Paralyzed [Nouis]

Prologue

I got inspiration for this story from Big Time Rush's Paralyzed (which is where I got the title & description, as well). I don't know about you guys, but I always like to listen to music while I'm reading so if you're like me, I just wanted to give you an idea of what to listen to. x

---

"I love you, BooBear." Harry said, cuddling into Louis' side. Niall felt tears rise up in his eyes. Angry or jealous, he couldn't decide. Maybe it was a mix of both, but whatever kind of tears they were, he forced them back. He couldn't let himself cry, even if none of the boys would look over to see.

Niall looked down at his wrists, which were showing slightly. He tugged down the sleeves of his hoodie, holding them there with his fingers, hoping nobody had noticed. Of course they didn't. Niall thought. They're not even looking at you.

Louis kissed the top of Harry's head suddenly, and Harry giggled. Louis smiled at that, and a single tear ran down Niall's cheek. He wiped it away quickly and as casually as possible, as if he were just scratching his face. He hoped, again, nobody saw, as if he just kept forgetting that they weren't paying him any attention.

"I love you too, Hazza." Louis chuckled. Niall bit his lip, letting it bounce back into place when he tasted blood. Another tear ran down his face but he wiped it away quickly, letting out a breath of relief when he knew nobody saw.

"You may as well just tell the world." Zayn joked. "The fans sure would be happy. Everyone loves you together. They say they couldn't see either of you with anyone else."

Liam laughed at that- all the boys did, except for Niall. He was alone on one couch, Zayn and Liam on another, Louis and Harry on the last, which is why Niall wasn't getting any attention.

Another tear ran down Niall's cheek, but he let this one fall to the floor. None of the boys saw, too focused on Larry to even notice Niall was left out.

Niall bit back the tears, taking a deep breath through his sore throat as he tried to will them away. His hands clenched into fists around the soft fabric of his hoodie, closing his eyes against the tears, flinching as another rolled down his cheek.

"We're young and in love." Louis announced loudly, another joke, but that one sent Niall off the edge- hearing the jokes come out of Louis' mouth. He pushed himself up quickly, running barefoot out the door. It was raining outside, but Niall hardly acknowledged it as he ran. He ran and ran and ran for what felt like hours.

He found himself dashing into the woods, a great bunch of seemingly endless trees that he'd never seen before. He collapsed randomly, exhausted both physically and mentally. He found himself being violently sick, clutching at his stomach.

He dragged himself away, collapsing again under a rather large tree, curling into it's trunk as he cried, sobs ripping through his already sore throat.

He allowed himself to cry and scream and let everything out, something he never let himself do. He couldn't bottle everything up forever, and this was one of his only chances to let it out.

He fell, exhausted, onto his side. One of his arms was under his head, another limp over his stomach. His legs were curled beside him. He cried himself to sleep in his little circle, wondering if he was overreacting or not.

Yes. He was overreacting, Niall decided eventually, but he was slipping onto unconsciousness, so there was really nothing he could do about it.