Liam didn't speak the whole ride to Theo's. Theo didn't either. They didn't even grab anything of Liam's from Liam's house because he didn't want anything that would've been in the room. Liam didn't even want to put any clothes on, but Theo grabbed a pair that he kept in his truck. He started keeping clothes in his truck when he started sleeping at Josh's house...
Which was weird now that he thought about it...
He didn't do that when he stayed at Liam's...
They always shared clothes, and they weren't even close to the same size...
Not like Theo and Josh...
When they got to Theo's apartment, Theo quickly got Liam inside and started to make something for Liam to drink. He started a pot of coffee for himself since it was rounding five in the morning. He wanted to make Liam something more calming, like chamomile tea and a fast working sleep aid. He opted to just do the tea.
"Do you want a shower?" Theo asked.
Liam, still in a trance-like state just nodded, not looking from his tea.
Theo took Liam to the bathroom and started to turn on the shower while Liam undressed. Theo took one look at Liam and Liam covered himself. Liam felt the rawest he had ever felt in his entire life. He felt so exposed. Unprotected. Theo could see it in Liam's eyes.
"How about I run a bath. Here's a robe. You can wear it and I'll let you know when the bath is ready."
Liam didn't say anything. He just nodded. He took the robe and moved slowly. Robotically. It was as if it was his first day being a human and he was trying to blend in. He wasn't sure what to do or how to act. He had the weight of the world on his shoulders right now and he needed to wash that away.
Several minutes later, the tub had filled with bubbles and oils and the room was lit with candles and there were fake flowers. Liam hadn't seen any of these things in Theo's home before. He was shocked. Theo was so minimalist with his décor, and it was pretty masculine for someone who was gay. Not that Liam believed in stereotyping, but Mason and Theo were truly a different breed.
"I just thought you might want something a little nicer than a regular bath. You should be surrounded by nice things."
Liam blushed, then he started looking around the room again... there was even a bottle of wine in an ice bucket on a table beside the very-large-for-an-apartment tub.
A tear fell...
Then another...
Then the floodgates were opened...
"Liam I'm sorry- I didn't mean to make you think- I can take all of this out!"
Theo started frantically grabbing things and Liam stopped him.
"No!-" Theo stared at him and Liam reiterated. "I just mean... I like it... it's nice... I just wish..." Liam started tearing up again.
"Shhh... I know..." Theo hugged Liam tight and let him cry. It was the reason Liam wanted Theo here. He would understand him and be able to take care of him, but more than that, Liam didn't even have to talk about it. Liam felt safe.
Liam felt so safe in fact that he started to disrobe and get in the tub without feeling self-conscious. When Theo started to leave, he grabbed his wrist. "Don't go."
"Liam-" he whispered.
"I don't wanna be by myself" Liam said meekly.
Theo could understand the feeling. He didn't want to be alone either after Brett did this to him. He was lucky to have everyone at the bar.
"I won't leave. Don't worry. I'm going to get you some clothes."
"Theo-" Liam said in barely a whisper.
Theo turned back in questioning, "yeah?"
"Grab you some too?" he said blushing, not even looking at Theo. He didn't even wat to look at Theo's expression, especially if he was going to be rejected.
"Sure" Theo said. He didn't sound sure, but he just agreed. Liam needed whatever would make him feel safe right now.
Theo came back with clothes and towels for two. Liam was curled in the tub in a sitting fetal position. He didn't look like he had moved since Theo had left.
"Are you sure you want me to get in there with you? I can just sit here beside you."
Liam looked at Theo and then started staring at the tub. Theo took this to mean that Liam had changed his mind. Theo rolled the sleeves up on his shirt, grabbed the loofa he brought in for Liam and doused it with the still steaming water. He took the drenched loofa and squeezed it over Liam's back where the scratches were. Liam winced at first, but the more Theo had done it, the more Liam had started to lean towards Theo and the side of the tub.
"Do you want me to open this?" Theo gestured to the wine.
Liam looked indecisive and Theo said, "you know you don't have to drink it just because I brought it in here. I can put it in the refrigerator."
Liam looked at Theo and... even though he didn't say anything, he could tell that Liam understood and he didn't want any alcohol. He couldn't really blame him. Not after what just happened. Theo just kept pouring water over him and Liam started more and more to relax.
When the water started to get cooler, Theo would refill it with hot water and continue taking care of Liam's scratches, rubbing the dried up blood off of them.
After a while Liam finally looked at Theo's arms and noticed the scratches. "Is this from Josh?" Liam asked, horrified. Did Josh do this to Theo and Theo is worried about Liam? Is Liam a bad friend for not noticing sooner?
"It is," Theo said, "but it's not the same. I asked him to do it."
Liam looked mortified, "why?! Why would you ask someone to do that to you?!"
It was at this point Liam had started examining both of Theo's arms and then his neck.
"Liam-"
"It's worse than what Brett did to me! Why would you want that?!"
"Because I was hurting!" Theo yelled.
There was a screaming silence that fell on the room. Liam couldn't understand. Why would you want to hurt more?
"What does that even mean, Theo? You were hurting so you wanted to-"
"I don't wanna talk about it Liam!"
"I'm trying to help yo-"
"You can help by dropping it!" Theo didn't yell, but he did raise his voice and his tone was tense. Liam felt like Theo was mad at him. All he did was ask...
Then he remembered...
"Is it because of me?..."
Theo looked at Liam, almost guilty, but only for a split second.
"Now why would it be because of you?"
"Because of Brett... Because I-" Liam looked down... "I should've listened to you..."
Theo looked into Liam's eyes. He couldn't believe he made this man feel like it was his fault, when really, it was Theo's.
"You have a right to make your own decisions about people" Theo looked at Liam and started pouring more water over him. "Besides. It's really my fault for not informing the sheriff that Brett was in town."
"Well how could you? Brett would have told him you're-"
"Yeah, about that. Turns out he already knew" Theo laughed and shook his head. "He told me tonight."
Liam looked at Theo like he was growing an extra head right in front of him. "How-"
"Remember Donovan?"
Right. The creepy guy from the bar. "Vividly. No matter how drunk I was, I'd remember that creep" Liam laughed.
"Well apparently, Donovan told Noah after we split up and I had him arrested. So his threat was already carried out, but he didn't technically have any proof. Stilinski just filed it under slander and a malicious rumor due to a domestic dispute."
"Wow. So is that how Brett knew?"
"Yep. I'm willing to bet that those two had some twisted plot to put me in jail."
Honestly, Theo wouldn't be surprised.
"Guys, I can't do this anymore."
"Excuse you?!"
"It's sick! He's just trying to get by! He hasn't even done anything wrong for real."
"Josh! He's literally fucking people for money! He made fucked up claims about us and now, apparently, he's using his little bitch to manipulate the cops! It's very wrong!"
"Donovan! I cannot do it anymore!" Josh said.
"Listen," another voice rang out through the kitchen, "Diaz is right. He can't. There's really nothing more to do anyway. I took the final step tonight, so you're free to do... whatever it is that you do" Brett said.
Liam finally got more comfortable and felt a little cleaner. His body, but also his soul.
"Hey... can you-" Liam looked at Theo as if he were contemplating even asking his next words. "Can you... get in here wi- with me?" he asked looking anywhere but at Theo.