After this event, life became livelier, David wasn't moody anymore. And Liam found himself becoming more spoiled by him, he won't shit on it.
Their new toys were now their source of entertainment, watching them fight each other or better yet, do anything to be in their good grace.
Two months later, while their toys were taking care of their garden, David was sleeping in their bedroom, and Liam was drinking a cup of cofee with a part of cake at the side; Caleb and Daniel returned.
At the begining, Liam didn't see them, but then he remarked the fact that their toys were very tense, so he looked up, only to see Caleb frowning, visibly annoyed by one of their toys, a girl, number twleve, with Daniel glaring down at the girl with his red eyes.
So he simply yelled, "OI!"
Liam's sharp yell cut through the tense air like a whip, jolting everyone into stillness. The girl—Number Twelve—shrank further into herself, trembling under Caleb's frown and Daniel's searing red glare. The sudden change in atmosphere didn't escape Liam, whose annoyance quickly turned to curiosity.
"Oi, what's this now?" Liam called, setting his cup down and standing. His voice was sharp but laced with amusement, a tone that sent shivers down the spines of everyone outside.
Caleb turned toward him, his scowl softening just slightly. "Your... toy here," he began, gesturing at the girl with a flick of his hand, "decided to mouth off."
Liam raised an eyebrow, his interest piqued. "Mouth off, did she?" He slowly approached, his boots crunching against the gravel path. Number Twelve trembled harder, her hands gripping the hem of her tattered dress.
Daniel's eyes, glowing faintly, locked onto Liam's, his presence looming. "You've let them get too comfortable," he said coldly.
Liam stopped in front of Number Twelve, tilting his head as he regarded her like a bug pinned under glass. "That true?" he asked, his voice soft, almost kind. "You getting too comfortable, girl?"
"N-no, sir," she stammered, her voice barely a whisper.
"Oh?" Liam's smile widened, though it didn't reach his eyes. He looked over his shoulder at Caleb and Daniel. "You've come back and already found fault in my toys? I'm almost impressed."
Caleb sighed, running a hand through his hair. "We didn't come back to deal with... this."
"No?" Liam asked, crossing his arms. "Then why are you here? Not that we're not delighted to see you again, of course." His sarcasm was subtle but unmistakable.
David's voice rang out suddenly, sharp and amused, from the doorway. "What's all the noise?" He leaned casually against the frame, his hair mussed from sleep but his eyes alert and focused.
Liam turned to him, grinning. "Daniel and Cleb are here! They've already found fault in the help."
David's gaze shifted lazily to Caleb and Daniel, then to the trembling girl, before landing on Liam. "Fix it," he said simply, his tone leaving no room for argument, before turning back inside.
Liam's grin widened as he turned back to Number Twelve. "Hear, hear," he said softly. "Fix it."
The girl sank to her knees, trembling harder, muttering apologies through tears. Caleb rolled his eyes, clearly unimpressed, while Daniel's glare softened marginally.
Satisfied, Liam clapped his hands once. "Good. Now, let's all calm down. Caleb, Daniel, behing out have done you good I see?"
Caleb crossed his arms. "We've got business to discuss, Liam."
"Of course you do," Liam said smoothly, gesturing for them to follow him into the cabin. "Tea? Coffee? Or are you the type to dive straight into unpleasantness? Ah, and your cabin is at the back, you're free to decore it as you see fit."
The tension lingered in the garden as they left, but Liam couldn't help but feel a thrill at the shift in energy.
The toys now knew that Caleb and Daniel wouldn't help them.
Things were about to get interesting.
David leaned against the doorframe, arms crossed, eyes locked on Caleb and Daniel, who sat across from him, exhausted but alert. The flickering lantern light cast long shadows on the walls, and though neither of the two guests had dared to speak first, David could already see the questions burning in their eyes.
Liam stood beside him, playing idly with the hem of his oversized shirt—one of David's, of course—watching the exchange with mild interest.
"We'll talk tomorrow," David finally said, voice smooth but firm. "Rest while you can."
And then David had a more interesting thing to do.
Caleb blinked. "Tomorrow?" He hesitated, glancing between them. "I thought—"
"You thought wrong," David cut in, pushing off the frame. "We've had a long day. You've had a long day. If you think we're sitting here negotiating when neither of us has the patience for it, you clearly don't know me yet."
Not that the blond was against it.
Liam smirked, stepping forward and placing a hand on David's arm, his touch casual yet possessive. "Besides," he added, his voice light but laced with amusement, "David has other priorities right now."
David arched a brow at him, but Liam only grinned before turning back to the two men, waving them off toward their designated sleeping area. "Get some sleep, boys. You'll need it."
Daniel and Caleb exchanged glances, clearly realizing they had no say in the matter. Without another word, they stood and made their way to their cabin.
The moment the door clicked shut, David exhaled, rolling his shoulders. "Finally."
Liam hummed, slipping his arms around David's waist from behind, pressing against him like a cat seeking warmth. "You sure you don't want to play with them a little more?" he murmured against David's shoulder.
David turned in his grip, tilting Liam's chin up with a finger. "I have better things to play with."
Liam's grin was positively sinful.