Random Imagines/One-Shots

8 (Niall Murray)

(For 

You know that feeling when you wake up suddenly, and it takes a second to remember where you are? I felt that the first night I heard Niall have his nightmare. I jolt up in my bed when I hear him call out. It's just me and Niall in the apartment. When Niall calls out, I figure he's playing a game or something. I try to ignore it, chalking it up to gamer rage.

Then I hear him sob.

I get out of bed and walk across the hall, pressing my ear to the door. I hear him almost silently crying, sobs rolling out of him like far-off thunder. I gently knock on the door. When I get no response, I get worried. I make the quick decision to go in. I open the door quietly.

"N-Niall?" I ask, my voice sounding small in the dark of his room. When my eyes adjust, which only takes a moment, I see him sitting on the edge of his bed, the sheets and duvet in a twisted pile next to him. He's clutching his chest and gently rocking back and forth.

"Oh, God, Niall!"

I rush over to him, trying to be careful not to crowd him. I don't know if he's having a panic attack, but that's surely what it looks like. And panic attacks are something I know all too well.

"(Y/N)... I'm so sorry... I didn't mean to wake you up..." he heaves out the words between labored breaths.

"Don't worry about it. What happened?"

"I had... a..." he stutters, trying hard to calm down.

"A nightmare?" He nods sadly, accompanied by another sob. He's still hyperventilating. I put a hand on his shoulder and coax him to breathe steadily. As he begins to calm down, I run my fingers along his spine.

"Thanks," he says once he calms down enough to speak.

"Of course." We sit for a while, with my hand on his back.

"Thanks," he says once he calms down enough to speak. He sounds embarrassed and devastated all at the same time. He turns to me and wraps his arms around me, hugging me close. "Is this okay?"

"Yeah, of course, whatever will make you feel better." I put my chin on his bare shoulder and realize how nice his hair smells. I continue to run my hands over his back. He sighs, his breathing coming back to normal. He pulls away to wipe the tears from his eyes.

"Wanna talk about it?" I ask, hoping he doesn't get offended or anxious again.

"It was... um... about you." I inhale sharply.

"Oh. Well, go on."

"Well, we were in this, like, empty train station. I saw you standing there and you just started running. You wouldn't stop, even after I called your name a bunch of times. It was awful. I kept running and running after you." My hand finds his and I squeeze it as he continues. "Then, when we got to the other end of the station, there was this... cliff. You just walked off of it. I heard you scream, (Y/N). It was awful." A tear rolls down his cheek and I wipe it away with my thumb.

"Oh, Niall, I'm so sorry... that's horrible. Come here." I open my arms, and he hugs me again, this time harder. I hear him sniffle. I run my hands through his hair. "I'm right here. There's no train station, no cliff. I'm right here and I'm not going to leave you like that.

After a while of us sitting there like that, I look at his clock.

"Oh, man, it's 3:30. We should go back to sleep. You okay?"

"Yeah. Um... you can sleep in here if you want to." His words sound hopeful that I'd stay. If I had a nightmare as bad as his was, I wouldn't want to be alone.

"Of course. If that'll make you feel better."

"I mean, just being around you makes me feel better." His lips curve up in a sly smile. I giggle and crawl to the side of the bed he doesn't sleep on. He moves around the covers and I shimmy underneath them. We both lie on our backs for a moment before he speaks.

"I'm glad you're here."

"Me too." And with that, he turns on his side and kisses me on the cheek.

"What was that for?" I ask him, my cheeks burning with an intense blush.

"I don't know. I just really want to kiss you." I lock eyes with him and, fueled by a surge of affection, kiss him. When we pull away, we don't quite know what to do. So he just wraps his arm around my waist, pulls me close, kisses my head, and close his eyes. I fall asleep to his rhythmic breathing against me.