airplanes(Thiam)

chapter 25: Teachable moments

Liam scrambled for his phone, hands slapping across the blanket as he searched, leaving Theo grumbling in pain more than once when Liam hit him in the legs. When he finally found it he saw Mason's face blinking at him.

"Mason's calling!" Liam exclaimed. "I'm gonna, I'm gonna answer it."

"Don't tell him we're drinking." Theo slurred.

"Why?"

"Scott wouldn't like me getting his little beta drunk."

"I thought I was getting you drunk? This was...Am I not getting you drunk? Am I failing at the list?

"No you are-" Theo said far too sincerely. "You're doing a great job of getting me drunk but see. You're getting me drunk because I corrupted you." Theo said, he continued, ducking his head and dropping his voice a few decibels as he breathed in a harsh and rattling imitation of Darth Vader. "Welcome to the dark side my young Padawan pumpkin."

"Theodork has never suited you more." Liam said as seriously as he could, which was difficult when Theo had let his head drop back at the first word and laughed loud and open, even as his head clunked against the metal with an impressive crack that must have hurt.

"That's Darth Theodork to you." Theo chuckled.

"I prefer Master Theodork." Liam said.

"Well, that's kinky." Theo sang. "Might want to keep your fantasies to yourself and answer the pho-."

"Okay first of all ew, gross and secondly-" Liam swiped to answer Mason's call with a dramatic flourish that had Theo laughing again.

"Hey-Theo shut up- Heyyy!" Liam said bringing the phone to his ear.

"It's a video call dude." Mason said.

"Right." Liam hummed, taking the phone away from his ear and holding it in front of them. "There you are!" Liam grinned, waving his free hand. "Hey- hey. Dude, say hi." He scolded, Theo simply raised an eyebrow.

"I thought I was meant to be shutting up."

"Oh my..Just say Hi you dick."

"Hi you dick." Theo repeated calmly, lips wobbling in and out of a smile in a way that had Liam smothering his own laugh against his free hand.

"Are you two drunk?" Mason squeaked. Liam heard the muffled voices of the pack and the crash of footsteps as they moved to give the phone, and Liam, their undivided attention. Liam's eyes widened, turning to Theo, eyebrows raised in question. Theo puffed out his cheeks doing a strange little pout as he shook his head. Liam tipped his head back towards the phone.

"No." He said seriously, mimicking Theo's cheek puffing gesture and head shake.

"Good job." Theo praised, clapping Liam on the shoulder.

"Do you think he believes us?" Liam whispered. Or more, tried to, the actual effect was just a raspy shout.

"He's human. Humans'll believe anything." Theo said.

"Yeah..You two are totally sober." Mason said. Theo waved towards the phone as if to say 'see, told you so' only to hit it out of Liam's hands. The phone tumbled out of his grasp, hitting the metal with a clack. By the time Liam was picking it up the whole pack was crowded into the screen watching eagerly like he and Theo were a particularly interesting documentary. Derek, for once, was the only one without a frown on his face, instead, he was smirking, lips curled in amusement.

"I take it Dodo's still alive then?"

"He nicknamed Liam choir boy." Theo said, lips twisting in a grin.