"Home, sweet home" Liam said too cheerfully, as he opened the door of his house, holding it open because Theo could step in.
"You're ridiculous" Theo commented, crossing the threshold slowly with a half smile on his face, suffocated immediately by a moan of pain. He brought a hand to rub his left side and stopped, mentally cursing.
"Everything okay?" Liam asked immediately, the expression now worried.
"I'm fine, Liam" Theo said almost exasperatedly, rolling his eyes.
It was since he woke up that morning on the hospital bed, with Liam lying down next to him, his hand still close to his, that the wolf kept asking the same question, with that look anxious as if he feared that Theo could collapse at any moment. On the one hand Theo felt his chest tighten to the way Liam seemed to care for him, it was a feeling he liked, on the other he hated it. He hated feeling vulnerable. He hated being pitied. "It's only the last wounds that are healing"
Liam snorted, while Theo limped towards the sofa, throwing himself over without too much preamble, then emitting another moan of pain "Yeah of course, you are really looking good" he mumbled, reaching him.
"Melissa would not have let me out if it was not all right," Theo muttered, his voice muffled and his face still against the sofa cushions.
Liam looked at him standing next to it for a few seconds, before rolling his eyes "Can't you get up, right?"
"Right"
Liam chuckled, before sitting down next to him, on the edge of the sofa, not to end up on the other's legs, and helped him sit up. Theo gave a grunt of protest as he sat down for good, and then he met Liam's gaze.
"Do not look at me like that," he just said, and Liam could swear it was the first time he saw Theo pouting. He was cute, not that he would ever tell him something like that. It was not really the compliment that someone like Theo would surely like
"Like what?" He breathed amused, unable to hold back the smile to the other's expression
"As if you're afraid I'll breakdown at any moment," Theo exclaimed with a snort of fake indignation. "I hate it. I'm a chimera gone to hell and risen, fuck. It will not be a small firework to knock me out "
"Okay," Liam sighed, a smile who still held on his face. "I'll stop" And gave him a solid pat on the back.
"Argh" Theo groaned, clenching his eyes and slumping against the backrest, writhing
"Mmh .. Sorry, oh unshakable chimera," Liam said sarcastically.
Theo opened only his left eye, but it was enough to give Liam a killer look. Liam laughed, but then he put his right hand on Theo's left one, and slowly took his pain.
Theo also opened the other eye and slightly raised his head from the back to look, almost hypnotized, the black lines that came from his fingers to Liam's forearm and then disappeared under the rolled sleeves of his sweatshirt. Liam slightly widened his eyes to the pain that pervaded him "Do you call that 'be alright'?" He exclaimed, almost irritated now.
"You're the one who almost took my shoulder off"
"Oh don't get dramatic now, Mr. Gone-to-hell-and-risen"
"You know, you should learn to take your responsibilities," Theo replied, now with a half-grin on his face and a provocative tone, to which Liam looked at him raising his eyebrows with a sly smile on his face. "What? Do you want me to kiss it better?'' He challenged him.
Theo held his gaze, with the same identical smile on his face. "Maybe"
They had not talked about it yet, about whatever was happening between them now, after the kiss of the night before, but, Liam thought as he approached his lips still twisted in a smile to the chimera's ones, maybe words were not meant for them. They were more the facts types, punches rather than insults, kisses rather than big declarations. Then they had all the time that they wanted. And they both wanted to make the most of it.
But apparently they couldn't. Their lips had barely touched gently, when someone opened the door with a slam, taking big steps. "Hey there" Malia announced loudly before stopping at the living room door. Theo rolled his eyes, and growled softly. "This is getting ridiculous" Liam chuckled.
Malia took two long strides toward the sofa, her gaze fixed on Theo and pointed at him. "You"
Theo and Liam looked at her confused. Not just because she literally barged in there from nowhere, but because while pointing the finger at Theo, she didn't smell of anger (which was the smell that she usually had when she was close to Theo) but of euphoria.
"I didn't do anything," Theo mumbled, just in case
Malia shook her head, as if to tell him she did not want to hear that nonsense now. "Mason told me you know how to get a werewolf drunk," she said bluntly.
Theo raised an eyebrow in her direction. "So?"
"Is that true?"
"Liam, is that true?" Theo asked amused, turning to him.
Liam nodded, clenching his lips "Very true," he moaned then, when he remembered the hangover of the next day.
"Oh my God," Malia exulted "Where have you been for all my life?" She sighed.
Theo opened his mouth to answer 'in the sewers' but Liam had to foresee it, because he nudged his ribs to make him shut up.
At that point, Malia could not contain her euphoria. "Well then for the party tonight you bring the alcohol," she ordered in a cheerful tone that anyway did not admit arguments, then turned, and started to leave, literally hopping.
"Hey wait, is there a party?" Liam called in confusion.
Malia stopped and turned to him, rolling her eyes "But where do you guys live? Have you forgotten what day is it today?" To Liam's confused face, she snorted exasperated "New Year's Eve, dumb and dumber. And since we're all here now, it's worth celebrating "
"And where is this party?"
"Here," Malia exclaimed as if it were the most obvious thing in the world.
Liam wided his eyes and turned to Theo. "Are we throwing a party?" Theo whispered
"It seems we're throwing a party," Liam whispered in reply
"You knew it?"
"I didn't" Liam returned to Malia "Why here?"
"Your parents are not there, what better place?"
"Derek's?" Liam suggested, widening his eyes
"Derek has officially banned parties, raves, romantic secrets date and other shit like that from his loft. His words, not mine "
Liam thought for a moment "Well, he's got a point" Then he sighed "Okay, so it's a party"
*
In the early afternoon, Theo had officially recovered and the last wounds had disappeared, leaving nothing but scars on his skin. As a result, he returned to being the usual Theo.
"Do you mind giving me a hand?" Liam exclaimed, stopping trying to push the sofa and glaring at Theo sitting on the kitchen counter eating chips. And staring at him, but he could not know about this.
"Liam, you're a fucking werewolf, how can't you push a sofa against a wall?" He teased.
"Sure, then when my mum comes back and I'll have to explain to her why there are claw marks on her precious sofa, know that I won't let you escape from the window this time" Liam threatened, cheerfully. Theo looked at him motionless for two seconds then put the chips next to him and decided to join him.
"Hell, you're really scared of my mum," Liam chuckled, looking at him in disbelief, while Theo reached him by the couch, preparing to push.
"Shut up, Liam, or on her way back she will find your face clawed"
"Do you really want to risk staining the sofa with my blood?" Liam challenged him even more amused.
Theo sighed.
*
"What the fuck did it happen to your face?" was the first thing Mason said when Liam opened the door to him and Corey.
"A certain asshole" Liam took care to scream these first words before lowering his voice "can not keep his claws off"
Corey narrowed his eyes "I already told you right? That your relationship scares me?"
*
"Wow Theo, don't you think this is a little too much?" Mason exclaimed staring in amazement at the living room table that had pushed against the wall like the sofa, now almost entirely covered with wolfbane alcohol.
Theo shrugged. "If Malia wants alcohol, she's having alcohol"
"What about food?" Mason asked
Theo and Liam looked at each other "What food?"
Mason looked at them as if they were two idiots, what they probably were.
"The thing you're supposed to eat?" Corey tried.
"There are chips," Theo said pointing at the counter where he was before.
"But if you've finished it"
"Do not act like you didn't eat them too-"
"I-"
"Okay, enough," Mason said exasperated. "Food, let's get back to the food!"
Liam shrugged "I could cook-"
"NOO!" Corey and Mason shouted all together. Mason, alarmed, took Liam by his shoulders. "The turkey, Liam, remember the turkey"
"Okay" Liam snorted "Theo could cook-"
"I will not approach that fire"
"Then-"
"Pizza" Corey exclaimed grabbing Liam's cell phone from nearby and throwing it to him "Just order pizza"
*
"Where did Corey go?" Liam asked, when the preparations finally ended, slipping on the couch next to Mason and handing him a can of coke.
"To get Alec, he did not know where the party was" Mason looked at him "Theo?"
"To buy some fireworks," Liam said. Mason looked at him confused. "He says it can not be New Year's Eve without fireworks. We've made him watch too much trash movies" Liam shaked his head
"I thought he said he wanted to stay away from fires"
"He just likes to be dramatic" Liam rolled his eyes and took a sip of his coke.
Mason glanced at him, while a grin slowly formed on his face "Sooo ... finally you did it"
Liam almost choke with his coke, and took a couple of seconds to try to go back to breathe, then turned to Mason with watery eyes "What?"
"You did it, the kiss ...? Last evening...? I thought I would be drowned in your repressed sexual tension at any moment "
"Don't be dramatic, you too"
"What did you think I meant? Do not ... do not tell me you had sex? "
"We didn't have sex"
"Actually you already had sex"
Liam fell silent, cheeks now burning. Then he stammered "I-it's not the same thing, that's- now it would be different from that time- I mean-"
"I know what you mean, I understand, you're right" Mason backed him up. "You will have time to define things, what's matter now is that you have stopped with the ignoring things and have finally talked about it"
Liam probably has again printed on his face that expression absolutely readable, because Mason widened his eyes "You didn't talked about it" Liam didn't answer. It wasn't either a question. "What the hell did you do all this time?" Liam was about to open his mouth "No I do not want to know," the other interrupted him. "Okay" he sighed then "Why?"
Liam took an anxious breath, and almost whimpered "I do not know, you know I'm not good at words, Mase"
"Oh yeah, I do know"
"I do not even know where to start-"
Mason though about it for a moment. "You know, maybe you should just do it by your way, do it, act, no thinking, that'is it."
"Yeah," Liam said, nodding slowly with a smile. "This sounds just like me."
"Yeah," Mason smiled at him. "It will end bad for sure," added the smile fading
"Likely"
*
The party was going well. In that no strange creature had swooped breaking the windows, no hunter had fired against the house, and no one had been poisoned by the wolfbane. Well, maybe no one but Malia, but that was not anyone's fault but hers.
Yes, according to their standards, it was going very well.
"Hey guys, there's only ten minutes to midnight," Mason announced excitedly.
"Should we go out and prepare everything? I mean, Theo bought so many fireworks that we could almost blow up a building" Scott commented, as Stiles fumbled in the bags.
"Damn, guys, do you believe it? Another year has passed." Stiles sighed, looking suspiciously at a large firecracker. "This by the way was a hellish year"
"You could say that, dude," Theo said from the couch, drinking from his glass. Liam laughed from the seat next to him.
"Are you sure they are not dangerous?" Nolan asked, looking at Stiles waving a wrap of paper.
"Nobody will die," Lydia said lightly, putting on her coat and waving them out.
"Was the banshee talking? Or the naive teenager who is usually the first to die in horror movies? "
The chatter of the pack dispersed as everyone followed Lydia out the door and into the garden.
"Aren't you coming?" Liam said, turning to Theo who had stayed sitting on the sofa. Theo turned to look at him slowly then nodded, and stood up. He followed Liam to the still-closed front door, the voices of the others filtering through it, softened, and stood there in front of him, while Liam gave him his back to get their coats.
Theo looked around and then looked back at Liam. "Do you remember?"
Liam turned to look at him, confused "What?"
Theo glanced back at their surrounding, with a half smile on his face. "We were right here in this point when I kissed you the first time"
Liam returned the smirk, and took a step forward, the coats forgotten. "Did you finally admit that it was you who started it that night?"
Theo snorted amused, bowing his head, and then raise it again and meeting Liam's eyes. "I don't really know if it meant anything at the time ..." he continued in a whisper, taking another step forward, his slow and measured movements, completely opposite to that first night. Liam closed his eyes to the touch, when Theo reached out to take his hand, before filling the gap between them and making their lips meet in a kiss, firm but at the same time trembling, eager but at the same time frightened. With every touch of their lips, however, they seemed to acquire more and more confidence. Liam used his free hand to cup Theo's cheek, while Theo used the free one to pull Liam even closer by his side, tilting their heads to deepen the kiss. After what seemed like an eternity, they broke it, their fronts touching. Theo was the first to open his eyes, and deep breathed. "I don't really know if it meant anything at the time," he repeated in a whisper, "but now it means everything"
Liam released a trembling breath before opening his eyes and meeting Theo's. "That night," Liam whispered at last, without moving an inch away from Theo, "I was the first one to pull back. I was afraid of what could happen. I was terrified, but ... I was also the one who then kissed you again" And he kissed him again. He heard Theo tremble against him as he tightened his grip again, his hand walking on the fabric of his shirt on his back. "I did it because maybe I wanted it," he added against his lips.
"And I kissed you back because maybe I wanted it too." Theo placed another gentle kiss on Liam's lips, and Liam tightened his grip on their hands still intertwined. And he used it to gently guide the other, but not outside. He walked backwards, starting to climb the stairs that led upstairs, repeating what had happened that night two months ago, but with a calm, a care, a fondness that then was missing. Theo followed him, in his movements and with his eyes, mesmerized.
"We literally climbed up the stairs," Liam recalled slowly, "no time to think, I just knew I didn't want to stop it." Liam stepped on the last step, stopping in the middle of the hallway.
"And for the first time I did not want to stop and think. So I quitted looking for a logic and I did what I felt I wanted to do" Theo whispered back, and took a step forward, while Liam almost knowing what was about to happen, made it one back at the same time, going to crash against the door of his room. In a blink of a eye Theo's lips were again on his, in a kiss that was deep, sweet and delicate and at the same time was messed up, breathtaking and harsh. Liam could not describe it, neither could Theo. It was just perfect. It was just totally theirs.
Right now Liam could swear to literally hear the fireworks, and not just because outside and in the distance someone had really started to shoot them, but because of the feeling of Theo's body against his, because of the feeling of Theo who was holding him so gently as if he feared to hurt him in some way and at the same time so tightly as if he were no longer willing to let him go. And maybe it was like that. Liam knew he would never wanted to let him go.
When Theo stepped away from him to catch his breath, they were both gasping, their heads spinning, and Liam felt he was not afraid of feeling dizzy for the first time. "Then I opened the door-" Liam said, reaching out to take the handle, this time finding it on the first stroke, and with a slight push opened the door slowly. Theo let out a trembling breath and let Liam drive him inside his room. They stood there for a few seconds looking at each other, still too damn close. Theo placed a hand on his cheek stroking it lightly and then sliding it down, along the neck, on the collarbone, on the chest, on the abdominals. Liam never stopped looking into his eyes, still panting, and let out another trembling breath. Theo's hand stopped at the end of the wolf's shirt and slowly lifted it. Liam bent to the movement, letting himself be undressed. Then he did the same with Theo. With a final sigh, Theo cupped both hands on Liam's face and pulled him into another deep kiss, simultaneously taking a step forward, pushing Liam and making them both end up with a dull thud on the beta's bed.
They took a second to adjust their position, Liam reached the pillow, letting his head sink on it, and Theo got on top of him, hands on the sides of his head, before nailing him to the mattress with another kiss. Liam moaned into the kiss, his body that instinctively rolled forward to get closer to Theo's. Get even closer, as if any proximity was ever really enough. He raised his hands to wrap them around the chimera's neck, then moving them slowly on his shoulders, stroking his back. Theo bit his lower lip, trembling at the touch, snatching another moan from him. He stepped away of a few millimeters, while both breathed to catch their breath. Theo looked up to meet Liam's eyes, who smiled at him. Theo raised his hand instinctively to push his hair out from before his eyes. Liam followed the movement, squinting at the touch, and then sighed.
"It's ... like that night," Liam whispered then, opening his eyes. "But at the same time it's a completely different thing. Because that night we were just two stupid kids, who did not know what they really wanted. Now I know it. I want you. I need you, Theo. And not just for one night. I need you with me, for as long as it will be possible. I do not want to spend another second of my life away from you"
Liam gasped, while Theo kissed his neck and then laid his forehead against his chest. "Me too" he whispered against his skin. "I do not know exactly what it means, I just know you're here, you're real, and you're an idiot, really, most of the time" Theo stifled an affectionate laugh "but you're mine, Liam, and I would never want you in another way, I would never want anyone else in the same way. I did not believe love actually existed, I did not even believe that I could love, but then you came and you changed everything "
Liam breathed deeply, bringing a hand to caress Theo's hair, and using pressure to make the boy lift his face, still buried against his chest. Theo raised his head slightly, and Liam used the grip behind his neck to pull him up and bring their lips together again.
"I love you, Theo" he whispered against his lips.
Theo widened his eyes, staring at him with a mixture of surprise, wonder and devotion. He closed his eyes, as if to let him go to that rush of emotions, then slowly opened them again. "I love you too," he replied, and watched the smile uncontrollably bloom on Liam's face, and all he could do was imitate him.
And while the fireworks was blowing outside, and the cries of happiness of their friends announcing the new year were muffled to their ears, they stood there, wrapped in their mixed smells, clinging to each other. And although well aware that, despite everything, there was a war out there, a war to fight, that night they made love.
*
The next morning, when Liam opened his eyes, his first thought went to Theo. He could not bear to turn around and see that Theo was gone again. He held his breath, until the slow and steady beat of the boy's heart resting beside him reached his supernatural ears. He released his breath and turned to look at him. His heart lost a beat when he saw that Theo was already awake, on his side and looking at him, a relaxed expression and a smile that tilted his lips.
"Hey," Theo said, when Liam met his gaze, his voice still raspy with sleep.
"Hey," Liam replied, mirroring his smile, his heart leaping faster in his chest.
"I was afraid you were gone," Liam admitted.
Theo, with his head resting on his left hand, the elbow with which he was propping himself on the mattress, raised his other hand to move Liam's hair from his eyes. That gesture had right now become familiar to him in some way. "I won't leave, unless you want me to do it," he said in reply.
Liam's heart beat even more in the chest "I don't want you to leave, never" Theo smiled and stopped leaning on his hand, to bend down and place a light kiss on Liam's lips.
"You know, I think we missed the party," Theo commented
"Matter of opinion"
Theo chuckled, shaking his head and sliding back onto the mattress, pulling Liam closer.
Liam placed his cheek against his chest, rocking with the soothing rhythm of his beating. "Theo" then he whispered as he felt sleep pulling him back. "Hmm?"
"What the hell are we?" He asked quietly.
Theo, the arm around his shoulders, the hand caressing his hair, seemed to think about it. "We are friends, we are allies, we are anchors, we are a pack, we are lovers ... and I know I would like you to be my boyfriend"
"We're a lot of things" Liam said, looking at him almost amused
"We are everything. You are everything to me. I have never loved anyone as I feel like loving you, and right now I feel like I can never stop doing it, as if I could never love someone else as much as I love you "
"Then don't do it," Liam whispered, looking deeply at him and leaning back to kiss him. "Me too," he then said, moving away a few inches, a smile on his face.
"What?"
''Me too, I would like to be your boyfriend"
Theo returned Liam's smile, squeezing him and pulling him even closer. "Looks like we reached a new deal in the end," Theo chuckled.
Liam hit his shoulder, snorting. "Shut up, you idiot"
"I know you love me," Theo teased.
"I do" Liam laid another kiss on his lips, before settling back against him, Theo who continued to draw random motifs on his skin in a relaxing rhythm, waiting both of them to sink back into the dream world.
Theo let himself be lulled by the rhythm of Liam's heart, the feeling of his warm skin against his, which reminded him that it was all real, it was all true. He let himself be lulled by the rhythm of his own heart, the one he had never believed in, the one he had not even thought it could belong to for so long. Now he felt it, he was beating fast, beating for that little boy who, while fighting against his own rage, had also succeeded in winning Theo's. That boy, to whom even though he had given a thousand reasons not to trust, to want him dead, to hate him, actually had wanted him by his side, had saved him, had loved him. Liam had been able to put back together the pieces of a broken person.
He had given him a new chance in life, trust, had given him a pack, a family, a house and a home.
And Theo had been able to see Liam beyond his anger, beyond his fear and insecurities. He had seen Liam for what he was, for who he was. He had seen his strength, and at the same time his purity. He had become his fixed point, his support, his anchor.
What the hell were they, he had asked so many times too. He knew it now. They were each other's mirror. They were the same, but opposite. Complementary. Perfect half. Soulmates. They were all they could be for each other: themselves.
*
"Do you think we could go to the Sinema one of these nights?" Theo asked suddenly, interrupting the silence
"Why do you want to go to the Sinema?"
"Ugh, I have to offer someone a drink, for a bet that I seem to have just lost"
Liam had no guts to ask any more questions.
THE END