Happy #SlaveMeThursday! We're maybe five chapters from a break. I'll be taking some time before starting on a like "part two". Think of it as a mid season break. In the mean time, I'll still be doing one shots. And I'll be working on a mini series of smutty Larry things based on the fic I just finished.

Loads happening! Have a great weekend my loves!

COMMENTS AND VOTES! MWAH!! Xoxo

***

Zayn woke before Liam and found Niall still in the same chair, talking on the phone in hushed tones. He kept still and listened.

"What do you want me to tell you, baby?" Niall let his forehead fall into his hand. "I'll ask him. I promise you, nothing and no one will ever take you from me." Zayn hated the way his heart wrenched at the fear in Niall's voice. Zayn made a show of yawning and stretching to warn Niall he was awake. "I have to go now, baby. I love you so much."

Liam stirred next to Zayn and did the cutest thing with his nose that made Zayn kiss it gently. "Good morning, love."

"Thirsty," Liam whispered and buried his face in Zayn's chest.

Zayn looked to Niall, who got up and grabbed the glass of water Marvin left in the night on the dresser. He came and sat on Liam's other side and coaxed him into sitting up enough to drink it.

Liam sagged back onto the headboard when he was done and kept his grip on Zayn's leg firm. He put a hand to his ribs and groaned. "Wasn't a dream. Every time this happens I think it's a dream."

Zayn curled a hand around Liam's cheek and turned him to look directly at him. "This won't happen ever again. You're here. With me. That's not a dream."

Liam smiled as best he could and leaned in, asking for a kiss. When Zayn gave him one he melted into it and hummed happily. "Thank God."

Niall cleared his throat as he set the glass back on the table. "Zayn, if I could..." Niall nodded to the door of the room, silently requesting a moment to talk alone.

"Oh, of course." Zayn maneuvered Liam down onto the bed again and got out from under the covers, following Niall out of the door and into the hallway. As soon as the door clicked shut a loud crack rang out in the air and Zayn was clutching his cheek before he knew what to do about it. "Shit!"

"That's for betraying me," Niall concluded. "Now, we can talk about how to save me."

Zayn rotated and flexed his jaw, fingers massaging the sore area as he nodded. "Fine. I deserved that. Are we okay?"

Niall laughed with no humor. "Far from it. We'll be okay when you can guarantee me and Harry's life."

"What can I do?"

Niall crossed his arms and paced back and forth across the hallway while Zayn watched. He was turned away, eyes set on the dark wallpaper when he said, "Take us with you."

"What?"

Niall turned back and he seemed just a little brighter. "Wherever you're going. Marcus is letting you leave unharmed. Take us with you. Can you guarantee us a house and food?"

"I mean," Zayn raked his hands through his hair, "I guess so. I could do that. But you really want this? Leave everything behind? Our business? Your home?"

"It's all gone anyway. I've heard Marcus' arraignment is in a couple of days. They're moving so fast, and with his lawyers, he'll be out on probation in no time. And he'll be out for blood." Niall leaned heavily on the wall and sighed. "Harry is everything. I stay; I lose him. Leaving is the only way I can ensure that doesn't happen."

"I'm sorry-"

"Stop it. Your words don't mean much right now. All I want to hear is you saying it's a deal."

"Of course you guys can leave with us. As long as you're sure, I'm glad that's one less thing I have to leave behind."

Niall just nodded and pushed past Zayn as he threw back, "Guarantee our safety. Then we'll see." Zayn watched Niall go to Liam and give him more to drink, before moving over to his dresser and pulling out clean clothes.

Zayn followed and then passed him up in favor of going to Liam's bathroom and starting a bath. When he came back out Liam was sitting up, his legs over the edge of the bed. "Thank you, Niall. I can take it from here. Go tell Harry I love him and I promise I'll do what you asked."

Zayn pulled one of Liam's arms around his shoulders and helped him to the bathroom. He heard Niall's muffled goodbye, but didn't see him leave. Liam was groaning quietly, obviously trying to keep it in, as Zayn lowered him to sit on the edge of the tub. The water was warm, but not hot enough that Liam would uncomfortable. Zayn turned off the facet and helped Liam out of his pants. He kissed his slave's cheek when a blush overtook them.

"Beautiful," Zayn whispered against his skin.

"Not right now, I'm not."

Zayn put a light hand on Liam's chest, right over a red swollen gash. "Always."

Liam wasn't sure he believed him but smiled anyway before taking a harsh hold on Zayn to lower into the tub. The water washed over his dirty, beaten body inch by painful inch. He tried to hold back his noises, but, when the water reached his stomach, the pain made him cry out. Zayn stopped, holding him in mid air.

"Okay?"

Liam just nodded and grit his teeth before sinking the rest of the way into the water. When he finally got into the tub it almost felt good. The water wasn't too hot and he could see the grime, from his back and places Zayn didn't get, slowly wash away. Zayn held a soft loofah and swept it over Liam's skin, gliding over the curves and dips of his body.

He laved the sponge around the curve of his shoulder and down his arm, hands following the shape of his bicep. He moved over to tenderly wash away the wretched attack from his chest. Liam closed his eyes and clasped his hands on the edges of the tub as he felt Zayn's hands touch and heal.

"Talk to me," Liam requested.

"About what?"

"I don't know. I don't care. I just-" Liam opened his eyes and looked over to where Zayn was knelt outside the tub. "Come in here with me and talk to me."

"I don't want to hurt you." Zayn kept swiping the loofah gingerly over Liam's back and shoulders.

Liam raised a hand out of the water and put it over where Zayn's sat on the rim of the bath. "Please."

Zayn paused and looked over Liam's bruised body before sighing. "Tell me if I hurt you, yeah?"

"You wouldn't," Liam assured.

Zayn leaned forward and kissed his temple. "Not on purpose." Liam made some mild sound of disagreement as Zayn stood and disrobed. Liam deterred his eyes from looking and move them to the water to watch his toes wiggle, making tiny currents on the surface. Zayn stepped into the water and Liam scooted forward enough for him to slide in behind him and bracket Liam's body with his legs. He could feel the now wet cotton on Zayn's pants and breathed out in relief before relaxing.

Zayn wrapped Liam's torso inside his arms and kissed his neck. "Once you're mine, officially, will you finally allow yourself to look?"

"If that's what you want?"

Zayn huffed an amiable laugh. "You can't imagine what I want."

Liam eyes crinkled and he sat back against Zayn's chest. "I bet I could guess."

"I bet you could," Zayn agreed easily and let his hands wander up Liam's chest and down his thigh. Zayn felt Liam go perfectly still against him, his breathing gone for a moment. "I won't-I wouldn't. Not until we're paired."

"I know that. I'm just-" Liam dipped his hand back in the water and laced his fingers with Zayn's before sliding it closer to his length. At the last moment he breathed out a shaky breath and brought Zayn's hand up to his stomach. "I'm afraid I'd let you."

"I know what it means to you to stay pure. I would never do anything to compromise that." Zayn bit gently on an unmarked stretched of skin on the back of Liam's neck. "No matter how much I want to."

Liam laid his head back on Zayn's chest and let him continue to wash him. "When will we be paired?"

Zayn's hand froze for a moment before continuing its path along the side of Liam's thigh. He hadn't told Liam yet that they were leaving. He hadn't told him that there probably wouldn't be a grand pairing ceremony like Zayn had hoped. "I don't know. As soon as we can." As soon as we're safe.

"Is everything okay? With you and Niall, I mean?"

Zayn always knew Liam was perceptive. And he was not a secondary in this relationship. He deserved to know. "Not really. But I hope it will be."

Liam just nodded and picked Zayn's fingers up to play. "Okay."

Zayn could burst with the trust Liam gave him so willingly. "You're not going to ask anything else?"

Liam turned so he could look at Zayn and brought Zayn's hand up to kiss his knuckles. "I'm your slave. I go wherever you take me. I would just like for you not to lose your best friend over me."

"I'd lose the world for you."

"Don't say that."

Zayn let his forehead fall against Liam's. "I would." Zayn pulled Liam's legs over his and wrapped his arms around him to hold him sideways against his chest. "I don't want to, but I'd lose Niall and Harry and my family and everything I've ever had for you."

Liam shook his head minutely, not enough to shake Zayn off. "That's the most dangerous thing I've ever heard you say."

"It's the most dangerous thing I've ever felt."

Liam seemed to accept that. He tilted his chin up and pressed a light kiss to Zayn's lips. "Anywhere you go," Liam promised.

"Anywhere?"

"Anywhere at all."

"What if I told you we'd be going somewhere?"

Liam nodded solemnly. Zayn figured he guessed something was up and now he knew for sure. "Where to?"

An intimate smile broke out on Zayn's lips. "There's this place."

"Oh? A place?"

Zayn punched his side playfully and Liam winced. Zayn's eyes went wide and he rubbed the spot in apology. "I'm sorry!" Liam bit his lips and laughed once the pain left. "This is awful. I'm so used to you being strong and-"

Liam kissed him again. "You want to be rough with me?"

Zayn groaned lowly and pressed his cheek to Liam's. "Don't tempt me."

Liam shrugged and put his hand to Zayn's chest. "Okay, I'm sorry. What about this place of yours?"

Zayn laid back against the tub again and Liam settled into him. "It beautiful. Perfect for a family. I actually always dreamed of living there when I visited as a kid."

"What's it like?"

"Small town. Little brick roads, bookstore, the lot."

"Sounds amazing."

"There's even this little house that we always stayed at when we went on holiday. It's got two bedrooms so we'd have room for a little one. Big backyard. Porch with a swing."

Liam hummed and Zayn looked down to see his eyes closed and a smile on face. "I can't wait to see it."

"Really?"

Liam opened his eyes and looked up. "Of course. It sounds amazing."

Zayn released a breath he didn't realize he had been holding. "Good. I was afraid you wouldn't want to move."

"You mean away from this city where everyone apparently wants me beaten or dead?"

Zayn stiffened, but tilted his head in consideration. "I see your point." He laid his head on top of Liam's and just sat in the now cold water. "You're only the second person I've ever told about this place."

"Niall?"

Zayn shook his head and Liam felt it. "My last slave." The tension was palpable. Liam swallowed thickly and clenched onto Zayn's arm tighter. "I know you deserve to know," Zayn offered, "but I don't want to talk about it right now."

"That's okay. I didn't tell you about my previous Master. And well, considering he was technically still my Master..."

"I don't want to talk about him either."

Liam rubbed his fingers idly along Zayn's forearm. "Then tell me more about our dream house."

Zayn hummed in agreement and kissed Liam's hair. "It's got a skylight in the smaller bedroom. Perfect for the little one..."