â Ian's Perspective â
â Talk 1 with Iris â
"So that was Liam." Iris hums quietly as she walks over and sits down next to me on the couch. Ember smiles from her seat next to Izzy, who is the only person left here.
"That was Liam." She nods. "Isn't he adorable?"
"He is." Iris grins, making eyes at me that suggest things I don't like.
"I like him. He's a cutie." Izzy grins, resting her head on Ember's shoulder. "Can we go to bed?"
"Of course." Ember smiles that sappy smile she only gets around the other girl and the two stand up.
"Goodnight," Ian and Iris say in unison. They make eye contact after and again say the same thing at the same time, but Ian is faster. "Jinx!"
Iris groans while Ian cheers to himself. It's a little childish, sure, but Ian doesn't care. They never stopped doing that and probably never will.
"So, baby brother of mine." Iris leans in next to him, bumping his shoulder repetitively. "Liam sure is cute, isn't he?"
"Shut up." Ian grins, not feeling embarrassed at all. "I think he and Paige are a thing though. Maybe not, but the vibes are there."
"Are you sure?"
"I'm not sure of anything. I mean, I don't think they're officially dating. Think, but they could be. And I mean, Paige doesn't really want a relationship during high school, I know that, but their dynamic is just oddly suspicious, y'know."
She hums lightly and nods. "Well, it's just something to observe. Maybe ask Paige. She's always upfront and honest."
Ian nods. He knows he should, but he doesn't want to make it weird. If Paige and Liam are dating then he's been checking out her boyfriend this entire time.
"Not that any of it really matters though, because I'm perfectly happy to just be his friend." Ian nods. "I mean, I don't even know him like that yet so I'm not thinking about dating him or anything, but he's cute. That's it for the moment."
Iris nods. "For the moment."
Ian smirks a little. "For the moment."
"I see." She's smirking like she won something. "So is he going to be your new bestie?"
Ian snorts. Not that he hates that idea or anything, but he hardly knows the boy. And the way Iris words it is funny. "No one can replace Lu."
"Oh, of course." She nods, then a slow smile creeps on her face. "You sure do have a knack for finding the most introverted people you can and making them your closest friends, you notice that?"
Ian laughs. He has noticed that pattern. He befriends people easily, but he's always loved befriending the ones that are a little challenging the most.
He adopted Lucas in the second grade, then Paige in the fourth, and now Liam. It's a constant with him.
"They're fun, under all the shyness."
Iris laughs. "I thought you barely know Liam? How can you tell he's fun?"
"I've seen it." Ian shrugs easily, thinking about when they went swimming today.
Getting Liam to loosen up seemed so easy with Ember and Paige also having fun. He was laughing a lot, and his smile lit his features perfectly. Ian was drawn to it. He's determined to get the boy that comfortable around him too so he can see those smiles all the time.
"He can laugh as maniacally as Paige and his quips rival Ember's. They go back and forth a lot. It's funny." Ian grins. "He seems like he'd fit in perfectly, we just have to get him over the awkward introduction phase."
"You're so cute." Iris pinches one of Ian's cheeks and coos dramatically. Ian cringes and slaps her hand away. She laughs at his responding glare.
"Why are you like this?"
"I'm your older sister, it's my job." She just grins evilly. "Now, I'm going to bed. You should too at some point."
She pats his head as she stands and leaves, which Ian scowls at. She's annoying but she's a relief to talk to. He wishes he could just hate her guts so he wouldn't have to put up with her nonsense.
Now, he pulls out his phone to see Lucas lighting up the group chat that they barely use. His spam consists of demanding a movie night soon and yelling at Ember and Paige to make sure they invite Liam. Ian ignores them.
Although, he definitely wouldn't mind a movie night with Liam. Not at all.
â¢ââ¢
â Movie Night â
"I'm home!" Ember throws the door open, smiling like a maniac. Liam and Paige shuffle in after her. They're all in matching school uniforms, which Ian doesn't think he'll ever get used to seeing.
"Hey, babes." Izzy smiles at Ember, completely ignoring the other two.
"Hello, lovie." Ember goes to sit on her lap, which is normal behavior for the two but still makes Ian feel like a third wheel.
"Gross." He grumbles quietly, mostly because he doesn't want Ember to hear and throw a pillow at him.
"Is anybody else coming?" Paige looks around the room, confusion playing on her face. Lucas isn't here and he planned this whole thing, so her question makes sense. Her eyes settle on Ian after a second, probably because he's the only one who knows how to answer questions here. And because Lucas texts him the most so he's most likely to know where the boy is.
"Chris and Lucas are both coming as well. They had to stop at Lu's because he forgot his bag and they probably got distracted talking about anime." He shrugs.
"Sounds like them," Izzy says, but Ian isn't focused on her.
"Anime?" Liam furrows his eyebrows, glancing toward Paige.
At first, Ian doesn't understand the question. It isn't until Paige starts to explain what anime is that he realizes. Liam wanted a description so he can feel in the loop.
He notes that down somewhere in his brain just in case Paige isn't around the next time Liam has a question like that. He wants to be able to answer them.
Paige shrugs as she finishes speaking. "I don't really understand the obsession."
"I don't either." Ian sees his opportunity to butt into the conversation and takes it. Liam's eyes are drawn over to him as he does so, so he pats the seat next to him in hopes the boy gets the clue. "Now, who's sitting by me?"
Luckily, even if the boy doesn't understand the invitation is for him, Paige does. She nudges him as she starts for the kitchen. "Go ahead. I'm going to get something to drink."
He hesitates, but eventually, Liam nods and comes over. After setting his bag down, he sits next to Ian.
Ian grins and it only gets a little wider when Liam returns it, slowly but surely still a smile. He starts to relax too, which also makes Ian feel good. If he can help the boy get comfortable here at all, he'll have succeeded in his self-assigned mission.
Ember calls in orders to Paige like she's a servant since she's in the kitchen, which is something she does to anybody and everybody if they're already on their way somewhere so she doesn't have to get up. "Get Liam a soda! He doesn't get sugar enough."
Based on how light he was during their game of chicken the other day, Ian believes that.
"Should we pick what to watch?" Ian glances around, ready to get the movie part of this movie night started. Just sitting around waiting is boring.
"We're not waiting for Lucas and Chris?" Paige frowns a little because she's too damn nice.
"We're not waiting for Lucas and Chris?" Chris parrots as he walks in just in time. Ian still isn't sorry, even after seeing the disappointed look Lucas gives him.
"Rude." The blond shakes his head as he walks in after Chris.
There's more bickering, mostly between Ember and Chris, as the two newcomers get settled in. They're arguing about Chris and his bad taste in one-night stands because he slept with Jessica. Ian doesn't really have an opinion on this so he stays quiet, just watching with an entertained smile.
Until he sees Liam glance over at Paige with a small frown. That's enough to make him feel guilty for laughing at this without giving Liam context first. The boy has to be so confused.
And now is the time to step in for Paige. He turns to Liam with a soft smile, loving the way his blue eyes widen slightly and look so soft while asking for help.
"Jessica Hoffman goes to our school. Back in middle school her and Ember played sports together and Ember absolutely hates her guts. She's one of those overly loud people that's kind of obnoxious. Em and her used to butt heads all the time over stupid stuff. Chris got drunk at a party last week and hooked up with her." Ian explains, watching Liam nod slightly.
"Oh." The boy hums quietly and mumbles, "Thank you."
Ian feels a little pride bubble in his chest at just being helpful to the other.
They continue to listen to Chris and Ember bicker. They laugh, and Ian smiles when even Liam joins in.
His mom comes out. She asks about what they want for food and then disappears again. Then the three kids go to change. Finally, they start to actually talk about what movie they're going to watch.
Ian and Liam don't have an opinion, so they don't say a whole lot. Ember's choice wins and so they settle in to watch Don't Worry Darling.
"I'm ordering Chinese!" Mom comes back out and announces, drawing attention to her from everyone in the room.
"Yay! Thank you!" Izzy grins and Ember is soon to follow after her.
"Thanks, Mom."
The woman walks behind the couch on the way to the kitchen and pauses when she gets to Liam. She smiles politely at him. "You must be Liam."
The boy in question looks like a deer in headlights. "Ohâ umâ yes, that's me."
"Good to finally meet you." She spares him the embarrassment of acknowledging his stuttering, but her voice does get noticeably softer. "I've heard a lot about you."
Liam's mouth stays hanging open as she walks away. He looks like he doesn't know what to say, or if he should say anything. Then, he seems to process that he's sitting in a state of shock and snaps his jaw shut. Ian can't help it, he chuckles lightly at the boy. Liam doesn't seem to mind, just turns his attention back to the screen.
Ian stretches his arm out, draping it along the back of the couch and behind Liam. Maybe it's because he feels drawn to Liam in a new way, or maybe it's because he just wants the boy to be comfortable. He himself doesn't know exactly why, but it doesn't matter. He's not touching Liam and neither of them say anything about it.
The movie starts and Ian finds out pretty quickly that he prefers seeing Liam's reactions than actually watching the movie. There's just something about his face that's adorable. The way he gets sucked into the movie so quickly and his eyes stay a little wide with anticipation the whole time. He seems so actively focused.
The food gets delivered and Mom just sets the takeout boxes on the coffee table before taking one for her and Dad each. She then leaves them alone and everyone reaches for their preferred box.
Ian passes some to Lucas, Javi, and Chris because they don't want to get in the way of the screen. He then picks up one for Liam too because the boy hasn't even looked away from the TV. He nudges Liam and those pretty blue eyes turn to him, finally.
Liam finally seems to process that the food is here because he takes the box, glancing around the room to take in details that he clearly missed. Ian smiles softly at this.
As time drags on, it becomes more obvious how comfortable the boy is getting. His body relaxes further into the couch at first, and by the end of the movie his eyelids are closing on themselves and he seems to struggle to keep them open. Ian thinks it's adorable.
As the rest of the group argues about whether the movie was good or bad, Ian leans in closer to Liam. He lowers his voice, only speaking to the other boy. "You got any suggestions on what we should watch next?"
Ian watches as the boy melts while looking at himâ just a little, it's hardly noticableâ and he feels proud. Liam shakes his head. "Not really."
Paige proposes Nemo moments later. "Liam has never seen it before so I must make him watch it! Oh! And then we can watch Finding Dory!"
Liam smiles softly at the suggestion so Ian knows he'll have to agree to it too.
"You've never seen Nemo?" Chris looks over at the boy in question. "Damn you must of had one shit childhood."
Ian narrows his eyes at his childhood friend. Way to make him feel welcome.
Luckily, a pillow hits him in the face and Paige is scolding him in the next second. "Don't make fun of him."
Ian smiles, even though something in his mind twitches at the further evidence that they could be a thing. He still doesn't understand why Paige wouldn't tell them if they were, but he's suspicious.
Liam seems to slowly be slipping out of consciousness during the entire movie. Ian is happy to be sitting confortably next to him. He doesn't mind watching the movie in silence either, as the other seems genuinely interested.
It works out for him too when the sequel plays and Liam finally nods off, his head falling onto Ian's shoulder in the process.
Ian doesn't dare move. He doesn't even say anything or breathe too hard out of fear of disrurbing the boy leaning against him. The boy who is slowly dropping further into his side as the move goes on.
By the end of Finding Dory, Ember and Izzy are drifting off too and Chris is asleep.
"Is he asleep?" Paige whispers over with a soft smile, even though Ian is certain she saw him drifting at some point before this, and saw him sleeping against Ian but didn't say anything.
Ian nods, glancing down at the boy to the best of his ability.
"I'm going to your room." Javi grumbles, clearly dozing off himself. He has to wake Lucas to get the boy out of lap and then the two of them sleepily head up the stairs.
Despite not wanting to, Ian knows he has to put Liam down and follow them. He props up a throw pillow by his side and then tries to transition Liam from his body to the couch as smoothly as possible. He even throws a blanket over him before finally leaving.
Paige is drifting at the end of the couch as he heads upstairs to his room.
He has to share the bed with Javi and Lucas, which honestly makes him regret ever leaving the couch in the first place. He should've just slept next to Liam.
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Yeah, Ian's been interested since the beginning. (But not completely in that way yet because he doesn't know Liam yetâ it's all just intrigue right now.)
I'm trying to keep the integrity of the original chapters while also cutting unnecessary parts but I don't know how it's going so feel free to give me feedback. I'm sorry if it seems rushed or like I skipped over a lot of details.
Anyways, I hope you enjoyed!
Love you â¡
- Z