Not Invisible

Chapter 5: Liam & the Ducks

Isaac was right. It was impossible to be nervous about spending time with Liam, at least once Corey actually saw him.

Corey's heart pounded as he walked down the stairs at the McCall house to answer the front door. He was sure he would have a stroke, or throw up, or have a stroke and throw up. He could hardly breathe. His tongue hurt, and his eyes were blurry. It felt like everything was riding on tonight.

Then he opened the door.

Relief blew over Corey like a cool breeze as he took in the kind, happy face of his packmate. Liam looked amazing. His bangs were meticulously styled, his skin glowed with a warm light, and he was dressed in a charcoal vest over a maroon shirt and dark jeans. All Corey wanted to do was hug him and yank him into the house for a cuddle session. The possibility that things might progress beyond hugging and cuddling for the first time tonight was almost unfathomably wonderful.

"Corey?" Liam turned his head and looked around the open doorway, not making eye contact with Corey.

"Oh sorry!" Corey appeared in front of Liam, a blush creeping up his cheeks. His anxiety had activated his instinctual defenses.

"Whoa! You know how to make an appearance!" Liam's eyes widened and his tongue peeked from the corner of his lips as he looked Corey up and down. Their eyes met and Liam grinned, his face bright and excited. "You look so good!"

They stepped forward at the same time and wrapped their arms around each other. Corey tipped his head sideways, inviting the werewolf to scent his neck, which he did with a soft, eager snuffling. Corey rubbed Liam's back and went slack in Liam's embrace, enjoying the way Liam clutched him close and hummed as he supported their weight.

When they pulled back, Liam cupped Corey's neck and smiled. His blue eyes sparkled with flecks of light as his fingertips caressed the base of Corey's skull. "I'm so happy I can hardly stand it." He nuzzled their foreheads together.

"Me too," Corey whispered, his whole body tingling as he clung to Liam's hard biceps through his silky-soft shirt.

"I wanted our first kiss to happen in the middle of a perfect, romantic moment."

"So now?" Corey tried unsuccessfully to keep the grin off his face as he pressed his lips to Liam's.

They sighed into each other's mouths, and Corey could feel Liam's heart pounding against his chest as their lips moved together with a slow, delicate slide and tug. It was gentle and chaste, and Corey couldn't breathe by the time it was over.

"I love you," Corey whispered against Liam's mouth once the kiss had ended.

Liam stroked Corey's cheek with his thumb and curled his fingers under Corey's chin. "I love you."

"I love you guys too!" Isaac shouted in a loud, obnoxious voice from the couch, making them both flinch.

Liam groaned and leaned back to holler at him. "You're killing our moment!"

"Yeah, ask us on dates if you want romantic I love yous," Corey called back.

Isaac chuckled and got off the couch to kiss them goodbye. He whispered something in Liam's ear that Corey couldn't hear, but whatever it was made Liam's cheeks flush as he smiled at Corey.

Liam slung his arm around Corey's waist as they left the house, and Corey hooked his over Liam's shoulders. The walk to the car was too short, and Corey refused to let go of Liam as he opened the passenger-side door for Corey. Instead he pulled Liam in for a kiss, this time foregoing gentle and chaste in favor of slipping his tongue inside Liam's mouth.

Liam moaned and tilted his head, deepening the kiss and flicking Corey's tongue with his own as he pressed Corey against the side of the car.

"We're not gonna make it to dinner if you keep doing that," Liam whispered, irises rimmed in gold as he pulled back.

"I could live with that." Corey pecked Liam's lips again, Liam's amazing lips. They had been off limits for far too long. How had Corey ever lived without the freedom to kiss them?

Liam caught his eyes and gave him a smile so sweet it made his chest hurt. "Tonight."

They went to Mason's favorite fondue restaurant and held hands while they ate. It was silly and awkward and perfect, and the restaurant might as well have been filled with penguins in polka dot bikinis for all Corey would have noticed. He couldn't take his eyes off Liam, couldn't stop staring at the strong line of his jaw, the playful curve of his mouth, the way his eyelashes fluttered and his nose scrunched when he caught a scent that was overpowering.

Liam flashed Corey a crooked smile as he returned the focused attention and traced patterns in Corey's palm. Later, Corey would be unable to recall what he had ordered that night or whether it had been any good, but he would never forget the way Liam had looked at him or the way it had made him feel.

After dinner they went to the park to feed the ducks. Corey was worried they would all be asleep since it was after sunset, but Liam assured him that he and Hayden and Brett routinely fed the ducks after dark. Sure enough when they got to the pond they were met by a flock of hungry birds.

Corey pulled out his cell phone and turned on the flashlight app, but the nearby ducks quacked and waddled off into the water.

Liam covered Corey's phone with his hand and looked around. A moment later his eyes shone with golden light.

"Liam, somebody'll see!"

Liam chuckled. "I checked. We're alone."

"You're gonna scare the ducks!"

"Nah, they like this better!" Liam giggled and made a clicking noise in his mouth.

Corey watched in amazement as the birds crowded around their ankles, some craning their long necks, looking up expectantly for the pieces of bread the boys had brought in Ziploc bags.

"These ducks are weird." Corey laughed, leaning against Liam's shoulder as he tossed handfuls of the food in front of the birds.

Liam crouched and fed some of the ducks by hand and spoke to them like he knew them personally, calling them by various names. Corey was impressed until he caught Liam calling the same black and white speckled duck 'George,' 'Mary,' and 'Alice,' within the span of a few minutes.

"Yeah, that's right. Mary Alice," Liam insisted with a goofy nod toward the duck. "George is her nickname."

Corey giggled and snapped a picture of Liam feeding Mary 'George' Alice to commemorate the moment.

Once they were done at the pond, Liam drove them up to Lookout Point. They got out of the car and stretched out on the hood, Liam's head on Corey's chest as they gazed up at the moon and stars.

"Mmm, feels good," Liam mumbled.

"My fingers or the moonlight?" Corey asked, trailing blunt fingernails through Liam's hair and over his scalp, his other arm wrapped snuggly around Liam's body.

"Both," Liam answered, nuzzling closer. He was lazily wolfed out, eyes glowing and fangs elongated just enough to bulge beneath his lips.

Corey kissed Liam's head and untucked Liam's shirt. He slid his hand under it, savoring the warmth pouring off Liam's firm stomach as he played with the soft swirl of hair circling Liam's taut navel.

"Can we have sex when we get home?" Corey asked, his whole body tight and quivering with desire as he eyed the prominent tent in the front of Liam's pants.

Liam sighed, deep and needy. "I want that so much." He raised his head and gave Corey a look that was equal parts predatory and affectionate. "I want you so much."

Corey smiled and used his supernatural strength to lift Liam up and drape him fully on top of him. He pressed his lips to the shell of Liam's ear. "I'd do anything for you."

"I know," Liam whispered. He took Corey's hand and kissed his fingers. "I'll always protect you."

"I know," Corey whispered back, squeezing Liam closer.

Liam frowned and grumbled. A moment later Corey heard the sound of a car crunching down the dirt road toward them. Liam started to get up but Corey held him in place a winked.

They spent the next twenty minutes invisible, kissing and touching while they waited for the other car to leave. When it finally did they wasted no time heading for Liam's house.

Corey gasped and clung to Liam as white heat engulfed his body and his brain flooded with endorphins. At the same moment Liam panted Corey's name and clutched him just as desperately. Their eyes locked and they watched each other come down from the high.

"I didn't think you felt this way about me," Corey said once it was all over and he was lying wrapped up in Liam's arms.

"Of course I did. For so long." Liam gripped Corey's bicep and squeezed Corey's thigh between his own. "I just wanted to take things slow."

"Why?" Corey whispered, nuzzling his face against the hard, scruffy panel of one of Liam's pecs and grazing his nipple with his lips.

"This" –Liam's chin dipped against the top of Corey's head– "was always going to happen. We were always gonna be together, no matter what. So I wanted you to focus on the pack first. I wanted you to know that you belonged regardless of me." Liam tangled their fingers together. "Everyone loves you, Cor, not just me and Mace."

Corey didn't answer, just kissed Liam's chest and closed his eyes as he thought about their pack and focused on the warm, fluttery sensations that resulted. As he drifted to sleep he smiled and tugged Liam with him into the invisible world that had been his only refuge before the pack. He no longer needed a place to hide, but he would always enjoy sharing his special sanctuary with Liam and the others.

-000-

End Note: I'm a huge fan of this uncommon pairing and had so much fun writing this chapter! So I hope you guys also enjoyed Corey and Liam's date! Feedback would be greatly appreciated if you did!