airplanes(Thiam)

Chapter 24: The new normal

Liam wasn't exactly sure how long they sat there, he knew that his legs were numb and his fingers tingled with the cold and that he would have been happy to sit there for however long it took for the moment Theo's shoulders would finally shed the last layer of tension and he'd sleep. Liam watched the stars listening to Theo as he calmed his breathing and just sat, forehead still pressed against Liam's shoulder no complaints passing his lips even as Liam continued to run his fingers through his hair.

He almost had done as well, Theo's hand slowly going lax in his as he let himself be lured by the pull of sleep. And then the police had come, marching over with stiff frowns and leaving Theo sitting up, instantly alert as he raised a hand and said they'd leave.

"Give me the keys, I'll drive." Liam sighed, ignoring the itch of sleep behind his own eyes. Theo didn't even try to argue, his shoulders drooped in defeat as he nudged the keys into Liam's hand and flopped into the passenger seat.

The police officer watched them as Liam maneuvered them – as carefully as he could – out of the field praying that he wouldn't be asked to show his non-existent license.

"You should try and sleep. I'll find somewhere to park." Liam said. Theo's lips twisted into a sour smile.

"I don't think I'll be getting any more sleep tonight." He hummed.

"Just try. Alright?" Liam asked, sounding embarrassingly desperate about it.

"Not sure if it's safe to leave you to find a parking spot alone. Don't want to end up at a dogg-"

"Dude that was one time!" Liam grumbled.

"I've only let you park once. You currently have a hundred percent success rate at parking in dogging spots."

"You have a hundred percent success rate of being an asshole. Now stop trying to change the subject. You need sleep. Otherwise, I won't take you to Disney world."

"I'm going to be the one paying for Disney world." Theo muttered. Still, he begrudgingly dropped his head back against the window letting the conversation end as he made himself comfortable. Legs creeping up onto Liam's lap. Liam could feel his gaze burning into the side of his face for what felt like a small eternity. No doubt hoping for Liam to complain about being used as a footrest again so he could put off trying to sleep for a little bit longer. Liam, for once, refused to rise to the bait and eventually Theo let his eyes droop closed as he actually took Liam's advice.

Or tried to. But the problem with getting Theo to sleep wasn't shutting Theo up. It was getting Theo's brain to shut up. Liam remembered what it was like when his nightmares were at the worse, how every tiny creak of the house or whisper of wind brushing against the window left him too tense to sleep. Mind screaming for him to open his eyes, to move, to get ready to fight whatever was coming for him this time.

The car was worse than Liam's room ever could be. Rather than the occasional clack of pipes cooling there was the constant hum of the engine. Even ignoring the way the pair were constantly being jostled by potholes and bumps in the tarmac it wasn't exactly a peaceful place to sleep.

Liam's hands tightened on the wheel as Theo shifted for what must have been the eightieth time in forty seconds. His arms crossed over his chest, eyes opening into small slits like a child trying to get a peek of Santa. His finger tapped, once, twice. An irritated sigh pushed past Theo's lips.

"I'm not even tir-"

Liam's hand dropped from the wheel, resting on Theo's ankle. The chimera's finger paused almost instantly, dangling in the air for a moment like a snowflake caught in an updraft. Finally it dropped, his hands curling into fists as he shuffled against the seat again.