euphoric (n.s. AU)

n i n e t e e n

Harry's POV

After the excruciatingly long drive, we arrive at Liam's house. Neither of their cars are there, so it's easy to assume that we'd be alone. I look over at Niall, who's slumped in his seat, his head resting on the window. I quickly tear my gaze from him, before exiting the car and jogging up to the front porch to retrieve the key hidden under the mat. I unlock the door, propping it open before going back to the car to grab Niall. He seems like such a dainty boy, but carrying 160 pounds of dead weight on my shoulders wasn't necessarily pleasant. I lay him on the fold out bed that's been left out since this morning, and try to think of what I could do for him. He mumbled something about 'greening out' in the car; a phrase I hadn't heard since high school, but I wasn't exactly sure what it meant. I leave Niall on the bed and rush around the empty house to collect some items. I grab a bottle of water from the fridge, the trash bin from the bathroom, and hurry back to the living room.

"Niall? Love, are you alright?" I ask. It had been almost an hour since the incident took place. He mumbles something that I wasn't quite sure was English and lets out a lengthy groan before sitting up and rubbing his head. 

"What the fuck?" He asks. My heart falls to my stomach, knowing that he's finally coherent. 

"I'm so glad you're okay." I say, sitting beside him. He wipes crusted drool from his chin and wipes it on his pants. His skin is glistening from sweat and his breathing is heavy. 

"Hand me that trash can." He whimpers, putting his head in his hands. I pat his back gently and nod, putting the bin on his lap. He vomits profusely into it, gripping the sides of the bin so hard I'm afraid it may collapse. The only sounds in the room are Niall's gags, and my soft coos at an attempt to comfort him. Once he's finished, he places the bin next to his feet and wipes his mouth with the back of his hand, gesturing for the water bottle I'm holding. I hand it over, watching him hastily unscrew the cap and chug the water, some of it's contents dribbling out of his mouth on his shirt.

"Where's Zayn? When did we come back here?"

"After you passed out, I carried you to my car and drove us here."

"So... Zayn didn't care? Did anybody care?" He asks, tears forming in his eyes. It's clear that the evening events have left him petrified. I take a deep breath in and breathe it out. 

"All that matters is that you're safe, and you're never doing that again. You did way more than you could handle." I say. Niall gasps and shakes his head. 

"You made sure I was safe?" He asks. I smile at his sweet innocence before responding.

"Of course I did. I would hope someone would do that for me if I was in your shoes." He smiles before wrapping his arms around my neck for a hug. I blush before wrapping my arms around his waist and hugging him back. 

"Harry?" He asks into my shoulder.

"Yes?"

"Are you staying with me again tonight?"

"I'm not sure, Niall. I have a feeling Marissa is extremely mad at me." 

"I want you here. You make me feel safe." When the last word slipped from his lips, my heart began to flutter. I make him feel safe?  The thought of Niall being dependent on me for safety makes me feel ways I know that I shouldn't. Protecting this sweet boy from any harm seems too good to be true. His soft, angelic voice interrupts my thoughts. 

"Please?" He adds. His head finds its way to the crevice of my neck and stays there. I can feel his irregular breathing on my bare skin and blood rushes to places I try to ignore. I pull away from him and look into his eyes. He is so gorgeous. I cannot believe I am going to spend another night away from my girlfriend whom I've slept next two every single night for the past 4 years. I nod my head and a bright smile appears on his face and a sigh of relief escapes him.