Archive of Our Own

If there’s one thing that Theo hates (who is he kidding? He hates everything) he fucking hates research papers, and on top of that, it’s a group effort. Working with other people on a research paper? What the fuck? Theo will bitch to the almighty of schools because this is not fair. He hates working in groups, and he hates writing research papers. The fuck is he going to do with a 12-page essay about one subject he has zero interest in? Nothing! Last he heard, surgeons didn’t need a research paper about gatekeeping in social media or how fucking stupid the electoral map is during the election or worst, about fucking Shakespeare . He’s 82% sure they cut people up with knives.

He’s kidding. He knows what surgeons are supposed to do. He’s in his fourth year of college and aiming for medical school next year. Woo fucking hoo. But the next person who fucks with him will get stabbed with a knife and it will not be for surgery.

“We’re going to be a group!”

Okay, Liam can be the exception because the guy’s kinda cute and Clueless as hell with a capital C. Mason and Corey, on the other hand, better watch out for his switchblade.

“This is possibly the worst day of my fucking life,” Theo says, glaring at the packet of papers in his hand and willing it to burst into flames by his stare alone. He didn’t bring his matches with him today god fucking damn it.

“It isn’t that bad,” Liam says from his spot beside Theo. The classroom has already been arranged into groups of four and they’re in the back of the classroom because Theo refused to move from his spot. Across from them sits Mason and Corey with their backs against the front of the classroom.

“The research paper will be based on the theme of Shakespeare’s play of your choosing.”

Again, worst fucking day of his life. By the end of the week, no one will find their professor’s body and Theo will be long gone. Cancun sounds fucking amazing right now.

“I’m going to strangle our professor and feed him to my hellhounds,” Theo says. Liam laughs under his breath, Mason grins, and Corey covers his snort with a cough. They’re so assumed by him because they think he’s joking. Ooohhh no no he is not. Professor Bennett, Theo fucking Raeken is coming for you in your sleep. Watch out.

“Where should we meet up?” Liam asks.

“How about we ditch these jackasses here and go buy a cup of coffee, or ride a bull in the middle of a bar? I’m down for both.” Theo wraps his arm around the back of Liam’s chair and leans closer to him.

“This is a group effort. We need Corey and Mason, and a bar would be too distracting for us,” Liam says.

Clueless as hell Theo was saying. This is his— what? Sixth time asking Liam out on a date? Either Liam is straight (fucking unbelievable. Have you met him?) or he is not interested in Theo (again, fucking unbelievable. Theo knows he’s a fucking catch).

“Liam…” Corey whispers and opens his mouth in an attempt to explain what Theo means but Mason interrupts.

“No, no, no.” Mason shakes his head and touches Corey’s shoulder. “Let him figure it out on his own.”

When Theo makes eye contact with Mason the smug bastard is grinning. You know what? Theo thinks he has a switchblade in his leather jacket. College be damned. Theo doesn’t want to waste his time writing a damn research paper about Shakespeare. He hates Shakespeare. He would rather stick a needle in his eye and present it to the Gods he doesn’t believe in than sit here writing a 12-page essay with an oblivious pretty boy Theo can’t have.

His life would be so much easier if Liam was a self-assured spoiled jackass but no. This motherfucker had to come into Theo’s life and be so nice and adorable as fuck. It makes Theo mad.

“That will be all for today. Class dismissed.”

Theo sighs in relief, mentally thanking the universe for being in his favors for once. He gets up from his desk and grabs his backpack, shouldering past the other students to get to the exit and out into the hallway. Why does everyone have to be so slow? Hello?! Get out of the damn way before you become speed bumps next time I see you while I’m driving.

“Theo! Wait up!”

Theo regrets every single one of his life decisions that have led up to this exact moment where he stops in the middle of the hallway and waits for his group to catch up with him. He glowers at anyone who even looks his way and smirks when they choose the split second to move aside to avoid colliding with him.

“Maybe we should work at the library?” Liam asks once he’s close enough for Theo to hear.

“Perfect. My next class isn’t until eight,” Mason says.

“I’m free for the rest of the day,” Corey says.

Theo is tempted to make a half-assed excuse and drop the English class before his grade drops. Everyone is so annoying in that class, and yes Liam is also annoying for being him. He can register again for next semester with a different professor because fuck professor Bennett. Can’t ever satisfy that man, and that’s why Theo has a B.

The bland excuse is on the tip of his tongue when Liam looks at him with his big blue puppy eyes and conspicuously waiting for his answer. The next words that come out of Theo’s mouth are, “sure why not?”

Sure why not?! He sounds like Tara now. He blames her for bullying him into making friends when he should be focusing on his career. You see, he made friends at the beginning of his college life, but they wanted to talk to him every single day. The fuck does he look like? A phone booth?

“Okay cool! Let’s go.” Liam straight up smiles at him with raised, prominent cheekbones and walks ahead of him in the direction of the library.

Okay, Theo can admit he did the right thing here because that was fucking adorable. If agreeing to work with the group at the library makes Liam smile then Theo will sacrifice his time.

Theo follows after Liam with a smile, feeling a little lighter than before.

• • •

“I’m going to fucking kill him! You hear me, Tara? Get the old man’s money for my bail. I’m sharpening my knives right now and gonna kidnap him in his sleep and drag him to the woods and chop up his body.”

“You’re so dramatic,” Tara drawls out in a tired voice on the other end of the call.

Theo clutches his cellphone and breathes heavily through his nose, thankful his roommate isn’t here to witness his mental breakdown. “I hate my English class,” he mutters through clenched teeth.

“So you’ve told me the last seven times you called me. Really, Theo, I’m sure it’s not that bad,” Tara says.

“It won’t be so bad once I hide the professor’s body,” Theo mumbles. For good measure, he kicks his backpack under the bed so he doesn’t have to see and be reminded of the fuck load of work he has to do for the month.

“I have a feeling this isn’t just about the professor.”

Shit.

Theo places his hand on his hip then thinks better of it because he feels stupid since Tara can’t see him. He shoots his arm out in the air, not exactly knowing what to do with his hand. “I have no idea what you’re talking about.”

“You haven’t mentioned Liam yet.” There’s a clatter on the other end and water starting up. Theo glances at the clock on his nightstand to make sure he didn’t call Tara right before her shower, but no. It’s too early for her shower. Dishes. She must be washing the dishes by hand.

“Oh right, fuck that guy.” Theo drops his arm and starts pacing the room. Josh’s side of the room is messy with discarded clothes hanging off his unmade bed, chair, and desk and the pizza box on the ground has been there for at least three days. It hurts Theo’s eyes to see, so he paces in the kitchen instead.

Tara’s soft laughter is heard in the call and Theo smiles. “Yeah, you want to fuck him.”

“You’re not wrong, but he’s so thick-headed,” Theo taps his temple with two fingers, “he doesn’t know someone is flirting with him if it hit him.”

“Let me guess, you tried asking him out again?” The water stops and there’s the clatter again. Yup, definitely dishes.

“Yes. I’m almost convinced he’s actually straight. Almost. I don’t want to make a fool out of myself yet,” Theo says.

“Or maybe he isn’t interested in you,” Tara says.

“Impossible. Have you seen me? I’m built like a Greek god.”

Tara snorts. “Beg to differ.”

“You’re just jealous I get all the hot girls and you don’t.”

“Whatever helps you sleep at night.”

“You know what will help me sleep at night?” Theo stops pacing and jumps to sit on top of the kitchen counter. He kicks his feet and looks down at his dangling legs. “Dropping my English class. I have my phone right here. All I have to do is log into my school account and drop the class. Bam! Free from Shakespeare.”

“You’re a quarter into the semester almost halfway there. Don’t give up just yet. You have an A, right? You can do this.”

Theo sighs loudly. Right, he forgot to tell Tara about the bad grade he got on the pop quiz. A pop quiz! Fucking embarrassing. “I guess I don’t have to drop the class, but if my grade drops because of this research paper I’m committing arson.”

“Let’s hope it won’t come to that, right? You can do a research paper, but don’t leave it last minute like you did with the final last year.”

“It’s a group project.”

It’s silent on the other end then Tara says, “oh yikes. You’re doomed.”

“Thanks, Tara.” Theo rolls his eyes.

“You are welcome, my dear baby brother whom I love with my whole heart,” Tara says, and Theo can tell she’s grinning like a fool.

“Shut the fuck up or I’ll end you the next time I see you.”

“Bring it on! I’ll return your murder intentions with lots of love.”

Theo can’t help but laugh loudly as a response.

“So about Liam…” Tara says once Theo has calmed down from his laughter.

“What about him?” Theo asks and jumps off the kitchen counter to walk back inside the room and lands heavily on his bed with a grunt.

“Minus your excessive swearing and horrific details involving dumping his body in the Grand Canyon he sounds so nice and adorable! I want to meet the person my brother is so smitten with.”

Theo groans and throws an arm over his eyes. “I am not smitten. He’s just slightly less annoying than everyone else and for once I was joking when I said I was going to dump his body in the Grand Canyon. I don’t even want to threaten him! I’m convinced he’s some witch or I need to get laid.”

“I know all your past partners, Theo. You act differently when you talk about him way differently than with Tracy. You get so soft. I’ve only heard nice things about him.”

Theo takes a few minutes to process what the hell Tara said, and the only response he can come up with is, “I am not soft. Whoever thinks I’m soft has got another thing coming. I have a knife collection for fucks sake and my favorite color is the blood of my enemies—”

“— and you get so mushy when you talk about Liam.”

Theo chokes and sputters out a protest. “Excuse me?! Me?! Mushy?! Tara, I swear to God—”

“You’re in denial!” Tara interrupts. “You act so tough and mighty but underneath all those layers you’re secretly a big ol softie.”

“Well look at the time.” Theo glances at his bare wrist. “Class starts in fifteen minutes.”

“Liar. Your last class was hours ago. You usually call me after class. What were you doing? Hanging out with Liiiiiam?” Tara asks, drawing out the name just to spite Theo.

“You know what, Tara? Eat shit.”

“Ha! You were! Awwwww that’s so cute! I’m going to cry!” Tara is straight-up gushing over his love life.

“Byeee!” Theo says loudly over the ridiculous kissy noises she’s making.

“Talk to you later. Keep me updated on lover boy.” Tara makes another loud kissing noise and Theo groans.

“Whatever. Love you, bye.” Theo ends the call before Tara can give him shit for giving her affection.

Theo tosses his cellphone on the nightstand and pulls the covers over his head to block out the moonlight shining through the curtains. It’s too early to sleep but Theo has to mentally prepare himself in the morning when he meets up with Liam, Mason, and Corey for their project.

The universe is working against him at this point. What the hell did he do in a past life to deserve this?

• • •

“And the dark knight rises!”

“I will dump rat poison in your coffee and watch you writhe in pain and die. Then I’m going to piss on your grave and fuck your mom. Don’t try me.” Theo points a finger at Mason and pulls a chair from underneath their table to sit down.

“Someone woke up on the wrong side of bed,” Mason says, clearly unfazed and used to Theo’s threats.

“He always wakes up on the wrong side of bed,” Corey says, and Mason nods in agreement.

Theo groans and digs his palms into his eyes. His last night’s plans failed. Five minutes into bed and he gave up forcing himself to sleep. He ended up binge-watching a new show and falling asleep at four in the morning. Did he regret it? Yes. He didn’t eat or drink anything before running out of his dorm room, but it didn’t matter because he was already late for their group meeting. Maybe he should’ve ditched them to get a decent meal. He can do the research paper on his own just fine.

“There you are!”

Theo lifts his head in time to see Liam plopping down on the empty seat next to him. “I wasn’t sure if you’d show up, but I’m glad you did. I bought you a caramel ice coffee—”

“I’m literally in love with you and owe you my life,” Theo blurts out before Liam can finish and snatches the ice coffee from Liam, cradling it close to his chest. “Can I kiss you?”

Liam stops short and stutters out the rest of his sentence, but Theo isn’t sure what he said because the blooming blush highlights his blue eyes.

“Get a room,” Mason says and Liam’s blush deepens even further. He looks away from Theo and stares at his closed laptop in front of him.

“Is that an invitation to your room?” Theo grins. “Careful there I might take you up on that offer.”

“Anything to get you guys to bang because this is ridiculous.” Mason gestures between them.

“As I was saying!” Liam raises his voice that goes up a few pitches. “We brainstormed a couple of ideas. Want to see?”

“Why don’t we just choose Hamilton? I read that shit during high school so I know like— 30 percent of the play,” Theo says. He tears the straw open with his teeth and strips off the paper to forcefully stab the straw into the cup.

“Hamilton is a musical,” Mason says and pinches the bridge of his nose with his eyes squeezed shut. “Do you mean Hamlet?”

“Dude I don’t fucking know.” Theo shrugs and sips his ice coffee, moaning a little too loudly in the library and gaining a few glares. “Romeo and Juliet?”

“Everyone is going to choose Romeo and Juliet,” Corey says.

“Right, whatever Liam chooses I’m game for.” Theo can just read the play or ask Tara if she’d read it so she can give him a summary. That doesn’t mean he’ll like it though.

“Why did we ask to begin with?” Mason throws his hands up in the air and rolls his eyes.

“So Theo can be on the same page as us,” Liam says.

“He just mixed up a play and a musical,” Mason says.

“Understandable. I hate plays and musicals,” Theo says.

“You hate everything.”

“Now you’re getting it.”

“Except me!” Liam says with a grin.

Theo looks at Liam, and it’s like a shift when he softens at the sight of Liam. An involuntary smile spreads across his face, and for fucks sake is that butterflies in his stomach? Whatever. Liam’s smile can light up a whole room, and Theo will worship that smile with his life.

“You’re kidding,” Mason says, but Theo doesn’t have the energy to snap at him. Not when he’s gazing at Liam who begins to talk about the play he chose. Macbeck, Theo thinks.

• • •

“Liam asked me to marry him.”

“What?!”

Theo drops his backpack on the ground and sits down on his bed. He holds his cellphone between his ear and his shoulder and bends over to untie his combat boots. “Not in those exact words but he bought me a caramel ice coffee. Caramel, Tara, and not just any ice coffee. He got the good stuff that’s usually pretty expensive. I was tempted to bend him over right there in the library.”

“First of all, you worried me there for a sec, and second, gross. You fucking horn dog.”

“He was just sitting there so innocently clueless

to what he just did. He bought me an ice coffee. An ice coffee, Tara! Might as well ask for my hand in marriage.” Theo straightens up and kicks his boots off.

“He’s soul bonded to you now. Poor kid.” Tara sighs.

“Hey! I’m a catch!” Theo strips off his socks and stands up to change his jeans for a pair of shorts.

“Sometimes.” Tara laughs.

Once Theo is done putting his shorts on, he grabs his cellphone and lays on the bed with a groan. “How are you and Cora doing?” He asks.

“We’re doing good! We’re throwing a surprise party for Derek next month, and you’re invited,” Tara says.

“Yeah, about that, I’m busy—”

“Don’t give me your half-assed excuse. Make time. It’ll be good to see you.”

“I know but—” Theo sighs. “You know I don’t do good with parties.”

“But it’s Derek’s birthday! We haven’t hung out together as a group in forever.”

“Will his annoying boyfriend be there?”

“What do you think?”

“Yeah, I’d rather bash my head into the Eiffel Tower. Have fun though.”

“Stiles isn’t so bad.”

“Beg to differ!” Theo rolls onto his stomach and props his elbows on the bed. “He roasted me for 20 minutes straight for not watching Star Wars then forced me to watch it with him. Don’t ever watch a movie with Stiles. Dude’s a fucking nightmare.” He eyes his backpack a few feet away from him and swears under his breath.

“You’re coming! No excuses!”

“Fine! I’ll go.” Theo groans and pushes himself onto his feet to retrieve his backpack.

“Bring a friend if you want.”

“I don’t have friends. Everyone is a disappointment.” Theo throws his backpack on the bed and resumes his position from before.

“Then bring Liam and his friends.”

“Mason and Corey?” Theo asks and stops himself from reaching out to unzip his backpack. “Right, when pigs fly. You’re so hilarious. A fucking comedian dare I say.”

“It’s an invitation, not a death sentence, and I told you to make friends.”

Theo grits his teeth and curls his hands into tight fists. “I tried to.” He presses his lips together when he hears the hard edge to his voice, but Tara doesn’t seem to notice. Good. He doesn’t need anyone’s pity party for being friendless.

“Planning world domination with Josh and Malia doesn’t count we talked about this.” Oh no, it’s Tara’s mom voice.

Theo sighs and closes his eyes. “Fine. I’ll try to make friends with them, and I won’t overthrow the government with Josh and Malia. At least I can say Liam is my friend.”

“Good. I believe in you.”

“Let’s hope that’s enough,” Theo whispers under his breath then unzips his backpack to grab his binder and textbook. If he’s going to get started on the research paper anytime soon, now would be the time.

• • •

“The fuck you staring at? It’s like you’re begging me to stab your eyes out.”

“What are you wearing?” Mason asks.

Theo looks down at his Star Wars shirt Tara got him for his birthday a few years back. Hey, he ended up liking Star Wars but he won’t admit it to fuckface Stiles. He looks back at Mason with a glower. “A Star Wars shirt. What? You never heard of it?”

“Of course, but I didn’t peg you to be a Star Wars fan.” Mason is still staring at him with his bulging eyes and slack jaw.

Liam takes the opportunity to check Theo’s shirt and smiles. Liam has done a lot of smiling at Theo which is weird, to say the least. “Who’s your favorite character?”

“Darth Vader,” Theo says.

“Why am I surprised?” Mason asks.

“Guys, focus,” Corey says. “We’re almost done with the introduction.”

They divert their attention away from Theo, and he gives himself time to breathe. Having so much attention is nerve-wracking. “Did you do the notes?” Mason asks.

“Of course I did the notes.” Theo unzips his backpack and grabs the thick packet of the notes he made last night. He drops it on the table, and Mason grabs the packet to flip through the pages.

“You read the whole play overnight?” Mason does a double-take of flipping through the pages before he looks at Theo with raised eyebrows.

“Was I not supposed to?” Theo scoffs and crosses his arms over his chest.

Liam grabs the packet from Mason and flips through the papers. “You have beautiful handwriting and great organization.” He reaches a hand out to touch the writing then thinks better of it and retracts his hand.

Theo coughs and ducks his head when he feels his face heat up. Fucking shit he’s blushing. “Thanks,” he mumbles.

“We’ll finish this research paper in no time.” Liam closes the packet and hands it back to Theo.

“You think so?” Theo clears his throat and averts Liam’s gaze when he grabs the packet. “I mean, yeah. I’m dedicated to my work.”

“I admire that about you,” Liam says. “I’m usually really messy, and sometimes I can barely understand my own writing. I struggle a lot with this class.”

“Give yourself some credit you’re in the top five. At least you care about passing. Most of our classmates don’t give a shit,” Theo says.

“I’m only in the top five because of Mason,” Liam says.

“There’s no shame asking for help.” Theo shrugs. “Without my sister, I wouldn’t be attending here.”

“You have a sister?” Liam tilts his head and leans closer to Theo.

Theo nods. “She lives in Beacon Hills with her girlfriend.”

Liam jerks his head back and grabs Theo’s shoulder. “Beacon Hills? I used to live there back in 2014. I moved away two years later and now I’m here.”

Theo stares at the hand on his shoulder and barely manages a response because he’s sure his brain short-circuited. “For real?” Theo lifts his head and sits up straighter. “I would’ve recognized you in a small town like Beacon Hills.”

“Yeah uh, I didn’t go out a lot.” Liam’s hand slips off Theo’s shoulder, and Theo finds himself missing the heated touch. Liam rubs the back of his neck and glances at Mason and Corey, giving him an odd concerned look. He breaks eye contact with them and offers Theo a smile that doesn’t reach his eyes. “My dad’s strict.”

“Strict dads are the worst.” Theo shakes his head. “All throughout my life the old man tried to control me but I rebelled every single time because fuck that guy.”

Liam’s eyes widen and he gasps. “You talk like that about your dad?”

“Trust me if you ever meet him run the other way. He’s an abusive asshole,” Theo says.

Liam shifts uncomfortably in his seat and nods curtly. “You talk so freely about him.”

“It’s a coping mechanism. Sorry if I overshare about the old man, it just comes out before I think about it.” Theo tries to shrug it off, but he starts to feel uncomfortable in his skin by how quiet the table has gotten. Mason and Corey are avoiding their gazes and pretending they aren’t listening in, but Theo knows better.

“It’s okay.” Liam’s hand is back on his shoulder and Theo feels a whole lot better from his touch alone. “I just didn’t expect you to be so. . . blunt.”

Theo snorts. “It’s part of my personality, sweetheart.” He winks for an additional effect and grins when Liam blushes a deep red that reaches his neck, leaving Theo to wonder how low the blush gets.

“How do you do it?” Liam asks. “You’re so confident, you don’t care what anyone says, and you don’t feel guilty about bad-mouthing your dad.”

“I got tired of seeking validation from other people, and I believe everyone is jealous of me. Once you have that mentality.” Theo taps his temple. “You won’t ever go back, and the old man gave me and my sister trauma. Shithead deserves it.”

Liam nods and stays silent, looking down at the table and being lost in thought. Theo watches him carefully with an itching feeling Liam wants to admit to something but doesn’t know how to say it. It’s alright. Theo is a patient man when he wants to be.

Liam shakes his head and looks at Theo with a smile. “Thank you for the lesson.”

“I’d be a horrible teacher but you’re welcome.” Theo can’t help but smile back and Liam’s smile widens.

“This is embarrassing to watch,” Mason mumbles.

“Hey, Mason?” Theo turns his head to level Mason with a glare.

“Yeah?”

“Eat shit, jackass.”

• • •

“You think if I sell one of my kidneys on the black market I can get enough to flee to Cancun?”

“Yeah, it’d be enough to buy yourself a house and hide.”

“Thank you for your support.” Theo doesn’t bother to change out of his clothes when he enters his dorm room and falls face flat on the bed.

“What’d you do this time?” Tara asks.

Theo turns his head and balances his cellphone on the side of his face. “I might’ve told Liam about the old man.”

“You what?! Oh, now he will definitely not date you.”

“Tell me something I don’t know,” Theo scoffs. “I can never show my face to him ever again. He knows about my trauma too much, and he’s a level three on the friendship scale. A level four is when I make the self-deprecating jokes. A level five now that’s the level I dump my emotional baggage on them.”

“A level three huh? That’s a lot higher than I expected,” Tara says.

The surprise in Tara’s tone makes Theo mad, but he’s too busy freaking out about his slip up with Liam he doesn’t interject with an insult. “You think if I mistake him for a speed bump I’ll hit him in the right place to give him amnesia?”

“You can potentially kill him and get convicted for first-degree murder.”

“I’ll take that chance. 25 years of prison here I come.”

“I know what you’re doing. You’re using jokes to ignore your true feelings about him.”

“How dare you assume I’m joking!” Okay, maybe he is joking about hitting Liam with his truck because the guy is so likable it gets on Theo’s nerves. God, Theo likes Liam. He wants to get to know him and possibly date him and kill anyone in a duel who dares challenge him for Liam’s hand in marriage. “Well shit.”

Tara gasps. “You finally figured it out. You don’t want to just bang him. You actually want a relationship with him!”

Theo pulls the cellphone away from his ear when Tara squeals into the call. “This fucking sucks.” He taps the speaker button and drops his cellphone on the bed next to his head.

“This is good news. It means you’re finally healing from your last relationship and aren’t resorting to pointless hookups,” Tara says.

“This is bad news. Liam doesn’t want to go out with me.”

“I’m going to regret this but you should be blunt with him. Straight out tell him you want to be his boyfriend.”

“I can do blunt.” Theo grins. This is finally his queue to sweep Liam off his feet with his words of poetry.

Tara sighs loudly. “I know.”

• • •

“Hey Liam, I one hundred percent want to bend you over this table right here right now and rail you. Then I want to take you out to a fancy restaurant and hold your hand and kiss you goodnight as your boyfriend.”

Three pairs of eyes stare at Theo, but he keeps his gaze on Liam. Daring him to be his clueless and cute self. The shit Theo does for this kid. He just poured his heart out to him and he’s staring at him with his big blue eyes. Theo wants to punch him… with his lips thank you very much.

“Me?” Liam squeaks, pointing at himself.

“No, fucking WilLIAM Shakespeare,” Theo says through clenched teeth and refrains from banging his head. “Yes, you! You— you precious little thing I want to protect by burning this place to the ground if you asked me.”

“Please don’t commit arson,” Liam says.

“I didn’t know Theo was capable of not insulting someone this dense,” Mason says.

“Lookie here is that my switchblade I mistook for a pen?” Theo stuffs his hand in the pocket of his leather jacket and curls his fingers over the pen. He can still use the pen to stab someone, and he will end up stabbing someone’s eye out if Liam doesn’t respond to his heartfelt love confession.

“I don’t think he’s joking this time,” Corey whispers. Hooray! Someone has a brain!

“You want to be my boyfriend?” Liam asks.

Theo reaches for Liam with his tense fingers curled, and he means to go for his throat to strangle him, but instead, he grabs Liam’s shoulders in a far too gentle grip. Theo is still convinced Liam is a witch. His hands are anything but gentle. “Yes, I want to be your boyfriend, and I want you to be mine.”

Liam stares at him like he’s grown another head along with another pair of eyes and wings. “You’re being serious?” His voice is unusually high when he asks, and Theo wonders if his moans are high-pitched as well.

“I’m always serious.” Theo frowns. Did everyone think he was a joke or what? If he says he’s going to go on a killing spree if someone talks to him before his cup of coffee then he will go on a killing spree if someone talks to him before his cup of coffee. It’s not rocket science.

“Why?” Liam shakes his head, still staring at Theo with wide eyes. “Why me? Um, I— I’m not special or ah— particularly good-looking, but um— you definitely are. I mean— ah— I’m not even sure if I’m gay, and I don’t want to lead you on if I’m wrong. I’m— I’m sorry.”

Theo stares at Liam and his fingers twitch where he’s still grabbing onto Liam’s shoulders. All he can manage to think is what the fuck?! Liam doesn’t think he’s special?! Good-looking?! Liam is the most beautiful thing Theo’s ever seen, and he goes to the beach monthly. At least Liam thinks Theo’s attractive duh. He already knew that, but— oh. Liam still hasn’t figured out his sexuality.

Theo turns to glance at Mason who gives him a look to confirm his suspicions. Liam has unresolved issues of his own, and Theo mulls over this information. Huh, they aren’t so different after all but fuck whoever thinks Liam isn’t special. The next time Theo sees them he won’t hesitate to gut them and pull their teeth out. “Liam, I really like you. You’re special to me. I can present you the heart of your enemy—”

“Please don’t.”

“I want to take you out on a date, but if you don’t return my feelings it’s okay. I’m happy to wait for you until you figure out your sexuality.” Theo shifts uncomfortably in his seat and lets go of Liam. “And if you decide you don’t like me I’m fine with being your friend.”

“I like you,” Liam blurts out and takes a sharp intake of breath once he realizes what he just said. “I like you differently than I like Mason and Corey, and I want to try. I want to discover who I am. I just don’t want to disappoint you.”

“You won’t disappoint me,” Theo says, and he finds himself believing it. “Promise. One date.”

Liam bites his lower lip and nods. “One date.”

“Finally!” Mason shoots his arms out in the air and ignores the shushes he gets in return. “It was getting too much to see Liam this oblivious.”

“I’m not oblivious!” Liam shrinks in his seat when he gets shushed in return and lowers his voice. “I’m not oblivious. Am I?”

“I asked you out like six times. Seven has always been my lucky number.” Theo smirks and leans back in his seat. “I’ll text you the details and pick you up by your dorm room.”

“O— Okay.”

“Now, who do I have to kill for making you insecure?”

“His dad,” Mason says before Liam can answer. “It’s so bad.”

Corey nods. “I witnessed the emotional manipulation he did to Liam never been the same since.”

“He’s not that bad,” Liam mumbles.

“He called you worthless because you forgot bread slices from the grocery store,” Mason says.

“Then proceed to praise you when you went out of your way to get them,” Corey says. “And the cycle continues when you make one small mistake.”

“Remember that time he hit you then turned around and blamed you for getting him angry?” Mason asks. “Because I do.”

“Don’t forget the time he called him a girl for having long hair,” Corey scoffs.

“Or the time he called him the f slur as a ‘ joke.’”

“What the fuck?!” Theo slams his hands on the table, startling his group and gaining a glare from the librarian. When the librarian turns around, Theo points his middle finger at him before turning his attention back to Liam. “You’re joking. ‘He’s not that bad’ my ass. He sounds exactly like the old man, and he hated me for being an atheist and queer. I know abuse when I see it. I’ll kill him. I’ve memorized 37 ways to hide a dead body in California alone.”

“Don’t mind us looking the other way when Theo goes John Wick on his ass,” Mason says.

“Can we not talk about this?” Liam sighs and runs his shaking fingers through his unkempt hair.

“Fine, but as your boyfriend, it’s my duty to bug you about your unresolved trauma and help you heal,” Theo says.

“If we’re boyfriends aren’t we supposed to kiss?” Liam smiles nervously.

Theo knows he’s joking, but he won’t miss an opportunity to kiss Liam. He surges forward and plants a chaste kiss on Liam’s surprisingly soft lips then sits back down on his chair with a smirk. “Back to work, fellas.”

Mason snaps his fingers in front of Liam’s dazed expression, and Theo considers that a win.

• • •

“Guess who got a date this Friday! Me, the best of the best!” Theo bursts through the door of his dorm room while holding his cellphone to his ear. He drops his backpack on the ground next to his piles of textbooks and pulls the drawers open to plan his outfit for his date. He has a date! He puts the call on speaker and places his phone on top of the dresser.

There’s a crash on the other end, a screech, and a yell in the background before Tara shouts, “he finally said yes?! Oh my God! I’m so happy for you!” The sound of rustling. “Sorry babe! I’ll clean that up. I'm on the phone.”

“I told you I would get that date, it's me.” Theo snorts. He inspects his clothes and throws the potential outfits on the bed while shoving the others to the side.

“I never doubted that,” Tara drawls out.

“Should I wear the dark grey long sleeve with the black patches on my shoulders, or should I choose something a little more fancy? A black dress shirt and tie with my leather jacket would totally be a hot combination.” Theo holds the said long sleeve in his hands and holds it up to his face to make sure there aren’t any stains. It’s one of his best-looking tops, and he wants to make sure it’s perfect.

“Do you have any color in your wardrobe?” Tara asks.

“Black is a color.”

“It’s really not.”

“Is to.”

“Is not.”

“Is to.”

“Is not.”

“Why do I ask for your advice? I’ll go with the dress shirt and leather jacket combo. I’ll wear a white shirt. Better?”

“White isn’t a color.”

“Okay Bill Nye no one asked for a smartass.” Theo shoves the drawer close and walks over to the large mirror and opens his closet.

“What are you aiming to be? A serial killer?”

“If this date goes downhill I might be.”

“It’ll go great! Obviously, Liam really likes you if he agreed to go on a date with you.”

“What’s that supposed to be mean?” Theo scoffs. He shoves his clothes aside to look for the white dress shirt.

“You tend to scare everyone away.”

“It’s a lifestyle”

“Uh-huh okay. Buy him flowers.”

“What kind should I get?” Theo grabs the white dress shirt and leaves it hanging on the handle of the top drawer of the dresser. “Roses are overrated.”

“Roses are romantic! You’ll sweep him off his feet, trust me.”

“Fine. I don’t know flower language. I don’t want to accidentally say “sorry for your loss” in flower.”

“Charmer.”

“Fuck yeah. By Friday night I’ll get a taste of his sweetness.”

“Give me the details after your date except for the sexy ones, and keep me updated.”

“Duh. You can be my witness when I drag Liam to Las Vegas to get married.”

“I’ll be happy to be your maid of honor.”

• • •

Friday morning arrived and Theo hasn’t been this nervous since Tracy. He’s nervous because he wants to make this work, and if it did work then Liam would be his second relationship. To say it’s a little nerve-wracking is an understatement.

Since Theo didn’t have classes on Fridays, he was stuck in his dorm room with his roommate worrying over his date.

“How do I look?” Theo spreads his arms out to show Josh his third outfit for the day. He’s wearing the white dress shirt, black tie, and leather jacket combination he was telling Tara about along with black jeans and high-top converse. A little fancy mixed with casual. Just the way he likes it.

Josh turns away from his laptop where he’s propped up against the headboard of his side of the room to check over Theo’s outfit. “Like a rockstar.”

“You think this is good enough?” Theo turns away to check himself in the mirror.

“Yeah,” Josh says.

“Not great? Should I change?” Theo runs his fingers through his floppy curls and groans.

“It’s great, dude. You look great. A masterpiece. A sexy daddy. Are you done? I need to get back to my paper.” Josh turns back to his laptop and taps on a couple of keys.

“No.” Theo shakes his head and sighs. “I don’t know. I’m so indecisive.”

“When’s your date?”

“I’m supposed to pick him up at six.”

Josh turns his cellphone on where it’s on the bed beside his thigh to check the time. “You have an hour. Now, you can either shut the hell up about your outfit and go buy him flowers, or you can pick out another outfit and worry and leave him stranded. Your choice.”

Theo scowls. “I guess I should be going.”

“Yes, please do because you’re making me anxious.” Josh points at himself. “Go get laid already. It’s suffocating rooming with you.”

“Right back at you, brother. I’m going.” Theo grabs his wallet and car keys before patting Josh on the back when he passes by him. “Don’t wait up.”

“I won’t.”

Theo grins and winks at Josh before leaving the dorm room. He picks up his pace and walks down the hallway and descends the stairs. He reaches the double doors and pushes them open to the outside world.

Theo inhales the air and makes his way to the truck. Time to charm Liam Dunbar.

• • •

Theo does end up buying the roses at the nearby flower shop since he doesn’t have another choice, and the employee was less than helpful when she didn’t have an answer to his request. He drives back to the college and parks in front of the building where Liam’s dorm room is located. It’s nearing six PM when Theo ascends the stairs two at a time and finds Liam’s room. He flattens his hair and wipes his sweaty palms on his jeans before knocking on the door with a smile on his face.

The smile drops when someone who isn’t Liam opens the door. Theo has to lift his head to make eye contact with him and it pisses him off. The asshole smirks and leans against the doorway.

“Can I help you?” Big-headed Asshole asks.

“Is Liam there?” Theo checks his cellphone behind the bouquet to make sure he didn’t get the room number wrong. Good thing Tara suggested flowers or the asshole would’ve been nosey. Unfortunately, he did get the number right.

“So you’re the one who’s taking little ol Liam on a date and succeeding. Color me impressed.”

“I’ll color you alright. With my fists.” Theo stuffs his cellphone in the pocket of his jeans and lifts his gaze back to Asshole. He looks like a Kyle. He’ll call him Kyle.

“They were right,” Kyle mumbles under his breath before turning his head to call out Liam’s name.

Theo ignores his comment and raises onto his tippy toes to look over his shoulder but the bastard won’t budge. He’s still blocking the way and Theo is tempted to shove him aside but he can’t. This is Liam’s roommate.

Theo is more than happy to glower at him until Liam comes out but Kyle opens his big mouth and says, “Theo right?”

“No.” Theo taps his foot and looks anywhere that isn’t the asshole standing in front of him. Flicking his gaze to the splintered door, blue and red carpet, and the dark stain Kyle is standing on. Theo wrinkles his nose and focuses on the scratch marks on the door. Do they have a dog or something?

“What’re your plans for tonight?” Kyle asks, inspecting his nails.

Oh, Theo knows this move. He wants to seem nonchalant about the date but he’s actually interested. Theo has a feeling he knows why. “We’re going out to eat then we’ll go back to my room where we’ll be alone all night long.” He winks.

Kyle stiffens and he turns his attention back to Theo with narrowed eyes. He doesn’t comment any further and Liam appears at the doorway. “Sorry, sorry! I didn’t mean to keep you waiting,” Liam says, elbowing Kyle aside and stepping out.

Theo is tempted to skip the meal and kick Kyle out to make out with Liam in his dorm room. He looks divine, and it’s cute how he styled his hair for their date. The maroon long sleeve he’s wearing really suits him and it should be illegal to keep Liam inside when Theo should be showing him off to the world. “It’s all good. I was having a lovely talk with Kyle here.”

“My name’s Brett.”

“I bought you flowers.” Theo ignores Brandon and hands Liam the bouquet with a smile he can’t suppress.

Liam fucking lights up at the sight of the flowers, and he grabs them with the most beautiful smile. Theo is definitely gone for him. “I don’t know what to say. No one’s gotten me flowers before,” Liam says.

“That’s a shame.” Theo makes a point to side-eye Brandon with an unimpressed look. Really, if he was going to woo Liam the least he could do was buy him flowers. “You deserve pretty things.”

Liam blushes and hands the flowers to Brandon. “Can you put them in a vase for me? I’ll be out late.”

“Don’t worry. I’ll make sure he comes back in one piece.” Theo winks at Brandon then wraps an arm around Liam’s shoulders, guiding him away from the door and down the hallway. “See you, Brandon!” He waves a hand without looking back.

“My name’s Brett!”

“I don’t care!”

• • •

Since Theo is a basic bitch with barely enough money to pay for his tuition, he drove Liam to Olive Garden. Clearly, he made the right move because Liam didn’t know what the fuck Olive Garden was. A disgrace really. The next time he sees Mason and Corey he will throw rocks at them with his slingshot.

The date went… surprisingly well. Really well. For once, the universe isn’t pulling any tricks or riddles on Theo. They sat down in their seats, ordered their drinks and meals, and talked for hours. The server had to kick them out when they were closing, and Theo didn’t have a snarky remark for them. He was… calm.

Liam works fucking wonders for him.

They talked about their family, their past (at this point Liam has broken Theo’s friendship scale), their college life, their group of friends, and their ridiculous roommates. Theo talked about how Tara is a pain in the ass and Liam related it to Mason being a bigger pain in the ass.

Theo has clearly found his soulmate. He only has these long conversations with Tara, and even that’s pushing it because Theo’s social battery needs to be recharged every two hours.

After they left Olive Garden, Liam agreed to come back with Theo to his dorm room.

Theo makes a mental note to thank Josh when he opens the door to find an empty room. Wherever his roommate fucked off to better be for the night because he doesn’t want to drop Liam off just yet. He genuinely likes talking to him.

Theo takes off his leather jacket and loosens his tie, tossing them in the laundry basket in the corner of his side of the room. He sits down on the bed and pats the spot in front of him. “Josh won’t be here until morning. We can hang out here.”

Liam nods and walks further inside the room, looking around the area before plopping down on the bed and turning to face Theo with his knee bent. “You’re very clean.”

“I wasn’t back in high school. People say they’re your golden years?” Theo shakes his head. “Worst years of my life.”

“Don’t I know it.” Liam fiddles with his thumbs and tugs on his shirt ever so often.

“You don’t have to be so nervous.” Theo reaches forward to grab Liam’s wandering hand. “We won’t do anything you’re not comfortable with. I had fun tonight.”

“I did too.” Liam scoots closer to Theo until their knees are touching and sighs. “I don’t have any kind of experience with this, especially with a boy.”

“With relationships?” Theo asks.

“Yeah. My first relationship didn’t last very long. She wanted more but I couldn’t give her that because I couldn’t—“ Liam cuts himself off and closes his mouth.

“Couldn't what?” Theo questions with a quirked eyebrow.

Liam looks away with a blooming blush. “Don’t make me say it,” he mumbles.

“I can’t read your mind, Liam. You’ll have to say it. Promise I won’t make fun of you. Cross my stolen heart.” Theo takes the extra step to cross his chest.

“Stolen heart?” Liam raises his eyebrows with a question in his eyes but doesn’t voice it.

“Long story. You were saying?”

Liam squirms under Theo’s piercing gaze and looks at his clasped hands and nails digging into his skin. “I couldn’t give her more because I couldn’t get aroused. A woman’s body isn’t appealing to me, and I never experienced it with a man because I didn’t know what I wanted. It didn’t help that my dad was the biggest homophobe I’ve ever known.” He lifts his head to make eye contact with Theo. “I always thought what I felt was wrong until I met Mason, but I held off questioning my sexuality until I met you. You being so confident in your sexuality and asking me out? It gave me confidence to take a leap, and— and—“ he cuts himself off and takes a breath. “I’m bold enough to finally accept my sexuality.”

So many emotions are going through Theo right now. So many that he can’t grasp onto one to hold onto. He wants to drag Liam’s dad to hell. He wants to hug Mason. He wants to be proud of himself for helping Liam, and he wants to kiss Liam. He wants to kiss him until they’re breathless.

“Of all people who helped you I had to be the one. You’re going to ruin my reputation, Liam.” Theo smiles to let Liam know he’s joking and the boy laughs quietly.

“You can be nice when you want to,” Liam says.

“I’m only nice to you. Sometimes to Tara.” Theo shrugs and scoots closer until they’re a breath away. He glances at Liam’s lips then back at his eyes. “Do you want to confirm you like boys with a kiss?” He asks with his voice growing lower and smirks.

Liam breathes out shakily and nods. “Y— Yeah,” he whispers.

Theo closes the distance between them with a light kiss then more demanding when Liam responds immediately. He tilts his head to deepen the kiss and parts his lips to lick over Liam’s bottom lip. Liam gasps and Theo takes the opportunity to lick into his mouth, exploring and finding his most sensitive spots. Liam moans quietly and grabs Theo’s shoulders, pulling him closer.

Theo grins into the kiss and lowers Liam onto the bed, crawling on top of him without breaking contact. Theo leaves a trail of kisses from his jaw to his neck. Liam’s breathing picks up and his grip tightens on Theo’s shoulders when he finds a sensitive spot behind his ear.

Theo slides a thigh in between Liam’s legs and he responds immediately with a moan. Theo lifts his head and grins at him. “Look at that. We’ve only been kissing for a couple of minutes and you’re already hard for me, baby.”

“That confirms it,” Liam says with a wobbly smile.

“It’s going to get a lot better.”

It’s been a long time since Theo had any sort of sexual contact, given his major and career choice, he didn’t have time for relationships, so he can’t muffle the groan that rips out of his throat when he grinds against Liam’s erection. Liam responds so prettily; he squeezes his eyes shut, his hands slide down Theo’s arms to grab onto him, and he bucks his hips for more friction. It’s one of the hottest sights Theo has ever seen in his life. He planned to ruin Liam for anyone else, but in truth, Liam is going to be the one to ruin him. Theo doesn’t think he can let him go after this.

When did Theo become a sap? Whatever. He’s so fucking horny to think logically.

“You tell me to stop at any point you feel uncomfortable, alright?” Theo raises onto his knees and looks over Liam’s face for any sign of doubt.

“Yeah, yeah.” Liam nods, fingers clawing at the sheets underneath him and grabbing them into a white knuckle grip.

Liam’s body is rigid with tension and Theo can’t have that. He wants to make this good for Liam and loosening him up will do the trick. Theo removes his dress shirt then Liam’s long sleeve and grabs his hands, guiding them to his biceps. “You can touch.” He winks. “Just relax.”

Theo leans in and drags his tongue from Liam’s neck to his chest, feeling Liam’s body react with a shiver. Feeling bold enough, he drags his tongue to Liam’s nipple and gives it a nip that startles a moan out of Liam and his fingernails digging into his biceps. The sharp pinching feeling encourages him to leave a trail of kisses down Liam’s chest to his navel where he stops to unbutton and unzip Liam’s jeans.

Liam releases his grip on Theo’s biceps to slide his hands onto his shoulders and the back of his neck to grasp at the tiny hairs. Theo takes a moment to breathe deeply through his nose and leans into the soft touch as a shudder runs through him. Fuck, who knew Theo would be into the soft touches during sex. He wanted it rough and fast and loved it when his partner left scratch marks and bruises, but Liam is gentle. He cards his fingers through Theo’s hair, scratching his scalp ever so often, and pets him while staring at him with a look of wonder and arousal. Pupils dilated, red cheeks, lips parted, disheveled hair.

“You’re a sight for sore eyes,” Theo says. Liam deserves to be worshipped, and Theo will give him the attention. Liam doesn’t respond, but he does drop his head on the pillow and close his eyes. Theo can imagine Liam’s blushing face, and he smirks at the thought.

Liam isn’t demanding or pushing him to go faster. He takes what Theo gives him no matter how slow or fast or intense. Maybe it’s because Liam is inexperienced Theo doesn’t know, but fuck he wants this.

Theo hooks his fingers into the waistband of Liam’s jeans and pulls them off along with his underwear, leaving him completely exposed to Theo’s gaze. He hears Liam’s sharp intake of breath and Theo makes the quick decision to strip off the rest of his clothing, clearing them away from the bed. He grabs Liam’s thighs and spreads them apart, pulling him closer until his ass is flushed against Theo’s pelvis.

Liam yelps and his eyes fly open, staring down at himself. “Oh, God,” he mumbles.

“Now I’ve got your attention.” Theo smirks and leans forward to smash their lips together. Liam might not be demanding but Theo sure is. He bites Liam’s lips until they’re red and licks into his mouth to elicit high pitch whines from him. He grabs a handful of Liam’s hair and roughly pulls his head to the side, breaking their kiss to latch onto his neck, sucking, biting, and licking over the new marks he just made above his collar. Liam is going to struggle to cover those up.

Liam’s breathing picks up and Theo can feel his pulse pounding when he drags the flat of his tongue against the area. Theo moves to bite at Liam’s collarbone and Liam jerks and shouts, digging his nails into Theo’s shoulder blades and scraping them down his back. Theo moans and lifts his head to grin at Liam’s dazed expression. “You enjoying yourself?”

“E— Enjoying myself?” Liam swallows and shakes his head. “I’m in fucking ecstasy.”

“Glad to provide,” Theo says.

Theo slides down the bed and wraps his hand around Liam’s cock, giving it a slow stroke, and Liam’s body twitches. Encouraged by his reaction, Theo tongues at the head to give Liam an idea of what he’s about to do before he swallows him down. Liam shouts and throws his head back, sliding both hands into Theo’s hair and tugging on the strands.

Theo moans around his cock and bobs his head, sucking at the head until he feels Liam shudder and tense. Theo pulls off with an obscene popping sound and grins when Liam sobs at the loss of contact, thrusting his hips for any sort of friction. “You’re not coming yet,” Theo says.

“Please please please oh God Theo.” Liam reaches out and grabs Theo’s shoulders, pulling him in and wrapping his legs around his waist to grind against him.

“Mmm yeah. Say my name baby.” Theo smiles and pins Liam’s hips to the bed, digging his fingers into the skin enough to leave bruises behind.

Liam chants Theo’s name like a prayer and Theo rewards him by stroking his cock in a loose fist but he still keeps him pinned to the bed, and Liam takes it. He doesn’t ask for more and moans and thrashes and chants Theo’s name. While Theo distracts him and squeezes the base of his cock until Liam whines, he reaches over to the nightstand and pulls the drawer open for the lube and condom he keeps stashed away. Good thing he restocked the other day for beating his dick almost every day since he met Liam.

Theo keeps distracting Liam by stroking his cock and leaning in to whisper praises into his ear. Calling him a “good boy,” “sweetheart,” and “baby” and telling him how pretty he is and how much Theo wants him. Liam fucking loves the praise and Theo spots a few tears threatening to spill, and he calms him by kissing his forehead.

With his other hand, Theo fumbles with the bottle of lube and coats his fingers with it before he reaches in between Liam’s thighs to rub two fingers along his puckered hole.

Liam jumps and squeaks. “W— What are you doing?”

Theo rubs Liam’s thigh with his unoccupied hand and leans forward to peck his lips. “Relax, baby. It’ll feel so good.”

Liam nods. “I trust you.”

Liam’s declaration encourages Theo to rub along the flesh and tease it until Liam fully relaxes under his touch with a sigh. Theo eases his index finger inside of Liam, slowly working the finger in and out of him and looking for any signs of discomfort.

Liam moans in response and clutches at Theo’s biceps, closing his thighs around his hips to pull him closer. Once Liam is loose enough, Theo adds another finger, bending them and rubbing them against his walls until he finds… there. The bundle of nerves that leaves a man screaming for it.

“Fuck!” Liam arches off the bed and his eyes nearly roll to the back of his head while Theo begins to unmercifully stimulate his prostate, rubbing and thrusting his fingers in and out of him until he’s visibly shaking with his mouth hanging open and doing nothing to muffle the delicious noises he’s making.

Theo adds two more fingers to stretch Liam out enough to take him, and by the end of it, Liam is an absolute moaning mess. Enough to bother the others in the rooms next to them, but Theo doesn’t care. He fucking loves the noises Liam is making.

Theo pulls his fingers out, ignoring the whine of protest from Liam, and rips the condom package open with his teeth. He rolls the condom onto his cock, squeezing himself at the base when he feels like he’s about to come. He won’t until he’s been inside Liam, and fuck the thought almost does it for him. He’s going to be inside Liam, and he’ll be his first and possibly the only one to see Liam like this.

“Okay?” Theo asks and Liam nods. “You tell me to stop if it gets too much alright?” Liam nods again, and Theo grabs his chin, digging his fingers into his skin and lifting his head to make eye contact with him. “I need a verbal answer.”

“Y— Yes! Don’t stop, Theo. God— don’t ever stop.” Liam’s chest heaves as he tries to catch his breath, and he almost looks delirious from the intense pleasure.

Theo releases Liam and grabs the base of his cock, pressing the head against Liam and relishing in the gasp Liam lets out when he pushes inside him at a slow and torturous pace. He’s only halfway in when Liam tenses and Theo groans loudly, dropping his forehead against his shoulder and trying to breathe without slamming into Liam’s heated body.

“Going to fucking come if you don’t relax,” Theo says.

“Sorry, sorry.” Liam wraps his arms around Theo’s neck and breathes deeply through his nose, relaxing into Theo’s touch when he begins to stroke his sides and stomach.

Once Liam has relaxed, Theo pushes in until he’s flushed against Liam’s ass. Theo kisses Liam’s neck and jaw before he raises his head. “You’re so fucking tight. Going to make you scream for it, sweetheart.”

Liam turns his face into the pillow and shuts his eyes, the red flush spreading to his neck and chest. He’s always looked adorable when he blushed, but now it’s hot as fuck seeing him like this.

Theo untangles Liam’s legs from around his waist and lifts them towards his chest. He grabs Liam’s thighs and leans in to suck more bruises into Liam’s collar when he begins to roll his hips. Doesn’t warn Liam when he pulls out and slams back into him, causing the headboard to bang against the wall. Liam lets out a loud moan that leaves Theo’s ears ringing, but the noises encourage him to thrust into Liam over and over again.

Liam grabs Theo’s face and pulls him in for a sloppy open-mouthed kiss to only be interrupted by the moans exchanged between them. A particularly hard thrust strikes his prostate and makes Liam scream and hold onto the headboard with one hand, squeezing his eyes shut and heavily breathing turning into whimpers.

The more Theo pounds into Liam the more he feels every muscle begin to tighten as his orgasm approaches. He reaches in between Liam’s thighs and grabs his cock, spreading the pre-come and using it to stroke Liam into orgasm. Theo watches as Liam’s mouth falls open into a wordless cry when he comes all over his abdomen, and Theo groans when Liam tightens around him. He keeps thrusting into him, chasing his own orgasm and Liam begins to shake in his arms, letting out high pitch whines and gripping Theo’s sweaty arms.

“Fuck, Liam.” Theo squeezes his eyes shut as he feels his orgasm approaching and his movements become erratic and slow.

“Come inside me. Please, Theo,” Liam says.

Theo swears loudly and lets out a guttural moan when he comes inside Liam. He gasps and blinks his eyes open, staring at Liam like he’s seeing him for the very first time. “Shit Liam.” He pulls out of Liam and they both wince from the sensitivity. “Who knew you were a come slut?”

“Don’t say that!” Liam covers his face with his hands and curls himself into a ball.

“I’m teasing.” Theo slips the condom off and ties it before discarding it into the trash can beside the bed. “You need a clean up.”

Liam uncurls himself and Theo crawls on top of him, leaning down to lick the come off his abdomen. Liam gasps and stares at Theo with wide eyes and his mouth hanging open. Theo smirks at his expression and leans in to capture Liam’s lips with a kiss. “And that’s the end of our experiment. Now we’re officially boyfriends,” Theo says.

“Thought we were boyfriends when you asked me out,” Liam says.

“This just seals the deal.” Theo lays down beside Liam and wraps his arms around him, pulling him close to his chest. “Time for post-sex cuddles. Tell anyone about this and I’ll break up with you.”

Liam chuckles and nuzzles into the crook of Theo’s neck. “Promise I won’t ruin your reputation.”

Theo smirks. “Now you’re getting it.”

• • •

“Guess who just got laid?!”

“Theo what the fuck?!”

“Sorry Stiles meant to call Tara.”

Theo wasn’t sorry, and he did mean to call Stiles just to annoy him.