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“You smell like a bad penny,” Theo says instead of a proper greeting as he drops to a crouch beside the beta.
“How'd I smell like that?” Liam's eyes rove over to the chimera in a sluggish manner. He blinks multiple times with each blink lasting longer than the previous in a clear struggle to keep his eyes open.
“Gee. I don’t know, Liam. Could it be from the various injuries you are suffering from? The ones you did not communicate you had when texting me to pick you up?” Theo's tone is sarcastic, bordering on caustic, but his hands shake as they roam the length of the beta’s body exposing his worry. So much of Liam is covered in blood, almost all of it now black. Theo is careful in the way he checks each visible wound. Two bullets to the outer thigh, jeans soaked through with blood. Theo can see where it started red and once the wolfsbane settled in the black oozed out to coat the soiled fabric. “Where is all the other blood coming from?” Theo mutters. It can not all be from the hole in his shoulder or even the one wet patch by his lungs.
“Oh. Maybe the stab. Not healing I think.” Liam responds with half his words slurring at the end. He tries to point to the area but all his hand manages is to make a generalized wave before dropping limply back to his side. His eyes are still open, barely cracked, and his breaths have taken on a rattle. Nothing much truly scares the chimera anymore these days, not after all the crazy shit Beacon Hills has thrown their way, but the quick way Liam's vitals are sliding does.
In response to Liam's admission of more hidden wounds, Theo gently lifts the sticky, blood-plastered shirt away from his torso with a small hiss. Two more shots directly beside a nasty, and by the looks of it, deep stab wound. The bullet wounds are clean, non-wolfsbane ammo, but the stab is irritated and leaking thick inky blood. The blade had been coated. Shit. “Why the fuck did you wait so long to notify anyone?” Or better yet, why not call Scott or at the very least Deaton? Someone immediately useful. Theo glares up intending to hassle the little idiot more, even as he prepares to haul him to the truck, only for his heart to lurch at the sight of those half-lidded eyes closing.
“Liam, stay awake.”
the beta hums and his eyes slip shut.
“Liam!” Theo lifts his hands to cup the beta's face to gently shake him.
“S'glad you're here.” Liam whispers and then his head is solely being held up by Theo's hands as he loses consciousness. The rest of his body follows suit and slumps forward into Theo, who drops his hands to steady Liam's body before he can slide sideways. Theo snarls as the animals inside begin to pace anxious and agitated with being unable to do a damn thing to help.
He knew Liam was badly injured from the moment he saw him but he thought he had more time before it was dire, that he would at least be able to dig the bullets out and stabilize him. Theo has not misjudged a situation so badly in recent times.
He manages to balance Liam's weight while retrieving his phone from the confines of his jacket, knowing he will need the help, only to be slapped in the face with no service. No bars at all. He checks the phone Liam has facedown by his hip, screen severely cracked from the fight Theo still has no details on, also with no service. They must be in a dead zone. It's honestly a miracle Liam managed to get a text sent.
Theo grits his teeth against the animalistic urge to howl for help, knowing no one in the area would answer him except the one unconscious in his arms. He lifts the beta's dead weight, stumbles a step or two before he finds his footing, and hoofs it back to the truck. He parked a block away as the vehicle would not fit where Liam managed to hide himself. Theo wrenches the back door open and carefully places Liam in the backseat. He is still breathing and that is the only thing keeping Theo calm as he hops into the driver's seat and slams the truck into reverse.
He sets his phone into the cradle and waits for service. It takes another minute of driving before a single bar lights up and he calls Deaton, the clinic being the closest option. The only option really.
“Liam is badly injured. He will not make it to the hospital. He has been hit with multiple wolfsbane rounds and has a deep stab to the gut that is not healing. I believe the blade was coated.” Theo rattles off the pertinent information the second the call is picked up, and Deaton, ever the professional, simply tells him to park in the back when he gets there. He then hangs up on Theo, leaving the chimera to white-knuckle grip the steering wheel and bare his fangs. He takes only another moment to himself and then calls Scott. It goes to voicemail. Theo leaves a short, biting message even though it feels like a shitty thing to do.
Hey Scott, your first bitten is kinda dying in the back of my truck. Meet me at the clinic when you get this.
Liam stops breathing just as Theo parks in front of the clinic—sideways because he slams on the breaks when he can no longer hear Liam's heartbeat. He squeezes over the center console and into the back, shouting for Deaton.
Theo feels like a spectator in his own body as he absently goes through the motions to revive Liam. He begins chest compressions, hands laced over Liam's chest, shaking with each second nothing happens. Theo hears but does not register the snap of ribs breaking from the force, too concentrated on the silent heart.
He finishes the set and promptly moves to tilt Liam's head back, covering his mouth and thinking of nothing other than forcing breaths into him. Too many false starts later and Liam's heart stutters and the beta chokes wetness against their pressed mouths. Theo jerks back in surprise, quickly turning Liam's head so the beta can weakly hack out a clot of black blood. It is smeared across his lips, his cheek, and now down the side of his neck. And probably Theo's mouth too.
Theo gathers him into shaking arms, after kicking open the backdoor, and carries him most of the way over to the clinic before the door slams open to reveal Deaton. He ushers Theo into the back room without a word and begins work quickly, if not without visible concern. “What happened?” Only Theo has no real answers for him.
“I have no idea what he got himself into. Idiot ended up in a dead-zone running from whoever did this.” Theo takes Liam's arm and thinks nothing of taking his pain, does not question the ease at which it happens, only caring that it does.
“He managed to contact you.” Deaton does not sound accusing, merely stating a fact. His gaze never leaves the now shirtless beta as he works first on the stab wound, which appears to be the worst and probably first wound he received. Only a weak roar with half-bared fangs occurs when the first set of wolfsbane injuries is burned out.
Two more bullets in and Theo has to stop pulling pain. His brow is coated with sweat as he turns his head to the side and dry heaves, nausea coursing through so bad it nearly drops him. He knows it is dangerous to take too much and has even seen the effects firsthand during his time with the Dread Doctors. But he will take more. He has to.
Theo swipes his forehead with the back of his hand and wipes it on his jeans. He takes a deep breath and turns back to Liam who is still so pale and corpse-like. He takes precious seconds to reorient himself before taking the beta's hand this time.
“Keep going, Mr. Raeken.” Deaton encourages. He plucks the first bullet from Liam's thigh, only it has splintered and will take more time to get each piece free. Time they don't truly have with how weak the beta is. Theo grits his teeth and holds on to Liam's hand as tightly as he dares. The increased pressure means he can physically feel Liam's pulse and it is enough to soothe the roughest edges of Theo's panicked instincts.
Theo slips to the floor with head hung low and body wracked with tremors. Every moment is agony and if not for the death grip on Liam's hand he would have let go already.
Scott crashes through the front door sometime later—maybe minutes, maybe hours, Theo has lost count—and skids into the back with a shout. Deaton spares him half a glance before telling Scott to take over for Theo. “Shit, Theo!” and Scott is now the one who sounds panicked as he works to pry Theo's grip free of Liam. The relief Theo feels is as substantial as a thousand-pound weight lifting from his chest. He can breathe again, in short gasps through his parted lips, but he can breathe.
With the breaths come more nausea. Theo manages to pull himself to his feet and stumble over to the trash can in the corner of the room to heave out the contents of his stomach. One hand is wrapped around his midsection as the other braced the wall. He heaves bile the next two times before his stomach stops cramping and he can concentrate on his surroundings.
“-will be fine with rest.”
The scent of Scott's relief is tangible and does wonders for the chimera's lingering unease. He tries not to think about why that is. “Theo.” The alpha calls and says nothing more until Theo tilts his head to show he's listening. Theo is uncertain if too much movement will make him hurl again. “Thank you."
Stiles chooses that moment to arrive in a pinwheel of limbs through the back door, manic energy suffocating the supernaturals of the enclosed space until he notices how calm Scott is and how very much alive Liam is. “Oh thank God.” He leans over Liam's still form and runs a hand through the beta's sweaty hair. “Why is it when he gets hurt he does that in a big way too? Urg. Being a parent is hard.”
Scott snickers his amusement, though his gaze is fond as he looks at Liam. Fond and relieved.
“Wait. What is he doing here?” Stiles turns his beady-eyed stare in Theo's direction and the chimera ignores him. He thinks in another minute he can move without consequence.
Scott, ever the peacemaker, “Liam would be dead without him.”
“He is correct. Perhaps your energy would be better spent on the one who is recovering?” Deaton gives Stiles a friendly reprimand before he slips from the room, presumably to give them time alone. Theo would prefer him to stay if he were honest. The less attention on him at the moment the better.
Stiles takes in the blood that lines both the beta and chimera's mouths and is left to connect the gruesome details of the night in silence. He fidgets uncomfortably until Scott pins him with a look. The one that says he is being ridiculous and worse, wrong. He crosses his arms with a huff, fingers tapping bare arms. He opens his mouth to address Theo and instead the three of them turn to Liam, who groans softly.
“Theo?” Liam whispers and Stiles immediately turns to glare at the chimera again, as though it were his fault the first word out of Liam's mouth was his name.
“Is Theo okay?” Liam's voice cracks and he has to turn his head to hack up more blood, this time it has the tinge and smell of stale, old plasma the two other supernaturals in the room unwind a little more at the sign there are no lingering internal wounds. Theo snorts and pushes off the wall to use the momentum to stumble across the room, tilting to the side while still holding his stomach. He is almost as pale as Liam and can feel the phantom lines of pain still crawling up his arm.
“Why wouldn't I be? You were the idiot who almost died.”
“Dunno.” Liam reaches out until he can grasp Theo's free arm to draw him closer. He does not let go and instead lets his hand slide until it fits over the chimeras.
“We will just give you a moment. You know, to ahh... a moment.” Scott immediately rounds the table to push Stiles from the room by his shoulders, much to the human's protests.
“What the hell man?” Stiles grouses the second they are out of the room, though he can still spy them through the gap in the door. “I don't want to give them a moment. Scott, this is Theo we are leaving him with-” and Stiles is cut off by the hand slapping over his mouth.
“Shut up, Stiles.” The alpha says as kindly as he can. While he still has his reservations about the chimera, in concerns with Liam it is quite clear no harm will ever come to him by Theo's hands. Not anymore. “You know, sometimes being a parent means letting your kid date the people you dislike because it makes them happy,” Scott tells his best friend whose face scrunches comically.
“No. Scott, no.”
Deaton calls for the two of them to help in the next room and Scott grins at the man's timely distraction, as deliberate as he believes it is. He once more drags a protesting Stiles along with him.
In the backroom, Liam manages to convince Theo to bring him home. “You wouldn't leave me to an overprotective Stiles after the night I have had, would you?” the beta looks up with his stupidly blue eyes and Theo's negative answer dies in his mouth.
“When you can stand on your own we can go.”
And Liam takes that as a challenge he suddenly has to complete, nearly falling off the table in his haste. “Idiot,” Theo says as he steadies the beta, and himself, from tipping over. He does not remove his arm even when Liam finally stabilizes enough to take a few steps. The beta smiles shyly at him and leans into the warmth of his side. “Come on.”
Liam yells that he is making Theo bring him home just as they step out the door, so even though Stiles is yelling back they have time to get into the truck before he can scramble after them. Liam laughs at the utter look of betrayal from Stiles as the truck leaves the lot with the human swearing at them from the doorway. “You know he will just blow up your phone or worse, follow you home?”
“Scott won't let him until tomorrow. That is a future Liam's problem.”
Theo huffs, too amused to care he is also smiling.
The ride is quiet in a comfortable way where neither of them needs to fill the silence. It allows Theo the time to get used to the pungent and lingering scent of Liam's blood that fills the truck even with the windows cracked. He knows he will be unable to sleep inside until it is properly cleaned, though he lacks the necessary funds to do so at the moment. Maybe he can drown the scent with air fresheners?
They arrive at Liam's house a few minutes later and Theo lets the truck idle while he waits for the beta to exit. Only he doesn't. “Will you come inside? I can make us something to eat.” Liam bites his lips with partial fangs and reeks of anxiety that's been absent since he woke. Theo knows he should tell him no. That he should kick him out of the truck and go find a car wash to try and get as much blood off his seats as he can, only Liam's scent begins to tank.
“Yeah. Okay.” And damn Liam for filling the cab with the sugary sweet smell of relief.
Theo cuts the engine and only after he opens his door does Liam move, as though he still believed Theo would leave if he turned his back. “Well?” Theo questions and Liam hurries to exit the truck, slamming the door much to Theo's irritation, and heads up the driveway.
The house is dark save for the porch lights and Theo can sense no heartbeats within the residence. Liam is unconcerned as he unlocks the door and pushes inside, waiting impatiently a step beyond the entryway for Theo to join him. He kicks the door shut after and does not bother locking it. Theo does for him. Hunters may not be deterred by locks but they could certainly be used as a delaying tactic. Liam's glance over his shoulder conveyed he believed Theo was being paranoid. After the night they had, the chimera disagrees.
Theo toes off his shoes into a small corner of the hallway, as Liam does, and follows the beta into the kitchen. "I'm pretty sure we have lunch meat," Liam says while opening the refrigerator to rummage through.
"There is also thawed chicken we can cook,” Liam calls, head still stuck out of view.
“Not unless you are making it,” Theo tells him. He has neither the patience nor energy to cook anything. In all honesty, he only wants to go to sleep, feels dead on his feet, and has since he took Liam's pain. He has no idea how Liam is still standing, all things considered.
“Sandwiches it is.” Liam decides instantly while already loading his arms with bags of deli meats, cheese, and fixings like lettuce and mayo to go with them.
“Do you have honey mustard?”
Liam's brows draw close as he gives Theo a squinty-eyed stare as if unsure it was a serious question. Still, the beta reaches back into the refrigerator to pull out a small pricey looking glass jar. They assemble their food in silence and all but collapse in the nearest chairs to eat. Theo dumps a sizable glob of the honey mustard on his plate and then dips the end of his sandwich in it before taking a bite.
“Dude, what the heck?” Liam's blue eyes are wide and his sandwich hangs precariously by the tips of his fingers, forgotten. Theo shrugs. “Don't complain until you have tried it.”
Liam contemplates the mustard with a critical eye before relenting, “Maybe next time. I don’t want to puke when I'm this hungry if the flavors conflict.”
Theo almost chokes. Next time? Was the beta planning to have him over more often now?
“You know my mom is at her sister's house this weekend and my dad is at work.” If not for the upticks in the betas heartbeat Theo would have thought he was making idle conversation. “So yeah. Um. You don't have to worry about my parents wondering who the hell you are and why you are here.” Liam is not exactly lying when he says this, but the chimera can tell it's not the entire truth either going by the slight nervousness he can catch in his scent. Which makes Theo curious. But he lets it go in favor of keeping the conversation light.
Once he polishes off his second sandwich Theo feels the heaviness set more firmly into his limbs. “I should get going.”
“What? Why?” Liam is in the process of chugging down half a water bottle and nearly spills it all over himself in his haste. Theo should not find it endearing. He does anyway.
“Because it is almost one in the morning and I'm tired and still need to go home.” Theo almost slips and tells him he needs to find a place to park for the night. After cleaning the truck. God, he needs sleep.
“Then just stay here for the night.” Liam sets his water down and stares.
“Liam.”
“Please Theo, I know you are tired too. I would feel better knowing you are not going to be driving in that state.” Liam's eyes are wide, and though Theo knows he is being manipulated he allows it because he doesn’t truly want to leave the beta. Here he can keep watch and make certain he is alright.
“Fine.”
Liam smiles wide and bright in a way that makes Theo's heart skip. If Liam notices he does not draw attention to it, which Theo appreciates. “I need a shower before bed. And you better still be here when I get out.” The beta points an accusing finger his way and Theo rolls his eyes. “I already told you I would stay. Go shower already. You reek.”
Liam squawks indignantly and takes a playful swipe at the chimera. Theo pushes him toward the stairs after another moment or two of play fighting. Neither of them has the energy to be messing around. Liam sticks his tongue out before charging up the steps. The yelp and partial thud means he has tripped on at least one step in his haste. Theo sighs.
Theo uses the time Liam is upstairs to clean the kitchen of their mess, which Liam conveniently forgot when he decided on a shower. Theo zones out, moving mechanically around the kitchen while he stretches his senses out into the house to focus on Liam. One specific part of him. The steady rhythm of his heartbeat. The one that reassures Theo that despite the terrifyingly silent moments earlier, Liam is still alive.
He is wiping down the counter when Liam shouts that the shower is free. It amazes Theo how much Liam seems to forget they possess enhanced hearing. He tosses the paper towel in the trash, flips the kitchen light, and heads for what he assumes is Liam's room. He is immediately hit in the face by a balled-up pair of sweatpants, followed by a shirt and towel. “Here. Now you can shower too.”
Theo levels him with the most unimpressed frown he can manage. The beta makes shooing motions and Theo backs out of the room with a roll of his eyes. He follows the quiet drip of the shower head down the hall to where the bathroom is. He strips quickly and showers just as fast with the idea of a warm bed pulling at him like a Siren's call. He towels dry when he is done and dresses in clothes that smell overwhelmingly of Liam. It is comforting in a way Theo knows he should not allow himself to get used to. Still, he takes a few extra breaths and feels the rest of the night's tension slip away.
Theo gathers the dirty clothing and pads back to Liam's room barefoot and gathers a chill from the wood flooring. Liam looks up from his reclined position on the bed when Theo enters the room.
“Where do you want me to put these for now?” Theo holds out his dirty clothes and snorts when Liam points to the floor. He chooses to set them on the desk chair across the room instead. With that done he turns to the beta to find he has crawled under the covers and is in an attempt of making himself comfortable. “Which is the guest room?” Theo questions with more than a little annoyance. Some host Liam is.
“I was too tired to make the guest bed up. You have to sleep here.” Liam tells him while absently chewing on his bottom lip. Theo knows that is bullshit even without the addition of hearing Liam's heart skip.
Liam surprises him with a grin and pats the covers, clearly not even trying to pretend anymore. Theo shakes his head at the beta's sudden audacity. What the hell, Theo thinks. It is a perfect opportunity to keep tabs on him overnight. He knows Liam is fine and will continue to be fine until morning, but he will not pass up the opportunity to indulge his instincts for once. So after flipping off the light he silently makes his way across the room and slides onto the right side of the bed. Theo barely has a chance to cover himself before Liam rolls on his side and curls into Theo with a soft sigh.
For a moment, Theo has no idea what to do and lays there stiffly until Liam growls and throws an arm over him. Theo huffs a startled laugh. Since when was the little wolf so bold? Whatever, he chooses not to question it. Theo frees his left arm, displacing Liam with an annoyed grunt, and wraps it around the beta. The noise of contentment Liam makes is embarrassing and Theo will be teasing him for it at a later date.
Theo feels the heat of Liam's skin radiating by his fingertips and can not help the urge to push his shirt up. Theo traces the smooth skin of Liam's stomach where the worst of the injuries had been. The wound has healed perfectly, as Theo knew it would, as have all the other wounds. He still sees them, raw, open, and oozing black blood, in his mind. “This is going to join my nightmares,” Theo admits softly. Liam was dead for those few tense minutes and he is never going to forget that.
“I'm okay now. You made sure of that.” Liam's hand finds his, resting on his stomach as he turns his flared eyes up to meet Theo's in the dark. “You always do.” Liam drops his head to the chimera's shoulder and they both exhale a little shaky. Neither moves away.
Theo closes his eyes and focuses on Liam's heartbeat, pace a little too fast at first but steadying out as he relaxes into sleep. Theo takes a deep breath once he is certain the beta is truly asleep, lungs filling with their combined scents. It smells like home. One day, Theo thinks, he will have the courage to kiss Liam.
He hides a smile in Liam's stupidly long hair. For tonight, he listens to Liam's heart and knows they are both alive and safe.