Shortly after the Wild Hunt was defeated, Theo went missing.
Well, Liam couldn't really say he went missing since Scott had given him his blessing to go free but warned him against doing anything bad again. Theo nodded, his ever annoying smirk on his face but Liam knew that his eyes held regret even if he'd never admit it.
Theo always seemed to be one for action rather than actual sincere words, choosing to snark and give sarcastic quips but his actions; at least since he came back from hell, always betrayed his intentions.
Liam felt guilty though, once the Wild Hunt had left their town alone and they had Stiles back, they all kinda forgot about him. Wrapped up in the business of their own lives; Stiles leaving for the Pre-FBI programme, Malia preparing for France, Lydia and Scott planning to go to their own Colleges. Not to mention Mason and Corey became practically joined at the hip ever since Corey's injuries had healed.
Hayden left shortly after that as well, her sister had deemed the town too dangerous, especially when Hayden was the only family she had left and had asked to be transferred to a different state.
That was three months ago and Liam was feeling especially lonely. Sure Mason and Corey still hung out with him from time to time but he couldn't help feeling like the third wheel whenever they were together.
He was supposed to be the Alpha now in Scott's absence, but he'd never felt weaker and hanging out with Brett and his sister once in a while only helped a little.
He missed Theo, he didn't know why after everything he'd done to them but he couldn't help the feeling of heaviness in his chest when he thought about the other boy. He'd let Theo out of hell and he'd changed, still snarky and sarcastic but backing that up by helping and saving him...Twice.
Theo could have ran away once they let him out of that jail cell, he could have left Liam to fight by himself in that Hospital...but he didn't. Why didn't he? And why did he just disappear?
Feeling particularly despondent that day, he decided to take a run through the preserve as his wolf was itching under his skin to get out and the lack of anything supernatural occurring, although nice and safe, was driving him insane.
When he reached the preserve, he took a deep breath and listened for any human heartbeats. Animal heartbeats were fine considering they tended to be more muted, faster and when he seemingly could hear none; he allowed his wolf to be let loose.
Growling a little so as not to alert Corey or Parrish; he began to run. The scent of pine needles and fresh earth igniting his senses and he pushed himself as fast as his supernatural powers would allow.
A large black shape on a rock caught his eye and he skidded to a halt, gasping a lungful of air to try and catch his breath. The shape was a wolf...no it was a Coyote...maybe Liam never really paid much attention to that class but he didn't care as the wolfyote's eyes blinked open from its nap and seemingly looked back at Liam in surprise.
Neither moved for a few seconds as they stared each other down, Liam's claws retracted but his eyes and his teeth remained as he was still trying to calm himself. The wolfyote's eyes flicked to the side quickly, slowly standing up and then it took off running in the opposite direction of Liam.
"Hey wait!" He shouted quickly as he gave chase, the beast looked behind once and kept going. Liam couldn't help but feel that this wasn't just a normal wolf...or coyote, it seemed to look at him in recognition and its first instinct wasn't to attack him which wasn't saying much but it smelled and looked familiar.
"Please, I'm not here to hurt you." He called out again, feeling a little silly as he had a brief thought of 'what if it really is just a normal animal?' and he's been chasing it around the woods trying to talk to it.
The Wolfyote seemed to growl in frustration when it found itself at a cliff's edge and it turned to look at Liam quickly as it backed up.
"You don't have to do that just stop and we'll talk." He tried again as he slowed to a stop, his eyes and fangs back to normal and he held his hands up in surrender.
The Wolfyote looked at him contemplatively before letting out a huff and making its way towards the edge.
"No." Liam begged, voice hitching a little and the beast skidded to a stop before it could take the leap and its head lowered.
It turned towards him slowly, its shoulders slumped and the wolfyote made its way towards the boy. He couldn't help but feel nervous as it got closer but all it did was gently take his sleeve between its sharp teeth and tug him slightly.
"What?" He questioned in concern, it tugged again before letting go and began walking away. It stopped when he didn't move and it turned its eyes back on him before letting out an impatient huff.
"Oh you want me to follow you?" Liam asked unsure and the Wolfyote seemed to roll its eyes before turning away and running off again, Liam almost fell over in his haste to follow.
After running behind the Wolfyote for another ten minutes, it finally showed signs of stopping as it neared a small cabin in the woods which Liam couldn't help but think was all kinds of creepy as it was practically falling apart.
The beast turned to him with wary eyes and Liam nodded reassuringly. He followed the beast and opened the door for it to enter first before following it inside. His senses were alert for any kind of trap, the wolfyote began to shift then; bones cracking and shifting, fur retracting into skin and growls turning into a groan as the beast became a man.
"Theo." Liam murmured, voice hitching as he made his way towards him to hug him but then realised that he was completely naked and turned around quickly whilst covering his eyes. "Put some clothes on." He demanded awkwardly and he couldn't help but growl when he heard the breathless chuckle.
"Jesus Liam you'd think you'd never seen a naked guy before." Theo snarked but pulled on his jeans and threw on a shirt. "I'm decent...mostly." He let the other boy know with a sarcastic tone; Liam turned then and smiled in relief at the familiar smirk on the older boys face.
"Theo." He said again as he moved towards him and pulled him into a hug, the older boy's arms surrounding his waist whilst Liam clutched one hand to his neck and the other in Theo's longer hair.
"Is everything okay?" The older boy asked softly, for once there was no hint of mocking or sarcasm in his tone.
"Not really." Liam said, voice muffled by Theo's shoulder and he tightened his grip on him.
"What's wrong?" He asked quietly, squeezing the younger wolf before making a move to pull back but Liam's arms tightened stubbornly.
"You left!" He said bitterly, like that was the answer to everything like it mattered somehow that him leaving had ruptured the peace they had fought to bring back to the town.
"It's not like I was wanted." Theo reasoned honestly and Liam shoved him backwards with a pained growl.
"You were!" He replied angrily. "We wanted you there."
"Oh come on Liam." Theo exclaimed, his tone finally rising. "After everything I did, Scott letting me go was more than I could have hoped for, I thought I was either gonna end up in jail or sent back to h-." He cut himself off, turning away to brush his hand through his hair as he took a deep breath.
"So, what? You just decided to live in the woods as a wolf? Or coyote or whatever you are?" The younger boy asked with an incredulous expression.
"It's not like I have anything else to do." Theo snarked with a smirk. "Sure beats being dead."
"God you're the worst." Liam muttered, rubbing his face tiredly.
"And I've been called worse." The chimera replied sarcastically. "What are you even doing out here Liam? You didn't even know that was me so why did you follow a strange wolf to a place like this on your own? I could have been anyone and killed you. Jesus, Scott and the rest of them go off to college and you lose all your common sense." He growled out.
"Shut up!" Liam shouted causing the chimera to freeze as he heard the frantic beating of the younger wolf's heart and the scent of chemosignals of anger and sadness permeating the air.
"Liam, what's happened?" Theo asked soberly.
"Nothing, really it's just that...everyone left...but at least they let everyone know before they did, at least they promised to come back or keep in touch or whatever but you?! You just completely abandoned us!" He shouted, eyes glowing yellow in his frustration and Theo could hear the unspoken 'you abandoned me' in his speech.
"Liam...I'm sorry. I guess I just thought I should stay away." He murmured honestly, moving painfully slowly towards the other boy as if he would run away if the chimera moved any faster.
"Then why are you here? Why not go somewhere else and make a fresh start?" He asked with a confused face, looking around the dilapidated cabin in distaste.
"You're the one who's pissed at me for leaving." Theo avoided the question mockingly, his eyes straying down to a loose piece of fabric on his shirt.
"Theo!" Liam pleaded.
"What do you want from me Liam?! One minute you hate that I breathe the same air as you and the next you're mad at me when I vacate said airspace?" Theo snarked angrily, he turned then and began making his way out of the cabin, ripping off his shirt as he went.
"Theo wait!" Liam shouted in a panic, chasing after him and grabbing him from behind. Arms sliding around his waist as he buried his face in the older boy's shoulder blade. "Don't go." He murmured and Theo's shoulders slumped as he gave in.
"Liam."The chimera said softly but he felt the other boy shaking his head on his skin.
"Don't leave again." Liam murmured and he couldn't help the surprised breath that he let out when he felt the hot tears against his back. He turned in the boy's arms then, his own arms moving to hold him tight against him. Liam couldn't stop the gasping sob that escaped and Theo hushed him softly.
"Fine I'll come back, Jesus you don't have to cry about it." The older boy snarked quietly but he gave the younger wolf a reassuring smile when those watery eyes met his.
"For good?" Liam asked hesitantly.
"Where else would I go?" Was the warm reply and a soft smile graced the chimera's lips as Liam nodded gratefully.
Theo began drying the tears from Liam's face with the pads of his thumbs, a soft look in his eyes and the younger wolf just kept looking at his face. Liam leaned up and lightly pressed his lips into the chimera's; his shocked intake of breath through his nose enough to spook the younger one into pulling away quickly.
"I'm sorry, I shouldn't have done that. I-" Liam said quickly, smelling of anxiety and his heart rate had elevated.
"Liam stop." Theo said quietly before reaching up with one hand behind his neck to pull him back into his arms, the other arm curling around the wolf's lower back as his lips pressed into Liam's lightly.
For a moment the kiss was light and gentle, their lips parted for a moment as their eyes met; gazes soft and then they were kissing like they were starving, dying of thirst in a desert and the only salvation was each other. Hands gripped and pulled the other closer, tongues fought for dominance but it was utterly perfect.
Liam pulled back for air first, looking at Theo like he was the only thing that mattered in the entire universe. Theo looked back, hand stroking Liam's cheek delicately; like he was made of glass and he leaned in to kiss him gently before burying his face in the younger boy's neck.
"I missed you." The chimera murmured, breathing in Liam's scent and hugging him closer.
"I missed you too, I'm sorry for not reaching out sooner, real life stuff was hectic and then you were gone and when I wanted to reach out I realised that I didn't have your number or if you even had a phone. I had no idea where you were or where to even start looking...I can't even believe that I found you." The wolf explained breathlessly before pressing a soft kiss to the other boy's shoulder.
"Well I was never gonna go too far." Theo said when he pulled back, smirk tugging on his lips when Liam looked up in confusion. "What? I knew you'd get yourself into trouble eventually." His eyes straying away awkwardly and Liam just smiled warmly once he heard what Theo wasn't saying.
"So basically you were gonna wait until something happened before showing up and helping us out?" The wolf asked.
"Well it was more like waiting and then swooping in at the last moment and saving the day with a lucky shot." He replied and rolled his eyes. "But then you had to come out here and chase me around ruining all my plans to be the hero."
"You already saved me twice." Liam reminded him helpfully. "So if you were trying to prove yourself then you already did." He placed his hand on the chimera's neck, stroking the soft hairs that his fingers could reach as he met Theo's eyes.
"Don't go around telling people that, I have an evil reputation to uphold." Theo murmured as they both unconsciously began to lean in their lips meeting lightly.
"Shut up." Liam mumbled as he kissed the boy in front of him arms hugging his neck and Theo's hugging his waist.
END