airplanes(Thiam)

chapter 19: Nature or Nurture

Liam knew it wasn't Theo's fault that he'd ended up stuck with the kids while Theo laughed around the fire drinking a soda and smiling but, well, it was so much more fun to blame Theo than it was to admit that he'd got himself trapped babysitting by trying to break up an eight-year-olds fight while Theo walked on without even a glance backwards and then agreeing to help a girl finish off a bracelet he was making. After that he'd been trapped and Theo had done nothing to save him. Just looked over occasionally with a smirk.

He really couldn't believe that that asshole was his anchor. Theo being his anchor was a farce, because Theo was a douche bag and who had he been kidding, they weren't friends. He was just..his standards had lowered over the past few months. He'd been forced to spend too much time with Theo and had just tricked himself into believing he was bearable for his own sanity. It was like in class when people started looking attractive throughout the period. Only then the bell will ring and you return to the general population and realise that they weren't hot in any way you just had limited choice.

Or maybe he was just a little bit bitter that he'd woken up alone and damp from morning dew and hadn't been able to find Theo for near an hour and had been halfway to worrying himself grey with questions like:

What if the pack had just been luring them into a false sense of security and had hurt Theo while Liam was asleep?

What if Monroe had somehow been following them the entire road trip and had killed him and was going to burst in and kill everyone else?

What if he'd went for a walk and had gotten lost and was going to freeze to death?

What if he'd went for a walk and been attacked by a bear?

What if he wasn't hurt? What if he actually hated the road trip and Liam and had finally found the perfect place to abandon him? What if he was already speeding across the country dumb finger tapping at the steering wheel as he laughed about managing to make Liam trust him before leaving him literally in the dirt?

Maybe the hoodie he'd left tossed over Liam's sleeping body had really been a parting gift, a wordless 'you will never see me again but here, enjoy my scent you little freak'.

Only for Theo to roll back into camp with Guns and Sara and mutter a simple. "Relax Pumpkin." When Liam had snapped at him to at least leave a note next time.

So for the asshole to be sitting chatting amicably to Sara and the others while he was stuck with the rugrats felt unfair. He'd been the one who spent most of the morning freaking out, he was the one who should get to sit and have a damn drink and not be stuck with a bossy child braiding his hair with sticky fingers.

"Stop moving!" Penny hissed, tugging at a strand of Liam's hair. Liam let out a small hiss of pain. Theo's attention shifted at the noise, eyes catching Liam's before his gaze flickered to Penny, standing behind him, he watched the small girl yank his hair into messy braids, smile turning into a full-blown grin. Liam put his middle finger up and turned away. Penny gave another harsh tug on his hair. "I told you to stop moving! You're going to ruin them."

"Sorry."

"Excuse me?" Liam was careful only to move his eyes at the small voice calling for his attention. A young boy stood, feet scuffing across the grass, a beaded bracelet clutched in his hands. "Could you tie this for me please?" he asked. "I can't tie it to my own wrist and-"

"Yeah of course." Liam said softly. "You gotta come a bit closer though otherwise, this one might actually rip my hair out." He jutted a thumb at Penny, he heard the telltale sound of a raspberry being blown at him but ignored it. The kid shuffled forwards a gappy smile lighting his face up as he handed over the bracelet. "Alright buddy, which wrist do you want it on?" Liam asked. The kid stuck out his left wrist and Liam got to work tying the bracelet. "This is really awesome. I like the colours." He lied, nodding to the garish yellow beads.