Tell Me When it Hurts

11

E l e v e n : Tell Me When it Hurts

Standing behind Liam's desk in his office, Niall scans the surface grabbing the next picture frame. Folding white paper over the frame, he glances up to the guards at the door, "Can we have a minute?"

The men look at Liam who stands staring out the window, he's dressed in sweats and pouting that he even had to come. It took everything Niall had to convince him.

"Please," Niall asks again, softening his tone as he moves from the desk towards his dominant, "I'll be back in ten minutes. Don't leave this room,"

Liam scoffs hanging his head when the man had left his position, "I used to have the freedom to go anywhere in this building,"

"Do you want to talk about it?" Scanning the office, or what used to be, Liam shakes his head, "Not here." Niall nods coming behind Liam snaking his arms around his waist, "My answer would be yes,"

Liam turns in the hold staring at his submissive in confusion, "To what?"

"If I'd marry you. Yes."

Tears pool in the dominates eyes, he cups Niall's face leaning his forehead against the younger ones, "I'm unemployed, now isn't the time to plan a wedding," he muses, Niall chuckles pressing his lips to Liam's, "Maybe not, but, I just wanted you to know when you're ready, so am I."

With a parting kiss, Niall pulls away first returning to packing up Liam's desk, "Who was that person?"

"What person?"

"T-the name, E-Eleanor?" Niall had watched the fight at least fifty times on the news, he found himself jealous that he'd missed it. Of course, he wasn't pleased with Liam's actions, as violence is never the answer, but Harry deserved to feel like shit in Niall's humble opinion.

Liam sighs retreating from his spot at the window, "She was someone in Harry's life, I didn't know much of her until Harry and I passed Dominate school. She uh, she wanted him to test down and then from there it went downhill."

"Did he?"

"No, no they broke up actually. She was crazy, lied to him all the time." Furrowing his eyebrows Liam comes around his desk opening the first drawer bringing a sheet of paper to Niall's view, "She actually wrote me a letter that Harry had decided to run away with her and their baby,

I-I believed it when every time I called Harry's phone it said it was disconnected, and I couldn't get in touch with him."

Niall takes the letter chewing his bottom lip, "Where's the baby now?"

"There never was one, turns out she just told Harry to change his phone number and he did without telling me." He sighs taking the letter back in his hold pitching it in the bin, "I don't know why I kept it, but, she messed Harry up pretty bad."

Niall nods grabbing Liam's hand, "Where is she now?"

"A mental institution, Harry pays the bill every year to keep her locked in."

Handing Niall the keys to his SUV, Liam tells him to start the car as he grabs the last box taking one final look at his office. He smiles warmly feeling tears well in his eyes at the good times he had in the room.

Sniffling, Liam glances at the security guard he'd actually known for years that looks apologetically at him, "You know I trust you-"

"You're just doing your job," Liam assures exiting the room into the hallway, Qunicy passes by him as she heads towards Harry's door, she offers him a small smile, "Good luck-"

The door is pulled open revealing Harry standing there watching Liam freeze with his box in his hands, their eyes meet for the seconds of silence that linger in the room, "Mr.Payne."

"Mr.Styles," Liam returns adjusting his grip on the box as he tears his eyes from Harry's inhaling as he continues onward down the hall pressing the button for the elevator, "You still have two days,"

Liam announces from his spot knowing Harry was still watching him, he doesn't have to turn knowing the words either angered or saddened him, Liam was happy with any reaction, it meant he'd taken his medicine.

Shifting the car to park, Harry glances toward the passenger seat longingly,

Two Days.

He can't force himself to sleep in the bed alone again, and his back was killing him from spending the last two nights on the couch.

Pulling up his contact list Harry chews his bottom lip pressing CALL on Amelia's number, he remembered writing the email and deleting it after Quincy saw it. Harry didn't want to give himself the chance to fix things.

He didn't want to hurt anyone else.

Bracing himself for her angered tone for ringing her at the time of night.

"Hello?"

"H-hey, um," Harry clears his throat rubbing his neck, "I need the-the um,"

She grunts softly as if she had set up in bed, "He cried you know, cried the whole way to his brother's house. Apologized too,"

Harry winces hearing the reaction, "I can't do this," He whimpers tears spilling onto his cheeks, the woman sighs on the other end, "4562 Hemming Pass," Amelia informs softly, she hums into the phone keeping his attention with a yawn, "You'll need to ring me in the morning when I'm in front of my computer so we can drop the case."

Harry sniffles wiping his eyes as he clears his throat, "Does this happen often?" He can't help but ask the question, simply out of wanting to validate his own feelings, "Not often, but enough to know."

"If-if I do this, w-what-"

"Mr.Styles if you make this decision to drop the case Louis is yours. There won't be a rewrite or another case drawn up, not while I'm in the office. I won't see to it." All tiredness is erased from her voice, she lowers her tone ensuring Harry understood the seriousness of the situation.

The man nods chewing the inside of his cheek, he glances at the address he'd typed into his phone, seeing it was across town, exhaling deeply he flickers his stare to the empty passenger seat moving towards the backseat, "Ok-okay. Okay. Drop the case."

"We'll speak in the morning then, have a good evening."