All Those Missing Pieces; Niam & Larry *Completed*

CHAPTER 5

Chapter 5

   It was one of the moments in time that seem to creep along, your heart in your ears. Liam had never felt empathy, like this before. It was like… He too, was hurting because his mate was hurting. He didn’t know what to do and he was so confused. And he was scared too; he’d be lying if he said there wasn’t a lot of fear in there too. But only a monster wouldn’t feel fear when their best friend had picked up what could only be a fatal addiction. Liam was also angry, sort of like he was coated in a red fuzz of disobedience. Why were the girls so mean? Liam would never understand, and something inside of him did not want too. He did not want the dirty details of the inside of a twisted persons mind. Who would? Instead Liam gingerly turned Niall’s wrist over in his palm, rubbing the sallow skin with the pad of his thumb. He felt his own tears dripping on to the back of his forearm as he tried to swipe away any make-up that Niall was using to cover the scars.

 “Li-Li,” Liam was so deeply worried he didn’t mind the use of the silly pet name, instead it was like music to his ears, familiar and comforting,  “They’re not on my wrists.” Liam wanted to scream, ‘then where are they?’ but instead he looked with fuzzy eyes at his friend who pushed out of his grip to stand shakily on the carpet beside the bed. His knees were knocking together out of fear and confusion and his eyes had red veins, blood-shot from a horrid Horan Hangover that was wearing off and some time spent crying. In then Niall’s hands moved to his belt buckle as Liam’s fingers balled into tense fists and released, he realized he was digging his nails into his palms so hard an indention had been formed. What else could he do? In then Niall’s pants dropped around his ankles.

 ~Liam~

   Usually seeing your friend strip-tease in front of you was protest worthy. But however dirty this sounds, I wanted those pants off of him immediately. How many times had he done it? In then, ever so slowly like a revolving mannequin he turned in his spot, his hands out in front of him in a helpless gesture. The line was a bright pinkish, red. Still colored with the blood and just beginning to dull from scabbing over. Only one. Only one line. Niall was biting his lip, chewing on it so viciously I thought blood might be welling. In then the tears were swelling in my own eyes and I stumbled from the bed, falling to my knees in front of Niall. I wrapped my arms in a desperate motion around his thighs, hands locking behind his back. My head pressed to he-who-must-not-be-named and to anyone else this would’ve been a very… Suggesting, pose? But to me it was just enough. It was like I was the glue, and my precious Niall was a cherished vase. It’d been broken, and now I needed to pick up the shards with my bare hands and forget the pain if I got sliced. For Niall I would. For Niall I would forget any pain, who wouldn’t? Hurting Niall was like kicking a puppy. I didn’t know why I was feeling this way, all tingly and frightened. Like I was… Forget it. I cried on Niall as he petted the top of my head like Harry might pet a cat. In short, soothing motions as he ran his hand over my stubbly head. The rumors were all lies; I didn’t shave my hair for Danielle. Or cancer, or Leukemia or a Shetland pony foundation. I did it for me, because I felt like The Liam Payne needed something.. Something to look at it in the morning. I needed a change of scenery, and maybe that’s why Danielle and I had a ‘mutual agreement’ break-up.

        I realized then that Niall was making this dying animal sound, somewhere between a sob wail, and a cat getting hit by a truck in then being raked on by a cheese-grater. An awful, bone chilling sound that sent a tremor of fear rippling down my spine.

  “Liam! I’m all tingly and I… I need…” He choked out and began to let out great, heaving sobs. I unclasped my fingers, unlacing my arms from around him and slowly rising to my feet. One second. One second when I let go of Niall was enough for the boy to go as fluid as water. He sank out of my grasp, slinking backwards and back-peddling towards the bathroom door.  Except his jeans were still around his ankles and he went wind-milling, spinning wildly trying to free himself as I crawled over. I scooped him up, watching as he kicked off the perpetrating pants. He was crying so heavy now I wondered how he found the time to suck in the air between those gasps. “Please, just once.. Never again… Just once.” The child-likeness in his voice was heart-breaking but I didn’t let go. With my heart melting I clutched his shuddering body close to my chest while I rested my weight on my knees.  He wanted the razor bad, he was crying about it and I was crying to. Right into his chest as my shoulders quaked. In then Niall was still in my arms and I feared he had fainted like that day on the Limo, that day all those years ago. With apprehension I looked up and found startlingly blue eyes looking at me. In then he flipped himself out of my arms, raising his knee and kneeing me right in my nose. I tried not to let go, but my nose made a crackling sound and the red mixed with the salty tears and I couldn’t see a thing as he crawled, in a show of defiance in to the bathroom and kicked the door shut behind him.