I Was Hoping For A Quiet Life, But You Gave Me So Much More

Sleep, Food, and The Truth

"Aw, were you lonely?" Theo asked with a smirk.

Scott actually thought he was going a little bit crazy. Because there is no way. Absolutely no possible way that Derek Fucking Hale just blushed. Scott would have laughed if he wasn't so shocked.

Theo didn't get to appreciate the look on Derek's face, which was stoic as usual, aside from the blush. He was looking at the french toast in the pan, but he did hear the speed of Derek's heart pick up for a split second, and that was all the recognition he needed.

Stiles just averted his eyes and grabbed a pancake with his hands, eating it as a supposed distraction.

The room was quiet for a few moments.

"Anyway," Scott said, "Should we wake up everyone else?" He looked at the time on his phone, 'It's almost 12. What time did everyone else fall asleep?"

"You were out around 10. I'm not sure when Isaac fell asleep but he stayed upstairs with you. Malia was out next, maybe two hours later. Then Stiles, and apparently Derek at some point." He paused, for just a split second, but Scott registered it, "Liam didn't fall asleep until almost 5." He was still looking down at the pan.

"Really? Is he okay?" Stiles asked. Speaking with his mouthful.

Theo stiffened visibly.

"Y'know, I was joking when I told you to throw it at him. You could have killed him!" Liam laughed.

"I wouldn't have killed him," Theo countered, "I guess I could have, but I wouldn't. I know my strength."

They were sitting on the back deck, looking up at the stars. Everyone else in the house had gone to sleep about an hour or two ago. After picking up a little, and throwing blankets over sleeping shoulders, Liam and Theo had made their way outside. Liam had suggested that they could go out to the water. They decided to stay near the house after Theo expressed his distaste for needing to carry Liam back to the house in the dark when he, inevitably, fell asleep again.

"I'm sure you do. But seriously, how do you not just, y'know, wolf out at random moments. Like you could shift and run into the woods right now. How easy is it to control?" Liam asked.

"It depends," Theo started, "I found it difficult recently because I've been shifting for so long, so trying to keep it together becomes a little more difficult. Some people are naturals, some people need practice, or-" Theo hesitated, "yeah, practice is usually the most common."

Liam raised an eyebrow at him, "'or' what?"

Theo sighed, "Well, a lot of the time people have what's known as an 'anchor.'"

"Anchor?"

"Yeah. It's something that keeps you grounded. Sometimes it's a memory. A mantra. A place." Theo looked over at Liam, "A person... It's different for everyone for the most part."

"Oh, that's cool. Do you have one?"

Theo stiffened, "Uh, yeah, I did... for a while."

Liam could sense the tone of his voice, the way he tensed, he was guarded, "Sorry," he said, "I didn't mean to cross over a sensitive topic."

Theo smiled slightly, "It's fine, I just... don't really want to talk about it."

"That's okay," Liam smiled. He yawned, "I think I wanna go to sleep anyway."

"Okay," Theo stood up from the deck. He reached his hand out towards Liam and pulled him up off the ground as well.

"Do you, uh, want to borrow something? Sleeping in jeans isn't super comfortable." Liam asked.