kiss of death. (fic)
Prompt
2,915 words
Mentions of Nick/Harry and Harry/Liam
TW: death
“Just do it, Harry.”
“I can’t.” He coughed back.
“She’s going to die anyway.” Nick hissed in his ear. “Just finish it.”
The girl draped in Harry’s arms looked up with pleading eyes. “Please don’t hurt me.” Her words came out in a strangled breath.
“Do it, Harry!” Nick screamed.
“I’m sorry.” Harry said as he placed his lips on her’s. Within a minute her lifeless body hung in his arms.
“See? That wasn’t so bad.” Nick snapped his fingers and the body dissolved into smoke. His fingers snaked into Harry’s curls and pulled him in close for a kiss. Nick’s tongue roamed inside Harry’s mouth tasting the youth. “Was it?”
“You know I hate using the fans.” Harry wiped harshly at his mouth once Nick released him.
“Well maybe you should have thought of that before you made a deal with the devil.” Nick’s laughter made Harry’s ears ring. “I was noticing a few grays this morning.” He reached up to touch a lock of Harry’s hair but was swatted away. “What is your plan Harry? You can’t do this forever.”
“Thank you for warning me before I went through all of this.” Harry began walking back to the venue with Nick trailing along behind.
“You didn’t ask for warnings and it isn’t exactly in my nature to give them out ahead of time. Ya, know being evil and all.” Nick appeared on the couch inside Harry’s dressing room.
He spun around quickly to face him. “Well, what do you suggest?”
“You could talk the rest of the boys into doing it too.” Nick lips curled into a smile.
“I’m not dragging anyone else into this!” Harry’s voice boomed into the nearly empty room.
“Fine.” Nick crossed his arms. “But if you stop, I don’t think you’d like the outcome.”
“Oh, go away.” And with those two words Nick was obligated to leave.
His words lingered behind after his disappearance. “You really should have thought this through, Harry.”
There was a soft knock on the door. Harry opened the door to a very puzzles Liam.
“Who were you talking to?” He asked.
Harry looked around the room in a panic. “I had the, um, radio on. Is everyone ready?”
Liam nodded. “Yeah, the van is waiting on us.”
During the ride to the hotel Harry replayed Nick’s words in his mind. He looked around at each of the boys. Most of them curled up asleep on each other. Except for Liam who appeared to be studying Harry back. How could he be stupid enough to get himself in this situation? There was no way he would put the rest of the boys through this too.
“Are you okay?” Liam’s words were quiet. Harry nodded but a lump was forming in his throat. “You sure?”
“Everything will be fine.” Harry barely got the words out before he had to suppress a sob.
He could tell by the look on Liam’s face that wasn’t the right choice of words.
-
“I can’t believe there was another one!”
The yelling pulled Harry from his sleep. He rolled over to see members of their management crowding around the small hotel room.
“They have to make some kind of statement about it.” A woman said.
“Oh, like hell they do.” The first man yelled back.
“Just imagine how the families feel!” The woman rose her voice to match his “It might help to stop the problem.”
“Whatever. You book it.” He stormed out of the room.
Harry slid his arm across his eyes with a groan. This cannot be happening.
“Harry.” The woman leaned down to rub his arm. “Honey, you need to wake up. Another girl has gone missing.”
‘I know.’ “Okay.” He mumbled, getting her to leave.
“Can you believe that?” Niall sat up in the bed across the room. “That’s like the third one, innit?”
“I don’t know.” Harry lied. It had been four in only two months.
“Sucks though.” Niall sighed.
“Yeah.” Harry rolled over in hopes that Niall wouldn’t see his frown.
-
“It’s just so tragic!” The talk show host droned on.
“It really is. Our hearts go out to the families of all the missing girls. We hope more than anything they will be found soon.” Liam’s words came out exactly has he had been instructed and the perfect way to make Harry’s stomach twist.
The woman nodded her head a few times before saying. “What are your plans to make things safer at your concerts?”
“We’ve gotten more security to stay outside of the venues and we’re hoping that this interview makes parents and teenagers more aware of the dangers surrounding concerts.” Harry’s stomach nearly gave out right there. He got up from the small couch and looked for the nearest exit.
“Are you alright?” The interview asked. Four pairs of eyes looked up at him nervously from the couch.
“I’m fine. It’s just getting to me. I need some air.” He managed to brush passed members of their team and make it out to a small back alley. “Nick!” The name ripped from his throat.
“Yes?” The smirking man appeared, sitting cross legged on top of a trash bin.
“They know.” Harry’s entire body shook with anger.
Nick slid off of the bin and wiped at his pants. “Ugh, that was a very unsanitary entrance choice.”
“Nick.” Harry’s eyes narrowed as he took a step forward.
Nick put his hands up in defense. “Alright, alright. Sorry.” He proceeded to wipe his pants as he spoke. “They don’t know that it’s you. They just know that some of your fans as missing. Maybe look for a variety of prey.”
“No!” He kicked the bin behind Nick, successfully startling him. “I don’t want to do this anymore, Nick! Reverse it or something!”
“I can’t undo it, Harry. A deal is a deal. You have eternal youth as long as you are taking the souls of pitiful teenagers.” Nick crossed his arms to make it appear that he had the upper hand in the matter.
His eye brows rose. “And if I stop?”
“Stop?” Nick posture melted. “You can’t stop.”
“Why not?” Harry questioned.
“Because you’ll die, Harry.” Nick walked closer and tried to wrap an arm around his shoulders. “If you stop taking in youth you’ll age rapidly until you eventually die.”
Harry stayed quiet for a while until all at once he let go. “Fuck!”
The alley door creaked, Liam’s head peered through the opening. Nick was gone before he could notice.
“Haz?” Liam’s timid voice made the hairs on Harry’s nick raise.
“What.” The word came out as a statement rather than a question.
“Is there something more going on? Other than the disappearances, I mean.” Liam eyes looked glossy which didn’t sit well with Harry.
“Oh, cut the crap, Liam. The cameras aren’t rolling.” Harry waved an arm around trying to get rid of the feeling in the air.
“What is wrong with you? I really care about those girls! They’re probably dead, Harry and it’s our fault.” Liam’s voice trailed off into a sigh.
“It’s not our fault, Liam.” Harry sighed.
“Well, they were at our concert. I don’t see how three girls that went missing, at separate concerts, is a coincidence.” Liam shook his head and looked down at his reflection in a puddle.
“The four deaths weren’t a coincidence.” Harry muttered as he walked passed Liam.
“How did you know it was four?” Liam asked to a closing door.
-
His eyes started to lose their sparkle. Bruises started appearing after minor bumps. It looked as if he hadn’t slept in months and felt like years. His appetite was nowhere to be found. He laid on the floor of his flat, unable to make it to his bed.
A small voice whispered in his mind. “Just do it, Harry.”
“No!” He coughed into the empty room.
The voice to a sickly sweet tone. “Please?”
“I would rather kill myself than take a fan’s life.” Harry’s words were strained but Nick could hear him.
He appeared next to Harry and began stroking his hair. “Do it for me?”
“Why should I do anything for you?” Harry tried to pull away but lacked the energy.
Nick continued to twirl his fingers through the curls. “Because I…the band needs you.”
“I fucked up. They’ll understand.” The words burned his throat.
Nick pulled Harry’s face up by a fist of curls. “You are not going to die.” Nick snapped a finger and suddenly a college student stood in the living room. “Are you a fan of One Direction?” Nick question came out in a blur.
“What?” The boy stumbled around looking for a way out. “Where am I? Who are you? What happened? Where am I?”
“Answer the fucking question!” Nick growled. “Do you like One Direction?”
“I dunno!” The boy stammered over the words. “What’s going on?”
“That’s good enough.” Nick held up a hand toward the boy and he no longer was asking questions. Nick leaned down and began to kiss away Harry’s bruises. He kissed up and down his body until finally landing on his lips. “Feel better?” He asked, only pulling away slightly.
“Fuck off.” Harry spit.
“I’ll take that as a yes.” Nick sighed before sitting up.
Harry managed to stand up long enough to get himself into bed. By that time most of his energy was drained so he collapsed on top of the blankets.
“What are you doing?” Nick clicked his tongue against the roof of his mouth. “Crawling into your death bed?”
“If that’s the only way out of this.”
Nick appeared next to him on the bed. “Am I going to have to force feed you, Styles?” Harry stayed quiet long enough to make Nick nervous. “Harry?”
“When I die will I go to hell?” His voice sounded so childlike that it /twisted/ what was left of Nick’s heart.
“You are not going to die, Harry.” He turned the boy’s face to look at him. “I won’t allow it.”
Harry gritted his teeth between the words. “Go. Away.”
Nick’s words came out in a rush. “I love you.”
Tears splashed down onto Harry’s pillow case until he fell asleep. Nearly an hour later he woke up to the sound of his phone vibrating against the night stand. He picked it up and looked with blurry eyes to see Liam’s number on the screen. Harry dropped the phone trying to ignore the call. In the midst of his delirium he could have sworn he could hear Liam yelling for him from the phone.
He didn’t realize that he had lost consciousness again until he heard loud pounding on the door followed by a sigh. The next thing Harry knew Liam was walking into his apartment.
“Good thing I gave you a key.”
Liam barely heard the words as he asked, “What happened to you?”
Harry felt like his last string was about to be cut so he spilled it all. “I’m dying.”
“Stop fucking around, Harry.” Liam crossed his arms.
“I’m not, Liam.” He coughed and wiped at his blurring eyes causing a small bruise to form on his cheek. “I made this…deal.”
“What are you talking about?” Liam stepped forward in concern and touched his cheek. “What kind of deal?”
“Eternal youth.” Harry whispered. Liam’s eyes turned skeptical. “Please believe me.”
“And how did you get this ‘eternal youth’?” Liam sat down at the foot of Harry’s bed.
“God, you’re not going to believe me.” Harry threw an arm over his eyes to block the light.
“I just want to help you, Harry. You’re obviously sick.” Liam leaned up to move his arm.
“I made the deal with Nick.” Harry choked out with tears in his eyes.
“Nick?” Liam face scrunched up when Harry nodded.
“He’s the,” Harry exhaled and looked into Liam’s eyes. “He’s the devil.”
Liam stared back at him and tried to soak in what he had just heard. “Are you serious?”
“Yes, he’s serious.” Nick sat across from them in an arm chair.
Liam’s mouth hung open as Nick got up from the chair and walked over to the bed. He placed his thumb on his bruised cheek removing it. “Did that last one not help any?”
Harry shook his head into the pillow and tried to stop crying. “Please, Nick.”
“Don’t hurt him.” Liam went to push Nick’s arm away but instead had he seized by the older man.
“The last thing I want to do is hurt him.” He looked back down at the boy in the bed. “But I don’t know how to help him.”
“Break whatever this stupid deal you have.” Liam rubbed at his wrist once Nick let go.
Nick exaggeratedly sighed. “It doesn’t work that way. As long as he takes the soul of anyone younger than him, he stays alive. If he stops stealing souls, he dies. There is no breaking the deal.”
Realization hit Liam like a freight train. “You’re the one that killed those girls.”
Harry closed his eyes and nodded. “I didn’t want to but,”
Liam interrupted him. “What if someone took his place?” The two others looked at Liam with puzzled looks at his offer.
“And you know someone willing to do that?” Nick questioned.
“I would.” He said.
“No!” Harry yelled. “No, Liam. This is my mess.”
“So, am I supposed to just sit here and watch you die?” Liam wiped at his eyes. “I can’t do that, Harry.”
“I didn’t want any of you to know.” Harry laid back down. “I was hoping it would happen sooner.”
“Nick, do something.” Liam shook the quiet man by the shoulders. “I know you care about him too! Do something. I know you can break the deal.”
“I didn’t mean to fall in love with him. I wasn’t even supposed to stick around.” Nick /turned away/ from them. “He was just so goddamn charming that I couldn’t leave.”
“What are you saying? You aren’t going to save him?”
“Don’t you understand, Liam?” Nick face flashed red as he growled. “I can’t.”
“You said you wouldn’t let me die.” Harry’s small voice peeped out.
Nick wiped around to his side of the bed. “I know, baby. I’m sorry.” He planted kisses up and down Harry’s arm, trying to erase the bruises. “I thought I could.”
“You’re going to sit here and watch him die? It’s your fault he’s like this!” Liam attempted to pull Nick away from Harry, unsure of what to do afterwards.
“He wanted to stay young so I gave him the ability. I can’t help the consequences.” Nick shoved Liam away.
Liam looked down at Harry who stared at them with wide eyes. “Why would you want this, Harry?”
“I was tired of people saying that I had lost my appeal.” He stopped to catch his breath. “That my baby face was all I had going for me.”
“That’s not true, Harry.” Liam knelt down beside him. “You’re so much more than your looks.”
“It doesn’t matter now, Liam. I fucked up.” Harry bit his bottom lip and blood droplets formed where his teeth had penetrated the thin skin. “I just wish I had told you earlier.”
“Sh, it’s okay. You’ll be okay.” Liam tried the swallow the lump in his throat before getting up. “Can you do anything to stop the pain?”
Nick looked at him with disgust. “I could kill him now.”
“You are no help.” Liam shook his head and reached for Harry’s phone.
Nick rushed over to his side. “Who are you calling?”
“The boys. I think they should be here.” Liam listened to the ringing up it stopped.
“I don’t think that’s a good idea.” Nick muttered.
“Well, I think they should be here!” Liam tried to call again but Harry stopped him this time.
“I’d rather no one be here to witness it.” He whispered. “Even you.” Liam was unable to hide how much that hurt him. “I’m sorry, Liam.”
“Don’t worry.” Nick patted Liam’s shoulder. “I’ll take care of him.”
“Don’t touch me.” Liam huffed as he stormed out of Harry’s apartment.
The emotions that Liam was trying to suppress came flooding out once he was in the safety of the hall. He slid down the wall and rested his head against his knees. How was he supposed to live knowing that he would never see Harry again?
-
“I know our relationship hasn’t been the best.” Nick sat down by Harry and began stroking his cheek. “But I just want you to know I really do care about you.” Harry’s breathing had become strained and it took all he had to nod. “I love you.” Nick leaned down to kiss him for a final time before vanishing.
When Harry opened his eyes he felt instantly better. It was as if all he pain was taken away with the kiss. He now had the energy to even get out if bed.
“Liam!” He shouted as he rushed to the door. “Liam, Liam, Liam!” Harry opened the door to a very surprised band member.
“You’re okay?” The tears in his eyes now took on a different meaning.
Harry nodded with smile. “Yeah. I think Nick sacrificed himself.”
Liam didn’t say another word as he wrapped his arms around him.
-
“You know you’ll never be able to see him now?”
“Yeah, I know.” Nick mumbled.
“Was it worth it?”
Nick nodded his head as he closed the viewing portal.