Archive of Our Own ^beta

Sometimes Liam really questions why he’s friends with certain people. For instance: Brett Talbot. Hell, if he were normal he would have cancelled their… friendship ever since they’d tried dating and decided they’re a better fit as nothing but buds. Team colleagues. Also housemates. But no , they’re still moderately close and engage each other in pranks and bets.

And dares. Oh so many dares. Like the one Liam is currently trying to fulfill.

It should actually be easy enough: Mason, his best friend, partner in crime, brother in all but blood, took care of the semantics, making sure that there’s no possible way he could get in trouble. Even if, technically, he’s stealing.

Trust Brett to literally dare him to do a felony. Sure, he could easily say he won’t do it, but if there’s something that’s bigger than Liam’s respect for the law, it’s his pride. And if he chickens out over stealing a plant , he’ll never get to hear the end of it. Mason keeps trying to talk him out of it, but Liam knows that not only Brett will keep sneering at him, but also Hayden, Gabe and possibly even Mason’s own boyfriend Corey. (The latter maybe only to tease him but still .)

And not only that: There’s actually something to bet on this time. If Liam doesn’t do it, he’ll have to go to a boyband concert. With Brett’s sister. So yeah, he’d rather not do that .

Besides, it’s probably not even like Deaton will miss it. Hell, the guy’s got more than enough of that stuff in his little greenhouse-y thing - he’s like the town’s witch who provides potions and brews, not only for animals like his job as the local vet would make you expect, but also for people. He praises himself for owning pretty much everything that could possibly stimulate either a person’s body or mind, including the plant of Brett’s heart - something called devil’s helmet; Liam wouldn’t be surprised at all to learn he just wants it for the badass name. Though, actually, why the fuck would the devil need a helmet?

Then again, with a look back at the picture Brett’s printed out for him, the form of the petals reminds him a little of the helmet that Disney’s version of Ares wears. And the colour of the flower is blue, of all things, which is Hades’ thing, so he supposes it does fit to some guy down in the afterlife anyhow.

So yeah, provided with a distraction caused by Mason, Liam should have an easy game in the greenhouse. They’d wondered if it wouldn’t be better if he did it at night, but then he’d need a flashlight and if that isn’t visible, he doesn’t know. So Mason’s visiting the animal clinic, claiming his guinea pig has whatever , until Liam texts him he’s finished.

That’s the plan at least, to make sure that nobody’ll be in the greenhouse while Liam’s there.

It’s just Liam’s luck that just when he’s so far in the room that he can’t possibly get out anyhow , someone steps inside. Instantly, he throws himself onto the ground - catching himself on his arms to dampen the sound which hurts , by the way - to hide behind a table. He hasn’t even been able to see a shadow of the person coming in, so for all he knows it could be Brett who’s watched the whole thing and decided to congratulate him for actually breaking into Deaton’s stuff.

Liam can practically feels his heart beat against his chest, so he decides to hold his breath to keep himself from panting too loudly. If it’s anyone who doesn’t know yet that he’s in here, he’d rather not draw their attention towards him. Fuck , this whole thing was the biggest mistake he’s ever made. He should’ve acted like an adult for once in his life, done the responsible thing and ignored the humility that would’ve come with it.

It’s better than having a police record anyways.

Under the table there’s space to the ground, so he’s able to watch the feet of whoever’s come inside shuffling around. It’s definitely a guy, judging by the thick boots, but it doesn’t look like something Deaton would wear. It’s also none of Brett’s pairs, and definitely not Mason’s either, so he presses himself further against the floor, if that’s even possible. God , he sure hopes the floor’s even been clean.

The intruder - because that’s what he is , dammit - walks around the room in quick and determines struts, like he’s looking for something. And sure enough, the feet disappear from Liam’s view, echoing somewhere in the back of the house. Slowly - and quietly - Liam starts breathing again. He’s sure he won’t be able to leave until the guy is gone, because while the room’s fairly big, it’s still just that: one room.

He listens as a cupboard gets opened and closed again. Okay, so maybe the guy’s not usually here either. Is it possible that two people try to steal from Deaton on the same day? Jesus, the poor guy.

He realizes the chuckle building up in his throat and tries to bite it back, but there’s still a small huff that comes out. Shit . Fuck . Damn . He can only hope the other guy is too involved in his own search to notice him, in case he’s not a fellow thief after all.

Liam presses his cheeks back against the floor again in an attempt to make himself smaller when he hears the dude’s steps again. He can only hope that he’s about to leave - and that he does it the same way that he’d entered, meaning there’s still the table in between the two of them.

Today’s not his lucky day.

“Why do I have the feeling you’re not supposed to be here?” There’s amusement clinging to the guy’s low voice, sanding a shiver down Liam’s spine that’s probably just because he’s caught breaking and entering .

Now, Liam might do idiotic things from time to time, but that doesn’t mean he is an idiot. He knows when a battle is lost, and as it appears the guy must be standing right in front of him - a turn of his head confirms that - so he lifts himself up until his weight is spread between his knees and arms. “Um,” he starts cleverly.

And then he doesn’t even try to find any excuses because the guy in front of him? Breathtaking. Tanned skin, dark hair, a crooked grin as he looks down on Liam. Even as they’re crinkled in the amusement, Liam can tell his eyes must be absolutely stunning.

Hell , of course he meets the most beautiful guy when he’s lying on the floor of a greenhouse he’s broken into.

The guy lets out a small chuckle and squats down in front to him so that they’re almost face to face. “Why don’t you tell me what you’re doing here?”, he offers. “I might not even get you into any trouble.”

“Who are you ?”, Liam wants to know, still looking at him. It’s genuine interest and not just distrust speaking out of him. “New assistant?”

“No,” the guy says easily. “But I’m allowed to be in here.”

Liam hums at the answer and leans back until he’s properly kneeling, bringing a bit more space between them. For all he knows, the guy could a be a liar - a beautiful one, that’s for sure, but still. Who says he really is allowed in the greenhouse? But then again, if he is then he could easily go and tell Deaton about finding a random guy there.

“There’s no actual drugs in here,” the dude continues thoughtfully. “Like, sure, some things might help the cause, but only when you do a nightly ritual or whatever.”

That remark makes Liam laugh a little. “I don’t want any drugs .”, he says quickly. Then, thinking about it, he adds, “I believe?”

The guy raises an eyebrow and the fact that he can easily pull that off makes Liam’s heart stutter a little. “You believe ? You don’t even know what you’re here for?”

“No, I do!”, Liam insists and reaches into his back pocket, retrieving the picture Brett had given him. “I just don’t know what he wants to use it for.”

“Wolfsbane,” the other says with a look at the photo. “You better stay away from that.”

“I’ve been told it’s called dev--”

“Devil’s helmet? Yeah, same thing, different names.”, the boy smiles. “But still, it can be toxic as shit. Especially if you don’t know what you’re even doing. So tell me, who knows what you’re doing?”

He says it so softly, a hint of what seems to be actual concern mixed into his voice, and Liam instantly gives in. He tells him about how he and Brett (intensely hinting at the fact that they’re just platonic housemates) always have those stupid bets and how this whole thing is part of one of those. He even tells him about Mason and how his guinea pig isn’t actually sick.

“All that to keep your pride intact?”, the guy says incredulously. Then, one corner of his lips pulls up again, “Or do you perhaps want to impress that housemate of yours?”

Liam snorts. “Brett? Nah . Believe me, we’re not compatible. Like, tried it and found it dissatisfying.”

“Good.” The grin, that slowly gets even wider confuses the hell out of Liam. Before he can ask about that, though, his discoverer continues. “Tell you what. I won’t bust you if you agree to go out to dinner with me.”

The offer is fantastic, actually, and Liam would be an idiot to decline it. Still, just accepting it seems weird, considering how they even met. Asking someone out you met on the street already is a bold try, but someone you found breaking into a witch’s loft? Fishy as hell. “I don’t even know who you are .”, he blurts out.

For some reason, that just seems to delight the other guy. The grin finally reaches his eyes and he laughs lightly and easily. “I’m Theo.”

“Liam.”

“Well, Liam,” Theo says, and doesn’t his name sound fantastic said in such a low voice? “By Forrest Gump logic we’re no strangers anymore.”

Liam can’t hide his own smile at that. Flawless logic, really. “What about the plant?”

“Do you want to poison your friend?”

“A little?”, Liam shrugs.

There’s a glimmer in Theo’s eyes as he shakes his head in laughter. “I like you.”, he decides, causing Liam to blush. “But no, it’d only get Deaton into trouble. That wouldn’t be good.”

“No plant?”, Liam asks quietly. Theo just nods in earnest. “Hm, whatever. But a date with you? Worth the endless teasing, I guess.”

Theo looks more than pleased with that.

-

DUDE. Out w/o the plant but w date! Will explain later

Liam sends off the message quickly and with another glance at Theo, how he’s pretending to mind his own business and looking to the side and showing his sharp profile, he types out another.

hopefully only tomorrow

Maybe it’s a bit selfish not to wait for an answer, but if you have such a hot guy willing to go on a date with you, sacrificed have to be made. Hell, if he thinks about it Mason ditched him like a thousand times just to screw Corey. It’s definitely his turn for once.

“All set,” Liam says brightly as he steps up to Theo until his chest almost brushed against Theo’s arm. They’re really pretty all crossed like that, making his biceps bulge. Man, he’s probably stronger than Liam can imagine. “Mason’ll be back to freedom as soon as possible.”

“You can be lucky if Deaton doesn’t notice anything.”, Theo tells him, shaking his head softly.

“Why were you even allowed to go in there?”

“I know the guy.”, Theo shrugs. He seems to think about his answer for a moment but then he just says, “My best friend used to work for him, so he knows me. I’d meant to get some fresh chamomile.”

“You’re native to Beacon then?”, Liam wants to know.

Theo scratches his neck leisurely. “Yeah. I don’t live here anymore, though. Just here for a visit.”

If Liam’s bummed about that - the prospect of maybe not seeing Theo again, or at least not in a while - he does his best to hide it. Instead, he continues the conversation. “Huh. I moved here to study, actually.”

“College, huh? What do you study?”

“History.”, Liam tells him. “Becoming the next Indiana Jones.”

Theo scrunches up his face, looking somewhat adorable like this. “Wasn’t that archaeology, though?”

“I don’t know.”, Liam admits. “I’ve never even seen the movie.” He decides to change the topic before this insanely hot guy can start calling him out in referencing things he doesn’t even understand. “So, where are you taking me?”

Theo smirks as he puts up the hood of his sweater. Liam doesn’t even see the need for that, but who is he to criticize his fashion choices? Theo seems to know exactly what he’s doing, and the darkness of the fabric highlighting the sharp edges of his face is only proof. Before he knows it, Theo’s grabbed his arm to start walking. “I’m about to change your life.”

“Really? Hamilton?”, Liam laughs and start trotting behind him.

“Figured you’d appreciate that.”, Theo answers in a light chuckle.

“Then by all means,” Liam continues, “lead the way.”

-

“So, what do you do?”, Liam wants to know. They’ve just finished eating their meals in one of Beacon Hills’ most expensive restaurants - he feels like that question is allowed. Maybe Theo’s a model - or more realistically speaking, a banker or something. He’d assured Liam that he would cover the whole bill and he didn’t need to worry about paying.

He watches as Theo takes a sip of his drink - apple juice, surprisingly, like wine wasn’t more appropriate for an ambiente such as this. It takes a few beats until he slowly says, “I… sing.”

It’s a careful answer and Liam knows exactly what that means: He’s used to being ridiculed for it, probably because he lives off his parents’ money and does nothing but record YouTube videos the whole day. That would make sense because whenever Liam meets a performer at college, they’re all practically boasting about what they do. So being quiet like that? Sign of failure.

Still, Theo’s nice and looks good, so there’s no need to be mean and point that out. “That’s cool.”, he smiles. “I like my men talented.”, he adds in a frank moment. Honestly, he feels like with Theo it’s go big or go home. You don’t get to flirt with such a man every day.

“Oh really?”, Theo says, cocking an eyebrow. “Maybe I should show you just how talented I am.”

Of course, the innuendo doesn’t go past Liam. He’s not an expert at understanding those, unlike Brett or Mason, but when he starts them, it’s easy. “Sounds like a plan.”

-

“Morning,” Liam chuckles when he feels Theo tense up against him. They’re roughly the same height, so he feels parts of Theo in all the right places. He pushes back playfully, laughing when he gets a groan in response.

“Hi,” Theo answers, his breath warm against Liam’s neck. He nibbles at the flesh there, moving his hand across Liam’s torso.

Liam can feel himself shiver at the contact but he just hums and stretches his neck a little, giving Theo more access. “Hm, you really are talented.”

“Told you so.”, Theo says in a low voice. Then, suddenly, he tightens his arms around Liam and pulls both himself and him up in one motion like he doesn’t weigh anything.

Liam shifts a little to make sure it isn’t uncomfortable for either of them and swats against Theo’s chest playfully. “ And strong.”

Theo gives him a smug grin in return. “Yup, that’s me.”, he says and moves his hands over Liam’s hips a little. He hums softly when Liam leans down to kiss him, scratching a little with his nails.

And just like that, the door flies open. It’s accompanied by someone saying something - what exactly, Liam can’t tell, he’s basically hearing the blood rushing from his brain and southside - and they part in alarm. It’s a tall dude, brown hair and more freckles than should be allowed, probably, stopping in his motions and looking quite shell shocked at the sight in front of him.

“I— oh, shit , sorry— I didn’t know—“, the guy stammers. Then, all of sudden, he seems to sober up. He puts his arms down finally and his panicked look becomes stern. “ Theo ! What are you doing ?”

“I believe,” Theo says all casually like Liam’s not still on his lap, like his hands are not still gripped into Liam’s hips, “I was about to give a blowjob.”

If Liam had been blushing before, it only gets worse now. He’s pretty sure everything above his shoulders must be deep red by now.

The lanky guy opens his mouth only to close it again. Looks like he’s not the only one flustered by Theo’s bluntness.

“At least that had been the plan until you interrupted so unkindly.”, Theo closes. Even with his eyes still being small from sleeping, he pulls off an evil glare.

“Well, I— it’s morning.”, the stranger stammers. “There’s… breakfast.”

“Huh,” Theo makes. He digs his fingers deeper into Liam’s skin and when he turns his head to see what that’s about, he’s met with a small smile. “You hungry?”

Before Liam can even think of an answer, New Guy is already interrupting again.

“ No , you know how Derek is about this.”, he says decidedly. “Groupies don’t stay for breakfast.”

Liam can’t help but laugh a little at that description - he’s pretty sure that wherever Theo may live, people are lining up to get to him, so it doesn’t even sound like the insult it was probably supposed to be. And he remembers the grumpy houseowner that Theo has mentioned last night; that must be this Derek guy.

Theo seems more than ready to protest but Liam stops him. He moves his thumb over his cheek and says, “No, it’s fine. I’ll leave.” At his words, Theo grip on him loosens slightly, so he finally climbs off of him. “Don’t want to get you in trouble, do we?”

“ Great ,” the guy in the doorway cheers. Like, he’s actually clapping his hands. “So, I will go and distract Derek, Theo, while you go and take care of this.”

Thoe growls something into his direction, voice so low, though, that Liam can’t make out a single word. It sends another heat wave across his body to see that Theo’s not just mopey about him having to leave but that he’s pissed .

He’s just glad when Interruption Personified leaves because he’s still half hard and he can imagine getting dressed in front of him would lead to even more awkwardness. In a surprisingly swift motion he scoots off the bed and towards where he’s shed his clothes last night.

He’s just zipping up his jeans when Theo appears in front of him again, looking like a Renaissance artist’s statue with his firm abs stretching across his body. And to top it all, he actually looks slightly embarrassed by what’s happened.

“Don’t worry, it’s cool. I’ve always wanted to be kicked out after a one-night-stand.”, Liam says easily.

“Well, I’m still in town for a few more days.”, Theo says slowly. He bridges the few inches between them, catching Liam’s neck with his hand again. “And as I’ve said, I like you .”

Liam takes in a sharp breath. He must still be asleep because otherwise he can’t explain to himself why a specimen as fine as Theo would want to meet up with him again.

Theo pulls him forward, bringing their lips together again. It’s not as heated this time, and if he didn’t know any better, Liam would say it’s almost desperate.

“Phone number?”, Theo breathes against his lips when they part slightly.

It takes Liam a few beats until he realizes he should probably answer. He’s not happy with parting fully, but he has to look where he’s lost his sweater jacket. He finds it somewhere against the wall behind him and grudgingly lets go of Theo to retrieve it.

He’s met with a mirror of disappointment until he holds out his phone. “There.”, he offers. “I’ll call you.”

“Looking forward to that.”, Theo smiles. He saves his number and hands back the phone, adding, “I should be free around 11.”

Liam can’t help but smile at him. He can imagine how awkward he must look, with heart eyes and all, but it’s what it is. Theo’s hot, he’s fantastic in bed, he’s nice and he wants to see Liam again . Truth be told, he feels like he’s floating on clouds or something similarly amazing.

Theo’s smile falters ever so slightly when he sighs. “Time for you to play spy again.”

-

“ Oh , Mason,” Liam says, dramatically flinging himself into his friend’s bed. The fact that Mason doesn’t even look up from his laptop should probably tell him something about his habits. “Do you think it’s possible to be in love after, like, 15 hours?”

“Were they such a good lay?”, Mason mutters, still reading something on his screen.

“The best ,” Liam sighs. “ God , you won’t believe how good. And how handsome he is. How hot. Clever. Witty. Wonderful .”

That catches Mason’s attention at last. He turns around in his office chair and looks at him with big eyes. “Damn, are you meeting him again?”

Liam nods, directing it more at the ceiling than Mason in his current position. “Tonight. But Mason , he doesn’t even live in Beacon.”

“Liam,” Mason says carefully. “You don’t have time tonight.”

“What do you mean I don’t have time ?”, Liam says and sits up, leaning himself onto his elbows. “Of course I have time. Dude , I have so much time--”

“ No , Lori’s concert is tonight.”

Liam’s eyes widen at that. Oh shit . The very reason the whole thing with breaking into Deaton’s greenhouse had been about - Lori’s concert. Not as in Lori has a concert where she plays or sings something, no, that’d be too easy. More as in Lori likes a cringey boyband and wants someone to go with her and obviously nobody wants to. In the end, for some really weird reason, it’s boiled down to Liam and her very own brother Brett.

Now, Brett and Lori are, like, insanely close so you’d think he’d be a great brother and offer to go there with her. Instead, he’s challenged Liam to stealing Deaton’s plant: if he’d done it, then Liam’s evening would have been saved. And now, because he’d rather gone out with Theo, he’s doomed to watch some stupid men dance in stupid choreographed moves.

He can’t really regret the decision he’d made yesterday, though.

He groans anyways. “Well, how long does such a concert even take? Like, Theo’s said he’s free at 11, so like--”, he trails off. Honestly, he might even enjoy the evening if he keeps thinking about what’ll happen afterwards.

“You’re that horny, huh?”, Mason chuckles. “But I guess you should be fine. Concert starts at 8, and usually with all their dancing boybands can’t do 5 hours, right?”

“ Nice ,” Liam breathes. He can fulfill his debt by going to that concert with Lori and then he can go and meet up with Theo, maybe even get that blowjob he’d mentioned earlier. If he’s honest, he wouldn’t even really mind if it doesn’t happen because just talking to Theo is already amazing enough.

-

When he sees instruments on the stage, Liam almost starts chuckling. He hadn’t dreaded coming here as much as he would’ve under different circumstances, but seeing that maybe they’re not the typical boyband after all is helping, too. He can deal with bands, real bands with people playing instruments that just so happen to consist of men only. Hell, those he even enjoys.

It’s pretty crowded, surprisingly, and Liam soon finds himself squished against Lori. They have nice spots, actually, not right in front of the stage but still in the front, so she should be happy.

In fact, she’s grinning from ear to ear. Liam sends her a smile because even if he didn’t exactly wanna be here, it’s nice that she gets to enjoy herself at least.

If the music playing on the speakers while the hall fills itself actually is the band - Nemeton , as the drumset reads - then he might be able to, as well. The singer’s voice is kinda rough, even if he seems to hit every little note, sending vibrations right to his brain. And the rhythm’s not all that catchy, but it’s something on its own.

“Did you know they actually are from here?”, Lori wants to know. She doesn’t even wait for an answer but starts rambling . “It’s the first time they’re playing in Beacon Hills since they had their big break-through. I hope they’ll do something special. Maybe some people in the crowd even know them?”

Liam’s not so sure about that, actually. Beacon Hills is a typical university city - meaning that people come to study and then they leave again. He’d guess that maybe 10% of the people living in the town at the moment actually grew up here. Most of the crowd around them seem to be their age, so they’ve probably only moved here within the last couple of years - and according to Lori, Nemeton have been a thing for, like, five years now. So the chances of someone having, like, gone to school with those guys being here right now are pretty slim, he assumes.

Liam’s been to quite a number of concerts in his life, so he’s familiar enough how it feels like both mere seconds and hours to wait for the band to show up. Lori fills that time with chatter about the band, what kind of music they make (apparently they have a bit of everything, so Liam should definitely find something he likes) and stuff like that. She’s just about to launch into a whole speech about how each member radiates a different aura of attractiveness when the lights get dimmed and the concerts about to start.

He looks to the stage expectantly as the crowd starts cheering, ready to welcome the band. It’s actually quite a great atmosphere, he has to admit. Maybe he will actually enjoy at least parts of the whole thing.

“ What ,” Liam breathes when he sees the first guy coming up on stage. It’s the fucking guy from this morning . As in the dude who basically threw him out. That guy is standing there, bathing in the applause and then strutting back to the drum set.

So Theo actually knows some members of the band? Jesus, if Liam had felt like sharing details about his last 24 hours, he could be floating about that right now. He should probably get this on a T-shirt: I went to a concert and got to fuck their friend or something. Yeah, that would be funny.

Next up is the keyboarder, all tall and curly, and the crowd keeps continuing to explode. Liam’s pretty sure that most of the people around him will lose their voices in the morning.

He claps along, though, because it’s not only polite but it would look quite awkward if he stood there all motionless.

The crowd, impossibly, gets even louder when the bass player comes out. He can understand it, though, because the guy is quite good looking. Open flannel giving sight to some really defined abs and a crooked smile on his lips that Liam can see from his spot, so it must be really bright.

Maybe these dudes really aren’t just little girls’ dreams but that of everyone attracted to men.

There’s still the microphone in the middle of the stage empty, so Liam guesses there’s at least one more member missing. It’s weird, but he feels like the people around him get louder and louder as they wait for him to show up.

And boy , does he show up. A dark tank top spread across his wide torso and red plaid pants hugging his legs tightly, pointing out all the good things about his body, like there’s any doubt about them. Hair tousled, in a calculated manner but still looking wild and Liam gasps.

“What. The. Fuck.”

Not only does he look even better than before but it’s Theo who claims the microphone to himself. Shit, when he’s said he’s a singer he didn’t mean a guy who posts covers on YouTube. He meant a full-blown famous singer of a successful band.

And if there’d still been any hint of a doubt in his mind, it’s gone when the singer starts talking. It is Theo’s voice. Unmistakably.

And maybe Liam’s a broken record with how he repeats what the fuck again and again but he can’t help it. How should he? You don’t just shut up when the guy you spent the last night with turns out to be something like this .

“Lori!”, he shouts, leaning back into her personal space.

It takes a few more times and a nudge against her arm until she turns around. She looks slightly annoyed, probably because she can’t keep staring at them , but Liam couldn’t care any less.

“What’s that guy’s name?”, he asks. Maybe it’s just, like, Theo’s twin brother or whatever. And they’re so close that they have the same voice and wrap their tongue around words the same way and… yeah, that makes sense. That’s it, probably.

“Who? The singer?” When he nods, she continues. “That’s Fee. He’s a dream, isn’t he?”

Fee . Like the first syllable of Theo’s name. Goddammit .

For a moment, Liam feels like he’s completely paralyzed. He drowns out whatever Theo - it’s fucking Theo , how could he not see this? - is saying as a welcome and just stares at him, wondering if it would be okay to leave. Maybe he’s overreacting because he only hooked up with Theo, it’s not even like the guy lied to him or anything, but hell .

He’s fucking famous.

He ignores the rest of her statement - right as it made be - in favour of continuing to stare at Theo. If he’d thought that Theo had been in his element during sex, then it’s nothing compared to right now. He looks… not exactly joyous, that’s the wrong word, but something more as he holds onto the microphone. He’s almost carefree.

Liam imagines what would happen if he just walked up there, if he pushed his way through the crowd and towards the stage. Would Theo be surprised to find him there or would he just not care at all? Maybe he would actually be shocked and choke on his lyrics like it always happens in movies or something.

He frowns when Theo suddenly stops moving to the music and notices only then that he’s completely zoned out of that. And how should he focus on it when there’s so much happening there, when Theo looks like this with his tank top and so much joy written in his face? He blinks a few times to shake himself out of his stupor - Theo’s started talking again.

“Wow, has Beacon Hills always been so great?”, he asks. He shoots a few looks to the back of the stage, like he’s asking his bandmates. And maybe he is. “I swear, it keeps surprising me lately. But enough about me being sentimental, right? Please give it up for our dear Scotty, yeah? He’s written the next song.”

The guy with the bass makes a little mock bow at that and the crowd roars again. Meanwhile, Liam’s body acts like it’s on autopilot. He knows that there’s practically no way that Theo will read his texts before the concert’s over, but right now he needs to tell him that he knows .

So. Liam here

you sing quite well

do i have to fight off fangirls later???

It’s awkward, he knows, but what the hell is he supposed to write? There’s so many thoughts running through his mind and he’s unable to grasp a single one of them. Realistically speaking, he shouldn’t even feel this strongly about it, should he? After all, the thing they have is just a few hook-ups. There’s probably lots of people who hook up with someone who’s well-known in other circles without knowing who they are, he’s sure. Hell, if anything he should probably stand there and scream from the top of his lungs that he slept with the lead singer of Nemeton . But somehow that wouldn’t feel right: Not just because nobody would believe him anyway but because of Theo. He’s sounded so unsure about even mentioned that he’s a singer, like he’d meant to separate himself from that part of his life - only for a few hours, though, Liam imagines, because that guy looks way to happy up on stage to secretly hate it. And honestly, why would Liam ruin that for him?

He snaps out of his thoughts when Lori suddenly swats against his arm. “What are you doing?”, she shouts. Judging by her look she really doesn’t appreciate him being distracted.

“Uh--” He quickly shoves his phone back into his pocket. If she only knows Theo as Fee then she probably would never guess whom he’s actually texting. But once she can actually glance at the texts in themselves… “I have a date later.” Not a lie!

“ Later being the keyword here!”, Lori answers, pulling him down a little so she can shout into his ear. “So put that away and enjoy the fucking music!”

And she’s right, actually - of course she is. Sure, he’s still incredibly shocked about just about everything right now, but he is at a concert. And usually, Liam’s a big fan of concerts. And who cares if he’s just so happened to bang the dude up there last night? It’s still surprisingly good music blasting from the speakers. Maybe he can even forget who’s up on stage.

“Right,” he answers, more mouthing than speaking and sends her a smile. He doesn’t want to ruin the evening for her, not when she’s been looking forward to it for so long.

Though he might squint a little at the metaphorical heart eyes she sends into Theo’s direction.

-

He’s not managed to forget about Theo being up there completely but instead of continuing to stare at him in shock, he does it more in awe now. Once adjusted to the idea of watching Theo perform, he does get around to enjoy it. After all, like he’d noticed before: he does look exceptionally happy doing his thing.

The songs are actually quite good, even if some of them sound like generic pop songs. Others are more wild, louder and rougher - those are the ones where Theo refrains to playing his guitar while Scotty starts roaring into his mic. And the crowd shouts back, turning everything into more of a punk concert for those minutes.

Liam kinda loves it.

That’s why it feels almost too soon to hear Theo announce the last song of the evening. He finds himself groaning along with the rest of the crowd, sad to hear the concert’s over soon. On the other hand, though, that means he’ll have Theo to himself soon enough. That thought makes him grin a little.

“See?”, Lori shouts, leaning into his personal space again. “I told you you’d like it!”

She’s not exactly reading his face wrong, so he just nods at her. He really did enjoy it and he’s sure that even if it were anyone else up there, or if he hadn’t known Theo, he’d liked those songs anyway. So yeah, maybe he should learn to trust Lori’s music taste in the future.

That last song is as good as the ones before, even if he can tell the guys are getting tired. He can hear a little strain in Theo’s voice and Scotty doesn’t move his hand too enthusiastically anymore. The rhythm keeps up, though, and Liam wonders if Interrupting Guy has endless energy or something.

It’s over way too soon anyways, Liam thinks. He joins the crowd for their applause and cheering, even lets out a whistle at one point while the guys take their bows and disappear from the stage one by one. And if he clapping harder for Theo, then that’s just a coincidence.

Like with every good concert, the crowd keeps clapping and starts asking for an encore, even when all the band members have left the stage. Somehow, though, Liam is not surprised to feel his phone vibrating against his leg.

He’s genuinely curious how Theo’s gonna react - and, truth be told, if he’s really replying in this moment already, then it makes Liam a bit giddy. That maybe Theo is really excited to hear from him. That or he’s horny after a gig. Who knows.

And it really is Theo.

oh fuck

yre here?

if yre still up go 2 th bthrms but turn right thrs 1 key hid undr the vase

It takes Liam a second glance to decipher all of Theo’s messages, but in the end he can’t help himself. He presses the phone against his chest for a moment, as if he’s a lovesick teenager.

Then he realizes he should leave now before people go rushing either to the exits or toilets. He can’t imagine that either of the band members would appreciate hordes of fans finding that apparently secret passage.

“Lori! Do you think you’ll survive without me?”, he asks. She looks at him quite confused, but not in a way that means she didn’t understand him because of the noises around him. “My-- my date’s waiting.”

“Oh!” Her eyes go wide. “No, of course. I can watch myself, you go have your fun now.”

Liam fishes his car keys out of his pocket and hands them to her. “Here, you drive.”, he tells her. “Oh, and Lori? I really did like it after all.”

She looks genuinely pleased at that, maybe even a little smug, but instead of saying ‘I told you so!’ or anything, she simply pats his back a few times before pushing him to the side. Liam laughs a little at her attempts to get him to move, but he doesn’t waste any more time standing around.

Making his way through the crowd is easier right now than it would have been in the middle of the concert, probably. It might just help that he’s going to the side rather than the front, but he manages it quite easily. The people are more distracted with clapping and shouting for the band to come back.

He’s just made it to the wall when the applause goes from rhythmical clapping to a cheer again. A look back to the stage tells him why: the keyboard player has just come out again, waving a little. Liam wonders if it’s just pure luck for his timing to be so grant; distracted by the guys doing their encounter, nobody - and especially not Lori - would see where he’s going.

He finds the key quite easily, even if Theo’s version of a vase is quite murky, and opens the door just when they actually start doing a cover of Wonderwall . Because of course they’d do that. Liam’s not quite sure if he should groan or grin at that, but at least he’s made it through the door.

Only to run into a… well, quite scary guy. He’s bigger in both height and width than him, spotting a dark beard and expression. And it only grows worse when he sees Liam.

“What are you doing here? Fans aren’t allowed here.”, he says roughly, stepping up to Liam and grabbing his biceps. “How did you even get through there?”

“I-- Theo told me where to get the key!”, Liam says quickly. He’s trying to wiggle out of the guys grip, but he’s way stronger. “I’m supposed to meet up with him we were-- we have a date.”

At that, the guy stops. He doesn’t let go off Liam, but at least he doesn’t drag him around any more. “ Theo ?”, he repeats. “What--? I… I’m going to kill that guy. Hooking up with a fan.”

“I’m not a fan!”, Liam protests. At the glare he gets in return, he adds, “I mean they are good but-- I didn’t even know Theo was in the band until I was dragged here. He, um, he hid it well yesterday?” Maybe it’ll help if he says that Theo did not intentionally get a groupie into his bed.

He’s wrong.

“You already hooked up yesterday? ”, the guy all but growls.

Now Liam gets a bit defensive. “Yeah, you know, stuff like that happens sometimes. You are out, you meet someone hot and-- boom.”

“I know how a hook-up works, thank you very much.”, the guy says. He finally lets go off Liam’s arm to comb his hand through his beard leisurely. “I-- you can’t be back here.”

“Just lemme wait for Theo to be here?”, Liam offers. “Then we’ll leave anyways, I guess.”

“That’s my fucking problem.”, Beard hisses.

“Well, if you threw me out, people would see there’s a door, right? And then they’d try to come in. Groupies are crazy like that.” Liam’s not sure if he should feel like applauding himself for that quick thinking, but it’s a good argumentation, right?

And who is that guy even? He almost sounds like Theo’s not allowed to have contact to anyone outside the band - and if he truly thinks like that then he’s a shitty person. There, he’s thought it.

“You are aware you’re not really helping your case, right?”, the guy answers.

Liam sighs and pulls out his phone. “I am not a fucking fan, alright? Here, I got an invitation from Theo and all.”, he says and opens the chat.

Grudgingly the guy takes the phone of his hand, opening Theo’s contact (probably to check if the number is legit). He huffs in the end. “Huh, looks like I only have to kill him then. And yeah, best you stay for that after all. Make it really awkward for him so he fucking learns.”

“So he does that often?”, Liam sputters out before he can stop himself.

“What, go out and try to ruin his life with bad press?” He doesn’t even wait for an answer. “ No - that’s the thing. I thought at least he had understood the whole thing.”

Liam wants to ask which thing exactly, but he interrupted by laughter coming from somewhere down the hall. Only a few more moments and then the band is coming back, looking exhausted and sweaty but happy nonetheless.

“ Theodore Karl Raeken !”, the guy next to Liam suddenly shouts, making him flinch a little. “What the fuck do you think you’re doing?”

If either of them had expected Theo to look any surprised, they’re proven wrong. Instead, he sends a blank expression towards Beard™ as he lets his eyes take in the scene. When they meet Liam’s, he slowly pulls his lips into a smile.

Liam can’t help but return it.

“Derek, what’s up?”, Scotty says at the same time as the keyboardist asks, “Who the hell is that ?”

Instead of continuing to thunder around, Beard™ - the Derek who doesn’t like anyone to stay for breakfast, apparently - waits for them to be closer until he says something again. “Well, that’s something for Theo to explain.”

Theo’s eyes narrow at him a little when he comes to a halt next to Liam. It doesn’t stop him from bumping his shoulder against Liam’s in a way of greeting. Still, he looks more than annoyed as he says, “This is Liam. We’re going out tonight.”

Apparently that was a weird thing to say because at once all of the others start either frowning or talking. Liam can’t quite make out what Lanky Dude is saying because it’s so fast, but there’s definitely surprise written into his words. Honestly, it really starts to feel like Theo’s not allowed to go anywhere.

“You are single by contract.”, Derek says decidedly. And that in itself makes Liam understand: he’s the manager of the band. Is he even allowed to do any decisions about Theo’s private life? “ You have agreed to that.”

Theo doesn’t look any impressed by that reminder. Instead, he just rolls his eyes. “Yeah, and I’m still single. Just having a bit of fun.”

“Do you know how the fans would react if they found out you’re gay--?”

“Well, no way of knowing it now, huh?”, Scarf speaks up. If Liam didn’t know better, he’d say he seems slightly pissed. “For any of us.”

“We talked about this.”, Derek says, massaging the bridge of his nose. “If you all were to come out, people would think we’re doing a publicity stunt. And if only you came out--”

“I don’t need to come out!”, Theo protests. “Why would I go and tell the public that I might be starting to--” He shoots a look back to Liam and he’s blushing , which would be understandable if the roles were reversed and he were the one basically going ‘hey, how about we actually date?’ If anything, Liam has the right to go beet-red right now. Which he does.

“If you know what’s good you certainly won’t!”, Derek says firmly. “But the public will eventually catch on, believe me.”

“Do they, though?”, Scott chimes in. “I mean— we’ve all been safe so far.”

“What do you mean ‘ all ‘?” Derek squints. “Only Stiles has a girlfriend!”

Scott gulps. “Um.” He doesn’t say any more, but he quickly sends a look over to the curly-haired guy.

Derek catches it and looks from one to the other. Liam halfway expects him to explode, but instead he just sighs. He’s still scary, though, especially when he hisses, “You have got to be kidding me.”

Both of the men do at least look somewhat sheepish. So much, in fact, that Liam has to bite back a chuckle.

“I wouldn’t mind telling the press I’m bi.”, Lanky Dude - Stiles - speaks up. “I mean, go big or go home, right? If they don’t accept us, they can suck it.”

“You could easily lose most of your fanbase—“

“Do any of us want to have a homophobic - or whatever, really - fanbase?”, Stiles continues. He sounds serious and looks almost pissed.

The others don’t really say anything but they make sounds as if they were agreeing. Which, really, Liam would be doing, too, if he had any saying on the whole manner. He supposes he can see Derek’s side, as well, though. As their manager he’s supposed to look how they can profit the most and, like he’s said, they could be having serious deficits.

Derek doesn’t look any happy with how the conversation’s going. He rubs over his beard in thought and after a few moments he just sighs again. “This is not something we can decide in a single conversation.”

Stiles opens his mouth like he’s not agreeing with that at all, but Scott nudges his elbow into his side to shut him up. It works, even if the lanky man sends a dark glare into Derek’s direction.

He gets ignored, though. “Okay,” Derek says, “time to go home.”

He’s got them all trained, apparently, because just like that they start scrambling around. While they bend and turn to collect their bags, Stiles starts grumbling something; either to himself or maybe Scott, because he gets an answer from him at least.

“Let’s get out of here.”, Theo suddenly says, appearing in front of him. Even without knowing him that well Liam can tell he’s somewhat irritated - which is completely understandable.

Before Liam can reply anything, Derek steps up to them. “Theo, you can’t—“

“You’re not my mother .”, Theo says dryly. “I’m going out.”

“We can just go back to my place.”, Liam adds without thinking. Is this his dick talking? Maybe. “Nobody’ll see us.”

Derek still doesn’t seem all that happy with that offer, but after staring at him for a few beats, he nods. He turns to Theo again and reminds him, “You’re back at my place at noon, got it?”

As an initial answer, Theo scoffs. Then he sobers up a little and nods. He doesn’t look actually pissed at Derek any more, just a bit irritated, and Liam supposes he can understand it. Like he’s thought before: Theo seems to be immensely restrained in what he does with his free time… it’s not fair.

Derek just sighs again and turns around, leaving them to themselves.

And just like that, Theo reaches for Liam’s wrist. “Sorry you had to… witness all that. Let’s get out of here?”

Liams nods. “Uh, I-- Actually, I don’t have a car.”

Theo starts smirking at that and pulls him along. “Don’t worry. We’ll take mine.”

He leads them further down the corridor towards a staircase. Liam hadn’t even known there was a car park underneath the building, but there they are. He supposes that’s where the tour busses of all the bands must be parked usually, because you never see them outside the venue.

To his surprise Theo doesn’t walk up to a fancy sports car or anything, but rather an old truck. It’s quite charming, Liam thinks and starts smiling before he can stop himself. It’s good to know that fame hasn’t gone to his head.

He waits as Theo climbs into the truck and opens the passenger’s door manually. Climbing in himself, he doesn’t quite know what to feel - it’s so much, actually. Finding out who Theo really is, seeing that disaster with his manager, and yet it’s not like he’s feeling any differently towards him. He’s still hot and still sarcastic, and judging by the way his hand finds its place on Liam’s thigh, still horny.

Maybe he should just enjoy the night while it lasts before Theo moves on, being idolized by people everywhere.

Theo’s hand travels further up on his leg and he decides that, no , he definitely should just enjoy the night.

-

There’s a pounding against the door and Liam groans into his pillow. Only that it’s not a pillow, but the soft skin of the body he’s pressed against.

“ What the fuck ,” Theo mumbles, squirming a little where he lies.

“Since when do you lock your door, Li?”, Mason shouts. “Oh shit, you brought your date here ? You know Brett will be all over him.” And then there’s the sound of him going away again.

Liam groans again and turns a little, reaching up to cup Theo’s cheek. “Don’t talk to Brett.”

“Who is Brett?”, Theo mumbles with a little chuckle.

Liam rolls his eyes and finally sits up a little, looking down at Theo. He looks unhappy about being woken up like this, but there’s still an amused grin in place. His eyes are small and there’s the muster of the pillow pressed into his cheek.

“He lives here, too. Just ignore him.”

Theo lifts an eyebrow at that. “I’m not allowed to meet anyone either way, remember?”

“About that…”, Liam says. He massages his hand a little, trying to get the stiffness of the night out of it. “I doubt you’ll get out of here unnoticed. The kitchen’s got a perfect view of the front door.”

Now Theo leans up a bit, too, and as he’s propped himself up on his elbows there’s only a few inches between them. “Well, actually I couldn’t give any less of a shit about Derek’s rules, so that’s fine by me.”

“Those rules are stupid.”, Liam agrees. “Like-- you aren’t allowed to date but that Stiles guy is?”

“He’s been dating Lydia before we even had our first gig.” He tilts his head. “And back then, it didn’t seem like a big deal.”

“Not a big fan of relationships?”

Theo shakes his head. “Neither of sex, believe it or not.”

“Wow, I’m honored.”, Liam says dryly. He does feel something in his chest at that, though. The fact that Theo could possibly have anyone and then chooses him ? He can’t fully believe that.

When Theo starts grinning, still sleepy, he can’t help but lean over and press a kiss to his lips. He’s met with an appreciative noise and shifts, flopping one leg across his body so that he’s straddling Theo’s hips. He brings some space between them when Theo’s nails dig into his flesh.

“What time is it?”

Theo snorts. “Who cares? We’re staying till the evening, Derek’s bullshit about noon is nonsense.”

Liam thinks that he should probably argue about that - it sounds like there’s already enough tension between the band and their manager and he doesn’t particularly want to contribute to that. Right now, though, he’s too distracted to actually act up on that.

So instead, he just huffs and captures Theo’s lips again.

-

“You can go shower, if you want.”, Liam breathes, moving his thumb over Theo’s ribs. He nods towards the door and adds, “It’s a joined bathroom to Mason’s room, though. So best lock both doors.”

“Does he know who I am?”

“He knows you’re an insanely hot dude,” Liam smirks. “But about Nemeton ? Nope, he’s as ignorant as me.”

“I feel like I should be offended by that.”, Theo remarks.

“And are you?”

“Not in the slightest.”, he grins. “Wanna join me in the shower?”

Liam scrunches up his face. “I think I’m gonna check how much damage can be done downstairs.”

Theo pouts exaggeratedly. When it doesn’t have any effect, he shrugs. “Your loss.”

Snorting at that, Liam shakes his head. He scrambles up from the bed and walks over to his wardrobe to get some sweatpants. “Oh, by the way, I can lend you some clothes later? You wore yours while on stage, they probably smell like hell.”

He looks back over his shoulder and sees how Theo stretches himself across the whole bed. With the blanket pulled across the middle, Liam can’t help but compare him to, like, a painting of Da Vinci or whomever. Angelic and graceful.

“You won’t see those in a while then.”, he answers finally.

“Well, there is that thing called mail.”, Liam shrugs. “Heard you can ship anything.”

He can practically feel Theo’s eyes on him as he pulls on the pants, but he tries his best to ignore it. Sooner or later Theo has to leave and while Liam doesn’t really want it, he knows that it’s be better if he didn’t get into too much trouble with his manager. “Now, off you go.”

He waits until Theo actually is in the bathroom until he taps down the stairs himself. If Brett were to see him, then Liam’s sure he won’t hear the end of it for the next few months. The taller guy would keep annoying him about how he got such a guy into his bed and Liam’s pretty sure that eventually he’d recognize him when Lori shows around one of Nemeton’s music videos or something. Because he has no doubt that now that he’s said he enjoyed the concert, she’ll try to convince the others to check out the music, too.

There’s nobody in the living room and to his surprise he only finds Mason in the kitchen.

He’s greeted with a knowing grin. “Hey, you live!”

Liam ducks his head sheepishly and rubs the back of his neck. “Yeah,” he chuckles a little. “It was a long night.”

“That I can imagine!”, Mason bursts out, falling into the laughter he’s tried to hold back. “You want a coffee?”

Liam shoots a look to the clock - it’s just past 1, so he simply nods. When he turns to nod at his friend, he finds him staring at his neck. Instantly, he brings a hand up to cover it; he doesn’t need to ask if Theo’s left a hickey.

“Woah, that’s a monster.”, Mason breathes, his eyes wide. “Who was that guy?”

Now that’s a question Liam would rather not answer, so he simply shrugs a little and walks toward the coffee machine. He doesn’t know if Theo’ll take a long shower or a short one, but in either case he’ll only have to put out some clothes in about ten minutes, so he really can have a cup of coffee.

“By the way, Brett might kill you for leaving Lori alone in the middle of a crowd.”, Mason tells him sternly as he fills up a mug.

“Then he should’ve gone with her.”, Liam says without thinking. Actually, though, in retrospective he wouldn’t have liked that - seeing Theo in action has been too good. He adds, “She’s a grown girl, hell.”

“Yeah, anyway, he wasn’t too happy when she told him earlier.”

Liam chokes on the sip he’d just taken. “She’s been here ?” He really can be happy Theo’s decided to stay a few more hours then, can’t he? Otherwise he might have run into Lori and then--

And just as he thinks that there’s a loud shriek coming from upstairs.

“She’s still here.”, Liam breathes, feeling alarm rise up in his chest.

Mason opens his mouth to say something, but he’s cut off when Lori suddenly screams, “ Oh my God !”

Liam closes his eyes briefly, taking a deep breath and hoping that it’s not related to him. Maybe Brett’s shown her something exciting or something and that’s why she sounds like she can’t believe her life.

To his disappointment Brett calls down to him as well, “ Jesus , Dunbar! How’d you get him ?”

“Oh shit,” is all Liam can make at that. He sets down his mug and sprints towards the stairs - it’s no surprise that Mason follows him, that nosy ass.

“He really is that hot, huh?”, he can hear him say, but honestly, he’s got bigger worries right now than Mason being curious about what Theo may look like. Lori knows exactly what Fee looks like and if she’s seen him… Damn, he’s let the door to his room open, hasn’t he?

He feels the blood drain from his face when he reaches the top of the stairs and finds both Lori and Brett in his doorway. While he’s wearing a smirk, Lori is openly gaping into the room. “You-- You’re--”, she stammers, unable to finish the sentence.

“Lori…”, Liam says softly. He’s not sure what he can even say, how he’s supposed to explain it.

He doesn’t even get that far, because without looking at him, she asks, “Liam, why is the lead singer of my favourite band standing in your room and wears only a towel?” Her voice only shakes a little, even if there’s more than just shock written in her face from what he can see.

“Dude, what the hell ?”, Mason whispers behind him. In front of him, he can see Brett slowly turning towards him. He looks like he doesn’t know what expression to wear - surprise, fury and impressed at the same time.

He can hear Theo’s answer, surprisingly calm and maybe even teasing. “Oh, you’re the one who dragged him to the concert?”

“Not the time!”, Liam calls.

“Would you mind giving me clothes now? It’s getting kinda fresh here.”, Theo answers. He sounds genuinely amused at the whole mess. God , Derek will kill him.

Liam suppresses the urge to roll his eyes. Instead he slowly starts pacing forward, feeling everyone’s stares at him.

“You slept with Fee ?”, Lori shrieks, not moving out of the way in the slightest.

Liam grimaces when Theo corrects, “It’s Theo in private, actually.”

He turns his head and finds him standing in front of his bed, truly only wearing a towel around his hips and a smile on his face. He’s actually enjoying it. Liam’s going to kill him.

“Do you know that you’re an asshole?”

Theo simply shrugs. “Stiles keeps saying so.”

“I’m gonna faint.”, Lori announces, actually looking more ashen than before. She doesn’t even struggle when Brett hugs her shoulders to lead her away.

The tall guy sends him a dark glare, something that’s probably meant as ‘You better explain this later’ and also full of hatred. His own curiosity and surprise vanished completely at the discomfort of his sister.

“ You left the door open.”, Theo says when Liam’s finally entering the room. “I just came out of the bathroom when she-- She did really get a shock, huh?”

“I didn’t think she’d be here.”, Liam defends himself. He opens a drawer and pulls out a pair of sweatpants and an old tank top, throwing them at Theo.

He catches them easily, but he frowns nonetheless. “Are you pissed at me? Look, I’ll go give her an autograph if it’ll make her feel better, okay?”

“You really had to rub it into her face, did you?”, Liam drawls. “She’s got, like, a crush on you and you--”

“So do a lot of people.”, Theo answers dryly. “Besides, I’m gay, so it’s not like she--”

“I practically lied at her last night. I figured you wouldn’t like many people to know who you are and you just go and--” Liam shakes his head to himself. “You really want to have your manager fire you, huh?”

“He wouldn’t do that anyway. Like I said: many people like my face.”, Theo shrugs. “And yeah, of course I enjoyed that you didn’t know who I was. You were the first approachable guy my age in years who wasn’t just after me because of a fanboy crush, so sue me.”

Liam presses his lips together at that. It’s not hard to imagine that Theo would already have people ask him out just based on his looks, but he’s right - most people their age probably do know who he is. Unless they’re like him and Mason, who basically hide themselves away from popular musicians.

Speaking of, he doesn’t know whether Mason’s still in the hallway or if he went with Brett and Lori, but he doesn’t actually care either. Right now, he really doesn’t give a shit about his privacy.

He’s not sure what to reply either, so he just watches as Theo gets dressed.

“But honestly, you think it’ll help if I, like, let her take a selfie with me or something?”, Theo reasons as he ties the knot of the ribbons of the pants. He actually looks like he means it, honestly and not teasing at all. “I didn’t mean to shock her.”

Liam sighs. “Yeah, I know. Honestly, I feel like she wants to claw both our eyes out, but if you just leave she’ll probably regret it later.”

Theo thinks about it for a moment. “What was her name again?”

“Lori.” Liam frowns. What’s that gonna help?

Theo nods, repeating the name to himself a few times before he steps out into the hallway.

“Wait, what are you--?”, Liam starts, following him.

He’s interrupted when Theo starts suddenly belting out a song he’s not familiar with, his voice clear and bright and as stunning as last night. Liam can imagine that every time he sings Lori’s name it’s something different in the original, but it seems to fit the lyrics just fine.

It takes till the end of the first chorus until the door to Bett’s room opens. Lori looks out of it shyly, wiping at her eyes a little. God , she’d actually cried. Liam feels bad.

Theo doesn’t stop singing at that but turns towards her and continues in a low voice. So low, actually, that Liam barely makes out a word any more. He watches as Theo steps closer to Lori until he can reach for her hands. Her lips slowly pull into a smile as she looks up at him.

When he’s finished, she’s still looking at him. “Did you just improvise? For me?”

“You make it easy.”, Theo answers smoothly. “Sorry for-- for teasing you.”

“I just-- I didn’t expect, that’s all.”, Lori says quickly, wiping her eyes again. Liam’s not sure if he can follow the conversation at all, but he guesses that’s how fan encounters work sometimes. Shit , he’s known before that Theo’s got fans, of course, and that Lori’s one of them but this… it’s crazy. “I didn’t even know you were--”

“You’re the first fan to find out I’m gay,” Theo says lightly, chuckling a little. “Though I hope that might change soon. Think the fans’ll be mad?”

Lori purses her lips. “If they are, then they’re no real fans.”

“That’s the right idea.”, Theo nods. He shoots a look over his shoulder, raising an eyebrow at Liam. “See? She gets it.”

Liam bites his tongue in order to keep himself from sticking it out at him. He’s just glad that he’s already known before the concert that Theo is quite full of himself at times - in an endearing manner, one that has nothing to do with him being famous.

“So, do you want an autograph? A photo? Something?”, Theo asks Lori. “I’m leaving town tonight, so that’ll have to do for a while. I actually should already met up with the others a few hours ago.”

Lori just nods and pulls out her phone. She still looks a little tearful, but Liam supposes she really doesn’t care right now. Theo takes the picture, pulling her to his side for the moment and he’s not sure if he’s ever actually seen her that happy before. It’s so weird.

After that Lori disappears and comes back so fast that Liam wonders if she has supernatural powers. She’s gotten something to write out of Brett’s room, holding it out for Theo to sign. He takes his time to write something into it, quite a long text actually, and hides it from her view.

“I’ll hug you now, okay?”, he says when he hands the notebook back and Lori nods animatedly.

Liam decides that if it hasn’t happened before, then this is the point where he should probably leave them alone. He walks back into his room and starts collecting the clothes Theo had been wearing yesterday. He doesn’t know if they’d been specifically chosen for the concert or if they’re something he’d wear in private, too, but Liam thinks Derek would probably appreciate if he didn’t leave anything behind. He folds them and form a pile on the bed, ready for Theo to pick up.

It doesn’t take too long for him to follow, even if Liam’s surprised to find a genuine smile on Theo’s lips. He cocks an eyebrow at him in question.

“What if I told you that was one of the tamest fan encounters I’ve ever had?”

“You’re kidding.”, Liam says dryly.

“Nope, all true.”, Theo continues to grin. “That my clothes? Do you have an idea where my phone is?”

Liam snorts and hands it over to him. It had still been in the pocket of Theo’s jeans, vibrating the whole time that he’s been in the room. He’d thought whether he should pick up one of the incoming calls, but that would have been weird, wouldn’t it? At least he doesn’t have to worry about that anymore now that Theo’s free to do it himself.

“Huh, I guess I really should leave.”, Theo says, frowning down at it.

Liam snorts at that. “Probably.” He picks up the pile and hands it to Theo as well. “Come on, I’ll show you out.”

Liam’s just glad they do not encounter either Mason or Corey or even Brett on their way to the front door. Instead, he easily leads Theo down. What feels weird is how he doesn’t know whether to step out along with him or not. So, for a moment they keep hovering there, Theo on the porch and Liam still in the hallway.

“Hey,” Theo speaks up. He catches Liam’s wrist with his free hand, as if he didn’t already have all of his attention. “Our tour’s over in a few months and, like, Scott and Isaac definitely want to come back to Beacon Hills, visit family and all that. I was thinking of going with.”

Liam stares at him. He has an idea what Theo might be getting at but… what if he’s reading it wrong? Why would someone like Theo focus so much on him, a nobody who studies probably the lamest thing possible?

It’s like Theo can read his thoughts. “I meant what I said before. You’re the first one in ages to see me as a person . And, like I said, I like you . So… would you like to-- to meet up again when I’m back?”

Shit , he did not get that wrong. Did Theo just ask him out? How is that even possible? Realistically speaking, nothing about it even makes sense--

“Sorry, I shouldn’t-- I mean, I’m basically asking you to wait for me and that’s--”

Liam blinks a few times, making himself see clearly again. Theo looks like he’s about to flee, a bit red in the face. He puts his hand against Theo’s chin and makes their gazes meet. “ Theo . I’d like that.”

“You would?” So much relief in a single expression.

“Yeah.”, Liam nods. “But for that you’d still have to be alive, so you should probably leave.”

“Right. And you should try not to get killed by your housemates.”, Theo says. He leans forward and presses a swift kiss against Liam’s lips. “We’ll text?”

“Totally.”, Liam says, like an idiot. Then he releases Theo and watches as he shuffles down to his truck, wondering how long he can stay in this place without anyone coming after him.

-

“That’s you.”, Mason breathes and throws a tabloid down on the table. He doesn’t look enraged or anything, just a bit… Liam can’t describe it actually. There’s something positive in it, like giddiness, and then again something completely different.

He leans forward and looks down on the paper. It’s a teen magazine, sporting a big headline: “IS THAT FEE’S BOYFRIEND?” The picture posted along with it does, in fact, show him, holding hands with Theo after one of their dates. It’s actually the first one to appear since he’s come back to Beacon four months ago, which surprises him somewhat.

Ever since Theo’s come out to the public (Scott and Isaac had decided to keep their relationship under the wraps and Stiles may have said that he’s bi, but he’d also immediately mentioned his girlfriend, keeping the public away from starting to find him someone to date) there’s bene theories whether he’s been taken, whether a man in his life as led to his coming out, stuff like that. But now it’s the first time they actually have something real, something with proof. Almost everyone had reacted appreciative of him, though, so not even Derek could regret agreeing to have Theo do this.

Still, Theo had wanted to keep them a secret, and when Liam said he didn’t want to hide, that he wanted to have real dates, they’ve had their first big fight. In the end, though, Theo had agreed. Liam still can’t believe that he actually properly likes him - so much that he forgets about his own worries. Then again, though, according to Theo it wasn’t so much to hide their relationship , but to keep Liam out of the public. In retrospective, it’s been quite endearing.

“Congratulations, you’re able to identify your best friend.”, Liam says dryly. “Anything special?”

“Nope,” Mason makes. “They have not the slightest idea who you are. Matter of times that they ask around, I guess.”

“Oh, if they do, tell them my name is Clark.”

“Do you want them to make Superman edits of you?”, Mason wants to know. “Actually, don’t answer that. You probably do.”

“Theo will flip out at this.”, Liam says, nodding at the paper again.

“I’ll tell Brett to badmouth you in front of him, then he’ll be distracted.”, Mason promises. “He loves the attention and Theo will quickly jump to your defense. It’s a win-win, really.”

Liam snorts. He probably should have seen it coming, but Theo and Brett actually have struck up quite a wild friendship. They’re mostly snarling at one another whenever they are in the same room, but they also drink or play video games together.

Even Lori had soon become adjusted to Theo’s role in her life. For the first month while Nemeton was still on tour, she’d ignored Liam. Then she’d heard him out, accepted that he really didn’t have any idea who Theo was and they became almost normal again. Then Theo came back, actually started dating Liam and while she wasn’t exactly jealous, she still kept blushing whenever they were in the same room. She’s just about to stop with that.

And just at that, the doorbell rings. Liam grimaces. “You better go and get Brett then.”

There’s no surprise that Theo starts yelling as soon as the door opens, holding out his own copy of the magazine. It’s almost funny how predictable he’s become, but Liam knows better than to burst out in laughter.

Who would have thought how weird it’s gonna be to start dating a celebrity?