Final Warning

'How many days had it been?'

'How much longer will he keep me here?'

'Food.'

'Water.'

'Who's going to kill me first? Louis or the hunger?'

Those thoughts were the only things inside of Harry's mind. An endless cycle of questions and the constant wanting of some type of food or water. He could feel himself wasting away, but that didn't matter.

He'd rather starve than take food from the monster keeping him captive in this dark abyss.

He was curled up in the same corner that Louis first threw him into when he pushed him into the small room under the floor of the basement.

Footsteps.

Harry knew what they meant, Louis was coming. He just didn't know if he felt fear or relief during Louis' visits.

Fear of what the man would do and relief of seeing the light.

Relief of knowing that he was still alive.

But then again, is that really a relief, given his situation?

'Maybe death would be better—'

The door that hovered above him opened and revealed a blinding light that hurt his eyes. Hurt him in the best way possible.

"Are you ready to eat yet, Doll?" Harry glared up at the shadow with defiant eyes.

"Go fuck yourself," Harry spat out as strongly as he could. He could barely make out Louis' glare because of the shining light around him, ironically making him look like an angel instead of the devil he truly was.

"Do you even know how long you've been in here?" Louis questioned, his tone stern, but Harry could hear the cockiness underlying it. Cockiness that had Harry completely helpless, so helpless he didn't even know the time, or what day it was, what month it was.

"T-Two weeks?" Harry answered, but even he doubted himself. Louis smirked menacingly.

"It's only been 6 days darling." Harry felt like he was going to scream.

'It had to have been longer than that! There's no way I would be this weak if it were only six days, I wouldn't be so tired.'

'I can't be so close to giving in after only six days.'

"You're lying," Harry snarled, laying his head back against the wall.

Louis only laughed.

"Oh, my Queen, I would never lie to you! Besides, you would be dead from dehydration if it had been anything over a week, and that's if you're comfortable and eating, and you aren't doing either, so, it's a miracle you lasted this long! My sweet Queen is so strong!" Louis cooed, walking down the stairs towards the curled up lad. Harry tried to disappear into the wall, but the cold cement only made him shiver.

Louis sat the tray of food down on the ground beside Harry, sitting criss-cross in front of him.

"Will you eat? At least take a sip of water."

'Water water water wate—'

'Stop!'

Harry looked at Louis with a soft smile, reaching towards the bowl of soup that was on the tray. Louis grinned, happy that Harry was finally learning to trust him.

"You know, you should really stop giving me hot liquids," Harry hummed, picking up the spoon.

"Why's that?" Louis grinned only for it to fall from his face when the captive boy threw the soup in his face, hitting him with the bowl.

"That's why! And I'll say it again, go fuck yourself!" Harry yelled, spitting at Louis. Louis wiped the hot liquid from his face, glaring at Harry.

'I didn't think he would fight this hard, especially for this long. I'm getting sick of this shit.'

Louis stood up quickly, walking up the stairs. He turned around to glare at Harry who was glaring right back at him.

"Harry, I've been tolerating you thus far, but believe me, if you don't start behaving and cooperating, I will show you how much of a heartless beast I can be. I have a bad reputation and I earned it honestly, don't make me show you..." Louis smirked. "And don't make me show Gemma and Anne how cruel my torturing methods can be. This is your final warning." Harry's glare suddenly fell from his face, his eyes widening as Louis slammed the door shut, locking him inside with the food and water taunting him.

He ran up the steps and started to bang his fists against the door.

"Don't you fucking touch them Louis! I'll fucking kill you!" Harry screamed at the top of his lungs, continuing to hit the door above him with all of his strength.

******

"Wow, he really has a set of lungs, doesn't he?" Zayn chuckled, hearing the Queen yelling from the little room under the basement. Louis nodded absentmindedly, continuing to type away on the laptop. "What are you doing?" Zayn got up from his seat, walking around the table to see Louis typing an email.

"Just getting that nosy sister of his off my tail. If this doesn't work, I'll just have to kill her so you better be ready to talk to her and convince her that it's Harry," Louis replied, typing away. Zayn wondered how Louis even got Harry's email, but then remembered who the man is.

He got Logan to do it for him.

"'Dear Gemma, I'm sorry that I haven't contacted you and I'm sure you've been worried because of it. I can't stand living with Des anymore, I can't take the abuse or him stealing my money anymore. I've decided that I need to leave and be on my own from now on. Maybe one day I'll come back, but I don't think I'll ever be able to see that man again. I have a new phone and a new number so don't bother to call and I'm deleting my email after this. I love you and I'm sorry that I let him get to me. All the love, H.' Do you think that she'll believe it? And who the hell says 'all the love?'" Zayn asked after reading the email out loud. Louis rolled his eyes.

"I looked through his old emails and that's how he ends it, I studied the way he words things and tried to get it as accurate as possible. I don't want her sticking her nose into this," Louis explained, rereading it before pressing send. He leaned back in his seat and cracked his back before sighing. He closed his eyes briefly before he got up, heading over to the front door.

"I'm going to go make some rounds, I'll be back in an hour. Go check to see if he ate anything yet." Zayn nodded, grabbing Louis' coat and helping him put it on, watching him leave before he sighed.

******

"Alright Queen, it's time to eat." Zayn grabbed a banana and walked down towards the locked hatch. He unlocked it, opening the door to see Harry curled into a ball as usual. "Harry, it's Zayn, you don't have to be scared," Zayn said, watching as the young boy looked up from where his head was on his knees.

"I wouldn't be scared if I wasn't here. Until I'm back home, I'll always be scared." Zayn sighed, trying to hand the boy the banana.

It wasn't a shock that he refused.

"Harry, you need to eat." Harry shook his head in defiance.

"I don't want anything from that monster or from you, I'd rather die," Harry sneered, hiding his face once again. Zayn rolled his eyes.

"If you don't start eating he's going to start hurting people you care about, Harry! Gemma is already being nosy and it's pissing him off. The last thing you need to do is to add fuel to the fire and get her killed," Zayn said, grabbing Harry's face gently to make the boy look at him. Tears were shimmering in the young lad's eyes and Zayn felt his heart break a bit.

He didn't even know his heart still worked.

"Please, just eat. Save them the pain." Zayn held the banana out for Harry who looked at it cautiously. The emerald eyed boy took it from him hesitantly before opening it and eating. Once he took his first bite, it took all of his willpower not to devour it in seconds.

He gave in, but he didn't want them to think he was weak.

"Thank you, now drink some water and that'll calm him down. I'll be back to bring you lunch." Zayn smiled, petting Harry's curls fondly. Their Queen was an adorable one.

No wonder Louis wanted him so much.

******

It was quiet when the King returned to his castle. No yelling coming from the basement, no music coming from the Prince's room, no sounds of torture coming from the attic.

Peaceful it was, but peace didn't last long in Louis' life.

Louis walked into the kitchen to see his best friend cooking, presumably for them considering Harry refused to eat. But upon further inspection, there was enough for three people.

Were they having a guest over that Louis didn't know about?

"What's with all the food?" Louis interrogated, watching in confusion as a fond smile appeared on the tan lad's lips.

"Harry finally ate something so I made enough for him." Two conflicting feelings aroused in Louis' heart. Relief because Harry was finally eating and the boy wouldn't get sick now.

But anger because it was Zayn who got him to eat. Zayn of all people got his precious doll to eat.

'Why would he eat for him? I'm the one who loves him! I'm the one who saved him yet he eats when Zayn asked him too?'

"I don't want you going down to see him anymore." Louis snapped, grabbing the plate Zayn was making from his hand, grabbing a fork for the boy. Zayn looked at him in shock.

"What? Why—"

"He's mine, Zayn, and I don't appreciate you trying to steal him from me!" Louis yelled, towering over the raven-haired man. Zayn looked at him in fear.

'Messing with something he loves is enough to earn anyone death, even me.'

"But I wasn't trying too! You need him to eat so he doesn't die! Who cares who got him to eat!" Zayn yelled back, knowing that he can't let Louis sense that he's afraid.

He can't let him go into his predatory mode.

"I care. He's mine and I will kill anyone who tries to take him from me, even you, Zayn." Louis sneered, turning around, ignoring Zayn when he spoke one last time.

"Don't let your unreasonable jealousy get in the way of the fact that he ate something. If you truly loved him, that fact should make you overjoyed, no matter who got him to do it."

Louis only slammed the door behind him.