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Liam walked into Left of the Dial Records, giggling at Corey as he did a poor imitation of their friend Brett. They'd just left him at the bar down the street.
"Look at me, I'm Brett, anything with a pulse wants to sleep with me." Corey spoke unnaturally low, mimicking their tall, handsome friend.
Brett had found an incredible looking couple at their last brewery stop and had stayed behind to try and talk his way into a threesome.
"You legitimately have the same exact opinion of yourself. You bang like way more guys than he does." Liam shook his head and wandered down the narrow aisle of the tiny record store, ignoring Corey's middle finger salute. It was surprisingly empty for RSD, but Liam supposed that was due to how small it was. He started in the New Releases section, near the door, and Corey mumbled something about how he'd be in the 45's.
Liam made his way down section by section, getting to the Punk aisle and remembering he had been trying to look for the couple Buzzcocks albums missing from his mom's collection. He collided hands with another man while reaching for the tab.
"Oh I'm so-" Liam sputtered out and when he looked up, it was into gorgeous, round, surprised emerald eyes.
The man reaching for the same section of records couldn't have been much older or taller than him. He was wearing a green henley that was stretched tight across broad muscular shoulders, but gathered loosely about his more narrow, tapered waist, making Liam's first thought about the man, 'I wonder how defined his hip bones are."
"My bad." The brunette smiled shyly and rocked on his feet. He looked like he was about to say something else to Liam, but then suddenly he was squeezing past him in the aisle, moving to the opposite side of the record store.
*****
Liam noted the smaller shop was filling up, the noise level increasing steadily, so he nodded to Corey that he was going to get in line. The other boy walked up to him, handing him a used Tycho album.
"Buy that for me? I'm gonna head outside and call Brett, he texted me that he and his new friends had moved on to the next brewery. I don't know it, it's a couple miles away, but still in Santa Ana."
"Alright." Liam responded and put the album on the bottom of his pile.
He watched Corey weave through customers and walk out the door. When he turned back to wait for the owner to finish ringing up the person at the counter, he noticed someone had stepped up beside him, a small stack of records in hand.
The record on top of the stack mirrored his own stack and Liam followed the arm holding them up to the green henley he'd brushed against earlier in the hour.
His gaze followed the massive arm up to the broad shoulders that had drawn his attention the last one he'd looked at the man. Just before Liam's eyes reached his face, the shop owner cried, "Next!"
Liam stepped forward and when he left the shop, he ramped down the urge to look back and the fit man who'd moved to take his place at the register.
*****
Liam had no idea how he got lucky enough to have a second chance at this, but he didn't think it wise to blow it.
He was standing with Brett, Corey, and a small group of people Brett had predictably made friends with. Corey had already hit it off with one of the guys and currently had a hand resting inconspicuously on the handsome young black man's thigh, but was ignoring him in favor of laughing at another guy across the table, feigning rapt enthrallment.
Corey wasn't coming home tonight. That stupid move worked every time.
Liam shook his head and turned back to the man standing at the bar, chatting amicably with the girl pouring beers. He took a deep breath and walked forward, standing next to the man and holding up his empty glass with a nod at the bartenders raised brow. She smiled and took the glass.
"So." Liam spoke, facing straight ahead. The man from the store turned to look at him, so he turned his head to meet his gaze. "You like Big Star?"
"Its you." The handsome, young, green-eyed man smiled. The bartender set a beer in front of each of them, which the guy thanked her for by name and quickly turned his full attention back to Liam. "Yeah, I do, but I already have the originals of those albums. That's for my best friend's fiance. Can't have her marrying someone who doesn't know who Big Star is."
"Hm." Liam nodded. "Strange coincidence, that copy is for my mom, because I stole her original copies and I'm not giving them back, it it recently came to light that her husband was too too busy in med school to get an apt music education. I also have those Jefferson Airplane and Public Enemy albums I saw you buy. Pretty sure also stolen from her collection."
"Yeah?" He smirked at Liam, extending his hand. "I'm Theo, by the way."
"Liam."
"Anything else good from your haul? You seem pretty eclectic if you like all those." Theo drank his beer, looking Liam up and down appraisingly.
Liam flushed under the seemingly appreciative gaze.
"The standard. Got all the RSD special releases I wanted earlier today. Corey got his limited edition Star Wars Crosley this morning, which he's probably talking that poor kids ear off about right now. We've been to a few stores today, started up at Ameoba. Got some decent deals on some great condition used albums. The Vandals, Descendants, Talking Heads, Nas, Run DMC, Phantom Planet, Thursday-"
"I got an original release Thursday album today. With a limited edition variant cover. Envy? You know it? It was only $23, too." Theo interrupted Liam excitedly.
"What the fuck, at Left? I didn't see that!" Liam cried, aghast.
"Yeah, I know. It was the first thing I grabbed, and I was there before you." Theo sipped his beer, looking over the rim with playful eyes.
"You were?" Liam's narrowed in doubt.
"Yeah, I remember seeing you walk in." Theo mumbled, looking away.
"Staaaalker."
"Oh, yeah, like you didn't just cop to looking at what I was buying in line." Theo rolled his eyes, unable to wipe the smile from his face and the blush coloring his cheeks.
"I couldn't help it! You were standing right next to me!"
"Yeah, well." Theo bit his lip and gave a little shrug. "I might've done that on purpose, hoping you'd say something about our moment in the punk section when we both reached for the 'cocks at the same time."
Liam choked on the beer he was sipping, drawing the attention of the bartender standing less than a meter from them. 'Tabs', Liam recalled from her introduction when Liam first ordered, filled a plastic water cup and set it in front of them with a smirk, she lifted an eyebrow at Theo. He hid his smile behind his glass. She walked away after Liam got his breath back enough to rasp out a 'thanks.'
He sipped the water and looked back at the man next to him. Theo was still staring straight at him, cocky expression firmly in place.
Liam wanted to kiss the smirk off his lips. He licked his own instead.
"I'm gonna go ahead and take that as confirmation that you are trying to pick up on me." Liam said, arching an eyebrow but not returning the smile.
"Yes, I am definitely trying to pick up on the cute guy from the record store who caught my eye long before he even bought the same album as me and ended up having even better taste than I'd assumed." Theo continued smiling, his bright teeth showing as he looked at Liam fondly. "I thought I missed my shot in there, and I was pissed at myself for being a chicken. What are the odds I'd get another chance? I kind of have to take it."
"Okay." Liam nodded. "I can respect that."
Theo's smile started to fade as Liam continued to stare, straightfaced.
"Oh, I'm sorry, I thought..." Theo flushed and stammered, trying to make an exit. "I'll just-"
"No!" Liam reached out, grabbing Theo's hand that wasn't occupied by a beer. The hand in his flinched, but Theo stopped. He met Liam's shy gaze with a nervous one of his own, so Liam nodded. "Stay, keep trying. I might, uh..."
Liam bit his lip and looked down at Theo's frown, wishing the lips would curve back up into the adorably annoying smirk from a minute ago.
"I might like it." Liam spoke low, almost a groan. He looked back up into Theo's eyes which were quickly transitioning from embarrassed and sad to dark and playful again. "I might really, really like it."
"Kay." Theo smiled again, nodding and turning back to Liam, standing a little closer this time.
Liam missed the rough fingers as soon as he let go of Theo's hand.
*****
It was twenty years ago today
Sgt. Pepper taught the band to play
They've been going in and out of style
But they're guaranteed to raise a smile
The music flowed from Theo's record player.
"Yeah, this was just some obscure album I picked up at like a record store closing sale a while ago." Theo smiled as he walked across the room to the fridge, grabbing a couple beers.
"Yeah?" Liam smirked, playing along. "The dollar bin or something, yeah?"
"Yeah, 50 cents, actually. Just some random old band." Theo said. He seemed delighted at Liam's ability to continue the joke without missing a beat.
"What's it called?"
"Oh uh, the uh..." Theo picked up the record sleeve, inspecting it with intense scrutiny. "The Beatles. Huh."
"Oh wow, like, the bug? That's weird." Liam hummed, heart picking up speed at the adorable man's antics.
"No, no, it's uh, B-E-A-T-L-E-S." Theo spoke slowly, still examining the cover.
"Oh. Huh. That doesn't make any sense."
"Yeah, they probably didn't make much music." Theo looked up at Liam through his lashes quickly before looking back down at the cover, stifling a grin.
"What's the name of the album?" Liam reaches out for the album sleeve, noting it looks like an original pressing. Liam has a barely playable one at home that had belonged to his grandpa, then his mom. He tries not to look impressed as he grabs it. It's slightly worn, but the album plays perfectly, so he assumes that Theo must have paid a pretty penny for it or possibly inherited it.
"Weird name, innit?" Theo sat down on the ottoman in front of Liam and handed him a beer.
"Yeah, who is S. Pepper?"
"Probably some chick."
"Typical." Liam huffed. "God, are all these people in the band?"
"I dunno. A 60 person band isn't exactly practical, though."
"Right?" Liam tried to hide a smile. "Y'know this one looks a bit like Karl Marx."
"Hmm." Theo's mouth turned down at the corners and he took a sip of his beer. "I wonder if the other Marx brothers were in the band too?"
"Shit." Liam barked out a laugh as he was about to take a sip of his beer to hide the effect the joke had on him. He set the album down gently on the couched and nodded in concession. "You got me."
Theo grinned around the mouth of the beer bottle. Liam grinned freely, thoroughly satisfied by the wit and charm of the man sitting in front of him.
"I have no idea what you're talking about." Theo's eyes glittered and Liam is sure that he has never seen a man look so coy.
"What kind of nerd knows that there are over 60 people on the cover of Sgt. Peppers?" Liam mock frowned in scrutiny.
"What kind of nerd knows what Karl Marx looks like?" Theo countered and Liam is grinning again, not able to help it anymore.
"God, I like you." Liam blurted out on a sigh.
"Good." Theo said. He swallowed, his Adam's apple bobbing visibly.
"Yeah."
Liam set down his beer and sat up in the big recliner at the same time that Theo put his behind him on the coffee table. Their knees laced together, making room for one another. Theo grabbed the side of Liam's sweater, not really pulling him closer, just bracing himself. Liam gripped Theo's thigh with one hand, the back of his head with the other.
The pair's noses bumped gently and Liam noticed the other man almost flinch backward, but the hand on Liam's sweater kept him drawn close. Liam waited, breathing the same air that Theo seemed to be struggling to respirate successfully.
The front door lock turned.
"Hey, Tee, I brought you that..." Tabs, the server from the brewery, walked in just Liam had jumped backward in his chair, grabbing the record sleeve next to him to and failing to look like he hadnt practically been straddling Theo a second before.
Theo stood as the door swung shut behind the frozen girl.
"There's a..." Tabs stared at Liam for a solid ten seconds in shock, a steel growler hugged to her chest. She looked at Theo then, lowering her voice to a whisper-yell. "You brought a boy home from my work?"
"Tabs, this is Liam." Theo grimaced and gestured at Liam bashfully. "We kind of met at the record store today? Y'know how its-"
"Tee! You brought a boy from your work to the bar?" Tabs gasped, growler falling to her side, other hand coming up to cover her mouth, before dropping again so she could let out a second gasp. "And he's touching one of your records!!!"
"No, Tabs, I didn't work today, I went to Left. Tabby, listen, just breathe." Theo holds a hand up and takes a step toward her hand held out placatingly.
Liam rushes up from his seat as well and goes to grab his shoes and leave.
"I should probably-" Liam mumbles before Tabs and Theo both reach out to him yelling, "No!" in unison.
"No, don't." Tabs grins suddenly, maniacally, moving forward and thrusting the growler into Liam's arms. She started backing toward the door again. "You. You need... you should stay. Also, oh my god, you are hot... Nice. You two just... I'm gonna..."
Theo opened his mouth to stop her, but she was out the door, slamming it behind her in her apparent excitement.
"Theo, what the hell?" Liam screeches, holding out the large beer canister. Theo goes to take it. Liam takes advantage of his free arms and flails. "Are you dating the girl who served us at the brewery? What is this? Are you like, swingers? What the hell, bro?"
"Okay, wait, no. Definitely gay. Definitely very gay." Theo held his finger up almost scolding. "No, she doesn't live here, Liam, she has a key because she's the actual renter of the studio. Or like..."
Liam's face no longer looked panicked, but he still didn't calm down.
"She lives with her fiance now, and I'm subletting but like, with her name still on it because I had no credit when I moved here from Oakland and..." Theo cut himself off, blushing at how desperately he was offering his life story, just to make the boy in front of him stay. "I, uh... I'm a loner, sort of? And I don't um... invite anyone over. Like, ever? I kind of hate having other people in my space, touching my things. Or y'know... me? I don't date or hook up or whatever. You're the first person to come over since I moved in almost a year ago. So, yeah back to the point, she kind of babies me, and comes over to lecture me about human interaction being healthy, and to make sure I'm okay, practically everyday."
Theo mumbled the last part, eyes finally leaving Liam's. He heaved a sigh and sat on the barstool in front of the kitchenette.
"God, I'm sorry. I'm really garbage at this aren't I? I just didn't plan any of this, I didn't plan to finally get the courage to talk to you but then you came in the brewery I hang out at, and you talked to me first! I just felt like..." Theo placed the growler down on the bartop in front of him, mostly facing away from Liam, a sign he was giving up trying to stop him if Liam really wanted to go.
Liam took a couple steps forward until he was directly beside Theo.
"What do you mean finally get the courage?" Liam whispered.
"You've been coming into my store with your friends at least once a month for the past like... half a year. I talked to you once at security? Asked you to leave your backpack behind and you took it off and handed it over without even looking at me but... you were wearing this Unknown Pleasures cutoff and you have a Social D tattoo on your Tricep with a Mickey Mouse head, which by the way, I told Mike Ness about and he freaking loved it, and I've honestly never ever wanted to speak to someone so badly. I wanted to ask you literally everything about yourself. But you didn't even look at me." Theo said as Liam's jaw slowly dropped in shock at every word.
"Security? What store has-, wait. You work at Ameoba?" Liam's eyes widened in surprise when Theo nodded and looked up to meet his gaze once more.
"I work the security desk 6 days a week." Theo blushed and raised his voice a little, Liam's soft expression giving him a bit of hope. "You and your friends are all really gorgeous and loud and literally everyone looks at you guys when you walk in. The employees, I mean. I'm almost positive half of the cashiers have given your friend Brett their number."
"I dont know where to start? Like... you know Mike Ness? And Mike Ness knows what I did to his logo?! And you've seen me at amoeba like every time? Wait, what, why were you shopping at Left of the Dial then?" Liam asked, brushing by the previous comments about his or Brett's looks.
"It's my day off!" Theo squeaked defensively. "I'm not, like... stalking you! I know this all sounds slightly creepy, but I swear I was there by coincidence. I live right next to it, and I shop there sometimes, mostly for used records."
"Don't worry, I didn't think..." Liam looked down and away. "And I'm sorry if I've imposed or, oh my god, you said you didn't like being touched and I practically threw myself at you! I'm so sorry."
Liam started to back away, as if standing almost a foot away from Theo was violating a boundary.
Theo's rough fingers shot out to stop him. Holding his hand, threading their fingers together, he smiled shyly.
"No, no, stay. And maybe try it again?" Theo spoke tentatively, afraid to spook the other boy. "I might really, really like it."
Liam looked surprised, but a moment later, a grin fell easily across his face.
"Kay."
Liam didn't let go of Theo's hand that time.