✓ Meanwhile [h.styles]

.one.

Harry has his head tilted back, lips bent in a twisted smile because he's bored and there's a bruise forming on the left side of his face where he was just punched. He's clenching and unclenching his hands while his eyes focus on the crumpled body on the cement. He's always hated finishing business in alleyways, but nights like this where the sky is dark and the lights are dim make it all worthwhile.

He's tired and wants to go home but Liam is late and he's about to dial his number when the sound of a car approaching makes him sigh in relief.

The police car parks right by his own car and Harry doesn't look at the man when he steps out from behind the wheel. Instead, he keeps his eyes on his hands, frowning at how dry they feel.

"I'm late, I'm late. Sorry, I got held up and-"

He raises a hand to stop him right there, finally looking up. Liam still has his uniform on, badge catching glares from Harry's  car's headlights. "Just get rid of it," he says in a defeated tone, blinking slowly.

He almost thinks nothing of the sound of a car horn interrupting the silence, but then he freezes, eyes stuck on Liam whose eyes are just wide enough to let him know he's nearly scared to death.

"Liam," Harry clears his throat, removing his back from his own vehicle as he advances slowly toward the other one. "Who's in the car?"

"That's-that's um. She's not a snitch or anything like that. She-she won't, like, go out and-"

He cuts him off with a bitter laugh. He really trusted Liam, was all, only to find out the confidentiality he thought they had going on was a lie. "Who the fuck is in the goddamn car?" He squints his eyes against the tinted glass, rubbing at his chin when he catches some movement. "Get out!"

"Harry, she's just a friend. She needed a ride and then you called and I didn't want to keep you waiting for so long so-"

"Get out!" The thought of being outed in such an inept and careless way makes his mind swim and all he has in his gun is one bullet. One bullet and two people who know his face, one who knows his history.

As soon as he gives a violent glare at Liam over his shoulder, the front door opens and a girl stumbles out. His immediate reaction is to take hold of her arm to keep her from falling to the ground.

When she flinches away and pulls her arm back with wild, brown eyes he smiles.

He licks his lips before looking back at Liam who seems too afraid to step forward. The crumpled body on the floor catches the girls attention and that's all it takes for Harry to remember the severity of the situation.

"What's your name?" He asks, eyes tracing her wet ones, heavy pulse at her neck, and then dropping to her shaking hands. She's shaking but he's not convinced it's because of the weather. She has on a striped shirt with jeans tight enough so the shape of her legs show.

The girl takes a step away from him, eyes almost pleading with Liam whose eyes have ashamedly dropped to the dead body he has yet to take care of yet.

"Stripes." He calls her out to get her attention again. "Your name. I want your name."

She looks up at him and then diverts her eyes, instead going up to the sky. "Astraya."

"I need a full name, Astraya."

"Astraya Mack."

Liam clears his throat from where he's standing. "She's not a threat."

"I don't trust you, Liam."

"Harry-"

Harry holds up a hand, turning his head to get a look at the other man. "You're lucky I'm not giving you and your friend a bullet to swallow."

The girl —Astraya— lets out a sound that makes him roll his eyes.

"I'll keep an eye on the both of you, but as soon as I sense fuckery, you're wiped out," he smiles at the girl, unbuttoning the top buttons of his jacket. It's been suffocating him for quite some time. "And Liam?" He keeps his eyes on hers, waiting for her to look away first but her gaze is unmoving against his.

"Yeah. Yes?" The unease in his voice lets Harry know he's done his job for tonight.

He glances at the body on the ground and grows annoyed at the fact that some of the blood on its knuckles is his. "I want that thing taken care of and I don't want this to repeat itself."

"It won't, I swear."

With that, he stalks back to his car, gets behind the wheel, and starts the engine. Before he settles his hands on the wheel, he reaches for the hand sanitizer in the middle console, wanting desperately to take a shower and go to bed.

The pressure of knowing he'll have to monitor both Liam and his friend Astraya already tire him, but he swallows it back and focuses on finishing the rest of the night.

(A/n: Really excited for this.

First chapters have never been my strong suit which is why this is short, but I hope it's enough to draw in your attention?

Also, please excuse any errors.)