Keep Me Safe (Sequel to Take Me Home)

Chapter Forty-Seven

Niall got out of bed then, fleecy pajamas hanging off of his small frame as he shuffled across to Louis' bed with his head still hanging slightly.

Louis didn't need words to know what was going on. He shuffled across to make some room and allowed the smaller boy to climb onto the mattress beside him. The two of them lay back, and Louis tugged the duvet over them both, letting Niall curl into his side and wrapping his arm around him gently.

He didn't care that this was something they used to do when they were younger. He didn't care if they were twelve now and maybe too old for this. All he cared about right then was the fact that they were both upset and having his brother close made him feel better.

He held onto him a little tighter when he heard the quiet sniffling again.

"M'sorry, Ni. It'll get better, I know it will. A-and Christmas is gonna be good, right?" he said, stammering a little because he didn't know if he was saying the right thing. "Nana and Gramps are coming over, we'll have presents in the morning and Dad'll burn the Christmas Dinner again. And we'll play boardgames and watch movies until midnight when Nana and Gramps go home. We'll have fun, it'll be the same as always," he said, trying to reassure himself of the words.

Because he had a feeling it wouldn't be the same as always, not with the mess of the past few months hanging over their heads constantly. Not when Harry would be on the phone to Ash the whole time, and Dad and Papa would spend the whole day looking worried like they always seemed to now. Not when Nana and Gramps would be awkward and not know what to say to them all. Not when Niall wasn't going to speak.

He fell asleep with those worries, and not even the comfort of having his brother safe beside him could soothe that.

#

Louis woke up to an empty bed the next morning. The winterish white glow dimly lit the room, and he sat up and stretched for a moment before his eyes landed on Cooper, who was stretched across Niall's otherwise empty bed whilst chewing on a shoe.

He rolled his eyes slightly at that, thankful it wasn't one of his before he stood up and stretched, shuffling out of the room in his pajamas and deciding to go downstairs where there was sound coming from the kitchen.

He walked into a familiar scene.
Papa looked exhausted, having gotten home in the early hours, sipping on a coffee. Dad was cooking eggs and bacon and baked beans. Harry was eating toast with one hand and holding his phone in the other. Niall was sitting with his legs criss cross on the stool, mashing up his cereal.

"Mornin' Lou," Papa greeted softly as he climbed up onto the seat beside Niall.

He managed a tight smile back, because as familiar as the scene was - it was just lacking. Because it was too quiet; Harry needed to be complaining about something dramatically, Dad and Papa needed to be teasing him, Niall needed to be rambling on about some pointless thing he'd learned the day before.

It just felt fake.

"Morning," he mumbled back, and he felt his Dad move to his side to set down a plate of hot food in front of him, pressing a kiss to the top of his head.

"You okay, sweetheart?" he asked, handing Zayn another plate and then setting down his own, taking the empty seat on Louis' other side.

Louis chewed his lip and gave a shrug, feeling another pair of eyes on him. Niall was watching him with blue irises watery, and Louis could tell his brother was feeling guilty as if the bad mood was his fault.