Amsterdam

+1. Niall Part 3

Niall stared at his figure going to the front stage. Liam had already told Harry to stop talking once Niall's ready, so now the curly-haired boy was waiting for Niall's good-to-go signal. He was still talking to the fans, but now he was glancing at the blonde too.

Niall couldn't help but smile at the younger boy. It was kind of funny, looking at Harry glancing back and forth. He would've laugh out loud if his knee wasn't practically screaming at him. Niall bit his lip again, but he replaced it with a smile and a nod when Harry looked at him.

Harry stopped talking about random things the second he noticed Niall's signal and also painful smile. Harry almost frowned, but he remembered that the camera was focusing on him. So, Harry continued to smile and he announced the last song for the night.

"Okay, guys! This is Best Song Ever!" Harry shouted to his microphone, making the fans scream louder. The band began to play the music, and the four boys scattered everywhere.

Louis stood close to the main stage, looking over his shoulder to see Niall every ten seconds. Liam was near him, fiddling with the microphone and glancing at the blonde. Harry stayed at the front stage, internally screaming at the band to make the music faster so that they could end the concert. Zayn was no different, but he didn't show any evidence that he was nervous or anything.

Niall decided to just stand where he was and not join the boys. His pain was escalating by the second, and he was sure that it would get even worse if he walk around the stage. It would disappoint the fans, he knew, but the blonde didn't really have a choice.

Actually he did, but it's only between standing here to not make the pain any worse or walk around the stage with the boys but make the pain really worse. Niall loved his fans, but he was too scared to see the outcome of the latter.

So like it or not, first choice it is.

The boys understood that Niall wasn't going to join them on the front stage this time, and they supported his decision. They were relieved, actually, that the blonde won't do anything to make his knee condition even more painful. The lads only hoped that the fans would understand too, that Niall wasn't in the best shape to walk around.

All of them began to sing Best Song Ever, the last song of the night. The boys, minus Niall, may or may not sang a bit faster than they should've have. And, Louis might've signaled the band to play quicker than normal. But neither Niall or the fans noticed, so they carried on.

Niall executed his solos perfectly. His voice was still amazing, and he didn't make a single mistake with his guitar. He accidentally let out a small almost noticeable wince when his solo came, and of course the four lads noticed, but thankfully no one mentioned it.

And then, it was time for all of them to take their signature bow and walk around the stage to wave their goodbyes at the fans. Paul came to him a few minutes before, and the manager helped Niall take off his guitar. He passed the guitar to Paul, then he turned around to join the rest of the boys. The four of them had already formed a line, with an empty space between Harry and Louis that was obviously for Niall.

Harry offered his hand out to Niall, and the latter gratefully took it. The younger boy helped him walk down the last few steps, before he felt his and Louis's arm wrapped around his shoulders. Niall smiled and wrapped his own arms around their shoulders. Then, the five of them slowly bowed to the crowd.

Harry let go of Niall and he ran ahead to the front stage. Liam did the same, with Zayn following behind him. Louis gave Niall a smile before joining the other lads to wave at the fans. Niall watched his friends walking ahead of him, interacting and waving at the fans their goodbyes. The blonde decided to follow them, and he slowly walked to the front stage.

But after walking only halfway there, the pain from his knee got worse. The Irish lad was this close from screaming in pain, and it took everything in him to resist the urge to bend down and look at his knee.

He wanted to join his friends, he really did, but he felt that his knee would buckle any minute now. It was too big of a risk, so Niall reluctantly decided to just stand in place and clap and wave to the fans there.

But he could only be strong for so long. Eventually his knee became almost one hundred percent unbearable, even by his high standards. He wouldn't last any longer, even when they were going backstage in only five minutes. Niall wouldn't last in that five minutes, that's for sure. So without a second thought, he turned around and slowly walked back to the main stage.

The boys noticed their last member's absence at the front stage. They expected him to catch up to them slower than usual, but they didn't expect him to not show up at all. So when they saw Niall limping his way back to the main stage when he wasn't supposed to just yet, all of them were alerted almost instantly.

Harry acted first, quickly walking over to where Niall was without looking back. Liam made sure to wave to a few more fans, before he followed behind his friend. Louis and Zayn was the furthest from them all, so both of them had to actually run to catch up.

Niall had managed to get to the steps when Harry finally got to him. Good timing too, because Niall was about to buckle over. Harry held onto him before he did, and continued to help him up the steps.

"Thanks, Haz." Niall managed to say between his gritted teeth. Harry gave him a sad smile and he rubbed his back.

"No problem, Ni. Come on, we're almost there."

Niall nodded as they continued to go up to the stage lift. Louis finally catched up to them and he quickly put his hand on Niall's shoulder and squeezed it slightly.

"It's okay, Niall. You'll be okay." He reassured the blonde.

"Niall!" Liam called out, appearing beside Harry. "Take it easy, Ni." He said, noticing that Niall was walking too fast for his knee.

"Liam, I might fall down any second now. I can't take it easy." Niall stated, wincing for the umpteenth time because of the pain.

Liam mentally smacked himself before nodding. "Okay, just don't jostle your knee too much."

"I don't intend too." Niall said. Suddenly, the Irish boy felt another hand on his back. Niall smiled internally, he didn't need to turn around to know that it's Zayn. It's how the Bradford boy help him most of the time.

"Hold on, Ni. We're almost there." Harry's voice told him, his hand didn't cease from rubbing his back. Niall nodded, and continued to walk until all of them reached the lift.

The five of them went to their positions and they turned around to face the crowd one last time. Everyone minus Niall tried to smile and wave at them, but Niall was too distracted by the pain to even look at the fans. He couldn't do a fake smile anymore, and he was biting his lip so hard he could start to taste blood.

The lift began to take them down, and Niall mentally sighed in relief. When all of them were out of the crowd's sight, Louis took Niall's arm and placed it on his shoulder. Harry did the same, resulting in Niall being supported by his two friends.

Finally, the lift stopped and they were now backstage. Liam and Zayn quickly went to Paul and told him to get the first-aid kit. Harry and Louis continued to half-carry Niall to their dressing room to be treated.