Happy #SlaveMeThursday. Some crazyness is going to go down soon. Team Ziall is on it!

COMMENTS AND VOTES! MWAH!! Xoxo

***

Zayn had crashed Niall and Harry's quiet dinner. Well, if the way Harry was sitting in Niall's lap was any indication, the dinner wouldn't have been quiet for much longer. He'd asked Niall if they could talk for a moment and Niall agreed, but Harry didn't move. Alone, he'd said. Niall let the seriousness of the topic set in and asked Harry to take their food into the kitchen and put it in the fridge for leftovers. Niall and Zayn had moved to Niall's study and now Zayn was fidgeting with his fingers and looking at the soft beige carpeting.

"What is it, Zee?"

"If I tell you something you have to promise you won't tell anyone, not even Harry."

Niall sat up straighter. "Is it really bad?"

"It's not good." He lifted his head up to look at Niall with heavy eyes.

"Tell me, Zayn."

"Promise. I have to have your word that you understand this is of the utmost secrecy."

"I swear."

Zayn nodded, let his head fall back down, and rubbed his sweating palms on his lap. "I want to take Liam from Marcus. I can't let them be paired. He doesn't belong with that prick, he belongs..." Zayn sighed as his eyes shut with the weight of his recent realizations. "He belongs with me."

They were quiet for a moment, the air thick with dark words and what Zayn intended to do. Then Niall broke the silence with a loud clap and Zayn looked up to see him smiling wide, eyes lit in the dim room. "Finally!"

"What?"

"I have been waiting," he drawled, "for you to man up and grow a pair. Now we're talking. Let's get your slave back!"

"Niall," Zayn warned, "we can't just take him. As much as I want to." Niall could hear the want, could practically feel it. They always talk about how much a slave needs his Master, but they don't really discuss how much a Master needs his slave. "But Marcus-"

"Is a big, bad man. Yeah, I know. He owns us. I get it. But Zayn," Niall got up and went to sit next to Zayn, pulling him into him and squeezing his shoulder, "you deserve to be happy. And Liam is what makes you happy. I've been waiting for something to come along that could possibly repay what you've done for me and Harry, and now I can." He pet Zayn's hair for a moment and leaned back with his same smile still painted across his lips.

"If he finds out I'm doing this, and that you're helping me, he will ruin us."

"Do you love him?"

Zayn shot back from Niall in surprise. "Marcus?! I think you've got it messed-"

Niall covered Zayn's babbling mouth with his hand. "Liam. Do you love Liam?" He uncovered Zayn's mouth but Zayn didn't answer right away. Instead Niall saw as Zayn's eyes took on a faraway look and his mouth spread slowly into a dopey smile. "I'll take that as yes?"

Zayn bit his lips to keep his smile in check and nodded. "So much."

"Then we do this. Because he's yours, Zayn. He belongs to you, and you deserve him."

***

"How though?" Liam asked for what seemed like the four hundredth time.

I can't tell you. I don't want you involved at all. You just have to trust me.

Liam pouted even though Zayn couldn't see him. He was outside in Marcus' massive back yard, behind one of the large marble statues, whispering into the phone just loud enough for Zayn to hear him. "I do, but-"

Don't argue with me, Liam.

"Yes, sir," Liam relented. "But it's nothing dangerous, right? You're okay?"

Zayn laughed through the phone and the sound had Liam's entire body buzzing with energy. I'm supposed to be the one caring for you.

"You do. You are," Liam corrected. "I just..." Liam curled his hand around the receiver so he could pitch his voice even lower. "I feel awful without you here. I need you all the time and I miss you and I miss your voice and I miss your face and I miss you." Liam inhaled quickly after he'd finished spouting.

Zayn's voice came through filled with reverence when he spoke. I am so in love with you, baby. I promise you I will take you home with me one day very soon.

Liam preened, letting his head fall back to the hard rock statue. "Promise?"

Promise.

***

"What do we have so far?" Zayn reached his hand out for Niall's iPad and started scrolling through the data. "This is nothing. A few minor bribes, some traffic tickets. There's nothing here!" He didn't exactly slam Niall's tablet down, but he kind of did. Niall was kind enough not to comment on it.

"This is just the beginning, Zayn. I'm working on it. We both are. We'll find something, and when we do, we'll take Marcus down the right way."

Zayn shook his head. "There's nothing. He's a fucking model citizen."

Niall huffed in exasperation. "Not quite. Everyone's done something. And the most powerful man on this side of the world has to have done something big."

***

"Mr. Liam, Mr. DeWare would like to see you in the conservatory." Liam looked up from where he was putting his folded clean clothes into his drawers and nodded at Cordin tightly. The stiff butler left Liam quickly with a sharp slam of the door. Over the time Liam had been here Cordin had only gotten colder towards Liam and Liam couldn't understand what he'd done wrong.

He ignored Marcus' temperamental house lead and headed downstairs to the sitting room where Marcus was swiping through something on his phone. He didn't look up when Liam came in so Liam just stood in silence, waiting with his hands clasped obediently behind his back. When Marcus dropped his phone back into his pocket and finally noticed Liam he waved him over. Marcus gave him a stern once over, accessing him. Usually Liam would beg for this kind of attention, but he didn't want it from this man. Now it was an unwanted necessity more than a gift.

"Slave," he greeted.

"Sir."

"I'm taking you into one of my restaurants today. I want you to see what I really do. Forget the office," he waved a hand. "I want you to see what I love about my job."

Liam nodded, actually excited about seeing the inner workings of one of the most popular eateries on the continent. "Thank you, sir."

"Go get dressed, something clean and nice. I want you to make a good impression."

Liam nodded again and waited for his dismissal. When he got, it he ran off to go back to his room. He picked up his phone and sent off a quick Marcus is taking me to one of his restaurants. I'm sort of excited. I hope he lets me cook to Zayn before opening his closet to pull out a pressed button up and then black trousers from his dresser. He dressed and straightened his hair out, styling it back and out of his face. Once he'd made himself presentable he went back downstairs and waited for Marcus in the foyer.

Marcus met him there and led him to their car with a large hand on his back. Liam forced himself not to flinch and made sure to sit just a few inches away from Marcus in the car. They rolled along the streets into the entertainment part of town. Marcus' most famous restaurant, Savour, was already busy with the lunch crowd, a line forming out the door and all the patio tables filled with chattering people. Their driver let him out in front of the sidewalk and Marcus appeared from the car, followed by Liam. Marcus threw a quick, "Keep up," over his shoulder before making his way through the crowd, amidst raves and compliments, to the indoor dining room. Liam fought his way through, having a much harder time than Marcus did, until he was inside. He found Marcus half way across the room and jogged to catch up.

He was already talking, like he hadn't noticed Liam wasn't right behind him. "...the back, but don't disturb them. We'll just do a quick run through and then have some lunch."

Liam stayed quiet and followed Marcus past the dividing wall, through the swinging door, into the kitchen. The noise increased tenfold with people running about shouting orders and the sound of food sizzling in skillets. Liam took it all in with wondrous joy. It smelled heavenly and he just wanted to dip his finger into every single dish.

"Mr. DeWare, sir. How nice of you to visit. Can I get you anything?" Must be the restaurant manager, Liam assumed.

"A glass of wine. Red. From the cellar." The man rushed off to fulfill his request while Marcus kept walking around, checking on everyone's dishes and procedure. Liam kept a small distance so he didn't disturb Marcus or the cooks. Marcus had just rounded a corner to the other side of the kitchen when Liam was pulled back into a corner and pushed against a wall.

"Help us." Liam was shocked silent, shaking his head in confusion. "Please, help us. You're his slave, right? But you don't like him, I can tell. You have to help us."

"Help you?" Liam choked out, searching around frantically for Marcus to make sure he wouldn't hear them.

"He takes us away."

"Away? Where? What do you mean?"

"Slave!"

Liam tensed at Marcus' voice. He pushed the scared girl dressed in a white chef's jacket off him and worried his brows. "I'm sorry. I have to..." He turned and walked quickly to where he heard Marcus yell from.

"Where were you?"

"My apologies, sir." Liam dropped his head. "I stopped to taste. Your food is delicious."

That seemed to appease Marcus for now, smiling smugly around at his employees. But it quickly faded and he looked at Liam sternly. "Keep up. I won't say it again." Liam nodded mutely and followed behind.

Lunch was a quiet affair. Liam occupied his mouth with the admittedly delectable food while Marcus looked over the restaurants numbers and ate. Liam couldn't get the girl out of his head. Help us. What did she mean He takes us away? Liam didn't know what to do, and he certainly wasn't going to ask Marcus. How had he not seen? When he met Marcus he thought him charming and kind. Now all he could see was 'not Zayn'. He tried to keep his perspective unbiased, think as if he weren't in love with someone else. But still Marcus seemed cold and harsh. Not powerful and strong like he'd once thought, not like Zayn, not like he knows a Master should be. Marcus couldn't love Liam if he tried. He counted the minutes until Marcus finally took them back home. Liam excused himself with murmurs of a nap, while Marcus all but disregarded him.

Liam ran up to his room and took his phone out to call Zayn. Zayn answered with a fond Baby.

"I need your help."

Zayn sobered instantly at Liam's tone. Are you okay? What happened?

"I don't know."

Liam, Zayn ordered. Answer me, now. Are you okay?

"I'm fine. I'm mean, I fucking hate this, but I'm okay."

Zayn sighed in relief. Then what is it, baby?

"Something's going on in Marcus' restaurants."