Thiam- The boy clad in a pink hoodie

Chapter 6: His presence

Liam awoke with a smile on his face. He shifted from from off his stomach and grabbed the pillow beside him...it smelled so good. Pulling the plush fabric closer to his chest, he embraced it...the aroma was a mix of pine needles and smoky warmth, it made the beta feel swallowed in safety...it smelled like Theo, wait Theo?. The boy jerked awake and remembered his surroundings. He looked around to see the clean modern room, and a large bed...that he didn't remember getting in-Did Theo carry me? The boy blushed as his heart sped imagining himself in Theo's strong arms.

A knock resounded at the bedroom door, followed by the strong armed Theo carrying two cups of steaming vanilla coffee. "Oh good you're up now." A giddy grin occupied his mouth, which was soon followed by a smirk. "Hmm..Liam hun, why you snuggling my pillow like that?"

"Huh?...UH WAIT NO." Liam threw the pillow at the wall in a desperately failed attempt of a coverup. "I was uh—checking for fluffiness levels-and stuff. Yep." Liam coudn't help but begin to recount-last night. How could I have let that happen? Yet all he wanted is for it to happen again, he wanted Theo's hands on him. He wanted-

"Fluffiness Level? Well," Theo waded over to the bed and offered Liam his coffee. Staring right into the flustered boy's eyes. "Did I pass?"

Liam graciously took the coffee, pausing for a moment when his hand grazed Theo's. What was this mood that seems to encapsulate him around this werewolf? It was constant, and all consuming.

"Sure, you passed the fluffiness test-hehe." Liam pushed the coffee to his mouth to stop himself from saying more embarrassing things. Theo however, as usual, was thoroughly enjoying riling the beta, and as he watched the warm liquid pass through the boy's lips, the desire to tease him grew.

"Hmm, well I'd say you pass too considering the 'fluffy' state of your hair." In response to this, Liam drew a hand to his head and pressed down- attempting to flatten the wild mane, and grumbled about how he had to cut it.

"NO!" Theo shouted out, grabbing the beta's immediate attention. "I mean, like no you shouldn't cut your hair-" Theo cleared his throat, "It's it's cute like that yeah?" Theo stood up, regaining his confidence that had been broken by his sudden remark. "Why don't you get dressed now and I'll drive us to school?"

With that Liam dressed himself noting not to cut his hair...for awhile at least. He smirked, Theo thinks I'm cute.

—-

Liam felt weird not taking the bus to school, but he didn't overly mind, I mean I'm driving to school with a hot- I mean cool- senior. Yeah he was one of those kids-heh. Liam bobbed his head with a side lopped smile. Theo noticed this.

"And what might the beta be smiling about now?" Theo was wearing a leather jacket today, a change from his usual hoodie. He was feeling confident as one hand grabbing the steering wheel, while the otherwise placed strategically behind Liam's head rest. Liam noticed that the scent that resided on the pillow was also in the car.

"Hmm. Oh nothing hmhmhm." Liam hummed a little as he mentioned how he liked the current song. Theo agreed for the beta's sake, but was not actually paying attention. He kept picturing the way Liam looked last night, the way his back arched when he pushed into it, the way his voice echoed crack of his back...

This time Liam asked why Theo was smiling, but he just brushed it off changing the subject. The two arrived leisurely at the school-Liam mentioned he'd meet him back in class, he needed to grab something from the locker room. Theo nodded and they went their respective ways, however, Liam was pulled into a dark corner before he met his destination.

"Hey Liam what the hell?" It was Jesse, Liam's fellow classmate, and after pulling Liam by the collar he slammed him up against the wall, his breath an inch from the now shaking beta's face. "Why were you with Theo Raeken this morning? You two a thing now?"

"No. And I think you know w-why. Cause somebody trashed my house." Liam spit these words out in anger, but whimpered back to fear when Jesse slammed him again letting Liam crumple to the floor as he stepped back.

"Don't get cocky with me now, you should've done what I asked if you didn't wasn't me to do that Dunbar." Jesse couched down to the beta. He began sliding his calloused fingers up the beta's jaw and through his hair, creepily chanting his name.

Liam flinched at the contact and spit in disgust on to Jesse's face. He hated this. He didn't want this. "Get. away. from. me." It was taking everything he had to hold back his wolf form, his eyes were practically begging to glow, to be released.

Jesse grit his teeth and snarled, "Fine. But stay away from Raeken. I don't want you hanging around him." With that the cruel boy walked away, shaking his bleach blond head, like a white flame. He had these intense light blue eyes that tore at Liam's heart, but not in a good way. They scared him. Reminded him of that time.— Jesse had shocked Liam that day, last year, it was Liam's first time back to school without Scott, and he was nervous he would no longer have the support of his teammates in lacrosse, however, Jesse reassured him that he had nothing to worry about. The two became close friends, bonding over their similarities. However the more they hung out, the more Jesse started acting strange. He became possessive towards Liam. He got angry at him when he didn't listen, angry when he talked to other people without his approval. Liam called him out on it, saying that he wasn't allowed to control his life like that. But this just worsened the situation. And then that one time...Liam shuddered at the memory.

Liam was once again so engrossed he hadn't noticed the footsteps and the presence walking carefully towards him, until they softly called out his name. "Liam?"

The beta looked up, still crumpled in the darkened corner. "Theo? What are you doing here?" He stood up and tried to cover up the fact that he had been upset. shaking off the darkened memories.

"I got concerned when you didn't show up to class- we have first block together—but Liam are you okay?" Theo tentatively reached out a hand to Liam.

Liam was all ready to build his composure, to stand strong, but as soon as the words 'are you okay' slipped from Theo's mouth, it was like a snapping the last straw. There was something about Theo, something about his presence--the way his voice and his scent seemed to caress him in comfort--that broke down the walls around the beta. What he didn't know, is that Liam was slowly doing the same to Theo. It would just take a little longer.

Theo shushed the beta as he held him in his arms, Liam had taken his outstretched hand and buried his face in Theo's chest.

"I'm sorry Theo, I cant keep breaking down in front of you like this. It's not your responsibility to comfort me like this." After Liam calmed down a bit, he became began feeling ashamed and embarrassed at his broken state, tracing shapes on Theo's chest, as he leaned his head on the other wolf's shoulder.

But Theo wasn't about to let the beta feel ashamed. "It can be. If you let me."

This made Liam lift his head, he searched Theo's eyes to see if he was really telling the truth, although his heartbeat had already confirmed it. "Theo—" Liam began but was cut off by Theo's desperate hands gently grabbing the sides of his face.

"Liam you have to tell me. Who is responsible for this?"