What Could Have Been [Thiam Rewrites]

Chapter 11: Glass Bubbles

"I will," Liam answered, and Theo hooked his arm around Liam's elbow, tugging him away from Isaac.

"Have fun babysitting!" Theo called over his shoulder and caught Isaac shaking his head and rolling his eyes.

...

At the safe house after long showers and Chinese takeout for dinner, Theo lounged on the bed, an arm tucked under his head and the other holding his phone as he scrolled, but when Liam came back from his own shower, the phone slipped from his hand.

It would've been enough to see Liam's damp, wet hair falling into his eyes, but he wasn't wearing a shirt. Theo tried to keep his cool, but he had a hard time averting his eyes from the muscles rippling in Liam's back while he searched for a fresh shirt.

He swore. "I might have to go back to my house tomorrow," he said, drawing Theo out of his stupor.

"What, why?"

"I need more clothes. All of my shirts are either filthy, stained, or ripped. Thanks to a certain someone," Liam grumbled. Theo was inclined to shred all of his shirts if it inspired him to walk around shirtless more often.

But Liam looked self-conscious enough that it tugged at Theo's heart. He stood as gracefully as he could manage and grabbed a blue shirt from his duffle.

"Here," he said, offering it to Liam. "You can have one of mine."

Liam's eyes danced at that and when he pulled it on, it only made his blue eyes seem depthless. "Thanks."

Since it was still relatively early in the night, they decided to watch a movie. Theo wanted to watch a horror movie, but after Isaac's description of the body in the woods earlier, Liam was adamantly against that option. They started watching Captain America: The Winter Soldier, but Liam switched it off as soon as he realized that Bucky's storyline might hit a little too close to home for Theo's comfort even though he didn't care what they watched. He was content to lay beside Liam, their shoulder's brushing and heads tipped together while they watched on Liam's phone.

Liam ended up picking The Incredibles instead and debating what super powers they'd want if they weren't shifters.

"Super speed definitely."

"You already have super speed," Theo said.

"No, like I'd want to be as fast as the Flash," he said. "What about you?"

"Probably telekinesis." Though, he wouldn't mind having Violet's power, either.

As the movie played, Theo flicked his glance to Liam. His eyes were fluttering shut. Theo wrapped an arm around Liam, who nestled closer to Theo and rooted around until he found the perfect spot with his head was buried in the crook of his neck.

Despite protesting that he wasn't falling asleep when Theo asked if he should turn the movie off, Liam was sound asleep minutes later, and Theo wasn't far behind him.

Liam

The sharp, acidicscent of fear woke Liam from his dream. Theo was trembling, his arms and legsjolting like electricity was coursing through his body. Liam reached up, stroking through Theo's hair and hoping that maybe he could anchor him to a better dream without waking him. 

He only flinched, and Liam sat up, shaking his shoulders.

"Theo," Liam whispered to him. "Theo, wake up. It's just a bad dream."

When Theo's eyes flew open and focused in on him, his whole body relaxed and he let his head fall to Liam's chest. He gripped Liam's arm, holding him in place tightly enough that it bordered pain. Almost like was afraid that Liam might be a dream, and that if he loosened his hold, Liam would slip away.