"How did it go with your dad," Theo asked cautiously.

Stiles sighed, a pensive expression on his face as he recounted the events that had taken place that afternoon.

"It went," he replied vaguely, tone hardly readable as he sat down at the edge of the bed, elbows resting on his thighs and hands coming up to his temples.

Theo came and sat down next to him, putting a comforting arm around the other's tense shoulders.

"That bad?" Theo asked.

Stiles paused for a moment before slowly shaking his head. He looked down at his hands that now rested in his lap.

"It wasn't bad. I'm actually really glad I️ saw him. It's just..." he began for trailing off.

He looked up, gaze straight ahead but appearing half spaced. Theo gave him a confused look in response.

"It's just...?" Theo prompted.

"It's just he wants everything to go back to normal. And I️ get it, I️ do, I️ just can't," Stiles explained.

Theo gave Stiles' shoulder a comforting squeeze, prompting Stiles to lean his head on Theo's shoulder.

"He's been accepting and everything and I️ don't want him to think he did anything wrong, you know? I️ just...I don't know," Stiles continued.

"I know," Theo said before kissing the top of Stiles' head.

The two stayed like that for a while, Stiles clinging to the comfort of his boyfriend holding him before they got on with the rest of their night.

Later that night, after Stiles had drifted off to sleep, Theo was still awake, his thoughts running wild as he spooned his sleeping boyfriend. He inhaled deeply, taking in the vampire's scent. He could still hardly believe it all, having Stiles this close to him. He felt like he could just stay like that forever and...

Theo shot up suddenly, his own thoughts being interrupted by a surge of panic.

Unfortunately, this caused Stiles to wake up.

The vampire turned and slowly sat up.

"Are you okay?" he asked Theo.

Theo nodded quickly.

"Yeah, yeah, I'm good. I️ just need some air," he said.

"Air? What time is it?" Stiles asked, checking his phone.

It was 2:14 am.

"It's the middle of the night," Stiles pointed out sleepily.

Theo shrugged as he got out of bed.

"So? If anything someone like me is the reason other people should be scared to go out at night," he said cockily. As a chimera, he didn't have too many reservations about going out on his own: he could defend himself just find.

Stiles rolled his eyes, annoyed even in his half conscious state.

"Whatever," Stiles said with a dismissive hand gesture before crashing back into the bed.

Theo sighed before he made himself decent and headed out. He walked around for a while, trying to think about literally anything but Stiles. So, of course, just his luck: all he could think about was Stiles. And that freaked him out.

In that moment he knew one thing: he was in way too deep.

He ended up not sleeping at all that night, and even left for school early just to avoid Stiles. That afternoon, he said he needed to catch up on some work and stayed behind in the library. Immediately, Stiles knew something was up.

Theo came home late, hoping that Stiles would be asleep already, but Stiles had stayed up waiting for him.

"Why are you avoiding me?" Stiles asked.

Theo shook his head nonchalantly.

"What? I'm not avoiding you," he said.

Theo was a good liar. He always had been. Yet, Stiles could see right through him anyway.

"Bullshit," Stiles accused.

Theo shook his head and did a dismissive hand gesture.

"I'm not doing this right now," he decided.

Before he could head out, Stiles was in front of him, using his vampire speed to get the upper hand.

"Nope, we're having this conversation. Right now," Stiles said coldly.

Theo shrugged.

"I don't know what you want me to say," he said.

"Just talk to me. Open up to me," Stiles replied.

Theo scoffed.

"You say that like it's so easy! Well, it's not, okay? None of this is easy for me! I️ thought I️ could deal with this but I️-I️ can't, okay?" he shouted.

He could feel his eyes growing misty, causing him to turn away abruptly. He was not about to let someone watch him breakdown. He couldn't.

"Deal with what, Theo? With...me? With...with what I️ am?" Stiles asked tentatively, his voice shaking as he was unsure that he even wanted to hear the answer.

Theo shook his head and turned back around to face Stiles.

"No, no, that's-that's not it, okay? Look, I️ can deal with the vampire thing it's just...it's everything else," he confessed.

Somehow, that hurt even more.

"What do you mean everything else?" Stiles asked tightly.

"I️ mean the way you talk too fast when you're excited and scrunch up your face when you're confused. That look you get when you focus really hard on something and how you get all grumpy if someone wakes you up and your bad jokes and sarcasm and your eyes and even the way you're looking at me right now I️ just..." Theo trailed off due to the looming threat of tears.

"I️ don't understand," Stiles replied slowly.

Theo sighed, a tear rolled down his cheek which he quickly wiped away.

"I don't know if I️ can say it out loud," he admitted.

His chest felt tight like there was a fist squeezing his rapidly beating heart. The room felt too small like it could suffocate him.

Stiles took a step closer, only making things worse, even though he didn't mean to.

"You have to try. Theo, please," he pleaded.

More tears. Theo hated himself for it. He hated how weak he felt: how weak Stiles made him. And he could feel the self loathing and anger building inside of him so strongly that he thought he was going to combust. He normally had better control over his emotions than this. What had Stiles done to him?

In that moment he wanted nothing more to be cold and uncaring, but instead here was this boy standing in front of him that made him feel so much — too much — and he couldn't escape it. And he hated himself for it. He hated himself because he could never hate Stiles.

Theo looked down at the floor because he couldn't look the other in the eyes. He exhaled, trying to brace himself before forcing the words out. Those words were his biggest fear and he dreaded nothing more than saying them out loud.

"I️ love you, Stiles," he finally said, his voice nothing more than a sheepish, airy whisper that the other wouldn't've even heard if it wasn't for his supernatural hearing.

"Theo," Stiles said, taking the other's hand in his.

Theo flinched, taking a step back.

"Don't. I️ can't do this. I don't know how to do this," he admitted.

"Then we'll figure it out together, because I️ love you too, Theo," Stiles confessed.

Theo took a breath as if he were gasping for air after drowning. As if he could drown in his own tears.

This time, when Stiles touched him, he didn't move away, and let the other take his hand.

"You do?" Theo asked.

The amount of pure shock and disbelief in his tone pained Stiles to hear.

"Yes, Theo, I️ do. I️ love you," he assured.

Theo nodded, processing.

"I️ guess I️ just kind of...it's stupid," he said, dismissing his own thoughts.

Stiles shook his head slightly, using his free hand to cup Theo's cheek.

"What is it?" he asked softly.

Theo shrugged.

"I️ just assumed you didn't love me back. I️ didn't think anyone could," he confessed, feeling pathetic for even saying it out loud, for admitting his fear of dying alone.

At those words, Stiles pulled Theo in closer and embraced him. He didn't know exactly what to say, just knew he wanted Theo to be okay, so he started by pouring his heart out.

"Theo, you are lovable, I️ promise. I️ love you. I️ love you so fucking much. I️ will always love you, and I'll never leave you. I️ promise."