Keep Me Safe (Sequel to Take Me Home)

Chapter Thirty-Eight

He was there again.

The sound of the lock clicking shut.
Footsteps coming towards him.
His lungs felt closed off, no air entering his body no matter how hard he breathed.

Then the hands were there.
Pushing him onto his back.
He could feel the material of the couch beneath his sweating palms for a moment, soft and grounding.

Then there was the weight on top of him, fingers fumbling where they shouldn't be.
His hands weren't against the couch anymore, they were pushing on the man's chest, trying to shove him off.

He wasn't strong enough.

"Shh," he hummed, and now tears were trickling from Niall's eyes, running down the sides of his face and into his hair.

He opened his mouth to cry out but no sound left and then there was a large palm held over his lips as he sobbed silently.

He tried to fight. He tried so hard.

But he just wasn't strong enough.

Niall sat up with his chest heaving, tears rolling down his cheeks. For a moment, he thought he was still there, in the counselor's office and he still couldn't breathe.

Then his tired mind registered the dim bedroom, the orange light casted across his bed coming from the bedside lamp. His legs were tangled up and twisted in his blanket, and he became aware of how hot he was, clammy all over as he gulped in a mouthful of air.

"Ni?"

He jumped at the soft voice, looking to his left. His brother was sitting up against his own pillows, phone in one hand, forehead creased in concern. Niall stared at him for a moment, before realising he still had tears on his face.

He looked away, wiping his cheeks with the back of his hand quickly and sniffing.

"Are you okay?" Louis murmured, and out of the corner of his eye, Niall saw the other twelve year old pull back his own duvet and throw his legs over the side of the mattress, leaning towards his bed slightly.

He nodded in a rushed way, and forced a small smile at his brother. "I'm fine," he whispered, voice croaking. It was a blatant lie, and he knew Louis would be able to tell instantly. His heart was still hammering in his chest as he sucked in another shaky breath.

Louis let out a huff at that. "You're a rubbish liar," he said, voice not unkind.

Niall became aware once again of how suffocating hot that their bedroom felt, of how trapped and sweaty he was. His pajama top felt drenched at the back.

"Can we go out? For a...kick about?" he asked suddenly, looking to his brother with bloodshot eyes.

Louis raised an eyebrow, glancing down at his phone. "Ni, it's like one in the morning," he stated, and the blond chewed his lip, eyes pleading.

He just wanted to get out of the house, he needed air otherwise he was certain he'd combust.

"Please?" he whispered. "Just in the garden, I-I just need to -"

Louis cut him off before he could work himself up anymore, and Niall felt his shoulders slump in relief. "Alright. Okay, we can go into the garden...did you want to bring Coop?" he asked, softly.

Niall glanced down at the sleeping dog at the end of his bed and shook his head. He wanted to let the animal sleep, he'd practically acted like his personal guide dog lately, it didn't seem fair to wake him.