@teeloganroryflanagan For you my dear!
Niall wasn't talking. He had come home from vacation with his family and hadn't spoken since. Something had happened over break but the boys didn't know what was going on with him. He had been very clingy to Liam and was more distant from the rest of the boys.
One night after dinner, they were all sitting around watching a movie. Liam and Niall were sitting together on the couch and the rest of the boys were on the ground. Liam was talking to Niall like he did every night.
"Niall, you've got to talk to us. Even if it's just one of us. Tell me what's going on. Come on baby," Liam coaxed. "Why won't you talk to us? Something happened and it affected you majorly."
Niall shook his head and got up from the couch. He went into his room and shut the door.
"Ok, I don't like this. He hasn't spoken for 2 weeks. I figured he'd snap out of it by now," Louis said.
"I know, I think we need to take him to a doctor," Harry said. The other two boys nodded in agreement.
"It's good we haven't had to record and we are just writing songs now because he wouldn't be able to record."
They heard footsteps on the stairs and Niall appeared at the base of the stairs. Everyone was looking at him. "Liam, I need to talk to you," he said. His voice was changed, probably from underuse. The boys gasped and their mouths dropped open. Niall was talking.
"Niall! Ok come here, let's talk baby." Niall shook his head. He pointed up the stairs. Liam was surprised he was talking, so he followed him up the stairs.
Niall was holding his hand and he led him into his room. They sat down on the bed and Niall immediately started crying. Liam pulled him into a hug and held him until he was calmed down enough. Once he could speak again, Liam let go of him and looked at him.
"Ok, so over break... um, my brother, mum, dad, Denise, and Theo died."
"What!?!?! Why haven't we heard about this?" Niall shrugged.
"No one knows. My mum had just come in from picking my dad up at the airport and Greg, Denise, and Theo were pulling out. The two cars hit head on and everybody died. I had come out to greet my father and watched them hit each other. I watched my whole family die. There was nothing I could do to save them. By the time I reached the cars, everybody was dead." Tears came again and Liam was too stunned to move for a minute.
"Ni, I'm really sorry. You should tell the other two." He wrapped his arms around Niall and felt tears come to his own eyes.
"No! I'm not ready to tell them yet. I've lost my whole family. You are all I have left," Niall said sadly, looking up at Liam.
"What about the other boys? They care about you."
"Not like you do. I don't feel as safe with them as I do with you."
"Ok, well are you going to talk to them?"
"I don't know. I feel like every time I open my mouth, I'm going to cry. I don't want them to think of me any differently."
"Hon, I think they should know. I can tell them if you want but you honestly need to let them know. I have to go into the studio tomorrow to meet with Simon, and you, Harry, and Louis are staying here. Text me if you need me."
"Ok. What should I do Liam?"
"About what? Your parents?" Niall nodded. "Well, I think we should tell the boys and go from there. You can always talk to me if you need something. You know that though, right?"
"Yes. Thank you so much Liam. You are the best friend I could ever have." They hugged and then Niall stopped talking again. They went downstairs and Liam told them what Niall had told him. He left out the part about him not talking to the others though. He just said Niall didn't want to talk much.
"Niall, we are family. We love you like a brother. Heck, I would even die to save you," Louis said. Niall's eyes filled up with tears and he buried his head in Liam's neck. Liam rubbed his back and looked at Louis. "What? Oh, dang, I didn't think. I'm sorry buddy."
Niall gave a thumbs up to Louis but kept on crying. His gasping breaths filled the room and they eventually evened out and he was asleep.
"Did he cry himself to sleep?" Harry asked. Niall had his head on Liam's shoulder and was sitting in his lap. Both of his arms were wrapped around the older boy's neck and he looked about 12 years old.
"I think so. Look, you guys know I have to go meet with Simon tomorrow. Niall probably won't talk a whole lot. Just make sure he eats and stays busy. Keep him off of Twitter. I don't know if anyone has found out about this but I doubt it. Anyway, we need to keep him away from hate. I told him to text me if he wanted to talk and I would either call or come home. We are all he has left now and we need to make sure he knows we all love him. Got it?" Liam said.
"Got it. So Niall might not talk at all tomorrow?" Harry asked.
"He might not. After he told me the story he didn't say another word. I don't know why he won't talk, but as long as one of us is watching him at all times, we should be able to get him back to normal."
"I miss joking around with him," Louis said. He looked at Niall lovingly and reached over to run his hand through his blonde hair.
"I know buddy. With Zayn gone, we need to be closer than ever and now Niall needs us. Well, I'm going to take him up to bed. Goodnight lads."
"Goodnight Liam, tell Niall I love him," Louis said. Liam smiled and nodded. Harry said the same and Liam stood, careful not to wake the boy in his arms, and walked up the stairs to Niall's room. He put him on the bed and pulled the covers up. As soon as he was going out the door, Niall woke up.
"Liam? Please don't leave. I can't take another night alone in the dark with my nightmares." Niall looked for him in the dark and Liam gave in. He walked over to the other side of the bed and got in.
"I'll stay, don't worry. I love you and Louis and Haz said to tell you they love you too. Go to sleep, I'll be here when you wake up."
"Goodnight Liam. I love you." Niall snuggled down into Liam and fell asleep. Liam stayed awake and thought about the nightmares Niall mentioned. Were they bad? Well, he would find out that night.
At 4:23, Liam heard talking. Niall was awake. No he wasn't, he was talking in his sleep.
"No Greg! I love you, don't leave!" Niall cried heartbreaking sobs in his sleep and Liam decided that he had had enough. He couldn't watch his little brother suffer like this.
"Niall, wake up, hey. It was just a dream." Niall opened his eyes and wrapped both of his arms around Liam.
"Real."
"It was a dream, I promise. I'm here, I gotcha. I'm not letting go, now go back to sleep," Liam promised. Niall put his head on Liam's chest and looked up at him.
"Real?"
"No. Not real."
"Greg?"
"Dead. Not alive. Real."
"I am Niall James Horan. I love you, real or not real?"
"Real. Now get some sleep."
"You are Liam James Payne. You love me, real or not real?"
"Real. I love you very much." Niall seemed satisfied and fell asleep in Liam's arms.
The next morning, both men woke up and looked at each other. Liam kissed Niall and slipped out of bed to go get dressed for his meeting. Niall followed him like a puppy. He sat on Liam's bed while he got dressed and followed him down to breakfast. Liam sat on the chair and Niall sat on the one right next to him. He was impossibly close. Liam didn't mind though. Niall needed him, he was having trouble remembering what was real and what wasn't.
"Niall, I have to go now, but you will be with Lou and Haz all day. Text or call if you need anything. You can trust them. They are good guys," Liam said after breakfast. Niall held Liam's hand until he went out the door. He watched him get in the car and then started to hyperventilate. Louis came out and calmed him down a little. He was still looking at Liam in the car.
Niall ran down the steps and went to Liam's car window. "You will come back, real or not real?"
"Real. I'll be back for dinner. I love you." Niall didn't say anything in return, just went inside.
He took his phone, sat in a chair; legs sideways and head on a armrest, and played on his phone. Louis came in and asked if he wanted anything. Niall shook his head and turned off his phone. A text came in from Liam and he read it.
Ni- Hope u r well. Miss u bbe. Call if u need something. U can talk to the guys. I promise. Love u- Liam <3
Niall replied with a simple:
I'm fine. B safe. Too scared to talk. Love u 2- Ni
He sent it and laid his head back on the pillows. Harry came in with lunch and set it in front of Niall.
"Eat it. Please."
Niall took a little bite and then another. He smiled at Harry and nodded. He finished the sandwich and then opened a new message. He clicked on Greg's name and started typing before realizing what he was trying to do and he broke down in tears. Louis and Harry came running in. They took the phone from Niall, fearing Twitter, but instead saw an unsent message to Niall's brother.
"Hey, it's Ok Niall. You're Ok. What's wrong?" Niall pointed to the screen of his phone and then started crying again. Harry read the message Niall was starting to type:
Greg, can't wait t c u next break! Send Theo my love. I love
Then it stopped. Niall realized Greg would never receive the message. Louis was holding him and kissing his forehead. Niall calmed down enough and reached for his phone. He canceled the message to Greg and opened a message to Liam. He hopped off Louis's lap and went to the couch.
"Niall, you can talk to us. You know that, right?" Niall just nodded sadly. He started to text Liam:
When will u b home?
Liam opened his phone at the end of the meeting and saw Niall and Louis had texted him. Niall asked when he would be home. He frowned and wondered what the heck was going on at their house. The text from Louis said that Niall wasn't talking, he ate a little bit of a sandwich, and then had a breakdown.
"Simon, can I go now? I really need to get back to the lads."
"You may go, yes. Is something wrong?"
"No, I'm fine. Thanks though." Liam left and started up his car. On the way home, he called Harry. "Hey Haz. How is he doing?"
"He still isn't talking and he isn't really communicating either. He only nods his head sometimes and he still seems a little shaky from sending; or trying to send, that text. Louis and I try to help him, but he wont let us get close to him now. The last time either of us touched him was after lunch when Louis held him. Liam, I'm really worried about him."
"It will be Ok. I'm pulling into the driveway now. Tell Niall I'm home and I'll be in in a minute."
"Will do. Bye Liam." They hung up and Liam parked the car. Niall was waiting on the front porch when he got out of the car.
"Hey buddy. How you doing?" Liam asked, hugging him tightly. Niall shook his head and put his head on Liam's shoulder. "Not good huh?" Another shake of his head. "Do you want to go eat dinner inside?"
Niall let go of the hug and grasped Liam's hand tightly as they went inside. Louis smiled when Liam walked in. "Has he said a word?"
"No. But it's Ok. He will talk when he feels like it." They went into the kitchen and sat down. Harry had made chicken and rice. He was an amazing cook. Niall sat next to Liam again and didn't say a word. He didn't even attempt to eat until Louis asked him if he was going to eat or not. Niall finished off his chicken and then went up to bed. It was 8:30, so the boys all wondered why he was so tired.
"How was today? I heard he had a breakdown."
"He tried to text Greg then realized. He cries a lot easier now, I don't like it. He didn't even protest when I held him. I'm really worried about him," Louis said. Harry nodded and mentioned lunch.
"He was eating but stopped halfway through and didn't look me in the eyes again today. Maybe you should try to go talk to him, Liam."
"Ok, I'll go up. Do you guys want to start a film?"
"Sure. Are you going to bring him down?"
"I might. I'll see how he is doing." Liam climbed the stairs and knocked lightly on Niall's door before going in. Niall was sitting on his bed looking at a picture. Liam sat night to him and put an arm around his shoulders. "You Ok?"
Niall shook his head. He handed Liam the picture. It was his family last Christmas, all of the ones who had died. He usually had the picture by his bed, but now another picture had replaced it. A picture of Niall and Liam on stage during Little Things. Niall had been having a rough night that night and his voice cracked when he tried to sing his solo so Liam sat next to him and sang with him. Niall loved that picture.
"What are you going to do with this picture?" Liam asked. Niall shrugged and put it in his nightstand drawer. "Do you want to come down and watch a movie with us?" Niall nodded and got up from the bed. They went down to the living room and started watching Grease. Normally, Niall would be really into the movie, but something else was on his mind and he wasn't even paying attention to the screen. He was lying with his head in Liam's lap and he was playing with Liam's fingers. Liam reached down and moved a lock of blonde hair off of Niall's forehead and kissed him.
"What's on your mind?" Liam asked quietly.
"I don't want to lose you," Niall whispered and then went back to playing with Liam's fingers. The movie got turned off because no one was watching it and now they were watching some football game. No one else had heard the two boy's exchange.
"You're not going to lose me. I promise." Liam moved to lay behind Niall and Niall turned around so he was facing Liam. He laced his fingers with Liam's and put his head on his chest. He looked up at Liam with his beautiful blue eyes. Liam brought the blonde's face close and pressed a kiss to his lips. Louis and Harry were stretched on the floor together, limbs in a tangled heap. Everyone was asleep within minutes.
At 11:45, Liam woke up. Niall was awake, watching him. Liam looked down and started.
"Jeez Ni! You scared me." Niall looked down, embarrassed. "Hey, no, it's Ok. Look here. Do you want to go up to your room?" Niall nodded. Liam picked him up and they went to Niall's room. Liam tucked him in like he was 5 and then turned to leave. He forgot Niall would want him to stay.
"Stay?" Niall asked.
Liam turned around and looked at the young boy. He looked embarrassed for not being able to sleep on his own. His eyes softened and he nodded.
"I'll stay. Why don't we talk about what is bothering you?" Liam slid into bed and turned on Niall's light.
"It's nothing."
"Well you will only talk to me and I think the others are super worried about you. Something is still going on and you need to tell me and I can help." Niall sat up in his bed and looked at Liam.
"I could've driven to get my dad from the airport but my mom did because I was still asleep. If she had just woken me up, I would've died and she could still be with us."
"Niall, you might've died if you went to go get your dad. I couldn't live without you. She would be in your position and I know she would be missing you just as much as you miss her. You can't blame yourself."
"I know, but I wish it was me."
"Niall, I would miss you more than anyone. Heck, I wouldn't even be able to function properly. Never again say that you wish you were dead," Liam said firmly. Niall nodded, tears present in his eyes once again.
"I can't talk to the others because of all the dread inside of me. It's hard enough to talk to you. I don't even know the reasons I can't talk to them, but every time I try to talk to them, I just cant. I can't explain it."
"Then don't try to explain it. We can talk more in the morning. Let's go to sleep."
"Please don't leave."
"You know I wont."
I think a part 2 is coming! Would y'all want that?