First Night Away From Home
Event: Liam Dunbar Appreciation Week 2020 (day 5- ships)
Pairing/s: Liam x Nolan (can be read as platonic or otherwise)
Summary: Nolan has never spent a night away from home before, Liam helps him through it ft. Temporary alpha Liam from Nolanâs point of view.
Nolan tossed for what felt like the hundredth time. He checked the time on his phone, heâd been at it for two hours now, and managed not one wink of sleep. He didnât necessarily feel home sick, but he hadnât ever stayed anywhere without his family, it just felt a little unnatural and unnerving.
He knew it was ridiculous considering how old he was, but Nolan had always struggled with loneliness at night. It was one of the big things that made him nervous about lacrosse camp to begin with.
âLiam? Are you awake?â
âI am now,â the boy mumbled,
âCan I...â Nolan gathered his courage, âcan I come sleep with you?â
Liam rolled over before he sat up and found his phone to use as a flashlight. Nolan could see now how tired his eyes were, hair a mess and the pillow marks on his face. He felt bad for waking him, obviously Liam needed this sleep more than Nolan knew.
âItâs just... Iâve never been away from home before, and-â
âNolan...â Liam cut him off, âitâs 1am... Just get your ass over here.â
Nolan didnât say anything else, just threw his blanket off and scurried across the room before Liam killed his flashlight. Liam scooted as close to the wall as possible, and Nolan crawled in under the covers beside him.
A single bed was not built for two athletic teenage boys to sleep in, but Nolan far preferred this than laying awake lonely on the other side of the room. He didnât think heâd get homesick, but it turned out it didnât matter how old you were, the first night you spend away from your parents was always hard.
âAre you okay now?â Liam wondered,
Nolan nodded, âyeah. Thanks,â
âItâs cool... roll over and go to sleep.â
Nolan turned his back on Liam and closed his eyes. He could feel the heat that radiated from the werewolfâs skin, and hear the gentle breaths he took. It reminded Nolan that he wasnât alone, and he focused on it for a while. It still hadnât helped him to sleep, but he didnât mind as much now.
At some point it had started to rain, and Liam groaned before he hauled himself up, over Nolan and out of bed to close the window. There was barely any light in the room, but Nolan tried to watch him anyway, sitting up on his elbow as Liam turned back to him.
He had an old, thin t-shirt on that looked a little too big for him, and hid much of the muscle in his chest and shoulders. A shiver ran through Nolan at the loss of heat, and as much as heâd love to stare a little longer, he really just wanted Liam to come back and warm him up again. Nolan could barely contain his excitement when Liam slipped into bed again.
âYou gotta go to sleep,â Liam pushed Nolan over, âI can practically hear you thinking, and itâs keeping me awake,â
âSorry, I know, I just... Iâm trying,â
There was no venom in Liamâs words, he was just tired and desperate for sleep. Nolan couldnât blame him, itâd been a big day, and tomorrow would be too, it was a really bad night to be losing sleep. Liam got comfortable again under the covers, and Nolan laid down beside him again, trying to will himself into unconsciousness.
âRoll over and come here,â Liam instructed five minutes later.
Nolan complied, and Liam wriggled closer to spoon him, wrapping an arm around Nolanâs waist and taking his hand.
âTry to relax, okay?â Liam soothed him, âyou couldnât possibly be anywhere safer. You know Iâd never let anything happen to you,â
âI know,â Nolan agreed, âthanks for being so nice to me...â
âI get it... first time I went back to visit my Dad, I... I laid awake all night until 10am, I couldnât sleep. All I wanted was my own bed and my Mum and David,â
âI guess Iâm lucky I have you at least,â Nolan offered enthusiastically,
âYou do... and I canât sleep when I know youâre not, so youâve either gotta sort this out or pick a Netflix show for us to watch on my phone,â
âCan we just try... five more minutes...â Nolan bargained, âif not you can pick the show,â
Nolan smiled, and he tested the waters with how close he could get to Liam. Every inch he moved back, Liam just tightened his hold, and it made something in his stomach swell.
Liam was the perfect material for an alpha. He was so kind, and patient with his friends. He put others first, and never let anyone feel left behind or forgotten. He was the kind of person everyone needed in their life.
âDid I ever tell you about the time I fell in a hole?â
Nolan burst out laughing, âno! Tell me!â
âI was out with Stiles...â
Nolan rolled in Liamâs arms so they could see each other, and for an hour or so they just exchanged stories, until those words morphed into slurs, and finally, Nolan dozed off along with Liam, enveloped by his warmth and kindness.
