Chapter Text
The first time Theo visits Liam at college it's awkward.
Theo seems lost. The confident, uncaring facade still there, but Liam sees it.
The way the olders eyes rake over the campus buildings, like he never expected to be here, to make it this far.
Standing beside his truck in the parking lot next to Liam's Apartment building, he fits in by age but the way he carries himself is off somehow, Liam can't describe it well enough.
“Hey Liam” he sounds stiff, robotic in his greeting and Liam almost thinks he's scared, maybe even shy.
The werewolf had asked the chimera if he wanted to come for a visit. The “sure” he got as an answer hadn't indicated at all that the older was nervous about this.
Gosh, the younger just wanted the chimera out of that god damn town named Beaconhills. Wanted him safe.
He always worried about his pack back home. About his parents too.
Lydia was with him, lived across campus and came by every now and then.
It was nice and calming, knowing some of his pack was near.
Stiles came for visits too, even though less often.
And now Theo was here and Liam didn't know if it was appropriate to hug him, leave his scent around his shoulders.
“Theo!” He beamed at the chimera and made his way over to the older’s truck. His hand found Theo's biceps and he couldn't stop himself from rubbing his thumb into the fabric, definitely marking the other in some way. “So good to see you!”
The coywolf looked down with a shy smile playing on his lips and Liam had to look away.
Theo was beautiful and a lot of people would agree that him smiling like that was one of his prettiest states.
“Let me show you around, you will not believe the size of the library!” He tried to change towards an appropriate topic and get over the tug of his heart at Theo's soft humming.
The chimera stayed close as they walked through the corridors and Liam told him all the things that happened in the last few months.
He seemed especially interested when Liam talked about his history courses with his telltale sunshine smile and puppy eyes.
But still, Theo seemed to constantly check out their surroundings, worried maybe for hunters, before his eyes found Liam again and he made a small, quiet sound to let the other know he was listening.
As they continued to wander the beta started to get worried. The other was so quiet, seemed not to know what to do with himself, what he was doing here. The typical snark was dimmed, he seemed so tired.
Theo was going to nightschool back in Beaconhills and sometimes - after Liam had pestered him with questions - told him about his courses, his grades (he was a straight A student, of course), people he had talked to. He didn't seem to like talking about himself. Maybe because he had always lied about it in the past and it was so unfamiliar for him to tell the truth now. Liam secretly admired this side of Theo, the side that changed, that kept going.
Theo was lost, right by his side, right next to him. Liam could see it.
The way the older seemed to drift. To sway. To drown. To fall silent.
The werewolf's hand found Theo's easily. The chimera had cold hands, was always cold when Liam got a chance to touch him. Liam wondered if Theo felt the cold too and thought about getting him a jacket.
There was no resistance from the older one as the werewolf dragged him through the building towards the library.
Theo didn't like going to the library back in Beaconhills and Liam gets that. Too much happened there. But he felt like he knew the chimera well enough to assume he was right to think that Theo was an absolute bookworm and would love to read and get more knowledge. So to the campus library they go.
Maybe it was his wolf that wanted to show everyone the older one was with him, was pack, was under his protection, but he didn't let go of his hand. Couldn't.
“There we are. Amazing, right?” Liam beamed up at the chimera.
Theo looked around, eyes raking over rows and rows of books.
“Yeah” he said dazed and again, Liam worried.
No snarky comments, no annoyed sigh, nothing.
The chimera seemed to pale, to fade, in that cursed town and the urge to drag him out of there and make him settle beside the beta was there.
In the back of his head, in his thoughts and in his hand holding Theos.
“You're in luck, I got my card with me, so you can borrow all the books you want” he hesitantly added “but you'll have to come by to read them at my apartment, I don't want them to leave campus, I can't afford to pay if they get lost”.
It was a bait of sorts, for the older to come over, to visit, to spend time outside of Beaconhills.
We could be together for a bit.
You would be safe with me.
I want to save you.
“Yeah, I uhm…I could come by” he mumbled absentmindedly and Liam let his eyes rake the chimera's face.
He seemed in a state of disarray, of daze and dissociation. Very subtle. Very deep underneath the surface. Hidden.
But Liam sees it.
They stroll lazily through the rows and sometimes Theo brushes over the back of a book carefully, before hesitantly retreating his hand and continuing his way through books and students.
Liam takes these books, the books Theo wants but won't take, and he carries the pile with one hand, the other still laced with the older’s.
It's quiet, or at least, they are quiet.
The werewolf remembers a time when sarcastic remarks and low growls were all they exchanged.
He wonders at what point that changed.
It was probably a slow process.
Theo didn't go to school the year Liam was a senior and they didn't spend much time together outside of pack meetings and rescue missions.
His last summer before college was the beginning of spending time with the chimera by choice.
The older agreed to finishing school and Liam thought they were finally getting better. Becoming friends.
But they didn't meet much as the werewolf went to college and only came back on breaks.
But they talked.
Liam enjoyed the weekly phone calls.
Sometimes Theo would crack a bit and let the light of midnight revelations shimmer through.
The chimera's soft voice and quiet giggles were Liam's secret treasures.
He had learned a few things about the coywolf over the last months.
Some nights, after nightschool, Theo was restless - couldn't sleep.
And he would drive and drive and drive.
And the werewolf wondered if he could get the older to drive to Liam's apartment and be there at midnight and take a nap right next to the beta.
If he could get him to find his safe refuge in the space of Liam's apartment, Liam's arms.
But at the moment the chimera only called him - even though that was obviously already a big thing and Liam felt his stomach fill with butterflies at the thought of Theo searching for comfort in the werewolf's voice.
It was Liam who started this routine. Liam, who had been anxious the first time. Liam, who couldn't sleep the first time - he was at college and Beaconhills was not safe and Theo was still back there. Liam, who called in the middle of the night, just to check in. Liam, who's heart fluttered at the sound of the chimera's sleepy voice.
Theo's handwriting was terrible.
It was shaky and impossible to decipher.
The first time he read the chimeras notes, he had thought a kid had written them.
Nine years old.
It was on one of his breaks, he had asked Theo what they were doing at nightschool at the moment and the older had hesitantly grabbed his notebook and shown him. Liam still remembers the smell of embarrassment wafting off Theo and the soft blush on his pale skin.
But Liam just concentrated on learning the older’s writing, soon being able to read it effortlessly.
It was one of the things he was most proud of.
Theo seemed to lose his embarrassment about his writing, at least around Liam - again, he was so proud of this achievement - and started to leave small notes in his course books.
Stupid comments, funny remarks, interesting side facts.
The werewolf felt he had gotten to know the chimera through these few scribbles in a way no one else had.
Theo couldn't cook. And also, he had the weirdest eating habits Liam had ever been forced to witness.
Eating spaghetti for example. Theo seemed unable to swirl them on his fork. The tomato sauce was everywhere.
It was honestly one of the most adorable things the werewolf had ever seen, not that he would ever confess to it.
But it also stood proof that Theo didn't grow up normal. Didn't learn things other kids had learned. Was never allowed to be a child. Was never safe.
Liam didn't laugh. Didn't criticise him. Just ate his spaghetti next to him and noticed Theo copying him after a bit.
There was a lot more to the ‘chimera of death’ than what others got to see.
Yes, he was a snarky little shitface.
But also, he was funny in a subtle, intelligent way. Curious in the way his eyes raked over rooms and landscapes and books and people (only when no one was looking - no one but Liam, because he was always looking). Shy in the way he avoided eye contact when asking questions he thought were stupid (they never were).
He was pack.
He was Liam's pack.
He was Liam's.
And as the werewolf borrowed the books with his card, Theo mumbling a quiet ‘Thanks’, he really hoped this was a start of yet another routine. A step closer to Theo.