Chapter Text
Sitting in the waiting room in a hospital in Central London was the last thing Harry had imagined when he woke up this morning and decided that he would walk to work instead of taking the tube like normal. The sky had been clear blue for the first time in months and the prospect of having to spend all day in the dance studio rehearsing put him right off the prospect of joining the throngs of people on the 7:30am circle line train from Notting Hill Gate. God he wished they'd just got the tube but Liam had been all too happy to agree with him. Bloody Liam and his eagerness to please people. He couldn't imagine what he looked like to his fellow waiting room compatriots. Sat there in dance leggings, an AC/DC jumper and a purple bandana in his hair he couldn't contrast more with the creams and pastels of the others, most of whom were about three times his age. He suppose he shouldn't be surprised - this was a private Chelsea hospital - not the hospital he as used to in Crewe near Holmes Chapel. Harry tossed his phone nervously between his hands - waiting anxiously for the receptionist or a Doctor to call his name. They wouldn't call out Liam's name - not if they didn't want to start a national panic. The phone call to Liam's assistant had been bad enough. He knew he wasn't popular as it was- Liam was not meant to be dating a dancer from London's ballet who dabbled too much in the 'hipster' scene for his families liking.
Harry looked up rapidly when he heard the waiting room door slam open with a red faced Niall falling through the door. Niall and Harry were really not a good advert for the London Ballet- for people who had built their careers on being graceful and precise - you couldn't meet two people more clumsy. Spotting Harry and ignoring the glares he was being shot, Niall rushed over to Harry pushing his Ray Bans up onto to his bleached hair.
"What the fucks happened mate?"
Now they were really glaring. Harry normally loved Niall's unabashed volume but right now he was already in enough shit as it was. Being kicked out of the waiting room would solidify to Liam's family - who had never even met- that Harry was not a suitable partner for their son. That was if their son was still alive- why the fuck was no one telling him what was going on? Niall ignored the glares and threw himself next to Harry , flinging an arm affectionately around his shoulders.
" Car came out of nowhere - Li stepped out - knocked him straight off of his feet. He hit his head on the curb."
An unusual look distress passed over Niall's face.
"He's not dead..." Harry shook his head rapidly
"No .."
"We'll thank fuck for that - can't have you killing off the third in line to the throne."
Harry glanced round anxiously but thankfully no one seemed to have heard what Niall had said. To him Liam was just Li- the boy who had won over his heart more than anyone ever had - and he forgot that to everyone else he was Prince Liam.
"Thanks for reminder Niall. Can't say the first time I wanted to meet his family is in a hospital."
"I thought you had met .."
" Nope - Liam said they had some urgent change of plan. Basically they don't want to acknowledge I exist." Niall squeezed Harry's shoulders.
"Hey- they don't know what they're missing out on. Liam's lucky to have you."
" Thanks - I'll try and remember that when the Queen is asking me why I almost killed her grandson."