My head snapped up to see a tiny figure standing in the door. Her long hair hung to her waist, a little tucked behind her ear.

  I rested my head against the wall again, rolling my fingers over the top of the bottle that sat on my right side, blocking it from her view.
 
  Fuck, I didn't even hear the door open.

  I didn't say anything, just sat in silence. I didn't trust my voice at the moment.

  She spoke up again, stepping inside the doorway a little more. I rolled my head to the side to look at her again, praying that she couldn't see the tears that had started to dry onto my flushed cheeks.
 
  "Are you okay?" Yeah, that's just the slightest bit of what I am. Okay.

  "Just get the fuck out, Khloe." My voice cracked at the end, coming out hoarse and thick, yet calm. I mentally cursed at myself for even speaking up. You could definitely tell that I'd been crying.

  She did the exact opposite though, quietly shutting the door behind her. I sat and blankly stared at her ragged and dirty converse as she made her way in front of me.

  She crouched down, not even worrying about the fact that her strapless top had started to fall a little. She took my face in her hands, lightly rubbing her thumbs across my cheeks.

  I moved my head away from her though, clamping my eyes shut as I rested my head back against the wall, looking up to the ceiling.

  As much as I wanted her here, my mind needed to be alone. She was just going to make it all worse. But, I'm Niall Horan, and I always get what I want, not what I need. 

  "Ni.." She whispered, catching me a little by surprise. She's never been so soft with me, though it's only out of pity, I know it.

  "Khloe. Please, just go.", I didn't look at her, waiting for her presence to be removed from the foggy air. I needed a drink really badly, but I couldn't bring myself to do it with her in here.

  I felt her remove the bottle from my grip. Shit. I finally looked back to her, only to see her eyes fixed on the worn out label. She was now in a sitting position, her feet crossed under her.

  She sighed and caught my eye, giving me a weak smile. "You've been crying." She states, sitting the bottle beside her. I don't say anything, just keep staring at her.
  
  "I don't need your pity, Khlo.", My throat Begin feeling strained and dry, making it hurt. I swallowed hard and looked past her, outside the window. 

  What time is it even? I blinked, taking in the small sphere in the sky.

  I felt her cold hands take a hold of my face again, pulling it down a little so that I was now forced to look at her.

  "I'm not pitying you, Niall. I'm here because you need someone. This-", She looked me up and down. "-isn't you." She caressed my raw cheeks, lightly stroking them.

  "I don't need anyone. Especially you. I never have. I'm fine. Just... go back to your little boyfriend." I stated with a little venom ready to tare through. He won. Luke had won. And here I sat just a couple rooms down, pitying myself.

  Her lips sunk into a frown before she pursed them together. She knew it was the alcohol talking. So did I, but I couldn't help it.

  She didn't say anything, just sat there in front of me, with my head in her hands, watching me like some fucked up science experiment. 

  I moved away from her, reaching out for the bottle. If she's going to stay in here, then she can watch me drink my problems away. I'm not going to stop just because she's in here. She had the choice to leave.

  Before I could get a hold of it, she pushed it further behind her. Fuck! I wanted to scream at her. To tell her off. But, I don't have the energy anymore. I'm done fighting. I'm done with the demons in my head. I'm done with people acting like they care. And I'm done with myself for putting on this little act of being alright.

  I'm frozen solid. I have no heart. I could care less about anyone else. I just don't give a shit anymore. I'm done with it all.

  "Fuck, Khloe! Give it to me!" She crossed her arms and shook her head. Why does she have to be so damn difficult?

  "No.", She took ahold of both of hands in her tiny ones. "Niall, I'm not going to sit here and let you drink yourself to death." Why not? It's pointless to have me on this damn earth. I've got nothing to offer it.

  "Then leave." I shook my hands from hers, coughing as I did so. My throat was burning and was so sore and dry. I just needed one more drink. Maybe two. I looked back to the ceiling, feeling the tears prick at the corner of my eyes. Why is everything getting to me? I'm not a wimp. Stop crying. Be a man. I repeated to myself, the feeling only growing stronger, making my cheeks sting where the old tears had dried.

  "Niall. I'm here for you. Talk to me. You need to talk.", her voice was calming and quiet. She shuffled to sit by my side instead. I didn't say anything as she wrapped her small arms around my ratherly large one, leaning her head on my shoulder.

  If this was a few days ago, I probably would have enjoyed her being this close to me, but now, it's like I'm numb to it. Numb to this feeling.

  I'm not the one to be close with girls. I don't have a good girl friend to turn to. I've never done girlfriends. Girls to me have always been thought of as a toy. A fun time. Not this personal stuff. They're a setup for disaster.

  Annie left before I was ten, along with my mom, so I never really remember growing up around girls. My memories of her are hazy and barely there. Just small fragments.

  "Ni. Please." She rubbed her hands up and down my arm, tightening her grip a bit. "You can trust me. I won't tell anyone. I'm here for you."

  Why is she doing this? Why do deserve this treatment from her when all I do is make her life a living hell?

  "Why are you being so nice to me, when all I am is a dick to you?" I could see her head turn to look up at me out of the corner of my eye.

  She shrugged, and looked down. "Because. You need a friend, and I'm here."

  "I don't need friends.", I scoffed. "And you're only here because you feel bad for me."

  She huffed, closing her eyes. I looked down, fighting a smile. She looks so perfect with the moon light reflecting off her perfect skin. Her light brownish hair, shining a bit.

  She pulled a hand off of me, fixing her top before it completely fell off her chest.

  "I don't feel bad for you, Niall.", she stated with her eyes still closed.

  I didn't say anything, listening to the music faintly float through the floor boards. Occasionally, you could here some one yell outside, or hear someone walk down the hall.

  I don't know how long we sat there in silence, in the pitch black room, staring out that window. But, the minutes had slowly kept rippling by.

  I felt my eyes start to get heavy. I wasn't sure if she was sleeping, or just taking everything in as she sat still, her eyes still lightly shut; her features soft.

  I sighed and sunk a little in my spot, stretching my legs out in front of me as I relaxed. I placed my hand on her thigh, and my head on top of hers. I could feel goosebumps rise on the surface of her skin from under where my hand sat. She was freezing.

  I carefully removed my arm from hers. Her eyes snapped open, watching me as I shakily stood up. I walked the best I could over to the -now guest- bed and pulled off the thick blue comforter. She watched my every move as I walked back over and sat it down on top of her.

  I sat back down, putting a little space between us, which she soon closed as she scooted back over and held onto me again. I let out a small sigh and leaned my body against her's again.

  Khloe's POV*

  I don't understand. I don't understand how he can go from being such and ignorant asshole to a broken angel in a matter of hours.

  I don't understand how he can go from cocky to hurt. Strong to shattered. Whole to broken.

  I've never seen him like this, and honestly, it's breaking my heart. I'd rather have the self-centered, cocky bastard anyday over this.

  We sat quietly in the dark, just listening. Taking it all in. He hasn't said anything to me about why he's here in the first place, or why he was crying, but I can't bring myself to ask. He knows that I am open to talk if he wants to. But, I don't want to push him.

  I wrapped the blanket further around my body, snuggling into his side. He didn't acknowledge my movement as he sat lifelessly, staring out the damn window.

   I wonder what he's thinking? Does he find me annoying? Am I pressuring him?

"You don't cry in my house. Crying is for wimps. I will not have a wimpy ass son, so if you're going to cry, get the hell out." I looked up to Niall, confused, but he still just stared straight ahead. What?

"That's what my dad used to say to me. I was six when I first heard those words." He looked down to me to see if I was listening, which of course I was. "He'd say them often, but after a while, I became numb to them." He didn't say anything after that, giving me time to process what he'd just said.

  He was six and his dad told him not to cry or he would be kicked out? Where would a six year old go?

   Hearing this just racked up more questions, but at the same time was slowly answering others that had been about.

  "See that moon?", he asked me, pointing out the window. I nodded, waiting for him to explain what he was trying to say. His sentences were short and choppy, but it was at least a start.

  He sighed, running his free hand trough his hair and over his face. "She told me that every time I looked to the moon to think of her, and that she'd always be there. She said she loved me and would always protect me." He looked down to me, swallowing harshly. "Why wasn't she there all those years protecting me from the demons? Why wasn't she there protecting me from the pain?" He looked back to the moon. "Every night before bed, I would look out the window, and find the moon. I would ask that she just help me get through and be there with me. Not once did she come save me like she said she would. Every night, I went to bed hopeful that she would return and take me away from it all. Every night, I prayed that she would come back for me. That she would tell me she loved me just one more time. That she would kiss me and hug me. I prayed for something from her, but all I got in return was pain, neglect, abuse, and venom."

  I could see the tears silently stream down his face. He stopped talking and looked at me, his glossy eyes roaming my body. Not in a domesticated way, but as if in search of something. 

  I didn't understand what he was talking about, but I knew that it had to have been someone close to him. This only made my heart break more. I could feel the tears prick at my eyes. I shut them tightly, pulling him closer to me. I was surprised when he let me hold him, wrapping his arm around my body. I sighed and he did too, letting the silence fill the empty holes.

  "Why is it that when we pray for something, the Lord only gives us the opposite?", his voice was soft and delicate, trying his best to understand.

  "The Lord doesn't give us what we want, Niall. He gives us the opportunities and he challenges us to see if we can trust him enough to let him guide us through life. It's all a giant test."

  He chuckled at my response, shaking his head. He shuffled against the wall, accidentally knocking over the scotch with his foot. He cursed out loud as he quickly picked it up before it had spilled out among the wooden floor. I laughed and felt around for the cap.

  I gave it to him, watching carefully as he debated whether to take a drink or not. I smiled and mentally clapped for him as he screwed the cap on tight, setting it off the the side instead.

   He came back over sat down next to me, creating another space. I let him have it this time, just in case he needed it.

  I closed my eyes and slid down so I was completely laying on the floor, tangled in the blanket; my body now warming up.

It felt good to just relax. To start to get an understanding of Niall. It felt good to have him open up a little, even if I didn't completely understand. It was a start for him, and that's all that mattered.

  I jumped when I felt two hands slide around my sides. I immediately relaxed when Niall lifted me a little, pulling me onto his lap. I smiled at him and cuddled into his chest. 

  I felt my phone buzz. I pulled it out of my pocket quickly, reading the message from Luke.

  Luke H. -

  Where are you? are you okay? call me.

  I sighed and clicked my phone off without a response. Right now, I just wanted to be with Niall. Surprising, I know.

  "You're not gonna answer him?", I looked up to a confused Niall and shook my head.

  "No. He can wait. I think I'll be okay." I smiled and he did too, running his fingers through my hair.

  I've never felt this close to him. It's my first time experiencing something this personal with him, and it scares me, yet it's a nice feeling. The main reason it scares me is because I know that tomorrow he's going to go back to his usual self. The one that is guarded and shaded over with a thin sheet of ice.  The one that only thaws when he allows it to.
   But tomorrow is tomorrow, and right now, I just need to be there for him whether he wants to accept it or not.

  I swiped my hands across his dried and puffy eyes, moving down to his jaw.

  He stared at me in awe as I kept moving, running my fingers delicately around his ear and into his hair.

  I contemplated myself for a second before looking into his eyes. I slowly pulled his face to mine. He rested his forehead against mine, staring into my eyes intently while I twirled his hair in my fingers. His blue eyes were as blue as the ocean during a storm, full of pain and regret. Full of hurt and loneliness. It killed me to look into them, but I did anyways. I felt like I could read him like a book at the moment. He was so vulnerable and just completely open.

  He let me take complete control as he stared at me like a lost puppy. I moved my hand to the hair at the nape of his neck before sliding it gently and slowly to his jaw as I traved it with my fingertips. I finally pulled him closer by his chin, connecting his warm lips with mine.

  He slowly and carefully kissed back. He gently pulled me closer as his arms linked together around my waist, pulling me in.

  I could tell he was holding back, but I didn't care as I allowed my tongue to slide across his lips.  He was hesitant at first, but granted me entrance.

  I could taste the alcohol still fresh on his tongue, but I pushed the thought away as I poured myself into the kiss. If I could have one feeling for the rest of my life, this would be it. The fire that was rushing through my veins. The explosion that went off inside me. The butterflies and the fuzzy feeling. All of it.

  I wrapped both arms around his neck, pulling him even closer.

  Tomorrow may speak different, but right now, I certainly didn't want to lose him. I didn't want him to disappear on me. I wanted this moment to just last forever.

  Double update! Yay! Thank you all for the 5k reads and the votes and positive comments! I love reading them!

  Hope everyone is enjoying the story? :)

  Love you all! Xx

  P.s. I made an instagram account for the book. Its @Frozen_niall !