#first of all my friend’s older brother (who basically came as out chaperone) was fine as FWAK

[wasteland-lover]

post concert pics

[belphies-cuhm-sluht]

Fun Zone (Belphie x GN!Reader)

(Random fic that came about because I was talking to a friend about chaperoning a field trip at a Discovery Zone. Also, the sisters name is just my two favorite sisters names blended together. Enjoy!)

Belphie hated his job, he really, really hated his job. Sure, retail sucked and he’d killed quite a few shitty customers for being a pain in his ass, but this… this was hell. Actual hell was nothing compared to where he was working now. Lucifer had threatened him with this shit hole multiple times if he didn’t get his act together while working at Target, but he just laughed in the face of the oldest brother. It wasn’t until he got fired for almost getting into a fight with some guy who was complaining about the price of every item that Belphie had scanned that Lucifer finally put his foot down.

There was nothing, absolutely nothing, that was more awful to him than the constant sound of children screaming. Everyone knew that, even Lucifer knew, and maybe that’s why his brother had sent him there in the first place, but this was a nightmare. This was torture.

“Slow the hell down.” He grumbled to the group of kids that ran by him, an exhausted looking woman following behind them, probably too tired to even apologize to him for the children’s reckless behaviour. “Fucking hell, I need a nap.” He mumbled to himself, turning away from the exhibit that he was stationed to so he could finally take a break. It was his lunch break, and he never needed one more than he did today.

“Leaving so soon, Belph?” One of his coworkers called after him, and he could hear them walking faster behind him which made him speed up. It’s not that he actually hated them, they were just irritating. They loved their job, they were too peppy, too excited, it made him sick. How could anyone enjoy being in a place like this for eight hours or more a day? It didn’t make sense to him. “Hey! Can ya hear me?” They came up right beside him, and he fought the urge to snap at them, clenching his teeth and balling his fists in his pockets as he grunted in response. “I don’t know why you’re so grumpy. Don’t ya just love working on field trip days?!” They slapped his back, and although he knew it was a kind gesture, he tensed up, whipping his head quickly to look at the employee.

“No. I hate it, actually. And you… you scare me. I’ve seen a lot of scary shit, but your excitement with all of this…” He motioned his hands around the park before dropping his hands at his sides. “It scares the shit out of me. I’m taking my break now. Have fun or whatever. Leave me alone.” He didn’t really care how they reacted to what he said, and even if they went to the boss about it, the worst that could happen is that he’d get fired. Actually… that would be the best thing to happen. There couldn’t possibly be any place that’s worse than this. He’s actually hoping that they do go to the boss.

“Mister, can you help me, please?” Belphie didn’t know how, or why this kid singled him out as soon as he was coming back in from his break, but here it was, staring up at him expectantly… and he hated it. Could they not find literally anyone else? Why couldn’t they have gone to literally any other employee? It would have been simple, and anyone else would have been far more receptive to this nonsense than he is right now. “Please… They’re stuck in the thingy…. They can’t get out.” The kid pointed to the massive jungle gym contraption that climbed up almost to the ceiling in the center of the building.

It wasn’t the first time someone older than the age of twelve had gotten stuck in there, and most of the time he’d push off the task of saving another helpless parent onto one of the other employees who actually cared. He wanted to say no to this kid, but another part of him wanted to actually see this person. See how it was possible for someone to actually get stuck in the jungle gym. He might even find some sort of amusement in it. “Fine. Where are they?” The tone of agitation in his voice didn’t seem to affect the kid at all as they started walking towards the massive jungle gym, rambling about how their group chaperone got stuck while climbing up, and that the other kids in the group couldn’t get them out. “Yeah yeah, whatever…” He mumbled, rolling his eyes at the kid as they climbed back in.

“Don’t worry! I got one of the people to help!” The kid called to the person, and he couldn’t help but laugh when he heard their sigh of both annoyance and embarrassment. That was probably going to be the best part for him, seeing how embarrassed this person will be once he gets them out. Shit, maybe his boss will see it and give him some time off, or at least a raise, even though he feels he should be making more money anyway considering the shit he has to deal with on a daily basis.

“Move. Move it. Scoot over. Would you move?!” He basically yelled at the kids as he climbed down from the second floor of the jungle gym. This was a lot more physical activity and a lot more work in general, than he wanted to actually do today. He’s really hoping that once he gets to this person that their shame and humiliation would make his extra work worth it. It’s not that he particularly enjoyed the suffering of humans, but today just hasn’t been his day, so it would be kind of… nice.

When he got to them, their head was down, still looking at the children below them trying to pull them out from the bottom. The space was cramped, very tight, and now he could understand why so many people got stuck in there. Although now he couldn’t understand why anyone over the age of twelve would even attempt to climb in the thing. Their head finally lifted, looking up at him and he actually froze for a second. They were… cute, really cute. “Sorry about this… dang kids forced me into this thing.” Their flushed cheeks were a sure sign of their embarrassment, but it brought him a different feeling when he saw them. It wasn’t particularly enjoyable, it just made him smile, which felt weird. Genuinely smiling at work? What the hell was wrong with him?

For a second he just stared at them, and it didn’t even feel awkward, or maybe it was the fact that they hadn’t really pushed him to help pull them out. They were still smiling up at him, that is until one of the kids above him started yelling. “Hey! You need us to help ya?!” Within seconds the kids that were a floor above him had surrounded him, making it almost impossible for him to even move. He wouldn’t have tried so hard to hide his anger and irritation if the human didn’t start laughing, moving one hand up to motion to the kids behind him to get out of the way, and they actually listened.

“So uh… which one is yours?” It was a strange question to ask, but what was he supposed to do? It would have been more awkward to do this in complete silence. There was nothing wrong with a bit of small talk. They smiled proudly, looking up at the little girl who was peaking over the side of another ledge, watching as Belphie pushed the humans shoulders. “Oh… nice…” He was kind of disappointed, although it felt silly to feel that way. Of course one of the kids would be theirs, they were chaperoning on a field trip. What other reason would they have to be here?

“My sister, Audrah.” Sister… it was only their sister. He hoped that they didn’t hear the small sigh of relief that escaped him at the revelation. Not that there was anything wrong with them if the kid was theirs, he just dealt with kids all day, could someone blame him for not wanting to deal with them any more than he was paid to do? They waved to their sister and he turned around to see the kid waving back, smiling happily and letting out a little laugh as the human tried to wiggle free again, bringing his attention back to actually freeing them.

“Oh… right, yeah. I uh… I’m sure she’s happy that you’re here…” He mumbled, pushing on their shoulders again. He didn’t know what was more awkward, the small talk that he was trying to make or the fact that every time they spoke he would momentarily forget about freeing them, elongating the time it took to actually get them out. At least they weren’t complaining though.

They nodded up to him, still smiling even under these circumstances. “She’s very happy… and she’s the best kid in the group. Don’t tell the other kids though.” They teased, even though Belphie was pretty sure that they’d think their sibling was the best kid in the group no matter what. Sibling bias existed in all realms, so he understood the feeling.

With one final push he finally got the human free, watching from the little ledge as they wiggled their way all the way to the bottom before climbing out. He quickly followed after, not wanting to be stuck in that little space surrounded by those kids any longer. The human was still waiting at the bottom, most likely expecting one of the kids in their group to come out just based on their expression when he was the one who popped out. There was a lot that he wanted to say, they were attractive, and their smile was kind and genuine. It was usually something that would turn him off from anyone really, he just couldn’t see himself even being able to stand being around someone like that… Hell, that’s why he couldn't be around his coworker for more than five seconds. There was something about this human though… He didn’t want to let them go. “So… uhm…”

“Come on! We don’t have lotsa time!” One of the kids shouted, and he quickly turned around, making sure it wasn’t their sister before glaring at the little brat who had cut him off. He turned back to face them, but their group had already swarmed around the human, dragging them off somewhere else. He wouldn’t see them again, he already knew that much. It was weird to feel so disappointed about it too… And while he was usually hoping that the day would go faster so he could have some sort of peace and quiet, this time he just wanted a little more time. Maybe by some chance he’d be able to see them in passing… He just wanted to talk to them for a second.

Sitting in the little lunch area, he watched as the groups of children and their chaperones filed out of the building. His eyes scanned over everyone, but he couldn’t seem to find the human that he really wanted to see. They couldn’t have possibly left before he would have noticed… right? It would have been impossible… he’s been watching the whole time.

“Hurry, hurry! This is why I told you all to go to the bathroom twenty minutes ago. We’re gonna miss the bus and be stuck here.” His head had never turned so quickly, but that voice… It wasn’t coming from the line of people in front of him, but it was them. They were standing by the restrooms, anxiously rocking on their heels as they waited for the rest of the kids in their group to finish.

“Yay! Let’s get stuck here!” One of the kids shouted, and he almost snorted at their reaction. He could see their eyes roll, and their patient demeanor was definitely wearing thin by now. “Y/N doesn’t wanna be stuck! You wanna go home and take a nap, right?” Their sister said proudly, holding tightly onto their hand. He watched as they nodded, smiling down to their sister before turning back to the bathroom doors. Now was his chance, it was his only chance.

He got up, taking a deep breath as he walked over to where they stood. All the children surrounding them noticed him first, and their eyes on him almost made him turn right back around. “Oh! I’m sorry, I’ve got one more kid in there. They’re taking forever.” They said, sheepishly smiling to him. There was a reason that they got stuck, and maybe it was a sign that he should talk to them… or maybe that one kid drank way too much juice… Either way, he wasn’t going to let this opportunity pass by him.

“It’s alright… The kid couldn’t possibly take much longer.” He joked, and it felt… weird… to joke with them about the kid. That was something that one of the other employees would do, but not him… not in any other situation. They let out a small chuckle, shaking their head. He was sure that they were about to disagree until the bathroom door flew open and the kid walked out. He knew that he didn’t have much time, and they were already lining the kids up and counting heads. They were about to leave.

He grabbed a napkin and quickly scribbled his number on it, hoping that they’d be able to read it. They were already walking towards the door, and if it was for anything or anyone else, he would have just let it go. Nothing was worth running for, but them… they were worth it. He sprinted to the door just as they were about to walk out, grabbing their hand and placing the napkin in it. “Text me after your nap.” He didn’t even care how forward he sounded, but he could also feel his cheeks heating up just from saying it. They would know that he was listening and he wasn’t sure how they’d feel about it.

“Sure…” They looked down at the napkin for a second and then back up at him, letting out a small giggle as they folded it and slid it into their pocket. “I’ll text you later…”

[formerprincess]

A tale written with fangs and claws || Chapter 48

Chapters: 48/? Fandom: Teen Wolf (TV) Rating: Teen And Up Audiences Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings Relationships: Liam Dunbar/Theo Raeken, Corey Bryant/Mason Hewitt Characters: Liam Dunbar, Theo Raeken, Mason Hewitt, Corey Bryant, Nolan (Teen Wolf) 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, Top Theo Raeken, Bottom Theo Raeken, Top Liam, Bottom Liam Dunbar Series: Part 1 of Morning Dew Pack

Thanks to an idea from Mason, Liam becomes a volunteer for a school program. In the end, Liam gains so much more than he would have ever dreamed off and...steals a child?

A few days later, Theo and Liam sat with the rest of the pack plus Caden and ate their dinner. The room was filled with the delicious smell of their Chinese food and they all chatted with each other about their days and what they had experienced. Brett and Nolan talked about the meaning of flowers. Several days ago Brett had found a job in a small flower shop and he really loved it. It gave him something to do and was also useful for the pack since Brett brought his knowledge to their garden as well. And Nolan was amazed by what different flowers could say and what you could express through a bouquet. He asked question after question and Brett seemed happy to answer.

Liam had watched them but a sigh to his right made him turn away. Tim pocketed his phone and looked like he was in actual pain. He nudged his Beta. “What’s wrong, Timmy?” “My sister won another competition and she brags in the family chat and just asked me when the last time I won a gold medal had been.” “Your sister is a bitch.” Sometimes Liam’s mouth was faster than his brain and he said things he rather not have said. Right now was a perfect example. “I mean…Sorry.” “She is mean,” Tim concluded. “And she knows very well I have never won any trophy when it came to athletic tournaments. I’m just not good at sports.” “But you’re good at other things, shouldn’t that count?” Caden had listened to their conversation and now voiced his opinion softly. “Not for them.” Tim shook his head. “Huh.” Caden seemed baffled. “I can’t imagine having such a relationship with my siblings. I love them to pieces and they love me. They’re great.” “Lucky guy. I always thought it would get better when we grow older but it got worse instead.” Liam shook his head in disbelief. “I don’t get it. If I had a little sister or a little brother, I would try to maintain a great relationship with them and be proud of them, no matter what.” “That’s sweet of you.” Tim smiled slightly. Liam had always wanted a sibling when he had been a kid. Even when his mother and stepdad married, he had wished for a little brother or sister but sadly it never happened. “I would have loved to be a big brother,” he muttered. “You are our big brother!” Tim protested and Liam chuckled. “I know but I meant an actual little kid. Someone I can teach things and who maybe shares some of my hobbies. We could have gone to lacrosse games, for example, or go to the movies or draw pictures. That would have been awesome.” “Well, why don’t you become one?” Mason now chimed into their conversation. “There are programs like Big Brother & Sisters, why don’t you volunteer? That way you could also do a good deed. It’s not biological but the next closest thing.” Liam had never thought of this option but now that his best friend mentioned it, it sounded appealing. “You think I could volunteer?” “Why not? Mason shrugged casually. “There can never be too many volunteers.” “Huh,” Liam said, “You’re probably right. But what if I’m not the right person to volunteer?” “There’s only one way to get an answer to that question, Lee.”

The thought of volunteering didn’t leave him for the next days and he even went so far to research about some organizations doing this kind of stuff. Not all were for Liam though. Some had a higher age requirement or some asked for qualifications, so it was a bit tricky. One day he complained about that to Sadie after lacrosse practice when Rod overheard them. “Are you talking about those honorary Big Siblings programs?” The coach asked and peeked out of his office. “Yeah. I’m an only child and would have liked to meet a boy or girl I could be a big brother for, you know?” Liam explained. Rod pointed at him. “My son’s school has such a program. It’s not a big one, like those official things all over the country, but they do it to help some less fortunate children. Many of their students come from lower-income families and the school has many programs and activities to support them. I could ask my wife if she can give you the contact, she’s involved in chaperoning many of those activities.” “You would do that? Rod that would be amazing! Thank you in advance.” “I see what I can do, Liam. I always believed in charity and helping others. Maybe the team should do something for charity as well.” “Uh, that would be wonderful. Good publicity though,” Sadie declared. She was not wrong. 

And Roderick stayed true to his words. Next training he gave Liam the number of the school and the name of the responsible person. A really nice teacher named Sonya Melrose and she was over the moon of Liam wanting to volunteer as a Big Brother. She talked non-stop for at least ten minutes about the program and the kids involved. It was announced as an after-school activity as the music club for example so the kids could choose if they wanted to attend or not and didn’t feel pressured. That they felt good was the most important thing and Liam could get behind that. He willingly answered the questions she then had for him and then stated his e-mail-address so she could send him all the documents he needed to fill out for his application. 

“Jesus, look at all these forms,” he muttered when he printed what she had sent him. “I’m surprised they didn’t ask for my blood type.” “I think they’re just cautious when it comes to the children. Sure, you can lie on these forms but you need some sort of basic information about the people taking part in your program,” Theo said without looking up from his book. Liam glanced over. The older sat on the couch in the library, Aka next to him and his head on Theo’s leg, and the Beta read while he gently petted the dog every now and then. It looked domestic.  “I get this. It’s still a lot and I hate filling out forms.” “It’s for a good cause. Just think of the little kid getting you as Big Brother. How happy they will be.” “You think they will be happy about getting paired with me?” Liam wanted whatever kid would be paired with him to like him and so he naturally worried about that not being the case. Theo often said Liam was likable but you could never be so sure. “They will be over the moon. You are a great big brother to our pack, even to me, and we learned in the past kids love you. Just don’t touch any finger paint and glitter, okay? Or if you do, don’t touch my truck.” “You are still traumatized by that, what?” “I see it in my dreams. It was a pain in the ass to clean it.” Liam just snickered and began to fill out the forms. The sooner he could send them back, the sooner he would get a Little Sibling. 

****** It took a few days after Liam sent the forms back before he got the confirmation. The school had approved of everything Liam sent them and also mentioned that Ayla Mays, Roderick’s wife, had vouched for Liam being responsible and a good addition to the program so they would spare the interview usually following the application. Instead, they were happy to welcome Liam as Big Brother. Corey was the only one who witnessed the little victory dance Liam made when he received the email and for a moment Liam worried the other would split his face in half with the large grin he had on but Corey promised he would be fine. “If the program is as good as it looks, I might join as well,” he then added.  Liam smirked. “I’m sure you would be an amazing Big Brother as well.” Corey shrugged. “You never know. I will consider it if they don’t kick you out after a week,” he joked and laughed at Liam’s piqued face.  But then Liam’s phone announced another mail and he got all the details at what day the program would take part and when Liam should arrive at the school to meet Mrs. Melrose so Corey was safe of any teasing from Liam. 

****** When the day finally came, Liam arrived a few minutes earlier than appointed and admired the colorful paintings on the walls, all undoubtedly made by the children attending the school. He heard singing from one classroom and music from another one. Rod had not been wrong when he said the school offered many activities after school. 

“Are you Liam?” A black haired teacher in her early thirties had stepped out of a classroom and made her way over to him in large steps. She smiled and extended her hand to greet him. “I am, yes. Nice to meet you.” Liam shook her hand and smiled. “Perfect, perfect. My name is Sonya Melrose and I’m in charge of chaperoning the Big Brother – Big Sister program. I am always happy to welcome new volunteers. These kids deserve someone they can look up to and who goes out of their way to make them feel special. By the way, thank you for filling out all the forms I sent you. This makes it easier today and we can jump right into it. You would wonder how often people discuss with us if they have to fill out everything.” “I don’t get why. I hate filling out forms but I know why I’m doing it so there’s no point in discussing.” Liam shrugged. 

“I agree, I never understand it either but that’s how it is. Now let me explain to you how this will work. From experiences, we learned the kids feel comfortable in the school environment while meeting new people, so for the first few weeks, the meetings would take place here. We can schedule it so it works with your plan as well. It’s also to make sure the kids are in good hands, I hope you don’t mind that. The forms are one thing but seeing how the children react to the volunteers is another thing.” “Oh, I understand, don’t worry. There are people without good intentions in this world, sadly. Meeting here is fine by me.” “You can paint, play or read, use whatever we have in the classroom and in the playground behind the building to have a fun time with your Little Sibling,” she explained. The big smile gave away how much she loved what she was doing and how much she cared for the program. It made Liam smile too. The world needed more teachers like her.

“Based on the questionnaire you filled out, I picked a child for you in advance and I’m positive you both will get along great. His name is Landon, he’s currently nine years old. He is a bit shy, don’t mind that, and sometimes he gets scared when he’s around people he doesn’t know well. But he is willing to participate in this program yet we never had the perfect person for him until now. I think you are a good match.” “I hope so. He sounds like a great little guy.” Liam was excited to meet the little boy. The shy part reminded Liam about himself when he had been very little. His friendship with Mason made him get out of his shell, but Liam remembered little him hiding behind his mother’s legs when strangers approached and barely talking to neighbors or old friends of his mother’s.

Mrs. Melrose now led Liam into the classroom. It was a large room with a little library and reading corner with bean bags in one corner, some colorful tables littered with paints, brushes, and other material to get creative, a spot where you could build with toy blocks, another spot littered with plushies and toys, a door across the room led outside and to the playground. Big windows soaked the room in sun and it was a happy place. A girl and a woman were at the tables and finger-painted with glittery colors. They laughed together and showed their hands to each other. A man and a boy were playing soccer outside. “He’s over there.” The teacher pointed towards the reading corner and Liam followed her over. In a red bean sack sat a thin boy wearing a grey shirt and jeans shorts with little red sneakers, completely lost in a book concerning the animals living in the ocean. “Landon? The young man I picked as your Big Brother is here. Would you like to meet him?” Landon looked up and the first things Liam noticed were his big blue eyes. Now, Liam himself had countless encounters where people gushed to his mom how pretty his eyes were and how many girls would kill for those eyes. It always made Liam blush and he didn’t know what to say. To him, his eyes were not the most striking feature about him (He didn’t know what the most striking feature about him was but nobody asked for it anyway, so thank you very much). Yet, Liam couldn’t help but notice the boys’ eyes. Seemed like the first thing they had in common, as superficial as it may seem. It was a start. Landon now looked at Liam with curiosity written all over his young face. His skin was fair, almost pale but maybe he had been sick before or didn’t like to be outside very much, and a button nose. His smile was shy, hesitant as if he was afraid to show emotion, but he couldn’t hide his curiosity. Liam crouched down so they were eye to eye. “Hey, Landon, my name is Liam, it’s nice to meet you.” He held out his hand as he greeted the boy and Landon looked at it for a moment before he shook it.  “You’re an L too, just like me. It’s nice to meet you.” His voice was still a bit hesitant but the usual child-like innocence came through. “I’m an L as well, yeah.” Liam smiled. Mrs. Melrose squeezed his shoulder and then excused herself so the two boys could get to know each other better. 

Landon held the book up. “I’m reading about the ocean. Do you like the ocean? Dolphins and sharks live there.” “Oh, I like the sea very much. Turtles live in the sea as well.” “I like turtles.” Landon skipped a few pages in the book and showed Liam a large picture of a turtle swimming underwater. Liam sat next to him and admired the picture. “But my dad says they are weak compared to sharks. He likes sharks because of their teeth.” “And your mother? Does she also like turtles?” Landon shook his head. “I don’t have a mommy. She died when I was born.” He fidgeted with the edge of the book. “It’s my fault she is dead, you know?” “What?” Liam had not really expected a child to say that. “Who told you that?” Landon’s eyes widened in panic and he seemed to realize what he said. “No one. She went to heaven when I was born so I know that.” His chemosignals turned sour and sad. Liam made a face but then he tried to be positive. “I’m sure she is your personal angel and watches over you every day. My personal angel is my grandfather. He watches over me as well.” “You believe in angels?” Landon asked curiously and Liam nodded. “Sure. Why not?” “Because angels are dumb, says my dad.”  “Hm, maybe he says that because he as never seen an angel before,” Liam thought out loud.  “Have you ever seen an angel before?” Now Landon was all ears and completely excited. His eyes sparkled.  “I have never seen an angel but I know there are some things on this earth most people don’t know about.” It was the most innocent description Liam could give. He sure as hell wouldn’t tell a child about werewolves and witches.  “Liam, want to draw angels with me?” Landon pointed at the crafting tables. Liam nodded.  “I’d love that very much.”

****** When Liam came home he and Landon had drawn for a while and then read the book about the ocean together. They also talked and learned some things about each other. Liam now knew Landon’s favorite color was yellow and he liked to play soccer. Liam promised him they could play soccer next time and the boy beamed happily at him. They parted on a very good note and Mrs. Melrose had also expressed how happy she was about that.  “He really opened up to you. You two had an instant connection, a wonderful thing to see.” “Thanks for pairing us together,” Liam replied and then bid goodbye to drive home. 

At the house, his pack was literally pouncing him and asking all kind of questions. “How did it go?” “Did you get a boy or a girl?” “What did you do?” “How are they? I bet they love you already.” Liam laughed. “It’s a boy, his name is Landon and he’s nine. He is the sweetest little boy I ever met in my entire life. A bit shy but his teacher said he’s always like this. He reminds me of me in elementary school, before my IED really broke through and all, and not only because he’s also blond and has blue eyes. We colored and then read a book and he asked me all kind of questions. His mom died during childbirth and so it’s only him and his dad.” “He sounds lovely,” Maya said with a smile. “A great match for you. When are you bringing him over?” “The school would like to keep the meetings in the school environment for the first few weeks so that might take a little while,” Liam explained while he grabbed himself a bottle of water and opened it to take a sip. “Next time we want to play soccer. He likes playing soccer.” “With you as Big Brother, he will learn to love lacrosse as well,” Theo teased lightly and kissed Liam. “Dinner’s almost ready, by the way. Maya and Lori were in charge.” “Ah, thank you, guys, I’m starving.”

****** “And that’s my best friend Mason, we’ve been friends since kindergarten. He’s like my brother.” Liam showed Landon pictures on his phone and told him who every single member of the core pack was. Landon was incredibly interested in learning more about Liam and his friends and he loved seeing pictures. Now he blinked up at Liam. “I’m your brother too, right? Your Little Brother.” He smiled. “Yeah, you are. I have two brothers now. You and Mason.” The more time he spent with Landon the more he liked the little one. Three weeks since they first met already and every meeting was still filled with lots of laughter and learning things about each other. 

Liam continued to browse through the pictures and landed on one picture of him and Theo posing for the camera with their arms wrapped around each other’s waist. Landon pointed on it. “Is he like your brother too? You seem to like him very much.” To be honest, Liam had not called Theo his boyfriend yet and just said he was someone really important to Liam. He had no idea how to really breach the subject of bisexuality and same-sex relationships to a child and he didn’t know how Landon had been raised in this regards. Now he huffed. “Theo is my...boyfriend actually. I love him and he loves me.” Landon frowned. “Boyfriend? Love him like a mom loves a dad?” “Yeah, just like that. We kiss and hold hands and all that stuff.” “Hm.” The boy thought about this. “My dad says two men can’t love each other. It’s against nature. And two women can’t love each other but he still watches this with his friends.” “He watches it with his...Oh god!” The mental picture made Liam pinch the bridge of his nose. What type of parent watched those videos when your child was around? He groaned internally and Landon poked him.  “Liam, are you alright?” “Yeah, yeah, I’m fine.” He decided to cover his horror. “Say, Landon, do you also think men shouldn’t love men?” Landon tilted his head. “I don’t. Is he nice to you?” Liam chuckled. “He’s very nice.” “Then I’m okay with it. Can you show me more pictures?” “Sure.” Liam smiled softly. Children were so innocent and it was proof how much some parents influenced their kids. He was happy Landon seemed to be too carefree to have any prejudices against Liam and his relationship. 

They landed on a picture of Liam and his mom and Landon grabbed the phone to study it. He then studied Liam. “You look like her. She is very pretty. But you don’t have her eyes.” “I have my father’s eyes, yes. My mom is pretty, I agree.” “Do you have a picture of your father in your phone too?” Liam shook his head. “My father is not with us. He’s gone.” “Oh. Is he in heaven like mommy?” “No. You know, sometimes mommies and daddies don’t stay together and daddies leave. He’s somewhere in this world, I don’t know.” Liam waved it off. “But my mom married a few years later and he became my dad. That’s him.” He showed Landon a picture of Lucas. “What about dad, Landon? Does he helps you with your homework and plays soccer with you? Want to tell me something about him?”

A wave of sadness hit his nose and Liam frowned in response to that. He looked down at Landon. The blonde boy played with the seam of his shirt and moved his shoes on the floor. “He doesn’t like soccer and he’s mostly with his friends,” he explained sadly. “He doesn’t really play with me, he’s busy.” “I’m sorry.” Liam raised a hand and Landon flinched suddenly. The movement came so fastly and unexpectedly Liam was surprised and his hand lingered in the air ere he dropped it again.  “It’s alright,” Landon said. “Are those your dogs?” He had clicked on the next picture in Liam’s phone. 

Liam’s eyes lingered on the boy’s form for a moment. Something was strange about the way Landon talked about his father but he could not really name it. He could not shake these thoughts, not when he further talked about his friends and pack and not when he was at home and sat in the kitchen, eating a yogurt. 

“I think Landon’s dad is a jerk,” he suddenly announced to Theo who had stepped into the kitchen, skateboard under his arm.  “A part of me tells me I will regret asking but why is that so?” Theo grabbed a bottle of water.  “He seems too busy to spend time with his son. He’s also a homophobe.” “Two very unfriendly traits, I give you that but so what? There are many parents out there who would never win a Parent of the Year award and yet they still take care of their kids. My father also never really spent time with me, you know that.” Theo stepped to him. “I also know this look on your face, little Alpha. You’re not interfering in that boy’s family drama!” Liam made a face of outrage. “I wasn’t going to!” “I know you,” Theo reminded him and kissed him. “You can’t save anybody from any bad experience. If there was something wrong, school surely would take action. Stay out of it,” he warned Liam and pecked his lips one last time.  “Yeah, yeah, go to the skate park and stop patronizing me!” Liam shooed his mate away and Theo really left him alone. 

He wasn’t alone for long when Tim came home. He unceremoniously dropped his bag on the floor. “Do we have any headache pills us weres can use?” “I’m afraid not,” Liam denied. “Classes that hard today?” “There was this group in the coffee shop and their laughter...Do you know those people with those loud and annoying laughs? The whole group laughed like that. I can still hear it. I’m the last person to make fun of anyone but my head hurts from their laughter so much,” he whined and rubbed his temples.  “I don’t think pills will help you but maybe Ever has a potion she can give you. Just go ask her.” “She’s on a date with Caden. I think I will take a nap.” Tim dragged himself upstairs just when Brett entered the kitchen. 

“What is this? Relay?” Liam asked sarcastically.  The tall werewolf yawned and stretched. “I like working at the flower shop but today was insanely busy so leave me alone!” “Uh, someone’s cranky. Is this just because of work?” Liam questioned and continued to eat his yogurt.  Brett dropped in the chair next to him. “I need sex again! Don’t laugh! I considered this and I came to the conclusion I need the physical activity. My hormones are in overdrive.” He gave Brett a strange look. “Just sex or do you want someone like Ever? Someone to go on dates and kiss and be cute.” “He gave her a teddy bear the other day. Who wants that? I’m not made for being a romantic.” Brett shuddered as if that was the greatest horror he ever saw.  “It was an owl, not a bear. She likes owls,” Liam corrected and Brett rolled his eyes. “Also, I’m sticking with what I told you at the zoo. One day you will find someone and then it will come easily to you. And you probably get as much sex out of it as you want.” “Talking from experience, Dunbar?” “Hey, I have an amazing sex life.” Liam grinned. “Have you seen the man I’m sharing a bed with?” “I hate you so much right now!” Brett shook his head. “The thought of me being in a relationship just doesn’t work for me. I’m not made for that type of commitment.” “One day you will find...” “Shut up!” Brett grabbed an apple from the fruit bowl and threw it at Liam’s head. Liam’s hand shot up and he caught the apple without missing a beat. Brett stared. “Fuck, I forgot Alpha reflexes are faster.” “I’d love to play lacrosse with you now,” Liam smirked again and Brett huffed.  “I bet you would. But for now, I need a cold shower. Ice cold.” He spun around and stormed upstairs.  “One day you will find your one true love and it will be wonderful!!” Liam yelled after him just because he could and he knew it annoyed Brett. None one ever said the Alpha was mature all the time. 

****** “Hey, buddy, I made some cupcakes yesterday and brought some for you. Hope you like double chocolate?” Buddy had somehow become one of the nicknames Liam had for Landon. The younger always giggled when he heard it and this time was no different. But then he stared at the box full of cupcakes as if he was not sure if they were there or not.  “You can bake?” “Yeah. I bake and I cook and even want to make this my career after college. Why is this so surprising?” Liam sometimes had a hard time to understand where Landon was coming from.  “Dad says cooking and baking is the woman’s duty and it’s gay for a man to cook. But you are a man. I don’t understand.” He shook his head. “Hey,” Liam knelt down. “There are many women who cook and bake for their families, that is true, but I also like it. It doesn’t matter if you’re a boy or a girl; when you like something you like it. And nobody should judge that. This is important, okay? Never let somebody judge you because you do the things you like. Not even your dad.” Landon gnawed on his lower lip. And then he asked very quietly: “Well, can you show me?” “How to cook?” Liam inquired and Landon nodded.  “I’d love to. When Mrs. Monrose says you and I can meet somewhere else, you come to our house and we cook together, okay?” Landon beamed happily and pressed the box with the cupcakes against his chest. “I’m so happy you became my Big Brother, Liam.” “I’m happy too, bud.”  This time Landon didn’t even flinch when Liam raised his hand and ruffled his hair. Liam took it as a sign that the kid trusted him more and more. 

“I also brought a new book about the wildlife in Africa. Want to read it with me?” “Uuhh, we’re currently talking about Africa in school. Did you know the Lion King takes place there?” “I had no idea. You’re so smart, buddy.” Liam smiled at the nine-year-old and Landon gave a shy smile back.  “I like to learn things,” he simply brushed it off. It was a habit Liam had noticed a few times already. While his little buddy was usually a happy child, he seemingly had a hard time accepting praise. It again reminded Liam of himself as little kid, especially when he had been under the influence of his biological father.  “You're not used to people praising you, huh?” Liam stated matter-of-factly. “The teachers tell me I do good.” Landon nodded. “What about your dad? Isn’t he proud of you and tells you that?” Landon’s face turned passive. “My dad is my dad. He takes care of me,” he said defensively.  “Of course, of course. He does. I didn’t mean to insult his job as a dad. I’m sorry, bud.” He felt sorry for making the kid mad. His little friend just shrugged.  “Can we read the book?” “Sure.” 

And still, Liam couldn’t shake the thoughts off. He had a problem with how Landon’s father acted and he couldn’t get it out of his head, even when he was at home. 

“Stop that!” Mason scolded when Liam voiced his thoughts.  “Stop what?” Liam questioned innocently but his best friend flicked his nose.  “You’re projecting. Just because you had a piece of shit as a father doesn’t mean Landon suffers the same fate. Yes, his dad might not be the greatest but you are comparing the two of you and that’s unfair. You went through totally different experiences than Landon himself. Stop seeing yourself in him!” “You sound like Theo,” Liam grumbled while he rubbed his nose. “Why do the two of you always have to be that rational?” “Because we can and somebody has to make sure you’re not completely losing your marbles. Because right now you’re obsessing about saving the kid from something that isn’t even there. Or has he ever gave you any reason to believe his dad abuses him?” “No.” Liam had to admit that. There were no unusual bruises or contusions on his arms or legs or in his face and he didn’t act like he was in pain. “Maybe you’re right. Maybe I am just comparing him with me at age seven. I should probably stop that.” “You can bet I am right and you absolutely stop that,” Mason confirmed with a firm nod.   

****** Liam was running late. He had stopped by a coffee shop near Landon’s school to grab himself an iced coffee and a muffin for his Little Brother but the line had been so long that when Liam finally received his order, he had to run back to his car and sped towards the school. 

How he managed to arrive on time was a minor miracle but it gave him time to chuck down a large gulp of his coffee. And just because life was unfair and the cup could, the lid opened and the liquid spilled down the front of Liam’s light blue shirt.  “Son of a fucking bitch!” Liam cursed loudly and an elderly woman glared at him when she passed by his car. He paid her no mind and grabbed a tissue to wipe away on his shirt. He growled.  “Fuck, fuck, fuck!” The stain was huge and there was no way Liam would show up with coffee all over his shirt. He jammed the cup into the cup holder and then reached for his bag sitting in the backseat. It contained his lacrosse gear which he had washed and already packed in his car for the next training. He dragged the bag towards him and opened it, digging for his jersey.  He found it and pulled it out with a triumphant yell. Liam didn’t care the slightest he was still in his car when he pulled his stained t-shirt over his head and put his jersey on. Not the best outfit but for now it would do and Landon surely wouldn’t mind. His second-favorite color was blue so he probably would like Liam’s navy blue jersey. 

When he was finally dressed Liam dashed out of his car and sped towards the school’s entrance while locking the car over his shoulder. His sneakers squeaked on the linoleum floor when he dashed down the hallway. He almost ran into Sonya Melrose and she squeaked. “Shit, sorry, Mrs. Melrose.” The young Alpha stopped in the doorframe. “Didn’t mean to scare you.” “No, no. I’m alright,” she declared yet she put a hand over her heart. “But good that I see you before you speak to Landon today. He’s in a bad mood but won’t tell me what’s wrong. He seems distressed.” She pointed to the crafting table where Landon sat but didn’t craft and cuddled a plush octopus instead. His posture was sunken as if he wanted to curl up in himself and didn’t want anybody to see him. Liam immediately pitied him.  “I’ll see what I can do. Thanks for telling me.”

The twenty-years-old made his way over to Landon and sat down on one of the chairs next to him. “Hey, thundercloud, who has eaten your bowl of sunshine this morning?” He asked light-heartedly. The scowl on Landon’s face didn’t disappear but he cast a look at Liam.  “Nothing.” “Are you sure?” He didn’t even think about it when he reached out and put his hand on Landon’s naked arm. The boy was wearing a red t-shirt and so Liam didn’t even have to move any clothing, however, the minute his fingers came in contact with the skin, Liam saw black veins creep up and he hastily withdrew his hand. He didn’t even mean to but he had begun to take Landon’s pain. The little one was hurting! “Landon, are you hurt? What happened?” The scared look he gave Liam made the Alpha’s stomach churn. He had a flashback to seven-year-old him, scared and hurt from his father’s hits. “I fell. From the swing, yesterday after school.”  Tears shimmered in Landon’s blue eyes and he blinked. “I fell on my arm. I’m clumsy.” “Shh, shh, it’s okay?” Liam gently rubbed Landon’s back. “Did you dad take you to a doctor after it happened?” Landon hesitated and his little heartbeat skyrocketed. “He said I should stop crying. Crying is weak. It would teach me how to be strong.”  “Oh, baby boy,” Liam said, voice filled with emotion. “It’s okay to cry when you’re hurt. That’s normal, everyone does.”  Landon wrapped his arms around himself. The movement made his sleeve lift a little bit and Liam saw the bruise on his upper arm. He stopped short. His childhood had been filled with falling from swings and other things on the playground and so Liam knew the bruises coming with those accidents. That didn’t look like a bruise from falling off a swing. It looked like someone had violently closed their hand around Landon’s upper arm...

“Landon, come here.” Liam moved closer so nobody could overhear what they were saying. “Look at me.” Landon did and there were still tears glistening in his eyes. It broke Liam’s heart. Physical pain he could take but he couldn’t take the pain from a hurt soul.  “My biological father, he was very mean to me. He shouted and said very mean things and he liked to make me cry and then yell at me. But he also hurt me. Very often. I’m telling you this to show you it’s okay if you want to tell me something. I’m not going to be mad at you, it’s not your fault. But, buddy, does your father hurt you?” The child looked absolutely terrified at that and while he shook his head so fast Liam worried he would give himself whiplash, his heartbeat gave it away. He was panicking. “My dad takes care of me. He is my dad,” he repeated the same sentence from days before. Liam knew from experience putting pressure on the kid wouldn’t get him anywhere, so he grabbed a piece of paper and a pen from the table nearby. “Okay. I’m sure he does.” He wrote down his address and his phone number and then he carefully folded the paper to hand it over. “Let’s do it that way. This is my address and my number. I want you to have it. You can always call me, no matter what time it is. Whenever you fall off a swing again, you can call me, okay?”  Landon’s fingers trembled when he reached for the piece of paper. “Okay,” he said meekly.  “Do you want to write down your address as well?” Liam gently prompted and Landon hesitated again, But then he grabbed the pen and scribbled down his own address. Liam took it and put it in the pocket of his jeans.  “What do you think? Should I grab one of your favorites books from the reading corner and read it to you? Your little friend can read with us.” He pointed at the plushie and Landon pressed it against his chest. He nodded. It was probably for the best to give him something to take his mind off. Poor little guy.

Liam got up and walked over to the reading corner. He knew where Landon’s favorite book stood and grabbed it without looking.  When he turned around and walked back to Landon, the younger boy stared at him, wide-eyed and shock clearly written all over his face. Liam had no idea what happened but his buddy looked like he saw a ghost.  “Is this your last name?” He questioned and grabbed the seam of Liam’s jersey with his hand.  “On my back? Yeah, that’s my lacrosse jersey. My name is Liam Dunbar.” They had never talked about last names since they met they always had been Landon and Liam. And now Landon stared at Liam and suddenly flung himself at the young Alpha. His tiny arms wrapped around Liam’s waist and he pressed his face against Liam’s stomach.  “Whoa, hey, what’s wrong, buddy?” He really started to worry, especially when Landon began to sob quietly. Liam gently wrapped his arms around Landon as well and held him. It seemed like Landon needed someone to console him. 

Their little moment was interrupted by some ruckus at the door. A man had arrived and argued with Mrs. Monrose. Liam’s sensitive nose picked up the smell of alcohol and he frowned. That guy stank like a whole bar but since he still stood on his own two feet and walked straight meant he was used to drinking a lot. Landon’s teacher tried to talk to him in a civil manner but soon gave up and made a beeline for Landon and Liam. “Landon, your father is here to pick you up,” she announced tightly and Liam felt Landon tense. And then his friend moved away from Liam as if he had been burned and wiped his face.  “I’m coming,” he said and then walked over to his father. It turned Liam’s full attention to the man for the first time and he felt like the air had been knocked out of his lungs.  He watched how the man grabbed Landon by the hand and dragged him out while chiding him for not coming home after school immediately. Landon said nothing and just took his father yelling at him while he led them out and Liam felt like throwing up. Blood boiled in his veins and his stomach twisted in so many knots, it hurt. His throat was dry and he couldn’t speak but even if he had been able to, Liam was at loss for words. A thousand thoughts in his mind and nothing made sense. This was surreal. 

A car engine broke him out of his stupor and Liam ran outside, after Landon. Man and child were gone and it felt like a switch had been turned. Liam worked on autopilot when he got into his car and drove back home. Mind still spinning it was probably good that way since Liam paid no real attention to the traffic. Tears were burning in his eyes when he thought about Landon and how sad he had been. His heart ached and his stomach twisted in some more knots again. 

Theo’s truck was parked in the driveway when Liam came home and he immediately called for his mate when he entered the house. Or rather yelled. “THEO!!! THEO!!!!” “Library!” Theo came running and they met in the hallway. “What’s wrong? Liam, what happened?” He gripped Liam’s shoulders and checked him for any superficial injuries. “Are you hurt? You’re shaking. Baby, what’s wrong?” “I need you because I’m about to lose it. I don’t know how long I can hold it in. Please, help me! I can’t.” He grabbed Theo’s wrists.  “Calm down, deep breaths. Just try to focus on my heartbeat. And then tell me what happened. I’m here, everything will be okay.” But it didn’t help Liam, not this time. His grip on Theo’s wrist had to hurt but his boyfriend didn’t flinch. “Landon was sad today and he was hurt. There was a bruise on his arm and then I met his father. I know his father.” “Liam, Liam, deep breaths. You’re close to hyperventilating. Take deep breaths.”

Liam felt tears prickle in his eyes again when he now shouted at Theo. “Don’t you get it?? Landon’s father is the same man that tormented me for years! His father is Emmet Dunbar!” He felt the tears beginning to fall and he could do nothing about it. “And that means the boy a teacher in a program chose as my Little Brother...” “Is your actual little brother,” Theo finished the sentence and then frowned. “Are you really sure? Sometimes people look alike.” “I know my biological father! I know his voice, it’s etched in my memories. Besides, Landon said the same things I used to say. My dad is my dad. Crying is weak. Nothing’s changed, the man is still the same alcoholic he was back then and he still hits his son.” “Did Landon tell you that? That his father abuses him? I get why you’re thinking it but did he confirm?” Liam glared at Theo. “He didn’t have to. I know how a child acts when it’s a victim of domestic violence,” he snapped and Theo flinched. Liam felt immediately sorry for snapping at his boyfriend.  “I’m sorry. I...I just don’t know...” He shrugged helplessly and wiped away some tears. He was way over his head with this and he had absolutely no idea how he was supposed to react. What was the protocol for this?  Theo proofed how great he was at reading Liam because he didn’t even comment on the Alpha snapping at him but wrapped his arms around Liam and pulled him into a tight embrace. Having his anchor’s warmth and scent around him helped Liam feel more grounded than before, though his head was still spinning. He wrapped his arms around Theo’s waist. 

“What is your plan? What will you do?” Theo inquired after they stood there for a while and just held each other.  Liam shook his head. “No idea. I feel like I should drive there, to their house.” “And then? If you’re right, and I’m unfortunately pretty sure you are right, your father won’t be the right person to have a normal conversation with. You’re riled up, I don’t want you to make a mistake.” It was his mate’s logical way of thinking that Liam needed. He was impulsive and ruled by his emotions, he needed Theo to keep him in check. Running to the next fight surely was not the right solution to their problem. But really, Liam didn’t know what was...

He groaned and let go of Theo to lean against the wall and slide down until he sat on the floor. Theo sat next to him and took Liam’s hand in his.  “This is so crazy. What are the odds? I mean, come on, who would have thought? He met another woman and had a child with her three years after my parents divorced.” Liam played with Theo’s fingers, it helped him stay as calm as he could at the moment.  “It’s undoubtedly crazy but that kind of explains why you and Landon had such a connection right from the start.”  “Hm, maybe. I don’t know if this brotherly bound is really a thing if you didn’t grow up together.”  “Looks like it is,” Theo stated and gently bumped his shoulder against Liam’s. It made Liam smile weakly. 

And then his phone rang. When Liam pulled it out of his pocket, an unknown number flashed on the screen and he accepted the call with a confused look. "Hello, it’s Liam.” First, there were just sniffles and Liam was inclined to hang up when a small voice spoke. “Liam, hello?” “Landon? Its that you? Hey, buddy. What’s going on?” He put the call on speaker so Theo could hear better.  Landon sniffled again. “He got mad when we came home. It is really bad. He...he said he saw me hugging you and he didn’t like me hugging strangers. He got really mad and he punched me.” The child started crying again and it broke Liam’s heart. A powerful wave of the need to protect rushed through Liam.  “Where is he now? Is he still around?” “No, he...went to his friend. Can you come and get me? He’s drinking again.” It wasn’t even a question, Liam was already on his feet before Landon had finished the question. “I will be there as fast as I can, buddy. Stay calm, okay? I’m coming.”

He ended the call, already on his way out and towards the car. Theo hurried after him and grabbed his arm.  “You can’t drive, not in the state you’re currently in. Let me drive!” He said and unlocked his truck. Again, Liam was happy to have this man.  “Thank you,” he said when he climbed into the passenger seat. Theo just nodded and turned on the ignition. The couple didn’t speak for the drive aside from Liam telling Theo the address. 

The neighborhood Landon lived in consisted of small houses and trailers with parched gardens, trash on the brown grass and in the dusty streets. Liam had expected his little one to live in a sad neighborhood but this outstripped his concerns.  Theo parked in front of a very small house with brown paint on the walls and a grey roof. The color looked bleached from sunlight and spalled. Cigarette ends and empty beer bottles and cans littered the yard and an empty camping chair revealed Emmet’s favorite place to sit. Nothing gave away that a child lived her, it looked sad and unfriendly. How could Landon play here and be a happy child? Liam’s stomach twisted again.  “I’m happy you are here with me. I don’t know what will happen when I meet him,” he mumbled towards Theo. Theo hummed. “I’m your anchor. You won’t lash out on him, you’re better than that. And I’m here to remind you of that. Don’t worry.” It still felt better to have that one person by his side who could reign him in and had always been good at keeping a grip on Liam. It made the situation a little less overwhelming. Liam still knew he needed his anchor now more than ever. 

The front door was crooked, paint also spalling down there. It made a rustling sound when Liam knocked. “Landon? It’s me. Are you there?” He listened for anything inside and heard nothing at first but then tiny footsteps came from inside and then the door slowly opened. Landon peeked out and when he saw it was just Liam (and well Theo but not his father) he wrenched the door opened. Tears were streaming down his face and his left cheek was red, already slightly swollen from undoubtedly Emmet’s hand. Anger boiled up inside Liam but he willed it down for now and knelt down.  “He talked about you! Said I’m just as much of a sissy as his first failure of a son. He called you Liam, the weakling. Always, when he was really really drunk and angry.”  “Shh, forget that it’s not important anymore. I’m here now and he will never ever yell at you,” Liam promised him. “Where did he hurt you? What did he do?” “He punched me and grabbed my arm.” Landon showed him the bruises on his upper arm. Theo growled behind him and Liam pulled his little brother in a protective hug.  “I’m here now. He will never hurt you again,” he vowed to the crying child in his arms. Landon pressed against him and fisted Liam’s shirt in his hands.  “Please. I’m scared. I don’t want to get hurt anymore.” “I know, I know.” Liam gently rubbed his back and kissed Landon on top of his head. 

“Liam...”, Theo said but was cut off by: “What is going on here?” Liam’s froze. The slurred words behind him alerted him to the arrival of the person he really didn’t want to see. He had heard him approach and his wolf snarled inside him. He pried himself away from Landon and slowly got up to his full height. 

“Landon, what are you doing with this losers?” gurgled Emmet.  Liam turned around. He took his time accessing his father, the bloodshot eyes, the filthy appearance, and how he swayed on his feet. It disgusted him. The young Alpha slowly stepped closer to his begetter. “Don’t remember me? Come on, did you drink your brain away that much? I get that I got older but really, you don’t remember the face of a boy you last saw in court when he was seven years old? That’s bad, even for you.” Realization gleamed in Emmet’s eyes and he scoffed. “Would you look at that, my failure of a firstborn. I’d have never expected you pussy here.” He clicked his fingers. “Landon! Come here!” Except Liam blocked the way between his father and his brother. “He is not a dog! And he won’t obey anymore. I won’t let you abuse my brother any longer.” Emmet laughed scornfully. “How cute, the two brothers found each other. I don’t have time for that. Landon, go and buy me some beer at the gas station before I make you!” Liam growled and made a few more steps. Theo’s hand closed around his wrist and stopped him from inching even closer to Emmet. The distance was better to stay in control. But Emmet saw it and glared at the two young men. “Don’t tell me you are a fag. That is disgusting. You aren’t my son.” “Go to hell. He surely doesn’t want to be your son,” Theo coldly chimed in and if looks could kill Emmet would have died right then and there.  But Emmet kept on drunkenly rambling. “This happens when you don’t have a real man in your life. I am ashamed. A weak sissy, nothing more. Fucking cock-sucker!”

Liam growled and was faster in front of his father than he would have imagined after he yanked his wrist out of Theo’s grip. One hand grabbed the front of Emmet’s shirt and pulled him in, the other raised as a fist and ready to strike. “You deserve to get every bone broken in your lousy body. You’re calling Landon and me weak? Look at you! You’re hitting innocent children, people smaller than you! Your life is so fucking miserable, you have to hate on others and you drink so much, you can’t stand straight anymore. There is nothing I want more than to ram my fist into your face and only stop when you have no teeth left. Do to you what you do to others,” he snarled menacingly. “But you know what? I have a mother and she made sure I never turn into the type of person you are. I have many reasons not to become like you, you little rat! If I were you I would thank my mother and my friends, especially my boyfriend, that you’re leaving this confrontation on your own two feet and not in an ambulance. Because they all made me better than you will ever be!” 

Liam lowered his fist and then shoved Emmet back. He stumbled and fell over his camping chair. The man landed on the ground with a groan and glared at his son. Liam snarled again and pointed a finger at him. “Stay there and don’t you dare to get up or I will forget any reason I have and beat the living crap out of you.” He looked back at Landon who hovered in the doorway. “Go and grab your favorite things. There is no way I’m leaving you with him.” He glanced back at Emmet on the ground. “Stay or I will rip you apart!”

He turned around and followed Landon into the small house. A small kitchen with an old table and open living room area with a very small tv and a dirty old couch. Landon’s room was right next to the kitchen, barely big enough for the single bed. There were no real toys there or posters and Landon just grabbed a very worn donkey plushie and two comics and put them in a small yellow-red backpack. Liam helped him in stuffing a few clothes inside and lastly Landon grabbed a blue ball but then he nodded.  “That’s all?” Liam asked. It was very little but this room was so empty and not right for a child. His father had absolutely not cared for his son at all.  Landon looked around but then ran to his bed and pulled something from under the mattress. It was a photo of a petite woman with bright blonde hair sitting on an elephant’s back and waving at the camera. “That’s my mom. I stole the picture from a friend of hers.”  “We will get you a nice frame for it when we’re home. Now, let’s go.” He took Landon’s hand and together the brothers left the house again. 

Theo had guarded Emmet who still ranted about his weak sons and how much of a faggot Liam was but had not moved from his spot on the ground. He paid Landon no mind when they passed.  “Come on, none of us should have to stay here any longer,” Liam exclaimed and Theo nodded.  This time, Emmet had to have the last word: “You look like your slut of a mother!”  He yelped in pain and when Liam looked over his shoulder he saw Theo had stepped on his hand. From the crunch of the bones, Liam knew the fingers had been broken.  His mate looked down at Emmet. “Did that hurt?” Theo’s face twisted into the typical cold but menacing facade he could do so well. “Good. Let me tell you, Liam may have his reasons to not give you what you deserve but I don’t share the same sentiments. So if you keep insulting them, you will learn why they call me psychopath.” He left Emmet behind and joined Liam and Landon to the car and the man fell back on the grass.

When Theo unlocked the truck, Liam slipped in the backseat with Landon and Theo made sure they were soon on the road. It gave them a breather and Liam leaned back.  “Are you okay?” He asked his little brother and Landon played with the strap of his backpack and then looked panicked. Liam smiled sadly.  “It’s okay, you can tell me. Tell me when you’re hurt, it doesn’t make you weak.” Landon considered it and then he pointed at his arm. “Hurts.” Liam reached out and gently put his hand on Landon’s arm. He concentrated and the black veins began to crawl up his arm. Landon gasped. “How are you doing that?” Frankly, Liam had only thought about easing the pain, not about an explanation.  “It’s an ability only good big brothers get. And you have the best big brother in the whole wide world,” Theo suddenly said calmly and glanced in the rearview mirror.  Landon looked at him and then at Liam and he smiled for the first time that day. He inched closer and hugged Liam’s waist. Liam smiled and hugged him back while he searched for Theo’s glance in the mirror. “Thank you,” he mouthed and Theo nodded softly with a soft smile. 

This day had been crazy. He just had found out he was a big brother and then he had more or less stolen the child from his begetter. But Liam had not been able to leave without Landon. The boy deserved a happy life and he couldn’t get it with Emmet. Liam had no idea how his life was now going to be but he had Landon and Theo and the others and together they would make it work. They always did. 

Author’s note:

That’s Landon

I know this chapter focused heavily on Liam but it was an important chapter. I waited so long to write it, and now it fits perfectly with the rest of the story. It's another one of the things I wanted to write so badly and I was excited about it. It also adds another layer to Liam's personality and we will see how this goes from here. How he does justice to his new role. I cannot wait to see what you think about Landon and everything that transpired in this chapter. As always, tell me in the comments.

Have a great day!

[charlielabouff]

three’s company

TAGGING → Kale Gigglebottom, Ofelia Sourplum & Charlie La Bouff ( @kalegigglebottom , @ofeliasourplum )

TIMELINE → June 15th, 2018

SETTING → The Frat Party

SUMMARY → What started off as something innocent, turned into something that no one was expecting.

Kale had been kind of relieved when 10 pm had rolled around and he'd been allowed to untie himself from the girl his frat brothers had paired him with for the night. Not that girls weren't cool and all, but she just hadn't been as exciting as Ofelia, or Dana, or even DJ, who usually hated parties and wasn't what he'd typically call exciting. Since then, he'd switched from the Mai Tais of earlier in the night to God knows what they were serving, and he was on his way to get another one when a techno remix of the Jaws theme came on. Lit, Kale thought to himself as he stopped in the middle of the dance floor. He'd snuck it on when the pledges had made this playlist ages ago, but this was the first time shuffle had actually come through and played it for him. With no regard for what was going on or who was even standing around him, Kale started jamming in the middle of the make-shift dance floor, gangly arms flailing around over his head, empty cup waving in the air, and long legs bouncing up and down in time to the music.

Charlie had been waiting all night to just get in. The party scene had never really been her scene, until she went back to New Orleans and went through a break up. Parties were the best way to get over all of the things she was feeling and just move on. Well, move on as much as she could. The days after? Oh, those sucked. But the actual parties were always the best. She had a drink in her hand, her eyes scanning the area and her eyebrow rose when she spotted him moving into the make-shift dance floor. Kale. The guy that Dana apparently slept with. Okay, maybe that was a little creepy. A laugh fell past her lips as she watched him, taking a long drink from the random mixture of alcohol in her bright red cup and she moved over to him. She rested her free hand on his arm, a smile growing on her painted lips and she looked up at him through her long lashes. "Nice moves ya got there."

Kale let his flailing slow down when he realized that someone was actually talking to him, and for a moment he scrunched his face up in confusion, thinking it was Tia. He didn't really know the girl that well, but he knew that she didn't deem him cool enough to be in the @ pack based on his own merits, and that kind of... sucked. Especially when she apparently thought people like Lux , who he still hadn't warmed up to, were cool. His whole face brightened, though, when he realized it was her cool little sister instead -- the nice one! He'd never really talked to her before, but he'd heard that she was back in Walt and was more than happy to talk to somebody new. "Yeah! Jaws would be proud," Kale called loudly over the music, grinning from ear to ear. "I'm surprised no one has shut the song off yet, though, El Presidente like, specifically told me no shark songs on the pledge playlist," he chuckled, shrugging innocently. "You're Charlie, right?" he asked, pretending he didn't know when he was pretty sure the whole of Walt knew exactly who she was. "Welcome back!"

Charlie watched as the confusion grew on his face, and her own eyebrow arched slightly. She brought her cup up to her lips, taking a long drink from it as she watched his expression change. A smile grew on her painted lips when he smiled, pushing her short blonde locks behind her ear and she let out a laugh. “I bet. That shark’s known for it’s dance moves,” she teased with a wide grin. Not that she’d ever seen Jaws. The music was iconic, obviously, but scary movies weren’t ever her thing. Though, she was sure that she’d laugh more at the 80’s movie than actually be scared of it. “I mean, I never thought of a remixed Jaws theme, but it’s not bad! I’ve heard worse, that’s probably why they haven’t changed it yet.” Or he was just off doing something else and hadn’t paid attention. She laughed, smiling and nodding as she tucked her hair behind her ear once more. Short hair, easier to manage but it got in the way more. “The one and only!” She smiled and she nodded, finishing off her drink. “Thanks. And you’re Kale, right?” If she’d gotten it wrong, at least he was cute. “You wanna get a drink or something? I’ve gone dry,” she stated, holding her empty cup out at him and raising an eyebrow.

Kale nodded his head enthusiastically. A girl who could appreciate sharks? That was always instantly cool in his books. "Jaws could put Left Shark to shame," he joked, wondering if she liked Katy Perry. Or if Katy Perry was on the playlist. He could totally jam out to Last Friday Night and he wasn't even ashamed of it. "Worst song you've ever heard, go!" Kale encouraged; he never seemed to run out of things to talk about, even with a virtual stranger in the middle of a room thrumming with loud noise. "And you can tell me the best drink you've ever had, and I can... try to make it for you, but if you want something to actually taste good you should probably just ask me to make you a gin and tonic, gin and tonic is safe," he told her sheepishly. Afraid to lose her in the crowd and be totally bored as soon as the Jaws remix was over, Kale finally stopped bouncing obnoxiously and wrapped an arm around her shoulders to help shelter her through the throng of people towards the drink station. "My drink's totally empty, too, we were already headed the same direction! You're just less easy to distract than me," he told her, flashing her a lopsided grin and wondering how come his dance moves had never made him new friends before.

Charlie let out a laugh at his words, shrugging as her nose wrinkled. "I dunno. Left Shark is pretty iconic," she teased, giving him a gentle nudge as she pushed her hair behind her ear once more. The blonde's eyebrows pressed together as she thought about it, humming softly and she wrinkled her nose. "Stupid in Love from Mean Girls the Musical," she stated, wrinkling her nose before she let out a soft laugh, "Musical theater nerd. Specifically for shows like that." Whoever didn't know that Heather's was her favorite show didn't know her at all. So of course she was gonna listen to Mean Girls. The small blonde hummed, raising her eyebrows and she let out a soft laugh before she nodded. "I guess a gin and tonic it is. Never had one. Back home I mostly drank mint juleps and had lots and lots of vodka shots. So, gin and tonic'll be fine." Her eyebrows rose slightly when his arm wrapped around her and she smiled, leaning against him as they moved through the crowd. Huh, so that's what it felt like to lean against someone who was significantly taller than her. She laughed, wrapping an arm around his middle before she looked up at him. "Well, I'm glad I could get you back on track. I'm good at that kind of stuff." Normally it was with making sure people slept and ate. But not anymore. She'd changed and she was happy with the way that she'd changed.

Kale nodded his head enthusiastically. "He totally is! I was going to dress as him for Halloween but this older girl was already doing it, so I just waited for morp chaperoning and dressed as a Jaws victim instead." Kale didn't know anything about Mean Girls the Musical yet, he only followed that kind of stuff when other people told him about it -- and when they did, it was cool! It usually fell on DJ since she was in drama club, but she'd been all busy with her boyfriend and her plans to go home and leave him and Ofelia in Walt this summer that she hadn't kept him up to speed on it. "Never heard it! I'm guessing it didn't make the party playlist, but I'll check it out later -- see what's so terrible about it." She hadn't asked him what his was, but he volunteered it anyway. "The worst song I ever heard was called 'Smell Yo Dick'. Why is that a song?" he asked her loudly, noticing that her hair seemed to keep falling out from behind her ears and making a mental note to help her with it next time it happened or something. That was polite, right? Or was it creepy? He'd had enough alcohol since the night started to not be sure, and he was definitely planning on having more. "Oh, yeah - mint juleps are hard, you have to actually crush up mint! It makes me feel like I'm Harry Potter making a potion and Snape's gonna come fail me and stuff," he told her as they reached the table. Instead of waiting for whoever was supposed to be on bartender duty, he just grabbed the bottles of gin and tonic water and started dumping them into her cup, then into his own once hers was done. "Gin's cool! Sometimes it tastes like Christmas trees, but I think we just have the normal one since it's summer," he warned her as he slung his arm back around her to steady himself and held his cup up to hers in sideways a toast. "To your drink hopefully not being the worst tasting one you've had tonight!"

Charlie laughed and she wrinkled her nose. "Oh god, I think I remember that. I wast Britney last year," she stated with a smile, before it faltered when she remembered it was a couples costume. Nope, definitely not the time to be thinking about Wes. "So, you just basically went as a dead guy?" she teased, nudging his side with her elbow. She laughed, nodding and tapping her cup with her nails -- her eyes flicking up to him once more and letting her eyes flick along his face. "Yeah, it's a pretty new musical, and the songs are kinda hit and miss, but I really like it. I definitely recommend listening to it, especially if you like the movie." Her face immediately wrinkled up at the mention of the worst song he'd ever heard. "Oh god, I've heard that song! That's probably the actual worst song in history. Who wants to go around smelling dicks?" A bright smile grew on her lips when he mentioned Harry Potter, and she held her cup out to him as he began to dump whatever into it. "I'm a Gryffindor. So, obviously Snape would hate me. What about you? What house are you in?" She looked down at the concoction in her cup, her eyes flicking over it before her eyes flicked back up to him. An uncharacteristic giggle fell past her lips and she carefully bumped her cup against his -- wrapping her arm around him once more and humming as he tried to steady himself on her. Probably not the best idea, but she wasn't too far gone. At least, not yet. She took a sip from the drink in her cup and she let out a low hum, her eyebrows pressing together. "I dunno if I can't taste anything because I've had too much or if it's because it -- doesn't taste like anything," she stated, her eyebrows pressing together and looking down into her glass.

Kale's jaw dropped slightly when she said she'd gone as Britney Spears. "No way, how did I miss that?" he asked her, his eyes wide. "Which Britney were you? Because everyone's crazy about Slave 4 U but like, she totally looked the hottest just as OG Baby One More Time Britney." It was also totally easiest to imagine Charlie as that version of Britney, but people were full of surprises sometimes. And Kale had always loved being surprised. "I've never smelled one, I'm not bendy enough for that," Kale offered, useless information that he hopefully wouldn't have shared if he hadn't been drinking -- but he had, and so he was oversharing even more than usual. "I'm a Hufflepuff! Snape probably would have thought I was super useless just because I was sneaking into the kitchens every night, way rude of him," Kale said, grinning as a bright idea struck him. "Are you joining a sorority next year? If you do, we should make our houses have a Harry Potter mixer, how fun would that be as a party? I mean, not as good as sharks, but pretty up there," he grinned proudly, surprised when her arm wrapped around his too but definitely cool with it. Half the people here were still tied to their partners from earlier, but he was hanging out with a cool girl, too -- take that, anyone who thinks I don't have game! , Kale thought to himself idly. He drank half of his drink in one go, thirstier than he'd realized. "Cool! Tasting like nothing is better than tasting bad, it's like... water! But more fun," Kale said proudly, looking around the room for something else to do. He guessed now that he'd gotten Charlie her drink she could like... leave and go find her other friends, but she was nice. He didn't want her to go away quite yet, so he leaned down closer to her ear and asked, "So what do you wanna do now? Because I'm not going to lie, I'm kind of an awful dancer, I always have to find like... drinking games or awesome people watching spots at this stuff to live my best life."

Charlie laughed, shrugging and pushing her hair behind her ear once more. “I wasn’t much of a partier before.” But she’d learned the error of her ways when she realized just how fun parties were. She raised her eyebrow and she shook her head, a slight smirk tugging on her lips. “Oops I Did It Again. You know her bright red spandex suit? I wore that,” she stated with a nod, tipping her head back and giving him a grin, “The closest I was ever to Oops I Did it Again Britney was my costume for Heathers.” A costume she’d stolen when the show ended because it was one that she actually liked the way she looked in it. So did other people. Charlie let out a loud laugh at his words, wrinkling her nose and tightening her grip on his side. “God, that’s the most hilarious image that’s ever popped into my head.” Her eyebrows rose and she let her eyes flick over him, smiling. She wasn’t all that surprised. He seemed like a Hufflepuff, and that wasn’t a bad thing. “Hey, as long as you snuck me in there with you, I wouldn’t tell a soul.” She wrinkled her nose as she thought about it and she shrugged. “I dunno. I’m not a sorority type of gal. I just like the parties. But, with the thought of throwing a Harry Potter themed party, I just might.” She grinned, taking another long drink from her cup and she raised her eyebrow. “I feel like this is gonna be a lot more dangerous than I originally thought.” Her breath hitched and she licked her lips when he leaned down and muttered in her ear. A smirk tugged on her lips, an eyebrow arching and she turned her face so their faces were closer than they had been before. “I’ve got a couple of ideas. Maybe we should go somewhere a little more — private,” she purred, a smirk on her lips and she tipped her head to the side — watching him through her long lashes.

Kale nodded his head. "Me either! I didn't even go to dances when I was in high school because my best friend's like, a tiny anti-social demon and I always stayed home and did puzzles with her instead." Kale furrowed his brows; lately, some random person had assumed Delia J was his girlfriend, and that was weird, so he quickly added Ofelia into the conversation, too. "And I mean, my other best friend's always been into partying, but she's like... the cool one. Everybody wants to be around her, and if I'd followed her to parties I would have mega-cramped her style." Kale nodded his head; he wished he had other cool costume stories to share, too, since it seemed like Charlie had more of them than he did, but mostly he stuck to shark stuff, or whatever his friends told him he was dressing as. "I'd sneak you in anywhere you wanted to do! Although I'm not super sneaky, I'm kind of tall and stuff," he pointed out, as if the fact that he kept having to bend down to make sure she heard him hadn't clued her in on the obvious already. "And I didn't think I was a frat dude either, I actually like, late-rushed this spring, but it's pretty fun so far! I've always spent a lot more time around girls than guys, so it's different," he admitted, setting his cup down and one-handed topping up his drink and Charlie's before he finally moved out of everyone's way. "Yeah, let's do it!" he said enthusiastically when Charlie suggested they go somewhere private. "I mean, not do it, do it," he clarified, a slight blush tinting his cheeks. "I mean, not that I wouldn't! You're totally pretty. I just like -- wasn't intentionally like being creepy about like, assuming what you wanna do, I just meant, sure, let's go!" he laughed, smiling sheepishly at her.  

Charlie shrugged slightly. "My sister liked to dress me up, so I went to all the dances. Well, except prom. Because I wasn't here for it. But my last dance experience was kinda shitty, so I don't think I would've done prom anyway." Her eyebrows rose, her eyes skimming along his face before she let out a soft laugh. "I think you're pretty cool. So, to me, you're definitely the cool one," she stated, giving him a smile and letting her eyes skim along his face. She laughed once more, tipping her head back almost too dramatically and gripping onto his shirt when she stumbled slightly. "Hadn't noticed how tall you were. Not at all," she teased with a grin. She hummed, chewing on the inside of her cheek and she shifted slightly, laughing and she nodded. "That's pretty much my situation. I've really only ever hung out with guys. Plus my sister." Her eyebrows rose, watching his reaction and she let out another uncharacteristic giggle. She set her drink down on the bar behind them, her hands moving to grip onto his collar and she rolled onto her toes -- gently tugging him down so she could press their lips together.

Kale nodded his head. "My mom's kind of a ho, so I'd never let her dress me, I'd be like... walking around naked," Kale blurted out. It seemed to be his favorite conversation topic, ragging on his mom and her ho ways -- it didn't bother his dad, so it didn't really bother Kale, either, it was just a thing. "Me? The cool one? I knew I liked you for a reason!" Kale grinned, glad again that he'd gotten to untie himself from his partner from earlier in the night and hang out with other people instead, Charlie specifically. Even when he said dumb stuff or was kind of clumsy, it didn't seem to be bothering her so far... In fact, it was not bothering her so much that the next thing Kale knew, she was tugging him down towards her and kissing him. His eyes widened in surprise for a second, and he had to resist the urge to fist bump because awesome, he'd spent all year hooking up with Dana but she was hooking up with other people, too, so it was cool if he got to do the same. Especially with someone awesome, who also happened to be a good kisser; Kale kissed her back and the combination of the alcohol and Charlie and the energy of the party around them had Kale feeling beyond lit. Finally, he reluctantly pulled away to breathe and be respectful of the people who hated the whole 'dance floor makeout' aspect of parties, and then he flashed her a lopsided grin, asking, "So uh... did you still wanna do that whole finding somewhere private thing?"

Ofelia was having the worst night of her life. Because she'd fought with Delia J at Tia's birthday party, that only left her with one friend to pay attention to her, and she'd lost him over an hour ago to the dance floor. She'd tried to make the rounds to see if she could find someone else to latch onto, but for some reason she never did as well as she thought she would. She guessed most people were just scared by her assertive nature and aggressive sexuality. Either way, the longer she was without Kale the more annoyed she got, so she circled back around to look for him, and it shouldn't have been very hard considering how tall and lanky looking he was, but she didn't notice him until he stood up straight after what looked like--wait, WHAT--kissing someone? On closer inspection, Ofelia realized he'd had his tongue down Tia's sister's throat, and now that they'd separated lips for two seconds it seemed like the perfect time to intervene. She slid through the crowd of people to end up behind Kale like a panther through the jungle. She wrapped her hand around his arm and stood on her tip toes to peer over his shoulder at Charlie. "Sorry to interrupt," She practically hissed in Kale's ear, her annoyance at the whole party situation seeping through, "What's going on over here? A little welcome back present for Charlie?" She finished loudly so Charlie could hear as well. "I was just coming to find you. This party blows. Let's go back to my place and call Delia J and leave messages saying how lame she is!" She turned back to Kale, motioning towards the door.

Charlie was kind of surprised at how good of a kisser he was -- or maybe she'd lowered her standards because she was drunk and any kiss was a good kiss. In her mind, that meant that they had to do it again, not drunk. She hummed softly when he pulled away, taking in a deep breath and opening her eyes to focus on him. Her teeth caught her lower lip, and a giggle fell past her lips at the lopsided grin on his face and she nodded at his question. She jumped slightly when she saw the brunette pop up, her eyes widening slightly and she gripped onto his shirt, her eyes flicking over her face and she cleared her throat. "And hopefully more," she stated, knowing that if she weren't in a drunk state she probably would've just -- left. She raised her eyebrow and she looked up at him, a slight pout on her lips. "But we were gonna go -- y'know, find some place a little less crowded."

Ofelia raised an eyebrow as she listened to Charlie talk. It was a little hard to understand her over the noise of the party and the slight slur of someone who'd had a little much to drink, but her ears definitely caught when Charlie said they were going to go someplace less crowded. "Perfect."She smiled widely, inserting herself between the two of them. "I'll come with! Someone needs to babysit you two drunkies anyways and I'm so over getting knocked into every five seconds by some sweaty, button-down wearing neanderthal." She looked up at Kale, "No offense," She added as an afterthought. Kale was one of those neanderthals after all. She took both Kale and Charlie's hands in both her own and started pulling them towards the exit.

Kale had probably never wanted to see Ofelia less in his life. Yet even when he was in the middle of something that was totally none of her business, he grinned a little at the sight of her, kind of amused at how she had no shame about putting herself in the middle of any given situation. "Oh, uh, hi O," he finally slurred out, once his brain had caught up to Charlie's implication and the fact that Ofelia intended to hang out with them for the remainder of the night anyway. "We were kinda -- you know, in the middle of something that you probably don't wanna be there for, but..." Kale's sentence wasn't even all the way out when Ofelia grabbed their hands and started dragging them, and he shot an apologetic look over her head at Charlie, shrugging his free shoulder. 'What Ofelia wants, she gets,' he mouthed to the blonde, as if that explained everything. It was true from him, at least; he never could seem to say no to her. "So I guess we're... all going then," he finally conceded as she successfully pulled them away, the noise of the party already fading behind them.

Charlie eyebrows shot up when Ofelia shoved her way in between them, looking up at her and letting her eyes flick along her face. God, she didn’t know how she used to refuse to believe just how not-straight she actually was. Life was so much easier being out, especially when she got to hang on pretty girls like she was doing now. “Mm, then you haveta join us, because I’m getting laid tonight no matter what,” she stated, raising her eyebrows at the brunette before her eyes flicked over to Kale and she grinned. She hummed in response to his mouthed words and she grinned, before she hummed softly and she nodded, following after her as best as she could. “I guess we are.”

Ofelia had to hold in a laugh when Kale and Charlie both persisted that they were very obviously going away to hook up. She wasn't sure how Kale of all people was suddenly pulling so much pussy, but here he was about to hook up with yet another hot girl. She shrugged, still leading them through the crowd. Right before they hit the front door though she changed directions suddenly, swinging them both towards one of the closed bedroom doors of the house. "You know, that's not a bad idea," She mused mostly to herself. Nothing would make Delia J more mad than her and Kale sleeping together, and she wasn't at all opposed to Charlie also being there so why not? She let go of Charlie's hand to grab the door knob, pausing before opening it she turned back to Kale and Charlie. "If we do this, though, this has to be the most publicized threesome that's happened in Walt. You are both cogs in a larger Ofelia Sourplum Scheme Wheel. Got it?" She waited for their response before turning back to open the door, peeking her head in to make sure no one was already in there. After checking to make sure the coast was clear, she grabbed their hands again and pulled them in.

Kale maybe should have had more hesitation about the plan the girls had come up with before his very eyes... But it was Ofelia. He'd do anything for Ofelia, and Charlie was cool, too -- if they were both down with it, how stupid would he have had to be to say no to it? He didn't think about the effect it would have on anyone else. Kale was a simple creature, with no thoughts of why Charlie might have picked him out of the crowd or how this would affect anyone else beyond just the three of them, Delia J in particular. Instead, he was just nodding his head super enthusiastically, saying, "Yeah, of course! Whatever you guys want -- secret, posted on a billboard, either way, I'm good!" Kale assured them, enough alcohol in his system to keep him from being nervous. Besides, Ofelia knew everything; he didn't know if she'd done this before, but he had a feeling she'd be able to tell him what to do. He tilted his head to look at both girls, wondering how the hell he'd gotten lucky enough that both of them wanted to hook up with him, and at the same time no less, and then pulled the door closed behind them, twisting the lock and closing the rest of the world off from what they were about to do.

Charlie knew that if she were sober that she would've hit the breaks on this almost instantly. Or maybe the old Charlie would have. The new Charlie? Maybe there would've been a little more hesitation if the alcohol hadn't been coursing through her veins. Neither one of them were bad looking. In fact, they were the opposite. She was just surprised that they agreed. Wide eyes locked onto the brunette when she turned to the two of them, her eyebrows raising slightly and she nodded slightly. "Yeah -- sure, whatever you want," she stated, a grin growing on her lips. It definitely wouldn't hurt her reputation. A reputation she cared little about, or tried to. She slipped in behind the brunette, her bottom lip caught between her teeth and she glanced over as Kale closed the door behind them. It was a night she definitely wasn't gonna forget.

[fishfingersandjellybabies]

Not Again, Not Again, Not Again - fic

Characters: Tim Drake, Conner Kent, Damian Wayne, Jon Kent Pairing: jondami for sure, timkon maybe/could be platonic Summary: A Superboy has killed a Robin before. He wouldn’t let Jon kill Damian too. A/N: This whole thing is based on @guerrahilarante ’s caption on their art here, about not getting attached to superboys. Damian and Jon are like 17 and 15 respectively, Tim and Conner are in their 20s obvi. Dick probably knew all of this years ago, before Damian complained to him haha. Like I said, the TimKon here could be seen as romantic or platonic, it’s up to the reader. I hope this angers that anon who told me I’m not allowed to write about the Super family anymore. >:)

~~

From the second Tim met Jonathan Kent, he didn’t like him.

He didn’t like his overly positive attitude, didn’t like how babied he was by basically the entire hero community, but most of all – he didn’t like how much time he spent with Damian.

So he didn’t allow it.

If Jon called, he ‘accidentally’ lost the line. If the Supers were working a case near Gotham, Tim volunteered to work with Damian on a case out of town. If an out of town case wasn’t an option, then he chaperoned. Stayed close whether Damian and Jon wanted him there or not.

And he knew the moment it started to happen. Knew as the two grew into their teens that feelings were starting to be developed. A few extra, secret smiles. More unannounced visits, standing a little too close together.

And he started to hate Jonathan Kent even more.

He was subtle at first, but as the years went on, he became more and more obvious with his disgust. It didn’t bother Damian any – in fact it seemed to just fuel him to hang out with Jon more, just telling his friend, “Drake’s just a freak. I’m pretty used to it. Don’t let him bother you.”

And with anyone else, the hurt look in Jon’s eyes might have made Tim feel guilty or regretful, but here? Here it did nothing but annoy him, and cement why he was doing this in his mind.

Because no one else could see it. Not even Damian with all his training, but Jonathan Kent was a threat. Jonathan Kent was going to kill him.

And Tim wouldn’t let that happen. Not again. Not to Damian. Not to another Robin.

He also knew the moment Conner was told. Knew the moment Jon went crying to his own older brother about it. Could see the sad look in his best friend’s eyes whenever they saw each other. Whenever Tim lashed out at Jon by separating he and Damian while Conner was present.

Conner never asked. Maybe he already knew, or thought he did. Maybe he assumed it as a Bat thing. Maybe he thought Tim was doing it to upset Damian, and just using Jon as a tool.

Regardless, everyone tolerated it. Damian, Conner, Jon. Even Bruce and Clark – though they more avoided their children’s angst than tolerated it.

But yeah, everyone tolerated it – until they didn’t.

It was a morning in Titans Tower. A Titans case and one Tim and Conner were working turned out to be one in the same, so they all met up at the tower to compare notes.

They were in the computer room, just the four of them. Jon and Damian at the computer, looking for the files, Tim and Conner standing not far behind them. After a few minutes, Damian decided to go get some of their physical evidence, to which Jon disagreed. Damian snorted at him, and playfully, Jon grabbed his sleeve, dragging behind him while gently pulling him back.

And without thinking – Tim reached out, slapped Jon’s hand away with a grumbled, “Don’t touch him.”

Jon released his arm, and instead of looking hurt, just looked annoyed, narrowing his eyes at Tim. “Why not? Who said it was your choice?”

Damian had turned back towards them by now, face as blank as ever. He opened his mouth to respond, probably to tell Jon to calm down and not let it get to him, but he was too late in his attempt, as Tim spoke first. “It’s not my choice, I’m just not a huge fan of people accosting my brother.”

Jon’s face heated up as he turned towards Tim, balling his hands into fists. “I am not accosting hi-!”

Damian and Conner were between them in an instant, Damian shoving Jon against the computer banks, while Conner grabbed Tim’s shoulders and pushed him backwards.

“Okay, enough!” Conner shouted, even as Damian looked over his shoulder at them. “Tim, what the hell is your problem!”

“I don’t have one.” Tim defended coolly. “If anything, it’s your brother who has a problem. Needs to learn to keep his hands to himself.”

There was the sound of Jon lunging forward, and Damian stopping him.

“Loathe as I am to admit it, I agree with Conner.” Damian hummed, looking back once more. “You’ve appeared to have an issue with Superboy for years, it’s about time you explain yourself. And that idiocy you just spewed doesn’t cut it.”

Tim frowned, his heartbeat speeding up. “I don’t have a problem. In general or with Jon.” He shook himself free of Conner. “But if you all think I do and don’t want me here, then fine. I can take the hint.” He turned away, towards the door. “Conner can handle-”

“Tim, stop. You know none of us said that.” Conner whispered, hand slipping gently around Tim’s wrist. Tim froze at the contact immediately, feeling that familiar lump swelling in his throat. “Please, tell us what’s wrong.”

Tim swallowed, but the lump remained. He glanced over his shoulder. Saw concern melting off Conner’s features. Even Damian seemed worried, his head tilted in interest. Jon just watched eagerly.

“Please.” Conner repeated.

Fine. Fine.

“He’s gonna kill him.” Tim said softly. In his periphery he saw Jon’s eyes widen in surprise, Damian’s eyebrows scrunch in confusion. “Jon’s gonna kill Damian, and I can’t let that happen again. Not to someone else.”

“Again?” Conner asked, as Tim pulled his hand away, turned to face the other three completely. Jon was looking desperately at Damian, whispering frantically about how he’d never, he’d die first himself. Damian was waving him off, straining to listen to Tim. “Tim…what do you mean again? To someone else?”

“Superboy has killed Robin before.” Tim murmured. “And I won’t let a Superboy kill a Robin again.”

Pain flashed across Conner’s face. “Tim.” He breathed. “Tim, what are you talking about?”

“When you died, I…I was destroyed.” Tim explained quietly. His heart hurt, it hurt so bad. “It killed me, and I…I never recovered, not even when you came back.”

Conner just stared at him, absolutely devastated himself.

“Not even now.” Tim admitted. “God, Conner. You know I love you, but even now, all these years later, I look at you and all I can think about is the time when you were gone. When you were dead and I was alone and I…I couldn’t breathe. Not for years. And then I couldn’t cope when you came back. Because you came back and it was like nothing happened, and that all that pain and heartache and everything I went through was for absolutely shit. And with you back, everyone seemed better and everyone recovered, and I still couldn’t.”

No one said anything. Damian and Jon just looked at each other.

“And when I look at Jon and Damian, I…I just see the same damn thing happening.” Tim could feel tears in his eyes now, just thinking of the possibility. “Because they love each other. They’re in love with each other and it’s so obvious, and…and Damian’s already been hurt and wronged by so many people he loves. By his parents, by Dick, by me. And the idea that he’d let his guard down for Jon, for Jon to convince him that he loved him, and cared about him, only to up and die and leave him with nothing…”

Tim felt a tear fall, gasped in a breath.

“He’s my brother, Conner.” Tim sobbed. “He’s my brother, and it’s nothing against Jon. Really, it’s not. I just can’t let Damian get hurt again. Not in general and not like I was. I can’t let what happened to me happen to him.” A watery laugh. “I’m bad enough, you know?”

“Tim…” Conner tried. Suddenly he dragged Tim forward into his arms. “God, Tim, why didn’t you tell me?”

“Because it wasn’t actually your fault.” Tim chuckled again. But he accepted the embrace anyway. Returned it as tight as he could, buried his face in Conner’s chest. “And I didn’t want you to feel guilty about how fucked up I am.”

“But you could have at least let me help you.” Conner offered. “You didn’t have to go through all this alone. Especially since that’s exactly what you’re trying to save Damian from…”

“I promise, though.” Jon interjected from behind Conner. “I promise I won’t leave him, Tim. I won’t do what Conner did to you. I swear on my life-”

“But the problem is you can’t.” Tim closed his eyes, held Conner even closer. “You can’t promise that Jon, no matter how much you want to.”

“…Drake.” Damian whispered. Tim looked around Conner’s arm to see Damian and Jon had moved closer now. Damian was standing almost-protectively in front of Jon, but they both had a clear look of understanding and compassion on their faces. “I…appreciate your concern. And it…makes sense now, your actions over the years. Keeping Jonathan and I apart would save me the heartache of if he ever died while being stupidly heroic.”

Jon blinked, and slapped Damian’s arm in a display of mock offense.

“Same goes for you, idiot.” He mumbled, rolling his eyes and looking away.

“But I am…happy with him. And I don’t see the pain of losing him ever making me regret knowing him in the first place.” Damian glanced back at the other. Jon looked at him and grinned as bright as the sun, reaching out for Damian’s hand. Damian took it instantly, even as he turned back to Tim. “It didn’t with Father or Grayson. It didn’t with you.”

Tim tried to smile as he pulled away from Conner, and wrapped his arms around Damian instead. Knew it came out wrong. No one said anything though.

“I’m sorry.” He whispered into Damian’s hair. Felt Damian release Jon’s hand to hang onto him instead. “I’m so sorry, Damian.”

“An honest mistake.” Damian promised. “But…it is nice to know that should anything happen to him, I can probably count on you to help me through the aftermath.”

“Every day, for as long as you need me.” Tim agreed instantly. He looked at the other teenager. “And…and I will be for Jon, should he ever lose you himself. If he wanted me to be.”

Jon smiled, nodded silently, as if saying that all was forgiven. Tim nodded back to him too.

“I’m sorry, Jon. It really never was personal.” He tried. “Any way I can make it up to you?”

“Let me take Damian on a proper, not-secret, not-having-to-sneak-out-to-do-it date?” Jon laughed. “…Let us take care of you and your trauma, now that we know about it?”

“…Sure.” Tim hummed, even as Damian released him. “At least to the first thing. The second thing…”

“We’ll be doing whether you give us permission to or not.” Conner interjected, throwing his arm around Tim’s shoulders. “So, you’re going to have to deal with it.”

Tim smiled sadly, but nodded all the same.

“Great, so pizza and a bad movie marathon for all of us as a makeshift makeup for Jon and Tim.” Conner decided. “Just as soon as we put this case to bed.” He looked to Damian. “You said you had some other evidence?”

Damian nodded, relief of the conversation being over clear. “Jon and I will go get it.”

And with that, Damian and Jon disappeared through the door, leaving Tim and Conner to themselves.

“…I wish you would have told me.” Conner mentioned again, after a moment of silence. Tim carefully pulled himself from Conner, moving across the room.

“I still wish I hadn’t.” Tim sighed, slumping down in the computer chair nearby. “You know I hate…emotions and all that.”

“Ha, well, sorry to inform you, Red, but you’re human. Emotions are inevitable.” Conner laughed. “Though…maybe Damian and Jon aren’t the only ones in desperate need of a date.”

Tim ran his hand down his face. “Sorry, Con, but I’m not super into double dates. Especially not with my baby brother and a guy so obviously madly in puppy love with him.”

“Haha, oh god, no. I mean just you and me.” Conner explained. Tim heard Conner shift, and glanced over to see Conner crouching, leaning against the arm of Tim’s chair to look up at him. “So I can take care of you properly. The way you deserve. I know it won’t make up for all these past years, but…”

Tim felt his face heat up, even as Conner trailed off. “Yeah, okay.” He whispered, even as he heard Damian and Jon on their way back. “I…I think I’d like that.”

“Good.” Conner grinned as he stood back up, and left a gentle kiss on Tim’s forehead, even as the door slid open and Jon and Damian returned, bickering quietly amongst themselves. Conner smiled down at him, and Tim found himself returning it instantly. “Because I think I would too.”

Conner took Tim’s hand to help him out of the chair, and didn’t let go, even as Damian began speaking about the case once more.

(And later, when Jon took Damian’s hand as they walked their elders back to their plane, Tim, for once, didn’t scold him for it. And it felt nice, not to.

Especially when Damian smiled with an emotion he didn’t let others see very often. An emotion Tim hadn’t felt for a long time himself, but did now, as his brother was content, as Conner knew his secret, and chose to remain at his side.

Clear, unadulterated happiness.)