Liam twisted his hands together, hip resting against the car as his eyes skimmed the now somewhat familiar site of the Niagara Falls State Park. What would apparently forever be the last stop on their roadtrip. The end of the line.

The part where Liam would finally have to give up the pretense that he was just another normal teenager and remember exactly what awaited him in Beacon Hills and start to pick back up the responsibilities he'd left behind.

He heard Theo muttering about time to leave and the click of the door opening but didn't acknowledge it. He watched a family disappear around the bend of a path and wondered when they'd be going home, what exactly they'd left behind, good and bad, to get to Niagara Falls.

"We should get going." Theo said. Liam forced his eyes to meet Theo's as he peeked out over the roof. Liam gave a small nod and a minor hum of what he guessed was meant to be agreement, not that his feet seemed to understand that staying firmly in place as he clenched and unclenched his hands in anxious little shakes.

"You ok?" Theo asked.

"Yeah." Liam hummed, making no move for the door. His eyes moving back to where he knew the falls were, hidden by corpses of trees. He heard the door snap shut and the shuffle of feet.

"Liam." Theo said softly, Liam gulped forcing his eyes from the trees to meet Theo's again. The chimera rested his arms against the lip of the roof gaze flickering across Liam's face. "You alright?"

"Yeah." Liam said and it wasn't exactly a lie but he was fairly sure it wasn't the whole truth either. Theo tilted an eyebrow up disbelievingly. "It's just weird you know? I mean when we leave were leaving." Liam said.

"That is usually the point of leaving." He said lightly.

"Every other time we've left somewhere we've been going somewhere else." Liam said.

"We still are."

"No, we're going back somewhere. Like, when I get in the car it's all just over." He stressed. It felt like the wild hunt, like the second he'd step in the car all the memories would be forgotten, like once they left they'd be leaving it behind as if none of it ever even happened.

"Unless you can teleport and haven't told me about it we have at least a couple of days left. A few years if you're driving." Theo said forcing a groan out of Liam.

"Are you ever going to cut it out with the bad driver jokes?"

"Well I've lasted this long, might as well see it through till the end." Theo grinned.

"You're a terrible person. I'm freaking out here."

"When are you not?" Theo hummed. Liam groaned once again dropping his head down to the lip of the truck bed with a painful crack.

"You're no help." Liam grumbled. He heard Theo give a soft snort of laughter, the truck rattled and shook as Theo used it as a climbing frame, hopping into the back and waltzing across footsteps clapping against the metal before Theo was landing next to him with a soft huff. Liam peaked out from his arms as Theo mimicked his position, resting his arms against the side of the truck, mouth pulled in a thin line, side warm where it was pressed solidly against Liam's. Liam watched him as his eyes ran over the trees and the few people wandering around.

"We don't have to go back." Theo said, eyes slowly sliding over to meet Liam's. "We could fill the tank, keep driving. Canada's just one big ass waterfall away."

"You'd do that?" Liam asked softly. "Just run away with me"

"Liam, what the hell do you think I've been doing for the past month?" Theo said, smirk tilting the corners of his lips. "If you changed your mind about leaving then fine, we don't go back just yet." He said simply. "and you know, with that card Derek gave us the skies the limit, literally. Could hop on a plane. Go to Hawaii, get a tan or go to that Greek place, that we'll definitely get lost at, Mikado or something."

"Do you mean Mykonos?" Liam asked curiously, Theo's brow pinched.

"Same thing." He muttered forcing a small snort of laughter out of Liam.

"It's really not. Isn't Mikado that choco-"

"If you need more time then take it." Theo said loud enough to cut Liam off. "We're here because you needed a break. If this still isn't enough then we'll keep going until it is."

"Derek said that if you run you'll always be running." Liam said, fingers tugging at a loose thread on his sleeve. "I don't want that, I don't want to run anymore."

"You are pretty lazy." Theo said. Liam rolled his eyes, a smile creeping onto his face. "It wouldn't be running." he added more seriously.

"Fine, I don't always want to be strategically retreating." Liam said, Theo let out a soft chuckle. "I need to go home but-" But once he got home things would start moving again. The Theo bubble would burst. He wouldn't only have to think about where they'd go. His biggest problem wouldn't be figuring out where they'd eat that night.

His problems would go back to monsters and saving the town. When he went back he'd have to go back to thinking about how Scott was going to leave, how everyone was going to leave. He wouldn't have Malia or Lydia around, or Stiles, or even Derek. It would be him, Mason and Corey. It would be his job to protect Beacon Hills.

"What if everything changes? What if it's all going to be different and-"

"It will be." Theo said, tipping his face up towards the cloudy sky. "But I don't see why that has to be a bad thing."

"When is change ever good?"

"Really?" Theo scoffed a small laugh bubbling out of him. "Alright, Mr. historian how about I school you on historical changes that were good."

"Okay so sometimes change is good." Liam said quickly, before Theo could doll out a list of all the good changes in history. "But when in Beacon Hills is it good? I mean look at my life, I wanted things to change and I became a werewolf, you wanted things to change and you became a Dread protégé."

"And I went to hell blah blah blah-" Theo said with a dramatic sigh. "Yes very bad, nightmares galore, traumatized forever yadda yadda- But it all changed again and now we're here so I'd say it turned out pretty good this time."

"But what if it goes wrong in Beacon Hills."

"Then you'll fix it. It's what you and your pack do. Beat the bad guys, fix the problem, annoy everyone with your unflinching morali-"

"It won't be the whole pack." Liam said, worrying his lip between his teeth. "It's not going to be like before, I won't have Scott there, Or Malia." Liam's eyes flickered up to meet Theo's.

I won't have you Liam thought, bile creeping up his throat. He always expected Scott to go off to college, he knew it was happening, had been preparing for it and could almost picture it now but with Theo. With Theo despite knowing he wouldn't be there either, despite trying to prepare for it the idea of actually getting back to Beacon Hills and being alone wasn't something he could begin to fathom. He knew he had, at one point, that he'd expected to one day just never hear from Theo again, that he'd slither out of Beacon Hills a hell of a lot quieter than how he came in and Liam would wonder what happened to him but never care enough to find out.

It seemed laughable now, because Theo always came back, usually unasked and unwanted sure but he'd still reappear, rearing his head with the cocky little smirk that made Liam think maybe they stood a chance at the next impossible task they had to do.

He tried to picture what it would be like to go into a battle without Theo's bored voice calling his plan stupid before he inevitably went along with it anyway.

Of going to sleep without Theo's heartbeat ringing in his ears and his scent surrounding him.

Things were changing he knew he couldn't prevent that, that Scott had to go to college but for once he had no desire for things to change. At least not everything, there were some things, one thing, he wanted exactly how he had it already.

"Don't go." Liam said, words spilling out of his mouth and cheeks heating in a ferocious blush. "To Idaho. Idaho sucks, I mean, what does it have? Potato's and fields? That's dumb." He ranted. Theo blinked at him, eyes wide and lips parted. "I know it's selfish and a douchebag move to even try but Scott's leaving. Everyone's leaving and I...you...at least with you it'll be easier. You make it easier." Liam wished Theo would do something other than gape at him dumbly. "And I know you said you have nothing in Beacon Hills but that's crap because you have me and you also said that if I said you should stay it might make you, so, you know, just...Come home."

"I mean my homes my truck. So I never really le-"

"Theo." Liam sighed. Theo's lips twitched minutely before his eyes were flicking to the ground, his finger tapped against the edge of the truck, once, twice.

"I thought I didn't belong in Beacon Hills." He said.

"You belong with me."

"Alright Taylo-" Liam shot Theo a stiff glare and was happy when Theo's words died on his tongue.

"I know that its a lot and that you'd have a pack in Idaho and a home and a job but I just... I've saved the town like eighty times, I think I'm allowed one dumb selfish request. So just...please don't go to Idaho."

"No." Theo said calmly, pushing himself fully away from the truck to turn and meet Liam's eyes head-on, lips twisted in a small smile like the word hadn't blasted a hole right through Liam's chest.

"No?" Liam croaked.

"No." Theo repeated. "I'm going to Idaho."

"Oh." Liam breathed. He was not going to cry. This was what he'd wanted, for Theo to go be happy in Idaho and at least he'd tried, at least Theo knew that he was wanted in Beacon Hills even if he chose Idaho over it. Theo inspected his nails casually. As much as Liam hated the callous attitude he was happy for it so he could try to swallow the lump in his throat and blink back the stupid tears threatening to fall despite Liam's mind screaming at them to fucking not without Theo watching his every move.

"It's only fair." Theo continued. "I suffered through Stiles and Derek, you can suffer through this."

"Right." Liam said, voice sounding painfully hollow even to his own ears. He shouldn't have asked, he should have left it, been supportive. At least then Theo wouldn't have actively rejected Liam begging him to stay, and it was begging. At least Liam wouldn't have looked like such a selfish asshole. Theo's eyes finally flickered up to meet his again and Liam was horrified to see that Theo was blurred with tears. He scrubbed his face quickly praying that somehow Theo wouldn't see the tears stinging in his eyes or smell the humiliation wafting off of Liam in sickening waves.

"Oh don't be such a crybaby." Theo scoffed. "It's just one day."

"What?"

"I'm pretty sure you can suck it up and live through one dinner for me if I'm staying in Beacon Hills for you." Theo sighed.

"Wait... what?" Liam asked, voice shaking as he tried to figure out what the hell was happening.

"I told Guns we'd come for dinner on our way back. So we're gonna have to go to Idaho. I didn't think you'd cry about-" It finally clicked and Liam dove forwards, slamming his palms into Theo's chest with a roar of -

"You're such an asshole!" As Theo tumbled down to the ground already laughing at Liam's expense.

"Well, that's not a very nice thing to say to someone who's giving up a pack for you." Theo said, voice light with humor.

"What the hell is wrong with you! That's not funny!" Liam seethed.

"It was kinda funny." Theo said, relaxing back on his elbows as if he'd planned to be sprawled across the floor and hadn't been shoved for being a douchebag. He smiled innocently up at Liam.

"I'm breaking up with you."

"Well, I guess I'll have to move to Ida-"

"Theo." Liam whined. Theo's smile smoothed out to just a soft turn of his lips.

"Liam, I offered to go to Canada for you. If you're asking me to stay of course I'm staying." Theo said, tone dry and bored as if Liam were a total idiot to assume otherwise.

"So, you won't move to Idaho?"

"It's an Idano from me."

"Jesus Christ." Liam sighed. Theo picked himself up off the floor, dusting off his clothes as he went.

"So-" Theo tossed the door open dramatically. "Shall we? Or are you still freaking out?"

"You're definitely coming back? We're not going to get to Idaho and Stiles will be waiting to pick me up while you go to howl at the moon with your new pack."

"Ah, so you're still freaking out."

"I'm not freaking out." Liam said, Theo's eyebrow begun to arch "okay I'm freaking out a little but I just asked you to stay and you decided it was a great time to make a shitty joke about dinner so if you could humor me and say 'Yes Liam, I'll stay with you forever and Idaho can choke' that'd be great."

"Are you going to make me carve our initials into a tree if I agree?"

"Theo."

"Idaho can choke. I'm staying with you. Now can we go, I'm hungry and some idiot only got us sandwiches for dinner last night."

"We're doing a real picnic when we're in Beacon Hills." Liam decided, finally climbing into the car. Theo shut the door with a snort that told Liam he'd probably have to fight tooth and nail to get his picnic.

*

"When do you think we'll get to Beacon Hills?" Liam asked, drooping back against the dashboard and letting his eyes shift to the window watching the trees slink by at the side of the road.

"Again, unless you can teleport it'll be-"

"A while, I know." Liam said, turning back to Theo. "But how long is a while?"

"It'll be a day and a half when we leave Idaho." Theo said.

"and how long till we reach Idaho?"

"About thirty hours of driving." Theo said.

"Okay...Okay cool." Liam said, twisting around in his seat so he was facing the right way and fighting his phone out of his pocket. It wasn't long before Liam was balancing the phone on the dashboard as a photo of Mason blinked on the screen and a dial tone rang jauntily through the truck.

It didn't take long for Mason to pick up. Liam watched bemused as Mason trudged along the familiar streets of Beacon Hills holding his phone out in front of him and grinning sleepily at the screen.

"Hey man, what's up?"

"What are you doing?" Liam asked. "where are you going?"

"School." Mason panted. "I missed the freaking bus."

"That's like a five-mile walk."

"Oh I know." Mason groaned. "And it's boring." Mason sighed. "I mean dude, I've done maybe two miles and it just sucks. Never hang up okay. Just talk to me. Tell me everything, anything, just distract me from the stupid freaking walk."

"How warm is Corey's dick?" Liam blurted.

"Nope." Mason said quickly as Theo spluttered on his own spit and swerved the car violently. Mason disappeared from the screen apparently deciding to hang up. Liam couldn't exactly blame him.

"That wasn't how I meant to word that." Liam said tentatively when Theo straightened out the car.

"How you meant to...Why would you even ask?!" Theo hissed. "Jesus Liam! I'm sure that's not what he meant when he said distract him. Yes, my dick was warm. It's fucking basic biology, blood is warm, blood goes into the dick, boom the dick is warm read a fucking bo-" Theo's rant broke off as Liam's phone rattled against the dash. Masons icon popping back up. Liam answered.

"Okay no." Mason said, before Liam had a chance to even open his mouth. "Why the hell would you ask me that?!"

"Um-" Liam floundered looking to Theo who kept his eyes firmly on the road, cheeks flushed a brilliant red.

"Wait is Theo blushing? Are you blushing? Holy shit did you bang?!" Mason yelled.

"No!" Liam said quickly before Theo decided to drive full speed at a tree.

"You totally ba-"

"We didn't!" There was just some mutual exchanging of hand jobs and like, it was surprisingly warm-"

"Oh my god." Theo croaked. "Liam, shut-"

"Yeah, Dicks are warm. That surprises you?" Mason said, face scrunching as if Liam's surprise was the strangest part of the conversation and not the pained sigh Theo was letting out.

"A bit. I dunno, I just didn't expect it to be quite so hot. You know...temperature wise. Like, imagery wise yeah, I expected it to be hot and you know I wasn't dissapoi-

"Stop talking." Theo pleaded. Liam let his mouth snap closed, eyeing Theo sheepishly. Mason snorted a small laugh from the screen.

"Alright, so, what are you two doing next?" Mason asked, Theo relaxed minutely in his seat.

"Uh...We haven't talked about it? I guess oral would be-"

"Liam!" Theo hissed.

"Dude, no, I meant on the road trip." Mason said.

"Oh, right I-"

"Well, Liam is getting murdered." Theo said, voice tight.

"We're coming home." Liam said.

"You're coming home?" Mason asked, a smile lighting his face as he stumbled to a stop in the middle of the street. "for real? You're actually coming back?"

"Yeah." Liam said lips twitching in return as Mason cheered.

"Finally! So you're doing good then? You're feeling better? You're ready to come-"

"Don't ask him that he's already freaked out once this morning." Theo muttered.

"I'm doing good." Liam said with a proud little nod. "Well, better." He clarified. "I want to come home."

"When will you be back? Soon? Or like a couple weeks? Where even are you? Wait will you be here tonight? I can blow off school and set up like a welcome home thing if you are it's fine, oh dude! Are you close enough to give me a lift because honestly, this walk is painful and-"

"We'll be in Pennsylvania in a few minutes. I think you better keep walking." Theo said.

*

The day seemed to pass quicker than usual, zipping by in a moment leaving Pennsylvania in the rearview mirror with Liam barely being able to remember anything about it. Mason stayed on the phone until he reached the school by which point Theo's cheeks had returned to their normal color and he'd joined the conversation for more than a few threats thrown in Liam's direction.

By the time Theo was tossing the keys to Liam to let him drive the last stretch of the day the sun was creeping down in the sky and almost 600 miles had been put between them and Niagara Falls.

He knew eventually they'd have to stop and sleep but as it was Liam was happy to keep creeping closer towards home. Not because he was in any particular rush to get there but just because driving with Theo was nice, normal. With Theo's heels pressing into his thighs, head drooping against the window as they talked in quiet tones ignoring the soft music murmuring from the radio. He'd happily drive all night with Theo's legs in his lap and his voice floating through the car light with a smile, even if it meant getting back to Beacon Hills sooner.

At least he would have, had he not caught sight of the blinking lights of a carnival.

Liam slammed his foot on the break, the truck skidding to a sudden stop. Theo narrowly avoided slamming his head on the dashboard but Liam didn't particularly care, already slapping Theo's leg and pointing out the window.

"Dude look!"

"What the fuck Liam!"

"Theo look!"

"You can't just break like-"

"LOOK!" Liam screamed. Theo gave a stiff huff and turned to look out the window. "We have to go!"

"You almost killed us because you want to go to a fair?" Theo asked, slowly turning back to Liam. Liam let out a derisive scoff.

"I didn't almost kill us don't be so dramatic."

"I'm not letting you drive again." Theo said. Liam shrugged yanking the keys out of the ignition and tossing them towards Theo.