? You're bright red” Corey mocked him playfully now. “Redder than a tomato”.

“It's the anger I'm still trying to …”.

“Whatever you say”.

“Mason, tell your boyfriend he's a dick” Liam crossed his arms over his chest childishly.

“He already knows that” Mason shrugged unbothered. “But I don't think you know what's going on with you”.

“That makes literally no sense”.

“Liam, talk to me”.

Looking into Mason's deep brown eyes made Liam crack. There was nothing he couldn't tell him. He wouldn't judge him. “We might have spent the night cuddled up on the couch?”.

“And how did it get to that point?” Mason asked carefully.

“I'm not entirely sure” Liam's knee was bobbing up and down so much that he feared he might kick out his own teeth at one point but he couldn't help it. He was fucking nervous. “We made dinner and watched a documentary about the Roman empire and at one point, Theo fell asleep. I just … I was so tired from all the arguing that I closed my eyes for a moment too and before I knew it, we were both fast asleep”.

Squinting his eyes at him, Mason read him like an open book. “There's more”.

Feeling caught, Liam's pulse started racing. “Don't tell him I told you this but it looked like he was having a nightmare, so I tried to help and that kinda ended with us sleeping on the couch … spooning … and I liked it? I mean, it wasn't horrible and he looked relaxed. I just don't know why I liked it”.

“Because you're in love with Theo and it isn't really a new thing” Mason told him as if his words made any sense.

“What?!” Liam exclaimed way too loud, making both of them flinch at the sheer volume of his voice. “I'm not in love with Theo. I'm straight, remember?”.

“Oh, so we're still … got it” Mason looked unsure of what to do next, glancing at Corey but he looked just as lost.

“No, what did you want to say? We're still what?” Liam needed to know what they weren't saying. “Why would you think I'm in love with Theo?”.

“You want the entire list?” Corey had the audacity to look smug right now. Mason needed a better boyfriend.

“Babe, please. Delicate baby gay, remember?” Mason sent his boyfriend a bit of a pained look, his words almost making Liam double over.

“I'm not …”.

“Seriously, Liam? After Brett?” Corey was apparently not listening to his boyfriend right now, which seemed to displease Mason quite a lot judging by his upset expression.

“What the fuck are you talking about?” Liam's had enough of this nonsense. “Brett was my friend”.

“Never said he wasn't” Corey's amused expression wasn't wavering one bit. “But you see, you're not aware of something everyone around you seems to know”.

“And what would that be?” Liam's anger was coming back in full force. Hopefully Corey was prepared for that.

“That you have a certain type” Corey smirked smugly, Mason groaning and burying his face in his hands. “So far, you've only fallen for people who have been mean to you and physically hurt you, which should be way more concerning if you ask me. But Mason seems to think it gets you going, so you do you”.

Gritting his teeth together, Liam focused his attention on his best friend. “Mason?”.

“What Corey was trying to say was that you sometimes don't see where distaste ends and affection starts” Mason cringed at his own words. “Like this, you don't see …”.

“That my best friend apparently thinks I'm gay and hasn't told me?” Liam talked over him because he has heard enough.

“I don't know what you are and it's none of my business. You have to figure that out on your own but I can tell that Theo is more than a friend to you” Mason told him softly as if he was scared to spook him. “The way you defend him and care …”.

“Is the same way I would defend you, if I had to” Liam didn't wanna hear it. Mason was wrong. He had no feelings for Theo. He couldn't say the same for sure about being not straight but that wasn't important right now. “I appreciate your concern but Theo is just a friend”.

“Then why didn't you tell your mom you were staying with him? Why did you lie?” Corey called him out on his bullshit but Liam wasn't gonna cave. Ignore and suppress.

“Because she barely knows him and I didn't want her to worry” Liam explained easily. It wasn't a total lie. “When she knows him better, I'm gonna tell her if I stay at his”.

“Look at you denying your boyfriend” Corey was taking the piss now, barely concealing his laughter.

“He is not my boyfriend” Liam shrieked with red cheeks.

“That's why you're planning on staying over again, I see” Corey wiggled his eyebrows at him, earning a slap from Mason that shut him up.

“Anyway, what's the plan for the day?” Mason clapped into his hands unnecessarily.

“Didn't we just say we wanted to stop by Alec's place to spend some time with Talisa to make her feel welcome?” Corey frowned at his boyfriend in confusion.

“We can still do that later” Mason was obviously trying to tell Corey something just with his eyes but it wasn't working.

“Actually, that sounds like a good idea. She must be feeling a little lost. We could help her feel a little more settled in” Liam liked the sound of that idea, even if it meant going back to that place already. At least he had a different reason now.

“Then that's settled. We should tell Nolan or he's gonna feel left out” Corey got his phone out immediately.

“Good idea. I'm gonna text Theo to stop by after work” Liam was already typing out his message to Theo, ignoring the way Mason and Corey looked at each other. This was no big deal. He was just inviting a friend to a friend gathering. It was okay.

Without further ado, the three of them headed out and got into Mason's car, driving over to Alec's place, which was also Theo's place and it did not make Liam nervous. Not at all. Especially not when Theo actually texted back to tell him he might stop by after work, which was a lot for him. This was progress and it made Liam smile down at his phone.

At the apartment complex, they got out and headed upstairs, where Alec was already waiting for them. For now, Talisa was staying with him because her entire pack had been killed and Alec's apartment had an extra empty bedroom. It was better to keep them all close together until Monroe was beat.

Inside, they got comfortable on the two couches with snacks already ready on the table and music on in the background. It was the perfect cosy setting for a nice day with friends. And when Nolan showed up they were complete for now. Talisa got comfortable with them pretty quickly and they were all having a good time. She told them about her life before the hunters had ruined everything, about her hobbies and school and left-behind friends, which made Liam even more determined to defeat Monroe once and for all.

Talisa was very nice and Liam found himself really enjoying listening to her talk. Her blue eyes sparkled when she talked about her hobbies and Liam loved to see it. But somehow that reminded him of what Mason and Corey had said. About his possible sexuality. Taking a bit of a closer look at her without being weird, Liam could say that she was very pretty and had a nice smile and really gorgeous hair but it didn't interest him in the slightest. That didn't have to mean he was gay though. He had loved Hayden. Yes, puppy love like most first high school loves but still. That has been real.

A knock on the door tore Liam out of his thoughts and made him straighten up next to Mason on the couch, who obviously noticed the change immediately but kept quiet. Theo's here.

From the moment Theo walked inside, Liam's whole focus was on him and his eyes narrowed down to where Alec was clinging to Theo's arm, dragging him over to the couch right in the middle of him and Talisa. Her eyes instantly lit up and Liam really couldn't blame her. He was also happy that Theo was here but did she have to be so obvious? Get in line.

“How was work?” Liam asked way too loudly to get Theo's attention when Alec wouldn't stop talking his ear off.

Immediately, Theo's eyes snapped to him and Liam's whole world seemed to stop spinning for a second. It made him wanna squirm but he refused to be so obvious. “It was alright but Deaton kept checking if I was really fine. Kinda annoying”.

“Are you?” Talisa's gaze immediately intensified on him, which was definitely a bit much but okay. “Fine, I mean”.

“Better than ever” Theo grinned as charming as ever, to Liam's horror pulling up his shirt a little to show his upper body. “All healed up”.

“No need to show off like this. We get it. You're hot. Get over yourself” Corey rolled his eyes at him amusedly.

“I'm flattered, Bryant. Should Mason be worried?” Theo batted his eyelashes at him exaggeratedly. And that was something Liam had never even considered. What was Theo even into? Was he into guys? Not that it mattered but still.

“Nah, he agrees. It means nothing” Corey dismissed him totally unbothered but it made Liam look at his best friend with a totally new question swimming around in his head.

“Damn, my ego loves to hear it” Theo chuckled showily and Liam hated everything about it. “What have you been up to?”.

“Just chatting”.

“By the way, thank you for help saving my life. I didn't get the chance to say it yet” Talisa looked at Theo with big eyes and Liam couldn't place Theo's reaction, which pissed him off. “I wanted to say it yesterday but …”.

“Don't sweat it” Theo waved her concern off but the reminder of yesterday was definitely bothering him. Liam could see it because he knew Theo better than anyone. “It was nothing”.

“Not to me” Talisa insisted gratefully. “I would be dead without all of you. Just like my pack. Just like Arlo”.

“Who's Arlo?” Alec asked innocently, everyone wanting to stop him but it was too late.

“She was my girlfriend” Talisa told him quietly.

“Oh, I'm sorry” Alec paled in less than a second.

“Not your fault”.

Somehow they managed to stir the conversation into a totally different direction after that admission. After a while, there were many different smaller conversations taking place instead of one big group one. And as much as Liam liked to see Theo coming out of his shell a little; which he was definitely doing today for whatever reason; he wasn't happy with how little they were talking to each other. Theo was mainly involved with Alec, who had leeched onto him like some … leech. But Talisa was also talking to him a lot. And Liam should be glad that there were people who treated Theo normally and weren't afraid of him; more the opposite; but something wasn't sitting right with him. Something about that picture stung.

“Are you alright?” Nolan asked him when Liam wasn't reacting to what he had told him, gaining Mason and Corey's attention. They had been busy with each other in the corner of the couch until now.

Unable to tear his eyes away from Theo with Alec, Liam didn't know what to say. “I …”.

“Don't worry, Nol. He's fine. Just jealous” Corey snickered evilly, making Mason hide a chuckle in his neck.

“Of whom? Me?” Nolan looked totally lost. If Liam weren't so embarrassed right now, he'd coo at it.

“Yes, Nolan. Of course. That makes total sense” Corey couldn't stop laughing because he was truly evil.

To his horror, that caught Theo's attention. “Why are you jealous of Nolan, Little Wolf?”.

“I'm not jealous!” Liam exclaimed humiliated, knowing full well he was back to being bright red in the face.

“At least not of Nolan” Corey just didn't stop. He'd kill him.

“Little Wolf, there is really no reason to be jealous of Corey. Mason still worships you” Theo was teasing him now but at least Liam had his attention back. Even when he was the butt of the joke, which he hated more than anything. “Besides, Corey is an idiot”.

“You're one to talk, Raeken”.

“I do not worship Liam”.

“Ey!” Liam hit Mason's arm, making everyone in the room laugh at his antics. “Don't sound so disgusted”.

“Sorry, Liam. But worshipping you would mean enduring your history documentaries and I'm really not up for that” Mason didn't sound sorry at all. He sounded cheeky and smug. He had to kill him as well. “Maybe someone else will”.

“I hate you so much” Liam grumbled offended and still embarrassed, standing up and stomping towards the front door just because he could. “Have fun without me. I'm gonna find something or someone who isn't bothered by my presence and needs to endure me”.

“Liam” Mason sighed dramatically.

“Nope, goodbye” Liam left the apartment and let out a deep breath when he was alone in the hallway. He was way too embarrassed and confused to go back in. He hasn't been jealous, just irritated by Theo's sudden change in behaviour.

Speaking of the not devil, Theo joined him in the hallway only a minute later, his keys dangling from his fingers as if to show them off. With an amused smirk, Theo was watching him but Liam refused to acknowledge his presence or say anything that would deepen the colour of his face.

“Here” Theo threw him his keys so suddenly that Liam barely had time to react. Without his werewolf instincts, he would have dropped them. Now though he was staring at them in pure confusion but Theo wasn't saying anything.

Before Liam could verbalize some kind of question, Theo went back into Alec's apartment and closed the door behind him, apparently not expecting Liam to follow him any time soon. Good, he wouldn't.

Looking down at the keys, Liam decided to use them and not question anything right now. Heading for Theo's flat, Liam let himself in and closed the door, leaving it unlocked so Theo wouldn't have to break into his own home. Throwing the keys onto the counter, Liam headed straight for Theo's bedroom and dropped onto the bed, burying his face into the pillows. Breathing in Theo's scent kinda mixed with his own, Liam felt himself relax and his face return to his normal colour.

That didn't mean anything though. He was just calming down in Theo's flat because Theo had wanted him to do so. That was totally normal. Friends looked out for each other. Friends helped each other get out of embarrassing situations. Friends felt comfortable in each other's flats. Enough that he felt himself falling asleep in mere seconds. It didn't mean anything.

Chapter Text

“Shouldn't you be leaving?” Deaton leaned in the door frame, watching him sort through some stuff in the backroom.

“In a minute. I was just making sure …”.

“That everything was taken care of, I know” Deaton could read him like an open book, a smile on his face. “I don't think I've ever had an employee be this thorough”.

“Really?” Theo's head snapped towards him, the question if not even Scott was excluded from that statement unspoken between them. Deaton simply shook his head. “Then maybe you need to up your standards for employees”.

“You might be right” Deaton agreed with him unchanged. “I still think you should leave or you're gonna be late and your beta is not of the patient kind”.

Deaton referring to Liam as his beta caused Theo to almost drop the empty water bowls he was holding, his locked up feelings quite literally begging to be let out and react to that comment but he simply ignored the ruckus in his chest. “You don't have to tell me. Impatient little bastard”.

“Then why are you still here? Get out” Deaton walked away with a certain determination in his step that Theo just knew he should leave now or he might behead him for displeasing Liam if he was late. Not that he planned on doing that.

Wrapping up for the day, Theo grabbed his jacket and left the clinic, heading for his truck. Before he could get in, a quiet sound caught his attention. Focusing on his superior hearing, Theo could tell whatever it was came from inside the alley. On high alert, he followed the sound and found himself in front of the dumpsters, catching a weak scent that definitely wasn't garbage. Looking inside, Theo was met with two dim yellow eyes staring up at him before closing in exhaustion. Acting before thinking, he reached inside and took a hold of the tiny kitten, cradling it to his chest. That the kitten wasn't fighting back was not a good sign. He needed to get her inside.

“Deaton!”.

“What are you still doing here? I thought you left … Oh” the doctor immediately stopped talking when he spotted the little kitten in his hand. “Bring it inside. Over here”.

Following the doctors instructions, Theo brought the cat into the treatment room, putting it down on the exam table as carefully as he could. Stepping back, he let the doctor do his thing and simply stood by in case he needed his help. The kitten switched in and out of consciousness, hissing at the doctor every now and then and trying to scratch him with her tiny claws. Somehow the picture triggered a memory of himself as a kid, being operated on against his will. Pushing this memory down where it belonged, Theo took out his phone to text Liam he wouldn't make it to the game. How Liam had convinced Theo to agree to this in the first place was beyond him. Theo didn't even like lacrosse much. Or at all.

“Theo, can you take her to the back and try to make her eat something?” Deaton addressed him just as he was putting his phone away. “She's malnourished and pretty exhausted but otherwise fine as far as I can tell”.

“Of course. I'll make sure she eats something … Wait, she? It's a she?” Theo caught on to what Deaton was referring to the kitten as a bit belated.

“Yes, and she is hungry but beware. She is traumatised” the doctor warned him with an odd edge to his voice. “Whatever she went through made her very distrustful of people. She's definitely gonna try to scratch or bite you. More than our normal visitors”.

“Think I can handle a scratch or two” Theo picked her up before she could register what was happening, earning himself a quiet hiss and a scratch to his wrist. “See?”.

“I know you can handle it. Be careful anyway” Deaton started to clean up the exam table, his back turned to him. “Abuse victims tend to act out in order to protect themselves from more harm. It's a normal and totally natural response to a foreign touch. Remember that”.

Those words sent an icy chill down his bones, hitting too close to home. “I'll keep that in mind”.

With a feisty kitten in his hand and a wildly beating heart in his chest, Theo made his way to the back where they kept their crates for overnight guests. Picking one of the smaller ones, he put it down on the floor and opened it for her. She was hesitant to get inside but quick to do so to get away from him all the same. Leaving the gate open so she wouldn't feel trapped, Theo got a fresh water bowl for her and placed it down in front of the crate. While she was eyeing the new object, he filled another little bowl with kitten food, bringing it over as well. But she wasn't coming out of the crate. She had retreated to the left corner, where a blanket offered her some comfort. The sight stung more than he wanted to admit. He's had a blanket just like that, only bigger. Was he looking at a cat version of himself here? Was this some kind of cruel joke from destiny? The poor kitty deserved better.

“Don't worry. She's gonna come out eventually” Deaton appeared behind him, tearing him out of his thoughts and he was thankful for that. He shouldn't go down that path. “Now it's a very good thing you're part coyote”.

“Why?” Theo's head snapped up to him in question, not used to people randomly bringing that up.

“Scott would have never been able to even come close to her cause he's a werewolf. A natural threat to her. You on the other hand don't pose a threat. Not more than me” Deaton explained to him, the irony of his words hitting Theo in a way he couldn't explain. There shouldn't be a world where Scott McCall was considered a threat and he wasn't. “Maybe even less than me”.

“Because I'm a chimera?” Theo wasn't entirely sure what the doctor was trying to say. Was he saying that being a chimera was actually a good thing in this case?

“Yes” Deaton replied simply, looking at the cat with a forlorn look in his eyes. “Give her time. She's gonna eat”.

“Maybe I should leave her alone and …”.

“You can stay” Deaton told him before he could get up from the floor, making him sit down again with a beating heart. “But I know you had plans. I don't wanna hold you here”.

“I'm late anyway” Theo ignored the weird sting in his heart, focusing back on the kitten. “I'll make up for it”.

“I'm sure you will”.

And just like that, Theo was left alone with the kitten. For a while, he just sat at a safe distance to the crate to make her feel less threatened. No part of him had any clue what to do. He had never learned to be gentle and unthreatening but that was what he needed to be for her to come out of the crate. And Deaton trusted him with her, so the doctor had to think that Theo had it in him. But maybe he was overestimating Theo's abilities. His abilities have always been manipulation and psychological torture, not care and kindness. That was Liam's thing. Maybe he needed to think more like him.

Then again, Liam had the patience of a three-year-old child. He would scare the poor kitten to death with his exuberance. And really, he shouldn't be thinking of Liam right now anyway. His mission was to get the kitten to eat. How he was supposed to do that, he had no fucking clue. At this point, he just hoped she was starved enough to risk coming out.

After what felt like sitting on the hard floor for hours on end and hopefully giving off somewhat calming chemosignals, the kitten actually made some tiny hesitant steps towards the open crate door. She sniffed the air with her small nose and slowly edged towards the water bowl. With bated breath, Theo watched her take some hesitant licks of the water while he was frozen in place. Even more hesitant than before, she sniffed at the second bowl but didn't give the food a chance yet. Instead she looked up at him with big eyes, studying his still body. Theo didn't dare to breathe. He was terrified of scaring her. Cocking her head to the side, she looked right into his eyes before dropping her gaze and actually taking a few bites of the food. Letting out a long but quiet breath, Theo just watched her eat and felt his chest warm at the sight.

This up close, Theo could look at her for real now. She was almost completely black except for her chest and her paws. Those were white, just like the little spot right under her nose on the left side. She was really beautiful.

How someone could abuse or torture such a helpless little creature was beyond him and he knew how crazy that must sound coming from him. He might have killed supernaturals and stood by when the dread doctors had experimented on helpless teenagers but it wasn't like he'd had a choice really. Except for the thing with Scott but anyway. The logical part of him knew that he would never hurt another creature like this. The messed up part of him still saw himself as a monster, incapable of being good but even that part of him wouldn't hurt a young kitten. Whoever did this deserved to rot in hell.

In all his brooding Theo hadn't noticed that the kitten had stopped eating and had taken a step towards him, studying him again with a penetrating look in her eyes. Scared of being judged by her, he simply looked back at her and waited what she would decide to do next. Never in a million years would he have expected her to come even closer and lie down by his knee, purring to herself. The coyote part of himself wanted to purr as well. That's how happy the sight made him.

They stayed like this for a while because Theo didn't wanna disturb her. She had been through enough and needed her sleep. Theo knew that all too well. Just like the heartbeat that was coming closer by the second. He should have known Liam would come over after the game to find out what Theo had meant with being held back. Liam had probably assumed that Theo had stood him up and made up some bullshit excuse. Not unlikely but he wouldn't do that to Liam but Liam obviously didn't know that because Theo never told him those things. He barely admitted them to himself.

“He's in the back” Theo heard Deaton tell Liam and only a second later, Liam's footsteps were heard getting closer.

Bracing for the kitten to wake up and hiss at Liam or worse, Theo looked at the entrance right in time for Liam to fill his vision. Like this, he could tell instantly that something was wrong. Liam seemed riled up and tense, way too close to snapping in some way, which made Theo frown. Immediately, he wondered what could have happened to cause this. It couldn't have been him missing the game.

“Stop right there” Theo held a hand out to stop him when he was about to waltz into the room like he normally does. With his head, Theo pointed down at the kitten by his knee, who of course was waking up now from the commotion.

At the sight of her, all the tension fell off of Liam and a bright smile bloomed on his face. “Aw, who's that?”.

“I found her in the dumpsters” Theo told him, still upset about this and Liam seemed to instantly share the feeling but before he could come any closer, the kitten hissed at him. Loudly. “Wolf, Liam. Don't take it personally”.

“She seems to like you” Liam eyed them closely, something swimming in his eyes that Theo couldn't place.

“Not a wolf, remember?” Theo tried to sound nonchalant but he knew there was a hint of sadness in his voice. The usual addition when he had to remind someone of his abnormality. “Also, I wouldn't say she likes me. She tolerates my presence”.

Looking sad for a moment, Liam shook it off and sat down on the floor right in the door frame, respecting the kitten's set boundaries. “Do you know what happened to her?”.

“No, but Deaton thinks she's been abused and then obviously abandoned” Theo let him know what the vet thought, fully ignoring how the description fit him. And how Liam obviously thought the same, judging by his pathetic attempt at covering up his instinctive reaction. “How was the game? Sorry I couldn't make it but she kinda stole my time”.

“That's fine. You're excused. She's too adorable to resist” Liam smiled but it wasn't reaching his eyes, which definitely meant something was up. “Game was fine. We won”.

Furrowing his eyebrows, Theo studied Liam's tense posture. His whole body language told Theo that he was barely holding himself together. “Are you sure?”.

“I think I'd know if we won or not” Liam deflected sarcastically and avoided any form of eye contact. “We could use you on the team though. Some of our players are seriously lacking … Why don't you finish school? With Mrs. Martin as principal, you could easily get back in. She does know things after all”.

“Where's all of that coming from?” Theo was taken aback by Liam's strange behaviour, not keen on talking about why he wouldn't even consider going back to school and getting his degree. “Besides, I'd never join the team. You know that”.

“Because you secretly suck at lacrosse, I know” Liam grinned cheekily at him, some of the tension leaving his jaw.

“Please, I'd beat you in your sleep. Your team sucks” Theo rolled his eyes in amusement, feeling the kitten scooting closer to him to lie back down. Looking down at her, his heart swelled at the sight of her resting her tiny little head on his foot. Liam's heart though seemed to not be doing well because it was suddenly stumbling over itself, as far as Theo could hear. “What was that?”.

“What was what?” Liam looked caught, failing to act normal.

“Your heart. It just did something weird” Theo squinted at Liam's chest, trying to figure out what was going on.

“I just won a lacrosse game. I'm exhausted. Let my heart be weird” Liam crossed his arms over his chest.

“Exhausted?” Theo wasn't buying his excuse. “You're a fucking werewolf, Liam. One little game can't affect you”.

“How would you know? You weren't there and have never played lacrosse” Liam shot back defensively, tearing his eyes away from Theo and the kitten. “Which we could both change if you came back to school. What do you say?”.

“That you're insane” Theo dead-panned.

“Theo” Liam whined childishly. “Why won't you even consider it? It could be good for you”.

“It might be a good idea to finish your degree” Deaton piped in out of nowhere when he passed the backroom, peaking in to check on the kitten sleeping by his foot. “I don't think you wanna work for me for the rest of your life”.

“I like this job” Theo felt cornered right now but he tried to stay calm for the kitten's sake.

“And you have it for as long as you want it” Deaton assured him as if he could sense his panic. “We could just adjust your times if you decide school is the way for you”.

“See?” Liam looked way too happy about the outcome of this interrogation but Theo wasn't fooled. He knew Liam was still only deflecting, no matter how much he actually wanted Theo to come back to school. “What do you say?”.

“That you need to stop deflecting” Theo said harsher than he intended to, willing the heart in his chest to slow down. “I know something is going on with you and you're just trying to distract me enough so I won't ask. It's not working”.

“Nothing's going on with me” Liam looked down at his knees, his heart skipping a beat.

“You're right” Theo clicked with his tongue, causing Liam to look at him in confusion. “I really need to teach you how to lie”.

“Fuck you” Liam groaned out without real heat behind his words. He knew Theo was right. Liam couldn't lie at all.

“Nah”.

Tempted to pet the sleeping kitten, Theo focused on keeping his hands to himself, which was harder than expected. In the silence between them, Theo hoped Liam would decide to tell him what was going on. Weeks ago, that thought wouldn't even have crossed his mind because talking about stuff was scary and not really something they did too deeply. But by now, they talked about things, if awkwardly most of the time. It was fucking terrifying to face what was going on inside of you and share that part with someone else. Most of the time, Theo still wanted to shut everyone out and run but he was working on that. Being honest with Liam wasn't that scary.

“It's weird” Liam spoke up quietly, his arms wrapping around his bent knees. “Ever since Brett died, lacrosse has been weird. I keep looking for him in the faces and I can't stop it. I'm not doing it on purpose … I guess, I'm just so used to Brett being a part of my lacrosse experience that I can't get used to him not being there. Especially when playing Devenford Prep”.

“I didn't know that's who you were playing today. You didn't say” Theo frowned at that part of information. Just a second ago, Theo had thought they told each other things but looked like he had misjudged their connection. Liam didn't trust him.

“I didn't wanna make it a big deal”.

“I would have been there” Theo found himself admitting before he could stop himself, his voice so gentle he barely even recognised it himself. But it was the truth and now it was out in the open. The want to be supportive.

“This little angel needed your help. It's okay. I survived” Liam watched the kitten for a moment, his voice hollow and sad. “And won, now that Brett can't beat my ass anymore”.

“Look …” Something was bubbling up in Theo's chest, making his stomach tighten. A memory kept resurfacing and every word he had cruelly thrown at Liam's face felt like a punch to the face, harder than what he had gotten in real life. He would have deserved way worse. “Liam, I'm sorry for what I said at the station. I don't know why I said it or what I expected to get out of it. I shouldn't have said it. You were obviously grieving and I was being an asshole”.

Resting his chin on his knees, Liam sent him a tiny smile. A smile that made him breathless for a moment. He didn't deserve such a gesture in correlation to what he had done. “Punched you for it. Think we're even”.

“Should have punched me harder” Theo felt the guilt crawling up his throat, clawing at his insides.

“I did at the zoo. I think that made up for it”.

Ignoring the smug look on Liam's face at the memory of him breaking Theo's nose three times that day, Theo thought back to everything that had happened that day. Until this day, he had no idea what had triggered Liam enough to almost kill Nolan. Back then, his guess had been Brett's death in some way, even if that made no sense.

“Was that the reason you got triggered that day? Brett's death? I know with Nolan involved …”.

“It was probably part of the reason” Liam cut him off tensely, his entire body looking like a string about to snap. “Or at least I want it to be because it makes me feel better”.

“So, it wasn't the reason” Theo didn't know how to handle this moment. Liam needed gentleness and care, so the string wouldn't snap but that wasn't his expertise. “What was it?”.

Taking a moment for himself, Liam looked like he was wrestling with what to say. Seemingly coming to a conclusion, he locked eyes with Theo, his voice quiet and a little bit shaky but determined anyway. “I've been there before”.

“At the zoo?”.

“Back when my IED was really bad and I trashed my coaches car, I … Brett and I weren't necessarily friends” Liam started to explain what he'd meant, breaking eye contact and staring at his hands as if they had personally wronged him. Theo understood that feeling but hated that Liam could relate. It wasn't his fault he had an IED and it didn't make him a bad person, even if he acted out sometimes.

“That one time, right around the same time, I was the reason we lost the game and ...” Liam dug his nails into his palms for a moment to regain some control over his messy emotions, swallowing visibly. “I ended up there with the team”.

“What are you saying? The team brought you to an abandoned zoo because you lost a game?” Theo had the bad feeling that he knew where this was going and it made his blood boil with fresh anger. He could feel it pulsing through his veins but he tried to keep it cool for now. Maybe he was wrong and Brett hasn't been that bad of a person.

“Brett wanted to make me feel what he was feeling. So, he … he put me in an empty cage and threw lacrosse balls at me. The rest of the team as well. To …” Liam told him what had really happened, what had traumatised him badly enough to get triggered into almost killing someone. The truth washed over Theo like ice water, especially when he heard what Liam mumbled to himself next. “Animals belong in cages”.

“And you still tried to save him?” Theo used his entire willpower to not get loud but everything in him wanted to scream and trash and let the anger out he was feeling.

“He was different then. He changed and kicked my ass when I needed it. He didn't deserve to die like that” Liam had that far away look in his eyes, presumably reliving the moment Brett and his sister had died. Theo wanted to take that pain away from Liam but he knew he couldn't. It sucked.

“No one does but it's not okay what he did. That's fucked up and borderline barbaric. You can't pretend it wasn't” Theo was still stuck on Brett hurting Liam over a game and something he couldn't control, especially not that young. If he were alive, Theo would hunt him down but you're not supposed to speak ill of the dead, so …

“I'm not but I lost them the game …”.

“That is not a reason to abuse you, Liam!” Theo couldn't hold himself back any longer, his emotions too strong to keep in check. That Liam was trying to justify Brett's abusive behaviour made him see red, which ended in him getting the tiniest bit loud and waking the kitten but it was way more important to make Liam see that none of this had been okay and he wasn't to blame in this scenario. “Sometimes I don't get you. Do you have a humiliation kink or something? Why do you care so much about people who hurt you?”.

And yes, he was aware of the irony. Thank you very much. He knew he was one of the people, who had hurt Liam and had no right to get upset over someone else hurting him and getting a second chance from this stupidly kind beta. He just couldn't help it. Liam needed better self-preservation skills.

“I believe that everyone is capable of change and accordingly deserves a second chance if I can see that they're trying” Liam's soft voice felt like an iron grip around Tara's stolen heart, the words cutting deep. He knew Liam had chosen those specifically for him. He wasn't an idiot. He just couldn't believe that he was genuine. There was no way. “Besides, I'm not perfect either. I lash out regularly and get angry at nothing. We're all works in progress as one Peter Hale would say”.

Theo could only stare at Liam in disbelief. His soul was so pure and his heart was way too kind and forgiving. That would definitely bite him in the ass every now and then. It had before and Theo was proof of that. That's why he wasn't sure he agreed with his sentiment. Maybe they were all works in progress. That didn't mean they were all capable of the same good. Liam lashed out when he was angry due to his IED but he still chose to hurt himself rather than others. Every time.

Theo wasn't like this. Hasn't been like this. He wasn't pure and kind and good. The heart in his chest could never be kind in the way Liam's was. It wasn't even his own. He had let his sister die to get it. That wasn't kindness, that was murder. There was also no pure soul in his body. Theo didn't have a soul. He was barely even human. Most of his body had been torn apart and stitched back together so many times that he had no idea what or who he was. Which parts actually belonged to him and which were stolen from other innocent dead teenagers. Teenagers he had let die. The dread doctors had taken everything human about him and exchanged it with something more sufficient. More inhuman. Even if he wanted to, which he truly does, he could never be truly good. Not like Liam or Scott. He would always live in the shadows while Liam deserved to live in the light. Because he was light.

“I don't deserve to get another chance after everything I've done” Theo picked on the hem of his pants, letting the words flow out because Liam needed to understand how willing Theo was to try with him. It still wouldn't change his past or who he was always gonna be. “Going to school, graduating and building a normal life are not things I deserve to have”.

“Of course you deserve that, Theo” Liam protested indignantly, his upset and equally sad chemosignals so strong that Theo felt his eyes water but he didn't let those tears happen. He just blinked them away. A confession was enough weakness for one day. Tears had to take a backseat. “You've been through fucking hell and I really don't wanna know how badly that's still affecting you. You survived an impossible situation. It doesn't matter how you survived. It matters what you make out of …”.

“It should matter though” Theo looked at him now, his eyes probably wild because he didn't understand how Liam could just brush his past aside like this. Was standing by and watching innocent kids get tortured and killed suddenly okay because he was a victim as well? The answer was no. This would never be okay. “We can't just act like noting happened. There's no forgive forget for my mistakes. I killed people”.

For a long moment, Liam just looked at him with different emotions passing over his face. Whatever he was about to say would hit Theo straight in the heart. Tara's heart. He just knew it. The suspense was unbearable. “How many times did you technically die because of some new experiment the fucking dread doctors thought would make you a better killer?”.

“I …”.

Theo had been right. That question really smacked him right in the chest. And worst of all? He had no answer. He had lost count of how many times he had thought it was the end. How many times he had thought he would die on that operating table and join his sister. It had never happened. Somehow, they'd always brought him back. Either right in time or through some scientific miracle. He hadn't been their success but he had been of use for them, so they hadn't even let him die. Many times, he'd hoped for death to finally take him. It had never happened and now he was left to deal with the massive consequences. It wasn't fair but that was his life.

“You are not a killer. You're also not a monster” The look in Liam's eyes was penetrating. It was as if he was looking right through him and into what Liam hoped was his soul. There was no soul but there was something. And that something wanted to believe him. “You're Theo and that's enough”.

And those damn tears? They were threatening to come back now because no one had ever told him that he was enough. For so long, nothing he had done has ever been enough. For his family, the dread doctors, the pack. But here Liam was, telling him that just being himself; his broken and messed-up self; was enough for him. Kind and caring Liam thought he was enough and maybe he should just let himself believe it.

Because Liam was enough the way he was as well and Theo wasn't sure he knew that. Liam was always the first to tell others good things about themselves and he always meant it but Theo knew that Liam wasn't seeing someone good when he looked into the mirror. He had exploited that knowledge before for his own advantage. Now that knowledge broke his stolen heart. Liam deserved to receive the same kindness back he was giving out to everyone. He was enough.

“And you're Liam. Not an animal” Theo told him softly, circling back to Liam calling himself an animal cause of Brett and still sounding like he believed it. Theo needed to change that. He wasn't a ravage animal hurting people. He was Liam. Kind and wonderful Liam, who was full of second chances and kind words for everyone but himself. And if Liam couldn't be kind to himself, then Theo needed to do it for him. Be kind.

“Okay” Liam smiled at him. Not a big flashy smile. He wasn't trying to pretend that everything was okay and they were both magically healed. No, this smile held pain and trauma but it was genuine and it was for Theo only. A certain understanding.

“Okay” Theo repeated the word with his own little genuine smile, echoing the silent understanding.

Whatever had passed between them today felt huge but for once, it didn't scare Theo. They were letting each other in, no matter how little they wanted to admit some things. Theo could see their give and take clearly now. He wasn't alone in this. Whatever it was. He felt oddly seen and understood and really hoped Liam felt that way too. To Theo, it looked like it.

The air between them grew lighter the longer they stayed silent. Silence normally terrified him because being left alone with his mind never ended well with him. But with Liam around, silence was becoming a nice thing. A good thing. Until he broke it with an endearingly cheeky grin on his face.

“So, school?”.

------

“Please?” Liam dragged the word out as long as he could, hoping his puppy dog eyes were working even through a computer screen. If Lydia was immune to those as well, he had no idea how to convince her. “He really needs this”.

“Are you sure he actually wants this?” Lydia scrutinized his face through the screen, her voice unconvinced. “You thinking he needs this is not the same as him wanting it”.

“Well, he did flip me off when I mentioned it again …”.

“Liam”.

“But he was only deflecting because …” Liam bit down on his tongue to shut himself up. Theo's secrets were not meant to be shared with the rest of the pack. He needed to get her on his side without exposing Theo. “I know a part of him wants it, even if he would never admit it. You have to trust me on this”.

Letting out a tired sigh, Lydia seemed to give up, which meant he had succeeded after all. “Okay, fine. I'll talk to my mom about this. It's her decision though. If she says no, there is nothing I can do”.

“Thank you so much” Liam felt ten times lighter than before this call. He needed this to work out. Theo deserved it.

“Have you discussed this with Scott?” Lydia studied him closely, her eyes searching for something.

“Not yet” Liam admitted honestly. If he wanted Lydia to trust him on the Theo thing, he needed to be honest with her. “He has so much going on with college and Monroe. By the way, how's that all going? Are you alright?”.

“As alright as I can be” Lydia took the bait for now but Liam knew better than to feel safe. She would mention it again.

But for now, she told him about her courses at MIT and how college life was treating her. Every time she mentioned Stiles, which was obviously a lot with him being her boyfriend, Liam felt his body react. This reaction was new and unwanted but he couldn't stop it. The majority of him was still mad at Stiles and that wouldn't change any time soon cause his horrible behaviour towards Theo wouldn't change. He knew it.

“As for Monroe, Scott is on it as much as he can. Derek and Peter are out there tracking the closest hunters and keeping tabs on her” Lydia let him know analytically. “Isaac is doing the same in France cause there has been more hunter activity lately and Jackson and Ethan are making sure London is safe for now but we can't be everywhere at once. We need to find out if she has a bigger plan but for that, we need to find her and make sure she stops. As long as she is staying away from Beacon Hills though, you shouldn't worry about this. We got this. Focus on school and your friends. On Theo”.

“Already on it” Liam rubbed the back of his neck tiredly, the entire hunter situation weighing heavily down on him. “I just feel like I'm not doing enough”.

“There isn't much you can do right now, Liam. Stay alert and safe. That's enough” Lydia assured him gently but then her gaze narrowed down a little. “Talk to Scott. You're gonna feel better afterwards. He's gonna understand”.

“I'm not so sure about that. Last time we talked didn't end well and he didn't …” Liam remembered their last conversation clearly, the anger still simmering beneath the surface. Theo deserved so much better from all of them after helping save the town. “I'm not gonna stand back when he's treated like shit. It isn't right. He helped us so much, is still helping so much but all he gets is insults. I'm not expecting best friends forever but some … God, I don't know. Something”.

“I get it, Liam. And I think you're right” Lydia actually agreed with him and that felt really good. “Stiles shouldn't lash out like this and Scott needs to hear you out. They're not around to see what you see. That's why you should talk to Scott”.

“I tried but I get so angry when I see how little he wants to hear what I have to say about Theo” Liam let his head roll back to stare at the ceiling of his bedroom. “It's almost like he doesn't trust me anymore. Just because I'm trying to do the right thing. Should I have let Theo live in his fucking truck and fear for his life every day just because Scott doesn't wanna help him? No, the answer is no. Theo is my responsibility. I brought him back into this mess, so I'm naturally gonna fix everything I can to make …”.

“Wait, hold on. He lives in his truck”? Lydia interrupted his upset rambling, which was definitely a good thing. He wasn't sure where he was going with this.

“Not anymore” Liam looked back at the screen, seeing the concern on her face. “But yeah, he did. I mean, where was he supposed to go? There's nothing left here for him”.

“Except us” Lydia immediately understood. “Except you”.

“Yeah” Liam felt his cheeks heating up at the insinuation. “So, I got him off the streets but it isn't enough. He needs a future”.

“I'll make sure he gets the chance to have one” Lydia smiled at him empathetically. It was nice to have someone from the pack understand where he was coming from. “But Liam, I don't think Scott knows how bad Theo's situation is. I love him but he can be a little dense sometimes”.

“A little” Liam felt himself grin at that. It was so very true.

“Next time you talk, try to keep it calm and tell him everything he doesn't know. He's gonna understand. He's Scott” Lydia advised him confidently but Liam wasn't so sure this would be enough. He wasn't sure he wanted Scott to know everything.

“Thank you, Lydia” Liam was immensely grateful to know someone like her. She had every reason to be wary of Theo but she wasn't judging Liam for his decisions.

“Don't mention it”.

Anxiously, Liam was staring at Mrs. Martin, who was staring right back at him and Theo sitting at her desk. She had gone over all the formality, papers and stuff, but now she just kept looking at them in silence and it was unnerving. Liam didn't have to look at Theo to know that he was feeling exactly the same or even worse. This was about his future, after all.

“Just to make this crystal clear” Mrs. Martin focused her strong gaze on Theo, who stiffened slightly. Liam could see it because he was so in tune with Theo's micro reactions. “You need to stay out of any kind of trouble. One move out of line and you're out, Mr. Raeken”.

Throughout this whole meeting, Theo has been oddly quiet and subdued, just like right now. It was so unlike him to just let things happen to him without any kind of comment. The only thing he did in response was nod in acknowledgement and that just wouldn't do. If he were any less strong and stubborn, Theo would be cowering in the corner right now.

“I assure you, there will be no trouble” Liam spoke up for him again, like he had done the whole time. “He's my responsibility, Mrs. Martin. I'll vouch for him if you need me to”.

“I'm sure you would” Mrs. Martin let her eyes wander over to him but all he cared about was Theo also looking at him, which was something Liam tried to ignore for now. “That won't be enough though. I know this situation is … extraordinary but I need some kind of legal guardian to sign the papers”.

And shit. That was something he hadn't thought about. He could ask his parents. They would definitely help out if …

A knock on the office door stopped Liam's train of thought for a moment. When Deaton stepped into the room, his mind started racing again a thousand miles per hour. What could he possibly want at the principal's office? Did someone die?

“Sorry to interrupt but I had a client earlier that took a little longer than expected” Deaton closed the door behind him, nonchalant as always. All three of them were looking at him in pure confusion. “Sorry for being late”.

“I wasn't aware we were expecting someone else” Mrs. Martin was definitely looking at him now but Liam was stuck staring at Deaton in bewilderment. “What brings you here?”.

“I'm here to sign Theo's papers” Deaton stated as if it was obvious, an odd energy falling over the room.

And that answer definitely got a reaction from Theo that Liam couldn't even pretend to ignore. Suddenly he looked pale and frozen in place, ready to run or vomit. Something about this whole situation was affecting Theo in ways Liam could never understand but he could clearly see the storm brewing underneath the surface. He needed to wrap this meeting up asap, for Theo's sake. He might faint otherwise.

“You're stepping in as his legal guardian?” Mrs. Martin sounded more than just shocked and confused. It was closer to sheer disbelief and Liam couldn't blame her.

“I'm his boss” Deaton replied simply but Liam could hear what he wasn't saying. Deaton was all Theo got.

Shaking herself out of her stupor, Mrs. Martin beckoned Deaton to step closer to the desk, pushing the papers over to him. “Okay, sign here and here. But keep in mind, he really has to work hard if he wants to stay in school and graduate. He missed a lot”.

“I'll make sure of that” Deaton reassured her as he signed the papers without thinking twice, Theo's eyes fixed on the action.

“Then it's all settled. Theo, you start on Monday. Mr. Dunbar, help him find his way around and make sure you choose the last of his classes before you leave” Mrs. Martin put the papers away, accepting the situation for what it was. All Liam could do was nod now, Theo still just quiet. “But remember, not one toe out of line”.

“I promise” Liam got out of his chair, took a hold of Theo's arm and dragged him out of the office with him, Deaton following behind them silently. Outside in the familiar school hallway, he let out a loaded sigh, turning to look at Deaton. “Thank you”.

Dismissively, Deaton waved him off, heading for the exit. That was his usual way of saying it was no big deal but to Liam, it was and he knew that Deaton knew that. He also knew that it was a big deal to Theo, which was why Deaton wasn't even acknowledging his own kindness, way too familiar with Theo's way of handling emotions. Or lack thereof.

“I have to get back to work. See you there in a few” and with that, Deaton was gone, leaving Liam and Theo behind.

Due to the silence in the hallways; the meeting had taken place after normal classes were over for the day; Liam could clearly hear Theo's heartbeat next to him. It was as steady as always but for the first time Liam could quite literally feel Theo controlling it, forcing his heart to stay steady and give absolutely nothing away. He wasn't sure how he felt about that but he knew talking about it would only backfire right now.

“Come on” Liam grabbed Theo's arm again, dragging him towards the administration office. “Let's get you signed up for AP biology so you can help me with my homework”.

“I'm already doing that” Theo let himself get dragged, his voice a little rough around the edges.

“AP chemistry then? Or Maths? I'm sure you're good at maths …”.

“How about none?” Theo silenced him with a death glare.

“Funny” Liam was totally unimpressed by his glare. “You're way too smart for just standard classes. You'll get bored”.

“After missing school for most of my life? Don't think I will” Theo remarked sarcastically but Liam could detect his real feelings easily. Theo didn't think he could do this. Not after never really attending high school, except for last year but that really doesn't count. “I'm fine with average”.

“But you're not average, Theo” Liam blurted out before he could stop himself, his cheeks heating up when Theo stared at him with big eyes. “You're a mastermind. Let's use that instead of watering it down. You're smart. Own it”.

“Thought I did” Theo was obviously going for cocky but it fell flat, his voice too breathy to be convincing.

“You being an insufferable smartass is not what I meant” Liam rolled his eyes at him to keep things normal between them. “If you don't want biology or science, which I get because all of that sucks, how about literature? You're a nerd”.

“Just because I read, I'm not a nerd, you nerd” Theo looked so highly unamused that it was funny. “You should try a book some time instead of more documentaries. Do you even take any AP classes?”.

“I learn better visually” Liam full on pouted now just because he wanted to. “And yes, I take two AP history classes. If those and lacrosse don't get me into college, I'm well and truly fucked” he needed to stop talking but when could he ever. “Besides, books are boring”.

“That can only come from someone who's too dumb to read a whole book” his best friend's voice sounded from behind him, startling him and making him jump, which Theo obviously found very amusing.

“Mason!” Liam punched his shoulder before glaring at Theo, who wasn't even trying to hide his grin. “Get that grin out of your ugly face. You could have warned me”.

“Newsflash Liam: You're a werewolf. You should have heard him coming” Theo leaned closer to his face with a smug smirk. “Besides, I'm not your guard dog, remember?”.

“Don't think I recall that conversation ever happening” Liam wasn't backing down now, not when Theo was so close to him and thought he had the upper hand. “But I think you'd make quite the nice guard dog. With collar and everything”.

Something rushed through Theo's hazel eyes at that but it was gone in less than a second, his smug and cocky grin still in place. “Not really my style, Dunbar”.

“A lap dog then?” Liam cocked an eyebrow up.

“You'd like that”.

“Don't act like you'd hate some head scratches”.

“Projecting much, Pup?”.

“You're acting all tough now but the animals in your chest agree with me and you know it”.

“Is that so?”.

“Mh”.

“Should we leave them alone or …?” Alec's unsure voice broke whatever moment he and Theo were having, suddenly realising how close they were standing to each other, faces only an inch apart. How they had gotten so close, Liam had really no idea. Clearing their throats totally inconspicuously, they took a couple steps back and brought some space between them.

“I'm not taking biology” was all Theo said before opening the door to the administration office.

“Wait, should I come with y …?”.

“Think I can handle some minor life-altering decisions on my own, Little Wolf” Theo didn't let him finish his panicked question, looking at him over his shoulder. “I'm just gonna tell them the story of me being a transfer, who just so happened to have attended this very school last year. Nothing to worry about. Go and annoy your friends for now. Gonna have to head over to work after this anyway”.

“Okay”. Liam watched Theo enter the office but then the door fell shut and he was left alone with his friends, who all looked at him with terrifyingly amused or confused expressions on their faces. “What?”.

“If I really need to tell you that, then I can't help you” Mason squinted his eyes at him, probably to figure out if Liam knew what he was saying but Liam was still stuck on Theo's eyes looking more blue than hazel a few seconds ago and … Oh.

“I think something just fell into place” Corey picked up on his sudden frozen state immediately. “Let's get you home”.

Not resisting because his mind was racing, Liam let his friends manoeuvre him to and into Mason's car. The drive passed him by in a blur, his mind stuck on one thing. Theo. How had Liam never noticed how attune he was to everything Theo? He knew him as inside out as he could at this point in time and could read him like no one else could. And why? Because he spend all of his time with Theo, not even wanting to be anywhere else. He loved it when Theo picked him up from school or lacrosse practise. He loved just hanging at Theo's place and doing nothing. He loved how Theo pretended to be bothered by the puppy pack always showing up at his place when in reality, he enjoyed them being over and feeling safe in his presence. He loved watching Theo cook, obviously the most when he made Liam's favourite meals. He loved how Theo never complained when he went on his history rants or how he had felt in Liam's arms on that couch. A moment that kept replaying in his head and he hadn't questioned it until now. But now he couldn't ignore it any longer.

When they were all safe in his room, Liam plopped down on his bed and buried his face in a pillow, groaning just to make a point. This couldn't be happening and he wasn't ready to say it out loud. The realness of this scared him more than berserkers or assassins or ghost riders or hunters, which were all things that still gave him nightmares. This, this was worse.

“Is he dying?”.

“Does he look like he's dying, Alec?”.

“Actually, yes, he does”.

“Maybe of embarrassment but otherwise, he's fine”.

“I'm so not fine” Liam muttered into his pillow. Corey had no clue how he felt. Liam didn't even know that himself entirely. “I wanna die”.

“We can't hear you like this”.

“Good”.

With an exasperated sigh, Mason grabbed him by the shoulders and turned him around, pillow still clutched to his chest. “Let it out or it's gonna eat you”.

“That sounds like the better option” Liam stared at his ceiling, not ready to move or face the truth.

“You are such a drama queen” Mason grabbed his other pillow and smacked it over Liam's head, hitting him straight in the face. “We all know anyway. Now your brain has finally caught up. Let's talk about it”.

“All of you?” Liam lifted his head to stare at his pack.

“Well, I'm not sure about Nolan cause he's quite slow” Corey grinned cheekily, earning an offended exclamation from Nolan. “But Mason and I have known for a while. Alec is at least a little suspicious by now but he's too focused on Theo to pay much attention to your stupidity”.

“Know what?” Nolan asked the obvious, all eyes on Liam now but he refused to look at them. He would stay on his back and stare at the ceiling until he died of starvation.

“That he's in love with Theo”.

“Corey!”.

“What? It's true and by now, he knows it”.

“You're in love with Theo?” Alec asked him quietly, an odd kind of hesitation in his voice.

“I … I'm …” Liam couldn't get the words out, his throat closing up on its own. So, he did what he did worst. Deflect. “How's Talisa? Why isn't she here as well?”.

“She made a new friend earlier. They're hanging out” Corey told him casually. “Now stop deflecting. You suck at it”.

“Mason, your boyfriend is being mean to me” Liam whined immaturely, hoping this would buy him some time.

Unexpectedly, Mason started tracing his fingers over Liam's right arm, the motion soothing his nervous heart. “Liam, no one here means any harm and you know it. You also know talking about things is better for you than keeping quiet”.

“I know. It's just …” Liam sighed defeatedly, tightening the hold on his pillow. “This can't be happening”.

“It already happened, I'm afraid” Mason smiled awkwardly at him, obviously also not sure what to do right now. “It isn't a bad thing. Feelings never are”.

“That's bullshit and you know it” Liam sat up now, scooting up to lean against his headboard, Mason following suit while Corey stayed perched on the edge of his bed with Nolan and Alec sitting on the floor. “I … Okay, maybe I have some kind of feelings for him, big feelings apparently, but I don't understand. How did this happen? Why did it happen? I thought I liked girls and Theo … Theo is …”.

“Not a girl?” Nolan offered pointlessly.

“Thanks, genius” Corey snorted entertained.

“As stupid as it sounds, Nolan is right. Theo is not a girl, so how did I develop feelings for him? And when?” Liam felt his pulse picking up pace, his mind trying to figure out where he went wrong. It wasn't a problem to him to like a guy, it was just new and scary and unexpected. And it was Theo.

“Knowing you, probably somewhere between Theo saving you the first and then the second time” Mason tried to help him but that only made his heart race faster, his memories of those times not helping his mental state.

“Are you saying Liam's a damsel in distress?” Corey had way too much fun right now. Liam wanted to smack him.

“I'm saying” Mason looked pointedly at his boyfriend to make him shut up. “That there has obviously been a connection ever since you brought him back and everyone can see it. The two of you just work in a way I can't explain. You're different around him and the same goes for him. You go well together”.

“But we're not together” Liam felt like whining some more and trashing his feet around like some toddler but he tried to keep some form of resemblance around his pack. Scott wanted him to be the interim alpha, so he needed to act like one.

“There's lots of chemistry and tension though. Earlier, you looked seconds away from making out. It was disturbing but also kinda hot” Corey wiggled his eyebrows at him nastily.

“Okay, Mason. Seriously. Keep your boyfriend in check” Liam glared at Corey but it only made him laugh. “First, you tell Theo that he's hot and now this? Are you sure you're not into him in some twisted way?”.

“First of all, Mason also thinks he's hot, so there's that” Corey earned himself a pinch from Mason for that, who looked only mildly apologetic. Not enough to soothe Liam's jealousy, that he was aware of now. “Second, there's no need to be jealous, Liam. I only want Mason. You can have Theo all to yourself”.

“Not that Theo would even want you. He only cares about Liam” Mason added casually, smacking Corey again.

“That's not true. He cares about you all as well” Liam felt the need to make that clear again. Theo liked the puppy pack.

“Here we go again”.

“I admit, he seems to actually care about us and not hide it as well anymore but that's not what I meant and you know it. He risks his life for you over and over again. He wouldn't do that for us” Mason started rubbing his knee in comfort.

“I wouldn't want him to” Liam said dumbly, making his friends gape at him in betrayal. “Not like that. Of course, I want you safe and alive. I just meant I … I don't want him to always jump into fire for me. I don't want him to die. Not for me”.

“I know”.

“But he will always put you first” Alec piped in now, still sitting on the floor. His eyes gentle on him. “I've seen you two together and he definitely prioritises you over everyone else. Not that he would admit that even under torture”.

“True”.

“It doesn't matter” Liam brushed their comments off, feeling his chest constrict at the simple thought of Theo, of losing him in any way or form. “The point is, I can't have feelings for him. He already has a hard time accepting we're friends. I can't put these feelings on him. He can't know”.

“I don't think he'd even consider you feeling this way about him, don't worry” Corey nudged his leg in support.

“What's that supposed to mean?” Liam frowned without meaning to. Did Corey know something he didn't?

“It means that you have nothing to worry about and shouldn't overthink this” Mason answered for his boyfriend, who looked conflicted for a reason Liam didn't understand. “You feel what you feel, Liam. Don't try to push it away. Don't force it to go away. It will do more harm than good. Your feelings are valid and you should take some time to just sit with them and let yourself feel it. It's not a bad thing”.

Knowing Mason wouldn't budge, Liam just nodded. “Okay”.

Deciding that the conversation was over, Corey turned on Liam's PlayStation and got his controllers out. Liam really appreciated the distraction but his mind was a mess. Having feelings for Theo was the last thing he had expected to happen this year but when he left out the parts about Theo not being ready for love or himself apparently not being straight, he could see that it wasn't such an unexpected or odd thing to happen. He loved being around Theo. Theo made him feel safe in a way no one else did. So, maybe he was in love with him. It didn't matter. Liam wouldn't do anything about it. Theo was still adjusting to normal life after hell. Friendship was new to him, kindness was new to him. Hell, he almost had a full on shutdown over the possibility of graduating. Romantic feelings would not be added to the mix. Liam would not put that burden on him. It would change things between them and that's the last thing he wanted. Theo was too important to him to lose over this. His feelings could take a backseat. Because even if Theo theoretically was open to romantic feelings and some form of relationships, it wouldn't mean he'd choose Liam. He wasn't feeling the same and that was okay for Liam. All he wanted was for Theo to be okay and in his life. Forever.

Chapter Text

For whatever reason, he and Liam were baking muffins right now? Theo couldn't tell you how it had happened even if his life depended on it but … he wasn't complaining. Actually, it was oddly nice to stand in the Geyer-Dunbar household's kitchen with Liam right next to him and do something so mundane. Those kind of things were all still new to him but he was slowly realising that he enjoyed doing normal things.

Unless you were doing them with the assistance of Liam Dunbar, who should really be banned from every kitchen in the entire world. He was a mess and definitely not help but every time Liam looked up at him with his big blue eyes and flour on his nose or dough on his cheek Theo couldn't bring himself to say anything. Actually, his mouth went dry every time and words just left him all together. So, no telling Liam to leave his own kitchen for the sake of the muffins.

But when the doorbell rang, Liam left the kitchen anyway to see who was bothering them on a Saturday. Intensifying his supernatural hearing to figure out if Liam needed assistance this time, Theo picked up the familiar heartbeat and the scent always filled with anxiety. Right now, the scent was mainly anger and hatred and disgust. A scent Theo was very familiar with and it made something clench in his chest but he pushed that feeling down. He had known good things couldn't last forever but he hadn't expected today to go down hill.

“Are you out of your damn mind?!” Stiles' loud voice echoed through the otherwise silent house.

“What have I done this time?” Liam sighed already annoyed. Theo felt the same way but he stayed put where he was for now. Someone needed to put the muffins into the oven or all his hard work would have been for nothing. Ironic.

“Don't give me that attitude. You know what you did, Liam” Stiles was in no mood for sassy comments, his voice hard and strong and filled with anger. “We're enrolling criminals in high school now, huh?”.

Of course this was about him. Apparently, Stiles really could not leave him alone for even a day. Theo hadn't even had the chance to get used to the idea of going back to school on Monday and Stiles was already here, tainting that new part of his life. He should have seen it coming.

“Lydia told you”.

“She mentioned it, yeah” Stiles' voice sounded louder now, which could only mean he and Liam had moved away from the front door. They were coming closer to him now. “Way more important is why you didn't tell me. Why are you keeping things from me?”.

“Because I knew you wouldn't like it” Liam replied simply and there was no lie in his voice. Theo wanted to help him but he had no idea how. His presence always just made their fights way worse. This was already about him. What good could he do? Stiles would only lose it for real.

“So, you chose to lie instead and go behind our backs” Stiles retorted accusingly, making Theo wonder if Scott knew as well and agreed with Stiles' actions.

“No, I chose to do what I thought was right because you're all off at college and have no say in what I do” Liam stood up to him strongly. This display of strength made some deeply buried part of him proud. Interim Alpha Liam was no joke and Stiles better watch it. “Besides, it's just school”.

“Oh, but it isn't”. Something in Stiles' voice sounded darkly bemused right now, so Theo had a feeling he knew where this was going. “I know you coaxed Derek into letting Theo stay at his building for free”.

Right now, Theo was very glad that he and Liam already had a conversation about Theo knowing this. Otherwise, Liam would panic right now. But because he knew that Theo knew, and was obviously listening in, Liam's heartbeat stayed calm. Well, as calm as it could with his anger simmering so strongly in his veins. Any second now, Liam would explode.

“So?”.

“So?” Are you …?” Stiles cut himself off to take a deep breath. “Liam, are you aware of what you're doing?”.

“I'm helping a friend” Liam sounded so sure and unshakeable when he called Theo his friend. It did things to Theo's chest. Things that were entirely unwanted right now. He needed to focus. He needed to catch the right moment to intervene.

“Friend, huh? So you're friends now?” Stiles spat in disgust, an ugly feeling spreading in Theo's chest.

“That isn't news, Stiles. Why are you acting like that's new information? Just say what you wanna say or leave” Liam was losing his non-existent patience. “Or just do the latter actually”.

“Wow, I see how it is. You're choosing him over us. Your own pack” Stiles' scent intensified tenfold at Liam's words, the smell hitting Theo's nostrils so hard it made him shiver. So much unfiltered hatred was hard to swallow. He had no idea how Liam was breathing so close to Stiles.

“You see nothing, Stiles. You're blinded by your hate and I'm tired of dealing with it” Liam was over this conversation now, his voice losing its calm and growing louder to showcase that Stiles really needed to drop it or he would regret it. “If we're all such a great and loving pack, then why can't you trust me? Why don't you think I can make my own decisions?”.

“Because you can't!” Stiles exclaimed in despair and okay, that was enough. Theo needed to step in. No one should be allowed to talk to Liam like this. His decisions were a lot smarter than they gave him credit for. “Bringing murderers back and coddling them is not good decision making”.

“No one's coddling me, Stiles” Theo leaned against the door frame to get Stiles' attention and give himself some physical support. Lately, he's been an emotional mess with everything that was happening and changing. This version of himself wasn't strong enough anymore to face Stiles' disgust without letting it affect him. He took all the support he could get.

“I'm not talking to you” Stiles snarled at him hatefully.

“But you're talking about me, which … I'm flattered but I'm also right here. Whatever you have to say, say it to my face and stop bothering Liam. This isn't about him. It's about you and me and you know it” Theo stood up straight, pretending to be unaffected when he was crumbling on the inside.

Theo knew Stiles would take this chance to throw all of his past mistakes at him. He would try everything to break Theo. What Stiles didn't know was that Theo was already breaking. He didn't need Stiles to point out how horrible he was. His mind could do that perfectly on its own. But there was no way to get out of this, so he would face Stiles now. He just didn't know how he would react but it didn't matter. Things needed to be said and not to Liam. This really wasn't about him.

“Okay, fine. You killed my best friend. You almost killed my dad and I don't care if it was on purpose or not. You hurt him to have an advantage. Just like you hurt Lydia and Malia. You wormed your way into our pack and manipulated every single one of us. You used our weaknesses against us until we were broken. You just never stopped” Stiles stepped closer to him, his gaze filled with undiluted hatred. Every word felt like a knife to Tara's heart but he kept his expression stone-cold. There was nothing else he could do. “And now you want me to just leave all that in the past and accept that you're a better person just because you saved your own ass with the riders or the hunters? I don't buy it. You're a monster and monsters don't change. I don't know what you did to worm yourself back into Liam's life but I'm gonna make sure it won't last. I won't rest until you're back in the ground with the sister you killed. Right were you belong”.

Silence. There was only silence left between the three of them now. Stiles' words had hit like a bomb and the explosion left Theo vulnerable and raw and in pain. Tara's heart wanted to jump out of his chest and if that were possible, he wouldn't stop it from going back to where it belonged.

Before the sadness, guilt and devastation could swallow him up, Liam's unadulterated anger filled his senses and Theo could only reflexively move in between him and Stiles to reach out and stop him from attacking his alpha's best friend. “Don't”.

“But …” Liam's gaze zeroed in on him, so Theo only shook his head, hoping Liam would understand without Theo having to say it. This right here wasn't worth it. Stiles was right. There was no way his past could ever be forgotten or forgiven.

“Message received” Theo looked directly at Stiles, wishing that his face looked as impassive as he wanted it to while still holding Liam back from making a mistake. “Now leave Liam alone. He just means well”.

“Too well” Stiles said it with so much disdain that there was no way Liam hadn't felt his micro reaction. The flinching.

“Yeah …” Theo had nothing left to say. Letting go off Liam, he made his way over to the front door, heart in his throat and self-hatred spreading through his empty chest.

“Theo …” Liam called after him in despair but Theo didn't wanna hear it. He couldn't even look at him. It would destroy Theo in a totally new way. All he could do was leave.

“No, Liam” Theo said with as much conviction as he could muster right now, never turning back around.

“Fuck you, Stiles!”.

Tuning their fighting out, Theo headed for his truck as fast as he could. As soon as he was inside, he threw the engine on and drove off, not caring if he was speeding or not. He needed to get away. Everything he has ever done was raining down on him right now, covering his whole existence in innocent blood. He was choking on it and could barely see a thing. He knew it had been too good. Everything lately had been too good. A place to stay, a job, people who could be friends and now a future right there for him to take. He should have known it wouldn't last. He had waited for weeks for the other shoe to drop. Well, now it had dropped. Stiles would make sure Theo didn't have a future. He'd make sure Liam …

Liam. Liam deserved so much better. Better than fighting his battles and going against his own pack because of him. That pack was like a second family. Love and safety. There was no way Theo would let Liam throw that away. Not for him. He was not worth it. He was broken beyond repair and a trail of blood followed him wherever he went, dripping off his merciless claws. There was no bright future for him. Only pain and death.

“Fuck” Theo slammed down on the brakes, hitting his steering wheel over and over again with his cruel hands. He couldn't stand to look at them any longer.

Turning the engine off, Theo got out of his truck and marched right into the depths of the preserve. This was where he truly belonged. Out in the wild, left to fight for his survival like an animal. Like the monster he was.

Feeling his skin itch, Theo stripped out of his clothes until he was naked, threw them behind some random tree and let the shift take over his body. The pain of all of his bones breaking to let his animal side out was a welcome feeling right now. Shortly, he wondered if Derek and Malia felt this kind of pain when they shifted but he shook the thought off. Of course, they didn't. They were real supernaturals, not scientific experiments gone wrong. It was part of their very being while Theo's shift had been forced upon him by his creators.

Right now, it didn't matter. In his animal form, he felt free in a way he normally didn't. Stripping off his human skin felt like leaving that version of him behind. It felt like an escape from his sins, if only for a moment. Maybe he should just stay an animal. Like this, only normal hunters would bother him and no one around him could ever get hurt again. Not by his hands.

Shaking his dark fur out, Theo started running as fast as he could. He had no destination in mind. All he wanted to do was run, so he did. The coyote in his chest was howling at the feeling of freedom, the wind on his face and the scent of the familiar woods around him. This felt safe. This was known.

The wolf in his chest, on the other hand, was whining. It was longing for something else. Someone. It wanted Theo to stop and turn around to protect and comfort what was his. But that was where his wolf was wrong. He wasn't his and never should be. Theo had no right to comfort or protect or anything. The clingy wolf in his chest needed to get a grip, so Theo only listened to his coyote. The coyote made sense. It wanted freedom. The wolf was hopeless. It would only get hurt.

At one point, Theo kinda lost track of how long he'd been running for or where he even was precisely but his bones felt tired and his lungs wanted to give in. This bone-deep exhaustion had been the plan though. It was what he needed to silence his mind. To gain himself some undeserved peace.

Slowing down, Theo headed for the creak to take care of the thirst he was experiencing; far away from the bridge though. He couldn't and wouldn't go back there again. Last time has been part of his scheme. Going back there for real to face his first sin? He really wasn't strong enough for that.

When a cold breeze brushed past him, he caught a whiff of his favourite scent, his heartbeat picking up immediately. It couldn't be him. There was no reason for him to be out here. Unless he was in trouble. Unless something had happened while Theo had run from his past. If something happened to him while Theo had listened to his coyote and ignored his wolf, he would never forgive himself. He was the reason Theo could never leave, not until he knew he'd be safe. As much as Theo wished he would stay away cause he deserved better, his wolf longed for him in a way that terrified Theo. That's why he kept pushing it down, refused to acknowledge it. It wasn't safe.

Right now, none of that mattered. He had to make sure he wasn't imagining things now. So, Theo went looking for him, following his scent like an addict on withdrawal. It didn't take long to locate Liam. Theo really needed to teach him how to mask his chemosignals and maybe his strong scent. It might save his life one day. At the moment, Theo was glad Liam was such an open book to him. Out of the shadows, he watched him pace back and forth mindlessly, muttering nonsense under his breath. His whole body was tense and his chemosignals were going crazy. There was a lot of desperation in the air mixed with mild anger and huge amounts of concern. Theo wasn't an idiot. As much as he wanted Liam to be smart and not care about him, he knew Liam was worried about him.

So, he did the only thing he could do. He stepped out of the shadows and right into Liam's field of view. At first, Liam froze and tensed up entirely, reminding Theo that only Malia really knew he could shift at all. He had thought she'd told everyone but apparently she hadn't. Which meant Liam didn't know he had been the wolf who had chased him and Mason that day. Well, it would all fall into place in a moment, so he wasn't really worried about that. It had been payback.

For a long moment, Liam was just looking at him, tilting his head aside in thought, which shouldn't look as adorable as it did. “Theo?”.

Taken aback for a second by Liam actually recognising him in his animal form without ever having seen him like this, he took a step forward to gauge Liam's reaction. He kept standing stock still and held his breath as Theo came even closer. Not for one second did Theo break their eye contact. When he was right in front of him, Theo nudged Liam's hand with his snout. That coaxed a quiet chuckle out of him and his body relaxed in an instant, his hand landing on Theo's head and starting to pet him carefully. While he and his coyote were just confused to no end, his wolf was yapping happily. That needy traitor.

Nudging Liam's leg now, Theo started to head into the woods again, trying to catch his own scent to locate his discarded clothes. Shifting back with Liam right there and no clothes in proximity or sight was not an option. He just couldn't say why. Not once had he cared who saw him naked after a shit; ask Malia. Why it mattered now, Theo couldn't say.

Without questioning him, Liam followed him wordlessly until Theo had found his clothes and Liam caught on to what his plan was. Clearing his throat way too loudly for the quiet woods around them, Liam pointed behind him. “I'm gonna wait at your truck until you … I … yeah …”.

Feeling something stir and flutter in his chest at the colour in Liam's face, Theo watched him go for a moment until he could not see him anymore. Pushing that odd feeling away too, he focused on shifting back into his human body. The body of a killer, that Liam seemed to still care about. While getting dressed, he couldn't help but wonder why Liam never gave up on him, no matter how many times he was reminded of Theo's past actions. It never seemed to shake him.

Reaching the truck Theo had forgotten to lock in his haze to get away, he got inside and joined Liam, who looked to be deep in thought. Theo knew he would bring up what happened with Stiles and he was in no way or form ready for that but he would also not push Liam away. He'd just endure it.

“Can you teach me?” was what came out of Liam's mouth, his eyes big and anxious but determined at the same time. His scent mirrored that perfectly. “I mean, is that possible? Could you … can you show me how you do it?”.

For an awfully long second, Theo was just staring at Liam and he wasn't even trying to hide it, too shocked to mask his own emotions for once. But it was only Liam. He was safe to feel things around Liam. Liam, who wasn't bringing up that mess of a conversation that had led them here because … because he just knew that Theo wasn't ready to talk about any of this. Liam who could read him so easily.

“You wanna learn how to shift?” Theo brought out in a voice that was way too breathy for his liking but all of his senses have left him defenceless.

“If that's possible, yes” Liam nodded briefly, excitement but also hesitation clear in his scent. That wonderful scent that made Theo feel way too safe and unguarded. “Is it?”.

“I think so” Theo tried to rummage through his memories to figure out if he could teach Liam how to shift but his brain was a useless puddle of goo due to Liam being Liam. “I mean, I'm not sure but I was able to learn it and I'm just a chimera”.

“The first chimera” Liam pointed out for some reason, his eyes telling Theo that he didn't like how Theo made it sound like he was worth less. This guy would be the death of him.

“Yes, I'm aware” Theo forced his usual snark and sass back into his voice, begging the wolf inside of him to shut up and stop whining. Liam was already back in their proximity, so why was that bastard still whining for him? “This will not be easy”.

“I don't expect it to be”.

“It's gonna be painful”.

“Figured as much”.

“We're gonna be naked for this” Theo felt himself starting to grin, knowing this would turn Liam's entire body into a tomato sooner or later. He couldn't wait for it.

“Not yet because I don't even know how to do this. Where to start” Liam's voice sounded already affected. Lovely.

“Well, normally you start by taking off your shirt and then your p …” Theo was full-on smirking now, every part of him relaxed and at ease in Liam's presence.

“Funny” Liam dead-panned unimpressed.

“I think I'm plenty funny”.

“Guess you're wrong”.

“Weren't you just begging me to teach you how to shift? This is no way to talk to your superior”.

“Where are they? Have I met them yet?”.

“That's it. Out of my truck”.

“Make me”.

“You really wanna do this?”.

“Test me, Raeken”.

“You do know I could just shift again and sit butt-naked in front of you in less than two seconds, right?”.

“Show me what you got”.

The challenging look in Liam's eyes made his heart stutter. And because he was so damn close to him; when had they gotten so close?; Theo could see the moment Liam picked up on that stutter. To cover up how little control he had around Liam and how much power Liam was actually holding over him, Theo rolled his eyes exaggeratedly and used some big showy move of his head to bring some space between them. In a big show of something, Theo got out of the truck and headed for the preserve again. They needed privacy and Theo needed fresh air. And a grip. He needed to get a damn grip.

“Come on. Out of the truck, Dunbar”.

Due to Liam's determination and stubbornness, they spent all weekend learning how to shift. If Liam wasn't trying to convince his body it was okay to become a wolf, they were hanging at Theo's place, just chilling and eating and watching more of Liam's beloved documentaries. Mainly because it relaxed him after another failed attempt. But secretly, Theo really enjoyed watching these with Liam. His eyes always sparkled and his whole being was at peace. It was nice.

Spending all weekend together also meant Liam was staying over and officially stayed the night this time, which was a terrifying thing to happen but he couldn't do anything about it. For a reason Theo didn't understand, Liam refused to sleep on the couch or let Theo sleep on the couch. He insisted on sharing Theo's bed because apparently friends did that and it was totally fine. Theo has never had friends, so who was he to question that? Besides, he kinda wanted Liam in his bed. His scent always did wonders to his sleep. He could need that.

So, it didn't really come as a surprise when that night Theo had no nightmares at all with Liam right next to him. That night he fell into a dreamless sleep, only feeling warm and safe. In no way or form would he ever take this for granted but he also wasn't about to push it away when Liam was so willing and insistent to give it to him. He'd always be selfish and greedy.

Chapter Text

Who would have thought going back to fucking school was the most stressful thing he'd ever have to do? Manipulating and betraying everyone hasn't been half as stressful as this. Not even facing down Stiles came close and that didn't make any sense. Theo hated it when things made no sense. So, he tried to make sense out of this situation. But whatever reason he was trying to find to be this hesitant and anxious, it wasn't making him leave his truck. His hands were glued to the steering wheel and that stupid heart was beating like crazy. When exactly he had lost control over his body, he couldn't say but it was annoying. He was supposed to be the master of his own body, always in control, never a slip-up. But lately, he has only ever slipped up. His control was vanishing and it made him hella anxious and angry. Failing wasn't an option.

A knock on his truck window made him jump, Tara's heart leaping into his throat. Failure. Getting a grip on himself, he turned his head towards the source of his failure and was met with Liam's poorly hidden worried face. “Are you ever gonna get out of that truck? You might not remember because you've been busy plotting our deaths last time, but being late isn't really an option if you wanna stay out of trouble”.

And he knew Liam was only trying to lighten the mood but today, all of that was rubbing Theo the wrong way. He just couldn't say why. So, he just huffed and finally got out of his truck to overcompensate. “Maybe I should get back to that”.

“Have fun with that but maybe you should survive the first day first. Then murder” Liam was totally relaxed next to him. It was irritating Theo to no end. Today really wasn't his day.

“Should I pretend to be an exchange student?” Theo tried to shake himself out of it and get into their usual banter. Failure was not an option. His mask needed to stay in place. “No English and all that”.

“I'll hit you” Liam threatened him jokingly.

“Wouldn't be the first time” Theo grinned fakely.

“And not the last” Liam eyed him way too obvious, definitely not a master at subtlety.

“Is that a threat?” Theo aimed for playful but knew it wasn't working when Liam's face scrunched up.

“A promise”.

And without noticing it, they had entered the building, dozens of students filling the halls and thousands of voices hitting his ears, overstimulating his senses. He couldn't remember it being this bad last time. Then again, last time he had been stronger than this version of him. Failure, Theo Raeken.

Home room was the stupidest invention known to man but at least he had it with all the puppies, even Talisa, who seemed to have settled in quite alright. Theo liked to see it.

Afterwards though everything was a bit of a blur. Some of his classes he actually had with Liam, who stayed by his side as much as possible and it was definitely helping but it wasn't enough to make Theo feel calm or at ease. There was so much screaming at him in these halls, haunting him. So many bad memories of past incidents. If he listened close enough, he swore he could hear his own voice, just that it didn't sound like him anymore. It sounded … monstrous, inhuman.

Because I'm not a real werewolf?

Because you're barely even human.

All day, the tension wouldn't leave his body. By now, Theo was afraid he might break his own bones by accident if something set him off and that could literally be anything. For now, he was poking around in his cafeteria food and drowned out the puppy pack's conversation. Every single one of them was trying to make this feel as normal for him as possible but what they didn't understand was that there was no normal for Theo. Not like theirs. School and teenage gossip and gross cafeteria food wasn't and would never be normal for Theo. Dark tunnels, cold operating tables, needles and scalpels and lots and lots of screams of pain and terror were his normal. Using his voice and his body to seduce and manipulate people was his normal, not friendly chit-chat about classes. Brutal and merciless murder was his normal, not … This.

“See?” Liam's calloused hand appeared in his vision, pointing at Theo's uneaten food. “He also hates it”.

“I hate everything” Theo forced a cheeky grin onto his face but it felt predatory to him, like he was mocking his prey.

“No, not true. Them you hate, yes” Liam gestured at his very offended friends, his eyes searching Theo's face. Against his will, that stupid heart stuttered again. “Not me though”.

“You can't prove that” Theo grumbled to cover up what had happened. This effect Liam had on him needed to be studied, examined but never again in a lab. Maybe in …

“Are you sure?” Liam smirked smugly at him. Was he aware of the power he held over him? Was he enjoying it? Was he getting a thrill out of knowing he could so easily break him?

Glaring at Liam as darkly as he could right now, he huffed very maturely and scoffed at his own thoughts. Of course, the answer to all of those questions was no. Liam was so damn oblivious and not evil enough to ever wanna break anyone on purpose, definitely not someone he was trying so hard to help get a normal life. That unfaltering kindness was something that Theo normally admired in the deepest corners of his mind. Today, it was making him feel all choked up and wrong. Wrong for being here, wrong for being given a chance, wrong for being alive when so many other people weren't. People he had killed or hadn't saved because he hadn't cared. How could he care now when it wasn't in his DNA? That ability had been ripped out of him with his own useless heart.

“Gotta run” Liam got up from the cafeteria table abruptly. “Keep an eye on him for me, Mas”.

Frowning at Liam's words, Theo looked up and was only met with Mason. Everyone else was gone. “I'm not a lost dog”.

“No, but a lost chimera” Mason stood up as well, totally unbothered. As if Theo hadn't tried to steal the beast's power ruthlessly, which would have ultimately killed Mason in the process and Theo hadn't cared about that outcome. “Now listen to the last chimera. Get up and get your ass to class. Missing Maths on your first day back wouldn't make a good impression and Liam really hyped you up”.

“He shouldn't have”.

With that, Theo got up and went past Mason with a new kind of force in his step. But of course, Mason wouldn't be Mason if he weren't following him. After all, they had this class together and he was a stupidly loyal friend. Loyalty only got you killed. They should all know this by now. They should know better.

“Okay, what is wrong with you?” Mason caught up to him, sounding done with his antics. “I know being grumpy and unpleasant is kinda your thing but today is worse than usual. Is it the school? You hate it this much? Then why did you come back? You could have just said no”.

“To Liam?” Theo stopped in his steps, making Mason almost collied with his back. “Liam Dunbar? Your best friend? You know he doesn't take no for an answer”.

“He can be quite determined, yeah” Mason had to admit, rubbing a hand over his neck. “But he respects people's wishes because he doesn't force anyone into anything. So, if you really wanted to say no, you could have”.

And of course, Mason was right. Theo knew that, Mason knew that, Liam knew that, the whole world knew that. His bullshit was exactly that. Bullshit. Every part of him just wanted to run and trash and lash out because this was all too much. His mind felt like it was about to crumble and Theo wasn't sure if he could pick up the pieces. It might be too much this time.

“No”.

There wasn't more Theo planned to say on that matter. Ever. He knew how perceptive Mason was. There was a high chance he already knew the power Liam held over him. Theo really didn't need to admit to anything. So, he just walked into class and hoped Mason would drop it. If not, he could simply remind him of what he was capable of. After all, he had told Theo that he would never forget what he had done.

Somehow he managed to get through the rest of the day without snapping or breaking down but that all went to shit when Alec dragged him along after classes were done. Liam was at practise and Theo had promised to wait and drive him home. So, Alec had leeched onto him, which … fine.

Well, normally that was fine. Normally, he might even enjoy Alec's presence but not right now. Not when he had dragged him into the school's library and every single one of his bad memories was crashing down on him. He could practically smell the blood. Stiles' blood. Donovan's blood. Liam's blood. Scott's blood. He could feel it dripping down his hands.

His lungs weren't cooperating with him anymore and his body was shutting down against his will, causing his hands to shake. His unfocused eyes drifted around the room, totally ignoring Alec's concerned and slightly panicked face, and landed on the steps. The rebuild and fixed steps. The steps without any trace of blood. But he knew there had been blood. Lots of it. On the steps, on the floor, on his claws, all down Scott's injured body. The image of a bloody, murdered Scott McCall is inculcated in his brain. The image of his eyes flashing red one last time before dimming with the life leaving his body. The image of all the gashing wounds Liam and Theo had left all over Scott's body. The image of himself standing over Scott's dead body with blood dripping down his claws, not an ounce of shame or guilt in his veins. Not like right now.

Clutching at his chest, Theo tried to make himself breathe and calm the fuck down but it wasn't working. Alec was trying to get his attention, his chemosignals dipping into sheer panic but Theo couldn't focus on that. He needed to get his shit together. He couldn't keep losing it like this. Yes, the guilt and shame were eating him alive all day and all night but he had no one to blame but himself. He had no right to feel this way. He had no right to self-pity or sympathy from Alec or the god damn empathy from Liam. No matter how hard they tried, there would only ever be self-loathing in Theo. He had ruined his own life with his own two hands when he had ripped them all apart. It didn't matter that he had been turned into this weapon by the dread doctors. It didn't matter that he had been a kid. None of this mattered, it shouldn't matter to the pack. It didn't matter to Stiles and sooner or later, the rest would wake up and realise he was right. Like always. Theo couldn't be forgiven. All of him had accepted that but it hurt anyway.

“Theo, come one, say something. Anything” Alec begged him desperately, his voice still quiet enough to not alert anyone else just yet. “Should I get Liam?”.

The mentioning of Liam's name seemed to make everything happening in his chest worse. Liam was too good to be dragged into his mess. He was too kind to be burdened with Theo's past. He was too bright to be dimmed by his darkness. As much as it pained Theo, he needed to push Liam away. It was the right thing to do. Liam deserved so much better and Theo would just ruin him in the long run. Liam would get hurt one way or another and Theo didn't wanna be the cause of it. He didn't want his claws to hurt Liam when he lost it.

His mind and body finally seemed to agree with him on something, his heart was ignored. And in an instant, Theo just stops. His irregular breathing stops, his eye sight gets back into focus, his senses tune back in and Tara's heart slows down to its usual steady rhythm, rid of any panic or anxiety. With a look of nonchalance on his stoic face, Theo looks at Alec, who just seems utterly lost. He wasn't used to this version of Theo. This collected and put together version of him that made him wanna claw his own skin off his bones. It was about time he got used to it. It was for the best.

“You came here for a reason, kid” Theo ignored everything Alec had said to him while he was spiralling. It was irrelevant because Theo wouldn't let anyone see him spiral again. “Come one, get on with it, baby wolf”.

“I'm not a baby” Alec frowned right in his face.

“You look like one right now” Theo only rolled his eyes at his dramatics. “Come on”.

The whole time Theo spend in the library with Alec, he kept his heartbeat and chemosignals under lock and key. His face stayed impassive and his mind didn't wander. He didn't let it. He knew none of this would last, just like his new life wouldn't last. But he acted as if everything was fine for as long as he could because it was the only thing he could do. For everyone.

Mainly for Liam, who greeted him with his usual smile after practise outside in the parking lot. “Hey, ready to go?”.

“I was ready hours ago” Theo replied monotonously, getting into his truck without really looking at Liam. “Come on”.

With his chemosignals oozing confusion and concern, Liam got into the truck, trying to catch Theo's eye but he only started the engine and kept his eyes on the road. For the first few minutes, Liam tried to keep things normal. He told Theo about lacrosse practise and complained about his biology homework but Theo barely responded. Of course that didn't go unnoticed by the interim alpha. For a long moment, Liam just looked at him before exhaling deeply and deciding to leave Theo alone and just stare out the window. Never has the air between them in this truck been this odd and tense but Theo didn't know yet how to act around Liam from now on.

So, he just drove him home and hoped Liam would get that Theo didn't want to come in or drive them to his place instead. He seemed to actually get that this time cause he only got out of the truck awkwardly and turned back around to him when he closed the passenger door. “See you tomorrow?”.

“Bright and early” Theo faked a cheeky smile.

His reply made Liam frown deeply but to Theo's surprise, he didn't ask. “Okay”.

Without another word, Liam turned his back to him and left. Theo watched him until he was safely inside before driving off to the preserve instead of going 'home'. He couldn't call that place home, as much as he wanted to. It would be taken from him at some point and that would just hurt way too much. He wanted it to be home, he wanted a place to call home. He always had but there was no such place for him. He would always be homeless, even if he had a roof over his head for now. It was Derek's place, not Theo's. He could take it back and he will, as soon as Scott is fed up with him. Fed up with Liam trying to help Theo. It would all be taken from him as soon as Scott chose to finally go all alpha on the puppy pack.

So, he parked his truck, stripped off his clothes and got out. Locking the truck this time, Theo shifted into his animal form and ran off. After today, he knew the nightmares would be unbearable and he preferred to face them out here. Alone.

-------

Liam didn't know what was wrong. Something had happened but he didn't know what it was. Something had happened to Theo but he couldn't figure out what or why he was keeping him out. Something had shifted since he'd been back in school and by now, Liam blamed himself. Without him, Theo would not have gone back to school and whatever happened, would not have happened. Then Theo would still be with him and not this put together shell of the boy he … cared for.

All week Theo has been … terrifyingly scary. But not in a he's-back-to-being-a-murderer scary. No, more like his-mask-is-back-in-place-and-colder-than-ever scary, mainly because Liam can see how fake it is. For four days, Theo's face has been nothing but cocky and cool. A grin was always in place and a sly comment always came their way if they bothered to engage Theo in any conversation. But there was no light in his eyes. They were dull and empty, dim in a way Liam hasn't seen before and it scared him. It was as if Theo had turned off all of his emotions. There was never a skip in his heartbeat or a single chemosignal out of place. He was the perfect picture of nonchalance and being unbothered. Liam wasn't buying it.

Thankfully, he wasn't the only one who had picked up on the drastic shift in Theo's behaviour. His friends had noticed it as well but tried to act as if everything was fine, so Theo wouldn't catch on. Liam wasn't sure how good of a job they were doing but they couldn't more than try. Every time Mason asked him how he was holding up, Liam pretended to be fine but he knew Mason knew better. He knew Theo's oddly cold behaviour was affecting Liam way too much. Guilt and longing weren't a very pleasant mix, especially when the cause was so … Theo.

So, when Corey took him to the side after their biology lesson, it wasn't a total surprise. He had expected either him or Alec to say something at one point. Both of them were worried about Theo and knew Liam wasn't doing well either. That's why he just let Corey drag him outside, all the way onto the bleachers by the empty lacrosse field.

“Alec thinks the library triggered his behaviour” Corey really didn't beat around the bush, coming straight to the point.

“How come?” Liam asked although he had a feeling he didn't wanna know the answer. The library still sometimes triggered his worst memories. Theo had done worse there.

“He dragged him there on his first day and apparently he just froze upon entering” Corey told him what Alec had shared with him, causing Liam's heart to squeeze in his chest. “Alec said he looked lost in his head … until he didn't. It was as if a switch had been flicked and suddenly he was all teases and sly comments and …”.

“Everything he's now” Liam understood what Corey was saying. None of this was helping the guilt he was feeling. He had caused this. “I should've known”.

“I don't think even Theo knew this would happen. That it could happen” Corey tilted his head aside to get a closer look at him. “I'm afraid this entire school is counterproductive”.

“Yeah, probably” Liam gnawed on his bottom lip guiltily.

“Don't do this. Don't put all the blame on you. This isn't your fault” Corey saw right through him, which was kinda ironic. It made Liam release his lip and look back up at him. “The school might have triggered something none of us can understand but the guilt isn't new. Neither is the self-loathing”.

“What makes you think that?” Liam frowned at the tone of Corey's voice. It sounded as if he was thinking about a specific thing and not an overall observation.

“Don't ever tell him I told you this or I'm gonna kill you, if I'm still alive to do it. I don't care what Mason thinks” Corey's gaze was pretty damn serious, so Liam just nodded, not sure he was ready for whatever Corey was about to tell him. “Couple weeks ago, Theo and I kinda had a moment … when I saw him at Josh and Tracy's graves”.

For a moment, Corey let that sit between them, so Liam could process what he heard. The reality of Corey's words shattered something inside of him in a way he could never explain. He had never even considered Theo dealing with that kind of guilt and now he felt horrible about it.

“At first, he didn't notice me, which was odd, to say the least. He's always aware of his surroundings and never taken by surprise. So, that he didn't immediately sense me close by was the first sign that he was dealing with something internally” Corey continued softly, choosing his words carefully. “The second sign were his chemosignals. I have never been able to catch a whiff of them before but that day, they were all over the place. He wasn't in control because the guilt was stronger. The intensity of it almost knocked me off my feet. The only emotion stronger than the guilt was the self-loathing. It was intense”.

Liam didn't know what to say. All he wanted to do was cry. Cry or run right up to Theo and hug the living shit out of him. Probably both at the same time. But he couldn't do that. Theo would never let him. Especially not right now when his emotions were shut off like this. With everything he must be feeling at all times, Liam wasn't surprised it had been too much at some point. He just wished Theo wouldn't keep him out.

“When I approached him and he finally noticed me, he shut down completely in an instant. It was kinda scary to witness but it made sense. He can't afford to let himself be seen as weak or vulnerable. He needs to be strong and unfazeable at all times. It was the doctors' way and that is hard to overcome after so many years with them. If at all” Corey broke Liam's heart with each new word. “I've seen him in a way none of you ever have and … at first, I thought that would make it harder for me to ever trust him again. By now, I think it's a good thing because I can see a clear difference. A difference in his behaviour not even you can see. It's not something I can put into words but it's there. Tiny and fragile but there”.

Processing Corey's truth, Liam dragged a hand over his face. “What am I supposed to do? I can't just let him drown in his guilt and shut me out”.

“I'm not sure, to be honest” Corey had no answer to that, making Liam deflate. “When I look back at my time with him, I see the longing for a pack, friends, a family. Something that isn't taken from him but … it was never strong enough to drown out the rest. He never let himself want it”.

“What are you saying? That it's impossible to help him and he will always self-sabotage?” Liam knitted his forehead together in sheer concern and fear. This couldn't be true.

“Self-sabotage? Probably, yeah. But other people without a murderous past do that too” Corey offered him a little smile, trying to ease his worries. In vain. “When we talked that day, something shifted between us. He wasn't hiding his guilt when we were kinda mentioning the past. He let me see how bad he felt about Tracy and Josh and almost killing me. That wasn't something I ever expected but … It only happened because I started it. We could only grow because I didn't walk away”.

“I'm not walking away from him” Liam huffed defensively. He would never abandon Theo. How could Corey even think that? Wasn't he the one who had insisted on Liam being in love with Theo and all that? What changed?

“I never said you were” Corey looked the tiniest bit amused, which only made Liam glare at him. “I'm just saying you tend to direct the conversation into safer territory as soon as Theo gets even the slightest bit uncomfortable, which is fine when we're all together but I do wonder how that goes down when you're alone. Cause I think he needs something different if you want him to actually open up about deeper …”.

“We've talked about deep stuff, okay?” Liam felt even more defensive than before, wanting to snarl at Corey even though he wasn't doing anything wrong. Theo made him lose his mind and it was showing, clearly. “We talk. A lot”.

“I know you do” Corey didn't waver when Liam's gaze narrowed down. He was totally relaxed. Like always. It was slightly annoying but also comforting. At least something was normal. “I also know you're not keen on talking about too personal things yourself. You keep a lot bottled up that you don't share with the rest of us, which is fine, don't get me wrong. We all have things we don't share. It's just … If we want change to happen, we need to start with ourselves. As hard as it is, taking the first step might be the only way”.

“For what?” Liam felt a little breathless right now.

“Progress. Real progress”.

And with that, Corey stood up from the bleachers and just left Liam behind like a gaping idiot, his words simple but hitting hard and straight home. Liam knew he needed to talk to Theo and soon but he didn't know what to say, where to start. This wasn't about whatever he was actually feeling for the chimera. This was about what they were both actively doing. Pushing unwanted feelings and emotions away and trying hard to be something or someone they're not. Liam knew he was doing it and Theo was probably doing the same, just in a different way.

Before Liam could dwell on that thought for too long, his phone started ringing in his bag. Taking it out, he was met with Hayden's name on the screen. A tiny smile bloomed on his face and he picked up the call immediately. “Hi, Hayden”.

“Liam, hey. Is now a good time?” Hayden's familiar voice sounded through his phone and it calmed him down for a moment. He had missed her voice.

“As good as any. What's up?” Liam pushed all thoughts of Theo away for now to focus on Hayden. They hadn't talked in a couple weeks, so he was very curious to hear what she'd been up to. It was a nice distraction from his mess of feelings.

Until she asked how he was doing. “But my sister is really happy about it, so that must count for something, right? Now, enough about me. How are you doing, Liam?”.

“Um …” somehow caught off guard by that question, Liam took too long to find a convincing answer. “I'm good”.

“You're still a horrible liar, Liam” Hayden was definitely rolling her pretty brown eyes at him. He could clearly see it in his head. “You can tell me what's going on with you, you know that. You can tell me everything”.

“Not this time” Liam muttered against his better judgement. “It's about Theo. I mean, it involves Theo and you …”.

“Hey, I'm over him being back” Hayden cut him off before he could start anxious rambling. “Have been for a while. He did help us and isn't trying to kill anyone anymore … Right?”.

“Right” Liam found himself agreeing, more stoic than he wanted it to sound but his heart was doing weird things. “At least not on purpose”.

“What's that supposed to mean?” Hayden had obviously heard his stupid comment that hadn't been meant to be said out loud. No one needed to know that his heart felt like it was dying the longer Theo stayed away from him.

“Nothing. Was just thinking out loud” Liam only made it worse and he knew that but he wasn't ready for this conversation.

“Did he kill someone by accident?” Hayden sounded really worried now and a little bit suspicious. He had to fix it.

“No, no killing. No. He … I …” he couldn't get the words out.

“Liam, what is it? Talk to me”.

And wasn't that ironic? His ex girlfriend was trying to make him talk. About Theo of all things. Of course, she couldn't know or even guess what Liam felt for the chimera but it was still funnily twisted. Twisted enough that mixed with the softness in her voice Liam just broke. His walls crumbled.

“He isn't talking to me” Liam brought out in a wobbly voice, tears threatening to spill over. “According to Corey and Alec, he freaked out in the library and since then he's been pushing me away but not completely? And I know it's my fault for even … I kinda forced him to come back to school and now …”.

“Woah, wait a minute. He's back in school?” Hayden was totally lost. Understandably.

“Since Monday” Liam tried to calm his hysteria down. He needed to stay factual and focused.

“Okay, and it was your idea, if I got that right” Hayden's brain was definitely working and Liam was scared of the result. “Why don't you start at the beginning, mh? How did any of that even happen?”.

“Well, you could say it probably started when I found out he's homeless” Liam went down memory lane, trying to pin point the moment he'd started to push Theo too far for the first time. All his care and worry had probably been too much for him to handle and Liam hadn't noticed the signs. “He lived in his truck and didn't tell me, although I brought him back and made him homeless. So, I spoke to Derek and Peter, because of course he can never stay out of anyone's business, and he let Theo move into one of his flats. The cover story was Derek and Peter never really being here and Alec needing protection but Theo figured it out. Of course he did. He's too smart to be lied to. You can't fool him”.

“That you can't” Hayden agreed with him, her voice a little off but Liam couldn't place the tone. “How did that end with him going back to school?”.

“I kinda kept showing up at his place or his job since then and we … we sort of … We saved another supernatural together but it was mainly him and Corey, who are kinda friends now? Can you believe it?” Liam knew he was getting off track but he had forgotten what he had wanted to say. All he could think about right now was everything Theo. “He saved my life again, that jerk. And didn't even bother to tell me why he keeps doing it, so of course I blew up but we talked it out. We always do. Did. Not anymore, I guess”.

“School, Liam” Hayden reminded him.

“Right” Liam tried to collect his thoughts but his head was a mess. All he could think or feel was how much he missed Theo talking to him, being close to him. “I just … I don't understand why he's pushing me away. Why now?! I know the library holds bad memories for him, for me as well but since when is his past reason enough to shut me out? We talk about stuff, important stuff. We … I thought we were friends. I tried so much, so much. Hell, I tried everything to help him. Got him a flat, got him back into school, made him talk, talked about my own issues, defend him every time Stiles is being a dick to him, which is quite literally every time he's around. I don't get what I did to lose his trust”.

“Liam …”.

“Or did he just never actually trust me?” Liam was spiralling now, rethinking every single one of their interactions since he had brought him back from hell. “No, he did. He does. He has to or he wouldn't have fallen asleep in my arms like this. That requires trust from his side. You could say he was already asleep when I changed positions but my point still stands. He trusted me enough to relax in my presence”.

“What the hell are you even talking about?”.

“Then again, he acted like it never happened but so did I because I was freaking out. Did he freak out as well?” the words were just flowing out of Liam now, no filter left in place. “I've never even considered him freaking out about this with me gone. Another thing I didn't consider, great. Maybe Stiles was right with one thing. I shouldn't make any decisions. It never ends well. I can't even read Theo enough to see what exactly triggered him badly enough to cast me out of his life”.

“Do you even want my input or are you just …?”.

“I should have never coaxed him into going back to school just because I wanted him around” Liam's rambling turned into whining now but he was past the point of caring. “He was fine with only working at the clinic. He looked really happy actually with that kitten cuddled up to him. So cute and I ruined it. I ruined everything by being me. I get why he doesn't want me around anymore”.

“He could have said no, Liam” Hayden's voice got through to him now for a moment but her words meant nothing. She had not seen Theo lately. She didn't know how wrong she was.

“No” Liam should have thought about Theo's fragile mental state lately but he had ignored it. Okay, he hadn't totally ignored it but he was spiralling right now, okay? He wanted to blame all of this on him because it felt like it was his fault.

“Why do you care so much? I know you're friends now but maybe just let him be for now?” Hayden used the moment of silence to finally be heard.

The thought of leaving Theo to his demons made him wanna vomit right onto the field. “He shouldn't have to deal with this alone. He's been alone all his life. He deserves someone who cares and doesn't run when it gets difficult. I care. I want him to be alright but I know he's not. I can feel it”.

“You can feel it?”.

“I …” Liam hesitated for a moment, not sure if he should tell her but he was known for making horrible decisions. “Corey and Mason think I'm in love with Theo. I guess, Nolan and Alec think this too by now. They're not wrong but this is different …”.

“You're in love with Theo?” Hayden talked over him, not as shocked as he expected her to sound. “And you're admitting it just like this?”.

“What?” Liam was completely lost now. He hadn't admitted anything. “I didn't admit …”.

“You said they're not wrong. That's an admission in my book” Hayden sounded smug now but his world had just stopped. He hadn't even noticed that he'd said that.

“Shit”.

“You didn't mean to say that” she just knew him too well.

“I didn't even notice I did” Liam was definitely full-on whining now but apparently he was really in love with Theo and that was reason enough to whine as much as he wanted to.

“What did you want to say instead?” Hayden asked curiously.

“That Theo and I have a connection?” Liam tested the words out but now everything felt like a love confession and it was not helping his heart. “I just know when he's not okay, you know? Just like he knows how to stop me from punching Stiles right in the face. He's …”.

“Your anchor”.

And that was the last thing he had expected her to say. For a moment, he let those two words sit with him and thought it through. There was no way she was wrong. The kind of deep peace and safety and comfort Liam felt around Theo could only have one explanation. It should shock him but it didn't.

“You didn't know”.

“No, but I should have” Liam sighed out, exhausted from all of his emotions today. “Maybe I did know or at least a part of me but I ignored it because it was for the better”.

“But now it's out in the open” Hayden hummed thoughtfully. “Just like your feelings”.

“You're surprisingly chill about this” Liam pointed out to give himself a moment to calm down.

“After your anxious rambling about him? I suspected as much” Hayden was definitely smirking right now. “I just didn't expect you to be aware of your feelings”.

“I wasn't until Morey brought it up, not very gently I might add” Liam admitted without a problem.

“Cause you're a dumbass” Hayden laughed at him carefreely.

“Ey”.

“I'm sorry but you are sometimes. Brett and I are the perfect example for that” Hayden's laughter turned into snickers. “And that you have a seriously concerning bullying kink”.

“I do not have a bullying kink!” Liam exclaimed offended, trying not to think about Theo mentioning something similar. A humiliation kink, that asshole. “I wasn't into Brett”.

“Whatever you say”.

“You don't believe me”.

“I believe that you didn't notice it”.

“Because there was nothing to notice!”.

“Just a big fat crush on Brett Talbot”.

“I hate you. I seriously hate you right now”.

“We've been down that route before, Liam. No enemies-to-lovers for us again. Re-heatings taste bitter and gross” she was definitely enjoying this a little too much but it kept his mind off of Theo, so he just took it. “Besides, you're not the only one who realised the same gender might have its perks”.

“Wait, are you saying …?”.

“Yes, Liam. That's what I'm saying” Hayden confirmed a lot softer now. “It's scary shit, isn't it?”.

“Fucking terrifying” Liam felt understood in a way he hasn't before. “Is there someone specific?”.

“No or you'd know by now” her smile was heard even through the phone. After a moment of silence, she spoke up again. “What are you gonna do?”.

“Talk to him, I guess?” Liam exhaled deeply. “Corey told me not to abandon him. Can you believe it?”.

“As if you'd ever abandon Theo Raeken. You're entirely obsessed with him” Hayden poked fun at him to loosen him up. “You've been obsessed with him even when we were dating. Are you sure you didn't bring him back because you were already in love with the devil?”.

“You are so not funny, Romero” Liam didn't wanna think about Theo in hell right now. Or Theo before hell. Or Theo after hell. Or Theo at all. “And he's not the devil. He's just a little misunderstood and struggles a lot and …”.

“Oh, God. Please, kill me”.

Chapter Text

Okay, maybe Theo was a little grumpy right now; a lot actually but you didn't hear that from him; and maybe he had a permanent scowl etched onto his otherwise impassive face but did Deaton have to bug him because of it? Being banned to the back because he allegedly was scaring off the owners of his patients with his behaviour was a little bit drastic, if you asked Theo but no one did. So, he accepted his fate yet again and cleaned out the back, muttering curses to himself like the mature adult he was.

When there was seriously nothing left to clean and Deaton hadn't called him back to the front to assist him, Theo went to check on the kitten. He wouldn't admit it out loud because he had a reputation to lose; not really; but he had grown quite attached to her and always spent some extra time with her to make sure she was alright until she could leave and find her forever home. The thought of her being gone did not hurt at all. Tara's heart was just being funny, like usual.

Putting her food and water bowl down in front of her crate, Theo sat down on the floor like every time and waited for her to come out. Over time, she had learned to trust that no one would hurt her here, so it never took long for her to leave the crate. Today though, she almost bolted out of the crate but not at her food. No, she headed straight for him and jumped onto his lap, to his huge shock. Meowing as loudly as she could, she rubbed her head against his hand over and over again until he got the message. Hesitantly, Theo lifted his shaking hand and started to pet her little head, immediately earning satisfied purrs from her. Happy with the situation, she got comfortable on his lap and enjoyed the pets.

Staring down at her in bewilderment, Theo didn't dare to stop his petting. He kept his movements as light and gentle as he was capable of and watched her fall asleep. In sheer disbelief, he studied her relaxed posture and tiny face. No one has ever been this relaxed around him. No one has ever felt safe enough with him to fall asleep. Well, except for …

No. There was no way he was going there right now. Theo would not think about him. That night was not a memory he should let resurface. It had only been a lapse in his judgement, nothing more. He had not felt safe and secure or anything good. No. There simply was no way. And those traitorous little demons he called his feelings needed to stop screaming and rattling on the bars of the cell they were locked in deep in his chest. They were sentenced for life, no release in sight.

Especially not when he was apparently still in contact with his ex, his first love, the girl who had broken his heart. Why he had never said anything about them seemingly never losing contact and still holding onto each other despite the distance and break-up, Theo didn't know. And he didn't care. No, not at all. It was none of his business why the beta he was actively not thinking about has never mentioned that he was still in love with her. Not that Theo blamed him, she was amazing. Pretty and smart and straightforward and good. He had every reason to still want her. He could have told him but it seemed like he hadn't planned on ever doing that. Theo wasn't supposed to know because they really weren't that close, like he had always assumed anyway. He didn't matter and it was fine.

He should have never wandered around after school today. He should have known better after running into Corey, who had seemed a little uneasy. He should have turned around when he had caught a whiff of his scent out by the lacrosse field when there was no practise today. He should have done a lot of things but he had done none of them because even though he was trying to stay away as much as possible; without jeopardising his safety, he would still come for his rescue if needed; that stupid mushy part of him he tried so hard to fight was longing to see him because it had been days with barely any interactions at all. Overhearing him talking to Hayden of all people had been reason enough to stop in his tracks and rethink his entire life. His chemosignals had been all positive and happy and that had been enough to make him leave unnoticed. The interim alpha was fine and needed no help whatsoever. He didn't need him anymore.

“Exposure therapy always works wonders” Deaton's voice startled the shit out of him and only due to years of abuse and torture from the dread doctors was he able not to react in any way or form on the outside and wake up the kitten.

“What?” Theo craned his neck up to look at the vet, not sure what he was referring to, his arrival a bit too random for him to follow along. He had to be talking about the kitten though.

“Exposing someone to what they're most afraid of in a gentle way works almost every time” Deaton reworded his statement, his eyes fixed on Theo, who had stiffened at the intensity in the vet's eyes. “Or just jumping the gun. Like her, I presume”.

“I …”.

“Wouldn't you agree?”.

“What are you talking about? How should I know?” Theo felt oddly exposed right now on the floor with the kitten still asleep on his lap. Deaton's random moments of cryptic advice always gave him whiplash and a headache. Like right now.

“You're clever” Deaton said simply, leaving him alone again. “You'll figure it out”.

Resuming to his petting duty, Theo tried to make his body relax again but it was strung tight, ready to snap. Lately, he hadn't felt very clever, which was a new and unwelcomed feeling. His brain has always been his most polished weapon, especially in combination with his looks and charms. What he was without all those attributes, he still couldn't say. He only knew everything he has ever been good at was working against him and he didn't know how to stop it. What did you do when you were your own worst enemy? Surrender?

Surrender wasn't in his DNA. He'd always fought to survive. He'd killed to survive. He'd endured to survive. He had never, not once, surrendered and he wouldn't now. Not even to himself. Relying on his looks and his body and his brains to survive was second nature to him, rooted in his very core. Not ever has there been the possibility to lose control. Losing control meant certain death. He knew things were different now and a part of him was tired of always being in control but unlearning those things seemed impossible. So, he didn't.

Unless it involved Alec barging into his flat as soon as Theo had arrived home. That was something he hadn't learned to control yet and started to realise that he didn't want to. Alec was a whirlwind of pure energy and youth and most of the time it was a nice and almost welcome addition to his day. Today, it was the first real distraction he had gotten all day. So, if Alec being over meant less moping over him, then fine. There was a high possibility though of Alec mentioning the beta. You win some, you lose some. Apparently, even Theo Raeken.

“And then she said I was immature. Can you believe that?” Alec flopped down on the couch next to him with a dramatic sigh when he was finally done pacing his flat aimlessly. “It's her who's always acting immature and unlogical”.

“I don't even know who you're talking about” Theo closed the book he had been trying to read in vain before Alec had burst in. His mind was too loud today.

“My project partner? Malou something” Alec looked at him as if he should have known that. “What a stupid name”.

“Ey, no name shaming in this house. Just because you don't like her, you don't have to stoop to her level, okay? Be smarter here” Theo was mainly taking the piss but he also wanted Alec to learn something from this stupid situation he was in.

“I am smarter”.

“Then act like it” Theo flicked Alec's upper arm for effect.

“You're one to talk” Alec flicked him right back because he was immature after all. “You're always all talk about big brains and logic and being smart but you've been acting dumber than all of us combined, which shouldn't be possible”.

“Okay, rude” Theo smacked his shoulder now because that sort of behaviour rubbed off pretty quickly. “And what the hell are you talking about? I'm too smart to act dumb”.

“You know exactly what I'm talking about, Smartass” Alec simply raised one eyebrow at him, his voice confident. Theo stayed silent for his own good. Big brain and all that. “Liam?”.

The mention of his name alone sent all of his senses into overdrive, all his nerve ends alert now. Outwardly, he acted collected as always, not keen on Alec seeing how easy it was to throw Theo off balance. Liam's evil superpower should stay hidden and unknown. “What about him?”.

“Where do I start? The list is pretty long. How much time do you have?” Alec pretended to look at his non-existent watch on his wrist, thinking he was oh-so funny.

“I don't have any time for this” Theo gestured with his hand between them, needing to buy himself some time to get his composure back because he knew Alec wouldn't drop this. If there was one person more stubborn than Liam, it was Alec.

“Because you have some very important plans with yourself later, I know. I'm aware. Moping needs to be taken seriously, especially when it's self-inflicted” Alec was mocking him so obviously now that it shocked Theo into silence. No one talked to him like this. Well, no one who had known him pre hell. “I'm gonna let you go back to all of that when I'm done here, which I'm not yet. You need to talk and I'm all ears”.

“You're horrible at this” Theo stared blankly at the boy, in total disbelief. What has his life become? No one was taking him seriously anymore. All because of Liam. “No talking”.

“You're worse than middle-schoolers” Alec groaned in pure annoyance, dropping his head backwards but his eyes never left Theo's face. “Look, I know you don't really do emotions and feelings but I do. Sometimes. Because it's healthy and good for your blood pressure. And keeping them in gives me a headache. I'm sure you can relate”.

“Getting one now” Theo glared at him but it had no effect.

“Exactly” Alec gestured at him with his open palm as if that made any sense. “And to reduce that ache, you should talk”.

“Or I could just kick you out” Theo was in no way or form prepared to talk about what was going on.

“Go for it” Alec could smell his bullshit miles away.

Levelling him down with a death stare that used to make people cower but didn't even make Alec so much as blink, Theo gave up for now. “This is stupid. There is nothing to talk about. Liam is fine. I'm fine. You're more than fine. So what?”.

“None of you is fine and you know it” Alec retorted calmly.

“Do I?” Theo raised an eyebrow at him now as if he were saying test me. “He seemed pretty fine to me earlier when he was talking to Hayden”.

“Oh my god” Alec mumbled slowly, making Theo regret he even said anything. “You're jealous”.

“Don't be ridiculous. I'm not jealous” Theo scoffed defensively and crossed his arms over his chest in an attempt to shield himself from Alec's prying eyes, his voice deciding today was the day to fail him. “Why would I be jealous?”.

“You tell me” Alec scrutinized him with his wandering eyes. “They talk every couple weeks to check in and make sure we are all still alive. That's not new”.

“It's new to me” Theo muttered more to himself but of course Alec could hear him with his superior hearing.

“You didn't know”.

“Obviously”.

“And now you're all sulky because he didn't tell you” Alec shouldn't be able to read him this easily. Theo was failing yet again. “What do you think this means for them? What is going through your head when I tell you they keep in touch?”.

“Nothing? Why should I care?” Theo stood up from the couch now and headed for his balcony, opening the door to let in some much-needed fresh air to clear his head. “It's Liam's business if he wants to get his heart broken by her again. She left him once. Who says she won't do it again? Habits are hard to break. I should know”.

“You wanted to kill him once. Still wanna do that?” Alec dared to ask, suddenly right behind him.

“No?” Theo twirled around to face the young beta. “What kind of stupid question is that?”.

Also, he was just a means to an end back then. Much to Theo's dismay. If there had been another way to steal Scott's power and destroy his pack, Theo would have taken it and left Liam alone. A part of him had known that Liam would have been a great addition to the pack he had wanted.

“Then why would Hayden wanna hurt him again? Not like she left willingly. She had no choice, remember? If I know that, you should too. You've been there, I haven't” Alec questioned his logic and he had a point, which Theo hated. “Besides, they're just friends making sure the other is still alive”.

“Sure. Let's call it that” Theo snorted unconvinced, knowing from observation how strong and deep your first love goes.

“Sounds to me like you care” Alec dared to point out.

“I don't” Theo denied everything, his heartbeat as steady as ever because he hadn't lost all control yet.

“Okay” Alec retreated slowly, so slowly that Theo knew he wasn't done yet. “Just in case you are right this time and Hayden does want to get him back, which would only lead to more heartbreak, we should make sure Liam doesn't fall for it”.

“And how do you plan on doing that?” Theo turned fully around to him now, leaning against his open balcony door.

“Duh, isn't it obvious? We're gonna set him up with someone else” Alec presented his brilliant idea to Theo, who really wanted to punch him right now, anger boiling in his veins. “He is objectively attractive, has some really pretty eyes if you ask me and is just overall kind and …”.

“Sounds to me like you fancy him” Theo dug one single claw into his palm to keep him from snapping.

“Definitely not but I'm also not blind” Alec just went on as if he wasn't close to death. “He's a catch and we all know it. You know that too, admit it”.

Of course, Liam was a catch. He was kind and gentle and funny and interesting and way smarter than he gave himself credit for, unless it was biology. His love for history and stupid lacrosse was fascinating, just like his obsession with greasy mac&cheese. He was a good listener and made people feel safe and seen and just understood. He was a good leader …

“Never thought about it” Theo lied effortlessly, clearing his throat nonchalantly to get a grip. Swooning wasn't something he did. Ever. Especially not with company around.

“Uh-huh” Alec just looked at him suspiciously.

“What?”.

“Just because you haven't thought about it, doesn't mean other people haven't thought about it” Alec continued as if nothing had happened to Theo's insides. “Have you seen the way people look at him in passing? He's so oblivious, it hurts me”.

Of course, Theo has seen the way other people looked at Liam Dunbar every single day. He detested the way strangers eyed him up and down, making big horny eyes at him as if that was a wanted reaction to simply existing. And he had felt those looks on himself as well; he wasn't stupid; but he only needed to glare at them once and they would stop. Liam, on the other hand, never noticed those looks. Oblivious as Alec had said. So, maybe Theo had taken care of the glaring every chance he got but he'd never admit that. Besides, he wasn't doing that anymore. Liam didn't need him to. He had Hayden again.

“Reading the room is an ability rarely anyone possesses” Theo needed Alec to stop talking about Liam and other people.

“Is that so?” Alec cocked an eyebrow at him, proving that he was well aware of what he was doing, reading the room perfectly and taking advantage of what he saw.

“You annoy me” Theo huffed because he didn't know what else to do and stomped past Alec into his kitchenette. Why, he didn't know. Maybe to get a knife and kill Alec.

“I get that a lot” Alec was totally unfazed, sitting down by the counter. Like this, Theo felt totally on display. “Anyway, Liam deserves …”.

“You have no idea what he deserves” the single string keeping Theo back from snapping all day had disintegrated at Alec not knowing when to stop, his eyes flashing for a moment when he slammed his hands down on the counter right in front of Alec, who still didn't flinch. “You don't know him”.

“You do” Alec wasn't correcting him even though he was wrong. Alec did know him, just not like Theo did.

“That's why I know he deserves better” Theo deflated against the counter, his hands clenching and unclenching.

“Better than what?” Alec titled his head aside. “Hayden?”.

Me was what Theo obviously meant and the look in Alec's eyes told him that he knew that perfectly well. There was no need to say it and admit to anything. Liam deserved better and that was a fact. No one was good enough for the beta. No one was kind enough to match Liam's kindness. No one was strong enough to be the support he needed. No one was patient enough to handle his anger when it acted up and he was cursing himself. No one. But Theo wished someone was.

“Everyone” Theo found himself saying against his will, his resistance weakening after fighting against himself so hard all week. Everything in him needed Liam, wanted Liam back here in his flat where he belonged to watch his silly little history documentaries and detox from the stressful day. But he couldn't have that. He didn't deserve it. He didn't deserve him.

“The pedestal you put him on seems pretty high” Alec said a lot softer now. “Almost unreachable”.

Theo could only shrug. He had nothing to say. Nothing could explain what he was feeling right now. Alec's imagery was quite fitting, Theo knew that and he also knew it wasn't fair to Liam, who wouldn't agree with being anywhere close to perfect or untouchable. But Theo's mind was stuck on Liam being this kind and loyal and strong person, who could do nothing wrong in his eyes. But maybe Alec was right, which … odd.

“No one's perfect, Theo. Not even Liam” Alec had to have some secret mind-reading powers. It was getting creepy. “He's quite far from it, actually. Don't kill me, please. Just the truth”.

“Whose truth?” Theo disagreed with Alec. Not entirely but he wouldn't say Liam was far from being perfect.

“Universal” Alec looked quite proud of his answer, making Theo roll his eyes. “Ey, it's not my fault your view of him is warped because you're obsessed with him. Not everyone is”.

“I'm not obsessed with Liam Dunbar” Theo growled at Alec this time, his defences trying one last time.

“Denial is a river in Egypt” Alec replied strangely, obviously not even questioning Theo's veracity. He knew Theo was lying. “And apparently you're both sailing on it together. Quite ironic, if you ask me”.

“No one asked you”.

“But I'm telling you anyway” Alec wasn't backing down, his eyes determined. Theo had no other choice than listening to what he had to say. Or he could still kill him but then he'd have to run again and being on the run was no fun. “Liam is not perfect, no matter what you think. No one is, for that matter, and no one expects anyone to be perfect. Not even Scott. We all have our flaws and make mistakes. It makes us human”.

“Not all of us” Theo mumbled under his breath.

“You are as human as I am, Theo. Stop the bullshit” Alec wasn't even pretending he hadn't heard him. “I know I haven't been around during your worst times but it doesn't matter. I know you now and can say for sure that you are not …”.

“What? A monster? Inhuman?” Theo couldn't handle this right now. Gentleness and understanding wasn't supposed to come his way anymore after pushing everyone away all week. “Let me tell you that I am those things and worse”.

“You're not” Alec was as calm as ever. It pissed him off.

“A second ago, I was literally thinking about killing you with my kitchen knife” Theo needed him to see the truth.

“Because I'm disrespecting your boundaries” Alec didn't budge one bit. “It's a fair urge. Justified”.

“You are insane” Theo took a step back to lean against his stove and stare at the wolf. “You're out of your mind”.

“My whole family was killed and I lost most of my life. I think I'm allowed to be a little insane” Alec answered Theo's stare with his own. “So are you”.

Breaking their stare, Theo looked at his feet. “I'm not allowed to …”.

“Feel good things?” Alec talked over him, making Theo wish he was anywhere but here. Alec saw too much. “Experience good things? You are allowed to do that and I know you don't believe me because you're mind is stuck on you being evil and unredeemable but it's the truth. You are allowed to feel this way, Theo. You are allowed to feel like this about him”.

And no, that couldn't be true. It couldn't be that simple.

“If that were true, which it's not” Theo looked back up to sent Alec a strong look, which he ignored. “It still doesn't mean that I feel any way about him. You're seeing things”.

“I'm perceptive, not delusional” Alec wasn't falling for his dumb attempt of denying the obvious truth. “I have eyes, you know. I see things you don't want me to see and I get that it's scary but fear is there to face it, not run from it”.

Running was his thing though. So, he turned around without another word and rummaged through his cabinets, hopefully drowning out Alec's voice with the loud noises he was making. Today was not the day to admit his feelings for one Liam Dunbar. That day might come with how fast his defences were crumbling but today he wasn't ready. So, he deflected.

“I'm hungry. Are you hungry? I'm starving. Let's eat”.

-------

“Liam” Theo gaped at him without his mask in place when he opened the door. It made Liam realise it had been too long since he'd seen this version of Theo. He had missed it.

“Can I come in?” Liam wobbled nervously on his spot in front of Theo's front door, catching a whiff of some food. Noodles with something and another person. Alec. “Or am I interrupting something?”.

“No, come in. You're not interrupting nothing” Alec's voice sounded loudly somewhere behind Theo, who wasn't moving. He kept looking at Liam as if he couldn't believe he was here. Or maybe he was trying not to snap at him for showing up out of the blue when Theo was obviously avoiding him. “I was just about to leave. Come in, yeah? There's food on the stove”.

In a mess of limbs and flying shoes and jackets, Alec fled the flat and left them alone, wishing them fun and good luck. What they needed that for … Liam had an idea but he wasn't sure Theo was up for that conversation. Or any conversation for that matter. He still looked petrified. Frozen in place.

“I can leave” Liam offered him although he really didn't want to leave. He missed Theo.

That seemed to snap Theo out of whatever state he's been in, making him step away from the door and walk back into his flat. “Don't be ridiculous”.

Liam took that as his invitation to come in, closing the door with him inside the flat. Taking off his shoes, Liam hesitated for a moment before deciding to get over himself and just follow Theo to the kitchenette. Hesitation wouldn't get them anywhere right now. If Liam wanted them to go back to normal, he needed to act like everything was still normal. It was Theo.

“You hungry?” Theo actually addressed him, which took Liam by surprise but he wasn't looking at him. He kept his back to Liam like a wall of safety. A wall he wanted to keep up. “This was supposed to be for Alec, don't really wanna throw it away”.

Alec. That Alec has been here still wasn't sitting right with him. Why has Alec been here? Why had Theo let him in when he was avoiding the rest of them? Why had they been making food together? Liam knew that Alec was strangely attached to Theo, almost like he had imprinted on him but he hadn't been aware of Theo returning that attachment. Since when were they so close? Close enough for Theo to let him in and not Liam? He'd thought he was closest to Theo. Apparently not.

“Sure” Liam answered clipped, not even trying to hide his chemosignals. The confusion and betrayal. Hayden would call it jealousy but this wasn't it. He wasn't jealous. Of Alec? No.

Catching a whiff of said chemosignals; it was pretty obvious to Liam because he just knew Theo that well, better than anyone else; Theo actually turned around to him with a plate in his hand and locked eyes with him, probably expecting Liam to look away or try to hide his uncontrollable chemosignals like always but he wouldn't do that. He wouldn't back down today. So, he kept his eyes locked with Theo's and waited for some kind of reaction from the chimera. All he got was Theo handing the plate to him and turning back around to fetch his own. Which was just fine. Apparently Theo didn't plan on starting any conversation that could be serious. Wonderful.

With the plate in his hand, Theo walked past him towards his couch, where a movie was already ready to be watched on the TV, most likely Alec's choice because he did that now. Watch movies with the chimera, who was shutting everyone else out. Totally normal for them. And Liam was not jealous.

Totally not jealous, Liam followed Theo and sat down on the couch with as much space between them as there has never been but he couldn't stand the thought of Theo being right next to him when they were worlds apart. When he couldn't reach out without it being weird. So, he kept his safe distance. Just like Theo was keeping his safety wall up for some reason.

Without another comment, Theo started the movie and just ate his food. Liam could tell that he was nervous and was only looking for something to busy himself with and he hated it. Theo was never nervous around him. They didn't do nerves. They were Liam and Theo. Theo and Liam. They were safe with each other. Or were supposed to be. Maybe they weren't. Maybe Liam had read this wrong. Maybe only Liam felt safe with Theo, not the other way around. Or maybe Liam was going crazy now because he hated this silence. In his right mind, he knew Theo felt safe around him. He could tell.

He just couldn't say why Theo was shutting him out now. Even after his talk with Corey or his phone call with Hayden, he wasn't any wiser. He had no idea what to do. He wanted Theo to trust him again, to feel safe again. He wanted him back, so he'd be the one Theo cooked meals with. Not Alec.

Remembering Corey's words about guilt and change and how to achieve it, Liam knew what he had to do. What he needed to do. He just didn't know how to start or how to make himself actually talk about this. Of course he understood that Theo kept things bottled up. He was doing the same. There were things he had never talked about with anyone and had never planned on changing that because he didn't want to seem weak. He didn't want to let anyone down, see him fail. And wasn't that quite fitting?! Maybe he should let himself fail to show Theo it was okay. There was a way up after failure. But was there? Liam wasn't sure, so how could he do this?

“Theo?” Liam started quietly, immediately sensing him freezing but trying to hide it by poking around in his left-over food. “Can I talk to you about something?”.

That made Theo look at him in something like worry but this time Liam had to look away. He couldn't talk about any of this and actually look at Theo. His fear was too strong for that. It was trying to make him numb, retreat and crack a joke but he knew he couldn't. There'd be no real progress without this.

“What about?” Theo asked equally as quiet, pausing the movie without taking his eyes off him.

“I …” the words got stuck in his throat, almost making him choke on them. He had no clue how to start this.

“What is it?” Theo grew visibly worried now, his eyebrows knitting together and his forehead wrinkling. It shouldn't look this cute right now. “What's bothering you, Little Wolf?”.

“A lot?!” Liam felt the need to laugh at himself because that was the understatement of the year. “So much, too much. Fuck, I don't even know where to start. I've never had to do this. I've never told anyone …”.

“What about Hayden?”.

And that … that was not what he had expected Theo to ask, like ever because “What?”.

“I'm pretty sure you told Hayden about whatever is bothering you” Theo's voice sounded odd, like he was trying to sound indifferent and unbothered but something was clawing its way up his throat. It made it sound scratchy and raw. “You love her, why shouldn't you?!”.

“Because I don't?” was the first clever response he came up with but he felt dumb afterwards. “I mean, I kinda do but not like that anymore. I don't love her any different from how I love Mason or Corey or … Okay, wait. That's not true. I love Mason more than most of my other friends. He's my brother”.

“You don't have to lie to me, you know” Theo put his plate down on the table with some unexpected force, surprising even himself with the loud clattering sound of the cutlery. “I know anyway. You could've just told me. No big deal”.

“Know what?” Liam was totally lost. What the hell was he on about and why did it matter to him so much? He was the one shutting him out, not the other way around. “I'm not lying to you and you should be able to hear that. You haven't taught me how to lie yet, after all. I can't keep anything from you if you just ask”.

Putting himself on such a vulnerable display was terrifying but something was going on with Theo right now and Liam needed to make him see that he was genuine and would always be genuine with him. Something he should know by now but it seemed Theo's mind has really been a mess since Monday. And because that only happened due to Liam forcing him back into school, he needed to be the one to fix this. Right now.

“You can” Theo insisted with a pained look on his face.

“I'm not though” Liam scooted closer to him, regretting to have put so much space between them when they clearly needed each other close, even if they were fighting it. “And I was just about to tell you something to make sure there was even less unsaid between us because … I trust you, Theo”.

If shock were a person, it would be Theo right in this moment. He looked so taken by surprise that it opened up a pit of pure guilt in Liam's stomach. He should have done this sooner. He should have never let Theo push him away.

“Sometimes it's just too much” Liam decided to just rib the band-aid off and bare himself to Theo. To just jump in hopes Theo would be there to catch him at the bottom before he could shatter into a million pieces. To face his inner demons. “Everything is too much for me to handle sometimes. It makes me wanna scream and break something, preferably human bones but that's not a thought I should even have. Scott would not like it if he knew. Scott would disapprove of so many things if he knew but … I just don't think he gets it, sometimes. It is so much. So damn much I can hardly breathe”.

Never in a million years did Liam expect Theo to reach for his hand between them and take a hold of it, starting to caress the skin with his thumb hesitantly but oh-so gently. It made him wanna cry but he kept it together. This moment was fragile.

“It is okay when things are too much” Theo actually said something, if almost inaudible, and his words caused Liam's heart to make a backflip. It was exactly what he had wanted to tell Theo. Pure irony. “Scott doesn't understand everything”.

“But shouldn't he? He's my alpha” Liam found himself asking as if Theo had the answers to everything.

“No one's perfect, Little Wolf. Not even a true alpha” Theo smiled for a moment, almost as if he was only repeating words he had heard before.

“Maybe you should tell everyone else that” Liam said before he could think his words through, causing Theo's thumb to falter on Liam's hand. Which, no. Definitely not. He was enjoying that touch. “I just … I feel like everyone's expecting me to be perfect. To know what I'm doing when in reality, I don't have a clue. I'm not like Scott. I'm not a true alpha. Hell, I'm not even an alpha at all but I'm supposed to act like one while Scott is gone? Take over as interim alpha until he gets here when things get rough? Pose as his mini-me? No, thank you”.

Letting out a shaky breath, Liam squeezed Theo's hand, that was still in his, and just never let go. He needed that contact to ground him. Theo was the only one who could ground him when everything inside of him was out of control. When the wolf inside of him was trashing like crazy, Theo could calm it down and soothe the anger, the urge to maim someone. That's what he needed right now, so he wasn't ashamed to hold onto Theo for as long as he would allow it.

“I don't think I wanna be an alpha” Liam admitted something he had never dared to say out loud or even think for too long but it was the truth and Theo deserved to hear it. Even if he had been ready to kill to become an alpha. “I'm not made to be an alpha and that's totally fine with me. Of course, I care about my friends and about the pack and want them all safe but I don't think that qualifies me to act as an alpha in Scott's absence. I'm not like him and … I don't wanna be. I just wanna be me without all of these expectations weighing me down. I want me to be enough. I don't wanna let Scott down by being just me but … I am just me. That's it. Is it enough?”.

“Of course you're enough” Theo sounded indignant by Liam even daring to think that he wasn't. In his poorly masked outrage, Theo let go of his hand but grabbed him by the shoulders instead, fully facing him now. “You're not letting anyone down, Liam”.

“Feels like it though” Liam wanted nothing more than to fall forward and bury himself in Theo's chest, where he would be safe and warm and protected. “I'm supposed to be the alpha in training, right? As if that's even a thing. I'd have to kill an alpha to become one, so what's the point? Why train me to be something I'm never gonna be? Not that you could actually call that training. They're not doing shit. They're just leaving me behind with barely any skills to protect anyone and expect me to lead the others and make smart decisions. But at the same time, they don't trust me to make good decisions and it shows. So, what do they want me to do? All I can do is fail”.

“You are not a failure” Theo said it with so much conviction that it made Liam's throat go dry there for a moment. “Trust me, you're not”.

“At this point, I wouldn't care if I were” Liam confessed as terrified as never before, seeing the shock take over Theo's face again. “The power of an alpha is not something I want. I never wanted it. I never wanted any of this. I'm just trying to do my best and that has to be enough at one point, right? Scott was born to be a true alpha and I'm lucky to have him, I know that. But it also puts a lot of pressure on me to be just as perfect as Scott. I'm the true alpha's first beta. I … I fail him on a daily basis just by getting angry all the time and I should care, right? But … A part of me doesn't. That anger is a part of me and I'm working on accepting that. That pressure isn't helping. The pack always treating me like a ticking timebomb isn't either. Derek said the anger was a good thing, it would make me stronger and more dangerous, which it does and we know that. Then why is the pack treating me like I'm broken or defective? Every damn time, I see them stepping back and … I'm working on my anger and I can control it better by now but their behaviour sets me off because it makes me angry”.

“Rightfully so” Theo squeezed his upper arms, reminding Liam that his hands had been there the whole time, if a bit awkwardly but Liam didn't care. “You don't need to be fixed”.

How did Theo expect him to react to that? Definitely not by allowing himself to crash into Theo's chest and hold onto him like his life depended on it. Because sometimes it felt like it did but Theo didn't need to know that. Inhaling Theo's scent calmed the anxiety in his chest immediately but a new set of nerves went off inside of him when Theo actually wrapped his arms around Liam to hold him in place and maybe find some comfort in this embrace as well.

“You're the only one who never shies back when I lash out” Liam mumbled into his chest because he needed Theo to know that he knew and was grateful for it. But this was about more than just them. “The others look at me like I'm losing it because I'm a monster deep inside and maybe I am. But … you were right. My fear turns into anger and then I lose control sometimes when another trigger is added. That's something I can't really control, no matter how hard I try”.

“Control is overrated” Theo let his head fall down onto Liam's to rest there ever so lightly. As if he were giving up his control right now to underline his statement. It brought tears to Liam's eyes but he willed them back. That wasn't for today.

“I'd like to be able to control my nightmares though” Liam brought out easily, admitting to another thing he's never told anyone but he felt safe in Theo's arms, even when he noticeably stiffened at his words. He knew this could go two ways now.

“Nightmares?” Theo's quiet voice got lost in the sound of his wildly beating heart but Liam caught it anyway, pressing his ear closer to where Theo's heart was beating in his chest. Hopefully to make him feel safe enough to let his emotions show. Liam loved the sound of Theo's heart.

“Mh” Liam hummed to give Theo a moment to collect his thoughts or whatever he needed to do to not run away like he definitely wanted. “Ever since I've been bitten, I've had really bad nightmares. First, just of the berserkers but over time, it became a mix of everything. Lately, of everyone I love dying and me not being able to save them because I'm not good enough. Because I'm not an alpha, I'm not Scott. I'm not in control at all times. I make mistakes and those mistakes could cost people their lives. People like my mom, my dad, Mason or … or you. I don't want anyone to die because of me. Not again”.

“Brett wasn't your fault” Theo directly knew who he was thinking about.

“But it was” Liam contradicted him guiltily, fisting Theo's shirt with one hand now because he felt the guilt trying to turn into anger. Anger that would be self-destructive. “That day, he was only helping out because I asked him to. He was trying to help me when I couldn't control my anger. The anger that caused my claws to pop out and dig into a lacrosse ball. The lacrosse ball that Monroe found and connected to Brett, not me. Brett, who hasn't even been on her radar until I fucked up and made him a target. She attacked him when she should've attacked me that day. It should have been me”.

“No” Theo disagreed strongly, his arms tightening around Liam's body. “You can't die. I won't let it happen”.

“And I won't let you die for me. It would destroy me” Liam confessed with a heavy heart, scared he might have said too much now but Theo had said it first. That must count for something. “I dream about it. It can't become reality”.

For an awfully long moment, Theo said nothing. His thumbs were rubbing Liam's back gently and his heartbeat was still going crazy against Liam's ear. It meant Theo was letting him hear it at this point. He could have forced his heart to slow down and pretend he was fine. Liam knew he could and it made him sadder than almost anything else. But Theo was not doing that. He was letting himself be real with Liam.

“I dream about it too” Theo whispered almost inaudible, his nose nuzzling into Liam's hair for a moment. “You dying because I didn't do anything. Because I watched”.

The tremor in Theo's voice almost scared Liam enough to break their embrace and look at Theo but he held himself back. Talking was easier like this. “Yeah?”.

“I'd never stand by and watch you die. You have to believe me, Liam” Theo held onto him for dear life and Liam was overwhelmed with too many feelings for this boy.

“I do. I know that. I wouldn't either” Liam reassured him as best he could, letting his fingers trace over Theo's back in hopefully comfort. His other hand still grabbing onto Theo's shirt and he didn't plan to let go any time soon. “It's just a bad dream. Fear messing with our heads”.

“Like in the hospital” Theo sounded as if he was actively remembering that moment. A moment Liam wanted to explore deeper to fully understand the extent of Theo's nightmares but he didn't know how to ask. “When I saw her”.

The heart in Theo's chest stuttered at his own words, which made Liam remember something he sometimes forgot. It was his sister's heart in his chest. Tara's heart. Tara, whose name Theo had mumbled when he had fallen asleep next to Liam. Tara, who Liam assumed was haunting Theo's nightmares and now had some kind of confirmation. Tara, who had died too young and Theo was obviously still only blaming himself when it was that much more complicated and layered.

“What is she doing?” Liam dared to ask, his voice as quiet and careful as he could muster. Like this, Theo could pretend he hadn't heard him if he didn't want to tell him.

“Take back what's hers” Theo actually told him in a hoarse voice, his body stiff as a board. “In turns with the others”.

And Liam didn't need to ask to know who the others were. Tracy and Josh and maybe even Scott. That painfully cruel truth shattered Liam's heart into a million pieces. All he wanted to do was kill the dread doctors all over again for putting Theo through so much pain and torture, turning his life into this horrible nightmare. For destroying an innocent child's life.

“They're just nightmares. You're safe with me” Liam tried to tighten his hold on Theo even more, needing to feel him as close as possible. In his veins preferably but that would just be mental. Under his skin should be enough for now. “Safe”.

Theo seemed to share that urge, pressing their bodies together in an attempt to bring them closer, his voice trembling when he spoke but his heart steadier now. Not under control but not terrified anymore. “And you're with me”.

For months, Liam had felt safe with Theo but to hear him say these couple of words made him feel like this was the biggest revelation he had ever heard. That Theo was not just acknowledging this but willingly admitted it made Liam's heart swell with so much love and affection. Theo had finally understood that they were safe with each other and it wasn't a weakness to admit that. He felt like he could fly.

But for now, he only felt bone-deep exhaustion spreading through him from all these emotions. He had admitted to so much today and bared himself in ways he's never done before that this tiredness wasn't coming as a surprise. What came as a surprise was Theo still not breaking their embrace even though he should feel Liam being lulled to sleep by his warmth and scent and presence alone. If he felt it, he didn't seem to mind, maybe too exhausted himself to care. So, with Theo's everything all around him, Liam let himself fall asleep right here in Theo's arms, knowing he was safe.

Chapter Text

“It is okay when things are too much”.

Things were definitely too much and Theo wasn't sure if that was actually okay but he had said it himself, knowing how ironic that was and not only had Liam seemed to believe him at one point but Theo had believed it himself. For weeks, months really, everything has been too much to handle but he was still here, still fighting … for what exactly, he couldn't say. A lot of things at once. He was fighting to deserve this second chance Liam and the puppies were giving him. He was for sure fighting against his own nature most of the time, fighting against everything the dread doctors had quite literally drilled into him. He was fighting to keep the good things in his life and that was definitely a fight against himself because he has been really good at trying to sabotage himself and his new life. But he was mostly fighting for Liam, in any way or form.

“Control is overrated”.

Even to his own ears he had sounded shaky saying this to Liam but he had meant it. Every part of him had meant those words because they couldn't be more true. All his life, control has been everything. Pre doctors, control has been about keeping him alive due to being an asthmatic child. An inhaler had to be on him at all times and every step had to be totally controlled, according to his parents. With the doctors, control has been forced upon him in every painful way possible. They had wanted him to be in total control of his body to be of any use to them and he had needed to be in control of the whole situation to survive. Slip-ups would have meant death. Post doctors, control has been the only thing he knew. Everything around him had changed, he had changed in hell but he did not know how to handle any of this, how to act in this new version of his life, so he had clung to his control over his body and his mind like a lifeline. Truth was, that control has ruined his life and it had tired him out. Always keeping yourself in check and never slipping was exhausting and only led to emotional pain. Pain no control could ever extinguish.

Around Liam, control has been non-existent anyway. Ever since Liam had brought him back from hell, Theo's familiar and beloved control has been slipping. For months, he was doing things the dread doctors would have killed him for and every time his body waited for the pain, the torture, the abuse. It never came and that was still so strange to him. His mind knew the doctors were dead, gone. But his body wasn't convinced yet. Muscle memory was strong and even harder to overcome. Theo still wasn't sure if he could ever do it. Every time his control slipped, willingly or not, he felt like a failure.

“You are not a failure”.

Ironic how he had told Liam that, totally appalled by the mere thought of him thinking he could fail anyone, when he was the one longing to hear those words directed at him. He knew Liam didn't see him as a failure, would probably throw a fit if Theo even thought about saying the word out loud, but the fear ran deep. Every time his lately always overwhelming emotions caused him to mess up, he could taste the mercury on his tongue. When he couldn't read the people around him something inside of him braced itself to get punished by the doctors, to get opened up again to get rid of the broken parts of him and switch them for something better, easier to control. When his mind was too loud even in dangerous situations and his senses weren't working perfectly, he could feel the faint touch of a scalpel on his scalp, sending icy shivers down his spine. Every time he wanted Liam close and let himself have that, he expected them to show up and take him away.

“At this point, I wouldn't care if I were”.

Hearing Liam say he wouldn't care anymore if he were a failure had shocked Theo into the abyss. He hadn't known that was a possibility. He hadn't known you could be strong enough to ignore that fear of failing to the point of not caring anymore. He also hadn't known that Liam was dealing with so many heavy burdens, that the pack's expectations were weighing him down so much. Of course, he had noticed a thing or two when he had watched their interactions but he hadn't known it was this bad. Bad enough for Liam to break.

Knowing about all of this now, Theo felt bad for calling Liam the interim alpha in his head so many times. He had never really thought about how that label would make Liam feel, how he was dealing with that whole situation. Now that he knew, Theo wanted to punch himself for not realising sooner that Liam didn't want any of this. He should have noticed. Then again, maybe he wouldn't have been capable of even fathoming the concept of not wanting to be an alpha. After all, for the longest time he had wanted to be the alpha of his own pack. He had wanted the power of an alpha. Something Liam so easily knew he didn't want, ever. And if Theo was being honest with himself; which he was being a lot lately; he hadn't wanted the power for the sake of power either. Not entirely, not ultimately. The dark pit of loneliness in him had wanted to be an alpha to get a pack. A pack meant safety, family, love. All things he didn't have growing up. All things he desired more than anything, as much as he had tried to hide it from them.

So, hearing Liam talk about not wanting to be an alpha and being unhappy with this whole alpha in training situation had done things to Theo. Mainly, he wanted to scream at Scott and the rest of the pack for not giving a damn about what Liam wanted, for not even asking if he wanted that role. For just leaving him in charge without any real or useful advice on how to lead a pack as a 'fake alpha'. For always making Liam feel like something was wrong with him, like he was letting them down by just being himself, like he had failed the pack, like … like he needed to be fixed.

“You don't need to be fixed”.

And he stood by it. There was nothing about Liam that needed to be fixed. He was good the way he was. Enough. The pack should make him feel that way but they failed to do so, over and over again. Every time they took a step back or approached Liam with careful steps and raised hands when the anger was taking over, they made him feel broken. Every time they only dumbly told him to calm down when he was losing control, they made Liam feel like they were only seeing a wild animal and not a human being. They were all wrong.

Remembering how Liam had told him that he was the only one who didn't treat him like a ticking timebomb made Theo's heart feel heavy in his chest. He shouldn't be the only one being capable of seeing how much Liam was struggling with himself every time the anger was stronger than him. He should not be the only one capable of calming him down with just words instead of making it worse by sheer presence alone. But he was and that wasn't sitting right with him. Liam's pack should be capable of those things. They should see what they were doing to their very own beta. They should see that Liam didn't need to be fixed. He wasn't broken or wrong. The IED was a part of him and no one should make him feel bad about that, least of all his own pack. They should be able to see his humanity in all this, like Theo did.

The phantom feeling of Liam being buried into his chest to seek comfort made his heart swell, his hand reaching up to trace over the spot where Liam has been yesterday. Right over his heart, Tara's heart. Having Liam this close to his most vulnerable part has not been as terrifying as he had thought. It had been scary at first but Liam's warmth had seeped into him and engulfed his heart in a warming embrace. It had made him feel safe in a way he could never put into words.

“You're safe with me”.

“And you're with me”.

Yesterday still felt like a fever dream to Theo. After avoiding Liam for almost five days, he hadn't expected him to just show up and open up to him out of nowhere. He hadn't known how to handle this, so his words had mainly left him. But his feelings had been all over the place. The trust Liam had put in him yesterday had unlocked something in him. The urge to confide in Liam as well. So, that's what he had done. As much as he was capable of at the moment. Admitting to his own horrible nightmares after Liam had told him about his had been scary beyond reason but it had also felt freeing. Someone knew now and not just anyone. Liam. Liam knew now about his nightly terrors and he hadn't told him he deserved it. He had simply told him that he was safe. That he wasn't alone.

And Theo … Theo had wanted Liam to know that he was safe with him as well. Always. Theo would always make sure that Liam was safe and felt safe around him. Even if he didn't know how to do that but he was trying. He was trying and that should count for something, right? Liam would say yes. Of course, he would. Liam always knew how to make Theo feel like he was doing enough. How to make him feel less broken, wrong, lost, alone. With Liam by his side, Theo wasn't alone and would never be alone again. After yesterday, Theo knew now that they would carry their burdens together. They had each other's back and kept their secrets safe. They were safe. Liam was safety for him, so Theo wanted to be safety for Liam.

“But am I?” Theo asked himself quietly, knowing the answer to that question deep in his heart. “Yes, I think so”.

The kitten on his lap just blinked up at him as if she thought he was crazy before closing her eyes again and going back to sleep. The sight reminded Theo of Liam, of Liam last night. Of Liam falling asleep on his chest after their heavy conversation. Of Liam feeling safe enough to fall asleep in Theo's arms just like that. Of Liam clinging onto him when Theo had picked him up to carry him to his bed so he could sleep. Of Liam directly burying his face in Theo's sheets as if this bed, that Theo called his own, was already a safe haven for him, which …

“I see she's doing better” Deaton tore him out of his memory and Theo was actually thankful for that. It was for the best.

“Yeah, she isn't scared anymore” Theo told the vet, the words somehow heavy on his tongue. Was he still scared?

“At least not of you. She really trusts you. It's nice to see” the doctor studied their position on the floor for a moment, his words fitting themselves right next to Liam's and creating a puzzle he was still trying to solve. “Is she eating enough?”.

“Look for yourself” Theo gestured towards the empty food bowl, licked almost clean by their fury guest.

“Good. Very good. If she's better, we can start looking for options” Deaton hummed satisfied.

“Options?” Theo wasn't following, his mind a bit slow today.

“She can't stay here forever” Deaton reminded him softly, something in his chest feeling heavy all of a sudden. “She needs to find a home. She deserves one, our little fighter”.

“Right” Theo wasn't sure why his throat felt so dry.

For a long moment, the vet just looked at him with a blank face. Then his usual expression returned. “How about you take your break now, mh? You two look comfy”.

With the doctor gone, Theo relaxed against the wall, his eyes fixed on the kitten still sleeping on his lap. Pushing all of his thoughts aside for now, he carefully took out his phone and opened his stupid kindle app. He definitely preferred physical books but for breaks at work, e-books were a lot easier to carry with him, especially when he couldn't move due to cats sleeping on him. The book he was currently reading was something he had never tried before. Urban fantasy, fiction. For the longest time, he had stayed away from any fiction, especially fantasy because that was just odd when you were a chimera living in Beacon Hills. But at some point, classics bore you and poems aren't really his thing, most of the time. So, he gave fiction a chance and he wasn't regretting it entirely. This book was apparently a sequel to a six-part series in some bigger book universe but you could read it separately to some extent and he also just didn't care. They explained everything he needed to know to be able to follow the main story and he was oddly enjoying it so far. Until he reached a scene that made him freeze, a certain quote hitting too close.

“When you love someone, they become a part of who you are. They're in everything you do. They're in the air you breathe and the water you drink and the blood in your veins. Their touch stays on your skin and their voice stays in your ears and their thoughts stay in your mind. You know their dreams because their nightmares pierce your heart and their good dreams are your dreams too. And you don't think they're perfect, but you know their flaws, the deep-down truth of them, and the shadows of all their secrets, and they don't frighten you away; in fact you love them more for it, because you don't want perfect. You want them. You want -”

“You want what?”.

Liam. That was the only word in his head. Liam. All of that was Liam to him. All of that was how he felt about Liam deep in the precipice of his stolen heart. He wanted Liam. Liam, who wasn't perfect and Theo knew that now and understood. Liam, whose nightmares he knew about and wanted to fight. Liam, whose secrets he kept safe. Liam, whose touch he could still feel on his skin and whose voice was a constant echo in his mind. Liam, who was safety for him. Liam …

The phone in his hand started ringing and he almost dropped it onto the cat but he caught it just in time. Pushing his not so new realisation aside, Theo looked at his screen and his heart stopped for a moment. Mason was calling him. Mason, who only had his number originally in case something was wrong. With Liam. Who should be with him right now. Liam, who had left earlier after their shared breakfast to meet up with Mason, who shouldn't be calling him but be with Liam.

“What's wrong?” Theo picked up the phone, not caring if the urgency in his voice was misplaced or not. Something was wrong. Theo could tell.

“Liam” was Mason's first word and that really wasn't helping Theo stay calm. “Is he with you?”.

“I thought he was with you” Theo felt himself frown at that stupid question, simultaneously waking the cat and gently making her stand up so he could do the same.

“He was” Mason replied tensely, hearably pacing up and down in worry. “We were at mine when Stiles called in a surprise pack meeting. We didn't even know he was still in town, any of them actually. And after last time, Liam really didn't want to go but they were all already at my door cause they knew he wouldn't come otherwise. You can imagine how angry he was”.

Probably even angrier than Theo felt right now. A pack should not act like this, sneak-attacking one of their own like this when they knew it was wrong. “Mason, what happened?”.

“It escalated, which … not really unexpected” Mason told him while Theo put the cat back into her crate. “Stiles was being a dick, Scott let him, Malia stayed silent and Liam exploded”.

“Figured as much” Theo dragged a hand over his face to stay calm until he knew all the information he needed. “Why would you think he's with me though?”.

“Cause he ran off and we can't find him” Mason revealed the current situation to him, making him stop in his tracks and attracting Deaton's attention. “We looked at home, at school, at … I … Stiles went too far with his accusations and we all told him that but Liam doesn't know. He ran off before any of us could intervene. Now he's out there somewhere and as angry as he was, I thought he might have sought you out cause you can calm him down like none of us can and …”.

“He isn't with me” Theo made eye contact with Deaton, trying to tell him that something had happened. “But I have an idea where he could be. Do you …?”.

“Please, just find him, okay?” Mason asked of him quietly, his voice full of desperation and fear and even guilt. “Make sure he's okay”.

“I will. I promise” Theo assured him immediately, everything in him meaning this and wanting to run off and find the beta.

“I take it something happened” Deaton spoke up as soon as Mason had hung up on him

“Liam. He …”.

“Then go” Deaton didn't even let him finish or give any kind of explanation. “It's okay. If Liam needs you, you should go”.

“But w …”.

“Work isn't that important” Deaton waved his objection off, knowing damn well that Theo was on the brink of running off anyway. “Go, Theo. Your beta needs you”.

“Thank you” Theo smiled gratefully at him, his heart jumping in his chest at those words. Your beta.

High on adrenaline due to his pure concern, Theo headed for his truck and sped off, hoping his stupid gut feeling was right. Something in him was convinced that he knew where Liam was, so he followed that feeling. Arriving at the preserve, he got out of his truck and went straight into the woods, trying to sniff Liam out. Which was easier than expected.

Theo followed the smell of anger mixed with despair and something so solely Liam that he felt it in his bones. When he got closer to where exactly Liam was hiding out, his steps slowed down until they faltered completely and he froze on his spot. He knew this place better than anything. It still reeked of him but now Liam's scent was mixed with his own. All because Liam had found his old den. The den he had spent the nights in for weeks when he couldn't stand to sleep in his truck anymore. The den he had been in just this week after his almost panic attack in the school library. The den that knew his nightmares and was now offering Liam the comfort he needed after facing down his pack again.

The thought of Liam finding Theo's scent even in his rage made Theo's brain shut off, stripping out of his clothes and shifting into his animal form without thinking it through. With his clothes in his snout, Theo tip-toed the rest of the way into the den, where his heart immediately wanted to leap out of his throat. Liam was sleeping on Theo's old blanket peacefully, in his wolf form. He had managed to shift and instinctively sought out the one place in this forest that smelled familiar. That smelled like safety. Like Theo. It made his heart soar.

Dropping his clothes, Theo made his way over to Liam's sleeping wolf form and lay down right beside him, technically cuddling up to him but he didn't care anymore. The only thing that mattered was that Liam was safe with him. That he had found him unharmed. That their scents were mixed together again, like Theo thought it should always be. And with that way too sentimental thought, he let himself fall asleep right next to the one person that meant more to him than he was ready to admit. The one person, who mattered more than anything.

When the sound of a twig snapping under a heavy footstep woke him from his slumber, Theo was instantly on high alert. The scent of gun powder filled his nostrils mixed with the usual stench of hunter. Snapping into action, Theo jumped up from his spot and shifted back into human form, putting his pants back on in record time. Quickly but carefully anyway, Theo shook Liam awake but signalled him to stay put. He got this.

When the familiar-smelling hunter was close but unaware of their den, Theo used his chance to attack him and throw him off balance. Everything after that was a blur to him. Somehow another hunter showed up out of nowhere and together, they tried to take Theo out but he wasn't so easily beaten. Not even when he recognised the first hunter as Monroe's new right hand, a skilled hunter she never sent out for bare huntings of unimportant supernaturals they might encounter. No, he was obviously out here in the preserve of Beacon Hills for a reason and Theo wanted to know why but he had bigger issues right now. Said right hand managing to overpower him, for example.

With a knife stuck in his left side and the hunter towering over him, Theo dared to sneak a look at Liam, who looked about ready to intervene and possibly save his life. Or get himself killed and Theo couldn't risk that option. So, he shook his head as subtly as he could to tell Liam to stay put. Theo needed him to be safe. That's all that mattered. That's all he cared about when everything turned black.

-------

Blinded by fear and anger, Liam ran as fast as his four legs were capable of. Ignoring all common sense, he headed for Mason's house, more precisely his backyard. His wolf was screaming at him to turn back around and go after the hunters, who had taken Theo right before his eyes, but his human side fought for some dominance. He needed help. If he wanted to get Theo back alive, he needed his pack.

So, he ran all the way into Mason's backyard, where Mason was talking to Corey, Alec and Talisa. In sync, all four of them sprung to their feet when they spotted him just waltzing right into the house through the open patio door. As quickly as possible, Liam headed for the living room and got behind the couch, shifting back to human when he could sense that no one else was home apart from them. Feeling his bones putting themselves back together for the first time was an odd sensation. It was definitely less painful than shifting into his wolf form but that wasn't a thought for right now. Right now, all that mattered was Theo. Well, and his four friends staring at him in pure shock, eyes as big as saucers.

“Liam?” Mason took a tentative step towards him. “You can shift? Since when?”.

“Technically today but Theo taught me a while ago. I just couldn't do it then. Today it just happened” Liam explained to his best friend why he hadn't told him about that new ability. “Anyway, that isn't important right now. Theo …”.

“Dude, you're naked” Alec pointed at him still standing behind the couch so he wouldn't flash them entirely as if Liam wasn't aware of that fact. That wasn't a side effect he liked.

“I know”.

“Where are your clothes?”.

“Still in the preserve”.

Liam tried really hard not to think about the den. The den, that has obviously been Theo's den. The den Theo has obviously slept in at one point instead of his truck. The den that had held Theo's blanket. The den that had smelled too much like Theo for him to not have been in there just a couple days ago. The den Liam wasn't supposed to know about. The den that was a painful reminder of all the things Theo still kept to himself because a part of him was ashamed. That den.

While Alec had been pointing out the obvious, Mason had gone upstairs to get some clothes for Liam. And that's why he was his best friend. Mason was quite literally the best person ever and no one deserved him. Except for Corey maybe.

“Here” Mason handed him the clothes, turning around as soon as Liam took them. “We'll give you a minute”.

With his friends' backs turned to him, Liam got dressed as fast as he could. He had no time to waste. Theo's life was in danger and he needed to find him. Theo couldn't just give himself up to protect Liam and then die by the hand of a hunter. No, Liam wouldn't let that happen. No sacrificing today. He needed Theo alive and well. Preferably in his arms.

“Theo was taken” Liam dropped the bomb when he was fully dressed, causing his friends to whirl around to him with big eyes and shock on their faces. “Two hunters took him and we need to help him”.

“Of course, we're gonna help him” Mason assured him softly, stepping around the couch to nudge his arm in comfort like he always did. “But what happened? How did he get taken?”.

The disbelief in Mason's voice made Liam's throat go dry. He got it. Theo getting taken in broad daylight out of nowhere didn't sound very Theo. He was too careful and paranoid for that and they all knew it. They probably also all knew who was at fault here. They just weren't saying it. So, Liam did.

“He did it for me”.

“What do you mean?” Mason frowned bewildered.

“He let himself get taken to protect me” Liam barely got the words out, the scene still too present in his mind. Theo could have found a way to overpower the hunters, Liam was sure of it. He could have just killed them but no, this stupid pack frowned upon killing anyone no matter the circumstance and now Theo had to pay the prize. “He found me out in the preserve, I guess. I'm not entirely sure because I was asleep in hopes that would cool me down, which it did but that isn't important right now. Fact is, Theo found me and heard the hunters first. He told me to stay where I was while he attacked the hunter. It was only one at first but then a second appeared and I had to watch him … He made it clear he didn't want me to get involved and then … I still followed them to find out where they were going but they took off in a car”.

“It's okay, Liam. This isn't your fault” Mason rubbed both of his hands over Liam's upper arms to help soothe his mind but it wasn't working because this time, he was wrong and they all knew it. This was entirely Liam's fault.

“It is though” Liam wouldn't let them lie to him to make the situation better. “I should have helped him. Since when do I listen to him? He could be here right now but instead …”.

“Instead he decided to keep you safe because that's what he does” Alec cut his whining off, sounding so sure.

“He shouldn't”.

“Don't think he agrees”.

“That isn't important right now” Talisa got involved now, her chemosignals telling Liam that she was highly concerned, which reminded him of her also kinda imprinting on Theo just like Alec had done. “Important is that we find him”.

“I just don't know how. I couldn't tell where they were going and we don't know where they're hiding out …”.

“We're gonna figure this out” Alec tried to sound optimistic but the fear in his eyes was too strong to hide his doubts.

“Just us though?” Mason asked the question they were all thinking. Liam could clearly see it in their eyes. “You know we should call Scott and tell him …”.

“So he can do nothing?” Liam stared his best friend down, definitely not in the mood to ask Scott for help. “No, thanks. He's not gonna do shit anyway. It's Theo”.

“Liam …”.

“He's right, Babe” Corey agreed with him and somehow Liam wasn't surprised by that. Corey wasn't necessarily Scott's biggest fan at all times. “Do you really think he's gonna help?”.

“He's Scott. Of course he will” Mason clearly wasn't happy with his boyfriend doubting him, already dialling Scott's number and putting the call on speaker for everyone to hear.

“Did you find him?” Scott's voice sounded through the phone only a few seconds later, reminding Liam that they were still looking for him because he had run off earlier. Whoopsie.

“Yes, he's with me right now” Mason's face crunched up at the awkwardness of the situation. “That's not why I'm calling. Something happened”.

“What is it?”.

“It's about Theo” Liam spoke up now, too riled up and anxious to stay quiet, all eyes on him now. “He was taken by hunters. One of them is her right hand, so he's in huge danger”.

“Okay, I see. That's not good” Scott said definitely way too calm for Liam's liking. Not good was an understatement. “How long ago did this happen?”.

“Not even thirty minutes ago. Why?” Liam was growing impatient. He couldn't just stand around and do nothing while Theo was fighting for his life. Because of him.

“That gives us time to come up with a plan …”.

“There is no time” Liam didn't have the capacity for dealing with this nonsense right now. Not after that last surprise pack meeting. He knew now that they didn't care enough about Theo to go out and save him if there wasn't something in it for them. “Are you gonna help or not? Because I'm going …”.

“You're not going anywhere” Scott's voice almost sounded like a growl, strong and authoritative. The tension caused by that action was immediately felt in the room, probably on both sides. “Stay where you are for now. We need a plan, so we're coming to you. This might be our chance to find out where she's been hiding out and stop …”.

“Theo isn't bait or a fucking sacrifice!” Liam's anger was taking over now, all rationality leaving his brain at Scott caring more about catching Monroe than saving Theo. “I'm not gonna wait here until you come up with one of your stupid plans, that never works out anyway! I'm gonna go out there and find him and if you're not gonna help, then stay out of my way”.

“Liam …”.

“No!” Liam was done with this conversation. “You're not the boss of me, true alpha or not. I'm gonna go and hopefully save his life now after he saved mine yet again. You can't stop me”.

And with that, Liam threw Mason an all-saying look, that made him hang up the phone. The silence that followed was deafening but the anger rushing through his veins drowned that out for him. He really shouldn't be this appalled. He had known Scott wouldn't jump right into action for Theo. If it were Stiles, he wouldn't hesitate to go look for him, coming up with a plan on the way or just improvise. But Theo wasn't important enough for him. For anyone of them. But he was important enough for Liam to head back out there and find him.

“So, what are we gonna do now? What's the strategy?” Corey looked at Liam for guidance, his scent reflecting the worry he was feeling. He wanted Theo back alive as much as Liam.

But that was the big question, right? What the hell were they supposed to do? All Liam wanted to do was run back to the preserve and follow the car's tracks and … Maybe that's what he should do. It could lead him into the right direction at least and then his nose would do the rest. Theo's scent was a part of him by now. He could find him anywhere if he knew where to look. And that's something he could find out.

“I'm gonna go back to the preserve, to where they took him and follow their tracks. It's all I have at the m …”.

“You mean we” Corey corrected him determined.

“We” Liam offered him a thankful smile for a second. “We should be able to at least figure out the direction they were taking him and then move from there”.

“Sounds better than doing nothing” Corey was up for it.

“Okay. Then let's go but stay close to me, okay?” Liam felt a new kind of determination rise inside of him. They could do this. They could find him, together. And apparently, Mason agreed with what Liam was thinking, ready to intercept because he didn't wanna get left behind. Liam beat him to it. “You drive, Mase”.

“Oh, thank God” Mason sighed out in relief. “I hate being left behind when I can clearly help”.

“I know and I need you. You're smarter than Corey and me” Liam grinned to lighten the mood a little bit.

“I should be offended but it's true, so …”.

“What about us?” Alec held them back when they were about to leave the room. “Talisa and I can help”.

“I don't want you to get hurt. You haven't been around for …”.

“I don't care if I get hurt. Theo's my friend” Alec interrupted him in a strong voice, his words warming Liam's anxious heart. People cared about Theo, enough to risk their lives. “I'm coming with you, no matter what you say”.

“Me too. He saved me. Now I wanna help save him” Talisa agreed with Alec, her determination strong.

“Okay” was all Liam could say. He wouldn't stop them from helping. He knew how much it sucked to take the backseat.

“Okay”.

But when Liam opened Mason's front door to head out and find Theo, he was met with someone he didn't expect to see. “Isaac?”.

“I'm here to help” Isaac explained why he was standing in front of Mason's home. Which didn't explain how he had known where to find them. “I overheard your call with Scott and came here instead”.

“Scott doesn't know you're here”. It wasn't a question but there was a question in between the lines.

“He doesn't need to know everything” Isaac shrugged totally unfazed. “Now it's only important to save Theo”.

“Why do you care?” Corey eyed him in suspicion.

“Why shouldn't I?”.

“Aren't you and Scott …?”.

“See, that really doesn't matter right now. I make my own decisions” Isaac came off as if nothing could shake him and Liam admired that. He was the opposite. “I have more information than Scott too, so …”.

“Great. Let's talk about this in the car” Liam was too anxious and worried to just stand around here and talk. So, he walked past Isaac to get to Mason's car, his friends following.

“Head for the outskirts of Beacon Hills” Isaac's voice made him stop in his tracks for a moment, looking back at him. “The old warehouse is where I've smelled the hunters last”.

“You …”.

“I was about to tell Scott but coming hear sounded like the better idea” Isaac didn't even let him speak, as nonchalant as when Liam had first met him.

“Thank you” Liam was very grateful for Isaac's decision. It could save Theo's life and reduce the torture he was definitely experiencing right now. Isaac just shrugged. Of course.

Inside the car, the air was filled with tension and fear. Due to them being technically one person too much for the car, Alec had Talisa practically on his lap for the short drive. It was nice to see them get along so great but it reminded Liam of …

Pushing that thought away, Liam glanced at Isaac next to him. He really didn't know him that well but something about him simply oozed calmness, just like the last two times he had met him. The first time had been a little bit of a shock but probably because he had just survived a fucking trap and war against hunters with Theo right by his side. To meet Scott's former beta right after something that extreme could only give you whiplash, especially when he hadn't even known Isaac had been back in town to fight with them. Of course only due to being trapped in the hospital but still. And when someone told him that Isaac had kissed Scott to help with healing his eyes; that he had clawed out previously; the shock had been complete because what?! And then he had flown back to France right after their horrible debriefing without anyone knowing what exactly was going on between him and their alpha. So seeing him again now and knowing he wasn't telling Scott about his new information first because helping Liam save Theo was more important to him was odd but his aid was welcome. Liam liked Isaac.

“So, what was it you wanted to tell Scott earlier?” Liam asked him because he needed to know if that new information could help him save Theo.

“Monroe was in France recently” Isaac filled the silence in the car with his intel, making them all stiffen. “She was looking for something underground but couldn't find it”.

“The operating theatre in Paris” Liam realised what Isaac was saying, his entire body going cold.

“I think so too. There has to be something she wants. I just can't figure out what it might be” Isaac frowned a little bit, his voice revealing some concern. “So far, she hasn't found it”.

“Are you sure?” Liam bit the inside of his cheek to stay calm.

“Positive. She's been spotted in Brazil two days ago” Isaac let him know casually, as if that wasn't important information. “She has been looking for the one there as well, according to Braedan and she's rarely ever wrong”.

“So, you came back to tell Scott in person because you think she's looking for ours as well” Liam concluded slowly.

“I'm pretty sure she's looking for all of them. I just don't know why” Isaac confirmed his guess, only glancing at him shortly. “But the entrances aren't easy to find. No one knows where exactly the theatres are located”.

“Except for Theo” Corey drew in a sharp breath.

“Mh” Isaac hummed in agreement. “I'm afraid as soon as she figures out who he is …”.

“She's gonna try and use him to find them” Corey understood immediately what Isaac wasn't saying out loud.

“Then the hunters weren't out in the preserve by accident. They were actively looking for us in hopes of catching him” Alec let his mind run free, sounding more and more worried.

“Or lure him out by getting their hands on one of you” Isaac offered another alternative.

“Or just catch any of us to make a deal with Scott” Liam's mind was running with too many worst-case scenarios. “Get us back in exchange for Theo and he would do it”.

“He wouldn't” Mason insisted stubbornly.

“You really think he wouldn't give Theo up if they had taken Stiles or Malia?” Liam stared at his best friend disbelievingly.

“Not if he has valuable information that could get us all killed” Mason gripped the steering wheel harder. “Scott knows how to make deals and …”.

“All of them have backfired so far, Mason”.

Liam's obvious lack of trust in Scott finally shut Mason up and filled the car with silence again. But only for a short moment because you could always count on Alec to ask something stupid when he shouldn't. “How does she even know about Theo? She happened after the beast”.

“Gerard, I guess” Liam actually had no answer to that but Gerard was the most obvious option. That bastard.

“Shouldn't she know where the theatre in Beacon Hills is then? Gerard knew, right?” Alec kept questioning things.

“Maybe he didn't tell her. Why should he?” Liam rubbed his temples to keep some composure. “It's Gerard”.

“Who's Gerard?” Talisa asked hesitantly.

That only made Liam groan because he was in no mood for more talking if it wasn't offering him a solution to all of his problems. To his luck, Isaac decided to answer. “Little bastard who tried to kill me once. He used the Anuk-Ite to his advantage because of course he did and taught Monroe everything she knows, so …”.

“But he's dead” Corey provided more information for her sake. “Killed by his own daughter, la loba”.

“And no one knows if she's alive or not” Alec added.

“And no one cares. She sucks” Liam shot them all a look to make them shut up. He needed a clear head to focus, which really wasn't his strong suit.

“Argent just texted me that Scott and the pack are out there trying to find Monroe. Derek might have found a lead” Isaac told them monotonously, looking up from his phone.

“Good for him” Liam really didn't care right now. As long as that search didn't help Theo, Liam wasn't interested.

“Good for us. We're here”.

Stopping the car at a safe distance for now, they all looked at the desolated warehouse. It looked completely empty but Liam knew that never meant it actually was true. His nose told him that Isaac was right and Theo was here. His scent was easy for Liam to detect, even if it was weak. The weakness of his scent alarmed Liam and made his heart speed up.

Before he could panic and act out of anger without thinking, Isaac placed his hand on Liam's arm. “He's gonna be fine”.

This was one of those moments where Liam could see why Isaac had been Scott's first actual beta, just not bitten. Isaac was amazing and always knew what to say, how to use the situation in his favour to get what he came for. There was a certain protectiveness about him that matched well with Scott but only brought back his confusion as to why Isaac would care enough to save Theo. Isaac definitely knew that Theo had killed Scott and Isaac was protective of Scott, even if he didn't show it that much. The kiss has been enough proof. So, why he would risk getting hurt for Theo was unclear to Liam. It had to be because of what he knew, not because he cared.

Right now, none of that mattered. What mattered was that they were all here and ready to fight to get Theo back. Liam looked at his very tense and scared best friend, hoping he would understand why Liam couldn't trust Scott when it came to Theo. “Mason, you stay in the car. The rest of you comes with me. Corey, can you get us in?”.

“Of course”.

“Good. Then …”.

“I texted Parrish. He's almost here” Mason let them know out of nowhere. “Figured we might need him”.

“Thank you, Mason” Liam reached over to squeeze Mason's shoulder. “What would we do without you?”.

“Probably die before even getting anywhere close” Mason smiled curtly at him. “Because you can't forget that they're probably expecting someone to knock at their door. Be as careful as you can and stay hidden for as long as you can”.

“We will” Liam assured him quietly.

“I hope he's alive” Corey thought out loud, his leg bouncing in pure worry. “God, he has to be alive”.

“He is” Liam sounded surer than he felt but a part of him was convinced that he could hear the faint beating of Theo's heart.

“We'll get him out” Corey locked eyes with him, their shared worry connecting them in a totally new way. “I'll get you inside unseen. I promise”.

“...”.

“But be careful, Baby” Mason faced his boyfriend now, tears threatening to fall over. “Please”.

Corey just leaned over to Mason and kissed him softly, all the assurance he could give him right now. “I love you”.

“I love you too”.

“Parrish is here”.

“Then let's go”.

Bracing himself for what was to come, Liam closed his eyes for a moment and only thought about Theo. His eyes so green last time he's seen them. God, he really hoped Theo was alive. That couldn't have been the last time he's seen him.

Chapter Text

Shock waves of electricity rushed through his entire body as the barbaric hunter pressed the glaringly red button again. His body spasmed against the electric fence, the chains on his wrists rattling but Theo refused to show any pain on his face. Torture he was used to. He could handle it. There was no way he would give this bunch of assholes the satisfaction of seeing him suffer like they hoped he would.

Being tied up by the wrists to this stupid and way too familiar electric fence, still bare-chested, sent his mind spiralling though and he didn't like it. There was nothing he could do against the memories resurfacing. Memories he had tried to forget. Memories that had been buried so deep inside him that he had thought he'd never have to think about them again. But now they were coming back to him because exposed like this, he was vulnerable and that was the perfect opportunity for his mind to work against him. Typical.

Dripping wet, Theo saw flashes of his sister's death, her chest broken open and her heart gone, her empty eyes staring at him in betrayal. He could feel the dread doctors cutting him open for the very first time to get rid of his own useless heart and replace it with hers. He could feel the pain of countless of operations on his body, hoping for the longest time that the next one would just kill him and end his suffering but he'd never been that lucky. He relived the little boy in him being murdered and replaced by the monster they had wanted to create but it hadn't been enough. He had been a failure. No matter what he did; bring them more chimera subjects, infiltrate packs to keep them off their backs; it had never been enough for them to give a shit about him again after they knew he wasn't the success. He had tried everything but they had tossed him aside in a stolen heartbeat.

Fighting against his worst memories, Theo focused solely on coming off as unbothered on the outside and enduring the pain until they would get to the point. Those hunters didn't kidnap anyone for no reason. They were murderers, not collectors.

So, when all three hunters straightened up and she came through the door of his lovely torture chamber, he wasn't even surprised. With his mask in place, he just watched her come closer to him until she was only a few feet away, eyeing him up and down in mild interest. There was a part of him that felt naked and exposed and uncomfortable with her being this close to him half naked but that part was unlogical. It wasn't a new situation to him. He could handle this.

“What a nice surprise” Monroe let a predatory grin grow on her face but Theo wasn't impressed. “Really nice of you to pay us a visit, Theo”.

“Have we met?” Theo went for nonchalant for now while he was trying to figure out what was going on.

“Just once, if I recall it correctly” Monroe's grin turned lazy, her entire posture showing how relaxed she was. “But I know all about you, Theo Raeken”.

“That isn't much of a flex. I'm an open book” Theo replied sassily, laughing at himself mentally because of the irony.

“To me, yeah. To everyone else, not so much. Am I right?” she took a step closer, her hand reaching out to grab his chin lightly and everything in him wanted to bare his teeth at her but he kept it cool. He was in total control. “This pretty face has fooled pretty much everyone. I'm not surprised one bit. You are quite pretty, wouldn't you agree, Mr. Raeken?”.

“No need to appeal to my ego. It's already quite healthy” Theo sent her a cocky look without moving a muscle under her touch, even though her touch burned with more memories.

“So I've heard” Monroe traced with her finger along his jaw for a moment before dropping her hand and taking half a step back to scrutinized him. “I've also heard about your lovely shenanigans with the dread doctors and I have a feeling you might be interested in what I have to say”.

“I doubt it but knock yourself out” Theo felt the heart in his chest wanting to speed up but he willed it away. There was no time for any of this. He needed to focus.

“If you tell me what I wanna know, I'm gonna give you what you want the most” Monroe built up suspense. He hated it.

“A mansion in Hollywood?”.

“Your freedom”. And that did make him falter for only a second because he had no idea what the fuck she meant and she obviously knew that, her smug grin showing how much she was enjoying this. “You know we're extricating the world from the pest that are supernaturals but you. You're different”.

“Oh, tell me more. That's what everyone likes to hear” Theo was back in the game but his insides were screaming at him to break free and kill her before she could harm anyone else.

“You're not a real supernatural, Theo. You're an impersonator with scientifically achieved abilities. Why should you suffer the same fate as actual monsters when you're not one of them?” she paced slowly up and down in front of him. She would probably circle him if she could but the fence was in the way. “I could let it slide, turn a blind eye on you and let you live”.

“In exchange for what?” Theo pretended to at least consider the bait for a moment. The thing that confused him was that she wasn't hearably lying, her heart never skipping a beat.

“Information” she stated simply.

“I'm afraid I know nothing you'd wanna know” Theo put on his best apologetic look, knowing she wasn't buying it. Liar always recognised liar. “Unless you're interested in the Roman Empire or Greek Mythology”.

“I'm more interested in the weapons your creators have stashed away in their cosy little operating theatres” Monroe finally came to the point, visibly losing her patience but trying to act as if everything was going according to plan. It wasn't. “I know they've created some heavy weaponry solely by accident or well, rather without a real purpose. Other than polishing their little pets. You were more than a simple pet to them. You know all of their little secrets. You know where the entrances are hidden and you're clever enough to know that you should take my deal. I'm the only one who can give you real freedom”.

“You might have overestimated my intelligence” Theo grinned cheekily at her, his mind racing. “I tend to self-sabotage and freedom is an illusion. Just like you thinking they told me anything. They weren't very talkative”.

“Not like you, that's for sure” Monroe was getting frustrated. Theo could smell it all over her and he was enjoying it.

“I take that as a compliment. Don't get them that often” Theo would do anything to rile her up until she exploded. Majority of him knew he wouldn't get out of this alive anyway, so why not have a little fun until it was over?!

“I wonder why” she stepped closer to him again, her face right in front of his own. “You might be all talk and I know pain isn't new to you but your little friends aren't as tough, are they? They aren't fucked-up science experiments, immune to any kind of torture or humanity”.

“Guess the butt-kissing is over, mh?!” Theo chuckled sardonically. “That didn't take long”.

“How about you just talk, mh?” Monroe got a dagger out of her belt and traced it along his jawline just for effect. “Or would you rather I cut you loose and get one of your friends instead? One of your pack?”.

That actually made Theo laugh in a self-deprecating way. “What pack? I'm not much of a pack animal, my dear”.

“That's what I thought too but then I saw you with the others and let me tell you, you have a pack, Mr. Raeken” Monroe's eyes sparkled with dark mischief, the cold metal of her dagger now on his throat. “Even if you don't see it”.

“Nice try but I killed Scott McCall; something you failed to do by the way. They all hate me and want me dead, so why would I care if you do anything to them? Kill them for all I care” Theo rolled his eyes in a big show of disinterest. Inside, he was freaking out because there was no way she'd believe that.

“I might” Monroe dropped the dagger onto his chest. “I mean, I will definitely kill them all at some point but I might just start with one of them a little earlier just to call your bluff. Who is it gonna be? Definitely not Scott. Maybe Corey? Or the new kid you saved from me. For now. What was his name again?”.

“Do I look like I care?” Theo shot her an unimpressed look.

“Maybe not about him, no” she leaned even closer, the tip of her dagger pressing into his flesh. “But about Liam Dunbar”.

Hearing his name falling from her lips, his panicked heart stumbled all over itself for a moment. Not Liam. No. She could not get her hands on him. Liam already had a huge target on his back for being Scott's first bitten beta. A true alpha's first bitten beta was a huge deal and that burden was already a lot for Liam. That has been enough reason for people to go after him, like Gerard at the zoo. Killing Liam would destroy Scott in ways no one could really explain and she knew that. So, he had to make sure he didn't slip now. He couldn't be the reason another target was added onto Liam's back.

“You seriously think I care if that annoying bastard gets killed? I thought you were better than that” Theo tapped back into his former self to sound as mean and evil as he could muster right now while worrying about Liam's safety. “You're dumber than you look if you actually think I give a flying fuck about Liam or anyone in that pack. They're a means to an end, that's all. Gullible and naïve. What I like best”.

For a long moment, Monroe just looked at him up close. Then she rammed her dagger deep into his chest, right next to his sister's heart with an evil glint in her eyes. She knew what she was doing. “Maybe I believe you. Maybe I don't. Fact is, no one is gonna come to save you. So, why don't you do the smart thing and just tell me what I wanna know? Then you're free to go and give a flying fuck about whoever you want to. As long as you stay out of my way, of course”.

“All the entrances to every single operating theatre?” Theo checked again to get the full picture, the dagger in his chest burning like hell. It has to be laced with some kind of special or rare wolfsbane. Otherwise he wouldn't feel a thing, too used to the pain. Not even when she twisted the dagger as her only reply. “Hate to break it to you but they didn't trust me that much. You're wasting your time”.

“I'm afraid you're right” Monroe patted his cheek for a quick moment in a way that made him actually flinch. “In case you'll change your mind, I'm gonna check in on you again right before there's no saving you anymore. Until then, have fun with my men and their hatred for science experiments”.

“How original”.

“We can't all be as witty as you, Mr. Raeken”.

Letting go of her dagger, Monroe retreated until she had left the room, closing the heavy door to the basement and locking Theo inside with the three previous hunters. All three of them looked starved for pain. More precisely, inflicting pain on someone else, in this case him. He knew that look in their eyes, it was familiar. So, he knew what to expect and how to endure it until the wolfsbane in his chest would end his suffering. With the dagger still deeply buried right next to his heart, it wouldn't take that long. As a chimera, he might be immune to most kinds of wolfsbane in normal doses but he wasn't invincible. More the opposite. His healing was a lot slower than actual supernatural healing. It had been a clever move to leave the dagger in his chest. Like this, the wound couldn't heal and wolfsbane kept infecting his bloodstream. His entire body was so fixed on healing that one poisonous spot that every new wound the three hunters were inflicting on him; with knives or chains or more electricity; wasn't healing.

The blood was dripping out of very single open wound on his body, even when the three hunters had retreated and left the room as well to leave Theo to his demise. Even if he could focus on redirecting his healing to the wounds that could be healed right now, it would be pointless. He wouldn't survive this and he had made peace with that fact. There was no way he would tell her anything when she came back to interrogate him a last time, so he knew that would be his end. But with him dead, the dread doctors' secrets would also be gone and the pack would at least be safe from that. His death would help them and that helped ease his mind and accept his fate.

He just wished his fate would take him quicker. Bleeding out while being tied to an electric fence wasn't a very pleasant feeling and not how he wanted to go. Powerless, defenceless and weak, begging for death. No. When he was going to die, he would make sure to take her with him. He just wasn't sure how yet. His brain wasn't really cooperating due to the blood loss, so it was very difficult to come up with a plan.

As hard as he tried, his brain wouldn't focus, his head feeling too dizzy for any comprehensive thought. The only thing he could actively think about was how glad he was that he has seen Liam one last time before he would die. At least, Theo had been able to look into his blue blue blue eyes one last time before getting captured. Those eyes would be his last thought before he'd close his own forever. With him dead, there was a higher chance of survival for Liam and that alone brought him some unexpected peace while his body grew cold and numb. Every still living part of him hoped Liam was safe right now, hoped he wouldn't be stupid and reckless enough to try and save him. As much as he knew the rest of the pack didn't care about him enough to come to his rescue, he knew Liam did but he shouldn't. He should stay away and be with his pack. He should leave Theo behind and let him die. And if he was as smart as Theo thought he was, he'd do just that.

So, with no one to save him and certain death right around the corner, Theo gave up. He stopped fighting against his body wanting to shut down and his mind screaming at him. It was quite poetic that the chimera of death would go out like this. Alone, in a dirty basement, bleeding out. Because he refused to give up information to save the people he cared about. Not that Theo actually believed she would let him go but whatever. If the doctors could see him … Failure. Inconsequential.

Theo.

Painfully, his head snapped up at the sound of that voice. He couldn't tell where it was coming from but the icy chill of it surrounded his whole being; well, what was left of it. Blinking against the haziness in his eyes, Theo tried to let his gaze drift around the room but it was hard to see anything clearly. In the darkest corner he could swear was standing someone. And he knew who that was, which meant he was losing his mind now. Closing his misty eyes, Theo blocked her out as good as he could but it was in vain. He could still see her because this was only his mind playing tricks on him before he died. Before he would see her again with no way back this time. Her deadly pale face was right in front of him, her eyes milky and empty.

But instead of coming for him, taking her heart back like she always did, she backed away from him and revealed the sight of him. Liam. Liam with his big blue sparkling eyes and his usual sunny smile plastered onto his beautiful face. He looked so wrong next to her lifeless form. Now two of his worst and most prominent nightmares were looking at him wordlessly and Theo felt his barely beating heart stumble. The only thing missing were the dread doctors but Theo could already hear the tell-tale sign of their arrival. Their familiar heavy footsteps and the electric buzzing of their very own wavelength. It was so loud in his ears that Theo could taste bitter mercury on his tongue and could swear his blood was silver, not red.

With his sight warped and his ears ringing, Theo could still see the moment Tara stepped closer to Liam, who looked way too trusting and unguarded for the seriousness of the situation. Theo knew what would happen next and he wanted to scream and tell Liam to run but it was pointless. Liam kept looking at him with all the trust in the world reflected in his eyes. That mistake would cost his life. His death would be Theo's fault.

“Tara, no” Theo croaked out hoarsely, silver blood trickling down his mouth. “Please”.

But she ignored his pleas like he had ignored hers when she had been dying in the icy water of the creak. With horror in his heart, Theo had to watch her plunge her hand into Liam's chest, digging her dead fingers in to get a grip on his heart. With a welching sound that made Theo wanna vomit, Tara tore Liam's beating heart out of his chest, making him drop to his knees, eyes filled with unshed tears.

“Theo” Liam breathed out weakly, blood pooling all around him. “Why?”.

And with that, Liam's lifeless body fell to the ground, his dead eyes staring at the ceiling. Crying out in so much pain, Theo wanted to hold him but his body was too weak to free himself from his prison. So, when the dread doctors appeared next to Liam's lump body and just stared at him with their heads tilted to the side, he could do nothing. He could only take it when they marched over to him with a syringe full of mercury.

“Failure, Theo Raeken”. Their voices sounded as cold and unforgiving as always, sending the shiver down Theo's spine that he hadn't let himself feel for years. Grabbing Theo's face with his harsh mechanical hand, the surgeon rammed the syringe into Theo's neck and then just left, leaving Theo to choke on the burning mercury. Tara was just watching.

“Theo”.

Someone was touching his face. Someone was touching his face and their touch wasn't burning him inside out. His feeble body wasn't able to react to that touch though. He could barely lift his head as weak as he felt. So, when someone lifted his chin up, every fibre of his being wanted to drop his head again and just die instead of having to watch his nightmares play out so openly. Faintly, he registered that his wrists suddenly were not restrained anymore but only because his entire body tipped forward, wanting to crash to the ground and give out.

“Theo”.

The warmth of that voice sounded so familiar that he felt it deep in his bones, his aching body relaxing instantly. Blinking against the blurriness in his eyes, Theo tried to look at whoever was holding him up against their strong chest. His vision was still a bit fuzzy but he could make out blue blue blue. That just couldn't be. His mind must be still playing tricks on him. Liam couldn't actually be here.

“I'm here, Theo” Liam whispered into his ear, sending his mind into overdrive. “I'm here”.

Although his body was screaming in pain, his mind was at peace now. Liam was actually here. This wasn't part of his nightmare. Liam never sounded so nice in his nightmares. The gentle tone of his voice filled Theo with warmth although his entire body felt cold. Liam's hand on his waist made him feel alive although he was dying. The simple fact that Liam had come here to try and save him although he shouldn't have made his faintly beating heart soar. Liam had come to his rescue because he cared. He actually cared. He cared enough to risk his life for Theo. Fuck, Theo loved him way too much. Too bad that he wouldn't make it to ever tell him that.

“Did you find … Oh”. Running footsteps came to a halt close to him somewhere but he couldn't locate where exactly the voice was coming from. A very familiar voice at that.

“Help me carry him outside” Liam sounded so determined. Determined to save his life. It made Theo wanna cry. Mainly because it was pointless with all the blood he had already lost. But also because the thought of Liam losing him after trying so hard to save him broke his dying heart. He'd feel like a failure and that's the last thing Theo wanted.

Another pair of hands grabbed onto him and steadied his limp body, carrying him through the abandoned warehouse until they were outside. Feeling his consciousness wanting to slip because he was cold and his head felt heavy, Theo barely registered when he was manoeuvred into the backseat of a car, the smell in here also damn familiar but his senses were not working anymore. He was barely holding on. So, he didn't know where they were driving or who they were. All he really noticed was Liam right by his side. Liam's arm around him, keeping him as close as possible. Liam's hand pressing something onto the bleeding wound on his chest where the dagger had been, that Liam had pulled out to give Theo's healing a last chance. Liam's heart beating rapidly. Liam's shoulder being the perfect place to rest his heavy head on. Just Liam being Liam. Liam being here for him when he died.

At one point, the car stopped and he was carried outside by Liam's gentle hands. Only a moment later for him, he was laid down on a cool surface, an even more familiar smell filling his barely working senses. There was a presence in the room with him that he knew. Two actually.

“Hold him still” a strong voice said to someone. Theo couldn't say who or what was even happening. In the corner of his blurry vision he could still see his sister lurking, waiting for him to finally give up and join her for eternity. He didn't want to.

A soaring pain made him almost scream at the top of his lungs but he wouldn't be Theo if he weren't able to bite down the pain and only let out a pained hiss, immediately feeling two hands softly on his naked shoulders grounding him.

“Almost done” the strong voice was back while the burning pain spread through his feeble body until it just stopped. The heat of the pain was gone and Theo was left feeling nothing. “I'm gonna stitch him up to stop the bleeding and help his healing. He might not look it now but he'll be fine. You can …”.

“I'm not leaving” Liam almost growled, the sound sending shivers through his whole body. “We're not leaving”.

“I just wanted to say you can let go now and take a seat” the strong voice sounded mildly amused, especially when a quiet meow sounded from somewhere. “Both of you”.

“Oh” Liam deflated embarrassed, the gentle hands on Theo's shoulders gone now. Only a moment after he took notice of that, Liam took hold of his hand, squeezing it a little. “I'm sorry. I didn't mean to …”.

“Don't be. I get it” the strong voice that had to be Deaton dismissed Liam's apology. Theo felt some clarity coming back into his brain and it made him able to pinpoint the voice. But this whole situation was still overwhelming to him, especially when he could detect more than one other heartbeat outside the examination room. Was that the entire puppy pack? “But your friends can't all stay here. You need rest after that fight”.

“I know. They're just …” Liam's voice trailed off, some exhaustion coming through, which made Theo feel bad for putting Liam through this mess only to save his useless ass. “They're all worried about him and need to know that he's fine. That he's gonna make it”.

“He will. He's a fighter” Deaton assured him gently, his voice sounding a little choked up. Has he been worried too?

“I know” Liam's thumb traced over his knuckles so softly that Theo's heart jumped in his healing chest.

“Stay with him. I'm gonna let the others know” Deaton's voice was getting farther and farther away.

“Thank you”. When the door fell shut and they were alone, Theo's mind seemed to slow down to a halt, totally at ease with Liam by his side. His scent was so prominent, Theo loved it. He loved him but he didn't have the words to say it. Saying it now even if he could would feel wrong anyway. So, he didn't.

Instead, he squeezed Liam's hand as hard as he could, which wasn't much, and almost fucking purred; if he could; when Liam squeezed back immediately. Even if Theo was too tired by now to open his eyes and see for himself, he could feel Liam right by his face. He didn't understand why Liam was still so close when he knew for sure now that Theo would not die on him today but he wasn't gonna question it. Not when he enjoyed him being this close. Not when he was about to fall asleep any second anyway. He didn't care about anything.

That was until he heard Liam's quiet voice right before he fell asleep. “Don't ever scare me like this again. You can't die on me, Theo. Not for me. Never for me”.

-------

“How's he holding up?” his mother asked him concerned when he walked into the kitchen.

“He's alright” Liam replied almost robotically but then let out a heavy sigh, sitting down by the counter. “As alright as he can be, I guess”.

“It will take a while until he's actually alright again” his mother walked over to him, offering him a supportive smile. “Torture isn't something you just get over. Even when you're used to it”.

“I know. It's just …” Liam dragged a hand over his face for a moment to collect his thoughts. His mind was a mess. “He's pretending to be fine, which isn't new for him but it's harder to watch than usually. I don't know what to do. I wanna help him but I don't know how. He shouldn't have to deal with this alone …”.

“He isn't alone. He has you” Jenna lifted her hand to cup his cheek, rubbing with her thumb along his jaw in a soothing motion. “You care about him. I know that and I'm pretty sure he knows that. After all, you quite literally forced him to stay with us for a couple days until you're sure he's okay”.

“But is that enough? Just caring but not doing anything?”.

The entire situation was driving Liam insane. Yes, after he had been released by Deaton yesterday, Liam had insisted on Theo staying with him for a few days because he didn't want to leave him out of his sight again, especially not so soon after almost dying. He needed to make sure Theo was actually alright and wasn't just pretending, which was very hard to tell. His wounds had mainly all healed by now but the scars were taking some time to vanish, specifically the one on his chest. The image of that fucking dagger buried in Theo's chest right next to his heart was haunting Liam in his sleep but this wasn't about him. This was about Theo's well-being. And Liam could not tell if Theo was well because he was keeping his usual mask in place more than before, which was a bad sign. He's been up in the guest room all day, just reading. And Liam … he wanted to check on him, be with him, pamper him if he was being honest with himself but Theo made sure Liam wasn't doing any of this. He kept his act up as good as he could, which wasn't really good, and proceeded to drive Liam mad.

“You're doing a lot, Darling” Jenna took a seat right next to him now, her eyes never leaving his face. “You're taking care of him as much as you can and you're there. You're right there if he needs you and he knows that. Believe me, he does”.

“I'm not sure …”.

“You saved his life, Liam” his mother gave him no chance to contradict her, as per usual. “You went out there and saved his life without hesitation. Believe me, he knows you care”.

“Okay but I can't just sit here and let him deal with all of this on his own. He doesn't know how to do feelings and emotions. I need to do something. I …” Liam gripped the counter hard to keep his usual anger in. “I am responsible for this mess”.

“Sweetheart, you're not …”.

“He was only out there because he was looking for me” Liam looked up at his mother in sheer desperation, the guilt eating away at him. “He could only be taken because I ran off so I wouldn't kill Stiles for disrespecting Theo behind his back. My inability to control my anger almost got him killed. He went out there facing the hunter to protect me. He's always protecting me and all I do is put him in danger. I … I'm dangerous”.

“Liam, you are not dangerous” his mother took hold of his hands, squeezing them firmly. “The IED is a part of you and you have control over it. The few times it slips don't matter. No one is perfect all the time. I don't have an IED but when I hear what caused your reaction, I'm feeling pretty angry myself”.

“Really?” Liam felt like crying right now. His mother was the best. He was so lucky to have her.

“Of course, Love. No one should disrespect anyone behind someone's back, especially not if the other people in the room care about the absent person. Your anger was totally valid in that situation and what did you do? You left the situation to stop it from totally escalating. That's control. Getting angry is not losing control, Darling” his mother smiled comfortingly at him, easing some of his worries. “That a hunter showed up out of the blue was completely out of your control. What's really important here is that Theo went out there to make sure you were alright and that you went after him to save his life. You two look out for each other and whatever happens happens”.

“Thank you, Mom. I needed to hear that” Liam leaned over to give her a tight hug. He could always count on her to put things into perspective and give his mind some peace.

“You're welcome, Sweetheart” she rubbed her hand over his back soothingly but Liam still picked up on the change in her scent immediately and stiffened just a tiny bit. “Theo seems to be really important to you. You care a lot about him, mh?”.

Letting go of her for now, Liam was fighting against the blush wanting to rise up to his cheeks. He couldn't say why but he was terrified of talking about that out loud. His friends knew and that was fine but his mom was a different thing. Also, he was scared of Theo listening in for some stupid reason. His paranoia wasn't on his side, as per usual.

“I um … I …” Liam was fighting for the right words but the gentle look in his mother's eyes just made him crack. “I do, yeah. I care a lot about him cause he means … He means an awful lot to me, Mom. I don't know when that happened or how but … Just the thought of him dying … because of me …”.

“Oh, Baby” Jenna pulled him back into a hug, this time fully pulling him over to her and not giving him the chance to protest, not that he wanted to. He loved his mother's hugs. “I get it and I hate that you have to worry about that daily. I wish I could do something to help but all I can offer is an open ear and a hug whenever you need it”.

“That's more than enough, Mom” Liam mumbled into her chest, breathing in her loving scent.

In response, she only hummed non-committally and for a moment they just stayed entangled like this. Until they heard the front door open, signalling that his stepfather was home. “Also, I really think you should tell him, Honey. Honesty goes a long way. Always”.

“Not in this case, no” Liam shook his head rapidly at the mere thought of telling Theo about … No, thanks. “I won't put that on him. He has enough on his plate. He's dealing with so much already, my stupid feelings don't matter”.

“Your feelings always matter” she frowned at him.

“Your mother is right, Liam” David piped in now, entering the kitchen and heading right for the stove, getting ready to cook dinner. “I may not know what exactly you're talking about but your feelings always matter. Don't suppress them”.

“I have to when the person I'm feeling things for won't ever reciprocate them!” Liam looked at his parents as if they were both insane, which probably made them think he was losing it now. “This is not an option for us. Never”.

With amusement in his eyes, his stepfather only looked at his mother, who was trying to hold back a grin. “Theo?”.

Her reply was a simple hum, which made Liam gape at his parents in disbelief. “You knew?”.

“You're not very subtle” David shrugged unchanged.

“Honey, you've been talking about him for weeks” his mother almost looked apologetic as she was speaking, her voice extra gentle because she was trying to soften the blow. “Like, only about him. Every day”.

“All day” David added to make matters worse.

“That's not true. I'm not talking about him that m …”.

“I thought your denial phase was over?” his stepfather threw him a teasing look while being busy cooking.

“I dislike you both so much right now” Liam grumbled like a child, crossing his arms over his chest offended.

“It's not our fault you're obsessed with him. Don't blame us for pointing out the obvious” David pointed with the knife he was using at him in a joking manner.

“I'm not obsessed!” Liam exclaimed loudly, his heart beating wildly in his chest. He was not obsessed with Theo Raeken.

“Okay, okay” Jenna held her hands up in surrender, tilting her head aside to look at him. “Is there anything new on Monroe?”.

Appreciating the change in topic, Liam relaxed again, really hoping Theo hadn't been listening. “No, nothing. Scott, Peter, Derek, Isaac and Malia are tracking her or trying to after their last lead has been wrong”.

And here he was yet again, trying not to get angry in an instant but it was difficult. The fact that Scott had chosen to go after a stupid, unsafe lead instead of helping in his rescue of Theo pissed Liam off to no end. He knew Scott always wanted a foolproof plan but sometimes that just wasn't possible. Why had it been more important to check out a lead than to go out there and save Theo's life? The anger Liam was feeling when he thought about that choice was worse than any he's ever experienced in his life. And deciding Theo's life wasn't worth saving had been in vain anyway. Monroe has been here this whole time, torturing Theo while his pack has been out there chasing ghosts. His oh-so amazing pack and his alpha.

His actual pack has been right by his side though, taking out the hunters for the sheriff's department to take them into custody for kidnapping and abuse. His actual pack and loyal friends, who cared about Theo's life, had managed to take down Monroe's right hand man. Or more precisely, Parrish had taken him down when he had attacked them before Liam could let his anger out on him. Now that he was gone and Monroe was on the run again, Liam had time to reflect. Without Parrish, he would have killed that guy with no regrets.

What that said about him didn't matter to him anymore. That guy had taken Theo, attacked and hurt him, tortured him alongside that bitch. He deserved death and worse and that wasn't his IED talking. That was just him and it didn't make him feel like a total monster anymore. Not in the way it did before. He was a werewolf and that made him a monster but not all monsters do monstrous things. Not all monsters are evil. Not all heroes are perfectly good either. Not all heroes make the right decisions all the time. Not all heroes deserve total and blind loyalty. Not all heroes cared enough when they should.

“I really hope someone's gonna find her soon. You don't deserve to live in constant fear just because she can't handle people being different” his mother sounded so angry and sad and scared at the same time. It broke his heart.

“I'm sure Scott's gonna find her” his stepfather tried to sound reassuring but he wasn't convincing. They were both scared for his life and only knew Scott was supposed to keep him safe. Alpha and all that. Kinda funny in some way.

“I hope someone else does” Liam muttered under his breath but both of his parents heard him anyway. Exhaling deeply, Liam decided to just say out loud what he's been thinking. “I admire Scott's way of dealing with all this supernatural crap but sometimes he's incapable of seeing the bigger picture. He … He won't do the smart thing if he finds her, so I'm not sure he should. Maybe Peter should be the one to find her”.

“Malia's father, right?” David tried to remember who exactly he was. All those names still confused him sometimes.

“The one who bit Scott” Jenna offered some more information for David to follow along. “And tried to kill him”.

“That's him” Liam felt both of them eyeing him closely but he just looked at the countertop because it was very interesting.

“Let's focus on finding her first. We'll see what the smart thing to do will be then” Jenna smiled encouragingly at him.

He tried to smile back at his mother but he was doing a terrible job at it. Over the last couple weeks, Liam had lost faith in Scott and he hated it but their trust was gone. Liam knew Scott didn't trust him to make his own decisions and Liam could not trust Scott any longer to actually keep him safe, to protect him because it felt like Scott would hesitate when it came down to it. He would wait until he knew Theo wasn't involved before doing what's right and that was just wrong. He knew there hasn't been a situation to back that feeling up yet but his gut just knew he was right. As long as Liam sided with Theo, Scott wouldn't come for his rescue either and that … that was hurting their bond. Liam could feel it breaking and he hated it but he wasn't causing it. He was only doing what was right and needed Scott to believe in him. To trust him but he didn't. His actions proved that, no matter what he said. And as long as Scott and the pack distrusted Theo and still accused him of keeping information from them because he was plotting something to tear them down; Stiles said that at that sneak-attack pack meeting before he ran off; Liam wouldn't do a thing to save their bond. He would let it break entirely if it meant someone was still in Theo's corner. Because it was right.

His ears perked up when he could hear the guest room door opening upstairs. With his heart in his throat and his pulse racing for no reason at all, Liam made big eyes at his parents. “Okay, fine but hush now, okay? He's coming down”.

“We won't mention her” his mother assured him softly.

“Or that” his stepfather winked at him mockingly.

Before Liam could say anything, he could feel Theo coming closer and that made him focus his attention fully on the chimera and not his annoying stepfather. When he stepped into the kitchen, Liam could immediately see that the mask was back in place but it was crumbling. The cracks were getting more and more noticeable and somehow Liam was scared of what would happen when it cracked completely. Him being taken had done something to Theo mentally that Liam couldn't grasp and it terrified him. After all, he knew that this hasn't been the first time he's been taken by hunters and tortured somewhere; Liam hated thinking about that, no one had known he was even missing; but somehow this time has been different. Theo was different since Liam had gotten him back. He was trying desperately to keep himself together.

Or maybe Liam was seeing things. Who knew?! Theo wasn't talking about what had happened. Then again, it has only been a day and Theo wasn't very forthcoming when it came down to offering up information about himself and what was going on inside his head and heart. Maybe he only needed more time to get himself back together. Maybe Liam was worrying for nothing. Maybe he was fine, after all.

“Hey, Darling. How are you feeling?” Jenna greeted Theo sweetly as soon as he had reached the counter, reaching out to touch his upper arm like she always did with everyone.

Stiffening at her light touch for only just a second unnoticed to almost everyone, Theo offered her a tired smile that wasn't reaching his eyes but it was something. “I'm hanging in there”.

And that was an awfully honest answer Liam hadn't expected to hear from Theo but maybe the power of a mother worked even on him. Lying to Jenna Geyer-Dunbar was quite literally impossible, apparently even to Theo. Or maybe he'd never planned on lying to her in the first place. Who knew?!

“Are you hungry?”.

“Starving”.

“Perfect. David's making his infamous fried chicken”.

“Sounds delicious”.

“It is”.

“It's also almost done”.

“Great. Liam, can you help me set the table?” his mother addressed him so suddenly that he almost got whiplash but he was also thankful to be torn out of his staring. Seeing Theo interact with his parents like this was doing things to him.

“Course”.

A bit clumsily because he was suddenly feeling very jumpy, Liam got off his seat by the counter and walked past Theo to get the dishes and cutlery. Theo, who hadn't even raised an eyebrow at him even though Liam knew for a fact his scent and chemosignals must be going crazy with how much he was feeling at the moment. All the worry and anxiety and l … No, not that. And maybe it wasn't so bad if Theo didn't react.

While setting the table with his mother, Liam tried to calm the fuck down and get himself in check. He had no reason to be this stressed and nervous out of the sudden. He was never this nervous around Theo. It was unnecessary and totally unwanted. But a part of him was scared of saying something wrong and triggering him in any way or form. When he had found Theo, he had been deadly pale and heavily injured, blood dripping down his body due to many open wounds and a fucking dagger rammed into his chest, his heart barely beating and the toxic smell of wolfsbane oozing out of him. That image was burned into his brain and he couldn't shake it. He knew better than to let any pity show around Theo but Liam felt horrible. He should have found him sooner. He should have never let him get taken in the first place. He should have never done so many things. But he knew he couldn't change the past, so he had to control the future. As long as he was around, Theo would never get this hurt again. Not for him or for anyone else. Not by stupid hunters or Monroe or anyone who even dared to think about hurting him. That was a promise and Liam would do anything to keep it.

Dinner was a quick affair but it was enough to break his heart in a totally new way. Due to something he hadn't noticed until today. Yesterday, he had probably been too riled up to pay much attention to it and last time Theo had been here felt too unreal to notice anything else. But today there were no such distractions and he saw it. He saw the way Theo looked at his parents. The way his eyes changed when they were directly talking to him, including him in their every day conversations as if Theo was a part of this family. The way Theo tried to keep himself together but Liam could clearly see how overwhelmed he was by everything. It broke his heart to witness so clearly how little Theo was used to something that was normal to Liam. Something he probably took for granted without meaning to. Family. Care. Interest. Kindness. Everything that was taken from him when he was nine years old. Of course being around Liam's very loving family was a lot for him to handle. Overwhelming. Liam should have known that.

Fearing it might all be too much, Liam made sure dinner was over as quick as possible and quite literally dragged Theo upstairs with him. To watch a movie, of course. Nothing else. At least, that's what he told Theo and his parents. They didn't need to know he was trying to avoid a mental breakdown that he wasn't sure Theo would come back from. So, he pushed Theo onto his bed and picked out a random movie, nothing too heavy or emotional. Nothing triggering. Hopefully.

“That eager to watch this movie?” Theo raised an eyebrow at him in question and he should have sounded cocky but he just didn't. Not really. He had tried though.

“Yes” Liam sat down next to him, ignoring how his heart skipped a beat at the lie, and started the movie. “Now hush. I wanna see this”.

“Since when do you like musicals?” Theo questioned way too amused but that was better than hollow and sad, so Liam just took it. Even if it meant watching a damn musical.

“Since always?” Liam acted offended by Theo not knowing that fake fact about him. “And you call yourself my friend”.

“I never did” Theo pointed out teasingly.

In response, Liam just glared at him. “Shut up and watch the damn movie”.

“Okay, okay”.

And God, Liam hated musicals. They made no sense to him whatsoever but it was the safest route to take right now. They were so over the top that it shouldn't wake up any unpleasant memories for now. After all, he had not chosen The Greatest Showman. That would have backfired and he knew it. Mason had forced him to watch it once and yes, the songs had been fire but he still didn't like musicals. So, this right now was pure torture but after everything Theo's been through, it was the least he could do. Unless this awoke some new love for musicals in Theo. Oh, God. Please, no.

“Does this movie have an actual plot?” Theo asked with his head tilted to the side, examining the TV screen. He shouldn't be allowed to look this cute when he was questioning Liam's sanity. It just wasn't fair. It should be illegal.

“Of course” Liam had seriously no clue. Mamma Mia had a plot, right? Right?

“Three possible dads coming to her wedding. Great plot” Theo was definitely making fun of him now and Liam did not appreciate being mocked in his own bedroom. Thanks.

“It's been barely ten minutes, Theo. Give it time” Liam rolled his eyes at the chimera just because he wanted to. There was no way he would let Theo win this, no matter how much he actually agreed. “God, you're insufferable”.

“And yet you wanted to watch this movie with me” Theo smirked at him like the asshat he was but Liam kept his eyes on the screen. “You really gave me no choice”.

“I'm giving you the choice to shut up willingly or get shut up by me. What's it gonna be?” Liam did look at him now with an annoyed look on his face but on the inside, he hoped his words hadn't been too harsh. Too hunter-like.

“Leaving sounds tempting”.

“Then be my fucking guest”.

“Nah, you wanted me here. Might as well stay”.

“Don't sound so excited”.

“I'm not. This movie sucks”.

“It does not!”.

“Does and you know it, Little Wolf”.

“I know no such thing, big bad chimera”.

“Big? Yeah. Bad? Jury's still out”.

“Big might be a little bit of a stretch, Raeken”.

“How would you know?”.

“Wouldn't you like to know?”.

“Doesn't make you sound like a creepy stalker, at all”.

“Takes one to know one”.

“Who stalked me again and said my soap smells nice?”.

“Who chased me as a wolf just for funsies?”.

“You deserved it for stalking me earlier that day”.

“You're the one who studied our every move day and night”.

“I did never watch you all night. Ew”.

“Sure you weren't around already when I was running around naked on a full moon?”.

“No. And don't sound so proud of that. You're weird”.

“Says you”.

“I'm a failed experiment. I'm allowed to be weird. I'm pretty sure weirdness is part of my new DNA. What's your excuse?”.

“Daddy issues amplified by being bitten when I almost fell off a roof after a damn wendigo tried to eat me?”.

“Pff. That's nothing compared to having your heart ripped out of your chest on an endless loop by your dead sister. Think you can top that?”.

“Oh, I think I can top that”.

“Yeah?”.

“Mh, I can definitely top you”.

“I'd like to see you try, Little Wolf”.

“Don't test me. I'm full of trauma”.

“Full of it, huh?”.

“Filled to the brim”.

“Is that so?”.

“Mh”.

When had they gotten so close to each other? Only when Theo's breath hit his face did Liam notice how they had inched closer to each other with every new, wrong-sounding word. And when had they decided to just mention their traumas like that? Maybe they did need help with their communication because what the fuck was happening? Was that considered flirting? Had he flirted with Theo without meaning to? Shit.

Apparently, Theo had also finally realised how close they were to each other; not even an inch between their faces; because something rushed through his hazel eyes before he scooted back until he was in his original spot. “You're full of shit. That's all. There's no topping me”.

“Whatever lets you sleep at night” Liam willed his heart to stop racing, focusing back on the stupid musical. His mind was working overtime though. He had been so close to Theo. To his lips. He could have just leaned in … No, none of that. No.

Pushing any and all thoughts of Theo's lips to the back of his mind, Liam just watched the damn movie. If he ignored the singing and only admired the backdrop of Greece, it wasn't so bad. And maybe, it was enjoyable in some way but he would never admit that out loud. Musicals would never be his thing and Theo's neither. Halfway through the movie, he looked so bored out of his mind that he could fall asleep, which he was fighting and Liam got that. Sleeping must be unpleasant for him after that. Nightmares were a guarantee.

When the couple on the screen was having an argument because she had kept things from him this close to getting married, Liam couldn't help but snort at the ridiculousness. This was such a cliché movie plot device. “Honesty, guys”.

And somehow that was the last thing he should have said. As soon as the words were out in the open, he felt Theo stiffen next to him, taking a sharp breath that was a little too loud for the quiet between them. To get such a visceral reaction from Theo was unusual and concerning. Just like the sudden paleness of his rigid face. How had honesty triggered that?

“Theo?” Liam paused the movie, trying to catch his eyes but Theo was staring into thin air with a far-away look in his eyes.

Barely noticeable, Theo's fingers were tracing over the spot where he still had a faint scar on his chest, probably a subconscious motion. Seeing Theo this shaken up out of nowhere scared him. He had no idea how to proceed, how to approach Theo right now. Would he lash out if Liam got closer? Would he flash his eyes? Or would he ice him out?

Neither of those things apparently. With his eyes a little more focused than before but still lost, Theo looked at him and reached out for his hand, putting his on top of Liam's and interlacing their fingers like this. It was a cry for comfort. And Liam would always give Theo everything he needed without question. That's how bad it was. So, he let him take it.

“Liam” was all Theo said in a breathy voice.

“I'm here” Liam wanted to reach out and touch more of Theo to give him comfort so badly but he held himself back, not sure if Theo would want that. He didn't wanna overstep.

But Theo seemed to actually register the twitch in Liam's left hand, his eyes looking at where it was lying restlessly on Liam's leg. When Theo looked back up at him with glassy eyes, it knocked the air out of his lungs. Theo didn't cry. He just didn't. Not really. Liam had seen him tear up before but mostly in sheer fear. This was different. This wasn't just fear. It was sadness as well. A deep and dark sadness.

“I'm here” Liam repeated his words helplessly.

Theo opened and closed his mouth a couple times but nothing came out. The battle for the right words was written on his face and all Liam wanted to do was help him but he could not do anything and he knew it. He had to wait and let Theo sort through his thoughts alone. All he could do was prepare himself to pick up the pieces when Theo was ready.

But oh, boy, was he not ready for this.

“She wants me” Theo's anxious voice pierced right through his heart. He shouldn't sound this terrified. “She offered me freedom but I didn't fall for it. I knew it was a lie. She …”.

Not able to control his own actions any longer, Liam's hand reached out to cup Theo's right cheek, needing to feel him close and be able to look into his eyes. And of course, the first reaction was pure shock. That touch wasn't normal for them but Liam ignored that for now. With a tiny smile on his lips, Liam locked eyes with Theo, his thumb starting to caress his lightly reddened skin. “What is it? You know you can tell me everything, right? I'm here”.

Frozen in place by Liam's touch, Theo barely nodded to show him he knew. Deciding to have mercy on both of them, Liam let his hand fall down after a few more seconds, landing on Theo's knee instead. Maybe that was safer. For now.

Visibly bracing himself, Theo let out a deep breath before telling him what was weighing down on him. “She knows about all the other operating theatres and wants me to tell her how to find them. She … They had altered weapons in there that can kill a supernatural in mere seconds if done right. They used them to make us better but it barely worked, so they moved on to something else but she … she knows and wants them”.

“Okay, that is terrifying” Liam had to say something but at the same time, he was trying to stay calm and not let his fear take over, turning it into anger. He needed to be calm for Theo.

“I didn't mean to keep that from you. I didn't lie to you” Theo looked straight out panicked right now, his eyes wild and unfocused again. “I just wasn't thinking about that anymore because I tried to forget but I should have said something”.

“Theo” Liam tried but it was in vain. Theo was spiralling and there was nothing he could do to stop it.

“I should have told you about the weapons anyone could randomly find if they stumbled over the theatres but I didn't and I'm sorry. Now you're in even worse danger than before and all because of me. I swear, I didn't plan this …”.

“Theo” Liam untangled their fingers, so he could fully cup Theo's face with both of his hands now, which made him shut up and stare at him with big eyes. “I would never think you planned anything behind my back, okay? I know you're not. You're not responsible for what the doctors left behind”.

“They left me behind and I'm responsible for me and my knowledge” Theo looked one second away from breaking and Liam wasn't sure he could build him up afterwards if that happened. “Knowledge that could kill you”.

“Knowledge that could also save me” Liam rubbed his thumbs gently over Theo's cheeks, hoping the touch was comforting and not triggering or uncomfortable. “You told me now, didn't you? Now I know what she is looking for and …”.

“She is looking all over the world, not just here” Theo talked over him, still absolute panic in his voice and for one of those rare moments, his chemosignals weren't suppressed. The panic and fear and guilt were suffocating but Liam was also glad Theo wasn't keeping it locked away. “Remember how Gerard had that map of all the nemetons in the world?”.

“Yes” Liam didn't like where this was going. Isaac's words about her snooping around in France and Brazil came back to him and it made his heart beat faster.

“In every one of those places is a theatre” Theo let him know. “Full with weapons and documents and failed experiments”.

“And she wants it all to obliterate all of us” Liam's fear was spiking and there was nothing he could do about it. Monroe was already haunting his dreams and hunting him in real life. Knowing she could wipe them out in seconds if she succeeded was not helping his paranoia. “She wants you to tell her how to find all of it”.

“She tried everything to make me talk but I didn't tell her anything. I wouldn't” Theo's eyes were intense on him.

“I know you wouldn't …”.

“And not just because she would kill me too” Theo rushed out so fast he barely caught it. His words brought Liam back to what Stiles had thrown into Theo's face and it brought his anger back in full force. “She offered me freedom, to spare my life if I helped her and even though her heart didn't jump, I knew she was lying. She's a good liar. Tried to make me feel like my abominable nature would make me different enough for her to spare me but as soon as she realised I wouldn't budge, she dropped the act pretty fast. As if I didn't know I am a fucked-up science experiment. Don't know what she thought would happen if she told me that. As if that would make me help her. I'd never. I didn't, so she …”.

“Rammed a fucking dagger into your chest” Liam finished his sentence for him, seeing how hard Theo was trying to come off as unbothered when all he wanted to do was cry. “Laced with some rare wolfsbane, knowing it would affect even you. And then this close to …”.

“Tara's heart” Theo croaked out, his voice breaking.

His own heart breaking at the sight of silent tears falling down Theo's face, Liam just had to do it. Instinctively, he reached out to pull Theo right into his chest, wrapping his arms around him in a protective manner and Theo … Theo went willingly and buried his face in Liam's chest, his hands fisting Liam's shirt.

“I promise you, we're gonna stop her” Liam let his right hand trail all over Theo's back in slow patterns. “We're gonna find her and I'm gonna make her pay for everything she did to you. She's gonna regret ever laying a finger on you. She's not gonna get away again and she won't be able to …”.

“She could kill you” Theo untucked himself from Liam's chest to look at him with tear-filled eyes, his face so close.

“I'd like to see her try” Liam felt one corner of his mouth twitching up into the shadow of a smile. “As angry as I am, I could tear her to shreds in seconds”.

At that, Theo's eyes widened again, which only made them look this much greener right now due to the tears. Like this, he could clearly see the brown flecks in his irises. “I'm sorry I …”.

“I'm not mad at you, I'm mad at her” Liam couldn't believe Theo would still think he was angry at him. He had done nothing wrong but here he was, blaming himself. Liam's truth seemed to shock him to his core, not able to hide any kind of reaction from Liam with being this close. “She had no right. Absolutely no right to treat you like this and I'm gonna make her regret every single second of it. That's a promise”.

Rendered speechless, Theo was simply looking at him and Liam let him. If he needed to look at him to figure out that Liam was serious, then so be it. Of course with Theo this close; quite literally still in his lap; Liam wanted to reach out and do something stupid but this really wasn't the moment to even think about this. It didn't matter that Theo looked comfortable where he was or that he sank right into Liam's chest when he had apparently found what he'd been looking for in Liam's eyes. None of that mattered in that way. Theo needed comfort and Liam would always be here to give it to him. No questions asked and no expectations attached. This was safety.

“And you're not a fucked-up science experiment, no matter what you say” Liam mumbled more to himself but he knew Theo could hear him, even without supernatural hearing. “You wanna sleep now? I'm tired”.

Theo's entire body immediately went stock still, his voice a little rough when he was stumbling over his words. “Sure. I could use some sleep. I'm gonna leave you to …”.

“Stay” Liam didn't want him to leave, so his brain shut off. “Stay with me?”.

Theo's heart was racing and he wasn't covering it up. “Okay”.

“Okay”.

Not wanting to get up or move much at all, Liam tightened his arms around Theo and simply lay down on his bed, trying to get comfortable without having to let go of Theo and giving him the chance to bolt. To his and probably Theo's surprise as well, Theo didn't even try to get away from Liam. He stayed right where he was, head resting on Liam's chest even when Liam dared to move a little bit to get them under the covers. With Theo safe in his arms and the movie still on pause, Liam felt himself relax. He didn't care that his light was still on or that the TV screen would switch to screensaver in a few minutes. All he cared about was that Theo let himself have this right now. All he cared about was Theo falling asleep on him in mere seconds. All he cared about was Theo being safe.

So, when his mother peeked her head inside his room half an hour later to check on them before going to bed, he was very thankful for her turning off the TV and the light without asking any questions or commenting on Theo sleeping on Liam. Left in the dark, Liam felt sleep also tugging on him and he didn't try to fight it, even if he wanted to savour the moment with Theo for as long as he could. It wouldn't happen again. Liam was okay with that. All that mattered was that Theo was okay.

Chapter Text

Being back in school after a very eventful weekend; and a very uneventful Monday but Liam had insisted on him staying home at least one day longer to make sure he was physically fine; was strange. Seeing the oblivious people around him living their normal lives as if he hasn't been tortured and almost killed only a few days ago made him wonder how the others normally dealt with this. For them, this was a recurring issue. For Theo, this was new and he didn't know how to act. There was a lot actually he didn't know anymore. Who he was, what he was doing, how he was supposed to act at all times and what to do about Liam. All questions he could not answer at this point in time. It was frustrating.

So, he did what he did best. Pretend. During his classes, he pretended to be fine and pay attention but his mind was in a totally different place. His mind was still in that warehouse. He knew she still wanted that information from him and wouldn't stop at anything to get it, which made him paranoid. More paranoid than he already was naturally. Everything made him flinch or jump and he couldn't keep those reactions as low-key as he wanted to. Everyone could see that something was going on with him because he wasn't in control anymore. His control has been shattered and there was no way to ever get it back. Not to the way it was before.

A part of him felt mercury bubbling up inside of him as soon as he let himself think about the loss of his control but every time, he was there. Every time Theo jumped at a sudden noise or flinched at an unknown shadow passing by, Liam was right there with a comforting and grounding touch or an easy smile to remind him he wasn't alone. To remind him that nothing bad would happen to him again as long as Liam was around. He had promised that. And Theo … Theo believed him, was the thing. He truly believed that Liam wanted to keep him safe and out of harm's way. He truly believed that Liam would try anything to keep him from being taken and tortured again. He truly believed Liam would always be there. For him.

That didn't mean though that Theo was convinced he was safe at all times, no matter how safe he felt with Liam by his side. Liam couldn't always be around. They didn't have identical schedules. But Tuesdays were pretty close, so that was probably why Liam had wanted him to come back today and not yesterday or tomorrow. Today, they had classes together all morning. Until lunch. After lunch, they would be separated and Theo wasn't ready to admit how much that thought actually scared him. He has always been fine on his own. He has never needed anyone to survive. And now … now he knew that wasn't true. He hasn't been fine. He has been anything but fine. And yes, he might have survived unspeakable things but at what cost?! Surviving was a lot easier when you weren't alone. When you had a very stubborn beta around you that just wouldn't let you die. When said beta had an equally as stubborn pack that just wouldn't leave him alone because they gave a shit about him. With something that felt close to having a pack, surviving sounded a lot easier than he was used to. And that scared him big time. Because having friends or a pack meant he had something to lose. It meant he would do anything to keep them alive, even if it took his own life to achieve that. He'd be fine with that.

But of course, the puppies wouldn't be fine with that solution. That was pretty obvious when none of them was leaving his side all day, not just Liam. At lunch, he was dragged towards their usual table so he wouldn't ignore them again; not that he had planned on doing that; and included in every single one of their loud conversations. Or well, at least they tried to include him in everything but Theo was still Theo. In some way. So, he only replied with sly remarks or sarcastic comments. The usual because he was still pretending to be fine, after all. Even if it wasn't working but that's all he knew.

“I've heard Leana wants to ask you out, dude” Alec wiggled his eyebrows at Liam, catching Theo's attention now because what had he missed? He'd thought Alec had understood that he shouldn't mess with Liam's love life. “Later today”.

“Who was that again?” Liam asked apologetically.

“The really pretty blonde one. She's on the cheer squad …”.

“Oh, what a cliché” Corey rolled his eyes in disinterest.

“Really now? You and Mason are literally the cliché nerd and a jock”.

“I'm not a jock”.

“I'm not a nerd”.

“You so are”.

Theo wanted to say something clever to this very stupid conversation but Liam's little snicker at his friends' nonsense distracted him too much to form a clear sentence. So, he just watched Liam trying to hide his amusement and failing miserably, of course. It was very endearing to witness.

“A cheerleader and a jock is still more cliché” Talisa threw her two cents in, amusement clearly written all over her face. “Especially because you're the captain”.

“Co-captain” Nolan corrected her but he was ignored.

“Do I look like I care?” Liam sent her an unimpressed look. “Besides, clichés exist for a reason …”.

“Does that mean you're up for it?” Alec jumped onto the given opportunity in an instant, making Theo wanna strangle him. Solely because Liam looked like he wanted to be anywhere but here, of course. There was no other reason.

“No” Liam replied simply, poking around in the remains of his cafeteria food.

“But why?” Talisa wanted to know nosily.

“I don't even know who she is” Liam reminded them.

“Do you always have to know everyone before going on a date? That's what dates are for. Getting to know someone. You could get to know her” Alec propped his head up on his hands to make himself look even more ridiculous resting on his elbows like that. Was that his interrogation face? Stupid.

“Not interested” Liam's gaze actually darkened now, which made worry grow inside of Theo. What was going on?

“Why not?” an evil glint appeared in Alec's eyes and that was enough for Theo to understand that Alec was doing this on purpose. He was setting Liam up for something. But what?

It didn't matter for what. Theo had enough of this and made that pretty clear. “Stop bothering him with those questions. Don't you have anything better to do?”.

“Like?” Alec's evilly sparkling eyes were focused on him now, their conversation about Liam and Hayden and his alleged jealousy coming back to him and no. Definitely not. Not today. Not here. Not with Liam right next to him.

“Anything really” was all Theo could come up with. “Worry about your own life. Have you ever even been on a date?”.

“No. Have you?” Alec wasn't backing down because he was actually evil on the inside. Theo was sure of that.

“Actual dates or dates to lure information out of people?” Theo wasn't backing down either. He wouldn't let Alec get to him, make him admit anything with the others around. “Let me tell you, the second ones are a lot more fun”.

“How would you know? Doesn't sound to me like you've ever been on an actual date” Alec was looking right at him with an expression on his face that screamed mischief. That little baby wolf was a menace to society. “Maybe we should set you up instead. What do you think, Liam?”.

“That you should drop it before someone gets killed” Liam glared at him, actual real anger in his scent now.

“God, you're boring” Alec threw his hands in the air in fake surrender, Mason and Corey eyeing him warily. “Why don't you two wanna go on dates? We could die any day. We should take any chance we have to live life to the fullest”.

“He does have a point there, as much as it pains me to say that” Talisa agreed begrudgingly with Alec.

“Thank you” Alec wasn't even the tiniest bit insulted.

“You don't need dates for that though” Corey joined the conversation now. “You can live life without dating every random person that thinks you're hot”.

“You already have a hot boyfriend. You don't get a say in this” Alec dismissed his objection.

“So, you think my boyfriend's hot, huh?” Corey cocked an eyebrow up at him, clearly just joking.

“Duh, everyone knows Mason's hot” Alec gestured around their table, his eyes landing on Theo. “Even Theo”.

“I wanna be excluded from this conversation” Theo felt a little weird talking about finding other people hot for no reason. That wasn't something he thought about a lot.

“No chance. You're stuck with us, I'm afraid” Alec pulled a funny face at him, making his friends chuckle. “Liam quite literally forced you to be a part of this pack and what Liam says goes. We all know not to mess with him when it comes to you, so …”.

“Maybe we should reconsider you being part of this pack. All you do is annoy us” Corey smacked him against the back of his head, his eyes fixed solely on Theo though.

“Me? Bullshit. You're all just no fun”.

With Corey and Liam's eyes not so subtly on him, Theo tried to keep his face impassive but without his usual control over his body and facial expressions he wasn't sure how good of a job he was doing at it. His mind was stuck on one word. Pack. Alec had mentioned that so casually, not meaning anything with it but it meant everything to Theo and the shabby high school cafeteria really wasn't the right place to have this breakdown but whatever. He had known, if not fully accepted most of the time, that the puppies saw him as their friend. And at some point, he had accepted that he was feeling the same way about them but this … this was huge for him and it let loose a new hurricane of feelings inside of him. As teasing as their conversation was, the truth was staring right at him. They saw him as part of their pack. The puppies had accepted him as part of their pack and Theo hadn't known that. When had they decided he was worth it? For how long have they known they trusted him enough to include him in their pack? Or was it just because Liam wanted him in his pack and they were supposed to treat him as their alpha; no matter if Liam wanted that or not; which meant they would never object even if they didn't want Theo in the pack? Was he overthinking this now? Probably. He was good at that. He tended to overthink everything until nothing made sense anymore. The irony.

“We're at school. This isn't supposed to be fun” Corey's voice brought Theo back from his mental spiral.

“Just like this food. I feel like it's getting worse every day. What are they putting into this?” Nolan seemed to actually pick up on the tension around him for once, giving them all the perfect out of this. Who would have thought? Not Theo.

“I don't think you wanna know” Talisa grimaced when she looked too closely at Nolan's almost untouched food. “I don't think I wanna know what I just put in my body”.

“You can figure out what that food's doing inside of you right now though because we have biology next” Liam sounded as unenthusiastic as he could, his hate for biology endless.

“That isn't even today's topic …”.

“But we still have biology next” Mason looked sympathetically at Liam, who looked like he was considering if running away would spare him. “Which means we should get going”.

“I don't want to” Liam groaned dramatically, making big eyes at Theo and that really wasn't fair. “Please, don't make me go. We can say there was an emergency or something”.

“And what kind of emergency would that be, mh?” Theo felt himself smile at the sight of Liam's big blue eyes directly looking at him and no one else. “You know I'd do everything for you but there is nothing I can do about biology”.

“Fine” Liam full on pouted now. It did things to Theo's insides.

“I see you after class?” Theo couldn't stop the grin from taking over his face. Liam was adorable and ever since he had acknowledged certain things while almost bleeding out, he couldn't seem to stop having mushy thoughts about him.

“If I'm still alive”.

“Don't be so dramatic. It's just biology” Theo rolled his eyes at him, way too endeared for it to be healthy.

“Biology is out to kill me” Liam widened his eyes to underline the seriousness of his point.

“No, it isn't. You got this” Theo's brain stopped working, so he reached out and booped Liam's nose, to his own horror. Their friends were still watching. “I'm your tutor. Listen to me”.

Liam wrinkled his nose a bit like a bunny, which only made Theo wanna reach out again but he was able to stop that impulse from taking over his body. He was embarrassed enough by the first time. He wouldn't do it a second. Not with everyone else still around and definitely watching them.

“Just this once but if I die, it's on you. Remember that” Liam got out of his seat and grabbed his empty tray. His voice was as teasing as ever but his eyes showed a little bit of fear that Theo might take his words too seriously. He didn't.

“I take that chance because you're gonna be fine, Little Wolf” Theo locked eyes with him to hopefully let Liam know that he had nothing to worry about. Not biology and not Theo.

“Fine” Liam sighed out in defeat, Mason and Talisa joining his side because they had biology together. “But don't you dare stand me up later. Remember, I know where you live. If you don't show your ugly face at practise, I'm gonna kill you in your sleep”.

“Calling me ugly every chance you get doesn't hide the fact that you think I'm hot” Theo apparently chose today to be an idiot. No matter how normal this kind of banter was for them, after his deathbed confession to himself, comments like this felt heavier than before. Obviously only to him but still.

“I'm so gonna murder you in your sleep”.

“Have fun with that”.

“Come on, Liam. We should really go now”.

“Fine but my threat still stands. Watch your back, Raeken”.

“Always do, Little Wolf”.

“Whatever”.

“Don't think about my handsome face too much or you're actually gonna fail biology”.

“Piss off”.

After watching the trio head out of the cafeteria, Theo turned back around to look at Corey. And Alec, who looked like he was one sly comment away from certain death, so Theo had to stop him before he could start. “Not a word, baby wolf”.

And with that, he stood up as well. He had Math next.

But of course, Corey and Alec and Nolan; can't forget about him now; followed him. Corey because they had Math together. Alec because he didn't know when to stop. And Nolan because he followed Alec almost everywhere. Theo assumed there was a crush involved but he seriously didn't care. His own feelings were enough for him to handle.

“But you …”.

“If you value your life, you keep your mouth shut” Theo made his voice sound as threatening as he could without growling in public but he knew Alec was aware of his bluff. He knew Theo would never actually murder him. This Theo wasn't a killer.

“Only because I need to run” Alec grabbed Nolan by the wrist and dragged him along as he started sprinting down the hallway to his Literature class, that they were probably late for if they didn't hurry some more.

“With him in the pack, It's never gonna be boring. That's for sure” Corey commented on Alec's antics with a shake of his head. “But we seriously need to increase the IQ of the group”.

“Are you admitting you're all idiots?” Theo smirked at him in a teasing matter, walking to their next class room.

“Don't let Liam hear you called him an idiot” Corey nudged his side lightly as if this were normal for them. Maybe it was in a way. It felt normal. “But we all know you and Mason are the brains of this group and Alec keeps proving that he seriously doesn't use his, kinda like Nolan. Liam and I have our smart moments every now and then. My hopes are on Talisa. She seems smarter than Alec and Nolan. More aware”.

Theo knew what Corey was doing. This was his way of letting him know that Alec hasn't been joking. This was his way of telling him that they all really saw him as part of the pack. Not just because Liam was in his corner. No, they all seriously saw him as part of their pack and Corey wanted him to know.

“All hope isn't lost on her yet. She seems smart enough” Theo just played along for now. It helped ease his mind. “But your moments need to become more constant. Otherwise that isn't proof enough that you're not an idiot. Your boyfriend's too smart, makes it more obvious”.

“You're a joy to have around” Corey dead-panned.

“I get that a lot” Theo walked into their class room.

“And a smartass”.

“I know”.

“That isn't something positive”.

“Liam disagrees”.

“Of course he does”.

“He's smarter than you, so his opinion matters more”.

“To you? Big shocker”.

“You're a horrible person”.

“Takes one to know one”.

“How does Mason put up with you? Dating you must suck”.

“You're never gonna find out how much I truly suck”.

“Don't you have any shame?”.

“Not really. I'm quite proud of my skills”.

“I don't need to know about your skills though. Thanks”.

“You asked”.

“That isn't what I asked”.

“Eh, same difference”.

“I really don't like you”.

“Feeling's mutual”.

“Can you shut up now? Class is about to start”.

“You're such a nerd”.

“Better a nerd than a dumbass”.

“I'm so telling Liam about this”.

“I hope he knocks your teeth out at practise”.

“He might”.

“Don't sound so excited”.

“I'm not”.

“You're odd”.

“Think we established that already”.

“Liam should kick you out of the pack. You're annoying”.

“So are you and he would never even consider kicking you out, so …”.

The smug grin on Corey's stupid face proved Theo's earlier realisation. All Corey had wanted to do was make sure Theo knew he was a part of them. Their friend group. Their pack. For real and because they all wanted it. Wanted him to be a part of this. He had friends now. He had a pack. People who cared enough. People who bickered with him until he wanted to smash their faces in. People who teased him without mercy because that's what friends did. They knew he liked it.

“I bring brains to this pack. What do you bring?” Theo levelled Corey down with a strong look, everything he wanted to say reflected in his eyes for Corey to see. And only for Corey.

“My flawless looks and my charm” Corey presented his face to him jokingly. “And my amazing skills. I can share some secrets with you if you need help”.

“I'm gonna murder you. In your sleep” Theo hoped his glare was making up for the heat he was feeling in his cheeks. That was not something he even wanted to think about. God, no.

“Now you sound like Liam” Corey only rolled his eyes at him, totally unbothered by his glare. “You two spend too much time together. You're rubbing off on each other”.

“Do not” Theo shot back like the mature adult he was.

“Whatever you say, Raeken” Corey's smirk got even smugger if that was possible. Theo wanted to cry, which no. No.

“Shut it, Bryant. Teacher's here”.

For the majority of his class, Theo only focused on what the teacher was saying, ignoring the little voices in his head. When something made him jump because his paranoia was still right there with him, Corey offered him a supportive smile or made a funny face at the teacher's back. Corey stepped in for when Liam wasn't around and it made Theo's heart swell. This new and overwhelming feeling of pack was a lot to handle.

When his classes for the day were done, he made his way over to the lacrosse field because he really wasn't in the mood for Liam to throw a hissy fit if he didn't show up for practise like the others were all doing today for no reason at all. So, with Mason and Talisa by his side, he sat down on the bleachers, earning himself a bright smile from Liam down on the field. Maybe this wasn't so bad, after all. Maybe it was worth it.

“Corey's gotten really good. He practised a lot” Mason told them proudly when practise started. They left it uncommented.

“Do you understand what they're doing right now?” Talisa asked him when they were just running around on the field.

“I've never cared much about lacrosse, so no” Theo's eyes followed Liam's movements on the field but he tried to make it look as if he was just staring ahead in sheer boredom.

“And still here we are. What great friends we are” Talisa chuckled to herself, coaxing a tiny smile out of him.

But her words did remind him that one of them was missing. “Where's Alec?”.

“Not sure. He only said that he had something to do” Talisa let him know vaguely.

“Something more important than watching lacrosse practise? I'm appalled” Theo gasped exaggeratedly. “Nolan's gonna cry himself to sleep tonight”.

“Quit the dramatics” Talisa rolled her eyes at him amusedly.

“Not sure I know how” Theo grinned unapologetically at her.

“By telling me if that's supposed to look like this” Talisa pointed at the field and whatever the heck they were doing.

“No clue. Ask Mason”.

“Mason?”.

“They're still just warming up, okay? It's gonna get better” Mason levelled them both down with a look that was supposed to be intimidating but was just funny. So, they just laughed at him. “Oh, piss off. You know the team isn't the best”.

“Didn't you just say that Corey's gotten good?” Talisa was definitely teasing him now.

“It's true!” Mason cried out but it only made their laughter worse. “He's the goalie. Give him time. Those are just drills”.

“Uh-huh, sure” Theo rolled his lips in to stop his laughter. “We all know the only good player on the team is Liam. Everyone else just sucks but Coach is trying his best … What?”.

“Nothing” Mason was smirking at him with smugness written all over him. “Just cute how you had to point that out”.

“Call me cute again and you're gonna eat your legs” Theo threatened Mason while simultaneously trying to keep his face free of any red.

“That doesn't even make any sense” Mason was the one chuckling now, mirth in his eyes.

“Maybe I should tell Liam that his best friend doesn't think he's the best” Theo glared at him in an attempt to save his dignity but he had the bad feeling that it was in vain.

“Don't hold back” Mason's chuckles were dying out. “He'll know I never said that”.

“You …”.

“They're heading for the goals. Let's see if you were telling the truth” Talisa piped in to get their attention and Theo has never been so glad to be interrupted.

“Watch and learn” Mason leaned forward with a concentrated look on his face, elbows resting on his knees.

“Learn what exactly?” Talisa eyed him amused.

“That I'm always right”.

“Sure”.

“Oh, look at that. Liam's first to prove you wrong” Theo was grinning like a psychopath just to rile Mason up, his eyes fixed on the goal and Liam. Liam, who scored the goal easily. “What was that? He's gotten so good”.

“Oh, piss off” Mason pushed Theo to the side, right against Talisa, pouting. “Going against Liam is never fair”.

“And why's that?” Theo knew he was annoying the shit out of Mason but he didn't care one bit. He was enjoying this.

“Because no one's better than him” Mason grumbled out although he had obviously known that all along. “Happy?”.

“Very” Theo grinned to himself in satisfaction, something about Liam scoring right when Theo had needed him to; and knowing he would; made him feel all happy inside. It was odd.

“Look at your smug ass” Mason shook his head at him but a smile was coming through. “You're gonna fit right in with all the other WAGs. Quite perfectly, I might add”.

And for that, Theo just had to smack him. Hard. No regrets.

After what felt like an eternity of bickering and teasing, this stupid lacrosse practise was finally over. But that also meant cheer practise was over. This whole time, Theo had ignored them entirely but now he couldn't, even if he tried. One of the girls was making her way right over to where Liam stood. That had to be the one Alec had mentioned earlier. Theo didn't bother to remember her name. Right now, he was bothered by her touching Liam's arm. The disrespect!

So, with Mason and Talisa in tow, he made his way down to the field without thinking anything through. His heart was fully in control now, overpowering his mind. When he reached the two of them, Liam immediately turned to him with a blinding smile on his face, making Theo halter in his steps and just take it in. Hopefully his answering smile wasn't too forced or pained.

“Good practise, Dunbar” Theo had to say something. Just standing around like a gaping idiot wasn't the way to go.

“Thanks” Liam was solely looking at him and that calmed his heart down a little bit. Enough to give him some control. “I was just telling Leana about the new drills. Did you see?”.

“We saw” Theo kept his face neutral. He hoped.

“Oh, we saw. Trust” Mason nudged his side with his elbow. “Speaking of seeing, where's Corey?”.

“Already inside. Couldn't wait to take a shower” Liam told him non-committally, taking a step away from Leana. “I'm gonna do the same. I stink. Wait for me?”.

And the fact that Liam was only asking him with everyone else around shouldn't make him feel so smug right now but he couldn't help it. She needed to read the room. “You know where to find me. Truck's where it always is”.

“Great” Liam practically beamed at him.

When Leana did not read the room and was about to take a foolish step closer to Liam again, opening her mouth to say something, the animals in his chest took over. His wolf and his coyote were both snarling at her. On the outside, he simply glared at her with a warning look in his eyes; while Liam was saying something to Mason; and it worked. She swallowed visibly and retreated without saying another word. Success.

“Okay. I'm gonna meet you out there. Sorry, I really have to go n …” Liam looked from Mason over to where Leana had just been, confusion taking over his face. “Where did she go?”.

“She had to run” Theo didn't feel guilty at all. She wasn't good enough for Liam and Liam wasn't interested anyway. He had said so himself after all, so she should better just disappear. Preferably forever but for now was fine. For today.

“Huh, weird” Liam stared at the empty space for a moment before clapping into his hands. “Anyway, I'm gonna go and take a quick shower. Meet you at your truck?”.

“Like always” Theo smiled at him.

“Good. I'll be quick”.

While Liam was running inside, Theo headed for his truck with Mason and Talisa still in tow. After a minute of silence, Mason apparently thought it was the right time to address the obvious. “Weird how she just left. I could swear she wanted to ask him out. I wonder what happened”.

Ignoring the mocking tone of his voice, Theo just kept walking straight towards his truck, no ounce of shame in sight. “Who knows. Changed her mind. Realised she shouldn't bother”.

“Uh-huh” Mason looked way too delighted right now.

Raising an eyebrow in suspicion at their interaction, Talisa looked back and fourth between them for a moment, her mind definitely working but in the end, she decided to keep it to herself and Theo was thankful for that. One person mocking him shamelessly was enough. Especially when that someone was Liam's best friend. If he was that obvious, did Liam know?

Scolding himself mentally for giving Liam this much credit when he was the most oblivious person in the world, Theo stopped at his truck, only looking at Talisa. “You have a ride home? I'm heading straight for work after dropping Liam off”.

“Mason is driving me and Alec home, don't worry” Talisa tilted her head towards Mason, who was still just grinning at him like the devil. “If Alec shows up any time soon”.

“If not, leave him behind. He deserves it” Theo leaned against his truck, Alec's lunch antics still circling around in his head.

For a moment, both of them just looked at him but then seemed to decide it was better not to comment on that. Smart choice. Instead, Talisa took her phone out and walked into the direction of Mason's car. “I'm gonna call him. See ya”.

With one person less around, Theo should feel more relaxed but being alone with Mason was terrifying. He saw too much and didn't hesitate to point things out. Right now, luck seemed to be on his side though because he could see Corey coming their way, which Mason immediately noticed.

“Boyfriend's done. Guess I see you tomorrow” Theo needed him to leave before he gave him more heart palpitations.

“Guess so” Mason pursed his lips for a moment, starting to head off but obviously not without a last comment. “You're lucky he's so oblivious. Maybe look into WAGs 101”.

With that said, Mason quite literally sprinted towards his car, cackling to himself because he was actually evil and this was proof. With no one around to judge him, Theo felt his cheeks heating up for just a moment. He needed to temper down those feelings because he was being way too obvious. They needed to die. Nothing good would come out of this if he let himself indulge these feelings for the beta any longer. Liam was his friend and saw him as part of his pack. That was already too much to handle. He couldn't take any more.

So, when Liam was done and joined him in his truck, Theo acted as if his very presence wasn't messing with his head. He listened to him ramble on about some history fact he looked up earlier and willed his heart to keep it together. For the sake of their bond. For the sake of Theo's barely existing sanity. Liam could never know. It would only made things weird. Theo was satisfied with being Liam's friend. He could never be more. He didn't do more. He wouldn't know how even if he wanted to, which he didn't. No. Liam was too important to mess this up.

He kept replaying that sentiment after he had dropped Liam off at home, all the way until he was at the vet clinic. During work, he kept all thoughts of Liam out of his mind to solely focus on his tasks. His work here with Deaton always seemed to relax an otherwise always restless part of him. It was nice.

“We need to take pictures of her. For the shelter” Deaton led him into the back, where his favourite kitten was waiting for them. The thought of her in a shelter displeased him massively but there was nothing he could do. Deaton knew what he was doing. So, if he said they needed pictures of her; even if that made no sense to Theo; that's what they would do. She wasn't his first stray, after all, and probably not his last.

With a heavy feeling in his guts, Theo opened the crate and took her out, trying to place her on the prepared surface but she kept climbing back onto him, simply refusing to stay put for any pictures. “She doesn't seem to be a fan of your camera”.

“Mh” Deaton hummed non-committally, watching her hide in Theo's arms. “Or she's simply trying to tell us that we don't need them because she already found her home”.

Looking down at her calming down in his arms, Theo wasn't sure he understood the vet right. “What are you saying?”.

“She chose you, Theo” Deaton put it simple for him, making his heart stumble all over itself. “You better take her home later or she's gonna throw a fit”.

A warm feeling spread through his chest. Picking her up to hold her right in front of his face, Theo just looked into her eyes. This little abused creature had chosen him? He could barely believe it but the thought of not having to say goodbye to her filled him with a kind of joy he had never felt before. So, when she licked his nose and let out a mellow meow, he almost started crying. When he'd become so damn emotional, he could not say. He blamed it on Liam and Liam alone.

“You have a name?” Deaton asked interested.

“Athena” was the first name coming to him and he knew why but refused to dwell on that. The name suited her anyway. It didn't matter why that had been the first he could think of.

“Suits her” Deaton smiled at the cat now resting on his shoulder like the cliché picture of a witch. If Deaton knew why he had thought of that name first, he wasn't letting it show, which was a welcome change. At least someone wasn't mocking him for being so damn obvious. He wasn't looking forward to the puppy pack finding out about this.

Before he could come up with a different name to save his pride, the door to the clinic opened, the sound reverberating through the space. Exchanging a look with the vet, Deaton headed for the reception while Theo put Athena down and placed both of her bowls in front of her. He wondered if he could keep those bowls. There were a lot of things he needed to buy for her if he wanted her to feel welcome in his flat. It didn't even matter to him if he could spare the money or not. She deserved the best and Theo would give it to her.

“Theo, it's for you!” Deaton called out for him, making him frown. Who could possibly be here to see him?

Leaving Athena be because she could handle herself for a moment, Theo headed out to the front and was met with the ever nonchalant face of Isaac Lahey. Upon his arrival, Isaac looked at him, giving nothing away. For the life of him, Theo couldn't say why Isaac was here to see him.

“I'm just here to check on you. See if you're all back to speed” Isaac could definitely tell that he was confused. His words made Deaton walk back into the back, deeming it safe to leave them alone. “Liam was quite losing it and you looked kinda nasty, so are you okay?”.

Not a filter in sight. Theo kinda loved that, even if his question was not one he liked to hear or answer, most of the time. His chest was making him feel some phantom pain; right where he still had an inexplicable scar; at the memory of what had happened and how Isaac had gotten involved with him. Why he cared was still a mystery though. He shouldn't. He was Scott's something. He shouldn't be talking to him.

“I'm holding up quite okay” Theo answered as honestly as possible, not really wanting to get on Isaac's bad side; if he wasn't already there due to killing Scott and all that.

“Good” Isaac nodded to himself, his eyes intense on him. “They found her”.

As out of left field as his sudden change in topic was, Theo didn't need to ask who Isaac was talking about. The mention of her still sent his heart into overdrive, the feeling of her fingers on him still haunting him. “Where is she?”.

“Hiding one town over. Peter located her there” Isaac told him factually, still not giving any feelings away. “Or well, her minions and then her scent all over one place apparently but whatever. Scott's trying to come up with a plan”.

“To do what exactly?” Theo quirked an eyebrow up in question, knowing a Scott McCall plan should be supervised.

“Defeat her once and for all” Isaac answered and in his eyes Theo could clearly see what he wasn't saying. That Scott still didn't want to kill her. That the plan didn't include death.

“There is only one way to end this once and for all” Theo really hoped Isaac agreed with him here and wouldn't run to Scott to tell him the big bad chimera was planning on killing Monroe although he said not to. That would definitely get him kicked out of Beacon Hills. Liam wouldn't like that.

“You're right” Isaac agreed with him easily, the look on his face saying almost too much. Almost as if he knew what Theo had been thinking.

“Scott won't like it” Theo pointed out just because he felt the need to address that issue. He didn't want anyone to think he wasn't aware of this. He was sick of the heartless label the older pack members had put on him. He wasn't. Not anymore.

“He'll get over it” Isaac waved his concerns off with a small smile. “It's the right thing to do. He just can't see that”.

“Cause he is Scott” Theo understood what Isaac was saying. Their true alpha only wanted to see the good in people. Well, in most people, him excluded. “He's still holding out hope”.

“Mh” Isaac hummed in confirmation. “Let him”.

“But who's gonna …?”.

“This is gonna end in a fight” Isaac buried his hands in his pants' pockets, ever so nonchalant. “Someone's gonna do it”.

“It should be someone whose eyes won't change colour” Theo's mind went to Liam, obviously. He couldn't stomach the thought of him having to do this or even wanting to do this in the moment and then having to live with it for the rest of his life. Having to live with Scott resenting him as soon as he saw the blue of his eyes. No, Theo wouldn't let that happen.

“I'm not sure this would change anyone's eyes. She is not innocent” Isaac pointed something out he hadn't thought about but there was no logic behind his statement. Because …

“Don't think it works like that” Theo noted doubtfully.

“Guess we might find out” Isaac retreated towards the exit. “Get some sleep and rest. Nasty isn't a good look on you”.

“Everything's a good look on me” Theo joked cockily.

“Desperation isn't a good look on Liam though” Isaac looked at him with a meaningful expression before he exited the clinic.

The mental image of Liam having to watch him die made his chest tighten. Rubbing over the tight feeling, Theo made his way back to Athena. No part of him wanted to put Liam through more pain. No part of him wanted to be the cause of more pain for his favourite beta. But every part of him knew that the chances of him surviving and doing the right thing to protect all of them were slim to none. Monroe wouldn't go down quietly and she had it out for him. The supernatural world would be safer without him and his knowledge. It would be safer with her dead and not everyone was up for that task. Not everyone should be up for that. Definitely not Liam. No. The only blue eyes Theo wanted to see on him were his human blue eyes.

With Isaac gone, Theo resumed his work, finishing his last tasks for the day before getting ready to finally head home. Isaac had been right with one thing. He should get some rest. As much as he faked it, he wasn't entirely up to speed. He still felt a little weak and the scar on his chest was worrying him. It shouldn't be there but it was. A constant reminder of Monroe's power. A constant reminder that he was vulnerable.

Before he could go home though, Deaton helped him carry everything he needed for Athena into his truck. Apparently, the vet had prepared lots of food for him to take and even a brand new basket for her to sleep in. The two bowls she had used were also his to take. It really looked like Deaton had fully expected Theo to take Athena home, no matter what. Because it was what's best for her, Theo just accepted all of this. For him, this kind of care and kindness was still overwhelming though and his heart felt full and too big for his chest.

With Athena in the basket, snuggled into her blanket, Theo drove them home. Due to her being in the passenger seat, he drove a lot slower than he normally would but he didn't wanna risk hurting her in any way. So, after what felt like half an eternity, they finally arrived at his building. With a bag of cat food in one arm and Athena in her basket in the other, Theo made his way up the few stairs to his flat. Reaching the door, he stopped in his steps because it was unlocked. He never left the door unlocked. Or had he forgotten to lock it?

No. That couldn't be. Immediately, his paranoia was back in place and his body straightened up. Carefully, Theo nudged his door open and sneaked inside, dropping the cat food by the door. Instead of a burglar or a hunter, he was met with Liam, who was standing in his kitchenette.

“What are you doing here?” Theo asked bewildered, his voice startling the shit out of Liam but he deserved it for almost giving Theo a heart attack.

“Cooking?” Liam gestured at the pot on Theo's stove. “Isn't it obvious?”.

“Why are you cooking in my kitchen?” Theo still didn't really understand what was going on but he was a lot calmer now.

“Because I have to learn how to do this shit on my own someday?” Liam stirred whatever was in the pot. Judging by the smell, it was mac&cheese. Of course. What else.

“So, you came here to do this in my kitchen because Jenna would kill you if you wrecked her kitchen” Theo couldn't believe this was really his life. Liam couldn't be for real.

“Now you're getting it” Liam wasn't even looking at him, too focused on his cooking attempt.

“Who says I won't kill you for infiltrating my kitchen?” Theo looked down at Athena, who was already looking up at him in question but he was just as lost as her.

“This benefits you too. If I can figure this out, you won't have to cook for me as much anymore” Liam sent him a shit-eating grin, fully aware of Theo doing that for him. Theo seriously hated him. Liam Dunbar was a menace, a little minx. A cocky and annoying bastard taking full advantage of his weakness.

“Unbelievable” Theo muttered under his breath, more to himself than Liam or Athena. Shaking his head at the whole situation, he finally walked away from the front door to find a place for Athena's stuff. “You didn't need to break in though”.

“How dare you! I didn't break in. Door was unlocked” Liam sounded mildly insulted but was too distracted by his food to do anything other than glare at Theo's back.

“Sure” Theo didn't believe him one bit. He never left his door unlocked. He was way too paranoid for that. Now knowing how easily Liam could break in, he needed to find a solution for that issue. His paranoia wasn't liking this.

“Give me two minutes. Then we can eat” Liam told him as if he owned the place and Theo could only let him do his thing.

“You mean, the food will be ready in two minutes. If it's actually eatable is still up for debate” Theo corrected him like the little shit he was. Liam deserved it right now.

“You're gonna eat this even if it takes like shit” Liam shot back and Theo wasn't sure if that was a threat or an observation.

“if you managed to make mac&cheese taste like shit, I'm actually gonna be impressed. Disturbed and horrified but also deeply impressed” Theo sat down on the couch with a chuckle, placing Athena's basket right next to him for now.

“Fuck you”.

“Nah”.

Letting Liam grumble to himself, Theo focused on his new flatmate. Athena was gazing around his place with big eyes, her tiny nose wrinkling due to her taking in all the new smells. Theo really hoped she liked the place but he also knew he needed to make a few adjustments for her. After being exposed to Liam's 'food' and hopefully surviving consuming it, he needed to go back down to his truck to get the rest of her stuff. Her bowls and the litter box Deaton had pulled out of literally nowhere for him to take home. The second bag of food would be stored in his storage room and then he needed to order a cat tree for her because he did value his walls and furniture and wanted all of it to stay intact. Besides, who knew if Derek even liked cats. Theo needed her to behave.

“You're gonna eat this and you're gonna like it” Liam came over to him with two full plates, handing one over to him but then his eyes fell on Athena. “Oh, hi, Baby. What are you doing here?”.

“She, unlike you, lives here now” Theo took the plate from him, holding it out of reach for Athena.

“Wait, really?” Liam sat down on the couch right next to her basked so fast that Theo expected her to hiss at the beta but she stayed calm and just looked at Liam.

“Yes, Liam. Contrary to your belief, you do not live here” Theo loved messing with him. The way his face scrunched up when he tried not to get upset over Theo teasing him was just way too cute. Theo loved to see it. It was unhealthy how much.

“You should become a comedian, Raeken” Liam dead-panned, glaring at him for a moment before looking back down at Athena. “Hi, girl. So, you're staying with that idiot now, mh? Lucky girl”.

“Your baby voice is annoying. She does not like that” Theo felt squirmy all of the sudden, his insides melting.

“Oh, but she does. Would you look at that?” Liam cooed over her sniffing his hand and actually giving it a tiny lick before meowing at him. “She likes me. I'm a wolf and she likes me anyway. Wow. I might cry”.

“Great. You're gonna cry over Athena liking you and I'm gonna cry cause of food poisoning. Doesn't sound fair” Theo had to look away from them before the animals in his chest would make him do something embarrassing like rumble or something. He was not endeared by them bonding. No.

“Athena?” Liam looked up at him now with big, shining eyes and damn it. Shit, shit shit. Theo had really messed up now. He should have renamed her. “Her name is Athena?”.

“Suits her, don't you think?” Theo only glanced at him briefly before shovelling Liam's food into his mouth, making it impossible for him to say anything incriminating towards himself and his thought process. His face wanted to heat up so badly but he willed the heat down, not ready to let Liam see that. He wasn't that powerless yet. But he was getting there.

Obviously seeing right through him, Liam studied his side profile for a moment before focusing back on Athena. “It does suit her, yeah. She's a beautiful little goddess”.

“Exactly” Theo agreed around a forkful of mac&cheese that didn't taste entirely horrible.

“My food must taste amazing as fast as you're devouring it” Liam smirked at him knowingly.

“Passable but I'm starving” Theo gulped down another way too hasty bite but choking was still the better option.

“Whatever you say” Liam wasn't buying his lame excuses, which only showed that they really knew each other too well. Or that Theo really needed to get his shit together. Naming his new cat after Liam's favourite Greek goddess was one thing. Bad enough because he wasn't that whipped. Thank you very much. Admitting to that, and then to Liam, was a whole other level of definitely not. He'd rather die than admit to anything.

“Isaac was at the clinic” Theo needed to change the topic and updating Liam on their Monroe search felt important.

“Why? Did something happen?” Liam frowned with his fork hovering right in front of his mouth, still not having eaten anything while Theo was almost done. Panic and all that.

“Apparently, Peter found her in the next town and Scott's trying to come up with a plan to end things” Theo let him know what Isaac had told him, hesitating when it came to what he and Isaac had both agreed on. He didn't want Liam to look differently at him when he found out Theo was still willing to kill if it was necessary. Would he understand?

“End as in take her into custody or end her life?” Liam asked tensely and Theo didn't know how to answer this. What Scott would do was obvious, wasn't it? Then why would Liam ask?

“It's Scott” was what Theo settled on, not sure if it was the right thing to say. Especially when Liam just frowned.

“He can't still think she's gonna admit defeat if we take her in. She won't. This won't end with her in custody” Liam sounded so frustrated in mere seconds. It reminded Theo of Liam's promise. Of Liam saying he would make her pay for his pain.

Maybe he had approached this wrong. Maybe he should have known better. Maybe he should have seen that Liam was smarter than Scott in that regard. He knew that wholeheartedly but his fear had been stronger. The fear of losing Liam. The fear of Liam changing his mind about him. The fear of being misunderstood when he only wanted to do what's right.

“It won't” Theo agreed quietly, putting his now empty plate down on the table, still scared. “But is it right to consider this? Aren't we supposed to be better than her? Scott …”

“Scott's morals are a bit rigid at times” Liam gave him no chance to overthink this, which was an odd thing for him to do anyway. Last year, he wouldn't have hesitated to kill her but now … Now, he was scared what it would do to him. To his life. To his heart. “He means well and a lot of the time, he's right to take the high ground but not this time. She won't stop until she's dead. She will continue killing every supernatural she can get her hands on if we don't kill her first”.

Hearing Liam actually say this out loud made Theo stare at him in wonder. Liam's strength was admirable. He would go against his alpha's one pack rule to do the right thing. To save everyone else, people he didn't even know and probably never would. He would risk losing his alpha to …

“If I run into her first, I'm gonna make her regret ever laying a finger on you, remember?” Liam smiled softly at him but his eyes were determined. Liam would risk losing his alpha to avenge Theo and that … that was a lot to handle. He didn't want Liam to do that but he also knew he couldn't stop him if it came down to it. “Remember?”.

“I remember” Theo assured him emotionally, swallowing around his dry throat. “But please, don't do something you might regret later. Make her pay all you want if it makes you feel better but do remember that actions have consequences. Don't do something you can't take back. Believe me, that feeling sucks and the nightmares never leave”.

Deflating a bit at that, Liam reached for Theo's hand to tangle their fingers together, a new way for them to find comfort. “I'll remember that. Maybe someone else gets to her first”.

“Let's hope so” Theo mumbled quietly, the squeeze to his hand letting him know Liam had heard him. “Let's wait and see what Scott comes up with. Isaac didn't tell me any details, so I'm sure Scott's gonna call you eventually to fill you in”.

“We'll see” Liam didn't sound convinced, probably thinking that Scott won't call on him for back-up after their last few uncomfortable conversations. Theo hoped he was wrong. He hoped Scott had come to his senses and realised that Liam was capable of making his own decisions. Theo hoped Scott knew he could still trust Liam. He hoped Liam could still trust Scott and not just to do the right thing. “Now, this little ball of fur deserves to be cuddled”.

To his surprise, Athena let Liam take her out of her basket without hissing at him or protesting in any way. With her cradled to his chest, Liam let himself fall down on the couch with his back, only saying nonsense to her in that annoying baby voice that was definitely not affecting him. Shaking his head at them, Theo collected their dirty plates and brought them into the kitchenette. “Just in case you care, I'm gonna head back down and get the rest of her stuff. Keep her alive until I'm back”.

“We'll be right here” Liam rubbed his and Athena's noses together and that was Theo's sign to leave. It was too much.

Telling his heart to get a grip, Theo walked back outside to his truck to gather Athena's stuff. He put the two bowls into the litter box, right next to her tiny brush, and grabbed hold of the second bag of food with his other arm. With both of his arms full, he made his way back upstairs and into his flat. Inside, he went straight for his storage room to drop the bag. Quickly, he put the litter box down in his bathroom and then headed for his kitchenette to place the bowls down on the ground. Looking back up, Theo was met with Liam lying on his back on the couch and Athena sleeping on him, which explained the sudden silence. Approaching them quietly, he studied their position and acted without thinking, taking his phone out and taking a picture of them. Pretending nothing happened, Theo just let Liam act as if he were asleep, knowing he wasn't.

-------

Satisfied with Theo letting him pretend to be asleep, Liam let his mind relax and simply enjoyed the feeling of Athena on top of him, sleeping soundly. The fact that Theo had named her Athena warmed his heart and gave him butterflies but he ignored those annoying insects in his stomach. Theo didn't mean anything by it. At least, nothing romantic. So, Liam wouldn't make it mean anything romantic just because he was hopelessly in love with the chimera. His tendency to read into things needed to die, just like Monroe. She would die and Liam didn't care if he would be the one to extinguish her light or if it was gonna be someone else. As long as she was dead soon. Killing wasn't something he liked to even think about normally, but she had crossed the line ages ago and torturing Theo so much that he still had a scar on his chest; that he tried to hide from everyone; has been too much. There would be no mercy.

Even if Theo had quite literally begged him not to kill her, not for him. Because Theo was definitely scared of Liam regretting it in the future. Of the weight of murder weighing him down and darkening his soul. Rightfully so. Liam could admit as much. He didn't know what it would do to him but he also didn't care anymore. If he got the chance, he would take it. But maybe it didn't have to come to this. Maybe Scott's plan would actually be good for once. Maybe there was another way.

So, with trying to have faith in Scott, Liam actually let himself fall asleep on Theo's couch with Athena snuggled up to him. And just like the last few times he had slept here, his dreams were free of any bad memories or brought-to-life fears. When he woke up in the middle of the night; in Theo's bed he might add but he wasn't gonna question that; to go to the bathroom, he decided he should sleep here as often as possible. Mainly because he seemed to sleep a lot better here, nightmare free. But he also noticed that Theo seemed a lot more relaxed and well-rested when Liam was around. They'd both benefit.

When he was about to leave the bathroom, he stopped in his tracks, catching some noises outside in the hallway. Noises he had heard before. Heavy footsteps trying to be sneakily quiet. Closing his eyes for a moment, Liam was able to catch a scent and it made the hairs on his arms stand up straight. Hunters. There were hunters in the hallway, maybe two or three. And they stopped right at Theo's front door, rattling the doorknob for a moment. Not sure if Theo had woken up from the noise yet, Liam got ready to protect him. They would not take him a second time. Not when Liam could stop them.

And stop them he did. As soon as they broke the door down; not very quietly, amateurs; he was on the first hunter he could get, tearing him to the ground and throwing his gun across the room. By now, Theo had obviously heard them and came right at one of the hunters in a heartbeat, claws and fangs out and his eyes glowing in the dark of the flat. But those hunters were resistant. When one of the three got knocked down, another one managed to attack Liam or Theo twice as hard. They might have been amateurs but they were fighters, trained to hold their own and they were good at it. Two against three shouldn't be this difficult for them to win but they were both struggling with keeping the hunters down long enough to knock them out. What if knocking them out wasn't enough?

Just when he was thinking that, one of the three hunters pointed their gun; thankfully not smelling of any wolfsbane yet; at Theo, who was pinning down a different hunter. Before the hunter could shot or Liam could intervene, Alec and Malia came rushing in, taking the unsuspecting hunter by surprise and knocking him down, gun slithering across the floor. Now things were definitely looking up. They would survive this.

But he should know better than to speak too soon. The hunter Theo had pinned down took Theo's moment of shock to fetch a knife from their belt, ready to strike him down. Roaring angrily, Liam sprinted over and pushed Theo aside, not letting him get stabbed again. The small knife buried itself in Liam's right side but it didn't hurt that much because the hunter was already very weak. Weak enough to be knocked out with a single punch to the face. The satisfaction Liam felt from that couldn't be described. But the feeling of the knife still stuck in his side could be described. It mainly just stung, especially when his body tried to heal around the entry wound.

“Are you okay?” Theo came back over to him, looking a little fucked-up and a lot worried. “Does it hurt?”.

“It's fine. Stings a little” Liam tried to wave his worries off but it was in vain. Theo looked like he was on the verge of freaking out over a simple knife being stuck in Liam's body.

“That doesn't look fine” Theo pointed at said knife, huge frown on his face. “Why did you do that? You weren't even close. You should have run …”.

“And leave you behind? Are you insane?” Liam stared at him in a mix of disbelief and anger, barely registering how Malia called the sheriff to take the hunters into custody. “I couldn't sit back and watch another hunter stab you. Not when I was right there to help”.

“But …”.

“I don't wanna hear it, Theo” Liam didn't let him speak, his eyes flashing gold for a moment and making Theo shut his mouth. “We protect each other. Not just you me, okay? I can and will protect you just as much and that's final”.

For a long moment, they just looked at each other, totally ignoring Alec and Malia's presence for now. But then Theo nodded reluctantly, reaching over to take a hold of Liam's arm. Before Liam could stop him, Theo was taking his pain without breaking eye contact. The intensity of their moment was doing things to his insides but he tried to ignore all of that. Moments like this; all intimate and just them no matter who was around or the circumstances; always brought the love he was feeling for Theo to the forefront. In those moments, it was harder to ignore but he forced the feelings down anyway, for Theo's sake. For the sake of their friendship. Of their bond.

“You need better locks” Liam said plainly to break the tense silence between them. And against all odds, it actually made Theo smile for a moment, his private one that was reserved just for Liam to see.

“I do, yeah” Theo's smile was soft and gentle on him even when he let his eyes wander down to the knife again. “Let's take this out, okay?”.

“Okay” Liam got lost in Theo's eyes and barely felt it when Theo pulled the knife out, some blood trickling down his side but he could already feel his healing kicking in.

“It looks painful. Is it painful?” Theo's frown was back, his hand touching Liam's arm again to take more of his pain. “How can you sit there and say it's fine when you're in this much pain? He could have …”.

“It's just a knife wound, Theo” Liam wrapped his own hand around Theo's wrist, making him look up with big eyes. “We survived way worse, remember? A rain of bullets”.

“I remember” Theo's concerned look softened for a quick moment before the concern fully took over again. “This was still stupid. You can't just run into …”.

“I did it to protect you and I don't wanna hear any more complaints, okay?” Liam squeezed Theo's wrist a little to ground him and let him feel that he was here and safe. “You're not the only one who's allowed to be reckless. I'm always gonna protect you if I can”.

Another moment of intense eye contact. Then Theo looked away to glance at the already healed stab wound. “Reckless little beta”.

“That's me. So now stop your fussing and help me tie this bastard up before he wakes up again” Liam let go of Theo's wrist and stood up from the floor where they had been sitting, which made Theo drop his hand as well and follow his lead.

“Great. Now that you're done with that, I can tell you that the sheriff's almost here” Malia spoke up now, sounding oddly amused but irritated at the same time. Focusing his attention on her now, Liam spotted Alec right next to her, grinning like an idiot who had just won the lottery. Why? Liam had an idea and really hoped he would keep it quiet.

Only a few minutes later, the sheriff and a few deputies showed up to take the three hunters into custody for breaking and entering. Satisfaction wasn't nearly strong enough a word.

Satisfaction turned into dread and nerves when Scott, Stiles, Isaac and Lydia showed up as well. Letting his gaze drift around the room, Scott's eyes landed on him. “Talisa called us. What happened?”.

“We …”.

“Talisa, is she okay?” Theo blurted out worriedly, shocking the three new arrivals with the urgency in his voice. Liam on the other hand only felt his heart swell. Those two had a beautiful connection, even if Theo normally tried to hide it.

“She is …”.

“Theo?” Talisa came running through his open door, eyes frantic until they settled on Theo, who looked relieved to see that she was fine. “Theo!”.

With the force of a small hurricane, Talisa bolted forward until she collided with Theo's chest, wrapping her shaking arms around him in a bone-crushing hug, taking quite literally everyone by surprise. Especially Theo, who stood frozen to his spot for the first few seconds, arms hovering awkwardly in the air. But then he wrapped his arms around her as carefully as he could, making sure she could always retreat. The sight brought tears to Liam's eyes. He knew Theo wasn't good with physical contact; unless it was him but even there it had taken time and wasn't totally normal yet; because he wasn't used to receiving kindness or offering it to anyone. He wasn't used to physical contact not ending in pain. So, seeing him let Talisa hug him and relaxing into the embrace made it hard for Liam not to let the tears fall. Thank God, they broke the hug.

“You're okay” Talisa examined his face from up close.

“So are you” Theo still looked shaken and overwhelmed.

“Alec only told me that you needed help and to stay put and call Scott before he ran off. I was so worried …”.

“I'm fine” Theo actually pulled her back into a quick hug. “The hunters didn't hurt me”.

“Why is that even a concern?” Stiles reminded everyone that they were here as well. “What happened here? Liam, is that blood on your shirt?”.

Oh, God. Of course, Stiles would notice that and ask about it.

“This is all my fault”.

And really. Liam should have known Theo would say that. He should have known Theo would take the sole blame, as if he'd had any control over this messy situation. But not today. Not on Liam's watch. Not with Stiles already opening his mouth.

“No, it's not. What the hell are you talking about?” Liam spoke up before Stiles could say a word, making Theo turn around to him with guilt written all over his face.

“They were after me”.

“We don't know that”.

“You got hurt because of me”.

“No, I didn't”.

“That blood says otherwise”.

“This isn't on you, it's on me”.

“He meant to stab me until you …”.

“I did it to protect you and I don't regret it”.

“You shouldn't have …”

“Don't you dare finish that sentence. We just went over this. This protecting things goes both ways. Get that through your thick skull”.

“I don't have a thick skull”.

“Weren't you the one taking all the blame even though none of this is on you?”.

“It …”.

“I don't wanna hear it”.

“I'd like to hear why you think you caused this” Stiles piped in, interrupting their whatever it was. Maybe for the better. Liam was this close to bashing Theo's head in or just kissing him to shut him up. Both not appropriate options to solve this. “My dad just texted me that one of the hunters caved. He talked. Wanna know what he said?”.

“Just say it. Don't gloat” Malia groaned already annoyed by his antics and Liam agreed with that sentiment.

“I never gloat” Stiles glared at her insulted.

“You always do. Now what did your dad text you?” Malia asked impatiently, everyone focused on Stiles now.

“The hunter said they were here to gain some leverage. They wanted to get their hands on anyone living here to blackmail you, Scott” Stiles told them with an odd edge to his voice, his eyes fixed on Theo. “Their plan was to take Malia or Alec or Talisa to get to Theo but because his flat was first, they just went for him first, throwing caution into the wind”.

“Can you sound less accusatory, Stiles? It's not like he was asking for …”.

“No, Liam. We're not doing this again” Stiles cut him off in an instant, presumably just as tired of their arguments as Liam was himself. “The hunters specifically wanted Theo one way or another and I'd like to know why. It affects us too, as tonight showed perfectly”.

“This isn't …”.

“He's right, Liam” Scott interrupted him this time, his voice strong but still kept gentle. “There has to be a reason and I think we all deserve the truth”.

Realising Isaac hasn't told Scott anything about the theatres yet, Liam felt desperate to shield Theo from the accusatory gazes of his pack. “Why do you think he knows …?”.

“She wants my help” Theo talked over him now, making Liam shut up and frown. He just knew Theo would make it sound like any of this was somehow his fault.

“Your help, huh? With what?” Stiles narrowed his eyes at Theo in the usual way of his when he was ready to point fingers. “Taking us all down?”.

“Stiles”.

“That's the bottom line, I guess” Theo sounded defeated but apparently only to his ears. The four older pack members all looked confused or suspicious. Only Alec and Talisa looked plain right lost. “Close to every nemeton in the world is a hidden operating theatre and she's looking for them. But the entrances are almost impossible to find if you don't know where they are and …”.

“You know all of them” Stiles finished his sentence, voice full of disgust. “So, Monroe wants you to tell her. That's why she didn't kill you last time”.

“Exactly”.

“She tried to find the French and Brazilian ones a couple days ago” Isaac joined their conversation casually.

“You knew?” Stiles gaped at him in shock. “Were you ever gonna tell us?”.

“I was gonna tell Scott when I came back last week but then things happened and you've been out looking for her …”.

“That's so typical for you” Stiles didn't sound like he was Isaac's biggest fan either, which only made Liam like him even more. He wasn't taking anyone's bullshit. “You chose to save a criminal instead of letting us know that said criminal could end all of our lives again. Wonderful”.

“Cut the dramatics” Malia rolled her eyes at him. “It's not Theo, who's endangering our lives. It's Monroe. It's her and whatever she wants from inside those theatres”.

“Since when are you the reasonable one?” Stiles stared at her in sheer disbelief.

“Since you've been acting like a dick” Malia shot back.

“Scott?!”.

“Stiles, we don't have time for this. We need to figure out what she wants so badly” Scott sounded a little resigned, tired of the arguing but not ready to put his foot down once and for all. Typical. “What could she want from them?”.

For the fracture of a second, Theo and Liam looked at each other, their shared knowledge passing between them but of course, Stiles caught that little interaction immediately. “You know what she wants. Liam knows it too”.

“Is he right”? Scott only looked at him, his eyes saying so much but not enough. Not the right things. “Do you know?”.

“I do” Liam didn't plan on lying to his alpha, as fragile as their bond was. “He told me”.

“And you didn't tell us”. Stiles, always the accusatory one.

“There was no o …”.

“Oh, please”.

“Seriously, Stiles. Shut it” Theo stepped in now, quite literally stepping in between Liam and Stiles, so that they couldn't look at each other anymore. “You have no reason to be mad at him. Be mad at me. I hold the power to destroy you. Not Liam”.

“Yeah?” Stiles' gaze hardened on him, which only worsened Liam's anger. “Then why don't you tell us what you told him? What have you and your friend Monroe planned? Kill us all in our sleep?”.

“Stiles” Alec was the one warning him this time, having been around enough to witness the effects Monroe's torture had on Theo. Liam was sharing his fury.

“What?” Stiles snapped at him.

“You don't know what you're talking about”.

“But you do?”.

“As a matter of fact, yes, I do”.

“We do”.

Talisa joining forces with Alec to defend Theo made Liam smile for a moment. Theo had really left an impact on those two and it was beautiful to see, even in a moment like this.

“Wonderful. More Theo defenders” Stiles threw his hands up in the air only to be dramatic, turning to Scott. “Your little alpha in training is recruiting an army, you're seeing that?”.

The title stung like every time someone mentioned something that reminded him of everyone's expectations of him. And when it was said with so much disdain, it actually hurt. Which Theo noticed immediately, his eyes directly on Liam, searching for something. Liam wasn't sure what Theo was looking for but it didn't matter. Stiles wouldn't get a rise out of him like this.

“Stiles” Malia got loud now, visibly fed up. “Let him talk”.

“I …”.

“You wanna know what he knows? Let him talk” Lydia agreed with Malia, a little softer than her. Liam had totally forgotten that she was here too. He wondered what she was thinking, if she wanted to tell Stiles off as well or if she was fine with his behaviour. Same thing he wondered about Scott really.

“Fine. Talk, Raeken”.

“Never thought I'd hear you say that” Theo just had to throw in a sly comment before getting serious, all eyes on him. “She wants specific weapons they created ages ago. Somehow, she knows about them and wanted me to tell her how to find and use them”.

“What kind of weapons?” Lydia asked him worriedly.

“Weapons that can easily kill all kinds of supernaturals” Theo revealed to them, the fear in the room spiking instantly. “They only used those for experiments but she wants to use them on all of you, everyone really. But she can't find them …”.

“Not without you” Scott understood what he was saying, his chemosignals being all over the place. He was so bad at concealing them. “That's what the hunter meant with blackmail to get you. They wanted Alec or Talisa for an exchange”.

“In exchange for my knowledge, yes” Theo confirmed Scott's conclusion, voice terrifyingly void of emotion. Liam knew what he was doing and he wasn't liking it. Bad chimera of death.

“Who's to say you didn't tell her?” Stiles was right in Theo's face again because he couldn't let it be. “How can we know for sure you didn't already tell her everything and this little attack was just staged to make you look innocent?”.

“Really, Stiles?” Lydia looked at her boyfriend as if she was about to scream and not as a banshee. “Drop it”.

“Drop …”.

“We know what she wants now and we know where she is” Isaac drew all the attention onto him now, done with their bickering and arguing. “I say it's time”.

“Isaac's right. This is our chance to end this before things can get worse” Scott agreed with the beta. “We need to take her down before she can get her hands on those weapons”.

“Before Theo can betray us”.

Fully ignoring Stiles, Isaac said what Liam and Theo had been thinking. “She has to die”.

“No,” Scott said to no one's surprise. “There has to be another way. We can find another way. For now, let's stop her first”.

Resisting to groan in annoyance, Liam glanced around the room to study everyone's faces. Maybe he shouldn't be as surprised to see that no one seemed to agree with Scott's plan of action. Everyone in this room except for Scott seemed to think like Isaac. They all knew she had to die for them to know peace. She had to die for this to actually be over. They all knew Scott won't like it but they all seemed to think the same thing. Scott would have to get over it. It needed to be done.

Chapter Text

“I think the best plan of action would be to destroy everything they've left behind” Theo said out loud what he's been thinking ever since Monroe had revealed her plan to him. Nothing that the dread doctors had touched was good, hence it needed to be destroyed before people got hurt. Everything.

“I hate to say it but I agree with him”. Malia was confusing the shit out of him. She has been way to mellow towards him for weeks now. No snarling or snark comments or death threats. Almost as if she had given up on messing with his life but he couldn't exactly say why. She hadn't forgiven him, right?

“It would be the smartest thing to do, yeah” Argent agreed with him as well. He had shown up only a couple minutes ago after Scott had apparently texted him. “Dismantle everything they have created. The whole theatres if possible”.

“That's one hell of a task” Isaac commented dryly.

“What's the point of him being here?” Stiles asked jumpily.

“Guys” Scott simply looked at them before addressing the whole room. “We can do this if we spread out and tackle them one at a time. We've handled worse”.

“Okay, but who's going where?”.

“Derek just texted that he and Braeden could tackle the one in Greenland but they would feel better if Argent came along. The more the merrier” Scott held up his phone as if to back up his words, looking at Argent, who only nodded in agreement. “He and Peter are also on their way back here to fight”.

“Good. The more the merrier” Stiles repeated Scott's words, a little more sarcastic than his best friend. “Which one are we tackling then, mh?”.

“I'd like to have you with me when I go back to Russia” Deaton spoke up over the phone, on loudspeaker for a few minutes just like Kira. They needed everyone they could get. “But beware, the things I've seen there are unpleasant”.

“I can handle unpleasant”.

“The disturbing kind”.

“I'm obviously gonna take care of the French one” Isaac piped in again. Theo loved his dry way of talking. As if none of this was remotely terrifying to him, just a casual hang-out with friends, where they plan to take down murder theatres.

“I'm coming with you” Malia sounded as if she wouldn't take any objections. “I wanted to go to Paris anyway”.

“That's good. You shouldn't go alone” Scott smelled relieved for everyone to notice. “Kira, is there any way you could take over the Chinese one? Could your mom know where …?”.

“My mom just texted that she knows someone there who could help us locate the nemeton” Kira's voice sounded over the loudspeaker of Malia's phone. “We're gonna go there and see what we can do. We got this, Scott”.

“Okay, thank you” Scott exhaled, some weight visibly falling off his shoulders. “Now we only have the one in Brazil left and here in Beacon Hills”.

“We can tackle those” Liam spoke up for what felt like the first time in ages but Theo was probably the only one who felt that way. He definitely wasn't the only one who stared at Liam at his words though.

“Just you two?” Scott eyed the way Liam had stepped closer to Theo while speaking with suspicion. “Both of them?”.

“Why not?” Liam shrugged, the movement causing Liam's arm to graze Theo's side, sending goosebumps down his spine but he suppressed the shiver wanting to break through. “The one here will be easy. We know where it is, so it's not gonna take long to dismantle it. And Brazil is probably as far as my mom would let me go at the moment, so …”.

“Scott, I don't like this idea” Stiles objected immediately, which was totally unexpected. Not.

“You don't have to like it” Liam glowered at Stiles, anger on the verge of breaking through, so Theo reached out and placed a hand on Liam's shoulder to remind him that he was here and ready to follow his lead, no matter what he chose to do. It seemed to do the trick, even if everyone was staring at them now, confusion and anticipation in the air. “Scott, trust me on this. We can do it. I can do it”.

“Okay” Scott said simply, never breaking the eye contact with his beta, but the word weighed a lot and everyone knew it. They were all aware of the tension between the true alpha and his first beta. They all could feel their bond shaking. So, this one simple word meant a lot more and they all knew it. “But Theo, I really need you to give us the exact locations of every entrance. We don't have any time to lose”.

“Of course” Theo assured him as quickly as he could, not keen on giving Scott any chance to question his intentions this time. Which reminded him of something, turning around to face Lydia. “I would feel a lot better though with you on call, Lydia. Just in case we run into any kind of danger down there. I don't want Liam to get hurt in any way”.

“I'll be there if you need me” Lydia smiled at him, something in her eyes that he couldn't really place.

“I can take care of myself” Liam slapped his arm insulted.

“Sure” Theo grinned down at him fondly, the affronted look on Liam's face making his tummy feel all weird and warm.

“I really don't like you sometimes” Liam huffed poutily.

“The feeling's mutual, Little Wolf” Theo's grin only grew.

“But before we leave and spread out into all cardinal directions, we should take care of our main problem first” Isaac brought them back to why they were all still here in the first place. Theo's place wasn't normally their base for plan making and he wasn't keen on all of them being here again. “We need a plan of action for defeating Monroe. We know where she is. What are we waiting for?”.

“Isaac's right” Scott straightened up and everyone's attention was immediately drawn to him. “I say we strike first this time”.

“Any actual plan or …?” Stiles was being Stiles again.

“Thanks to Peter, we know she's hiding out in one of my father's old bunkers one town over” Argent spoke up this time, the authority in his voice reminding them that he had the most experience and they should listen to him. “I say we go there and pull off a sneak attack as soon as we can. She doesn't know yet that we found her. We should take this chance”.

“We're gonna wait until everyone's here and then we strike. Today” Scott sounded as determined as ever, his confidence showing, natural as always. Theo did admire that about him but don't expect him to ever say that oud loud. “We're all going home now to get some rest and then in the morning, everyone who has school goes to school and we meet up at mine after dinner. Peter is gonna keep an eye on the bunker to make sure she doesn't flee again until we attack tonight. Everyone who feels ready for this fight meets at mine later”.

“Sounds like a plan” Stiles nodded to himself satisfied.

“Still pretty vague here and there but we've had worse” Isaac pointed out monotonously, making Stiles groan and Theo decided that he really did like Isaac. No one could annoy Stiles as much as Isaac by just existing, other than himself.

“Seriously, what's your point? Do you have to be like this all the time?”.

“Yes. Dry humour is my way of handling my trauma caused by my father locking me in a freezer”.

“We're seriously still milking that?”.

“Until the day I die, Stiles. Just you wait”.

“Wonderful”.

“Give it a rest, guys” Malia rolled her eyes in annoyance.

“Yeah. If we all started milking our traumas right now, we'd be here till Christmas” Theo couldn't resist saying, earning a smirk from Isaac, a chuckle from Liam and a frown from Stiles.

“You're not allowed to milk any traumas. You brought them on yourself” Stiles huffed like a mad puppy.

“Whatever you say, Stiles” Theo wasn't affected by his words. Not this time. Stiles was being ridiculous.

“Get some rest, guys” Scott raised his voice to make all of them shut up. “Go home and meet at mine tonight”.

And with that, everyone finally left Theo's flat, closing the door behind them that needed new locks. Well, everyone except Liam. He stayed behind and Theo wasn't surprised. In sync, they headed wordlessly for Theo's bedroom, lying down on the bed next to each other and staring up at the ceiling.

“So, that's the plan, huh?” Liam clicked with his tongue.

“Yep” Theo was focused on a single spot on his ceiling. So much he almost didn't notice Athena jumping onto the bed. “He really thinks taking her in will be enough”.

“It won't” Liam was calm while saying it. That should worry Theo but it didn't. He was glad they were on the same page.

For a moment, there was just silence between them, nice and comfortable even with a fight looming above their heads the same day. Tonight, their destiny would be decided. Tonight, Theo would do whatever it took to ensure that Liam's future was safe. He would make sure her terror met its end.

“I've never been to Brazil” Liam broke the silence, his voice quiet between them. When Athena lay down on Theo's chest, Liam immediately reached out to pet her head.

“I've been to its underground, so I won't be much of a tourist guide, I'm afraid” Theo resisted the urge to pet Athena as well. That motion would up the chances of their hands touching and he wasn't stable enough for that. He knew it was pathetic.

“That's okay” Liam glanced up at him but Theo kept his eyes on the ceiling, the thought of him and Liam alone in Brazil making his heart wanna speed up but he kept it under control for now. There was a very high chance he wouldn't even experience that trip. Not if he died tonight. Or was sent back to hell because he killed Monroe against Scott's order. “I'll have to watch a documentary about Brazil before we go”.

“Of course, you do” Theo smiled despite himself.

“You're gonna watch it with me” Liam grinned at him. Theo could clearly see it even though he still wasn't looking at him.

“Doesn't sound like I have a choice”.

“You don't”.

More silence. It didn't last long.

“We should probably try to sleep. School starts in a few hours” Liam yawned around his words.

“Won't get much sleep” Theo admitted without a problem. He liked being honest with Liam about everything. Almost.

“Me neither. I'm tired but my mind's wide awake”.

“Ditto”.

“At least one of us can sleep” Liam moved closer to Theo's chest to look at Athena's sleeping form, his chin lightly resting on Theo's unmoving arm. “God, being a cat must be nice”.

“Says the dog” Theo tried to save himself with humour but his arm was already tingling like crazy.

“I'm not a dog” Liam pouted like a big baby.

“You look like a puppy” Theo dared to look at Liam. It was a mistake but one he didn't fully regret. Blue Blue Blue.

“Puppies are cute, so are you saying I'm cute?” Liam's grin was blinding. The pure light shining right at Theo's darkness.

“To me, puppies are annoying” Theo shot back weakly, knowing Liam wouldn't buy this at all. “Clingy and sloppy”.

“I am not sloppy!”.

“But clingy?”.

“You can't prove that”.

“Think I can”.

“You're so annoying”.

“You're the puppy, not me”.

“But you're at least half puppy, so ha!”.

“Are you even listening to yourself?”.

“Not everyone can be as witty as you, Raeken”.

“I know. It's a shame”.

“Your ego sure is healthy”.

“Never been better”.

“God, shut up”.

“Make me”.

He did. By resting his head on Theo's chest, right by Athena, and technically cuddling up to him. And Theo knew of course that they had cuddled before; in theory. But this was different. This was Liam actively snuggling up to him because he wanted to, with no excuse on hand. It made him freeze for a moment, physical contact still weird and slightly triggering to him. But the weight of Liam on his chest actually seemed to help with all the usual negative side effects. So, he let him.

“Try to sleep, Theo” Liam mumbled against his chest, Athena repositioning herself that she was directly lying where Liam's hand was resting on Theo. Like this, Liam could still pet her.

But Theo didn't sleep. He couldn't. He was wide awake and he knew that Liam was aware of that, even though his heart rate had slowed down a little. Letting himself relax into the moment, Theo manoeuvred his formerly very unmoving arm from under Liam and wrapped it lightly around the beta. His other arm came up so he could pet Athena every now and then, deciding to just risk their hands touching. His mind was already malfunctioning. One more burning point of contact couldn't make this worse. He was already lost.

With Liam dozing on his chest like this was normal for them, Theo was faced with his feelings for the beta again. He knew he loved him; had admitted as much to himself even though he had never planned on doing so; but he wasn't sure if it was the same kind of love other people felt. He wasn't sure if he was capable of feeling that normal kind of romantic love for anyone after everything he's been through. He only really knew he loved this reckless and way too kind beta with everything he had and would do anything to keep him safe.

The imminent fight of tonight made him wanna put things into perspective but he didn't know how. All the blood on his hands still followed him everywhere and it could be even more later today. No part of him wanted to taint Liam with that blood. No part of him saw himself as good as Liam saw him even after everything, even with having actual friends now. No part of him believed he would make it out alive tonight.

So, maybe his feelings for the beta didn't matter. With the impending fight, Theo thought he could tell Liam the truth about how he felt because he might die anyway but that also was his reason to keep it to himself. He would not put that on Liam if there was a high chance of him dying and leaving Liam with the heavy knowledge of his feelings. No. Knowing Liam, the truth would rattle him and that could end in him being distracted during the fight. Theo wouldn't risk that. He would not do anything that could jeopardize Liam's safety.

Besides, it was probably for the best if Liam didn't know. At the chance of him surviving, revealing the truth would just make things awkward between them. Liam wouldn't drop him or end their friendship. He knew that now. But it would change things between them and Theo didn't want that. Even if in some alternative universe there was a slight chance of Liam feeling the same, it didn't matter. Theo wouldn't risk it. There was no world in which he deserved Liam. Their friendship was already too good; way more than he deserved. Theo would never dare to dampen Liam's light with his twisted love. Liam deserved pure and sheer happiness and that wasn't Theo. He couldn't give that to him, even if he loved him. Which he didn't and that was okay. No one loved Theo. He wasn't someone to love. Abominations weren't loveable.

So, he took their precious moment right now for what it was. A bittersweet farewell. There was only one thing Theo could do to ensure Liam would find the happiness he deserved in his bright future. Die tomorrow. Take down Monroe. Or if he somehow survived that, die destroying the dread doctors' left-behind mess, him included. His darkness had to die.

-------

Going to school like everything was fine when you knew you had to fight later to save everyone you loved; and maybe die trying; was the hardest thing Liam ever had to do. But at least he had Theo by his side most of the time. For the majority of the morning, they had their classes together but paying attention wasn't in the cards. Just like Theo, Liam's mind was elsewhere. On their fight, on killing Monroe, on dying.

So when lunch time rolled around, he wasn't surprised that none of his friends seemed to be doing any better. They were all tense and fidgety but tried not to let it show too much. Not even Theo was doing a good job at it, so there's that.

“I'm in no mood for Chemistry” Alec groaned when he looked at the clock on the cafeteria wall.

“You think I am?” Theo cocked an eyebrow at him, the snark not landing as usually. “Come on. Move your lazy ass”.

“My ass isn't lazy” Alec shot back smirkingly.

“Spare me the details” Theo grimaced just because before looking at Liam, whose pulse immediately started racing. He really needed to get a grip on that. “I see you after class, yeah? No detours”.

“Of course” Liam assured him with a heavy heart, not liking to see Theo this stressed. Why he was more stressed than the other times, he didn't know. He should be way calmer.

“Don't be late. I won't wait” Theo tried to look stern but Liam didn't need to be a genius to hear the lie, skipping heart or not.

“Okay” Liam nudged Theo's hand swiftly before Theo stood up and left with Alec, who was talking Theo's ear off. At least something was normal. Or as normal as it could be. Was it still considered normal that he watched them go until he couldn't see them anymore, barely blinking? Probably not. He guessed that's why Mason and Corey were looking at him with very thoughtful frowns on their faces. “What is it this time?”.

“I think you should tell him” Mason came straight to the point, no hesitation or doubt in his voice.

“And distract him before the fight? No way” Liam immediately shook his head, just the thought of telling Theo right now making him feel sick. “He needs a clear head and so do I”.

“Your head won't be clear though with Theo in mortal danger” Corey knew him way too well at this point.

“Maybe not but telling him would only make things worse” Liam insisted on not telling him. It wasn't a good idea. “This isn't some Romantasy movie or some other bullshit. Telling someone how you feel right before a big fight isn't smart”.

“Because it could distract the people involved?” Mason tilted his head aside in question, eyes gentle on him.

“Yes” Liam said simply but both of them just looked at him as if they were expecting him to say more. So, he said more. “I can't unload this on him right before our most important fight. Tonight is important. I can't mess this one chance up by …”.

“You wouldn't mess things up if you told him” Mason frowned instantly at his choice of words. “Why would you think that?”.

“Because it's true?” Liam was so on edge already that he could snap but not at his best friend. Just in general. “If I told him and it distracts him enough to not be fully in the fight, it would be bad for all of us. With him and me mentally not fully in the game, bad things could happen. We need everyone with a clear head and no distractions. She won't go down easily. We can't afford any mistakes. Telling him now would be one”.

“It's never a mistake to tell someone how you feel” Mason reached across the table to squeeze his hand.

“He's right, Liam. What if something happens and you're gonna regret you never told him? Do you really wanna risk that?” Corey agreed with his boyfriend.

“Nothing's gonna happen” Liam told himself more than them. Nothing could happen. Theo getting hurt wasn't an option.

“You don't know that” Corey pointed out rightly. “Don't you wanna tell him and find out if maybe it's mutual before we could all …”.

“No” Liam said strongly, conviction in his voice. “I know I'm important to him. I'm not that stupid. But I also know romantic love isn't something he does or knows. I'm fine with us just being us, the way we are. That he cares about me and shows me that he does is more than enough for me. The way he trusts me and seeks comfort in me against all odds is more than I could ask for. It's enough. It's all I need. No big love confessions for us. It would only mess with his head, confuse him. I don't want that. All I want and need is him getting out of this alive because he deserves it”.

Exchanging a loaded look with his boyfriend, Mason fully grabbed Liam's hand now to squeeze it tightly, their love for him filling Liam's senses and making him feel warm. “Okay”.

“You love him, don't you?” Corey asked quietly, sounding a little like he was in awe.

Thinking about how it had felt to fall asleep on Theo's chest with Theo's arm around him, Liam only let a small smile take over his face. “I do”.

There was nothing left to say after that, so they headed for their next class. For the rest of the school day, Liam kept thinking about Theo and what they had. It was nothing he's ever had or thought he would have. Their originally very fragile trust had blossomed into something strong and resilient. Liam would even call it unbreakable no matter what happened. Even if Theo still struggled a lot, Liam could see how much he had changed and how willingly he was trying with him. How he tried to be open with Liam, how he tried to accept his kindness even when it still confused him at times, how he always chose to tell Liam the truth although his instincts told him to do the opposite. He saw how Theo tried to unlearn all the trauma, which really wasn't easy and Liam would always be there when it was too much. When he felt like relapsing was the only way to survive. He'd be there to tell him it's not. To tell him he wasn't alone anymore. To tell him they all cared and he was allowed to care as well. Allowed to feel good things. If those good things would ever be romantic towards him, Liam wasn't sure and he didn't care. He would always love Theo and he knew that Theo loved him as well, in his own way. There was no need to put a label or pressure on them when they could just be. Just be them. Just be Theo and Liam.

Just share the space in Theo's truck when school was over and drive home to Liam's house to have dinner with his very worried parents. Driving in Theo's truck was normal for them. Eating with Liam's parents had happened before. Them getting ready to fight together, side by side, was known to them. Liam liked that some things today felt familiar. Otherwise, he would probably be freaking out by now. Instead, he was just a little tense because his parents were but tried to act casual and normal, asking them about school. Their worry and fear filled the room though and thickened the air with their badly hidden emotions. Liam didn't blame them. Tonight would end with someone dead. It was up to them to make sure the right person died. It could always end in more death but he tried not to think about that. For now, he just enjoyed his parents' mindless chatter. It helped quiet his mind for a moment.

But only for a moment. As soon as they were done with dinner and his parents hugged him to make matters worse, his own worries came rushing back. Not even his parents also hugging Theo and telling him to be careful helped. It did make his heart flutter but that was unimportant right now. It didn't matter in the great scheme of things. A hug wouldn't prevent them from getting hurt or dying when Monroe realised this was a life or death fight. She wouldn't go down without a fight. She was definitely gonna try to take most of them down with her.

“Ready?” Theo came up next to him, both of them facing the front door now but not moving. His chemosignals let Liam know that he was also afraid but determined anyway. Theo was letting him know he wasn't alone in this.

“Ready when you are” Liam glanced up at him, catching the way something rushed through Theo's eyes for the fracture of a second because Theo had already been looking at him and wasn't looking away although he had been caught.

“Okay. Let's fight” Theo smiled privately at him, his words bringing Liam back to their moment in the elevator.

“Look, I'm not dying for you”.

“I'm not dying for you either” … “But I will fight with you”.

“Okay. Let's fight”.

Ironic how they had done the exact opposite ever since. They both knew those had been lies. They had addressed this. They would always try to protect the other and make sure they made it out alive. Together. Today wasn't any different.

So, together, they got back into Theo's truck and drove to Scott's house, where everyone was gathering outside. When everyone was there, they drove off. With the jeep in the lead, they all followed Scott and Stiles until they had reached the next town and the area where the bunker was located. Peter and Derek were already waiting there for them, having kept an eye on the bunker to make sure Monroe hadn't fled. She had not. She was still here. If that was a good sign, no one knew. In the end, it didn't matter. They would attack anyway because this was their one chance to get back some sense of peace and normalcy. Their one chance to end this nightmare.

“Look” Liam had to say something before they headed into this fight. Theo needed to know something before they could die eventually, even though he tried to stay delusional and optimistic. “I know Stiles isn't making this easy and Scott's plan isn't realistic but I'm glad you're here anyway. With me”.

Theo shrugged but it wasn't smooth or casual. It was tense. “Didn't have anywhere else to be, really. This is still better than homework, so …”.

“I know you'd probably prefer to do this alone” Liam simply dismissed Theo's poor attempt at humour. “Your way and not Scott's but …”.

“Scott's way won't work this time and you know it” Theo cut him off when he hesitated for too long.

“I know” Liam admitted easily but seeing the whole pack out here together made him wanna believe in Scott. They needed to work as a team or this mission would fail. “But let's do it his way until we can't anymore. Until we get to her”.

Locking eyes, Theo just looked at him for a long moment before nodding. “Okay”.

Feeling the corner of his lips quirk up, Liam looked away and out the window to where the pack was gathering to talk details. “Anyway, thank you again for doing this with me when you really have no reason to do …”.

“I'm always gonna be right by your side. You know that” Theo talked over him, his voice a little breathless but not less sure.

“I do” Liam let himself smile at Theo this time but only for a stolen moment before clearing his throat, opening the truck door. “I'm gonna talk to Scott and see if he has any last words. Let's hope his plan works”.

Without waiting for a response, Liam exited the truck and headed for his alpha, who was telling Mason to stay in his car and on high alert in case something bad happened. The same he told Nolan. They were their men on the outside. Everyone else was told to be careful and stay together, no solo actions. Their goal was to take down every hunter coming their way and take Monroe in; the sheriff was on call; and later make sure the bunker was empty and no threat. Simple.

Every time their plan sounded simple, it didn't work out, so Liam braced himself to improvise and just hope for the best. This plan would go to shit pretty quickly. He just knew it. It made him wanna stay close to Theo's side even more. Theo, who hasn't come over to the group yet. Theo, whose voice hit his ears when Liam tried to locate him.

“Came here asking me to die?”.

That caused Liam's neck to snap into the direction of Theo's truck. Theo was leaning against the back of his truck while Stiles was approaching Theo, hatred as present in his scent as always. Sneaking away from the group, Liam hid in the shadows of the trees to listen in. Stiles didn't look like he was about to wave a white flag for the time being. This was trouble.

“I don't know how you wormed your way into Liam's head and made his friends believe you're not a threat but I'm not falling for it. I'm watching you, Raeken. So don't even think about betraying any of us today in the midst of chaos and …”.

Stiles' words made Liam so angry, he had to ball his hands into fists to stop himself from marching over and telling him off already. How Stiles could still mistrust and treat Theo like this after everything …

“You're not as perceptive as you think you are, Stiles. If you think I'm seriously manipulating Liam to gain something from it, you couldn't be further from the truth” Theo cut Stiles' usual taunting off, sounding tired and just done with him.

“Please, as if I'd believe that. If you're not up to something, then why are you here?” Stiles definitely rolled his eyes at him. Liam could tell. He didn't need to see it.

“Liam” Theo said simply as if that answered any question Stiles could throw at his head. It made Liam's own spin a little. He had known Theo was here because of him but hearing it and even directed at Stiles with all of Theo's newly found honesty did things to his heart anyway. “I don't need any of you to take out Monroe but Liam is set on doing it Scott's way, so here we are. I'm as unhappy about it as you”.

“Not like she tortured you last time”.

“Not like you care”.

Liam recognised Theo putting on a little bit of an act due to Stiles being Stiles. He didn't want to seem vulnerable.

“You killed my best friend. I don't care what happens to you” Stiles reminded him yet again, his voice cold and void of any emotion other than hate and disappointment. “But Liam does and I don't like it. You made him weak by making him give a shit about you”.

“If you still think I wanted that to happen, you're dumber than I thought. He's the one always bugging me and never leaving me alone. Not that I could tell him to leave, he'd never listen” Theo was getting angry now, Liam could tell. That's why he was starting to sound a little snippish. Liam knew Theo hated it when Stiles said something bad about Liam, behind his back or straight to his face. Liam hoped Theo knew giving a shit didn't make you weak. He should know this by now. “Anyway, he's the one holding the power here, Stiles. Not me”.

“What the fuck is that supposed to mean?” Stiles sounded irritated and lost. Liam could relate to that because what did Theo mean by that? What kind of power was he holding?

“Does it matter?” Theo let out a loud and deep sigh, dragging a hand over his face. “Look, we have a battle to fight. Keep your wrong assumptions to yourself for the time being, yeah?”.

Pushing himself off the truck, Theo walked past Stiles and towards the others but he stopped for a moment to look back at Stiles, something in his eyes that made Liam freeze at the intensity. “And don't worry. I don't plan on coming back alive anyway”.

Those words made Liam's heart stop for a moment. There was no lie in them. There was no lie in Theo's eyes. He meant what he said. He really didn't plan on surviving tonight and that … that wasn't okay. Theo should go into this with the thought of survival and not death. Survival was Theo's thing. If he was mentally prepared to die, then how could he possibly survive? And why did Stiles look like he had always wanted to hear those words? It made his anger boil over.

When Theo was out of sight, Liam emerged from the shadows and headed straight for Stiles, pushing him up against the truck with momentum but he didn't care anymore. “Fuck you, Stiles. Seriously, fuck you”.

“Liam …”.

“No” Liam didn't give him the chance to excuse his vile behaviour yet again by being worried. His misplaced worries were not enough reason to wish death upon someone. “Just fuck off”.

With that said, Liam left him there and marched over to the group, trying to temper down his anger for now. He needed a clear head right now. They were about to head into battle. He couldn't afford to be blinded by his emotions. Not this time.

When Theo came up beside him yet again; probably able to still sense some of his anger and fear and frustration; to ground him with his presence, something inside of him fell into focus like it had never before. Knowing about Theo's suicide mission plans, Liam swore to himself to make sure Theo would make it out alive, whatever it took. Theo would come out of this fight alive and well if it was the last thing Liam did.

And with that being his sole focus for tonight's battle, Liam squeezed Theo's hand one last time before marching into battle, fighting for what's right. Fighting for a second chance.