Neighbors ☹☻ narry ✔️

ix. cancer stick

[ix. cancer stick]

About 4 months ago, Harry had picked up the habit of smoking.

Niall detested smoking with an intense, burning hatred.

"Why do you smoke? Every time you take a breath out of one of those things, your taking another risk at cancer. It's like paying to die." Niall scolded, trying not to show his extreme anger.

"Because smoking is cool." Harry said, blowing out 5 smoke rings into the air.

They were sitting on a bench at the bus stop, because Niall had convinced Harry to come with him to some graveyard or something.

"It is most definitely not cool." Niall snorted.

"Ok." Harry responded, purposely blowing smoke by Niall's ear. His warm breath made Niall shiver.

"I didn't ask for your cancerous breath." He said, swatting at the air.

"Your very interested in the whole cancer thing." Harry laughed. Niall blushed.

"I just don't want someone I care about to be lying in a hospital bed because of those cancer sticks. I can't go through it again." Niall whispered, avoiding Harry's hard gaze.

"If I want to risk my life for the sake of coolness, than I will." Harry said, resting his back against the cool bench.

"It's your funeral."

☹☻

Niall and Harry waited in silence for the 009 bus. It was an awkward silence.

"Ok, let's go ahead and make it five." Niall said, rolling his eyes.

"Five what Tinkerbell?"

"Five cigarettes in the past- what - ten minutes." Niall said, checking his phone.

"And five times you've nagged me about it. Damn Niall, chill the fuck out." Harry laughed coolly as the air whipped by the both of them. Niall shivered.

"You cold?" Harry asked. Niall nodded. He hadn't thought that the wind would pick up so much and was only wearing a thin sweater.

"Not that you would care." Niall said.

"I care." Harry said. He pulled one of the sleeves out of his jacket and offered it to Niall.

"What are you doing?"

"Put your arm through that.- There you go- Now scoot closer." Harry said, pulling Niall into his side.

"So you care about my health more than yours?" Niall asked, gesturing to the cigarette.

"Funny how it works that way."

☹☻

The bus came, and the two were separated immediately. It seemed that every college student in London had crammed onto the bus.

Harry ended up in the last halfway filled seat in the back, and Niall stood in the front.

Harry didn't know if he should get up and go stand next to Niall, or if he should just stay where he was.

"Hey, I don't think we've met." A guy said to Niall. Niall turned to see a tall boy with a lip peircing smiling at him.

"Um. I'm Niall." Niall said softly. He usually wasn't shy, but something about this boy made him feel insecure.

"Luke." He said, offering Niall his hand. Niall shook it politely and was immediately pulled back by someone.

"Hi, I'm Harry." Harry said, wrapping an arm protectively around Niall's waist.