A Touch of Cinnamon ✓

t h i r t y - t w o | betrayals and backstabbers

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HS

They're just staring at each other.

Through the glass that has fingerprints on it from who knows how many others that have sat in the very same spot, they just stare.

No words spoken - not yet, at least.

And Harry has no idea what to do.

Should he say something?

Should he reach out and take Niall's hand so Niall can find the strength he needs?

Should he just sit and stare at the man on the other side of the glass?

He's not sure what he should do, though he feels that there is something he should do.

If only he could figure out what that is.

"Why did you do it?" Niall speaks first, the words falling off his tongue with an ease Harry had not expected. This is hard, Niall should be having a hard time. How could he have said it so easily?

He doesn't say anything in response.

Harry doesn't know what to expect.

Is he going to deny it?

Explain himself?

Is he going to pretend that he has no idea what's happened?

Harry almost wants to flip a coin and take a shot at what he thinks may happen, that's how much he doesn't know.

But he still doesn't answer, not even when minutes of heavy, tense silence pass between the three of them.

Niall has to resist the urge to lunge at him, the glass in between proving to be a very formidable opponent. If only he could break through it, maybe then he'd be able to strangle the man sitting on the other side of it.

"Why did you do it? Answer me!" The words suddenly do not sound so easy as Niall shouts them. This is more what Harry was expecting. Anger. Pain. Emotions.

"James-"

"No, you don't get to do that," Niall cuts him off, "I just want a fucking answer," His voice is low, anger simmering just below the surface, and Harry is afraid he's going to combust at any moment. Niall doesn't usually swear, and Harry almost does a double take at the words.

"I wanted to punish you. Hurt you," He finally admits, Niall practically scoffing at the response.

"More than you already have? I didn't deserve it, I don't deserve any of this!"

"I couldn't have you! I just wanted you and I couldn't have you so I wanted to make you hurt the way I'm hurting!"

Niall freezes at his words, sitting back in his chair as he mulls them over.

"I just love you so much, James," He's crying then. Niall and Harry are both shocked at the turn of events. Never before in all the time Niall has known him, Damon has never cried.

But here he is, sat before Niall and Harry, crying.

And Niall has to squeeze his hands into fists to ignore the burning desire to hold onto the man he loved, as he had for so many years.

As he had when he was just a child.

But he is no longer a child, and Damon is no longer the one he loves.