Archive of Our Own

The first time Liam does it, Theo snatches his hand back immediately.

Theo’s driving Liam to his house after a pack meeting at Scott’s and the beta gives him no warning, no preface, before reaching for Theo’s hand on the dash. Liam barely closes his fingers around Theo’s thumb before Theo yanks it away, putting it on the wheel next to the other one. 

“What are you doing?” he asks, his voice hard, and Liam’s mouth opens and closes a few times, his own hands still hovering in front of him. 

“Um, it’s—” Liam shakes his head, a little violently, before sinking back into the passenger seat, almost hunching into himself. “Never mind.”

But Theo picks up on the beta’s apprehension, a hint of embarrassment right on its heels, and he lets out a quiet sigh, clenching his fingers on the steering wheel. “Liam.”

Liam looks away, turned towards the window, and there’s a few minutes of silence. It’s not awkward, but it’s not not awkward either. Theo drums his fingers quietly on the wheel as he waits for the beta to talk, somehow understanding that it’s not something he can rush. 

“It’s something my mom taught me to do,” Liam finally breathes out, his voice unnaturally subdued. “When I was younger, she’d um, she’d let me trace the lines on her palm. Something for me to—to focus on, to do, when my mind—”

He breaks off abruptly, but Theo puts it together pretty quickly, his eyes darting to the beta once before moving back to the road. “You—you wanna do that with me?” Theo asks, the words a little strained as they leave his throat.

Liam swallows and Theo can hear it, can also hear the way the beta’s heart skips a beat. His skips one in response, although Liam doesn’t seem to notice.

“You’re m—” Liam cuts himself off again and Theo’s gaze returns to the beta, unable to solely focus on the road anymore. “It’s stupid, forget it. Sorry.”

He sounds defeated and something in Theo’s chest twists harshly, a dull ache throbbing lightly as he tightens his grip on the steering wheel. And the thought flits through his brain before he can stop it, and once it’s there, he can’t stop thinking about it. 

There are a thousand reasons he shouldn’t, but Theo slowly lifts his right hand off the wheel and moves it towards Liam. The beta’s head snaps up when he sees it, his eyes wide and just a tinge glassy. “Theo—”

“S’not stupid,” Theo mutters softly, jerking his hand closer when Liam doesn’t do anything. He continues to stare at Theo for a few more moments, a small crinkle forming between his brows, before slowly grabbing Theo’s hand. Theo forces himself not to react, letting his hand go limp as Liam twists it around gently. 

“Thanks,” Liam mumbles, barely above a whisper. Theo nods, trying to pay attention so he doesn’t crash, but that becomes insanely hard when Liam starts gliding his finger over Theo’s palm, the touch so light that Theo almost doesn’t feel it. He grits his teeth and keeps his eyes glued to the road, telling himself to ignore it, to pretend that nothing’s happening.  

It’s easier said than done. 

Liam’s tracing gets more insistent as the seconds pass, the rough drag of his fingertips sending shocks up Theo’s arm. But he doesn’t pull away, wants Liam to have this at least, and resolutely forbids himself from acknowledging what the touch is doing to him. Because it feels nice, the way Liam’s hand cradles his as the other strokes over his palm. 

When Theo chances a glance at the beta, his eyes are fixed on Theo’s hand, the skin between his brows smooth once again. And Theo doesn’t know whether to be surprised or weirdly thrilled that the anxiety that had been drifting off the beta earlier is gone now, slowly mellowing down as the minutes go by. His fingers keep trailing across Theo’s hand and Theo lets him, even as he pulls into Liam’s driveway.

---

It becomes a thing after that.

Liam will reach for Theo’s hand and Theo doesn't even get startled by it anymore, just lets the beta drag his finger or nail over his palm until he lets go. And Theo’s never the one to take back his hand, always lets Liam be the one to stop whenever he wants. 

Because although Theo would never admit it to anyone besides himself, Liam tracing the lines on his palm is absurdly relaxing for him too. And Liam used to only do it in the truck, but soon, he starts to do it in other places too—at Theo’s apartment when he’s helping Liam study for a bio exam, or in Liam’s room after Theo drops him off and Liam invites him to stay because it’s too late to drive to your apartment now, Theo. Starts to do it in places when Theo doesn’t have to keep his attention elsewhere, and can subtly watch Liam.

And yeah, part of the reason it’s relaxing for him is because of the way Liam’s finger draws shapes into his hand, but the main reason is because when Liam grabs his hand, he stays so focused on it that Theo can let his eyes roam across the beta’s face. Can indulge himself for just a little bit and watch the way Liam’s expression shifts so minutely—how his nose scrunches just a little from time to time; how after about five minutes, the tip of his tongue will poke out of the side of his mouth as he continues to trace; how when he suddenly realizes Theo’s watching, his eyes snap up and they’re a little glazed over. 

So yeah, the tracing is a little hypnotizing, but Liam is a hundred times more hypnotizing, and Theo knows he should stop it before it gets out of control, but he thinks that it might already be out of his control. 

Because Liam will reach for his hand and Theo has to force his heartbeat to not skip a beat as he looks the other way, hoping that the beta doesn’t notice. It’s a reflex, and Theo knows that he’s a little too far gone to stop it now. Even if he wants to, he doesn’t think he could.

“What are you thinking about?” Liam murmurs from his left, both of them sitting on the couch—Lydia had made Peter buy it for him after he moved in—and watching a documentary about the Roman Empire or something like that. Theo doesn’t know why Liam always makes him watch these with him, but it beats lying around doing nothing, at least. 

“Nothing,” Theo answers, sinking back into the couch a little deeper and yawning. “How is this not boring as shit to you?”

Liam lightly smacks Theo’s chest with the back of his hand and Theo gives him a small smirk. “Shut up, it’s interesting.”

Theo tilts towards the screen, watching as an absurd recreation of a battle plays out, before turning to Liam with a dry look on his face. “Riveting, truly.” The beta shakes his head gently, rolling his eyes as he grabs Theo’s hand. 

Which, in all honesty, makes no sense, given that he’s supposedly focusing on the documentary, but Liam keeps his eyes on the screen as he continues to trace Theo’s palm. Theo eventually lets it go—just like he always does—even though he doesn’t know when this whole thing became so normal that Liam just takes his hand when they’re just watching TV. 

It feels oddly significant, the way Liam’s fingers trail over his skin even though he’s not looking, and Theo has to look away before he does something stupid. 

You already have, a voice whispers at the back of his mind and he pretends he doesn’t hear it. 

---

It’s not that Theo starts to look forward to Liam grabbing his hand but—

He does. He’s a fucking idiot that starts to look forward to the moments when Liam takes his hand and starts tracing and he hates it. Because the beta’s doing this as a way to help himself calm down, and Theo’s mind is turning it into something it’s not. Something it will never be. 

Theo presses the heels of his palms against his eyes, trying to stop the thoughts flashing through, but turning his brain off isn’t as easy as turning his body off. He’s done the latter enough times over the years that it sometimes feels normal, but even in the worst parts of his time with the Dread Doctors, Theo never really figured out how to do it with his mind. 

He’s dragged out of the hole he’s spiraling into when his phone buzzes on the counter and he sighs before picking it up to see a text from Liam. Asking for a ride home from lacrosse practice. Again.

But it’s not like Theo will refuse, so he just curses himself for his stupid attachment to someone who probably couldn’t care less about him and grabs his keys as he walks out the door. 

Liam rips open the door when Theo pulls up to the field and Theo blinks blankly at how roughly he pulls it close after.

“You goo—”

“No.”

Theo’s eyes flit to the beta, taking in his slightly clenched fists and the way his breathing is just a little off. Liam continues to stare out the windshield with a stoic face, but Theo’s always been strangely in tune with his chemosignals, and it’s not exactly hard to pick up the thick, pungent waves of anger rolling off of him. 

“Do you want to tal—”

“No.”

Theo’s hands grip the wheel tighter, still parked across from the field. He waits for it, because this is why Liam started the whole thing in the first place, knows that it has something to do with Theo being his anchor—a fact that neither of them acknowledge but are aware of nonetheless. 

But Liam doesn't reach for his hand and they both sit in silence, the air almost suffocating from the beta’s fluctuating chemosignals. And eventually, Theo just does it for him, moving his hand over to in front of Liam. 

Liam clutches his hand almost painfully tight at first, and Theo doesn’t bother starting the truck, deciding that maybe driving wouldn’t be the best idea this time, even if he’s done it before. But in spite of the beta’s firm grip, the fingers gliding across Theo’s palm stay light, almost a little airy and Theo fights off a shudder that threatens to burst out of his chest. 

And it’s been weeks since this has started, but Theo doesn’t really get how it helps so much. Liam’s gaze is glued to his hand and it should be weird, should be uncomfortable, but it isn’t. But Theo knows that he can’t just drop the topic, knows that something happened, something important, based on Liam’s whole demeanor. He also has a clue of what it is, knows there’s something about lacrosse that hurts Liam even if it’s supposed to be a reprieve from the shit they go through, but he can’t bring himself to say it. Doesn’t want to remind Liam of those memories, doesn’t want to smell the way Liam’s scent will tank if he does. 

“Liam—”

“I don’t—” Liam cuts him off, squeezing his wrist a little harder as he exhales sharply. “I don’t want to talk about it. Just let—let me do this, please.”

Theo swallows slowly, his throat dry, before nodding and letting Liam continue without interrupting. 

---

Theo sluggishly shoves his key into the lock, pushing open the door with his shoulder as he drags his feet to the counter and drops his keys and phone. He loves working at the clinic and he’s grateful that Deaton even gave him the job in the first place, but he hasn’t slept in over a day trying to work out the kinks in the antidote they’re creating for a new strain of wolfsbane, and he’s exhausted.  

“Theo,” a soft voice calls out and Theo jumps, whirling around hastily to see Liam, Mason, and Corey sprawled in his living room, with various papers and books spread out around them. How did he not notice that?

Liam must’ve been thinking something similar, because he looks concerned, his brows furrowing as he stares at Theo. 

“What are you guys doing here?” Theo asks, suddenly rethinking his decision to give Liam a key to his apartment. 

“The library was too loud,” Mason explains, looking back down at the notes laid in his lap. Theo quirks a brow when the human doesn’t expand on his answer and just lets out a small sigh after a few seconds, rubbing his temple with one hand. 

“Hey, Theo, can you help me with this?” Liam’s voice drifts over to him and Theo angles his head towards him, the apparition of a frown on the beta’s face breaking down his resolve to ignore all of them. He makes his way over, dropping down onto the floor next to Liam and leaning back against the couch as he reaches for the paper in Liam’s hand. 

It’s bio, of course it’s bio, and Theo’s eyes roam the page, rummaging through his head to remember all the shit he’d learned over the years, both from the Dread Doctors and on his own. But his mind comes to an abrupt stop when he feels fingers in his hair. 

“What are you—”

Theo’s startled question is cut off. “You need both your hands to do that,” Liam replies, jerking his head down towards the paper in Theo’s hand. “Gives me something to do.”

And Theo recognizes the reference, remembers when Liam had said the same thing in his truck all those weeks ago and he stiffens for a moment before relaxing again when Liam’s fingers keep carding through his hair. He feels eyes on him, but he doesn’t dare look up, puts all his focus on Liam’s biology homework instead as Liam gently runs his hands through his hair. 

He doesn’t know when his eyes close, doesn’t know when he falls asleep, but the next thing he knows, he’s lying down on something, gentle fingers still combing through his hair as he slowly shifts. 

“Go back to sleep,” Liam murmurs softly, his blue eyes vividly bright as he moves the book he’s holding up in front of him and looks down at Theo, whose head is on his lap. His hand is still on Theo’s hair, and Theo blinks blearily for a few moments before feeling his eyes flutter shut again, the drowsiness pulling him under. 

The next time he wakes up, his head is resting on a pillow on Liam’s thighs, the beta’s hand lightly resting on his shoulder, and Theo waits a moment for his vision to clear before looking up at Liam. His eyes are darting across the paper he’s holding in his other hand, a small crinkle in between his brows, and Theo just stares. Liam doesn’t seem to have noticed that he’s awake and Theo is careful not to move, keeping his gaze on the beta and watching as he mouths words, reading his notes silently. He tries not to stare at Liam’s lips, but he’s weak, and his eyes are practically stuck on them. 

He freezes when Liam’s eyes suddenly leave his notes and move to Theo and it’s too fucking late to pretend he’s asleep so he pretends he just woke up instead. He blinks once or twice, acting groggy, and Liam’s lips twitch. 

“Hey,” Liam says in a soft voice, the hand on Theo’s shoulder shifting slightly as his thumb rubs small circles. “Feel better?”

“Yeah,” Theo croaks out, his voice sleep-rough as it vibrates in his throat. He’s trying not to think of the implication behind that question, trying not to think about the fact that Liam did all of this on purpose, because he’d realized how tired Theo was. “Sorry for—” he breaks off, gesturing vaguely at his head still on Liam’s thighs and the beta rolls his eyes. 

“You didn’t even realize we were in the room until I said your name, Theo,” Liam stresses, his lips tilting down. “Why haven’t you been sleeping?”

Theo suddenly recognizes that he’s still lying in Liam’s lap and pushes himself up, ignoring the way Liam’s hand tightens on his shoulder briefly before it’s displaced. “Antidote trials,” he mutters, rubbing a hand over his face as he tries to wake himself up fully. “M’fine.”

Liam’s frown deepens. “Theo—”

“I’m fine,” Theo repeats, standing up and turning to Mason and Corey, who are both glancing between Theo and Liam with knowing expressions on their faces. “I’m gonna go shower. If you guys are staying, just order pizza or something.”

He walks out of the room, avoiding Liam’s piercing gaze and pretending he can’t hear the way Mason and Corey immediately start asking the beta questions that Theo’s not so sure he wants to know the answer to.

---

“She’s targeting rogue werewolves,” Scott says, eyes flicking to Liam, whose fists are clenched a little too tightly at the mention of Monroe. Theo shifts an inch closer, but he can tell it doesn’t do much to calm Liam down. “Argent’s picked up a trail about thirty miles east, but he’s still working on it.”

“We can’t just—” Liam bursts out, his voice strained with anger, a sharp breath leaving his throat. “We can’t just let her go. We need to, need to—”

Theo knows what he’s trying to say, also knows that Scott probably wouldn’t approve of it. One look around the room confirms that the pack knows it too, Stiles with a light grimace on his face as he gives Scott a cautious look. 

“Liam—”

The beta cuts Scott off. “I know. But—” He lets out a low growl and his eyes flicker to Theo quickly. “But we have to do something.”

“I know that and we will,” Scott promises, conviction in his tone, and even Theo feels inclined to believe him. “But we don’t—”

“I know,” Liam snarls harshly and Theo’s brows lift up, quickly angling his head towards the beta. His mouth parts, to say something—he’s not really sure what—but Liam just deflates before he can. “Sorry,” he mumbles to Scott and Theo’s lips tug down as he watches Liam clench his fists again. “I’m sorry.”

The pack all looks concerned even as they pick up the conversation again, continuously checking in on the beta with quick glances. Liam, for his part, just stares at the floor in front of him, and after five minutes of absolutely no movement, Theo shuffles closer until his arm brushes Liam’s. 

“Wanna get ou—”

Theo chokes on his words when Liam suddenly moves, grabbing his hand that’s resting on the table in front of them. And Theo’s not stupid, he knows what Liam’s doing, but he never expected him to do it here, do it now, in front of the whole pack. He doesn’t stop him, even though he sees Mason and Corey’s amused smirks across from them, but he does murmur a quiet, “Liam.”

Liam lifts his head, meeting Theo’s eyes and Theo falters when he sees the expression on the beta’s face. He can practically see the memories playing in Liam’s head, can hear the things that Liam’s stuck reliving. Can see Liam standing on that road in the rain, barely in control as he realizes his two friends were murdered. Can hear the beta’s pained roar when what happened fully hits him. Sees all of that running through Liam’s eyes and so Theo closes his eyes briefly and gives the beta a subtle nod. 

Theo can feel the rush of breath that leaves Liam’s lips and he forces himself not to react, not to move a muscle when Liam lifts his hand and starts tracing. And Theo’s used to it by now, but he also recognizes that the entire pack is staring at them, Stiles trailing off as his eyes land on Liam. 

Liam either doesn’t notice that the pack is watching him like he’s lost his mind or doesn’t care, because he doesn't stop and Theo has to grit his teeth to stop himself from yanking his hand back when the pack’s shocked expressions turn to him.  

“What the fuck?” Stiles demands and Corey lets out a soft snort. Theo turns to him with a sharp glare, though it doesn’t dampen the chameleon’s amusement whatsoever. Mason is just as bad next to him, his smile widening as he meets Theo’s eyes. 

Theo feels Liam start to trace his palm with a claw and he sucks in a nearly silent breath. His heart skips a traitorous beat at the sensation and Malia’s head snaps to him, cocking slightly to the side as she narrows her eyes. 

“Liam, wh—”

“Everyone shut up,” Liam mutters, cutting Stiles off and gripping Theo’s hand a little tighter as he tilts it towards him more. “It fucking helps and I don’t really give a shit what you think about it.”

Despite the situation, Theo’s lips spasm as he holds back a small smirk. But the beta still doesn’t look up at the pack, so Theo's the one stuck receiving all their attention as Liam’s words sink in. 

“Helps with—” Scott cuts himself off as understanding dawns on him and curiosity shines in his eyes as he studies Theo. “Helps you anchor yourself,” he concludes, and neither Theo nor Liam deny it. They can’t, really. 

The rest of the pack looks a funny mix of shocked and skeptical as their eyes flit between Theo and Liam, except for Mason and Corey, who just have wide grins on their faces. Liam continues to ignore everyone and everything as he starts using the pads of his fingers to trail across Theo’s skin again. 

“But why trac—”

“Shut up,” Liam growls, his hold on Theo’s wrist tightening to the point where Theo feels like it might snap. The beta doesn’t look at Stiles, but his voice still conveys his exasperation well enough. “It’s none of your fucking business.”

His rough words are juxtaposed with his featherweight touch on Theo’s palm, and Theo struggles not to let that affect him. It doesn’t really work, but he’s been trained enough that he at least manages to keep it from showing.  

“Okay,” Scott quips, throwing a warning look at Stiles, who rolls his eyes but drops the topic. “Back to what Argent sent me…”

Theo tunes out, not really keen on continuing to listen even though he probably should. Most of his attention is on Liam now, keeping his senses attuned to the beta’s chemosignals as he lets him continue to trace along his palm. 

And Theo would’ve been fine with it, if it wasn’t for the pack. They keep giving both him and Liam looks that he’d rather not face and he huffs before abruptly making up his mind. He twists around, putting his back to the pack as he leans against the table, effectively shielding Liam from their view while also not having to deal with the pack’s staring anymore. 

Liam startles, eyes flying up to meet Theo’s, and Theo’s lips quirk up on one side as he shrugs his shoulders a little. The beta’s gaze drops back down to his hand, but Theo can see the way he’s pressing his lips together to stop a smile. 

There’s eyes on his back, he’s sure of it, but he can’t bring himself to think about that when Liam moves a little closer, keeping Theo’s hand in his the whole time. 

And he makes a mental note to buy Jenna a gift the next time he goes out. 

---

“Liam, you’re supposed to be studying,” Mason groans after loud music starts playing from the TV again. Theo snorts as Liam waves his best friend off from his bed, turning back to his video game without a word. Mason turns to Theo, glaring at him for a second before his expression turns pleading, and he jerks his head towards Liam. 

Corey breathes out a quiet snicker when Theo cocks a brow quizzically. “Do something,” Mason hisses quietly in his direction, his eyes flicking to Liam briefly, and Theo brings his phone up closer to his face as he leans back against Liam’s bed. 

“Nah.”

Mason groans again and Corey pats his shoulder comfortingly, although a faint smile still lingers on his lips. “Liam, we have a quiz tomorrow and I know you haven’t read Pride and Prejudice,” the human tries, and Liam grumbles as he yanks his headphones off and turns to them. 

“I’ve watched the movie,” the beta stresses and Theo lets out a soft snort, rolling his head to the side to look up at him. “I’ve watched it like, twenty times, my mom loves it.”

“So?” Mason nearly shrieks, shaking the book in front of Liam’s face. “Our quiz is on the book, not the mov—”

“So,” Liam cuts him off, shuffling on his bed until he’s lying on his stomach, resting his head on his folded arms in front of him. His head is turned to the side Theo’s sitting on, and his eyes suddenly twinkle a little. “I know that shit like the palm of Theo’s hand.”

Theo freezes, lowering his phone completely and sees Liam watching him with a shit-eating grin. He breathes out a short laugh, returning the beta’s grin as he tilts his head to the side, placing his cheek against the bed. “Dumbass,” he scoffs, and Liam’s smile broadens as he stares back. 

A throat clears loudly and Theo jerks his head back forward, realizing that they’d just been looking at each other. Corey’s smile has widened again and even Mason looks like he’s holding back amusement, although his expression is still incredulous.

“Seriously?” the human asks Liam and Theo feels the bed shift a little as Liam shrugs. “That’s what you’re going with?”

Theo feels a hand on his hair and rolls his neck to the side again, meeting Liam’s relaxed expression. “Well, it’s true,” the beta declares, continuing to card his fingers through Theo’s hair delicately. Theo can feel his face soften as he keeps his eyes on Liam, and he unconsciously leans into his touch on his head. 

“You two are hopeless,” Theo hears Mason mumble, but it fades into the back of his mind as Liam’s fingers keep combing through his hair. 

---

“The hand thing,” Malia says bluntly when she walks into the clinic, and Theo doesn’t look up from the table. “You like it.”

One of Theo’s brows rises, even as he carefully moves the wolfsbane from the lab table to the glass jar Deaton keeps them in. “What?”

“Liam doing the whole tracing, scratching thing on your hand,” the werecoyote declares and Theo stills. “You like it.”

“It’s for him, not me,” Theo mutters as he rips his plastic gloves off and throws them away. “What are you doing here?”

Malia ignores his question. “You can’t lie to me, Raeken, I know what I saw. He calms down when he does it, but it helps you too, doesn’t it?”

Theo doesn’t answer, pretending to busy himself with the files in the back of the room. Malia snorts, and Theo hears her pick up something from the table, the slight noise in the air telling him she’s tossing it back and forth between her hands. 

“Does he know he’s your anchor just as much as you’re his?”

Theo stiffens. “That isn’t about me, it’s for him,” he repeats, his voice hard. He doesn’t need Malia, of all people, to confront him right now. Or ever.  

Malia tilts her head to the side as Theo turns back around and leans against the counter with his arms crossed. “You didn't answer the question.”

“What do you want?”

“You’re his anchor, everyone knows that,” Malia states, placing her hands on the table and leaning forward slightly. “But does Liam know he’s your anchor?”

Theo holds back a growl. “Why does it matter?”

The werecoyote pauses, one side of her mouth tugging down a little. “Because it means something to you,” she answers, and Theo freezes. “Because it means something more than just being anchors.”

“I’m not talking about this,” Theo mumbles, despising the fact that she could see through him so easily. It means he’s weak, means he’s doing something wrong, because they aren't supposed to be able to read him like that.

“Deny it all you want,” Malia lets out casually, a small smirk lifting her lips. “Doesn’t change the fact that it's true.”

And with that, she pushes off the table and walks out the back door of the clinic, leaving Theo alone to think about what the fuck that was.

---

Theo flexes his right hand, blood dripping from his knuckles as he knocks out the last hunter. He looks around, internally sighing when he sees Liam, Mason, and Corey all wiping their hands off on their jeans. Mason bends down to pick up the metal bat that he claims is his child and Theo exhales shakily as he makes his way over to them, wiping his palms on his bloody shirt.

“Sheriff will be here in two,” Mason informs him when he gets close enough and he nods. Theo eyes the hunters to make sure they’re still out cold, before heading to where his truck is haphazardly parked at the edge of the preserve. The fucking hunters had the nerve to shoot at them while Theo was driving and he’s just glad they didn’t manage to hit the wheels. 

Liam follows him, nudging his shoulder with his own as they walk towards the road. “You good?”

Theo nods, digging his keys out as they reach the truck. “You?” 

“Yeah,” Liam answers quietly, making his way to the other side to climb into the passenger seat as Theo slides in. “I just—just want Monroe—”

He breaks off with a harsh exhale and Theo’s nostrils flare at the sudden anger coming from the beta. He knows what Liam’s thinking about, knows how difficult it is to pretend everything’s fine when they can’t go more than two days without getting attacked by hunters. Knows that it won’t end until Monroe’s captured. Or dead. 

Theo’s lips thin into a line and he reaches back to grab the old t-shirt he keeps under the seat for situations like these. “Here,” he tosses it to Liam, who catches it with one hand. “Clean your hands up.” 

There’s an underlying meaning behind those words, and Theo doesn’t know if Liam gets it or not, but he doesn’t try to make it more obvious. Because when it comes to Monroe, it always comes down to the same thing for Liam, and Theo knows that the beta’s unbridled rage is justified. Also understands that under the fury is a tinge of guilt, and Theo hates that Liam still blames himself for Brett and Lori, even though it wasn’t his fault. 

He looks out the window as Liam wipes his hands off on the shirt, seeing Mason and Corey finally come out of the preserve. They both hop into the backseat, Corey mumbling that they have to wait until the Sheriff shows up before leaving. Theo lets out a quiet sigh, closing his eyes and tilting his head back against the seat. 

Theo feels something on his hand and his eyes fly open to see Liam grabbing his hand and bringing it in front of him. 

“What—”

Liam starts wiping off the now-dried blood off his hands with the old shirt and Theo’s words get stuck in his throat. The beta doesn’t say anything, just lightly rubs his blood-caked hands with a gentleness that causes Theo’s chest to twist a little. 

“You don’t ha—”

“You should clean your hands up too,” Liam cuts him off, and although his voice is soft, the inflection makes it clear that Liam had picked up on what Theo was saying earlier. Which means that this has an underlying meaning behind it too, and both of them know what that is. 

There’s a sudden pressure at the back of his eyes and Theo turns away to the window, not capable of handling the delicate way Liam’s holding his hand as he cleans it. Liam’s fingers slide under his palm, his fingertips resting on his wrist and it almost sends a shiver up Theo’s arm, but he holds it back at the last second. And he can feel his hand trembling, knows Liam can see it too, but the beta doesn’t say anything about it. 

Liam rubs the shirt over his knuckles, skin pulling a little from the dried blood being wiped off, before dropping the shirt onto the ground next to his feet. Theo starts to pull his hand back—doesn’t know whether to be relieved or disappointed that it’s over—but Liam’s grip on his hand just tightens. 

“Your knuckles still have a little blood on them,” Liam murmurs, before prodding at Theo’s hand with his, dragging a finger over the bumps of his knuckles. It feels wildly intimate, and Theo vaguely realizes that Mason and Corey are in the back, but he hears them muttering quietly to each other, so he focuses his attention back to Liam. The beta seems to finally be satisfied with the state of Theo’s hand, because the hand not holding it drops onto his thigh, and his eyes flit over to Theo.

Liam only falters for a second before sliding his hand down Theo’s hand until Theo’s fingers curl around his own, thumb still gliding across the knuckles. And Theo barely has time to suck in a breath before Liam lifts his hand to his mouth, lips softly brushing over Theo’s knuckles. 

This time, Theo can’t fight the shudder that runs through his body at the touch. Liam raises his head slightly, resting his chin on Theo’s fingers and looking at him for a few moments. His blue eyes are so wide and expressive, showcasing every thought running through the beta’s head, and Theo can’t stop himself from staring back. 

Because Theo can’t remember the last time anyone had touched him like this, had treated him so gently. All he remembers is years of rough gloves scraping across his skin, pulling it back with no care to his suffering, ripping him apart. He’s been ripped apart more times than he can count, more times than he remembers, because he knows he’s passed out more than once from the pain when he was younger. When he wasn’t used to it yet. 

But Liam’s fingers aren’t rough, don’t scrape across his skin, don’t rip him apart. His lips are soft as they skim his knuckles again, and Theo feels something in his chest ache.  

And he thinks that at this point, Liam’s touch might be the only thing holding him together.

---

Liam’s head slumps down onto the table, hitting it with a thud that makes Theo wince. The waitress looks over at the noise, but seeing the various papers and books spread out across the table, she turns back around, giving Theo a sympathetic look. 

Theo’s eyes flick down to the beta, who doesn’t seem to be planning on lifting his head anytime soon. “You good?”

“No,” Liam’s voice is barely audible, mumbled into the table, and Theo presses his lips together. “I’m gonna fail this test, which means I’ll fail the class, and then I won’t fucking graduate. So no, I’m not good.”

Theo thinks Liam’s being a little dramatic, but he doesn’t voice his thoughts, instead leaning forward on his elbows slightly. “You’re not gonna fail, Liam. You’ve been studying the entire weekend.”

“Doesn’t matter.”

Theo lets out a quiet sigh, his eyes flitting to Liam’s hair, and his hand twitches. He shouldn’t. But Liam’s done it for him before, that means he wouldn’t mind right? He knows he fucking shouldn’t, but Theo slowly lifts his hand and rests it on Liam’s head.

His hair is soft and Theo starts carding his hand through, faltering slightly when Liam hums, murmuring something he doesn’t catch.

“What?” He stops his hand, about to lift it off the beta’s head, when Liam’s hand flies to cover his, holding it in place.

“I said don’t stop,” Liam breathes out and Theo’s fingers spasm on his head. “Please.”

And so he doesn’t. 

He shuffles forward in the booth a little so the stretch isn’t as far and runs his fingers through Liam’s hair again, putting his other elbow on the table so he can rest his chin. The beta hums again, his body almost sinking into the seat as it relaxes. 

Theo knows he’s staring, but it’s not like Liam can see, so he doesn’t look away. Liam arches into his touch and something warm bursts in his chest, something he can’t describe. “Did Deaton ever test if you’re part cat?” Theo asks, amusement seeping into his voice, and Liam snorts.

“Get off your high fucking horse,” the beta mumbles and Theo’s hand stills for a moment, “You do the exact same thing.”

Theo doesn’t know how to respond to that. “Yeah, but I haven’t had someone do that for me in over a decade. What’s your excuse?” The words leave his mouth before he can stop them, and he regrets them immediately. It’s not something he wants to talk about, supposed to be something that he keeps hidden inside that small corner of his brain filled with all the hopeless wishes that he’ll never get to experience. 

Liam’s head snaps up, dislodging Theo’s hand, moon-eyed as he gapes at him. Theo clenches his jaw, trying not to let the beta see, but it’s pretty useless against him, is always useless when it comes to Liam. Something raw dashes across Liam’s face and Theo swallows in response, the lump in his throat burning.

They don’t say anything as they stare at each other, the low chatter in the diner just white noise in the back of Theo’s mind. Liam shifts, reaching for the hand that had been on his hair and curls his fingers into Theo’s again, just like he had in the truck a week ago, and Theo’s heart stutters.

“I will,” Liam murmurs against Theo’s knuckles, his breath warm against his skin and sending a shiver through Theo’s body. The beta’s lips graze his skin again, and Theo knows it’s an answer to a question that he never asked, never said out loud. But this is Liam, and somehow Liam gets Theo in a way that almost scares him, gets him in a way that’s more than just I know your favorite color and your favorite food. Gets him like I know what you’re thinking even when you don’t and I know the things you’re too afraid to say out loud.  

Yeah, but I haven’t had someone do that for me in over a decade. (Who would ever do that for me?)

Theo never asked the question, but Liam had heard it anyway. 

---

“If you ever do that again—”

Theo cuts Liam off with a groan. “Can we spare the lecture this time? Just fucking drive, Liam.”

The beta lets out a low growl, but he slams the accelerator harder, muttering an apology when a sharp turn throws Theo against the door roughly. Theo’s breath hitches from the pain that explodes in his shoulder as it hits the truck and Liam’s eyes flit to him.

“Theo—”

“Drive.”

By the time they make it to the clinic, Theo’s vision is flickering in and out, and it takes him a good five seconds to realize that Liam’s already gotten out and is rushing towards his side to help him out of the passenger seat. 

Theo looks at Liam’s despicable parking, his truck practically taking up three parking spaces, and he gives the beta as dry of a look that he can muster up at the moment. “That’s the last time you’re driving my truck.”

“You are bleeding out,” Liam snaps, wrapping an arm around Theo’s waist as they slowly walk towards the clinic. “Shut the fuck up about your truck.”

Theo breathes out a laugh, leaning heavily against the beta as he pushes the front door of the clinic open. Deaton glances up and lets out a sigh that Theo thinks is a little too heavy considering how much blood he’s dripping onto the floor. Although that might be the reason the vet sighed in the first place. 

“Why is it always you, Mr. Raeken?” Deaton asks calmly, even as he pushes the door to the back of the clinic open, Liam helping Theo in as fast as he can. 

“Because he’s a fucking dumbass,” Liam grumbles, pushing Theo down onto the stool in front of the lab table before ripping Theo’s shirt from the back. 

“What the fuc—”

“Shut up,” Liam hisses and Theo’s teeth clack together as he listens, hearing the barely-restrained fury in his voice. The beta’s jaw is set as he moves to stand in front of Theo, pulling Theo’s shirt off the rest of the way as Deaton grabs the blowtorch and wolfsbane. 

“Hold him down, please,” Deaton declares in an even tone and Liam steps forward in between Theo’s legs and puts his hands on his shoulders, pressing down gently. “The bullet is deep,” the druid remarks as he prods at the wound and Theo winces. Fuck, this is gonna hurt like a bitch. “This will hurt, Mr. Raeken.”

“Just get on with it,” Theo grits out, his body already drained from the effort it took to keep it upright on their way to the clinic and Liam’s hands on his shoulders tighten. 

He’s prepared for the pain, expects it, but that doesn’t help in any way. Theo can’t stop the gasp that bursts from his lips as Deaton brings the fire close to his open wound, and he bites down harshly on his lip to prevent himself from crying out. His eyes are squeezed shut, so he can’t see what Liam’s doing, but then he hears a voice next to his ear and realizes the beta’s moved closer.

“This is why you don’t fucking jump in front of a bullet,” Liam murmurs in his ear, his voice so soft, but his words spark amusement in Theo’s chest and his lips quirk up despite the sharp sting of pain that bursts in his shoulder. 

“If you’re trying to distract me, it’s not working,” Theo snarks back, trying to ignore what Deaton’s doing behind him, focusing on Liam instead. 

The beta pulls back a little, his face inches away from Theo’s and both of their eyes go a little wide at their sudden close proximity. But then Liam must’ve processed Theo’s words because a small smirk tugs at his lips and his mouth is back next to Theo’s head.

Theo vaguely realizes that Deaton is right here, but he can’t bring himself to care that much when he feels Liam’s hot breath against his ear. “How do you want me to distract you then?”

Something stirs in Theo’s gut but he shoves it down. “Surprise me,” he quips, his voice a little too raspy to be normal. 

He doesn’t know what to expect, knows how unpredictable Liam can be sometimes, so he shouldn’t have been that surprised when he feels Liam’s thumbs rub circles on his skin, the touch hot and branding. Liam presses a little harder, digging into a spot on his shoulder that almost makes Theo groan, and his eyes flutter close. He feels the pain in his body lessen a little, and he realizes that Liam must be taking his pain.

And sometime after that, he freezes.

Liam’s lips brush against his bare shoulder, and he can’t help the way his breath stutters. 

“Liam, Dea—”

“Is gone,” Liam whispers into his skin, and Theo’s mind pulls to a stop. “Looks like my distraction worked after all, huh?”

Theo starts to move, lifts his head, but Liam keeps his grip tight on his shoulders, holding him in place. How the fuck had Theo not noticed that Deaton had finished cleaning up the wound on his own fucking body?

“You got lucky,” Theo mumbles, squeezing Liam’s legs a little with his thighs and Liam snorts. 

The beta’s lips graze the skin on his shoulder again, a little more assertively this time, and the rest of Theo’s words get stuck in his throat. “Lucky,” Liam repeats, his hands sliding down to rest around Theo’s hips. Theo wants to retort, but then Liam moves his head to the other side and kisses the other shoulder, the one that is still slowly healing, and Theo’s mind goes blank. “Lucky?”

Theo’s mouth parts but no words come out. He nods instead and he feels Liam smile into his skin. And then he bites down on Theo’s shoulder hard, the sting of pain shooting heat directly from his shoulder to his gut as Liam teases it with his teeth. Theo’s brain is short-circuiting, but he doesn’t tell Liam to stop as the beta latches onto the skin again, sucking and running over the same spot with his tongue. 

Theo whimpers, and Liam grins again, pressing his lips hard against the bruised skin of his shoulder, before lifting his head off of Theo’s shoulder and putting his lips inches away from Theo’s. 

“You sure about that?” Liam asks, and Theo’s eyes dart up to meet Liam’s, a startling shade of blue that makes Theo’s breath catch in his chest for a moment. 

“Maybe,” Theo whispers, and Liam smirks before leaning forward, his lips mind-numbingly close and all rational thought flies out of Theo’s brain. 

A loud ringtone bursts from Liam’s phone and they both jump, Liam taking a step back on instinct, his arms dropping from Theo’s waist as he does. 

Theo meets Liam’s gaze, the beta’s lips just barely tilted up, and Theo rolls his eyes before gesturing to Liam’s pocket, which is still blaring that annoying ringtone. “Pick up your fucking phone.”

Liam lips twitch again before he digs his phone out and puts it to his ear.

Theo tunes it out, instead thinking about the way Liam’s lips had felt against his shoulder, and even though Liam’s across the room, he swears he can still feel them. 

---

Theo collapses onto the couch, not even taking his shoes off as he lies there face-down, and Liam, Mason, and Corey all give him knowing looks from the floor. 

Liam lifts himself to his knees and makes his way to Theo’s legs, one of his hands sliding under Theo’s shin as he lifts it up a little. “You need to stop working so much,” the beta declares as he gently takes Theo’s shoe off and drops it to the ground. “Are you even sleeping?”

Theo’s breath catches when Liam’s hand slides up and over to the other leg and does the same thing. “I’m fine,” he stresses, but Mason and Corey both scoff at that. Theo can’t see Liam’s face from where he is, but he’s almost certain that the beta is just as skeptical. “It’s just been busy because of the whole antidote thing.”

“Is Deaton making you stay the insane hours you do?” Corey asks, raising his brow as he crosses his arms over his chest, and Theo snorts, lifting his head up a little to slip his folded arms under it. 

“No.”

“Then fucking stop,” Mason finishes, throwing an incredulous look at Theo. “I know you’re like the only one with the freaky supernatural knowledge that Deaton needs, but Liam’s been massaging your calves for the last minute, and you haven’t even noticed.”

Theo’s head jerks up, twisting around to see that Mason’s right, and Liam cocks a brow when he meets Theo’s eyes. 

“Don’t you dare try to convince me you’re fine after that,” Corey states and Theo exhales slowly, dropping his head back onto his arms. Now, he does notice Liam’s hands on his calves, carefully digging into the muscles in his legs, and his eyes close instinctively. 

“Fuck off,” Theo mumbles, and Corey hums, so fucking mockingly, but doesn’t say anything else. 

Liam’s hands leave his calves, and he feels the beta pat his leg a few times. “C’mon, you’re not sleeping here.”

“I’m not sleeping,” Theo murmurs, although his eyes are closed, which pretty much nullifies his statement. Liam lets out a snort and pushes himself up, and a few seconds later, Theo feels the beta’s hands tug at his shoulders and he groans. “Leave me alone. Go back to studying, I’m fine here.”

There’s something else he doesn’t say hidden beneath those words, something that Theo doesn’t know if he’ll ever be able to admit out loud, but Liam’s hands still, and Theo immediately knows that the beta somehow understood it. 

“Mason, bring all this into Theo’s room,” Liam mutters to the human, and Theo barely has time to process the words before Liam grabs his shoulders and yanks him up, throwing one of Theo’s arms over his own shoulder. “C’mon, we’ll study in your room, and you can sleep in your bed.”

Something in Theo’s chest aches. He’d known that Liam had heard what he didn’t say, but hearing it out loud just makes it so much more significant. By the time they make it to Theo’s room, Theo feels his eyes stinging, and he reaches for Liam’s hand as the beta moves away from him. 

Theo opens his mouth, trying to tell Liam what he wants to, tell him everything, but the words don’t leave his lips. Liam’s face softens, and he squeezes Theo’s shoulder once as Mason and Corey enter the room with all their books and papers. 

“I know,” Liam says with a conviction that sends another pang through Theo’s chest. Theo swallows thickly before scooting over on his bed, deliberately leaving a spot empty, and Liam takes the hint, reaching for his bag from Mason before climbing onto the bed, back against the headboard. Mason and Corey both settle on the floor in front of the bed and Theo feels something settle in his chest as they do. 

Theo drops his head onto the pillow, lying on his side facing Liam, the crown of his head brushing the beta’s thigh. He feels Liam’s hand on his hair again and he hums a little, pressing up into the touch lightly.

Theo thinks he hears Liam snort, but with Liam’s hand in his hair and the beta being a column of heat right next to him, his brain’s slowly shutting down, his body being pulled under by the exhaustion. 

Liam murmurs something, but Theo can’t process it, his awareness fading out as he drifts off to sleep.

---

Monroe sneaks up on him.

It’s not like Theo forgot about her, but it’s been pushed to the back of his head for the last couple of weeks, and when Scott calls him early in the morning as he’s still making his coffee and tells him that it’s happening now, it takes Theo a second to process.

“Yeah, yeah,” Theo breathes out, hurriedly grabbing his truck keys and shoving his feet into his shoes. “I’m coming.”

The whole pack’s already there when he enters Scott’s living room, the air fraught with the acrid scent of anxiety and the wisps of fear hanging onto it. Theo makes his way towards Liam, Mason, and Corey absentmindedly, not even really comprehending that it’s muscle memory at this point. 

Scott gives them a hasty rundown and Theo can tell that even the alpha is tense, his eyes continuously flitting over to Argent, who keeps giving him encouraging nods. 

“Theo, you’re with me, Malia, and Argent,” Scott calls out and Theo stills for a moment before jerking a nod. “Liam, you and Corey go with Derek and Lydia. Stiles and Mason—”

“You’re not leaving us out of this,” Stiles asserts and Mason makes a noise of agreement. 

“Stil—”

“You’re not—” Stiles repeats harshly, “—leaving us out of this.”

Scott sighs, glancing at Argent. “Okay,” the alpha concedes reluctantly. “You’re with us. Mason, go with—”

“Got it,” Mason interrupts, and he lifts his bat in acknowledgement. Theo snorts in spite of himself, and Liam turns to him with a small smile, but it fades when he meets his eyes. 

“Okay, she’s in the preserve, thinks she’s gonna make the first move,” Scott declares and Theo registers the words even though he’s still studying Liam. “Let’s take her by surprise.”

The pack starts to head out, the two groups heading to their separate cars, but Liam grabs Theo’s hand before he walks out the door. Corey and Mason—the only two left inside—give Theo pointed looks, ones that Theo thinks mean you better come back alive, before stepping around them and heading to Derek’s car. 

Liam lifts Theo’s hand, gently tracing the lines on his palm, and Theo feels something heavy settle in the air, something he can’t describe.

“I’m not gonna say it,” Liam says, still staring at Theo’s hand, and Theo’s pulse skips a beat. “But I swear to God, Theo, if you don’t—”

He cuts himself off with a sharp breath, and Theo feels his chest ache the way it always seems to when it comes to the beta. Not the heavy, dark ache that Theo had felt down there, but something lighter, something deliberate and anticipatory. 

Liam stops tracing, curls his hand into Theo’s like he’s down so many times by now, and brushes his lips over Theo’s knuckles. 

“You too,” Theo croaks, feeling like his throat is a little closed up, and they don’t have time for this. He knows that the pack’s out there waiting, but nobody’s called them yet, and Theo needs this. He knows Liam needs it too. “Don’t you dare—”

He doesn’t say it, just like Liam hadn’t said it, but they both know the words the other doesn’t say, and Liam presses a hard kiss against Theo’s knuckles before dropping his hand. 

“Let’s go,” the beta whispers, and Theo follows him out, adrenaline starting to pump through his veins. 

---

Monroe falls, and it’s wholly anticlimactic. 

Theo isn’t expecting a western-movie style showdown or anything, but Monroe goes down from one of Argent’s bullets so easily, that he almost laughs when he realizes that it’s over.

He stumbles into Argent’s car after Malia, his blood still singing with adrenaline, and he doesn’t know where Liam, Mason, and Corey are, but his mind is racing as Argent drives back to Scott’s house. The others, thankfully, are already there when they pull into the driveway, and Theo pushes the van door open hastily, making his way to the porch stairs. 

They’re all in the living room, and Theo’s body sags when he sees Liam, sees Mason and Corey, all unhurt, all safe, and he staggers towards the couch Liam’s sitting on. The beta’s face is littered with dirt, and he’s currently wiping his hands on his jeans to try and get the blood off, but Theo doesn’t care. 

He drops to his knees in front of Liam and wraps his arms around the beta’s shoulders and pulls him in. Liam doesn’t protest, just goes as Theo’s face buries into his neck, and his arms slide around Theo’s waist. 

Liam’s trembling a little, and Theo knows what this means for him, knows that Monroe being dead is important to him in a way that it’s not for Theo, knows that Monroe being dead is the only thing that can help Liam feel like his friends were avenged. It’s brutal, it’s harsh, but it’s the fucking truth, and Theo doesn’t judge him for it. 

“It’s over,” Liam mumbles into his shoulder and Theo exhales slowly, nodding slightly. Liam’s arms squeeze harder around him and Theo sinks into the touch, allowing himself to indulge for one more moment before unraveling himself from the beta, turning to Mason and Corey.

They’re both watching him and Liam with fond smiles and Theo lets a small grin lift his lips. 

“You get to use that?” he asks, jerking his head to the bat next to Mason on the floor, and the human smiles, eyes brightening.

“Yeah,” he beams, and Theo sees the way Corey’s grin widens in response, his eyes soft as he looks at his boyfriend. Theo twists his body, dropping down onto the floor and leaning back against the couch, and Liam puts his hand on his shoulder, palm facing up. 

Theo’s brows furrow as the rest of the pack walks in, all of them collapsing onto various furniture as Melissa calls out that she’ll order pizza, and he angles his head back to give the beta a confused look. Liam’s eyes drift down to Theo’s hand, and Theo feels his lips twitch, but he says nothing as he lifts his left arm, crossing it over his body as he places it on his right shoulder, palm up. 

Liam cradles it for a second and Theo waits for the tracing to start, but it doesn’t. Instead, Liam intertwines his fingers with Theo’s, squeezes once, and lets their conjoined hands drop onto Theo’s shoulder. 

Theo feels a small flush creep up the back of his neck, but he can’t stop the small smile that tugs his lips, and he tilts his head down into his arm to hide it.

He doesn’t think it works. 

---

Theo sinks back into the couch, his eyes on the TV even if he’s not really paying attention to the Roman temples on the screen. He’s sure Liam knows, because Theo always sits with the beta as he watches these documentaries, but that doesn’t mean he listens.

Liam’s lightly tracing on his palm, just random lines and shapes this time, his eyes glued to the TV and actually processing what the narrator is droning on about. 

Theo’s eyes slowly drift close after a while, doesn’t know when it really happens, but he’s jerked awake when he feels something wet on his hand. His eyes fly open, his head turning to see Liam gently tracing the lines on his palm with his goddamn tongue, keeping eye contact with Theo as he does.

Theo stiffens, trying to yank his hand back, but Liam grips it tight, poking his tongue out again and lightly trailing up Theo’s palm to his wrist. His eyes never leave Theo’s and Theo feels hot, feels like all the air in the room had been sucked out, but then Liam drops his hand, letting it fall onto his thigh limply. 

“Wha—what was that?” Theo rasps out, and Liam smirks. 

“Had to get you awake somehow,” the beta quips, amusement drifting from him, and Theo can’t even argue because he’s wide awake now. He doesn’t move his hand, leaves it resting palm-up on Liam’s thigh as he settles back into the couch with a quiet huff. 

A while later—Theo honestly doesn’t know how long it’s been, just knows he’s bored out of his mind—he tilts his head slightly to the side and groans when he feels the crick in his neck, the awkward position he’d been sitting in making itself blaringly known. Liam turns to him, brows wrinkling, but Theo waves him off, reaching a hand back to prod at his neck gently, trying to work out the kinks. 

But then, all of a sudden, Liam is pushing his hand away from his neck, and he opens his eyes just in time to yelp as Liam pushes him forward onto the floor, manhandling Theo to sit in front of him. 

“Wha—”

Liam’s hands dig into Theo’s shoulders and Theo chokes, an involuntary groan escaping his throat. Theo can hear Liam’s smile and he wants to snap at him, but then Liam presses his fingers into Theo’s neck, and the words die on his lips. 

“Just relax,” Liam murmurs, shuffling forward a little as he starts to massage Theo’s neck harder. Theo’s eyes close, his body slumping back as he follows Liam’s order, and he tilts his head a little as Liam moves his hands to one side. 

“Where the fuck did you learn this?” Theo breathes out as Liam’s hands rub hard circles into his shoulder and he lets his head drop against Liam’s thigh. 

“My mom made me learn when I was younger, always used to make me do it for her,” the beta explains softly, and Theo’s lips twitch. He really needs to go buy Jenna a gift. 

“Your mom is the fucking best,” Theo states, and Liam snorts a quiet laugh as he moves to the other side. Theo lets Liam do what he wants—angling his head only when Liam nudges it—and loses himself in how good it feels. 

He feels the way his body is practically sinking into the couch—into Liam—and he lets it, doesn’t force himself to hold it back for once. But his body tenses right back up when he feels Liam’s tongue on his neck.

Theo lifts his head off of Liam’s thigh, but Liam’s hands are still on his shoulders and he pulls him back, pinning him in place as he licks up the side of Theo’s neck.

“I’m awake,” Theo almost moans, and he feels Liam laugh against his skin, his breath hot. 

“Not because of that this time,” Liam mumbles into his skin, tongue grazing his neck again, and Theo’s heart stutters.

“Then wh—”

“Because I want to,” Liam cuts him off, his words all too clear next to Theo’s ear, and Theo’s fingers spasm on the ground. “Is that okay?”

Liam licks a single stripe up his neck, ending at his ear and then gently biting the top of it, and Theo makes a noise at the back of his throat.

“Yeah, yeah,” he pants out, “Yeah, okay.”

He can feel Liam’s grin against his hair and it’s all the warning he gets before he’s being pulled back onto the couch next to Liam. They stare at each other for a moment before the tension snaps, Liam swinging a leg over Theo’s waist and straddling him. 

Theo thinks he might’ve stopped breathing. Liam’s lips twitch when his eyes roam Theo’s face, and he brings his hands up to cup Theo’s neck. The beta’s eyes are a sparkling shade of blue and Theo stares into them, only losing sight of them when Liam slowly leans in, pressing his lips against Theo’s. 

And this has been a long time coming, but Theo forgets all of that as his lips meet Liam’s, just letting himself feel instead. His mouth parts on a gasp as Liam’s tongue slides across his bottom lip and Liam immediately licks into it, and Theo groans.  

He doesn’t know how long they stay there, but then Liam grinds down and Theo whines, Liam swallowing the noise as his lips fit over his again. The beta circles his hips once, before suddenly sliding off, sinking to the floor. 

It takes Theo a second to break out of the daze he’s in, and he blinks blankly as he realizes Liam’s on his knees in front of him. The beta’s hands hook into the waistband of his sweats and pause, Liam’s eyes flicking up to Theo as he waits.

“Liam, fuck, yes,” Theo rushes out, his tongue too thick in his mouth, his skin all itchy and hot. Liam’s lips curve up into a smirk as he pulls Theo’s sweats down his legs, pulling his briefs down with it, and Theo’s breath hitches in anticipation. 

Liam’s mouth is warm and wet, tongue just as soft as it had been on his palm, on his neck, and Theo tilts his head back onto the couch as he moans. His fingers tangle in Liam’s soft hair, the beta humming as he does, making Theo’s hips stutter up in response. 

“Fuck,” Theo breathes out as Liam hums again, but the beta moves one of his arms across Theo’s hips this time, pressing him down so that Theo can’t jerk up. Liam’s other hand moves to Theo’s thigh, palm settling on it and squeezing lightly, and it burns, feels a little possessive, and heat churns in Theo’s gut as his head tilts back even more.

“Liam, fuck,” he repeats as Liam throat tigthens, and his hips thrust a little helplessly as Liam keeps going and going and going. Theo’s fingers grip Liam’s hair a little tighter as he comes, his hips twitching as Liam’s mouth stays on him until he keens, tugging at Liam’s hair as the overstimulation becomes too much.  

The beta sits back on his knees, wiping the corner of his lips with a finger as he does, before looking up at Theo with a knowing smirk. “So,” Liam lets out, his voice a little hoarse, and heat flares in Theo’s stomach again, and he reaches forward and tangles his fingers in Liam’s shirt before yanking, pulling Liam’s lips onto his with a force that has them falling backwards into the couch. 

Liam pulls back after a few moments, resting his forehead against Theo’s as he pants against his lips. The beta slides his hands down Theo’s arms until they reach his hands, fingers intertwining together and Theo closes his eyes, just letting himself feel Liam’s forehead against his, Liam’s fingers entangled with his, Liam’s breath mixing with his.

And Theo doesn’t think he’s ever felt more at peace than he does at this moment, even as he takes one of his hands out of Liam’s grip and slides it down into the beta’s sweats. 

---

Theo leans back against Liam’s legs, shuffling forward on the floor a little so that he can place his head on the beta’s thigh. Liam shifts his legs a little farther apart, and Theo pushes back more. 

Liam lets out a quiet snort that Theo almost doesn’t hear over the action movie that’s playing on the TV in front of them, but it’s close enough to him that he does. He smacks Liam’s shin with the back of his hand, the sound drawing most of the pack’s attention.

“Can you two stop?” Stiles groans, leaning further into the other couch in Scott’s living room. “We’re trying to watch a fucking movie, and we don’t need your gross PDA ruining it.”

“Shut up, they’re cute,” Mason retorts, turning his head to smirk at them. Theo flips him off, shuffling back so he’s sitting straight up again and lifting his head off Liam. 

Liam grumbles, placing a hand in Theo’s hair and tugging his head backwards, causing Theo’s neck to stretch back as he stares up at the beta’s face. Liam runs his thumb across his cheekbone a few times and Theo almost melts.  

“Oh my god,” Stiles complains, and Theo hears a loud smack and a yelp. Judging from Corey’s quiet snickers and Malia’s loud snort, he assumes Lydia had something to do with it, but he’s not really paying attention, his head still tilted back on Liam’s thigh. The beta cards a hand through his hair again, digging his fingers in slightly into his scalp and Theo’s eyes flutter. 

Liam’s lips tug up into a smirk, but he sinks back into the couch and turns his head back to the screen. Theo stares at him for a moment, mapping out every detail of his face in his mind, wanting to commit it to memory. His eyes flit over the small mole next to the beta’s mouth, the sharp line of his jaw from this angle, the small wisps of hair falling into Liam’s eyes. He’s so beautiful that Theo can’t help but stare, can’t believe that Liam’s here, sitting behind him.

There’s a dull ache in his chest and Theo lifts his head back up, resting it on Liam’s thigh. He angles his head to the side a little, pressing a soft kiss against the beta’s sweats before rubbing his cheek against him delicately. His eyes flutter close, feeling something warm and content settle in his chest. 

An amused exhale has him blinking his eyes open again and his gaze lands on Malia, who’s watching him with a faint smirk on her face. Theo narrows his eyes, but the werecoyote raises her brow, eyes staring pointedly at Theo’s head on Liam’s thigh. He feels a slow flush rising on his neck, but he just shrugs slightly. It’s a little helpless, but it’s a silent answer to her question, and her smirk widens. 

He closes his eyes before she can make fun of him even more, and lets the voices from the TV fill his head with white noise as Liam combs through his hair gently with his fingers.

---

Because of the crazy hours he works at the clinic, Theo’s gotten used to waking up in his bed to find Liam sitting next to him and Mason and Corey across from them on the floor. He usually ends up falling asleep sometime in the afternoon after staying up nearly all night, and the three teenagers usually just let themselves in without a second thought after school. 

Theo would be lying if he said that didn’t make him smile at least a little.

Awareness trickles in slowly, and the first thing that Theo realizes—even before his eyes open—is the hand on his hip, under his sweats, thumb rubbing small circles over his hip bone. 

Liam’s touch is hot, the repetitive motion soothing and a little hypnotizing, and Theo blinks open groggily. The beta has his laptop propped on his lap, legs stretched out in front of him, the hand not on Theo’s waist scrolling slowly. 

Theo’s forehead is pressed against Liam’s upper thigh, one of his legs bent and lying across Liam’s legs. Theo takes a deep breath, letting Liam’s scent invade all of his senses as he nestles his head deeper into Liam’s leg. He vaguely recognizes the missing scents in the room, the back of his mind noting that Corey and Mason aren’t here.

“Finally awake, are you?” Liam murmurs, and Theo can hear the smile in his voice even though he can’t see his face. The beta’s hand squeezes his hip softly before his thumb continues to stroke his skin. “If you don’t stop coming home at four in the morning, I’m gonna go to Deaton and give him your two week notice myself.”

Theo breathes out a quiet laugh, lifting one of his hands and placing it on Liam’s thigh, thumb moving in sync with Liam’s on his hip. “No you won’t.”

“I will,” Liam declares, and Theo raises his head off the bed, resting it on Liam’s leg instead as he watches the beta scroll through his textbook. 

“How do you expect me to pay rent then?” Theo asks, laughing as claws extend on the fingers pressed into his waist. “There won’t be an apartment for you guys to break into if you get me fired.”

“Break into?” Liam asks incredulously, and Theo snorts. “Yeah, it’s not like you gave me a key or anything.”

“You mean when you wouldn’t get out of my truck until I promised that I’d get a key for you from Derek?”

Liam digs his claws into Theo’s skin again and heat curdles in Theo’s gut immediately. Liam lets out a loud snort, retracting his claws and going back to rubbing circles on his skin instead. 

“I have an essay due tonight,” Liam warns, and Theo hides a smirk into Liam’s thigh. 

“I didn’t say anything.”

“Your chemosignals did,” the beta mutters and Theo snickers, angling his head to press a quick kiss to Liam’s thigh before pushing himself up. “Hey, I never said you had to get up.”

Theo hums. “My shift starts in a few hours, I have to get coffee.” Liam’s mouth twists into a mock scowl, and Theo’s lips twitch as he walks into the bathroom. 

“Where are Mason and Corey?” Theo calls out after he finishes brushing his teeth and heads to the kitchen. Liam mumbles back an answer that Theo has no chance of hearing even with supernatural hearing, and he rolls his eyes. “Stop fucking mumbling,” he yells and he grins when he hears the curse Liam yells back. 

Liam doesn’t actually answer his question, and Theo assumes he’s too caught up in writing his essay. He grabs a mug out of the cabinet, starting the coffee machine as he waits for the beta to realize that he still hasn’t answered him.

The beta stumbles into the kitchen a few minutes later, eyes glued to the laptop in his arm as he tries to make it to the counter without bumping into anything. Theo’s lips spasm as he reaches an arm forward and grabs Liam’s shoulder so he doesn’t walk straight into the stool, the beta startling at the touch.

“They said they had chess club or something,” Liam mumbles again, but this time Theo hears it and he falters, guiding Liam to the stool. 

A small smirk tugs at his lips as Liam sits down. “And you believed them?”

“No.” Liam finally looks up from his laptop, a dry look on his face. “But I don’t want to know every time my best friend fucks his boyfriend.”

Theo snorts, leaning forward on the counter as he watches Liam turn back to his laptop. The beta’s brows are a little furrowed, his teeth lightly biting down on his bottom lip as he focuses—one of Liam’s quirks that Theo will never get tired of—and Theo’s eyes are drawn to the strand of Liam’s hair that suddenly slips from behind his ear, falling into his face. 

Liam’s eyes dart across the screen, the bright light illuminating them, and they’re so fucking pretty that Theo’s eyes are stuck, fixed on the beta. “Stop staring,” Liam states, not even lifting his head, and Theo takes a sip of his coffee, finally breaking out of his daze. 

“M’not staring,” Theo denies uselessly, and Liam’s lips twitch up into a grin. It’s the kind of grin that Theo doesn’t see often, although now that he thinks about it, he does. It’s the kind of grin that lights up the beta’s whole face, reaching his eyes as they squint, his lips stretched wide. It’s the kind of grin that Theo wants Liam to only give to him.

And all of a sudden, Liam slams his laptop close, the loud noise jolting Theo, and he narrows his eyes at the beta. “What time is your shift?” Liam asks casually, and one of Theo’s brows lifts. 

He cocks his head to the side, placing his mug down on the counter as he tilts his head back to glance at the clock on the oven. “Seven.” Which gives him two hours until he has to leave. Theo’s eyes squint again as Liam rounds the counter towards him. “What happened to your essay?”

Liam slides his arms around Theo’s waist, pressing him back against the counter. He brushes his lips against Theo’s collarbone, the light touch causing Theo to shiver, and Liam smiles into his skin. “It can wait.” 

Theo is about to snark back a retort, but then Liam moves his arms further back, slipping them under Theo’s waistband to cup his ass, and every single word dies in his throat. 

“Yeah?” Liam asks before latching onto Theo’s pulse point and sucking, and Theo tilts his head further back, letting the beta do whatever the fuck he wants.

“Yeah,” he breathes out, slithering one of his hands down Liam’s chest and slipping it under his shirt. 

And then Liam bites at his neck and Theo’s mind goes exhilaratingly blank.

---

“Where have you guys been?” Scott asks as soon as Theo and Liam walk into the living room. “We’ve been waiting to start the movie for an hour.”

Theo presses his lips together to hold back a grin, his eyes landing on Corey, and a memory from last week suddenly dashes through his brain. 

“Chess club,” Theo answers easily, biting the inside of his cheek to stop his smile from spreading, but when Liam, Mason, and Corey all let out startled snorts, Theo’s lips twitch up too. 

Malia gives him a wry look, because maybe Scott doesn’t use chemosignals that much, but Malia does, and Theo knows that. He knows that Malia knows exactly where they were and what they were doing. 

“Since when did chess club become a euphemism?” Stiles spits out, disgusted, and Mason snickers. 

Theo drops down onto the couch next to Liam, pressing up against his side firmly. “Since Mason and Corey didn’t want to just tell Liam they were fucking,” he explains with a smirk, and Liam groans.

“Stop talking about it,” the beta whines, and Theo places his hand in Liam’s as the pack gives him amused looks. Liam cradles his hands immediately, waiting for the rest of the pack to turn back to the movie that Scott starts before lightly starting to trace the lines of his palm.

It’s not even a distraction this time, because Liam’s not angry, or confused, or irritated. But Theo’s gotten used to the feeling of Liam’s fingers on his hand, and Liam’s gotten used to doing it, and both of them know both of those things. 

The pack’s attention is on the screen, and so Theo doesn’t stiffen when Liam curls his fingers into his and brings their hands up to his mouth. He places a soft kiss on each of Theo’s knuckles, and Theo feels warmth burst in his chest. He doesn’t really know why Liam loves doing it so much, but feeling the beta’s lips brush against his knuckles makes him feel so safe, and his lips tug up into a small smile.

He feels Liam’s mouth stretch into a grin against his hand, and Theo’s smile broadens in reply.

---

Liam’s fingers tangle in Theo’s hair tighter, and Theo whines in the back of his throat. The beta’s hips thrust forward in response, the grip on Theo’s hair tightening again, and Theo squeezes Liam’s hips.

His knees drag against the floor a little painfully as Liam leans back and takes Theo with him, but it fades into the back of his mind immediately as Liam moans. The sound goes straight to Theo’s gut and he whimpers a little as Liam’s hips twitch up again. 

“Fuck, Theo,” Liam pants out, breathless. “So fucking good, fuck.”

The praise stirs in Theo’s stomach, and something hot and burning churns as Liam continues to mumble nearly inaudible praises. Theo squeezes Liam’s waist harder as the beta’s hands spasms in his hair, his hips lifting off the bed as he comes down Theo’s throat. 

“Fuck, I love you,” Liam breathes out heavily, and Theo freezes, looking up at the beta with wide eyes. 

His lashes are slightly wet as Liam gapes down at him, apparently just processing what he said, but when he sees Theo start to pull away, one of his hands leaves Theo’s hair, sliding down to the back of his neck. The other moves to his eyes, and the beta gently brushes Theo’s lashes as he holds him in place. 

“I love you,” Liam repeats, staring pointedly at Theo, the blue in his eyes sparkling. Theo feels the hand on his neck grip tighter before moving forward to tilt his chin up, and the beta leans down, brushing his lips against Theo’s. “I love you, Theo,” he murmurs again against Theo’s lips, and Theo feels it in his chest, his heart aching as he leans back slightly and looks at Liam. His eyes flit across the beta’s face, searching for something, doesn’t know what, but Liam’s eyes soften, and something instantly settles in Theo’s chest. Lodges itself so firmly against his heart that Theo knows it won’t ever really leave, knows there’s no chance that it can. 

“I love you,” Theo says hesitantly, his voice quiet and a little hoarse, and Liam’s eyes brighten. He lifts himself up onto his knees higher, tilting his head up and pressing his lips against Liam’s as the beta brings both his hands to cup Theo’s face and hold him closer. 

Liam pulls him up roughly, twisting them at the same time, and Theo lands on the bed on his back with an oof. Liam’s right there the next second, pressing open-mouthed kisses to Theo’s jaw and slowly moving down to his neck. Theo whimpers when Liam bites down hard at the junction of his neck and shoulder, rolling the skin back and forth between his teeth a few times before letting go. 

Then immediately proceeds to do it on the other side. 

“Why—” Theo cuts himself off with a groan as Liam presses his tongue against his skin. “—do you love doing this so fucking much when you know it’ll heal?”

Liam nips at his neck, one hand coming up and pushing against the bruised skin on his shoulder, and Theo keens. “It won’t heal as fast if I do it harder,” the beta mutters against his neck before pulling the skin into his mouth again. Apparently he had taken Theo’s question as a challenge because he does suck harder this time, tongue darting over it as soon as he lets go. 

“Not an answer,” Theo pants out, and Liam slides a hand down his chest, settling on his stomach—so close, but not close enough.  

The beta hums against his skin before lifting up slightly and fitting his lips over Theo’s. “Wanna mark you,” Liam says against his mouth, and Theo feels something burn in his gut. “‘Cause you’re mine, right?”

“Yeah,” he breathes out as Liam finally moves his hand lower, and his eyes flutter. 

“Good,” Liam declares as he kisses along his jaw, ending at the bottom of his ear and whispering his next words right into Theo’s ear. “‘Cause I’m yours, too.”

Theo’s back arches as his breath stutters—both because of Liam’s words and Liam’s hand—and he feels that familiar tightening in his stomach. 

“Liam,” he whispers as the beta’s hand tightens, and Liam presses another kiss to his cheek before lifting his head slightly, his eyes darting across Theo’s face. Theo’s eyes flicker again and he closes them briefly, a low moan vibrating in his throat. Heat throbs in his gut and he lifts his eyelids lazily, peering up at Liam with a plea on his lips. “Please.”

The beta’s eyes flare and he leans down, gently licking the tear that falls from the corner of Theo’s eye. “C’mon, Theo, come for me,” Liam murmurs, and it’s all the permission Theo needs. A soft whine leaves his lips as his back arches off the mattress again, Liam’s hand not stopping or slowing down as he comes, and his vision whites out for a second. 

When he slowly blinks his eyes open, Liam’s pressing light kisses against his temple, and his lips quirk up as he looks up at the beta.

“I love you,” Theo says again, his voice a little husky, before reaching down to intertwine his hand with Liam’s, and the beta beams.

He bends his head down, whispers, “I love you,” into Theo’s mouth, before lazily kissing him again. Theo tilts his head up and pushes back, both their lips growing more insistent as Liam slides a leg between Theo’s thighs. 

Liam grinds his thigh up, and Theo cries out softly before letting his head go limp, letting it fall back onto the mattress as Liam smirks and does it again.

---

“Are you tracing... letters on my back?” 

“Mhm.”

“Is that…”

“Yeah.”

“I love you too, Liam.”