Liam stands up now, coming around to stand beside me, both of us facing off against Raiden. “I think you should leave.” Liam says, backing me up and I can feel the weight off my shoulders start to lift as he helps me stand up for myself. He knows what I’ve went through because of Raiden, and he’s willing to put himself in front of me to defend me against the one person who has hurt me the most.
“I don’t care what you think,” Raiden bites out, glaring at Liam before turning his attention back towards me. “Please, Jer. I’m just asking for a minute. Just one.” I’m shaking my head even as he pleads for me to listen to him. The time has passed for him to ask anything of me.
“No, Raiden. Now, please leave. I don’t want this to be any harder than it has to be.” The fight is leaving me now, leaving me bruised and battered. I want to lick my wounds in peace.
“We’re going to talk about this before I leave for tour,” Raiden says, walking backwards towards the door, never taking his eyes off me.
When the door slam shuts behind him, all of the adrenaline coursing through my body disappears with thethudechoing off the walls. Liam is there to wrap his hands around my waist as he holds me up. The exhaustion I feel is bone deep and my leg is throbbing now that all of the tension has disappeared. The only thing I’m left with is the deep ache in my heart.
“Well, that was climactic,” Liam says when we’re finally sitting on the couch side by side. He watches me pull my pant leg up and carefully detach my prosthetic. I release a deep exhale, letting my leg breathe and the ache evaporates with every pulse of blood in my veins.
“Thank you,” I say as I massage the bottom of my leg, helping the flow of blood to the end of it. “I didn’t think I would be strong enough to kick him out when I saw the tears.”
“You don’t have to thank me.” The resentment in Liam’s voice burns bright, and it’s stunning to see the change in the man in front of me to who he was at the dinner table just a few hours ago. “He’s such a dick to you, I don’t know why you put up with it still.”
“I’m not going to. Tonight was the last straw,” I vow to myself, and to Liam.
He nods his head, pleased with my answer. “Good, you deserve so much better than him.” I snort at that, letting go of my leg and leaning my head back onto the couch cushion.
“Oh, yeah? And what can I offer anyone when I’m like this,” I gesture down at my body, the self-deprecating tone obvious.
“Shut the fuck up, you’re more than that and you know it. Anyone would be lucky to have you.” He looks at me, and thelook in his eyes has me questioning what he’s doing as he starts to lean closer. “You don’t see yourself how everyone else does, Jericho. And definitely not how I see you,” his voice is honey coated and soft.
His eyes drop to my lips and I freeze, anxiety pooling in my chest and racketing up my heart rate. “How do you see me?” I ask, wetting my dry lips and watching as his eyes trace the movement. My emotions are a pendulum, swinging back and forth violently. My mind can’t catch up with all the new information being thrown my way.
“I see you as a hard working man, someone who doesn't let their emotions define them. Someone who is wholly devoted to those he cares about and he would go the extra mile to make them happy. Someone who pushes his limits just to see how strong he is, and how much he’s capable of.” With every word, I feel something change inside of me. I’ve never had someone say things like this about me, at least not to my face. I’ve never felt worthy, but for some reason, Liam sees me as a desirable person.
“I want to kiss you. I know it isn’t the right time for you. But watching you stand up for yourself, after everything you’ve told me, I am so fuckingproudof you, Co. You’re incredible.”
He leans in, waiting for my cue. And against my better judgment I follow. Our lips are a breath apart, the sweet smell of chocolate chips on his lips combined with the deep smell of his cologne isn’t something I’m used to. But that’s what I need right now, something different. Something that hasn’t been tainted by my past.
Our lips touch, and Liam sighs against my mouth, the sound warm and welcoming. He pushes harder against me, wrapping his hand around the back of my head and tangling into the curls at the base of my neck. He keeps it gentle, never opening his mouth or pressing for me.
When he leans back, his lips are slightly puffy and morepink than normal. He has a bright pink blush against his dark cheeks, and I smile at the sight.
“Uh… was that okay?” Liam asks hesitantly, tucking one of his locs that came loose from his pony tail behind his ear.
“It was great,” I answered honestly. He smiles wide, showing off his sharp canines and looking happy with my answer.
“Good, that’s cool.”
We stay there on the couch, sitting side by side, and Liam regales me with stories of his clients from the gym. Filling the house with his deep baritone voice and his loud, contagious laugh.
The clock above our fireplace chimes with the coming hour. Midnight is finally upon us and I know I’ve kept Liam away from his dog too long.
I walk him to the door, hobbling on one leg. It would bother me if someone else was seeing me in this moment of preconceived weakness, but with Liam, it doesn’t feel like a weakness. He’s seen me at my worst, and he still found a way to be interested in me.
A loud crack of thunder shakes the ground and Liam chuckles when he exits to the front porch, staring up at the dark nighttime sky. A bolt of lightning passes across its depth, lighting up Liam’s face in the streak of bright light.
“I’ll see you tomorrow?” He asks, a droplet of rain splashing against his cheek and trailing down the smooth skin.
“Yeah, I’ll meet you at the gym. Then we could go for lunch? Or coffee?”
He smiles, and leans up to press a gentle kiss to my cheek before he turns and runs for his truck at the curb. Rain starts to fall down hard, blurring my vision and I stare in his general direction as he puts his truck into drive and leaves me, standing on my parents front porch and watching his red tail lights disappear in the darkness.
There’s a flutter of a curtain from next door, and I catch aglimpse of the living room light on before the curtain is shut and the light is turned off.
Ignoring it, and by default,him, I turn and walk back into my parents’ house.
