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voiceless-terror · 4 years

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Perhaps the "stop moving!" Prompt for Jon, where he's been kidnapped by yet another avatar group and they're trying to subdue him but he's fighting too much so they break something like his leg or wrist to make him stop 👀

Hello! I’ve been thinking about this prompt for a while, and I decided to set this during the Circus kidnapping (hope you don’t mind!) and tackled it with another prompt, this one by @give-me-a-minute-to-think who asked for “ a post-circus-kidnapped fic. like, how martin and timdiscover jon was kidnaped and their reaction (espically tims.) we see in canon martin addressing that fact, but not literally anyone else. i just want some complicated relatinship and tim to be nice to jon even a little.” Hope you two enjoy!

Jon’s pretty sure bones weren’t meant to bend that way.

It was his fault, really. He shouldn’t have put up a struggle. He should’ve realized the futility of his situation and yielded to the rough, unfamiliar hands forcing him into the van. But Jon’s nothing if not stubborn, so a few flailing arms and weak kicks were to be expected. And the retaliation, of course, should’ve also been expected.

“Stop movin’,” came the gruff voice of the delivery man, with a face so nondescript Jon could forget it if he looked away for only a second. He gives one last weak slap to the hands on his body. Wrong move.

A sickening crack could be heard along with a sharp cry- Jon’s cry, because the pain currently emanating from his one good wrist is white-hot and agonizing. His eyes are blurring and the inside of the van is stifling in its darkness, but even he could see that hands and wrists weren’t supposed to look like this. He bites back the nausea and sags back into the rough hands, rendered frozen by the pain. There’s a chuckle, low and sinister, and one of the men begins to whistle the tune from the calliope.

And then his arms are yanked behind his back and the pain reaches a dizzying crescendo as his body decides it’s had enough, and sinks into oblivion.

_______

He spends his days being touched.

Cold hands and a face with a permanent smile. Sometimes there’s more of them, as if he’s a spectacle to be watched and studied. The Strangers like to learn about bodies, foreign as they are to them. Nikola enjoys narrating the process, poking and prodding at the bruises and burns and the strange, twisted hands. He doesn’t bite back his gasps and whimpers, he’s gagged, but Nikola likes to hear them. Likes to hear the wordless grumble of his voice, rendered mute and unintelligible.

The weeks go by, he loses hope. He’s not there much anymore, he’s somewhere else, a place where the pain can’t reach him. He’s back in Georgie’s apartment, the Admiral purring in his lap. He’s back in Research with a smiling Tim and a woman he imagines to be Sasha. He even thinks back to Martin’s lunches a few months ago with a sort of fondness. People talked to him, people cared. People worried when he was gone.

Every once in a while, his daydreams are interrupted by the sting of bones knitting together wrong or the itching flare of infected tissue. He starts to think of his eventual skinning as a sort of blessing in disguise; Lord knows he’s wanted to scratch himself out of it more than once. He just wishes they would hurry it up, not draw it out so much. Shouldn’t he be ready by now?

And then Michael comes. He feels a strange, manic strength return to him at the promise of a story, even if it ends in his own demise. I want to know. Tell me, tell me. The Eye’s gaze doesn’t reach him, but the power it’s planted within him grows. By the end, he feels strong enough to reach for the door handle himself, ignoring the pain that raising his arm causes.

It’s locked. His one salvation is gone. But then Michael is too, and Helen gives him a different sort of hope. One that lands him directly in Elias’s office.

His injuries are ignored in favor of a more pressing threat- Melanie. The only thing that keeps him standing and lucid is the remaining strength he siphoned from Michael’s statement. But it’s an empty, sickening vigor, one that’s sure to leave him feeling more drained than ever once it fades. Elias says nothing as he stumbles after Melanie with a limping pace, arriving some five minutes after her. She’s sitting at her desk, silently steaming when Jon makes his way in the office, leaning heavily against the doorframe.

“Jon!” Martin’s bright voice pipes up. “You’re back! We were wondering…” His voice trails off as he takes in Jon’s appearance, dirty and gaunt and yet shining with a strange sheen. A thousand showers won’t erase the feeling of those cold, slimy hands on him, Jon knows. Tim’s head pops up from his desk and even he looks a bit concerned; it’s the most positive feeling he’s shown Jon in ages.

“He was kidnapped, apparently,” Melanie drawls, and Jon doesn’t take her ambivalence to heart. She feels trapped like the rest of them. And Jon’s safe now, so what does it matter? What does any of this matter?

“K-Kidnapped?” Martin sputters, making his way over to his side. Jon flinches back unconsciously, gripping tightly at the wall and Martin stops in his tracks, his face softening. “We didn’t- nobody told us-”

“It’s fine,” Jon croaks, though they all know it isn’t. “It was- it was the Circus. A-And I’ll tell you about it-” he nods in Tim’s direction, seeing his wide-eyed stare out of the corner of his eye.”-as soon as I have a rest, if that’s alright.”

Martin casts a critical eye over him, his gaze coming to rest at the stiff way in which he holds his arms. “Seriously? I think you should go to the hospital, Jon. You look-”

“I’m fine now,” Jon assures him- he’d wave away the concern if he could lift his arm at all. “Just- just a moment, please.”

He limps to his office and they let him, their eyes reminding him of those curious mannequins and the way they stared and dissected him as if he were a cadaver on display. You’re not there anymore, he tries to reason as he collapses into his office chair. There’s a statement on his desk and he wonders if it was Elias or one of his assistants who placed it there, just waiting for him to come back. He’s so hungry.

But opening the file is agony. His burned hand cries out at any touch, and his crooked one doesn’t cooperate. Still, he forces the movement and the tape recorder clicks on for him, a move that usually chills him but now feels like a small mercy.

The words spill from his lips, natural and all-consuming. It doesn’t energize him as much as Michael’s direct account, but it certainly goes down easier, untainted by the jagged edges of the Spiral. He only realizes at the end that the statement was written in French, a language he doesn’t speak. Another development. Elias would be proud. Probably is, sitting up there in his office. And in perfect and non-coincidental timing, his email pings with a message from the man himself, informing him of his new flat, the keys to which are in his bottom drawer.

A new flat. How considerate. He tries not to think of the lonely, unprotected darkness that awaits him there. No Georgie. No Admiral. That’s probably for the best, he thinks. You wouldn’t want to endanger them.

Martin knocks, startling him out of his maudlin thoughts. He’s got tea and biscuits and Jon is struck by not only how much he missed the normalcy of the act, but how horribly hungry he is. For real food. He almost feels giddy with the realization.

“Thank you, Martin.” He’s rewarded with a tired smile and more questions. More apologies. He’s been reading statements. Jon worries about this, but Martin brushes it off. Jon keeps his arms resting on his lap, out of Martin’s sight. He gives non-answers to his inquiries and he can tell Martin’s frustrated- he only wants to help, but Jon won’t let him. They end the conversation at a strange but polite stalemate, a promise that there will be time for them to talk. He’s surprised Martin lets him go like this, but perhaps he’s realized what Jon already did all those weeks ago.

He’s beyond saving.

And then he’s gone again, back to that big room with those terrible waxworks and that strange, lilting tune and the faces that were wrong, the voices that were stolen. Everything echoed, even the tiniest of whimpers. And the laughter. He wants to curl up and make himself small, hide under the desk but his limbs are stiff and immovable, glued to his seat. His breaths start to come in small, tremulous gasps when another voice speaks up from the doorway.

“The Circus?”

Tim. Jon meets his eyes, attempting to get his emotions under control. You’re not there anymore. You’re back, you’re safe.

“A month you were gone,” Tim’s stomping over to his desk and Jon pushes his chair back, trying to create space but all Tim does is collapse into the chair across from him, heaving a sigh. He hasn’t sat there in ages. “Fuckin’ Elias. Where did they have you?”

Jon slumps in his seat, the tension in his frame somewhat easing. “It was a Wax Museum. I-I think that’s where they’ll be attempting the Unknowing.”

“That’s a lead, then.”

“Yeah,” Jon let out a weak chuckle. “At least something good came out of this.”

Tim’s eyes go dark. “Don’t joke about that.”

Jon nods, slightly taken aback by the fervor of the words. “S-Sorry.”

“What did you see? What happened?” He’s leaning forward now, his interest getting the best of him. Jon opens his mouth; he plans to answer- he could describe the waxworks, the van that took him away, the layout of his prison- but that’s not what comes out.

“They wouldn’t- they wouldn’t stop touching me,” he says, his voice fading to a whisper with each word. “Everyday. She came in and she smiled and she kept talking about my skin and touching me and I-I-” And once again he’s back there, cold hands on his face and mocking voices in his ear and it’s wrong, so wrong-

A hand rests on his shoulder and he rears back, an automatic response of revulsion as his heart stutters in his chest. But it’s not a smiling mannequin, it’s Tim. Tim, who’s kneeling by his chair so he doesn’t loom, whose hands are warm and real, flesh and blood. He’s staring down at Jon’s lap, where his arms lay crooked and burned and broken. Useless.

“They needed me to stop moving,” he whispers, as if it’s a valid explanation. Tim’s jaw is clenched. It’s a barely concealed rage and Jon feels guilty that it scares him so much. And yet, in spite of that anger, or perhaps because of it, he takes the hand from his shoulder, gentle and slow so Jon can see the path of his movements. He puts two fingers to the crooked arm, an impossibly soft movement as he leans in to inspect the damage.

And there’s no ulterior motive behind it. It’s just a touch, careful and concerned, probing lightly at his arm like he’s something fragile that Tim doesn’t want to break. He feels a tightness in his chest that for once doesn’t have fear as its source.

“I would’ve looked for you. If I’d have known.”

Tim says the words more to his lap than to him. And yes, he suspected that if Tim knew the Circus had him, he would’ve looked. But it wouldn’t have been for him. His presence would only be incidental. Tim’s staring at his arm as if the power of his gaze could knit it back together right and whole. His hand remains in place, and Jon wonders if it’s for Tim more than him. It’s as if he has to be reminded that Jon’s real, that he’s here.

“I need to tell you something.” The words are loaded with import. “But not now. Are you still staying with your friend?” Jon blinks at the change in subject.

“N-No. I have a new flat, but-”

“You shouldn’t be alone,” Tim’s suddenly all business, rising to his feet and looking down at Jon with a face that allowed for no argument. “Not with this Circus business. You can stay at mine, after you go to A&E. You’re not okay.”

Jon stares down at his lap, all fight leaving him. “I know.”

He lets Tim take control, lets him do that aggressive sort of care-taking he was known for in the earlier days of their friendship. It’s not the same; there’s no gentle words, no teasing but stern instruction. Just a silent tending that feels familiar all the same. Tim’s the one who speaks to the doctors, who listens to their instructions and later explains to Jon what’s going to have to be done in the coming days, as if he were a child. He knows it’s going to be bad, painful. But Tim keeps his voice level and Jon is somehow reassured. When they get to his flat and Jon’s warm and medicated and settled on the couch, he asks the question and Tim answers, his voice fluid and his words made eloquent in their grief. And Jon understands.

Tim doesn’t let him sleep on the couch. He’s curled up in the bed under a mountain of blankets and he pretends not to notice Tim standing in the doorway like some sort of sentinel.

“I would’ve looked.” He repeats the words as if trying to convince himself of their veracity. “If I’d have known.”

Jon closes his eyes and tries to believe him.

ao3: https://archiveofourown.org/works/28135263

#my writing #tma #the magnus archives #prompt fill #jonathan sims #tim stoker #martin blackwood #cw injuries #broken bones #angst #Anonymous

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hello-language-that-is-all · 6 years

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hisokasasss

Sup guys, Tenka (Aka Ponzorz) here - I said I’d write a post about how I self studied Japanese, sooooo I guess this is it. I learnt Japanese from Zero to Fluent in about 2.5 years, and this is my method. It’s probably not the most interesting (I didn’t watch any anime… lol… I only started watching Anime these past 1, 2 years - back then I only read a few Manga, and that was in English) and it’s hard, but maybe it can shed some light on to a study regime you can set up for yourself.

Before reading, keep in mind that there is never a single best way to study Japanese, and the most important thing about studying a language is not what textbook you have or what shows you watch - it’s always that you keep yourself going and push yourself to carry on.

I had a pretty set way I studied Japanese, so I’ll talk about that here, and since I gained proficiency I have found a lot of other methods to help people who are learning Japanese - and I’ll draw on those experiences too to inform people in this post.

Ikuzooooo.

[ Learning the Writing System ] This is step one. Japanese has three sets of difference characters. Most people don’t get it at first, but I’ll just try to explain each one below.

Hiragana （あいうえお - this is the Japanese vowels a-i-u-e-o in Hiragana） - This is the most basic one, you can use this to write everything you need to - but only knowing this one would be like some ponyo/sousuke level writing… aka like a five year old. As a person learning Japanese for a second/third/fourth/99th language though, Hiragana is definitely a solid start.

Katakana　（アイウエオ - this is the Japanese vowels a-i-u-e-o in Katakana） Everything that can be written in Hiragana can be written in Katakana - it’s like two different versions of the same alphabet.

However, Katakana is mostly used for ① Foreign vocabulary/Proper nouns that can’t be written in Kanji, and ② Emphasis/Nuance. ① is “Borrowed Words”, ie. Words in Japanese that originated from another language, will be written in Katakana.　For example, Camera (“Kyamera” キャメラ), and “Naruto” is ナルト <- This is Katakana. The second situation of emphasis/nuance is more difficult to explain, but just think of it this way: Writing “Baka” in Katakana, can give off a different feel to if it were written in Hiragana.

Kanji - Kanji is very, very, very, important. Most people beginning their Japanese studies won’t know very much Kanji, which is totally normal - and they will probably hate it at some point. But, writing Japanese without Kanji islikereadingenglishwithoutspacesinbetweenthewords. It kills the reader and if you are serious about studying Japanese, learn yo’ Kanji. Kanji are chinese characters that make up portions of a verb in Japanese, or a lot of nouns can be written completely in Kanji. Hiragana is used to support Kanji and used to fill particles and prepositions and subject markers etc, in a sentence, as those things do not have a designated Kanji - or it is not commonly used. It probably sounds confusing as hell right now but you’ll get it really quickly once you start learning. Every Kanji has a reading, so it may be hard to learn the different readings for each Kanji but it gets easier as you go, I swear.

Originally posted by studiotrigger

I started learning the writing system slowly and piecemeal, just writing the seperate kana on paper and getting more or less used to them and memorising the readings. I talk about how I learnt this in the next section, but in the meanwhile… I thought of another method.

This may be off topic but I learnt how to read Korean Hangul in like an hour by playing an online “drill” game, so I think from that experience it may be a lot faster to learn Katakana and Hiragana that way.

I found some drillers where you see the kana and just type in the romaji (ie. english version of Japanese lol):

http://kana.icann.se/

http://kagan.mactane.org/software/kana-drill.html

Try those!

( A bit about watching Anime - I think if Anime/dramas is what you’re interested in, definitely watch it. Just gonna put it out there, doing that alone probably won’t get you fluent. But it’s important because it keeps you interested, and it’s about immersion and keeping in contact with the language. :D Don’t spend 90% of your “Japanese study” in anime, but if it’s what you enjoy, go for it and it will help.

I recommend Slice of Life anime over Shonen - why? Because you’d use SoL anime dialogue more. FYI No one seriously uses “Dattebayo/-ttebayo” in Japanese, ever, “Bankai” is zero help if you want to make conversation, and most Shonen protagonists and villains speak in such an informal/brash way I’d only recommend if you want to get in to a fight. ;9 <3 )

[Actually studying the grammar and the vocab]

Because there is not much point in knowing the writing system without actually understanding what all those squiggly characters mean, it’s best to press on and learn some vocab and grammar.

First, I’ll talk about the Japanese Language Proficiency Test (JLPT). JLPT is a benchmark exam for Japanese, it has 5 levels from 5 -1. 5 being the easiest, and 1 being the hardest. You don’t have to worry about sitting the exam or anything, but it’s just a really solid curriculum to base your Japanese studies off.

I started studying off

Tim’s Takamatsu -

this website is practically my godsend. I printed out everything, had it bound in to a book - you’ll see that most of the tutorials here are in Romaji. How I studied was I scribed in the Katakana, Hiragana, and Kanji (Where applicable) under the Romaji. This helped me memorise and write Hiragana and Katakana really fast, get used to using basic Kanji, and learn all the basic grammar and vocab up till around N3 level. This took me about 3 months. Then I’d say it’s all downhill once you hit N3 level.

Even after I was through with Tim’s Takamatsu, I bought Schaums Outlines of Japanese Grammar just to help me solidify stuff. It’s not the best book nor the most interesting book, but it helped.

http://www.tanos.co.uk/ is a fantastic website to look at all the vocab/grammar you need for each JLPT standard, and strive to learn them and gradually progress from 5-1. I printed off the grammar lists from Tanos, and learnt all the ones I wasn’t sure of.

I also listened to a lot of podcasts, like Japanese 101. This helped me with listening skills, and I also learnt a lot of vocab and grammar. I find the stuff you learn from podcasts really memorable, compared to what you’d learn by reading off grammar books all the time. It’s a nice change.

Extra Materials for Basic Grammar etc - these are awesome, kudos to the people who made these - print it, stick it up in your room! I wish I had found them when I was studying. (T_T) http://cheatsheets.nihonshock.com/sheets/basic-japanese/

http://cheatsheets.nihonshock.com/digital-cheat-sheets/cool-japanese/

http://www.tofugu.com/wp-content/uploads/2009/03/japanese-particles-cheatsheet1.pdf

There links below are more explanatory stuff rather than “cheat sheets”. It’s like Tim’s Takamatsu - so I would use them to supplement each other.

http://www.guidetojapanese.org/grammar_guide.pdf

http://thejapanesepage.com/grammar.htm

http://www.japaneseverbconjugator.com/JVerbList.asp

This is probably one of the most important parts of my Japanese studying journey. Don’t give up if you’ve made it this far! :D You can do it!

Originally posted by toctocpiopio

[Advanced Japanese]

Okedoke, so how do you get from N3 to N1? You’ve gotten yourself this far, so just keep doing what you’ve been doing the whole time and don’t give up. Keep referring back to the JLPT standards to see what you need to still learn, in terms of grammar, and go for it.

N2, N1, levels require a lot of Kanji readings and Vocab Knowledge. How I tackled this, was by flashcards. I played a game on my phone called “Japanese Flash” (on iOS) and it was the only “game” I had on my phone for almost a year. Anki, or any other flashcard system will work the same. I find flashcards the most effective way for me to pick up vocab/kanji readings the fastest - the hardest thing about it is persevering. I’d play the flashcards on the bus, at home, in bed, in the shower jks , some days I felt like I was going to throw up from flash carding… but it’s a bump you’ve gotta get over. It gets better as you pick up more readings, and you’ll find you’re able to correctly guess heaps of Kanji combinations as you go.

I had the book “A Dictionary of Intermediate Japanese Grammar”, and the beginners version of that book, to help me through all the difficult grammar. Plus google.

http://www.imabi.net/ is a fantastic website too, with basic - advanced Japanese grammar. I wish I found this earlier as well. (T_T)

[Notes about my particular circumstances] So hitting N1 took me about 2.5 years. I do realise this is probably not what most people want to do - spend so much time manically studying Japanese, I had tunnel vision for a long time and it was literally what I spent my spare time doing, so hear me out.

Originally posted by opioide

I think at that point in my life, I was a stupid teen and I really hated my own situation, resented it, and I wanted to leave my city so bad and go somewhere - anywhere. In short, I was pretty desperate. For a lot of rebellious and otherwise personal reasons, I decided to go to Japan. (Eg. My family is Chinese, and I’ve been fed loads of nationalistic shit since toddlerhood about how Chinese people hate Japan blah blah don’t go there blah blah all Japanese are bad blah blah which I refused to believe and I wanted to see Japan with my own eyes since I was sure I would be able to make friends since I think there are nice people, as well as terrible people, eeeeverywhere in the world in any place.)

I needed a scholarship in Japanese, so that’s why I studied madly. Otherwise, I’d never be able to have the $$ leave and I felt like I’d have been trapped in a city I don’t belong in, forever. Yeah… >_> I had serious attitude issues, pls don’t judge me. I love my city now that I’m back, and I ought to have given the people around me more credit. .___.

Originally posted by galaxymoonbird

That aside though, I want to talk about Kanji. I realise in this guide, I never talked much about learning to familliarize with or write Kanji. I suppose the easiest way to explain this would be, well I’m Chinese in origin so that wasn’t much of an issue to me, but that would not only be misleading, but discouraging to a lot of people who don’t have a chinese background. There is no easy way learning how to write Kanji, you have to put in the legwork - that’s all there is to it. I never had an education in Chinese, English would be my first language as I passed my years from toddler onwards in Middle Earth and various other places, but I suppose one could say that I did my Kanji learning prior to learning the rest of my Japanese. Strict parents = learning at least X amount of Kanji/day before I could leave the house to go run around outside, and I distinctly remember one summer when I was around 11, my Kanji knowledge sky rocketed as a result of being forced to stay inside and learn it all summer.

I wrote a Kanji 20+ times till I memorised it, and that’s probably how I got my foundation. Once I’d started studying Japanese, I still had to get used to how Kanji was used in the Japanese language system - a lot of stuff is written differently, and my Kanji wasn’t perfect to begin with so I had to learn a heap of new ones, and since all the readings were completely different to what I was used to, I had to learn those too (hence flash carding). I think my Chinese probably got better as a result of studying Japanese, lol…. I’m serious. >_>

Originally posted by ghibli-forever

#anime #Kanji #Japanese #Japan

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formerprincess · 7 years

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A tale written with fangs and claws || Chapter 30

Chapters: 30/? Fandom: Teen Wolf (TV) Rating: Teen And Up Audiences Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings Relationships: Liam Dunbar/Theo Raeken Characters: Liam Dunbar, Theo Raeken Additional Tags: Alpha Liam Dunbar, Slow Build, Friends to Lovers, Dunbar Pack, Bisexual Liam Dunbar, Werewolf Theo Raeken, Alpha Theo Raeken, Canon-Typical Violence, Smut, Mates, Liam and Theo are mates Series: Part 1 of Morning Dew Pack

New Year is celebrated and we see the talk.

Liam had his head thrown back and his eyes closed while waves of pleasure rushed through him. His fingers tightened their grip on Theo’s hips and guided his lover on his cock while his other hand jerked Theo off. After he had been woken up by an amazing handjob, it had not taken long for the couple to roll around in their fort. Soon enough Liam had been on his back and Theo straddled him before he impaled himself on his Alpha’s hard cock.

Now Theo was riding him and Liam just held onto his hips to ground them both a little bit. It was a great way to start the day and when Liam opened his eyes and looked up at his boyfriend, he smirked. “Fuck, you look gorgeous, my pretty sinful Beta.” He praised him and reached up to run his fingers over Theo’s chest and his abs glistening with a fine layer of sweat. Theo looked down at him and his eyes blazed. He rocked his hips in an answer and they both moaned. Thanks to the dreamcatcher they could be as loud as possible, and dear god they were loud.

Even more now when both reached their climax. Theo spilled all over Liam’s hand and Liam filled his mate with his release which caused Theo to groan before he literally collapsed on top of Liam. Liam wrapped his arms around Theo and they both just basked in the afterglow, shielded from the outside world by the blanket fort surrounding them.

“I love you.” Theo murmured after a while and Liam chuckled. “I love you too.” He replied and ran his fingers through Theo’s hair. “That was an awesome way to start the day.” Theo chuckled and rolled off Liam to curl next to him. They both needed a shower but right now they didn’t care. Theo snuggled closer to Liam and put his head on Liam’s chest and Liam wrapped one arm around his boyfriend’s waist.

“I couldn’t sleep and watched you, you looked so peaceful but also so very attractive.” Theo explained his actions. “And I was in the mood for riding you.” “Hm, you can ride me more often if you enjoy it that much.” Liam kissed his forehead gently and closed his eyes. It had been great to get woken up like this, but now he wanted just to curl up and cuddle with his mate. Theo put one arm over Liam’s stomach and snuggled closer, obviously having the same train of thoughts.

****** When Liam woke up again, he was almost on top of the still sleeping Theo. The chimera had rolled on his stomach, head pillowed on his crossed arms and an actual pillow, and face turned away from Liam. Liam was also on his stomach and his head had been pillowed on Theo’s shoulder blade, one leg tossed over his boyfriend’s hips and one arm tossed over his boyfriend’s back. It probably was a mystery to normal people how they could sleep like that but Liam always had been a weird sleeper which only increased after he had been bitten. And Theo, used to sleep in the cramped space of his truck, could also sleep in the weirdest positions.

Liam yawned and slowly raised to stretch before he checked the time. His eyes widened when he realized it was almost eleven. He never slept that long. “Theo? Baby, wake up, it’s almost eleven o’clock.” He mumbled and rubbed his eyes. Theo grumbled and didn’t move. Liam gently shook his shoulder and Theo just frowned but still didn’t move from his position. Liam pawed at his back and then leaned over. “I’m going to take a hot, steamy shower, soap up my whole body and you really want to miss this?” He whispered into Theo’s ear and sucked on the earlobe. The twenty-two-year-old still didn’t move and Liam shrugged his shoulders and got up. He just had entered the bathroom when suddenly two strong arms wrapped around him from behind and he heard a growl. “Good Morning, puppy.” Theo grumbled happily and Liam laughed when he was pulled under the shower.

After the sex this morning, they now were in need of a refreshing shower and then got dressed to brace the day. Liam was usually an early bird but his body had obviously needed the sleep. He still wondered why the Betas let him and Theo sleep and when he finally met with his pack, he asked.

“We thought about waking you up but then we decided that you probably need the sleep. You both are always there for us and you looked so peaceful, we let you sleep. It’s not like we have anywhere to be.” Ever said with a shrug.

“Mason and Corey called. They are on their way and soon will be here.” Nolan informed the Alpha couple and Liam nodded while he munched his cereal. It was December 31st, the new year would be here soon, and he could not wait to celebrate with his pack. And then they had a few days until the talk with Scott was happening. Liam grew anxious just by thinking about it. He decided to focus on celebrating the new year first, then he could worry about what was going to happen.

To calm himself a little bit, Liam returned to his room after breakfast and quickly undressed before he shifted. Koda and Aka barked when their human friend suddenly grew fur and paws but soon jumped all over Liam and played with him. Theo found them soon after and smiled at the sight of his mate playing with the furry pack members. He took his phone from the desk and snapped a few pictures. Liam looked up when he saw the flash going off and he howled happily.

Come, play with us.

Theo chuckled but then he undressed and soon enough the black wolf joined the fun. The puppies were excited about having two large friends to play and play-wrestle with and growled in a fun and playful way, tried to win against Theo and Liam and tried to climb over them.

Maya and Ever disturbed the playful animals when they appeared to walk the two dogs. The pack members mostly switched with this duty and today it was their day. Koda and Aka almost stumbled over their little paws in their haste to get out, pulled at the leashes, and barked, and the two girls laughed. “See you.” They said before they closed the door to Theo’s and Liam’s room. Now alone, the two wolves shared a look and Liam gently pushed his head against Theo’s, before he curled up in their blanket fort again. Theo joined him immediately, fondly butted his head against Liam’s, and put his head on Liam’s back while both wolves snoozed a little bit in their little world.

****** Liam’s head jerked up when he heard a car pull into the driveway. He knew that sound and when he heard the footsteps of two persons getting out and walking closer to the house, he knew who had arrived. Being in his wolf form really gave him a better sense of hearing.

He turned his head and pushed his nose against Theo’s head. The chimera blinked lazily but then raised his head and also listened before he got up and let Liam get on all fours as well. Liam yipped happily and rubbed his head against Theo’s once more, then the shifted couple left the room.

Mason and Corey were greeted downstairs by Tim and Nolan. “Welcome. Did you had a good trip?” Nolan asked while they took off their scarves and jackets. “Yeah, it was great. Not much traffic so we didn’t take as long as aspected.” Mason answered. “Where are the others?” “Mike’s in his room, so is Sadie. Ever and Maya are walking the dogs and our Alpha couple is also upstairs.” Tim listed. Mason glanced up the stairs. “There was a time when my best friend greeted me at the door.” He joked but then caught glimpse of the light brown wolf standing on top of the stairs. He gasped.

“Did you adopt a real wolf? Weren’t the pups enough? Wow, this one is quite big, don’t you think? Is he dangerous? Can I pet him? How did you get him?” Mason, being his true self, asked all kind of question. Nolan and Tim glanced up at their Alpha and Liam grumbled before he smoothly shifted back into his human form and stood up. “Relax, it’s only me.”

Mason stared at him. Corey’s jaw dropped. Tim and Nolan grinned. Mason made some complicated looking arm movements and opened his mouth but no sound came out. Mason’s movements turned bigger. And then he screeched. “You...and the wolf...Animal...It’s you...But...the wolf...How...What the hell?? LIAM EMERSON DUNBAR!”

“It’s called a full shift.” Theo had appeared and wrapped one arm around Liam’s waist. He held a boxer short for Liam in front of Liam’s groin. “Liam managed it, just like me. And you get dressed.” The last part had been for Liam and the Alpha grinned. “Will be down in a minute!” He called and let Theo drag him back into their room.

When he was finally dressed in boxer briefs, jeans, and hoodie, Liam raced down the stairs to really greet his friends, Theo hot on his tail. Corey laughed when he spotted them. “I’m sure you broke Mason for real this time.” He said and hugged Liam. Liam laughed. “I felt it was the best way to break the news to you.” He explained and after Corey Mason tackled him in a tight hug. “Shit, Liam, how did this happen? What happened?” “It just happened recently.” The four of them settled on the kitchen table after Theo had greeted Corey and Mason as well and Liam explained everything. When he was done, Mason and Corey gaped.

“This is unbelievable. I mean, I barely got over my excitement that my best friend became an Alpha werewolf but now he can shift into an actual wolf. And have you seen how great he looks, Corey? This is intense.” “I have seen it.” Corey confirmed. “It’s really insane. So much happened in such short amount of time if you take everything into account.” “We had this topic yesterday too. Everything happened in the span of half a year, this is hard to grasp. But we are here now and we are about to start a new year with a completely new pack, a new Alpha, and new challenges.” Theo said. he smiled at Liam and Liam smiled back. “It will be a great year.” Liam was sure of that one. “And it will be great when you finally move here. Can’t wait to have you around. When exactly are you moving?”

Corey and Mason looked at each other. “Actually...Now.” Corey said. “We just need to go back for one more time to get the moving van and all out stuff but technically we would settle in right now. If that’s okay with you?”

“Hold on.” Theo said. “You would move now? What about your classes?”

“After the break, we would have been lots of projects and we talked with our professors. They dismissed us earlier. So basically, after Winter break, we could start at SU when we manage to grab our things until then. I’m in contact with the moving company, it would work.” Mason now explained. “Unless you say we can’t move in already.”

“You are part of this pack, you always have a place here. It’s just surprising that you’re moving earlier.” Liam stated. Then he broke out into this huge grin, right when the rest of the core pack stepped into the kitchen. Corey squealed at Koda and Aka and he and Mason crouched down so the dogs could sniff them and get used to their scents.

“You’re already moving in? That’s so cool!” Ever said with a bright smile. “Have you settled on a room yet?” “The room! I almost forgot! You need to choose a room!” Liam yelled and jumped to his feet. He more or less dragged Mason and Corey upstairs and latched into explanations of every free room they currently had. The rest of the pack followed a little bit slower.

“Are you even breathing?” Mason asked his best friend after a while and Liam stopped talking, looked him dead in the eye, took a deep breath, and continued rattling down various aspects. Corey laughed. “And you wondered where the puppy nickname comes from?” Liam just grinned at Corey and when they finally stopped in the last room, he looked expectantly at the couple. “So? Which one?”

“I’m not taking the room next to you! I really don’t need to hear you and Theo having sex.” Mason grimaced. “You don’t hear them.” Nolan said with a laugh. “Thanks to Ever.” “Huh?” The human frowned and Ever raised a new dreamcatcher she made since she knew another couple was moving in. “This dreamcatcher is enchanted. It keeps every sound inside the room locked inside and nobody hears a thing. You hear what’s going on outside, but nobody hears what you are doing in your room. Since that we have literally no idea when our Alphas are having hot, kinky sex.” Mason snorted. “I know Liam. In this regards, he’s plain. There isn’t much with kinky sex.” Theo let out a sound that sounded like a snort and a scoff in one. “Are you knowing the same Liam I know?” He asked Mason. Mason blinked at the first chimera, then at Liam who just smirked. “What?” He asked lamely. Nolan put a hand on his shoulder. “I’m going to say so much: Bite marks are a thing.” Mason squeaked and looked at Liam like his best friend had betrayed him or something. “When did this happen? A part of me wants details, another part is happy with being in the unknown.” Liam stepped behind Theo and wrapped his arm around his mate’s waist. “Mason, look at him. How am I suppose to resist him? And I have to state my claim.” He kissed Theo’s neck and leaned against his mate, eyes closed and a fond smile on his face. Theo looked at him and leaned his head against Liam’s for a short moment before he looked back at Mason and smirked his typical Theo smile.

Mason shook his head. “I never have seen you that much in love ever before.” Liam opened his eyes again but stayed as close to Theo as he could. “I was never with Theo before.” He explained softly. The girls cooed behind him and he gave them an amused look. Corey tugged at Mason’s sleeve. “Mase, which room? Since the sound doesn’t travel and we have a dreamcatcher on our own, it doesn’t matter and I really like the one we’re currently standing in. The one before Theo’s former room.” “I like that one as well. The white and dark blue colors are pretty. Let’s take this one.” Mason said with a smile and kissed his boyfriend. Liam smiled happily. His best friend and Corey were finally here and they were moving in. This was going to be great.

****** “Don’t you think this is way too much meat?” Liam snorted and didn’t stop sorting the various meat pieces. They had chicken, beef, and pork. The pack had decided on meat fondue for dinner. Two fondues were already on the table in the dining room and Mason and Nolan helped Liam with the finishing touches. “Pack of wolves. Not really.” Mason nodded. “Right.” He said. “Living with a pack is so different than anything we are used from Beacon Hills, Mase.” Nolan told him. “It even affects us humans, you will see. I mean, you already felt the pack bond, and being constantly surrounded by the pack only makes this more prominent.” “I guess I’m always comparing it to the McCall pack. I’m sorry, Lee.”

Liam shrugged. “It’s okay. It’s the pack we know and a part of this pack will always be influenced by Scott because I was his Beta but...things changed and this pack is totally different. Different characters and I’m not a True Alpha, to begin with. And yes, we all live together, so our pack bond naturally is stronger than to the old pack.” “Things changed, I know.” Mason smiled softly. “I remember when you told us about becoming an Alpha. How you defended your first Beta. Having your own pack was so far away and you always said you are still Scott’s Beta. Now you say you were his Beta.” Liam had not really noticed this but now he nodded. “Yeah.” He groaned. “This talk will be thrilling for sure and I really hope it ends well.” “It will don’t worry.” Mason told his best friend. “For now concentrate on celebrating the new year. It will be awesome.You can worry tomorrow again.” Liam smiled softly. “I’m the Alpha. I always worry.” “Liam is the best Alpha we could wish for. You will learn the longer you are around.” Sadie who stepped into the kitchen said and kissed Liam’s cheek. “He’s my best friend. I know what an awesome Alpha he is.” Mason corrected her and smiled at Liam. Liam smiled back. It meant a lot that the person that had been through everything with him, through his father’s abuse, his parent’s divorce, him getting bitten and the whole shit in Beacon Hills; a person that knew him like Mason did, said something like this about him.

“Anybody else something to drink?” He asked and grabbed a few glasses. He poured orange juice into the glasses when Nolan and Mason said so. Out of the living room, he heard the chatter from Corey, Maya, and Ever, who either played or watched a video game. He wasn’t sure who was currently playing. Mike, Tim, and Theo were out in the skatepark again.

“By the way, what happened to your fence?” Mason inquired when he accepted the glass from Liam. “I gave Tim and Ever driving lessons. They don’t know how to drive stick. Ever got confused while parking.” “Oh my god.” Mason laughed. “I’m sorry but you all are obviously fine and this is hilarious.” The others laughed. “It was funny after we got over the initial shock.” Sadie admitted. “Their faces were everything.”

Liam snickered and drank his juice but suddenly he gasped and slammed the glass down on the counter. Pain spread through his whole body, emanating from his left ribs. It felt white hot and it hurt real bad. “Liam, what’s wrong?” Mason asked and jumped to his side. Nolan appeared on his other side and both looked worried as hell. Sadie put a hand on his back. “Liam, breathe.” Liam doubled over in pain and only the counter kept him up. His ribs hurt like he had been in an accident and they were severely cracked. He slowly touched his ribcage and felt for his ribs. They all seemed completely healthy. And then it clicked.

“Theo. Theo broke his ribs. I feel his pain through the mating bond.” He whimpered. And it was that bad for him, how much pain Theo was in? Liam braced his forehead on his arm on the counter and tried to breathe through the pain. He needed to get a grip and get to his mate. Theo needed him.

He pushed himself up and willed down the new wave of pain before he stumbled into the hallway. Right before he could make it fully to the entryway, the door opened and Mike and Tim helped Theo inside. Theo’s face was twisted in pain and they carefully led him into the living room where he collapsed on one of the couches. “He flew off the highest halfpipe. It was a stupid accident.” Mike filled in what happened at the skate park. Liam gritted his teeth and stumbled over to the couch.

“You broke your ribs. I feel your pain through the mating bond.” He panted and grabbed Theo’s arm with both hands. He willed down another wave of pain and then the black veins started crawling up his arms. He had expected it to hurt but Liam had expected to be ready for it since he already felt it through their bond. Turned out what he felt was a numbed version of what Theo was feeling and Liam was happy he was an Alpha because taking Theo’s pain was hard.

“Liam, stop!” Corey said after a while and pulled him back. “You took enough.” Liam fell back and the black veins disappeared again. Theo looked better, not as much in pain as before, but he was still pale and shaking when he now raised his hand to put it on Liam’s arm. “I’m sorry.” He said in a hoarse voice. “It’s okay.” Liam said and let go of Theo’s arm. But then he frowned when he looked down. “Are you bleeding?” There was blood on Theo’s arm where Liam had grabbed him. “No, but you are. You destroyed the glass when you slammed it on the counter and didn’t even notice it.” Sadie said and held out a towel for Liam. The young Alpha opened his hand and looked at his bloody palm where orange juices and pieces of glass were soiling the gash. He softly dabbed at the wound and tried to clean it. “It will heal.”

“Liam.” Theo reached out and closed his fingers around Liam’s wrist. “Let me see.” “It’s okay, nothing a little bit of healing won’t make better.” “It can only heal when you clean the wound.” Corey remarked. “Do you have a first aid kit?” “I’ll get it.” Tim said and ran to grab the kit and return. Corey took it and then sat down next to Liam to dutifully clean the wound from all slivers. ”What about your ribs?” He asked Theo after he was done with Liam. Theo waved it off. “I need a few hours of healing, then I will be fine again.” He slowly raised his shirt and winced in pain when he moved. Liam loved to see his boyfriend’s abs anytime but now he grimaced at the bruise above Theo’s ribcage. “You really need to be more careful, baby.” He said softly and moved over to kiss Theo’s forehead. Theo just whined and hid his face against Liam’s neck. “I’m sorry for giving you pain.” “Shh.” Liam said. “It’s the mating bond. It had to happen sooner or later and I’m glad it’s just a broken bone, nothing worse.” “So, only slow and calm movements for Liam and Theo now.” Mike ordered and the others agreed.

****** Liam was woken up by someone shaking his shoulder softly. He blinked against the sleep in his eyes and Mason’s face turned from blurry to focused again. “Liam, hey. How are the two of you?”

Theo and Liam had fallen asleep on the couch and the pack let them sleep. Sleep helped best with broken bones and gave the weres enough energy to heal. Theo was still tugged against Liam, safely nestled between Liam and the backrest of the couch, and only moved now when he heard the voices. “Hm? Liam? How are you?” He asked softly. “The Better question is, how are you?” Liam asked back. “Do you ribs still hurt?” Theo considered this and stroked over his ribcage. “They now hurt as if I have a very bad bruise there but they don’t feel broken anymore. Sensitive, but not broken.” Liam smiled. “Good.” He said and kissed his mate. Theo returned the kiss and Mason chuckled. “You two lovebirds, your pack is hungry.”

“Hungry? Oh fuck, the fondue!” Liam called out and jumped from the couch. Mason raised both hands. “Relax, everything is finished and just waiting. You may be the Alpha but you don’t have to do everything yourself.”

“Oh.” Liam said and Mason led them into the dining room where everyone was waiting. “You two.” Maya pointed at Liam and Theo. “You are our big brothers and you do a lot. You deserve to lay back every once in a while and let us do everything. Especially when you’re hurt. So sit down now and let us eat.” Liam and Theo looked at each other and both smiled. They sat down and so did everyone else. Soon enough the bowls with the meat were handed around and the fondue forks were placed into the fondue.

It was a nice dinner, they laughed a lot and Mason and Corey shared some funny stories with the rest of the pack about their time at college. At one point, Theo put his hand over Liam’s on top of the table and drew circles on the back of Liam’s hand with his thumb. It was relaxing and made Liam smile.

****** They all stood in the garden and counted down the last few seconds of the year. People in the gardens around them did the same. It was cold, their breaths were forming little clouds in the air, and they all were excited. Liam was basically buzzing. This year had held so many things, so many great things, and he ended it on a great note. With a pack of his own, with a mate he loved to the moon and beyond, with his best friend, everything was perfect.

“10...9...8...7...6...5...”

Theo pulled Lia,m closer to him and wrapped both arms around him.

“4...3...”

Liam smirked at him and Theo smirked back.

“2...1...HAPPY NEW YEAR!!!”

Theo and Liam kissed at the last seconds and while they all yelled and cheered and fireworks exploded left and right. Aka and Koda hovered in the open door to the garden and barked at the fireworks, too afraid to venture outside, but also too brave to hide completely inside. The pack laughed and hugged each other while Mason and Corey kissed each other and the Alpha couple started the new year with a kiss as well. Or several kisses, given that they clung to each other and their tongues played with each other.

When they finally parted, they had big smiles on their faces. “Happy New Year, baby!” Liam called out. “Happy New Year.” Theo replied and then they hugged their pack and wished everyone a Happy New Year before they settled to watch the fireworks explode in the sky. Theo had wrapped his arms around Liam from behind and Liam leaned against him. It was beautiful, there were red circles, blue stars, golden twisters, green showers, the whole sky was illuminated and Liam’s eye lit up with every firework.

Suddenly Theo pulled Liam away from their pack and without them really noticing. Liam frowned. “Where are we going?” “We are going to do something I wanted to do for all those years.” Theo cryptically explained. Liam chuckled and eagerly followed his mate into the house and into the library. Theo closed the door behind them and locked it. When he looked at Liam, his glance held unhidden desire. “Every year I imagined to kiss you on New Year, every year I imagined how it would be to be buried inside you while fireworks explode outside, you know? Since this is our first New Year as a couple, I wanted to pay tribute to that.” Liam smirked and walked over to the desk before hopping on it. “And how do you think we’re going to do that?”

His voice was challenging and Theo picked up on it. He was faster in front of Liam than the younger expected, grabbed Liam by the hips, and pulled him into a filthy kiss.

Their clothes got discarded pretty fast after that and Theo had really thought of everything when he pulled the lube out of the upper desk drawer. He kissed Liam’s back and lifted his mate off the desk to put him on his own two feet. “Turn around and bend over.”

Liam shivered at the order but followed immediately. He braced his hands on the desk and turned to face away from Theo. He could see the fireworks outside and was so lost in the exploding lights, he took in a sharp breath when two fingers pushed inside him. “Relax.” Theo told him softly and kissed his shoulder. “You don’t have to tell me. I’m never tensed around you, I was just surprised.” Liam answered and took a deep breath. He lost the stiffness in his back and Theo moved his fingers, soon added a third one, thoroughly preparing his boyfriend.

Liam soon whimpered and pushed back against the fingers. It felt so good but he needed more than just a few fingers. “Theo, please...” He said and moved his hips back. But then he gasped again when Theo bend him further over the desk, more or less immobilizing him.

“I can’t stop thinking about this since you jumped me here. I told you I have fantasies about bending you over the table and fucking you.” The chimera said and withdrew his fingers. Liam whined at the loss.

He smelled Theo’s arousal, the sharp and spicy scent mixed with his own, and Liam felt his fangs grew in retaliation. Fuck, he was so horny for his boyfriend and his cock leaked precum on the desk. His body was already so accustomed to sex with Theo, it didn’t take much for Liam to get hot and bothered. Either that or Theo was just so damn good at what he was doing.

He felt Theo spread his ass cheeks and groaned when the head of Theo’s hard cock rubbed around his hole, slicked up with lube. “You know, the others will miss us soon.” He teased his mate breathlessly, and next moment threw his head back and howled when Theo sank into him. The fireworks outside swallowed his howl, but Liam wasn’t sure how long that would be possible. He knew them both, it would be loud.

Theo thrust into him until he was completely inside Liam. And then he began to fuck the living daylight out of Liam. The nineteen-year-old moaned and gripped the edge of the desk so tightly he was afraid it would break under his grip. But Theo fucked him so incredibly good and he could just yell out his lust.

The chimera gripped his hair and pulled him back. Liam gasped at the pull. It wasn’t too hurtful, they would never actually hurt each other, but it added to his arousal. “Am I allowed to touch myself?” He gasped. Theo hummed while he thought about it and his hips still slammed into Liam without any mercy. “No. Not tonight. I want you to come untouched, my naughty little Alpha.” He gave Liam’s ass a slap and Liam groaned before he clenched around Theo’s cock. Now both moaned and Theo thrust his hips harder. It hit a spot deep inside Liam that made him scream.

The fireworks outside were still exploding and Liam tried to use it as a distraction to not come on the spot. It was hard, Theo was making it almost impossible. Liam’s body shook with every hard thrust and his leaking cock rubbed against the desk. It was almost too much and Liam bit his lip to keep himself from climaxing. He raised a hand to wipe the blood from the bite away and groaned again when Theo changed his angle and pushed even deeper inside him. Only a few minutes into the new year and he was already losing his mind.

Theo kissed and licked his neck and his pulse point and Liam bared his neck in submission. No one else he would submit to but his mate. And Theo cherished this by kissing his hot and sweat-slicked skin. It made Liam smile and next moment he screamed Theo’s name when Theo’s teeth pierced his skin. It didn’t leave a mating bite but it left a nice dark bite mark and Liam grew dizzy with lust and want. He blinked against the black spots dancing in front of his eyes and his claws scraped the edge of the desk while his whole body shook.

He spilled his release all over the desk and collapsed on top of it. Theo needed a few more hard thrusts, then he filled Liam and the young Alpha gasped. He felt so full and his head swam with the feeling. Theo leaned his forehead between his shoulder blades and the couple enjoyed the afterglow of their intense orgasms.

****** Liam carefully pushed the door handle down with his elbow and maneuvred the tray with breakfast inside the room. He gently kicked the door closed again and smiled at the sight in front of him. Theo on his stomach, the blanket just covered his ass and partly his hips, delicious naked back on full display. Due to the smoke outside from all the firecrackers, they had decided to not open the window while they slept and to not run too hot, Theo had just slept in his pajama pants. A fact Liam welcomed very much when he now put the tray on the bed beside Theo and kissed his mate’s back.

“Rise and shine, Dore.” He sang softly and Theo grumbled in his sleep but slowly returned to the land of the awake people. He blinked the sleep away and rubbed his eyes but then his nostrils flared when he smelled the coffee. “You made me breakfast in bed?” Liam laughed at Theo’s happy voice. “I thought it would be a great way to really start the new year. It’s gonna be a lazy day anyway, everybody will sleep long and we won’t do anything. So why not? Plus, you deserve it.” Theo smiled. “You are the best mate and the best Alpha in the whole wide world!”

Liam chuckled and Theo sat up to grab the mug of freshly brewed coffee and sip a bit. Only then he leaned in an pressed his lips against Liam’s to give him a proper good morning kiss. “I love you.” “Hm, I love you too.”, Liam said and took his own cup of coffee to drink. He needed the caffeine as well. And then simply because it was tasty, he grabbed an orange slice and bit into it. ”Hm, sweet.”

Theo stared at him and Liam had no idea why in the first place. “What?” He asked with a laugh. His boyfriend said nothing but grabbed his chin and pulled him into a kiss which he ended with his tongue swiping over Liam’s lip. “True. It is sweet.” He agreed huskily and Liam shivered. “Fuck. Just the tone of your voice makes me...” He shivered again and Theo smirked when he obviously scented Liam’s arousal. “I can get my boyfriend hot and bothered in the new year as well. That’s a great start for a great year.” Theo shot Liam a proud and satisfied smile. Liam just rolled his eyes and pulled him into a kiss. If the breakfast got a little bit forgotten nobody had to know...

****** A cold breeze was blowing over the overlook Liam and Scott had decided on. It was relatively halfway for them both since Scott and the others had been in Washington to meet with Stiles. Liam liked the current weather, It was dry but cold and so it helped him cool down a bit and calm his nerves.

He still exhaled a shaky breath and Theo rubbed his triceps. “Relax. He will be proud of you.” He reassured Liam and the nineteen-year-old smiled weakly. “Thanks, T.” “Anytime.” Theo kissed his temple. “You’re Scott’s first bitten Beta. He loves you like a little brother from what I heard from your stories. It will be fine.” Isaac tried to make Liam feel better too. Liam grimaced. “But I also know how it is when Scott is angry at you.”

“You will find out what exactly he is any minute now. They are coming.” Maya had spotted the cars driving into the parking lot. The two packs were the only ones there at this rough day and that meant nobody could overhear their conversation, which was good.

Stiles’ jeep was the first to park and Stiles almost fell out of the driver’s side. Good to know some things never changed. Liam chuckled softly. Scott was the next one from the passenger seat, Malia followed from the back seat. Lydia’s car was the next and she had brought Derek, Jordan, and Alec with her.

Liam could not help but smile. He had missed his old pack and it was good to see them again. He went over and Scott literally beamed at him like the puppy he still was at heart. Liam and he hugged tightly. “Missed you so much. Good to see you again.” Scott muttered and Liam chuckled. “Yeah. Missed you too.” His heart was beating wildly and Scott picked on it. He gave Liam a worried look when they parted. “Are you okay?” “Excited.” Liam said and it was absolutely no lie. “Anxious.” “Aw, is the Baby Beta excited to see us. Come here!” Stiles said loudly and pulled Liam into a hug. Liam rolled his eyes at the nickname but laughed and hugged him back. Lydia got a warm hug too and kissed his cheek and then he hugged the rest of Scott’s pack.

Mason, Corey, and Nolan hugged every member of the McCall pack too, even though the air between Nolan and Alec still seemed a bit tense. Theo kept his distance. He was just an ally and could really not see himself hugging anyone of them, Liam knew that. He still took Theo’s arm and pulled him right next to himself, so the Alpha pack stood shoulder to shoulder in front of their new pack.

But before Liam could introduce his new pack, Isaac was spotted by no other than Stiles. “You!” “Me.” Isaac said without batting an eye. “Missed me, Stilinski?” “What are you doing here, you scarf wearing french baguette?” Stiles asked and narrowed his eyes. “Are you part of Liam’s sudden new pack too?” “I’m kind of an advisor, an affiliate. I travel too much to be an actual part of the pack. But I do live in Seattle too.” Isaac said and then he actually smiled softly, especially at Derek. “It’s good to see you all again.” “It’s good to see you too.”, Derek replied and smiled back.

“Speaking of pack, good prompt!” Liam called out. “Guys, Scott and the others, I’d like you to meet my new pack. Those are Maya and Ever, the blonde over there is Sadie. Those two are Mike and Tim. And the rest, well, you know the rest. Nolan, Corey, Mason, Theo.” Liam introduced everyone and his Betas smiled and waved. “I told them about you, showed them pictures so they kind of know you.” He then told his old pack and rubbed his neck. Theo chuckled and stepped behind him to put his hands on his shoulders and massage them gently.

“There are others as well, the pack is quite large, but this is the core pack.” he added to Liam's introduction. “Others? How many others are there?” Malia asked. “A lot more. The Morning Dew Pack is large like Theo said.” Mason replied. Derek made a surprised face. “You belong to the Morning Dew Pack?” Stiles looked at him. “Have you ever met them?” Derek shook his head. “Not met but I’ve heard of them. Their philosophy is quite unique.” Liam smiled and nodded. “Working with the wolf as a partner? Yeah, it is but it so very helpful.” He confirmed.

“You found a new way to cope better with your wolf? That’s great!” Scott praised with a happy smile. “He is great at working with his wolf. The two of them are really a dream team.” Theo raved and Liam smiled happily, especially when his mate pulled him back but still kept his hands on Liam’s shoulders. Alec watched them curiously. “You two are really a thing? Like for real? No joke?” “Do they look like a joke to you?” Corey asked with a chuckle. “I’m just curious.” Alec said and Liam knew he was. Alec had always been curious. “We are true, we are real, we are in love.” He tilted his head and looked at Theo. “And I got the greatest mate of all the mates.” Said it and kissed his boyfriend.

“Whoa, you are mated??”

Liam tensed and turned his head back to the old pack who all watched him completely speechless. “Uhm, yeah?” He said, not sure where the problem was. Lydia voiced what they were obviously thinking. “It’s just...Liam, you’re so young, sweetie, and so is Theo.” “So what? I know I will forever be in love with Theo and can’t wait to spend my life with him.” “And if you change your mind? You’re nineteen and twenty-two. I mean, I hope you get happy, but from a reasonable point of view, this is too young for such a far-reaching decision.” Jordan, the voice of reason, said. “Liam and I love each other more than words can ever describe and we will never regret that we mated.” Theo stated calmly but his grip tightened around Liam’s shoulders and Liam raised his hand to put them over Theo’s. “Being mated is the most incredible experience I ever made.” He said happily. “Don’t worry, guys, everything is and will be fine.” “They are so cute as a couple, you should see them.” Ever said and the core pack laughed. “Even when they fight, they are passionate and still find their way to each other. Recently proven.” Tim added.

“Why didn’t you tell us? We knew you were together, why didn’t you tell us you were mated?” Scott asked quite confused and Liam looked at him, eyes wide. He tried to find a better way to do it but right now going for it was the way. And so he screwed up his courage. “Because there are quite some things I didn’t tell you in the last few months.”

He took a deep breath and looked at his Betas. They all smiled supportively, Mason gave him a thumbs up, and Theo squeezed his shoulders. They were there. They had his back. When he looked back at Scott, he took another deep breath.

“This pack here, the Morning Dew Pack...” He locked his eyes with Scott’s and flashed them red. “I’m their Alpha. And I really wanted to tell you face-to-face, hence keeping it a secret for so long.”

To say they all gasped would be an understatement. They stared at Liam as if he just turned into a pink unicorn with rainbows flying behind him. Liam himself felt the weight lifted from his shoulders and for a moment he just felt light and happy. But then he realized how they all stared at him and he grew anxious again.

“I didn’t kill anybody in case you are worried about that one. I got chosen to be the next Alpha by the former Alpha. Byron is still a valid member of my pack and head of the council we founded.” He was babbling but he needed to say something to fill the silence.

Stiles barked out a laugh. “Look at that! The Baby Beta became an Alpha!” Theo growled. “He hates that nickname, don’t you know?” “Well, he is the Baby Beta!” “He was!” Sadie interjected and Stiles gave her a flat look.

Liam, however, focused on Scott who still gaped at him. “Say something. Please!” He almost begged. “I really thought you were proud of me. I mean, your first bitten Beta became an Alpha.”

Scott struggled a bit to find his words in the beginning. “I am proud! But I’m also surprised. Liam, you could have told me this when it happened. Why didn’t you?”

“Because I was afraid you would think I killed someone!” Liam defended himself. “I wanted to look into your eyes and tell you what happened, not tell you over text or over the phone. And you barely had time, so it got longer and longer and now we’re here.”

Scott sighed. “Okay, I understand that. Thank you for being that considerate. But, Liam, I’m also worried. Being an Alpha is a lot to handle and, like Lydia said, you are still so young.” Liam frowned. “You were younger than me when you became an Alpha.” “And I know how hard it sometimes was.” “Besides, Scott is a True Alpha.” Stiles backed his best friend up which prompted Mason to reply: “And Liam is an Alpha by ritual. Are we comparing now which kind of Alpha is better?”

Liam meanwhile still watched Scott. “Scott, I appreciate that you care about me, but this is not something that happened recently, you know? I am an Alpha for over six months now and everything you see here, this awesome pack behind me, stemmed from that.” He made a hand movement that encompassed his Betas. “Every member of this pack joined willingly and after they were asked by me and over the last half a year, we became the pack that is currently standing in front of you. It wasn’t easy, we had to fight for control, get over our fears, learn how to cope with freshly bitten werewolves, but we managed. And now we have Maya who is fast and agile. Sadie, the strongest Beta of the pack. Ever, our strong and powerful witch who never gives up. Mike, cunning and quick-witted. And Tim, who is loyal to the core and will always fight for his friends. We have the best consultant with Corey, the voice of reason. A great emissary in training, Mason. A hunter with a very accurate aim, Nolan. And, of course, we have the Alpha’s mate, my first Beta, and the so-called Second Alpha, Theo. My chimera. Together we’re quite the pack, not to mention every other pack member at the lake.”

Alec looked at Nolan. “You said you would never touch a crossbow again!” “I did it to protect my pack.” “And Scot’s pack wasn’t your pack?” “No. I was an ally, just like Theo, but that is okay. Liam asked me and I joined him.”

Corey spoke up. “And that is the point. We all joined Liam’s pack willingly when he asked. We were not thrown together because of the circumstances or because we had the misfortune of living in a town where all the crazy stuff happens. We had a choice and that makes us different than your pack. This is okay, that’s not us bashing your pack, please don’t see it like that. The dynamic is just different because we are not teenagers but young adults. You can’t compare what you’ve been through already and what we already experienced. And, Scott, Liam is a great Alpha. He makes everyone feel included and he really makes you proud.”

“I know Liam is a good leader but....” “But you still see me as Baby Beta and think I’m not capable of leading a pack on my own.” Liam stated dryly. “I think what Scott is trying to say is, that leading a pack is easy when everything is quiet but what happens when dangers arise?” Jordan asked. “Man, we already faced dangers. Wendigos, a rogue Alpha, freshly bitten and stubborn wolves, Tim’s mom.” Maya listed. “Yeah. Even to the last bit but also: Ey!” Tim called out.

“I am not the fourteen-year-old boy you bit back then, Scott!” Liam claimed. “I am nineteen. I know what I’m doing. It’s too late now anyway, I won’t tell Byron to take back his Alpha spark. I didn’t plan any of this; I didn’t plan on becoming an Alpha on this weekend, I didn’t plan of gathering a pack; but it happened and here we are now and I love it. I love my family, I love how the last year ended and this began. And I really, really, hoped you would be proud of me.” Liam shook his head in disappointment. “Guess I was wrong.”

“To be fair, your track record with good decisions isn’t the best.” Maya mumbled and Theo growled. “He is not a stupid little boy anymore!” “Says who? You? I think you’re biased.” She snarled back and the two growled at each other, even went so far to take a step closer to each other. Scott and Liam stepped between their fighting partners. “Leave it.” Liam said. “And let’s go. I said what I wanted to say. We’re leaving now.” He ordered. They didn’t need a fight between the two packs and he didn’t need Malia to punch Theo again.

His pack gathered in their cars and Liam looked back at Scott one last time. “I guess this isn’t how either of us wanted this to go but it’s better to leave now, I think. Maybe we can talk this out sometime later.” And he got in the passenger seat of the truck and slammed the door shut. The car ignitions started and the cars rolled out of the parking lot.

They drove in silence for a while, then Liam suddenly spoke up. “Pull over!” Theo looked at him then immediately pulled from the highway and stopped the car. Liam hastily left the car and took some breaths. His heart was racing and he heard the blood rush in his ears.

“Lee?” Mason and Theo had followed him outside and now wanted to check on him. Liam spun around to face them. “I thought he would be proud of me! Why isn't he proud of me?” He asked and his voice broke at the end. Tears stung in his eyes. “He is proud of you, he just needs to overcome the shock. This was probably all a little bit too much.” Mason tried to reason with Liam and explain. “He loves you like a little brother, he will come around. And see it that way, you told him everything now. It’s out in the open, don’t you feel better?” “He didn’t tell him everything. He didn’t tell him he could fully shift.” Theo interjected and Mason gave him an exasperated look. “What is wrong with you? I’m trying to build him up again!” “I can’t lie to Liam and he knows it. But I also think Scott will come around. And even if he doesn’t, the pack stands with what we said: We have your back. Screw the rest of the world, we have each other.”

Liam rubbed his forehead. This was all too much right now. The anxiety was gone and got now replaced with exhaustion. He let out a choked sob. “I really hoped it would go better though.”

“When were things ever easy for us?” Theo asked and Liam tried a weak smile but failed. He was skeptical this all would work out fine but he couldn’t turn back time now. It was out and it did feel good that he finally had been honest with his old couple. Now he could really start a new year and make new experiences. He couldn’t do anything else at the moment anyway.

“Thanks, guys. Now, we need to get home. It’s still a long way to drive.”

Wolfy cuddles ♥ And Morey :D I really hope you liked the meeting of the packs. I had several versions going on in my head but I like how the final version turned out. I'm curious what you have to say about it.

#thiam #A tale written with fangs and claws #My writing #alpha!liam #Morning Dew Pack series

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5 Superhero Movies That Are Only Worth It For One Scene

Bad superhero films are a treasure. Not only does one make you disappointed with Hollywood for creating a bad movie, but it also makes you doubly frustrated because they’re messing up something that you know is good in comic book form. However, we shouldn’t write off a bad superhero movie immediately. Upon closer examination, these terrible films can contain little glimpses of promise — little glimpses that make you say “This might be a secret masterpiece.” Or at least, “This doesn’t suck every poop.”

Batman & Robin — The Criminal Property Locker

In the annals of bad superhero films, Batman & Robin stands alone. It isn’t a “Well, maybe it’s not THAT bad” film like Superman Returns or Spider-Man 3. It isn’t a “I’ll forget the plot of this before I even leave the theater” film like X-Men: The Last Stand or Daredevil. It isn’t a “That’s a damn shame” film like Superman IV: The Quest For Peace or Robocop 2. And it isn’t a “If there is a God, they wouldn’t let this happen” film like Catwoman or Spawn. Instead, it’s a film that somehow gets both more amazingly terrible and more inexplicably enjoyable with time. I hate it and I love it in equal measure, and years after I’m dead, researchers will discover my skeleton clinging to a VHS copy of it, like Quasimodo and Esmeralda at the end of Hunchback Of Notre Dame.

But the movie does have one extremely cool split second. Now, there is a well-known Easter egg in Batman & Robin: When Bane and Poison Ivy are breaking Mr. Freeze out of Arkham Asylum, you get a glimpse of the “Criminal Property Locker.” And in the locker are the costumes of the Riddler and Two-Face from Batman Forever. That’s kind of neat — though since Two-Face died by falling into a spiky underwater pit, it does imply that some poor Arkham intern had to dry-clean and sew his fucking suit back together.

Warner Bros.