Stay Strong

Chapter 11

"You have some explaining to do"

The boys all looked at each other before letting out little sighs and nodding in Niall's direction. "You're right, we do. But you do as well, Niall." Zayn looked up to meet Niall's eyes, seeing confusion cross his face. "What do you mean? You seem to know everything about me already." Niall didn't understand what they could possibly need to know about him. "Well apparently," Louis started, chuckling lightly. "We don't seem to know all of your health issues." Harry picked up, continuing from what Louis started.

Niall nodded, agreeing with them, if he was going to spending a long period of time with them, that's probably something they need to know anyways. "I'll tell you everything you need to know, as soon as all my questions are answered." Niall smirked at his bargain as the others nodded, seeming to have agreed with him.

"Ask away," the boys said in Union, which freaked Niall out just a little bit. They all chuckled lightly at his expression. Zayn crossed the kitchen, reaching into the fridge and throwing water bottles to Liam, Harry, And Louis before grabbing two more and walking back to the table placing a water bottle in front of Niall and getting back into his seat with his own bottle.

"Well first, why are you guys helping me and keeping me safe? Like I don't think people who are best friends even go to this extent, it's kinda crazy," Niall looked at them all, confused. The boys looked at each other as if communicating in each other's heads. Harry began to speak, "Well we have been watching you for a while, keeping an eye on your from afar. It's our...job to protect you." Niall looked at him shocked and confused at the same time, "What do you mean it's your 'job' to protect me? Who is making you do this?"

"Niall we need you to understand that, the more information we give you, the more danger you're in. We have to be very selective about what we tell you just to be safe,  telling you who got us to do this is one of the things we can't answer," Louis looked at him sadly, wishing he could tell Niall everything we ever wanted to know. Niall sat back on his stool, annoyed that most of his questions will probably go unanswered.

"We're sorry Ni," Harry reached his hand across the table to Niall's and put his hand on top of the boys much smaller one. Niall looked at them again before smirking and leaning back towards the table. "Alright, then what are you protecting me from? Who is after me and why?" The boys all looked down at the table. Liam lifted his head again, his face showing all business.

"Well Ni, you are very very special, you don't know that yet but there are people all over the world trying to get you. Everyone wants you for some reason or another, we're not even sure what all those reasons are, we don't know why you're special. We just know that you are. We know that we have to keep you safe." Niall looks at him as if he had multiple heads. Him? Special? No way.

"What do you mean? I am not special at all. I am just some weak little boy who is going to die in a couple years anyway, I can't be special." Niall looked down at his hands, ashamed that everything he said about himself was in fact true. All of the other boys looked at Niall with sadness evident on their faces, it broke their heart that Niall though that about himself.

"You're not going to die Niall," Louis mumbled, trying to keep eye contact with the small blond. Niall made a scoffing sound in the back of his throat while rolling his eyes and crossing his arms over his chest. "I am really really sick guys, I wasn't supposed to live at all, let alone age past twenty. I don't even know half of what's wrong with me, I just take the drugs they give me. I just know that I'm really sick, nearing my end, and the doctor will tell me when I'm close." Niall said it all so simply, as if it was a casual everyday conversation.

The boys looked at him with shock all over their faces, how could he think those things about himself? "We aren't going to let you die Niall. We are going to take care of you," Niall just rolled his eyes again and looking across the room, annoyed by their lack of understanding. "You may be able to protect me from some scary monsters in the dark or something, but you can't save me from the inevitable illnesses that will take me one day." The boys all looked at him, determination crossing over all their faces. Zayn smirked from where sat, a devilish look in his eye, "Well we can certainly try then can't we." Niall chuckled, shaking his head. "Sure, go ahead." Niall replied quietly.