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Theo is by the stove, eyeing the pan. Is it hot enough to put the first pancake on, or will he once again ruin it? He really wanted to make them all as good as possible, hating to waste food in any way.
When the Dunbars first insisted he stay with them, he didn’t like the idea much, especially since he felt so drawn to Liam. But they wouldn't take no for an answer, so he decided that if he had to do this, then he would make the most of it. And that included being useful.
Like making breakfast.
Jenna was delighted with this, even if she kept repeating he didn't have to do it. They would all usually gather together to eat and then everyone would go off to do their own thing. Sometimes that meant Liam and Theo would stay in the house while Jenna and Martin went off to work.
Like today.
Liam kept mentioning pancakes last night and while they weren't Theo’s specialty, he wanted to try and make it for him. Oh, who was he kidding. He would try to pluck the stars out of the sky if Liam only asked. His little crush has become worse and worse since he agreed to stay, and there is nothing he could do about it.
Trying to get his mind off this, he turns on the little radio Jenna has in the kitchen. It is old and stuck to one radio station, thanks to Liam, but it is better than wasting his phone battery.
He listens to some infomercials as he pours the batter for the first pancake onto the hot pan. It sizzles nicely and Theo is glad that it seems to be going good.
A song starts playing, the word Crazy! echoing around the kitchen before some pop beat picks up. It sounds like someone is hitting pipes with metal. Maybe they are calling for help? Anything to get out of his song.
“Baby, I'm so into you, you got that something…What can I do?”
Oh God, it's Briney Spears. Don't ask him how he knows, he just does. And is so regretting turning on the radio, but the pancake needs flipping, so he can't turn it back off.
“Baby, you spin me around, the earth is moving, but I can't feel the ground…”
It's a catchy song, and it kind of reminds him of Liam. The little beta would definitely be into something like this.
“Every time you look at me, my heart is jumping, it's easy to see…”
He hopes not. He does know how Liam might react if he ever found out. Damn it. He's actually into this song right now. At least he's not burning the pancakes.
“You drive me crazy, I just can't sleep, I'm so excited, I'm in too deep…Whoa oh oh, crazy, but it feels alright!! Baby, thinking of you keeps me up all night!!!”
Yup, Liam definitely does that. Drives him crazy as hell. One moment he thinks he's got the little beta figure out, but then he does something and it throws Theo off. Liam is just too kind and too sweet, even when he lets his rage consume him. He is still more worried about others then himself.
“Oh, oh… Tell me you're so into me…”
Theo can only dream.
“That I'm the only one you will see…”
Only fantasize really.
“Tell me I'm not in the blue, oh…”
At least the pancakes look good.
“That I'm not wasting my feelings on you!”
No matter what, they don't feel like waste.
“Loving you means so much more, more than anything I ever felt before!!”
More than anything he's ever felt. But yeah.
“You drive me crazy! I just can't sleep!” he starts singing along, even swaying a little as he flips one of the last pancakes.
“I'm so excited, I'm in too deep!! Whoa oh oh, crazy, but it feels alright…”
He takes a breath to sing out the last part, but before he could let out a single sound, a voice echoes from the kitchen door.
“Baby, thinking of you keeps me up all night!!!”
Theo goes pale before turning to face the person he knows is standing there. Liam is right on the doorstep, sleep ruffled but with a huge grin on his face. Theo’s heart is hammering a mile a minute and no matter how much he tries, he can’t calm it down.
But Liam is still grinning. He is walking towards Theo now and it's not helping the rapid heart rate situation at all.
“I haven't heard this song in ages!! My mom loved it, used to sing it for me all the time,” he says, then picks up where the song left off. But Theo can barely hear it from the sound of his pounding heart.
“Come to think of it, I was only 3 then and I sure did keep her up at night,” Liam adds with a laugh, then sees what Theo’s been doing. “Oh, you made pancakes!! I was craving those, thank you!!”
He grabs a plate and stacks up some pancakes, then heads over to the table. Theo’s heart rate finally starts to slow down as he takes a few deep breaths.
It's okay. It's all good. Liam had no idea Theo was thinking of him when he was singing. He looks at the younger beta as Liam stuffs his face with Theo’s pancakes. He can't resist a small smile that creeps up on his face.
That was a close one.