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“I’m not choosing you.”
He says, and those words feel like shards of ice burying themselves into Theo’s bones, turning blood to frozen rivers, and a once beating organ to a heavy, sinking stone.
His hold slackens as apathy struggles to fight down pain and shock, and the boy in his arms jolts, as if just realizing what he said. Frantic hands hit his chest harder than they probably mean to in their haste to fist in his hoodie, to pull him close and - more importantly - attach the younger to him like a mooring point.
“I’m not choosing.” He emphasizes it like a plea as he presses closer, panic and pain woven tightly around his voice, the former for Theo, the latter for this whole mess. Blue eyes brightened not by happiness as the chimera loved, but by tears, stare up at him, wide and pleading. He holds on reflexively as his stolen heart stutters over its emotions, apathy coming to an uneasy stop as confusion overtakes both mind and emotions. Liam only clings harder to him.
“I’m not choosing.” He says it quieter, the waver in his voice only sorrow, not a lack of determination. Blue eyes blaze with the anger of a storm and the sorrow of the rain as they meet his own. “If the pack forces me away because I love you, then that is their choice. I’m not choosing.” His voice cracks then, betrayal as strong as sadness for the cruel ultimatum he’s been presented by those who should be his closest friends, his second family - his pack. Still, there’s a strength to him as his hands pull listlessly at the fabric of Theo’s hoodie, pulling him closer like a child might their teddy bear or blanket.
“I won’t leave you.” He murmurs softly. He swallows thickly, then reiterates. “I won’t lose you, and I’m not leaving.” Blond strands tickle Theo’s jaw as the wolf hangs his head, shaking it in a pointless, wordlessly plea to the universe of ‘ No. Please. Make this stop.’ The universe doesn’t answer, but Theo holds him a little tighter.
Liam’s eyes meet his own again before he can form words, and the intensity of that gaze steals what breath he had to form any at all. “I love you.” His heart does not skip at these words, their firmness enough to hold the cosmos without wavering. “You -” a tear falls “You’ve done more than enough, fuck it’s been six years!” He’s pleading with air, with people not there to hear, who wouldn’t listen even if they were. “They shouldn’t still treat you like -” Another break in his voice, but he chokes past it, shaking his head rapidly, as if trying to deny reality’s existence around them. “I’m not leaving you…” Another tear falls, but he stills, clenching his jaw tightly. “And I won’t do it for them. If they don’t want me…” He chokes on a breath, but spits out the words all the same. “Then they have to break their bonds to me. I won’t.” He shakes his head softly, and repeats it quieter. “I won’t.”
Theo is silent still for a moment, but his mind has finally processed the words, and his heart acknowledges what they mean, shooing apathy away, unneeded now. He wraps his arms around the boy and pulls him close, holding him tightly as he cries. He presses a kiss to Liam’s brow and winces as a louder sob breaks from the smaller boy’s throat. “It’s gonna be okay, Li.” He murmurs, and already Liam is shaking his head again. He pulls back, just enough to fit one arm between them and gently grasps the wolf’s jaw, stilling him. “ Look at me, Little Wolf .”
Maybe it’s the light growl of his coyote and wolf coloring the soft words, or maybe it’s just the comfort of his anchor’s voice, but Liam stills and opens his eyes to meet bright hazel. Theo offers him a broken grin as he cups his cheek, wiping away fallen tears with his thumb. “You are going to be okay.” Liam leans into his hand and it brings a slightly lighter grin to the chimera’s features. “I know this hurts Pup, but you’re going to be okay. You’ve got Mason and Corey, yeah?” The younger boy nodded absently, breathing deeply as he tries to calm down. “I’ll be right here with you, Little Wolf, I'm not going anywhere. I promise, you’ll be okay.”
“I know.” Liam pressed his eyes closed, trying not to cry again. “but it hurts…”
Theo didn’t say anything, couldn’t really, but he did wrap his arms back around the wolf and hold him close, offering comfort in touch. He hated that he couldn’t fix this, couldn’t do anything to change the pack’s minds, nor anything to make it easier on Liam. The pack would do what they would, and Theo honestly didn’t give a damn about them, but he hated them for what they were doing to his mate. He’d let it go though, he’d let them fade away while he took care of his little wolf, he could do that.