Hostage (a One Direction story)

Chapter Ten

Niall's P.O.V.

After the nurse recommended rest, we only hear silence, and then a heavy sigh followed by footsteps. All of us boys jump back guiltily and start fiddling, trying to look natural. I pull out my phone and pretend I'm busy as the nurse walks out.

"She fell asleep," she says. "I'm afraid we'll have to keep her here for the night, seeing as she doesn't have a place to -"

"We'll take her in!" volunteers Louis eagerly. "Me 'n the boys would love to have Jae stay with us!"

The nurse looks at him. "I'm not sure it's authorized, Mr. Tomlinson."

"But, ma'am, we're One Direction!" he protests, giving her wide puppy dog eyes.

She heaves another sigh and finally nods. "But you boys treat her well. This girl has been through hell."

She turns and stalks away, muttering something (I'm sure it isn't very nice) under her breath. "YES!" I whisper-scream. "Great job, Lou."

He grins and smirks at us.  "I am, indeed, quite amazing,"

I chuckle and open the door to the room quietly. Jae is curled in a tiny ball on the corner of the couch, her cheeks still wet with tears as she sleeps. "Shhhh," I whisper to the boys as they come in after me. "She's still sleeping. I'll carry her to the van."

"You sure you don't want me to get her, mate?" asks Harry. I look at him for a moment before shaking my head. "I'm fine. I've got her."

I lean down and scoop her up in my arms, one arm supporting her back, the other her legs. She mutters in her sleep, but doesn't wake up.

"Shit," I muse. "She weighs as much as a feather."

She murmurs again, and nestles closer to my chest as I carry her gently out of the room.

"Paul's got the van out back," says Liam. "So we don't get half-mobbed again." We follow him down a series of bland, winding corridors before finally reaching a plain grey door marked EXIT.

We manage to make it to the van without a single fangirl - it seems they were expecting us to come out the front again. Once we're in the van, I make to set Jae's sleeping body onto one of the seats, laid flat to work like a bed, but she starts to stir, wrapping her arms around my neck and resting her head on my shoulder. Her breath is warm against my skin, her skinny arms holding me loosely. I blush and keep her in my arms - it's not like she weights anything anyway.

Only the slightest bit awkward...I've got a sleeping fan who was held ransom for my money sleeping in my arms...and she's absolutely gorgeous.

Okay, make that really awkward.

The ride is short, pulling up outside the hotel me and the boys are staying for the next few months. I carry Jae out of the van and into the building's elevator.

"Gooooing up!" sings Louis cheerily, and we all laugh as he presses the button for floor sixteen.

We stand quietly, Liam humming along with the cheesy music playing softly in the background, Louis playing a game on his phone, Harry playing with Zayn's hair, and Zayn hitting Harry for touching his 'beauteous locks'.

Ding! A bell announces our arrival at the sixteenth floor and the boys pile out of the elevator, me going last so as not to jostle the sleeping Jae.

"Welcome, gentlemen," says Louis, tipping an imaginary hat off his head. "and lady, to the penthouse suite of the luxurious Luna hotel!" he opens the door with an exaggerated sweep of his arm and leads us into the room.

I can't help but gasp at the serene beauty and enormity of the place. Floor to ceiling glass windows give us a beautiful view of London. A miniature living room hangs in the air above a modern kitchen, the only wall a thin wire railing. A set of shining metal stairs leads up to there, while another, by the main entrance, leads up to a hallway, supposedly branching off to individual rooms. A piano sits in the corner, facing the windows, and an L-shaped white couch decorated with colorful pillows sits in the center, accented by a dark mahogany coffee table. Homey rugs are lain across the floor, and yet another hallway leads off to who knows where.

"Holy hell," whispers Liam. "This is beautiful!"

Zayn nods and runs off towards what looks like a bathroom. I smirk. Definitely going to check on his hair. I see Harry and Louis also concealing laughs and I grin at them. "I'm going to go put Jae in a bed," I throw over my shoulder as I turn towards the stairs.

My arms are starting to ache by the time I reach the top of the stairs and open a random door. It's quite a fancy room, with red carpet, a wall of windows like the living room, and a huge bed, but I don't pay it much attention. Gently, I pry Jae's arms off of my neck and lay her out on the soft mattress, pulling a feather-stuffed duvet around her . I'm about to leave when she whimpers slightly in her sleep and I freeze, turning back.

"It's alright, love," I say quietly, brushing a strand out of her face. She moans again and flinches away from my hand.

Suddenly, she opens her aqua eyes wide and screams, scrambling back in the bed, struggling to get away from me.

"P-P-PLEASE!" She cries as I move to comfort her, to touch her. "N-NO MORE!" she puts her face in her hands and starts to sob uncontrollably.