airplanes(Thiam)

EXTRA SEQUEL CHAPTERS>>

Back to the Basics

Theo listened to the angry knocking and shuffle of footsteps on the floor below. Eyes scanning the wall in front of him, the morning sun glinted off the hot dog trophy on the window ledge, sending fractures of light dancing over the bricks.

Theo's finger tapped against Liam's arm, curled tightly over his stomach, once, twice.

Voices muttered below, a door slammed shut, a few more footsteps and then the knocking started again, louder than before, closer. The snores that had been rattling in Theo's ear for the better part of ten minutes came to a snorting stop as Liam woke up.

"Just once-" Liam said, voice croaky with sleep.

Theo could feel his lips moving against his back as Liam still tried to shuffle closer despite being plastered to him."-could you wake me up nicely? No slapping or pushing or banging just-"

"That's not me." Theo said "What?"

"It's not me." he reiterated, tugging Liams arm away for long enough to flip over and face him. The beta squinted against the sun pouring through the windows, nose scrunching.

"You need blinds."

"I'll put it on the list." Theo said. Liam's eyelids fluttered. The knocking stopped for a moment before a door was closing none too gently again. Liam lifted his head, switching his squint to the direction of the door.

"The hell are your neighbors doing?" he asked. Theo turned the phrase over in his head slowly, lips upturning as 'your neighbors' really sank in. He remembered Liam the night before, his voice soft and light as he'd said welcome home.

His eyes trailed over Liam, scrubbing at his eyes as the sun bounced off of his messy morning mane making it almost glow gold.

The air around them still held the remanence of the stale scent he'd been suffocating in the night before, but mostly he could smell them and it felt real. He was home, a real actual home with an address and running water.

A home, that, if the snappish voice he'd been listening search the building for the past ten minutes now was anything to go by, was about to be accosted by a none too pleased welcome wagon.

"Not my neighbors." Theo hummed out lethargically against the dirty floor. "It's your Mom." Liam scoffed out a low laugh, eyes rolling as he flopped back down on Theo's chest.

"Funny." Theo ran his hand through the tangle of hair on Liam's head, the footsteps started up the stairs.

"I'm not joking." Theo said calmly. "She's been searching the building for the past ten minutes."

"What?" Liam's body tensed against his chest. "You're joking."

"Nope."

"Oh my god." Liam shoved himself up off the floor as the footsteps neared the door. "Why didn't you wake me so I could sneak out?!"

"You were snoring so soundly I thought-"

"She's going to kill me, she's going to literally-" Three hard thumps rattled on Theo's front door.

Liam's cheeks paled, his mouth hanging open in horror. "Do not open it." Liam whispered.
Theo pushed himself up off of the floor.