#Liam Dunbar x Theo Raeken

[zaceouiswriting]

Under the Alpha's gaze

Characters: Theo Raeken x Liam Dunbar, Male Reader (Theo's older Alpha brother) x Liam Dunbar, Male reader (Theo's older Alpha brother)x Theo Raeken

Universe: Somewhere in Teen Wolf

Warnings: Smuttish, Incestuous

You woke up groggy. Pissed off that your sleep was disturbed, you rolled onto your side and slammed your hand down on the offending alarm clock, breaking it into pieces - like it deserved. A groan of annoyance passed your lips when you realized what you had just done and heard the pieces flying everywhere. You had no intention of getting up, but now you were forced to.

As you rolled toward the edge, your feet landed on the cold floor as you sat up in the same motion. Your eyes were still almost closed, as the room was so bright since you had forgotten to close the shutters. Exhausted, you mumbled incomprehensible words, as you forced yourself to stand. Walking towards a specific cabinet, you opened it and pulled out another clock - one of dozens.

But instead of putting it on your nightstand like any sensible person would, you had no choice but to throw it on your bed because the urge to pee became too great.

You wiped your face with your hand as you walked to your bedroom door, you opened it. Outside the room, after just a few steps to the bathroom, you trip over your feet. Without thinking, you opened the bathroom door. Inside, you saw some of your fraternity brothers doing it. Nothing new or strange. So you just went in, excused yourself, and mostly ignored them. You dropped your sweatpants to the floor, flipped up the toilet seat, and groaned in satisfaction when you finally managed to empty yourself. You felt like you were constantly being watched, which was nothing new either.

When you were done, you put yourself away again, pulling up your pants, and as you walked past the two boys, you slapped the top's ass like you normally would, complementing his firm cheek. Right next to them, you apologized as you reached for the water beneath the bottom. After washing your hands, you looked in the mirror for a second and noticed that the couple had stopped moving.

After taking a step back, you knew why. You took the bottom guy's left leg and carefully lifted it, not knowing how flexible he was. But to your surprise, it was easy for you to get his leg onto the counter. Although you didn't want to seem too curious, you still applied light pressure to the guy's back and neck, forcing him down.

Looking at your masterpiece, you smiled and wished them a lot of fun, as the top could now penetrate much deeper. Before you could embarrass yourself, you quickly left the bathroom and closed the door behind you. Outside, you stood at the door for a moment, chuckling and rearranging yourself, as the sight had made you horny. With half a mind, you wanted to go back inside and asked if you could jump in. But you quickly shrugged the thought and went downstairs instead.

As you wandered into the kitchen and made yourself a cup of coffee, a feeling of dread slowly filled your veins as you looked around. You noticed pictures of your family everywhere, including your mostly absent parents and your brother, Theo. 

You were in a daze, and before you knew it, you found yourself standing in front of the bathroom door again. As you opened it, you peered inside the room without stepping in, staring at the people inside in amazement.

“(Y/N)?” Theo asked, audibly uncomfortable.

“Theo,” you replied, smiling smugly, just staring at them. You watched with great interest how your brother's boy toy's ass squirmed and Theo's grip on his waist tightened.

"Can you... you know, leave us alone?"

“Nope, can’t do, little brother.” With an even more smug smile than before, you looked at him, taking a sip of your coffee as if nothing strange was happening.

You saw Theo throw his head back and groan in annoyance. It made you smile as you realized that you could tease him in different ways, this time worse than any before. Because no one liked being interrupted while fucking.

“But I have to admit I’m surprised,” you said casually. It piqued Theo's interest, causing him to turn his head in your direction while still thrown back. "I didn't think you'd... you know, stick it in?"

Stunned, your brother stared at you for a second longer before his head snapped back into place. “You thought I was the bottom?”

“I mean... I wouldn't have said it like that, more like... you know... a little bit of both? Maybe more to the joys of your bottom?”

“So, a bottom?”

“Yeah, pretty much.” As you take another sip of coffee, you just stand there as if you were the annoyance reincarnated, just like you as the older brother had to be. You let your gaze wander to the naked boy that your brother was obviously still inside. "And who are you? Just a booty call, his boy toy or his boyfriend? Maybe a little of all three?"

“Dude!” Theo tried to interrupt, but you just put your finger before your lips.

“Theo, mind your manners. Can't you see that I'm holding a conversation here?” Shaking your head, you looked back at your brother's visibly uncomfortable fuck buddy. "Can you believe this? I swear Theo has never been this rude. Okay, he is rude a lot, but not to this extent. Please don't leave him because of this! I'm sure it would break his little heart."

Something in Theo must have snapped at your condescending tone as he suddenly pulled out of his boy toy rather roughly and turned toward you. "His name is Liam Dunbar and he's my boyfriend, is that all, can we go back to what we were doing before you interrupted us?" His fists were clenched at his sides, you clearly angered him.

But the last name rang bells in your head. It took a moment, but you remembered. “Is this the Dunbar?” you asked, surprised but still smug. "The one you haven't kept your mouth shut about since you were twelve?" you asked Theo, but he just started to blush, giving you another angle from which to tease him. You turned to Liam again with a mischievous grin. “Did you know he has a book about you in his bedroom? He wrote down every single interaction you two had and even pasted pictures in it when-"

Theo suddenly jumped forward, only to put his hands over your mouth to silence you. He closed his eyes and clearly felt the embarrassment rising, as you could see the top of his back turning red, followed by his ears and cheeks. Even though you found the sight cute, you still had to reprimand him for acting so boldly, not only towards his older brother but towards Alpha as well.

So when Theo opened his eyes again, you weren't standing before him. You could sense his shock as his scent changed drastically. Certainly afraid you'll get the book. But you were in the same room instead. He went to close the door and sighed in relief, only to yelp when he saw you behind Liam.

“I have to say, he’s a real catch, Theo,” you whispered softly in Liam’s ear, knowing your brother could hear you. "A firm body, a nice ass, maybe a little flat, but nothing that a little training couldn't change." As you feel his body, you never break eye contact with Theo and grin widely. Just to give Liam a feel for your cock by pressing it against his spread ass cheeks. The moan you elicited from his lips was nothing short of intoxicating, but you were immune to it since he wasn't the first.

You stepped back from Liam and gave him a nice slap, eliciting another moan from him and leaving a red mark behind.

As you were about to pass Theo, you stopped and stared straight into his eyes. His body was still facing the door while only his head was facing you. But even from there, towering over him, you could see something interesting. Your still-present grin turned malicious. Without him seeing it, your hand wrapped around Theo's still-hard cock. You stroke it gently.

“What are you-“

“I wonder what’s keeping you hard,” you interrupted in an authoritative voice that stopped him from saying anything. “Is it an exhibitionist streak or your infatuation with me?” In a panic, Theo tried to deny it, but you stopped him with your other hand. “I know what you did three years ago,” you continued to whisper, “how you jerked me off when I was sound asleep. How shameful for a Raeken to be so needy and desperate for his older Alpha brother.“

You could see air being pushed out of his lungs as if he had been punched in the gut. Suddenly your eyes softened as you saw tears welling up in the corners of his hazel orbs. Carefully, you pulled his chin closer, bent his head down, and kissed his forehead.

“Never forget that I love you, little brother. Maybe not as much as you love me, but I value you above all else. My door is always open for you.”

You could see Theo shedding tears, something you had never seen before. He's usually a proud young man. You knew you had to take him down a peck or two. But the smell of the pure arousal he radiated from just standing near you made you believe he would do it all on his own.

However, before you could leave the couple alone, there was still something you had to do. You place your hand on your brother's chest and slowly slide it over his meaty abs.

“You can keep your precum to yourself, you horny little brat,” you whispered as you walked past Theo. But you stopped at the door for the last time after you opened it. “Hey, Dunbar!” When you called, the boy, still partially on the counter, looked at you in a daze. “If you ever get tired of that sarcastic smartass, you know where to find me.” You saw him blush as you winked at him. You then turned to your brother. “And if you want to know where you belong in our pack, you also know where to find me.”

When you left them alone, you didn't close the door, you left it wide open, knowing full well that nobody else would come there as Theo was in your care since you usurped the pack, humiliated your parents and threw them out. For the terrible parents, they had always been. Walking whistling back to your room you heard moans before you could even reach your door. Smiling and shaking your head, all you could think about was what a horny brat your sweet little brother had become. 

As you entered your bedroom, you could still clearly hear their moans. As you sat down at your desk to do some work for your pack and the pack's company, you suddenly realized you had left your coffee in the occupied bathroom. Groaning, you got up again to get another coffee, as you didn't want any special ingredients inside it.

***

A few days after the confrontation with you, Theo was sitting in his room with his boyfriend snuggled against his chest, seated on his lap. He was reading to him while simultaneously stroking his back. Since that day, Liam has been acting strangely and seemed more distant. Although it wasn't overly negative, he appeared to be deeper in thought than usual.

The scene was serene until Liam opened his mouth. “Do you ever think about your brother?” he asked suddenly.

But to Theo, it seemed like a normal question. “Of course,” he replied casually, “he’s my brother. He played with me when we were younger, didn’t go to parties because he wanted to be with me, and even babysat me a lot, why?”

Liam fell silent again, obviously nervously playing with his fingers. “I didn’t– That’s not–" He sighed heavily, "Just forget it.”

Theo quickly caught on to Liam's train of thought. He closed his back with a heavy look. “Yes,” he replied again. "When you have a brother like mine, all you think about is having rough sex with him. He's a great guy, handsome, and all-around perfect. Growing up with him was hard. I was hard all the time. When he walked around naked after showering or waking up in tight briefs and, worst case scenario, tight swimming trunks, completely covered in glistening water, I jerked off to that image for years!”

“I want to have sex with your brother,” Liam suddenly blurted out. But contrary to what he thought, Theo just chuckled.

“I think I can do something about it,” he murmured into Liam’s hair, groping his ass vigorously. "But remember, you're mine!" He flashed his ice-blue Beta eyes, which reacted with Liam's own, which glowed a dark blue, showing the slight difference in their hierarchy status.

As Theo hungrily went in for a kiss, all he could think about was your reaction to his suggestion. He hoped you were willing to do that since he would do anything to have sex with you, even if it meant giving up his own boyfriend to you in return.

[Masterlist]

[daylightdunbar]

liam “you know how to ball” dunbar and theo “i know aristotle” raeken you are so dear to me

[theocanhavemyheart]

Alec: Would you slap Brett-

Theo: Yes.

Alec: I didn't even finish!

Theo: Sorry, continue.

Alec: Would you slap Brett for 10 dollars?

Theo: I would do it for free.

Brett: Rude...

[so-long-soldier-writes]

I Vowed I Would Always Be Yours ('Cause We Survived the Great War)

liam dunbar x theo raeken

summary: for weeks, scott’s been finding and adopting betas that’ve had their lives stolen from them by the hunters. but he seems to forget that theo, his old friend from childhood, had his own life stolen by an enemy they���ve faced and defeated.

what scott doesn't realize, is that by refusing to forgive theo, he's slowly losing his own beta's loyalty, perhaps for good.

tags: post-war / post season 6, homeless theo, full shift werewolves, banter, play fighting / roughhousing, not dating but it's complicated, they love each other (they just can't admit it out loud yet), they're also each other's anchors, liam's getting used to lying, protective theo, protective scott, caught, arguing, scott has a change of heart

word count: 12.2k

a/n: this took two days to write, and then two weeks to post, but i'm actually quite proud of it // title is from the great war by taylor swift; it is SUCH thiam song imo

Scott’s pack is growing by the second, every lone wolf inside every vulnerable teenager. He tracks them down with the skill of an Argent, Chris by his side, to reach them before the hunters do. It’s brave and admirable, and they need a place to go. Scott extending a hand to them proves how morally light he is. He’s been made fun of for being a pack of strays, but they need him as much as he feels drawn to help them. 

Liam’s always praised Scott for this. His ability to trust is unmatched and he’s always looking out for those around him. It’s not easy being an alpha, and it’s even harder being human. 

The human vocabulary has a lot of ways to ask for something, and Liam's tried just about every one. Despite his usual nature, Scott’s said no to every request. Liam had been taught by his mother to never challenge a no - that no means no and that is final - but in this instance, he pushes a little. 

The cause is important to him. He understands why Scott is hesitant - ish, but not enough to excuse the behavior of his constant rejection. Since Alec, Scott’s found two more werewolves hiding out from the hunters. They’re freshmen, and they all live together, and something about it makes Liam itch. 

One lost soul after another is pulled off the streets and into security by Scott and Chris. The Argents, it seems, have safe houses all over town, and can provide them at the drop of a hat. 

Liam hasn’t prodded Scott in a while. The answer is always the same. 

He climbs down the ladder into near complete darkness. 

___________________________________________

There are lights that guide the way set up by workers from long ago. The tunnels are still powered, in case anyone needs to go down, but no one frequents it enough for it to be called active. One resident and one visitor is all it ever sees. Once a year, one worker changes bulbs, but he hasn’t come around in a while. 

Liam, exhausted from a long school day, trails his hand along the wall to guide himself. The tunnel is damp, blocking many of the scents lingering about in it. He has a vague idea of where he’s going and relies on that. He just hopes his smell isn’t too beyond recognition.

He walks another couple hundred feet until coming to an intersection. Liam considers calling out, but clamps his mouth shut, a fear of the unknown raising the hairs on his neck. He’s been in the tunnels a hundred times before, though he can never remember the right trail. 

Liam bites a nail nervously while choosing where to go. A low growl suddenly sounds behind him, shooting his nerves with panic. “It’s me,” he says quickly, hoping he is him. 

A pair of eyes come into view and Liam can properly relax at the sight of the black wolf. He drops his hand from his mouth to its fur as it approaches. The wolf leans into his touch, eyes closing contentedly at the feeling. Liam pets for a moment, then sticks a finger out to lightly bop it on the nose. “Boop.”

Almost instantly, the wolf shifts into a human. Liam preparedly offers spare clothes from his bag, then chuckles at the look he’s receiving. 

“I’ve told you a thousand times not to do that.”

The empty threat makes him roll his eyes. Theo, knowing he’s never going to win that fight, rolls his own and guides them down the left turn.

The end of the path has surprising signs of life to anyone not expecting it. A gray comforter covers the floor with several blankets and pillows atop it. Canned food and bottled water sit in the corner beside an empty backpack, which leans against another backpack, full of more personal belongings. Someone obviously lives here, although that someone is clearly ready to pack up and go at a moment’s notice. 

Liam frowns as soon as he sees Theo’s set up. He settles down on the comforter and picks at a hole that goes through the soft material. 

“Don’t make that hole any bigger,” Theo jokingly chides. He’s grateful for the hole to be there at all. When Liam had initially found him down here, he was only sleeping on blankets. Liam had then intentionally ripped his own comforter so his mom would demand getting him a new one, just to give the other boy something thicker to sleep on. 

Liam offers a small smile at the remark, but Theo can tell he’s gearing up for an apology he doesn’t owe. “Your smell’s off,” he says to distract him.

“Scott found another kid.” His tone is sad, and Theo knows why. 

“How old?”

“Fifteen.”

“Good. He’s lucky; he’ll be safe.”

Liam’s eyes dart around the walls, and Theo sighs at the realization that he’s not out of the woods yet. “You should be too.”

“I’m fine. No one comes down here.”

“But you’re not fine! You live underground, again, when you should be in a bed somewhere. Not in your truck, nor on my old ripped up comforter-”

“I like your comforter, it smells like you.”

But Liam’s not listening, “-and you should be part of a pack, especially since it’s kinda my pack now, because Scott left it to me, but he keeps bringing in strays, and everytime I ask, he pushes me away, and-”

“Liam!” Strong hands on his shoulders pull him from his rant. Liam frowns, eyes dropping to the floor. “It’s okay.”

“I just think it’s unfair. He knows how much you helped us, and knows how much you need it. You’d be good in a pack, great, even. You deserve it. You deserve a family.”

To be honest, Theo’s not sure he deserves anything. But instead of getting into an argument with Liam that he’d surely lose, he lays down on the comforter beside him, hooks an arm around Liam’s upper body, and pulls him down, too. The boy lets out a yelp, earning a chuckle from Theo, but doesn’t fight him. They lie there for a second, but the look on Liam’s face quickly sours.

“This isn’t even comfortable.” He flicks the bedsheet in disgust.

“It’s more comfortable with fur.”

“So you’re telling me you shift most nights?”

“Most.”

“Why don’t you when I stay over?”

“Because it’s comfortable when you’re here.” As if to prove his point, Theo tangles their legs together and buries his face in Liam’s chest. Liam’s hand immediately finds the back of his neck and plays with the small hairs there. It’s not an uncommon position for them to be in, although Liam’s usually the one tucked in the other’s arms. 

For some time, they stay like that. Not sleeping, but resting in each other’s company. Listening to heartbeats and breathing, and letting it lull them into a deep state of relaxation. 

“I could leave,” Liam says suddenly. 

“What?” Theo tenses, unsure what he means, and quickly looking up at him. 

“Scott, I mean. I could leave Scott and we could start our own pack.”

It’s silent for a few heartbeats, then, “you’re not going to leave Scott.”

“I could.”

“You can’t.”

“Why not?”

“He’s a good alpha, Li. He cares for you.”

“You were an alpha before,” he tries to argue, biting his lip.

“I was not a good alpha. I bet Corey can vouch for that.”

“But Scott-”

“Just because Scott’s bringing in new betas doesn’t mean he doesn’t care for you.”

“That wasn’t what I was going to say. I was going to say if he cares for me, why doesn’t he listen to me?”

“It’s not because of you that he says no, it’s because of me. It’s nothing against you.”

“If I keep asking, maybe he’ll get so annoyed he’ll kick me out anyway.”

“How many times have you asked?”

Liam huffs but doesn’t reply. 

Theo gives a small smile. “You need to let it go.”

“I don’t want to.”

“Liam-”

“I want you in it. I want you to have that feeling of security, and family, and I want someone familiar, who I know I can trust, in the literal sea of freshmen.”

Theo chuckles at that. “I thought you and Nolan-”

“Nolan and I are fine, but I wouldn’t trust him with my life, y’know? And he’s so distracted by the new ones, and he’s obsessed with Alec, crushing big time, and Alec’s so confused all the time, they’re like lost little puppies trying to find their mother. And then Scott comes back and they whine like he’s abandoned them for years, and…” he pauses his own whining to focus back on his original point. “When it’s my turn to watch the town for the night, I want to do it in your company, in your truck, with your finger prodding me awake - not Nolan’s - when I start to drift off. And I want to look up in boring pack meetings and see you raising a questioning eyebrow at me in response to Alec’s dumb plans. And when we’re in a new place, trying to find a rabid hunter or helpless kid, I want to focus on your scent to ground me and make me feel less afraid. And when we have pack bonding nights in Scott’s or Stiles’ house, and movies are rolling until three a.m. and one-by-one, everyone’s falling asleep, I want to curl up next to you there, on Stiles’ floor, instead of this cold, hard ground, and face repercussions later, when there’s a photoshopped picture of us circling the group chat.”

Theo isn’t sure what to say. Liam’s told him before that he wishes Scott would accept him into the pack, but never in so many words. His speech this time is almost like a confession, a proclamation of what he wants, from both Scott and Theo. A moment passes, and Liam moves to tuck his head under Theo’s chin in the way they normally sleep. Theo, heart heavy from the weight of all his words, sighs deeply, laced with a bit of pain. 

“You can’t leave Scott,” he says again.

“I would for you.”

___________________________________________

At seven thirty, Scott knocks on the door to the Dunbar-Geyer household, but receives no answer. Mr. Geyer’s already at the hospital, he knows this, and Mrs. Dunbar also leaves early for work, but Mason had texted that Liam’s not at school, so he must not even be awake. Scott sighs, then scans the house as best he can without looking like a robber, before finding the bathroom window open and climbing inside. He makes his way to Liam’s room, listening for any activity, but hears nothing. The boy’s room is even empty. His bed is perfectly made, his blinds are closed, and lights are off. His backpack is gone, one good sign, but there are no other signs as to where he could be. 

Scott: ask mr. yukimura if he’s seen him in the halls today

Mason: i have, he hasn’t

Scott: he isn’t home, either

And that’s when Scott sends a missing wolf alert out to the pack group chat. 

___________________________________________

Liam’s not sure when exactly during the night that he shifted, but when he wakes up, he does not expect to try and talk to Theo, only for his voice to come out as a single bark. He shies away instantly, realizing he’s in his wolf form, at the same time that Theo jolts awake and bites him on the muzzle. 

Now it’s on.

Liam was going to be apologetic for the sudden disruption, but that plan changes quickly as soon as he’s bitten. Retaliating, he pins his ears down and bites Theo’s cheek. The black wolf moves his head quickly, but not quick enough that Liam doesn’t get his bite in. He growls, then goes for his muzzle again. 

Every argument between them always turns into a fist fight. It seems to be no different with both of them shifted. As soon as Theo’s teeth clamp down onto his muzzle, Liam turns his head so the next bite pierces his neck. Liam’s careful not to hurt him, but the behavior does display a dominance that brings Theo up on his four paws. He brings one down onto Liam, pushing him towards the ground until he lets go, then nibbles on a patch of brown fur on his neck. Liam worms around in resistance. As soon as he breaks free, he body slams Theo off his balance and starts a playful wrestle. They nip at each other’s ears and paws, making a mess of the makeshift bed and kicking pillows all around. Liam riles up quickly, getting lost in the feeling of how comfortable he is with Theo, and indulging in how good it feels to be completely alone - completely himself - with him. He can be rough without the fear of hurting him; he can relax without the fear of getting hurt. 

Liam’s on top of Theo now, but it’ll only be a few more seconds before he gets thrown off. The black wolf always finds his way back on top, nipping at Liam’s most sensitive spots until he surrenders. Liam fights back, not wanting their play to come to an end, but secretly enjoys it. He likes the other’s dominance, and the more Liam eggs him on, the more assertive he gets. 

As predicted, Theo nips his elbow a second later. Liam moves his leg out of reach of Theo’s teeth, only for his teeth to find his other leg. The tawny wolf yelps and goes for the throat, only to get kicked off and end up underneath the wolf he previously held down. Theo pants above him, and if wolves could smirk, he definitely would be. One last fight from Liam earns him a bite to the ear. His mouth wets the tip, sending a shiver down his spine. Liam pauses to relish in the feeling, and Theo takes advantage of that to nip on his muzzle one more time, a bite that settles the younger wolf into submission. 

They stay like that, Theo hovering over him, as they both catch their breaths. They’re covered in each other’s scents now, and the scents will linger on their skin even after they shift. Neither mind, though; both find comfort in it. Theo only fears Scott finding out, though Liam doesn’t seem to care. 

His words from last night return to him. The last thing Liam said before falling asleep in his arms. I would for you.

Theo wonders if that’s true. If Liam would leave everything - everyone - he knows for a boy he brought back from hell. A lying, heart-stealing, Machiavellian boy like himself. On a whim, maybe he could, but he’d surely regret it eventually, Theo would think. 

“Let me up.” A hand grips a patch of Theo’s fur, and he looks down in confusion. Liam, human again, has one hand on him, and his other reaching for a pillow that’s too close for comfort. 

Using quick thinking, Theo bites Liam’s bare collarbone lightly, then bounces off of him, shifting as he moves.

“Ow!” Liam touches the bitten spot, but then grabs the pillow and tries to fling it at Theo. He misses, but if he grabbed it while Theo was still on top, it would’ve hit him square in the face. “You dick!”

“You’re too predictable.”

“You bit me!”

“You were gonna hit me!”

“With a pillow! Not with teeth!”

“I thought you like it when I bite you.”

“I do not!” Liam lies.

“So you exposing your chest to me every time I get the upper hand is just coincidence?”

“You push me over every time.”

“You’re easy to push over.” Liam’s mouth drops open. “You’re also easy to rile up,” Theo adds.

“You’re such an ass!”

“Hey, you started that whole fight.”

Liam stares, incredulous. “You bit me first!”

“You barked in my face!”

“I didn’t know I was shifted! I was going to say, ‘good morning’.”

Theo snorts. “We both did in the middle of the night, do you not remember that? You woke up saying you were uncomfortable and wanted to know if it was any more comfortable shifted?”

“Vaguely? I thought I said that when I got here.”

“You did, and then you said it again at three a.m.”

“Whatever.”

The boy chuckles, pissing Liam off that he finds it funny. 

“What?” Theo points out Liam’s sour face. 

“You’re so annoying.”

“And here I thought we were cuddle buddies.”

Liam glares at him and Theo has to stifle another laugh. “Just… put on a shirt.”

“You’re laying on my shirt.”

“What?” Liam moves, then mutters an “oh” when he finds he is, in fact, laying on Theo’s now-wrinkled shirt. He throws it at the boy, then puts on his own also-wrinkled shirt. 

“You messed up my bed,” Theo points out, eyeing the comforter that used to be exactly how he liked it, that is now completely frazzled. The blankets aren’t even in the vicinity of it. 

“You have all day to fix it.”

“Rude.”

Speaking of which, Liam pulls out his phone to check the time. He does technically have school today, but it doesn’t seem to be morning yet. Then again, he remembers he’s in the tunnels, far below underground. 

“Oh, shit!”

“What?” 

“It’s almost ten!”

“Uhh, don’t you have school today?”

“Yes, dumbass, that’s why I’m freaking out! Oh my god, Mason’s gonna be freaking out! He’s going to text Scott, and then they’re all gonna be mad at me!”

“Hey, hey, calm down.” Theo hurries to his side. “They won’t be mad, just worried. Just text them that you overslept.”

“If I oversleep, Scott visits my house. He won’t see me in bed.”

Theo startles for a minute at how creepy that is, but then realizes if Liam were his beta, he’d be overprotective, too. “Okay, just tell him you were running in the woods and lost track of time.”

“He doesn’t know I can fully shift yet.”

“Oh, ummm… tell him you got lost?” Theo tries, earning an eye roll. A bit of pride swells in his chest, but he tries to ignore it. Theo’s the one that taught him how to shift. To be honest, he’s not sure Scott can even do it, or if he’s ever tried. He knows, from conversations similar to a long game of telephone, that Derek, Scott’s previous alpha, can shift, but he’s never heard about Scott doing it himself. 

“I’m just going to have to come clean.”

“Liam, no.”

“I have to, there’s no other way!”

“There’s so many other things you can tell him. ‘None of your business’ is also an option.”

“Theo-”

“If he’s already off put about you asking me to be in the pack, he’s not going to like hearing that you were late to school because you were sleeping with me,” he pauses, thinking about the way he worded that, “he’s not going to like the fact that you came to see me, or that you’re late for school because you were down here with me,” he retries. “He’ll probably be super disgruntled to learn I’m even still in town at all.”

“But I don’t like lying to him, either. He’ll be able to tell, I know it.”

“Then you better get good at lying, like now.”

“Maybe if he knows I’m late to school because I was with you, he’ll finally realize how much I want you in the pack, and he’ll finally let you in.”

“Liam, something tells me that would not go down well. You’ll probably just get a strong reprimand for being anywhere near me.”

“I don’t understand what the problem is! I don’t know why he’s so adamant about this!”

“It’s because of what I’ve done, Li. To him, to Stiles, to both of their parents, to-”

“I know what you’ve done, fucker, but I don’t care! I’ve forgiven it all, and he should, too! The morally correct and all forgiving Scott McCall should be more-”

“Okay, Liam, settle down. Take a deep breath.”

Liam didn’t know his eyes were glowing, but as soon as Theo’s hands hold onto his, they turn back to their usual baby blue. “I’m sorry.”

“Don’t apologize. You have no reason to be sorry.”

“I just wish everyone could see the side of you that I see. The Theo that’s no longer being manipulated by those stupid plague doctors; that was just as much a victim to them as the rest of us; that risked his life for all of ours, especially mine; that now either has to live in his truck, or an elaborate tunnel system in which I get lost every night I try to find him. I wish you wouldn’t be so stubborn, and you’d just sneak in my window instead of me coming out here.”

The boy chuckles. “You just said that Scott comes into your room if you’re even the slightest bit late. He would smell me if I were to sleep there.”

“But I would also get to smell you every time I’d be in my room. I’ll lock the door so Scott can’t come in.”

“Liam…”

“I meant what I said last night. I know I was tired, but I remember what I said.”

“But you wouldn’t leave Mason and Corey. You could leave Nolan and the rest of them, but Mason and Corey don’t trust me, either.”

“I’ll still be friends with them.”

“You’re loyal, Liam. You talk a big game, but you’d never leave Scott. The guilt would consume you.”

“It’s consuming me now, not being able to help you.”

“You are helping me. You’re here now, aren’t you? You’re with me down here more nights than in your own bed. Which, by the way, makes me feel a little guilty that you aren’t getting a good night’s sleep.”

“I sleep better with you than alone in my bed.”

“My point is, you need to stay with Scott. That is your pack. That is where you are meant to be. I’m not a good alpha, and though we’re good together, we would not be good as a pack together.”

“But-”

“I mean, look at me right now, you’re late for school, and I’m not helping.”

Liam smiles, but it fades quickly. Theo can tell in his eyes he’s dropped the topic, but something still dances on his tongue. Theo urges him to share the thought with a gentle squeeze to the hand. 

“But you’d be a good beta.”

“Maybe.”

“I think you would be, given the chance.” He looks up to him and sees a woeful look before Theo can hide it. He knows he wants it just as much as Liam does. It’s all he’s wanted since returning to town, even if he was being manipulated before, by the doctors. 

Theo doesn’t reply - he doesn’t need to - but instead sighs. “You should get to school.”

“I know.”

“Mason has got to be worried.”

“I know.”

“Scott’s probably texted the group chat. In two minutes’ tops, there’ll be flyers around the whole town.” Liam laughs. “Pacing the floor, I bet, nervous like a mother who’s lost a pup.” The boy snorts. He used the same analogy last night.

“He’s overreacting. I’m perfectly safe here with you.”

“He doesn’t know that. If you were my beta, I’d overreact, too.”

“And you say you’d be a bad alpha.”

“I am, I promise. I have the protective gene, missed out on the leadership one. I’m clueless on how to run a pack, but I’d die a hundred times to save you.”

Liam’s not sure how to respond. Theo’s not often vulnerable, but if any conversation warrants vulnerability, this one would be it. Instead of talking, Liam looks up to him. A great blue sky meets a canopy of trees, and nothing’s needed to be said; the look conveys it all. 

“C’mon, let me drive you to school. You’ll get there faster, and we can make up an excuse along the way.”

___________________________________________

Liam manages to make it through the doors right as the bell rings. He isn’t sure which bell it is, but he rushes to class anyway, sincerely hoping it’s the first. When he gets to the room, it’s empty, but only a moment passes before it starts to fill. Liam takes a deep breath, fixes his hair, and pulls out a pen. 

“Dude!” Mason’s voice fills his ears. “Where have you been all day? It’s third period.” The boy has his arms up and Corey by his side. Both wear equally confused and concerned expressions, and Liam’s carefully concocted excuse he made with Theo blinks from his mind.

“Uhh, sleeping…”

“Sleeping? Really? Scott said you weren’t home.”

“I was… in the woods. Couldn’t sleep, actually, went for a run, but in the middle of the night, whoop! Finally got tired.”

“You’re serious?”

“With all the hunters out there and everything?” Corey asks, bouncing off his boyfriend.

“Yup. Y’know when the exhaustion just finally hits…?”

“What?” Mason shakes his head like an etch-a-sketch. “Dude.”

“I don’t know, man. Maybe I had a nightmare or something.”

“Well you better text Scott you’re okay. He’s been freaking out and asking around. He’s two seconds from texting your dad.”

“Shit.”

Quickly, he pulls out his phone to address the group chat. Sure enough, his phone is blown up from messages from his alpha, plus updates from his fellow betas on if they’ve seen him. Obviously, none of them have, putting Liam in a very tight spot. Carefully, he types out a response. 

Liam: sorry to freak you all out, i’m good, i just-

He pauses. The excuse he made with Theo is not what he just told Mason and Corey. He has to come up with something new.

-went out in the woods this morning and totally lost track of time

Liam doesn’t look at Mason nor Corey after pressing send. As soon as the bell rings, Scott’s response comes through, and it drops Liam’s stomach to his toes. 

Scott: locker room. now. 

Coach barrels through the door at the same time Liam stands to address his alpha. He looks to Liam, then to his class, then points to the boy.

“You, where are you going?”

“I need to get something from my locker. It’ll only take a minute.” The lie rolls off his tongue easily, but that’s not what sparks Corey’s attention. It’s the sickly smell of panic that follows. Liam is afraid to face Scott. Either he’s just really sorry for worrying his alpha, or he did something wrong. He shares a look with Mason as the beta leaves the room. Both wish they pressed him harder for an answer. 

Liam enters the locker room two minutes later to find Scott in the center of the two benches. His posture is rigid, although his demeanor isn’t exactly upset. He seems more concerned than anything else, which makes Liam feel both relieved and guilty. When he sees Liam, his shoulders visibly relax. 

“Liam,” he lets out a deep breath, “god, you had me freaking out.”

“I’m sorry.”

“You’re never late for school, what happened?”

“I was… outside,” he says instead of ‘in the woods’. He was, technically, outside. “Lost track of time.”

“How? Did you not have your phone? We’ve been texting…”

“I had it, but wasn’t checking it. I was working on getting in better shape for lacrosse because I couldn’t sleep last night.” It’s all partially true. He couldn’t sleep last night, so he went to find Theo. And wrestling with Theo can be counted as getting in shape, right? He had the older boy pinned for over a minute. 

“Okay…”

Worried that Scott’s not believing him, he cries out, “I didn’t mean to make you worry! It was totally random and unplanned. I’ll make sure to check my phone next time, I just needed to distract myself, and we haven’t had sightings of hunters in a while. I was careful, though, I promise!”

“It’s okay! I just want to make sure you’re safe, that’s all.”

“I was safe. I didn’t smell anything out of the ordinary, nor did I see anyone suspicious.”

Scott nods. “See anyone at all, or just anyone suspicious?”

“What?” The question catches Liam off guard.

“Were you alone, or was there just no one that looked suspicious?”

“Oh. Um, no, I mean. There was someone running, but we didn’t talk. He was over there, I was over here.” He points with his fingers where the two of them might have been. His gestures are quick. A wave of nervousness fills Scott’s senses. Along with another scent that he can’t place. “He was gone before I’d even be able to talk, actually. He just ran past me.” Liam’s still talking when Scott snaps back to reality. His inability to recall the other scent becomes like a scratch you can’t reach. 

“And what part of the woods was this?”

“Over near the clearing. Not by the Nemeton, but like…”

“Where Coach takes us running sometimes?”

“A little further,” Liam says, just in case Scott tries to track his scent and can’t find it.

“Oh.”

“Can I go back to class now? I have Coach.”

Scott chuckles. He knows how Coach can be when students miss his class. Unfortunately, Scott’s still unsure if Liam’s telling the whole truth, but what’s he going to do about it? He doesn’t want to lose his beta’s trust by grilling him, and he can’t pull him out of class, either. 

“Yeah. Be safe, okay?”

“Okay. Sorry for worrying you.”

“It’s alright, Liam.”

It was a close call and Liam knows it. 

What he doesn’t know, though, is that now Corey is just as suspicious as Scott is. 

___________________________________________

Guilt racks through Liam for three reasons now. 

One, he lied to his alpha about what he was doing.

Two, he lied to Mason and Corey about where he was. 

Three, he still remembers what he told Theo last night. 

I would leave for you.

Maybe he should just leave, considering how he’s now found himself in a big web of lies. How are any of his packmates going to trust him again? If they find out he was not only with Theo last night, but also lied to them about being with him, he’ll be screwed. Not only that, but Liam’s been with Theo for weeks now. Ever since the war ended and Theo retreated underground, Liam has found him and snuck out of his house to be with him. This is the first time that Liam’s slipped up and forgot to check his phone, forgot to set an alarm for school, forgot that he was supposed to forget about the boy living in the ground beneath them. For weeks, Scott’s been finding and adopting betas that’ve had their lives stolen from them by the hunters. But he seems to forget that Theo, his old friend from childhood, had his own life stolen by an enemy they’ve faced and defeated. Theo isn’t as innocent as the betas he’s taking in now, but he was still a victim, and still deserves the kindness Scott seems to show everyone else. Forget about an itch, the whole thing makes Liam’s blood boil. 

You’re loyal, Theo told him, the guilt would consume you. 

As angry as he is, he knows it’s true. Liam is Scott’s first and only bitten beta. As much as he cares for those that he adopts, he and Liam have a bond that cannot be matched. Scott would be heartbroken if Liam were to leave, and Liam would feel an insurmountable amount of guilt and sadness, too. And if Liam were to leave Scott for Theo, of all people, he imagines the pain would be ten times worse. 

But still…

If Scott knew it had crossed his mind, would he finally accept him as a beta? Or would Scott retaliate and send him away? Or send Theo away? Liam then decides Scott would do the former, but then he’d talk with Stiles and Malia and they’d opt for the latter. Malia would go as far as to kill him, and then Stiles would assure him it’s for the better, not being able to smell the heavy heartache wafting off the young wolf. 

Liam breathes deeply, trying to pull himself from the tornado of thoughts in his mind. He doesn’t like thinking like this. Doesn’t like pitting his pack against each other, thinking up scenarios that may or may not ever happen. Malia, Stiles, and Scott all care for him, they wouldn’t do that.

But they all hate Theo…

“Hey,” Corey taps Liam on the shoulder. He jumps. “Are you okay?”

“Theo was right,” he blurts out. 

Silence…

“What?” Mason asks slowly, a confused look on his face. Both of their faces. 

“Um, nothing.”

“Did you say, ‘Theo’?” 

Liam looks around, expecting to see his classmates, but instead seeing way more people. “When did we get to lunch?”

“Uh, ten minutes ago. Did you say, ‘Theo’? Did you see him?”

“I thought he skipped town,” Corey adds.

“No, he’s here.” Liam pauses. “Ack, no! I don’t know where he is! I assume he’s still here.”

“Hold up,” Mason chuckles, “why are we talking about Theo again?”

“I don’t know. It slipped out. I was thinking of that time that he said something about the… it- it doesn’t matter. What were we talking about again? Movies?”

“Uh, we decided on a movie. Now we’re talking about snacks. Are you sure you’re okay?”

“I’m fine! Promise!”

“Did you have a nightmare?” Mason asks.

“About Theo, maybe?” Corey adds. “Did he rip your heart out, too?”

“What? No. No nightmares, nothing to do with Theo. I don’t even think I mentioned him,” Liam tries to laugh, “think I meant to say… Thor, because you guys were talking about watching Age of Ultron? Right?”

“We were, but…”

“See, I’m listening! And snacks, we’re getting Oreos, yeah?”

“Maybe?”

“Right again.” Liam stuffs a handful of potato chips in his mouth to shut himself up and does his best to ignore the wild looks from Mason and Corey. For better or for worse, Nolan and Alec join them a moment later. The mop-headed teen takes a seat next to Liam, while his smiley sidekick is to his right. Liam hopes desperately that they change the topic, and they do. Unfortunately, though, the next one isn’t much better. 

“Scott told me yesterday that Malia might be visiting for a couple days. She’s been traveling Europe, but drunkenly admitted over the phone that she misses us,” Nolan says.

“It was only a matter of time before the little ray of sunshine came clean,” Mason jokes, earning laughs from around the table. 

Liam, however, feels his heart stop. One more Theo-hating wolf is just what he needs in this town; his worst fears are becoming true, and just when he was about to re-ask his alpha the question he already asks so often. 

Theo told him to drop it, and he really wishes he could. But the constant reminder of his absence amplified by the presence of the sixteen year old beside him makes his heart hurt.

“You okay?” Corey asks, for maybe the fifth time this hour.

“Fine. Just remembered I didn’t do my math homework last night.”

“I didn’t either, if that’s any consolation,” Nolan supplies. It’s not. 

Liam offers a chuckle in reply, but doesn’t say anything else. The pack launches into their plans for movie night. 

___________________________________________

Getting out of movie night was only easy for one reason. 

One, Liam didn’t listen to what day they had planned it, so he came up with a lie lickity-split.

“Oh, that’s tonight?” 

“Liam, we discussed this at lunch.”

“My mom is hosting people for dinner and wants me there.”

“Why didn’t you say that earlier?”

“I didn’t know the plans were for tonight, I thought you guys were talking about tomorrow night.”

“Right.”

“Sorry.”

“That’s okay!” Mason says quickly. “We can reschedule-”

“Noooo,” a groan erupts from Nolan, “we’ve already planned the whole thing out, guys. Liam, just cancel.”

“I can’t, it’s my mom.”

“Tell her your pack needs you.”

“She doesn’t know I’m a werewolf.”

“Ugh!”

“It’s fine, just do it without me, okay? I’ll be at the next one, no problem.”

“Mason?” Nolan turns to him, knowing he’ll be reluctant to follow through without his best friend.

“Yeah, I guess. Liam, you will be missed, but have fun at your dinner party.”

“Hah.”

After school, everyone retreats to their houses to pack and regroup at Scott’s. Liam, however, stays behind. He makes sure to get the obligatory “wish you were here” text from every pack member, announcing their arrival at the sleepover, before turning on the kitchen lights and leaving out the window. It wasn’t a total lie that he told them. His parents really would be eating dinner sometime that night. Maybe just not around the table, not with a friend, nor with him, and maybe not even at home. But dinner was still going to be had by his family, so he didn’t completely lie, he just spared a lot of truth. 

On his way to the tunnels, Liam considers shifting to reduce the risk of being seen by his pack by chance, but then remembers the ladder he’d have to take to get into the tunnels, and can already envision the headache it would be to put his clothes on in the near darkness at the bottom, so he doesn’t. Instead, he slinks around like a cat until he reaches the woods, making extra sure not to be seen since he’s technically never visited Theo before nine o’clock. The sun is still partially out, making his sneak attempt more risky than it usually is. If he’s caught, he has no clue what he’d say to Scott. 

In ten minutes’ time, Liam finds the tunnels’ entrance and climbs down the ladder, sighing in relief at his mission’s success. He starts in the direction he typically goes, a little on edge due to the slight disruption in his own routine. His heart must be racing, because sooner than later, he hears a familiar growl from behind him. Liam turns, and his heart jumps at the sight of the black wolf.

“Don’t growl at me,” he says coolly, trying to hide his excitement. 

Theo growls again anyway, then stalks up to him to nuzzle into his legs. 

“Hi,” Liam pets, letting the feeling of his soft fur wash away the worries of the day. “Boop.” He pokes his nose. 

Theo reacts quickly with a gentle bite to his knee - earning an “ow!” from Liam - and trots off to his corner. 

“Hey, wait, hold up. I’m sorry!” Liam is not sorry, but follows him anyway.

When he finally catches up to Theo, he’s shifted back and throwing a shirt over himself. Liam looks around his space, avoiding eye contact with his body, and nods. 

“You cleaned it up.”

“I had all day.” Liam holds back a chuckle, but fails and can’t help the grin that spreads across his face. “You’re here early.”

“Is that okay?”

“I’m lucky. Is something wrong?”

“No,” he shakes his head. A blush rises in his cheeks at Theo’s comment, but then his face falls as he remembers the lies he told to get here. “My parents are working.”

“Aren’t they usually working? Why do you look like you feel guilty?”

“I told the guys that they’re off today. That they’re having a big dinner I’m supposed to attend.”

“So?”

“They scheduled a movie night for tonight, out of routine. Like, they usually do them on the fifth of every month, but this one was random, and I told them I couldn’t go because my parents were having a dinner party.”

“I take it, your parents are not having a dinner party.”

“No.”

“Ah. But that’s okay, it’s out of your typical routine anyway. They can’t schedule something out of the blue and expect you to follow along.”

“Which is what I probably should’ve told them, instead of lying about my parents’ fake dinner party.”

Theo shrugs. “Knowing them, they’d probably push you into agreeing. But let me guess, you left the kitchen lights on just in case they’d check?”

“How’d you know that?”

“Because I know you, Liam,” he chuckles. Theo settles down onto his comforter and pats the spot beside him. “So why let yourself be so guilty if the reason for your lack of attendance is so reasonable?”

The boy sighs, sitting down next to him. “Because it’s not the only reason.”

“Which would be?”

“I hate doing pack shit with all these scrawny freshmen and not having you there with me.”

“You used to be the scrawny freshman, don’t you forget.”

“I’m serious! The same thing happens at every single one. Scott oversees like some overlord; Mason and Corey are on the couch making out, acting like they’re not making out; Alec and Nolan are bickering or arm wrestling; the movie goes unwatched for hours, and then everyone huddles around it in the last twenty minutes, and there’s always some Inevitable Panic that ensures when someone knocks over a drink or Ms. McCall comes home early.”

“Sounds kinda fun to me,” Theo admits.

“Well it’d be a lot more fun if you could be there with me. Maybe I wouldn’t start to resent them so much if Scott would offer the same forgiveness he gives everyone else.”

“Okay,” Theo sighs, understanding the root of Liam’s problem. “Come here.” He grabs the boy by his upper body, just as he had done the night before.

“Wait, what are you doing?” Liam questions, but then, again, lets himself be pulled down. 

“Let’s just not think about it, okay? Stay here with me.”

“Are we napping?”

“I don’t know. If you want.” But Theo yawns a moment later, and Liam nuzzles into his chest. 

“Can we shift?”

So they do. Theo stretches out across the comforter and rests his back against one of the pillows. He watches Liam circle around and around as he tries to get comfortable. Finally, Theo reaches out and bites his tail as if to say, “hurry up and lay down!” and at last, he does, pressing his body up against the black wolf. Within minutes, they’re asleep. 

___________________________________________

Theo wakes up what must be hours later to the sound of a rock being kicked down the pathway. He lifts his head immediately, wondering if it’s Liam, but then remembers Liam had come to him much earlier in the day, and is in fact, curled up beside him. Nervously, he lets out a low growl, wondering if the intruder is a threat, or possibly just a lost mouse. He hopes it’s the latter; he’s really not in the mood for a fight. 

Beside him, Liam stirs, probably from the vibration of his growl. He doesn’t wake, but Theo wonders if he should. Not only is the wolf a valuable asset in a fight, but he’s much easier to protect when he’s on his feet. Theo leans over to lick him awake, then pauses at the sound of voices. Definitely not a mouse, and instead someone who’s either stupid, or not perturbed by the low growl. He grows anxious. 

“I can’t believe they’re making us do this. It’s way too dark down here.”

“Chill out, they said these tunnels have been abandoned for, like, forever.”

“How long is forever?”

“Couple months, I don’t know?”

“A couple months?!”

Theo growls again as the voices get closer. The shuffling of feet pauses. 

“What was that?”

“I don’t know.”

Stupid kids. Probably some high schoolers on a dare. 

Theo nudges Liam with his nose before languidly licking across his muzzle. He doesn’t want to shock him awake and cause a panic, especially if it’s a threat he can easily scare away himself. Still, he wants Liam aware that they’re not alone anymore. And besides, if he were to get up, the younger wolf would probably wake in the absence of his body against his. 

“What was the dare again?”

Whoop, there it is.

“Walk five hundred feet into the stupid tunnel, take a selfie, and get out. Don’t go too far in it or we’ll get lost.”

“Great. Corey’s a dick.”

Theo stops his tongue mid-lick. Corey?

Of course, that’s when Liam finally raises his head and gives Theo a pointed look, questioning him for both the unexpected wake up and the means of doing it. When Theo doesn’t shift nor respond, Liam moves his head in a way that Theo’s learned means he’s about to bark. Immediately, he wrinkles his lip, demanding silence. Liam puts his head back down submissively. 

“So five hundred feet is how far?”

“I can’t even see the button to turn on my phone.”

“How long do you think these tunnels are? Was he joking when he said we could get lost?”

“Probably bluffing.”

Liam suddenly understands the reason for being awoken. His eyes widen in fear at the sound of the familiar voices in the distance. He tries to gesture to Theo that he recognizes them, but Theo seems to already have some idea of that. He stands, stretches lightly, then creeps to the edge of his makeshift den. Liam follows, nipping his heel slightly in a way to ask what he’s doing, but receives his answer when Theo announces his presence with a louder growl, this one, certainly heard by the boys. 

“Did you hear it that time?”

The smell of fear wafts in the air. “Yeah.”

“Wolf?”

“Well, werewolf, hopefully. Normal wolf,” Nolan pauses, “we’re fucked.”

“What do we do?”

“Give me your phone.”

“Are you gonna call Corey?”

“We’re gonna finish this dare-” Theo growls again, “-and get the fuck out of here.”

“Are you serious?! Nolan-”

“C’mon, I won’t let anything happen to you! There’s probably no service down here anyway.”

“But-”

“Smile!”

The boys both smile for the picture. Liam watches, unsure what to do, and goes to nip at Theo, but then realizes he’s no longer standing beside him. The black wolf is now crouched behind the boys, eyes glaring up into the camera, too close for their comfort if they’d turn around and realize. 

“Alright, make sure we got it and let’s go.”

Nolan clicks the photo, leading to both of them screaming as they see the wolf behind them. They waste no time rushing out of the tunnels and up the ladder. Theo and Liam can hear the clutching of the metal as they pull themselves up. Their screams are muffled out as the top goes back over the entrance, and only then, once they know they’re safe, do the two retreat back to the comforter. 

They don’t bother shifting back, but are laughing their asses off in the most wolfish way possible. Liam nips Theo’s heels, egging him on, until he engages in rougher play. They wrestle on the sheets once more, pulling at each other’s ears and loose fur, one kicking at the other when the upper hand is won. 

___________________________________________

Up on the ground, a laughing Mason and Corey are quickly faced with a very much so not-laughing Alec and Nolan, and it takes each pair a second to recognize the other’s emotions. 

“Wait, you’re not laughing?” Mason asks, pointing back and forth between the two. “But those screams were-”

“Those screams were from terror!” Nolan cuts off. “There was a wolf down there! An actual fucking wolf! We could’ve died!”

“But those tunnels are abandoned,” Scott insists, “once the Dread Doctors left, no one was living down there anymore.”

“Well clearly someone is!”

“But there’s a ladder, so it couldn’t have been a wolf,” Corey argues.

“Not unless it’s a werewolf,” Scott mutters, thinking of Derek. “I’ve never tried it, but some werewolves can shift into their entire wolf forms.”

Corey snaps his fingers. “Wait, I’ve heard of that.”

“Yeah, your guy Derek used to do it, right?” Mason fingerguns Scott, who nods. 

“Yeah.”

“So there’s another werewolf in Beacon Hills?”

“I guess?”

“Wait, we got it in the picture Alec and I took.” Nolan says, still out of breath. “Alec, show him the picture.”

The boy, also panting, pulls up the picture. “One, proof we did your dumb dare. Two, proof of wolf, in tunnels. Never going back.”

Nolan gives him a congratulatory pat on the back as the three older boys inspect the photo. Mason and Scott stare questioningly, but Corey’s heartbeat quickens after a moment’s look. 

“Holy shit.”

“What?”

“I think that’s Theo.”

___________________________________________

It takes ten minutes for Liam and Theo to settle back down. Their play ended similarly to how it always does - Liam pushes Theo past his patience until the latter gets dominant, and when he’s satisfied with the rise he’s gotten out of him, Liam submits. Now, Liam lays across the black wolf’s front paws, chest exposed, while Theo licks around his mouth and neck. 

Neither is sure when they grew so comfortable with intimacy, but in their wolf forms, it’s like second nature. They cuddle as humans, and aren’t afraid to admit when they need each other’s company, but as much as they both desire it, they’ve never taken it any further. Maybe it’s the bond they’ve formed with Theo being the one to teach him how to shift, or maybe it’s just easier to be close when they can’t speak with real words. Regardless of what it is, they find themselves shifting more and more just to be closer without acknowledging that it’s what they both want. 

So caught up in each other, neither hear the sound of the heavy slate being moved away from the entrance, nor the ladder squeaking slightly as someone climbs down, nor the nearly inaudible voice asking which way to go. 

Theo was taught to always be alert and on guard, no matter the instance. He’d never know who was secretly hunting him, so he should be prepared for anything. Not only was that an innate trait brought on by being turned, but it was something the doctors grilled into him. Never get caught. Never let us be found out. 

Well clearly he failed at that. And now, he was failing at this, too. 

He can’t help it, though. Not when Liam is between his paws, chewing on his jaw like that. His paws pushed up against Theo’s fur, pads soft and barely used. He’d only learned how to shift about a month ago, much unlike Theo, whose are rough from years of running. 

He senses him before he sees him, but both are two seconds too late. Red glowing eyes duck into Theo’s den. A growl erupts from the intruder’s throat. Liam rolls immediately, rising to his feet, then tucking tail behind Theo in the presence of his alpha. Theo stands, heart racing, and returns a growl of his own. 

“Theo?” Scott asks. Theo’s ears perk up; he didn’t know Scott could recognize him in this form. “What are you doing down here?”

Theo plays dumb and tilts his head, refusing to shift to answer his questions.

“Who is that?” Scott nods to the tawny wolf behind him. 

He bares his teeth at the alpha, warning him to leave. Scott doesn’t budge.

“Theo, I’m not gonna ask you twice.”

He growls more, standing up to Scott. 

“Okay. What about this? If I duck out for a moment, would you shift back so we can talk? We don’t have to fight, I just want to talk.” Scott receives a wrinkled lip. “Please. Your friend, too.” When Theo takes another step towards him, Scott shakes his head. “Or just you, that’s fine.”

Theo bows his head, seemingly willing to comply. Scott raises his hands and disappears for a moment, but listens just in case. Out of sight, he hears a small whine that’s quickly corrected by a gentle bite. One of the wolves shakes, then retreats and lies down on something soft. Scott didn’t get a good look inside the den. He saw the black wolf and his cowering friend. 

A moment later, the sound of a belt fastening makes its way to Scott’s ears. Fabrics are thrown around as the shifted chimera dons on his clothes, and a moment later, Theo’s poking his head out with an irritated look. 

“What do you want?”

“So it is you.”

“What do you want?” Theo repeats. 

“I want to know who scared my pack out of the tunnels. Thought these tunnels were abandoned after the doctors left.”

“They were.”

“You’re here.”

“Well then they’re not anymore.”

Scott rolls his eyes. “Theo-”

“Look, I don’t know what the problem is with me staying here. I’m not in your way. I haven’t seen you in weeks. You didn’t even know I was still in Beacon Hills. The only reason I scared your betas is because they came too close to my space, okay? And since I don’t have a pack, or anywhere to actually live, I’m down here, so I’m a bit protective of my space.”

“Fine. But who’s that other wolf in there?”

“That’s none of your business.”

“Is it another chimera? Is it a lone wolf that found the tunnels that you took in?”

“It’s none of your business.”

“Theo-”

“Is it so bad that I’m not entirely alone down here? Huh? My whole life, I was alone, with no one but the Dread Doctors for company. I know they were bad to you all, but they were bad to me, too. So now that I’m finally free of them and minding my own business, why do you think it’s okay to barge in here asking questions, when I know you don’t care about me?”

Scott sighs. “You know what? Fine. I don’t care about you. But I do care about that other wolf in there, because anyone alone with you is someone possibly in a great deal of danger. So if you’d just-”

“Scott!”

Scott’s and Theo’s stomachs both drop at the sound of Liam’s voice coming from the den entrance. Slowly, they both turn. Theo mouths a “what are you doing”, while Scott’s jaw drops open in speechless surprise. 

“Leave him alone,” Liam continues, eyes on the verge of tears. 

“Liam, what the hell are you doing down here?”

“Nothing,” Theo says quickly, “he got lost and is leaving.” He makes quick steps towards the boy, using his back to block him from Scott, and asks his question again at a volume only Liam can hear. Without replying, Liam looks up at him. Storm clouds threaten rain over the dark, oak trees, and Theo takes a deep sigh before stepping away so Liam can face his alpha. 

“Liam…”

“I’m safe,” he assures, “I’m always safe when I’m down here.”

“How often are you down here?”

“More than you’d want to know.”

Scott sighs and slumps his weight against the tunnel wall. “Just… why?”

“Why what?”

“Why… everything? Why Theo? Why are you in the tunnels? Why did you skip pack night to hide in the tunnels with Theo? And why did you look like a fully shifted wolf just a second ago, when I don’t even know how to do that?!”

“Theo taught me,” he says quickly, proud of himself, but then remembers he’s talking to his alpha and slumps his shoulders. “I mean, it’s really easy. Once you… know how.”

“Why are you with him, of all people?”

“Because I trust him,” Liam answers honestly, picking at the skin around his fingernails. 

Scott laughs at that. Actually laughs, and Liam tries not to burst into tears. “You can’t trust him, Liam! When has he given us a reason to trust him?!”

“During the war, do you not remember?! He saved my life, pulling me into the elevator, and then pushed me out of the way of a hundred incoming bullets. He fought for us, Nolan included, even after he learned what he did to me. And at the zoo, when we were paired together against the hunters, he kept me safe again and prevented me from hurting Nolan, when in the moment, I really, really wanted to. I know he did some bad things before, but he’s paid for them. He’s trying to be better. He is doing better.”

“But Liam-”

“No, I’m not finished. You didn’t give up on me when I had trouble on full moons. You were patient, and helped me through it, and I don’t have trouble with them anymore. And then with all these new betas, you’ve opened your pack up to them and given them a safe place to be, and a home. All these former lone wolves who were all victims of something. And here, Theo is both of those things, he is trying to be better, and he’s suffered just as much as your new betas, yet every time I ask if you can forgive him and just let him try to integrate into the pack, you reject me. So yeah, I don’t really feel like doing pack bonding shit when Theo’s down here by himself in silence and complete darkness. And maybe I’m in the tunnels because I’m here more nights than I’m not, because the nightmares never really went away, but when I’m with him, I feel safe. And yeah, why Theo, maybe because when I’m overwhelmed and on the verge of an episode, he’s the only one that can calm me down. Not you, not Derek’s mantra, not anyone or anything else, but Theo.”

“Liam, you can’t trust him-”

“I can’t, or you can’t?”

“-you’re my beta!”

“Who has never felt less like your beta in these last few weeks. Look, I stumbled upon Theo by accident. It really did start off with nightmares, because I could never sleep, but I didn’t feel safe in the woods because of the hunters” - Scott immediately picks out a lie. Liam had told him he was late to school because he was working out for lacrosse in the woods. - “so I went down into the tunnels and ran into him there. He’s never come close to hurting me in all the times I’ve been down here.”

“You told me this morning you were practicing in the woods.”

Liam visibly gulps. “I knew you wouldn’t take it well if I said where I actually was.”

“You lied to me,” Scott says, tone harsh. He thinks about his own words.

One, his beta worked long enough on a lie that he could pass it by Scott undetected. 

Two, he was afraid to tell his alpha the truth of where he’d been. 

Scott swallows hard. 

“I didn’t want to.”

“Did Theo make you?”

Technically, yes, but it was to protect him. All Theo’s ever done is protect Liam. 

“I knew that I needed to,” he replies instead. 

Scott listens to his heartbeat. No irregularities. He eyes the pair again. 

“I thought your smell was off earlier. I couldn’t place it.”

“The tunnels are damp,” Liam offers, “even though I smelled like him, it was faint.”

“And why would you smell like him?”

Liam shrugs, seemingly unbothered by the question. “The den is small.”

Scott nods that he wants to see it, so Theo begrudgingly lets him in. Scott ducks inside to find the same set-up that’s been there for weeks now, except the comforter is all messed up from them playing. “I was wondering where the gray one went.”

“He ripped it on purpose after he found me down here.”

Liam nods in agreement. “It’s cold down here, and the ground is hard. Luckily, it was getting worn anyway so my mom didn’t ask questions.”

“So what, do you lay on this thing together? Is that why it’s so messed up right now?”

“Well, yeah,” Liam replies, sending a shudder through Scott at the thought of them being so close. “But we were fighting earlier, that’s why it’s a mess.”

“Fighting?”

“Rough-housing,” Theo corrects.

Scott narrows his eyes. “As wolves?”

“Yeah.”

“Do you sleep like that, too?”

“Sometimes. It’s more comfortable that way,” Liam admits with a shrug. 

Scott stares vacantly at the comforter, a thousand thoughts in his mind but none rolling off his tongue. Liam grows more anxious with every moment his alpha doesn’t speak, while Theo gets irritated with the older boy’s silence, smelling the fear emitting from the beta. 

“Are you mad at me?” Liam finally blurts out.

“What? Um, no. I don’t know. I’m… disappointed.”

“That’s almost worse,” he mutters. Theo wants to comfort him, nuzzle into his neck, but doubts Scott would appreciate that much. 

“Does the pack know? Mason? Corey?”

“What? No! I haven’t told anyone, because I know you’d all have the same response.”

“If you know we’d react that way, why’d you do it anyway? If something inside you knows it’s wrong, why continue to do it and hide it from us?”

“Because I don’t think it is wrong! If anything, I think it’s more wrong that you all refuse to give him a second chance.”

“But Liam-”

“Don’t ‘but Liam’ me, I already know what you’re going to say; you’re going to repeat the same dumb shit you’ve told me a thousand times before: he can’t be trusted, he’s done too many bad things, blah blah blah, I thought Stiles was the one that held grudges, not you!”

Scott sighs, realizing the truth to his words. Stiles would always push people away, while Scott always tried to see the good in them. 

“Y’know how sick I’ve been over this these last couple weeks? How apart from the pack I’ve felt? You’re gone most of the time, but have left me in charge, and I don’t feel any kind of bond to these new betas. You’re the alpha, you’re the one with the connection. I’m barely keeping my head above water. I choose to be down here, because lately, he seems to be the only person actually interested in listening, instead of judging!”

Scott doesn’t reply. He doesn’t know how, yet. He thinks back to all the times Liam calmly asked about Theo. He’d slip it into casual conversation, asking if he’d heard from him, or if he’d ever consider letting him join. Sometimes, during pack meetings, he’d come up with a crucial detail in a plan, and when Scott complimented him on it, he’d mutter a small, “that’s what Theo would do.” Other times, though, he would outright ask that if the chimera ever returned to town, if he’d be allowed in. Liam rarely mentioned him around his fellow betas, but he spoke of him enough to Scott that he knew he was on his mind. Scott’s kicking himself now for not realizing it sooner, that Theo never really left town, and Liam never got over him. 

“Liam, I’m sorry.”

“What?”

“I-”

“If this is going to be another bullshit rejection, save it.”

“It’s not.” Scott holds up his hands. He’s a little shocked by the curse word used by his beta, but tries to not let it show on his face. “I haven’t been listening, not really. I have been caught up in tracking down the hunters and new betas, and in doing so, I’ve been completely neglecting the pack-”

“I don’t care about myself, I just wish you’d realize that he’s changed. A lot. And I think he’d do well in a pack. He’d make a good beta, given the chance.”

“I know you can see it. I just… I struggle with trusting him because he almost killed me,” Scott says the last few words a little softer, but both still hear him. He quiets more out of disapproval from himself than judgment from them. 

“But I almost killed you, too…”

“But you’re my beta,” he repeats. 

Liam says nothing, and in that moment, Scott realizes how close he is to actually losing his beta over this. Liam loves Theo - whether he chooses to confess that emotion or not - and is willing to sacrifice his place in the pack to be with him. In fact, the only reason the impulsive boy hasn’t yet, must be because of the one who’s seemingly become his anchor, reminding him why he can’t. 

Scott remembers how badly Theo wanted to be a part of his pack. Stiles refused, no matter how much Scott wanted to trust him. In retaliation, he tried to build his own, only for a hunger for power to knock it down. Theo knows he wasn’t a good alpha, but Scott does think he might have the potential to be a good beta, if he could prove himself. 

Maybe if Liam trusts him, Scott can learn to trust him, too. 

“Liam?”

“Yes?”

“Do you remember that time Garrett tried to get the upper hand on us by trapping you in that well?” Scott doesn’t miss the way Theo’s heart skips with sudden rage. 

“Yes.”

“Or that time you and Hayden got taken and we couldn’t find you anywhere?”

“Yeah?”

“What about when Gerard threatened that the best way to break up the pack was to kill you? Because the bitten betas are always the ones with the closest bonds to their alphas?”

“Mhm.”

“All these incidents are times where someone’s threatened to hurt you, and it took an indescribable amount of self control for me not to hurt them back. I know I haven’t been showing it lately, but I still care for you the same as I have these past years. Not to be selfish, but it would wreck me to lose you. I can’t lose you, Liam.”

“I know,” he replies, tone choking as if he could cry at any minute. He tries to say more - about how he doesn’t really want to, how his heart is torn in two different ways - but he can’t spit out more than a stutter on the first word. “Do-” he looks to Theo, then to Scott, “do you remember what happened after you saved me from the well?”

Scott narrows his eyes. “Yeah, we went to the clinic to get the wolfsbane out of your chest.”

“It was the first time I truly started to trust you,” he admits. “You reached me just in time and pulled me out. I had been skeptical of the supernatural world, and weary of trusting you, until that night. I felt safe around you after that.” Scott blinks, unsure where he’s going with this. “I still trust you, Scott, with my life. I want Theo to experience that same security. That feeling of knowing someone has your back. I know he can be a good beta, I’ll guide him.”

Scott’s still hesitant, but Liam’s pleading face tugs at his heartstrings. He can’t lose his beta over this, not to Theo, not to anyone. And besides, he has a point. Scott has always been the one to give second chances, even if they’re not always deserving of it. 

“He’s not going to change his mind, Li,” Theo mutters, sitting down on the comforter. Scott makes a mental note of it; it’s almost a submission to the alpha in the room, to sit down while the other stands. A subtle yield, despite the challenge in his words. “You heard him, he doesn’t care for me.”

A mix of sadness and nervousness floods Liam’s body. He looks down at Theo as if he wants to join him, but fears Scott’s judgment.

“It’s not that I don’t care, Theo, I shouldn’t have used those words. I just… I need to put my pack first. When I bring new betas in, they need to be accepted by everyone.” Scott pauses, figuring out the best way to word this. “Liam, I should’ve listened to you better. You’ve asked me about Theo many times, and while I partly thought he had left, I should’ve known, especially from your persistence, that he hadn’t.”

“Told you to drop it, Liam,” Theo mutters again. Scott catches it, mouth twitching in slight amusement. 

“I didn’t realize how it would affect you for me to bring in new betas while ignoring your requests. I was blinded by what happened in the past and wrongfully held it against him, even though I can recognize how he helped us in the war.”

“So what’s that mean?” Liam says, finally sitting criss-cross beside Theo. Their knees just barely touch, but neither seem to mind. 

“Well first it means I’m sorry, to both of you, for not giving second chances where they were due, and not looking out for your needs. I hope you can both forgive me for that, and that it’s enough for you to stay.” He looks straight at Liam, who’s eyes dart to the ground. 

The beta nods, but his voice trembles as he replies, “I can’t stay unless…”

“I know. If Theo can forgive me, I’d like to invite him to stay, too.”

Liam’s eyes carefully meet Scott’s. “You mean…?”

“I do, as long as he can prove to be a good beta. Gain the pack’s trust as he’s gained yours.”

“Theo?” Liam nudges him with his knee.

The chimera’s heartbeat quickens with excitement, yet he keeps his tone steady. “What if I can’t gain their trust? What if they start to distrust Liam for bringing me in? Or you?”

“I think you’ll find them a lot more forgiving now than they were during the war. Tensions are much lower. They’re a good group, and they trust Liam and I to make good decisions.”

“What about Stiles, then?”

“I’ll talk to him,” Scott promises. “We can keep him in the dark for now, until you get settled, but I’ll assure him you’ve changed.”

“So you believe it? That I have?”

“I’ll be honest, while I can see it, it might take me a little more time to gain your full trust. Though, I do trust Liam, so if he does, I know I can, too. As long as you remain loyal, trust will grow. That goes for everyone in the pack.”

The chimera eyes Scott for any waiverance. He listens to his heart for an irregular beat. Finding nothing in him but sincerity, he nods. “Okay.”

Liam smiles immediately, bringing a smile to Scott’s own face. Scott then nods back to Theo. “Okay. I’m going to go back to the pack and let them know. We’re actually all together tonight, so if you want, it’s the perfect time to introduce you. And we can establish a fresh start between some of you guys.” The pair agree. “Alright, well would you like to meet us at my house in an hour or so? Give both of you time to, y’know, prepare.”

“Yeah, sounds good. Liam?”

“Mhm!”

“Okay.”

“And Theo?”

“Yeah?”

“Pack up your stuff. We’ll find you somewhere more safe and secure to live, even if that means staying in the spare bedroom at my house, okay?”

“Are you sure?”

“I’ll talk to my mom. She’ll understand.”

“I can talk to mine,” Liam suggests. He wears a look of pride that makes Theo roll his eyes. A thousand times, Liam’s begged Theo to stay at his, but the boy’s always refused. Now, he might finally get his way. 

“Yeah,” Scott agrees, “my mom can talk to her, too, or your dad.”

“Fine,” he says to Liam, sharp tone confusing Scott just a little, “you win.”

“Ha!” Scott then watches his beta catch Theo completely off guard, pushing his shoulder so hard he falls to the side. Theo reacts immediately, rolling back up to grab the wolf’s arms and hold them still. “Let go!”

“You started it!” Liam leans forward to bite his knuckles, bringing Theo to let go of one hand and smack him gently on the nose. “Ah, no biting.”

“Fucker-”

“One condition,” Scott says suddenly, noticing the way their play so closely resembles that of wolves. Both take their hands off each other and look at him, curious. “You have got to teach me how to fully shift.”

Theo smiles - a genuinely happy smile - and nods. “Deal.”

Scott gives a thumbs up before leaving the boys’ makeshift den, then prepares the best way to deliver the news. Despite his hesitancy, he’s glad things worked out the way they have tonight. Liam looks the happiest he’s been in a while, and after seeing how he and Theo are together, he does think the latter could do well in a pack. Convincing the others might take some time, but it’s necessary, and in the long run, it may have been well worth it. 

Scott looks back for one second before the two leave his line of vision. Instead of packing, both have fully shifted again and are wrestling on the comforter. 

“Fighting?” He had asked. 

“Rough-housing,” Theo corrected. 

Liam - the tawny wolf slightly bigger than Theo - nips behind the black wolf’s ear and forces him into submission. Scott’s eyes widen at not only his dominance, but also at how Theo lets him. He holds him down and chews on his neck affectionately. A moment later, Theo finally bites back, targeting his paws, until he’s towering over Liam, and now, Liam lets him, without any fight. Scott watches for a little longer, stunned by the sight of the long, gentle licks wetting the fur on Liam’s face. Their heartbeats slow as they both relax, previously thumping only due to excitement.

Well worth it, Scott thinks again, heading towards the ladder.

[raekensarcher]

This love left a permanent mark (5k, Thiam)

Summary: In a world where your soulmate’s last words to you appear on your wrist, Theo has two.

or: the thiam as buddie au

[winterrnighttsposts]

My favourite non couples, couple

[nightingale2004]

Teen wolf next generation: Thiam version

Nathan Daniel Raeken Dunbar

Faceclaim: Tanner Buchanan

Oldest son of Liam Dunbar and Theo Raeken

He looks a bit like both his dads

Is a werewolf

On the lacrosse, wrestling, and basketball team (prefers boxing)

He and Miguel are emo boy besties

He has a temper, but he has a handle on it

Works at his dad, Liam's fight gym

Has I.E.D. like Liam and has a tough time keeping a cool head. (His family and pack help keep his temper under control)

He is the best fighter in the McCall pack

He trains at the gym and in the woods of Beacon Hills

-_-_-_-_-_-_-_-_-_-_-_-_-_-_-_-_-_-_-_-_-_-_-_-

Tara Haven Raeken Dunbar

Faceclaim: Milly Alcock

The last child of Liam and Theo

Younger sister of Nathan by 2 years

Acts mature for her age

Loves her brother and sticks with him like glue

She is a were-coyote

She considers herself the brains while her older brother is the brawn

She is the strategist in the McCall pack and brainstorms plans and backup plans with some of the Hale pack members

She is always one step ahead of everyone

Is on the soccor team of Beacon Hills High School

[katherinewinchester13]

This won't go back to normal, if it ever was

It's been years of hoping, and I keep saying it because

'Cause I have to

Ooh-ah

You'll get better

Ooh-ah

Soon, you'll get better

Ooh-ah

You'll get better soon

Ooh-ah

Soon, you'll get better

Ooh-ah

Soon, you'll get better

Ooh-ah

You'll get better soon

'Cause you have to

★∻∹⋰⋰ ☆∻∹⋰⋰ ★∻∹⋰⋰ ☆∻∹⋰⋰★∻∹⋰⋰

★★★★★

° ∆ -------- ••• ------- ∆ °° ∆ -------- ••• ------

Complete 💯

MATURE

🚨TRIGGER WARNINGS🚨

(Anxiety Attack And Depression)

Words:21,356

╱╲❀╱╲╱╲❀╱╲╱╲❀╱╲╱╲❀╱╲╱╲❀╱╲╱╲

SHIPS 🩷

Derek Hale/Stiles Stilinski

Chris Argent/Melissa McCall

Vernon Boyd/Erica Reyes

Scott McCall/Kira Yukimura

Allison Argent/Isaac Lahey

Liam Dunbar/Theo Raeken

╲╱❀╲╱╲╱❀╲╱╲╱❀╲╱╲╱❀╲╱╲╱❀╲╱╲╱

DESCRIPTION

Stiles has everything in life. Great job, loving husband and son, family. So why does he have a feeling it's all going to be ripped away? And why does he always have to be right? And how the hell did he end up back at 17, in his old house?

▅▄▃▁▁▁▁▁▁▁▁▁▁▁▁▁▁▁▁▁▁▁▁▁▂▃▄▅

[anishfics]

Picnic

Era un día soleado en Beacon Hills, uno que muy poco se daba porque siempre eran días grises, pero nada más por los rayos del sol siendo tapados por las nubes.

En eso habían dos personas que aprovecharon que había buen clima, tuvieron mucha suerte en que fuera fin de semana y no tuvieran que ir a trabajar.

Eran pocos los que conocían de su relación, ya que no acostumbraban a postear fotos sobre ellos dos, más que todo por lo chismosa que era la gente y que siempre hablaban sin saber.

Pero justo ese día les importo un comino lo que dijeran los demás, a la final de cuentas ellos no dependían que lo que se hablará de ellos. Fueron directo a un parque para hacer un picnic, tal como Stiles había visto en muchas fotos en Pinterest.

La verdad es que Derek y Stiles estaban pasando un buen momento, una que otra mirada a sus muestras de cariño, pero nada de insultos. Ambos iban vestidos a juego, les encantaba hacer esa dinámica de parejas.

En eso Scott venía pasando junto con Theo y Liam, los tres amigos de Stiles.

—¡Oigan! —gritó de la nada Scott.

—¿Qué pasá? —Liam se asustó por el repentino grito del otro.

No podía decir nada, lo único que hizo fue señalar a un lugar del parque. Liam y Theo siguieron la dirección a la que Scott apuntaba y vieron como Stiles le daba de comer unas fresas con crema a Derek para luego darle unos cuantos besos en las mejillas.

—¿Y qué con eso? —rodo los ojos Theo al ver la reacción de Scott.

—¡Pues que está mal! —la espina homofobica de Scott se hizo presente—. Ambos son hombres, no deberían de estás haciendo esas cosas. Deberían de pensar en los niños.

Theo no podía soportar más aquella actitud de mierda he hizo lo que tenía que hacer, agarro el brazo de Liam y unio sus labios en un beso. Al principio se resistió, pero luego le siguió y se dejó llevar.

—Estas rodeado de parejas homosexual, Scott —le dijo Theo justo cuando terminó el beso—. Stiles y Derek son novios desde la secundaria, Liam y yo desde la universidad, madura, estamos en el siglo XXI.

Liam tenía sus mejillas sonrojadas, no porque su relación salió a la luz, eso le importa poco. Lo que lo puso todo rojo fue el beso que Theo le había dado, pudo sentir las lenguas de los dos jugar entre sus bocas y se le olvidó que estaban en público, las muestras de afecto siempre lo ponen nervioso.

No dijeron más nada y dejaron a Scott sorprendido por sus amigos.

[transdunbar]

Living Steel - a Real Steel Thiam AU by @equallyloyalandlethal

Everything at the gym was all exactly the same as when he left. Everything, except him.

(i'm so incredibly excited to have been involved in the making of this au, and you all should definitely go read it!!)

[strapinandstraponyourstrapons]

i started typing out my headcanon about tara raeken's death and how theo met the dread doctors like a week and a half ago which turned into fanfic halfway through and then i got sad and didn't know how to end it and also heartbroken because why did i have to write something SO SAD WTF. WHY DO I HURT MY BABY BOY LIKE THIS. so i stopped...

and now i'm trying to reconcile the rambly feeling of the start with the actual proper (for me) writing it turns into and i still don't know how i'm gonna end the thing but look i'm w r i t i n g so that's progress.... phew

the gif is my last two brain cells fleeing the building

[daylightdunbar]

is the teen wolf fandom even still here ? 😭

[theocanhavemyheart]

Liam, running into the living room: Have you seen my top?

Jordan, not looking up from his book: Theo’s in the kitchen.

[ksbbb]

. “Don’t focus on them.  Just focus on me.” Thiam 😘

Focus (thiam)

It’s been way too long for Liam to be feeling this way, or he thinks it is, but Mason argues with him about it and still tries to convince him that it’s okay. That sometimes when the brain deals with a traumatic situation then it’s only normal to still have negative feelings about something. Or about someone and different places. It’s not really something he expected to deal with so soon, but seeing his former lacrosse buddies from his other school, the ones that locked him in a cage at the zoo, and threw lacrosse balls at him, caused a mild panic to set in. Then the thought of almost losing control here during the war doesn’t help him any.

He can rationalize that they most likely don’t even remember him, and he is a werewolf now, so the odds of them being able to trap him in a cage again, is very unlikely, but his mind still hasn’t completely caught up to his rational side of thinking yet. He keeps telling himself to remain calm, keep his breathing normal, and to ignore any feeling of anxiety coursing though him. He tells himself this, but he still can’t force his mind to catch up, and he’s staring to feel himself shift as they draw closer.

“What’s going on?” He hears Corey asks, it sounds far away, almost through a muffled door, as if his body isn’t here right now, and he wishes more than anything that he could make himself forget all about his time here.

“Am I…I don’t know. How long does it take to get a drink?” Mason starts looking around frantically, peering into the crowd, as he starts to panic almost as much as Liam, and starts rapidly texting on his phone. It causes Liam to panic more and he starts to hyperventilate.

“We did tell Theo to get us like 6 drinks because we didn’t want to have to go back.” Corey’s voice sounds high, panic rising in his voice, as Liam starts to feel his claws poking through his fingertips. “Oh..he’s not going to shift here is he?” Corey latches onto Liam’s shoulder, his fingernails sinking into him, and if he was able to focus on something other than the constant memory bombarding him, he would welcome the anchoring touch of a friend, but he can’t find anything to center himself.

That night burns into his memory like a fire blazing in the dark, and it haunts him to his very core when he remembers the pain, along with the embarrassment of being caged in, and having to hold in tears from the constant yelling from his peers. Blaming him for the loss of game, because of his IED. His IED that caused him to lose it on his former coaches car.

“Liam…”

His fangs slide over his tongue, and he can almost taste blood, smell the fear from his own scent, and his entire body starts to shake from the control of holding in his wolf, and holding in his shift. He’s not a new werewolf anymore and Scott would tell him to use his anchor, but he’s not sure he has one anymore.

He desperately bites down on his lip, drawing blood, and anger starts to boil over as notices one of them laugh about something. His erratic breathing starts to catch in his throat, and he’s slipping. Slipping out of Mason and Corey’s grasp, his own mind screaming at him to do something, anything but let them get away with it. Is that his wolf, or is it him wanting to shift? He can’t find the difference anymore.

“Liam…”

A low growl leaves his throat, a silence surrounds him, he’s lost focus on anything else, he can’t hear, can’t see anything but his former teammates standing in front of him. His skin is itching. Clawing at him to let himself shift, allow his own fear and anxiety to overpower him and take over. To not allow it to happen again.

“Liam…” A hand catches his just as he’s about to lash out, his eye flickers with yellow, and he turns around to roar, but comes face to face with Theo. His hand is pried apart and Theo sighs, gently running his hand over Liam’s claw marks. It soothes him, and he starts to notice more people around him. He looks around him to find his former teammates.

“Focus. Don’t focus on them. Just focus on me.” Theo appears in his line of vision, shifting him gently so he can face him. Holding his shoulder gently, and still running his hand over the wounds on his hand that have started healing.

A small smile plays on Theo’s lips as Liam blinks a few times and starts to breath normally again. Theo leads him over to a bench, and he sits down, his anxiety starting to fade, and he is handed a drink to sip on.

“I was gone for about ten minutes.” Theo ponders to himself, and he playfully pushes Liam’s shoulder, as he takes a sip of his own drink.

“Yeah. Well…maybe next time we can do something other than the zoo.” He takes Theo’s hand in his, gently running his fingertips over his palms, and decides that maybe he might have an anchor.

[raekensarcher]

Thiam fic rec <3

I’ll probably keep coming back and adding new ones in the notes, but here’s the list I have made so far :)

(in no particular order)

1. Handle with care 190.1k words, completed

Summary: Theo's back from hell and there's a lot of shit to sort out. Liam helps with that, sometimes.

2. Stray Dogs  2 fic series, completed?

Summary: *basically Theo is like I would break so many laws for u if u just ask*

3. The things you notice 2 fic series, completed

Summary: It’s literally just Theo and Liam loving each other in their pov’s. so special to me, actually.

4. You are stuck with me (so I guess I'll be sticking with you) 30k, completed

Summary: a look into how theo and liam’s relationship built up in the background of teen wolf 6b

5. when I watch the world burn, all I think about is you 6k, completed

Summary: Theo wakes up on the McCall couch and Liam is inside of his shirt. Asleep. On Theo.

6. liturgy for an atheist 2k, completed

Summary: “I don't want to hurt people,” Liam says, eyes flashing bright and blood dripping from his clenched fists, every line of him pulled taut like it's all he can manage to stand there destroying only himself. His rage smells like gunpowder and gasoline, ready to spark and burn the entire school down around them if someone doesn't put it out.

So Theo says, “Okay, then hurt me instead.”

7. a catalogue of spectacular alive things 4k, completed

Summary: In which Theo makes breakfast, goes to a baby shower, shows up late for dinner, falls into bed with someone he loves, and drowns in contentment.

8. coordinates (we are two points in space)  4k, completed

Summary: Liam can’t control all the leaving but he can control his not-knowing where. 

9. smoke rises, and with it the truth of ourselves 4k, completed

Summary: In which Liam invites Theo out into the middle of the woods, gives him a stale s'more, rambles about death, and teaches him to scream.

10.  old ghosts gather in liminal spaces 6k, completed

Summary: Liam asks, “What are you doing here, anyway?” 

“Same thing you are,” Theo says. Avoiding, searching, not-thinking, maybe. 

His answer seems to appease Liam. Or maybe he’d just rather not elaborate on the circumstances that made him seek shelter in a bus stop with a boy that he only spends time with when danger is making a home for itself in the corners of their lives. 

(Theo thinks everyone might be a little out of place, trapped.)

11. and I'll find my way back to you, party of two 2k, completed

Summary: On Theo Raeken’s nineteenth birthday, he is gifted three bullet wounds, two flat tires, and a grilled peanut butter and jelly sandwich made by the boy he might love. None of it is as bad as it sounds, really.

12. coming out of my cage and I've been doing just fine 5k, completed

Summary: The funniest thing is -- most everyone seems to be under the impression that Theo's driving Liam.

Like most things in Liam's life, it doesn't quite work out that way.

13. lovers alone wear sunlight 8k, completed

Summary: Liam comes home, in more ways than one.

14. when oblivion is calling out your name, you always take it further than I ever can 8k, completed

Summary: In which Liam is terribly high and completely smitten, Theo is allergic to emotions and totally whipped, Mason has the patience of a saint, and everybody wins, except for Stiles.

15. tell me no more secrets, I'll tell you no more lies 1.4k, completed

Summary: "Look at me," he says, and Liam almost can't. "Liam."

Liam looks. "You were attacked. It was self defense."

"Okay," Liam says, and feels the blood trickle from the corner of his mouth, the iron coating his throat catching in his lungs. "What if it wasn't."

Home is the first grave.

[hemlocksandfoxgloves]

"I Hear You're Looking For An Anchor"

Chapter 7 - Trust

Theo's POV