One Direction Sickfics *second edition*

Insecure - Niall

It was ten minutes before lights up on stage and as per usual the boys were running a muck making life for everyone difficult.

Everyone was doing their best to get the boys ready. Paul was busy running around after everyone trying to wrangle them into the dressing room to make sure that they were all ready for the show. But of course no one was ready and Harry wasn't even dressed yet. 

Finally with five minutes to spare Paul had four of the boys sitting in the green room being checked over by the team to make sure they were ready and to organise their monitors. But of course someone had to be missing during headcount. Only this time it wasn't who Paul was expecting because when he went to organise a manhunt for Louis who seemed to always think that five minutes before show time was the best time to start a soccer match in the hallway was sitting right in front of him ready to go.

"Where's Niall?" Paul questioned.

The boys looked between each other unsure. No one could remember having seen him within the last half hour. Silently they began to panic sharing looks of concern. Paul of course knew them all too well and saw right through them.

"Alright lads, the only thing I want you to worry about right now is getting side stage ready to start the show. Can you take them side stage for me Paddy?"

"Of course mate." Paddy escorted the boys out taking over what was normally Paul's job while the rest of the team began to look for Niall.

Lou, the boys hairdresser, assured them that he was probably off riding one of the golf charts but even she knew something was wrong. Niall was the first person whose hair she did and she hadn't seen him since, which was over an hour ago, so who knew where he was now.

"Any sign of him yet?" Preston, another member of the security team asked.

"No, none."

"It's alright we'll just delay the show for another ten minutes due to technical difficulties. We can say the mics won't work."

Paul let out a sigh before starting another sweep of the building trying to see if he had missed any rooms or spaces. It wasn't long before he came across a sniffling cupboard. 

"Niall?" Paul lightly knocked on the door listening closely to the sniffles coming from inside.

After having no response for over a minute Paul cautiously opened the door to reveal a very sad looking Niall curled in a ball huddling in the corner.

"Niall? What's wrong? What happened? Are you hurt?!" Floods of concern soon turned into a rush of panic as Paul began to approach the blonde boy.

"Nothing, I'm fine." Niall stifled his cries as best he could, "but I don't think I can perform tonight." 

"Don't be silly, of course you can. Unless your not fine."

Niall lifted his head up from his arms and looked at his favourite security guard with tears in his eyes. They slowly rolled down his cheeks while the two of them sat in silence waiting for an answer. 

"They don't like me Paul. In fact they hate me!"

"What! That's nonsense. You know the boys love you more than anything. You're like their younger brother!"

"No not them, I know that."He hesitated before he continued. "I mean the fans. They all say that I can't sing and you know its true when they turn down my mic every night."

Niall began to cry hard as Paul pulled him into a hug comforting him.

"Where did you here all this Niall?"

"I read it on twitter and in the comments on some of our videos."

"Oh Niall, you know better than to look at the hate from fans on social media. Most of them aren't even fans anyway. Reading things like that helps no one and you must know that there is little to no truth in most of them. Surely the others can agree with me on that. Look I know it can be addictive when you find one and then you need to find them all but look what it does to you. You know you're better than anything they say Niall, we all do. Besides the real fans are the ones cheering your name out in the stadium waiting for you to perform."

Niall smiled up at Paul who offered him his hand and helped him off the floor. The two of them walked side by side down the hallway while Paul went through Niall's phone blocking certain accounts and adding filters onto his social media platforms. 

"Now promise me you'll give none of this a second thought and that if it does ever happen again, you'll come and find me."

"Alright, I promise." With that Niall dried his eyes and joined his honorary brothers as they took the stage where he belonged.