Archive of Our Own

Mason was almost always suspicious.

To be fair, he lived in Beacon Hills – any of the high school students around him could be a werewolf/lizard person/monster. It was fairly normal to be suspicious.

And he was frequently suspicious of Liam. The boy was a terrible liar, and he was always getting up to shit Mason didn’t totally approve of.

But it was only the first day back from summer break, and Liam was already acting suspicious – what could he even have done? Nothing had happened yet!

He had known Liam almost his whole life, they grew up together, they were best friends. He trusted Liam, and he knew Liam trusted him. But in the past two hours of classes, Mason had decided there was something off – very off.

It started in homeroom. Liam was wearing a turtleneck.

This wouldn’t be unusual except for the fact that it was a million degrees outside and Liam already ran hot.

Obviously, this was cause for questioning.

“I have an extra shirt in my bag.” He had offered, looking at Liam, who seemed like he was about to pass out by third period, face bright red and sweat gathering on his forehead.

“I’m fine.” Liam had laughed awkwardly, scratching the back of his neck, but his eyes were darting around. “I’m like really cold actually. Are you not cold? I’m freezing.”

Mason opened his mouth to assure his friend that he definitely was not freezing, but Liam was already gone. Up from his seat and out the door a second before the bell even went. Mason wondered why his friend was in a rush.

He was very suspicious.

So naturally, he went to the one person he knew would give him the best advice possible.

“–and he refused, even though he was literally sweating!” Mason was pretty sure his boyfriend wasn’t listening, immersed in the science textbook he was reading, eyebrows furrowed as he tried to understand any of the year’s work. “Something’s up, do you think he’s growing fur?”

“I think you should keep your voice down.” Corey finally looked up, a smile on his face, and Mason realised he was being a bit loud for the school library.

“You may be right.” Mason whispered in response.

Corey sighed, “You know Mason, you are incredibly book-smart, one of the smartest people I know.”

The other boy didn’t know why his boyfriend chose that moment to compliment him, but he grinned nonetheless.

“Thank yo–”

“But you are also incredibly dumb.” Mason’s face fell, but he didn’t have a moment to be offended. “Remember the reason you had to borrow a turtleneck from me to meet my parents?”

Mason’s face went red at the implication, remembering how uncomfortable the itchy fabric was against his neck, but it wasn’t nearly as bad as the looks Corey’s parents would’ve given him if they were to see what was under it.

“But–” he shook his head, trying to get the embarrassing memory away and focus on his friend. “What does that have to do with Liam?”

“You’ll work it out.” Corey leaned down and pressed a chaste kiss to his boyfriend’s lips, Mason’s face heating up again, before pulling away with a small grin. “Remember, you’re one of the smartest people I know.”

When Mason walked out of the library ten minutes later, he was still trying to figure out what Corey meant. How could the two events have any logical correlation?

Whatever, it was probably just some werewolf thing anyway.

_____________

“He offered me his shirt!” Liam growled, pushing a very amused-looking Theo against the lockers in the boys’ changing room. The older held his hands up. “I’ve been sweating all day!”

“That’s a very accusatory tone.” Theo chuckled, earning himself another glare. “You didn’t exactly tell me to stop, in fact, I believe you said–”

“I do not need a recap.” Liam huffed, letting go of Theo and letting him back onto his feet, the older adjusting the front of his shirt. “I just don’t want him to find out.”

“Oh God forbid.” Theo rolled his eyes, but there was something in his tone Liam couldn’t quite place. “Relax, he’s not going to find out.”

Liam sighed, shooting one last glare at the boy before sitting down on one of the benches.

He hadn’t meant for this to happen.

The moment he and Theo had started this little… arrangement… over the summer, around a month ago, he realised the reason he didn’t blur that line with Theo sooner. His cocky attitude, and tremendously enormous ego.

However, it was easy to ignore those things once he got to see the other side of Theo Raeken. The gentle, kind guy that nobody ever got to see. Liam liked his confidence and bravado. It made Theo… well, Theo.

He was also skilled in… other areas, which outweighed the cons to be honest.

Liam wasn’t sure when he started to become more fond of the other boy, but it had just kind of… happened. Their relationship was purely physical, of course, a release of tension during the stress of school, and someone who knew what he was going through. What he had been through.

It’s not like it involved feelings. He wasn’t dating Theo Raeken, for God’s sake. It wasn’t really a big deal.

Still, he knew Mason wasn’t a fan of the other boy – and they had been friends for so long, what would happen if Mason found out, and either demanded Liam stop seeing him, or was disgusted at Liam for being with someone who had hurt so many people, including Mason’s own boyfriend.

“Liam, calm down.” It was Theo’s voice that brought him out of his worry, the older moving to stand in front of him, a hand on his shoulder, and an actual kind smile on his face. “Mason would never hate you, and if he wants, he can punch me in the face if it makes him feel better, I’ll heal.”

Liam scoffed. “What happened to ‘I’m not putting myself in danger for you,’ huh?”

Theo placed a hand on Liam’s chin and lifted his face so their eyes met, his signature smirk back on his face.

“Things change, sweetheart.”

Oh fuck, there’s that stupid blush Liam hated. Redness pooling in his cheeks, and he glared at the older to mask it.

“Fuck off.”

Theo only laughed. “You’re cute. Remember, I’m giving you a ride home, yeah?”

He was out the door before Liam could respond, or realise he was smiling.

____________

The next day was Friday, and Mason was excited. Every Friday since they were in middle school, the two would get together at Liam’s house and play the newest video game, maybe binge a couple of movies, and stay up all night just chatting.

Unfortunately, mostly due to… external factors… their game nights had taken a bit of a pause for the past couple of weeks, Liam more focused on saving the world from scary monsters and demon wolves than beating his high score on Mario Kart.

Meanwhile, Mason had been doing something equally as important: practising his video gaming skills so he could beat Liam once and for all, and wipe the floor with his unfairly fast werewolf ass.

He was on the way out of English – his last class of the day – when he ran into Liam, who was looking pretty perky himself, a small smile on his lips as he walked towards his locker. Mason wondered if he would look like that if he knew how badly he was gonna lose tonight.

“Yo Liam!” he grinned, catching up to his friend and slinging an arm over his shoulder. Liam looked up, surprised. “You ready?”

Liam’s eyebrows furrowed, and he glanced at the clock in the hallway, as if trying to remember what Mason was talking about. “Ready for what?”

“Uh, it’s Friday.” Mason replied, like it was obvious, and when Liam’s eyebrows only shifted further together, he scoffed. “Game night? We’ve been talking about it all week? Ringing any bells?”

“Oh…” Liam trailed off, hand coming to itch the back of his neck, and Mason squinted, unimpressed. This sounded like the start of an excuse, like back when he was going off with Scott and Stiles and doing werewolfing things before Mason knew. “I can’t tonight, sorry Mase.”

“You’re joking.” Mason crossed his arms over his chest and raised an eyebrow. “We have no more monsters to fight, or hunters to avoid, as far as I know. So what’s the excuse?”

“I– uh… well…” Liam trailed off, and Mason noticed his eyes darting around the hallways, before settling on the door to the boys’ locker room. “I have lacrosse practice!”

Mason’s eyebrows shot up in disbelief. “Did you not have lacrosse practice this morning?”

“Uh yeah, but Coach wants us to go really big this season, and work extra hard.” He laughed awkwardly, “You know, ‘the bigger they are… the bigger they are,’ and all that, haha.”

While Mason was still very suspicious of his friend, that did sound like something Coach would say, and they were going up against Devenford Prep again next week, so he simply shrugged.

“Okay.” He hummed, before sending Liam a wink. “I’ll join you then. You know how I like to watch the lacrosse team practise. Then we can hang out after.”

“No–“ Liam started, obviously sounding more insistent than he intended, because he rewound pretty quick. “Uh, I just mean, you shouldn’t, it’s supposed to rain and the hot people will keep their shirts on. It’s really not worth it.”

Mason’s brow furrowed. “I get that you’re trying to convince me not to go, but just so you know: hot guys in wet t-shirts isn’t your best rebuttal.”

“Well, I just don’t want you to catch a cold.” Liam argued, completely ignoring his friend’s words. “That wouldn’t bode well for Corey! He’s cold-blooded, remember.”

“I’m pretty sure that’s not how that works…” Mason trailed off, but Liam wasn’t listening anymore, glancing down at his phone like he was late for something. “Do you need to go somewhere?”

“Oh yeah, practice starts in a minute, I better go get dressed.” Liam huffed a nervous laugh, and Mason frowned. “I promise I won’t forget game night next week. See ya!”

And with that he was off, leaving Mason standing in the hallway like an idiot, three different editions of Mario Kart stuffed in his backpack.

He turned in surprise when he felt a hand on his shoulder, and was met with a concerned-looking Corey.

“I’ve just seen you staring down the hallway for like five minutes, are you okay?” he asked, obviously trying to gauge Mason’s problem. “Is it Liam?”

“There’s no lacrosse practice today, is there?” Mason asked, rather than answer his boyfriend’s question, and watched Corey’s face light up with realisation.

“No, we just practised this morning.” Corey replied, now frowning as well. “I’m guessing no game night then?”

“I guess not.” Mason shrugged, only slightly upset. He had gotten used to this sort of thing since Liam had been bitten. “And I even bought Cheetos.”

“Oh… well, I could always play with you.” Corey offered a small smile. “I’m sure it’s not hard to learn, right?”

“Oh honey.” Mason grasped his boyfriend’s hand in his own, and looked at him sympathetically. “You’ll be crying by the time I’m finished with you.”

“Okay, let’s do a thing where we review our words before we say them in the hallway.”

_______

On Monday, Mason kept his eye on Liam all day.

He didn’t know if Liam was stupid or forgetful, but Mason did in fact have his location, and the Beacon Hills Reserve seemed like a very odd place for a lacrosse practice.

That, paired with the fact that he hadn’t heard from his friend all weekend, was very not subtle. Liam was obviously hiding something, and as his best friend and non-supernatural advisor, it was his duty to find out.

What if it was something putting him in danger? It probably wasn’t, but Mason would use any excuse to put his nose in Liam’s business.

Speaking of Liam – Mason had wandered to the front of the school as soon as the bell had rung. His friend was usually out of school by now. Ready to go home and Google any crimes nearby that could have anything to do with werewolves or other supernatural beings –

He was broken from his thoughts when a sleek black car he swore he had seen somewhere before pulled up in front of the school, and Liam hopped into it.

What the hell? Since when had Liam’s stepdad gotten a car that flash?

Then his eyes widened, because whoever was sat next to Liam brought their hand to tuck Liam’s hair behind his ear, and even through the window Mason could see how red Liam’s face became.

Oh my God, wait.

The pieces started to fit together – the turtleneck, the flaking on their plans, and now this new person in this new car picking Liam up from school???

Liam had a girlfriend!

___________

The next day, at the end of the day, Mason was ready.

He would never spy on his friend. He loved Liam and once again, they trusted each other, meaning that if Liam wanted to have a private part of his life, he was allowed to have a private part of his life.

That didn’t mean Mason wasn’t allowed to hide against the wall, camouflaged as he gripped Corey’s hand, watching Liam wait for his presumed girlfriend to pick him up from school again.

“Mase, this is getting kind of creepy,” Corey commented, voice below a whisper so other students couldn’t hear them. “I mean, we followed him around all day. Maybe his mom got a new car. Moving hair out of someone’s face isn’t exactly the most romantic thing.”

“I mean, that’s possible,” Mason agreed, giving his boyfriend a grin, to which Corey sighed, exasperated.

“But?”

“But if it’s not, then Liam has a super secret girlfriend who I really wanna know the identity of.”

Corey sighed again at this, rolling his eyes at his boyfriend’s invasive antics. Mason knew he shouldn’t really be trying to get into Liam’s personal life like that, but c’mon! A secret girlfriend? That was way too hard not to try and find out about.

Plus, he was lucky his boyfriend could literally hide anywhere he pleased, and he was also easily persuadable.

Then, just as Corey opened his mouth to probably make another comment about Mason’s obsessive behaviour, the same black, sleek car from the day before pulled up in front of school.

Mason immediately jabbed his boyfriend’s side. “Look, Corey! That’s the car!”

Corey rolled his eyes, but Mason was too focused on his friend approaching the car to notice.

He watched as Liam opened the door, just enough to climb in, still keeping the person next to him out of view – until he kicked the door with his foot, likely on accident, the door opening just that smidgen wider for a split second, and Mason’s eyes widened.

The short hair – the glimpse of a jawline behind Liam’s head – and then an arm on the wheel clad in a leather H&M jacket Mason had seen when shopping the other day – in the men’s section.

“Holy shit,” he gasped, watching as Liam leaned over to the man beside him, faces very close as he shut the door, a second before taking off. “That was –”

“A man.” Mason turned to see his boyfriend looking equally as shocked, eyes wide, and they grew even more when they met eyes. “Liam doesn’t have a girlfriend.”

Mason’s face broke into a grin. “He has a boyfriend.”

________

Mason tried to be subtle about it. Keyword: tried.

But every time he looked at his friend he just couldn’t stop thinking about the fact that he was into men! That’s, like, a big thing! Especially a big thing to keep a secret from your best friend who obviously isn’t about to judge you considering he is definitely more gay than you.

Was Liam even gay? Bi? Pan? He definitely was in love with Hayden… or maybe he wasn’t. Maybe he was just conforming to the heteronormative gender roles forced onto him by society in order to fit in with the homophobic society in which they lived –

“Why are you staring at me like that?” Mason jumped, realising with a start that he was indeed staring at Liam over their shared science bench. The two had been paired up for an experiment that Mason realised Liam was about halfway done with, and he hadn’t even contributed to yet.

“Uh, no reason, just thinking.” He laughed, eyes scanning over his friend. Surely someone who was gay would dress better. There were multiple holes in the bright blue sweater he had on, and an ink stain on the cuffs. “We’ve been friends for a while…”

“Yeah… I know.” Liam frowned, obviously confused, as he measured out one of the chemicals. “And?”

“Well, I just want to make sure you can talk to me about anything.” Mason smiled, trying to sound as convincing as possible, but Liam still looked skeptical. “I mean like, there’s some things we don’t really talk about.”

“Like what?”

“I don’t know…” Mason trailed off, thinking about how to approach this in the most subtle way possible. “Sex?”

Liam looked up, eyes wide. “You want to talk to me about sex?”

“Well, yeah… friends do it all the time!” Mason tried to explain. He pretended to think. “Like… I don’t know… do you ever think about…”

“Sex?” Liam offered, looking slightly uncomfortable. “I mean, I am a guy, so, yes? Why?”

“Okay, I know you think about sex… I just mean…” Mason racked his brain for the words to use, but his brain, for once, was being extremely unhelpful, so he figured he’d just go for it. “What about… gay… sex?”

At this, a look of something Mason couldn’t quite grasp passed over Liam’s face… shock… surprise… discomfort? Definitely discomfort.

“Gay sex!?” Liam exclaimed, face going slightly red, either from the question or the few heads that turned his direction at his exclamation. Theo Raeken specifically seemed particularly surprised and slightly amused. Mason thought that could be because of his obvious desire to be a part of the pack.

“Uh… yes, gay sex.” It was time for him to stand his ground, but he did make sure to lower his voice slightly. “Like, have you ever… thought about it?”

“Why would you think that?” Liam managed, though he wouldn’t meet Mason’s eyes, which told Mason that he had indeed thought about it, and considering his new revelation, Mason thought maybe Liam had done more than think about it.

“I’m just curious, you know… we’re close, you can talk to me.” Liam actually looked like he wanted to curl up and die, but Mason needed admittance. “You’ve never been interested in… dick? Never curious?”

“Listen, Mason.” Liam looked up at him finally, and his eyes were so sincere, it had Mason on the edge of his seat. “You’re my best friend.”

“Yeah..?” Mason prompted.

“And I love you a lot. Platonically.”

Mason’s eyebrows furrowed, what –

“But I don’t think I’m the person you should ask.” He finished, looking almost apologetic. “I’m sure you and Corey have a great time in bed, but if you’re looking for a third –”

“Bro!” Mason interrupted, eyes wide and arms flailing. “I am not trying to have sex with you right now!”

Okay, that definitely earned a few questioning looks and turned heads, but Mason was honestly too shocked to notice. What part of his approach sounded like he was coming on to Liam??

“Oh, thank God.” His friend let out a sigh of relief, Mason still frozen in shock. “I was really worried this was going to be really awkward. I don’t think I could look at Corey the same again.”

“Yeah, no shit! Why would I – why would we choose – bro.” Mason was honestly really struggling at that moment, trying to wrap his head around the escalation. Maybe he shouldn’t have brought up gay sex. “I wasn’t offering sex.”

“Then what were you trying to even do?” Liam asked, now just looking confused. “Why are you asking me about how I feel about gay sex… do you think I’m gay?”

“I don’t know!” Mason held his hands up. “I just was interested. We’ve never talked about sexualities before and I guess I just assumed, with Hayden and – I don’t know.”

“Oh.” Liam hummed, and his face twisted into something almost nervous. “Well, I mean…”

“Yes…” Mason prompted, a grin growing over his face.

Liam began to pour the chemicals into the vial. “I mean, lately I…”

“Yessss???”

“I guess I – ”

BOOM

Mason watched in horror as the beaker in front of Liam exploded, shooting pink liquid all over the two boys, a little landing on their classmates.

They looked at each other, eyes wide, the classroom completely quiet bar the snickering Mason was pretty sure was coming from Theo’s desk.

Mrs. Finch broke the silence.

“Why is it always you boys?”

They were assigned cleanup duty for the rest of the week.

And Mason decided he needed to take a more direct approach.

________

Liam was sitting at his desk, head in his hands as his eyes scanned over the stupid validation for his stupid experiment that he had to redo because stupid Mason decided to try and talk to him about stupid gay sex – when he heard a sound he had grown familiar with the past few weeks.

The light tapping on his window had him looking over, a familiar face waving at him through the glass and making gestures at the window as if confused why it would possibly be locked in the middle of the night in Beacon Hills.

“You’re turning into a stalker,” Liam spoke, knowing Theo could hear him through the glass, and he got up from his chair to walk over to the window. “You’re going to hurt yourself if you keep jumping onto my roof.”

“You doubt me,” Theo grinned once Liam had unlocked and opened his window. As usual, the boy held himself with confidence, and he swung his legs over the sill, just sitting on the window, eye-level with Liam.

“I just think you have no self-preservation instincts,” Liam pointed out, cheeks going a little red at their proximity – he was now essentially standing between Theo’s knees. He cursed himself. He had been much closer to Theo for much longer periods of time in the past.

“It’s cute that you care about me.” Theo smirked, leaning forward and pressing a kiss to Liam’s lips before hopping off the window and making his way toward the bed. “So, what are you doing?”

Liam’s eyes widened, and he turned around to look at Theo, but the older was already flopped down on his bed like he had nothing better to do than invade Liam’s space.

What the fuck? What was that?

“You just kissed me,” Liam spoke, and he hoped the voice crack was just in his mind. A million thoughts ran through his mind. “On the lips.”

Theo lifted his head to look at him and raised an eyebrow. “I’ve also touched your dick. I think you’ll live.”

“No, but –” Liam shook his head. Why was Theo being so casual about this? “We don’t – we don’t do that.”

If possible, Liam was pretty sure Theo’s eyebrow shot up further, and he lifted his whole upper body, resting on his elbows on Liam’s bed.

“I’ve kissed you before,” he pointed out. “Like, a lot?”

And Liam really wanted to smack him because yes – but no.

Yes, they had kissed before. Many, many times. They had heated kisses shared against walls, tangled in sheets, in Theo’s truck. All passion and tongue and all that good good stuff…

This was not that. This kiss was the kiss you gave your boyfriend when you were caught under the mistletoe at your parents’ house during Christmas. This was the kiss you gave to say I’m going to get a drink, be right back. The kiss you gave when you were dancing around a living room in a rom-com.

This kiss was dry, and chaste, and sweet – it made Liam’s heart skip a beat so suddenly he was surprised Theo didn’t hear it. This kiss was –  it was so... romantic?

“Yeah, during sex.” Liam argued, walking over to the edge of the bed with his arms crossed.

“Okay?” Theo laughed. “We can have sex if you want.”

“That’s not what I’m saying.” Liam groaned and flopped down onto the bed next to Theo, both boys staring at the ceiling. “It doesn’t matter.”

It had been only during the past week that Theo had started showing up at his house just to hang out. Knocking on Liam’s window when he knew he was awake just to sit on his bed while Liam did his homework, or lay down and ask a million questions until Liam gave him his undivided attention.

Sometimes they fucked – but not every time now.

Liam didn’t know what had changed but – well, he didn’t hate it as much as he may have thought he would, if someone had told him months ago that he would be hanging out with Theo Raeken outside of fighting a monster, or a hunter, or something else stupid and dangerous, he would’ve laughed in their face, and probably punched them.

They laid in silence for a minute, Liam trying not to overthink the kiss. Technically, they had kissed before, and Liam knew what it was like to need affection sometimes. But it was just so out of character... so random. He didn’t hate it.

“So… are we doing foursomes now?” Theo finally broke the silence, turning his head so he was looking at Liam with a smirk. “Just so you know, me and Corey have a complicated history, but I’m happy to watch.”

“You’re disgusting.” Liam turned his head as well, and stuck his tongue out at Theo, who was trying to suppress his laugh. “That was one of the most embarrassing conversations of my life.”

“I could tell. I’ve never seen you that red.” Theo turned fully onto his side, and propped his head up. He grinned evilly. “Except maybe the other night. You really seem to like when I –”

“Theo.” Liam groaned, glaring at the older boy. Theo’s grin formed into a smile, and he stared into Liam’s eyes in a way that made him mildly uncomfortable, and mildly flustered, and mildly, mildly, turned on. “What?”

“I just like when you say my name.” He said softly, and wow, Liam really wasn’t expecting that.

“Oh.” He replied lamely, not entirely sure how to respond. Theo was looking at him with this look now, like he was happy – and, well, it’s not that Liam didn’t think Theo could be happy, it’s just usually Liam could tell that it was fake. “Okay.”

“Wow, I’m so glad I’m hooking up with an intellectual.” Theo sighed dramatically, flopping back down onto his back. “You’re so articulate.”

“Shut up, asshole.” Liam laughed, shoving the other guy barely hard enough to hurt. “You just say stupid shit, how am I supposed to respond?”

“With more than two words?” Theo offered, grinning himself. “Or with more than two brain cells?”

Liam rolled his eyes, but he couldn’t help the fond smile that formed across his lips. He couldn’t believe that this is where they were now. Joking and laughing in Liam’s bed, kissing? A year ago he wanted to impale Theo Raeken on a spike – now he wanted to impale himself on Theo Raeken’s –

Okay he was going a little off topic.

Liam must’ve started drifting off in his thoughts, because the sudden touch of something cold in his hand startled him.

He looked down.

It was Theo’s hand, slipping quietly into his without a word, fingers lacing through his like it was nothing. Like it wasn’t the most intimate thing in the world.

But it felt like it was. Their hands, locked together – Theo’s always-cold fingers slowly warming against Liam’s palm – felt more private than anything else they’d done. Kissing? Laughing? Tangled up in sheets? That didn’t hold a candle to this. This quiet touch. This silent gesture.

Liam found himself wondering, not for the first time, if anyone had ever held Theo’s hand like this before.

He closed his eyes, squeezing the hand in his own lightly, not wanting to scare the other boy away.

When he opened them there was light shining in through his curtain. His window was open and he could hear the birds chirping.

The spot next to him was empty, but he smiled giddily when he realised it was still warm.

Then he felt his heart drop into his stomach, horror creeping through his veins. The smile disappeared off his face.

Fuck…

This was not good.

________

The game against Devenford Prep came up faster than Liam expected, and he wasn’t sure he was entirely ready for it.

He had spent the past couple of days mostly focused on avoiding Mason, mainly because he didn’t want to have any more conversations about gay sex.

There was another reason he was trying to avoid his friend – one that he hadn’t admitted to anyone just yet. He had barely admitted it to himself, to be perfectly honest.

Back when he and Theo were simply sleeping together, it wasn’t that hard to keep the secret, which was for the best, because Liam was not very good at keeping secrets. As Mason had pointed out a couple of days ago, they didn’t talk much about sex to one another, so it was easy to just not bring it up.

But Liam was confused now. The line that they had carefully constructed was slowly blurring. He wasn’t sure if he was the only one feeling it, but he was certainly having feelings about it.

The issue is, while him and Mason don’t talk about sex,  they did talk about feelings.

Liam desperately wanted to bring up his dilemma to his friend, but he simply couldn’t. It was easier to avoid Mason altogether than to be around him pretending he wasn’t having an internal crisis all the time.

And Theo wasn’t exactly helping him figure out his feelings.

“Theo – I have to go,” Liam panted out, a hand on Theo’s chest as the older kissed at his neck. “I can’t be late for the game, I’m going for captain.”

“I’m sure you can be a little bit late,” the older hummed, moving the collar of his jersey to the side in order to bite at the skin there. “You’re the best player on the team.”

And while Theo was probably right, that didn’t mean Coach wouldn’t be up his ass about being late for the fourth time this week.

So – reluctantly – Liam pushed Theo off him, smiling apologetically.

“See you after?” he offered, and the older boy raised an eyebrow at him. “My parents aren’t home tonight.”

“It’s a date,” Theo grinned back, and Liam didn’t even want to unpack what that was supposed to mean. “Good luck tonight.”

And with that, he was gone, presumably to go sit on the bleachers with everyone else, leaving Liam standing alone in the boys’ locker room, hair messy and face red.

He sighed, leaning his head back against the lockers and trying to catch his breath and calm the fast beating of his heart. This was becoming a serious problem.

What the fuck was wrong with him? There were never supposed to be feelings involved. Why did Liam ever think he could fuck somebody that attractive and not develop feelings for him?

Maybe because he was fucking the guy who literally ripped his sister’s heart out of her dead body – actually, Liam wasn’t going to think about that.

It was especially hard for him because he was pretty sure Theo didn’t even have feelings, and definitely not ones for Liam – aside from lust, obviously, considering how much he jumped him in random and inconvenient places.

He sighed again, grabbing his helmet off of the bench in front of him and making his way toward the field.

The rush of adrenaline right before a big game was always one of Liam’s favourite feelings, despite having some rough memories from lacrosse games in the past. The cool air on your face, the way your team chats excitedly before the whistle is blown. Everyone on the bleachers smiling, holding signs, and waiting for the game to begin.

Liam glanced around with a grin. It had been a while since he had played a big game like this, and he couldn’t be happier.

His smile only widened when his eyes landed on someone standing on the outskirts of the field, dressed in regular cargo pants and a black t-shirt, a smile on his face as he waved at Liam.

“Scott!” Liam exclaimed excitedly, jogging up to his friend, who looked just as happy to see him. “What are you doing here?”

“Thought I’d come down to support your first big game of the season.” He smiled at Liam like a proud father. “Plus, I want to see how you guys do without your star player.”

“Haven’t you heard? We’ve got a new star player now.” Liam boasted, crossing his arms over his chest proudly. “I’m even going for captain. Think I’ll get it?”

“I think they’d be stupid not to pick you, dude,” Scott replied, swinging an arm over Liam’s shoulder and ruffling his hair. “As long as you don’t attack anyone on the field.”

“That was like… one time.” Liam huffed, but he couldn’t help grinning. With Scott and the others away at university, it was hard for Liam. Being a beta with his alpha so far away, he was always worried something would happen and he would have no idea how to fix it.

The two stood for a moment, looking over the lacrosse field. Coach was giving a speech to the team that Liam would probably get shit about missing, but he didn’t really care; he was sure they’d be fine anyway.

He heard Scott take a deep inhale, and Liam was just thinking of asking him about university – when the alpha’s head whipped toward him, a frown on his face, and he moved his arm back to his side.

“You alright?” Liam asked, an eyebrow raised at Scott’s change in demeanour, the older now frowning very intently at him. “Scott?”

“I thought we talked about your temper,” Scott began, crossing his arms the same way he did when Liam used to get in fights with the other kids at school. “I haven’t been gone long, and you’re already getting into fights?”

“What are you talking about?” Liam asked incredulously, entirely confused about what Scott was referring to. He had been pretty good at controlling his temper lately!

“I know Theo isn’t the best guy, and he can be a huge prick, but remember there aren’t sides anymore,” the older continued, ignoring Liam’s obvious confusion. What did this have to do with Theo? “You can’t be getting into fist fights with him every time he mouths off.”

“I’m not?” Liam was honestly struggling. How had the conversation escalated to this? “I’m not fist fighting Theo.”

“Liam, stop trying to lie to me.” Scott shook his head disappointedly. “I can literally smell him all over you, so you’ve either been fighting, or you’ve been rolling around in a puddle of his spit because –”

Scott froze, his eyes widening, and Liam felt his entire face begin to heat up when he realised that firstly, Theo had left his fucking scent all over his jersey, and secondly, Scott could literally smell what they had been doing.

Fuck.

What was he supposed to say to that? It was definitely too late to deny it – Scott had clearly already figured out exactly what was going on, and the alpha looked like he was glitching, his eyebrow twitching slightly and his mouth frozen agape.

“Please don’t tell Mason,” Liam tried, not entirely sure what else to say. His mind was running and all he could think was: fuck. “And please don’t hate me.”

“No – no, I don’t hate you. Let me just – ” Scott took a breath like he was collecting his thoughts. “Give me a minute.”

Liam gave him a minute. He watched as every single one of Scott’s brain cells tried to work around the fact that he and Theo were – well, involved with each other.

“Okay,” Scott started, looking mildly nervous and a little red, considering Liam should really be the one who’s embarrassed. “You and Theo are…”

“Yes.” Was Liam about to say the word ‘sex’ to Scott? No. “Yes, we are.”

“Okay.” The older spoke again, this time a little more confidently. “Are you at least… being safe?”

“Being safe?”

“Yes, uhm… sex with a man is a lot different from sex with a woman…” Scott sounded tentative, and Liam’s eyebrows shot up in surprise at his words.

“You’ve had sex with a man?”

“Well… no. But I’m pretty sure I know how it works.” He didn’t sound confident. “Are you… using condoms?”

Liam’s face was beet-red by now, and he buried his head in his hands with a groan. What was going on? Liam had thought about telling people about his involvement with Theo many times, and what their reactions would be. Never in his life did he think Scott would try and give him the talk.

All he wanted was for Scott to stop talking, but when has Scott ever stopped trying to parent him?

“Wait, do gay people even need condoms?” Now Scott just sounded like he was talking to himself, then he turned to Liam. “If gay people use condoms, then you need to be using condoms. You don’t want a teen preg – oh no wait, that’s not right. Maybe you don’t need condoms.”

“Scott, please stop.”

“Oh! And I’m pretty sure lube – lubrication! Yes! You need lubrication.” Now he was grinning proudly, like he was really educating Liam right now. “Asses are dry.”

“Oh my fucking god,” Liam groaned loudly. How bad would it be if he almost killed Scott again right now? “Please, I’m begging you to stop.”

“Liam, these are important things that need to be talked about,” Scott chided, and Liam could not believe this was happening. “You need to be safe and careful. Sex is a big thing.”

“I’m going to kill myself,” the younger groaned, and the sound of Coach blowing the whistle behind him was the best sound he had heard in his entire life. “That’s my cue.”

“Oh, yeah, of course, go play the game.” Scott smiled, and it seemed like he was finally finished with his little rant. “And Liam?”

“Yes?”

“Just so you know, it’s okay.” He said it so sincerely, it made Liam smile in response. He was pretty sure he wanted Scott’s blessing more than he realised. “Everyone deserves forgiveness. Even Theo.”

Liam grinned, deciding not to hug Scott as a thank you, considering what he now knew he smelled like. “Thanks, Scott.”

He was halfway onto the field when he heard the alpha yelling his name again, and when he turned around, he regretted it immediately.

“I forgot about prep!” Scott yelled, and almost the entire team was watching them now. “Prep is very important!”

Okay, fuck that. Liam was about to find Kira – wherever she was now – and make her crack open the ground and drag him into the deepest, darkest parts of hell.

He just groaned, sending a thumbs-up Scott’s way, and rolling his eyes at the way the older’s eyes lit up, like he had done Liam a true service by warning him about the dangers of gay sex.

“I’m going to kill myself,” he muttered again.

“You better not do it before this game,” Coach snapped at him, and Liam looked up in embarrassment to see his team was peering at him curiously. “Seriously, Dunbar, if I have to pick your corpse off of this lacrosse field, I am going to be thoroughly irritated.”

“Yes, Coach.”

________

Okay. Liam was obviously avoiding him.

Mason had never spent so much time and effort just trying to talk to someone before. Especially not Liam. Liam and him talked a lot! Why was this so difficult, and when had Liam become so fucking good at avoiding him?

Maybe he had been a bit obvious the other day, but honestly it was a little annoying that even after all that, Liam still wouldn’t even tell him about his secret boyfriend. Did he not trust him?

Mason knew what it was like to struggle with yourself and who you are, but this was getting ridiculous. Mason was supposed to be the person Liam could go to, the person he could always rely on.

And he was going to be that person no matter what, even if Liam wasn’t consensual in the process.

That’s how he ended up here, hands on his hips and glaring at his friend, who was frozen, stood at the foot of his bed, only in a towel and covering his chest with his hands.

“What are you doing here!” Liam exclaimed, obviously surprised that Mason had just barged through his door and into his room. “I’m naked!”

“You’re also avoiding me,” Mason rebutted, narrowing his eyes at him.

“Uh – well – I’ve been busy!” Liam sputtered, looking everywhere but into Mason’s eyes. “I’m sorry, okay?”

“No! Not okay!” Mason exclaimed, plopping down on Liam’s desk chair, which earned him an unimpressed look. “The last time I avoided you, you came to my door crying because you didn’t know what you did but you were sorry and you would never eat my sandwich again.”

“We were ten!”

“Exactly! We were children!” Mason flailed his arms in exasperation. “So why are you acting like a child now!”

Liam gasped, obviously offended. “I’ve just been busy!”

“Busy with your secret boyfriend?” Oh shit, Mason wasn’t supposed to say that. If Corey was here, he would lecture him and tell him it wasn’t his business and it was Liam’s secret to tell. Luckily for him, Corey wasn’t here.

Liam froze at his words, and Mason watched in satisfaction as his cheeks heated up. Jackpot.

“Uh…” he trailed off, and his eyes scanned the room like he was looking for an excuse. Eventually, he settled on: “I don’t know what you’re talking about?”

“I’m not an idiot, Liam, we’ve been friends for a long time.” Mason sighed. “Why didn’t you tell me? I didn’t even know you liked guys.”

“It’s uhm…” Liam looked down at his hands. “A recent development.”

Mason hummed. He honestly didn’t expect Liam to cave so quickly. He had a list of arguments all ready to use against him – he was kind of disappointed he didn’t get to use them. There goes his detailed battle plan.

He was also glad, though. This made it easier. Mason could always feel the distance between them when they had secrets. This was like a weight off of both of them. The only question was…

“Well, who is it then?” he asked, leaning back in his chair and trying to act casual about his friend admitting to liking guys. “I need to know the guy who was so hot he made the straightest man I know go gay for him.”

“I didn’t go gay for him.” Liam scoffed. “We aren’t even dating.”

Mason made sure to note the look that passed over Liam’s face at the admittance. They would definitely need to talk about that later.

“I’m sorry.” Mason held his hands up, eyes widening in shock. “Liam Dunbar, you are having casual sex… with a man?”

Liam’s face went red, again.

“Can I put some clothes on for this conversation?”

“Absolutely not.” Mason scoffed. “I’ve been waiting too long for this. Answer the question.”

“Uh – yes?” he phrased it as a question, and when he met Mason’s eye it was like realization washed over his face. “Wait, is that why you were asking me about gay sex?”

“Yes! Why else would I be talking to you about gay sex!” God, Liam was thick sometimes. “I didn’t know you would think I was coming on to you!”

“Bro, you need to watch how you say things.” Liam held his hand up. “I was very confused.”

“Whatever.” Mason rolled his eyes, and then he leaned forward with a smirk. “Now, I need the whole story. Have you and this guy… you know?”

“I miss when we didn’t talk about sex.” Liam sighed, looking uncomfortable. Mason lifted his eyebrows at him, and he groaned. “Fine, yes we have, many times, I know how gay sex works, I know how to do it, please don’t try to tell me how, and please don’t give me any advice, I’m all good in the gay sex area.”

“What, did you think I was going to try and give you the sex talk?” Mason laughed, and yeah, maybe he was, but he wasn’t going to tell Liam that now. “I’m not your mom, Liam.”

“Tell that to Scott.” Liam mumbled, and yeah, they would definitely unpack that later. “I’m a responsible person. I know what I’m doing.”

“I know what you’re doing as well.” Mason giggled, because how could he resist? “A man.”

Liam gave him the most unimpressed face he’d ever seen, but come on, that was priceless! Liam – madly in love with Hayden Liam, huge simp for anyone with their boobs out Liam – was having intercourse with a – well, someone with a penis!

“I’m sick of you knowing already.” Liam huffed. But Mason could see the way his shoulders slumped, the weight of the secret off of them, and he smiled further. “Don’t look at me like that.”

“What?” Okay, maybe he looked a little giddy. “I’m just excited! I have a gay best friend now.”

Liam rolled his eyes, but Mason could see the way his lip turned up in a small grin, hidden when he looked back down at his lap. Mason couldn’t remember why he was upset. Liam was his best friend, and nothing could ruin that.

“Okay, you can put some clothes on now.” He conceded, noticing that Liam had started fiddling with the hem of his towel like he was restless.

“Thank fuck.” Liam smiled, standing up and walking over to his closet. “It’s freezing in here.”

But Mason wasn’t listening. Something had changed. The way Liam was walking, his shoulders slumped down. The smile on his lips didn’t reach his eyes, and his movement was heavy. The sudden mood change was unlike him, and it had Mason concerned.

As Liam dressed himself, the smile lingered on his face like he had it plastered on, while his eyes drifted down, far off and thinking.

“Okay.” Mason sighed, crossing his arms. “What’s wrong?”

Liam looked up, eyes widened, feigning confusion. He sat back down on his bed. “What are you talking about? I’m great.”

“Come on, Liam, I know you.” Mason urged, curious about what could’ve flipped his best friend’s mood so suddenly. “Is this guy bad in bed or something?”

“No!” Liam exclaimed, maybe a little too quickly. His ears went red. “He’s great, really great, it’s nothing, I just – I don’t know.”

Mason moved closer to the bed, eyebrows furrowed. This was very unlike Liam. Obviously, this guy had done something really bad.

“Liam, you can talk to me.”

“I know.” Liam took a deep breath, now staring down at his lap. “Well, when it started, we were just sleeping together and – well, it was great… but…”

“But?”

“Well, now I don’t know.” He sighed, looking absolutely helpless. “I feel different – and I don’t know if it’s a good different or a bad different.”

“Bad different?” Mason’s eyes widened. “Like… where? Is it an itch, or like a pain? I know we said we don’t talk about sex, but if you need me to take a look – ”

“I am not whipping out my dick for you.” Liam narrowed his eyes at Mason, and the other boy put his hands up in surrender. “It’s not even like that – it’s… well, it’s an internal different.”

“An internal different?”

“Yes… an internal different.” Liam nodded, ignoring the confusion on Mason’s face. “I still want to sleep with him – I definitely do… I just…”

“You just?” Mason pushed, now literally on the very edge of his seat. “You just what?”

“I don’t want to just sleep with him.” Liam admitted, still not looking up. “I want to, like, hold hands and… I don’t know… cuddle?”

“Cuddle?” Mason couldn’t help but smile slightly, realization falling over him. “You want to cuddle?”

“Yes.” Liam frowned, finally looking into Mason’s eyes. “It’s very confusing.”

At that, Mason couldn’t help but chuckle. He knew Liam wasn’t exactly the smartest boy in the world, but he didn’t realize he was oblivious enough to not know what it felt like to have a crush.

“That’s not ‘different’, Liam.” He smiled, placing a hand on his friend’s shoulder. Poor Liam looked like a lost puppy. “Those are called feelings.”

“I know what feelings are.” Liam scoffed, looking mildly unimpressed. “I just don’t understand why I’m having them for this guy, or what the feelings even mean. It didn’t feel like this with Hayden.”

Mason hummed, thinking for a minute. While he was glad Liam could confide in him, he didn’t have much experience liking girls and wasn’t entirely sure the differences between the feelings of liking one versus liking a guy.

“Well, what did it feel like with Hayden?” Mason started with, trying to get Liam to explore his feelings a bit more.

“Softer.” Liam whispered, now playing with the sleeve of his shirt. “Less intense, and the feelings came one at a time. This time they come all at once. All the time.”

“It sounds to me like you really like this guy.” Mason grinned, and Liam frowned. “It’s okay to have feelings for him; he’d be stupid not to like you back.”

Okay, this felt a little parent-y, but Mason wasn’t sure how else to approach it. Liam was obviously struggling with his feelings, and Mason wasn’t sure if that was because they were for a man – or this man particularly.

“It’s not that.” Liam spoke softly, and the look on his face told Mason it was partly that. “It’s more complicated… I shouldn’t like him.”

“Why not?” Now it was Mason’s turn to frown, confused. “Because he’s a man?”

Liam scoffed.

“Obviously not.” He rolled his eyes. “I’m not having a sexuality crisis.”

“…Sure.” Maybe Mason slightly wished he was; that way he could finally use all his gay wisdom to teach Liam. “What’s the problem with him then?”

“Well, he’s not…” Liam trailed off, looking for the right words. “The best guy.”

Mason’s eyebrows shot up. What kind of trope was this? “He’s a bad guy? Like… a bad boy?”

“This isn’t fanfiction.” The werewolf rolled his eyes, and Mason stared pointedly at him. “He’s just… questionable. Morally speaking.”

“What, like a bully?” Mason was so confused; he couldn’t imagine Liam falling for a guy who was so bad that he was actually struggling with himself about it. “Does he kick children?”

“Probably.” Liam muttered, and looked up when Mason’s eyes widened. “No – he definitely doesn’t kick children. He’s just a bit… well… he’s not ideal.”

“Liam, you know I don’t care who you date, right?” Mason moved away from him again with a smile. It was obvious Liam was just paranoid. “I know I’m a bit judgy sometimes, but I’m happy if you’re happy, and anyone who makes you happy is someone I’d like to know.”

Mason thought that was pretty damn sincere, but Liam still looked unsure, which didn’t make sense. In what world would Mason ever look at Liam differently based on who he would date? They were best friends, and Mason just wanted him to be happy.

“I’m serious.” He reiterated, grinning now. “As long as you’re not crushing on some psycho like Nolan, or like, Theo Raeken, I promise you have my full support.”

That was supposed to be a joke, but Liam’s face heated up, and Mason realized maybe that wasn’t the most supportive thing to say.

“Okay, I’m sorry, not funny.” He smiled awkwardly. “I hate to break it to you, but it sounds like you have a massive crush on this guy.”

“And?”

“And?” Mason repeated. “What do you want me to say?”

“You’re supposed to give me advice!” Liam exclaimed, throwing his hands up. “You’re like – my gay Yoda or whatever! What do I do?”

“First of all, don’t pretend you’ve watched the movie.” Mason scoffed, crossing his arms. “And second of all – I don’t know! Corey made the first move on me!”

Liam groaned, burying his face in his hands, and Mason felt momentarily guilty. But it’s not like he had much experience in a friends-with-benefits-to-lovers situation!

“Okay, how often do you sleep with him?” Mason decided to start at the base of the issue – surely that could lead somewhere. Liam shot him a look. “What? It’s important. Answer.”

“I don’t know…” Liam bit his lip. “A lot?”

“How often is a lot?”

“Like, a couple times a week?”

“How many is a couple?” Mason narrowed his eyes, and Liam looked sheepish.

“Like six?”

“Liam, that is three couples!” Mason almost shouted, eyes wide. How and for why is Liam getting more action than him? “This guy must be an amazing lay.”

Liam’s face burned. “Uh… kinda?”

“What do you mean kinda?!” Mason threw his hands in the air, exasperated. “He must be a pretty good fuck for you to be crushing on him if he’s that bad of a person.”

“Okay fine.” Liam huffed. “He’s a pretty good… lay.”

“I see.” Mason smirked, lifting his hands up so they were palm-to-palm, before slowly bringing them apart. “I’m just gonna do this… and you tell me when to stop.”

Liam glared daggers at him, but Mason could only laugh, creating more and more distance between his hands and acting more and more surprised as he did. Unsurprisingly, Liam didn’t say anything, continuing to look unimpressed.

“Liam, you minx, really?!” Mason exclaimed, once his hands had reached a distance from each other that would be wildly unrealistic and definitely painful. “Wow, I know you aren’t interested, but if me and Corey are looking for a third maybe –”

“Absolutely not.” Liam snapped, and Mason grinned in response.

“Jealous…” he sing-songed, and laughed a little when Liam blushed. “Come on, Liam, this guy obviously likes you; otherwise, you wouldn’t sleep together so much.”

“You don’t know that!” the beta whined, and Mason swore he stomped his foot. “Maybe I’m just also a really good lay.”

Mason sent him a pointed look – it wasn’t like he didn’t believe Liam, but the boy had only been with Hayden, and sex with a man – it was very different.

“Shut up.” Liam huffed at him, noticing the look he was getting. “I just – what if he doesn’t and I’ve confessed for no reason? Then it’s ruined.”

“Maybe.” Mason shrugged apologetically. “But if you keep it up, it’s going to ruin you.”

Liam’s brow furrowed in confusion.

“Once you have feelings like this, it’ll never go back to the way it was,” Mason continued, and Liam looked down, like he understood. “You either confess and he likes you back, you become boyfriends and can fuck whenever you want, or he doesn’t and it ends. Those are the options.”

“I could just not tell him.”

“If you keep sleeping with him, you’re going to hurt yourself.” Mason frowned. He sounded a lot like a parent now. “Every time you fuck, all you’re going to think is how much you wish it was something else.”

Liam sighed, and he looked up at Mason with big eyes. “Why do you always have to be so smart? It’s really annoying.”

“It’s our thing.” Mason replied with a smile, putting his hand back on Liam’s shoulder. “You’re the strong beta werewolf with glowing eyes and fangs, and I’m smart.”

“I’d like to be the smart one for once.” It only sounded like half a joke.

“And I’m sure Corey would love for me to have fangs for once.” Mason winked, and that caused Liam to break, a grin forming over his face as he pretended to be disgusted.

“No more sex talk, please.” He whined, picking up the nearest pillow and throwing it at Mason. “I can’t speak about dick one more time.”

“Hey, you can’t pretend anymore, I know you’re a slut.” Mason chuckled, and Liam gasped in offense. “Sorry! Not my fault, it’s your sexy man with a huge dick’s fault.”

“I hate you.” But Liam was smiling.

“No, you don’t.” Mason grinned, leaning back in the chair. “If he rejects you, we can stay up all night and play Mario Kart.”

Liam seemed to think for a moment. “Will you buy that ice cream we like?”

“Obviously.” Mason scoffed. “But if he likes you back, I’m eating it all myself.”

Liam smiled, but Mason could sense his nerves.

God, he hoped this went well.

____________

Liam was having a crisis.

For the past months, he had been stressed out about Mason finding out about him and Theo, finding out he was hiding a secret that big from the person he was supposed to share everything with. He could only see Mason reacting badly.

And now he knew.

Well… sort of.

While it felt like a weight had been taken off his shoulders now that Mason knew that he was seeing a man, and hadn’t freaked the fuck out about it – surprisingly – there was still that little voice nagging in the back of his mind.

Maybe Mason was fine with him being – well, whatever he was – but for Theo? How would he react to that?

Of course, it did give him some relief that Scott now knew and wasn’t overreacting about it – for the most part, anyway – but Scott had always been ridiculously forgiving, giving out second chances willy-nilly and strictly following that ‘no killing’ rule. Mason wasn’t like that.

I mean, sure, he wasn’t about to abandon his moral compass and kill anyone, but he could definitely hold a grudge, and a passive-aggressive Mason was not something you want to deal with.

So that was reason number one for his crisis – the fact that Mason still didn’t know it was Theo he was seeing.

Reason number two was that Mason really knew his shit.

Liam knew he had a thing for Theo at this point; he knew what feelings felt like. But he’d kinda been in denial. If he didn’t say it out loud, it didn’t exist, and he could continue living his life without a care in the world.

But Mason was always right, and so, of course, he psychoanalysed Liam perfectly and not only exposed his obvious feelings for Theo but also made the excellent point that Liam couldn’t keep living like this.

He wanted to ignore Mason’s words, but it wasn’t that easy. Now that it was out there – Mason was right.

Every time Liam saw Theo, his heart would clench in pain – like, actual physical pain that Liam should probably get checked out because surely he didn’t like Theo THAT much.

They had only slept together once since Mason had confronted Liam, and it was literal torture.

Okay – not actually. It was really great, as usual, but Liam was inside his own head the whole time. He wanted more than that. He wanted Theo to kiss him again – outside of sex. He wanted to hold hands again, but talk about it this time, and go on dates that weren’t just having sex and weren’t hidden.

He wanted to be with Theo – god, what was wrong with him? Theo? Really?

Whatever, the point was that Liam was having a crisis. Keeping one secret from one person was easy enough – but then also keeping his feelings for Theo a secret? That was near impossible.

And that’s what led him to the lacrosse field that night.

Lacrosse had always been a sort of outlet for him. Scott used to run drills with him until he was out of breath and all his problems had disappeared.

But Scott wasn’t here, and for some reason, today it didn’t matter how many times he watched that ball soar into the goals – his problems were still there, an annoying prickle in the back of his mind.

He groaned out loud when the ball bounced off the goal and flew sideways, towards the trees that scattered the edges of the field. He was off his game today; if he played like this, Coach would revoke his potential captainship in a minute.

He wasn’t stupid enough to go wandering into the woods by himself at night in Beacon Hills (again), so he just picked up another ball and continued to throw it, focusing all his energy on what plagued his mind.

Mason – his best friend who loved him and cared for him, giving him advice on a subject Liam won’t even tell him about. How good of a friend was he if he wouldn’t even tell Mason who he was falling for?

God, Theo. A jerk, an asshole, literally used to be the enemy. With his stupid smile and his stupid smirk and his handsome face and hands – and his stupid kind gestures and confidence. Liam was so sick of how giddy and warm and soft he makes him feel – well, maybe not soft… but you get it.

He clenched his hand around his lacrosse stick – stupid Theo making him have these stupid feelings. Why couldn’t it just be simple?

He didn’t realize how angry he had gotten, but he noticed the loud tear as the ball he threw ripped through the back of the goal net and soared a few more metres, hitting the ground with a force that kicked up dirt.

His eyes widened in surprise, and he relaxed his arms. Even now, he was sometimes surprised by his own strength.

“Jesus, who got you all angry today?” It was a familiar voice that snapped him from his thoughts, and Liam turned on his heel in surprise.

Theo.

Of course, it was Theo walking towards him, arms crossed and his general smirk on his lips. Liam resisted rolling his eyes and ignored his heartbeat. This was so stupid.

“You.” He grumbled, looking at the ground now. The dirt seemed very interesting.

Theo raised an eyebrow. “Sorry?”

“Nothing.” Liam picked up another ball, deciding his best bet was to just continue what he was doing and ignore Theo to the best of his abilities. “What are you doing out here?”

“Firstly, I have wolf hearing, you know.” Theo strolled over, grinning now. “And secondly, I’m here because you only ever do this when you’re stressed, and you seem very goddamn stressed right now.”

Liam rolled his eyes, lining up and shooting the ball towards the goal, groaning in defeat when it missed again, smacking against one of the seats on the edge of the field. He winced when he heard plastic crack. He hoped the school had insurance.

“Okay, what is wrong with you?” Theo sounded annoyed now, and he walked closer to Liam, obviously not scared to have a ball hurled at his head. “Have I done something?”

Liam sighed, his shoulders slumping. “No…”

It was the truth, but it really didn’t feel like it. He felt guilt swirling in his stomach when he met Theo’s gaze. It wasn’t really his fault, even though it felt like it was.

“Are you sure?”

Liam huffed. Theo looked almost concerned, eyebrows furrowed like he was trying to read Liam’s mind, and god, Liam hoped he couldn’t – he’d probably call Eichen.

“I’m sure.” Liam sighed, which definitely wasn’t very convincing. Theo’s eyes were so sincere he was struggling not to look away. “I’ve just been… stressed.”

“About what?” Theo’s hand moved to his back, and Liam barely registered dropping his lacrosse stick. Theo’s fingers were cold – Liam could feel them through his shirt. The gesture was meant to be comforting – Liam assumed, of course; he wasn’t sure Theo knew how to comfort.

That was less of a lie, but still a push, considering none of his stress was actually getting out.

“Alright.” Theo sighed, and Liam wondered if he believed him or if he just gave up. “And how’s that working out for you?”

He looked pointedly at the ripped-up goal, and Liam felt his cheeks go red.

“Fine.”

Theo huffed a laugh at that, stepping closer again, so that their shoulders were touching. “You know you can talk to me, right?”

Theo was really not helping with Liam’s internal crisis right now, with his nice words and the stupid smile he now had on his stupid hot face. What did that mean??

“I know.” He sighed – but did he?

Theo didn’t answer with words; instead, he threw his arms over Liam’s shoulders in kind of a sideways hug. Liam froze for a moment, feeling Theo's warmth against him, the subtle scent of his cologne invading his senses. How could his hands be so cold, but his body so warm?

It was both comforting and unsettling at the same time.

Theo pulled back slightly, a small smirk on his face – Liam wasn’t sure if there was a reason for that, or if that was just his resting face, but either way, it caused red to spread over Liam’s cheeks and his heart to pound loudly in his chest. He hoped Theo couldn’t hear.

Apparently, his wishes weren’t answered, because Theo’s smirk deepened, and Liam felt his face go even hotter. Why did he like this guy again?

“Something funny?” he grumbled, crossing his arms over his chest, and Theo let out a small laugh.

“You’re just cute.” He teased, and that was going to kill Liam – that tone. “You get so flustered so easily.”

“Shut up.” Liam snapped in response, now feeling both flustered and mildly embarrassed for being called out. Why couldn’t Theo just be normal and ignore it? “You’re annoying.”

Theo pulled him closer, and Liam looked forward, pretending to be interested in the goal, but he could feel Theo’s eyes on the side of his face, his breath on his cheek.

“I think you like it.” He sing-songed, and Liam scoffed. “It’s okay; you can admit that you have feelings, you know.”

Contrary to Theo’s words, Liam did start to get a very strong feeling – anger. How could Theo just tease him, flirt with him, and make jokes about feelings? This was so unfair. Here he was, happy to joke and laugh, while Liam’s stupid heart was aching in his chest.

He turned towards Theo, probably to snap at him, or say some stupid rebuttal about how Theo makes him angry – he doesn’t remember, because Theo’s lips were on his again.

It was brief and soft, much like that time in his room weeks ago. A barely-there warm press of lips, where Theo pulled away grinning, and Liam’s heart jolted aggressively.

And it made him angry.

With a borderline growl, Liam pushed Theo away from him, the older boy’s eyes widening in surprise. How could he just play with his feelings like that?

His eyes felt hot, but Liam refused to cry in front of Theo.

“Stop doing that!” he snapped, clenching his fists together. Theo’s eyebrows furrowed. “Stop kissing me!”

“What?” Theo sounded so confused, but Liam couldn’t feel bad. His skin was vibrating. It wasn’t fair; this whole thing was Liam’s idea – why did Theo always have the upper hand? “Liam, I thought we – ”

“No!” he interrupted, and fuck – don’t cry. “You can’t keep kissing me like that.”

“Like what?” Now Theo was yelling, eyebrows furrowed.

“Like…” Liam huffed, throwing his hands in the air. “I don’t know… like – ”

“Like what?”

“Like it means something.”

The silence that fell upon them was deafening. Liam could feel his heartbeat in his ears – or maybe he was just hearing Theo’s. They locked eyes, Liam searching for something – anything.

Theo sighed. “Liam.” His voice was soft. “It always meant something.”

Liam groaned, running his hands through his hair in frustration. Why was he so stupid?

“Theo, I’m not talking about sex.” He snapped, angry now. “It doesn’t just mean sex to me.”

Theo frowned. “Liam –”

“No.” It was Liam’s turn to talk. This was it now; there was no turning back. He took a deep breath. “I know this is going to ruin it, and I don’t want to ruin it – obviously, I mean, I’m really enjoying it.”

“Liam –”

“Just let me finish.” He glared, and maybe his heart hurt a little, but he wasn’t ready for rejection yet. He needed his feelings out. “I know this will ruin it, but I can’t keep living like this – pretending that it means nothing when it means something to me.”

“Oh my god. Liam –”

“And it’s so stupid because this was my idea – the whole no-strings-attached thing – and I honestly thought that this wouldn’t be a problem. I mean, it’s you.” He paused. “No offense.”

Theo rolled his eyes. “Liam, if you’d just –”

“I just – I think I like you – like more than friends… are we too old to say I like-like you? We might be.” He took a breath. “Whatever, I like you, okay? And it’s more than friends, and more than what we are. I don’t want to have sex with you – well, not only sex. I definitely want to keep having sex…”

“Jesus Christ, Liam, please –”

“But I also want to do other stuff.” Liam was ignoring him now, stuck in his rant. “Like cuddle – yeah, I want to cuddle – and hold hands, and kiss like that but also go on dates, and I want you to meet my parents and –”

He was cut off by the feeling of Theo’s lips on his own, and his eyes widened. Theo was holding him close, like he was going to try and run – and he should, he really should.

But Liam really lacked self-control, so he kissed back, his body melting against Theo, hands finding his shoulders and pulling him impossibly close. At least he could savour this.

It lasted a minute, maybe more – Liam could never keep track of time when he was with Theo. Minutes morphed into hours when they were together, and before he knew it, Theo was usually pulling up his pants and leaving – much like Liam expected him to do after this.

He was wrong.

Theo pulled away slowly but kept his hold. They were so close, faces mere inches apart, Theo’s breath on Liam’s, his eyes sparkling with something unplaceable. Something kind.

“Liam.” He spoke slowly, as if worried Liam wouldn’t understand him. “It always meant something to me.”

And oh – Liam kind of understood him.

His heartbeat quickened, and Theo glanced at his chest, obviously having heard it. Liam blushed a little, but he didn’t look away. When Theo met his eyes again, he frowned.

“Always?” His voice cracked slightly – and wow, okay, I guess we are just being embarrassing today. “As in, you always…”

“Ever since you brought me back.” Theo hummed, his eyes were so serious, so sincere. “You make me insane, Liam.”

Liam’s face must have been red by now. This couldn’t be real. All this time he’d spent stressing out, anxious and losing sleep, and Theo felt the same? Wait, Theo felt the same. What did this even mean? Were they boyfriends now?

Why was it so much harder with men?

“You make me insane too.” He was trying to sound cool; it didn’t really work. “I mean – in a good way, obviously.”

Theo actually laughed at that, his smirk creeping back onto his face. “Glad to know you can feel more than just anger.”

Liam’s jaw dropped. “What? You can’t just say that cheesy shit and then be a dick, that’s not fair!”

“Cheesy shit?” Theo raised an eyebrow in amusement, but he tucked Liam’s hair behind his ear affectionately. “I’m not the one who just confessed my undying love for you, sweetheart.”

“I did not say I love you.” Liam grumbled, because what else was he supposed to say. “You’re the one who’s liked me for so long.”

“And I question myself every day.” But he was smiling, and Liam thought it was ironic, considering he had actually been questioning himself for the past couple weeks. “But there’s just something about you that makes me want to –”

“If you say something sexual right now, I swear to god.”

“I was going to say ‘make you my boyfriend,’ but okay, I won’t say it.” Theo grinned, and Liam’s eyes widened.

“Oh…” he trailed off, hopeful. “Really?”

“No, I was going to say something sexual.” Theo admitted, shrugging, and Liam raised an eyebrow, unimpressed. “But like, now that I’ve said it… you wanna?”

It was very rare that Liam heard Theo sound unsure about something. The last time had been months ago when he was new to the whole ‘pack’ thing. He was shy to make suggestions and always had this lilt to his voice whenever he did – like he was worried what people would say, whether or not they’d reject him.

This was that same lilt.

It made Liam smile, that his feelings were that strong.

And then he smirked.

“Do I wanna what?” he asked, tilting his head in faux confusion, eyes innocent. “I don’t think I understand the question, could you repeat?”

“God, you are so annoying.” Theo rolled his eyes, obviously annoyed, and Liam couldn’t help but chuckle. “Do you want to be my boyfriend or not?”

“Well, when you put it so romantically, how can I say no?” Liam grinned, and then, as if he wasn’t blushing down to his chest and his heart wasn’t beating faster than medically possible, he leaned forward and pressed a chaste kiss against Theo’s lips. “Sounds good.”

Theo looked surprised for a moment, and Liam smiled bashfully. Obviously, he hadn’t expected Liam to kiss him, but the younger liked catching Theo off guard – it was so rare that he got the chance.

“Well then.” Theo recovered quickly, grinning from ear to ear very unsubtly. “Am I allowed to kiss you now? You know, now that we are boyfriends.”

Liam shrugged, feigning nonchalance. “I guess.”

And when Theo’s lips met his, something was different. He felt lighter, like a huge weight had been lifted off his shoulders. Like Theo had taken it away.

He pulled the older man closer, just to make sure it wasn’t a dream.

He couldn’t remember why he had been stressed in the first place.

___________

Mason was very stressed.

Something was definitely wrong with Liam. They were supposed to meet over two hours ago to go bowling, and he hadn’t shown. At first, he thought Liam had just forgotten again, then he had checked his location – why was he at the school? – he called and texted… nothing.

He glanced down at his phone again as he got out of his car in the Beacon Hills High School car park. It was chilly outside, and dark aside from the lights around the school. The front entrance was – as expected at this time of night – locked, a chain and padlock over the handles keeping it shut.

Mason supposed he should be happy to see that they had upgraded their security slightly – but you’d think after everything they would at least have a security guard walking around. Apparently not.

Now, Mason knew Liam had been stressed lately – what with his new and confusing feelings for a man who he still refused to tell Mason about. So it wasn’t all that weird for his location to be the lacrosse field; he was just hoping Liam’s phone was on silent. He was so forgetful sometimes.

However, his heart sank as he ran onto the field. No sign of Liam anywhere – or anyone, for that matter – but all of the lights were on, and Mason was sure that they hadn’t just been left on by accident. Someone had been here recently.

He looked around, and his eyes widened when they landed on Liam’s lacrosse stick, lying on the ground. Liam never forgot his lacrosse stick.

Then he saw the ripped net of the goal – and Liam’s phone lying on the grass as well. His heartbeat picked up, and he dialed Corey’s number. This was not good.

“Hello?” Corey sounded groggy, like he had been sleeping – or maybe studying. “Mase?”

“Corey, I’m freaking out right now.” Mason knew the panic was evident in his voice. He scanned the tree line; there must be something out there. “I can’t find Liam. His phone is abandoned on the lacrosse field and – ”

“Whoa, calm down.” His boyfriend spoke through the phone. “Have you checked in the school? Maybe he went for a shower or something?”

“The school is locked up.” Mason argued in response, running his hands through his hair nervously. “Something happened, I – ”

He froze, eyes falling on the back entrance to the school. One of the two doors was open slightly, creaking in the wind, the chain and padlock laid on the ground.

“Mason?” Corey’s voice broke him out of his thoughts. “What’s wrong?”

“Someone broke into the school.” His voice was barely a whisper. What if whatever it was happened to still be out here? In there? He took a breath. No. This was Liam. Liam could be in there right now, seconds away from death, bleeding out while being beat up by some kind of monster or troll or ogre or something. “I’m going in.”

“Mason, that is a horrible idea!” And while Mason kept the phone to his ear, he ignored his boyfriend’s words, slowly making his way towards the doors.

When he was a little closer, he could see the chain had been broken. Something – or someone – had to be strong enough to break solid metal, and Mason could only think of one thing that meant.

“I think it’s supernatural.” His voice was soft – scared – but he powered through, slowly pushing the door and wincing at the creaking. “Corey, if anything happens to me –”

“Nothing is going to happen.” Corey was insistent. “Mason, I’m texting Scott and I’ll be there in ten minutes, don’t –”

“Don’t call Scott.” His voice was so loud in the quiet of the school hallway. “It’s the middle of the night, and he’s hours away.”

“Mason –”

“Wait.” Silence fell over him – well, almost silence – there was a noise coming from the locker room, clanging and panting like some kind of beast. Mason approached. “I hear something.”

“Don’t follow the noise!” Corey sounded frantic now, and angry, but Mason was reaching for the doorknob, ignoring the beating of his heart. It didn’t matter what it was; he wasn’t going to stand by while Liam got hurt – or killed. “Mason, I’m serious.”

Mason didn’t respond, taking a deep breath. This was it.

He twisted the doorknob slowly, pushing the door open with his shoulder and thanking whatever god was out there that its hinges weren’t creaking.

The locker room was dimly lit, and Mason didn’t have wolf sight, so he squinted slightly to see better. He scanned the room for any sign of Liam, eyes falling on his friend’s shirt, slung over one of the benches, a rip across the front. He paled.

The sounds were still going behind the lockers – groaning and panting. Mason recognized his friend’s pain – or what he thought was pain – anywhere.

“Mason, don’t do anything stupid, I beg you.” He had almost forgotten he was holding his phone to his ear. “You will hurt yourself.”

“Shhh.” He shushed, ignoring Corey completely.

Without a sound, he crept around the corner, preparing himself for the worst-case scenario…

Never in a million years could he have ever predicted the sight he laid his eyes on. No psychic or philosopher could’ve convinced him that he would be forced to consume this image on a random Wednesday night at his high school.

For there, in the corner of the locker room, was his best friend half-naked, pushed against a locker, and in what Mason could best describe as a passionate embrace… with  Theo Raeken.

“What the fuck!?” He slapped his hand over his mouth, but it was too late; the boys had heard the noise. He had never seen two people jump away from each other so quickly – and he was going to pretend Theo did NOT just rip his hand from Liam’s pants.

“Corey…” Mason breathed into the phone. He could feel his heartbeat in his ears. “Don’t text Scott – I found him.”

He then hit the hang-up button before Corey could even respond, and promptly dropped his phone onto the ground next to him, his hands suddenly deciding they didn’t know how to work.

It was silent for a moment. Mason knew he looked shocked, eyes wide and face red simply from the absolute surprise he was feeling – paired with seeing your best friend tongue one of your worst enemies, of course.

“Mason…” It was Liam who spoke finally, and his face was the reddest Mason had ever seen it, one hand reaching out toward him but not daring to move, the other covering his chest like he had any semblance of modesty. “Listen, I –”

“Nope.” Mason shook his head, holding up one hand in a silencing motion. He glanced at Theo – fucking Theo – standing awkwardly off to the side, arms crossed over his own bare chest, and damn, had Theo always been ripped? – no. No distractions. “I’m going to need you to shut up. I have a lot of thoughts… I need a minute.”

The silence that settled then wasn’t exactly uncomfortable – not for Mason anyway – his head too filled with ‘what the fuck do I say?’ for him to feel awkward. Liam, on the other hand, looked very uncomfortable and slightly cold, standing there shirtless and staring at the floor.

At least Theo had the decency to put his shirt back on – which, Mason thought for a moment, was mildly unfortunate, but did remind Mason of the conversation he and Liam had had, mere nights ago.

His eyes widened further, mouth gaping open, and when Liam met his eyes, his ears were red as well.

“I was talking about  Theo Raeken’s dick??” he shouted, and Liam looked down guiltily. Theo looked both very confused and mildly amused. “I didn’t want to know about Theo Raeken’s dick! You forced me to talk about  Theo Raeken’s dick!”

“I did not force you!” Liam shouted back, but he still sounded nervous. “You kept asking me to talk about it! you said you needed the details!”

“What was I supposed to do? You kept telling me about this ‘great lay’ that you had with this guy and it was – fucking Theo Raeken!?” God, Mason was shocked – Liam, amazing, kind, caring Liam – and the guy who ripped his sister’s heart out. “I can’t believe you’ve been sucking Theo Raeken’s dick!”

“Can I ask how many times you talked about my dick?” Theo butted in, holding his hand up in question, he cowered a little when he was met with two separate – but equally annoyed – glares. “Okay, never mind, we’ll revisit that.”

“I can’t –” Mason took a breath, and when he and Liam met eyes again, he found that he only really felt one thing – anger. “I can’t believe that you are sleeping with Theo Raeken.”

“We’re actually boyfriends now.” That was Theo again, but he shut up with another pointed glare. “Sorry, sorry, just thought it was important to the story.”

“I’m sorry.” Liam had lowered his voice now, his eyes full of guilt. “I should have told you. I just knew you’d be upset and I – ”

“Of course I’m upset, Liam.” Mason frowned. “This is Theo – he has hurt so many people. Me, Corey, he killed Scott, for God’s sake. Never mind all the families of the teenagers he helped with killing!”

“He’s different now!” Liam argued, gesturing as he spoke. “He’s changed – he’s saved my life more times than I can remember, he helped us with the Wild Hunt and the hunters – he risked his life for all of us.”

“He also ripped his sister’s heart out of her body.” Mason glanced at Theo, who was looking down now, something unfamiliar in his eyes. “He has done so much wrong, Liam – how can you just forgive that –"

“I haven’t!” Liam was shouting now, obviously angry. “I have not just forgiven that, Mason. I am giving him a second chance because all people deserve it! He is not a monster, he is kind and sweet and caring, and if he could take back everything he did, he would in a heartbeat.”

“You don’t know that.” Okay, Liam probably did, probably because Theo told him that, but then again, as Mason would reiterate – how do they even know they can trust Theo? “How can you trust him so easily?”

“Easily? You think I just randomly decided the dick was too good and I was going to ignore everything that happened in the past?” Liam scoffed. “It took months for me to even accept the idea that Theo isn’t a bad guy anymore. Trust takes time, and we are still building it even now!”

Mason was honestly flabbergasted. Liam was obviously very passionate about this, and he couldn’t believe it. Liam was defending the guy who had aided in murder! Murder! That was insane. As far as Mason knew, Liam hated Theo.

And now here he was, basically pouring his heart out about why Theo is the best person ever in the world.

“I don’t believe this.” He frowned, taking a step back. He didn’t want to talk anymore; he was just so confused – and hurt. “I can’t believe you’re defending him right now! You hate him!”

“I love him!” Liam shouted back, and Mason barely missed Theo flinch off to the side. His own shock must’ve been obvious, because Liam continued. “And I love you – why can’t you just be happy for me? You said all you want is for me to be happy!”

Mason shook his head in disbelief. “What did you expect from me?” he asked, voice soft. “Did you expect me to welcome him in with open arms? He helped in killing people, Liam. Tracy, Gabe, Corey, and hundreds of others!”

Liam frowned at that, and Mason couldn’t tell whether it was because of the harsh subjects or because he was realizing the extent of Theo’s actions.

He didn’t want to find out.

With a scoff, he leaned down and picked his phone up, turning slightly on his heel to get the fuck out of there. He risked a look at Liam over his shoulder, and his eyebrows furrowed when he saw his friend looking torn – like he didn’t know whether to follow him or stay here with Theo.

Mason scoffed again. “I thought you were better than this.”

And then he was gone, his brain racing with thoughts as he rushed out of the locker room, breathing heavily as he tried to process everything.

He shook his head in disbelief. They were supposed to be the good guys, and here Liam was with the guy who could betray them all at any moment.

This was just something he couldn’t understand.

__________

“I don’t get it, why can’t he just understand.” Liam flopped back onto the concrete behind him, staring up at the stars with a frown. “I would get it if I was him!”

Theo shifted beside him. He had been mostly silent so far as Liam ranted at him about Mason, just staring over the expanse of the woods, listening carefully. Liam thought he’d butt in at some point, as he usually did, but he hadn’t yet.

He tilted his head slightly, peering at the other boy. He could barely make out the frown on his face from this angle, but the shift of his jaw told Liam he was frustrated.

“What’s wrong?” he asked, lifting himself up so he was leaning back, weight on his arms. “You don’t think I would get it if I was him?”

Theo turned to him with a sigh, and it’s moments like these that Liam remembers why he chose to be with the boy. He looked so beautiful like this – the moon a light on his face, his head surrounded by stars. He looked soft in Liam’s hoodie, and Liam loved him best like this, the way he only was around him. He smiled a little to himself.

“Of course not, you’re like the most forgiving person I know, aside from Scott, maybe.” He grinned, but Liam could sense the edge, raising an eyebrow at him. “I guess I just don’t understand why you care.”

“Why I care about what?” Liam tilted his head in confusion, trying to pinpoint what exactly Theo meant. “Mason?”

“I mean, kinda… yeah.” Theo shrugged, like he hadn’t just told Liam he shouldn’t care about his best friend. “I mean, obviously he doesn’t accept you for who you are, so he can fuck off.”

“I’m not sure it’s me he isn’t accepting…” Liam trailed off, and Theo raised a challenging brow. “Okay, regardless, he’s my best friend. I’m not going to just ditch him.”

“But he ditched you.” Now Theo looked genuinely confused, and Liam sighed.

“He didn’t ditch me… well, not yet.” Liam argued, now sitting up fully so he was next to Theo again, body facing towards him as he spoke. “But either way, it doesn’t matter how long it takes, he’s my best friend. I’m sure he’ll come around eventually.”

He didn’t think he sounded so sure.

“What if he never does?” Okay, obviously Theo picked up on his uncertainty.

“He will.” Liam was trying to convince himself as well. He looked up at the sky with a slight frown. “He wouldn’t ditch me over this. That’s not how friendship works. We won’t ditch each other.”

“Oh.” Liam glanced at his boyfriend, who was staring over the reserve again, his features set in something Liam couldn’t quite place – but he looked almost sad. “I guess I don’t really know that much about having friends, hey?”

Liam felt his heart ache at that, sadness washing over him. He hadn’t even thought about that – the fact that he was probably the only thing Theo considered a friend, and he wasn’t even that. He couldn’t imagine being without Mason. And Theo had been alone his entire life… okay. Now he was trying not to cry.

He turned fully so he was facing Theo, pulling his legs up under himself so he could sit closely, a hand coming to rest on his leg.

“You have friends,” he argued. “I’m sure Scott thinks of you as a friend by now, and Derek – he lets you borrow his car and stay in his loft! That’s friendship! And Stiles just needs to get his brain screwed on right and – ”

“They don’t see me as a friend.” Theo smiled sadly at him, placing a hand over Liam’s.

“But they will.” Liam insisted, staring at Theo’s face, urging him to meet his eyes. “Building friendship takes time.”

“But after all the shit I’ve done – ”

“Doesn’t matter to real friends.” Liam interrupted, brow furrowed. Theo looked focused, his eyes distant. “Real friends don’t care what you’ve done in the past. They stick by you no matter what and always have your back.”

Theo didn’t say anything, his breathing soft, and Liam sighed, turning himself toward the preserve as well before continuing.

“That’s why it’s so important that Mason gets over this.” He sighed, now mostly talking to himself. “Because I need him. He’s my best friend. I can’t imagine what life would be like without him.”

He looked up at the sky and remembered when he and Mason used to lie on the grass in Mason’s backyard and find the constellations. It became a competition – one Mason always won, and even when Liam did… he knew Mason had let him.

“Eight years…” he trailed off. “I never imagined he would react like this – I mean, I can’t say I’m super surprised. I knew it would be bad, but – ”

He took a deep breath.

“I’ve never seen him that upset.” He mumbled, now looking down at his lap. “I was worried he would make me choose, right there and then.”

Theo didn’t respond for a moment, a silence settling over them.

“What would you choose?” Theo’s voice broke the quiet, and Liam jumped a little at the suddenness. Theo looked stoic, concentrated on the trees. “If he did?”

Who would he choose? Between Mason and Theo?

Liam didn’t speak, looking back down at his hands guiltily.

Apparently, that was enough of an answer for Theo, and without another word, Liam watched him stand and turn away.

It was so quick that by the time Liam had lifted himself up off the ground, Theo was in his car.

“Theo, wait – ” he tried, but it was too late. The older boy was driving away, tires screeching so loudly in the silence of the reserve.

Then he was there alone. In silence.

He fell to the ground, his face felt hot.

What was wrong with him? Why didn’t he just answer? Why didn’t he just tell Theo that he wanted a world where he didn’t even need to think about who he would choose?

Was he so selfish for wanting both his boyfriend and his best friend in his life?

It didn’t matter now.

He was stupid.

And now he didn’t have either.

__________

It was close to midnight when Mason was woken up by the sound of an angry tapping on his window, and he jolted awake in fear and confusion.

It was possible Corey was coming over for a late-night visit – but usually, he would let Mason know in advance… And also use the front door.

He listened for a minute, and when he heard nothing else, he sighed and turned over. Another anxious dream. He had been having them since the incident on Friday.

Just as he was about to drift off, there was another tap, and another, and another. And Mason jolted up, now annoyed at whoever was trying to get his attention.

He stumbled towards his window and pulled open the curtain, squinting as he peered into the dark night.

There was a figure standing on the grass in his backyard, and once Mason’s eyes adjusted to the dark, he came fully into view.

Why the fuck was Theo Raeken throwing rocks at his window at 11:48 at night?

With a huff, he pulled his window open, shivering as the cold air brushed against his arms. He should’ve put on a jumper, but he didn’t realize he would be opening his window.

“What do you want?” he spoke quietly, as to not wake his parents, knowing that Theo could hear him. “I don’t want to see you. Leave me alone.”

“That’s not happening.” Theo’s voice was gruff, and he sounded annoyed, like he had already had this argument in his mind. “Let me in or I’m breaking down your door.”

Mason frowned in annoyance. “I don’t really feel like letting an actual murderer into my home, thanks.”

But it was too late, because in a flash Theo had somehow managed to jump onto his roof, and was now standing directly outside Mason’s window, staring down at him exasperatedly.

“I promise I’ll leave. I didn’t come here to hurt you.” He sighed, crossing his arms, but Mason wasn’t so sure. He was sure Theo had told a million lies in his life. He was probably pretty good at it. “This isn’t about us – it’s about Liam.”

Mason rolled his eyes. Right, Liam. His best friend who had gone behind his back and started dating an estranged psychopath without telling him about it. His best friend who he had been trying not to text for the past three days.

“I don’t want to talk about Liam.” He scoffed, and Theo quirked an eyebrow. It occurred to Mason the boy was probably listening in to his heartbeat. “And don’t use those werewolf powers on me. I’ve seen what else you’ve done with them.”

Theo’s face fell – first into what looked like sadness, then quickly flashing to anger, his eyebrows furrowing as he narrowed his gaze. Mason felt both proud that he had managed to piss Theo off, and scared at what Theo might do to him now. He had seen him angry before, seconds before carnage.

“Listen, we can have this conversation through your window if you want. I don’t give a fuck.” He seethed, obviously mad now. “But we need to have a serious talk.”

Mason took a step back, mostly at the sound of the anger in Theo’s voice, but the older boy obviously took it as an invitation, climbing through the window and situating himself in Mason’s bedroom before closing the glass behind him.

Mason was glad the breeze was gone, but now he felt a different type of chill – the kind that came with a psycho standing in your bedroom looking pissed off. He had no idea what Theo wanted, but he imagined it wasn’t good.

“What do you want?” He glared, trying to come off as intimidating as possible. He thought of the baseball bat beside his bed. He could defend himself. “I’ll call Scott.”

At this, Theo actually rolled his eyes. “God, Mason, it shocks me how someone so smart can’t fathom the thought of someone changing.”

Mason was frozen in place. He had heard Theo say he changed before – he kept his guard up.

“So what? You helped Scott out a couple times, maybe you saved Liam’s life. That doesn’t make up for all the horrible shit you’ve done.” He whisper-shouted, conscious of his parents. “You only helped them because Liam was the only thing standing between you and literal hell.”

“You have no idea what you’re talking about.” Theo crossed his arms but stayed where he was. “And here I thought you, of all people, would understand that with the Dread Doctors, no decision is really your own.”

Mason blinked, mind going to his boyfriend – following the orders of Theo, being captured and experimented on by the Dread Doctors, standing by while innocent lives were lost.

“Corey is different.” He argued. “He didn’t have a choice, and he did change sides.”

“I wasn’t talking about Corey.” Theo took a step closer. “The Beast of Gévaudan killed more innocent people than us Chimeras combined, remember?”

Mason’s stomach dropped – flashes of nightmares going through his mind, claws ripping bodies in half, blood spattered through sewers, waking up in a cold sweat because the dreams just felt so real, and there was dirt under his nails.

“I didn’t know –” he started, but he was lost for words. “I didn’t –”

“You didn’t have a choice, I know.” Theo’s voice was calmer now, but Mason wasn’t scared anymore. “I know that I did, and looking back I can see all of the choices and chances I had to make things right.”

He took a breath.

“But at the time, when I was a kid, three grown men whispering in my ear that I was meant for greatness – that all I had to do was whatever they told me and I would have a family, power, money, everything I would ever need…” he trailed off. “And when I saw what they did to people? It didn’t feel like I had much of a choice.”

Now, don’t get him wrong, Mason didn’t like Theo. He never had and he imagined he never fully would – but that imagery... Young Theo, clutching his chest while he watched the doctors cut open other kids, inject strangers, and kill innocent people.

He wondered what he would do… he wondered if he would feel like he had the choice to run.

“That doesn’t matter anyway.” Theo looked away, and Mason swore he saw the sparkle of tears on his waterline, but it was gone in an instant. “It doesn’t matter what you think of me, or what I think of you.”

He moved his hands into his pockets, and Mason realized with a shock that he had been standing very still. He wiggled his fingers to make sure he could still feel them. He knew his heart was beating quickly, and he knew Theo could probably hear it, but he pretended not to care.

“What do you want then?” His voice cracked slightly, but Theo didn’t comment. Mason’s brain was flooded with questions – for Theo, and for himself. “You’ve pretty much broken into my house in the middle of the night, I imagine it’s not just to remind me of my trauma?”

“It’s about Liam.” Theo sighed. He looked down, this time like he was nervous. “I need you to forgive him.”

Mason’s eyebrows shot up to his hairline. That was definitely the last thing he expected. “Forgive him?”

“Yeah.” The older boy hummed, still not meeting Mason’s gaze. “He cares about you a lot, and it’s very obvious that he needs you in his life, and I know you don’t want to hurt him.”

“He lied to me.” Mason started in response, though he didn’t feel anger – mostly confusion. Had Liam sent Theo? Or had the boy come on his own accord? “He betrayed my trust. Why should I forgive him?”

“Because if you think of him how he thinks of you, then you care more about him than most other people in this world.” Theo sighed. “He’s suffering without you. He needs his best friend back.”

“I don’t know…” he trailed off, but his heart ached at Theo’s words. “This is a pretty big deal. You hurt me – and a lot of other people. I don’t see how he can like – ”

“Forget how you feel about me.” The older boy held up a hand in silence, which honestly was a little annoying. “You have two options.”

“Great, an ultimatum from Theo Raeken.” Mason rolled his eyes. “Just what I need.”

Theo sent him a pointed glare. “You can either forgive him now and let him be happy – me and you can never speak again if that’s what you want – as long as you are his best friend, and I’m his boyfriend. Or – ”

“You’ll rip my throat out?”

“I’ll break up with him.”

Mason froze at the words, brow furrowing further. “Not that I’m against it…” he crossed his arms. “But why would you do that?”

“Because Liam needs his best friend back in his life. He can’t live without you.” Theo stated, like it was a fact, and Mason hoped it was, because that’s how he felt about Liam. “He needs you in his life more than he needs me.”

“But he loves you.” He definitely sounded silly now – pretty much defending Theo and Liam’s relationship when he was so against it. He just couldn’t understand why Theo would hurt Liam like that. “That will just – ”

“Break his heart? Yeah, I know.” Theo sighed deeply, and Mason thought it wasn’t only Liam who would be hurt. “He needs you back, no matter what. Its up to you how much pain it causes.”

Mason’s eyes widened, a million emotions running through his mind.

Why was Theo offering to destroy his own relationship for the sake of him and Liam’s? In what world does Theo Raeken give up anything that he wants for others – especially others he barely knows?

He glanced down at his nails. Clean.

Maybe people could change?

“I’ll give you time to think about it.” Theo turned back toward the window, Mason suspected to hide his face, his voice cracking slightly. “But you don’t have much. Either way, you’ll forgive him. Apparently, friendship is about loving people no matter what.”

He opened the window, and Mason stood, frozen still, as Theo finally met his eyes.

“I want nothing but happiness for Liam – and that means you.” He stated, eyes so serious. “If I have to give him up for him to be happy, I will.”

He took a deep breath.

“But that’s on you.”

And then he was gone.

Mason fell to his bed, eyes still stuck on the window that Theo had graciously closed behind him. He remembered drawing smiley faces in the fog on it with Liam when they were kids, and he remembered Liam throwing a ball through it when he was angry.

Liam had cried, and Mason had told his mom it was him.

He fell onto his back.

He knew the decision was already made.

___________

Liam didn’t know who he expected to be knocking on his door at two in the morning when he was curled up on the couch, eyes red and puffy, watching God knows what on TV to distract himself from his issues – but it was not Mason.

It was a little bit embarrassing, to be honest. Liam was shirtless, the pyjama pants he had been wearing for the past four days were hazardously thrown on. He was sure he looked a wreck – hair greasy and smelling like the lasagna his mother forced him out of bed to eat.

And then there was Mason, in jeans and a T-shirt, looking calm and clean, like he hadn’t had his heart wrenched from his body by the two people he loved most.

(If he had looked closer, maybe he would’ve seen the sweat from sprinting over on Mason’s brow, or the stains from yesterday’s takeout on his T-shirt, the red lines in his eyes.)

“What are you – ” Liam’s voice cracked. Mason’s face was serious, and he was sure this was it – the talk he was dreading. “Why are you here?”

“I wanted to talk to you.” Mason’s voice was soft, and Liam could hear the rasp to it. Had he just woken up? “I’m sorry I left it so long.”

Liam wished he had left it longer. He certainly wasn’t ready for this.

“I’m sorry.” The words were out of his mouth before he could stop them. “I’m sorry for everything, I’m a horrible friend and I never should’ve lied and I’ll never do it again, just please – ”

He bit his lip. He refused to start crying right now. That would be a sight – a shirtless werewolf crying in his doorway at two in the morning. He hoped his parents didn’t come downstairs; they would be more concerned than they already were.

“Just please don’t leave me. I don’t know what I’d do without you.” Shit, those were definitely tears he could taste as they streamed down to his lips. “I’ll do anything.”

At that, Mason finally, finally moved. He let out a sigh, shoulders slumping like he was preparing for something. Liam really hoped it wasn’t something bad.

“Can I come in?” Okay, that was unexpected, but Liam couldn’t do much else, so he nodded, standing to the side and letting Mason walk into his living room.

They situated themselves on the couch, side by side, but further apart than they would usually be. Liam was reminded that just a few days ago, he and Theo were sat here, laughing and cuddling and watching a movie, and a week before, he and Mason had stayed up all night playing video games.

He felt empty now.

Mason fiddled with his hands, eyes not meeting Liam’s, who stared at the side of his face, trying to decipher what he was thinking.

“I didn’t come here to end our friendship.” Mason said when he finally spoke. His voice was sincere. “I want to – God, I’m trying to find the right way to put this.”

“Could you find it, please?” It was meant to be joking; it came across desperate again. Liam could feel his eyes welling more. “You may not have noticed, but I’m kinda having some emotional turmoil here.”

Luckily, Mason huffed a laugh, and Liam smiled slightly, hopeful.

“Sorry, sorry.” He sighed. “Let me start again.”

“Okay.”

“When I… was the Beast of Gévaudan, I couldn’t tell what I was doing.” And okay, this wasn’t the place Liam thought this was going, but whatever. “But I woke up every morning with dirt under my nails and – blood on my legs… and I didn’t do anything about it.”

Liam furrowed his eyebrows. “But you weren’t in control.” He argued – he remembered the place Mason was in after the incident. He didn’t want his friend to blame himself. “You were under – ”

“Let me finish.” And considering Liam had been lying to him for months, he decided to close his mouth. “I know I was under the control of the Dread Doctors, and I know I wasn’t myself.” He breathed in. “But I knew something was happening that I couldn’t explain, and I knew the dreams I was having, and yet – ”

His voice broke off, and Liam thought his eyes looked watery. His chest swelled; he didn’t know Mason was suffering all this time.

“I didn’t say anything – to you or Scott or anyone else – and that’s my responsibility.” He looked up and met Liam’s eyes. For a moment, he looked the most vulnerable Liam had ever seen him. “I could’ve helped, but I didn’t, and there’s not a day that goes by that I don’t wish I could go back and change that.”

“But – ”

“But I can’t.” He shot Liam a look, and the other boy closed his mouth again. Mason paused for a second before continuing. “I can’t change what I did in the past. I can only change what I do now, and what I do going forward.”

Liam thought of Theo, full of regret, and realised maybe he and Mason were similar in some way.

“What I’m saying is…” he blinked slowly. “I know Theo regrets what he did, and I know he is changing – that he has changed already – and I can’t hold his mistakes against him, ‘cause it’s not like you’ve ever held mine against me.”

Liam waited a second before replying, mostly because he didn’t want to get scolded again.

“Mason…” he trailed off. The other boy was looking at his hands again now, fiddling. “You weren’t in control back then – you don’t have to excuse Theo just because – ”

“I’m not excusing his behaviour.” Mason interrupted. “I’m just saying – I think I can forgive him for what he’s done.”

Liam wanted to say it was too late.

“I want what’s best for you, and while I don’t really understand it…” he looked up at Liam again, this time with a small smile. “I think he makes you happy – happier than I’ve seen you since… well, Hayden.”

At that moment, Liam couldn’t even be upset about Theo not returning his calls. The smile on Mason’s face, the sincerity in which he said it – Liam felt his heart swell and his eyes water again.

“Does this mean we can still be friends?” His eyes were red, but he was grinning.

Mason huffed a laugh. “I’m pretty sure there would be paperwork involved if we stopped at this point.”

Liam laughed back, wrapping an arm around Mason’s shoulder and bringing him in for a side hug. He couldn’t remember why he was so stressed anymore. Of course Mason would come around – they were best friends. That’s what they did.

When they pulled away, Mason placed a more serious hand on his shoulder, and Liam’s brows furrowed in confusion.

“I’m sorry you felt like you had to lie to me.” He looked guilty now, as if Liam hadn’t been the one who kept a huge secret from him. “And I’m sorry for freaking out – I just was shocked and didn’t know how to deal with it. I mean… it’s Theo.”

At his name, Liam looked down at his own hands.

“Don’t apologize, I shouldn’t have lied. That’s on me.” He sighed before meeting Mason’s eyes again with a sad smile. “On the bright side, you don’t have to worry about Theo anymore.”

Mason’s eyebrows raised in confusion. “What do you mean?”

Liam looked back down, trying to keep his composure.

“I think I ruined it.” His voice broke, and tears stung in his eyes. “I was just upset about the whole thing with you, and I got caught up and… I made him feel unloved.”

Mason’s eyes softened, and he brought an arm up to wrap around Liam’s shoulder gently, as if worried he would break.

“You didn’t ruin it.” He sounded almost guilty, but Liam didn’t notice – he was trying not to turn into a blubbering mess over a boy right now. “Theo just wants the best for you. He loves you, Liam.”

“How do you know?” He was definitely crying now, but that was his own business.

“Because…” Mason trailed off, not meeting Liam’s eye. “He’s the one who told me to talk to you.”

Liam looked up, eyes wide. Why would Theo go to Mason after Liam had basically chosen Mason over him? Why would he go to Mason, who he knows hates him, just for Liam?

The tears streamed down his face, hot.

“He cares about you a lot,” Mason continued, now rubbing circles on Liam’s back. “He probably wanted to give you space, you know? For us to figure out our shit.”

Liam wiped his tears with the palm of his hand. His brain wasn’t processing the information he was being given.

Theo went to Mason… for Liam.

Liam chose Mason, and Theo let him. He made Mason choose him back.

Theo didn’t hate him…

He was just a fucking horrible communicator.

“What the fuck.” Liam muttered under his breath, his heart clenching at the idea that Theo had convinced Mason to talk to him after Mason basically verbally abusing him in the change rooms. “God, he’s actually such a good guy.”

“I know, I was surprised too.” Mason smiled softly. “I’m sorry I took so long. I imagine he wouldn’t have ignored you for so long if I’d talked to you straight away… I just needed a minute.”

“No, it’s okay, I get it.” Liam couldn’t help the smile that formed on his face – he was a little bit giddy. His friend and his boyfriend were okay. Everything was going to be okay. “I have to go find him.”

He went to rise off the couch, but Mason caught his arm.

“It’s two in the morning.” He deadpanned, pulling Liam to sit back down and rolling his eyes when the other boy frowned. “Are you really going to walk around Beacon Hills looking for him in the middle of the night? That’s so dangerous!”

Liam raised an eyebrow. “I’m a werewolf.”

“Oh, and that means you can’t get molested?” Mason shot back, an eyebrow of his own raised. “Being a werewolf doesn’t make you immortal, dumbass. Go to sleep, you can find him in the morning.”

Liam crossed his arms over his chest but didn’t protest. At Mason’s words, his eyelids started to feel heavy, the soft lull of the TV fading into the distance.

“Okay, fine, only ‘cause you’re so bossy.” He frowned, crossing his arms over his chest. “But I’m finding him first thing in the morning.”

“Good idea.” The other boy grinned, standing up and collecting the rubbish from the table around him. “Maybe have a shower before bed, I’ll clean up here while you do.”

Liam frowned, standing up now. “No, I’ll clean up here. You go home, get some sleep yourself – I caused this mess.”

“Liam.” Mason placed his hands on his hips, looking eerily similar to Liam’s own mother in that moment. “I’m not trying to be nice – Jenna will kill you if the living room looks like this tomorrow, and you look like you’re about to pass out.”

“At least let me – ” He moved closer to Mason, hoping to grab the chip bag out of his hand, but the other boy raised his palm.

“Stop it, you reek.” Now that was just hurtful. Liam pouted. “I’m serious, I’ll clean up here, you go shower. If you smell like that when you see Theo tomorrow, then he might break up with you for real.”

Liam lifted his arm and breathed in and – oh. Yeah, that’s not good.

“Fine, but it’s not that bad.” He crossed his arms, arguing even though he knew Mason was right. “But promise you’ll go home after? I don’t want you getting no sleep because of me.”

“Yes, yes, I promise I’ll go home afterwards.” Mason sighed, now waving Liam away as he continued cleaning up. “Now I beg you, soap yourself. I’m seriously struggling to stick by the whole ‘I’ll never leave you’ thing right now.”

Liam pouted, but did as he was told, heading to the shower.

The moment he turned the corner, a grin spread across his features.

Maybe it would all be okay after all.

____________

Theo’s eyes were starting to burn from the bright light of the sun.

But it had been so cold lately, and he was trying to soak up as much sunshine as he could before winter began and he would be forced to stay in his apartment for the majority of the day. He preferred to be outside nowadays, whenever he could be anyway.

Living underground does for extended periods of time does that to you.

He had been lounging around town all day – getting coffee, browsing store windows, and now sitting on a park bench in the open air. There was something comforting to him about the mundane. Things he had never been able to do before had lately become all he wanted to do.

Usually, he would spend his Saturday with Liam, whether hanging out at the reserve or ordering pizza to his house.

The company was definitely nicer than being alone. He squinted as he looked around; nobody spared him a glance. It was both refreshing and lonely. He wished Liam were here, sitting next to him and ranting about something that happened at lacrosse, or some mission Scott and Stiles were up to in god-knows-where that Liam couldn’t join.

He looked down at the space next to him. The birds were chirping loudly, and he could hear parents and their children giggling as they walked by, caught up in their own world.

And yet Theo thought it was so quiet.

He wondered absentmindedly how long it would take for Liam to find him – if he even would. Maybe Liam wouldn’t want to be with him anymore after the whole ditching-him thing.

He sighed. Maybe it was a little abrupt of him, but in his defence, he’s never really been that good at expressing his feelings.

Had he been hurt when Liam basically admitted he would choose Mason over him? Maybe. He may have cried. Nobody needs to know that.

He realized eventually though (after a phone call with Scott) that friendship is like that. Liam and Mason are practically brothers, and a bond like that is hard to find sometimes and needs to be cherished.

Even if it meant Theo having to give Liam up.

He didn’t really understand the concept, even now, of what Liam and Mason shared. He’d seen it before of course – with Scott and Stiles, or really Scott and his whole pack – but realizing the depth of it was harder. He had never had anybody like that. His closest friend had been his sister and… well, everybody knows how that went.

He softened his grip on his coffee cup when he realized it was starting to bend. The poor coffee didn’t do anything to him, after all.

He thought about his pack. A bunch of handmade Chimeras, barely trusting each other, anxious of betrayal every day. He frowned. He made them like that. And in the end, he did betray them.

It probably would’ve been worse if they had all been close like Scott’s; nobody would’ve been able to forgive him then.

Though, he doesn’t really know why they even forgive him now. He certainly doesn’t forgive himself, and he probably never will.

Still, he was trying his best to right the wrongs of his past, and if that meant trying to wrap his head around the concept of friendship – well, he would do anything for Liam anyway, even things he didn’t understand.

He was curious though. He hadn’t heard from Mason nor Liam since the night before. He had mostly had his phone on silent – it made it easier to ignore Liam like that – but it was difficult with that many calls and texts coming through. He shouldn’t have left him like that, but Liam is stubborn; there’s no way he would’ve just accepted space while he and Mason worked out their shit.

Had they worked it out yet? Made up? Theo didn’t know. He guessed he would find out at school the next week if one of them didn’t tell him or if Liam didn’t end up coming to talk to him. Theo knew Mason had probably told him about his involvement by now.

It was just up to Liam whether he wanted to forgive Theo for ignoring him or not.

His train of thought was interrupted by a shadow falling over his side, blocking the sun slightly. Someone had sat down next to him.

He smiled when he realized it was Liam.

Before he could even open his mouth, the younger boy was speaking.

“You know, you really need to learn to communicate,” he said, looking into Theo’s eyes. He looked put together, relaxed – Theo wondered how long it had been since he and Mason made up. “You had me fucking scared, Theo.”

“I’m sorry.” He was – he really, truly was. “I’m – uh – working on that.”

He looked down, a little sheepish. He didn’t really like being vulnerable, especially in front of Liam, but sometimes he needed the other to know how hard he was trying. It was a lot more difficult than he thought it would be.

“I know.” Liam sighed, and Theo looked down at his hand, resting on his leg. He wondered if he could hold it now, now that they weren’t a secret. “A tip for the future: don’t ignore me when you’re trying to do something nice. I know you talked to Mason, but you could’ve talked to me too.”

“You’re right.” Theo sighed, genuine. “I just wasn’t sure what to say. I didn’t really understand your whole thing with Mason, and I thought you guys should have your own space to work it out, you know?”

Liam grinned lopsidedly at him.

“See how easy that was to say?” he asked with a laugh. “Next time just do that instead of avoiding contact, okay?”

Theo smiled softly, and did reach out, grabbing Liam’s hand in his and lacing their fingers together. Liam startled slightly at the movement but didn’t protest, the tips of his ears turning red.

“When did you get so wise, Dunbar?” He grinned, squeezing Liam’s hand in his own.

“I’ve always been this wise, dickhead.” Liam shot back, but Theo could still see the pink in his cheeks. “You’ve always just been too dense to notice.”

“I’m sure that’s what it is.” Theo smirked now, bumping his shoulder into Liam’s. “You’re just sooo wise and I’m an idiot.”

“Wow, I can’t believe you just admitted that.” The other boy grinned, glancing down at their hands. “I should record you.”

Theo scoffed, smiling slightly. “As if I’d ever say it again.”

“You will,” Liam smirked back. “Because it will continue to be true.”

Theo hummed, noncommittal, then let the silence settle comfortably between them. The sun had dipped slightly, casting long shadows on the pavement. He could feel the warmth of Liam’s hand in his, grounding him.

“You know,” Liam said eventually, voice quieter now, more serious. “I am glad you talked to Mason.”

Theo shifted, leaning back a little on the bench, his thumb brushing over Liam’s knuckles. “Yeah?”

“Yeah.” Liam nodded. “He said you told him you’d give me up to make me happy.”

Theo’s eyes flickered toward him, but Liam was looking straight ahead now, eyes on the trees in the distance.

“I meant it,” Theo said softly. “I would’ve. I still would.”

“Well,” Liam said, turning back to him with a small glare, “that’s really fucking stupid.”

Theo blinked. “What?”

“I mean, I get it. It’s... sweet or whatever. But you leaving wouldn’t make me happy, dumbass. You’re part of what makes me happy.”

Theo’s throat tightened a little. He didn’t say anything – couldn’t, really – so Liam nudged his leg gently with his knee.

“You ever do that again,” Liam said, still smiling but with a hint of threat in his voice, “and I will kick your ass.”

“And you think you’d win?” Theo laughed in response. “I think we’ve seen how that would go.”

“You’re lucky I like you,” Liam muttered, clearly trying to play it cool, but Theo could see the way his lips twitched, fighting a smile.

“Yeah,” Theo said quietly, “I’m real fucking lucky.”

Liam looked at him for a long moment then, their eyes meeting, something softer passing between them. Something settled. And finally, finally, it felt like they were okay.

“Come on,” Liam said, tugging him up by the hand. “Let’s go get pizza. You owe me.”

“I owe you?” Theo asked, standing reluctantly but following. “For what?”

“For being a dick,” Liam replied. “Though, if you owe me every time you’re a dick, you owe me a lot.”

Theo laughed, letting Liam drag him down the path. “Alright, alright. But I’m not paying for extra toppings.”

“You are absolutely paying for extra toppings,” Liam said, already pulling out his phone. “I’m texting Mason to meet us. He’s picking the movie this time.”

Theo paused for a second, surprised. “You want him to come?”

“Yeah, I do.” Liam looked over his shoulder at him. “Friendship is hard sometimes for sure, but… it’s kind of worth it.”

Theo smiled at that. “Alright, let’s go be friendly, I guess.”

“That’s the spirit.”

____________

“This is the stupidest thing I’ve ever heard in my life,” Theo grumbled under his breath, his hand caught in Liam’s as they walked up the driveway to Scott’s mom’s house. “A werewolf party? That’s so dumb.”

“It’s a bonding opportunity,” Liam replied, a grin on his face. “And pretty much everybody in there has forgiven you, so no need to be nervous.”

“It doesn’t matter if they forgive me or not.” Theo squinted at the door when they stopped in front of it. “It’s about whether they care about me dating their precious beta.”

“I’m full grown,” Liam rolled his eyes, leaning in a little. “Besides, there’s no way Scott didn’t tell everyone.”

Theo groaned, but he was quieted by Liam pressing a kiss to his lips. It was gentle, and Theo leaned into it – until the door swung open.

“Jesus, guys. In the driveway?” Stiles’ voice hit first, followed immediately by an exaggerated groan. “Do you mind? There’s a thing called decency.”

Liam pulled back, face red, while Theo blinked, unimpressed.

“We didn’t even knock,” Theo muttered.

From inside, Scott’s laugh carried out. “Told you they’d show up together.”

Lydia appeared behind Stiles, glass of wine in hand, completely unbothered. “You owe me twenty,” she said, tapping Stiles on the shoulder. “I told you years ago they’d end up together.”

“Never again will I doubt your gaydar.” Stiles pouted a little, pulling a twenty from his pocket and tucking it into Lydia’s hand. “I feel like the whole banshee thing is cheating though.”

“It’s not cheating. Theo’s been staring at Liam like he wants to climb him since they met,” Lydia replied smoothly, ignoring Theo choking. “What? You’re going to pretend it’s not true?”

“Can I leave?” Theo grumbled under his breath, and Liam, who was smiling smugly now, squeezed his hand again.

“Nope. Werewolf party’s just starting,” Stiles grinned, backing out of the doorway to let them in.

The living room was warm, filled with laughter and the smell of takeout. There were beer pong cups lined up on the counter, and a charcuterie board Liam was sure Melissa had made for them.

Mason was perched on the couch, legs curled against Corey’s. He perked up when they approached.

“Hey, lovebirds,” he chirped, and Liam wondered how many bottles of whatever he was holding he’d already drunk. “Took you long enough.”

“We were thinking about not coming,” Theo replied easily, sitting awkwardly next to them, like he wasn’t entirely sure he fit in here yet.

“Relax,” Liam said cheerfully, sitting down next to him. “You’re part of the pack now. Everybody wants you here.”

“Part of the pack?” Malia echoed from the kitchen, where she was elbow-deep in a bowl of chips. She had an eyebrow raised in Theo’s direction. “Did we vote on that?”

“Unanimous approval,” Scott called out, coming up behind her and placing a hand on her shoulder. “Second chances, remember?”

“Whatever you say,” she muttered, snatching another handful of chips.

Theo was trying to melt into the wall when Derek appeared out of nowhere, as usual.

“It’s fine,” Derek said flatly, taking a beer from the table. “We put up with Stiles. We can put up with you.”

“Wow,” Stiles said dryly from where he was pouring himself a drink now. “Really great to feel wanted.”

Theo couldn’t help but smile at that, watching as Derek and Stiles dissolved into bickering in the background.

“You’re fitting in already.” It wasn’t Liam reassuring him this time, but Scott, who had appeared at some point and perched himself on the lounge chair across from them. “We’ve all made mistakes. We learn and move on.”

Theo smiled a little, leaning into Liam and placing a hand on his knee.

“Thanks, Scott.” He grinned, feeling more relaxed already.

“No worries.” Scott flashed a warm smile back before his eyes lit up. “Oh wait! I got you guys something.”

Theo and Liam shared a concerned glance as Scott began rummaging in his pocket, and Mason looked like he was holding back laughter.

“Aha!” the older boy hummed victoriously, holding out a box to Theo. “Here.”

“Gee, thanks…” Theo grabbed the box from Scott awkwardly, turning it over. He felt his heart drop to his stomach at the label and coughed loudly. “What the fuck?”

“So, I did some research,” Scott continued, looking proud, clearly not noticing the horror on Liam and Theo’s faces as they stared at the little box Theo was now holding. “And gay people do, in fact, need condoms.”

Mason started cackling, and Corey was holding back his giggles next to him.

“Scott – ” Liam balked.

“Don’t worry, they’re lubricated!” Scott interrupted enthusiastically, grabbing the box from Theo just to turn it around and hand it back, pointing at the ingredients. “And I wasn’t sure if you guys were allergic, so I went with latex-free. It seems the ingredients are – ”

“Alright,” Lydia interrupted, a hand on Scott’s shoulder and a sympathetic look at Liam and Theo. “Scott, is it speech time?”

“Oh, yes!” Scott jumped up. “Sorry guys, we can continue this conversation later.”

And with that, he was gone, heading to the bar to grab his drink.

“Liam,” Theo hissed, glaring when he noticed Liam was trying not to smile. “Do you still have that open-up-the-ground-and-send-me-to-hell sword?”

“If I did, I’d be using it on myself,” Liam replied, a small, amused smile on his lips, like he couldn’t help it. “At least he’s not mad?”

Theo buried his face in his hands. “I wish he was.”

“Unfortunately,” Liam said, throwing an arm over his shoulder, “this is what friendship is.”

“I don’t want friends anymore.”