"It Just Hurts"|| z.m

[8]

8- Liam
Chapter dedication: @ninjaterran

Liam had never thought everything would come crashing down at him like this. He had not expected any of this to happen, and to say he was in shock would be an understatement. So there he was, sitting on the cold steps in front of his best friend's house, who had been kidnapped. Kidnapped, wow, such a strong word. A word he'd heard plenty of times in movies, books, and series. Never in real life had it ever occurred to him what kidnapping exactly was. It wasn't just a human getting captured by another human. It was an ordinary person, without superpowers, getting captured by a mean, violent, and criminal person who had attempted to murder him before. As Liam went through the situation in his head, his heart began to feel heavier every second. It didn't help the fact that he had been staring at a phone screen for what felt like an hour. Zayn's hazel eyes, that he'd seen shine, sparkle, and glint with happiness, were now occupied with fear, anger and confusion. Desperate confusion. Liam's heart ached to be with him, to tell him it would be okay. They would find him, get him back..safely.
Liam heard the door open and close behind him. Footsteps were heard, and soon someone joined him in sitting down on the stony steps of the Malik house.

Liam looked one last time at the picture on the screen of his phone before shutting it, pocketing the device. He turned to look at the person, who apparently was Harry. "You alright?" The younger lad asked, his eyebrows scrunched together as his eyes took in Liam's tired state. If Liam was being completely honest, he hadn't slept much at all, about three hours in total. He just felt guilty for sleeping in a nice, warm bed when Zayn was sitting on a cold ground somewhere, his hands cuffed together. The thought brought both anger and anxiousness to him and he took a deep breath. "Yeah, I'm fine."
"Shitty things only seem to happen with Zayn, huh?" Harry said. He had probably tried to be funny, but Liam could hear the edge in his voice.
"Y-yeah." Liam stuttered, caught off guard. It was true though. These past two years had been a mixture of happiness and tragedy.
Harry's expression softened. "You haven't slept at all, go-"
Liam shook his head and cut him off. "I can't, I'm not that tired. What's Louis doing?"
Harry sighed at his stubbornness before answering. "He's asleep." The Cheshire lad eyed Liam. "Something you should catch up on too."

"You don't get it." Liam sighed exhasperately. "I can't, I won't be able to sleep. Especially, knowing he's out there somewhere..." Liam swallowed.
"Liam-"
"I feel like it's my fault." he continued quietly. "I was talking to him that day, I could have told him, warned him."
"You didn't know what would happen." Harry said sternly.
"Even so, I could have at least done something. Now, now he's all alone in some shitty place with that fucking captain Tom who's been an asshole from the start." Liam ran a hand through his hair, feeling himself getting agitated. "I could have done something.
Anything." He bit his lip, swallowing the lump in his throat. Before he knew it, he'd been pulled in a hug by Harry, the younger lad's arms wrapping themselves around him. "It's not your fault." Harry whispered by his ear. "You couldn't do anything, don't you dare blame yourself."
Liam took a shaky breath. "But I could've, Harry. There must have been something I could do, I can't sit here and wait for the police to find clues and shit. Zayn needs us, and we're not there for him."

Harry swallowed audibly. "I know."
Just those two words were enough to be said. Behind those words, Liam could hear, Harry's frustration and fear mixed into one. "We won't let anything happen to him, this time the captain will go to jail." Harry spoke slowly, his tone as fierce as his words. Liam nodded curtly, trying swallow his worry. He wrapped his arms around Harry, thankful for the younger lad's reassurance. They had to be strong, smart, and keep their heads clear. For Zayn.

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"I don't want to go to school!" Safaa shouted, crossing her arms. Trisha sighed, rubbing her tired eyes. She hadn't slept much either, sitting by the fire silently. Now that it was time for school, she had stood up to fulfill her job as a mother.
"Darling, come on. Zayn...Zayn will be back soon, we'll find him." Trisha assured her, her voice a bit thick.
Waliyha bit her lip, rubbing Safaa's back. She leaned in and whispered something to her which made her slump her shoulders and sigh. "Okay, fine."
Trisha let out a breath of relief, plopping down in her armchair. She ran a hand down her face, her lips pressed in tight line. Doniya kissed her on the cheek goodbye and squeezed her hand before leaving the house. "Do you want tea?" Harry asked her softly, stirring a spoon through the cups. Trisha nodded, wiping the moisture that had gathered in her eyes.
Liam fiddled with his thumbs nervously, bouncing his legs. Louis was sitting beside him, his eyes closed, his breathing even. Harry handed Trisha her tea and she accepted it gratefully, her fingers wrapping around the cup.

The three of them were silent for some time, the fire cackling and their sips being the only sounds heard. About an hour later, Harry stood up, running a hand through his hair. "I'm going to get some fresh air." he said quietly. Liam wanted to follow him, but he didn't want to leave Trisha alone either. Suddenly, as Harry was about to leave the room, there was a knock on the door. Harry went to open it and Liam sucked in a breath when he heard the door open. "Hey Harry!" Niall's cheerful voice rang. Louis' eyes fluttered open and he frowned. "Niall?"
Liam nodded. "Did you tell him?"
Louis' eyes widened and he shook his head. "No?"
Niall walked in with the biggest grin on his face, and Liam's heart dropped. Someone would have to break it to him, and he didn't want to be that someone. He didn't want to see that grin drop, but it was inevitable.

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I was going to post this yesterday, but stupid school. Field trip already. Five hours. Broken legs and aching feet. 😕
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Chapter dedicated to ninjaterran for her comments!

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