Scott puts on his jacket before he grabs both of his helmets, running downstairs to where Liam is waiting for him on the sofa.

"Kira found Brett. They're fine, but we gotta go," he explains as he gives Liam one of the helmets.

Liam gets up and follows him towards the front door. "More assassins?" he asks. Fear sounds in his voice, but he tries to hide it.

"Maybe a lot more," Scott sighs.

"Different from the ones that tried to set me on fire?"

"I think so, yeah."

The footsteps behind him die out, the lack of sound causing Scott to turn around. He sees the upset look on Liam's face, and that's when he knows he's asking too much.

Liam puts the helmet on the kitchen table, not daring to look up.

Scott closes the front door again and walks back up to him. He has a gentle smile on his face, but Liam doesn't notice it. "How about I take you home?" he asks, offering him the helmet again.

Tears appear in Liam's eyes, because he knows he's failing his alpha. "I-I'm not like you," he says, his voice low. "I don't mean I'm not strong, or that I'm never gonna learn to be in control, but..." He sighs. "I mean everything else. You and your friends are always trying to protect everyone...have you been doing this the whole time? How are all of you still alive?" He bites his bottom lip.

"Not all of us are..." Scott replies softly.

That's when Liam remembers the picture on Scott's nightstand. The photo of him and the girl he doesn't know. His eyes widen and he wants to apologize, but before he can open his mouth, Scott already tells him, "It's okay. You didn't know."

Liam tilts his head, eyes narrowing a little. "You never talk about her..." he says carefully. He doesn't mean to pry, but he also wants to know more about this mysterious girl. "Was she...?" he hesitates.

"I loved her, yeah," Scott answers, "and the reason I don't talk about her isn't because I have forgotten about her. Because, trust me, I think of her every day. It's just..." He lets out a deep breath. "It's just that I haven't really dealt with it yet...I suppose..."

Liam nods slowly. This time Scott is the one averting his gaze and it breaks Liam's heart. He has never seen Scott so vulnerable like this before. It makes him seem less heroic, and more...human. The boy takes a step forward, closing the distance between them as he wraps his arms around Scott's middle.

"I'm sorry," he says, pressing his cheek against the older one's chest. He knows Scott prefers to comfort someone more than to be comforted, so that's why Liam doesn't embrace his neck. He knows Scott wants him to be smaller. "I'm sorry," he repeats, this time for his own guilt of not wanting to go with his alpha.

"It's okay," Scott soothes him. His fingers have found Liam's hair again and he's playing with the ends of it. He rests the side of his head on top of Liam's, and for a minute or two they just stand there. Scott's rubbing Liam's spine with long strokes and Liam's thumb is caressing a spot on Scott's lower back.

"Let me at least take you home," Scott offers again after they've let go of one other.

And then Liam realizes why it's so important for Scott to know he's safe.

So he submits, taking the helmet from Scott's hands. Scott's holding him by his neck, massaging the strong muscles he can feel underneath the skin as they walk out the door.

During the ride home, something in the pit of Liam's stomach is nagging at him. He doesn't need to give it much thought to know it's guilt chewing on his insides. He should go with Scott, but he simply can't bring himself to do it. Fear has settled in his heart and has frozen the blood in his veins. He's sure that, feeling like he does, he will be no help at all. He'll only be a burden. Another person Scott will have to look out for. He would be of no use there. Even now, he feels wrong for gripping Scott's sides while they're on his bike. It's something which is necessary, as if he doesn't hold on he'll slip off, but still. He feels like he's holding Scott down, and it bothers him to the bone.

The porch of the Dunbar household is lit when the boys pull up. Once off the bike, Liam turns around to say goodbye, but to his surprise Scott has gotten off too and is walking him up to his front door. Liam mentally shakes his head at the gesture. Sure, this doesn't make him feel helpless at all.

Then again, he now realizes that Scott likes to walk with him. He prefers knowing Liam is safe in his home instead of out on the street and, actually, that's very sweet. It's thoughtful and Liam knows he's selfish for feeling like shit for it, but he can't help it. He remembers the girl in the picture, imagining how badly Scott had wanted to bring her home the day she died, too. But he couldn't do that anymore. She was gone. And he loved her. Just like he loves Liam and all his friends.

So Liam swallows his pride.

"Thanks," he says, handing the helmet back to Scott.

Scott's face lights up, and he beams back at him. "You're welcome. Anytime." He puts the helmets down for a minute.

"Shouldn't you go?" Liam asks with a weird look.

"I should. People are counting on me, but so are you." He shrugs lightly. "So, I'm gonna stay for just a little bit."

Liam frowns at him. This guy seriously needed to straighten out his priorities. "Scott, a whole other pack is waiting for your help," he reminds him.

"I know," Scott says. He goes to sit on the bench that's on Liam's porch. "So you better speak up and tell me what's bothering you."

Liam looks surprised at that. And then Scott hears his own words.

"No! No, I didn't mean to, like, blackmail you into telling me or something. I just..." He rubs his temples. "You..." He gestures at Liam. "You're giving off this vibe."

"A vibe?" Liam wonders out loud.

"Yeah. Not a bad one, just... I don't know. It feels like you're struggling," Scott explains.

"I'm not struggling with anything," his beta lies, looking away in an uncomfortable fashion.

Scott scoffs. "And then you do that." He can't help but smile gently at Liam. "Come, sit." He pats the spot next to him on the bench.

Liam lets out a groan before he lowers himself onto the piece of furniture. His hands are in his lap and he's fumbling with his fingers. He's not gonna say anything. He's gonna keep his mouth shut. He's not gonna put his tiny problems on top of the pile of real problems Scott already has to deal with. He's gonna sit there and shut up. No words are gonna flow from his mouth and after five minutes of silence Scott will think he's okay and leave. He will go save the world and after he has done that, he may come back for Liam. If he wants to, of course. It he doesn't, that's fine, too. It would be nice if he did, though. But Liam won't say anything, because, please. He's not gonna be selfish. For once, he's not gonna be an ass. He's gonna think about others for a change. He is the last priority on the list right now.

"You feel guilty for not wanting to come with me, don't you?"

God fucking damn it.

"It's just that the wolf side of me feels a responsibility to come with you, but I just can't get myself to do so. I'm so scared and I feel so insecure. It's wearing me down, Scott. I don't feel confident at all and I feel like the worst person in the world for leaving you to your fate while I'm actually a part of it now. And it sucks, because you're always there for me and now I feel like I'm never there for you." He sniffs, wiping the tears from his eyes with his sleeves. "And now I'm crying again." A sob escapes his throat. "God, I'm so weak. Unbelievable."

Scott just stares at him, lips slightly parted. "I, err...I didn't know you felt all that." His words sound apologetic, and they make Liam feel even worse about himself.

"Yeah? Well, I do," he responds bitterly, wiping his eyes again.

Scott thinks about the boy's words for a while. He doesn't want to rush into an answer and say something wrong. This needed to be handled with precision, because Liam wouldn't just pour his heart out like that to anyone. For once, he resists the urge to huddle Liam close to him.

"I think you should look at it from a different angle," he starts. Liam turns his head to catch his gaze. His eyes are red and his lips are a little swollen. "Right now, you're looking at the big picture, while you should actually be focusing on your own path. I mean, how long have you been a werewolf now? And you've already had to deal with so much." He shows a crooked smile. "Right now, you're not ready. And that's okay. You have to pick your battles, because if you don't and just head into them recklessly, something bad might happen. And I think you're strong for admitting that you don't want to come with me, because I think it shows character. And maturity. You know you won't be able to handle it, so you decide to be responsible about it and not put yourself in danger. I admire that about you. I've been keeping you safe all this time, but now I feel like you're starting to learn to take care of yourself, which makes me so, so proud. And it's not even about physical strength, but about spirit."

Liam's jaw drops as he takes in the alpha's words. Where had Scott McCall learned all those words of wisdom?

"So, don't worry! You've already done a great deal for yourself. And for me. And even though you might not feel that way, you are improving." He playfully punches the boy's upper arm. Liam chuckles and lets himself be shoved a little. "So go inside and start focusing on your own journey, instead of mine. Go get stronger. Learn control. But don't forget to stay smart."

Liam nods. "Yeah...okay..." he sighs. "I guess you're right." He smiles. "Why are you always right? You don't seem that clever."

Scott bursts into laughter. "Ha! Thanks for that, jerk." Another playful punch. "But yeah, I guess I'm just that..." He fakes a thoughtful impression. "...Good, y'know."

Liam makes barfing sounds and Scott laughs. "Hey, don't get too offensive. I can still take you in a battle."

"You know," Liam laughs, "I'm starting to believe that's bull."

Scott ups his brows at him. "You wanna put that theory to the test?"

Liam smirks, and before Scott realizes what's happening, his beta has launched himself forward. Scott's back hits the side of the bench and he winces. "Hey, unfair!" he exclaims.

"What? The element of surprise is unfair?" Liam grins down at him. Their hands are above their heads, struggling to get out of each other's grips. Their heartbeats start to quicken.

Scott's eyes flash red, and then in one quick motion he turns the tables, slamming Liam in the opposite direction. Scott's now on top of him with a proud smirk.

"Now that's unfair," Liam states.

"What? Using werewolf strength to your advantage is unfair?" Scott teases in a childish tone.

Liam gives him a sour look. "Shut up."

He slips a foot out from under Scott's body and swiftly kicks his side. Yet again, the alpha is surprised, and he stumbles off the bench onto the wooden porch. Liam lets himself fall on top of him.

"Hey, ouch," Scott laughs as the air is forced from his lungs. Liam pushes himself up, allowing Scott to catch his breath.

But then, he decides that the earlier movement was way too satisfying, so he drops himself down again. "Ow!" Scott groans. "You're a jerk." But Liam's ocean colored eyes are full of glistening sparkles once more. They have been empty for so long, it makes Scott's brain melt seeing their beautiful hues again.

Liam's face is hovering close to Scott's; he can feel the ragged breathing on his lips. Their chests are pressed together. Scott looks up intently into Liam's eyes, staring into them. He sticks out the tip of his tongue. Liam's breath hitches in his throat as he watches Scott's face coming closer. His eyes widen when the distance between them closes.

And then Scott licks his nose.

"Ah, gross!" Liam exclaims, sitting up so that he can rub away the wet feeling. Scott chuckles in delight and, obviously, Liam finds himself on the bottom once again a second later.

"Told you I would own your ass," Scott smirks down at him.

"You /licked/ my /nose/," Liam states, still disgusted.

The alpha shrugs. "It's my signature move, to take people out of their concentration," he jokes.

"So you're telling me you're licking noses when you're in a life threatening battle?"

"Yeah."

"You're so full of shit."

Scott grins. Liam pushes his hips up. The movement takes the older one off guard, so Liam can free one of his hands and elbow Scott in his rib cage. They roll over again and now Liam's on top. Triumph on his face.

"See, I told you you're strong!" Scott says, finally, when he can't get out of Liam's grip anymore.

"You're letting me win, aren't you?" Liam asks, his eyes narrowed suspiciously.

"No! No, of course not!" Scott lies. He struggles to get out from under Liam again. "See? I'm out of moves."

"You could always lick my nose again."

"What? You want me to?" Scott smirks. Teasing Liam is going to be his new favorite thing to do. Especially when the boy's cheeks fire up like they are at that moment. He loves seeing that.

Liam crawls off Scott and helps him up. The older male straightens out his clothes.

"I think you should go," Liam says. "I'm okay, I promise."

Scott smiles gently at him. "I know."

He picks up his helmets and after shooting a quick wink, walks off the porch, back to his motorbike.

"Hey, Scott?" Liam calls after him.

"Yeah?"

"Thank you."

The alpha beams back at him. "You're welcome. Anytime." He kicks his bike to life and rides off, into battle. Liam watches his body fade into the night, leaning against the porch. A deep sigh leaves his mouth. He hopes that Scott will be okay.

Fortunately, that night, Liam somehow manages to catch some sleep. Not a lot, but at least some. He wakes up at 4 am from dreams of Berserkers slashing him to pieces, only to look at the clock, which causes him to start worrying about Scott once again. He checks his phone, but he hasn't missed any messages. Liam lays back down in his bed, trying to ground himself. He tries to think of happy things, like the romp he had with Scott earlier that night.

But to no avail, because thinking of Scott means seeing visions of Scott being shot by assassins and attacked with tomahawks.

Yes, thinking of Scott means worrying about Scott.

It takes Liam half an hour more before he decides to stop trying. He steps out of bed and dresses himself in something warm. His bedroom window slides open without a sound and he sneaks through it. He throws a last look towards the door, but it's still closed.

Never has he ever done what he is about to do, but Liam doesn't give it much thought. He starts out jogging towards Scott's house, but in the end he's running. With every step he takes he hears branches crack behind him, bones clinking together to his side and grunts in front of him. He's breathing rapidly, and pushes his legs to run faster and faster until he's sure his lungs are about to implode, and he can taste iron in his mouth.

Once at Scott's house, he climbs up using the rain pipe. It takes a lot of effort, but in the end he manages to reach the top. Trying to be as quiet as he can be, the boy slides next to Scott's window and is about to peek in when it slams open and a hand grabs him by the shirt.

In a flash, he's on his back on the floor, a red-eyed Scott McCall towering over him. His claw's in the air, and he's ready to throw a punch until he recognizes his beta.

"Liam?" he sounds surprised. "I thought I smelled you, just couldn't believe it would really be you." He helps the boy back up on his feet. "What are you doing here? Are you okay?!" He holds the boy by his shoulders, examining him.

In the meantime, Liam is looking at his alpha, who is covered in blood and scratches. His shirt is ripped at the side, an ugly bullet wound visible between the cotton. A long, deep scratch is covering his right shoulder and his jeans are full of dirt and blood stains as well.

And still, Scott McCall is worrying if his unharmed beta is okay. Crazy.

"Yeah, I'm fine," he answers with a shocked expression. "But you're clearly not. We should clean you up. And why aren't you healing? You should be healing, right? Are you hurt? Well, of course you're hurt, you're covered in cuts and bruises, but, like, you haven't broken any bones or anything? Are you feeling dizzy? Maybe you've got a concussion. Why don't you lie-"

"Liam, calm down," Scott interrupts his worried rant. "I'm okay. And I am healing, it's just taking a little longer. It was a bad fight."

Liam's face falls, but Scott cups his cheek.

"But Lydia and Stiles figured it out. The Deadpool is done with." He smiles, relief coating his face.

The younger one looks up in disbelief. "Really?" he asks for confirmation. "So no more assassins?"

"No more assassins."

Liam lets out a heavy breath. "That's great. You guys did it!"

But looking at back at Scott's hurt body, Liam wonders at what cost. His voice dies away, and he falls silent.

"Liam?" Scott asks. "Did you come to check up on me?"

The younger one nods guiltily. "Yeah...I know you wanted me to stay at home, but I woke up from a nightmare again and I had to see if you were okay."

Scott pouts innocently at him. "That's very sweet of you. Thank you." He ruffles Liam's hair.

Liam shies away, scratching the back of his head. "Yeah...well, no problem..."

A silence falls between them, and Scott's unsure if he can keep himself standing for much longer. He doesn't want to worry Liam even more, though, so he casually sits down on the bed. The boy follows him with his gaze and Scott can tell he wants to help, but doesn't really know what to do. It's adorable to watch, but Scott decides to save him from his debacle.

"Could you do me a favor and grab a damp cloth from my bathroom? I'm worried that showering will feel like someone's pouring acid on me."

"Yes! Yeah, of course. Right away!" Liam agrees hastily. He hurries to the other room and does as he's asked. His hands are quivering as he holds the washrag under the stream of water that's pouring from the tap. Okay, he has to admit, seeing Scott wounded like that is terrifying him. But he has to be strong. He has to be strong for his alpha. This is his moment to help. Finally.

"Here, let me do it," he says when he walks back up to Scott. He sinks to his knees in front of the older guy, and starts dabbing at the blood on his side. He can't stop his hands from shaking and it's annoying him greatly, but he persists. Scott notices it, but doesn't say anything. He does hiss when Liam accidentally touches his exposed flesh, though.

"Sorry," the boy mumbles, mentally kicking himself for being such a clumsy idiot.

"It's okay," Scott reassures him. Liam is sure those words will be the last ones Scott McCall will say when he dies. He cares way too much about others. But Liam isn't sure if that's a bad thing.

When he's finished with Scott's side, the alpha takes over and wipes himself clean. In the meantime, Liam is asked to grab a towel. He also finds a set of fresh clothes, but upon seeing them, Scott waves a hand in disagreement. "I'm good, thanks. I'm not wearing anything apart from boxers tonight." He takes the bottom of his shirt between his fingers and tries to pull it over his head, but he can't get his right shoulder up all the way.

Liam's by his side to help in the blink of an eye. Scott groans when the fabric slips off his upper body.

Luckily for him, his pants and socks come off much more easily.

When he's clad in just his underwear, Scott lets out a deep breath. He dries his skin with a towel, and closes his eyes for a second. His body is starting to feel tired and he realizes his inner wolf needs some time and, most of all, rest. He slides onto his bed, on his back, his arms resting next to his sides.

After a minute or so, he looks up. Liam's standing in the middle of his room, rubbing his upper arm. Discomfort is practically dripping off of him. Scott smiles at him. The boy's looking like a lost puppy. Scott knows Liam wants to stay, but that he's too insecure to ask and he doesn't want to force himself onto Scott. He doesn't know what the right thing to do at the moment is, and Scott doesn't blame him for that, because, hey, Liam's not a mind reader.

Fortunately for him, Scott is.

"Hey, can I ask you for one more favor?"

"Yes! Anything!" Liam promptly answers, eyes wide.

"Would you mind sleeping here? I'd appreciate the company, to be honest," Scott explains, licking his lips.

Liam can't believe his luck. He smiles with relief, because hell yes, he wants to stay to make sure his alpha is alright. He could never leave. Especially not now.

Scott needed him for a change. Really needed him.

"Yeah, of course! Totally! No big deal. I don't mind," Liam reassures him. He slips out of his clothes while Scott chuckles inaudibly.

The beta bites at his index finger as he tries to figure out how to get to the other side of the bed. He doesn't want to climb over Scott, because knowing his luck he would slip and fall on top of his alpha, hurting him even more.

Which means there's only one option left.

He claws himself up from the end of the mattress. The well considered effort makes Scott's heart melt and he closes his eyes with a smile playing on his lips.

But then Liam does something unexpected. His breath is trembling as he scoots closer to Scott. He softly lays his head down on top of his alpha's chest.

And it's not as if Scott minds, because he doesn't, and if he wasn't hurting so badly at that moment, he wouldn't have said anything about it. Hell, he would've praised Liam for being so courageous and so much more...himself.

But Liam's head is resting on him in a painful manner. His entire upper body is already hurting, and the added weight doesn't really add to it in a positive way. Scott sighs. He already feels guilty for having to say something about it, but he does it anyway. He has to.

"Err, Liam," he starts with a cracking voice. "I know you mean well, and usually I wouldn't mind, but you're kind of hurting me..."

Liam's heart sinks into his stomach and his ears start to burn when he hears Scott's words. He throws himself off of the teenager and against the wall. "Sorry! I'm so sorry! I just thought-" He quickly closes his mouth, not wanting to embarrass himself even more.

Of course. The one time he decides to be brave and initiate some comfort, he fails. What an idiot. Sure, just straddle an almost dying guy, what a great idea.

He doesn't mean for Scott to hear his groan, but it has already slipped out of his throat. "Sorry," he mumbles again, hating himself for being so stupid. He presses his back further against the wall, staying as far away from Scott as possible. His hands move in front of his mouth and his eyes shift into sadness.

Scott purses his lips, before an idea pops up into his head.

"My left arm is okay?" he offers with a silly grin. He swings the limb up and down a little.

Liam looks back up at him and blushes. He crawls closer to Scott. His arms wrap around Scott's bicep and he moves as much of his body against it. Scott smiles and the palm of his hand cups Liam's knee. His thumb brushes against the bare skin.

Liam latches onto Scott's arm for all he's worth, pouring his heart and soul into the gesture. He nestles his cheek against the contours of his strong muscles and closes his eyes.

"Thank you, for being here," Scott whispers after a while, smiling down at his beta.

Liam beams up at him. He rubs his face against Scott's warmth and lets out a soft moan.

"You're welcome. Anytime."