Status: Active =)
Don't Give up on Me
Puttin' My Defenses Up, Cuz I Don't Wanna Fall In Love
I grimaced as we walked the streets of London. “You okay?” Harry murmured next to me. He slipped his arm around my waist as I stumbled slightly. "Careful."
“Yeah, I’m good.” I replied, continuing to walk, my pace slowing down.
“Oh whatever. Those shoes have to hurt your feet.” Zayn commented.
“They’re not too bad.” I replied, shrugging.
“Come on Alexis! Hop on!” Louis motioned to his back.
“Are you kidding? Dude, I’m wearing a dress. That's not appropriate.”
“Okay.” Niall spoke quietly, sweeping me off my feet. He carried me bridal style with ease.
"Niall, I can walk. Please put me down." I squirmed in his grip.
"Alexis, I'm going to carry you. Your feet clearly hurt and it's not a problem." He glanced down at me momentarily. "Besides, you don't always have to be as tough as you pretend to be."
"Yes I do." I muttered stubbornly.
"Alexis, trust me. You don't." I smiled and nestled into his arms, resting against his chest. He began walking with the guys and I wound my arms around his neck gently. I let my eyes flutter shut and sighed contentedly as he laughed at something one of the guys said. We fell behind the others a bit as Niall continued carrying me. “I like this side of you." He remarked quietly.
“What makes you say that?” I muttered, not bothering to open my eyes.
“Just the way you are right now. You’re soft and sweet. It’s cute.” He blushed as I looked up at him. “Sorry.” He whispered.
“Why are you sorry?” I bit my lip.
“I shouldn’t have said that. Let’s forget about it and catch up to the others. We’ll have fun tonight, and I’ll get you other clothes so you won’t have to wear a dress while we all hang.”
“Thanks Niall! Um, can I walk?”
“Are you sure you want to?” I nodded at him in response. He gently set me down. I slid my shoes off, sighing in relief as the cold pavement numbed my aching feet. I giggled as I ran to catch up to the rest of the group. “You’re ridiculous, you know that right?” He called as he caught up with me.
“She’s not ridiculous. She’s awesome!” Louis commented.
“I’m so far beyond awesome that you can’t even handle me.” I winked at Louis as the group slowed down. “Everything okay?”
“We’re here!” Louis announced, throwing his arms open wide as he stood on the top step leading to the building.
“Is everything with you this dramatic?” I asked, rolling my eyes.
“This and more.” Niall’s voice sounded in my ear. His breath softly hit my neck. I could feel the heat from his body radiate against mine as he stepped closer. “Here.” He spoke louder, reaching a hand out before us. His solid chest brushed against my back. I felt my knees weaken as his fingers lightly skimmed my waist. I growled inwardly, frustrated with myself for being so weak. I flung up wall after wall around all I’d kept hidden for years. Louis grabbed the key from Niall’s hand and he slowly stepped away from me.
“I thought you guys would have keys to all your places.” I raised an eyebrow as I looked at Zayn.
“We do, but when we go out we each carry our own key in case things go wrong.” He replied, stepping up to hold the door for me as the group walked inside.
“Thank you.” I murmured, stepping into the artificially lit hallway. I followed them to Niall’s flat as anxiety bubbled inside me.
“Are you okay?” Niall touched my arm. Fire shot through my veins at the slightest touch. I turned to face him, noting the concern written on his face.
“I’m good.” I flashed him a bright smile before walking into the flat. It was clearly a guy’s flat. Though it was fairly clean, a few clothes lay discarded on chairs and couches. His shoes covered tables and parts of the floor. “My goodness,” I looked up at him, a glimmer in my eyes. “You have more shoes than I do.”
He flushed slightly. “Sorry for the mess. I don’t usually have female company.”
“Really?” I scrunched my eyebrows in confusion.
“Yeah darlin’.”
“Oh. I shouldn't have assumed.” I bit my lip and looked up at him apologetically. He closed his eyes, tilting his head back a little. I could hear a faint rumble in his throat as he sighed.
“You’re going t’ have t’ stop doing that.”
“What?” I asked concernedly.
“This.” He gripped my lip between his thumb and index finger, tugging it softly from my teeth. My eyes widened in shock from his touch.
“Sorry.” I whispered, my heart speeding up erratically. My breath hitched in my throat and I pulled abruptly away from him.
“Here, come with me. I’ll get you a change of clothes.” He led me to a room and sorted through some clothes, pulling a pair of sweatpants and a t-shirt out. “These should work. I’ll let you change.” He left the room. I slipped into his clothes, carrying my dress and shoes to the front door. I glanced around seeing Niall in the kitchen while noting the guys had left just one spot on the couch. I moved into the room and plopped onto the floor. I pulled my knees up toward my chest as I leaned my back against the couch.
“You should sit on the couch. We’ve got a spot for you.” Louis commented, amusement coloring his voice.
“It’s okay. Niall can sit there. I like sitting on floors.”
“You’re a freak.” Liam remarked snidely.
“Gee thanks spoon boy.” I replied while rolling my eyes.
“Hey.” He barked. “You can’t make fun of me.”
“But you can make fun of me? Look Liam, it’s a two way street.” I stood, whirling on my feet to face him. My hands clenched tightly at my sides. “Now I don’t know why you hate me as much as you do, but I can tell you think I’m a pathetic waste of space. I beg to differ. You can sit here and rip on me all you want but that isn’t going to make me walk out of your life. Talk to me and I’ll go if that makes you happier. But don’t beat around the bush with me or lie to me.”
He snorted. “You wouldn’t be honest with me, why should I with you?”
“I would be honest, I am honest. Look, I’m guarded yeah, but that doesn’t mean I’d lie to you. I’d just wait to tell you things that you don’t need to know at the moment.” I sighed quietly. “Can we just go somewhere and talk for a minute?”
“No.” He replied, crossing his arms over his chest stubbornly.
“Please Liam.”
“Fine.” He huffed loudly, standing up. “Let’s talk.” He stalked out of the room and I followed him quietly. He closed a door behind us and flipped on the light.
“Liam, why don’t you like me?”
“I don’t not like you.” He replied, averting his eyes.
“Liam, don’t lie to me. I’m not stupid okay?”
“I have issues with how willing to meet you the rest of them are. We’ve had problems with girls coming around in the past and I don’t want our friendships to be ruined because you’re here. I also worry about the fans. They can be vicious because they are very protective of us and love us very much. Other girls have had breakdowns because of them and I don’t want you to go through that. I figured if I was mean enough you’d feel unwanted here and you’d walk out of our lives. Apparently I was wrong. I’m very sorry and I promise I’ll try to be nicer to you.”
“Li, you’re a good guy.” I smiled up at him. “You’re protective of your brothers and for that reason you have a lot of my respect. I just ask that you give me a chance, as long as the rest of the group is okay with me being around. I don’t expect a friendship with you guys. Honestly, I just want a night away from my flat. My roommate is a bit of a slut and she most likely brought a guy or two back with her to our flat and the last thing I need is to hear her sex life broadcasted to me while I work on homework.”
“Homework?” He arched an eyebrow.
“I attend King’s College here studying mathematics and engineering.” I giggled at the shock on his face. “I’m smarter than people think I am. I work really hard and I care very deeply about my schooling.”
“I underestimated you.” He replied, a soft smile pulling the corners of his lips upward.
“It’s okay, most people do.” I grinned. “We should head back in before they think we’re killing each other.” He grimaced.
“Was I that mean to you?”
“A little, but it’s really okay. I know you just wanted to protect your family here. I completely understand and I think it’s great that you want to do that for them. I’m honestly touched by that. It’s rare to find that loyalty and fierceness among friends.” He opened the door, letting me walk out first. “Thank you for being honest with me.” I smiled as we rejoined the group.
“You’re welcome.” He smiled in return. “Play you’re cards right and I’ll protect you too.” I looked up at him with wide eyes. “Oh come off it. I’m not a bad guy, I’m just protective of those I’m close to.”
“Oh it’s not that.” I replied quietly. “I just haven't been truly protected for years.” I’d stopped walking, my gaze trained on the floor.
“Wait, you’re being serious?” He gently touched my arm, turning me around to face him. I nodded, biting my lip and not looking up. “I’m sorry Alexis. Everybody deserves to be protected. I’ll do my best to keep you safe from here on out.”
“Thank you.” I whispered wrapping my arms briefly around him. His body tensed, thrown off by the sudden contact and affection.
“You’re welcome.” He murmured, hugging me back. We pulled apart and made our way back to the rest of them.
“Everything okay?” Louis looked up from the stack of movies he had in his lap.
“Everything is great actually.” Liam replied, shooting me a wink. I giggled, shaking my head. I moved back to the floor, resting my back against Niall’s legs.
“No way. Get up here.” Niall spoke. “I can’t let you sit on the floor.”
“It’s really okay.” I replied. “I’m good right here.”
“Okay love.” Louis’s eyes sparkled in amusement as he looked at me. “We’re gonna watch some movies if that’s okay.”
“Sounds great.” I responded excitedly.
“Do you care what we watch?”
“Na, I’m down for whatever.” I grinned at Louis as he moved to put a DVD in the player. The movie started and I smiled to myself as I listened to the friendly banter between the guys. The easiness of the atmosphere helped me relax against Niall. I grimaced slightly as I noticed what movie they put in. Scary movies were not my thing, but I stayed quiet as it started to play. The opening for Saw began and I promptly shut my eyes. I remained frozen in place as the movie continued. Niall’s hand gently landed on my shoulder and I screamed loudly.
“My gosh. You looked scared but I didn’t realize it was that bad. Come here.” He whispered. I whimpered, burying my face in my hands. “Alexis,” he reached down and hooked his arms underneath mine. He lifted me gently onto his lap and wrapped his arms around me as I buried my face in his chest. “Do you want us to switch movies?”
“No. You guys like this one, it’s all okay.”
“Alexis. Please tell me if you would be better off with a different one.”
“Maybe.” I mumbled, my voice muffled by his chest. “I’ll deal with it if you want to keep watching.”
“We should change the movie.” Liam spoke up. I looked over at him, begging for his help. As much as I was starting to like Niall, Liam's comfort was different. There were no romantic feelings and I trusted him to keep me completely safe with no hidden agenda.
“What?” Harry cried out.
“I’m serious.” Liam stood up and stopped the movie before walking over to me. “Are you okay?” He placed a gentle hand on my back. I shook my head rapidly. “Do you want to stay with Niall or come sit with me.” I could feel Niall’s glare but I was more concerned with getting better than making him happy. I looked up at Liam with pleading eyes. “Okay.” He reached down and scooped me up into his arms. He sat down again with me cuddled in his hold. He pulled out his phone and started typing. I caught a glimpse of an apology to Niall, but I didn’t think twice about it. I huddled in Liam’s lap as Louis started the movie again. Liam hummed softly as he played with strands of my hair. I breathed deeply, focusing on the rumble of his voice instead of the movie until it ended.
“Well, we should take off for the night.” Louis and Harry stood up and stretched. I moved out of Liam’s arms and smiled faintly at the pair. “It was lovely meeting you Alexis.” Louis smirked at me. “We’re going to be best friends, even if you don’t know that yet.”
“I’d like that.” I grinned.
“Thank you.” Harry whispered as he pulled me into a hug. “We’ll have to talk sometime.” He smiled broadly at me before walking out of the flat with Louis.
“You going to be okay?” Liam looked concernedly at me.
“I will. Thanks for everything Li.” I gave him a hug before turning to Zayn.
“It was nice meeting you.” Zayn hugged me. “You need to make things right with Nialler.” He whispered in my ear.
“I will.” I replied, just as quietly. “Hopefully I’ll see you again.” He smiled at me before leaving with Liam. “Niall?”
“Did you have fun with Liam?” He asked quietly.
“Niall, it’s not like that.”
“Not like what?” He asked me. “Alexis, you wanted to sit with him.”
“Not for the reasons you’re assuming. Li promised to protect me. Niall, I’m sorry. I was scared and I just needed his help to get better.” He looked away. “There’s nothing between me and him, and there never will be.”
“Are you going home tonight?” He changed the subject abruptly.
“I can if you want. I just don’t want to deal with my roommate which is why I was stalling.”
“You can stay. I’ve got an extra bed.”
“Are you sure?”
“Yeah.” He replied, refusing to look at me. “Follow me.” He walked away from me and I followed in confusion. “Here” He flipped on a light and let me enter the room. “Goodnight Alexis.” He left before I could even get a word out.
“Goodnight Niall!” I called after him before shutting off the light and crawling into the far too comfortable bed. I lay in the dark, thoughts racing through my head. I whimpered softly as sounds from Saw filled my ears. I hid under the covers, but my imagination ran wild as the noises played in my head. I stubbornly stayed in the bed until my fear proved too much and memories crept back into my mind. I got out of bed and padded silently through the flat to Niall’s room. “Niall?” I whispered quietly.
“Alexis?” He muttered, sitting up slightly while rubbing his eyes. “What do you need?”
“I, uh-” I froze, fighting with myself about how much to say. “I need somebody.” I stammered.
“Call Liam.” He replied, laying back down.
“Niall, please.” I whimpered from the doorway. My body was shaking and I felt tears reaching my eyes. I took deep breaths, trying to calm down even though it was useless.
“Fine.” He sighed in frustration as he slid out of bed.“Come on.” He gently held my hand as he led me to his bed. I lay down on one side and he chose the other side. I breathed deeply, trying to regulate my fear. “Alexis, why didn’t you call Liam. Why’d you find me?”
“Look, Liam and I came to an agreement tonight and I just needed to feel completely safe with somebody who didn't want anything more with me. I’m sorry I sat with Liam. I should have stayed with you, but I didn't. I didn’t know it would bother you as much as it did.”
“It just seemed like I wasn’t good enough to keep you safe.” He replied.
“I’m sorry Niall, that’s not true though.” I reached in the dark for him. My fingertips made contact with his stomach. I could feel his abs tighten beneath my touch. I sucked in a breath and pulled my hand away. “Sorry.”
“It’s okay.” His voice had deepened. “Let’s just get some sleep. And I trust you and I know you didn’t mean anything by it. I’m sorry for taking it so personally.”
“It’s more than okay. Goodnight.” I responded, curling up beneath the covers. I lay in dark silence again and felt the fears creeping back in. “Niall?”
“Hmm?”
“Can you hold me? I’m getting scared and I don’t think I’ll fall asleep without somebody’s help tonight.” I blushed, grateful for the darkness that hid my embarrassment with asking for help.
“Here.” He hooked an arm around my waist, pulling my body into his. I felt my tight muscles loosen as patterned breathing filled my ears. I matched his pattern and molded my body into his.
“Thanks Niall.” I murmured as I drifted into a restful sleep.
“Yeah, I’m good.” I replied, continuing to walk, my pace slowing down.
“Oh whatever. Those shoes have to hurt your feet.” Zayn commented.
“They’re not too bad.” I replied, shrugging.
“Come on Alexis! Hop on!” Louis motioned to his back.
“Are you kidding? Dude, I’m wearing a dress. That's not appropriate.”
“Okay.” Niall spoke quietly, sweeping me off my feet. He carried me bridal style with ease.
"Niall, I can walk. Please put me down." I squirmed in his grip.
"Alexis, I'm going to carry you. Your feet clearly hurt and it's not a problem." He glanced down at me momentarily. "Besides, you don't always have to be as tough as you pretend to be."
"Yes I do." I muttered stubbornly.
"Alexis, trust me. You don't." I smiled and nestled into his arms, resting against his chest. He began walking with the guys and I wound my arms around his neck gently. I let my eyes flutter shut and sighed contentedly as he laughed at something one of the guys said. We fell behind the others a bit as Niall continued carrying me. “I like this side of you." He remarked quietly.
“What makes you say that?” I muttered, not bothering to open my eyes.
“Just the way you are right now. You’re soft and sweet. It’s cute.” He blushed as I looked up at him. “Sorry.” He whispered.
“Why are you sorry?” I bit my lip.
“I shouldn’t have said that. Let’s forget about it and catch up to the others. We’ll have fun tonight, and I’ll get you other clothes so you won’t have to wear a dress while we all hang.”
“Thanks Niall! Um, can I walk?”
“Are you sure you want to?” I nodded at him in response. He gently set me down. I slid my shoes off, sighing in relief as the cold pavement numbed my aching feet. I giggled as I ran to catch up to the rest of the group. “You’re ridiculous, you know that right?” He called as he caught up with me.
“She’s not ridiculous. She’s awesome!” Louis commented.
“I’m so far beyond awesome that you can’t even handle me.” I winked at Louis as the group slowed down. “Everything okay?”
“We’re here!” Louis announced, throwing his arms open wide as he stood on the top step leading to the building.
“Is everything with you this dramatic?” I asked, rolling my eyes.
“This and more.” Niall’s voice sounded in my ear. His breath softly hit my neck. I could feel the heat from his body radiate against mine as he stepped closer. “Here.” He spoke louder, reaching a hand out before us. His solid chest brushed against my back. I felt my knees weaken as his fingers lightly skimmed my waist. I growled inwardly, frustrated with myself for being so weak. I flung up wall after wall around all I’d kept hidden for years. Louis grabbed the key from Niall’s hand and he slowly stepped away from me.
“I thought you guys would have keys to all your places.” I raised an eyebrow as I looked at Zayn.
“We do, but when we go out we each carry our own key in case things go wrong.” He replied, stepping up to hold the door for me as the group walked inside.
“Thank you.” I murmured, stepping into the artificially lit hallway. I followed them to Niall’s flat as anxiety bubbled inside me.
“Are you okay?” Niall touched my arm. Fire shot through my veins at the slightest touch. I turned to face him, noting the concern written on his face.
“I’m good.” I flashed him a bright smile before walking into the flat. It was clearly a guy’s flat. Though it was fairly clean, a few clothes lay discarded on chairs and couches. His shoes covered tables and parts of the floor. “My goodness,” I looked up at him, a glimmer in my eyes. “You have more shoes than I do.”
He flushed slightly. “Sorry for the mess. I don’t usually have female company.”
“Really?” I scrunched my eyebrows in confusion.
“Yeah darlin’.”
“Oh. I shouldn't have assumed.” I bit my lip and looked up at him apologetically. He closed his eyes, tilting his head back a little. I could hear a faint rumble in his throat as he sighed.
“You’re going t’ have t’ stop doing that.”
“What?” I asked concernedly.
“This.” He gripped my lip between his thumb and index finger, tugging it softly from my teeth. My eyes widened in shock from his touch.
“Sorry.” I whispered, my heart speeding up erratically. My breath hitched in my throat and I pulled abruptly away from him.
“Here, come with me. I’ll get you a change of clothes.” He led me to a room and sorted through some clothes, pulling a pair of sweatpants and a t-shirt out. “These should work. I’ll let you change.” He left the room. I slipped into his clothes, carrying my dress and shoes to the front door. I glanced around seeing Niall in the kitchen while noting the guys had left just one spot on the couch. I moved into the room and plopped onto the floor. I pulled my knees up toward my chest as I leaned my back against the couch.
“You should sit on the couch. We’ve got a spot for you.” Louis commented, amusement coloring his voice.
“It’s okay. Niall can sit there. I like sitting on floors.”
“You’re a freak.” Liam remarked snidely.
“Gee thanks spoon boy.” I replied while rolling my eyes.
“Hey.” He barked. “You can’t make fun of me.”
“But you can make fun of me? Look Liam, it’s a two way street.” I stood, whirling on my feet to face him. My hands clenched tightly at my sides. “Now I don’t know why you hate me as much as you do, but I can tell you think I’m a pathetic waste of space. I beg to differ. You can sit here and rip on me all you want but that isn’t going to make me walk out of your life. Talk to me and I’ll go if that makes you happier. But don’t beat around the bush with me or lie to me.”
He snorted. “You wouldn’t be honest with me, why should I with you?”
“I would be honest, I am honest. Look, I’m guarded yeah, but that doesn’t mean I’d lie to you. I’d just wait to tell you things that you don’t need to know at the moment.” I sighed quietly. “Can we just go somewhere and talk for a minute?”
“No.” He replied, crossing his arms over his chest stubbornly.
“Please Liam.”
“Fine.” He huffed loudly, standing up. “Let’s talk.” He stalked out of the room and I followed him quietly. He closed a door behind us and flipped on the light.
“Liam, why don’t you like me?”
“I don’t not like you.” He replied, averting his eyes.
“Liam, don’t lie to me. I’m not stupid okay?”
“I have issues with how willing to meet you the rest of them are. We’ve had problems with girls coming around in the past and I don’t want our friendships to be ruined because you’re here. I also worry about the fans. They can be vicious because they are very protective of us and love us very much. Other girls have had breakdowns because of them and I don’t want you to go through that. I figured if I was mean enough you’d feel unwanted here and you’d walk out of our lives. Apparently I was wrong. I’m very sorry and I promise I’ll try to be nicer to you.”
“Li, you’re a good guy.” I smiled up at him. “You’re protective of your brothers and for that reason you have a lot of my respect. I just ask that you give me a chance, as long as the rest of the group is okay with me being around. I don’t expect a friendship with you guys. Honestly, I just want a night away from my flat. My roommate is a bit of a slut and she most likely brought a guy or two back with her to our flat and the last thing I need is to hear her sex life broadcasted to me while I work on homework.”
“Homework?” He arched an eyebrow.
“I attend King’s College here studying mathematics and engineering.” I giggled at the shock on his face. “I’m smarter than people think I am. I work really hard and I care very deeply about my schooling.”
“I underestimated you.” He replied, a soft smile pulling the corners of his lips upward.
“It’s okay, most people do.” I grinned. “We should head back in before they think we’re killing each other.” He grimaced.
“Was I that mean to you?”
“A little, but it’s really okay. I know you just wanted to protect your family here. I completely understand and I think it’s great that you want to do that for them. I’m honestly touched by that. It’s rare to find that loyalty and fierceness among friends.” He opened the door, letting me walk out first. “Thank you for being honest with me.” I smiled as we rejoined the group.
“You’re welcome.” He smiled in return. “Play you’re cards right and I’ll protect you too.” I looked up at him with wide eyes. “Oh come off it. I’m not a bad guy, I’m just protective of those I’m close to.”
“Oh it’s not that.” I replied quietly. “I just haven't been truly protected for years.” I’d stopped walking, my gaze trained on the floor.
“Wait, you’re being serious?” He gently touched my arm, turning me around to face him. I nodded, biting my lip and not looking up. “I’m sorry Alexis. Everybody deserves to be protected. I’ll do my best to keep you safe from here on out.”
“Thank you.” I whispered wrapping my arms briefly around him. His body tensed, thrown off by the sudden contact and affection.
“You’re welcome.” He murmured, hugging me back. We pulled apart and made our way back to the rest of them.
“Everything okay?” Louis looked up from the stack of movies he had in his lap.
“Everything is great actually.” Liam replied, shooting me a wink. I giggled, shaking my head. I moved back to the floor, resting my back against Niall’s legs.
“No way. Get up here.” Niall spoke. “I can’t let you sit on the floor.”
“It’s really okay.” I replied. “I’m good right here.”
“Okay love.” Louis’s eyes sparkled in amusement as he looked at me. “We’re gonna watch some movies if that’s okay.”
“Sounds great.” I responded excitedly.
“Do you care what we watch?”
“Na, I’m down for whatever.” I grinned at Louis as he moved to put a DVD in the player. The movie started and I smiled to myself as I listened to the friendly banter between the guys. The easiness of the atmosphere helped me relax against Niall. I grimaced slightly as I noticed what movie they put in. Scary movies were not my thing, but I stayed quiet as it started to play. The opening for Saw began and I promptly shut my eyes. I remained frozen in place as the movie continued. Niall’s hand gently landed on my shoulder and I screamed loudly.
“My gosh. You looked scared but I didn’t realize it was that bad. Come here.” He whispered. I whimpered, burying my face in my hands. “Alexis,” he reached down and hooked his arms underneath mine. He lifted me gently onto his lap and wrapped his arms around me as I buried my face in his chest. “Do you want us to switch movies?”
“No. You guys like this one, it’s all okay.”
“Alexis. Please tell me if you would be better off with a different one.”
“Maybe.” I mumbled, my voice muffled by his chest. “I’ll deal with it if you want to keep watching.”
“We should change the movie.” Liam spoke up. I looked over at him, begging for his help. As much as I was starting to like Niall, Liam's comfort was different. There were no romantic feelings and I trusted him to keep me completely safe with no hidden agenda.
“What?” Harry cried out.
“I’m serious.” Liam stood up and stopped the movie before walking over to me. “Are you okay?” He placed a gentle hand on my back. I shook my head rapidly. “Do you want to stay with Niall or come sit with me.” I could feel Niall’s glare but I was more concerned with getting better than making him happy. I looked up at Liam with pleading eyes. “Okay.” He reached down and scooped me up into his arms. He sat down again with me cuddled in his hold. He pulled out his phone and started typing. I caught a glimpse of an apology to Niall, but I didn’t think twice about it. I huddled in Liam’s lap as Louis started the movie again. Liam hummed softly as he played with strands of my hair. I breathed deeply, focusing on the rumble of his voice instead of the movie until it ended.
“Well, we should take off for the night.” Louis and Harry stood up and stretched. I moved out of Liam’s arms and smiled faintly at the pair. “It was lovely meeting you Alexis.” Louis smirked at me. “We’re going to be best friends, even if you don’t know that yet.”
“I’d like that.” I grinned.
“Thank you.” Harry whispered as he pulled me into a hug. “We’ll have to talk sometime.” He smiled broadly at me before walking out of the flat with Louis.
“You going to be okay?” Liam looked concernedly at me.
“I will. Thanks for everything Li.” I gave him a hug before turning to Zayn.
“It was nice meeting you.” Zayn hugged me. “You need to make things right with Nialler.” He whispered in my ear.
“I will.” I replied, just as quietly. “Hopefully I’ll see you again.” He smiled at me before leaving with Liam. “Niall?”
“Did you have fun with Liam?” He asked quietly.
“Niall, it’s not like that.”
“Not like what?” He asked me. “Alexis, you wanted to sit with him.”
“Not for the reasons you’re assuming. Li promised to protect me. Niall, I’m sorry. I was scared and I just needed his help to get better.” He looked away. “There’s nothing between me and him, and there never will be.”
“Are you going home tonight?” He changed the subject abruptly.
“I can if you want. I just don’t want to deal with my roommate which is why I was stalling.”
“You can stay. I’ve got an extra bed.”
“Are you sure?”
“Yeah.” He replied, refusing to look at me. “Follow me.” He walked away from me and I followed in confusion. “Here” He flipped on a light and let me enter the room. “Goodnight Alexis.” He left before I could even get a word out.
“Goodnight Niall!” I called after him before shutting off the light and crawling into the far too comfortable bed. I lay in the dark, thoughts racing through my head. I whimpered softly as sounds from Saw filled my ears. I hid under the covers, but my imagination ran wild as the noises played in my head. I stubbornly stayed in the bed until my fear proved too much and memories crept back into my mind. I got out of bed and padded silently through the flat to Niall’s room. “Niall?” I whispered quietly.
“Alexis?” He muttered, sitting up slightly while rubbing his eyes. “What do you need?”
“I, uh-” I froze, fighting with myself about how much to say. “I need somebody.” I stammered.
“Call Liam.” He replied, laying back down.
“Niall, please.” I whimpered from the doorway. My body was shaking and I felt tears reaching my eyes. I took deep breaths, trying to calm down even though it was useless.
“Fine.” He sighed in frustration as he slid out of bed.“Come on.” He gently held my hand as he led me to his bed. I lay down on one side and he chose the other side. I breathed deeply, trying to regulate my fear. “Alexis, why didn’t you call Liam. Why’d you find me?”
“Look, Liam and I came to an agreement tonight and I just needed to feel completely safe with somebody who didn't want anything more with me. I’m sorry I sat with Liam. I should have stayed with you, but I didn't. I didn’t know it would bother you as much as it did.”
“It just seemed like I wasn’t good enough to keep you safe.” He replied.
“I’m sorry Niall, that’s not true though.” I reached in the dark for him. My fingertips made contact with his stomach. I could feel his abs tighten beneath my touch. I sucked in a breath and pulled my hand away. “Sorry.”
“It’s okay.” His voice had deepened. “Let’s just get some sleep. And I trust you and I know you didn’t mean anything by it. I’m sorry for taking it so personally.”
“It’s more than okay. Goodnight.” I responded, curling up beneath the covers. I lay in dark silence again and felt the fears creeping back in. “Niall?”
“Hmm?”
“Can you hold me? I’m getting scared and I don’t think I’ll fall asleep without somebody’s help tonight.” I blushed, grateful for the darkness that hid my embarrassment with asking for help.
“Here.” He hooked an arm around my waist, pulling my body into his. I felt my tight muscles loosen as patterned breathing filled my ears. I matched his pattern and molded my body into his.
“Thanks Niall.” I murmured as I drifted into a restful sleep.
♠ ♠ ♠
Thanks for the recommendation and all of the subscribers! You guys are so great already!! =)