"I don't know, Niall. I just miss her is all." Harry whispers, circling his finger around the top of the beer, thinking about every part of her he hasn't seen in months.
"You should. Don't know why you had to be so stupid about it." "Beats me" he sighs, focusing on the drops of water on his canned beer. Suddenly, Niall's door opens harshly, the door slamming against his wall. Y/n is bleeding, beaten, crying in hysteria.
"Hey hey hey!" Niall panics, kicking his seat behind him before running to her. Her cheek is purple, her eye swollen as thick tears slid down her face. There's saliva on her chin, her cries and sobs not allowing her to close her mouth. She's pale, her body shaken up so much that she nearly collapses onto the ground, but Niall catches her before her body allowed her to. "Shit, shit" Niall curses, trying to keep her body up against his as he tries to drag her toward his couch. Harry's still, worry filling his thoughts. She looks so hurt, so, so hurt. The way half of her face is bigger than the other, and how her glowing body is not covered in sweat. He feels angry, angry that somebody had done this to her and that he wasn't there to protect her like he usually is. "Y/n. Y/n" Niall says softly, his eyes inspecting her injuries as she continues to rock her body. "You have to tell me who did this to you. You need to tell me what happened." He whispers. She attempts to speak, but her lack of air and her continuously traveling mind makes it impossible for her. She tries again and again and again, until an inaudible whisper leaves her chapped lips. "Derek's friend." "Who the fuck is Derek?! And who the fucking hell is his friend?!" Harry immediately questions, his voice in a strangled growl as he punches the table with the side of his fist. Y/n flinches, his sudden harshness scaring her fragile state of mind. "God fucking damn it!" Harry yells again, his body in a sudden adrenaline. He just couldn't understand. Why would somebody hurt her like that? It kills him to see how hurt she is. She doesn't deserve any of that, someone so precious doesn't deserve this. She's so innocent, so pure. He can't even think about what she looked like while this happened to her, and he doesn't want to. "Harry, I need you to shut up for one second please. You're panicking her." Niall lightly pushes her hair out of her face, shushing her softly as her sobs turn into soft cries. "Love, now that you're calm, can you please tell me what happened?" She nods, her head dropping down until her eyes meet her fingers. She gulps, her body shaking again. "I was with Derek, for our date. And-and-and when I was in his home, after dinner, h-his friend barged in. He was screaming about money. Y-yelling that he needed his money back b-because Derek owed him a couple grand for I guess drugs or something. I tried to stop him, I-I did. He was beating him so bad and I just didn't want to see it, but-" "Okay, it's okay. It's all okay." Niall coos. "He hurt you" Harry whispers, his hands running over his face, "he hurt you. He-oh God." Harry starts to cry, because deep down, he really believes this is his fault. If he didn't push her away, if he just kept her as close as he had his entire life, she'd be safe. She wouldn't have even met Derek. She'd be happy, she'd be unharmed if she were just wrapped around his finger. But she wasn't and he blames himself so much, that he's nearly drowning in his own self pity. "Harry" She whispers, needing him to hold her. She needs safety, she needs security, which Harry had always supplied her with. "Harry." she repeats. He slowly looks up at her, his eyes cloudy, but is still able to make out her beauty. He cries again, shutting his eyes with force, trying to get her broken body out of his brain. He shakes his head, as if to rid the images. "You're not okay, Y/n, I-can I hold you? Please let me hold you." She whispers a small "okay", and that's all the permission he needs. He gets up from his seat, taking slow strides to Niall's couch, making his was to his love. He sits down next to her, but is hesitant to touch her. He reaches his arms out, but pulls them back to him quickly, scared to hurt her anymore than she is now. "It's okay." she whispers, "it's okay." He nods, wrapping his arms around her tenderly, the way she should always be treated. "I let you go. This is my fault. I'm sorry. I'm sorry I let you go." "H-" "I love you so much. I'm so in love with you, but when I came back, I blamed you for holding me back on my career. You were, you were because I love you. I love you so much I'm willing to push everything back for you. You have always come first, and I took that as a bad thing. I don't know how I saw losing you easier than loving you, I don't." he sobs, "I miss you so much." She sniffles, tears slowly falling down her cheeks. She rubs his back, tracing his spine as she's lazily hugging him. "'S okay. I love you, too. 'S okay." "I'm gonna kill him, you know that? I'm gonna beat the living shit out of him." He spits. "Harry d-" "Nobody ever hurts you. Such an angel, nobody ever fucking touches you again. Not a single soul lays a hand on you again." He holds her closer, nuzzling his face into the side of her stomach, making her feel safer than she ever has been.
