| HALF ONE, Locker Room Talk |
"'He's just in a lot of pain?' Really, Scott? Does this," Stiles motioned with his free hand, "look like a lot of pain to you?" Between Stiles and Scott was Liam, a very raging, nearly transformed Liam who was a door and some feet away from being thrown into a cold shower.
"Can we just skip the fight this time and I concede that my ideas aren't as good as yours?" Scott offered, struggling to manage the balance between holding firm onto Liam's other-flailing arm and trying to force the locker room door open. After success on the fourth try, they dragged Liam over to the showers and Stiles immediately smacked the handle for the cold water as they forced the angry beta beneath it. "It's alright, calm down, Liam. Liam…" Scott said, obscenely calm.
It took less than a minute this time, Liam getting better and better at controlling his feral side. He sunk to the floor, his back against the wall, his number '9' jersey soaked along with the rest of him. "Go win for us," Scott said to his best friend, "I got this. And tell Coach that I'm sending Liam home." Stiles gave him a look over before nodding and running back out to the field where their team was down two players and their captain. Scott looked down at the distraught boy, recalling the events of only moments ago.
The game against Beavers High School had gone very similar to their championship match last year: Cyclones players falling and flying left and right. This time, only worse, as they were down Jackson, Danny, Boyd…and Isaac. One player, one red-head which Scott had recognized from last year, tackled Liam hard just like he had Scott during the championship. It was then that Liam lost it, almost attacking the senior with claws before Scott and Stiles stopped him and dragged him off, the captain excusing his behavior as an injury.
Scott walked out of the shower and grabbed a towel out of Liam's cubby, returning and shutting off the water. "You alright?" Scott said, unfazed by the almost-deadly encounter on the field; he was an alpha, and no matter the sin, it was his job to look after his beta(s).
Liam nodded, taking the towel but almost…reluctantly?
"What?" Scott said, crouching down in front of the dripping freshman.
Liam only shook his head, not once matching Scott's gaze, preferring to stare at the drain a few feet away.
"Talk to me," Scott said, the command lost in his comforting tone. Liam only blew out through his nose, blinking before letting the towel drop to the tile floor, another run of water sliding down his cheek from his bangs. "If it's about the fight, I wouldn't have let you do anything. It's why I'm here."
Liam looked up at him, anger almost in his eyes, before dropping back down to the drain.
"What?"
Liam closed his eyes and tried to breathe more calmly, his nose noticeably flaring before calming back to a more rested state. "It's not about the fight," he said, clearly struggling with something despite the calm façade in his voice.
"What is it then?" When Liam just closed his eyes again and minutely shook his head, Scott's patience hit a bump as he noticeably exhaled. "Dude," Scott started, his own frustration clearly being restrained, "'Twenty Questions' sucks. Talk to me."
Liam looked up, feeling the command more than hearing it. "I'm just sick of this." When Liam paused, Scott moved to prod further but the light-brunette continued. "You're gonna' say I'm 'getting better.' I know…that's not what I'm talking about." Liam looked down again.
"Then what are you talking about?"
"I…I don't like how you have this hold over me," he said, punctuating it with a near-glare back up at Scott.
Scott's face only furrowed and his right brow lifted a little. "Hold?"
"Hold," Liam rushed. "All these years I've struggled…I know I have. My temper…it's caused a lot of problems for me. I've lost a lot of friends, my school, once I almost lost Mason—my best friend! And then you come along and then…god, you say my name and then everything's just alright. Suddenly, I'm coming down from this fit that I have no control over and…Scott…dammit I even feel guilty." Scott opened his mouth again and clearly the beta wasn't finished. "Guilty about disappointing you! I've only known you for a few months and I feel guilty? What is that?!" Scott didn't have an answer, and it was his turn to look away, Liam staring a few seconds more at Scott's forehead before doing the same.
They remained there for a few moments, the sound of water and distant cheering being the only sounds that passed through their ears. "I just…" Liam finally said, "…I just hate this."
There actually was a blip in Liam's heartbeat on 'hate' and Scott noticed it. Easily. But he didn't push it, just looked up into the boy's calmer face. "Liam, I'm…I'm new at this," Scott admitted. "Really new," he said, actually releasing a disbelieving titter. "Honestly, I don't have an answer. I wish I did and I can't imagine what it's like. But you are getting better at this though and, if I had to guess, in a short amount of time, you won't need me anymore." Liam finally looked up at Scott, 'hurt' almost in his eyes. "Hey, we're still a pack. You're still my beta. We're still friends. It's a good thing…honestly. I never had that kind of connection to my alpha…to Peter. I mean, I'm glad I didn't, but, what I'm trying to say is, is I'm kind of in the dark about what you're going through. But I'm trying, and I want you to talk to me. It makes us a closer pack," Scott finished, giving Liam a reassuring smile and squeezing his wet shoulder.
"I…thanks, Scott," Liam said, leaning forward suddenly and pulling the alpha into a hug, transferring some of the wetness from his jersey to Scott's. Scott embraced him back, flashes of the night of the well fleeting into his mind. "And I…I'm sorry."
Scott shook his head and squeezed Liam tighter. "You're alright, Liam. You've got nothing to be sorry for." Liam nodded the two boys released, Scott helping Liam to his feet. "Why don't you take the rest of the night off. Shower, go home, sleep everything off. I'll tell Coach I sent you home on an injury."
Liam nodded again, returning a smile to Scott. Scott shared the sentiment and began to leave, stopping at his own cubby to towel off some of the dampness on his jersey when he looked back up towards the shower. Liam had shed everything, his pert bare ass leaving nothing to the imagination. His head was fallen back, the shower spray forcing his hair back as it cascaded down his closed eyes and over his open lips. It was beautiful in a way, the steam adding a mystery element that wouldn't allow Scott to draw his eyes away. His beta…he was…wow.
Scott finally blinked, an itch on his sockline pulling him out of his gape. He quickly ran the towel over his jersey and hustled out, trying to get his mind back in game-mode, and willing the sight of Liam to stop haunting him.