It was something small. To anyone else, insignificant. A normal occurrence.

But to Liam, it felt so indescribably loud. As if everything had been put through a megaphone and then through speaker with the volume turned up to 93. The shrill of the fire alarm pierced Liam’s skull and echoed incessantly.

It wasn’t just the alarm, but the crowd of countless classmates, all adding to the noise by stomping around and yelling along with the fire song.

That is where he finds himself. Covering his ears and screwing his eyes shut, crouched on the ground, leaning against a wall for support.

He doesn’t have his headphones and he isn’t allowed to use his pocket dimensions powers at school, so he’s defenseless. The siren screaming at him to leave, but he can’t do anything.

The darkness shrouds around him, the gaze of hungry predators surrounding him. He’s spiraling.

Then something washes over him. Something warm and familiar. As if wrapped in a fluffy blanket in the comfort of his own home.

It’s Tharen. His soulmate.

He’s next to him. Not touching him but close enough that Liam can feel the heat radiate off his skin. His skin isn’t crawling anymore, and the sound muffles a bit.

“I’m here,” Tharen simply says.

With those two words (well technically three depending on how you count the contraction), he finds the light again.

Tharen sets something down between them. The clink of the object is audible, cutting through the noise. It’s a small Rubix cube.

Immediately, Liam picks it up and messes with it to keep his hands busy. The rattle of moving it rapidly helps him hone in on one thing. It’s as if the world narrowed to just them, the calamity of everyone talking and walking begins to fade.

“I don’t like the fire alarm either. It’s being so extra, being that loud,” Tharen comments in a quiet tone. “It’s so not cool that we can’t have headphones or AirPods.”

Liam nods in agreement. It feels nice to hear validation. Like he isn’t overreacting or being weird. Tharen makes him feel normal.

“Do you want to stay here or go outside?” He asks. Liam lifts his head, pausing his Rubix cube movements, and realizes that everyone is gone. The halls are finally vacant. There isn’t the constant chatter or scuffs of shoes. He hadn’t even noticed.

“I already told a teacher, she said that it’s just a drill, so she’ll count us in attendance if we don’t go out,” Tharen tells him, lifting the pressure off of Liam.

Liam breathes and realizes how much he was holding his breath before.

He turns his full attention to the boy next to him. Tharen is in a similar position as Liam against the wall but has his head tipped backwards, eyes closed.

Unconsciously, Liam finds himself relaxing, mirroring Tharen’s loose frame.

Somehow, Tharen knew exactly what Liam needed. And just did it. Like it was nothing.

No hoops or obstacles. Just normal.

That means everything.

“Maybe let’s just stay for another minute.”

Liam leans his head on Tharen’s shoulder, the comfort not only emotionally but physically too.

“Sure. Another minute.”

———

(This is something I wanted to include but then remembered that they don’t go to the same school. And that Liam technically could use his abilities because I made it that he didn’t need the power dampening cuffs. But then I was like, “it’s my story”, so then I decided to write it anyway. Let’s say it’s canon adjacent.)