Theo Raeken smiled as he watched Kennedy Addams flip through her biology textbook. "I think we've covered everything that should be on tomorrow's test." She clapped her hand together as she looked up at the boy sitting across from her. "Do you feel any better?"

"Yeah." Theo nodded as Kennedy's phone buzzed. It was Stiles Stilinski texting her. "Is everything alright? This is like the fifteenth text tonight."

Kennedy let out a sigh, turning her phone over. "Stiles is just kind of like that."

"Are you two..."

The two made eye contact, and Kennedy's eyes widened as she realized what Theo had meant. "Uh- No. We're not dating or anything."

"Really?" Theo let out a chuckle, running his hand through his hair.

The girl cocked an eyebrow. "Why do you seem so surprised?"

"Well, when we were kids, he was so in love with you, and the way that you two have been acting around each other kind of made me think you were dating." Theo stated, watching as Kennedy shifted awkwardly on the bed.

She shook her head. "No. We're just friends."

"Whatever you say, Kenn."

"Theo, he's my friend."

"Then he wouldn't be mad if I kissed you right now?"

"What?" Kennedy was taken aback by his forwardness. She brushed a piece of hair behind her ear as her eyes traveled down to her lap. "I- uh- I don't- I don't know."

Theo laughed, throwing his head back. "I just playing with you, sweetheart." He bit his lip, cocking his head to the side. "Unless you want me to kiss you."

Kennedy looked back up at him, feeling her cheeks begin to heat up. "I- um- well- uh-"

"You're fucking cute when you're flustered."

"Thanks?"

"Can I show you something?" Kennedy nodded, and the two stood up to the bed, making their way out of the Raeken Household.

*

Stiles Stilinski and Liam Dunbar crouched behind a bush in the Beacon Hills Preserve, watching Theo and Kennedy walk further into the woods. "I told you he was up to something."

"Are you only upset because he was all over Kennedy?" Liam furrowed his eyebrows, shaking his head. He cannot believe that he had spent the last three hours sitting outside of Theo's house, listening to the two of them speak inside.

"What?" Stiles shook his head excessively. "No."

Liam shrugged. "I really think that's your only problem with him."

"It's not."

"Well, all I'm saying is that he better be out here covering up a mass murder, or I wasted my entire day."

Stiles stood up from behind the bush. "Let's find out." The two made their way further into the woods. "You still got his scent?"

"Don't need it." Liam shook his head, looking down at the footprints of Kennedy's converse.

The junior boy stopped dead in his tracks, furrowing his eyebrows. "What? What's wrong?" Stiles asked him.

"I forgot that I was supposed to meet Mason at the school gym." Liam answered him, glancing back into the woods.

Stiles nodded. "Okay, why didn't you just tell him?"

"Tell him what?" Liam raised an eyebrow.

"Anything."

"I can't just tell him anything."

"Why not?"

"Because I haven't-" Liam let out a sigh, throwing his hands into his sweatshirt pocket. "I haven't told him everything."

Stiles frowned, not understanding. "Still? We said it was okay."

Liam nodded. "Yeah, I know, but it's not that easy. It's a lot to accept."

"He watched my dad blow up a Berserker with a land mine." Stiles chuckled. "I think the groundwork's been pretty thoroughly laid for acceptance." Liam shook his head, looking down at the ground. "Scott and I have been through this, okay? More than once. It's just always better when they know."

Stiles moved to walk further into the woods, and Liam took his phone out of his pocket, beginning his walk. "But what if he freaks out? What if he doesn't want to talk to me? What if he tries to stab me with something silver? Or what if-"

There was a loud thud when Liam stopped talking, and Stiles quickly turned around. He saw a giant hole where Liam had been, and approached it, seeing the boy covered in dirt at the bottom of the hole. "What the hell are you doing?" Liam just shook his head. "I-" Stiles was cut off by footsteps, and his eyes widened. "There he is. Hurry up. Stop screwing around."

Stiles made his way to a bridge that Theo and Kennedy were standing on and hid behind a tree. Liam soon stood behind him. "Try to get his scent." Stiles instructed the young werewolf. "Get anything?"

"Soap. It's nice. It smells good."

The senior rolled his eyes. "Not his soap, his emotional state. Chemosignals, remember?"

"Oh, yeah. Okay." Liam nodded before trying to focus on Theo's scent, deciphering it. "He's sad." The boy furrowed his eyebrows.

"He's sad?" Stiles looked over at Liam, not accepting the answer.

Liam let out a sigh, nodding. "It's not just sad. It's more like grief."

"Grief?" Stiles watched as Theo hand Kennedy a flower, and she threw it into the river beneath the two of them. His eyes widened as he let out a gasp. "Oh my god." He grabbed Liam, trying to drag him away. "Go. We have to go."

"What? Why?"

"Go! Right now. Just go." Stiles frowned, pushing Liam forward. The two began walking back through the forrest. "That's the bridge where they found his sister."

Liam shrugged. "What sister?"

"The one who got lost and died from exposure." The boy ran his fingers through his hair, trying to understand his own stupidity. "They're leaving flowers for her."

"That doesn't sound evil." Liam frowned.

"I know." Stiles spoke before both him and Liam stopped walking.

The two looked up and saw Theo standing on a tree branch above them. He jumped down. "What are you guys doing?"

"Yeah, what are you doing, Stiles?"

Stiles and Liam turned, seeing Kennedy behind them with her arms crossed over her chest. Liam turned back to Theo and let out a growl, but Stiles put his hand on the boy's shoulder, trying to calm him down. "Woah." Theo chuckled, putting his hands up in defense. "Why do I get the feeling this kid's tougher than he looks?"

"Only when we let him off his leash." Stiles responded with his hand still on Liam.

Kennedy moved in front of the two boys, standing next to Theo. "Stiles, this has to be a joke."

"Yeah, Stiles, we were in little league together." Theo raised his eyebrows. "Why are you so suspicious of me?"

Stiles looked between Kennedy and Theo before letting out a sigh, taking the speeding ticket and transfer slip out of his back pocket. "Because of these." He handed them to Theo. "One's a speeding ticket signed by your dad eight years ago. The other one's a signature on a transfer form to Beacon High. They're different."

Theo shrugged, looking down at the paper. "Yeah, I guess they do look a little different."

"No. They're completely different." Stiles snapped. "Like signed by two different people."

"So, my dad's not my dad? Like he's an imposter?"

"Stiles, you have got to stop with this. They're not that different." She brought her hands to her face, not understanding what Stiles's problem was.

Theo rubbed Kennedy's back as he spoke. "Who do you think I am?"

"We don't know yet." Stiles shook his head, watching the two in front of him very closely.

"Do want me to give you a DNA sample or something?"

"No. I don't have anything from the fourth grade to match it to."

Theo let out a sigh, folding up the two pieces of paper. "You know, Stiles, I came back here for Scott, but I also came back for you." Stiles furrowed his eyebrows. "Someone like you. Someone who's willing to walk into the woods in the middle of the night to protect his friends." Stiles glanced down at Kennedy, who was staring at the ground. "I don't have anyone like that, but Scott does. You all do. I know that I'm in the right place. I'm meant to be here. I'm meant to be a part of this pack."

*

Stiles had forced Kennedy to come back with him and Liam, still not believing Theo. "I can't believe you." Kennedy spoke as they walked back to Stiles's jeep.

"I said I was sorry, Kenn. Can we drop it?"

"No, we can't drop it!" Kennedy exclaimed as she stopped walking. "I told you to stop this morning, and none of this would have happened if you had listened to me."

Stiles rolled his eyes, crossing his arms over his chest. "Yeah, the two of you would probably be making out right now if I had."

Kennedy's eyes widened. "What?"

"You're fucking cute when you're flustered." Stiles mimicked Theo.

"You were spying on us all night?"

"Dude, stop." Liam shook his head as he watched from the sidelines.

Stiles shook his head at Liam before speaking again. "Yeah, I heard everything. He's just trying to fuck you so that he can brag about someone finally taking your virginity, and then he's going to drop you. And, you're just going to go along with it because you are so naive." Stiles realized he said everything wrong when he noticed a tear fall down Kennedy's cheek. "Kenn, I didn't-"

"Just shut up, okay?"

Kennedy walked past both of the boys, walking further into the forrest. "Kenn, you don't know where you're going."

"I don't care." Kennedy yelled back, continuing her walk.

She felt someone grab her arm and turned around, coming face to face with Stiles. "I'm sorry." Stiles frowned, seeing Kennedy's face covered in tears. "I didn't mean what I said."

"You did." Kennedy shook her head, looking down at the ground. "I am naive."

"You're not." Stiles cupped Kennedy's cheeks with her hands, bringing her face up to meet his own. "You're the kindest person I know, and people have to earn your trust." He wiped away some tears with his thumb. "I'm an idiot."

The girl let out a scoff, looking Stiles straight in the eyes. "At least we can agree on something."

Stiles chuckled, glancing down at Kennedy's lips. His eyes lingered there for a second before moving back to her eyes. "Do you want to go back to the jeep?" Kennedy nodded and they all began their walk back once again.

When they arrived back at Stiles's jeep, Scott McCall was standing next to the jeep, along side his dirt bike. "Find anything?" He questioned his best friend.

"Nope." Stiles frowned, shaking his head.

"I fell in a hole." Liam stated with a surprisingly peppy attitude.

Stiles got into his jeep, and Scott moved to the open window. "It was the bridge where his sister died, wasn't it?"

"Yes, it was. Very embarrassing. So, we are going to leave now." He pushed his key into the ignition, turning it, but the motor stalled. "Son of a..." He groaned before getting out of the jeep. "Liam, do me a favor. Get in the car and turn the ignition when I say." Liam nodded, jumping into the front seat. Stiles moved to the front of the vehicle, popping the hood up to look inside.

Scott moved behind his best friend, with Kennedy next to him. "Stiles?"

"Be with you in a sec." Stiles responded to Scott, turning a few nobs. "Try it." Liam tried to turn the ignition, but once again, the motor stalled.

Stiles leaned him elbows on the front of the car, putting his head in his hands. "Stiles."

"Yes, okay? We followed him out here." Stiles nodded, looking up from his hands. "What do you want me to say? That I'm a stalker, huh? That I'm crazy? Totally paranoid? None of this is new information."

The boy began to turn some nobs again, trying to make his car turn on. "Are you at least going to try to give him the benefit of the do ubt now?" Kennedy moved closer to Stiles as she spoke.

Stiles looked up at her, shaking his head. "I give people the benefit of the doubt. I've given a lot of benefit to a lot of people." He turned back to the gears.

"Like Derek?" Scott spoke up from behind him. Stiles sighed, rolling his eyes. "Kira? Liam?"

"I was right about Peter." He looked back up at Liam. "Try it again." The engine once again stalled. Stiles groaned, shaking his head and looking up at Scott. "You, I bet you still think that there's something about him that can be saved."

Scott nodded. "Maybe."

Stiles turned another nob. "Try it again!" The motor stalled.

"Why can't you trust anyone?" Scott questioned.

"Because you trust everyone!" Stiles shouted before punching his fist against the hard metal of his jeep.

"Stiles!" Kennedy let out a gasp as she watched Stiles clutch his fist against his chest. "Are you okay?"

Stiles nodded, not being able to look the girl in the eye. "I'm fine."

"You could have broken it." Scott spoke, stepping closer to his best friend.

"It's not broken."

"Let me see it." Scott held out his hands.

Stiles shook his head, staring down at his hand. "I'm fine."

"Let me see it." Scott repeated. Stiles nodded, placing his hand in Scott's. Black veins appeared along Scott's hands, meaning he was taking away Stiles's pain. Stiles looked down at his hand, moving his fingers. The headlights of the jeep turned on and Liam turned the ignition.

*

When Stiles and Kennedy arrived at Kennedy's house, Stiles turned off the car and looked over at her. "Kenn, I'm so sorry about tonight."

"Stiles, it's okay."

"It's not, though." Stiles shook his head, taking Kennedy's hands in his own. "I've treated you like shit all day all because I was jealous of your relationship with Theo."

Kennedy's eyes widened. "You were jealous?"

Stiles chuckled, nodding. "Yeah, I don't know. He was your best friend before I was, and I guess I just felt threatened."

"Stiles, I love you."

"What?"

"As a friend." Kennedy looked down at the ground, furrowing her eyebrows. "Nothing's ever going to change that."

Stiles nodded, taking his lip between his teeth. "I love you, too, Kenn."

Word Count - 2388
Author's Note -
I like this chapter. Stiles being a lil bitch but we can live with that for now since he is obviously right about Theo.
I love Theo tho ugh
Please comment what you want to see in future chapters, and don't forget to vote!
Have a nice day, lovelies 💕