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It’s not until the time everyone is splitting off that Theo realizes what he’s been smelling is originating from Liam. He hangs back, eyes narrowing as he tries to identify the particular smell—something faintly spicy and bright. He’s been taking deep breaths off and on all day, he realizes, in hopes of catching a better read on the scent. It’s gotten thicker though, enough that Theo can pinpoint its origin.
“Hey,” he catches Liam by the crook of his elbow as they walk towards the parking lot. His voice comes out harsher than he means for it to be, but he doesn’t know how to fix that.
Liam’s body swings around with the force of his own steady momentum. He glances down at the hand on his arm and back up at Theo, frowning. “What?”
The defensiveness and annoyance coming from Liam isn’t surprising. He’s been snappy all night, even with Mason. Liam’s pupils are dilated slightly, despite the security light they are standing under. Tiny pinpricks of sweat have sprung up along his hairline. He works his jaw like he’s trying hard to hold back from punching Theo just for touching him.
After tightening the loose grip he has on Liam’s elbow reflexively, Theo forces himself let go.
“Nothing,” Theo takes a deliberate step back, unsure how he wants to play this, since he doesn’t have all the information yet. Part of him knows for certain however, and it tugs at him to keep close.
Liam scoffs, “okay .” His gaze drags for a long beat, and the scent Theo doesn’t quite recognize deepens. But then Liam is stalking away in a huff, bright spiciness swirling behind him.
He attempts to put the whole thing out of his mind afterwards. Dinner and laundry distract him for a handful of hours, but the entire time Theo feels like he’s missing something. His thoughts circle around Liam and back to him. Frustrated with himself, he gives up fighting it and drives over to Liam’s house. He glares up at the window for several minutes, mentally trying to talk himself out of doing what he already knows he’s going to do.
“What the hell?” Liam hisses the question when Theo pushes open his bedroom window.
He’s stripped down to just a pair of athletic shorts, and the tower fan in the corner of the room is turned on full blast despite the fact that it’s the middle of winter. Theo can smell sweat and arousal. He licks his lips unconsciously when the thick scent of arousal hits his nose.
Theo’s mouth is on autopilot when he slips inside. “You’re a werewolf, there’s no way I surprised you.” He looks around the room, at the sheets twisted up on the bed and the empty bottles of Gatorade on the night stand. “What's up?”
Liam has his arms crossed over his chest when Theo looks back at him. “What do you mean 'what's up?’ Why are you here?” He smells nervous.
“You were acting weird earlier and you smell off.” He doesn't mention the stale adrenaline and lust hanging in the air. As fun as it might be to make fun of Liam for his mastabatory habits, now doesn't really feel like the time.
Emotion flickers in Liam's eyes briefly, before shuttering up. “I'm not acting weird,” he turns to the side, looking away.
Theo has been trying to play well with others lately. Not long ago, he wouldn't have bothered even attempting to connect with someone unless he could get something out of it. Despite the irritation and stubbornness, he finds himself drawn to Liam. When it comes to the two of them, though, they seem to take one step forward and two steps back. Tonight is a prime example.
“Yes you are!”
Theo rounds on him until Liam is forced to look him in the eye. His hand lands on Liam's shoulder before he realizes he made the decision to move, fingers flexing when Liam flinches. That spicy scent that had started this whole thing is still bright, but it is thicker in the air. Theo has to consciously force himself not to lean into Liam and bury his face against that too-warm skin. It's unsettling.
Shuddering, Liam swallows hard. “I…” His gaze drops from Theo's eyes to his chest and back up again. It seems as if he's struggling with decision until he finally says, “I don't know what's going on.” His voice is small, almost lost.
He tries to cover the vulnerability with anger and frustration, brows tilting down and jaw clenching like he wants to snatch the confession right back out of the air between them. It makes the protectiveness inside Theo rise up, which happens more and more often when Liam is involved. He doesn't know the extent to which things are fucked up, but he wants to help if he can.
“Tell me,” he tries coaxing, tone softer and less demanding. He squeezes Liam's shoulder.
A hurt sounds comes out of Liam, something confused and maybe ashamed going by his chemosignals. He shifts closer, eyes closing briefly before he shakes his head.
“I don't feel like myself. Everything is... it's so much more , and not enough at the same time.”
“What, like when you got turned?” Theo tries to figure out what might be making Liam’s senses go crazy. Nothing he comes up with makes sense.
Liam’s fingers find the hem of Theo's shirt and Twist in the fabric, absently.
“No, it's like…” he stops talking, lips thinned in a frown. Theo watches as his face and neck turn red. The shame he can smell deepens into embarrassment.
That's when Theo thinks he might understand what's happening. The fact that he seems to be running hotter than usual and how his skin is grainy with the salt of dried sweat added to the scent of lust hanging in the air give Theo the distinct impression of rut. He can't believe he hadn't thought of it sooner, and he doesn't know why Liam isn't aware of what it is. Surely, he's gone through it at least one other time since Scott bit him.
Deciding to skip discussion time and straight to helping him, Theo runs his hand along the slope of Liam's shoulder up to the side of his neck. It's meant to be comforting, but he won't lie to himself about the pleasure he gets from the way Liam relaxes into it instead of shrugging him off.
“You're burning up, c’mon.” He uses the grip he has on Liam's neck to guide him forward. “We need to cool you off.”
“What do you mean?” His voice has gone just a little slurred. He keeps pace, arm bumping along Theo's side as they walk.
The bathroom has a soaking tub and a shower, which makes Theo hesitate for a moment with indecision. A bath might be better, but a shower is easier.
“I think you're in rut,” he drops his hold on Liam's neck once they make it to the shower. “This should help you cool down and relax you.”
Liam surprises him by grabbing his free hand when he leans in through the glass door to turn on the water. He glances back at their hands, where Liam's holding his tightly, before turning the handle so a steady spray of lukewarm water cascades from the platter sized shower head.
“Rut?” Liam has drifted closer and is standing almost completely pressed against Theo's side now, though he still smells embarrassed and confused. It's pretty obvious that he knows, at least academically, what the word means. “That doesn't happen to people…”
Straightening back up, Theo shrugs. “We aren't like most people. Werewolves and some chimeras go through rut.”
Liam looks genuinely scared then, like he's appalled that he still doesn't know everything about himself at this point. Theo doesn't really know how Liam missed it when his rut surely must have hit him in the past—maybe it happened when he had Hayden around. Fuck often enough, and ruts aren't too rough. It doesn't really matter now, though, not when this one is clearly hitting him hard.
They'll deal with it.
Theo pulls Liam into a one-armed hug, because he knows contact feels good and it helps dampen the itchy feeling under the skin. “It's gonna be okay, man.”
Clutching at Theo's shirt, Liam tucks his face into his chest and asks, “how long am I going to feel like this?” He's shaking a little.
“Twenty-four hours, maybe a little longer. You'll sleep through a lot of it.” Theo closes his eyes as Liam's scent fills his nose. He isn't going to be able to forget it for a long time. “Cold showers help.”
He forces himself to step back. When he tries to untangle their hands, he's stopped.
Liam is blushing again and not quite meeting his eyes. “Can you... it's just that now that you're here…” He scowls at himself, shoulders tensing up.
It's easy enough to figure out where he's going with the question. Theo gently tugs his hand free so he can shrug out of his jacket and toss it onto the counter. “Okay.”
It's a little gratifying to see the way Liam stares at him as he shucks out of his clothes. The air thickens with lust, and Liam's heartbeat speeds up when Theo starts pushing his jeans and underwear down after he's tugged off his shirt. Suddenly, Liam seems to have a moment of clarity, because his ears go red and he stumbles in turning to face away from Theo. In one quick set of movements, he opens the shower door again, drops his shorts, and steps behind the frosted glass.
Theo smirks, amused, before he joins Liam under the spray. It's not cold, exactly, but he kept the temperature cool enough that it's a shock when he first gets hit with the water. He blinks, rubbing his scalp and face as he adjusts to the difference.
“C’mere.” He holds out a hand, speaking softly, coaxing.
Liam has moved as far away as possible, barely even under the reach of the shower head. He's staring at the line of shampoo, conditioner, and shower gel standing in the tiled cubbyhole in the wall. Theo takes the opportunity, looking at Liam naked, for the first time.
He's solid, wider than Theo, but that isn't new information. Still, it's a lot of firm and rippling skin to take in. While his chest is mostly free of hair, there's a distinct trail of dark hair leading from his navel to the thatch on his groin. Theo lets his gaze linger on the cock jutting up, hard and red with arousal. He's thick there too, but not overly long.
“Liam,” Theo makes himself look back up and try to get things back on track. He takes a step forward to gently take Liam's hand again. “Stop freaking out. It's not a big deal.”
“Shit,” he mutters to himself, letting Theo pull him under the spray. He shudders again, as the water slides down his overheated skin.
Theo releases Liam's hand and cups his together to gather water so he can splash it over his face. After he wipes his vision clear again, he asks, “see?” The cool water helps clear his mind a little, causes his erection to flag.
He chuckles when Liam rolls his eyes. “Yeah, okay.” Liam turns around in a futile attempt to preserve modesty, especially considering he's the one that all but asked Theo to join him here.
The cold water helps dampen the brightness of Liam's lust-heavy scent, but it's still there . Theo knows his own scent must be pinging back the same information to Liam, that he's turned on, even if they hadn't been able to see each other hard and naked. He ignores his own creeping need for now. Instead, he reaches out to slowly run his hands down Liam's shoulders and back.
A choked off moan escapes and Liam leans back into the gesture easily, like a cat arching its back. Theo tracks the tilt of Liam's head, the way it causes his neck to extend in an inviting curve. He moves closer, still careful to keep a little distance between their lower bodies. They sigh at the same time when Liam's shoulders brush against Theo's chest. It feels almost electric. Hands on Liam’s flanks, Theo finally gives into pressing his face into where that scent is strongest.
He breathes deeply, everything else blocked from his awareness. All he feels, sees, and smells is Liam. It's an indulgence he didn't know he wanted, much less would normally give into. The water falling over them, bouncing off their heads, creates a tiny little pocket of space that doesn't feel like the real world. Heat pours off Liam, superficially cool skin radiating heat deep from within. Theo lightly drags his nose up the column of Liam’s neck and presses his forehead against thick, wet hair. When Liam whimpers, Theo grips his waist tightly.
“Is this supposed to be normal?” Liam asks muzzily. His embarrassment is gone, replaced with hesitation. Despite that, he relaxes fully against Theo. It brings their body flush from shoulder to thigh.
Breathing sharply at the press of skin against his cock, Theo challenges, “do you feel better?”
He wants to keep things they way they are, just as much as he doesn't. Theo doesn't trust himself or his luck enough to let himself totally succumb to this thing that has been steadily building inside and between them.
One quick movement, and Liam has Theo pinned against the stone wall of the shower. “Shut up,” he hisses, mouth moving against Theo’s collar bones. His words are clearer, insistent.
He flexes like he wants to fight Liam off, but it’s only to keep up pretense, keep Liam thinking he doesn't want this as much as he does. Instead of throwing him to the side or shoving him back so Liam is the one held down, Theo clenches his fists which are held tight by the wrist and smirks against Liam’s temple.
His heart rate echoes in Theo’s ear.
“What’s wrong?” He tilts his head down further, teasing. Liam’s skin tastes like salt and need when he lets his lips catch against it. “I told you, it’s not a big deal. You can let go,” he moves so his thigh presses firmly against Liam’s cock, “ I know you want to .”
He taunts Liam because it’s habit, it works for them. He does it because it’s easier than asking and sliding further into unknown territory. Liam’s scent is so thick around him that he can taste it and it’s still not enough. He wants to push forward and rock his hips against the taut muscle and skin of Liam’s stomach. He wants to pin him down to the ground and push inside, wants to roll over and let Liam use him any which way he wants.
Liam growls and the tips of his claws dig into Theo’s wrists as he pushes against Theo hard enough to ache. “Shut up , Theo.” His words are clipped, breathing shallow, even as he just barely rocks forward in tiny, aborted movements.
Fighting the hold seriously now, Theo pulls his arms down. “You wanna come, don’t you?” Blood wells up when the claws catch wrong on his wrists as he twists out of Liam’s grip. “You close, Li?”
Liam shakes his head desperately and clenches his eyes shut. He doesn’t try and get Theo’s wrists back, instead braces himself with his forearms on the wall either side of Theo’s head. He’s gasping, gulping air down as if his lungs aren’t working well enough to deliver oxygen to his system. Just before Theo goes to take Liam’s cock in hand, hot wetness blossoms over his stomach and hips.
“ Oh God, oh God ,” Liam groans as he slumps against Theo.
His come sloughs off, washed away by the shower, but the smell of it lingers viscerally. Theo wipes at his stomach, chasing the slickness belatedly. He drops his head back against the wall, overwhelmed. He’s still hard, balls aching in response to feeling Liam release like that—talked to orgasm, tipped over the edge with barely the glide of skin on skin. He grips himself loosely, squeezing the base in relief.
Liam makes a soft noise and his heartbeat slows down from frantic to merely fast.
Clearing his throat, Theo wraps an arm around his shoulders loosely so he can guide Liam to the side, off of him and directly back under the shower head. “Keep your eyes closed.”
He doesn’t think Liam is paying much attention, too blissed out from coming. Theo works his fingers through Liam’s hair, untangling it and wetting it all the way through. He takes his time, looking at the planes of Liam’s relaxed face, so trusting in the moment despite their mutually antagonistic history. After another few minutes of standing under the water, Theo turns off the spray and carefully directing him back out of the shower.
“Where are the towels?” Theo asks. Goosebumps are prickling across their skin in the wake of the temperature difference.
“Linen closet,” Liam blinks, moving on his own to the folding cabinet doors behind him. He grabs two large, fluffy beige towels and gives one to him. His eyelashes are clumped together with water when he looks at Theo for the first time since before they got into the shower. “Uh…”
It’s kind of cute the way his neck and chest blush with new embarrassment, even if it’s unnecessary. Theo watches Liam cover his face with the towel before passing it over his hair. He lets it go, giving Liam a pass for the moment, and dries himself off. He thinks about pulling his clothes on, but just tucks the towel around his waist instead.
“Hey, wait,” Liam tugged on his shorts again and follows Theo back to his bedroom. “Clothes?”
For that, Theo arches a brow. “It’s almost midnight and I’m tired.” He sits down heavily on the side of the bed. He smiles slightly at the sight of Liam floundering, realizing what Theo is asking, demanding.
“Oh,” is what he settles with, looking everywhere but at Theo. He combs his fingers through his hair, sweeping it back off his forehead. “Okay, yeah.” He kneels on the other side of the bed after switching off the overhead.
“Chill out, okay?” Theo stretches out on his back. Even though it’s dark, he can still make out the shape of Liam beside him.
His rut isn’t over yet, but Liam’s scent is lighter for the moment. Anxiety is starting to ratchet up instead, like he's stressing about what happened, how he feels about it, maybe what Theo thinks about it all. Honestly, Theo doesn't want to think about it.
He'd let himself get too caught up in the moment and the heady feeling of Liam relying and trusting in him with his vulnerability. Theo runs his hands over his face, accidentally catching a lungful of come scented air in the process. He shouldn't sleep here tonight; he knows he's setting them both up to make decisions they might regret later. Instead of listening to logic, he grabs Liam by the arm and pulls until he lies down.
“I feel kind of dumb,” Liam confesses in the darkness, breath ghosting across Theo's face as they lie facing one another. “'s pretty lame…”
Theo chuckles. “You're not exactly the smoothest guy,” he shrugs, “but it’s rut, Liam. I promise not to think too badly of you.” He lifts his mouth in a half smile, not bothering to infuse his tone with its usual enmity.
“You're such an asshole.” Liam hides his face in the pillow, but his voice sounds amused, relieved. He groans, muffled, and turns back to Theo. There is a pause before he asks, “What about you?”
It sounds like an offer, and Theo shifts closer without thinking about it. He breathes in, smelling the way their scents have merged in the time spent closely together. His own skin smells like Liam in the most intimate way, and something in him wants to paint Liam up with his come, mark him with more than just his scent.
“What about me?” He catches Liam by the chin and brushes his thumb over the stubble there. The rush of breath against his hand and mouth cause heat to glide across his neck, chest, and straight down to coil in the cradle of his hips where he's still half hard. “Are you volunteering?”
Liam holds his breath for a beat, heart rabbiting against his ribs. When his palm lands on his hip, Theo knows he was right.
“You're into it, right?” Liam licks his his lips, “I should return the favor.” He works the towel loose from around Theo's waist until he's naked once again.
“Yeah?” Theo pushes up onto an elbow, staring down at Liam before pushing him onto his back, and between his thighs.
He drags his mouth up Liam's sternum to his throat. Letting his fangs drop, he tucks them up close to Liam's jugular. The delicate skin jumps against his tongue. He pulls back in an open mouthed kiss, the only one he's allowing himself right now. Liam's scent has gone darker, hot again. It makes Theo groan with desire.
“Like this,” he mumbles, barely taking the time to say as much. He's been hard for so long that he's impatient with it.
Liam’s legs splay apart, and his cock is starting to tent his shorts again. Their skin is still damp from the shower, and slick enough to smooth the slip slide of his cock along the cut off Liam's hips. Theo doesn't stop rocking long enough to move the fabric out of the way though, just keeps at it in a hectic rhythm that edges him closer and closer.
“Okay,” Liam pants, tipping his head back as he hooks one of his legs behind Theo's to give himself a better angle. “Like this.”
Pushing his arms under Liam's back, he grips the back of his shoulders to thrust harder. The bed is shaking, springs squeaking lowly. He can't help but imagine being inside Liam like this. Mind gifting him with all the phantom sensations he could want, but not quite as good as the real thing, Theo moans quietly against the underside of Liam’s chin.
He's leaking more and more from the slit on his cock, and it smears with their sweat. Liam is fever hot to the touch, but he clutches Theo closer like he can't stand the idea of there being any space between their bodies. His fingers, clawed tips, dig into Theo's hips helping him to grind in. Blood is in the air, Theo's, and neither of them seem to mind it.
It's only a handful of minutes between the time Theo pulled Liam onto bed and when Theo comes, messy, across Liam's stomach. Before he's finished spurting, Theo rears back onto his knees and strokes himself. He watches the last of his come arc and land on Liam's skin.
“Oh, shit,” Liam shimmies so he can sit up a little and squint through the ambient light coming from his window. He tentatively reaches up to run his fingers through a spatter of come, then curses again, and stuffs his other hand down the front of his shorts, stroking himself quickly.
Catching his breath, Theo leans back down with one hand to the mattress and the other on Liam's chest. Deliberately, he wipes over his come, rubbing it across the tiny, hard peaks of Liam's nipples and along the shallow valleys separating his abdominals.
“ Theo ,” Liam gasps, hoarsely. He sounds a little scandalized, but there is nothing about his scent—so deep and bright—that says he isn't interested in what is happening.
Theo brushes his mouth along Liam's jaw, pressing chest to chest, and asks, “what is it, Li?”
He doesn't give him a chance to answer before he slips his own hand to join the one on Liam's cock. He smiles when Liam groans deeply and bucks up against him. Three strokes with their fingers tangled together and Liam is coming again, weaker this time.
When Liam turns his head just so, their mouths catch, open and wet, along each other. Theo dips his tongue inside once before forcing himself to roll off and to the side. When he hits the mattress on his back, his hands land on his stomach. They're wet with release from the two of them, and Theo rubs his palms along his stomach in long, soothing motions.
Rut makes the person irritable, which Liam really doesn't need on his plate. It brings out territorial urges too, along with the overall horniness. This is the first time Theo has been with someone else in the midst of a rut that wasn't his own. He wants to blame his possessiveness and his desire in Liam's biology.
The longer this night lasts, the more Theo has to accept that things have been creeping along these lines for a while now. Once Liam resurfaces post rut, Theo will have to figure out what he wants to do about it.
Liam turns on his side, forehead brushing Theo's shoulder, and takes Theo by the hand, squeezing it reassuringly.
“Hey, thanks,” he mumbles, just shy of falling asleep completely.
Theo holds Liam's hand tight. “No big deal.”
It's not just Laim whose heart is racing.