Heroes (BoyxBoy)

5. Lonely Boy

Recap: ... at that moment, Liam knew that his best friend, his hero remembered. His Niall was in there somewhere. He was in there just waiting to be awakened from that slumber of his. Liam was determined to help. He was determined to make Niall remember.

.

"Uh, dad?" Niall hovered in the entryway to the living room. He was unsure of how he would ask his father about going out. It all seemed odd to him - foreign. He walked the halls as if they weren't his. He stayed silent and kept to himself. He felt like an alien in his own life.

"Yeah?"

"I'm going out..."

His father looked at him with curious, warm eyes. He put the newspaper down and rubbed his belly. "Where to?"

Niall shrugged and fiddled with his house keys. He didn't want to drive, not after the accident he couldn't even remember. He didn't want to lose anything more. His life was only half complete because of his lost memory. "Uh, to Liam's. Just thought I'd go over there..." He trailed off, getting nervous at his dads' calm silence, "Check on him and yeah, ya' know, concidering..."

Niall shifted his weight and began gnawing on his lip, "Ya' aren't bringing the car are ya' boy?"

He shook his head rapidly, scoffing at the thought, "Definitely not."

After a couple more seconds, his father finally shrugged and shoed him off. Relief welled up inside him. He just wanted fresh air. To get out and clear his thoughts. Yet, the feeling that was tugging inside him was growing stronger and stronger inside of him. The sense of want...almost needs, inside of him that was begging, tugging and pulling for him to go to Liam's. It scared him. Was he supposed to feel so strongly about a friend? Were best friends always this close? Did best friends think about each other the way he had thought of Liam last night...?

Niall shook his head. He knew that he would have to stop whatever this was. Stop thinking about everything, especially about that tingle he got when he would picture Liam next to him and leaning in close, gazing into his eyes, his hand slowly trailing up his arm...

Stop!

He pushed his hands deeper into his pockets. Here he told himself that thinking of his friend like that was prohibited, yet he was walking over to his house like a madman. He quickened with every step, feeling relieved and more agitated as he got closer. The stirring of joy inside of him was growing like wildfire, scorching his nerves into giddiness.

Finally, he was there at a slightly small but average house. Niall stopped at the front entrance. He stared up at the building for a few seconds before taking a deep breath. Niall skipped the steps up to the porch, but the door flew open before he could even knock.

"Niall, hunny! I'm so glad to see you, how are you doing?" A woman exclaimed, pulling him into a tight hug.

"I- well I um, I'm good, ya'..."

She took a step back. That's when Niall saw this glint of worry in her eyes and a tired look hiding behind her smile. "Geoff, Ni is here! Go and tell Liam, would you? I'll make some tea."

She pulled him in and told him to take his jacket and shoes off. Then, leaving them at the door, she brought him into the living room. Then she was off, leaving Niall in the empty space. He looked around, looking closely at the pictures hanging on the wall.

Niall and Liam had hung out a few times. Although seemingly familiar with the boy and his family, Niall still felt a peculiar sense of discomfort. He felt alien at his home, even though he felt at home when he was there, but it was an odd discomfort here. A dizzying high that Niall couldn't fully comprehend. It's like Niall was stuck in a twilight zone.