Duplicity [h.s]

39

He shrugs, "Its Harry."

"He needs to talk to someone about it." I mumble under my breath.

"Probably, but he never will."

"I thought he was going to die last night." I get a spine chill and a sick feeling in my stomach thinking about it. "He was talking like he was purposely overdosing."

"He won't die." Niall was quick to say.

"How can you be so sure?" I asked pensively.

"He leaves his door unlocked." He states like it was a fact. "He leaves it unlocked so I can come get him in the morning."

I furrow my brows while trying to understand exactly what he just said. I glance at Harry again, he was still passed right out on the bed.

"But how would an unlocked door represent that?"

"If it was locked, he wouldn't want to be helped. If it's unlocked, he's risking someone coming in and saving him." He explains the methodology behind the surreal metaphor.

"Did he tell you this?"

"No, it's just what I take from it. But he leaves his door unlocked every day so I can come in the morning and get him to the bus. I've brought him to the bus countless times when he's like this."

"This is all so scary." I huff in defeat, never in a million years thinking this was his life. I knew he goes through a lot but I didn't think it was so much on the inside.

"As fucked up as it seems, you'll get used to it. I tried once to get him to get some help, but he lost it at me."

"I'm worried for him Niall.." I spoke so quiet and weak.

"Don't be, if his door is locked and he isn't answering then you can worry. But if not, he'll be fine, he's just going through shit." He zips up the duffle bag, having cleaned up the entire table.

But he's not fine.

"So you come into his room every morning?"

"Only mornings we leave for the bus. I'll knock around five and if he doesn't answer I open the door and go get him and his shit off the floor, drag him to the bus. But most days he's already awake and he opens the door himself, walking out with me." He explains quietly, grabbing the duffle bag and putting it over his shoulder.

"Does he ever day anything to you? Like during or afterwards."

"No, I only even find him knocked out. And the next day we just don't talk about it, he doesn't want to and I'm not a therapist so I rather not talk about it either. It's just an unspeakable understanding we have for each other." He explains calmly, I'm glad he was answering all of my questions. I never thought I would have this type of conversation with Niall.

"That's kind of you to be checking up on him every other morning." I breathe.

He doesn't respond, just walks over to Harry on the bed. He bends down and nudges his shoulder to wake him up.

"C'mon Harry let's go." Niall says while knocking his shoulder back and forth.

Harry shifts and groans, not realizing Niall was telling him to get up. He just flips over away from him and tried to go back to sleep.

"He may still be high, he's only been asleep for a few hours." I state in reason.

"Harry you gotta get on the bus now." He grabs his wrists and pulls it, making him sit up asleep.