Six Months Ago
April 1st, 6048
"T-they're not going to be mad?"
"My husband signed you too," Zayn retorts pulling into the driveway, Niall's breath hitching as he sees the mansion he'd be living in with his lover's husband and their submissive Zayn rarely said a good thing about.
"R-right," Niall whispers attempting to still his breathing, he digs his nails into his palms willing the car to slow yet wincing when it does. It meant he'd have to be leaving the safety of the leather interior, Niall shakily glanced at the man in the driver's seat, "R-ready?"
"As ever," Zayn muses pressing his lips to Niall's with a hum, "Harry will love you," the skip nods chewing his bottom lip, "A-and Lucas?"
"Liam," Zayn corrects, "What he thinks doesn't matter to me," he admits with an eye roll before opening the door.
Niall's dream of going home with Zayn, their hookups lasting longer than an hour and always in a foreign bed or place, didn't involve his husband or Liam - yet his reality apparently did. He bites back another fear of being unwelcomed, Zayn turning down the idea as if incredulous for Niall to even think it.
Grabbing his duffle bag from the backseat, Niall trails the man up the front stairs seeing the warm lights to what looked like a dining room, he sees the back of a man sitting at the head of a table speaking to someone in front of him.
Zayn opens the door, Jazz music muting the sound of Niall's exasperated breathing, he feels as if concrete had attached itself to his ankles as he pushes forward following the man to a larger opening that led to the dining room Niall had peaked into from outside.
His view looking in reminded him that he was the stranger here, and his tie to Zayn felt meaningless seeing two new sets of eyes peering at him wordlessly.
"Harry, Liam, this is Niall."
Harry, the tall one stands first, he had been speaking to Liam his tone sounded almost scoldingly, yet all traces of his anger vanished as he plastered a smile in tune with the music, "Hello Niall,"
The way a lion would watch its prey drink its last sip of water before pouncing is the only way Niall could describe the venomous way the man's jade sneer turned toward Liam his finger lifting commanding the boy to stand, "Say hello," he growls, Liam blurting out the word without missing a beat before resigning himself to silence.
Another Jazz tune begins, this time faster in tempo, Niall feels himself sway on his feet as he bids his own greeting to the pair, "H-Hello,"
"You're from Zayn's work?" Harry assumes gesturing to the open chair, Niall's throat goes dry at the question, he's unable to formulate an answer as he coughs propelling himself to the seat, Zayn clears his throat, "He is our new skip, Harry," he announces, the invitation to sit being revoked as the taller master laughs moving from his seat closer to Niall, "Oh is he?" he presses on with smirk, Niall feels sweat bead in his hairline unsure if this was his way of teasing.
Forcing himself to swallow, Niall wanted the ground below to give when the master chuckled again glancing at the submissive in the room, "Liam, fetch a bottle of wine for our guest," he stresses the last word locking eyes with Zayn, a terrifying glare on his sharp features, the music increasing in speed as he steps toward him an accusing finger stretched out, "You know I loathe surprises,"
The not-so-well-hidden threat in his tone brings a gulp from Niall that backs away from the pair's intensity, Zayn barks out a laugh taking his husband's hands in his own forcing him to dance with him, "And I loathe jazz," Harry lifts an eyebrow, "Liam picked it,"
"I doubt that." Zayn calls his bluff, "He doesn't pick his drink for meals and you expect me to believe he had a say in the music this evening? I know the sound of your playlist when I hear it,"
Harry smirks twirling in his husband's hold before pulling him close taking the upper hand in their sway, his lips touch Zayn's ear, "You could say I was influenced, submission makes a man do-"
"Things," Zayn finishes, "Niall's an educated skip, he's fully capable of submitting," leading his husband to his chair he kisses his hair, "Then the question becomes will or skill," Harry mutters taunting the skip with hungry eyes, Zayn retreats to Niall's side directing him to the chair across from Liam, "I hope you're hungry,"
The music's abrupt halt stills the room, Niall glances at Harry offering him a smile, the dominant looks beyond him to his husband with a sullen glare.
The skip hadn't thought to question Zayn further on a timeline for the impending divorce, yet now he sits wishing he had. He didn't know if he could survive another pre-dinner dance show that only highlighted how much the two dominants hated each other.
Liam returns timidly with a bottle of wine outstretched in his hands, delivering it to Harry the boy stands at his side waiting to be dismissed, "Liam?" Harry's tone has softened immensely from his snarls at Zayn, "What do you think I can open this bottle with?" Niall's look flattens as he realizes the sweetness was truly masked condescension, the submissive looks truly gutted he hadn't thought that far ahead, he relays a small apology before offering to retrieve one.
"No," Harry mutters handing Liam the bottle, "I want you to find a way to open it," seeing the submissive begin to explain he couldn't, Harry lifts a hand pointing to the corner of the room, "You don't think," he sneers his tone lowering once more, Niall feeling as if he has whiplash from the man's mood in the mere twenty minutes of meeting him.
"Corner, now," he orders adjusting his posture, he grabs the napkin from his plate unfolding it on his lap, his eyes directing Liam to the corner where the submissive stands fidgeting with the bottle of wine his small sniffles heard as he struggles removing the wax from the neck.
Jack enters with dinner, he sets the table leaving Liam's plate empty, setting a corkscrew on the table before exiting back to the kitchen.
"Have you had any priors, Niall?" Harry asks cutting into his chicken, Niall flinches at the question almost dropping his fork, "N-No, no none,"
"No Master," Harry corrects winking at him, he brings a piece of chicken to his lips glancing at Zayn, "Sir is also acceptable," the dominant remarks, Harry raises an eyebrow, "If that's the case, so is Owner,"
The word falls so delicately from Harry's mouth that Niall wants to crumple and ask to be revoked, he feels Zayn failed royally when setting his expectation of his husband. It dawns on Niall the gigantic red flag he glossed over that Zayn didn't mention he had a husband until month two of their hookups.
At least the two were getting a divorce, Niall had that to cling to, he thought.
"I'll let you be the good guy tonight," Harry mumbles sliding Zayn the bottle opener across the table, Zayn takes it clearing his throat, "Liam James, come here, now."
Without hesitation Liam bolts from the corner his shirt stained with his tears, cheeks rosy, fingers red from ripping at the wax and trying to push the cork in, to no avail, "Next time we ask for wine what will you do?"
"B-bring a-a o-opener," he manages through his tears, Harry stands from his chair crossing over toward the pair, he wraps his arms around the boy shushing him, "It's been a hard day for you," his forest eyes glaze Niall with a teasing glare, "Punished at lunch and dinner, rough stuff," he mocks stroking his boys back, "Neil, would you like some wine?"
Niall felt heat rise in his cheeks at the blatant disregard for his name, he knew his name wasn't Neil and the asshole felt bold enough to say it as if it was, "I'd love some," Niall returned offering his glass, two could certainly play at this game, "Owner," he adds meeting the challenge that stood with lengthy arms wrapped around his submissive.
It was on the first night of Niall's adoption that the line was drawn in the sand, pressed in for good when Harry chuckled darkly grabbing the wine from Zayn and pouring the skip a glass full, "We don't waste in this house, and I'm not feeling wine tonight,"
Niall's eyes widen as he brings the glass to his lips, he could easily handle a glass or two, but a bottle was a stretch.
"I'll have some," Zayn remarks lifting his glass, Niall smiles at the man coming to his defense, Harry hums topping Niall's glass off after he sips it, "Liam go fetch Master Zayn some wine,"
Niall finished the first glass extending it to be refilled with a smile, "Thank you, Owner," If Harry thought he could out-bitch him, he had another thing coming, Zayn even tried stepping in, "Enough H, we don't let Liam drink-"
"Liam is a submissive, they don't get to drink," Harry fills the glass once more to the brim, "Bottoms up," he cheers.
In Liam's absence, Niall finishes three glasses struggling to bring it to Harry for a final pour, by the time he does, the boy is back with another bottle of wine, he sets it on the table in front of Harry with a silver corkscrew next to it along with a wine stopper.
The master stifles a laugh, "My good boy," he coos getting Liam in his seat and fixing his plate, "After we eat it's headline time," he brings his knuckles toward his mouth leaning on them, "I assume a trip to the Society office is needed tomorrow, to finalize the paperwork?"
Zayn nods, "Planned all my meetings around it," he assures, Harry nods watching his submissive eat, "I'm glad you've got it all figured out," Harry wanted to fight more, truthfully this was the best he's felt in weeks, yet once the high is ripped away he sees that reality is his husband brought home the skip Harry's had the fear he'd been fucking for months.
His gut instinct was right, Zayn had an affair.
"W-While we're there w-we can update our-our prenup," Zayn stiffens in the chair, Niall sobering up at the words with a dreary look to the man, "Why would we?"
Harry chuckles weakly gesturing to Niall with an eye roll, "C'mon, really? I don't know Zee, I-I just think we need to look over a few things, make sure our marriage is still intact, 'ya know?"
Zayn clears his throat, "Our marriage is fine, but I'd be happy to look over the prenup with you tomorrow." he pours himself a glass of wine, "How does 1 O'clock sound?"
"I'll be there,"
Niall felt the wine mixing in his stomach, he groans racing a hand to cover his mouth before he knew it the sickness had shot up his throat he was spewing the bits he had of dinner mixed with the half gallon of wine he drank onto the table and rug below.
All he could think about was Zayn's words, "Our Marriage is fine," suddenly it occurred to Niall the pair weren't getting a divorce anytime soon and he had to learn to live with Harry Malik as his owner.
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