Angel on the Streets {shiall}

4

After a week of his stay with Niall, Shawn went back to the hospital for his checkup. To his delight, it was the same doctor that had seen him beforehand and she hadn't forgotten him, even more of a shock. Niall whispered that she had a crush on him, snorting when he got shoved for his stupid joke. After ruffling Shawn's hair once more, he left them together to talk and she smiled warmly at him.

"You certainly seem to have gotten closer to that fellow."

"Oh, well, yeah. I mean, I guess. He's... Umm sorry. He's nice."

"You two are cute together." Shawn blushed, rubbing the back f his neck.

"Oh, no, I'm not... I'm not th-that way."

"Ah. Of course. I meant platonically, of course." But there was a twinkle in her eyes that told him she didn't quire believe that. As always, he was just scared being honest about his orientation would bring out a different, hidden side and he would get hate-crimed. If only the world was a little different.

Physically, he was recovering rather well. Eating well had brought on a little more flesh and strength. The fissure was still there but it didn't quite hurt when he used the toilet, anymore and his arm was healing up nicely, too, apparently. Strangely, Shawn hadn't let the thought of what would happen after he was healed cross his mind for a while but now, it dawned on him that he really couldn't just room with Niall forever.

She caught his mood switch and asked him about how he was doing mentally. That was a question Shawn couldn't really answer. He had given up on trying to forget it by force and was easing up on the distractions like songwriting and social media, now. Still, the memories and nightmares came as they pleased and stayed as long as they wanted to torment him. He was never fully comfortable when he was alone, a part of him waiting for that man to barge in and ruin his life all over again. He was terrified that he was being searched for, that he would find him and finish him off.

Shawn didn't exactly love living most of the time, save for time spent with Camila and now Niall, but he knew deep down he didn't want to die. Otherwise, he would have taken a real step towards ending it all a long time ago.

He didn't know why she was asking. Honestly, she didn't have to. When he asked for her name she smiled gently and replied with Zee. He shyly mumbled that he wished she'd adopted him as a kid and she smiled even harder, to his surprise. He hadn't plan to blurt that out, either but suddenly they were exchanging numbers as she muttered "fuck hospital policy I'll adopt whoever I want to".

With that out of the way, they were a little more at ease. It felt more like friendship than like a doctor-patient relationship and she gave his shoulder a squeeze, teasingly muttering that she would call on his boyfriend to take him back home before she left the room. Niall stepped in quickly after, folded his arms and muttered, "okay now I'm really starting to worry that she likes you. She smiled right out of the room. Nothing happened while I was gone, right? She didn't take your innocence?"

"Niall, she's a lot older than me. Like a decade or so-"

"Well maybe you have a thing for older women, how the fuck should I know? Or sorry, older people, I guess." Shawn rolled his eyes but didn't disregard his correction, Niall noted. "Why are you not taking me seriously? I'm upset, Shawnie."

"Well I have no clue as to why. I just told you. She's cool. She wouldn't do that, really. I think we might be friends or something. Maybe. We exchanged numbers."

"Right. Well hey, proud of you for making a friend all by yourself! Who would've thought, huh?" Niall gave his cheek a pinch and Shawn swatted his hand away, shifting a bit on the bed so Niall could lay next to him. The Irish man wasn't sure Shawn knew he wanted that or if Shawn just wanted him close himself but either way, he got in, letting out a relaxed exhale. Shawn glanced at him, pushing away the doctor's title for Niall with some effort.