Not Coded

7

They have been sitting in silence for a long time now. Liam hated silence-its heaviness always made his mind race. The irony of it almost made him laugh because, somehow, Theo's presence made him feel calm. It was disorienting, like the stillness wasn't suffocating for once. The usual chaos in his head was quieter. He hated it... so much. Silence had never felt this comforting. It was as if Theo was his anchor, and that unsettled him more than anything.

"I've never really liked strawberries, to be honest." Theo's voice cut through the quiet, pulling Liam from his spiraling thoughts.

Theo let out a laugh, a genuine one that made Liam frown a little. "God, Liam, your face... I was just trying to lighten the mood," Theo said, still laughing, and Liam found himself smiling despite himself, rolling his eyes.

"That was... incredibly random. Seriously, who doesn't 'really like strawberries'? You either love them or you hate them," Liam shot back, half amused, half incredulous.

Theo's smile lingered. "There he is. Glad to see Liam's still with us."

"Shut up." Liam muttered, but he hadn't even noticed how wide his grin had become.

"What do you dislike?" Theo asked, his tone shifting, almost curious.

Liam raised a brow. "Are we doing 21 questions now?" He didn't mind the idea as much as he probably should.

"Maybe. We don't really know much about each other, do we?" Theo's voice was softer, more serious now.

Liam felt a small pang at that. "I know enough," he said, though his voice lacked the bite he wanted. "You're annoying. And cocky. I hate you." I don't.

Theo scoffed, eyes gleaming with that infuriating smugness. "There's no way you can hate me. Besides, weren't you the one who said you liked me a few days ago?" He leaned back, satisfied with his little victory.

Liam rolled his eyes again, trying to push down the twist of nerves in his stomach. He had said it. Liking Theo was supposed to be simple, but now... well, now it was complicated in ways he couldn't admit.

"Alright, alright, Theodore. I'll give you something," Liam said, his voice taking on a mock-serious tone.

He paused dramatically, as if preparing to drop some heavy truth. Theo tensed a little, eyes narrowing in mock suspicion, clearly curious but also wary. Liam could barely hold back a laugh, watching him hang on to the next word.

"I dislike...," Liam began slowly. "I really dislike... like really, really dislike... like, on a whole new level..."

"Come on, Liam. Just say it."

Liam grinned. "I dislike... Theo. Theo Raeken."

He burst out laughing at the look of betrayal that crossed Theo's face. For a moment, Theo just stared at him, deadpan, before shaking his head with a rueful smile, clearly caught off guard.

"God, you're an idiot," Theo muttered, though his voice was lighter now, the tension between them dissipating.

Liam wiped away the tears of laughter from his eyes.

"Another one. What's your favorite color?" Theo asks after the laughter fades.

"Theo, you're talking a lot for someone who calls me talkative," Liam teases, a playful glint in his eyes.

"I know, right? You seem to be the reason." Theo's reply almost makes Liam choke on his own saliva, but he quickly brushes it off. It's nothing-really, nothing.

"Whatever. My favorite color is red. What's yours?" Liam asks, diverting the attention.

"Mine?....,'Theo pauses,' It's blue," Theo continues.