Accompany Me
Part 2
"Everything organised for tonight, Liam?"
Liam jumped at the voice from behind him, spotting Jeremy standing by his desk. "Oh, yeah," he nodded, clearing his throat. "All sorted."
"Glad to hear it," Jeremy smirked, curling his hand over Liam's shoulder. "And I'll see you there, no doubt?"
"Of course." Liam swallowed and glanced to Louis, who merely looked apologetic.
Moving to sit on Liam's desk, Jeremy asked, "Will you be going alone?"
Liam felt a warmth settle in his stomach. "Um, no, actually. I'm bringing someone with me."
Jeremy's eyebrows shot up. "Oh really?" He squared his shoulders and headed for the lift. "I'll see you tonight, Mr Payne."
The second Jeremy was gone, Louis blurted out, "You didn't tell me you had a date!"
"I didn't want to make a big deal about it," Liam shrugged, eyes down.
"But it's the guy from last week, yeah?" Louis pressed, interest glimmering in his eyes.
"Yeah," Liam murmured, unable to fight his smile. "I don't know how well it'll go down with Jeremy, though."
"Why?"
Liam chewed his lip. "It's hard to explain."
"Alright then," Louis nodded firmly. "I'll just have to see for myself tonight."
Liam's eyes widened. "Y'mean... I've actually found a way to get you to come along to a work function?" He grinned at Louis' glare. "I have! Yes!" Liam spun around in his chair and punched the air.
"If you don't shut it, I'll find a way to embarrass you in front of your date," Louis threatened.
"I do that enough myself, I doubt you could make it worse," liam snorted.
Louis sent him a smirk. "Challenge accepted."
xXx
"Maybe this isn't a good idea," Liam mumbled as he parked his car outside the hall of the function.
Niall reached across and squeezed Liam's hand. "We'll be fine. What can he do in front of all your workmates and your rival company?"
Taking a deep breath, Liam nodded his head. "You're right." He glanced to the blonde and sighed. "You look gorgeous," he murmured.
"Of course I do," Niall grinned. Leaning over to kiss Liam's mouth, he whispered, "You look pretty amazing yourself."
Kissing Niall softly once more, Liam smiled, "Never as good as you."
"Shut up," Niall giggled, leaning back to open his door.
"What, are you telling me I can't complement my boyfriend?" Liam asked as he walked around the car to Niall's side and wrapped his arm around the smaller man.
"Not in public," Niall chuckled. "Wait 'til I can get you somewhere private and kiss you senseless before you say things like that."
Liam laughed and started them towards the hall "Okay." He showed the man at the door his work ID, then led Niall through to where people in suits and posh dresses were gathered.
"Liam!" Louis greeted with his arms extended for a hug, drawing a little more attention than Liam was entirely comfortable with.
"Hey, Lou," Liam smiled, hugging his workmate briefly. "On the drink already, I see."
"How else am I going to get through this thing?" Louis snorted. His attention moved on to Niall, who had both arms wrapped loosely around one of Liam's. "And who would you be?" he asked with hints of a smirk.
Liam rolled his eyes. "Lou, this's Niall," he explained, patting Niall's hand on his arm. "Niall, this loudmouth here is Louis. I work in the same office as him."
"Very pleased to meet you, Niall," Louis grinned, sticking his hand out to shake and gripping Niall's hand firmly when he accepted. "I recognise you from somewhere..." His eyes widened. "Hang on, you've come to the office before. You were in the lift the other day."
Offering Louis a polite smile, Niall replied, "I've been to a few of these functions before, too. How come I've never seen you at these before?"
Louis snorted again. "These things are dead boring. The only reason I came this time was to meet the mysterious date Liam was bringing."
"Opinion?" Niall asked cheekily.
A smirk formed on Louis' face. "So far, I approve."
"Nice to know," Liam added sarcastically.
"Hey, it's nice to know your friends like me," Niall pointed out, nudging Liam's shoulder with his head.
Face melting into an adoring smile, Liam supposed, "That's fair enough."
"Liam, Louis, how are you?"
Liam turned to find Jeremy standing behind them. "Fine, thank you."
Jeremy's eyes opened wide when they fell on Niall. "I..." He looked to Liam in shock, then quickly composed himself. "Niall," he greeted stiffly.
"Evening, Jeremy," Niall replied lightly, only Liam noticing his grip on his arm tighten. "How nice to see you."
"And you." The slow glare Jeremy gave Liam could cut glass with its intensity. "Do enjoy yourselves, won't you?" he added coldly before stalking away.
"That could've gone smoother," Liam commented quietly.
Nodding once, Niall reminded him, "He can't do anything, though."
The night was filled with speeches and mingling and smalltalk, culminating in couples making the most of the music on the wide floor.
Taking a sip of their expensive champagne, Niall sighed, "I've never had the chance to do that properly," nodding towards the dancing couples. "I've only done it with guys grabbing my arse or giving me hickeys."
Gazing at the blonde for a moment, Liam suddenly sat his glass down on the table they were standing beside. "Well then, my darling, would you do me the honour of this dance?" he asked, offering his hand.
Niall grinned widely and accepted, abandoning his champagne in favour of following Liam onto the floor. He clasped his hands behind Liam's neck as the brunette held his hips and began to sway them to the music. "Thank you," he beamed.
"Well, I brought you along, I want you to enjoy yourself," Liam murmured, lightly bumping their noses together.
"How are you so perfect?" Niall whispered, tears gathering in his eyes.
"I'm not perfect, sweetheart," Liam assured him. "But I'm trying my best for you."
Niall sniffled and leaned into the taller man, resting his cheek on Liam's shoulder as he was gently pulled closer by his hips. "I don't even know how to thank you for all this," he mumbled into Liam's neck.
"Then don't, yeah? Just let me do it."
Letting a few tears fall, Niall slid one hand to hold Liam's cheek, then leaned up enough to kiss him. "Thank you, thank you, thank you," he whispered between long, intimate presses of lips.
With one last kiss, Liam pulled away with a smile. "Wait 'til we're home, yeah, babe?"
Niall nodded and leaned his cheek against Liam's chest, letting the brunette wrap both arms around hum tightly and kiss the top of his head.
Liam sighed and squeezed the smaller man tightly. His eyes met Louis'.
"Happy for you," Louis mouthed with a grin and subtle thumbs-up.
Liam merely smiled in return. As the song came to an end, he pulled away from Niall enough to see his face. "Let's go, eh?"
"Yeah," Niall agreed quietly, giving Liam's cheek a peck.
xXx
'I'm just looking out for you babe. We spent the whole weekend cuddling, I want to know you're alright after this - Liam'
Niall smiled down at his phone as he stepped into the lift at Liam's workplace.
'I'll text you as soon as I'm out. Promise - Niall'
'You better xx - Liam'
Shaking his head, Niall slipped his phone into his jacket pocket and zipped it shut, bracing himself as the lift doors opened. He blew out a deep breath as he approached Jeremy's office, then knocked lightly on the open door. "Hello, Daddy."
Jeremy lifted his head. "Hello, baby." He stood from his desk and walked around to lean against the front of it, arms folded. "How are you?"
"I'm good," Niall replied innocently, slinking over to the desk to stand between Jeremy's legs. "How's your day been?" he asked, sliding his thumbs through the older man's belt loops.
"Same old," Jeremy shrugged, not moving to touch Niall at all.
Feeling a knot of nerves settle in his chest, Niall continued, "Bossing people around." He slid his hands up Jeremy's chest, asking, "Being all big and powerful?"
Jeremy suddenly grabbed Niall's wrists. "No, but I'm about to be," he stated coldly. He suddenly spun them around, pushing Niall down so his back hit the desk. "How's it feel so far, baby?"
Niall opened his mouth to speak, then swallowed hard when nothing came.
"Well?" Jeremy slammed Niall's hands down on the desk by his shoulders.
"Ow," Niall mumbled softly.
Jeremy pouted over-dramatically at him. "Aw, does that hurt, baby?" His face went hard and he grabbed Niall's shoulders, lifting and slamming him against the desk.
Shaking his head, Niall stated, "That's not okay." He tried to push Jeremy back, but the man grabbed both of his wrists in one hand. "That's not okay," Niall repeated firmly. He let out a pained yelp when Jeremy grabbed him by the hair and yanked his head up.
"Did you have fun with Payne?" Jeremy spat. "I saw you two. Kissing in front of everyone, not caring about the fact that people know you'd been there with me."
"Let me go," Niall demanded, but the quiver in his voice took away the edge.
Jeremy snorted. "And let Payne get his hands on you again? I don't think so." He smacked Niall's head back against the desk, then hauled him upright before shoving him roughly into the side wall of the room. "How dare you do that to me?" He growled, marching over and yanking Niall back up by his shoulders. "How fucking dare you?!"
"Get off me!" Niall tried again to shove the man back.
"Fuck you, slut." Jeremy gripped Niall's wrists one-handed again and started unfastening the blonde's jeans.
Struggling against his grip, Niall shouted, "Get off! Get off me!"
"It's your job, though, slut," Jeremy replied patronisingly, starting to tug Niall's jeans off bit by bit.
"I'm not a slut."
"Bullshit. You'll take whatever's going."
Niall spat directly in Jeremy's face.
Fuming, Jeremy yelled, "You little bitch!" and landed his fist against Niall's nose.
Briefly disoriented, Niall kicked and caught Jeremy in the knee, giving himself enough time to fight free and bolt for the lift.
"Fuck you, slut!" Jeremy screamed after him.
Once he was safely in the lift, Niall felt tears rush down his face, pulling off his jacket to bundle it up under his nose, which was gushing blood. He dug his phone out of its pocket and sent Liam a shaky text message, smearing blood across his phone screen.
'Lobby please now - Niall'
xXx
Liam glanced to his phone when it buzzed, frowning in confusion. "That was fast," he muttered, opening the message from Niall. His frown deepened when he read it. "Back in a sec, Lou."
"Alright," Louis replied absently, gaze fixed on his computer screen.
Liam quickly hopped in the lift, chewing his thumbnail as he watched the glowing red numbers descend, his frown still present. When the lift dinged, he stepped out and looked around.
"Liam..." croaked a shaky yet familiar voice from behind him.
Liam spun around, jaw dropping in horror when he found Niall curled up on the floor beside the lift, back against the wall. His face was wet with tears and blood, a bruise already forming around his left eye. "Niall!" Liam fell to his knees beside the blonde, instantly wrapping one arm around his back. "Niall, Niall, no, no, no..." He gently moved the jacket away from Niall's face to inspect the damage before letting him press it back again. "God, sweetheart, what's he done to you?"
"He was really mad," Niall hiccupped, voice muffled slightly by the jacket. "At first he just pushed me a bit, b-but he just got r-rougher and he tried to get my jeans off, so I spat at him and he punched me." More tears rushed to his eyes. "God, Liam, he was so mad," he sobbed.
"Ssh," Liam cooed, stroking Niall's cheek. "I've got you, sweetheart, I've got you." Pressing a kiss to Niall's forehead, he murmured, "We're gonna go up to my floor so I can get my keys, and then we're going to the hospital, okay?"
"Okay," Niall nodded meekly. He let him help him to his feet and into the lift, leaning into the brunette during their journey.
"Liam, what's the-? Oh my god, what happened?!" Louis blurted out, cutting himself off mid-question when he saw Liam and Niall step out of the lift.
Shaking his head, Liam dismissed, "It's a long story, I just need my keys." He snatched them up off his desk and started Niall back towards the lift.
"Can I do anything?" Louis asked quickly. "Call the police or something?"
"No," Niall said suddenly.
Again shaking his head, Liam told his workmate, "No, Lou, it's fine. Thanks though." He helped Niall back into the lift, then out and into his car. "How could he do this to you?" Liam muttered, starting the car and pulling out onto the road. "How dare he?"
Niall reached a shaky, blood-coated hand over to cover Liam's on the gearstick. "Please don't talk about it," he whispered.
So the drive to the hospital was silent, bar the occasional comment from Liam about the quality of others' driving. Once they arrived, Liam jumped out and helped Niall towards Accident and Emergency. The woman behind the desk took one look at the blood and was quick to usher them through to see a nurse.
"What's your name?" asked a kindly thirty-something nurse as she approached the bed Liam had helped Niall onto.
"Niall."
The nurse scrawled his name down on a clipboard. "What happened here, then?"
"I was abused by a client," Niall replied softly.
The woman gave him a look from head to toe, then pulled the curtain around the bed. "Client?" she pressed gently, carefully removing the jacket from Niall's face.
"I'm an escort," Niall explained, keeping his voice down.
"What did your client do?" the nurse asked as she inspected Niall's nose and eye.
"He was... he was angry because he'd seen me with another client. He started shoving me against things and punched me when I tried to fight back." Swallowing hard, Niall added, "He also tried to take my jeans off, but he was only using one hand so he didn't get far."
As she continued to work, the nurse asked gently, "If he had been able, do you believe he would have raped you?"
"Absolutely," Niall breathed out.
"And how're you feeling?"
"Scared," Niall whispered, feeling Liam wrap his arm tightly around his waist. "And... and dizzy."
Patting Niall's knee, the nurse assured him, "That will pass. You lost a lot of blood, that's why you feel dizzy. And it could also be from shock."
Niall carefully nodded his head. "What about my nose?"
"Miraculously, it's not broken. But it will be tender for a day or so, and the bleeding will probably start again if you blow your nose too hard," the nurse explained. "I will test you for concussion, though."
"Okay."
Liam stayed silent throughout the test and verdict that Niall did indeed have a slight concussion. He watched the nurse fill out a form, which she then gave to Niall.
"Do you have an agency?" she checked. When Niall nodded, the nurse told him, "Give that to them. I don't want you working for at least a week. Come back on Friday and I'll give you another look, okay? Bring this with you." She filled in another form, then folded it in half and scrawled 'Hospital Friday' on the back. "Just so you remember the difference," she smiled.
"Thanks," Niall said softly.
"With your concussion, I don't want you on your own, okay? Is there someone who can stay with you to make sure you're alright?"
"I can," Liam finally spoke up, pressing a kiss against Niall's temple.
The nurse nodded. "Wake him up every couple of hours of a night and ask him these questions," she instructed, handing Liam a sheet of paper. "If he gets five more wrong than he did this time, bring him back."
Rubbing a hand up and down Niall's back, Liam confirmed, "I will."
Smiling, the nurse told them, "Alright, I'm going to get you some cloths so you can clean your face up."
"Thank you." Once the nurse had disappeared behind the curtain again, Niall mumbled, "'M sorry for dragging you into this."
Liam shook his head. "It's not your fault. If anything, it's my fault for taking you to the function on Friday." Brushing Niall's hair from his forehead, he supposed, "But I wouldn't know you if it wasn't for Jeremy. So it's entirely his fault."
Niall managed a weak little smile. "At least I'll never work with him again." At Liam's questioning look, he explained, "He'll be barred for that."
The nurse returned with cloths. "Here we go," she smiled.
"Thank you," Niall said whole-heartedly.
"It's my job," the woman shrugged.
Liam grabbed a cloth and started wiping the drying blood off Niall's chin. "We'll clean you up, then head to your agency, yeah?"
"Yeah," Niall sighed. He sat still and let Liam clean his face and neck, then grabbed a cloth to wipe his own hands on. "My head feels like it's about to explode," he mumbled, pressing the heel of his hand against his forehead.
"That's hardly surprising. I'll get you some painkillers for that," the nurse assured him, disappearing again.
Shifting a little, Niall whispered, "Can you help me up, Li?"
Liam instantly wrapped his other arm around the blonde. "Course I can." He gently aided Niall to stand on the floor, holding him up against his side.
"Here," the nurse said upon her return, offering Niall a plastic cup of water and a pill. "No more than two of those every four hours," she instructed Liam as she handed him a small box.
"Right. Thank you," he sighed gratefully.
The nurse offered them a final smile. "No problem at all."
xXx
Once Liam finally pulled into his driveway, he blew out a long sigh and glanced to Niall. The blonde was fidgeting in his lap, eyes down. "Hey," Liam murmured, reaching over to grasp both of Niall's hands with one of his own. "You feeling okay?"
Niall sighed through his nose, then gave Liam a small smile. "I will once we're cuddled up watching a movie."
A fond look filled Liam's features. "Let's get inside, yeah?"
"Yeah," Niall nodded. He waited for Liam to come around the car and help him out of his seat, then leaned against the brunette for support as they made their way inside.
"So..." Liam stopped, then sighed. "I know you're probably not up for talking about it, but I need to check because I didn't quite get my head around it before."
Carefully settling himself on Liam's couch, Niall assured him, "If you're only gonna be worrying about it, we can talk about it."
"Well... I was just wondering what happens with Jeremy," Liam admitted as he sat beside the blonde. "I mean, I know he's been barred, but... what does that mean?"
Niall grabbed Liam's hand and began to play with his fingers. "Well, he's banned from business with me. And because of that, I doubt any of the others will take him on. I know I've rejected a few guys that the others have had barred. But the agency's got the police involved in this one." He glanced up at Liam. "Because of what he did to me and why, my agency reckoned it was probably best if the police were informed."
"Are you going to press charges?" Liam asked.
"I... I don't know. The agency's telling me I should, for my own safety and for others, but I don't know if I want to get all tangled up in a legal battle."
"But there wouldn't be a battle," Liam half-laughed. "He has no excuse for what he did."
"I... I s'pose..." He kept his eyes on their hands.
Scooting a little closer, Liam asked quietly, "What's wrong, babe?"
Niall clung onto Liam's hand tightly. "It wasn't that I'd gone with you. It was that we were kissing in public. A lot of your rivals know that I've been to functions with Jeremy, and he was furious that we so publically... well, embarrassed him, I suppose."
"That doesn't give him the right to nearly break your nose," Liam stated firmly. "There was no intention to embarrass him. Make him jealous, sure, but not embarrassed. And kissing you..." Liam shook his head. "There was no malicious intent behind that at all. I wasn't thinking about Jeremy, I was thinking about you."
"You didn't start it, though," Niall whispered.
"Well, you weren't thinking about him either... Were you?"
Niall snorted and shook his head. "I was too busy thinking about how amazingly sweet you are. I couldn't give a fuck about Jeremy; we were dancing and I was just so genuinely happy." Sighing heavily, he mumbled, "And look where that got me."
"It got you here, with me, about to watch Back To The Future," Liam murmured. He beamed when Niall cracked a smile, leaning in and kissing him.
"Ow," Niall squeaked when their noses bumped.
"Sorry." Gently kissing Niall's nose, Liam gave him another smile before hopping up to organise the movie.
xXx
"So, tell us what happened yesterday afternoon."
Niall shuffled closer to Liam's side, watching Jeremy being questioned through a one-way mirror. He glanced to the police officer in the small side-room with them, then back at Jeremy.
"Nothing," Jeremy replied, leaning back in the chair his hands were cuffed behind.
"Nothing?" the investigating officer sat opposite Jeremy asked, raising her eyebrow. "No work, then?"
Jeremy smirked slightly. "I was working, obviously."
"And you didn't have any visitors?"
"No."
The officer sighed, then produced a few photographs from the file in front of her. "The security cameras at your office suggest otherwise."
Jeremy's eyes narrowed. "He wasn't a visitor."
"What was he there for?"
"What's it to you?" Jeremy retorted.
"I'd like you to explain to me why Mr Horan left your office running with blood all over his face," the officer told Jeremy, folding her hands on the desk between them.
Snorting, Jeremy spat, "Because he's a little slut who can't keep his hands to himself."
The officer raised her eyebrow again. "As an escort, Mr Horan has many clients. You are but one. What business is it of yours if he's with another client?"
Leaning across the table with a glare, Jeremy growled, "It's my business because the fucker he was with works for me."
"Your relationship to Mr Horan's clients doesn't impact the fact that their exchanges are none of your business." Sitting up straighter, the officer asked him, "What did you do to him?"
"I treated him the way he deserves."
The officer tilted her head challengingly. "And what would you say if I told you we have enough evidence to charge you for attempted rape?"
"It's not rape if I pay him for it," Jeremy spat back.
"If Mr Horan was unwilling, then it's rape, regardless of what you give him for it."
"He was there for sex!" Jeremy protested.
"That was before you started physically abusing him," the officer very nearly snapped in return. Composing herself, she asked, "Did you punch Niall Horan in the nose?"
"Yes," Jeremy smirked, sending the officer his own challenging stare. "Because the little slut deserved it."
"And would you have had sex with him after punching him?"
"Gladly."
Pushing herself to her feet, the officer stated, "Jeremy Short, I'm arresting you for the assault and attempted rape of Niall Horan. You do not have to say anything. Anything you do say may later be used as evidence against you in court."
Niall watched from the little room as two officers grabbed Jeremy and took him from sight. He glanced up at Liam, who kissed his forehead and held him close.
"Are you satisfied with the charges, Niall?" asked the officer in the room with them.
"Assault and attempted rape... Yeah." Nodding his head, Niall blew out a shaky sigh. "Yeah, that covers it."
"What are you hoping to achieve?" the man asked.
"Justice." Wrapping both arms around Liam for support, Niall told the officer, "I want to feel safe, knowing he can't do that to me or anyone else again."
The officer nodded in understanding. "You can both go, now," he assured them. "And no matter the final verdict, you can feel safe knowing, for now, he's in custody."
"Thank you."
With a hand in the small of Niall's back, Liam led him out to the car. "We should do something," he spoke up. "Like, go for a walk, or find a café and have a cuppa."
Niall frowned slightly. "Why?"
"Why not?" Liam shrugged. "We've been spending all our time together shut in at my place. We should get out and do something."
After a moment's thought, Niall dropped his eyes and mumbled, "But my nose..."
Liam kissed the top of the blonde's head. "You look fine, babe," he assured him, lightly running his finger down the bridge of Niall's nose.
Staring at Liam blankly, Niall stated, "It's fucking purple, Liam."
Holding Niall's face in both hands, Liam murmured, "If it would make you feel more comfortable, we can go back to mine and watch some TV instead."
Niall thought for a moment, then sighed and closed his eyes. "Can we go back to yours?" he whispered.
"Of course we can, babe," Liam assured him, pecking Niall's lips. He let Niall into the car, then headed around to the driver's side and hopped in.
Once they were on their way to Liam's, Niall mumbled, "You don't want to go home."
Liam opened his mouth to speak, then sighed heavily. "It's okay."
"It's not, you want to go out and I'm being a miserable sod."
Reaching over and grabbing Niall's hands in one of his own, Liam assured him, "It's alright. We can do this slowly. You've nearly had your nose broken and you're feeling self-conscious about it. That's perfectly okay."
Niall heaved a sigh and stared silently out the window for a while. "Surely I should be doing something for you. That's what a relationship is, isn't it?"
"Maybe," Liam shrugged, giving Niall's hands a squeeze. "But I want to look after you, so technically you're doing something for me by letting me baby you."
Shaking his head with a slight smile, Niall returned his gaze to the window.
xXx
"This show's weird."
Niall glanced up at Liam from where his head was resting in the brunette's lap. "Hm?"
"This show," Liam repeated, nodding to the screen, "is weird."
"When I was at school, people were always like, 'You need to watch Misfits!' And I always thought it'd be a waste of time, but it's actually a lot better than I expected."
Slowly shaking his head, Liam frowned, "There's so much random sex. And isn't that the creepy guy from Game of Thrones?"
Niall rolled his eyes. "This is older than the Game of Thrones TV show, so technically he's from this. But yeah, it is Ramsay Snow."
Shaking his head some more, Liam maintained, "There's so much sex, though."
"Story of my life," Niall chuckled. He sighed when Liam looked away from him. "You can't keep doing that."
"It's just... I don't like thinking about it," Liam told him, distinct notes of distress in his voice. "And you bring it up so casually."
"It's my job." Sitting himself up, Niall pulled himself over to straddle Liam's lap. "It doesn't mean anything other than money. I don't have any feelings about what I do with my clients, it's just what I do to earn." He angled Liam's face up towards his own. "I have a lot of feelings for you, though," he murmured, leaning into a kiss.
Liam sighed through his nose, relaxing under Niall and losing himself in their kisses, hands settling on the smaller man's hips. He sucked a breath in when Niall pushed himself closer so they were chest to chest, their hips pressed close together. It was when Niall started to slowly roll his crotch down on his and unbutton his shirt that Liam pulled away. "Stop," he breathed out, gripping Niall's hips tightly to keep him still.
Niall grazed his lips along Liam's jaw. "What's wrong?"
"I don't want you to think I only want you around for sex," Liam sighed.
"I know you don't." Pulling back, Niall studied Liam's face for a moment before rolling his eyes and sitting himself back on the brunette's thighs. Folding his arms, he huffed, "So this is going to be a completely sexless relationship."
Rubbing his eyes with the heels of his hands, Liam shook his head. "This isn't easy for me to get my head around, Niall. Anything we do together, you will have done with someone else."
"With absolutely no attachment to that person. Liam, I hardly pay attention when someone's fucking me. I hope to actually participate when I'm with you." When Liam didn't move, Niall huffed again and climbed off him before heading for the hallway.
"Niall?" Liam called out before the blonde could disappear. "Where're you going?"
"To the bathroom," Niall muttered.
Watching the blonde leave, Liam bit his lip, then lurched up out of his seat and hurried after him. "Niall." He wrapped his arms around the smaller man from behind just as Niall reached the bathroom doorway. "I'm sorry," he mumbled into the blonde's neck.
Pressing his palm against his forehead, Niall mumbled, "The first time in ages someone gets me horny, and he doesn't want me."
"No one said that," Liam half-laughed. He held the blonde close, pressing kisses from Niall's shoulder up to behind his ear. "I do want you."
Pressing himself back against Liam's body, Niall hummed, "Then do something about it."
Liam moved his hands back to Niall's hips, then slowly brought them up his sides. "Can we go lie down?" he whispered.
Turning his head around enough to steal a quick kiss, Niall grasped both of Liam's hands. "Sure we can." He let Liam guide him the rest of the way down the hall, smiling slightly at him when the brunette pushed the bedroom door shut behind them. "No one's here to see, y'know," he murmured as Liam helped him stretch out on his back on the bed.
"I know, just..." Liam shrugged one shoulder, situating himself between Niall's legs and leaning over him, bracing himself on his hands either side of the blonde's head. "It would feel weird. 'S like how I shut the door when I go to bed of a night. Feels like shutting the world out for a while."
Niall shook his head fondly. "You're getting distracted."
"I'm definitely not," Liam breathed out, his lips contacting with Niall's neck. He worked Niall's T-shirt up, pulling back enough to aid him in tugging the shirt over his head and tossing it over the side of the bed. Sparing a moment to graze his fingertips over the few bruises on Niall's ribs and stomach, Liam moved in to press slow kisses down the blonde's neck and chest. "Gorgeous," he mumbled into Niall's skin.
"Liam," Niall breathed out, letting the fingers of his left hand tangle in Liam's hair.
Quickly unbuttoning his shirt and tugging it off, Liam continued pressing kisses against Niall's skin and started to pull the blonde's sweatpants down. "You okay up there?" he checked, glancing up at Niall.
Cheeks and chest flushed, Niall tore his gaze from the ceiling to meet Liam's eyes and panted, "Yeah, good."
"Good." Kissing at Niall's tummy as he slid the blonde's boxers off, Liam murmured, "You're so lovely." He smoothed his hands from Niall's thighs to his waist and back again, then wrapped his lips around the head of his cock.
"Fuck, Liam," Niall gasped, his fingers in Liam's hair tightening sharply. His hips jerked upwards, Liam holding him down with one hand as he started to bob his head slowly. "Ugh... shit..." Glancing down at Liam briefly, Niall found the brunette watching him, noticing how he had shoved a hand down his own pants to bring himself off. "Fuck..." Niall groaned, head dropping back on the pillow as Liam increased the pressure on his dick.
Liam hummed, letting his eyes close for a moment before focussing on holding himself up using his core and sliding his free hand up Niall's stomach, stroking his skin.
Back slowly arching more and more, Niall tugged on Liam's hair as the taller man started moving faster, his tongue creating the perfect pressure against his cock. "Liam, I'm... fuck..."
Jerking himself off faster, Liam felt himself coming in his pants. He released a groan around Niall's cock, swallowing when the blonde's hips lurched up as he came with a short cry. Pulling his head up, Liam removed his hand from his pants to brace himself on the bed, his forehead pressed against Niall's hipbone as he panted for breath.
"Whoa..." Niall breathed out, chest still heaving. He released Liam's hair, then grasped the taller man's hand against his tummy in both of his own and held it to his chest. "Liam."
Liam lifted his head, then pulled himself up to stretch out beside Niall, his hand still in the blonde's grasp. "You good?" he checked again, wiping his free hand quickly on his jeans before brushing Niall's hair from his face.
"Yeah," Niall breathed out. He closed his eyes for a moment, then met Liam's gaze. "Thank you," he whispered.
"Any time," Liam chuckled, kissing Niall's forehead. He smiled when Niall leaned in to kiss him before he could pull away. "Better?"
"Definitely," Niall grinned. Rolling onto his side, he curled into Liam's chest. "You've done that before," he commented.
Snorting, Liam half-laughed, "I have some experience, yeah."
"Must've had a good teacher," Niall hummed, pressing his lips against Liam's sternum.
"Not really," Liam muttered. "He was a real dick. Never gave me anything to go off, so I just had to assume what I was doing was good."
"And didn't give back?" Niall guessed.
"No... How'd you know?" Liam frowned.
Smirking, Niall murmured, "Because you were getting yourself off while you were down there." Stroking his fingers down Liam's side, he added, "You didn't have to. I could've returned the favour."
Liam shook his head, then kissed Niall's hair. "This was about you. Besides, I don't know if I'd want you giving head when your nose isn't healed yet."
"Oh yeah." Laughing into Liam's chest, Niall hummed, "I'd forgotten all about it."
"Good."
After a prolonged silence, Niall felt Liam moving, glancing up at him as the brunette sat up. "What're you doing?"
Liam stood and stripped himself of his jeans, then scooped Niall up off the bed. "We're gonna go have a shower, and then have some dinner." Catching Niall's lips in a kiss, he mumbled, "And then we're gonna cuddle because you're just right for cuddling."
"Thanks," Niall laughed, wrapping his arms around Liam's neck as the brunette carried him towards the bathroom.
xXx
"Hey, is Niall okay?" Louis asked as Liam arrived at work the following Monday.
Setting his bag down beside his desk, Liam assured his workmate, "He's fine. All dealt with, nothing to worry about. How's things been here?"
Louis frowned at that. "Well, Jeremy's been arrested. Assault, apparently. They're having a board meeting tonight to replace him, since no one wants that kind of reputation attached to the company."
Nodding his head, Liam supposed, "He won't be creeping us out anymore."
"Yeah..." Louis tilted his head curiously as Liam sat himself down. "You don't seem surprised to hear any of this."
Liam sighed heavily. "I'm not." He turned his chair so he was facing his workmate. "I should probably explain. Niall's an escort."
Louis' eyebrows shot up. "You've been paying for an escort?"
"No, just hear me out, yeah?" Once Louis nodded, Liam continued, "The other week when you sent me up to take a file to Jeremy, I walked in on him fucking Niall on the desk. I caught up to Niall in the lift, he gave me his number... It'sa bit more complicated than that, but we kinda started seeing each other." Sighing, Liam ran a hand backwards through his hair. "Jeremy usually hires Niall for functions. I knew he'd hired him for the last one, so I booked Niall first. By the time we went to the function we were together, so it was less of a business thing and more of a date thing. Anyway, Jeremy got really mad about it. He booked Niall to meet him in his office, which he'd apparently been doing for the past two months or so, but he started shoving him and hitting him because he thought me and Niall had been trying to embarrass him at the function."
Louis nodded slowly as he took this in. "So... that's why Niall was bleeding last week? Because Jeremy hit him?"
"Yeah, punched him in the nose," Liam confirmed. "Nothing broken, but Niall's agency got the police involved. That's why Jeremy was arrested. For assault and attempted rape."
Slumping back in his seat, Louis merely muttered, "Mate..."
Liam shrugged one shoulder. "I took last week off to look after Niall. He had a minor concussion and needed someone with him at all times."
Louis shook his head in disbelief. "Well, fuck me." He blew out a humourless laugh. "At least we know that office gossip is relatively accurate."
Liam snorted. "I s'pose so."
"So... where's Niall?"
"Back at work," Liam shrugged, setting up his laptop.
"Being an escort?" Louis asked dubiously.
"Yep."
After a moment's silence, Louis noted, "You're not happy about it."
Liam chewed his lip, then pointed out, "My boyfriend has sex for money. It's just a bit... I'm still getting my head around it."
"Is he gonna stop?" Louis asked.
"I have no idea," Liam sighed. "But I don't want him to quit his job for me. That's his decision. Besides, nothing he does with any of his clients has even half the meaning of what he does with me."
Louis nodded. "And you're okay with that?"
Liam thought for a moment. "Yeah, I think I am." He gave his workmate a slight smile. "No one else gets to spend the night with him." Laughing, he amended, "Not unless they're willing to spend the £200 an hour for it."
Louis' eyes nearly bulged out of his head. "Man, you've got yourself a good one!"
"I know," Liam grinned.
Both men looked to the lift when the doors opened. "Niall?" Louis' eyes widened in surprise.
"You okay, babe?" Liam asked as Niall approached him, wrapping an arm around the blonde's hips when he was close enough.
"Yeah," Niall assured him with a smile. "Just wanted to show you this." He handed Liam a piece of paper.
Skimming through the text, Liam's mouth dropped open. "A job offer?"
"Yeah," Niall grinned, combing his fingers through Liam's hair. "At the café just down the street. I need to call them for confirmations, but I should be starting Monday next week."
Liam's mouth opened and closed silently, then he looked up at the blonde. "How...? When did-? But-"
"Shut up," Niall laughed, leaning down to kiss Liam's stuttering lips. "I told you, when I find the right guy, I'll quit my other job."
Liam was silent for a few more moments, then blew out a laugh and pulled Niall down into his lap. "You're so precious," he whispered, kissing the blonde wholeheartedly.
"Thank you," Niall grinned.
"Congrats, Niall," Louis piped up.
"Thanks, Louis." Hopping up off Liam's lap, Niall chuckled, "I should probably head home and let you get some work done. Just wanted to show you that."
"Alright. I'll see you tonight?" Liam checked as Niall headed for the lift.
"Of course you will," Niall replied with a wink before disappearing into the lift.
"Well," Louis started after a few minutes stunned silence. "It's been an eventful day already, and its only 9:15."
"Let's pray to god that we don't get any more excitement for the day, eh?" Liam laughed breathlessly. Grinning to himself as he checked his emails, he found himself feeling glad that Louis had insisted on him going up to their boss' office those weeks ago.
And that’s that! 13k words of story, which is probably more than I’ve written all year. Just wow. I hope you’ve all enjoyed reading the story that nagged at me for weeks before I finally wrote it down!!!