Captivated by shadows [h.s.]

10.

After Niall helped me clean myself up and then brought me my bag from the car, so I could change into fresh clothes, I was now sitting with him at his own bar, which was tucked away in a corner next to the black leather sofa.

"Do you like pomegranate?" he asks as he stands with his back to me to mix me the Niall special cocktail.

"It's not my favourite fruit, but I have nothing against pomegranates," I reply, amused.

"Any allergies that I should know about?"

"I don't think so." Laughing, I play with the yellow hem of my T-shirt.

"Okay, here it is. The Niall special cocktail." He turns to me and places a clear cocktail glass in front of my nose, the contents of which were a strange colour.

"What's in there?" I tilt my head slightly and wrinkle my nose.

"Why don't you try to find out," he challenges me with a grin, resting his forearms on the bar between us.

"Do I have to worry that I'm going to pass out at any moment?" I joked as I reached for the glass.

"You'll know when the time comes." He shrugs his shoulders in amusement. He reaches for a second glass with the same contents as mine.

"Well then, here's to the Niall special cocktail." I held my glass out to him so we could toast.

"To finally finding a funny drinking buddy."

"Don't you enjoy drinking with the others?" I ask before taking a big sip.

"Yes, but we spend every day together, so we quickly start arguing when we're drunk." He empties his glass in one go.

"Yes, I noticed that." I state with a nod.

"How so?"

"You often bicker and insult each other."

"Oh no, we always talk to each other like that, when we have a real argument it usually ends up being bloody." He reaches for a bottle of whisky that was on the bar next to me to pour the amber-coloured liquid into his glass.

"I see" I mumble and sip my drink again. "Why do you even spend every day together, travelling from city to city?" I ask curiously.

"Well, you know we–"

"We're just four tourists who like to spend time together." Niall was interrupted by Liam, who looked at him admonishingly.

"Right," Niall confirmed with a nod. "How's Harry?"

"He's asleep. We've cleaned and dressed the wound. He should be better soon." Liam slumps down on a bar stool at the other end of the bar and rests his head in his hands.

"What do you want to drink?" Niall walks over to him and swings a white towel over his shoulder as if he were actually a bartender.

"I don't care" Liam shrugs his shoulders.

"Okay, then you get the Niall special cocktail too."

"No, no, no, no, no, no, no. I'm never drinking the Niall special cocktail again" Liam shakes his head.

"Why?" Niall asks sulkily.

"Why? The last time I drank the Niall special cocktail, I ended up wearing a blue dress and there was an alpaca in my room."

"What?" I ask in shock, looking at the glass in my hand.

I knew it. I should never have drunk that drink.