New Beginnings

4: Something Stupid

Liam really hoped Theo wouldn't mind him borrowing his truck. It was for a good cause, after all. He stole the keys off of Theo's nightstand as the other boy slept, and paused for a moment, making out Theo's facial expression.

He slept shirtless, Liam noted, despite the fact that he'd just recovered from hypothermia. Liam almost rolled his eyes - werewolf healing.

"Where - are - you - going?" Theo rasped, as Liam was about to leave with Theo's keys.

"I thought you were asleep," Liam said sheepishly. "I was going to borrow your truck."

Theo opened one eye. "Nobody drives my truck but me. Where are you going?"

"Nolan needs help."

"The hunter?"

"He's on our side now, okay, and he needs our help."

"Fine, then give me the keys and we can go help him," grumbled Theo, getting up. Liam swallowed visibly. He didn't just sleep shirtless; he slept in just his boxers. Of course.

But now was not the time to be envious of Theo's godlike body. Liam turned the keys over to Theo, who threw on a sweatshirt and jeans and got into his truck, looking at Liam questioningly. Liam had managed to buckle up and was still thinking about Theo's abs - dear God, those abs, and was worried Theo could tell that he was thinking about Theo's body.

"What?" he demanded finally.

"I don't know where he lives, you absolute dumbass," Theo flicked him on the forehead.

"Oh," said Liam, relieved. "Take a right at the end of this road." He continued instructing Theo until they'd arrived at Nolan's house, where they found Nolan, unconscious, on the lawn. "We have to take him to the hospital," Liam gasped, feeling for a pulse.

"I don't like hospitals," hissed Theo.

"He's human, it'll be fine, now just drive, I think his ribs are broken," Liam said worriedly. "I knew I should have made him stay with me, but no, he had to check up on his mom..."

"His mom did this to him?" Theo asked, eyes focused on the road.

"He usually stays at either Mason's house or my house, but Corey was over at Mason's tonight, he has been most nights, actually, since his parents don't really care that much about him, and you really don't want to hear those two going at it..." shuddered Liam. "Dammit!" he growled, eyes turning golden-yellow.

"Liam," snapped Theo. "If you're gonna take him inside, you gotta get rid of the eyes."

"The eyes - oh, right, yup, the eyes." Liam closed his eyes and focused, his eyes slowly returning to their previous blue.

"Did you just say yup?" questioned Theo with a smirk.

"Shut up and drive," snapped Liam.

Thankfully, they arrived at Beacon Hills Memorial Hospital just in time; though Liam would have preferred that Melissa be the one to take care of him, he also knew that Scott's mother needed her rest, and since Nolan was human, it was no problem.

The nurse came out of Nolan's room at the hospital. "It looks like he was beaten," she said sharply, her eyes flicking over to Theo. "Someone care to explain that?"

"Why does everyone always look at me?" demanded Theo, throwing his hands in the air and walking away.

"His mother," said Liam. "His mother beats him, and he can stay at my house, or Mason's, I've got an air mattress and my dad's got a foster license - "

The nurse went silent. "It looks like he'll make a full recovery," she said. "Two of his ribs are broken, yes, and he is currently unconscious, but he should wake up within the next twenty-four hours. You did the right thing, bringing him here."