Chapter Text
The sky is not actually blue, the American education system is apparently incredibly flawed, and Subs are treated worse in society than any other minority across the globe. In order of how often Liam hears about them, these are facts.
He learns about the sky from one of his mates, Niall, who's permanently bubbling with excitement and random tidbits of information. He talks a lot about the sky, and is flooding facts about it Liam doesn't particularly care for, like the fact that it's not actually blue. The Internet, no matter which social media site you're on, is constantly up in arms about America and their fucked education system. More than twice daily, he reads Tweets about it, though being in London he can admit that he really doesn't care. Subs, individuals that genetically crave the order Doms are made to provide, are abused, ignored, and stripped of their rights, in nearly every country of the world. This, Liam knows, because Robot Chicken did a sketch on it one time.
The thing with Subs is that honestly, nobody cares, and the rare few that do have no voice. The Subs care, of course, but ignored and looked over, nobody will stop to listen to their protests. And there are Doms everywhere that hate the treatment of Subs, but, outnumbered by those that don't care, all they can do is bite their tongues and treat their own Subs like royalty. Liam's friend Harry is one of those Doms, loud and silenced. He does what he can, but realistically, he can't do much, so instead he focuses all his attention on keeping his Sub loved and happy and comfortable. He treats him, Louis, like he's an equal, and while it actually disgusts quite a few of their peers, they're probably the happiest couple Liam's ever come across.
Niall, too, is a Sub. Being so loud and likable, when they meet him, most people can't even tell. They just assume he's a Dom, and like him up until it becomes apparent that he's not. Liam thinks it's ridiculous, that so many people can just stop liking Niall just because he's not a Dom, but Niall doesn't seem to really care so Liam generally keeps his mouth shut. The only Sub-culture issue Niall actually seems to have a problem with, is how many different places he can't get into without a Dom. He can't buy certain things, or enter certain restaurants, and there's nothing in the world Niall hates more than being told no. Some supermarkets won't even sell him toilet paper, and more often than not Liam gets dragged to the store so Niall can actually buy groceries. It's sad, really, and absolutely ridiculous, but there's no way around the law until Niall has a Dom of his own.
It's about six o'clock when Liam finally bids goodbye to the blonde, who's been planted on his couch since before Liam had even woken up this morning. More often than is probably normal, Niall will get bored, and come sit in on Liam's flat for what can sometimes be days at a time. And for the most part, Liam will let him. Today, though, in about half an hour, Liam is expecting company, and Niall has to leave his flat three days earlier than usual. He pouts, and whines, and drags his feet, and Liam's not sure if it's because he's too lazy to want to walk home or because he really wants to meet Danny.
Danny was one of the roommates Liam had had, when he was first starting out at UNI and broke beyond comprehension. They had actually gotten along quite well, but, both being Doms, they had clashed more than they had clicked and eventually Liam had to move out. The time they had spent together, though, was memorable and frat-esque, and Niall had heard enough stories that he had wanted to meet him. And were it not for the fact that he knows Niall needs sleep, Liam would have let him.
Minutes before he expects Danny to show up, he shuts the door behind Niall, promising that the next time Danny comes to visit Niall could come around to meet him. With a laugh, he pads back to the couch, and he barely has time to resume Niall's spot before there's a knock at the door. He laughs again, and rises slowly, crossing back over to the front door and pulling it open with a smile.
Danny greets him with an immediate shout, and a punch to the shoulder, and Liam's so occupied returning the sentiment he can barely get a word in. He punches Danny, who laughs, holding a hand to his chest in a motion of mock hurt.
"Jesus, Leemo," he huffs, "be careful. You got strong."
"And you got short," Liam agrees. Danny punches him again.
"You just got huge. What the fuck have you been doing, mate?"
"Steroids," Liam deadpans, brow arched, and Danny laughs as he punches him again.
"Piss off," he grins. "Are you gonna let us in, or what?"
"Us?" Liam asks, as he steps aside. Danny's answering grin is blinding.
"Yeah, us," he nods, stepping inside with the glint in his eyes Liam knows too well to be comfortable with. He almost starts to sigh, when, without explanation, Danny nods towards the carpet, and Liam hesitantly lowers his gaze to the small bloke that appears to be kneeling in his wake. His hair is overgrown, and his head is bowed, and Liam's jaw nearly hits the carpet next to him. He's a tiny, quiet thing, curled in on himself as though he's trying to keep from being noticed. He's visibly underweight, and he seems to be shaking where he's crouched on the carpet, arms wrapped around himself.
Liam turns to Danny slowly, who's staring down at the Sub with this nauseating mixture of fond and disgust that almost makes Liam throw up. "What the fuck, Riach?" He snaps finally.
Danny looks up, grin crooked. "Finally found myself a Sub," he explains. Liam almost hits him. "Pretty, right? He can be a bit of a pain in the ass, but we're working on that, aren't we?" His next question is directed at his Sub, who nods curtly as Danny taps the side of his head with a foot. Danny grins again. "'Need to teach him a lesson every now and again, but he can be good for the most part."
"What's his name?"
"What's his —" Danny starts to repeat, before he snorts, smirk dropping. "What does it matter?"
"What's his name?" Liam repeats.
"It's Zayn." Danny wrinkles his nose, as though he's uncomfortable with the idea of Liam thinking of Zayn as an actual person. Good. That's what he had been going for.
"That's a lovely name," Liam replies, if only to make Danny that much more uncomfortable. Zayn seems to hear him, though, and slowly raises his head, and the first thing Liam notices is that he has the biggest eyes he's ever seen. The second are the cigarette burns on his lips.
Liam turns to Danny again with a nearly blank expression. "What the fuck did you do to his mouth?"
Danny smiles again, like he thinks Liam's pleased with the scars. "He's a smoker," he says, nodding back down at Zayn, who drops his head. His ears are pink, and Liam realizes, with a pang of guilt, that Zayn probably thinks Liam likes the scars, too. He wants to fucking scream. "Nothing was getting him to quit, so I thought I'd, y'know, teach him a lesson. He has them on his thighs, too."
"Are you fucking kidding me?" Liam asks, and Danny grins.
"No. I'll show you, if you like." When Liam only blinks, Danny laughs, kicking Zayn again without even a hint of remorse. "Pull your pants down," he instructs.
"You don't have to do that," Liam instructs quickly, before Zayn do something stupid, like actually oblige. "And stand up, please."
"Don't stand up," Danny snorts. He turns to Liam with a scowl. "What the fuck?"
"What the fuck," Liam repeats, and he raises his eyebrows. "Are you fucking serious? You're asking me what the fuck?"
"Yes, what the fuck?" Danny replies, jaw slack. He looks as though he's in disbelief. Like he can't believe Liam's uncomfortable with the idea of Danny sitting at home burning Zayn with cigarettes. "What is the matter with you?"
"What —" he starts to repeat, but he's suddenly so angry he can't even bring himself to finish. He runs his hands down his face, lip between his teeth. "I'd like for you to get the fuck out of my flat, mate."
Danny laughs, short and harsh. "Are you — you're serious? Because of the burns? Why do you even care?"
Liam doesn't even have a good reason. He shouldn't care. Not only is Zayn not his Sub, but as a Dom, his lack of care should be coursing through his veins. Genetically, he should be laughing; maybe high-fiving Danny as he watches him press another burn into the palm of Zayn's hand. But even the thought of sitting back disgusts him. Zayn's sad, and beautiful, and it's unfair, it's so unfair, and Liam cares way too much. "Just get out," he repeats. "Or I'll kill you."
Danny glances up at him for a few moments, before he nods, turning on his heel and matching from the flat as though he has a shred of dignity left. He starts to call back for Zayn, but before he can, Liam slams the door shut, and Zayn's still kneeling on his front carpet as he locks it with a flourish.
"Well," he breathes finally. "That was tedious."
When Zayn doesn't respond, Liam glances down, to see him still bowed and cowering. He twists his mouth to one side, before dropping down next to him, trying to school his expression into one less blank and hard. He tries for welcoming, but he probably fails. "Hi."
"H — hi," Zayn mumbles, head down, and Liam smiles slightly.
"So I've kidnapped you."
Zayn only nods his head slightly, and Liam nods. "When's the last time you got some sleep?"
"Couple days ago," he whispers, and Liam doesn't know why he's surprised.
"Bedtime, then," Liam nods. He rises to his feet, and holds a hand out to Zayn, who almost doesn't seem to know what to do with it. Upon Liam's urging, he takes it and rises to his feet, before obediently following Liam into his guest room. "We can start doing kidnap things tomorrow," he says, and Zayn smiles. Actually smiles. Liam wants to high five himself.
After a few moments, with Zayn comfortably changed and settled, Liam carefully shuts the door as he pads from his room. He doesn't know what he had expected from Danny's visit, but it certainly wasn't this, and and he frowns to himself at the sudden and unwelcome realization that he may have kidnapped his asshole college roommates abused hybrid.
"Fuck."