Authors Note; Sorry this took so long! It was ridiculous... Sorry.. And this is unedited because i'm a lazy git... So sorry. :/ ~B.T.C.
Chapter 4
Niall was lying on the ground, a pillow tucked under his head and a blanket spread over his body. He wasn’t asleep, no, his body was too sore and too stiff to let him surrender to the darkness. Instead he laid there, letting Harry run his fingers through his hair, and hearing the quiet whisper of the other boys, Zayn, Liam, and Louis, in the corner.
“I can make you see anything I want you to see,” Niall said, his voice soft and his head cradled in Harry’s lap, “Anything you wish for, I can make it real for you.” His voice slipped from his lips, hanging in the air like clouds. They were gentle, and sweet, and Harry used his thumbnail to brush away the remainder of the blood under the boys left eyebrow.
“Really?” Harry whispered, moving his thumb and tracing Niall’s features with it. The small lips, the too wide eyes, and the small, button nose. Harry wondered why he felt so connected with Niall. Maybe it was their powers, or the situation, or just how small and venerable Niall was, like he just needed protection from everything. Maybe it was the bruises, or how Niall knew everything about Harry, and Harry knew everything about Niall, or just maybe they needed some sanity.
“Yes,” Niall looked up at Harry with parted lips, their eyes meeting and Harry had no fear of pain from his too frightening and too blue eyes, “It makes me tired, but I can do it and I can hold the façade for hours. It’d be just like you’re there and interacting,” Niall cleared his throat loudly, “Let me show you.”
“I don’t want to do anything that’ll make you tired,” Harry complied, smiling numbly down at the older, yet smaller boy draped across him. But Niall was already sitting up, smiling, jumping around on his knees.
“No, It won’t be a big deal, I’ll just keep it up for thirty seconds. You’ll love it.” Niall said, putting his hands on both of Harry’s cheeks, hooking his fingers behind his ears once again and grinning wide. “Now, tell me what you want to see!” Niall trilled, his face flushed.
“Anything?” Harry asked cautiously, his face aflame.
“Anything.” Niall confirmed, and then chuckled, “You know, I know just what to show you.” Niall bowed his head, his fingers digging into Harry’s cheeks a little harder than intended, and then he looked up and met Harry’s eyes. Harry felt the cold feeling swallow his body, in then he was standing on a stage.
There was a crowd in front of him, thousands of girls, all cheering his name, chanting their love for him. Signs were held above heads, posters clutched in hands, faces were red from screaming. They were dressed in shirts plastered with his face and his name, and girls in the front row reached out with desperate hands and tears streaming down their faces. Harry took a few fumbling steps forward, a microphone grasped in his hand and a ear piece hanging off his shoulder, tickling his neck with the wire. He stood, a band playing behind him and fans screaming his name, adrenaline surging like ice water in his veins, in then it was all going dark and he was just looking into blue, blue, blue eyes and he was wearing a dumb grin.
“Niall that was… That was amazing.” Harry whispered, looking up to see Niall with his hands on the ground and his chest rising and falling as he breathed deeply.
“Was it? I tried my best, that’s what you wanted right?” Niall asked, panting slightly as he got to his knees and smiled. Harry nodded, sinking back onto his butt and grinning wildly.
“Liam, Zayn, Louis, would you like to try it too?” Niall asked, and Liam crawled over to him firstly, sitting on his knees.
“Niall, I’d like to see-“ But Niall put his hand over Liam’s pouty mouth, and let their eyes meet.
Liam was standing behind a podium, and he was dressed in the typical graduation cap and gown. His eyes were excited, and he had his hands balled up into fists on top of the stand. His palms were sweating, and his tongue felt thick and dry, but he’d never felt more ready for anything in his life. The silence was deafening, and it rang in Liam’s ears as he put his mouth near the microphone attached to the desk top. He could hear the sound of someone breathing, and the sound of a woman blowing her nose, and a pent up sob escaping from someone’s lips. “Hi, my name is Liam Payne and I am your Valedictorian,” In then he was being sucked away from the fantasy, a tingling feeling racing up his spine and lodging in his throat. He lifted his hands, desperate for air, when all of a sudden he was released and oxygen flooded into his lungs. Longing panged in his heart as he thanked Niall with his eyes.
“What did you see?” Harry asked, but Niall shushed him with a very pointed look.
“What you see, should be kept a secret lads, and hold it dear, because soon, we may be left with nothing but the good memories I can place in you. Now, Wings, come here mate, I’ve got just the thing to make you see.”
So Zayn crawled over and Niall met his eyes as he shuffled, and the boy with wings stopped his movements abruptly.
He was in the air, his wings extended fully, the top feathers aimed towards the heavens as he fluttered his wings in the dark purple sky. He felt the cold air in his lungs, and the movement and ripples of his shoulder muscles as he pushed his wings down with everything he had, in then brought them up. He flew through a cloud, his vision distorting and moisture collecting on his top feathers, but it was okay because his blood was hot in his veins and the freedom buzzed through him like alcohol. He pulled in, dropping several feet, head first, before snapping out his wings again and drifting upward at a soft swing, the wind collected in his hair, and the moon spilt across his wings, and the air and the clouds and the freedom was in his lungs and in his heart. And all of it was gone, white flashes flickered behind his eyelids and a blister of pain erupted right behind his left eye, and he raised his hand to ward it off, but it was gone and he was back in the room with the padded white walls and other freaks.
He looked at Niall, preparing to thank him for letting him have the adrenaline rush that came with flying for the last time, but Niall was already zoning in on Louis, who was chewing vigorously on his bottom lip.
“Surprise me, eh?” Louis asked Niall, and Zayn wishes he could find the words to express his deep gratitude for all the boy has done for him, but he finds himself unable to speak. So he slumps back and watches Niall’s sick, tired smile as his eyes meet the last of the inmates.
Louis jaw goes slack and his head flops onto his shoulder, and his tongue sticks out, but he keeps his eyes locked onto Niall’s.
He’s with his girlfriend, Eleanor, and she has her arms around his neck, and his around her waist. They’re in their matching coca cola pajamas, and they’re twirling around the living room in wide, sloppy circles. “Louis, would it be to forward if I asked you to kiss me?” And Louis didn’t respond, and instead leaned forward to capture the girls lips in his own. She tasted like sour gummy worms and buttery popcorn, mixed with the familiar sweetness of Whiskey and Wine. So Louis stood there, kissing his girlfriend for the first time and enjoying the fireworks that erupted in his chest, and the humming bird that had taken over his heart, and the butterflies that flapped happily in his tummy.
“El, I love you.” He whispered when they broke the kiss.
“I love you too.” The girl whispered back, in then everything was covered in red and Louis was much too hot. His hands were burning, and his head was screaming, and he was covered in flames that were swallowing him up and he could feel himself burning in then- he shook himself to find the back of a blond head. Niall had turned away, his eyelids looking much too heavy.
“Lads, why don’t we all rest for a while, it must be night?” And by the hollow feeling in everyone’s stomach they knew it had been a day without food, and water, and the comfort of security. So they all stood up, shook themselves, and made their way to their, almost identical except for the color of their blankets, beds.
Zayn wanted to protest and say someone should remain on watch, but what was the point? The door creaked so loud they’d all awaken if it were to open. Niall was still standing in the center of the floor, in then he looked at Harry with a bashful smile on his face and those too blue and too everything eyes of his met Harry’s for a brief second.
Harry’s entire body was swathed in a warm cocoon of comfort, and he could no longer feel the hunger, and all he could do was look at Niall, who was bruised and bloody, and must’ve been exhausted and opened his arms wide.
“Why don’t you lie with me, just for now, so I can make sure they don’t come to get you in the night?” The thought put a knife in Liam’s gut, fear, but he ignored it and watched the small blond lad, the smallest kid with what might be the most frightening power, climb into bed with Harry, dragging his blanket with him.
“You know ace, it’s a little weird to sleep next to a stranger.” But Harry just snorted, and switched positions so Niall was facing the wall. Niall curled in on himself, and Harry curled in over him, wrapping his arms around the shorter boys waist and dropping his chin on his head. Harry molded his body to match Niall’s as best as he could. “Ace, I didn’t know you were going to spoon me.”
All of the boys erupted into giggles at that, and Harry just ran the pad of his thumb along Niall’s hip bone, and that made the boy shut up.
“Good night,” Zayn said, thinking of the wind in his lungs and beneath his wings.
“Good night.” Harry repeated, thinking of the Brady Bunch and their dorky goodnight scenes.
“Good night.” Louis stated, his lips tingling with the reminder of his first kiss with his girlfriend.
“G’night, lads.” Liam whispered finally, pulling the blanket over his eyes to block out the light. It was not needed, for seconds after they all shifted in bed the fluorescent lights clicked off, shrouding the room in a darkness so thick it was almost tangible.
“Don’t let the bed bugs bite, mates.” Niall whispered, his voice trembling in fear, for, what if they never turned the lights back on?