Rising Up From Ruin - Ziam (AU)

Chapter 16 - The Young Couple

Harry’s P.O.V.

Hours turned into days, and days into weeks. Liam was still broken. He didn’t talk to any of us, he didn’t sit with us at meals, and he wouldn’t even make eye contact with us. Slowly but surely, his body was healing, the bruises fading away and the split lip healing up, but Liam still looked pale, skinny, and always tired. It made me sick, completely sick to see him like this. Over the years Liam had always been easy for me to read, to figure out. But now, there was no way I could figure out what was going on in that head of his. Zayn was becoming distant too. He may deny it, but I heard his weeps and sobs spilling from his bed at night, and I knew exactly what he was doing. He was staring at Liam’s sleeping form on the bed next to his, wanting to hold him, to kiss him. But Zayn couldn’t do any of that, because Liam would push him away and tell him that he was disgusting.

Louis kept trying to cheer Zayn up, lift his spirits. And Niall tried cuddling into Zayn’s body to take Liam’s place, but nothing was working. Zayn continued to drift away, and we couldn’t rein him in.

It was almost a week after Liam’s return (February 15th) and nothing was getting better. In fact if anything, it was becoming worse. Niall became jumpy, and even more jittery than usual. That alone scared me, not to mention that fact that I caught him crying in Liam’s old hallway closet the other day.

“Harry?” Niall’s quiet voice called. I looked up from my sketch book and over to his bed, where he was laying.

“What is it, buddy?” I said. It was a habit of mine to talk down to him, like he was a child. Calling him buddy, little man, and Nialler ever since he first got here.

“Why is being gay wrong?” He whispered, his voice tight.

“It isn’t,” I said, sitting up and letting my feet hang over the edge of my bed, “People just believe different things. Here, Mr. Wilson believes that men should like women, not other men,”

“But why?” He asked now turning his head to look at me, confusion written on his face, “I mean, it doesn’t matter what gender they are, right? As long as you love someone, you should be able to be with them,”

“I know, Nialler,” I smiled at his cuteness and stood up, walking over to him and ruffling his hair, “You are completely right. No matter who you love, Niall, it doesn’t matter. As long as you love them with all of your heart, they can be a girl, and guy, anything you want.”

He flashed me a little smile and hopped off his bed, wrapping his arms around my waist and holding on tightly. My arms went around his neck, and I held him against my body, making sure he felt safe and secure. It was a feeling that orphans experience very little of, and I liked to make sure that our little Nialler was happy and comfortable.

“Harry?” He said again.

“Yeah, little man?” I asked.

“I think I’m gay too,”

Liam’s P.O.V.

I couldn’t get a grip. I was shaky, and jumpy, and moving all over the place. My thoughts were up in the clouds and I couldn’t grasp them correctly. This is how my life has been for the past week, and it’s killing me. Every time I see Zayn physical pain shoots through my body, yet my mind is put at ease. Why is this happening to me? Why did this have to happen to us?

“Please report to the mess hall for an adoption,” A voice rang out over the P.A.

An adoption? There hadn’t been an adoption here for quite a long time. Kids around me started fixing their hair and their clothes, trying to look presentable as we made our way down towards the mess hall. Adoptions here were simple. We all line up in the mess hall, youngest to oldest, and the couple walks in, and basically picks out a few that they like. Almost like it was a pet store and we were the dogs. Sometimes the people went for the most needy ones, and other times they adopted the youngest ones. Very rarely did they adopt older kids though, it almost never happened. Once they pick out the kids they like, they get to meet all of them, and read their file—background, why they are in the orphanage, how old they are, their full name….ect.

When I made it into the mess hall, I glanced across the tiled floor to the older kid’s side of the line. Zayn was already there. Pain shot through my body, and I was glad that I could stand next to Harry, and not Zayn, because I don’t think I could have stood next to him even if I tried.

“Hey Liam,” Harry said, his tone and voice cautious. I flinched away from him, not because I was afraid of him, but because I was afraid in general. Everything I did these days was out of fear and self preservation. “I didn’t mean to scare you,” He said, side stepping away from me and giving me some space.

The people here to adopt were a young couple. Both of them were smiling and they were holding hands as they walked into the mess hall, looking up and down the line of kids in front of them. Like normal people, they started at the younger kid’s side. The toddlers and pre-teens smiled and stuck out their hands shaking them politely and introducing themselves, trying to win them over, because, let’s face it, everyone wants to get out of this hellhole. They gradually got closer and closer to me, and I just looked at me feet, knowing that I wouldn’t be able to look them in the eye. Every time an adoption took place, looking the people in the eyes always made me think of my parents, and it hurt.

“Hello,” The young woman spoke up. I knew she was standing right in front of me, trying to get my attention, but I remained staring at the floor. “What’s your name, sweetie?”

Her voice was sweet and patient.

“There’s no need to be shy,” The man said. Even though his voice was low, it was still smooth and soft.

I don’t know why, but their voices pushed me into a moment of weakness and I looked up. The woman had light brown hair, long and wavy down her back. The man’s hair was black and thinning, and even though he was tall and muscular, it was easy to tell that really, he was just a teddy bear. The man also had black framed glasses resting on the bridge of his nose.

“What’s your name?” The woman asked again, stepping closer and reaching out to touch my shoulder. I began to shake, and I flinched away from her. Her face saddened at this.

“M-My name’s L-Liam,” I managed to say, trying to hide my stutter but failing miserably. As soon as I spoke the woman’s face lit up, and so did the man’s. They smiled at one another and then back at me.

“What happened to your face?” The man then asked, his happy face turning serious and confused very quickly. I knew there was a bruise under my right eye that still looked pretty bad. I reached up with my hands and covered it, averting my gaze from the couple’s.

Then, the two of them moved on to Harry. I sighed. Finally, I was able to leave. I knew the couple would adopt a young kid, being so young themselves. I strode towards the doors, wanting to get out of the same room as Zayn as quickly as possible.

“Liam!” Sister Elizabeth said, grabbing my arm. I stopped and looked at her, wide eyed. “The couple would like to talk with you. They are thinking about adopting you,”

My body was numb to her words. Was it possible? Was there a way for me to leave this place? Really? They wanted to talk to the beaten stuttering seventeen year-old? It didn’t make sense. But I followed Sister Elizabeth to the side of the room, meeting Zayn’s eyes right before he left.

The normally so emotional browns were dark and sad. My heart broke.

I still loved him.

Not even beating and hitting me would keep me away from Zayn, would it? I tried to look at him again, but he disappeared with Harry.

I couldn’t let myself slip away from him.

I still loved Zayn.

And I must admit, it was relieving to think that word again.

Love.

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Under the request of a few lovely readers, Niall is gay too!

Hooray!

What a cute little leperchaun.

Anyway, what do you guys think? Will Liam get adopted?

VOTE!

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FAN/FOLLOW!

:)