Snippet Thursday 🐣
Liam is starting to think they should invest in outdoor chairs if Theo is gonna insist on drinking his coffee on the balcony every morning. Or maybe just a broom. Liam tosses some of the dirt and dust away with his shoe, hoping to make himself a small place on the cement but Theo talks before he can decide if it's worth potentially ruining his jeans.
“You know what would be the easiest thing to do, right?”
It takes Liam a moment to understand what he's talking about but, the second he does, he tenses, sending a mean glare at the back of Theo's head. “I don't want him to be dropped somewhere else again. It's cruel. It's not his fault if he has no one.”
Theo sighs and finally turns around to look at him, his cup of coffee safely tucked against his chest. “But there are adults, actual parents here who could-”
“He's my responsibility,” Liam declares like that should end any discussion on the matter. “Besides, Melissa and the Sheriff work all the time, I don't think he should be alone.”
“Alright,” Theo says, giving in before it becomes a fight. He drinks some more coffee and his eyes naturally go back to the view of the forest not too far.
There's a sense of guilt – justified or not – that bubbles in Liam's stomach until he finally adds, “But if you don't-”
“I'm not letting you do this by yourself,” Theo says categorically and, when he hears how heartfelt he sounds, he winces in disgust. So, of course, he needs to be a bit of an asshole to balance the scales. “And I'm getting used to you dropping by to hand me my coffee order every day.”
Liam pushes him gently, one second away from making a comment about how soft Theo has become, when a shriek makes them both jump. Inside the apartment, a terrified and agonizing scream shakes the walls. Liam is paralyzed by the strength of it, thinking that it can't possibly come from Alec. The guy can barely whisper! Obviously, this isn't Theo's first time hearing this.
“Your turn, sunshine. My night shift just ended,” Theo sighs before turning towards the view yet again, drinking his coffee as if he couldn't hear the cries coming from inside.