One. Two.
The first person stopped as it was extremely close to the edge of the dark cloud. The secondcontinued until at that region.
Three. Four.
"Petal."
*NARRATOR'S POV*
Louis' head snaps up towards the sound, the human voice that he knows better than hispostal address and blood type. His eyes alone feel powerful enough to peel back the curtains ofdarkness that prevent him from seeing that person clearly.
He bites his lips, feeling rejuvenated and hopped up on the possibility that he's not hallucinating.His back arches away from the chair and the object creaks, trying to retain its prisoner but existingas if it's on Louis' side by shifting forward with his nudges.
Out of the cloaks of black unknown clouds comes a face, one of two, that Louis has been longingfor all this time. He makes a compromising sound in the pit of his throat like a whine and whimperat the same time, neck craning painfully in Harry's direction.
Seeing Harry rush towards him and land at his knees before Louis, has the boy starting to babblenonsense. His mind could be playing a trick on him after such severe dehydration and lack ofnutrition.
Fortunately, it's all ripe and true when the second shadow materialises and there Edward isstriding over to him."Edw-Edward-"
"Petal." Edward cups Louis' cheek and gives him a tender, loving kiss that spoke the thousandwords for him. "Hush, baby. You're safe now."
There's no one else that comes after them and even if Louis knows they have to get out of herebefore that changes, he can't wait for Harry to finish undoing the rounds of tape on his body so hecan revel in the happiest moment of his life.
Edward rips through the tape at his back and arms witha pocket knife, bringing Louis' nearly blue hands to his lips and kissing them with soothingmassages of his fingers to bring them back to life.
Louis let's his reassurance of security bring his mind to a settled, calm frame of functioning. Hefeels Harry's scattered kisses from his neck to his knees as the man goes lower and lower releasinghim from his binds. His vision is blurred by tears that have been withheld and his body falls forwardonce those restraints disappear, although his ankles are still strapped to the chair legs.
The relief floods him like the shield of a giant weighing heavy on his shoulders but being the bestmass to carry. His body sags so suddenly and into Harry's lap that the chair also tips over. Harrycircles his shoulders with his arm, holding back the chair with one vibrating arm that shook fromthe exertion.
"Petal." Harry peppers the side of his neck and face with kisses. "Petal, my love. You're with usnow."
That familiar cologne of Harry's fills and dominates Louis' senses, his hands curling into the man'shalf buttoned shirt. He wraps his arms around Harry's neck and shudders through his uncontrollablesobs into the man's neck.
Edward cuts through the remaining tape and flings the chair aside, making it his worst enemy ofthat time. He just about starts to feel the yearning himself when Louis falls into his arms and bringshim down to the ground as well.
"Shh, baby." Edward squeezed his eyes shut and cradled the back of Louis' head, clutching the boy'sthigh when he felt it curl around his hip.
"I've got you, petal. I've got you."Harry got up after one more kiss placed on Louis' wet and soft lips, resuming the responsibility tountie everyone in the room.
He only slices through the tape at the back of Liam and Zayn's chairswhere their arms were immobile. They could work themselves free from there on their own.Still on the cold and hard ground, Edward was brushing through Louis' damp hair with his fingers.
His navy silk shirt was sacrificed to Louis' tears staining them with dampness, creasing theshoulders with how tightly he held on.Edward felt the pressure on his knees from how uncomfortable his position was, but didn't give upon rocking Louis' trembling form and murmuring things in his ear.
He gave the boy lots of sporadickisses everywhere on his upper half, an arm solidly locked around Louis' waist.It was as painful as it was a joyous occasion to have Louis back, Edward's arms unable to stopholding him. His face stayed glued to the supple escape of the boy's neck.
He breathed out shakily into Louis' shoulder. "Are you okay, petal? Are you hurt?"
"N-Not hurt." Louis told him honestly, after all this time the pain in the side of his face was hardlyregistering.
"Okay." Edward pulled Louis away from hiding and examined his bruises, his slight injuries.
"Okay,petal. We're taking you home now, love."He met those deep blue eyes with his own wild green powerhouses, forcing a smile onto his lips.
Louis coughed and that provoked a stabbing pain in his throat, wincing at how coarse it felt.Edward wiped his tears away and kisses his eyelids, removed the dampness from under Louis' noseand pecked his forehead.The light goes out above their heads without warning and Louis knows what that means so he startsto scream, further injuring his throat.
"Shh. Quiet, petal." Edward seeks out Louis' lips in the darkness, effortlessly bringing himself to hisfeet with the boy wrapped around his lean figure. "It's alright, baby. We're here now."
Louis whimpers and hugs Edward with more commitment. He can't see anything around him butthe footsteps and scraping of rats' feet on cracked stone is not a stale soundtrack. He still screws hiseyes shut and breathes in broken pants, chest heaving after being constricted for so long.
Edward stands still while everyone gets themselves together. He sees the beam of light from aflashlight Harry brought and takes the needed steps towards it, hearing crunches and squeaksbeneath his boots as he moved. Louis was cold and not raising his head from Edward's neck, easilyleading to the duty of Harry removing his jacket to cover him with it.
"We're leaving." Harry informs everyone present, shining the light from the ground to where theycame from. He sees it first and he nearly drops the instrument from shock. "Fuck!"
"What?" Liam, same as everyone, hadn't seen Dexter standing by the door.
The only door they havethat will grant them access to the outside world for freedom.The light comes on again from under Dexter's fingertips controlling the switch, his deafeningfootstep forward making Louis flinch like a direct impact. Dexter clasps his hands together at hisfront, tilting his head to the side at this fresh sight with an unpredictable grin on his face.
"Well-" He marches closer by three steps and stops, every person's eyes on the hiding vermindeparting from the blinding light. "-I hate disturbances, boys."
Harry looks at Edward for a brief second but Louis won't be having any more views of anythingoutside the dark cave made by Harry's jacket anytime soon. Liam rubs his wrists to bring back theblood flow and Zayn rolls his tongue over his molars, totally calm.
"Let us go, Dexter." Edward is the one to speak, possessing the least amount of fear for his father.
"I will." Dexter nods, ducking his head to look at his decrepit shoes before looking back up. "Ofcourse I will."
Harry frowns in confusion. "Without any tricks. That might not be wisest right now."
Edward doesn't disapprove of his words because he's smirking devilishly like he knows somethingDexter doesn't. "This game is over. You won't touch Louis again, Dexter."
Dexter reverses his curious puppy look to narrow his eyes on the back of Louis. "What makes youso sure?"
"You want your star back, don't you?" Harry steps ahead of his brother, passively shielding bothhim and their petal.He watched Dexter's expression harden and arrogant eyes turn naked, swimming in the energy thattriggers his shaking. Their father was so easily affected by Niall's mention while it might as well becode to everyone else.
"My star?" Dexter raised his chin but it did little for his attitude. "You have him?"
"We do." Edward rubbed his thumb over Louis' thigh, despising how thin the flesh has become.
"You don't let us go and you simply won't have him back."Dexter took the risk of not thinking about it and stepping away from the door instantly.
It said a lotfor his dedication towards Niall but little did he know Niall didn't want to see him again, not afterthis betrayal. Their escape was going to be difficult since Louis couldn't see Niall until after his facehad healed - even if there threatened to be permanent scars.
Anne couldn't come across Dexter orthat might spark another conflict, another quarrel costing time neither twin was willing to spend.Both those individuals were downstairs and outside waiting in separate vehicles. Niall had bandagesover his right eye and cheek that Anne had put there, while she herself paced back and forth in theMadhouse's parking lot.
Niall felt so unresolved sitting in this empty car that he stood up. "I'm going in there."
"What? No." Anne tried to stop him up until the main entrance staircase. "Niall, you can't."
"I have a part in this too." Niall gently removed her hands from his jacket. "I can't leave Edward andHarry to take care of it for me."
"That's not what this is, boy." Anne tries to convince him. "They're bringing Louis back."
"Yes and I have to help." Niall shook his head, steadying his nerves as he knew this was the rightthing. "It's now or never for me, Anne. Thank you for the bandages."
When he walked up those steps taking two at a time, Anne made it her duty to follow him.Upstairs by at least three floors, nobody suspected that the plan was about to busted as Edwardmade to leave the hostage room first.
He still had Louis in his hold, never letting go, but his bloodfroze over after seeing the faces of two people who were never supposed to get up here.He tried to silently signal them to leave but Niall wasn't having it and blatantly ignored him beforebursting into the room and making everyone turn their heads.
"Niall?" Louis was the first to voice his confusion by finding his feet and frowning at his friend.
"H-Hey, Lou." Niall swallowed and his voice attracted the attention of the man to his left.
"Niall, you have to go!"Liam was about to step forward and protect Niall from the cruel monster in human form asforcefully as he had to, except he stopped cold in his tracks when that monster knew hisNiall, his Duckling
."My star?" All eyes head for Dexter, different emotions concentrated on the same pair ofindividuals.
In this room full of people, Liam and Louis are the only two who feel remotely the same while Zaynexperiences a flood of numbness overcome him, fighting the hardest battle of his life to put two andtwo together.
Niall? Niall knows Dexter? Niall is....is his star, as in the weakness of thistwisted man.
Louis is also caught up staring at the bandages on Niall's face. They weren't soiled yet so whateverwas beneath them had probably healed. The next thing he sees is Dexter's cold and hardened staresettle upon the same set of bandages.
"Dexter, no." Niall pushes the man away with the preventative circles of his arms, evading allchance the man has of holding him.
"My star." Dexter won't relent, won't give up where Niall is concerned.
Louis is flabbergasted to epic proportions. He looks to Harry or Edward for an explanation but allhe gets is an affirmative squeeze around his waist from both of them and no verbal responses.
Whatwas happening, he'd like to know.
Why is Niall so familiar with Dexter?
"Don't do this, my star." Dexter didn't know the look in Niall's eye from seeing it on the boy before,but from years of experience. "Don't let them do this to us."
Louis' hands slid further up Edward's up, one above the other with his fingers fanned out over theman's bicep. He blocked half his face from where he stood, the protective band of Harry's armcurled around his waist.
Do what? What was Dexter talking about?
Niall seemed to know that there was a lot of explaining to be done since he had his choice audienceand a best friend to top things off who won't be very understanding of the reasons why he kept thesesecrets from him. He sighed and stepped back, out of Dexter's range but closer to his 'friends'.Dexter noticed this change not going in his direction and his undeniable rage made the whites of hiseyes turn red, scaring Louis and aggravating everyone else present.
Each person expectedsomething different to come off Dexter when he conclusively realised what was happening, untilthey saw the second unpredicted visitor.Harry's head lifted from where his chin touched his chest and his eyes grew wide with worry. Heshook his head at his mother ever so slightly because she was still outside but just behind Dexterand he didn't want the latter to notice her.
Louis saw her too and he only had seconds torealise that Anne wasn't going to adhere to their warnings.His expression turns grave and resentful when she's a step beyond the boundary of the gapingdoorway. The peripheral view of her seems to be enough for Dexter to pick up on her presence, hisneck cracking as it snaps towards her and his mind going blank.
"No." Harry mutters it like a curse beneath his breath and takes the stride forward to push Anneback outside, keeping her out of harm's way.
Louis stops him from moving any further away from him, grasping Harry's wrist like a vice andstabilising him. Anne had a task to get done here and he's had it with people who make themselvesknown just to add flame beneath the stewing pot that is the drama forever circling them. He wasgoing to give her the opportunity to fix whatever she was here to fix, judging by the trepidation inher movements.
Harry was forced to hang back against his dominant nature when his mother finally becomes visibleentirely to Dexter's peripheral. Edward seems to either ignore her presence or ignore the fact thatshe is in fact closely linked to him, paying attention solely to Louis.
Dexter's upper hand in the situation that he had created in the delusion of his mind crumbles uponseeing her. The woman he's been after, here she is.Unlike Niall, Anne knew exactly how to make Dexter back away. Niall knew his demons and thehereditary monsters that eventually crawled its way into the minds of his children, but Anne couldcontrol them without knowing she wielded that strength.
"Ma?" Harry hoped to learn her motives so he could stop it.
He was infuriated by heractions prior but this......this is too much.Anne paid him no mind and went straight into Dexter's territory, while he was happy to have her.Niall took five huge steps back and landed himself amongst the right crowd. Louis' hand slid intoNiall's and squeezed it.
When Anne had Dexter in a small enough corner where they could only hear one another, Edwardhauled Louis out of the room without waiting for a word of argument. He had the boy off theground once more and strode out of the room sans a moment's delay, Louis' only notice of surprisebeing his gasp.
Harry was frozen to his spot on the ground. He was staring with eyelids split wide open, doubtsevering the confidence he had. This was goodbye, he could feel it. After this hour he'll never seehis mother again even meant to survive without that false hope that she might return after half adecade.
"Harry?" Anne turned her head around to question him. "Harry, you have to go now."Dexter was looking at Harry with blank eyes, a frown almost forming on his features.
Harry spokeup before that could happen. "What are you doing, Ma?"
Anne took a deep breath. "I'm doing now what I should have done a long time ago, Harry."He wanted to hear her say it because he could be wrong, however slim the chances. He hoped hewas wrong.
"Wha-..... What's that?"Edward had noticed how his brother wasn't following them anymore and knew that he just had towait for him.
He only stopped walking with brusque steps and a heavy chest when he was safelyoutside once again by the pair of cars they arrived in.Louis hissed from the pain spiralling down his spine when Edward pushes him up against the sideof the first car, a familiar Range Rover.
He couldn't be more relieved, happier to be releasedof the prison that is one unjust man. His fingers found their way to be tangled in Edward's hair, theirharsh breaths matching as he connected their eyes and forgot all about the missing people.
"Oh petal." Edward cupped his cheek and jaw, their noses brushing as fragranced breath fannedover Louis' lips. "My love, you're okay?"Edward kissed Louis before the boy could answer, making him whimper and tilt his head backagainst the car door.
"I'm fine now that you're here. I-I missed you. I love you."With a chuckle that his heart wasn't into, Edward covered Louis' body with his own in thismoderately busy parking lot and kissed every available patch of skin.
"I love you, petal. I knew Icould not survive without you."Harry was still upstairs but slowly walking away from this past of his.
They all had little problemsto take care of, to leave behind before they walked out into the same world with a newagenda. His hand hit the railing of the staircase and the entire structure rattled.He hadn't heard it in his mother's voice but he saw it in her eyes.
She was going to stay here whereDexter was, holed up in this dungeon of Hell so that she could keep an eye on him. It's whatshe was meant to do years ago but now her babies were okay with their own lives and hers was dueto rejoin with their father.
The sun was so hard on his eyes when he finally stepped outside onto the platform above two dozenstairs that overlooked the surrounding properties of the Madhouse. It was his home for five yearsbut then there was the boy with soft clothing and blue eyes waiting for him just like he is now onthe damp pebbles of this parking area, and his home converted to a pair of comforting arms.
His head lifted from the rain-soaked concrete that hundreds of people stomped on to see that homenow. Not being immune to that precious boy, Harry raced down the stairs two at a time and nearlyslipped on the third round to get to him. It wasn't just him as Louis had socks on but still rantowards him and that's what made him upgrade to three at a time.Their bodies collided at the perfect angle with the ideal force bulleting them onward into eachother's arms.
Louis jumped when Harry bent and they became the effortless unit of two souls in onebody. The man spun him around to work off the tailings of excess energy before leaving kisses allover Louis' skin.Louis smelt like he was losing the essence he once had but that could be easily fixed. He huggedHarry around his neck and the early hour had their exhales becoming white puffs of carbon dioxide,condensing on one another's lips.
Harry licked his lips and swooped in for Louis', shutting down hisother senses to taste his petal.Small hands held Harry's shoulders as the latter's palms found Louis' thighs, nails digging into theflesh so fiercely that it almost felt bone. Louis whined and kissed the pale, pale skin of Harry'scheek so it turned rosy.
"I'm sorry." He made himself say, their lips now matching in colour as his sapphires found sanctityin Harry's forest.Harry shook his head like none of that mattered because it didn't ever since he walked past thosedoors.
"I would only be sorry if I didn't have you to hold. Hold forever."Louis smiled his special smile that got the gears in Harry's chest grumbling.
"Forever."Harry stole another kiss and felt rain hit the parts of him that weren't feeding warmth to Louis. "Sayyou love me, petal."
"I love you." Louis didn't hesitate and with kissing Harry's cheek, forehead and neck repeated thewords twice more.The lips of his dreams mapped its way to Louis' throat and Harry's teeth scraped his skin.
"Mybeginning." Harry kissed his forehead. "My end." His chin. "My everything."
Niall was doing the hardest thing he'd ever have to do by saying his farewell to Dexter. Irrespectiveof all the wrong he had done by those around him, his feelings for that man and his monster were the only anchors he had to his true emotions. Nobody could love him for as long as he lived nowand he'd deserve it.Liam was ready to get out of this place but Niall wasn't moving yet and Zayn shared in hisconfusion.
"Duckling?"Dexter met Niall's eye for two heartbeats but everything was said in that communication so nowords were needed.
He understood that Niall was going and Anne could never fill that hollowness,just as Liam and Zayn couldn't for Niall. It had to be done anyway and one day they'd find loveoutside this misery.
"Bye." Niall could only say to keep their secret true, to keep it buried in the chest of his heart.
Dexter kept his mouth sealed for if he risked a sentence, it would be what makes Niall stay. He hadto let his star go far away, love another and move on. Niall turned away and Liam was there toblock the beautiful sight of that special boy.
Liam led Niall out through the crack that made it to serve as a door of the attic and Zayn followedso no danger reached Niall. They made it outside and Niall started to cry in Liam's shoulder,clinging to him with both hands and loudly sobbing because pain was so raw this way.
"Bye." Dexter finally said when only Anne would hear.