V

Chapter 2

Given the pile of objects on the floor next to the barren desktop behind Niall and the current distressed state of Harry's clothing, Louis is less than enthused about voluntarily approaching him. He pushes away from the wall to stand straight anyway. He has to do it. Secrets get you killed, but messengers didn't get their fair chances either. He rolls the dice and catches Harry's wild eyes.

"Gotta speak with you."

Harry flicks his eyes away to fix the button of his low cut shirt. "Not now."

Harry continues to straighten his clothes until they're back in their usual impeccable shape.

Louis puts force behind his voice. "Harry."

The man brushes past, Liam in his steps. Louis grinds his teeth while watching them go.

A chuckle comes from the office where Niall's bent down to retrieve an intact crystal glass. He places it on the empty desk while going round to snatch a bottle from one of the drawers. He pours as he speaks.

"Sorry to be the one to tell you, but there's more important things than cock sucking." He shoots Louis a stupid smile.

"Piss off."

Louis shrugs off to the showers. Niall's words make his gums itch. Maybe because Louis' started questioning their friendship. Maybe because, although being judged about his lifestyle isn't exactly new, he's never felt degraded when talking to him. Possibly he's over sensitive because Harry's brush off stings, but that can't be it because he doesn't give a damn what Harry does.

But he does, this tiny needle of a thought reminds him. It's completely absurd due to the decent part of Louis that's utterly repulsed by the man. And yet, part of him still wants to feel the weight of those eyes and know he's got their full attention. For them to sweep past like he was nothing more than a part of the decor was infuriating.

Frustration builds as he rushes through his post-shift ritual, not bothering to dry off before shoving his clothes on.

"Looking a little tense, Louis." Shawn calls as he swaggers in and comes to lean against the locker next to him. "Blonde gave me something might take the edge off," he taps a small ziplocked bag.

"Get that shit out of my face," Louis snarls and yanks everything from his locker onto the floor. He can't believe Shawn would dare bring something in here when Niall was known to throw fists if he suspected someone was using anywhere near the place.

Shawn chuckles and tucks it away, "Okay, okay. You at least wanna go for a smoke before heading out?"

Louis pauses long enough to whip a crumpled pack from the mess of his belongings at Shawn's head.

"All right, jeez. Hey," he pouts down at the crumpled cardboard, "it's empty."

"Get your own fucking smokes then."

Shawn raises his hands innocently and Louis' had about enough of him, enough of everybody, so it's a blessing when he glances back and sees the kid smartly vanished. Louis throws everything in his bag, jerks around in a hasty check nothing's left in a corner of some change room or stuck under a seat, and jams damp feet into his shoes when he can't find any bloody socks.

He blows through the back exit. A short walk across the way he's got his car parked in an employee slot. The tail lights flash in greeting as he uses the fob in his pocket, the one not holding his phone. Fuck Harry for being a bastard, fuck Niall and his fucking smarmy smile, fuck Liam because fuck everybody, that's why. A growl of annoyance escapes as he shrugs off his bag and reaches for the car door.

His hand never reaches the handle.

Weight comes down on his shoulders and drags him down with a shove like a trainwreck. The side of his face slams into the unforgiving pavement when his hands are too slow to catch him. The world spins. There's no time to react before a heavy boot gets him in the ribs, knocking his breath and any hope of yelling for help out of him. Louis's palms scrabble frantically in blind effort to get himself out of reach, but his assailant grabs him by the wet strands of his hair and drags him in. He's too focussed on trying to twist out of the iron hold to see one of the boots his chest had been acquainted with earlier come down on his leg. With a crack it crushes his ankle.