Archive of Our Own

Summers in Beacon Hills are definitely the best part of the year. The town has been mostly peaceful ever since the Anuk-ite was defeated, so summers are made for no homework, no tests, very little responsibility, and most of all, a lot of free time to get into trouble. 

On top of all that, the older members of the pack that went away to college come back to visit and stay for their vacations, meaning everyone is back together again. That’s definitely one of Liam’s favorite parts. He’s close with everyone who stayed in Beacon Hills to finish out high school, of course, but he loves having everyone back together in the same place. It makes Beacon Hills feel more like home. Also, in the spirit of summer, more people means more fun and more chances to get into the aforementioned trouble.

Scott and Stiles have a party going just because they were bored and wanted something to do, and Liam’s obviously not complaining about that. While he had been kind of doubtful of Scott and Stiles’ party-throwing skills, considering the last “party” he got invited to by them was actually to tell him he was a werewolf, but as it turns out, they have what it takes. It’s a small party, being only the McCall pack and the people who are McCall pack-adjacent like Jackson and Cora, but it’s still one of the best Liam’s ever been to.

It’s made even better by the fact that Theo is drunk, and Liam doesn’t mean sort-of drunk, he means drunk . All of them have known about the benefits and blessings of wolfsbane-spiked liquor, and quite a few of them, including Liam, have tried it more than a few times. Theo isn’t one of those people. Theo’s healing might be slower than born or bitten werewolves, so he’s been able to get a little buzzed off normal alcohol, but he’s never been affected enough to be completely and totally drunk.

Liam is eternally grateful to somebody up there that he gets to be there for Theo’s first time drinking. It’s funny as hell.

The chimera is loopy and loose in a way that Liam wasn’t sure he was even capable of, and nobody quite knows how to handle it. The only thing Liam knows is that everyone seems to like Theo better when he’s drunk if they didn’t like him before. Even Malia is able to talk to him now (although she’s probably banking on him not being able to remember her being nice to him in the morning) without wanting to punch him.

It’s needless to say that Liam’s having a great time, especially because Theo is wandering around aimlessly and that gives Liam an excuse to wrap his arm around his waist to help him stay reigned-in. Theo’s doing some weird tapping thing on Liam’s shoulder as Liam tries to ignore it and talk to Malia, Kira, and Scott, but he missed the beginning of the conversation anyway so nothing makes sense. 

At least Liam understands what happens next. During a lull in conversation, Kira finishes off a bottle, looks at it with a thoughtful expression, and then holds it up to Scott. “Spin the Bottle?” She suggests, and before Scott can agree or disagree, Malia ‘whoops’ loudly and calls it out to everyone else.

Theo and Liam somehow get separated and put into different parts of the circle that’s formed on the floor of Scott’s living room, but Liam doesn’t really mind. If he’s lucky enough to get Theo to play a damn party game, especially one where he might get to kiss him, he doesn’t have to be next to him all the time. Liam gets sandwiched between Mason and Malia, and across the circle, Theo’s next to Lydia and Kira. Kira takes the first turn right away. The bottle lands on Scott, which makes Malia, her girlfriend, boo, but all three of them are laughing as they kiss.

It takes a couple minutes for Liam to get kissed, but the bottle lands on him eventually. The first time it lands on him, it’s because Mason spun it, which makes the entire circle laugh. Liam grins, leans over, and kisses Mason for a second. “It’s not like we haven’t done that before,” Mason mutters, knowing well and good that everyone in the circle is able to hear him, and everyone laughs again. 

What? Liam might’ve needed some help figuring stuff out in freshman year. He’s not ashamed.

It’s Liam’s turn to spin the bottle next, and as he watches it go around, he hopes that his thinking isn’t loud enough to give him away. As the bottle starts to slow, Liam holds his thumb in his fist nervously, saying one name over and over again in his mind. Instead, the mouth of the bottle points to Brett, who’s sitting kind of in the middle of the space between Theo and Liam. Liam rolls his eyes only sort of jokingly and moves across the circle to kiss him. He does it harder than he needs to and bites Brett’s lip just to annoy him.

When Theo spins the bottle, he spins it without much finesse so that it ends up spinning completely off track and hits Malia in the knee. He does better the second time around, even though it would’ve been perfect if it landed on Liam , but at least it actually lands on someone that time. 

Stiles’s eyes just about bug out of his head when it lands on Lydia, who smiles at him sweetly just to tease her boyfriend. Theo grins and leans in to kiss her soundly on the mouth, and Liam resists a sigh. He looks like a good kisser. 

The game still has time, though, so hopefully he’ll find out.

As the game progresses, pretty much everyone gets kissed, excluding the people in the circle who are literally related, since there are multiple Hales here. The bottle lands on Liam again and he kisses Kira, he spins it and he moves onto Nolan, and his next spin lands on Scott, which is weird and kind of like kissing his brother or something, but he gets it over with. He’s more focused on who Theo is kissing anyway.

Theo spins the bottle again and it lands on Malia, who lets him kiss her but then (somewhat) playfully shoves him away by the forehead. Then, Lydia lands on Theo again, which would definitely be awkward if he was less hammered. Most interesting of all is when Theo spins the bottle and it lands on Brett.

Brett grins widely and crawls towards Theo, who meets him in the middle, and their kiss isn’t awkward. Theo’s been drunkenly giving his all to pretty much every kiss he’s had so far, but Brett hasn’t been - except for this one. He takes Theo’s face in his hands, kisses him with tongue , and leaves Theo a little bleary-eyed. Liam does think it’s funny, even though the sight is accompanied by a short, sharp jab of jealousy in his chest.

After that, Liam goes through a dry spell when it comes to being landed on. The circle is too big for Liam to get his turn too often, so after he kisses Scott, he doesn’t get anyone else. Neither does Theo.

He almost gets the chance to take his turn after Mason gets done with his, but before he can, there’s a commotion in the kitchen. “Jackson and Ethan are making out in the backyard, everyone come slutshame them!” Cora jokingly yells, and considering that this is a pack, most of them follow along.

Liam doesn’t go, since the PDA he sees from Mason and Corey on a daily basis makes it so he doesn’t blink at anything anymore. Instead, he heads to the bathroom to straighten himself out, just a little disappointed that he missed his last chance to kiss Theo for tonight. Oh well, he thinks as he looks in the mirror. There could be other times.

He makes sure his hair is okay, pulls his shirt so that it doesn’t look so wrinkled, and then steps out. Everyone has pretty much dispersed into their own little groups again now that the Jackson-Ethan jeering has concluded, so Liam looks around in search of something to do. When he doesn’t find anything in the living room, he decides to head to the kitchen for some chips as a next choice.

+++

Theo somehow makes his way into the kitchen without bumping into too many people or things in search of snacks and someone to talk to, since it seems like everyone disappeared all at once back in the living room. He knows that at one point he knew why everyone left, but he forgot it already, so now he’s accepted it and is moving on. Theo kind of likes being drunk. It makes it a whole lot easier to move from person to person and talk to them, even if it makes moving - period - somewhat harder. He stumbles around the kitchen, setting his sights on a storebought cookie on a napkin, and doesn’t think twice before putting it in his mouth.

It’s Derek’s cookie, but he doesn’t find that out until it’s halfway shoved into his face, and it’s kind of too good for him to care, anyway. Derek doesn’t seem to mind, either. He even helps Theo by grabbing him by the elbow when he almost trips over his own foot standing still. 

“Having a good time?” Derek asks with amusement in his voice. Theo’s not sober enough to realize that he’s being made fun of, so he nods and grins as he swallows his bite of the cookie. “I never would’ve thought you’d be a happy drunk.”

Theo just nods again, even though he only half-understands what he’s agreeing to. “I don’t know, Der, I’m pretty happy,” He slurs, blinking slowly and contentedly. He wants another one of those cookies.

“You looked pretty happy back there,” Derek says, referring to the game he’d opted out of. “How was your first ‘Spin the Bottle’ experience?”

Theo grins lazily, eyes closed and nodding. “Fuckin’... awesome ,” He says, breathing out the last word. There’s a beer on the counter, which is also Derek’s, that he reaches out for blindly. Since it’s Theo’s...well, something-ith and only Derek’s second, Derek has the mind to put a water bottle in his hand instead. Theo barely notices that the drink tastes different. “I got to kiss him, an’ I’ve been in love with him for months… ”

Derek, who’s still holding onto his elbow, smirks. “Oh yeah?” He teases. “Who do you think you kissed tonight, Theo?”

Theo recognizes that Derek’s trying to question him, but isn’t quite sure why. His eyebrows furrow and he looks at Derek with confusion. “...Liam?” He says like it’s obvious.

Derek pats him on the back. “I think you’ve had enough for one night,” Derek says, starting to push him towards the back door to sit with him and let him get some fresh air. 

+++

While Liam’s on his way to the kitchen, he stops in the hallway, against the wall by the doorway and unseen, and smiles. He can hear Theo and Derek in there talking. When Theo and Derek first met around the time the Anuk-ite was defeated, Derek hadn’t liked him at all, but things had definitely changed. Liam always thinks it’s cute when they’re talking, since they made a little friendship together where they can brood and talk about misunderstood-man-angst things together. Even though Liam wouldn’t mind having Theo’s every bit of attention, it’s also nice to know that he’s well-adjusted enough to have other friends, too.

Liam’s not really sure what they’re saying at first, even with his enhanced hearing, but he starts to figure it out when Derek brings up Spin the Bottle. He sounds amused and Theo’s clearly not aware of it. 

“You looked pretty happy back there,” Derek says. “How was your first ‘Spin the Bottle’ experience?”

“Fuckin’...awesome...I got to kiss him, an’ I been in love with him for months...”

Liam’s smile drops as fast as it came.

Did he hear that right? Theo saying he just kissed someone he’s been in love with for months?

Theo didn’t kiss Liam during the game, which is disappointing enough in itself, but he just said he was in love with someone he did . Someone who isn’t Liam . 

“Him.” Him, him, him... 

Theo only kissed one boy tonight as far as Liam knows, and Theo’s been by his side all night up to this point, so it would be pretty hard for him to have gotten to anyone else. Theo only kissed one boy tonight, and that boy would have to be Brett. 

Theo’s in love with Brett?

The thought makes Liam want to do a whole lot of things. It makes him want to cry, scream, and be sick all at once, and he’s pretty sure he’s about to do a combination of the three, so he skips going into the kitchen for chips and instead heads up to Scotts’ bedroom, knowing he wouldn’t be mad if he went up there to chill for a minute. His slightly-inebriated mind needs some time to gather his thoughts, even though they aren’t any more pleasant once he fully processes them.

Later that night, Liam finds himself in the backseat of Derek’s car, since he sobered up and offered himself as the pack’s designated driver for the night, with Theo half-passed out and his head resting on Liam’s shoulder. Since they live together, which Liam already knows is just going to make everything about this whole Brett thing even harder to deal with, he has to help Theo up the stairs and basically roll him into the bed in the guest room that’s been converted into Theo’s. If he’s a little less careful about it than necessary, he feels guilty, but only a little, since Theo kind of deserves it for being in love with such a fucking dickwad instead of someone who would actually treat him right.

+++

Liam’s had a lot of time to think about what he overheard, having stared at his ceiling for hours and trying not to actually scream when he got to bed last night, but he’s still not over it by the time he wakes up and gets downstairs for breakfast. The world has never seen a boy eat Frosted Flakes more angrily than Liam is now.

His parents are still asleep and none the wiser about where Liam and Theo were last night, which is kind of a miracle considering how hard it had been to maneuver Theo’s 200-something pounds of muscle and dead weight up the stairs and into bed. Well, considering the way Liam can hear Theo clunking around upstairs, it isn’t a miracle yet . If Theo throws up or knocks something over, they’re busted.

A few minutes later, while Liam’s still shoveling cereal into his mouth and trying not to text Brett a series of passive-aggressive messages, he sees Theo at the top of the stairs. At least he’s put together enough that he won’t get them caught - he hasn’t thrown up, he showered and got changed so the stink of alcohol is mostly off of him, and he’s not stumbling around half-dead like he was last night. The only thing incriminating is the way he’s rubbing his head and the space between his eyes as he comes down the stairs, but a headache is easier to explain away to doting parents than Theo being completely immobile.

That doesn’t mean Liam’s any happier to see him, though. The wounds are still fresh. He makes sure to mask his chemosignals so Theo couldn’t tell how irritated and exhausted he is at eleven in the morning as Theo walks into the kitchen. 

Theo goes for a glass and fills it up with tap water, taking slow sips of it while he leans on the counter. “Hey,” He says, his voice hoarse in a way that Liam’s nerves usually melt away at. Theo’s sleepy voice is something like the eighth wonder of the world, but now it’s almost mocking to hear. Theo wants Brett to hear his sleepy voice. 

“Hey,” Liam says back, keeping his eyes on his bowl of cereal. The flakes are starting to get soggy from too much thinking and not enough eating, so he just pushes them around with his spoon. 

Theo comes and stands across from him, and Liam’s for once glad Theo doesn’t decide to sit down at the table with him. “So, I didn’t do or say anything stupid last night, did I?” Theo asks, rubbing the space between his eyebrows again. “I don’t remember a whole lot.”

Yes , Liam wants to say, You did. You professed your love for fucking Brett Talbot, and that’s pretty fucking dumb.

Instead of saying that, Liam just shakes his head. “Nope,” He says, offering nothing else. Theo looks at him for a second, obviously not very convinced, but leaves it at that. Liam’s grateful. If he has to talk about the party for a second longer than he already has, he might actually explode.

+++

Liam’s anger about Theo and Brett subsides for a while as he manages to put it to the back of his mind, but the next pack meeting is held on a Wednesday, so it all comes roaring back just a few days later.

Theo and Liam go in together as always, Theo having driven them there after retrieving his truck where he left it at Scott’s house, but he heads off into the living room. That’s normal, since Theo is usually driven by snacks and that’s where Scott usually puts them out, but the living room is also where Brett happens to be. Liam clenches his teeth as he watches Theo come and sit next to him on the couch like it’s nothing and start eating the little mini pretzel sticks with him. 

Mason comes over and starts talking to Liam after a few minutes, going on about something he and Corey did that he already told him about a few days back, but Liam stays focused on drilling holes into the back of Brett and Theos’ heads. They’ve started throwing the pretzel sticks and bouncing them off each other, and Liam just about sees red. He knows it’s a petty thing to be mad about, but he and Theo do that. Theo’s supposed to be throwing pretzel sticks at him , not Brett .

“...So anyway, that’s when Corey takes out the LSD, and the strippers all go crazy ,” Mason says, then pauses. Liam snaps out of it.

“...Sorry, what?”

Mason rolls his eyes. “I knew you weren’t listening to me. I recited half of ‘Green Eggs and Ham’ a minute ago. Where’s your head at?”

Liam looks away from him and goes back to glaring at Theo and Brett. There’s a pretzel in Theo’s hair now, which is not where pretzels belong, with the exception of them being placed there by Liam. 

Knowing Theo would be able to hear him, Liam nods towards the upstairs, and he and Mason head into Scott’s room, which is becoming quite the place for Liam’s anger spirals. As soon as the door is shut behind them, Liam sighs. “Theo’s in love with Brett.”

Mason blinks at that. “...Sorry, I don’t think I heard that right. A-are you sure?”

Liam sighs and nods, defeated. “I heard him talking about it with Derek back at Scott’s party. He was talking all about how his first time playing Spin the Bottle was so awesome because he got to kiss the guy he’s ‘been in love with for months,’” Liam explains, his fists clenching at his sides. 

Mason leans back against the door, eyes wide. “Oh. Wow ,” He breathes, looking just as surprised as Liam is. “I mean...I knew they were kind of friends, but I never thought that he…”

“Yeah,” Liam says, chewing his lip. “I know.”

Mason gives him a sympathetic look and goes forward to give him a hug. Liam needs it, and it feels nice, but he thinks he’d like it better if it were Theo hugging him after assuring him that he isn’t in love with Brett. “I’m sorry, man,” Mason says, patting him on the back. “I really thought he liked you back.”

Liam nods. “Me too.”

He doesn't have a ton of time to wallow, since Scott calls them all to attention a minute later, telling them to gather so they can get started. Liam and Mason go back downstairs and head into the living room.

Theo seems to catch Liam’s scent as soon as he walks in, because he looks back at him and throws the pretzel in his hand. It bounces off Liam’s forehead and he catches it before it hits the ground, but it doesn’t make him feel any better. It might be a normal gesture for them, but now Brett’s involved, and Liam wants no part of it.

+++

There’s another time when Liam wants to tear his hair out because of Brett, too. About a week later, Liam and Theo make plans to go to the gym. Liam thinks he was pretty clear in saying that it was just him and Theo going to the gym downtown to work out for awhile, maybe spot each other if they need it, but somehow, Brett ends up being there. Liam might be known to fly off the handle at any given point, but he’s still polite when he isn’t in rage mode, so he doesn’t tell Brett to kindly fuck off like he wants to.

The three of them go to the gym, and at first, it seems like things aren’t too bad. Theo talks to both of them on the way over and in the locker room. He tells them that he doesn’t really have much of a routine when he works out and kind of just does it all, but that ends up leading to Brett insisting that Theo tries his. Now Liam feels like a third wheel as Theo and Brett discuss how to properly work their biceps and triceps.

As Liam lifts weights his own way while Theo follows along with Brett, he has time to think since he’s been excluded from the conversation. 

He and Brett used to be friends in middle school and the early years of high school, both having been driven by their athletic goals and similar love of lacrosse. They met at Devenford prep when they were only thirteen with limbs they hadn’t grown into yet and heads that were still a little too big for their bodies, but that didn’t stop them from going far. A lot of their friendship was built off of things like this, going to the gym and exercising together.

Liam looks over at Brett, who’s barely breaking a sweat and flexing his muscles to demonstrate. He guesses he understands why Theo finds Brett attractive, even if he doesn’t understand the attraction on the personality front. Liam admittedly used to have a crush on him too before everything between them went to shit. When they joined the lacrosse team together in freshman year and Brett shot up to 6’4 like it was nothing, growing muscles and broad shoulders to match, it was kind of hard for a still-shrimpy, 5’6 Liam not to look at him. As much as he hates to say it, Brett was probably part of his bisexual awakening.

It still pisses him off to this day how good Brett looks, even though Liam doesn’t like him like that anymore. While Liam had marveled at how downright hot Brett was back then, there was also the element of competition between them that’s always there. No matter what, they were competing for something, whether it was who could score the most goals, run the most yards or lift the most weight. Brett would do things like hurl lacrosse balls at him even before Liam destroyed the coach’s car and race him on the track until Liam felt like he was going to puke. 

But then, after Brett suddenly got a hundred and eight percent more attractive, it got personal . Their competitions weren’t only about athletics and strength anymore. These competitions were unspoken, but they were still there nevertheless; they were things like who could get a date to the winter formal first (Brett), who could do more pull-ups to impress the girls (Brett), and who could get with Lizzy Wilson, the girl they both liked (Brett). Brett always won, because he was always considered better than Liam both athletically and attractively.

Liam’s never been able to match up to Brett in any way, even after he was bitten and got superhuman abilities and a lot more muscle. He’d never be as strong, as muscled, or as tall as Brett is, and that’s why Theo pays attention to Brett in that way and not Liam. Theo probably likes the guys that look like they haven’t eaten a gram of sugar in their whole life and could touch the ceiling without standing on their tiptoes. Liam bites his tongue hard to ground himself when he imagines Brett getting something off a high shelf for Theo, which Liam would never be able to do for him. 

He’s lost yet again to Brett, and this time it isn’t bragging rights or a schoolyard crush. It’s Theo , who Liam’s literally imagined himself marrying once or twice or a hundred times when he falls asleep.

Theo and Brett are both lifting one hundred-pounders next to him, so Liam goes for the two hundred ones instead. He takes them off the rack, squares his shoulders in the mirror, and starts to lift, just to show Brett that he isn’t beating him at this. He catches Theo looking at him through the reflection, but he ignores him. This is more about getting back at Brett than getting Theo’s attention. 

It’s short-lived. Liam can bench press a whole lot more than four hundred pounds, but that’s when he’s properly warmed up and on his back - he hadn’t been planning on lifting this much when he started, so he didn’t warm up like he usually does. He feels his muscles crying out in protest until he feels the sharp tug of a pulled muscle, and he groans. “Fuck,” He breathes, dropping the weights on the floor and rubbing his forearm. Theo and Brett both look over at him.

“You okay?” Theo asks, sounding slightly amused, but there’s some genuine concern laced in there, so Liam doesn’t glare at him like he would’ve if he’d just straight-up laughed. He does, however, glare at Brett, since that’s what he’s doing. 

“I’m fine,” Liam grits out, reaching for his water bottle by his feet. He’s not lying - his arm will heal in a few minutes, but Brett’s still laughing and lifting, so he’s not interested in staying any longer. “I’m going back to the locker room.”

He has a hard scowl on his face as he makes his way back to the locker room, making some of the gym goers around him look at him weirdly, but he keeps on his way. Behind him, he vaguely picks up Brett and Theo’s voices.

“You could go after him,” Brett says.

“I would, but he’d probably bite my head off if I tried to help.”

The two of them break into laughter a second later and Liam huffs out a breath as he makes it to the locker room. Even though he’d actually love it if Theo came to check on him, it’s obvious that he wouldn’t. He’s right. Liam would probably lash out if he followed him. That’s just another thing that Brett has that Liam doesn’t - the calm, collected nature that Theo needs to compliment his own.

Liam’s never felt quite so inadequate.

+++

One night, while Theo is asleep and unaware in the next room over, Liam dreams about a wedding. Usually when Liam dreams about weddings, they’re either his mom and his stepfather’s wedding he went to when he was a kid, or the hypothetical future wedding of him and Theo. Liam is a sap that way. There are always white flowers on the pews and they’re both wearing fitted black tuxes, and Theo looks fucking beautiful. It’s dreams like those that remind Liam how deeply he really loves Theo, and it takes him by surprise sometimes.

However, tonight’s wedding dream isn't the same at all. His worries manifest themselves into it, so instead of Liam standing at the altar with Theo, Brett’s there. It’s a dream, so he’s exaggeratedly tall and even less proportional than he is in real life, but it’s still clearly him. 

In the dream, he and Theo are getting married, and they look happy. Usually, Theo’s gleaming eyes in his dreams are seen close up, since Liam’s standing at the altar with him, but tonight, they aren’t. Liam’s not even close to Theo. He’s viewing this wedding from the f ourth fucking row in the pews; he didn’t even make being one of Theo’s groomsmen, because that’s how little he actually means to him. 

Most of the time, Liam’s dreams are hazy and he forgets most parts of them when he wakes up, but when Liam literally cries himself awake at four in the morning, he can remember every detail. Somewhere along the way, the wedding turned into some big octopus-monster invasion like dreams tend to spiral off to, which probably says something about what a dire situation Liam thinks a Theo and Brett wedding would be, but he still remembers what made sense. 

Liam wipes the tears off his tired face and represses the urge to groan out loud, knowing that Theo’s a light sleeper and would hear him through the wall. Instead of making noise himself, he does it by punching a pillow repeatedly. He pummels the poor unsuspecting thing until the pillowcase starts to slip off, and it only offers a little bit of relief. He goes back to sleep angry and stays that way for the next few hours. At least he doesn’t have any more Theo/Brett dreams.

+++

Liam’s in need of a night out when Mason and Corey suggests that they go to Sinema with a group, so Liam agrees before they even tell him what night they want to go. Anything to get away from Theo and the house for a night would work.

“Do you think Theo would want to come?” Corey asks, which kills that thought. Well, Liam doesn’t really need time away from Theo , per say. He guesses it’s okay if Theo comes along to the gay club with them…

+++

And of fucking course, because Liam can never catch a break, Brett is there when they show up. Honestly, he should’ve known. Brett was there the first time Liam went to Sinema, and he seemed like a regular back then, so he shouldn’t be surprised that he’s there now. 

Along with Liam, Theo, and Brett, Mason, Corey, Malia, Kira, and Derek are there, too, which gives Liam some hope. Maybe they won’t all split up, and if they do, maybe Theo will choose to go with Derek and not Brett this time, since he hasn’t seen Derek in awhile.

They all go into the club together easily. Even though everyone is at least eighteen by now, Sinema has pretty much never cared about the age restrictions they’re supposed to have in place. Liam’s pretty sure he could’ve just gone through the front door as a sixteen year old without Hayden’s help that first time, considering some of the other barely-legal guys he sees get in when he does.

Mason and Corey also frequent Sinema together, so they all head to one part of the bar that they claim as their home base for the night. Corey passes out some glow bracelets and necklaces as Mason gets a head count for everyone and starts talking.

“Okay, guys, remember the buddy system,” He says above the loud music. “Everyone’s gotta pair up with someone to keep track of for the night. Nobody goes outside or to the bathroom without their buddy.”

Liam opens his mouth to claim his buddy, but Brett beats him to it. “Theo’s my buddy,” He calls, already heading towards the dance floor and encircling Theo’s wrist in his hand. Theo doesn’t seem to have any issue with that, which makes Liam’s mood turn sour right away. He just follows Brett onto the dance floor, and Liam has to look away. The plan for tonight was not to watch Brett and Theo grind for two hours.

Corey and Mason both look at him sympathetically, since they’re obviously already buddy’d up with each other, and Malia and Kira are too. That just leaves Derek, who Liam’s never really gotten to be friends with, who’s standing behind him with his arms folded across his chest. 

“I guess we’re buddies,” Derek says in the flattest, least-fun tone he could’ve possibly said it in, not that Liam’s too attached to his plans of having a fun night anyway. “I’m not dancing with you.”

Liam rolls his eyes and slides onto a barstool, figuring already that he’s going to be there for the rest of the night. “Wasn’t planning on it,” He shoots back, resting his chin on his hand while his elbow leans on the bar.

Loud, stereotypical club music has never sounded as bad as it does tonight. The beat pumps in his ears like a fly buzzing around his head. Every song change is just a new nuisance for his overly-sensitive ears to get used to, and by the time he’s starting to get used to it, it switches. Liam is usually able to stand being in the club and even enjoys it, but that’s when he’s consciously trying . Now, as he watches helplessly as Theo and Brett dance together, he’s definitely given up on trying to have fun.

The two of them are at a further corner of the dance floor and people keep walking in front of them so Liam can’t see, but when he does, he’s not sure if he’s happy about it or not. As far as he can tell, they’re not doing anything too explicit over there. They’re not kissing, their hands stay above the waist and below the neck, and there’s none of the grinding that Liam was worried about. Still, seeing them together doesn’t sit right with him.

They’re talking about something, and since Liam can’t read lips and really can’t hear over the music and other people, he can’t pick any of the conversation up. He really has no clue what they could possibly be talking about in this setting, either. If two people are dancing together at a club, usually they’re talking about how hot the other one is, not, like, the weather or something.

Liam white-knuckles the drink he has in his hand. He doesn’t even know why he ordered it; it won’t do anything for him since it isn’t spiked, and it tastes horrible and burns going down. When Theo laughs at something Brett says so hard his head tilts back a little, Liam grips the glass with enough strength that it almost breaks. 

“You’re scaring the locals,” Derek says, looking around at the people around them who haven’t even noticed at all, but Liam thinks fuck the locals anyway. Liam scowls at him. “What’s your problem?”

Liam just shakes his head, not wanting to answer. His eyes are still glued to Theo and Brett, who have gotten too close for Liam’s comfort. Theo’s arms are around Brett’s neck and Brett’s hands are on the small of his back like Liam’s should be, and it sends a wave of pure jealousy and anger washing over him. 

Out of the corner of his eye, he sees Derek trying to follow his line of vision. His eyes land on the same thing Liam’s are fixated on, and he honest to God smirks a little. “Hm,” He murmurs to himself, looking at Brett and Theo with him.

Brett does this thing where he lets Theo a little loose just to pull him back even closer, Theo laughs again, and Liam scoffs. “It’s like- God , they might as well just have sex in the middle of the floor,” Liam gripes, knowing he’s being overdramatic and one-hundred percent not caring. 

Derek takes a sip of his own drink. “If you didn’t want to see people being gay, maybe you shouldn’t have come to a gay club.”

Liam glares at him, at a loss for words, because one, Derek knows that’s not what this is about, and two, the entire pack knows Liam is bi. “That’s not-” Liam flounders anyway before his face falls into a hardened, resigned expression. “Fuck off , Derek.”

Derek tips his head Mason’s way. “Can’t. Buddy system.”

Liam doesn’t remember Derek being this much of a smartass before.

Liam goes back to his brooding, which Derek is a good companion for, at least. That’s probably why Theo hangs out with him so often if he isn’t with Liam or Brett. He nurses his disgusting drink, tries not to hate the music too violently, and ignores the guy staring at him from down the bar. A healthy person in this situation would give him a chance, since he looks nice and really interested, but Liam is not a healthy person, so he continues to be mad about the love of his life dancing with the biggest douchebag on planet Earth and makes no attempt to fix it or get over it.

Eventually, Brett and Theo have to take a breather, and they come up and stand on either side of Liam while they get some water from the bartender. Brett doesn’t talk as he chugs a water bottle in a way that should really be reserved for a gym, but Theo’s hand comes to rest on Liam’s shoulder as he leans over and grabs his own. Liam pointedly tries not to look at either of them too hard.

He doesn’t get to ignore them for too long, though, because Theo pulls on the shoulder of his shirt until he looks at him. “We should dance,” Theo says above the music, which completely surprises Liam, but he follows him out onto the dance floor anyway.

Now, Liam imagines things like this happening a lot - couple-y things, sexual things, tension-y things - but they’ve never played out quite like this. Usually Liam’s fantasies are geared more towards Theo’s own brand of subtle but still-there affection, and nothing as obvious and enthusiastic as Theo pulling him out to dance with him. Before tonight, Liam didn’t even know Theo could dance.

But he’s good at it, as Liam finds out from experience. He’s really good. His body moves naturally and loosely to the music, and the sight is so bizarre that Liam barely knows what to do at first. Theo is usually so measured in everything he does, even when he’s around the house. He moves with purpose and clear intent, giving no one the chance to catch him in a vulnerable position to attack him, either verbally or physically, which for the most part means he’s stoic and stands like a brick wall. What Liam is seeing now is so drastically different he loses his breath. Theo’s hands come around his waist like it’s nothing, and his hips move to the rhythm of a song he obviously doesn’t know, both unpracticed yet perfectly synced. His eyelids occasionally flutter shut, getting lost in the music and movement, and if Liam looks closely, he can see that Theo’s cheekbones are glimmering in the strobe lights. Somewhere along the way, Theo had purposely put pink body glitter on his face, and the realization is so strong that it feels kind of like a punch in the stomach.

It’s getting everywhere, too; the stuff just floats around Sinema no matter what, so he has both his own and other people’s glitter all over him. It’s on his face and focused on the cheekbones, but little flecks have been displaced and moved under his eyes and one’s above his eyebrow. It’s getting into his hair so it looks even more shiny than usual, and it makes Liam itch to run his fingers through it and spread it out even further. 

There’s also a single piece of pink and gold glitter on Theo’s bottom lip, and Liam almost loses it when he sees it. 

Theo has always been beautiful in a way Liam will never understand, and he’s just unlocked a new type. There’s the kind of beautiful Theo is when he’s just gotten done being serious and kicking someone’s ass, the way he smirks down at them and looks proud of himself in a vaguely dark way. There’s the kind of beautiful Theo is when he laughs, the way he tries to hold back the smile on his face before he dissolves into laughter. There’s the kind of beautiful Theo is when he’s just sitting at the counter eating breakfast, a completely neutral expression as he performs a task only someone painfully in love with him would find so incredible. And now, there’s the kind of beautiful that Theo is when he’s right in front of Liam, completely sober but still so drunk on life and lost in it, that makes Liam almost want to cry.

So Liam presses back, wraps his arms tighter around Theo’s neck and starts trying to mirror his movements. Theo, with his eyes still closed and head tipped back, grins and lets Liam know he’s doing this right. He’s giving Theo’s energy back, and it feels so, so good. 

He finds out very quickly that there really isn’t anything to talk about when he’s dancing with someone. Or maybe that’s just Theo and the effect he has on him. Either way, they don’t have to speak. Theo’s biting his lip as they move together and Liam feels himself smile.

Dancing with Theo feels like a piece set into place, like something that should’ve happened a long time ago. He’s so close, and if he wants to, he can tip his head just a little further up and catch his lips in a kiss. He could do anything he wanted now; run his fingers through his distractly stunning hair, bite softly at his plump bottom lip, spread that glitter even further around and get some on his own face, too. He could have that if he just moved a few inches forward.

A hand on Theo’s shoulder interrupts that thought and their eyes both fly open, Theo’s in interest and Liam’s in fear. Someone’s trying to take Theo away from him, and when his eyes zero in on the threat, he’s not surprised at all. There’s Brett, standing behind Theo with a suggestive look on his face and pulling him in so the two of them can dance instead.

Over Theo’s shoulder, Brett smirks at him, and it’s game on. He gives them a few seconds to dance together, but he takes Theo back just as easily as Brett had taken him from him. Theo raises his eyebrows at him but goes right back to dancing like nothing even happened, putting his hands on Liam’s shoulders.

Liam looks at Brett challengingly, daring him to take him from him again, but he should really know better. Brett always chose Dare when it came to those games, even the silent ones, so just as Theo accidentally trips a little and bumps himself even closer to Liam, Brett takes him away.

It’s a competition, and Liam knows it, but he also realizes it’s not one he needs to be fighting in. As he sees Theo start dancing with Brett again, multiple things settle in at once. One is that Theo doesn’t seem to mind getting passed around between them. Dancing with Liam was just for fun, nothing else, so obviously he doesn’t care if Brett interrupts. Another is that Liam has had the proof for weeks that Theo would rather be dancing with Brett, anyway. He said it himself back at Scott and Stiles’ party. The third, which goes along with the second, is the sobering realization that no , Liam can’t have all that. He can’t have Theo because Theo simply doesn’t want him. It’s this thought that thrusts him right back into the cold reality, one where Theo’s in love with Brett and they’re working their way up to their next kiss, which could very well be tonight if Liam fucks off and leaves them alone.

There’s not a lot else for Liam to do, so that’s exactly what he does. Brett raises an eyebrow at him in question, but Liam just stalks off towards the bar to find Derek.

“I’m leaving,” He grits out, not even looking at him. 

Derek scoffs. “So much for the buddy system, then.”

Liam just rolls his eyes and walks out the door, knowing well and good Derek Hale would punch the lights out of anyone vaguely threatening, so he doesn’t feel bad at all about dishonoring the buddy system.

+++

Angrily eating things seems to be a trend in the Dunbar house lately. Liam skipped dinner to go out since his parents weren’t and still aren’t home, so he’s standing at his kitchen’s breakfast bar and making himself a plate of cheese and crackers for comfort just as much of a priority as nutrients. That’s also when Theo decides to come home.

Theo comes into the kitchen, and Liam only spares him a quick look. The glitter he put on his face got wiped off at one point, but he’s still vaguely shiny with the little micro glitters that never really come off even if a nuclear blast hit them, and he looks pretty well put together. Theo and Brett didn’t end up having sex on the dance floor that night, from the looks of it. Liam misses when this wasn’t something he had to be worried about.

Theo tosses his keys on the counter next to Liam and goes to the cabinets to search for something to eat. “How did you get home?” He asks. 

Liam keeps making his cheese and crackers as he answers shortly. “Walked.”

“In the dark? Alone?” Theo asks, concern creeping into his voice. Liam rolls his eyes.

“Yes.”

Theo comes up to stand next to him, shouldering him out of the way so he can steal Liam’s snacks. He grabs a cracker and pops it into his mouth like it’s nothing, and Liam looks up at him with a scowl. Theo raises an eyebrow, amused. “You know, Derek said you looked like you wanted to throw a bitch fit when you left,” Theo says, chewing. “I thought he was exaggerating.”

Liam gets out another cracker and cuts another piece of cheese off the block to replace the one Theo ate. “Derek Hale doesn’t exaggerate . You of all people should know that by now,” He says, completely avoiding the subject. 

“So you do want to throw a bitch fit?”

Liam bristles. “ No . And stop calling it a bitch fit, that’s dumb.”

Theo doesn’t listen, because of course he doesn’t. He leans on the counter and looks at Liam as he pretends to consider it. “Hm. No, I don’t think I will,” He says, shaking his head. Liam rolls his eyes and keeps his sights set on his snacks so that he doesn’t try and deck Theo in the face. Theo, on the other hand, doesn’t seem at all concerned for the safety of his nose bridge, because he keeps talking. “What’s the wolf cub got his panties in a twist about this time, anyway?” He asks.

He leans down to steal another one of Liam’s crackers, and if Liam couldn’t smell Brett on him before, he certainly can now. Theo’s in his house, right near him , and he smells like Brett . Theo is supposed to smell like apple bodywash and Liam, not an outsider . Liam slaps his hand away in frustration, takes his plate, and goes to stand at the counter instead of the island. 

Theo scoffs. “Come on, I’m hungry,” He says. Liam grits his teeth and cuts the block of cheese a little more aggressively than he needs to. 

He’s gone this far without bringing up Brett at all, figuring it would be easier that way, but he’s too stressed tonight to keep his words to himself. He doesn’t regret it at all when he says it. “Get Brett to make you a snack, then,” He snaps back, keeping any anger out of his voice so that he sounds passive-aggressive instead of just aggressive-aggressive.

Theo pauses, standing behind him. “Are you mad atBrett right now? He didn’t even talk to you the whole night,” Theo says, sounding confused and like Liam’s entirely stupid.

Liam sighs, the energy leaving his body all at once as he leans with both hands on the counter. He looks at the window above the counter, seeing Theo’s reflection in it where he’s standing with his hands in his pockets, genuinely waiting for an answer. He really doesn’t get it, Liam thinks, and he shuts his eyes.

“Just…” Liam breathes, feeling the fight leave him all at once. He’s been through this for too long to hold it back anymore, so it comes out as a plea instead of some passionate, over-the-top display that he’s known for. “Why him ?” He asks, not bothering to care how weak and questioning his voice sounds. “Out of everyone you could have chosen to spend your time with, you had to choose him . There are so many nicer people out there that you could be around. You could’ve had anyone you wanted, and if it was someone else, I’d even be able to get over it, but no. It has to be the guy that makes me want to punch you both in the head whenever I see you together, it has to be the one guy that you know I can barely tolerate on a good day. He’s a dick ,” Liam sighs. He doesn’t have to look up to know that Theo’s still standing exactly the way he left him, saying nothing. His silence is telling enough. “But whatever , it’s fine. Go get married and have your perfect chimera-werewolf hybrid babies, I don’t care,” He says as if he’s a child, completely contradicting everything else he just said.

One of the reasons Liam fell in love with Theo in the first place is because he’s used to and patient with Liam being a stubborn, sometimes un-understandable idiot when he gets worked up. When he turns around to face Theo, he looks exactly like he always does when Liam’s like this - there’s a small, amused smile on those lips of his, and his arms are folded across his chest.

Theo takes a second to reply, and of course, it’s nothing Liam can work with. “I think you might be overestimating my weird biology. I don’t think even I could carry ‘perfect chimera-werewolf hybrid babies,’ ” Theo says. Liam rolls his eyes and slumps back against the counter, defeated. “So, you’re mad because Brett and I are friends and you don’t like him?”

“ No ,” Liam says with a sigh that turns into more of a groan. Maybe he’s not the stupid one in this situation. “I’m mad that you’re in love with Brett, and it’s not only because I don’t like him.”

Theo pauses again, but he looks different. He has this confused, completely taken-aback look on his face, which is rare, since Theo can pretty much always understand whatever Liam’s saying. He’s thrown him for a loop. “...Wait, what ?”

Liam rolls his eyes. “Don’t play dumb. Spin the Bottle at Scott’s house, three weeks ago. You kissed Brett and then went and talked to Derek about how awesome it was to play because you’ve been in love with him for months. I heard you. I was standing in the doorway,” Liam says, his voice becoming strained and angry again as his heart aches at having to relive the memory. Theo blinks at him. “And after all that time of sitting in the circle and watching my bottle land on anybody but you when I spun it, even though I was only playing the game hoping that I was going to get a chance to kiss you, I wasn’t exactly happy to hear about your little Brett fantasy and then watch you and him follow each other around like lost puppies. So, yeah , I’m a little mad. Is that what you want to hear?” Liam asks, throwing his hands up. 

Theo doesn’t answer him, his eyes narrowed and looking at Liam scrutinizingly, so Liam decides he’s had enough. He completely forgets about his plate as he starts to walk off. He’s not hungry anymore anyway.

“Whatever, it’s fine. You obviously see something in him that you don’t see in me, and I’ll just have to live with it.”

He doesn’t get too far, because Theo reaches out and grabs his wrist. Liam rears back and glares. “What the hell are you doing ?” He snaps as Theo pulls him back, trying to yank his arm away from Theo’s strong grip. 

“If you somehow didn’t notice ,” Theo says, completely ignoring Liam’s struggle. “I was really fucking drunk that night, so I have no idea what conversation with Derek you’re talking about.” He’s gripping Liam’s wrist uncomfortably hard, and Liam’s still trying to pull it back, but he keeps talking, making sure Liam is looking right into his eyes. “In fact, I was so fucking drunk that I didn’t even know I kissed Brett. I thought I kissed you . So whatever I said to Derek about ‘being in love with Brett’ wasn’t actually about him.” Liam stops trying to struggle, looking up at Theo with wide eyes. He can’t believe what he’s hearing. He thinks maybe he passed out at the club or something and this is all a dream, but he feels Theo’s skin on his own and his green eyes are too clear in their determination to be fake. “It was about you . So if you could stop looking like you want to tear my head off every time I walk into a room, that would be great.”

Theo’s words are dismissive, but everything about his body language isn’t. Theo still has Liam’s wrist locked in a warm, large hand and held up, and his eyes bore into Liam’s like he’s waiting for something. They don’t only look at him with determination; there’s a vulnerability under there, the nervousness that he’s somehow about to be rejected, that makes Liam want to positively ruin him. 

He pulls his wrist away and Theo lets him, but Liam jumps on him a second later. He’d always imagined their first kiss being a lot softer, but their lips meet in a crash that Theo returns barely a second later. Theo gets backed up against the wall with no complaints, wrapping his arms around Liam’s neck and pulling him as tightly to his body as he can.

Despite being the one pushed on the wall and at Liam’s mercy, he’s the one nibbling at Liam’s lips and licking into his mouth with no hesitation. It makes Liam briefly wonder where the hell Theo learned how to kiss like that, since this definitely isn’t his first time, but he doesn’t want to think about it, so for once in his life, he simply doesn’t . Instead, he tangles his fingers into Theo’s hair like he’s always wanted and kisses him hard, drawing noises from Theo that he can’t hold back.

“W-wait,” Liam breathes when they break away to gasp for air. “S-so what was all that with Brett?” He asks.

Theo scoffs, out of breath but still desperately going to kiss and suck at Liam’s neck. Liam pushes him back and reverses it, showing him again who’s really in charge. “Are we really talking about Brett right now?” He breathes as Liam sucks behind his ear in a way that makes him shudder.

“ Yes ,” Liam says, biting there, and Theo gasps. “He was all over you.”

“We’re just friends,” He says as strongly as he can given what Liam’s doing to him. “He’s just one of the people who doesn’t care about my past, that’s why we hang out,” He says as he pulls Liam’s face back to his own for another kiss. “And about the touching part, he’s a dick. He probably knew . He likes making you mad.”

“Motherfucker…” Liam breathes into Theo’s skin, shaking his head. Theo gulps.

“Can we stop talking about Brett now?” He asks breathlessly, pulling Liam by the belt loops of his jeans so they’re closer all over. Liam groans.

“God, please .”