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Despite how much he bitched about it, Theo really didn't mind driving Liam places. The kid still hadn't passed his driver's test – road rage was a major obstacle, obviously. So for the time being, Theo was more or less Liam's personal chauffeur, and honestly? He kind of enjoyed it. A lot.
Not that he'd ever say that out loud.
On this afternoon in particular, Theo was supposed to drop Liam off at a dentist's appointment; from the second Liam got in the truck, Theo knew something was wrong. He could smell it – acrid and unavoidable, like cigarette smoke.
Maybe Liam just really didn't like going to the dentist.
"Remind me again why your mom can't drive your ass around?" Theo asked on the way there, looking over at Liam, who had been abnormally quiet the entire time.
"'Cause I'm eighteen and that would be embarrassing," Liam mumbled, looking pointedly out the window.
"I think your mom's pretty cool, actually."
Liam snorted. "Yeah right."
"No, seriously. She makes really good spaghetti."
Theo saw Liam crack a smile out of the corner of his eye.
When they reached the dentist's office, Theo parked and waited for Liam to climb out. But he just sat there with his seatbelt on, eyes cast down and bottom lip between his teeth. And just when Theo was opening his mouth to ask what was wrong, Liam spoke.
"I got accepted into UCSB."
Theo blinked, taking a second to process this. Liam was going to college. Liam was going to get a history degree and start teaching at some school, and the students would love him, because he was Liam, and there was nobody quite as lovable. And Theo... Well, Theo would stay behind, because what else could he do?
Liam was leaving.
"You don't seem very happy about it," Theo remarked after awhile, because it was true. Liam looked (and smelled) pretty miserable.
"I am," Liam insisted, practically choking the words out. "I mean... Yeah, I'm super stoked."
Unconvinced, Theo raised both eyebrows. "But..?"
Liam shrugged. He looked more helpless than Theo had ever seen him. "I dunno. I guess I'm just scared to leave."
"Beacon Hills?"
"Everything."
"You'll be okay," Theo told him, because he couldn't think of anything better at the time. Liam would be okay. He had to be. He'd survived so much weird bullshit at such a young age – berserkers and werewolf hunters and Theo himself. Of course he'd survive college.
"Theo?" Liam asked out of nowhere, sounding terribly small.
"Yeah?"
"Would you... Shit," Liam muttered, scrubbing his face with his hands. "Please don't laugh."
"No promises," Theo admitted, and Liam glared at him from between his fingers. Not wanting to be overly dickish, Theo humored him, prompting, "Would I what?"
Liam sucked in a breath and let it go in one magnificent whoosh. "Would you come with me?"
"To Santa Barbara?" Theo asked, eyebrows furrowed, because surely that's not what he meant. Right?
"Yeah, to Santa Barbara."
Oh. So that was what he meant.
Naturally, Theo was caught off guard by this. He'd already resigned himself to getting left behind and losing one of the very few people who gave a shit about him. Why would Liam want him to tag along? What purpose could he, a recently-reformed asshole with way too much baggage, possibly serve? And, more importantly, why was his heart beating so damn fast?
Liam must've taken Theo's stunned silence as a bad sign, because he started nervously rambling.
"Only if you really want to, obviously! We could, like, rent an apartment near the campus. I found some pretty cheap ones online. We could even get a cat!" Liam added all in one breath, then deflated a little, studying the hands in his lap. "I just really want you there. With me. Because you make me feel a lot less scared about... Everything."
And just like that, Theo understood. He understood his purpose, his real purpose, and it had nothing to do with being cut open and hijacked by strangers with false prophecies. Understood what an honor it was to be needed, no, wanted by somebody who'd seen him bogged down with blood and hate, clawing for all the power he could reach.
Liam wants me to go because he likes me. And I like him. And that's all that really matters.
"Okay," Theo said at last, a slow smile spreading across his face. "I'll go with you."
Liam snapped his head up, eyes damn near popping out of his face, and the sight of it made Theo laugh. "Wait, seriously? Holy shit. I didn't think you'd actually... Wow."
"Only if I get to name the cat, though," Theo added, and Liam nodded vehemently, offering a hand that Theo readily shook.
"Deal."
"People will think we're dating, y'know," Theo pointed out as he untangled his fingers from Liam's own. He'd meant it as a joke, something to make Liam squirm and wrinkle his nose, but Liam just smiled.
"Yeah," he murmured. "I know."
They looked at each other for a moment, Liam's face split wide open with hope and Theo's heart beating way too damn fast again. He watched, deathly still, as Liam finally unbuckled his seatbelt, watched as he leaned over and took Theo's face in his steady hands.
And when Liam kissed him, it was with the sweetness of somebody who really, truly wanted him. Despite the blood. Despite the hate. Despite the way he'd clawed for all the power he could reach, wicked and warped and painfully fucking alone.
Theo kissed Liam back, eyes fluttering shut. He'd lost the appetite for carnage a long time ago. He wasn't alone anymore.
"Santa Barbara, here we come," Theo murmured against Liam's lips, and Liam laughed.