hold you when you're feeling low - harry/niall - pg
Title: hold you when you're feeling low
Pairing(s): Niall Horan/Harry Styles
Rating: PG
Word Count: 1,282
Warning(s): Unbeta'ed.
Summary: Niall has a cold and wants to cuddle with Harry...who talks in his sleep.
Disclaimer: You can't own real people, that's illegal.
Harry doesn’t normally do this. He’s not the mother hen of the group. That’s Liam.
Harry has just never seen Niall so quiet.
He’s used to constant movement, laughter and squirming, a hand patting him here, a leg thrown over him there. He’s used to throwing himself onto Niall’s back for impromptu piggy back rides Niall’s protests that eventually turn into wrestling matches.
Today Niall is laying in bed in the most recent hotel, face smushed into the bed sheets, and Harry can see the flushed cheeks from where he’s standing at the door. He crosses to Niall and brushes his hair out of his face, because he knows how much Niall hates that it flops in his face because he hasn’t had time for a haircut. Harry thinks he looks like an adorable, grumpy kitten most of the time, but there’s no way he’s letting Niall know that.
“Niall, babe, wake up. I have medicine.” Niall groans and screws up his face, and Harry can see the effort it takes for Niall to open his eyes. All he wants to do is cuddle him because he looks so pathetic and Harry just wants him to feel better.
Niall finally opens his eyes and frowns at him.
“’Arry? Shouldn’t be in here. Get sick.” Niall is so tired he can’t even form full sentences. Harry tuts and helps Niall into a sitting position and pushes the pills he brought into Niall’s hand, helping him uncap his water when he has trouble with that too.
“Thanks. But seriously, go.”
Harry smiles at Niall. “I’m practically immune to everything.”
Harry’s only lying a bit. Niall doesn’t know that Harry was miserable with his own cold a few weeks ago when he was home for a weekend off. Niall chooses to believe him this time though.
“Well in that case, get in.”
Harry blinks at where Niall is holding up the corner of the comforter. This is a bad idea on so many levels but Harry doesn’t have the time or mental capabilities to figure out what they are right now because his brain is short circuiting because there’s Niall inviting him into bed.
“Haz, get the fuck in. I’m exhausted and I want to sleep and cuddling makes me feel better.” Harry snaps his gaze from Niall’s quite large hand grasping the comforter up to Niall’s eyes, which are sleepy and drooping, but still somehow laughing at Harry.
He nods jerkily and crawls in besides Niall, somehow becoming the large spoon in the shuffle from sitting up to laying down, and he can’t say he’s complaining about that.
Niall murmurs something and then goes quiet. Within a few minutes Niall’s breathing turns deep as, with a tiny sigh, he falls asleep again.
Harry tightens his hold on Niall, pulling him close by his waist. His new closeness to Niall means he now sees where Niall’s hair is curling a bit at the collar of his t-shirt from the sweat caused by his fever. He’s glad he brought him the medicine.
Harry’d actually called home. He’s hoped to talk to his mother, but instead got Gemma. She suggested some medicines, but not before teasing him relentlessly. He’ll never understand how Gemma just knew.
Harry wonders how obvious it is to everyone else.
“What are you doing to me?” Harry whispers before closing his eyes and drifting off to sleep himself.
*
“Well how sweet.” Harry registers the click of a phone taking a picture before he realizes he’s still curled around Niall, nose buried in the hair at the base of his neck and fingers tangled with Niall’s over Niall’s stomach.
“Sod off, Louis.” Niall’s voice still sounds rough, but better than yesterday, and thank god because Harry never wants Niall to be that quiet again.
Harry hears the door quietly shut again before blinking the sleep out of his eyes and going to pull his hand away from Niall’s now that they’re both awake. He doesn’t expect to meet resistance, but yet his hand is still not his own, and he’s very much confused.
“Niall?” Harry asks, and fuck, why does his voice sound so small?
Niall turns over and settles back into Harry’s hold, not letting go of his hand.
“Morning, Haz.” He smiles brightly into Harry’s face and Harry can’t help but smile back, can’t do anything to stop the rush of warmth that travels through his stomach.
It’s quickly replaced with horror when Niall continues to talk.
“Did you know you talk in your sleep?”
Harry had forgotten that embarrassing fact which was stupid, stupid, stupid, and that’s how the others even figured out how he felt about Niall. He should have realized this was going to happen and he’s humiliated.
Harry jerks away from Niall and falls out of the bed, gasping a little because his world is falling apart and he never expected to be laughed at by Niall. Rejected sure, because Niall’s never show an interest in Harry ever.
He scrambles up onto his knees and grabs the comforter, twisting it in his hands as he immediately starts talking.
“Oh my god. Whatever I said, I’m sorry. I never meant to make you feel uncomfortable.” He can hear himself rambling, and this is the worst, because he normally thinks a lot about what he wants to say, and literally anything could be coming out of his mouth right now.
“Harry, hey, stop - stop.” Niall is kneeling on the edge of the bed and has grabbed Harry’s hands. Harry abruptly shuts his mouth and tightens his fingers desperately around Niall’s.
“Harry, please look at me.” Harry closes his eyes briefly before meeting Niall’s gaze. As much as a charmer Harry likes to think he is, he’s terrible when it comes to the one person he’s in love with. He’s a nervous wreck and what Niall says next will either make or break him.
“You didn’t say anything that made me uncomfortable. You said,” Now Niall is blushing a furious red and Harry’s mouth must be hanging wide open because he never knew Niall could get that shade of red and it’s kind of fascinating, “You said you love me. Is that true?”
Harry takes a breath.
“Yes.” Niall starts to smile and Harry doesn’t stop his responding grin.
“Well, brilliant, because I feel the same way.” Niall coughs and blushes even more. “Alright, can we skip the feelings talk and get to the snogging bit?”
Harry blows out a sigh of relief and a, “Fuck, finally, yes.” and then Niall is on him and Harry has his hand fisted in Niall’s shirt and is whimpering because of course Niall would know exactly how to make Harry light headed. He’s been waiting what feels like forever for this moment and everything’s going fantastically before the door opens again.
“Ah, Jesus.” Liam is standing in the doorway frowning and digging in his pocket. “You couldn’t have waited one more week?” He hands a bill to Louis, who is bouncing excitedly on his toes behind him, and stalks off down the hall. Louis winks at them before closing the door again. Harry can hear him bounding down the hall after Liam and shouting.
“Can we stop giving each other our keys?!” Harry exclaims and then turns to Niall because he’s tugging on some of Harry’s curls to get his attention. “Oi, I’m your boyfriend and I need kisses.” Harry grins at that. Boyfriend.
He tackles Niall backwards onto the bed and proceeds to show him how very happy that makes him.
*
A few days later Harry’s the one bedridden and Niall can’t stop laughing between feeding Harry bites of chicken and kisses.
Pairing(s): Niall Horan/Harry Styles
Rating: PG
Word Count: 1,282
Warning(s): Unbeta'ed.
Summary: Niall has a cold and wants to cuddle with Harry...who talks in his sleep.
Disclaimer: You can't own real people, that's illegal.
Harry doesn’t normally do this. He’s not the mother hen of the group. That’s Liam.
Harry has just never seen Niall so quiet.
He’s used to constant movement, laughter and squirming, a hand patting him here, a leg thrown over him there. He’s used to throwing himself onto Niall’s back for impromptu piggy back rides Niall’s protests that eventually turn into wrestling matches.
Today Niall is laying in bed in the most recent hotel, face smushed into the bed sheets, and Harry can see the flushed cheeks from where he’s standing at the door. He crosses to Niall and brushes his hair out of his face, because he knows how much Niall hates that it flops in his face because he hasn’t had time for a haircut. Harry thinks he looks like an adorable, grumpy kitten most of the time, but there’s no way he’s letting Niall know that.
“Niall, babe, wake up. I have medicine.” Niall groans and screws up his face, and Harry can see the effort it takes for Niall to open his eyes. All he wants to do is cuddle him because he looks so pathetic and Harry just wants him to feel better.
Niall finally opens his eyes and frowns at him.
“’Arry? Shouldn’t be in here. Get sick.” Niall is so tired he can’t even form full sentences. Harry tuts and helps Niall into a sitting position and pushes the pills he brought into Niall’s hand, helping him uncap his water when he has trouble with that too.
“Thanks. But seriously, go.”
Harry smiles at Niall. “I’m practically immune to everything.”
Harry’s only lying a bit. Niall doesn’t know that Harry was miserable with his own cold a few weeks ago when he was home for a weekend off. Niall chooses to believe him this time though.
“Well in that case, get in.”
Harry blinks at where Niall is holding up the corner of the comforter. This is a bad idea on so many levels but Harry doesn’t have the time or mental capabilities to figure out what they are right now because his brain is short circuiting because there’s Niall inviting him into bed.
“Haz, get the fuck in. I’m exhausted and I want to sleep and cuddling makes me feel better.” Harry snaps his gaze from Niall’s quite large hand grasping the comforter up to Niall’s eyes, which are sleepy and drooping, but still somehow laughing at Harry.
He nods jerkily and crawls in besides Niall, somehow becoming the large spoon in the shuffle from sitting up to laying down, and he can’t say he’s complaining about that.
Niall murmurs something and then goes quiet. Within a few minutes Niall’s breathing turns deep as, with a tiny sigh, he falls asleep again.
Harry tightens his hold on Niall, pulling him close by his waist. His new closeness to Niall means he now sees where Niall’s hair is curling a bit at the collar of his t-shirt from the sweat caused by his fever. He’s glad he brought him the medicine.
Harry’d actually called home. He’s hoped to talk to his mother, but instead got Gemma. She suggested some medicines, but not before teasing him relentlessly. He’ll never understand how Gemma just knew.
Harry wonders how obvious it is to everyone else.
“What are you doing to me?” Harry whispers before closing his eyes and drifting off to sleep himself.
*
“Well how sweet.” Harry registers the click of a phone taking a picture before he realizes he’s still curled around Niall, nose buried in the hair at the base of his neck and fingers tangled with Niall’s over Niall’s stomach.
“Sod off, Louis.” Niall’s voice still sounds rough, but better than yesterday, and thank god because Harry never wants Niall to be that quiet again.
Harry hears the door quietly shut again before blinking the sleep out of his eyes and going to pull his hand away from Niall’s now that they’re both awake. He doesn’t expect to meet resistance, but yet his hand is still not his own, and he’s very much confused.
“Niall?” Harry asks, and fuck, why does his voice sound so small?
Niall turns over and settles back into Harry’s hold, not letting go of his hand.
“Morning, Haz.” He smiles brightly into Harry’s face and Harry can’t help but smile back, can’t do anything to stop the rush of warmth that travels through his stomach.
It’s quickly replaced with horror when Niall continues to talk.
“Did you know you talk in your sleep?”
Harry had forgotten that embarrassing fact which was stupid, stupid, stupid, and that’s how the others even figured out how he felt about Niall. He should have realized this was going to happen and he’s humiliated.
Harry jerks away from Niall and falls out of the bed, gasping a little because his world is falling apart and he never expected to be laughed at by Niall. Rejected sure, because Niall’s never show an interest in Harry ever.
He scrambles up onto his knees and grabs the comforter, twisting it in his hands as he immediately starts talking.
“Oh my god. Whatever I said, I’m sorry. I never meant to make you feel uncomfortable.” He can hear himself rambling, and this is the worst, because he normally thinks a lot about what he wants to say, and literally anything could be coming out of his mouth right now.
“Harry, hey, stop - stop.” Niall is kneeling on the edge of the bed and has grabbed Harry’s hands. Harry abruptly shuts his mouth and tightens his fingers desperately around Niall’s.
“Harry, please look at me.” Harry closes his eyes briefly before meeting Niall’s gaze. As much as a charmer Harry likes to think he is, he’s terrible when it comes to the one person he’s in love with. He’s a nervous wreck and what Niall says next will either make or break him.
“You didn’t say anything that made me uncomfortable. You said,” Now Niall is blushing a furious red and Harry’s mouth must be hanging wide open because he never knew Niall could get that shade of red and it’s kind of fascinating, “You said you love me. Is that true?”
Harry takes a breath.
“Yes.” Niall starts to smile and Harry doesn’t stop his responding grin.
“Well, brilliant, because I feel the same way.” Niall coughs and blushes even more. “Alright, can we skip the feelings talk and get to the snogging bit?”
Harry blows out a sigh of relief and a, “Fuck, finally, yes.” and then Niall is on him and Harry has his hand fisted in Niall’s shirt and is whimpering because of course Niall would know exactly how to make Harry light headed. He’s been waiting what feels like forever for this moment and everything’s going fantastically before the door opens again.
“Ah, Jesus.” Liam is standing in the doorway frowning and digging in his pocket. “You couldn’t have waited one more week?” He hands a bill to Louis, who is bouncing excitedly on his toes behind him, and stalks off down the hall. Louis winks at them before closing the door again. Harry can hear him bounding down the hall after Liam and shouting.
“Can we stop giving each other our keys?!” Harry exclaims and then turns to Niall because he’s tugging on some of Harry’s curls to get his attention. “Oi, I’m your boyfriend and I need kisses.” Harry grins at that. Boyfriend.
He tackles Niall backwards onto the bed and proceeds to show him how very happy that makes him.
*
A few days later Harry’s the one bedridden and Niall can’t stop laughing between feeding Harry bites of chicken and kisses.