Introvert

25

"Ni?" His voice is tired, broken up, and a small trickle of blood drips down his chin onto my wrist. 

"You're gonna be okay. You're doing so well, yeah? You're in safe hands. You should trust her. Don't hold anything back." Niall looks to me for confirmation of his words, and I give a nod in response.

"Well, then. Can I ashk a quesh'ion?" Louis looks at me, bright blue eyes peering through blood and sweat and tears, and I have to bite my lip from smiling blindingly at him. He's so lovely, Louis Tomlinson, and it's so sad that anyone could hurt him. He's never hurt anyone like this, even though with the fact he's the football captain you'd think he would -it seems to be a stereotype, the Manly Jock preying on the weak. I once saw Louis Tomlinson help a year seven back onto her feet as everyone else laughed, gave everyone death glares, and helped her to her class. 

"Of course. I'd think this'd go a long way in breaking the ice." I comment, light, and Niall barks out a laugh, sounding ridiculously amused for what wasn't even a joke. Louis gives a soft grin.

"What did you shay to Jade to make him run off like tha'?" It wasn't a question I'd been expecting, but it does sort of make sense.

"Oh, that. I, um. Just said that for someone who is ever so homophobic, he seemed to be enjoying how homoerotic the moment was. And, um. Something about his violence towards you being to cover up his own latent homosexuality? I don't know. I heard it on The Simpsons, probably." I give a small shrug, and Louis laughs. Like, harder than you'd expect for someone with a probably broken nose and a cut on his stomach and a very, very bruised jaw. 

"Fuck, tha's good. Tha's so good." Louis cackles, and shakes his head at me. I roll my eyes, because he isn't making the process easy right now. 

"Oh, righ', shorry." He apologizes, stilling against my hand. The cold must have numbed him, because there are no more tears on his face.

"Niall, grab a bit of tissue and clean his jaw off whilst I try and see what's going on with his nose." Niall does it without arguing. Louis doesn't seem to hear. His eyes are focused on some point over our heads. I'm suddenly glad we sat him up on the counter first. 

Carefully, I peel the ice pack away, and okay. He must be really numb, because he doesn't even realize until I brush a feather light touch across his nose. Then his eyes are tracking every single one of my movements.

"Sorry, sorry, sorry." It's a chant, probably.

"You know nobody ever does this for me? They don't clean me up." He whispers, and Niall doesn't even seem to hear. A warm burst of pain trickles through my heart, whispering oh, sweetie and you and I both, darling. 

"Why not?" 

But apparently Niall did hear, because he's the one who replies.

"Someone really wonderful once told me that people don't help the broken for fear of disappearing the same way. But I don't think you fear that. Because you know what it is to hurt." His voice is steady, but his eyes are nervous.

I swallow the sudden plague of thoughts in my head, the why, why do I have to like you? Why do I have to love you as a person this much? Because as much as I try to convince myself I'm over the stupid crush from year seven, I know I'm not. I know I'm not because when I lock eyes with Niall, the fizz of excitement ricochets through my body, because my heart thumps unfairly, because Niall is so, so wonderful.

"No, Niall, I'm not scared of that. Not any more." And I very, very carefully press my fingers into Louis' nose to clear it of the blood at the same time my other hand grasps Niall's. I hold on, tight, for a second, and then let go. 

What's the point of messing everything up if you don't mess it up completely? After all, I already know who wrote the notes. It just took this moment, this moment right here, to convince myself that I haven't stopped loving Niall Horan, not even for a second, and that deep down I always knew who wrote the notes. Nobody has been so kind since year seven, not someone who isn't Anna or Kristy. Of course it was Niall. 

Now I just need to find a way to let him know. And there's only really one way to do that.

okay, I was SOOOO excited for this chapter!!!! I've been planning it since the very beginning, and I really hope I did it justice. comment, vote, stalk as you want!!! (don't forget to share your thoughts on what Shyanna's plan just might be :D) I love you all (oh, and thanks for 4.3k) <3 have fun speculating!

(typography on the side was made by @discursion. the quote is very important in upcoming chapters, so don't forget it... :D) <3