S(l)ave Me

XV

Happy #SlaveMeThursday my loves! A pretty good chapter I think but it leaves a lot to be explained. Enjoy!

COMMENTS AND VOTES! MWAH!! Xoxo

***

Zayn was losing his fucking mind.

"Mate, you alright?"

Zayn dragged his head up from his desk to see Niall, with Harry attached to his hip, at his door. "I'm, uh, yeah."

Niall and Harry shared a look before Niall left Harry at the door to go to Zayn. "You sure? You haven't really been yourself the past couple weeks."

"What'd you mean? I'm fine." Zayn felt the lie crawl up his throat, and hated the taste of it on the way out.

"Is that why you haven't been home at a normal time since Li-"

"Don't," Zayn barked. "Don't do that. Don't say his name." 

Niall sat on the edge of the desk and carded his fingers through Zayn's hair in comfort. "What happened, Zee?" 

Zayn swallowed, trying to find the courage to admit he'd fucked up. He'd let Liam go with someone that didn't treat him right. Despite conventional guidelines for a Master/slave relationship, they weren't good enough for Liam. Nothing was. And now Liam was stuck in that house.

"Liam called me just now."

"Is he okay?" Harry asked, in concern, as he stepped closer.

Zayn started to nod then dropped his head back to the desk. "I don't know." 

Niall put a firm hand on Zayn's shoulder. "Zayn, I need you to tell me what happened."

Zayn stood up abruptly, pushing off Niall's hold. "I don't know! He says he's okay, but he's lonely. Marcus never so much as looks at him and he called, begging me to help him."

"But he's not hurt, right? I know Marcus has always been a stern man, but never abusive."

Zayn shook his head solemnly. "At least then I'd have a reason to get him out of there."

"You don't mean that," Harry whispered in shock.

Zayn held a hand up. "Of course-No I don't. But I don't know what to do."

"What can you do, Zayn? You gave him to the one man that holds all of the power. Cross him and you can kiss everything we've worked for goodbye," Niall reminded.

Zayn put his hands to the desk and leaned his weight on them. "I know. Don't I fucking know? I thought...I thought he was a good one. Always seemed so good to us, you know?"

"Zayn," Niall started hesitantly. "You have to remember that the way we are with slaves, the way I treat Harry, isn't typical or even majorly accepted. The only reason we get away with it is because of who we are." Harry moved over to tuck himself under Niall's arm and kissed his jaw. "As long as Marcus isn't being abusive then he's behaving as, what sounds to me, a typical Master." 

"But its Liam," Zayn tried to explain with just those words.

"I know. And this isn't an I-told-you-so, but you shouldn't have let him go."

"I know that now! But what do I do?"

Niall was petting at the soft hairs on Harry's neck to keep himself calm. "There's nothing you can do, Zayn."

"No. No." Zayn grabbed his phone and keys before storming out of the office.

***

He was sure he was speeding all the way home, but he needed to get out of there, away from the truth of Niall's words, and somewhere he could work this out. Liam's text was still open and unanswered. Meet me at the movies.