Reason To Be (A Zouis Family AU)

Part Four, Chapter Nine

Harry isn't sure how long he and Niall sit on the floor in the middle of his room before Leila rushes in, dark eyes immediately landing on him and her shoulders slumping; hair pulled back into a scruffy ponytail and an oversized t-shirt paired with flannel bottoms drowning her frame - an instant giveaway that she had intending to stay in tonight.

She sounds relieved when she speaks, and Harry keeps one arm around his brother, using the other to try and scrub at the tears that have eventually stilled on his cheeks.

"Thank god," she mutters, crossing the room and crouching down in front of them, eyes flitting across to Niall, who frowns back and tightens his arms around Harry's middle protectively. "Are you okay? I've called the police but I didn't know whether I should ask for an ambulance as well -"

Harry shakes his head quickly at that, because as much as his face aches from the blow Brad had delivered, it's nothing that warrants emergency services. "I'm okay," he says, voice raspy. He clears his throat, tongue darting out to dampen his lips, wincing when it runs over the split. "Did - did he leave?" He asks, praying that the answer is affirmative since he doesn't want to have to face him again tonight.

Leila's expression twists a little, a slightly nervous smile tugging at one side of her mouth. "Not quite. I, uh, took some self-defence classes after everything that happened with my ex. He may or may not be unconscious on the stairwell," she tells him, eyes squinting slightly.

He hadn't expected that, and he isn't sure how it makes him feel. Even after everything, he doesn't want Brad to be hurt. He wouldn't want anybody to be hurt, it isn't in his nature.

"Oh," he breathes.

His friend nods. "Yeah. Um, there's a bunch of people from the other dorms out there making sure he doesn't wake up and get away, until the cops get here at least," she says. She must see the way Harry's brows tug together in a anxious frown because she purses her lips and leans back onto her heels. "Haz, what he's been doing - whether you're still blind to it or not - it's not right. You and Brad just - you shouldn't be together. People like Brad, they shouldn't be with anyone," she tells him, voice soft but certain.

Harry swallows and glances down, giving a jerky nod. He knows she's right. He and Brad are over and he still doesn't know how he feels about it (even if there's definitely a lot of relief in there), and the last thing he wants is for Brad to get with somebody else and hurt them too. If the police need to get involved, even if he doesn't get locked up - it'll still go on record. People in the future will know the kind of person that Brad is. Insecure and manipulative and abusive.

He sucks in a hitched breath and nods a little firmer this time. "I know," he admits, deflating a little because the events of tonight - the events of the past few months - seem to be catching up to him and he's entirely exhausted.

Niall shifts slightly beside him and Harry jumps a little because they've been folded together on the carpet for so long that he almost forgot his brother is next to him. He clears his throat and smiles tightly at the younger boy. "Uh, this is Leila," he introduces, glancing across to Leila. "This is my little brother, Niall."

Leila smiles at Niall, who eyes her for a moment before smiling slightly back, his own face still red and teary from the time spent crying before and after Brad had stormed in.

He looks back to Harry after, using the sleeve of the oversized hoodie to wipe at his red nose. "Um, I - I should call Dad and Papa. They don't know I left this morning and we - we gotta tell them about this," he says softly.

Harry winces, because he hasn't even thought about it yet, the prospect of admitting to their parents exactly why he hasn't been home in so long. But he knows they need to tell them - about himself and what Niall has been going through.