Archive of Our Own ^beta

Chapter Text

A loud roar echoes throughout the night, almost shaking the ground beneath his feet, and Theo freezes in his tracks at the eerie silence that follows. It wasn’t an angry roar, but rather one of warning, and a signal to those around for help, and the silence that hangs over the night sky isn’t at all peaceful. 

It’s not his problem and he doesn’t care in the slightest about werewolves and their issues, or whatever the hell they’re planning tonight, but that roar…it’s unsettling. It pulls at his heartstrings. There’s a lot of rules he has for himself on helping those outside of his supernatural group. He doesn’t bother and there’s an understanding that werewolves stay within their own pack and vampires do too. 

He isn’t about caring for what doesn’t concern him, and in Josh’s own words, we keep to ourselves and the werewolves don’t bother us either.  It’s been this way for as long as they can remember and Theo doesn’t even like werewolves. They’re always taking in humans, attempting to be heroes, and even going so far as to allow other supernatural people into their packs. It’s fine for them, but they don’t like vampires either. They have different ideas of what they should be doing with their abilities and Theo hates having to worry about being bitten by one. That’s the bite of death and even though he can use wolfsbane against them, he doesn’t want to find out which one would win in a fight. They mutually have an agreement to not interact.

That roar though….it was pretty telling. Some wolf must have gotten lost or is in trouble or something, but he doesn’t care. He can’t. Somehow telling himself that makes him even more curious and he can’t help but wander closer to where he heard it. It’s gnawing at him and he can’t place why that is, or why he even wants to know what’s going on. He listens and follows the growls going in and out. It’s a constant growling that leads him closer to the edge of the preserve. 

He finds himself in the middle of the preserve, his senses heightened as he listens for the growling and angry huffs of a werewolf, all while trying to ignore the gnawing feeling of what the others might think about him helping a werewolf out. He draws closer to the noise, his mind constantly going through rationalizations as to why he’s still out here in the dark, and especially when Corey is waiting for him to pick him up from work. 

He reaches a small stream to find someone laying near it, heaving, and flashing their eyes back and forth. They’re clearly yellow when they flash so any thought of it being someone other than a werewolf quickly evaporates. An angry werewolf at that. He growls in warning at Theo and moves, almost slowly, as he flinches in pain. Theo notices the blood pooling on his arm and the arrow laying next to him. He momentarily considers leaving and letting whoever this is deal with it themselves, but the soft blue eyes looking back at him, force him to reconsider helping. Only due to how much pain he appears to be in, and not because Theo cares about some stranger laying out here. 

“I come in peace. Your roaring notified me that you might be alone.” Theo explains, annoyed at how quickly the other guy has made him abandon any form of defense, or wariness. He seems harmless. More angry and sad than anything else, but the constant flashing of his eyes tells him that he’s struggling to shift due to being injured.

“Can I see?” Theo questions, as he carefully moves closer, holding up his hands in peace, and hoping he’s not about to get mauled to death for helping someone. Someone he isn’t even supposed to even be around. The other male pauses, looking skeptical, almost becoming angry again as Theo inches closer, and takes in the smell of blood. 

“It’s wolfsbane and I’m fine…I’m waiting for my pack to come find me.” The werewolf growls as Theo steps closer to him, and ignores his protests as it’s clear no one is on their way.  The wolfsbane has traveled up his arm, black veins getting closer to his heart, and it’s not something that happens in minutes. It takes a little bit of time. No one is coming anytime soon. 

“If you want to die I don’t care, but you don’t have to pretend someone is coming for you.” Theo pauses, ready to turn away, but he can’t bring himself to move. He’s frozen to the spot. Something about the way the yellow irises flash keeps him curious, almost wanting to know more about him, and he argues with himself at how ridiculous he’s being.

“Your good Samaritan act is touching, but I’ll pass.” The werewolf rolls his eyes, moving slightly to avoid laying down on a rock, but still flinching in pain as he holds his arm tightly. 

“Listen, you’re the one out in the preserve in the middle of the night and roaring so loudly I can’t ignore it. I can leave but don’t pretend you aren’t laying her helpless. Here I am. Your savior.” Theo smirks at him, and yes, he doesn’t need to be as sarcastic as he’s being, but the rolling of his eyes aggravates him to no end. Almost as if Theo is the one invading his space and inconveniencing him. 

“I didn’t know you own the preserve. Sorry, I’ll make a note of that.” The werewolf huffs out, turning away from him, something Theo hates, and ignoring him all together. The nerve of this guy.  

Theo stands there, debating leaving him, or strangling him, but he does neither, and he only stands there waiting for some signal on what to do next. He sighs, walking over to the werewolf again, who turns over quickly, and narrows his eyes. 

“Are you going to bite me?” The werewolf questions, wariness in his eyes, and suspicion lining his face, as he eyes Theo getting closer again, and finally sighs. He lays back on the grass, body tired, and his body trembling from the poison running through his system.

“You’re not my type so I’m going to pass.” He snarks back, kneeling beside him, and checking the arrow to confirm it is in fact wolfsbane. It’s something that doesn’t bother him, but to werewolves it can be deadly. 

“Ouch. I’m so hurt. My name is Liam asshole.” Liam frowns at him, watching Theo carefully as he studies the wound in his arm, and quickly snatches it away with a yelp of pain.

“I didn’t ask your name, but why are you out here in the middle of the dark?” Theo raises his eyebrows at him, smirking, as Liam’s huffs at him and allows Theo to take his arm again. 

“Normally I give my name when someone starts talking to me…. careful…. I don’t even know who you are…. why are you….” Liam growls at him, forcing Theo to snatch his arm away to make sure he’s not about to be the one that gets bitten. 

“Can you shut up and stop moving? I don’t even get a thank you for saving you.” Theo argues, practically holding Liam down as he tries to struggle against his hold due to the pain running through him. 

Liam stares in horror as Theo bites into his arm, slowly allowing the poison to leave his system, and he smirks as Liam glares at him again. Thankfully, wolfsbane doesn’t affect vampires and he can easily get rid of it, but a werewolf bite is deadly so he makes sure to keep an eye on Liam for any signs of him lashing out.  

“There. You’re welcome.” Theo places Liam’s arm back down on the ground, and stands up to leave. 

“You said you weren’t going to bite me.” Liam complains, holding his arm and staring at the black veins now disappearing down his arm. Theo smiles to himself, he didn’t bite Liam, not in a way to harm him, but of course everyone seems to think any bite will automatically cause problems for them.

“I didn’t bite you because I wanted to. I was helping you. I’m not sure what you’ve heard but I don’t randomly go around murdering people.” Theo stiffens, slightly offended, almost annoyed at how easily vampires get a reputation that they are blood thirsty killers, and are actively seeking blood from anyone.  

“I don’t even know you.” Liam throws up his hands, eyes now back to blue, but his jawline tight, as he becomes more exasperated at Theo. Something Theo might find amusing, but it’s been a boring week.

“I’m Theo. Have a good night.” He waves, turning and walking back towards his truck, noticing Liam moving slowly, and he stops to smirk back at him. Liam freezes, waiting for him to speak, running his tongue along his bottom lip nervously, and Theo sighs. He notices the slight wobble in Liam’s step, the red cheeks, and his eyebrows furrowed. All signs of pain and Theo since he is feeling bad for someone for the first time in a long time , decides to give him a break.

“Are you an omega or something?” He asks, almost laughing as Liam startles, his eyes widening, and shaking his head back and forth. 

“ No. I have a pack. I said that but they don’t know where I am. I’m not really….okay so maybe…” Liam stutters over his explanation, not that he needs to give one, and Theo tilts his head back at him, as he wonders what he’s about to say.

“I’m not supposed to be here and it’s not like I was completely disregarding what Scott said. I’m only helping but he did say that I needed to wait until daylight.” Liam points out, swaying back and forth on his feet, and shrugging his shoulders.

“Scott? Like the McCall pack? Okay, goodbye.” Theo ignores Liam’s look of protest, and attempts to walk back to his truck, alone, but Liam follows along trying to explain his reasoning for never listening to Scott’s instructions. He’s more trying to convince himself than Theo, but that doesn’t stop him from chattering away like he’s known him his entire life. Something that’s a little amusing, if Theo cared enough to listen, or cared enough to make close friendships. 

He finds his way back to his truck, and before he can ask Liam if he’s planning on walking the entire way home, he hears a loud thud, and turns to find Liam crouching over in pain. His eyes shut, heaving, and a pool of blood soaking his shirt. Theo assumes werewolves heal, but Liam is still holding his arm in pain, and he decides to check on him. 

“You’re supposed to take it easy. Let yourself heal. Can you call a friend to come get you?” Theo kneels down beside him, checking the wound again, and notices the wolfsbane is out. Liam is too distracted to heal properly, apparently too stressed about ignoring common sense from his Alpha about waiting for daylight, that he’s losing focus.

“Yeah but Mason might be asleep. I’m not trying to alert everyone I went off and tried to help.” Liam smiles, unsure of himself, and clutches at his arm.

“Maybe next time you should try to listen.” Theo rolls his eyes, helping Liam to his feet, and leading him to the truck, aware he’s not supposed to be letting him into his truck, but Liam is very…. charming… no that’s not it. He’s very energetic, almost chaotic with his way of seeing things, and it’s a nice change of pace from his group of moody individuals. He’s a little bit more like Corey. Who’s always happily going on about his life and driving Theo crazy. He can’t ignore him.

“Maybe next time you can tell me why you’re in the preserve alone.” Liam raises his eyebrows at him, and Theo slams the door shut, making sure to move Liam into the truck first, before he silences him with the door.

The ride to get Corey is silent, which gives Theo time to come up with a reason for having a werewolf in his vehicle, but it hardly matters since Liam is dozing off every few minutes. He debates dropping him off before he gets Corey, but he’s already late, and Tracy is going to wonder if they lost someone else. Again. It hasn’t been easy these past few months.

He pulls into a parking lot, watching Corey sprint out of the building, as he holds his jacket over his head to avoid getting hit with the rain, and jumps into the backseat.  He looks at Liam, looks back at Theo, and then back to Liam again before he frowns.

“This is Liam. He got lost.” Theo attempts to explain, causing Corey to look even more confused, as Liam shoots up in his seat, now fully awake, and glancing back at Corey.

“I did not get lost actually. I was in the middle of trying to verify where all the attacks were coming from and an arrow laced with wolfsbane struck me.” Liam protests, smiling at Corey, and turning his back to Theo, who still doesn’t like being ignored. 

“Oh. Hi, I’m Corey. We don’t normally see Theo making friends.” Corey smiles warmly, as Theo taps his fingers on the wheel to show his irritation at that comment , but Liam only nods in agreement. 

“I can see that. We aren’t friends though. More of in the right place at the right time kinda thing.” Liam clarifies, smirking at Theo, and happily chatting with Corey about where he’s from. Corey loves small talk, and it’s hard to do with Tracy and Josh, especially since they don’t like talking about things that might show any vulnerability. Donovan doesn't even speak unless spoken to so they normally leave him alone. 

“Liam decided to go out at night and get himself killed.” He explains to Corey, earning a glare from Liam, and a laugh from Corey, but it’s only fair since they’re talking about what actually transpired tonight.

“Theo still hasn’t mentioned why he was out in the woods. Keeping us on the edge of our seats.” Liam leans over, leaning on his hands, prompting Theo for more information, and looking too happy to call him out in front of Corey like this.

“I was surveying the area. There’s been reports of supernatural creatures going missing, but thankfully you notified me of danger when you got shot with an arrow.” Theo nods in thanks towards Liam, who slinks back into his seat, something Theo almost feels bad about, but Liam’s mopey facial expression helps alleviate it pretty quickly.

Liam’s not like other werewolves he has met in the past. He’s very head first into everything, almost not thinking about what could go wrong, and even though it’s only been about an hour, he’s already figured out that he’s nothing like what he’s heard about Scott. Not that he isn’t about helping everyone, but Liam has been rationalizing his entire reason for being out here. Even when he clearly knows he was told not to be. It’s a little intriguing for Theo. 

“I have to say you aren’t exactly what I thought you would be.” Liam says suddenly, almost like he’s reading Theo’s mind, but the thoughtful expression on his face prompts more questions.

“What does that mean?” Theo asks sharply, clutching the steering wheel, and frowning at Liam as he starts to explain his own version of what he’s heard about them.

“I don’t know. I’ve always thought that vampires were going to kill me and suck my blood the moment I came in contact with them. That’s what Stiles said. You’re more moody than anything else. “ Liam hums, staring out the window, while Corey nods thoughtfully, and Theo’s aggravation grows.

“Yeah well you’re not what I thought either. You’re very nosey, and assume everything you hear is accurate. Plus I don’t bite everyone I see. Especially if it’s someone that finds a way to inconvenience my night. “ Theo protests, and Corey smiles, and glances out the window. 

“I would think you would bite someone if you don’t like them?” Liam questions, his eyes brimming with questions, as Theo grows more tired as the night drags on, but he only shakes his head. 

“No. That’s always a myth we hear. We don’t bite all the time. Blood is more what we need to survive and we can control the urge to suck blood and everything. I don’t use human blood. I think there’s great alternatives.” Corey explains as he leans forward, chatting with Liam, and Theo checks his gps to see how long the drive to Liam’s house is.

“Oh.. that’s good to know. Get off!” Liam angrily shoves Theo away, just as he rechecks his wound. It’s healing now and he’s no longer pale, not that Liam’s his responsibility, however being a part of the McCall pack does force him to want to return Liam unharmed. They don’t need any issues. They have been able to avoid any interaction with them up until this point and there’s no reason to start interacting now.

“I don’t know how you’re still alive if you don’t accept any help.” Theo clenches his teeth, noticing Liam roll his eyes, and Corey lean back in his seat, and he gives Theo a hard stare. He doesn’t need to be polite to a werewolf, even if the said werewolf is a McCall pack member and has soft blue eyes that never stop questioning anything he says.

Liam shifts in his seat, looking at his phone, and sighs, a lot more dramatically than necessary, but Corey takes the bait. Corey sits back up, looking to Liam to say something, as Theo turns on the radio to drown out Liam’s antics. Someone hasn’t frustrated Theo this much since, well since forever actually. He normally is unbothered by most things, always calm, and thinks with a clear head when needed, but tonight Liam had thrown him off by just being….him.

“I think you should drop me off at Mason’s house. To make sure we avoid any unnecessary meetings. I wouldn’t want your blood on my hands.” Liam pipes up with a broad smile, looking to Theo for approval, but he only turns the radio up instead. 

The music plays softly through the radio, as they drive to drop Liam off, something that Theo is looking forward to, so he can let the night go back to normal. The questions brimming inside of him threaten to spill over, as Liam glances at him curiously, his eyes slightly wide as Theo stares back at him. He’s never met someone with such an expressive face before.

“Did you see who hit you?” Theo finally asks, not able to keep a lid on the questions he has anymore, and judging by Liam’s worried expression it’s something that’s important. Liam shifts uncomfortably in his chair, shaking his leg back and forth a few times, before he sighs.

“I don’t know. It was someone hiding in the woods, but I felt like they weren’t trying to hit me. You know?” Liam explains, biting his bottom lip as he starts to unravel the details of the night.

“No. I can’t read your mind.” He grits his teeth, and Liam scowls at him, all while Corey observes them both from the back seat and periodically chuckles at them. Something Theo doesn’t appreciate. 

“Anyway…yes. They shot me with an arrow but they quickly ran off when I fell forward. I thought I was going to break my neck or something falling out of the tree. They seemed spooked when they saw me.” Liam puts his hand on the door as Theo pulls up to the address that Liam gave him. 

“Why were you in a tree? Werewolves have become climbers?” Theo asks, earning a growl from Liam, and he shakes his head at the werewolf's decision making. He gives Liam a pointed look back. 

The door to the house swings up, and someone runs up to the truck, eyeing Theo nervously, and yanking the door open. Much harder than needed, but before he can complain about it, Corey jumps out of the truck to help Liam’s friend. It’s not needed. He doubts he needs help opening a door, but Corey seems adamant about helping anyway he can. 

“This is Mason. Mason, this is Corey.” Liam introduces them, not mentioning Theo at all, but that’s fine with him since this Mason person has started giving him dagger eyes while he helps his friend out of the vehicle. 

“Make sure you keep an eye on him in case the wolfsbane is not all out of his system.” Theo mentions, not looking at them, but making sure to catch Mason nodding in understanding from the corner of his eye. It would be a shame to have Liam die after helping him all night. He notes that Mason is not supernatural and he’s surprised he’s willingly hanging out with Liam, but the McCall pack always does things very differently. Something that’s always abnormal in Theo’s eyes. 

“Thanks.” Mason says slowly, helping Liam towards the house while Corey follows, even though Theo tries to waive for him to get back into the truck. He leans back in his chair, waiting impatiently for Corey to return, and watching Liam limp towards the front door. He should be fine in a day without any serious harm done, and Corey is aware of that. 

He thinks back to Liam climbing a tree and it seems like overkill, but Liam seems to do things slightly differently than the normal werewolf, and he can’t help but smile thinking about it. He’s not as bad as the other werewolves he’s met in the past. He’s almost enjoyable to be around, If Theo liked werewolves, or even people in general. He likes to stick to himself most of the time, but when he met the others he couldn’t turn them away. 

“Bye Theo!” Liam calls from the front step, standing next to Mason, who is now giving him a stony gaze, and he nods at him. Mason shuts the front door. Hard. 

“Okay. I’m ready.” Corey announces, sliding into the front seat and smiling at Theo. 

“Was it necessary to walk him to his door?” Theo argues, as they pull away from the house and head home. Corey shrugs sheepishly, his neck starting to grow a crimson red, and Theo rolls his eyes.

“You can’t give me too hard of a time since you went out of your way to break your own rules.” Corey smirks, eyes lighting up as he watches for Theo’s response to his teasing.

“I didn’t. Okay I did.” He clears his throat and turns the radio up higher. It’s none of anyone’s business why he broke his rules about helping or talking to werewolves. It wasn’t for any specific reason. He only felt bad for Liam and that’s perfectly normal and reasonable given how sad his roar sounded. 

“You remind us multiple times a week about this rule. Somehow, all in one night you save a werewolf and drive him home?” Corey questions, raising his eyebrows in a way that annoys Theo because he didn’t do it on purpose. It sort of happened. 

“Can you let it go? It’s not going to happen again. I would also appreciate if you don’t tell the others about this. Josh already thinks everyone is out to get him. He will make it into some conspiracy theory about the other pack having sinister plans or something. Plus I’m not going to see them again. Mason was very unfriendly and Liam is really… well he’s Liam.” He’s not even sure what that means, but Corey laughs in amusement at him, nodding in some form of understanding, and Theo relaxes a bit.

“They’re not going to freak out about you helping him. Maybe be confused somewhat, but no one is going to be mad about it.” Corey switches the radio station, something he knows Theo doesn’t allow anyone to do in his truck, but he lets it go. Merely for the fact that he’s helping Theo make sense of why any of this even occurred tonight. 

“Have you met Donovan and Tracy?” He mentions. It’s  a rhetorical question, and one that has Corey going silent when he understands what he means. 

“It’s fine. It’s over now and nothing to worry about. That was the last time we see them” Theo says confidently, just as Corey holds up a cellphone and he groans.

“Hmmm…maybe not.” Corey shrugs, as Theo punches the steering wheel at seeing Liam’s phone in Corey’s hand, because why the hell not. He blames Liam for this. He's forgetful apparently. 

————

He somehow manages to convince Corey not to go back with him to drop off Liam's phone. It took a lot of convincing and it’s clear that Corey had his own agenda in going back to drop off the phone. He can only guess it has to do with Liam’s friend Mason. He manages to drop Corey off and wait a few hours so he doesn’t draw suspicion from the others.

He really doesn’t have to bring the phone back. It’s not his responsibility and Liam was the one that forgot it, but he doesn’t want to hold onto someone’s stuff. He could throw it out, but that doesn’t feel right either. For all he knows Liam will end up in a tree again and have no one to call if he’s in trouble. 

Pulling up to the house where he dropped Liam off, he notices that he doesn’t see any lights on anymore. He sits in the driveway, wondering if he should call Mason on Liam’s phone, but before he can the front door swings open to reveal Mason and Liam. Mason marches out to the driveway and Theo rolls down his window.

“Here.” Theo holds out Liam’s phone, which Mason yanks from him, eyeing him and opening his mouth, but he quickly closes it. Liam smiles reassuringly at his friend and takes his phone. 

“Thanks.” Mason says after a moment, his face still void of any emotion, and his shoulders stiff. Theo isn’t sure what he’s done to receive such a cold response from someone he doesn’t even know, but he nods and starts to roll up his window.

“ Wait.” Liam cries, holding onto the window, while Theo shoves his hands off, making sure he can’t damage the window, and Liam frowns at him. “We should probably get your number in case that hunter or whoever that is shows back up.” Liam holds out his phone, and waits for Theo to take it and enter his phone number. 

He snatches it from Liam and enters Corey's number, making sure to put Corey’s name, because he doesn’t need anyone having his number, and especially when he isn’t even supposed to be here in the first place. 

“Thanks.” Liam frowns, reading the name on the screen, as Mason takes Liam’s phone and enters Corey's number into his own cellphone. 

“Next time stay away from the preserve at night and don’t climb trees you can fall out of.” Theo teases, almost laughing when he sees Liam’s angry face at his advice. 

“What’s your number? I’m not calling Corey. If something happens I would rather put you in danger than him.” Liam folds his arms across his chest, and Theo remains silent. He’s not giving Liam his number or anyone for that matter. He doesn’t make friends or help out the McCall pack. 

“Corey gave it to me. We’re fine.” Mason mentions giving Theo a proud look and walking back towards the house. Theo scowls and turns back to Liam. 

“Scott was telling me about something and I wanted your opinion on it.” Liam leans into the front window, his blue eyes almost pleading with him, and Theo hates it, but he can’t say no when Liam is leaning into his front window. He can’t pull away with him attached to the truck. The truck could get damaged.

“What.” Theo runs his hand over his face, the night starting to get to him, and his body starting to feel the exhaustion creeping up on him. Liam opens the door and climbs over Theo, knocking his elbow into his ribs, and sitting himself in the front passenger seat. Liam looks at him expectantly, appearing to be unbothered by making himself comfortable in the seat. 

“I would rather show you.” Liam puts his seatbelt on, and waits for Theo to start driving, as he places his feet on the dash of his truck.

“Get your feet off my dash before I take your legs.” Theo threatens, and Liam huffs out a sound of protest, but removes his feet quickly. Theo is angry, tired, and annoyed that Liam has somehow inserted his problems into his life. Again. It’s barely been 4 hours since they’ve met and he’s driving him around now and answering questions like some consultant.  

“Mason said you seem moody but I think you need to get out more.” Liam lays the seat back, reclining lazily, and if Theo was a werewolf he would growl at Liam, but he isn’t. So he settles for glaring at him instead. 

“Don’t tell anyone I’m helping you.” He reverses out of the driveway, and pulls out onto the road, rolling down the window to get some air, but Liam rolls the windows up from the passenger seat.

“I wouldn’t. I’m not even supposed to be near you either, but I do think you might help. There’s been attacks elsewhere. We can’t figure out what it is though. It’s not a werewolf but it doesn’t appear to be a vampire either.” Liam explains, spiking Theo’s interest as he goes into more detail about why he was in the preserve in the first place. 

“Attacks leading to people getting hurt or…”He stops when Liam nods at the word or. Strange. Yes, deaths happen but it’s not like vampires or even werewolves to go rogue and kill off other people. He can’t put his finger on any supernatural creature that would behave that way.  It’s getting attention, which means it's being done on purpose. Whoever it is, wants the attention. 

“What an unlikely partnership.” Liam hums and closes his eyes.

“It’s not. I can still throw you out of the truck.” He argues, but Liam winks at him, and aggravates him even more. 

Chapter Text

Liam talks more than anyone Theo has ever come in contact with. So much so that he’s had to block him out for the past ten minutes to stop himself from going insane from the werewolf’s commentary on everything. It’s like he’s narrating the entire drive there and it’s making him become agitated that he might end up ripping off his steering wheel.

“So it’s the place Mason and I found that hunter. Do you see a lot of hunters?” Liam questions, smiling at him from the passenger side while Theo scowls at yet another question Liam has about his life. The never ending questions pouring from Liam are already making him tired, cranky, and ready to snap at any given moment. He’s not very chatty to begin with, but the constant interest in his life is a lot for him to take in. 

“I don’t know Liam.” He sighs, running his hand over his face and continuing on their journey to wherever the hell Liam is taking them. Liam won’t tell him, but he would rather show Theo even when there is no rational explanation as to why he has to keep him in the dark for this long. He hates being out of the loop on things and they’re not even friends, or anything at all really, but Theo can’t shake the thought of wanting to know where they’re going. Wanting to know why Liam needed Theo’s help in the first place. 

“Sheesh. You’re an open book.” Liam tenses his shoulders and slides further down in the passenger seat, almost making Theo feel bad about being so short with him. Almost. 

“I don’t like to talk about myself with someone I barely know. In fact I don’t like to talk about myself at all. Besides, all I know is that you climb trees and defy the McCall pack.” He smiles to himself and can’t help but appreciate Liam’s zeal for taking things into his own hands, even when it may involve contradicting the orders from his Alpha. Theo’s never been one to like rules or having to follow someone else’s lead so he does get it. 

“Hmm.” Liam mutters, leaning back in his seat as Theo narrows his eyes while he shifts his hand towards the radio. He meets Theo’s gaze, pausing as he glances over at the radio before sighing and laying back in the seat.  Theo rolls his eyes and turns his music up louder, while making sure to ignore the heated stare from Liam. 

Theo’s phone goes off multiple times and he quickly silences it, as Liam frowns at him, leaning over into Theo’s space, but he will not allow Liam to read his texts. He shoves him back towards the window with a pointed look and Liam furrows his brows before relaxing in his seat, finally accepting that he isn’t going to be discussing anything about who might be calling him or not. Even if it is Corey who is being uncharacteristically curious about everything Theo is doing at the moment. 

The drive is slow, causing him to grow tired, the exhaustion creeping into his brain while he blinks a few times to keep himself awake and he tries to ignore Liam’s periodic bursts of chatter.  He goes on and on about Mason, not needing Stiles to be so paranoid-whatever the hell that means-, and his journey or whatever he calls it as a werewolf. Liam called it his journey, his life , and his punishment all in the span of ten minutes. He’s wondering if that’s a hint for him to ask about it, or maybe even feel bad, try to offer advice, but he doesn’t want to give Liam the idea he has any idea of what he’s doing. He really doesn’t . Theo can barely figure out how he’s made it this far in life to begin with. 

Theo thought he did die when he was bitten. He’s not even technically alive, but sometimes he can feel his heart beat again, and hear the constant pounding inside of his head that reminds him that he once had emotions. Maybe he even cared for people, but that was before. That was a long time ago and Theo is not going back there. He can’t. Even if he sometimes gets a hint of nostalgia, or remembers what it was like to be someone else. That was before. Not now. 

“We’re almost there. I think.” Liam snaps up suddenly, peering out the window as Theo turns down a dark road and he would find Liam annoying right now and his extreme burst of energy, but he’s only relieved he can finally get out of this truck. 

“You think? I hope you didn’t get us lost.” Theo grumbles, giving Liam a pointed look as he turns to flip him off. Liam remains fixated at nothing while looking out the window, something that Theo is aggravated by considering the fact that Liam wanted to talk a few minutes prior and now he’s pretending that he’s the one that’s angry. 

His phone goes off once more before he finally picks it up and throws it into the backseat with more force than he intended. If it breaks he won’t be happy, but like everything else in his life, he seems to need to replace things a lot. 

“I always assumed we had the anger problem, but you seem to be a little more aggressive than most vampires I’ve met.” Liam points out, frowning as he contemplates Theo’s decision to throw his phone. He hums to himself while biting his lip and he holds back a smirk from Theo. 

“I thought I was the first one you met?” Theo raises his eyebrows, ready to challenge Liam and his views on vampires, but Liam shrugs, his eyes slowly growing amused as Theo becomes more frustrated.

“Yeah. You and Corey. Corey seems pretty relaxed.” Liam smiles wide, watching as Theo grips the steering wheel at his ridiculous observation and his need to give an opinion on everything. 

“Two vampires aren’t actually a good gauge at how we behave.” He argues, tightening his grip on the wheel as Liam chuckles at him. He’s enjoying this. Messing with him, maybe he’s more teasing than messing, but still.  They aren’t about to become besties on their way to some outing Liam has dragged him to. Theo had one friend. One friend. They don’t exist anymore.

“That’s probably good.” Liam leans on the window, and places his head on his arm. He looks just as tired as he feels. He doesn’t care. Liam is the one dragging them out here, but if it’s possible to help Liam from ending up in a tree again, or even being shot with another bullet, then he will help out. Just for tonight because all he needs is a call from the McCall pack asking why Theo was the last one to see him. That will start too many issues that he refuses to ponder on for too long. 

He shakes his head, ridding himself of those thoughts, and the temptation to dwell on what could have been. Theo can feel Liam’s eyes on him, causing his stomach to clench as he nervously wonders if he can read Theo’s mind. He curses at himself to get a grip because Liam can’t read his mind and it’s only his own anxious thoughts causing him to become paranoid.

“Alright. Pull in.” Liam points towards a vet clinic and Theo frowns while he turns into the parking lot, side eyeing Liam the best that he can. Why are they at a clinic for animals? If this werewolf took him on a pointless mission he’s going to strangle him, even if he blinks those inquisitive blue eyes at Theo. Who even has eyes blue enough to cause people to get lost in them? He hasn’t gotten lost in them, but he can tell others would get lost if they stare into the deep blue for too long. 

Liam jumps out of the truck while Theo is still in the process of parking the vehicle and he stumbles forward while Theo pulls to a stop, sheepishly shrugging back at him, but all Theo can do is roll his eyes at him for his never ending enthusiasm. He allows Liam to lead him to the front door and it’s clear the lights are off, signaling they aren’t open, but Liam smirks at him as he places a key in the door knob. 

The door opens slowly and Liam ushers him into the back room, causing Theo to second guess himself at being here because what the hell is Liam even doing at a vet clinic? Theo begrudgingly follows him and watches as the werewolf holds up a picture for him to look at that is slightly blurred. He sighs and snatches the picture from Liam and studies the photos in front of him. 

“Why are we in a vet clinic Liam and why do you have a key?” Theo glances up at him and Liam freezes, shifting back and forth on his feet before his shoulders relax. Liam exhales softly. 

“This is Deaton’s clinic. He’s a vet but he’s also kind of an emissary, or an advisor I think? For my pack.  I borrowed the key.” Liam explains, just as he looks away from Theo when he says the word borrowed, and it lets Theo know that he’s once again found himself having to help Liam out of a sticky situation.

“Are you?…..unbelievable. Borrowed ? Why can’t you wait like a normal pack member and what am I even looking at anyway?” Theo complains as he raises his eyebrows at Liam and makes a mental note to deny any involvement in breaking into an emissary’s clinic.  if it comes up in the future that is. 

“I did bring up wanting to look into this more, but they wanted to figure things out first and it’s a long story, okay ? This picture shows someone that has recently died but look at the markings.” Liam points to the neck of the deceased person in the photo. Scratch marks line his neck and also…teeth marks? It’s pretty gruesome but not really weird if a new werewolf is still learning how to control themselves. 

“So someone died? Sad but it looks like one of your werewolf friends clawed his throat out. Shame.” Theo sneers, making Liam scoff at him and snatch the photo from his hand. 

“You’re a real ray of sunshine.” Liam deadpans and lays out the picture on the table. His shoulders are tense and Theo finds it amusing at how easily he can rile Liam up, but he lets him continue.

 “This isn’t a normal werewolf attack and I don’t think it’s a vampire based on the claw marks. Why would they bite the jugular like that instead of ripping the throat out, or mauling them if they were enraged? We aren’t monsters and it wouldn’t be this controlled.” Liam argues to him while folding his arms across his chest, glaring in his direction, and Theo sighs. He needs to remember to stop following unknown roars into the preserve. 

“Okay, fair.” Theo nods, now noticing the detail of the photo and the bite marks. “It doesn’t look like a vampire attack either. We don’t have claws.” He ponders what this might mean and a strange chill creeps down his spine as he notices the terrified look of the victim. His last look and it’s one of terror.  The look is something that is going to stick with him for a long time. 

“I know. That’s why I brought it to you. I wanted you to confirm it wasn’t a vampire. Does that mean there’s another supernatural creature running around?” Liam questions, looking at him for some confirmation of whatever he’s thinking, but Theo only frowns as he tries to rack his brain on why the other creature would do this. 

“There’s a lot of other supernatural creatures. It doesn’t mean they attack this way, so I don’t know what this is. What did your kind of emissary, or kind of advisor, who looks to be a vet by the way, actually say?” Theo smirks as Liam narrows his eyes at him.

“He doesn’t know either. He’s doing research and looking at other stuff, but this is the fourth death like this. Also…here.” Liam slowly puts another picture out in front of him and looks away as Theo freezes at the photo of the next victim. 

“Is …this...this is a vampire.” Theo realizes, almost in a whisper, as Liam puts another photo of a victim in front of him, who is clearly a shifted werewolf.

“Yeah. So apparently it’s not biased towards humans. It’s killing everything.” Liam swallows, his eyes wide with worry and even though Theo doesn’t allow much to bother him, this is a little unnerving. Most supernatural creatures aren’t going out of their way to attack everyone, but if that’s what this one is doing, why? What’s the motive?

“Hmmm.”” Theo hums. His phone dings, alerting him of a text and he opens it, making sure to move Liam’s wandering eyes away from his  screen. He glances at Liam when he sees an unknown name pop up. 

So we found a little bar a ways out and it’s known for their supernatural hunters. Usually they’re okay unless they’re being paid to kill one of you, but they might have information on what this is. I’m sending the address. Call if you need Corey. This is Mason.

“Why is Mason texting me?” Theo puts his phone away just as another text dings out. He’s not going to another destination. Especially when it involves hunters. That’s something the McCall pack can do since they’re already so invested in saving everyone. 

“My phone died and I asked him to find a lead. He’s good at it.” Liam points out, completely ignoring the fact that he has given his friend permission to text Theo. Not even asking him about it, and he can’t believe that they somehow think he even wants to help them at all because he doesn’t, but Corey’s name was mentioned. So now Corey is involved in this creepy mission Liam has found himself in. He’s dragged all four of them into this and now Theo has to find a way out, or solve it with him. 

“I’m not going anywhere else.” Theo’s jaw tenses as Liam’s eyes show a mix of anger and sadness. His blue eyes narrow at him, his fangs slide over his bottom lip, and a low growl leaves his throat. 

Theo starts to realize how much he’s gotten himself into, and the gravity of the situation as he starts cursing himself at being in the woods earlier. Instead of ignoring Liam’s roar he ran after him, for no reason other than the fact that he was curious about the roar that caught his attention.  

“ Fine . Guess more people die.” Liam slips down onto the floor while heaving a sigh, looking up at him, appearing almost forlorn, which is absurd to Theo because doesn’t need to be involved, and neither does Liam. Yet here they are, Liam giving him those sad puppy eyes again, Theo irritated at Corey for being involved, forcing him to tag along because he doesn’t know what to say, or what to do to get them out of this. Liam looks like some angry lost puppy and it works for him. Dammit . Those stupid blue eyes. 

“Do you need a phone charger? I don’t want people getting used to being able to reach me.” He bites his lip hard, attempting to ignore Liam’s gleeful gaze as he jumps back up to his feet with a big smile.

“Kind of a loner huh? Anyway, yes I do need one. Let’s go before we have to explain being out all night to Scott. Well, I'd have to explain because he still doesn’t know you exist.” Liam pulls Theo towards the front of the clinic before he can argue about what that even means, as he’s careful to lock the door and wink back at Theo in the process.

“Be quiet on the way there.” He snaps at Liam, watching him become wide-eyed while hiding a laugh, but he doesn’t have energy to say anything about how unamused he is at this moment.  Liam is getting under his skin in more ways than one. He doesn’t like it, he can’t shake it, and if he gives him those pleading puppy eyes again he will strangle him. Maybe. 

Liam wastes no time making himself comfortable in his truck. The seat goes back and he closes his eyes, but not before Theo shoves his feet off his dash with a stern glare. He can’t believe Liam has already decided he can sleep in Theo’s vehicle without offering any assistance in directions at all, even though he’s happily charging his phone next to him. With Theo’s charger.  He’s…bold but Liam seems to do his own thing a lot.  At least based on his excursion in the preserve that didn’t involve telling anyone in his pack, but now he’s managed to find ways to get help from Theo, which is his own fault. 

“Does a stake to the heart kill you?” Liam pipes up, looking over at Theo with one eye open, preventing Theo from getting any peace or time to think about how they should handle this. 

“Why? Do you have a stake? Don’t bother, I will win anyway.” He points out and keeps his eyes on the road. Liam sits up, staring him down, his eyes now flashing gold and it would be more amusing if he wasn’t tearing into his seat while simultaneously shifting in front of him.

“I was curious if I could bite you and that would be it.” Liam growls through a mouthful of fangs, his face now fully shifted into his wolf form, causing a small and unexpected shiver down Theo’s spine. 

“I have those too and put those away.” Theo scowls at him, eyeing the upholstery on his seat again before Liam closes his jaw and slams his seat back again. 

What an angry beta. Funny, because Scott McCall has never been known for his anger or temper, but apparently his beta has a temper waiting to flare up at any given moment. He’s not worried though. If Liam really wanted to bite his head off he would have done it in the preserve, and if Theo had any form of self control he would have left him there instead of helping him travel across Beacon Hills to talk to hunters. He still doesn’t get how he ended up here. 

“I can’t sit in silence.” Liam turns towards him, his face back to normal but his jaw still tense. It’s been less than five minutes and he can’t sit in silence. Theo, being too annoyed by Liam and his antics, turns the radio on while motioning for him to pick a station.

Liam flicks through the stations, pausing on an alternative rock song, one that Theo knows well and is surprised Liam has any idea of what it is. He hums, watching Liam open the window, blasting him with cold air while he gets one moment to think, and it’s not even that he needs complete silence, but having someone near him that’s always talking or needing to do something, isn’t something he’s used to.

Tracy isn’t an open book and Corey normally follows him around while he does the talking. The others are more…closed off and he likes it that way. Now in the span of one night Liam has asked too many personal questions and questions that Theo doesn’t like having to answer or even dwell on. He would much rather keep Liam at arms length because that’s how he operates. 

“Make sure to hide your werewolf eyes and temper. They might not be hired to kill, but if you show yourself as a threat they might not take it well. I won’t save your ass again. “ Theo tells him firmly, as Liam rolls his eyes and gives him a thumbs up, his attitude showing again, but Theo pays him no attention. 

“Make sure to hide that you have no soul.” Liam mutters to himself, placing his feet on the dash with a wry smile, letting Theo know that it’s only to test him. He clenches his jaw and locks the window right before he rolls Liam’s window up. 

“What’s the plan?” Theo asks, hating he has to keep talking, keep socializing, even when he’s already drained because a werewolf beside him loves to talk about anything and everything, even if it drives him insane. He’s not sure why he’s even helping. He just is. 

“Hmmm.” Liam stares at him wide-eyed and shrugs his shoulders casually back at him. It infuriates him to no end at the lack of planning, the casualness of what they’re doing, or how Liam has dragged him here and has no idea what to do once they walk into the bar. One that’s filled with hunters, as if that’s not a big deal. 

“You have no plan?” He shakes his head, wondering how Scott’s beta is still alive with his spontaneous nature and lack of planning. It would be endearing if it wasn’t so dangerous and fucken annoying. Liam’s lucky he seems to be able to hold his own in a fight.

“I sorta do. I figured we’d ask about what they know and show pictures.” Liam hesitates, uncertainty clouding his face as Theo stares at him blankly. 

“Sure. Just follow my lead. I’d hate to have to kill someone over you…. stop smirking at me like that. ” Liam nods, only smiling and leaning back in the seat. Theo can’t believe he has been roped into this and all for a werewolf. It’s ridiculous, almost funny, especially thinking about how his roommates are going to act when they hear about this. If Corey hasn’t mentioned it already. He’s not great at being interrogated and he can only imagine what Tracy might ask when she notices that he has been gone too long.

“Wake me when we get there. I’ll drive back.” Liam closes his eyes, resting his head on the window, making Theo frown. As if he would ever let anyone drive his truck.  

Theo checks his GPS and inwardly groans at the 40 minute time that it will take to get there. Last time he was out of Beacon Hills was a few years ago and that’s where he found Josh. He was angry and desperate since he didn’t know how to get high anymore. He was a newly turned vampire and about to go on a killing spree, but Theo took pity on him. He doesn’t normally take pity on anyone, but something about the sad angry gaze got to him, almost making him feel something. Something like empathy and things he doesn’t like to feel. 

Liam starts to snore softly beside him, his feet still on his fucken dash, still making himself comfortable, still getting on his nerves, creating a nervousness inside of him that he’s cementing himself into Theo’s life somehow. He doesn’t know why, but something is nagging at him that Liam is about to be around a while. Going to some bar to find out about who’s killing other supernatural creatures can’t be that easy. It never is.

What kind of creature is killing vampires and werewolves anyway? It’s odd, and actually very creepy considering the fact they don’t kill other supernatural creatures unless some war has started, or someone is defending themselves. Random acts of violence don't make sense. There has to be some other reason this is happening. 

His cellphone dings and he glances down to see an angry text from Tracy. It’s not really what he wants to deal with right now, and he’s blaming Liam for all of it due to getting him involved in all of this even when he doesn’t do this type of thing. They keep to themselves. That was the deal, always has been. It’s always worked for them but now he has a werewolf snoring beside him and Corey running around with a human. A human that hangs around with werewolves like some sort of crazy person. 

He heaves a sigh, not reading whatever Tracy wrote, knowing she will only be complaining anyway, always needing to get her opinion in, which he normally doesn’t mind but tonight…. he needs a break. A break from the others, from his life, from having to keep Donovan from killing humans randomly, and a break from the never ending hopelessness that he feels. Only when he’s alone, or when he thinks too much. 

He wonders if Liam needs a break too and that’s why he’s out in the woods in the middle of the night and off gallivanting with a vampire to find a serial supernatural killer. He glances over at him, still resting peacefully, his leg on his dash and his mouth partly open, causing him to smile a little. Liam’s not boring. Theo will give him that. 

Theo turns the music down, allowing Liam to sleep in peace, because one of them should be able to at the very least, even in the midst of chaos, possible impending death from a hunter along with having to figure out what they’re going to tell each other's friends. Or Liam’s friends that is. 

Liam’s phone starts to turn on. Finally charged and he steals a side glance at Liam to see if he notices, but he’s still fast asleep and Theo is somewhat curious at what might be on there. He taps the wheel while averting his eyes from the phone, biting the inside of his cheek to distract himself. To let himself know he’s not about to snoop. It doesn’t matter what Liam is doing or saying, even if it involves him, because he doesn’t care . 

Theo focuses back on the road and getting to the place Mason forwarded to him. Liam continues to snore, oblivious to his phone going off, although Theo is not. It’s been driving him crazy since it started and he keeps eyeing the phone to see who’s repeatedly calling over and over again. “Stiles” keeps appearing and he rolls his eyes at the persistence of this person. 

He doesn’t call Corey or any of the others constantly. Not like Liam’s friends. They have a very strict -calling when only necessary deal- and other than Corey, they all follow it. Theo gives Corey some slack about it since he came from a bad home and he only calls Theo when he needs something, or if something urgent is happening, but now he seems to be fixated with hanging out with Mason. He will be bringing that up to him when he gets back, along with giving his number out. They still have to be careful. 

Theo manages to find his way to the little bar on the outskirts of Beacon Hills, even making up time and getting there earlier than expected with no help from Liam at all, who is still sleeping beside him. Theo parks his vehicle at the back of the lot, keeping an eye out for any signs of danger. He doesn’t notice any and he turns to shake Liam awake, but he’s already sitting up with his golden eyes flashing.

“What part of keeping a low profile do you not fucken get?” Theo hisses at him, shoving him back in the seat and ignoring Liam snarling at him. He opens his door and locks the vehicle, watching Liam take a few deep breaths and mutter something that even his supernatural hearing can’t pick up on. His eyes are back to blue now, so he lets it go for the time being. 

“I can smell a bunch of werewolves in here.” Liam points out, staring at the bar as Theo motions for him to follow. He doesn’t care if there are a bunch of werewolves in here or not. He checks his pockets for the pictures and heads toward the front front door, only pausing to wait for Liam who has slowly, almost reluctantly, started to follow him. 

The bouncer at the door gives them a once over and then nods for them to go in. Doesn’t even ask for identification or confirmation that they can drink, but Theo didn’t expect him to. This bar seems to be a hole in the wall and anyone is allowed in, based on the obnoxious people surrounding him. 

The bar is dark, barely lit, and there’s a group of people sitting in the back looking sternly at them as they walk by. Theo shakes his head at the loud people yelling and watches the bartender who is serving a customer that is clearly stumbling around while reeking of alcohol. Theo notes the sticky floor that his shoes keep getting stuck on, sighing heavily at the thought of having to deep clean them after this night. 

“You look new.” He hears someone say, causing Liam to stumble into him and point to himself to confirm if someone is in fact speaking to him. Theo turns around, ready to tell Liam to hurry up, only to find a man staring at the werewolf with a sinister smile. 

Theo takes Liam’s arm, pulling him forward while he flashes some fangs at the creepy man they pass by. He knows what he told Liam but someone like that warrants scaring them a bit.  They better hurry up and find something out so they can leave. He meant what he said. He’s not in the mood to kill anyone today. 

He takes another look around the bar and his eyes rest upon a group of men in the back as they laugh back and forth with each other. Their hands are on their pockets, signaling to him they have weapons on them, causing him to tighten his hold on Liam. 

“Get off.” Liam grumbles, ripping his hand away while narrowing his eyes at him and rubbing his elbow fiercely. 

Theo could walk over to them, ask what they know, try to play it off like they're only looking for new things to hunt, but it’s risky. Liam’s already on edge. He can see him breathing next to him. His chest is rising and his breathing becomes rapid, as he blinks at Theo questioningly. His eyes are still blue with hints of gold flashing, giving Theo a sense of urgency to hurry the hell up before Liam wolfs out on everyone. He can’t blame him. His werewolf senses are picking up a darker energy in here and Theo feels it too, but he can remain on guard without having to shift into his “other face” as Corey likes to call it. 

Theo steps forward and is pulled backwards suddenly by Liam, who is growling quietly next to him, eyes fully golden now, alerting Theo he might have to actually kill someone tonight because the hair standing up on the back of his neck is indicative that something is about to spiral out of control any minute now. Liam shoves him towards the restroom in the back, almost manhandling him and causing Theo to remember werewolves have a lot of strength in them. 

When his back hits the wall of the bathroom he sneers at Liam, expecting some explanation or some reason as to why they’re back here. Liam puts his hand on his mouth, trying to shush him, infuriating Theo as he considers testing the theory of werewolves being stronger than vampires.  That's what they think, but vampires are thought to be faster. It’s hard to say because no one really wants to test it. That would be a blood bath.

“Theo. Theo Raeken.” A familiar voice rings out, and of course. Why wouldn’t his night end this way? With Liam shifted in front of him and the putrid smell of this bar surrounding him. 

“Great.” Liam huffs at him, as his fangs glide over his lips and his shoulders begin to tense. Liam growls as he peers over Theo’s shoulder, eyes flashing and barring his fangs at someone behind them. It gives Theo an odd feeling in his gut at seeing Liam angry like this. At trying to scare someone and trying to keep him pinned on the wall while he snarls low, attempting to be menacing. Theo wants to laugh at how ridiculous this must look, but he can only frown and push Liam off him before he turns to the voice he knows so well. 

“Hanging with werewolves now Raeken?”

Chapter Text

“What are you doing here?” Theo asks, putting on a smile, as Liam frowns and confusion lines his face. He’s not really prepared to explain anything to Liam at the moment, but his angry face that is clouding with confusion gets to him. He hates it. Liam somehow forces him to feel bad about something that isn’t even the werewolf’s business.  Why is he so concerned with how Liam feels? 

“This is Liam.” Theo motions to the werewolf, giving Liam a pointed look when he sees that his claws are still out. They’re completely on display for the entire bar to see and even if Theo wanted a fight tonight, he’s not sure it’s the best place when there’s so many hunters hanging around.  It’s never a good idea to come without backup and engage in a fight when they have no idea how many people have weapons in here, but Liam is standing here with his claws on display for everyone to see. 

“I know who he is. Hey, I haven't officially met you. I’m Boyd.” Boyd holds his hand out to Liam, eyeing his claws. Liam narrows his eyes, looking slightly less confused but even angrier than before. Theo feels a twinge of guilt pass through him at Liam’s unhappy demeanor.  He would have avoided coming here tonight if he knew Boyd would be here. 

“Uh, what?” Liam looks directly at Theo, his gaze hardening as Theo rolls his eyes at Liam’s attempt at trying to display his displeasure at the entire meeting. His dagger eyes do nothing to him, other than create a feeling of conflicting emotions to boil up at disappointing Liam. Especially when his rage is aimed at him. Theo straightens up and brushes that thought out of his mind. 

“This is Boyd. Don’t be rude.” Theo sneers, but Boyd is smiling now, and his face is starting to show signs of bursting out into a laugh. Theo doesn’t find any of this amusing and neither does Liam, but at least Boyd is showing signs of being friendly towards them. That's something. Theo will take what he can get at this point. 

“Theo, are you....what...? I'm rude! Hey, Boyd. Sorry, I was confused by Theo and his - doesn’t- hang -out -with werewolves -lie- that he enjoys telling.” Liam turns his gaze towards Boyd, smiling warmly while his claws retract and he shakes the other werewolf's hand. Theo rolls his eyes at the subtle dig and becomes defensive at Liam and his need to assume that he’s lying for no reason at all. He doesn't fucken lie for any old reason.

“I didn’t lie. I can’t know people? You aren’t the first werewolf that’s ever annoyed me.” Theo argues, not giving Liam the satisfaction of thinking he’s been caught in some lie or conspiracy, because he hasn’t been. He’s not even friends with Boyd. Not anymore. Not since he ruined it and everything became shattered, reminding him of how he’s meant to stay away from other supernatural creatures.  

“Is your name really Theo?” Liam inquires and he bites his bottom lip, but he’s starting to smile. Theo can’t focus because it’s distracting at how blue Liam’s eyes become when he’s being a little snarky and staring at him like that. He takes a deep breath and looks away from him. 

“I thought you were in the Hale pack? They left town though.” Liam mentions to Boyd and finally starts to relax a bit. His shoulders ease and before Theo can argue, Liam’s leading Boyd to a nearby table and motioning for him to fucken join them. He tries to stutter out a complaint but Liam is already leaning in to talk to Boyd. 

Theo slowly walks himself over to the table, sitting down and glaring at them both. He’s not really looking for a reunion at the moment and neither is Boyd. He doesn’t seem to be any more comfortable than Theo is, but he smiles and shrugs at Liam. Boyd is still always polite, with a little bit of coldness seeped into him. Theo always found that interesting. He’d much rather be rude to people. They go away much faster that way, but Boyd was always more approachable than him. If that says anything at how unapproachable he really is.  Even Boyd is able to carry on conversations while Theo can barely stand talking to people at all. 

“I am not in the Hale pack anymore. Derek went off with Cora and I stayed behind. I talk to him periodically though. What are you doing with this one?” Boyd points at Theo, still keeping his eyes on Liam, while his shoulders remain turned away from Theo. It seems intentional and Theo looks down at his hands while they continue talking. The memories of that night start to cloud his memory. He swallows hard and keeps his gaze on Liam. He's wearing a confused smile but his eyes brighten at Theo staring at him. 

“There’s a lot of deaths happening in Beacon Hills and Theo happens to be an expert in vampires so I let him follow along.” Liam smirks, winking at Theo, who can only frown at him and his following-along -comment. As if Theo didn’t get asked to join him and help out. Liam practically threw himself in the truck for crying out loud. 

“That’s too bad. Maybe you should find someone a little more reliable.” Boyd shrugs briefly, giving Liam a small smile.  Liam frowns, glancing at Theo again. Liam’s eyes remain fixed on him in question, but he’s not saying anything. Liam is starting to lose his smile as he becomes more confused at what’s happening, glancing at Theo every few seconds for some type of confirmation on what he's saying. 

“While you’re here, have you ever seen anything that does this, or did Derek ever mention anything?” Theo pulls out one of the photos and slides it over to Boyd, finally breaking Liam's chatter. He tries his best to move the conversation to an end and get out of this little reunion. 

Boyd glances down at the photo, his eyes widening at the violence and blood in front of him. He studies the photo, leaning in closer to look at the marks lining the corpse. Boyd finally leans back, his face emotionless and unreadable.  He’s always been good at that. Being closed off and never giving anything away. Theo liked that and learned from it. He sighs, a wave of sadness running through him as he looks at Boyd, almost wishing that is was him that night instead. 

Even in the midst of Liam’s confusion, Boyd’s coldness towards him, and the danger of the hunters looming nearby, Theo is still going back to it. To the past, his mistakes, and his own shortcomings that cost a life, along with a friendship. His only friend. He still aches when he thinks about it, but that’s only sometimes and he’s hoping that having Boyd here as a reminder, doesn’t cause any unnecessary prolonged pain that has him replaying that day over again. Theo has already done that more times than he can count. 

“That’s not my thing and I don’t think he ever mentioned something like this. I would recommend going to an Argent. They have a lot more knowledge on these things.” Boyd slides the photo back, pushing it towards Liam. He still keeps a line drawn between them.  A subtle reminder of who and what Theo is. 

“I don’t really want to involve them but I guess we can think about what we want to do from here.” Liam says, and puts the photos back into his pocket. Theo nods in agreement and looks off towards the door. He might be able to make a run for it. 

“Okay, sorry I couldn’t help more.” Boyd gives Liam a nod, silencing Theo with a stern look and turning around without another word. He doesn’t look back, doesn’t say goodbye, or even give Theo another glance, or any thought at all based on how cold he is.  He walks out of the door, keeping his back turned and Theo swallows. He stares down at his hands, willing himself to shut off again. Shut out the noise, that night, and all the memories that go along with it.

Theo didn’t expect Boyd to pay much attention to him, but even having no expectations of them talking at all, he still wants to move as quickly as possible to get away from it all. He needs to get away from here and even if the only place is the bathroom, he will take it. It is disgusting in every possible way but it’s better than answering any questions Liam is sure to ask. Liam starts to speak, his face staring to soften as he takes in Theo, but he turns away from Liam quickly. 

Theo moves toward the end of the bar, opens the door and stumbles into the little bathroom, shutting it quickly, locking it securely, and leaning onto the sink. He stares at himself in the mirror. The hardened gaze he wears looks back at him, silently showing nothing and everything all at the same time. He’s sure Boyd saw it. His regret, along with the shame that he felt when remembered what they both lost, but it’s not enough. It will never be enough. Theo can’t ever expect anything to make up for what happened on that day. 

The doorknob rattles. Theo ignores it. He doesn’t give a damn about who needs to get in here right now. He sighs, leaning on the sink more, and turning the water on. He splashes it over his face and the door flies open with a bang, revealing Liam wide-eyed and holding the door knob in his hand. Theo fights the urge to throw him out and shut the door in his face. He can’t though. It would cause even more commotion than they have already caused. Murder isn’t appealing right now.  Leaving this all behind is. 

“Hey? Um… are you okay? I feel like I did something wrong but I don’t know what it is.” Liam places the doorknob on the sink, tentatively taking a step back from him, his face filled with despair, and almost sorrow. Sorrow for upsetting him? Theo looks him over, noticing the way Liam’s face is pleading with him and he clenches his jaw tight. 

“You caused more than one scene tonight that could have gotten us all killed if that’s what you mean. Let’s get out of here.” Theo steers Liam towards the door, noticing the eyes on them as they walk past people, but no one dares to make any move. Not here. Not when there’s too many eyes to see how things play out and Theo is close to ripping someone apart if they even try anything. He still has his “other face” if all else fails, along with the power of persuasion but he would rather not have to do that here.  It would be too risky. 

Liam deflates, a small frown appearing on his face, but he allows Theo to move him towards the door. Theo doesn’t allow Liam’s sudden loss of energy to deter him from getting them safely to the doorway. He manages to weave his way through the crowd and arrive at the front door of the bar, but an unknown man moves in front of them. He is almost leering at them as he places his hand on the pocket of his jeans, and he starts sliding his hand into his shirt pocket, and looking darkly at Theo. 

“Haven’t seen either of you here before.” The man narrows his eyes, looking directly at him and then stepping closer to Liam. The stranger's fingers remain on the front of his pocket, his fingers grasping at something. 

Liam’s face clouds with anger, his body going stiff, and Theo sighs. He probably has about three seconds to figure out how to de-escalate the situation before someone ends up dead, or stabbed, or possibly thrown through a wall considering Liam’s already upset about how this night played out, and he’s not about to let someone in the McCall pack die. Especially someone like Liam. He wouldn’t be able to sleep at night knowing he was there and could have prevented his death. Liam’s something of a mystery to him. He doesn't despise him like other werewolves. It must be his enthusiasm and his bright blue eyes that always bring energy and unexpected chaos. 

He moves to go around the man and pulls on Liam’s sleeve in an effort to get out of the building and away from anyone looking to cause a problem, but Liam remains unmoving. He shifts in front of Theo, and he starts becoming slightly annoyed that he’s being moved to the side. Since when has Liam decided to become his bodyguard? It’s not something Theo likes, or dislikes even if he can’t figure out why that is. He’s just annoyed and slightly hungry. All while he tries to find a way out of this night and this forsaken hell hole. 

Theo watches for Liam’s eyes and face to fully shift, but they never do. Instead, his fists clench at his side, while his mouth remains firmly in a scowl at the unknown man that blocks their view of the door. Judging by the arrogance on the man’s face and his hand still on his pocket, there might be something they have to worry about and Theo is not in the headspace to kill anyone right now. He will if he has to, but Liam’s not someone he can see being okay with murder.  He could leave but how can he leave someone that somehow talked his way into being partners with Theo? A vampire of all things. A werewolf talked Theo into helping him. How is it even possible that in the short span that they have been here, Liam has managed to find a way to get Theo’s loyalty without asking at all. It's infuriating. 

Theo eyes the doorway. 

“Sorry, looking for an Argent.” Theo puts on a fake smile and pulls Liam backwards, latching onto his hoodie. He starts trying to move him back towards the end of the bar, but Liam pulls away from him and growls at Theo menacingly. His face is partially shifted now and he stares down the man in front of them.

“Let them go. That’s Boyd’s friend.” The bartender calls to the man, looking unimpressed at Liam’s partially shifted face and Theo’s unwillingness to leave the werewolf alone with a hunter. They must look hilarious to any outsiders and he’s thankful that Boyd isn’t here to see it. He doesn’t need anyone knowing that they have gotten themselves into a situation where he might have to fight someone. 

The man moves past them, slamming his shoulder into Theo before moving towards the back. Liam watches the man with a fierce gaze, but finally allows Theo to drag him outside where it has started pouring. Anything to make this night more fun for Theo, and he mutters to himself. He stares up at the sky that is pelting them with rain and shakes his head, silently cursing himself for being here. 

“Get in the truck before I leave your ass behind.” Theo yells at the werewolf, exasperated behind belief and on the verge of needing a drink. He reaches his truck with Liam close behind him.

“Oh. Sorry. Guess I should have let you die. You didn’t see the stake he slid into his jacket?” Liam cries, pulling on the door handle of the truck and flashing his eyes at him.

“You don’t even know if that would work or if that’s just a myth! If fact, you know nothing at all about me!” Theo shoves his hands in his pockets, searching for his keys and watching Liam pull on his door some more. If it breaks Theo will most definitely have to determine how to keep himself from losing it on Liam. 

“That's not the point. I guess next time I’ll assume you can handle it. Are you going to open this door? It’s not like it’s raining or anything!” Liam pulls his hoodie over his head and holds it over himself. He’s soaked already but that doesn’t stop him from dramatizing the situation or being overly sarcastic. 

“I lost my keys.” He hisses and then Theo starts to laugh. Looking at Liam being drenched and somehow still trying to keep dry with his soaked hoodie over his head, is a lot more amusing than he wants to admit. This whole thing is just ridiculous. He can’t even take Liam seriously.

“Wow.” Liam deadpans and he throws his hoodie at the truck. Liam sits down on the ground, shaking his head. 

“I’ll call Mason. Do you have a spare, or do you want to go find them?” Liam rolls himself under the truck in an effort to keep his phone dry and starts texting frantically. He holds his hand over his head as the water from underneath the truck starts to soak him further with water. 

“I do. He can pick up Corey on the way if he needs to. Corey doesn't drive, but has the spare. Or if you can chill out, then we can go back and look.” Theo points out, sitting down besides Liam and his rage fueled texting spree. Liam angrily types out a few more words and glares at him. 

“Anything you care to say? You know about Boyd, or about how the bartender that knows you? No? Are you sure? Who even are you? Funny thing is, that somehow, here I am confused, but only about one thing. I’m only wondering about how you managed to get someone in the Hale pack to socialize with you? Hmmm. They’re not super social people.” Liam places his phone down and proceeds to give Theo a silent stare down.  He glares back at Liam as he continues to narrow his eyes. 

“Nope. I don’t have anything to add. I’m all set.” Theo fights the urge to go back into the bar and find his keys. It’s not the end of the world and he’s learned how to improvise but still, Liam’s asking too many questions. 

“Theo.” Liam sighs, placing his head on the ground, exhaustion lacing his voice. 

“Liam.” He sighs just as dramatically. Theo sits back up, thinking about how he can retrace his steps to find his keys, when Liam rolls out from underneath the truck and starts yanking on the door of his truck. Liam is partially shifted again and eyes are blazing yellow. 

“Can you stop? Even if you break my door I will need keys. Unless you know how to start it without them.” Theo hisses, entirely on edge now while Liam pulls off the door, but still remains partly shifted. Liam licks his bottom lip, his fangs sliding out. 

“This entire I-don’t- talk- to -werewolves -lie is ticking me the fuck off. How do you know Boyd? The bartender has seen you before. Which means you have been here.  How many other secrets should I be prepared for?” Liam growls, his eyes blazing a fiery yellow and his fangs fully out on display now.

'“It’s none of your business.” Theo remains firm, his jaw locked tightly, and his shoulders straighten as he stares at Liam.

Liam's face grows angrier, his fangs slicing into his bottom lip, and he shakes slightly at the intensity of his anger that is directed at Theo.

Theo is a little baffled. It’s not like Liam is very close with the Hales based on how they don’t really have friends, or aren't social, per Liam's words. As far as he knows they aren't buddy buddy at least, and his socializing shouldn’t be any of Liam’s concern anyway, but he’s enraged. Liam's staring at Theo as if he’s somehow betrayed him. He doesn’t understand and Theo shrugs, glancing at the bar where his keys are located, and trying to diffuse the situation. 

“Maybe I’ll walk.” Liam storms away, walking towards the road and leaving Theo irked and perplexed at his reaction. He didn’t think it was that serious but maybe it is? He’s not quite sure why they’re fighting in the first place. If you can even call it that. It’s more Liam yelling at him and snarling his anger at him.  

Theo gathers the energy to go back into the bar and find his keys. He verifies Liam’s not too far off before he heads back into the bar. It seems to be okay. Liam’s sitting on the ground near the road and rolling his eyes at him. He’s less angry now, but he still wears a frown. 

“Don’t worry, I’ll get them.” Theo calls out, only for Liam to give him the thumbs up sign and rolls his eyes. Again.  

How did he get roped into this again? Oh right. Liam climbed into his truck and decided they were partners.  Now he’s angry that he doesn’t know every part of Theo’s life but Theo will not allow anyone to mess up his plans to be left alone. He’s getting his keys and getting out of here. He doesn’t need any more surprises tonight. 

Theo storms back towards the bar, his mood now ruined as Liam sulks at the corner of the road because he’s upset Theo lied, or something. Maybe that’s not even it. Maybe it’s because Liam is angry and is letting everything else soil his mood, but Theo can’t help but latch on to the negative attitude from him.

He manages to open the door and come face to face with the bartender almost as soon as he opens it. She looks somewhat sympathetic to Theo and his situation. She holds up his keys and cocks her head at him. 

“Here.” The bartender almost throws the keys towards him. He nods a thanks towards her and doesn’t bother looking at anyone else in the bar, but runs back to open his truck. The rain pelts his skin as he makes it to his truck. He slides into the driver seat and honks at Liam, earning a sneer from him, but he does stand up and head towards Theo's truck .

“Hurry up.” Theo urges, glancing back at the bar for any sign of someone coming out to bother them or try to hunt them.

Liam starts slowing down, managing to take steps so small that Theo is ready to strangle him. He finally makes it to the door and slides in, a small smirk on his face.

“Didn’t want to slip.” Liam shrugs.

Theo remains tight lipped and pulls away from the parking lot, looking back to see a black SUV trailing behind them. He narrows his eyes at the vehicle and speeds up.  He isn’t too concerned at the moment, but he still keeps his eye on it. 

“So..” Liam says, leaning forward in his seat and looking at Theo expectantly.

“I’m not talking to an Argent and no, I don’t have anything else to say.” He smiles as he watches Liam’s face turn into snarl. Theo might enjoy riling Liam up a bit, but how can he not when Liam is so easily irritated. His burst of anger causes somewhat of a thrill inside of him.  A small shiver comes over him and he shakes his head, refocusing on the road.

“What if I need help? Is the least you can do for lying to me.” Liam points out, his eyebrows raised and his eyes look at him pleadingly . 

“I didn’t lie, for the last fucken time. I knew Boyd before you. I knew people before I met you. It’s been like what? Seven hours. I had a life before these seven hours that I've spent with you.” Theo grips the steering wheel, watching as the leather starts to break under his strength and he loosens his grip on it. 

“So seven hours ago you were talking to Boyd.” Liam's eyes remain fixed on him, his gaze never wavering, and Theo can’t break away from his questions even if he wanted to. Not when they’re stuck in the vehicle together on the way back home. He shuts his eyes briefly and groans at Liam's interrogation.

“ No. I haven’t seen Boyd in about a year. We used to talk sometimes but that’s been done for a while now.” Theo cringes. He can taste the bitter words on his tongue. It’s more Boyd has been done with him, but he won’t give Liam the satisfaction of knowing anymore about him than he already does. 

“Why’s that? He mentioned you’re unreliable.” Liam hums, sliding back down in his seat and his eyebrows furrow in confusion. 

“How should I know? Maybe I am unreliable.” Theo bites at his bottom lip, his teeth tugging at the skin while he does his best to avoid Liam and the hundreds of questions that he has for him.  Always so many questions. 

“No. If you were unreliable you would have left me at the bar. Maybe you’re unreliable with others but not all the time. What’s going on Theo?” Liam presses, leaning closer to him in the seat.

“Nothing. Stop calling me that .” Theo tenses up, leaning forward with a sigh and looking back to see a lonely road. There is no sign of the SUV following them. 

“Calling you what? Theo? That’s your name isn’t it? Theo. Theo. Theo.” Liam chants his name in a sing sing voice, further igniting anger inside of him and he shuts his eyes for a second to calm his heart that has started pounding at Liam. At his constant chatter and teasing tone. 

It’s not his name. It’s the way Liam says it. It sounds almost too familiar. As if he knows Theo and he’s known him all his life by the way it rolls off the werewolf’s tongue. Almost soft and teasing whenever Liam speaks it. it's something that throws him off and it still creates a funny feeling inside of him for whatever reason, but it’s causing him to feel unsteady all the same. 

“He was a friend a while back, but we aren’t friends anymore and if you want more information then you are going to have to at least wait another full day Liam. “ Theo explains, almost ripping the steering wheel off in anger at Liam and his invasive questioning. 

“Fine. I’ll table this for another twenty four hours.” Liam sighs and lays back against the seat. 

Theo hopes that he’s kidding, but even in knowing Liam for this short amount of time that he has, he can see Liam asking him again. Literally taking his words at face value and prying again into Theo’s life in another twenty four hours. He hadn’t even planned on seeing Liam in twenty four hours.  Theo is already breaking his rule of associating with werewolves. He can’t continue breaking it. 

“Can we go to your place? No one is home right now and this thing going around killing people gives me the creeps. Plus, we need a game plan.” Liam shudders. He stares at Theo with pleading eyes, and Theo because he’s so ready to be done with tonight and stop with all the questions, only nods. So he takes Liam to his house because why the hell not? It's almost 2am anyway so no one will bother them. 

———

Theo pulls up to the front of his house and peers out the window to find Josh waiting for him on the porch. He gives a small wave, but Josh only looks confused, unsettled, and particularly angry when he sees Liam waving back at him. Theo runs his hand over his face and opens the door. 

“Who’s that?” Liam asks, bounding out of the truck and towards the front door. The energy he exhibits is insane. Part wolf and part puppy? Maybe that isn't the right word. 

Theo and Liam enter the house and Josh stares at them with his jaw almost to the floor, making Theo wonder if he's surprised Liam's with Theo, or the fact that Theo allowed a werewolf back to his house. 

“This is Josh. Josh, this is Liam. He’s here for now.” Theo pauses, contemplating how to phrase his words. Liam isn’t staying for long, but he doesn’t need, or want to answer any more questions than he has to. Especially since Liam isn’t supposed to even be here in the first place. 

“Hi.” Liam smiles warmly, holding his hand out. Josh stares down at his hand, looking toward Theo, and finally back at Liam before brushing past him and stopping at the bottom of the staircase.   

“Hi. We don’t normally play with wolves.” Josh deadpans, his mouth staring to smile. Theo doesn’t appreciate the way Josh is smiling or the way that he’s talking about playing, but he doesn’t want to call attention to it. Josh has a habit of liking to mess with people and Theo has had his fair share of having to stop Josh from playing with others. 

“I don’t normally talk to moody people like Theo, but unfortunately despite my rules I needed some help.” Liam gives a small smile, and glances at Tracy behind them. 

“Lucky us.” Tracy sneers from the stairs, looking at Theo, and holding her chin high.  

“This is Tracy and you have already met Corey.” Theo holds back a groan as Corey opens his bedroom door and takes in the sight of Theo and Liam. He didn’t expect everyone to be up and waiting for his return.  It’s not as if they have a curfew and based on the steely gaze from Josh and Tracy, they aren’t very happy to see Liam. 

“Hi. I mentioned to Mason that you might come back here. He said he can come get you.” Corey smiles. He’s the only one who seems somewhat happy to see Liam here and if Theo didn’t know any better, he would even think he’s excited about it.

“That’s good. Theo kind of seems to be done with people today. Except for me. I’m a delight.” Liam teases, his smile broadening at Theo and his frown. Theo rolls his eyes at Liam’s words, but he isn’t wrong. He doesn’t want to be around anyone else much longer. 

“I’m going to change.” Theo mutters. Corey moves to the side to let him through and Josh follows closely behind, his face still confused.  Theo has no doubt that he has multiple questions for him. 

Liam remains standing at the bottom of the stairs. He looks uncertain as he takes in his surroundings. It’s the first time tonight that Theo has seen him unsure of himself but he is out of his element, and the other's welcome wasn’t really that inviting . He can’t help but feel a bit bad about it and he nods for Liam to follow along and head up the stairs with him.

“I’ll be right back.” Theo stops and turns towards Josh, letting Liam catch up and Josh take in his words. 

Josh has always been a little more worried when it comes to strangers. He’s had a hard time adjusting and Theo had to go bail him out a few times when he had an uncontrollable urge for blood awhile back and playing, as Josh likes to call it . He prevented Josh from murdering unnecessarily and since then he’s always let Theo take the lead on most things. Tracy is too unpredictable and Corey is too gentle for Josh to trust with anything of real importance. 

Josh doesn’t trust easy and Tracy doesn’t like most people, so having Liam show up like this in the middle of the night, isn’t really the best move. Theo should have thought about this but Liam’s here now and he has to get out of his soaked clothes.  He does his best to hurry it along. 

“Okay….is he? What’s he doing here?” Josh questions, his face hardening at Liam, and he stiffens at the growl Liam gives him. 

“He’s only here until his friend comes and gets him.” Theo assures him, but Josh is still frowning and starting to shift back and forth on his feet. Liam gives a small smile again, attempting to be friendly, just as Josh gives him a once over and looks to Theo for a better explanation. 

“He better be here quickly and he better get out." Josh gives Theo a pointed look and walks back into the living room. Liam opens his mouth to make some sort of comeback but Theo shushes him and pulls him towards the stairs. 

Theo manages to get Liam up the stairs and into his room before Tracy stops him in the hallway and further tries to interrogate him. He doesn’t need any more questions or looks of disapproval from the rest of them. Especially Tracy. She is going to talk his ear off about it later anyway. 

“He’s kind of rude.” Liam points out, his face almost turning into a pout as he frowns at Theo and Josh’s attitude towards him.

“Josh doesn’t trust many people and you are a werewolf. You technically shouldn’t even be here. He’s mostly harmless.” Theo explains and starts going through his drawer to find dry clothes. 

“Mostly.” Liam frowns at him, accepting the hoodie that Theo throws at him. 

“Yeah. We’re all mostly harmless. Except for Donovan. Leave him alone. He’s not very friendly." He cautions, listening for any signs of Donovan coming out of his room, but it’s quiet in the hall. 

Liam throws his wet hoodie on the floor, pulling the dry hoodie over his head and follows Theo's eyes to see Donovan's room. His eyes shine with curiosity at the closed door, but he nods and looks away.

Theo finds sweatpants and hands them to Liam. Theo throws a towel at his head, narrowly missing Liam’s face, and holds back a laugh at the look of indignation that Liam gives him. 

Theo starts to pull his hoodie off and hisses at his sore muscles. Liam frowns and looks in his direction, but Theo shrugs him off and makes the mistake of pulling at his hoodie again. He lets out small hiss of pain and of course, Liam notices immediately. He inches closer to him and starts to panic.  

“What is it?” Liam asks, looking suspicious, but almost worried as he looks at Theo, and at how he tries to hide his sore muscles. Theo tries to stop himself from showing any signs of pain.

“Nothing. Just sore. Probably from being out in the rain and from dragging you back out of the bar.” Theo explains. He looks at Liam for any signs of him backing down but his face becomes more worried and he narrows his eyes in suspicion at him. 

“It’s fine.” Theo stresses to him, moving to take off his shirt too, and he accidentally lets out a groan while he pulls on the shirt, and it clings to his shoulder blade. 

“Let me see!” Liam demands, pulling at Theo, while he takes off his shirt, and Liam turns him around to inspect the damage. Theo huffs, not enjoying being manhandled by Liam who has done nothing but have the nerve to pry into his life and worry about him this entire time.

The door flies open and Theo looks to see Mason staring at them wide-eyed. 

Hey, oh….sorry!” Mason stutters out, standing awkwardly in the doorway and staring at Liam with mild concern at seeing them both shirtless in Theo’s room. 

Theo shoves Liam farther away, a little harder than he meant to and Liam stumbles backwards with a snarl. Mason mutters something unknown to Theo and shuts the door firmly, but Liam looks like a deer caught in headlights as he stares down at Theo’s shirt, and looks up at him. Theo can only groan at the muffled voices outside the door, that have assumed they have walked in on something steamy. 

“Go away.” Theo calls to Mason and Corey. He hears scrambling and hushed voices before he hears them head down the stairs. 

“So, when are we going to the Argent’s?” Liam pipes up, giving him a shrug and looking hopeful. 

Theo sits down on his bed, wanting to say no a thousand times, but instead he nods.  Liam did manage to pry his way into his truck and pry his way into having him help him. He can only hope that Boyd didn't mention anything to Derek. 

Chapter Text

Sometimes he wonders what it means to be happy, to consider another way, or what it would feel like to even sit in a room with people that have other things on their mind than just misery and suffering. The only thing is, he can’t even picture it. He can’t even fathom being someone that has hope because it’s been like this for so long, and he’s settled it in his mind that it will always be this way. That’s how life has played out for Theo and he’s accepted it. 

Theo doesn’t know who he would be if he was happy. If the heart that sits in his chest would beat again maybe he could figure it out, but he’s not someone that reflects on the what if.  The endless opportunities and the different outcomes that might have happened aren’t something he dwells on. They didn’t happen and they won’t happen. 

What did happen was Liam showing up in the middle of the preserve and finding a way to get himself struck by an arrow. It happened simultaneously while he was looking into the deaths happening around Beacon Hills and now he’s standing here with Chris Argent, hoping he’s not about to get staked to death.  He wasn’t even going to deal with an Argent, but Liam’s found another way to involve him, without allowing any room to say no, and he’s starting to wonder if he’s going insane or if Liam’s growing on him.  Theo might be growing on him too, though Liam would never admit it. 

The Domino Effect is a funny thing.

"This is Theo.....he’s my friend. I mean someone helping me with this. He warms up once you get past the moody attitude and lack of people skills.” Liam nervously introduces him, shifting closer to Theo while Argent takes a step back, eyeing him with suspicion and doubt. Argent keeps his hand on his belt, his hand above his weapon, and still eyeing Theo, but still listening to what Liam is telling him. 

“So did Derek. Come in.” Argent sighs, still looking unsure, but he opens the door and Theo is pulled into the house by Liam before he can say anything at all, which seems to be about right since Liam is always a chatterbox. He can barely get a word in at all but that's fine. Theo prefers to think about things before he says anything out loud. 

“I’m not moody.” Theo argues, glaring at the werewolf and his pleased expression at getting them into Argent’s house. He shrugs Liam off and stares at him sternly and at the werewolf’s look of laughter.  As if Theo arguing being moody is so laughable to him. 

“Okay.” Liam nods, giving him a sarcastic thumbs up sign and Theo considers leaving him here and having Argent drive him back home, but now they’re “friends'' so he can’t. Theo never even told Liam he could refer to Theo as a friend, but telling Liam anything at all seems to not work anyway, and he isn’t ready to deal with the small feeling of hope that starts to consume him before he shoves it down again. 

Argent leads them into the living room, motioning for them to sit and Liam does, as he looks to Theo patiently, waiting for him to sit too. Theo looks around the room, checking for any signs of Gerard Argent, or for anyone else that might not be as friendly as Chris Argent. He doesn’t notice anyone and he sits down, making sure to sit on the edge of the couch to be ready for anything at all and close enough to Liam to ensure he can drag him along if anything goes south.  His family doesn't appear to be anywhere so that's good. 

“What can I help you with?” Argent asks, looking at Liam and placing an arrow on the coffee table, moving it closer to Theo, and eyeing him up and down. Theo notices the wooden stake that’s attached to it and refrains from moving, as he stiffens at the small threat Argent gives him without any words spoken at all. It's not like he isn't used to it, but it still gets to him sometimes and the assumptions that he's about to kill everyone when he walks into a room, can be a little depressing. 

Liam frowns, his face growing angry as he stares down at the arrow in front of them, almost standing up, and the only reason he doesn’t is because Theo manages to place his hand on his shoulder, nodding and urging for him to continue. He’s not sure why Liam has suddenly become so annoyed at how people view him, or why he's almost ready to leave at any threat towards him, but Liam is going to have to get used to it. It’s not like the werewolves have the same issues that vampires do. Most people fear them and assume they’re about to murder everyone around them for blood. It took Corey time to accept it and deal with it, but he did and Liam getting angry about it won’t change anything at all, except confuse Theo about why Liam is so gung-ho on defending him now.

“Put that away. Please.” Liam stresses, narrowing his eyes Argent, as he moves closer to Theo on the couch, and this time Theo doesn’t shove him away. He doesn’t know why exactly but he doesn’t. 

Argent looks back and forth between them, his eyes widening with curiosity and almost amusement at Liam’s angry expression, but he does move the arrow to the floor and smile at them.  Theo takes it with a grain of salt and shakes his head, still understanding that Argent won’t trust him and it’s only for Scott’s sake that Liam’s even sitting here right now. 

Scott. The alpha and werewolf everyone loves and always will want to have on their side, but not Theo. He doesn’t trust him or any of the werewolves, minus a little blue-eyed beta who seems to be hell bent on dragging him around to solve the murders in Beacon Hills. If Theo was a stronger person he would have ignored him in the preserve that night, but there’s something about Liam. Something that’s intriguing and Theo can’t seem to find the strength to leave him by himself to solve this. 

“Does Scott know that you’re here?” Argent questions, and Liam stiffens at that, glancing over at Theo, who gives him a pointed look to continue and not to be completely transparent that he's taken this project on himself. 

“Not exactly, but he is aware of the deaths going on with other supernatural creatures. That’s why I’m here, or why we’re here . I wanted to know if you know what could cause this and what it seems to be?” Liam asks, taking the pictures out of his pocket and sliding them over to Argent. He smiles, looking hopeful and Theo looks at Argent to gauge his reaction, but he gives them a blank stare, giving nothing away. Theo is almost impressed by his unbothered expression but being a hunter you would see a lot of things, unexplained and gruesome. He’s only heard stories of Chris Argent and his former career. He’s more laid back now and not like Gerard, or so he hears, but Theo is not about to trust him based on rumors that he’s heard. 

Argent stares at the photos, looking thoughtful, almost calm as he studies them, and Liam shifts nervously. His anxiety is showing and Theo is starting to feel anxious himself, even though he’s never worried about things, but Liam has a way of getting under his skin. So much so, that he has to slide farther away on the couch to keep himself from feeding into Liam’s anxiety anymore then he already is right now.

“Hmm.  I’m assuming you have ruled out this being a vampire?” Argent’s eyes harden as he looks towards Theo, and he narrows his eyes back at his cold gaze. His hand twitches by his side, trying to keep his eye on the arrow and focus on Argent and anything that he’s giving away. 

“Yeah. If you look at the photo it’s almost like it tore the head partially off, but also bit them at the same time. That’s not really common for vampires.” Liam points out, leaning forward and showing Argent the bite marks. Liam smiles over at Theo, and he shakes his head at Liam’s attempt at defending vampires, while simultaneously looking to him for approval. Argent doesn’t look impressed, but at least he’s giving some facial expressions now. 

“Werewolves don’t normally bite like that either. See the scratch marks? If you don’t know, just say that.” Theo grumbles, folding his arms across his chest and looking towards the front door, ready to bolt because this is pointless. He should have told Liam to find someone else to ask because Argent doesn’t care and even if he does, which Theo is sure he doesn’t, he’s not going to help Liam when he’s with a vampire.  

“Have you considered a supernatural creature that’s exhibiting abnormal behavior? It doesn’t mean it’s not something else, but it could be someone that’s reacting differently than expected.” Argent shifts in his chair, sliding the photos back towards Liam and moving the arrow behind him.

Theo relaxes a little, his body slowly moving back into the couch, and he considers Argent’s point. That would be odd, almost unheard of for a werewolf or a vampire to randomly kill each other, and kill their own kind?  What abnormal behavior would cause that and why? If they have a supernatural off the rails, then they might have to start planning on how to deal with it quietly. Theo hadn’t considered having to put anyone down, but now he’s not so sure he will have a choice if it’s someone that’s like one of them, because that's an entirely new problem he wasn’t prepared for. He doubts Liam was either. 

“A mass murdering spree seems to be bigger than abnormal behavior.” Theo says as sarcastically as he can. He sighs and knocks Liam’s hand away from trying to reaching for Argent's bow. Argent nods in agreement, scratching his chin in thought, and Liam frowns at him but doesn’t say anything.

“It does but it’s Beacon Hills.” Argent explains, raising his eyebrows slightly, and he almost smiles at Theo, which is odd, and it's most likely for Liam’s sake, but still. He doesn’t mind Argent not wanting to kill him right now and Liam’s look of surprise almost makes him want to laugh. 

“Honestly, I haven’t seen this before but the marks and the unnecessary violence, tells me this might be more on the side of revenge. Any supernatural going to this extreme has a motive behind it. Have you looked into hybrids?” Argent asks, causing Liam to sit up straighter, his eyes now fully focusing on Argent’s words, while Theo considers his explanation.

“Hybrids aren’t a thing.” Liam says firmly, looking perplexed, as he looks to Theo, waiting for his reply, but he only rolls his eyes at Liam’s anger and matter of fact attitude.

“Really? Just like vampires and werewolves? Just like kitsunes? That’s where you draw the line?” Argent gives them another unimpressed look, letting Theo know that he genuinely thinks they have no idea what they’re doing. That’s fair, since Theo doesn’t have a clue why he’s helping out and why Liam can’t just let things go, but that’s not the type of person he seems to be.

“Okay, so what’s the plan?” Liam furrows his brow, waiting for Theo to respond, as if he has any idea how to handle a possible hybrid, or a possible unknown supernatural, but he shrugs, needing more time to think about the next step. Liam doesn’t seem like someone who will wait long. In fact, he's moving his knee back and forth while he waits for Theo.

“My advice would be to talk to Scott.” Argent mentions, offering his advice that Theo doesn’t want in the first place, but at least Liam scowls at the comment, allowing Theo to feel somewhat better that he understands that’s not needed right now. 

“I'll p ass. Any other thoughts?” He sneers, as Liam elbows him roughly, causing him to wince at the pain and glare at the werewolf.

“That’s all I have but if you find out more I would like you to contact me.” Argent says it like a demand, not a request and Liam nods, while Theo sighs. He doesn’t need or want anyone else being involved. Especially not an Argent and he’s probably going to call Scott the moment they leave anyway. This was a terrible idea. He has no idea why he’s still here but something tells him that it’s Liam’s fault that they're getting into all of this, and he’s going to give him a hard time about it later. 

“Thanks. We appreciate it. Don’t we Theo?” Liam smirks at him, his eyes dancing with amusement , as Theo makes some noise of agreement to get Liam off his back and to stop roping him into things with him. 

Argent motions for them to follow and he leads them to the front door, giving Liam a handshake and Theo a disapproving gaze. It doesn’t bother him. That’s normal but Liam gives a low snarl at Argent’s coldness towards him and he pulls Liam out the door before he can say anything else.

Once Liam is pulled outside, he makes a dash towards the truck, tapping his foot impatiently for Theo to hurry up, and he does, but he does go slightly slower given the fact that Liam messed with him at the dive bar the other day when he was having his little fit of anger. All while Theo had to find his keys and make sure no hunter would kill them. He can’t blame him though, he’s never been the easiest to get along with. Sometimes he wonders how he managed to get all of his roommates to begin with. 

Theo gets into the driver's seat, and rolls down the window. He lets the air hit his face before he starts the truck and reverses down the driveway. He doesn’t need to look at Liam to know he’s about to talk his ear off, and he waits patiently for the werewolf to start rambling off all his thoughts. 

It doesn’t take long and he smiles to himself as he notices Liam biting his bottom lip, eyes lost in thought, almost looking ready to explode as he turns towards Theo and throws his hands up in excitement.

“Okay. Okay. Lots to unpack but since I’m not exactly supposed to be taking this on myself, I think we shouldn't mention it to anyone else yet. A hybrid? Is that even a thing? I have to tell Mason. He's going to be so interested in this and of course Corey has to know too. He’s kind of your roommate-friend-but-not-really-your-friend. More of a roommate that you pretend to not care about but you pick him up from work so that’s very telling. “ Liam takes a breath, the wheels still turning in his head, and Theo chuckles, shaking his head at him.

“Where am I dropping you off?” Theo asks, ignoring Liam and his sporadic conversation that he’s having with him. 

“ Excuse you. You’re not dropping me off anywhere. We’re in the middle of our investigation and it might be a hybrid. A hybrid Teddy.  It’s like…I have no words.” Liam rolls his window down, shifting around in his seat, almost jittery and jumping out of his seat with excitement. 

Theo doesn’t miss the nickname that Liam uses, or the weird feeling that falls over him when he uses it, but he quickly shakes it off and tightens his grip on the steering wheel before answering.

“Liam, we are not continuing this investigation. It’s not even a real investigation. It’s you dragging me around places to figure out what’s going on because you want to prove to your pack that you can handle it. What? I’m not an idiot.” Theo huffs, watching as Liam practically growls at him, as he becomes irritated at Theo and his lack of enthusiasm while he calls him out on his plan.

“We can take a night off, but we still have to do something. What kind of partners would we be if we didn’t see this through? Oh, you know, that reminds me. It’s been 24 hours. Start talking.” Liam sits back, his eyes looking back at him expectantly, as Theo curses himself for saying anything at all. Now he’s managed to get Liam interested in his life all over again and it’s ridiculous. 

“There’s nothing to talk about. I am a vampire. I used to hang with Boyd. Surprise, next question.” Theo demands, as Liam does his over exaggerated eye roll that he loves giving him. 

“How did you become one?” Liam presses, licking his lips and displaying no signs of backing down because of course not. He’s already dragged Theo out here and he’s never given any indication that he’s one to give up on anything at all. Theo can’t stand it, but he does admire it. Sometimes. 

“If I give you five questions that I will answer, will you drop it?” Theo raises his eyebrows at him, giving Liam a hard look, but he softens slightly when he sees Liam’s face turn from excitement to disappointment. 

“If you actually answer them. I will ask the other ones again.” Liam teases, his eyes lighting up at Theo’s small smile and he decides to give in. At least it will get Liam off his back for a while and maybe he will realize that Theo is not someone to befriend or ask about.

“Let me guess? 24 hours.” Theo teases back, as Liam eyes widen in laughter and he shrugs, but not before he winks at him.

“Don’t change the subject Theodore.” Liam growls, easing the seat back and closing his eyes. He’s made himself right at home in Theo’s truck and no one has done that before, since he’s not someone that allows people into his head or any of his things. He doesn’t like anyone enough to do that and it’s a giant waste of time since he’s going to outlive them, unless he decides to befriend a vampire. He doesn’t want to do that either. 

“I was at a little hole in the wall. I was only passing through and needed something to eat. I needed to get away for a while and some person approached me for directions. The next thing I knew I was waking up in an alley with a taste for blood. Nothing too crazy but life changing all the same.” Theo explains, thinking back to that night and he almost says more, but refrains from doing so.

“Why did they change you? Just a mistake or they felt like it?” Liam’s voice reeks of curiosity and he opens one eye to watch Theo and he sighs at the question. It’s the million dollar one and he’s thought about it constantly but he’s never figured it out. He doesn’t understand why and it bothers him to his core because if it was just a mistake, then he’s living like this due to someone’s messy murder that they didn't handle very well. It’s so sad and almost funny at the same time.

“I don’t know. I haven’t figured that out. Maybe they wanted to because they were bored or maybe they took pity on me after they fed. I have no idea.” He informs him, forcing the bitterness out of his voice but Liam notices. He starts to reach out his hand, hesitantly moving, but stops himself when Theo tenses up when he moves too close to touching him. 

“Do you kill people?” Liam’s voice is quiet, like he’s afraid to ask, but he waits, allowing Theo to answer in his own time. 

It’s an absurd question, because everyone has to kill someone before they fully turn but that’s not what Liam’s really asking and he knows that. He wants to know if Theo is killing people now and it’s none of his fucken business, it never was or will be, even if they somehow continue talking after all this, but he doesn't want Liam to think that he’s some serial killer vampire. He doesn’t even know why it matters to him what Liam thinks about him. He’s losing his mind and Liam’s becoming way too comfortable asking questions. 

“No. I mean, not for a while.  I had to kill someone when I first turned Liam. I had a problem for a while but I’m better now. “ Theo argues, trying to explain himself and becoming frustrated that he even has to, or that he even wants to explain himself. 

“A problem? Like a blood alcoholic?” Liam opens his eyes fully now, and Theo wants to argue, until he realizes Liam’s being serious. Liam’s eyes show no judgment, only questions. 

“It’s not the same as a normal addiction, but I guess so. It’s always like that at first and that’s why I helped out Tracy and Josh. They needed it and I’ve been there. Regardless of what everyone wants to believe, it’s normal for vampires to want to drink blood, but it’s possible to control it. Corey is a good example of that and now I get the blood another way.” Theo frowns and shakes his head at Liam, who’s about to ask more about it, but he’s not going to spill everything to him. 

“How did you figure it out? What made you able to control it?” Liam’s eyes look heavy, and Theo glances at the clock to find it’s getting late and he wants to drive Liam home, or at the very least somewhere else that helps him get some rest. Only because he’s of no use to anyone if he’s sleepy and knowing Liam it will just make him cranky. Theo doesn’t want to deal with a cranky and nosy werewolf. 

“Someone helped me. I met him in a little town a while back. He had the same issues I guess. He was nice but he had a lot of trauma from his past and apparently his brother was always causing trouble.” Theo shrugs, smiling at the memory of all the arguments between them. 

“What’s his name?” Liam asks, still not satisfied with everything Theo has answered, and he rolls Liam’s window up, just to see his reaction and he leans over him, practically on top of Theo. With one quick motion Liam pushes the button that locks the windows from going down to off, and sits back in his seat, moving the window down again, winking back at Theo.  He brushes Theo's knee on the way back to his seat and if Theo didn't know any better he would think it was intentional. 

“That’s five.” Theo sneers, looking away from Liam’s display of disappointment at being told no, and his mopey eyes that he’s giving him. Liam growls and leans back in his seat, smiling but still annoyed.

“For the record, it sounds like you aren’t as antisocial as I thought you were. Maybe you just needed to find your people and meet me .” Liam says proudly, focusing on the word me, like it’s somehow Theo’s destiny and dream to meet someone like Liam. 

“And you think I’m arrogant.” Theo laughs, as he turns into his driveway and Liam attempts to hide a smile from him but he can’t. His face gives everything away half the time and the other half the time, he’s constantly talking about what he’s thinking. Liam has no filter.

“I mean, your face is nice but your attitude can be adjusted. That’s your problem. It seems to be a vampire thing. Corey isn't like that but he is a mystery. You're all super attractive assholes.” Liam explains, hopping out of the vehicle before Theo can ask what the hell he means, as if his attitude is any business of Liam’s. He doesn’t need the werewolf to compliment him and give advice like he's a psych Doctor. 

Theo shuts the truck off and follows Liam to his door, just now realizing that he’s led them back to his own house like some kind of moron because he was distracted at Liam and his 5,000 questions that he had for Theo. He wants to argue and he pulls Liam back, letting him growl in protest at him, but he can’t have Liam walking through the front door again like he lives here. Josh won’t be okay with it this time and Tracy might actually try to kill him. He can’t have that on his conscience. Liam is too good of a person to have that happen to him. 

“Will you wait! Come around the back you impatient wolf.” Theo hisses, pulling Liam into the backyard as he throws almost all of his weight on Theo, making it as hard as possible to drag him, because why not? It would make sense for him to walk but he’s being insistent on giving Theo as hard of a time as he possibly can out of spite, for who knows what reason. He drives him crazy.

Liam starts walking when he gets to the side of the house, shoving Theo off and stomping towards the back of the house, creating more anxiety in Theo about who might hear him. No one comes outside though and they make it to the back porch and Liam waves his hands dramatically for him to open the door like Theo is his servant.

Theo unlocks the door and leads Liam inside, second guessing his decision on why he’s not driving Liam back home and away from here.  His hot temper doesn’t help and Theo’s lack of saying no doesn’t help either, so now they’re back here. Liam can sleep anywhere and yet he’s here, annoying Theo while becoming angry for not being allowed to walk through the front door like he owns the place. 

Theo quietly tip toes down the hall, reaching the stairs, and he motions for Liam to follow. Liam walks over to Theo and almost walks into the table in the kitchen, but manages to avoid it and keep his balance long enough to make it to the stairs.  He stops behind him, waiting for Theo to lead them up the stairs, appearing innocent to how loud he’s being. 

“After you.” Liam tells him, at least trying to whisper but nothing about Liam is quiet, so it comes out more like his normal voice, just slightly lower. Theo can only mentally facepalm at him. 

Theo heads up the stairs, keeping an eye out for the others. Corey’s bedroom light is on but he isn’t worried about him and he opens his own bedroom to let Liam safely inside. As he’s opening the door Donovan’s room starts to open and he shoves Liam into his room, and securely locks it behind them, holding his hand over Liam’s mouth as fangs slide over his palm. He doesn’t bite. Liam does flash his eyes golden yellow, but he doesn’t bite so at least he’s keeping his hand in one piece tonight. 

Theo listens for the door to close before he takes his hand off Liam and steps away from the door. He shoots off a text to Corey to let him know he’s home but hiding a werewolf so he won’t worry. That’s all he needs. Letting Corey come into this room and seeing Liam, which will most likely alert the home that he’s there because then everyone’s going to want something. That’s how it always works.

“So is Donovan someone everyone is afraid of?” Liam questions, half confused, and slightly worried as he stares at Theo. 

“What? No. I just don’t want him seeing you ever. He hates anything and everyone that isn’t like him. I’ve tried to help him and I’ve thrown him out a few times, but he keeps coming back. He does promise not to hurt anyone if I let him stay.” Theo sighs, grabbing some blankets off his bed and throwing them at Liam. 

"Awww. Theo.” Liam grins at him, no longer angry, but gleeful at realizing Theo isn’t some cold hearted vampire. That he actually cares about people being murdered all the time. Although he doesn’t know why it makes Liam so incredibly happy to know that. Is he really dragging him around and thinking he’s some evil person that gets off on doing terrible things? 

“Liam. Stop.” He throws a pillow at his head and walks out into the hallway, irritated at how Liam’s looking at him now. He needs to clear his head.

He walks directly into Josh, almost jumping backwards as he tries to explain himself to a very exasperated looking vampire, who’s staring at him in disbelief. He knows how this looks. Theo is hiding Liam in the house and it’s probably not making any sense at all, and Josh isn’t a big fan of werewolves, but he knows they have a verbal agreement to remain peaceful. That doesn’t mean he wants one in the house though and he can’t blame him, or the look of disappointment that he’s giving Theo. It shouldn’t bother Theo but it does. Josh has always looked up to him and he doesn’t like knowing that he’s unhappy with his current choices. Choices he can’t even explain. 

“What the hell.” Josh mutters, putting his face in his hands, shaking his head back and forth, as Theo decides its best to remain quiet. It isn’t worth getting into an argument over, plus Josh isn’t like the others. He won’t say anything but his judgmental eyes do nothing to ease Theo’s guilt. Josh tries to walk past him, but Theo stands in front of him.

“It’s just for tonight. I wasn’t thinking and it’s fine.” Theo urges him to understand, looking uneasily at Donovan's door. It’s still closed but that could change at any time. 

“You said that last time.” Josh points out, now looking more worried than mad, and it’s understandable but Theo doesn’t have anything he can say to ease his worry. It might happen again. 

“I know.” Theo acknowledges, knowing he can’t deny it, and he won’t. He hasn’t been fair to everyone living here and he hasn’t asked them if they’re okay with Liam being here, but he’s confused. Confused on why he’s helping, but maybe it’s to figure out if there is a hybrid or if it’s something else. His own curiosity is making it hard to walk away and Liam, he’s a very persistent werewolf.

“He’s good for you. Though, I don’t know if you’re good for him.” Josh gives him a small smile, patting his shoulder and walking back to his room, leaving Theo miffed that he’s analyzing them. 

He slowly retreats back to his room, slowly opening the door and seeing Liam sprawled out on the floor with all of his pillows, as he scrolls through his phone, and he looks up, giving a smile to Theo.

What happens if you compel me?” Liam questions suddenly, eyes wide with curiosity as he leans slightly forward, now sitting up in anticipation of Theo’s answer.

"Liam go to sleep.” Theo sighs. Liam and his burning questions are always when they’re in the middle of something, or in the middle of the night when Theo is contemplating why he's agreed to all of this in the first place. Liam and his fascination with him is getting harder to ignore.

“A little cranky? I like Josh. He’s a friend. ” Liam smiles, emphasizing the word friend, a word Theo doesn’t like to use and he grumbles to himself and sits on his bed.  He isn’t a friend. He’s a roommate that Theo wants to keep since he’s had such a hard time finding people to rent with. Liam doesn’t understand. He doesn’t get how hard it is to find people to be around that won’t freak out about what you are. At least he’s found some people he can help and trust since they’re all going through the same thing, but he can’t mess it up. He’s been alone before and he’d rather not do that again. Liam is a werewolf, but for some reason people aren't as scared of them as they are of vampire's, but drinking blood doesn't help their case. 

Liam’s phone suddenly rings. The loud blaring music sounding across the room that’s probably about to wake everyone up, and Liam shuts it off and answers it with a grunt. 

“Oh. Yes, he’s here.” Liam’s face is frozen, looking at Theo in terror and he wants to avoid it all together, but Liam is handing him his phone and he finds himself answering. 

“Hey Scott.”

Chapter Text

“It’s okay to be nervous.” Liam assures him, handing him an energy drink for no good reason, or at least not one that Theo can figure out because he doesn’t drink them and he has never once told Liam that he likes them. He takes it anyway, giving the werewolf no expression whatsoever, as Liam frowns at him, annoyed he’s not giving him any idea of what he’s thinking. 

It’s easy for Liam to say not to be nervous. He isn’t about to walk into a house with werewolves that most likely want to assume the worst of him, that are likely to kill him, and on top of all that now he has to explain to his roommates why he’s meeting a pack of werewolves. If he’s lucky they might stake him early into the night and he won’t have to deal with Liam’s impending dread and anxiousness that has settled over him. He’s awful at hiding it and the energy drink he’s downed in about five seconds flat hasn’t helped him in any way, but far be it from Theo to get a word in with Liam’s nervous rambling. 

“Honestly, Stiles is the only one that really hates vampires. Everyone else kind of low-key worries about them, but they really only have feelings of great loathing for them.” Liam says, shifting around in the passenger seat, his knees moving back and forth, and jittery as hell. Theo can’t help but scowl at him. 

“Is this you giving me reassurance?” Theo questions, biting his tongue the best that he can.  He feels like he’s on the brink of losing his mind since none of this would even be happening if Liam didn’t answer his phone and hand it over to him without any warning at all. He didn’t even try to deny he was with Theo. He immediately gave up and folded. If that’s not a sign to scrap the plan of working with Liam he doesn’t know what is. 

“Loathsome sounds better than hate. I’m trying to be a positive Teddy.” Liam huffs out, taking a sip of Theo’s energy drink. Not that Liam needs any more energy than he already has. He’s practically vibrating with every word that comes out of his mouth. 

“Thanks. Next time, consider not answering the phone in the middle of the damn night.” Theo sighs, turning the music up louder so he can try to help the constant voice in his head that is telling him to go back. That he’s about to die tonight. No matter what he does, he can’t shake it and it’s starting to get to the point where he welcomes Liam’s chatter. 

“It could have been an emergency.” Liam points out, causing Theo to stare at him in exasperation at his logic and he can’t even find the words to argue when he’s this close to his own death. Something Liam doesn’t seem to have grasped just yet. 

“Remind me to never allow you to be the one to hold any life saving secrets.” Theo deadpans, rolling his eyes at Liam’s indignant expression that has him questioning whether or not he should feel bad and give Liam a break. It’s too late in the evening for this and quite frankly, Theo just wants to get this over with and try to survive this day from hell.  Funny that he’s the one without a beating heart and superstitious people even go as far as to throw holy water on him and grab crosses when they talk about anything related to vampires, but Theo is the one having a night and entire day of living hell. He’s more worried about everyone else. 

“I’ll pretend you didn’t say that because you’re on edge right now. Why would they give you a hard time if they invited you over?” Liam asks, always the hopeful one. Someone has to be, even when it’s looking grim and Liam’s eyes say it all. The look of surprise on Liam’s face from Theo assuming the worst has him flabbergasted. Liam’s really this positive all of the time. 

“They might want to make sure I haven’t turned you into a vampire and that you’re not helping me to create more vampires in Beacon Hills.” Theo sneers, watching as Liam’s eyes widen at his words. He’s taking him seriously and Theo shakes his head at him before he hands Liam the energy drink that he continues to steal sips of. At this rate Liam will be so high on sugar and caffeine that it’s possible they may be more worried about Liam than Theo. Or they might blame Theo for that too. 

Liam studies Theo’s face, narrowing his eyes before frowning and straightening up in his seat. Theo eyes him cautiously, wondering what he’s thinking about. He’s always thinking, always talking, but sometimes Theo doesn’t mind. Liam can be fun too.

“You have jokes. WAIT. How are you walking around during the day? Do you have to stay in at night or not?” Liam cries, turning towards him and eyeing him suspiciously, his voice cracking. 

“Liam, can you please get a fucken grip? I’m trying to get to this meeting that I was randomly invited to and against my better judgment I’ve decided to go. Can your psycho questioning wait until I’ve made it through the night?” Theo hisses through clenched teeth, his entire body shaking from keeping himself from becoming more anxious and angry about this entire meet up. A meet up that Theo has a terrible feeling about. 

“Awww. You’re scared.” Liam smiles, suddenly becoming more cheerful and relaxed, his eyes glittering with enthusiasm.  Liam’s enthusiasm is something that Theo doesn’t share. Not when he’s about to meet a bunch of werewolves that he’s been warned to avoid all of his vampire life. Even Boyd told him to be careful and he never under any circumstances invited him over to Derek’s loft like some kind of weird interrogation party. The McCall pack must be doing things differently and throwing all normal behavior out the window. This isn’t normal. Having a vampire come and talk to a pack of werewolves doesn’t happen. 

“Be quiet.” He waves his hands in front of Liam, doing his best to silence him and let him leave Theo alone with his thoughts. Thoughts that have suddenly become more blaring, his head swimming with what could happen at the McCall house and why he’s even entertaining this, is the better question. The werewolf sitting next to him has ruined any rational thought inside of his head. All over the word friend. When did he become this soft and stupid? Completely leaving all rational thoughts behind?

“Scott won’t kill you. I can’t make any promises about the others, but maybe Kira won’t. She’s very nice and if they kill you, then it would mean they would have to find a way to explain it. Uh…forget that. I'm sorry. It’s going to be great. “Liam nods firmly, not helping Theo’s feeling of dread in the slightest. 

“Your pep talks are incredible.” Theo snorts, managing to laugh, as Liam gives him a displeased smile and turns the radio up. 

“You’re all gloom and doom. It’s very hard to give you uplifting talks when your first reaction is, everything is going to hell and we shouldn’t bother .” Liam argues, sighing and laughing when Theo doesn’t show any signs of amusement. 

“I don’t say that. I’m just a realistic person and when you have seen what I have you tend to believe that things go south quite often.” He loosens his shoulders, doing his best to relax for Liam, who’s been nothing but a positive ball of energy this entire car ride. Theo has to hand it to him, Scott’s sunshine attitude has rubbed off on him well, but Theo hasn’t had the same success story. Not even close.

“What happened with you and Boyd?” Liam asks quietly, keeping his eyes out the window. His body is frozen, waiting for Theo to respond, maybe throw him out of the truck and flee. He’s not planning on being that harsh, though he really should but like clockwork it has been almost exactly 24 hours. He must have some internal clock or put calendar reminders in his phone to remember to ask Theo all of his questions. It’s impressive. 

“Someone died.” Theo says matter of factly, noticing the way Liam shifts towards him, leaning in to hear more, the mood now suddenly changing. It's growing more serious and he won’t take responsibility for the negative feelings that have now crept back up. Liam asked. He didn’t have to question him at all. 

“Oh. Who died and why is that your fault? Did you bite them?” Liam’s face turns to fear, mixed with mild horror, as Theo debates if this is really the time to discuss this when he’s about to enter a house of angry werewolves that are most likely going to be protective over Liam. If Liam walks in already upset, that’s not going to help anything.

“Yup. I killed them and left Boyd to handle the body.” Theo mutters, keeping his face serious. He wonders how long it will take for Liam to question what he’s saying, but Liam’s already frowning at him and growling.” 

“Can you actually be honest?” Liam’s golden eyes flash, the irritation evident in his voice from Theo delaying the real story. He’s impressed, and somewhat confused that Liam has already decided Theo isn’t some deranged bloodthirsty vampire. It takes him a moment to think about how he should explain everything. 

“Boyd is a werewolf and he somehow became friends with a vampire. Well, he met her at school when she decided to go back for kicks and giggles.” Theo informs him, pausing to see if Liam’s heard enough, but Liam’s inquisitive nature is never satisfied and he only waits for him to continue. 

“She was my roommate. Another roommate and one I actually didn’t mind. Her name was Erica and she was very into going against anything that was too confining. The view of werewolves and vampires not being around each other and staying clear of each other whenever possible, wasn’t something she liked or shared.” Theo takes a deep breath, smiling at the thought of Erica’s angry tangents when she argued with him over it. 

“Hmm. So I would have liked her.” Liam smiles, thoughtfully looking out the window. Theo believes Liam would have definitely liked Erica and she probably would have enjoyed giving Theo a hard time about him. She was always teasing him about never having fun. 

“Yeah. She met Boyd at school and even though Boyd can be antisocial he did really like her, but she ended up bringing him back to the house. That’s how we met.” He gives a sad smile, reflecting on how he should have given her a much harder time about hanging around werewolves, but telling Erica how to live her life would have made her argue with him even more. She always won every argument they ever had. He misses their arguments sometimes.

“That’s a bold move. I love it.” Liam smirks, turning the radio down. Theo wishes the conversation could continue to be a fun story. 

Theo turns into the McCall driveway, happy to finish this conversation later. He turns the truck off and before he can even begin to open the door, Liam leans across his seat and locks the door. He tenses, as Liam stares him down across the passenger side of the truck, waiting for him to finish his story. A story that he never wanted to tell in the first place.

“Liam. It doesn’t have a happy ending.” Theo explains, giving him a chance to back out now, to keep the story light, and not have to deal with all of the negative emotions it brings up. Liam won’t budge though. He folds his arms across his chest, still waiting.

“ Fine. I wasn’t a fan of Boyd at first. I didn’t trust him but I wasn’t going to tell the Hale pack Boyd was hanging around Erica. I’m not someone that will purposely cause problems or try to make things worse.” Theo makes a point of saying, as Liam nods in understanding. He doesn’t want Liam to think he outed Erica or something because he didn’t. He’s never told anyone else’s secrets and he’s always been one to let everyone decide for themselves what they want to do.

“Theo, you’re stalling.” Liam says, his face softening slightly. He might be stalling but he’s never told this to anyone and even his roommates wanted to hear the bare minimum of what transpired. Theo hates opening this door. The questions, uncertainty of what Liam will think has him overthinking everything that he’s saying.

“Let me tell it my way. Anyway, Boyd and I became friends because Erica decided she wanted to develop feelings for a werewolf. Since he wasn’t going anywhere I decided to try and like him.” He peers out the driver side window, watching as the curtains move and the porch light turns on. He doesn’t get why Scott had to invite him over before sunrise, but maybe he assumed Theo would burn up if he came over too late in the day. He needs to hurry up or someone’s going to come out and Theo doesn’t want to explain this to anyone else. 

“I found he wasn’t that bad and he started coming by even when Erica wasn’t home. Yes, I had a friend once Liam. Shut up.” Theo rolls his eyes at Liam’s gleeful smile. Of course he’s excited that he had a friend once. It means he can finally confirm that Theo isn’t completely dead inside. Something Liam seems hell bent on proving to Theo’s dismay.

“I didn’t say anything.” Liam points out, his eyes focused on every word Theo is saying. 

“Your face did. So yeah, I at one point in time decided that hanging around a werewolf wasn’t that bad and Erica was just as happy as you right now. It didn’t last though. Erica was a new vampire and she had trouble controlling herself sometimes. It’s expected but little things would set her off.” Theo’s stomach drops at the same time Liam’s face falls, the sadness starting to show in his eyes.

“One night she was really upset because it was the anniversary of her mothers death and Boyd was on some pack thing with Derek. I’m not entirely sure what they were doing but he asked me to stay with her because he felt awful about having to leave early that day. He had made plans to keep her mind off it but Derek needed his help.” Theo sighs, finally getting the nerve to finish the story about one of the worst days of his life and probably the worst day of Boyd’s life. It will always be the worst day of his life. 

“Okay. So what happened?” Liam swallows, waiting for the finale of the story that keeps Theo from ever wanting to have any friends again. He’s inevitably going to ruin it like he did with Erica and Boyd. 

“I was with her and she was a little strung out but she seemed okay. Josh called me and was about to go off the deep end because Donovan wanted to kill some humans in town. He said he didn’t know what to do and if the scent of blood hit his nose he was sure he wouldn’t be able to stop Donovan. He said he’d probably join him. So I decided to go after them to avoid Donovan or Josh murdering someone. Erica said she was too nervous to go out when she was this off balanced and running on her emotions.” He opens the door, getting out of the truck. Liam scrambles out the door and runs around the truck, pulling Theo back towards him.

“I left her. I told Boyd I wouldn’t leave her and I did. She was normally okay. She never was so out of control that she did anything stupid, but she wasn’t a vampire as long as the rest of us.” Theo can still see her. Laying there lifeless. 

“Boyd is holding it against you? Did she have an accident or something?” Liam pauses, as worry starts crowding his face, still not understanding what Theo is trying to say.

“Not really. He claimed he knew I didn’t have a lot of options and I think he blames himself more. He said he couldn’t look at me without feeling guilty for leaving her. I found her about a mile from the house with a wooden stake in her. I can only assume it was a hunter by the way the wood was sharpened. She must have let her bloodlust get to her and ran into the wrong person.”  Theo shakes his head sadly, the guilt settling over him.

“Do you know who it was?” Liam places his hand on Theo’s shoulder, keeping him from walking towards the porch of the house. Theo doesn’t want to talk about it. About how he tore apart every little piece of evidence he could find to figure out who did it. Erica deserved that much and maybe it would give Boyd some peace. Everything was a dead end though.

“Never found them. So I lost two people that night. Want to know what’s ironic? I showed up to help Josh and Donovan was already controlled. I didn’t need to go. Josh still hasn’t forgiven himself over it. He panicked but was able to handle it and I decided to break a promise. The only one I ever have broken.” Theo smiles sadly at Liam, his face growing more sympathetic the more he stares at Theo. He doesn’t need his sympathy. 

“It’s not strictly all your fault Theo. Boyd wasn’t there. Josh panicked and Donovan was acting unhinged obviously, which makes me wonder why he’s still in the house, but we will come back to that. I don’t think you need to carry this forever. Even if you found whoever it was, it wouldn’t bring her back. It wouldn’t help Boyd. No one could have seen this coming.” Liam stresses, but Theo is already walking towards the McCall house. The conversation is over and he won’t entertain any more questions or thoughts on it. 

When Theo reaches the door it’s already opened. A lady who he can only assume is Scott’s mother, gives him a wary look that turns into a smile when she sees Liam giving her a small wave. 

Liam rushes to his side and walks into the house, giving Melissa a hug, but he pauses, looking back at Theo. He is giving him a weird look, urging Theo to walk into the house. A house Theo wants nothing to do with and as he stands there awkwardly waiting for mamma McCall to say something, he realizes Liam needs to brush up on his vampire knowledge. At least for his own sake so he can stop staring at Theo like he’s purposely trying to not enter the house and only making it difficult to upset him. Liam calls him arrogant, but here he is assuming Theo is standing like an idiot outside of a house to mess with him. He’s not that bad-mannered.   

Theo should give Liam more information to help him, but it won’t include his entire life story that Liam seems to be adamant on learning whenever he has any opportunity to ask his invasive questions. He has a feeling Liam is going to try to over analyze or be his shrink later, even if Theo does everything in his power to avoid that and him.  Avoiding Liam is like humans avoiding drinking water. It’s impossible.

“Mom. Invite Theo in.” Scott McCall appears behind the doorway, smiling at Theo as he frowns back at him, not believing for one second that he doesn’t have ulterior motives in all of this. 

“Sure…come in Theo. I’m Melissa.” Melissa opens the door, not entirely happy, but she does step to the side to let him pass, while Liam remains bewildered at what’s going on. Theo will mention it later. The guy has to at least try to learn things outside of Theo and his life. He’s not the only vampire around and mythological books are a thing. 

Theo turns to shut the door and almost immediately leaves when he notices a blue car down the street idling with the windows rolled down . They are clearly spying on them. If Theo wasn’t trying to avoid a scene then he would march up to the car and demand to know if this was Liam’s idea. How convenient that Mason and Corey are down the road and happen to be pulled over and in direct view of the house. They aren’t even trying to hide. 

“Come in. Do you need anything?” Scott asks, his voice way too friendly for Theo’s taste, but he shakes his head and follows him into the living room where he expects to see everyone else, but it’s only Scott and Liam that are here. 

He turns and looks around the room, waiting for everyone else to pile in, giving Liam a hard stare and he gives Theo the middle finger, smiling at him. Theo notices Liam glance out the window to check if Mason’s car is still out there.  Why everyone has to be involved in all of this he hasn’t a clue and Corey knows he hates letting people know his every move so him spying outside is not the best idea to continue being his favorite roommate. Liam’s really to blame though. He’s always making ideas that make no sense and he’s sure Liam told them to stake out the house like some kind of CIA agents. 

“Where’s everyone?” Theo scans the room again, anticipating the rest of the pack to come barreling through the door. Liam sits down on the couch, patting the seat next to him like Theo’s a dog, which he doesn’t acknowledge but he does sit on the chair next to him. 

“They aren’t here. I figured having a bunch of werewolves and people staring at you wasn’t the most welcoming experience.” Scott sits down across from him, his eyes are smiling and Theo doesn’t know how someone’s eyes can smile, but Scott's eyes do. It’s maintaining the hero and sunshine personality everyone talks about. Theo sighs, already regretting being here. 

“Theo doesn’t like a lot of people at once.” Liam explains, giving Theo an enthusiastic nod to speak. He didn’t give Liam permission to speak for him and he was hoping this was more of a conversation between everyone about what they’re doing about this supernatural murderer. Instead he’s sitting here with Scott, making him feel like he needs approval to be around Liam.  

“Yeah and some of my friends can be protective. I know that.“ Scott chuckles, looking lost in thought, probably having someone in mind but Theo doesn’t care. He wants to get out of here as soon as possible.  

“Yeah. Mine too. Though when they become protective they tend to bite people's necks.” Theo says dryly, hearing Liam groan.  Okay, so maybe that was unnecessary because Scott seems to be trying even though it’s pointless and Liam is the only one hoping for some kind of little team up between everyone. Theo can’t help it. He won’t let anyone change who he is. 

“Well, werewolves can shift and end up killing people if they don’t get things under control so I get it.” Scott says, trying to connect with him. Theo doesn’t want to connect with anyone and Scott McCall’s understanding of what Theo is saying, doesn’t work to help him feel any more comfortable around him. 

“I was telling Theo that we all want to live in peace. He’s willing to share his vampire stuff if we need it. In case. That’s all.” Liam says quickly, as Theo narrows his eyes at the werewolf, starting to wonder what Argent told Scott. This doesn’t feel like they’re teaming up, interrogating him, or even trying to find out if he’s to be trusted. It feels more like an interview.

“So, what’s going on?” Theo flinches, keeping his gaze on Scott, even though Liam’s kicked him so hard he wants to yell at him, and it wasn’t subtle. Scott doesn't give much of a reaction but there’s nothing hiding what Liam did. There is no table or anything covering up Liam’s bad attempt at shushing him. 

“Argent called me. He said you were with Liam. Asking questions. I had to ask myself if I should be concerned or not. I called Derek.” Scott explains, his face growing more serious. 

Liam starts fidgeting in his chair, leaning back and looking all around the room. Theo wants to shake him. His energy is rubbing off on him and now he’s restless, waiting for some shoe to drop. The dread in his stomach has him constricted, weighted down and stuck in his own head. Theo’s waiting, inevitably for the moment everything is ruined. It’s always ruined. No matter what he does, how hard he tries, and he’s not expecting this to be any different. 

Scott doesn’t give any other explanation. He starts chatting to Liam and what they’re saying Theo can’t make out, he’s lost in his own world, contemplating what the next step is after all of this. He can’t help but start to become agitated at Scott’s casual attitude and his attempt at talking to Theo without being too interrogative. 

“I don’t even know Derek. I’ve said maybe three words to him. He wouldn’t say anything that’s accurate.” Theo sneers, managing to get out of his head for one moment and force Scott to have a conversation with him that doesn’t involve formalities or polite dialogue. 

Liam’s eyes are glued on him, piercing into him, but he won’t look at him. He can be upset all he wants but Theo isn’t going to have some sort of fake conversation for the sake of Liam’s feelings if it means he has to pretend like Scott wants him here. The weight of everything that’s happened to him, hits him quietly. 

“He mentioned he was nervous about you but Boyd always spoke highly about you all of the time and so did Erica. He met her and they had a conversation more than once.“ Scott grows quiet, carefully calculating his words, as Theo becomes more upset over the fact that Erica never mentioned any of that at all. The weight on his chest doesn’t lift, it only hurts more when he focuses on what it means. 

“What’s your interpretation?” Theo lifts his jaw a little higher, his jaw clenching.  

“I think werewolves are predators and vampires' instincts are to satisfy their cravings, but that doesn't make them killers. Killers are made by choices the person makes and I haven’t chosen to be a predator that murders. What about you?” Scott smiles at him, showing no signs of animosity, and Theo can hear Liam’s sigh of relief that he makes the moment Theo visibly relaxes. There’s no longer a need to be on guard. If Scott wants to play the hero and the optimistic alpha that wants nothing more than to get along, Theo will let him. It’s not realistic but Theo isn’t going to start an argument.

“We all have demons but I try to keep mine from breaking through.” He informs him, standing up and Scott holds his hand out, waiting for Theo to shake it. It’s still very formal and Theo doesn’t like formal. Politeness is a way of hiding what someone really thinks or wants to say, and he isn’t in the habit of sugarcoating anything.

“Have a nice day.” Theo grumbles and allows a small smile. He heads towards the front door, as Liam trails behind him, giving Melissa an apologetic smile while he follows him out the door. Theo doesn’t have to look at the werewolf to know he’s ticked off. His entire demeanor has morphed into one of seething rage as soon as they enter Theo’s truck and Scott has waved his goodbye to them.

“You couldn’t have shaken his hand?” Liam’s voice shakes with fury, his blue eyes showing an icey cold gaze. 

“I don’t shake anyone’s hand unless I’m pretending to get along with them. I didn’t think Scott or you would appreciate insincerity.” Theo points out, reversing down the driveway while Liam claws poke into his seat, on the verge of tearing into it.

“You want to forever be alone and gloomy!” Liam argues, pointing out the obvious problem with Theo that he doesn’t like and always makes a point of mentioning. His negativity and standoffish attitude is something that really gets under Liam’s skin. It’s now reached a breaking point for Liam.

“I can’t be alone Liam. You’re always here!” Theo hisses, slamming on the breaks, and pulling to a sudden stop right beside Mason and Corey. They sheepishly wave to them, guilt written all over their faces for being in the middle of all of this.

“Well someone has to make sure you don’t get used to being friendless and someday you will have to get over yourself because you’re a little bit much.” Liam folds his arms across his chest, glaring daggers at him. 

“So…how did it go?” Corey smiles weakly at them while Mason waves his hands frantically to quiet him, but Liam’s already getting out of the truck and slamming the door. 

“I’m a bit much? You’re the one that needs to solve whatever murders are happening around here so you can feel like you’re contributing to your pack somehow.“ Theo bites his bottom lip, the hurt in Liam’s eyes shining through and he immediately wants to start screaming at himself for ruining the werewolf’s mood.

Liam throws the door of Mason’s car open, as Corey sighs sadly at Theo, the disappointment all over his face and Mason’s steely gaze on him only makes it worse.  

“Liam, I don’t want to make other friends. You’re enough. Sorry to tell you.” Theo forces the words out of his mouth, hating the way it makes him look, but Liam’s wounded pout is getting to him. 

“You’re an ass.” Liam informs him and he’s always been aware of this fact but hearing it from Liam makes it sound much harsher than Theo likes. 

Liam shuts the door, rolling the window down.  Theo gives Mason a pleading look to wait for a second because he can’t leave it like this and have Corey being angry at him. He can’t have Liam not wanting to continue working with him. It’s not good for the town.

“I know this and I think you knew that already too, but I’m sorry.” Theo says. The word sounds foreign on his tongue, strange to his ears because he’s never said sorry to anyone. Only to Erica who won’t ever hear him say it. 

“Wow.” Corey sputters out, blinking at Theo in shock. It’s actually quite absurd he’s that amazed by Theo apologizing. It's annoying. 

“You owe me breakfast. We will see you there. We can resume our normal activities after I eat.” Liam demands, as Theo frowns, not sure if driving alone is supposed to be some form of therapy for him to reflect on his actions. It would be something Liam would do. Force him to come to terms with why he’s like this, but he’s only relieved the hurt gaze has disappeared off Liam’s face. 

“This was so worth a car ride.” Mason smiles, gleefully starting to laugh. Corey nods in agreement but turns serious when Theo gives him a pointed look. 

“I’m forever holding this over your head.” Liam tells him in a much higher voice than normal. He rolls the window up, winking at Theo as he sticks his tongue out at him and laughs. 

Mason speeds away and a text from Corey appears across his screen to give him the address of where they’re eating. He’s pretty sure this was their first real fight and Theo doesn’t fight with anyone. He’s never bothered because no one has ever been worth getting upset about, but Liam’s not like everyone else and now he’s buying him breakfast since he’s decided that’s the penalty that Theo has to pay. He’s not even mad over it.

His phone lights up again and he opens it to see a text from Liam.

I’ll accept you won’t be besties with Scott right now but I’m still making you tell me about how you have managed to be outside in the sun. FYI. Also, that was Scott's way of telling you he doesn't think you're a threat. 

Theo can’t begin to understand how Liam’s curiosity is never satisfied. Even when he’s mad at him. Theo can only sigh, as he turns around to follow Mason and the rest of them to breakfast. He never eats breakfast and now he’s paying for Liam’s, but he decides to go with it. Liam’s not one to argue with. Obviously.

Chapter Text

Liam shovels down another plate of waffles, gulping down his coffee, and then proceeds to snatch Theo’s bacon from off his plate. This is all while Theo is texting Scott, trying to get him off his back and explain he’s not playing detective with Liam. All he wants to do is let this go but Liam is the one actively pushing for Theo to help him and somehow solve these murders. It’s not even the McCall’s pack responsibility, but try explaining that to Liam and convincing him to let anything go. It’s not easy.

“This is all your fault. Now Scott wants to text and he’s expecting me to give him updates.” Theo scowls, glaring at the werewolf. Why can’t he be left alone? Now he’s talking to another McCall pack member and not just a member. The Alpha. If he wasn’t so worried about angering Liam again, he would change his phone number.

“Welcome to engaging with others Teddy. I know it will take some time for you to adjust.” Liam smirks, the teasing gaze still shining through.  Hilarious. Liam’s become a comedian. Theo can’t even be mad, especially since Liam’s become more cheerful now that he's been fed and it’s amusing to watch. It even lightens Theo’s mood.

“Are you going to eat all my food?” Theo asks, pulling his plate back. Liam starts to pout, showing Theo his now empty plate and he did get conned into paying for Liam’s breakfast, but he didn’t think he’d have an appetite this big. 

“Yes, but I’ll even let you have some.” Liam quips, taunting Theo and laughing at his startled face. He doesn’t really want to eat, but he didn’t expect Liam

to eat off his plate in such a casual way. As if it’s always been this way. Things are becoming too comfortable between them. 

Liam pushes the plate back towards him, shifting closer to Theo and smiling when Theo rolls his eyes and hands him a piece of his toast and surrenders. He’s finding it difficult to turn the werewolf down when he’s intently watching him like this. Liam’s gaze is one of intense emotion and the blue is always reminding him of a deep ocean, radiating from the deepest part of Liam, creating a mysterious feeling inside of Theo whenever he notices it.

Everything with Liam is intense. His gaze. The way he complains to Theo for not opening up enough, becomes enraged when something doesn’t go his way, and when he thinks he is subtly finding ways to have Theo feel more at ease. Liam's presence and his personality is magnetic and he’s always charming his way into Theo’s life.

“What are you both going to do now?” Mason curiously asks, as Theo frowns at his assumption that they’re doing anything else at all. He wasn’t planning on doing anything else, but Liam leans on the table, the gears already turning in his head and Theo groans.

“Theo it affects you too. Whatever this is, they’re hurting vampires and werewolves. Oh, we should have you call your vampire friends that you’re hiding. Maybe they know something.” Liam takes a final bite of his waffles and waves the waitress over to get the check. 

“Hiding? I’m not hiding anyone.” Theo argues, tensing at the suggestion of calling someone else for help.  Liam gives him a pointed look, and mouths an extremely sarcastic okay that has Theo stealing his bacon back as a form of protest against Liam’s assumptions. 

“Listen, I’m not judging but it’s pretty interesting that some random person helped you and your bloodlust. They at least have to be an acquaintance of yours? Explain yourself, Raeken.” Liam quirks his eyebrows, keeping a serious and blank stare. 

“Oh them. They’re not friends, but periodically one of them checks in with Theo.” Corey rationalizes on Theo’s behalf, dropping his spoon when Liam stands up in excitement .

“I knew it! You’re holding out on me.” Liam smugly stares, as Theo pulls him down to keep him sitting and to not let him cause a scene because he’s insulted that Theo has kept something from him. He hasn’t . He barely even texts back when he sees the check in text and obligatory hello from the other vampire.

“Sit your werewolf ass down. I haven’t held out on anything. I’m not about to ask for favors.” He firmly informs Liam, scowling at his insistent need for Theo to tell him everything that’s ever happened to him. 

That doesn’t stop Liam though. He growls, leaning back in the chair and has some weird conversation with Mason that consists of facial expressions only. They don’t even talk. They give each other a bunch of eye contact, confusing Corey to the point he doesn’t know what to do, but he gives Theo a helpless look to explain what’s happening. If Theo knew he would tell him. 

“I think that it’s okay to not talk about everything all at once.” Mason points out, while Liam begrudgingly sighs and nods at his friend.

“Okay, anyway we still have to go to Deaton. While Theo was trying to play chicken with Scott, which was a massive fail by the way, I was able to confirm Lydia might know something. She’s going to meet us at the clinic later and Deaton claimed he might know something too.” Liam excitedly explains, frantically shoving the check at Theo.  He gapes at him, anger pulsing through his veins.

“Chicken?! At what point did you confirm this and I didn’t fucken realize asking leading questions was a game. I was forced to go.” Theo grumbles, slamming his card down on the table. Liam holds his hand up, shushing him. Mason chuckles, holding his hand over his face to hide his fascination at Liam’s and Theo’s conversation. A conversation that has become the most frustrating part of Theo’s morning. Even more than going to the McCall’s house. Chicken wasn’t played. Liam’s not going to convince Theo of that. 

“You were asking leading questions? It sounded more like you were defending yourself because you already decided it was going to go bad.” Liam confronts him, egging Theo on.

“I like him.” Corey says, nodding in approval at Liam and becoming delighted at Theo’s miffed response. Apparently he’s enchanted with the little wolf. Josh and Theo aren’t the ones who are fond of Liam. Theo likes to look at it as a frustrated fondness. 

“Of course because he always gives me a hard time.” Theo sighs. Liam gives an awkward bow, leaning too far forward in his chair so Theo has to hold it to keep it from tipping forward. Liam sheepishly smiles a thank you, embarrassed at his less than graceful movements. 

“Can we come?” Mason perks up, as they all stand up from the table, Corey enthusiastically nodding in agreement with him while Theo shakes his head and vehemently attempts to deny their request. 

“No.” He firmly says, not wanting to deal with Corey and Mason tagging along. He’d prefer to avoid having too many people around to prevent too many opinions and ideas. It won’t work well and Liam’s the only reason they are going anyway. He still doesn’t understand how or when Liam spoke to Lydia and Deaton. It must have been when he was distracted by Scott’s interrogation, that wasn’t them playing chicken, but he will digress on that.

“Yes. Theo is driving.” Liam offers on Theo's behalf, keeping his head down and moving out the door before he can find a way to argue. Corey bristles by him and Mason winks as he opens the door for Theo, enjoying his cross expression.

They head to the truck and Liam jumps into the passenger seat, dutifully wanting for the others to

get in, noticing how peeved Theo is, but that doesn’t stop Mason from locking his car and opening the truck door for Corey.  

If Theo had any sense he would throw them all out now and stress how much this is a bad idea and they’re only going to end up playing with fire, but Liam’s golden eyes are playfully shining at him, and has Theo closing his mouth. He gets in and lets Liam have this one. Another argument. Another loss on arguing with the werewolf that has entered his life during a time he had promised himself he would never involve himself in things that don’t concern him. 

“I think I’m your best friend.” Liam gleefully informs him, settling into his seat and turning on the radio, not expecting a response from him or even an argument over if that’s true or not. He’s decided Theo is taking Liam as his best friend, expecting nothing less than like-mindedness. 

“I think you’re a pain. That’s what I think.” He mutters, the irony of the situation almost laughable.

“Besides, I thought Mason was your best friend.” Theo points out, assuming it’s understood that it’s a rhetorical question, but Liam doesn’t know how to be quiet when someone’s talking to him. Especially if he’s been asked something, or if something involves him directly. 

“Oh, I’m your best friend. I didn’t say you were mine .” Liam cackles, not even hesitating when Theo waits for him to say that he’s kidding. He doesn’t and it ticks Theo off even more that he cares that Liam doesn’t refer to him that way. Just a friend. A friend he didn’t ask for in the first place. 

“This is fun.” Corey muses, leaning closer to Mason. 

Theo doesn’t share the same sentiment, though he’s not exactly bored or disappointed he’s back to helping Liam play werewolf detective in this town. He would have thought Scott would have cut Theo loose and told Liam to let him handle it, but of course now that Theo is involved, the Alpha is somehow okay with them investigating.

Lucky Theo.

“So, real quick.” Liam drawls, as Theo starts to formulate a response to stop him from going into a rant like he always does. Maybe he’s about to ask more questions, but either way, he doesn’t need Liam going on and on before they make it there. They haven’t even pulled out of the parking lot yet and he’s already starting.

“It’s never quick with you.” Theo scoffs, his stomach dropping for a second when Liam starts to sadly look away from him and it’s with great regret that he decides to gently push Liam’s shoulder to have him continue.

“Okay. So I wanted to go over some more details about what we know and I also have some questions for you.” Liam takes out a small

notepad and pen from his pocket, patiently watching Theo’s face.

“We only have a fifteen minute drive Liam.” He says, as persuasive as he can. The werewolf lets out a loud sigh, perturbed and woefully unaware that his displeasure is what has Theo becoming a pushover. A pushover for one particular werewolf that is. 

“Yes, in these fifteen minutes let me explain why I lied.” Liam cracks his knuckles, fidgeting and apprehensively speaking. His eyes widen, shifting uneasily at the stony silence that’s come over the truck. 

“I’m turning around.” He calmly states, not having the energy to deal with whatever Liam’s come up with and he glimpses at Corey’s guilty face and him tensing in the back. It’s no surprise everyone was in on this but him . His own housemate? Unreal. 

“No! We are still going to the clinic but Lydia’s not there. Derek will be because I might have somehow been contacted by him and now he has returned to help us out.” Liam throws his hands up in a desperate way to show Theo he’s not sure what’s going on, but Theo doesn’t buy that for a second. He just said he was contacted by Derek and there’s no way Derek flew back today on a whim. 

“Why must you always find a way to indirectly have people infiltrate my life that I have no desire to cross paths with again.” He sneers, not bothering to pose it as a question but as a blanket statement since Liam’s already cringing and forming an excuse to give him in response.

“Well, we should discuss your need to cut everyone and everything out of your life later tonight. Look at the bright side? Instead of Scott, you can talk to Derek and check in. See? Other options are available!” Liam enthusiastically suggests, doing everything he can to prevent him from turning around and ditching this altogether. 

“I don’t want to check in with anyone!” Theo slams his hand on the dashboard, causing Mason to anxiously move closer to Corey. Liam’s reaction isn’t quite as anxious. He narrows his eyes and remains unimpressed at the outburst. 

“Liam, I’m already with you 18 hours a day it seems. Why can’t you keep everyone updated?” He complains, resigning himself to his fate. 

“At least you know you’re working with me and haven’t made the mistake of thinking you’re getting rid of me that easy.” Liam grins, throwing his feet on Theo’s dashboard.

“Liam.”

“Theo.”

———-

Theo is dragged to the clinic, not given any opportunity to argue, unless he plans on telling Liam that he’s no longer driving or helping, and allowing the werewolf to be chauffeured around and playing detective with a vampire.  He didn’t argue because Liam’s a little less bothersome than the rest of them, aside from Corey and he’s not planning on dropping him off on the side of the road where he can cause further trouble. Liam attracts trouble from what he has already seen and he doesn’t need the guilt of letting him become the next victim. That’s what he’s telling himself at least.

“I was thinking maybe?” Corey starts to give advice, leaning into the middle seat, eagerly waiting for Theo’s response. He knows exactly what Corey is about to say and Corey knows that Theo isn’t going to allow it.

“No.” He cuts him off, ignoring Liam’s suspicious eyebrow raise and Mason’s sudden intense curiosity at listening in, captivated by Theo’s voice. He’s not expanding on what he means and Liam’s huffy attitude isn’t changing his mind.

“We’re here. Let’s go inside.” Mason urges them, making sure to avoid another argument, even when Liam’s sour mood is more than apparent to all of them. 

Theo’s not apologizing. He’s not. Not again and not when Liam’s only upset because he won’t disclose what he’s referring to. He can make heated comments and furious reactions at Theo all he wants.  He isn't giving in. 

Theo hops out of the truck, opening the door for Corey, who’s surprised, almost unable to move, creating an awkward moment while Theo waits for him to get out of the vehicle, but he does manage to shut his open mouthed stare and step out. Theo’s only relieved they can get this over with and he can go back to his normal routine again.  He barely remembers what he used to do before he met Liam and it hasn’t even been that long. It only shows him that he’s on the verge of becoming too involved.

Liam shuffles to the door, dragging his feet and Theo’s convinced it’s due to some form of pay back for not being open about everything today, but he doesn’t push it, or push the werewolf to hurry. He knows enough about Liam to have figured out when to back off. He might strangle him later though, or maybe it will be the other way around based on Liam’s low growl he gives him when he pushes past Theo.

Mason knocks on the door of the clinic, the only one smiling and cheerful out of the four of them. Corey’s too worried about setting Liam off and too scared to ask Theo to come out and tell him what he meant to help Liam perk up. Yes, maybe he’s being too harsh on Liam and his need for more information. His need for less space, more time, along with his need to be Theo’s friend or whatever he’s trying to do, does have limits. Especially when they involve his past.

“Hello.” Alan Deaton smiles, opening the door and letting them file through the doorway, watching Theo carefully.  

“Hey. This is Corey and Theo. Theo’s the moody one.” Liam points to Theo, eyes flickering gold. 

“You’re one to talk when you have suddenly become a sulking wolf because you can’t be nosy right now.” Theo stands up straighter, making sure to look Liam right in his seething face. His golden eyes flash, as Theo resists the urge to instigate an another argument. 

“Okay. Please. This isn’t the time to do your little thing where you both try to get a rise out of the other one and have some weird flirting that involves heated glaring.” Mason sighs, his face now turned into a scowl.  

Liam opens his mouth to argue and try to explain why Mason is wrong and ask why he would have that idea to begin with, but Deaton silently observing them causes Theo to change the subject to lessen the likelihood of being here forever. He also doesn’t want to unpack any of that right now. Liam’s bound to want to discuss it at great length like everything else. 

“Fine, hello. I’m Theo and I’m not helping.” He informs the emissary, letting him know immediately that he’s not going to be friendly about dealing with Derek or with Scott’s pack. 

Mason makes a strangling motion to Corey that Theo doesn’t approve of, but it does have Liam smiling softly, lightening the mood and easing the tension between all of them.

“Sorry, he’s kind of cranky when I let him stay out too long.” Liam jests, smirking at Theo and nudging Mason.  He’s not ready to work with all of them. Of that Theo is certain of. 

“Okay. Well, come back here. I gave the photos to Derek and he does have a lead.” Deaton explains, showing them to the back room where Derek Hale is standing. He doesn’t have to ask to already know he must be here on some favor. His face doesn’t show any sign of being happy to be here. At least Theo can appreciate that and they have that in common.

“Hey. I’m Derek.” Derek introduces himself, holding out his hand to Theo. He takes it, shaking it slowly, somewhat confused at his introduction. He knows who Derek is and Derek knows him too. He called Scott and was able to form an opinion of Theo without barely interacting with him at all. He knows who he is and this show of politeness isn’t necessary. Theo doesn’t do nice meet and greets.

“I’m Theo, but you know that and we can stop with this stupid nonsense.” He glares at the other werewolf, already feeling defensive and on edge, as Liam gives his best what the fuck face to Theo for being rude again. 

This time is less of a big deal though. He’s not Liam’s Alpha. He doesn’t need to make a good impression. Not that he wanted to make a good impression with Scott anyway. 

“To the point, I like that. Liam actually contacted me last week and I thought it might be a good idea for a visit.” Derek replies, turning to Liam. 

Theo waits for Liam’s excuse for keeping that information to himself until tonight, but he’s looking at the ceiling, eyes away from Theo and Derek, not saying a word about it. It irks Theo, causing a rise in his blood pressure. Liam is partially smirking as he stares off in the distance, letting Theo know he’s aware of his pointed look. He just doesn’t care. Theo can only roll his eyes at Liam’s attempt at avoiding the issue altogether. 

“Deaton showed me the pictures of the attacks. It’s clear it’s odd. I also think whatever or whomever is doing this, is killing for sport.” Derek says grimly, eyes stern. 

“Wh wh what? Why's that?” Corey shakily asks, peering over the table to look at the pictures, and timidly studying them.

“Because it’s obvious. With the amount of attacks we have and the way it’s being done. The fact that the murders are supernatural creatures? Nothing is by accident in this town and excuse me for saying this but, they’re not getting eaten either. I think we can confirm it’s not a wendigo.” Derek shrugs, bluntly stating his opinion. Theo appreciates his honesty though.

“This became super dark.” Mason chews his bottom lip, pondering Derek’s words. 

Dark isn’t something Theo avoids. He’s considered to be a dark evil creature of the night and it’s Beacon Hills where everything is always falling apart at any given moment. He’s not surprised. More confused on why someone is targeting werewolves and vampires. 

“We have some helpful information I think. At the hospital there should be records detailing the wounds and people that were attacked. The report should help us confirm the cause of death. It might be obvious, but anything we can get would be helpful.” Derek remains emotionless, never giving any idea of what he’s thinking, if he’s upset about being back, or if what he’s seen has any effect on him. It seems to line up with what Boyd always said about Derek and his standoffish approach to things. 

“They had some people come to the ER. Unfortunately they didn’t make it, but Scott told me Melissa should be able to get you access to it.  Maybe we can even get a DNA sample if they haven’t been taken off to the morgue yet.” Deaton sighs, apologetically shrugging at them for how uncomfortable it’s going to be to get the information and how they’re going to do that, Theo hasn’t a clue. 

“Okay, so do you want to drive separately?” Liam pauses, frowning at Derek shaking his head. Theo doesn’t care. He barely wants to work with anyone at all. Liam’s the only one that doesn’t cause Theo to have the need to get away from him when he spends too much time with the werewolf. He’s fairly certain Liam’s the only person he can stand longer than a few hours anyway. 

“I’m not going. I’m only here as an advisor.” Derek mutters, already pulling out his keys, ready to go. Liam’s face switches from insulted, to angry, then back to exasperated. All while Theo becomes more relieved he doesn’t have to continue being around Derek for too long. He’d rather not have the reminder of a person who knew Erica and Boyd at the same time as he did. He doesn’t even know if Derek is holding it all against him.

“Theo’s our advisor. Vampire advisor but you can’t take his place.” Liam indignantly mentions, becoming defensive for no reason at all. Theo doesn’t want this position in the first place and he highly doubts Derek does either based on his surprised smirk.

“I’m not taking anyone’s place. You and Theo can continue doing whatever you’re doing. I’m only helping. I’m not trying to step on any toes.” Derek muses, as Liam huffs out a little grunt of acknowledgment. 

“I can easily give up my place.” Theo offers, not needing to cause any problems between the McCall and Hale pack. Or whatever is left of the Hale pack that is. 

“You better not give anything up you traitor.” Liam growls, becoming more upset at Theo’s lack of enthusiasm at being involved in whatever eerie evil creature is harboring in Beacon Hills. 

“No one is giving anything up. We’re all here to help.” Deaton puts the photos back into a small folder, eyeing Theo in a way that tells him that even Deaton is expecting him to help out. Liam fiercely

shakes his head in agreement, eyes blazing at Theo. 

Theo doesn’t let him get too angry, but he can’t help but laugh when Liam starts to become irate at the thought of Theo taking a step back. Liam always wants to have his way, but he can’t. He definitely wants Theo to come along and help. It does send a weird feeling of relief over him to know that Liam wants him around.

“Sure. I live to help Liam.” Theo sneers, watching Liam casually scratch his nose and using his middle finger to do so. No one else pays any attention but Theo fumes at Liam’s heated stare. 

“I have to go back to the house. Mason said you can drop us off at his car on the way? I have to check on Josh.” Corey looks down, the sadness in his eyes has Theo sighing. It’s almost as if there is some huge weight being put on him. Theo has no idea why he has to check in on Josh at all. 

“Okay. What’s going on with Josh?” Theo asks, scanning Corey’s face for signs of what’s wrong. He should have been checking in more with his housemates and not off doing other things if something is going on that has Corey needing to check in. That’s not something he should be doing. Theo has always made sure it was his responsibility. He was never asked, but it’s always been this way. Theo feels partially responsible for all of them and helping them to navigate through all of this.

“He’s worried about Donovan. He said he’s been agitated lately and Josh worries. You know that.” Corey places his hand reassuringly on Theo’s shoulder, as he does his best to comfort him into believing he doesn’t have to feel bad or worry, but he’s very worried. Anything with Donovan doesn’t go away and he’s not one to stay under the radar for too long.

“Why hasn’t anyone mentioned something to me? Don’t do anything. I will head home after the hospital and talk to Donovan myself. Talking to Josh isn’t going to help whatever is going on with Donovan.” He points out, making sure to keep his voice low, but Liam’s supernatural hearing has already heard everything and he slides over to Theo with a smile.

“I will come over too. I think we should check on Josh anyway while Theo’s dealing with the black sheep of the friend group.” Liam brightens at Corey’s smile and slaps Theo’s shoulder in a little victory at the vampire blanching at his statement. 

“Once again, Donovan is not my friend.” Theo seethes at the werewolf, his eyes narrowing at Liam’s eye roll and his need to insert himself into their world. 

“Sure. He isn’t but Josh is, and as your best friend, I think it’s important that I can help out. I can alleviate the worry of the rest of the house in the process too.” Liam raises his eyebrows at Theo, not leaving any room for an argument. He’s not agreeing to Liam being his best friend, but he’s not disagreeing Liam isn’t something more than a partner. 

Mason chuckles and whispers something to Corey, being unnecessarily secretive while Theo decides if he’s going to Uber back from the hospital and let Liam take the truck. If he doesn’t make it back at the same time, he can talk to Donovan without Liam’s commentary that he’s sure to give. 

He doesn’t mind Liam being there, but Donovan won’t like Liam and if he can avoid any problems, or any other issues that will cause more stress on Josh he needs to try. Josh isn’t even the one who needs to deal with Donovan but he’s always felt responsible for him when Theo isn’t around because of how much Theo has helped him out. He’s taking on too much again. 

“Let's go so I can avoid strangling you.” Theo deadpans. Liam laughs, not taking him seriously and pulling him out the door once again to go play detective in Beacon Hills . 

——-

“Okay, I will talk to the doctor and provide a distraction. You go find Melissa.” Liam orders, furrowing his brow in deep concentration.

Theo doesn’t like this plan. Not when Liam’s already on edge from being nervous about getting caught. They’re bound to mess up and get themselves into hot water. Explaining why they’re taking classified health records is certain to get them arrested. It’s just another thing he can add to his list of reasons on why he shouldn’t be working with a werewolf pack. 

“Maybe we can both talk to Melissa that way we don’t and you’re already walking away. Great.”  Theo leans against the wall, watching Liam walk up to the front desk and start talking to a doctor on duty, lazily leaning on the counter. The doctor isn’t even mad, he’s simply smiling and nodding along with Liam. 

That’s odd Theo wonders, but he doesn’t have time to think about it because he notices Melissa staring at him and he does his best to not look suspicious while he walks over to her as discreetly as possible. He’s paranoid that everyone is watching him and is ready to ask what they’re doing. He already convinced Liam to come back later to possibly find DNA samples so they don’t have too many people roaming around. That was hard to do and he doesn’t want to alter any other plans. 

“Hey. Here’s your discharge paperwork.” Melissa smiles, sliding over a file to Theo and winking at him. He takes it, nodding slowly. 

She doesn’t seem nervous at all and he can already tell this isn’t her first time helping out Scott or his pack. How nice for them. He barely remembers his mother and she never once helped out with anything Theo needed. Even something as simple as asking for help with homework. 

Theo makes his way down the hall and into the waiting room to wait for Liam, who’s now having an extensive conversation with the doctor.  He doesn’t miss the point where he winks at Theo while he walks by. It causes a sudden burst of heat throughout his body that he actively has to ignore until he’s flushed and red with nervousness, feeling as if everyone can see just how much he’s flustered by it. 

He sits down in the waiting room, ready to wait for Liam and his impending arrival that most likely will take longer than needed. It’s great that one of them is social and it’s probably needed to investigate other people, but he was ready to leave about ten minutes ago. Liam’s never been able to leave immediately. He’s always off talking with someone, or arguing with Theo about the next step in his plan to save people. It’s embarrassing how fascinated he is by Liam’s willfulness to save people around him. 

The minutes tick by until Theo is angry, starving, and ready to pretend he’s sick so he can go back and confront Liam on his time management skills. He’s been sitting here for almost twenty minutes. How can a doctor not ask why he’s chatting with him instead of asking why he’s there in the first place? 

Theo turns to the person next to him, his stomach growling with hunger, and his mouth waters at the blood he can smell on their lacerated knee. The will it takes to bite his bottom lip and inhale slowly to avoid becoming lost in the need for blood drains his energy. So much so, that he’s leaning over the chair in exhaustion and is only waiting to finally give in to what Donovan always tells him is their nature . 

The door opens to reveal Liam and he saunters over to him, eyeing the cameras. Liam kneels down in front of him and studies Theo’s face. Theo would like to say he continues to remain angry and frustrated but he doesn’t. Liam’s worried blue eyes staring back at him have Theo speechless and delirious with the softness coming out of them. A softness that no one has ever shown towards Theo and right now Liam’s face is the only thing keeping him calm. 

“Finally.” Theo glares at him, swallowing slowly when Liam pats his head. 

“Sorry, I didn’t realize Melissa mentioned we were here already and I was trying to find a way to casually explain why I’m here, but I guess my dad already knows.” Liam shrugs, as Theo stands up, slowly piecing together his words. 

“Liam, your father asked if you were making it home for dinner today?” A nurse asks, smiling at them from the front desk and checking someone in.

“Yeah. I’m bringing Theo too because he’s hungry.” Liam smiles, as Theo gawks at both of them.  If he wasn’t so fucken hungry he would be livid Liam is inviting him somewhere without asking first.

Liam and Theo walk out of the door. Liam pulls the folder out of Theo’s hand, not even waiting until they get back to the truck before he grabs onto Theo and is checking his pockets for the keys. He pulls them out and holds them in his hand, not realizing that Theo doesn’t let anyone touch his keys or his truck. 

Theo doesn’t have the energy or ability to handle giving Liam a hard time about it and he isn’t as concerned with it as he normally would be. Liam’s not someone who would ruin other people’s things, even if he acts first and asks questions later. 

“Liam, who was that?” Theo questions, waiting for Liam’s explanation of why the nurse knows him and why she’s referring to Liam’s father. He isn’t clueless but he wants confirmation from him directly. 

“That’s Nancy. She works with my dad. He goes by Dr. Geyer. “ Liam smirks, eyes shining with laughter at the angry look of realization from Theo. 

“Why wouldn’t you say that instead of saying you were distracting a doctor and making it seem like we had to be careful?” Theo angrily grabs the folder, pulling it back and scanning the cause of death. 

“Because then you wouldn’t be carefully checking to see if people were going to catch us and I wouldn’t have the picture of you being nervous in my head. It’s a rare occurrence and quite funny.”  Liam huffs out, opening the passenger door and handing the keys back to Theo. 

“You're walking to my house.” He sneers, sliding into the truck and slapping Liam’s hand to prevent him from touching the radio. 

“What? I’m feeding you. Do you need blood or do you eat other things? We don’t have to hurt a bunny do we?” Liam tenses, nervously grabbing his phone and waiting for Theo’s response. 

“I think we need to just throw out any information you have on vampires.” He frowns, turning the truck on and glaring at Liam’s hand reaching for the radio again. 

The werewolf turns on the radio, daring for Theo to say something and smirking when he doesn’t hear a word about it. 

“I wouldn’t have to ask anything if you gave me all the information up front instead of being super dark and mysterious all the time. If you're trying to be smooth, it’s not working for you.” Liam quips, settling back into his seat.

“I…that’s not. Whatever.” Theo stutters over his words, at a loss on what to say, as his stomach growls again. He’s not trying to be anything at all, but Liam pushing his buttons all the time does trip him up periodically. 

“We should see Josh first and then we can feed you. I think tonight isn’t a good meet the parents night. I’ll text my dad and reschedule. You seem very stressed out, but don’t worry because Josh likes me. I will happily talk to him while you go put Donovan back on his leash.” Liam closes his eyes, humming the song that’s playing on the radio.

“I don’t put people on a leash.” Theo grumbles, more to himself than to Liam. He can’t fathom how Liam views him. Is it as a control freak, a blood thirsty vampire, or just some dark moody person? He hasn’t a clue. 

“Okay. You sure? I mean if I was Donovan I’d be mad I was told to stay in my room, or to chill out all the time. Maybe you have to be more empathetic to his needs?” Liam bables, thoughtfully tilting his head and giving his opinion on something he knows nothing about. 

You can’t tell Donovan anything. Theo was shocked when he was even able to convince him to stop murdering people for blood. The only reason he could is because he almost killed Donovan once when he tried to hurt Corey. The moment Donovan finds a way to overpower him they’re all in trouble. If he’s using Donovan’s fear to keep him controlled, then that’s his business and no one else’s. 

“This isn’t a daycare Liam. Donovan isn’t a child. I don’t need to give him empathy or discuss his feelings. I only need to instill fear in him so he doesn’t become a murderer.” He snaps, taking deep breaths to calm his increasing anxiety over the blood he needs and Liam being so close to him when he’s like this. He doesn’t want to mess up. He’s been in control for years now and he can’t go off the deep end now. Not when Liam’s looking to him for help and when he’s staring at Theo like he’s harmless. 

Liam might not have said it, but Liam’s own words and the way he teases Theo only shows him that he’s too trusting of him already. He doesn’t know what Theo is capable of. Of what they’re all capable of. 

“Okay. Such a downer.” Liam sighs, sitting up to open the folder and pausing, glancing over at Theo, puzzled. “This isn’t a vampire or a werewolf. It’s a human. Monroe.” Liam becomes more confused, looking over the folder and back at Theo every few minutes.

“What? Give me that!” Theo peers over to view the paper, keeping one eye on the road to prevent them from crashing. Sure enough, Monroe’s face is on the report. 

“I think we found a motive. Unfortunately that doesn’t narrow it down easily.” Liam ponders, flabbergasted at what he’s reading. Theo can’t even speak because he’s so confused. So they’re killing supernaturals and humans now? What's going on?

“Well another sleepless night.” Liam sighs, dramatically leaning back in his chair and smiling softly at Theo. 

He’s not even sure how to turn him down anymore so he doesn’t. 

Chapter Text

“Liam, can you please just listen. For once in your entire life just listen when I say something.” Theo begs, his anxiety ringing through in his tone as Liam tries to step around him to head into the house.

The house that has Donovan in it and if anything happens to Liam because he refused to allow Theo to take the lead on this, not only will Scott lose it on Theo, but he will have to live with the fact that he let a werewolf into his house to be murdered by one of his own roommates. 

Theo uses roommates lightly because Donovan is only living with them to alleviate stress from having to keep tabs on him during the evening. 

Liam’s face turns into a scowl, the uncertainty of Theo’s words hitting him, as he tries to move past him once again and find a way into the house, but Theo is quicker than him and he manages to stop him from reaching the front door. 

If you have ever come face to face with a stubborn and angry werewolf then you would know that it’s mildly dangerous and slightly terrifying at how they go from being able to seem like a normal human one minute, and into a very real threat in a matter of seconds. Though, in this case Liam’s version of being a threat to Theo is becoming more and more angry and complaining that he’s being treated poorly by him. 

It’s not exactly as scary as he expected it to be, but maybe their relationship has changed into one of bickering allies rather than dangerous foes. So at least they’re both on equal footing. 

The grunt from Liam tells him that he’s won this argument and he sighs in relief, closing the front door and locking it behind him, noticing the way Liam’s face is still half wolfed out and growling at Theo’s attempt to keep him away. 

Far be it from Theo to actually care about Liam’s safety but the werewolf doesn’t see it that way and he’s more upset about being isolated away from them. Even when Theo has done everything in his power to explain just how much Liam wouldn’t want to meet Donovan. Theo barely wants to be around the guy. 

“Uh…is the door going to be thrown off its hinges?” Josh asks, slightly worried at hearing Liam pacing back and forth outside. 

Liam’s snarls are low but threatening all the same. 

“He wouldn’t dare break the door. Not on purpose at least.” He explains, not helping Josh’s nervousness. 

Josh only nods at Theo’s explanation and becomes increasingly anxious the louder Liam’s snarls become. 

“Go outside and talk to Liam. Maybe he’ll understand why he’s outside if he understands that I’m only trying to avoid a confrontation or a possible murder.”  Theo shakes his head, annoyed at himself for letting Liam talk him into coming. 

Josh doesn’t move at first. They don’t have the relationship where Theo can order him around to do stuff that doesn’t involve other vampires, but he doesn’t argue. 

Josh grumpily nods and walks out the door.

When Theo hears Liam’s angry huffs die down he heads up the stairs to find Donovan and talk to him. 

He has no clue what he’s going to say or how he’s going to start this conversation. It’s a conversation he doesn’t want to have and it’s one he would have much rather pawned off on Josh, but he can’t do that to him. Not when he’s trying so hard to make himself like Theo and Corey and be in control all of the damn time.

Theo doesn’t know for sure if Donovan would actually hurt Liam or try to attack, but he doesn’t trust him enough to take the risk. Plus, if Liam happened to kill Donovan in self defense he knows Liam would be devastated by it. Donovan isn’t worth anyone being devastated by him and if Liam was the one that was hurt instead of Donovan, then Theo would have to explain to Tracy why Donovan’s head disconnected from his body.

She doesn’t like Donovan but she’s very loyal to all of them and he would never hear the end of it, but if it came down to Donovan or Liam, that’s not even something he’d have to think about. Liam has crawled his way into his frozen heart and found a way to form a connection with Theo that is becoming too close and too familiar. It’s warming his dead soul and he doesn’t like it. 

He knocks firmly on the door, pausing to listen for any signs of movement.

There’s an eerie silence and it starts to feel intentional, making Theo second guess himself at allowing Liam to be here. He starts to worry he should be heading back downstairs to find out if Donovan’s seen him, but the door starts to creak open. 

The door opens just enough to rattle Theo and he does manage to keep his body language from showing any signs of weakness or discomfort at Donovan being so unsettling. 

He knows the guy better than the rest of them and Theo’s been able to develop some form of understanding and possibly fear with Donovan, but he still wouldn’t turn his back to him. 

Dark eyes peer out at him, letting Theo relax some when he realizes he’s still in his room and not outside about to wreak havoc on everyone around them. 

Mostly Liam is Theo’s main concern. The blue-eyed werewolf is always his concern these days.

“Can I come in?” Theo smiles weakly, not wanting to be standing there.

Theo keeps his voice quiet and calm, but they both know that it isn’t a real question. It’s more of a demand. He's not asking but they both continue the illusion of being civil with each other and courteous, never breaking the rules they have set so they can continue their front of being polite towards one another. 

The door is opened, as Donovan steps to the side, letting him in.

Theo swiftly walks in, shutting the door behind him, and keeping an ear out for the front door opening and Liam inviting himself in. 

“How’s your werewolf? ” Donovan flashes a little smile, and it’s dark, bordering on malicious as Theo remains silent at the unnerving question.

He wasn’t aware Donovan even knew who Liam was.

“Are you aware there’s been murders happening throughout town? Not just werewolves but vampires too?” Theo studies Donovan’s expression for any signs of surprise or fear, but he gets neither. Only a blank cold look of apathy.

“Yes. We’re still here though, aren’t we? Doesn’t seem to be affecting us.” Donovan harshly points out, his voice becoming more sinister than usual.

“If vampires are being murdered then it will be our problem soon and I assumed you had a little more sense. Any time there is attention on Beacon Hills it’s bad.” Theo points out, scanning the room to find any clues on where Donovan has been. 

“Anytime vampires associate with other supernatural creatures or humans it’s bad. Funny you don’t see a problem with that, do you?” Donovan bitterly sighs with as much sarcasm as he can. 

“Josh tells me you have been agitated lately and I’m checking in to make sure you’re not about to make a mess for all of us.” Theo explains, keeping one eye on the door.

He ignores Donovan’s comments and references to Liam because giving any attention to it will only give him exactly what he’s looking for.  A fight.

Donovan lets out a cold laugh.

“Have to keep me on track.” Donovan sneers, half joking and half serious.

“I’m only trying to keep us all alive and avoid being a target for hunters. Or have you forgotten about the time you almost had Josh killed?” Theo glares at him, eyes hardening at Donovan’s attempt at being closed off and defensive.

“If Josh can’t find a way to survive without running to you, then I guess natural selection will have to take over.” Donovan smirks, darkening his eyes at Theo’s anger that’s starting to become more apparent the longer Donovan speaks.

Theo has always been good at keeping his emotions in check and avoiding becoming too emotional in dire circumstances. He’s also been very successful at keeping himself distant from any kind of friendships or even caring about others that would make him look weak. It would make him a target to others if he is too attached to anyone. He’s made sure in the past that he hasn’t been attached to anyone at all.

Somehow, all of that has changed and evaporated the moment Liam has come into the picture, dragging him all over town to help him find a possible murderer. None of the murders have been anyone he’s known and in retrospect it shouldn't matter, but it matters to Liam, who is the first person that has noticed more than the stereotypical myth of vampires. 

Now he’s standing here and becoming angry at the thought of someone making light of someone dying.  A person who isn’t even a friend of his, but he’s the closest thing Theo’s ever had to one. Unfortunately for Donovan, he’s not thinking this all through and understanding the impact it’s having on Theo.

Something inside him snaps and he’s suddenly shoving Donovan against the wall, holding him firmly against it to make sure he’s trapping him from escaping.

“If natural selection was fair you would be the first one to go.” Theo lets him go, watching as Donovan 

quickly pulls himself together and shakes off the fear that has taken hold of him.

Theo leaves the room, not needing to be there any longer since his point has been made. It was made by evoking fear, but that’s not his problem. It was still made loud and clear that Donovan isn’t going to get any of them killed due to his own actions. Not while Theo is alive. 

Theo heads down the stairs to find Liam in the kitchen eating dinner with Josh with a smile on his face as music blares on his phone. 

Because why the fuck wouldn’t he have befriended Josh?

“Chicken?” Liam asks, innocently pointing at an empty plate and smiling. 

Liam’s going to get himself killed someday if he doesn’t listen to anyone else but does whatever the hell he feels like. The fact he talked Josh into letting him in is just the icing on the cake tonight. Josh never lets anyone in and he’s managed to weave his way into his good graces in only about the twenty minutes that Liam’s known him. Part of that twenty minutes wasn’t even today, but here Liam is, eating chicken with Josh like they’ve been friends for years.

“No thanks.” Theo says bluntly, giving Josh a pointed look, and giving up any hope that he will ever help him keep Liam out of this house again. 

“Because you want blood?” Liam nods in some way to show he understands, becoming more thoughtful as he shovels food onto his plate.

“Because I want to strangle you.” Theo responds, sitting down in the kitchen chair and staring at Josh’s plate of food. He never eats that much. 

“Honestly, your poor attitude is why we can’t have nice conversations.” Liam shakes his head in disapproval, causing Josh to smile and quickly clear his throat when Theo notices it.

“Is he okay?” Josh questions, becoming more serious.

“Liam? I don’t know. I think so. He’s not always listening to me and he’s probably going to get us both killed, but at least we will have some fun stories in the process.” He quips, laughing as Liam flashes his golden eyes and growls in frustration at him.

“I meant Donovan.” Josh clarifies, becoming more reserved at the mention of his name.

“It’s Donovan. I made sure he’ll stay in line.” Theo reassures him and doesn’t give Josh any more information than that. He doesn’t need to know. It’s better that way. 

Josh nods in understanding, relaxing and keeping quiet.

“That’s hot .” Liam teases, raising his eyebrows at Theo. 

The playful smile on his face makes Theo warm and he knows Liam’s messing with him, but he’s still not sure how to respond to him. 

Josh groans, no longer amused by their interaction. 

Theo gaps at Liam, trying to make a comeback and joke around, but the word hot from Liam’s lips is still ringing in his ears. 

“Guess we eat with anyone now.” Tracy stalks into the kitchen, slamming a plate on the counter and fuming at Theo.

“Ouch. I’m right here.” Liam smiles, uncomfortable and tense at Tracy’s sudden appearance. 

“I know.” Tracy retorts, stabbing a piece of chicken with her fork and holding it up to study it.

It’s a little overkill, but Tracy is making her own point tonight and he doesn’t think Liam gets it, but the werewolf’s unhappy reaction is enough to ease Tracy’s anger for the time being. 

“Hurry up Li. We have to get to the sheriff’s house to find a way to get the other files for the other murders committed throughout the town. I doubt he’ll give us access, but you claimed how close you were on the ride over.”  Theo reminds him, doubting the werewolf’s over exaggeration of his friendship with the sheriff.

“You have nicknames now?” Josh grows puzzled, causing Liam to brighten again.

Dinner takes way too fucken long in Theo’s opinion but he’s blaming Josh for finding ways to stall them and keep Theo from leaving at a decent hour. 

————

The clock reads 11pm before they’re even close to getting to the Stilinski household and Theo doesn’t actually think this a good idea, but Liam’s enthusiasm to go go go , is egging them both on. 

“How’d it go with Donovan Teddy?” Liam smirks, raising his eyebrows and drawing out the Teddy just to annoy him. 

“Fine. Not great. He’s not going to do something stupid currently and I don’t think he’s responsible for this. He’s just another vampire that hates humans and is uncontrollable when he wants blood.” Theo looks at Liam, intending to give him a warning.

“Eat your chicken sandwich I made for you Theo. You’re a buzzkill when you’re hungry.” Liam complains, sighing at Theo’s lack of enthusiasm for their current escapade.

“Can you not do that!” Theo snarls, his tone of voice startling Liam.

“Okay, what?” Liam frowns, becoming more serious as he pauses the radio and waits for Theo to explain himself. 

“I just don’t think you understand how dangerous all of this is. I’m barely even human. I have some control but I’m not someone to hang around with and apparently you don’t seem to get it. You’re making dinner in the kitchen with vampires and trying to annoy Tracy.” Theo remains stoic, trying to get his point across. No matter how mean he might sound. 

“Gosh. Sorry!! I didn’t realize I couldn’t speak to your friend’s Theo.” Liam deadpans, folding his arms across his chest and becoming angry.

“Look, I’ve killed people in the past. Not intentionally but I have. It was a dark time and I wouldn’t go around befriending vampires if I were you. For all you know I could drain you for blood at any second.” Theo stresses.

It might be a lie but it’s a white lie that he needs to tell to keep Liam from becoming more and more comfortable around them. Hell, he’s even less afraid of Tracy than he was when he first saw her and Theo barely likes to rile her up as it is. 

“Am I supposed to take this conversation seriously?” Liam asks, growing puzzled as Theo sighs in defeat at the werewolf’s reaction to him. He’s not even the least bit nervous and that’s what’s making Theo nervous. 

“You’re supposed to understand who and what I am.” Theo points out, fixing his eyes on the road ahead of him.

“What? A moody vampire that has no social skills? Thanks, I’ve come to that conclusion myself and I’m not really impressed by it.” Liam rolls his eyes, taking a bite of Theo’s sandwich.

“Anyway, next question.” Liam announces, perking up at Theo’s frown. 

How could he forget? It’s been almost 24 hours now and Liam seems to have some internal clock ticking to remind him of when his next assortment of questions can be asked.

“Here we go.” Theo clutches at the steering wheel, bracing himself for Liam’s next invasive question. That’s all he can really do because arguing about it is pointless. Liam’s too stubborn to let it go.

“Yes or no? What do you know about vampire legends and are they real? Have you ever met Dracula?” Liam curiously widens his eyes, leaning closer to Theo in anticipation.

“No more talking.” Theo huffs, ignoring Liam’s look of protest.

“It was a valid question Theo. He’s a legend.” Liam scoffs. 

“I’ve never met Dracula. That’s a movie.” Theo mutters, finally nearing the Stilinski household.

“I think you’re better looking than Dracula would be anyway.” Liam whispers, almost under his breath, but catching Theo’s eye. 

Theo almost chokes on his sandwich that he’s been trying to inhale before turning onto the street where the sheriff lives. 

He wasn’t expecting that remark. 

The werewolf is seated next to him, but he’s leaning over the passenger seat and almost touching him, creating an electromagnetic pull that Theo can feel anytime he shifts in his seat or anytime Liam smiles at him. 

He manages to sneak a look at Liam when he’s wrapped in his phone and texting. Just a small one so he can gauge how Liam’s feeling and why he’s making subtle flirtatious comments.

The glow of the streetlights hit Liam’s face just right, lighting up the truck and illuminating his eyes that are a deep blue. 

The blue is vivid, like bright pools of water that Theo can get lost in for hours. No matter how much he stares at Liam, he will never get sick of the soft blue that looks back at him. 

The gold that shines out of them when Liam’s angry or upset, is just as beautiful. Almost more because he’s trusting Theo enough to be vulnerable and raw with him. His emotions are not held back. 

The golden glow of Liam’s irises have always been a breathtaking sight, laced with copper, and a fiery spark of excitement. They’re enough to render Theo speechless. Liam’s always leaving him speechless.

The house comes up quickly and Theo has to slow down a lot quicker than he meant to but Liam doesn’t notice because he’s still wrapped up in his phone. 

The thought of being shot by the sheriff passes his mind and he does his best to push that thought out of his head while Liam’s frantically texting like a nervous wreck.  Why? He doesn’t know and he's not asking but Theo does manage to give him a weird look to inform Liam he’s being odd. Liam’s a little more chaotic than most people so he shouldn’t be surprised.

“Okay, are we going in?” Theo wonders, waiting for Liam to do something other than sit in the passenger seat and talk to someone through text.

“Yeah. I didn’t realize the sheriff might be working but it’s okay because I think I know where the key is. I heard he sometimes keeps folders at his house.” Liam opens the door and races towards the house, not waiting for Theo to tell him that this is not what he mentioned when he first brought up going here.

Theo is not going to walk in uninvited. Especially as a vampire. He’s bound to get staked. 

Liam scowls at him from the porch, holding up a small key and waving for him to hurry up.  

Everything in Theo tells him to drive off. To leave Liam to handle this part of the plan himself, but he can’t. Liam’s standing on the porch, waiting for Theo to help him out. His partner.

In some weird way, he prefers to be needed and to help someone out. Instead of living his days in hiding and trying to keep Donovan from going on a murdering spree. He’s lost his mind maybe, but he hasn’t died yet so that’s a plus.

The walk to the porch only takes him about twenty seconds, but if you ask Liam it took hours and hours for Theo to get there. 

His angry face does lighten Theo’s mood and he even smiles at Liam’s sour look when he reaches him. Sometimes he gets to rile Liam up and it’s worth it to see the huffy attitude coming off him. 

“Okay, let’s go.” Liam opens the door, peering into the hallway and shushing Theo.

 This doesn’t feel like he has a key. It feels like breaking and entering. 

“Liam, can we come back or call him?” Theo argues, as he’s pulled into the house and shushed a second time.

For all the times Liam makes a big deal about doing things the correct way, he sure has no problem breaking into houses if he knows the person. Must be nice to have the type of connections where he can just explain away the whole situation like it’s nothing.

If Theo tried that he would be killed or dead before he even had the chance to say a word. He’s not mad about it. It’s just a fact. 

The floorboards creak, alerting Theo that they aren’t alone and he grabs onto Liam’s shirt collar, pulling him back to stop him from going any further into the house.

Liam doesn’t like being grabbed though because he turns around and pulls on his shirt, loosening Theo’s grip and falling forward onto the wooden floor with a loud thunk . 

Well, if someone didn’t know they were in here they do now. 

The lights turn on and without any notice or hesitation, a young man runs down the stairs and swings a bat at them. 

It takes a moment for him to recognize Liam and it takes another second for him to register that he isn’t alone. 

The clear hatred for Theo’s kind is pouring off his face and he stiffens as Theo helps Liam to his feet. 

What..wh..are you doing here?” Liam asks, setting his hand on Theo’s shoulder, nervously trying to figure out how to explain to the guy why they’re here.

Theo’s about to high tail it out of here because he’s not going to get hit with a bat and allow it. Something tells him that Liam’s not going to like Theo defending himself in front of this guy based on the confused expressions they are giving each other. They obviously know each other. 

“What?” Liam looks to Theo for help, but he’s too mad at Liam to say a word right now. He’s the one barging into people’s houses at 11pm.

I live here Liam. It’s my house.” He narrows his eyes at Theo, cautiously looking back at Liam in confusion.

Theo sighs, deciding to take his own fate into his hands and try to make the situation better.

“I’m Theo. The resident vampire who is driving Liam around.” Theo holds his hand out, as Liam grumbles out some form of agreement and bristles at Theo’s way of introducing himself.

“Ah. This is Liam’s friend that he speaks so highly of and doesn’t stop talking about. I’m Stiles.” Stiles gives Liam a look of surprise and smirks.

Wait, what?

He speaks highly of Theo? Since when? 

“Is there a reason you’re sneaking in at almost midnight?” Stiles asks, placing the bat against the wall. 

“We wanted to find some files. I didn’t know if your dad was here.” Liam admits, smiling at Stiles' unimpressed face.

“So Liam thought he would use a key and try to barge his way in here.” Theo finishes for him, as Liam throws his hands up in despair at Theo’s explanation. 

“You could have called.” Stiles informs them, walking towards the kitchen. 

“Not a word Theo.” Liam huffs, not giving him a chance to speak or say that he told Liam so because he did fucken tell him so. 

They follow Stiles to the kitchen where he pulls out a couple of bins of filed folders. 

Theo marvels at the sheriff keeping them here where anyone can access them. It seems too easy but he doesn’t really care about the sheriff’s filing process.

“What are you looking for?” Stiles asks, curiously looking at Liam as he starts to open a folder.

“Well, M..” 

Theo is nudged hard by Liam and he quickly interrupts him. 

“ I’m trying to figure out the deaths and such.” Liam firmly says, nodding at Stiles.

Stiles shakes his head, appearing to be used to Liam’s explanations and personality.  

Theo is almost jealous of it. The way someone can be friends with another person and know them so well that they don’t need any explanation for why they behave the way they do. They automatically know and get it. 

He’s never had that. Well, he did once. Boyd was a good enough friend that he started to become used to Theo and they both were able to understand each other’s feelings on situations before even asking. He misses it sometimes. Then he remembers what he did and why it’s this way. 

“If you’re going to lie then you can just give these back”. Stiles narrows his eyes, challenging Liam’s grip on the file. 

Liam’s stronger than him, but the way he freezes lets Theo know that Liam is unwilling to argue with him. 

“ Fine. We saw the new murder was Monroe. We were trying to find a pattern and find any evidence we can. Illegally.” Liam hums, as Theo rolls his eyes at the illegally. Not the best way to make his point but whatever.

“You act like this is my first time doing this.” Stiles says, appalled and offended at Liam’s response.

Stiles pulls out the rest of the folders and hands them to Liam. 

“You, vampire guy. Can you put a pot of coffee on?” Stiles asks, pausing at Theo’s hand on the bin of folders. 

The coffee isn’t a big deal. Not to most people and not to anyone that doesn’t understand the significance of what is being said. He’s asking Theo to get the coffee because he doesn’t want him around the folders or any evidence. He still doesn’t trust Theo. 

Of course, some might say that he’s overreacting and he’s looking into something that isn’t there, but Theo can read people well. He can see it on Stiles' face and by the way he’s standing. Still on guard and turned towards the doorway to find an exit if he happens to need one.  He won’t need one but Stiles doesn’t know that and Theo isn’t willing to take the time to make him get comfortable.

“Sure.” Theo agrees, going over to the coffee pot on the counter.

“Theo saved my life.” Liam announces, randomly bringing up their first meeting to find a way to ease the tension in the room.

“That’s nice.” Stiles grumbles, barely listening to what Liam’s saying.

“He could have left me in the preserve.” Liam tries again, looking to Stiles for any clue that he’s understanding what he means. 

It’s becoming too much. It’s too late to explain to Stiles why Theo is here and why Liam feels the need to make him like Theo. There’s not enough time in the evening for this and he’s not about to become uncomfortable by Liam’s words of praise and random thoughts about him.

The idea of anyone like him outside of his roommates isn’t very realistic and isn’t feasible to Theo. 

He doesn’t care but Liam does.

“So, anyway…” Liam starts to stand, becoming agitated by Stiles unwillingness to acknowledge what he’s staying. 

“ Liam.” Theo warns, starting the coffee pot and signaling for Liam to stop talking.

“Okay. Let’s begin.” Liam responds, his blue eyes turning sad, as he sits down and takes a long brief pause before opening a file.

And just like that Theo’s entire life has become about Liam. About what makes him sad and what makes him happy, why he’s angry sometimes, and why he feels the impending need to get under his skin all the time. 

It’s frustrating and beyond normal for any person to feel that Theo needs to be seen, but Liam, he sees him. 

He sees the good in Theo that he doesn’t even see in himself and he doesn’t know if it’s really there, or if it’s just a small sliver of hope that Liam hangs onto so he can justify hanging around Theo to Scott. 

The unspoken truth about Theo is that he doesn’t want to be this evil person. This dark soul that wanders around for blood or is a little bit better than his roommates. He wants to be the one who can help someone if they need it and that’s because he needs to believe that he’s worth saving. 

That Erica wasn’t wrong about him. 

“Okay. I think I got what I need.” Liam suddenly stands up and smiles.

“That quick?” Stiles wonders outloud, puzzled by the abruptness of Liam’s words.

“Yup. Ready?” Liam asks Theo, ignoring the coffee pot that’s started beeping.

“Okay.” Theo shrugs, letting Liam lead him to the hallway and he doesn’t slow down when Stiles follows after, giving Liam weird looks at his sudden departure.

“Bye.” Liam waves, walking out the door and heading to Theo’s truck. He doesn’t wait for Theo but he doesn’t wait for most people. 

“Okay, let me know if you need anything else.” Stiles offers, giving Theo a quick nod and lifting his hand but then deciding to put it back down. 

Theo doesn’t need to shake his hand so he nods and heads out the door.  Theo heads towards his truck where Liam is sitting in the passenger seat fuming. About what he doesn’t know, but he’s sure Liam will tell him about it the moment he pulls out of the driveway.

He gets in the truck and pulls out without a word, watching Liam’s face as he stews in silence beside him.

“What?” Theo asks, turning on the radio to help lighten Liam’s mood.

“They always underestimate me.” Liam complains, growling in discontent.

“What do you mean?” Theo frowns, unsure of what Liam’s talking about.

Liam pulls out a couple of folders from underneath shirt and places them on the dashboard. 

He smugly looks at Theo and smiles, eyes twinkling with pride at Theo’s stunned look. 

“Liam, what? How?” Theo gawks at him. 

“Well, he was so focused on what you were doing and you were obviously in your head being negative again, so I took the opportunity.” Liam smiles, eyes wide, waiting for Theo’s reaction. 

“I’m impressed.” Theo admits, feeling bad for thinking Liam wasn’t one step ahead of them all along.

“Yes. Yes, you should be because if you ever bring this up to Scott I’ll have to kill you.” Liam gravely tells him, his lips in a firm line to show his seriousness.

Theo almost believes him.

Then Liam laughs.

It’s a nice laugh and Theo even lets Liam pick the radio station this time. 

He doesn’t miss the way Liam leans into the passenger seat and brushes his shoulder a couple times when he thinks Theo isn’t looking, but the touch doesn't bother him the way he thought it would. The touch is casual enough to let Theo believe it’s Liam’s way of connecting with him.

They ride in comfortable silence for a while but then Liam starts to shift back and forth in his seat, watching Theo, and he knows Liam’s about to say something again. 

“Do you have a coffin I can sleep in?” Liam asks, noticing the time is now 1am and seeing Theo approaching his house. 

“Do you want a bone too? “ Theo responds without missing a beat.

“Touché but mine was better.” Liam smiles, rolling his window down and humming the song playing on the radio. 

Chapter Text

The next morning comes too early for Theo. Mostly because Liam is hell bent on not sleeping and making the most of his time. No matter what unholy hour of the day that it is. 

This entire time at Theo’s house Liam has looked over the files he snatched from Stiles and sent a barrage of text messages to Theo’s phone with every conspiracy theory someone could possibly think of. 

It wasn’t until 7am that Theo decided to give up and go downstairs to make some breakfast and coffee while Liam roamed the internet for unconfirmed monster sightings. It really didn’t give Theo a lot of room to have a rational discussion with a sleep deprived werewolf, but at least Liam’s resigned to researching instead of psycho texting Theo for his opinion on everything. 

“Morning Theo.” Mason greets him, walking into the kitchen and taking out two coffee mugs, undisturbed by Theo’s shocked silence at seeing Mason in the kitchen early in the morning.

Mason pours some coffee and heads back upstairs, still groggy but smiling.

Theo doesn’t like uninvited guests at his home but he’s pretty sure Mason was invited. Corey must have invited him over and didn’t mention it.

Theo isn’t upset that Mason is here, but he is annoyed by Corey’s lack of communication on his relationship status with Mason. 

Mason is Liam’s best friend and if he’s going to be in the house and staying over, especially when Liam’s here working with Theo, then he  would appreciate the heads up. 

Theo doesn’t like surprises.

Theo pours himself a cup of coffee and heads back to the living room to find Liam still on the floor with his laptop, seething with rage and frustration while he looks over the files.

“Mason is here.” Theo informs him, sitting down beside Liam and taking a sip of coffee, watching for any signs of surprise to show on Liam’s face about Mason being over.

“Yeah I know. He’s been coming over here for the last two weeks, or however long that it’s been since we met you. Mason’s my friend. Shouldn’t you be wondering why Corey hasn’t told you? Really Theo.” Liam scoffs, rolling his eyes at Theo and his lack of knowledge on what everyone is doing in his household.

The causal comment Liam gives on Mason being over is quite maddening to Theo. It’s not something he was aware of and how was he supposed to know if Corey didn’t say something?

“You didn’t think to mention that?” Theo questions, and the nerve of Liam explaining this to him like Theo should know everything about this is irking him. 

“It’s not my job to inform you about your friend Teddy. I wonder what else they’re all hiding from you and supposedly “ they’re only your roommates. ” Liam ponders, silently looking out the window, further causing Theo to become even more exhausted than he already was.

“No one is hiding anything. I don’t care.” Theo argues, leaning back against the couch and watching Liam smirk at him, unconvinced.

“Yeah you do. That’s why you’re upset. You’re unhappy Corey didn’t tell you because you know, he isn’t your friend.” Liam challenges, always reminding him of the day that Theo made it clear that he doesn’t have any friends.

Of course his words are biting him in the ass and Liam won’t miss any opportunity to make him remember everything that he’s ever said to him. 

The memory Liam has is amazing and inconvenient for Theo when all it does is dig him into a hole and make Liam further confirm his own ideas about Theo.

“I worry because Mason is a human Liam. I don’t care about Corey’s love life. It isn’t safe to involve him.” Theo points out, frowning and becoming worried about their involvement with the McCall pack.

Liam picks up Theo’s coffee cup and takes a large sip, nodding at Theo and then fiddling with his mouse to look up more conspiracy theories about what can murder supernatural beings.

He could have asked for a cup or gotten his own mug, but no, Liam would much rather have Theo’s so he can find another way to annoy him and provide endless opportunities for Theo to be exasperated.

It’s not going unnoticed by Theo that Liam is sipping his cup and watching for his reaction to him stealing his coffee.

“I think it’s important to reflect on why Corey didn’t tell you. Instead of blaming me for your own shortcomings with your friend.” Liam murmurs, giving Theo a pointed look, and raising his eyebrows at Theo in a more subtle way, probably to show his disappointment in Theo’s friendship skills. 

Or whatever Liam is trying to say to him by staring into his soul.

Whatever it is, it’s only causing Theo to become more grumpy and tired of researching, only to get nowhere. 

The only thing they’ve found out is that Liam enjoys sharing Theo’s drinks and food so he can watch if Theo is going to argue about it, or let Liam do whatever he wants.

More and more Theo is allowing Liam to become more comfortable with him, but he doesn’t get to tell Theo who his friends are. Especially in his own home.

“He isn’t my friend.” Theo grumbles, agitated.

“And I’m shy.” Liam quips, as Theo sighs in defeat, allowing Liam to win this battle. It’s not worth letting Liam go into his metaphors or arguments about Theo’s decisions.

It seems like Liam wins every battle but Theo isn’t going to argue over little things and risk causing a distraction from them finding out who is murdering supernatural beings in Beacon Hills. 

There’s more important things to worry about.

Theo picks up his coffee and takes a sip, finding no more liquid in the mug. It’s completely empty and it’s impressive just how much coffee was drunk and consumed in such a short period of time.

Liam managed to down a whole cup of coffee in less than a few minutes and due to Liam’s energy level on a daily basis, he’ll probably be a caffeinated mess in no time.

It will probably lead to another set of fifty thousand questions about Theo’s life and the vampire legends that Liam’s heard. 

The never ending energy Liam has makes Theo laugh most days and it balances them out since Liam’s energy level transfers over to him when they’re together, making Theo more invigorated than he normally would be if Liam wasn’t around.

At least they balance each other out and make an interesting pair, even if it’s by arguing and by Liam challenging Theo on every single thing that he possibly can in a twenty four hour period. 

“I invited Boyd over later to help us.” Liam blurts out, nervously looking at the files in front of him and randomly grabbing his phone to prevent himself from looking at Theo. 

“Why the fuck would you do that?” Theo asks, gripping the coffee mug hard enough to keep himself together but not enough to cause it to crack. 

“ Language. I have G rated ears.” Liam complains, side eyeing Theo and laughing at him.

The G rated ears isn’t a joke Theo finds very funny and the thought of Boyd showing up doesn’t sit well with him. There’s no reason for Boyd to help and why he would even come over isn’t making any sense. Liam must have had to convince him, or worse, he’s only coming to tell Theo that he’s holding him responsible for Erica’s death. 

They never did talk about it. They left it alone and let the silence grow to a point where bringing it up now would only make things worse between them.  How Liam was able to get Boyd over here is a mystery. It’s a common occurrence though.

Liam convinces others to take into account what he has to say and he’s good at it. Which means Theo has to be careful about what he tells him so he doesn’t unknowingly divulge too much information to the werewolf. He might end up having to answer too many questions that provide too much detail about himself. Theo isn’t one to let people get to know him fully. It’s not worth the time or effort.

Boyd coming though, that’s a little more nerve wracking than the rest of what’s going on. It sounds harsh, but Theo hates having confrontational discussions when they don’t change anything about what’s happened in the first place.

The clacking of the keys from Liam only adds to Theo’s sour mood and he takes a deep breath to steady the voice in head telling him to pretend that he isn’t home when Boyd shows up. 

The anxious silence coming off Theo registers with Liam and he frowns, leaning forward to look Theo directly in the eye, stopping what he’s doing and focusing his full attention on him. 

“I only did it because I thought it might be nice to have extra eyes on this and seeing as Boyd is one of the few that gets how particular you are, it made sense.” Liam explains, becoming anxious at Theo’s silence and the blank look on his face.

“What does that mean? I’m not particular.” Theo remarks, peeved at Liam’s word choice. 

The word particular makes it sound like Theo’s a strung out vampire that is set in his own ways and devoid of any sort of adaptable personality traits. 

That’s a terrible way to explain Theo and a complete misrepresentation of who he is.

“No, of course not.” Liam nods, clearly only attempting to appease him and he settles back into scouring the internet.

“I don’t like how you said that.” Theo argues, dissatisfied at Liam’s inability to explain what he means by particular. It sounds like an insult and Theo’s not sure what he’s implying, but it makes him sound like he’s uptight or something.

He doesn't want to be known for being set in his ways and having no room for flexibility or adaptation to change. Vampires need to adapt to survive. Not being able to adapt would mean death and possible consequences that may be worse than death. 

“It’s okay. I like you just the way you are.” Liam smiles, patting his knee and taking Theo’s cup from him.

He frowns in despair at the empty cup he’s holding. 

“Do you want more coffee? I can get you a cup.” Theo reminds him, disregarding the fact that Liam’s already standing and walking into the kitchen. 

“No, your cup is fine.” Liam shrugs, laughing at Theo shaking his head at him.

“Of course it is.” He replies, hoping Liam will get him a cup while he’s in there, but sharing is a common thing between them now and Theo’s just about accepted that it’s Liam’s way of showing his bond with him, along with finding ways to make Theo go nuts.

Theo picks up the laptop and glances over the file showing Monroe and her cause of death.

The photo isn’t pretty. Her throat is slashed and bite marks are scattered across her face, mouth, and throat. It’s very hard to tell what she used to look like and it’s nauseating how violently she’s been murdered.

There’s a police report, a medical report, and a witness.

A witness.

“Liam? There’s a witness here. Did anyone talk to them?” Theo calls to him, pausing to check over the file to verify no one’s spoken to the witness recently. 

“I think so but it sounded like standard questions. I’m sure no one asked about supernatural stuff.” Liam says, peeking his head out of the kitchen, and frowning softly, lost in thought. 

“Even the sheriff?” Theo asks, not needing a reply. 

It’s rhetorical really. He doesn’t care if the sheriff asked questions or not. What matters is if they reach the witness to actually answer questions that matter and help them narrow down some type of a lead on what creature is causing all of this.

“Are you thinking what I’m thinking?” Liam brightens, leaning on the doorway and already looking full of sporadic energy, making Theo unsure if it’s Liam’s own energy, or the coffee causing him to tremble in excitement.

“I think so but we have to tread lightly because I can’t have someone showing up here asking why we’re digging this up and why we know secure information.” Theo carefully explains, already seeing the wheels spinning in Liam’s head, ignoring anything that he’s been saying. 

“I think we should make sure to practice before we go there.” Liam says, half joking about Theo’s social skills with other people. 

He’s not that bad. He talks to everyone else. It’s definitely overkill if you ask Theo and he blankly watches Liam for a minute to show his disapproval over the need to practice. 

“We can have you stare at them with your crazy vampire face and scare them into submission.” Liam says, offering his two cents and walking over to the coffee table.

That’s not how Theo would describe his own vampire fangs and shift, but leave it to Liam to exaggerate. 

“I haven’t seen the scary vampire Theo yet. I feel insulted.” Liam scowls, grabbing the laptop from Theo and looking up the witness's address.

“So? I try not to scare the locals Liam. I’m not a big fluffy wolf that likes to save everyone. I think vampires get a worse reaction than werewolves do.” Theo sarcastically huffs, eyeing Liam’s death glare.

“Yes, because seeing a werewolf coming at you with glowing eyes and fangs is definitely way better.” Liam mocks him, unimpressed by Theo’s comparison. 

“Maybe this person likes animals.” Theo smiles, chuckling.

“Maybe, but let me do the talking because I know exactly how to make them talk.” Liam nods firmly, shutting his laptop and sucking down another mug of coffee before they go.

Fantastic. 

—————

Liam knocks loudly on the door, scanning the area for any suspicious activity and he peers in the window, looking for signs of someone approaching the door.

“Liam.” Theo snaps, pulling him backwards, worried someone might ignore them if they see nosey people standing outside and peering into windows.

The door opens slowly, barely even a crack, and Liam puts on his best performance, smiling broadly at the person behind the door.

“Hi! I’m Scott and this is Derek. We’re here to ask some questions about what you saw the night you witnessed someone being attacked.” Liam greets them, lying through his teeth and plastering on his friendliest smile. 

Theo would rather not be Derek in this situation and preferably, they shouldn’t be using real names associated with other people, but Liam’s wink that he gives leads Theo to believe that the werewolf must have a plan. 

A plan that really would have been nice to know, but hey, Theo’s been told to let Liam lead this conversation and that’s what he’s going to do.

For now.

“I don’t know anything else. I already told the police everything and I’ve been told I’m insane. You can take your accusations and get off my doorstep.” A loud voice cries, angry at their presence. 

“I’m sorry. I’m not from the police. We’re independent contractors.” Liam explains, holding up a badge that Theo wasn’t aware he even had. 

Theo tries to get a good look at it to determine what it says, but Liam’s flashes it quickly and then immediately places the badge in his pocket, leaving him to wonder whether it’s fake or if it’s something Scott gave him.

“What are independent contractors doing in Beacon Hills? You barely look old enough to be out of highschool.” The person hisses, skeptical, and he raises his eyebrows at them. 

“He’s new.” Liam says, nodding at Theo as he reassures the person that he’s legit.

The man at the door gives them a once over, narrowing his eyes at them with a distrustful smile, and then he opens the door wider to let them in.

The man waits for them to enter and Liam holds his hand out to usher Theo in first, casually holding his notepad in his hand.

This isn’t very appealing to Theo. He might be walking into a death trap. How he let this happen is beyond any comprehension whatsoever, but he was won over by Liam’s power of persuasion.

“I can go by myself if you want to wait in the truck.” Liam offers, and of fucken course Theo isn’t going to let him walk into this alone, but at least Liam can see the concern flooding across his face.

With a loud sigh Theo walks into the house with Liam following closely behind him, as his eyes dart around the house with keen interest.

The house is cluttered with trash and all sorts of dirty laundry, dishes, and other items. 

Liam’s sense of smell must be very strong and Theo can’t imagine how much worse it is for him to be smelling the foul odor surrounding them. It’s barely tolerable for Theo.

“Nice.” Liam lies, complimenting the man on his home decor, but sounding like he’s about to throw up.

“What do you want to know? My show is on in five minutes.” The man seethes, glaring at them with disdain. 

“Right. We won’t take up too much time. So, what exactly did you see and in your own words, please explain what happened.” Liam opens his notebook, eyes determined and waiting to find out anything that they can.

“Like I told those idiots at the sheriff’s department, the thing I saw wasn’t normal. It had some weird eyes and some strange loud shrill sound that it made.” The man gulps, the terror evident in face.

“A loud shrill? What does that mean and when you say weird eyes, what do you mean?” Theo questions, unconvinced by the man’s testimony. 

This isn’t really helpful. For all they know he could be wrong on what he saw and he already has forgotten the details of the incident. Witness testimony can be skewed the longer the event has passed and Theo’s not privy to all of the investigations that the sheriff does, but he does know that witnesses aren’t always reliable sources for describing suspects.

“It was loud and unholy. The eyes were a weird color and her face was like from the depths of darkness. I’m telling you, I think the end has come and we’re all about to die.” The man gasps, holding his cross that he’s wearing and if Theo could roll his eyes without looking disrespectful, then he would. 

The man does sound insane. Theo makes sure to be as normal as possible to get this over with.

“Wait, it’s a woman? You sure?” Liam asks, eyes wide and hooked on the man’s description.

“Yes. It was definitely a female. You know females are primarily witches and sometimes they’re just evil. Men though. Men can be pretty evil too.” The man says, holding his hands in a tight fist.

“Okay. Well, thanks. That should be good enough.” Theo says, pulling Liam towards the doorway to avoid any more interactions with the guy.

“Hold on! One more thing. This woman. Did you see how she killed the lady? Did you see what happened ?” Liam asks, pulling back on Theo’s grip and focusing on what they came to do. 

“All I saw before I ran for my life was the fangs that came out and the light leaving that woman’s eyes when she was sliced open like it was nothing.” The man holds his hands up, indicating claws, and he bares his teeth.

“So a werewolf.” Theo bluntly says, forgetting his audience and Liam’s panic stricken expression has the man nodding and laughing at them

“I’ve seen a lot of werewolves in my life but that thing was different.” The man explains, his jaw hardening as Liam drops his pen on the ground.

“Oh? How have you seen werewolves?” Theo asks, following Liam towards the front door, as they slowly try to leave without causing any alarm or suspicion.

“Well, since you’re independent contractors I will let you in on a secret.” The man sneers, stepping close to Liam, his breath reeking of smoke and alcohol.

“Oh, do tell.” Theo humors him, smiling at Liam as the man shakes, ready to give some long lost secret about his past.

“I used to kill werewolves for a living. Until that stupid Argent family took over. Honestly, I was never as good as them, but the stories I have are pretty good.” The man proudly brags, smiling at them with a few missing teeth. 

“Really? Guess they’re letting anyone in these days”. Theo shakes his head, as the man agrees with him, not realizing Theo’s just insulted him.

“What’s your best guess since you have experience?” Liam inquires, stopping short of the door and brushing Theo off, silencing him.

“It’s tough. I haven’t seen something like that, but honestly I would say that it must be one of those old creatures that you have to see to believe.” The man trembles in horror, shivering at the thought of his own imagination.

Liam wants to continue pressing. Theo can see it on his face and in his body language, but they can’t overstay their welcome. Hearing it’s a woman does help a little and Theo’s not about to sit down with this lunatic that’s gone insane from dealing with the supernatural elements of the town.

They open the door, ready to leave and the scent of blood hits Theo’s nose, the smell of it strong and sweet.

The scent of fresh blood is everywhere and he’s an experienced vampire. He’s not new by any means. His control has always been strong and he’s bragged about it to Corey in the past about how well he’s been able to control his natural instincts.

That’s not the problem though. 

Theo isn’t out of control or begging for blood. He’s smelling a fellow supernatural creature in the house and before he can figure out if the person is dead or alive, Liam opens the closet without any regard for Theo’s opinion or safety.

A body drops out of the closet, dead and already gone. Signs of them being a werewolf is clearly visible and there’s a long bow in the closet, with a gun and some other weapon that Theo’s never seen before.

“Sorry, I’ve come out of retirement. I see you have a good nose on you. Like that wretched woman.” The man spits out, eyes widening as Liam’s eyes flash gold.

He’s angry and upset over a werewolf being taken out and thrown in front of them, and it’s causing Liam’s anger and his own wolf instincts to kick in. 

A low growl leaves Liam’s mouth and it’s a warning and a deadly threat. A threat that the man takes seriously. 

The man pulls out a small bow and aims it at Liam, but being drunk with alcohol doesn’t help his aim because he misses. The man hits Theo square in the shoulder, causing him to drop his fangs in a state of shock.

“It’s one of those demons!” The man cries, glaring at Theo this time, but it’s a wooden stake and in Theo’s defense he doesn’t normally show his “other face”.

He hasn’t shown it for quite some time, but the scent of blood, mixed with the heightened emotions and fear from the man in front of him, puts Theo in overdrive and he forgets that he’s been trying to avoid showing Liam his true colors.

The gasp of excitement from Liam doesn’t exactly help the man to relax and he jumps at Theo in a blind rage, ready to kill anyone in his sight. 

The rage in his eyes tells him that he would have killed Theo too if he could, but Liam snarls loudly and shoves the man backwards into the ground, roaring.

It’s an opportunity that Theo takes and he throws the door open, ready to pull Liam outside but he’s already following him.

They make it to the truck and Theo throws the door open, sliding into the seat and pulling out of the driveway in the fastest way possible, still with his fangs showing and his eyes dark with the evil that the man is certain makes him the demon.

It isn’t until Theo is out on the road and forced to take a look behind him to verify no one is following them, that he lets his foot off the gas. 

“Um….can I take that out?” Liam cautiously asks, staring at Theo’s shoulder that has a wooden stake in it, leaking blood. 

“I…yeah.” Theo responds, giving up on the rest of his words and his thoughts on how their interrogation went. 

Liam carefully holds Theo’s shoulder and slides the stake out, gently running his hand over the healing wound and growing sheepish. 

“Well, that was a rush.” Liam remarks, his breathing quick and his face flushed.

“Had to open the door huh?” Theo mutters, tense with rage but also with awe at how much Liam was impacted about a werewolf that he’s never met.

Vampires aren’t really known for being helpful to their kind. They can be but it’s not a common occurrence and seeing Liam show such anger and be struck with such shock at seeing another werewolf’s body in front of him, touches something inside of Theo that he didn’t even know existed.

“What if it was one of us? I couldn’t leave it.” Liam defends himself, distraught over Theo’s sudden hard look.

“I know.” Theo smiles, and he’s not entirely upset about the interaction or the way Liam decided to throw his body in front of him when the man took a shot at him.

“Your vampire face lacks the same terror that werewolves bring out.” Liam teases, leaning on the passenger door and studying Theo’s face.

“I doubt that. He called me a demon.” Theo points out, still feeling his fangs over his bottom lip.

“Yeah, but you're a fun demon and a moody one.” Liam smiles and then he touches Theo’s face, stroking his chin with careful determination, slowly helping Theo’s fangs and face to return back to normal.

The touch is soft and Liam’s eyes still show awe and wonder when he’s looking at Theo, making it hard to stay angry at him. 

The moment helps Theo to get back in control of his blood lust.

“You know I realized something.” Liam says, sitting back in his seat and nervously staring at his phone.

“What’s that?” Theo asks, still holding onto the memory of Liam’s amazed smile.

“We said Derek and Scott.” Liam reminds him, shrugging in shame at realizing he might have sent someone after them.

“ You said Derek and Scott. Thankfully Derek doesn’t have a set place right now.” Theo smiles, as Liam frowns back at him. 

Liam’s face crumples into one of horror and the painful realization that he’s given a hunter the name of two supernatural beings, one of them being his own Alpha. 

The guilt and fear is the only thing Theo can feel throughout the ride back to his house and Liam’s deep state of anger at himself, starts to rub off on Theo as he becomes more angry at himself for allowing them to walk into a hunters house without any information.

The loud sigh Liam makes when Theo pulls into the driveway of the McCall house, is loud enough that Theo can hear just how disappointed Liam is in himself for the whole thing.

Theo is growing softer and softer the more he’s with Liam and his friends. He’s ready to comfort the werewolf and assure him that everything is going to be fine. Theo doesn’t even do that with his roommates when they’re upset. 

Once again, Liam has found a way into his life and into his thoughts.

“Liam, it’s fine. Scott and Derek are more than capable of taking care of themselves and Derek doesn’t technically live here. Pretty sure you scared the man into retirement anyway.” Theo points out, laughing at Liam frowning at his smile.

“That’s easy for you to say. I panicked and used real names. I now have to worry that Scott will ask me why I had those files in the first place. Then I will have to explain to Stiles that I stole them and then….” Liam takes a breath, the anxious words start to come out in short gasps, as his voice changes from calm to worry.

“Okay, okay. I get it.” Theo says, not caring if and when Scott finds out about this. He has no connection to him and no intention whatsoever of involving anyone else in their drama-filled investigation that has spiraled into a more complex nightmare.

“Don’t tell him. I can …use Donovan to make sure the guy doesn’t say anything or try to find his way into any other supernatural situations.” He shrugs, indifferent towards the other werewolves, but Liam cares so Theo does too.

“What??!! Murder?” Liam sharply raises his eyebrows and lets out a small growl of disbelief at Theo’s sudden idea on how to fix this.

“No, not murder! Don’t worry, I already know everyone’s feelings on that subject and I’m not going to cause a scene and possible jail time for me and my roommates.” Theo insists, insulted that Liam is ready to believe he’s going to hire Donovan to kill someone in the middle of all of this. He does have some common sense for goodness sake.

“Or….I can handle it”. Boyd offers, announcing his presence by opening Liam’s door.

“Oh, hey. I was just telling Theo not to use the bloodthirsty vampire that everyone loathes for a solution to our problems.” Liam dramatically sighs, and that’s not what Theo said at all, but Boyd isn’t interested in any real explanation. 

“Hi. You should have mentioned Derek came back, instead of hiding it from me.” Boyd remarks, the accusation directed at Theo, further proving Boyd is still holding Theo accountable for the past.

“I didn’t know immediately and I haven’t had time to really talk to anyone other than this one.” Theo points at Liam, earning an eye roll from him, and an unexpected laugh.

“Great. Just like old times.” Boyd abruptly turns and walks back towards the McCall house, the anger coming off him and Theo’s own guilty conscience is the only thing that keeps him silent throughout the exchange. 

“Wow. I think he might be mad.” Liam reveals, even though that’s crystal clear to anyone with any emotional intelligence or ability to comprehend social interactions, but Liam’s statement doesn’t make Theo any less guilty.

“No shit.” Theo curls his lip into a scowl, and the blue eyes staring back at him are sad and painful, but all Theo can do is shake his head, shrugging it off.

“Dinner is on me this time.” Liam suggests, hopeful and confident when Theo sighs in response to his offer.

It’s not Liam’s fault and it’s still Theo’s own responsibility and inner demons that have kept Boyd from being able to speak to him again. That’s not on Liam and he won’t pretend that it is. He can’t have Liam feeling responsible for his own shortcomings and prior mistakes that he’s made in the short span of time that Theo had an actual friend. 

If he can even use the word friend .  Boyd was the first and last friend he had. There was no plural. Only one person that relied on Theo when he needed him and all he did was fail him. 

Theo’s only bound to fail Liam. One way or another.

“That’s okay. It has nothing to do with you.” Theo replies, not ready to face everyone in the McCall house or see Boyd again. 

“But I want food. Blood or food for you?” Liam asks, his eyebrows furrowed and the seriousness in which he says it worries Theo, until he’s ready to say blood just to make sure that Liam is only givig him a hard time to mess with him.

“Neither.” Theo grumbles after a long pause.

“Well you’re driving so I’m kinda waiting on you.“ Liam pleads, holding his hand over his stomach to show how much he needs food.

“I’m going home. Who said I'm driving you?” Theo huffs, agitated and becoming grumpy at Liam’s insistence on dragging him along.

“Who said you’re still invited?” Liam badgers him, eyes fixed in on Theo’s abrupt silence.

“I can’t stand you.” Theo seethes, miffed and surprised all at the same time that he’s somehow been uninvited for not answering a question that was a joke in the first place.

“Hey Theo. You know what time it is?” Liam’s eyes shine with a renewed sense of urgency and excitement.

“Time for you to ask more questions about vampires and monsters?” Theo scoffs, already heading down the driveway and into the street, avoiding the text messages popping up on his phone that are asking why they aren’t coming inside.

“If that’s the attitude you’re going to have then why do I even bother.” Liam murmurs, exasperated as Theo stares at him dumbfounded from Liam’s attitude.

“I’m going to strangle you.” Theo threatens, gripping the steering wheel hard.

“You can't. We only found a hunter but not the murderer.  You need me.” Liam playfully shoves him, happily pulling his seatbelt on and the only thing Theo can do is drive them to find a place to eat, silently cursing himself for enjoying Liam’s interrogation a lot more than he should.

Theo’s finally accepting Liam might actually be his best friend and it might even be a good thing. For Theo that is, and not Liam, but he’s given up on telling Liam anything at all. At least when he’s made up his mind already and he certainly has about this.

What an interesting dynamic they make.

Chapter Text

“You both understand the plan right?” Derek’s voice echoes through the bluetooth, the earbud cracking loudly in his ear and making Theo’s teeth ache, the blaring voice making him wince. 

“Shhh.” Liam frowns, holding his hands over his ears and growling his complaint at Derek’s loud voice.

“I told you that we didn’t need Derek.” Theo argues, angry at Derek forcing them to go to this hunting party and at Liam for getting no input from Theo whatsoever, reminding him that Liam’s starting to make a whole lot of decisions that directly involve him. 

He doesn’t want Liam to start influencing every single decision he makes and make it that much harder to get back to normal after all of this is over and done with. It will make it more difficult to get used to the werewolf being absent from his life and he doesn’t want to think about that because it might confuse what they’re doing. What their purpose for teaming up was in the first place. 

Theo’s not going to pretend that Liam will remain in his life after all of this is figured out. That’s silly to believe something like that when he’s already been shown with his prior friendships that they don’t last. 

Unfortunately Theo is becoming used to having Liam’s presence and opinions every day. He’s quite a vocal part of his life and he likes to talk about everything all of the time, bothering Theo about his vampire habits. 

Theo listens and lets him talk. It will be much quieter once Liam is out of his life. It might even be too quiet but he won’t admit that to the werewolf because it will go to his head and it might stir up unwanted thoughts in his mind. 

“I’m still on Bluetooth listening, and I’m the one that got you into this party to be able to find out more.” Derek sharply protests, snarling.

“Let's get our story straight. I’ll be Eugene and you can be Karl. What’s our backstory?” Liam wonders outloud, biting his bottom lip in thought, and lost in his own world. 

He seems to do this a lot, becoming distracted by his own thoughts and feelings, but never tells Theo why he’s overthinking so much. 

“We don’t need an extensive backstory. We’re out of Beacon Hills and we’re both hunters. That’s it. Don’t make it complicated.” Theo sighs, regretting allowing Liam to convince him to go to a strange hunting banquet outside of town.  

How was this even a good idea to have considered? 

It’s giving the Hills have Eyes and Theo’s not going to allow them to be a prize to hang on a hunter’s wall. 

They do need the help and information to see if there is any other description of this thing killing supernatural creatures, but he didn’t really want to spend his entire evening on the outskirts of a weird town with Derek’s voice in his head.

Liam’s voice is more than enough to keep him angry and exasperated over his unpredictable performance and exaggerated backstory that he’s about to come up with. 

He can see it in Liam’s face, the light bulb going off, finding ways to overcomplicate their original plan by planning too much information about their cover.

When Theo agreed to go to this party he did so as a favor to Liam because he claimed that Corey and Mason needed alone time. He didn’t say that Derek would be the annoying voice on the end of the line to give his opinions, and that he would be forced to dress up and go to some overly extravagant hunting party. 

Derek conveniently is able to stay home, listening from the next town over while Theo and Liam take their lives into their own hands. 

Again.

Everyone is going to get Theo killed and he’s watching it happen so he can continue to keep Liam from pestering him about saving the town with his annoying savior complex. 

Scott really must have rubbed off on his beta. 

“I think we should consider the possibility that someone might ask more than our names. I like to be prepared and you aren’t a real people-person. I can’t trust that you won’t say something crazy in there.” Liam points out, fixing his earbud and tapping his foot impatiently. 

“Me? You’re the one that speaks without thinking.” He snaps, defensively crossing his arms over his chest, glaring right back at Liam’s seething eyes.

“Okay lovebirds, time to go inside.” Derek barks out, causing Liam to laugh and Theo to scoff at the ridiculous joke.

“We could be long lost lovers. You’re wooing me and trying to take down supernatural creatures at the same time”. Liam whispers, following Theo up the steps and making his way into the building.

“That’s insane. What reason would we be long lost lovers for and why do I have to be the one wooing you?” Theo asks, realizing that isn’t the most important question of this evening but why does he have to be the one lovesick in Liam’s story?

“Because I’m much nicer. The rude and broken are normally the most romantic ones in every love story. Do you watch movies or read?” Liam raises his eyebrows, the accusation of being uncultured in the entertainment industry bothering the werewolf.

“No. I normally follow a werewolf around to investigate murders and drive him around to parties.” Theo sneers, the irony of the truth making him smile, even in the midst of the weird night that they’re having.

“Yes. It’s quite a privilege.” Liam hums, presenting his fake ID to the security guard and pulling Theo’s out of his coat pocket, not giving him any time to get it himself because Liam doesn’t wait. 

“Karl and Eugene?” The security guard asks, suspicion rising in his tone and giving them a once over.

“Yes.” Liam nods fiercely, calmly and quietly waiting to be let in.

He’s a lot more relaxed than Theo is right now, but Liam’s never one to be worried about much and even in the most serious situations like with the crazed hunter, he’s always ready to find his way out, and never leaves any room for error. 

It’s anxiety driven missions like this that keep things interesting.

At least he’s good in a fight.

“Come in.” The security guard hands Liam their ID’s back, watching Theo slowly, but allowing them to enter.

“See, I’m great at this.” Liam arrogantly says, excitement radiating through his eyes and he gingerly looks around.

“Easy killer, we have to find the right person.” He throws his earbud on the floor, quickly crushing it beneath his feet, enjoying Liam’s shocked smile.

Liam pulls his own earbud out, throwing it off into the distance because crushing it would make much more sense, instead of throwing it away and risking getting them caught, but putting Theo on edge is always the best idea.

“After you Karl.” Liam smiles, his eyes darting around the room to find who they’re supposed to be talking to.

“You’d think for the price they charge they’d have better food options.” Theo sighs, his stomach growling at seeing the limited appetizer table.

“Oh. Yes. Get me cheesecake and I’ll go find Derek's informant.” Liam pats Theo’s shoulder, already walking away before he can turn around to explain that they aren’t here to eat. 

Theo reluctantly goes to go find Liam some cheesecake because he’s been starving since they got here, and Derek’s plan didn’t allow them time to stop anywhere. He’s better off grabbing what can. 

They did pay $75 a ticket to get in here and Theo paid Liam’s half because his IOU involved pleading with his deep blue eyes that didn’t leave any room for Theo to say no. He tried. He really did, but Liam’s crestfallen face when Theo told him no, it got to him and he found himself agreeing to cover the whole thing. 

He makes it to the appetizer table and finds four different types of cheesecakes, none of them labeled, making it more difficult and wrecking Theo’s mood.

Theo doesn’t have a clue what Liam wants. If he likes chocolate or plain cheesecake, if he wants fruit on it, but the fact that he doesn’t know, bothers him. 

Liam should’ve told him what he prefers so he isn’t left to debate over which cheesecake is better and why he cares so much that Liam gets his favorite fucken flavor, but instead he’s throwing four pieces of cheesecake on a plate like a lunatic. 

“Hmm.” A woman clears her throat, standing idly by Theo and holding her head high. 

She eyes his plate, bristling at him taking another piece of cheesecake, and he does so just to make her feel more enraged, watching her stomp off to a group of people.

It’s satisfying. Watching her complain to her group of hunter friends, scowling at Theo’s plate of food and he laughs at them for being nosey enough to keep staring at him like they bought it. 

He walks back through the crowd of people and is handed a glass of wine from a waiter, almost missing Gerard Argent’s gaze and running into the bar, frantically trying to avoid being caught or called out.

Slamming into Liam, he’s confronted with the werewolf’s high energy level and he decides to lean on the wall, careful to study the people around them. 

“Theo. I meant one piece of cheesecake. Not an entire cake.” Liam shakes his head, taking the plate and smiling appreciatively.

“I think Gerard is here.” Theo warns him, taking a bite of Liam’s cheesecake that he’s offering, not bothering to tell him to use another fork, but gladly accepting the food from Liam to ease his hunger pains.

Sharing food with Liam is easier. It just is and he won’t be questioned why he’s doing it. They will accept it and carry on as if it’s normal and there's no time to waste dwelling on the why they’re sharing food. 

“Yeah. Derek said he would be. He won’t bother us tonight. He has some agreement with Scott or something.” Liam mumbles through a mouthful of food, finishing the chocolate cheesecake, and taking a bite of the raspberry topped one.

“Don’t you think filling me in would have been a good idea?” Theo hisses, snatching another bite of cheesecake off Liam’s plate in anger, protesting to the best of his ability about being left out of the loop.

“I can’t hold your hand through all of this.” Liam teases, smirking.

“Did you find him?” He asks, his blood rushing through his veins, awkwardly changing the subject, avoiding Liam’s smiling and playful face.

“No. I was waiting for my cheesecake.” Liam blinks at him, seriously expecting Theo to laugh at that, and he slowly takes another bite. 

“Can you be serious? I feel like I’m going insane.” Theo snaps, glaring at the werewolf.

“Have some cheesecake.” Liam responds, handing him the fork, which Theo is hell bent on rejecting but he takes a bite anyway, succumbing to the pressure of Liam’s exhausting need to win every argument.

“The guy we have to talk to is over there.” Liam  says, nodding towards a man headed into a back hallway. 

“Okay. Stay here and I’ll be back.” Theo orders, before he’s pulled back and almost thrown into a waiter, his wine glass shaking and spilling partly all over his shirt.

He manages to keep his grip on the wine he’s holding, avoiding a sudden disaster, other than staining his shirt, but now he looks messy and out of place. 

“Absolutely not. I will be coming too.” Liam growls, handing the half eaten plate of food to a confused waitress and giving Theo no time to argue.

“Why is everything extra with you?” He asks, complaining and not really needing an answer, even though Liam’s rolling his eyes and hardly listening to him at this point. 

Why would he be? It’s much better to act first and let him figure it out.  

It’s a common theme. Liam moving forward and Theo following and discovering how to navigate the plan. The rationale behind it being Theo’s able to move fast and understand what Liam’s going to do, but it’s not a theory he wants to keep testing out. 

“Shush.” Liam grabs the wine from Theo’s hand, now noticing the glass that he’s holding, and taking a huge gulp of wine. 

Liam coughs, hacking his lungs out and then handing the glass back to Theo, disappointed by the bitter taste of the liquid.

Theo allows himself one chug of the glass, treating himself to some good and high priced quality wine, but as he starts to swallow; his throat burns and his tongue starts to tingle with a pain that’s intense enough to make him stumble forward.

What? He’s had wine before. He’s not a rookie about the drier taste of red wine. 

“Theo.” Liam whispers, sniffing the wine, eyes growing wide and fear taking over.

The taste of blood is in his mouth, his tongue becoming numb, the smell of vervain now reaching Theo’s nose, and the sound of Liam’s panicked voice, hit him all at once.

Liam quickly pulls Theo towards the bathroom, smiling innocently at people walking by, keeping his voice quiet and leading the vampire with a strong arm, his hands slightly shaking with nervous energy.

They stumble into the bathroom, Theo gasping for air, his throat on fire, eyes burning, and his mind becoming hazy with pain and confusion at the unsettling feeling of being trapped in his own body, as the vervain eases its way down his throat.

“I don’t know what to do!” Liam gasps, throwing water on Theo, as if that’s going to help his insides that are slowly going to collapse.

“Need some assistance.” Gerard asks, standing at the doorway, eerily calm and quiet.

“No. Get away.” Theo hoarsely cries out, gripping his throat, his head spinning with pain, and his hands shaking as he desperately struggles to breathe. 

“What’s the catch?” Liam asks, grabbing Theo’s shoulders to keep him from falling, nervously looking at Gerard.

“No catch. He’ll be fine. It wasn’t a lot. Enough to tell the difference between a vampire and a human. Hopefully no one saw you.” Gerard smiles, walking out of the bathroom, without so much as an explanation on how he knows that, or if he was the one who caused Theo’s pain to begin with .

“Theo. Don’t die . Don’t die on me.” Liam pleads with him, holding his shoulders tightly, leaning over the sink and watching in horror while Theo coughs, the bile rising in his mouth. 

“I’m not…. Just give me a second.” Theo gasps, the words harsh on his lips and the pain shocking his body, sending him into a panic.

“Don’t take things from strangers.” Liam angrily huffs and pats Theo’s back.

There’s no response that Theo could give that would make him feel better about Liam arguing over taking a drink at a party, and still finding a way to be himself in all of this, giving Theo a hard time as he simultaneously worries about his well being. 

How very Liam. 

“Did anyone see us?” Theo croaks out, running his palm over his throat, worried he’s damaged the lining of his esophagus and still peeved by Liam’s comment. 

“I don’t know. I was too worried about you dying.” Liam points out, sighing in relief, and watching Theo starting to breathe normally.

“You know you drank the wine too. Good thing it wasn’t laced with wolfsbane.” He grumbles, regretting leaving Derek in the dark. 

He wasn’t expecting to have to down vervain and cheesecake all in one night. 

“We’re talking about you.” Liam nods, biting back a laugh.

“This party is too snooty for me and now we have to be careful not to inhale poison.”  Theo grits his teeth, somehow getting the taste of blood out of his mouth by swallowing a few more times. 

“Can we find Derek’s guy and get out of here? I want a shower and I promised Josh I would bring him back something.” Liam sighs, and gives Theo one more hard pat on the back.

“Why are you promising Josh anything?” Theo questions, annoyed by Liam’s sudden interest in Josh and needing to find ways to involve him.

“Because he’s living with you and I sympathize.” Liam quips, not missing an opportunity to bring up Theo’s antisocial personality.

There’s a lot he wants to say to that, but it’s getting late and he’d rather get home early.  There’s not enough time to fight Liam over his opinion on Theo’s social skills and roommates.

He leans into the sink, taking a cool sip of water to help soothe his burning throat, making sure to take his time, and watching from the corner of his eye as Liam impatiently takes his phone out to show him the time.

“Okay. Let’s go” Theo says, ready to get this over with, his voice cracking and still in pain.

“Go right.” Liam barks out, growling at two men entering the restroom and standing threateningly in front of them.

“What? There’s a sink here!” Theo yelps out, confused at Liam’s direction, double checking he knows his right from his left, even though he knows there’s a sink to his right. 

He’s still checking to make sure he hasn’t lost his mind in all of this. He has, however it has nothing to do with his right or left, but Liam’s gung-ho way of throwing himself in the midst of danger and waiting for Theo to catch up. 

Liam’s already racing ahead, snarling and throwing one of the men into a stall, hitting his head onto the floor. 

He does it with careful consideration for his well being.  He even checks to make sure he knocked him out and didn’t physically kill him, impressing Theo by his quick reaction and careful execution.

The other man throws himself into Theo, eyes wild with fury and grasping a wooden stake, trying to hit his chest with it.

Self preservation kicks in. Theo shifts, his arms now working without thinking and he shoves the man into the mirror, eyes dark with a deep rage that he hasn’t felt for years.

The wooden stake clangs to the floor, the man cowers, his hands over his eyes, whimpering out a loud scream.

“Theo! Let’s go! They’re going to hear us!” Liam urges, grabbing his arm and pulling on him to let it go, let the man get away.

Like he let Erica’s killer get away. 

He slams his fist into the wall, his face shifting into something other than human, scaring the man into horrifying silence, and he’s ready to finish him off.

He would.  Finish him off and not feel any better for doing it, but Liam’s standing next to him, eyes wide, waiting for Theo to prove that he’s not a monster, or  incapable of being good. He’s wondering if Theo’s able to see beyond his own natural instincts, whether it means survival or not, and Liam’s view of him, it matters. 

It matters more than he wants to admit. 

With a deep sense of pain, self control, and a level of trust in Liam’s ability to make the right choice in this scenario, he’s able to move his hand away from the wall, calmly letting the man fall to the ground.

“Go right.” Theo sneers, casting a pointed glance in Liam’s direction.

“I improvise. It meant move. You need to interpret the best move.” Liam scornfully says, dragging him out the back to avoid getting them caught by anyone else.

This night has been a waste of time. All he’s learned from this is that Liam wants him to be able to read his mind when unexpected events happen and Theo’s too tired to complain about communication being a huge part of any type of partnership.  

Liam and Theo rush out the back door, running to the truck, the adrenaline rush making Theo drop his keys.

“Oh my gosh. Hurry the hell up.” Liam yells, furiously urging him into a more frenzied state, ready to leave the truck behind.

He falls to his knees, reaching under the truck to find his keys and then Liam crawls underneath the truck, not waiting for Theo to find them himself, but taking the dilemma into his own hands. 

They both search for the keys, minutes passing, or something that feels like an eternity, while they wait for hunters to find them, failing to move fast enough for Theo’s worry to pass.

“Got them!” He cries, latching onto the keys and pulling them away from Liam, the indignation of not being trusted to find his own keys causing a frustratingly change of mood for him.

Theo opens the door, slamming into the seat, barely giving Liam enough time to close his door before hauling away in the truck as fast as possible.

He presses his foot against the pedal, watching the rearview mirror, anticipating people following him but the only thing behind them is the moon, shining bright in the sky and calming Theo’s nerves. 

The moon is a calm, grounding sight for them both, distracting Theo from the soft pain still lingering in his chest.

“That was close.” Liam says, laughing and making Theo smile. 

Theo’s phone rings, interrupting the laughter and Derek’s name flashes across his screen. 

“What the fuck happened?” Derek roars through the speaker, agitated.

“Someone tried to take Theo out. Luckily, there wasn't a lot of vervain in the wine but two hunters found us and we had to get out of there before getting any information.” Liam regretfully reports, eyes downcast in disappointment at missing an opportunity to find out more.

“Who would know you were there?” Derek asks, disgruntled but sounding relieved that they’re ok.

“I don’t know but we can’t be getting any attention if we want to stop the murders. It could get back to whoever is responsible for them and we don’t know what kind of supernatural we’re dealing with.” Theo rubs his hand over his jaw, mentally fatigued by the turn the night took. 

“Maybe you should call your vampire friends. In case they know something.” Derek suggests, and Theo frowns, unhappy at the prospect of having to open that can of worms.

“I don’t know any other vampires outside the town.” He attempts to lie, not missing the intentionally obvious signs of Liam listening, narrowing his eyes at Theo’s reaction.

“Yeah. Just like I only know werewolves in Beacon Hills.” Derek says, tense and highly sarcastic.

“They won’t answer!” Theo snaps, trying again to avoid having to involve people that he hasn’t spoken to in a long time, dreading the uncomfortable conversation that would take place.

The phone call drops, the call fail signal flashes at him and he throws it at the ground, unable to hide his frustration.

“You can use mine.” Liam holds his phone out to him, waiting to see what Theo will do, if he will help him out and continue his quest to stop the murders, something Liam’s fully invested in.

It’s not easy to deny this favor to Liam. His curious blue eyes watch Theo in hesitation, not knowing what he’s going to do and if they’re running out of options to find ways to solve the murders. 

Dammit. 

Liam’s hopeful smile is staring at him, believing he will do the right thing and call who he knows, to help people that he doesn’t know from being the next victim. 

He doesn’t care for other people much. He’s never been good at forming bonds with people and he’s tried, sure, but he’s not the type of guy to want to bother with anyone.  Not after all he’s seen and done, or learned about the world.

Slowly, Theo takes the phone from Liam, nodding his head to show him he’s going to call. For Liam . Not for any other reason than not wanting to disrupt this time with him. 

Something about the werewolf keeps Theo from losing his mind all the time. He has more of a purpose now and that’s because of Liam. 

He won’t say no. He can’t. 

The bitter reality of still having the number memorized is embarrassing, and he’s on edge. The nervousness of having to wait to see if someone will pick up and act like it’s normal for him to call after all this time, preventing Theo from doing any other thinking but worrying about the dreaded phone call.

“You don’t have to call Teddy.” Liam places his hand over Theo’s, taking the phone away from him, concern falling on his face.

“I can call. It’s weird. That’s all.” Theo sharply inhales, biting back a bitter smile and doing his best to make it seem like this isn’t a big deal, that it doesn’t bother him.

“Do you have it in your cold dead heart to talk about it, or would you prefer to answer my questions?” Liam smiles, the concern never leaving him, but he’s content to change the subject or allow Theo to continue, letting him make the choice.

It’s a simple and straightforward gesture, but it’s a kindness that Theo wasn’t expecting to receive and he’s becoming increasingly mortified by needing that simple kindness to help alleviate the sorrow and regret that he’s been dealing with. 

He wants to share and he doesn’t know at what point that he became comfortable enough with Liam to want to divulge information about his life, but he’s slowly finding out that he’s able to trust him with more than just having his back in a fight. 

“I didn’t lie. I don’t think they’ll answer but I don’t want to confirm that. It’s better to always be wondering than having to ask the hard question. If they have chosen not to contact me.” Theo moves the air conditioning up as high as he can, deflecting and wanting to hide how self conscious he’s being about this.

“You can be very proud and moody when you want to be, but there’s a lot more to you. You’re deeper than most people that I’ve met and you don’t have to carry everything all of the time.”  Liam explains. 

He isn’t looking at Theo, he’s watching the world go by while they drive back to Beacon Hills, listening and pondering how to help. 

How to help Theo.  

He doesn’t get a lot of people that listen and talk about his life or his past before he was a full blown vampire. That he had to find the strength to squash his blood lust before being able to live a somewhat normal existence.

Something about Liam is comforting to Theo, and he doesn’t like it. It’s too close to something that’s unattainable and too much of a distraction for him, but he can’t help but take the time to think about Liam’s statement and what it might be like to have a real person who sees him. It’s tearing at his heart.

“We should take the night off. You almost died and then randomly decided to forget what it means to go right. I think we earned it.” Liam teases, brightening up and easing the subject away from being more serious, understanding that Theo’s not ready yet, but he’s close. 

Closer than he has ever been before to talking and letting someone know more about him.

Liam’s intentionally poking fun at their night, teasing him about the miscommunication and letting the mood shift back to normal.

It’s the little things the werewolf does that’s slowly chipping away at the walls that he’s built, creating an attachment to him, unraveling his way of doing things that leaves Theo warm and comfortable enough to nod his head in agreement at the suggestion.

“Good! Let’s go to my house because I have a shower. Wait, no.” Liam stumbles over his words, his face red and he laughs awkwardly.

“I mean I prefer to use my shower cause…I…no. I obviously want to shower by myself. You can…you know. I don’t want to shower with you.” Liam groans, shaking his head, distressed over how he sounds and trying to formulate a better way of phrasing his response.

“You’re okay. I know what you meant.” Theo rolls his eyes, amused Liam is tongue tied and frazzled over the misspoken words.

“Oh, we have to stop for Josh.” Liam points out, and Theo curses his memory, highly annoyed by having to take longer to get back to town.

“Maybe he won’t remember.” Theo shrugs, hoping Liam will let it go and let them relax for the rest of the night.

“This is why you suck at socializing.” Liam scoffs, tilting his head in disbelief and pulling up Google on his phone to find a place to stop.

Theo could eat. He’s starving and Liam’s always hungry, constantly wanting food or something to snack on out of boredom.  Having to get something for Josh was probably Liam’s way of ensuring he stopped later anyway. He won't argue about it and he’s even okay with stopping farther outside of town if Liam wants to. 

It’s the least he can do for a werewolf that has been a friendly reminder that he still has some of his soul left, and maybe his humanity is more intact than he thought.

“Oh! How old are you in vampire years?” Liam winks, motioning to the clock on the dashboard.

“I’m getting out to walk.” Theo warns him, a little smile on his lips, noticing Liam’s deep frown. 

“No thank you.” Liam deadpans.

“I want pizza.” Theo says suddenly, getting a strange craving for junk food, and knowing full well that Liam will happily eat it.

“Okay, but I have to tell you that I lost my card.” Liam bites his lip, eyes wide with anticipation as Theo grumbles at him.

“Was this planned?” Theo responds, chuckling at Liam’s insulted expression.

“No. I forget things when I’m focused on a single task. I was thinking you would pay attention for me.” Liam says, a little bit too sure that Theo will start paying attention more to what the werewolf needs or does. 

He’s presumptuous and grinning, but he’s happy and Theo’s not going to ruin it.

“Where to?” Theo asks, grinning back. 

Chapter Text

“Thanks for the pizza. I’d say I owe you my life but I think I just saved yours.” Liam bites into a slice of his pizza, appreciating the taste and flopping down onto the floor.

“I wasn’t dying. I was temporarily dying.” Theo clarifies, frowning at himself for the way it sounds and seeing the pointed look on Liam’s face.

Theo doesn’t think Liam was the only reason he lived. Gerard mentioned it wasn’t a big dose of vervain but the credit for his life is something the werewolf wants, so he will let him have it. 

“Ah. My mistake. Are you eating or do we need to find a rabbit?” Liam asks, freshly showered and ready to get back to bothering Theo any chance that he can get. 

“Haha. Isn’t that original. Do you laugh at your own jokes?” He remarks, plopping down next to Liam, his hair still damp from the shower he just had. 

“Sometimes, but I laugh more at the faces you make when I make my award winning jokes.” Liam points out, laughing and handing Theo a slice of pizza. 

Liam throws a towel into his bedroom wall, the one he used for his shower and he’s not worried about the dampness or the mold that might happen because of it.  Theo worries about it but it’s not his house and he’s not about to get into another battle with the werewolf over whether he should pick it up or not. 

The shower ended up being an entire ordeal because Liam had to go first and he took a lot longer than expected, so by the time Theo made it into the bathroom the water was freezing.  Liam  had dripped more water onto the floor than what was used in the shower and Theo almost took a nosedive when he slipped on the water.

Theo was just happy to enjoy the water that he didn’t even mind using the frigid water to shower or slipping across the tile, but he does have a lot to say about Liam’s chaotic nature of leaving the bathroom like a tidal wave just hit it. Plus the fact he would have died from a concussion if he wasn’t a vampire.  

He was going to say something but Liam sighing and enjoying the pizza he bought makes Theo decide to wait on it, not wanting to ruin the happy and light moment he’s having by inhaling pizza on his bedroom floor.

The pleasure it gives Theo to watch Liam perk up by the sight of food is a feeling he wants to have more often. It’s pretty funny to watch and the appreciation over buying a small pizza isn’t a big deal, but Liam’s making it this huge thing. You’d think Theo bought him a major gift or gave him a priceless piece of art. 

“Can you eat this or do I need to find something else?” Liam states, growing more somber and Theo sighs, understanding the thought behind the words but he’s not wandering the streets needing blood every second.

“I only need blood at certain times.” Theo responds, halting Liam from asking any other questions by holding his hands up and making him wait to hear what he’s saying before interrupting like he always does.

“Oh. That’s kinda lame.” Liam points out, shrugging his shoulders and starting in on his third slice.

“How is that lame? I’m still a vampire.” Theo argues, with a defensive tone and Liam pats his knee, causing him to be embarrassed by the causal nature of it, along with the constant teasing that’s been going on since the day they met.

“Yes. Good for you.” Liam utters, through a mouthful of food, shoving the box of pizza away to stop himself from eating it all.

Theo scowls, grunting out a few words of disapproval, but knowing that this is their thing.  He can’t believe they have a thing but they do. 

Liam’s unapologetic teasing and Theo’s aggravated response to him is the way they communicate and it works for them. Even though he wishes it wouldn’t because now the vampire has to figure out the reason Liam’s the only one allowed to be overly intrusive and playful.  Theo’s not a playful person but he’s more open to it when Liam’s around. 

He wants to say something about Liam’s ridiculous response but decides to study his bedroom instead, wondering about every aspect of the werewolf and how to deal with the consequences of being interested in Liam’s life.  Finding out more about him is a pastime that Theo wasn’t aware he needed. 

“You play video games?” Theo nods at the bookshelf, noticing the PlayStation and Nintendo consoles on the tv stand and he becomes curious about which games Liam likes to play. 

“Yeah. I’m pretty good at them too.” Liam puffs out his chest, lazily tossing the plate he was holding towards the door, driving Theo’s brain into overdrive over needing to clean it up. 

Boyd always said he’s a self-diagnosed clean freak but Theo can only control little things in his life and being organized and clean was always one of them. He would hate to give that up. It’s the one thing he can control.

“I doubt you’re better than me.” Theo brags, keeping his mind off the clutter and letting his gaming skills be known.

Liam sits up, narrowing his eyes and wiping his fingers on his pants. The way it drives Theo nuts is the only reason he did it, especially when he’s smiling at the way he watches Liam not using the napkin he gave him earlier. 

How angry it makes Theo to watch the whole scene in front of him is egging Liam on and he continues to give him a hard time about what he’s telling him. 

“Teddy, don’t make assumptions you know nothing about. I’ve been playing with Mason since I was five years old.” Liam informs him, folding his arms across his chest and smiling proudly at the multiple games lining his bookshelf.

“So? I’ve been playing for a long time too. I don’t make statements I can’t back up.” Theo argues, a small smile on his face and seeing Liam’s anger heat up over being told he can be beaten. 

Liam doesn’t like to lose. The competitive nature is coming out and Theo is just as competitive as him, but probably more so because he has something to prove to everyone who’s always told him he can’t be anything other than another monster. 

“Okay. Well then let’s see. We can play a team game because you need more team building experiences.” Liam throws a controller and Theo dodges it, avoiding being hit in the head with it and glaring at him. 

Liam’s now rummaging through his games, intent on winning the game they haven’t even played yet.

Theo opens his mouth to argue, but Liam holds up a controller, eyes wide with glee and he no longer cares if he wins or not. The smile on Liam’s face makes him smile too, a warm and friendly feeling of competitiveness seeping through him, only happy to play and see if Liam can back up his words. 

“Oh look. This is a good one. You probably never played it. You’re like Seven hundred years old right?” Liam quips, throwing a game at him.

“It hasn’t been that long since I’ve been bitten.” He says; taking the game and studying it, unsure if he has played something like this before but he’s not going to pass up the opportunity to show Liam he knows what he’s doing.

He’s played a lot of games in the past and he always beats his roommates and yes; he’s a bit of a gamer sometimes but only when he’s bored and left to himself for too long. Josh is normally a good person to play with but with all the chaos in the town he hasn’t had a chance to play with him recently.

“Ah. Okay. Two hundred and fifty years then.” Liam puts the game in, snatching it out of Theo’s hand and patting the floor beside him, urging him to play and keep him occupied.

He doesn’t have to urge him to do anything but he’ll let Liam think he does.

“So is this a war game?” Theo questions, biting back a frown when Liam’s pleased with his lack of confidence.

“Oh I’m winning.” Liam nods; acting as if someone else is in the room and watching them play, but it’s only them and the fist pumping is a bit awkward, the whole thing feeling like a way for him to be able to brag about showing Theo up. 

“Team building Theo. Remember.” Liam stresses, turning the game on and handing Theo another controller to use, ignoring the one that’s underneath the bed from when he chugged it at his head earlier.

“You act like I’ve never been out in public.” Theo grumbles, getting comfortable next to him and focusing on winning now that Liam’s decided to insist he needs to work on working well with others.  

He works fine with others but he doesn’t need to interact with them all the time to be able to do that. Liam’s a social butterfly but Theo’s not. 

“You have and I’ve seen you. This is why we’re playing.” Liam grins, laughing. 

Theo rolls his eyes, turning back to the game and wanting to beat Liam out of a zealous need for his own confidence boost.

The game is turned on and it quickly develops into some kind of battle that Liam plays exactly how he interacts with Theo on a daily basis, blindly assuming he will follow him and know exactly what he’s supposed to do. 

There are no explanations on how to play, no answers on what the goal of this game even is and it’s fucken stupid, but Liam’s chatting the entire time.

“You made us lose another guy.” Liam seethes, eyeing the screen and slamming his finger against the controller, expecting that to do something for Theo and it doesn’t do a damn thing. 

“What is this? I thought I was playing against you but now I’m following you around.” Theo smacks the ground as another guy is lost in their game and his hand hurts from the force of the impact.

Reading Liam’s mind is an important part of this game and Theo knows the werewolf catapults into action when he sees the need, but doing it in a game makes it difficult for Theo to understand how to play.  

Liam’s running off in all directions, reading information before Theo can understand what the game plan is and it’s annoying, but it’s also a lot of fun watching him in his element, especially when he’s biting his lip in concentration, lighting up at every move from the opponent. 

“You’re not covering me Theo!” Liam yells, throwing his arms around to get his attention. 

That doesn’t do anything for him but it causes general confusion and a contagious anxious feeling Liam’s causing from waving at him like he’s going to understand what the hell he means by it, making panic and anxiety the dominant emotion. 

“I don’t even know what’s going on because I can’t see the map. You keep turning it off.” Theo complains, seething with indignation. 

He’s normally great at these types of things but Liam’s running around the battlefield with no real direction, waiting for him to get it together and read his mind. 

“Oh my gosh. That’s not a map Theo. So you need glasses? What kind of vampire are you? Teamwork is a key component.” Liam facepalms, the game over sign flashing across the screen.

“If you say teamwork one more time I’m going to knock you out.” Theo huffs, hating that they’ve lost but he’s still not sure what the game is even about and letting Liam become enraged from losing might be a new hobby of his.

“Oh please. Like you have the power.” Liam growls, starting  the game over and unfairly displaying the directions to Theo to read over in about five minutes before clicking go, but at least he’s more prepared this time.

“Okay. So I cover you and you need to get this thing over there?” Theo points at the screen and he really wants to play Mario Kart because this is too much for the night they’ve just had, but Liam’s not accepting the loss easily. He wants to win before turning it off. 

“The thing is a flag. I thought you could see in the dark like a cat?” Liam loudly barks out, unable to hide his delightfully obvious sarcasm from coming out.

“Cats don’t see fully in the dark Liam. They have better vision than humans but they don’t see 20/20. It’s better than us humans but it’s not like their eyes are flashlights.” Theo explains, throwing a person down a cliff and hoping it’s not their teammate that he just murdered in this game.

“You’re a cat person aren’t you? How is that amazingly funny and totally obvious based on your personality.” Liam chuckles, smiling warmly at the fact he’s just learned.

“I like animals.” Theo shrugs, falling over the cliff and dying, his character letting out a loud scream as he tumbles into the abyss. 

This game sucks. 

“Aww. So you wouldn’t eat a rabbit. Theo, that's so sweet.” Liam dramatically pretends to swoon, dodging a guy and grabbing the flag without a second glance.

“Screw you.” Theo scoffs, seeing Liam’s smug smile as he wins the game all by himself and makes Theo look like he lied about being good at video games.

He didn’t lie. This is a weird game with no context.

“I’m not that easy.” Liam retorts, and Theo can’t even make a comeback because he’s embarrassed by what he’s said and the witty response is good, but it’s not what he fucken meant.  

Liam knows that. 

“Can we play something I know how to play?” Theo begs, trying to redeem himself and let Liam know he can win and be useful. 

That isn’t really important in most everyday life but it’s important to Theo. It's important Liam knows too. 

“Dude. Just admit you lost but yes, I will put in something more kid friendly.” Liam pulls the game out, worrying Theo that he’s about to ruin the console altogether with his rough movements and always trying to keep things moving quickly. 

“Watch the game smart ass.” Theo rolls his eyes, but he’s smiling. Liam’s a fun distraction from his normal routine. 

“Your hair is wet.” Liam’s eyes are on him now, staring at his damp hair and in awe of Theo’s disheveled appearance.  It comes out of his mouth quickly and it catches Theo off guard, still reeling from their back and forth bickering about the game.

“Yeah. I showered.” He slowly says, confused and surprised by the change of direction in the conversation. 

Five seconds ago Liam was making fun of his gaming skills and now he’s talking to Theo about his hair. 

“I know. I don’t see you with a casual look much. It's nice.” Liam compliments him and goes right back to searching for another game to play. One that’s kid friendly or whatever.

Theo doesn’t go right back to the casual conversation though. He’s thrown by Liam’s compliment and that he noticed how he’s been dressing since they’ve met.

That’s the thing about being around Liam. He’s up front with his opinions and the werewolf is a presence. A very vocal and honest presence, but a chaos loving and a head-first type of guy that has Theo second guessing his own promise to himself about letting others get too involved in his life.  

Liam's already involved with the town and stopping to hand Josh some pizza was the most unnecessary thing he could do, but now that it's done he’s cemented his place in at least one of Theo’s roommates lives. 

How’s he supposed to tell Josh after all this that Liam’s going back home after all this stuff is resolved. How’s he supposed to tell Corey? Or any of them really; but Theo’s going to be the one missing him more than anyone and it’s dangerous for them because he’s not anyone that Liam should be talking to or friends with. He’s never going to accept anything Theo says on that topic though and he’s stubborn enough to do whatever he wants and ignore Theo’s arguments entirely.

“Found it!” Liam throws himself back down, falling into Theo and scrambling around before setting the game up, unapologetic about slamming his body into the vampire's chest .

“Okay. Ready?” Theo grunts, rubbing his chest and impatiently waiting for Liam to find a different controller to use, but he doesn’t need a new one. 

There’s nothing wrong with the ones they’ve been  using but they’re both switched out and handed to Theo.

“Yes.” Liam confirms, shoving Theo to move him out of the way from the pizza that he’s trying to grab. It’s gotta be his fifth piece. 

Theo notes that pizza is a favorite of Liam’s for future reference in case he needs it; and he won’t because they’re not hanging out after this is over, but knowing something about him helps Theo come to terms with it better. 

“Okay. I’m always the leader for obvious reasons.” Liam explains, as if Theo knows what the reason would be and he waits for him to tell him why but he doesn’t.

“What reason are you always a leader in this game?” Theo decides to ask, assuming that Liam wanted him to ask about it and the way his eyes brighten up at the question, causes a slight stir of emotion; a warm and twisted burning sensation that he won’t deal with until he’s back home.  

Away from Liam. 

“In most of the games I want to be the leader or the hero. That’s me. Or it’s want I want to be.” Liam admits, a bit too sad for Theo to ignore and brush it off as nothing.

“Why? You don’t you think you can be a leader? You’re always acting first before talking to me.” Theo teases; his smile fading, noticing Liam become more tense and angry as he starts to answer his question.

“I’ve always been too eager to solve things and I talk about stuff later. After it goes wrong. Sometimes I think I’m really bad at all this.” Liam hangs his head, only a little bit but Theo notices anything off about him, always keeping track of details that involve Liam. 

“Take it from someone that got someone killed. You aren’t bad at anything and I wish I could be as happy as you everyday.” Theo confesses and it’s easy, telling Liam all of this and admitting he envies him sometimes.

Being happy and ready to take on anything is a great ability and Theo wants to master it, but there’s too many times he’s been too much of a screw up to accept that things will get better. It doesn’t work on making him happier and he doesn’t bother with doing anything out of the ordinary or taking charge in any way.  There’s no need. He’ll always be a failure. 

“I’m not happy everyday. I still have my moments or things happen. That’s life.  I think you’re really hard on yourself and I hate that.” Liam places his hand on Theo’s shoulder, a comforting touch and he’s not ready for it.

He pulls away, bolting up and sucking in a deep breath, then he picks up Liam’s towel and his plate, falling back into old habits. 

He finds a trash can and throws the plate out, hanging the towel on the doorknob as he tries to escape Liam’s watchful gaze. 

“Sorry. I wasn’t trying to be weird or something.” Liam blurts out, looking ashamed and embarrassed. 

“It’s fine. I can’t keep looking at this room.” Theo cheerfully jests, but the moment is lost and now the room is filled with silence. 

It’s awkward and tricky to navigate and Liam’s face tells it all. Theo’s hurt his feelings and he doesn’t know what to do about it because he can’t explain that he’s not upset about being touched. It’s the opposite.

It’s so far the opposite and it’s giving Theo a lot of pressure and unexpected fluttering feelings swirling around in his mind that can’t be good for either of them. 

He curses the day he decided to go find out what the roaring noise was in the preserve and when he found Liam. Now he has to lose him and he can’t lose Liam without losing something else too. Something he hasn’t felt in a long time. 

“I thought bats were dirty?” Liam mouths, and they’re right back to where they were. 

“I’m not a bat Liam.” Theo deadpans, a laugh on the tip of his tongue and the abrupt change of direction again doesn’t sit well with him, but Liam’s not an idiot. 

He’s doing this on purpose. Helping Theo to switch gears and not have to apologize for being rude when all he was doing was being a friend. 

“But do you fly off as a bat?” Liam quizzes him and Theo groans, he didn’t realize what time it was until the insane explosion of random questions.

“I sincerely hope that’s a joke.” He sighs, glaring as Liam smiles softly and chuckles to himself.

“You know what I think? You and Boyd need to get over yourselves.” Liam mentions, without any further explanation and no prompting whatsoever about Theo’s former friend.

“Okay.” Theo snaps loudly and he wants to be sure Liam heard the anger, the seriousness to his voice. 

If he did, Liam doesn’t flinch. He’s standing now, helping Theo to clean up around the room and making it a big task to stay annoyed by the random mention of Boyd.

Nothing with Liam seems random though and now he’s thinking about how to get out of talking about this and then he’s standing, frozen in a corner with a dirty towel, eyes wide open in amazement at Liam’s bold way of scolding him about the past.

“I just wanted you to know. That’s all.” Liam adds, taking the towel from Theo and throwing it into a hamper. 

“Oh.” Theo roughly swallows, picking up large pieces of paper that have been scribbled on and he shakes his head, smiling when he realizes that its notes on possible leads for the murders happening around town.

“You write just how you talk.” He says, smiling as Liam narrows his eyes and makes a loud hmm at him.

Theo’s phone starts to vibrate and he isn’t going to answer it, not wanting to be interrupted but the number is familiar. It’s a number he doesn’t normally hear from and he’s not sure why it’s popping up on his cell now.  He never gave this person his new number. 

“Hello.” Theo greets the caller, unsure whether to hang up or not say anything at all. Ignoring seems to be a decent plan but he’s already answered and it’s too late. 

“Theo Raeken. You know I had to hunt down a bunch of people to find your phone number and when I did you had already changed it. Imagine my surprise when a werewolf sends me a text that reads SOS.” A loud and sarcastic voice says.

Theo glances up and Liam’s face is frozen in fear, listening to the call and worried about his reaction to being told he’s texted someone without telling Theo about it. A fucken vampire too. 

The anger he should feel at being surprised like this isn’t there, not even a hint of anger is inside of Theo and it worries him that he’s not able to find a way to get mad at Liam for doing this.  It’s such a betrayal of trust but he can’t bring himself to argue over it. 

“Didn’t realize you hang with werewolves now. You know I hate them.”  The caller sighs, annoyed at knowing about his Liam addiction. 

“Hey!” Liam sharply protests, snarling at the callers' hate filled words. 

“Sorry, I didn’t realize he contacted you.” Theo keeps his eyes on Liam, making sure he knows how ticked off he is by this.

“Oh I figured. I’ve been trying to track you down for months. Tell me. It was my brother wasn’t it? He’s a real pain in the ass.” The caller laughs and Liam’s ready to defend himself against someone he doesn’t know. 

“It’s not my fault! You have him listed as vampire in your phone. Do you know that the rest of the vampires that live with you are listed as roommates 1 through 4? “ Liam scolds, judging him hard and Theo’s not going to fucken take that because he wasn’t the one invading someone’s privacy.

“What does that have to do with it?” Theo cries, angrily trying to grasp why Liam contacted someone on his behalf.

“Well he wasn’t listed the way the rest of your vampire friends are so I thought it meant you were close and that we could ask him about his thoughts on the situation of the murders.” Liam explains, breathing heavily and pleading with Theo to get his thought process.

“You went through my phone?” Theo asks, ready to lose his mind over the intrusion into his life that Liam had no right to intrude upon.

“I wanted help and I thought if I messaged them it would be better. I know it sounds bad now.” Liam says, desperate to convince him that he meant well, but he’s not going to stand here and have this conversation with someone on the other end of the line.

Theo walks out into the hallway, putting his finger to his ear out of old habits and dreading having to handle this now.

“What’s going on?” His friend asks, sounding more worried than Theo expected and he’s not quite sure what to make of it.

“I don’t know. It’s supernaturals being murdered by other supernaturals I think? It has to be. It’s a long story.” Theo sighs, growing tired at the thought of explaining it all in a short period of time.

“Why do you have a werewolf involved in this?” The questions is angry and somewhat irrational considering what’s been happening but he will focus on that another time. 

“The werewolf is Liam and he’s Liam .” Theo explains and it makes absolute perfect sense to him when he says it. 

It’s so clear in his head that he forgets no one else would understand what that means.

“Okay. Look, do I have to send someone? Are you gonna die?” The worry is felt through the phone call. 

“No, I’m not going to die. I would appreciate some thoughts though?” Theo asks, wondering if he’s been looking at this case all wrong the whole time. 

“Okay. I don’t know anything.” The voice is rude and exactly how he remembers it. 

“Oh right.” Theo sighs, and it’s embarrassing he’s getting a head of himself and not explaining anything at all, but it’s too much to handle right now when Liam’s standing at the end of the hallway, listening to every word they say.

“Let me start at the beginning.” Theo decides and Liam’s face is blank, unreadable. 

It makes this all the more nerve wracking and frustrating to explain to someone he hasn’t seen in the longest time and someone who doesn’t know what he’s been through. 

“Alright. Get your little werewolf buddie on the line too.” 

“ LIAM is my name.” Liam growls, snatching the phone from Theo’s hand and putting it on speaker, rage displayed on his face and it’s putting a smile on Theo’s face. 

“Okay, Liam. My name's Damon. Tell me what’s going on?” Damon asks and the hint of amusement in his voice irks Theo to no end but at least Liam’s less nervous now. He doesn’t like the thought of him being nervous over his reaction. 

He’s mad, but he’s still not mad enough to hate Liam over this. That would be silly and hating Liam doesn’t seem remotely possible at this point. Not when he’s already shown Theo he cares more than most people. He’s never had anyone care that much about him before. 

“Well first let me ask, are you a friend?” Liam smirks, looking at Theo with a challenge in his eyes.

“Liam.” Theo pleads, annoyed he has to do this now and that he can’t wait until after they finish explaining the murders.

“I don’t have friends.” Damon says, with a little laugh.

“Oh my gosh. He is your friend.” Liam laughs, rolling his eyes and Theo leans back on the wall, deciding it’s best to let him take the lead on this because he’s going to anyway so why not let him have this.

“Is someone going to fill me in or are we going to chat and have a sleepover?” Damon asks, sounding out of patience and honestly Theo doesn’t want to be in this conversation at all, but he can’t escape and Liam’s holding his phone. 

“Rude.” Liam snarks, and he sighs at Theo, pained by the way Damon is demanding for him to hurry up.

Theo knows Liam. He’s not going to give anyone the satisfaction of hurrying him to do anything and it’s he’s right, Liam pauses, waiting for dramatic effect before starting his long and unnecessary rant about what’s going on. 

He adds in so many details that aren’t needed that Theo starts to laugh, enjoying the fact he’s giving someone else a hard time for once and he almost gets jealous over it, but he’s able to keep it from showing. 

By the time Liam finishes his ramble Theo is smiling and Damon is exasperated at the long winded speech he received. 

“Anyway, you think it’s a hybrid?” Theo asks, stepping in to finish the conversation and get off the phone. He’s exhausted and wants to sleep.

“What the fuck.” Liam startles, gawking at him and angry over the lack of honesty that Theo has shown about their prior conversations with Argent.

“No.  I’ll call you back. I gotta convene with my brother. Unfortunately.” Damon says, and the phone is disconnected before he can say anything else.

“Well you have a lot of explaining to do.” Liam hisses, fangs protruding out of his mouth and it’s with great pleasure that Theo decides to knock him down a peg.

“Me? You went through my phone and texted my friend. Then you didn’t tell me but let him call me.” Theo reminds him, suddenly turning angry and Liam huffs at him, eyes blazing gold. 

“Well, we all can’t be perfect Theo but I’ll accept your apology and that we’re even.” Liam says, nodding and deciding that’s what he was about to do. It wasn’t. 

“You don’t even know anything about me! What’s wrong with you!” Theo hisses and Liam opens his mouth to argue but then he’s fascinated by the shift of his face.  His vampire face.

“Wow.” Liam hums, walking over to him and touching the side of his face, eyes fixed on his. 

“What? What do you want?” He fumes, but Liam doesn’t give him any explanation but he smiles, turning away from him and looking bored. 

“Do you want to play that stupid game again, or call your friend back?” Liam asks, giving up and rolling with his own crazy antics.

“He’s not my friend genius.” Theo argues, not accepting the idea at all but he does like Liam’s style in throwing jabs at him. 

He’s frustratingly good at throwing comebacks his way.

Liam drags him back into his room, happily handing him the controller back and settling down on the floor to play. 

It’s nice. It’s almost fun. Theo’s still annoyed but he’s okay with keeping this evening a bit longer and it’s the nicest night that he’s had in a while. 

“There’s hybrids. I fucken hate your ass.” Liam grumbles, glaring his way but Theo smiles, since they’re now even because Liam had to send out SOS texts in his worried state. 

“It’s not a hybrid though but I figured I’d check. Cover all my bases.” Theo explains and Liam sighs, nodding in agreement.

“Anything else you want to tell me?” Liam asks.

“Yeah, pay attention.” He smiles, watching the characters die from being shot multiple times before Liam notices.

“You didn’t watch! Theo.” Liam sighs.

“Liam.” 

Chapter Text

Theo was up all night playing games with Liam and it took about two days for Damon to talk to his brother and get back to him. 

He got a text Monday morning telling him to look into a few things before he could give him a solid answer on what’s going on. That’s assuming he even knows what’s going on in the first place. 

Theo was able to convince Liam to come with him to the library but the entire car ride he’s been looking over his shoulder, trying to see what the texts say and trying to inadvertently spy on his conversations. It’s a little invasive but Theo’s used to Liam’s antics and at this point he welcomes the change in direction. At least they don’t have to go to any more hunting parties. 

That’s an odd one for the books for sure. 

The loud sigh from Liam echoes through his truck, making him pause his thoughts and glance over at him, ready to hear his next ten minutes of rambling while Theo sits in silence, waiting for the werewolf to finish. 

Another loud sigh from Liam and Theo looks directly at him, understanding he’s looking for his full attention. 

Theo’s still driving. He appreciates the confidence in his abilities to keep his eyes on the road while simultaneously keeping up with Liam’s conversations, but he’s been a little tired recently from all of the back and forth they’ve been doing to help the town. 

Liam loudly grumbles. 

“Yes?” Theo asks, deciding to take the lead and let Liam express his thoughts like he does every single day of Theo’s life and anytime they’re together. Any minor inconvenience is always a big deal and part of Liam’s complaints, but Theo’s realized it’s how the werewolf deals with the seriousness of the town's problem. 

“ Why did your friend not call you back?” Liam fumes, acting insulted on Theo’s behalf and his angry face and look of indignation is a dramatic reminder that he has a friend. One that isn't taking any chances on him being slighted or wronged by others and Theo doesn’t need the help, but Liam’s reaction is a bit entertaining this early in the morning.

“He had his brother text. He did get back to me.” Theo explains, sighing as Liam frowns and doesn’t take that as a reasonable explanation.

“Ah yes, the brother who’s been unnamed.” Liam nods, chugging a cup of coffee and watching Theo’s fear go up, realizing he’s probably about to be hyped up on caffeine. Something Liam doesn’t need help with. 

“He hadn’t been unnamed. You’re just nosy.” Theo points out, chuckling at the way Liam scoffs at him.

“I expect to be informed. What if he doesn’t know what the hell he’s talking about. Hmmm? Think Theo.” Liam argues, ripping Theo’s phone off the dash and looking through his text messages. 

“Excuse me.” Theo snaps, but he can only watch as Liam searches through his phone for some sign of who this brother is and why he cares. Why Liam is indignant over this, is a mystery he hasn’t figured out yet.

“He seems…. wait. Who’s this person to you?” Liam questions, skeptical and a snarl of displeasure comes out, further proving that Theo’s point is correct. Liam’s nosy and invades all aspects of his life, but he doesn’t even mind anymore. It’s a normal thing and he’s used to having him around.

“He’s Damon’s brother and sometimes they chat and he has better insight. Why are you so obsessed with him?” Theo smirks, letting Liam seethe a bit more.

“I’m not. I’m….Never mind.” Liam mumbles, throwing his seat back much farther than needed and Theo’s happy it doesn’t break because Liam’s werewolf strength is definitely being used against his truck right now as he becomes irritated by Theo’s phone messages for some ridiculously unknown reason.

“Anyway, is this a sign you’re hangry? I can stop because I'm not dealing with a hungry and angry wolf. One emotion is enough.” He says, feeling more relaxed now that Liam’s less aggravated and only silently annoyed.

“Can I go on a feeding mission with you?” Liam responds, eyes wide with excitement and curiosity, looking to see what he says and how he feels about having company.

“Liam.” Theo groans. That’s not even how it works. They don’t have missions or snack times or whatever Liam’s going on about.

“What? If you murder a bunny I’ll be upset and never get over it, but if it’s like a rat or something, I guess I can deal with it.” Liam says, sitting up and moving his seat forward, intent on making this happen.

“A rat. That’s gross.” Theo makes a face, imagining eating a rodent. That wouldn’t be a good idea and even if he could do that, why would he? He’s not a fucken animal.

“Ohhh. So you’re a boujie vampire.” Liam teases, pleased by this new revelation.

Theo isn’t actually anything special. He likes his peace and to be left alone, but he doesn’t feed off rodents. There’s a new way that he found works well and he’s able to get what he needs, making it easier but he’s never ever used rodents to get his blood fix. That’s just terrible planning and borders on psychotic behavior. 

“I did find a good alternative instead of feeding on humans or bunnies.” Theo wryly replies, a soft smile displayed on his face, not missing the way Liam perks up at knowing he’s not out at night murdering rabbits.

“What way is that? I didn’t get my questions last night so I’m starting now.” Liam points out, refusing to give any room for Theo to get out of the investigation into his life that he loves to do.

“I use blood bags. From the hospital. So it’s not murder or feeding off innocent animals. Someone taught me and I got used to it. It will never be as sweet as the fresh stuff, but I manage.” He explains, shrugging and pulling into the library.

“Is this person that taught you the guy on the phone last night?” Liam narrows his eyes, and Theo can only shake his head, ready for Liam's 100 questions before the clock strikes 10am. 

“No, it’s his brother. The one you seem to be so interested in knowing about.” Theo jests, nudging Liam’s shoulder and he scowls, rolling his eyes at Theo but that’s okay, he doesn’t mind. At least he’s got a good joke to tease him about, even if he doesn’t get why Liam cares so much about this guy.

“Ahh. How wonderfully amazing. Must be a saint in the vampire world.” Liam mockingly says, confusing Theo by his deliberate use of sarcasm and his attempt at being rude.

“What’s your deal? He's not that bad. I could have gone off and murdered a whole bunch of people. Is that what you want me to do?” He asks, and he’s starting to become annoyed by the anger towards a guy Liam hasn’t even met and doesn’t know anything about. 

How is Damon somewhat okay but Stefan is the issue?

Liam doesn’t realize he’s confusing the two and their personalities. Damon wouldn’t even try the alternative way of getting blood but an argument is not something Theo wants this early in the morning. 

“I know. It’s upsetting that’s all.” Liam complains, eyes focused on the road even though he’s not driving, and desperate to give Theo the hardest time of his life today. For what? 

“Why?” He questions.

Theo, exasperated, takes the keys out of the ignition, waiting for Liam to get out or change his attitude. He knew he should have stopped and let him eat, or maybe he should have ditched him today to do his own research if he was going to be so damn difficult.

Who’s he kidding? Theo would never ditch Liam. 

“Because Theo. I thought I was your best friend? Now I learn you have vampires in other towns and your fucken roommates are pretty close too. That’s fine. I’m okay with friends, but I don’t want.” Liam stops, trying to find the words to describe what he’s saying and feeling, as Theo remains in the dark about his entire speech, but all he knows is he wants to help them fix whatever is wrong so they can continue working together.

Not that he cares about what happens if he doesn’t know the people being murdered. Liam does, however it’s starting to affect their own friends now anyway. Theo can’t let Liam feel bad or get upset about not being able to save everyone.  He’s just like his Alpha. Theo’s completely soft now. It’s embarrassing,

The other day Tracy asked if he wanted to take Donovan out for some dinner and his response was, not if it kills anyone. The look of surprise, mixed with Josh’s laughter didn’t really leave room for Theo to pretend he hasn’t been affected by Liam’s goody-two-shoes behavior.

This is insane: why does it matter if Liam is upset over someone he knows and why did Theo think that he wanted him to have friends or people to hang around with so he wasn’t so moody and cold all the time?  That’s all Liam seems to care about and now he’s mad about it.

“What? Will you just say what you want to say so we can get back to helping strangers.” Theo snaps, letting his temper get the best of him and sighing as Liam deflates, saddened by his tone of voice.

“It’s…I don’t know. These people know all about you and I feel like I’m just learning new things every day and it sucks. I keep climbing over the wall. Trying to climb over your walls of fear and despair or something, but someone’s already done that.” Liam admits, a softness to his voice and the vulnerability coming off him is eating away at Theo’s anger.

Dammit .

“No one has done that. They helped me get myself together and made sure I wasn’t a risk to people. Or at risk of letting other people know about vampires. That’s all.” Theo clears his throat, and there’s a small feeling of relief at Liam not being upset with what he’s done to help himself and then a gut wrenching feeling of sadness that comes with a weakness for a certain blue eyed beta that invades every part of him. 

The care Liam has is laughable, not needed and it doesn’t remotely make sense because Theo’s a terrible person but Liam doesn’t see him like that. He sees all of him and he’s trying to understand Theo, which makes it hard to understand why he’s letting him. Allowing Liam into every fraction of his life and mind, making it too hard to back away from him now.

“I have a confession.” Liam says, uncomfortable and nervous, the blue eyes he has bleeding into gold, going back and forth between gold and blue while he struggles internally with telling Theo something.

 It must be important.

Theo waits, allowing him time to breathe and get out whatever it is that he needs to today, but he’d be lying if he said he wasn’t nervous himself. Liam’s face is petrified and he wants to fix it and know why he’s so worried about talking to him when he babbles non stop every day. 

A loud gasp of air leaves Liam and he turns to Theo, eyes closed. He’s never been so intrigued and nervous about someone else talking, but that’s the thing about Liam. He’s good at knowing how to get underneath his skin. He’s done it so many times that it’s too easy for him and barely needs to try anymore. 

It’s too hard to breathe when Liam is staring at him, looking into his eyes like he’s about to admit some earth shattering secret. 

What is it?

“I think you might be my friend.” Liam gasps, sighing and throwing his head forward into his hands as Theo takes a second to not murder him for making him panic over absolutely nothing.

“Are you fucken serious? Liam, we are friends.” Theo seethes, coming down from his panicked state and if he had a living and beating heart it would be beating frantically for no reason, but now he’s admitted he’s friends with someone and that’s just great . 

“No. I said I was your friend. I never said you were mine. UNTIL today.” Liam smiles, and it’s wide and happy. He’s doing this on purpose and reveling in Theo’s confusion and anger at being forced into recognizing what they are, but that’s just Liam for you.

“Any other questions or things you wanna bring up?” Theo ceases arguing, there’s no point and no reason to prolong Liam’s teasing. It’s making him warm and comfortable. Too comfortable for his liking.

“Nope. Hurry up. You’re burning daylight.” Liam says, hopping out of the car and walking towards the library where Corey and Mason are randomly standing. He’s sure Liam must have invited them and didn’t talk to Theo about it. 

Why would they need to be worried about daylight..no, no, he’s not even going to bring that point up because now they need to worry about looking into some weird supernatural creature he’s never heard of until the text he received this morning. 

The joy of being helpful and saving others. This is why he doesn’t do this, but Liam’s an enthusiastic friend so he doesn’t really have much of a chance to convince him of letting this go. 

Theo heads out of the vehicle and nods at Mason and Corey in greeting, getting a glare to hurry up from Liam in the background, always smiling even when he’s glaring at Theo.  That shouldn’t even be possible, but Liam seems to be able to do that at any time he likes. It’s a skill he must have mastered.

Liam runs through the door and finds multiple books about folklore and mythology, shoving past Theo and making sure to find as many books as possible, but he’s very thorough about it. 

“Okay! So Theo talked to one of his many hidden friends that he has and they brought up that it’s possible it could be a fox. You know, one of those kitsune things like Kira.” Liam explains, throwing about ten books too many on one of the tables, eyeing Mason cynically. 

“That doesn’t make sense. Why would they be murdering others around town? I’ve never seen a fox that would bother killing people like this and especially not in the way the murderers are happening.” Corey says, frowning and leaning on his hand, thinking hard about what he’s just heard.

“I call bullshit on Theo’s friends.” Liam hums, tossing a book at Theo to read and waiting for everyone to agree with him.

“I don’t. They didn’t say they knew exactly what was going on. We asked for input. Chill the hell out.” Theo argues, hardening his jaw and suddenly feeling defensive over his vampire associates. He might not be their friend but he doesn’t need to be unappreciative of their help. Liam’s the one who brought them into this. 

“Wow. Someone’s a bit too rude for it being so early in the morning.” Liam says, letting out a growl and then sighing in defeat. 

A small thing but it’s the first time he’s allowed Theo to win an argument. 

“You guys fight more than anyone I’ve ever met.” Mason smiles, rolling his eyes and glancing at Corey with a knowing look. 

What look that might mean he won’t be able to deal with now. Not when they have all of this work to do and they still have no idea what they’re doing, or who's responsible.

He’s surprised Derek hasn’t shown up yet and decided to make himself the self appointed leader today. Theo doesn’t hate the guy but he doesn’t want any more people getting involved in this. It’s too confusing as it is.

“It’s not my fault. Theo’s a real hard guy to talk to, but he’s more fun when he loses in Mario Kart and team building games.” Liam taunts, eyes watching Theo for his reaction, but he only waves him off and avoids Corey’s stare. 

It’s best to avoid disputes between them when eyes are watching. Corey’s already teased him about his constant hang out sessions with Liam that go past helping out that town. He’s not going to egg him on when Liam’s proving his point.

“What does Scott say?” Mason asks, scanning a book about supernatural phenomena and keeping his head down, smiling at Liam’s words.

“He’s kinda at the same point. Maybe we’re looking at this all wrong.” Theo grumbles, closing the book he’s been pretending to read.

“What if it’s one of you?” Liam asks, looking up and hesitating as he waits to see what Corey and Theo are going to say. 

“One of us? Like a vampire.” Corey grunts, uncomfortable, but not disagreeing with Liam’s statement. He’s very nervous about the implications of it.

Liam nods, sighing as Mason sharply raises his eyebrows at him in warning.

“It can’t be. Donovan is crazy but he’s not stupid. I’ve never seen a vampire maul someone like this. It’s not a vampire. No way. it’s more likely a werewolf considering the tearing of the heads.” Theo shifts in his chair, remaining silent and perturbed by the vampire slander.  He won’t pretend they’re perfect, but they aren’t about to take responsibility for something they know they aren’t doing.

Corey holds his breath, Mason is wide eyed and nervous, casually keeping his eyes on Liam as he tries his best to keep out of it. 

“We don’t bite people’s heads off Theo. Nice try.” Liam snarls, a low pitched growl leaving his mouth and Theo’s never been so enamored with his eyes before. The softness of the blue that mixes in with the golden light when he’s angry and half shifted, makes his spine tingle.

“We don’t randomly bite people’s necks multiple times and you know I can’t stand-wait—” Theo jumps up, thinking hard about how the murders have happened and the evidence they already have acquired.

“No, say what you wanna say ass.” Liam grumbles, not getting what he’s saying and that he’s way past arguing and maybe partially flirting with him to be bothered by the misguided vampire stories.

“What if it’s both?” Theo asks, thinking long and hard about what they already know and he’s impressed by the fact he’s realized something before Liam since he’s always ten feet ahead in his thoughts. 

“Hmmm. Interesting.” Mason leans forward, now listening and closing the book in front of him. 

“You already said it wasn’t a hybrid.” Liam whispers, holding his finger to his mouth to shush them from getting thrown out for being too loud.

“Not a hybrid. One of each.” Theo whispers, arrogantly smirking and loving Liam’s eye roll. 

Seeing him in a state of acceptance and mild annoyance over Theo finding out something before him is a lot of fun.

“That could explain why it looks like a hybrid but doesn’t fit all of the typical things we know. We were looking for one thing but it’s actually two supernatural creatures and since some of the stuff was humans describing what they saw, it would explain the partial disconnect.” Corey nods, agreeing with Theo but Liam’s not impressed. Not by a long shot.

“But why would they work together? We barely like you and I can’t imagine how they would split their murderous acts. I don’t even get what their goal would be.” Liam clicks his tongue, thinking and trying to find a flaw in Theo’s theory. 

“I don’t think we need to know their goal if we can find out if Theo’s right. The evidence was being looked at like it was one person, not two. If we can confirm Theo’s theory is plausible then we should be able to narrow it way down.” Mason pulls out a notepad, scribbling notes and enthusiastically nodding his head in agreement. 

He could use a cellphone and save paper, but whatever. Theo’s not going to bother with that one.

“How have you been saving this brain power? We could have saved some time.” Liam reluctantly replies, eyes rolling again, but he’s smiling now. 

“Okay, let’s look at the evidence again, in a new light. You two go to the sheriff's office and me and Corey will talk to Deaton. He has records of every supernatural entity and encounter in this town. We could use his input too.” Mason gleefully tells them, deciding he’s the leader today and Theo won’t argue, not when he’s convinced them he knows what he’s talking about.

“Oh shucks. Another day with Theo.” Liam snarks, but there’s a stutter in his voice and a hint of cheerfulness bleeding through, creating a kind of longing Theo wasn’t aware he was capable of.

“I’m sure you’ll survive. I’m going to call Josh to take Donovan out.” Corey pulls out his phone and starts dialing, happy to hear he’s staying with Mason. 

“Whaaa? Is he a pet?” Liam bluntly asks, dumbfounded by Corey’s statement, as he looks to Theo for clarification. 

“No. He needs to be monitored because he’s going to go off course if they aren’t there to rein him in.” Mason wistfully informs Liam, dismayed by the way he has to talk about Donovan and their steady watchful eyes on him. 

“Why thank you Mason.” Liam growls, glaring at Theo for not explaining this to him before and immediately offended that his friend knows more than he does. 

There’s no reason to argue or acknowledge Liam’s tantrum over being left out of the loop, so he doesn’t. He nods for Liam to follow and grabs his keys from off the table, giving Corey one last look of warning before he leaves them to their own devices.

Corey’s smart but Josh doesn’t handle Donovan well. If he says he needs help, Corey will have to be there and wait on going to the clinic and Mason can’t go. It won’t be a good idea to take a human on Donovan’s escapade but he has to trust that Tracy and Corey can handle this, because he has no choice but to backtrack.

Liam rushes to the truck, never waiting for Theo to catch up until he’s at the door and impatiently waiting for him to hurry up and open it.

Theo takes his time to open it, hoping Liam won’t break the door off in the process, but he’s staring him down with great anticipation and he’s able to safely get it open before that happens. 

“I can’t believe you.” Liam slams the door shut, high off their newfound clues and irked by Theo. 

Who the hell knows why but he’s mad about something. 

“Oh my gosh. Shut up Liam.” Theo briskly laughs, used to his mannerisms and complaints, but the werewolf is studying his face, a bit too hard for him to grasp the reason behind.

“I could kiss you or smack you. I don't know which one yet but thanks a fucken lot for not telling me Donovan’s a raging psychopath walking around town.” Liam folds his arms across his chest, eyes flashing and Theo rolls his eyes. 

He almost misses the kiss part until Liam’s eyes widen in realization at what he’s just said. 

“Um. I don’t normally kiss people I like.” Theo fumbles his words, embarrassed and unsure of how to play this off.

“Do you kiss people you hate? That’s kinda dark Theo.” Liam teases slowly, doing what he can to ease the pressure of their embarrassment.

“No, but you kinda seem like you would be wanting me to take the lead on the kiss and I really don’t know how I’d do with that. I haven’t kissed someone in ages.” Theo admits, word vomiting up his own inner voice and fears of allowing someone to be that close again. He’s never had a serious relationship with anyone but he doesn’t want to know what it feels like to have to be the one to take charge on something like that. He doesn’t know if he’d be any good at it.

“First off, what the actual fuck Theo. I think I can handle kissing your stupid face and secondly, when can I blow your mind? Thought I was your friend? I guess you’re thinking about me every day.” Liam slyly winks, batting his eyelashes at him and shamelessly trying to keep Theo embarrassed. It’s so annoying. 

“Go away Liam.” Theo mutters, cheeks bright red and he’s having trouble breathing now because the wolf is happily being flirtatious with him. Just to get a rise out of him. 

“Wait, we're here!” Liam yells, jumping out of the truck and running into the sheriff's office. 

How Liam manages to keep himself from collapsing from exhaustion is a miracle. The energy he has makes Theo jealous. Might be a werewolf thing. Maybe he should switch sides. Can he even do that?  Interesting thought to think about.

Theo’s able to shrug off Liam’s flirty comments and open the door of the sheriff's office. 

All eyes are on him, or it could be that he’s just too worried about being thrown out, but he just never knows if someone’s going to flip out because a vampire entered the room. 

The sheriff is looking at Liam like he’s lost his mind and then he sizes up Theo, nervous by his presence and it’s Theo’s own insecurities that make him think he should go wait in the truck. He should. He really should, but Liam’s eagerly waiting for him to sit down.

“This is all I have, but apparently you have more according to my son.” Sheriff Stilinski muses, reminding them about the stolen files from the Stilinski household. 

“I will not answer anything without my lawyer present.” Liam comments, leafing through the folders and photos before Theo can lie about stealing anything.

“There was one guy that said he saw two.” The Sheriff tells them, only talking to Liam specifically and Theo’s heart plummets in his chest. 

This is how it works, how it always is. No one wants to talk to him or bother being around him because he’s a menace. 

“Wow. So Theo’s pretty smart huh.” Liam proudly says, remaining calm and focused on the folders he’s browsing but he’s definitely making a point to include him. He doesn’t need to, but he is. 

“What two did he say he saw? Any description?” Theo asks, wanting to investigate things further, as Liam hums softly, enjoying this new investigative approach that he has.

“He said that he noticed there were two, but he was drunk and since it wasn’t the normal description that others had, no one thought it meant anything.” Sheriff Stilinski explains, talking to Liam and pausing to let him ask more questions.

“What? Oh. I wasn’t asking. Theo was.” Liam turns to Theo, eyebrows raised and expecting the Sheriff to correct himself. 

“Liam.” Theo quietly warns him, because he doesn’t want to cause any friction with the Sheriff’s department and bring any heat to any of the other vampires. Try telling Liam that though. He’s incredibly insulted on Theo’s behalf.

The Sheriff turns to Theo, eyes skeptical, hard and unwilling to accept that he’s different. It’s not anything new, but he does start to talk to Theo, the hard and angry look from Liam getting to him. 

“He said that one was a woman and one was a guy. He didn’t get a good description of their faces, but he managed to figure out they both were involved together in their killing of the hunters at the bar.” The sheriff rubs his temples, tired and worn down from all of the dead bodies piling up.

“So they’ve killed hunters but they’ve killed super naturals too?” Liam perks up, eyes burning with heated questions and a need to right the wrongs of the town. 

“What if it’s not all the same. Maybe it’s a revenge twist.” Theo speculates, explaining his own theory in his head to explain why a vampire and werewolf might be working together. If they even are different supernatural creatures from each other. That remains to be seen. 

“But revenge for what? We’ve always had hunters before and why now?” Liam bites his tongue, glaring at them for some kind of reason for all of this, angry at the lack of reason and support for all the blood shed. 

“That’s the question.” Sheriff Stilinski shrugs, imagining all the possible answers and consequences for what’s going on in the town. 

“Can we assume there’s two people now?” Liam asks, looking at Theo for confirmation and refusing to look at the Sheriff out of spite over him ignoring Theo when they first walked in.

“I think so but we can't be sure.” Sheriff Stilinski replies, tapping his chin in thought.

“I think it’s safe to assume that guy wasn’t that drunk.” Theo stresses, noting the hesitation of the Sheriff. He might not want to admit a vampire does have intuition but they’re running out of time and there’s no need for such petty thoughts to keep them from handling things correctly. 

“We’ll be in touch.” Liam stands, grasping the folder tightly as if he’s about to keep it, narrowly avoiding the Sheriff’s expectant watchful eyes. He gives it back slowly.

“Let's go. This is ridiculous.” Liam huffs, chest out and pulling Theo out the door briskly, waving roughly to deputy Parrish. 

“My gosh. You would think they’d want the help. Like really? Gosh.” Liam yaps, disappointed by the interaction.

“Liam.” 

“I was thinking I haven’t eaten in like 5 or 6 hours? Let’s eat and then reconnect with Mason and Corey.” Liam decides for them, taking Theo’s keys out of his pocket and brushing over his arm, sending warm and discontented messages to Theo’s head.

“Liam.”

“Anyways that guy was a real jerk to you and I’m sorry. He’s always meant well but sometimes people get things in their heads and it gets hard to change it. You’d think the McCall pack would have helped with that. Y’know?” Liam grumbles, babbling on and not hearing Theo.

“Liam.” Theo, exasperated, says it louder this time, waiting for him to finally look at him and hear what he’s saying.

“Yes my friend.” Liam playfully smiles.

“I think we need to call Derek.” Theo regretfully admits, scowling at the thought of having to make this uncomfortable phone call.

“Yuck why? I mean, not yuck but yeah, yuck. Why? I thought we weren’t involving everyone and their mother.” Liam, bitter and unhappy about another detour, seethes beside him, wanting to understand why they’re calling someone else. 

“Because I think he might know one of the werewolves.” Theo shuts his eyes, not expecting Liam to understand or even know how that’s possible, but instead, he throws himself forward, peering into Theo’s face, thoroughly interested.

“Woah. Here I thought I was about to blow your mind, but you pleasantly surprise me all the time Teddy.” Liam beams at him; but then his face falls, sadly understanding that this isn’t a happy moment.

“Oh no.” Liam sits backs, staring at him in a way that bleeds trust and confidence in him and he doesn’t deserve it, but it’s there: scattered in the way he’s always allowed Theo to give his input and his own opinion on things. He’s the first werewolf to do it and it’s hurting him to see the light fade in his eyes.

“It’s not Cora is it?” Liam nervously shifts, eyes wide and gazing steadily towards him.

“No, but I think it might be my fault.” Theo loses it, angry and upset at himself over the notion of what happened and what might be. He hasn’t confirmed any of it at all, but just the thought of it, makes it hard to grapple with. 

“Nope. We’re not calling Derek. Not yet. Not until whatever it is you think is confirmed. I’m not letting you go through anything unnecessarily. Stop it and no arguments, and no if’s and's, or but’s. Kay. Where are we eating?” Liam places his hand on his shoulder, rubbing his hand against his shirt, concerned about Theo’s mental state. 

“I guess I could use some more blood. Take the edge off.” Theo sighs, his head slightly hurting by the way this day has gone.

“Good. No bunnies right? On our way to the hospital, we stop for Mason and Corey. I kinda like that one friend of yours.” Liam hums, eyes thoughtful and smiling.

“You mean Corey? You're so extra.” Theo affectionately says, smiling at Liam’s dirty look. 

Theo’s a goner but if he’s going to go down in flames over his care for Liam; then he might as well just let it be.

Chapter Text

Liam walks through the front of the hospital easily and quickly, never giving any thought to the people staring while he saunters through the emergency room doors. 

Theo expects someone to say something but no one does.  Liam’s father is a doctor here. The nurses are familiar with him and that works for Theo, even though he’s mildly aware that the werewolf has forgotten about how they might react to a vampire being in the hospital. Thankfully, not everyone in this town knows about the supernatural creatures that inhabit it and Theo would appreciate it if they kept it that way. 

“Liam, what are you doing? We can’t steal blood bags in the middle of the day!” Theo whispers, happy he left Corey and Mason in the truck so they don’t have to watch them get caught and thrown in jail for this obvious act of theft.

“Duh.” Liam scoffs, acting cross and throwing up his hands as he looks at Theo like he’s ruined his entire day but Theo isn’t going to know what Liam wants to do if he doesn’t explain himself.  

There’s always that sporadic take charge energy Liam has that doesn’t help Theo to be filled in with any of his plans, but somehow they’re still alive in the midst of never knowing what the other one is going to do. It’s a constant battle to figure out what Liam’s thought process is and he assumes that Theo already knows what he means even when he doesn’t, but it’s always an entertaining time at least.  Never a dull moment. 

“My father said they normally have some back here that they store.” Liam explains, side eyeing Theo’s ruffled shirt and his angry face from the terrible hunger pains he’s having. 

It’s been too long and Theo shouldn’t have allowed himself to wait this long and risk becoming overcome with the need for blood. He doesn’t want Liam to see him like this but he can’t drop him off yet when they’ve decided to go eat. 

Theo’s taking way too many risks with Liam and he doesn’t like it, but he can’t get him to do anything without the werewolf being willing to do it so he rarely tries anymore. He’s stubborn and doesn’t like to change his opinions on much of anything.  Theo can relate. 

Making a point to ask about blood bags for Theo’s sake is the nicest thing anyone has ever done for him and it hardly matters at this point if Liam doesn’t always talk to him before running into things with full force when he’s doing what he can to care about Theo’s life.

“You asked about that?” Theo asks, surprised by Liam’s forethought and his father being aware of the town's history. He never really asked about it and he didn’t want to pry. It must be nice to have a family that knows and understands what you are without being repulsed by you.  

“Yes. Obviously. Why wouldn't I ask? I make notes of all the things the important people in my life need.” Liam gives Theo an odd look, confused by his surprise over him asking about something that doesn’t even involve werewolves. 

Theo doesn’t know how to take Liam caring enough to keep those things in mind. He took the time to ask for him? That’s not what he was expecting to hear, but footsteps down the hall wake Theo from his stupor of watching Liam and thinking about all the ways he’s bad for the werewolf to be around. 

The heavy footsteps get louder, causing Liam to grow panicked, grasping onto Theo’s shoulder and pulling him into a little room with barely any space.

It doesn’t look like a normal hospital room. The furniture and small bed are too tiny to really use, and it looks more like an office or waiting space, but that doesn’t stop Liam from using it to hide them away from the unwanted attention.

Liam’s looking around, wide eyed and fumbling back and forth between the window and door as he’s trying to find a place for them to hide, but going out the window isn’t an option. They’re on the second floor and even with their healing capabilities it will draw more attention than they need. Of course Theo could…. no, no he couldn’t. He doesn’t like compelling people.

“Got it!” Liam gasps, pulling Theo into the smallest closet he’s ever seen and he tries to bring up his complaints about it, but he’s quickly shut up by Liam’s hand over his mouth that sharply smacks him in the face.

Theo can’t move. He’s barely able to shift his arm to prevent it from digging into the metal bar behind him. 

This is a very sad looking closet and Theo doesn’t like enclosed spaces. His nerves get to him when he’s enclosed and he’s doing what he can to control his body from going into a flight or fight mode. 

All those years ago he remembers being enclosed. His parents. The way it all started and the way it ended. It’s still ingrained in his memory, always around to remind him of what and who he is. 

“Theo?” Liam leans on him, tugging at Theo’s arm and holding his finger over his mouth to signal to be quiet. 

Liam’s hand is warm when he’s pressed up against his shoulder and he’s painstakingly aware of the goosebumps over his neck at the close contact between them. 

There has to be a way for Theo to avoid feeling awkward standing here and avoid going into a panic attack from the suffocating feeling of being trapped. 

He shifts, moving his free hand around Liam and leaning it on the door, holding himself up and gritting his teeth to silence his heavy breathing.

“You’re squishing me!” Liam snarls out, struggling to move around Theo pressed up against him, but there’s nowhere else to go and seeing the enraged look on his face is making Theo laugh.

It helps his panic and he can start to breathe again, watching the wolf flailing around to make room for himself. 

“That’s what you get for shoving us into this mess of a closet to hide.” Theo points out, huffy and oddly warm with Liam this close. 

“Sorry, next time I’ll let them find us.” Liam quips, rolling his eyes and shifting his leg, kneeing Theo right in the ribs. It’s a painful blow but it passes quickly.

“Can’t ever be wrong huh.” Theo responds, smirking, and watching Liam’s eyes roll back again in anger as he grows quieter when the footsteps grow closer.

That’s what I said.

Theo mouths who is that to Liam, expecting him to be more familiar with this town as annoyed as he is to admit that, but he doesn’t know everything about it. He moved away for a while and it’s vastly different from what it used to be. 

Liam’s concentrating hard, barely noticing Theo trying to shift to gain some feeling in his leg, intent on eavesdropping.

Honestly I half expected McCall to deploy his little friends but now we have another supernatural creature that we have to worry about. I’m assuming he’s dumb like the McCall pack.

Liam’s about to bolt out the door, almost managing to grab the closet door open and Theo rips him backwards, shushing him and shoving him up against the closet. 

It’s hard to do. Theo has to shift his body around to keep Liam still and prevent him from falling out of the closet and ruining their eavesdropping. 

In the process of latching onto Liam his arm scraps the side of the door, causing him to flinch as Theo mouths out an apology for being too rough. He likes Liam’s aggression but not like this. They’re not going to expose themselves at Liam’s father’s place of work. Scott’s too. His mother works here and that would be fantastic. Melissa has never been someone Theo wanted to mess with. 

Even so, I don't like loose ends. Hurry up and make sure the latest dead body doesn’t leave any marks that people can identify 

There’s a flash of anger and a large fang is sliding out of Liam’s mouth, his body tensing with unbridled rage and he doesn’t show recognition of the voice that’s talking, but Theo’s only hearing the specific words that they’re speaking when referring to loose ends. It definitely sounds like they must be aware of Theo and Liam digging. 

Did whoever these people are, really think they had a chance to get one over on them? Although, no one was expecting for any of them to care enough to do anything, but no one accounted for his meeting with Liam, giving both of them some sense of duty to fix things in the town.

None of that makes sense for what’s happening though.  Theo already was thinking some terrible things about Boyd or Derek being involved, but the voices he just heard aren’t theirs or anyone he knows. There’s two but for all they know there could be more people involved. 

Why are they in the hospital to begin with? They’re most likely getting rid of evidence or they’re meeting with someone who works here. Either way, he doesn’t like it. 

After a painful several minutes their voices and footsteps grow softer, giving Liam and Theo room to relax and breathe as Theo struggles to move his hands without hitting Liam in the jaw. 

“Did you know those people?” Theo asks, keeping his voice low to avoid any more sudden surprises and prevent them from getting caught. 

Being in the closet can be explained away. If he has to he could figure it out. Theo could tell the staff he was making out with Liam or something. The thought makes him scatterbrained though, confronting his own fears of being alone and too messed up for that to be taken seriously. 

“No. They must know Scott.” Liam knees Theo again, jolting his head back from the pain in his stomach that’s already sore from the other jab but there’s another feeling. A bad feeling. A feeling he knows too well. 

Theo’s head is spinning, his fangs are elongated and he’s starting to have his vision blur, the overwhelming sensation of needing blood taking over.

“Is this the face Corey was talking about?” Liam’s blue eyes blink at him, taking in Theo’s shifting eyes and he’s not backing up, unafraid by the change in him.  

Theo doesn’t want to know why Liam’s so casual about all of this. Being this close and all.  Theo can hear it, the sound of Liam’s blood flowing, his heart beating as the scent of blood hits his nose and he’s shocked the werewolf is staying put.

There’s blood. A small amount on Liam’s torn shirt. It’s fresh, smells sweet, and Theo’s overloaded by the hunger screaming at him to feed. To do something to calm his nerves and ease the powerful urge to feed on what’s making his mouth water, sending him into a frenzied panic.

“Get away from me.” Theo slurs out, his vision watering.

“No! We have to talk to Scott about this. Clearly there’s some shady things going on.” Liam’s jaw clenches, his stubbornness keeping him from realizing Theo’s about to lose it and he’ll have to fight him off. 

If Liam kills Theo, he wouldn’t blame him. There’s still the animal inside of him and it’s fighting to claw its way out. It’s not like Liam isn’t considered some type of animal though. More of an animal than Theo. Theo’s just a monster. It’s just that he can’t quench his thirst if he succumbs to it.

The room is red, dark and full of foggy air. It’s too constricting. Theo’s arms are falling asleep from the pressure of Liam leaning on him, the scent of blood invading the rational mind he would like to have. 

“You’re breathing pretty hard there Teddy.” Liam says, watchful of Theo’s face and his dark eyes. 

There's a cockiness to Liam’s words. He doesn’t feel threatened by him and he’s not even moving. He’s firmly committed to standing in this closet and being shoved up against Theo. 

It’s not smart. It’s quite simply the opposite of taking precautions but Liam’s never followed any rules or form of thinking that Theo can understand. He’s way too trusting and way too good to think ill of Theo. 

It pains him to act like this. To be unable to stop the itch in his body that is demanding blood to sustain him.

“Get away Liam.” Theo strains against every fiber of his being that’s trying to make him look at the werewolf like he’s a means of survival. He isn’t. Liam’s the only person he even likes being around, but telling his vampire brain that is increasingly difficult. He’s fighting against every single part of his instincts to remain standing, constantly fighting to keep himself from lashing out.

“I would but I think we should deal with this.” Liam calmly smiles, more on guard than anything else. 

“Liam.” Theo snaps, shaking his head, then trying to shove the werewolf back out of the closet. 

“Hey. Listen. I know you’re not going to bite me. Focus.” Liam places his hands on Theo’s shoulders, eyeing the fangs and gulping.

At least he’s realizing that Theo isn’t just trying to get out of going to eat with him.

“If I kill you I'm going to be mad.” Theo seethes, eyes growing darker as the scent of blood surrounds him. 

“Me too.” Liam quips, cheerful as ever for someone that’s putting themself in danger.

There’s a warm hand on his face, carefully holding his chin and gently tapping his lips, as he struggles to get ahold of his hunger pains that are loudly ringing in his head.

“I like these eyes too. They’re really dark but I still see you. I see Theo.” Liam turns his head, studying his cheekbones and his face is mesmerized by Theo’s dark eyes. 

It takes a lot to shake him. To shake Theo when he gets into his bloodlust or becomes trapped by his body and his own rampant desire to feed. It’s damn near impossible to get him out of it. It’s gotten so bad before that Corey had to hide himself away. Even though Theo wasn’t after him, he was still worried about his safety and Theo shutting off the noise, because when that happens all that’s left is the drive for blood. The need to get it and the need to consume it.

Liam doesn’t understand. He can’t. He’s never seen Theo like this. At his worst. 

“Tell me about the vampire who turned you.” Liam demands, leaning harder against Theo’s chest as he grips the side of the door, fighting against himself and holding the door frame. 

“Hello. I’m talking to you.” Liam says, eyes stern, but there’s a softness to his face and Theo’s brain clears for a moment to answer his question.

“He didn’t stay. He bit me one night and I think he was trying to hit on me, but I don’t take kindly to people that invade my personal space.” Theo points out, eye’s darkening more, the scent of blood everywhere.

“You invaded my personal space that night when you saved me. I guess it depends.” Liam comments, while he wipes the blood off his arm.

“That’s different. You were dying and alone. This guy was just looking for something to do. After he left I was all over the place.” Theo explains, his breath shaking from holding himself together this long.

“Is that how you met the other vampires?” Liam asks, eyes shining and taking in every word Theo’s giving him, acting as if he’s giving some valuable information to him. Theo will never get why the werewolf wants to know so much about him.

“Yeah. They found me trying to murder some poor guy in an alleyway. I guess they took pity on me. Took me in until I could figure it out for myself.” Theo winces, holding his stomach but the pain is lessened, the pounding in his head softening to a manageable level.

“That’s nice. Why did you leave and come to Beacon Hills?” Liam opens the closet door and inches out into the room, carefully checking to make sure no one is nearby.

“This is my home. If you can call it that. I didn’t know where else to go.” Theo follows Liam, keeping up with him and there’s a nagging feeling of giving away too much, being too open and trusting with someone that could easily walk away. Theo wouldn’t blame him, but he’s talking now, unable to keep the words from falling off his lips and giving up a small part of himself that’s never been seen before.

Liam turns, facing Theo and then opens a storage supply closet, grabbing two small bags of blood, and proudly revealing them. 

“Why are there two blood bags in this supply closet?” Theo asks, skeptical of the bags he’s holding.

“Melissa had them ready. I texted her on the way over.” Liam shyly answers, cheeks red at the admittance of going the extra step and Theo’s not able to hide the grateful smile from forming as he stares at the bags in his hand. 

Theo rips open the bag, drinking what he needs, slightly embarrassed by Liam watching him and he does what he can to avoid looking crazed while he drinks it, needing all of it to rid the hunger.

“Your face is back to normal.” Liam points out, crossing his arms over his chest in an I-told-you-so kind of way. He would be pleased with himself for being able to distract Theo.

“Yeah, whatever. We’re not talking about this anymore.” Theo warns him, with no meanness or anger, but only an acknowledgement that Liam does indeed know how to help in certain situations. He will accept that. For now.

“Okay. Let’s get food to go for the rest of us so we can go back to your house. We can invite Scott on the way.” Liam doesn’t wait, doesn’t ask if they can all go back to Theo’s place to eat and talk to Scott, but he’s decided that they are doing that, not needing any invitation from Theo. 

Theo kind of likes that.

—————————--

“Oh my gosh. Food!” Liam sighs, biting into his sandwich and tossing the empty bag into the trash.

“Are you sure you didn’t recognize the voices Liam?” Mason questions, perplexed by their explanation over what transpired in the hospital. 

“No. One was a woman though. So at least it’s in line with what the witnesses were saying.” Liam takes another bite of his sandwich, sighing again as Theo shakes his head at everything having to be so over the top. 

They get it. Liam was hungry.

“I’m really offended that they think we’re all dumb.” Corey frowns, smiling as Mason pats him on the shoulder, empathetic to his complaints.

“We’re not dumb. That’s what people say when they’re thinking too highly of themselves. They’ll probably make a mistake soon.” Theo says, confidently.

He doesn’t put a lot of stock in these people thinking they’re too dumb to figure this out when they haven’t bothered to check that the witnesses were able to give accurate information to help them find out who’s behind this. They didn’t even think about anyone digging deeper. There’s no need to worry about their own opinions on their intellect but Corey doesn’t like to be insulted by anyone. He’s always been more sensitive than Theo. 

“They already have. They were talking about it in the hospital expecting no one to be listening.” Liam smirks, winking at Theo. 

“It was a really good idea to go there. I even made Theo tell me more about him turning into a vampire. Very good day if you ask me.” Liam excitedly says, finishing his sandwich and laughing at Theo’s stern face.

The doorbell rings, alerting them that Scott has arrived and Liam jumps out of his chair, throwing it off to the side and running to the front door to let him in.

“You told Liam the story of how you were turned? I didn’t even hear that one.” Corey grumbles, disappointed by not being the first one Theo opens up to, but he doesn’t want to talk about things that don’t matter.

Liam’s the one who wants to know everything about his life and what he had for breakfast or what his favorite color is. It's hard to deny his persistent questioning.

“Bits and pieces. It wasn’t anything spectacular.” Theo assures Corey, who’s not buying into his explanation and his frown deepens.

“Hey.” Scott enters the kitchen with Liam, a beaming smile and an eager look on his face, ready to hear what they’ve found out.

“Hi.” Corey says, looking at Theo for a clue on what to do next. 

They don’t get many visitors and having a true Alpha in the house is a big first step for them.

“Okay. Right. Theo and I were in a closet.” Liam starts to explain, adding in a detail that wasn’t necessary but rather too much information for the amount of people in this room and like clockwork, Mason starts to sit up straighter in his chair, while Scott’s eyes widen a little.

“Wait, what? I didn’t hear this part.” Mason hums, taking a sip of his drink and then perking up in interest. 

“No, it wasn’t like that. We were hiding.” Theo digs his fingers into his palms, frustrated with Liam’s details and Corey’s happy grin. 

“Yes. We were hiding because Theo needed to get blood. So anyway we ran into the closest.” Liam further explains, scowling at Corey laughing at him.

“Why is the hospital the place to get blood?” Mason asks, tapping his hand on the table and smiling.

“Because I asked my dad where the extra ones were and Theo needed it. Can I finish?” Liam sharply asks, struggling to finish his sentence and explain the conversation they overheard.

“Yes. Please.” Mason smiles, focused and nodding.

“Alright. So we had to hide to get away from these people coming down the hallway and we overheard them saying some interesting things.” Liam pauses, dramatically leaning over the table and waiting for a few seconds, driving Theo insane with how long he takes to tell a story.

“Was it the staff? Sometimes they walk down the halls. It is a hospital.” Corey points out and Scott stifles a laugh.

“I don’t know! I only heard voices. It doesn’t matter if it was the staff or not. I have a point. Can I make it please!” Liam protests, glaring at Theo for his lack of help in navigating the teasing of his friends.

“Sure.” Mason says seriously, feeding into Corey’s laugh and Scott’s amused expression.

“Okay. Anyway, someone was talking to another person. They said something like …..I lost my thought. Thanks.” Liam growls, sitting down and shoving fries into his mouth in a heated rage.

“Okay. Let me explain.” Theo smiles, as Liam sighs in relief, happy that he can relax but that doesn’t stop him from stealing a fry from Mason in retaliation for the interrupted teasing while he tried to tell a story. 

Theo is much quicker when he explains himself and he finishes the long drawn out story Liam was about to tell in a few short minutes. 

Liam opens his mouth a few times to explain more, but he decides against it when he sees Theo giving him a hard look, reminding him to hurry up. Theo only has so many social skills for one night. He’s already been entertaining much longer than he wanted to.

The point is made though. Scott does a soft hmm, listening and reflecting on what Theo’s saying, taking it more seriously than he expected him to, and it satisfies Liam’s need to keep his Alpha up to date.

Theo’s never had anyone to take charge or be the leader. He never had to answer to anyone or keep someone informed of things. It's taken some getting used to. Liam needing to tell his pack everything going on isn't the usual way Theo deals with things, but he’s never made a real habit of involving himself with werewolves. Boyd was a rare example of Theo being too close to making friends and messing it up. 

“You sure one voice was a woman?” Scott asks, reflecting on what he’s learned and waiting for Liam to nod, confirming Theo’s version of the story.

It takes Theo a few seconds to realize Scott is doubting him. Waiting to hear from Liam that his story is exactly how he remembers it and it’s not surprising, given vampires reputation for being less than honorable in the past. 

Theo didn’t expect Scott to still be doubting him. It makes things feel more negative than they were before, still reminding Theo that he’s not one of them. Never was.

“Okay. Probably going to keep this to ourselves for now. I’ll get my mom to give a list of those that were visiting and working there.” Scott says, standing up straighter, ready to leave now that they’ve finished giving him what they know. 

Theo knows Scott is busy but he doesn’t like being so abruptly dismissed after giving important information. It feels like he’s a means to an end and when it’s over he’ll be dismissed when the McCall pack goes on to the next thing.  

“How will that help us?” Corey asks, yawning and already tired from the day they had.

“If it’s a name we recognize it might help. It might yield nothing and they could all be unknown names, but it’s worth a try in case it can show us who was there.” Scott explains and he says his goodbyes, making sure to leave quickly since it’s starting to get late.

“I’m going to go. I’m taking Mason home.” Corey informs Theo, standing and helping himself to one of Liam’s fries.

“With whose vehicle?” Theo asks and Corey picks up Theo’s keys, half heartedly smiling and holding them up to confirm he can take his truck to drive Mason home. 

“No.” Theo adamantly says, refusing to allow anyone else to be shuttled around in his truck when he’s not there. It’s not that Corey is a bad driver but he doesn’t let anyone touch his truck if he can help it.

“That’s okay. Scott can take them. He’s still outside. Better hurry because Theo won’t let anyone take his precious truck.” Liam teases, smirking at Corey and Mason running out the door while Theo glares at the werewolf.

“Why is he going with Mason and Scott? Corey lives here.” Theo argues and he doesn’t get the need to be everywhere another person is so they can suffocate each other before they finally realize their feelings. It seems rather overboard to Theo but then again, he doesn’t have any romantic tendencies that cause him to have the same problem.

“You’re a real downer Theo.” Liam murmurs, helping to clean up and Theo starts to wonder if he should take Liam home, but he’s grabbing a blanket off the couch and heading into the living room like he owns the place. 

“No worries. I’ll just see everyone tomorrow then.” Theo grumbles, annoyed they all left the house with no idea of what they’re doing tomorrow. 

Since when did Theo’s house become the hang out place where people can come and go as they please? Next the entire McCall pack will be over and having coffee. 

“Theo! Hurry up.” Liam calls out from the living room, sounding aggravated already, even before Theo has a chance to breathe for two seconds. 

Theo walks into the living room and Liam’s spiraled out on the couch with a blanket, putting a movie on under his own Netflix account. 

When and how did Liam add in his Netflix account? 

“I want to watch this new movie that came out. Are you watching it or going to bed? Or is this the start of your day?” Liam’s playful and teasing, holding the remote as his legs are on the coffee table, comfortably and relaxed on Theo’s couch.

“Your jokes are going to get old real quick.” Theo sneers, snatching part of the blanket from Liam and shoving his feet away to make room for himself.  He would have assumed Liam would have to go home but he’s clearly staying. That’s fine by Theo. He wasn’t going to bed until later anyway.

“That’s because your humor is too dry to understand mine.” Liam retorts, sighing and snuggling into the couch. 

“What movie is this?” Theo wonders out loud, the day they had catching up to him and it makes him sleepy.

“Interview with a vampire.” Liam replies, without missing a beat.

“Give me the remote.” Theo demands, but Liam throws the remote away and he has a decent arm. It makes it into the kitchen where Theo has no desire to go and get it. 

“This could be historical Theo.” Liam argues, smiling and pushing to get him to agree to watch it.

“It’s not historic. It’s a movie.” Theo frowns, watching the beginning of the movie roll and Liam is happy, watching Theo doing nothing to stop it from playing.

He could argue, but he’s too exhausted and Liam’s hard to disappoint so he’ll let it happen. This once because he’s not a fan of the actors in this movie. They make vampires look silly and exaggerate way too much.

About an hour into the movie, Liam starts to fall asleep, his eyes fighting to stay open and Theo hands him the blanket, deciding he will find another one once he feels like getting up. 

Theo hasn’t watched a movie with someone in forever. He hasn’t done a lot of things in a very long time. This past month has been very busy. Much busier than normal. 

Looking over at Liam, he seems him nodding off and he turns off the TV, but he doesn’t move. 

Liam’s head falls to his shoulder, fully dozing off into a deep sleep and Theo’s heart clenches, his mouth running dry.

Theo doesn’t normally let people use him as a human pillow. Liam’s different though and he’s not going to wake him. Not yet.

This is nice. He doesn’t even get mad when Josh and Tracy peek out from their rooms to figure out what’s going on and they barely flinch when they see it’s Liam, accepting he’s pretty much a regular person in Theo's life now. 

Theo dozes off with his last thought being about Donovan and forgetting to check in with him but he can do it tomorrow, smiling as he falls asleep next to a nosy werewolf.

Chapter Text

Theo. You awake?” Liam whispers, leaning closer and shaking Theo, but much harder than he needs to.

He’s already up but he doesn’t want to move, but try telling an impatient werewolf that. Liam isn’t the one to ignore when it comes to anything and Theo’s been reminded of that this morning.

Another rough shake and Theo slowly becomes more aware of the world, keeping his head on the pillow and trying to keep his eyes closed, but Liam’s planned for that. He’s still peering down at him. 

“Mm.” Theo opens one eye, flinching at the bright light flashing and he throws the pillow over his head, angrily pulling the blanket over his shoulders so he can remain asleep. 

“THEO YOU AWAKE?” Liam yells louder, shoving Theo off the bed and letting him tumble down to the floor.

“What?” Theo snaps, sitting up and blinking rapidly, barely able to wake himself up without wanting to strangle Liam for the wake up call. 

“Sorry. Just checking.” Liam mutters, turning the flashlight off on his phone and smiling at Theo’s tired eyes.

“Did you stay here last night?” Theo slowly asks, his brain foggy so early in the morning and he can’t remember when and how Liam made it into his bedroom.

“Yes. I had to drag your ass to the room so you wouldn’t snore so loudly and wake everyone up.” Liam smiles, an affectionate smile, but Theo can’t have that because he doesn’t know how to handle it. Or the weird feeling that’s creeping up in his chest.

“You stayed in my room?” Theo asks, clarifying his own thoughts and the conflicting feelings that are harboring in his head.

“Yes, I slept on the floor. Don’t worry, I didn’t try to cuddle you.” Liam teases, confused on all the questions and giving him an odd look. 

A look that Theo can’t quite grasp and he can’t explain why he's suddenly panicking over the werewolf being this close.

There’s something about the way he’s holding Theo’s gaze that makes it unbearably hot in his room, causing the vampire to sweat.

“Right.” Theo gruffly says, standing up and avoiding Liam’s blue eyes. 

They're so freaken blue that it distracts him from forming a coherent sentence sometimes. Mostly when they’re relaxed and Liam’s sarcastic eye roll is aggravating him. 

That’s when it’s the most difficult to ignore.  The way his eyes reveal everything about what Liam’s thinking and they trap Theo from pulling away. 

Theo loves those eyes. 

“I hope you don’t mind. I invited Derek.” Liam blurts out, swiftly walking out of the room and not allowing Theo to say anything about it. 

Why would he? He’s always talking his ear off but inviting Derek is not going to work for Theo.

“What! Get back here!” He storms after Liam, walking right behind him on the stairs and demanding that he explains himself. 

They make it into the kitchen and Liam wastes no time in making himself at home.

“I told him we needed help. He came back to help. Don’t be shy.” Liam huffs, opening the fridge and looking for something to eat. 

There isn’t much there: some vegetables and some eggs, nothing but staples, but that’s normal for them. They don’t really eat much at the house. Theo didn’t know he had to stock the fridge.

He wasn’t expecting a hungry werewolf to eat and stay the night while they have some kind of sleepover in the bedroom.

“I’m not shy Liam. I don’t like people.” Theo argues, as he grabs a pot of coffee and slams it down on the table, annoyed by the wolf’s open invitation to everyone who wants to help.

“Wow and you seem so friendly.” Liam responds, sarcastically snapping back and Theo clenches his jaw at the comment, but he’s used to the banter they have. 

Today he isn’t in the mood for anyone else to be tagging along. He’s much too tired.

Theo finishes his coffee, handing Liam a cup and keeping a tight smile on, not too keen on starting an argument this early. 

Maybe that’s what Liam wants, but he doesn’t. He seems to enjoy badgering Theo and it’s something he’s accepted because it’s just Liam’s way of connecting with him. He gets him out of his comfort zone by being obnoxiously loud and demanding, needing Theo to say what he thinks when he’s being called out on things. He’s teased relentlessly by Liam and in response he caves to his adventurous spirit. 

It’s a real pain but he’s learning to enjoy it.

“We can just have us today. I didn’t know you needed Liam time.” Liam quietly takes a piece of bread out of the pantry and puts it in the toaster. 

His pleased and satisfied face doesn’t bother Theo but his heart does get too loud. He’s worried that it’s going to be noticeable but Liam doesn’t do anything but smirk quietly.

“It’s not Liam time. We do things differently and I don’t want any feedback or criticism about it.” Theo points out, sipping his coffee and enjoying Liam’s company.

“Sure. Sure. I already know that I’m the most exciting person in your life.” Liam winks, almost flirting with him and Theo gawks for a moment, not knowing how to stop himself from appearing unaffected by his behavior.

“Hello.” Josh greets them, giving Theo a quizzical nod and a smile, as he makes it obvious that he was listening in on their conversation. 

“Or it could be that you are so chaotic that I’m worried about other people’s safety.” Theo says, finding his voice and becoming defensive about why he doesn’t want Derek to come.

“Nah. You just like me.” Liam shrugs, laughing along with Josh, as he finishes his breakfast and takes his time poking fun at Theo.

“Anyway, I was thinking we could go back to the woods. Where the first reported attack happened.” Theo changes the subject, latching on to the task of finding out who is murdering supernaturals. 

It’s no use arguing about the silly little jokes Liam makes when he wants to embarrass Theo.

“Good idea.” Liam perks up, impressed by Theo’s thinking and it doesn’t matter, but it causes a certain amount of confusion when it lightens his mood. 

Liam does have a nice smile and it’s a bit like he’s teasing and looking at him like he’s the only person in the room, that has Theo second guessing his ability to guard himself from letting people get too close.

“I have good ideas.” Theo smugly retorts, giving Liam a chance to admit that he’s great to work with and to be appreciative of his help that doesn’t involve other people invading the system they have implemented. 

“Most of your ideas need to be fixed by me.” Liam sighs, chuckling and brightening up at Josh’s nod. 

It’s a slight nod but Theo sees it. Right before Josh runs out of the room to make it seem like he’s not agreeing with Liam, afraid to suffer the consequences of ganging up on him.

“Did I mention your roommates love me?” Liam brags. 

“Get your stuff together. We’re leaving in five minutes.” Theo playfully rolls his eyes, but he doesn’t mind the others liking the werewolf. He’s hard not to get along with. 

Theo will not be openly admitting that.

———————-

One hour later and they’re back at the preserve. It would have been sooner if Theo had any say in the matter but Liam did his usual thing of chatting with the entire world before he could drag him to the truck.

Theo made sure to check on Donovan before leaving but he was sound asleep: showing signs of being innocent and relaxed, with no signs of violence or murderous intent.

At least that Theo could accuse him of. He’s still not so sure Donovan isn’t out killing innocent people when the rest of them are asleep.

“Dude. You could have picked a better time to walk in the woods. It’s muddy after the rain last night.” Liam chatty and ever so jaded by the weather, rants on, shaking his head at his jeans splattered with mud.

“I don’t control the weather, genius.” He nudges Liam’s hand, freezing after he does it, shocked by the sudden familiarity that’s been brimming between them and not being able to stop the fight he’s having within about growing fond of another person. 

A person that’s never going to stop invading Theo’s home and talking to his roommates. He’s sure Liam’s not going anywhere now but he doesn’t want him to leave. 

Not now. Not ever. He has no right to say that or want those kinds of things but he’s grown too soft now to pretend that he isn’t needing his daily dose of Liam.

“Right here!” Liam shouts, pushing Theo closer to a tree and staring down at the ground. 

“There’s nothing here.” Theo sighs, feeling lost by Liam’s sudden burst of energy and excitement over a patch of grass.

“There is. Look. What’s that?” Liam points out a small piece of fabric. 

Cotton fabric that’s worn and bloodied. It must have ripped off something or someone. 

Holding up the clue he peers at it, impressed by Liam’s supernatural tracking skills. He never would have noticed it himself but he’s not a werewolf and even Theo can admit that werewolves are much better at tracking things down when they need to.

“Hmm. Good work Sherlock.” Theo compliments him, putting the fabric in his pocket and making a note to have Liam give it to Deaton for more information. 

Maybe he can test it for them.

“So lunch?” Liam inquires, pouting at Theo shaking his head.

“We just got here. Are you bored already?” He laughs, then he steps in a puddle of water in his distracted state, forcing Liam to throw his arms out to catch him.

Both of them fall forward, Liam’s hand grasping around Theo’s shoulder, but it’s too late. 

Theo’s back hits the puddle as Liam tries to catch him, only making it worse by making Theo more off balance and sending his body thudding against the ground, which hurts. 

It causes all the air to leave Theo’s body and he gasps for breath, glaring up at a sheepish looking Liam. 

“Oops.” Liam murmurs, staring down at Theo’s face and blinking, a little nervous. 

That’s very unlike him. It makes Theo just as nervous.

“Don’t worry. The rocks underneath me broke my fall.” Theo quips, easing Liam’s embarrassment. 

“You have green eyes?” Liam suddenly asks, leaning close to Theo’s face and studying it like he’s seeing a work of art for the first time. 

“Sorta. Depending on what I wear. They’re more blue than green. Most days. Then when I shift into my vampire face as Corey likes to call it, they’re more of a reddish brown.” Theo swallows, peeved that Liam hasn’t been looking at his face this whole time or if he’s just that inattentive of the vampire’s presence. 

It’s really hot out and now his throat is dry. 

“You wear a lot of dark clothing so maybe you hide it.” Liam muses, fascinated by Theo and still on top of him, mesmerized.

“Are you going to get up or…” Theo carefully smiles, the heat causing his shirt to stick to his chest and he’s self conscious now. He’s probably sweating and it’s hard not to be aware of Liam in his personal space when he’s in no rush to move. 

“Yes. Theo?” Liam’s cheeks redden, a little more embarrassed now, but he’s breathing harder. His heartbeat is sporadic and Theo’s own heart is pounding faster, ready to leave his body from how damn close Liam is. 

It’s too much. Too soon. A little too personal for Theo to handle.

“You’re going to catch a cold.” Theo sucks in his breath, sounding silly and unconvincing. 

They both know werewolves don’t get sick like that and he’s outed himself for being worried about their close contact. 

Dammit.

Theo’s gonna have to explain what’s going on and why he’s so excited. He can feel his own chest rising and the tightening of his clothes, the way he’s holding himself back and it’s too late to backtrack when Liam is pressing into his chest.

“Who the. Wait.” Liam shoves himself backwards and stands up, growling at a noise from his right, his golden eyes erasing the soft blue, but Theo still likes this look. 

“Ahh!” A man shrieks, as Liam bombards him and snarls, shoving him against a tree. 

Oh good. Theo knows that man. 

“Liam! Stop.” Theo jumps up, putting himself between them and really fucken annoyed by Tyler standing here, ruining his day. 

“Who’s this?” Liam growls, still holding the man’s neck and faltering only when the man’s eyes bleed gold like his.

“My name’s Tyler. Didn’t know I walked in on some private business.” Tyler is stunned and confused, gaping at them. He needs no explanation before jumping to conclusions and Theo’s too upset about the guy showing up uninvited to argue that it’s not what it looks like. 

“Who’s Tyler? This is another friend. Isn't it?” Liam seethes, radiating anger and contempt at the poor man in front of him. 

“Yes.” Tyler responds, sending Liam off into a deep and awkward silence, as Theo tries to say no but can’t say it in time to avoid a repeat fight with Liam over his crazy behavior of not telling him who his friends are. 

Tyler isn’t a friend. Not at all but he’s definitely watching Liam’s anger and enjoying it.

“No! This is Stefan’s friend. What are you doing here?” Theo takes a deep breath to prevent himself from losing control over the situation and takes Liam’s hand off Tyler, not needing a fight to break out between the werewolves. 

That’s not a fight he wants to get involved in but he’ll have to if Liam starts to need help. 

Then all that will happen is Damon will call, mad that Stefan is bothering him about Tyler being attacked by Liam in the middle of the preserve. 

Yeah. That’s not a problem he wants today.

“I was told that you’re desperate and need a lot of help.” Tyler cooly states, fixing his shirt and giving a cold stare in Liam’s direction.

“If anyone needs help it’s you.” Liam growls, shoving Theo off as he pulls him back to avoid the wolf from becoming too confrontational over nothing.

It’s not that big of a deal. 

Theo knew when they called his previous vampire associates that they would probably panic and try to send in unnecessary reinforcements. He’s suprised it’s Tyler because Damon fucken hates Tyler but it could be some form of a fight between the two brothers. He doesn’t care to know or be involved with it. Especially since Liam’s about to tear his head off and for what? Invading their own sleuthing work they’ve done.

“Relax, Fido. I’m only here as a favor. He’s an angry one isn’t he?” Tyler asks, folding his arms at Theo and scoffing, making it ten times worse.

“Stop talking. He is but he’s not to be messed with.” Theo points out, moving in front of Tyler to stop Liam and hopefully help the weird run in that they’re having. 

He doesn’t get why Liam’s so unhinged right now. 

Tyler can be annoyingly stuck up sometimes but he’s not worth the hassle of fighting and Liam’s not normally so wound up. 

“Well, what’s the plan?” Tyler smugly asks, enjoying Theo’s defensive attitude and Liam’s silence.

“I don’t know.” Theo snarks, and decides to leave it be. 

Liam on the other hand is dialing Derek’s number and getting back at Theo for something he’s had no control in whatsoever. He’s just about ready to go back home to his own room, shutting out the rest of the world.

“Meet at the clinic. Per Derek.” Liam says, stomping off back towards the truck and making Theo moodier than ever. 

Theo will do no such thing.

—————————

The three of them pull up to the clinic, Liam munching on a half eaten sandwich and Tyler smiling in the backseat, watching the whole thing. 

It’s causing Theo to be a lot more awkward and uncomfortable than normal. This is why he doesn’t like people. There’s too many things that can make interactions unpleasant. 

Those things include being barraged with questions from Liam and Tyler laughing about it like the jerk he is. 

“Go inside. I’ll be in a sec.” Theo nods to Tyler, who’s about to argue, but then grumbles about the extra effort it took to keep his mouth shut the whole way and slams the door, walking off.

“Not you.” Theo directs his attention at Liam and reaches across the passenger door, shutting it, while dodging the heated growl coming out of him.

“What? He could have been anyone.” Liam defends his actions, a sorrowful expression on his face and just like that Theo’s done for. He can’t even be mad. It’s all Tyler’s fault.

“You have a nose.” Theo leans back in his seat, shifting against the door and ready for Liam’s next argument. 

“You have a rude looking face. I don't assume you’re always going to be rude.” Liam challenges, refusing to be anything less than difficult and it’s amusing, forcing Theo to chuckle.

It's amusing because he’s trying so hard to not show his jealousy at another werewolf entering the town and offering to help. 

“What does that mean Dunbar?” Theo smiles, waiting for his next angry rant.

“It means, I don’t always use my supernatural abilities. I should but I thought he was going to kill us and I reacted before realizing he was another werewolf. I didn’t use my nose or senses okay?” Liam huffs, shaking his leg back and forth and feeling jittery. 

Theo doesn’t know why he’s wound but he’s given up on trying to understand Liam’s way of thinking.

“That’s all?” Theo asks, as Liam hands him his bag of lunch and waits for him to throw it out, evading the question.

“Okay. Maybe I don’t like you hanging around other werewolves, happy? I don’t know. I feel like you might be better friends with them over me. Shut the hell up!” Liam fumes, a single fang showing over his bottom lip.

“I didn’t even say anything.” He mutters, turning the air on, knowing they’re going to be here a lot longer than he anticipated, since Liam’s irate over nothing.

“Fine.” Liam silently stews next to him, as Theo stresses over why there’s a problem to begin with. He barely has friends and he already knew about Boyd who’s a werewolf. What’s the difference?

“Listen, I only have room for one angry and loud werewolf in my life and it’s already been filled.” Theo reassures the wolf, smiling softly at Liam’s shoulders relaxing, the tension in his face alleviating.

“I forgive you.” Liam bluntly replies, jumping out of the truck and ready to head into the clinic.

“Uh, wait. I didn’t do anything wrong so what am I being forgiven for?” Theo questions, running after Liam as he races into the clinic like it’s a damn race.

“Allowing others to insert themselves into our case Theo.” Liam rolls his eyes, impatient with Theo’s lack of understanding and he’s a little aggravated by the assumption that he’s the reason Tyler showed up. 

He wanted Derek to help out this morning. Not Theo. 

There’s not enough time in the day for Theo to argue with Liam over how insane that statement sounds but he does feel relieved by the idea of being able to sleep better and knowing that Liam isn’t upset anymore. It lessens the burden he was feeling about causing Liam’s rage. 

Derek is waiting for them, not enthused by Tyler’s presence but who really is. Liam’s not either, and Theo isn’t ready to call anyone about it. He’s not about to make him leave and cause another long conversation he has no energy for.

It’s best to let it go.

“Where’s the fabric?” Derek asks, holding his hand out and giving a nod to Deaton, the other man waiting to study it.

“Liam has it.” Theo says, ready to get this day over with, as Liam gives him a puzzled look.

“No. I gave it to you Teddy.” Liam reminds him, tapping his foot against the ground and glaring at Tyler. 

”Teddy?” Tyler holds back a smile and Theo’s going to strangle everyone here if they don’t let him get some rest. 

“We’ll go get it. It’s in the truck.” Liam lies, pulling Theo out into the rainy air and trying to back track, as Theo curses himself for not being more careful.

It’s starting to pour out and Theo’s trying to make sense of Liam’s behavior that involves lying. 

“It’s raining again.” Liam hums, pleasant and oddly sweet. 

It’s not helping Theo’s confusion. 

“You know I dropped it right?” Theo wonders, as he looks to Liam to explain why he’s lying for him and walking in the rain.

“I’m not an idiot.” Liam indignantly says, and Theo’s face hardens, but he’s not sure if he’s still mad or just trying to get through the day without snapping at everyone around him. 

“What are we doing?” Theo asks, feeling dumb and needing help on figuring out Liam’s constant change of direction.

“We’re leaving. You look like you need a break and I don’t really want to wander through the rain. Let’s go meet Corey and Mason. They said there’s some movie out.” Liam explains, taking Theo’s keys out of his hand and opening the truck.

“We’re going to the movies?” Theo, confused and fairly sure he’s going to need a book written to get a handle on Liam’s personality, pauses before entering the truck.

“Yeah. Have you ever gone to the movies?” Liam’s look of horror and wonder drives Theo crazy, as he grabs the keys out of the wolf’s hand and pulls out of the parking lot.

Hopefully no one calls and they’re able to drive away before Tyler calls in anger over being left with complete strangers but hey, Theo didn’t ask him to come. That’s not on him.

“I’m not that boring Liam. I’ve been to the movies.” Theo shakes his head and almost balks when Liam throws himself over his lap and rolls down the window to get some air. 

“Good. I was worried.” Liam slides back over to his seat and smirks at Theo’s disdainful expression.

“Should we go get Tyler?” Theo curiously asks, not able to resist feeling bad for leaving him hanging like that. He’ll be fine but it’s not their best chance at making him feel welcomed. 

“I’ll send Josh to go get him. He likes everybody.” Liam curtly says, looking down at his phone and Theo’s about to ask how he knows Josh’s number, but then he remembers that Liam’s suddenly become a member of his vampire group. 

“Josh doesn’t like anyone.” Theo turns the radio on, much happier now that he can be left alone and get some peace from talking to everyone that likes to help out. 

It’s becoming quite the hassle. 

“He likes me and he says you’re the nicest person he’s met in a while. Said you're cranky but very fair.” Liam rolls his own window down, waiting for Theo’s response and he’s not afraid to look over at the vampire when he doesn’t get one.

Liam’s been talking to Josh about him? What the hell. He’s not liking that piece of information but he’s not opposed to Liam wanting to know about him. It means he’s interested in understanding him just like Theo is interested in understanding Liam. 

Why that causes a tingle over Theo’s neck is not going to be dwelled upon but he does smile at Liam’s persistence at befriending the other vampires.

“Do you ever lose it if you kiss someone?” Liam pipes up, throwing Theo off and he has to steady his hands on the wheel so he doesn’t drive off into a ditch from the sudden change of direction.

“What. I don’t know. Where’s that coming from?” Theo snaps, looking at Liam in awe and nervously expecting a weird response.

This has got to be one of his fifty questions that he likes to ask every 24 hours. It has to be.

It’s a weird question though. It itches Theo’s brain with a flood of emotion and a silent disbelief that Liam might be asking for another reason that isn’t about his fascination with vampires.

“Just curious. So if I kiss you right now would you freak out or would you remain normal?” Liam moves closer, curiosity getting the best of him and it’s making the air feel warmer in the truck. 

“No. I can control myself. It’s not like that.” Theo grips the wheel tighter, needing it to hold himself together from spiraling into a mess of frantic and self destructive thinking, because why would Liam think anyone would be trying to kiss him?

“Hmm.” Liam nods, considering his words and it's very apparent that he’s not as freaked out as Theo is.  He’s asking as if this is some experimental test that could help his intel on vampire behavior.

It’s not okay with Theo and now he’s getting angry. 

“You know I’m not that much of a monster that I would take out my romantic interests. I can avoid murdering for blood. I don’t want to suck the life out of everyone I meet.” Theo seethes, shaking with fury and unease at the notion of Liam believing he can’t possibly be trusted to like anyone enough to not harm them. 

It’s insulting and disrespectful to their partnership they’ve developed. It’s…it’s….

“Hey.” Liam's voice cuts into his thoughts, gently tapping his hand and smiling hesitantly at Theo’s shifted form. 

“What? You better get out of the truck or I might kill you.” Theo coldly watches the road, his fangs sliding over his tongue and the scent of his own blood around him.

“I don’t mean it like that. I only meant that you seem very uptight sometimes. I guess I worded it wrong. Sorry.” Liam sadly frowns, keeping his head turned to stare out the window and Theo has too much of a soft spot for the guy to hold onto his anger.

“What were you exactly asking?” Theo asks, blinking hard to keep his fangs from sliding forward again. 

“I was asking if I kiss you will you freak out? You kinda seem like you might short circuit or maybe punch me.” Liam laughs, keeping the humor alive to hide his nervousness.

“Are you asking to kiss me?” He wishes he could just be normal. Ask Liam about it or maybe even just say what he’s thinking, but all he can do is wait for Liam to confirm what it is that he wants.

“Are you confirming you would want to?” Liam innocently asks, golden eyes shining through and Theo’s never been so excited and unsure about what to do next.

Theo has to watch the road ahead to avoid driving into something, but he’s aware of Liam’s eyes fixed on his, a thick tension between them, and a sense of relief from the werewolf that has his voice failing, unable to breathe.

A hand reaches over, helping Theo to keep his hands on the wheel and keep the truck straight. 

The truck moves back and forth between the lines of the road as Theo is frazzled by Liam’s bold move on looking for a straight answer. 

“We could try it.” Theo says, his words becoming more soft and more choked by his own voice that’s cracking up at the thought of kissing Liam.

“Oh. Okay.” Liam remains unreadable, waiting patiently for what’s next as Theo drives past the exit for the movie theater and doesn’t have any clear idea of where he’s going.

Theo has to pull over. It’s too late for him to try to be calm and drive safely. He’s probably going to drive off into the river if he doesn’t stop and formulate his plan on how to handle Liam’s offer to kiss him. 

With a quick glance around, he pulls over onto the side of the road and parks the truck, unable to move or stop himself from overanalyzing the situation. 

It could be a sign that Liam’s wondering if all vampires are evil and out for blood. He could want to test it. It doesn’t have to be romantic. It could be a simple test of how Theo handles touching someone else.

“Normally people look at the person when they get ready to kiss.” Liam teases, but his eyes are wide and his voice is shaking with excitement, as Theo tries to make his body move.

“Yes. I might be bad at it. No, that’s not true. I’m probably great at it but it’s been a while.” Theo rushes to explain, his ego not being able to handle admitting that he’s nervous about this.

“Okay. Well. I did tell Mason we would still show up.” Liam shifts closer, gently leaning towards him, eyes blown wide and Theo’s going to… yes he’s going to lose it, but the gentle touch on his face makes it hard to breathe. He’s unable to move.

Theo almost has an out of body sensation, watching Liam move closer and letting his lips touch his, the warmth of his skin against his lips causing a sigh of relief, but it’s not his sigh. It’s Liam’s. 

Liam is relieved?

How long it takes to kiss Liam back is unclear because he’s too shaken to do anything but feel the sweet touch of Liam, his body shaking slightly at the way his world explodes around him, pulling Theo into a deep and pleasant feeling of fondness, warmth, and affection that’s overtaking his body.

When he does kiss back, Liam groans against his lips and it’s the fire that starts inside Theo’s heart that is so powerful and so unique that it has his mind reeling. 

His body is shaking from the overwhelming sensation of warmth that’s inside of his chest and the look of wonder Liam has when he pulls away, taking in Theo’s face.

“Huh.” Liam mumbles, his lips swollen.

He waits, needing to hear something more than huh to ease his mind from thinking this was all some kind of joke or a study of a vampire’s control. If that's the case, it would make Theo unable to get out of bed tomorrow morning.

It would make it too hard to live again.

“I guess you're pretty great at it.” Liam smiles, and Theo’s heart melts into a million pieces, beating only for a blue-eyed wolf.

Chapter Text

“This is really boring.” Corey shakes his head, staring glumly at the screen and shoves more popcorn into his mouth.

“We agreed to watch something not involving the supernatural.” Liam states, reaching over Theo’s lap to grab his soda.

“Okay, but what about finding something somewhat decent?” Corey asks, a loud sigh of disapproval radiating from his shoulders, and making Theo semi-aware of his presence. 

He’s been a little distracted since his make out session with Liam, and he couldn’t tell you what they’re watching even if he wanted to. 

Theo’s been trying to focus on keeping himself from dwelling on it too long, and now he’s just a mess of conflicted emotions about sucking Liam into his life.  

“This was the only movie where we wouldn’t miss the first part of it because Liam and Theo were late.” Mason raises an eyebrow at Theo, with a teasing and sarcastic tone that has the vampire looking away, avoiding the obvious point that he’s making.

“I think it’s over now. Was that the ending?” Corey moans, picking up his empty drink and finding his way to the exit.

“I don’t know. I’m confused.” Liam shrugs, but he’s not that bothered by it and he’s only looking at Theo, waiting for his reaction as he avoids the inevitable question of whether they’re going to talk about what happened.

Theo pulls his phone out, scattered texts and phone calls from the last two hours light up in his notifications, but he’s still in a fog of panic and uncertainty over his decision to kiss a werewolf.

A werewolf that has been front and center for the last few months, creating a real sense of belonging for Theo that’s been a lot more difficult than he’d like to admit.

“Tracy just sent me a text. She said that Donovan’s been missing for over an hour and she’s worried he went off the deep end again.” Corey worriedly tells Theo, waiting for him to tell him what’s next, the night now taking off into another direction that has now dampened the mood.

“Great. Mason, can you take Liam home? Corey and I will deal with this.” Theo says, seeing a nod of confirmation from Mason, as he walks out of the theater and hurries Corey into his truck.

“Excuse me, but I’m my own person and I wasn’t asked what I wanted to do.” Liam fumes, standing at Theo’s door and holding it tightly, not allowing Theo to close it without dealing with the werewolf’s indignant rage.

“Okay, I wasn’t asking.” Theo replies, boldly pointing out that he’s not going to accept Liam’s insistence on going with him.

“Okay and I wasn’t either.” Liam responds, eyes hardening with a stubborn smile and he’s clutching the door harder, as he does a lot of posturing about the situation, and Theo’s only response is to pull his door shut.

It’s a very bad move since it implies Theo’s not going to bend to Liam’s decision making and it only ignites the anger that he’s feeling, which is why he’s suddenly turning to watch his door be thrown open, as Liam climbs into the front seat, heated by his refusal of not allowing him to go.

Liam almost smacks him in the face, shoving his way over Theo to get to the passenger seat, but it’s not a big surprise that he’s becoming more insistent on demanding to help out. Theo should have seen this coming and he’s biting the inside of his cheek to prevent himself from getting too snarky about his opinion being ignored.

“Are we going to go?” Liam bristles, sitting up straighter, a firm tone of defiance and a hint of sarcasm in his voice. 

Theo foolishly waits to see if he will let it go or back down.

He doesn’t. Not even a bit. Instead, Liam happily opens the door for Mason and lets him into the truck, smiling at an unsure Corey. 

“This doesn’t involve werewolves or anyone else!” Theo protests, snapping too loudly at Liam and it creates a lot of tension, a small amount of frustration radiating through Theo’s face.

He can’t even say more about it because he’s too annoyed by the way Liam’s growling at him. 

“Maybe it should? If Donovan’s out on the town and trying to murder people then it’s definitely werewolf business.” Liam puts his seatbelt on, and then he proceeds to drink Theo’s water bottle, smiling as he does it.

“Is this their way of flirting or are they fighting?” Corey asks Mason, watching the whole conversation and becoming confused about their relationship.

“I honestly don’t ask questions.” Mason murmurs, a resigned expression on his lips and Theo’s going crazy over the fact they’re wasting time on this, but he doesn’t care to explain why he’s mad. 

Gunning it out of the parking lot, he takes the back roads, determining which way to go to hunt Donovan down. 

Hopefully it’s to find him walking around and not terrorizing anyone but he’s not feeling confident in the other vampire’s ability to not stir up trouble.

“Seatbelt.” Liam orders, nodding to Theo, and it's endearing and aggravating all at the same time, but he throws it on, wondering if he’s just too soft to put up a fight.

A snort from Corey has Theo temporarily seeing red, but it vanishes as quickly as it comes. It’s hard to remain upset when Liam’s smiling and leaning closer, ever so gently tapping his shoulder in a way that’s affecting his ability to keep his mind focused on Donovan.

The good thing about Donovan is he’s sloppy. It’s normally easy to find him or find hints of him around town. He’s so intent on getting blood by any means necessary that he never remembers to be careful about his surroundings, and the way he ransacks the area always makes it apparent he’s involved. 

“Scott said he called in Argent.” Liam nervously says, a sad and worried frown on his face, but Theo’s too busy trying to find Donovan to worry about his well being. It will be his own fault if he winds up getting killed by a hunter because of his actions that Theo’s been warning him about for years.

“It’s fine.” Theo mumbles, a heavy weight of guilt over not taking better care of his roommates taking over, his chest hurting from the painful experience of being responsible for this. He should have been home, making sure no one was going to get hurt and that Donovan wasn’t going to go off the deep end.

A dark and shadowy figure leaps out from the woods, dashing in front of the truck and sailing over the hood.

A loud banging sound comes off the vehicle and shatters the night air.

Theo slams on his breaks, throwing his arms in front of Liam to prevent him from being thrown forward.

“What was that?” Corey exclaims, holding his hands against his chest and checking to make sure everyone is safe.

“An animal.” Mason quietly peers out his window, looking around to see if he can hear or see what hit them, but there’s no longer any sign of what hit the truck. 

“I think it damaged the truck.” Theo shuts the ignition off, clenching his fist and realizing he’s most likely going to have to fix his truck. 

It’s not how he wanted tonight to go but he’s too busy working out what the hell hit them to start the tedious task of finding a mechanic he can trust. 

“Wait! Don’t go out there. What if it’s like, a violent attack on us?” Corey grows pale, a wild look in his eyes that shows fear and a sense of worry, and all it does is give Liam the chance to help out some more.

Theo doesn’t need Liam playing hero again. Not when they don’t know what’s out there and when Donovan is still missing. 

“They still hit the truck.” Theo steps out of the truck, annoyed and looking for the person responsible for damaging his property.

The front of the truck is dented very badly, creating another problem for Theo to handle and the size of the impact is noticeable, making it hard to believe it was from a normal animal.

“Do you think they hit us on purpose?” Liam asks, coming out of the truck and taking a look at it, not paying attention to how annoyed Theo is, or his need to handle this himself.

“I don’t know. I find it hard to believe Donovan hit my truck out of spite.” Theo points out, running his hand over the dent and scowling at how expensive it will be to repair.

“You think Donavan did that.” Liam says, with a laugh on his face, the unlikely possibility of a single vampire doing that much damage making him chuckle.

“No, I don’t. It definitely wasn’t a deer though.” Theo sighs, becoming more exhausted and less willing to deal with the consequences of helping out this town.

“Really? I couldn’t tell.“ Liam quips, rolling his eyes so far back in his head that Theo has a hard time keeping his mouth shut from the sarcasm he’s using. 

Clearly, he’s spending way too much time with Stilinski.

“So do vampires normally strike moving objects?” Mason frowns, rolling the window down and considering the facts of what happened.

“I doubt a vampire is colliding with us but——“ Corey yelps, closing the door quickly and pulling Mason back into the truck.

A loud growling comes from the woods, alerting Theo they’re not alone and it doesn’t sound like a vampire at all, further warning them the danger is closer than ever.

“Should we investigate?” Liam asks, but doesn’t wait for Theo to decline his idea, instead he dashes off to follow the noise, and it makes Theo more concerned about his safety.

“Liam! Wait here.” Theo orders Mason and Corey, running after the werewolf, who’s somehow yards ahead of him. 

Liam’s energy level must have skyrocketed the moment he saw something he could help with.

It starts to rain, only making it worse for Theo, and branches slam into his chest, as he tries to figure out where Liam is and if he's been met with a menacing presence, or if he’s just going off by himself to show the McCall pack he’s capable of handling things.

A loud laugh and a roar shatters his heart, the worry he’s feeling sends him into a panic, a sudden burst of adrenaline kicking in.

All Theo can do is imagine Liam being mauled by something, the dangerous beast that they’re dealing with ripping into his flesh, scarring Theo for life, and ending any chance of being able to have some kind of normal life that would give him a sliver of happiness.

Rushing to find Liam and following the noise of the roar, he turns to his right, but he’s slammed against something hard. 

It might be sticking out of his chest, because a slow trickle of blood is coming out of him and he’s woozy.

Chris Argent’s eyes are wide, horrified by the sight of Theo standing in front of him, a large wooden stake protruding out of his chest and a ghastly look of horror on his face making this almost funny.

“It’s okay. I don’t actually feel it.” Theo forces a smile, needing to remain calm and show no signs of ill will towards an Argent.

It was an accident and he’s not going to go off on anyone when Liam’s off in the woods, and possibly in danger. 

“Get over here!“ Argent calls out for Liam, blinking at Theo and he’s not so sure he’s okay at this point.

What is Argent doing here with a stake anyway? Was he going to stake Donovan? 

Just because he was called in for help doesn’t mean he should be taking them down with wooden objects and it doesn’t make Theo likely to trust him when his solution is to violently take vampires out.

That’s not what he would do, but he’s barely able to stand. 

Theo could be dying. He feels like he’s been hit by a bus and the sudden warm air hitting his chest is hurting his resolve to remain calm. The blood is flowing from his body and Theo’s head is pounding.

He sits down, staggering to the ground in blind pain and shoving Argent’s hands away from him. 

All he needs is some time to recover. That’s all.

“What the hell did you do?” Liam growls, throwing himself in front of Theo and holding the stake that’s sticking out of his chest, unsure of what to do with it.

“I didn’t see him!” Argent protests, as if he’s the one that’s been injured and Theo feels bad, but he’s dizzy now, trying to keep his head from hurting.

“This wouldn’t have happened if you waited for me.” Theo smirks, coughing up blood.

“Shut up. This isn’t even remotely funny. I’m worried about your mental state. This isn’t a time for jokes!” Liam snaps, looking lost and the pain in his face is just as hurtful to Theo, but worse.

“So I pull this out?” Liam turns to Argent, petrified to do something wrong and he’s shifted, the golden irises taking over the blue, but it’s a beautiful sight to behold.

“I don’t know.” Theo whispers, stunned and unable to move.

“It didn’t hit his heart or he would be dead. Look.” Argent points at Theo’s chest, showing Liam where the stake hit. Slightly to the left of his heart.

“So rip this out?” Liam asks again, the panicked fury in his eyes evident, almost making him shake the closer Argent gets to Theo.

Argent is very quiet, far away and vacant of anything other than what is going on in his mind, the subtleness of his voice and demeanor changing into one that’s more shell shocked. He’s mentally disturbed by his own thoughts and Theo can’t understand what the problem is.

It’s doubtful it’s due to Theo being hurt by him and the vampire is highly aware they’re not safe out here. 

Not when Argent is off in his own world and he’s slowly being drowned in his blood.

“Chris!” Liam bellows, puzzled by his behavior and ready to take his chances on ripping out the stake.

“Sorry. Yes, slowly.” Argent kneels down, holding Theo down, as if that would really do much to help him from sprinting away if he wanted to.

Taking the stake out slowly, Liam holds his other hand against Theo’s shoulder, doing what he can to help ease the pressure and stop the blood. Theo almost forgot he had blood. He feels more dead than alive most days. 

“Theo. Pay attention!” Liam stresses, shaking him to stay awake and gazing at the stake in alarm.

“This would happen. Right before I was going to admit I sort of like you.” Theo laughs, his vision fading away and it’s with a lot of effort he’s even able to speak right now. 

“Sort of like me?” Liam’s nostrils flare, and it’s helping him to stay alert, just so he can see the blue eyes glow golden, a light blue mixing with a tint of yellow.

“Hurry and finish this conversation later. I’m seeing what I thought was a ghost but now I’m not so sure.” Argent cautions, a slower response than normal, but he’s helping Theo feel better to see him more aware of his surroundings. 

Theo wants to ask what that means, and what he needs to worry about now, but he’s too disoriented by the pain and sharp object piercing his skin. Too worried about the way Liam pales at every single moment he grunts in pain. 

It’s all too much to be able to comprehend what Argent is alluding to.

“Okay. So”. Liam says.

“Just fucken pull it out Liam!” Theo winces, taking in a sharp breath.

“Tone of voice is a little too strong.” Liam frowns, frazzled by the sound of Theo’s voice and he’s going to apologize but his voice is coming out muffled.

“Take it out so I can get us out of here.” He gasps, grimacing and holding it together as best as he can. 

If Liam would actually take it out he would be able to breathe better, but he’s……oh.

“Got it.” Liam beams, holding up the bloody stake and giving Theo a long look that suggests he’s over his attitude.

An attitude he only had because Argent just tried to unknowingly murder him. 

“You’re a terrible person to distract.” The werewolf implies, helping him up, and having him lean on his shoulder.

Theo is feeling helpless. He doesn’t like it.

Plus, now Christ Argent is going back with them and Theo doesn’t want anymore people bothering him tonight.

“Theo what happened! Where’s Donovan?” Corey throws the door open to the truck once they make it back to the road, teetering on being too worried about his safety and fearing the reaction Theo is going to have when he’s being babied like it’s his first day as a vampire.

He’s been hurt before. It’s nothing to lose sleep over. Theo’s primary concern is dealing with Donovan and preventing a bloody war over this town.

“He got away. Argent found me instead.” Theo painfully says, hobbling to the truck and sighing as the pain starts to lessen, his body slowly healing.

“I didn’t find any clues on Donovan.” Argent corrects him, pointing out the obvious but he’s grave, and staring back at Liam as if he knows something.

“Care to tell the class?” Theo firmly asks, sounding less friendly the more he hears Argent speak.

“Stop talking for one minute. We need to get you home.” Liam forces the keys out of Theo’s hand, evading his question on Argent’s behalf and then using it to drive Theo’s vehicle that he never gave permission to use.

“I’m fine. I’m almost healed. What are you doing? I don’t let other people drive.” He attests, wanting to shove his way into the driver’s seat and take back control, but Liam turns the vehicle on, leaving no time for the vampire to argue over it because he’s flooring it. 

It’s also conveniently making it harder to snag the keys away when the truck is in motion and Theo’s not going to kid himself into thinking Liam didn’t purposely do this so he couldn’t take back the driver’s seat. 

“What about Argent?” Mason looks behind them, the truck leaving the woods behind and curious about the situation since Liam got the hell out of there without any warning to anyone else, making it difficult to know if the man needed a ride or not.

“He got himself there.” Liam says, leaning forward and adjusting the seat like a madman, not needing to worry about being able to see. 

Apparently that’s not a thing anymore when someone’s trying to drive.

“Liam.” Theo sighs, placing his hand over his jaw and gently lifting his seatbelt on, remembering he’s about to get hell for it if he doesn’t make sure to click it into place.

“Theo.” Liam jeers in a low pitched voice and whatever version of Theo’s voice is in his head, but he doesn’t fucken sound like that. He knows he doesn’t.  

“He had something to say. I thought you wanted to end this case. Not prolong it. Don’t do that! We’re going to drive into a tree.” He badgers him, witnessing the wolf drive too close to the side of the road and glare too hard at Theo’s face.

“You’re a back seat driver.” Liam smiles, shifting his leg and pulling the truck back into the center of the road.

“You’re a terrible person to drive with.” Theo sneers, in horrified silence at Liam’s insistence on driving just how his mind works.

“You’re cranky because you almost died. Is your ego hurt or are you still moody? Maybe I should kiss you some more.” Liam shamelessly says, no longer noticing their passengers in the back.

“This is kinda awkward for us.” Corey whines, letting Mason nod in agreement, a slow and deliberate expression of embarrassment coming over their faces.

“Is that Donovan on the road?” Corey moves forward and takes a deep breath, seeing a shadowy figure standing in the street.

“Run him over.” Theo tells Liam, settling on the fact that Donovan’s made his bed and he’s going to lay in it. 

They’re not going down with him. 

“What!” Liam does a double take, and he slows down, not accepting Theo’s request to drive into another person. 

Liam slams the truck to a stop, narrowly avoiding flying off the road that’s still wet from the rain they had earlier.

“That’s not Donovan.” Mason mutters, a hushed whisper and a silent feeling of relief that is short lived by the stark reality of what they’re dealing with.

“Obviously. It’s a woman.” Liam turns the headlights off, thinking of ways to show they mean no harm to this person and it turns them into sitting ducks. 

They’re out in the open with some strange woman who doesn’t look anywhere near normal and Theo’s better, mostly healed but he’s clawing at the back of his head, determined to find out why this lady is so familiar.

“She’s holding something.” Corey muses, a dark and mysterious gust of wind coming through the truck window, uprooting Theo’s sense of calm. 

“That’s a gun. We don’t die by guns. Unless it’s like wooden stakes or silver bullets, but Scott said even silver bullets have to be made correctly to work.” Liam bables, frozen by the insurmountable nervousness that’s been unleashed on all of them. 

“Back up!” Theo loudly voices, a cold and bitter feeling of despair coming into his mind.

The same type of cold that he felt when Erica was found dead that night.

“I can’t back up! I’m in the middle of the road and it’s dark. I can’t see with the headlights so dim.” Liam growls, pushing buttons on the steering wheel and trying to find the high beams, but it’s not fast enough for Theo.

With fear for their safety and no less worried than he was previously, Theo throws himself into the driver’s seat, putting the truck into reverse and flying backwards at a high speed, as he’s sprawled on top of Liam, doing his best to drive without being able to see.

The trees fly past them, the road is slick with water, and they’re dangerously close to hydroplaning off the ground.

The only thing keeping Theo from panicking is Liam’s grumblings of being squished. 

“Stop!” Mason shouts, the truck screeching to a halt, as Theo slams on the brakes and avoids hitting into Chris Argent.

“So, you were a race car driver in a past life.” Liam huffs into his shoulder, the welcoming smile of relief on his lips, calming the vampire’s nerves.

“Get back to the McCall house.” Argent fiercely orders them and opens the door to ensure they’re listening to his instructions, and it’s not very easy to do for Theo when he was just staked by the man and he had to drive in reverse to get them out of danger.

“What if I need to check on my roommates? Some of us have other people we need to——you know, check on.” Theo hisses, biting back another word that is too close to sounding like he cares about them as more than just his roommates. 

“Hey. Come on. Corey can call them.” Liam gently answers, patting Theo’s shoulder and kicking the door open, struggling to get out from underneath the weight of Theo’s body.

It’s a silly little gesture of care and a soothing way to help Theo get in a better headspace, but it helps. 

He nods, and Liam calls Scott, informing him they’re on their way. 

On their way for what purpose, he doesn’t know.

At least Theo’s out of the woods now. 

He will be having a conversation with Argent. Once Liam stops fawning over him like he’s lost a limb, but he can’t stop smiling, a small inkling of tenderness for the wolf creating a lot of unfamiliar feelings.

It’s those feelings that make Theo shuffle back to the McCall house. 

Much to Corey’s dismay.

“You coming in?” Liam questions, waiting for him to follow and he does. 

Without any reason not to, he nods, but Liam wouldn’t be Liam if he didn’t decide to do something without telling Theo.

“Oh, I did text Boyd. Told him you almost died. He’s coming too. Thank me later.” Liam perks up, walking into the McCall house.

There will be no thanking anyone later.

Chapter Text

“I feel like you’re mad at me.” Liam says, a bit more sad than usual and Theo wonders if he’s doing it on purpose, needing to guilt trip him into accepting the werewolf’s insertion into his former friendship with Boyd.

“I’m not mad. I’m slightly upset about the fact I was stabbed by a hunter and now I have to open old wounds that aren’t even important.” Theo explains, lowering his voice to keep the conversation private, and noticing they have an audience.

“That sounds like you're mad. Upset means mad Theo. I’m not dumb.” Liam protests, titling his jaw upwards in anger, as he prepares to be insulted by Theo’s word choices. 

“I didn’t call you dumb Liam. Upset isn’t always the same emotion as anger. Upset can be a variety of feelings. Like depression or unsettling thoughts of despair. My personal favorite is aggravation towards a particular person. Stop glaring at me!” Theo sighs, loudly and bluntly, but the only thing Liam does is grumble underneath his breath, keeping his angry attitude.

“Can we get started please?” Malia asks, an unimpressed look on her face and the wry smile on Scott’s lips isn’t helping Theo keep Liam from becoming offended by nothing, other than his obsession with Theo’s vocabulary. 

It’s his whole focus right now and it shouldn’t be, but Liam’s not about to stop arguing, even with all eyes on the two of them.

“Yes. Sorry. I was just taken back by the rude tone of Theo’s voice.” Liam sighs, as dramatically as he can, and he loves the way he’s giving Theo a hard time. 

“It wasn’t a rude tone. I was staked tonight. I need two more minutes before I have to indulge the rest of you. Boyd isn’t even here and yet, I still have to find the right way to handle this fun surprise. Yes, we can start.” Theo snaps, ruffled by the day he’s had and he can’t help but worry about seeing Boyd again. 

It’s too new. It’s always too new. Even though it’s been a long time now. It’s easier to keep things tucked away and never deal with it. That way Theo can pretend he never had a friend in the first place. It stops the guilt from becoming too much.

“Okay. Liam and Theo, why don’t you go wash the mud off from the woods or something. We can fill you in later. Just please go and take a nap. Or maybe just sit down. You’re both stressing me out and I don’t even know what the hell you’re talking about.” Derek points out, getting a nod of approval from Scott and that’s just great because he doesn’t want to be here anymore. 

Now they look like they’re acting childish in front of the others but Theo is ready to end the day. A shower or a nap sounds nice.

“Um, I think Theo and I have done a lot for this case but sure. I will not be letting the credit go to anyone else. So just be careful not to say too much while we’re away.” Liam angrily remarks, making sure to throw in the extra detail of wanting a proper thank you for their time, but Theo’s not expecting that. 

Liam’s the one who needs the recognition for it. He’s always worried about being in Scott’s shadow. He feels for him but no one’s worried about that right now. Especially not Argent who still looks shaken.

“We got it.” Stiles mutters, shaking his head.

“Come on Dunbar.” Theo smirks, pushing Liam towards the laundry room and letting the stress of the day pass.

“Can you believe this crap? I mean, we really did all the work and now we’re not involved in the meeting with Derek and my pack? Talk about being left out.” Liam’s face falls, washing his hands and pulling off his clothes like he’s in a bathroom and not out in the open, standing in the kitchen for all to see.

“Slow down. What if someone walks in?” Theo nervously frowns, a little too conscious of the others being in the next room.

“I didn’t know you’re shy.” Liam teases, pulling Theo into the small room and locking the door to the laundry room.

“I’m not shy but I’m not getting naked with your friends around.” Theo asserts, watching as Liam strips down to his underpants and puts his muddy clothes in the washer, looking over at him to hurry up and do the same.

“There’s no one here. This is an excuse so you can delay seeing Boyd.” Liam raises an eyebrow, a loud huff of laughter coming out of his mouth, as Theo is about to make a speech about not having to delay anything, but Liam’s already pulling off his jacket to throw it in the washer.

“I can’t stand your—Liam!” Theo cries, exasperated by the hard way Liam’s undoing his pants, and forcing him to be quick so they can get back to the meeting. 

The wolf is so impatient all the time.

“What? I’m sorry! I didn’t think inviting a former friend of yours would be the end of the world, but apparently in Theo Raeken’s mind it’s a great offense.” Liam deadpans, and he gently moves back, worrying he’s hurt Theo somehow. 

“You’re a real pain.” Theo scoffs, and he throws his shirt at Liam, making sure to hit his face with it in retaliation for the sarcasm he’s enduring.

“You know you didn’t do anything wrong right? If Erica was here she….”

“No.” Theo interrupts, refusing to listen to Liam’s carefully crafted remark, which is being used to make him feel better and it’s not fucken working.

“Okay.” Liam nods, accepting he isn’t getting anywhere but if Theo knows anything about Liam, and he’s sure that he does, this will not be the last time they’ll discuss this. 

“Nice boxers.” Theo chuckles, seeing the cartoon characters and seeing the indignant look on Liam’s face.

“Oh haha. Didn’t realize this was a fashion show. Not that you would go to one of those since you’re too anti-social and rude.” Liam points out, as he finishes putting the last of their clothes into the washer. 

“I’m not rude.” Theo argues, narrowing his eyes while Liam’s laughing at him, and holding his side like he’s about to combust. 

So funny. 

“Well, okay. We can pretend.” Liam shrugs, causing Theo to drop it and take the high road with the wolf since he’s so adamant about his personality.

“Are we going to stand in this room and wait for our clothes to dry?” Theo asks, waiting to hear Liam’s response, just so he can give him a hard time, annoyed by his judgment on his social skills. 

“Are we going to ignore the truth of you delaying the obvious elephant in the room?” Liam questions back, a slow and steady challenge to Theo’s snarky approach. 

He might be delaying the interaction with Boyd, but there’s nothing Theo can do to make up for what happened or to fix Erica’s death. No matter how much he wishes it was him that died instead.

“Allison died too. No one was at fault. I wish you’d see how much you’re carrying on your shoulders when you don’t need to be.” Liam says, staring at the washer and unable to connect with Theo’s face, the rest of his words getting mixed up with all of the sad regret filling the air.

“I appreciate your never ending optimism and drive to make me feel better about myself, but all that doesn’t change the reality of me deflecting my responsibility. I wasn’t supposed to leave her alone and I did.” Theo swallows the lump in his throat that’s keeping him from getting more angry, but he’s still shown the way it’s affecting him. 

It's all he can ever think about and why he’s doing all he can to avoid a repeat situation.

People die with Theo and he can’t have Liam die. It would break him and he’s never been able to fully understand what love or care for another person really is. 

Not until Liam. Now that he’s had a glimpse of what it feels like and what it could be, he can’t help but be protective over it. If he lost Liam it would mean he would finally lose everything he holds dear to him. 

“Okay. I wasn’t supposed to go into the woods and I did. Where you found me and decided to help. People make mistakes Theo. We all make mistakes and if you give up, don’t try to be better in light of it, then why are you even trying to control yourself? If you’re such a bad person then why are you here?” Liam sits on the washer, a fiery little smirk on, and Theo wants to ring his neck. 

Ring his neck for being good at throwing things back at him and making things so clear and convincing. To the point where he has to think about his own role and if he’s overly sensitive or critical of his behavior.

“My mistakes get people killed.” Theo softly says, the weight of it all crushing him, as he shies away from putting any blame on someone else.

He can’t. He was the one there and if Donovan wasn’t an erratic individual then he wouldn’t have left to go find out what he was doing. It was never his intention or duty to be the one who kept him on a short leash. It just happened and someone died because he was doing just that. Deciding to take on Donovan’s job of controlling his blood lust, instead of demanding Donovan take it on himself.

“Your mistakes?” Liam gently questions, and Theo knows what he’s doing, what he’s implying. 

Donovan won’t ever be able to win over Liam’s support, or Theo’s for that matter.

“Next question.” Theo pushes Liam gently to the side, sitting near him and listening to the sound of the wash cycle, almost soothing their own hearts that are riddled with sad tears they won’t let fall.

They’re much too proud.

“Since we need to wait for our clothes, do you want to shower?” Liam asks, so quietly that Theo has to strain and use his supernatural hearing to understand, as the werewolf bites his bottom lip, anxiously waiting for Theo's input.

“You can go first. I have to wait for Boyd.” Theo leans on Liam’s arm, determining if he wants to find a way out of the house and further avoid the awkward moment of seeing Boyd.

“Might want to put some clothes on.” Liam laughs, but right before he does, he flinches at Theo for allowing him to go first, but he doesn’t think it makes a difference on who goes first. Liam shouldn’t care either. 

“Yeah.” Theo rolls his eyes, and Liam jumps off the washer, shakes his hand, and walks out, running across the hallway to the upstairs bathroom.

That was an odd time for a handshake and it doesn’t fit the—

“Theo, can I come in or is that werewolf in there too?” Boyd swiftly asks, sounding freaked out, and like he's going to walk in on Theo and Liam, the awkwardness Theo was worried about definitely there.

“He’s upstairs. You can, but I don’t have all my clothes on.” Theo pauses, realizing what he’s saying and now he’s more embarrassed than ever.

“Why don’t you have all your clothes on? This is someone else’s house.” Boyd reminds him, and he’s holding back a laugh. 

At least someone is enjoying themselves. He’s mortified by this. This will be the last time he lets Liam run off and leave him alone while he’s indecent. 

“I’m washing my clothes. Don’t ask.” Theo pleads, leaning against the door and seeing his clothes still have more time until being ready to go in the dryer. 

This wasn’t thought out. Washing clothes at someone else’s house while he doesn’t have any of his own clothes isn’t the best idea, but he’s learned to go with the flow when it comes to Liam and allow for his chaotic energy.

“Liam yelled at me by the way.” Boyd informs him, an interesting thing to hear, and he wants to say that doesn’t sound like him, but Liam’s shown he’s very defensive over his friends. 

It 100% sounds like something Liam would do if he was worried about a friend. That friend being Theo and it’s still weird to say. To have a friend in his life when he tries so hard to keep people out.

“Sorry, he’s…well..he’s Liam. That’s most likely my fault. He thinks I’m too hard on myself but I’m not. I’m trying to do better.” He explains, refusing to sound rehearsed or insincere but it comes out that way. 

“Do you think you’ve found who’s been murdering people? Any leads?” Boyd asks, ignoring his comments and taking the lead on what they’re both here for.

“It’s a woman and Argent almost killed me because he was so freaked out by who he saw. I was supposed to be in this meeting but now I’m washing clothes.” Theo grunts out, the ever changing sound of his voice annoying him to the fullest.

He keeps sounding angry and sad. Then back to normal again. Hearing Boyd is bringing back a lot of hidden memories he’d rather not relive.

“A domesticated vampire. Never thought I’d see the day.” Boyd laughs, his full chest shaking against the wooden door and Theo smirks at the sound of his amusement. 

“I’m stranded here because I didn’t think about needing clothes to wear. I’m not suddenly doing everyone’s laundry.” Theo mutters, the laundry still not done and he drifts off into wondering what Liam’s doing. He should be showering, but he can’t hear any water running.

“I don’t know what to say.” Boyd admits, unable to keep his mouth shut and confirming what Theo knows, but won’t dare say. He’s finding it odd he doesn’t know what to say next when they’re used to talking for hours. 

“There’s nothing for you to say.” Theo rationalizes, a slow rise of anxiety over the past creating a new feeling of fear and self doubt.

“I think there is, but saying it to a wooden door doesn’t feel right.” Boyd states, and the huff he makes loosens the tension. 

If Erica was here, Theo knows she would be laughing at both of them.

“Nothing feels right.” Theo reluctantly agrees, eyeing the laundry for a third time. 

He’d like to have some clothes on soon. He should have asked Scott for some but that felt way too personal to ask for clothes when he just wandered into his home with his beta. Theo doesn’t want to overstay his welcome.

“Other than a werewolf named Liam?” Boyd asks, and it’s sounding like an innocent question, but Theo knows Boyd. He knows the ins and outs of his character, and the small things he does to make a point.

“He kind of decided we were friends and the rest is just me agreeing to his decisions. We’ve been trying to find out who’s hurting other supernaturals.” Theo frowns, all but admitting he’s soft for Liam. 

“I can’t convince you of anything. I don’t know anyone else who can.” Boyd says, digging through Theo’s wall of denial and he’s not going to agree to that. 

Hmmm. Did he just prove Boyd’s point?

“Theo! Hurry up! We’re missing all the important pieces of information!” Liam’s voice complains, knocking loudly on the door as he waits for his clothes for an unnecessary amount of time.

How long were the clothes put in for? The time doesn’t seem to be moving or he could be paranoid and overly excited about what’s happening.

“I don’t have clothes. Go get me some and I can come out.” Theo snarks right back, listening to Liam sigh loudly.

“Forgetting to say please? Tyler’s here too and he’s a bit mad you left him with Derek.” Liam explains, whispering something to Boyd, and Theo can’t bear to pay attention long enough to hear it.

Having no clothes and freezing in this laundry room isn’t the greatest feeling.

“I didn’t leave him with Derek.” Theo protests, pulling the door open, and he’s hit with a variety of clothes that Liam’s found.

“You kinda did.” Liam solemnly says, infringing on Theo’s privacy by letting Boyd and Tyler stand outside, while they argue about their version of events.

“Okay I did. Sorry.” Theo apologizes, and it’s not much of an apology but Tyler is merely standing outside the door, appearing nonchalant about everything. 

“Theo clothes!” Liam shoves Theo back into the laundry room, shutting the door.

“Whose clothes are these?” Theo asks, upset by having to wear someone else’s clothing. He’s not one to share clothes and he’s particular on what he does wear.  He wanted his own clothes.

“Scott’s.” Liam replies, and it doesn’t make Theo any more willing to wear them.

“I will wait for my clothes. Thanks.” Theo vocalizes, and it doesn’t matter if he’s being difficult or not. He doesn’t want to wear another person’s clothes and definitely not if it’s a werewolf. 

Unless it’s Liam, but only because he’s more comfortable with him. 

“He always does this.” Liam tells Boyd, and what the hell does that mean because that’s not true. This is the first time this has ever happened. 

“I do not! Liam.” Theo groans, refusing to bend to the idea of being someone who’s always causing problems.

“Theo. Wait. I’ll go see if I can make Mason take Corey to go get yours.” Liam stomps away, leaving him with Boyd and possibly Tyler on the other side of the door, listening to his objections. 

Tyler hasn’t said much so who even knows if he’s still there since he was so quickly shoved back into the room by a worried werewolf.

“So that’s Liam.” Theo explains, as if they don’t know who Liam is but he’s more embarrassed by the scene he caused and sounding unappreciative of Liam’s solution. He has to fill the silence.

“For someone who doesn’t like werewolves you sure have a lot of them around you.” Tyler points out in a not so nice way, confirming he’s been here the whole time and irking Theo to death.

“Oh whatever.” Theo scowls, the subtleness of Tyler’s words hitting him hard and Boyd is way too quiet to be disagreeing with Tyler so that’s very frustrating.

“Theo, hello. It’s me.” Liam greets him, knocking on the door quietly.

“I know your voice Liam. You don’t have to say who you are.” Theo leans against the door, waiting for his clothes and wishing he hadn’t been stabbed with a stake. 

He wouldn’t be wet and muddy if he didn’t get outside his truck and care so much about finding out who was behind it.

“Right. Okay, so they’re going to get your clothes. I’m coming in.” Liam loudly announces, opening the door just enough so he can weasel his way through; worried he will show Theo to Boyd and Tyler, who likely don’t care one way or another. Liam’s the only one worried about Theo being shirtless. 

“Okay. Since we have to wait for your picky ass to be in your own clothes, I had to get filled in by Scott. Terrible news.” Liam frowns, and it kills Theo’s positive attitude of being ahead in this case.  

The look he gives is not showing signs of being happy about their time in the woods.

“And?” Theo inquires, attentive to Liam’s body language and his uncertain attitude.

“Argent said the gun was that of a hunter. A skilled and experienced hunter. He found a bullet casing on the road and it screams of a supernatural hunter.” Liam grows puzzled, lacking the knowledge of a hunter but knowing none of this feels right.

“A hunter can’t rip supernaturals throats like that.” Theo attests, not believing that’s the answer to the puzzle they’ve been working on.

“I know.” Liam agrees, letting out a breath of air and thinking about all they have found out, weighing the possibility of what it all means.

“So she’s working with someone else or he’s wrong.” Theo expounds, adding in a small smile as Liam scoffs at his weak point he’s trying to make that doesn’t have any real evidence to back it up. 

Only Theo’s opinion and Deaton’s photos that were shown to them previously is what he has to go on. 

That's all he has by way of evidence but he doesn’t think he’s wrong on this. 

“Argent isn’t normally wrong about someone being a hunter.” Liam warns, but he’s not so sure and Theo can see the wheels spinning in the wolf’s head.

“He said he saw a ghost in the woods. Let’s talk to him and see what he means. No matter how crazy it sounds. I can’t bank on the fact this is all a hunter. Not when all of the murders have shown signs of being an animal or something more supernatural.” Theo defends his theory, happy to see the washer has gone off and he only has to wait for his clothes to dry.

“Okay but put on clothes first.” Liam orders, a jealous smile on his lips and Theo is a bit stunned by this new attitude of his.

“Fine. I was going to go out like this but since you asked.” Theo smirks, a glimpse of amusement and a jab at Liam’s own teasing he likes to unleash on him. 

“Was that sarcasm Theo? Wow.” Liam eyes widen, filled with a blazing smile and an eye roll that has Theo regretting joking around when he can see the haughty side of Liam’s personality that feeds on stirring him up.

”I don’t think Corey and Mason are coming back.” Theo makes a point of telling Liam, but he’s nodding in agreement, and he has to wonder if there was even a point of asking them to go get his clothes if Liam knew that they were going to take a while. 

“Yeah. The enthusiastic yes from both of them to go back to the house alone was a good indicator of that. I enlisted Boyd and Tyler’s help.” Liam happily states, proud of himself for thinking on his feet and getting more eyes on the case.

“What!” Theo hardens his position of not wanting to have others involved, or around when they’re working alone. 

There’s too many opinions when there's too many people and it only makes things more confusing.

“Two werewolves are better than one and we technically have two and a half. We have a vampire and a half too since Tyler is a hybrid. You failed to disclose that originally.” Liam seethes, a little more rudely than before and Theo can’t argue. He can see the firm stance on Liam’s face. He won’t let this go.

“I’m not thanking you.” Theo sneers, remembering what Liam said before they came into the house.

“Too late. I’m saying you’re welcome anyway.” Liam laughs, side eyeing Theo’s voice of anger.

“Sometimes you make me wanna scream.” Theo throws his clothes in the dryer and waits for Liam’s next argument and ecstatic thoughts on what they should do.

“That’s pretty easy. You get annoyed easily.” Liam responds, and then he laughs, loving the hard stare he’s seeing from Theo.

“Maybe.” Theo sighs, as Liam brightens up and decides this is the best time to kiss him, and he’s not ready for it. 

He misses Liam’s lips entirely, and it’s hard to stop his cheeks from growing hot by the missed moment.

“I’ve really enjoyed kissing you in random places but maybe next time we can find a better atmosphere.” Theo jokingly offers, as he remains hot and warm from the embarrassment, along with the excitement of being with Liam.

A crash and breaking of glass breaks the tense silence that Liam is giving him, a slow but effective response of stalling their conversation.

“What was that?” Liam worriedly asks, opening the door and sprinting out the door before Theo can find his clothes. 

He has to put partly damp clothes on and it's uncomfortable and itchy, but he throws them on anyway; running out of the laundry room and nearly tripping over Tyler’s feet that are in the way of the door of the kitchen.

“What’s happening?” Theo asks, loudly and with no intention whatsoever of apologizing for his loud and obnoxious tone.

“A stray bullet came in the window.” Tyler answers, with a nod of unexpected sarcasm as he doesn’t take any chances in believing some stray bullet happened to find its way into the McCall household. 

It’s too coincidental. 

“Hurry up. I haven’t been this excited in a long time.” A woman's voice flies into the room, a daring and powerful threat to eliminate all who get in her way. 

“Derek, is that?” Boyd looks over at Derek, eyes wild and filled with shock and fear. 

“Come on!” 

Theo’s ripped backwards and pulled into the living room, Liam’s hands ripping his shirt so tightly he’s almost thrown off his feet.

“Who’s that?” Theo stills, a woman standing inches away from them, a serious and vengeful glare in her face.

“You two don’t have brown eyes, but they're still pretty.” The woman holds her gun against her side, her dark hair wet from the rain and her hands steady on the trigger.

Bullets fly at her, and Theo grabs ahold of Liam as Argent approaches with his weapon, his face pale and white but intent with unyielding determination.

Throwing a werewolf through a window is not an easy task, it’s very heavy and difficult to maneuver, and Liam’s angry and flailing arms don’t help Theo do it as well as he’d like, but he does manage to open the window and hurl him outside after a moment of difficulty.

“Theo!” Liam roars, standing up and attempting to hurl himself back into the house, but Theo’s not quite ready to get involved in this mess when they aren’t prepared for it. 

Theo’s truck pulls up, the headlights flashing and the hood damaged; but it works and Corey and Mason’s faces are a welcoming sight. He’s relieved they aren’t dead yet.

Without any care for Liam’s inevitable anger at him, Theo opens the door and shoves Liam towards it, Tyler jumping in after him.

“Wait, we’re missing Boyd.” Theo mentions, and he needs to make sure he’s okay before hightailing it out of here. It’s the least he can do.

“Right there!” Tyler points, directing them towards Derek and Boyd running out of the back door, and yeah, he should have used the door instead. Maybe Liam wouldn’t be growling at him right now, but he’s not thinking clearly when there’s a crazy woman with a gun. He’s sure that gun has something that could hurt supernatural beings.

“Go! I’ll follow.” Derek orders, pulling Boyd to the right and Corey floors the truck; while Theo is impressed by the amount of pressure and damage his vehicle can take, happy it’s reliable in times of trouble.

Corey skids onto the highway, the water still on the road and they almost fishtail off the highway, the speed they’re going too fast for the road's conditions.

“Your shirt is on inside out.” Liam growls, eyes gold with fury for having to leave Scott, and Theo’s sure he’s blaming him for it. 

“You’re bleeding.” Theo softly whispers, seeing red splattered on Liam’s shoulder and he shrugs it off, his only concern being his friends.

“I take back what I said. I’d like to let you guys handle this.” Tyler grumbles, running his hand through his hair and catching his breath as Theo fights to keep up with all that’s going on.

“You’re hurting my hand.” Liam flinches, his hand over Theo’s and the vampire’s fingers are around his wrist without even thinking about it.

“Sorry.” Theo pulls his hand back, counting the seconds it takes before he settles down and isn’t affected by the unsettling sound of the wind blowing.

“Deaton called on the way back to the house. There’s another werewolf that was found. He said it was recent.” Corey fearfully says, eyes on Theo for his opinion about what this means.

“So she had time to kill and get to the house?” Liam frowns, a small voice of reason to this madness.

“No. She didn’t. There’s another one.” Theo confidently says, just as his phone rings with Derek’s name flashing across the screen.

“Yes.” Theo answers, formal and to the point. No need to delay the reason for the call.

“Okay. Well, good news I got the face I.D. and the bad news is someone’s back from the dead.” Derek explains, a rush of adrenaline pumping in his voice and reaching Theo’s head, making him more aware of the dangerous situation they’re facing.

“Who?” Mason asks, leaning back and listening.

“An Argent. Not just an Argent though. She’s a werewolf now too.” Derek regretfully replies, a low tone of ominous laughter and dark humor in his voice that doesn’t even breach the surface of all the questions Theo has.

“So it’s just her?” Liam asks, leaning on Theo and interrupting, the cold wind breaking his silence.

Headlights flash and the truck flips over, the sound of metal and glass flying through the air, hitting the ground with a force that has Liam yelling in fear for Mason, the only one who’s not a supernatural creature that can withstand more than most humans.

The truck lands on its side, skidding across the road and causing Theo to close his eyes, the painful moment of not knowing if they’re all going to make it out, creating a panic.

“Theo? Are you dead?” A voice asks, and it’s not a very kind or sincere question based on the fact the person is sounding hopeful about the possibility of his death.

“You better hope I am.” Theo slowly replies, a loud and steady anger building inside of him as he comes to terms with the voice talking to him.

It’s a voice he’s always hated and one he could never understand why it bothered him so much. Not until now.

A cynical laugh is heard and Liam slowly opens his eyes, moving in pain and reaching for Theo, but he doesn’t reach him because the vampire is pulled out of the truck.

He’s thrown to the ground, with a panicked cry from Liam being the last thing he can hear before he faces a mouthful of fangs and blood. 

Well if this isn’t a deadly twist.

Chapter Text

If Theo’s going to die, it’s not going to be because of the likes of this guy, but fangs still pierce his neck, and he can feel the pain, the blood leaving his body; draining him dry and weakening him as Theo does what he can to fight off the fangs latched onto his neck.

His body is thrown against the truck, shattered glass flies everywhere, and Theo’s eyes are blurred with blood and sweat.

“I gotta say, I was really impressed by the amount of detail and time you put into helping werewolves you don’t even like. Sickening and annoying.” Donovan rips him up by his throat, eyes black and his fangs dripping with Theo’s blood.

“Always a disappointment.” Theo smirks, needing to remain calm and keep his unapologetic attitude intact.

He won’t give Donovan the benefit, or credit he wants for thinking he’s outsmarted him.

Donovan's smile breaks, his eyes faltering to a dark anger, and he slams Theo back onto the pavement, the gravel digging into the vampire’s skin.

Theo can feel the moment he’s starting to feel the effects of his injury and he’s never been so alarmed, so paralyzed by the idea of not being able to do anything more to help.

Fear isn’t something that’s ever gotten the best of him, and he’s not afraid for himself. Death is a thing that happens to people, even supernatural people. 

It’s never been guaranteed he was going to live forever and he’s accepted that, but he won’t be able to go without knowing what happens to the other people he’s left behind. 

At least he won’t go quietly.

Theo needs to buy some time. He doesn’t have a lot left, and his body is slowing down, his mind cloudy, the ache in his chest feeling lighter. It’s not a good sign and he’s losing the fight. Theo can feel it in every fiber of his being, his body losing the will to keep going, but he’d like to believe he’s more intelligent than Donovan. 

“So you killed her…..you…spineless…” Theo gasps, using all of his anger and strength he has left, to say what he needs to in order to find some more time that he so desperately needs.

“Ha. Nope. Not worth my time, but I’ll tell you that working alongside a werewolf that was previously a hunter, out for blood and payback, is something I was able to get behind.” Donovan pulls Theo up, holding him by his throat and saying what he believes to be the worst thing he can say, but it’s not. 

Donovan isn’t capable of pulling off Erica’s death without help, and he’s acutely aware of this since the moment he heard his grating voice. He’s never believed it was Donovan and this isn’t a surprise. No matter how badly he wants Theo to believe it was.

Working against his own kind though, is a unique and very vindictive thing to do.

The vampire is only doing this because he can. It’s because Donovan’s always loved the idea of hurting those around him. 

“You…dense….” Theo’s voice shakes, the blood filling his mouth, and Donovan’s eyes sparkle into joyful laughter.

“Sorry, I gotta finish this up so I can get back to what I need to do.” Donovan says, fangs elongating and his face turning into a treacherous smile.

The pain in Theo’s neck amplifies, burning into his skin and he’s losing consciousness, as Donovan bites into him again, a slow descent into nothingness consuming him.

“I’m going to kill that werewolf next.” Donovan pulls back, eyes colder than usual, and Theo comes back to life, his anger seething into his chest, wanting to lash out, though he's still not fully recovered.

He’s willing to risk it if it buys Liam more time.

Theo would love to rip that smirk off his face and the vampire is ready to do just that, but he hears a loud crunch, creating a pause in his plan to fight off Donovan.

The other vampire’s eyes widen, going vacant, and stumbling back as Theo falls to the ground, hissing out a painful, angry breath.

Donovan’s mouth drips blood, and Theo is stunned as the last bit of darkness leaves his eyes, nothing left but fear.

The same type of fear Theo just felt when he was threatening Liam. 

“I thought this doesn’t work? Wait, okay, got it.” Boyd's angry voice roars, pulling the stake out of Donovan’s back. 

He shoves it into his chest, just for good measure, and ensuring that the stake reaches his heart.

Donovan gurgles out a last bit of blood, as his eyes fade away and lose their focus, seeing the wolfed out face of Boyd. 

He twitches as the wooden stake is pushed in one last time, driving home the point that Donovan was never able to get.

He’s alone, always was, and he might have moved into Theo’s house, but Donovan was never really one of them. 

The vampire never fit.

“The werewolf’s name is Liam.” Liam seethes from behind Boyd, as he rushes to help get Theo up, but the vampire needs to lean against a tree to keep from losing too much blood. 

It’s all very blurry and fuzzy.

“The slowest driver of all time.” Theo heaves out a breath at Boyd, closing his eyes and oddly enough, he’s perfectly at peace.

“Uh, Derek was driving.” Boyd clarifies, insulted by the sound of Theo’s complaint.

“Yes, but I pulled the wooden stake out and gave it to Boyd.” Liam argues, hot with anger at the dismissal of his aide in taking Donovan down.

“Why do you have a wooden stake in your pocket?” Boyd asks, pointing out the obvious fact that Liam’s been keeping from Theo, and he doesn’t do anything at first, but shrugs out a flimsy huff.

“I was told to be prepared. Don’t ask useless questions.” Liam responds, a smile and a bit of a haughty tone to his words.

“Theo, might need some blood.” Derek steps up behind them, kneeling down and looking over Theo’s weakened state.

The body of Donovan is a few feet away and his blood is pooling on the pavement. Theo’s numb by the pain, and too out of it to feel anything but cold.

“I’m okay. Just need sleep.” Theo slurs, fading away again, and Liam sharply shakes him and tries to pull him to his feet.

“I’m really disappointed you didn’t kick his ass, but we both know I’m the fighter.” Boyd smiles, urging him to stay awake and giving him a hard look.

“That makes sense. Theo’s the chatter of the group.” Liam nods, and Theo can’t scoff, but he would if he had the energy. 

That’s not at all his role in this group. 

“That’s really terrifying, since you never stop talking.” Derek confirms, helping Theo’s case of him not being the social person Liam’s pretending that he is. 

Liam frowns at Derek’s claim, keeping his mouth shut, and discontented with the other werewolf’s opinion, but he keeps his eyes on Theo. 

“Mason and Corey?” Theo whispers.

“Corey shielded Mason from most of it. Good thing you vampires heal so quickly.” Boyd reassures him, a soft smile making things almost feel better than they are. 

There’s still a werewolf hunter running around.

“Can we get Theo some blood? We still have a big problem and need to find Kate.” Derek sighs, going to help Corey and Mason out of the truck.

“Okay.” Liam slices a claw into his wrist, throwing his hand in Theo’s face, and politely acting as if Theo isn’t going to rip his whole wrist off with that kind of reckless behavior.

“Liam! No.” Boyd pulls Liam back, and shakes his head, a small look of irritation at the other werewolf’s impulsive response.

“Give him a second.” Boyd sharply says, as Liam narrows his eyes at him, leaning closer to Theo.

“Theo’s not going to do anything. You just said you’re the fighter.” Liam points out, and Theo doesn’t like that kind of baseless statement, feeling as if he needs to redeem himself somehow.

Liam gently places his wrist in front of Theo’s lips, quietly waiting for him to take his needed fill of blood, and he can’t bring himself to do it.

Not Liam. He’s too trusting and unconcerned about the possibility of Theo losing control. He can’t risk it, but Liam's blood is sweet, making the vampire hungry, even in his weakened form.

He slowly closes his mouth around Liam’s wrist, sucking the blood slowly, and sighing at the first couple drops he takes. 

“I’m mmm you did…on.” Theo grumbles, losing his thought and talking with a mouthful of blood.

“No talking while you're eating Theo. Rude.” Liam mutters, flinching when Theo sucks a bit too hard.

“He’s gotta be mad I was the one to kill Donovan.” Boyd says, pleased with himself and ready to rub it in Theo’s face.

“You were supposed to show up and then let me finish him. Thanks a lot. I am a fucken fighter.” Theo pulls away from Liam’s wrist, and wipes the blood from his mouth.

“What, so there was this unspoken thing you two had? You knew Donovan was part of this?” Liam bristles, feeling left out and then proceeds to give Theo the longest glare of his life.

“No, but I knew Derek and Boyd were following us and I needed to wait it out.” Theo explains, sighing at Liam’s jealousy with being left in the dark.

“We used to work well together.” Boyd tells Liam, helping Theo to his feet, and waiting to see if he can walk on his own, the fresh wound from Donovan slowly closing up on his neck.

“So I’m not the first partner you had?” Liam, intent on making a scene, casts a loud and angry grunt towards him, a sad little smile on his face, that's making Theo cave.

“Nope, but I’ve never flirted with Theo, so you have that on me.” Boyd quips, a serious look on, and Theo laughs when Liam doesn’t get he’s only messing with him.

“Okay. This is all nice and very touching, but we have to find Kate. She’s the real danger here.” Derek quickly reminds them, and edges into their lighthearted humor.

“What a drill sergeant.” Liam comments, and Theo doesn’t look at him because if he does, he’s going to laugh and cause Derek to become upset.

Corey and Mason hobble over to check on them, Mason leaning hard on Corey, and he’s oddly quiet. 

Much too quiet for Mason. 

“Are you alright?” Corey asks Theo, placing a hand on his shoulder, and worried about his safety after being attacked by their former roommate.

“Yeah, but this isn’t a representation of what I can do. I was in a car accident and thrown off. He also bit me before I could react.” Theo defends himself, going to bat for vampires, and not liking how this looks. 

He wasn’t really ready and it’s not his best performance. Now vampires look like they’re the weaker ones and can’t go head to head with werewolves.

“Settle down. You can redeem yourself next time.” Derek says, a little more relaxed but still hurrying them along. 

“Or I can help out again.” Boyd responds, and Liam perks up, laughing loudly. It sounds a bit rehearsed and too overly dramatic, but he can’t catch Liam’s eye to understand why.

“Werewolves are quite a powerful force.” Mason smiles, softly agreeing and driving Corey and Theo crazy with their funny, but unnecessary jokes.

Jokes that aren’t true or realistic.

“Don’t overdo it.” Theo warns, and he stares at his truck that’s most likely to be totaled, but at least Liam’s alive, giving him some happiness in the middle of this messy night.

“Theo!” Liam grips Theo’s arm, searching his eyes and the vampire can’t help but notice his determination.

He’s always this way. Theo’s never seen him in a single situation where Liam wasn’t giving his all, or getting to the bottom of whatever it is that’s happening.

“Wasn’t Tyler with us?” Liam looks around, a nervous expression lining his face.

Theo has to stop and check for himself because Tyler was with them.

Where did he go?

“Derek, we’re missing someone.” Theo grunts, his body still sore from the fight he just had.

“No, we’re not. He was ripped out of the truck with you.” Mason quietly whispers, the night shifting back to a dark and dreary one.

“I didn’t see him.” Theo says, not really in the headspace to dwell on what could have possibly happened between now and when he was ripped out of his seat by Donovan. 

“Maybe he ran off.” Boyd points out, trying to rationalize the situation and Tyler’s disappearance.

“That doesn’t sound like him.” He apprehensively mentions, not sure if he wants to call Tyler’s friends’ and let them know he lost someone they sent to help.

It doesn’t feel like something that would go over well.

“New plan. Meet at my place.” Derek instructs them, as Liam sighs and very begrudgingly agrees.

Theo hasn’t been to Derek’s in a long time, and he’s not looking forward to it, but his main concern right now is ending this. Plus tracking down Tyler. 

He hopes he’s still alive.

—————————-

“Okay, so got it.” Liam excitedly nods, eyes wide with pride.

“This is way too complicated.” Theo scratches his head, utterly confused on what the overall plan is and what Liam’s messy map of the town has to do with it.

“It wouldn’t be if you didn’t ask so many questions.” Liam jabs.

“I asked one question.” He says, ready to hear all of the werewolf’s arguments.

“That’s one too many.” Liam casually replies, laughing at Theo’s silent response, and he's groaning at still being given a hard time by a wolf that needs to win every single argument they have. 

“Okay, how about we have one of the werewolves track her down? Would that be an option?” Corey asks, looking to solve their problem and carefully avoiding eye contact with the werewolves in the room.

“If we had something of hers, but I don’t.” Derek tiredly runs his hands over his head, drowning in a sea of endless possibilities, but nothing sounds like it will work.

They’ve been at Derek’s for over an hour and nothing has been done. Arguing has been the primary issue since they got here. No one can agree on what to do.

“Should you call Tyler again?” Liam asks, painfully unaware of how much he’s nagging Theo, and he doesn’t have the heart to tell him he’s called a dozen times. He’s not answering.

“Do you think he’s just going to magically reappear?” Boyd inquires, a bit harsh and Liam doesn’t take kindly to it.

“I don’t see you coming up with anything! Tyler is not like the rest of us. Maybe he went for backup or maybe he’s hiding out. He doesn’t seem to be someone who wanted to be here. Tyler’s not really a team player in my eyes.” Liam explains, and Boyd shakes his head, disagreeing with his opinion.

“No. You don’t know him well enough to say that. I think you’re over analyzing this. You’re not thinking critically.” Boyd criticizes, making Theo want to shush him, but he’s too late and Liam’s thinking up a comeback before he can get ahead of the tense situation unfolding.

“Uh hello? I have been around him a few more times than you, and I don’t think you’re thinking critically about this.” Liam folds his arms across his chest, and mutters under his breath, deciding to be as difficult as possible, while Theo has to calm them both down.

“All I’m saying is it doesn’t make sense. Why would he run? I was nice about this messy plan, but I won’t accept this misplaced idea that Tyler has left us all in the dust.” Boyd pointedly says, waiting for Theo to get involved.

Fuck this day.

“I don’t like you.” Liam snaps, disdainfully waiting for Theo to agree with his character analysis, and the other wolf glares at Theo for support.

Theo doesn’t want to be involved in this fight, but he’s not really wanting to disagree with Liam at this point in the day. He’s clearly tired and moody. 

It’s too late to get Boyd back on Liam’s good side and Theo’s too worried about causing more trouble. They’re disagreeing over something that’s not going to do anything about Tyler, or this Kate person.

“You don’t have to like me. I’m still right.” Boyd chuckles, getting a warning from Derek to stop, but he doesn’t seem to care about hurting anyone’s feelings or causing a problem.

Liam’s eyes look like they’re about to explode and Theo shifts his hand to keep it as close to him as possible, wanting to stop their heated exchange.

“I think we can all attest to my ability to argue and I’m quite——“

“Liam! Please. Can we just talk this out? We need to find Kate and make sure Tyler wasn’t hurt.” Scott urges, softly speaking and interrupting his anger.

“Yup.” Liam says, loudly and firmly.

They talk it through for hours, and each time it gets later and later, Theo’s hope fades away more and more. He can’t call and explain why he lost Tyler. He just can’t.

By the middle of the night they take a break and Liam stomps out of Derek’s apartment without a single word to anyone. 

“Thanks Boyd.” Theo says, groaning at his friend.

“Has no one ever disagreed with him?” Boyd argues, and Theo walks away to find Liam, knowing he’s about to be blamed for not sticking up for him, even when there wasn’t much to say.

They both took it way too personally.

Theo finds Liam fuming outside and texting like a madman. His guess is he’s texting Mason and complaining about Theo’s lack of back up.

“Hey.” Theo cautiously says, feeling like he’s walking in on an explosively charged argument that Liam’s ready to fight for. All the way to the end.

“Oh hello.” Liam coldly says, a direct glare at Theo’s worried face as he looks back at his phone, needing to amplify the point that he’s upset.

Theo’s already aware of his anger.

“I didn’t know what you wanted me to say. You were both angry and upset about the need to be right. We don’t know anything. We’re all speculating about Tyler and stopping a werewolf that was previously a hunter, is the most important thing.” Theo explains, annoyed by Liam’s clicking his teeth at him.

“Oh.” Liam calmly replies, texting another insane amount of words on his phone. 

“Will you stop saying oh! I’m sorry.” Theo angrily says, wanting to stop the fight and feeling rather sad about ticking Liam off. 

He doesn’t like this feeling but he can’t help it. Theo doesn’t like making Liam angry. Last time he had to sit in a vehicle and watch him give Theo the silent treatment until he conceded.

“Mmkay.” Liam sends out a text, and closes his phone, showing a small smile, and bringing Theo to his senses.

“I don’t know how I’m going to call Damon and say I’ve lost his friend.” Theo mutters, a bitter sigh in his voice and he’s such an emotional person right now. 

He doesn’t want to be the one giving that kind of news.

“I thought Tyler didn’t like Damon. Maybe he’ll be excited.” Liam says, before laughing at Theo’s confused and irritated face.

“I’m kidding, but it’s not on you. Your fighting was really off though. Four out of ten.” Liam snidely says, a real judgmental statement, and it’s Theo’s turn to hold up his middle finger at him. 

So he does, but his heart isn’t in it when he’s too busy freaking out about Tyler.

“Yeah. I was distracted by worrying about you. I was afraid he was going to kill you after he killed me.” Theo admits, and Liam immediately changes his tune, inching closer, a softened smile lacing his lips, that warms Theo’s heart so easily.

It really shines a spotlight on how soft he’s become.

“Hey!” Hayden happily says, coming up the walkway with Tracy.

I heard you lost your guest Theo.” Tracy remarks and it’s a shame Theo doesn’t have any more energy to explain his side of things.

“Who’s this Kate person?” Hayden asks, changing the subject and blessing Theo with her perception of what’s important.

“I never met her, but Scott and Derek said she’s Chris’s sister. She was a hunter before she was killed. I guess she wasn’t really dead and now she’s a werewolf gone wild, with hunter-like skills.” Liam briefly explains, an unimpressed and careless view of just how screwed they all are.

“She’s killing her own kind?” Hayden frowns, bothered by that detail and Theo is too. It’s not a normal thing for any supernatural to be taking out other creatures like them. It’s cruel and disgusting.

“Technically she hated all supernatural beings before she died and it stayed with her. How lucky for us.” Liam pulls Theo’s shirt collar down, checking on his neck wound. 

Tracy rolls her eyes at Liam’s happy smile when he sees Theo’s healed.

“Donovan’s such a rat. No offense to rats.” Hayden fumes, looking at Theo for his feelings about it.

He doesn’t have any feelings about it. Donovan’s a snake and he’s a real loser for hurting people and teaming up with a former hunter. Theo doesn’t pity his outcome at all.

Boyd opens the door and walks out, a slow and annoyed snarl on his lips.

“Derek told me to come out here and make nice.” Boyd says, and his insincerity makes Theo want to head back inside. He can only imagine how Liam’s going to feel.

“Apology not accepted.” Liam snaps, grabbing Theo’s shoulder and keeping him from sliding away.

“I wasn’t apologizing. I was telling you why I was out here.” Boyd smiles, and Theo isn’t afraid to narrow his eyes at his blatant disregard for how much time is being wasted on their prideful behavior.

“Boyd right? I’m glad to meet the person who got rid of that two-faced snake. Theo couldn’t do it. He’s too burdened by keeping the rules of never harming another vampire.” Tracy shakes Boyd’s hand, beaming with joy at the person who erased Donovan from the world.

“Does me being unprepared and in a car wreck mean nothing?” Theo’s eye twitches, a seething voice of anger overflowing from his mouth, and Liam hugs him.

“What?” Theo asks, confused but his voice has lost all his strength and anger.

“Nothing. You seem moody.” Liam sighs, and what a joke because he shouldn’t be talking when he just caused an emotional meltdown with Boyd, but he needed that hug. 

“That’s his thing.” Boyd, somehow more friendly than he was before he walked out, unhelpfully agrees with Liam and gets a silent nod from Hayden, who isn’t a good reader of Theo to begin with.

“Sorry, to interrupt. I’ve been called in for duty?” Gerard Argent greets them, and he holds up a weapon, the same one that’s killed other werewolves in the past.

Theo does what he can to stop Liam from getting too riled up by this man, but Liam’s eyes are glowing gold, his fangs peeking out over his lip, and he rips his arm out of Theo’s hold, becoming a force to be reckoned with.

Gerard holds up his weapon, ready to shoot Liam as he jumps at him, but Boyd has a different plan, and he shoves Liam to the side, throwing Argent against the pavement to get him out of the wolf's clutches.  

The way Boyd shoves Gerard is a lot more forceful than needed, but Theo would have gladly killed him instead, and claimed Liam was in danger if he got the chance. He can’t say much about his use of force. 

“Who’s side are you on?” Liam spews at Boyd, resentment bleeding through his eyes, and he all but glares daggers into Theo’s face for sitting idly by while Gerard stands up, pulling himself together.

“You were almost shot!” Boyd cries, and Theo wishes he could evaporate into a deep dark cloud so he can have less stress than he has dealing with Boyd and Liam’s indifference towards each other.

“Wait! I invited him!” Scott runs out the door, with Derek close behind him, an epic moment of chaos and an endless parade of people trying to control the situation.

Theo would like to have no control at all, and leave the apartment entirely, so he can avoid this mess, while he takes in the loss of Donovan. He didn’t like the other vampire, but he didn’t want the guy to die like that.  He’s just mad at himself for not seeing the signs of Donovan being the one he should have looked out for.

“What’s he doing here?” Liam snaps, and Theo pulls him back into the apartment before things further escalate.

“I thought it would be beneficial to have someone who’s a hunter help us. Kate was a hunter herself, so why not use him for our purposes to help trap her.” Scott explains, keeping Gerard outside and letting the news of having a hunter in their midst create a negative impact on the already dangerous night they’re having.

“Chris is also a hunter and her brother. Why do we need the devil himself?” Liam’s hand hits the table, rattling the walls and Derek appears to appreciate the outburst.

“I agree with Liam’s take on this. I don’t trust that man.” Derek points out, and the validation on Liam’s face causes Scott to sigh. 

“We don't have to trust him. He’s a terrible human and one we have to keep an eye on, but he can help us track Kate down.” Kira suggests, a thin smile on her lips and Liam doesn't want to argue with her.  

Instead, he turns around to see what Theo’s opinion is and makes him do it.

“That would be a good idea if he wasn’t a total liar and only cares about his own personal vendetta. Can’t we have more faith in Chris?  I don’t know about everyone else, but I’d like to sleep without feeling like I'm going to be murdered in the middle of the damn night.” Theo finishes his point, and grows red with embarrassment when no one says anything back. 

Did he not explain himself correctly? This is why he doesn’t enjoy being in big groups of people or talking like Liam does. It’s too easy to feel like he’s being looked down on. Vampires are always second guessed on things. They aren’t trusted, but Gerard should be trusted a lot less.

A whole lot less.

“He’s not staying here.” Derek finally speaks, helping to ease Theo’s anxiety and Liam straightens his shoulders, happy someone else agrees with him. 

Boyd was probably right about Liam not having a lot of people disagreeing with him, but he’s a very difficult person to get a word in, so by default, he’s always having the last word on anything. 

“Good.” Liam mutters.

“Neither are you or Theo, until you and Boyd stop your nonsense. You’ll have to make the drive back home .” Derek responds, letting Liam fume with shock and utter outrage at being called out.

This all seems unfair. Theo hasn’t done anything but watch Boyd and Liam argue over nothing, and he doesn’t like the obvious and deliberate way that Derek throws in the two of them being a packaged deal. Not when Mason and Corey are grinning at them with enthusiastic laughter.

”We’re heading out in a few hours. There’s not much time to sleep, but can we all please agree to stop fighting and not take down the people Scott invited here?” Stiles asks, a long look at Theo and Liam, which is still unfair, since he doesn’t know how he’s gotten thrown into the mix in the past few minutes.

“Well, if you communicated and told us what was happening then maybe we wouldn’t be surprised when random people show up.” Liam challenges, and Theo bites his tongue, but he loves the delivery of Liam’s words, the way he can argue for hours about whatever he wants. 

It’s such a unique skill to have and one Theo envies.

“Surprised huh? You tried to jump him back there.” Boyd laughs, his eyes warming up to Liam and Theo can fucken relax now.

“I had a momentary lapse in judgment.” Liam huffs, a wide eyed expression of anger, mixed with soft emotions of regret.

Theo’s frustrated at the wolf’s lack of fear for his own safety, causing him to worry all the time about what might happen to him if he overreacts with the wrong person. Like Kate Argent. He’s heard enough to know she’s a lot more dangerous than Donovan ever was.

“I’ve had those, but I held them inside so I didn’t do something like that.” Derek says, critical of Liam’s decision to leap into a frenzy of anger.

“I know you’re not very spontaneous.” Liam dryly says, and Boyd coughs to hide his laugh, looking at Theo for help.

“We get it. We’re all okay now. If we have two hours, please let me take a shower or nap.” Theo rubs his tired eyes, dreading the thought of not getting any sleep. 

“Down the hall.” Derek says, and Theo nods out a thank you and makes his way into the bathroom.

The bathroom is pretty simple and not heavily decorated but it doesn’t really need to be. Derek is a simple person and one who’s more focused on things outside of his apartment.

Theo runs the shower and lets the steam from the shower assist him in unwinding. He almost died twice and he’s barely been given a chance to take it all in. He can’t even bring himself to get into the shower.

“I’m coming in.” Liam calls, opening the door and frowning when he finds Theo sitting on the floor, debating whether to take a shower or just sit by himself for a while.

“I could have been undressing.” Theo says, an awkward attempt at a joke. 

Liam rolls his eyes in disapproval and motions for him to stand up.

“Please.”’ Liam checks Theo’s throat one last time, now satisfied by seeing there’s no remnants of any wound, and throws the shower open to let Theo get in.

“What’s your deal with Boyd? It feels very hostile, and you weren’t even like that when you first met me.” Theo gets into the shower, like a complete mess and forgets he’s wearing clothes, but he was too busy with talking to Liam to be aware of anything.

“Are you showering like that?” Liam stifles a laugh, trying to remain serious, as Theo mutters under his breath at his wet jeans.

“No. Don’t change the subject.” He smirks, demanding an answer and he’s uncomfortable in his wet clothes but he’ll live. He needs Liam to stop being so ready to argue with Boyd at any given moment. He just started feeling like they’re okay again.

“He’s fine. I…feel left out.” Liam admits, looking a little confused and lost, the puppy dog eyes killing Theo’s plan to give him a hard time.

“I don’t think you realize how impossible it would be to forget about you and leave you behind.” Theo is not a good communicator, he’s always struggled with expressing himself, and never really cared to talk to people about what’s important to him in his life, but this is Liam he’s talking to.

Liam steps into the shower, sliding into Theo, his socks still on, and he has to grab the shower rod to stop them from slamming their heads on the tile, which is annoying because now they’re both soaking wet.

“I don’t think you know how much you annoy me.” Liam says, looking touched, the water hitting the tiles, and Theo is aggravated by his teasing, needing some more reassurance than the silly smile on the werewolf’s face.

“Feeling's mutual.” Theo replies, feeling sarcastic, but Liam doesn’t let him off that easily, taking his shirt off and kissing him like he’s the solution to everything. Like he’s the only person in the universe, and just like that Theo’s drowning.

Drowning in a mess of emotions, the simple fact of having become attached to someone else, and it scares him, being this close and allowing another person to see him as he is. All of his past wrongs, the monster he is, but not to Liam. To Liam he’s just Theo.

Theo opens up for Liam; letting his tongue slide over his, the gentleness of his touch and the softness of his skin, creating a perfect balance of just enough touch and warmth that has Theo feeling like his head is spinning.

“I think this shirt is going to need to go in the dryer.” Liam chuckles, kissing down Theo’s neck, and he’s not sure if he’s losing control, but he can feel his face shifting, his fangs sliding out of his mouth.

“Is this your scary face?” Liam smiles, running his hand over Theo’s face and touching his fangs, as he looks in awe of what he’s looking at. Unaffected and only burning with love and affection.

“I could bite you.” Theo warns, but he doesn’t expect Liam to be concerned about it, and he’s not. 

He only kisses him harder, moving Theo’s hand to his waist, and then slipping his fingers over him. Taking his time to let Theo feel everything and when he does, Liam kisses him softly, letting him groan out whimpers of ecstasy and sweet words of love.

That’s how they spend their time for the next two hours. 

Exploring each other’s bodies, leaving Theo breathless, and feeling like he might just have a chance at being normal. 

Chapter Text

“Don’t do anything crazy.” Stiles warns, already annoyed by the flimsy plan they have and needing to fill the silence with his two cents.

Theo knew he should have driven by himself. The truck is out of commission for now and going with Stiles should have been an easy choice because if he had to sit in the car with the Argent’s, then they probably wouldn’t have made it here. Liam’s too on edge over Gerard and Theo didn’t want to have to come between them. 

He’s trying to keep from using his supernatural abilities, or his other face. 

“Got it. I’ll make sure Theo behaves himself.” Liam says, a bit too quickly and waiting for the signal they’re supposed to be getting from Scott. 

“I’m more worried about Stiles going off script.” Boyd responds, pulling a small smile on Theo’s face.

“I’ve only done that once or maybe twice. Stop. We’re not going there.” Stiles mutters, as Derek opens his mouth to say something about all the ways things have gone wrong in the past.

There’s a whole lot of talking and Theo’s not used to it. It feels weird and awkward. Almost like he’s in a different place, where he can actually be seen as more than his usual monster-like self.

“I feel like Chris and Gerard should have tracked her down already. Are you sure Scott has all that he needs?” Liam impatiently asks, a quiet question of doubt in his head.

“It’s been ten minutes Liam. Relax.” Stiles firmly orders, the scowl on Liam’s lips forming as soon as he hears the sound of his friend becoming annoyed with his enthusiastic need to hurry things along. 

“It feels a lot longer.” Theo replies, realizing his mistake and immediately closing his mouth from saying something else.

“Well, what if he can’t reach us? His phone might have died.” Liam worries, as Theo says nothing, hoping the rest of them will let the werewolf’s random thoughts go. 

Stressing out won’t help and Theo’s already nervous about having no real thought behind what they’re doing once they find Kate.

“I think Scott has memorized my number by now.” Stiles points out, and Liam’s eyes narrow as he takes in the sarcastic tone, never able to stop himself from being argumentative.

“Oh, here he is.” Derek announces, answering his phone while a very indignant expression lines Stiles' face, stunned at not being the first person to be called.

Theo prepares to move, noticing Liam’s pent up energy and nervous expression, the wolf becoming more anxious, but he calms down when he nudges his shoulder against his. The touch a comforting one to the werewolf wolf. 

“Alright. Ready?” Derek waits for all them to nod, a bit of a disapproving sigh from Liam making the most obvious point that he’s upset he’s being given instructions to follow when he wants to do his own thing.

Like always. 

Derek gives them the location, as they all become agitated with having to follow through on this dangerous endeavor, not really knowing how it’s going to end up going.

The location isn’t that bad. Not really a big deal in Theo’s eyes, but the uncertainty surrounding the situation and not being privy to Kate’s hunting skills, along with her newfound werewolf status, isn’t making him feel as confident as he would like.

“I think since it’s an old warehouse, we should have the two of you go around the back, and Stiles, Boyd, and I will go in the front. Together.” Derek firmly says, pointing at Liam and Theo.

“Why do we have to go in the back?” Liam questions, a loud voice of disappointment and anger. 

It’s what Theo loves about him, causing a flutter in his heartbeat, the fiery wolf beside him easing his nervousness.

There isn’t any more time to argue over who’s doing what, as they set off to make it to the warehouse, a few minutes of silence pulling at Theo’s heart, needing to make sure he isn’t walking into a trap. 

By the time they make it to the warehouse, Liam is itching to go, needing to find their enemy, and creating an enormous amount of chaos in Theo’s world, consumed by wanting to keep the wolf out of trouble, but his own instincts are kicking in. 

The other wolf is only adding to his own pent up adrenaline rush that is surging through his body, willing and ready to fight for what he cares about.

“I have no idea what we’re supposed to do. Go in the back and wait for them? I can’t wait here.” Liam mumbles, irked and smiling in displeasure as he paces around the back of the building.

“You’re always so—-hold on.” Theo fights back the urge to react, his senses tingling with the sound of Tyler’s voice. In pain and suffering .

Liam’s face is grave, allowing Theo to decide what to do, and it’s a hard thing for him, but he does it willingly, even though he‘s an act first and think about the consequences later type of person.

There’s not many things Theo will do for other people. Not if he can help it because he’s found that he’s better off alone and without the burden of having to worry about other people. He’s only ever had to worry about his roommates, but now, Tyler is in a building with someone he doesn’t know how to handle, and it’s his responsibility to get him out of there.

That, and Liam’s probably already plotting his way in, driving Theo to care about what happens to those around him and it all will inevitably go awry, like it always does. That’s how it works for them.

“Okay, right.” Liam says, sliding into the back door and pulling Theo right along with him, the cautious manner they previously had out the window.

The scent of blood, of his weakness, is hitting Theo and he’s poorly prepared, watching Liam rush over to Tyler, seeing him hanging up on the wall like some sort of trophy.

The hybrid is bloodied and bruised, weakened by the painful injuries inflicted upon him. It makes Theo more worried, and more angry than he normally would be. Seeing such a show of cruel behavior is infuriating.

Liam makes quick work of helping Tyler down and then misses the point where there’s quiet footsteps drawing closer, as Theo begins to work out that Derek and the others aren’t here. 

They’re alone and that means something has changed, which he should have planned for, should have been more careful to keep tabs on, always remembering that things change at the drop of a hat, but it’s too late. It’s nearly impossible to know what or how things have been altered in their plan. 

The why doesn’t matter. Not anymore.

“You’re new.” The hunter called Kate Argent says, holding up a long arrow, curious at Liam’s show of anger and Tyler’s slow reaction to move, the pain on his face intensifying when he barely shifts his body.

Liam’s hand twitches, his eyes pierced golden, the signal from Scott and the others null and void, nowhere in sight. 

The logical thing to do would be for Theo to leave and go find the problem, where everyone else has gone off too. They may need help, but he’s not leaving Liam’s side and not leaving Tyler like this. 

He doesn’t know if the others will show up and that’s what keeps him firmly in place, watchful of the tense challenge they’re facing.

The question of who will move first, who will be ready to take the lead, the leap of confidence that will start a fight that they may not finish, stir the flames of anger and fear in all their hearts. It puts them at a higher risk due to their inability to know what Kate is really able to do since all they know is through word of mouth.

They don’t know her at all and that’s what makes this encounter much more deadly.

Kate’s finger starts to pull the trigger of the bow, her face begins to shift, a low snarl of warning that’s not to be taken lightly, changing how they need to react and Theo’s eyes glaze with anger, as he moves around the room. Moves to meet her, his entire face starting to change, to mold into something unrecognizable, but this is the one Derek called a hunter. 

A hunter that’s now a wolf. 

It’s a lethal combination, and as he’s moving to rip into her neck, to pull her heart out to stop this fight from even happening, she pulls Liam to her, holding the arrow right over his chest; the arrow pointing directly at his heart and the taste of blood flooding his tongue. 

The taste of his own blood from biting down too hard on his tongue, to keep from reacting with too much emotion, causes a deep sigh of defeat in Theo. 

“You have the same face that blond girl had when I found her in the middle of the woods. Took a few minutes before I could take her down.” Kate smiles, a cold stare illuminating her face, and the compulsion to rip her heart out has never felt so strong, so powerful that he has to remember she’s holding a weapon to someone he cares deeply about.

“All this for what?” Liam pipes up through clenched teeth, his loud voice and demanding spirit becoming a real damn problem. Once again.

“For what? I’m an Argent. Being a werewolf wasn’t on my radar of things to happen, but it sure has helped me get rid of many harmful supernaturals in this awful town.” Kate tightens her hold on the arrow, giving a new warning for Theo to stay where he is.

“The only one that’s harmful is you.” Liam snaps, fully wolfed out, his fangs dangling over his bottom lip, wanting to lash out at the one holding him captive.

Theo has to suppress his own emotions, and his fear of losing Liam. He needs to think logically, to really get his head around how to fix this and not just be the one that becomes responsible for causing Liam’s death. 

Kate’s hand is too close to firing the arrow into the werewolf’s chest and if that happens, there will be no more worry about remaining reserved in an attempt to keep things from escalating. He will single handedly rip her to shreds without even blinking.

A noise is coming from the front of the warehouse, and a soft scent of blood is pungent in the air, making his mouth water, a strong feeling of wanting to find out what it’s from harboring in the back of his mind.  

The loud sound to feed is in his head, and barreling through his chest, the pull strong enough to make him feel out of breath but Liam can feel it too. Can see it. Just like he has been doing. Seeing Theo for who he really is and who he’s going to become in his darkest moments. When the monster is too loud and too fast to stop.

“I might want another vampire kill. What do you say, blue eyes?” Kate asks, talking to him as if she knows him. As if she’s able to converse with him like Theo is.

Liam’s eyes are fiercely guarded, still golden, but softer now. Remarkable for Theo to observe, as he dwells on how to get him away from this situation. 

He casts a glance at Tyler, who’s not at his best, and he won’t risk it or Liam’s life. 

That leaves him with two choices.

Make a dash for the arrow and take out Kate swiftly and with no regard for his own life, or he can take his time and feel her out. See just how good of a hunter she really is. If she’s as good as Derek said she is then she might end up killing Liam before he can get to them, and that’s a possibility he doesn’t want to ponder for too long. He’s already running out of ideas and running out of time. 

The painful fear in his gut is an awful thing, it seems too much for him to ignore, but then there's two more blue eyes peeking out from behind the front door of the warehouse, watching and waiting idly in the dark.

If there’s two eyes in front of him that are watching his every move, then that means there’s more. There has to be. 

If Theo gets this wrong he will have to live with this moment forever and he doesn’t think he can. The guilt will eat him alive. Until he’s left with nothing but the damage and bitter memories of his failure. 

Liam’s eyes move to the right. Slowly, and it’s almost impossible to catch it. He does it as discreetly as he can, seeing Theo forming his own plan and of fucken course he has one of his own. Probably dangerous and wildly unpredictable.  He loves to have the worst odds and send Theo into a game of chess trying to make sense of the werewolf’s world, navigating through Liam’s book of ideas.

He loves the chaos and Liam’s never ending struggle to have Theo keeping up with him.

It would be great if Liam gave a signal, or a hint of what the hell he’s about to do, but he doesn't, and he throws himself backwards into Kate, which means Theo loses all of his self control that he previously was holding onto. The small thread of patience he was holding breaks in half, and he moves so fast that Liam doesn’t even see him coming.

Tyler does, his face forming into a surprised and fear filled stare, not knowing what the outcome will be, the monster within Theo beaching the surface.

The taste of blood is evident and it’s everywhere, screaming and gnawing at Theo, the only thing in the room that can’t be shaken. That can’t be weakened or hindered from stopping anyone that means to hurt someone that has become so dear to him that he can’t bear the slightest fear of losing him.

His eyes are filled with sweat and blood, the blur from his own fierce determination and his undying love for Liam, keeping him from seeing anything else. 

There’s a drive for blood, a drive for the kill to take over. Theo hasn’t felt it in a long time. He’s been able to work on suppressing it, not giving it any thought, and doing all he can to control the natural instinct to do what he was designed for. What vampires are known for. 

The instinct takes over so easily, without any real trouble, as he’s devoured by the need to taste just a drop of the life giving liquid his kind craves. 

“Theo!” A loud voice cries out to him, a lifeline in the middle of all the disruptive chaos that’s going on inside him. 

A small part of him hears it, hears the sound of someone reaching out to help, to get him back to his senses, but it’s hard to tell whether it’s all in his delusional mind or if Theo’s still in there somewhere. If he’s still able to break through his own head and break through his own nature to come out on the other side. Unscathed and still holding his humanity.

“That’s it.” A heavy hand lays on his shoulder, pulling him back from the depths of his own monster that has latched onto him, and his vision clears just enough to see Derek standing over him, waiting for Theo to come back to who he is.

Theo looks down at Kate, still alive, but wounded and clutching her face. Her eyes are wide with anger and anticipation for her death. He’s not upset she's hurt or that she looks like this. Kate took someone from all of them. Without any repercussions. Until now, but this isn’t his fight anymore. It never was, and now looking at Derek, with Boyd standing nearby, he knows it’s not.

Erica was more a part of Derek’s pack when she died. Much more than the misfit vampires that he has come to call friends. It doesn’t take away his friendship with her or the role she played in Theo’s life, in all of their lives, but Kate’s fate isn’t up to him. It’s not his burden to bear and that lifts something off his shoulders and heals the wounds that he’s inflicted upon himself for an excruciating amount of time.

“Couldn’t wait. Huh?” Boyd asks, a joking smile making Theo relax, and he stands to find Liam safe and sound, looking back at him with astonishment.

“Well, someone didn’t go in the front.” Theo points out, as Stiles frowns, throwing his hands in the direction of Chris, who’s holding Gerard Argent. 

Tightly, and with a cautious look on his face.

“You okay?” Derek checks in, a small gesture of gratitude and concern for Theo’s wellbeing, but not just his physical one.

“Yeah. Sorry, I don’t know what came over me.” Theo admits, feeling embarrassed and relieved he was stopped from doing something he couldn’t take back.  He wouldn’t be able to face Liam if he watched Theo tear someone in half.

“I do.” Tyler says, while making a quick glance at Liam.

“Is no one going to talk about how I was right?” Liam asks, an annoyed tone to his voice, as he boldly looks to confirm his position on Gerard was valid.

“Okay. Yeah, yeah, yeah. Happy?” Stiles rolls his eyes, and it’s not enough to make Liam happy, his face hard to read, but Theo can see he’s decided to let it go. 

Probably not forever knowing Liam, but he will for now since there’s already been a hectic break in their plan. 

Theo needs a break, and he needs one now. His mind is more focused and his fangs are no longer out for all to see, the fact he’s able to stand up without losing his grip on himself again is with great effort, but he’s still shaky in his own mind.

“I’m checking on Scott.” Theo mentions quickly, and he does avoid the skeptical eyes of those around him, leaving the warehouse without a clue of how they’re going to view him. 

He’s most likely ruined his chances of being seen as a safe and reliable ally to the Hale and McCall pack. 

Meeting Scott outside the warehouse is an easier job than explaining his decision on going rogue and attacking Kate back there. He can’t bear to hear or observe their thoughts on vampires.

“Thank you.” Scott softly says, as Theo finds him outside and standing calmly by the jeep, with no real intention whatsoever of scolding him for his behavior.

“For what?” Theo questions, puzzled by his warm attitude and welcoming him so casually that he has to be careful about what this means, leaning against the jeep next to him.

“We were a little behind. Gerard chose to be Gerard, and kept Derek and the rest of them occupied. Don’t tell Liam that. He’ll never stop bringing it up.” Scott teases, a kind and gentle suggestion for Theo to consider.

“He’s going to bring it up anyway.” Theo wipes his sweat streaked face, a smile of relief from having this conversation go better than expected, making the tension between them light and cheerful.

“I think there's a lot of unfounded speculation and claims against vampires.” Scott acknowledges, noting that he’s not so sure of what he’s heard and understanding there’s always two sides to everything.

“True, but the same goes for werewolves.” Theo thoughtfully says, considering the same thing Scott is. 

That both sides equally have things they’re burdened with and not all of it is correct in the assumptions that are made by those who have no knowledge of what they are.

“I suppose so. I’m glad I met you.” Scott takes a moment to reflect, complimenting Theo on something he doesn’t really know about, or why he’s saying such nonsense to him. 

It’s nice. He doesn’t know Theo and clearly thinks he does, but he will accept the kind words of a True Alpha. He knows it’s an honest and sincere point that Scott’s trying to make.

“Anyway, is there anything else?” Theo doesn’t actually know what he’s waiting on, what he’s expecting for Scott to say.

It could be to give him some revelation about his own life or what he’s supposed to do now and it’s not his job, even if he wants the direction. He’s not Theo’s Alpha or leader. He’s Liam’s.

The clarity Theo so desperately needs is not there though. Everyone is pouring out of the warehouse, chattering, and it seems he’s lost the ability to dive deeper into the inner workings of his own mind. Whatever it is that he wanted from Scott, is lost in the banter and bustle of the others.

“So, you’re taking me home, right?” Tyler asks, coming over to Theo and holding his sore arm, his bruises starting to heal, the pain of what Kate did slowly fading away.

“Ah.” Theo sighs, inwardly and making sure not to show just how unenthusiastic he feels about doing that. 

“I’m kidding. I have a car.” Tyler smiles, elbowing Liam who’s apparently in on this whole thing, laughing at his frown and smirking at his serious expression.

Looks like Liam helping to get Tyler away from the clutches of Kate Argent has brought on some comradery.

At least they’re getting along now, but he’s not enjoying being teamed up on and the fact Liam’s still able to keep his sense of humor after almost dying or being maimed by a hunter, is pretty impressive. He’s so carefree and happy to be around people. 

Theo really can’t relate to the social aspect of Liam’s personality.

“Derek, wait.” Theo quickly says, seeing Derek getting ready to leave, and he can’t blame him wanting to bail, to get away from this hard day, but he wants to confirm he’s handling the one who took Erica away from them.

“Yeah?” Derek asks, holding his car door open and patiently waiting for Theo to go on, although he knows what he’s about to ask. 

Theo’s sure he does.

“What are you doing with Kate?” Theo doesn’t have a say really, and he doesn’t wish to cause a stir, but he needs the closure of knowing something will at least be done. 

”I’ll handle it.” Derek says, and it’s a vague statement, one that doesn’t get to the bottom of what he’s looking for.

Theo is about to say he needs some clarification on what that implies, what he really is planning on doing and how it will be done, but Boyd’s small smile lets him know they have no intention on letting Kate go.

It’s why Scott is about to leave in another vehicle and why Theo is now put back at ease, ready to end this long journey of being Liam’s partner to rid the town of a hunter, while simultaneously righting Erica’s death.

“Theo, where are you going?” Liam stands behind him, an intent look in his eyes, as he begins to form a complex complaint in his head about why he needs to go with him. 

He’s not going anywhere but Liam doesn’t know that. He’s too hung up on being left alone and Theo’s most likely the cause of it. He did reveal his true character tonight and Theo hates it. He never wanted to show him the darker side of who he is or the way he can snap at the drop of a hat, and become this terrible blood-thirsty creature.

“Nowhere. Right Theo?” Corey pipes in, a little too involved in Theo’s life, and he doesn’t mind scowling his way when he’s insisting on being a part of the conversation.

The people around him stare, prying and wanting an answer from him.  

This whole pack is ridiculously invasive and involves themselves with every single detail of each other's lives. How exhausting and stressful.

“I think we all need some rest.” Scott says, bailing Theo out of an awkward moment and letting him off the hook from having to come up with an excuse for everyone to hear.

“Well, um I’m not going back to Theo’s house because I can’t sleep there. Vampires don’t sleep a lot and it’s so loud.” Liam responds, clicking his tongue and being absolutely sure he knows that he prefers for Theo to go back to his place.

“I could just drop you off on the way.” Theo offers, and that was the worst thing he could have said because Liam’s face is forming into an offended smile, acting as if he’s just been told off by the vampire.

“Are you kidding? Why don’t you just pawn me off to Mason while you’re at it? You don’t get to get rid of me that easily.” Liam fuses, in disbelief at Theo’s innocent statement. 

“Nevermind, we can go back to your house.” Theo mutters, deciding to cave as Liam brightens up at his acceptance of going home with him, not wanting to get into another argument with someone who can out-talk anyone in this town. 

It’s quite the amazing and aggravating thing to be good at. He’s lost all credibility in being a stern and antisocial vampire. 

“Okay, but remember we have to drop you off first. You came with us.” Stiles throws out, intervening in the middle of the conversation, as another person intercepts what Theo’s talking about with Liam, causing an exhaustive discussion he didn’t feel like having with the entire group of people near him.

“Can’t wait.” Theo says, and Liam chuckles, a look of sympathy for his irritated mood coming out in full swing.

“What vehicle are you driving?” Tyler questions, not meaning to sound rude but rather a little lost on how that’s going to happen because Theo forgot that his truck isn’t drivable at the moment, and of all the times for him not to be able to get some time alone to revive his energy, it would be tonight. 

All Theo can do is sigh, remembering to hold his tongue and not say anything, not wanting to come off as ungrateful but his social capacity is dwindling.

“Let’s just go.” Theo says, with a groan of frustration.

It’s almost over he reminds himself, but he would be wrong because the almost over, turns out to be a two hour delay. 

They end up back at Mason’s house, where Liam convinces him to allow them to use his car, acting as if Theo can’t be bothered to be near anyone else without blowing a fuse, which is why the werewolf is driving them right now, shedding a new light on what it means to be a distracted driver.

How anyone can be driving and still have the ability to talk, while eating, and flipping through radio stations, is a whole other matter for debate. He thought he almost lost him though and Theo won’t give him a hard time when he’s just appreciative of being able to witness his spontaneous life with him.

“So, I have to be honest.” Liam says, scrambling to find another song he likes and glancing over at Theo, his soft smile creating a warm tingle in his chest.

“What?” Theo puts the seat back, finally not driving for once.

“I don’t want to drive.” Liam bites his bottom lip, worried about how Theo will respond, and he does that thing he always does. The sad puppy eyes that Theo can’t fucken stand, but secretly loves.

“Pull over.” He says, a bit too quick and now he looks like he’ll do anything for Liam, and he will. He’d do anything he asked.

Liam pulls over, handing him the keys and not waiting for Theo to get out, climbing over him and pushing him into the driver’s seat, the excitement in his eyes contagious. 

“I didn’t realize how much you wanted to go home.” Theo smirks, pulling back onto the road, his breath catching in his throat as Liam brushes his hand against his.

“Oh, we’re not. I have a surprise.” Liam smiles, proudly revealing he has a hidden agenda he hasn’t told him about.

“What is it? It’s late.” Theo moans, and it’s not a great excuse because he is a vampire. Sleeping isn’t a big thing for him, but he wasn’t planning on going out and he wants to stay in one place for a while.

“If I told you, it wouldn’t be a surprise. Do you know what a surprise is?” Liam questions, clearly feeling better and back to his old ways of giving him a difficult time for his own enjoyment.

“You made a big thing about going back to your house and now you want to change what we’re doing.” Theo comments, a visible sign of affection for him, littered with an annoyed attitude for having to change the course of the night.

“Am I your partner or not? Well?” Liam huffs, pressing him to answer and he nods, glaring back at his tantrum over being questioned on what this surprise might be.

“At least it’s over.” Theo says, a sad admission that doesn’t seem to make him feel better. 

Liam isn’t his partner anymore and that doesn’t make him feel good or relieved at all. In fact, it makes Theo feel like he’s going to go back to his own life and own place again. Without Liam and without the odd situations they get themselves in. It’s going to be boring. 

“I wanna see it.” Liam says, jumping into another subject and creating a sudden nervous laugh out of Theo.

“See what?” Theo asks, frowning and then proceeding to swat Liam’s hand away from turning the radio up. 

If it gets any louder Liam will end up going deaf. If werewolves can go deaf.

“Your other face.” Liam pushes, putting quotation marks around the words he’s using, his hands flailing in his face.

“You’ve seen it, and no.” Theo abruptly says, refusing to yield on this point, even as Liam growls about it.

“Why? That’s not fair and I think it’s important.” Liam protests, directing Theo where to turn, still not giving any clue on what they’re doing.

“It’s not. It means nothing. It’s just my imperfections that I deal with on a daily basis. I’m sorry I flipped out back there.” Theo grimaces, a lump rising in his throat, the guilt of almost snapping and murdering someone causing a lingering feeling of anxiety.

“Stop the car!” Liam calls out an order that has Theo panicking and slamming on the brakes, checking for signs of something being wrong.

“By flipping out, do you mean trying to stop Kate from killing me and other people?” Liam seethes, and he can practically see the rant and arguments forming in his head. 

“Did you really have me stop the car to give me a lecture?” Theo snidely asks, his voice cracking with amusement over Liam’s ridiculous performance. So extra and angry for no reason whatsoever, other than to make sure Theo knows he doesn’t view him the same way he sees himself.

Liam carefully chooses to move forward, taking Theo’s face in his hands, and placing a hand on his cheek, softly smiling, encouraging him to reveal all of his secrets, including the very thing that others are so afraid of.

“I looked at myself in the mirror when I first became a werewolf and thought I was a monster but I’m not. Neither are you.” Liam runs a finger over Theo’s nose, and smiles, a caring touch of emotion that says all he wants to, without taking anything away from this moment.

It’s a truly special experience and testament to how much he trusts Liam to not only accept what he is, but also to be this open, this vulnerable when he could be rejected. That’s what people do. They don’t like his kind.

Theo lets his fangs prick his gums, his eyes shift into a darker shade, and he can’t help but wait, expecting the usual response to seeing the predator he is. The monster beneath the surface.

“This is it.” Liam teases, licking his lips with elated curiosity, and turning Theo’s face so he can see everything.  

The tender and careful choice not to ask anything at all, not to ask his thousands of questions, not even flinching at seeing the truth, but boldly being drawn to it, creates an emotional and physical reaction out of him.

It makes Theo ache, a good ache that pulls him closer to Liam, to the point where he almost wants to turn away, to not see him with this kind of real emotion. The raw emotion of being able to be in a place where he doesn’t have to hide, or find ways to make himself more palatable to those around him.

“Hi.” Theo finds himself saying, still shocked by the thought behind Liam’s words and behavior, at the connection between them.

“Hi.” Liam whispers.

Whatever the surprise is, will not be anything in comparison to this and Liam still proves him wrong. Yet again, showing just how well he knows him.

They pull up to Derek’s loft and before he can ask why they’re here, Liam is already talking, explaining himself so fast, worried he will be incorrect about what Theo needs.

“I think it’s okay for you to be here.” Liam says, a small voice of reason and it’s the most heartfelt thing he’s been given. 

That’s why it’s so hard to swallow his sadness at losing this one thing he cherishes, but he can’t worry about that. 

Now, he’s going to see this through.  

Erica deserves that much.

Chapter Text

He’s back there. 

The fatal day where he found Erica, void of all life, the light in her eyes snuffed out, and where there was nothing but hopeless pain surrounding Theo, the world lacking any sense in that moment; in that time of grief. 

It was even harder when he saw Boyd that night. Something was lost. The fire he had been holding onto blew out, there was nothing but the embers, fresh pain, and a cold feeling of what was taken. It wasn’t until months later that Theo truly understood that three lives were taken that night. Not just Erica’s. 

Theo doesn’t want to relive that night because he’s too much of a coward to face the truth about how he failed Boyd that night too, but not in the same way as Erica. He failed Erica when she was left alone, left to fend for herself, while Theo went off to take care of Donavan when she needed him the most, but Kate being captured lifted something off his shoulders, and he felt that. 

He felt that pain lift. 

There’s still pain though. Not from Erica or his failure to keep her alive, but pain from destroying the one person he promised to never let down. 

That’s a pain that’s been stuck with him and it won’t leave. 

“This isn’t my decision. Derek already said he was handling it.” Theo reminds the werewolf, a small piece of him still holding onto the small comfort he has of not being the one to deal with the situation, and in turn he doesn’t have to worry about becoming too out of control again. 

“Yes. We’re not here for Erica.” Liam explains, an adoring smile on his face, seeing Theo clueless about what they’re doing here.

“Good because I’m fine.” Theo briskly laughs, a dull feeling in the pit of his stomach and his chest hurting from how loudly he’s just been talking, but Liam picks up on it right away. Like the discerning and thoughtful person he is, still playing his detective role. 

“Not taking care of Kate doesn’t mean that you’re fine. You wanted to kill her back there and I don’t blame you, but that kind of rage isn’t a sign of someone who’s healed. That’s only part of what’s needed for you to finally let go.” Liam says, a thoughtful and honest statement that Theo doesn’t want to hear, the signs of old wounds resurfacing.

“Let what go? I’m not letting it go.” He points out, needing to get out of this conversation and away from the mistakes he’s made that are always finding ways to inflict harm on him. 

They never cease keeping him up at night.

Liam’s statement is absurd. He’s not letting it go. He lost someone. Theo may be a vampire but he’s not a heartless monster that doesn’t acknowledge when he’s messed up and he’s royally messed this up. 

Erica’s life. Boyd’s life. His own life. The list goes on.

“Can we go upstairs?” Liam asks, holding out his hand, and it’s wishful thinking to believe he can walk upstairs with no problem. 

That he can make it all go away and have it all go back to normal, but it doesn’t work like that.

“Kate’s in his apartment?” Theo looks down at his hands, studying the lines and details, his eyes turning to find Liam so he can study every detail in his face. The only thing he can bear to do.

“Do you want her to be?” Liam frowns, looking puzzled at Theo’s question, as he realizes they’re both thinking about this differently.

“I don’t know! Who’s upstairs? Liam, just tell me what we’re here for.” He harshly says, but he feels bad for sounding too short, the unwanted feelings of being unsure of himself creating an irrational sense of defensiveness he can’t control.

“We’re here for Boyd. What? Did you think I was going to let you find Kate and then bolt? Kate took Erica but she didn’t take Boyd. Don’t let her keep taking things from you Theo. That only makes it worse.” Liam sadly shrugs, begging for him to see what he means and to come to his senses.  

The vampire wishes he could do that.

“It’s okay for you to be here because these people are your friends.” Liam rolls his eyes, a snarky smile lightening the mood, even though he’s still ticked this wasn’t explicitly stated by the wolf.

He acted as if Kate was here, or maybe that was Theo’s own fear that she would be, and he would become the monster he so desperately fears.

“Okay.” Theo nods, a small inkling that there’s more to be said. 

“Do you want me to go with you?” Liam patiently waits, a worried look in his eyes, failing to allow Theo to do this alone if he doesn’t want to.

“No. We talked it out.” Theo briefly says, as he tries to deter him from going upstairs and explain why he doesn’t need to be here.

“When? The five minutes in the laundry room when you were half naked? Theo, give me a break.” Liam playfully shoves him, a stern expression helping Theo to get out of the car, silently shaking his head to let him know he doesn’t have to come. 

He might anyway. Liam’s like that.

“Are you going to wait?” Theo quietly wonders aloud, a little more timid than usual and Liam’s face softens, rolling down the window to ease his mind.

“Nope. I was going to leave and let you walk.” Liam jests, never forgetting to give Theo a hard time and being as difficult as he can be, a teasing smirk causing Theo’s heart to flutter.

“Haha. Shut up.” Theo scowls, feeling better and more confident.

Theo planned to walk up the stairs and find some way to explain why he’s here but he doesn’t get the chance. 

Derek and Boyd run full speed down the stairs and have to veer to the right to avoid slamming into Theo, a feeling of fearful excitement coming off their faces, shaking with a foreboding sense of anxiety coming at him full speed.

“Hey. We lost Kate.” Derek easily says, unable to say anymore than that because Boyd is already sighing, dragging Theo towards the car, ready to do something instead of standing around and explaining the reason for their worry.

“How does that happen?” Liam scolds, an overwhelmed and frustrated look in his eyes, drilling into Theo’s face to make his point, but it’s not his doing. He was with Liam. 

“The consensus was to let other hunters handle Kate. We didn’t want to become like her and she got away.” Derek explains, cutting off Liam’s eye roll and at least Theo doesn’t have to talk about anything, almost relieved by this small hiccup, the angry grunt from Liam persuading him to hide his feelings.

“She’s in the preserve. If you're planning on coming.” Boyd offers, not realizing his error or the way he set himself up for Liam’s ranting.

“I suppose we should. We let other people in on this and look what happened.” Liam grumbles, tapping his damn foot at Theo, making him insane with how annoyingly loud the tapping is, but then again it’s not like they wanted to be left out of the loop. 

That was more Theo’s choosing so he could avoid going off the deep end. Mostly so he could look better in front of Liam. 

“Are you coming or complaining?” Boyd slams the car door shut, unappreciative of being indirectly blamed for losing Kate.

“Yes. Come on.” Theo helps Liam out of the car, trying to keep him from doing his nervous rambling while they drive to get Kate. It will only tick off Derek and further stress Theo out, which isn’t hard to do since he’s panicking. 

Panicking while Derek remains stoic.

“Should we call Scott?” Liam growls, shoving his head out the window, keeping a tight grip on the door and letting them all know he’s not enthusiastic about this detour. 

“I’ll text him. I don’t want to stop.” Derek glances in the rearview mirror, a tired and restless look in his eyes, grieving something Theo doesn’t quite understand.

If Kate gets away again, will there be more blood? 

Can Theo live with that, or is he destined to be haunted by the past for the rest of his life and for Kate to be running around free, without any real consequences. He can’t let that happen. It wouldn’t be fair to anyone who lost their lives to this woman. He’d never sleep again. Not that he really sleeps much now.  

Part of him is selfish, and thinking about how this might mean he can continue working with Liam, but that’s not a real possibility, or a real thing that can happen because it would mean that someone else wouldn’t get the opportunity for justice that they deserve. 

It’s a slippery slope. What he wants and what is the best outcome for everyone. Theo doesn’t like having to feel the pain in his chest, the sorrowful feeling of things changing, of his own throat closing up from the unspoken words on the tip of his tongue.

“Okay so….” Derek says, pulling up to the preserve, and in a flash Liam throws open the door, running away into the woods.

Theo should’ve seen this coming.

“Are you kidding?” Derek gruffs out, turning the car off and no doubt blaming him for Liam’s decision to jump out and leave them all behind.

“Should have locked the doors.” Boyd points out, looking away from Derek as he says it, and all Theo can do is follow Liam, as quickly as he can to get back to him before he meets Kate, getting himself into real trouble.

It’s dark, rainy and cold. Branches keep whacking Theo in the face, and he trudges along to seek out Liam, all of his senses on high alert to spot any threat or noise in the area. 

What he doesn’t understand is why Liam can’t wait? Like ever? 

It’s extremely difficult for Theo to decipher what he’s doing and what his role is in their partnership. It’s frustrating and all he can hear is Liam's voice telling him to listen. To pay attention so he doesn’t miss something important while he talks to himself about how much he’s inconvenienced by Liam’s behavior. 

Theo stops, listening to the wind, the soft patter of the rain, and he takes in the elements of the night, using his eyes and ears to look deeper into the darkness.

There’s footsteps. He can hear them.  Softly and in the distance, gradually getting closer to where he is. It doesn’t sound like Liam or like Boyd. It can’t be Derek’s. He would be with Boyd. Wouldn’t he?

Being a vampire has taught him a lot about that world. There’s a lot of unique and important things one can miss if they’re not in tune with their surroundings and not using all of their senses. 

There’s a ravine next to him and it’s steep. He looks down and can’t see the bottom of it. Not a good way to go, but he can tell how close he should get to it by paying close attention to where he is. Using all of his senses to be actively aware of what’s nearby, or who.

Stepping to the side, he moves away from the ravine and from the footsteps that draw closer. He thinks he’s gotten a better idea of what’s behind him, but a wooden branch knocks into his chest, slamming into him harder than he anticipated, throwing him off quickly enough to cause him to be thrown onto the ground.

Theo manages to stop large fangs from biting into his chest, holding a growling Kate back, her claws ripping into his shoulder, ready to kill him in one breath. Her eyes are almost black with anger and frustration at seeing him again.

A loud roar screams through the woods, echoing off the trees as he fights to throw her off.  

He lets his fangs fall, keeping them at the edge of his mouth, and he rips Kate off him, but she’s quick. She gets up, throws herself at him, claws in full force, and he’s able to dodge her, grabbing onto her arm; biting into her skin to keep her from lashing out.

Kate roars, and then she smiles, latching her claws into his chest and pulling him closer, as close to the edge of the ravine as possible. 

There’s a struggle. A power struggle that has Theo throwing his full weight behind him and pushing against the werewolf to throw her backwards, but a fierce bite has him grunting in pain, feeling dizzy as tingling descends over him, blood dripping down his neck. 

He doesn’t remember being bitten there, and another angry roar from Kate sends a message that he has to act quickly, or Theo might lose his fight.

There’s a dark corner of Theo’s mind, a place where he’s hidden all the terrible instincts he has and all the horrible reminders of what he’s experienced, of what he’s done. It’s a corner he’s made sure never to forget about but he’s been strict at keeping it tucked away where it belongs. 

Leaving it to rot and decay in the deepest part of himself.

Desperate and selfish to continue remaining alive, he digs deep into the depths of his soul, to find the animalistic nature of a bloodthirsty vampire. 

Some say it's like riding a bike and it’s always familiar. Always waiting and dormant, until it’s fully awakened again, fully ready to take over like it’s never left; and never been hidden from the outside world, but it’s with a moment of clarity, a moment of silence that it consumes all of him.

It’s like a fuse. A button that can be turned on, and Theo does turn it on, his arms reaching out, slamming the werewolf into a tree, his fangs gnawing at exposed skin, the only thing keeping him from losing sight of what the ultimate goal is. 

“Theo!” Liam’s voice calls out, somewhere in the background, in the dark night, and he momentarily looks up, fangs dripping blood, lost in confusion at hearing his voice.  

Kate snarls, pushing into his ribs with her claws, and he is shoved only a few feet away from her, but he’s close to the edge of the ravine. Much too close to be safe and when she lunges, claws ready and blood flowing from her fangs, she’s met with another kind of powerful creature. 

A loud snarl shakes the night air and she’s hurled over the edge, screaming in rage as she tumbles downward over the ravine, hitting the rocks on the way down, breaking her neck instantly.

Everything is too loud, too fast, and the sounds hit Theo all at once, his head pounding, the smell of blood rushing everywhere; and he hasn’t fed yet, or even had an ounce to drink, his body aching for a sustenance that's the life force for other living creatures.

Someone’s talking to him. He can hear it but can’t make it out, drooling from the scent of blood still engulfing him as he walks around, scouring through the dark forest to find the pulse he can hear so well.

“Hey, knock it off!” An angry voice yells, and the sound of the heartbeat that’s close by sends him into a frenzy of rage, thirsting for blood. The only thing he can think of in his feral state.

Then his nose breaks. 

The crack he hears would make most people uncomfortable, woozy even. Except it only ticks him off, and he’s met with another whack to the face, the pain more severe this time.

Blood rushes out of his nose and he sits down, leaning against a tree, an angry Liam ready to hit him again, eyes wide with determination.

“Wait, wait!” Theo holds his nose, holding his hand out to stop another blow and he shakes his head, groggy but more aware of his surroundings, the pounding of his head easing into a dull ache.

Liam kneels down, roughly shaking him for good measure and smiling when he pulls away, scowling at the brutal treatment.

“Did I bite you?” He asks, his voice faltering with concern, because if he hurt Liam he doesn’t know what he would do. 

“No. Your eyes were black and I thought that I  might have to break an arm. All good though.” Liam perks up, the golden retriever energy radiating through his eyes, and Theo realizes it’s his own blood that he’s wearing. 

“Did you break my nose?” Theo groans, feeling his nose snap back in place and slowly heal, the tears in his eyes drying up as the pain subsides.

“I didn’t know how to snap you out of it. You kept walking around. Like you were trying to fight to come back.” Liam softly explains, using his shirt sleeve to wipe the dry blood from Theo’s face.

“Thanks.” He takes in Liam’s disheveled face, the soft blue eyes that are worried, the gentle touch of a wolf that’s unsure of how to react and he smiles, placing his hand on Liam’s wrist, holding it close to his chest.

“Sure. Anytime.” Liam laughs, an amused smile grazing his face and he hugs Theo, a desperate hug that he can feel in his whole body, his heart melting at the contact.

“Did you shove Kate over the ravine?” Theo asks, impressed by his quick wit and willingness to protect him.

“Well, in my opinion you were the one who started it but she tried to bite you and I was panicking. It was self defense.” Liam gulps, a sliver of fear hanging over his head, but Theo isn’t afraid of what others might think. 

“It’s okay. I’ll just say it was me.” Theo doesn’t ask for Liam’s permission. He just explains what he’s going to do, not caring about the repercussions, the consequences not mattering to him if it makes Liam’s life easier.

“Or we can say Kate tried to shove you off the ravine. Since that’s what happened.” Boyd says, coming out of the woods and looking annoyed at them, but thankful to see they’re unharmed. 

Theo doesn’t fully know if he really saw anything, or if he’s agreeing to it since his hatred for Kate is more than the both of them combined, but he won’t be the one to make a point in asking about it. 

Especially if it’s due to gratitude for ridding the world of Kate Argent. That’s not a loss for anyone.

“Found them!” Boyd calls, as Derek finds them all leaning against a tree, a worried Liam pacing back and forth, waiting to see if Kate will find her way back.

Her neck broke and her head was partially torn from her body, not leaving a lot of room for her to heal. Kate’s not about to resurrect herself, but Liam’s anxious mood has him double checking, storming his own mind to verify if werewolves die when their heads can’t connect to their bodies.

Theo feels ridiculous, having to remind himself of this type of thing, Liam becoming the one person that has him questioning what he knows. In every way. He’s even questioning his own personal beliefs about being a monster because of Liam’s pep talk in the car. 

“What do we do?” Liam hangs close to Theo, keeping a safe distance from the ravine and from Kate’s body.

“The sheriff is coming.” Derek clears his throat, the restlessness he had earlier evaporated, now replaced with a nicer and less harsh version of himself.

“What have we learned from this?” Liam folds his arms, a daring and confident voice bursting out of his chest, creating a silent acceptance from the others’ around him.

“To not trust hunters.” Boyd answers, a wildly optimistic response for speaking to Liam, who’s not going to allow his role to go unnoticed.

“No. To trust Liam and Theo. Notice we have helped out once again.” Liam tries to help Theo, forgetting he’s used his legs before and he’s nervous, still wary of Theo going back to the place he’s locked away.

“Did he get this new attitude from you?” Derek remarks, finding this all amusing to be discussing in the middle of the night and in the preserve. 

It’s keeping Theo aggravated.

“No.” Theo doesn’t bother saying anything else, though he does smirk at the small snarl Liam gives when he’s thought to be influenced by someone else.

“Hey, this wasn’t on you.” Liam quietly whispers, knowing Theo well and realizing he may not be entirely comfortable with how things played out. 

“You threw someone over the edge of the ravine. All because of me.” Theo fights back a sad and angry tone, saying what happened, not liking the outcome. 

“I pushed someone over the edge who was violently attacking someone I lo—you know, care about.“ Liam shakes his shoulders, walking around the tree, and seemingly unable to stop himself from becoming angry over Theo’s disappointment with Kate’s death.

Liam doesn’t get it. He’s not upset Kate died. 

The sheriff doesn’t take too long and they’re able to get dropped back off at the car, which needs to be delivered back to Mason because there’s always an endless list of things needed to be done when it comes to hanging with Liam. It never stops. 

They don’t leave immediately. Not until Theo talks to Boyd until he’s blue in the face and Liam’s happily satisfied with their conversation. 

As expected, they’re at Derek’s loft much longer than they anticipated and Theo’s all talked out for the night, but Liam’s never done talking, or trying to involve Theo with everything.

Dropping off Mason’s vehicle should have been an easy process. It’s not. It never is when Liam has to say hello to everyone in the household, explaining the tale of Theo’s vampire life, while he drinks two full glasses of water, delaying their drive home and talking to Mason for a good hour.

Corey does come to Theo’s rescue, smiling at his heavy lidded eyes, worn and exhausted from the long day.

“Okay, I’m tired.” Corey announces, a grateful nod from Theo making it clear he’s happy to hear the visit is over and he does like Corey and Mason, but not at 2AM, or when he’s ready to let his mind wander. 

“Okay. We should go. Theo might be having a mini meltdown over me saving him. You know he’s all about being the main character.” Liam playfully says, winking at Theo. 

“I never said that.” Theo rolls his eyes, used to the silly jokes the wolf loves to make.

“No, but I see you’re stressed about it. It’s okay. The sheriff cleared me and no one is mad at you. Boyd even said you can call him. Yes, I was eavesdropping. Perks of being a werewolf.“ Liam proudly tells him, and he’s not arguing. He can’t. 

“Goodnight.” Corey laughs at them, leading them out through the front door and driving them to Liam’s house, not leaving any room for Theo to give his opinion. 

Corey drives quickly and more importantly he gets them there in record time, waving goodbye in a flash, as he leaves within a few seconds of arriving at Liam’s doorstep.

“Alright, let’s talk.” Liam pats his shoulder, and Theo plans on going to sleep, looking to talk tomorrow, drained from all of the stress from their dealings with a feral she wolf, but this is Liam he’s referring to here. He won’t shut up for five minutes. He won’t shut up for even a second.

“Blanket?” Liam hands him a wool blanket, throwing it over his lap and sitting down next to him, a warm touch of his hand calling out to Theo, easing his irritation.

“I’m sorry you had to do that.” He picks at his shirt, his chest feeling tight and the regret he feels overpowering his tired body, no longer feeling sleepy or needing to rest.

“I’m sorry you feel that way.” Liam tightens his gaze, searching Theo’s face for what he means.

“It happened fast.” Theo lightly pokes at the couch, doubting his own life and miserable over the fact Liam has to bear this burden.

“It did, and fortunately I was able to break your nose to help you but I’m not opposed to breaking your nose for a third time if you need it.” Liam wryly says, a little sarcastic and Theo’s heart beats a little too fast, responding to the werewolf’s gentle reminder that he wanted to help. 

“You’re okay?” Theo asks, needing to hear some reassurance from him before believing he isn’t going to regret the decision to defend him. 

Self defense or not, it’s a big thing to protect someone else and have to make a split second decision to shove someone to their death.

“I’d be better if you eased up a little. You’re worth saving.” Liam pulls the blanket tighter around him, his lips brushing against Theo’s, burning into his skin with such a gentle touch, but it warms every part of him. Even the parts of him he thought were too much to bear, too cold to bring back to life.

“I could have pushed her off the ravine too. I wasn’t about to die.” Theo alleges, a haughty snarl escaping his mouth and he’s focused too hard on being outdone by Erica’s murderer, the very thought of it keeping him on edge.

“I love you.” Liam confesses, sucking all of the words out of Theo’s mouth and changing the subject immediately, as he struggles with how to respond.

“What? Where did that come from?” He gapes at him, emphasizing how out of sorts he is, and flustered by Liam doting on him with love. 

Unprovoked too. 

“My guess would be from me since I said it.” Liam smirks, and he can very easily tell that he’s being messed with, the laughter in the werewolf’s voice making it hard to remain calm. 

Liam does what he’s good at. He rambles, nervously looking off to the side, divulging all of his secrets and thoughts he’s had, biting his lip in anticipation.

There’s a lot of chatter about how it was never a good time to discuss his life and his inner thoughts about Theo, the constant fear of needing to figure out the murders first before pursuing anything, but all Theo can hear is Liam loves him. 

He loves him.

It’s impossible, but it’s real and it’s happening. He isn’t listening to what Liam’s going on about because he’s so infatuated by his eyes, the soft blue his favorite color. It has to be. It’s associated with Liam and all he can do is smile, nod his head in agreement but he gets antsy, needing to be closer. Needing to feel Liam’s lips on his again, the warmth of his skin, and he pulls him into a heated embrace, listening to the yelp he makes when he’s cut off so suddenly by Theo’s tongue.

Liam places his hand on Theo’s chest, feeling his heartbeat and smiling through the kiss, the vampire’s heart beating, feeling more alive than ever before; the longing to not be seen as a threat or a monster finally here. 

That's all it takes for him to fall hard into a happy state of shock, a beautiful moment of joy. 

There’s a tug on his jeans and he moves his head back to question Liam, a shy grin plastered on the wolf’s face, his eyes drifting to Theo’s.

“Are you okay?” Liam kisses his chest, running his hand through Theo’s hair, a small piece of him yearning for the world to stop. Just so he can stay in this moment forever and hold it in his heart. 

“Yeah. I think I love you too.” Theo says, and Liam is so full of energy, so full of emotion from what he’s hearing, that he pushes him into the couch, kissing him with every breath he has. 

Kissing Liam is an out of body experience, and his heart is racing, as he starts to feel warm, a soft ache traveling through him when the werewolf starts to slowly move against him.

Their whimpers are hushed, their hands shaking with excitement, the sound of their ragged breathing causing a sudden sensation of pleasure, the scent of arousal heavy in the air.

Slowly they unravel each other, moving their hips slowly, and Theo is gasping, listening to Liam’s rapid breathing, as his own eyes roll back, finding his release; smiling as he watches the werewolf come undone after him. 

They lay beside each other for a moment and Liam perks back up, looking to talk. 

“Should we play a game where I can beat you again?” Liam pants, his competitive spirit coming out even as he’s still catching his breath. 

“Liam.” 

“Theo.”

“Fine.” Liam scoots himself over so his head is leaning on his chest, his eyes closed and half asleep, the will to beat Theo gone away in a matter of seconds.

All that’s left is a sleepy werewolf that likes to snuggle and Theo might like snuggling with him too, the cuddly wolf like a blanket that wraps around his whole life, anchoring the vampire in a way no one else can. 

——————————
Over the next couple days Theo’s prevented from paying for his own truck, the McCall and Hale pack insisting on covering it as some kind of thank you for helping them stop the violent attacks in beacon hills. 

Derek knows a person who can fix it and tries to claim it’s not that expensive, they can pay at the end, and it’s sounding very much like a white lie.

The truck flipped over. He’s shocked they could save it but Liam went on and on about how Theo’s baby is the truck, so he needs it back. A little embarrassing but his intentions were nice.

He doesn’t want them to pay though, and he secretly leaves early to go pick it up, hoping he made it in time to cover the tab. 

“Hey, I’m here to pay for my truck.” Theo tells the person at the front desk, their eyes narrowing and looking over his shoulder, not saying a damn word.

“They’re outside.” Says the person who doesn’t have a name tag or any more patience to deal with Theo, pointing him out the back door with a careless smile.

“Hello.” Liam runs up to him the moment he opens the back door, handing him keys and holding a full bag of clothes.

“Uh, what’s that?” Theo asks, taking his keys and seeing a receipt hanging off the dashboard.

“Boyd told us you’d have a problem with the pack paying so we beat you to it.” Liam beams, throwing his bag in the back at a cranky looking Boyd.

“Why is Boyd here? Hi Boyd.” Theo shoves the receipt in his pocket, angry and listening to Liam talk his ear off.

“We’ve been called away.” Liam explains, throwing himself into the truck and placing his feet on the dash.

“Called away where? It’s been three days. What could have possibly gone wrong now?” Theo sighs, slamming his door and shoving Liam’s feet off the dashboard.

“Your friends’ have a lot of fun. Boyd has nothing going on. It’s a win-win.” Liam puts his seatbelt on, deciding on a music station and then scoffs at him for taking too long to catch up.

“It was not my idea. Liam called about helping the people in Mystic Falls.” Boyd immediately says, calling Liam out and refusing to take back his statement. 

“No.” Theo huffs, coping with an angry attitude and snatching Liam’s phone away so he can’t put the address in.

“Too late Teddy. I already told that rude vampire we’re coming. Surprise.” Liam pleads, eyes wide with the softest blue he’s ever seen.

“I can go alone. If they really need help.” Theo protests, a highly unusual thing for him to offer but he doesn’t want to drag them all down there.

“No thank you. What the do fuck you mean? Hard pass.” Liam growls, having an extra level of sarcasm with Theo and then throwing his feet back on the dashboard.

“Get your damn feet off the dash.” Theo says, as Liam sticks his tongue out and lays back in his seat, eyes closing to take a long nap.

“Such a drama queen.” Liam laughs, taking Theo’s hand and squeezing it softly, a silent peace offering he can’t quite ignore.

“I ask again, why is Boyd here?” Theo asks, giving Boyd a what the hell face because he knows he wouldn’t be willingly going unless he had a good reason.

“We’re partners in case you forgot and Boyd is a plus. He works well with you but we work better.” Liam says, not missing a single point on how he feels about adding more players to their adventures that keep coming up. 

“What about my friends?” Theo groans, seeing the elated look of Liam upon hearing the word friends’.

“Scott will make sure they’re okay and Derek said he’s staying a while. Are you telling me no?” Liam frowns, a pouty little tone of anger that has Boyd feeling awkward.

“Is it going to be like this the whole way?” Boyd complains, a severe lack of empathy for Theo’s plight, needing to understand this is how Liam operates and how he teases him.

“Only if Theo goes back to his regular moody self.” Liam throws the seat back up, and takes out a few snacks.

Boyd doesn’t seem to be fazed, only keeping quiet.

“I got this one for you.” Liam says, a flirty little laugh helping Theo to smile, and he accepts the bag, turning on the truck—

“This isn’t my truck.” Theo realizes, the dashboard slightly different and he can see the smile Liam’s holding in, his excitement spreading across his face, creating a clear picture that he’s definitely in love with this chaotic wolf.

“It’s not. Yours was totaled. Obviously.” Liam says, exasperated by his obliviousness.

“It’s a new one. Yours still had a trade in value. Liam tried to get you the same one. As close as possible.“ Boyd calmly explains, startled by Liam’s exuberant presence.

“You got me a new one?” Theo doesn’t have to explain why this is such a big deal, Liam gets it. It’s the most thoughtful thing anyone has done for him.

“Yeah, I did. I hope the strange attachment to the old one doesn’t hurt your new bond.” Liam teases, kissing him suddenly, not waiting for Theo to respond.

“Are we going, or are you two going to be annoying together while I sit here and talk to myself?” Boyd frets, and Liam coughs, shushing him in fear of Theo’s reaction.

“I guess. I already have a bag.” Theo says, the bag in the back seat familiar and definitely the one he had in his closet.

“I’m still putting my feet on the dash.” Liam proudly says, smiling in Theo’s face.

“Liam.”

“Theo.” 

“I love you.”