#ohdunbar

You, along with Garrett and your other friends, Mason and Violet, had befriended Liam when he arrived in Beacon Hills, bringing him into your little group. He became pretty distant with the three of you right after lacrosse tryouts, and began spending time with Scott McCall and his friend group. You had chalked it up to Liam just wanting to get closer to the team captain, but you would have never expected werewolves to be at the center of the issue.

The day after Garrett had told you everything, even how he and Violet were hunters, you confronted Liam.

"Show me your eyes, Liam," you had said, watching as he looked at you, puzzled. "Your yellow eyes."

He had gotten flustered, stammering out some explanation about how eyes couldn't be yellow, that was just crazy, and his were blue, anyway. You just stared, eyebrows raised.

"Garrett told me everything," you admitted. "I just wanted to make sure he wasn't lying."

Liam sighed, dropping his head. He lifted it slowly, showing you his bright gold werewolf eyes. You had gasped, taken aback by the vivid color. They flashed back in a second, returning to the calm blue that you had come to know so well over the previous months.

Now, two weeks later, you were close with the entire pack, as the group was called. Lydia, Kira, and Malia had come to think of you as a younger sister, including you in their monthly girls' night. You attended your first pack meeting the previous evening, much to Garrett's dismay. The curiosity at how the whole werewolf thing worked was simply too much for you, and you had gone to learn, not to spill Garrett and Violet's plans. It's not like you knew much, anyway. Garrett refused to tell you anything, claiming that he was protecting you by keeping the information a secret.

The doorbell rang, snapping you out of your trance. You put down your book and went to the door, opening it to find a slightly nervous Garrett.

"Hey, babe," you said, letting him in and pressing a kiss to his cheek as he passed. "What are you doing here so late? You're lucky my mom's working the night shift."

"I have to talk to you," he simply replied, taking your hand and bringing you over to the couch. Your worries instantly increased, terrified that he had found some other creature in your friend group, or that, even worse, he had killed someone else.

"We need to break up."

You furrowed your brow, staring at him in confusion.

"What? Why?" you questioned.

"We just...we just need to, okay?" It was when he brushed you off, so indifferent to your feelings, that you knew. You let go of his hand, leaning away from him.

"There's someone else, isn't there?" you whispered, already knowing what the answer would be.

"Y/N, I just-"

"It's Violet, right?" Garrett became uncomfortable, shifting in his seat. "My own best friend? Are you serious, Garrett?" You stood up, furious.

"How long?" you demanded, crossing your arms.

"It hasn't-"

"How long?"

Garrett took a deep breath, looking up to meet your gaze.

"Two months."

You felt as if all of the air had been sucked out of the room. Your breaths shortened, and you let out a desperate little laugh, for lack of any other way to express your emotions. Garrett had been cheating on you with your best friend for a quarter of your entire relationship.

"Look, Y/N, I'm sorry, and we meant to tell you earlier, it's just that-"

"Get out of my house, Garrett," you said, your voice low. He looked up, shocked at your menacing tone. "Get out of my fucking house!" He began to back away slowly, muttering apologies the entire way, but he wasn't fast enough for you.

You stormed towards him, chasing him out. You pushed him out the door, hot tears streaming down your face.

"Fuck you!" you screamed as he scrambled into his car and drove away. You slammed the door, your back leaning against it as you sunk to the floor, your cries echoing around the room. Hours later, your mom found you curled up on the kitchen tiles, your eyes puffy from crying. She helped you up and brought you to bed without a single word. You would deal with this in the morning.

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The next day, you couldn't bring yourself to go to school. Not only would Garrett be there, but so would Violet. You had never felt such betrayal. Your mom had expected this, and made you breakfast in bed. You confessed what had happened over cinnamon rolls and Greek yogurt, letting out all of your emotions. She made you promise to go to school the next day before she left for work.

At school, Liam was out of his mind with worry. None of the pack had heard from you, and he most certainly wasn't going to go ask his best friend where his girlfriend was. You had been the first to welcome Liam to Beacon Hills, and he had had a crush on you since. Seeing you with Garrett hurt him, but he settled for being your friend, and you two had become quite close.

During his study hall, Liam whipped out his phone to send you a quick text. "you okay?" it read. He received a response moments later.

"no"

That was it. Plain and simple. His worries immediately increased.

"what's up?"

"ask your friend"

He put his phone back into his pocket, intent on seeking out Garrett before the lacrosse practice that afternoon. Who else could you have been referring to? Your message was loaded with bitterness, and, as far as he knew, you had nothing against Mason or any of the pack.

Hours later, he waited outside the locker room for Garrett. From his spot outside the doors, he could see him coming down the hallway. What Liam wasn't prepared for, though, was seeing Garrett press Violet up against the wall, kissing her tenderly before walking off. At once, he understood why you had stayed home from school.

All other thoughts left Liam's mind. He stormed forward, eyes flickering between blue and gold. "Hey, Garrett!" he exclaimed, coming up to his friend.

Garrett didn't even have time to prepare himself for the fist that crashed into his jaw.

"You asshole!" Liam fumed as Garrett fell to the floor in pain. Scott and Stiles rushed forward, pulling him back roughly. He struggled against them, his fists clenched. The boys forced Liam into an empty classroom before he could cause any more trouble.

"What the hell was that?" Stiles exclaimed, throwing his hands into the air.

"He's been cheating on Y/N with Violet," Liam muttered, seeing the instant understanding come to their eyes. Scott had always suspected that Liam had feelings for you, but never brought it up, not wanting to embarrass his new beta.

"Look, Liam," Scott began, placing a hand on Liam's shoulder. "I know you're angry, but you can't just go around punching people, especially now. Plus, Y/N wouldn't want you to beat him up, anyway."

"Well..." Stiles trailed off, considering how badly you were betrayed. Scott shot him a look, turning back to Liam.

"Go home and calm down, okay? We'll tell Coach you got sick or something."

Liam nodded and ran out into the hallway, shooting past the locker room and out the front door.

He didn't go home, though. He ran straight to your house, knocking frantically on the door.

From upstairs, you could hear the knocking loud and clear, but ignored it, preferring to stay in bed in your comfy blankets. Suddenly, your phone buzzed, alerting you to a text message from Liam.

"Y/N it's me so open the door please," it read. You sighed, leaving your armor of quilts and slipped out of bed, trudging down the stairs. You threw open the door, sniffling.

Liam's eyes widened as he took in the sight of you. Your hair was a mess, your eyes were puffy and bloodshot, and you were in your comfiest pajamas.

He still thought you looked beautiful.

"I'm so sorry for what he did to you," he whispered. You dropped your head, holding back tears. "Would it help if I told you I punched him in the face?" You laughed, looking up at him with glassy eyes.

"Thank you," you choked out, your voice scratchy from crying.

"Oh, God, come here," he said, stepping forward to hug you as your body wracked with sobs. You fell into his arms, letting him shut the door behind him. He lifted you up and carried you over to the couch, where he let you cry on his shoulder, his hands rubbing soothing circles on your back.

After a few minutes you calmed down, your sobs turning to hiccups as your breathing returned to normal.

"I-I'm sorry," you stammered, wiping your eyes. "It's just that I...I really thought he loved me, you know? And Violet was my best friend..."

Liam's heart broke for you, seeing the sheer hurt in your eyes. He couldn't stand to see you so down, so broken, and it killed him to not be able to do anything to erase the pain. He would take it all away for you in a second, regardless of the consequences.

"Well, they're both assholes that don't know when they've got a good thing going," Liam consoled, making you smile. "Listen, Scott's having a pack night tomorrow, and you should come. It'll help cheer you up, trust me."

You nodded, biting your lip. You knew you needed to get back into life and stop wallowing around in your misery, but it hurt. It hurt so badly, and it wasn't going away anytime soon.

"I'll be there."

Liam broke out into a smile, his face lighting up completely.

"Practice is almost over, so I have to get back to meet my mom, okay?" Liam stood up, checking the time on his phone. "I'll see you at school tomorrow, right?"

"Yeah," you whispered.

Without thinking, Liam leaned down to press a soft kiss to the top of your head. You were slightly shocked at the contact, as you and Liam had never been super touchy before, but were comforted by it nonetheless.

"Bye, Liam," you called out after him as he left, giving him a sad smile. He returned it, closing the door behind him and walking down your front steps.

What the hell was that? Liam thought as he ran back to school. He mentally kicked himself for kissing you, thinking that it freaked you out, however friendly it may have been. He sat on the school's front steps, his head in his hands as he waited. As soon as his mom's car pulled into the school parking lot, he shot up, getting in quickly so as to avoid the rest of the team. Liam was silent the entire way home, and went straight to his bedroom after, his mind consumed with a new found determination to cheer you up for good, no matter what it took.

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The next morning, you pulled yourself out of bed at the sound of your alarm, dragging your feet around as you got ready.

"You can do this, Y/N," your mom encouraged as you came downstairs for breakfast. You nodded slowly, repeating it in your head. You could do this.

Head down, feet forward, you thought as you walked into school that morning. You darted to your locker, going through your belongings as quickly as you could. Avoiding the curious gazes of the other students, you slammed the door shut and sped to homeroom, even though you were almost fifteen minutes early.

You pulled out a book as students filed in, your eyes sweeping the page but never actually reading the words. You were waiting with bated breath for Garrett to enter.

"Morning, Y/N," Mason said as he slid into the seat beside you.

"Did you already go to your locker? I was waiting but you never showed," Liam asked from your other side. You turned to him, seeing the slight hurt in his eyes.

"Uh, we were waiting," Mason joked. You laughed. The boys were going to be your protectors from now on, you could tell.

"Yeah, sorry. I came super early and I-"

You went silent as Garrett sauntered into the classroom, hand-in-hand with Violet. His cocky smile faltered slightly when he saw your smirk. The left side of his face was splotched with purple bruises, and his bottom lip was still puffy, a line of dried blood dividing it in half. Golden boy wasn't so golden anymore.

"You're amazing, you know that?" you said, turning to Liam. He shrugged.

"All in a day's work."

You let out a little laugh, shaking your head as you bit your lip. The two of you faced the front of the classroom, where the teacher was droning on about some new library policy.

The bell finally rang, bringing an end to the speech. You stuffed your book back into your bag, standing up. Liam and Mason were waiting for you at the door, flanking you on both sides as you exited.

"What are you guys doing?" you questioned, furrowing your brow. "You know I have biology, right?"

"Yeah," Liam said.

"But don't you have geometry...which is on the other side of the school?"

"It's on the way."

"No, it's-"

"Y/N, we're not letting you walk there alone."

You sighed, touched that they cared, but a little annoyed nonetheless. This was them protecting you from the people that had hurt you so much in the best way they could. The three of you continued on to class, chatting about homework and the like.

Throughout the day, the boys dutifully walked everywhere with you, regardless of where their classes were. It was sweet, but it was suffocating.

By lunch, you had managed to escape, darting out of the classroom before Mason could catch up with you. Both boys had a different lunch, anyway. You took a deep breath, entering into the cafeteria. Your eyes scanned the room, landing on your usual table...with Garret and Violet. Garrett turned his head and your eyes locked for a split second before you looked away, scolding yourself for even thinking about him. Stop it, Y/N, you thought. Just stop.

"Y/N!" Scott called out, pulling your attention. He waved you over to where the some of the pack sat and you ran over to join them, grateful.

"Hi, guys," you said as you sat down. You looked around at the group, seeing their sympathetic faces.

"So, Liam said you're coming to pack night, right?" Kira asked, taking a bite of her sandwich.

"Yeah, sure," you said. "What time do you want me there?"

"We usually start around five, okay?" Scott replied. You nodded, quickly putting a reminder into your phone.

"You know what, Y/N?" Lydia piped up. "Why don't you come out with Malia, Kira, and I after school? We were going to go shopping for dresses for the winter formal."

You swallowed thickly. After the day you had had so far, you had sort of planned to just go home and wallow in your misery before the pack night. You were tired of working your day around avoiding Garrett and Violet, and sick of all of the stares you received. It seemed like the entire school knew what went down between the three of you, and what Liam had done to Garrett.

"Are you sure? I don't even know if I'll go..." you trailed off, hoping that she would give you an out. You had already bought your ticket, but you had planned to go to the formal with Garrett, and weren't sure if you could muster up the courage to go knowing that he would be there with Violet.

"Oh, come on, Y/N! It'll be fun!"

You sighed, admitting defeat. You could hold off your breakdown for a few hours.

"If it's really okay with you, then sure. Why not?"

The girls broke out into wide smiles, immediately brightening your mood. Maybe this would actually help.

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After the last bell, you stood at your locker, putting away your books.

"Hey, Y/N," Liam said, coming up behind you. You turned, flashing him a smile. He leaned up against the locker next to yours, pulling at the straps of his backpack. "So I was thinking that maybe before pack night we could-"

"Y/N!" Lydia called, waving you over. Liam whipped around, seeing the group of girls waiting for you.

"They're taking me dress shopping for the formal," you said sheepishly, shrugging your shoulders. "I don't think I'm going to go to the dance, but I figured it might help cheer me up a bit, you know?"

Liam nodded, his eyes cast downward.

"Yeah, sure. Uh, have fun, okay?"

"I'll see you later," you replied, shutting your locker and joining the girls.

"This is going to be great, Y/N," Kira said, weaving your arms together as the four of you walked out to Lydia's car.

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You flipped through the store's racks, nothing catching your attention. You were zoning out anyway, mind swimming with memories.

"Y/N!" Lydia snapped, holding out a few dresses. "You're trying these on." She pushed you into the changing room despite your protests.

"Don't forget these!" Malia shouted as she and Kira threw more clothes over the door.

"Seriously, guys?" you whispered, sorting through the growing pile of fabric. They snickered.

"We're waiting!"

You huffed, slipping on a garish peacock-printed number.

"I look ridiculous," you groaned, stepping out to show them. The girls burst out laughing, throwing their heads back in glee. "Who picked this out?

"Sorry!" Malia said between giggles.

You glared at her as you turned away, retreating into the safety of the dressing room.

You tried on dress after dress, Lydia sending Kira out to grab more with every piece you denied. Soon, all that was left was a floor-length cobalt blue gown. You stared at it, your breaths shortening.

"Y/N, what's taking so long?" Kira asked from outside. "I know there's one left!"

"Ev-Everything's fine," you said, your voice shaky.

Heels clacked towards you, followed by a soft knock on the door.

"Y/N, let me in," Lydia whispered. You complied, shutting the door tight behind her. She placed her hands on your shoulders, rubbing up and down your arms. "What's wrong?"

"He loved me in blue," you breathed, fighting back tears. Lydia's face immediately softened, pulling you into a hug.

"Then we're going to show him what he missed out on in blue," she whispered in your ear, giving you an encouraging smile. "I'll see you out there."

You turned back to the dress as she left, steadying yourself. Silently, you took the dress you were wearing off and slipped the blue one on, smoothing your hands over the soft chiffon. You stepped outside to hear the girls' opinions.

"Oh, my God," Kira gasped, bringing a hand to her mouth.

"Y/N, it's perfect," Malia confirmed.

"This is the one," Lydia whispered. "You look stunning."

"You really think so?" Your face slowly broke out into a hopeful smile.

"You're getting it. It's been decided."

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"We're starting, Y/N!" Scott called, holding the deck of cards out for you. He had decided to play Cards Against Humanity to open pack night, knowing that it was a surefire way to get you to smile.

You sighed, turning to face him.

"I don't really want to play, Scott," you replied, playing with your fingers. Normally, you'd be the one to propose the game, but you just weren't in the mood. The shopping trip had helped a bit, though you were nowhere near back to being yourself.

"You sure, Y/N?" Stiles asked worriedly. "This is one of the best cards! We finally get to find out how Sourwolf here lost his virginity!"

Derek growled, shooting a smirking Stiles a death glare. You did love the "How did I lose my virginity?" card; it always turned out quite a few laughs.

"No, I think I'm good," you replied, turning back to the movie you and Malia had on. She didn't quite understand the game yet, and had opted out of playing.

You felt the couch dip beside you, and turned to see a concerned Liam.

"You okay?" he asked, searching your sad eyes. You nodded unconvincingly.

"I'm just not really feeling it tonight," you muttered as you looked away, biting your lip.

"Do you want to go home?"

"Well, I don't want to just walk out..."

"But you want to leave?"

"Yes," you sighed. You felt bad, and appreciated the pack's attempt, but there was nothing you wanted more than to curl up with some ice cream at home.

Liam took your hand and pulled you up off the couch.

"We're going to go, okay, guys?" he said. You avoided the pack's gazes, not wanting to see the disappointment and pity on their faces.

"Yeah, go ahead. See you on Monday, Y/N," Scott encouraged. You flashed the pack a small smile before Liam pulled you out the door. 

The two of you walked to your house in a comfortable silence, your fingers still intertwined. Liam’s presence made you feel safe and secure, and you sighed as you approached your front door, sad to see him go.

“Thank you for getting me out of there, Liam,” you whispered, turning to him. “I just couldn’t do it, you know? Not tonight, anyway.”

“It’s okay, Y/N,” he replied, squeezing your hand lightly. “I’m here for you, you know that.”

You breathed deeply, holding back the tears. Stepping forward, you wound your arms around Liam’s waist, pressing the side of your face into his chest. He hugged you tightly, his chin resting against the top of your head. You closed your eyes, relaxing your shoulders and pulling him tighter. The two of you were wrapped around each other for minutes on end, the porch light illuminating the darkness that surrounded you.

“I’ll see you on Monday,” you muttered, reluctantly pulling away.

“See you then.” Liam reached over and gave your hand a short squeeze before walking down the stairs, shooting you a smile as he left.

You sniffled before unlocking the door and entering an empty house. Slowly, you made your way upstairs, throwing on your pajamas and curling into bed. The day had been hell for you, and you were exhausted. In the dark silence, your mind began to race, and the tears slipped out one by one, soon turning into a flood. You turned onto your side, letting the salty tears fall onto your pillow, creating a small puddle as you cried yourself to sleep.  

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You made it through Saturday as best you could, not letting your sadness get the best of you until you went to bed. The nighttime was your release, a space where you could just let it all out and not have to worry about your friends being uncomfortable or awkward around you.

Yes, you had already burned the pictures, thrown away the shirts you had had, and shredded everything he had ever written you, but Garrett was still everywhere. Violet still surrounded you, too. She was in the clothes you had bought together, the books she had given you, and the magazines you both obsessed over. You couldn’t escape the people that had hurt you, no matter what you tried, and ended up suffering for it.

You had planned on having a simple Sunday, filled with homework and pack stuff, but that all went out the window when you heard your phone buzz, alerting you to a text from Liam.

“meet me at the park in 10?” it read.  

“sure,” you replied, putting on shoes and heading out to Beacon Hills Park.

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“Liam? What’s up?” you asked as you approached, smiling at the beta. He turned, breaking into a wide grin when he saw you.

“You, my friend, need to get happy,” he replied. “We’re here to get you happy.”

You laughed, looking around at the empty park.

“And what are going to do?”

In response, Liam held out his hand, his fingers outstretched. You took it cautiously, lacing your fingers together.

Suddenly, Liam pulled you forward, and you were running. The two of you dashed all over the park, the wind blowing through your hair and pushing it every which way. The grass was still dewy, the moisture sticking to your ankles. After a minute, Liam slowed down, bringing you to a stop beside him.

In front of you was a small playground, the structures obviously quite old. The town had raised money for a new one a few years ago, but left the old playset up, even though no one used it anymore. That is, until the two of you showed up.

Liam turned to you, his lips curled into a half-smile.

“Ready?” he asked.

You nodded and rushed forward, untangling your fingers from his. You made your way to the slide, running up the ladder and gliding back down to the ground, laughing the whole way.

The two of you ran around like kids the entire day, going through each play structure. You had a swinging contest, a monkey bars contest, and a rock wall contest. He won each time, of course, what with his strength and speed. There wasn’t single a moment where neither of you were laughing at each other’s antics.

“No wolfy powers this time!” you yelled as the both of you jumped off of the swings.

“I went higher!” Liam teased, throwing his fists into the air when he touched down.

“Oh, shut up!” you countered. “I’m human, so I should get more credit anyway.”

“Nope.”

“Liam!”

“I still won, Y/N.”

You huffed, walking over to the small playhouse in the far corner of the playground. It was just big enough for you to straighten up in, as long as you were kneeling down. You crawled in, sitting down in the corner. Liam climbed in after you, taking a seat on the opposite side.

“I like it in here,” you whispered, pulling your knees to your chest. You looked up at the cheap plastic roof, the bright blue fake tiles boxing you in, protecting you. “It feels…safe, you know? Nothing can get to me.”

He nodded, leaning back onto the walls of the house.

“Like nothing outside matters?” he asked, your eyes locking.

“Exactly.”

The two of you sat in silence, both perfectly content in the little playhouse.

“I think this is the first place that I haven’t been sad because of,” you breathed, resting your chin on the tops of your knees. “Everywhere else has some memory, or something that just reminds me of them. I can’t escape it.”

Your voice cracked, and Liam scooted over to you, placing an arm around your shoulders.

“It’s going to be okay, Y/N. You’re going to be okay,” he soothed as you snuggled into his chest.

“When? Because I don’t think I can handle this for much longer.”

“It’ll happen soon, I promise you.”

You nodded lightly, wrapping your arms around Liam. He smoothed his fingers through your hair, filling you with calm and an odd sense of safety. You just let him hold you as he pressed soft kisses to the top of your head every so often, nothing romantic about it. The silence was comfortable, not awkward in the least, each of you lost in thought. Somehow, you felt right at home.

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After that day, the playground became “your place” in a way, and you and Liam would make sure to visit every few days. The playhouse was your safe haven, somewhere you could just be.

You got through the school days with little ease. But you inhale, you exhale, and you carry on. Mason and Liam dutifully walked with you in the halls, even employing other members of the pack to accompany you when they couldn’t. Lunchtime was never lonely, and Malia, Lydia, and Mason sat with you during every lacrosse game and practice. Soon enough, two weeks had gone by without Garrett and Violet, and your happiness was returning, mostly thanks to Liam.

He never failed to cheer you up, giving you little surprises every day. You had received his mom’s homemade brownies, a few books, and countless mix CDs. He even pulled you out of bed on a Thursday night so that the two of you could go to a midnight premiere at the local cinema, since he knew how you had always wanted to go to one but never had the chance. Every single day, Liam was amazing you with how much he cared.

It was getting better. You were getting better…because of Liam.

But that all went out the window a week later.

You had planned to meet Liam at the playground after school, and sat on the swings for hours waiting for him. Your texts went unanswered, and you left voicemail after voicemail. It was getting late, so you began the lonely walk back home. Suddenly, the park was filled with sound, your phone blasting out the ringtone Liam had set for himself.

“Liam! Where the hell are you?” you demanded angrily.

“Scott’s house,” he said slowly, his voice rough. “When can you get here? It’s important.”

You sighed, already frustrated with your best friend.

“I’ll be there in fifteen, okay?”

“Okay, bye.”

He hung up, leaving you wondering what could have happened. You stuffed your hands into your pockets and sped up, practically running to Scott’s house.

The entire pack was waiting for you when you got there, all crowded around the couch where Liam was lying down. He stood up, and you could see traces of dried blood along a hole in his black top.

“What happened to you?” you whispered, rushing over to him and running your hands over the now healed wound. All anger was forgotten. You looked up at him, your eyes wide with concern.

“It doesn’t matter; I’m fine now,” he replied, taking your hands. “Come and sit down.”

He led you over to the couch, right in front of where Scott sat on the edge of the coffee table.

“What’s going on, guys?” you asked, growing more and more worried by the second. You looked around and saw that the entire pack was staring at you, their expressions all marked by pain and pity.

“Garrett tried to get Violet back from the police tonight,” Scott began gently. You had already known how she had tried to kill Scott after the previous night’s lacrosse game, and how Garrett was on the run. “He blackmailed me into helping by taking Liam.”

You gasped, squeezing Liam’s hand. His injury made sense now, but you couldn’t shake that feeling of worry.

“We were going after Violet when Kate and her Berserkers appeared. The car crashed, and there was a fight. Y/N…Kate killed Violet and her Berserkers killed Garrett.”

“Oh, my God,” you breathed, pulling your hand away from Liam’s to cover your face. Your breaths began to shorten, and the world spun uncontrollably around you.

Killed. Murdered. Dead.

“I’m sorry, Y/N.”

But you couldn’t hear him, not really. He sounded muted and miles away, as if you had on earplugs.

You shot up, running out the door. You ignored the calls behind you, only focused on moving forward, running away, getting out of that house. The wind ripped through your hair and stung your face, pushing the tears out of your eyes and down your chin.

It didn’t hurt, at least not in the way you expected it to. This didn’t feel like you were losing people you truly loved, but as if you were hearing about the death of someone you used to know, or maybe the tragic story of a student in a different grade, a different school. You had a connection, but a distant, broken one nevertheless.

You began to lose your breath and stopped running, bending forward to rest your hands on your knees. Coughs sputtered out, wracking your body. Still, you moved forward, slowly making it to your house. You trudged up the stairs and lay down on your bed, taking slow, deep breaths.

They were gone. Garrett and Violet were gone. The two people who had caused you so much pain were out of your life for good, never to come back. You couldn’t figure out if there was an odd sense of relief in the whirlwind of emotions you were feeling, but you cried just the same.

You were getting better; everything was getting better.

And now that was over.

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The next morning, you pushed yourself out of bed, breathing deeply. It was a new day, a new chance at happiness. The loss of Garrett and Violet still weighed heavily on your mind, but you had a slight detachment from the event. You couldn’t figure out why, though, just that you didn’t feel the need to grieve for so long.

Walking into school, you could see the pack’s incredulous expressions.

“What are you doing here, Y/N?” Liam asked, coming up to your locker.

“It’s a school day…?” you answered, furrowing your brow.

“But what about last night?”

You sighed, dropping your head before looking up at him through your eyelashes.

“It doesn’t hurt like that, Liam,” you whispered. “I miss them, I do, but it feels weird to think about. I don’t know if that means that I’m really over him and what the both of them did to me, but I’m okay with being here. It’s just a dull ache.”

He looked at you, slightly dubious. Liam was grieving as well, but he expected you to be much worse off than him.

“You sure?”

“Yeah,” you said, nodding firmly as you closed your locker. “I’m okay. And if I’m not, I will be.”

Liam sighed, pulling you into a hug. You fit into his arms perfectly, like it was second nature to be in his embrace. Over the past months, the two of you had gotten closer, much closer than ever before. You had spent so much time with him, the pack began to refer to you two as a packaged deal. Where one went, the other would inevitably follow.

“Y/N?” he asked as he pulled away.

You looked up, nodding for him to continue.

“Would you want to go to the Winter Formal with me? I mean, we both already have tickets, and there’s really isn’t anyone else I would rather go with.”

You broke out into a wide smile.

“Of course,” you said. “I’ll probably have more fun with you than the girls, honestly.”

He laughed, putting an arm around your shoulder as you began your walk to class.

“My first Winter Formal with my best friend,” you said, looking up at him. “This is going be great.”

And no, you most definitely didn’t notice the slight falter in his smile when you called him your best friend. And no, he didn’t recognize your short hesitation when you said it. Not at all.

                                                                       ▬§▬§▬

Just a week later, you stood in the hospital room, facing the three computers in front of you, your eyes flashing between the multiple video feeds on the screens. 

“Is it supposed to do that?” Liam asked, pointing to a fuzzy image in the top corner of the screen. Suddenly, that section went black, indicating that the feed had gone down completely.

“I’ll go check it out,” Kira said, stepping back from the group.

“Kira, we don’t know what’s up there,” Stiles replied worriedly.

“That’s why I have this.” Kira unsheathed her katana, pulling it tight to her side. She stalked out of the room, intent on protecting her friends.

“I’ll go, too,” Liam exclaimed, jumping up from beside you and running after her.

“Liam, no, wait!” you pleaded, your eyes wide with fear as they stared at the open door.

“Kids,” Stiles sighed, shaking his head.

You went back over to the computers, pacing behind Stiles’ back. You breathed heavily as you bit your lip, your mind consumed with fear. What if it was a Berserker? Or worse?

“Y/N?” Stiles questioned, looking up from where he was fiddling with the computers.

“Yeah?” you whispered, now circling around the room.

“You okay? I’m not even a werewolf and I can practically taste your nerves.”

“What do you think is up there?” You stopped walking, staring at Stiles expectantly. He knew so much more about the supernatural that you did; he had to have an answer for your worries. “What’s he fighting?”

Stiles stood up, slowly making his way over to you.

“I’m not going to lie, Y/N. It’s probably-“

He was cut off by a loud crash, the room plunging into darkness before the lights flickered back on again.

“Oh, my God,” you breathed, collapsing forward onto the bed. You leaned over it, resting your weight in your palms.

“Y/N, it’s fine,” Stiles soothed, placing an arm on your shoulder. “You stay here, okay? I’m going to find Argent.”

You nodded, swallowing thickly as Stiles ran out the door, shutting it tightly behind him. In the silence, there was nothing to distract you from your fears. Liam was fighting something up there, and they somehow knocked out the power in the process. Kira could have been injured. He could be fighting alone. He could be hurt. He could be…

No, Y/N, you thought, shaking your head. He’s okay, he has to be okay.

You crawled onto the hospital bed, clutching the cheap, flimsy pillow to your chest. Every few seconds, you winced at the crashes and screams you heard in the hallway, terrifying you. Something was in the hospital, and it was terrorizing the place. Breathing deeply, you pressed your face into the pillow, tuning out the shouts as best as you could, distracting yourself with your very own thoughts.

You thought of Liam, how his vibrant blue eyes never wavered from yours when you talked, how you never tired of spending time with him, how he constantly cared for you. You thought of how much more fun you have when Liam is around, and how he always seemed to know what you were thinking, or when you had had a bad day. You thought about how you hadn’t thought of Garrett or Violet for longer than a second in days; just Liam, really. You thought of how important this boy was to you. You could no longer imagine a life without him.

Suddenly, it all went silent. The crashes disappeared, the screams quieted.

Slowly, you got up, dropping the pillow and grabbing a broom instead, a measly weapon. You crept over to the door, opening it gradually to reveal a blood-stained, but empty, hallway. You ran through the corridors, searching desperately for your friends.

“Y/N!”

You turned, spotting Stiles waving you back over to the morgue where he was waiting for Scott to wake up.

“Wh-where are Kira and Liam?” you asked, dropping the broom and going to stand by his side.

“Still on the roof, I think,” he replied grimly. “Kate brought a Berserker with her; that was what was fighting them. It should’ve left with her.”

Suddenly, the door of the morgue burst open, revealing a bloodied Kira and Liam. You dashed forward, throwing yourself at Liam. Your arms were wrapped around his neck, running your fingers through his hair. He sighed with relief as he gripped your waist tightly, lifting you an inch or two off the floor. You pressed your cheek to his, your lips brushing his ear.

“You’re okay,” you breathed, closing your eyes.

“I’m okay.”

                                                        ▬§▬§▬

The fight at the hospital had shaken you up. You were terrified for Liam’s well-being now more than ever, and were grateful that the winter formal was coming up, as it would take your mind off of the danger.

Kira, Malia, and Lydia had come over to your house to get ready before the dance and help you pack up your things. The pack would be spending the weekend at Lydia’s lake house as sort of an escape from the deadpool crisis.

With only fifteen minutes to go until the boys arrived at your house, Lydia held bottle of hairspray above your head, spraying the final hairs into place. Kira stood beside you, finishing up Malia’s makeup. Lydia, of course, was already ready, and had been for the past hour.

“And there you go,” she breathed, putting the hairspray on the bathroom counter.

You opened your eyes, staring into the mirror. You could barely recognize yourself, even though Kira had applied your makeup lightly.

“Liam won’t know what hit him,” Malia teased. Kira scolded her, as she had smudged her lipstick.

“Oh, shut up.” You blushed, sucking your bottom lip between your teeth. “We’re just going as friends; you know that.”

“I’m just saying.”

Lydia giggled, pulling you over to your bed where she had laid out your dress.

“Maybe Liam will love you in blue, too.” She smirked, walking back into the bathroom to put the finishing touches on Malia’s hair. You lowered your head, attempting to hide your flushed cheeks.

You turned back to stare at the cobalt blue dress on your bed. Taking a deep breath, you quickly undressed and slipped the gown on. You stepped into your heels, and you were ready.

                                                       ▬§▬§▬

“Girls!” your mom called up the stairs. “The boys are here!”

The four of you shuffled out of your room, ready for the cliché staircase reveal that your mom demanded, claiming that it was the perfect picture opportunity.

Kira went down first, the train of her deep magenta gown trailing behind her. Malia followed, turning Stiles into a blubbering mess at the sight of her in her formfitting red dress. Lydia had chosen a black floor-length skirt with a high-necked crop top, its simple stones sending light around the room.

Then it was your turn.

You stepped onto the first stair slowly, still unsure of yourself in the heels. The shoes clacked as you continued down, holding tightly to the railing. You heard a soft “oh,” and looked up, locking eyes with Liam. His jaw was slightly ajar, eyes wide with shock as he took in the sight of you. You walked down the stairs, coming to stand directly in front of him.

“Y-You look…whoa,” he breathed, unable to take his eyes off you.

“You look pretty whoa yourself,” you replied, eyes scanning his figure. His blazer fit him just right, and his tie matched the color of your dress perfectly. You reached down, taking his hand, forcing yourself to pull your eyes away from him.

He still stared though, slowly following the outline of your face, pausing at your parted lips for just a moment.

“Uh, guys?” Scott said, snapping the two of you out of it. “Picture time.”

You shifted, placing an arm around Liam’s shoulders while he pulled you closer, his arm resting around your waist. The two of you smiled at the camera, your bodies turned slightly towards each other, like they were drawn together. 

“Great!” your mother exclaimed, looking down at the picture. “Have fun tonight!” She shooed everyone out the door, calling out her usual safety reminders after you.

“Mom, we have a deputy with us; we’ll be fine!” you yelled, earning a chorus of laughs. Lydia blushed beside you, lacing her fingers with Jordan’s. Beacon Hills High had compromised on their under 21 rule just for the deputy, greatly improving Lydia’s outlook on the event.

As Scott, Kira, Malia, and Stiles climbed into the Jeep, you and Liam joined Jordan and Lydia in his car, Liam helping you in like the gentleman he was.

The ride to the school was short, everyone jittering with anticipation. You finally arrived, and everyone piled out of their separate cars.

Within seconds of getting inside the school, you and the girls had already taken off your shoes. The music was too infectious to not dance, and there was no way you were going to be able to have fun if you were constantly worried about falling over in those heels.

“C’mon you guys!” Scott yelled, pulling everyone into the center of the floor. The eight of you formed a small circle, moving in time to the beat. Everyone took turns getting pushed into the center, sometimes pulling along a partner. Liam dragged you in, and it was all knees and elbows and flailing limbs from him. He flapped his arms around wildly and without any rhythm whatsoever, cracking you up.

“You are a hazard to others, Dunbar!” you said through your laughs.

“Oh, well!” he screamed, shrugging as he continued on.

If you can’t beat ‘em, join ‘em.

You began to shake your arms around, trying to imitate Liam’s crazy dance moves.

Suddenly, you were pushed forward, falling into Liam’s arms. Malia had bumped you with her hip as she and Kira went into the center, smirking at how you and Liam were now wrapped around each other.

“Sorry!” you yelled, untangling yourselves.

“No, you’re good,” he said, so low you could barely hear it over the pounding of the bass. You held his gaze for just a second, before the music pouring from the speakers drew you back in.

The two of you continued dancing on the sidelines, getting pulled in by someone else every so often. You were having the time of your life as you danced all your troubles away.

The song began to end, and it was replaced by a ballad, the couples around you immediately pairing up.

Liam caught your eyes, and you walked over to where he was standing on the opposite side of the circle, putting your arms loosely around his neck. He reached out for your waist timidly, his grip growing stronger as you gradually moved closer. You leaned forward, nuzzling your face into the crook of his neck as your arms tightened around him. Pressed firmly against his chest, the two of you swayed with the music, and you couldn’t have felt more at home. You were in your own little world where the only thing that mattered was the feeling of your body against his.

The song ended, but you were still wrapped around each other. Your arms lingered, the both of you pulling away slowly.

“I-I’m going to get a drink, okay?” you stammered, not even waiting for a response before you were dashing away from a confused and hurt Liam.

“Y/N?” Scott questioned as you passed him at the drink table. You ignored him, picking up your dress as you made your way outside.

You ran.

You ran away from Liam, the boy that you considered your best friend. The boy that just held you in his arms so tenderly. The boy that you could never take your mind off of.

The boy you felt like you could love.

Your bare feet slammed against the pavement as you tried to empty your head. You couldn’t love him, you just couldn’t. Three months ago you were completely in love with Garrett. Feelings like that don’t go away so easily.

But, then again, thinking of Garrett didn’t hurt anymore. You stopped wincing whenever someone mentioned him or Violet, and you hadn’t thought of them in days. You were over it. You were over him.

That didn’t mean that you were automatically in love with Liam, though. He was just a friend helping a friend in need, right?

Your legs moved on autopilot as you cried, taking you to the town park. You ran through the grass, not caring about stains or the twigs that were ripping through your dress. You collapsed onto the roof of the playhouse, your body wracking with sobs. You bent down and crawled inside, curling up in one corner as you cried.

Outside, a twig snapped. You perked up, wiping your eyes as you whipped your head around.

“Y/N?” a voice whispered. Liam opened the door and inched into the playhouse, sitting directly opposite of you. “I figured I’d find you here. Scott told me you ran out.”

You turned your head away to hide your tears, leaning your temple against your bent knees.

“What’s wrong?” He reached out to you, placing a hand over yours. You shook your head, staying silent. “You know you can tell me anything right?”

You let out a sob, pulling your hand away.

“That’s it, don’t you see!” you cried, looking up at him. “I can tell you anything because you know everything about me. You know me better than I know myself, for God’s sake. You just care so much and it doesn’t matter if I cry on your shoulder or if I want to leave and you miss out on things because you want to do it! You’re always there for me and you’re the best person I’ve ever known, Liam. And I know you’re just helping out a friend but I-I think I love you."

You paused, breathless with emotion. Tears streamed down your cheeks as you looked at Liam, never breaking eye contact.

"God, I love you. These past few months should’ve been hell because Garrett and Violet fucked me up so badly, but they weren’t and that’s because of you and only you. My life got so much better when you came into it and-“

You were cut off by Liam’s soft lips on yours, his hands cupping your cheeks. You melted into the kiss, placing your hands on his chest. They traveled up to rest on the sides of his neck as the kiss got deeper, hungrier. Liam's lips lingered over yours as he pulled away slightly.

“I love you, too. I have since the day I met you, pretty much,” he whispered, staring into your eyes. “It was just always him.”

You let out a little laugh, leaning your forehead against his.

“Well, it’s all you now, Dunbar. All you.”

                                                       ▬§▬§▬

“We…we need to get back,” Liam whispered, breathless from kissing you for so long. You whined, pulling him back to your lips.

“The dance is ending, babe,” he said when you broke apart. Your stomach fluttered at his words, how easily they slipped off of his tongue.

“Let’s go,” you sighed, climbing out of the playhouse.

He immediately laced your fingers together when he stood up, and you began the long walk back to school. You wrapped your free hand around his forearm, gently resting your head on his shoulder as you walked. Every so often, he lifted your hands, pressing a soft kiss to your knuckles.

“Where have you guys been?!” Scott exclaimed when he saw you coming. The parking lot was empty except for the Jeep and Jordan’s car; you had missed practically the entire Winter Formal.

“Oh,” he muttered, seeing your intertwined hands, Liam’s messy hair, your red, swollen lips. You blushed and hid your face in his neck, Liam pressing a light kiss to the top of your head.

“Finally!” the girls exclaimed, sending smiles your way.

“Let’s just go to the lake house, okay?” Liam said, pulling you over to Jordan’s car. The two of you climbed in, hands pressed together.

Lydia turned around in her seat, dropping your shoes onto the floor.

“Thought you might want these back,” she smirked.

You blushed, reaching down to put your forgotten shoes back on.

After you arrived, you and Liam brought your bags up to the room you two were sharing for the night. You ran to the bathroom, changing into your pajamas quickly.

When you came out, Liam was already changed and lying in bed. You flopped down beside him, crawling under the covers. You lied on your side to face him, reaching out to play with his fingers.

“Have I ever told you that you look stunning in blue?” he whispered, staring into your eyes.

“No,” you replied, smiling.

“Well, you do. You really do.”

You leaned forward, pressing a soft kiss to his lips before you turned to your other side. He pulled you close, your back pressing up against his chest. Liam began to trail lazy kisses up your neck, eliciting a light moan as he hit a sensitive spot. He smirked and kept going, stopping just below your ear.

“I love you.”

You blushed, turning in his arms to lay your head on his chest.

“I love you, too.”