dysfunction ➳ l.s ✔

16. A.M.

Nothing had prepared Louis for that moment. He'd never considered leaving his younger brother and mom to run away with a boy on such short notice. Let alone a cute boy he'd only known for a month. A cute, small boy with curly chestnut hair and dimples that perked up whenever he smiled. A cute, curly haired, boy with eyes as green as freshly cut grass in late June.  A beautiful, beautiful boy. So when said boy was to ask to run away together, only hours after their shared intimacy, who was Louis to deny him?

He and Harry were driving through dusk the following night with wildly naive grins planted across both their faces. Harry had to wonder though, as they pulled into the familiar patch of land that they called 'home', who this car actually belonged to. How did Louis get it so quickly when in fact, he'd been taking the bus to school all year long?

He had to ask.

"Who's car is this?" It was an averagely priced car, nothing extravagant. Red with a streak of black, painted on the right side. A car built for the perfect amount of speed. Not that young Harry noticed any of these things. He did notice, however, the distinct way that Louis' jaw clenched at the question.

"It used to be mine," is all Louis says before cutting the engine and jumping into the back seat of the car. He covered himself with a blanket and closed his eyes as an attempt to block out further questioning.

"Used to?" Harry pried. Louis let out an exasperated sigh that Harry ignored.

"It's a long story," Louis finished.

"We have more than en-"

"I don't want to talk about it!" Louis snapped. Harry flinched at the elder's sudden change in tone.

"I'm sorry, love." Harry frowned, hoping Louis would forgive him.

"Come over here, Hazza. I'm sorry." Louis made room for the two of them in the claustrophobic space. The smaller boy crawled into his boyfriend's arms and let his muscles relax.

"It's strange, you know. How I can be so attached to someone I've only just met this year." Louis spoke up, his arms tightening around his tired counterpart.

"I don't think so," Harry whispered, "I think that's just it. That's how love works."

"We can't stay here forever, you know?" Louis finally says the words that the two had been thinking about for hours.

"It's nearly December, snow is bound to pour in any day now." Louis sighed, "we'll freeze to death out here." He tries not to mention that the car, being as old as it is, cannot take on the responsibility of keeping the two warm in the winter.

"I know, I would if I could though," Harry paused, "stay here, I mean."

Louis nodded his head slightly, mumbling two small words before letting sleep take him.

"Me too."

~*~

Meanwhile, Zayn was stressing relentlessly over the absence of his stepson. He wouldn't stop pestering Niall with questions but did his best to keep hateful slurs towards Louis to a minimum, for the sake of his reputation in front of the police.

"Do you have any reason to believe that your son ran away?" A sweaty man in a cheap gray suit questioned as he scribbled gibberish onto a notepad.

Zayn was clawing at the skin beneath his eyes, in frustration. "He didn't run away! I told you already, it's that boy! He's older!"

The sweaty man, turned to a larger, pinker, man in a white button up. They exchanged looks that Niall thought, expressed that they knew more than what they let on.

"Right, the Tomlinson boy." Zayn didn't give them much attention. A couple of bloody idiots, for all he knew. He focused on Niall. Poor, poor Niall. Zayn stared holes into the young boys skull.

"Niall, I know you love Harry. So, please, if you know anything, anything at all," Zayn kneaded next to the nervous blonde, "please, tell me. Do you know where my son is?"

Niall felt frightened. More than frightened, the boy was terrified. More than that, though he felt pity for Zayn. All the man wanted was for his boy to be safe at home. He could see Zayn crying out in abandonment on the inside.

Niall shook his head with a solemn frown.

"I don't know where he is." Zayn dropped his head and let himself cry for the first time that night.

"But, I do know how to get him home."

Hope you enjoy :) it's 10 days overdue. I apologize. - weirdo x