Chapter Text
(Theos POV)
The Rubix Cube in Theos hand was once again solved. It had been gratifying the first few times he had completed it but now it just meant he would start over. He’d been doing that a lot lately. Starting over. After hell, his life. After the older members of the McCall pack left, his senior year. And now, almost every night and every morning, he would reset his Rubix Cube and start over.
It was almost midnight and Theo was putting off sleep. He didn’t feel like crawling into the backseat of his truck. It was cramped, cold, and made him wish he had a home. Not to mention the fact that he would only get an hour or two of sleep before he was woken up by his visions of Tara, or Scott, or the Doctors, or maybe even himself. Then he would end up back where he is now, fucking with a kid's toy in the front seat of his truck in some random part of the preserve. Then the clock would hit six and he would drag himself to school. So no sleep it was. He would just drown himself in coffee tomorrow. That had been the plan at least. Now, nearing one, he was finding it hard to keep his eyes open and his head up. Shame swirling around him, he put the cube down and crawled between the front seats, and collapsed in the back.
Sitting back up was a struggle but he had to grab his pillow and blanket from under the passenger seat. Falling onto his back felt amazing, but he knew that it would have been even better if it were a bed. Maybe a nice big bed with huge soft pillows and velvety sheets. Ample room to move around. Warmth surrounding him. A sea of dark blue bedding, just like he had as a kid, swallowing him whole was the thought that finally lulled him to sleep.
– – –
He was late. He was so late. The one time he was able to sleep through the night just happened to be the one time his alarms didn’t go off. It was already the end of second period. Okay, that’s not too bad he thought to himself. He could still make it to most of his classes.
By the time he had gotten ready and drove to Beacon Hills High, it was halfway through his history class. The teacher liked him enough to not make a scene when he walked into class during his lecture. He was trying his best to pay attention to the list of revolutions Mr. Buck was going through but he felt the burning stare of someone to the side of him. Theo knew who it was without having to look.
Ducking his head and speaking softly he addressed Liam, “Little wolf I know I’m pretty, but it’s rude to stare.” There was a spike in the betas' heartbeat and the scent of embarrassment floated through the air at being caught. “You’re late.” Liam replied quietly. “Astute observation. Are we done now?” Theo didn’t know where this conversation was going. Liam hadn’t spoken to him since late August, almost a month ago, and that was only because he had needed help with a rogue omega. And now, out of the blue, he was staring the older boy down in class. It was odd, to say the least.
“Why were you late?”
“Does it matter?”
“You’re never late.” Theo felt an odd rush go through him at the realization that Liam was keeping tabs on him.
“I was busy.”
“Doing what?”
“Why do you even care, Liam?”
“You know why.” Theo did. He knew exactly why the other boy would care, why he should care, but still, he didn’t appreciate being grilled in the middle of class.
“Don’t worry sweetheart,” the bitterness in his voice was clear, “I keep my murderous activities to the weekend.” Theo could almost feel Liam’s reply in the air but just then Mr. Buck called everyone’s attention.
Throughout the rest of the lecture, Theo monitored Liam’s heartbeat and chemosignals. It was clear that Liam was doing the same but he was able to relax a bit. Near the end of the class Mr. Buck began announcing a project, however, Theo was only able to catch some of what was said, “Project… three people per group… government… uprising…” suddenly people were moving around and forming groups. It ended as quickly as it started and he was left without any partners.
“If there is anyone without a group please come to the front.” Theo was there first and watched as four other people joined him. Unfortunately, and unexpectedly, Liam was among them. Mr. Buck quickly grouped together the other three and informed the two wolves that they would be the two-person group. Theo wanted to run. Run away from the class. Run away from town. And most of all, run away from Liam. But he stayed.
Looking into the younger’s bright blue eyes he motioned for them to sit back down. “The library!” Liam blurted once he had sat. Theo's confusion must have shown on his face because he took a breath and explained that he thought they should meet in the library after school to work on the project. “It’s neutral ground. I think that’d be good for us.” Theo understood how stupid of an idea it would be to bring up the fact that the school library was where he pushed the beta to kill his own alpha, and after that failed, killed Scott himself. “Library sounds good. See you then little wolf.” The bell rang and the chimera bolted to his next class, intent on avoiding Liam until the end of the day.
– – –
Theo had been avoiding the puppy pack in everyday life for months . He changed his class schedule at the beginning of the year so he had limited classes with them, he went out of his way in the hall to not pass them, he even went as far as to park on the other end of the parking lot as Mason! And a history project is what made it all worthless. A. Single. Fucking. Project.
The project in question was apparently about revolutions of the past. They were to complete a joint fifteen-page essay on any revolution they liked and it was due in a month. In all honesty, Theo was glad to be paired with Liam. He didn’t have to put on a mask of pleasantness around him or deal with someone new trying to get to know him. Then there was the added bonus of the younger being a huge history nerd. Theo just needed to not set off his IED. Not only just for his safety but because he knew how an episode would tear the wolf down.
Unfortunately for Liam, the chimera knew just how to piss him off without triggering his IED.
“Oh my God, you’re driving me insane! Just shut up and work!”
“I am working,” Theo said as he kicked his feet up onto the table and leaned back in his chair.
Liam turned to look him in the eyes, “Well then just shut up.”
“Touchy.” he huffed but he did stop annoying the beta.
Eventually, they agreed to do their report on the Chinese Revolution of 1949. Theo had never particularly enjoyed history but he could see why Liam did. The betas eyes lit up when he pieced together the story from the fragmented part they had been taught and wiggled in his seat when he would write it down. Theo couldn't pull his eyes away from Liam when it would happen. He wanted something like that. Something that would make him smile to himself or talk for hours about. But he doesn't get that. Theo won't let himself have it. He deserves everything he has. The nightmares, the same four shirts, and the painful hunger in his stomach.
"Shit it's late." Theo looked up from his half-functioning laptop, which the school had so graciously provided, only to see the sun setting.
"Did Mason stay this late to give you a ride?"
"No," - his brows pinched as he looked out the window - "I was planning on walking home."
The words were out of his mouth before he could stop them, "I'll give you a ride."
He didn’t even wait for Liam to reply but rather quickly shoved his laptop into his backpack and headed toward the door. The younger had just caught up to him as he walked out onto the parking lot.
“Thanks for the ride man,” – he pulled his jacket tighter against him – “it's cold as fuck.”
Theo had to give Liam credit. For being around the guy who had manipulated him and tried to kill his friends, he was acting surprisingly pleasant. Visibly uncomfortable, but pleasant, as he shuffled around in the passenger seat.
“You finished a Rubix Cube?” Liam sounded aw-struck as he held the toy that had been left on the dash.
“A few times. It’s easy after a while.”
“I could never figure them out. I’d get too frustrated to finish.” – he was still rotating it in his hand – “The closest I’ve ever gotten was two sides.”
Theo didn’t even know how to respond. This felt like a conversation that friends might have. Not them. Not good and evil. Not the beautiful and the damned.
As he pulled up to the soft yellow, two-storied house Liam put the cube back down. “Thanks for the ride, again.” he had his hand on the handle yet he wasn’t leaving. “So, I have practice after school all next week. I mean we could meet up during lunch and stuff if you want but I’m free this weekend.”
“I could meet you somewhere tomorrow. The library’s closed so it has to be somewhere else.”
“I guess we could just work at my house.”
“I thought you wanted neutral ground.” there wasn’t any accusation in Theo’s voice, just curiosity, and a bit of teasing.
“We–” Liam motioned between them, “would have to go out of state to find neutral ground. Could you be here around noon? I usually sleep in.”
“Yeah, noon’s good.”
The betas hand was still on the truck handle as he looked between Theo's eyes. The air began to feel charged and the world tunneled. It was the same overwhelming energy he had felt in the elevator months ago and all the times before that. But I will fight with you echoed in his mind as he breathed in Liam's fiery scent.
A door slammed across the street and broke whatever trance had fallen over them. Without missing a beat Liam slammed out of the truck with his bag and jogged towards his door not looking back.
Theo drove to the preserve pushing thoughts of Liam away. It took him a while to find a small clearing to park in and set up for the night. Standing outside his truck he began to change into baggy sweatpants and a tank top. They were looser now than they ever had been, and as he smoothed down his top he was able to feel individual ribs. Theo hadn’t eaten a proper meal in months and it was getting to him. Not the constant ache in his stomach, he was used to enduring pain, but rather the fact that he felt weak. He wasn’t as strong as he used to be and he always felt like there was a bit of a fog over his thoughts. He felt like a scared kid again.
All he could think about was leaving Beacon Hills. He had tried once, after the war. Scott had managed to follow him to the hotel he was staying at and nearly bust down the door trying to get to him. There weren't any words exchanged but Theo knew exactly what Scott meant; he wasn’t allowed to leave, and if he did, he would be tracked down. Even with Scott gone, Argent and the sheriff would check regularly to make sure he was still there. The phrase “keep your friends close but enemies closer” crossed his mind. Theo chuckled humorlessly at this as he began to brush his teeth. McCall was frustratingly smart.