Chapter Text
Liam kicked his legs back and forth to a tune he’d caught the pit orchestra rehearsing the other day in between practices at Scala. Roger put his hand on his knee to stop him, unable to speak with a syringe held in his mouth. Liam wasn’t sure if that was sanitary, but the practice of keeping clean in the medical field was relatively new, and he couldn’t consider himself an expert.
“Remember we have to end our fun sooner today,” Liam stuck his tongue out as Roger took a blood sample. He wasn’t squeamish, obviously, but it was different knowing the blood was yours.
Roger simply hummed in acknowledgment, his focus on the task at hand. Liam didn’t mind the silence. Contrary to his bubbly, outgoing exterior, he could appreciate some quiet, especially after a long day of rehearsals.
“You can go now. I didn’t need you for much, anyways.”
Liam hopped up, a characteristically large smile jumping to his face, “Alright! I’ll see you soon.”
Roger nodded. That was enough for Liam, as he slipped through the tight corridors and into the main hall of the castle. William and Victor were pouring over some documents in a far corner.
It didn’t take long for Victor’s face to light up at the sight of him. “Well, there you are! I tracked down some strawberries for you, they’re in the kitchen. I didn’t know you were a fan of them, I’ll have to write that down somewhere.”
Liam nodded shortly, his head doing that thing where it was all in one ear and out the other when he was excited, or bored, or really feeling one emotion or another.
“Liam,” Will’s voice always managed to calm the storm, to break through to him. “Make sure you get some for yourself, and some water. I’m sure Roger was more than generous with how long he had you down there, and how much he took from you.”
Liam looked down to where the red eyed man nodded at the little mark in his pale skin, the only lasting evidence of anything Roger had done.
He put two thumbs up and bustled to the door, catching Victor’s praise for William’s constant, vigilant observance as he left. Everyone in Crown was so smart and capable, he felt like the odd one out a lot of the time.
The strawberries were in a beautifully woven basket. He was half surprised Elbert hadn’t stolen it out from under him, yet, but perhaps Liam didn’t have the same eye for excellence he carried. The iconically attractive man seemed to fall in love with anything he, or Alfons, deemed pretty enough.
He swept it up off the counter and traipsed upstairs, following the steps to Harry’s room off pure muscle memory. He stayed there enough it may as well be his own, but they both knew that one another needed space sometimes. It was half of what allowed them to work so harmoniously.
He rapped his knuckles on the door, resting the basket half on his hips to manage with one hand. There was a sudden shuffle of papers and then a clear voice beckoned him in.
Upon seeing it was Liam, tension released from Harry’s shoulders that it looked like he’d been carrying for days. He reached for the basket without a word, popping all but the leaves of a little strawberry into his mouth. Liam watched the juice mar his lips as he chewed, holding himself in the doorway for a minute too long before he cleared his throat and sat on the bed.
“You haven’t come down for meals today. Will wouldn’t say it but he hates it when someone’s missing, even for missions.”
Harry nodded, already grabbing for another of the sweet berries. Liam had a feeling that Will’s assumption he wouldn’t get any was correct, but he didn’t mind all that much. Whatever made his partner happy.
“He came up and asked me about it.”
“So? Why were you gone?” When Harry gave him a bothered look, Liam couldn’t help but continue cheekily, “You can’t blame me for being curious, you know.”
“I guess I can’t. We have a novel coming out at the end of the week and I got assigned final checks on it last minute.”
Liam narrowed his eyes, “But that’s not what you’ve been busy with. I know how fast you work.”
“I don’t like how well you know me,” Harry whined despite the growing smile on his face. “It was top secret logistics for a project.”
“Ugh, my least favorite kind of secret.”
Harry didn’t say anything else, just made a little humming sound and bit into another strawberry. He made a wincing face that had Liam giggling.
“What, was it sour?”
“No,” came Harry’s muffled lie.
Liam grinned even wider, a feat he once thought impossible, but Harry always made him happier. He noticed a seed gracing the fox’s chin and reached over, his thumb gliding over Harry’s lips in the process.
Liam felt that pressing feeling in the pit of his stomach to go deeper, to find out more. He pulled his hand back like it burnt him, causing the brunette to raise an eyebrow at him inquisitively.
“You alright?” he asked in that gruff tone, which made him sound more like Jude or Roger. That helped snap him out of it, but Liam could feel himself becoming restless.
He stood up suddenly, “I’m fine!”
Harry rolled his eyes, “Because lying really works on me. Go find Alfons.”
“I’m fine. I’d feel bad to cut this short.”
Harry looked up and down at his pink haired companion. His fingers tapped in random patterns at his sides and he couldn’t seem to focus on one thing at a time, looking like the room was shrinking in on him. His Curse was obviously acting up. It was just a fact of life for them, Harry didn’t know why Liam had to act like it was inconveniencing him all the time. It’s what they were in Crown for.
He grabbed Liam’s deft fingers. He could tell why the girls swooned for him at all his plays. If those puppy dog eyes (kitty cat eyes were probably more appropriate) could get Harry’s hard headed ass to give in, there was no knowing what they could do to some innocent girl.
“I’ll see you at the mission tonight, but you’ll end up winding yourself up then if you don’t get it out of your system now.”
Liam smiled. He was so easy to please, like a pet after saying the word treat. Harry counted thirty seconds after he left the room before he took his papers out from under the blankets.
It had been a close call. It was his own fault for keeping correspondence between him and the Privy Council in his bedroom at Crown Castle at all. He just had his head so wrapped around it all day he couldn’t focus.
And then there was Liam. He couldn’t have him dirtying his hands in this. Despite his position in Crown as leverage to gather information to get the Council’s trust, he had become attached to the Cheshire Cat. He was easy to talk to. No one had been easy for Harry to talk to since his father’s death.
It wasn’t as if he was some playboy beforehand, anyways. Harry tried to keep people distant from himself, so they wouldn’t get wrapped in his problems. Liam just wouldn’t stay away, though. His curiosity made him stubborn.
Harry swept a finger thoughtfully over his lips as he looked over the papers. He kept getting distracted, thinking about a certain someone and their proximity to his face all through their conversation.
Harry sighed and threw the papers and the basket to the ground, deciding to sleep before the mission, because clearly he was going insane.
He couldn’t feel that way about another man.
He couldn’t feel that way about Liam.
It wasn’t fair to him.