Stiles was, well, Stiles was adjusting.

He was still getting used to the whole blood drinking thing, but between Scott providing blood bags from the hospital and Theo providing blood from the vein, he usually had enough blood in his system for him to maintain control of his bloodlust. Still, the blood bags were his preferred method. Well, he actually preferred drinking from Theo, but it was also a little awkward because they both enjoyed it a little too much but never actually talked about it. Stiles found that Theo really wasn't a "talk-about-your-feelings" kind of guy. He respected that, but he just wished that he could talk to the guy.

Speaking of which, Stiles found that he no longer really hated Theo. He never thought he'd say this, but Theo was possibly a sort of almost halfway decent person and they were getting along just fine.

The nightmares hadn't stopped entirely. He could tell that his sire was trying to send him a message, but he didn't want anything to do with her and was just trying to shut her out entirely.

Speaking of shutting people out, his phone buzzed as he walked next to Scott. He removed his phone from his pocket and promptly discarded it once he saw who the sender was.

"Another text from your dad?" Scott asked.

Stiles pressed his lips together in a thin line, jaw tight. He nodded as he exhaled through his nose.

"You know, it has been a while since you've talked to him," Scott said. He couldn't've been anymore transparent and Stiles knew exactly what he was suggesting.

"I️ know," Stiles answered, continuing to walk.

Scott's hand then gently reached out to grab Stiles' arm.

"You need to talk to him," Scott said softly, that concerned look in his eyes that Stiles hated.

"I️...can't. I'm just, I'm not ready, okay?" The vampire replied.

Scott sighed.

"I️ understand," he said, which was essentially code for "I'll leave this alone for now but you haven't heard the last of it." Stiles understood this, but still decided it was a win for time being anyhow.

The two resumed walking and there was a brief moment of silence before Scott spoke once again.

"So...how are things with you and Theo?" he asked.

Stiles shrugged.

"Fine, I️ guess," he said, hoping that the other wouldn't dwell on the topic for too long.

Scott nodded pensively.

"So you two are on good terms?" he asked.

"Uh...yeah. Why?" Stiles asked, his thoughts beginning to race. Was it that obvious that he liked Theo.

"Okay. Cause uh, my mom said that they're starting to notice the missing blood bags at the hospital so it might be a while until we can get you any more, and I know you said that sometimes Theo's willing to-"

"Yeah, I'll make it work," Stiles interrupted.

—

At some point, "making it work" stopped working. While Scott had assumed that by "make it work", Stiles had meant feeding from Theo, he actually meant rationing his remaining blood bags and trying his best to ignore the hunger.

"Hey, what's going on with you?" Theo asked. "You haven't been-"

"I'm out of blood bags," Stiles interrupted quickly.

Theo took a step closer, licking his bottom lip.

"You know that I️ don't mind when you-"

"Yeah, well I️ do," Stiles interrupted again, his tone icy.

Theo flinched, surprised.

"Did I️ do something?" he asked.

"No," Stiles grunted.

Theo shrugged.

"Okay, then why are you mad at me?" he asked.

Stiles shook his head.

"I'm not," he answered insincerely.

"Yes, you are," Theo contradicted. "What did I️ do?"

Stiles sighed.

"Nothing," he said.

It was true. Theo technically didn't do anything. If anything, Stiles was just more upset about his complicated feelings toward Theo and was taking it out on the chimera. A part of him was well aware of just how unreasonable he was being, but the only other option was to talk about his feelings so he decided that being immature was just the best option.

"Okay, then what didn't I️ do?" Theo asked

Stiles sighed.

"Nothing," he said, his tone more genuine this time. "I️ just...it's complicated."

Theo nodded. He got closer to Stiles before placing a hand on his shoulder.

"Okay. So how about you drink from me to clear your head a little bit, and then we talk through it?" Theo suggested.

Stiles blinked, taken aback by the suggestion.

"Um...oh, okay," he said.

Theo released his hand from Stiles' shoulder and tilted his head to the side, exposing more of his neck.

Stiles' eyes went down to the jugular vein and he allowed his fangs to grow. He closed his eyes briefly, breathing deeply as he reminded himself not to fully lose control. He did want to keep Theo alive, after all. He opened his eyes before placing one hand on Theo's shoulder and allowing the other to hold the back of Theo's head.

Stiles then sank his sharp fangs into soft skin, sucking blood out from the vein. Theo was beginning to get used to it, hardly even flinching at the initial penetration of teeth and instead just sighing into the sensation.

Stiles continued to swallow mouthfuls of blood before withdrawing his teeth from the other's neck. He then dragged his tongue to slowly lap up the leftover blood, enjoying the feeling of Theo's skin under his tongue along with the taste of his blood. He was about to let go when he looked at the healing wound and realized that he still craved more. Without thinking, he quickly bit down, this time biting much harder than he intended to.

This time, Theo did flinch at this unexpected after shock. He let out a quiet moan as Stiles drank more blood in a frenzy.

"Someone's hungry," Theo chuckled, but Stiles didn't react. He just continued to allow himself to get lost in Theo's sent and taste and heartbeat and just the very essence of him.

But then, Stiles withdrew, because just as Theo was the dominant object of his bloodlust, he was also what tethered him to his humanity and kept him from going over the edge. Theo was what allowed Stiles to dive into the sea of his own bloodlust without quite drowning in it.

Stiles let go of Theo, taking a few steps back as he licked the blood off of his lips.

"Sorry," he whispered.

"Don't be," Theo replied.

Stiles took a few deep breaths and retracted his fangs.

"So what did you need to talk to me about?" Theo asked.

Oh. That.

"Oh, right," Stiles said, cursing in his head. He cleared his throat. "I️ just ahhh...well, I️ mean I️ was wondering about it cause, well, ya know, this." He gestured between them. "And maybe it's just me, and I️ guess it probably is, but sometimes I️ feel like it's not but how can I️ know."

"Stiles," Theo uttered slowly, eyes boring into the others.

Stiles' met the gaze, face filling with heat. He could hardly believe it, but there it was. This was the moment that Theo confessed to having feelings for Stiles.

"Yes?" Stiles replied.

"I️ don't understand anything you just said," Theo admitted.

Stiles blinked, coming back to reality and realizing that what he had thought was his big confession was actually the babbling of incoherent nonsense.

"Oh uh right. I️ guess that didn't make much sense. Sorry," Stiles said, feeling defeated.

Theo smirked.

"It's okay. You're cute when you all flustered," he said.

Stiles eyes widened and he gestured toward Theo.

"That! That's it! That's exactly what I️ mean!" Stiles explained, much to Theo's confusion.

The chimera shook his head slowly, a puzzled look on his face.

"What?" he asked.

"You! You make all these flirty jokes and comments and innuendos but you never say what it all means. I️ mean, talk about giving a guy mixed signals! What's the deal with that?" Stiles asked.

In that moment, Stiles regretted openly his mouth in the first place. It was like he saw all of the color drain from Theo's face.

"Well, you know..." Theo replied, beating around the bush.

Stiles threw his arms up in frustration.

"Ugh, no, Theo, actually I️ don't know. I️ can't know unless you tell me!" Stiles, raising his voice slightly without intention of doing so.

Theo's gaze went straight to the ground. He shrugged.

"It's cause I️ like you," he said both quickly and quietly.

Stiles blinked, eyes widening.

"You what?" he asked.

Theo looked back up and rolled his eyes.

"Oh come on, Stiles, you're a vampire. We both know you heard what I️ just said perfectly well," Theo answered defensively.

"No I️ just meant...like you mean as in you have feelings for me or...?" Stiles trailed off.

"Ugh, yes, feelings. It might come as a shock to you but I️ do have those," the chimera responded in frustration.

Stiles shook his head.

"Wait, no, no, that's, that's not what I️ meant," he said.

"Then what did you mean?" Theo asked, his tone softer now.

Stiles exhaled.

"I️ just didn't know you saw me in that way," he admitted.

"Oh," Theo said. "I️ thought you did."

Stiles raised an eyebrow incredulously.

"Huh?"

"I️ mean, I️ thought you knew how I️ felt about you. Like I️ thought I️ made it obvious," Theo admitted.

Stiles put his hands together and placed them in front of his face before letting out a sharp exhale.

"I️- no, not really. I️ mean, this is kinda why you, ya know, talk about your feelings, because no one knows how you're feeing unless you talk about it," Stiles said.

Theo nodded slightly.

"Yeah, I️ guess that makes sense," he mused.

"Uh, yeah."

"So that's it then?" Theo asked.

Stiles shook his head slowly in confusion.

"What's it?"

Theo shrugged.

"You wanted to know if I️ liked you, now it's out in the open...so I️ guess that's it," Theo said awkwardly.

"Wait, no, that's not it. Me too," Stiles said.

Theo tilted his head in confused.

"What?"

Stiles then came closer to Theo, cupping his cheek with one hand.

"I️ like you, too, idiot," Stiles said before kissing Theo.