Stockholm Syndrome ✔

Chapter 16 - Stockholm Syndrome

Harry screamed and jumped when a hand was placed on his shoulder. He spun around and saw Louis standing behind him. Somehow Louis had managed to wake up, get up and walked behind Harry's back without making any sound. How was that even possible, given that Louis was in a lot of pain? Or at least that's what Harry expected, but frankly Louis can be made of steel, for all he knows.

"Fucking hell, Louis!" Harry yelled. "I almost got a heart attack!"

Louis took a step back, holding his hands up. "Sorry."

Harry just shook his head dismissively and tried to breathe slowly. He walked past Louis, who had apparently found himself a new clean shirt and sat down on the bed. Louis slowly followed him and sat down next to him. Harry didn't look at Louis.

They sat in silent until Louis sighed.

"Considering our current situation, I think it's not bad idea to just flip a coin."

Harry's eyes widened and he slowly turned to look at Louis. "Excuse me?"

Louis shrugged a little and closed his eyes. Harry frowned. Okay, maybe Louis wasn't made of steel.

"We're not flipping a coin", Harry informed sternly. "How I spend the rest of my life will not be decided by some goddamn coin."

"It was just a thought."

"Uh-huh."

Then Louis frowned. "Hold on... It's not dark anymore. I slept quite a long. Where's Troy?"

Harry paled. Oh, right. Troy would come back at any minute. And Harry would have to make his choice. But he kind of had already.

"He came earlier", Harry said. "He told me through that door that he needed to go somewhere and he would be back later."

Louis tilted his head. "He didn't say anything else?"

Harry bit his lip and shook his head.

"You're lying", Louis said, narrowing his eyes.

"I'm not", Harry lied.

"You are!" Louis stood up and took a hold of Harry's chin, forcing their eyes to meet. "What did he say?"

"Nothing", Harry said, his voice barely above a whisper.

Unfortunately, Louis knew Harry was lying. Sometimes Harry just simply forgot how extraordinary Louis was; how he knew what Harry was going to say even before Harry himself knew it. How he was quite a bit smaller than Harry, yet so much stronger. How he knew without even looking at Harry's face that he was lying.

"Harry", Louis said, voice softening a little. "What's wrong? What did he say?"

"Nothing!" Harry pushed Louis hand away, stood up and walked away from Louis, closer to his plastic window. Louis followed Harry and turned him around, leaving his hands on Harry's shoulders.

"Harry, please, look at me."

Slowly Harry lifted his gaze up and stared into Louis' eyes. Louis dropped his hands down and sighed.

"Tell me, Harry."

Harry's eyes travelled around Louis' body, spotting all the bruises and cuts and sadness filled Harry. Louis didn't deserve that. None of the things that had happened to Harry were Louis' fault. No, they were all Troy's fault.

And Harry truly felt sorry for Louis.

Harry lifted his hand and gently touched a huge bruise on Louis' face, and felt how Louis slightly leaned against his palm.

"I'm so sorry that you've been forced to live with Troy", Harry said silently, and Louis frowned, confused. "It must have been awful. I am so sorry."

"What—"

But Louis never got to finish his sentence because they heard Troy's voice and several footsteps coming closer to the door. Without thinking about, well, the fact that they were stepbrothers, technically a hostage and a kidnapper, Harry took a grip on Louis' belt, yanked him forward and pressed their lips together.

A gasp escaped from Louis' mouth and then his fingers sunk into Harry's hair, creating a tangled mess. Too soon Harry turned his head, pressed their cheeks together and whispered into Louis' ear, "Please, look after my family", and then he stepped away just when the door opened.

Harry avoided Louis' eyes and stared at Troy who steps in with some rather scary looking guy. Harry assumed he was Troy's right hand.

"AH! My sons", Troy says, rubbing his hands together. "Tell me, Harry, did you make up your mind?"

"I did", Harry said quickly before he could change his mind and ignored the shocked look Louis gave him. "I'll stay. I want to stay. Louis' free to go."

A wide smile appears on Troy's face. "I knew you would make a right choice."

"W-what?" Louis gasped, staring at Harry with wide eyes.

Harry turned to look away. Mainly because he was sure he couldn't look into Louis' eyes without breaking down. He just hoped that Louis was happy that Harry had decided to give him his freedom.

"You really want to stay?" Troy asked, walking closer.

Harry narrowed his eyes. "I do."

The sad part? Harry was only half-lying. No, he didn't genuinely want to stay. But... he wanted to stay— for Louis. Louis didn't deserve to suffer in the hands of Troy. Now Harry just hoped that some day Louis would come back to save him.

"I'm proud of you", Troy said, and Harry couldn't care less.

Then Troy said, "Malik", and the man following him around immediately straightened up and nodded when Troy said something to him in Russian. Harry didn't understand a word but stared how the man, Malik apparently, walked towards Louis.

"Пойдем", Malik said and took a grip on Louis' arm, but Louis yanked his arm free.

Harry tried hard not to smile proudly.

"Не трогайте меня", Louis hissed and glared at the guy with so much hate in his eyes that suddenly Harry was certain that this Malik, Troy's right hand, had been the one to brutalize Louis.

"You look confused. You don't speak Russian, do you?" Troy asked.

Harry shook his head and hoped that Louis would give him even one glance but no. Louis just walked out of the room, Malik folllowing close behind. Harry's shoulders slumped down.

"Well we will fix that", Troy said matter-of-factly and then walked towards the door. "You're free to leave this room and find yourself something to eat. We will talk about your training later."

And just like that Troy left. He acted like everything was normal. A casual day. Harry stared at the door in disbelief but it wasn't locked, rather slightly open. Had everything really happened just like that? Harry had said a few words, Louis had simply walked out and now Louis was free and Harry was stuck with Troy? And Troy would let him roam around, just like that?

Something wasn't right. And hold on.

"Training?" Harry muttered out loud.