Monster || Narry AU

14- New

So I had this written, but I didn't have a chance to type it up until now. So thank you all for your patience and your feedback. :)

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He knew that letting the lads live was a bad idea, although the full extent of how bad of an idea that was didn't reach him until the next morning. He heard the crowd before he saw them, smelt the smoke and gasoline before it was close enough to burn. Niall is still with him, conversing with him, and it worries him. Worries him that Niall could be in danger; that they both are in danger. His heart is racing, eyes widened. He runs up the stairs ignoring Niall's confused calls, pocketing the things of value. A picture of his family, his sister's locket, a drawing Emma had given him years ago. She had been a lovely artist, someone who could have made a career out of it had she had the chance.

Harry races back downstairs, the voices getting louder, smell getting closer. They had gotten close enough that even Niall could hear them now. His mind flashes back to the testing center, the smell of gasoline bringing him back to when he barely escaped burning to death causing him to growl. His heart racing so wildly causes his claws to extend, his sharper set of teeth to come out, his eyes to glow. It seems to frighten Niall, the way he could so drastically change. But his main focus isn't on Niall's fear of him, rather it's on the large- hysterical- crowd closing in on them and Niall's safety. He grabs Niall's wrist, careful not to puncture the delicate skin, pulling him through the first floor of the house and out of the backdoor. He can hear the blood pumping in his ears, whether it's Niall's or his own, he doesn't know. Fear courses through them, and he can smell the fear radiating off of Niall as well, can hear the way Niall's heart races in his chest. Niall's safety is his main concern, not Niall's fear of him.

They barely make it to the edge of the forest when a crash shatters the mostly calm air. He can see the crowd is throwing rocks and stones and bricks at his house, shattering the windows. Can see how they toss things around, piss on the place he called home, how they threw gasoline over everything. He can tell they're all mates with the two he let live last night, and he curses himself for doing so. Not much good has come from his mercy in the past, and this event just proved it. Before he even has the chance to try and stop them, a match is lit, torches thrown into his home, setting it aflame. His house lighting up in reds, oranges, yellows and blues, the crackle of the hungry flames filling the air along with joyous cheers.

Harry watches the place he had taken refuge in, his home, burn with sad eyes, his grip on Niall's wrist loosening. He thinks he can hear his heart break, shatter, watching his home quickly deteriorate. He can hear everything the crowd says, joyous comments and laughter and cheers. He spots the pair he let live, their faces filled with a smug satisfaction, muttering about how the beast is dead. How the freak will haunt no longer, how no one will have to fear the monster.

By the time the police and firefighters get there- almost 20 minutes later- his house is completely destroyed and the crowd has disappeared. They put out the rest of the flames, his home now a pile of blackened wood and ash, only half standing. The supports are there, and about half of the top of the house. It looks like someone sliced a chunk out of the top, the entire bottom house blackened and gone. He can see a where the top floor collapsed onto the first floor, and he sighs sadly. He honestly considered that his home, his very own place, and a place he was safe. And now that was gone.

He was all alone and vulnerable once again.

"Harry..." Niall says softly, trailing off. His voice is full of pity, causing Harry to flinch away from him. He absolutely hates, hates, pity. It makes him feel weak and useless, like he has so many other times in his life. He hates feeling like that even more than he hates the pity. It flashes him back to the lab, back to Emma and all the others that had to die because of a sick monster of a man. "I'm so sorry." He adds sympathetically, stepping towards Harry. He grabs Harry's hand, squeezing it as a way to comfort the distraught lad. Niall can't imagine losing his home like that, everything he had.