A Light in the Dark // Flicker Series Part I #wattys2019

As You Walk Away

He makes sure everyone else has boarded before him, except for Mark who doesn't ever leave Niall's side. He picks his head up from his gaze on the ground to check and see if i'm still here before he takes the final step onto the ramp to the plane.

Of course i'm still here.

When his eyes meet mine, I lose it completely; my strong facade quickly crumpling with no hopes of getting it back.

I suck in a sharp breath as sobs overtake my body and my body sprints to his, knocking into his body with full force as his body stops me in his arms.

We both give in and let the tears fall in each others arms.

"I'm sorry... You need to go." I say, pulling back as I wipe my cheeks but Niall not allowing his arms to leave my waist.

"Don't be sorry, Love." He says, kissing me again and moving one of his hands to wipe the tears from my cheek with his thumb. "S'Ok baby." He whispers against my forehead, pressing kisses wherever his lips touch.

"I'll be ok, I promise." I choke out, sobs taking over and contradicting the words as they leave my lips.

I look up through my tears, and brush a few off of his cheeks. I finally allow myself to look in his eyes and see he's just as upset as I am.

"I'll be ok." I repeat with a nod. "I'll see you soon." I say surely, trying to compose myself and urge him to go so i'm not holding him back.

"See you soon." He nods, pulling my face to his and locking our lips together before he slips off to join Mark.

I watch as he walks down the ramp to the plane, wiping tears from his face the whole time.

I wait until he's out of sight and I suck in a deep breathe to try and relieve the weight on my chest. A few more tears fall as I stand waiting, as if he'll come back any minute.

"See you soon." I whisper to myself, turning to walk back to the security guard that is waiting to escort me out.

I collect myself the best I can, and my heavy sobs have dulled into a quiet steady stream of tears as we walk back to the door Niall and I entered through moments ago.

Relief washes over me the second I am securely in the passenger seat of the Tahoe with Beck.

I don't say a word, but I feel his eyes on me as I buckle up while continuously wiping at my cheeks.

I sigh only to suck in a harsh breath a second later.

"Can we go?" I say in a way that's a bit harsher than my usual tone with Beck.

I'm exhausted, i'm sad, i'm vulnerable, and i'm a mad because i've been crying in public and i'm sure there will be picture on the internet later. I just want to leave, but Beck insists on starring at me like i'm on the edge of a mental breakdown.

I feel bad for speaking to him this way, but Beck being my truest friend and knowing I don't mean anything by my tone of voice, simply nods and puts the car in drive before pulling away.

The drives gives me a few more minutes to collect myself and as we pull up to my house he sees me looking at him as if I have something to say.

"What?" He asks, cautiously.

"Do you really need me in Australia?!" I ask, cracking a smile which warrants a laugh from both of us because we know the answer is definitely yes.

Beck drops me off, telling me to take a nap and catch up on the sleep I lost last night and then call him if I need anything.

Sleep sounds good, but distraction is what I need.

I immediately hop onto my laptop and get to work on preparations for our Australia trip next week. I have a lot of packing and planning to do, as well as some shopping I have to do before then.

A couple hours later I find myself sitting on my couch going cross eyed from exhaustion and staring this screen for too long. I close the laptop, convincing myself to at least try to shut my brain off and take a nap.

When I venture into my bedroom, a familiar scent blindsides me causing my knees to buckle and sending my mind into a frenzy. The smell of him...

Surely i'm making it up. I must have smelled it when I walked past the guest room door. I don't dare venture in there, because I will end up sleeping there and never come back out.

He's barely seen my bedroom let alone spent enough time to leave his scent lingering in the air, and frankly it's a bit rude of my mind to do this to me just when I was regaining the ability to breathe again.

I flick on the light and everything becomes clear. His hoodie is lying on my pillow with a note lying on top of it.

In his handwriting I find, "For when you need me...Nialler x"