FEAR [n.h]

24.

Niall's POV.

"Please, Niall, please, stay." She said, looking at me while her breathing started to get fast again. "Please."

"Hey, calm down, I'm staying, but you have to do something for me first, okay?" I told her, and she nodded. "You're going to take one of your anxiety pills so you can calm down, you need to rest. I'll be here with you, but you need to rest Mads, you look..."

"Bad?" She replied, and I immediately shook my head.

"No, just... exhausted," I told her, sitting next to her on the bed. "You need to rest, to sleep, you'll feel better after."

She nodded, taking a deep breath and crawling on the bed towards the pillow, laying down facing me. I took a look around the room, seeing the box of pills on the nightstand that was right next to me, with a bottle of water too. I took one of the pills out and put it in my hand while grabbing the bottle with the other, sitting in the bed again, looking at her.

"Here you go," I said, giving her the pill. She sat down in almost slow motion, like her body was too heavy for her to move, and took the pill from my hand, popping it in her mouth and chugging a big gulp of water. "Great, now lay back down," I said taking the bottle from her hand and placing it on the nightstand again as I got up. "I'll be here if you need me, okay?" I said as I walked towards a chair that was near the bed, but she looked at me, pouting again.

"Please lay here with me, I need you to be close to feel... um," She stopped talking like she wasn't sure of what she was going to say, and I sighed.

"That's okay, I know what you mean," I said, walking towards her bed again and laying on my side like she was, facing her.

She needed me close so she could feel safe, which was ironic given the many times I was the one who put her in danger. As I rested my head on the pillow, she smiled timidly at me, breathing slowly.

"Niall!" Liam shouted from downstairs. "You have to come downstair, now!"

I sighed, looking at Madison, who looked at me with worried eyes.

"I, um, I can't, Liam," I shouted back, "I'm doing as you said, my job, that is protecting her being here right now."

Liam didn't reply, and I sighed in relief, looking back at Madison, who was shaking.

"Come here," I said, pulling the blanket that was laid at the end of the bed, covering both of us. "There."

"Thanks," She said, looking at me with her tired eyes as she pulled her body closer to mine, our nose almost touching once again. "Look, Niall, I just wanted to say, um, thanks for today, for everything, I-"

"Hey, it's alright," I told her, placing my hand on her cheek. "You are always going to be safe with me around, yeah?"

She nodded and smiled, moving her head and touching her nose with mine, getting so close to me that I could feel her breath against my lips once again. Softly, she brought her hand to my cheek, caressing it and then placing it on my head, playing with my hair as her eyes were connected to mine. I took a deep breath as I looked at her lips.

God her lips. Not only her lips, but everything about her was just... hypnotizing. I could not stop looking at her, something pulled me to her, and it was stronger than my fear, which was new to me. I leaned forward slowly, kissing her forehead as I placed my hand on the back of her neck I placed another kiss on her nose, then on her right cheek, and then on her left cheek, making her giggle. Fuck her laugh, I could hear her laughing all day.

And there it was, my last stop on her beautiful face: her lips. I pulled my head back a little, removing my hand from her neck and taking distance, changing my position so I laid on my back staring at the ceiling. I... I couldn't do it to her. I didn't trust myself with her.