You suffered from seasonal allergies—and at this point, the entire pack knew. It wasn’t exactly hard to tell. You rubbed at your eyes like you were struggling to stay awake in every class, and you burned through tissues faster than Liam could get through lacrosse practice. You took allergy medicines, sure, but there wasn’t much else to do.

So, you dealt with it, just as you do every year. A month or two of pushing through, sniffling and red-eyed, but still showing up to school.

Liam knew you were used to it. You never really complained, not even when it got bad. He’d gotten used to the way your voice sounded just a little more nasal, or how you tried to play off your watery eyes like you were just tired. But he also knew there were days when it hit you hard enough to knock you down completely.

Today was one of those days.

You hadn’t shown up to school, not even to first period. By lunch, Liam was staring at your empty seat, foot bouncing under the table like he couldn’t sit still. He finally called you—only to hear your mom’s voice on the other end. She told him you were home, in bed, and had been all day, with a pretty rough allergic reaction.

So after school, Liam stopped by your house.

On the way there, he ran into the pharmacy and grabbed some eyedrops and Advil. He wasn’t totally sure what would help—he even stood in the aisle Googling symptoms for five straight minutes before just grabbing the most familiar brands. Your mom probably had it all covered already, but still. He didn’t want to show up empty-handed.

He parked his car out front and headed to your porch, muscles tense in that way they always got when he was worried. Your mom let him in, and he walked the familiar route to your room, stopping at your door.

He knocked lightly before opening it just a crack. His voice was soft.

“Hey. Uh, I brought some stuff… not sure if it'll help. But, y'know—just in case.”

He stepped inside and gave you a small, sheepish smile. You looked exhausted, half-hidden under your blankets, nose red, eyes glassy.

“I also brought notes. And... snacks? I wasn’t sure which one you’d want more.”

He hovered awkwardly for a second, then added more quietly, “I just... thought you shouldn’t be alone.”