Let me help you ~ Niam

Chapter 1.

Quick info: The schools that the boys are going to are completely made up. And the boys ages are around 19-21 somewhere around there, I haven’t really decided yet.

~

Niall walked down the streets of London, hands buried deep into the pockets of his hoodie. He was looking at the ground, watching his shoes, counting the cracks in the pavement. He didn’t hum like he used to, he was just quiet. It felt like his lips had been glued together and he wasn’t going to talk again, ever. He wished that he could say he was sad, that there was an aching hole in his chest where his heart should be. But it wasn’t true, his emotions were just dulled. He hadn’t been feeling anything for weeks; every smile died on his lips, every laugh got strangled in his throat and no tears would fall, they just stayed inside of his head and causing a pounding pain behind his forehead. He just wanted to feel something, he didn’t care what. He had been standing in the bathroom with Louis’ razors in his hands many times, but he had never cut himself. He couldn’t bring himself to do it, that just wasn’t him.

Niall suddenly bumped into someone and was knocked to the ground.

“Oh, I’m so sorry!” A male voice said and a hand was stretched out towards him. “Here, let me help you.”  The man offered when Niall didn’t take his hand. Niall hurriedly placed his hand in the stranger’s and felt how warm, soft and smooth his skin was. The stranger pulled him on his feet and Niall could finally see what the stranger looked like. He was tall, young and had brown hair, matching with the kindest chocolate colored eyes Niall had ever seen.

“I’m sorry; I should watch were I’m going.” Niall apologized.

“It wasn’t me who bit the pavement, was it?” The stranger smiled.

“Um, no… uh, thank you, for helping me up.” Niall mumbled, obviously shy.

“No problem. Well, take care, mate!” The stranger beamed and turned around to keep walking. Niall looked after him for a few seconds before he disappeared into the crowd, then Niall kept going as well.

~~~

Niall met the stranger again only two days later: 

He, Zayn, Louis and Harry were at their favorite café, and his three friends had pushed their money into his hands, urging him to go get them their favorite coffees. He had obeyed, of course; he didn’t want to seem like an asshole. That didn’t mean that he enjoyed trying to get the four cups from the counter to their table; the café didn’t have any trays and none of his friends came to help him. He was beginning to get frustrated, and was torn between being happy because he was feeling something, or smashing the cups against the floor and sit down to cry amongst the shards. He was truly pathetic.

“You look like you could need a hand.” A warm voice sounded from behind him and Niall turned around quickly, immediately recognizing the stranger with the kind eyes. “Let me help you.” The stranger said and Niall nodded, grabbing two of the cups. The stranger did the same and followed Niall back to his table. 

Niall’s three friends quieted down when he and the stranger appeared at their table.

“Thank you.” Niall mumbled (why did he always mumble when he talked to this stranger?).

“No problem.” The stranger smiled sweetly and put the two cups down on the table. Niall noticed how good-looking this stranger was, but sadly it didn’t affect him. Barely any of his feelings hadn’t returned yet, and those few that had, he didn’t want.

Niall expected some sort of goodbye, maybe a ‘see you around’ or ‘take care’, but the stranger only turned and walked back to the counter to order an take-with-you-coffee and disappeared out the door.

“Who was that?” Harry asked and Niall shrugged.

“Helpful stranger.” He said and for a moment he let his mind wander to the stranger’s beautiful, kind eyes.