Fallen Hard

Benign

  Once in a lifetime

  It's just right

We are always safe

~~~

Three months had passed since the day Liam came to know about  the Cadwalader execution, the tabloids had named it the Cadwalader  Execution Affair.  And as Jonathan had predicted, the Affair became one of the widely publicized trial in centuries, everybody in Vampyre Nation closely following the trial. It made it look like Zayn was executing the family out of justice rather than his own cruel intentions.

 Three months since Ignatius and his family were placed under arrest, and interviews of the Cadwaladers were all over the holovision. 

He barely knew it, the three months had gone by and it was December already. He had almost forgotten about Zayn and was returning back to being himself with his siblings, but the luxurious gifts still came around as if reminding Liam the inevitable. He really wished that Zayn wasn't that interested in him as much as he thought he was, that none of this was because he had caught the King's eyes, that the Cadwaladers Execution Affair wasn't because of him. But he knew that all of this was because of him and he could do nothing to change it.

The Cadwaladers were kept prisoners in Lord Aldebourne's manor and Liam could visit Ignatius in the pretext of visiting his eldest sister, Narcissa. Lord Aldebourne knew about Liam's intentions but turned a blind eye to it. Liam brought opulent food and clothes for Ignatius whenever he came over to the Aldebourne's.

Rebecca was acting a little nicer towards him- as nice as she could be- and he was fine with whatever affection his sister could show. Zayn was fading into the background, and everything felt it was back to normal- not as normal as it was before Zayn came into his life.

And it has only been three months since the man with the green eyes had saved Liam on that fateful night and he had not seen him since then.

------

Liam hadn't expected it at all, but he showed up at the Payne Manor, his hair a wild brown mess, his sea green eyes sparkling. He brought news, and it was not any news. The King was coming down to judge the Cadwaladers' final trial.

He asked to speak with Liam in private, with an easy smile on his face as if what he just said about the King's arrival wasn't a source of disturbance to the family. Liam had to oblige, after all a human could not refuse a vampire's wishes.

"I had no idea that you were the one my friend was crazy about. And I must say, he has made quite a good choice", Harry said, with an expression of amusement on his face.

Liam was not expecting compliments, he had rather been waiting to be questioned about that night.

"By the way, I am the one who saved you that night, in case you forgot." He said after a long pause.

"I know", was all Liam said.

"Do you want to talk about it?" He asked with a kind smile, looking at the boy walking beside him.

When he didn't receive an answer, Harry moved forward towards the woods not expecting Liam to follow, but he did. When they reached a willow tree, Liam finally spoke up.

"Why did you save me?"

"Well, I guess most people would thank the person who saved them and not question why they did it," Harry said, letting out a light laugh.

Liam remained silent before looking up at Harry again. "As far as I've heard vampires always want something in return when they help humans." 

Harry wasn't paying attention at all. He was fascinated by  Liam's innocence, his brown eyes holding curiosity and a shadow of doubt, questioning Harry, holding him prisoner with the way his lips moved.

"So what do you want?", Liam finally managed to blurt it out, after contemplating for a long moment on how to ask Harry.

"Huh?" Harry was beyond confused. "I don't want anything, Liam. I saved you because I wanted to." He smiled at the boy before turning back and proceeding to sit under the shadow of the willow tree.

"Wanna join me?" He patted the grass next to him. Liam hesitated for a moment before joining him on the grass.

"Do you want to tell me why did you do it?" Harry asked after a few moments of silence.

Liam remained silent, picking at the grass, avoiding looking at Harry.

"I saved your life, so I deserve an answer." 

When he didn't receive an answer, he picked up a twig from the ground and started poking Liam's arms with it. "C'mon now. You know, you can trust me."

Liam looked at Harry poking him playfully, but he couldn't bring himself to smile. "Why do you care anyway? We humans hardly have any control over our lives and having to obey whatever a vampire demands from us is.. it's... it's just so hard," Liam was on the verge of crying, the tears pricking at his eyes. 

He couldn't imagine what it would be like having to oblige by whatever a vampire said, but that couldn't be a reason to die. "Hey, that is not reason enough to take your own life..." before he could say more, Liam was already talking.

"Being a human, I have to live by the rules of the society, however unjust it is. I don't have any control over my life. Not the present nor the future. If a vampire fancied me, I have to become his possession, i have no say in what I want in life. Do you know how powerless that makes you feel?" Liam was crying already, hot tears streaming down his face as images of Zayn and his offer came to his mind. He couldn't even resist the King, it was his duty to do what he demands.

"Hey, don't cry. Shh..." Harry knew whom Liam was talking about and he couldn't do anything to comfort the boy other than offer a shoulder to cry on. Sure, he could try talking to Zayn but who was he kidding here? Zayn always got what he wanted, and he would do anything to get it. And he had tried making all of this easy for Liam by talking to Zayn, but Zayn was the way he was and he just didn't seem to get that what he was doing was only making Liam hate him more. Ever since he saved Liam that night, Harry felt a need to protect the brown eyed boy at all times. A weird sense of responsibility towards the boy that he could not explain.

He pulled the trembling boy into his arms while gently rubbing his shoulder, whispering "Everything will be okay", but knowing nothing ever will be. Liam knew it too, but being in Harry's arms, he felt like everything would be okay. He felt safe, safer than being in Ignatius' arms. Never did he think that being in a vampire's arms would feel remotely close to safe, but it was surprisingly the safest he had ever felt. Maybe it was the way Harry smiled, or maybe just him.

~~~

Vote and comment if you enjoyed the chapter! :)

QOTC: What do you think the willow tree represents? (Something related to how Liam perceives Harry to be. I'm dropping a major hint here, y'all!)

All the love,

A