The Spark Within (Sterek)

Absolutely not

Theo dropped his duffle bag on the floor of Derek's loft. "I told my parents I went camping with you guys. They bought it." Theo chuckled.

"Good all the parents are on the same page then." Allison nodded smiling at Theo.

"Why are we lying again?" Theo asked frowning at the group.

"We just don't want this getting out. Plus the Sherrif has enough going on he doesn't need to know Stiles is in comatose state." Scott answered hurriedly. "And you know how parents talk."

"Shouldn't the sheriff know his son is extremely sick?" Theo raised a brow.

"He tends to overreact. The doctors said he needs to be surrounded by calm and peace. The sheriff thinks Stiles was having some bad anxiety so we got him out of the house for a few days. If Stiles doesn't get better we'll let his dad know but for now we're holding off." Lydia answered plastering a fake smile on her lips.

"Okay." Theo nodded simply, much to everyone's surprise.

"Can I go up and see him?" Theo asked glancing at the stairs.

"Of course." Scott nodded.

Theo tapped gently on the door to Derek's room.

Derek looked up from wiping Stiles' forehead with a damp cloth.

"How's he doing?" Theo asked walking over to the bed. He wiped his hands on his jeans anxiously.

"About the same as when you left." Derek answered observing Theo's nervous stance.

"Why are you so nervous?" Derek asked frowning up at the boy.

"Oh, uh, sorry." Theo shifted his weight from one foot to the other.

"That doesn't answer my question." Derek said blatantly raising his brow at Theo.

"Well I don't really know you well and I feel like you may resent me for Stiles reacting so positively to my being here." Theo shrugged staring down at his feet.

Derek frowned. "Why would you think that?"

"Well you're his boyfriend aren't you?" Theo asked looking up at Derek.

Derek's eyebrows lifted in confused shock. "No, absolutely not."

"Oh, I'm sorry. I just assumed...I mean he's staying at your house, in your bed and the way you look after him and care for him it just seemed like..." Theo trailed off looking back down at his feet. His hands were sweating again.

"It's okay, he's..." Derek trailed off looking for the right way to explain his alpha relation to Theo. "Like a brother to me." Derek finished his sentence as he looked down at Stiles.

Theo cocked his head at Derek. "I see."

Sensing Theo might push the issue Derek stood up. "I'll let you do whatever it is you do." Derek gestured to Stiles before walking past Theo.

"Derek, wait." Theo turned to the brooding werewolf. "Can I ask you something that might sound...strange?"

"Go ahead." Derek answered leaning against his door frame. He doubted this guy could top anything he's heard come out of Stiles' mouth.

"Have you ever heard of an anchor?" Theo asked taking a seat next to Stiles.

Derek raised his brows once again. "You mean the large piece of metal that keeps a boat from moving? Yeah, I've heard of it."

Theo laughed. "That sounds like something Stiles would say."

This caused Derek to frown but he didn't respond.

"But no, it's a term my mom uses for her patients sometimes. It can be a thing, a memory, or a person that someone has a good connection with almost. When I was younger I had panic attacks after my sister died. She use to tell me to find an anchor, something I had a positive reaction to. Mine was this book my dad gave me when I was younger. It was all about different swimmers and their success stories of how they overcame injuries or other disabilities that kept them from swimming. It was meant to give me hope to keep swimming even when it seemed like I was drowning. It helped me get through the panic attacks." Theo grabbed Stiles' hand.

"Stiles and I aren't close but we always had a good time in class together." Theo bit at his lip. "Sometimes if I'm having a shit day I try to go to a memory that makes me laugh. There's this one in particular that I find myself going to often. It's of Stiles and I in Chemistry. That memory has been one of many anchors to me."

Theo looked up at an expressionless Derek. "Do you think I'm a type of anchor for him and that's why he reacts so strongly to me?"

Derek frowned slightly. "I'm not sure, but I think there may be something to that." Derek nodded careful not to give anything away. If Stiles could hear him he didn't want to say something that might cause his spark to react.

Theo nodded looking back at Stiles.

"What is it your mom does?" Derek asked with curious eyes.

"She's a therapist." Theo answered.

Derek nodded slightly.

"She's sounds like a smart woman. See if you can use that to our advantage. Anything you think might help, do it." Derek spoke like an alpha even though Theo wasn't a pack member.

"I will." Theo nodded with a smile.

-

Derek stepped into the living room.

"I just had a very interesting conversation with Theo." Derek huffed flopping down on his couch.

"We heard." Isaac said with a smile.

"Of course you did." Derek sighed rolling his eyes.

Derek shifted under the smirks of the pack. "What?" He frowned at them.

"Does someone have a crush on Stiles?" Lydia asked her eyes dancing at the idea.

"What? No. Absolutely not." Derek shook his head.

"Theo has a point. The way you care for him-" Scott was cut off by Derek's growl.

"Is like I would care for any of you. I'm the alpha, it's my instinct." Derek pinched the bridge of his nose. "Is that really all you took from my conversation with Theo was the fact that he thought I liked Stiles?"

"He didn't just think you liked him. He thought you were dating him." Allison smirked.

"You guys are insane. And in case you forgot, Stiles is in love with Theo." Derek snapped. He was in no mood to be talking about his non existent relationship with Stiles. The notion was ridiculous. The only thing he and Stiles felt for one another was purely tolerance.

*AN*
Updated, woo! Let me know if you like it!