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Stiles looks out over the hills of mudded brown and broken twigs. Looks out over the tops of trees and the borders of his home, and draws his knees up to his chest. It's been raining recently, and the petrichor sticks to his skin with a pleasant prickling. This spot, his spot, is the highest spot in Beacon Hills that you can get to on foot. It's a place of contemplation, of solace. He'd first found it when his mom died, he thought if he could get as close as possible to the sky he could see her, catch one last glimpse, as she floated upwards and away.
It's quiet here.
He rests his chin on his knee and sighs. He's the smartest person in the pack- of what's left of the pack anyway- and aside from Lydia, he can make connections, patterns that no one else can. And so often, he's right. He's goddamn right, and no one ever listens to him. Being human is a curse and a blessing, and Stiles hangs suspended between the two, never sure where he stands or what it is he wants. He knows now though- he wants Scott back. He wants his brother. Everything's ruined. Sometimes he needs to be away, he needs to be alone. He needs to reevaluate and regroup and stitch himself together after being torn and torn apart. He needs to sew his smile back into place so that he can be the optimistic, clever, smart-ass sidekick that everyone needs. And sometimes, when he can't sew the grin into place, he just puts on a mask, and hopes for the best.
He's been wearing a mask for so long lately.
"Stiles."
For gods sakes. Stiles doesn't move, but he isn't sure how his heart reacts. He realises, on a deeper level, that he doesn't actually care that Theo has found his sanctuary. Everything's ruined anyway. Why should Stiles be allowed to have anything? After what he's done?
"How did you even get up here? I couldn't see a clear path." Theo sits down opposite him, blocking Stiles' empowering view over Beacon Hills.
"I've been coming here ever since I was a little boy."
Theo hums, and picks at a rare blade of grass that lies between them "the rain must have washed away your scent." He says thoughtfully. And there's no tension about him. Stiles think's that's so odd. Is it that Theo's incredibly stupid, naive or just that self confident? "Stiles, I came here to tell you something."
Stiles doesn't say anything. He's done with this game. He's sick of it. Theo's played Stiles and Scott against each other. Theo's backed him into a corner. Theo knows what a monster he is, and Stiles is scared because...Theo hasn't rejected him like Scott has. Theo knows what he did. Saw the way his eyes glinted when he held that wrench. And a part of Stiles clings to the fact that Theo hasn't left him as a bit of a lifeline. He hasn't been rejected by everyone. But then- if Theo hasn't rejected him- doesn't that mean that Theo's a monster? But then is Stiles a monster? Or is Stiles a good person who is going to keep the company of a monster? But only monsters keep the company of monsters, but maybe Stiles doesn't deserve any better-
"I can see your brain working." Theo says softly, a hint of a smile in his voice "Anyway, I came to tell you what I think you already know. I love you."
Stiles did know that on some level. Only love would give someone the kind of demented motivation that Theo has. "I don't know what you want me to say."
"Nothing, really." Theo admits "Well, in an ideal world, you say you love me too, and we run away together."
Stiles can't help but snort. How easy would that be? "On some level," he says in a rare flash of maudlin-honesty "I'm incredibly tempted."
Theo beams like it was more than he ever expected. There's silence for a long time, but it isn't a silence that stretches between them. It's a silence they both bask in. They're studying each other, as though memorising the sight, as if they know this is going to be the end of something, or the start of something very different. "What if," Theo licks his lips "in another universe, I deserve you?"
"I don't think the problem is deserving." The dark haired boy replies "I think we deserve each other, Theo. We're both murderers."
"Fine then." Theo changes tact "What if in another universe, you love me?"
"If you think of it that way, then it's like neither of us did anything wrong. You just found me in the wrong universe. That's all. This is, as they say, the darkest timeline." He cocks his head, and studies Theo critically, consideringly "I could totally buy this as the darkest timeline. Couldn't you?"
"I could." Theo says sombrely, but then grins madly "So that means, there's a timeline where I stayed in Beacon Hills, we became best friends, and eventually got together like a cheesy romcom."
Stiles laughs "And Scott was never bitten by a werewolf, and Peter went somewhere else to track his family. Or just killed Derek. And Beacon Hills would be the most boring place on the face of the planet."
"And our biggest problem would be the fact that coach wouldn't let you play in the big games."
Stiles' laughter peals through the air as a rare sound. "And that means there's another universe, where you and I met in college. Maybe we were dorm mates."
"And I got jealous because you were trying to make a long term relationship with someone back home work."
"And eventually I began to resent the constant Skype calls and time away, and wanted to be with my handsome roommate all the time."
"And then your boyfriend cheats on you, and I'm there to comfort you."
They laugh spectacularly
"What I wouldn't give," Stiles breathes, eyes watering "What I wouldn't give to live in any Universe but this one."
Theo's smile dims a little, but his eyes are still crinkled with joy. "We don't have to keep this as the darkest timeline, Stiles," he says quietly, earnestly. And Stiles watches him. Wanting to be tempted. "Me and you, we just get on a motorbike, and we go. We drive and we just keep driving- we could visit South Africa, I know how to make people disappear and you know how to hide our tracks. We could go skateboarding along the beach, surfing in the high tide. We could walk through empty forests, climb trees, run just to run, not because we're running from something. We could live in a string of hotels, get jobs as waiters, and then porn stars-" Stiles grins with manic delight at the prospect "and then when we're tired of South Africa, we go to Australia. We go to England. We go on a boat and spend a week lounging in the middle of an ocean. We plan a trip so that we don't ever see nighttime for days. We go skinny dipping, we go bungee jumping, we go paragliding!" He reaches across and takes Stiles' hands "we can do that. We don't have to keep this the darkest timeline. We just need to up and go."
Stiles stares at him longingly, and rubs his thumb of Theo's palm. Theo can smell his arousal like pinpricks in the air. Sharp and sweet. "I want to." Stiles' voice cracks "but that's not the Universe we're in. Scott is a werewolf. Peter's here. There are dread doctors, and banshees and evil people in asylums-"
"I'm leaving Stiles." The blond confesses "as soon as the sun sets, I'm leaving. I'm not letting the Dread Doctors have any hold on me. I'm abandoning my pack, I'm getting the hell away from Beacon Hills and all the monsters that live here-"
"But you're a monster." Stiles shakes his head "and monsters belong here. You belong here, I belong here."
"No. We just belong together." Theo remains stubborn "I'm going to highlight two different futures for you, Stiles. You come with me, and we do all that I described. Maybe we're both a little monstrous, maybe we fight and maybe we get so angry, and maybe we see a man attacking a woman, and we beat him. We kill him. We hurt him. Maybe we're messed up vigilantes, broken and different, but we have each other. Or, you stay here and I leave. You and Scott make up, you save the world. You stay with Malia. You become the cute little sidekick, you live with your dad and put off college because you can't really bear to be away from home. Plus, Beacon Hills needs you. You and Scott are its protectors. You have a pack. Yeah, you're happy. I'm not going to lie. But you'll never be fulfilled. Your life will be an endless loop."
"Scott can't save the world without me-"
"Screw the world."
Stiles laughs sadly, and tightens his hold on Theo's hand briefly, and leans across and presses a chaste, wet kiss to Theo's lips. Theo stares at him, and Stiles aches. "Go."
Theo shakes his head, eyes watering and smile wistful "Please."
"I...I can't." Stiles chokes, and a lone tear slips down his right cheek "but hey- in another universe." He forces a chuckle, and Theo stands reluctantly.
"If you ever change your mind." And he hands Stiles a slip of paper he already had prepared in his pocket. "It's to a burner. I'll always come and find you. I hear there's really good cell reception in South Africa."
Stiles laughs genuinely, and watches as Theo disappears into the trees, clutching the white slip of paper tightly in his hand.
He looks down and memorises it when he's alone, and then rips the paper into a thousand little pieces, and lets them flutter away in all directions.
The sunset has turned the sky crimson, and Stiles knows that it's time. Time to convince Scott that he isn't a murderer, to hug his dad, to make amends with Malia, to save Lydia and save the world. It's his duty, it's his purpose. He stitches himself back together and goes back to join the real world.
Every time he sees the sunset, he thinks of Theo. And he nearly dials that number infinite times.
He never actually does.
But just the fact he has it, helps his smile become a little more genuine.