The day had already been monumentally shitty. The worst of the worst days. An absolute steaming-pile-of-crap day. So, really, it was only natural to finish it with a perfect cherry on top - his call from Death-Cast.
He was alone when the unmistakabl...
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𝙽𝚒𝚊𝚕𝚕 𝙳𝚎𝚌𝚎𝚖𝚋𝚎𝚛 𝟸𝟷𝚜𝚝, 𝟽:𝟻𝟿𝚊𝚖
Niall didn't get his call from Death-Cast on December 21st, but he kind of wished he had.
He didn't have much in the way of family. His parents were dead and he was estranged from his brother, who lived back in Ireland. He stopped talking to his friends after he finished university and moved away. He had no social life. What he did have were the Styles' and the family he'd made in their home. His co-workers - they were his friends. Harry, Louis, and Ashton - they were his family. Well... his family would be gone soon, and what would he have left after that?
It wasn't that he wanted to die. It was just that he wished he could go with them, or, better yet, take their spots. It was cruel to take Harry and leave Louis behind. They came as a pair. You take one, you take both. It'd been like that for as long as Niall had known the couple. Back when they were barely twenty and had no idea what life held for them. So, if Niall could take Harry's spot and let the man stay with the love of his life, he would do it in a heartbeat. It was only fair after everything they'd done for him, from giving him a chance to giving him somewhere to belong.
He supposed all good things have to come to an end eventually, but he'd hoped he would have had longer.
He looked around the living room, taking note of every detail that, come midnight, would be gone forever. Harry and Louis cuddled together on the couch, both fast asleep, Calum dozing in the armchair, and Zayn mindlessly watching whatever movie was still playing on the TV. It was so familiar and comforting. He was really going to miss it.
Niall sighed softly, deciding to take a field trip into the kitchen. He couldn't stand to look at his friends any longer. It was too painful knowing what was coming. Plus, he was hungry and Calum had ravaged all of the good snacks a while back (the kid tended to stress-eat quite a bit). He quietly got up from the couch and looked around one more time before silently leaving the room. He took his time wandering down the hallway, humming softly to himself to keep his mind from wandering to dark places filled with dread and grief.
He turned the corner to enter the kitchen, his stomach rumbling in protest of his neglect of it, but stopped in his tracks when his eyes landed on Ashton leaning over the sink. His back was facing Niall so he hadn't seen him enter, body heaving as he breathed heavily, his entire body weight resting on his hands which were propped on the counter. If Niall didn't know any better, he might even say he heard the teenager crying.
Niall took a step further into the room, deciding to keep some distance between himself and Ashton. He knew the kid well enough to know he reacts like a baby deer whenever someone catches him in an unfavorable position.
"Ash? You okay, buddy?"
Ashton startled at the sound of Niall's voice, whirling around as he wiped any trace of tears from his cheeks. It was still clear as day, though, that he'd been crying. Not to mention the way he held himself, like he was too exhausted to stand up straight so, instead, he slumped against the counter as he smiled without a trace of anything close to happiness. It was tragic and strained and did nothing but let loose more tears from his eyes.
