10. Fix
Chapter 10
Fix
O ne more hour.
Fix had repeated this to himself ever since he’d parked up outside of Liam’s building.
He shifted in his seat, wishing his truck were more comfortable for stakeouts…or whatever the hell he was doing.
The truth was, he hadn’t planned to swing by Liam’s tonight. He’d been called out to break a curse on the train line that was causing massive delays, and it just so happened to be near—maybe an exaggeration—Liam’s area. So once he was done he’d told himself he’d simply drive by Liam’s on the way home and make sure all was well. Liam would be in bed most likely, so he wouldn’t go up. It was just a cursory checkup…
Only his foot had hit the brake as soon as the building came into view and he hadn’t moved since.
He understood that he was being overbearing. He didn’t want to push himself on Liam, but his mind was constantly working in overdrive.
What if he didn’t check in and something happened? What if Liam needed him but he was suffering and bearing it instead of calling? What if another creepy gift had arrived and Fix could have caught the culprit?
There were too many possibilities and they kept him up at night. Had him tossing and turning in the same way he did when any of his brothers were out on dangerous cases. Liam had wiggled in that deep already.
He yawned, long and loud, trying to stretch his muscles in the confined space.
Movement in his side mirror drew his attention and he ducked to put the figure in view. Fix had to blink twice to make sure he wasn’t seeing things.
Messy blond hair was flying behind a sprinting figure illuminated by the dim streetlights. Long legs ate up the sidewalk, as wobbly as a colt on the verge of collapse. Terror was following them, Fix could see it like a cloud in the air billowing in their wake.
It was Liam.
Shock froze Fix’s muscles as he tried to rationalize it.
Liam couldn’t be out here. He was supposed to be inside where it was safe, behind a locked door, tucked into bed and warm, King sprawled over him to protect him. Not running for his life down a dark street at nearly two in the morning.
He rocketed out of his truck into the chill night air. “LIAM!”
Liam didn’t seem to hear him, sprinting for the door. Fix looked behind him to see what was chasing him. There was nothing but empty street stretching into a tunnel of darkness. He hurried across the road as Liam hit the dirty glass of the building door and pulled at the handle desperately. It didn’t budge, only rattled on its hinges.
“Liam!” he said again, finally closing the distance and laying a hand on his shoulder.
Liam screamed, spinning around and raising a hand as if to hit him. Fix grasped it in his palm firmly but gently, ducking down to look into his eyes. “Liam, it’s me! It’s Fix!”
Liam's fear-filled eyes took a second to put him in focus, pupils so dilated they were nearly eclipsing the green around them, before he rushed forward into Fix’s arms, holding him tight around his waist.
Fix swallowed as soon as they connected, heart hammering. The scent of lavender invaded his nose, but he shoved aside all visceral reactions to concentrate on Liam. He was trembling so hard it was shaking Fix too.
He put a hand on the back of Liam’s head, the messy strands of his hair shifting through his fingers. “It’s okay. I’ve got you,” he soothed.
Liam buried his head against Fix’s chest, a desperate sob ripping out of his mouth as he clawed at his back. He was trying to push himself closer even though there wasn’t a single sliver of space left between them.
Fix held him tighter, ran his fingers through his hair and tried not to let it get to him. He was just happy Liam seemed to find him comforting.
He glanced around the street, trying to find the reason for this terror, but all seemed dead quiet.
Liam’s shaking slowed down, but he was still out of it, and Fix wanted to wrap him up in a warm blanket and make all this fear go away. “Let’s get you inside.”
He straightened up but Liam gripped him tighter, shaking his head.
“Don’t let go,” he begged.
“I’m not letting go, honey,” Fix said soothingly, “but we need to get you home so you can relax.”
“Door’s stuck,” Liam mumbled. “Wasn’t when I left home. It won’t open.”
“It’s a shit door,” Fix joked weakly, but Liam sniffled miserably against his chest.
“It’s cursed. I couldn’t get in and it feels like all the other things. Everything around me is cursed. I can’t…”
He broke down again, tears running down his cheeks and dampening Fix’s shirt. He sounded so defeated, so tired, and Fix knew he was finally seeing the real Liam. The man behind the walls. He ached listening to him cry, but he was in awe of the strength it must have taken to act so in control all the time. The courage he had to face the world with all this fear coursing through him.
Fix wanted to take it all away.
“I’m here,” he whispered. “I’ll uncurse every single thing around you if that’s what it takes. I promise I’ll find a way to stop this.”
Liam stayed silent, but he was still in Fix’s arms, face hidden, his sobs getting weaker as exhaustion took over.
“Hold on to me, honey, okay?” Fix said. “I’ll just get something from my pocket with one hand, but I’m not letting go.”
Liam gripped him tighter, and when Fix released his hold on him with one hand he let out a soft whimper but stayed put. Fix thanked his past self for having left his white breaking marker in his back pocket after his job instead of putting it back in his work bag.
He pulled it out and made quick work of breaking the curse on the front door. The light display that came with his process paused Liam’s distress for a second, and Fix saw him turn his head slightly to look at it before hiding again.
Fix smiled, but it was bittersweet. He had to keep reminding himself this wasn’t what he wanted it to be.
“We can go in now,” he said, tucking his marker back into his pocket. “Are you okay to walk?”
Liam paused for a moment before giving him a nod in return. He took a small step back and away from Fix, but stumbled the moment he did, his knees giving out from under him.
Fix rushed to hold him up, hands around Liam’s waist.
“Sorry,” Liam whispered.
Fix shook his head.
“Nothing to be sorry about,” he said, looking at the staircase just behind the front door. He knew it was a long climb to Liam’s apartment, and it was too narrow for Fix to walk beside Liam to help him. “Are you okay with me carrying you up?”
Liam stiffened in his arms and looked up. “You don’t have to…”
Fix stopped him before he could finish. “I know I don’t have to, Liam. I want to, though. If you’ll let me.”
Liam held his gaze for a moment, as if looking for hidden meaning behind Fix’s words. As if he just couldn’t allow himself to trust despite wanting to. Fix stood still and let him work through it. He had time. He had the patience. He’d wait as long as he had to for Liam to tell him what he wanted.
“Okay,” Liam said finally, lowering his eyes to focus on a button on Fix’s shirt. He was fidgeting now, and there was a soft flush on his pale cheeks. He looked like a fairy-tale being and Fix found himself frozen for a moment, taking his beauty in. He must have checked out for longer than he thought because Liam looked back up at him, eyes wide and confused. “Fix?”
“Right.” Fix snapped out of it, smiling apologetically before shaking his head. “Sorry.”
He bent down and scooped Liam up, one arm under his knees and the other around his shoulders. He was light as a feather in his arms.
“Comfy?”
Liam bit his lip as he looked away. “Yes,” he whispered.
Fix pushed the front door open with his shoulder, walking them inside the building and up the several flights of stairs to Liam’s apartment instead of waiting on the elevator.
He tried not to let Liam’s scent distract him. Tried not to get lost in the feeling of his body so close. Tried not to let himself imagine Liam’s body in his arms just because he wanted to be there on a lazy morning. They’d wake up, and he’d be flushed and warm from sleep, wearing Fix’s T-shirt, hair messy and tangled. And he’d find his way into Fix’s arms because he knew it was where he belonged.
He tried not to let himself hope. But he failed. Miserably so.
They reached Liam’s apartment before he was ready to let go. But there was a distinct growl coming from inside the apartment and Fix knew he had to. King wouldn’t take kindly to Liam being held by him. Not without warning.
“I’ll set you down now,” Fix murmured. “King still isn’t my biggest fan, though I think he’s warming up to me.”
Another lousy joke to ease the situation as he lowered Liam to the floor. He set him down as gently as he could and Liam stumbled a bit again, holding on to Fix for stability. He lifted his head and looked at him through those long lashes, and any chance of Fix not falling for him completely was erased.
Liam was it for him. Fix just had to learn to live with it.
“Thank you,” Liam said, and Fix nodded, trailing his hands over Liam’s body to make sure he was steady before forcing himself to let go. Hardest thing he’d ever done. “I’ll just…”
Liam fished a key from his pocket and unlocked his apartment.
As soon as it was open King came barreling into him, clearly torn between checking Liam over after smelling his distress and telling Fix off for potentially causing the distress. It resulted in some very impressive snaps back and forth and jumps between excited whining over seeing Liam and growls aimed at Fix.
It served to break the tension somewhat, because the contrast was kind of funny.
“Come on, you silly dude,” Liam said after giving the dog a million kisses all over his huge head. “Let’s get inside. Fix is here to help, okay? Don’t eat him.”
“He’d have enough for several good meals,” Fix said, patting himself on the bit of a stomach he was packing.
Liam’s eyes slid down to where his palms were resting and his tongue snuck out to wet his lips.
Fix felt like he’d unravel at the seams.
King woofed at them and it pulled them both out of their heads, Liam rushing the dog inside and Fix trailing after them slowly, his own legs feeling unsteady for a moment. He closed the door behind him and locked it, not that anything would be touching Liam with Fix around, then watched Liam turn all of the lights on as he went. His heart broke again at how many little ways Liam had of trying to combat his fears.
He followed him into the tiny living room and Liam stood in the middle of it, seemingly confused and fidgety.
“Um…” Liam took a glance at Fix before looking away again. “Do you want something to eat? Or…I have tea?”
He looked so out of his depth.
“Liam, do you want me to go?” Fix asked, then nearly jumped in shock when Liam snapped his head around toward him.
“NO!” he blurted before covering his lips with his fingers. “I’m sorry. I… No. I mean…if you have to be somewhere then yes, you should go. But I…”
He let the silence hang in the air, begging without words but finding it hard to say it. Fix understood anyway.
“I have no cases open at the moment,” Fix said softly. “And nowhere else to be. If you want me to stay, then I’m more than happy to.”
Liam chewed on his bottom lip. “Yeah?”
“How about this? We get you tucked into that blanket there so you can relax, and I’ll make us that tea.”
“I can—”
“Liam,” Fix said, allowing for that bit of sternness into his voice. “Let me.”
Liam sagged visibly and dragged himself to the small sofa. He curled up in one corner and tried to tug the blanket around himself, but it was stiff as a metal plate and unmoving. He gave it another tug with the same results and Fix could see the calm they’d managed to achieve seep away from him as frustration and fear took over again.
The blanket was clearly cursed, and Fix had no idea when that had happened. He’d been keeping watch for hours. He hadn’t seen anyone walk in or out of the building.
Liam pulled at the corner of the blanket, eyes watering again, and Fix jumped to him, covering his hands with his own and making him stop.
“I hate it,” Liam whimpered. “I hate it so much.”
“I know, honey,” Fix said, guilt eating him up. He’d failed at the one thing he felt like he could do for Liam. “I’ll fix it.”
He pulled out his marker again and broke the curse in just a few seconds, grabbing the now fluffy blanket and wrapping it around Liam. He tucked him in like a little burrito, making sure no chill had any space to enter.
He pulled back, but allowed himself a moment of weakness as he reached out and tucked Liam’s hair behind his ears.
“There,” he said. “Nice and cozy again.”
Liam looked down, nodding shallowly.
“I’ll make tea, and then you’ll tell me where you were and what got you so scared.”
Liam looked haunted but nodded again. “Tea’s above the sink. Mugs too. I’ve got honey…”
His voice trembled on the word and Fix ignored it pointedly. Now was not the time. He rushed to make their tea and brought the two steaming, star-speckled mugs to the coffee table.
He set them down and sat closer to Liam than was strictly necessary. The sofa was small and he could have left some space between them, but Liam had wanted him close and Fix wanted to do anything to make Liam feel safer.
Liam relaxed his shoulders and closed his eyes the moment Fix sank into the cushions, and Fix felt like he had done something right. King eyed him warningly but remained draped across Liam’s legs and allowed his presence too.
Maybe he really was growing to tolerate him.
“Are you feeling better?” Fix asked, taking one mug from the table and handing it to Liam.
“A bit, yeah.” Liam wrapped his fingers around it for warmth, holding it close.
Fix sipped from his own mug as he let the air calm further, nothing but the wind outside the window and their quiet breaths and sips filling the night. He knew he had to ask though.
“Would you be okay telling me what happened?”
“I…” Liam inhaled and exhaled to get rid of the shake in his voice. “I went to Cane’s warehouse.”
“To work?” he asked, trying to keep it neutral. He truly had nothing against Liam’s line of work, but the thought of someone laying hands on him made him see red.
“No, I…” Liam shook his head, swallowing a sip of tea before continuing. “I went to talk to Cane about the stuff he found out about me…for you.”
“Liam…” Fix said, guilt eating him up inside.
“It’s fine,” Liam said, finally looking at him. “I just wanted to make sure it didn’t spread around. I just…I don’t want people to know…things about me.”
“I’d never share that with anyone.” Fix ducked his head to meet Liam’s gaze. “I promise you, the only information I have is your name and address and I’m guarding that with my life.”
“I believe you,” Liam murmured. “But I needed to ask him too. He said he didn’t tell anyone else.”
“He wouldn’t.” Fix hated that his own actions were coming back to hurt Liam. “Liam, please believe me when I tell you I’d never put you in danger.”
“I already am in danger though. Aren’t I?”
“I’ll handle the curses.”
Liam shook his head, eyes shining with fear. “It’s not just the curses anymore. Someone…someone followed me home tonight.”
Fix nearly lost his mind. He put his mug down with more force than needed, turning to face Liam, who shrank down into his blanket.
“Did you get a look at them?”
Liam shook his head, tears collecting on his lash line again. “Dark clothes, face hidden. They ran after me, chased me. I…I wasn’t sure I’d manage to escape. I kept seeing these signs to run, run, run. Like they were helping me. I don’t know if that was real or if I panicked and made it up. They got so close to me, Fix. Too close.”
He buried his face in the blanket, the shivers back full force, and Fix tugged the mug out of his hands to set it on the table before it spilled. He was pretty sure he knew who had spurred Liam on to run. A stranger who only revealed themselves digitally, but kept popping up to help them when the chips were down.
Whoever they were, they’d earned themselves some major points with Fix today.
Confident now that King would let him get closer, Fix scooted over to press their sides together. “Liam, can I hold you?” he asked softly.
Liam whimpered once before turning his hidden face to the side, leaning against Fix. Fix lifted his arm and wrapped it around Liam, cradling him against his body.
King didn’t make a sound as Liam plastered himself against Fix’s side.
“Who saw you at Cane’s?” Fix asked.
“O’Malley was there,” Liam said. “I-I was his escort a few times, but I…I didn’t want to do it anymore. He was rude to me. And…rough…”
Fix clenched his teeth. “Rough how?”
“He wanted to get physical and I didn’t. He got angry.”
“Did he touch you?”
Liam curled up tighter.
“Once,” he said. “He…slapped me, and I never accepted his requests to book me after that. He was angry tonight. Said he wanted to finish what we started. He grabbed my arm pretty hard.”
Fix tensed, just about ready to go out there and find the bastard. He knew who O’Malley was. Everyone in Slatehollow did. A fucking prick disguising as a business mogul. He’d dared to touch Fix’s boy. His rational mind reminded him he hadn’t even known Liam existed when this happened, but the rest of him didn’t care. He’d touched Liam. Hurt him. And Fix would repay that in kind.
“Do you think whoever followed you had something to do with him?”
“Hart stopped him from hurting me tonight,” Liam said. “He mouthed off and then Cane kinda…leveled him. Cane told me later not to worry about him, but I know he doesn’t like being shown up. He doesn’t like being weak. And he can’t go after Hart because of Cane so…”
“He can’t come after you either,” Fix said. “Hart has Cane to protect him. You have me.”
“Fix…”
Fix reined himself back in. “Does your arm still hurt?”
“A little,” Liam whispered.
“Can I see?”
Liam held his gaze before he wiggled his arm free of the blanket and shimmied it from his jacket to hold forward. It was a sign of trust and Fix took it reverently, even as he wanted to explode from the sight of the ring of purple bruises blooming around Liam’s forearm.
Fix cupped the underside gently, jaw tensing as he rubbed a thumb over the shape of the fingerprints. “I’ll kill him.”
“He’s dangerous.” Liam sounded worried.
Fix glanced up to meet Liam’s gaze. “I can be too when someone messes with the people I care about.”
The words visibly affected Liam. Fix could see shuttered hope and longing, and he was desperate to give him everything, if only he would accept it. All he needed to do was say yes and Fix would give him the world.
“Liam, I know we said we wouldn’t talk about it and now is the worst timing, but…you can’t tell me I’m imagining things between us? Tell me I’m making it up and I’ll leave it alone.”
Liam hid his face in his shoulder again, shaking his head.
“You’re not,” he whispered, making Fix’s heart pound. “But I’m not fun to be around. I’m more trouble than I’m worth. Look at tonight.”
“I already told you I disagree. And you don’t know what my idea of fun is. Maybe saving beautiful men from daily curses is the best time I’ve ever had.”
He saw the corner of Liam’s mouth pull up in a soft smile.
“Is it?” he asked.
“I’d prefer you curse-free, but the rest? Yes. I want a chance, Liam. One chance to show you I’d be good to you.”
He let the words hang between them, heavy and final. Whatever Liam decided now would determine the direction their relationship took. Fix wouldn’t push. He wouldn’t insist. If Liam truly didn’t want him then that would be it.
“Can I…can I have some time to think?” Liam asked, and Fix allowed himself to hope. Just a little bit. “I’m not…I’m not saying no. I just need to see if there’s anything I can offer you in return.”
“I don’t need anything, honey.”
Who the fuck broke Liam this bad? Who made him think so little of himself that he couldn’t accept that someone could like him for no other reason than liking him?
“Just…a few days,” Liam said.
Fix knew he was completely drained and not in the right frame of mind. “I’m sorry, I shouldn’t have even brought it up. Take as long as you need.”
Fix expected him to move away. To close off after letting Fix see so much. Instead, he cuddled closer and shut his eyes, sighing as he relaxed his body.
Fix didn’t dare move. He wouldn’t move until he was sure Liam was asleep and comfortable. He wouldn’t move for the rest of time if Liam needed that. Fix was good at giving people what they needed.
He stroked his hand gently up and down Liam’s arm, eyes on him the entire time. He glanced at King a few times and the dog never let his eyes stray from Fix. Like he was just waiting for him to fuck up enough for him to maul him.
And Fix found he understood. He’d be willing to maul for Liam too. They had that in common.
He didn’t know how long they sat there, but Liam seemed deep asleep when Fix looked at him next. He was curled into Fix, glued to his side. Right where he belonged.
He scooted a bit to rest his head against the back of the sofa, and Liam frowned in his sleep, fingers gripping Fix’s arm.
“Stay,” he mumbled.
Fix smiled, feeling his chest ache with the pleasure Liam’s need for him brought.
“I’m not going anywhere, honey,” he said, and Liam relaxed again, hair falling into his face as he breathed out.
“Thank you, Daddy,” he whispered, and everything inside Fix shattered at the words.