New Beginnings

6: Kissing and Missing

"What about this one?" They had returned to Liam's house, and Theo was currently checking Liam's homework while Liam anxiously peered over Theo's shoulder.

"Stop that," Theo swatted at the younger boy, "and no, you got all of them wrong. I thought I taught you the formula!"

"You did," sighed Liam, "I'm sorry. I was just distracted."

"Here," Theo said, putting a pencil in Liam's hand. "Problem number one. Let's do this." It took two hours for Liam's homework to be fully complete, and finally Theo collapsed on Liam's bed, exhausted.

"Oh, Scott emailed me back." The reminder that Liam had sold him out to Scott made Theo upset all over again - not that Liam had sold him out to Scott, but he kept remembering Nolan's horrified expression in the hospital.

"What does your stupid true alpha say now?"

"Be nice, Theo. He says...well, he says he trusts me, and that's what matters," Liam frowned, evidently displeased by Scott's reply. "Oh, and he's coming back for the next lacrosse game!" Liam's face brightened, and Theo rolled his eyes.

"Great."

"Theo, stop being so grumpy. You were just being so nice, and then - you're not upset I emailed Scott, are you? You guys aren't enemies anymore," Liam said.

"I'm not upset you emailed Scott. You're his beta, it's only natural." Theo fell silent again. "Why did you let me live here?"

"Excuse me?"

"Here. With your stepfather, your mom. With you. When you could've just left me in that lockup cell. Why would you want to have a murderous chimera in your house?"

Liam frowned. "Theo, you're not murderous."

"I killed Tracy, Josh, and my own sister," snapped Theo.

"Yeah, and then you redeemed yourself, by helping us defeat the Ghost Riders and the hunters," shot Liam. "And then you proved you had actual feelings," he added, "by taking Gabe's pain as he was dying."

"You should've left me in hell, everyone in Beacon Hills hates me."

"Did Nolan say something?"

"It's not just Nolan," grumbled Theo. "It's everyone. I tried to kill Scott, I'm just a stupid chimera who everyone hates - "

"Stop saying that!"

"It's true!"

"No, it's not!" yelled Liam furiously, golden eyes blazing. "Because I'm standing here, in Beacon Hills, and I could never hate you!"

"Well, you should!" yelled Theo. "You should hate me!"

"And what if I didn't, huh?" shouted Liam. "What if I liked you, instead?"

"Then you'd be an idiot," sighed Theo. "Just like me."

Liam calmed down and cupped Theo's cheeks. "You did those things," he said to Theo. "But they were in the past. You've made up for it. And I trust you, even if Nolan or Mason or Corey or Alec doesn't."

"You're such an idiot," Theo whispered; and Liam kissed him, on the lips. Theo instantly responded, wrapping his arms around Liam's neck and pulling him closer; Liam's lips parted, of their own accord, and Theo found his tongue slipping inside, exploring the inside of Liam's mouth.

And then they broke apart, both boys panting.

"I - I have to go," blurted Liam, knowing he had to tell his best friend, Mason, about this new development. Theo frowned at Liam's response.