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Home.
Such an odd concept for someone like Theo. A boy scorned by his own shameful actions. Once condemned to an underground hell for an eternity.
Liam had slid the word 'home' so naturally into conversation that he had to do a quick Wikipedia search within his mind to pull up the definition. Throughout Theo's ruthless time dismantling the pack, the meaning of the word got lost along the way. Home was no longer a safe and comfortable place to reside in. Instead it was a sign of weakness. A sign that you had to place to let down your walls, wipe clean the messy slate and start anew. For Theo, there was no time for relaxation and certainly no time for mistakes; each passing second was a second closer to his goals- his promised dream.
But of course, none of that mattered now. He was out of that place. It was nothing but a bad dream.
The lights burned brightly as Theo drove. He'd offered to drive Liam 'home' after the fight, seeing it fit too since Liam had no way to get back.
"Thanks for coming," Liam suddenly said, breaking the awkward silence. "I honestly don't know what I would have done if you hadn't shown up, so thanks."
Theo nodded, squinting his eyes as the oncoming car's headlights flashed at him.
Liam turned his head to face Theo and stared at him thoughtfully. "I'm serious, you know.."
"I know," Theo said, clearing the back of his throat as he shifted in his seat.
"Do you have anywhere to stay?" Liam asked him, tilting his head in question. "Because I have a free couch available if you need somewhere to sleep..." Looking down, he fiddled with the piece of stray string on his jacket, feeling somewhat shy to be asking Theo that. The question he'd posed seemed rather intimate for two enemies.
Theo thought about Liam's question for a moment, deciding whether or not he should disclose his current situation. Vulnerability was also a weakness. People could use whatever you tell in confidence to their own advantage. But for some reason, Liam wasn't a threat. He often found that his steel walls weren't up around the beta. Though adrenaline coursed through his body whenever he was near him, it was for an entirely different reason. A reason he could never quite understand- but accepted, nonetheless.
"I guess I could take you up on your offer. Consider it a 'I help you; you help me' scenario." Theo shrugged one shoulder, acting completely nonchalant when he knew, deep inside, that this was affecting him in ways he had never imagined. His heart wasn't thundering behind his ribcage for nothing.
Liam scoffed, shaking his head. "Of course."
Theo narrowed his eyes at the humourous look on his face so he took his eyes off the road for a split second to glare at him. "What?'
"You never change. It's always gotta be like that: you getting something out of a good deed you've done."
"You offered," Theo simply said. "I was just trying to make sense of it all. It's not as if you didn't feel the slightest bit inclined to be nice to me because of what I did."
The younger boy had a hint of surprise on his face and continued shaking his head, but in disagreement this time. "Not at all. I was being nice to be nice. Not everything has to be a trade or a way to pay off a debt."
Startled by his honesty, Theo could feel the edge of his lips rising.
"Cool," Theo said after a few minutes, a ghost of smile cracking through his usual expressionless face.
Liam smiled back. An unstoppable heat rose to his cheeks as soon as his eyes met Theo's darkened ones under the dim light, so he quickly twisted his head to window, looking out of it as if nothing had happened.
As if something integral hadn't just shifted between them both, which would eventually alter the entire foundation of their relationship for years to come.