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When he graduated from highschool, everyone- Stiles’ father included- assumed he'd join the police academy. Become a deputy and eventual sheriff just like his dad. Naturally when he came home with coursework to be a firefighter, Stiles shocked quite a few people. Except for his best friend Isaac, he knew from the start. Isaac even joined with him.
Which would have been perfect. Fantastic even. There was just one minor hiccup Stiles didn’t account for. An old childhood crush turned enemy. Theo fucking Raeken. Once upon a time, Stiles and Theo used to be the best of friends. Shared trauma in the loss of close family members at a young age. A playground crush Stiles simply couldn’t avoid.
But then puberty hit and Theo somehow got even fucking hotter. Not to mention a bit of a prick and nearly a Jackson level bully. Gone were the days of sleepovers, hanging out, and even friendly conversation. Common courtesy too, considering the asshole couldn’t be bothered to return a simple smile or head nod in the hallways. And decided to fuck everything with two legs.
So what did the asshole do?
Became a firefighter.
Irony really chose to make Stiles her bitch too. Because he’s always paired up with Theo. Not his best friend that he likes to be around. No. Why would that happen? Who did he piss off in a past life to earn this atonement?
At the very least, when they’re out on an actual call, Theo has enough common sense to be professional. For the most part. If the call is nothing too major, just checking vitals while they wait for the ambulance to show up on a fainting case, Theo will find a way to tease him.
There was this elderly lady once that had slipped and fell in her home. They arrived at the scene before the ambulance did, she wasn’t showing any signs of having broken anything, but still good to get checked out just in case. When Theo crouched down to check her vitals, she commented how attractive he was. So Theo, with his whole chest, said that she should check Stiles out. That Stiles was much hotter.
He knows that’s far from the truth.
Stiles could do without the school yard teasing.
It hasn’t exactly gotten better over the last six years either. Stiles wouldn’t quite call it worse. It’s just- Theo is about this close to making Stiles pull his own hair out. Or drown his fellow firefighter in the dunk tank.
Yes, the dunk tank.
This weekend, the firehouse is helping with a fundraiser carnival. All proceeds go to helping schools in the district with things like music, sports, and supplies. They usually do it twice a year. It’s fun for the kids and a great way for the community to give back while having a good time. Typically, it’s one of Stiles’ favorite things. Because he gets to be paired up with Isaac running the dart toss.
Irony made Stiles her bitch, remember?
So he’s paired with Theo at the dunk tank, the ice bath challenge, and then the ring toss.
All fucking day.
Okay, he’s being a bit dramatic. It’s not all day. After their first rotation they get a half an hour break for lunch and to enjoy the festivities. After that, it’s right back to their stations. At least they only have about ten minutes left at the dunk tank before their break. Stiles is in desperate need of a turkey leg, a funnel cake, and Isaac. Some human interaction that doesn’t make the firefighter want to bash his own head in.
“Aww, that’s okay, buddy,” Theo snaps his attention back while talking to a kid. The little boy paid for three balls and missed every one of them. “Practice makes perfect, right? You’ll get better, I know it.”
Stiles hates how good the other firefighter is with kids. It’s wildly infuriating. Theo shouldn’t be allowed to be as hot as he is and good with kids. Even on the job, he always gets the kids calm and to safety. They love him. It’s just unfair. Someone should really knock him down a peg. Or four.
“Hey, bud,” Stiles calls after the kid. He stops and turns around with pinched brows, his mother's matching. Stiles tosses another ball that the boy catches. “One more shot, on me. Because I think you can take him.”
His mother smiles, “what do you say, honey?” She asks.
The boy beams, front tooth half grown in, “thanks, Mister!”
“All right, aim right here,” Stiles taps the target in encouragement. “You got this.”
The ball soars, missing its mark again. But the firefighter is fast and smacks the target button. Theo yelps before falling in the dunk tank.
Stiles cackles, high fiving the kid, “you did it! What prize do you want?” The little boy sheepishly points at a stuffed dragon. “That’s my favorite too," he grabs it and hands it over.
“ Stiles, ” Theo splashes to the surface, climbing out of the tank and throwing a towel around his shoulders. Wet hair matted in so many directions.
“Thank you,” the mom smiles.
Stiles shrugs, “it’s for the kids and I got a good laugh out of it. Enjoy the rest of your guy’s day. Hey,” he squats to be eye level with the boy snuggling his new toy, “listen to your mom, okay? Have fun,” Stiles ruffles the kid’s hair until he giggles.
“Good job, kid,” Theo bumps his fist with the boy. When they’re far enough away, he glares at Stiles, “seriously? Not even the adults dunked me.”
“Someone had to,” Stiles says before walking away. Kira and Josh are on their way over for their shift anyway. He’s starving and wants to be away from Theo for a bit. He makes a direct beeline for the food truck promising turkey legs. Stiles hasn’t had one in a long time.
At least, not like this.
Fair turkey legs are just different.
After paying the girl for both the leg and funnel cake, Stiles waits by pick up. Thankful that he happened to pick the truck that sells both. As much as he doesn’t want to be around Theo, he can’t help but smile at all of the people having fun. Especially the kids. Stiles remembers coming with his mom when he was younger. It’s why Stiles did what he did for the little boy. He saw a kid with just his mother and Stiles’ heart bled a bit.
“Order for Stiles,” another girl calls, “and Theo!”
Son of a bitch.
How the hell did he get here so fast?
As he grabs his own food, Theo comes up behind him, “can’t get rid of me that easy,” his words ghost along Stiles’ neck and he has to fight the shiver.
“Guess I’ll just have to try harder,” Stiles snarks, walking away to an empty picnic table to eat. He’d rather be a dick than have to think about why the other guy’s voice almost made him shudder. Theo sits across from him with cheesy fries and a funnel cake of his own. “Can you not let me eat in peace?”
“When I enjoy your company so much? Never,” Theo teases, taking a bite of his fries. “Cheese fry?” The other firefighter offers the fork.
They do look good. But that fork was just in Theo’s mouth! “No, I’m okay.” Stiles is just going to shovel this in his mouth and run somewhere else. He tries to sit and eat as though the other guy isn’t even there. Just to preserve his own sanity because he can feel the way Theo keeps looking at him. Stiles just didn’t account for Theo eating as quickly as him.
So when he gets up to throw his trash away, the other firefighter is right fucking there. “What are you thinking about doing? Bumper cars? Water guns? Fun house?” Theo asks, falling in stride with him as if they’re here together. “I figured we don’t have a lot of time left, we should stick together so we can get back to our booth.”
Ugh, it’s practical and responsible. Stiles hates it. “I’ll know when I see it.” Honestly, he’s just aimlessly walking around until their time is done. As fun as bumper cars sound. They pass Isaac and Derek- their captain- working the ice bath challenge.
“Hey, you're early. What do you guys think?” Hale asks, gesturing towards the bin, “You wanna give it a shot?”
“I don’t know, Cap,” Stiles says, eyeing the ice skeptically. He got lucky that Theo lost the rock, paper, scissors for sitting in the dunk tank. The firefighter doesn't really want wet clothes.
“Come on, Stiles,” Isaac pushes.
Before he can argue again, Theo lightly elbows him, “it can’t be that bad. I mean, we deal with intense heat on a daily basis. What’s a little cold water?”
“Uh, ice cold water!” Stiles shrieks, he’d like to keep his toes.
“Aww,” Theo coos with a fake pout, “are you scared?”
This fucking asshole! It’s one thing to tease him about something or even dare Stiles. But never accuse him of being scared. Stiles runs into burning buildings for a living for fuck’s sake. Derek, Isaac, and a few bystanders ‘ooh’ at them. Thus sealing his fate.
“Not even close, Raeken,” Stiles moves the other firefighter away who chuckles under his breath. He yanks his shoes and socks off, not wanting to walk around with wet, squishy shoes. Because, ew. He takes his phone and wallet out of his shorts, handing them to his captain.
"I bet I can last longer," his partner smirks.
Stiles looks over his shoulder, "excuse me?"
“Ten bucks says I can last longer than you,” Theo dares, having followed his lead with his shoes and belongings.
“I’ll take that bet,” Isaac grins, “Stiles is too stubborn not to win.”
A hand claps his shoulder, Josh’s to be exact, “I’m with Isaac. Put me down for ten too, Cap.”
“I don’t know,” Liam joins in. Where the fuck did they all come from? “Theo is just as stubborn, I’ll put ten on Theo,” the probie pulls the bill out of his pocket.
Stiles gasps in exaggeration, “traitor.” Theo cackles, holding his stomach. “You’re on toilet duty for a week.” Liam pales at his words, looking to their captain for confirmation. Derek only nods. “What’s the time to beat?” Stiles asks, needing to know exactly what he’s getting himself into. Exactly how long until this is over.
“Three minutes,” Isaac informs him. “Any more bets? Ten bucks on Stiles or Theo for three minutes!” Money practically goes flying. Both from their team and just people standing around. He glares at his best friend. “What?” Isaac snickers, “it’s for a good cause!”
“I hate you,” he grumbles, joining Theo by the tub. Three minutes. Just one hundred and eighty seconds and it’ll be over. Provided his fellow firefighter doesn’t bitch out first. He just has to out last Theo.
“Last the full three minutes and you two can go home for the day." That's certainly a nice incentive. On your mark,” Derek sets the stop watch. “Get set!” Theo smirks and winks at him as they each grab the tub. “Go!”
The jump into the ice water and Stiles’ yelp is so loud it might as well have been a scream. Theo is behind him gasping his breaths. His bones feel cold and the shivers are instant. It’s too cold to think, let alone speak. And Stiles can’t remember the last time he and Theo were this closer. He’s practically in the guy’s fucking lap, skin being stabbed by numerous icicle knives.
It actually hurts.
“Two minutes to go,” Derek announces.
Stiles yells, gripping the edge of the metal tub so hard his fingers hurt. His teeth are chattering and his toes have gone numb. Theo’s arms wrap around him, pulling Stiles close. As cold as they are, what little body heat they have left to share helps. Why is Theo helping him?
“Come on, baby,” Theo shakes behind him, “you can do this.”
Come on, who now?
Great, Stiles is so cold he's hearing things. He pinches his eyes closed, fighting to not dive out of this torture chamber.
“One minute left,” Derek sounds more excited than he should. Maybe it’s pride for his subordinates. Who knows.
Stiles is grunting through his determination. Trying to convince himself that he’s not cold. Think warm thoughts. This is a hot tub, not a form of frozen torture. Yeah.
Theo chuckles, warm breath tickling his ear, “just one more minute, babe. You’ve got this, I know you do,” his thumb brushes soothingly along his stomach.
He’s too cold to comment- to comprehend Theo holding onto him for dear life. For calling Stiles baby and being nice. For the way that Theo’s breath affects him like that, for the second time today. It’s too much to deal with on top of this fucking ice.
Places that shouldn't be cold are freezing. Everything hurts. His brain feels like it might explode or have a system meltdown.
God, why did he agree to this?
“Ten, nine, eight…” Derek chants, the audience joining in all the way to, “three, two, one! New record!”
He never put money down. He lasted the three minutes he was challenged. He needs out. Stiles needs to run away as best as his frozen limbs will allow. He clambers out of the tub as quickly as possible, pausing only for the second it takes him to grab his belongings from the table.
Stiles runs.
Not caring in the slightest about the sticks and small stones poking the soles of his bare feet. Dodging people as best as can, finding the firehouse’s tent blissfully empty. Stiles’ entire body is trembling. Running like that did nothing in terms of helping Stiles warm up. Thousands of needles stab at his fingers and toes, teeth chattering away.
“Come on,” Stiles groans, looking about the tent. There isn’t a single towel or blanket here? “Am I fucking blind?” He hugs his arms tightly to his chest, trying to keep his core warm. He knows he brought a bag with a change of clothes, so, “where the fuck is it?” Stiles looks under the small cot, ready to give up and just go home in wet clothes. Derek said they could leave after, he plans to go home and not have to deal with any of this.
At all.
“There you are,” Theo says. When he looks up to face his partner, Stiles is met with warm fabric being thrown around him. Theo grabbed him a towel. Not something he expected from the other firefighter, that’s for sure. Nor is the way Theo pulls him close and says, “I can warm you up if you let me, baby,” while rubbing his arms.
It does help. Stiles can’t deny that. But his brain is back online now and Theo calling him baby is so fucking far from normal. Or something the firefighter can begin to comprehend. “What the hell?” He pulls back, wiping the dripping water from his hair. “Why do you keep calling me baby and babe? You hate me,” Stiles states.
“No, I don’t,” Theo scoffs. Like the very suggestion is ludicrous. As if they’ve had a single truly friendly conversation in over ten years. That Stiles is simply speaking nonsense.
Not to Stiles he isn’t.
“Yes, you do.”
“Right,” Theo chuckles, “I hate you so much that I show up to the station ninety minutes early just so that we can work out together.” Stiles tries to rebuke the statement, but the other presses on. “I leave only once you do because your deathtrap of a jeep rarely starts and I want to make sure you’re safe all because I hate you.” Theo gets in his space again, pounding Stiles’ heart. “I hate you so much that I would ask Derek to partner us together so that we have time to be around each other. I would risk freezing to death just for the chance to hold you because I hate you, right?”
Stiles’ mind is reeling with all of the information it was just given, “but-”
“I’ll prove it to you right now that neither of us has a shred of hatred for the other,” Theo challenges, eyes zeroed in on Stiles’ mouth.
Defiant to his last breath yet swallowing with a click, Stiles says, “okay,” ready for the other firefighter to do nothing but prove himself wrong.
Theo puts a hand at the small of his back, pulling Stiles close and crushing their mouths together. The soft noise in the back of his throat is unmistakable and Theo knows it because his groan was just the same. His fingers dig into Stiles’ waist, keeping him close to deepen their kiss. His tongue does a wonderful job of making Stiles dizzy. The last ten plus years, he could’ve been kissing Theo instead of biting him with his words. The childhood crush that never left his heart could have had a proper home there.
What an idiot.
Pulling back for air, Stiles looks up at blown blue eyes. Theo’s having just as hard of a time breathing, but keeps his satisfied smirk in place. “I never hated you, babe,” Theo whispers, kissing him softly, thumb gently brushing his cheek.
“I-” Stiles clears his throat, curling his fingers in the hem of Theo’s soaked shirt. To physically hold something to remind him that this is real. To keep him from falling off the earth. “I don’t think I did either.”
“I know,” Theo smirks, “so how about I take you home with our brutally earned free time?”
Stiles starts to nod yes.
“Cap,” Isaac yells out of nowhere, “you owe me twenty bucks!”
The rest of the team shows up, cheering them on. Each with their own versions that they knew all along. Theo flips them off, smiling as he kisses him again. Stiles just chuckles into his mouth, happy to be in Theo’s arms again with the unspoken promise of so much more once they get out of here.