Work Text:
Theo downloads TikTok by accident.
That’s the story Liam gets, anyway.
“You accidentally made an account, uploaded three videos, and got fifty thousand followers overnight?” Liam asks flatly.
Theo shrugs from where he’s sprawled across Liam’s bed. “Technology is confusing.”
“You literally hacked government databases.”
“That was different technology.”
Liam narrows his eyes. “You’re lying.”
Theo grins. “Yeah.”
It starts because Mason makes the mistake of showing Theo one single edit of himself during lunch.
A dramatic slow-motion video with dark lighting, sharpened jawlines, and the caption:
**THEO RAEKEN DESERVED BETTER**
Theo watches the entire thing in silence.
Then:
“People think I’m pretty?”
Liam nearly chokes on his fries.
Mason, realizing too late what he’s unleashed onto the world, hesitates. “I mean… objectively?”
Theo takes the phone. “Show me how this app works.”
That should’ve been everyone’s warning.
Three days later, Theo becomes weirdly famous online.
Not intentionally.
That’s the worst part.
He posts exactly whatever he wants with absolutely no understanding of social media etiquette.
A blurry video of him flipping a knife while staring directly into the camera somehow gets two million views.
A clip of him sitting in the passenger seat while Liam yells at traffic gets comments filled with:
> “Enemies to lovers energy is INSANE”
and
> “The blond one is in LOVE with him btw”
Liam reads those comments once and refuses to open the app again out of self-preservation.
Theo, unfortunately, thinks they’re hilarious.
“You do look angry all the time,” Theo says from the kitchen counter.
“I am angry all the time.”
“Attractive.”
Liam throws a dish towel at his face.
----
The real problem starts when Theo discovers thirst traps.
Specifically, the fact that he is apparently very good at them.
Liam doesn’t even realize it’s happening at first.
He’s sitting in chemistry when his phone starts vibrating nonstop.
MASON:
WHY IS THEO TRENDING
MASON:
LIAM OH MY GOD
STILES:
i just opened this cursed app at work and saw your situationship on my fyp???
STILES:
EXPLAIN
Completely terrified, Liam opens TikTok.
And immediately regrets having eyes.
Theo’s newest video is only twelve seconds long.
Twelve horrible, catastrophic seconds.
Theo’s standing in front of the bathroom mirror in a black compression shirt, sleeves shoved up to his elbows, turning a knife over lazily between his fingers while some stupidly suggestive song plays in the background.
Then he looks at the camera and smirks.
That’s it.
That’s the whole video.
It has 1.8 million views.
Liam nearly drops his phone into hydrochloric acid.
“Oh my god,” he whispers.
His chemistry teacher snaps, “Mr. Dunbar, focus.”
“I physically can’t.”
---
By the time Liam gets home, the video has spread through half of Beacon Hills High.
He finds Theo sitting on the couch scrolling through comments with the most self-satisfied expression Liam has ever seen.
“You,” Liam says, pointing accusingly, “need to delete your account.”
Theo doesn’t even look up. “People seem emotionally attached to me.”
“You have fourteen-year-olds calling you ‘babygirl.’”
Theo finally glances up. “I don’t know what that means.”
“I wish I didn’t.”
Theo grins slowly. “You watched the video multiple times, didn’t you?”
“No.”
“You’re blushing.”
“I hate you.”
Theo hums. “Interesting thing to say while staring at my mouth.”
Liam immediately looks away.
Theo’s grin widens.
“Oh my god,” Liam mutters, horrified. “This is all just because you like attention.”
“No,” Theo says easily. “It’s because watching you get jealous is fun.”
Liam freezes.
Theo freezes a second later.
The silence hits both of them at once.
Theo clears his throat awkwardly. “Well.”
Liam stares at him. “Well?”
Theo looks genuinely annoyed at himself now. “I wasn’t supposed to say that out loud.”
“You were flirting with me through TikTok?”
“When you say it like that, I sound embarrassing.”
“You are embarrassing.”
Theo points at him. “And yet you still watched the video six times.”
“HOW DO YOU KNOW THAT?”
“Because,” Theo says smugly, “you liked it.”
Liam goes completely still.
“Oh my god.”
Theo bursts out laughing. “Your face right now—”
“You are actually the worst person alive.”
“And you’re still in love with me.”
The words slip out so casually that Theo doesn’t seem to realize he said them until after the silence hits.
Liam’s heart stutters.
Theo’s grin fades slowly. “...Right. Cool. So that wasn’t supposed to happen either.”
For once, Theo actually looks uncertain.
Like he’s waiting for Liam to laugh it off.
Instead, Liam steps forward before he can think better of it and grabs the front of Theo’s shirt.
Theo barely has time to look surprised before Liam kisses him.
It’s messy immediately.
Theo makes a startled sound against his mouth, hands catching instinctively at Liam’s waist as Liam kisses him like he’s been wanting to do it for months and is mad about it.
Which, honestly, he has.
Theo kisses back hard after half a second, all sharp edges and smugness disappearing into something warmer, rougher.
When they finally pull apart, both of them are breathing too hard.
Theo stares at him for a long second.
Then:
“You know,” he says quietly, “this is probably going to make my followers worse.”
Liam groans loudly and drops his forehead against Theo’s shoulder.
“I’m deleting your phone.”