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It’s not romantic like Liam thinks it should be, because the rain’s pelting down on his skin in a way that’s painful and he finds Harry face down in the gutter with blood running down his forearms. It’s not romantic at all because Harry’s hurt.
A blood-curdling scream leaves Liam’s mouth and he skids on the pavement trying to reach Harry. When he received Harry’s call, he had expected Harry to be in some sort of trouble. His slow ‘Liam, please find me’ on the other end of the phone had sparked fear in his chest. He hadn’t expected Harry to be unconscious on the side of the road.
With shaky hands Liam grasps Harry’s shoulder and turns him over onto his back. He’s shocked to see his face blooming with bruises and split lip. He’s even more shocked when Harry opens his eyes and smiles at him, the action causing a river of blood to flow onto his chin.
“You came.” He says and places his hands on Liam’s arms. His eyes shut again and settle his head on the ground.
“No, Harry!” Liam gathers the limp boy in his arms and lifts him up.
“I’m alright.” Harry mumbles and squeezes Liam’s arm reassuringly. “Just tired.”
Liam heaves him up to feet and lets Harry rest his weight on his side. Harry’s drenched head buries into his neck.
“Come on.” Liam says and starts to walk, Harry’s feet drag as he tries to fall in step.
“Are you alright?” Liam asks repeatedly, earning a nod from Harry each time. Liam can feel the curly haired boy’s teeth chattering against his neck and he knows he has to get him home quickly.
With determination he scoops Harry into his arm and knows that if Harry had enough energy he would smirk and say something along the lines of “You make me a blushing bride, Liam” but he doesn’t so Liam starts to jog.
-
Liam’s stiff fingers fumble with the door knob so he sets Harry on his feet again and he collapses onto his side. The door finally opens and Liam ushers him in and carries him up the stairs to the bathroom.
He starts the water off lukewarm so it doesn’t scald Harry’s frozen skin and takes off his shoes for him. Harry’s head is under the water and the blood rushes down into the drain. Liam joins him in the shower with sad eyes and peels Harry’s wet clothes from him as the now hot water washed over both of them.
Harry’s eyes are blank and he can’t seem to do anything besides let the water wash over him and let Liam rid him of the dirt that’s caked onto his skin. His fingers are icy cold and they grip onto Liam’s skin and he’s still shivering. Liam rids himself of his sopping shirt and presses his bare skin against Harry’s and runs his hands over his back to warm him up.
Liam doesn’t need to ask why he’s like this; he just needs to know that Harry’s alright and that the light will come back in his eyes.
He puts him in his bed with clean clothes and crawls in next to him. Harry’s silent and curls into Liam’s body, his fingers grasping the front of his shirt and Liam falls asleep with his chin on Harry’s head.
-
Liam wakes up in the morning and finds his favourite pair of eyes looking back at him.
“Harry?” Liam whispers and hovers a hand over the swelling of Harry’s cheek and the purple bruises.
“My dad came home.” Harry says in explanation. “So I had to get out.”
He shifts in the bed and rests his cheek on his palm.
“He hadn’t come home in a while so I thought he’d finally left, I thought he wouldn’t come back.” His eyes are surprisingly clear and plays it out as if it’s a fact and not an emotional ordeal he’s had to live through.
Liam doesn’t know what to do expect place his hand gently on Harry’s cheek. This seems to be enough for the younger boy as he smiles and leans into the touch.
“Thank you for helping me.”
“Always.” Liam manages to choke out.
-
Liam pulls Harry into the kitchen and sits him at the table to inspect his wounds.
“I’ve never seen you so hurt before.” Liam says softly.
“Like I said, he hadn’t been home for a while.” Harry says. “This really isn’t the worst.”
Liam remembers, very early in their friendship, when Harry came to school with a cut on his right brow. When he asked about it Harry told him he’d gotten it from one of his hockey matches. He thumbs the scar now, feeling the puckered skin.
Liam moves away, intending on making Harry breakfast when his mother walks in. Harry eyes instantly fill with fear.
“Liam? I thought- Oh.” She stops in the kitchen door way and her eyes widen, taking in Harry’s beaten form slumped over the kitchen table. It’s shocked silence until her hands reach for his bruised face and he doesn’t flinch away. His eyes start to water and his lip trembles.
“Oh Harry.” She says and suddenly he’s gathered in her arms and he’s crying into her shoulder.
Liam silently backs out of the kitchen while his mother and Harry sit in there for half an hour.
Liam looks up at his mother as she enters the living room.
“Harry’s going to stay with us.” She says softly and picks up her keys. “Harry, I’m going to talk to your parents.”
“No.” Harry says firmly and takes the keys from her. He sounds confident but there’s fear in his eyes. “Please, please don’t. Promise me you won’t.”
Her eyes soften and she closes her hand around Harry’s.
“I promise.”
-
“Don’t go in.” Liam pleads. He grasps Harry’s hand and urges him to look at him.
“I don’t know what to do.” Harry says simply and stares up at the shadowed house.
“There are people who can help.”
“It won’t work.”
“It might.” Liam grips his waist and pulls him close. “Please come back.”
-
They’re sitting cross-legged on Liam’s bed, facing each other until Harry wraps his legs around Liam’s waist and scoots himself closer.
“Safe at houses.” Harry says with a bitter laugh and plays with Liam’s fingers.
“What?” Liam asks and gathers Harry’s fidgeting hands in his.
“The saying ‘safe as houses’. My mum would always say it, but my house isn’t very safe anymore.”
“This one is.” Liam says with a hopeful smile.
“You’re safe.” Harry says and leans forward to press his lips against Liam’s neck.