Expelled and needing to transfer for his final year, Liam had known immediately where to go. It was the place that'd taken everything from him; that'd ruined him so absolutely it'd twisted his personality beyond recognition.
The place where he'd met...
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Liam roused to an unfamiliar scrape of plastic against tarmac. The sound opened his eyes, blinking at a confusing ceiling as someone dragged their muffled bins down the street outside. Charlie's flat, he slowly recognised.
ㅤIt was hardly morning. Night's darkness persisted, plastered against the window. Only a tinge of sterile dawn caught the droplets running through the glass' condensation, giving the illusion of crying mist. Fog blew from his nose in the cold.
ㅤLiam stretched his long body out under the covers despite the chill it rubbed on his skin, and his arm reached to the side to discover he was very much alone. The warmth that'd tended beside him all night had long numbed.
ㅤHe propped himself up on his elbows, finding a crack of light under the bathroom door.
ㅤHe almost called Charlie's name, resisting and shutting his jaw. Last night had taken Charlie's carefully separated piles of peas, gravy and mash and smashed the plate to the floor, smearing the remains into everyone's faces for good measure. Privacy violated, even if Liam's warmth had been welcome in the dark, morning's light would shine on the events in a hungover, post-drink regret.
ㅤHe didn't have time to sweat himself into a panic as the click of the lock shot through like adrenaline, and Charlie wandered out, towel around his waist. He noticed as he rummaged around that Liam was awake and gawping right at him.
ㅤ"Oh. Good morning."
ㅤ"Morning," Liam mumbled back.
ㅤAs though Liam were an awkward colleague, instead of a man in his bed, Charlie continued on as if he wasn't there. Frustration rippled as Charlie strolled from one side of the room to the other, picking things up as he went and shoving shit into his scrappy rucksack.
ㅤ"Why are you up so early?" Liam asked him, hoping Charlie would feel the weight of his heavy gaze on his back.
ㅤCharlie's frame paused for a moment. "I have work, and then I've got class straight after. You can go back to sleep if you want."
ㅤAs watery as his blurry head felt, Liam scrubbed his hands into his eyes. "No, it's fine. I'm awake now." And he knew better than to try his luck when having slept at all was a miracle.
ㅤHis phone had been shoved under the pillow and, powering it on, he found multiple missed calls from his sister—enough to pique his attention. Whilst Olivia calling him wasn't necessarily rare, it was certainly strange she'd tried four times.
ㅤ"Huh."
ㅤCharlie glanced at him. "What is it?"
ㅤ"It's nothing. Hey, are you okay?" Liam asked.
ㅤ"'Course I am."
ㅤIt wasn't even convincing.
ㅤLiam couldn't decipher whether Charlie didn't want to show his vulnerability or if he'd sincerely brushed it off like he seemingly could every other misfortune in his life.
