Love Sick

Chapter 1

As I sit here in the airport, wondering what to do I realize something.  Im beginning to feel like crap and my head is starting to heat up.  

“Oh boy” I whisper.  

I start to stand up before it hurts too much but my head still pounds. The tears start to come again but faster and harder. 

Being stuck at the airport without my family is bad enough, but having a fever too.  I pick up my luggage so I can get some Tylenol or ibuprofen from the nearest stand.  As I get closer I notice the access security around the stand, I try to get through but I can’t.  

The pain starts to increase in my head so I find a wall and slide down and start to cry into my knees. As I peer through my knees I notice a pair of feet in front of me. 

“What’s the matter love?” I look up to notice Liam Payne from One Direction looking concerned. 

“Well that explains the security” I mutter under my breath. 

As the other boys start to walk over I begin to tell my story of how the plane left without me and that my family was on their way to California.  Also that I had no way of getting home and that I knew I was starting to run a fever. The boys look at each other and they seem to come to a silent agreement. 

Niall and Harry offer me their hands to help me up and I except gratefully.  The other boys take my luggage as Harry and Niall support me and they start to lead me somewhere. 

“Where am I going?” I asked in a small voice. 

“To our hotel of course!” Liam responded. 

My head started to pound even more and I would be on the ground if Harry and Niall weren’t holding me up. 

“She’s heating up” I hear Harry say as his cool hand touches my forehead. 

We walked a couple more steps and then we were stopped by the large airport golf cart.  Once we are all settled in the cart I lay my head in the closest boy’s lap. 

LATER THE NEXT DAY

I open my eyes to find myself in an unfamiliar bed.  I sit up for a second and then the memories and tears come back as I curl into a ball from the sickness of the fever and fear of not seeing my family.  I hear the door open to my room and suddenly there is another body on my bed rubbing my back.  I look up to see Niall Horan humming. 

“It’s okay, here have some Tylenol, it will help bring your fever down.” He says while handing me two pills and a glass of water. 

“By the way I’m Niall” He states in his wonderful Irish accent.  As if I didn’t know that. 

“I’m Natalie. Where am I?” 

Niall responds, “A hotel in Newark.  We carried you to my room since your fever was so high. We thought we would let you recover and then figure out how to contact your family to let them know you were okay.”

"Thanks, can you hand me my iPhone?" I ask

"Here you go! All charged up!" Niall says as he hands it to me.

I turn it on to realize i have a couple missed calls and decide to contact my mom first.  As I dial I become anxious.  Niall seems to sense it and starts to rub my back again.  

When she finally picks up I tell her I am okay and staying with a friend and that they can stay in California until their original flight home.  She is reluctant but I convinced her.  I guess it is a good thing I don't tell her I am running a fever.  After I hang up I realize I hadn't asked Niall if I could stay.  As he reads my facial expression he catches on.

"It's no problem if you stay with us until your family comes back.  Besides who would take care of you?"  says Niall with a smirk.

"Thank you so much Niall." I reply

I begin to sit up so that I can go to the bathroom but my head starts to pound horribly so I immediately lay back down.  Niall's expressions begins to turn concerned.

"What's the matter love?" He says

"My head, whenever I sit up it kills." I say as I start to slide out of bed and begin to crawl to the bathroom.

"Don't crawl. Here let me carry you." He says, not waiting for a reply as he picks me up bridal style.  Niall drops me outside the door and when I come out he is waiting with his arms open.  He is the sweetest guy in the world.

 As the day continues Niall helps me with everything, from sitting up to ordering food!  We learn a lot about each other and have a lot in common: we are the same age, we both play an instrument, love to laugh, eat and many other things.  Not only do I get help from Niall but the other boys all stop by at one time or another to see how I was doing.

I explain to Niall that me being sick isn't an abnormal accurance.  This was at least the 8th time I had been sick in the last couple of months.  I run a high fever for a couple of days and then i'm right back on my feet!  He is very understanding and promises to take care of me until my fever is gone! 

"I'll sleep on the coach and make sure that you are okay before I leave for rehearsals and then I will rush back every day until you are better okay?" Niall explains to me

I begin to protest.

"No, I don't want to take your bed, here I will sleep on the coach and enjoy your time in New York! Don't come rushing back just for me! Remember this happens to me all the time! I can hadle myself!" I reply with a grin.

Once I finish my rant I begin to stand up to go to the coach, but if Niall hadn't been there to catch me I would have fallen on my face.

"Well you have just proven that you cannot take care of yourself!" says a concerned Niall

I climb back in to bed thinking I must have a higher fever because this has never happened before.  I reach for the thermometer but Niall is already there about to place it in my mouth.  As it beeps I watch his expression, which doesn't look good.

"104 and didn't you just take ibuprofen?" He states

"Yeah, but im fine i've had fevers this high before" I reply "even though that was years ago" I mutter under my breath hoping he doesn't hear.

"I'm taking you to a doctor." Niall declares.

"No, i'm fine. Really. Niall, look at me. Just give it a day or two, my fever will die down." 

He seems to relax but the rest of the day he watches me carefully.  When night time comes I insist that either I sleep ont he coach, or he sleeps on the other side of the huge bed with me.

As I start to fall asleep I begin to shiver, but out of the darkness two hands pull me around the waist so I was pressed up against the body that the hands belong to.  I take in his magnificent scent and absorb his body heat as I stop shivering.

"Niall I don't want to get you sick." I announce as i start to pull away, but he pulls me in tighter.

"I've been in the same room as you, I have been talking to you and sitting right next to you all day. I think i'm good!" He replys

I don't say it outloud but I am relieved he wants me next to him.  I give in and rest my head on his chest and quickly fall asleep to the beat of his heart.