i don't remember if i sent something since im responding late, but im sending just in case
Took me a while to answer this ask but thank youu!💕💕
Dried Blood on Bruised Fists
Theo stared down at him, eyebrows narrowed. “Why do you keep harming yourself?”
Liam scoffed, “I’m only hurt, it's not—”
“No. Harm. There's a difference, Liam.” He paused and Liam went silent. “Hurt only refers to minor, temporary pain, like getting a paper cut and healing quickly. Harm is deeper… lasts longer, and it's intentional most of the time.” Theo surely knew the difference, even with emotional pain.
Liam’s gaze fixed on his bruised fists, tightened, no comment. Theo slowly lowered himself to his height, sitting down on the floor by the edge of the boy’s rumpled bed. “Why?” He whispered his question again, Liam could only breathe erratically.
“It's… it's the only way I know to control myself.” He muttered, it was a hard truth. The same way he was about to attack Nolan back at the zoo, but refrained and basically broke his knuckles just to not hurt the human. Pain was something he's known all along, anger triggered it, and loss of control was the consequences of it.
Hayden barely greeted the others before she spotted Theo in the corner, scrunching her face slightly in disgust almost. “What’s he doing here?” She pointed out.
“Get used to it, he’s around a lot.” Mason muttered with a small smile.
Hayden looked over the human boy before turning back to Liam, still holding their wailing baby. “What? Why? Liam, seriously, what the hell is he doing here?"
“Well hello to you too, Hayden.” Theo carelessly responded with a roll of his eyes.
“I’m not talking to you.” Hayden shot back and kept his eyes on Liam who was in distress. “Well nobody exactly welcomes you here either.” Theo muttered back and earned a glare.
Derek, standing behind instead, took a step forward and gestured to Luna with a seriousness most lacked.
“Enough with the remarks,” he turned to Hayden, “you need to hold her and make her feel safe, you’re her mother. She’ll cling to your scent and touch to get through the full moon.” Liam shaked with every breath as he jitterly rocked Luna in his arms.
Hayden swallowed, looking at Luna in his arms. But she had other things in mind. “Alright, but I just don’t want him around my baby—“
“I’m sorry, your baby?” Liam raised his eyebrows, stepping forward in a challenge and Theo's eyes snapped to him.
Hayden exhaled in annoyance, same as when they used to have many disagreements. “Liam, you know what I mean.“
“Luna is my daughter, she was never yours!” Liam snapped with a pointed tone, “Were you there when she held my finger? Her first smile or laugh? Her first goddamn late-night cries?!” He yelled, making Luna cry louder, sensing her father’s pain and distress the same.
“No, you weren’t. I was, and Theo’s been here longer than you have. I only want you to calm her down during this time. Never again.” He finalized and stared daggers at her, the others refusing to interfere since they barely knew anything about the messy breakup following Hayden’s departure.
Hayden just stood there and stared in guilt at Liam and in awe at the baby in his arms, biting her tongue this time.
Theo, worried about Luna’s health, quickly turned to Hayden, “Nobody appreciates your presence here… but she needs you.” He added, noticing the way Liam turned around and tried to shush and calm his daughter, which worked for a moment. He was trying everything he could to keep her safe and sane, even if it meant seeing Hayden again.
