Chapter Text
Harry was looking at him with a grin stretched across his handsome face. A grin that looked too much like it belonged on a pink and purple cat from Wonderland.
Niall couldn’t breathe. There were too many of them and they were all so much bigger than him. He whimpered and tried to back away, but Harry was still holding his hand. His nose was being assaulted by strange smells, and none of them smelled like pack. He was out of his territory and didn’t have a den to run to.
Liam was lounging on one of the couches. A cinnamon haired boy sprawled across his lap like he owned it, shoving his head under the other boy’s hand for a pet.
A tanned skin and dark haired boy had one leg slung over the chair’s armrest, a cell phone temporarily forgotten in one hand.
All five of the cats were staring at him. Niall bit his bottom lip, blue eyes darting around. He could feel panic starting to grip his chest. He didn’t do confrontations and he hated being the center of attention.
“Christ Haz! What’re you doing?” Liam sat up straighter.
“Showing Niall everyone!” He looked immensely proud of himself, swaying back and forth a bit.
Niall’s eyes snapped to the curly haired boy at the mention of his name. He whimpered and tried to free his hand again. Not only were cats weird, but they were strong too.
Liam rubbed his eyes. “What did I tell you?”
“Not to go in the room until Niall said so. And he said I could go in!” Harry’s smile wavered, not sure why the older boy was upset.
“Why did you drag him down here?”
“He said he wanted to come down and meet everyone.” Harry mumbled, swinging their joined hands back and forth.
“Shit Hazza, the kid’s terrified.” The boy on the chair drawled.
Niall shoved his thumb and finger back in his mouth. He was going to make himself bleed soon if he didn’t stop.
“Quick introductions then!” Harry’s long fingers gently gripped Niall’s chin, directing him to each boy as he named them. “I’m Harry,” he grinned at that, “and you know Liam! The guy on top of him is Louis. And the one in the chair is Zayn!”
Niall stared at them with wide blue eyes. He knew he was shaking and he knew they could smell how scared he was. Panic set in even more, tripping up his breathing.
Liam sighed and moved to get up.
Louis growled and bit the arm that was shoving him from his comfortable spot.
“Ow! What the fuck Lou?”
Louis just growled at him.
Zayn chuckled and stood up. “I got him Li, no need to interrupt Lou’s petting.”
Niall jumped behind Harry, using the lanky boy as a shield.
“I’m not going to hurt you kid.” Zayn slowly reached around and grabbed the back of Niall’s neck, rubbing his thumb against the pulse. “Let’s get you back to your room, yeah?”
Niall’s head jerked in some form of a nod. Away from here would be great. Maybe he could make a den under his bed. Hide out until the cats went to sleep. He could sneak out then. His smaller size made him good for sneaking. He was fast too. Why did he agree to come here? Stupid school.
Zayn easily detached him from Harry, gently leading the boy to the stairs.
Harry pouted and tried to follow. Niall was his roommate. His new friend.
“Not know Hazza.” Zayn scruffled his hair affectionately.
Louis snapped his fingers. “Harold sit. You can play with him later.”
“Lou, don’t encourage him.” Liam tried to scold.
Harry let out a very unhappy mew and stretched out on the other couch. His hazel eyes trained on his blonde puppy.
Niall stared at Harry until he couldn’t see him anymore.
Zayn kept his voice low, soothing. “First time away from home?”
He nodded.
“Ever been with anything besides your pack?”
Niall shook his head, chewing away at his fingers.
“We’re an unusual group, I’ll give you that. But we’re not bad, promise.” Zayn scratched at the scruff on his chin. “We won’t hurt you or nothing. Harry’s a good kid. We’re still trying to teach him how to act around people, especially ones he’s excited about.” Zayn smiled a bit fondly. “He’s like an overgrown house cat.”
Niall smiled a little around his fingers. He could see that. His body slowly responded to Zayn’s touch, starving off the panic attack before it really started.
He stopped them in front of Niall and Harry’s door. “Take some time, get used to all the smells. You’ll be OK kid. I’m just across the hall if you need something.”
“O-ok…” His voice was hoarse. “T-thanks…” Niall walked inside, leaving the door open a crack.
“I’ll come get you for dinner.”
Niall nodded again before curling up face first in his sheets. He buried himself in sheets that smelled like home.
~x~
A soft knock brought him out of a deep sleep, but didn’t fully wake him.
“Niall?” A soft voice whispered.
“Mmmh?” His bed dipped down and something warm pressed against him.
“Niall? Can I cuddle with you?”
“Mmmhmmm.” Niall nodded. He liked cuddling.
Harry smiled and tucked himself up behind the smaller boy.
The young blonde wolf fell back to sleep with a warm body pressed against his back, arms wrapped around his middle, and a nose pressed into his hair.
~x~
Zayn sighed softly when the opened the bedroom door a few hours later.
Harry was curled up around a sleeping Niall, their bodies flush together. He was alternating between sniffing him and rubbing his cheek against him.
“Hazza…”
Harry’s grip tightened around Niall’s middle, causing the blonde to hum and snuggle back into Harry’s body more firmly. “My puppy.” His lips pulled back a bit as Zayn took a seat at the foot of the small bed.
“He isn’t a toy Hazza, or a pet.”
“I know!” Harry nuzzled into the back of Niall’s neck. “But still mine.”
Zayn sighed a bit and scratched behind Harry’s ear. “I know this is hard Hazza. He’s shiny and new and you want to be his friend. He isn’t used to cats though. He doesn’t get how we work yet. You don’t want to scare him away right?”
Harry mewed pathetically. “No…”
“Let’s back off a bit until he’s all settled, yeah?”
The younger cat pouted at him. “Can we still play and cuddle?”
“Only if he wants that.” Zayn looked at him sternly.
Harry sighed heavily. “Fine…”
“It’s time for dinner.”
“Can I wake him up?”
Zayn nodded.
Harry beamed. “Niall? Niall wake up.”
Niall grunted and pressed his face against the pillow.
Harry shook his shoulder. “Niall time to wake up. Dinner’s ready.”
Niall slowly blinked himself awake. His whole body was relaxed and his blue eyes looked a bit drunk.
“See! Cuddles fix everything!” Harry grinned.
Zayn shook his head, smiling softly. “Yeah, looks like puppies like to cuddle too.”
Niall pouted. “Not a puppy.”
“Sure.” Zayn grinned and got up. “Come on you too. Time to eat.”
Niall looked up at Harry who grinned down at him. “Hi…”
“Hi!” Harry licked his nose before bouncing off the bed after Zayn.
Niall scrunched up his nose but followed the two cats downstairs. He shoved his fingers back in his mouth. His heart started to race as he was once again surrounded by four large cats.
Harry almost dropped a plate in his excitement. “Sit next to me Niall!”
Niall nodded slowly. Harry was loud and in your face, which kinda terrified the blonde wolf. He took the seat offered to him.
Zayn took the chair across from Niall, giving him a small smile.
Niall liked Zayn. He was quite and seemed nice. But he still scared him.
Liam took the chair at the head of the table, Louis taking the chair to his right.
Niall wasn’t sure what to think of Louis. As for Liam, he was big and strong. He didn’t want to be scared of his new roommates. But cats were weird and he wasn’t sure how to handle it.
Harry made a distressed noise and grabbed the hand Niall had been chewing on. He licked at the blood sluggishly flowing from his nails. “Stop biting. It hurts you.”
The look he gave Niall was so intense all the blonde could do was nod, completely captivated by the hazel eyes.
Satisfied Harry turned back to dinner.
Harry and Louis were by far the loudest of the bunch. Everyone was slightly vulgar and very messy. But there was a warmth to everything they did giving off a sense of home. Niall found himself relaxing back in his chair, smiling a bit as he watched the four boys interact. Every now and then someone would ask him a question, try to include him. Niall mostly stumbled over his mumbled words, but he tried to answer the best he could.
When dinner was over Niall was shooed out of the kitchen. He would get assigned chores tomorrow. He was comfortable enough to wait to watch TV with everyone before bed. But he made sure to get the armchair, he wasn’t that comfortable.
Niall called it a night two movies later. He mumbled a good night and wasn’t as surprised as he should have been when Harry padded up after him.