"Dude, it's two a.m. why are you-"

"I have the gays!" Liam blurted, regretting it a moment later because that was definitely not how he'd intended to start the conversation. He yanked the phone away from his face with a panicked scream and hung up with fumbling fingers. He tossed the phone to the side, it hit the metal with a soft thump. A few moments later a rattling buzz sounded as a text was received.

Liam considered stealing Theo's truck and taking a long drive off a short bridge.

He also considered there was a small chance he was overreacting...

There was no way.

No possible way that this was actually happening.

The phone buzzed again, Liam ignored it, Eyes returning to where Theo had disappeared.

There was no freaking way.

It was Theo. No one would ever have a crush on Theo, he was rude and abrasive and obnoxious. He had a smirk that made Liam want to punch him in the face and spoke in a drawl that made Liam roll his eyes almost constantly. He'd killed Scott. He'd betrayed them all. Liam could never like Theo... he'd have to be insane to like Theo.

Liam flopped down, smashing his face into the pillow and letting out a muffled yell. Only to inhale a lungful of fir and citrus that had him sitting back up instantly, tossing the pillow out of the back of the truck with a cut off scream.

Because it was Theo. Who Liam had been stuck watching people flirt with from day one. Liam knew for a fact at least a few of Theo's coffees had been for free after he'd thrown a suggestive smile at the barista and ordered in a voice soft like honey. Theo, who knew all the names of aliens in Star Wars and made jokes so stupid they made Liam groan. Theo, who had a smile that left Liam breathless, as his heart fluttered in his chest. Theo, who fought at Scott's side and knew all the words to mambo number five. Theo, who'd wormed his way into being Liam's friend, his anchor, someone who even the thought of him leaving made Liam feel sick.

"This is not happening." Liam hissed, throwing himself out of the truck and pacing the length of it. "This. Is. Not. Happening." The phone buzzed. Liam sunk to the ground in a pitiful heap.

He couldn't like Theo.

And yet Liam found his eyes tracing the horizon for any sign of the chimera once again because somehow he'd wriggled his way under Liam's skin and decided to force Liam to become privy to that information just after dropping the 'hey I'm abandoning you' bomb.

It wasn't fair. Theo was meant to be safe. He was meant to be easy, one person who would stick with Liam, annoying him to no end but still being there when he needed him. Even if he bitched about it. Liam wasn't sure when he'd started thinking that Theo being there was a given. When life after the road trip had begun to include Theo helping him through supernatural problems and coming to movie nights with Mason and Corey when Scott and the others left.

Theo wasn't meant to leave. He wasn't meant to make Liam care and then run away like everyone else seemed to do. He wasn't meant to use Liam as a stepping stone to find another pack to join. They were meant to complete Theo's dumb real boy list and have an uncomfortable friendship where everyone but them thought they were crazy for being friends, He was meant to lurk and annoy the hell out of them.

Liam tugged at his hair giving a small groan because it didn't matter what Theo was meant to do, Theo liked to see what he was meant to do then laugh as he ran in the other direction.

Theo was an asshole, he was everything that Liam should hate. He was selfish and broken and Liam couldn't even begin to tell himself that he didn't like him. Annoying pain in the ass flaws and all.

The phone gave another soft rattle.

He took a deep breath and moved after the phone. A series of texts from Mason were glowing on the screen. A laugh bubbled out of his throat as he read them.

You have the gays? The first read. The second Was that a threat? Before Mason had started asking if he was okay. Liam chewed his lip tossing the phone from hand to hand.

If there was anyone he could talk to about liking Theo it would be Mason. Liam dialed before he could think better of it. Mason face popped up on screen almost instantly, his cheek marked with indentations from a pillow as he sat on his bed, the only light was the dim glow of an old bedside lamp.

"Hey man, you okay?" Mason inquired softly.

"Yeah." Liam said. "No." He countered. "How'd you know you were gay?" Liam asked, the words out of his mouth like a flurry. It was easier to ask than actually saying anything about Theo. Mason froze, so still that Liam was worried the connection had broken. After a moment he let out a low huff and sat up straighter, squaring his shoulders as if he were about to walk into battle, not lead Liam through a sexual identity crisis.

Was it even a crisis if the problem wasn't that Theo was a guy but that it was Theo and the fact he would be leaving? And really, shouldn't him being a guy seem like more of a problem? Shouldn't it freak him out more?

Liam wondered how serious his abandonment issues were if a sexual identity crisis slipped right under the radar and left him simply freaking out about the person and their leaving rather than his gender.

"The being attracted to guys and not girls was the main give away." Mason said dryly.

"I'm serious." Liam huffed.

"So am I. Guys interested me romantically, girls didn't. Case closed."

"That's not-"

"Liam, man, I love you but you're being a dumbass." Mason said bluntly. "It's literally the only way to know you're gay. There wasn't a magic gay fairy that came down and told me when I was 'gay enough' to come out. You have thoughts of a certain nature about a dude and you know." And really, he wasn't sure what he'd hoped to get out of Mason with the question. "You know you'd be bi not gay anyway." Mason blurted. Liam froze, much like Mason had moments before.

"I was just asking. I wasn't like...coming out or-" Liam tried. Mason gave a derisive snort.

"So you calling me at 2am and saying 'you have the gays' wasn't you coming out?"

"This is not happening." He groaned pitifully, head dropping to his knee.

This was definitely happening. Liam had somehow gone and caught feelings for Theo. Who was going to leave him and live with a hot girl who was annoyingly cool and had a snake tattoo that Liam could picture Theo following all the way down. His lip curled in a sneer.

"Mase, I can't like him." Liam said, voice pathetically desperate as if Mason could somehow wave a wand and take Liam back to an hour before, when he was entirely unaware of the fact he'd gone and developed a crush directed towards Theo.

"By him I'm guessing you mean-"

"God don't say it!" Liam said, because of course Mason had already figured it out. He remembered Mason's comments at the crazy golf and winced. How obvious had he been being about his apparent crush?

"-Theo." Mason finished. Liam let out another whine that had Mason scoffing. "You really know how to pick 'em don't you."

"Can you do me a favour?" Liam asked, voice muffled as he grumbled into the crook between his legs. "Raid Argents house and come shoot me with every single bullet he owns."

"I think you might be overreacting a little bit here dude." Mason said softly. Liam let out another groan. "I mean he's hot. Like...really really Hot. Like-" Liam's mind conjured an image of Theo, wet and smiling at the water park, stomach giving a flutter. "I mean he's like god hot-" he thought of him at the lake, with the tattoo shimmering as droplets rolled across it and the puff of warm breath against his lips as he got too close.

"Mase! You're not helping!" Liam hissed.

"Is you freaking out because he's a guy or-"

"I don't-" Liam broke off, finally lifting his head again. "It's not him being a guy. I mean...that's not exactly expected it's just it's Theo and it's Idaho and it's confusing and-" Liam took a shaking breath. Theo was going to leave. "I need to get out of here."

"Alright..Okay. Where's the closest airport? I'll come get you-Dude what, what are you doing?" Liam clamored into the driver's seat, tossing the phone onto the dash as he made a grab for the key still sitting in the ignition. "Man you can't drive, stop-"

"Mase, please shut up." Liam growled. slamming his foot down on the gas. The car gave a lurch and stalled.

"Okay dude just chill and-"

"SHUT UP MASON!" Liam roared, restarting the truck. It crackled to life and Liam sped out of the field, speed limits be damned.

"You're stealing someone's car! Even if it's Theo that's not cool-"

"I'll bring it back I just need-"

"Dude this isn't-"

"-I mean what if he hears me talking about-"

"-He's going to murder all of us if you-"

"-Then I can go back and we'll-"

"-Just tell me where you are I can come-"

"-We're going to Disney world you're not coming to get me!" Liam snapped.

"So you still want to be with him?"

"Yes! No. I don't...I need to talk and I can't where he might hear, okay? So just shut up for five minutes." Liam said.

"Alright." Mason said softly. Liam let out a small sigh of relief, listening to the soft cadence of Mason's breathing. It wasn't long before Liam found a small all-night diner tucked at the edge of the road. It was run down, with the neon sign crackling and flashing like an arcade game, and a waitress that looked ready to collapse, she was so tired but it was away from Theo so Liam wasted no time in scurrying into a seat in the far corner, ordering a coke and setting his phone up leaning against a napkin disposal so he could whine to Mason hands free. He waited, finger tapping on the table in an annoyingly familiar beat that made him scowl, if he was going to pick up one of Theo's bad habits it would have been a lot more helpful to pick up Theo's emotional repression.

"Thanks." Liam said, snatching his coke from the waitress and sliding down in the booth until his face was barely visible on the camera, heart pattering uncomfortably fast in his chest.

"You good?"

"I just stole Theo's truck because I might like him. I'm pretty sure good isn't how I'd describe it." Liam scoffed, poking at an ice cube with his straw.

"Alright..Well, do you wanna start from the beginning. I'm pretty sure I'm missing like a whole bunch of information." Mason said. And so Liam did, he told Mason about Theo, tired and bloody but still waiting to drive him home. He explained his rant, how tired he felt, how Theo had driven them out of Beacon hills and carried on no matter how dumb it would be to do so without money. He talked about a sunrise shared at the Grand Canyon and how Theo's smiles came easier. About arguments that left Liam stuck in the shower until the water was cold and Theo a state over cursing his name. About an entire day watching Star Wars.

He told Mason about nightmares and hand holding and Theo being his anchor, of the sound of Theo's heartbeat and the mimicking tap of his finger. About dancing and laughing, he talked of hours in the car sharing stupid stories and singing along to the radio obnoxiously. He talked about tattoo's seen under the silver glow of moonlight.

He talked until his throat was dry and his eyes were wet and everyone in the diner was giving him a wide birth. Until the idea of liking Theo wasn't something that had him panicking but something that had pain blossoming in his chest because Theo was leaving and he was never going to figure out what the hell they were doing before he left.

"Intense." Mason breathed.

"What the hell do I do?" Liam asked, voice bordering on begging.

"I can't believe I'm actually about to say this-" Mason said. "-But I think you should like...ask him out."

"What?"

"Or like, at least tell him you like him."

"I don't li-" The lie died on his tongue as Mason raised a judgmental eyebrow. A splattering of rain landed on the window beside him. "...He's not exactly like my normal crush dude."

"Hot, likes to punch you in the face, once came back from the dead...So far I'd say he's checking all your boxes." Mason said, Liam scowled down at his now empty drink.

"What if I say something and he's not interested? Then I'm the guy who got rejected by Theo. I don't want to be that guy."

"He said you confused him, wasn't that basically a confession?"

"I don't know! Maybe I'm just like...projecting? I mean I'm like his first friend. He might not even know what liking someone is. Maybe he was just saying I confuse him about Math or something."

"Man, why the hell would he randomly say you confuse him when talking about Math?"

"I don't know but it makes more sense than what you're thinking."

"Yeah...because Math is the logical answer here."

"Dude-"

"You were a wreck after Hayden left." Mason said. "And I get it, I'd be a mess if Corey left, i mean, I thought he was gone for a day and it was like the worst day of my life. If you really do like him and he might like you then tell him. He said he didn't have a reason to stay in Beacon Hills right...so give him a reason." Liam hit his straw again, hard enough to send it toppling out of the glass and rolling onto the floor. It left a few flecks of coke speckling the table. He eyed the chewed straw, teeth pinching at his cheeks.

"What if he isn't interested?"

"Then he rejects you and runs off to Idaho to live a happy little evil chimera life while you forget all about him and find someone way less screwed up."

"He would be happy." Liam sighed, flopping his head onto the table with a dull thunk. "He was happy there. All...smiley."

"You seriously need to send me those photos, the idea of Theo smiling in a way that doesn't make you want to punch him in the face is still pretty strange-"

"I want him to be happy." Liam said, cutting Mason off. "He'd be happy in Idaho. Should I just pretend nothing's changed? I mean, that'd be easier right?"

"It's up to you man, but whatever you do or don't do you should tell Scott."

"What? Why?"

"He said full disclosure right? I think you having a major emotional attachment to Theo counts as something he'd want disclosed." Mason said.

"Not if I don't do anything about it."

"No dude, even then. You fall hard and fast, if you've got feelings for Theo that's like...perfect manipulation opportunity."

"He wouldn't-"

"He did before." Mason said. Liam's jaw tensed, as he ground his teeth to stop himself from snapping at his best friend.

"You said I should tell him, and now you think he'd just use me to-"

"I'm not saying that." Mason said. "I'm just saying..you need to remember what he's capable of. If you like him fine, I've got your back. I'll help you make a mixtape or whatever-" Liam gave a soft snort of laughter at the picture of Theo's face if he turned up with a mixtape. "-But also not gonna let you look at him with rose tinted goggles. He's not just the guy you've been going all Brokeback with, he's also the guy who went full Judas on us. You need to be careful, especially if you're thinking of being more than friends with him. You can't just give him the benefit of the doubt because you have a crush on him. Tell Scott. He'll be cool with it, I mean it's Scott."

"But if I'm not doing anything about it why does Scott need to-"

"Because those feelings are still there right? And you're dumb when it comes to feelings."

"Hey!"

"Dude you just stole your crushes car because you were having mixed feelings. You can't argue with me on this." Mason said, lips twitching into a smile. Liam glowered out the window, watching the rain patter down. "Theo seems different." He added softly. "I may not like the guy, or trust him, but if you do...then, you know, I trust you and I can get behind it if that's what you want me to do. I'm just gonna need to figure out how to kick his ass in case he ever hurts you."

"What would you do?"

"I'd tell him. Better to have loved and lost and all that-" Liam didn't even want to think about love and Theo in the same universe let alone the same sentence.

"Are you like my gay Yoda now?" He joked lamely. "Instructing me in the way of dating reformed douchebag Chimera's."

"Corey's not a douchebag."

"He was a bit of a douche-"

"You just didn't like him." Mason scoffed. "And yes. I am your gay Yoda, so listen to me carefully, teaching one. Talk to Theo."

"I can do that." Liam lied.

"Lesson two. Do not use the force-"

"Wha-"

"Lube is always nec-" Liam never hung up so fast in his life.

*

Liam spent the short drive back to the field panicking about driving in the rain that had decided to reach monsoon levels the second he got into the truck and coming up with a plan on the liking Theo fiasco.

The plan was fairly simple. Follow his gay Yoda's teachings. Well, his first teaching, he was pushing lesson number two to the very back of his mind where it wouldn't bring any unwanted fantasies while he tried to get through what would no doubt be an embarrassing confession of interest.

Or, Liam's brain supplied helpfully, You could ignore it, Which...Was tempting. Theo was an asshole, Theo was selfish. Theo could very well laugh in his face and use it for emotional humiliation for years to come. Or, well, at least until he moved to Idaho.

Maybe it would be safer to ignore it, maybe if he ignored it, it would just go away. Theo would go away and he would be left with his pride intact and the only people who would ever have to know about his unfortunate... feelings, were Mason and himself.

Liam spotted Theo the moment he skidded into the field, mud so thick it left the car grinding to a halt before he'd even pressed the brake. He was hovering in the middle of the field, shoulders slumped and hair plastered to his face, all in all, it gave the impression of a sad puppy left in the rain.

He didn't have to wait long before Theo was stomping towards the truck and throwing open the door. He shoved Liam out of the way with a solid push that had him flailing into the passenger seat as Theo scrambled in, a scowl on his face as he slammed the door behind him. He said nothing, just tried to start the car, glowering at the steering wheel and gritting his teeth as the engine roared and the truck did little more than rock in the mud.

Liam's heart rocketed in his chest as a small voice screamed at him to tell him, and another louder voice told him to shove Theo out of the truck and take off before he could figure out that Liam spent the past few hours trying to figure out what the hell was going on between them.

"You enjoy your run?" He winced as his voice came out in an embarrassing little rasp that Theo didn't care to notice, too busy glaring at the wheel and pumping the gas to try and fight their way out of the muddy trench Liam had landed them in.

"Yeah it was really great." Theo mused sarcasm practically dripping from his words. "My favourite part was coming back and finding out you stole my truck. Standing for an hour in the rain wondering what the fuck I was going to do without money or my car was real fun too."

"I didn't steal it." Liam lied. "I just borrowed it."