Reason To Be (A Zouis Family AU)

Part Four, Chapter Ten

Zayn feels his stomach churn. He'd quickly pieced together that it had been Brad to do this, and he hates that they hadn't figured it out themselves much sooner. Brad always came across as a little cold, standoffish, never really a part of their family in the way Emily had always been. But Harry seemed so in love with him that he had never wanted to think badly of his boyfriend.

Now he knows for a fact that that love Harry has been giving was a result of manipulation. Their son has been being abused and he knows that the bruises they can see are only the surface. Inside, mentally, the verbal and emotional abuse? That would take far longer to heal than the physical wounds.

And God, if that doesn't make him want to hurt Brad in a way that he has never wanted to hurt anybody before.

He shakes his head, fingers squeezing his husbands hand gently. "Abusers don't care about that. It's - it's what draws them to their victims. You know that," he says quietly, heart clenching at the memories behind the words. Louis has never hidden from him the relationship he'd had before they met when he was just a kid. The manipulation he'd faced, the way that a person who had claimed to love him had stripped him of any confidence he'd had to begin with. It had taken years for him to overcome, and there have been times throughout their marriage and the growth of their family where remnants of his treatment have been clear. The constant self-blaming whenever something goes wrong, the uncertainty when he doesn't have control, the panic and the jumping to conclusions the moment Zayn doesn't return home one night (and Zayn isn't sure he'll ever forgive himself for his actions that one summer all that time ago).

The man lets out a shuddering breath at that, nodding. "Yeah," he whispers, chin dipping down towards his chest, eyes damp. "And it isn't something I ever wanted any of my kids to have to go through. I should've seen the signs."

Zayn shakes his head at that, reaching across with his other hand to cup his husband's jaw, turning his head gently and lifting his chin until their eyes meet, honey meshing into aqua. "Lou, no. You're not blaming yourself for this. I should've seen the signs too in that case, I'm his parent too," he states, leaning forward to press a gentle kiss to his lips, pulling away but keeping their gazes together. "This is not your fault. It isn't mine either, and it certainly isn't Harry's. This, this is all down to that asshole Brad, and I swear if ever I lay eyes on that son of a bitch again, I'll tear him limb by limb," he says, anger slipping into the quiet words.

Louis gaze matches his emotion as he gives a single, firm nod. "You know I feel the same. God, I hate that monster. How could he lay a hand on our boy? Harry doesn't deserve that," he repeats, and Zayn sighs.

"Nobody ever does. You didn't either. I'm angry too, so angry - but we can't let that dictate what we do. You know Harry hates it when we get mad. And right now, it's all about doing what's best for him," he murmurs, because if they've failed him by not noticing sooner then blaming themselves won't fix it. Helping their son get through this will.

Lips are pressed to his again, the gentlest brush of warmth against his mouth before they pull away - and somehow, it means more than any touch ever does.

"We'll talk to him in the morning," he murmurs, glancing at the clock and wincing. It's gone one AM already. "Or in a few hours, I should say," he corrects.

Louis nods slightly in agreement. "Yeah. The police are supposed to be in touch. I'm hoping that'll be tomorrow too, get his statement written as soon as possible," he says. Then he pauses and slumps slightly. "I don't think he'll serve much time, if any. The justice system is a mess when it comes to things like this."

Zayn sighs. Louis knows that personally, and somehow, that system hasn't changed after all this time.

"As long as we focus on Haz for now, the rest will come in due time," he murmurs, the words mainly put out there to soothe himself as well as the other man.