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Josh had been flipping through the pages of Theo's sketchbook, his fingers tracing the softness of the lines contrasted with Theo's careful shading. Theo was in his second year studying to become a medical illustrator, juggling both biology and art classes, though the biology came easy to him like it were a native language. The art, however was a secret that only Liam — and now Josh — knew. Liam had stumbled upon some rough sketches in a small black leather-bound notebook in the glove box of Theo's truck while he was looking for the aux cord he'd gifted Theo last Christmas. Liam shouldn't have been snooping in Theo's truck, but seeing Theo's nervous expression when Liam placed the notebook on the kitchen island in silence was too much fun.
Josh flopped onto the couch where Theo was sitting, his eyes glancing over at Theo's laptop screen. Theo had been searching for somewhere private to take Liam, simply because their apartment wasn't private enough and came with some risks. Liam had eagerly given Mason the spare key before Theo could tell him it was a bad idea and they had far too many close calls of Mason catching them having sex on the couch. Theo had been planning this trip for a while, and even had already discreetly packed a small duffle bag, which was hidden away in the bottom of his closet, away from Liam's prying eyes.
Liam was away at a Classics lecture, though clearly he was not paying very much attention to it given how many messages he'd sent to Theo in the past ten minutes. The most recent had been Liam asking if Theo would meet him at the parking lot by the Classics building so they could go grab their recently regular "Friday milkshakes" before Theo's biology lecture. Liam, despite being an athlete, loved milkshakes, specifically cookies and cream milkshakes from one diner on Ninth Street. They'd been going weekly since they'd moved in, and Liam was obsessed. The werewolf influence gave him a pass on still looking like an athlete, despite the fact he had the diet of instant ramen and a random carrot, unless Theo cooked for him. Theo loved cooking for Liam, partially because Liam was incredibly inept in the kitchen. Surely Jenna would have taught him the basics, right?
"Wanna come to the Ninth Street diner?" Theo asked.
"Sure. It'll give me more time to pester you," Josh replied, smiling mischievously. Theo rolled his eyes, shutting his laptop.
"Pester me about what?" Theo asked.
"Oh, you know," Josh said, biting his lip.
"Don't make me regret bringing you along," Theo said, typing out a quick response to Liam and mentioning he was bringing Josh too. Liam and Josh had gotten closer after Liam, Mason, Corey, Nolan, Theo, and Josh had moved out of Beacon Hills. It had been a good idea to distance themselves from Beacon Hills after Monroe went undefeated, but like magnets they found themselves back together. Josh was originally going to live alone or couch surf on Theo's couch, but Nolan wanted a roommate to save on rent, and Josh obliged, given he wasn't the most financially stable after most his money went towards his addiction and then subsequent rehab. Josh had been serious about rehabbing, and now, his one year sobriety coin sat in his back pocket as a constant reminder. Mason and Corey lived on the other side of the campus in an apartment roughly the same size as Liam and Theo's. Their pack nights rotated between the three apartments, even if Nolan and Josh didn't really feel like they qualified as pack.
"Your one year anniversary with Liam is coming up next week, right?" Josh asked as they walked.
"You're really going to ask me about that?" Theo deflected. They'd barely stepped out of the apartment building. Josh surely wasn't already going to be on Theo's case about his romantic life.
"Yes, because you're like the least romantic person I know," Josh explained, dodging the swat to the head Theo had attempted in his direction.
With Josh's guidance, Theo finally worked through his feelings and told Liam he was in love with him last spring. His coyote and wolf craved Liam's wolf, carnally and viscerally, yet feared rejection and failure. Liam quickly reciprocated the same feelings, and they spent their first night as boyfriends, stargazing in the bed of Theo's truck, their limbs tangled together. They had sex that night, but neither fully remembers it, too lost in the feeling of being together and alive.
"Well, do you have any plans for how you are going to celebrate?" Josh prodded again. Josh was Theo's self-assigned wing man regarding his Theo's relationship with Liam. Josh didn't care much for his own relationships, though he was friendly if someone approached him. He did care about Theo's relationships though, and it brought exceeding amounts of joy to fuck with Theo and tease him mercilessly.
"Not really. I was thinking we'd just drive to the woods, and maybe spend the night fully shifted. You know Liam's been working on stabilizing his full shift," Theo said, his voice soft. He smiled, remembering the last time that Liam was fully shifted, he'd gotten a little stuck. Theo didn't think it was possible for the Dunbar pout to be present in wolf form, but somehow it was.
"Well, there's also my cabin," Josh said matter-of-factly, pretending as if he hadn't seen Theo's laptop screen.
"You have a cabin?" Theo asked.
"My family cabin," Josh clarified. "It technically belonged to my uncle, but he left it to my parents when he died. My parents rent it out sometimes for extra money, but if I say I need the cabin for a weekend, it'll be free. It's not too far from here — a two to three hour drive in the mountains with limited disturbances. Perfect place for sex," Josh teased, already aware of Theo's true intentions with his weekend away from campus.
Theo thought about it for a moment. He could manage in the apartment, telling Corey to keep Mason away for the entire weekend so that Theo could keep Liam in the confines of their bed with his dick tucked away into Liam, but having a new place away from the rest of campus would be nice. Theo, distracted by the thoughts that flooded his mind, didn't realize Liam was already walking up to them as Josh nudged his shoulder. Theo turned to face Josh, who was leaning against the door of his truck.
"Alright. This weekend work?" Theo asked. Josh nodded.
"I'll get the code for the door," Josh agreed, already thumbing open his phone and sending a quick text to his sister. Two days away from campus gave Theo more than enough time to ruin Liam and piece him back together ahead of his first lecture on Monday morning.
"Hi, Li," Theo said, kissing Liam as he leaned into him. "How was the lecture?"
"Boring. The professor went on a rant for twenty minutes about how to structure an essay like we were back in High School again. I checked out right after I texted you," Liam explained, shrugging his shoulders. Liam's stomach grumbled.
"Milkshakes?" Theo reminded.
"Yes! Oh, hi Josh!" Liam said enthusiastically, giving Josh a side hug. Josh side-hugged him back, before climbing into backseat of the truck as Liam took the front seat. The drive to the diner was short, and mostly filled with Liam complaining about his professors and Theo trying to clarify that Liam's professors couldn't be as bad as Liam thought, and surely they were better than the teachers they had back in Beacon Hills. Josh added in his two cents where he could, having had similar experiences with professors. Josh was a psychology major, but was taking several courses in other disciplines for a more liberal approach. Plus, he had a lot of interests outside of psychology and his sponsor had told him it was good to try different things to see what fit.
"By the way, did you finish your portfolio?" Liam asked, his hand resting on Theo's thigh.
"No, I got distracted with my lab report. I'll finish the portfolio tonight though," Theo explained. He hadn't been distracted by any lab report, having finished it ahead of schedule. He had been distracted by choosing to have shower sex last night with Liam instead of finishing his sketches. They then both quickly fell asleep, exhausted and content with smelling like each other more than of soap.
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The diner was mostly empty with people filling a few small tables. Liam eyed a booth in the back of the diner, and slid into it. He didn't need to look at the menu since he had the habit of getting the same thing each week. Theo liked to experiment, partially since he'd been deprived of such joys as a child both with his parents and then the Dread Doctors. The Dread Doctors were feeding him slush that had the same texture and color of wet cement so when he was introduced to the wide range of flavors for milkshakes, Theo was quickly eager to find a flavor he liked. Josh glanced over the menu, wondering what to order, given that he wasn't picky, but had a lot of specific opinions about food.
The Ninth Street Diner was Liam and Theo's spot, and he wondered if he was truly interrupting their date, but Josh at times almost felt like their third with how involved he was in their relationship. Maybe they'd be open to adding him to their relationship one day, but also he didn't mind being single. Theo carefully pulled the paper cover of the straw off, balled it up, and pressed it into the bottom of the straw. He blew it at Liam, the balled up paper softly hitting Liam in the cheek. Liam raised his eyebrows at Theo, before repeating the process and getting Theo back. The waitress appeared a smile on her face as she introduced herself.
The waitress introduced herself before asking, "What can I get started for you boys? They each ordered their milkshakes.
"Oh and two orders of fries," Theo interjected with a wink. The waitress nodded, stepping away to enter their order as Josh slid out of the booth whispering a quick, "be back in a sec," before heading in the direction of the bathroom.
"We don't need two orders of fries," Liam said, frowning.
"You always eat all of mine!" Theo replied, which was true. Liam always said no when Theo offered to buy him a snack alongside his milkshake, but then would evidently eat all of what Theo ordered like a food-deprived hamster.
"Touché. But… we have the weekend ahead! You know what that means," Liam said, a smirk pulling at his lips.
"You're forgetting I still have a lecture this evening," Theo reminded, his phone buzzing softly on the table.
"You could skip it?" Liam offered "and spend the rest of the evening with me."
"I could," Theo agreed, checking the message notification on his phone. "You know, I have a surprise for you, and I think you're really going to like it."
"What's the surprise?" Liam asked.
"If I tell you, it's not a surprise," Theo said flatly.
"Tell me," Liam whined.
"Nope." Theo said simply as Josh returned to the table. Their milkshakes and fries arrived, and Theo stuck his straw into his milkshake before taking a sip. Liam, as expected, reached for the fries and quickly shoved a handful into his mouth. The saltiness of the fries with the sweetness of a milkshake was one of Liam's favorite things, second to the taste of Theo, of course.
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When Theo slipped out of the apartment to head to his lecture, Liam sat on the couch, his Nintendo Switch in hand. He hadn't been focusing on the game he was playing, his mind still wondering what Theo might have been referring to when he said he had a surprise for Liam. Theo liked surprises and he liked being mysterious, as mysterious as you could be wearing pink or lavender.
Liam had tried to ask Theo more questions about what to expect regarding the surprise, even going so far as to ask Josh what Theo might have been planning.
"My lips are sealed, Liam," Josh said. Liam growled at him like an angry chihuahua and Josh laughed at him, hanging up the phone call.
Liam dropped his Nintendo Switch onto the couch pillow next to him, pulling out his phone to stare at the message exchange between him and Theo. He was overthinking it, right?
Li <3: whats the surprise?
Li <3: tell me
Li <3: tell me or im going to think you hate me
Theo: Nope
Theo: I love you. Be patient ;)
Liam threw his head against the back of the couch and groaned loudly. Liam didn't like Theo keeping secrets, that was, unless Liam was in on the secret like when they pranked Stiles when he forcibly visited claiming he needed to check that the baby beta hadn't been corrupted. Liam had told Stiles they were at their apartment when they were actually at Mason and Corey's. Stiles had knocked on the door to Liam and Theo's long enough, partnered with Stiles's regular form of threats, that a neighbor called campus security for the removal of a "deranged man" talking about "werewolves" and "cutting off dicks."
Liam tried to distract himself while Theo was gone, but when Theo's key rattled the lock softly, Liam jumped up from the couch like a puppy greeting their owner, which wasn't too far from how Liam's wolf was feeling.
"What's the surprise?" Liam asked immediately, blocking Theo from entering the apartment. Theo looked at him fondly, a smile creeping on his lips. Keeping Liam guessing was exactly what Theo wanted.
"Fine. I'll give you a hint," Theo replied. "Weekend trip. Just us."
"Wait, really?" Liam said, his eyes widening. If he was shifted, his tail would likely be wagging.
"Yes," Theo agreed.
"Shit,I need to pack, right?" Liam said, swiftly turning in the direction of their bedroom. Theo followed behind him, placing his bag on the bar stool before watching Liam fling open drawers and tugging on clothes in his wardrobe.
"You don't need to, Li. I have it all planned out," Theo announced. "I already packed your clothes."
"What? When?" Liam asked, flopping on the bed, covering his face with his elbow.
"Don't worry about it," Theo said, climbing onto the bed next to Liam.
"Promise me you're not getting me excited only to break up with me?" Liam said softly.
"Where's this coming from?" Theo asked, his fist resting on his cheek.
"I don't know, everything feels off lately," Liam reasoned. Beneath all the love and excitement lay some darker thoughts, and he wasn't sure if it was his IED manifesting as a different beast this time. Sometimes, coupled with the IED, Liam's wolf had a literal mind of its own, and picked up on things faster than Liam did, which gave Liam a lot of additional anxiety and stress on top of being a stellar college student. Liam was already haunted by the chances that hunters could appear on campus, and it would be like Beacon Hills all over again — a nightmare Liam did not want to relive anytime soon.
"I love you, and I promise, I'm gonna take care of you," Theo said softly. He kissed Liam's temple, before laying his head on Liam's chest.
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Josh had undersold the sheer size of the cabin to Theo. It was not a small cabin in the mountains, but rather a medium sized house with large glass windows and french doors, surrounded by pine trees and a single road. Josh wasn't wrong about the "no disturbances" since this house was so far off the main road.
"Holy shit," Liam exclaimed as the house came into view.
"Fucking hell, Josh," Theo muttered under his breath. This was more than what Theo was expecting. Theo parked his truck on the large, rotating parking pad.
"I had no idea Josh was this rich," Liam said matter-of-factly.
"Me neither. He did say it belonged to his uncle though," Theo explained. "Here, the code for the door is 846310. Go ahead and open it, I'll grab our bags."
Liam clambered out of the truck, heading towards the front door and entered the code, unlocking the door. He turned to offer to help Theo carry their bags, only to see Theo holding one, medium-sized duffle bag.
"You brought one bag?" Liam asked. "We had a whole truck, and you brought one duffle bag for us to share?" Liam asked, confused. They were staying for just the weekend, technically one night, but still, they needed enough changes of clothes.
"Well, I'm keeping you in my clothes all weekend, so… not much packing needed," Theo said simply. Liam's jaw dropped, stunned by the words coming out of Theo's mouth. Theo laughed, tapping Liam on the shoulder as he walked past, entering the large house. "You always steal my hoodies," Theo reminded.
"That's different," Liam said defensively. Theo's hoodies were incredibly comfortable, and for someone who lived in the sewers for ten years, Theo had a pretty diverse wardrobe, and well Liam liked borrowing Theo's clothes under the pretense of the boyfriend tax. The hoodies and jackets smelled like Theo, which was incredibly comforting when Liam was feeling on edge.
"Is it now?" Theo said, his hand on Liam's hip, guiding him backwards in the direction of the bedroom. Josh had said they were free to do as they pleased regarding all the amenities, but for the sake of keeping things tidy and making it easier for Josh to keep up the lie that he was the one using the place, he asked Theo to keep all sex to a single room — conveniently the room that Josh had claimed was his. They entered the room, and Theo's hands shifted to the hem of Liam's shirt, raising it slightly, exposing the soft skin of Liam's stomach. Theo glanced at Liam, reading the micro-expressions on Liam's face like a book, before pulling Liam's shirt off. Liam's skin broke out in goosebumps with the sudden change of temperature in the room. Theo similarly, stripped himself of his shirt, tossing it onto the floor next to Liam's before he reached for his duffel bag, pulling out lube and placing it on the nightstand.
"Seriously?" Liam asked, looking at the small bottle.
"We're doing this the correct way," Theo reasoned. Theo climbed onto the bed, straddling Liam's thighs, as his knees dug into the mattress next to Liam.
Theo trailed a soft finger over Liam's sternum as Liam bit his lip, trying to silence the laugh building in his chest. Liam was notably ticklish especially under the softness of Theo's touch, and Theo knew how to leave Liam in a squirming, unraveled mess beneath him. Theo's other hand found the groove of Liam's hip, pressing lightly inwards before drawing slow, teasing circles with his thumb over Liam's skin. Liam squirmed, the sensation of Theo's hands on him raising his body temperature.
"Theo, please," Liam whispered quietly, in between soft pants.
"Please what?" Theo coaxed, before leaning down and kissing the small area under Liam's ear. When he retreated, Liam's ears were tinged pink with embarrassment, his body reacting to Theo's persistent teasing. His dick was still trapped in his sweats and underwear, which meant he needed to strip himself further, or else. If Theo was going to keep Liam in his clothes all weekend, he needed to keep his own pants clean since the rest would likely be dirty after this weekend, and he didn't want to think about it.
"Fuck me," Liam whined, the words barely making it his lips, ending in a whine that sounded like it was more from Liam's wolf than himself.
"Ask nicely," Theo teased, his hand pawing at Liam's clothed dick. Sweat had formed at Liam's forehead, and from the quick rolling of his hips, Liam was starting to get hard.
Fuck me, please," Liam begged, his hands grasping Theo's biceps. Tears formed at the corners of his eyes, making his blue eyes look like sunlight reflecting off the ocean. His nails left small red crescents in Theo's pale skin as he tried to quell the heat building in his stomach.
"Alright, since you asked so nicely," Theo replied, his hand moving to Liam's waistband as Liam lifted his hips helpfully. He was now bare, still under Theo, laying in a bed, in a random house in the woods. This was not how Liam imagined he'd spend his weekend, but it oddly felt right. It would have felt more right if Theo hurried the fuck up and got his dick in him as Liam so desperately needed.
"Need your—" Liam began. Theo's hand found Liam's lips, quieting him. Liam licked his hand in retaliation.
"Need my dick in you, yes I know," Theo said, rolling his eyes playfully before wiping his hand on his own pants, not that it mattered much. Liam's dick was already half-hard only to be brought to full hardness by Theo's slow stroking movements. Liam gripped the sheets tightly, the heat in his stomach growing more rapidly until he came over Theo's hand. He panicked, looking at Theo for approval, as if he were a small child seeking attention.
"Good boy," Theo praised and Liam panted, his body trying to process the stimulation, the edges of his vision blurring slightly, not enough to freak him out but enough to realize that yes, he was slowly slipping under Theo.
"Still with me, Liam?" Theo asked, his voice echoed, as if it had traveled through water. Liam nodded quickly, before he came a second time, which pulled a whine from his inner chest as it rose and fell quickly. He panted, trying to breathe.
"Not for long," Theo muttered under his breath, as he guided Liam's dick into his mouth, his tongue sliding over Liam's dick, toying with him.
"Theo," Liam panted, his hand leaving the fisted sheets and finding the back of Theo's scalp, holding him on his dick. Liam's fingers gently scratched at Theo's scalp, drawing similar circles to the one's Theo had drawn earlier on Liam's hip. "You're gonna—," Liam said, his sentence fractured as he came in Theo's mouth. Theo hollowed out his cheeks, swallowing the cum and slipped off Liam's dick with a string of saliva dripping off his chin.
"Ruin you?" Theo said sarcastically in an attempt to finish Liam's sentence. Liam's hand found Theo's chest, teasing his nipples, flicking them lightly before Theo caught Liam's wrist, shaking his head.
"Hurry up," Liam groaned.
"Patience, Liam," Theo replied. Theo ran a hand over Liam's thighs, squeezing it before adjusting Liam's position and kneeling between Liam's spread legs. Liam's knees were against his chest, giving Theo full access to do as he pleased. Theo reached for the lube, placing a small amount on his fingers before placing a single finger in Liam, stretching him open slowly. Theo added another finger, before his finger grazed Liam's prostate and Liam squirmed, back arching upwards as his legs shaked. Liam's dick hardened on its own, and Liam felt like it was going to explode as Theo fingers coaxed his insides.
"Steady, Li. So good for me," Theo said softly. When Liam was fully stretched, Theo shed his pants, and coated his dick in a little extra lube. He didn't need much, given that Liam was already open for him and Theo's dick was already wet, but Theo was careful when it came to Liam, despite the fact Liam could very well hold his own and had shown Theo the fire that existed in him, several times.
Theo lined up his dick, inserting the tip into Liam. Liam grimaced, biting back a moan, finally getting what he'd been after as Theo's voice faded into the background. The tingling sensation under his skin built, his mind quickly catching up to what was happening, the steady rocking of the pace Theo had set. Liam reached for a pillow to bite down on, before Theo took the pillow away from Liam, shushing him comfortingly. Liam whined, his cock pulsing as he came.
"Want a taste?" Theo teased, his finger swiping through the wet cum on Liam's abdomen. Liam licked Theo's fingers, tasting the cum on his fingers as he moaned around them.
"Please," Liam begged.
"You're doing so well, Li," Theo praised, his words stunted by steady thrusts. Liam spluttered while trying to swallow the saliva that had built up in his mouth. He coughed once. Theo looked up in concern, halting his pace.
"I'm close," Liam said roughly, struggling to find his voice. He was close enough that he came as Theo bottomed out in him, already already half-way through his orgasm when he'd first entered Liam. Liam met Theo's eyes, and Theo leaned over, kissing him deeply while his cock twitched inside of Liam. Theo pulled out of Liam, heading to the en suite bathroom to grab a towel before reaching into the duffle bag and pulling out a lavender hoodie. Theo quickly wiped away the dry cum on Liam. Liam pulled the lavender hoodie over himself, inhaling at the collar. His wolf hummed with the smell of Theo enveloping him. Liam wasn't that much smaller than Theo, but the hoodie was massive on him, reaching the middle of his thighs, his hands disappearing into the sleeves.
"Hungry?" Theo asked, lifting Liam's chin to kiss him, nipping at his lip. Liam nodded, his eyes slightly glassed over with the post-sex haze. He reached out for Theo, asking to be carried, and Theo obliged. Walking was too difficult, and Liam was always so cuddly after sex, wanting to burrow into the space between Theo's ribs. Theo carried him to the kitchen with ease, planting him safely on the couch. Liam's phone buzzed softly next to him. Theo handed it to him as he walked past the table to open the cupboards in search of something to cook — pasta felt right.
Mason: dude
Mason: are you alive????
(missed call from Mason)
Mason: Liam???? Call me!!!
Mason: if you don't call me in the next five minutes im assuming you're dead
Mason: istg if Theo did something
Liam ran a hand through his hair, realizing he probably should call Mason and halt the panic spiral that seemed to be happening to his best friend, but he was tired, and didn't need a lecture. Liam placed his phone back on the coffee table before tucking his legs further under himself. Theo quickly made some pasta with sauce, bringing himself and Liam a bowl and a bottle of water. Liam ate quietly before Theo lifted Liam's legs and placed them across his lap. His hand traveled up Liam's exposed thigh, gentle fingers teasing Liam's soft skin.
"You should call Mason," Theo said softly. Liam looked at him, confused. "He texted me saying he'd kill me if I hurt you. Apparently Corey told him what we were up to."
Liam choked on the pasta in his mouth.
"Not like that, Li," Theo quickly amended. "Just that we were together and I had plans for us." Corey did not need to know, nor want to know the gruesome details of Liam and Theo's sex life. Liam placed the empty bowl of pasta on the coffee table, before reaching for his phone and called Mason. The phone rang once before Mason picked up. Liam placed his phone on speaker, since he wasn't too sure how many words he could get out while being cock-drunk.
"Liam? You're alive!" Mason cheered.
"Of course he's alive," Theo said, squeezing Liam's exposed thigh before placing his empty bowl on the coffee table next to Liam's. Liam let out a soft exhale, shifting closer to Theo to rest his head on Theo's shoulder.
"What's up Mase?" Liam said, finding his voice, even if his vocal chords felt like sandpaper.
"Well, Nolan noticed some black SUVs lurking across campus, close to your apartment, likely hunters have caught the scent. You guys are driving back tomorrow, right?" Mason prodded.
"Yeah, I thought we'd drive back around midday," Theo replied. "That work, Li?" Liam nodded, his ear pressed to Theo's chest, his eyes drifting between being open and closed.
"Liam being this quiet is unnerving," Mason revealed.
"He's just a little out of it, because… you know…" Theo explained, trying not to give too much away.
A moment of silence past before Corey spoke, "ew, Theo."
Theo laughed, careful to not disturb Liam too much. Theo heard Mason and Corey speak to one another, the only word making it through the muffled conversation was "cock-drunk."
"Take care of him, and if you hurt him, I'll kill you," Mason said sharply.
"I know. I got your messages. All of them." Theo replied. "What about the hunters?" Theo asked, changing the subject away from Liam. He quickly pulled out his phone, sending a quick message to Josh about the SUVs. Josh had quickly replied that the black SUVs had driven off, possibly because they realized the wolves they were after weren't there.
"We'll keep an eye on them. Just be careful," Mason said.
"Alright," Theo said, before he hit the red button and ended the call.
"You feeling ok?" Theo whispered into Liam's ear. Liam muttered something back, but even Theo's supernatural hearing couldn't catch it. He kissed the shell of Liam's ear, watching the pink hue flush through Liam's cheeks.
"Say it again, baby," Theo said, rubbing his hand over Liam's back.
"I don't know," Liam said. "I'm tired."
"Take a nap, and then we can maybe go for a shifted run later if you're feeling up to it. Maybe round two after that?" Theo suggested. Liam gave a non-committal reply, before curling into a ball in Theo's lap, his body currently too tired to shift into his wolf, which would have been a more comfortable cuddle partner. The softness of Theo's hoodie felt like a blanket, and having Theo's arms around him, Liam quickly fell asleep.
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Theo stripped himself of his clothes on the back porch of the house, carefully leaving his clothes in a pile on the chair. Liam copied him, sonly needing to slip out of Theo's hoodie since he hadn't been wearing much else. He tossed it over the back of the chair and shifted quickly, his body replaced by his pale tawny wolf form. Theo shifted too, black fur covering his previously exposed skin. Liam nuzzled into Theo's neck, scenting him quickly, before shaking out his fur and following Theo as he ran towards the dark treeline.
The run felt freeing, and Liam liked that he could easily match Theo's pace, their paws leaving traces in the muddy bed of the forest. Liam playfully nipped at Theo's heels. Theo nearly tripped over a rock, distracted by Liam's antics. Theo clacked his teeth together once as a warning, but really, he was to blame, not Liam. To the outsider, it sounded like two normal dogs playfully jumping and nipping at each other, rolling around in the dirt as each fought for dominance. It didn't matter who won their little fights and games, even if Liam was secretly keeping track. It was enjoyable until Liam stopped and caught the sound of voices coming from deeper in the forest — in the direction of the main road they'd driven up.
"— spotted up North," one voice said. Liam halted, straining his ears in hopes of catching more of the conversation.
"three houses in the zone," another voice continued. Theo heard the second voice, circling back towards Liam. Liam started to panic, his heart rate ticking faster. Theo walked up next to him, nudging his shoulder and sniffing. Breathe, Li. Liam started shaking, his body tensing with the threat of hunters. His full shift wasn't as stable as Theo's, and they were over a mile away from the cabin, which meant he needed to try his best to stay fully shifted.
"Liam. Relax. Breathe. They might not even be after us," Theo shoved his snout into Liam's side, drawing Liam's attention to Theo, who stared back at him, desperately trying to communicate but Liam had shut down. Liam flopped to the forest floor, his breathing heavy. Theo lay down next to him, tucking his snout next to Liam's, one ear turned in the direction of the voices. He heard the sounds of tires screeching and engines roaring as the voices slipped back into their vehicles. Theo nudged Liam and pointed his head back in the direction of the cabin.
Theo stopped a few times on their way back to the cabin, taking a moment to listen for the sound of possible hunters, but found no other indication of their presence. Liam reached the porch first, his legs aching as he shifted back to human form, tugging the hoodie back over his head.
Theo smiled at him, "You didn't get stuck this time," Liam smiled back, content that he hadn't gotten stuck, but it felt marginally better to be a human than a wolf at the moment. His body was still tense, unease oozing from his chemosignals.
"Were those hunters?" Liam asked, his voice wavering.
"I don't know. Could have been, but we're in the middle of nowhere in the mountains and if anything, hunting is a sport here but that doesn't mean they're hunting us," Theo said reassuringly. It was true. Hunting was an avid sport here in the mountains, and there wasn't really any proper indication that those voices they heard were after them.
"If hunters find us, we fight, but I don't think they will," Theo reasoned, sliding the cabin door open. Liam stared into the expanse of forest behind him, wondering if he stared at it long enough, if eyes would look back at him.
The sun had set behind the mountains, the sky a cotton-candy hue of pinks and blues. Liam sat on the stairs of the porch, his eyes drifting from the dark forest to the first stars that appeared in the night sky. Theo had been in the kitchen cooking when he appeared. He was on facetime with Josh, proving that they hadn't yet destroyed the cabin and the walls (and bed frame) were still standing. Theo had also explained they went on a full shifted run, and that Liam was still very much alive as Mason's concern for his best friend continued.
"Where's Liam?" Mason asked, grabbing the phone from Josh before Josh whined.
Liam walked into the kitchen, summoned by the mention of his name, and appeared on camera next to Theo's shoulder as he stirred the food in the pot. Josh smirked upon seeing Liam's soft appearance, recognizing the large lavender hoodie that he had helped Theo buy for his birthday. Theo leaned the phone against the splayed open cookbook, and snaked a hand around Liam's hip.
"Was it good?" Josh asked.
"The sex or the full shifted run?" Theo asked objectively. Corey, Mason, and Nolan, who flopped into the nearby armchair collectively groaned.
"Both," Josh prodded, raising his eyebrows suggestively, an impish grin appearing on his face. Oh how he loved fucking with Theo and Liam.
"Thank you Josh, for letting us stay at your lovely cabin, but I would like to get back to my weekend," Liam said simply, his forehead digging into Theo's shoulder.
"Alright, enjoy your night," Josh replied before ending the call.
"Someone's feeling a little clingy, hmm?" Theo said softly.
"It's cold," Liam lied.
Theo quickly plated the chicken and vegetables, placing them on the kitchen island before kissing Liam quickly on the lips as Liam detached himself from Theo. Liam yawned, his body finally beginning to relax as the adrenaline and tension drifted away.
Theo carried his plate and cutlery to the coffee table. Liam followed, placing his plate on the table before snuggling next to Theo and pulling the blanket over them. If he was any closer to Theo, Liam would have practically been inside Theo's ribs. Neither minded that feeling.
"Ready for round two, Li?" Theo asked, his hand moving from Liam's scalp to tease Liam's inner thigh.
"In the shower?" Liam asked, eyes wide. Theo nodded, smiling down at Liam in his lap.
"With you, always," Liam said, bolting up from the couch and running towards the bedroom, eager to be broken and put back together with Theo's laugh in his ear as Liam turned the shower to hot. The bathroom filled with the hot steam as wandering hands traveled over Liam's body, letting himself fall apart in Theo's grasp.