Charlie's POV
We stand there, feet apart as the crowd screams for our fight to begin. I shake my head at my mother, incredibly standing in front of me.
"Mom." I say again, this time coming out only as a breath.
Suddenly, she charges at me and her eyes are wide. I am too shocked to react as she pulls me to the ground and wraps her hands around my neck.
"We have...to look...like..we're fighting." She says in staggered breaths so no one can see we are fighting. Her grip on my neck is tight but not too tight and I almost want to smile at my mother and her dear cleverness.
Though we both know someone must lose.
I swing her over and grunt loudly as my foot hits the beam, actually resulting in pain. My mom pulls at my hair and scratches but if this was a real match, it wouldn't be a question who would win.
"You have to get out of here." My mom whispers as she swings me around and flips my body onto the floor.
"Not without you." I breathe and she shakes her head. People are watching us like animals; it's sickening. The feeling of uttermost repulse has returned. But this time I am caged in.
"When they take me you run. Some don't care if you win, they will still touch you." My mom gulps as I roll on top of her.
"No." I whimper, my eyes streaming. She can't lose.
"Come back for me." she nods at me as she prepares herself for my punch, one that is supposed to "end" it so she will lose.
But I won't.
Instead I remove myself from atop of her and stand up. I look at the lights of the ceiling and don't dare squint my eyes. I wait until I see her, coming out of the glowing light like she used to.
Ellie, of course.
She stares at me and I stare at her, or my figment of imagination. Regardless, I stare at her until the memories float back into my head. Then I let it happen. I fall backwards hitting the floor of the ring, out of consciousness.
The last thing I hear is the announcement of my mother winning.
~
Harry's POV
She falls gracefully, almost as if she was imagining falling back into a mystical ocean. Something like that. She hits the ground with a thud and it sends a shiver up my spine. I keep pushing and pushing through the crowds of people but I just can't reach her. They are dragging her off so I turn to my left and head to the room. I rush past the men already in line and cut someone at the front.
"What the fuck man?" someone shoves behind me and I crack my neck, turning around.
My eyes float to the body they carry next to me, passing the line and setting her down in the bed of the room. I want to throw up.
"Get in the back of the line." Some liquor smelling asshole breathes into my mouth.
"I don't think so." I laugh. I am quick enough to block his punch because it was so damn predictable. I twist his knuckles in my hand until I can feel his bones cracking beneath my hand. The guy is screaming so I finally let go and look past him to the other in line.
"Anyone else?" I hiss, anger is pulsing through me. I turn around after silent responses and rub my knuckles. "Pricks." I whisper.
I look past the curtain and try to see Charlie, if maybe she had awakened, but I can't see anything. I almost want to barge in there to make sure the guards aren't doing anything but I have to stay here. I need to do this.
"First." Someone calls and steps out of the room. I nod and walk past him to see Charlie chained to the bed. To think I have seen this sight...too many times before. I would enter with a sly smile on my face and the girl would smile back at me, not moved by the fact that they were practically chained. Bile rises in my throat as I see Charlie lying there looking so lifeless.
"You have five minutes." The guard calls and shuts the curtain. I look around the room in a panic. Charlie is still not awake. Quickly I dive for a hanger and rip it into two. I take the sharp side and run over to Charlie, sawing at her handcuff. Her eyes flutter but I keep trying to break the metal, fully aware of the little time I have.
"Harry." She looks up at me scared. I give her a dimpled smile and keep doing what I am doing. She doesn't question me, instead she urges me to go faster because she knows. She just knows.
One handcuff flies across the room and Charlie bites her lip. I begin at the other one and go faster this time.
"Harry, you came." She sobs and I nod.
"I am so sorry." She continues. Really Charlie? Now?
"Charlie." I hush her and she looks up at me.
"I need you to moan." I whisper and her eyes widen.
"If we don't make noises, they'll come in to check what is up. I have seen it happen. Moan, now." I say harshly, not intentionally. She doesn't hesitate and lets out a breathless moan, stiffening my whole body at the sound of it.
"Scream my name." I groan, partly acting and partly desperately wanting her to scream my name. Fuck. She laughs and covers her mouth. I am panting just at the back and forth movement of this hanger thing, trying desperately to get the handcuff off.
"Almost." She whispers down to me, looking at the handcuff.
Charlie's POV
"Off!" Harry says, but the curtain swings open. Harry turns to me quickly, pushing me off the bed.
"Run! Run out the side door and into to town! Do not stop!" he yells as a guard pulls him off the bed and lands a deck right into his eye.
I stay frozen at the other side of the room. Harry keeps yelling to run but I can't move. Suddenly, the guard drops Harry to the floor, his nose bleeding and stomps over to me. It is a living-breathing hulk in front of me.
"Come here, sweetheart." He puts his hand out. Quickly I pick up half of the hanger on the ground and stab it through his hand. I watch it penetrate through his skin as the blood streams out and Harry pulls him back, now standing again. He throws him on the wall and looks at me.
I begin to run, swinging the door open. Harry runs behind me because his boots make the familiar clatter sound. Harry never once looks at me as we run to his car.
"Drive." I scream as he reverses out of his spot on the sidewalk and speeds past the alleyway. I am breathing so hard that I can't even speak.
"Are you okay?"
I nod and close my eyes.
"For a second I thought I lost you." He whispers and I observe his facial expression: dense along with a bloody nose.
"No." I say but only because I am unaware how to respond to it.
"If I hadn't made it in time..." Harry begins but I just shake my head.
"I know." I mumble into my hands. The rest of the ride, I cry.
I don't complain when we show up at Harry's loft instead of him dropping me off at campus. Harry opens the door for me and I step out, my legs shaking.
"Do you want me to carry you?" he whispers but I shake my head. When I first saw him in that room, I thought... I thought so many things. Bad things.
"Here." He hands me his leather jacket. I look down to my bra and realize that I had been like this in front of him this whole time. Slipping on the jacket quickly, I pray that my mom is all right.
I walk straight into his loft and sit down on the couch, trying to control my breathing. He hands his coat on the pole by the door and sits next to me.
"There is no escaping this, is there?" I turn to him. He looks at me so innocently, besides his inked arm and frowns.
"That's not true. I will get your Mom for you, then you can go home and forget about this, about me." he swallows.
"That's not the end though. They took my mom from our home. I don't know what my family ever did but they'll come back for us." I choke out, before more tears fall.
"Then I'll save you."
"You aren't Captain America, Harry." I cry into my hands, afraid to let him see me. He moves a strand of hair and tucks it behind my ear.
"But I am Captain Britain." He says and I immediately laugh.
"You are terrible at jokes." I smile, wiping my cheek.
"Hey you set me up for it so you re easily at fault." He smirks and I roll my eyes.
"Harry?" I say. His eyebrows rise.
"Is there something you know, that you aren't telling me?" I ask and I don't know why I even ask but it slips out with permission anyway.
"Harry?" I ask again as he stares out into space.
"No, Charlotte, nothing." He grunts, standing up and walking into the kitchen.
"I won't stay." I whisper and his footsteps stop.
"You want to go out there? Where Louis is probably waiting outside your dorm room? Go the fuck ahead." He hisses. Great, he's angry.
"Why are you so bipolar?" I throw my hands up, turning to face him.
"Because I just fucking saved you and you immediately accuse me of hiding something! My whole face aches and all you want is answers. I don't have any fucking answers."
I stand up from the couch and walk to him carefully. His nostrils are flared as he leans his head against the cabinet.
"I wasn't accusing you..."
"Just shut up." He groans and I do. I take a step back from him and walk over to the freezer, pulling out a pack of frozen peas. Harry looks up at me and shakes his head.
"It will help." I say wrapping it in a cloth and lifting it up to his eye.
"Fuck no." he grabs the pack of peas as to pull it away from me, but I pull it back.
"Just let me do this for you, then I will be out of your hair, okay?" I ask and attach the pack to his eye.
"Fuck." He groans and I bite my lip, smiling a bit. Stop that, don't smile!
"Does it feel a bit better?" I employ.
"A bit." He huffs like an old man.
"Why are you smiling at me?" he frowns and I giggle.
"You look like a pouting little boy." I laugh and wrinkles crease in his forehead. He stays silent for a minute and stares at me.
Then, in one swift movement he yanks the peas from my hand and throws them across the kitchen. His hand finds my waist as he swings me around and pushes me against the cabinet.
"I'll show you a little boy." He breathes into my skin and I look up to him to meet his eyes. They aren't entirely green like always, some of his pupil has grown but instead of hesitating I nod.
I jump up to his wasit wrapping my legs around waist as he carries, his lips sucking slowly at my neck. A moan escapes my mouth and Harry pauses.
"What?" I breathe, looking down at him. His hands tighten on my ass and both his dimples are glowing.
"I was waiting for that moan." He smirks. I roll my eyes and point towards the bathroom. He looks at me confused but walks there anyway. We get inside and I shut the door with my foot, Harry laughing at my attempt to do anything when he is carrying me.
"What are we doing?"
"Showering. You stink." I smile and slowly I see the shift in his eyes. Before he can protest I unzip his jacket from my body and let it fall to the ground. Harry's eyes don't drop until I unclasp my bra. Slowly his eyes travel from my belly up and then to my eyes.
"You don't have to do this." He whispers.
"What? We aren't doing anything. We're showering." I say and he nods. He practically rips off his white tee and I can't help but stare at his contracting muscles.
"You're drooling." He smiles and I shake my head, turning around. I slip down my jeans and then my underwear, facing the shower. I can hear Harry breathing behind me but I step into the shower and get the water running.
For this time in the shower, I am not going to think about all that happened today. If I do, I will lose it. And right now, it's clearly survival of the fittest.
So far, I am losing.
Harry steps in behind me and I turn around, my eyes at his lower abs. He is staring at me too as the warm water falls past our skins, cleansing us.
"I could shower with you forever." He breathes and I laugh stepping closer to him. Our chest meet and I wrap my hands around his neck.
"I am going to fix all of this. I will..." Harry begins but I bring my finger to his mouth.
"Not right now." I shake my head at him and he nods. I reach for the shampoo but he grabs it from me before I can squirt some into my hand. In a second, I feel the cool gel spilling all over my head, as I turn back to Harry with my mouth open.
"Rub a dub dub." He smirks and I slap his peck. Then harshly, he swings me around and brings his hands to my hair, scrubbing the shampoo into my scalp.
"Mmm."
"Does that feel good?" Harry breathes into my ear and I nod. Eventually I turn around and shampoo his mop of curls.
I reach over to the soap and bring it to his chest, washing lightly over the chest hairs visible. And then over his left inked side.
"Will you ever tell me your story?" Harry asks and I continue to soap down his chest. I look up at his pleading eyes.
"You can buy it on Amazon." I joke but Harry shows no hint of a smile.
"I'll tell you when I am ready." I finally sigh handing him the soap.
"I just wouldn't want me not knowing to be the reason I lose you."
"You wont lose me."
"Don't fucking lie to me." he glares
"I don't want to lose you either, Harry." I sigh and his face softens. Quickly he takes my head in his hands and crushes me against the wet tile, kissing me hard.
His tongue is so greedy as his teeth tug at my lip. Moans are suppressing me but I can't bring myself to stop him.
"I want to protect you." He growls, sucking at the sensitive skin on my neck.
I nod and enjoy the sensation of his teeth nipping at my skin until he pulls away. His eyes look down at my body slowly, intimately until his eyes reach mine.
"Not now." He whispers, looking at me and taking a step out the shower.
Before leaving the bathroom along with me confused and alone in the shower, he turns around.
"You're scars are beautiful." He says before shutting the door and I almost forgot how exposed I was to him. Instead of covering my neck like I normally I would I bite my lip and lean my head against the tile, wondering who the hell I am falling for.