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Time passes at a whole different pace when, on top of school work, one has to fight for their life every other day. And protect the people that want you dead.
Those very things are how Liam ended up knee-deep in missed assignments, failed exams, and then other upcoming tests piling up as well—oh, and—coach is already on his ass about missing practice one time. Kick someone when they're down, why don't you.
He never considered himself lucky, but now it just feels like one disaster after another. He still remembers starting high school after the nightmare that was his primary school, making intricate plans with a hundred percent success rate (that same optimism kept him going after transferring) for not making an idiot of himself the very first day, and then keeping the streak going till graduation day. Now, he has no idea if he will graduate.
Having kicked off his shoes, Liam rushed to his bedroom and threw his backpack in the corner, a loud thump echoing in the room. He flung himself at his bed—bed that was almost invisible under the flood of papers and books scattered carelessly across it—and groaned, hands tangling and pulling at his hair. To make matters worse, he had no idea what University to even apply to and how to get one of his werewolf-hating teachers to write him a recommendation letter. With grades like his, it had to be a good one.
Liam hadn't even noticed the second heartbeat in the room, far too deep in the ocean of self-pity. Theo glanced at the mess on the floor, a result of Liam's bag landing on the nightstand and throwing everything off of it (another thing Liam had not noticed) and cleared his throat.
He dragged his hands across his face as he stared at Theo without saying a word, figuring his mess of chemo-signals already told the boy more than he ever could.
Theo picked up one of the papers from the bed and took a second to examine it, before crumpling and throwing it into the bin. He made the shot, too. "Fuck math," he shrugged, making a space for himself on the mattress. "chemistry too, I guess." He then muttered as yet another failed assignment caught his attention.
Were they to say that about every subject he's doing his absolute worst at, they would be talking for longer than they had before Theo went to hell. Which doesn't say that much, but it's still a long time. Liam reached for a lone book discarded by his pillow and tossed it at him. Biology. "Can you help me with that? I have two days to learn all of it." He muttered, too exhausted to make himself frown. And if his body didn't regenerate just about anything, he would have eye bags the size of a swimming pool.
Theo sighed, his eyes scanning Liam before settling on the wreckage that was his room. "Rough day?"
"Rough year."
"I could help you, but if I'm being honest you don't look like learning fun facts about the human body right now," he stood up, gathering the various documents and textbooks, and laying them down neatly on the desk. Liam watched him confused, his eyelids heavy from sleep deprivation. "How many subjects are you behind in?"
"All of them." Liam grunted, annoyance seeping into his voice as he tried his best not to lash out on Theo. Naturally, it wasn't his fault, he simply had the misfortune of living under the same roof as Liam. But, having to be hyper-aware of his every move, every twitch of muscle, any time he went outside drove him crazy on top of already feeling crazy. And it wasn't even the supernatural kind of anger that he threaded on, it was the most boring and ordinary academic pressure one could imagine, though ever since the events of the Anukite had transpired, every sour expression of his was interpreted as him being ready to pounce. Thus, his house—given his parents weren't present—was his sole space to feel all of his emotions the way he wanted. "Listen, if you're not gonna help then give me those books back, I really don't have much more time to waste."
Theo furrowed his brows and a faint bitter-sweet scent wafted through the air. Liam stared at him blankly, only reminded that he didn't put much time into learning chemo-signals, either. Jesus, since when is his life falling apart so damn hard? "I will help you," the chimera made his way back to the bed to sit down by Liam's side, right on the edge. "But you'll break your teeth with the way your jaw is clenched."
"You don't sa-"
Before Liam could finish his sentence, two hands firmly grabbed at his shoulders, manhandling him to the side, thumbs immediately pushing through the knotted muscles. "Try not to think about anything for at least twenty minutes, Liam." Theo whispered, leaning closer to his nape.
Liam's entire body had stiffened almost immediately as he expected everything that could normally be expected from Theo—to be called a wuss and told to get his life together—but not this. They got close ever since Theo had moved into the house, and sure, he had to admit that Theo saving his life (more than once) did it for him, but he always was under the impression that the boy would run from any form of touch like it was fire. Which, figures, all things considered, but it is the reason why he looked so shell-shocked. That and the fact that Theo seemed to know what he was doing.
After a second, he straightened up, Theo's thumbs still tracing circles at his muscles. He peeked over his shoulder to see a completely neutral expression on the chimera's face, like it was nothing. And really was it anything?
"I appreciate the gesture and all," and he really did—he had just now realized that stretching before exercise may not be something exclusive to humans—but he never quite knew how to handle things like those with Theo. Things that should be considered nothing but normal and nice were it anyone else. They just had to be complicated and mean. "but if I fail that biology exam, I repeat the year." He hushed his voice for the second part of the sentence, unbeknownst to him whether from embarrassment or fear that it will somehow find its way to his parents.
Theo ceased his movements for a moment and Liam watched as his eyes fell on the book again, a not-so-subtle smirk forming on his face. "It's on anatomy, right?"
"Yeah and it sucks,"
"Doesn't have to," he began, standing up from the bed and cracking his knuckles. "Take your shirt off."
Liam blinked, not missing the way his heart-rate spiked up and how Theo was sure to have heard it. And yeah, he had, because he smiled like an asshole. So back to the typical. "I'm sorry, what?"
"How exactly am I meant to teach you anatomy through layers of fabric?"
And Liam furrowed his brows, his brain slowly piecing the pieces together. "Oh."
Theo laughed, gesturing for Liam to lay down on the bed in a form of a question. "I'm all about making a virtue out of a necessity."
He blinked about a hundred more times as he stared dumb-founded at Theo, his brain still trying to work up if it's some kind of a ploy and if he's gonna end up with a few broken bones as the 'lesson'. It wasn't even that he was ashamed of his body in any way—well, he liked to think he was actually pretty good-looking—but his relationship with Theo has always been different. Not the usual friendship where you always know where you stand or what to expect, they were all: accidental eye contact, a twitch of muscle in the right (or wrong) direction, misplaced gestures and ugly comments. And just when Liam managed to find comfort in that, Theo would smile and bring him breakfast or come up with an excuse to his parents for when Liam fucked something up. He would then, because of course he would, roll his eyes when Liam tried to reciprocate.
"So? I can always just ask you questions if that's what you'd rather." Theo spoke, breaking the silence that Liam had no idea for how long went.
Fuck it. "No, no- I guess I did pull some muscles in practice," he laughed, more nervously than he meant to, and took of his shirt as to not embarrass himself further. "and what better way to learn, right?"
Theo drew his brows together, an almost mocking puff escaping his lips as he zeroed in on the heart thumping in the small room. "Right."
Liam chewed on his bottom lip, offering an awkward nod before settling down on his stomach on the bed, waiting for Theo to work his magic.
He felt the mattress sink as Theo sat next to him, his hands falling back to where they previously kneaded his shoulders. Liam hummed quietly before he could stop it, a faint blush he hoped to hide in the pillow painting his face. “Deltoid,” Theo said, thumb pressing into the curve of Liam’s shoulder.
“Ow. Okay, yeah, I know that one."
"Your shoulders are nice," the smile on his face could practically be heard in his voice, the boy slowly moving his fingers along his frame. "we should go to the gym together sometime."
"Um, sure, why not, totally." Liam blurted out, then decided maybe he should add something because all that wasn't a very good look for him, but the words died in his throat when Theo's fingers slid to the sides of his neck, a wave of heat traversing his entire body at the feeling.
“Sternocleidomastoid,” the chimera pointed out, hands continuing with the up and down motion.
"That can't be a real word."
"Oh, it is. Direct your complaints elsewhere, I would have called it 'the sides of the neck'."
Liam laughed, the sound turning into somewhat of a purr—again, fuck you body—totally uncalled for, and he stiffened again because what else was there to do?
"Liam, it's a massage, it's okay for you to enjoy it." Theo rolled his eyes, pushing at his muscles harder, eliciting yet another reaction out of the boy. Liam was almost disappointed when the hands left his neck and moved lower, stopping to work at the knot beside his shoulder blade. He hissed, shifting slightly before the pain would turn into relief.
"And what muscle is that?"
He closed his eyes shut in hopes of his memory kicking in and tried his absolute hardest to visualize the picture he spent hours staring at yesterday. Having Theo's hands so on him wasn't doing best for his focus, either.
"Something with a t, wait, I think I know it," he mumbled, wincing slightly when Theo's movements turned rougher. Fuck, why wouldn't anyone tell him werewolf healing was dog-shit at actually taking care of sore muscles. "Trapezius!" Liam finally yelled, almost too excitedly. It was one of the few he managed to remember as it reminded him of math figures. And well, the shape of a shoulder blade.
Theo clicked his tongue, his head shaking from side to side. "So close," he moved his hands even lower down his back and Liam shivered. "Upper trapezius."
"God, I hate you."
"Sure," he traced circles around his lower back, blunt nails gently scraping at the skin as they went. "And what's here?"
And he thought for a moment, racking his entire biology knowledge around in his brain, little there was, before giving up with a sigh. "My ass? I don't know." And maybe he would never admit it, definitely not to Mason nor Corey, but Theo's touch was actually nice. His movements were thought-out and deliberate and had he not known, he never would've guessed those very hands caused so much pain. Liam knew he should be repulsed but instead he felt special. Special that Theo, despite being so used to violence, had it in him to be gentle for him. To him.
"I really wish I could say it was close," Theo huffed, rubbing at the skin as Liam tried his best to stay still. "The one that runs on both sides of your spine is the erector spinae."
"How am I supposed to remember that?" He groaned, folding his arms to lay his head on, melting into the touch more freely.
"It kinda sounds like erection," Theo shrugged, smiling. He then leaned over Liam, placing his elbow on his lower back and dragging it against his skin. Liam whined, hiding his head into his arms, but Theo carried on unfazed.
"Okay, gross." Though he rolled his eyes, he couldn't bit back the smile that threatened to grow on his face. He decided to close his eyes again in an effort to focus on his hearing only, desperate to pick up on any changes in Theo's heartbeat, or at least, his smell. But there was nothing. He almost wanted to ask how can he stay so calm no matter what and how much that bothered him. It was so easy to get a read on him, it was as if he couldn't get a single emotion to himself, all while Theo gave him nothing to work with. The hands working his back were warm against his skin, both firm and feather-light exactly where and when he needed. A part of him wondered if he would be able to make Theo feel this good, too.
Liam felt a hand wrap around his bicep and forced his eyes to open, looking at Theo in a form of a silent question.
"Turn around, the list goes on." Theo urged him, making a spinning motion with his finger in the air. "Loose your jeans, too."
"Jesus, do you really have to say those things like that?" Liam cringed, nevertheless getting up to do as was told. He did turn his back to Theo though, a blush spread across his neck.
"Like what?"
He huffed, taking his jeans off and throwing them to the floor. He then quickly decided that it felt even weirder when his clothes were so carelessly scattered across the floor, but then again, it would've been just as weird to pick them up unprompted. "Just- It reminds me how ill-adjusted you are to living among people."
"Gee, thanks Dunbar." Theo frowned, an over-dramatic and definitely not a suited look for him, and as Liam turned back, he found that the brunette's eyes never once left his body. Not wanting to wait for another order—it did look pathetic when he was moving like a wind-up toy—he walked back to the mattress, this time laying on his back.
Theo hoovered over him, so close Liam could feel the warmth of his breath on his skin. He couldn't help but study the planes of Theo's face, how perfectly sharp it was and how his eyes managed to look so soft amidst the knife-like edges. Despite himself, Liam stretched his arm to run his fingers over the boy's jaw, Theo parting his lips slightly in response, allowing Liam to move his hand back and forth. The slight stubble he had felt funny against his fingertips and Liam never gave it much thought before, but he liked it.
"Masseter. You can thank it for you ability to chew," Theo murmured, his eyes half-closed, demonstrating his words by opening and closing his mouth wide. "and bite." To that he snapped his teeth, but Liam left his hand right where it was, his eyes briefly glowing gold. His thumb lingered over the boy's lips before finally landing on them.
"Here?"
Theo stared at him quietly, his gaze fixed on the boy beneath him, yet still completely unreadable. He took Liam's wrist in his hand and re-positioned it to lay a little to the right of his mouth. "Orbicularis oris, to which you owe my smile." He then moved further into the bed and placed his hands on Liam's chest.
Liam could feel his body grow hotter, his arms falling back to rest on his sides. He keened as the boy's fingers brushed over his nipples, chewing on his bottom lip to keep the sounds in. "I wouldn't necessarily use the word owe."
Theo looked at him amused, fingers squeezing the muscle he was now massaging. "You don't like my smile?"
"I like it when you're not using it to mock me," he retorted, hyper-focused on the palm splayed flat across his chest. His breath was coming in short, but he had long given up on keeping up appearances. A very faint, almost nonexistent, sweet scent hit his nose before disappearing a mere second later, and he furrowed his brows at Theo, who continued unbothered.
"Excuse me, then." Theo, naturally, mocked, baring his teeth at him. Liam rolled his eyes in response, awkwardly crossing his legs (in possibly the most obvious manner he could, God knows he cannot be subtle). "Pectoralis major."
"You mean pecs?" Liam snorted, as naturally as he could, Theo either completely oblivious or offering him an opening to save his dignity.
"Not exactly the medical term, is it?"
"Guess not." He managed, sucking in a breath as Theo slowly dragged his hands across his stomach until his fingers settled in the dips of Liam's waist, thumbs working circles into the skin. Liam couldn't help but become painfully aware of every point of contact, his muscles twitching in rhythm with his rapid heartbeat, his body suddenly tense.
"You're supposed to relax." Theo glanced up, his movements travelling lower until they had reached Liam's lower stomach, pressure building in the boy's body all at once.
"I'm trying." And he really was, but still he shivered when Theo's fingers dug into his skin. His entire face took on a bright red color and Theo had the audacity to smirk at him.
His hands spent a second longer than they needed on Liam's abdomen, before moving to wrap around the underside of his knee to bend his leg. Liam allowed to be moved whatever way Theo wanted, swallowing hard when he felt Theo's touch on his thigh.
"Have you ever thought about how unfair it is to not have anything to show for the pain we endured?"
Theo's voice, suddenly so gentle and quiet, took Liam by surprise as he was left staring at the boy whose hands roamed his body like it was their god-given right.
"Your skin is so soft," Theo leaned down, placing a little kiss on Liam's knee, then on his calf. "but we both know it shouldn't be."
Liam's chest was heaving and his throat had become dry. He could barely make out the sense of Theo's words, his hands clutched in the bed-sheets as he found himself wishing he could feel those lips again. "Yeah," he managed, the word sounding more like a sigh. "being stressed over an exam hasn't been my reality in a long time."
And it was true. Each place Theo had touched and each place he still would had been gushing blood at some point, his body should be scarred and unrecognizable, not the perfect, undisturbed canvas it was. Liam always preferred to think of it as convenient, but there was something bitter in the brunette's voice, like he despised looking so clean and pure. The wound that Theo should have had after the heart transplant must be long gone, and Liam wondered if he missed it because it was the only thing he had left of his family or because it otherwise could remind him of how disgusting he was. Used to be.
Their eyes met, a pitiful expression on Theo's face, his hands idly kneading at Liam's calf. "Let's make sure we can live in peace for a while."
Liam watched him carefully as the room fell into silence, noting the way Theo's jaw twitched, almost like he was nervous. "A month would be nice."
Theo swallowed, his fingers shifting to trace Liam's abs, to which he, for the first time since Theo touched him, had relaxed completely, allowing himself to enjoy anything the boy was willing to give. "And if we could leave Beacon Hills," he went on, averting his gaze to look toward the window. "would you?"
"Where would we go?" It almost surprised Liam how easily he said the word we. Like the only constant in his life was that wherever he went, Theo would follow.
"Anywhere," the boy whispered, his heart suddenly sounding in the room. It was irregular, almost panicked to be heard so easily. "we could ride in my truck, live in shitty motels, get back on the road whenever we feel like it."
Liam thought about the school he was so worried about, the fearful stares and hushed whispers he would hear perfectly anytime he walked into a classroom. About Mason and Corey, both with their entire lives planned out, the university they had already applied to and the apartment they excitedly told him about. His parents that, despite doing anything not to show it, still awaited the next time he lashes out and ruins his life for good. The hunters that waited for his foot to slip.
"There's so much world to see, Liam," Theo's voice snapped him out of his thoughts, his facial expression turned rigid. "we'll die in this town soon, we both know it."
"And what happens when we run out of places to run to?"
Theo took Liam's palm into his, slowly bringing it toward himself before placing it flat against his own chest, right over where the heart is. Liam could not only hear but also feel the way the rapid beating from before had slowly calmed down.
"Then we'll know we tried."