Speak [Narry]

Chapter 9

Harry finally caught sight of Niall. The blonde boy was sitting on a bench, his face in his hands. Harry walked over, dropping his suitcase.

"Niall," Harry said. Niall's head snapped up, staring at Harry with wide eyes. Harry dropped to his knees in front of Niall so they were eye-level.

"Hi." Harry smiled. Niall continued to just stare at him, too shock to say anything at all.

"You're a fucking idiot." Harry said, wrapping his arms around Niall. "You scared the hell out of all of us. Shit, Niall, never do that again."

"I'm sorry." Niall murmured. Harry pulled away from Niall, pursing his lips. Then he smiled, running his thumb over Niall's cheek.

"You're precious, you know that?" Harry sighed. The two of them sat and stared at each other for a while, now sure what to say.

Niall broke the silence. "I- why did you come after me? I thought- I thought you hated me."

Harry inhaled sharply, letting out the breath slowly. "No, Niall. I don't hate you. I could never, ever hate you."

Niall sounded so fragile as he tried to say what he said next. "But you said-"

Harry cut him off. "I know what I said. I didn't mean it, okay? I don't even know why I said that. I-I loved you, and it all just came out, because I was mad that you didn't love me back. I shouldn't have said anything."

"You- you love me?" Niall asked. Harry smiled, wondering if that's the only thing Niall caught from everything he said.

"How could I not?" Harry said, looking up at Niall with an adored look in his eyes. Niall smiled, happiness coming to his eyes.

"H-Harry." Niall threw his arms around Harry, pulling him close. Harry wrapped his arms around Niall, too.

"I love you so much." Harry said, pressing kisses to the parts of Niall's skin that he could reach.

"I love you, too." Niall said. The two of them gathered a lot of stares, and a lot of pictures were taken of them, but they didn't care.

-•-

They ended up going to a hotel to wait out this storm so they could go home. They got a small room- with only one bed, because they didn't need much more than that.

"Who did you write the other letters to?" Harry asked. They were both laying in bed with the lights off, but neither of them were trying to sleep.

"Danielle, Perrie, Eleanor, people I used to know, you guys, my family, and management." Niall said.

"What did management try to do?" Harry asked, frowning. Their management was always so cruel to Niall.

"They tried to kick me out of the band without you guys knowing." Niall said. "They tried to convince me to say I was leaving. Twice."

"What?!" Harry growled. He was beyond pissed. "What the fuck? Why did they try to kick you out of the band?!"

"Well, the first time they told me I couldn't sing." Niall said. "Then they told me to leave because I was gay."

"I'll kill them." Harry said, his jaw tightening. "They're not allowed to tell you what to do. Niall, you've got a beautiful voice and the boys won't care that you're gay."

"I know." Niall muttered. "It just kind of hurt, you know? Like, they were supposed to support us, but they didn't like me at all."

"They're stupid pricks." Harry said, running his arm up and down Niall's arm. "What did the girls do?"

"Well, Danielle was pregnant. It wasn't Liam's child, though." Niall paused. "She didn't cheat or anything, she . . . she was drugged."

Harry's eyes widened in shock, staying silent for a moment or two. When he finally found his voice, he said the only thing he could think to say. "She didn't tell Liam, did she?"

Niall shook his head. "She didn't want Liam to be upset. She came to me, instead. She got an abortion and went to therapy in secret. I think she's okay, now. I hope she is."

"Poor Danielle." Harry said. The two of them were silent for a little while, thinking about how Danielle must have felt.

"Perrie admitted she was just using Zayn." Niall said. "At first, though. Then she actually fell for Zayn, and she never told him."

"At least she loves Zayn, now." Harry said. Niall nodded. "As far as we know, anyways."

"Eleanor was stealing money from Louis." Niall said. "She doesn't do that anymore, but she was short of cash and she didn't want to ask Louis, because they're only friends, so she just stole it."

"Louis would've given it to her, though." Harry said, frowning. What gave Eleanor the idea that Louis wouldn't help her out?

"She loves Louis, too." Niall said. Harry nodded. He'd figured that much. Maybe he should try to set the two of them up.

"Your mum sent me the ones you wrote to your family." Harry said. "What about the people you used to know?"

"Two of them, Jack and Kyle, teased me for not talking. I didn't talk all throughout middle school." Niall said. "The other three, Ken, Austin, and Richard, used to beat me because I was gay."

Harry pursed his lips. "Why are people so mean to you, Niall? You don't deserve it."

"Thanks, Harry." Niall muttered. Harry frowned, counting up the letters. His own, Liam's, Louis', Zayn's, Perrie's, Danielle's, Eleanor's, Bobby's, Maura's, Greg's, the two letters to management, Jack's, Kyle's, Ken's, Austin's, and Richard's . . . that was only seventeen.

"Niall," Harry said. Niall glanced up at him. "you said in Louis' letter that you had written eighteen letters. Who was the eighteenth to?"

Niall hesitated for a moment. He had hoped Harry hadn't actually read the other boys' letters. "Myself."

"What did you say to yourself, Niall?" Harry asked, scooting a bit closer to the other boy.

"I said what everyone else was saying." Niall said. "I told myself I was useless, ugly, fat, and stupid. I told myself to die."

"Niall," Harry said. "You are not any of those things. Baby, you're absolutely lovely. You're perfect."

"Thanks, Hazza." Niall murmured. Harry pressed a kiss to his lips, wrapping an arm around Niall.

"I mean it." Harry said. Niall shifted so his head was against Harry's chest. "You're flawless, and I love you."

Niall smiled, because for once, it seemed like he could believe those words. "I love you, too."