Broken Glass [h.s.]

thirteen

Dove

The steps fade away and I slide down to the floor, my back against the wall of the dark tunnel. I shiver as a freezing wind gets channeled inside, the air too cold and the walls too large for any warmth to come in. I touch my backpack, but before I even open it I realise that Max was keeping my blanket, because I was keeping the food. I detach my back from the cold wall hoping to restore at least an appearance of warmth as Styles sits down as well.

"If you wanted to be on top of me you could've just asked" he jokes about what happened, "You elbowed me in the ribs quite hard." I hear a little sound, and then a small light lights up the darkness surrounding us, making Styles's green eyes shine.

I glare at him, but he doesn't even flinch under my gaze. "Shut the fuck up, Styles" I reply, not feeling like keeping up with his bullshit at all.

"Back to Styles now? You know, Harry suits me better" he says, referring to the way I said his first name when I checked if he was okay.

"I thought you were about to die, just wanted to grant your last wish" I hiss at him before standing up and walking further into the tunnel.

I hear the scramble of him getting up as well behind me. "Hey!" He calls after me, walking towards me in long strides, "I was just being sarcastic."

I turn around and give him a death glare. "Being sarcastic? A question, does this seem to you the kind of situation in which it's socially acceptable for you to be sarcastic? One of your guards died, the other disappeared and probably died as well, we're here and we're potentially lost because I don't think we got in here from the right entrance, it's dark, it's cold, and I'm stuck with you! I'd rather be stuck in here with Liam Payne himself than you."

"Now that's a bit presumptuous of you, isn't it? It's not like I wanted this to happen" he hissed back, "If you hate me this much, why didn't you just let me die? I didn't see that man, and if you hadn't pushed me away he would've had the perfect shot. Why didn't you?"

"I didn't do it for you" I snap back, shutting him up. "Fuck, we are so screwed. What are we even gonna do!"

"It's not as bad as it seems" Styles murmurs, "I'm sure we'll figure something out."

"It's not bad?!" I say exasperatedly. "Have you realised the situation we are in? We are alone in the tunnels, with barely the food we need to go on for a week, needless to say I'm quite sure we're lost! And do you know what's the best part?" I ask him, and he shakes his head, a mildly amused look on his face, proving me that he hasn't even realised the gravity of the situation. "The best part is" I repeat, "that we don't even have the damn map!"

As soon as I say that his eyes widen, showing that he hadn't noticed yet.

I sigh, wondering how we'll even manage to get out of the tunnels alive. The fact that those people, whoever they are, could be right scares me to no end. I've taken a good enough look at the map to realise that the tunnels are more like an intricate labyrinth, there's hardly a way out unless someone knows where to go. And we don't.

"You hadn't even thought about that, had you?" I say to Styles. "Aaron had the map. Aaron is gone. The map is gone."

He pales, worry flashing behind his eyes at the realisation. I frown, realising that I've never seen him scared before.

"What is it, Styles?" I address him, for some unknown reason enjoying the feeling of power that comes with him retreating. "Are you feeling powerless for the first time? First time the world doesn't follow your every wish, is that right?"

"There's no reason to be a bitch about it" he replies, "Because the thing is, guess who's here with me? You are. You are just as screwed as I am. How cool is that?"

"Bet you'd like to see me quiver, wouldn't you?" I hiss back, determined in not letting the fear I'm feeling show. I know we're screwed, it's almost impossible for us to find the right way out at this point.

"Not one of my main interests at the moment, actually. I've already seen that anyway. Looked like a poor little deer facing a predator that day in my gardens" he replies with a snicker when he realises that his words actually got to me. "Was I not supposed to say it? It looks like you aren't as strong as you pretend to be."

"You know what, after the way you reacted when Max got shot I actually believed there was a little humanity inside of you. Great to know you're the same asshole you always are instead, can't exactly say it's brand news!" I turn around, starting to walk in the opposite direction. I don't really know where I'm going, but all I can think about is being as far as possible from him.

I hear him sighing before reaching out to grab my arm. "Wait!" He says, and I stop again, without turning around. "I know that you don't like me at all, but maybe we should put this aside for a while. We're alone here now, aren't we? We can't keep arguing, you need me and I need you."

I snort and sit down on the floor, recognising that he's right.

He sits down next to me putting his backpack between his legs and opening it, taking a blanket out. He puts it around his shoulders and lifts a corner in my direction. "I know Aaron has yours" he simply says, and I say nothing. "It's cold" he adds, trying to convince me, and I slide next to him with a sigh, allowing him to wrap a blanket-covered arm around my shoulders as well.

Tiredly, I put my head in the corner of his shoulder and he shivers when my cold nose grazes his neck. "Sorry" I whisper, before adding something else. "I hate you."

He hugs me tighter. "I know."