larry- one shots

tied down

LIAM

NCA HEADQUARTERS, LONDON

12 JUNE, 2024

Liam yawns behind his hand as he stretches in his desk chair. Last night was another late night in a seemingly endless string of late nights, but they're finally getting a reprieve. They'd caught the man who was selling marijuana and cocaine to the students at the neighborhood secondary schools, after an unnecessarily long sting operation. (Who'd have thought that teenagers would be so good at evading the police? When Liam was a kid, he would've rolled on anyone if a copper had so much as looked at him in a threatening way.) However, the man, Jared Jones, despite his obvious dimwittedness, had remained steadily mum on the name of his supplier, throughout tedious questioning as well as the offer of a deal for a lesser sentence. Liam and his partner, Niall Horan, had passed the case on to the courts for sentencing when it was clear he wasn't budging. All that's left for them is the eventual testifying, months down the line. But first– paperwork.

They've got it down to a science after four years on the job together. Liam methodically types up the report, then Niall takes a metaphorical red pen to it to correct any spelling and grammar errors, and add information when necessary whilst Liam pretends not to be offended. It may not be the most efficient way, but it works for them. They both have a tendency to micromanage, and this way they have their own individual tasks by which to do so. Regardless, paperwork is still a bitch.

Liam welcomes the distraction when his partner comes storming into the bullpen, hollering. Niall's unflappable jovial spirit and generally loud voice was difficult for Liam to take at first, as a former beat cop and newly promoted Detective. It's old hat now. Niall himself was a transfer, having been ranked Detective in his old constabulary in Ireland. He was new to London, having followed the woman of his dreams, and had come highly recommended. It took a few months to work out the kinks between them, but their partnership has been wildly successful, if Liam does say so himself– if not for their accomplishments in taking drug dealers off the streets, then at least their friendship. It's outlasted the relationship that brought Niall to London by years, in fact.

"Heyo!" Niall cries, turning every head in the office. He's got a couple of thick files under his arm as he strolls into the bullpen. "Payno, are you sitting down?"

"You're literally looking directly at me, Niall."

Niall laughs. "Jen, come over, would ya?" he calls out to one of their fellow detectives, on desk duty due to her very advanced pregnancy. Liam had thought she was meant to deliver back in May, but it's June now. Niall joked once how she couldn't possibly get any bigger, and she'd thrown a stapler at his head. She missed, but the entire drugs division took it as the warning it was– Jen's the best shot of all of them put together, with any weapon. They'd bet on it at the last Christmas party. Liam lost a tenner.

Jen rolls over in her desk chair. It takes her more time than it would have to get out of it and walk over, but Liam is keeping his lips sealed.

"You look like you've got a lifetime supply of free pints from Tooley's," Jen says to Niall.

Niall keeps on grinning. "Near as good, Jenny. Near as good. Jones rolled."

Liam's jaw drops. "As in, Jared Jones, the bloke who refused to open his mouth just the other day in interrogation?"

"One and the same, Payno. Apparently he got a taste of gen pop and had second thoughts. He made a deal last night."

"And they didn't tell us?" Liam demands. "Who took over the case?"

"Who cares?" NIall says with a shrug. "We've got bigger fish to fry now, anyhow." He slaps one of the two manila folders, each of them bursting at the seams, onto Liam's desk. "Harry Styles."