Code Black (N.S)

29.

Harry's POV

My head was spinning with thoughts. I didn't know what to feel. Sadness, fear or anger. It really seemed to be a combination of the three. It was fucked up that someone so evil was able to walk around after the horrible things they had done to Niall. 

I tried not to think about how that could also be said about me. 

As soon as I had processed the news that I had just heard, my eyes turned directly to Niall. His eyes were clouded with emotions that I could not identify.

He was generally quite easy for me to read, considering how close I had gotten to him. Right then, however, I didn't have a clue as to what he was feeling. I guessed that I could assume his thoughts.

I felt a small tug on my heart as I took in his appearance. His eyes were glossy and a few tears streaked down his cheeks. I wanted nothing more than to kiss them away. He looked like someone had just told him he had twenty four hours to live, which to him, was probably exactly what he was thinking right then. I didn't think like that though. I wasn't ever going to let him get hurt again.

Niall hadn't said anything, which meant that he was probably thinking quite deeply about things that I wished he never had to think about. He seemed to have shut off, not responding, only sitting in silence. Almost as if he wasn't paying attention to anything I was saying but I understood him completely.

I was a little surprised that he wanted to be alone. I didn't want to leave him alone. I knew that the anxiety would effect me as greatly as it affected Niall. I knew that I shouldn't be treating him like child, I knew that I would hate to have someone continuously baby me but I couldn't help it. I couldn't not be protective. I guessed it was because I had hurt him terribly, and I had to make it up to him.

~

I knocked on the door belonging to Louis' large house, eventually opening to reveal Louis, who seemed confused at my sudden appearance.

"Harry?" he asked.

"Hey, Lou," I said, cringing when I heard how distant I sounded.

"What's up?" he asked, seeming to get more confused at the way that I was behaving, not to mention I wasn't practically glued to Niall's side, like I had been for months now.

"What, I can't see my friends anymore?" I asked, grinning at him.

Louis rolled his eyes.

"I just thought you would be with Niall," he said.

I wondered how long it took for Louis to realise my little infatuation with Niall. Judging by this comment, I didn't think it took him long.

"He wanted some space for a bit. I don't particularly think it's a good idea but if he wanted it, I guess I had to give it to him," he nodded in understanding and stepped aside, making room for me to enter.

I followed him up to where Zayn was. He was sitting on one of the large couches, on his phone, the smile on his face made me assume he was texting Perrie. He noticed Louis came back and locked his phone, placing it back in his pocket, where it would surely be taken out of again as soon as Perrie texted him back.

After a while it went back to how it used to. We spoke just like we used to, the awkwardness fading away as soon as there was no more tension in the air, my smile didn't seem forced. Until of course, they brought up the topic I had been kind of dreading.

"So, how's your boyfriend?" Zayn asked.

I frowned, causing them both to roll their eyes.

"Niall," he clarified, even though all of us knew that I understood who he was talking about.