Drive [Narry/Ziall]

Chapter Eight

[guys guys guys guys i need your help. is there like a name for Liam and Josh? i ship them so hardcore together but i don't even know if that's, like, a thing. is it? is there a name? gah, i'm weird. enjoy the chapter.x]

The night comes quicker than they had expected.

Tents have been set up, drink coolers have been opened, and Josh had gotten Liam's help on starting up a beautiful, tall fire. They all sat around the fire together, in jumpers and lounge pants, drinking beer and eating roasted marshmallows. For a lot of them, it had been awhile since they had been able to wind down and spend time with their buddies.

Liam and Josh were the only ones not drinking. They were holding their twigs over the fire - Josh burning his treat, but Liam letting it turn a light brown before eating it. Zayn and Niall were cuddled into each other, sharing a can of Budweiser, due to the fact that neither one of them was planning on getting drunk. Harry was downing drinks like there was no tomorrow, while Louis was trying to stop him, and Ed was getting cozy with his girlfriend, Angela, as they drank in moderation.

"Stop drinking so much," Louis murmured, close to Harry's ear so that no one else could hear. It's not that Harry has a problem with alcohol or anything, but he does tend to drink a lot when he gets upset. And watching Zayn and Niall practically eye-fuck each other was definitely making him upset. "Or it's going to hurt you tomorrow."

"Is that what you care about?" Harry cackled, voice slurred yet still rather loud - making Liam and Josh look over at them. Luckily, Zayn and Niall were sitting on the other side of the fire pit, too absorbed in each other and nearly out of earshot to pay attention to them. Louis looked around nervously, catching Liam's eye and looking away almost immediately. "Do you care about my well-being at all? Or is it just physical to you?"

"Jesus, Harry," Louis hissed, gripping at his mate's arm and pulling him closer. "Could you lower your voice? It's not a physical thing, alright? You know it's not, and you KNOW that I'm always concerned about you. Alcohol is poison, Harry."

"Sod off, would you?" Harry shoved his mate away, causing Lou's own drink to be knocked out of his hand and making him almost fall off the bench that they were sitting on. He steadied himself, though, before he could fall. "You drink too, you li'l hypocrite. Why is everything I do wrong, but you and your little friends can do whatever the fuck you please?"

It's not like that at all, and Harry knows that. But he's intoxicated, he's angry, and he gets kind of out-of-hand when he starts to drink. He doesn't mean to act so cruel to Louis, because he is his best mate, and was his crush at a point, he just can't help it when things like this happen. He gets jealous all too easily. More so when he first met Niall.

"Harry," Louis whispered gently, reaching out to touch Harry - but withdrawing at the last second and staring down at his lap. "I'm sorry, but...you can't keep doing this to yourself."

"He's right, you know."

Harry looked away from Louis, and met eyes with Liam - who was looking at him with a desperate expression on his face. Josh was also looking, and even Ed and Angela had stopped snogging to look over. Somewhere in the midst of the action, Zayn and Niall had disappeared - they were now nowhere to be seen.

For a moment, Harry considered giving up with this strong, independant front - because, really, he did need someone. But he realized that that someone wasn't Liam, and it wasn't Louis. He wasn't sure what he needed anymore. But he did know what he wanted, and that was Niall.

So he took in a shaky breath, and let the anger cloud his eyes. He looked up at Liam, facial features practically shining with evil. "Why should you care about me now? You never did before - not when I needed you to. Might as well leave it alone now, huh?"

"Harry," Louis cut in before either boy could speak further. "Stop."

"You know that you're wrong," Liam spoke next, eyes shining with guilt but voice otherwise smooth and calm as always. Harry felt ill. "I told you that I loved you, Harry. And I meant it. You know that I cared about you. And Louis is right, you know. Alcohol isn't good in large amounts - take it from someone with problems with that. All he wants to do is protect you, okay? Why can't you except help from people, especially if you know that you need it?"

"You don't know what you're talking about. No one wants to help me. Everyone hates me - all they want me for is sex! That's what all of my relationships have been about! My crush, the only one I really want, has a boyfriend and won't even go on a single date with me!"

"Harry!" Louis hissed sharply, trying to make this stop before his mate ended up getting hurt. "I respect what you're saying, and I don't want to limit your freedom of speech or whatever, but you-,"

"Wait, what?" Josh cut off, staring at Harry with his eyebrow furrowed. "Crush...boyfriend?! Harry! No wonder he doesn't want to go on a date with you! He's certainly not a cheater, which, if you didn't happen to know, is a GOOD thing."

"Josh," Louis snapped, sending the boy a death glare that immediately shut him up. He looked back towards Harry, whose eyes were watery. "Come on, babe. He didn't mean it like that. You're not a bad person, you know? Everyone has different views, and Josh's are just different than your's. But that's not the point here."

Harry took another swig of his drink, and looked away from the lads - at Zayn and Niall's empty seat, with a frown on his face. He stood up, swaying on his feet, threatening to fall down. Louis jumped up, ready to catch him if he fell.

"Hey, sweetheart," Louis murmured, trying to grab at Harry's arm - but the older boy would only try to swat him away. He didn't succeed, due to the fact that he was uneasy on his feet and too drunk to aim at him properly. However, that didn't stop Louis from trying to keep him upright - if Harry got hurt, it would be the end of him, in more ways than one. "Sit down, yeah? Or I could take you to the tent, or something...?"

"I don't need your fuckin' help," Harry murmured, eyes glassy and face pale.

His can was the first thing to fall, before his body copied the action, and his world turned black.