Glitter & Crimson [COMPLETED]

16

Niall had finally been discharged from the hospital after what felt like an eternity, his broken leg elevated in a cast, a stark reminder of the chaos that had unfolded. Despite the exhaustion etched into his features, he wore a wry smile, a testament to his unrelenting humor in the face of misfortune.

Louis stood firmly at Niall's side, his arm wrapped securely around his waist as the group made their way toward the hospital's exit. The brisk evening air hit them as the automatic doors opened, and Niall glanced down at the crutches clutched in his free hand. "You know I have crutches, right?" he teased, chuckling as he leaned slightly into Louis for support.

"And?" Louis quipped without missing a beat. "You know we're going to baby you, right? Like, full-on mother hen levels of care. It's happening. Deal with it."

Niall rolled his eyes, a fond grin tugging at his lips. "Great. Just what I need—a group of overprotective parents."

Liam, who was a few steps ahead, gestured toward his car parked near the curb. "You should've seen Harry earlier," Liam said with a smirk. "He was ready to bubble-wrap you. Had to talk him down from buying a wheelchair just to make sure you didn't, I don't know, trip over a pebble."

Harry, trailing behind with his hands shoved into his coat pockets, scowled half-heartedly. "I wasn't that bad."

"You were," Zayn chimed in dryly, shooting Harry a knowing look. "But, to be fair, I get it. Niall's not exactly known for taking it easy."

"No. Nono Niall's just fragile" Louis interrupted.

"Rude," Niall muttered, though he couldn't suppress the small laugh that escaped him.

As they reached Liam's car, Louis helped ease Niall into the backseat, propping his injured leg up as gently as possible. The car still smelled faintly of takeout from Liam's earlier mad dash to salvage the wedding catering, but no one commented. The disaster that had been the wedding day was officially behind them—or so they hoped.

Sliding into the passenger seat, Louis turned to look at Niall. "You comfortable?" he asked, his voice softer now, the teasing replaced with genuine concern.

Niall nodded, though his expression sobered slightly. "Yeah. Just remind me to sort out the fine when we get back. That car was totaled."

The weight of his words hung in the air for a moment, the reality of the accident settling over the group. Liam started the engine, his jaw tightening as he glanced in the rearview mirror. "Forget the fine for now," he said firmly. "We'll deal with it later. The important thing is you're okay."

Zayn, seated next to Niall, added quietly, "Yeah, mate. We'll figure out the rest. You don't need to stress about that right now."

Niall leaned his head back against the seat, closing his eyes for a moment. "You lot are way too nice to me. But... thanks."

Louis smirked, leaning back in his seat as he reached out to ruffle Niall's hair gently. "Don't get used to it. Once you're healed, we're back to making fun of you for everything."

The car erupted into laughter, the tension finally breaking. It wasn't the perfect day any of them had envisioned, but in that moment—surrounded by his friends, his family—Niall felt something even better: gratitude. Even with the chaos, the setbacks, and the storm outside, he wouldn't trade this group of idiots for the world. They were messy, flawed, and impulsive, but they were his people. And that was all that mattered.

Soft music played through the car speakers, barely audible over the rain pelting the windows. Zayn sat in the passenger seat, his knee bouncing restlessly, tapping his foot against the floor in a rapid rhythm. His fingers tugged at the seatbelt across his chest, fidgeting as he huffed softly. Confined spaces like this always set his ADHD on edge, and with the added weight of the day's disasters, it was obvious he was spiraling toward frustration.