Reticent (h.s fanfic, punk Harry)

Chapter 14

HARRY/PRESENT

We were on our way to see Niall's new flat. It was at a dirty little neighbourhood in downtown. The streets were littered with men in ripped clothes and signs begging for food.

I tossed a twenty because I simply could now. He looked up with wide eyes and his mouth opened to show a few teeth. I was quite sure he would just use it for the liquor that reeked from him, but it didn't matter to me. Nothing mattered to me at the moment.

"We need to pull another prank!" Zayn threw an arm around my shoulder patting my arm.

I didn't understand why he took so much joy from that childish act, but here we were with him practically begging for another one.

I simply shrugged. "I don't know. It might be boring now."

But Zayn only laughed. On Monday he had come to school with bubble gum pink hair, and given quite a surprise.

Liam looked the most surprised. He'd let out a squeak during class as Zayn walked in, then quickly clamped a hand on his mouth. I wondered how close the two were, because where Zayn talked too much, Liam stayed in the sidelines.

Zayn ran a hand through his hair, his olive skin contrasting with the bright colour. His hand stayed where it was, making our steps a little clumsy.

Louis stayed beside me, a cig hanging from his thin lips. He didn't pay attention to what we were chatting about, and kept walking without any care of what was happening around him. His skinny jeans had a rip in the back, and his shirt seemed to have a stain on the front. He would talk about getting new clothes, but the name of the mall seemed to frighten him some. I wanted to offer clothing but it was too big for him.

Zayn took a deep breath and removed his hand. "So what's Niall like?"

"Just like you." I mumbled.

We arrived to the apartment and Zayn was the one to buzz.

"Hello, come in." Niall spoke in a hurry.

The door beside us opened and with Zayn bounding in, Louis and I went behind him. "A little too excited huh?" Louis raised a brow to me.

I just shrugged. "Nothing wrong with positive energy."

"Everything wrong with too much positive energy."

***

Niall looked like a mess. His hair look too wet and he was running around his apartment in only his boxers. "Where did it go?" He demanded lifting the seat cushion Louis was sitting on. Louis stood so he could get a better look.

We didn't know what he was searching for, and he was in too much stress to say what it was.

He walked this way and that until... "There you are!!" He chuckled and lifted a needle from the fluffy carpet.

"Niall!" Louis frowned. "That could have stabbed one of us."

"I could have gotten AIDS." Zayn whispered, his face going glum.

"I don't think it's that serious," I replied to him.

"Well it's a dirty needle. My aunt was in the hospital one time and a half blind nurse stabbed her with a needle instead of putting it on the table." He threw his hands up.

"So she got aids?" Niall asked, putting the needle on the desk by the door where he had his own personal tattoo shop set up.

"Well...no she got the flu."

"I don't think you get flu's from a shot. Maybe she got like HIV." Niall laughed. "Imagine that. A-how can you be half blind?"

"One eye Niall." I pointed out.

I looked around on his dirty couch for the remote for the TV. Niall came and took it from the table beside the TV. He turned it on to reveal a teen mom's show.

"Oh leave it, this is hilarious!" Zayn chuckled.

"How?" Louis and I were speaking at the same time.

Zayn laughed again. "I mean look at all that drama. Jesus, don't get knocked up, you know."

"You don't know what they went through," Louis spoke up. "You can't just judge like that."

Zayn frowned his way then swallowed. "Okay, sorry. Let's watch something else." Zayn took the remote that was tossed to him. He skipped through the channels and finally landed on a cartoon with yellow people. He let out a laugh and propped his feet on the table.

He knew how to make himself at home.

Niall sat at the desk and started cleaning the supplies. "You got any customers?" Louis looked at Niall then back at the TV.

Niall nodded. "I have a four o'clock appointment. Some girl wants a weird tattoo."

"What tattoo?" I asked, trying to get my mind not to wonder.

"Uhh, she wants wings on her back. It's gonna take more than one day."

"Liam wants a tattoo." Zayn joined in.

"Who's Liam?"

Zayn muttered something.

"What?" Niall asked.

"Nothing," Zayn just whispered.

Soon we all just ignored the blond at his desk and paid attention to the TV as a commercial about unplanned pregnancy came up.

Louis rolled his eyes, Zayn rolled his eyes at Louis.

We were all quiet even when the show came back on. No one laughed or spoke. Zayn just watched, looking at his phone at times. Louis just watched the show without even a smile. And I just watched Niall clean all the equipment, he threw away all the used needles in a container and reached into another box for wrapped ones. He hummed while he worked, singing softly as he put on his gloved to install everything as needed.

He walked back into his room and came back with a book filled with tattoo designs. He let the book rest on the desk and then waited.

Later someone buzzed and Niall let them through.

In came Ophelia and Connie.

"Hey," Connie smiled at us.

"Hey, what's up," I waved to her.

Zayn gave a wave to Connie and Ophelia.

Ophelia just sat on one of the chairs by the table, looking hesitantly at all the tattoos Niall had on his arms. "You want some too?" He asked.

She just frowned and shook her head incisively. She look around and her eyes landed on me. Her face seemed to scowl then it changed as she looked at Connie. They both sat and Niall started getting her ready for the tattoo. Connie sat there with her back to us, her top half naked. Ophelia sat there waiting patiently, her eyes travelling to the TV once in a while.

Louis looked at the two then over at me. He looked...anxious.

Oh the fucking irony.