Work Text:
You would think by now that they would have learned their lesson; you don’t mess with witches. But when Theo had arrived to help, it was to find the puppy pack embroiled in a full battle, dodging flashing spells and trying to hit the witches with, of all things, water balloons. There was yelling and swearing and shrieking, complete chaos.
He stood back and watched for a minute, more shocked than he probably should have been.
A witch noticed him first, her eyes glowing orange as she pointed a gnarled finger at him. He just cocked an eyebrow at her, unimpressed. This didn’t really seem to be an intense life or death battle, more like a juvenile water fight.
But Liam, foolish, impulsive Liam, took offence to this implied threat.
He snarled. “Don’t you dare touch a single hair on his head, you disgusting old hag.”
Her expression went from amused to enraged in less than a second. Her finger moved, pointed now at Liam. Theo’s stomach dropped.
“No,” he yelled, launching himself forward.
He raced towards the beta wolf, but the glittering green spell was much faster, striking Liam directly in the chest. His eyes widened almost comically and he fell back. Theo only got there in time to stop him from hitting the ground, cradling him against his chest.
Silence fell.
“Liam?” He whispered.
He didn’t stir. The only thing stopping him from complete panic was the fact that his heart was still beating, his breath laboured.
Theo looked up at the witch. “What did you do to him?” He demanded.
She shrugged, not looking particularly bothered. “He needs to learn some manners. I suggest you teach him.”
And then she was gone, the rest of the witches melting away as well.
Theo looked back down at Liam. He was pale, his lips almost blue. He sought out Mason, who was walking towards them, looking concerned.
“We need to get him warm,” he said. “He’s shivering.”
Mason nodded. “Can you carry him?” He asked.
Theo’s heart thudded in his chest. “Yeah,” he breathed.
He picked him up, cradling the other boy against his chest. Theo frowned. Liam was much lighter than he would have expected, and was his shirt hanging off of his frame.
“Something isn’t right,” he said, sounding panicked.
Theo started to run, pushing past the others. He had to get Liam to Deaton immediately.
***
Liam was getting younger every minute. Not only was he getting smaller, but his face was changing as well. His cheeks were puffy, his jawline softer, his lips fuller. Only twenty minutes earlier Liam had been on the cusp of manhood, now he looked to be about seven years old. His pants had slipped right off and his shirt was now more like a dress on him.
Theo’s truck skidded into the car park at the clinic, pulling Liam back into his arms and sprinting into the building, relieved to see that there were still lights on. He heard cars pull up behind him but he didn’t stop. Liam was still getting younger.
“Deaton,” he yelled, shoving the mountain ash door open and rushing through it.
The man stepped out, looking at him with a frown.
“Theo,” he said, “what’s wrong?”
“It’s Liam,” he said, gently placing him down on the examination table. “He was hit by a spell.”
Deaton strode forward, examining him.
“He looks so young,” he said, sounding surprised.
“Can you fix it?” Theo asked impatiently.
“I’m not sure,” Deaton admitted. Under their watchful gazes, Liam continued to shrink. Mason, Corey and Nolan burst into the room.
“Oh my god,” Mason gasped, coming to a stop alongside Theo.
“What did the spell look like?” Deaton asked, glancing at Theo.
“Green, sparkly,” Theo explained. “The witch said he needed to learn some manners.”
Deaton relaxed. “I don’t think he’s in any mortal danger,” he said.
“But he’s getting younger so quickly,” Theo objected. “What if he doesn’t stop?”
“He will,” Deaton said with a smile. “If there was a splash of red in the spell, maybe I’d be more worried. But I think it will all work out in the end.”
He clapped Theo on the shoulder, turning away.
“What should we do?” Corey asked.
“We can’t take him home,” Mason said. “Jenna would skin us alive.”
“So what do you suggest?” Theo asked him.
Before he could respond, Liam stirred. He seemed to have stopped shrinking. He now looked to be about three or four years old.
Blue eyes blinked open, framed by thick, dark lashes. They focussed on Theo first, before sliding to the others. He shrank back, looking scared.
“Hey Li,” Mason said gently. “You okay buddy?”
Liam shook his head, eyes wide and welling with tears. Theo felt his heart sink. The scent of his fear and confusion tugged at his heart strings. He wanted to pick him up and reassure him but he couldn’t.
Mason moved closer and the child burst into tears as he scrambled back. “No, no, no, no,” Liam wailed. Confused, Mason stopped.
“It’s me, Liam. It’s Mason,” he said.
“Noooo,” he yelled. His eyes flashed gold, fangs bared. Corey grabbed Mason’s hoodie, pulling him back in the knick of time while Theo stepped forward, catching Liam in his arms before the toddler could launch at the human.
“That’s enough,” he said sternly.
Immediately, Liam calmed, going still against him.
Bewildered, Theo turned, looking at Mason. Liam was clinging to him and looking up at him, gold eyes blinking. His scent now was much sweeter.
“Wow, he calmed right down,” Nolan said, wonder in his voice. “That’s so weird.”
“I can’t believe he was going to try and hurt me,” Mason said, sounding shocked. “Liam would never do that.”
“He was just scared,” Theo said, keeping his voice low as he looked down at the baby beta. “Liam, you need to be more careful. Mason is human.”
Liam shrugged, his tiny little shoulder slipping out of the collar of his shirt. Theo adjusted it, narrowing his eyes slightly. Something about the unrepentant look in his eyes made him angry.
“Say sorry,” he said.
Liam’s chin turned up, stubbornness flashing in his eyes, still a bright, burning gold. “No,” he said, his voice much higher than it used to be. But still he snuggled into Theo’s chest, looking quite content with his current position. For whatever reason, Liam had decided to trust Theo.
Teach him some manners indeed.
“You will say sorry, Liam,” Theo said firmly.
“Dun wanna,” Liam said, looking sulky now.
Being firm wasn’t working. Time to try a different tact. His face fell and he looked sad, glancing away.
A small hand touched his cheek. “Feo sad?”
He nodded.
“Why?”
“Because my friend Mason is sad,” Theo explained, looking back at Liam. The toddler’s lower lip was trembling.
“Pology make it better?” Liam whispered.
He nodded. Liam studied his face, his child mind ticking over. He looked at Mason, still resting back against Corey’s chest, now looking more bemused than sad.
“Sorry Mase,” Liam said, dropping his eyelashes, looking contrite.
“I forgive you, Liam,” Mason said, all but cooing at him. Nolan and Corey looked much the same, all starry eyed as they whispered about how cute he was.
Liam looked up at Theo. “Feo happy now?”
“Very happy,” he said, rolling his eyes. This was so weird, but something about the way Liam was looking up at him with a toothy smile was so innocent, like butter wouldn’t melt in his mouth. Theo didn’t trust it for a second. “I can see now why you’re such a spoiled brat,” he told him. “I bet you got away with murder with that batting the eyelashes trick.”
The smile disappeared instantly, replaced with a frown. “Not brat,” Liam insisted, lower lip wobbling.
Theo gave him a sceptical look. “Sure kid.”
***
He had no choice but to take Liam home with him. It was lucky that he actually did have a home now. Only a few months earlier he’d still been living out of his truck. The rent was cheap for a reason; the paint was peeling, the taps leaked and floorboards creaked, but it was a roof over his head, so he was incredibly grateful. Any spare moment or cash he had went into making the place a bit more liveable, and he now had a mix-match of furniture and appliances, all secondhand.
“Feo?” Liam mumbled, burrowing further into his neck.
“What is it, kid?” He asked, kicking the door shut behind him and throwing his keys down on the rickety table in the hallway.
“I’m hungry,” he whispered.
Theo’s lips quirked up. “You’re always hungry,” he teased.
“Gotta go grow up big and strong like my daddy,” Liam singsonged. It was clearly learned, and Theo’s heart went all mooshy and weird.
“That’s right, you sure do,” he agreed. He set Liam down on the bench in the kitchen, turning to rummage through the fridge. “How does pasta sound?”
“Yay!” Liam yelled.
Theo turned his head to look at him, bemused by the excited look in Liam’s eyes. He hadn’t been around little kids, but something about seeing Liam like this was really getting to him. On the verge of adulthood, Liam was prone to anger and guilt and sadness. Seeing him filled with so much joy and excitement, what he must have been like as a kid, tugged at his borrowed heart strings. Where had all that happiness gone? Had Beacon Hills changed him this much?
He pulled out everything he would need and started chopping it all up. Liam insisted on helping, which mostly consisted of his grubby hand snatching up pieces of carrot and stuffing them into his mouth. Theo turned a blind eye to it, charmed by the innocent smile he would give him each time, contrasted by his bulging chipmunk cheeks.
Once the sauce was getting close to done, he fired up another pot and filled it with water, setting it to boil.
“Nearly done?” Liam asked. Theo smiled; he could hear the toddler’s stomach rumbling.
“Nearly,” he agreed. “Want to help me pick which pasta we should have?”
“Yesss,” Liam hissed, arms reaching up, squirming until Theo picked him up, carrying him over to the pantry.
“Okay,” he said, “we have spaghetti, bows or macaroni. Which one do you want, kid?”
Liam frowned, his eyes darting between the three containers of pasta. “Maconi,” he decided firmly, nodding once with a very serious look on his face. Theo chuckled, grabbing the box out.
“Good choice,” he said, and Liam preened under the compliment, resting his head on his shoulder, fingers curled in the front of his shirt.
Theo put him back down on the counter so that he could add the pasta to the water, then stirring the sauce. He pulled out a spoon to taste it, blowing on it and popping it into his mouth with a hum. It was good, not as spicy as he would normally have it because of the kid, but still good.
He glanced to the side, finding Liam watching him with a pleading expression.
“You wanna taste it too?” He asked, arching an eyebrow at him.
“Yes, me taste!” Liam nodded rapidly, almost falling backwards in his excitement. Theo laughed, helping to right him.
“Alright, here you go,” he said, dipping the spoon back into the pot. “You gotta blow on it first.”
Liam pursed his lips, that same ridiculous look of concentration on his face as he blew on the steaming contents of the spoon. As soon as it was cool enough, Theo tapped it against his lips and Liam opened his mouth, humming and closing his eyes as he tasted it.
“Good?” He asked.
Liam hummed louder “Yum!”
Theo pulled the spoon out, placing it back down on the counter. “Time to serve it up,” he said, turning the heat off both pots and draining the pasta. He served up two plates, one much bigger than the other and carried them to the table. He returned for Liam, again melting at how easily the toddler snuggled up to him.
Was this really meant to be a punishment?
That sentiment remained until it was time for a bath.
“No!” Liam shrieked at the top of his very impressive toddler lungs. “No, no, no, no.”
Theo gave a heartfelt sigh. Liam’s face was covered in the remains of his dinner, pasta sauce smeared all over his cheeks. There was no way in hell he was going to bed like this.
“It’s a bubble bath,” he reasoned, keeping his voice calm. “All kids like bubble baths.”
“No!” Liam screamed. His face was turning red, and then he was lunging at Theo with inhuman speed, tiny claws outstretched. Theo caught him around the middle and lifted him up, giving him an unimpressed look. Liam thrashed in his hold, growling like a wild animal.
Now, more than ever, he wished for the thrall of the alpha’s power over their betas. It would make dealing with Liam so much easier.
He dunked him into the water and Liam’s growls stopped. Instead, his lower lip wobbled, his face screwing up.
Theo sighed as Liam burst into tears. He knew that kids were difficult but this was something else.
Squatting down next to the bathtub, Theo pushed the sleeves up on his sweater and grabbed a cloth. He ignored Liam’s tears as he cleaned one chubby little hand and then the other, dunking the cloth into the water to clean it off before attacking his face. Liam squirmed, but slowly the sobs became sniffles, Liam turning his face this way and that as Theo gently cleaned the sauce from his face.
By the time he was rubbing conditioner into his scalp, the toddler was all but purring, eyes drifting closed as he gave a happy little sigh.
“See, bath time’s not so bad,” he said quietly.
Liam said nothing, just giving a yawn and blinking up at him sleepily from the tub. Theo rinsed out his hair and then grabbed a towel, pulling Liam out of the bath and setting him down on the rug, wrapping him in it. The towel, more like a sheet, swamped the toddler and he giggled as he disappeared inside it, Theo ruffling up his hair and drying it out. He smiled as Liam popped out of the top, giving a fake roar.
“Yeah, you’re real terrifying kid,” he said with a chuckle.
He pulled the plug on the bath and carried Liam to his bedroom, still wrapped up in the towel.
“Not sure what we’re gonna do about the clothes situation,” he admitted. “Even my smallest tank top would be way too big.”
Still, it was better than nothing, and Theo fished it out, pulling it over his head and setting Liam down, his head resting on Theo’s pillow. He nuzzled into it immediately, nostrils flaring, and was almost immediately fast asleep.
Theo looked down at him, chest gripped by some foreign emotion.
He wasn’t going to survive this, not by a long shot.
His phone started to vibrate in his pocket and he backed out of the room, closing the door most of the way and making his way back into the kitchen.
“What’s up?”
“How’s it going?” Mason asked over the phone.
“Only one tantrum so far,” Theo sighed, his phone awkwardly pressed between his ear and his shoulder as he scraped the leftover pasta into a plastic container. “But he got through dinner, bath time and bedtime. He’s completely zonked out now.”
“So cute,” he heard Corey snicker in the background.
“Fuck off,” he grumbled. “Any progress on your end, Mason?”
“Not really,” Mason admitted. “Deaton gave us a book about spells and we’re still looking through it.”
Theo gave another sigh. “Well try and be quick. I don’t really have the time or ability to look after a toddler.”
“You seem to be doing okay so far, Feo,” Mason said. Theo could hear the smirk in his voice and growled, ending the phone call.
“Wanker,” he hissed, placing his phone back down on the bench and squeezing the bridge of his nose. What the fuck was he going to do?
***
Small hands battered at his chest and he woke with a gasp, eyes wide. “What? What is it?” He asked breathlessly.
“Feo scared?” Liam asked. He was standing next to where Theo was curled up on his couch, brow furrowed.
“Scared?” He asked, still disorientated.
“Smell scared,” Liam whispered. His bottom lip was trembling, and his eyes slipped down to Theo’s chest. His own gaze dropped and he winced; his hand was digging into his chest, claws drawing blood.
He eased them out, ignoring the sting as he rolled onto his side, looking at Liam. “I’m okay, kid. It was just a nightmare.”
Liam nodded. “Were there monsters?” He asked.
Theo shook his head. “No,” he whispered. “Just my sister.”
He blinked a few times, clearing his head, letting the last wisps of panic vanish as he focussed back on Liam. “Come on, time to go back to bed.”
“No,” Liam said. It wasn’t with the stubbornness of earlier though. Instead, he was still frowning, smelling strongly of concern, his tiny little hand clinging to Theo’s shirt. “Wanna stay with you.”
“I’m fine, Liam,” he said, lifting up his shirt and showing off his healed chest. “See? All better.”
Liam shook his head again. “I save you,” he insisted.
Theo’s lips quirked up. “Is that right?” He asked. He pictured this tiny little toddler charging at the haunting spectre of his sister menacingly advancing on him, chest gaping open. “What are you gonna do, bite her ankles?”
Liam bared his teeth, showing fang. “Yesss,” he hissed. “Bite.”
He chuckled, sitting up and scooping Liam into his arms. “My hero,” he smirked, turning Liam upside down, making him giggle.
“Feo’s hero,” Liam cheered, giggling even more as he righted him, climbing up his chest like a monkey and beaming at him.
“Yeah, you are,” Theo admitted, his smile dropping. In more ways than one. “You know, heroes need lots of sleep.”
Liam’s face screwed up in confusion. “Why?”
“Can’t fight the baddies if you keep yawning,” Theo pointed out, carrying him back towards the bedroom.
“Hmm,” Liam said. He looked like he wanted to argue, but just as he was about to speak he yawned instead.
Theo smirked. “See? Not very scary.”
Liam pouted at him, and Theo placed him back down on the bed, helping to wriggle back under the covers. He tucked him in, his protectiveness flaring at how small and vulnerable he looked on the enormous bed. He’d been fighting his wolf’s instincts all evening; he had to protect his pack.
Liam fought against sleep, but it was a losing battle, his eyelids too heavy for him to keep open. Theo leaned down, the instinct too strong to ignore. He pressed a soft kiss to Liam’s forehead. “Goodnight, little wolf,” he whispered.
“Night Feo,” Liam mumbled.
He pulled away, only to find he couldn’t go far. Liam’s fingers had curled into his shirt, gripping tight.
“Oh, it’s like that, huh?” He muttered, trying to gently ease Liam’s fingers off.
Liam’s face scrunched up, his fingers tightening. He whimpered, and Theo froze, staring down at him. Slowly, Liam’s face relaxed again, smoothing out into sleep.
Looked like he was staying.
With a sigh, he pulled back the blanket and slipped into the bed beside Liam, gently rearranging him so that there was room for both of them. Liam sighed happily, nuzzling in closer, and Theo curled around him, trying and failing to ignore how right it felt to have Liam next to him.
He closed his eyes, sleep beckoning. There were no more nightmares.
***
Theo’s eyes were open but nothing was really registering. He couldn’t figure out exactly what he was looking at, his brain stalling.
He was wrapped around someone, that much he knew. There was a warm body in front of him, their back pressed against his chest, their legs intertwined. He’d gone to sleep the night before with a toddler; that was no longer the case.
Staying completely still, he tried to assess the situation. Somehow, the spell seemed to have worn off. Liam was back to himself, from what he could tell.
He was also in Theo’s bed, wearing his singlet, and only his singlet. Theo swallowed nervously. Curled around a toddler, it had been easy to push away how he felt about Liam, but knowing that if he swept the hand currently being held to Liam’s chest down that he would touch bare skin was filling his brain with static.
Liam mumbled and huffed, rolling over, nuzzling up into his chest. Theo’s eyes widened as he looked down at the disaster that was Liam’s bed head. What had been adorable in a little kid was completely different with a teenager. Well, it was still adorable, but also it was doing things to him. Feelings things.
His heart was racing in his chest. He had no idea what to do. If he moved, Liam would wake up. If he stayed like this, Liam would probably still wake up.
Fuck.
“Stop it,” Liam grumbled. Theo shivered, feeling Liam’s lips moving against his collarbone.
“Stop what?” He asked faintly.
“Thinking so loudly,” Liam complained. “I’m trying to sleep.”
“Um,” Theo said, blinking rapidly, the panic increasing. “Sorry?”
Liam gave a deep sigh, pushing back slightly so that he could glare up at him. “What’s wrong?” He demanded aggressively.
“You don’t find this weird at all?” Theo asked him, searching his face.
“Why would it be weird?” Liam asked with a scowl. He really was not a morning person.
“You’re in my bed,” he pointed out.
“You put me here,” Liam returned. “Seemed fine with it last night.”
“You were three last night,” Theo said weakly. And decent, he added silently, still very much aware of that fact that Liam had no pants on.
Liam gave an aggrieved sigh, pushing back and going to get up.
“Wait, no,” Theo said, scrambling to try and pull him back.
But Liam shoved him away, getting out of the bed.
And there it was, in all its glory; Liam’s ass. Theo gasped, and Liam turned slightly to look back at him, following his gaze down.
“Okay,” he said. “This is happening.”
Theo hummed, trying desperately to drag his eyes away, but he couldn’t. Liam’s ass was round and deliciously full, covered in a dark fuzz.
Liam coughed and his eyes flew up, cheeks turning red. The other boy looked amused. “Enjoying yourself there, Theo? Or should I call you Feo now?” He smirked.
Theo rolled his eyes, flopping back onto the bed and covering his eyes. “Fuck off, Liam.”
“What happened to me being your hero?” Liam teased.
“Oh my god, just put some pants on please,” Theo begged.
“Or what?” Liam asked. There was a different note to his voice now, and Theo peeked at him through his fingers, looking at his face. Very, very pointedly looking at his face, because Liam had turned to face him now. His eyes watered with the urge to look down, but he resisted. Just.
“You’re a brat,” Theo said. “An absolute brat.”
Liam just smirked. “And what of it? You still love me anyway.”
Theo’s heart stopped. “Love?” He asked. “Who said anything about love?”
The other boy scoffed. “Oh please, as if anything other than true love’s kiss would break a spell that powerful.”
“I didn’t kiss you,” Theo said, hand dropping as he frowned in confusion.
He pointedly didn’t address the love thing further.
“Yeah, you did,” Liam said. He tapped his forehead, and Theo stared at it.
The night before, he’d kissed Liam’s forehead. That was how Liam had got his hand on his shirt in the first place.
“Fuck,” he whispered. “Well, maybe you learned your lesson and that’s what fixed it.” It was a stretch, and they both knew it.
“I literally threw a tantrum about getting in the bath,” Liam pointed out. He was looking smug now, and Theo covered his face with his hands, deathly mortified, praying for a hole to appear and swallow him whole.
Theo sighed.
He heard a drawer open and then close, the rustle of fabric.
“Alright, I’m decent now,” Liam said. “Now you can uncover your face and we can talk some more about how madly in love with me you are.”
“No thanks,” Theo said. “I’m just gonna lay here and pretend this is a nightmare.”
Liam huffed a laugh and moved back over to the bed. It dipped as he slipped back into bed, nuzzling closer, placing his head right next to Theo’s. Theo listened, his eyes still closed. Liam’s heart was racing just as fast as Theo’s was.
“Would it help if I said the feeling is mutual?” Liam asked quietly.
Theo considered this, butterflies erupting in his chest. “It might,” he admitted.
Liam’s hand curled in his shirt, pulling him closer. Theo rolled onto his side, uncovering his face. Liam was right there, right in front of him, his expression exasperated but fond.
“I love you, you idiot,” he said.
Theo rolled his eyes. “Even your declarations of love are annoying.”
“Shut up and kiss me,” Liam grumbled.
“Demanding brat,” Theo teased. He slid his hand around the back of Liam’s neck, and Liam curled a hand in the front of his shirt. They both leaned in, eyes searching and then drifting closed, lips meeting in a soft sigh, exploring for the first time.
Theo’s breath shuddered from him and Liam swallowed it, kissing him with a softness that Theo hadn’t expected.
They parted, Theo resting his forehead on Liam’s, just breathing him. After a whole night in his bed, it now smelled of Liam, like both of them, their scents intermingled. It felt right.
“Aren't you gonna say it back?” Liam demanded.
Theo smirked. “Say please.”