Forty Bucks Bet

"You named your fake boyfriend 'Theo'?" there was a playful smile in his face and Malia wanted to punch him. Her classes had just finished and he was helping her organize the gym.

"You named my fake boyfriend 'Theo'" she corrected him "You picked on me while I was on the phone. My father assumed. I couldn't find an excuse, so I let it be"

"Well, it saves me the problem to get used to some fake name" He sighed, pushing all the punching bags together "What else did you say about 'Theo'?"

"He works with me in the Blink&Clean, in the cleaning area…"

"Lame" Theo interrupted, ignoring her glare.

"And we met on the job"

"More lame"

"His surname is also 'Raeken' because it would save me the problem to remember a fake one" Malia completed "And he hates internet. That's why he doesn't have any social media"

"I don't have social media because, technically, I don't exist" The offered, grinning. Malia rolled her eyes.

"He's planning on asking my hand. I was postponing his propose, because that would mean meeting my dad"

Theo's eyes lit up "And why would he do such a thing? You both are dating for only three years"

"I'm never dating a guy for seven years again, Theo. Fake or not" Malia growled "Either he marries me, or I'm leaving. I was planning on leaving him at the end of the year"

"Ouch. We're not even together yet and you are already leaving me" Theo joked, making her bite down a smile. He wasn't supposed to be nice or fun to hang around. "Ok, how you two started to date?"

"We just did" Malia frowned "Why, there was supposed to big some huge romantic story? He's just a guy"

"And you are no fun" Theo sighed "How did you two start to hang out? Where did he take you on your first date? Did he bring you flowers? When did you two first have sex? I need to know everything, Malia"

"Look" Malia sighed "I barely talk about him, ok? All I said was that we met on the job, he was funny and that we went out once or twice, before we decided to date…"

"Lame" he interrupted and Malia crossed her arms, and stopped talking, annoyed "Here's the deal: We met on the job, we immediately hit it off. We went ice skating on our first date, because I knew you were from California and there is all sunny and hot. I brought you flowers." Theo smirked, a little devil's grin "I kissed you on our second date, because I was too nervous on the first one"

That didn't sound like him at all. Theo Raeken nervous? Over a girl? Even Malia could see how ridiculous that situation was and she barely knew him.

"No" She cut him off "No one is going to believe you were nervous. You are arrogant, Theo, people can see it across the room. You kissed me in our first date"

"If you say so" He rolled his eyes "I wouldn't bring flowers either"

"Then you didn't bring flowers"

"I'd have sex in a first date… If I went to dates, that's it"

"Fine" she would too. A thought bubbled up her mind… He never dated "Are you a virgin?"

Theo blinked, confused, and then cocked a smile "Do I look like a virgin?"

He didn't. Theo Raeken was bottled up sexuality. Not that he was sexy or something like that, Malia didn't think so. But there was something on his dark and smooth way that always made something deep and primal wake within her. Theo Raeken wasn't virgin.

"Alright" Malia sighed, and was deeply glad that she rarely blushed "What else?"

"I proposed to you yesterday" Theo was looking away, face twisted in concentration. He was puzzling things together.

"Why? Why not let me finish this stupid thing at the end of the year?"

"How are you explaining to your dad why you're here, then? He'll want you back, Malia, you told me that he didn't want you to stay until you lied that you already had a relationship here. Without a meaningful relationship, it doesn't make sense for you to stay here and waste your teaching major in a cleaning company"

He had a point. Theo was very competent in his job and the plan was nothing else: a mission. Easy, like he had said.

"Fine" Malia sat down on the fighting ring "You proposed to me yesterday"

"Ring in a champagne glass?" He offered, smiling.

"No" She frowned and looked him down. How would Theo Raeken ever propose to a girl? "Text"

"What, no!" Theo grimaced, offended "You really think I'd propose over text? Who does that?"

"People who already know the other one will say yes." Malia suggested. Theo threw her a dirty look.

"I might be arrogant, but I'm not that much of an asshole" he sat down in front of her "Bed"

"I'm not telling my father you proposed to me while we were having sex"

"I never said sex" Theo laughed "Alright, uhm… How about I proposed to you during work? Avoided you all day and proposed when you tried to pick a fight"

"Sounds like me" Malia laughed and fell back, lying down on the canvas. He imitated her.

"You gonna need a ring. What's your size?"

"Six" they fell back on silence "If you propose to me, it means we gonna get married one day…"

"Well, let's have a long engagement" Theo answered, staring the ceiling "When do we have to be there?"

"September, 18"

"I'm gonna ask for a five days off. It's long enough, right?"

"Yes"

"Ok" He stood up "I'm going home, baby"

"Don't call me that" Malia sat up "Don't call me any pet names"

"That's so unrealistic" Theo rolled his eyes "I'll see you tomorrow, cute pie" he winked and walked away from her.

"Tomorrow, jackass!"

It was easy to get along when he wasn't being a major asshole. Aside from Theo's stupid decision to call her every pet name available, especially in front of other people, he wasn't hard to deal.

They set up their story together. The dating, the proposal in details – that she kept forgetting and annoying him -, their future plans that would never happen. Theo asked about her father and about her friends, and Malia was starting to think their plan might work. To sum up it, they had been around each other so much, that she already knew his cell phone password.

"Baby doll" Theo smiled, walking in the cafeteria and sitting in front of her. Corey and Hayden, with whom she was sharing the table, stared at him without understanding a thing "I need to know your birthday"

"July, 14, 1997" Malia glared at him "Yours?"

"October, 21, 1996" Theo looked around and smiled for Hayden and Corey "Did she tell you that we're dating?"

"You are?!" Hayden turned at Malia, eyes huge.

"No"

"Yes, we are"

"No" Malia growled "It's for a mission thing"

"But you're not a field agent, you don't go in missions" Corey pointed out.

"It's not a mission… He's just helping me solve some problems back home"

"And for that, you two need to fake dating?" Hayden looked amused. Corey bit down a smile.

"It's not like that!"

"It is, actually" Theo shrugged "Corey, do you think you could talk to Lucas? Convince him to make me a fake ID?"

"Why do you need a fake ID?" Malia frowned.

"Well, we're catching a plane to go there." Theo had been categorical that he wasn't driving twelve hours for that "And I don't exist. Aside from you, none of us do"

"Blink&Clean provides fake IDs for personal use, all you have to do is talk with Desert Wolf"

"They do?"

Malia didn't miss his surprise. It meant he had never used a fake ID for something other than a mission. Did he even have a family? A home to go back? Anything?

"Yes. I use it once in awhile to visit my sister, prove her that I'm not dead" Hayden shrugged and stood up, taking her now empty tray "I have a class now, see you all later."

Corey squeezed his eyes "I'll go with you, hold the elevator?"

"Sure."

"Forty bucks that they come back hating each other… more" Hayden smiled, while Corey pushed the elevator's buttons.

He smirked "Forty that they come back dating for real"

"Deal"

"Deal"

"Coyote" a teenager asked her, while Malia made a bunch of annotations down.

"Yes?" Malia looked up. She wasn't in class now, instead hanging on the reception and trying to remember her students' names. The flaws were showing up clearly now, the qualities too. It was getting easier and easier to pin point each of them would end up being agents and the ones that wouldn't.

Not far away Josh was doing the same thing as her, sitting on the couch of the waiting room. At his side, Lucas was trying not to fall asleep over the papers he was supposed to correct.

"You think I could be set up on a harder workout?" it was a small girl, one of her youngest. Chimera… S.V Chimera? Malia couldn't remember.

"Why?"

"I really want to be an agent, Coyote. A field agent…" she blushed "But my friends say I'm too small, that I'll end up on the Count and Numbers."

Lucas looked up from his papers when his area of work was mentioned. Realizing nobody was calling him, he went back to pretend to work.

"Well, you're still too young to be put on something really hard, but I can manage to…" whatever Malia was saying, was interrupted when the elevator's door opened and Theo, Corey and Hayden entered the room.

Malia frowned when he marched in her direction "MALIA TATE!" Theo yelled, while Corey was shaking in silently laughter and Hayden only looked very annoyed.

"Yes?" She sighed. The girl looked a little terrified to see agent TR Chimera yelling on the reception. Gaia, across the room, put down the phone and leaned against the transparent table, interested.

"Malia Tate" His voice was softer now and there was a glee in his eyes that she didn't like. He was up for something "Will you marry me?" Theo knelt down and opened a small black box.

What a jerk.

"No!" Malia exclaimed, standing up from her chair. Theo rolled his eyes.

"You are supposed to say 'yes', honey"

"What?" She was confused and embarrassed and now Corey had fallen down, crying from laughing too much. She looked around and Hayden raised her hands to show she had nothing to do with it "We tried to talk him out of it. He insisted on being an asshole"

"I'm trying to propose here, quiet everybody!" Theo growled, shooting Hayden with a dirty look. He brought the ring closer to Malia "Marry me?"

"Yes" the best way to end it all, he wouldn't let it go before she did "I will marry you, Theo, now stand up and stop being a je-…" her words were swallowed down by a kiss. It was forced and only a quick peck, but it was still a kiss.

"Here" Theo grabbed her hand, putting the ring on her finger.

She pulled away from his hold, the ring barely all the way through her finger and slapped him "Don't ever touch me again" Malia growled. She fixed the band in her hand, taking a look at the expensive looking fake rock and huffed. Waste of money.
Hayden was now laughing just as much as Corey, while both Lucas and Josh stared at them in confusion.

"I don't need to" Theo winked, ignoring the turning red mark on his cheek "You already said yes"

"You are, truly, an insufferable idiot"

"You're so going to lose"

"Shut up, Corey"

"Anxious?" Theo entered the dark gym, while she closed everything up. Malia rolled her eyes. It was just like him to corner her right before she was going home.

"No" it was a big lie. They would catch their plane next day and her nerves were a wreck. Her father had squealed when he discovered Malia was coming back and bringing Theo along. She wasn't ready for that… Their plan wasn't right, they would mess up everything…

"Don't be nervous" He smiled and walked closer "There's one thing, Malia, which we need to practice before going."

"The art of not annoying me? Patience?"

"No" He smiled "Couples kiss, Malia. And I know I kissed you when I proposed, but if every time I do that, you slap me… Well, I don't think your father will approve."

"We don't need to kiss" Malia rolled her eyes "Go home, Theo, we both need to be in the airport really early."

"Malia" He sighed and shook his head "C'mon, you really think you're going to be able to spend four days pretending to be dating, without ever kissing me? And no one will say a thing?"

"Yes" she circled past him and started to walk toward the elevator "We'll say you have herpes"

"Shut up and kiss me already, a peck on the lips and you're free to go" he exclaimed, annoyed.

"'Shut up and kiss me', you're charming" Malia sniggered, pushing the button and waiting the elevator to open.

"Trust me" he sighed, walking closer. Personal space clearly wasn't an issue for him. "Trust me, Malia, I know what I'm doing…"

"Yes, I do too. You're using this situation to kiss me"

"I'm not, Malia. It's a job, I'm not going to lose my focus. You're being childish"

Fine. She took a deep breath and pulled him closer by the shirt. His skin was hot and Theo opened a mischievous smile when realized he had won the fight. His hands went to her hair and Malia didn't want a shiver to run down her spine, but it did.

The kiss itself wasn't great. She was very aware that it was staged, very aware of the logic behind his body language. How his left hand cupped her face, while the right one found its way to her waist… Mouth to mouth and tongues moving in perfect rhythm – too perfect to be real – and no heavy breath, only his forehead resting against hers and her body pressed to his.

"Did it hurt that much?" Theo smiled, pulling apart, still too much close for comfort.

"Was the tongue necessary?"

"I didn't see you complaining"

Malia scoffed and pulled away, entering the elevator and pushing the first floor button. "So, I guess I'll see you in the airport tomorrow morning. Don't be late, ok?"

Theo opened his usual, annoying smile "I'm never late" he agreed, entering the elevator with her and pressing the last floor button. Malia frowned "You're not going home?" questioned. It was already late, even for an agent. And to top it off, their small week off had already started.

"No. Desert Wolf wants to talk with me" Theo watched the numbered buttons change colors and smiled when the elevator stopped on his floor and opened the door "See you tomorrow, Malia" he winked, walking past her.

"Yes. Don't be late!" she exclaimed, as the doors were closing. He turned around, still walking and smiled "I never am!"

"Here! Here!" Kira's voice, loud and happy, crossed the airport and Malia opened a smile.

"They are there" She said to Theo, who was looking around in the slightly paranoid way that every agent had.

"Its show time" he smiled, wrapping his fingers around hers and letting Malia guide him across the airport.

"Malia!" Kira all but pushed Theo away, throwing herself in her friend's arms "I missed you so much! I'm so happy you're here!"

"I missed you too" Malia whispered in her dark hairs, holding her friend tightly. Kira broke the hug apart.

"You must be Theo" she turned her attention for him "I'm Kira, but you probably already know it. This is Scott, and you already knew that too" The woman rolled her eyes to her own dorkiness.

"Nice to meet you, Kira"

He was so polite and warm, with his hands shaking with fake nervousness and soft smiles that didn't belong in his face. Malia was impressed; he had suddenly become the gentlemen that Dream-Theo was.

He shook hands with Scott and then Malia was pulled into McCall's arms and all of her body relaxed. Scott had this effect on people. He was calm and home and Malia smiled slightly when he whispered "I'm happy you could come, Malia".

"Ah, come here" Kira grabbed her by the hand, leading the way and keeping her friend close. They went to their car and while Scott helped Theo with their luggage – despite that not being needed -, Kira turned around in the passenger seat and glared at Malia.

"You never told me he was this hot"

"He is?" Malia frowned, before biting her tongue. Kira rolled her eyes.

"He is."

"Well, I guess I'm used to his face at this point" she shrugged and Kira snorted, before turning around. Scott entered the car, followed by Theo, and started it.

"Are you still on board?" Theo whispered, hand around hers and Malia wanted to pull away from his hold. This wasn't him… this gentleness didn't fit him at all.

"Yes" she whispered back.

"You're going to love the place!" Kira started to talk "It took us quite some time to find a farmhouse with a barn to rent, especially in this nowhere part of California, but we finally did."

Theo started to talk with Kira about weddings and how they were planning on decorating and Malia just stared at him in awe. A fucking good actor.

"Ok, we're here" Scott smiled, stopping the car before a white ranch house. It wasn't big, but not on the small side either. The rustic painting and showing wood gave it a vintage air that Malia couldn't help but adore.

"Let me help you" She offered, going to help Theo with their bags. He smiled.

"Nah, I got it"

Malia sighed and stood closer to him, supporting herself on his calmness… Theo looked absolutely in control and she was a little terrified.

They crossed the door and, as always it had been, the first stop of her eyes was Stiles' face.

"Malia"

"Hi, Stiles"

N/A: Hopefully everyone will keep on liking it! Tell me if there's any issue with characterization because these two are very hard to write in a chick-flick setting. Also, updates are scheduled for every Saturday starting now! Read&Review?