Chapter Twenty-four

(we're so starving by panic! at the disco starts playingIM SORRY I WAS GONE SO LONG MY MOTIVATION FOR WRITING COMPLETELY DISSIPATEDand also i may or may not have wasted the past like month talking to hfjone chatbotsthis is probably the most boring chapter ever up until the end :sob:also warning for traumatic situation (back to angst yippie)(IF YOU DONT LIKE THAT THIS CHAPTER IS VERY RELEVANT TO THE PLOT JUST A WARNING))

Liam lets Bryce huddle up to him as the scent of smoke fills the air. He's shaking in fear as the apartment goes ablaze. Small embers flutter in the night sky as a siren can be heard in the distance. Owen simply stares in shock.

So, how did we get here?

- - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - -

Liam, Bryce, and Owen are sitting in the apartment, on the couch, all looking apathetic and bored. Bryce sighs, before his expression changes a bit. It seems like a lightbulb went off in his head or something.

"You guys wanna watch a movie or something?" He asks, taking a glance over at Owen, before his gaze rests on Liam's eyes. They all respond with some form of agreement, as Bryce grabs the remote. 

"Anything you guys had in mind to watch?" Bryce asked, turning on the TV. "I heard Beetlejuice is good. That is, Beetlejuice: The Musical." Liam replies. Bryce nods. "Any input, you two?" He asks, glancing over at Owen and Texty. "nah" Texty said. Owen shook his head.

"Alright, sounds good." Bryce said, turning Beetlejuice: The Musical on.

After they had finished watching, Bryce noticed Owen was asleep. Bryce thought this was the perfect time to ask Liam something.

"Liam?"

"Yeah?"

"You... never really told me why you were crying that one night."

"Oh, uh... Do you want me to?"

"Yeah, but, I mean-- you don't have to if you don't want to."

Liam sighed.

"This is kind of embarrassing to admit, uh... Well," he looked down at the ground, "I... felt like I had lost you. Forever. Before I was hit by the lightning, I was so determined to keep trying to stop ONE, but... after you said you didn't miss me, that's when it hit. I thought you had hated me, and so I just... didn't talk to you, I guess in some attempt to seem less annoying. When you didn't try to say anything you didn't need to, I thought we'd just drift away from each other."

Bryce looked at Liam, an expression of concern on his face. After a few seconds, he puts a gentle hand on Liam's cheek.

"You're never gonna lose me, okay, Liam?"

When Bryce said Liam's name, his heart practically melted. "Okay, Bryce." He said, before shakily hugging Bryce.

"...I love you, Liam." Bryce says, barely thinking. Liam's heart skips a beat. Maybe even two. "I love you, too, Bryce." He says without hesitation, his voice muffled, but still sounding quite sweet.

They stayed like that, just enjoying each other's company, before they heard something.

An alarm.

A fire alarm.