Things Have Gotten Closer To The Sun -starseas on ao3

Twenty-Three

The next night, the boys watch the news again.

It's midnight and there's a blizzard whirling like static outside, snowflakes bright white against the dark black sky, and the air in the room is cold so Harry rests his head against Louis' shoulder, finding warmth. Sharon's back on the telly again-the blond woman from before, Harry recognizes her instantly-and he can't quite believe that she's still doing this, even now, when they only have so much time left.

The background is royal blue behind her face, and she looks concerned as she speaks into the camera. "Well, Bill, it seems that as the world comes closer and closer to the end, the population continues to dwindle at a rapid pace. All over the globe, cases of suicide have absolutely sky-rocketed. Companies have shut down and stores are being looted. Everything is in absolute chaos. What are your thoughts on this, as I know that you have a wife and children? Tell us, what's going through your mind right now?"

The television cuts to an image of Bill, who's sitting at a desk and staring down at his hands. He shakes his head, smiling in a way that ends up looking like a frown. He looks up at the camera, sighing. "Well, let me just tell you, Sharon, that I'm just sitting here wondering if there's any way that we can get ourselves out of this mess." He laughs, but it seems forced, like there's nothing he finds funny about it at all but he's laughing anyways, putting on a show. Harry gets that. "I, well, like you said, I have a wife-Kate, who I love with all my heart. And I have my children, two boys and a girl. Charlie, the oldest, is eleven, and there's Max, who's three. April's in the middle. She'll be six in January." Bill breaks off, frowning into the camera. "Sorry. I mean, she would've been. She would've been turning six in January."

And then Bill's crying, he's just breaking down, his whole body racking with sobs as he lowers his head down onto his desk, clawing at the papers there like they can save him. He keeps on talking, words coming out hysterical, muffled against the fabric of his sleeve. "God, she'll never be six. My boys will never grow up. They all wanted to be astronauts, for fuck's sakes, oh, god. Oh, god. Oh, god, save us."

He's still crying, and then the image is cutting back to Sharon, who's staring at the camera with a sorry sort of look in her eyes. It's a moment before she starts speaking. "Hello, Sharon O'Dowd here. Bill is having a bit of trouble at the moment, but he'll be back with us after the break to comment on the dramatic increase in gas prices. Stay tuned."

Niall groans, pointing the remote towards the television and turning it off, the whole room swimming in darkness again. "A bit of trouble," he scoffs, "that man's having a bloody mental breakdown and they want him to talk about the gas prices. Ridiculous."

They're all quiet for a while after that, not talking or thinking about anything in particular, so there's no warning for what happens next. Not really. It's like one moment, they're sitting in the dim silence of the living room, and then the next moment, Liam's standing up and grabbing his jacket off the arm of the sofa before moving out of the room and into hallway.

The boys stay silent, casting each other questioning looks, but then there's the distinct sound of the front door opening and closing-it's a sound that echoes through the house, ringing loud against the silence.
Louis frowns, sitting up beside Harry. "Did Liam just leave?"

Niall sits up too, craning his head to look out into the hall. "Dunno."

"I think he just left," Louis says.

Zayn stands up and disappears into the hall, but a moment later, he's standing in the living room doorway again, dark eyes wide with alarm. "He's left, but the keys are still here."

"What about Louis' keys?" Harry asks, growing more concerned now. "He could've taken his car instead?"

Zayn shakes his head, wrapping a scarf around his neck. "No, Louis' keys are on the counter. So are Liam's."

"Wait, are you going out there?" Niall asks, his blue eyes widening. "The roads are covered, you know."

"I'll be fine," Zayn says, slipping into his parka before zipping it all the way up. "I've just got to find Liam, yeah?"

Niall nods, and then Harry says, "I'll come with you."

Zayn stares at him for a moment, and then he nods, already turning away towards the door. "Yeah, okay. Let's go."