By WOC for POC

The thing that got him is the sunglasses, the effortless way Theo held them in his grasp while appearing calm but serious. That got GQ too apparently because they choose that cover over Liam’s hunched-over and boyish pose for the November issue.

“Don’t worry bud we still can get used of this picture, it’s a great picture and I have teen Vogue itching for it already give me a couple of days,” his manager Stiles reassured.

“Teen Vogue? I don’t want Teen Vogue; I am not a child!”

“You’re acting like one,” Stiles teases.

“You promised me more mature work when I left Jackson’s company for yours!”

“I know I did and the fact that I even got you a shoot with GQ was hard but you gotta meet me halfway here bud, you can’t expect mature work when you still look like you’re posing for a high school yearbook.” Liam deflated at the criticism, Stiles was right, he started modeling when he was 14 and was struggling now at 21 to break away from the teen magazines and wanted to do runway and pose for more mature publications.

“I just, why did it have to be him?”

“Yeah, I know it bugs you when Theo gets the job but hey, I think this rivalry is good for you, it makes you work harder.” Stiles clicks on his laptop for a moment before pulling out a file for Liam.

“Anyway, forget GQ for now, Scott called you about Lydia’s show, right?”

“Yeah,”

“Good, here’s the details, make sure you arrive on time and your best behavior. Lydia’s guestlist is stacked, and the Editors of GQ, Vogue, and Esquire are confirmed. You walk good, I’ll get you the cover of a mature magazine.”

Stiles’s phone rang then, and he waved Liam off in dismissal. With a sigh, Liam took the file and put it in his side satchel before heading out into the busy California streets home. He opens his phone and sees a text from Manson asking to get lunch.

He agrees and calls an Uber to the restaurant.

“Anyway, I heard Theo got the cover, I’m sorry man.” Mason apologizes.

“Ugh, don’t remind me, hey are you walking in Lydia’s show?”

“Nah, I gotta do Erica’s music video remember?”

“Oh yeah, that’s great man, I’m happy you’re doing the crossover from model to actor.”

“It’s just one video dude, not a Netflix show chill,” his best friend laughs it off, but Liam knew it was a big deal for him.

“Whatever, it’s gonna suck having no one to hang out with in New York though.”

“Corey will be there!” Mason reminds Liam of his better half walking the same show, normally Liam would be ecstatic to hang out with him but there was one issue.

“Yeah, but you know he’s gonna be hanging out with Theo.” Liam spits out the name like it’s a curse.

“You know he’s not so bad…”

“Yeah, like the dentist isn’t ‘so bad,’” Liam scoffs.

“Seriously you should just hang out with them both. Corey will be a great buffer and you don’t have to wander NYC alone this weekend.”

“I’ll think about it,” they change the conversation after that to a much simpler subject and Theo was once again pushed to the back of Liam’s mind.

__

Kira pushed Liam into a chair and quickly did his hair. People were running around like chickens with their heads cut off. Shows were always this hectic. Another woman Liam didn’t know started on his makeup while Kira slathered product onto his head. Just then another model sits beside Liam to also get ready. A quick look in the mirror shows the infamous Theo himself.

“Dunbar,” he smirks, and Liam can’t help the sneer he lets come over his features.

“Raeken,” he replies. “I guess Lydia just lets anyone walk her show huh?”

Theo laughs finding the younger male amusing.

“I heard you got the cover of next month’s Teen Vogue, congrats.” Liam takes a deep breath and is glad he remembered his pills today.

“Thanks,” Liam grits out and is thankfully done with makeup and hair and can leave the conversation to get dressed.

The show goes great as far as Liam is concerned. The crew opens a bunch of champagne bottles, and the models are sprayed with alcohol. Lydia and the more famous models are being interviewed, Liam tries not to feel too bitter that he sees Theo on camera answering questions in the smug way he always communicates.   

An arm finds its way across Liam’s shoulders, and he turns to see Corey smiling wide at him. He can’t help but smile wide in return and wraps his arm around his waist to squeeze the man in a hug.

“Dude! Are you ready to party in the city that never sleeps?” He asks in excitement and Liam laughs and nods easily agreeing. He feels on top of the world and even a night with Theo cannot ruin his mood. “You, me, Theo, and Brett Talbot;” okay that might ruin it though.

The 4 young models find themselves at some fancy restaurant and Corey seems blissfully unaware of their awkwardness. A waiter comes and they order drinks before browsing the menu.

“Should you be drinking on your medication?’ Brett asks and Liam stiffens, Theo looks confused, and Corey awkwardly sips his water.

“Should you be drinking on your diet?” Liam shoots back and Corey chokes on the water.

“My 8 pack doesn’t disappear that easily,” Brett laughs and Theo smirks beside him.

“So how has Stiles been?” Corey switches the subject, Corey, Theo, and Brett were managed by Hale Industries.

Derek had tried to recruit Liam when he was still with Jackson, but he ultimately decided to go with Stiles instead because his client list was smaller, and he offered Liam more attention. There was no bad blood though considering Stiles and Derek were married so the money all ended up in the same place. Why they didn’t just make a joint company no one knows but Scott thinks the competition spices things up in the bedroom for them.

“Great, he’s getting me a lot of opportunities I didn’t have before.”

“Lydia’s show for example,” Brett comments, and Liam sighs, this was gonna be a long night.

“I heard your friend Mason is doing that music video with Erica,” Theo adds, and Corey gets a dopey grin at the mention of his boyfriend.

“Yeah, he’s really excited,” Liam answers right when the drinks finally arrive.

“You know Matt Daehler is looking for a model subject for his gallery show, maybe Stiles can get you that,” Brett offers.

Theo stiffens beside him, and Liam leans forward in interest. Matt was a big-name photographer in the industry and a shoot with him could help Liam make the leap he’s been itching for. Theo worked with him 3 years ago and he’s been a household name ever since.

“I don’t think Liam is the type to work with Matt,” Theo cuts in before Liam can question the details.

“What’s that supposed to mean?” Liam argues annoyed.

“It’s just- Matt is… very particular on the type of people he works with.” Theo struggles to explain.

“Oh, so I’m not his type?” Liam spits out and Theo shakes his head.

“Liam that’s not what I meant I just think-“Liam stands up abruptly and announces he’s going to the bathroom.

He splashes water on his face and repeats his riddle to calm himself. He knew this night out would be a bad idea. Brett and Theo are ganging up on him and Corey is no help at all. After a few minutes, his heart rate lowers enough that he doesn’t feel the need to smash the bathroom mirror and he returns in time to see their food be set down. They eat in relative silence until Corey mentions this club he wants to check out.

They make their way back to their hotels at 10 pm and agree to meet in the lobby at midnight to go club hopping.

Liam takes a quick shower and decides to do some research on Matt while he waits to go out.

He sees articles confirming that all the current big-name male models worked with him at some point. It’s not long before his research leads him to Theo. He clicks on a video from 2 years ago of Theo, it’s an interview about Matt and a “collaboration” they did together, pictures of it are teased throughout the video. Theo looks… off, his normal arrogant smile is gone, a forced smirk in its place, his shoulders are hunched; he appears to be trying to fold into himself, his movements are sluggish and slow and nothing like the confident way Liam is used to him moving, and his eyes seemed red and dark with bags.

“So, my last question is, what is it really like to work with Matt Daehler?”

“I can honestly say… he’s nothing like anyone else I’ve ever worked with.”

Liam shuts his laptop and finishes getting ready for the night. Once he’s done a text comes from Corey telling him to meet them all in the lobby.

They hit a club and immediately make their way to the bar for drinks. While they wait some club promoters recognize Theo and Brett and instantly the boys are pulled towards the VIP area, Liam can feel himself making a face.

“Shouldn’t do that it’ll cause wrinkles,” Theo whispers to him and Liam drops the look but gets more irritated.

It takes a while and a few drinks before Liam manages to forget his annoyance and starts to actually have fun. He dances a lot and before long he wears himself down and makes his way back to their table to catch his breath. Theo’s already there talking and laughing with a few people he doesn’t recognize. Liam thinks about the video he saw earlier of Theo 2 years ago and how different he looks now.

“Liam,” Theo waves him closer and he hesitates for a moment before humoring the older model. A girl around their age is standing in front of him with brunet hair and big brown eyes. “This is Hayden, she’s a freelance photographer that has a job with Boys by Girls coming up and needs some models.”

Liam smiles at the cute girl and shakes her hand.

“I love Boys by Girls, it’s one of my favorite men’s fashion magazines.”

“Well, I have nothing to do with the creation of the issue I just take photos with whoever pays me to work,” she smirks, Theo laughs and Liam feels his face heat. “Anyway, Theo was telling me how busy he is and suggested you.” Liam felt a lot of emotions at that but pushes it down and grabs his phone.

“Maybe we could exchange information and I can have my agency call you about the shoot?”

Hayden pulls out her phone and hands it over before going back to her drink.

“Just put your agent’s number in under your name and I’ll call them later.” Liam does as he’s told, and the waiter comes with another round of drinks. Once Hayden gets her phone back, she hugs Theo and waves goodbye to Liam before disappearing into the crowd.    

Liam just stares after her and ignores the eyes he feels on the side of his face.

“Thanks,” he finally mutters and finds Theo with a soft smile looking back at him. This weird fluttering feeling occurs in his stomach but before he could address it, he feels a hand grab his upper arm. He turns and finds an older man, probably mid-30s, with shaggy blond hair and a patchy beard.

“Hey, baby, how about we find a stall and have some fun?” He says close enough to Liam’s face that he could smell the alcohol.

“Get off of me,” Liam yanks his arm away and he feels his heart start to race, his vision starts to blur around the edges and his breathing becomes ragged.

“Come on Liam he’s not worth getting kicked out over,” Theo says suddenly at his ear, but Liam can barely hear him over his heartbeat.

The guy steps closer and Liam steps back.

“Fuck off man,” Liam growls, the creep towers over him but Liam’s muscles aren’t just for looks contrary to popular belief. 

“Liam if we fight him, we get kicked out, can cause a scene, a scene could get filmed and sent around, tonight being Lydia’s show our faces may be recognized. Think about this and let’s walk away.” Theo explains calmly and Liam finds it a little easier to breathe. He nods once and both grab their drinks to walk off. That’s when an arm snakes across Liam’s waist and his anger comes back full force.

He shoves the stranger off and balls his hand into a fist lifting it before he pulls back though the guy’s head swings to the side and his body falls knocking the table next to them over. Liam blinks a few times in confusion before processing that Theo hit the guy first. Before he could protest Theo grabs his hand and marches him out of the club through a side entrance. Phones are aimed at them and luckily Brett and Corey follow the two out without complaint.

“What happened? Are you guys, okay?” Corey asks.

“Man, I was dancing with this hot guy and didn’t get his number yet,” Brett complains.

Theo explains what happened before they decide on a new club a few blocks away. Corey holds his hand and Liam spends the walk trying to calm down completely. Theo doesn’t explain why he hit the guy first and Liam doesn’t ask for one yet.

“I’m surprised Liam didn’t beat the guy bloody,” Brett laughs and Liam tries out his breathing exercises.

“He would’ve I just got to him first,” Liam can hear the smirk in Theo’s voice.

“Liam remember when you thought that guy was hitting on me and tackled him in an Ikea? Oh my god, that was so embarrassing.” Brett cackles and Theo stops short, Liam ignores them both.

“You guys dated?” Theo asks.

“For way too long,” Brett smirks.

“It was 6 months,” Liam explains.

“With you babe that feels like 6 years,” Liam ignores the sharp stab he feels in his chest at that, and Corey squeezes his hand in comfort. Thankfully the club comes into view then.

The next morning Liam groans in pain before grabbing the water bottle, he left by his bed and drank half in one swig. He grabs his phone to check the tie and there are dozens of notifications the most alarming are the missed calls from Stiles, Scott, and Derek. Why Derek would be calling him he didn’t know but he felt like he was being called to the principal’s office.

He opens the article link Stiles sends him first so he has an idea of what the calls will be about but honestly, he has a good guess. Reading the headline his suspicions are confirmed.

Men’s Fashion Bad Boy Theo Raeken Strikes Again! TMZ writes.

The article includes a video of last night’s incident. Liam watches as Theo punches the stranger from a different angle. The article reminds the readers of Theo’s troubled past. His history of drugs, his occasional tendency to wreck hotel rooms, and his habit of showing up late for work. All of which Theo and his reps claimed stopped after his rehab stint. Liam feels sick but this time not from the hangover and exit’s out of the article before returning Stiles’s call.

“What the hell happened?” Stiles says in place of a greeting.

Liam explains the story and tells him how it wasn’t his or Theo’s fault.

“All right, give me an hour to write up a statement, I’ll talk to Derek because we’re going to collaborate on the best way to handle this press-wise. Just stay put, all four of you are grounded. I’m talking DoorDash food and drinks, do not leave the hotel, do not post on socials, do not pass go and collect 200 dollars grounded until you get back to California and we have a game plan for you and Theo.” Liam groans and says goodbye before tossing his phone. He finishes his water and is about to get more out of the mini-fridge before it rings again. It’s Corey.

“Hey.”

“Hey, since we’re all on lockdown you wanna come to our suite? We’re ordering food and drinks and we’ll probably watch a movie or something.”

“Sure, send me your number and I’ll be there after a shower, order me a burger and Gatorade.” They say bye and Liam grab some sweats and a t-shirt since no one important is going to see him and he wants to be comfortable.

When he gets to the room Corey is digging into his salad, Brett already has a beer, and Theo is sitting off to the side with his laptop faced away from them. He greets all of them and sits on the couch next to Corey. The suite is big, he sees two rooms. One with 2 beds and the other with one. Where they currently are in the living room area with a huge flatscreen, a couch, a recliner, and a chair with a desk that Theo occupies.

“Can’t believe we have a weekend in New York and can’t enjoy it,” Brett complains, and Liam rolls his eyes knowing he’s going to get blamed for this.

“Brett, we hit enough clubs last night for a whole summer it’s fine,” Corey comforts and Theo is silent while he reads something on his screen and grabs his phone as it rings.

“Hello,” he says then waves to the group dismissing himself and walking to the room with 2 beds to talk privately. Then Liam’s phone rings.

“Go to my room,” Corey points to the other room knowing it’s important. 

“Hey,” Liam greets as he shuts the door.

“Okay I’m sending a statement to your phone, it’ll be posted on your Instagram feed and Twitter after you give me approval.” The tone of voice tells Liam he doesn’t actually need his approval he’s just saying it to be nice. “It’s the same one Theo will post, Derek and I both agreed, and their PR came up with it. Monday at 9 am I need you to meet me at Hale’s office building, I’ll send you the address later. We’re meeting with Theo because this is going to take a little more than just a notes app apology to go away.” He hangs up after goodbye and Liam instantly gets a screenshot of the apology to be posted.

Hey guys, last night after work I went out with a few of my friends to celebrate the great show we put on with Lydia Martin showcasing her newest collection. Unfortunately, a drunk patron at one of the establishments we attended started to harass me and Theo Raeken. When we tried to walk away the stranger got physical with me and my friend Theo reacted without thinking and hit the man to defend me. We immediately left after. It was stupid of us to do something like that, and I promise to be more aware of my surroundings in the future. I also apologize to anyone who was upset by the video. That is not the person I want to be perceived as in the media. That is not the person Theo is either and we are both saddened by last night’s events and plan to find alternative solutions to resolve conflict in the future.

With love always, -Liam

Liam ignores the fact that Theo is called his friend and approves the post. Stiles won’t let him change it anyway and has his passwords to do the rest. He goes back to the living room and finds Theo already there, with no laptop, and off the phone.

“I don’t need to see your post to know we probably have identical apology notes,” Theo smirks but it doesn’t reach his eyes like before.

“We have a meeting Monday,” Liam answers instead.

“I’ve been informed.” Theo sighs and turns off his phone, Liam follows suit and grabs the container Corey hands him which he assumes has his food.

"You, okay?" Theo asks while Liam slowly eats his fries, he was caught off guard by the question.

"Yeah, are you?" Theo smiles softly but once again it doesn't reach his eyes.

"This isn't my first rodeo."

"Okay, can we pick a movie or something now, I'm bored?" Brett interrupts. 

After a couple of horror movies, it’s late afternoon and Brett suggests a drinking game since they all now had alcohol.

“Never Have I Ever, but you drink when you have.”

“Ohh fun, I’ll go first,” Corey announces. “Never Have I Ever… Had sex with a girl.”

Brett and Liam take shots and then it’s Theo’s turn.

“Never have I ever… hooked up with a celebrity,” Brett drinks and Liam rolls his eyes not caring who it was but knowing Brett is itching to tell.

“Never have I ever… had a one-night stand,” Liam adds, and only Brett drinks again.

“Never have I ever got us kicked out of a bar,” Brett says, and Liam feels his hackles rise.

“Brett,” Corey warns, and Theo takes a drink.

“Liam…” Brett antagonizes him because he doesn’t drink.

“I took the shot because I got us kicked out not him.” Theo defends and Liam stands up and heads for the door.

“It’s getting late, our flight is early so I’m going to bed.” He says before retreating to his room.

Monday comes quickly and Theo is sitting beside Liam in some kind of conference room. Stiles and Derek are across from them.

“Alright as you may or may not know your apology post came with mixed reviews,” Stiles explains. Liam did know, he saw a few comments before deleting Twitter and Instagram off his phone to take a break. Some fans pointed out that they thought Liam and Theo hated each other, which they do. Some kept saying that Theo hasn’t changed at all as he claims, and some were calling Theo a hero for defending Liam and oddly the last ones made Liam feel the worst. He didn’t need Theo to “save” him. “To really nail in that friendship angle though you guys are gonna be spending a lot more time together.”

“Wait what?” Liam asks.

“Stiles and I have organized some joint photoshoots for you two with Calvin Klein. Also, you are going to go to a few charity events together, you’ve already been emailed the details. The more you two are seen hanging out and being close the more believable the apology and the more likely Theo looks as well as the more exposure Liam gets.” Derek explains to the point unlike his husband Stiles.

“See it’s a win/win for everybody,” Stiles says and Liam disagrees.

“Do we get a say in any of this?” Liam protests and looks to Theo who has his head down and shoulders hunched, he has a flashback to that interview he watched in New York.

“Not if you want a viable career.” Stiles answers and Liam accepts defeat.

“We’re done here, don’t look like you are being punished boys, this is really good for both of you,” Stiles smiles and Derek doesn’t glare which Liam assumes is the closest he comes to smiling.

Liam watches the hairstylist in the mirror and tries to control his breathing. He should be thrilled; a Calvin Klein photoshoot is a huge step in his career but Theo’s easy smile and effortless way he flirts with the makeup artist is getting on his nerves. Theo in general gets on his nerves.

“Stop sneering,” he hears beside him, and he shoots Theo a look. “Come on Liam this will be good for you, this is just the kinda gig you wanted remember?”

“How do you know what I want?”

“Because this is what every model wants. It won’t take long don’t worry…”

It’s not long before Liam and Theo are in front of a white backdrop in the signature white tight boxer briefs. Liam closes his eyes and feels a calm warmth settle over him. This is his element, in front of a camera, not even Theo can take this away.

“Alright boys think best friends or Derek Hale will have my head,” Isaac Lahey, up-and-coming photographer announces. It made Liam feel a little better knowing he wasn’t the only one new to the Calvin brand here today. As expected, Theo modeled for them twice already. Once the jeans and the other in a commercial. “Alright, kids show me friendship!”

Theo immediately throws his arm across Liam and ducks his head close like he’s gonna tell Liam a secret. Liam smiles carefree while Theo smirks and the flashes start. Liam playfully shoves Theo away and he laughs.

“Hey Liam, your shoes are untied,” he jokes, and Liam rolls his eyes so hard he gets a headache and Theo throws his head back and laughs.

“Is that really the best you got?”

“Did you hear about the claustrophobic astronaut?” Theo starts walking closer to Liam again. “He just needed a little space.” He smiles cheekily showing his perfect teeth and Liam can’t stop the laugh he lets out.

“Wow… don’t quit your day job,” Liam jokes while playfully punching Theo’s shoulder, Theo grabs the waistband of Liam’s boxers in lets go of it quickly making it snap against his skin in retaliation, when the older male pulls his hand back Liam quickly grabs his wrist and yanks him towards him. Theo is caught off guard and Liam uses this to wrestle Theo into a headlock and starts to rub his knuckle on Theo’s head successfully messing up his spiky hairdo.

“Uncle! UNCLE!” Theo shouts throw laughter and Liam lets go, his cheeks sore from his smile.

“Good stuff,” Isaac shouts in encouragement, and Liam is surprised for a moment. He honestly forgot they were working.

“Hey Lee, is that a mirror in your pocket because I could see me getting in your pants,” Theo winks and Liam flashes hot, he doesn’t know if it’s from the nickname or the cheesy pickup line.

“I’m not even wearing pants,” Liam waves him off and Theo laughs hard again, butterflies erupt in his stomach, and he ignores it. It’s not much longer until the shoot wraps up.

__

Once the pictures are posted online and set to be in the next Vogue issues Liam goes up a few thousand followers. He stares at the two pictures they went with. The one where Liam has Theo in a headlock. You can see Theo has a smile on his face and Liam wears an identical playful smile on his features. The next picture was taken right before the first. It shows Theo’s finger in the waist of his boxers, the Calvin Klein name hiding the digit, it looks like Liam is being reeled in by the older male instead of the waistband snap that occurred in real life. Theo has a smirk that can only be described as wicked on his face and Liam has a small smile the look in both their eyes make Liam’s stomach hurt honestly. Stiles sends a text about how he’s posting the photoshoot to Liam’s Instagram and doesn’t wait for a reply before Liam see’s it on his feed. It takes a minute for hundreds of comments to come through and Liam goes through them curious about what people think of the shoot.

“I guess they are friends”

“Historians will call them close friends…”

“What in the homoerotic is going on here?”

Liam’s stomach feels weird again. The only thing worse than people thinking Theo and him are friends is people thinking they are dating. Just then his phone rings.

“Hey Scott,” he greets.

“Hey Liam, I just got a call from Hayden Romero, she wants to work with you for Boys by Girls magazine,” Liam’s cheeks hurt from how wide he smiles.

After Scott discusses the deal and Liam confirms he wants it he says he’ll send him an email about all the details and soon Stiles is calling him.

“I just emailed you the details but you’re on the guest list for Allison’s show this weekend, You and Theo will go together and get dinner at Nobu after,” Stiles jumps right into it.

“Well hello to you too, why exactly am I doing this?”

“It’s part of your good press to fix the fight in New York, also that photoshoot has people talking so we’re riding this wave until it lands you enough gigs to be a household name.” He hangs up after and Liam knows it’s nothing personal he’s just in work mode.

Liam felt a lot of different emotions, from seeing the photos to getting a shoot for Boys by Girls, to now having to hang out with Theo more. Liam can’t help but wonder if he would have to do this if he just punched the guy himself. Why did Theo do it? Given his past you would think he would work hard not to be seen as the same bad boy he was before. But maybe he liked that persona, Liam can’t really judge given his diagnosis he still remembers the reputation he got in elementary and middle school before his parents homeschooled him for modeling in high school.

He checks his email and sees that he has an appointment with a stylist for Allison’s show tomorrow and after he looks over the details for the Boys by Girls photoshoot. He’s excited that he’s getting to work with them and has a page in Vogue’s next issue, but he can’t help but feel it’s tainted by the fact that he got both jobs with Theo’s help. He wanted to get his name out there on his own.

Liam waits for the car in the lobby of his apartment; he’s wearing a black short-sleeved button-up with powder blue slacks and some black boots. They are all name brand and worth more than his rent, he knows because the stylist threatened his manhood if he ruins the clothes since he would have to return them after tonight. A Black SUV pulls up and Liam knows it’s for him, he exits the building and hops in the back to find Theo already there in a powder Blue long-sleeved button-up shirt and black slacks.

“You’ve got to be kidding me,” Liam groans and Theo laughs.

“Hey, I had nothing to do with this,” he specifies.

“I know, is it really necessary we match too?” Liam complains and Theo shrugs.

They arrive at the show and the paparazzi are already there hounding everyone who shows up.

“Just relax and try and have a good time,” Theo instructs before the door opens.

“This isn’t my first time,” he shoots back before placing an easy smile on his face and stepping onto the carpet. He waits for Theo to step out and they walk the carpet together. Derek and Stiles said they had to pose and act like best friends, so Theo throws an arm around Liam and they both pose, Liam with his hands in his pockets and a small smirk on his face, and Theo does a similar stance. The cameramen shout their names and try and get them to stare at them. After they look in a few different directions they continue walking into the venue where the show will take place.

They are seated off to the side in the second row by an usher and make small talk before the show starts, Liam would prefer to sit silently but there were a few paparazzi in the room that forced them to put on the BFF act. Soon the lights dim starting the show.

After the show people walk around and mingle for a bit, they say it’s to talk about the show but it’s really networking for their own career advancements.

Liam and Theo separate to say hi to old friends and make some new connections.

Liam is talking to an up-and-coming fashion designer and thinks he has a chance at walking at his first show if he plays his cards right. Just then Matt Daehler walks up.

"You're Liam, right?" The fashion designer excuses himself while Liam shakes his hand.

"Yeah, I'm a big fan of your work Mr. Daehler." Matt chuckles at this.

"Just Matt is fine. I actually saw your Calvin Klein shoot and I'd really like to collaborate with you on my next project."

"Wow, yeah that'd be amazing, let me give you my manager’s number." They exchange information and before they part Theo walks up. What happens next can only be described as a stare-down. Matt breaks the moment by smirking.

"Good to see you, Theo," he says before walking away and Theo doesn't say anything just watches him leave.

"We should get going." Liam for once doesn't argue. He doesn't know what the weird moment between them was about, but he didn't want to ask.

They left after that.

There’s already paparazzi outside of Nobu when they arrive which is a surprise to neither of them since Nobu is one of those places where you go only to be spotted not to actually enjoy. They keep their heads down but are still visible, so they have that “not trying to be spotted” sheepish look but are still very spotted because they actually want to be spotted. Just another dumb industry thing they try to do to seem important. They are seated and asked for drinks. Liam orders a soda like Theo. Liam looks over the menu and they sit in silence for a moment.

"Are you gonna ask?" Theo asks.

"Do you wanna talk about it?"

"Not really...."

"Then no," Liam says right as their drinks are brought. They order some food and Liam sighs.

"I don't recommend you work with him." Theo finally says.

"I didn't ask." Liam shoots back.

"Let’s just enjoy dinner," Theo sounds exhausted and Liam is reminded of how his mother would be with him as a child and he doesn't like it, so he drops it.

"What did you think of the show?" Liam tries instead.

"It was good," Theo sounds lighter and Liam isn't sure why that makes him happy.

By the time they order their food the topic of Matt has been long forgotten.

"Lacrosse huh?"

"Yeah, it was actually really helpful for my uh... issues at the time." Liam feels his shoulders tense at that admittance.

"Hey, I'm not here to judge, God knows I can't..." Theo comforts.

"It's called intermittent explosive disorder... it’s a behavior disorder. I tend to overreact to certain situations."

"Overreact how?" Theo leans his elbows on the table interested in the conversation.

"Violently... but it’s calmed down a lot since I was a teenager. Thanks to sports, therapy, and medication."

Their food arrives and Theo leans back in his seat, Liam feels a sense of loss.

"That’s what Brett meant by his medication and drinking comment."

"Yep," Liam pops the p and takes a bite of his food.

"I can't believe you dated that guy..." Liam laughs

"Yeah, me either... but in his defense, he wasn't like... a dick to me before. That started after we broke up and his teasing is mostly harmless. We actually had a lot in common. He used to play lacrosse in high school too."

"Why did you guys break up," Theo asks.

"I don't know, he says it had nothing to do with my I.E.D. but I don't know. I'm pretty sure he couldn't handle my outbursts."

"I'm sorry Liam," Liam waves him off.

"It’s whatever, it was long enough ago I don't care anymore."

"What about you? Any model ex I should know about?" Liam jokes.

"Wow, exes talk on a first date?" Theo smirks and Liam feels his face heat up and knows he's blushing. "Uh, I haven't dated a model, it’s kind of embarrassing but the last person I dated was in high school... I uh, just been so focused on my career, to be honest."

For some reason, Liam thinks Theo is lying but doesn’t argue with him.

“What about you? Any sports?” Liam asks instead.

“Nah, well I used to skateboard but not like competitively or anything. How did you get into modeling anyway?”

“Oh God it’s so cliché,” Liam takes a bite of his food to buy himself time. “I uh, found an agent in a mall,” he confesses.

“Oh my God… you told me cliché, but I underestimated you.” Theo laughs.

“Hey, shut up! What about you… what’s your story?”

“There’s not much to tell to be honest. I kinda stumbled into it because I needed a job, but I was way too young to work any regular jobs legally. Fast food places required you to be 16. I saw a job listing for a teen model to advertise some clothes for a local boutique. My old agent Jennifer saw it and signed me.”

“How old were you?”

“14,” he answers quickly.

“Why did you need a job at 14?” Theo sighs.

“I just… didn’t like home too much and modeling afforded me an income to leave and never look back.” Liam didn’t pry too much after that, he couldn’t imagine trying to make enough money to leave his mom and dad so young, but his parents were awesome, and he was aware not everyone is as lucky as him.

“Hey umm, I got that shoot with boys by girls…” He isn’t sure why he tells Theo this, but he felt like he should.

“Congrats!” Theo smiles sincerely. “I knew you’d be perfect for it,” and Liam smiles shyly back.

“I don’t know…”

“No don’t doubt yourself now, I know it’s hard making that leap from teen heartthrob to mature modeling, but it’ll happen for you soon, it already is.”

“The Calvin Klein shoot doesn’t count it was a PR setup.”

“Of course, it was, everything we do is PR Liam, we’re models. It’s our job to be walking billboards! But even if there was an ulterior motive for that shoot Calvin doesn’t give a shit about the fact that I punched a guy in New York. They gave us the shoot because they like our look. So did Vogue or they wouldn’t have approved it for the upcoming issue. You have to have a little faith in yourself kid,” Theo sits back and takes a drink and Liam smiles wide.

“You do have a point… Hey, should we get some real drinks? We are supposed to be having a night out, why not make it real?” Theo laughs and something dangerous dances in his eyes that pulls Liam in. 

“You’re gonna get us in trouble Dunbar,” he says while lifting his hand to flag down the waitress.  

 Their a few shots in and nursing their drinks when Theo sits on the same side as Liam.

“You trying to get cozy Theo?”

“It’s easier to hear you this way,” he says, it did get crowded and louder since they first arrived.  

“You have pretty eyes,” Liam blurts without thinking and Theo’s eyes widen slightly before he laughs loudly.

“You’re not too bad yourself Dunbar,” he smirks and Liam flushes.

They stare at each other in silence and Liam feels himself move forward a tiny bit. Theo glances down at his lips for a split second and starts to move too.

“Can I get you 2 anything else?” The waiter interrupts and Liam jumps back.

“Uh, just the check thanks,” Theo answers and goes back to his seat before.

Liam feels the loss of Theo’s body warmth but says nothing to stop him.

“I’ll call the car,” Liam offers while the bill gets squared away, Hale Management is paying for the bill and Theo has a company credit card. Why a model gets a company card Liam doesn’t know and doesn’t ask. He assumes it’s for dinners like these.

___

“Hey Liam, first proud of you for the show you put on last night, people keep tweeting about you and Theo and even making fan edits. It’s adorable but also free press. Second, you got a call from Matt Daeher, he wants to work with you on his next project if you’re interested.”

“Of course, I am, yes! Tell Matt yes,” Stiles laughs at Liam’s enthusiasm.

“Okay, I call him back and iron out the details and get back to you, until then just make sure you prepare for Hayden’s shoot. You have to meet with wardrobe beforehand so they can make sure everything fits.”

“I know I got it on my calendar.”

“That’s my boy, all right I’ll let you recover, you looked really drunk in some of those photos, how did you manage to make it look so real?”

“I’ll talk to you later Stiles bye!”

Liam grabs his phone and heads to Twitter.

“I know we aren’t supposed to ship real people, but Theo and Liam are really cute.”

“Yo between the CK photo shoot and that night out I’m convinced Theo and Liam are dating in real life.”

Liam blushes and sees a notification from Theo. He clicks on it and sees a photo from a random Twitter, it’s of Liam and Theo and has a bunch of hearts edited onto the photo with the caption just #thiam.

“We have a couple name I guess,” Theo writes, and Liam bites a smile back.

“Why does your name get to be first?” He texts back.

Theo responds with a laughing emoji.

“Maybe you should tweet the suggestion Leo instead?” Theo responds and Liam replies with a thinking face emoji before locking his phone and getting something to eat.

__

The Vogue issue with Liam and Theo is out and the Boy by Girls shoot is being edited by the time the details for Matt’s project come in. He’s free until next week when Matt wants to have a sit down to explain the project in detail to him, that was new. Usually, Liam’s job was to show up, stand there and look pretty but Matt wasn’t lying when he said he wanted to collaborate. With everything happening Corey and Mason demand to take Liam out for drinks to celebrate. He meets them at a dive bar close to his apartment so it won’t be too loud, and they can all walk back to his place after.

"So, you and Theo seem real cozy in this Vogue." Corey teases holding the magazine up as if Liam hasn't seen it, hasn't been staring at it since it dropped.

"Our managers set it up," Liam tries to downplay it but he feels himself blushing and knows Mason can see through the truth.

"It's okay to change your mind about people Liam," he says softly and Corey nods.

"Yeah, and I've been working with Theo for a while now and he's a good guy. Way better than Brett. Not that Brett is a bad guy but..."

"He's a dick," Mason and Liam say in unison and Corey laughs.

"So, tell us about your date after Allison’s show?" Mason probs.

"We weren't on a date... I told you it was a PR stunt."

"Oh, come on, you’re a model, not an actor, those pictures were spicy," Corey argues but has a small smile to take the edge off.

"I.... he's easy to talk to," he offers while he sips his mixed drink.

"Come on it’s us, we won't tell him," Mason says while Corey crosses his heart beside him.

"I don't know, I don't hate him as much as I thought I did okay and I'm still trying to figure out what that means."

"Liam, you’re allowed to let people in. You’re not the same angry kid you were in high school and even if you were you still deserve love," Mason explains and claps his hand on his best friend's shoulder.

___

Two days before Liam is supposed to meet with Matt, Stiles calls an emergency meeting at his office.

Liam walks in to find Derek sitting next to Stiles behind his desk and Theo sitting in front of it.

"Hey, what’s going on?" Liam asks and Theo shoots him a small smile, but he could see how forced it is making the uneasiness in his stomach grow.

"Hey Liam, have a seat." Stiles orders and Liam obeys. "There's no easy way to say this so I'll just do it quickly... I canceled the Matt shoot."

"Wait what?" Liam sits up in his chair and immediately feels that bubbling in his stomach and his heart racing. Stiles shoots a look at Derek who gives the tiniest of nods for him to continue and at the corner of his eye he can see Theo staring at the carpet and refusing to look elsewhere.

"It has come to my attention of some inappropriate behavior on Matt's part and as your manager, it’s my job to protect you-"

"As my manager, it’s your job to get me work!"

"Liam, our job isn't just to get you work and make you money it’s also to protect you, your brand, and your image, and trust me working with Matt will do you way more harm than good," Derek explains calmly.

"I can't believe this... do you have anything to do with this??" Liam turns to Theo who finally looks him in the eye before nodding once then turning to both their managers.

"Can you give us the room?" Derek stands first and waits for Stiles before grabbing his hand and they leave closing the door behind them. Liam jumps up and starts pacing. If he doesn't let the energy out soon, he may break something or someone.

“Why do you insist on butting into my life and career!” Liam’s chest heaves as he finally lets out the burst of anger, he’s been holding about Theo like he’s been wanting to for years.

“I’m just trying to help!”

“No, you aren’t, you’re trying to sabotage me! First, you get the glory of punching out that guy and making me the damsel in distress. Then you get me in Vogue but you’re right there with me and oh yeah, everyone thinks we’re a couple, and now! Now you try and talk me out of working with Matt, the one photographer who could actually change my life! The one who changed yours, you wouldn’t be where you are without working with him! Why can’t I do things on my own?”

“Goddamnit, Liam I’m trying to protect you!” That shuts Liam up, Theo takes a few deep breaths and calms himself enough to speak again. “You wanna know why it’s not a good idea to work with Matt? Because he’s a fucking creep. He’s a predator, Liam. He… likes to take pictures without people’s permission. He invites you to a shoot and offers you water, it doesn’t take long before you fall asleep and you wake up confused,” Theo gets a faraway look in his eye but continues the story. “Then he shows you these pictures, pictures you didn’t consent to, and he uses them to control you. Then you go from wanting to work with him to have to work with him because he uses those pictures to blackmail you. I didn’t handle that well obviously. I got heavy into pills to cope. I lashed out whenever I could, trashing hotel rooms, punching paparazzi. It didn’t help that my old manager, Jennifer Blake basically implied she didn’t care. Finally, I got tired of it all and I had two options, kill myself or go to rehab. When I was there, I dropped my old team and reached out to Derek Hale which was a shot in the dark. My career was at its peak, but I was marked as a liability in the industry at this point. I told him everything and he basically scared the shit out of Matt to get him to back off. The bad boy persona didn’t do me any favors, I had to start my career at the bottom after rehab. Do you know I got half of what you were paid for the Calvin shoot?”

“What?” Liam asks in surprise.

“Yeah, I have to work twice as hard for half the pay now. Just because people know my name doesn’t mean they respect me. I am still seen as a liability and so the only way I can keep getting work is by taking less than I should be. If I never acted like that, I would be making much more by now. I punched that guy because it’s easier for me to write off a slip-up than to let you fall down that hole I am just starting to climb out of. Liam, I have done nothing but try to help you.” After his speech, Theo grabs his jacket and leaves Liam in the office.

Stiles comes in alone after a couple of minutes letting Liam process this information alone no doubt.

"Derek and Theo left, it’s just us now."

"I don't... why didn't Theo go to the police?" Liam finally asks taking a seat.

"He probably felt like he had no support, I mean he didn't then. Jennifer Blake is an amazing manager but a shitty person. Theo... doesn't talk to his family. When he reached out to Derek, he didn't want anything to do with Matt. Pressing charges would have reopened the wound he was probably already healing in rehab. Plus, my dad’s a cop and sex crimes are the hardest to convict. On top of this industry... sex sells, and predators hide in plain sight. Reporting something like that could cost you, your career which is... fuck up but the truth. There are probably a shit ton of reasons he didn't report it. I didn't ask and before you do, I had no idea about Matt until last night when Derek told me with Theo’s permission because Theo was concerned about you."

Liam's head was spinning but that familiar burning anger was still alive in his chest. That anger begged him to destroy something or hurt someone.

"What exactly did you say to cancel the job?" Liam finally asks and Stiles gives him a puzzled look.

__

"I got to say, Liam, I was surprised to hear back from you after your manager canceled," Matt explains while walking Liam into his studio.

It’s a wide loft with huge windows letting in a lot of natural light. There are still big camera lights set up though with a white backdrop. The room is mostly empty but there’s a kitchen in the corner that’s blocked off by a counter and Liam can see more equipment in the bedroom. He knows this apartment is only for work not lived in but there’s still a couch in the "living room" area.

Liam walks towards the kitchen and asks if he could sit his bag there, Matt waves him off, and after Liam takes a seat on the couch and the older man sits beside him.

"Yeah, well Stiles and I had a difference of opinion concerning my career, so we are no longer working together," Liam smiles and Matt returns it.

"I don't blame you; Stiles is married to Hale and... well let’s just say I don't recommend his management either..." he chuckles darkly.

"We should discuss the project," Liam laughs uncomfortably.

"Yes, of course, I'm doing a new gallery show and I want you to be the subject Liam, I've worked with other models before you know, and it’s always a collaborative effort. I want your input as much as my own but before I get into any details do you want something to drink?" Matt has a plastic smile on, similar to one Liam used to see on his 1st-grade teacher whenever she was losing her patience with him. He felt like he swallowed a rock then.

"Yeah, I'd love some water, hey can I use your bathroom really quick?" Liam stands.

"Of course, it’s in the bedroom over there," Matt points also standing to head to the kitchen.

Liam walks to it and sees a mattress on the floor it makes his stomach hurt, and pictures of other models on the wall make him feel nauseous.

He steps into the bathroom and takes a moment to breathe. He waits a minute before flushing the toilet and then splashes some water on his face, he looks at himself in the mirror and sees bags on his eyes, he hasn't been sleeping much since the meeting with Derek, Stiles, and Theo. He dries his face and then exits the bathroom. Matt is waiting on the couch with his water ready to go and a cup for himself too.

"Thank you," Liam sits and glances at his bag sitting up on the counter still before meeting Matt's eyes again.

"So, about your project-" just then Matt's phone rings, he stares down at it and frowns, glances at Liam, and makes an apologetic face.

"Sorry I got to take this really quick." He steps into the bedroom and closes the door.

As soon as the door clicks shut Liam jumps up and grabs the glass. He takes it to the sink and pours it out. He rinses it for good measure and grabs the water bottle in his bag. Once he refills his cup and returns to the couch Matt opens the door to reenter the living room. Liam takes a big gulp of water and places it down in front of him as Matt sits.

He smiles at him, and Liam swears he sees a gleam in his eye.

"Everything okay?" Liam asks and Matt nods.

"Yeah, it was Stiles can you believe it?" Matt chuckles and Liam wipes his sweaty palms on his jeans.

"My old manager Stiles? Huh, that’s weird..."

"Yeah, anyway back to what we were talking about..." Liam leans back into the couch getting relaxed. "So, the theme I wanna go with is loss of innocence..."

"Wow, that’s an interesting theme," Matt laughs again.

"Yeah, I guess it is, Liam I know you're just making the transition from teenage modeling to more mature jobs which is why this project is perfect for you," Liam starts to squint like his eyes are droopy and he blinks slowly as if he's tired. "Think about it," Matt starts to lean closer and Liam leans back to where he's almost laying down. "You get to shed your innocent persona and step into a much older one while I record that loss. We both get what we want..." Liam blinks a few more times before letting his body go completely limp and eyes shut. His heart is racing but he repeats his mantra over and over in his head while focusing on his breathing. He remembers his meditation ritual and falls into it easily enough to remain calm.

"Liam?" Matt pauses. "Liam?" He says a bit louder before patting his cheek. Liam doesn't respond or move.

He feels Matt stand and hears his footsteps leave and return. Liam hears the familiar click of the camera but it’s not as comforting as usual. He hears a soft thud and assumes it’s Matt placing the camera down, he struggles not to take a peek. Next was the hard part: Matt's hands go to Liam's chest and Liam feels dread in his stomach but wills himself not to react. Liam's button-up shirt is undone, and he hears the camera being picked back up.

Another click happens and he repeats his riddle again.

What three things cannot long be hidden?

Click.

The Sun.

Click.

The Moon.

Click

And the truth.

Crash.

Liam’s eyes shoot open just as he sees the door swing and hit the back wall. Police officers enter in quickly one behind the other, guns are aimed at Matt. There's a lot of shouting and Liam sits up and buttons his shirt.

"Matt Daehler, you are under arrest for attempting to drug a victim to commit a felony. We also have a warrant to confiscate your computer under suspicion of Blackmail." Mr. McCall informs while handcuffing the freak.

"What the hell are you talking about? I know nothing about this! You got the wrong guy!" He starts to shout.

"No, I'm pretty sure I got the right guy," Agent McCall shoots back before reading him his rights. Liam stands and takes a deep breath. Another FBI agent he didn't know the name of claps him on the shoulder.

"You did good son; the bag was in just the right place to catch him putting something in your drink and seeing him take the pictures." Liam nods relief hitting him like a train. Just then Stiles walks in and takes 4 large steps to get to Liam who basically collapses in his arms.

"I got you, kid, you did so good Lee. You saved a lot of people and helped out the ones from before," he rubs his back, and Liam's eyes sting. He doesn't know when he started crying.

"Is he going away?" Liam sounds so small to his ears.

"Hopefully, I don't know to be honest. My dad said he could do 4 years for the drugging and 4 years for the Blackmail, that’s for each one they find on his computer. But that’s the max sentence and it’s not guaranteed but even then, once this goes public, even if he gets no time no model is gonna wanna work with him knowing what he did. So, you still stopped him and I'm so proud of you. Let’s get you home."

Derek pulls up the car and Liam is seated in the back next to Scott and Stiles of course goes beside his husband in the passenger seat.

They drive mostly in silence after Scott and Derek also praise Liam's actions.

"You hungry kid?" Derek asks while looking at Liam through the rearview mirror.

"Mason and Corey are waiting at my apartment and they got me food," Liam answers, and Derek nods. Not long after that, they pull into the parking garage and Scott walks Liam to the elevator. 

Liam feels exhausted and leans onto Scott for support. He just wraps his arm around him and holds his weight like it’s nothing.

"Get some rest, Liam. My dad will keep us updated on everything." Scott explains and Liam just nods. He finds the energy to pull out his keys and Scott takes them from him opening the door. Mason and Corey rush to the entrance and Liam is being pulled into his best friend’s arms before he knows it while Corey talks to Scott.

"We'll call him tomorrow to check up just make sure he eats and sleeps yeah?"

"Of course, that’s why we're here." Corey walks him out while Mason walks Liam to the couch and slips off his shoes.

"We ordered pizza, and it should be here any minute. We're watching movies until we pass out 'kay bud?" Liam just nods and lets his 2 best friends take care of him

They do as promise and it doesn't take long before Liam is falling asleep in his bed next to Mason, Corey is sleeping on the couch because the bed is only big enough for 2.

The next day Liam wakes up to the smell of bacon and pancakes.

He walks in to find Mason in the kitchen cooking and Corey still passed out on his couch.

He smiles at the sight before going to his fridge and grabbing an orange juice.

"Need help?" He offers and his voice is extra raspy partly because he just woke up and partly because he didn't speak much last night.

"Nah I'm almost done anyway, thanks though." Before Liam can respond there’s a knock on his door. Liam and Mason look at each and Liam slowly walk over.

He looks through his peephole and sees Theo on the other side.

"Hey" Liam greets before stepping aside and motioning for Theo to come in. Corey manages to wake up at the knocking and is slowly catching up to the day. Theo greets both of Liam's friends before turning back to Liam.

"Uh, can we talk privately?" Theo asks and Liam nods.

"Yeah, let’s go to my room." He follows Liam into the bedroom and once Liam shuts the door and turns to Theo he immediately apologizes.

"Why are you apologizing?"

"For blowing up at you at the office the other day."

"Don't, you didn't know Liam don't worry l... I came to thank you. Derek told me about everything. I can't believe you went over there though I'm glad you did."

Liam shrugs unsure what to say.

"I just... I didn't want him to keep doing what he did to you to others. I also didn't want him to get away with what he did to you." Liam explains and Theo looks at him with an unreadable expression. 

His head is tilted slightly, and his eyes are unbearably soft, his smile though is what gets Liam one side of his mouth twitches and pulls up slightly, not a smirk but in the same fashion: it’s so incredibly Theo it burns Liam's chest.

He feels frozen at the moment. He takes a deep breath to loosen the ache and Theo steps forward once before he's directly in front of Liam and cradling his face.

He tugs him forward and Liam puts his hands above Theo’s and falls forward into the older male.

Their lips find each other and it’s softer than Liam expects but he doesn't mind. Fire explodes in his chest and flashes throughout his body. It feels like one of his IED episodes. He waits for the anger to explode but it doesn’t. No, calmness settles over him as Theo’s lips move with his. They slowly pull apart and Liam just keeps his face close with his eyes closed. Liam likes this feeling more than the anger. Yeah, maybe he can convince Theo to be his new therapist. Whenever he feels like destroying something Theo kisses him instead, he could prescribe kisses and everything. When he opens his eyes, Theo still has that soft smile.

"Was that, okay?"

"That was perfect..." Liam whispers back neither wanting to break the silence.

A knock on the bedroom door does that.

"Uh, breakfast is ready if Theo wants to stay for that," Mason announces.

"We're also continuing the movie marathon if he wants to stay for that too?" Corey adds.  Theo chuckles and looks at Liam with a wider smile that matches Liam's.

"Do you want me to stay for those?"

"I want you to stay forever," Liam confesses and Theo laughs heartily.

"I'd like that..." he confesses back before grabbing Liam's hand and pulling him out of the room.