Chapter Text
For a while, things seemed to worked out for them. They had no communication whatsoever, but it still proved to be a brutal race. Things had come to light that neither man ever wanted people to know. If it had been just about them, they wouldn’t have minded, but certain revelations hurt other people. It made the weight on their shoulders increase. Some days, it was hard to go on. But Theo had kept his promise. No matter what they said about Liam, by the next day something even worse about Theo was revealed. Somehow, that made people sympathize with him more, though it wasn’t enough to put Theo forward in the polls.
So when it was revealed that he had almost killed his mentor, Scott McCall, when his IED was at its highest peak, Liam wasn’t worried. People didn’t know about the supernatural, but Liam’s team managed to fix it. They appealed to people’s feelings, they explained Liam’s emotions when he lost his girlfriend. They explained how Liam thought Scott could have saved her but he thought Scott chose not to. They explained his anger which they insisted was under control now after a lot of trial and error. All it took was one public outing of Liam and Scott having fun with their friends, and it was water under the bridge for most people.
For those that couldn’t move past it, Theo revealing he was responsible for Liam’s girlfriend’s death did the trick. Sure, it came out that he had been used, that he was the tool but not the wielder. It still was enough. Theo’s past was worse than anything Liam could have ever imagined. At times, it even made him doubt the man who had come to him and told him he would help him win. It made him think there was an agenda somewhere, a higher purpose that Theo planned to use against him, a move somewhere in the future that he couldn’t predict.
But it also made him understand who Theo Raeken truly was. He read between the lines, just like he thought Theo wanted him to. There were times he had reached for the phone. He didn’t know why. Maybe to ask if any of it was true? If he was reading this right? He didn’t know. He never made the call. But whatever the story was, there was something missing and Liam didn’t know what it was. He felt like he should.
According to the leaks, Theo’s sister died when he was nine years old under mysterious circumstances, he underwent a heart transplant surgery when there was no medical condition cited, and his parents left their home soon after. Theo was left behind. No one said who took care of him, not even Theo himself when he was questioned about it by reporters. All he said was that it was an experience he had tried to forget for years. That it would undo years’ worth of work to become a better person, someone who deserved to be Mayor. Somehow Liam thought that was a half-truth. Yes, maybe Theo had worked to become a better person, even though every atom in Liam’s body protested against that statement, but something told him Theo didn’t believe he deserved to be Mayor. Something told him that whatever Theo believed about himself was much darker than anyone has ever thought of him.
It was all working out okay for months, until there was two months left in the race and something came up to the surface that Liam had done everything to keep in the dark. Something that brought him back to a happier time in his life that took a turn for the worse before it had even began. A time when Liam thought he could have it all, only to be reminded how harsh life could be.
As he watched the headlines pop up on the screens in the PR room, the magazines coming one after the other, Liam was pulled back in time and it was a hold he couldn’t get out of even if he tried.
Liam was at the bar. He had just given his closing argument to the court a few hours ago, but his opponent… his opponent was good. Liam had tried this many times, had been trying for years. This was the whole reason he accepted the shitty salary of an Assistant District Attorney when he had offers from the top firms in the city, to have power against criminals. But one of them just refused to go down: Mayor Tamora Monroe. She was as dirty as they come but she had the law on her side, because she never really broke it. Sure, she bent the shit out of it, but she covered her tracks. That didn’t mean what she did was right. That didn’t mean that she didn’t deserve to pay for her crimes. Yes, she didn’t technically break the law, but so many people were starving because of her. It hadn’t escaped Liam that she used to be a werewolf hunter. Liam didn’t believe the ‘used to’ part.
Point is, Mayor Tamora Monroe had hunted his kind for years, she fuelled the hate in people, used their fear for her own gain. She starved teenagers in places that reminded him a lot of Hitler’s concentration camps. Nobody knew they were all supernaturals in there. They thought it was full with people sick in the head that were deemed dangerous for the society; a modern, glorified version of Eichen House and it was all legal. Liam was trying to undo that, so that he could finally bring her down but Monroe had hired the worst person possible to represent her. Liam didn’t know if she had looked into him or anything, but it couldn’t be a coincidence that on his most high profile case of the year he was facing off against Theo Raeken, the only man, the only lawyer that could get through Liam’s defences, get under his skin as if he belonged there.
The same man that was walking towards Liam right now at the bar, his hands buttoning the jacket of his baby blue suit, the light hitting him just right to make him seem more like a runway model than a lawyer in dingy bar. Yeah, Liam may have drunk a bit more than he should have. But Theo was wearing a baby blue suit! Seriously, who wore a baby blue suit at work?! And why was he still looking like that?! Yes, a lock of hair had escaped his gelled back look, but that made him even more endearing if that was possible.
Shut up, Liam. He tried to banish those thoughts from his mind, the thoughts that zoomed in on how green his eyes looked in that suit, or how they shone when he smiled and-
“Two glasses of whatever he’s having, please.”
-aaaand he was sitting next to him.
Great.
Awesome.
Amazing.
Liam was screwed. Those eyes were even greener up close.
He tried to keep his eyes on his drink, as he asked, more like stated, “What do you want.”
Liam felt a hand on his arm that made him freeze. He had been twirling his glass, that was almost empty, seeing how the bar’s lights reflected on the bottom of it, until Theo touched him. He looked down at the arm first, then at the man himself. Liam thought he had drunk too much, so much that he was seeing things because Theo had a warm smile on his face and that must have been a hallucination. Liam wasn’t sure this whole experience wasn’t. Theo had never directed a warm smile at him. And his voice… God, his voice, “Hey, you did good out there.”
“You did better,” Liam responded a minute later looking back at his glass, downing the last drop left.
“Thank you, but I don’t think that’s true,” Theo was the one to look down now, as if he was trying to hide something. Liam flashed his eyes momentarily just to see better in the dark atmosphere. Was Theo blushing?! The chances of this being a hallucination were getting higher, there was no other explanation for it. Also, did Theo just return the compliment in the smoothest and nicest way possible?! Liam was impressed; confused as fuck, but impressed.
Liam frowned at him, “Since when are you nice to me?”
Theo seemed to contemplate that a bit, his eyes turning to look at the highest shelf, his head tilting like a confused puppy, but his expression anything but. He smiled, that small smile that turned his lips up just a little bit in the corner, the one that seemed the most genuine of all. “I’ve never been not nice to you,” he shrugged. And as if he knew what Liam was thinking, he turned to him with a raised eyebrow and added, “Court doesn’t count.”
Liam huffed, “Whatever.” His mind was too unfocused to try and prove Theo wrong and his presence was making his senses go crazy. Seriously, how could the man smell so good? “You still haven’t told me what you’re doing here.”
Theo smirked then. He turned his body fully towards Liam, crossed his legs at the ankle, leaned an elbow on the counter, holding his drink absentmindedly. Liam hasn’t seen him take a sip yet. “You actually haven’t asked me that.”
“Asshole.”
Theo laughed. Liam had never heard the sound before from the other man. It was better than his favourite song. Theo looked at him, that small genuine smile still there and he explained, “Look, I’m not looking for trouble. I’m just here to get a drink. That’s all.”
Liam snorted, “Somehow I doubt that’s all.” A man looking like that in a bar like this could not have such low goals for the night.
Theo gestured around with his free hand, as if he was inviting Liam to take the conversation further. “Enlighten me then. What am I doing here?”
“I bet you’ve booked a room at the hotel across the street, and I bet you’re not leaving here alone tonight.” That thing when Liam’s brain to mouth filter sometimes failed him completely needed to stop at some point. He refused to feel embarrassed for what he said, though. It was probably true anyway.
Theo looked at him then. No, look is not a strong enough word for how their eyes locked, how it made Liam feel trapped, caged like an animal but there was no panic to show for it; he wasn’t afraid. Liam thought he should be. But Theo spoke then, his voice husky, his drink still untouched and his eyes holding Liam in place, “Why, are you offering Liam?”
Liam blushed then. No, it wasn’t because he wanted that. Shut up, it wasn’t. His brain just refused to get that message, that’s all. “Fuck off,” he shoved the other man away. “You asked and I answered.”
Theo didn’t move from where he was, even with Liam’s push, and he didn’t look away from Liam’s eyes either. This seemed like a turning point, like an once in a lifetime opportunity and Theo wasn’t going to let it slip away. If there was a chance… “So did I, and you didn’t,” Theo pointed out.
Liam looked at him, the drink Theo bought him halfway up his lips as he stared at the other man shocked, disbelieving that a man like that wanted Liam. Yes, there was tension between them every time they crossed paths. But Liam rarely tried to find its nature. Whenever he did, it was in the darkness of his room, nights that no one knew about. “You serious?”
Theo smiled sadly, then and Liam hated that expression on his face. He wished he could take it back. He wanted to take it back. Theo looked at the countertop when he said, “You don’t have a high opinion of me, do you?”
“Not really, no.” See what I told you about that brain to mouth filter? How was that response going to take the sad smile away, huh?
When Theo looked back up at him, it was as if his whole demeanour had changed, painted over with a determination that was shining through his smile, “So let’s start over,” Theo suggested, standing up and extending his hand to the other man. “Hi, I’m Theo Raeken. Can I buy you a drink?”
Liam looked at him with a raised eyebrow, his intoxicated brain needing a moment to make sense of it all. He raised the glass he was holding pointedly, “You already have. ‘Cause, seriously, I’m not paying for that.”
Theo rolled his eyes and didn’t take his hand back, “Can you just play along for a minute?”
“Fine,” Liam sighed. He took Theo’s hand and refused to think about how warm it felt in his, how right. “Hi. I’m Liam. Liam Dunbar.”
Theo stepped closer to him. Thankfully, the old barstool was tall enough that the height difference didn’t put a crick in Liam’s neck. Theo looked at him from head to toe, his expression thoughtful and deadly serious as he said, “So tell me, Liam. Are you sure you’re not a parking ticket?” Okay, Liam was confused. And Theo was smirking. Again. “Because you’ve got fine written all over you.”
Liam couldn’t stop it even if he wanted to. He laughed; he laughed with his whole body, he laughed so hard he almost fell from the barstool. He was still laughing when he turned incredulously at Theo and asked, “Oh my God. Is that what you’re going with?!”
Theo looked at him fondly, amazed that such creature actually existed, that there was someone on this earth who could laugh so freely around him, “It made you laugh, didn’t it? Did you know, people are more likely to laugh at the jokes of people they’re attracted to?”
Liam smiled at him, a happy feeling settling in his stomach. No butterflies, not yet, but soon, maybe, possibly. “And you think I’m attracted to you.”
Theo smiled shyly at him, “I think I’ve got a chance. Don’t you?”
Liam bit his lip as he thought about this. If he hadn’t had any alcohol in his system he would have left a long time ago, he would have ignored that little voice in his head that was telling him to go for it, but he couldn’t ignore now the possibilities that were lying ahead. “Maybe. We’ll see how the night goes.”
The night went well. It went better than well actually. It had been a long time since Liam laughed so much, or blushed as a matter of fact. Every time Theo looked at him, he felt something, every time Theo smiled his heart beat faster, and every time Theo moved him to the beat of the song, he felt like drowning. He never thought there was a good way to drown, and believe him, he would know. Liam was terrified of the sea. It was never-ending and unknown and after a specific depth you could die of oxygen deprivation. But Theo was an ocean he’d be happy to explore, happy to let go in. Not happy to drown in, but for some reason it felt inevitable. And as the night went on, that inevitability seemed to be coming closer.
They were dancing face to face, barely moving to the beat of the drum. They were in their own world right now, both of them lost in something they never thought they’d get to experience. They had their arms wrapped around each other, their foreheads touching, their breaths mingling. Theo wanted to move, he wanted to lean in but he didn’t know how welcome that gesture would be from the other man. They had joked about things earlier, sure, but Liam was important. Liam choosing Theo was important and he didn’t want to cross any boundaries that would put Liam’s choice at risk. Theo had never cared about that before. Ironic, right? That the one person that brought out his best self could never know the truth, could never know what was coming, what Theo was involved in. Theo wouldn’t put him in harm’s way, not Liam; never Liam. “Come home with me,” he whispered, afraid that his voice would get lost in the sounds of the bar.
Liam heard him though, and he gulped, pushing away his nervousness. He knew Theo was giving him a choice. They could do nothing or they could do everything. Whatever Liam chose, he knew Theo would respect that. He felt a thrill run down his body in anticipation. They were both sober by now and Liam knew this might be the biggest mistake he ever made, but even so, he wanted to make it. He licked his lips as he looked into those green eyes, “That’s kind of far, don’t you think.” They were both here for the case, this wasn’t where they lived.
Theo pulled back a bit, the ground he couldn’t even see in the dark lights seemed so fascinating now as he admitted, “Well, I booked a room at the hotel across the street. Just for me to sleep, I swear! But if you wanted to join me, I wouldn’t say no.”
Liam had decided. Theo blushing was his favorite sight. He struggled to comprehend how vulnerable Theo really was. This was a side of him he hadn’t seen before, and he didn’t want to lose sight of it for even a minute. It felt like a privilege only few had the honour to be offered. There was only one answer repeating itself in Liam’s head, “Okay.”
When Theo leaned down to kiss him, he didn’t protest. He welcomed the feeling knowing it could consume him any moment now, knowing that he wouldn’t stop it if it did.
They were lying in bed, both of them exhausted but neither of them wanted the night to be over. If they could hold on just a little longer… They both tried. They truly did. Liam was lying on Theo’s chest with his arms crossed on it supporting his chin, looking up at the other man whose head was supported by the pillows in what must be a very awkward angle just to look at him. One of Theo’s hands was playing with Liam’s hair. It was making him fall asleep faster, but it felt so good, so soothing, he didn’t dare stop the motion.
He knew the night was coming to a close, and the way Theo was looking at him right now, Liam wanted to see it again. He wanted to see Theo again. He didn’t want this to just be a tryst, a lapse in judgement. He didn’t want them to go back home and then pretend nothing ever happened. He felt that if they did, something bitter would crawl in his heart, something bitter would slip into his voice and as infuriating their matches at court were, they had never been malicious intentionally to each other. He was scared that would change. He didn’t want that to change. And maybe, maybe Theo wanted to see more of Liam too. Which is how he searched his mind for the best way to ask and he remembered the line Theo used on him earlier. Well, Theo wasn’t the only one who knew pick-up lines. He tried not to smile as he asked, “Roses are red, violets are blue, I can’t rhyme, but can I date you?”
Theo didn’t stop combing through Liam’s hair. His heart started beating faster at the word. Honestly, he never thought this was an option. He thought he’d have one night and he was okay with that. It was better than nothing. But what Liam was asking… He couldn’t. Theo knew he couldn’t. But what would he say? What words would ever be enough to explain, to soothe the pain he knew he was bound to cause to the other man? So, he hid it all. Instead he raised an eyebrow at the other man, trying to avoid the question altogether, “Your rhyming seems fine to me.”
“Asshole,” Liam swatted at the chest of muscles in front of him. “I’m trying to be serious here.”
Theo tried not to laugh, he really did. If a chuckle escaped him… well. “With a pick-up line?”
“Shut up. You used one too.” Liam could feel his cheeks turning red. Also, Theo still hadn’t answered.
Theo laughed, throwing his head back. “Fine.” Theo couldn’t do it, he couldn’t break this man’s heart. What if he took this moment for himself? What if he wrapped himself in cloud nine with Liam and lived it just like he wishes to? Can you blame him for that? Don’t worry, whatever your answer, Theo still blamed himself more than enough. Still, he smiled at Liam and before he even spoke, he saw the other man’s smile was widening, as if he knew what was coming. But Theo had a surprise for him. “Yes, Liam, you can date me. By the way, if you were a flower you’d be a damndelion.”
Liam pushed him off the bed and the fucker was still laughing.