Swapping Spit (Nouis) [under editing]

Chp 30-Niall's Confession

Niall's POV

While driving on the highway, I spot a small shack leaning slightly towards the road. It's off in the distance but not too far. We could easily run to it without fatiguing.

"Let's check that shack!" I yell.

Maura quickly pulls the car over and I jump out. A brisk walk doesn't seem fit, so I break out in a jog with Liam close behind me. The shack is a square lean-to with metal sheets and wooden walls. I circle around it and notice a window at the top of a wall, as well as a door below it.

"Let's move this," Liam says, referring to the sheet of metal that serves as a door. We grab the edges and lift. The sharp metal slices my palms and I draw back, causing the metal to clang to the ground.

I curse and cradle my hands. Liam's are cut too but he encourages me to keep pushing. "We have to move this, Niall."

We lift it and again, it digs into my palms. This is for Louis, I remind myself.

We toss it to the side and hurry into the shack, unprepared for what we might find. The opened doorway casts bright light onto the dusty shelving inside the shack. Cobwebs litter the tools on the shelving.

I hurriedly look everywhere, turning in circles while holding my breath. My eyes land on a heap in the corner. Louis! I race over to him and collapse at his side.

"Louis! It's gonna be ok, we found you."

Liam appears at my side and we gently flip him over. His wrists are stuck in handcuffs.

"Louis." I call his name again when he doesn't respond.

I shake his frail body, attempting to wake him up.

"Louis!"

I shake him harder. I push two fingers to his neck and wait to feel a pulse. There's nothing.

"Liam, he's not breathing," I choke.

I shake him some more as I break down in sobs. My body shakes and I lay my head down against Louis' chest. I feel Liam's hands on my shoulders, trying to comfort me.

Liam starts to shake me and his hands pull me away from Louis.

"Get off me!" I scream. "Get off, get off!"

I hold Louis tighter but he slips from my grip. My arms flail to catch him but he floats away.

"Noooooo!" I sob.

The shelter crumbles on top of me and Liam. The ground disappears. My tears form a lake below us and I'm drowning in it.

"Niall. Niall!" someone says my name.

I snap awake to see Liam's concerned face in front of mine and his hands on my shoulders. I look around the car, disoriented, and start crying, this time for real.

"Shhh, it was just a dream," he speaks softly.

I bury my hands in my face, trying to rid of the events that happened in my nightmare. The images are burned to the back of my eyelids.

"Louis d-died. He was dead," my voice cracks.

"We don't know that, Niall," says Liam. "It's just your dream."

My head spins rapidly with the images. Louis' body folded in a heap. His head rolling to the side when I flipped him over. The cuts on his wrists from the chains. The smeared and dried blood stained on his shirt. It's too graphic and I can't handle it. If this was what Louis' fate turns out to be in real life, I'm sure I'd loose my mind.

My mum looks back at me through the rear view mirror. She reaches an arm behind the seat and places it on my knee to comfort me.

"Liam, how are you always so calm?" I ask, wishing I had the same strength as he.

He shrugs. "I have to be. Someone has to provide a sturdy foundation for everyone else when they need it. That's what I do. It's what I've always done."

I think back to all the times he's been there for me. Once, when the band got off our tour bus in London last year, and the crowd was so thick and loud that my claustrophobia caused me to start freaking out, Liam was the one who patiently led my through. Another time we had been prepping to get on stage and I was nervous because I was given a new solo, Liam gave me this amazing pep talk. He told me I was a fantastic singer because how would I have gotten so far in X-Factor and how would the band have this much success if I wasn't? He reminded me of the fans that look up to me as their idol. He assured me that no matter what happens, it'll be ok because we all have each other. The five of us.

He repeats the phrase that everything will be ok now, but I doubt the veracity of it. This isn't a new solo: this is a matter of life and death for our friend, the fifth member of One Direction, and might I add, my boyfriend.

These thoughts and images from my dream are all too much. The barriers I had worked to build against my tears have been torn down, yet again. The tears avalanche down my face and I lean into Liam's tender embrace.

His hands hold my head against his chest. I can hear the steady drum of his heart. It never skips a beat, never wanders off from the pace. He really is a sturdy foundation in times of hardship and struggle.

"L-Liam. I need to tell you something." My mouth speaks and my brain struggles to catch up.

He leans slightly away to get a better look at my face. His eyebrows are loosely knitted together in concern and confusion.

"What is it Niall? Are you okay? you're not going to throw up again, are you?"

I quickly shake my head before he has the chance to reach for a plastic bag.

"It's about Louis-"

"Did you figure something out!? What is it Niall?!"

"Sh, let me explain," I scold him. I lower my voice in hopes that the mums don't hear what I say next. "It's about Louis and I. I um... I like him." My whisper is barely audible.

"Well of course you like him."

"Not like that."

He is silent. My brain finally catches up to my mouth. Shit, what did I just tell Liam!? He's going to hate me. Or get mad. Or be disgusted with me. I can't tell because of his silence.

He finally speaks after what seemed like an eternity. "Are you sure?" is all he says.

I nod. "I am sure. This distance has only further confirmed it."

This is it, I think. He's going to lash out at me. But that's the opposite of what happens.

He smiles. "I'm happy for you, Nialler. Does Louis feel the same?"

"...I think so."

"You think so?" he echoes.

"Yeah, I think he does. It seemed like he did. Especially right before he was kidnapped."

Shit. Why did I just say that!

"What happened right before he was kidnapped?" Of course, he wouldn't let that comment slide.

"Erm...never mind."

"No! Tell me!" He pleads. "You can't just say that and not tell me."

I shake my head. "You don't want to know." By now my face is bright red.

"Please?" he looks at me with big brown puppy dog eyes.

I huff. "We were...well, in a back room... ya know, kissing and I was giving him-"

"Ok! Ok! You were right, I didn't need to know that!" he exclaims with hands covering his innocent ears.

"You begged me to know, remember?" I smirk.

He glares at me. Then says, "but in all seriousness, you and Louis are together?"

"I guess. Yes, we are together." I feel a huge weight lift off my chest.

Liam pulls me into a hug. He says, "I'm glad. I always suspected something was going on between the two of you."

I pull away. "What?"

"Oh, it's nothing." He shrugs.

"You can't just say that and not tell me!" I repeat his words from earlier.

"Well, remember the twit cam a while ago that Simon wanted us to do? When you had that bruise on your face from Richard? You and Louis walked out for a second and then a fan asked us if we thought you and Louis were together."

"And...?"

"Zayn and Harry didn't think so. But I said that I thought the idea was definitely there. Then I said that it wasn't really my business whether they were or not, I would still love each of them as brothers."

"Wow. Really?"

He simply nods.

"You're even smarter than I thought, Payne." I smirk and he ruffles up my hair jokingly.

Our conversation puckers out and we fall into a peaceful silence, staring out the window at endless repeated cities scattered with diners and gas stations, and grassy fields with spots of dandelions overtaking the original flowers.



Louis' POV

I must have fallen asleep after Richard and his father, Fred, left because I wake up and it's morning. A ray of sunlight illuminates the shed from a small window in a top corner.
I move to stand up but the chains draw my arms back. Forgot those were there.


I shake my wrists, sending a ripple through the chains. The metal links chink against each other loudly. I think I'm so nervous that at this point I'm numb. I'm not thinking about the situation at hand, it's my way of coping.

When I stop clanking the chains, I hear that it's quiet, only a faint breeze rustling around outside accompanied by the occasional bird's tweet. It's almost peaceful.

"I'm back," I hear a voice. It's Richard.

I turn my head away from the doorway. His feet slowly scuff over to me and stop at my side. I remain still. I hope he leaves, I hope the lads rescue me before anything can happen. But what I hope and what happens have been contradictory lately.

Richard's hand is placed on my shoulder and I flinch.

"Don't be scared of me, silly boy."

He touches me again and I jerk my arm away.

"I told you not to be scared."

Again, he touches my shoulder. I don't want his filthy hands on me. He's fucking asking for it...

"Fuck off," I spit menacingly.

He huffs. "Alright, remember how we can either do this the easy way or the hard way?"

I turn to face him with a sinister, hateful glare. He moves to place a hand on me again.

I repeat myself with as much spite I can manage.

"Fuck. Off."

He suddenly lunges at me, grasping my neck with his massive hands. His bear claws scratch at my skin, leaving red, bleeding trails. I pull at his shirt and lift my feet to kick him in the gut and he falls backwards.

He clambers up and attacks me again. This time, his hands lock around my neck, cutting off my airway. I start gasping and choking for air. My hands fly up to try to loosen his hold. My whole body flails around beneath his grip, and distorted, strangled yells escape past my lips.

He bangs my head against the solid shack wall and it bounces off. I searing headache tears through my skull and my vision dims.

Do not let him win, I demand of myself.

I force myself to stay conscious. I watch as he backs up with a smirk on his lips. "Hard way or easy way."

I suppose that I've picked the hard way yet again.

He moves to a shelf and grabs multiple tools from it. One of which is a strip of leather. A whip. A fucking whip.

He stalks back to me and explains.

"Now, I am giving you one last chance to choose the hard way or the easy way. You will let me do what I want to do to you without a struggle. You will do as I say, the first time I say it. You will remain silent and listen to what I say. To disobey any said rules will result in punishment. Am I clear?"

I nod my head ever so slightly, for any movement causes tremendous pain.

He locks is eyes with mine. I only look away when he cracks the whip against the floor, sending a loud snap to echo through the barn.

"To disobey would result in punishment."

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An update!?! I thought I would never get around to it!! But looks like I finally did :) here ya go another chappie to read. Hope you enjoyed it! Tell me what you think is going to happen! I love reading your predictions and thoughts :D please vote too! love you guys! Still am in shock at the amount of reads! 30,000!! unbelievable!