Harry POV
"Do you really have to go to work today?"
"Well if I want to have money in my wallet, I suppose so"
Today I finally go back to work after a whole weekend of mayhem. It was hectic, very overwhelming. Benz has been getting better, his fever has gone down tremendously so I thought I could leave him for a few hours. He doesn't think the same though. He would prefer I stay since he's not use to anyone else yet and I don't blame him. He doesn't trust anyone and he's just now starting to trust me, which is why he doesn't want me to go.
"Hero has class today but Louis will be here. If you need anything, just ask him. I'm sure Eleanor might even stop by tonight as well"
"It's not going to be weird not having you around..I-I'll feel kind of lonely"
He frowns, looking down at his lap as he twirls his fingers around. I sighed, kneeling down in front of him as he looks up at me. I give him a small smirk of reassurance as I cupped his cheek with my hand.
"You'll be fine, yeah? Just remember to take your medicine and rest. I won't be gone too long, only for a few hours. I'll be home as soon as I can to share a meal with you"
"Please do"
I smiled, standing up as I picked up my messenger bag from my computer chair. I walk towards the door, turning as I see Benz looking down at the floor. I sighed, opening the door before stepping out and closing it. I'm not going to lie, it will feel kind of lonely for me too.
I walk towards the living room as I see Louis peeling an orange before looking up and noticing me.
"On your way to work I see? I'm surprised you're not staying"
"Well I need money, don't I?"
"I suppose so. It's just weird not seeing you in your room caring for Benz all day"
"Speaking of Benz, remember that you have to take him to his friend's house as he's still caring for his cat. Oh and remind him to take his medication but to also eat something before he takes it. He's still a bit shy around you and the others so don't come off as being to forceful or anything, he gets really nervous"
"Yeah yeah, I get it. Gosh, why so protective over him?"
"There are many reasons why. I'll see you later"
"So long!"
I hope everything goes okay.
===========
Justin POV
"Here you go, girl"
I placed a bowl full of cat food in front of Talulah as she meows and starts to chow down. I pet her little head as I lay her bowl of water beside her as well. It's been three days since Niall left, he comes back on Sunday. I'm glad he's coming back soon because I miss him.
I didn't tell him anything about what happened between Paul and I or about him kicking me out. I don't want him to worry, he deserves to spend quality time with Zayn after all. I'll just have to wait until he gets back.
"Wooow..look at all this merch! Are you sure a stripper lives here?" Louis asks, looking around in amazement.
"Yes, h-he does. Niall is a huge soccer fan, Harry couldn't believe it either"
"Hell, maybe I should start stripping if it means getting all this money"
"Yeah, all of Eleanor's money"
"Ohh touché" he smirked as he moves away from the merchandise.
"So tell me, are you just as rich as your friend? Niall, is it?"
"Yeah it is, a-and no not r-really.." at least not anymore.
"What? Are you sure? You're the most popular performer at the Pink Panther "
"I g-guess I tend to give my money a-away to easily.." thanks to Paul.
"Eh, quite a shame..you ready to go home? Remember you can't be out for too long"
"Sure, I'm ready...bye ole girl, I'll see you tomorrow"
I gently scratch Talulah's head, making her purr beside me with her eyes closed. It reminded me of the time when she instantly took a liking to Harry. I slightly frowned, thinking about the long curl haired boy. It's lonely without Harry, and it's only been two hours. I guess I just got use to someone being by my side 24/7, he never ignored my needs.
I stood up, dusting my pants from all the cat hair that was on me, before Louis and I make our way out of Niall's apartment. As funny and nice Louis is, I still feel quite awkward around him. I'm still not use to Harry's roommates, even if they have accepted me. I feel more comfortable around Harry, he makes me feel secure and safe. I want to be around him, I miss him as odd as it sounds. I hope he could come home early.
"Stripes look good on you mate, I should hand you most of my hand me downs since Harry said you'll be staying with us for a while"
"Y-Yeah, he's really nice.."
"You're missing Harry? Aren't you?"
I slowly turn my head over to Louis as his eyes kept on looking forward as we walked down the street together. My eyes widen at him, trying to keep my mouth shut from gasping. Maybe Louis is wiser than he seems.
"You could tell me, or don't. I already know the answer"
"W-What answer?"
"Ah, we have another who's clueless" he snickers, shaking his head as I frowned.
"I-I'm sorry...I-I don't mean to be.." I shamelessly lowered my head.
"No, don't apologize. You haven't done anything wrong"
"But..I'm clueless..."
"But that doesn't mean you should apologize. Really, it's okay"
"O-Okay.."
"Hey, how about I take you somewhere real quick?"
"I-I don't know..I d-don't think I s-should.."
"Come on, I'm sure you won't regret coming" he smiled, nudging my arm.
"O-Okay..Let's go"
=============
Niall POV
"Niall, would you like some more chicken?"
"As much I as I do, I have to decline"
I sadly smiled at Zayn's mother Tricia, staring at the chicken I so desperately wanted. The diet you keep up when you're a dancer.
It's been three days now in Bradford, England. Zayn's family are very welcoming, his parents and sisters have been very sweet to me since I came here. I thought since being a stripper, they would disapprove of me at first glance but it was the complete opposite. Zayn looks over at me, leaning and kissing my temple as he gently squeezes my hand. I'm on cloud nine with him. Getting away from everything in my hectic life has been nice, I never been around a real family before.
"Niall, you have to tell me what highlight brand you use on your cheekbones! It's brighter than my future!"
"Waliyha, don't over exaggerate" Yaser rolls his eyes as I chuckled.
"No it's okay, I'll send you the link from my phone"
My phone starts to vibrate in my pocket, pulling it out of my phone. I looked to see it was the Pink Panther number. I furrowed my eyebrows as I look up at Zayn, staring at me clueless as he moves his head motioning towards my phone. I shrugged as I look up at his family and sighed.
"Will excuse me? I have to take this"
"It's alright dear, go ahead"
I stood up, quickly marching over to Zayn's room which were staying in, closing the door behind me. Why in the hell would they be calling? They know I'm on vacation. I answered the phone, putting it up to my ear.
"Hello?"
"Where is he?!"
"What do you mean? Paul?"
What does he want? He never calls me, it's odd.
"What's going on? Where's who?"
"Oh don't act stupid with me! You know exactly who I'm talking about!"
"No I don't, that's why I'm asking"
"Benz! I'm talking about Benz! Where the fuck is he?! Where do you have him?!"
Where do I have him?! He doesn't know where Justin is?!
"He's not with me, Paul. I-I don't know where he is"
"CUT THE FUCKING CRAP! He hasn't shown up to work for two days now and the only other place he knows where to go is your pathetic apartment! Tell him to get his ass back to work at once!"
"He's not staying with me, I'm not even home! I came to England remember? I won't be back until Sunday!"
"Ugh, you're just as useless as your friend!..I'm hanging up"
"No! Wait, hold on! What do you mean you don't know where he is? You're his boyfriend, you should know!! WHAT DID YOU DO?!"
"I don't have tell you shit, go screw yourself you Irish slut!"
"WAIT!-"
He hangs up, leaving me at a loss. I could feel my heart starting to beat fast, my breathing hitching a bit. I sat over the bed, running my fingers roughly though my hair. I can't believe this..Justin is lost, and no one knows where he is! Fuck, I should've never left!
I heard a knock on the door, shooting my head up at I try to restrain from getting emotional.
"Niall, are you in there?"
"Y-Yes"
I stood up, walking over to the door before opening it. Zayn stands in the doorway before I pull him inside and close the door shut. He looks over at me, seeing that my anxiety has risen.
"Is everything alright, love?"
"No Zayn..I have to go home..I-I have to go home now, i-it's urgent!"
"Shh babe. It's okay, relax" he said, pulling me into his arms as he caresses my hair.
"Tell me what's wrong..what's going on?"
"I-It's Benz....he's gone, Zayn"
"What do you mean he's gone?"
"He's gone! No one knows where he is..a-and I'm worried! If Paul doesn't know where he is, then who knows where he is!" I frowned, moving back over to the bed and sitting down.
"I'm such a terrible friend. I should've never left him alone.." I teared up, my face inside my hands as I felt Zayn pull me into his arms once he sat next to me.
"It's going to be okay, you're not a terrible friend"
"I am though...he wouldn't be lost if I wouldn't have left..I just hope he's okay..Where could he be?"
"He's okay, I'm sure of it..I might have an idea of where he could be.."
I look up at him, sniffing as I wiped my eyes. If he knows where Justin might be, than I'm definitely flying home tomorrow. I have to make sure he is safe, I'm all he has..
"W-Where?"
=============
Harry POV
"Harry, would you stop looking at the clock? You've been checking the time every two seconds"
I sighed, knowing that I only had an hour left before my shift ends, but it felt like five. I looked away from the clock, back down at my laptop as I kept on working on my assignment. I stared at the photo of Benz, my heart racing as my eyes scanned over his perfect skin.
I lick my lips from how dry they were, I haven't ate in hours. But honestly, I'm mostly concerned about Benz. Did he fall asleep and have nightmares again? Was Louis nice to him? Has he been taking his medication? Or at least eaten? I looked back at the clock as only two minutes have passed, making me groan.
"What's got you in such a hurry?" Liam asked while sweeping the floor.
"Nothing, I'm just tired" I lied, closing my laptop.
"Well you don't look so good either. You have bags under your eyes"
"As I said, I'm tired"
"It's called sleep, Hazza! You need it!" shouted Sophia from a distance.
If only you guys knew.
"THIS IS A FUCKING RIP OFF!"
"I WANT MY MONEY BACK!"
I looked outside the window and see bouncers escorting customers out of the Pink Panther while also calming down a small riot. A lot of customers were leaving.
"FIND HIM!! FIND HIM AND BRING HIM TO ME!!"
I see Paul step out of the club, shouting at his bouncers in rage as one nods and walks down the street. He stomps his way back inside the sex-oriented location. I have a feeling he must of told him to go look for Benz.
"Oh Harold!"
I turned around to see Louis's cheeky grin, waving at me. I furrowed my eyebrows before realizing someone was standing right behind to him. I look over and see the blonde fellow with his head down shyly. It was Benz.
"Well look at that, it's your roommate Louis. How are you doing, man? It's been a while"
"I'm fine Liam, you?"
"I'm great. What brings you here?"
"Oh someone wanted to come see our lad Harry"
Louis moves to the side, wrapping his arm around Benz. My cheeks turn a deep shade of red as so do his. Liam furrows his eyebrows, before his eyes widen as he turns to me. Louis ruffles his hair, shaking him a bit. For some reason, I could feel a frown stamped over my face as I groan. His touch over Benz is a bit too much for me.
Sophia suddenly comes out, holding a box of canned peas before turning her head to see who it was. Her jaw drops to the ground, as do the box of canned peas.
"THE STRIPPER!?"
I gasped, running over to Sophia before slamming my palm over her mouth. I look outside the window, hoping a bouncer didn't hear us. Thankfully he didn't. I sighed of relief, listening to Sophia muffling inside my hand. I let go of her, as she smacks my arm.
"What was that for?"
"Because you were being too loud"
"And? So what?"
"You're exposing his man, that's why!"
"Shut up, Louis!"
"Your man? Seriously?"
"Ignore Louis, he's a moron" I rolled my eyes, walking over to Benz.
"Hey, is everything okay? You need anything? Has Louis been nice to you?"
"I'm not a monster Harry, come on"
"You're the monster of sass Louis, please" Liam chuckled, so does Sophia.
"Yeah h-he's been nice.."
"Then what's wrong?"
"Nothing..L-Louis was right, I just w-wanted to see you...and say hi....Hi"
I slightly snorted, lightly chuckled as I pull his hat down for him a bit as he usually does. He can be quite adorable if I do say so myself.
"Hello to you too"
He slightly smiles, hiding his face under his sleeves. He always finds a way to make me smile. I look out the window, the bouncer still look around. He probably doesn't notice Benz in these clothes, it's Louis's old clothes after all. But still, we can't take any chances.
"Listen Benz, you need to be careful whenever you roam around here"
"Why?"
I look back outside as the bouncer heads inside, giving me a bit more relief. I look back at him as he looks up at me with his shiny hazel eyes. I can't let Paul find him, who knows what could happen to him. And I can't really let the others know about our situation, Louis and Hero wouldn't let me stay with us afterwards. I have to keep him safe no matter what.
"I'll tell you later"
"O-Okay"
"Have you eaten anything?"
He shakes his head, looking down at the ground. Typical of him actually. I look around, picking up bag of potato crisps from a rack before handing it to Sophia along with some change.
"Scan that, I'll pay for it"
"Will do"
"I'm going to pay for this so you can eat it while Louis takes you home okay?"
"W-When are you coming home?"
"In l-less than an hour"
"Can I w-wait for you i-instead?" He asked, twirling his fingers around as he bashfully keeps his head down.
"O-Only if you let me"
"Alright, whatever makes you comfortable"
"You know, it's kind of weird not seeing you all "dolled up". You're supposed to be at the club but you're not. Why's that?" Liam asked Benz, crossing his arms.
Benz looks away, resting his head over my shoulder. He selectively mute with strangers which is odd, considering the fact that he's the exact opposite at his job. But in all fairness, Benz isn't really 'Benz Goldmine' in real life, it's just a mask he wears every night.
"He's shy, sorry"
"Are you two friends now after-"
"Liam please..do you mind?"
"Okay okay, just asking"
"After what? Fucking?"
"Shut up Louis!"
My cell phone starts to ring in my pocket, pulling out to see that Zayn was calling me. Benz lifts his head up, stepping away so I could answer. I watched as he slowly moves next to Louis, before ruffles Benz's hair once more. Why does it bother you so much, Harold? I shook my head before answering my phone and put it to my ear.
"Hello?"
"Hey Harry, it's Zayn"
"Oh hey mate, how's your trip with Niall?"
"It's good, we've been having a great time...it wasn't until Niall got a phone call from Paul"
"From Paul?"
"Yeah, he said Paul called him screaming, asking where Benz had gone to and to bring him back when we don't even know where he is. He's freaking out right now, worried sick"
Oh shit. That old bastard really is looking for Benz. He must be really pissed.
"Who are you talking to? Is that Harry? I want to speak to him!"
"Hold on Ni, relax...Listen, I was just calling to see if you know where he could be by any chance?"
"Yeah I do, he's with me"
"Really? Oh my god, that's a relief"
"Give me the phone!..Harry? You there? It's Niall, do you really have Benz with you?"
"Yeah don't worry, he's been staying with me for a while. He's fine, I've been looking after him"
"Oh my god, that's like music to my ears! What happened? Why isn't he with Paul?"
"Well he could tell once you come home. I guess he wouldn't want you to worry "
"Oh my god..is he adjusting? How is he doing?"
"He's okay now..safe at least" I said, looking back at Benz as he silently eats his bag of crisps beside Louis.
"Well just know I might be home soon. I have to be with him, thank you for caring for him. I'm sorry I couldn't be there, I hope he cause any trouble or anything"
"It's no trouble at all, we had a few issues but it's been fine overall. Trust me, I'm taking good care of him"
"Good. Thank you Harry, you're such a great person"
"No need to thank me. Call me when you get home"
"I will, thank you!"
"Alright, bye"
"Bye!"
I hung up, before Louis makes another smart remark. They all laugh at me, making me roll my eyes at their ridiculous teasing. As he wanted, Benz stayed and waited for me as Louis has gone home. He didn't really say anything to bother me, he just sat patiently behind the counter. I did a few organizing on the racks, before I knew it my shift ended. I clocked out, grabbing my messenger bag from behind the counter after putting my laptop inside. I look over at Benz and see that he's slightly staring out the window. He was staring at Paul, shouting at the bouncer. Oh no.
"M-Maybe I should go o-over to him...let him know I'm okay.."
"I don't think so. Especially with how he's acting right now, it's best to keep your distance. Are you ready to go?"
"D-Did you end your shift?"
"Of course. Come on, let's get you home" I said, reaching my hand towards him as he takes it.
"Well aren't you two the cutest thing?" Sophia gushes, making Benz blush.
"W-We're just..f-friends"
"Oh I know honey, I was just pulling your thread. No need to be shy"
"O-Oh okay"
"Are you heading off already Harry?" Mr. Patterson asked as he walks out from his office.
"Yes sir, I was just heading out with my friend here"
"Well get home safe you two"
"We will"
I was about to walk out until I look over at Mr. Patterson, then at Benz before realizing something. This is the perfect moment. I look back over at Mr. Patterson before calling out to him.
"Mr. Patterson?"
"Yes?"
"Do you remember saying that you would wish to know who brought your store and put the rights under your name?"
"Oh yes, I still hope to one day to thank them"
I smiled, looking over at Benz. I nodded of reassurance, motioning him to walk closer to me as he slowly does. I proudly stand behind him, my hands over his shoulders to let him know I was still next to him. Mr. Patterson looks at us, Benz nervously looking at him.
"Mr. Patterson, meet Benz. He's the one who paid out your debt"
The sweet old man's jaw drops as he starts to laugh in happiness. Sophia and Liam widen their eyes at the reveal. Mr. Patterson steps closer to him, wrapping his arms around Benz while patting his back. Benz stands there confusedly, not knowing what to do. He surprisingly does hug him back slightly before my boss pulls away. He grabs his hands, holding them with his as he smiles brightly at the blonde.
"You have no idea how thankful I am of you. You are an angel sent from above, you are very dear to me"
"I-I am?"
"Yes son, I could've been homeless if it wasn't for you..you practically saved my life..Thank you so much"
"O-Oh you're welcome"
Benz looks at him, cracking a smile as he slightly chuckles and nods his head. I watched as the two talk to each other, my boss mostly thanking him like there was no tomorrow. Liam walks over, patting him on the back as Sophia gives him a hug. I smiled to myself, but mostly at Benz as he was genuinely smiling for the first time in days.
A beautiful smile.
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UPDATED! ❤️
I hope everyone had a wonderful thanksgiving if you live in the U.S.! 🍂🦃
Sorry it took so long to update. I just ended my temporary job and I had to do my finals. It was all pretty hectic this past months.
Anyways, here is an update and now that I'll be on break next week, I'll be updating a bit more for you guys 😁
Please excuse any unedited mistakes! 😅
Please comment, vote, & follow!
Have a beautiful day! Enjoy! 💕
- DAMARI 😜