You're armed, I'm dangerous - Larry Stylinson

2

"Niall?" The blonde across the range from him looked up, "Have you ever felt like you're in open heart surgery without anesthesia?" Niall paused, "Can't say I have." Harry nodded, "Ever been shot in the chest?" Niall furrowed his eyebrows, "Harry? Is something going on?"

"They've pulled me back into action, Ni." He said quietly. Niall put down the small pistol he was holding and turned to look at the disheveled boy behind him. Harry was propped against the bullet proof glass in pale blue wide leg jeans and a brightly patterned shirt, his normally neat hair was tossed into a ponytail and dark circles had appeared back under his eyes.

"God Harry, are you alright?" The taller shook his head, "I don't want to go back." Niall bit his lip in thought, "Do you have a choice?" Harry shook his head, "No, it's this new kid on the block, they need me back." Niall sighed, "Yeah, that new kid, Raven or something right?" Harry nodded, "That's the one, anything on him in the academy?"

Niall shook his head. "Nah, but I'm on the gossip vine so I'll check around see what we can find out, okay?" Niall placed the gun into the holster by the booth, pulling his headphones down as he walked over to Harry. "Okay?" Harry nodded, melting into the hug that Niall had offered, "I just wanted to save people, Ni." Niall reached up and petted the back of his head swaying slightly. "You did, you saved so many people, including me, remember?" Harry nodded sniffing into Niall's shoulder "Ni?" "Mm?"

"Sometimes I wonder if I feel too much, think too much, to the point that now reality is crushing the life out of me and I don't know what to do, I just want it to stop, this bloodshed that is passed down in my family, I want it to stop with me, I can't let this happen to my children just because their last name is Styles."

"It won't, do y'know why?" Harry shook his head. "Because you feel, you feel too much, you feel enough and you feel more than them, Harry your empathy is a gift and a curse, the ability to feel in your profession - in our profession is often lost in training, so to be honest the fact that you still have yours is pretty fucking amazing and if your family can't see that then that's on them and it's not your fault."

Harry smiled and pulled back as tears moved freely down his face, "Thanks Ni, you don't know what it means to hear you say that, but I have to go - remember I'd take a bullet for you." Niall grinned back. "And I'd take a nerf bullet for you." Harry rolled his eyes, "As if a sniper would still be breathing within 200 meters of you if you were their target."

"Come back alive, yeah?" Harry shrugged, "I always come back breathing, being alive is something different entirely." Niall smiled, "Ever philosophical, you know what I meant." Harry shrugged, "See you later, Ni." The door swung shut behind him as Niall chuckled and pulled the ear defenders back on.

-

"Styles." Harry nodded. "Walsh." The office was what could only be called bland, it was completely monochrome and just totally stereotypical tv drama mafia boss. "It's been too long since you've been in kid, what's been going on?" Harry rolled his eyes, "Paramedic training on top of my medical training." The other man nodded, "Mm, interesting it's been what? Four years now?" Harry nodded, "Left the business when I was eighteen, I seem to recall us having had that conversation."

"Course we have Styles, just wanted to check your memory." Harry smirked, "Course, sir." The other man raised an eyebrow. "None of that sarcasm with me Styles. We're both the best in our field, we are at an impasse." Harry leant forward onto the desk, rings clicking on the dark wood. "I was under the impression that Cowell was gaining power." He smiled, an old glint coming into his eyes.

"Of course not, Cowell is not even close to my empire." Harry leant his face down closer to the other man, "Not what I've heard, and besides if that was true, I wouldn't be here, we both know I'm your last resort." Walsh sighed, "Styles, enough." Harry shrugged and flopped back down into the red armchair opposite the desk. "Alright Walsh, why am I here?"

"I've got an assignment for you." Harry nodded, tossing a loose curl behind his ear, "Alright then, where's my suit?" A file was placed onto the eerily empty desk. "Exactly where you left it, fixed and cleaned of course but we haven't changed the room."

"Interesting, I thought I had made it very clear I didn't want to be one of your playing pieces again." The shorter man cowered, "You were never one of my playing pieces." Harry chuckled, "You're right, I was far too good for that."

He snatched the file up off the desk and headed over to the door, "If that's all Walsh?" The other man nodded as Harry disappeared further into the house.