Where Is My Mind (Larry/Ziam AU)

11.

Chapter 11

Niall cares about Jamie. He cares a lot. It is more than he should, and more than what feelings are returned; he knows that. Still, Jamie is Niall’s best friend - whatever else is or isn’t between them - and he is worried. He understands the Jamie wants to meet the flirty, fascinating stranger he has been talking to online, but he also understands the potential danger and risks that Jamie is facing. He has tried to point these out to his friend, but every time the conversation begins to get serious, Jamie brushes it aside or turns it around. Niall is well aware that he has to be careful not to upset Jamie, or he knows that his friend will disappear for a while, so he tries his best to keep him happy and unfortunately, that means he hasn’t been able to successfully open his eyes to that scare factor that should accompany his meeting of this ‘Louis’ guy.

Niall knocks on the door of the familiar house and crosses his fingers inside his pocket, hoping that it won’t be his friend who opens the door, but his sister or his mother. It’s Gemma’s familiar face that Niall is greeted with when the heavy door swings open in front of him. Her smile is genuine as she steps aside and points towards the stairs.

“He’s in his room.”

“I’m here to see you and Anne, actually.” Niall shuffles his feet awkwardly.

It is not as if Niall doesn’t consider Gemma to be his friend as well, so noticing this behaviour makes her nervous. It is clear Niall is here for a reason, and judging by his discomfort, Gemma has reason to be worried.

“Mum’s in the kitchen,” she tells Niall.

The Irishman nods and walks through to the familiar kitchen where Anne is slaving away over what smells like pumpkin soup. Niall’s stomach growls a little too loudly, and Anne turns to smile at him with a knowing look.

“Niall, honey! How are you, and where’s your better half?” Anne’s gaze scans the room for her son, expecting him to be accompanying  his friend.

“He doesn’t know I’m here, I was hoping I could have a word with you?”

Anne turns the gas down on the stove and steps away from the meal she is making. Gemma walks past Niall and settles herself on one of the stools by the breakfast bar. Anne leans on the bench across from her daughter, so when Niall takes the seat beside Gemma, he is facing them both.

Niall doesn’t really know where to begin. He feels guilty for going behind his friend’s back like this, but he knows he has no choice. He needs to make sure that Jamie is safe, and if that means betraying his trust a little, then so be it. Better safe than sorry, right? He twists his pale hands together then launches into his story from the beginning. Niall tells Anne and Gemma about Jamie writing online, and he tells them about him talking to one of his readers. He tells them about Jamie beginning to fall for an idea instead of a person, and most importantly, he tells them that Jamie is planning to meet Louis in two days.

There is silence as Anna and Gemma take this in, both unsure of how they should respond. Do they interfere? Or do they let Jamie do as he pleases? There is one thing that bothers Anne more than anything else she has just heard.

“Does this Louis person know about Harry?” Anne asks nervously, her voice almost breaking.

Niall shakes his head, “Jamie doesn’t even speak to me about Harry. It’s almost as if he’s dead.”

~

Liam is lying backward on his bed. His feet are propped up on the pillows that usually support his head, and his body is stretched out so that his head hangs over the end that his feet usually do. Liam’s eyes are following a very distressed Zayn as he walks in the same circles around the room.