Chapter Text
Liam stared down at his cereal, pushing soggy pieces of oats around in the milk aimlessly.
School started in 30 minutes, but he lacked any motivation to get up from the kitchen counter and get ready. His brief amount of sleep left him halfway between sluggish and enraged. He was torn about asking his mom if she'd call in for him, just for the day, but then he'd have to deal with Mason and Corey texting him and asking him what was going on.
"Whats going on, baby?" Liam's mom had concern laced through her voice as she padded down the stairs, drying her hair with a towel.
Liam rolled his eyes and picked up his half finished breakfast, dumping it in the sink and hastily shoving the bowl in the dishwasher. Nowhere was safe from unwelcome concern nowadays.
"Nothing, mom. Just not totally with it yet." Liam kissed her cheek and attempted a quick exit, only for his mom to hold on to his arm. "I gotta go get ready for school."
"Liam, is there something wrong?" She brushed his almost mullet length hair out of his eyes. "Do you want to talk about it? I can drive you to school."
"You know it takes me five minutes to jog to school mom." Liam rolled his eyes again. "And I'm fine, I promise."
"Alright," his mom conceded with a look of doubt, "but can you please get a hair cut after practice today? I'll make you an appointment for this afternoon and venmo Kristy for it. Get one of the boys to drive you."
"Sure, thanks, mom." Liam forced a small smile and broke away to run up the stairs and get ready.
He showered quickly and threw on jeans and a t-shirt before gathering up his homework and packing up his things for school. He instinctively stopped to grab Theo's faded blue hoodie hanging behind his door. His hand hovered over the soft, dark fabric, and in a last minute decision, Liam decided on his own warm flannel instead.
*****
"Liam, my brother." Mason threw an arm around his best friends shoulders. "I'm so happy to see you."
"What do you need?" Liam sighed, shoving his books in his locker. He rifled through his chem binder before raising a finger to stop the words Mason was forming. "Actually, whatever it is, sure. As long as you and Corey drive me to the mall for like 30 minutes after school."
"Uh, what? Yes! Perfect." Mason hugged him enthusiastically. "So, we can stop and get stuff for our costumes!"
"Our what now?" Liam shut his locker in a huff. He took off toward class, knowing Mason would follow, since they had second period together.
"For the Halloween rave?" Mason jogged to keep up with Liam's furious pace. "Yo, slow down, man."
Liam pointedly ignored him and soon after, turned into class and took their usual table in the rear of the room, getting his book and homework out of his backpack.
"Is something bothering you, bro?" Mason mimicked his actions while examining the werewolf with a wary gaze.
"I'm good." Liam nodded, making eye contact briefly before taking his phone out to make sure it was silenced. He flipped through his recent texts, just to reaffirm that his messages to Theo from last night and this morning were marked as received. "Just didn't sleep well."
"Li, I'm sure you didn't. You seriously look it. But we've got like 6 minutes til the bell rings, and I'm not gonna stop asking what's up until it does." Mason threatened, eyebrow raised.
"Cool, thats not annoying or anything." Liam laughed, humorlessly. "Fine. Whatever. I just don't sleep well when Theo's not with me."
Mason looked at him in confusion as Liam put away his phone, which still, disappointingly, had no new messages. Mason shook his head in confusion. "I didn't know Theo went somewhere."
"He didn't." Liam sighed, trying to hide any frustration he was feeling. He stuttered, running a hand through his hair. "He just... he hasn't... um..."
The boys were interrupted by the bell and the teacher walking in. Liam just shook his head at Mason, sadly.
"Lunch?" Mason whispered.
Liam nodded and turned his attention to the lecture, but the events of the past couple nights were weighing too heavily on his mind.
Two nights ago...
"How was your shift?" Liam yawned out as he watched Theo set his stuff down in the corner of the guest room. Theo always looked so amazing in his restaurant uniform, with his hair perfectly combed and styled. The only thing that kept Liam from jumping him when he cam home every night was the overwhelming amount of smells the older boy was covered in.He knew if he hugged him, he wouldnt be able to stand the distinct lack of Theo when he inhaled.
The chimera didn't respond as he starting unbuttoning his dress shirt and grabbing clean pyjamas from the dresser. Liam frowned. "Theo?"
"Which one?" Theo grunted out, taking a seat on the edge of his bed to remove his pants and socks.
"Either." Liam sat up from where he had been laying across Theo's bed, scrolling through instagram. He shifted closer to the older boy and placed a quick kiss on Theo's shoulder, not getting too close. "Both."
Theo had been offered a generous position working at the pharmacy from 5 am to noon, Monday through Friday.
That had been great for the first couple weeks, but as he was anxious to save up enough money to move into his own apartment, he had also done as Liam's mom suggested and applied at a local bar & restuarant. He worked running food on late night shifts whenever they needed a fill in their schedule, which, unfortunately was Tuesdays, Wednesdays and Thursdays.
Liam had noticed that while it didn't seem too much work for the supernaturally inclined 18-year-old the first week of work, Theo had reeked of stress and fatigue the second.
Theo had been fine over the weekend, albeit very quiet, but he'd held Liam closer to him than ever before in the night, and searched out his hand frequently when they had spent time researching with Scott and Malia at Deaton's.
That Tuesday was when everything changed.
"Fine." Theo sighed, standing up and turning to face Liam. "I just want to shower and go to sleep. I've got to get up early."
"Alright. Do you want me to make you anything to eat before bed?" Liam furrowed his brow at Theo's cold demeanor. He swung his legs over so that he was sitting on the edge of the bed in front of where Theo stood.
"I ate, bub, thanks though." Theo smiled weakly and raised a hand to Liam's face, as though he was going to push his hair aside, and caress his cheek. He pulled away at the last second and frowned a bit, coughing unnecessarily into his fist. "I just really want to be alone right now. I'm tired."
"Oh." Liam's eyes widened like a deer in the headlights. "Oh. Okay. Well, call me tomorrow? Between your shifts?"
"Yeah." Theo nodded, grabbing the clean clothes he'd laid out, and walking out into the hall to shower in the guest bathroom, leaving Liam sitting in shock and unreasonable embarrassment.
*****
"I haven't talked to him, or actually seen him, since the other night. I've been sleeping alone. He didn't even come into my room when he got home last night, even though he could tell I was awake. He paused outside my door and went straight to the shower." Liam picked at his thumbnail, and glanced up through his lashes at Mason and Corey. Liam had told them everything that he could remember of his last interaction with his boyfriend, and the two sat quietly the whole time, sympathetic to their friend's plight. "Stupid, but after a couple months of almost never sleeping alone, it just feels awful. Especially since he's just in the other room. Yesterday we only texted once, at noon. He hasn't replied to any of the messages I've sent since."
"The first fight is always the worst." Corey reasoned, gently.
"Corey, you idiot." Mason swatted his boyfriends shoulder. "They fight everyday. This has nothing to do with fighting. You know what this is."
"What?" Liam spit out excitedly, face painted with worry. "What did I do?"
"Nothing, Liam." Corey patted the young wolf's hands. "At least it doesn't sound like it. It's not your fault. We just sort of..." He glanced over at his boyfriend.
"We just figured this might happen." Mason sighed.
"What would? Will you just tell me why I feel like I've been dumped?" Liam whined impatiently.
"No, no, Theo will never stop loving you, Liam. I just think he might have possibly figured out you're falling in love with him." Mason explained, shrugging innocently, as if to apologize for breaking the news to him that he was in love with his severely emotionally damaged anchor.
"Are you..." Liam gaped, "are you serious? You seriously think he's freaked out that my feelings for him are getting more serious?"
Corey and Mason exchanged looks before staring Liam in the eye and nodding in tandem. Liam stared at them in incredulity. He looked back and forth between them, waiting for one of them to change their answer or elaborate at least. When nothing happened for a full minute, he slammed his hands on the picnic table, startling both boys and causing several groups of students to look their way.
"That is the stupidest thing I've ever heard!" Liam growled. "We fucking did this already. I think we've done this twice now, what the fuck? He's my anchor. How much more serious can it get?"
"Li, you can't really blame him for being all bloody and self-hating." Mason tried to comfort the volatile werewolf across from him. "You gotta understand, he remembers killing people, dude. On purpose. That's not something you just get over. He kind of doesn't deserve any of this. Be reasonable."
"I'm not asking him to get over it! We didn't stop treating him like he killed people. We just know he won't do it again. He's not even part of the pack! God!" Liam felt the blood rushing through his veins as a telltale sign of shifting. "I just want to care about that stupid piece of shit, is that too much to ask? Of course I fucking love him. He's my boyfriend! And my anchor! I can't really help it that he decided to be good!"
"Liam, calm down, you're glowing." Corey hissed.
"What in the actual fuck guys?!" Liam shut his eyes and breathed heavily through his nose, trying to calm himself. He tried to think of Theo, which usually worked, but he just got anxious and panicked again, because he couldn't bring the chimera's scent or voice to the forefront of his mind. He could only hear his own heartbeat rushing in his ears as he tried to use his old mantra, or think of his alpha, but nothing was working and his fangs were starting to descend.
Suddenly a phone was shoved across the table, right under his face where he was hunched over, trying to hide from anyone watching.
"Liam." A faraway, tinny, but soothing voice came out of the phone and Liam's eyes focused on the name on the screen. "Liam, listen to me. I'm right here."
"Theo, I can't stop it. Theres so many people around." Liam whispered desperately.
"Yes, you can." The phone emitted, Theo's voice commanding. "You're fine, Liam. Everything is fine. You're with Mason and Corey, and you're at school, and everything is fine. I'm right here. I've got you. You're not going to hurt anyone. You're fine."
Liam focused on the words and the voice that he'd come to rely so heavily on in the past two months. Liam's claws were suddenly gone and he could feel his teeth return to normal as his heartrate and breathing slowed. He took a few deep breaths and focused on the extremely faint sound of Theo breathing on the other end of the call.
"I'm fine." Liam said finally.
"Good. That's good." Theo stated, sound relieved. "You'll be fine. You didn't have my sweater." It wasn't a question. He sounded more resigned than disappointed.
"No." Liam breathed out shakily, picking up the phone finally, holding it up to his ear so that Theo didn't sound so far away. "I..." Liam didn't bother trying to say he forgot it, knowing the chimera would probably hear it even through the phone. "I didn't want to wear it."
"I gotta go Liam. I just got home." Theo sighed heavily. Liam's heart clenched as it always did at the sound of Theo calling the Geyers' house 'home.' He could hear Theo starting the shower. "Be careful, bub."
The call beeped as it ended.
Liam looked up at Mason and Corey, who just stared at him in pity. They all looked down blankly at the phone in Liams hands, as if it had any answers for them. He passed the phone back across the table to Mason and stood, gathering his uneaten lunch and his backpack.
"I'll meet you guys after practice. I need to be at the mall by 4:30, so don't get distracted making out or whatever and forget me." He smiled weakly, embarrassed, and stalked off toward the school building for his last class, pointedly ignoring the stares of the groups of students who had unavoidably witnessed his near-wolfout.
*****
Liam hugged his cousin firmly, thanking her for the haircut and promising they'd get together for lunch one weekend soon. He walked out of the hair salon, spotting Corey sitting on a bench near the escalator, slurping down the last of a smoothie.
"Hey there, hotstuff." Corey grinned as Liam approached. "Do I know you? You kind of look like my friend, Liam, but unlike him, you look like you shower on a daily basis."
"Fuck off, Corey." Liam fought back smiling in return. "Or else I'll tell your boyfriend you think I'm hot."
"Oh he knows." Corey shrugged, standing up. "He thinks it's super gross too that I have this fantas-OW!" Corey grabbed his pectoral with a wince.
"Finish that sentence and I will pinch you so hard your nipple will come off." Liam glared, crossing his arms.
"You guys aren't actually brothers, you know." Corey huffed. "It's not that gross. Totally normal thing to fan-OW! C'mon man."
"I warned you! I miss when you were shy around me." Liam arched an eyebrow as Corey gripped both his pecs protectively. "You look ridiculous. Where is your better half?"
"He went outside to call his mom. It's crazy bad reception in this stupid mall. He walked that way, so we can go meet him." Corey pointed to the mall's main, and third closest exit, not at all the most convenient place to go outside and make a call. It also happened to be right next to Theo's work.
"Corey." Liam rolled his eyes emphatically. "You are really, really, truly horrible at knowing when your boyfriend is lying to you."
"What do you mean?" Corey cocked his head in confusion.
"He went to see Theo." Liam growled, stalking off toward that end of the mall, a confused Corey in tow.
As they turned the corner for where the restaurant was, Liam almost collided with Mason who seemed like he had just left either the restaurant or the front entrance to the mall, as he had told his boyfriend. Liam wasn't inclined give him the benefit of the doubt.
"Hey! Liam!" Mason's eyes widened in what seemed to be fear. He giggled awkwardly. "You look great! Man, I can actually see your whole face! You know what?" Mason looked behind him nervously. "We should really head to the Halloween store."
"Mason." Liam growled, lowly.
"Mason!" Another, very familiar, voice called out from the restaurant as the door was thrown open and a girl, in the same type of uniform Theo usually wears, jogged out, stopping in her tracks as she locked eyes with a shocked Liam. Theo rushed out the door behind her, calling her name and freezing as well, one step behind her, causing Liam's eyes to meet his instead, this time with a confused expression.
"Fuck." Corey exhaled from right behind Liam. "Hayden?"
"Hayden." Liam frowned, looking at her again, and continuing to look back and forth between her and the taller boy behind her, hurt etched across his face as they stood there in silence.
"Fuck my life." Mason muttered to himself, looking up at the ceiling. "Not again."