This is us- Jimmie Allen, Noah Cyrus

He stepped down, trying not to look long at her, as if she were the sun, yet he saw her, like the sun, even without looking.

Niall's POV

I watch her as she peacefully sleeps on the single bed, adorned in a blue hospital gown. I gently trace her bruised cheek, blaming myself for everything that happened in the past twelve hours before skimming my hands against her bandaged wrists. I crane my neck to kiss her temple before softly kissing on her cheek, my lips lingering there for a little while before I completely pull away, but keep touching her or some part of her body, afraid that she might disappear.

After I saw her collapse on the floor in that abandoned house, to say I was worried and anxious would be an understatement. I was writhing and felt tears burn my eyes when I pulled her to me and saw how lifeless she looked. I don't even know much that happened after that but I could hear police sirens ringing in the back as they enter the house and arrested the trio before I was shaken by Louis. I remember him taking us to the hospital as I tried to shake Ana awake but she didn't wake up. I was never more relieved when the doctors said that she is completely fine and had fainted because of the sudden drop in blood pressure.

When Louis told me that he's going to try to fit in with those people and act like he wanted to hurt Ana, I was absolutely against it, but he persuaded me somehow. Even though I was very skeptical about it, he promised to tell me everything that they were planning but he lied. He lied to me about Tristan. He let me believe that Rebecca was the bad guy when it was Tristan, and I don't think I can forgive him for that. He let me live in the dark for very long, in fact, I didn't know about her until I saw there, but my mind was consumed by Tyler and everything he put Ana through, I was burning in anger. Louis also promised me that he'll never let anyone hurt her but he did let them. I am so fucking angry at him for everything that I feel like I'll do something that I shouldn't the next time I see him.

I cannot believe that Tristan would do something like this to the person I love the most. I always thought that I could trust her but I was wrong. I never knew she could be so detrimental and a fucking psycho. I still don't know why the fuck did she fucking do it, I thought they were friends. When Louis texted me to come to the address, I never thought that I'd see her, she was the last person I expected to be there. Then I saw that fucking Aiden and Tyler. I lost it. I've never been so pissed and angry at someone and I'm very happy with what I did to him. I always thought that it was Tyler who was threatening Ana through texts but it was Tristan. She did it, she probably did it because of me.

After everything, I'm happy that it's over, but I'm also very mad at Louis for lying and not keeping his promises. I'm mad at Ana for me never listening to me. And mostly I'm fucking mad at myself for letting Ana walk out of the door, for letting my anger take over me, for not keeping up with my promises to keep her safe. I couldn't protect her, I failed her.

"Niall," Ana softly whimpers and I jerk to sit upright on the stool. "Niall?" She calls again, looking around the dimly lit hospital room before her eyes land on me. I move my hands to cup her cheeks and she leans into my touch.

"Hi," I murmur and she says it back, taking a deep breath. "How are you feeling?"

"I think, I'm fine." She nods against the pillow, putting her hand on top of mine that's resting on her cheek. "Is it over?" She asks in a small voice but I can hear the pain in it.

"Yes," I reply. "We're good." She lets out a huge sigh as a tear slips past her eyes. I feel like she has more to ask me but she holds back. I don't push her to tell me about it because I don't want her to think about it right now. She needs rest and not stress. "Don't cry, Ana," I mutter, wiping away the tear off her cheeks and she softly chuckles. "I'll call a nurse, they have to check your vitals and see if you have a concussion," I inform her and she shakes her head, whining a little.

"Can we please go home instead? I am perfectly fine, Niall and I don't have a concussion. Put your fingers in the air and I'll prove to you," She insists and I frown. "I feel suffocated here, please. I hate hospitals and their smell. I smell like a hospital." She cringes, sniffing her gown and groaning like a small girl which is very weird considering how she didn't feel like that when I was admitted to a hospital after my accident.

"You didn't feel like this before, you were there with me the whole time I was in the hospital, Ana, you even stayed the night with me." I raise my eyebrows, retreating my hand from her cheek before resting it on her head, massaging it.

"Because." She shrugs. "It was you. I wouldn't just leave you, I couldn't." I feel my heart warm at her confession, my anger vanishing a little, and I lean to kiss her forehead. "Just take me home. I'm- I'm fine," She pleads, making those puppy eyes that are hard to resist.

"Firstly, it's midnight and secondly, the doctor suggested that you should stay till the morning, just to be sure that you're completely fine, yeah?"

She shakes her head again. "I told you, I'm fine."

"Stop, Ana, don't argue," I sternly warn her and she scowls at me. I hate to do this but it is important. Sometimes she gets very stubborn about some things and doesn't care about herself or what's happening around her and I have to make her listen to me. "Don't be cranky, I'll call the nurse." I place a small kiss on her forehead before getting up from my place and walking out of the small hospital room.

I smile as I find the short, old lady, Dorothy, walking out of a room and she smiles back. I tell her that Ana is awake and her smile brightens at the information. I might or might not have told her a short story about us. She follows me back to the room, carrying her notepad along with her. It doesn't take her long to check Ana up and write it down on her notepad. "You are very lucky you have this young man right next to you." Dorothy speaks as she writes and a huge smile spreads on Ana's lips. "He didn't leave your side for a single second in the past seven or eight hours." She says and I uncomfortably shift on my heels. "Husband him." I take a long breath at her word as I stare at Ana, looking at her reaction to what Dorothy just said.

A small blush reaches her cheeks and she turns to look at me, a sweet smile present on her lips. I bite my lip as she continues to stare at me, not saying anything. "When can I go home?" She asks instead and I feel a pang in my heart. I quickly look away, trying to conceal my emotions because of her quick dismissal which I don't think Dorothy realizes. Maybe she hasn't given it a thought yet and it's alright because I know that it's only been over six months. Maybe I'm moving too fast but I do remember us talking about having kids.

"Doctor Singh will check you up tomorrow and then you can go home!" She exclaims. "And you'll be fine, hon," She says before offering me a smile and getting out of the room, shutting it behind her.

I go back to my seat that's right next to the bed, staring at the opposite wall, away from Ana's gaze. "Niall?" She calls me and I hum, turning to look at her with a forced smile. "Can you go to bed with me?" She asks, patting the bed and moving to the farthest corner of it.

"I'm fine," I mumble, resting my hand on the bed.

"Please?"

"There's not enough space, Ana. What if I hurt you in my sleep? What if you fall?" I persistently speak, skimming my thumb on the back of her hand. Even though there's nothing more I want than to hold her closer to me, I am very worried about unintentionally hurting her.

"Then you better hold me tight." She bites her lips and I sigh. "I just want to be held by you, Niall. That's all the medicine I need." She widens her eyes as the words slip past her lips. "And I just realised how cringey it sounds." I laugh as a blush reaches her cheeks and she cutely scrunches her nose up. "I promise, it sounded better in my head."

"Okay." I nod. "I'll never withhold your medicine." I tease her and she scowls at me as I sit on the bed, take my T-shirt off and throw it on the floor somewhere before lying next to her. I put my arms around her waist as I spoon her from behind. I inhale deeply as I snuggle myself against Ana's neck. She pushes herself closer to me and I smile at the feeling of her body against mine.

"Hey?" She says and suddenly turns around in my arms and I hum. "Are you mad at me?" She asks, biting her lip and I look away. Of course, I'm mad at her. I'm mad at her for never listening to me. I'm mad at her for putting herself into so much trouble. I'm mad at her for never thinking about the consequences of her actions.

"Yes," I utter. And even though I'm angry at her, I'm also very grateful that she's safe and here with me. On any other day, I would've probably just ignored her and took my anger out but not today. She's already hurt so much, physically and emotionally and I don't want to add any more to it. I'm trying to stay as normal as I can for her sake but I'm not going to lie.

Her face physically falls as she stares at me. "I'm- I'm sorry, I really didn't-"

"Hey. Hey," I softly call, pushing a loose strand of her hair behind her ear. "We'll talk later. You should rest now, yeah?" I skim my fingers across her cheek, trying to validate her in some way. She offers a small nod before leaning to peck my lips for a split of a second and my heart warms and my stomach flutters. I crane my neck to kiss her properly, feeling her smile against my lips, and intertwine our lips together as we taste each other. "Goodnight," I mumble after pulling away and she nods, putting her arms over me and nuzzling against my neck. It doesn't take her long to fall asleep. "I love you, Ana. Don't ever leave me." I kiss the top of her head before pulling the blanket closer to our chests and letting myself get some rest.

I flutter my eyes open and let out a yawn before picking up my phone from the table and realise that it's only eight in the morning. I quickly text my mom, asking her to bring some clothes for Ana from our house, her glasses because she's practically blind without them and her contacts, and food, knowing that she'll probably hate hospital food. I send another text telling her not to worry because I know she probably would've if I didn't text her, and that I'll tell her what happened after she comes here, along with the hospital room number before keeping my phone back on the table.

Ana shifts in my arms before squinting her eyes open. A smile spreads on her face as she stares at me. She has never looked this happy in the morning, she's mostly cranky or whiny. "What's got you all smiley at eight in the morning?" I ask and she kisses my mouth as a reply, making me smile.

She shrugs. "I don't know- I'm happy." A smile touches my lips at her words.

"I'm happy that you're happy." I lean forward to kiss her but stop when I hear someone clear their throat. I let out a small groan before looking towards the person. My eyes widen as I see Nate, Mr and Mrs Kohl standing at the door. I realise the position that I am in and quickly stumble out of the bed, pick up my T-shirt and put it on, awkwardly staring at the door behind them.

"Mom! Dad! What are you guys doing here?" Ana exclaims with a little blush on her cheek. She looks at me, raising her eyebrows and I shrug, motioning that I have no idea how they got here. "How do you guys know I was here?"

"Andy called us last night and told us what happened," Her dad speaks. "Are you okay, Annie?" He asks, moving to stand next to the bed.

"Andy?" Ana inquires.

"I told Andy about it. Apparently, he was with Louis and wouldn't stop calling." I shrug.

"Oh." She nods before looking back at her parents. "I'm fine, dad, more than fine. I'm happy," She says, smiling brightly. Mrs Kohl walks over to her before taking a seat next to Ana on the bed. She offers me a smile and I give her one back. Apparently, Nate is very quiet as he sits on the couch that's adjacent to the wall. I walk towards him as the Kohl's engage themselves in a conversation.

"Hello, Nate. How are you?" I ask as I sit next to him. "You are awfully quiet today," I say, poking at his sides but he doesn't budge, making me frown.

"Is Ana okay? I heard mom and dad talking and they said she was not okay." He frowns. "Is she going to die?"

I furrow my eyebrows at his words and shake my head. "No, Nate. She's alright. Nothing is going to happen to her. Why would you say that?"

"Because people die in hospital, don't they, Niall?" He whispers, looking at his lap and I sigh.

"They don't," I say before ushering him to sit on my lap. "Ana is completely fine and we're even going home today," I excitedly mutter and Nate's eyes light up.

"Really?" He asks and I nod. He pumps his fist in the air and I do the same. "Yay!" He laughs and I join him.

"Now go and say hi to your sister." He excitedly bounces towards Ana before climbing on the bed with her and hugging her. I quietly pick up my phone and excuse myself from the room, giving them time to chat and have a proper family time.

Sitting on one of the chairs outside, I surf through my phone, checking my mails and important messages. There are a few missed calls from Louis but I ignore them. I don't want to talk to him right now or any time soon. There a few messages from Logan and Dave, asking me when I can be back to sign some of the important documents and I quickly reply them back. They, obviously, still don't know about Tristan.

"Hey." I clench my jaw at the sound of his voice. "I know you're probably mad at me-"

"Mad? I'm fucking pissed at you, Louis."

"I'm sorry-"

"I trusted you, Louis but you fucking lied to me about Tristan. You fucking helped them kidnap Ana? You let them fucking hurt her!" I shout at him, forgetting the place we're at. A nurse shushes us as she walks by, glaring at us and Louis apologizes to her. "I cannot look at you right now. I'm afraid I'll do something that I shouldn't, so go"

"You have to listen to me-"

"I don't fucking want to!" I exclaim, turning to look at him for the first time since he arrived. He looks tired and worn out and he's wearing the same clothes from the last day. I feel a little bad at him but it soon vanishes when I remember what he did. "Please go."

"Punch me," He says and I scoff.

"What? No-"

"Punch me, you'll feel better," He persists.

"Don't tempt me, Louis, I just might-"

"Do it," He chants and before I can stop myself, I punch him right across his cheek. "Ow!" He winces. "You're not a pussy, you can hit!"

"Shut up," I groan, jerking my hand that started to hurt because of the punch but it feels better.

"Can I speak now?" He asks and I nod once. "I'm sorry for lying to you about Tristan but you have to know that I didn't tell you because I was afraid that you might want to confront her and it would've ruined everything, it could've put Ana's life in danger."

"Ugh." I sigh, massaging my head. "I still don't understand why she did it in the first place!"

"She's obsessed with you, dude." Louis scoffs. What? Obsessed with me? How is that even possible! I always looked at her as a sister and I thought that she felt the same too but clearly, I was so wrong. "She claimed to have loved you for the past six years, that bitch is psycho. How come you never really saw it!" He rolls his eyes. "Anyways, I didn't know that they were going to kidnap her. I just received a message from Tyler to reach the abandoned house. That's when I realise what they did," He sighs. "And I'm sorry they hurt her, I really tried to stop them very discreetly. At least she's behind the bars now, that's what we wanted, and so are Tyler and Aiden."

"Yeah." I nod.

"Another thing, please don't hit me again but I already was a part of the clan from the time that you told me about Tyler because I knew that I wouldn't be able to help you if I wasn't a part of them." I gasp. I am about to say something but he puts his hand in the air to stop me. "I'm sorry. I knew you wouldn't agree to it so I didn't tell you but trust me, I intended to protect Ana, always."

"How could you? I've known you for the past 20 years of my life, Louis, you could've told me." I mutter, scratching my scalp and he sighs next to me.

"I couldn't tell you, I'm sorry." He apologizes again. "How is Ana? Can I- Can I see her?"

"I don't know, I'll ask her," I propose. "And she's fine."

"Why are you sitting outside?" He asks, getting comfortable on the chair and I shrug before telling him that her family is here. "Yeah, right. I remember Andy talking to them last night."

"Yeah? Why were you guys together last night? And why are you still wearing your clothes from yesterday?" I inquire.

"Well, we were at the police station. I lodged a complaint against them and they needed Ana to confirm it, but since she was unconscious, I called Andy because he knows her better. It took us a while there, just giving our statements about the ordeal while Andy told them about their past. We were very tired so I decided to sleep at Andy's since his house was the closest and came here as soon as I wake up." He shrugs and my anger slowly disappears. I cannot thank him enough for doing all of that for me and Ana. Even though I'm still mad at him, I appreciate his help.

"Thank you so much for that."

"Shut up, you wanker." He rolls his eyes and I laugh. "Liam and Andy will be here shortly." He informs. "They were going to come with me, but they were busy fucking each other. Man, was it hard staying in the same house with them!" I chuckle, shaking my head at him. "I couldn't even sleep properly last night!" He groans.

"You should go home, Louis, take a shower and get some sleep. Stop at the house later. We're going home soon, anyway." I offer.

"You're going to be fine?" He questions and I nod. "Okay, then. Call me if you need anything," He says, pats me on the back before walking away.

I take a deep breathe and stand up from my seat before deciding to walk back inside. They all are comfortably talking and I smile when I see Ana looking very happy. Nate is snuggled closely against Ana's torso and his little arm is wrapped around her waist. Her grin widens when she sees me standing at the door. She does a little wave at me and motions me to go towards her. I comply.

"How have you been, son?" Kathy asks as she notices me, stepping closer to them. Me Kohl turns to look at me and smiles a little and my eyes widen before I smile back at him. He always had this stoic expression on his face every time I was around but he's smiling right now. Even though it's barely there, it's a progress.

"I'm good, Kathy, thank you," I politely reply and before I can continue the conversation, Dr Singh walks into the room. He nods at us as a greeting before asking us to get out so that he check Ana up. We all usher out of the room and I bite my nail as I wait for them. I become a little restless as I have this strong urge to smoke but I know that I cannot, I shouldn't, so I ignore the thought for now.

I see my mom walk towards me in the hallway along with Alex, probably because the sitter wasn't available, and I quickly walk towards her. "Hello mum, hello