Paralyzed [Nouis]

Chapter 1 // Niall

"I found him guys!" Someone, a boy as far as I knew, shouted. His voice was rather loud, and it made my head pound. I'd just woken up, but I didn't open my eyes. I didn't want to face anyone right now- look them in the eyes and see the worry, the disappointment, the mockery. Of course they would make fun of me.

Someone picked me up, no doubt one of the boys- probably the one who'd just shouted. Their arm slipped under my knees, the other wrapping around my waist. My body curled involuntarily into their chest, and their chin ended up in my hair. They kissed my hair and took a deep breath, holding me close to their body. I made no move to signal I was awake. Besides the fact that I didn't want to look at anyone, I didn't have the strength to do anything.

"Oh god, Niall!" Someone sobbed out, close to me, but it wasn't whoever was holding me. I would have felt the vibrations from their chest as they shook. The person holding me wasn't shaking enough to suggest they were crying.

"Should we wake him?" Another boy asked, their voice low as if they would wake me up if they talked any louder. His voice didn't shake- he wasn't crying. I felt tears hit my face, but I didn't flinch. Whichever one of the boys that was holding me seemed to be crying, now, as he began shaking more.

"No." The boy holding me made a sound almost like he was choking. "He . . . He ran all this way. He must b-be tired. We should just leave him be."

"Why do you think he just ran away like that?" Someone else asked. The voice sounded like it belonged to Liam- calm and confused, like Liam always was. I couldn't tell, though. My hearing was fuzzy.

"We can ask him when he wakes up." Someone else said. It was a voice that hadn't spoken before. Maybe Harry? Or Louis? I wasn't sure. "Come on, let's get him back to the car."

I began moving, and I realized, soon enough, that everyone was walking me to the car. The person holding me sat in the car, but they made no move to push me off their lap.

"He's got leaves in his hair." Someone said. I felt a hand running through my hair, then, taking out leaves and some dirt. I made a mental note to take a shower as soon as I could move.

"He was in the woods, Zayn." The person holding me said. I felt myself moving, but it was only the car. "He probably collapsed, too. Look, he's got a cut on his head."

After that, the car got silent. Nobody even tried to say anything, and that gave me a chance to try to fall asleep properly. But then there was soft cloth being rubbed over the cut on my head, swiping down lightly then lifting up and swiping down again, cleaning away the blood that whoever it was had said was there.

I listened to the person's heartbeat, ignoring the soft gestures over my forehead that stopped after a few more moments. The sound sent a warm feeling through my body. The person's breath was warming my head, as their face seemed to be in my hair, now. Their arms were wrapped securely around me, now, as if protecting me.

I didn't recognize the warmth of the arms. It must have been Harry. Only Liam held me when I was down, he was there for me the most. Zayn was there for me, but he only held me once. And besides, he was in the seat in front of me, as the person holding me had been talking to him.

I mean, Harry and Louis supported me and comforted me too. But why would Louis hold me? I obviously meant nothing to him. He was too busy loving Harry.

"Come on, guys, we're here." Someone said as I felt the car stop.

"Here, want me to take Niall?" Someone, Liam I think, asked. The person holding me tightened their grip on me.

"No, Liam. I've got him." The person holding me said, getting out of the car slowly. I felt myself slipping away from them, but someone else caught me before I could fall.