Take Me Home

Chapter Twenty-Nine

A week later, and Niall was still having nightmares.

They weren't always the kind that caused him to scream the whole house awake, though. The other type was the worst - the ones where he would sob in his sleep.

Harry was up late on Saturday night, worrying about going back to school the following Monday. He didn't go to the bathroom to brush his teeth until just after midnight, so he was more than a little surprised to see Louis standing in the hallway when he opened the door. The other seven year old could usually sleep for ten hours straight, given the chance.

"Lou, what're you doing up? It's really late," Harry whispered,as Louis rubbed his eye with one of his sleeves and shrugged.

"Ni's crying in his sleep again. He woke me up," he murmured.

Harry sighed, knowing that this was the third time it had happened this week. This time, it wasn't just Niall who was tired, because the crying woke up Louis every time it happened.

"Alright. Go get Dad and Papa, I'll go sit with Ni," he instructed softly, ruffling his youngest brothers hair on the way past.

When he got to his little brothers' room, Niall was awake. He was curled up against the headboard, with his face buried into the knees of his striped pyjama bottoms, sobbing his heart out. Harry winced in sympathy and made his way over, sitting on the bed beside the blond but not quite plucking up the courage to reach out for him - he knew that the nightmares sometimes made Niall quite jumpy.

However, he was surprised when Niall crawled onto his lap and held onto his t-shirt with tight fists, sobbing into his chest quietly - his breaths hitching between bursts.

Harry automatically wrapped his arms around the small boy and held onto him, resting his chin on top of his head. He was glad that his cuts were almost completely healed now, otherwise this would be painful. It had been almost three weeks and he hadn't slipped up once.

Niall's sobs brought his back to reality, and he felt his own eyes sting. "God, Nialler, you're gonna make me cry," he said lightly, letting out a soft laugh.

Niall curled into him further, but the sobs began to grow less violent. When he began to sniffle instead, Harry pulled away slightly to look at the seven year old's face - bright red cheeks, wet eyelashes, bloodshot eyes, nose a little runny. Harry gave him a small smile as his wide blue eyes focused on him.

"It's a good thing you're such a shorty, otherwise this would be a little uncomfortable," Harry joked, grinning when Niall managed a small smile through the tears.

"S-sorry," he mumbled.

Before Harry could say anything, Liam and Zayn came in with Louis behind them. Liam sighed, sitting on the bed opposite Harry and Niall, and giving Harry a soft smile that silently thanked him for calming Niall down.

Then he turned his attention back to Niall, reaching out a hand to wipe his tears away.

"Another bad dream, baby?" he murmured, as Zayn sat on the other bed with Louis on his lap.

Niall nodded. "Keith taked me away again," he whispered, hanging his head and finally letting his hands slip away from Harry's shirt.

Liam tucked his fingers underneath Niall's chin and gently tipped his head back up. "Hey. He's never going to take you anywhere, okay? We wouldn't let him," he said, his voice so certain that Niall had no choice but to believe his words.

The seven year old managed another small smile. "You'll beat him up?" he asked.

Zayn chuckled at that. "I don't know about us, but I reckon Louis would give it a go, wouldn't you?" he asked, addressing the boy on his knee.