Capture (A Liam AU)

Forty-One

It had been a week since I'd walked out of Liam's apartment, I was done waiting for him to come find me, he'd made his choice and I was making mine. "Morning sweetie, " Harry purred in my ear walking me up. I rolled over in his bed snuggling closer to him.

"No, it's Saturday." I grumbled not opening my eyes.

"I have a surprise for you baby." He said cheerfully.

"Is it more sleep?" I yawned still not opening my eyes.

Harry laughed. "No!" He started tickling me as I thrashed about the sheets giggling and avoiding his hands.

"Ok, ok! I'm up." I conceded. Harry smiled at me then kissed me.

"You look amazing in the morning." He sighed with goo-goo eyes.

I smiled. "You're a really good liar!" I shoved him and flopped back down pulling the covers over my head. He laughed crawling under the covers to find me. It was warm under the sheets as we settled nose to nose with each other.

"I still have a surprise for you." Harry teased.

"And what is that babe?" I asked.

He held up a shiny bass key. "Your very own key to my place."

I stared at him for a moment. "Wait, seriously?"

"If you want it." He smiled. "I'm not asking you to be anything you don't want to be, but I dunno," He shrugged unsure of himself. "I just know I like it when you stay over."

I leaned over and kissed him passionately. "Is that a yes?" He asked.

"Of course!" I hugged him happily as he tackled me deeper into the sheets making me laugh.

"I hope you don't think your getting your own key to my place just yet Styles!" I teased.

"Of course not! Doesn't matter anyway." He said with a cheeky little grin.

"Oh how's that?"

"Two reasons." He winked resting on his stomach with his elbows propping him up. I twirled his hair as he spoke. "First, because there is no way I'm letting you leave this bed."

"Mmm," I winked flirtatiously. "And the second reason?"

"I won't really need a key because I'm just gonna knock out the wall between our apartments and make one super flat." He joked.

"Aren't you Mr. handy man!"

I left a few hours later going back to my own apartment unlocking the door before stepping in and closing it with a click of the lock behind me. Harry's new shinny key dangling from my key ring as I set them on the counter.

Louis was sat on the barstool eating breakfast a reading the paper. He looked slightly yellow due to the shade of his healing bruises. "Morning." He spoke not looking up from the paper he read. "How was your night?" He asked me.

"It was nice, you?"

"Lonely." Louis grunted. "How's the boyfriend?"

"He isn't my boyfriend, knock it off." I roll my eyes as I pour myself a cup of coffee from the pot. "We're just — I dunno what we are," I shrugged "but I'm happy. He gave me a key to his place."

If Louis was surprised he hid it well. "That's a big deal Emma. Congrats!"

"Anything?" I asked crossing over to him. This was our daily routine for a week now. He'd do research to find Dani, and I'd leave him to do it giving him the safe harbor he needed to do it.

"Nothing, how can that be?" He asked desperately.

I put my hand on his shoulder and squeezed gently. "I'm sure she is fine." The same words I tell him everyday.

"I can't sit here on my ass any longer. I'm going back." He slapped the paper on the counter standing up.

"Back?" I asked. "Louis you can't just walk back into Trey's gang. He tried to shoot you before!"

"I would give my life to even just see her once more." He said firmly.

"And if she isn't there?" I asked.

"I'll find her. I will." He seemed to be trying to convince himself more than me.

"Louis please don't go." I grabbed his arm as he reached for the door.

"Thank you for letting me stay for so long Emma. But now I have to go. I have to see her." He held me tightly wrapping his hand on the back of my head, tugging me close, then placing a soft kiss to my forehead. "I hope you and your guy are happy Em, you deserve to be happy." He whispered.

Then he was gone.

...

I looped my arm in Harry's as we walked home from dinner. It was getting colder as the English winter threatened to reign over the county. "Smells like snow." Harry breathed in the crisp autumn air.

"It's only October." I noted.

"Doesn't matter love you're in England now."

"How about some cocoa?" I suggested. "Keep us warm."

"I had another suggestion to stay warm babe." Harry teased playfully.

"I'm sure you do." I giggled.

We walked into the apartment building and over to our mailboxes. I took out my key as Harry answered his phone. "I can't talk about work right now." Harry huffed into the receiver while I scanned the letters and bills addressed to me.

Bill, junk, junk, more junk, another bill, an envelope with Emma scrawled on the paper and no return address. Curiously I ripped open the yellow envelope and pulled out the parchment paper inside.

Emma,

I'm safe.

Louis

That's all it said as I flipped over the paper to see if there was more. Harry ended the call while I tucked the note back into its envelope and locked my mailbox back up. "Anything interesting?" He asked taking my hand in his.

"Bills." I told him wrinkling my nose. I still hadn't mentioned Louis too him at all, I wasn't exactly hiding it but I just felt like it wasn't my place to rat out Louis. We took the lift up to our floor and went to my apartment. I went into the kitchen and started to warm some, milk up for cocoa while Harry hit the couch.

Humming to myself while I made our drinks and not realizing that Harry had gone quiet, by the time I was finished I walked the mug of warm cocoa over to a sleeping Harry. Smiling I pulled the blanket over him and set his cup back on the counter by Louis' letter.

I snatched it up quickly and made my way over to the front door. Glancing back to Harry making sure he was asleep I crossed over to Liam's side of the hall reaching up to knock on his door. About an inch separated my knuckles from hitting the wooden door as I panicked suddenly. I didn't want to see him, but I did, but I didn't. My mind went back and forth like a tennis ball mid game.

Deciding that I did not want to see him I put my fist down holding the letter with both hands now. I tapped the thick paper between my thumb and pointer finger. Then quickly before I could regret the decision I slipped it under Liam's door and out of sight.

I went back into my own apartment and curled up next to Harry watching tv. He stirred awake after a little.

"Hi sleepy-head." I cooed as he lazily snuggled into me, I played with his curls.

"I'm not a great date am I?"

"You're the perfect date." I leaned down and kissed him, our lips connected sideways. I pulled out of the kiss whispering "I love you" before leaning back to his kiss. I felt his smile against mine and for the first time I knew I truly did love him.

Liam didn't even enter my mind.