The Wolf In sheeps clothing

"We'll Do This Together"

"Come on in, bro. Don't just stand there" Louis said, holding his front door open as he he looked back at Niall. His bandmate just stood there, seemingly frozen. "Bro, come on" Louis encouraged again and Niall  appeared to surface from the trance he had fallen into. Niall stepped over the threshold and followed Louis into the spacious hallway. 

"You don't have to do this, Lou. I mean, I'm OK on my own and I'm not great company right now" Niall whispered, staring down at his feet so he didn't have to meet Louis gaze.

"Ni, we've already been through this. Bobby has to go back to Ireland and you need company, mate. We'll have some laughs, yeah?" Louis said encouragingly. Niall smiled half heartedly , making Louis mentally frown. Niall really was in a low place right now, and  he'd learnt enough about depression and anxiety to know that it wasn't something Niall could control or shake off. He'd need a lot of support and he, Louis, would make sure that he ,and the other lads, did their best to get Niall through this."Make yourself at home.". Louis watched Niall go sit down on the couch. His heart sank as he studied his bandmate. Niall looked totally lost and Louis felt himself panic. He'd been so sure he'd be able to help Niall through this but, looking at him now, he felt more and more hopeless. What if he couldn't help? What if he failed? What then?

"Where is he?" Harry whispered as Louis ushered him into the house

"Lounge. Been there since we got home, hasn't moved, just sits staring into space" Louis replied, his expression strained. "I just don't know what to do, Hazza. He won't talk, hasn't eaten. Just sits there."

"We'll figure it out, Lou. I take it Li hasn't arrived yet?"

"Nah, but he shouldn't be too long. I can't believe we've managed to get this past the papps. I mean they knew Ni had gone missing but they've pretty much left us alone" Louis shook his head, amazed that they had all managed to fly under the radar.

"Is this a private party, or can anyone join in?" both men turned at the sound of Liam's voice. "Are we staying in the door way, then?" he continued. Louis mentally shook himself and waved the two men through, closing his front door behind him. 

"Hey, Bro" Liam said cheerfully as he flung himself onto the couch next to Niall. Hazz remained standing, just looking at Niall , a worried crease between his brows. Niall looked up, blankly and shrugged, but didn't speak. The other three men exchanged glances.

"Nialler, come on, don't push us out." Liam wrapped an arm around Niall's thin shoulders."We can't help you if you won't let us in, bro." Liam was in Daddy Direction mode.

"I don't need help" Niall replied after a short silence. "What I need is to be left alone."

"What you need is f.cking rocket up your ar......." Louis started to shout in frustration only from Harry to cut him off mid rant with a gentle hand on his shoulder. "Sorry" Louis mumbled, embarrassed by his outburst. "It's just...Ni, we're worried about you."

"I don't need help, I don't need you to worry and  I don't need a babysitter" Niall pushed Liam's arm off and stood before storming out of the room.

"D*mn" Liam muttered. "Honestly, Lou. You need to calm down. It doesn't help you going off like that."

"M,sorry, all right!" Louis snapped. "I know I was wrong but just look at him!

"It's ok, boobear" Harry's voice was slow and soothing. "We know you care. We all do. Nialler is dealing with a lot right now, he's got to think it through, in his own time."

"In his own time? Hazz, we've let him do that and look what happened. Do you really believe he 'accidentally' , Louis moved his fingers in air quotes " made a mistake with the amount of pain killers he took? That he 'accidentally ' hid from everyone  and nearly died? "

"Mate, I don't think Ni deliberately to..." Liam began in a soothing voice but Louis held up a hand and continued his rant.

"He 's a f.cking danger to himself and I can't ..I...can't......." Louis suddenly sat down, hiding his face in his hands. "I can't let anything happen to him, Li" he whispered.

"Lou, Niall's a big boy.He'll figure it out" Harry said gently. "We'll look after him. It's not down to just you"

"We gotta do something, Hazz. Things are so messed up. You know Ni talks in his sleep?" Liam and Harry nodded, having listened to so many of Niall's 'conversations' in his sleep. "He's missing Zee" Louis nickname for Zayn slid out without him noticing . "he's scared too. And I don't know how to help."

Niall had slammed the door of the guest room and thrown himself onto the bed. He grabbed a pillow  and held it over his face and yelled into it.He was so fed up of everyone treating him like a child, telling him it would be Ok, he had to do this and not to that. Did they think he was incapable of looking after himself? he huffed angrily. Slowly he calmed down and then began to feel ashamed of himself. He had acted like a spoilt brat. No wonder they treated him like a child, he was acting like one...a toddler in a tantrum, throwing his toys out of the pram every time something didn't suit him. Niall wiped the tears from his eyes and pushed himself off the bed. Taking a deep breath he left the room.

Harry, Louis and Liam were sat in the kitchen, bottles of water in front of them and talking in low voices.

"Is he on any medication?" Harry asked

"For the Lupus?" Louis replied slightly confused. Surely Harry remembered that he was?

"Umm, I actually meant like...for the depression?" Harry sounded a little uncertain.Louis grabbed the envelope that had come home with Niall from the hospital and shook out the paperwork and several bottles of pills. He studied the labels carefully before passing them to Harry.

"These" Harry shook the bottle. Louis nodded and read the paperwork in his hand then passed that to Harry who read it in turn. "Appointments. Right. We'll make sure he keeps those. That will be a start. He'll fight us but if he won't look after himself properly then we will. Lou, you're not doing this alone..neither is Nialler."

"Ummh, Guys?" All three men looked towards the pale young man stood in the doorway. "I..I'm sorry..I really am sorry" Niall whispers, his blue eyes shimmering with unshed tears.

"Come here, Nialler" Liam stood and pulled the smaller man into a hug. "We're brothers, yeah? We'll do this together."

"