call it what you want • narry storan AU

two: harry

[author's note: i love to write smaller chapters. it makes me feel like i can write this forever.]

My cellphone rings three times under my pillow before I take it to see who the fuck is calling me at 3AM. I barely see the name on the phone screen before I answer the call.

"Who is it?"

"Harold?" I hear his soft voice from the other side of the call. No way.

"Nialler?"

"Yeah, it's me." I sit up on my bed to hear him better. "I know it's way late, but I can't sleep."

"Why?"

"I don't know. There's this fear overtaking me ever since I went to bed. I'm afraid it's a crisis, Harry."

"I'm going."

In four steps, I put some clean clothes on me - I generally sleep in my underwear - and I pratically run to his hotel room, which is next to mine. He opens the door at the same time I reach it, and I wrap my arms around his waist, holding him tightly against my body.

"I'm sorry for waking you up, Ha--"

"Don't be", I interrupt him. "It's okay now. Let's get some sleep."

We lay down on his bed, his head resting on my chest, his hands aligned with my hips and my hands caressing his hair slowly. Sometimes Niall has anxiety crisis in the middle of the night, and although I had already told him to talk about it with a therapist, he refuses to seek for help, waking me up every time.

I don't mind. If he needs me, I'll be there for him. Always.

"Feel better?" I ask, still messing with his fake blonde curls.

"Yeah", he says with a low voice. "Thank you. For calming me down."

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My eyes open with the end of the dream. I smile at myself for reminding of the tour days, when Niall used to sneak into my room to get some sleep after a nightmare or a crisis - or when I used to sneak into his room to do the same. No one knew about this little secret, and we were comfortable with it.

Now I miss his body laying next to mine, sleeping in peace after cuddling with me.

But I don't know if he feels the same, in fact.

My cellphone rings, just like in the dream, leading me out of my own thoughts. I check up the screen to see who is calling me, and my eyes almost drop out of my face with the vision.

"Nialler?" I ask, putting the phone on my left ear.

"Hey", he says, the tone of his voice being somewhat excited, "wanna hang out?"

"What?"

"It's fucking December 31, I'm in Cheshire, at your door, and I want to hang out with you."

I can feel my jaw drop to the floor at this point.

"Wait, are you here? Why didn't you tell me?"

"I wanted to make a surprise."

"Why?"

"Open the door."

I jump out of bed, coming down the stairs so fast that even my sister is startled by the noise I make.

"What's happening, Harry?" She says, laid down on the couch.

I don't answer, only opening the door and almost feeling tears streaming down my face with the sight of Niall James fucking Horan dressed in blue sweatpants and an orange jumper, with a wheeled suitcase by his side and a smile on his face.

"No way."

"Way."

"Niall."

"Harry."

"Why are you here at new year's eve?"

"Because I missed you."

Niall suddenly wraps his arms around my waist, the difference between our heights favoring his move. I feel my cheeks hurt from smiling so much with what's happening now, like, what the hell? The man of my dreams in my door just like in that Taylor Swift song?

Oh, about Taylor. I'll talk about it later.

I hug him back, closing my eyes to live the moment. God, I wish I could never let him go. But it's not reciprocal, Harry, put it in your head.

"What about your family, Niall?"

"They'll be fine. They know I miss my friend." My heart melts with his words. Friend. I don't care. At least we're still friends after all this time. "Also, I have an idea."

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