Chapter 10 Saving Your Life

"It is good. Your money will surely be in good hands. Just a few coins here and there and you can already provide food for a child. You should try it. Charities are in need of people like you who can obviously help." Louis convinced Liam as they continue to walk outside the grocery store inside the mall.

"You really don't run out of things to make me do, don't you?" Liam complained.

"Hey-"

"Whoa! Be careful." Liam quickly grabbed Louis' arm before the boy could collide to a wooden post. "Watch where you're going."

The mall where they buy groceries is under renovation, that's why there are wooden posts here and there. Even the ceiling that was being worked on is exposed. It was the time again for their Operation: Ruin Engagement meeting. And in all honesty, that is not what's bothering Liam right now.

They're already walking towards the parking lot when Liam asked him. "So what happened last, last night?"

Louis furrowed his eyebrows. Liam was avoiding his eyes. "What's with last, last night?" He questioned back.

"During Eleanor's birthday, you guys left after a short while. Where did you go?" Liam asked, still not looking straight at him.

Louis just shrugged. "Ah, yes. I have low tolerance with alcoholic drinks. And I got tipsy immediately with the tequila; I don't know it's that strong. So I went home. It was embarrassing. It's a good thing that Zayn was there. He took me home, he's really sweet." Louis smiled sweetly upon remembering it. He noticed Liam scowled, then quickly fasten his walking. "Hey, why are you so grumpy all of a sud-" Louis stopped when he glanced at the ceiling. His eyes widen when he saw that a part of it is about to fall down. Instinctively, his body moved.

"Liam!"

*****

Everything happened fast. He was just walking, annoyed and irritated at Louis for talking about Zayn. Then, he heard Louis calling his name. The next thing he knew, someone pushed him and he heard a loud crash. Then, he was on the ground... and Louis is a few meters behind him- unconscious and with a bleeding head while there's a wood over the lower part of Louis' body.

Liam was sure, his heart stopped beating.

*****

"What the hell were you thinking!?"

Louis flinched at Liam's loud voice. "Saving your life as I remembered!" He answered back.

Gosh, this person really has a problem. He saved him and yet, he was angry at him? A simple 'thank you' would have been more appropriate. But no, the moment Louis opened his eyes after the pain killers that was given to him in the hospital had worn off, he was faced with a scolding Liam.

Louis was sitting on the hospital bed and here Liam was, towering above him like some almighty god.

"Did I ask you to save me?" Liam spat.

Louis gaped at him. He involuntarily held the bed sheets tightly and crumpled them in his hands. "Well, I'm sorry. I'm so dumb and my body just automatically moved when I saw that you were about to get crushed by some plywood!" He said sarcastically.

"You really are stupid! You're the stupidest person I've ever met!"

Louis is mad now, and annoyed and irritated and really really pissed off and most of all, he's tired. And his body feels so weak and his head is still throbbing and hurting. He was feeling a lot of things that aren’t pleasant. He would not put up with this. Definitely not! Who does Liam think he is?

"Fine!" He scoffed. "You know what? I've had enough of this. Could you please leave me alo-"

"Don't do this again." Louis was surprised when Liam suddenly sat on his bedside and encased his face with both of his hands. His brown eyes looked deadly serious.

"What-"

"Promise me you won't do this stupid thing again." Liam leaned and touched their foreheads together as he closed his eyes. The man looked so worn out.

"What the...?"

"Don't let yourself get hurt for other people. Don't do this, ever again. Do you understand me?" Liam opened his eyes again and leaned back, separating their foreheads. His hands went to his shoulders and was gripping him a little too tight. His tone was also threatening, as if he was saying, 'Disobey me and you'll be sorry'.

Louis got irritated again. One of the things that he can't tolerate is dominance and incorrect power balance. "Who do you think you are to tell me what I should and should not do? Nobody tells me what to do; if I want to save a stray cat from being run down in the streets, I will, even if I get hit myself. Please don't dictate me. No one has the right to do that." Then Louis harshly removed Liam's hands on his shoulders.

They glared at each other. Louis clearly saw how Liam's jaw tightened and teeth gritted, holding in his anger. But Louis could not care less. Freaking dictator! Womanizer! Chauvinist! Capitalist!

Liam harshly brushed his hair with his fingers, then glared at Louis some more before walking out of the room and slamming the door close behind him.

*****

Liam hasn't even made ten steps away from Louis' room when he abruptly stopped.

He turned to face the wall and leaned his forehead on it. Damn, he was still shaking in mixture of rage, relief and frustration. He weakly sat on the bench beside the wall.

Shit. He was still shivering. What the hell is happening to him?

He only felt like this thrice in his life. The first and second time was when his father was brought to the hospital twice and now that he saw Louis on the floor, with blood on his head.

Fuck. He combed his hair again with his fingers.

Just remembering the scene makes him feel like something's crushing his insides and makes him want to puke. Damn, that really scared the hell out of him. Even after knowing that Louis' injury isn't serious, just remembering how he looked- unconscious and bleeding…

"Shit, this is not good.." He whispered to himself while massaging his forehead. On the other side of his brain, a mortifying realization is slowly forming. "Definitely not good." He hissed.