Theo looks groggily around the sherrif's office. He doesn't know why Parrish brought him here, all he did was sleep in his car and no one ever brings him to the station for it. But here he is, stuck here for the better of the last 30 minutes, still half asleep waiting for the sherrif to show up or whatever.
"Is he there?"
"Yes"
Theo freezes in his seat and is suddenly perfectly awake. He recognizes that voice that never shuts up and always attack him with top tier sarcasm. He looks around and is only now hyper aware that there is nowhere to hide or run. He stands up and face the door when it opens.
The stiles it reveals is so not the stiles he knows.
This stiles stands straight. The clothes on him are spotless sportwear. It's simple but it works on him so well its ridiculous. His sleeves are brought up showing his forearms off and fuck it just works.
Theo looks at his face and he can't even talk.
For the first time,Stiles barely looks tired. He's not stressed either, he just looks perfectly composed and stupidly handsome.
His eyes-that stare right into Theo's very fucking soul like it's no one's business- glow golden with interest.
Yes. Interest. Something that never ever happened because the stiles he knows (justifyingly) Hates Theo's guts.
"Cool. Okay. Let's go."
He motions at theo to follow him and without having a single fucking clue why he obeys and walks along out of the station.
They take Theo's car, stiles drives. At that point theo is fairly sure that this is a dream so he doesn't ask any questions even though it actually mostly has to do with him being terrified of breaking the silence because Stiles Stilinski shutting up is just SO unsettling.
Theo thinks about how he asked for void stiles back once and laughs internally. It sure used to be the chimera's style to bite more than he can chew.
The drive doesn't last long but by the end of it Stiles' sweet scent is everywhere in his car.
His scent is also different that the one Theo knows. Slightly more masculine, slightly more smokey. But overall its core is still the smell of a forest after the rain and fresh coffee.
They pull up in front of an unknown six story building by the end of the town. Stiles gets out of the car and Theo, still entranced, follows. There is something intimidating about Stiles and his silence that could mean just fucking anything so Theo naturally just follows and doesn't disturb him.
Habit of growing up with the Dread doctors ya know.
The lift they take to the fourth floor opens directly to a living room and Stiles walkes him around and FINALLY talks.
"That's the kitchen,you can cook or eat anything here. Use whatever you need whenever you need it."
He takes him a bit further "that's the bathroom it takes a Lot for the hot water to run out so don't worry about it"
Theo is now confused beyond words because Stiles is making things sound a lot like he is moving in or something but at least now Stiles talks to him so he's a bit less jumpy.
He silently takes in the cool wide living room with a flat screen and a table by the window with a mess of homework in it.
He silently takes in the cool wide kitchen with the old school italian coffee machine and fruits everywhere.
He silently takes in the cool wide bathroom with the bathtub and the small eucalyptus tree.
He doesn't miss the mixed smells of a lot of different wolves, all males. Stiles' smell is also there a bit but much less.
Stiles' phone makes a noise from his pocket and he curses. He takes him to a corridor full of doors and knocks on one.
Derek fucking hale opens the door.
He's never met Theo but he recognizes the face from picture the pack showed when he came back to beacon hills.
He doesn't miss Derek hale's eyes locking on Stiles' and wishes he was better at reading chemosignals.
"Derek, Theo. Theo, Derek."
Derek barely glances at him before glueing his eyes back to the hazelnut ones.
Stiles continues"i gotta go meet Athos so I need you to show him around and give him a room. Text the kids too."
Derek nods and stiles turnes to Theo whose heart jumps a little under the gaze. He takes a key and a card from his pocket and hands it to him while he speaks. "There is 1000 dollars on the card that refills itself every 1st of the month. Thats the key to the entrance of the building. You can trust Derek."
He then walks out muttering vague"play nice" and leaves Theo shook alone in an unknown place with Derek fucking Hale.
And Theo doesn't fucking miss that Derek's shirt has got Stiles' scent on it.
Derek is actually pretty chill. He takes him around the place and goes as far as giving a name to every room. This is Isaac's. This is Brett's. This is Ethan's. This is Jordan's. This is Liam's but he's only staying a few weeks. This is Corey's. And this is yours.
The room-his room?- is large. There's a big bed in the center and a desk and thats it. But it is as clean as the rest of the house. The walls and windows are thick and soundproof-like the rest of the place, he's told. There isn't much on the walls and Theo is told to decorate it however he wants.
Derek doesn't tell him why he was brought here and offered a room and allowance and he doesn't ask because he's too scared to hear an answer.
They take the stairs to the fith floor and Theo's hands shake a little when he sees that the entire floor is just a gym. His heartbeat goes significantly faster and Derek smiles at the sound.
The machines are all near the walls and there is a huge space in the middle for people to stretch and fight.
There is another bathroom in a far corner and they meet a very tall dude going out of it with a towel around his shoulders. He smirks at them.
"Who's that?"
"Theo Raeken. He's gonna take the room between Isaac and Ethan."
Theo waits for the guy to object. To ask Why. He doesn't.
"The chimera, right? I'm Brett Talbot" he presents his hand all smiley and Theo nods and shakes it but says nothing"tonight's movie night. I hope you like the avengers and pizza." He puts his hand on Derek's shoulder for a second when he walks away and disappears in the staircase.
They meet Lori and Meredith on the rooftop. The banshee is watering the many plants there and listening to Lori playing a sweet melody on her guitar.
There is a place for compost, a place to make a fire, a barbecue, hammacs and benches, a fountain, bins to collect rainwater, a telescope and a corner to wash and hang clothes. There is green everywhere.
Derek shuffles his hand through Meredith's hair before they leave and she giggles.