The Chase [Watty's2018]

Seven

Liam

Louis shot awake after a while. His breaths were uneven and it looked like he was about to start crying.

"Lou, are you okay?" I moved closer to him, but he started shaking his head and moving away.

"You promised," he said. "You gave me back to them, and said that I just got in the way..." His voice kept breaking as he spoke.

"Louis, that wasn't real. I wouldn't ever do that to you." I took a few steps closer to him as I talked. "You're the most important thing in the world to me." A few more steps. "If they ever took you back, I would die trying to get you back, okay?" At this point I was in front of him.

Louis didn't look up at me. "Loubear, please."

"You said that you didn't care about what happened to me," Louis said, looking up at me finally. His frown was a smile now as he wrapped his arms around me. "But it wasn't true."

I let out a breath I didn't know I was holding. I don't know what'd I do if he wouldn't have thought about it.

"Okay, hate to break up a tender moment, but I'm going to get some food. I'll be back before dark," Niall said.

"Okay, see you in a bit," I said.

Louis pulled away and moved back, drawing random lines in the grass.

Zayn walked over to us, looking uncertain. "Do you guys all do specific things, or..?"

I shrugged. "Not really. Niall usually goes for food because his dad taught him about it. Other than that not really."

He nodded, and I saw Louis smiling at him.

"What has you all smiley?" I asked. He just shrugged and continued playing with the grass.

*-*-*-*

"Why isn't Niall back yet?" I asked to no one in particular. It wasn't quiet dark yet but he still normally would have been back by now.

Louis sat up from where he was watching the tops of the trees. "Shouldn't he be back?"

"He said until dark," Zayn threw in.

"He never takes that long," I responded, standing. "I'm going to go look for him. Lou-" I looked at Zayn and sighed. "Stay here with Zayn. We'll be back soon."

Louis and Zayn nodded. I walked closer to Zayn. "Don't hurt him. I swear."

He nodded quickly and I turned and started walking in the direction that Niall had.

I could see bare spots for where he was getting berries and things of the sort, but after a while there weren't any.

"Niall?" I called out.

I heard some type of movement coming from the left. I followed it and saw Niall upside down, hanging from a branch of a tree.

"Niall, what the hell?"

He shrugged the best he could while being upside down and rolled his eyes. "I thought it'd be fun."

I climbed up the tree and moved to the branch he was hanging from and pulled him up. I worked to untie his ankles. "I could have done that," he whined.

I felt myself smile a little. "Well, now I'm doing it."

Niall just shook his head while having a small smile on his face. I just grinned at him while I finished getting the rope off of him.

"I could have zapped it and let you fall," I said with a smirk on my face.

He just rolled his eyes. "No, you wouldn't of."

I shook my head. "I dunno. If you keep getting caught up like this, I might just have to next time."

Niall laughed before nudging me towards the trunk of the tree.

I quickly climbed down with Niall following me.

"Help me get the food?"

I nodded. "Let's go."

#######

Louis

Zayn and I sat across from the other in the middle of the clearing. We had started a game he called '20 Questions".

Basically we just ask each other questions to get to know each other.

Zayn started. "How old are you?"

"17. You?"

He smiled. "20. Who's your favorite person, ever?"

"Liam, he's the only person I really know."

"Mines probably Justin Timberlake."

I nodded even though I had no idea who that was. "What is your least favorite thing?"

"This running shit," Zayn answered. I nodded in agreement.

"Have you ever had chocolate milk?" Zayn asked.

I shook my head. "I don't think I've ever had anything but water. Is there anything but water, besides chocolate milk?" I asked with a smile.

"Ohhhhh, oh. You are so getting chocolate milk and soda. They are must haves in life."

I just started laughing at how serious he was acting.

"This isn't a joking matter. Seriously, people in the Labs can't even afford to give you chocolate milk?" He was flailing his arms around, making me laugh even harder.

"You sir, do not understand the seriousness of this," was his final statement before he started laughing with me.

Liam and Niall had come back later, more berries and such with them. I grabbed a few different berries and ate them at once, to mix the flavors.

"How long have you ate just berries and mangled carrots?" Zayn asked.

"Since we got out, like what.."

"Four days ago, I think," Niall finished for Liam.

"There's a town close by, so tomorrow, we get real food," Zayn said, a smirk playing on his face.

"And chocolate milk?" I asked, an eyebrow raised.

"And chocolate milk," he confirmed.