Last Hope (Ziall Horlik) AU

Chapter 12

Niall's POV

There was a soft breeze coming in through my nose that smelt like a fresh London rain. My instincts kicked in through my sleep flooded mind set off and I started to take the blankets off me. I felt like I was still half asleep, but I knew that when it rains I have to fold up my blanket and put it in my backpack so it won't get wet. I pulled the blankets off me and stated to gather it up, but a light groan stopped me.

"Bug, what are you doing?" Zayn's sleepy voice asked me. I blinked a few times before looking down to what I was doing then around me to see I wasn't under a bridge, but in a safe warm bed. It was very dark out, but I still could see the window was open just a little to let the fresh air into the bedroom.

"It can't get wet." I told Zayn sleepily. He sat up and looked at me in the eyes before looking down at the blankets I had balled up. His hand reached up and gently cupped my jaw before getting up and opening the window more so more of the smell came into the room. I shook my head because I didn't like how it felt to have my mind going two places at once. I knew I was inside and Zayn was taking care of me, but I couldn't help but want to hide the blankets covering me so they some how wouldn't get wet.

"Niall, the rain is outside and you're inside. Come here." Zayn told me quietly. I got out of the bed and walked to him. He wrapped his arms around me and made sure I was right in front of the window. The cool air started hitting me, but I felt used to it. I was used to freezing while it rained then once it stopped having a dry blanket to warm me up. A shiver shot through my body and Zayn whispered for me to close my eyes.

"Where are you in your mind? What is it like?" He whispered to me. I pictured that same bridge in had been under for two years. I hated that thought and wanted to tell Zayn I didn't want to do this, but I didn't want to disappoint him.

"The bridge. It's dark and scary and I'm alone. I'm cold, and no one is there to make me warm again. There's water dripping off the sides of the bridge above me... I don't like it!" I cried to him and squeezed my eyes shut more hoping the images of how alone I felt when I was forced to face the cold would some how leave me.

"Open your eyes now, and look around the room." Zayn whispered, but his voice broke at the end. I listened to his directions, and started to look around the dark room. The bed with messed up covers, Zayn's work clothes hanging on the doorknob for tomorrow morning, my new shoes we had gotten on Saturday, I took in everything. A soft squeeze was given to me by some warm arms, then I was guided to the soft bed.

"Take deep breaths of the rain. This is how it will be from now on. You'll never be alone when it's cold and raining. I'm here, just try to put that smell with these visions." I continued to inhale the smell from where I was now laying in the bed. Zayn slowly leaned down and placed a lingering kiss on my cheek before climbing in bed with me. He wrapped his arm around me from behind and covered me with the blankets before kissing the back of my neck.

"Rain is so beautiful. It should go with beautiful thoughts." Zayn told me. I let my heavy eyes slip shut, but continued to picture Zayn holding me and the warm bed I was laying in. I also pictured that lingering kiss to my cheek where I still felt tingles from those lips of his. Slowly, it was like the bad images didn't matter anymore because the soft sound of rain hitting the pavement outside this warm room and Zayn's arms were the only thing my mind could think of.

Zayn's alarm clock went off all to soon, making me realize my interrupted sleep from last night was going to give me a long Monday. Zayn kissed my cheek before climbing out of bed and going to the bathroom. I opened my eyes and looked at the door he just shut, then heard the water turn on to the shower.

I really didn't want to get up. I was tired and feeling emotionally drained from last night. I know that Zayn is really trying to help me through all of this, but sometimes it's exhausting. It's weird how him telling me to imagine my old life and replace it with this new one is so draining. I'm not doing anything but thinking, yet it leaves me more tired than if I ran a marathon.