A/N: Happy Pride Month! Enjoy my favorite queer boys being absolute dorks for each other. Enjoy!
Liam
The tension in the room had Liam's hair standing on end. While the rest of the pack lounged on the comfortable sofas and the chairs in the safe house library, Liam paced the perimeter of it. He listened while the others relayed what they'd learned at the hunter's compound.
Despite the fact that the disastrous night had happened nearly a week ago, the mere thought of it still sent Liam's emotions into overdrive. He forced himself to take deep, calming breaths so that the sparks of anger didn't have a chance to catch.
The weight of a gaze had Liam stilling. Scott was studying him with his hands in his pockets, his lips drawn into a line, and a scowl creasing the space between his brows. The morning after the incident, Scott had pulled Liam aside.
"Li, I'm sorry I haven't been around lately," Scott had said, gripping the base of his neck reassuringly, "and I'm sorry that I failed you at the compound, but I'm here now. Nothing's going to happen to you."
"You didn't fail me, Scott," Liam had told him, but his alpha had refused to hear him. Instead, he'd hauled him into a crushing hug that, despite the distance that had grown between them while he'd been at college, reminded him why he loved Scott. He was the fiercest, most loyal protector anyone could ask for.
Between him and Theo, Liam was starting to think that maybe they could beat these ancient werewolves on determination alone.
Now, Scott quirked his head ever so slightly to the side. You all right? he whispered into his mind.
They'd been practicing keeping an open line of communication between them ever since the incident. Whenever trouble struck again, they'd be ready.
Fine, Liam lied, fighting the urge to wring his hands. He wanted nothing more than to just wake up and have this entire white wolf fiasco be a bad dream. It was bad enough that they had finals starting in a few days, but now his entire future hinged on what might happen the day after graduation. The day of the ring of fire eclipse.
Liam let his eyes flutter shut for a brief second, honing in on the steady sound of Theo's heart beat from across the room—he'd positioned himself directly with the perfect vantage point of the doors and windows throughout the room. Between his crossed arms and the sour expression on his face, Theo looked more like a body guard than anything else. Clearly, Liam wasn't the only one on edge, even if Theo was better at hiding it.
Still, Liam let the steady drumming of his boyfriend's heart steady his own. When he'd centered himself, he tuned back into the larger conversation.
"The first werewolf," Mason said, dumbfounded.
"Yup," Isaac said, popping the 'p'.
"The first. Like, as in... the literal first ever werewolf?" Mason asked again, his eyes wide like he still couldn't quite wrap his mind around that idea.
"Yes," Derek said impatiently, flicking a side-long glance at Mason. "My mother used to tell us stories about her growing up, but I'm not sure how much of its true. Theo, did the Dread Doctors ever mention her?"
Theo shifted, straightening so he wasn't leaning against the built-in bookshelves. All the eyes in the room slid to him.
"A few times," Theo said, his eyes darkening at the distant memory. "Probably close to 900 years ago, she was just an ordinary mortal woman born into poverty who'd grown tired of people taking advantage of her lack of status. Supposedly, she struck a deal with a god because she was tired of being weak. She craved power, and the god granted her everything she wished for—speed, strength, heightened senses—but it all came at a cost. The god that had answered her was the wolf god, and he tied her power to the moon so that every month, she'd lose control and shift into a wolf."
Liam had to remind himself to draw breath. He'd never stopped to question how the first werewolf was created. Now, though, his mind wouldn't stop whirling with questions and possibilities. If all that was true, then maybe that also meant that Imara was the first alpha.
"That's more or less exactly what I was told, too," Derek said as if anyone had any reason to doubt Theo's word on this. Long before he was an official pack ally, he'd been essential in helping them stop Mr. Douglas, history he knew from his time with the Dread Doctors. Liam wondered what other valuable pieces of information they'd imparted him with.
"Hang on..." Mason said, thrusting a single finger into the air to pause them. His eyes were wider than they'd been a minute ago. "I'm sorry, did you say nine hundred years?"
Theo blinked. "Yeah."
"Nine hundred—"
"Does anyone have anything useful to say? Because I think Mason's stuck on repeat," Theo said, pinching the bridge of his nose.
Corey rubbed Mason's shoulder in a show of support. "I think what Mason might be getting at here, is that being a werewolf doesn't make you immortal."
"Yes!" Mason said, exasperated. "Exactly!"
Liam's feet fixed to the ground as his mind finally caught up to his feet.
"So how could the first ever werewolf still be alive today?" Liam asked quietly, looking to Theo. "That sounds..."
"Impossible?" Theo finished for him. "Yeah. Probably because it is. The Dread Doctors did some very, very messed up experiments to keep themselves alive for as long as they did and it had some... horrific consequences to say the least."
"The werewolf life span is challenging to nail down," Derek said, "mostly because not a lot of us live long enough to die of natural causes, but the oldest werewolf I've ever heard of lived to 200 years old."
A dark thought bubbled to the forefront of Liam's mind. He couldn't take his eyes off Theo's tense expression as it occurred to him that they could have 200 years together. That was practically two lifetimes and now Liam wasn't even sure he'd live to see the Fourth of July.
"That being said, the god of wolves is known for his wisdom," Derek continued. "My understand is that tying Imara's powers to the moon was an attempt to keep her humble and teach her to respect her powers, which is why it doesn't make any sense that he'd also make her immortal without some kind of justification."
"And why would she want Liam's blood as a cure?" Mason chimed in. "Wouldn't she just want to keep living forever?"
"Unless we have the translation wrong. Maybe it's not a cure. Maybe it's something—" Theo cut off abruptly as he noticed Liam's gaze transfixed on him. Liam had the sense he'd almost said worse, but he finished with, "—else."
As Liam gnawed at the inside of his cheek, something clicked in Liam's brain. "Mase, you said that a true alpha's first beta is always a white wolf, right?"
Mason nodded. That had been a fairly recent find in the half-burned runic text.
Liam started to pace again as he pieced it all together. "If Zeke killed the previous true alpha, then he probably helped kill the previous white wolf, too. I think our translation is wrong. I think Imara needs my blood to stay alive. That's what keeping her immortal."
A silence descended on the room, then. When no one dared to speak, Liam knew he'd hit the nail on the head. No other explanation made sense.
"Well, on the bright side," Liam said with forced levity, "my death won't mean the end of werewolves all over the world."
Liam practically felt Theo wince at that.
The low snarl came from Scott, though. "You're not dying," he said. "We weren't prepared for Imara's pack at the hunter's compound. When the eclipse happens, we will be."
As much as Liam wanted to believe his alpha, doubt swirled in his mind. Zeke alone was a force to be reckoned with, and if there were six ancient werewolves in Imara's pack, then Liam didn't like their odds. The incredulous expression on Isaac's face told Liam he wasn't the only one thinking that.
Theo
"Maybe we just need to look at the texts again," Mason said, opening one of the books in front of him. "Theo, did Lydia get back to you—"
"Am I the only one who's tired of looking at these damn runes?" Isaac demanded. "Look, the bottom line is that Imara is coming for Liam during the eclipse, but not if she can't get to him."
Hiding Liam might have been a good plan, except that if Liam was right, then that meant Imara and her pack had sacrificed every white wolf in the past 900 years. Maybe Imara had been the one to try and burn the book, to keep the next generation of werewolves from learning of the prophecy at all so that when the time came, they wouldn't expect a thing. He doubted that there was anything their group could come up with that the previous white wolves hadn't already tried.
One glimpse of Liam's deep blue eyes, though, had him swallowing his pessimist attitude.
"Yes!" Mason exclaimed, perking up at Isaac's suggestion. "Okay, we can work with that. We just have to hide Liam somewhere they can't find him until this eclipse is over. What if we put him in a house and surround it with mountain ash?"
Theo shook his head. "Too easy to break. All they'd have to do is manipulate a human, a chimera, or a hellhound. I mean, even Scott's broken through it before. I'm not taking my chances by relying on mountain ash."
"Malia's been in Budapest for the last few months," Derek suggested. "We could ship Liam to her."
While it was true that they couldn't sacrifice him if they couldn't find him, Theo shuddered to think at the destruction they'd bring on Beacon Hills when they realized he wasn't there. Mason popped open a marker and scribbled Budapest on the white board.
"What if we somehow made a decoy Liam?" Corey asked. "That way even if they get through the mountain ash, Liam's still safe."
"No," Liam snapped. Theo absorbed the simmering heat in Liam's gaze and the way his shoulders were braced against this entire conversation. "No one plays bait. No one pretends to be me."
Bait.
As he said the word, Liam's gaze locked onto him, and Theo knew instinctively that he was thinking about that day in the hospital, too.
"No one's getting hurt because of me," Liam said, an edge of authority to his voice as he stared down every member of the pack. Despite Liam's level heartbeat, Theo could scent the undercurrent of anger even with the few feet between them.
Theo nodded to him despite the fact that he wouldn't hesitate to be the bait again.
"It's okay, Li," Scott agreed. "We'll find another way."
Isaac chewed at his lower lip and shifted on the balls of his feet. "There is one more option," he said slowly, glancing suspiciously in Theo's direction, "but you're not going to like it."
"What," Theo demanded flatly, already sure the suggestion was going to piss him off.
"Well," Isaac said with a shrug, "if Kira still has her sword—"
A growl ripped from his throat as rage flooded through Theo's body like hot lava. He lunged at Isaac, getting right in the taller boy's face.
"Finish that sentence, I fucking dare you," Theo snarled.
Isaac didn't so much as budge. His eye glinted almost mischievously, and Theo wondered if Isaac needed to lose a few teeth today. He didn't care that Scott had stepped up to Isaac's shoulder, his alpha eyes glowing crimson.
A firm grip closed around Theo's arm.
Breathe, love, Liam's voice whispered through his mind.
That was enough to snap him out of the lethal haze. Theo let Liam tug him away from the little shit who now raised his hands in mock surrender.
"It was just a suggestion," Isaac said calmly. "We would've gotten him out as soon as the eclipse was over."
"Why don't we just shove you in hell while we're at it," Theo snarled. "Even better, I'll shove that sword up your—"
"Boys," Derek said, issuing a warning.
Theo tried to focus on the weight of Liam's hand on his chest and the sensation of Liam running his fingertips down Theo's arm until he reached his tightly wound fist. He brushed a thumb over the taut knuckles.
He's just trying to help, Liam whispered to him.
Putting you in hell isn't helping, Theo responded. He has no fucking clue what he's suggesting. He has no idea what it would do to you. He has no idea how bad hell really is.
No, he doesn't, Liam said, but you can't blame him for that. You never told him what it was for you. You're not there anymore. You're here. With me. You're safe, Theo. Now breathe.
After a few ragged breaths, Theo's rage began to dissipate and his fist softened enough for Liam to thread their fingers together. He gazed so intently at Theo that he might as well have been peering straight into his soul.
Just to be clear, Liam whispered. I will gladly endure minutes, hours, days in hell, if it means that I survive this.
You're not dying, Theo told him sternly. It was the one thing that he and Scott agreed on. I refuse to accept that.
I know.
Theo's hand still itched to slit Isaac's throat, but he was calm enough that Liam let his hand fall from his chest and they both turned back to the group. Theo pointedly ignored the way Scott was eyeing him like he was a rabid animal.
Apparently no one else had thought hell was a viable option because Mason hadn't even written it on the white board.
"—our vaults aren't foolproof," Derek said. "We can try sticking Liam in one of them and see how quickly one of you dumbasses can get him out. However long it takes you lot, it'll take them a fraction of the time."
"I mean, it's worth a shot," Mason said.
Scott uncrossed his arms finally and stepped forward.
"We need more than this," he said, his voice commanding the attention of the entire room. "Since we know when the eclipse is happening and who they're after, all we have to do is set a trap. We weren't ready for them at the hunter's compound. We had no idea what to expect, but we do now. I've already called in reinforcements."
Theo heard Liam's heart miss a beat.
"What? Like who?"
Scott flashed a knowing grin. The grin of a true alpha who knew exactly how powerful he was. "Deucalion and his new pack. If Malia's in Budapest, she won't be for long. Stiles and Lydia will be here at the end of the week. Kira has agreed to join us closer to the eclipse," Scott said, pausing to address Theo, "and no, she won't be bringing her sword with her. So far, eighteen of Derek's current recruits have agreed to fight, and we're still reaching out to the fifty graduates in the surrounding area."
Something warm flickered in Theo's chest. He swept his gaze over Liam's face, a smile tugging at his lips as he realized that it was hope.
"If Imara thinks we're just going to hand you over, Li, she's in for a rude awakening," Scott said. "She picked a fight with the wrong pack."
"Not just a pack," Derek said quietly, resting his palms on the thick wooden table at the center of the room. "An army."
Liam
Sun warmed his skin as he stretched his legs out across the front seat of the truck, settling his feet into Theo's lap. He dropped a hand from the steering wheel, his warm palm covering the top of Liam's foot.
"How much longer?" Corey asked from the backseat.
"Like 15 minutes?" Theo answered.
Mason popped his head up, craning it so that he could exchange a baffled look with Liam. "Whoa, Theo, what's gotten into you? You're really starting to freak me out."
Theo frowned at him. "What? Why?"
"That's the third time Corey's complained about how long it's taking to get to this amusement park, and you didn't even have a snarky reply or try to rip his head off. So, what gives?"
Liam snickered, gently shoving Mason into the back seat. "Leave him alone, he's just happy to be done with finals," he said.
Not just finals, but all of high school. A weight had lifted from Liam's shoulders the minute he'd walked out of his last exam yesterday afternoon. After celebrating with fries and burgers, Liam's parents had surprised them all with tickets to a theme park a few hours from Beacon Hills.
"That, or he's waiting to prank you on one of the rides," Isaac pipped up, looking a bit like a cramped giraffe in the back seat.
Getting Scott and Derek to agree to let them have a day of pure fun after finals hadn't been easy, but Liam had worn them down. Scott had wanted to join them, but he was busy moving out of his dorm today, which was how Isaac had ended up a fifth-wheel. Theo had been pissed at the mere suggestion that they might need a chaperone, though Liam was pretty sure it had more to do with him holding a grudge over the sword suggestion.
"Hey, Isaac," Theo said, tugging an old paper map from where he'd stuffed it in the sun visor. "Can you look at this map real quick?"
"Why are you using a paper map?" Isaac asked with a roll of his eyes, prying himself from the window and scooting to the front of his seat so he could get a better look. "What are you, a hundred years old—"
But Theo slammed on his brakes hard enough that Isaac's face smacked against the back of Theo's headrest, and Liam had to bite his lip to keep from laughing hysterically alongside his boyfriend.
"I swear I'm going to shove you out of the rollercoaster," Isaac grumbled, leaning back against the door.
Liam absorbed the ecstatic grin on Theo's face and realized that it had to be more than finishing high school or his tiny revenges on Isaac. With all the white wolf stuff going on in the background, his mood had to have come from somewhere.
"Mase is right," Liam said quietly to Theo. "What's got you in such a good mood?"
Theo's eyes shone brightly and with the grin still firmly in place, he nodded toward the glove compartment. "Look at the envelope in there."
Liam leaned over and popped the glove compartment open. Sitting at the top was a thick envelope addressed to Theo Raeken from the Admissions Office at UCLA. His jaw dropped open.
"Holy shit," Liam whispered under his breath. "You got in."
"I got in!" Theo exclaimed, taking his hands off the wheel for a split second to throw them in the air with a cheer.
Their backseat passengers all screamed at him to put his hands back on the wheel, which prompted him to bring his knee up to steer, which only made them scream louder. Liam's eyes filled with tears from laughing so damn hard, and it wasn't until Isaac threatened Theo with tying him in the bed of the pickup on the way back that he returned his hands to the 10 and 2 o'clock positions.
"Buzzkill," Theo mumbled under his breath.
"I'm so proud of you," Liam told him. "I didn't even realize you'd applied there."
They'd talked about their ideal schools when they were filling out early decision applications earlier in the year. Or, rather, Liam had talked about his school preferences. Theo's grades were mediocre at best, and it wasn't like he participated in any extracurricular activities at school. It wasn't like he could put "wrangling baby werewolves into fighting shape" on his college applications. It wasn't until recently that Liam had realized that during all their talks about college, Theo hadn't once said what he wanted.
Theo's brow twitched, the ecstatic energy faltering for the first time since they'd all climbed into the truck.
"Of course, I did," Theo told him. "I knew it was one of your top choices."
Liam swallowed. He wasn't entirely sure how to approach the subject of his future without Theo getting defensive.
"What's wrong?" Theo asked, squeezing his ankle gently.
Liam glanced back at Mason and Corey, who were now deep into a debate about which rides they should start with for maximum theme park enjoyment. Isaac was staring out the window, and even if he was listening to them, he didn't show it.
"Don't take this the wrong way, but why did you apply there?"
Theo's broad grin slipped into an uneasy frown.
"Probably because you've been so hyped about UCLA all year. They have the history program you want and a great the lacrosse team."
Liam nodded thoughtfully, struggling to find the right words. "I know that's why I want to go there, but why do you want to go there?"
Theo's frown only deepened at that question. "I want to go to the same college as you," he said. "I thought... I thought that was the goal."
Liam tugged his feet out of Theo's lap and reached for his hand, stroking across the warm, smooth skin with his thumb.
"It is," Liam agreed. "I want that more than anything, but I'd also be the worst boyfriend in the world if I just let you follow me to college if it wasn't the right thing for your future. Have you given any thought to what you might major in?"
Theo shrugged. "I mean, I kind of feel lucky just to have gotten into college at all. I was kind of just planning on figuring it out once I got there."
The tall tracks of the rollercoasters rose in full view on the other side of the high way along with a Ferris wheel and a swing ride and a dozen others, and Theo guided the truck onto the exit.
"You were a spy for the Dread Doctors," Liam said, knowing full well that he needed to tread lightly but determined to keep pushing. "What about pursuing criminal justice? Or law? You could even follow Stiles out to the FBI academy."
Theo scoffed and yanked his hand out of Liam's grasp. He pretended like he needed it to turn into the parking lot, but Liam's heart twinged nonetheless.
"Stiles," Theo said coldly. "You'd rather I follow Stiles to college than you?"
Liam clenched his jaw. "That's not what I'm saying."
"Sure sounds like it," Theo said, pulling into a parking spot. "Don't worry, Li, I wouldn't want to get in your way."
"Theo—"
"We're here," he said into the rear-view mirror, refusing to so much as glance in Liam's direction again as he switched the truck off and leap out, the door slamming behind him.
Liam groaned, and when he caught Isaac staring at him from the backseat, he grimaced and flashed a double thumbs up.
Theo
Steam was about to start pouring out of his ears, and it had nothing to do with the climbing California temperature and the heat radiating off the black asphalt as they wound their way through the theme park. The keys to the truck weighed heavily in his pocket, and for a brief moment, he considered leaving and stranding them all here. It would serve them right.
Except one look at Liam walking between Mason and Corey made his heart throb in his chest. As much as he would love to bail, to make Isaac regret being a dick and to make Liam come to his senses, he'd never forgive himself if he left and Imara's pack showed up.
Long before Liam had reciprocated his feelings, Theo had promised himself that he would keep Liam safe. Even if that meant hiding in the shadows, living in the outskirts of Liam's life. If Liam decided to break things off between them, Theo would be heart broken, he'd fight to keep their relationship, but if it was really what Liam wanted, he'd respect it. Theo would never stop protecting him, though.
The misery must have been apparent on his face, not that he was trying to hide it, because Mason appeared beside him, bumping their shoulders together.
"You okay?" Mason asked. Theo shot him such a fierce sidelong glance that he staggered away briefly. "Got it, not okay. I overheard something about colleges?"
"Did you hit your head? What makes you think I'm gonna talk to you about my relationship?" Theo snapped. It was a low blow considering that Mason actually was the one person he usually came to for relationship advice on the rare occasion he needed it. It was never entirely intentional, but Mason just had a knack for figuring out when something wasn't quite going right and asking just enough vague questions until he uncovered the truth. Theo would rather stab himself in the eye than admit that, though.
Mason crossed his arms over chest. "Because you're sure as shit not gonna talk to Isaac about it right now, and because Liam's my best friend," he said, bitterly. "I guess I'd be pretty upset too if my boyfriend didn't want to go the same college as me."
Theo ground his teeth against the words, wondering if he could get away with shoving Mason into the bushes and stalking off. He opened his mouth, intent on telling Mason to fuck off and leave him alone, but what came out was, "I don't get. We've had these plans all year to end up at the same college and now it's like he's trying to push me away."
A gentle smile tipped the corners of Mason's lips up, and he steered Theo by the elbow up the path toward the tilt-a-whirl.
"What exactly did he say?" Mason asked. "I only caught bits and pieces of it."
There wasn't much of a line, so the attendant ushered them through. Theo and Mason slid onto a slick metal bench while Theo relayed as much of it as he could remember, though some of their conversation was already a bit fuzzy in his mind. The hurt had run deep enough that he hadn't even registered some of what Liam had said.
Even as the ride picked up, Theo couldn't get himself to stop talking now that he'd started. Something about saying it all out loud was helping him process it.
When he'd finished, Mason offered another smile. This one was so obviously full of pity that Theo had the urge to smack it off his face. And he might have followed through if the ride hadn't wrenched him around right at that moment.
Mason squeezed his eyes shut so tightly that Theo couldn't help but laugh.
"I'm gonna need you to shut up until this is over," Mason told him.
"I swear if you puke on me—"
Just then, Mason belched so loudly that a gaggle of children nearby burst into laughter, pointing in their direction.
The ride slowed and finally came to a halt. Mason had paled but leap out of it as soon as he got the chance. Theo followed with a shake of his head.
Mason leaned against a brick wall near the main path. When he'd caught his breath enough for them to keep walking, he said, "Look, I'd be a shit best friend if I didn't point out that you can't follow a guy to college just because you want to be with him."
"First of all, you're not my best friend," Theo said, dodging as Mason swatted at him. "Second, I'm not following him. I'm—" Theo broke off as realization dawned on him. "Fuck, I'm following him."
Mason bit his lip like he was trying to contain his laughter.
"Okay, fine, but it's not just some guy. It's Liam. He's my—" It felt too personal to tell Mason that he had every intention of spending the rest of his life with Liam.
"Your person?" Mason finished for him. "Yeah, I know. Trust me, I get it. It took me and Corey months to find a compromise college that we'd both genuinely want to go to. For a while, we thought we might end up at different college in the same town. We wouldn't have classes together, but we could at least be in the same city and maybe even share an apartment. That's the difference, though. Neither of us is choosing a college just to be near the other. We both still have our own futures in mind."
"So, what, I'm just supposed to apply to FBI academy and, if I get in, Liam and I will just... date long distance?" Theo's heart clenched at the mere thought of spending every single night away from Liam except for holidays and long weekends.
Mason shrugged. "Liam's got good grades, and most colleges have great history programs. Maybe he could apply to a few colleges out on the East Coast."
Theo sighed, running his hands through his hair. "It's just... a lot. I didn't even—" He cut himself off before he could admit aloud that not that long ago, he hadn't even planned on having a future.
When he'd first come back from hell, it'd been a relief to be free of the constant torture and the terror that had seeped into the very essence of his soul. Except, living was challenging in its own ways. He'd had to come to terms with the fact that without the Dread Doctors, without a family to return to, he had nothing left. Not even purpose. Not even the faintest flicker of direction. He'd gambled everything and lost all of it.
It wasn't until Liam had saved his life fighting off the Ghost Riders that he'd latched onto some semblance of his old self—the one who knew how to dig deep and fight even when his back was up against the wall. Ironically, Liam probably hadn't even realized what he'd done. He'd probably saved his life accidentally because at his core, Liam was good and pure of heart, and when Theo threw him in the elevator, he hadn't planned on surviving. Dying to protect the boy who'd brought him back from hell had seemed like a more honorable death than parking his truck on the tracks.
"Theo?" Mason asked, squeezing his shoulder and drawing him out of his thoughts. "You good?"
"Yeah," he lied, not wanting to think about what would happen if Liam, the only person who'd ever inspired him to not just survive but to live and be happy, was suddenly gone. Maybe that was why Liam was being so stubborn about this. In his own way, he was trying to prepare Theo just in case the worst happened.
Despite the hot rays of sunlight heating his skin, cold leached into his bones at the thought and his chest hollowed out.
"He's gonna be okay," Mason said. As much as Theo loathed his sympathetic tone, his words eased the heaviness. "We've got a plan. A good one. Don't overthink it."
"You're right," Theo said.
Mason's mouth dropped open dramatically, and he cupped a hand to his ear. "I'm sorry, what? I couldn't hear you. I'm gonna need you to put that in writing."
"Shut up," Theo said, but he couldn't stop the corners of his mouth from twitching up.
Mason was grinning ear to ear, and a second later he gasped. Theo's heart stopped and he whirled, about to flick his claws out to fight whatever evil—
"They have churros!" Mason shouted, scrambled over to a food vendor.
Theo loosed an exasperated sigh. Clearly whatever nausea Mason had felt after the ride was gone. After sweeping the park for any sign of danger—casting his hearing wide enough that he caught Liam's voice halfway across the park—he followed after Mason, asking if they could dip his in chocolate.
Liam
When Mason had broken off from the group and approached Theo, Liam had nearly expected his boyfriend to rip his best friend's head off, but when they fell into step beside each other, Isaac guided Liam over to a ride that looked an awful lot like a spinning wheel of death. Liam buzzed with anticipation.
"Just give him time," Isaac said. "I'm sure he'll come around."
"Do you guys think Mason is... safe with him?" Corey asked, peering through the crowd of people toward where they'd last seen Theo and Mason.
"Probably?" Isaac answered. "He's safer than I would be with him."
Corey frowned. "That doesn't inspire a lot of confidence."
"Wanna talk about why you're pushing Theo away?" Isaac asked when they were alone.
"I'm not pushing him away," Liam said, irritation rising. "I just can't let him go to a college just because I want to go there."
Isaac shoved his hands in his pockets. "And why not?"
"Because—because he's his own person," Liam exclaimed, frustrated that he had to explain this to Isaac of all people. He'd left Beacon Hills, and Scott, behind to sort out his own life. "And he should make his own decisions."
"Is that all?" Isaac asked, a knowing glint in his eye.
"Yes," Liam snapped. The line moved forward again, and his gut clenched. "No. What happens if I'm not around anymore, and then he's stuck at a school he hates."
Isaac nodded like he'd been expecting that answer, but he stayed quiet, letting Liam sort his thoughts out.
"It's just... I get it. Scott has this amazing plan, but there's still a chance it won't work."
"Li—" Isaac started, his brows creased with concern.
"Wait, just let me say this," Liam barreled on. "If it... if the eclipse doesn't go our way, if Imara wins, he's gonna need someone to keep an eye on him. Someone who knows how to handle him, and I know he's pissed at you right now, but he loves you like a brother. I need you to keep him from collapsing in on himself and forgetting that there's a whole world out there just waiting for him to live in it."
"Liam," Isaac said sternly. "You can't think like that. You're gonna make it."
He faked a smile, wishing he felt confident about that.
"Just in case I don't," Liam said. "I need you to promise me."
"Of course," Isaac said, looping an arm around his shoulders. "But, I think the bigger priority might be making sure Theo doesn't destroy the entire world."
Liam snorted. "He has promised to burn the world down if anything happens to me. Just hide all the lighters, and lock him up in the safe house if all else fails."
"Next!" the attendant called.
As they found their way onto the ride, Isaac cackled with laughter, leaning into him, and Liam leaned right back.
...
After being spun around in a chair attached to a massive steering wheel that Liam was half convinced would snap at any moment, he could barely walk in a straight line. Or keep his lunch down.
Theo, Mason, and Corey were waiting for them at the end of the ride, and Liam staggered through the gates and straight into Theo's arms. Despite their fight, Theo drew him in without hesitation, tucking Liam against him. Here, with Theo's arms locked around him and his face buried in Theo's chest, he was safe.
A chuckle rolled through Theo's chest, and the motion sent a wave of nausea through him. He gripped Theo's hips tightly, trying desperately not to fall over.
Theo smoothed his hair away from his sweaty forehead, chasing the movement with a brush of his lips. Liam clung to that contact, never wanting it to end.
"I'm sorry," Theo whispered into his ear, his breath tickling his ear. "I know you're just looking out for me, and you're right. I need to stop living in the past and start looking to the future."
Liam peered up at Theo, still leaning into his chest and listening to the drumming of his heart. "I'm sorry, too. I don't want to go to different colleges. I want to share an apartment with you and go to parties and have fun," Liam said. "I just... need to know you'll be all right. No matter what."
A shadow passed over Theo's endless green eyes as the deeper meaning behind Liam's words struck him. "I will be," he whispered.
"If you two are done being sickeningly adorable," Corey said, "can we head over to log ride please?"
Liam stuck his tongue out at Corey. "Can't. Walk," he whined. "Too dizzy."
Theo released him so suddenly that Liam nearly toppled to the ground in surprise, only for Theo to turn his back to him and crouch. Liam's arms went around his neck and his legs automatically gripped his sides.
"Better?" Theo asked, peering back at him.
Liam kissed his cheek and nuzzled against the side of his neck. "Better."
Theo
He slung a leg out, nearly tripping Isaac for the way he'd gagged dramatically when he first pulled Liam into a piggy-back ride. The five of them made their way through the entire park—making sure to visit every single ride at least once. Isaac slammed into him hard enough at bumper cars to give Theo whiplash. They followed up the three different rollercoaster rides with funnel cake and nachos. The day was so hot, though, that his favorite was probably the log ride because for a few minutes, it mean they got to cool off even if they were half-soaked in gross water.
As the daylight began to fade, Theo and Liam climbed into the Ferris wheel. Mason and Corey were already on it, and Isaac had the bucket seat all to himself— personally, Theo was thoroughly enjoying watching Isaac awkwardly fifth-wheel all day.
Liam snuggled up against Theo, and they made out the whole way up. At the very top, when the wheel slowed and then paused, they gazed out over the quickly darkening landscape together.
A loud bang had Theo clutching Liam closer, his heart thundering in his chest, but then brilliant blue fireworks appeared in the sky. Theo sighed, forcing himself to relax even as the loud noise continued and more fireworks scattered across the sky.
"We're safe," Liam whispered to him.
Theo nodded, letting himself get lost in Liam's blue eyes. They were never quite the same shade or depth of blue, and today they reminded him of the ocean. Resilient and dangerous, but still soft and easy for those unafraid of what lies beneath the surface.
"What changed?" Theo whispered.
Liam's brow twitched. "What do you mean?"
"When you first met Imara, you were so determined to fight back. You were so confident she wouldn't get to you, but now that we have an actual plan and an army behind us, it's like you're back to doubting it all."
Liam sighed and straightened a bit. "Maybe I just don't like the idea that my entire pack is risking their lives for me. That dozens of recruits and all of Deucalion's pack, they're all willing to lay their lives on the line just for me. They don't even know me, and to be honest, I'm not sure what I did to make them all think my life was worth saving over their own."
Theo's heart clenched painfully, almost as if phantom claws were still grating against it. Of course, that would be how Liam thought about it.
"Then think of it like this, love," Theo said, gently but firmly enough that Liam hung on his every word. "We're not just saving your life. We're saving the life of every white wolf who comes after you, too. If we don't stop Imara now, who will? If we don't stop her, there's no telling what she'll do. Being alive for over 900 years? That has to drive a person insane."
Theo didn't have to elaborate that he was speaking from experience.
Liam swallowed, clearly still not loving the idea, but perhaps slightly more comfortable with it. When he continued to study Theo's face, he asked, "What're you thinking, Little Wolf?"
"That you sound like Scott."
Theo rolled his eyes. "Gee, thanks."
"A year ago, you wouldn't have cared about ending the white wolf cycle," Liam pointed out.
"To be fair, ending it means I get to keep you," Theo said, loving the grin that graced Liam's slightly swollen lips. "I swear, though, if you pull a goddamn Elena Gilbert and hand yourself over to Imara to save the rest of us, I'll never forgive you."
The laughter that burst out of Liam brought more peace to him than the gold and orange glow of the waning sunset. Over Christmas break, Corey and Mason had made them binge watch the first 4 seasons of The Vampire Diaries. They promised to finish the rest of it after graduation.
"Just wait until Mason hears that you referenced Vampire Diaries," Liam said. "He's gonna be so mad that he didn't think of that himself."
"I beg of you not to."
With a mischievous glint, Liam climbed into his lap, straddling him. "So beg."
A quiet growl rumbled through him at the friction between them, and Theo brought Liam in for a bruising kiss. Just as Theo was wondering how much time they had before this thing started to move again, their bucket rocked.
Theo hoisted Liam back onto the seat, not willing to let him fall, but he plastered himself to Theo's side, clearly not wanting any space between them, either.
As much as he wanted to stay in this moment with Liam, frozen in time with the beautiful sunset and the fireworks and the cool breeze whisking away the heat of the day, Theo supposed that, no matter what happened after the eclipse, life would always keep turning.
A/N: Thank you all so much for reading! I hope you enjoyed the slightly fluffier chapter because you may need to buckle up for the next three. It'll do my best to get an update out within the week. I'm so grateful for each and every one of you that reads and enjoys this fic. If someone told me back in February when I started writing this on a whim that I'd write well over 100k words, I wouldn't have believed them. I love you all!