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Stiles awoke slowly, feeling cold and drugged.
Oh god.
He blinked a little, trying to focus, but before his sight came into focus, his predicament did. He was strapped down to a vertical table, buckles over his wrists and ankles and a looser but still there one around his neck. He swallowed thickly, eyes adjusting to the darkness.
‘Hello?’ He croaked out, resting the strength of his binds, and examining his location. He was in
what looked like a grey operating theatre, with cement walls and bleach lining the corner. ‘Helooo? Anyone there?’ He peeled his eyes slowly across the room, when his eyes fixed on the pipe fixtures. One of them was loose. If he could get loose-
‘You’re so clever, Stiles,’ comes a voice, and Stiles glares as he sees Theo step out of the shadows.
‘Of course. I should have guessed. What the hell am I doing here, Theo?’
Theo pulls a syringe out of his pocket and Stiles shrinks away, eyes wide, as Theo smiles at him ‘I’m making you better.’
He steps forward, and Stiles’ heart hammers at the sight of a needle. Oh god, why a needle? Why? ‘L-like a doctor- like the Dread Doctors, I knew it, I always know it!’
‘Your pack really don’t listen to you,’ Theo nodded, standing before him, head cocked as he examined him ‘but I do.’
‘Great, so you’ll hear me when I say: let me go you psycho-chimera-evil dude?’
Theo shook his head with a small smile, with fond, upturned edges ‘I’m trying to help you, Stiles. I know that might be difficult to understand at first, but I am. I only want to help.’ He trailed his right hand down Stiles’ bound arm, to the cuff of his plaid shirt, and rolled it up softly, gently, taking the time to turn the corners over, and then running his fingertips down Stiles’ bare arm, making goose bumps flair up.
Stiles swallowed, trying to catch Theo’s eyes ‘please don’t do this,’ he whispered, ‘c’mon Theo, please- I- you don’t have to do this, you could-‘
‘Stiles, hush, baby, hush,’ Theo shushed him sympathetically, startling blue eyes meeting Stiles’ eyes, face a serene expression of kindness and love. ‘I’m doing this for you.’ He laughed a little ‘I’m trying to be romantic here, Stiles. I’m trying to give you this gift.’
‘What gift?’ Stiles croaked hoarsely, as Theo’s hand trailed up his throat, and then unbuttoned the top button of his shirt, exploring curiously down his collar
‘I’m gonna make you a Chimera. Like us. Like me.’
Stiles felt tears prickle in his eyes ‘please god no-‘
‘You’ll be a bit different, though. A bit better,’ he leaned in suddenly, inhaling Stiles’ scent over his pulse point ‘you sound petrified, Stiles,’ he said softly, smoothing one hand to grip the base of Stiles’ neck, firm and solid, ‘calm down, baby, it’s alright,’ and he nosed fondly at Stiles’ cheek as Stiles reluctantly calmed down. His body relaxing into the restraints, as Theo dragged a thumb over his bottom lip- instinctively Stiles darted a tongue out to wet his lips, catching Theo’s thumb and a dark look spread into the wolf’s eyes.
Want.
Desire.
‘You’re gonna be so pretty when I’m done with you,’ he whispered reverently, and Stiles’ mind raced
‘You don’t think I’m pretty now?’
Theo looks furious at the idea and Stiles shrank back against the table ‘of course I do! You’re gorgeous! Beautiful!’ He buried his face into Stiles’ neck again, inhaling like a drowning man, hands sliding into Stiles’ hair ‘you don’t understand! You don’t get it!’ He yelled, muffled by Stiles’ skin ‘I just want you- I just want you forever- I want you round with my pups,’ and a hand slid down to cradle Stiles’ flat stomach ‘I want us to start our pack. There are places- communities of just weres. Of the supernatural. We can get away from here, have a family, be the leaders, you and me, Stiles- and we can bring your dad, don’t worry, I’d never separate you.’ His voice became hard ‘Not Scott though, Stiles. No Scott.’
‘Theo, we can have that,’ Stiles lied desperately, hoping Theo was too distracted to notice his heart ‘we can. You don’t have to inject me- we can leave, me and you- far away, no Scott, no Scott at all-‘
‘But I made this for you,’ Theo pouted, gesturing to the syringe ‘you’ll love it.’ He grinned brilliantly ‘shall I tell you what it is-‘
‘please, Theo-‘
Theo’s chest rumbled soothingly ‘it won’t hurt too much, I don’t think. Now, here we go,’ and then he was plunging the syringe into Stiles’ arm, and the world faded instantly to black.
…
…
…
Stiles thinks he wakes a few times. Something about water.
The first is in the middle of a blurry image; tipping water down his throat. Everything aches, and he shuts his eyes quickly, letting the water trickle down his throat.
The second is when warmth engulfs him everywhere. He’s in a bath, he figures, in the few seconds he’s awake. And he’s being cradled by a warm, muscular body, and sweet smelling blue soap is being rubbed onto his legs.
The third is nearly greyscale, with glimpses of sepia, and he’s sprinting, faster than he’s ever run, through trees taller than he’s ever seen, and he’s heading towards a river, and he can hear someone laughing behind him. The river is huge, more like an ocean, and he stops at the edge, panting, and tries to capture his reflection. He feels off, wrong-
The fourth time he wakes up, he stays up.
He wakes up slowly, stretching and warm quilts shuffle over his body. He blinks an eye open, and then two, and sees the blue sky outside through the window, hears cars and traffic faintly in the background. It’s…nice. Comforting. He sits up, and immediately yanks up his sleeve, only to see no mark at all of being injected.
Is he…is this…
He sits up, resting his weight on his arms as he takes everything in. The room is nice, obviously an upstairs bedroom, and there’s a wardrobe full of clothes, and pictures of rock bands on the wall and marvel superheroes. It looks like a normal teenagers bedroom, there’s even a DVD collection in the corner that contains the original Spider-man trilogy. Everything’s normal. Everything’s…normal.
He stands quietly, listening intently. He can’t hear anything in the house, only the traffic from outside.
He pads over to the mirror, and looks at himself.
He looks fine.
Normal.
His hair a bed ruffled mess, he’s dressed in a burgundy knitted jumper and grey sweat pants with fluffy socks.
Was…
what the hell was going on?
He poked his face curiously. Theo had injected him- with something that did nothing? Had something gone wrong? This certainly didn’t look like the room of a crazy killing teenager. There was a bottle of water on the bedside table, but his phone was nowhere to be found. ‘Where the hell am I?’ He muttered, grabbing the water and walking to the door. He crept out into an empty hallway, with two other doors, he opened both, to reveal another bedroom and a bathroom, with clothes and towels, and the heating on.
This was a normal house.
He felt fine.
Good, even.
Well rested, strong, enough energy that if he liked such things, he might go for a run.
He tiptoed down the stairs, stopping to listen, but there was nothing to be heard.
There was the front door. Stiles tried it.
Unlocked.
‘This is…weird.’ He said to himself, pulling it open and stepping outside.
To see endless, endless acres of large green fields.
He froze, staring, and sprinted around the house only to be met by the same view.
Where the hell was he?!
The fields seemed to go on forever, this house was the only thing for miles and miles, no wonder Theo hadn’t locked the door- if it even still was Theo. What if someone else had found him? What if it was someone worse?
But- but he could hear the traffic.
The irregular, impatient honking of horns. He took a deep, deep breath, and focused, and beyond the grass and the sweetness of nature, he could smell petrol, and hear the revving of the gas, and the slamming of car doors.
Where was the road?
‘There’s a city a couple of miles away. That’s what you’re hearing.’ Came a gentle voice, and Stiles spun, the sun beating down, the wind still, and it was almost a relief to see Theo on the porch, carrying a few logs of wood. He smiled ‘you’re awake. How do you feel?’
Stiles took a shaky step away from him ‘how can I hear the traffic?’ He whispered
‘Fox hearing is very good.’
Stiles swallowed thickly ‘I’m not a fox.’
‘Stiles, sweetheart-‘
‘I’m not a fox.’
‘Baby-‘
‘Get away from me.’ Stiles hissed, blinking back tears ‘what have you done to me?’
Theo took another step, and Stiles tailed it.
He sprinted towards the greenery and didn’t stop to see if Theo was chasing after him. He ran, and realised with guilty excitement that he was running faster than he ever had before. It was nearly dizzying, and he pushed himself, trying to run faster and faster, and then he could feel it, bubbling under his skin. His fox was nibbling at him, whining, asking if he could shift.
And Stiles let it.
Shifting midsprint, and he kept running, even faster, more nimble, and it was- it was-
amazing.
He kept on, running forwards, never stopping.
He could do this, he could get to a city-
he was tackled roughly, and whimpered in distress when Theo cradled him ‘Jesus, baby, you’re a lot faster than I thought.’ He stroked a hand down Stiles’ back, and the little fox wriggled against his grip as Theo stood with ease and started walking back. Stiles noted with glee that the house looked tiny and far away. He’d covered all that ground so quickly ‘you’re gorgeous like this,’ Theo crooned lovingly, and Stiles rolled his eyes with a huff. He should be more angry. Why wasn’t he more angry? ‘It’s gonna be tougher for you to change back, little one, give it some time, yeah? Soon you’ll be able to control it properly.’
Theo walked slowly, so they returned back to the secluded house at sunset, and he set Stiles on the sofa, locking the doors, and starting the fire, and Stiles curled into the warmth, deciding that one escape attempt a day would be quite alright, as Theo worked in the kitchen.
Theo sat with a sigh onto the sofa, and Stiles paid him no heed, eyes closed as he appreciated the warmth of the fire in his fox form.
But then he smelt it.
Chicken and ham and carrots, and he looked over his shoulder to see Theo arching an eyebrow smugly.
Stiles had no shame, so he walked over and jumped onto the couch, looking up at Theo with a cocked head, and made a small, whining sound in his throat.
Theo laughed, pulling a small piece of chicken, and Stiles nipped it eagerly, catching Theo’s fingers with his teeth, watching as the skin instantly healed itself. ‘No biting,’ Theo warned, holding out another, and another, until Stiles was fed and full, and curled onto Theo’s lap, content to sleep as Theo rubbed behind his ears.
He woke up in much the same position, only there was a blanket over his naked form, and he was facing towards Theo’s stomach. Theo was watching him.
‘Why don’t I feel more angry?’ Stiles asked quietly, as Theo traced his ear, and stroked his head.
‘Becase your fox recognises me as your Alpha. As pack. It’s made you trust me, like me, even,’ he teased, and Stiles huffed indignantly
‘You’ve genetically modified me.’
‘Worse things have happened, baby. I only did this for you.’
Stiles nuzzled further into the warmth of Theo’s stomach ‘I’m hungry.’ He said instead of the other questions buzzing around his head, and Theo nodded
‘Would you like pancakes?’
Stiles yipped.
Days continued like that. Stiles asking the necessary questions. He had been here for three weeks, his Father was out of the country, assisting with a case in Brazil, and would be back on Tuesday, thinking Stiles was on a road trip, as did the rest of the pack.
‘I find it very difficult to believe that.’ Stiles said, as Theo washed the dishes.
‘Boyd and Erica are on a road trip. I told them you warmed to me. I’ve been texting your dad as you.’
Stiles didn't ask for his phone back. It seemed normal, for his Alpha to have it.
‘We need to start packing tomorrow, so we can get back in time.’
Stiles nodded, and got ready for bed.
Theo and Stiles slept in the same bed.
Stiles never really questioned that either because it felt normal. It felt good. And Theo would sometimes drag him closer and kiss him, and Stiles liked that so much that his fox ears would pop up amidst his dark hair, and his cheeks would tint, and his toes would curl. And Theo would laugh and ruffle his hair and call him adorable every time, and Stiles would kiss his nose in retaliation and then purr when Theo spooned him.
‘Will they know what I am?’ Stiles asked, sliding further into the passenger seat, all their things packed, in the car, windows down, and they tore off down the road.
‘I don’t know,’ Theo hummed ‘they’ve probably never smelt a were-fox before, you’re the first of the kind. But if they do, we’ll just say you got bitten.’
‘But mountain ash won’t affect me.’
Theo shrugged ‘say it was an after effect of the Nogitsune. You’re the pack researcher, Stiles. You’re the brain. No one is going to question you. Besides, you won’t be there very long. We can graduate, you can still be in Scott’s pack, but then we need to go. You can convince your dad, can’t you?’
‘Yes, Alpha,’ Stiles answered dutifully, looking at the scenery rolling by.
Theo threaded his hand through Stiles’, and Stiles looked down at them, and then at his Alpha. ‘We can do this, Stiles. You and me. We were meant for each other.’
Stiles nods, and Theo kisses the back of his hand, and Stiles relaxes.
Whatever happens, Theo will take care of him.