Prequelly Unique - Niam Horayne (Prequel to Uniquely Perfect)

Chapter 12

[Liam's P.O.V.]

I woke up to loud clash of thunder and a mild whimper that caused me to jump. Another whimper sounded from the side of me and in a groggy state, I realized that it must be Niall. 

"Niall?" I whispered as another clash echoed around the room and he cringed closer into me.

I pulled the boy closer to me and he shivered against me. I gently scratched at his ears and more thunder clashed loudly as it nearly lit up the entire room. 

"What is th-that?" Niall whimpered.

"It's called thunder, Ni," I whispered. "It happens when it rains."

"Do not like."

I felt bad for the boy. Normally when a child was afraid, they'd go to one of their parents. But Niall didn't really have parents, he just had me. I looked down to the shivering boy who had managed to wrap his entire being around me. I held him impossibly tighter and pressed a small kiss to his forehead.

"You're safe, Niall. It's just a storm."

"Do not like," he repeated.

"I know, love. I know."

I rubbed small circles onto his back until the storm died down and I could feel the small puffs of air emitted from Niall's mouth, signalling that he had fallen back to sleep. I looked down at him again and brushed some of his hair back. He was some sort of beautiful and I briefly wondered where he had came from. He had once mentioned something about a Dr. Shell person but I didn't know. It didn't really make sense to me. I didn't want to push him because clearly it was traumatizing for the boy but curiosity was getting the better of me. I pushed the thoughts from my mind for a later time before closing my eyes and letting the sleep take over. 

When I was awoken again, there was a mass sprawled out across the top of me. I smiled, knowing it was Niall, before reaching to poke at his side. He let out a small groan and shifted a tad. I poked him again in hopes of getting him to squirm off of me so I could get up and go relief my bladder that was threatening to burst. After a few more pokes, I managed to roll him off enough so that I could squeeze out from under him before quickly walking to the bathroom. When I returned, Niall was grabbing at the blankets where I had been laying as though he was looking from me. I smiled at him and he lazily opened his eyes. He panned them around the room until they fell on me. He gave me a sleepy smile as he reached his arms out to me.

"Cuddle?" He said in a sleep filled voice.

I immediately crawled back into the soft bed with him and he snuggled close to me, causing warmth to spread where he touched me. His soft snores were nearly luring me back to sleep before I heard my phone going off. I let out a small groan as I reached for it, hitting the answer key.

"Hello?"

"Liam! Hi! I didn't think you'd be up," Louis' voice chattered through the phone.

"If you didn't think I'd be up, why'd you call me?"

"I um. Guess I didn't really think that through. Um, I need your help?"

"With what?"

"I just need you to come into my work real quick."

"Alright, I'll be there soon."

I untangled myself from Niall and lazily dressed myself. Niall stirred and opened his eyes, "Where are you going?"

"I've got to go help Louis with something. I'll be right back. Go back to sleep, darling," I responded in a soft voice. 

"Want to come with," he murmured in a groggy voice as he began to roll out of bed.