Archive of Our Own ^beta

Chapter Text

The aftermath of the 'Wave' left the entirety of human race questioning themselves and the life in which they once knew. When the virus first started, it was the weak and vulnerable that were affected, and it could only be transferred through blood, but as time went on, we started to see that you could contract the virus through the air, and suddenly, nothing became safe.

The most frightening thing about this virus is that there were no symptoms. It took complete control over your memories and your morals. Completely changed the way you see the world, but on the outside, you look exactly the same. No fever, no rash, no visual symptoms at all.

And with that, it meant you couldn't trust anyone. Not your friends, not your neighbours, not even your loved ones. It felt as if no one and nowhere was safe.

I saw the effects of this 'Wave' firsthand when my brother contracted the virus approximately 6 months ago, everything was fine, it was when we first became aware that the first could be transmitted through the air, but he went from being my little brother one minute who looked at me like his absolute world, to looking at me like every limb on me was his for the taking.

Jarred was only 12. He had his entire life ahead of him, but with the way this past year has gone, we all wondered whether or not there was a future for any of us.

The night Jarred turned, I was woken with his hands wrapped tightly around my throat. I was fortunate enough to be sharing a room with my parents at the time and when dad forced the bullet through the middle of Jarred's forehead, my hope in humanity disappeared.

We were going to have to let go of our loved ones, we were going to have to sacrifice our own loyalties in order to survive. Even though the virus attacked your morals, it seemed we were doing that ourselves anyway in order to survive.

Jarred had snuck out that night to be with a girl he had known from school, we heard from her parents later on that she too, had contracted the wave and they unfortunately had to put her down because of it.

The following night we could see that dad was acting differently. He was making comments that were just so different from his character and mum snuck us both out that night in the fears that dad too, had been infected.

The two of us have been on the run ever since. We heard a few whispers that there was a safe haven up in the hills, our family had been searching for it for months, but then when Jarred was infected and mum presumed that dad had been as well, it was becoming harder and harder to track down just where they were as dad had all the information.

"Bryleigh, are you ready to go honey? I don't think it's too much further" mum expresses as she ruffles through the belongings of the abandoned house that we stumbled into late last night.

Ever since this whole thing started, people fled their homes thinking it was only in our community, however they were quick to find out that it was happening globally.

In every house we went to, we were able to look for a whole bunch of things, food, supplies, new clothes, weapons, anything really.

"Yeah, just give me a second" I reply from the bathroom where I stare at myself in the mirror. Looking to see if I recognised myself in the reflection anymore.

Before the Wave, I was a senior in high school, I made good grades, kept to myself mostly and enjoyed weekends with my friends. I was also the type to take in wild animals that had been injured and nurse them back to health. I hated violence, I was terrified of the dark and held a strong faith in the lord.

It saddens me that all of my morals had been put to the test even without contracting the virus. I had learnt survival, I had learnt to not only enjoy the dark, but welcome it. It seemed like when the world fell asleep so did the violence. Like subconsciously, everyone took that time to readjust and nothing really ever happened during the night.

I slide the hair tie out from my unbrushed long brown half curled hair, this was the first bathroom I had come across in a long time that contained items that I could use.

I took the hair brush out from the top draw and guided it through my knots, attempting to get some sort of order to it.

Because we had to wear masks all the time, showering became impossible, and I also think everyone was terrified that the virus could be in the water now as well. We didn't trust anything. Any water we did consume was boiled first to rid it of any germs.

After I managed to get some of the knots out and gain the slightest amount of self-pride back, I slide the brush into my backpack. Not an essential item, but definitely one that I needed for my own sanity. I throw my hair back up into a high ponytail, securing it with the black elastic I had around my wrist and throw a few extras from the drawer into my bag as well, just in case.

They also had a pale blue cotton headband left over, so I took that as well and threw it over my face, then back up over my forehead to push the loose strands out of my face.

I also wanted to check out the bedrooms here, seems as if a teenage girl had been living here and I have been in the same clothes for as long as I can remember.

"Bryleigh, we don't have time for shopping, please help me grab some of this tinned food" Mum stops me before I head across the hall.

"I just wanted to see if they had a jumper or something" I plead. The last time we picked up any clothes was about a month ago and all they had was an extremely oversized grey hoodie that was definitely for a male.

She rolls her eyes at me but doesn't come back with any comment, so I use it as my go ahead to go searching.

Upon entering the room, I can tell that this girl was certainly around my age which made me feel the slightest bit of excitement, something I hadn't experienced in a long time.

I head toward the cupboard and slide the door across.

"Fuck sake" I scream jumping back immediately.

"No, no please don't be scared. I won't hurt you" the girl pleads from inside the cupboard.

"Bryleigh get back!" mum shouts as she enters the room pointing the gun right at her.

"No, no, please don't" she pleads again this time tears filling her eyes holding her hands up in surrender.

"Who are you?" mum asks her not letting up and keeping a firm aim on her head with her finger ready on the trigger.

"I'm Annabel, I live here" she sobs. "I heard you coming, and I hid in here, people don't usually come looking for clothes when they invade" she begins to explain.

She was wearing a mask that looked as weathered as ours.

"Where are your parents?" I jump in, sliding myself out from behind mum.

"They left about a week ago to find some more food for us and they never returned, I just presumed that the virus got them"

Mum and I shoot each other a quick look before looking back at her.

"Please, I'm not infected, you have to believe me, please don't kill me" she pleads again, shifting out of the cupboard slightly.

"Stay back!" mum screams at her, flicking the safety off and taking a step toward her.

"Mum!" I shout, reaching out to grab her shoulder.

"Bryleigh, why should we trust her?" she questions me with a stern look on her face.
I look back at Annabel as she continues to sob in horror.

"We don't need to trust her; we were just leaving anyway. Leave her be, we will just go" I suggest.

The look on mum's face says that she is mulling it over. "Fine" she finally breaths out. "But you try anything stupid, I will put a bullet through your head, got it?" mum fires back at her.

Annabel doesn't say anything as Mum and I back out of the room, quickly grab our bags and exit the house.

"What was that?" I finally ask mum as we have cleared enough space between us and the house.

"What do you mean?" she replies with arrogance in her voice.

"Mum, come on, she's my age. What if that were me?" I question.

It stops her right in her tracks as she stops suddenly, dropping her bags and turning to me.

"Bryleigh, I love that you are still so... naïve to the horrors of the world, but you have to stop being so trusting of everyone sweetie. It will get you killed"

She picks up her bags and continues to walk off into the distance.

"Naïve?" I shout at her. "You think I'm naïve to all of this? You don't think I know what is going on? Jarred had his hands around my throat remember? I watched Tye take his own life because of this remember? I am not naïve" I defend myself.

Tye was my high school boyfriend. He was one of the first to contract the virus when he had a head on collision with another boy from the opposition in the last football match the school held before the world turned to shit.

"I know Bry, I'm sorry. I just don't want to see you get complacent." She explains.

"I know mum, I won't I promise, I just- "I'm immediately distracted by an unfamiliar light in the distance.

"Bryleigh, what is it?" mum asks in concern turning around to get a look at what my sight has fixed on.

"Could that be?" I stutter, squinting my eyes to get a better look.

"Core?" Mum asks, raising her hand up to block the suns glare.

"Could be, should we go look?" I gushed.

"Honey, even if it is them, I heard that it's really difficult for them to let people in, I understand we've been looking for this, but I just don't want you to get your hopes up okay?" she declared holding the sides of my shoulders.

"I know mum, it's okay. The least we can do is try?" I rebut with more hope in my voice than her.

She nods in agreement and we make our way in the direction of the hills.

It was probably still another 200 metres to the walls, but it was a lot closer than we had ever been and it seemed like a never-ending trip to get here.

As we made it to the walls of this built-in city type structure in the hills, mum worked out that it must have been the old jail.

They had converted it to a museum years ago, the Core must have taken over it at the start of the Wave, but as mum mentioned, they don't have the greatest reputation of letting just anyone in their walls.

Which I guess, if we do get inside, is a good thing. I would hate for just anyone to be allowed in.

"What do we do? Do we knock?" I ask mum as we make it up to the gates.

Behind the structure we can see a few men armed with rifles walking around.

"I don't know?" she shrugs.

"Umm excuse me!?" I call out to one of the men walking around.

As he hears my call, he walks over to meet us at the gate. His ruffled brown hair sits across the front of his face and he has the most piercing blue eyes I have ever seen.

"What?" he bellows, holding his gun close to his chest looking me up and down. The tone and directiveness of his voice are quite abrupt and rude, but I can't help noticing more that he is washed. Which both surprises me and worries me.

"Who do we talk to about getting inside?" I ask, making my tone just as arrogant as his.

This is met with a burst of laughter coming from him and a few of the boys around him.

This guy looked no older than me, yet he was looking at me like I was a little girl.

Just then another boy called out to the one who was serving us. "Oi, Tommo, did I really just hear her say she wants to come inside?" the Irish accent from the new boy was hard to miss, and so was his bleached blonde hair.

"Yeah, she did, she wants to know who she needs to talk to" the original boy mocks me.

The Irish boy looks both my mother and I up and down, before chuckling again. "Yeah, I don't know if Styles will want to take this one on, not his usual type" he gestures toward my choice in clothing as if it was a choice.

"Excuse you?" I shout, pushing my hands against the iron fence standing between us.

At the same time both of the boys begin laughing at me again "Woah, she's a feisty one" the original boy comments.

"Boys, do we have an issue?" a third boy enters our scene.

His curly hair sits nicely on top of his head and I'm blinded by the site of his emerald eyes gazing directly at mum and me.

"These two want to come inside" The Irish boy comments.

The third boy displays a glance directed at each one of us.

"Well of course! GATE!" he yells off to the side when suddenly the sound of chains and bolts moving ring as the fence begins to slide to one side.

Mum and I step inside as it's closed immediately behind us locking us in.

"Thank you so much we were" I begin to speak before I am immediately cut off by the third boys' finger being held up in front of my face.
"No, No princess, you're not in yet. I wouldn't be thanking me just yet" he says with a coy look in his face.

I'm about to ask what he meant when suddenly a bag is thrown over my head and my arms are being restraint behind me.

The same thing must have happened to mum because I can hear similar noises to the ones, I am making coming from her.

"Let me go! What are you doing" I struggle out as I'm being led away from where I was originally standing.

"Alright boys, you know the drill" I hear the familiar voice of the third boy order as I'm being led unknowingly around.

Chapter Text

"Urgh, I swear to god, if you don't let me go. You will regret it; do you hear me?" I scream; however, my plea is muffled by both the mask over my face as well as bag that has been situated over the top of my head.

I hear the sound of a chuckle bellowing through the air with an echo, but it's only singular. Was I by myself with someone now? Where was mum?

Immediately I feel a pinch go through the top of my leg and I bellow out in pain.

"What the, what was that?" I ask.

My question is met with yet another chuckle. "Relax princess, just a little serum" oh god, I was with the third boy, I could tell by the sound of his thick accent. And what does he mean "serum"?

"Can you please at least get this bag off my head, please" I plea, adding a softer tone to my voice.

Suddenly my eyes are met with a dim light, "Well since you asked so nicely princess" he mumbles holding the cloth bag in his right hand still in sight.

"Where's my mum?" I ask, looking around to see that he and I are left in a room alone together, the other two boys are gone and so is mum.

"How about I ask the questions?" he commanded sitting himself on the table in the middle of the room.

I looked to be what was some sort of interrogation room, I've been sat on a cold metal chair with a matching steal framed table in front of me which Harry has sat himself on, his legs only inches away from mine.

I stay sat there, looking up at this stranger, tucking my hands into the sleeves of my jumper and crossing them in front of my chest.

"Right, you calmed yourself down now?" he asks sarcastically, and I could almost jump up and slap the coy look on his face, but I need to be statistical with my approach to this.

"Yes" I mumble, putting on my best shy girl act.

"Good, what's your name, how old are you and where did you come from?" he lists off a jumble of standard questions.

I inhale a deep breath before answering. "Bryleigh, 19 and down the coast" giving the vaguest answers I can.

"Well, Bryleigh, it's nice to meet you." He extends his hand for me to grab but instead I just look at it and then back up to his eyes.

"I don't get a name in return?" I ask him.

He chuckles and further extends his hand so it's almost hitting my forearm. "You never asked for my name Princess"

I roll my eyes at him and can't help my sarcastic nature coming forth "Well you said not to ask questions." I hiss back at him.

This is met with another chuckle. "Fair point, well I'm Harry."

I give in and meet his hand with mine to greet him officially.

"Where's my mother Harry?" I maintained. Unlatching my hand from his.

"You're out of questions baby" he teased as he rested back on the palm of his hands.

Of course, I am, I couldn't help but be extremely annoyed by this guy. He was so confident but in a cocky way. He just gave off the worst energy, and I really wasn't in the mood for it.

Perhaps coming here was a bad idea.

I nod my head in defeat, refusing to make any more eye contact with him. Whatever he was going to do to me now, he had the power to do so. Especially in this room, once I'm out, hopefully, I'll be able to move on from here after finding mum.

"Okay, now that serum that I injected into you before, it's safe, I promise" right because I can trust you, "you're going to have that serum every morning before breakfast, our scientists here have found a medicine that doesn't cure the virus, but it will help you fight it if it enters your body." Harry begins to explain.

I choose not to say anything, as long as I stay quiet, hopefully he will just finish whatever it is he needs to tell me and then I can be out of here.

"Also, inside the halls, you don't need to wear a mask, we have filtered our vents and it makes the halls safe only. You will go through a quarantine field every time you enter the halls and then you'll be suited up before you leave. Got it?"

I nod my head in agreement. I didn't know how much I trusted his system and the safety and security of it, but that seems like a later me problem.

"You'll be staying the quarter 4 with other people your age, you're going to be on produce duties, meaning you will attend others in the filtered gardens, I'll introduce you to Maggie, she will show you the ropes. Dinner is at 4pm sharp and lockdown will be from 6pm, no exceptions, am I making myself clear?" he continues to instruct, but I don't think I plan on staying for dinner, thank you anyway.

"Bryleigh?" he hisses again, shifting forward on the table to catch my attention.

"I got it." I declare tucking a loose strand of my hair back behind my ponytail.

At that moment, the door to the room flies open and a woman in her possibly early 30's walks in with what looks like a pile of clothes in her hands.

"Thank-you Jane" Harry comments, taking the materials from her hand.

She doesn't say a single word. Except, she curtsies and walks right back out of the room. She, curtsied. What has he done to the people in this place? He is kidding himself if he thinks that I will ever bow down to him as some sort of prince of hell.

"These should fit you." He gestures, handing me the clothes.

I take them with hesitation and sit them in my lap, sifting through them in curiosity.

"You do want to have a shower, don't you?" he asks chuckling.

My eyes light up immediately at the offer and I nod my head with enthusiasm.

"Good, because you stink, no offence" he teases.

Harry leads me out of the room and down the concrete hallway that leads past a few rooms that were set up just like the one I was in. I peered into every single one but didn't see a trace of mum in any of them.

Once at the end of the hall, he pushed through the steel door which led us into a smaller room with led blue lights flooding the area.

"Mask off" he insisted, taking off his own at the same time.

I was hesitant but complied.
I was soon met with intense steam like substances filling the room. It only lasted approximately 30 seconds before it all switched off and the door on the other side of the room automatically opened, revealing a swarm of people. All around my age.

"Welcome to quarter 4." He announces gesturing his hands open to welcome to the area.

I look back at him and then out to my surroundings to see more people than I have seen together in a long time, no one in masks, all of them clean and looking... happy.

What was hard to miss though was how people feared Harry, they moved out of his way as he walked, and he was welcomed with curtsies from the females and a slight bow of the head from the males.

He led me through the room, looking around I knew I was in a jail now. The walls were lined with small rooms holding a single bunk in each with the main area between cells where everyone seemed to mingle.

At the end of the quarter was what I was quick to learn was the bathroom.

"Well, off you go, everything you need will be inside I'm sure. I'll wait for you out here when you're done." He instructs pointing to the open door off to our left.

I nod urgently and walk past him into the bathroom.

The room was empty when I arrived, I place the pile of clothes down onto the benchtop and take a moment to look at my reflection in the mirror.

Much the same as it was earlier today when we left the last refuge house, but this time I didn't have a mask covering half my face.

It felt, different.

I had an embarrassing tan line on the centre of my face to distinguish where the mask covered my bottom half.

Behind me was the empty shower stalls, turning on the hot water and stepping underneath felt like I was being washed with holy water.

I hadn't had a proper wash in over a year, so to feel the water cascading down my body took some getting used to, and then I was in complete heaven when the water ran down my head, through every strand of hair on my head.

As I look down, the discolour of the water falling off my body proved just how much dirt I had been holding on me.

Just as Harry said, lined on the bench seat inside the shower cell was an impressive collection of body gels and shampoo and conditioner.

I lathered myself up in many layers, repeating the washing of my hair at least 3 times.

If I didn't plan on staying here, I was definitely going to make my time here worth it and use any services available to me.

By the time I switched off the water, I felt kilos lighter.

Drying off and slipping on the clothes Harry had picked out for me, I felt like a new me, well the old me.

The person I was before it all turned to hell.

It was just a simple pair of black tights, a white singlet and then an oversized black cardigan with it.

I threw my hair over the top of my head as I leant forward and used the towel to flick dry as much of the water off as possible. I haven't had my hair down in so long either, I think I was going to keep it down at least for a while.

It's crazy that the simple things that we don't ever consider big things, are making such an impact to me at the minute.

I scoop up my old clothes and exit the bathroom to find Harry lent against the opposite wall with one foot bent up, flicking through his mobile. Another simple gadget that I hadn't used or even seen since the 'Wave' started.

"Feel better?" he asks as I walk up to meet him.

"Much. Thank you" I appreciate giving him a slight smirk. Was hard not to be in a good mood after that.

He takes my old clothes out of my hand and instantly one of the girls runs up to him and takes it from.

"Thank you, Grace," he compliments as she curtsies and runs away.

I'm barely able to process what just happened as Harry jumps in. "Grace will have your clothes cleaned for you and put back in your cell by tomorrow morning" he informs me.

I look back in the direction where Grace came from in disbelief.

He really did have things in a system here didn't he. I wondered how it came to be and how he became top dog around here.

"Right, shall I show you to your room?" he insists, placing one hand on my lower back and using the other to direct me to the stairs.

I was a little whip lashed for his behaviour, he seemed quite genuine and nice, but the behaviour he was displaying in the interrogation room, along with the way people reacted to him here led me to believe that there is another side to him that I am yet to meet.

I agreed and followed him up the staircase to where another level of cells sat with single bunks in all.

We got about half-way along the row until he stopped outside of one that had a closed gate on it.

He dangled a key up in front of my face "This one is yours" he instructs.

I turn my head to look inside to my surprise, was only one bed, not a bunk. I look at him in confusion, my question obviously being obvious.

"Thought you may like your own space for a while. Happy to find you a roommate if you like after you make some friends" he informs with a cheeky grin on his face.

The more polite he was being, the less I trusted him.

He unlocks the cage, sliding it open and letting me go in first.

The room wasn't much, they were converted jail cells after all. It held a bed, a small desk and where the toilets use to be, according to the movies I've watched, was a small armchair.

I do a small turn as I look at my surroundings, not really knowing yet how I feel about it.

"This okay?" he asks, stepping inside of my cell and sitting himself on my bed.

I nod in agreement and sit at the foot of the bed.

"Can I ask questions yet Harry?" I plead.

He chuckles at me as he runs his fingers through his locks, pushing them off his face.

"I'll give you 3" he answers finally, crossing one leg over the other and starring at me with intrigue.

I roll my eyes at him again and shake my head in frustration, but with a slight smirk on my face. Figures. I thought to myself.

"Fine." I obey. "Question One: what the hell is this place?" I ask breathily.

"An old jail" he answers bluntly. I furrow my eyebrows at him, full well letting him know that isn't what I meant.

He chuckles "Sorry, it's a small community we have set up in order to try and protect ourselves from the Wave, it's been here since the first influx occurred, everyone here has their role and as long as the rules are followed, day to day life here is almost normal" he elaborates.

I nod my head. I was happy enough with that answer. "Okay, question two. What rules?" I quickly ask, picking up on that part of his explanation.

"We will get to that princess." He teases with a smile.

"Fine, and question three, am I safe here?" I ask in a more serious tone letting my head drop with that question, not really expecting the weight it was going to hold on me.

Feeling safe was not a feeling I had experienced in the longest time.

Harry slides himself across the bed to move closer to me. "You're safe here Bryleigh" he soothes.

I nod my head and push my tongue into the side of my cheek, really wanting to believe him.

Suddenly, a boy who looked roughly my age came to my cell door and handed Harry a stack of papers, nod his head once and then ran away.

Harry took the papers as if it were nothing and then gave them to me.

"Your rules, princess" he explains.

Rules? This looked more to be a textbook.

"In here you should find everything you need to know. Come pop by my office in about an hour and we can go over any questions you may have regarding the rules, and I can get you up with your passcodes and work schedule" he instructs.

I fan through the pages of my rule book "Hopefully I'm granted more than three questions" I comment.

"You're funny" he chuckles before getting up and making his way to the door of my cell.

I inhale deeply and throw myself back onto the bed holding the first page open to begin my reading. This was obviously going to take a while and Harry was expecting me in an hour with 'questions'.

Chapter Text

"Come in" his loud voice echoed through the door as soon as I knocked upon its wooden frame.

Of course, he wasn't held up in cells like the rest of us.

I turn the nob and push the door open, unable to contain my jaw from dropping as I take in my surroundings.

It looked as if he had converted an old guard's staff room or something into his own room, housing a massive king bed, leather couch and floor to ceiling bookshelves all decked out in dark wood and black fixtures.

"Woah" I gasp as I take in every little detail.

"Take a seat Bryleigh" he chuckles gesturing to the other edge of the couch that he was sat on, bottle of beer in his hand.

"Thanks" I accept as I close the door behind me and shyly walk over toward where he sat. Knowing now how many rules and regulations there were to this place, I understood why it all just flowed around here.

"How did you go with your reading?" he asks.

I tightly grip the book in my hand to where I had folded a few corner of sections I needed clarification with.

"Good, but I have some questions." I reply hesitantly.

"I would expect so" he chuckles, throwing back the remaining liquor that sat in the bottom of his glass.

I located the first fold and skimmed to the part I needed.

"Umm, relationships" I read awkwardly before looking up to him for clarification.

"What's your question?" he breaths not showing any signs of sarcasm.

"I'm assigned a partner?" I sneered.

"Yes" he confirms bluntly.

I turn my head slightly at him, extremely confused.

"We can't afford to have love triangles forming in these walls, nor can we deal with broken hearted little teenagers running around after a break up, so after analysing your behaviour, you will be assigned a viable match by our on hand psychologist." He explains as if it were meant to make any more sense to me.

"And if I don't wish to have a, relationship?" I cough out.

He smirks at me with devilish eyes. "Everyone needs a partner Bryleigh."

I decide to let this topic slide for a bit, not as if I planned on being here long enough to be paired with someone.

I turn to the next folded area of concern.

"Quarter Mixings." I state.

He doesn't respond to my statement, which I take as my hint to continue.

"We aren't allowed to be with anyone from a different quarter?" I confirm.

"Correct princess. It's easier for us to contain and control our community if everyone stays in their lane"

I exhale heavily. I felt defeated in addressing anymore of my concerns as they were going to be met with the same dumbfounded answers, quite ignorant if you ask me.

"So we are just numbers in your zoo?" I brave out.

He chuckles low. "No princess, I don't any money from people coming to view my masterpiece"

"I would hate to see your morals if they were infected by the wave" I mock.

"You need to first have morals for them to be taken from you princess" he tittered.

"Harry" I mumble in a low tone. "Is my mother okay?" I decide to try one more time to get an answer from him.

"She is fine Bryleigh, she's in one of the other quarters across base, she's been instructed with the same rules as you." He informs me.

Although it's not the answer I wanted, I was relieved that I finally did get an answer.

I nod in defeat knowing that as long as I am inside his walls, I was never going to get much more information from him than that.

"Any more questions?" he implies, gesturing down to the remaining turned corners in my textbook.

"I think I can work them out myself." I rebuked.

"Alright, well in regards to your rashers, do you understand the trade system for your supplies?" Harry questions getting back to the business side of things.

"Yeah" I nod. "I think so. I get certain points for working and they can be exchanged for food and décor, and if I don't follow the rules, they can be taken away?" I reply as if I'm reading straight from the regulations.

"Good." He praises.

There's a moment of silence between us, tension growing in the air as I became less and less patient with this whole thing.

"Problem?" he questions, as I sense his body tightening.

I bite my tongue and stand up "Not at all" I coy, "Sir" I add as I give him a sarcastic curtsy before exiting his room, slamming the door behind me.

I return back to the other side of the hall back to where my cell was, throwing the book down onto the desk and flopping myself onto the bed.

I needed to get out of here, this place was definetly not what it seemed and it seemed to be more like a cult than a safe haven.

I didn't know why I couldn't interact with the other quarters, especially being that my mother was in the other one, surely there should be some leniency for family, and that whole 'arranged partnership' is utter ridiculous.

He can't really think that setting people up with one person was the right way to go about things. I get not wanting to cause any dramas between people, but to assign us to one was inhumane.

"Hey newbie" a soft quiet voice breaks my personal breakdown from the door of my cell.

I open my eyes to see a petite blonde haired girl, piercing green eyes and a nice sun kissed glow to her skin standing in my doorway.

"Hey" I answer, sitting up on my bed and leaning my back along the wall.

"Can I come in?" she asks shyly.

"Oh!" I gasp. "Of course, come in" I move over creating space for her on the bed.

"I'm Bryleigh" I introduce as she sits down beside me, resting her back up against the wall too.

"I'm Ava" she responds holding her hand out.

I chuckle and give it a light shake when my hand meets hers.

"Welcome to the 'Core'" she sarcastically remarks.

"Yeah, something tells me I've definitely walked into, something" I stutter. Not entirely sure myself what I have gotten into.

"It's not so bad" she chuckles.

"How long you been here for?" I query.

She purses her lips together thinking for a moment "Um, roughly 8 months I think now."

"Oh wow" I gasp, not expecting that.

"Yeah, our family stumbled across it when we were trying to head out to California, been here ever since." She shrugs.

"Right, I only just arrived today" I inform, but immediately regret, she did call me newbie, she knows that I only just arrived.

"Yeah, we saw Mr Styles bring you in. Can definitely say you look a lot better now than you did when you walked in" she teases gesturing at my clothes.

"Mr Styles?" I question with a chuckle.

"Yeah, the guy you walked in with." She confirms with a hint of confusion.

"Harry?" I chuckle.

Her eyes immediately widen and she shushes me instantly "Jesus Bryleigh, do you have a death wish or something, don't let anyone hear you calling him that, especially Mr Styles" she gasps urgently looking around to see if anyone heard me.

"Okay, relax, he just told me to call him H.. that" I correct myself.

I think I heard one of the boys outside call him 'Styles' it rang a bell when she mentioned it, but he was fine with me calling him Harry.

"I can tell you're going to be trouble around here." She teases.

Ava spends quite a lot of time in my room as we got to know each other until a loud bell sounded through the halls.

"Dinner Time" she explained getting up off the bed. "Do you have your access card?" she asks.

I shake my head in confusion at her.

"What's an access card?" I ask her.

"Mr Styles was meant to issue you with one and some passcodes, it will get you into all the different areas of the compound."

I do now remembering Harry saying something about that when I met him at his room but I stormed out I'm guessing before I could manage to get them from him.

"I'll meet you there" I announced, realising I'm going to have to go back to Harry to get them, which was annoying, I didn't exactly want to see him again for a while.

She nods her head in agreement and heads out of my cell. I'm shocked when I see the lines of people forming in the common area in formation to get out the main door, every single one of them holding what I believed to be the access card.

I head down to Harry's room and take a deep breath before knocking reluctlantly on the door.

"Who is it?" his raspy voice calls from the other side of the door.

"It's Bryleigh, I'm after my access card?" I ask through the wood, silently hoping he would just slide it under the door for me.

However I'm disappointed when the door between us flies open and I'm met with him standing in just a pair of black tracksuit pants.

My eyes are drawn down to his inked torso, a massive moth standing out to me as well as an a ray of different illustrations lining his torso region.

I swallow deeply and force my eyes back up to his where he has a very smug look on his face.

"Wondered how long it would take for you to be back" he mocks with the same smug look on his face.

"Well?" I repeat impatiently.

He chuckles at me but it sounds more evil than anything.

"Ha- Mr Styles, could I please have my access card as I would like to go down for dinner" I attempt again in a polite tone, remembering that manners got me a little further last time than my attitude.

I hated the way that I already knew how to behave to get what I wanted, I knew that would be exactly what he wanted.

I see his tongue poke through the side of his cheek as he lets out a boasting laugh. "Mr Styles?" he repeats.

I smirk a little at just how ridiculous it feels to say. "Yeah isn't that what I'm meant to call you?"

He shrugs his shoulders and opens his door wider, gesturing me to come in.

I look at him confused and frustrated. "Harry please." I give in.

"Mr Styles" he corrects in a mockery.

I refuse to move from my stance and cross my arms in front of me in frustration.

"Fine, Bryleigh" he comments before revealing a small card between his index and middle finger, holding it up beside him. "Your access card" he informs before handing it over to me.

"Thank you" I appreciate in sarcasm "Is this all I need to get some dinner?" I ask.

He nods his head in agreement. "Yeah that will get you food, but you will need to come back up here after for your passcodes and work schedule." He reminds.

I take the card from him and smile politely before back stepping and making my way to join the back of the line behind everyone else in my quarter.

Dinner was alright, nothing special, although I didn't have enough credits yet to get anything fancy. So because I didn't yet have any points, I got standard canned food which was the same food I had been having on the run anyway.

But I could see when I got some rashers, I could get things like sausages and mashed potato. The standard meals that we use to have at home when mum was due to do the shopping were now classed as the delicacies at dinner time.

When I finally made it back to my room, I was actually ready for bed. I hadn't had a decent sleep in a while.

Ever since this whole thing started I don't think I ever fell into a deep sleep. You were always on alert and waking up to the slightest noise.

In these walls, I think I was almost starting to feel safe. By my discussion with Ava, she had been here for 8 months and she never saw any conflict or disaster. She was unaware that the virus had turned airborne, they were so sheltered in here by the horrors of the outside world and I hated to admit that it made the place sound that much more inviting to stay in. At least for a while.

Regather my strengths and stock up on some supplies before heading out again, because even though I felt save, I really didn't trust Harry. Something about him and his ways made me feel uneasy and I couldn't quite put my finger on what that was, but I had my guard up whenever I was around him.

"Bryleigh?" a boy startles me from the door.

"Yeah?" I answer as I whip around to face him.

"Mr Styles is requesting your presence at his room." He informs me before disappearing out of sight.

These people really were like robots around here, slaves to Mr Styles and his rules.

But I guess I did forget that he told me to meet him after dinner to discuss more of what was expected of me around here. I really did just want to go to bed to be honest, but I guess tomorrow I started work, and I didn't know the first thing about what was required, but I definitely wanted me some sausage and mash for dinner tomorrow night, so I was prepared to do anything.

I stand outside of his door so hesitant to knock again. I have seen this boy now more times in the past few hours than I wanted and even when I think I am done with him, there's always a reason to come back.

I finally give in to my frustration and knock a few times.

"Come in Bryleigh"

Chapter Text

I awake the next morning to the sound of the siren going off, similar to that which signalled dinner time, and I'm taking one guess that this is my wake up call.

According to my conversations with Harry last night, I was to wake at 6am, breakfast by 7, work by 8. Everything was incredibly scheduled and he liked when things remain in order. I was briefly informed about what happens when you disobey the rules. As well as your rashers being deducted, if deemed bad enough you were sent to the 'Hole', which was a certain sectioned off area of the jail where they held those who didn't cooperate, or if Harry was in a particularly bad mood that day, you were exiled from their compound.

After having the 'nurses' come around and inject me with my daily serum, I still really didn't trust that stuff, but if Ava has been here 8 months and she has it every morning, she still seems like she has herself together, I choose not to disobey or cause a scene, just yet.

I make my way down to the bathroom and take another quick shower, I was overwhelmed with being able to shower two days in a row, and as instructed, my old clothes were returned to my cell sometime during the night.

I took the army green t-shirt that I had in my old clothes as well as my old underwear and head down to the showers to freshen up.

I decided to go with a messy bun on the top of my head this time. Having your hair out really does get in the way and I understood why I had it up all this time.

Harry informed me last night that included in the rasher supplies I could go down to the clothing store and pick out items that their gathers had collected from different runs.

The 'Gathers' were a select group of men who would do daily runs to abandoned houses and get any sort of supplies they could, that they could then exchange at the supply store.

Harry in every sense of the word was a business man and everything with him came at a price.

Today was to be my first day of 'work' and I was put on gardening duties with Maggie. She was a short, shy girl with the curliest orange hair I had ever seen. She was absolutely beautiful with her fair skin and bright green eyes. What is it with people around here and their green eyes?

There must be something in the water that just make their eyes glisten.

She led me off to a covered in courtyard just outside of our quarters that had rows upon rows of veggie patches and apparently it was our job to tend, quarantine, pick, replant and overall, just provide the vegetables to the kitchen for preparation. Today was another 'stock take' day where we had to inform the 'Gathers' if we needed anymore seedlings or anything.

I was given approximately 3 textbooks for studying so I was able to educate myself on seasonal fruits, diseases to look out for etc.

That side of this whole operation was quite impressive. Everyone really did go all or nothing into their jobs.

I was pleased to see that Ava was also working in the gardens today. At least I would have a friend of sorts, I guess.

The day was extremely long, and extremely tiring. And to make it worse, today I earned 2 rashers. Only 2!

Mind you, it was enough to get me the sausages and mash that I desired for dinner, but that was it.

I didn't understand what people did to be able to actually afford anything else.

My 2 rashers were loaded onto my access card at the end of my shift.

By the time I finally made it back to my cell, I was ready to pass out, but I was aware it was only about 2pm in the afternoon.

The days seem to really drag on in here, but without sounding like a complete spoilt brat, it was the first day in a long time that I wasn't running from something, defending myself against the infected or stalking through abandoned houses for supplies. So, at least that part was enjoyable.

As soon as I got to the cage of my room, I was taken back by a cardboard box placed on my bed. Both surprising and confusing. I kept my cell locked when I left, and it was still locked when I returned.

I slide open the door carefully and pear inside the box to see an array of different supplies, décor.

There was a tin of maroon paint, some bunting, a cream throw pillow and a beautiful soft maroon throw blanket.

As I dug through the box I was pleased to see a few different books in the bottom that I gladly placed on my desk.

I situated my pillow on the arm chair and threw the rug around my shoulders as I sat back against my wall.

It was then that I noticed a folded up paper on the floor under my desk. I must of accidentally flung it out when I pulled the blanket.

I crawl off the bed and retrieve it, sitting back on my bed and unfolding it.

Don't say I don't give you anything princess.

Was all that was written on the paper, but I knew from the word 'princess' exactly who it was from.

In disgust I shrug the blanket from my shoulders and quickly shift myself away from it, bringing my knees up to my chest and hugging them tightly.

Why would he give me all of this?

Surely this was going to cost me a fortune to repay, because as I said, with Harry, everything comes at a price.

And I needed to find out exactly what I was in for before I put even a splash of that paint on my wall.

I march myself right down to Harry's room, furious that again, I have to see this guy unwilling.

When I get there, I contemplate not even going in. Who cares if he left me a little box of stuff, it's probably old stuff that's been sitting at the supply store for months that no one wants?

I hold my hand frozen just near the wood, hesitant to knock.

But then I decide that I really don't care, and I go to turn away.

"You can come in Bryleigh" his voice booms from behind the barrier.

I turn immediately back and roll my eyes, of course he knew I was there. Probably has a tracker on every single one of us. That's probably what that serum actually is that we have to be injected with every morning, a tracking device.

I exhale deeply and throw my head back in frustration before shaking it off and barging through the door, keeping one hand remaining on it as I really didn't plan on staying long so there was no point in entering the room.

When I entered, I was met with his back as he sat at his desk with his chair swung to face the wall away from me.

"How can I help you today Bryleigh?" he remarks in a sarcastic tone.

"The box?" I comment infuriated.

"You're welcome." He gushes, still refusing to turn around to face me.

"I didn't ask for it Harry, how much is this going to cost me?" I ask.

I'm met with a low chuckle. "Nothing at all, consider it a welcoming gift" he teases.

I bite down into my bottom lip and shake my head at just how arrogant this guy is. Like honestly, who does he think he is?

"Harry?" I boast.

"Bryleigh?" he mocks.

I've literally had more than enough, I march into the room and around to get in front of his face to which I immediately gasp at the sight.

"Oh my god Harry" I cry out rushing over and bending down in front of him at his knees.

He hangs his head low as his face is completed littered with cuts and bruises.

"What happened?" I gush using my hand to push his fallen locks from his forehead where they had stuck themselves to an open wound just above his eyebrow.

"Just mucking around with some mates" he lies.

I present him with a dumbfounded look but choose not to push the matter.

"You need some ice" I comment, looking around to the small fridge in the corner of his room.

As I open I am relieved to find a small ice brick in the top section.

I also grab a small cloth that was sitting in the corner of the room and drenched it in some water.

I took both items back over to Harry kneeling back in front of him and bringing the cloth up to the side of his head, dabbing off whatever I could from the spilt blood that was beginning to dry on his face.

"Does that hurt?" I ask, cautious as I get closer to the exposed wounds.

He clenches his eyes shut and shakes his head which led me to believe that he was lying.

After I've cleaned up as much of the blood as possible, I go back to rinse the cloth off and then wrap it around the ice brick, holding it up gently to the side of his right eye, where it looks to be the most impacted.

He takes the brick from me, keeping it dormant on his face.

"Are you hurt anywhere else?" I ask him as my eyes quickly scan the rest of his body in search for anymore exposed wounds.

He doesn't speak again, however he just shakes his head.

I sit back to rest on my heels that are now placed underneath my weight.

Neither of us speak, we both sit silently starring at one another. I had a million other questions that I wanted to ask him but it really didn't seem like the time. And I definitely knew that this wasn't just him mucking around with his friends, but there is a reason he wasn't telling me. I had to respect that.

"Thank you" he finally mumbles.

"Yeah, of course" I breath out.

"Bet you get a little bit of joy seeing me like this" he chuckles, shifting the brick a little on his face, clenching is eyes as he hits a tender section.

I furrow my eyebrows at him. "Why would you say that? Of course, I don't" I sigh.

"I just figured, you don't exactly seem like my biggest fan around here. Not in the way the other people behave." His voice almost sounds embarrassed by the way people behave around him.

His head is hung low again, unable to keep eye contact with me.

"Hey." I consoled, forcing his head back up to look at me. "I never said I wasn't a fan, I just, I guess, not fear you the others do" I try my best to tip toe around the fact that I think he is an arrogant jerk.

"They fear me?" he questions.

I shrug my shoulders at him with a forced smirk on my face. I really didn't know what answer he wanted to hear.

Did he want people to fear him?

"You should probably lie down." I change the subject quickly, not really wanting to be in the position to essentially throw people under the bus, especially when he puts two and two together to see who I am getting closer to. I really didn't want to cause trouble for anyone.

"Trying to get me into bed already Bryleigh, geez you waste no time, do you? I don't even see you like that." He teases.

I roll my eyes at him and playfully smack him on the side of his arm.

He winces in pain, I roll his sleeve up which reveals another massive purple coated bruise on his bicep.

"Harry" I moan at him giving him a frustrated look.

"I didn't know it was there" he lies.

I can't help but giggle at his ignorance.

"Come on" I instruct as I help him up out of his chair and lead him over to the beg.

There were many groans and flinches as he moved which signalled to me there was more injuries than he had originally let me know of, but there was nothing I could do for him if he didn't want the help.

I lay his head down on the pillow and move his legs up onto the bed, sliding off each one of his shoes and tucking them underneath the blanket.

"How long ago did this happen Harry?" I question as he rolls over to face the wall opposite me.

He thinks for a moment "Erm, about half hour ago maybe?" he answers.

"Right" I call out before jumping over him and sitting myself on the bed next to him, sitting my back up against the wall and crossing my legs like a schoolgirl.

"You have to deal with me annoying you for a while at least before I can let you sleep. Any sort of head trauma must remain conscious for a large amount of time after injury without falling asleep in case of a concussion." I inform him, not really knowing where I knew that information from, I just sort of knew it.

"I don't have a concussion Bryleigh" he spites.

"I don't care Harry, I'm not leaving you alone just yet." I maintain.

I notice the small smirk spread across his face. "Okay princess." He agrees.

Chapter Text

"Favourite romance movie?" I ask excitedly.

The past at least half hour has been filled with the both of us flying questions back and forth to each other.

Some Harry answered, but very vaguely and others he refused to answer at all. Anything to do with family was a hard limit, I became incredibly aware of that early on in our chat, so for the most part I stuck to random fun facts about him.

He chuckles at me. "Romance?" he questions with a teasing look on his face.

"You've never seen a romance film?" I question.

"Bryleigh, do I strike you as someone who would watch romance films?" the mockery in his voice was hard to miss.

I just shrug my shoulders at him. Truth is I still didn't know much about him, so I really couldn't answer that without being sarcastic.

He huffs loudly, "I have seen The Fault In Our Stars, and that didn't completely suck" he confesses.

I was unable to contain the victorious smile that spread across my face that he was actually able to admit something like that to me.

"You tell anyone I said that princess, and you will regret it" he chuckles but I didn't dare test his threat.

I squeeze my index and thumb together and making a zipping motion across my lips which is met with his approving nod and own smirk.

"What's yours?" he fires back at me.

That was a hard question, I only ever watched romance films and I really couldn't pick a favourite if I tried.

"Gosh, umm, there's so many, Romeo and Juliet, Casablanca, Gone with the Wind, When Harry met Sally." I quickly rattle off a few that were at the top of my head.

"The old classics huh?" he smugly remarks.

And to be honest, I'm impressed he even knew what those movies were.

"Something like that" I replied with a controlled smile.

"What's your biggest fear Bryleigh?" his question caught me off guard as the entirety of our conversation had been quite light and fun and this question quite obviously held a lot of weight to it.

I thought about my answer for a moment, not sure whether I wanted to become vulnerable to him.

But I knew I wanted to ask him the same thing in return and I really couldn't expect honesty from him if I didn't give it in return.

"I'm scared that I'll never be able to trust anyone again." I admit. "With everything that's happened this past year, you really can't put your trust in anyone, this virus is invisible and without knowing the closest person to you can be taken."

He doesn't say anything, nor does he react.

"What's yours?" I return the question.

I can see that my question had shaken him the same way it did me when it fell upon me.

"Well I think it's safe to say I don't have a concussion, you should probably go and get ready for dinner time, the siren will be going off shortly" he playfully avoids my question, sitting up so his legs dangle off the side of the bed, his back turning to me.

I felt hurt by the fact that he didn't answer my question, but I don't think I should really be surprised. I shouldn't have expected it from him.

I feel my jaw clench and eyebrows raise from their rested place. "Right" I breath out.

I scoot myself forward, so I am sat beside him. I hesitate for only a moment before pushing up onto my feet and heading for the door.

"I'm scared that I will be able to trust again."

I pause only for a moment to take in his confession, before turning around, keeping one hand on the door between us like a barrier. "Feel better soon Harry" I reply before disappearing from his view.

Sat at dinner, my long awaited sausage and mash sitting in front of me, I don't even feel hungry.

Harry's confession has been playing on replay since I left his room.

What did it mean?

That he was scared he could trust again?

It kind of led my mind into other territories to make me think that Harry has had someone break his trust before and that his confession of his biggest fear may have steamed further back then when the Wave started.

Ironic isn't it, that our biggest fears were so parallel yet so polar opposite.

As my fork dances around my plate, sliding all the pieces around the plate, I wished more than anything I had an appetite right now, but I just didn't. I didn't even want to be in the dining hall anymore.

I push myself back from the table and throw my hard earned dinner into the trash without tasting a single mouthful and trudging back to my cell.

The quarters was completely empty as the entire place was at dinner, and I had at least an hour to myself before anyone came to fill the halls.

Alone was always a bad place to be left alone with your thoughts. Everything in me begged to return back to Harry's room and demand more information, how something that I craved so deeply for, was his greatest fear. And where did the cuts and bruises come from?

There was never any straight answers from Harry, everything would always leave you second guessing. Even something as simple as favourite colour, I didn't get a straight forward answer, all I was told was 'Green wasn't bad', still doesn't tell me whether or not that's his favourite.

"Bryleigh?" my thoughts are interrupted by a male voice coming from the door of my cell.

I look up from my lap where I'm sat on the arm chair, picking at the loose pieces of the cream pillow Harry had gotten for me.

"Hmm?" I reply, too mixed up in my own thoughts to even care who this person is at the moment.

"Don't you look different form the first time we met." He teases.

I look up and narrow my eyes trying to work out if I recognised him. Then it hit me.
This is jerk from the front gate when mum and I arrived.

"What do you want?" I barked.

"I'm told I need to start doing your psychology evaluation" he informs, waving a clip board in my face.

I look up at him in disbelief. "You're the psychologist?" I lilted.

"Yeah, well in house psychologist, I was in my 3rdyear of study when the Wave hit, so Styles just appointed me as head of the department when we met" he informs me. "May I?" he adds gesturing toward my bed for him to enter.

I shrug and nod, really not in the right headspace to be arguing at this point.

"Well, you can call me Louis." He extends his hand for me to accept.

I give in and meet his hand with mine. "Bryleigh" I answer, realising that he already knew that.

"Styles just wants us to begin today with having a general chat, but I'll be in to see you once a week to follow your progress and set you up with a compatible partner." He continued.

"Argh, there really is no need for a partner, honestly, I'm fine" I quickly interject.

"Not interested in finding a mate?" he mocks.

I chuckle once at him, "No" I confirm. Quite determined on my answer.

Louis and I spoke for roughly only about 15 minutes.

More so, I spoke, he listened, asked a few follow on questions and took a lot of notes. By the time he was done, I reluctantly admit, that I did feel a little bit better and he seemed like an okay guy.

I guess the strong, obnoxious approach he had at front gate is required to keep out the stranglers.

I was in bed well before lock down that night, emotionally and physically it had been a draining day.

I snuggled into bed under my duvet with my maroon blanket thrown over the top for extra warmth, unfortunately with this being a converted jail, there were only main switches in the lights so I was forced to relax in broad daylight until the power was cut at lock down.

My mind was still swimming with Harry's comment and I feared that no matter how tired I was tonight, I wasn't going to be able to sleep. From my room, I could see the door and window to his room and I found myself looking at it constantly.

Not entirely sure what I was looking for or hoping to see, but I felt more at ease knowing I could keep some sort of 'eye' on his situation.

I worry about how his injuries are going. I was fairly confident that he didn't have any serious wounds, but it worried me how he received them in the first place.

Chapter Text

"Psst"

"Psst, hey Bryleigh" the unfamiliar whispers awoke me suddenly from a very enjoyable sleep.

I roll over from my comfortable warm spot to see a unfamiliar blonde boy standing at my cage door.

"What?" I whisper shout at him.

"Come with me" he instructs in a continued whisper.

I sit up, planting my face in my hands and rubbing roughly at my skin.

"Bryleigh?" he asks again impatiently.

"I'm coming" I whisper shout back in frustration.

I get up out of bed and throw my oversized man hoodie on over the top of my shirt and tights, leaving my hair out.

I slide open my cell door to be met with the cheery looking blonde fellow.

"The name's Niall" he chirps wrapping his arm around my shoulder. It wasn't until now that I pick up on the Irish accent in his voice to remember this is another one of the guys from the front gate.

"Hi Niall, where are we going?" I ask as I'm being led down the hallways.

"Shh" is all he instructs as we sneak past the other cell blocks of sleeping 'inmates'.

I'm lead down to the main doors that go to the kitchen, Niall swipes his access card and I'm welcomed into the dining hall which remains completely empty.

Niall sticks his two fingers in his mouth and lets out an ear-piercing whistle.

Still attempting to wake up, that whistle seemed to linger in my ears a lot longer than I think it was meant to.

"Geez" I wince.

"Sorry love" he chuckles just as a young girl exits the kitchen holding a plate of food and sets it down on the table just next to us.

Niall gestures for me to sit and when I get closer I can see it's a plate of sausage and mash potato.

I look up him confused. "What?" I gasp.

"Styles felt bad that you wasted yours, so he got you another one made." He explains as he jumps up to sit on top of the table, placing his elbow on his knee and resting his chin upon his open palm.

I slide my legs into the gap between the table and chair and stare at the food confused.

"Why does he keep being nice to me?" I question out loud.

I have only known this boy for less than 48 hours and I'm already granted two wishes like he was some sort of genie.

"Beats me, I don't question him, I just follow orders" he explains with the same amount of chirpiness in his voice.

"Are you really just going to watch me eat?" I questioned.

He shrugs his shoulder "Sure".

The energy pouring out of this boy was overwhelming. I had no idea what time of the night it was and he was acting like it was Christmas morning.

I chuckle at him shaking my head in disbelief taking a mouthful of the juicy sausage and mash potato, even topped with a serving of gravy.

It was just as wonderful as I remember.

"You really do look like her, don't you?" Niall's comment is slightly muffled as my eyes had drifted closed as I tasted all the flavours leaping over my tastebuds.

"Who?" I mumble, still with a mouthful of food.

"Nobody" he corrects and slides off the table to now sit directly opposite me, resting his head in both of his hands with a childish look in his eye.

"Niall, that's really unsettling" I tease, taking another mouthful of food.

"Sorry." He shrugs but remaining in the same position.

I decide to ignore the awkward presence of being supervised whilst eating and instead enjoy every single serving I shovel into my awaiting mouth.

Niall seemed nice enough, for just meeting him, he really gives off that 'big brother' vibe and you can bounce conversation with him easily.

He did most of the talking as my mouth was already preoccupied, but he went into great detail about his life before the 'Wave' and how he was studying business at college. He had aspirations to run his own accounting firm and how his entire family had been infected by the virus in the very early stages of it.

He found Harry not long after when the two of them first discovered the jail and how it could be used to convert into a safe haven.

He mentioned a few other important people around campus, Louis being one of them and was quite surprised that I had already had my first visit from him.

He refused to answer any personal questions about Harry, but I got the idea that he and Harry were actually quite close. Which, to my surprise, warmed me, to know Harry could have relationships with others. But his statement still pounded through my mind. That he didn't trust.

Did that mean that he didn't trust Niall?

I wondered how he managed to run a community like this without trust in the men helping him hold down security and quarantine. But I guess, like every business man, he doesn't necessarily trust the men that work underneath him, he just knows they will get the job done.

When I finished eating, Niall's loud whistle ordered the girl back out to collect my plate.

"You can go back to bed now." He instructs.

I chuckle to him. "I'm not exactly tired anymore Niall" I tease now that I am wide awake and very full.

He wraps his arm around my shoulder again to lead me back out the dining hall. "too bad it's lock down" he mocks.

When I make it back to my room, I'm quick to take in that Harry still has a light on in his room.

Niall gives me a quick peck on the side of my cheek before exiting off back the way we came.

I take one of the books in my stack and rip out the 'dedication' page and quickly scribbling a note into the middle of the blank section.

'Thank you for dinner, hope you're feeling better.'

I fold it in half and check that the coast is clear before tiptoeing my way toward Harry's room.

I bend down once I reach the door and push the note underneath before making a break back to my room.

Climbing back into bed, I felt more contentment than I did when I first laid here a few hours ago.

It seemed like the moment I only blinked the siren was going off for morning wake-up.

I didn't really understand the importance of structure in a day until coming here, waking up this morning, I knew exactly what the day would entail, where I had to be and at what time and there was something very calming about that. Spending the last year absolutely consumed in the 'Wave', you run into so many unknowns, it's hard to recognise what your day is going to consist of.

I sat with Ava and Maggie during breakfast after getting my usual morning serum, being that I didn't have any rashers left, I was left with buttered toast, Ava had cereal and Maggie opted for a full baked breakfast. I guess running a section paid more than just working for it. Seeing as though Harry ran things in such a business sense, did make that possibility viable. That there would be a certain hierarchy to things.

I quite enjoyed garden work, more than I thought I would. The work was structured, organised and always busy. There was always something to do and although most people kept to themselves, everyone seemed polite and easy going.

Perhaps I would stay here a lot longer than planned.

I did however, find myself thinking of mum a lot, wondering what she was doing and whether she had made any friends.

I also wondered if like our quarters, she would be assigned a partner.

I was sure she still loved my father, but based on the knowledge that he could be infected, I didn't know if that altered that at all.

Finishing up around 2pm again, I collected my 2 rashers and made the decision that I would save up for a clothing run, I didn't know the prices of anything, but at this point, I only had 2 outfits and that really wasn't going to get me far.

Falling into bed that afternoon, I wanted to have a quiet one. Ava had offered for me to join her in the library, but to be honest, my body just needed to relax.

After the run in with Harry yesterday and his injuries, I felt like I was still so emotionally exhausted from all of that, not to mention the middle of the night adventures I had with Niall.

I also thought it was a good idea to not mention any of this stuff to Ava. I did consider a friend, but I didn't know what these extra offerings I was getting would do to the morale around here. That stupid fear of not trusting anyone again sure was starting to creep its way into my reality.

I change from my tights and top into my oversized grey hoodie and black baggy track pants, throwing my hair into a pony tail with my hair in a middle part.

I snuggle up into the arm chair and place my feet up onto the head of my bed, pulling out one of the books that Harry had given me in my box of gifts which I lied to Ava saying it was stuff that I arrived with.

I flick past the missing dedication page from where I had torn it out in the middle of the night and begun reading.

To my surprise it was a relatively new book of 'Me Before You' by JoJo Moyers.

I stay here reading for what seems like a while. There were many things happening down in the common area, you were constantly flooded with noises of conversations, games that resembled both victors and those defeated, laughter and cussing.

Kind of reminded me of what I believed a frat house would be like.

By the time the siren went off for dinner, I was determined to just eat and head to bed, I was grateful that today had been uneventful to a point. My body definietly needed a down day.

Not wanting to use any of my rashers, I was presented with a standard dinner of canned goodness before heading back into my room. I didn't even cross paths with Harry today, which surprised me going off how often I ran into him yesterday unwillingly and now that I wasn't too fussed, I didn't even see him at all.

By lock down I was well and truly out to it. As much as I enjoyed the sausages and mash, I prayed that I was able to stay asleep the entire night.

Chapter Text

A week, an entire week went by and everyday was exactly the same. We welcomed 3 new arrivals, 2 girls and a boy who were the same as us who had too been searching for the 'Core' for a few months. They seemed like decent people, however were entrapped into Harry's usual charm and they were calling him 'Mr Styles' and bowing down whenever he was near.

I still found much enjoyment in how others behaved around him yet I was never even fussed by him the time I did meet him.

Harry's injuries looked to be healing nicely and I was hesitantly happy that in the past week, I really didn't cross paths with him too much.

Niall came bouncing through the halls every now and again. Ava had a massive crush on him and had been trying to persuade Louis for weeks apparently to assign them together because she was so sure they were made for each other, yet I was positive she had never said any more than two words to the boy. She had been assigned a quiet boy who never came out of his cell, his name was Maxwell, and no one really knew too much about him. Ava said she recognised him from her local school but like he was now, he never really had much to do with anyone, also she was way too focused on being Niall's partner that she never gave the guy a chance. To be completely fair, he didn't seem to phased about being paired with Ava either.

I had saved up 12 rashers now. I did give in one morning and ordered coco pops. I honestly couldn't help myself when the crunchy chocolate goodness was starring me right in the face and I caved.

Today, was my scheduled day off, apparently we get these once a month and mine fell on today. We were excused from working but were under strict instructions to follow the usual rules and not make a fuss. Not really much of a day off if you ask me. Especially when I didn't mind working the gardens too much.

So when the time came around for everyone to leave for work, I sat by myself in the common area, flicking through the last pages of my book. Surprisingly I was able to get through the entire thing in a week, but I guess when you aren't left with many other options in the 'hobby' department around here, you'd be surprised with just how quickly you could get through a book.

"Enjoying that?" a familiar voice comes from in front of me.

I peer up from my book to see Louis starring down at me with a coy look on his face.

"It's not bad" I causally reply, not knowing whether or not my interest in this particular romance would someone end up as a note in my file and then who knows what that could mean for me.

"Do you mind?" he queries as he points to the space next to me, clutching my file in his hand.

"Please" I agree, closing my book and placing it down on the table next to me.

Louis straddles the bench seat rather than sitting on it like a normal human.

"How have you been holding up this week?" He opens the conversation.

"Yeah, it's been good. Getting use to everything around here, I think" I comment, trying to be exceptionally careful of my answers.

The conversation with Louis went much like it did last time, he listened a lot and directed me with follow on questions. This time we spoke about Jarred and how I felt when he turned. How it felt to watch my father kill him.

I had to admit that I never really allowed myself to analyse the particulars of that night. I guess I did just sweep it under the rug to band aid fix my problems.

Louis was a good listener, he had this way about him that made you want to open up and his questions always resulted in a lengthy answer.

"Do you have any family?" I ask him off guard.

He chuckles at me, tapping his pen on the edge of the notes he had taken that day.

"Why don't you let me ask the questions." He replies.

"Sorry Harry" I mock, being that I heard the same thing from Harry the first time I met him.

"What are your thoughts on Harry?" he throws back at me.

I'm a little caught off guard. "My thoughts?" I clarify.

"You don't seem to be as reserved as the other tenants here when it comes to him." He comments.

"How so?" I reply.

He furrows his eyebrows at me. "For one, you call him Harry"

I shrug my shoulders "He's never told me otherwise" I confess.

"Do you believe he is a good person?" he continues.

"Do you?" I retreat.

"I'm asking you Bryleigh" his responses are immediate.

I think for a second about how to answer. "My thoughts on whether there are any good people left in this world are dismal" I allow my answer to be vague for interpretation.

"Sounds lonely" he replies.

I look up at him "I enjoy being lonely"

There's a small smirk that forms in the corner of his lips "No one enjoys being lonely"

I chuckle in a low tone at his comment.

Maybe in another world loneliness would be considered a downfall but, in this world, it's a blessing. You can't make space for someone to hurt you if there isn't any room.

"That's all for today" he comments, standing up from his place. "I'll see you same time next week?" he adds.

"Sure" I agree as he hitches the folder under his arm and walks off behind me.

I allow my head to turn to follow his direction when I'm caught off guard by Harry's figure standing on the overhanging beam that looks over the common area.

Was he watching me have my session with Louis?

I offer him a sarcastic wave with the most forceful smile on my face as possible.

His eyebrows raise at my gesture and I'm met with a finger motion summing me to his presence.

I purse my lips together and regret my cheekiness all of a sudden.

"Hello Harry." I sing sarcastically in a playful tone, testing the nature of why I was being summoned.

"Bryleigh" he responds in an even tone.

"How are you feeling?" I ask.

"Do you want to go for a walk?" he instead throws a question back to me.

I look at him in confusion, "Sure" I finally agree.

"You will need a mask" he comments before shutting his bedroom door and begins to walk along the cement hallway.

I jog behind him to keep up until we reach the quarantine doors which I hadn't been through since arriving here.

Once inside, we are met with the same steam filled room that once sanitised us and he pulls a fresh mask from the pocket in the wall, handing me one before keeping one for himself.

Latching the mask over my ears and adjusting it around my nose, I look to him where he gives me a slight nod.

I return the gesture and he hits the red button which opens the door into a separate hallway, the one that contains all the interrogation rooms.

We walk together in silence until we reach the end of the hallway, kicking the big double door frames open which led to the outdoor courtyard.

I hadn't seen the outside word in the past week, even the courtyard where the vegetable gardens were had shelters over the roof, I guess with the virus being airborne now, it was too risky to expose any part of the jail to any sort of fresh air at all.

I continue to follow him along the fence line that wrapped around the outside of the building.

"Harry?" I finally break the silence. "Where are we going?"

He stops suddenly in his tracks and turns to look at me, adjusting the face mask slightly that sat under his eyes.

"I wanted you to see something" is all he comments before he continues to follow the trail. Once we finally reach the back of the jail, we are met with a small incline that held two basketball courts either side.

I'm guessing this is the recreational area for where the old inmates would spend their time during their own lock down.

I follow Harry up the small incline until we reach an old watch tower.

He fetches a key from his back pocket and unlocks the red wooden door which opened to a flight of stairs.

"After you." He instructs, holding the door open for me. Once we were both inside, he shuts the door and locks it behind him.

Being that upstairs is the only place I am able to go right now, I take the initiative to go up them.

As soon as we reach the top of the flight of stairs, my breath feels absolutely robbed from me. I look around the old watch tower station to find that it's been converted, lined with bookshelves that overflow in an array of different books. Old and new. Classics and new releases. Well newish.

In the centre, there are throw pillows, rugs, blankets and beanbags.

"What is all of this?" I question, still attempting to take in the surroundings, although it was nothing much, I could see that this place was someone's safe haven. You could tell that it was important to them.

"A girl that use to be a part of the community converted the place when the 'Wave' first hit, she apparently really loved to read, from my understanding she contracted the virus not long after and it's just been sitting here ever since. It hasn't been quarantined, so you will require a mask when you come up here, but I thought that maybe you'd like to use the space to get away every now and again." I stare at him in disbelief as he explains.

"Oh, Harry, I couldn't." I gasp looking around, this place would be absolutely perfect to escape to, but Harry has already been so lenient with me and I questioned his intentions.

"Well it's up to you, I don't really care or not if you use it, no one else is" his tone immediately returns back to being harsh and cold.

I feel disheartened by his reaction.

I step further into the room and run my hand along the top of the bookshelf which finished at roughly hip height. The windows above it circled the room letting in a tone of natural light. It was breathtaking.

"This place is amazing Harry, thank you for showing me" I mumble, feeling a little shy all of a sudden.

"Yup" he answers immediately. "Well we best get back" he quickly adds in.

I look over to him in confusion before nodding slowly to agree.

Part of me wanted to stay up here longer, even though being inside the 'Cove' was far better than what life was like before it, you always felt surrounded, but up here, it's like no one could touch you.

"How are your injuries feeling?" I ask again seeing as though he ignored the first time I asked.

"They're fine" his answers were blunt and direct, almost as if I had offended him in some way.

I decide not to push it even further, I had so many walls built up around me and my mind always took me to a place that I didn't want to go to.

As my mother had pointed out, I see the good in people and every situation, but as soon as I arrived here it's like it all flipped and I second guessed everyone and their intentions. Like somehow making it to the 'Safe Haven' only made me more insecure.

I follow Harry back down the stairs and wait for him as he locks the door back up. He doesn't say another word to me and stays a good three paces in front of me the entire way back to the halls that lead to our quarter.

"You go ahead, I have somewhere to be" he instructs, leaving me to enter the quarantine sector whilst he disappears back down the hallway.

Once I've been sterilised I enter back into quarter 4 to see that everyone must have now returned back from work as the common area was filled with people.

"Hey Bryleigh" the familiar Irish accent catches my attention on my way back to my room.

"Hey Niall, how are you?" I ask with a friendly grin on my face.

"Can't complain, how are you?" he replies in his familiar chirpy tone as he slings one arm around my shoulder, continuing in the direction of my cell.

"Good, tired, even though today was my day off, I feel like I've still worked a full shift" I joke.

Once we reach the cell he invites himself in taking a seat on my arm chair as I flop myself down onto my back on my bed, my feet resting upon my pillow so I'm backwards on the bed.

"Yeah well you have been out there for a while, will take your body a while to recover from that."

I only hum to him in recognition of his statement as I let my eyes drift closed. I wasn't sleeping, but I certainly needed the rest.

"Niall?" I ask as my brain takes the lead before I'm able to interject.

"Yes?" he answers as I hear him remerging through some of my belongings that lay dormant on the desk next to him.

"Does Harry have a girlfriend?"

Silence automatically fills the room, and to be fair, I think I'm just as stunned at Niall at my question.

"Why? You interested?" he teases.

I shoot my eyes open straight away and flip around onto my stomach so I am now facing him.

"Ewe, definitely not. I just wondered, he seems just like, I don't know, unavailable, closed off." I attempt to form my words into the vaguest way possible.

Niall chuckles at me. "Harry is definitely, different. I don't think he believes in any of that stuff anymore. Or maybe he believes too much in it, that's his problem." He explains, avoiding making eye contact with me as he picks flicks through the pages of the book I had been reading.

"What does that mean? He believes too much in it?" I query.

Niall finally makes eye contact with me and I can read almost automatically that he knows he shouldn't be talking about any of this stuff. Especially not to me.

"Look Bryleigh, Harry's personal life is exactly that, personal, and if you aren't interested in him like that then I suggest you keep any of your questions, to yourself. Even if you were interested in him like that I would advise never to ask him about it either" his stern warning is clear.

I scrunch my lips to the side as I take in his advice.

"Yeah, I guess, he's just a hard book to read I guess" I filter off.

I roll myself back over so I'm on my back again and let my forearms rest across my eyes.

"Look Bryleigh, I suggest that if any part of you likes him like that, you turn it off, bury that shit deep, you're only going to end up hurt okay." His voice sounds genuine.

"Well I don't, so you don't need to worry" I fire back.

Of course, I didn't see Harry like that. I barely knew him for one. Barely is even putting it nicely. I didn't know this boy at all.

I just was curious about the way he was.

"Alright" Niall answers sounding unconvinced. "Well can you be quiet now, I want to enjoy this book" he sasses.

I chuckle low and roll myself over to face the wall.

Unknowingly drifting off into slumber in no time.     

Chapter Text

I awake to the sound of the morning siren being sounded around the halls.

I scrunch my eyes tightly shut and realise that I have completely slept through dinner last night. My body really must be catching up on some much-needed rest.

I flip over to where Niall had been sat the night before realising that I had indeed fallen asleep whilst he was here.

The chair, as expected, as empty and my book was sitting back on my desk from where he retrieved it.

I was given my morning serum and was about to head down for breakfast. I was back at work today so no more slacking off until next month.

As I pass Harry's room I see him hunched over his desk clutching onto his stomach.

I immediately pause and take a few steps back so I return to the line of his doorway.

"Harry?" I ask as he doesn't respond to my presence.

His eyes immediately flick to me and I can see they are bloodshot and puffy.

"Harry, what happened?" I gasp, flinching to enter his room.

"Just go away Bryleigh!" he shouts at me causing me to stop in my tracks.

"Wh, I'm sorry, I just-" I stutter, still caught off guard by his aggression.

"Did you not hear me, fuck off!" he screams before grabbing hold of the door in his hand and slamming it shut in my face.

I stand there stunned, my body in complete shock that it refuses to move.

I can feel the brim of my eyes forming tears. I never did do well at being yelled at. It brings up some horrible triggers for me.

I inhale a deep breath of courage, wiping underneath my eye of the fallen droplet and turn to continue back to the dining hall ignoring the stares that I am receiving from the standbys.

"You alright Bryleigh?" Ava asks as she comments on my behaviour, just picking the bread to pieces instead of eating it.

"What?" I mumble.

"Everything alright?" she repeats, this time with a concerned look on her face.

I'm about to answer when I see Niall enter from the opposite end of the hall.

"Just a second" I excuse myself from Ava and make a beeline for Niall.

He notices me coming and his welcoming cheery smile quickly disappears when he sees that expression on my face.

I take a hold of his wrist as his hands were clutching onto his waiting food tray.

"Jesus Bryleigh, take it easy" he teases as I pull him into the corner of the room.

"When you see him next, tell him he can rot in hell" I whisper shout as we reach the tiniest section of privacy.

"What? Who are you talking about?" he gushes.

"Harry!" I reply. "I passed his room on the way to breakfast and saw that he was hurt and he just completely bit my head off!" I explain to him.

Niall's face didn't show an ounce of surprise at my description of Harry's behaviour.

"Niall?" I repeat, trying to break him out of whatever trance he was in.

"I told you to leave his private life alone" he responds to me.

I shake my head in disbelief. "Are you serious right now?" I spit.

"Bryleigh, what do you expect from him, a deep and meaningful conversation over a cup of tea?" he mocks.

"No" I shake my head, "But when I saw him injured last week he was quite receptive of my help and now suddenly it's not good enough for him?"

Niall looks up at me like he's seen a ghost. "You helped him last week? When?" he gushes in urgency.

"What, erm, I don't know, I've lost track of the days. The day after I arrived" I recall.

There's a complete look of horror on his face and his eyes dart away from me and quickly skim the room.

They land upon whatever he was looking for and he sticks his thumb and index finger in his mouth to signal an ear-piercing whistle that echoes through the halls.

"Louis, code blue" he calls out.

I look over to where he was starring to see Louis nod in recognition and stands straight up from his chair, discarding his half-eaten breakfast.

"Niall?" I urge for some sort of response.

"Look Bryleigh, I have to go. Just forget about Harry alright" he calls as he meets up with Louis at the end of the aisle of tables, whispers something in his ear that causes them both to look over at me and then they both rush out of the dining hall into the 4th quarter.

I definitely didn't have an appetite now and I was more curious than anything.

I decide to follow Niall and Louis, because I had a strong feeling, they were off to see Harry, and whatever code blue was, must have been a reoccurring event for Louis to understand what he meant.

I sneak out of the dining hall, looking over my shoulder quickly to make sure that no one was following me, or watching me sneak out.

I tiptoe around the outside of the halls to see that on the second level, where Harry's room was, Niall and Louis reaching the top of the staircase.

I hide myself behind an old phone box as I watch them enter Harry's room.

I can see that just beside Harry's room there's an electrical box from what I can see next to a window that was slightly open.

If I can get to there and kneel down behind it, I was almost sure I would be able to hear whatever was going on inside.

I creep my way up the staircase and dart past areas where I presumed that I could be visible if they were looking.

Once I make it to the electrical box, I squat down behind it and do my best to listen in.

"Harry, it seems to be getting worse" I hear Niall's voice comment.

"It's fine Niall, I'm handling it" Harry's response sounds out of breath and stuttered.

"Twice in a week, Harry it's never been this close together before." Louis adds in his two cents worth.

"It's fine, I shouldn't have aggravated her, I just thought she may have been getting better, it was my own fault" Harry sounds so vulnerable, and who was he talking about?

"I understand how much Maddie means to you Harry, but she's not in there anymore" Niall states.

Who is Maddie?

What is going on?

"You don't know what you're talking about Niall, just leave it." Harry spits in aggression.

"She looks like her you know" Niall responds.

"I know" Harry's voice is almost reduced to a whisper.

"Bryleigh does? Yeah I noticed that too" Louis mentioning of my name makes my stomach drop. I look like who?

"Same fiery spirit too hey Haz" Niall teases.

I felt like now I shouldn't be listening to this conversation.

"Are you sure you're alright?" Niall then adds in a more serious tone.

"I'm alright, did you see Bryleigh? I kind of lost it at her." Harry asks.

At least he feels bad. That's a good thing I'm guessing.

"Yeah saw her in the dining hall, she's okay. You can't punish her Harry, she doesn't know anything about any of this." Niall informs him.

"And it's going to stay that way Niall!" Harry reassures.

"I know, I know" Niall gasps.

"We all loved Maddie, Harry. We miss her too, but sooner or later you're going to have to accept that she may be gone." Louis once again offers his opinion.

"I pick the latter" Harry responds before I hear the unlatching of his door.

My entire body tenses and I squeeze myself as small as I can behind the box hoping to stay out of sight.

Niall, Louis and Harry retreat from Harry's room and across the hall and out the opposite door of the dining hall.

I let go of the breath that I was holding in my lungs when I finally worked out that the cost was clear.

I had way more questions now. I thought coming here would give me all the answers I needed, if not at least most of them. Not completely throw a spanner in the works and add 1000 more.

Who the hell was Maddie and apparently, I look like her?

From the way Harry was talking she was still here, but Louis was suggesting accepting the fact that she must be gone.

Was Maddie the one inflicting all these injuries onto Harry?

I couldn't see Harry being beat down by a woman. I didn't really see him as the sort of person that would stand for that.

But then Niall's comment from last night comes rushing back through my mind, maybe he trusts too much and that's the problem, that's surely got to do with whoever this Maddie person was.

I make my way back to my room to freshen up before work. I knew my brain definitely wasn't going to be present at work today, but at least it would work as a slight distraction from all the questions floating through my head.

I wanted to talk to Niall after work though, I was going to try and get him to tell me about Maddie without me initiating any of the questions. I decided I would use my time at work today to construct the best way to go about it, how to approach it without screaming, 'yes I spied on you'.

My assumptions were right and my mind wasn't on the job at all today. I was overwatering the crops and picking fruit that wasn't anywhere near ripe yet.

I apologised and just said I had a rough night's sleep. Which ironically was the complete opposite of what happened last night.

Getting back to my room, I change out of my work clothes and throw on my comfortable clothes, pulling my long brunette hair over one shoulder and forcing a rough braid down it to at least contain it until I shower later.

It was becoming due for another wash soon, and hair was always hard to handle once it got to that greasy stage.

I had one mission and one mission only right now, and it was to find Niall.

But I wouldn't even know the first place to look for him.

He could be out working on the front gate again, I wasn't allowed out there without a good excuse, and Louis was nowhere to be seen.

Harry's room looked in the same locked up stage that he had it this morning when they left which led me to believe that he hasn't returned all day.

I decide to wait it out, if I start roaming the halls with an obvious mission on my face I'm only going to draw attention to myself and that's something I really didn't see as a good idea at this point.

Instead, I head to the supply store to look through some of the clothes and see what I would be up for in regards to getting myself some more clothes.

Upon entering the supply room and finding the clothing section, I sifted through the array of different clothes, looking at the prices.

I was pleasantly surprised with how cheap some of it was, seeing that some items were as low as 6 rashers. I was expecting it to be a lot higher, but when you do look at it, one shirt is 3 days' work and no fancy meal swaps, so when you look at it in that sense, it's a rip off.

I found a pair of jeans in my size as well as a figure hugging plain white tank top.

Holding it up to my body I realised it would fit and it acted as a nice enough outfit to wear, jeans are always a good option and they looked in rather good condition.

In total it cost me 12 rashers, not leaving me hardly any of my access card, but I was happy enough to be able to get some new things.

I head straight from the supply store to the showers to freshen up and get into my new gear.

Coming out with my hair dripping wet, I already felt more relaxed after having a head of clean hair.

I squeeze into the jeans and tank top and look at my reflection in the mirror.

I had the towel wrapped around my head to attempt to dry it off a little, last thing I needed was the hair drenching my white top.

Placing my two hands firmly on the counter in front of me, I lean forward slightly and look deep into my own reflection.

I struggled however, maintaining eye contact with my own reflection, feeling guilty for becoming the person I was. Sneaking around and spying, that's not who I am.

Tye use to have this big problem in our relationship of just assuming things and it would cause the biggest arguments between us, I always encouraged him that if something was bothering him then to just ask. Honesty was always the best policy. And now here I am being the exact person I use to despise.

I gather a handful of water and splash it across my face. Flipping my head over, I unwrap the towel and scrunch it through my hair drying it off as much as I could.

Flipping it back over, I flip it around a little so it parts in the middle and falls loosely down by the sides.

I need to just go and ask Harry, I need to be honest with him, I need to say that I came back to apologise and overheard his conversation.

Okay, so it wasn't completely honest, but I need to tread lightly here. I didn't want to be banished for sneaking around.

I look back at my reflection and breathe in the last bit of courage I needed to get me through this.

I head out of the bathroom area and am completely taken out when I come crashing into a body.

"BRYLEIGH!" Niall gasps, out of breath.

"Sorry, I didn't see you" I apologise.

"No, I've been looking everywhere for you!" he rushes.

I furrow my eyebrows in confusion at him.

"Have you seen Harry?" urgency continues to pulsate through him.

"What? No?" I reply.

"No one has seen him in hours. Louis and I were with him this morning and he said he had to duck back to his room quickly and no one has seen him since." He runs his fingers through his hair.

He actually looks terrified. I guess when you can't find someone in a gated community it does cause for some worry.

Chapter Text

"Where have you looked?" I breath as I attempt to catch up to him as he continues onto the second fall, darting his head into every cell.

"Literally everywhere Bryleigh, I don't know where he could be." His voice mumbles in panic.

I think for only a moment before something pops out to me.

"Niall, do you have keys to everywhere in this place?" I ask in determination.

He looks at me in confusion. "Yeah pretty much, why?"

My eyes light up and I grab his hand and lead him back downstairs and toward the quarantine area.

"Where are we going?" he calls out as I continue to drag him like a woman on a serious mission.

"You haven't looked everywhere." I explain.

We get into the quarantine sector and get absolutely plastered by the steam. We grab a mask each and I grab his arm again as the doors open and we run down the hallways past the interrogation rooms and out the front door.

"Any sign of him?" Louis calls out from the front gate, holding his riffle hard up against his body.

"Not yet" Niall calls back over his shoulder as I continue to drag him around the fence line of the prison.

Once we reach the watch tower door, I hold my hand out requesting the keys.

After find the right one, I burst open the door and pull him inside and slam it behind us. Locking it.

"Why are we here Bryleigh, this place is deserted, always has been" he comments.

We are both started by the sudden thud coming from upstairs and we both look at each other. Niall with concern on his face and me with relief.

We head up the stairs immediately and stumble into the lookout room.

My body immediately freezes when I see an extremely drunk and dazed Harry sitting on the floor of the room, his back hitched up against a bean bag, consistently grabbing books from over his head and launching them in the direction of where Niall and I were standing, taking mouthfuls of his beer as he continues.

I glance around quickly to see that there are many empty bottles, signally that Harry had been up here a while and consumed a hell of a lot of alcohol.

Niall ducks a flying book that was heading right in his direction.

"What the fuck Styles?" he gasps as he stands back up.

"You're in the way. Not my fault." Harry slurred words drown out the tension in the room.

I tread lightly into the room and sit down near his feet, making sure to keep my movements slow and cautious. He doesn't make eye contact with me at all, just continues hurling books out of the cupboard and toward Niall, who has now made the decision to move from the doorway.

"Hey Harry" I mumble as I sit myself down, legs folded underneath my body.

He doesn't answer me, doesn't even acknowledge my presence there even.

"What is this place?" Niall asks, looking around the room, taking it all in.

"My guesses are; it's where Maddie use to come." I answer.

I feel Niall's head shoot toward me.

Harry however doesn't even react to my comment at all. He takes a long swig of the remainder of whatever liquid was in the bottle and rolls it across the room away from him.

"It was Maddie's yes, but she doesn't need it anymore." He confirms in a sarcastic tone.

I refer back to when Harry brought me up here.

"A girl that use to be a part of the community converted the place when the 'Wave' first hit, she apparently really loved to read, from my understanding she contracted the virus not long after and it's just been sitting here ever since."

Does that mean that Maddie contracted the virus?

But then my mind flashes back to the conversation I heard between Louis, Niall and Harry.

"It's fine, I shouldn't have aggravated her, I just thought she may have been getting better, it was my own fault"

"I understand how much Maddie means to you Harry, but she's not in there anymore"

Maddie had turned and Harry still sees her.

I wondered if she was somewhere in the prison. Is that who was giving Harry all the injuries, was she attacking him. Being that her morals were no longer with her and knowing how aggressive my brother got with me after he was infected it would make sense.

I try my best to keep a straight look on my face, not wanting to make it obvious of the realisation I had come to.

"Umm Bryleigh?" Niall mumbles. "Can I talk to you for a minute, outside please" his eager voice rushes me outside.

I stand up from Harry, placing a comforting hand on his leg before getting up and follow Niall just outside the door to the watch room, ducking past another flying book that was hurled our way.

As soon as I've cleared the doorway Niall grabs the side of my arm with force and pulls me up against a wall.

"How the hell do you know about Maddie?" he whisper shouts at me.

"She's infected, isn't she? And Harry, he still sees this woman." I instead throwback my own questions.

Niall just shakes his head at me in frustration. "Look Bryleigh, I don't know how you found out about Maddie and also how you knew about this place, but when Harry sobers up, he's going to be furious about it." Niall seems so angry about my knowledge, gosh imagine if he finds out it's because I was spying on him.

"Niall, it's okay, why don't you go, I'll handle him from here." I suggest, placing a soft touch to his shoulder.

Niall ducks his head around the doorway to take another look at Harry and then back at me.

"Fine" he agrees, but if your both not back in an hour, I'm coming back up here" he informs.

"It will be okay. Stay safe" I reassure.

Niall jogs back down the stairs and out the door.

But then the realisation hits me. My eyes go wide and my stomach drops.

"NIALL!" I call out after him, running full force down the stairs.

"What?" he gasps turning around after I crash out the door.

"Harry, he's drinking, he doesn't have a mask on, he said this area wasn't quarantined. Does that mean he's infected now?" I gush.

Niall's eyes widen in horror at the realisation. He doubles back and goes up the staircase, I follow closely behind.

"Harry!" he gasps as he runs and meets him on the ground, picking up the mask that's sat by Harry, stringing it over his face.

"You're an idiot, you need to wear this!" he orders.

Neither one of us know if it's too late, we don't even know if up here is exposed to the virus. From my understanding, Harry was the only one to come up here and the door was never open long enough to let a large amount of air get through.

"What does it matter anymore Niall?" Harry moans.

"It matters, don't be a fool, you're going to have to be tested now. We need to go see the nurse right away." He orders looking up at me for support.

I immediately understand what is required and jump on the other side of Harry, positioning his arm around my neck and placing my other hand on his lower back to I can hoist him up.

On the count of three, Niall and I lift together and successfully manage to get Harry to his feet.

He help him down the staircase and out the door, being sure to lock it again once we are out.

We stumble slowly back towards the main building, Niall informs me that there is a nurses station in the same halls as the interrogation rooms.

"Hello Niall" the nurse greets as we enter in the room. "How can I help Mr Styles today?" she huffs. Like seeing Harry in this state isn't really a surprise to her.

"We think he may have exposed himself to the air, just need to get him tested" Niall explains to her as we lower Harry down onto the bed.

It seems as though he's gone passed the dazed state and is slowly falling in and out of consciousness.

"Alright no worries" she agrees, turning back towards her benchtop that held a vast array of different materials.

She pulls out a needle and collection tube before turning back to Harry to secure a tourniquet around his upper arm.

Her eyes flick to me and then over to Niall. "She looks familiar" she informs raising her eyebrows up at him.

Niall doesn't say anything, she just looks back to me and gives me a friendly smirk. I'm guessing she is referring to Maddie, since it was already discussed that I apparently look like her.

"I'm Bryleigh" I introduce myself.

"Hello Bryleigh, I'm Nurse Lynch" she replies.

Once the blood is successfully drawn from Harry she unlatches the tourniquet before cleaning off the remainder of the items.

"He's going to have to stay here until I get the results back, we can't have him mixing in with everyone else until we know for sure.

Niall nods his head in understanding. "How long will that be?" he asks.

"Should be back in a few hours, I'll send it right down for processing now. I'll also attach a saline drip to him, perhaps help sober him up a little" she teases.

Niall and I thank her as she exits the room and I can tell Niall is still tense with me.

"I didn't think they could see any results with blood testing" I comment.

"They'll be able to see if his body is fighting something, won't be able to tell what, but it will give us a pretty good idea" he explains.

"What's going to happen if he has contracted the virus?" I ask in worry.

Niall looks over to Harry with the same worried face that I'm holding. "Let's just wait to see what his results say first" he attempts to sooth.

I nod my head slightly, trying to stay positive, but you have to admit in this scenario, it's hard to.

Niall and I take a seat either side of Harry, I rest one of my hands on top of his rather than holding it and Niall sits comfortably back in his chair, folding his arms across his body.

"Bryleigh, how do you know about Maddie?" Niall asks in a calmer tone.

I look up to him and then back down to where my hand was mixed with Harry's.

Honesty is the best policy I think to myself.

"I overheard you, Louis and Harry talking" I confess.

Niall's expression doesn't waiver one bit.

"So, you followed us?" he clarifies.

Both of us know he doesn't need an answer here.

"Do I really look like her?" I ask, looking up to Niall.

He exhales a deep breath "Yeah you do actually, I definitely had to double look when I first saw you." He jokes.

I nod my head, I don't know if I'm disappointed or not. This Maddie person obviously means a lot to Harry, but from the sounds of it, reminds him of hurt and sadness.

"Niall, who is Maddie?" I ask, even though I'm pretty sure I knew the answer, I just didn't want to.

Niall looks down at Harry like he is waiting for some form of permission.

"Well I guess it can't hurt now" he breaths out.

"I lied when I said I met Harry here, I've actually known Harry for most of my life, and with that, I've known Maddie as well. In high school, they were absolutely like prom king and queen material, everyone knew who they were and that they belonged to each other. Just before the outbreak, Harry found out that Maddie was cheating on him and it caused huge drama for not only them, but like our entire community, because when something like that happens and it's just a small town, people are forced to choose sides. It was about a week later that the first cases of the 'Wave' came about and Harry had to save Maddie from the guy she had been cheating with. He had contracted the virus really early on and was like literally trying to rip her arms off. Harry was able to pull him off and then swore from then on he would never let anyone touch her. She lived here for a little bit when we first ran the place, but it became airborne about six months ago and she was unfortunately out of on supply run when it happened." Niall explains.

That was a hell of a lot to take in.

"Is she still alive Niall?" I ask.

"Physically yes, but mentally, no, she went a long time ago, but Harry has these doctors working on crazy medicines and he's trying to find a cure, he shares the same blood type as her and thought that possibly doing infusions of his healthy blood would clean out her system, but nothing has worked yet." He continues.

"Harry loves this woman, doesn't he?"

Niall eyes give me all the answers I need to that question.

"And you feel something for Harry, don't you?" he deflects, almost making a mockery of me as his eyes find their way down to where my hand is connected with Harry's. I pull it back instantly and slouch back in my chair, folding my arms over my stomach.

"Don't feel bad, it's sweet" he coos.

"It's not sweet" I declare.

Truth is, I didn't know if I did or not, but I was definitely finding myself drawn to him.

"Too be honest Bry, I think you intrigue Harry as well" he announces.

I feel the hot flush of embarrassment wash over me and I can feel the redness developing in my cheeks.

I quickly wish it away. "Doesn't matter, he's got Maddie" I mumble.

"Yeah" is all Niall answers before the nurse comes back in with a bag of saline, she hooks it up to Harry and begins filling him with some much needed hydration.

I couldn't even tell you how much time has passed, I've been sitting here reading every single poster that lines the walls of the white cement walls. Niall ducked out to fill Louis in on the current situation a little while ago and I hadn't moved from Harry's side.

"Bryleigh?" I hear his voice mumble causing my eyes to immediately make contact with his.

"Hey, you, how are you feeling?" I gush in relief.

"I'm okay." He replies looking around the room and down to where the canular was sticking into his hand.

"It's just saline, you were a little intoxicated" I inform him.

He uses his free hand to push the curls back out of his face. "Ah right".

"They've also sent some of your blood down for testing, you were up in the watch tower without a mask on." I recall the information to him, not knowing how much he actually remembers.

"Oh shit" he gasps.

"You're going to be okay Harry" I connect my hand with his, using the pad of my thumb to trace small circles just below where the canular sat.

"You know about Maddie?" he acknowledged.

I'm guessing there are little pieces he remembers.

"Erm, yeah I do, and it's okay. I understand" I attempt to sound genuine.

I did sort of understand to a degree, I would do what I could to save those that I loved as well.

I remove my hand from Harry's, I felt uneasy now displaying any sort of affection to him, felt like I was a mistress with a taken man.

"I'm sorry I didn't tell you" he apologises.

"Oh" I gush, "You don't owe me an apology, you don't owe me anything really, it's okay"

"Please don't say anything to anyone, I just, until I know for certain what's going on, I don't need the entire 'Cove' to be whispering about this, there are certain people in these walls who would kill her in an instant if they knew" he begs.

Before I can answer, Niall comes bouncing back in the room, hearing Harry's voice from outside the door.

"Welcome back to the land of the living" Niall boasts.

"Hey Nialler" Harry mocks.

Nurse Lynch comes back in at this point and we all stare at her in anticipation.

"Good news Mr Styles, you seem to be all clear, but I'm going to order you two doses of serum daily for the next week and I would like to recheck your blood in 7 days to see if anything has changed, but I am extremely confident in saying that you haven't contracted the virus, this time" she mocks at the end.

The entire tension that was once clouding the room lifts immediately as Niall crashes himself into Harry embracing him in a tight hug.

Chapter Text

"You good?" I ask as I help adjust him down into bed after being his own personal walking stick from the nurses station back to his room.

He chuckles softly at me, "Yeah I'm good" he answers, sitting down on the bed.

"Can I get you anything?" I offer, keeping an awkward stance at the side of the bed as he relaxes his legs up onto the end of it.

"Bryleigh, why are you being weird?" he stammered.

I fail to make eye contact with him, I didn't know how to say 'Well, I think I kind of liked you, but then I found out your keeping your infected ex-girlfriend alive, so I really don't know how I'm meant to behave around you now' didn't really roll off the tongue in the way I needed it to.

So, I lied. "I'm not, I'm just tired sorry."

I can tell by his reaction that he wasn't believing it, but he was kind enough not to push the topic.

"Did you want me to leave you to rest?" I ask, feeling like my presence right now may actually be unwanted.

"No, actually, I'd like you to stay, if you don't mind" he gushes immediately.

"I can do that" I relax a little and sit myself down on the edge of his bed.

"Crawl over, you can get comfortable" he teases, gesturing towards the wall where I was sat last time.

I let an embarrassed chuckle fall from my lips as I shuffled past his feet and over to sit by the wall, bringing my knees up to my chest hugging them close to my body.

"So, Niall informed you on Maddie" he exclaims.

I look up at him from where I had my chin resting on my knees.

"Oh, I, um" I stutter.

He playfully hits my legs casually with a small smirk on his face.

"Relax" he breaths. "I should have told you anyway"

"Is that what you meant about being scared about trusting people again? Because she hurt you?" I query.

He nods his head only slightly, but enough for me to notice. "Yeah, I suppose."

"I'm sorry she made you feel like that."

"I'm sorry this world has made you believe you can't trust anyone again" he mumbles.

I let my head fall back against the wall and stare up to the ceiling.

"Why are you so bent on saving her if she betrayed you?"

"Have you ever been in love Bryleigh?" he ponded.

I shrug my shoulders. "I'm not sure" I confess.

"Have you had a relationship before?"

I nod, "Yes, I was seeing a boy named Tye, he turned at the beginning of the 'Wave' but I don't think it was love." I explain.

"Why?" he pushes.

"I don't want what I had with him to be the definition of love, if it is, then I'm afraid I'll never want it again" I vaguely explain.

"Was he not a nice boyfriend to you?"

The uncomfortable feeling in me grew as I shifted in my seat.

"He was, just, protective and just had a particular persona about him, I think I felt more bound to the relationship than anything."

"Were you afraid to leave?"

I swallow the lump that was developing in my throat, I could feel past emotions making their way to the surface that I really didn't want to face at the moment.

"Bryleigh?" Harry pushes a little further.

I just shrug my shoulders and quickly wipe the escaped tear that left my eye.

"Shit" Harry gasped, opening his right arm out offering a hug.

I react to the temptation and lay down next to him, resting my head on the exposed part of his shoulder.

I lay there for only a moment with his arms wrapped around me before sitting back up again and ridding the remainder of memories from my cheeks.

"I'm sorry" Haryr apologises in a low tone.

I let a small chuckle loose "You don't need to apologise"

"You deserve better" he confesses.

My eyes find their way to his at his touching words.

I dart them away just as fast not wanting to fall deeper into this trap.

"Sounds like we have both given the rotten end of the stick when it comes to love" he jokes.

I laugh slightly at his remark. "I guess so" agreeing with him.

"How are you enjoying your work in the gardens? Maggie said you're doing amazing" he compliments.

"Yeah, I'm actually enjoying it more than I thought I would, didn't know I enjoyed gardening so much" I chuckle.

"Would you like to be working somewhere else?" Harry offers.

I think for a moment about what other roles I could possibly do in here. "No, I don't think so, I like the garden and I get along great with the girls there"

"I've noticed you've grown close to Ava, that's great, she's a good girl"

It's actually quite impressive how Harry knows everyone in here by name. I have noticed that since day one, even though I was paying attention to how ridiculous it was that he had all of these people working at his beck and call, but I also did notice that he knew every single one of them by name.

"Yeah she's great, she actually has a major crush on Niall" I attempt to work my best wing man skills.

He furrows his eyebrows. "Niall? Really?" he gushes.

"Yeah, but she has already been matched up." I explain.

"I'll see what I can do" he giggles.

"You can do that?" I cheered.

"Babe, I can do anything." He mocks.

I couldn't help but linger on the pet name he used, I usually get princess from him, which I actually haven't received in a while.

I roll my eyes at him and shake my head in amusement.

"You have a really pretty smile" he compliments out of nowhere.

I feel my breath catch itself in my chest, looking at him in disbelief and feeling the return feeling of redness apply itself to my cheeks.

"Don't receive compliments too well, do you?" he mocks obviously noticing my embarrassment.

I shake my head at him and sink further into my knees.

I'm caught off guard as the siren sounds for dinner time.

I look over to Harry who was starring right back at me.

"I better go" I acknowledge.

"Oh right, yeah no worries" the tone in his voice almost sounds as if he is disappointed.

I shuffle myself off the edge of the bed standing to my feet and walking slowly toward the door. I glance out to the halls fill of people who are making their way over to the dining hall.

I immediately turn back to Harry with an eager thought racing through my vein.

"What?" he shrugged.

"You should throw a party for the quarters, like a dance party. I think everyone around here needs a little bit of fun, don't you?" I suggest.

I wouldn't even be able to tell you the last time I enjoyed myself at a party, it was definitely well before the 'Wave' begun and I could imagine that majority of the people around here would be the same.

"A dance party?" he repeats.

"Yeah, nothing crazy, you just pop some lights on and move lock down back an hour or two. Doesn't need to be any alcohol or anything, but I think they would really benefit from it, boost morale around here" I continue trying to convince him.

"Go eat your dinner Bryleigh" he teases.

I roll my eyes and wave goodbye as I dart out of the room and down the stairs to make my way to main hall.

As I enter the dining hall and collect my standard meal, I am waved over by Niall and Louis to their table.

"Bryleigh, where have you been?" Ava's voice comes bellowing at me from the other end of the hall.

I just remembered I left her high and dry and never returned.

"Oh hey, sorry had to help Niall with something" I lie.

"Niall?" she gushes, eyes lighting up.

"Yeah, grab your dinner and come sit with us" I offer gesturing over to where Louis and Niall were standing there waiting for me.

"Alright" she practically screams.

I chuckle at her excitement and walk over to sit with the boys. I strategically take a seat next to Louis, leaving an open seat next to Niall for Ava to sit at.

"How is he?" Louis asks as I take a seat.

"He's alright, I think he's going to be okay" I reply.

"Heard you had some wandering ears earlier this morning." He teases, Niall obviously filling him in on how I knew about Maddie.

I dart my eyes over to him as he chuckles and takes a bite from his bread shrugging his shoulders acting all innocent.

"Hey!" Ava practically squeals as she approaches the table.

"Hey" I reply, "Guys this is Ava, Ava this is Louis, whom you know, and Niall" I introduce even though everyone actually knows one another, but not officially.

"Hey Ava" the boys repeat in unison.

She takes a seat down next to Niall eagerly giving me excited eyes as she places her tray down on the table.

"I was just saying to the guys that they really need to improve the quality of the standard food around here" I lie, picking up a spoonful of beans from my tray and letting it sludge back down into the bowl.

"Well you could save your rashers for food rather than getting clothes to impress Harry" Ava mocks.

I kick my leg out connecting with hers underneath the table. "Shut up" I breathe out, but was already drowned out with bursts of laughter coming from both the guys.

I look over to Ava who looks quite impressed with herself that she's made Niall laugh, even if it was at my expense.

"Right okay, well I'll just leave you guys to making fun of me, I'm going to sit here and enjoy my beans" I comment.

"Oh come on, don't be like that, you look great" Ava corrects.

I roll my eyes at her and shake my head "Yeah thanks" I sarcastically appreciate.

"So, Ava, how's the garden, are we needing to go on a supply run soon?" Niall asks.

You can practically hear the blood draining from Ava's body as Niall speaks to her. But to make it worse, she doesn't answer, she just looks at him as if he were a ghost. I shift my leg to nudge her again and cough a little to attempt to bring her back to reality.

"Erm, yeah probably, the vegetable stocks are going well, but the herbs may a need a little restock" she answers in a very fast paced tone.

Louis sends me a little coy look shaking his head, recognising just how nervous Niall makes her.

Louis takes the initiative to start a conversation with me since Ava and Niall have gone off on their own little tangent about plants and herbs and spices and whatever else.

"How is he really doing?" Louis repeats in a low voice, not wanting Ava to catch on.

I smile comforting and place a hand on Louis shoulder. "He's alright Lou, he looks disheartened though, I think he is slowly coming to terms with the fact it could all be pointless" I almost whisper back to him.

"Yeah I know, it's hard for him to accept that, I've been telling him for a long time that my sister is gone" he confesses.

My jaw completely drops to the floor. "What!" I shout causing us both to look around.

"Sorry" I apologise to Niall and Ava who are staring at me with concern written all over their faces.

"You're sister?" I whisper back to Louis.

He looks at me confused, "Yeah did no one tell you Maddie was my sister?" he queries.

"Obviously not, hence the outburst" I gasp.

He chuckles at my revelation.

"I'm sorry to hear she got sick" I offer my condolences.

He shrugs it off like it's no big deal "hey, it's all good. Not much you can do hey. I don't know why he bothers with her anyway, she was a jerk to him"

I nod in acknowledgement "Yeah, Niall said she cheated" I agree.

Louis purses his lips and nods "Yeah, I knew she was doing it, I didn't really know Harry at that point though or I definitely would have said something."

My eyebrows tighten in confusion, "You didn't really know him, but Niall said they dated for years?" I question.

"Yeah, but Maddie was a very, umm, distant person, she didn't bring him around the house and whenever I saw them at school she would pull him in the opposite direction" he informs me.

"Oh" I gasp.

"Yeah, she's a jerk" he chuckles.

I felt bad for him though, losing anyone to this virus is heartbreaking even at the worst of times. As much as I resented Tye and felt a bit of relief when he contracted it, it still hurt to watch his personality be completely hijacked like that. It's like the person you knew gets completely wiped from view and it can happen right in front of your eyes without you even realising.

"Oi Lou, do you know why Harry is asking if we have coloured flood lights in the storage room?" Niall's question spikes both our interest as he continues to stare down at his phone.

"Oh my god" I gush.

All three of them look at me as my excitement is overwhelmed.

I don't answer them, I just push myself back from the table, leaving my trash right where it was and sprint out of the halls back up toward Harry's room.

I burst through the door in exhilaration.

"You're letting us have a party?" I gush.

"How did you, Niall" he realises.

I nod my head in agreement.

"You know, I'm really not liking this friendship of yours" he teases.

"Oh shut up, Harry are you letting us have a dance party?" I repeat.

"Yes" he mumbles, preparing himself for my outburst.

I lunge forward wrapping my arms around his shoulder and squeezing him tight.

I immediately catch my breath when I feel his arms tighten themselves around me in return.

I inch myself back a little keeping our faces only a few millimetres apart.

Shit.

I catch my breath and pull back further, feeling all awkward and shy.

I adjust my clothes and fix my hair, "When?"

"Tonight?" he says as if it were a question.

My eyes immediately light up. "Oh Harry, everyone is going to love this." I sang out.

"Alright, I'll be putting the announcement over the speaker in a little bit, it's only happening in this quarter as a test run, I'll see how it goes and then decide if I do it for the rest of the quarters okay. Easier to start here where I can keep an eye on things." His voice becomes serious, like he was slightly worried about doing this.

"It's going to be wonderful Harry!" I try and encourage.

"Right, off you go then, I have an announcement to make" he teases, opening the door wider so I can leave.

I squeal before leaving as I head back down to the dining hall, excited to see the reaction from everyone.

Soon enough, the speaker makes a high pitched sound signally that the microphone is on.

"ATTENTION QUARTER 4, TONIGHT YOU WILL BE REWARDED WITH A DANCE PARTY, YOU ARE ALL WELCOME TO ENJOY THE FESTIVITIES AND LOCKDOWN WILL BE MOVED TO 10PM TONIGHT FOR YOUR ENTERTAINMENT, DO NOT, MAKE ME REGRET THIS"

His voice bellows through the megaphone.

The excitement and eagerness that ruptured from the dining hall was intoxicating in itself.

Ava runs up to me flying her arms around me.

"I know you had something to do with his, Bryleigh, this is incredible" she cheered.

"Come on, let's go!" I encourage as I wrap my arm around her shoulder and join the remainder of the crowd who are exciting the halls.

As soon as we return to the quarter, it's like I have stepped into Narnia, the entire common area had been transformed, the lights were out and different coloured fog lights that Niall and Louis had obviously gotten together were bursting colour from all angels and there was some choice dance songs pumping through the speakers where Harry's voice had just been echoing through.

Tonight was going to be absolutely amazing and I was finally excited for something.

Chapter Text

"I literally have nothing to wear for this thing" I moan as I look through what I actually have in my cell. It's a choice of white singlet & jeans, oversized hoodie, black tights, but none of it screamed 'party' outfit.

"I have something maybe you would like?" Ava offers.

"Really?" I gasp.

"Yeah, come on, I brought it with me from the outside, but I've never had a chance to wear it" she examples.

"Don't you want to wear it then?" I quiz.

Ava shakes her head casually. "No, it's fine, come on" she insists leading me out of my cell and around to hers which is only a few down from me.

As we enter, her roommate, who I had been introduced to before was laying flat on her back on the top bunk. Her name was Cara and she really kept to herself.

I actually hadn't heard her talk to anyone to be completely fair, her job around here was to organise the food out in the back storeroom.

She doesn't even acknowledge us when we enter and to be fair, I was used to her coldness by now.

Ava ruffles through some of her belongings and pulls out a black outfit. She holds it up in front of me revealing a short little black t-shirt dress with ties at either side. It was really cute.

"Are you sure?" I gush, holding the fabric tightly in my hands.

"Of course, go for it" she confirms.

I hold it tightly in my hand and run back toward my cell to get changed.

Once in the dress, I tighten the ties that sat at my hips to give it a nice scrunch look.

I run my hands down the sides of my body, flattening out the fabric, given that I now have something nice to wear, it makes he even more excited for tonight.

"Ready?" Ava queries popping her head around the corner of my cell, she's gotten changed as well and is now styling a pair of denim shorts and a loose white t-shirt that falls off one of her shoulders.

"Girl, you look amazing!" I gush over her, placing my hands on her hips and playfully swaying her from side to side.

"Oh stop!" she shies away all embarrassed.

I take her hand and close my cell, locking it behind me. Harry's got a collection of music on that is sending out decent party vibes. A lot of people are already out in the common area dancing away, enjoying themselves.

I drag her down to the middle of the floor.

"I don't really dance" she comments, having to shout slightly over the music.

"Does anyone?" I imply back, running my fingers through my hair.

Ava looks so out of her comfort zone, but I knew once she loosened up a little bit she would have a good time.

"Hello ladies" the call out of the familiar Irish accent catches me off guard as an arm is flung over my shoulder from behind.

"Hello Niall" I shout back.

He's bouncing away to the music, throwing his other hand in the air.

I tilt my eyes over to Ava who is gushing over Niall already, rolling my eyes and shaking my head in amusement.

"Ava, you look, erm different" Niall compliment, scratching the back of his neck.

Do I see a slight blush there Niall?

"Bryleigh, Ava" Louis joins our little pack on the floor.

"Party is here now" Niall calls out.

He loosens arm from around my shoulder and he and Louis begin in bounce around like maniacs.

I give Ava a comforting eyebrow wave and move myself closer to her, placing one hand on her shoulder for comfort and swaying our hips from side to side.

I see her start to loosen up and begin to give in to the movement with me.

Everyone around us was really enjoying themselves. I was actually feeling really heart warmed that Harry had agreed to do this.

Speaking of Harry, I wondered where he was during all of this.

I dart my eyes up to where his room was, that conveniently looks over the common area.

I'm slightly happy to see him leaning against the railing, looking down at where I was. There was even a small smirk on his face that signalled he may have been enjoying himself.

"I'll be back in a minute" I shout to Ava.

"What?" she replies in fear.

"Oh come on love, we will take care of you" Niall mocks, throwing one of his arms around Ava's shoulders and continuing to sway with her.

I back off a little to give him room and give Ava a cheeky little grin and a thumbs up.

I just know that her entire insides are throwing a party right now at the touch of Niall.

I pull over to Louis and lean into his ear, "Watch them" I whisper.

He chuckles at my remark and answers with forming his index and thumb into a circle, signally okay.

I dart past the sea of people and make my way over to the staircase on the right side of the area that lead to the second level.

"Hey you" I acknowledge as I end up next to him, leaning against the railing myself looking down to see that Niall and Ava are still dancing together and Louis is bouncing around next to them like an awkward third wheel.

"Is it everything you wanted?" he asks.

"It's more Harry, thank you. I think they all needed it, look how happy everyone is" I comment gesturing down to the swarm of happy people below us. People that I haven't even actually met properly yet, and I live with them now.

"hmm" he hums at me in irritation.

He can't hide it though, I saw the look on his face when he was looking over everyone dancing, the hard exterior that he usually displays to everyone had softened and he looked almost content.

"How are you feeling?" I ask pumping my hip against him, hoping to lighten the awkward tension between us a little.

"I'm alright thank you. Feeling better now getting the water into my system I think" he confirms.

"What are my chances of getting you down there for a dance?" I tease, knowing the answer.

"Yeah not a chance" he teases letting a low chuckle form from his lips.

I give him a forced pout "Oh come on, one dance?" I plead.

"I do not dance Bryleigh" he repeats in a stern tone.

"I'm not believing it, come on, Louis and Niall are down there, just do what they are doing." I gesture down as both our eyes head straight to Ava and Niall who are currently. MAKING OUT.

I smack my hand against my mouth instantly and let out a little squeal.

"Oh my god" I gush, making eye contact with Louis who is giving me a double thumbs up.

I chuckle and return a thumbs up to him followed by a fist pump.

But then it dawns on me and I wide eye Harry, knowing I just asked him to be doing what Niall was doing.

"Yeah, I don't see myself making out with anyone down there, thanks though for the off Bry" he mocks.

I giggle slightly at the nickname.

I face palm myself. "That's not what I meant Harry." I whine. I pull on his forearm "Come on, please". I give him the best puppy dogs I can possibly.

"Bryleigh" he warns.

"Harry, one dance and I promise you, I will leave you alone for the rest of the night." I bargain.

He side eyed me for a minute before mumbling "fine".

I could swear hell just froze over and I wasn't sure if I heard him right.

"What?" I gasp.

"Bryleigh, I swear" he chuckles.

"Okay, okay" I wince grabbing his hand and pulling him down the hall and toward the staircase and down the stairs.

I was almost half expecting him to let my hand go the moment we started walking, but I was pleasantly surprised when he interlocked his fingers as we walked.

I pulled him through the sweaty bodies bouncing off one another until we reach where Niall, Louis and Ava are. Niall and Ava seem to be giving each other a chance to breathe and they are back to just swaying together.

"Well bite my nuts and call me skippy, look who it is" Louis calls as we approach.

"What the fuck?" Harry chuckles at his reference.

"Bryleigh, I'm beginning to think you are a literal angel, your pulling out all this crazy shit and getting tight arse here to loosen up, it has to be the work of a higher power" Niall comments.

I turn myself to Harry and place my two hands on his chest to push him slightly away from these two acting like a bag of idiots, if I wasn't careful he would most likely walk away.

Rhianna's Only Girl In The World starts to play. A song that I absolutely loved when I was a freshman at school.

"Oh Harry!" I gush, dragging my arms down from his shoulders, down his arms to his hands and bringing them up together to around my shoulder height to start swaying with him.

At first, he refused to move, he just continued to stare at me in amusement.

Like whatever I was doing was not normal human behaviour, but at least he wasn't running away, so I wasn't going to stop.

So boy forget about the world,

Coz it's gonna be me and you tonight.

I mouth the words to Harry as I continue to over dramatize my dancing around him now just to annoy him even further.

I see just the corner of his lips curl up slowly before I feel the palm of his hand place itself lightly on the lower of my back.

His simple touch causing me to completely freeze in place as our eyes connect for a moment.

"One dance" he mumbles low, but just loud enough for me to hear.

The giddy smirk across my face was a little hard to hide but for some reason I felt completely comfortable in the position I was now in, and I found myself forgetting about all the extra little details that come attached to Harry, and in this moment, it was just he and I.

Want you to make me feel,

Like I'm the only girl in the world.

Like I'm the only one that you'll ever love.

As the music continues to make it's way through the speakers, the sounds of those around us completely disappear.

I take my other arm and wrap it around his neck so my hands meet behind his head as he takes the initiative to place his other hand on the lower of my back so his hands meet.

Face to face we continue to move our bodies together in a light sway. I'm silently impressed by how well Harry can actually move to the music.

He's even letting his hair down a little and his smile makes its way to the surface more often tonight than I have ever seen. I didn't even realise he had a dimple in his cheek and that the sides of his mouth creases when he really smiles, like a genuine big toothy grin. He really does have a beautiful smile.

He's been mumbling things into my ears every now and again, mostly at Niall's expense as we continue to shoot he and Ava quick glances to see that they continue to rob each other's breaths from one another. I just know Ava is going to be absolutely on cloud 9 after tonight and I really couldn't be more happy for her. Louis disappeared a while ago, but Harry informed me that his job around here was quite demanding, and there was also some relief needed at the front gate with some of the workers.

And when you enter,

You ain't leaving,

You'll be my prisoner for the night.

"You really are a breath of fresh air in this place aren't you?" Harry compliment having to move his head extremely close to me so I'm able to hear over the music.

My head tilts to the side as I get all shy from his comment, making it even harder to remember he has someone else who he cares about.

I'm struggling with my feelings for him too, because I don't know if it's the fact that I'm actually starting to like him, or if it's just because it's been so long since I had genuine human connection with the opposite sex.

I hadn't had enough time with him alone yet to discover what the difference was, but all I knew was that I was intrigued by him, whatever the reason was, I was being drawn to him.

As the song draws to a close, I feel slightly disappointed remembering how I got him to the dance floor anyway.

I loosen my hold around his neck and let my hands linger down his arms.

"Where are you going?" he whispers as he recognises my movement.

"One song and I'll leave you alone." I repeat, reminding him of my previous ploy.

"Oh, right, of course" he stutters loosening his hand from around my lower back and edging himself away from me hesitantly.

We stand there looking at each other, both us knowing what we want to say, but not saying anything.

He makes the first move and places a soft kiss to my cheek "Thanks for the dance" he appreciates before walking away from me backwards a few paces before turning around and heading back through the crowd and up the stairs.

My eyes follow his pathway as he disappears behind his bedroom door and closes it behind him.

Looking over to Ava and Niall, they have become completely inseparable and I really don't have it in me to break them apart right now.

I've also kind of lost my party mood and decide to head to my room.

I pull open the gate and throw on my hoodie over the top of the dress Ava had loaned me. Throwing my hair up into a messy bun and climbing onto my bed, hugging my pillow in front of me and pulling out my book.

I was really glad that everyone else was having a great time, I stand by what I said in that everyone needed this, and I really enjoyed being able to blow off steam whilst I could, but whatever was going on with Harry was really starting to take its toll on me.

Both everything that I found out about Maddie, and everything that I was feeling for him. I didn't know if I had been given enough time to actually process each part of it to be able to make a proper indication.

"You alright?" Louis voice breaks my thought process.

To be completely fair, I would have looked like I was reading, but my thoughts were completely overpowering my mind and I was just simply starring at a jumble of letters not making any sense of them.

"Oh yeah, I'm good, but tired I think" I lie.

"Mind if I join?" he asks, pointing to the empty space at the end of my bed.

"Please." I insist, shuffling up further up the bed.

"Tonight was a great idea, I think you're going to be very popular around here from now on." He complements.

I chuckle a little at his sweetness.

"Niall and Ava" I state, raising my eyebrows at him, knowing that he originally had Ava paired with someone else.

"Yeah that came out of nowhere hey!" he mocks.

"It's sweet, I'm happy for them, they are great people" I confess.

"They are" he agrees. "I'll have to do some rearranging on the partnership schedule" he informs.

"Do you really believe in all of that?"

"What do you mean?"

"Like assigning people together like a football team, not just letting them form genuine connections with people." I shrug.

"Harry thinks it will cause too much drama if we let people choose."

I look him with concern eyes. "I didn't ask what Harry thought, I asked if you think it works well like that."

He breaths out a slight giggle. "I do whatever Harry tells me to do Bryleigh, that's the way things have always worked around here, and it's worked up until now, so no need to fix what isn't broken" he proclaims.

I gesture my hand out the door "Niall and Ava" I declared.

"They are an exception" he sasses.

I roll my eyes at him and shake my head.

"Who have you paired yourself up with then?" I query.

His features immediately drop.

"I, I erm, I don't need a partner" he babbled.

I feel like there is something more than what he is letting on, but I feel like I've struck a nerve and the last thing I wanted to do was upset him.

"Sorry Louis" I apologise, shuffling forward a little and resting a hand on his leg for comfort.

Louis places a receiving hand back on top of mine. "Thank you Bry"

"Never mind then" we are both startled by the boast that comes from my cell door.

Harry.

Chapter Text

Louis looks back at me with alarming eyes.

"What the fuck is his problem?" he chuckles toward me.

I feel my stomach completely drop and my palms are sweaty. Why did he react like that?

I quickly get up to my feet and dash out the door after Harry.

He's already made it half way around to his room by the time I have reached my gate.

"Harry!" I call out to him, but he couldn't hear me over the music still playing, or he was just ignoring me.

By the time I have run after him, he is already entered his room.

"Harry" I yell whilst trying to turn his doorknob, but it's locked.

I use the flat of my hand to bash a few times on the bare wood "Harry, can you talk to me please?"

It's received with no response. I was so confused as to why he was behaving like this, it wasn't as if I was doing anything with Louis anyway, so I really don't see what his issue is here.

"Harry, please" I bash a few more times.

Suddenly the door opens between us; "Go. Away" he spells out for me before slamming the door back in my face.

I jolt a fraction from being startled but I refuse to give up. I am stubborn like that.

"Harry, whatever you thought you saw, it was nothing. Can you please just talk to me." I beg.

Silence still.

I become more and more irritated and less concerned the longer he keeps me in the dark about this.

"ATTENTION EVERYONE, PARTY IS OVER, LOCK DOWN WILL BE ENFORCED IN 5 MINUTES, THOSE NOT IN THEIR ROOMS WILL HAVE 5 RASHERS DEDUCTED FROM THEIR ACCESS CARDS"

His raspy accent echoes around the quarter.

I look around anxiously at the rest of the room to see a sea of concerned and disappointed eyes looking up at me.

I shrug my shoulders at a few eyes that I caught and return back to Harry.

Wow he really is in a bad mood now isn't he.

Louis joins me by my side. "No luck?" he mumbles, and I shake my head in defeat.

"He won't talk to me."

"Give me a minute" he reaches inside of his pocket, retrieving something I am unable to see and holds his body up close to the door, fiddling his hand around near the doorknob until it suddenly flies open.

"Got an issue big boy" he boasts walking into the room and closing it behind him, locking me on the outside.

I can suddenly hear yells coming from the room being able to distinguish the differences between Louis and Harry's but unable to make out what they were actually saying.

I watch as bodies make their way back to their cells, lockdown being enforced now earlier than a usual night. I felt bad knowing that whatever I did to annoy Harry has now ruined the night for so many of them.

I don't care if I get rashers taken from me, I am not leaving here until I get the opportunity to talk to Harry.

I slide my back down the wall that sits right next to his door and hug my knees into my chest, trying to make out at least some of the words they were saying. But no luck.

"Hey, what's going on?" Niall's voice stuns me as I look up to see him walking hand in hand with Ava.

I wipe an escaped tear from my eye and give them a comforting smile, being that I am super happy to see them together.

"I dunno, Harry lost it over seeing Louis and I talking in my cell."

"Right" he nods before going through the door into Harry's room and I suddenly hear his voice mixed in amongst the shouting.

Ava slides down next to me and lays her head against my shoulder. "Are you okay?" she mumbles.

I just nod in agreement, scared that if I talk anymore about it then the lump in my throat will give out and I will just cry into an ugly mess.

"So, you and Niall hey?" I shove her shoulder with mine and put on my happy voice for her.

"Yeah" the squeak in her voice was adorable.

"I'm so happy for you Av" I gush.

I really was happy for her, I know how long she has been crushing on Niall for and I considered them both really good friends of mine, so I was genuinely happy to see them together. They deserved happiness, the both of them.

"Couldn't have done it without you Bry, so thank you" she sits her head up and gives me a friendly kiss on the side of my temple.

I close my eyes and will away the water brimming in the edges of my eyes.

We sit there in silent for what feels like forever, trying to listen in to the conversation, the yelling has been consistent since Louis first walked in there and no one had stopped for a breather yet.

The power suddenly goes out in the entire quarter signally lockdown and I give Ava a concerned look.

"You should go, he's going to take rashers" I inform her.

She chuckles at me "Bry, I'm not leaving you, I don't care what Harry does, he wont touch them anyway" she mocks.

The sound of locking cells echoes around the halls as the sound of gates automatically locking sound. It happens like a domino effect. I've never really stopped to listen to it before. There is something quite chilling about it. But silently beautiful.

I really wished I could talk to Ava about everything that was going on with Harry; but I couldn't without exposing the whole Maddie side of things and I had already promised I wouldn't say anything.

"I saw you and Harry dancing together" she comments with a hopefulness in her voice, doing her at sounding positive.

"Yeah, I promised him that if he had one dance with me then I would leave him alone for the rest of the night" I inform her.

She looks at me from where she had been laying on my shoulder. "That didn't look like he was just 'dancing for one song' Bryleigh. I think he likes you!" She gushes.

Oh honey, little did you know.

I however give her a comforting smile "it's complicated" is all I say.

Next minute Louis comes bursting out the room, stumbling back on his feet like he had been launched from the room and then the door was slammed behind him.

"Louis, you alright?" I gush quickly getting up to help him. I'm then absolutely heartbroken when I see Louis has a busted lip.

"Louis! What happened?" I cried out.

He uses the pad of his thumb to dab a droplet of blood from his lip "think it's save to say he's the jealous type" he mocks.

I have literally had enough. He can't be throwing punches at Louis when he didn't do anything wrong.

I do what I should have done when I first got here.

I open the door abruptly in an absolute rage.

"I don't know what your issue is here Harry, but you don't need to be swinging punches at people who have done nothing wrong. Clearly your problem here is with me and I have no idea why because I too, did nothing wrong. So, why don't instead of acting like a spoilt little child, you have a conversation with me like a grown adult" I scream out all in one breath.

Harry was just standing there completely stunned and I could tell I was getting the same look from Niall but my focus here was Harry.

"I think you can leave us to it now Niall" Harry instructs, giving a polite nod in Ava's direction who was stood behind me for support.

I feel the light squeeze on my arm from Niall as he walks past me and the light peck on the back of my head from Ava.

She shut the door behind her, leaving Harry and I alone in the room.

I feel out of breath from my recent explosion. But I felt more calm now, like I had released the explosiveness that was needed at the time.

"Would you like to have a seat?" He offers, gesturing toward the couch.

"No I don't want to have a seat Harry. I want you to tell me what the hell is going on?" I shout back.

"You're the one who came barging in here, so why don't you tell me" he sasses in a low tone.

I huff in frustration "are you kidding me right now?"

"What do you want from me Bryleigh?" His voice raised slightly in his own frustration.

"I don't want anything from you Harry, I really, truely don't want anything from you" I spit back in anger.

"Then why did you come here?"

I run my fingers through the top of my head "why did you come down to my cell?"

My question catches him off guard slightly as I see his expression drop. "What?" He stumbles.

I take a few steps closer to him, getting myself deeper into the room " Why. Did you. Come down. To my cell Harry" I repeat slow and cautiously.

"I wanted to talk" he mumbles.

I continue walking forward so I'm now standing right in front of him. The minute I'm back in his presence, I no longer feel angry or frustrated.

"Talk to me" I repeat, tracing my fingertips down the length of his arms to reach his hands. I keep my head down low between us, too afraid that if I look into his eyes it's game over for me.

"Is there something going on between you and Louis?" He whispers.

I pick up my head, he needed my genuine answer and for that, he needs to look into my soul.

"There is nothing going on between me and Louis. I do not, have any feelings what do ever toward Louis, other than friendship" I speak as clearly as I can, hoping my message sinks in.

"That's good to hear" his whisper continues.

I feel my breath picking up as my heart slams against my chest in this tense moment.

My eyes dart around his face, taking in every single feature that he had on his perfect skin. My hand subconsciously makes its way to his forehead where my index finger softly grazes a rebel hair out from his eyes. I leave my hand resting on the side of his face as it continues to trace down to his jawline.

All the air gets sucked from my lungs when he returns his hands to the low of my back, forcing me to take a few steps forward as I'm pulled to him. My hands catching themselves on his chest.

Our eyes have remained completely fixated on each other this entire time and the temperature in the room has risen at least 20 degrees since I arrived.

I can feel the pads of his thumbs trace circles on my back through the fabric of the dress.

Neither one of us say anything, like the moment between us right now is too vulnerable and delicate for even words to be spoken.

Without realising, our faces are being inched together, slowly but surely until our noses graze past each other.

I clench my eyes shut and inhale a breath full of courage that is immediately vanished the second I exhale.

"We can't do this" I whisper between us without acting disengaging from him at all.

"Why?" He whispers back.

"Maddie" I reply.

His touch on my back only intensifies as he pulls me in further, "I don't belong with Maddie" he breaths out before crashing our lips together.

Chapter Text

WARNING - SEXUAL CONTEXT 

HARRY P.O.V

I just couldn't take it anymore, the emotions that were boiling over in me were too hard to contain and the overwhelming amount of jealousy I felt when I saw her with Louis just confirmed to me even more that I felt, something.

I didn't quite know what that something was just yet, but it was almost like pure instinct and reflex that I needed to kiss her, right then, right there.

Our faces were barely even touching, but I hadn't been this close to her before. But there she was, standing in front of me, her long brunette hair tied up into a messy little bun, but I could remember not only an hour ago how is cascade down her back, and how her eyes just lit up no matter what light they were in.

She had a hoodie on over the top of that gorgeous little dress she was wearing that hugged her figure in all the right places, although she looked absolutely breathtaking before, looking at her like this is what gives me the butterflies. She is so naturally stunning that she doesn't even realise.

She's the Saturday night stunner and the Sunday morning angel. Not many are able to pull of both so flawlessly.

"We can't do this" she whispers, captivating my attention from being completely lost in her, the perfume floating off her hair, I could tell was recently washed was acting as a tranquil toxic and she had be completely under her spell.

"Why?" I ask in confusion. Why could something that is feeling so incredibly right be doomed as something we can't do.

"Maddie" my eyes drop closed in an instant, Maddie, the person who I have been trying to protect for so long, the one I've been trying to convince myself that I love, but slowly realising that she isn't the Maddie that I fell in love with, I don't think that version was even a true representation, I was slowly realising that Maddie played me like a fool from the very beginning and I let it happen. I felt like I owed it to her to save her, but at what point did saving her cost me my own life.

"I don't belong with Maddie" I confess to not only her, but to myself as well, I think I knew that for a long time, I just didn't want to believe it. I thought in this world you were only given one love. That was it, you get one chance and one person to love and that's it. You are loyal to the person you decide to give your heart to and nothing can change that. But what if I was wrong? What if my first love was only the lesson I needed to learn before the right one.

I pull her in via sheer reflex and bring my lips directly onto hers.

The moment they touched, I felt electricity run through my body that I hadn't experienced before, with anyone.

At first, her lips were hesitant, she didn't respond as they connected with hers, but to be completely fair, neither did mine. They stay frozen on her whilst I come to terms with what I just did.

I pull back, hearing a simple smacking sound of our lips parting as I slowly disengage from her.

We stare at each for only a moment before I witness the slightest curl in the corner of her lips before she connects her hands with the sides of my neck pulling me in again.

This time, our lips move with determination and lust.

Our lips move together like puzzle pieces finally making their way to each other.

I place my hands delicately around her lower back, I'm unsure why but in this moment, she feels more fragile than before.

Our lips part ever so slightly as I feel the graze of her tongue dance along my bottom lip. That small yet bold move is enough fuel to erupt my fire completely. My grip tightens around her and I become more eager with my kissing than I was before.

I wanted more, I needed more. Not that I wasn't to rush or pressure her into anything that she wasn't ready for, but it's like a craved her. I craved to feel her touch, I craved to feel her heavy breath dance across my skin as she allowed herself to get completely lost in the situation.

As she moves her hands from my neck, tracing down my arms like she had before, I take the initiative to hold her head in place with my hand, keeping her exactly where I wanted her. Exactly where I needed her.

Unknowingly our bodies had been forced up against my desk where I found my body pinning her against the hard wood.

I quickly change my grip and link my arms under her thighs so I'm about to hoist her up onto the desk in one swift motion, not breaking the kiss at all.

She lets a small giggle leave her lips at the change in position, but she's fast enough to reconnect them with mine. I press myself between her legs and run the palms of my hands up and down her thighs. The outfit that I once deemed as the perfect combination between sexy and cute was now coming back to haunt me as the skin that was being outlined by her dress made my mind go wandering into places it shouldn't.

It wasn't until I felt her fingers flutter at the hem of my shirt and that it started to trail up my body that she may be having the same devilish thoughts as me.

I let our lips disconnect for only a moment as the material passes between us before crashing our lips back together.

I'm overwhelmed with goosebumps as her fingertips drawn unrecognisable patterns over the skin on my back. I mimic her action and take the edging of her jumper into my hands and pull it over her head, once again having the break the connection.

Before reconnecting, I take a moment to get some sort of consent from her eyes, letting my eyes dart between each of hers, looking for something, anything.

Her smile curves marginally on her face as she nods. I nod back.

Together we agree to take this step together. And it felt right.

BRYLEIGH P.O.V 

The moment Harry made eye contact with me, I knew exactly what he was asking, what he wanted to share with me, and every single part of me wanted to share that with him.

The moment he nodded back to me, the butterflies in my stomach were on full alert.

I'm sat here on top of his desk, with my legs wrapped tightly around him, our hands slowly roaming every inch of each other.

"Are you sure?" I mumble to him in a whisper.

"I'm sure, are you?" he replies.

I nod my head eagerly, "I'm sure Harry" I chuckle.

As soon as the words leave my lips, his hands meet underneath my hips to lifts me off the desk and begins walking me over to the bed. I giggle on impact when I fall onto the bed.

Harry instantly crawling over the top of me.

From the amount of tension that had been built up between us and how intense it was when our lips first connected, I expected the same sort of urgency once we hit the bed, but what I got, was the complete opposite.

Something in both of us changed and we both slowed the pace down simultaneously.

He leans down and kisses me, but it wasn't just the simple moulding of two lips, it was the joining of my life with his, and right now I felt like I have known him my entire life.

There's a momentary pause where only our lips connect before I feel his tongue dip down into my mouth and it completely robs my breath from my lungs.

I can feel his hand edging at the tip of my dress, I place my hands by my side to sit myself up, allowing him to slide the dress over my head and off my body, leaving me in only my bra and undies.

Although I am vulnerable right now, I am feeling more comfortable than ever.

The feeling of his hands exploring every inch of my body. When his fingertips danced around the tip of my underwear.

Subconsciously I find myself grinding against him, feeling myself needing him more and more. Every touch, every kiss, I need them deeper, more intense.

The moment his single finger brushes across my centre, I am completely unravelled by Harry and everything he makes me feel.

His tongue dances across my mouth mirroring the movement his fingertip is making, completely capturing my breath as his finger dips deep inside me.

My entire body stiffens at his touch and I bare down against him wanting him deeper.

I couldn't even tell you where my hands were, but I feel them completely consumed in him.

I needed the warmth, I needed the touch, I needed the contact.

I find the control back in my limbs and grip his pants in my hand, edging them down his legs, he accepts my offering and helps them off as he mirrors my actions, edging my underwear down and off the ends of my toes, whilst snaking his hand around my back, unhooking my bra and letting it glide off my shoulders, having it being disposed somewhere else in the room.

So there we lay, completely consumed in one another with no other obstacles in our way.

He continues to kiss my lips and then makes his way to my neck, the sensitive nerves under my earlobe, every single action causing my eyes to flutter closed and enter a complete euphoric state.

"You are absolutely breathtaking Bryleigh" he mumbles into my neck before pressing another light kiss against the skin.

His words leave nothing but a smile upon my face.

I feel the tip of his erect penis teasing my entrance, and I don't even feel the nerves anymore, I feel absolutely content and safe.

As soon as he enters me, I feel myself completely contract around him causing a slight moan to come from my lips.

As his hips continued to rock deep into me, every movement was bringing me closer and closer to the end and all I wanted was to jump. He used his hand to glide up my arm that's been laying dormant next to my head and intertwines our fingers together.

Everything with Harry is sensual, it's deliberate, its completely invited.

I don't know how he does this to me but I don't ever want it to stop.

The sounds of our heavy breathing dance off the walls and completely feels the space accented by our moans of pleasure and climaxes approaching.

He moves his head from my neck and places our foreheads together, stealing a quick few kisses as he continues thrusting.

I couldn't explain the draw that I had to Harry from the moment I saw him, from the moment he spoke to me, everything from that first meeting, up until now was a constant pull and I didn't want to fight it anymore. 

I could tell his high was approaching as the speed in his hips picked up and became fragmented.

"I'm close" he gasps, planting breathless kisses to my lips.

"Come for me" I encourage, digging my finger tips lightly into his back as I held onto it for support.

As his high washed through him, it was enough to complete take a hold of my own, as my legs twitched and I felt my own orgasm rip completely through me.

We lay there in silence for a few minutes, allowing each other to fully come down from our highs. I let my fingers draw aimlessly around his back as I feel his breath regain some uniform rhythm against my shoulder.

Harry had not been in my life for very long, but it's incredible that when you meet someone, how fast they can engrave themselves into you. And that's what happened with Harry. I recognised his strength and his power in him and appreciated the weaknesses and vulnerability he kept at bay. He challenged me and caused me to question my own strengths, but regardless of the lack of time we may have been present in each other's lives for, when you find someone who belongs on your path, it really doesn't matter.

================

whoops! first smut I have written ever. Please let me know what you think, and hopefully I will feel it more as it goes along, I can tell you, that won't be the only intimate scene between Bryleigh and Harry. 

How are we feeling about the story so far?? 

What do you think about Bryleigh and Harry's new relationship??

What do we think is going to happy now between Maddie and Harry??

PLEASE VOTE & COMMENT <3 

Chapter Text

Two more weeks.

Two more wonderful weeks had passed living inside the ‘Core’ and I think by now I was fully adjusted to this side of living.

Harry had been completely cleared of any exposure to the virus after completely two more rounds of blood tests, but I think he definitely learnt his lesson on that one.

In regards to me and Harry, we have kept it extremely on the down low, so far down in fact that sometimes I forget there’s actually something going on.

We have slept together once more since the first time and it was just as magical and special, but there have been no forms of public display and certainly no filling in our friends on the information.

Harry was worried what would be the ramification if people found out he didn’t have as hard of an exterior as everyone believed, he also didn’t know what he wanted from me.

That was a hard pill to swallow that one.

We were lying in bed after sleeping the second time when he confessed that he was having doubts.

Not that it was anything to do with me, as he continuously informed, but after what happened with Maddie, he wasn’t aware he had built up this wall where he didn’t think relationship were a very good idea after all.

He did confess to me right at the beginning that his biggest fear was trusting people again so I can’t say I’m that surprised.

Harry has been acting a little more distant than usual these past couple of days though, I figured it was best to give him space.

Niall and Ava are going strong, they are ‘official’, if that’s even a thing anymore and they are ridiculously cute around one another. Makes it even harder to keep whatever it is between me and Harry a secret.

Louis is still Louis and our friendship has become more solid over these last two weeks, I mean he took a punch because of me. I owed him a little. And I guess since Ava and Niall were spending all their free time together, Louis and I just gravitated towards each other.

“You’ve barely even touched your breakfast, are you alright?” Niall comments from across the table, Ava tucked nicely under his arm.

“What?” I break out of my day dream. “Yeah sorry, just didn’t sleep very well.” I lie.

“Ergh, I don’t even want to work today” Ava complains, dropping her head further into Niall’s lap.

“Then let’s not” Louis pipes up receiving a shocking look from all of us.

“What?” I gasp.

“How about I get you two out of garden duty and you come on a supply run with Niall and I?” he offers.

“Can you do that?” Ava asks.

Louis side eyed me and gave me a playful nudge in the side. “He can do anything” I mock, roll my eyes and giggling.

“What do you girls say? Want to come running for a bit?” Louis insists.

I hadn’t been in the outside world since I came in, I forgot what we actually run into whilst we are out there, but I was keen for a day off gardening too.

“Oh, I am so in” Ava agrees in excitement.

“What about you Bry, you in?” Niall asks me.

I can feel three sets of eyes burning into my skull whilst I thought about it.

“Yeah alright” I agree hesitantly.

“Perfect, I’ll go switch the rosters, I’ll get Maggie know that you’re helping out in the supply shed today, no one but the runners are technically allowed out of the gates” he ploys.

We all nod in agreement.

“What do you guys usually get on the supply runs?” Ava asks.

Niall shrugs his shoulders. “Anything we find really, you’ve got to have your mind working for all the different fractions over here, whether it be clothing or food, books, décor, anything. Harry likes to have the temptation of the community tickled, if its something they long for, they’ll work more to earn the rashers for it.” Niall explains.

“I’d love to find a few new books to read.” I gush.

I think I have read ‘Me Before You’ about 10 times at least by now.

“Yeah feel free to grab whatever you find for yourselves hey” he insists.

Ava’s eyes light up like Christmas morning to me. I can tell she’s excited.

As we finish up our breakfast, Niall assists us in sneaking us through a side door after going through the quarantine steam and getting masks on to a side door where we wait for them to come get us.

Ava is practically bouncing with excitement. “What do you think we are going to find?” she gushes.

I shrug my shoulders at her and chuckle at just how excited she is.

“Ava, you do know there are things out there that can kill you right? You’ve been inside for a while now, I don’t think you understand how bad the virus has become out here” I inform her in all seriousness.

“Oh, come on Bry, lighten up, and we will be with the boys, they’ll protect us.” She giggles.

I roll my eyes at her and fear the worst, god send help if we actually do get into some trouble, she is going to be the worst.

“Alright. You ladies ready?” Niall comes pouncing around the corner after all the other runners have left.

They are carrying a large tub each that they instruct is for us to fill up and carry between two people on the way home.

The other 2 runner groups head out to the west and south, so the boys said that the four of us would head up north, towards the main township, hit some of the stores that are there.

Niall and Ava walk ahead, as usual, leaving Louis and I to trail behind.

“Have you and Harry made up yet?” I ask, breaking the silence between us.

“What, after he finally believes I wasn’t trying to fuck his girl?” he teases.

“I am not his girl Lou” I hiss.

“Oh, I’m sorry, did you not see the busted lip I received when he thought I was trying to hit on you?” he mocks.

I side eye him and punch him in the shoulder playfully. “Shut up”

“Why isn’t he telling people?” he states.

My eyes dart to him in horror, “What?” I gasp.

“Bryleigh, do you forget I’m the psych around here? It’s my job to study the behaviour between people and it’s in my professional opinion, that you two are fucking” his shoulder receives another slap after his remark.

“I honestly don’t know. He said he was having doubts about a relationship with me, after Maddie, he just, I don’t know, I guess he doesn’t believe in that sort of stuff anymore” I confess. Out of anyone, I knew I could talk to Louis about this. He was wise, a lot more head screwed on than people think.

“Yeah, she did mess him up” he agrees.

“Louis, do you know if he has still been going down to visit her? And giving her his blood?” I ask the question that has been sitting on my mind since the moment Harry’s lips touched mine.

Louis stops in his tracks without me realising and it isn’t until I’m a few steps in front of him that I turn around in concern.

“What?” I mumble.

“He didn’t tell you?” he stammered.

“Tell me what?” I shrug.

“Maddie is missing, about a week ago, nurses called early in the morning to say she had somehow escaped from the station. They’ve searched the entire prison for her, but no one has seen her, they think maybe she’s out here somewhere.” He explained.

My stomach dropped, “Oh shit” I gasped as the only words I could possibly formulate now.

“Sorry, I thought he told you.” He apologised.

“Oh, nah, don’t worry about it” I leered, continuing to walk ahead now that the gap between us and Niall and Ava had increased significantly.

About a week ago, that’s about when Harry started to get all weird around me. Maybe this had been playing on his mind, understandably.

“Wanna try in here?” Niall calls out, causing us both to look to see a small arcade of opened yet deserted shops.

We agree and walk into the tiled building.

There was a clothing store, a pharmacy, a hobbie shop and a small convenience store.

“Lou, you take Bry in those two and Ava and I will check out the others” Niall orders as we leave the 2 tubs placed in the centre.

“Come on then, just keep your eye out okay. But don’t worry, we haven’t come across anyone in a long time” Louis informs me, which does actually make me feel a little bit better.

Louis and I walk side by side up the aisle of the pharmacy grabbing supplies that we thought would be of use.

Band-Aids, medicine for the nurse’s station, shower supplies.

It’s amazing to think that the supplies we really did take for granted before the ‘Wave’ would become as such a luxury now.

“Need these?” Louis teases as I turn around to see him holding up a packet of condoms.

“You’re relentless” I boast, grabbing the nearest bottle that was near me and launching it toward him.

“I’m sure they came in here” an unfamiliar voice echoes through the store sending my blood absolutely frozen.

My eyes dart to Louis in horror as he holds a single finger up to his lips and signals me to come closer to him.

“Oh come on now, don’t be shy, we just want to say hello” the voice bellows again. There was something in his tone that just gave me the most unsettling feeling.

“Come on” Louis whispers to me, pulling me further down the aisle, he crouches low putting his head around the corner slightly and ducking it back instantly.

“Okay they are over the other side, we need to get out of here” he whispers again.

“Yeah, no shit” I whisper back, my voice a little shaken.

We quickly dart down the other end of the aisle, toward the entry to the pharmacy.

“Stay low and try not to make any noise” Louis instructs me.

“What about Ava and Niall?” I whisper.

“Leave them, you don’t know if there are others. Main rule out here princess, protect yourself. Now go” he urges me out of the aisle.

I inhale a deep breath and keep as low as I can.

“Well hello” A voice bellows from behind us.

I whip my head around to see Louis act fast and crash tackle the guy.

“Bryleigh Go!” he shouts.

I stand up to my full height and dart out of the pharmacy and out into the courtyard.

I try to look around to see if I can see Ava or Niall, but there is nothing.

I do hear a lot of commotion coming from the pharmacy and I felt sick to my stomach thinking about Louis in there.

I have literally no idea where I am going but I just keep running.

I find a small alley way that has a few garage bins I can hide behind and catch my breathe.

“Holy shit” I gasp as I slide my back down the wall.

I have no idea what I am meant to do here. I don’t have any weapons on me. I don’t know whether I should be going back for Louis or the others.

And even if I do find them again, how do I know they haven’t been exposed.

Those men were walking around with no masks so I’m guessing they were infected.

How would I ever know if they’ve been or not.

This is shit. This is all shit.

We should have never come out here.

“Bryleigh?” I hear my name being whispered out from the main area.

It’s a female voice.

Ava.

I crawl out from my hiding on impulse at her voice.

“Ava” I whisper back as I continue to come out from my hideout.

“Hello princess” she coos as I finally make eye contact with her.

I feel the air being immediately ripped from my lungs. She isn’t in a mask.

And she’s looking at me like I’m disposable.

My eyes clench and my head fall back in pure agony.

She’s infected.

She’s gone.

“Ava, listen to me” I attempt to reason with her through my tears.

“Listen to you petal? No, I don’t think I’ll be doing that. You see, I didn’t want to tell you before, but I think it’s a little slutty that you jumped straight into Harry’s bed after what was it, like 2 weeks?” I know she’s infected, I know this isn’t her. I know this isn’t what she truly thinks. But it’s painful.

I crawl away from her, back into my dead-end alley way.

“Ava, you and I are friends” I plead.

“Friends?” she chuckles. “Oh babe, you’re more naïve than I thought. I just wanted Niall and you were my ticket there”.

I can’t control the sobbing that is erupting from the depths of my chest.

Ava was my first friend in there, and I grew to love her like a sister.

But with that, knowing that she is infected, gives me no hope for Niall and Louis.

“Ava” I sob.

I’m on full flight mode when she comes charging at me.

I scramble my feet up off the ground and run further into the alleyway, knowing that I really do have nowhere to go.

“Come here” she growls lunging for me.

She tackles my legs from underneath me and I plant face first into the gravel underneath me.

“AVA!” I shout amongst my sob.

“You’re pathetic” she hisses at me.

I somehow manage to escape her grasp and run toward the bin, ripping the lid off it to use as a shield.

She attempts to come at me a few more times and I hold the lid of the bin up against my body to try and block her, feeling defeated that this is the only thing I have as defence right now.

“Ava, please” I beg again.

“No, princess, it’s game over” her hand lungs forward as she aims to take my mask from my face. I use whatever strength and force I had left in my body to lunge forward and push her backwards as hard as I can.

There’s a small distance made between the two of us and I take the opportunity to swing the metal lid as hard as I can, connecting it with the side of her head.

She’s thrown to the side from impact and stumbles straight into the corner of the building where a pipe is held against the wall.

What I didn’t see was the bracket holding the pole, had come lose and was poking right out.

As her facial features drop, I look down to see the metal has impaled her side.

I drop the lid instantly and go to rush to her aid.

“Leave her” I hear a voice booming from the end of the aisle.

Louis.

My tears come streaming down as I collapse to my knees in pure agony.

“She’s infected” Louis repeats as he and Niall rush forward to me. They are both still wearing their masks, but part of me still didn’t trust them. But right now, I didn’t care.

As they got closer to me, Niall collapsed down beside me whilst Louis continued to walk straight by me.

“You alright?” Niall asks, pushing my hair back out of my face.

“Ava.” I mumble. He looks up over at Louis and then over to Ava who is crunched over, holding her side with a lot of blood still pouring out.

“Av” Niall boasts.

“No, Niall, stay back” Louis warns, grabbing a hold of Niall’s shoulders as he goes to race toward her.

“I can’t” he sobs.

“Go, take Bryleigh” Louis orders, shoving Niall back.

Niall gathers me up in his arms and leads me toward the end of the aisle, Louis waits behind.

“I’m sorry, I’m so sorry Ni” I gush.

“Hey, no, no, you did nothing wrong, hey look at me” he holds either side of my shoulders to face him as we get to the end of the alley way.

“Are you hurt?” he asks.

I shake my head whilst wiping the tears from my face.

“Then I’m okay” he whispers, pulling me into his chest hugging me tightly.

There’s no way Niall is infected. I have to believe that.

Niall and my body flinch at the sound of the gun going off as his arms tense around me, sucking in his own sob.

We hear Louis footsteps pacing up toward us.

“Let’s go” he orders. 

Chapter Text

I don’t even know what to think right now. My brain won’t allow me to process what just happened.

I just lost my best friend.

Niall just lost the girl he was seeing.

This was meant to be a silly letting outing and it ended up getting Ava killed.

And to make matters worse, Louis was the one who pulled the trigger.

As we headed back toward ‘Core’ we were silent and we were distant from one another.

I had a fairly good idea that neither Louis or Niall were infected at this point, I was sure they would have killed me by now if they were.

I wanted to say something to either of them, both of them. I just somehow wanted to make all of this better.

“Harry is going to be fucking pissed” Louis beats me too it, breaking the silence.

He is welcomed with an agreement moan from Niall who continues to drag his feet along the pavement.

“Should we grab the stuff?” Niall adds as we reach the arcade where it all turned to shit.

“Yeah, maybe as a peace offering to Styles.” Louis teases, attempting to lighten the mood.

I could appreciate that things may be a little tense between those two now as well. Being that his best mate just shot his girl.

I follow along as they head into the walkway of the arcade, witnessing the bodies of the men who had attacked us.

“Stick together yeah, we’ll just grab what we can.” Niall suggests, pointing toward the pharmacy first.

Still in a tense silence, we follow into the pharmacy and proceed grabbing just random supplies from the shelves, not even caring if they would be needed or not, I just wanted to fill these tubs and get home.

We make our way through the clothing store and convenience store, giving the hobbie shop a miss this time. Niall said that they can always send the runners back in this direction another time.

Once the two containers were full, we lift a side each and proceed to head back toward the jail.

No one says anything the rest of the trip, I guess there was nothing to say. No one did anything wrong, it was a freak accident, but I still couldn’t process that Ava was gone.

As we got to main gate, the containers were taken by other workers to be quarantined and sorted.

“You lot better head straight to Styles, he’s been looking for her” the dark brunette man points his riffle in my direction.

“When was like Malik?” Louis asks.

“About an hour ago, he’s pissed” he chuckles.

“Go on, you better go” Niall nudges to me.

“No, no. He wants to see all of you” Malik responds, still with copious amounts of amusement in his voice.

“Who was that?” I ask as we move through the gates and toward main building.

“His name is Zayn Malik, he’s one of the best soldiers we have here, he’s an ex-marine” Niall informs me.

I look back over my shoulder at him to see he’s still got eyes on us.

He offers me a cheeky salute before turning back to his post.

What a dick.

As we get inside and through the steam room, I’m hesitant to go find Harry. I know he is going to be mad and right now, I haven’t dealt with Ava enough yet to be dealing with Harry.

The doors open from the steam room and before I can even process, we are met with Harry’s presence.

“You three, my room, now!” he orders before turning on his heel and marching right back up toward his room.

I give each of the boys a concerned look before we all follow Harry.

I really feel like a child about to have their favourite toy taken away.

No sooner than the door is closed, Harry begins.

“What the, actual fuck, were you two thinking, taking them out into the community. What comes into your mind, that makes that a great idea? Especially when.” He trails off looking at Louis.

That’s when it hits me, he doesn’t know I know about Maddie.

“Maddie could be out there?” I finish the sentence for him.

Harry’s eyes are wide and furious. “Anything else you want to share with her Lou!” he sarcastically shouts at him stepping forward to end right up in his face.

I step sideways to wedge myself between the two of them, catching Harry’s gaze. “Don’t” I demand in a stern voice.

He notices the water brimming in the corners of my eyes.

His eyes dart to Niall, then to Louis, then back to me.

“Where is Ava?” he asks.

None of us need to say a word, we wouldn’t even know how to.

“Oh shit!” he gasps.

His entire mood switches and he almost looks empathic.

“You two can go” he directs to the boys.

They nod in agreement and go to exit the room, both offering a calming hand on my shoulder.

“Niall” Harry calls out.

He turns around at Harry’s request.

“I’m sorry” he mumbles, met with a nod from Niall. Louis takes his shoulder and the two disappear as the door closes once again to Harry’s room.

“Harry, I know I shouldn’t have.” I begin to explain, but am cut off with his body crashing into mine in an embrace.

The action alone is enough to send me completely under and I fall into a blubbering mess, gradually losing my ability to hold my own weight.

I can hear the comforting ‘shh’ coming from Harry as his one hand is held tightly in the back of my head, keeping him held tightly to his chest as the other rubs up and down my back.

He stays there holding me for what I hoped would be forever. In Harry’s arms right now, I felt like no one could touch me.

I found an ounce of strength to pull myself together and leaned back, disconnecting myself from him, wiping the drenched liquid from my cheeks.

“Are you hurt?” he asks, bending down slightly with is hands on my shoulders to keep me steady.

I shake my head.

“Are you alright?” he adds.

I look up at him with glossy vision and shake my head again before melting back into my puddle of sorrow.

“Come on, you’re okay, you’re safe now” he reassures, bringing me over to the bed to lie down. He lays me in front of him and wraps his arms around me tightly, giving me every security I craved in this moment.

There’s a sudden knock at the door.

“Just a minute” he calls out, regrettably letting me go and climbing off the bed to answer his door. He opens it only a fraction so he can fit his head out.

“What?” I hear his bellow.

“Sorry to disturb you, Mr Styles, it’s just about.. the thing.. they’ve found her” a unfamiliar voice informs Harry.

Harry’s head shoots back to me, sorrow filling his eyes.

“Go” I mouth to him with a small comforting smile.

He holds up two fingers to me signally he won’t be long and proceeds out the door, closing it again behind him.

I roll myself over in Harry’s bed, gripping tightly onto his pillow in a hug as it’s the security blanket I need right now. Shutting my eyes and letting his scent completely intoxicate me.

Harry wasn’t back in a few minutes and I have been lying here on his bed alone with my thoughts for what seems like forever. I need a distraction from my own thoughts, I need to find either Niall or Louis.

I scoot off Harry’s bed and slip out the door, closing it behind me.

I couldn’t even tell you what time it was or anything.

I tiptoe around to Niall’s room to find him just sitting on the bed, clutching a shirt in his hands.

“Hey” I mumble from his doorway.

His head darts straight to me.

“Hey you” he greets in a forced cheery tone.

I walk over and sit right up next to him on the bed, snuggling my head down into his shoulder.

“She was absolutely crazy about you Ni” I mumble to him.

I hear his sniffle and it breaks my heart.

“Yeah, I was pretty fond of her too” he confirms, letting his head fall and rest on my shoulder.

“What happened down there Bry?” he asks me.

I sit myself up and look at him, my tear filled eyes meeting with his blood shot ones.

“It’s okay if you don’t want to talk about it, I just, I don’t know” he trails off.

I slide my hand into his.

“It’s okay” I whisper.

I clear my throat and take a deep breath as he shuffles in position so he is now sitting facing me, hand still in mine.

“I had run into an alleyway, to catch my breath” I begin to explain, “and it wasn’t long after that I heard her calling my name. I didn’t even think about the fact that she could be infected, I crawled out to meet her right away. She was saying horrible things to me, that’s how I knew she was infected, also that her mask was gone, and I just, she came for me and the only thing I had was the bin lid. I thought hitting her with it, may just knock her out or something. Give me a chance to get away, but the pole, I didn’t, I” I stumble through but my emotions were getting the better of me.

“Hey, it’s okay” he comforts, sliding toward me, his own tears falling onto the top of my head.

“I didn’t mean to kill her” I sob.

“No!” Niall shouts.

“No, YOU did not kill her Bry, neither did Louis. The minute she was infected she died. You did what you had to do, to survive, and I don’t know what I would have done if I lost you too.” He reassures me.

I nod into his chest at his words. I knew it was true, the minute that the virus took over, she was gone. But it doesn’t make it any easier.

“Where’s Lou?” I ask. Realising that he would need some comfort too.

“In his room I think, I don’t know, we went our separate ways after Harry” he informs.

“Are you alright here for a minute, I really want to see him” I ask.

“Yeah of course babe, give him a hug for me too yeah” he chuckles slightly.

“Will do” I agree as I tip toe out of Niall’s room.

Louis room was on the other side of the quarter, further away from where Niall and my rooms were.

When I arrive, he was sitting at his desk, head buried in some book he was writing in.

“Hey good looking” I playfully tease as I approach his room.

He whips his head around to me and I’m comforted to see the little smile form in the corners of his mouth.

“Hey love, how are you?” he acknowledges, getting up from his seat and giving me a big hug.

“I’m, I dunno. How are you?” I ask him, still tightly held in his arms.

“I’m okay” he agrees.

“What were you doing?” I ask, gesturing over to the now closed book.

“Oh” he sighs, going over to the desk and opening it up to the page he was working on.

I can see Ava’s name scripted into the centre with writing all around it.

“When someone from the Core dies, I like to write about them in here, along with memories, or just notes about their behaviour I have picked up along the way.”

Wow, that’s incredibly beautiful. And what a wonderful idea. Especially with the virus attacking people’s morals, although I loved Ava and I remember her personality dearly, it’s hard not to keep her final words to me on loop. It’s lovely that Louis is able to write these down as a reminder, of who they were before the virus.

“That’s beautiful Louis”

He nods with a small smirk, closing the book again.

“Have you seen Niall?” he asks.

“Yeah, I just came from there, he’s okay. Said to give you a hug from him” I relay the message.

I really hoped things would be okay between those two, neither one of them could change the outcome, and I’m sure Niall is thankful Louis did it and not him.

“I’m so sorry Bry, I should have never taken you out there” he apologises, his voice slightly cracking.

“Hey, no, it’s no one’s fault. This is our reality now Louis, we knew the risks.” I attempt to comfort him.

“I’m glad you’re okay” he expresses.

I lunge forward and wrap my arms around him tightly. “I’m glad you’re okay too” I mumble in his ear.

“Oh, someone came to Harry’s before, said they found her, I’m guessing they are referring to Maddie. He’s been gone since then. Didn’t know if you wanted to go see?” I inform him.

“Oh shit, yeah alright, I’ll go check it out. Did you want to come?” he offers.

I decline instantly, I don’t really feel like facing anymore converted today.

I instead head back to my own room for a lie down. I don’t know what else to do, but I know that I am so emotionally drained from today.

As I make it to my room, I collapse immediately on the bed. I use my heels to kick each one of my shoes off and slide underneath my covers.

I should actually have a shower, I’m so sweaty and dirty from today, but I just can’t. I need sleep. I need today to be finished with.  

Chapter Text

Two more days have passed and I had barely left my cell.

Louis arranged for me to have a few days off work to grieve. But to be completely honest, I think I needed to get back into a normal routine.

I appreciate the time off, but I’m left alone with my thoughts and it’s a horrible place to be.

And to make it worst, it seems as if Niall, Louis and Harry were all avoiding me. First of all, I thought it was because they were just trying to give me space, but now I really do feel like I’m being avoided.

I hadn’t seen Harry at all since he left the room that night, his room has been unoccupied too, I have bolted that down to the fact that whatever that message was, ‘they’ve found her’, I assume he is just busy with Maddie stuff.

“Bryleigh?” a soft voice slightly startles me.

“Oh hey Maggie” I say as I shift up in my bed, now sitting up against the wall, pulling the covers up with me.

“I’m really sorry about Ava, I’ve been meaning to come and see you the past few days.” She mumbles.

I offer up the most comforting forced smile I can. “It’s okay Maggie, I think I needed the space anyway” I lie to try and make her feel better.

“I hope you’re doing alright, just know that we are all thinking of you” she comforts before ducking away again.

I was slightly disappointed, I was actually needing some comfort.

My head catches the glimpse of Louis entering his cell and I take my opportunity, darting out of bed and sprinting down to his room.

I didn’t even have shoes on, and I think my hair has been neglected a little more than it deserved.

“Hey stranger” I announce as I approach his cell.

He looks startled to see me, “Oh hi Bryleigh, how can I help you?” he responds, very formal like.

My eyebrows tense at him and the pit in my stomach grows. I know when I’m not wanted.

“Nothing, I was just saying Hi” I mumble before slipping away.

I walk back toward my room.

I felt so lost and alone, and right now, all I needed, was my mum.

I look up in the direction of my cell, I didn’t want to go back there, I had been in there the past few days and it really wasn’t helping anymore. Louis clearly didn’t want to talk, Niall was distant from everyone, and Harry was completely M.I.A.

But I had an idea of where I wanted to go.

I head out the main doors and into the quarantine steam, put on my mask and head to the end of the hallway.

As soon as the double door opened to the outside world, I was completely taken back. I wasn’t completely prepared for the overwhelming feeling of memories.

I hadn’t been back out here since coming home from the run.

I inhale a deep breath and try to regulate my emotions.

I follow the fence line around the back of the jail, head up the hill and into the watch tower.

As I got into the doorway, I had forgotten about when Niall and I found Harry up here and there was still books everywhere and empty beer bottles covering the floor.

Right now, I couldn’t control my emotions. My back hit against the doorframe and I began to sob uncontrollably.

The past few weeks had been such an emotional rollercoaster and I was losing faith in anything good anymore.

Even the small amounts of happiness I found with Harry still came with limitations and conditions.

The stability I held in my legs gave out and I slid down the wall, crash landing on the floor. The past 12 months of heartache were catching up to me.

I truthfully didn’t know how to be strong anymore, I didn’t know how to be.

I needed a time out, I just needed a break from all of this. I needed everything to just, stop.

“BRYLEIGH” my name being called has me startled, but I cannot move. My body honestly cannot process anymore.

“Bryleigh” the repetition brings me a back into reality a little.

Harry.

His body crashes into mine at the doorway, throwing his body down onto me in absolute urgency.

“Don’t do that to me!” he boasts. “I didn’t know where you were, I couldn’t. Don’t just” he stumbles over his words.

But I couldn’t respond, even if I wanted too. Numbness has completely taken over my body and I don’t feel anything anymore.

“Bryleigh?” his words ring like sirens in my ears.

“Come on, let’s get you out of here!” he order, slipping his hand underneath my knees.

“No” I push him off. “I want to stay, I need to just, stay here” I repeat.

He looks at me with concern.

“Okay” he appreciates, his voice coming back down to a softer tone.

“Sorry, you just frightened me, last time I didn’t know where you were, and you were out, there” he explains.

“You’ve been gone for days Harry” I rebut.

“I’ve been, busy, but I’ve been checking on you” he confirms.

“Harry, I need to see my mum” I beg.

My request has obviously caught him off guard.

“What?” he gasps.

“I need to see my mum Harry, please” I beg again.

“Bryleigh, I don’t think I can..” I cut him off instantly.

“Harry, please” I take the sides of his face into my hands and hold eye contact with him. I need him to understand the state I am in.

“I need her” I sob.

“I’m here for you Bryleigh, you know that.” He mumbles.

“Do I?” I reply. “Because you haven’t exactly been around the last few days Harry and I have really needed you.” I confess to him, his head still in my hands.

“I’m sorry” he mumbles.

“Please kiss me” I whisper.

I felt the complete need to be close with him again. With everything that has happened and with everything that’s being taken from me out of my control, I needed some form of control and structure.

I can control what happens with Harry and right now I wanted him close to me, I wanted to forget everything for a moment and just enjoy him and our time together.

“We can’t here Bry, it’s too risky, lets go back to the room.” He insists, whilst stroking the loose strand of hair from my face.

I nod in agreement, forgetting that the air out here is literal poison.

As we make it back to Harry’s room, neither one of us said anything on the walk down. I think he needed just as much support right now as I did.

We walk in and he closes the door behind him, immediately grabbing me by the waist and pushing me hard up against the wooden door, connecting our lips with immaculate form.

All of my problems black out in that moment and the world focuses in on me and Harry. It felt this way every time we kissed. He always makes my world shift.

However, something that is different in this time is the urgency behind his movement. He is leaning more into the kiss than usual, almost at an attempt to make it last, make it count, make it matter. His hand failing to move from the side of my face and his lips gracing mine with slow, in sync motions.

The raw emotion behind his touch leaves me hungry for more, a hunger that I didn't know I needed. With each additional gradational intensity, I cling onto him out of need for stability as the world around me was spinning. I could feel my heartbeat in my chest picking up rhythm and knocking loud for more. His dominate mouth left my lips trembling, sending electricity through my nerves, making me feel trembles in places I thought I wasn't capable of feeling.

The urgency in his lips kept an unwanted gentleness, but after sampling the taste, I was in need of more. I knotted my fists in his shirt, pulling him hard against me, hoping to feel every part of him on me. I heard him let out a small groan, low in his throat, giving into the desperation of my touch. I felt his arms circle around me, gathering me right up against him and turning us toward the bed, crashing us down on top of the mattress.

His body on top of mine gave me bad thoughts. But I can feel him - all of him - held against me, and I don't mind at all. I feel his hand run the course of my body from the side of my face, fingertips tracing the line of my arm and down the side of my torso, reaching my hip bone I feel everything in me tighten.

The moment he grips harder at the side I feel his lips disconnect from mine. The exact moment he does a piece of me feels missing. He lifts himself up slightly and stares into my gaze. Neither of us saying anything. I can see his thoughts process between both my eyes and my lips. He shifts his weight to one side and runs his finger though my hair. "We need to stop" he whispers.

His sits up off me and I force myself up to a seating position.

"It's not that I don't want to Bryleigh, believe me, but we, I, we can’t right now" he stutters out.

I didn’t understand. What was wrong? Did I do something wrong?

“I haven’t been completely honest with you about something, and I can’t share, this, with you knowing that I am hiding something” he admits.

The pit in my stomach falls completely and I feel sick.

“What is it Harry?” I ask.

He runs his fingers back through his hair as he sits further up onto the bed.

“Is this about Maddie, that they found her?” I ask, referring back to when we were interrupted the other day.

His eyes immediately dart to mine and he shakes his head. “It wasn’t Maddie that they found Bryleigh.” He mumbles under his breath.

“What do you mean?” I ask in confusion.

I can see a subtle glistening over his eyes, was he about to cry?

“It was your mother” 

Chapter Text

HARRY P.O.V

Two Days Earlier

“Sorry to disturb you, Mr Styles, it’s just about.. the thing.. they’ve found her” I stand face to face with Luca at the door, holding it open only enough for my head to fit through.

I really need to go and tend to this situation, but Bryleigh needs me right now, but this unfortunately is even more important than that.

I shoot my head back in the direction of Bryleigh, just the sight of her makes it more difficult to leave her. I know her heart is absolutely breaking right now finding out that something had happened to Ava. I hadn’t gotten any of the details about it yet, but from the expressions on their three faces, it wasn’t good.

She lets me know it was okay to go, but I really just wanted to figure this out quickly and then I can get back to her.

I shut the door behind me and follow Luca but up to the control room. We exit through the quarantine steam room and out to the front of the jail.

“Zayn, what do we have?” I call out to one of my front men.

“Found her out near the docks, they have her now in the nurses’ station, they are pretty sure she’s infected boss.” He responds to me.

I nod in agreement.

Shit.

I had hoped that she was going to be okay. I needed for Bryleigh’s sake that she would be okay.

“Thanks” I call out.

I head back inside and down the corridor toward the nurses’ station, the same place where we had Maddie held up.

“Hey Eliza, how are we going?” I announce as I approach the desk.

“Styles, hey, not good” she answers, gesturing down the hall.

Behind a glass screen, sat the woman who entered this jail next to the woman who had very quickly become such a huge part of me.

I look at her in absolute dismay, running my hands back through my hair. I could even feel my emotions boiling over at this point. I had put so many of my eggs into the one basket that she was going to be okay.

I had gotten word a few days ago that Bryleigh’s mother, Mae, had escaped on the search for Bryleigh. Runners had sectioned her off and she ended up outside the gate trying to run from them, she was then missing for a few days and I had people out searching for her.

I was so worried when I found out that Louis and Niall had taken Bryleigh out that they would bump into Mae and it would just send Bryleigh off.

 “Nurse Lynch, how is she?” I ask as she flips through a load of charts.

“It’s early stages, but yeah, she’s been exposed.” She informs me.

“Fuck” I cuss.

“Have you given her serum?” I ask.

“We’ve given her 10mil so far.” She instructs.

“Double it, triple it if you have too, just get as much as you can into her” I order.

I need Mae to be okay. I really do, especially after Bryleigh just went through what she did today, I didn’t even want to think about her having to lose her mum too.

But because of this, I can’t even bring myself to tell her about her mum. I need for her to be strong enough to deal with her grieving over losing Ava. 

Present Day

“What do you mean my mother?” the look of shock on her face was to be expected.

I shuffle myself off the bed and begin pacing around the room.

“Harry!” she repeats on edge. I don’t blame her; I literally just dropped a bomb shell on her.

“Luca, came here the other day to tell me that the runners found your mum, she escaped the jail a few days earlier, looking for you.” I begin to explain.

She sits on the edge of the bed and leans her elbows against her knees, letting her head fall into them.

“Where is she? Is she okay? Don’t punish her Harry, I’m all she has left, don’t take her rashers, take them from mine, I don’t care, just please.” She frantically bargains.

“Bryleigh, stop” I gush, dropping down to her level and taking her wrists in my hands so I’m able to get a glimpse of her face.

“Bryleigh, she’s infected” I decided that ripping the band aid off is what she needed, the frantic behaviour didn’t need my prolonging to fuel it.

“What?” she stumbles.

“She’s infected” I repeat, letting her hands fall loose by her side.

She’s absolutely motionless, she’s just stares back at me, complete disbelief in her eyes.

Ouch.

The sudden stinging feeling from my right cheek causes an impulsive hold on it to realise she has just slapped me.

I take it though, part of me understands why.

I turn my head back to her and just nod in understanding.

But instead, she repeats the same motion, tears this time teeming in the creases of her eyes.

I, however, continue to nod. At least she was feeling something.

As she goes to strike a third time, I let my reflex take over as I hold her hand in mine, only millimetres from my face.

“You’re an asshole” she mumbles at me.

“I know” I agree with her.

“You’re an absolute asshole” she emphasises.

“I’m sorry” I apologize.

“How dare you, how dare you keep this from me” the hurt and anger present in her eyes is currently outweighing the sadness. But I know it’s going to come.

Grieve, and the way people deal with it comes in waves.

“Who knows about this?” she hisses. “Niall and Louis?”

I inhale a deep breath and nod my head, “but I told them they couldn’t say anything” I quickly add, not wanting to cause problems between them.

“You’ve officially in the last few days Harry, taken everything from me.” Her tone was so cold.

“What?” I gasp.

Her breathing intensifies and I can see her chest rising and falling. She’s either about to have a break down or bash the absolute shit out of me.

“Losing Ava, I needed comfort, I needed support, I needed someone there to hold me and tell me that it’s going to be okay. But you, willingly and knowingly, took that away from me.” She sobs.

I never really looked at it in that way.

The relationship that she had developed with the boys, and what they went through together out in the community, they wouldn’t have known how to keep a secret from Bryleigh having her around. I should have guessed that they would have distanced themselves from her.

“Bryleigh, I’m sorry, I didn’t think” I admit to her.

“No, you didn’t Harry” she cuts me off instantly. “You never think about anyone but yourself, it’s always your way, it doesn’t matter who gets hurt in the process. You allow yourself to be this cold-hearted person and expect the feelings of those around you to contract the same emotions."

“I don’t expect that” I attempt to defend myself.

“You do Harry! You have no problem being affectionate with me, but as soon as it comes to putting any sort of reasoning behind it, you shut me out. Do you not see that I am hopelessly devoted to you it’s almost sick? No matter how poorly you have treated me these past few days, all I craved for was to be close to you.”

She wasn’t bringing up anything to do with what I just informed her about her mother. It’s like she totally disregarded that and is focusing more on some other built-up anger.

“ Bryleigh, you know I don’t..” she cuts me off again.

“Yeah, I know Harry, you don’t believe in relationships and you’re scared to trust anyone ever again and you’re afraid of what people might think if they see us together” she rambles off.

“Bryleigh, stop!” I grasp the sides of her head and force her to look at me. “Stop” I repeat almost completely under my breath.

I pull her in tightly to my body, embracing her in a tight hug. She is completely overwhelmed with her emotions right now; she needs a time out.

Her breathing regulates a little and the smallest amounts of droplets I feel hit my chest.

Then a sniffle.

Then another droplet.

Then a harsh outlet of breath.

Breakdown.

I hold her tightly in my arms around her lower back as she moves her arms tentatively around my neck.

She continues to sob into my chest for the next few minutes and I let my hand rub up and down her back for support.

I didn’t know how to fix this for her no matter how much I wanted to.

She was right though; I definitely had her emotions on my puppet string without realising.

“Can I see her?” she sobs into my chest.

“What?” I ask.

“My mum, can you take me to her?” she repeats.

I stumble with an answer and only succeed in a few uncertain noises leaving my lips.

“Please Harry, I need to see her” she repeats.

I couldn’t tell her no, because I couldn’t think of a good enough reason for her to not see her. Might be an indication if the serum was working to see how she reacts to Bryleigh.

“You need to just keep in mind Bryleigh, she’s not going to be her normal self, she’s going to say and do things that aren’t her normal self” I try and prepare her for the reality of the situation.

“I know” she repeats coldly.

My eyebrows furrow at her.

“Ava turned whilst we were out there, she said some hurtful things to me too” she confesses.

Niall and Louis over the past two days had caught me up a little on what happened out in the community, but neither one of them really wanted to discuss it. Their way of coping was to block it out.

I push the pad of my thumb to wipe underneath her eye where it remained damp from her tears.

“Please Harry, take me to her” she begs again.

“Okay” I agree.

Her eyes widen toward me, disbelieving that I actually just agreed with something that she said.

“What?” she gasps.

I make my grip around her face firmer, “Bryleigh, you mean a lot to me okay, don’t even question that.”

She nods in agreement at me and I take the opportunity to bring our lips together in another swift motion.

I feel the suction of breath be robbed from me as I hold a longing purse to her lips.

If only she knew the way she made butterflies dance in the storm of my brain.

Chapter Text

“She might be a little out of it at the moment Bryleigh, she had a large dose of serum not too long ago.” Harry explains to me as we head down the hallway toward the medical units.

“What are you trying to do to her?” I ask him.

“Similar to what we were going with Maddie, trying to flush out her system” he expounds.

I nod in agreement. I had the biggest tightening in my stomach, I really didn’t know what to expect once I saw her.

As we approached the room window, she was sitting on the edge of the bed facing the white concrete wall on the other side. Her feet dangling off the edge unable to touch the floor.

“Mae, you have someone here who wants to see you” Harry announces through the PA system that goes into her room.

She doesn’t even move.

Her hands are placed by her sides, gripping onto the edge of the bed.

“Mae?” Harry repeats through the speaker.

“Mum?” I add as I stand closer to Harry.

Her head turns slowly to the side, almost like it was hurting her to turn, I wondered what she was feeling.

“Bryleigh?” I hear her soft, weakened voice through the speaker.

“Mum, it’s me” I repeat again.

She shifts slightly on her bed, so she is able to turn around to face me.

Her face is drained of all its colour and her eyes look completely sleep deprived.

“Oh mum” I whimper, unable for her to hear me.

I immediately feel Harry’s hand present on my back, offering support. And surprising enough, it actually helps.

“Are you, umm, alright?” I ask her, hating that I’m having to speak to her through an almost walkie talkie.

I just wish I could hold her.

“I told you that you were naïve” she hisses, standing up from the bed and walking closer to the glass that separated us.

Harry’s hand tenses on my back and I reach my other hand around and interlock our fingers.

I take a deep inhale trying to remind myself that it is only the virus, and this isn’t her anymore.

“I told you that you were just a stupid, naïve girl and that your stubborn nature is only going to get you killed” she continues.

Harry’s thumb begins stroking back and forth on the back of my hand.

“I am not stubborn mother, and I am neither stupid or naïve” I stand up for myself.

She looks me up and down before chucking to herself. “Look at you” she gestures toward me, “Whoring your body away for protection” she insults.

My mouth physically drops.

“You can’t be stupid enough to think he actually cares about you, he took advantage of what you were offering on a silver platter, he thinks of you as the same piece of meat that Tye did, you deserved everything he did to you!” she bellows.

“That’s enough!” Harry interrupts. “You obviously know nothing, and you have absolutely no fucking idea on my feelings for Bryleigh. You should be counting your blessings that she means so much to me, otherwise there would be a bullet in your brain” he rebuts.

I tighten my grip on Harry’s hand.

“You’re keeping me alive to be a rat in your little science experiment” she throws her hands forward on the glass between us.

“MUM” I scream at her. The lump in my throat is becoming more prominent and harder to choke down.

“Save it Bryleigh, you’re a disappointment, I can’t believe I ever tried to come find you” she taunts.

Harry’s hand disconnects from my hand and takes place around my shoulders, pulling me in up against his body.

“Come on” he whispers to me.

“Just wait” I whisper back, snaking myself out of his grip and walk slowly toward the glass, closing the gap between us.

“Your right mum, you shouldn’t have come to find me, you were safe in your quarter” I begin to explain in a soft tone, keeping my cool after everything she just said to me. “And I haven’t been exchanging anything for protection in here, Harry is incredible and I have made some amazing friends in here who I am incredible grateful for. I’m working hard out in the garden and I’m finally feeling like the old me. I’m sorry you’re sick. But I love you and I forgive you” I kiss my fingers through my mask and then place on the glass in front of me before running back down the hallway.

I make it through the steam room and out the other side, adrenaline running out and slamming me up against the wall my breath fragmented and unstable.

It wasn’t long before Harry came through the doors grabbing my hand and dragging me toward his room.

The moment we enter he kicks the door closed with his hand and smashing our lips together.

As soon as I taste his sweet palate, my hunger intensifies.

Balling his shirt tightly in my hand, I pull him closer to me then was even possible as his fingers dance across the side of my face, around to the back of my head, pulling my hair with it, holding me exactly where he needed me.

Our lips move together in sync and in a matched eagerness.

His tongue brushes delicately across my bottom lip, requesting access and I didn’t even hesitate to part my lips to allow him in.

In this moment, I’ve forgotten about all of the shit terrorising my life at the moment and all I can see, feel, smell, taste and want is Harry.

I loved the way he was able to completely make me forget about everything. The world could be sinking into a black hole and I wouldn’t even care.

He pulls apart our lips however keeps his forehead on mine, his eyes still clenched shut.

“What was that for?” I whisper.

He lets a breathily chuckle fall from his lips. “Wanted to” he replies.

“Did you really mean what you said to my mum?” I ask.

He furrows his eyebrows at me in confusion.

“That she’s only still alive, because of the, um, the way you feel about, me?” I shyly ask.

He smiles gently leaning forward to peck my lips again.

“You mean a lot to me Bryleigh” he confesses, knowing that’s what I was really asking.

“I know for a long time I have been, not the greatest at showing you how I feel, but I need you to know that okay?” his tone is shaky.

“I know” I mumble, “You mean a lot to me too Harry.” I confess.

“I need to ask you something, and if you don’t want to answer you don’t have to, but I was just-“ I cut him off right before he can finish, because I knew from the moment she said it he would be curious. I would be if the tables were turned.

“You want to know what my mum meant about Tye?”

He nodded slowly. “But I understand that its none of my business, so you don’t have to” he quickly implies.

“No, No” I shake my head. “It’s okay.”

I inhale a deep breath and whilst holding his hand I lead him over toward the bed.

He complies and sits down as I shift over and cross my legs, facing him, keeping his hand in mine as I trace my finger along the soft skin.

“Tye was my high school boyfriend, but I think I felt more trapped in the relationship than I did anything else. I was with him for as long as I knew myself as a teenager and I guess, the only boyfriend I ever had that made a relationship count, so I guess I was a little naïve to it all. But he was just super controlling and protective and just overall, a very mean person.”

I look up to Harry from watching my own fingers as he just listens to me intensely.

I take a deep breath before continuing. “If I didn’t follow his rules or did something that offended is image, there would be punishment, sometimes just verbal, sometimes physical, but all of it was emotionally damaging to me and I guess I just slowly lost myself over time and accepted that, this was my normal. I knew I deserved better, but I also was terrified to leave. I knew that by just behaving in certain ways that effected his image was bad enough, I didn’t even want to think about what would happen if I actually broke it off with the star quarterback you know. That surely wouldn’t look good on his rep, being dumped. So I stayed. I spoke to mum about it a few times but she always thought I was just over exaggerating, she thought the absolute sun shined out of his arse and would always make excuses for him and his behaviour. When he contracted the virus early on, he decided to take his own life, he didn’t like the feeling of not having control over his behaviours and to be honest, although it hurt to watch him do it, I felt relief. And it’s because of that relief that I have held an insane amount of guilt with me all this time and I don’t know if he deserves to hold that over me.” I confess, surprised it’s actually easy to talk about.

“He doesn’t deserve any of your time Bryleigh. I’m so sorry you had to go through all of that, it isn’t the normal. I hope you get that. I hope you know you deserve better?” his serious tone shocks me a little, there is almost some anger in there as well.

“I know” I agree as I nod my head. “I know.”

But I didn’t, and even now with Harry, I allowed myself to be controlled by him and a slave to his own emotions and wants. I had allowed myself to be that person again and even though Harry is nothing like Tye, I haven’t stood up for what I deserve either and that hurts.

“Bryleigh, look at me.” Harry orders, snaking his leg onto my thigh.

“I need you to try something for me please” he contends.

I timidly nod my head, unsure of what was coming next.

“I want you to tell me exactly what you feel for me, whatever it is that’s in your heart right now for me, good and bad, I need you to tell me”

I go to open my mouth to speak but he continues.

“Then I want you to tell me what you want from me” he adds.

My feature tighten, I was unsure of what this little exercise was going to do. From the first part of it, it sounds like he’s just asking me to boost his ego a little.

“Umm” I hesitate.

“Anything at all, pretend I’m not even here” he teases, holding his hands up in defends.

I swallow my nervous, and also the awkwardness that had built up, I don’t exactly tell anyone how I really feel, especially not a boy who I haven’t known for very long at all.

“For you, Harry, I feel, excited. Since the first time I saw you, I was always excited for more, I found myself being pulled to your direction for any reason at all and when I was around you, I just felt, excited and happy. I also feel, confuse, because when we have done what we have, and shared the moments that we have, but you never want anything out in the open, I don’t know what that means for us, I then don’t know how to act around you and am I allowed to hug you whenever I want, or hold your hand, or kiss you even, can I do any of that when we are alone, or is it only for pure use of doing the ‘dirty’.” He chuckles at my choice of word, but I can see there is a change in his feature.

“And I also feel, hopeful, for the first time in a long time, I can finally see a future, I feel like I can plan things for days or weeks in advance with you instead of living my life just trying to make it through the next hour. And I am forever grateful that you gave me that hope back. I will, nervous, because I am feeling these strong emotions for you and it drives me crazy when your hands aren’t on me, or your not around me. I crave that affection from you. I feel, pretty, the way you look at me sometimes just makes me feel like the most beautiful girl in the whole entire world. But I guess overall, I feel, like an idiot..” his face drops at this statement.

“I feel like I have fallen for someone who I’m unsure even feels the same way about me in return, I feel like I’ve fallen for someone who belongs to someone else and that there is this entire part of him that I know nothing of. I feel like an idiot for not standing up for my feelings when you demanded we keep this private and causal, yet fall right back into your trap whenever you want to be close to me and really I feel like an idiot for falling for someone who just isn’t, there. I fell for you not even expecting you to catch me. I fell for you knowing full well I was going to face plant the cement and I didn’t care. I fell anyway. And that makes me feel like an idiot.” I finally manage to get it all out in one breath.

But I felt better, I felt like a weight had been lifted from me and I was glad that I had actually laid it all out there. The good and the bad.

I finally take enough breaths to fuel myself with enough courage to look at him.

When I do, I’m caught off guard, there is actual tears forming in the crease s of his eyes, and he looks, happy.

Is he glad that I feel like an idiot? Was that an accomplishment for him?

“What?” I gush. “You asked for it?” I mock.

“Bryleigh?” he states.

“Yes Harry” I breath out.

“I love you” 

Chapter Text

Time literally stopped and my mouth physically dropped.

"Harry, what?" I gasp.

"I love you Bryleigh." He repeat with a slight chuckle.

"Yeah, no I heard that part, but um, what?" I gush again.

"I know, I didn't even realise it myself until just now, but it makes sense and I couldn't help it. But your right, in what you said just know about being hopeful. That you are actually looking at things past the next minute in your day, and I feel that too, with you. But especially what has happened in the past year, no matter how much we plan and look forward to the future, everything can literally go balls up in a matter of seconds, and right here, right now, with you, I now that I love you and I have been falling for you since the moment I saw you. I know that now, and I wish I knew it back then, but I was shielded, by you and by what I thought I owed Maddie. But in the same way you feel relief for Tye, I feel for Maddie and both of us held onto this guilt and misplaced loyalty to the people who burned us in our past. I know it now, I love you Bryleigh"

I could feel my heart flutter against my chest.

"HARRY!" our moment is ruined by Louis bursting through the door.

"What?" Harry boasts, slightly furious that we had been interrupted.

"Maddie, she's on the fence line" he blurts out of breath.

Harry and I urgently glance at each other.

"Go" I urge him.

He takes his hand in mine, squeezing it gently "Come with me" he mumbles.

I nod in agreement, giving him a comforting smile.

We follow Louis out of the room and I'm taken back slightly to see Harry continue to keep his hand in mine as we walk through the halls.

Once outside, we see a few of the soldiers gathered on the fence line and Harry keeps his grip in mine.

We walk over and the soldiers part to reveal a beautiful brunette, middle part in her hair that cascades down her body to her elbows, pepsi coloured brown eyes that displayed the most flagrant specks of golden when the setting sun hit them, but we share a lot of the same feature and characteristics, which highlighted why people kept saying we look alike. I get it now, but I think she definitely had more aesthetically pleasing attributes and I was immediately threatened.

"Maddie." Harry announces as the two are face to face with the fence line separating them.

"Hi Harry" she responds.

"You came back." He states.

I don't know if everyone was feeling the way I was, where I felt like I was listening in on a private conversation.

"Of course I did, couldn't have you missing me too much" she coos but then glances her attention to me and then down to our interlocked fingers. "What's this?" she questions.

"It's none of your business" he answers back in sass.

"Oh, don't be like that Harold, she's stunning, but I can see why you would think so" she boasts, flicking her hair back off her shoulder.

She didn't have the same flare about her like the other infected people I had come across. She seemed more content.

"What do you want Maddie?" Harry asks impatiently.

She chuckles "To come home of course"

"There is no place for you here anymore Maddie, and you're the one who left"

She gives him a small pouty face. "Don't be like that."

"Maddie, please don't make me have these guys take care of you, we offered you peace, you just have to leave us alone" he asserts.

"What's your name sweetheart." Maddie directs the question at me but the small squeeze of my hand from Harry signalled to me he didn't want me to answer.

"Leave her out of this" he boasts.

"You do realise who he is right, and what this place really is." She teases.

I try not to display any emotion, I know that the infection makes people say cruel things, I witnessed it with Ava and with mum.

"You ever see anyone from the other quarters? I know you've been up to the watch tower, ever wondered on your walk over there why you didn't see any other parts of the 'community'. Ever wondered where you're mum came from to contract the virus" she playfully mocked.

However much I didn't want to admit it, she was raising fair points, but I didn't want to let any of that show.

She tuts at me and shakes her head "Silly little girl"

"Maddie, fuck off, this is your last warning, if I see you around here again, I won't hesitate in asking these men to take you down." Harry threatens.

Maddie flicks her eyes between me, Harry and Louis. I almost forgot for a moment that those two were actually related.

"Suit yourself. Good to see you again Louis, Harry always a pleasure, oh and Bryleigh, trust no one sweetheart, I know it's you're biggest fear" she snaps before walking back toward the city with so much power and dominance in her walk.

" How the fuck does she know her name!" Harry shouts, his hand flying out of mine.

His eyes are burning into every single one of the soldiers standing outside then he balls the collar of Louis shirt up as he pins him to the fence. "Was this you?!" He screams.

"What? No Harry of course not!" Louis quickly gushes.

"Harry stop!" I shout pulling Harry away from Louis.

He is in complete outrage. I need to get him to calm down. 

"Come on" I gesture to him, wrapping my hand around his waist, feeling slightly uncomfortable doing this in public in front of everyone, but I need to get him out of here.

To my surprise he complies and lets me lead him away, wrapping his own hand around his waist so he's able to interlock his fingers with mine by his waist. 

"Sort this shit out!" he calls to Zayn before we enter back into the building and down the halls, back toward the quarters. 

Louis was closely following behind us and he whistled toward Niall's room and signalled him to follow us too as we all head over to Harry's room. 

Harry allowed me to keep my arm around him the entire way and kept his hand in mine, I did notice a few eyes drawn toward our action, but surprisingly, no-one seemed to care. 

We file one by one into Harry's room, and once Harry leaves my grasp, I feel instantly empty but that's only short lived when Niall's body comes crashing into mine. 

"I've missed you" he mumbles into my ear, holding a tight grip around me. 

It had been a few days since I had seen Niall, and I know he was avoiding me for my own good, but I also know it's been hard for him after Ava, we hadn't exactly had a discussion since it happened. 

"I've missed you too Ni" I reply, squeezing him back with the same urgency. 

"We've really got to work out what we are going to do about Maddie" Harry interrupts. 

We each take a seat somewhere in the room, Harry and I on his bed, Louis sits on top of the desk and Niall sat on the leather sofa. 

"What are you thinking?" Niall asks, making himself comfortable and stretching out across the entire sofa. 

"I think she's dangerous She needs to be stopped." Harry states. 

"I agree" Louis confirms. 

We all shoot him a look, not expecting him to agree with that being his sister, all of us knowing in the room that Harry's end goal here sounds like he wants to kill her. 

"Should we send the runners out after her?" Niall suggests. 

"I think we are going to have to" Louis mumbles. 

I can't help but wonder how Harry is feeling in all of this, he spent so long keeping Maddie safe, and now he is feeling like he needs to get rid of her. 

"Should I go?" I whisper to him, thinking that this is a conversation not meant for my ears. 

His hand becomes present on my thigh and he gives it a light squeeze. "No, please stay" he whispers. 

I give him a gentle smirk and nod in agreement. 

"How does she know about Bryleigh?" Harry pipes up. 

Niall's head shoots directly to me. "What!?" he gasps. 

"She knew Bryleigh by name, and that she's terrified of not being able to trust people" 

"What the fuck?" Niall jumps up from his chair and begins pacing around the room. 

"What does her knowing who I am such a big deal?" I ask. 

"Because it means there is someone on the inside here who knew about Maddie, someone other than the people in this room" Louis clarifies in a serious tone. 

"Oh" I breath out. 

Harry's grip on my leg tightens a little, offering a small amount of comfort. 

I place my hand on top of his which is met with absolutely no reaction from the boys. 

"Send them out" Harry orders unconvincingly. 

Niall and Louis nod in unison before getting up to leave the room, on their way back out to the where the runners are. 

As soon as the door closes again, I take this opportunity. 

"Don't do this just for me, Harry. I know she means a lot to you, please don't do this if it's only because she knows my name." I beg. 

He shifts off the bed and kneels in front of me, resting both of his hands on my knees. There was something about the vulnerability of the position Harry has just put himself in to me. 

"Bryleigh" he starts in a serious but soft tone. "I'm going to protect you, do you hear me, whether it's this, or something else around the corner, you're always going to be safe with me. Do you understand?" 

I nod my head in agreement, pushing the loose fallen curls out of his eyes. 

"I love you" I breath out. 

"I love you" he replies before lunging forward and melting his lips together with mine. 

"You've had a big day, you should get some rest" he suggests, rubbing his hands back and forward the length of my thighs and squeezing my hips. 

I nod at his suggestion, he's right. This entire day has been an entire whirlwind. 

We had missed dinner after being with Maddie as the sun was going down. 

"I'm hungry first" I comment realising that I actually had any food since last night. 

"Yeah no worries" Harry gets up from his crouched position and goes over to his phone. 

"2 meals please" is all he says into the receiver before hanging the phone back up. 

I look at him in confusion. 

"What?" he shrugs. "You said you were hungry?" he comments with a chirpy cute voice. 

Within only a matter of minutes, there was a knock at the door and two roast dinners were presented at the door topped with potatoes, meat, vegetables and gravy. 

I raise my eyebrows and look up at him, "How many rashers is this going to cost me?" I tease. 

"Shut up and eat would you" he mocks, pecking me on the cheek as he fetches the two plates and sets them down on the desk. 

Harry takes a seat at his chair and I look around for something I was able to sit on myself. 

"Umm, excuse me princess" he hollers from his seat, I turn my head over to see him patting his legs, gesturing me to come and sit with him. 

I chuckle lightly and walk over to him, placing myself on his lap as he turns the chair to face the two meals sitting on the table. 

By the time we finished, the rest of the quarter was in bed and lights were out. And I was definitely more than ready to tuck myself into bed. 

"If you, um, wanted to grab your things, maybe you could, umm, sleep in here tonight?" Harry stutters. I'm still sat on his lap as his dances his fingertips around the tops of my legs. 

I feel his breath flutter down my back as he moves in closer, planting soft caresses to the side of my neck. 

My eyes flutter closed on the contact and my head unknowingly falls to the side allowing him more access to my sensitive areas. 

"Mmm" I hum in agreement. "I'm going to have a shower first" I say. 

His kisses become a little more deliberate on my neck as he suddenly applies light suction. 

"Come with me?" I wasn't even aware of my request until I hear it come from my lips. 

I was just so lost in the moment and I wanted to saviour it. 

"Okay" he mumbles against my skin. 

Chapter Text

I mean, Warning, sexual content, but you knew that was coming ;) ;) ;) ;) ;) 

I wasn’t able to even comprehend what was happening between Harry and I at the moment and just how quickly it had all come to be.

But in a place like this, living through the situations that we were, I had no choice but to just go with it, no one knew how long we had left to live in this world, so taking opportunities of happiness, wherever it may come from, was a necessity to keep your sanity.

As we stepped into the deserted bathroom, the silence filled my ears, and I could almost hear my heart slamming against my chest in a mixture of nerves and excitement.

Harry and I had slept together already, that wasn’t the issue, but it was something that was always kept in private, but ever since Maddie, and his willingness to expose our ‘relationship’ to the other members in the community, it added a whole new level of excitement to our moments.

Instead of them becoming fleeting moments of shared enjoyment and fun, they were engraving themselves as memories and moments in our history.

“This place looks so different this time of night” I comment, not having ever been in here when the rest of the quarter is in lockdown.

“Yeah, this is the only time I like to shower, don’t really feel like making small talk with the dude in the shower cube next to me” he playfully teases.

If I didn’t know any better, I would say that he had a slight tone of nerves in his voice.

“What, the Harry Styles wouldn’t get some sort of pleasure out of standing butt naked with that” I gesture down to the noticeable slight bulge in his pants catching me slightly off guard, “calling you Mr Styles” I finish my sentence struggling to get the words out, distracted by what I had just seen.

I slow blink up to catch his eyes as he walks gently toward me.

“Hi” he mumbles as he is now only inches from my face, taking his hand and delicately removing the hair from beside my face so it falls down over my shoulder and down my back.

“Hi” I reply through an exhaled breath.

I was wearing my white tank top that now had obvious dirt marks all through it, making it look more like a dirty brown top and my black leggings, but the moment my eyes connected with his, I felt the temperature go up in the room so high I felt like I was in winter wear. 

He darts his head down to the left side of my neck, softly connecting his parted lips with my skin, sending an instant flood of goosebumps to completely cover my skin. My head falls lazy to the side, begging to give him as much room as possible.

I feel his hands drag up the sides of my arms giving me a whole new level of electricity pulsating through my body. I felt like I was consumed in illegal substances at this point at just how high all of my senses seemed to be and how reactant I was to his touch.

His hands glide back down the length of my arms, having one snake around my lower back and the other one making its way to the nape of my neck, holding me firmly in place as he takes a deliberate amount of hair into his grip.

My eyes feather themselves closed, losing any ability to stay open at this point and I am now officially submissive to Harry. My body is willingly handed over to him for the taking.

He moves his head back slightly, getting only the smallest glimpse of his face to see the slight curves of the corners of his lips rise before he connects his lips to mine in a hunger I haven’t witnessed.

I return the urgency, taking both of his hips in my hands and urging him as close as humanly possible to me, the added height he had on me causes my head to crook back to meet with his lips as he bends slightly down to match mine.

I felt like clothes at this point were only the worst possible barricade and everything in me, needed them to be removed.

Like a hyped-up little puppy, I find my hands grabbing at any material they could find on his pants to yank them down his body, he chuckles slightly on my lips at my aggressive action but returns the favour in pulling my tank top over my head, disconnecting our lips only for a brief moment as the material passes between us.

As soon as my tank is disposed somewhere in the bathroom, he pulls his own shirt off, taking his two hands behind his head and pulling upward, disposing of the material in the same direction as my tank as I unhook my bra and let in fall around us.

His hungry eyes glance up and down my body as I now stand in front of him in only a pair of leggings, but completely bare at the top and he stands in front of me in just his briefs.

Bending slightly, he wraps his hands under my hips and hoists me up to his waist, guiding me over to the vanity, before placing me down to sit on the cold benchtop both of us giggling at the transition.

Harry moves himself between my legs and lets his two hands run down either side of my hair with the most lustful grin on his face before reconnecting his lips with mine. Parted slowly, moving completely in sync and with the same desire for one another.

Hooking my legs around his hips, I urge him closer to me, wrapping my arms loose around his neck, feeling his soft fallen curls tickle my nose as he moves his head with his pulsating lips.

Playfully using my toes, I hook them into the top of his briefs and push slightly down, causing them to drop off his hip bones. The action causes him to freeze his lips on mine.

“I’ve never witnessed that before” he teases before moving his own hands to the band of his briefs, gliding them further down his legs and stepping out of them before kicking it off somewhere around the bathroom.

Harry now presents himself completely naked in front of me, and it is a sight that drives me absolutely insane. My hands roam to every curve and nook in his body, trying to map out his physique, burning it into my memory.

I feel the slight tugging on my own waist band as he attempts to slide both pieces of material off my body at the same time. After a few adjustment wiggles, I sat completely bare on the vanity in front of him, completely vulnerable.

I could already feel my core pulsating for him, longing for his touch.

He reattaches my legs around his waist and guides me off the countertop, heading for the shower cubical. Placing me down onto my feet, successfully keeping our lips connected and as hungry for one another throughout the entire process.

I keep my hands firm on either side of his neck as I feel him fidgeting around when moments later the burst of water next to us catches me off guard.

Harry pins me hard up against the wall as he adjusts the temperature before guiding us both underneath the waterfall both of us instantly drenched.

When his tongue playfully grazes along the edge of my bottom lip, I grant access and allow the dominance whilst deepening the kiss with him myself.

This boy, in every action he does, in every breath he takes, completely takes mine away.

The way his hands dance across my skin and his tongue dips into my mouth, the way I feel his body rock hard up against my own and the way I hear the pleasurable moans forming in the depths of his throat.

Absolutely everything about him holds me captive to him. I am a prisoner to him voluntarily. 

I suction in a harsh breath the moment his finger teases along my collection of nerves, causing me to disengage from kissing him as I attempt to focus on my own breathing. Taking the opportunity, he moves around to my neck again, placing urgent suction and small nicks against my skin. Unknowingly, I grind myself against his touch, begging for more.

“What do you want princess?” he mumbles into my neck.

I’m unable to form words at this point, as he continues to stroke along the outside of where I needed him most.

“I’m not going any further until you tell me what you want.” He whispers again, his hot breath dancing across my skin only adding to the pleasure build up between my thighs.

“Harry, please” I beg, only increasing my grind and complimenting the movement of his fingers.

“Say it baby” he encourages before placing an eager suction to the skin where my shoulder meets my neck.

“I want you; I want all of you, please” I mumble against my own breath, fighting with my oxygen to allow me to speak.

And with that, his fingers drip straight inside of me, causing the outburst of pleasure coming from my lips.

“Shh baby, you don’t want the entire quarter listening to your moans” Harry hushes as he continues pulsate his two fingers deep inside me, leaving his thumb to circulate over my collection of nerves.

His rhythm begins to increase as my hands make my way to his face, bringing him urgently up to my lips so I’m able to reconnect them. 

“Oh Harry!” I mumble against his lips in overwhelming amounts of pleasure.

He removes his fingers and for a moment I feel completely empty, before his hands make their way around my hips, lifting me up against the wall. I feel the tip of his erect penis tease at my entrance before he lowers me down fully onto him.

“Fucking hell Bryleigh” he cusses as he takes a moment as he is fully inside of me, keeping me pinned up against the wall, both hands resting underneath my thighs to hold me in place.

Once he begins pulsing back and forth into me, I feel myself coming completely undone around him.

My arms lay loose around his neck as my hands find their way to the top of his back, digging my nails into his perfectly inked skin in completely lust.

He sucks a sharp piece of air through his teeth before reconnecting his lips to mine.

The more he thrusts into me, the higher I can feel the pressure building up in my core. The way my body just completely responds to him and unwillingly falls to bits the second he is inside of me, is absolutely mind boggling.

I get a devilish idea in my head, one because I could feel myself getting to my edge way too fast and I wanted to saviour the moment and two because everything in me wanted to make him feel as good as what he makes me.

I wiggle in his grip and he places me back down to my feet, I can feel his face tense in confusion before I quickly slip him out of me and spin us around so his back in now pinned to the wall.

“What are you-“ I cut him off immediately by my action as I drop to my knees in front of him. “Fuck, Bryleigh, you don’t have to- oh fuck” he immediately breaths out as I wrap my lips around his length.

Placing one of my hands around the back of his thigh and the other at the bottom of his shaft, I, in sync, bob my head up and down his length, using my hand to palm the bit I was able to fit.

“Fucking hell” he cusses again under his breath, fuelling my fire enough to allow me to get more into it, humming around his erect, pulsating penis.

His fingers knit themselves eagerly through my hair and the slightly shaking of his thighs makes me realise that he’s coming close.

I take his penis out of my mouth and look up at him from my position on the floor.

Taking one hand, he brushes the hair back out of his eyes, keeping his hand dormant on the top of his head, holding the curls in place and one hand resting on my shoulder.

As I hold his shaft in one of my hand, I stick my tongue out and let it slowly glide up the side before lapping my lips around the end. I watch his head fall to the ceiling as pleasurable cuss words leave his lips.

I enjoyed making him feel like this, but apparently, he couldn’t take anymore.

He urges me back up to his level, flipping us back around so much body roughly connects with the cold tiled wall behind me. He takes one of my legs under his arm and resting the other one palm flat against the wall for support.

“You are absolutely fucking perfect” he announces to me, pecking one quick final kiss to my lips, before leaving back slightly, lining himself up with my entrance pausing only for a moment.

“But now, you’re fucked” he teases as he violently rams himself into my depths.

The action causes the wind to be completely knocked from my lungs but contrasts with an overwhelming sense of pleasure.

“Harry!” I scream out which is met with his hand being held over my mouth, realising that I was a little too vocal at this point.

He continues to rock into me with the same urgency, dominance and power and it is enough to completely send me over the edge.

At the time I feel my orgasm rip completely through me, his is doing the same, I watch as his face tenses and his stern eye on me is completely full of lust and desire, yet so much hunger.

I moan out into his hand as I feel the warmth burn between my thighs as his thrusts turn to a gentle rock, letting his high completely consume me.

He drops my leg, and it becomes a dead weight underneath me. Harry lunges himself forward and reconnects his lips with mine, this time with a deep passion and desire. Letting his tongue dip immediately into me, holding either side of my face firmly for support.

Moving back slightly he places his forehead against mine, keeping his eyes closed.

“What did someone with so many demons like me, do to deserve an angel like you?” he mumbles.

I take my hands up to his face and let the pads of my thumbs dance underneath his eyes, so he opened them to look at me.

I inhale a deep breath, letting our eyes just rest upon each other for only a moment.

I go to open my mouth to reply to him, but I’m caught off by him shaking his head at me.

“No,” he whispers. “Please don't say anything”

------------------------------------------  

Oppp, okay, so how are we feeling? Please let me know what you think of this story so far in the comments and don't forget to vote & recommend to your friends. 

I try and update this story at least 2 chapters a day, but sometimes, life gets in the way. 

<3 <3 

Thankyou oxxo

Chapter Text

The following two weeks were abnormally quiet, runners were being sent out every single day to look for Maddie with no luck in finding her, it’s like she had completely vanished into thin air and with that, there had been no infected people sightings on any of the supply runs either. It made me question the day we went out; Louis had said that they hadn’t come across any infected in a while and suddenly they were there the day we went out and now nothing for 2 weeks.

Harry had me staying in his room every single night, he said it’s because he wanted me there and whilst that may be true, I think part of him knows that I’m safe if he has an eye on me. He couldn’t get past the fact that there had been someone from this compound who had been feeding Maddie the information on me.

Louis had been on strict instructions during his psychological sessions to be on the lookout if anyone asked questions about me or about Harry’s relationships. He hoped that someone would slip up, but still nothing in two whole weeks.

I had been down to visit mum a few times, but nothing seems to be helping her. Harry has stopped the blood transfusions and is not just reliant on the serum. I think both of us know that it is pointless, but for me, he continues to try and keep a forced hope up around me.

She continues to shout evil things toward me about my relationship with Harry, but I just sit there and try and talk to her about my memories from my childhood and different things that I wanted for my future.

She didn’t respond to any of them and I know it really wasn’t doing either of us any good, but I felt like I was at least doing what I needed to get me through.

Niall was coping a little better, he was still really quiet and distant from everyone and even though he tried to remain his usual self around us, I could tell that it was all forced. It still hadn’t been that long since Ava died, and as I know about Harry and my relationship, any ounce of happiness you get these days you cling onto it with everything you have and the small amount of time he spent with Ava, I know he was happy. They both were. Makes me worry about my relationship with Harry. Every day, hell every moment that I spend with him I can feel myself falling deeper and harder for him with the knowledge that it can all be taken from us in an instant. Without warning. Without preparation. One day you would wake up and have your entire world dragged out from underneath you.

Gives you an unsettling and also overwhelming feeling when you are in a relationship with someone during these times, you fall harder and faster with the knowledge you could be absolutely destroyed by them the next minute.

Harry had offered for me to stop working in the garden, said that now I was with him, I no longer required an access card and that I didn’t have to use rashers to purchase anything now that people know I was with him. But I refused. I wanted to continue working in the gardens and using the rasher system, I really didn’t want any target put on my back, I know it wasn’t their true feelings, but I now both had my mother and my best friend in here accuse me of sleeping with Harry to further myself in these walls, when it was the complete opposite.

He reluctantly agreed; however, he has now tripled my daily rasher earnings.

A new boy arrived last week as well who Harry has grown an extreme liking to, his name is Liam and he too, like Zayn was an ex-marine. Harry automatically put him up next to Zayn on the front gate and those two now are unstoppable. The two boys along with Niall and Louis seemed to have formed a little friendship up at the front gate when they are all on duty.

Harry says it frustrates him, but secretly I know he cares about Louis and Niall and seeing them engage in friendships in here does bring him joy, especially after Niall lost Ava.

It hasn’t all been smooth sailing though I guess and it’s my own damn fault. What Maddie said had been on loop in my head these past two weeks and I really couldn’t shake it. About the other quarters and what really happened to my mother. Harry supposably ran this entire place, yet he spent his entire time in quarter 4, and he never went anywhere else. But it’s stupid, I know when infected, people say the most outrageous things and it’s all driven by malicious behaviour. It’s aimed to hurt you and make you second guess things, so I do need to stop overthinking about everything.

“Bryleigh?” Harry’s voice announces softly as he walks through the doorway of his room, I sat aimlessly on the leather couch, completely engulfed in my own thoughts.

“Hey” I reply with a soft grin.

He plants himself down in the empty space next to me, draping his arm around my shoulder. I shuffle in my place as I get myself comfortable next to him.

“What are you doing up here?” he questions, dancing his fingers along my arm that’s wrapped around my body.

“Nothing” I shake my head. “Just relaxing, had a busy day out in the garden” I comment.

“Are you alright?” he asks.

I nod my head against his shoulder. “Yeah, I’m okay. Went and saw mum this morning, she isn’t going to get any better Harry” I confess.

“We don’t know anything about this virus Bry, not enough to know whether or not whatever we are doing is working.” He comments.

“We know enough for me to know you’re wasting your supply serum on her”

I feel his eyes burning into the top of my head, but I don’t move, I just like my finger trace mindless images around his thigh.

“What’s going on princess?” he asks in a more concerned tone.

“Nothing Harry, I just, it’s been two weeks, and nothing is working. You spent however long on Maddie and that didn’t work either”

“Look at me” he orders.

I shift up from his chest and position myself on the couch next to him, hesitantly looking at him not wanting him to see the tear that had escaped from my eye.

“Hey” he whispers, using the pad of his thumb to dap it away anyway. “Talk to me”

I clench my two hands around the back of my neck, feeling a little overwhelmed with just life in general.

I shrug and wish away the lump in my throat. “I don’t know, I’m being stupid”

“Hey” he urgently cuts me off. “Having feelings and emotions is not stupid Bry”

I nod slowly to him, not believing him, but knowing my acknowledgement will make him feel better.

“Wait, you’re not having second thoughts about us, are you?” he suddenly asks in urgency.

His overloaded cuteness causes me to chuckle slightly under my breath. “No Harry, I’m not having second thoughts about you. You’re the only thing in this world I am completely sure of” I comfort him.

“Well good” he agrees, pulling me back down to my original position, crashing into his chest. I drape my arm across his body as our fingers dance and play with each other’s.

“I know how lonely it can feel sometimes Bryleigh, all of this. You have this overwhelming urge for something normal, we don’t even have fresh air anymore. That feeling of going outside on a spring day and inhaling the warm air that still holds the smallest hints of chill. I get it. I miss it too.” He begins to express.

Another constant surprise with Harry, it was absolutely everything that I was feeling. Just that sense of normal.

I nod in understanding, interlocking our fingers and bringing them up to my lips to give them a gentle peck.

“Don’t ever hide your emotions from me Bryleigh, you can ramble to me about anything that is on your mind, I promise you, nothing you ever say to me will ever be stupid or misunderstood.”

I nod again. “Okay Harry, I will. Thankyou.”

I feel his soft lips plant a kiss to the top of my head before he lays his cheek down on it, resting his head on mine.

“I’m so grateful you walked into this place Bry”

I smile at his comment, “Me too. Do you think without the Wave we would have found each other?” I ask in silliness.

“I would like to think so, anyone else I would have got with would have always been second best to what I could have had” he playfully answers.

“I like to think that we would have met anyway, maybe at a café, you would have been sitting across the room reading a book about astronomy and I would have been reading something classic, our eyes would have met over the top of our pages. You would have smiled gently before darting your eyes back down to your book. Every now and again, our eyes would dance up connecting only on rare occasions” I spill out a bunch of jumbles.

“Astronomy?” he quizzes in a chuckle.

“Yes, you would have been studying the stars and space” I defend my original plan.

“Of course,” he sarcastically agrees, squeezing me a little tighter. “Would I have asked you to join me?” he urges me to continue my story.

I chuckle low. “Eventually, we would have continued this behaviour for a few days, every day arriving at the same café secretly hoping to run into each other again, then one day I arrive and you’re not there, my heart drops a little and I take a seat anyway. I’m caught off guard when you come up behind me, taking the book I was reading out of my hands and replacing it with your astronomy book, you’d whisper something in my ear about wanting me to read it before taking off out of the café. I flip open the first cover which contains your phone number, asking to call to return the book I accidently left at the café” I chuckle at my own stupid story.

Harry thinks it’s funny too. “I think that’s a little creepy if a random guy did that. I wouldn’t blame you for calling the police on me, I essentially just stole your book” he adds to my amusement.

“It wouldn’t be creepy if it was you Harry. Any other male, yes, highly stalkerish and weird, but not from you” I add suddenly feeling a lot better.

“Would you have come to meet me?” he asks.

“Oh, of course, your phone would have been buzzing before you even left the café door” I sarcastically answer.

“No, see that’s where you got it wrong, you’re meant to wait 3 days before calling. It’s the rule” he teases.

“Says who?” I boast.

“Umm, every romance book, ever” he mocks.

“I thought you didn’t look like the type of person who did romance?” I tease, referring to one of our first conversations.

“I didn’t” Harry places a soft kiss to the top of my head. “But when I met you, it’s like all of these things just flooded my bones and suddenly I knew what love was and what it meant. Meeting you, seeing you, talking to you and touching you, has taught me lessons I never believed manageable.”

I shift out of underneath his arm and flip myself over, so I am now straddling his waist, holding his head in my hands, gazing deep into his eyes.

“I’m never going to stop loving you Harry” I confess.

His hands tighten around my hips. “I’ll never stop loving you Bryleigh” he replies.
I shift myself forward connecting my parted lips with him in the most delicate way I knew how.

In a little over a month, I had fallen completely for this boy. He was my chaos and my normal.

------------------

A little more a light hearted chapter before the drama starts. 

Do you think Harry is hiding anything from Bryleigh or do you think that Maddie was just being a bitch?

Please don't forget to vote & comment <3 

Thankyou xoox 

Chapter Text

I walk through the dining hall; I spot Niall and Louis sitting at the far table with Liam and Zayn. I grab a bowl of coco pops and invite myself to join them.

“But I said to Styles, it doesn’t matter how much serum you pump into the old woman’s” I notice Louis wide eye at Zayn as I walk up behind him.

“Hey Bryleigh” Louis quickly says as Zayn’s head flips around to face me.

“Oh hey” he awkwardly says.

I was almost completely certain that conversation was about my mother, but I couldn’t blame him, I had the same conversation with Harry about it yesterday.

“Hey guys” I announce, putting on a happy smile to try and convince them I didn’t hear any of the conversation, walking around the table and placing myself down next to Niall.

“Hey babes” he welcomes, placing a quick peck to my temple after moving over slightly to give me room.

“How’s the search for Maddie going?” I ask, wanting to lift the awkward tension at the table.

“Nothing yet, but we are going to keep looking, aint that right Payno” Zayn nudges Liam in the shoulder.

“Hell yeah, don’t you worry yourself lass, we will find her” Liam answers in just as eager tone as Zayn.

These two are your clique jock high school boys, they have the personalities, they have the looks, they have the charm.

I offer an unconvincing smirk at them before taking a mouthful of my cereal.

“Excited to get back out on the supply runs you two?” Liam askes toward Louis and Niall making me choke on my mouthful.

“You right?” Niall pats me a few times on my upper back.

“Yeah” I thank, “You’re going back on supply runs?” I ask.

He nods his head. “Yeah, getting back out there today.” He admits.

“Are you ready for that?” I mumble low which is met with a shrug.

“I have to be” he admits.

“Don’t go if you’re not ready” I urge.

“It’s okay Bryleigh, there’s work to be done and Harry has a lot of the usual runners out looking for Maddie, so supply runs have been lacking a little” he admits, resting a comforting hand on my shoulder.

I couldn’t help but the tear edging to the rim of my eye.

He grips onto my hand “come here a minute” he urges me off the chair and walks hand in hand with me through the dining hall, Louis following closely behind and out the doors that lead to the quarter.

I try my best to hold onto the tears as we make our way through.

Once alone, he wraps his arms around me the very moment I lose control of emotions.

“Come on, it’s okay” he mumbles, rubbing his hand up and down my back. I didn’t know why I was so emotional lately. I knew everything was really taking its toll, but it seemed like these days, I was just extra emotional.

“What if you get hurt? Both of you?” I urge, disconnecting myself with Niall and looking between he and Louis.

“We will be alright Bryleigh.” Louis comforting, resting his hand on my lower back.

“It’s too soon, Harry shouldn’t be sending you two out this early, it’s too soon” I express.

Niall breaks eye contact with me, dropping his head. “What?” I ask.

“Harry does think it’s too early, this was our decision” Louis confesses.

I connect my hands harshly with Niall’s shoulders making him stumble back a few steps. “You idiot” I rage. “How could you?” I ask.

“Bryleigh, we all have a job to do. You went back to the garden.” He rebuts.

“Nothing happened out in the garden, it was safe for me to go there.” I bark.

“Hey, what’s going on?” Harry’s voice interrupts my little break down.

“FIX THIS!” I scream at him before storming past him and up toward my cell.

I’ve sat on my bed the past few minutes, completely sobbing into my cream decorative pillow. I knew why this was making me so emotional, but what I didn’t understand was that I was actually displaying it. I was usually always so good at hiding my emotions. And these past few weeks, it’s like I’ve had absolutely no control over them whatsoever.

“Bryleigh?” Louis voice fills my cell, I don’t even lift my head to face him, but I feel the bed dipping slightly to signal he had joined me on the bed.

“Bryleigh, I need to ask you something?” he urges, placing a comforting hand on my back.

“What?” I sniffle against the pillow.

“You’ve been here about a month and a half now Bryleigh” he states.

I lift my head up at him, wiping the tear-soaked droplets from under my eyes. “So?”

“You’ve been sexually active with Harry for majority of that time, and he’s just informed me that you two have never taken the appropriate, precautions.” He continues.

I shake my head, still not understanding. “So?” I repeat.

“Bryleigh, I’d like you to come with me to the nurse’s station for a blood test.” He asks.

I’m now becoming quite infuriated. “Louis, what the hell, why?” I bark.

“Bryleigh, has it concerned you at all that you haven’t had a period since you’ve been here?” he asks again in a calm tone.

It then all hits me.

“Oh shit” my stomach drops. I feel everything inside of me freeze as soon as I’ve come to the realisation. How did I not pay attention to this before?

“Harry?” I gasp throwing a hand over my mouth.

“He’s okay, we just kind of worked it out downstairs, at why you were so emotional, and Niall threw out a comment of ‘she’s not pregnant is she’ and that’s when it hit Harry and I.” he informs me.

I don’t answer, I’m in shock and now I’m petrified and crying for a completely different reason.

“Hey, come on, there are many reasons why you could be late Bry, don’t get too worked up until we know for sure.” He attempts to look on the bright side.

I was only 19 years old. I couldn’t be pregnant, not in this life. I didn’t ever see it as a possibility for anyone. Who would want to bring a child into a life like this?

I nod my head in agreement and allow Louis to take me down to the nurse’s station.

As I pass through the quarantine area and place my mask on, it feels as if I am absent from my own body.

When the door opens into the main hall, Harry is resting up against the wall, one-foot bent resting against the wall. His worried eyes met with mine.

He gestures his hand out for me to take and the three of us walk down to where Nurse Lynch was. The same nurse who had helped Harry when he was intoxicated.

“Hello, how can I help you today?” Nurse Lynch addresses as we make our way into the room and Harry places me down to sit on the bed.

“We need a blood test for this one please” Louis instructs. Harry places himself on the spare chair and slides it over to me, right between my legs.

He places his two hands on my thigh “Hey” he mumbles, forcing me to make eye contact with him.

“It’s going to be okay, whatever the outcome, it’s okay to be okay” he comforts.

I nod slightly.

Louis is talking with Nurse Lynch quietly in the corner, but it didn’t take a rocket scientist to work out what he was saying.

No sooner, she draws a small amount of blood from my arm, Harry being present right in front of my face the entire time keeping me distracted.

“When will we know?” Harry asks as soon as the collection tube is sealed.

“I’ll send it off right now, I’ll know in a couple of minutes” she answers, leaving the room.

Not one of us are saying anything, we are all too on edge about the results of this test is going to be.

“Did you want to me to leave you guys to it?” Louis asks softly.

“Yeah, if you could, I’ll umm, fill you in once we know” Harry answers.

Louis nods in return and comes over to give me a comforting hug before exiting the room.

“I’m so sorry Harry” I sniffle out, the first word I had spoken in a while.

“You don’t need to be sorry baby. You did nothing wrong, neither one of us did.” He sooths, rubbing the pads of his thumbs in circles on the sides of my hip. 

“What are we going to do if I am Harry?” I ask the question that I didn’t know the answer to.

“Do you want to have a baby?” I continue not allowing him a moment to answer.

“Bryleigh,” he chuckles. “let’s just wait and see what the results are first shall we, let’s not get too ahead of ourselves before we know what’s going on”.

“Yeah but, this life, it’s not a place we bring children into.” I comment.

“So, the human race is going to die out? I never thought of the possibility of reproduction, I never really thought that far ahead, but I’m sure it’s something that we could do.” He gushes.

If I didn’t know any better, Harry almost sounded a little bit excited from this news.

“I don’t care what you say, they will want me there” I head the Irish accent being muffled but coming closer toward our door.

“Hi mum and dad, how are we?” Niall boasts walking through the door with a massive smile on his face, arms open wide, closely followed by a frantic Louis.

“Sorry, I tried to tell him to stop” Louis apologizes.

I can’t help but chuckle, it’s the first normal outburst I had seen of Niall’s personality in a long time.

“It’s fine Lou” I reply.

“Told you” Niall mocks toward Louis as he walks around to sit next to me on the bed.

“Right, if it’s a boy, you call him Niall, obviously, and if it’s a girl, you call her Noelle” he puts a weird accent upon the girl’s name so it sounds as close to Niall as he can.

“Niall” Harry boasts, shoving Niall lightly in the shoulder.

“Relax Dad, I’m just excited to be an uncle” Niall gushes.

I roll my eyes and chuckle at him. “We don’t even know if I am yet, so don’t get your hopes up” I comment.

“Well, if you’re not, I highly suggest you two start trying, that kid is going to be one good looking sprout” Niall’s overwhelming excitement about this is quickly disguising the fact that we may not even want a child.

“Niall” Harry warns again as I place a comforting hand on the side of his cheek.

The minute his eyes meet with mine, I give him a gentle smile signally that it was okay.

“But in all seriousness, can you guys please go. We will fill you in with the results I promise, but right now, I want to be alone with Bryleigh for this” Harry requests in a calm but stern tone.

“Yeah righto, righto, I’ll be out on supply run anyway, so I expect some good news when I get back” he bellows.

Shit, the supply run, I almost forgot about that.

“Niall, Louis, please, please be careful” I beg to both of them.

“Don’t worry babes, of course we will” Niall gives me a kiss on the top of my head before taking Louis in a headlock walking them both out of the nurse’s room.

“Sorry baby” Harry apologises for his friends.

I chuckle slightly “Don’t be, I think I needed that to calm down a little” I confess.

Harry agrees in a nod and slight moan.

“Well,” Nurse Lynch’s voice comes echoing through the room.

The minute I see her my stomach drops, and my ears start to ring. I don’t even know if I want the answer to this. I feel Harry’s hands tighten around mine as we both eagerly wait for the news.

“Looks like you two need to learn how to become parents” 

Chapter Text

HARRY P.O.V

The minute my ears heard the word "dad" I felt the blood drain completely from my body. But not in a bad way, for some reason I didn't feel, disappointed? If that's even the word.

I never really thought about reproduction, especially when Maddie got infected, I only really ever focused my attention on getting her better. But no one knew how long this virus was going to last.

I had already gotten a hang of the whole pairing thing, just to give people a bit of company, but did I need to start looking into reproduction.

If we wanted the human race to continue it was definitely something I needed to look into.

But then, it hit me, this wasn't business. This was real life, and at the minute, Bryleigh was pregnant, and I was the father.

I dart my eyes over to Bryleigh.

She looks as if had seen a ghost.

"Hey" I sooth, resting my hand on her shoulder.

I could see every thought rolling through her head. I just wished I knew what she was thinking.

"I'll give you a minute" Nurse Lynch informs us before exiting the room.

"Bry, talk to me baby." I encourage her.

Her eyes stay dormant on the wall across from me, she hasn't said anything, I was starting to wonder if she had even taken a breath since then.

I decided to just keep talking to her, give her any sort of reassurance I could.

I take her hands in mine, "Baby, just know that I'm going to support you, whatever you want to do Bry, I'm here okay, I'm not leaving, I'm going to be here." I try and make it as clear as I can.

To be honest, I don't even know what I want. I hadn't had enough time to process this to know what I want.

"How about we don't make a decision now?" I suggest to her.

This suggestion manages to get her to at least make eye contact with me, however she still doesn't say anything.

"How about we take a few days and let this process in, then we can make a decision? Together." I repeat.

The sudden release in tension of her shoulders suggests that she had just let go of whatever breath she was holding.

"Okay?" I breath out, edging myself closer to her, still bent down between her legs.

She nods her head in small frantic motions.

I feel al wave a relief at finally receiving some sort of response from her.

Nurse Lynch makes herself present back in the room, looking at me a little uncertain.

"How are we going?" she asks in a calm tone.

"Are we able to have some, time? To make a decision?" I ask her.

"I will need to do an ultrasound, it will give us an idea of how far along Bryleigh is" she informs.

I nod in agreement.

Bryleigh hesitantly lays back down on the bed.

From my guessing, she isn't going to be very far along at all.

Nurse Lynch only leaves the room for a minute before returning into the room with a portable ultrasound.

"This will be a little cold" she informs Bryleigh as she places a gel like substance on the end of the camera.

I stand over to the top of Bryleigh's head and crouch back down again.

The moment the sonogram connects with her stomach and displays an image on the screen, my stomach dropped. There wasn't much to look at, and to be fair, I wouldn't even know what to look for.

My eyes stayed glued on the screen but I could feel Bryleigh's eyes burning into mine.

I swallow the lump in my throat and turn my head to look at her.

She had this nervous stare on her face and I knew she hasn't even looked at the screen yet.

I gave her a slight confirmation nod, something small to signal, it's okay, whilst she tightened her grip on mine and slowly turned her head to face the monitor.

I didn't look with her, I wanted to wait for her reaction, but there was nothing. She kept the same expression on her face.

"Well, do you want the good news or the better news?" Nurse Lynch announces.

We both look up at her without saying anything.

"The good news is, I can tell you that you're roughly 4 weeks, very early stages" she announces.

"Then what's the better news?" I mumble.

"There is more to love in this pregnancy."

I look at her in confusion as she darts her eyes to the screen.

Using her index finger, she points to the image on the screen.

"See this here, she instructs, this is your uterus, but see this little mass here?" she points to one of the darker coloured jellybeans looking things inside the blank space.

We both nod in unison.

"That's an embryo, your baby" she instructs.

"What's the other dark shape then?" I ask in curiosity.

"Holy shit" Bryleigh cusses.

"That's the other baby" Nurse Lynch chuckles.

  My jaw physically dropped.

"What?" I gasp.

"It's twins?" Bryleigh asks.

"Yes Bryleigh, you're having twins" she confirms.

Bryleigh's head shoots straight up to me, with horror filled eyes, but her other features are softer than they were before.

"Now, in regards to your options, you do have those, but I would suggest making your decision in the next week or two at the most, as if you decide to not continue with this pregnancy, I just think it's best you make the decision as early in your pregnancy as you can" she stumbles through the sensitive topic.

I couldn't even think at this point of not carrying through with his pregnancy, but I realise that there is more than just me in this decision.

"Thank you" I appreciate before she takes the opportunity to give us a little bit more time.

Nurse Lynch fetches Bryleigh a towel to get rid of the excess gel on her stomach.

I didn't know what to say to her, I really didn't know where her head was at and I didn't want to say anything to give off my opinion on this just yet, I didn't want to sway her decision in any way. And with the added pressure of their being two babies, I can appreciate that the decision just became that much harder.  

I sit with her on the bed and wrap my arm around her, waiting to see if there is anything she wants to say.

But the room is silent.

"How are you feeling?" I finally need to break the silence; the tension is killing me.

"I can't get rid of these babies Harry. I'm sorry. I know I said I didn't know if I could do this, but I just, I still don't know if I can do this, but I know I can't get rid of these babies" she quickly rambles off in one breath.

I feel my heart flutter in my chest.

"And I know it's a lot to put on you and I understand if you don't want these babies, but I just don't see myself being able to, Harry, I'm sorry" she continues to ramble.

I chuckle slightly to myself.

Gosh I was in love with this girl.

I reach across myself with my free hand and turn her head to face me.

"Bryleigh" I stop her in the middle of her rant.

"I never wanted to give this opportunity with you" I breath out before leaning down and connecting my lips with hers in a quick passionate kiss.

Chapter Text

“Are we going tell Niall?” he asks me as we head back from the nurse’s station.

“I don’t think he is going to give us a choice” he teases.

He was right, Niall seemed so excited when he came to see us that I don’t think he would allow us to keep it any longer than him being out on his supply run.

I still couldn’t get my head around the fact that I was pregnant, like actually pregnant. Being only four weeks, it must have been one of the first times I had slept with Harry.

I don’t even know why I never even thought about protection, I guess you just spend so long in this crazy world not having access to even things such as fresh water, you forget about the other supplies you need.

“You’re right?” I chuckle.

“Are we really doing this?” Harry gushes at me as we enter his bedroom.

“I think so” I mumble, reaching both my hands down to grasp the space beneath my belly button, still in shock that there is not only one, but two babies in there. TWO!

TWINS!
I don’t I was going to be able to wrap my head around that, even when they are born, I think it’s going to take me a while before I actually believe it.

“Do you want it to be boys or girls? Or one of each?” Harry’s questions are full of excitement and joy. I have to admit, it warmed my heart knowing that he was excited about this as well.

The moment I saw the embryos on the screen, everything in me told me that I was never able to get rid of this pregnancy. I just couldn’t. I can only image how much harder this would be if Harry had completely different opinions to me on this.

“Harry” I chuckle, walking over to stand in front of where he had perched himself on top of his desk. “As long they are healthy, I don’t mind what they are” I explain, placing a hand on his cheek.

He glides his hands out and circles them around the lower of my stomach, a place that I am sure in no time is going to triple in size.

“I want them to be little girls, look exactly like you with those gorgeous brown eyes of yours, even those little freckles that run across your nose” he teases.

“And what happens if they come out as little boys with your curly brown hair and emerald eyes?” I mock.

“Then I’m going to love them just as much” he playfully admits.

“9 months is going to go really fast you know” I inform him.

He snakes his hands around my back now and pulls me in closer to him. I rest my hands around his neck loosely, having to crook my neck a little to be able to match his height.

“We will figure it all out okay” he comforts me.

And fondly enough, I was calm. The moment that Harry and I agreed to do this, I felt like I was going to be okay. That everything would eventually just work itself out.

I nod my head in agreement, it was all going to be okay. Because I had Harry.

“Harry!” Louis voice comes bursting through his bedroom door.

“What is it?” Harry gushes.

“Is Niall okay?” I shout in panic.

“Yeah, yeah he’s fine. Sorry.” Louis quickly informs. “They found her.” He continues.

“Maddie?” I question.

“Yeah, Zayn and Liam have her held up in one of the interrogation rooms.” Louis informs him.

Being how close I was to Harry; I could feel his entire body tense.

“Alright, I’ll be down in a minute” he informs Louis as he nods and ducks out of the room.

“What are you going to do?” I ask Harry as he pulls me in tighter for comfort.

He only shrugs his shoulders. “I really don’t know, but they were right the other day. The longer she is alive the more risk she is to all of us, she isn’t herself anymore”

I felt like I really couldn’t offer an opinion on this subject, I knew that she was gone, as was my mother, but I also know that I couldn’t make the decision to end my mother’s beating heart. Even though it possessed nothing of the person she was, I still felt the same for her, and Harry has been tied to this woman for a long time. I knew it wasn’t something he was going to enjoy doing.

“I need to go and talk to her” he finally confesses.

“I understand” I agree with him.

“But hey, I love you” he says in a more cheerful tone.

I lift my head up from his chest to meet with his lips.

“I love you” I repeat before pressing a gentle kiss to his lips, stepping aside as he jumps down off the desk.

“I’ll be back soon” he informs as he collects his jacket and heads for the door. “Mumma” he playfully adds before disappearing out of sight.

I couldn’t contain the chuckle that left my lips at the word.

I was going to be not only somebody’s mum; I was going to be a mum to two little babies. Two babies that contained the smallest pieces of Harry and I mixed together.

HARRY POV 

I quickly catch up to Louis as I enter that hallway.

“Well?” he pushes.

“Oh” I comment, forget that I still needed to share the news. “Yeah, you’ll have to start grabbing some toddler supplies on your runs from now on”

The way Louis face lit up was almost instant but then quickly dropped. “Are you, umm, alright with that man?” he asks.

I chuckle a little “Yeah, I am actually.” I confess.

“Well shit” he gushes.

We continue to walk down the halls out toward the interrogation rooms, through the steam room and grab a mask each, before heading out to the hallway.

“Hello sunshine” Niall announces as he stands with his back against the wall where I had been only like an hour ago waiting for Bryleigh.

“Well?” he continues in an eager tone, much like Louis was.

“Yeah, she’s pregnant” I whisper, hoping that no one around.

“Fucking hell” Niall gushes.

“That’s not all” I confess.

Both of their faces have a lot of curiosity and I am actually tempted to keep them waiting as long as possible, but I have other things to deal with at the moment.

“We are having twins” I confess.

I don’t think anyone could ever prepare themselves to have two grown ass men throwing their entire body weight on you but that’s exactly what I experienced, and I never want to have it happen again.

“Jesus Christ” I groan.

“Mate, that’s incredible, congratulations!” both of them gush toward me.

“Alright, alright” I hush them. “And not a word of this to anyone yet please” I beg.

“Yeah course” they agree.

I nod in appreciation and make my way down to the other end of the hall. I really didn’t want to deal with this right now, I had so much joy in my life at the moment and just finding out about Bryleigh, I wanted to stay in that positive little bubble for as long as I could, but it’s never the case. Also, I needed to do this to protect my bubble.

Niall and Louis follow closely behind me for support, they’ve got Maddie held up in the furthest interrogation room. Smart idea. 

As soon as I walk in, I see her bound up in a chair with Liam and Zayn either side of her. She had gaffer tape wound tightly around her mouth and I could see that by the grazes on her fingers and face, she didn’t come easily.

“Maddie” I announce as I walk in, grabbing the chair across from her and flipping it around so I could straddle it.

She keeps a dumbfounded, uninterested look on her face. I gently nod in the direction of Zayn who I could tell was smiling in great pleasure underneath that mask at what he was able to do.

“With pleasure” he announces taking a hold of the edging of the tape and in one quick motion ripping it from her mouth in one quick motion causing her to groan out in agony.

I couldn’t help but feel a small amount of pleasure watching that.

“Hi Harry, wanted to see me again so soon?” she sasses.

I can’t help but roll my eyes at her, part of me can’t help but think this arrogant personality of hers has nothing to do with the virus and everything to do with her as a person.

“Save it, Maddie. What do you want?” I frustrate toward her.

I was absolutely sick of the games, it was really getting old.

“There is no fun in that if you know now is it Harold”

“I did everything I could for you Maddie, I spent months trying to help you through this, even after what you did to me. I still tried to help you. Why am I now number one on your hit list?” I regret giving the boys a glimpse at the softer side of me but I didn’t know what to do.

“She’s not in there Harry” Louis mumbles next to me.

“I know” I reply back.

“Gosh Harry, if you’re going to kill me, will you just hurry up and do it. I’m getting quite bored here” she continues with the ignorant attitude.

“Can you give me a minute with her?” Louis asks.

All eyes dart to Louis, including Maddie’s.

“Are you sure?” I ask.

“Yeah, I just want to talk” he encourages.

I nod in agreement and give a signal to Zayn and Liam to follow me outside.

Once out in the halls, Louis closes the door behind us.

We all just stand outside of the door, able to come straight on in if there was any trouble at all.

“What do you think he’s trying to do?” Louis asks.

I shrug “Don’t know”

After only a few minutes the entire hall jumps as the sound of a gunshot echoes through the hall.

All four of us burst through the doors to find Louis standing there still holding his gun out in the direction of Maddie.

It was only a warning shot apparently, as she was still sitting there breathing and there was a single bullet hole in the wall next to her head.

“Tell me!” he shouts again.

“Louis what is going on?” I ask.

“SPEAK!” he shouts again.

Maddie refuses to move, she just sits there with a smug look on her face with her arms crossed.

“Harry, I swear to god, I am going to put a bullet in her brain” he hisses at me, still not moving from his position.

I flinch again at another shot does off and another bullet hole is put into the wall on the other side of her head.

“FUCK SAKE!” he yells.

“Louis, what are you trying to get out of her?” I ask him.

I for one knew how frustrating she was, but I was interesting in understanding what had set him off.

“He wants me to tell him how I know about pretty little Bryleigh” she sasses.

“How do you know about her?”

She drops her head in amusement.

“Do you really think you asking me is going to have any” another fire goes off and a single bullet is placed through the forehead of Maddie’s head.

Louis and I make eye contact with each other to realise that neither one of us fired that shot.

We both turn over our shoulder and I’m in deep horror when I see who is holding the gun.

“Mae” I gasp.

“Hello Harry” she comment now pointing the gun in my direction.

Twice in my entire life before had I felt fear and both of them have happened this year.

Once, when I found out that Niall and Louis had taken Bryleigh out into the community. I had never felt that overwhelming amount of fear of the unknown, and then the second, was when I couldn’t find her the following day and she was hidden up in the watch tower. Knowing what I knew from when they were out in the field, and especially after what happened with Ava, I felt that same fear.

But now, I felt fear for myself, and what Mae could take away from me.

“Mae put down the gun” I say in a calm voice.

"Shut up Harry." she bellows. 

Chapter Text

HARRY POV

"What do you want me to do Styles?" Zayn asks as he has his pistol pointed to the back of Mae's head.

"Give me a second" I ask.

"Mae, put the gun down and we can talk, please" I ask her again.

"What part of be quiet did you not fucking understand Harry?" she bellows again.

"Alright" I give in, holding my hands up in surrender.

"What do you want with my daughter?" she asks, keeping a firm aim on my head.

"What do you mean?" I reply for further clarification.

"You heard me, don't make this harder than it has to be Styles, what do you want with my daughter. Why are you corrupting her?" she stumbles again.

"I'm not corrupting her Mae, I care about her, a lot." I justify.

"You don't care for anything Styles, you have a reputation around here that clarifies that."

I exhale a deep breath.

"Mae, I understand the reputation I hold, this came as a shock to me as well, but I am promise you, I care for her."

She simple chuckles and rolls her eyes at me.

"Tell her" Louis whispers to me.

"Tell me what!" she bellows.

I throw irritated eyes at him.

I didn't know whether or not Bryleigh wanted her mother knowing or not. And it certainly wasn't my place to take that away from her.

"Tell me what Harry?" Mae bellows.

"Bryleigh's pregnant" Louis intervenes.

"Fuck sake" I cuss underneath my breath running my hand back through my hair.

I look up at Mae and she has a look of pure amusement on her face.

"Big mistake" she shakes her head in complete sarcasm.

I don't know what to say to her, I couldn't tell by her reaction whether or not this news was positive or negative to her, but with the virus flowing through her veins, I didn't know if she had the capability of feeling happiness from good news.

"Big mistake Harry" she repeats as I hear the safety click from the firearm in her hands and a single gun shot reverberate through the room.

For a second, everything is frozen, time has come to a complete stand still and Mae and I remain face to face holding a constant contact in our eyes.

But as the life slowly drifts from hers, complete guilt washes over mine.

I could feel my heart beating through my ears and nothing else around me was resonating with me.

"Mae?" I mumble.

"Big mistake Harry" she repeats before the weight gives out beneath her and falls to the floor, clutching the single wound that had been impaled through her stomach.

The entire moment seems to happen in slow motion as my head turns toward Louis, who was holding the weapon that had just ended the life of Bryleigh's mother. And also Maddie's. He was on a roll tonight.

"What have you done?" I gush.

"She would have killed you Harry!" he rebuts.

"Harry, he didn't have a choice." Niall confirms.

I felt like the air in my lungs was slowly starting to suffocate me and I could feel my palms starting to sweat.

I needed air. I needed fresh air and that's something that's impossible to get in this place.

But then it dawns on me, I need to tell Bryleigh and I had no idea how I was meant to do that. How do I even start that conversation?

"We'll deal with these two Styles." Liam pipes up referring to the fact we have now two dead bodies in this small room.

"Just, deal with Maddie, I don't know if Bryleigh is going to want to see her mum or not." I order.

I don't know what is meant to be the right thing to do. What if when I tell her she wants to see her and say goodbye and I've already had the boys dispose of her body? Or if I tell her and she's furious for keeping her body around like some sort of trophy.

I walk swiftly past the four boys and out into the halls.

I didn't know how I was feeling at the moment. Relief, anger, sadness, confusion.

I didn't know how to deal with all of this. And amongst all of this, I was still so overwhelmingly happy about the recent news. 

"Harry, lad you alright?" Niall joins me in the halls, placing a hand on my shoulder.

"I don't know hey, I don't know how I'm meant to tell Bryleigh." I confess.

"I'll do it." Louis offers.

"Nah, you don't need to do that." I breathe out.

"I pulled the trigger Styles, it's fine"

"I just, I just need a minute, look I'm actually going to head out on a run, maybe look for some baby stuff, might maybe calm me down" I really didn't know what to do, but I couldn't face Bryleigh right now.

"You need someone to come with you." Niall informs in a stern tone.

"Yeah, I know"

"I'll go" Louis offers.

The sun was starting to go down, and the runs had already been out for the day, but I just couldn't be around anyone right now.

And unfortunately, the only place to hide here, was out in the community.

"Fuck off, I'm coming too, there's no way you two are leaving me here to lie to Bryleigh." Niall bellows.

I roll my eyes and chuckle slightly to myself. "Right, let's go then lads"

BRYLEIGH POV

Harry had been gone for a while, I wasn't really worried though, being with the other boys, I knew that he would be safe, especially since they've got Maddie held up inside. I'm guessing he has a lot to sort out.

I still couldn't believe that there were two little babies starting to grow inside of me. Although technically nothing has changed since this morning, the knowledge of it now makes me feel different somehow.

Today had really flown by in an instant and before I know it, the siren was going off for dinner time.

I make my way out of Harry's room and down toward the dining hall.

Knowing that the boys were reoccupied and now that I didn't have Ava anymore, I felt kind of awkward heading into the dining hall. I felt like all eyes were on me, even though no one knew my news.

As I fetch a plate of sausage and mash, I quickly scan the room for a place to sit.

It felt weird this time having nowhere automatically to go.

My eyes fall upon a petite blonde girl, sitting by herself, looking a little lost and scared.

I walk over toward her, our eyes making contact as I get closer.

"Hey" I breathe out as I approach the other side of the table from where she sat.

"Hi" she quickly replies, dropping her head again instantly.

"May I sit?" I ask shyly.

"Sure" she replies, still not looking up again at me as I slide myself into the chair, playing my tray on the steel table.

"I'm Bryleigh" I introduce, not really even sure if this girl wanted to talk, or even wanted company.

"Rachael" she replies.

"Nice to meet you" I say in a cheerful tone.

She just simply smiles at me and continues moving the small beans through the sauce in her bowl.

She moves her other hand up from under the table and brushes a fallen stray hair from face.

I gasp in horror at the sight I saw.

Two freshly purple bruises around her wrist that look like finger imprints as well as a deep scratch to the back of her hand.

"Oh goodness, are you alright?" I gush.

She quickly shoves her hand back under the table.

"Yes, I'm fine" she quickly answers.

"If someone is hurting you Rachael, you can talk to me, I'll be able to get you some help." I offer, reaching my own hand across the counter but am met with an instant draw back from her.

"I'm fine" she boasts, a little louder, causing a few concerning looks from those sat around us.

"Okay" I breathe out.

Rachael and I finish our dinners in silence, I now regret sitting here. I really could have sat anywhere else, but no.

I return my tray to the kitchen staff and walk aimlessly out of the dining hall.

I really just wanted Harry right now to be honest, but unfortunately, I knew that being so high up in this place, he does have business to take care of, and it's not unusual for him to spend hours taking care of business.

And now that he was taking care of stuff to do with Maddie, I knew that he could almost be there all night.

Part of me felt like he didn't want to let her go. I know he was trying to protect us now, and that she was a threat, but you can't just rid someone from your feelings that fast.

I decide that I will rest up in his room, just in case I do end up drifting off to sleep, whatever time he comes back, at least then I am here with him.

As I open the door to his room, I feel a gust of cold air hit me like a tidal wave, which is strange because there is no air in this place. There hasn’t been in a long time, but I just got this overwhelming cold feeling the minute I stepped through the doorframe and suddenly I felt out of place, like I shouldn’t have been in here at all.

I make my way across the room and sat myself down on the bed, feet placed evenly along the floorboards with my hands placed gently beside me, my palms brushing against the cotton fabric of his freshly cleaned sheets.

But it felt different.

So, I rose up to my feet and walked toward the leather couch, a place I spent a lot of my free time reading. Again, placing my feet evenly along the floorboards and placing myself down onto the spine-chilling coldness of the leather, I still felt wrong. I felt unwelcomed.

Also, the silence that was echoing through the room was unsettling. Perhaps I should at least head down to the interrogation rooms and see if Harry at least needs anything.

Getting up off the couch and grabbing one of Harry’s hoodies from off his floor, I head down the stairs and toward the main doors.

I go through sanitation and retrieve a face mask before the doors open to the halls. The sight of the dimly lit halls of the night-time was a different sight. One I am not use to, or nor do I want to get used to it.

I creep along the edge of the halls, my guard automatically up, past the countless amounts of empty rooms. I couldn’t believe that in in just 6 short weeks I was once seated in one of these very rooms being interrogated by the man I was now in love with. Seems silly when you put it like that.

“Bryleigh?” an unrecognisable voice comes from behind me.

As I turn around, I realise that I know the face, I’m just not use to the voice yet. “Oh, hey Liam.” I reply.

“What are you doing down here?” he asks, both of us now walking in the direction of each other.

“I was just coming to look for Harry.” I inform him.

“Oh, no one told you?” he concerns, his eyebrows tensing and looking behind him.

“Told me what?” I push.

“Harry is out on a supply run.” He casually says, like it’s no big deal.

But I don’t think I have ever felt the blood relieve itself from my body faster.

“WHAT!” I shout.

“Yeah, he, Niall and Louis went out a little while ago.” He continues to answer my questions as if it’s a general conversation.

“Supply run already went out today, why have they gone again? And why has Harry gone? He never goes on supply runs.” My thought process is being spilled out to Liam.

“Yeah, he said he needed to clear his head after Louis shot that Maddie chick and your mother, so he went out on a run.”