Theo and Stiles had both agreed not to tell anyone about their relationship, and things were going well between them. At the very least, Stiles had thought they'd come to an agreement.

However, an extraordinarily awkward conversation with Scott at school told him otherwise.

"So, uh...how are things?" Scott asked, words slow and calculated.

At this, Stiles stopped in his tracks. Immediately, he could tell that something was off. Scott was acting weird and he wanted to know what was going on.

"How are things? Okay, what is going on?" Stiles asked, immediately cutting to the chase.

The alpha shrugged, attempting to appear as if he were simply making idle chit-chat.

"Nothing, nothing. I️ was just wondering...would you say you and Theo are close?" he asked, being even less subtle than before.

Stiles immediately panicked inside. Scott was onto him. He knew he had to maintain a calm demeanor to even have so much as a chance of covering up his relationship with Theo.

"I️ mean, we're not enemies, but I️ wouldn't say we're close," he lied. In that moment, he was extremely glad to not be human, as his vampirism managed to mask some of the more obvious signs of dishonesty.

Scott pressed his lips together and nodded. His face looked weirdly analytical and Stiles wasn't a fan.

"Does Theo know that?" Scott asked.

Stiles looked at the other, puzzled.

"What do you mean...? Scott, whatever it is you're not saying, just say it," he said, growing impatient.

Scott sighed, realizing that there was no more tiptoeing around the subject and it was time for him to just come out with it.

"I️ just noticed...Theo's scent on you," he admitted, scrunching his face.

Stiles shrugged, covering his nerves with feigned nonchalance.

"Like I️ said before, I️ do live with the guy," he deflected, hoping it would prompt the other boy to drop the subject entirely.

Scott shook his head.

"No, it's not that. It's different this time," he explained.

The vampire still wasn't quite sure what his friend was getting at.

"Different? Different how?" he asked.

Scott fell silent for a moment. He then exhaled. He wasn't exactly sure how to go about the subject.

"I️ mean his scent didn't just happen to rub off on you this time. It's definitely intentional. He scent marked you."

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

"What the hell?" Stiles asked that afternoon after he got back from school.

Theo raised an eyebrow as he turned around to face Stiles.

"Well hello to you to," he replied sarcastically.

Stiles shook his head.

"Nope, we're not doing this. Cut the crap. I️ wanna know why you scent marked me," he commanded.

Theo looked down, ashamed. He nodded.

"Look, I️ didn't-I️ didn't really mean to do it. I️ mean, I️ did, I️ just, I️ wasn't thinking, okay? I️ was just pissed off," he admitted.

Stiles' expression shifted from anger to confusion and slight concern as Theo finally looked him the eye. He shook his head slightly.

"Pissed off? About what? And what did scent marking me have to do with it? The whole Pack could've found out-"

"Maybe that's exactly what I️ wanted to happen!" Theo shouted, completely losing his composure.

Stiles blinked, taken aback by Theo's outburst and the words that he'd just uttered.

"We said we shouldn't tell anyone," Stiles reminded.

Theo shook his head and scoffed.

"No, Stiles. You said that. I️ just went along with it," he admitted.

Stiles shook his head, still trying to understand where all of this was coming from.

"Why? Why didn't you just say you weren't okay with it?" he asked.

Theo sighed, trying to calm himself down a little bit. He shrugged.

"Because I️ thought I️ was at first. But then the more I️ thought about it, about being your dirty little secret, about how you're ashamed of me-" he started, his voice cracking slightly as it raised in volume.

He wanted the world to know that Stiles was his and the fact that Stiles didn't feel the same way hurt. It reminded him of why he always shut people out and never let his guard down: because if he kept walls up, no one could make him feel like that. But he had made the mistake of being vulnerable with Stiles and in doing so giving him power over him.

Stiles shook his head vigorously, coming closer to Theo.

"No, no, I'm not. I️ swear I'm not," he uttered softly.

In that moment, he didn't know what else to say, he just needed Theo to know that he could never be ashamed of him. He felt a twinge of guilt. He hated seeing how much Theo was hurting, and what he hated even more was that he had been the cause of that pain and still didn't even notice. Now, all he wanted was to make it right.

"Then why? Why keep us a secret?" Theo asked, his voice weak and pathetic and filled with pain.

"I️ just- I️ didn't want to put that kind of pressure on you. And I️ honestly didn't think you'd even want to tell anyone but I️ shouldn't've assumed. I️ should've asked you and I️ should've listened. I️ am really sorry," Stiles explained.

Theo nodded, but didn't say anything.

Reluctantly, Stiles came up beside Theo and put an arm around him.

"We'll tell everyone together, okay?" he suggested.

Theo rested his head on Stiles' shoulder.

"Okay," he agreed, and Stiles kissed his forehead.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

They decided to do it the next day at lunch.

"We, um, we have some news," Stiles confessed.

Everyone was still just confused as to why Theo was sitting with them to begin with.

Stiles looked at Theo and then at everyone else, taking in the variety of expressions. They all appeared to be on edge, causing Stiles to worry that this wasn't going to go well.

Just like in one of those cheesy engagement announcements, Stiles conspicuously took Theo's hand, both as a pretense to what he was about to reveal and as a source of comfort.

Everyone appeared to be shocked, aside from Scott, whose expression didn't change at all.

"Theo and I️...we're together. And before you say anything, I️ need all of you to know that he makes really happy," he revealed.

Liam's jaw literally dropped. Lydia furrowed her brows and appeared to be studying the two of them. Mason's eyes widened, and Kira opened her mouth to say something but then closed it, at a loss for words despite her seemingly perpetual optimism.

Malia folded her arms across her chest, eyeing Theo up and down.

"And we're just supposed to trust him?" she asked, her tone icy.

Before Theo or even Stiles could respond, it was Scott who spoke.

"Yes," he said, sharing a knowing look with Stiles.

Malia nodded, processing. She looked at Stiles.

"I️ guess if he makes you happy...then I'm happy for you," she obviously skeptical still, but Stiles could also tell that she meant what she said wholeheartedly.

Ultimately, Stiles' friends all supported him. He realized that they would love and accept him no matter what, and in that moment, it became clear that there was something else he needed to do.