Captured [Zarry]

Chapter 32

"He's waking up!" Louis said, running into the kitchen where Harry was picking up empty bottles.

They watched as Niall groaned and lifted his hand up to his head. He was confused and didn't know where he was but as his eyes adjusted to the new setting, it started to come back. His head began hurting again as he sat up too fast.

"Slow down, Niall, you'll hurt yourself." Liam said, stepping forward.

"D-don't! Get away f-from me!" As he tried to stand up, his legs gave up on him and he fell back on to the sofa.

"Chill, Niall. We'll figure out who did this to you, it's okay" Niall looked at Liam, confused.

"W-what? Get away from me."

"Do you remember anything?"

"I...I remember everything! You guys aren't going to get away with this."

"We weren't the ones that did it to you, why are you blaming us?" Louis walked forward too, playing dumb.

"I saw it all with my own eyes! Don't try to lie to me! I saw him!" Niall shouted, getting angrier by the second, ignoring the shooting pain in his head.

"Niall, please, relax. Someone drugged you and you collapsed and hit your head." Harry said from the doorway.

"W-what?"

"Yeah, we had to end the party and kick everyone out to make sure you were alright." Liam continued, sitting on the sofa opposite to him.

"You're lying. Z-Zayn, he's in-" He couldn't even finish what he was saying because as he looked around at the boys, they all looked dumbfounded which made him feel stupid.

"Zayn?" Louis asked.

"I saw him." Niall stood up, despite everything in his body telling him not to and walked to the kitchen where he remembered the door being. He opened the door, the light was on just like he had remembered. Louis, Liam and Harry followed as he rushed down the stairs. Niall pulled out his phone and turned the torch on.

"What the hell..." he mumbled as he pointed the torch around the room. The mattress he remembered was no longer there and the basement was completely empty.

"I think you need to go home and get some rest." Liam said.

"No, NO! I saw him! He was here, tied up! What did you guys do to him?"

"These accusations are getting too much. You were drugged, Niall, you weren't in touch with reality." Louis crossed his arms over his chest and leaned on the wall next to him.

"T-there's no way." Niall looked around frantically, trying to find something. Anything. But there was nothing to see. An old normal basement. He felt defeated and tired and his head started to hurt again.

"It's best if you go home. Can you call someone to pick you up?" Harry asked to which Niall nodded.

Once Niall had left the boys let out a sigh. They finally felt like they could breathe again.

"Let's clean up."

Once the clean up was done, they headed upstairs. They all stood in the doorway staring at the boy sleeping in Harry's bed, looking small and frail. And uncomfortable, Harry noticed, as his wrists were still tied behind his back and tape over his mouth. He walked over to him and began unraveling the rope, trying not to wake him up. Then removed the tape. Harry's eyes scanned Zayn's face, his hair flat on his forehead, eyelashes looking wet with tears, his high cheekbones protruding more than usual because of how skinny he was getting.

His friends watched as Harry stared at Zayn, longingly and Louis could feel his heart sinking with every second.

"We need to get him back to the basement." Louis broke the silence.

"We can do that tomorrow." Harry said, not looking away from Zayn.

"Thats a bad idea."

"I don't care, Louis. I'm letting him sleep."

"Where are you going to sleep?" Harry sighed looking up.

"Does it matter? Go home, please, I'm tired."

Liam threw him a sad smile before holding Louis' arm and dragging him away, not letting him make a fuss. Louis didn't even have it in him to argue because of how mentally exhausted he was. They all were.

Especially Harry. He was trying to do the right thing but kept fucking up and he was angry at himself for it. He wanted nothing more than to just let Zayn escape but he couldn't. He was scared for Zayn's safety because if something was to go wrong, it would be him facing the consequences.

And maybe there was a small part of him that was trying to protect himself too. What if he lets Zayn get away and he tells the police everything. As much as Harry hated everything he's done, he was terrified at the thought of spending all his life stuck behind bars.

"I just don't know what to do, Zayn." Harry whispered, voice quivering. "I'm scared. So scared. I should've gotten out of this damn thing when I had the chance but now I'm too deep in. I feel like I'm drowning, suffocating, and I want to save myself, Zayn. I want to save you but I feel like you're getting further and further away from me. And it's my fault. How can I expect you to trust me when my actions say otherwise." He was sobbing uncontrollably now, body shaking with every cry.

"I know it doesn't seem like it but I care about you. I want to protect you from all of this but I keep making mistakes and I'm so sorry. I don't even deserve your forgiveness but I will beg for it as long as I'm breathing."

Zayn tried to stay as still as possible as he let Harry cry it out. He had woken up when his wrists were being untied but he didn't move, pretending to be asleep. He thought that would be the safest option and it was.

Harry reached out and brushed through Zayn's hair, tears still pouring down his face. He moved his hand away when he felt Zayn begin to stir.

"Y-you're awake." Harry wiped his face even though it was quite obvious he had been crying. "W-we let Niall go, his mum picked him up a little while ago. He's okay." Zayn didn't say anything as he sat up and just stared blankly at the boy in front of him.

"Did I wake you?"

"No."

"My apologies probably don't mean anything to you but...I'm sorry for earlier." Harry gulped.

"You're right. They don't mean anything. Your words don't mean anything to me." His words felt like gunshots straight to the heart.

"I'm trying, Zayn."

"How hard can it be? All I need for you to do is to let me go. Why can't you let me go?"

"It's not that easy. What if you get caught? They'll kill you. I have to do this right and make no mistakes. For your safety. Please try to understand, Zayn."

"I'm sorry." Zayn muttered after a while as the guilt was eating at him for being too blunt. He hugged his knees to his chest.

He did understand why Harry was doing everything...well, sort of...or atleast he was willing to try and understand. He noticed Harry's trembling hands that were resting in his lap. He didn't know what came over him when he, hesitantly, reached out and took his hand into his own. Harry's breath hitched as he felt Zayn's warmth take over his hand and then his whole body. He looked up and met Zayn's intense gaze as he intertwined their fingers.

It felt like a promise, that even if for a brief moment, they didn't have to face the world alone.