Chapter Text
It’s Theo who falls first.
It happens not long after Liam sends Kira’s sword blade first into the ground. Not long after Liam opens the door between the world he lives in and Theo’s personal hell. Not long after Liam pries him from his sister’s grip and frees him from his own despair.
His body moves faster than his mind and suddenly he has the boy who has just pulled him away from his worst nightmare pinned up against the wall. He can vaguely hear a voice, he assumes it’s Hayden, telling him that they aren’t there to hurt him but he stays put. He doesn’t care, that’s not what he’s focused on. He doesn’t really realise what he is doing until he scans Liam’s face and locks eyes with the boy. Until he sees the fear dotted on his face. It’s barely noticeable, but it’s present nonetheless. He doesn’t let go. Instead he asks the whereabouts of his sister. They tell him. They tell him that she’s dead. That she died a long time ago. That he killed her. He threatens to kill them both. To kill them all. He means it too, probably, but Haydens voice is saying the words he would have liked to wait quite a while longer before hearing. She’s telling Liam to send him back. Send him back to hell. Send him back to his sister. He falters, but keeps his arm across Liam’s body, until Liam lifts the blade by its handle. Liam shows him the sword, asks Theo if he knows what it does. He knows. He’d rather not but he knows. He lowers his arm, finally, and Liam’s telling him that they need his power to help them. That he can kill whoever he wants. He won’t, probably. He doesn’t tell liam that he’s just classic Theo now. he should though, because now he’s being thrown halfway across the floor because somebody decided to have him hold a wire whilst Garrett Douglas sends a billion joules of energy surging through it. He doesn’t tell Liam that he knows more about Garrett Douglas than he and Hayden do, but he does imply.
He first realises around the time he first saves Liam’s life. He’s got his arms around Liam and is dragging him back towards the elevator when the realisation strikes him like a brick to the side of the head.
He doesn’t entirely know how the two of them ended up switching up from going in for a fist-bump to staring down a group of supernatural cowboys with guns that erase people from existence, with a fist-bump long forgotten in their list of priorities, but they do. It’s not the worst situation he’s been in, considering the hell he faced not too long ago, but it’s far from the best. He’s not off to the best start in Beacon Hills. Or restart. Whatever it is, it’s not ideal. It’s not ideal that he’s trapped in a hospital, of all places, with a bunch of ghastly kidnappers . It’s not ideal that he’s trapped in a hospital with Liam Dunbar, the boy who has been dead centre in his thoughts for the past few, whatever. Keeping track of time isn’t too far above the almost fist-bump on his current list of priorities. It’s been a few days. Weeks maybe. He doesn’t think it has passed a month yet. It could have. He doesn’t care much. He vaguely remembers berating Liam, after the boy started the sirens of the ambulance, claiming that if the Ghost Riders are here, that means they’re not trying to get to Scott. He remembers telling Liam that while the Ghost Riders are wrapping a whip around his neck, or shooting a hole in his head, Theo will be running the other direction. He means it too. At least he thinks he does. Until he realises he doesn’t. Fun. He shoves Liam into that elevator like his own life depends on it, which it doesn’t, but to Theo maybe it does. He remembers Liam telling him that he would use Theo as bait. Maybe it’s why he uses the line himself. If Liam notices, he doesn’t say anything. He can’t say anything. He doesn’t have time to say anything before the doors are closing him into the elevator and away from Theo. Away from theo who is currently on a silver platter for the Ghost Riders. He doesn’t think he deserves gold. Not yet at least.
He acts on it the second time he saves Liam’s life. Or maybe he doesn’t. He thinks he does, but maybe Liam doesn’t get the message. He’s too far gone on the boy to really care
Saving Liam isn’t something that should happen more than once, but it does. It does because it’s Beacon Hills, and there’s a new threat to their lives every second tuesday. They’re back in the hospital, where Scott says Liam would be. Where Scott sends Theo. Where Scott tells Theo to help Liam and the others, or whatever, he only really remembers hearing Liam’s name. He doesn’t really care about the others. Or maybe he does. He doesn’t think about it too deeply. He’s in the elevator alone, until the door opens and he’s herding Liam in with him. Liam who had just a minute ago been in a staredown with one of his classmates. The same classmate who apparently beat Liam to a pulp whilst everybody stood by and just watched. The same classmate who is now standing at the end of the hall, holding a gun, firing the gun with wild abandon into the closing doors of the elevator. Firing the gun with wild abandon into the narrow hallway where Liam stood just a few seconds ago. Firing the gun with wild abandon yet still somehow missing every shot. Theo lets out a breath as the doors close completely, and Liam’s asking him what he’s doing here. He’s asking himself the same thing. Maybe. Maybe he already knows. He doesn’t think about it too deeply. He tells Liam that he’s not dying for him. He means it too. Maybe not in the way Liam thinks he means it. But he means it anyway. Liam tells him the exact same thing. Maybe not in the way Theo means it. Theo doesnt dwell on it for too long, because Liam’s telling him that he will fight with Theo, which is good enough for now. The doors are opening, and suddenly he’s running head first into the line of fire. Liam is right beside him, maybe a little behind him, maybe a little in front. Theo doesn’t care, as long as they’re fighting together.