Code Black (N.S)

21.

Niall's POV

I eventually woke up. Strangely this time it wasn't because I had a nightmare but it was more to do with the sunlight hitting my face. I felt like this was the most I had slept since the lockdown. Of course, aside from the last time Harry had been there. If you were to tell me a few weeks earlier that Harry was the only person I felt comfortable with, I wouldn't believe you, but it was true. 

Harry's presence seemed to calm me down but I had no idea why. Usually, your bully caused the opposite effect. Even though he hadn't done a single thing to me since it happened, I shouldn't be so trusting of him. I just couldn't help it. 

I slowly opened my eyes, exposing my vision to my brightened room and let them adjust to the harsh sunlight that poured in from my opened window. I tried to sit up but I felt something pull me back down and preventing me from moving. I was confused and began to panic when I realised that I was being held down by a person, an arm laying across my stomach and making it impossible for me to sit up. 

Something almost felt familiar. Once I had properly looked, I immediately recognised the familiar tattoos, calming down considerably when I realised that it was Harry. The memories of him coming here flooded back and I was left surprised that he actually decided to stay here. 

I couldn't help but grin, feeling as if he actually cared about me. He probably didn't. I assumed that his kindness was just him feeling sorry for me but it was nice to pretend that he cared enough about me to be here.

My eyes moved from his arm to look at his face. He was obviously attractive, even when he was trying his hardest to make me feel miserable. I would be lying to myself if I said he didn't look beautiful right then. I had to admit to myself that I just wanted to lean in and kiss him. 

I shook that thought away as soon as I had it. I knew that I couldn't think of things like that, not about him. Calling him attractive was one thing but he wasn't gay and even if he was, the possibility of him having feelings for me was practically nonexistent. 

We weren't even friends. 

"Enjoying the view, love?" he mumbled, eyes still closed but I noticed that he now had a smirk on his face.

"Sorry," I mumbled, looking away from him as I felt my face heat up in what I could assume to be an embarrassing blush.

"It's okay, Niall. To be honest, I would have stared if it was the other way around," he said, blinking his eyes open. He looked at me, grinning at the sight of my burning face, before sitting up to run his fingers through his hair.

"D-did you seriously stay here the whole time?" I asked, swiftly changing the subject before I died of embarrassment. 

He smiled, eyes meeting mine before nodding.

"You asked me to," he shrugged. "And I wasn't going to leave you alone. Good thing I did, you were crying in your sleep," he said softly.

"I-I was?" I felt even more embarrassed than I did before. It seemed as though the universe was just desperate to humiliate me in front of Harry. 

"Yeah," he replied. He still seemed to be rather amused at my expense but there was something about his tone that suggested sympathy. I didn't know how feel about it.

"I'm sorry," I murmured, looking down at my hands in shame. 

"Don't worry. It was kind of cute," he grinned, knowing that every comment he made was making me feel even more flustered. 

"Shut u-up," I mumbled, earning yet another amused laugh from Harry.

After a few seconds, it went silent, so I took that as my cue to look up. As I did, I caught his eyes and I felt as though he was staring right through me. His eyes were pretty and I felt my gaze locked on his, so intense that I felt like I couldn't move it away.