Work Text
“Oh fuck,” Theo shouts, taking a few steps back from the bathtub. He’d been prepared to turn it on so he could take a show. Then he saw it. The biggest spider he’s ever seen in his life.“Theo?” Liam calls from outside the door. “Is everything okay?”“Yeah,” Theo says. He opens the door. “But you have to see this.”“See what?” Liam asks, stepping into the room.“That.”Theo gestures to where the spider is still resting on the wall of the shower. He expects Liam to be surprised by its side. What he’s not expecting is for him to give a massive shriek before stumbling backwards. Theo has to react quickly to stop Liam from collapsing on the ground.When Theo looks down and sees Liam’s eyes are closed, he sighs. “Some help you are.”He shifts his weight so that he’s able to lift Liam up into his arms. He carries him towards the door and turns back to the spider, “I’ll be back for you. So you don’t go anywhere.”He makes his way to Liam’s room and places him on the bed. He intended to go back and take care of the spider, but something stops him. Liam looks peaceful like this. A sight be rarely gets to see. Even when calm, there’s still a sort of tension to Liam’s shoulders. Theo has to wonder how long it’s been there.“Theo?” Liam mumbles, blinking up at him.Theo grins, “About time you came around.”“Came around?” Liam asks. “What happened? Oh god. Wait. The...”“You fainted…straight into my arms. You know, if you wanted my attention you didn’t have to go to such extremes.”“Shut up,” Liam mutters. “Don’t mess with me.”“I’m not,” Theo says. “Well not completely. I’m always paying attention to you. But I can’t believe you fainted after seeing a spider.”“It was huge!”“Oh I know,” Theo says. “Which is why I had you look. I just wasn’t expecting you to collapse before you could help me get rid of it.”“Did you get rid of it?” Liam asks him.“Not yet. I was too busy taking care of you. But I’ll…”Theo stops when there’s a loud scream from the hall. He hears Jenna cursing before she appears at the door to Liam’s room. “Can I get some assistance please?”“With the spider?” Liam asks. “Because I’m not going near that thing.”Jenna rolls her eyes, “Well yes that, but more with your father. He just fainted in the bathroom.”“Huh must run in the family,” Theo says.Liam elbows Theo in the side, “Shut up.”Jenna looks like she’s fighting back a laugh, “You mean to tell me Liam fainted too?”Theo nods, “Right into my arms.”Jenna does smile then, “Well that’s one way to go about it. Though I was hoping he’d just get up the courage and ask you out.”“Mom!” Liam whines.Theo grins, “Is that right?”“Ignore her,” Liam tells him.“What if I don’t want to?”“God I knew you were an asshole but if you’re just going to make fun of my feelings…”He goes to stand up but Theo stops him with a hand on his arm, “I’m not making fun of you, Liam. I don’t want to ignore what your mother said because I agree with her.”“What?”“I want you to ask me out.”Liam stares at him for a moment, “Really?”“Yes.”Liam shoves him with his free arm, “You ass. If you liked me you could have asked me out yourself!”“Maybe I didn’t know how you felt,” Theo retorts. “You haven’t exactly made it obvious.”“What? And you have?”“Yes!”“Now you’re just being…”Theo kisses him. Partly to shut him up, and partly because for the first time he knows that he can. Liam likes him. He wants to date him.Theo makes a noise of surprise, before relaxing. His arms come up to wrap around Theo’s shoulders as he kisses him back enthusiastically.Theo barely registers the door closing. He’s so consumed in the feel and taste of Liam. He’s imagined so many times what kissing Liam would be like, but now he realizes none of that ever did it any justice. The real thing is so much better.“Did my mom just shut us in here?” Liam says, once they’ve stopped long enough to take a breath.“Yeah,” Theo says, brushing his nose against Liam’s.“God she’s going to be insufferable now,” Liam mutters. “She’s been pushing me to ask you out for weeks.”“Why didn’t you?” Theo asks. “I mean, besides waiting for me to do it.”“I didn’t want to ruin things,” Liam admits. “We’re in a good place now, and I didn’t want to ruin that by confessing how I felt.”“You could never ruin things between us, Liam.”“You say that now, but you haven’t seen me around a snake.”Theo laughs quietly, “Is it better or worse than you around a spider.”“Worse. Much worse.”“What’s worse than fainting?”“You don’t want to know,” Liam says. He quickly corrects himself when Theo opens his mouth. “Okay maybe you do. But you’re not going to find out.”“Not yet,” Theo says.Liam sighs, “I never should have said anything.”“Relax,” Theo tells him. “It’s not like I’m going to find a snake or put it in your bed or anything.”Liam’s eyes widen, “You wouldn’t.”“Not if I want to have any hope of being in your bed,” Theo says. “Which I think my chances would shrink dramatically if I did that.”“Shrink. Disappear. Same thing.”Theo shakes his head, “Well good thing I don’t plan to do it. I’ll just accept your fears.”“Thank you,” Liam smiles and kisses him again. “So what are you afraid of?”“Nothing.”“ Theo , you have to be afraid of something.”Theo sighs and rests his head against Liam’s, “I’m afraid of losing you.”Liam’s eyes widen, before a look of understanding crosses his face. “I’m afraid of losing you too. But nothing is going to happen. To either of us.”Theo knows it’s not going to be that easy. Especially with the life that they lead. But he also knows he’ll fight like hell to keep Liam safe. Something tells him Liam will do the same. Except when it comes to spiders. Which Theo quickly finds out when Liam suddenly shrieks and jumps behind him. Theo looks across the room and sees the spider sitting by the door. He hears Jenna laughing from somewhere downstairs and sighs. Life with the Dunbar-Geyer’s is certainly interesting.