#werwolf liam

[hemlocksandfoxgloves]

An Archive of Our Own, a project of the Organization for Transformative Works

Sneak Peek

Chapter 8: Face of a Killer: THEO

Theo’s chest tightens with panic, seeing the blood on Liam’s hands. “What are you doing here?” Theo’s usually masked demeanor was slipping at the seams. He couldn’t hide his paranoia. “Did you follow me again?” he asks through slitted eyes.

“No! I mean, yes, but… Didn’t you get my text?” Liam’s voice was pleading with a defensive tone.

Theo looks at him without humor. “No, I was too busy running for my life.” His eyes dart around the room, looking out for anything else that might be hiding in the shadows.

Liam’s gaze falls on the bloody body and he sighs deeply. “I was trying to warn you. I saw him follow you out of the club.”

“Am I supposed to thank you, Liam? You just killed a guy.”

Panic looms over Liam’s eyes, but is quickly replaced by anger as he shoots back, “Hey, I just saved your ass, so yeah, maybe a little appreciation would be welcomed.” Theo replies with a harsh scoff and turns to leave with a pounding heart and unsteady feet. Liam lays a hand on his shoulder with a “Dude, what is your problem?”

Theo is quick to withdraw Liam’s hand and pushes him away. “You are!” his voice bounces off the walls. “You’re my problem, Liam!” he shouts.

Liam looks back at him with a new confusion, shaking his head. “I haven’t done anything to you.”

“You couldn’t be more wrong. From the moment I came back to this stupid town, you’ve been my problem.” Theo’s eyes flash with anger and he looks away at the lifeless body that lay meters away from them. He thinks that could’ve been his lifeless body lying there.

Liam reaches out, his hand gentle on Theo’s arm. “Are you okay?”

Theo laughs bitterly, coming out as almost a sob. “Am I— Are you seriously asking if I’m okay right now? I just nearly escaped a crazed maniac with jaws for a hand and you’re asking if I’m okay.”

Theo’s little outburst didn’t faze Liam. Instead, he says softly, worries etched on his face, “You just… you seemed scared.”

With a furrowed brow, Theo replies, “I wasn’t scared, so you can save your sympathy for someone who cares.” He winces as he turns again, clutching his shoulder.

Liam’s eyes flash and he reaches a hand to Theo’s arm. “You’re hurt.” Theo touches the bite mark he had completely forgotten about. “Here,” Liam says, “can I try something?”

Theo hesitates, his eyes burning into Liam’s. He just nearly evaded one killer. How did he know Liam wasn’t going to kill him, too? Something about the sincerity in Liam’s eyes made Theo want to say yes, though. He found himself nodding, his eyes never straying from Liam’s. Liam places his palm on Theo’s wounded shoulder, his eyebrows knitted together in concentration. He closes his eyes with a frown, his grip on his shoulder light and steady.

Theo glances at Liam’s hand, his fingers dancing under Theo’s shirt. When he meets Liam’s eyes again he’s looking back at him with dismay. Theo looks back with confusion.

“What’s wrong?”

[lesbianiconharrystyles]

Fictober Day 28 - “Enough! I heard enough!”

“And so the little monster climbed into his coffin to sleep, but outside the humans were gathering,” Niall said ominously, the flashlight he held against his chin illuminating his face and shining through his translucent skin onto the wall behind him. On his right in the circle sat Zayn, sipping at his blood pouch and listening curiously, then Liam who had his white furry ears cocked forward in rapt attention. On Niall’s left was Louis, sitting back and lazily flicking his tail. Harry sat beside him, anxiously shoveling french flies into his mouth with trembling webbed fingers. “They passed around fiery torches and gnashed their blunt teeth, filled with an unquenchable blood lust.”

Zayn rolled his eyes, the straw of his blood pouch still between his teeth.

“Sorry, Zayn,” Niall smiled so his side. “They marched towards his cave in their sensible pumps and their sports coats, with their hairspray and perms, smelling of perfume and deodorant - ”

“No!” Harry gasped, biting his claws.

“Yes!” Niall glowered menacingly. “They shouted things like ‘Tax season again?’ and ‘We really needed that rain last night’ and ‘I’m not an alcoholic, I’m a wine mom!’”

“Stop!” Harry begged.

“They surrounded the little monster and pounded on his coffin, setting his beautiful cave on fire. They laughed their horrible laughs and clinked their cups of coffee and rosé as the monster cried out and they - ”

“Enough!” Harry cried. “I’ve heard enough!”

“It’s just a story, Harry,” Liam assured him, his big brown eyes full of concern.

“Yeah,” Niall said, letting the flashlight slip through his hand and land on the ground. “You know humans aren’t real.”

“Well I don’t like thinking about them,” Harry frowned. “They creep me out.”

“Sorry I scared you,” Niall told him.

“Can we just go to bed?” Harry asked.

“Sure,” Liam nodded. All of them got their bed rolls and spread out on the floor.

Louis brought his over to Harry and touched the fin on his elbow.

“You could lay your bed next to mine if you want,” he offered.

“Okay,” Harry agreed. He unrolled his waterproof bedding and crawled inside, snuggling down and letting his slime seep out to coat everything around him. Beside him Louis slid into his warm flannel bedroll and closed his eyes to sleep. Harry tried to do the same but every time he closed his eyes he saw flashes of golf pants and acrylic nails and cashmere sweaters. He lay there silently, listening to Liam howl softly in his sleep for what felt like hours. Niall was floating around near the ceiling, fast asleep and drifting lazily on some current in the air.

Harry set his sights on Louis, curled up peacefully just inches away. He didn’t particularly want to wake anybody up but Louis had a knack for falling asleep in seconds anywhere he was. If anybody would be able to fall back asleep easily it would be him. Harry pursed his lips and blew on one of Louis’ ears, watching it flick at the disturbance.

“Louis?” he whispered. The ear flicked again. “Are you asleep?”

“Yes.”

“Oh.”

Louis cracked open one eye, peering at Harry with one of his vertically slitted pupils.

“What do you want?”

“I can’t sleep,” Harry admitted. “I keep thinking about Niall’s story.”

Louis sighed but his other eye opened and he sat up, Harry scrambling to follow.

“It was just a story,” Louis told him softly. “There’s no such thing as humans. Niall was just trying to scare you.”

“But what if they do exist?” Harry asked. “What if they came here and tried to hurt us?”

“Then I’d protect you,” Louis grinned. He flexed his fingers and his claws sprang out. “Do you think some human could get through these?”

“I don’t know,” Harry shrugged.

“You’re doubting me?” Louis pretended to gasp. “I’ll have you know I could rip a hundred humans to shreds. They’d never even get to look at you.”

A small smile was starting to spread across Harry’s wide green mouth.

“Trust me,” Louis told him. “You never have to worry about humans with me around.”

“Okay,” Harry nodded, feeling a bit better.

“Why don’t I tell you a nice story, so you can go to sleep?” Louis asked.

“You don’t have to,” Harry told him.

“I want to,” Louis said. “Come here. We can have a little cuddle.”

Harry scooted closer and laid his head on Louis’ lap, relaxing when Louis started to pet over the soft skin behind his gills.

“Once upon a time there was a little monster in a big green swamp,” Louis began in a soft voice. “He spent his days catching flies and swimming in the slime and talking to the fish. One day he met a very brave and handsome werecat who was looking for some fish for his supper. The little monster got very mad, and told the cat that the fish were his friends. The cat said that he was sorry and explained that he was just hungry, and wanted something to eat. So the little monster agreed to help him find food somewhere else. They went off together and became the very best of friends, and when finally they found...”

Harry fell asleep before Louis could finish his story, his head going heavy against Louis’ knee. Louis smiled down at him fondly and pulled the blanket around them both, curling his body around Harry’s and falling into a deep sleep.