NO FRIENDSHIP IS AN ACCIDENT || SIXTH MEMBER SICKFICS/HURTFICS

8- Niall to the rescue

8- Niall to the rescue!

Matilda was curled up on the couch, trying her best to ignore the dull, persistent cramping in her abdomen. The tour bus rattled lightly as it made its way through the streets, heading to the next city where the band had a performance later that evening. She had a blanket wrapped around her, legs tucked up, and a hot water bottle pressed against her stomach.

She sighed, feeling a twinge in her lower back as she shifted uncomfortably. Her supply of pads had run out the night before, and her cramps were making her feel worse than usual.

To make matters worse, she couldn’t just hop off the bus and head to the nearest store. The boys had gone out for a quick interview, except for Niall, who was still somewhere on the bus, probably practicing his guitar.

A soft knock on the doorframe pulled her from her thoughts. Niall stood there, leaning against the doorway with his guitar slung over his shoulder. His hair was slightly messy, and he had that typical Niall expression—a mix of friendly and awkward.

"Hey, you alright in here?" he asked, scratching the back of his neck.

Matilda sat up a little, forcing a smile. "Yeah, just... you know." She gestured vaguely towards her stomach.

Niall’s eyes widened slightly as he nodded, realizing what she meant. "Ah, right. Time of the month, huh?"

"Yeah," Matilda sighed, pulling the blanket tighter around herself. "I, uh, I ran out of... well, you know. Pads. And some other stuff. It’s kinda urgent."

Niall blinked, his cheeks flushing a light shade of pink. He shifted from foot to foot, clearly uncomfortable but trying not to show it. He wasn’t used to dealing with things like this—especially not with a girl in the band.

"Oh, uh… right. And everyone else is out?" he asked, his voice a little quieter, as if he was afraid of saying the wrong thing.

Matilda nodded, biting her lip. "I can’t really go out like this. Could you...?"

Niall stared at her, blinking rapidly, clearly processing what she was asking. His face turned a shade redder. "You want me to... to go get...?" He cleared his throat, looking down at his feet.

"Look, I know it’s awkward," she said quickly, trying to ease his embarrassment. "But I really need it, and you’re the only one here right now. I’d ask Louis, but he’s not back yet, and I don’t know when the rest of them will be."

Niall hesitated, rubbing the back of his neck again. His discomfort was palpable, but there was also a softness in his expression, like he knew this was something important. "Alright," he finally muttered. "I can do that. I mean, I’m not exactly an expert, but I’ll give it a go."

Matilda let out a relieved breath, her shoulders relaxing a little. "Thank you. Seriously, Niall. You’re saving me here."

He waved it off, though his awkwardness hadn’t faded. "Just, uh, tell me what to get.”

She grabbed her phone and opened up the notes app, typing quickly. "Okay, you need to get pads—the extra-long ones. You know, for overnight. And if they have, uh, those heating patches for cramps, that’d be great. Oh, and chocolate. Lots of chocolate."

Niall’s eyebrows raised. "Chocolate?"

"Trust me," Matilda replied, giving him a small smile. "It’s an essential."

Niall nodded, glancing at her phone. "Right. Pads, heating patches, and chocolate. Got it. Anything else? Like, do I need to get... tampons too?"

Matilda shook her head, laughing softly. "No, no, just the pads are fine."

Niall shifted awkwardly before finally taking out his own phone and typing everything down in his notes. "Right. I’ll be back in a bit then."

"Thanks, Niall," Matilda said sincerely, feeling a wave of gratitude towards him despite his awkwardness.

Niall gave her a tight-lipped smile and shuffled out of the room. Matilda leaned back against the cushions, closing her eyes and feeling a little more at ease now that help was on the way.

______________________________________


About half an hour later, the door to the bus creaked open, and Niall’s voice rang out, “I’m back! Got everything you asked for… I think.”
Matilda sat up. Niall walked into the lounge area with a couple of plastic bags in his hands, his face still slightly flushed from the whole experience.

“I wasn’t sure which brand you’d want, so I, uh, got a few different ones,” he said, pulling out a variety of pads and placing them on the small table in front of her. “And the heating patches. Oh, and loads of chocolate.”

Matilda stared at the assortment and couldn’t help but laugh softly, touched by the effort. “Niall, you didn’t have to get this much. But I appreciate it, seriously.”

Niall shrugged, rubbing the back of his neck again. “I figured it’s better to get too much than not enough, right?”

She reached out, grabbing one of the chocolate bars. “You’re right. This is perfect.” She unwrapped it and took a bite, letting out a content sigh. “You really saved me, you know?”

Niall smiled awkwardly, sitting down across from her. “I’m just glad I didn’t mess it up. Louis would’ve probably killed me if I got the wrong stuff."

At the mention of Louis, Matilda laughed again. “Oh, he’d definitely give you hell for it, but you did great.” She paused. “Louis is like that though, you know? Overprotective. I think he still sees me as this kid he needs to look after.”

Niall chuckled. “That’s Louis for you. He’s like that with all of us in some way, but with you, it’s on another level. It’s like he’s adopted you or something."

“Pretty much,” Matilda agreed, leaning back into the cushions again. “He treats me like his little sister, and honestly, I like it. It’s not like I have anyone else.”

Niall’s smile softened. “Yeah, he’s a good lad, and I reckon he cares about you a lot. We all do. Even if we’re a bit awkward sometimes.” His cheeks tinged pink again as he added, “Like now.”

Matilda smiled. “I’m lucky to have you guys.”
Niall grinned. “Well, I’m glad I could help, Matty. But, uh… if you ever need this again, maybe ask Louis next time, yeah?”

Matilda laughed, shaking her head. “Deal. But for now, you’re my hero.”

Niall chuckled, standing up. “I’ll take that.”

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