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Liam moved around the house at a rushed pace, trying to put the popcorn into the microwave before Theo arrived. He promised him buttered popcorn and Theo would be here any minute. Liam ripped open the packet and tossed it inside, putting it on for two and a half minutes.
The pair had been dating for a few months now, after the battle with the hunter’s, everything had simmered down and the pair had found comfort in one another’s presence. Often choosing to spend time together, outside of pack activities, they actually had a lot in common. From horror movies and video games to skateboarding and arguing over which snack is better.
Liam wasn’t good at skating, but Theo had been adamant about teaching him.
He grabbed a bowl and placed it onto the bench, hearing the microwave ding at the same time as the phone rang. He reached for it and pressed the answer option while opening the steaming bag of popcorn. “Hello?”
“Hello, Liam.”
The deep voice replied, sending shivers down Liam’s spine. He double checked the number, not surprised when it was unknown. “Who is this?”
He heard a laugh coming from the other line, the voice was deep and almost mechanical. “What’s your favourite scary movie?”
Liam rolled his eyes. “Why do you wanna know?” Of course, it was a prank caller. Halloween seemed to bring out the worst and weirdest people, even things as harmless as prank calls made him feel uneasy around this time of year.
“Cute shirt, that colour suits you.”
Liam couldn’t help but turn around on instinct. He was just wearing a simple blue shirt, nothing fancy and there was no way this man knew that. “Sure, bye weirdo.”
Liam hung up and placed the phone onto the bench. He poured the bag of popcorn into the bowl, the phone ringing at the same time and startling him. He felt his heart drop at the ring, anxious to answer the call as it read, unknown number.
“Hello?”
“Don’t fucking hang up on me.”
Liam hung up immediately.
He dropped the phone to the ground and rushed to the front door, making sure it was locked—it was. He repeated the same for the back door, needing that knowledge of security. His heart finally began to calm down, beating slowly and returning to its normal rate.
Bang bang bang!
Liam jolted as the front door began to pound. He couldn’t help the whimper that escaped, his hand flew to his mouth in an attempt to silence himself. The phone began to ring again, the same unknown number desperately trying to get ahold of him.
He answered the call and put the phone to his ear, hearing heavy breathing on the other end. “Open the door, Liam.” The boy felt shivers ride down his spine. “Don’t make me hurt your little friend.”
Liam’s eyes widened and he realised what the caller meant. It wasn’t him– it was Theo. He rushed to the door and looked through the peakhole, seeing Theo stand on the other side with his usual frowny face. He quickly opened the door and pulled Theo inside, locking it immediately and hanging up the phone.
“Liam– what–” It was a blur for Theo. One second he was standing in the cold and the next he was being snatched into the house. “Are you okay?”
Liam nodded even though he wasn’t really sure how true that was. His hands were still shaky as he slipped the phone into his pocket. “J-just some stupid kid making a prank call, I’m okay.”
Theo brushed his shoulder gently before entering the kitchen. The buttery smell of popcorn was the first thing he caught, “smells good.”
Liam smiled and followed him, only now talking his eyes off the door. “I made it for you.”
“Very sweet,” Theo replied, pecking a kiss at Liam’s forehead. “Who makes prank calls nowadays anyway, that’s old school shit.”
Liam gave an awkward laugh. “I think they were watching me…”
Theo whipped his neck around and met Liam with concerned eyes. “Excuse me, what? Watching you, what makes you think that?”
Liam began to fidget with his sleeves, averting Theo’s gaze. “They called a few times and just then they said, don’t make me hurt your friend… I think they saw you at my door.”
“Is that why you pulled me inside?”
Liam nodded. “I didn’t know if it was real or just a prank– I didn’t want to take the chance.”
“I wish you told me earlier, I would have gone looking for them and–”
“Which is why I didn’t want to tell you,” Liam interrupted. He took Theo’s hands in his own and brushed Theo’s palm with his thumb. “I know how protective you are and don’t get me wrong, I love it. But not when it can put you in danger, I didn’t want you to get hurt.”
Theo sighed. He understood what Liam meant but that didn’t make it any easier for him to accept defeat. “Can I sleep over? I don’t want you here alone.”
Before Liam could reply, the phone began to ring. Unknown caller flashing across the screen, he immediately showed it to Theo. The chimera opened his hand to take the phone and answer the call. “Care to explain why you’re harassing my boyfriend?”
Liam couldn’t help but flush at Theo’s words. He watched with puppy dog eyes how Theo continued to handle the call, using his supernatural hearing to hear the other male begin to stutter.
“Keep making prank calls and I’ll give you a reason to be breathing so heavy, buddy. Leave my boyfriend alone or else I’m going to rip you apart with my bare teeth. Do I make myself clear?”
The call ended, except this time it had been the creep to hang up. “That was kinda hot,” Liam admitted, making Theo laugh.
“Anything for you, love.” He placed an arm around Liam and led him to the couch, the popcorn bowl in his other hand. “Still wanna watch a scary movie?”
“Maybe, as long as you stay the night.”
“That can be arranged,” Theo snickered.