Written for @steodiscord's Steo Secret Santa (2021). This one's for @stilesshipper. Hi Em, sorry the Tumblr post is late. I knew I would pass out after I posted the fic on AO3. It took forever to post because I did everything on mobile 🥴. I'm still drunk on caffeine, I think. LOL. But as promised, here's the amazing aesthetic for the fic created by a dearest friend, @sunel0. Sonya, thank you SO MUCH!!! It was fun designing the mood board with you (and by that, I mean: I'm relieved to finally attach a structured one to my work at last 😂).
title: can't believe his luck
ship: Stiles/Theo | word count: 11.5k | rating: T | tags: AU, A/B/O dynamics, friends to lovers, fluff, getting together, werefoxes & werewolves, Stiles and Theo are neighbors and childhood best friends, their parents are best friends as well, Claudia is alive, Theo's parents are very much alive, Stiles & Theo & Scott are best friends, Jackson's an asshole
summary: Stiles, Theo, a treehouse, two gold rings, and three hundred sixty-five volumes of Stiles's favorite manga.
i. take me back when our world was one block wide
Stiles can't believe his luck.
He springs from his desk over to his open window at the sound of the car horn, eyes glinting in excitement as he eyes the family stepping out of a silver car next door and the giant U-Haul truck tailing them. Their new neighbors have arrived. Oh, how long has Stiles waited.
He flips his storybook close - a tale of adventure and friendship between a young fox, much like Stiles himself, and a young wolf. He enjoys those stories the most.
Stiles loves wolves; his best friend Scott is one. His dad is, too.
He gawks at the group, watching each one like a hawk. There's a couple, about the age of Stiles's parents, and two children. Definitely wolves, Stiles confirms to himself with his nose hunched up the air. While the new neighbors' daughter looks too old to want to hang out with Stiles, their son is definitely young enough to be Stiles' wolf buddy!
When Stiles's parents invite the new family for a welcome dinner, Stiles practically leaps down the stairs in his hurry. And when he comes face to face with his prospective new friend, he grins at him through a missing front tooth.
The boy, Theo, frowns and sticks his eyes down to his plate the entire meal. But Stiles isn't deterred by his rather lackadaisical response. It's understandable to be shy at first, after all. His sister, though, Tara, is more amiable. They quickly find something in common: werefox manga. They chatter about it all night and discover that they have the same favorite: The Fox Prince!
At school, Theo enrolls in Stiles's first-grade class. He immediately becomes friends with Jackson, though, and Stiles deflates. Stiles hardly likes that boy. He's mean and a bully. He picks on Stiles because he's smaller than the average bunch and teases him 'omega' like it's an insult. Stiles isn't an omega. He won't know until he's sixteen - no one knows until they're sixteen. And if he was, it wasn't anything to be ashamed of - his parents always make him repeat that. There are also infographics put up all over the school; even educational tapes during orientation and first day in homeroom are available. Pro-omega rights are all over in different media, but some choose to be ignorant.
Their bedrooms, he realizes, are across from each other, overlooking through the side windows. Every night, Stiles shouts his good night to Theo. Even though he never says it back or closes his window pointedly at his face.
Stiles helps his mom bake cookies every Saturday, and he saves some to bring over next door to see Theo. The boy is always upstairs playing when he comes over, and Tessa, Theo's mom, smiles apologetically before inviting him in for a homemade milkshake. Theo comes down only when Stiles is bidding his thanks and is already by the door to leave.
Siles figures - after a few weeks of this pattern - that Theo dislikes him. But why, is the question? Is it for the same reason that Jackson doesn't like Stiles? Because he's small and clumsy, and his mouth spits rapid fire? He really wants them to be friends.
It's kind of rotten, really, because Theo has no problem befriending Scott. They meet when Melissa drops off Scott for an overnight stay, which coincidentally is on one of the nights when Stiles's parents host dinner with the Raekens. Yes, it's how close their families are now. They have a calendar of alternating schedules for dinner. And Saturday park dates. And even Sunday barbecues.
They hit it off pretty fast, and it... stings. Scott is smaller than some of their classmates, too. He's asthmatic and needs his inhaler most of the time. Though, his lungs are starting to get better as Scott grows older, according to his labs - his wolf-healing doing its job at last. He's not mouthy like Stiles, but he's gullible - even for his age. He likes everyone. Which, Stiles admits, is pretty naive but also admirable. All those, and Theo likes him. Enough to compare canines with him whenever Scott comes over while not sparing Stiles a single glance. So, is it because Stiles is a fox that Theo dislikes him?
In his books, the fox and the wolf become friends even when they start off suspicious of each other. Maybe Stiles will have to wait a bit more for Theo to warm up to him? Yes, he'll do that.
But three months after Theo moves into Beacon Hills, Stiles stops waiting.
In the first grade classroom at lunch, he's flailing his hands, explaining to Scott why the new volume of The Fox Prince is the best one so far.
In the middle of it, he hears Jackson fake-whisper to a friend, loud enough for everyone to hear. "Yeah, because he dreams of becoming the Fox Prince and finding a Wolf Knight to build him a palace, like in the comics," Jackson's friend snickers, spraying food all over their shared desk. Jackson grimaces but waves it off to continue, seeing as he has an audience now. "He's too weak to lift a hammer, you see. So limb-y and small. And he's not even pretty. He's too mole-y." Then he turns to Theo, "Theo, you better start running. We all know he's got the most pitiful crush on you."
Stiles tears up even as the teacher reprimands Jackson and tells his classmates to stop laughing. He looks at Theo, hoping that he, at least, looks the slightest bit chagrined on Stiles's behalf.
But Theo smirks at Stiles and says, "Foxes are naturally faster than Wolves. I think I'll just beat him up."
Stiles speeds out of the room, wiping angry and humiliated tears off his face, with Scott following close behind.
It's not because of Stiles that Theo doesn't like him. This, Stiles is finally sure of. Theo is really only - pardon the language, mom and dad - a natural jerkface.
***
ii. take me back to the house in the backyard tree
Stiles can't believe his luck. That is to say: he can't believe how much the universe hates him.
Five years have gone by, and his parents still insist on shoving Stiles and Theo on each other. It's like they never listen. Stiles tells them, over and over, that his and Theo's friendship is never going to happen. But they only roll their eyes at him.
"You were obsessed with him when you were seven," his mom says, placating like Stiles is just being petulant about this. "Of course, it's going to happen. Just be a little less snotty to him."
Be a little less snotty. Right. As if Stiles is the reason for their nonexistent friendship.
Today's Sunday. Therefore, Stiles finds himself in the Raekens' backyard, sulking on the picnic bench with a smug Theo sitting across from him.
"You're gonna climb up to my treehouse, whether you like it or not," he tells Stiles confidently after Stiles shots him down harshly. "Your mom will make you."
Stiles scoffs.
But Theo's right.
Theo and Stiles's dads man the barbecue, talking about the recent werewolf rugby preliminaries, while their moms are sipping red wine and laughing pleasantly at each other's account of embarrassing baby stories of Stiles and Theo. After all these years, they still have more to tell.
Stiles is huffing and puffing, sipping grape juice while kicking aggressively at Theo's feet under the table.
"Really, Theo built that by himself?" Stiles's dad, the Sheriff, exclaims in surprise.
Theo's dad, Richard, laughs delightfully. "Well, I assisted some."
The two of them look over to their table, grinning proudly at Theo. Theo straightens in his seat, preening at the attention of two elder alphas. Stiles scowls.
"He's going to present as an alpha. I tell you, Rick."
Their moms hum in agreement.
As if strength is all that makes an alpha.
"Unlikely," Stiles mutters under his breath, full of petty disdain. "Omegas create the den."
Theo hears him, but he only smirks.
"It's beautiful, Theo!" Claudia, Stiles's mom, gushes loudly, and Stiles groans into his hands. He knows what she will say next. "Why don't you show it to Stiles, honey? I'm sure he would be ecstatic."
Stiles is not ecstatic.
Especially when Theo's dad jokes to Stiles's dad after he grudgingly stomps behind Theo in the direction of the treehouse, proclaiming, "They look good together, wouldn't you say, Noah?"
"I definitely wouldn't mind having Theo as a son-in-law, Rick."
Their moms coo and Stiles briskly walks away, flushing in embarrassment and avoiding Theo's eyes.
The ladder up to the treehouse is rickety, there's a nail protruding by the door that almost brains Stiles, and there are gaps between some of the wood planks on the floor - obviously, that half is Theo's work because it screams amateur. It's spacious but dusty inside. The window is only the size of Stiles's head enough to poke out, and the sill is rough. And Stiles is sure it shakes just a bit as Theo climbs in after him.
"So, what do you think?"
Stiles looks around some more. A blue paint would be nice, he thinks. There's also a skylight as he looks up. The branches are trimmed mindfully so that the sky is visible from where Stiles is standing. He thinks it's amazing.
"It's all right," he offers, at last.
Theo snorts. After a pause, he says casually, "You can come by whenever."
Stiles turns to Theo, drawing his brows. "Why would I?"
"So they'd stop pestering us to talk to each other."
"So we come here instead," Stiles gestures at the general vicinity. "To do what?"
Theo shrugs. "Anything but talk."
Stiles narrows his eyes suspiciously, but Theo's expression betrays no hints of nefarious plans to smother Stiles when his back is turned.
Stiles huffs. His new mini bookshelf will look nice in that one corner, he admits. It doesn't mean he hates Theo any less, though.
Stiles tells Scott about the treehouse at lunch the next day.
"Theo built a treehouse for you?" Scott blurts out dramatically, attracting the attention of a few lunch-goers.
"Theo built a treehouse," Stiles corrects him, gritting his teeth. His cheeks heat up consciously at the passing glances. "Period." Actually, his dad did while he butchered his part of the share.
Scott looks confused. "You said he told you that you could come."
Stiles rolls his eyes, wiping cafeteria pizza grease on his school pants. "That doesn't mean he built it for me."
"Well, did he ask anybody else to come up to his treehouse?"
"No," replies Stiles, dragging the syllable like explaining to a child. "Not that I know of."
"Then he built it for you," Scott concludes, grinning triumphantly into his soggy burger. He adds thoughtfully a bit later, "Maybe it's his odd way of saying sorry."
Stiles sighs. Scott can be stubborn sometimes; it's really no use arguing with him. It doesn't matter anyway. Theo didn't build it, and definitely not for Stiles. Especially not to apologize for a cruel comment he made when he was seven.
But-
"Why did you even build this treehouse?" Stiles asks during the succeeding Sunday afternoon barbecue at the Raekens.
Last weekend, when Stiles's family hosted the afternoon affair, Theo helped Stiles set up his foldable mini bookshelf in the treehouse. And Stiles, in turn, helped Theo arrange pillows and blankets once they polished the floor together. It was wide enough to give them berth, keep them in their half of the space. It was the most agreeable they'd been together in… ever. Theo didn't act obnoxious, and Stiles didn't act snotty. It was actually quite pleasant. But he refused to make any of it. Theo doesn't add to Jackson's mockery anymore, but he still laughs at Stiles's expense. He's not any less a jerk than he was five years ago.
Theo looks up from his portable gamepad, frowning. He's been moody today. "I told you."
"Why didn't you invite Tara, then? She wanted to see." Stiles challenges. He wants to prove to Scott that Theo did invite someone other than him to his treehouse. He doesn't know why it's so important, but it is.
Tara is sixteen, and she recently presented as an alpha. She's living with her grandparents in their old home city. She's here to visit after her presentation to give the news to her parents.
Theo's chest makes a gurgling sound, and he looks appalled by the idea, "I don't want her to see."
"Why not? You let me see."
Theo growls low in a warning.
Stiles continues hotly, "You let me put my bookshelves and books in. You let me lay in your blankets. You let me stay. My scent is all over the place. But you hate me."
Theo gnashes his teeth, "I don't hate you."
"Right," snorts Stiles. He finds himself so worked up over this. "You just enjoy making fun of me."
Theo's face turns a giant blotch of red. The atmosphere inside the treehouse is dense with the scent of his anger. "I don't enjoy making fun of you. I thought I should, to fit in."
"Oh, yes!" Stiles cries out. "You're doing a spectacular job fitting in with the assholes."
Theo's fists are clenched tightly around the gamepad, and he looks ready to burst. "That's why I asked dad to help me build this treehouse, okay?" snarls Theo. "Because I'm-"
Theo cuts off sharply. Huh. What do you know? So, Scott's right, and Theo's buttering him up for an overdue apology. But he can't even say it. He's gnawing his lips hard, chest heaving, as if it's so difficult to push the words out.
Just say it, Stiles thinks. Just say it, and you have it. I won't even make it hard.
After all these years - underneath his grudge - Stiles still wants them to be friends. Wants to open his side window again and yell good night to the boy across his room. Wants to bake cookies and share them with Theo. Wave at him in the school hallways and get a response.
Stiles scoffs, shaking his head. "You probably can't even say it, even if I dare you to."
Theo straightens at that, lifting his chin in a challenging stance. "I'm not scared of anything," he hisses defensively. "I can do whatever you would dare me to do."
Egotistical jerk.
Stiles rises to the game. "Whatever, huh?"
"Whatever," Theo agrees.
"Anything at all? I'm not so sure about that."
"Stiles,"
He doesn't know what makes him blurt it out. Probably his growing amusement at the strange situation they've fallen in. But whatever it is, Stiles says:
"Then kiss me, I dare you."
He's so sure Theo would blink, balk in disgust, and finally beat him up, as he said many years ago. But, at least, Stiles has made his point, right? So, Stiles is not prepared when Theo stands - his head almost brushing the roof - and stalks forward, crossing the invisible barrier they set to separate the space.
Stiles's smile instantly drops, "Where are you going?"
"I'm going to kiss you," Theo replies decisively. "I can't do it from the other side of the room, can I?"
Stiles meeps, eyes quickly darting to the exit. "I- but- what," He's only twelve! Not that having his first kiss hasn't crossed his mind or that he's against sharing it with Theo, but neither is the point.
A lone fox in a fight or flight situation. Of course, Stiles bolts out.
Theo's laughing when he pokes his head out of the window. He shouts down at Stiles, "I thought you were a fox, not a chicken!"
He glares and makes rude gestures at Theo before running back to where their parents are busy with the food prep, unaware that Stiles's fast-beating heart is not because he's been running at all. Stiles is still blushing hard when he settles on the picnic bench with his traitorous brain unhelpfully chanting what if.
He still has the most pathetic crush on Theo, apparently.
***
iii. take me back to the creek beds we turned up
Stiles can't believe his luck.
Being friends with Theo is not, at all, how Stiles imagined it would be. Especially when Theo presents as an alpha shortly after turning sixteen.
Scott has also presented as an alpha. Which, frankly, surprised everyone, even Scott himself. For the longest time, they assumed Scott would be a beta. He's just too easy going to be one of the temperamental knotheads. He knocked everyone's breath away when he came to school smelling like kneel before me. He never exploited that, though. Scott would never. He's still the same Scott who's loyal to Stiles and finds the good in everyone.
Stiles has yet to present, although he's a good few months older than both Theo and Scott. But now, he has two alpha best friends. He's basically untouchable at this point. But Theo's protectiveness is noticeably different from Scott's. Enough to catch the attention of Lydia Martin, an alpha werewolf, top of the class, who never once spoke to Stiles even though they shared plenty of classes in middle school, freshman, and sophomore years.
She sits next to him in AP English. "You're Stiles, right?"
Taken aback, Stiles can only nod.
Lydia hums, her kohl-rimmed eyes giving him a deliberate once over. It's really intimidating. Because it's, well, Lydia. When her eyes settle back on his, she says, "Your boyfriend broke my boyfriend's arm during lacrosse practice yesterday."
His eyes widen. None of what she said computes.
"Jackson," she thankfully clarifies after pursing her lips, noticing his utter confusion. "Theo broke Jackson's arm."
Stiles's eyes widen some more. He didn't know about it. Stiles skipped track practice yesterday, and Theo didn't mention it last night when they played Uno on Stiles's roof until midnight. Everything felt normal, but he does remember Theo saying that his mom's miffed at him. He passed it off as nothing serious because it's a fairly regular occurrence. Then, his forehead creases, processing the rest of Lydia's words.
"Theo's not my boyfriend," he adds hastily.
Lydia scoffs, smiling sharply, "He sure acts like it."
Stiles corners Scott by his locker going to the third period.
"What happened at lacrosse practice yesterday?" he demands without preamble.
Scott blinks at him. "Theo didn't tell you?"
Stiles huffs impatiently, "I wouldn't be pestering you if he did." He can't find Theo anywhere, too. Now of all days.
Scott closes his locker door, rubbing the back of his neck. "Well, I don't know the entirety of it," Scott starts cautiously. "They were already pretty tense when they came out of the locker room. Then, they just started baring their fangs out and pouncing on each other."
"You've no idea what they could be fighting about?"
Scott looks uncertain for a moment before he sighs resignedly. "Jackson made inappropriate comments about you," he confesses. "I told him to shut up. But Theo totally... snapped."
Stiles pinches the bridge of his nose, closing his eyes with a deep inhale. He opens them again after a second, "Jackson called me omega again, didn't he?"
Scott nods, flattening his lips wryly. "And more."
It's Stiles's turn to sigh. Ever since Theo started hanging out with Stiles, he hung out less and less with Jackson and his lackeys. It's only one more reason for Jackson to hate Stiles and for him to start growing bitter feelings against Theo. They still talk, being in the lacrosse team and all. But Theo openly shuts off anyone who badmouths Stiles and threatens them with bodily harm - and makes good of his promise, see: Jackson - when push comes to shove.
"Theo got suspended for a week," Scott adds after a moment. "He'll also be benched in the next game."
Considering what he did, it's a pretty light punishment. But the new alpha aggression is easy to blame. It's an acceptable excuse. Still.
"Stiles?" Scott places a gentle hand on his shoulder. Stiles looks up, lips wobbling just the slightest. He hates to cause his friends trouble. God knows how many times Scott set aside his amicable nature to warn people off of Stiles's business. Scott's fingers squeeze consolingly, "It's not your fault, okay? He just wants to protect you."
Stiles is not entirely convinced, but he nods.
Later, after school, Theo pulls his truck up deep into the Preserve, to that one spot they both think is the best-hidden treasure within the woods of Beacon Hills: the creek.
They'd discovered it together during a Saturday run after they called a truce and went back there during family date runs, sometimes with Scott. They visit more frequently after Stiles inherited her mom's Jeep and Theo's dad bought him a truck, usually without Scott. He's got a girlfriend now, Allison, who's such a nice girl, a sweet beta. He's trying to win over Allison's family, so he spends a lot of time with her. It's not a problem. Courting is a serious matter, and the Argents are a clan of old conservatives. Stiles and Theo are perfectly capable of enjoying themselves.
It's… nice. Sitting practically flushed together on the tailgate of Theo's truck, their pinky fingers linked innocently in between them. The streaming water, soft snaps of wood in the distance, and their own heartbeats close to each other are the only sounds they can hear. Theo's scent is basically the same as Stiles's own, and it feels like comfort to him.
They're playing sideward footsie with shoes on, and Stiles hates to be the one to break their companionable silence.
"You got suspended," he starts. There's no point posing it as a question. By now, Theo must have figured out that Stiles already knows about it.
Theo nods, hopping off the tailgate.
Stiles tracks his movements. From taking off his shoes and socks, rolling up his pant hems, jumping down a shallow slope to the creek bed, and dipping ankle-deep into the cold water. He picks up a handful of pebbles and starts casting them onto the deeper parts of the creek.
He speaks after a moment, "It's nothing."
Stiles frowns at his dismissive tone. "It's not nothing. You broke Jackson's arm and got suspended."
Theo shrugs. Another throw. "He'll heal."
Stiles sputters in disbelief, "I know he'll heal. But that doesn't mean you had to hurt him."
"I was supposed to do nothing?" Theo snaps, turning bodily to look at Stiles. "He disrespected you."
"It's not like I was there to hear it to get affected," he reasons, though he knows it's a weak argument.
Theo's eyes flash, jabbing at his chest. "Well, I was there to hear it and wanted none of it. Scott and I already warned Jackson, but it's like he's testing me. He thinks my threats are all bluff. They're seriously fucking not."
"Language," Stiles admonishes reflexively.
Theo ignores it, dropping the pebbles mindlessly, as he walks out of the water, up the slope, into Stiles's space. His knees make contact with Theo's abdomen, and they're close enough for Stiles to feel the heat of his body.
Theo's hands settle around his lower thighs, and Stiles's breath catches. "He's not gonna call you a 'hot piece of ass for alphas to bend over', and get away with it unscathed, the sexist bastard."
Stiles inwardly grits his teeth at Jackson's disdainful words. But his indignation is dulled by the fluttering in his stomach. Theo moves just another inch closer. Their position and proximity, Theo's warm hands on him, are distracting. "So, you broke his arm."
"I would have gone for the balls," replies Theo flatly. "If it wouldn't have sent me straight to juvie in two seconds. Procreation is still an alpha's greatest pride, and it's against the law to sabotage it."
Stiles's mouth twitch. Then he remembers, "Lydia called you my boyfriend because of what you did."
Theo pauses, processing the information. Then his face breaks into a grin, "Nah. I'm worse than any boyfriend or girlfriend you will ever have. I'm a permanent fixture."
Stiles throws his head back in laughter because there's no doubt about that. "I'm counting on that."
***
iv. take me back to the time we had our very first fight
Stiles can't believe his luck.
When Stiles's heat finally comes, it comes unexpectedly, as it's wont to do. Stiles in the treehouse with Theo, snuggling under Theo's bedcovers and telling him about the final volume of his favorite manga, The Fox Prince. All day they've been extra tactile. Like it's physically impossible not to reach out and touch each other. The amount of times Stiles stared and nuzzled absently against Theo's neck is embarrassing. And the smell they make together should have been a dead giveaway. But no, they have to suffer the first-hand ramifications of alpha and omega pheromones clouding one's judgment.
"So, they lived happily ever after," Theo comments drily after Stiles's long and detailed regaling, playing with the short strands of his hair.
Stiles twists his head on Theo's chest to send him a narrow-eyed glare. "And what's wrong with that?"
"It's plenty predictable."
Stiles rises on one elbow to properly have a look at Theo's face. "Of course, it's going to end happily. All of the fans knew from the beginning," Stiles says matter-of-factly. "But the ending's hardly the reason why fans stick to their favorite book, or movie, or TV show. It's the in-between that matters the most. How they got their happy end."
Theo arches a brow, and the corners of his lips pull up to a soft smile. His big hands settle around Stiles's hips. "All right. If you say so, Fox Prince."
Stiles's cheeks heat up, glancing at Theo's mouth and looking away quickly. He's been doing a lot of that today. He mutters, "I'm not calling you Wolf Knight."
Unlike Stiles, Theo shamelessly stares at his mouth. Theo's been doing a lot of that today, too. It's a rather jarring development, but he refuses to overthink his way out of this. His body's telling him it's right. Who's he to oppose? Theo's voice lowers imperceptibly, thumbing under Stiles's shirt and tracing circles around his soft skin. "Why not?"
The heat spreads in Stiles's body at once; strong, and all-consuming, making his toes and fingertips tingle and his core burn. He splays his fingers on Theo's chest, pressing himself against his best friend, and slowly rubbing their scents together. His brain turns hazy with the smell of alpha.
He peppers open mouth kisses on Theo's collarbone as the hands around him grasp tighter, running up to his spine. He arches into the touch, kissing the underside of Theo's jaw. Stiles whispers, "Do you want me to?" but he almost forgets what they're talking about, too busy putting his hands under Theo's shirt to clutch mindlessly on his defined torso without the fabric barrier.
Theo moans, maneuvering Stiles so their bodies align. Him underneath and Stiles above him. He slips a knee in between Stiles's legs, taking the back of his head with one hand and gripping meaningfully at his hair.
Stiles obediently bares his neck.
Theo growls, biting the proffered skin with his blunt teeth before nuzzling his nose along the line of Stiles's shoulder. "You smell so good. Why do you smell so good?" He mutters absently.
Somewhere in his brain, Stiles hears a warning that they're moving too fast, close to crossing a line. But most of his senses are clouded with want, a yearning he's never known before.
"You're so hot," Theo whispers.
Stiles kisses the shell of his ear, instinctively grinding against Theo, chasing the satisfaction he instinctively knows he will find in Theo's body. What was it they were talking about earlier? He can't even remember. His mind is filled to the brink of thoughts of alpha, need, and please.
Suddenly, Theo's body goes rigid, and his hands pause. "Stiles," he says, tone sharp. "You're hot."
Stiles's lips journey down to his chin. "You too," he murmurs.
"No," he shakes his head, and suddenly Theo is yanking on Stiles's shoulders to pull them apart. Stiles looks down at him with hooded eyes. "You're burning."
Stiles is confused. But now that Theo mentions it, yes, he does feel unusually… warm. And he can't think straight. He knows he prefers there to be less distance between Theo and him though. He wants to roll around in their den, clinging to the scent of safety, of home, of unbridled want.
When he moves to close their distance again, Theo immediately sits upright, knocking Stiles off of him like it's a do or die to physically separate them. There's panic in Theo's eyes, and Stiles feels the sting of shame and rejection in his bones. His whimpers, feeling small and inadequate.
"Stiles," Theo scrambles to stand, untangling the sheets from around him. His pupils are lust-blown, but the look of abject horror overpowers it. "Oh crap. You're in heat."
He doesn't remember much of what happens after Theo hurries down the treehouse, but he knows it's a torment without his alpha. He whimpers and whines, smelling his own agony overtaking the atmosphere. Then his parents come, the same look of panic he saw on Theo in his dad's eyes before he, too, scurries to the exit. Theo's mother, Tessa, takes his dad's place, and she and Stiles's mother help Stiles down the treehouse and into Stiles's room.
Then eternity of hollow emptiness after that.
But it's actually only a week. After the seventh day, his heat breaks. And all Stiles is, is a mess.
His mother pokes her head into the room, seeing Stiles lying on the bed staring at the ceiling, reeling from the aftermath of his presentation.
So, Jackson is right after all. He's an omega.
Claudia sits on the edge, reaching to pet his head. She smiles, "How are you, honey?"
Stiles manages to croak out, "Like Hell swallowed me and spat me back out."
Claudia chuckles. Then she sobers up and tells him, "You were lucky you were with Theo when you presented."
Anywhere else would have been dangerous, Stiles knows that much. There's always the risk of some alpha taking advantage. Although, it's more uncommon at present, ever since the emergence of more specified omega laws and pro-omega support groups. It's still a terrifying possibility.
Stiles nods, "I was."
Melissa calls him, asks about his well-being, congratulates Stiles, and tells him he will have Scott bring over omega pamphlets from the hospital. Scott rings him next, sounding like he's a mix of ecstatic that Stiles finally presented nine months after he turned 16, and worried about his orientation.
"Are you all right?" Stiles translates it as: are you all right with being an omega?
"I am," replies Stiles honestly. "I think I kinda knew all along." He's only been reluctant to embrace it because of Jackson and a few other sexist dickheads at school.
But this is him now. And like his parents have always implanted in his brain, like the signboards all around the school say, like the theme of the media he consumes: being an omega is nothing different than being an alpha or a beta. It's only biology, and like everything in the ecosystem, has a purpose no less important than the other species.
"I'm glad Stiles," he can hear the sincerity in Scott's voice. "Remember you have me and Theo."
The next time he sees Theo is when it's his family's turn to host dinner. Their eyes meet, and his face goes up in flame. Stiles can't look his best friend in the eyes without the memories of the treehouse flooding to the forefront of his mind.
God, the way he rubbed himself wantonly against Theo. Definitely not the proper thoughts to be having at the dinner table.
He doesn't know the extent of their parents' knowledge on what took place before Theo sobered up and ran out of the treehouse, but Stiles's mom and dad look at Theo like he had saved the world from an extinction-level event.
Noah claps Theo's back and places a hand on Theo's shoulder. He grins, "Son if you ever need it, you have my blessing."
Stiles's mouth drops. He hisses from his seat, aghast, "Dad!" Because now's the time to joke about them getting together, why not. Stiles fights the urge to burrow underneath the table.
Theo's parents only laugh, but their eyes twinkle, too.
"Uh, thank you, sir." stammers Theo. His is bright red, looking to the world like he wants to be anywhere else but there at the moment. At least, that makes two of them.
Claudia rolls her eyes, playfully smacking the Sheriff's arm. "Stop teasing the boy, Noah." she chides with a smile. Then she leans over the back of Theo's chair and pecks his cheek affectionately, "But for what it's worth, you have mine, too."
Stiles groans and sinks lower in his seat. What do they say about grounds opening and swallowing a person whole? Where's one of those when you need it?
After dinner, one spent sending furtive glances at one another across the table, Theo excuses them, asking Stiles's parents for permission to take Stiles driving around for a little bit.
They try to do it surreptitiously, but Stiles catches the knowing looks that both his and Theo's parents exchange as they make their way out the door.
They take Stiles's Jeep. Theo drives - Stiles trusts only two people to drive his Jeep: Theo and Scott - and Stiles fiddles with the pebble he keeps in his Jeep's compartment, doing his best to reign in his thundering heart. This is the first time they're alone together after… that. He doesn't do a very good job at it, he thinks. He can smell his own nerves.
"I didn't know you kept that," Theo says, breaking the silence.
It takes Stiles a moment to understand what he means, "Oh, this?" He raises the pebble, about half the size of Stiles's palm, smooth and distinctly shaped like a deformed heart, but a heart nonetheless. "Yeah," he says, looking at the object fondly. "It's pretty. I've grown attached since the first time you showed it to me."
"Say the word, and I'll scour the entire creek bed for more."
Stiles blushes but laughs, forgetting his previous anxiety. "I don't think the local environment office will appreciate you rearranging the creek bed, but thanks. The one's enough, though."
"If you say so," replies Theo with a grin.
Their eyes meet briefly, and Stiles uses the easing of tension to finally say it. "Thank you, Theo."
Theo's brow arches in amusement, "For giving you a pebble?"
"For the treehouse," Theo glances at him in surprise. Stiles licks his lips, forcing himself to continue speaking before he loses the gall again. "For being more in control and calling for help. For-" the image of them necking and feeling up each other plague his brain, and he feels himself flushing crimson from the neck up again. He also recalls Theo's panic and pushing Stiles away before running. Stiles doesn't want to think about what else he would've done, what he would've let Theo do if Theo's senses got completely fogged by his omega pheromones. "For saving me from complete and utter humiliation."
Theo doesn't say anything for a while, but Stiles can smell the trepidation on him.
"You don't have to thank me," starts Theo. "I-" he cuts himself off and heaves a deep breath, swallows, tries again. "If anything, I should apologize. I'd noticed the change in your scent before we came up, just thought it was because of that manga you were so excited about. I should've known immediately."
"I should've known immediately," Stiles counters. "I couldn't stop thinking about your neck."
Theo snorts, but there's a remaining scent of guilt lingering in the air.
Stiles reaches out a hand to rest over Theo's on the gearshift. It's such a small gesture, one that he's done countless times throughout the years, but Stiles feels the weight of their touch much more now. Theo glances at their joined hands, then at Stiles. Stiles smiles at him in assurance, "I'm glad it was you."
Theo smiles back, his unease settling at Stiles's words. He twines their pinky fingers, something they've also done countless times before but somehow means differently now. Stiles sighs in contentment, and so does Theo.
When he comes back to school, all eyes are on him. All noses, too, it seems. Stiles expects no less. There aren't many omegas in Beacon Hills and much less in BHHS. In fact, there's only one other currently enrolled. She happens to be in Stiles's year and a werefox like him. And they also have homeroom together.
When Kira enters the room, her eyes immediately find Stiles, and she beams, making her way to him. Everyone's eyes track the progress of her steps, shameless in their gossiping and obvious in their sniffing. Apparently, Stiles and Kira are the hottest topics at school now.
"Hi, Stiles!" She gestures at the seat beside Stiles. "May I sit here?"
Stiles nods eagerly. It's not unsurprising that they instantly fall into a comfortable companionship. Stiles had been Kira's first friend when she first came to BHHS freshman year, helping her figure out her schedule and pointing her in the right directions.
At lunch, Stiles waves at Kira to sit with them. Them being: him, Theo, Scott, and Allison. She comes over smiling, bringing a friend in tow.
"Hey," she greets everyone, high-spirited. She points at the boy behind her. "This is my friend, Isaac. Is it okay if we sit with you, guys?"
Stiles readily scoots to make space, and the two set their trays down. Isaac nods at Theo and Scott. They're teammates in lacrosse, so they're familiar. But while Scott moves to start a friendly conversation, Theo swoops in for his neck.
"So," he starts, unmindful of the pleading expression on Scott's face. "How's Jackson's arm these days?"
Isaac stops short, then shrugs. "We don't hang out much lately."
"Really?" The sarcasm drips from Theo's tone, and Stiles sends him a warning glance. "Weren't you one of his most loyal puppies?"
"Theo," Scott sighs tiredly. It's like they've had the same conversation before.
"Well," Isaac straightens, leveling him with the same look. "Weren't you, too?"
Theo scowls, but before he can retort, Stiles grabs his hand. Theo takes one look at his face, then turns away with a roll in his eyes. He picks up curly fries from Stiles's plate, with Stiles forcing himself not to swat his hand, and opens his phone instead. He keeps Stiles's hand curled against his own and doesn't speak to Isaac the whole lunch period.
Later in the afternoon, Stiles finds Isaac loitering by his Jeep in the parking area, in his lacrosse uniform, clearly waiting for Stiles. The boy lifts his head, likely smelling Stiles, and offers a bashful smile.
"Hey," he says when he's near enough. "What are you doing here?" Stiles asks a little dubiously.
It's not that he doesn't trust Isaac. He's friends with Kira, and Kira is the sweetest girl Stiles knows next to Allison. She wouldn't be comfortable with him if he's still an asshole. But the fact remains that everyone else is in practice, and he's here seeking Stiles out. He can't help but be a little conscious of their privacy. Isaac, after all, used to be one of Jackson's closest friends. He used to laugh along at Jackson's gibes against Stiles. He only distanced himself after Theo left.
Isaac shifts on his feet, not quite meeting Stiles's eyes. "I just- wanna say sorry."
Stiles pauses. "What for?"
He shrugs. "For, you know, teasing you before."
He doesn't expect it, but it feels nice all the same. Stiles nods, smiling. "Yeah, dude. It's all good."
"It's just - I was never a popular kid or anything," he sighs, rubbing the back of his neck with his gaze averted over Stiles's shoulder. "So when Jackson wanted to hang out with me, I thought I had to do everything to keep him around."
Stiles eyes him softly. He's never been this up close to Isaac before, always afraid that he might say something awful. Stiles prefers not to hear what they think about him. But here today, he only looks vulnerable and honest. It's probably the omega in him that wants to console people in distress, even ones that used to cause him anxiety, but he moves forward, a display of trust to Isaac.
He rests a hand on one of his shoulders, drawing Isaac's attention to the touch. "You don't have to explain."
Isaac exhales in relief. "If I could take back all the nasty things I did, I would."
Stiles smiles, "As I said, it's all good. Just don't be a stranger."
Isaac and Stiles end up exchanging phone numbers. He gives Kira's to Stiles, too. They sit together every lunch, and Theo gradually starts talking to Isaac, albeit passive-aggressively. Kira and Stiles grow a sort of bond, being the only omegas in a school full of alphas and betas, and it's all nice, adding two more in Stiles's little group of friends.
Junior year passes. Theo gets into another fight with Jackson, but thankfully, nothing gets broken this time. Scott says Allison's father asked him to go on a hunt with him, which is stellar news for the courting couple because it means they're trusting Scott implicitly to provide for the pack. Kira reveals that she's secretly crushing on Isaac, and Isaac enlists Stiles's help on finally asking Kira out.
"I don't know, Stiles," he says nervously over the phone the evening before the first day of Senior year. "I don't think Mrs. Yukimura likes me that much."
"How can you say so?"
"She gives me the stink eye whenever I come over, and I haven't even hinted at my intention to court Kira."
Stiles snorts, "The stink eye. What are you, twelve?"
Isaac huffs, a little annoyed. "Not everyone's parents play matchmaker like yours and Theo's, you know."
Blushing, Stiles ignores the comment. "Look, stop overthinking. Just do it."
It takes a moment for Isaac to form his reply. When he does, his voice is quiet, "I have nothing to boast. I'm an alpha with no self-confidence. An antithesis to my kind." It's like he doesn't mean to say it out loud when he adds, "My father made sure to beat it all out of me."
Stiles closes his eyes, taking a deep breath. It's a subject they don't talk about. Everyone knows that Isaac's father is in prison for domestic abuse of his son - a result of losing his wife untimely, turning to alcohol to quell his grief, and taking out his anger on their only son. It was a whole commotion in their middle school, just a few months short of Isaac leaving Jackson's group. People gossiped. But since Isaac already established a reputation for being an asshole, nobody dared talk about it. At least, to his face. Isaac moved into his aunt's ever since, who doted on him, but instead of growing out of his shell, he burrowed deeper into it. He maintained the asshole persona, joined the lacrosse team, and pretended nothing could shake him.
He met Kira through her dad in their freshman year. Mr. Yukimura teaches history, and during freshman year, Isaac was the first to receive a detention from him. Isaac sorted through a century's worth of archived international print media, and Kira eagerly jumped in assistance when she came in after her class. Mr. Yukimura invited Isaac to dinner the same night, and it had only been the first of many. He became an almost permanent fixture at the Yukimura's, with Kira's dad taking him as his unofficial student assistant. It gave him so much time to know Kira, grow fond of her, and eventually fall for her.
Even though Isaac doesn't talk about his past abuse, it left a dent in his self-esteem, and it shows. He refers to himself as a dysfunctional alpha because of certain societal stereotypes and unworthy of Kira's attention.
"I'm not good enough for her," Isaac says after a long time of silence.
Stiles replies, "Let her decide for herself. You're a good person, Isaac. Kira knows that. Give it a chance to blossom before you try to kill it."
"Theo's a lucky guy," says Isaac after a second of silence. Before Stiles can ask him what he even means by that, he's already saying his goodbye. "Thank you, Stiles. See you tomorrow."
Stiles spends another minute staring at the ceiling of his room, contemplating Isaac and Kira's mutual feelings for each other and the sure chance that, should things go to plan as they likely will, his friends will officially begin courting. The thought brings a smile to his face.
He's settling into his blanket when he hears it: a soft tapping pattern on his window. He gets up, already knowing who he's going to see on the other side. Theo has knocked on his bedroom window - the one facing the front of the house, not the one overlooking Theo's own bedroom - so many times now that Stiles is in tune with the pattern.
He slides the window open, smiling at the beaming face of his best friend. "I thought you guys were doing a family thing?"
Tara is home from college. After tonight's dinner at the Raekens, one which Stiles spent talking to Tara about the ending of The Fox Prince even though they'd already freaked out to each other on Skype the week of the release, Theo understandably cancels their evening stroll in the creek. They are taking Tara out because she's only staying for a few days.
"We just got back," Theo helps Stiles climb out the window and onto the terrace roof.
When they are seated, facing the full moon, Theo says, "I gotta give you something," and takes out a small velvet box from his pocket.
Stiles looks at the box, stunned. The logo at the top makes his mouth drop open, gasping, "It's The Fox Prince limited edition collectible ring set!" Stiles takes the box from Theo with the utmost gentleness, as if the wrong brush of his finger will dissolve it into a mist. "Oh my god!" he exclaims, turning to Theo with shining eyes. "Did Tara give this to you?"
Theo pauses, but Stiles is too busy admiring the box to notice. Instead of answering, Theo nudges Stiles's shoulder, "Open it."
Stiles looks at him again, astonished, and nods. Carefully, he opens the ring box and squeals in excitement at the sight of two gold bands, genuine 18 karat gold bands, that he only ever fantasized about while reading the manga. Now he's holding the impression marriage rings of his most favorite fictional couple.
Theo takes the band with the symbol Ω and takes Stiles's left hand. Stiles watches in awe as Theo smoothly slides the ring to his pale finger, the exact size for it, and drops a featherlight kiss on his knuckles.
Stiles admires the ring as it glows under the moonlight. "It's so beautiful." After a few more seconds, Stiles moves to take it off, but Theo stops him, confused.
"What are you doing?"
"Taking it off," replies Stiles, also confused.
Theo frowns, "I thought you liked it."
"I do!" Stiles hastily affirms. "But if it's Tara's-"
"It's yours," Theo cuts him off, rolling his eyes. "I put it on your finger."
"But-"
Theo abruptly interrupts his protest. "Stiles," he intones his name a little exasperatedly. "Remove it only if you don't want it."
Stiles hesitates, stares at the perfectly-sized ring around his finger, and chooses to indulge. He's wearing the promise of commitment of the Wolf Knight to the Fox Prince. It only took them years to arrive at that moment.
Picking up the box from his lap, he plucks the second gold band, one marked with Α, and smirks playfully at his best friend. "So I take it you want to be my Wolf Knight," he jokes. "You didn't have to beat me up after all."
"I want to be," Theo replies seriously. "If you will allow me."
Stiles shivers slightly from the night air, mostly from the look in Theo's eyes.
He swallows, reaching for Theo's hand. He slides the ring into his finger, and it fits. Stiles can't believe their luck. The rings fit exactly like they're made for them. They fit perfectly like Stiles sometimes thinks he fits perfectly with Theo.
This childhood crush is going to be the death of him.
Or maybe his obliviousness will. And Theo's temper.
It crashes a month into Senior year. Isaac ended up not confessing his intentions of courting Kira the night before Senior year, and both he and Kira are getting frustrated, and by extension, Stiles. The scent is all he can smell from them whenever Stiles is around one or both of them. He takes to spending more time talking Isaac out of his nerves - at school, during track practice together (because Isaac also does track on top of lacrosse), over the phone, even during the weekend. And Kira, too, to listen to her wax poetry about Isaac's blue eyes and blond curls. And how she's sure he feels the same, but he looks away when she thinks they're gaining progress, and she's back to square one.
Ultimately, Stiles has Isaac writing his confession if talking isn't cutting it. Isaac cocks his head thoughtfully, then nods and writes a whole freaking narrative poetry or something. It's so well constructed, all of his thoughts flowing smoothly like the water in the Preserve creek, and Stiles is dumbstruck. They should've done this a long time ago.
He keeps the draft of Isaac's letter, thinking about framing it for his friends' first wedding anniversary in the future, and of course, Theo finds it.
And he absolutely flips.
Stiles can't believe his luck.
"We're you ever going to tell me?" Theo growls in anger, knuckles white on the steering wheel, eyes red as he drives home.
Stiles can't help but whimper. The scent of Theo's fury is sharp against his nostrils, and it hurts. He wants to reach out and appease the alpha, but he's also upset for being yelled at for no reason. His eyes sting with tears threatening to spill any second. He holds onto his own keys, his Jeep abandoned in the school parking lot, and snaps back.
"Tell you what?"
Theo growls again, pressing the car horn hard, the opposing cars veering away in alarm, and bares his fangs at the road. The veins in his arm and neck stick out prominent, and Stiles really sees the physical difference between an alpha and omega. Stiles has always been taller than Theo. His long, lithe, agile legs are the most remarkable features, the apotheosis of a werefox. But while he's always been lean in structure from the omega gene, Theo is broad, strong, and imposing. He loves it about Theo. So Stiles hates that it's scaring him now.
"That you were courting with someone else!"
"I'm not!"
Theo's eyes flash, "I saw Isaac's confession, Stiles. Don't lie to me!" He doesn't give Stiles a chance to speak, to correct his assumption, because he continues, still as livid, but the hurt is also bleeding in his voice. "How are you still wearing my ring if you're breaking intentions with me?"
Stiles is gobsmacked, "Breaking intentions- what?"
"His scent is all over you, fuck!" He swears, turning to their block with a hard turn. He grits his teeth, jaw clenching tight. "How could I be so stupid?"
When Theo screeches to a stop in Stiles's gate, Stiles hurries to get off his truck. The atmosphere inside is suffocating. "Yes!" He cries indignantly. "The confession was for Kira if you cared to read the entire letter before going feral on me. So, yes, how could you be so stupid?"
Stiles slams the door of Theo's truck, the gate, the front door, and the door to his room. He slams his windows shut, both of it, rolls the blinds down because Theo will try to reach out, and Stiles just doesn't have it in him to deal with him right now.
He refuses to go down to dinner, telling his mother to absolutely not let Theo in no matter what he says. Scott drives his Jeep home with the spare key but doesn't ask to talk to him. Scott shoots Stiles a message instead, telling him to call whenever he can. His dad knocks on his door, asking if he needs to snap someone's neck off.
"It's just a misunderstanding, dad," he says weakly.
"You're not eating dinner or going out of your room because of a misunderstanding?"
Stiles sighs, deep-set. "It's a really crap misunderstanding."
His dad also sighs behind the door, "All right. Tell us if you need anything, okay?" He walks away, leaving Stiles to his thoughts.
He's staring at his ring, replaying the conversation in the car again and again, when he hears the faint rhythm of Theo's rapping on his window. He sighs.
"You don't have to let me in, or say anything, or even listen to me," Theo says to begin, sobered up and apologetic. The scent of remorse pouring out of Theo is evident even with the wall barricading them. Stiles hears rustling and the sound of Theo's back thudding against his windowpane. "I just- want you to know I'm sorry."
His heart has always been soft for Theo. He could never resist him when they were boys, and he doesn't know how to start doing it now. Stiles seeks him out, missing him when they're apart for an indefinite amount of time. It's not because he's an alpha or Stiles's best friend. He has two of those. But his affection for Theo is for a different reason.
Theo heaves a deep breath, "I acted terribly out of line."
Stiles throws his blanket aside and gets to his feet. Theo momentarily falters, startled by the sound of Stiles's movement. Stiles imagines him straining his ear, trying to determine whether Stiles is moving closer or away. As Stiles takes his steps toward the window, Theo's heartbeat steadily grows louder and faster, matching Stiles's own. They'd always been perfectly synchronized, now that Stiles thinks about it.
He stops, right by where Theo's sitting. Stiles waits until Theo speaks again.
"I was jealous," Theo admits, voice tinged with embarrassment. "It's not an excuse, but it's the truth. I knew you were friendly with Isaac, and that's fine. But I started catching his scent on you even when he's not around. It drove me insane. The letter was the last straw."
"It wasn't for me," says Stiles quietly.
Theo sighs, swallowing. His head thuds softly against the pane. "I know that now. I was hasty to think of the worst. I just- I was scared."
Stiles takes one more step, putting him right against the window. He places a hand over the blinds and imagines touching Theo's back without the barrier between them. He looks at his ringed finger and says, "You don't have to be. Scared, I mean."
Theo holds his breath in reply.
Stiles rolls up the blinds, revealing Theo, who shifts to face him immediately. Their eyes meet; Theo hopeful and Stiles in wonder.
He lifts his window and leans over the sill. They stare at each other for a few more, Theo not moving further before Stiles finally asks the question he's been longing to ask. "Do you really want to be my Wolf Knight? Like, for real?"
Theo answers without missing a beat. "Since we were twelve."
Stiles is stunned. He gestures at their ringed fingers, "So- the rings-"
"Aren't Tara's," Theo finishes for him. "I've been saving to buy an actual ring since we were fifteen. It's by chance that your favorite book sells an actual pair of gold promise bands. I asked Tara to buy them in Los Angeles before she came home."
Stiles can't believe his ears right now. All this time?
Faintly, he asks. "The treehouse?"
Theo nods, "Is for you. It's an experimental project for when I give you the real thing."
It's taking everything in Stiles not to tear up right now. It's so… romantic, damn it. He wishes he could bottle up this moment to visit it, over and over again. He only ever felt this while reading The Fox Prince.
Stiles moves first, reaching out to curl a hand at the back of Theo's neck. Theo follows his beckoning, crouching low and drawing near until their foreheads are touching and their breaths mingling.
"You have me at day one," Stiles confesses. Theo cups his neck as well, tracing patterns against the moles of Stiles's skin, his own ring glinting in the night light. Stiles grins, "So, all right," Theo's face breaks into a blinding smile of his own. "I'll be your Fox Prince. For real."
Theo closes their distance, and they kiss, the first of many they will share. And it's gentle, no more than a pressing of the lips, but it's a vow. And, god, will they make good of it.
***
v. take me back to the time when we walked down the aisle
Stiles can't believe his luck.
After that first kiss on the window of Stiles's room, Theo officially asks Stiles's parents for their blessing to court him. Their dads shake each other's hands, joking for old time's sake.
"I always said they looked good together, Noah."
"And I always said I would love to have Theo as my son-in-law, Rick."
Their mothers are absolutely delighted with the news, smacking kisses all over their faces.
"My baby," Theo's mom coos, "Not a baby anymore."
Theo groans but doesn't pull away from her.
Claudia cups Stiles's face and whispers so no one else hears. "I'm glad it's Theo."
"Me too, mom." Stiles laughs. "God, me too."
The news quickly spread around the school. After all, the only two omegas in attendance are both exclusively courting almost at the same time. Isaac's letter worked. And though he almost shit himself while revealing his intentions to Mrs. Yukimura, she accepted. With no ounce of doubt that her only daughter is in good hands.
Jackson walks up to Stiles in the cafeteria. Theo moves to intercept him, but Stiles stops him with a hand to his chest. Jackson looks reluctant, but he forces himself to smirk.
"Congratulations, Stilinski," he says. "Although, I think you could do better than Raeken."
Theo growls in warning, and Scott sighs exasperatedly like they've had this conversation before. "Jackson,"
Jackson pays him no mind, slipping his gaze to Theo. He casually shrugs, "You couldn't have run fast enough, anyway. He was always going to catch you."
He backs away, nodding one last time at Stiles. "Have a good life, Stilinski." Then he walks back to his own table and kisses Lydia in the mouth. Their eyes briefly meet over Jackson's shoulder, and she, too, smirks before giving her full attention and brightest smile to Jackson.
It's the closest thing to an apology Stiles could get from Jackson. It's good enough.
Senior year passes by in a blur. Lacrosse finals find BHHS winning against Devenford Prep for the first time in many years. Stiles says goodbye to the track team and grimaces his way through Coach Finstock's speech about how the losers left on the team better start watching werefox documentaries to learn how to match up to the speed of one. Prom comes and goes. A whirlwind of college acceptance letters, and then graduation.
Stiles and Theo work through a long-distance relationship. With Theo attending UCLA - where Tara is taking her graduate studies - to study architecture and Stiles attending a pre-FBI program in Quantico while gearing up for criminology. It's both a surprise and not. Stiles has always admired the work of his father, appreciates law enforcement. And though he never particularly voiced his desire to follow the same steps, his parents support his decision. And so does Theo.
They communicate a lot, but it unavoidably almost fractures their relationship the first year apart. The end of the second year finds them agreeing to take a break from the courting without fully being uncommitted. Stiles struggles the first half of the third year, missing Theo so much and worrying about him finding someone else in his absence. When they come home for Christmas break during the fourth year, Theo drives Stiles up to the Preserve creek.
They sit on the tailgate of Theo's old truck, flushed against each other, their pinky fingers twining in between them. Stiles can feel Theo's Wolf Knight band against his finger and smiles to himself. After they broke up, they never talked about returning or removing the rings. It was to stay true to the plan to pick up their relationship when time allows them a better chance.
Theo hops off the truck, Stiles tracking his movements like he always does. Theo rolls his pant hems up and steps into the flowing water, picking a handful of pebbles and throwing them one by one back a little further.
"You'll be staying in Virginia after graduation, right?" Theo asks suddenly.
Stiles's mouth opens in surprise, hesitates, closes again. Then he clears his throat, "Yeah," he replies tentatively. "How did you know?"
"Your dad told me," Theo admits without breaking his pace.
Stiles sighs. He says weakly, "I was going to tell you."
No answer.
"It's only for a couple of years," he adds abruptly. "Scott's dad, he's an agent, put in a recommendation, and his seniors are recruiting me into the Bureau after my final exams. And they'll be assigning me specifically to the Omega Special Task Force. I just- think I'll do a really great job specializing the omega cases." he finishes, voice getting quieter in the last few words.
Theo stops, turns to Stiles, smiling faintly. "I'm sure you'll be one of the best."
"Are you- " Stiles pauses, dreading the answer to his next question. It's only been companionable thus far, but this crucial discussion about their relationship is always going to come. "Are you upset? Do you want to... terminate our commitment? For real?"
Theo gets off the water, drops all the remaining pebbles with a splash save for one, and walks into Stiles's space without hesitation. He pushes the pebble into Stiles's palm - another heart-shaped one would you look at that - and takes Stiles's face in between his hands. Their gazes lock, and he says, "My love is not fragile, Stiles. It can wait."
Stiles's breath catches. They have never used the word love in their relationship before. But after all this time, he knows what they have is that. He closes his hand tightly around the pebble.
"I love you, too," Stiles whispers.
Theo smiles wide, "Just think of this like that time the Fox Prince and his Wolf Knight had to part to work on making themselves ready, their warring clans consumed by old vendetta ready, for when they fall back together."
They drive back home more faithful of their bond that by the time Christmas and New Year are over, Theo drives Stiles to the airport without the anxiety of separation but the anticipation of seeing each other again.
Two years fly by quickly. They see each other twice in that period: once when Theo and Stiles's parents visit him together. And the other when Theo visits him alone.
They talk through Skype and Facetime and the old school phone call, sometimes with their other friends, too. About what they've been up to, their work, their plans. Theo's been busy; overseeing a project for the past year now, but he says it's almost through. He tells Stiles that he can show it when he comes home for Christmas - two years from the first Christmas when they said their first 'I love you'.
Theo picks him up at the airport, and Stiles launches straight into his arms. He nuzzles Theo's neck, practically inhaling the scent he's yearned for so much, mumbling how much he misses him and pulls him into a passionate kiss right there in the crowded arrival area.
Stiles's parents host the Christmas dinner with the assistance of Theo's parents. Tara comes home, a beta boyfriend named Jordan in tow, who's, coincidentally, Sheriff Stilinski's newest deputy. Melissa comes over with Scott and Allison. Isaac and Kira, too, who's four months pregnant with their first child. When it's time for the presents, Theo leans into Stiles and whispers in his ear that his gift is outside.
Everyone shuffles to the backyard, and Stiles gasps when he sees it: a bed of the first edition copies of The Fox Prince - all 365 of them - lying on the grass in the shape of a heart, surrounded by candles and a smattering of rose petals. Theo moves forward, handing one to Stiles, open to a specific page. Stiles can suddenly hear his heart thundering in his ears because he thinks he knows what he will see when he looks down.
"Spend the rest of your life with me, my Fox Prince."
"My afterlife is yours as well, my Wolf Knight."
Stiles's mother starts to weep behind him, his dad consoling her. Kira is crying, too, full-on sobbing in Isaac's chest. Pregnancy hormones, she will say later. Scott looks like he's close to losing it, too. After all, they're his best friends. And this is a long time coming.
Theo takes Stiles's hand in his, caressing the ring on his finger, the one he slipped into Stiles many years ago.
"Spend the rest of your life with me, my Fox Prince," he says.
Stiles's throat closes up, his eyes welling up in tears. "My afterlife is yours as well," he replies in kind, voice hitching. "My Wolf Knight."
***
vi. take me home where we met so many years before
"Almost there," Theo says, guiding a blindfolded Stiles to the backyard of his childhood home.
Stiles chuckles, holding onto Theo's hand. "Where are you taking me?"
Theo snorts, "Yeah, it's not like you don't have these directions memorized by now."
"Right, okay," concedes Stiles. "So we're going to the treehouse," Stiles laughs, stumbling a little and Theo catching him immediately. "But why?"
"I told you, my wedding gift to you is in there."
"I'm really starting to feel insufficient," Stiles mutters in a half-assed complaint. "First, you give me a real-life 18 karat omega gold ring from my favorite manga's limited collectible items - when you were seventeen. Then you buy me the entire first edition collection of said manga, which, by the way, I'm still not convinced that you got on e-Bay." Stiles practically hears Theo's eyes rolling. "And now, you have this mysterious wedding gift that took you a while, and probably a lot of money, to acquire. But then there's me. Aside from my lifelong devotion and virginity, I gave you nothing on par with what you've given to me."
They stop, Theo taking off his blindfold. Stiles blinks, mouth falling open at the sight of pictures and hanging lights adorning the outside of the treehouse, like a waterfall of stars and memories.
Stiles climbs the same rickety ladder, almost brains himself from the same protruding nail by the door, they have to crouch low to fit inside, the wood planks are old and creaky, and the window is slightly smaller than Stiles's head now. The space is clear save for Stiles's old mini bookshelf full of werewolf and werefox tales, the blue paint is faded, but the branches are still mindfully trimmed for the stars to be visible through the same skylight of their childhood. Stiles thinks it's even more amazing now with the years of memories it holds.
In the center, where the pictures and hanging lights cascade more densely, is a velvet box.
Stiles laughs from inexplicable joy. "I'm already married to you. Why are you still gifting me more rings?"
Theo nudges him forward, "Open it."
Stiles kneels, takes the box, and opens it.
"A key?" He turns to Theo, curious. "A key to what?"
Theo smiles his little lopsided one that always makes Stiles's heart tumble. "To the palace that the Wolf Knight built for his Fox Prince."
Stiles stops short, eyes widening. The project that Theo's been working on for close to two years now, that he's very secretive about. It makes sense now. Stiles almost investigated but reckons Theo will tell him in time. And finally, the key to that pet project is in Stiles's hands.
"Someone told me before that omegas create the den," Theo adds, kneeling in after Stiles. He wipes the wayward tear that escapes Stiles's eye. "And you're wrong, you know. You give me everything I need. I can't wait for you to turn our house into a home."
Stiles sniffles, shaking his head. "I don't deserve you."
"You deserve the world," corrects Theo.
And, oh, Stiles can't believe his luck.
***
