*sips tea and looks around* so, how is everyone feeling?

lowkey wanna have liam abuse tf outta Niall but i feel like Niall needs a good friend rn, i've put him through enough.

dedicated to @LLNH_fiction for her kind words! Thank you :)

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"I'm going to die, Liam. I'm dying right now." Niall panicked through his tears, fiercely wiping away at them.

"What makes you say that?" Liam asked, a little humored.

"I kissed Zayn, and he's a ghoul, who would've known?" Niall mocked, "Now, i'm a ghoul, i have to be."

"I think you're safe, the ghoul must be ripe in order to spread it's radiation poisoning to others through fluids." Liam explained, giving Niall a squeeze on his shoulder for reassurance.

Liam had a feeling that the two had a thing from the way Zayn looked at Niall when he wasn't looking.

"Oh, thank god," Niall sighed, relieved but still angry, "I'm so upset, Liam."

"I can tell," Liam nodded, "Do you want to talk about-"

"I just can't believe he's really a ghoul. I don't care about Lea leaving, i didn't really like her, and i dont really care about Yasir being a ghoul. Although, that does diminish my hope for finding Harry alive," Niall expressed, "I guess i should've seen this coming."

They walked in silence for a couple of minutes, before Niall looked up at Liam with teary eyes, "Why didn't he just tell me?"

"Was i really that hard to talk to?" Niall began to doubt himself, making more tears pool in his eyes.

"No, Niall, you're easy to talk to," Liam reassured, "But i guess we wont know until we talk to him, he's the only one who can answer that. I assume he was reluctant to share information, since he just wanted to make you happy."

"Well, he failed horribly." Niall grumbled, crossing his arms over his chest.

"He cares about you, Niall." Liam softly interjected, trying not to anger Niall anymore.

"Well i dont care about him." The blonde spat, a frown forming on his face when he thought of Zayn.

"Yes, you do," Liam argued, "You care for him a lot."

"I do!" Niall wailed, tears streaming down his face. He's never felt more emotionally confused than he has now.

Liam wrapped his arms around Niall in a hug, tightly holding the crying boy.

"Why does it have to be like this?" Niall sobbed into Liam's shoulder, "I just wanted to find Harry, not my heart broken."

~*~

After Niall had finally stopped crying, they made their way back to Crimson Cove where they just had been earlier.

"I dont want to go inside," Niall admitted, "Smile is in there."

"We can go to a room without her, but you need your rest." Liam advised, pushing Niall along.

Niall sighed and nodded his head, a good sleep was very tempting after the amount of crying he did.

Dragging his feet along the sand, he made his way to the cabin.

"Would you like me to wait out here?" Liam asked, waiting before entering.

"Yes, actually. I think i need some time alone, thank you." Niall replied, pushing open the door to the cabin and entering alone.

Liam stood outside by the wall while Niall was going to relax.

Smile's room was before Niall's, tempting him to enter. He could smell her rotten flesh wafting through the cabin as soon as he stepped foot inside.

Seeing Smile would bring up memories of Zayn, which Niall was trying his best to suppress. But, a sudden noise prompted him to enter.

He pushed open the door to her room and what he saw made his jaw drop.

"Milly?" Niall couldn't believe his eyes, they were safe!

She was on the floor, rummaging through Smile's old tin box that was wrapped around her fingers. She seemed to be a little surprised to see him by how wide her eyes were.

"Oh, hey, Niall." She smiled, giving a wave.

"Oh my god! You're okay! This is awesome, i've been looking for you, Jenny and Harry forever!" Niall exclaimed, the widest smile on his face.

"Oh, you didn't have to do that." She bashfully shrugged, giving him a kind expression.

"Yes i did! You guys were missing and didn't leave a note. Smile was even bound to a chair when i saw her. I thought something horrible happened to you guys, where were you, anyways?" Niall asked, raising a brow.

"No, it's not horrible or anything, we just went hunting." She explained, taking one last look in the tin box before shutting and grabbing it.

"Without Smile or I?" Niall felt a little left out, but tried to mask it.

"We thought you were joining us, at the mall in the jewelry store. But we didn't find you, only sirens going off." Milly defended herself, shrugging.

Niall first met Zayn at the mall.

"Did you find anything? Where's everyone else?" The blonde kept asking question after question.

"Yea, we did. And they're still with me, but at a new camp."

"Okay, i'll join you guys again. I'm so excited! Where is it?" Niall was almost jumping with glee, he couldn't wait to see Harry.

"Hmm, it's a little hard to explain, but the building name is The Grove," She looked up and squinted, trying to remember, "But, thanks for looking out for us. You don't need to search any longer, we're all safe."

"Of course, i missed you guys," Niall smiled, following her outside Smile's room, "Are you going there now? Can i walk back with you?"

"No, i'm not. I have to grab some fruit to eat from outside, then i'm leaving." She said from behind her shoulder, walking outside the back door.

She went up to the divide of beaches and jungle, right where the bear berries and other red berries were.

She begins picking berries, filling up her basket.

"Milly, i don't think those are bear berries." Niall observed, watching her pick the other berries that could be poisonous.

"Yes they are," She frowns, looking at Niall weirdly, "I wouldn't be picking them if they weren't."

Niall shrugs and goes with it, waiting until her basket was full.

"Are you ready to go?" Niall asked, bouncing on the balls of his feet.

"One sec, i have to go to the bathroom first."

"Do you want me to hold those?" Niall held his hands out to hold the berries.

"No thanks, be back soon." She called, running into the cabin.

Niall watched her disappear into the cabin, then turned to the bushes and picked out a berry she had.

"Niall?" Liam called, walking towards him, "What are you doing out here? You need rest."

"What are you doing away from the wall?" Niall countered.

"I thought i heard voices." Liam responded, shrugging.

"You did! I was talking to Milly, a girl with Harry. You just missed her. Hey, do you want a berry?" Niall rushed, popping a berry into his mouth.

Liam squinted at him for a second before gripping Niall's face, "Spit that out now, Niall!"

Niall almost choked, spitting out the fruit he had yet to chew on.

"That's a blood blitz, Niall!" Liam yelled, opening Niall's mouth and checking the inside.

"What's that?" Niall asked, struggling to talk with Liam's fingers in his mouth.

"Berry's that turn you crazy, ghoulish even. Don't eat those ever again." Liam warned, sticking his finger at Niall.

"Oh no! Milly picked the blood blitz instead of bear berries!" Niall realized, running back into the cabin.

He wanted to warn her, but she was already gone.

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Last part was on my phone so it's shitty and unedited lolol

Yay! They're okay tho!!