Work Text:
“I remember mama said:
Can't hurry love
No, you just have to wait
She said love don't come easy
It's a game of give and take
You can't hurry love
No, you just have to wait
She said trust, give it time
No matter how long it takes…”
🌊🌊🌊🌊🌊🌊
“I'm very proud of you, Liam,” David says, messing up his hair. Liam tries to duck, protesting, but he's got a smile on his face. If he was being honest, he was proud of himself too. He's learned to deal with his Intermittent Explosive Disorder faster than his therapist thought he would. Changing schools definitely helped, but he’s also learned not to let people get to him as much as they used to. He’s learned more about himself in six months than he’s known his entire life. And he is in a good place.
That’s why, when Coach Finstock announced that he’s taking the whole lacrosse team as well as his economics class to a field trip, Liam got super excited. Not even the news that Davenport Prep would be joining them could deter it. All because this might turn out to be the perfect opportunity to get closer and maybe become friends with the guy he’s been crushing on ever since he admitted to himself he is attracted to the same sex as well.
Theo is… He’s different. He’s not like the guys he’s known in his previous school, typical rude jocks, no. He’s not a nerd either, even though Liam knows the guy knows every lecture before the teachers even start talking about it. A few times he caught bits of conversations he was involved in, Liam discovered Theo to be funny, but real, sometimes ruthless even.
Yes, Liam has a crush on him. But he also wants to be his friend.
“Are you sure you’ve got everything packed?” his mom asks, eyes roaming over the small suitcase that’s standing next to Liam. Considering everything that happened, she has full right to be worried, and Liam knows this question is just to deflect her own concerns. Offering a reassuring smile, he nods, then leans in to kiss her, completely unphased with the rest of his friends watching.
“I got it, ma, don’t worry,” he tells her before turning around and heading for the bus. They have a little less than four hours to Point Lobos Ranch and Liam is excited to spend his time with his friends, even if he didn’t manage to get a seating partner. He doesn’t let stuff like that get to him.
His best friend Mason transferred schools with him too. He met Corey a month in and those two hit it off immediately, so Liam cann’t really blame him for wanting to sit with his boyfriend. But Mason did tell him he would make sure they were in front or right behind Liam.
“Liam, over here,” Mason is waving him over as soon as Liam boards the bus. True to his word, he’s holding onto a seat right behind where Corey is sitting, both boys grinning at him. He returns the smile and hurries to them, letting Mason move back to Corey and plopping down into the window seat.
Mason is already in his own window seat, kneeling on it, turned towards Liam, talking about the ranch and the cool beaches around. Corey is grinning at him like Mason hung the moon.
“Um, is this seat taken?” A voice startles Liam out of his thoughts and he snaps his head up only to see it was none other than Theo standing there. He looks a little embarrassed, scratching his neck as he glances over to where Scott and Stiles are sitting. “I was supposed to sit with Scott, but Stiles managed to join in at the last minute and you know how those two get if they aren’t hanging together…”
“Uh…” Liam says eloquently, because no, he has no idea, he knows very little about those guys except that Scott is the team captain and Stiles sucks at lacrosse. And that they are apparently best friends since dippers or something. Mason clears his throat and when Liam looks at him, he sees him nudging his head towards Theo, signaling something with his eyes. It takes Liam a moment to realize what he wants to convey. “Oh, yeah, sure!” He exclaims, a little too loudly, and cringes internally.
“Sorry,” he continues, better to explain than seem like a brainless tool, “I just don’t know much about Scott and Stiles, so you saying that kinda threw me off.” His admission earns him a bright smile from Theo that makes butterflies in his stomach flutter like crazy.
Theo plops down on the seat next to him, his knee brushing against Liam’s (not that he notices, no, not at all). “Oh, right, you’re the new transfer, I forgot. Leo, right?” Well, that felt like a slap to the face.
“Uh, no, it’s Liam actually.”
“Yes, Liam, sorry. Scott mentioned you a few times, says you’re a great addition to their team. I’m Theo, by the way,” he says. Liam feels something swell in his chest - Scott would sometimes praise his teammates, but he’d do it even if they sucked or made mistakes, so hearing the captain talking about him in a positive light makes him feel good.
“That’s um…That’s great to hear actually,” Liam replies.
“I don’t know much about lacrosse, but considering how higher you guys are ranking now, I’d say you saved their asses,” Theo adds, his words making Liam start to blush. He ducks his head a little, and mutters something about it being a team effort.
Theo then asks him about his favorite subject and listens as Liam goes off on a tangent about history. Somewhere between mentioning the Mayans and their invention of sports, Liam notices Theo eyeing someone in the other aisle towards the front of the bus. He still listens closely and responds to everything Liam is saying, but Liam can tell he is slightly distracted. It takes him too long to realize Theo is looking at Tracy, the girl from his biology class.
Right. Liam figured out Theo has a thing for her a few weeks ago. Apparently, much like Scott and Stiles,Tracy and Theo have been friends for a long time, but the more Liam observed Theo (not in any stalkerish way), the more he noticed Theo’s feelings for her were a little more than just friendly. It’s easy to pick up when you know what to look for.
Still, Liam keeps talking, switching to more historical topics than the ones of boring sports and bit by bit, Theo’s attention draws back to him. Unfortunately, the three and a half hours fly by and before Liam knows it, they are getting off the bus and following Coach Finnstock towards the Ranch’s reception area.
“It’s been a blast,” Theo tells him with a small smile, “I’ll see you around.”
“See you around,” Liam replies, then watches him run off to join his friends. Seconds later, Mason bumps his shoulder and tells him to pick his jaw off the floor. Liam shoves him back playfully before they turn their attention back to the Coach, to get assigned to their rooms.
Since every room has three beds, Liam of course bunks with Mason and Corey, and immediately regrets it when the two of them get the bright idea of joining their two beds together. They spend the rest of the evening exploring the ranch and after dinner, everyone ‘retires’ to their respective bedrooms. Well, at least that is what they are supposed to do.
Liam finds himself roaming the hallways, engaging in a few conversations with his peers while Mason and Corey occupy their bedroom. He is in no rush to go back there, but the coach keeps going around, ushering everyone back into their rooms and he doesn’t know what else to do.
“Dunbar! You deaf or something?! Get in there and sleep, for the love of god, we got beach time tomorrow!” The coach yells at him before shoving him into the nearest room, which is most definitely (and thankfully), not his own. As the coach pushes him in, Liam stumbles into someone and they both go crashing down. When he blinks, he realizes he is on top of Theo, of all people.
“Oh, the new kid’s eager,” a voice comes from somewhere to his left, and Liam, instead of getting off, stays where he is and looks up. Stiles is sitting on a bed, grinning at him. “Oh, yeah, definitely eager.”
Oh shit!
“Oh, I’m sorry, I–” he tries as he scrambles to get off Theo who seems confused, as much as Liam could tell, not that he can really stop to properly assess the situation. Then, much to his horror, he slips and lands right back on top of Theo, crashing their heads together. To his left Stiles is laughing his head off.
“At least buy me a dinner first,” Theo jokes, but his voice is strained and he is holding his head. Liam can feel the pain from the impact so he knows exactly how Theo feels.
“Sorry, sorry,” he tries, then slowly, carefully, rolls off Theo to avoid falling on him again. You already fell for him and on him, his mind helpfully supplies. A hand hovers above his face and he has to blink to focus and see who it belongs to.
“What brings you here, Liam?” Scott asks as he helps both Theo and him up.
“Coach basically shoved me in, probably thinking this is my room,” Liam explains, rubbing his head. He’s going to have a headache tomorrow, he just knows it.
“Yeah, well, you are probably supposed to be in your room, not lurking in front of ours,” Stiles says and both Scott and Theo frown at him. Liam ducks his head, not sure how to explain he doesn’t really want to be in his room right now.
“Oh,” Theo says and when Liam looks up, he sees that pitying look in his eye, “don’t tell me. You’re bunking with Mason and Corey?”
“Yeah…” Liam replies. He doesn’t really know how to feel about any of this. On one hand, he is happy about his friends and all, but lately he’s been feeling a little left out. He doesn’t want to tell them that, doesn’t want to come between them and ruin what they have going on, so he just keeps on third-wheeling. It’s exhausting.
“We got plenty of room here with that sofa, you could stay with us,” Theo offers, but is immediately cut off by Stiles.
“Now, wait a minute–”
“Yeah, you can stay with us,” Scott pipes in, cutting Stiles off. Stiles throws his hands in the air, muttering something about nobody caring about his opinion and Liam isn’t sure why the guy doesn’t like him. Or maybe he’s just always like that? Either way, he is thrilled about staying with them, and not just because he’ll get to be close to Theo, but because he can finally have normal conversation with people who would listen to him and not just make lovey-dovey eyes with each other.
“Thanks, guys,” he says sheepishly, offering a smile.
“Okay,” Stiles says, “if you’re gonna be staying with us, answer me this - Marvel or DC?”
Oh, a trick question. No, no, he’s not good with these. Honestly, it can go either way. Guess he’ll just have to go with the truth and hope for the best.
“Um… Both?”
Stiles is looking at him like he wants to kill him. At least Liam thinks so. He can’t be sure. Crap, it was the wrong answer.
But then, in the very next second, the room explodes, Theo saying ‘no way’, muttering about Superman being the best, while Scott protests about Marvel definitely being superior. Liam is holding his breath, not sure what is happening, but when he meets Stiles’ eyes across the room, he finds the boy grinning at him like a cat who’s got a canary.
“I can tell you and I are gonna be besties,” he tells him in his Grinch sort of voice and Liam has no idea if he should be glad or worried.
🌊🌊🌊🌊🌊🌊
“Dude, where were you last night?” Mason asks as he plops next to Liam at the cantina. He settles his tray down a bit more roughly then he should, making his juice box tip and fall over. Corey just picks it up and puts it back on the tray like nothing happened.
“Oh, I ran into Theo and–”
“Ouuuugh, Theo?” Mason’s entire demeanor suddenly changes, gone is the anger in his tone.
“Yes, Theo and Stiles and Scott. We ended up talking all night about movies and comics and I just fell asleep on the sofa they had in their room,” Liam explains, not liking the insinuation, but also kinda wishing it was what Mason is implying (and hating himself a little over it). But he can’t just tell Mason he’s been avoiding him and Corey and their room either.
“Well, I am glad you’re getting to spend more time with him, even if it is in the company of others,” Corey adds, sweet as ever.
“Thanks.”
“Alright, listen up,” the coach’s voice booms across the cantina and everyone turns to look at him, “in half an hour we will convey outside by the gate and then head over to Gibson beach. I want you all to pair up, and no wandering off. I don’t want another Greenberg incident, okay? That means you too, Greenberg!”
“What’s a Greenberg incident? And who is Greenberg?” Liam asks, but he doesn’t get his answer, because the coach goes off about the safety in water and how nobody should wander off and then more about the history of the place. They don’t get much time to change and grab their stuff before they are called to gather in the yard.
Liam is excited. He’s a great swimmer, but he hasn’t been to the beach or a pool in a while and he didn’t even realize how much he’s missed it until he sees the sand, hears the waves and scents the salty air.
The day goes by fast. Liam spends most of it with Mason, fooling around in the water, with Corey opting to stay on the beach more, wanting to get a tan. Liam can’t be sure, but he thinks Corey did that on purpose to give the two friends some time to themselves. It works; Liam doesn’t feel like the extra in his own play.
It is late in the afternoon when things go downhill. Well, not really, not for Liam, as strange as that may be. His old bully and his entire old school shows up. They don’t notice Liam at first, the lacrosse players too occupied flirting with Beacon Hills girls. That exact thing turns out to be the biggest issue.
Mason and Liam hear the commotion, but not the whole conversation, not until they come closer to the natural circle the crowd has made. As soon as they do, Liam’s mood drops to absolute zero. On one side, there is Brett with his hand around Tracy’s waist, smirking. She doesn’t look like she feels very comfortable, but she isn’t pulling away from him either.
And on the other side? It’s Theo. He is angry, glaring at Brett, his fists clenched to his side.
“You want the girl so badly?” Brett’s sirupy voice carries over the murmurs. “Why don’t you try and win her over then?”
Oh, no. No, this is bad. It’s the same thing Brett always does, challenges people in things he knows he is good at, wins, of course, then holds it over them for a long time, tormenting and teasing until it drives you mad. Or drives you to key someone’s car.
“Fine!” Theo takes the bait. “Anything to get her away from the asshole like you.”
Liam heaves a sign. This isn’t going to end well, even if Theo somehow manages to win. Liam knows from personal experience this is not how you win a girl over - they are not objects to be fought over and won in a fight. But he can’t really step in, he’s got no grounds to do so. Not to mention he doesn’t want his old embarrassing moments aired out in front of everyone, something he knows Brett would most definitely do.
“Okay then. We’ll be here for another week or so. Next Saturday, we race…”
“You’re on!” Theo says before Brett finishes, earning himself a malicious grin.
“...in the water.”
“Wait, what?” Theo stutters, suddenly turning pale. Liam feels like he is missing a crucial piece of information, something that would complete the puzzle, but he doesn’t know what it is nor how to find out. Until Brett literally drops it as a bomb.
“What’s the matter, T? You afraid of a little swimming race? 100 yards, 50 up to the deep and 50 back? Should be a piece of cake for a strong, athletic guy like you. Unless…” Brett trails off, pausing for dramatic reasons before finally saying it. “...Unless you can’t swim?”
Well, fuck. Of course. It clicks suddenly, the rumors he’s heard about Theo’s sister dying when he was a kid, drowning in a river. About why Theo never goes into the pool at any pool party, why he stuck around the beach, why he is suddenly looking petrified. He not only can’t swim, he is terrified of water.
And Brett knows it.
If Theo backs down now, everyone (mostly Devenford prep guys, but still) will laugh at him. He will be humiliated. But if he accepts, and when the day comes he freezes or worse, gets caught by the current because he’s an inexperienced swimmer… Liam can’t even think what would happen. But he knows it would destroy him. He can’t let that happen.
But before Liam can say a word, Theo growls out, “Fine. Next Saturday, you and me, 100 yards.”
“Winner gets the girl,” Brett adds, smiling, but Theo only scoffs before turning around and stomping away through the crowd. Damn it.
“Go,” Mason says. Liam looks over at him, surprised, but Mason is smiling at him kindly, knowing what Liam knows too - that he is the only one that can help Theo now. Nodding, Liam shoots his friend a smile and heads towards where Theo ran off to.
He finds him over by the eroded bank, next to the roots of a big cypress tree. Scott and Stiles are there and, as he approaches, Liam catches part of the conversation.
“...hate to break it to you, dude, but between the two of us,” Stiles says, motioning between himself and Scott, “we barely make one good swimmer if combined. You’re screwed.”
“No, hey,” Scott says, voice soft, “we’ll figure this out.”
“Oh, what if he faked a sickness? We can tell everyone he got diarrhea or something?” Stiles offers and both Scott and Theo look at him in disgust. Stiles opens his arms wide as if to say ‘what?’, completely missing the point.
“I can help,” Liam says, and all eyes turn towards him. It is a little unnerving, the way it synced, but he shoves it aside, focusing on Theo. “In my freshmen year, back at my other school, I was in competitive swimming. I was a Junior Olympics finalist in the hundred free, but I gave it up when lacrosse took over.”
Stiles waves his hand at Liam in a ‘there you go’ motion, like he’s the one that magically solved Theo’s problem. But Liam doesn’t pay attention to him, he is looking at Theo, hoping he’d agree. Liam is his best option and they all know it.
“Okay,” Theo says, eyes locked to Liam’s. “What do I have to do?”
“I just need to know one thing,” Liam says, face serious, “will you follow my lead, no matter what?”
Theo doesn’t rush to answer, instead, he takes a moment before finally nodding. “Yeah. Yeah, I will.”
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The very next day Theo and Liam sneak off the beach after making sure their friends would cover for them with the coach, then head south up the path.
“Where are we going?” Theo asks, but follows Liam.
“There is another beach here–”
“Oh, the China Cove? Coach told us about it,” Theo interrupts and Liam offers him a smile.
“No, that one is too crowded. There is another one, they call it the Hidden beach.”
“Convenient name,” Theo jokes and Liam laughs along with him, because yeah, it is convenient and it is funny. But it’s also a perfect spot for them to train. It is away from prying eyes, which means none of their other peers nor anyone from Devenford Prep can see them, saving Theo some of the embarrassment. But it is also a good beach because the natural cove layout cuts down on the open ocean chop, making it ideal for swimming laps and sprint training.
But first, Liam needs to teach Theo how to relax in the water and actually stay afloat without panicking.
Theo takes a deep breath before he steps into the water. Liam lets him get in until the water is just below his knees, then he approaches him. He only realizes what he’s doing after his hand is already on the small of Theo’s back, but he hopes the other boy would find it more comforting than creepy. “Breathe. Don’t hold your breath.”
Theo’s eyes snap to him but he follows Liam’s instructions, breathing in and out, slowly. Liam rewards him with a small smile and an approving nod. “Good, that’s good. Here’s what I want you to do - with every step you take, you exhale, okay?”
Theo nods, looking a little uncertain, so Liam keeps his hand on him, even starts moving his thumb up and down, splitting his focus. It works, and little by little, Theo is in the water up to his waist.
“Come on, just a few steps more,” Liam encourages, “you can do this.” Theo doesn’t respond, just lets his eyes slip closed, like not seeing it would make it less real. Liam is astounded by the trust Theo has in him as he takes those few steps with his eyes still closed, just letting Liam guide him. Once the water reached up to his chest, Liam made them stop.
“Okay, that is far enough,” he says, but after a few moments, he lets out a breath and tries, using his softest voice, “Theo, I need you to open your eyes. Please?” Theo swallows hard before he cracks them open, immediately focusing on Liam. His eyes stay locked onto him for a few minutes, like he’s trying to focus solely on him and forget his surroundings.
“Come on,” Liam tells him, “I know it is scary, but if you want to do this, you have to face it. I’m right here with you.”
Theo takes one long, shaky breath, then nods before slowly turning towards the water. He gulps, but lets his hands flow on the surface, breathing through it. He is tense, but strangely so. It’s like he’s waiting for something to happen, but not like the water suddenly surging up and submerging him. More like…
“I–” he starts, the first word since they stepped close to the water. “I’m not… I’m okay?” He says it more like a question, like he’s surprised by it. Liam finally figures out Theo was waiting for a panic attack. Only, it never came.
“You’re okay,” he confirms, and Theo glances at him to give him the most wobbly smile he’s ever seen, but a smile nonetheless. They stay like that for a while, just standing in the water, Liam letting Theo simply get used to the feeling. Little by little, Theo relaxes.
“Do you wanna try lifting your legs up off the ocean floor for a little bit?” Liam suggests.
“No.” Theo’s voice sounds a little whiney when he says it, and it draws a small chuckle from Liam.
“Okay, how about this. You hold onto me and let go, just for a few moments?”
Theo is clearly struggling with himself, but he is so brave, and he is trying so hard. Liam already knows Theo can do this, and more, the only thing stopping him is fear. The same fear that is slowly losing its influence over the other boy. Theo grabs Liam’s hand with his left, then with his right too. He’s got his arm in a death grip, but after a few moments, he lets go.
Nothing happens.
Theo huffs a laugh, then another, like he’s slowly realizing there was never anything to be scared off.
Liam knows it is a little too easy, that any moment now Theo can be triggered, but he’s not going to ruin his moment. He’ll just have to be there for him when, or if that happens. Until then, Liam’s going to let him ride this high.
“I want to try more,” Theo says, like he’s reading Liam’s mind.
“Alright,” Liam replies, then takes a moment to figure out what they could do next. An idea strikes, but he’s not sure if it won’t be too much for Theo. “There is one thing we can try.”
“What is it?”
“We could try having you on your back, floating,” Liam tells him and watches as Theo’s eyes grow wide. “Now, I’d have my hands under you the entire time, you’ll be perfectly safe.”
Something flickers in Theo’s eyes, a strange sort of spark, gone before Liam could decipher what it really is. But at least Theo doesn’t look so panicked at the idea Liam had. “Okay, show me.”
A few minutes later, Theo is floating, arms and legs spread wide. Liam’s hands are under him, on his back, holding him firmly, but not with too much pressure. He’s there to anchor him, providing a stable point for Theo’s body to hold onto. With each passing second, Theo is relaxing more and more, but Liam never lets go.
A part of him thinks he should, like showing a kid how to ride a bike, after a few steps, you let go and show them they can do it on their own. But this is Theo, and this isn’t as simple as that. He can’t just let go and loose the little trust they have built between them, Theo would never win this otherwise.
A different part of him accused that he just doesn’t want to stop touching the other boy.
Liam figures that both parts are right. And he can admit it to himself.
Yes, he wants to be close to Theo, wants to touch him. Because he’s got a crush on him, that is nothing new. But he also wants to help him. Even if that means watching him get the girl and being happy with someone else.
Being a little dramatic? his mind supplies. But yeah, he’s a teenage boy, he’s allowed to be.
Suddenly, Theo flinches, one leg flying up in the air as his body starts plopping down. But before it can move an inch, Liam takes on his weight, holding him up. Theo’s hands come and wrap up around his neck, and instinctively, Liam pulls him closer. “I got you, I got you, it’s okay,” the words are out of his mouth before he can think better of it.
Then, they both freeze.
“Um,” Liam tries and fails to figure out what to say, but his focus is also drawn to the sudden blush that is creeping up Theo’s cheeks. He is also not letting go of him.
Not that Theo is either. His hands are still wrapped around Liam’s neck, still holding on tightly. His eyes are wide and Liam is pretty sure he can feel the other boy’s heart hammering.
“There… there was… Something… Uh… Something brushed against my foot,” Theo finally stutters out. His hands loosen their hold, and following them, so do Liam’s. He gently puts him down, making sure his feet hit the ocean floor before completely letting go.
“It’s uh, it’s okay. It could have been a little fish, or just the current,” Liam explains. Theo is still blushing and when Liam finally lets go of him, he doesn’t step back. As much as Liam would like to think it is because he wants to be close to him, he knows it is more likely the lingering fear and finding Liam to be his safety net, in a way. It’s okay, Liam will be that for him. Whatever he needs.
“You did great, though,” he offers, changing the subject and hopefully diverting his thoughts away from his own feelings.
“I… I didn’t think it would be this easy,” Theo says, then meets Liam’s gaze, “It’s like… I’m not scared when you’re around.”
Liam opens his mouth, but no words come out. Really he doesn’t know what to say to that, so he huffs a laugh, averting his eyes for a moment to give his racing heart a break before looking back at Theo again. “I, um, I’m glad to hear that. That you aren’t scared. Do you want to try that again?”
“Hell, yeah, let’s do it.”
They spend the next few hours with Theo either floating on his back, or just lifting his legs off the floor in between small beach breaks. He asks Liam to show him more, but Liam insists he wants Theo to get used to water first. He does make Theo step away from him a few times, creates the sort of distance he hates, but knows it is necessary. All in all, Theo seems to be doing great.
On the other hand, Liam is not. He’s been so close to Theo all day, touching him and having these little moments he most likely is just imagining and he really doesn’t want to part ways. But it is getting late and they really should head back before the coach notices they slipped away. If he hasn’t already.
“Same time tomorrow?” Theo asks, beaming at him, and Liam returns the smile, nodding. They part ways as they sneak back to the Gibson beach, Theo wandering off towards Scott and Stiles while Liam joins Mason and Corey.
“So… Did you guys make out?” Mason asks, grinning, and Liam shoves him, but keeps smiling.
“No, I was actually keeping my word and helping him learn how to swim,” he says, then adds, “well… not swim, but float.”
“You’re no fun,” Mason teases and earns himself a light shove from his boyfriend. Liam shoots Corey a grateful look. The thing is, Liam loves his best friend, but sometimes he just doesn’t know where the line is.
🌊🌊🌊🌊🌊🌊
“Okay, so what do we do today?” Theo asks as he follows Liam into the water. He just walks into it like nothing, and it is a little unnerving that he has no reaction, not even a little. But it’s a good thing, right?
“I’d like to see you float on your own. And then, we could try actual swimming motions,” Liam tells him and Theo beams at him. He does the floating seamlessly, but still stays close. It makes Liam question if Theo is actually not scared anymore or if he is trying to mask his emotions.
So he lets Theo lie down on the water surface a few times, sticking close, then, using the parent method, steps away at one point. When Theo opens his eyes and sees Liam isn’t around, there is a flash of panic on his face. His body drops into the water and he quickly jumps up, breathing heavily and looking around frantically. When he spots Liam just a few feet away, the relief on his face is instant.
“Why did you–”
“Don’t do that,” Liam tells him. When Theo’s brows scrunch up in confusion, he explains. “Don’t hide what you’re thinking and feeling, not from me. I need–”
He cuts himself off, swallowing the words, then rephrasing what he has to say. “I need to know where your mind is at. I need to know if you really are okay with what we are doing or do you need me to slow down. I know the race is less than a week away, but pushing yourself like this and pretending to be fine is not the way to go. You can only crash and burn.”
Theo has the decency to look guilty and ashamed as he bows his head. “Sorry,” he mutters, not meeting Liam’s gaze. Heaving a small sign, Liam curls his hands into fists, tonging down the urge to reach out and lift Theo’s chin. He wants to tell him that he’s got nothing to be ashamed of, that he should always keep his head high, all that and so much more, but he can’t.
Instead, he takes another breath and slowly lets it go before speaking again. “Come on, let’s try something new.”
Theo looks up sharply, eyes going wide a little. It feels like he thought Liam might stop helping him. What an absurd notion. Then again, he doesn’t know Liam is helplessly in love with him.
Theo doesn’t say anything, so Liam moves a little closer and moves around the water so that his legs are behind him. Logically, he knows they could do this in the more shallow water where Theo could basically put his hands on the ocean floor and just float on his chest, but…
If Theo feels ready to ignore his own fears, maybe Liam should have him face some more.
(No, it has nothing to do with the prospect of touching him more. He just wants Theo to move forward)
“Watch where my legs are,” Liam tells him as he starts swimming around Theo in a sort of above-water variation of breaststroke. He is kicking his legs out like a frog while pushing the water away from himself in broad strokes. He thinks this would be a good start for Theo, and they can learn the front crawl later. “See what I am doing?”
“Yeah,” Theo says, focusing on the way Liam’s body is moving through the water. Liam doesn’t know him that well to know if his gaze hides something more or not, but a part of him yearns to think Theo is checking him out. Even as he swims like an old lady.
“Okay. Now, it’s your turn.”
“What. You want me to do that?” Theo sounds a little panicked. It makes Liam smile. Good. He got the point across.
“Yes. But you won’t be moving. I’ll hold you in place, so there is no chance of sinking or submerging under water or anything, okay? Trust me,” Liam tells him as he stops and stands in front of Theo, offering the other boy his hand.
Theo gulps, but takes it. Liam guides him to lie down like he did, telling him to keep his head above water, and not to worry. HIs hands move from Theo’s waist to his stomach, holding him up with ease. (He likes to pretend that he is strong, but he knows it is just the way things are in the water - lighter and easier to lift up)
Theo is nervous, a lot, Liam can tell, but he is keeping it together and doing a pretty good chest float. “You should try to move like I did,” he tells him, his tone teasing.
“Oh, right,” Theo responds, then tries to replicate Liam’s movements. Considering he probably just saw it for the first time, he copies it well. They stay like that for a while, then Liam lets him rest before doing it again and again. They take a few more breaks and he also shows him the technique of the front crawl using his hands to both mimic what his arms would do and then what his feet would do. Theo looks mesmerised. And also like he thinks he won’t be able to do that.
But Liam knows he will. He’s a fast learner and very good in water, despite his fear.
When they sneak back to the other beach that day, Mason doesn't say anything, but he is smiling at Liam. It's not a teasing one, but a genuine smile, like he is proud of him or something, even if there is nothing to be proud about, really. Still, it makes Liam feel good and the feeling carries deep into the night.
The past night Mason and Corey have been on their best behavior and let Liam sleep, and by the looks of it, this will be another night where he can properly rest… Or so he thought.
He doesn't get the nightmares anymore, not like he used to, but they still occur whenever he is reminded of his past, or his biological dad. So he doesn't really understand why he finds himself in a nightmare now.
And he knows it’s a nightmare. It starts the same every time - with him locked up in a closet, shaking. It's a mimic of a real event, only he was just a kid then. In the nightmare, he is 18, but still cowering like a small child. He hears the footsteps and he holds his breath, knowing that any moment now, the door would fly open to reveal–
Theo?
“Hey!” Dream Theo says with a wide smile. “There you are, I've been looking for you. Are we going swimming?”
The next thing he knows, they are in the water, at the Hidden beach, Theo splashing at him and laughing. And Liam finds himself unable to resist; he's smiling widely, splashing the water and hitting Theo so much that the other boy starts squealing. Since he can't defend himself, Theo decides to charge at him, and they both fall into the water, limbs tangling, bodies pressing against one another.
When they emerge, they are so close, their noses are almost touching. The moment lasts for too long, and not long enough at the same time. Liam feels Theo’s breath on his lips a mere second before they touch. It is glorious, and everything Liam ever dreamed about. Their bodies press incredibly closer, the water around them turning warm, the air thick.
Liam wakes up in the middle of the night with a gasp. And a boner. Great.
He spends the rest of the night tossing and turning and feels absolutely miserable the next day.
“Are you sure you're okay?” Theo asks him for the fifth time as they head over to the Hidden Beach.
“I didn't get much sleep last night,” Liam finally admits, replacing his ‘I'm fine’ response with the truth.
“Was it Mason and Corey? I told you you could come hang with us if they–”
“No, no, it wasn't them it was… Just a dumb nightmare. I'll be okay.” They have just dropped their towels on the beach when Theo stops and looks at Liam with obvious concern in his eyes.
“I get those sometimes too,” he says, like it's a no big deal. “I know it can be rough, but if you ever need to talk about–”
“Thanks,” Liam interrupts him. He doesn't want to be rude, but it's really not something he wanted to talk to with his crush. Especially the not nightmare part of his dreams last night. “I, uh, I'm seeing a therapist, so…” He hopes that last part eases the blow of his sharp words, at least a little.
“Oh,” Theo says. Liam freezes, because that is not a good kind of oh. It feels like both a surprise and judgement. It cuts through him deeper than he expected. “That’s, uh, that’s good.” It’s a statement, but sounds like a question. Liam can feel himself deflate more and more, curling inwardly on instinct.
“Yeah,” he says dismissively, and takes a deep breath as he looks over the water. “So today, I was thinking–”
“What’s it like?” Theo suddenly interrupts. Liam feels his brows furrow as he looks back at the other boy, confused for a moment. Something must read on his face too, because Theo adds, a little more timidly, “Seeing a therapist, I mean.”
Liam’s mouth opens and closes two times before he finally finds the words, “it’s, uh, it’s okay, I guess? Helped me deal with some things, taught me some ways I can better process what’s happening around me and to me… And inside my head too.”
Theo listens and nods, and doesn’t add anything more, even if it feels like he wants to. Instead, he is just standing there, playing with his finger as he fails to meet Liam’s gaze. Slowly, but surely, his cheeks begin to catch color that has nothing to do with the sun.
Liam considers what to say. It’s clear Theo feels embarrassed a little, but Liam can’t just dismiss his feelings about this. Yet, he can’t outright offer him his therapist's phone number.
“It’s not– We all need to talk to someone at some point. Even if it’s just about something trivial, it just makes everything easier,” he settles on that. Theo nods, slowly breathing out and relaxing a little.
“Yeah. Probably.”
Liam hums and lets him have a moment before he starts talking about the swimming lesson again. They move into that water and Liam makes peace with having to touch Theo the rest of the day in a very appropriate way and nothing else. He just knows he’s going to have ‘nightmares’ about this tonight as well.
“Can we try the other way?” Theo asks midday, but Liam shakes his head.
“I think you should try to swim like this, on your own first before we try any more advanced techniques. I want you more relaxed in the water before you have to submerge your head in it over and over while you do the crawl.”
“Submerge?” Theo asks, eyes going a little wide.
“Yeah. I showed you the other day, remember?”
“Oh, yeah, right, right. Okay.” No, this is not okay, not one bit. Being scared of water and having to dive into it is exactly like facing your biggest fear. Suddenly, Liam isn’t so sure Theo would be ready for the race.
“Maybe…” He starts, mind working a mile a minute, “maybe we could try something else?”
“Like what?” Theo asks, curious, and paler than he was before.
If he could show Theo that controlled submerging is doable, safe, that he could control everything that is happening, maybe they have a shot at this. “Okay. I want you to watch me. Just stand there and watch me and count, okay?”
Theo nods, confused, but does as he is told. Liam throws him a reassuring smile before he takes a deep breath, then lets his body relax as he starts to sink. He doesn’t have a diving mask, so he doesn’t have a clear view of Theo, but he does open his eyes and tracks the other boy’s figure. After reaching fifteen seconds on his own count, he notices Theo starting to shift, like he is getting restless. Liam counts to twenty before he rises up.
When he breaks the surface, he makes sure not to draw in a deep breath; it can sound scary. So he pulls as much air through his nose and blinks away the salty water out of his eyes to get a better look of the other boy.
Theo looks really pale. Maybe a little green around the edges too, but that could be a trick of the light.
“You’re going to make me do that, aren’t you?” Theo asks and Liam barely resists a laugh that wants to bubble out of him. Theo looks so miserable, but not really scared the way Liam expected. Still, he shakes his head.
“Nope,” Liam says. Theo frowns at him, but Liam doesn’t let him ask anything more. “Did you count how long I was down?”
“Uh…” Theo trails off, uncertain. Liam makes a disappointed face at him, then puts his hands on his hips in mock annoyance.
“Are you telling me I’ll have to repeat that?”
“No, no, it was, uh… Twenty seconds!” Theo blurts out. Liam squints at him, still maintaining the same position.
“Are you suuuuuure?” he practically sing-songs, “maybe it was twenty-two seconds?”
Theo freezes for half a second before he relaxes and levels Liam with a slight glare. “You’re messing with me.”
Finally, Liam cracks. He starts laughing, then sees the slight pout on Theo’s face and starts laughing even more. “I’m sorry, I couldn’t help myself.”
“That was dumb,” Theo protests, still pouting, but his lips are twitching with the need to smile.
“Yeah, it was soooo dumb. But stopped you from thinking about being underwater, right?”
The thing is, Liam didn’t even know he was doing it, it just came to him, but now that he thinks about it, he wanted to tie this experience to something fun for Theo. Something a little light, like a stupid joke. Something that would make Theo smile when he thought back to this moment.
Liam hopes it will.
“Okay, but now, I’ll show you the crawl again. This time, pay attention to what my head is doing. And this time count how long my face is under water, okay?”
Liam does a short lap, making sure to lift his head to the side to breathe every three strokes as he makes his way back to Theo. When he stops and looks up, he sees Theo watching him. “Well?”
“Three to four seconds,” Theo tells him. He seems to get what Liam has been trying to show him.
“U-huh,” Liam hums, then straightens up, offering his hands, palms up. “Now, you want to try this while I hold you?”
🌊🌊🌊🌊🌊🌊
The coach has been less and less strict as the days pass. At first he was keeping a tight schedule and everyone on the leash, but since nobody misbehaved (to his knowledge), he relaxed a little.
So, when the boys asked him to go into the town that evening, he agreed as long as he chaperoned. But after dinner, when they were supposed to leave, he proclaimed he was too tired and surprisingly, let them go on their own. With a warning to behave, of course.
That is how Liam finds himself walking with his friends through a town, if it can be called that. There are no stores around, just an endless loop of a road and private houses nearby. But the change of scenery is helping them all feel a little better, a little less caged.
Somehow, they end up splitting into smaller groups, and before Liam knows it, it is just the six of them - Scott, Stiles, Theo, Mason, Corey and him.
The other three don't usually hang out with Liam and his friends, so it is a little surprising to find them all immersed into their own conversations. Scott and Corey are in the lead, chatting about collages and what they want to do after high-school. Apparently, Scott wants to be a vet, and Corey likes the idea so much, he's considering if he should look into his own options for that.
Stiles and Mason are right behind them, caught in a fierce discussion about serial killers of all things. It's a little unnerving how they are both fascinated by psychopaths. Liam knows Mason wants to study psychology, but it seems Stiles has a different approach in mind - he wants to go into law enforcement and become an FBI profiler.
Shouldn't be surprising, considering his dad is the sheriff.
All that leaves Theo to hang out with Liam. They don't talk much as they trail after the other four, Liam not knowing what to say and Theo probably sick of being around him day in and day out.
Liam can barely resist the urge to apologize. Logically, he knows it’s not his fault that they are stuck with each other again, but it's hard fighting that instinct he's had his whole life.
“So,” Theo starts a bit awkwardly, “you think I got a chance to beat Brett?”
“Yeah, I do,” Liam responds with a small smile, glancing at Theo before focusing back on the road ahead, “you've learned so much and you're getting good.”
“But is that good enough? I mean, you've seen him, you know–”
“Brett is good. He is a way better swimmer than you,” Liam says, but before the words could hit too hard, he continues, “but you've got something he doesn't have. Well, actually two somethings.”
“And what's that?” Theo asks, his voice filled with curiosity. Liam chances another glance at him, not wanting to be caught staring, or worse, not wanting to trip over his feet and embarrass himself like he feels he might do.
“Patience and smarts.” When Liam looks at Theo again, he can see that the two words made Theo’s brows lift in slight surprise. The other boy opens and closes his mouth a few times, then he starts blushing.
It makes something in Liam’s chest warm up to see it, but he puts it aside in favor of explaining. “I've been meaning to talk to you about this, actually. I know Brett, he's from my old school. We were teammates once.”
“Oh. I didn't know that,” Theo says with a hint of curiosity. Of course, he doesn’t probe for more, but Liam is going to tell him anyway. At least part if it.
“Yeah, we were never really friends. He used to bully me around a little. He is an ass,” he says, then dares another look at Theo. The other boy nods at him, but doesn’t say anything. And even better, he doesn't seem to pity him.
“He was always a hothead. Don't get me wrong, he is strong and very good at lacrosse and swimming and a bunch of other things, but… He doesn't have the patience. He wants it all and wants it now. That's why I know, when you guys race, he'll tire himself out fast, and gloat like crazy before the race is even done. That's going to be your chance to win.”
“You'll trail after him, as best as you can, keeping a steady pace. Near the end, you'll double your efforts, just when he's least expecting you to.”
“So we're doing the hare and the tortoise, huh?” Theo jokes, nudging Liam’s shoulder with his own, grinning.
He's so handsome when he smiles like this.
Not wanting to be caught starting, Liam huffs a smile and ducks his head.
“Yup, that's exactly what we're doing.”
“Oh, hell yeah,” Theo says, his smile turning somewhat sly, but not making him any less attractive. Damn, Liam is too far gone for him. He is even imagining that Theo is staring at him right now with this little spark in his eyes. He really needs to get his head in the game and stop fantasizing.
Theo is, after all, doing all this for Tracy.
Because he’s into her.
Not Liam.
“You’re really sneaky, you know that,” Theo tells him. Liam just shrugs.
“Not really. I just don’t like Brett.” That earns him another laugh and another light shove. They walk in silence for a few minutes before Theo nudges Liam up again. When he looks up, Theo motions for their friends.\
“They seem to be getting along,” he comments.
“Yeah… It’s weird.” Liam frowns first, then huffs a smile.
“We should all definitely hang out more.” Theo says it like it’s no big deal, like Liam doesn’t daydream about hanging out with him every day.
“That, yeah, that would be awesome!” Liam stumbles over his words, but thinks Theo didn’t notice. Or at least hopes he didn’t. Otherwise, he might actually see how big of a loser Liam is.
Internally, Liam scoffs at himself. He shouldn’t think like that. He knows he’s not a loser, that it’s just Brett and Donovan and… his bio dad talking. He shoves that thought aside, returning to his conversation with Theo.
“Maybe when we get back, we could all hang at the Frosty Palace, I heard they are renovating it,” he offers and gets yet another smile from Theo.
“Definitely. It’s a d– it’s a deal!”
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Theo has been doing so well these days, getting more and more sure of himself and letting go of his fear of water little by little. They switched to swimming side by side, much to Liam’s secret disappointment (for not being able to touch him so much), and have even ventured into the deep end a few times. He will have to go even deeper for the race, but Liam wanted to ease him into it.
He was really proud of him though.
But today, the last day before the race, Theo’s been acting… a little irritable. Liam doesn’t know why and he really doesn’t want to pry, but it feels like Theo’s head isn’t in the game and that can be a little dangerous. So when they start swimming and head farther away from the shore, Liam calls them to a stop.
“Okay, that’s far enough, let’s go back,” he says, watching Theo. He’s struggling a little already and pushing himself way beyond his current limitations.
“No, I wanna keep going. The fifty feet mark is just to that rock, we can make it,” Theo says and doesn’t wait for Liam’s response, just turns towards said rock and starts swimming. Before he can get far, Liam grabs his hand to draw his attention, but immediately releases it so the other boy wouldn’t start to panic.
“Theo, I said no. We’re going back. It’s too deep.” And you’re too worked up, he wants to add, but doesn’t. He can’t risk igniting some sort of spite or need to prove himself to Liam.
“We swam there yesterday,” Theo protests angrily, barely managing to stay afloat. Liam could see his movements getting more frantic, his breathing picking up. That’s not good. They are too deep for Theo to start having a panic attack.
“I know, but not right now. Let’s go back,” Liam insists. He’s afraid to say anything else and make Theo even more upset, but he needs to say something to get him to head back. “I think… I think my leg might be cramping up.”
It’s a lie. He knows it and there is a good chance Theo knows it too. But it’s an out, an excuse for Theo to let go of having to prove something. Liam can only hope Theo will take it.
The other boy observes him for a moment, calculating, before shaking his head. “Then you go back. I’ll swim to the rock and catch up.”
No, damn it, that’s not what he wanted. The worst part is, they are arguing for so long that Theo could have gone to the rock and back right now.
“No,” Liam says with a sigh, “let’s, um, let’s go to the rock and then we’ll head back.” A compromise. He hopes it’s the right call. Theo doesn’t even acknowledge what Liam says, just starts swimming. He is going faster and faster, barely lifting his head up above the water to catch a breath. Liam is keeping up, by just barely, too distracted by watching Theo’s every move.
That’s why he doesn’t notice when Theo actually collides with the rock. Liam just sees him stop, then suddenly sink.
Heart beating like crazy, Liam charges forward, while also keeping an eye on any sign of Theo. The other boy emerges long enough to grab a lungful of air and barely manages to shout “He–” before he is going under again.
Liam reaches him within seconds, but when he tries to grab his arm and pull him up, Theo panics and starts thrashing around. Liam reaches for him two more times before he finally snaps and dives, then grabs Theo under his arms to haul him up. Somehow, he gets an elbow in the face, and blinding pain spreads across his head, but he pushes it all away. He needs to get Theo back to shallower water.
It takes a few minutes for Theo to sink in that he’s not drowning anymore. His breathing is still fast, and he does sound like he drank a lot of water, but he is a little more alert and breathing and that is what matters. Liam hauls him towards the shore until they are nearly knee deep, hands around his upper body the entire time. He didn’t want to let go, not even when they reached the point when both of them could stand.
“What the fuck was that?!” He shouts when they finally separate. Theo looks up at him, startled, eyes going wide. He probably didn’t expect Liam to get angry like this.
Well, Liam didn’t expect Theo blowing him off and doing whatever the fuck he wanted, so…
“Liam–”
“No. No, Theo! I told you we should go back, I told you. I could see that you weren’t– That you were struggling and that you weren’t fit to make that swim. But you just had to go.” He knows he should stop, he knows he shouldn’t yell, but he can’t help it. He feels it all crash on him suddenly - the fear, the frustration, his own feelings towards the other boy.
He’s losing control. It’s not good. He has to stop.
“We had one deal, Theo, one! It was that no matter what, you’d follow my lead.” Breathe, just breathe. “And you couldn’t even do that. What!? What was so important that you had to prove to yourself here today, huh? Because you certainly didn’t have to prove yourself to me. I already–”
He cuts himself off with a small gasp, then swallows hard and turns away from Theo. Breathe, just breathe. In, then one-two-three-four and out.
His hands are shaking and it only gets worse when he balls them into fists, but he can’t make them stop. It feels like his whole world is crumbling down, the walls he kept his anger behind crumbling down, the emotions overflowing him. It’s not real, he tries to remind himself. The anger isn’t real, it’s just a manifestation of the fear he felt just now.
Theo is his responsibility and if he got hurt while they were out there, trying to prove some stupid point… He doesn’t want to think about what would have happened.
“Liam,” Theo says softly, closer now, and it makes Liam’s blood run cold. He doesn’t want Theo to see the rage in his eyes, doesn’t want him to see the monster that lurks inside. Doesn’t want to scare him off. But then a hand lands on his bare shoulder, the touch so soft and kind, it drains every bit of anger out of him.
Theo nudges him only a little, and Liam’s body follows on command, turning around. He wants to duck his head, avert his gaze, but he knows he can’t hide for long. Still, of all the things he expects to see, Theo’s tear filled eyes are definitely not it.
“You’re bleeding,” he says, cupping Liam’s face first, then running his thumb over his upper lip. The finger comes off coated in red. Liam glances at it for only a moment, not even registering any pain, then looks back at Theo. Theo, who is standing very close, whose hand is still on Liam’s cheek, and who looks so sorrowful, it breaks Liam’s heart.
“I’m so sorry,” he says, still staring at Liam, like he is pleading for forgiveness, like it matters to him so much.
But of course it doesn’t. Liam should know better than to let his imagination run wild like this. So he breaks away from him, then turns to grab his towel and wipe away the blood, not that there is much of it anyway. The pain registers then, growing more intense as the adrenaline wears off, but it’s not too much. Nothing’s broken, so Liam just pushes past it.
“You didn’t mean it,” he tells Theo, like a dismissal, then drops his towel down to sit at it. He stares off towards the ocean, watching as the waves hit the surrounding rocks and tries to calm his thoughts.
Theo stands in the same spot for a couple of moments, water dripping off him, before he decides to sit down, and chooses the spot right next to Liam.
“I’m still sorry you got hurt. You’re right, I didn’t mean to hit you, but it’s still my fault. I should have listened to you, should have headed back like you wanted to,” he says, his tone filled with sadness and regret, then repeats, “I’m sorry.”
When Liam chances a look at him, Theo is still staring at him, eyes wide and pleading. Unable to withstand it, Liam looks away, then heaves a sigh. “Look, I know this is important to you, and trust me, I know better than anyone what’s it like to want to stick it to Brett, but… You have to know your limit. He’s not worth dying over.”
His voice trembles a little at that last part, but he thinks he hides it well.
“I know,” Theo says, finally looking away from Liam and towards the ocean. Liam feels like he can breathe again, even if he doesn’t really understand why. He also wants to ask, to try, to learn why Theo was upset in the first place. He wants to ask if something happened last night or this morning, something to make him push beyond his limits, but he doesn’t. If Theo doesn’t offer the information, he won’t ask.
They stay seated like that for a long time, both lost in their thoughts. The wind starts picking up a little, the waves crashing into the shore and the surrounding rocks more and more. After what feels like an eternity, but also just a few fleeting moments, Liam takes a deep breath, slowly releases it and then says the words he knows Theo doesn’t want to hear.
“I think we should head back.”
Theo’s head snaps towards him, but Liam doesn’t meet his gaze. The race is tomorrow, they both know it. Liam knows Theo is as ready as he’ll ever be, despite what happened today. It helps that the other beach has much calmer water and it will be easier for him to swim there.
Theo’s mouth opens, then promptly closes before he ducks his head away. “Yeah, we should,” he says calmly. He definitely wanted to protest, then thought better of it. At least he listened to Liam this time.
Getting up, Liam doesn’t grab his towel, but rather offers his hand to Theo who looks up at him in surprise. Liam offers him a small smile, and when Theo takes the offered hand, Liam pulls him up. He holds his hand for a moment longer, squeezing it before telling him, “you got this.”
No matter what happens tomorrow, Liam needs Theo to know he’ll have a friend in him, whenever he needs it.
🌊🌊🌊🌊🌊🌊
Liam stands on the shore, water reaching just to the tips of his fingers. The coach is somewhere in the shade, reading some trashy romance novel and not paying a bit of attention as to what is going on. There, in the shallow water, stand Theo and Brett, ready to face each other.
Someone thought since Tracy is the one they are racing to win over, that she should be the marker that indicates they reached fifty feet and should head back. Liam would have expected her to be on the shore, waiting for her winner, but what does he know, right?
He’s worried. His fingers twitch next to his body and he wants nothing more than to raise his hand and bite on his nails, but he dropped the habit a long time ago and does not want to pick it up again. So instead, he chooses to stare intensely at Theo, looking for any sign of distress, whether it be fear or something happening while he swims. He is ready to bold after him at any moment, if necessary.
“You ready to lose, Raeken?” Brett mocks, but Liam can spot the slight confusion on his face. He thought Theo was terrified of water. Thankfully, he hasn’t discovered Liam has been helping him, otherwise, he might have turned that into a mockery too.
Theo doesn’t take the bait. He looks calm and collected, just waiting for someone to blow the whistle they stole from the coach.
“Alright, alright, enough with the trashtalk,” Stiles says sarcastically and some girls at the other side of the beach giggle. He throws them a wink before, refocusing on the two contestants. “Okay, you know how this works. I want no fighting, not touching, no biting, no scratching, no kissing, no cheating, no batting eyelashes, no kicking. And anything else, otherwise, you’re outta he’e! Capishe?”
Both Theo and Brett level him with a glare, and Stiles chuckles awkwardly before clasping his hands together. “I’ll take that as a yes. Now, you both ready?” When he gets two nods, he brings the whistle to his lips and then starts the countdown. “In, three, two, one… GO, GO, GO!”
The sound of the whistle echoes around the beach, making everyone cover their ears. There is some commotion in the back and Liam can hear the coach shouting something, but he doesn’t care. He needs to focus on Theo and be there if the other boy needs him.
Even if they haven’t said a word to each other since yesterday. Even if Theo barely acknowledged him this morning when Liam first saw him on the beach.
“You got this,” Liam whispers, even if there is no way Theo can hear it.
The race starts off just like Liam predicted. Brett started off hard and fast, reaching Tracy just a little after Theo hit halfway there. But then he stopped to actually talk to Tracy, figuring he had time. She giggles at something he says, then points at Theo who is just reaching them. Brett waves his hand dismissively and turns towards her, saying something nobody on the shore can hear.
Whatever it is, Theo hears it. It makes him pause, but only for a second before he continues swimming, going around them and already heading back.
“Hey, Talbot!” Stiles shouts from the shore. “You gonna stand there gossiping all day, or are you actually going to swim?” He is on Theo’s side, but he can’t help poking at Brett. Theo is almost half way back when Brett starts swimming again, confident he has time to catch up.
“Go, Theo, go!!” Scott yells and Liam knows it is a prearranged sign, something Theo and his friends came up with to help Theo know Brett’s location and actions without having to look at the other boy. This particular one must tell Theo that Brett started swimming again, because suddenly Theo is picking up his pace, swimming faster and faster.
With a quarter of the way there, Brett realizes he’s about to lose. He doubles his efforts, but there is no way he can reach Stiles, aka the finish line, before Theo does. All he has to do is touch him and he wins. When the crowd figures out what is happening, they start chanting Theo’s name, boasting about him louder and louder.
“Come on, Theo, almost there!” Scott yells, his voice carrying above everyone else’s.
Of course, Theo reaches Stiles first. He stops swimming and stands up, inhaling deeply and shaking the water off himself as he reaches to touch his friend. But then, just at the last second, he stops.
No, no, what are you doing? Just touch him, just a little more and you’re in the clear. Liam’s mind races a mile a minute, and he wants to scream at Theo. But the other boy stands frozen for a moment longer, then, much to everyone’s horror, he drops his hand.
The crowd erupts around him, people screaming and crying, but Liam barely registers it. It’s like every sound in the world got muted, all because Theo is turning and looking directly at him. Liam’s heart picks up the pace, hammering like wild in his chest, and he doesn’t know what to do about it, doesn’t know what is happening.
A few moments later, Brett reaches them and touches Stiles, grinning and throwing his fist in the air. The crowd boos at him, but he doesn’t seem to care. Just as things settle a little, the coach finally appears and tells everyone to break it up, Brett turns to Theo.
“Well, looks like I beat you, Raeken. Told you, you can’t win against me,” Brett boasts, still trying to catch his breath. Theo huffs a laugh and throws him a knowing look. Everyone on the beach saw it, everyone knows that Theo let him win. The only thing Liam doesn’t know is why.
“Yeah, you won.” Theo glances back at Tracy who is struggling to swim back to the shore, then looks back at Brett. “She’s all yours.”
The crowd gasps, Stiles being particularly vocal about it, but Theo ignores them all. He turns towards Liam and starts marching towards him. Liam watches him frozen, heart beating impossibly fast, eyes probably wide as saucers. He doesn’t know what this means and what is happening, but he can’t make himself move.
Theo stops an inch away from him, too close and yet, somehow, not close enough. He swallows, his Adam’s apple bobbing up and down before he speaks up, loud enough for only Liam to hear. “I think… I think I need more lessons.”
“Uh,” Liam says ever so eloquently, not having expected Theo to say that of all things. “Okay?”
Theo nods, pleased, though a little unsure. “Good. Then… Same time, same place tomorrow?”
“Sure,” Liam says, blinking at him, his heart finally giving him some reprieve. That is, until the next words come out of Theo’s mouth.
“It’s a date.”
It’s a what?
But Liam doesn’t get a chance to ask because Theo is already moving away, heading towards where he dropped off his towel, leaving Liam in complete confusion.
What the hell just happened?
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Of all the times Liam has walked this path, he’s never felt so insecure as he does now. He has no idea what is going to happen, but he is too chicken to stop and ask, and possibly shatter the illusion, the hope that this might just– No, he can’t even think it. There is no way this is what Theo wants.
But what else is there?
He clearly let Brett win. Let him have Tracy. Then, he approached Liam.
“It’s a date,” he said. Is it really? If so, why here? Why now? What changed?
It might be more likely that Theo is pissed at him and wants to kill him and leave his body to the ocean, so he needs to lure him somewhere where there won’t be any witnesses.
As absurd as it might sound, it still feels more probable then… Then…
They drop their towels at the same spot they always do, and then Liam turns to him, not knowing what to do next.
“I think I might need to practice my crawl technique a little more,” Theo tells him, smiling softly even if he looks a little nervous, “let’s go in the water.”
Without waiting for Liam’s response, Theo grabs his hand and pulls him towards the water. Liam goes willingly, unable to voice any thought. When they reach waist deep water, Theo stops, then turns to him, still holding Liam’s hand.
“Is this deep enough?” He asks and barely waits for Liam to nod before he is drawing closer. Liam sucks in a breath and holds it, feels like his heart has stopped beating. Like the whole world has stopped turning.
He might be imagining it, but Theo looks both determined and a little insecure. Liam keeps wondering what he’s going to do next, his mind unable to process any of this.
“You’ll hold me, right?” Theo asks, moving Liam’s hand, the one he is still holding, to his waist and sets it there, like it’s the only place it belongs. Liam only nods, still unable to form any words.
Theo stares at him for a moment, then another, and Liam doesn’t know if he’s supposed to say something or do something, he is completely dumbfounded by all of this. Then, suddenly, Theo shakes his head, the motion making Liam’s heart sink.
“Fuck it,” he says, then grabs Liam’s face with both his hands and pulls him in for a kiss. Liam is so stunned that he doesn’t even realize it’s a kiss, not until Theo’s lips start moving against his a little. But when he does… Tingles shoot throughout his body and he finds himself reacting, kissing back, that hand on Theo’s waist tightening its grip, then pulling the other boy even closer.
It feels… Incredible. Theo’s lips are soft as they move against Liam’s, withdrawing a little to let his teeth graze over Liam’s sensitive skin. It is maddening and so sweet at the same time. Liam quickly takes charge of the kiss, letting his tongue dart out and seek access, and Theo opens for him without much prompting. He even lets out this sound, like a whine, and it feels like the other boy is melting in his arms.
He has no idea the feeling is one hundred percent mutual.
Liam’s free hand comes up to cup Theo’s cheek after Theo lets go of his face, finger slowly tracing over his cheekbone as his heart races impossibly fast. It still feels surreal, that they are standing here, kissing, touching. Liam doesn’t want it to end.
Still, after a moment, Theo pulls back. Liam holds his breath, waiting to see his reaction as if he was the one that kissed the other boy first and not the other way around.
Theo doesn’t go too far. He ducks his head a little and brings their foreheads together, a small smile on his lips. “That… That was amazing.”
Liam huffs a laugh. It was that and so much more, but he’s not about to correct him. Still, he has so many questions swirling inside his mind, questions he’s too afraid to ask.
The thing is, it feels like a dream. And it scares the shit out of him that it might be just that.
After a moment, Theo huffs a laugh. “I guess I owe Stiles a twenty.”
“Why?” Liam asks, then realizes it’s the first thing he said the whole day.
“Because he said you were into me,” Theo whispers, like a secret he is admitting.
“Oh,” Liam lets out, then quickly finds his words, “yeah, you definitely owe him a twenty.”
Theo suddenly pulls back, eyes wide as he stares back at Liam, but it’s only for a moment. In the very next second, his smile is widening and then he is leaning in again for another kiss. Liam complies without complaint, happy and eager.
“I should have… I should have realized sooner,” Theo says when they break apart again.
“Realized what?”
Theo heaves a small sign, eyes downcast before he looks up at Liam. “This. Everything. I didn’t even like Tracy, not really. And you–”
“Me?” Liam asks with a shaky voice.
“Yeah, you. I thought you were amazing from the very first moment I met you. But it never occurred to me that you might… That you might see me that way. Stiles told me I was stupid for not seeing it, we fought over it. And then the fight turned into something else, about Tracy and Brett and me getting sucked into his game… That was the night before… Before I acted out. I’m… I’m still very sorry about it.”
“My nose forgives you,” Liam says with a genuine smile. He’ll take a punch any day as long as he gets to have this with Theo.
The other boy lets out a chuckle, then shakes his head. “I still can’t believe you liked me and still chose to help me win over a girl.”
“Well, what can I say, I’m a nice guy,” Liam jokes, not sure what else to say. But Theo isn’t laughing. He is smiling though, but there is a spark of something in his eyes, something that draws Liam in, a promise to make all Liam’s dreams and hopes come true.
“Yes. Yes, you are. A little too nice for your own good, but I’ll take it.”
“Oh, really?”
“Yeah, really.” Theo confirms and then leans in again, but this time, Liam meets him halfway.
Suddenly, cheers erupt from the shore and both boys startle, then turn towards the sound only to find their friends there, laughing and applauding at them. Theo buries his head in Liam’s shoulder with a groan while Liam starts laughing too.
“You owe me a twenty!!” Stiles shouts and Theo groans again.
“I knooooowww!!!” he shouts back.
“Come on, let’s get out of the water,” Liam tells him, letting his hand slide down Theo’s shoulder in a soothing manner (because hell, yeah, he can do that now).
“I don’t wanna,” Theo complains, but takes Liam’s hand in his and together they head for the shore. Yet before they completely step out of the water, Liam makes Theo stop and pulls him in for another kiss, this one softer and sweet, a promise.
At the same time he can’t help but think about what his mom said - you can’t hurry love. It’s funny, the way it all compares to Liam’s advice about the race - slow and steady, have patience, wait. He did wait. And the waiting paid off.
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You can't hurry love
No, you just have to wait
She said trust, give it time
No matter how long it takes…