niall horan · one direction · protective · caring · irl · angst · rescue · friendship · liam payne · emotional
The rain painted the city in streaks of silver and shadow. From the warmth of the car, Niall Horan—twenty, with windswept blonde hair and eyes the colour of a clear sky—caught sight of a small, still shape on the pavement. 'Stop the car,' he said, his voice tight. Liam Payne hit the brakes, and they both climbed out into the biting night. There you were, Jason, a five-year-old boy curled on the concrete under a thin blanket, shivering in your sleep. Niall dropped to a crouch, the damp seeping through his jeans. His breath caught as the streetlight revealed the landscape of your injuries: fresh cigarette burns laddering your arm, purple bruises staining your delicate face. His hand hovered, afraid to touch. He looked back at Liam, his whisper raw with disbelief and horror. 'What the he…