Chapter Text
Midterms wrapped up, and the whole campus went hunting for a good time. Mason had gone into overdrive, more social than he'd ever been in his life, with poor Corey barely keeping up. Liam, riding the high of lacrosse wrapping up the season league on top, was more than ready to party.
Invites to the first parties landed in their inboxes fast. The real challenge was figuring out -or straight-up hunting down intel on- which one Theo would show up to. He couldn't exactly ask Mason to dig for him; the guy would make it painfully obvious. So he'd have to lean on his own sharp wolf senses for this one. Corey kept insisting this method never worked and that every single one of Liam's football bets had ended in disaster, but Liam couldn't care less.
He'd been tailing Theo for a while now, close enough to keep tabs but never close enough to get caught. In the dining hall, at campus cafés, at the gas station, out on runs, he tried listening in on his conversations. Theo talked so little that at one point Liam actually got irritated by it. Then he remembered how chatty and silly the guy got when it was just the two of them, and felt better instantly.
On one of these covert little stakeout days, some guy from the swim team walked up to him -a guy Liam vaguely recognized but couldn't be bothered to remember the name of. He invited Theo to a party the whole team would be at. Theo turned him down at first. Then the guy mentioned Liam would be there too. Theo paused. Thought about it for a second. Then said yes.
Liam had stopped whatever he was doing, stopped listening to Mason entirely, and was chewing on his coffee straw, trying to process what he'd just heard. Theo -the handsome prince, the Ice King (such a cocky title)- had actually agreed to go to a party purely because Liam would be there?
His heart fluttered like butterfly wings, and he couldn't stop the smile creeping onto his face. Mason saw it and asked what was up, but Liam stayed quiet, terrified Theo might overhear.
The party that weekend was at the place of some guy Liam had never spoken to and barely recognized -off-campus, some apartment. When Mason dragged him out shopping for the occasion, Liam protested at first, but the idea of putting together an outfit Theo would actually like won him over fast enough.
Since Liam had zero fashion sense to speak of, he left the whole thing to Mason, trying on whatever was handed to him like a life-sized Ken doll. Mason wasn't feeling any of it.
"Maybe the problem isn't the clothes. Maybe it's me. I could just be too ugly and bulky for any of this to work?"
"Cut the crap," Mason said, voice sharp. "You have any idea how many people I've had to talk out of dating you by saying 'no, he's not looking for anything serious'? You're an absolute bombshell, Liam. How many people do you know who manage to be pretty and handsome at the same time?"
"Dunno. A lot."
"If you don't want a smack, shut up and try these on. Something's telling me these are gonna be it."
After Mason hustled him into the fitting room, Liam let out a long, exhausted breath. He swapped his clothes for the new ones and walked out without even glancing at the mirror. The second Mason saw him, he clapped his hands together.
"You look spicy, dude. As spicy as a Sichuan hot pot… Or… or… As a rose teokbokki. I don’t know. Slayed.”
He grabbed Liam by the arm and dragged him over to the big mirror in the hallway. “Look at yourself and thank me.”
Staring at his reflection, Liam thought, for the first time, that he looked genuinely sexy and hot. Whatever insecurity he'd felt minutes ago evaporated instantly. He had on a sheer black blouse, paired with tight black jeans and two oversized punk belts (Mason's very specific orders). Since they'd be heading out at night, they'd also picked up a distressed leather jacket to keep the cold off.
He ran a hand through his hair and messed it up a little -the tousled strands somehow made the whole look even better.
"Wow, shit" he said, letting out a low whistle. "I actually look like a smokeshow. We're getting all of it. Thank you Mason. Ypu saved my life.”
Mason agreed with pure delight. "Told you so. You look incredible. If Theo doesn't fall at your feet after this, my name isn't Mason."
He looked back at the mirror once more. Silently prayed that would turn out to be true.
The house where the party was happening was a duplex apartment. Not huge, but roomy enough to fit everyone. The second Liam stepped through the door, his heart started pounding embarrassingly fast and loud, competing with the music. Everywhere was dark, with only a few spots lit up here and there. New arrivals got UV reactive face paint applied at the door, the kind that glowed in the dark. Liam hadn't wanted anything too over-the-top, but thanks to his drunk classmate’s shaky hand, he ended up with a crooked line running from under his right ear down to his collarbone. He cursed the guy out under his breath and headed inside, eyes already scanning for Theo.
"You good if I leave you on your own for a bit?" Mason asked. Liam spotted Corey up ahead and leaned in to shout over the music, "I'm good."
Once Mason wandered off, Liam grabbed a wolfsbane-beer so he wouldn't just be standing around like a lump. He took a few sips and wandered around. Honestly, he didn't feel like talking to anyone. All he wanted was to find Theo and catch up on the whole half semester with him, gossip, joke, the usual.
He checked his watch.
1:23 AM.
The party had kicked off right around midnight. Maybe Theo had bailed on coming after all. Maybe Liam had read the whole thing wrong.
He wandered over to the buffet table and popped a few cherries in his mouth. After tossing the pits in the trash can nearby, a staircase caught his eye. It probably led upstairs.
Well… The host hadn't said anything about the upstairs being off-limits.
Liam pulled a cherry stem out with his teeth and started chewing on it anxiously. He couldn't decide whether to go up or not. If Mason were around, he'd ask him, but his one and only best friend and Corey had vanished off to God knows where.
He tapped the shoulder of the girl on the other side of the table. She turned right away and instinctively tilted her ear toward him. Liam leaned in without getting too close and shouted, "Can we go upstairs? Like, is it forbidden or not?"
The girl glanced at him and shrugged. "A few people already went up and came back down. I think it's fine."
"Thank you!"
She flashed him a sweet smile back. "Love your fit, by the way!"
"Love yours too! You look like a Winx fairy!" Liam yelled back, grinning, and after she thanked him, he headed straight for the stairs.
He'd expected to find a few people up there, but there was no one in sight. He crept forward anyway, a little hesitant. He knew he wasn't alone on the floor, though -he could smell someone's perfume, musky and delicious. Theo.
He picked up his pace and walked into a spacious living room. Looked like it mirrored the layout downstairs, minus a few rooms and no kitchen. Stepping into the room, he spotted a massive window with a clear view of the city skyline. Theo was sitting in the wide sofa positioned to take in the view.
Liam swallowed hard. He fidgeted with his beer bottle, turning it in his hands, watching Theo's motionless, almost peaceful figure for a moment. He had on a black suit. His shirt, in a print Liam never would've guessed he'd wear, had a leopard pattern. A few of the fingers wrapped around his beer bottle had big rings on them. Through the open buttons of his shirt, a necklace caught the light against his chest.
Without a word, he walked over to the sofa. The second he sank down beside him, Theo's eyes opened.
"Hi," Liam said, voice small. Theo turned to him. Downstairs, the music filtered up as a muffled, low hum. It somehow felt quite cozy.
"Hi."
"Thought you weren't coming."
"Did you?"
Liam nodded and ducked his head, biting down hard on the cherry stem in his mouth. He couldn't figure out why he was this nervous. It was just him and Theo. It wasn't like they hadn't been alone together before. They were alone when Theo had played the bait to save him, in the elevator... Facing death together, just the two of them. After everything went down and everyone scattered home, they'd sat alone in Theo's car. Theo stayed at his home till he found a place to live…
He had no idea what had shifted or what exactly had him this on edge now. Maybe back then, being with Hayden, he'd just misread his own feelings for Theo and never really realized them. Maybe his brain had played dumb on purpose, to distract him. That’s why he never felt weird next to him. But now, he was aware of his miserable feelings and this had changed everything.
"You're overthinking again," Theo's velvet smooth voice said, snapping him back. He took a sip of his beer.
"Can't help it. That obvious?"
Theo shrugged. "Probably would be invisible to anyone else. But I can see it."
Liam nodded without a word, fingers fidgeting with the zipper of his leather jacket. Feeling a little too warm, he turned to Theo and held out his beer. "Hold this for a sec? I'm gonna take my jacket off."
Theo reached out with his ring covered hand and took the bottle. Their fingers brushed, and it set off something like a fireball inside Liam's chest. He pressed his lips together and tossed the jacket aside. Left in just his sheer, long sleeved blouse, he felt Theo's gaze land on him, and it filled him with a sudden rush of confidence. He turned toward him slightly, closing a little more of the distance between them.
“What are you doing out here all alone? Don't let the bad wolves sneak up and find you like this, all by yourself.”
Theo grinned. "I would dare them to find me. Besides, there's no one here but the two of us. You're the only bad wolf around."
"Me? Bad wolf? No way. I am innocent. Actually, I was looking for you-" The words were barely out of his mouth before he brought his beer to his lips. He looked away, toward the window, at the city skyline beyond it. Thankfully, in the dark, he couldn’t see his face flushing a shade that would put an eggplant to shame.
Theo, looking rather pleased with himself, purred like a cat getting its head scratched. "Hm. So why were you looking for me? There's no pool here, so you're not going to drown. And the mouth of the beer bottle is a little bit small for you to fall in."
"Theo." Liam let out a pained groan and brought a hand up to his face, trying to hide his embarrassment. "Are you all just going to keep making fun of me about that forever?"
His brows knit together. "Who else is making fun of you?"
"I mean... you, Mason, and Corey. Even my mum."
Theo shook his head. "You're the one who acted like you'd just wrestled a shark. You screamed so loud my ears rang for a week."
Liam turned to him, worried, and without realizing it, rested a hand on his arm. "Really?"
Theo's gaze dropped to the hand on his arm. Then rose to his eyes. Eyes that looked beautiful even in the dark. Eyes that had carved themselves into his heart from the very first moment he'd seen them... Liam was the thing Theo wanted most and the thing most forbidden to him. Something that would burn him at the touch, and yet he'd drown in its depths all the same. It wound around his mind, his heart, his whole being, like ivy.
"Theo?" The moment he heard Liam's voice, he snapped out of the daydream he'd sunk into. "Hm?" he said. "What did you say?"
"I asked if your ears really did ring."
"No. I was just teasing."
"You really do love teasing me."
I love you.
Theo swallowed those three words down, and inside him they turned into a deafening scream. Yet since he had to say something, he downed the rest of his beer first, buying himself a little time to collect himself while the wolfsbane's numbing effect spread through his body.
"If it bothers you, I can stop.”
Liam shook his head. "I tease you right back anyway. We're even. Besides, it's fun."
The song downstairs changed. A few minutes ago it had been Bebe Rexha's New Religion. Now it was Apocalypse. They must be dancing down there...
Fortified by the courage his beer had lent him, Liam got to his feet. He held a hand out to Theo. Seeing Theo just stare blankly back, he rolled his eyes. "Dance with me," he said. "I don't want to hear any objections. I'm exhausted from the semester and I like this song."
Theo set his empty bottle aside and stood up. Liam's hand hovered in front of him like a piece of burning coal, and he hadn't dared touch it. But Liam wasn't a coward like him. Without a word, he took Theo's hand and pulled him roughly toward himself, smiling the whole time.
"That's it. Do you even know how to dance?"
"Not a clue. I just know I probably shouldn't step on your foot."
"Exactly right. Look at you, knowing things."
Theo swallowed quietly and let his hand rest in Liam's palm. They started swaying to the rhythm of the song. Hesitant as he was, he moved his other hand to Liam's waist. The skin beneath his blouse felt like it was on fire. Theo was burning in his flames.
"Actually, on my way over here I had a whole list of things in my head I wanted to say to you. Now I don't know what to say."
"We could talk about your new look. I didn't know you were into the whole rock thing."
"Neither did I. Mason picked out everything."
"Guess even a broken clock is right twice a day. It looks really good on you."
Liam's eyes lit up. A huge smile spread across his face. They kept swaying gently. The warmth of the hand at his waist made him feel so safe.
He rolled the cherry stem in his mouth and spoke as if murmuring to himself: "Your outfit's pretty sharp too. I didn't know you were into leopard print."
"There's actually a lot more about me you should know."
"I should? Then will you let me?" Liam asked hopefully. He lifted his head and looked into Theo's eyes with such a determined expression that the young man was stunned for a moment. "Will you let me get to know you? Will you answer me even if I ask really stupid questions? Will you be honest with me?"
Feeling cornered by the questions Liam fired off one after another, Theo gave the only answer he could give in that moment: "Of course."
Liam's excitement was written all over his face. He unlaced their fingers, lowered his hand, slid it under Theo's jacket, and wrapped it around his waist. When he pulled him a little closer, Theo smiled and shook his head. "Who knows what you're going to ask now," he murmured.
Liam tilted his head to the side, thinking it over with obvious delight. He'd already forgotten the beer in his other hand. The city lights, the headlights flickering on and off in the passing traffic, played across both their faces. They both knew that if there was such a thing as forever, they'd remember this moment for the rest of it.
"Hmm. What are you thinking of doing after you graduate?"
"I mean, I don't really have much of a choice, honestly. I'm gonna be a doctor. I'm gonna try to save people's lives."
"Is that because you actually want to, or because you still feel guilty?" There was a small trace of sadness in Liam's eyes now. Theo, not liking what he saw, turned to look out the window instead.
Seeing this, Liam said, "I'm sorry, I didn't mean to overstep."
Theo would rather have Liam pity him than see him sad. So he turned his gaze back to those beautiful eyes and shook his head. "I've always wanted to matter in people's lives. I thought if I did everything the doctors said, if I was the perfect little test subject, they'd accept me more. Then I realized none of that mattered anyway. That day... I knew I'd be grateful to you forever for saving me. I remember how it felt, being saved, knowing someone had thought of me. I wanted to be that person for someone else. I wanted to reach out to people who were struggling and pull them out of that swamp. I wanted to be like you."
Liam listened to him, patient and full of admiration, like he was under a spell. His hand tightened in Theo's shirt and he pulled him a little closer. "That's so sweet," he said, smiling. "I'm sure you're going to save a lot of lives. Though I'd rather you be yourself than be like me."
"Do I get a turn to ask questions, or is it just you?" Theo asked with a smile. How could Liam possibly say no to him? Not from this close. Not when he was being this sweet...
"Go ahead."
"Why'd you and Hayden break up?"
At the sudden question, Liam pressed his lips together to keep from laughing. "Don't laugh," Theo said, seeing this, but Liam couldn't help himself and snickered anyway.
"I'm laughing because out of all the questions you could've asked, you picked that one. You're so nosy."
"Yeah, sure. I'm not the one who eavesdrops on people's private conversations just to find out if they're coming to a party."
Liam's head shot up in alarm. "How do you even know about that?"
"I am a chimera Liam."
"I know but- I mean- ugh, fine, it's true. Like you'd have told me if I'd just asked."
"I would have."
"Yeah, right."
"Liam, if you asked me to lay down my life for you, I would."
What if I asked you to love me?
"How am I supposed to know that? And don't say stuff like laying down your life. Don't go manifesting bad things."
"Whatever you say, your royal highness. Now will you answer my question?"
Without realizing it, Liam bit his lip and looked away. Theo's thumb traced lazy circles on his waist. There was hardly any distance between them, and still it wasn't enough for him. It felt like even if they were a single body, it still wouldn't feel close enough.
"For some reason."
"And I was asking about those reasons."
"Because."
"Because why?" Theo pressed, delighted, with just a touch of mischief. Liam honestly didn't know what to say. He was terrible at lying, but he didn't want to confess his feelings to Theo either.
"Because we didn't work out," he said shortly.
Theo made an unsatisfied little tsk. "Wrong answer."
"How would you even know if the answer's right or wrong? That's private. That's mine to know."
"Because a little birdie told me Liam Dunbar broke up with his girlfriend because he liked someone else."
Liam froze. Their dancing stopped. His heart pounded with fear as he stared at Theo's handsome face. "What?"
"Is that true?"
"W-who said that?"
"A little birdie."
"Theo... I have a right to know what people are saying about me, don't I? Who told you?"
"And I promised whoever told me that I wouldn't say where I heard it from, so I can't answer that."
"I'll never speak to you again."
"You won't."
"I will."
"You're way too chatty for that. Something'll happen and you'll be talking to me again in no time."
"THEO!"
Theo laughed, delighted. Liam looked even more prettier when he was mad. "Okay, okay... Hayden told me. She figured she had the right to, since you basically cheated on her emotionally."
"That's not true. I told her the second I realized."
"So it is true, then."
Liam ducked his head, hit by a fresh wave of embarrassment. Theo let out a long breath and slid one of the hands at his waist a little lower. Liam watched his movements. He reached back, took Liam’s beer bottle and set down somewhere a little away from them, then straightened up again.
This time he brought both hands up and cupped Liam's face between them.
"Liam, will you look at me?"
"No."
"Why not?"
"Just because. You gossiped about me with my ex behind my back."
"But we didn't say anything bad."
"I don't care!"
Looking at his face, Theo felt like a giant ball of cotton candy kept growing bigger and bigger in his chest. Liam's lips were all pinched together from having his cheeks squeezed, and with his eyebrows knit together in anger, he looked absolutely ridiculous.
"I'm glad you liked someone else," he whispered. Liam finally gave up his stubbornness and looked him straight in the eye.
"What do you mean?"
"I'm glad you broke up with Hayden."
"What's it to you? She said I liked someone else."
Theo slid one hand even lower. He brushed his thumb over Liam's cheek.
"You like someone else. But you're here with me. Dancing with me." Liam tried to look away, but Theo wouldn't let him. Looking into those big, blue eyes, he knew he was walking down a road with no way back.
"If you like someone else, why are you here, looking at me like that, Liam?"
"Like what?"
"Like you're in love with me."
Feeling his knees start to give out from under him, Liam leaned forward and rested against him. Their foreheads were touching now. He closed his eyes and swallowed.
"Because... I don't know how else to look at you."
"Do you love me?"
Theo's question made his nose sting. For a moment he didn't know what to say. They both fell silent, listening to their own heartbeats mixed in with the music drifting up from downstairs. It was the first time Liam had ever heard Theo's heart beating. It was racing fast, just like his own.
Then Theo bowed his head and rested his cheek against Liam's. He pulled him in tight and wrapped his arms all the way around him.
"I love you."
Liam's eyes flew open. A single tear slipped from his lashes as he swallowed. "What?"
"I love you so much it feels like I'm dying, Liam."
"Theo..."
Liam closed his eyes at the feel of the kiss pressed against his cheek. He listened to Theo's heartbeat. Breathed in his scent. He slid the hands wrapped around Theo's waist up to his shoulders.
Theo felt his ears ringing. He pulled his lips away from the young man's cheek, slow and almost timid. Then he kissed the eye still damp from tears. Kissed his cheek again, the corner of his mouth. Liam held onto him tightly.
Theo felt like he was drowning. Like he'd drowned in a single tear falling from Liam's eye. There was a huge lump lodged in his throat. And the only cure for it was Liam's lips.
He took a shaky breath and pressed his lips to Liam's. They both shivered at once. Theo brought one hand to the back of his neck, the other still at his waist, pulling him closer and tilting his head to deepen the kiss. When he felt the cherry stem in Liam's mouth, he smiled and took it into his own. When he pulled back to work the little knotted stem free, both their eyes were glowing gold.
"I wonder how many more talents of yours I don't know about," he murmured, looking at the knot. Liam rolled his eyes, took the stem, tossed it somewhere across the room, and wrapped his arms back around Theo's shoulders.
"At the very least, you're about to find out how good a kisser I am."
"You-"
Before Theo could finish, Liam was on his mouth again, pushing him back. They tumbled onto the couch together, Liam’s legs bracketing him on either side, pinning him in place.
"Take off that jacket and belt and I'll show you another talent of mine."