Third Person POV

It was a cold and rainy morning in London, which is not so unusual since the weather there was normally like this. It was Sunday and a blonde-haired lad, who looked less than 18 years old was seen running down the cobblestone pathway by passerby.

The boy, Niall Horan, was late for a photoshoot he was supposed to be doing. It was an odd job he had managed to get that took weeks in advance to prepare for and schedule. His camera was hanging around his neck, his backpack, over both shoulders. In his rush to get out of his flat, he had forgotten to grab an umbrella.

"Sorry! Excuse me! Pardon me!" The lad's voice was thick with an Irish accent as he made his way through crowds of people. In retrospect, he probably should have taken the tram or the bus, but he didn't think things through when he was rushing.

Niall sprinted around a corner, nearly knocking someone over in the process, apologizing profusely before continuing on his way. The rain was soaking through the hood of his jacket, seeping into his hair; he knew that when he arrived, the state he was in would be questioned. Later, he was sure he would have the beginnings of a cold and would be bedridden until his best mate deemed him healthy enough to leave the flat again. However, at the moment he didn't care.

Harry was going to kill him for being late.

Niall had been right when he'd assumed that his state of disarray would be observed and scrutinized. The moment he walked into Essence Magazine, soaking wet, shivering, and not properly dressed for the weather, he was immediately taken pity on.

Tony Crawford, the owner of the magazine and the guy who put together and got Niall the job, studied him closely. The blonde stood still, uncomfortable under the man's gaze, and shuffled his feet. Tony was a nice guy and all and he was actually one of Niall's close work friends, but sometimes he was weird. Like, Castiel from Supernatural Weird.

"I'm going to reschedule the shoot for a different day," Tony spoke, dark eyes trained on the Irishman's face. His tone left no room for argument and honestly, Niall was grateful for that. He didn't think he'd be up for a pissing match at the moment.

"Are you sure? I mean I can still--" Niall started but paused when Tony raised a hand.

"You look like hell, Horan, not to mention soaking wet from the rain." Tony gestured to one of his assistants, waving him over. "Braxton will drive you home."

Niall shook his head. "You don't have to--"

"Niall, I'm not letting you walk back home in the rain." Tony's voice had once again taken on the "no room for argument" tone and Niall found himself sighing. There was no way Tony was going to let him walk home in this kind of weather. Especially when he wasn't even properly dressed. There was no point in arguing so Niall nodded and smiled slightly.

"Okay. Thank you, Tony."

Tony smiled back. "Anytime kid."

~¤~

Niall slid into the space the booth provided across from Harry with a tired sigh. After this morning, Niall had spent the entire day lounging around their flat, trying to wait the rain out. While doing so, he had managed to catch up on some assignments he needed to finish for his Theology professor.

It wasn't until mid to late evening that the rain finally let up and Niall all but rushed to meet Harry at the cafè down the street. The curly-haired lad had suggested they meet here since it was pretty late and was the closest place to hang out at the moment.

"How'd the shoot go?" Harry asked, his green eyes sparkling as he smiled.

Niall groaned and let his head drop onto the table between them. "I woke up late this morning and Tony decided to reschedule."

Niall didn't look up to see his best friend's face. He knew Harry was more than likely frowning, studying him as if he were a puzzle. The tone of his voice only proved him right. Silence fell over them like a thick shroud, and Niall wondered if Harry was thinking about something.

"Are you having trouble sleeping again?"

There it was.

The elephant in the room. The one thing Niall had dreaded talking about. He really shouldn't be surprised; Harry was really smart, they lived together and they have been best friends since childhood. It was Harry that Niall confided in when he had nightmares or couldn't sleep. No matter what it was, Harry was always there.

Niall thought about lying but Harry knew him. Added to the fact that he was so bad at lying, someone could tell from being a mile away. He lifted his head to look Harry in the eyes.

"I've been having the dreams again," Niall said, his voice quiet. "Only last night, it felt more real. It felt like I was dying and...I woke up five times last night."

"Fuck." Harry growled. "I knew I should have stayed home instead of going out."

Niall shook his head. "No Harry. I won't be a burden to you. You deserve to have fun and go out with other people."

"That doesn't matter, Niall! You are the one person that I can't fail. It's my responsibility to keep you safe and make sure you're okay." Harry looked frustrated.

Niall stared at Harry intensely through his lashes. "You're not always going to be there to protect me, Harry. It's just how it is." His voice was softer than he was used to but as long as it calmed Harry down, he didn't care.

Harry's face was red and his eyes glassy with frustration. He stared at Niall, breathing through his nose. "It's what I've always done, Ni. I'm not gonna stop."

Niall gave him a small smile. "I'm not asking you to. I just don't want you to think it's your fault if I ever get hurt."

Harry opened his mouth to say something before closing it. Niall spoke for them both. "Let's order something to go."

Sliding out of the booth, he turned around to head to the front counter, only to walk right into a brick wall. Or what felt like a brick wall. Apologizing adamantly, he looked up to see who he had run into and froze midsentence as he got a good look at the guy. The words got caught in his throat and he somehow forgot how to breathe.

The man in front of him was beautiful. In an unnatural way. He was tall and slim, with raven black hair and mixed-colored skin, giving him an almost bronze-golden glow. His eyes were a dark brown with flecks of gold in the iris and there was a tattoo peaking out from his shirt sleeve. One of his ears was pierced and his jawline was well-defined. The man was wearing a black sweater which made his skin and his eyes stand out in stark contrast, a pair of dark-washed jeans and designer shoes.

Niall tried hard not to stare but it was next to impossible. The man was in turn staring at him but something hidden in his eyes, sent a shiver down Niall's spine, and he felt a blush creeping up his neck. Clearing his throat and blinking himself out of his daze, he scratched the back of his head.

"I am so sorry for almost knocking you over! I just didn't even see--"

"It's quite alright."

Niall found himself practically melting; his voice was like music, husky but not deep like he had assumed would be the case. He took a deep breath and opened his mouth to speak when the man rested a hand on his shoulder.

Niall looked up at him as the man stared him in the eyes, the corner of his lips tilting upward just a little. He found himself staring at them a little longer than necessary and forced his eyes back up to the man's eyes, focusing them on his forehead.

"Really. It's fine."

And then the man stepped back and brushed past him, disappearing out into the night. Niall was thoroughly rooted to the spot and he slowly turned around to face Harry, who stood there grinning at him.

"Damn, he was hot," Harry said, giving Niall a knowing smile. "You sure you aren't gay?"

Niall shook his head at his friends' antics but didn't retaliate. The man was hot, he'd admit. There had been an unnatural beauty about him that made the blonde feel inadequate. He'd been graceful as he left as well and Niall would never admit it to anyone but himself, but just from the look the man gave him, he had wanted him to bend him over the table and--

"We didn't even get his name. I wish we knew what his name was."

Niall blinked, grateful for the distraction Harry unknowingly gave him as an escape from his thoughts. Niall found himself staring out the door, his mind wandering as he spoke.

"Me too." He murmured.