Peekaboo Harry • HS

Wanderlust 4 • Dorks

Niall was trying not to panic. He wasn't going to almost-cry like he did earlier. He was a man and he had the sideburns to prove it. Sparing Louis a glance, he noticed that his friend's blonde moustache was drooping on the right side of his lip. It looked fun, so he laughed.

Louis glared at him. "What's so funny?"

Niall shook his head. "Nothing." It always terrified him when Louis lost his chill; he was the type who liked to tease but hated being teased back. He often passed it off as a joke, but Niall knew better. Still, he still considered Louis as the brother he never had. At times it made him guilty to think of the "if they were drowning, who would you save" question. He always felt like saving Louis even if the bloke knew how to swim.

Him and Greg—it was just different between them. It was hard to explain and he always preferred to just forget about the ill-thoughts he had on the subject. Especially when Greg shades I'm on Twitter. At first it hurt Niall whenever his older brother did that. He would call his dad or his mum to ask them why Greg was acting that way. They consoled him, but Niall knew better. Their lives have changed drastically this past five years and Greg was still adjusting to it all. Unlike Louis, despite being a bit of a bully at times, was still the most thoughtful person he knew. And they did live literally in the same world. But his own brother...

Brushing the depressive thoughts aside, Niall followed Louis on the empty pathway. The night was rather lonely, and the tiki lamp posts were dim, almost reflecting his dampening moods. He felt just like those tiki lamp light bulbs, Niall thought. Tired and meh.

But wait, he was Light, wasn't he? Didn't one of his fans compare him to the sun? (Although they were probably doing so because he was aways so pale and bright.) But yes, he should be the happy one! Sorta. That used to be Harry's job, but then he reverted into this quiet artiste they couldn't quite decipher—even before he disappeared. Speaking of their lost companion, hopefully, Harry would just follow the lights and they'll find each other down the path.

Louis groaned in front of him. He'd been groaning a LOT since they got lost. "Things couldn't possibly get worse, could they?"

Feeling the need to cheer him up, Niall grinned. "At least they won't shut out the lights?"

As if he had said the magic words, the lights went out on cue.

"Great," Louis said flatly. "You're such a lucky charm."

Niall swallowed any reply forming in his head. He didn't want to say sorry for something he didn't really do on purpose. Although, he did feel oddly guilty. "Tommo... Maybe we should stay in one place?"

"Because that's exactly what you do when you get lost in the mall?" Louis asked, his tone dripping with sarcasm. If it were any brighter, Niall was sure that Louis would be clenching his jaw in irritation. "Fuck it. Let's just keep walking."

Niall hesitantly followed. Other than the fact that they were probably LOST, something about this situation didn't sit right with him. They were walking a little closer than what was normal, but Niall wasn't going to point that out now. "Do you think Liam made it back to the hotel?"

"You know Liam," Louis laughed. "He's probably sending a search party now or something."

"Yeah," Niall said, being hopeful. "You're right." Liam wouldn't let them wander around in the dark like this. He wasn't trying to count the hours, but he had a feeling they've been walking for nearly an hour now.

Then, all of a sudden, they heard a couple of female voices scream from the distance.

Niall and Louis stopped in their tracks.