Reason To Be (A Zouis Family AU)

Part Four, Chapter Nine

So he nods. "Yeah. Yeah, um - do you have your phone?" He asks, and Niall reaches over to the pile of waterlogged clothes that he had gotten changed out of earlier, reaching into the pocket of the trousers and fishing out the device.

Miraculously, the thing still works despite any water damage, and Harry takes a small breath when he sees how worried his brother looks at the prospect of being the one to make the call.

He reaches out with slightly shaking hands, smiling reassuringly at his little brother. "I'll do it," he says softly, and Niall looks beyond relieved.

Harry turns to Leila who is still watching him with kind eyes, lips pressed together as her gaze runs over the bruised side of his face and the split lip. "If the police get here while I'm on the phone, will - will you talk to them?" He asks, and she nods immediately, standing up.

"Yeah, of course. I'll tell them to check in with you tomorrow if they can...you should go home and try and get some rest tonight. You look exhausted," she says softly.

He manages a thankful smile at his friend, regretting all the times he had shut her down when she had been trying to help. He wishes he had seen it sooner. Wishes he could have stopped it from reaching this point.

"Thank you," he murmurs, and she just nods slightly, slowly stepping out of the room and leaving the door ajar behind her.

Niall looks at him then, the two of them sitting on the floor still. The fifteen year old chews his lip anxiously. "Um - tell - tell them about you first. I can wait - I don't need to talk to them yet."

He frowns at that. "Ni," he sighs, but his brothers eyes are pleading so he lets out a huff. "Fine. But tonight or tomorrow at the latest, we need to talk to them about what's been going on with you," he tells him in a soft yet stern tone, eyes dropping down to the sleeves covering his little brother's damaged arms with his stomach twisting before he looks up again to see the boy looking ready to argue. "I mean it. They need to know. They'll just want to help, Ni. You haven't done anything wrong," he murmurs - even though he knows harming yourself isn't right; it isn't exactly his brothers fault.

Niall doesn't look convinced but he gives a short nod, looking down at the phone in Harry's hand instead. Harry looks down at it too, taking a heavy breath before he decides to just get it over with, dismissing all the missed calls and messages meant for his brother and pulling up their Dad's contact. He presses the button and barely has to wait half a second before the call is connected.

"Ni? Where the hell are you -" the man immediately stars, and Harry winces, holding the phone away from his ear a little at the volume.

"Dad, it's me," he says quickly, before the shouting can continue.

"Harry?" He sounds confused. "Is Niall with you!? He disappeared this morning, he hasn't been answering our calls and after what you spoke to your Papa about last week, we've been thinking of all sorts of terrible things. We've got the police ready to search if he isn't home in the next few hours -"

Before their father can work himself up any further, Harry cuts in to end his suffering, looking across at Niall, who seems to be able to hear the conversation because his expression is filled with guilt. He reaches out to give the smaller boys hand a squeeze over the top of the hoodie sleeve, keeping his grip there loosely afterwards.

"He's here, Dad, he's with me," he tells him.

The man lets out an audible breath of relief at that. "He is? Is - is he okay? Are you okay?" He presses.

Harry swallows. "Well, uh, he's physically okay. There's - there's some stuff he needs to really talk to you about but - but he's okay for right now. Can you - can you maybe come here? To the apartment?"