Stand By Me

Chapter Eighteen

Niall wakes up feeling a little less heavy the following day. He rolls over in his bed and opens his eyes to the sight of the mid-morning sun filtering in through the slats in the blind, and for once doesn't feel the need to tug the covers up over his head. Instead, he takes a deep breath, prepares himself, and then sits up.

His mouth tastes bad and he can feel how greasy his hair is, sticking up in tufts atop of his head. After rubbing at his eyes tiredly for a moment, he peels back the sheets and hoists himself up on legs that feel shaky from disuse. He takes fresh pyjamas that he's pretty sure are Harry's and will probably be too long for him from the chest of drawers across the room, carries them and himself into the bathroom, and starts running a shower.

The house is quiet enough that he knows Harry and Liam are probably at school already. Over the sound of the gushing water, he can just about make out the hum of deep voices rising through the ceiling from the kitchen downstairs. Once he's in the shower, those fazzle out too and for a while, he drifts away — zoning out with the steady stream of hot water hitting his bare skin. He washes his hair on autopilot and stands beneath the shower for far longer than it takes for the suds to be rinsed away.

The mirror is steamed up once he's out and he's mostly relieved of that — he isn't sure what he looks like and he knows he doesn't really want to either. It's been days since he got out of bed for anything other than a quick trip to the bathroom, he's certain that he looks a total mess.

He changes quickly, pulling on the flannel bottoms and the matching shirt, sleeves hanging over his fingers and the cuffs of his trousers tucked into the tops of his socks. He treads down the stairs quietly after, not purposely, he's gotten used to having to creep around his own home for the past few years; it's simply a habit for him to be light on his feet.

When he reaches the kitchen, the two men inside don't even realise that he's there. He stands in the doorway and wraps his arms around himself, watching as Papa pours hot water from the kettle into two mugs, steam rising before he stirs them both, bringing them over to the island where Dad is already sitting on one of the stools, his back facing the door. He murmurs a thanks to Zayn and wraps his hands around the mug, the other man placing his own down and preparing to sit on the chair beside him when his eyes land on Niall.

At first he looks surprised, then he smiles softly and steps around the back of Louis' chair. "Hey, kiddo. It's good to see you up," he says softly, and Niall manages a small smile back, shoulders hunching slightly as his arms tighten around himself.

"I, um, I felt kinda gross and stuff so I thought I'd take a shower," he says softly, clearing his throat when his voice escapes all husky and rough. "I just grabbed the first PJs I could get, I don't know —"

Louis stands from the stool then, shaking his head. "It's okay, buddy. You look cosy, Harry won't mind," he says, stepping closer to him and settling an arm behind his back, hand flat in the space between his shoulder blades. He leads him over to the island and pulls another seat out. "Did you want me to make you some breakfast? Tea?"

Niall looks down at the seat and then glances up at both the men on either side of him, chewing on his bottom lip. "Could — could I maybe just have a hug? Please?" He whispers, unwrapping his arms from around himself and tentatively holding them out.

Both men soften visibly at that, eyes going gentle as Papa lets out a quiet huff of laughter and nods. "Course you can, sweetheart," he breathes, and all at once, they both wrap their arms around him.

He hadn't planned on asking for anything at all, but this is what he needs, he can tell by the way tears instantly spring to his eyes and comfort seeps into his chest in the form of a safe sort of warmth. He clings onto the back of both of their shirts in tight fistfuls of material, tucking his head beneath Dad's chin and pulling Papa in closer on the other side so that he can hear his heart too, sniffling quietly.