Archive of Our Own

It was the time of the year again. Everyone decorated their houses as if it were a competition and Liam's household wasn't an exception. Green Christmas trees decorated with colourful lights (because one was definitely not enough) were standing in every corner of the living room, green and red ribbons traced the staircase and the smell of homemade cookies lingered in every room. Liam sighed at the thought of that. He loved Christmas, particularly because he didn't have to attend school. Don't get him wrong, Liam wasn't a bad student. Actually, he was quite good, especially in history but his classmates, on the other hand, were a thing on his 'do without' list. The boy struggled with IED and the fact that everyone knew about it made it worse. Odd looks followed him in the hallways of the Beacon Hills high school, observed him, and waited for the moment he'd snap again. But Liam wasn't going to give them the satisfaction. He took his medicine regularly and spoke his mantra whenever the anger started to boil inside him.
Liam laid on his bed, the clock on the nightstand rang telling him to get ready before Mason and Corey could drag him out and take him to school. He was grateful for his friends. They never looked at him like he was a ticking time bomb and supported Liam but even they couldn't stop or calm him when his fury was getting the best of him. No one could. He also didn't expect someone to be able to do that. He is responsible for himself and his actions but Liam is exhausted and sometimes he wishes that someone would just understand. The doorbell announced the arrival of Mason and Corey. Liam shrugged his thoughts off and got up to get ready for school hoping his friends won't be too annoyed with him because he was late once again.
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"So any plans this weekend?" Mason asked Liam while intertwining Corey's and his hand. They were truly a cute couple and Liam loved them very much but sometimes he got sad looking at them. He never had a relationship that was so strong or even lasted more than two or three months. The people he dated always broke up with him after they realized how much Liam struggled with his anger and at this point, he wasn't mad or surprised. He understood why they left. Liam wasn't the easiest to be around, he became more of a disturbance or a problem. At least that is what his past relationships left him to feel like. After his last relationship with Hayden, a beautiful girl really, he gave up on romance whatsoever. The first fight was always the worst. Liam knew he had to escape a situation to prevent it from escalating but most people want someone who hears them out and doesn't run away from every argument. He knows he could never hurt anyone physically, that is not the problem nor the reason he is always running from arguments and fights. Liam is scared. His boundaries are well known to him but he lost the trust in himself. Other than that he also can't concentrate on one thing very long, often ending up in deep thoughts and zooming out of reality, so when Mason called his name to get his attention, Liam wasn't surprised he overheard his question. "Any plans?" Mason repeated himself.
"Actually I planned to help my parents and watch a movie with them afterwards."
"Okay good, so you don't have any plans." Liam shot Mason a glare at his response.
"We wanted to go to Jackson's Christmas party," Corey said before Liam could start bickering.
"I don't know guys. I'm not in the mood," Liam answered disinterestedly.
"Common, Liam. It's a Jackson Whittemore party. We should be lucky to be invited," Mason tried to convince his best friend.
"Yeah, Mason had to promise he won't tell anyone that Jackson has a crush on Ethan," Corey explained.
"Not my problem if he was dumb enough to text with him while standing right beside me," Mason justified himself.
"Guys! I really don't care how you got inv-" Liam began to reject the offer once again as he was interrupted by a loud greeting.
"How are you holding up, Dunbar?" Theo shouted in his ear. Theo Raeken. Liam and he had known each other since kindergarten because of the friendship their parents shared. There was a short period where they were friends too, but it all mutated into this messed up relationship of constant bickering and teasing each other.
"Actually, I had an amazing day until I looked at your face," Liam grumbled annoyed.
"I know, pretty handsome."
"Yeah, maybe if you also consider a naked mole-rat beautiful," Liam shot back.
Theo chuckled, "You always have a witty answer, don't you?" Liam was quite confused by Theo's response. Usually, Theo countered with ease.
"You're going?" Theo asked. "To the party. I heard you and your friends talk about it," he continued after looking at Liam's puzzled face.
"Liam isn't in the mood and Corey and I don't know how to talk him into it," Mason answered for him to prevent a senseless fight which would start with Liam accusing him of eavesdropping.
"I should have expected something like this from you, buzzkill. What are you going to do? A movie night with your parents? And after that a bedtime story to lull you into sleep?" Theo laughed at his own comment not knowing that this was exactly Liam's plan. Well, the movie part, not the bedtime story part.
"No, I just don't enjoy being around drunk and sweaty teenagers if I could hang out with my friends instead."
"Well, your friends are going to the party. I think you're going to spend the night alone then, buzzkill," Theo said with a satisfied smile on his face.
"Yeah, whatever. Why do you even care how I spend my time? I didn't know you liked me that much," Liam said.
"Don't flatter yourself, Dunbar," He responded. "I was really hoping to see you there," Theo said sarcastically while walking past the group.
"So?" Corey asked confused because of what just happened.
"I'll go. I can't let Theo win," Liam said like it was the most obvious thing in the world.
"OK, or you could go because you want to spend some time with your best friends and not because some guy called you a buzzkill," Mason responded and earned an eye roll from Liam.
"Common guys. I don't want to be late for class," Corey said still not quite sure of what just happened.
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The week went by pretty fast. Liam found himself in the locker room after lacrosse practice. He stayed longer on the field than his other teammates, so it was no wonder that he found the hallways to be empty after he left the shower and changed. The boy let his eyes wander. Green and red ribbons were cascading some of the lockers of Christmas-loving students, mistletoes hanging on some of their bows.
A sudden loud laugh pulled Liam out of his thoughts. He turned around just to be met with a group of students chatting, one of them being Theo.
Theo Raeken, the popular kid, charming and smart and incredibly hot in Liam's opinion (not that he would ever admit that). The boy Liam felt attracted to since he laid his eyes on him last year during his own lacrosse game. Theo was just sitting there, smiling and wearing a foam finger. Liam was quite sure he was there to support his friends, but he felt watched the whole match which led to him glancing at Theo once in a while too. His joyful cheering earned an adored look from Liam. It confused him but he decided to ignore it. He would never even consider them friends, but somehow he managed to get attached. A couple of years ago, when Liam's father left, Theo was there for him, supporting him and he did a pretty good job at that but somehow they drifted apart a couple of weeks later. High School started and Liam met Mason and Theo other people. Liam guessed that the thought of Theo supporting him at one of his games reminded him of a time when they were friends. It wasn't just that. Theo is passionate and happy, he leaves people laughing no matter how bad their day was. He is kind and smart, witty even. He liked that about him. Theo gave Liam a comforting feeling and he wished for it to be back.
Theo said his goodbyes and began to walk in Liam's direction. Liam was about to turn around and ignore him because he really wasn't in the mood to argue when he felt a strong arm around his waist stopping him. "Hey, Dunbar," Theo whispered in his ear. Far too close for Liam's liking. "Let me go," Liam hissed attempting to get out of the grip. He failed and Theo's grip only became stronger. "Not so fast, Liam," The older boy turned him around and pinned him to the locker. Liam's heart was pumping heavily in his chest.
"What do you want?" Liam asked nervously because of how close he was to Theo, their foreheads almost touching. The younger boy tried to concentrate on stopping his heart rate hoping Theo wouldn't notice.
"Actually I just wanted to talk but I think my plan just changed this very moment," Theo said with a glimmer in his eyes. Liam was starting to get annoyed. He hated the fact that Theo was so close to him. So close Liam could practically taste his sweet lips but too far away to actually do it. "What are you talking about?" He asked. As a response, Theo backed off a little and pointed his gaze above their heads. Liam followed his eyes just to find a Mistletoe hanging above them. "I guess we have to kiss now. It is a tradition after all," Theo said with a smirk on his lips. "It is a stupid tradition, so why follow through with it?" he questioned Theo. The older boy just stared at him analyzing his face. Liam watched his smug expression turn into a soft smile. The younger boy didn't know what to do. He hasn't seen that expression on Theo's face in a long time. The last time was at the lacrosse game. Theo added, "It's okay if you don't want to, I was just thinking about how you love Christmas. I thought these traditions were important to you." Liam froze. His face relaxed a little but his feet were tied to the ground. He didn't know how to react. He knows that Theo is teasing like always but he never dared to come that close to him. As if he could read his mind, the older boy began to lean into Liam. "You wanted to talk, so talk", Liam said to distract from the situation. Theo glanced at him with soft eyes. "Oh, yeah right but it kind of solved itself", he said vaguely leaving Liam confused again. "Good, so we are done here?" Liam asked with a slightly shaky voice. Theo's hand shifted from Liam's waist to his shoulders which he patted lightly while backing away from him. The sudden loss of Theo's attention irritated Liam and left him kind of sad. "I don't appreciate being played with", Liam's painful thoughts escaped his mouth. Not wanting to see the reaction from the other one, Liam ran away bolting through the doors and into his car to get away as fast as possible. ---------------------
Liam was trying to remind himself why he thought it would be a good idea to join the Christmas party. Well, if you could call colourful lights decorating the property and a couple of mistletoes hanging around, a Christmas party. In Beacon Hills, everyone searched for an excuse to celebrate. Especially Jackson Whittemore. His parties were epic and the fact that his parents were never at home was brilliant. Liam was standing alone beside the dancing crowd with a drink in his hand searching for someone he knew. His friends abandoned him an hour ago probably making out in some corner.
He was about to turn around and leave when he bumped into someone spilling his drink all over their shirt. "Omg. I'm so sorry," Liam said shocked after he realized what happened. "Should have expected something like that at a party full of drunk teens, shouldn't I?" Theo's voice shook Liam out of his state. "Oh, it's you, Raeken," Irritation underlined his tone. "Don't act disappointed," Theo snorted amused at Liam's reaction.
"Oh trust me I don't have to fake that," Liam scoffed annoyed at the older boy's statement.
"Is that so?" Theo smirked stepping closer. Liam nodded slightly frowning, so Theo wouldn't notice how affected the younger boy was by his small actions.
Theo smirked, "So the other day in the hallway," Liam gulped at the mention of the incident, "your heart wasn't humming in your chest because I touched you here?" Theo came closer and laid one hand on Liam's waist. Liam froze.
"Mh, Liam?" Theo leaned in, "And you swear that you didn't get goosebumps when I whispered in your ear?"
"What do you want, Raeken?" Liam asked quietly but frustrated.
"You owe me something," He whispered.
"What? What the hell could I possibly owe you?!" Liam said his nervousness turning into anger.
"Don't be stupid," Theo responded to his question and leaned in, his lips barely touching Liam's ear but enough for him to shiver.
"A kiss, Dunbar. You owe me a kiss," He said. The younger boy closed his eyes concentrating to get a grip on his emotions. "What is it, Liam? No smart answer?" He laughed lightly. Liam felt the anger slowly boiling inside him. He was aware that this was only a game for Theo, a fun distraction, but in Liam's eyes it was something meaningful, so he did the only thing he could think of. Run. Liam freed himself from Theo's arms and fled. He stopped at the front yard and tried to shut every sound out by covering his ears. His mind constantly reenacting the moment, over and over again. He noticed a mistletoe hanging from a tree in front of him, painfully reminding him of Theo's mockery. Fury overcame him. How could he? Why did he start to play with Liam's feelings like that? Who does that just for the fun of messing with people? He would love to punch Theo in his stupid face to get rid of his arrogant smirk but he couldn't risk giving in to the anger and losing control, so he tried repeating his mantra in his head. The sun, the moon, the truth. But it didn't seem to help. He shut his eyes trying to focus. "What three things can never be hidden?" Liam pierced his nails in his palm trying to find the calm in his actions. The sun, the moon, the truth. He was about to snap, when all of a sudden, Liam felt a hand on his cheek gently pulling his hands from his ears. He opened his eyes and looked right into Theo's green ones. "Easy, Liam. Calm down. I didn't mean to make you angry." Theo said softly. He was surprised at how soothing the touch felt, his anger slightly disappearing. "Do you want me to cover your ears for you?" Theo asked. Liam watched him cautiously with pleading eyes. He wanted to scream yes but his body wouldn't allow him. It seemed like Theo was reading his mind again. He covered Liam's ears with his hands coming closer so they could lean on each other's foreheads. "The sun, the moon, the truth", Theo whispered but loud enough for Liam to hear it. The boy's anger disappeared and turned into wonder. "How d-did you..?" Liam stuttered. Theo smiled a pure and honest smile. "I remembered, from middle school", Theo answered. He began to lower his hands to Liam's jaw and backed away so he could look at his face properly. "I'm sorry Liam. I didn't mean to play with you. I was teasing, yes. But only because I was scared, to be honest", he explained and pulled him into a hug, "I want you to feel good. Tell me how I can help." Liam hugged him harder. "It's okay. I'm okay now. Thanks," he said sounding like the little child whose father left. Theo pulled away. "Are you sure? Do you need a ride? Or maybe you need to sit down or-", Theo's rambling was interrupted by Liam reaching out to touch his shoulder this time. Liam began to feel tired from all the events in the past week leaning on Theo for support. Theo caught him and sat him on the lawn under a tree supporting him from one side. "I'm fine. I'm just tired", he said so Theo wouldn't worry. Liam looked up to catch the older boy's eyes. Theo stared right back at him, cupping and tracing his face. He moved his hand from Liam's cheek to his lips tracing them.
He couldn't take it anymore. The heat caused by the boy in front of him was too much. "Tell me to stop," Theo said looking into Liam's blue eyes before he focused on his lips. Liam didn't freeze this time, he shook his head and reached for Theo's hand. Theo let out a puff of breath and leaned in before finally colliding their lips together in a sweet kiss. His hand wandered to the back of Liam's neck while the other one stayed secured around his body. After a couple of seconds, Theo pulled away, Liam was not moving. The older boy started to become anxious because maybe, he thought, maybe he misinterpreted something. But before he was able to freak out Liam gripped the hem of his shirt and pulled Theo in for another kiss. A passionate one but gentler than the first, this time both using the same amount of force. And it's kind of funny that Liam didn't notice how Theo was looking at him all these years. How he was a quiet but definitely the biggest fan at Liam's lacrosse games. How he kept his distance because he thought he never had a chance. How he blushed whenever Liam made suggestive comments but was too sulky to notice the effect it had on Theo. And it's kind of ridiculous how much time they wasted thinking they didn't belong together when in real life they were made for each other. Because Liam was not just broken and angry. He loved sports and history and Theo just wished he could hear one of his many rants about some ridiculous but somehow interesting detail Liam noticed in a movie or video game. It made him sad seeing Liam in relationships and it even made him sadder seeing how and because of what his relationships ended. For Theo Liam is so much more than just angry and Theo will use every second to show him just how much more he is.