Liam/Marcus {mlm}

As a child, Marcus was a real crybaby. If he scraped his knee, lost his favorite piece of chalk, or was startled by the loud bark of a stray dog, the hallways of his parents' house would immediately resound with his shrill cries. At such moments, he invariably ran to Liam, the boy his mothers had introduced him to. Little Kirara resembled a porcelain doll: pale, quiet, with a perpetually pimply, emotionless face. He never comforted Marcus with words or knew how to hug him, but he always stood silently by his side, allowing his tearful friend to tug at his shirt sleeve and bury his wet nose in his shoulder.

Years passed, and by eleventh grade, everything had turned upside down. Marcus had grown taller, matured, and become a true lifesaver. His childhood whininess had vanished completely: he was now the most active boy in school, always laughing, joking, loving noisy company, and easily making new acquaintances. Kirara, however, had hardly changed. He remained the same silent, aloof wallflower who avoided people and preferred to blend into the classroom. Their classmates genuinely didn't understand what connected the pair until their senior year.

In eleventh grade, a previously dormant tactile hunger seemed to awaken in Liam. It became incredibly, frighteningly tangible—but only for Marcus.