Chapter Text
Liam feels like, since the truth about Theo’s and his relationship is out in the open, they are getting along way better. The other boy seems to be more comfortable around him now. Smiles more often. Isn’t that closed up anymore. Considering the fact how awkward and how thick the tension had been between them only a few days ago, this is counting as a huge progress already.
There is no reason to hide away from him any longer and Liam is glad that he is able to spend more time with Theo from now on. The universe apparently knows that it is the right time for them to bond since they have a few days off- due to spring break-, having lots of time to get to know each other again.
They mostly are spending the break playing videos games and watching movies, but Liam finds it perfect. He feels more alive than he had over the past few weeks, the spark of life inside of him glowing brightly again. His wolf agrees with him and is way more settled now that Theo is around more often. Liam has no idea why he is so calm when he is with Theo but he doesn’t question it either. Not that much at least. Maybe his wolf remembers the boys’ bond and that’s why Liam is more in control nowadays. But that is just one of Liam’s theories, one he doesn't even have real proof for.
“Liam, we’re gonna eat soon. You’ll come help set the table?” Jenna pulls him back to reality where he is laying on his bed, his eyes still glued to the ceiling. He has just wanted to relax for a bit before dinner and then he has gotten completely lost in his thoughts. Liam has caught himself getting lost in his thoughts more often lately and he is secretly hoping that one day he will get pulled into the hole where his memories seemed to be locked away, freeing them so he could inject his mind with everything he had lost again. Though, maybe that is just wishful thinking. At least the blank space in his head isn't as empty anymore as it had been just a few days ago. Faint fragments of distorted memories had appeared, slowly filling the gap with life again even though he isn't able to grasp every single one of them, still.
Erasing his thoughts, he gets up to head to the kitchen where Theo is busy stirring the food in the big pot. It smells delicious and his mouth is watering immediately. He takes a step forward to get a closer look at the deliciousness, peeking into the pot and spotting some sort of stew; all sorts of vegetables swimming on the surface.
“It smells amazing,” Liam compliments Theo who is standing right beside him. Closer than he expected actually, but he doesn’t make any attempt to pull away, risking to lose the comforting heat that is radiating off of the chimera’s body. A smile crawls its way up to his face at that. Followed by a shiver that runs down his spine when Theo licks his lips before he is mirroring his smile.
“Thank you,” Theo says sheepishly, “I hope it will taste just as good.”
Before Liam can reply to that, Jenna calls for him from the dining room, telling him to bring the plates. So, he takes three plates out of the cupboard and shuffles to the room where Jenna is currently putting cutlery on the table. A wide grin spreads on her face when she spots him in the doorframe.
“Just put them on the table. Can you also get some glasses?”
He does as he is told and goes back to the kitchen to get three glasses. Jenna is only setting the table for three people, so he guesses that David won’t be home for dinner. He probably has to work longer tonight.
Liam has learned that David is working as a doctor in the hospital that he has visited with Theo on Sunday. The Sunday that has thrown his new world upside down. In a good way though.
Liam hands the glasses over to Jenna while he asks, “You need help with anything else, mom?”
And that’s when one of the glasses slips out of his fingers, falling to the floor not being able to defy gravity. Upon hitting the ground’s hard surface, the glass shatters into tiny little pieces, scattering across the floor. But Liam barely registers that, doesn’t even hear the crash or his mother panicked voice, asking him if he was alright. The world around him seemed to have lapsed into silence as images and flashes of memories are flooding his mind. They come in waves and are so overwhelming he nearly doubles over because it is all too much and too overwhelming to properly cope with.
Various scenes are rushing in front of his inner eye, like someone has pushed the fast-forward button, jumping from one moment of his life to another one in a short amount of time. Starting with his first day of school.
He’s holding his mother’s hand, holding onto it for dear life. Watery eyes looking up at her. A sting feeling of anxiousness and edginess strikes like lightning through his whole body. He doesn’t want to let go, doesn’t want to go through this all alone. But she simply smiles and squeezes his hand reassuringly. “Everything’s gonna be okay. You’re gonna make lots of friends, buttercup,” she says while she’s wiping the tears off of his face. “Come here.” His mom pulls him into a tight hug, whispering something into his ear that he can’t quite make out but still causes him to giggle.
The scene changes and, suddenly, he is sitting in a waiting room. All the walls are painted in white, even the chairs are colored in the same shade. The only colorful thing in the whole room are the toys on the table in the middle of the room.
He goes over there and grabs the little dragon plushie, clasping it to his chest and nuzzling his nose into it. “Cute dragon,” he says with a high-pitched voice. He turns around to his mom who is sitting on one of the chairs. “Can I keep it?” He asks, putting on his sweetest smile. His mom opens her mouth to reply to him but suddenly a voice calls them that seems familiar but he can’t quite find a face to it. So, she simply nods- fully aware that she has just allowed her son to steal one of the toys- before she takes his little hand and leads him out of the room. The other hand still clutching onto the dragon.
More scenes flash through his mind, clashing above it like waves in a storm. All the feelings that come with them are almost not bearable. They are drowning him. But in a good kind of way. He feels joy and grief. Fondness and loss. Comfort and pain. But most importantly he feels love. It’s the strongest emotion of them all. The family bond is settling inside of him. Giving him back the mother he had lost. The mother he loves so dearly. An important part of his life.
“Mom?”
His voice cracks and sobs are escaping his mouth. Tears are streaming down his face, blurring his vision, turning his surroundings into a sea of unclear pictures. But he doesn’t need to see, just to feel; to feel the strong arms embracing him and holding him tightly. Like they had on his first day of school. Her scent washes over him and helps to calm him down. He feels safe. Protected. Loved.
He remembers her. He remembers his mother.
Some of the broken pieces of his mind are slowly becoming one again.
A whole new world opens up to him but at the same time, it feels more familiar than ever. The lost parts of him fall back into place again. Like they've never been lost before, becoming a whole picture again.
Liam can’t really explain how he is feeling since he has gotten back the memories of his mother. No words seem to be quite right. No words seem to be quite right. No words are on the tip of his tongue, ready to get spit out. No words orbit his mind, ready to get fetched in the right second. And he has no problem with it.
He is just genuinely happy, a smile is constantly finding its way on his face, brightening his features visibly. His mother mirrors the same kind of happiness. Relief. She seems to be a lot sunnier now. A natural glow is surrounding her, causing her to look younger. Happiness makes people look better, she had always said to him when he had been younger, he remembers . Finally, there is something he can grasp, memories he can reach out to, memories he is able to replay in the shape of little moving pictures inside of his head. They are slowly filling the empty space, making him feel less lost. Some of the pressure has been lifted off of his shoulders, creating a somewhat carefree sensation inside of his body he thought he would never feel again. The heavy weight that had been dragging him down, has gotten considerably lighter. A few layers get pulled off as his mind is beginning to heal itself. Liam has been unfolding them which solved at least parts of his problem.
The parts that he hasn’t been able to solve yet are the more dreading ones. Theo . The name is the one that’s floating around his mind now. The one name that seems to hold so much power over him. Over him and his wolf. A name without memories behind it, without a real meaning to him. There is nothing to hold onto, the only thing that he is certain about is the fact that Theo loves him. That he truly loves him and that Liam has once loved him as well.
But what he is also sure about is, that Theo is his anchor, that he had been his anchor at least. You can’t keep a person as your anchor after you have lost all of your memories of them, or can you? Theo certainly is able to ground him but he isn’t quite sure if it is just because Liam knows that he is actually his anchor or because his wolf remembers it. His wolf isn’t that much of a help either. It obviously can’t talk or communicate with him. It’s more like a feeling inside of him, an animalistic intuition that causes his emotions to go haywire sometimes.
So, the only thing that is left for him to do now is waiting, like he has done the last couple of weeks. His memories will be restored eventually, hopefully. That is how it had worked with the memories of his mother, so it would probably work again, right?
“Liam, what’s going on with you? We both know that you stand no chance against me but you could at least try,” Mason jokes, snapping him back to reality and out of his daydream.
The beta gives him an apologetic smile. “Sorry, I’ve kinda zoned out a little,” he explains, followed by a shrug. Masons nods as a response. Liam really appreciates that he doesn’t ask any further questions. The silent understanding is a thing he seems to share with Mason. The other boy never pushes him, never pressures him. He is the best friend someone could possibly ask for. The beta doesn’t really know the other boy that well, but after a couple of weeks, he can already tell that Mason is a loyal and kind person, someone he could always count on.
He focuses back on the screen before Mason realizes that he has once again not paid any attention to the game they are currently playing. It is some sort of shooter game and Mason is absolutely right when he says that Liam doesn’t stand any chance against him. He literally has no skills at all. He’s just hitting some buttons on his console, not really knowing what he’s actually doing, getting himself killed over and over again as the result of his inability to choose a strategic path.
Unlike his lacrosse skills, his gaming skills have not suddenly found their way back to him. Though, he doesn’t know if he had had any in the first place.
“Of fucking course!” Mason curses when he gets killed off by one of the monsters they are meant to defeat. They had tried to get to the next portal for over an hour but they never even come close. It is mostly Liam’s fault because he is losing all of their life points, so they have to start all over again. But Mason hasn’t complained about him completely failing yet, he is aware that it is only partly his fault that he sucks that much at the game.
The game is reloads and their characters get teleported back to the starting point. “Try a little harder this time,” Mason teases him, a playfully smile dancing on his lips.
Liam takes the pillow that is lying next to him on the bed, slamming it right into Mason’s face. Pure shock is written all over the human’s features when he pulls the pillow back again. “You didn’t just do this!” he says, “This means war!” With that, he grabs two pillows and hits Liam with both of them at the same time. The pillow fight easily changes into a physical one, the boys are rolling around the floor like the dorks they truly are. Until, suddenly, Mason screams, “The floor is lava!”, jumping to his feet and on the bed.
While Mason is high-fiving himself and apparently celebrating himself because he has won the game, Liam is just eyeing him quizzically. “The floor is what?” he asks, his voice laced with confusion.
“The floor is lava,” Mason says, but the voice is suddenly like an echo. The real Mason is saying it, same as the Mason in his head. A younger version of him though, looking at him in front of his inner eye. A playful expression on his face while he is screaming and cackling, jumping from one furniture to the other. Liam following right behind him, from the couch to the couch table, back to the couch and then on the armchair.
“Be careful, boys,” his mom is calling from the kitchen, “don’t hurt yourself!” But the boys don’t even listen, are too busy finding ways to get to a new place without having to get into the evil lava that would consume and burn them alive if they touched it. They manage to place their feet on anything but the floor while they are jumping around like the hyperactive children they are.
Though all of a sudden, Liam loses his balance, clasping his hand around Mason’s arm in an attempt to save himself but it causes the both of them to crash to the ground. “Cheater,” Mason accuses him, but immediately starts chuckling. Liam joins in right away, even though it’s hard to laugh under Mason’s weight since the boy had fallen right on top of him.
Liam’s blurry vision sharpens again and the first thing he sees when he is back in reality is Mason’s face, staring at him, pure concern shining in his eyes. His eyebrows are pinched together and the usual easy smile has left his lips.
“You look like you’ve just seen a ghost!” Mason says hesitantly, a hand coming up on Liam’s shoulder, squeezing it comfortingly. Their eyes meet and Liam feels like he is seeing something completely new the boy’s the brown irises but still so familiar at the same time. A friend he had lost and found again. The brown eyes that had gotten ripped away from his life and that he can finally get a glimpse at again.
Liam shakes his head, slowly. “We've played this game when we were younger,” he states, his eyes wide and his mouth agape. “I remember. It’s not much but I know that we played this game together. All the time actually. It has been our favorite,” he continues.
Mason nods reassuringly, before he is pulling Liam into a tight hug. It is not like it had been with his mother. This time, not all of the memories crash back to him and flood him like a tsunami. It is just a wave that has finally reached the beach, one wave that only seems to be the harbinger of the storm that is about to come one day. A sign, a warning. And Liam is ready to remember everything about his best friend eventually.
The boys go back to playing their game at last and Mason continues kicking his ass when they play against each other. They don’t talk about what has happened between them but they don’t need to either; the wide smiles on their faces tell every story already, express every emotion. Liam can smell the happiness that is radiating off of his best friend’s body. It is contagious and wraps around him like a cozy blanket, he never wants to let go of again.
Eventually, Mason’s mom calls Mason, telling him to come home for dinner. The boys end their game and Liam is escorting his best friend to the door, hugging him one last time before the other boy leaves. Liam turns on his heels while the door shuts behind him, a relieved smile dancing on his lips and he is convinced that nothing is gonna be able to cast shadows over his bright mood.
When he enters the living room, Theo is laying on the couch, watching a movie that Liam doesn’t know, a blanket wrapped around him and strands of his messy hair falling on his forehead. He looks so peaceful like that, Liam thinks, especially compared to his usual stiffness that causes him to come off like the world’s burdens are resting on his shoulders. Theo notices that Liam is watching him and tilts his head to the side to get a better glance at him, throwing a fond smile his direction.
“You wanna join me?” he asks, “I’m watching your favorite movie.”
Liam nods, lifting Theo’s feet off of the couch, slumping down on it and putting the other boy’s feet in his lap. He leans back in the cushions to find the most comfortable position. “What is the movie about?” Liam tips his head to the side, making eye contact with Theo, getting lost in the sea of green, blue and gray shades for a second.
Theo is holding his gaze a little longer than necessary, sinking deep into the ocean, diving, exploring until he eventually goes back to the surface to refill his lungs with oxygen. He realizes that he has been holding his breath the whole time, like he had been really there, in the familiar ocean, though, he knows that it’s not possible, not yet.
He opens his mouth, exhaling slowly, about to say something that he is not sure of yet. But before he can build up the courage, Jenna is calling them from the kitchen. Dinner is ready and they get up to go to the dining room, leaving the paused movie behind, the unspoken words and all the emotions that have come with it.
They are enjoying the casserole Jenna has made, making conversation about what each of them had done all day. Liam looks around the table, at the people that are his family.
At his mother that has given him all the support he had ever needed. She had worked her ass off and raised a child almost completely on her own. Her strength leaves him in awe. She is a sun on her own. The light that radiates off of her brings joy and life to other people. It is drawing warm rays on the dark parts of their souls.
At his stepfather, that is more like a real father to him. The man who he can only remember bits about but he still knows that he can trust him, that he will always be there for him. He knows how much he loves his mother. Their gentleness and comfortableness is only a part of how they express their love for each other. Liam is happy that his mom has someone who is having her back and who is supporting her with everything she does. He is like the moon to her sun. Always there to help out, even in the darkest of nights.
At Theo who is looking at his home around them, like he has finally arrived at the place that he had always belonged to. He belongs to Liam’s side and he knows that, has known it for a while now, even before Theo had told him that he loves him. And he will love him back eventually, it will just take a little longer; he maybe needs a little more willpower to convince himself to open up the box of memories. He is almost ready to do so. There is still something missing, but soon the puzzle pieces are going to fall back into place. He can feel it, feel the hands reaching for the part of his soul that is dedicated to Theo. The longing is practically not bearable, though, the hope is soothing it, giving the hands a line to hold onto.
And as he is sitting there, watching his family acting completely natural around each other, he smiles to himself. He is sure, this is what coming home feels like.
“You don’t have to stop,” Liam hears the words over and over again, like a mantra. Though, it doesn’t quite fit the scenery. He is lying on the grass next to Theo in the garden, looking at the clouds above them, trying to make out what the clouds look like. It is Theo who is talking to him but not the Theo with the fond smile and the crinkles in the corner of his eyes whose face is so near to his. The voice is distant but still perceptible.
Abruptly, he gets pulled out of his dream, a shrill scream jolting him back to reality. He is laying on his bed, his racing heart beating at tremendous speeds against his chest and the screaming voice are the only things he can concentrate on, the dream already forgotten. All of sudden, it is silent again. He focuses his senses on his surroundings now that the screaming has stopped. The air is tainted with dread and sweat, the strong smell hits his nostrils and causes him to wrinkle his nose.
He immediately knows what is going on since he had been in this situation a couple of times already. Theo must have had another nightmare. Liam just never had reacted to it before. He had always gone back to sleep immediately after the screaming had died down. He hadn’t felt the urge to go to the guest room to check if the chimera was alright. It hadn’t been his place to comfort him, to be there for him, helping him to guide Theo through his nightmares. It’s not like he hadn’t cared, he really had but he knew he couldn’t be the person that he had really needed in that moment and so he had stayed away. In the mornings, he had never mentioned it or asked Theo about it. He wouldn’t dare to do so. It is none of his business.
But this time it is different. This time he knows more.
So, he gets up and walks to the door, his muscles still sore from sleeping. The hallway is lit up by the moonlight that is shining through the window, drawing patterns of light on the walls and floor that go all the way over to Theo’s room, like they are showing him the path he is about to take. And he does exactly that, he follows the light and knocks on Theo’s door, the other hand already resting on the door handle. He doesn’t even wait for an answer before he opens the door and enters the room.
In there it is reeking of sweat, fear and tears. Theo is curled up on the floor next to his bed, his blanket wrapped tightly around him and his face is turned away from Liam. Low sobs are echoing through the room.
Liam can’t help but to compare Theo to a hurt deer that has gotten lost in the woods. Someone or something has attacked it and it has barely gotten away, still bleeding, barely hanging on. The wounds are deep and there is no one who is going to save it and fix his wounds. But that is not the case anymore. Liam is there now and this time he will try to save Theo from bleeding out.
The wounds are deep- he can feel it, smell it, understand it. It is going to take time for the wounds to heal, but Liam will be there to help him to get through it since he is the one who has caused the damage. He is quite aware that he is the reason why everything has fallen apart, so he is the one who has to pick up the pieces. It is his duty.
So, he strides up to Theo, looking down on the boy as if he saw him for the first time. The blanket is covering his face now but the smell of tears is still hanging thick in the air, though, the sobs have stopped and Theo is lying there completely still. The only thing that is indicating that he is still alive, is his a little too fast thrumming heart and his unsteady breathing.
“Theo?” Liam asks softly, warily. He is afraid that he could break Theo with nothing but his words, as if the echo of his voice has already caused the glass to crack.
Though, the boy doesn't react, his body, however, goes tense. Maybe he just noticed that the beta is in the room with him, Liam thinks. Which would make the whole situation even worse. It would mean that Theo is still lost in his thoughts and that he is still imprisoned in his nightmare that he has long woken up from.
“Theo?” He tries again, a little more urgent than before trying to reach out to Theo.
This time the chimera lets out an unidentifiable sound that is more like the combination of a whimper and a huff.
Liam slowly sits down on the floor next to where Theo is laying, his back resting against the bed, his eyes glued on the bundle that is the boy who has to be there for now. The one who he feels responsible for. The one who has suffered so much in the last couple of weeks. Though, this time Liam has found his boldness again, has remembered that he is stronger than he had thought. And he knows that he is able to help Theo, not only because they have a special past, but because of what he has learned about them so far.
“You want me to tell you something?” Liam asks but he leaves him no time to answer, “You know that Mason has been over today, right?” He looks over at Theo’s covered head, patiently waiting for a nod or another grumble. And eventually Theo grumbles back something unidentifiable- even for someone with werewolf hearing- and so Liam continues, “We have been playing video games, as always, and suddenly Mason screamed ‘the floor is lava’ and then, well, then I remembered something. I remembered playing the floor is lava with Mason when we were kids.”
Theo doesn’t react to it, doesn’t say anything, doesn’t even grumble. Simply nothing.
Until the smell of fresh tears is washing over Liam, making his heart sink.
Liam knows that this time words won’t be enough to calm him or to make him react. This time he has to act, so he lies down next to Theo, his chest touching Theo’s back. He puts his arm around the other boy’s middle, pulling him closer until there is no space left between them. The heat of their bodies becoming one. Their heartbeats playing together to create a melody that only they can understand.
They lie there in their bubble for what feels like an eternity, and Liam wouldn’t mind if it really was one. When he is around Theo he feels different. Theo is the anchor that keeps him from drifting off, from falling apart and giving up. He’s the calm after the storm. But this time Liam has to be the one who keeps the other boy from going insane. He doesn’t know if he is doing it right or if there is even a right way, though, he has the feeling that he is helping Theo to settle, to calm down. And it causes something to bloom in his chest. A warmth seems to grow there that is spreading through the rest of his body, flowing in his veins like it is a part of his blood like it has always been a part of him.
“Why?” It is the first thing that Theo says that night. It is a simple question. One word. And yet, Liam sees so many possible questions that come with it; there are a lot more unspoken words behind it. A lot that are flashing through Liam’s mind now and he doesn’t know which one Theo meant, still.
Why are you here?
Why are you trying to help me?
Why does it hurt so much?
But the ones Theo asks next have actually not crossed his mind yet, not in this situation at least and they are breaking his heart. “Why can’t you remember me? Why can you remember your mom and parts of David and Mason but not me? Why am I doomed?” He whispers the last part, more to himself than Liam. And not even his cracked voice can take the power away from the words.
“I don't know,” Liam says honestly, because he simply doesn't. He has been asking himself the same thing a couple of times already and he has never come to a conclusion. There seems to be no answer to it, apparently. “I'm sorry.”
Theo squirms under his grip around his waist, twisting until he's facing Liam, the blanket finally not covering his face any longer.
“Don't,” he starts, “don't apologize.” His voice is soft but the words strike like lightning. He knows that Theo doesn't blame him for everything that happened; he only blames himself. He hasn't said it but he doesn't need to when the unspoken words fill the space between them, flying around them like a breeze on a chill winter day, leaving goosebumps wherever it touches bare skin.
Liam swallows heavily, tears he hadn't known about falling on his cheeks. Theo puts his hand right there, cupping his cheek, wiping away the drops that are rolling down his face. His hands and movements are gentle and the air between them seems to change; sizzling, almost.
“It's not your fault,” the beta speaks up eventually. Theo opens his mouth to protest but Liam cuts him off by shaking his head, “No, it's not your fault. I know what you’ve told me and I also know. Like remembering it but different, you know?” Theo nods understandingly.
The silence settles between them again while Theo keeps stroking over Liam's cheek. The blue-eyed boy starts prickling as if the sizzling air is effecting him, but that's not the case, it's Theo who is causing the goosebumps to pop up on his arms and neck and the shivers running down his spine.
“Theo?” Liam breaks the silence. “I can't remember you but I know that I love you.” He voices the feeling that is blooming in his chest, going straight to his heart that's beat is speeding up. “I love you,” he says again, “I just know it.” There is so much hope audible in his tone and the wide smile that spreads on his face just puts even more emphasis on it.
But it is nothing compared to Theo's expression that is full of happiness and relief. Liam has never seen something that is even slightly comparable to the other boy's features. It displays every single emotion he feels and yet more. There is something so fascinating and beautiful about it that he can't find words for.
Suddenly, without even thinking about it, he leans forward until there are only a few inches left between them. His lips are ghosting over Theo's, their breathing mixing together, put he stays like that, doesn't dare to go any further. Though, fortunately, Theo takes the last step and closes the distance between them. Their lips brush over each other. It is already too much and yet not enough. So, Liam kisses Theo, slowly and soft. His hand resting on the other boy's neck to give him something to hold onto. Or to be just a little closer to Theo. And they easily find a rhythm for their lips to move together, as if it was the most natural thing to do for them.
The kisses stay soft but Liam is still out of breath when they pull apart and he feels a little fuzzy in the head. Theo's fond smile doesn't aid to make him think straight. He doesn't mind though, he will just stay on the clouds he has suddenly found himself on for a little longer. As long as it takes to find his way back to Theo's chest of memories. But he is sure that he at least has revealed some parts of the map that will lead him there. To the treasure that he has buried in the back of his mind, home.
Theo takes his hand, squeezing it reassuringly, and then he sits up, pulling Liam up with him before he scrambles to his feet and sits down on the edge of the bed. Liam takes the hint and so he gets up to sink down on the bed as well. Together they lie down on it, cuddling up, and Liam puts once again his arm around Theo's middle, pulling him close. It is his way of showing that Theo will be safe with him. He doesn't know what Theo's nightmares are about but he will chase them away the best he can. They won't get to Theo anymore, not when Liam is there by his side to paint bright spots on the dark parts of his mind and Theo does the same for him, slowly helping him to find all the chests he has buried.
Eventually, they fall asleep and for the first time in a while the both of them have peaceful nights. Theo doesn't dream of his sister and Liam finally remembers one of his dreams in the morning; but it is not the one he dreams about that night.
Liam slowly opens his eyes. The light is piercingly bright, so he blinks for a couple of times to adjust his eyes to it and to get rid of some of the sleepiness that's still making his eyelids feel incredibly heavy.
The first thing he sees is the ceiling. The first thing he feels is his aching shoulder and back. The first thing he smells are tried tears and cleaning and disinfection products. The first thing he hears is someone moving.
And then there are familiar green eyes looking down on him. Everything seems so familiar about this situation. He can't remember how he got there. The last thing he remembers is falling asleep while he had been curled up with Theo in the guest room’s bed.
Theo eyes are currently watching him, seeming to search for something in his face.
“Sunshine?” The chimera asks. “You want me to help you to sit up?”
Liam nods, he is still lost, doesn't know what is going on. Gentle hands grab his shoulder and back and slowly heave him up, so that he can sit on the edge of the operation table he has been lying on.
He is in the animal clinic, he observes.
“Theo?” He turns to look at the other boy. “We have fallen asleep, what happened afterwards? How did I end up here?”
Theo throws him a quizzical look, “What do you mean by we have fallen asleep?”
Now Liam is the one to be confused, his eyebrows pinched and his head a little tilted to the side, “You had a nightmare and so I came to help you. We kissed and then we fell asleep.” Liam doesn't know what's happening. Are his memories playing tricks on him now?
Theo slowly shakes his head. “I haven't had any nightmares in months,” he explains. He puts his hand on Liam's, their palms resting on each other. “Liam, we have been fighting against Monroe's hunters last night. You have gotten shot in the shoulder and so we’ve brought you here. It wasn't that bad but Deaton had to remove the bullet for it to heal. You have attacked us though because it was so painful and so we had to drug you with some wolfsbane and some of Deaton's other stuff to knock you out. You've been sleeping until now but I have been here to look after you. I wanted to make sure that you are okay and as your boyfriend I wanted to be the one whose face you see first when you wake up.”
Liam's brain is still processing all the things Theo has just said, dazed, but they don’t make any sense to him. He doesn’t know what’s going on and the uncertainty scares him a little.
“But how?” The beta asks more to himself than Theo. “I had lost my memories and then we had to find a way to get them back,” he mumbles, greatly confused.
“Liam, what are you talking about? I told you that you have slept until now. How could you have lost your memories then? Have you been dreaming weird shit again, Sunshine? It must have been the drugs.” Theo squeezes his shoulder lightly, giving him a gentle smile that Liam tries to mirror even though confusion is still clouding his mind.
His thoughts are still spiraling, unable to fathom that everything they had been through had only been a dream. A figment of his imagination combined with the drugs they had given him to knock him out.
“It has all been a dream.” Liam repeats disbelievingly, looking at Theo for confirmation. The chimera nods reassuringly.
Before he can let everything sink in completely, Theo pulls him into a tight hug, nuzzling his nose into the crook of Liam's neck. He slowly lets go of him again, planting a kiss on the top of his head.
“I love you,” Liam suddenly says.
They are only three words but they mean the world to him. Because he can remember. Everything. The reasons why he loves Theo and all the emotions he has ever shared with him. Every single memory they've lived together.
He can remember. He has memories. It is a mantra that he repeats in his head over and over again. Like a broken record, but there is nothing broken about him, not anymore, and it is simply pure and beautiful.
“I love you, too,” Theo says, a wide smile dancing on his lips. “Now, let's get you home, Sunshine. You can tell me about your dream on our way there, yeah?”
“Okay,” and with that he jumps to his feet, lightly losing his balance but Theo is there to steady him, putting an arm around his middle. He is there by his side when they walk to the exit of the animal clinic, arm in arm. And he will always be there. Always by his side.