significant other « niam

«chapter eleven»

chapter eleven

day seven

Meeting Perrie and the rest of the bunch went a lot smoother than Liam expected. He expected no one to even bother with liking him because of what had happened earlier. But surprisingly, the dinner had gone smoothly. Now he was sitting in Niall's room, waiting for the blond to come back from the shower. He refused to be one of those people who attempted to snoop around rooms, so he sat patiently on Niall's bed and played some random game on his phone.

Niall took long showers for a guy, Liam noticed. Not that it was bad or anyhing, but Liam made a note of it. When Niall finally came back, he was wearing nothing but a towel. "I didn't bring any clothes with me," Niall said sheepishly. "But if you'll turn and let me put some boxers on, I think it would be better to show you like this."

Liam turned as he was told and allowed Niall to put on boxers. "It's alright now," Niall mumured. "Well, as okay as it will get for a while now. Promise you'll stay for the entire story before you run out screaming?''

"I promise," Liam said immediately. "I would never run screaming from you."

Niall muttered something like "We'll see," then sighed. "Alright, well. You've told me your story. Even though what's up with you is horrible, I think I may have you beat," Niall had to stop and take a deep breath.

''You can tell me anything, babe," Liam tried to console. "I won't judge.''

"It started about when I was fifteen. I had developed a stalker, whom was determined that he was my soulmate. I just received weird emails and notes all along for a year, but that was about it. I was never caught with someone following me, so I never really worried all that much. I figured maybe it would just go away after a while, but I was wrong.

"When I was sixteen, I was out with some friends. They had all gotten smashed. I was only a little drunk, and the pub wasn't very far from my house, so I decided to leave them there and let them find their own ways home. I walked the back ways home, which wasn't the smartest thing to do at half ten at night, but I was drunk, you know?

"So I was only about a block away from home when I was snatched out of the alley I was walking in and thrown against the brick wall. I knew immediately, from the sound of the guy's voice and how he purred my name as if I was some toy, this was my stalker. And there was nothing that could stop what would happen next.

"He raped me four times, Liam. Four times in the span of two hours I laid on the ground. I still remember the smell of stale cigarettes that hung around him. He picked me off the street like that two more times within the month. I found out after the eleventh time he raped me that his name was Josh Devine. Horribly stupid to tell the sixteen year old your name, but he was so drunk I could feel it radiating off of him.

''I went straight from the alley to the police, reporting it. They asked me why I didn't report it after the first time, and all I said was that I didn't know his name. They didn't question me anymore. Josh was found and jailed. And I sure as hell hope it stays that way.

"The nightmares didn't end though, or the dread that maybe, just maybe, Josh had accompliances. Zayn took a certain protective role over me after that. Louis didn't really know what to do, and no one really wanted to explain it to a fifteen year old Harry. Louis just tried to tell him gently and hope he didn't ask questions.

"I guess that leads to why I'm only in boxers right now and what I need to show you. I had always felt a sense of uselessness and hopelessness. Zayn took me to the doctor and they diagnosed me with depression. The uselessness lead to this," Niall stepped back and uncrossed his arms, revealing his cut up arms. His thighs uncrossed to show the cuts there. "I didn't know how to deal with it, Liam. so I did this to myself. I've stopped, though, I promise. I just thought since we were soulmates, you know, you had a right to know."

Liam didn't know what to say. Not in a bad way, though. He was shocked that Niall had the courage to tell him that all at once.

"Oh, Niall," Liam pulled the boy who had begun to develop tears in his eyes into his arms. "You're so strong. I don't know if I could have ever managed any of that." Liam tried his best to wipe the tears from the blond's cheeks, but they were overflowing his eyes and rolling down his cheeks at a pace that was much too fast for Liam.

"I'm not strong, Liam. I'm weak. That's why I became a human scratching post, right? Because I was too weak to deal with my emotions properly," Niall sobbed. Liam didn't like the way the boy was shaking, or how his breath was coming out in small pants.

"You're so strong, Niall. I don't know anyone else as strong as you. You surivived it all and you stopped, Ni. That's what makes you strong," Liam promised. "And as long as we were confessing, would you like to know something about me?" Liam muttered against Niall's forehead. He felt Niall nod. "I do drugs, present tense. I've been trying my best to stop for you, but it's hard. I wasn't very keen on coming today because it's been a few days since my last dose. I didn't want to snap at you, is all. I also box at an underground fight club. I'm not sure if you're keen on that either."

"Liam," Niall said quietly as he stared at Liam's glowing wrist around his chest. "I'm glad that you're stopping with the drugs. And the fight club, I really don't care. As long as you aren't getting yourself hurt."

Liam giggled at bit at Niall's concern. "I'll be fine," he promised.

•-•

lord knows how i came up with this chapter

i'm sew board

i planned on facetiming someone tonight, but those plans flew out the window with the rest of my hopes

[everything is shades of grey]

i'm eternally depressed

i'll leave you with that.

1108 words

(15/05/14)