Happily (Niall Horan)

Chapter Thirty-Eight: Truth Or Dare?

Wednesday, January 16, 2013:
Hayleigh:
Another year has went by and a new one is upon us. The year of 2012 was amazing; I'm just hoping 2013 can be the same.
Danielle and Liam got back together in December, around the time when the boys played Madison Square Garden. Luckily, Presley and I were able to support the boys and I finally got to meet Niall's family in person. Maura is the sweetest woman alive, as are the other moms of the 1D boys and Bobby was very funny and welcoming. I still haven't met Greg or Denise yet because of Greg's work schedule but Niall showed me a picture of Denise's bump and I'm so excited for her.
The boys smashed their concert and they're still shooting for their movie, This Is Us but it won't be out till November. Unfortunately, all five of them are about to leave again for their Take Me Home tour in about a week now even though it doesn't officially start until February 23 and I know it'll be hard to be away from all of them.
Niall and I are still best friends-I'd be concerned if we weren't- and I can truly say no one knows me better than he does. "Hey you stopped singing," my best friend pouts before turning off the radio. "Is everything okay, Haybear?"
"Yeah," I say with a smile. "Everything is perfect." His blue eyes flicker over to me for a second before focusing on the icy roads again.
"If you say so," he chuckles and I switch up the volume.
"I knew you were trouble when you walked in," we sing together, really off-key. "So shame on me, now. Flew me to places I've never been, Now I'm laying on the cold hard ground. Oh!"
"God I strongly dislike her," I mumble and Niall laughs.
"Don't you mean hate?"
I roll my eyes but grin, "It's wrong to hate anyone, Ni. I just can't believe she made up those rumors about Harry."
"Me neither," he agrees as he turns into my driveway and my eyebrows raise when I see multiple cars in the driveway. "For a twenty-three year old, she's being pretty immature."
"I blame myself," I sigh and Niall looks at me, confused.
"Hayleigh how on earth can you blame yourself?"
"I'm the one who told him to go for it," I play with my fingers in my lap. "It was a few weeks after Harry told me he liked Presley and I thought since she was dating Connor that he could, yah know, move on. If only I had knew their relationship wouldn't work."
Niall puts his hand on my shoulder for comfort and places his fingers under my chin to make me look at him. "Hayleigh, you did nothing wrong. You saw your friend needing to move on and you did what you thought was right. You had no idea what would happen. You can't blame yourself." My eyes advert to the floor, turning my head from him. A few seconds pass in silence as we just sit in the car before I realize the truth.
"I guess you're right," my voice cuts through the cold atmosphere.
"Of course I am," he smirks.
I playfully roll my eyes, "Get over yourself, Horan."
"Never," he scoffs, making me let out a small laugh and his wide grin spreads across his lips. "There's that lovely giggle," he pinches my cheeks and I smile at him. He kisses my almost numb hand before opening his car door. "Now let's get inside because I don't really want to turn into an icicle."
"You're such a drama queen, you know?" I reply and he shrugs and throws an arm over my shoulder when I meet him in the front of the car.
I lean into him, his body heat transferring through my coat, making me shiver. "How are you so warm?" I cuddle closer to him and he knocks on the door because I forgot to bring my key. Thank god Presley is home.
"I don't know, ask my mum," he laughs. "She created me."
The door opens to reveal a very happy Presley with Harry by her side. "You forgot your key?"
"Yes I did," I say, Niall and I brushing past her to get inside. "Wipe that smirk off of your face."
"You too Harry," Niall calls over his shoulder.
The two brunettes laugh, "You guys know us too well." They follow us into the living room after we shrug off our coats, to see our whole group here.
"Why are you all in my house?" I ask, plopping down on the sofa and Niall joins me.
"Because we can be," Louis answers and I shake my head with a small smile.
I notice a boy sitting in an armchair, "Hey Connor. How are you?"
"I'm fine, thank you," he answers politely. "What about you?"
"I'm good," I respond awkwardly and Presley sits on the arm of the chair by him and Harry sits beside Liam and Danielle on the floor in front of me.
I stare at the couple for a few seconds, watching Connor whisper to Presley, making her cheeks flame.
I nudge the Cheshire boy when I see him staring at them too. "You okay?" I ask, lowering my voice so no one but Niall can hear us.
He gives me a reassuring smile but it doesn't reach his eyes so I don't believe it. "I'm fine, Hayleigh. Thank you though." I simply nod in return before leaning back against the couch, into Niall's very soft blue sweater.
I move my face a few times against it and Niall chuckles, "What are you doing?"
"It's very soft," I answer simply and he does his little half smile without showing his teeth. I lay my head against his chest, and strain my ears until I hear the beat of his heart. It's a regular heart beat, but every few seconds it'll jump a little more turning it into a soothing song. Niall moves his arm around my body, and starts to rub my back. Soon the cold from outside is forgotten as a fuzzy feeling takes over me, warming me from head to toe.
***
"We should play a game," Louis' loud voice announces and my eyes blink open. A yawn escapes my lips and I sit up.
"Sorry, Ni," I say apologizing and he just smiles.
"Don't worry about it."
"What game do you want to play?" Liam asks.
"Truth or dare," Zayn speaks up and gives his best friend a high five.
"I'm in," Harry joins the three, which leads to Liam and Louis pressuring Danielle and Eleanor into it as well.
"You wanna play?" Niall looks at me curiously, pulling at the hair right above his ear. It's a new habit he's gotten and I noticed he does it only when he's nervous or bored.
"Presley are you joining?" I ask her but she shakes her head.
"I'm just gonna watch this one." Furrowing my eyebrows, I can't help but wonder if she's okay because it's so unlike her to say no to a game. "Connor, what about you?"
"I'm fine."
I shrug and agree to play, but stay where I am making Ni agree as well.
"Ready?" Louis looks around at all of us, to which we all simultaneously nod. He spins the empty plastic bottle and we watch as it lands on Liam.
"Alright, Li it looks like you're my victim," Lou rubs his hands together making me and Ni laugh slightly. "Truth or Dare?"
"Dare," Liam answers without any hesitation, making his best friend raise his eyebrows.
"Okay then. Well, I dare you to go to the kitchen and drink half a glass of chocolate milk with lemon juice."
Liam pulls a face of disgust as he stands, making us all laugh as he disappears into the kitchen.
A few minutes later, Liam slams the glass on the coffee table and I peek out from under my fingers. That had to be the grossest thing in the entire world. "Take that Tommo," Li boasts and spins the bottle, with it landing on Eleanor.
"Oh gosh," she squeaks out nervously.
"Truth or dare, El."
"Truth," she answers and Liam sighs.
"Dang it."
"I've got one," Dani sits up and whispers into her boyfriend's ear.
"What was your first impression of the idiot next to you?" Liam asks and I let out a small yawn, comfortably leaning back against Niall.
"Honestly," Eleanor pauses as she thinks and Lou sits up, eager to know. "I thought he was very cheeky, and a big dork. For crying out loud, the night we met he wouldn't stop saying jokes."
A look of surprise crosses over Louis, "Hey! I thought you liked my jokes!"
"You didn't let me finish," El giggles. "I thought it was adorable and the dork thing wasn't an insult. You're my big dork."
"That's better," Lou grins, pecking her on the lips.
Eleanor spins the bottle and it lands on Mr. Styles, who once again looks away from the couple who was oblivious to everyone else. "Truth or dare, Haz?"
"Dare," he answers, biting the inside of his cheek and fidgets so he's sitting crisscross applesauce.
El puts on a mischievous expression, which is scarily like Lou's. "I dare you to tell us who you like." My eyes flicker up to Presley as she suddenly brings her attention to the Chesire boy.
"I don't like anybody," Harry lies and I feel Niall squeeze my shoulder.
Eleanor raises an eyebrow, "Nobody? You don't love anyone?"
"Objection!" Niall shouts, surprising me and he puts on a cheeky grin. "You can't trick him Eleanor. First you said like them you said love, nice try."
El snaps her fingers, "Gosh darn it."
As the bottle spins, Harry sneaks his hand up on the couch and Niall quietly gives him a high five. A smile appears on my lips, that's my boys.
***
Ten rounds of truth or dare later, we're on the last one but we've all run out of things to say. "How are we going to do this?" The bottle landed between Niall and I and it was spun by Louis.
He shrugs, "It's fine. It can be for both of you. Truth or dare?"
I look up at my best friend with a curious glance, "What do you want to do?"
"I think we should do dare," he whispers, his breath tickling my ear.
"Dare, Lou," I announce. "Bring it."
A smug smile appears on his face, making me regret our decision immediately. "Did she say bring it?" Niall chuckles nervously. "She meant go easy on us."
Eleanor leans over to her boyfriend and I hear the word kiss repeat itself. "If you make us kiss it's not anything new," Niall speaks up and everyone looks at us in shock.
"What?!" Eleanor shrieks. "You guys have kissed before?"
I shrug, "Duh."
"On the lips?" Dani clarifies and Niall nods.
"We've been best friends for over a year, you thought we haven't kissed?" I raise my eyebrows.
"All best friends have kissed at one point," Ni states and I nod my head.
"When did it happen?"
"Near Christmas," I answer. "We were hanging up decorations and it was a kiss under the mistletoe."
"Christmas tradition," Niall adds and I nod my head again.
It takes a few more minutes for them to get over the surprise and Niall and I couldn't stop laughing at their expressions.
"Okay back your dare," Louis says loudly gaining everyone's attention. "I dare you two to get matching tattoos."
Both of our jaws drop as the room goes silent. "I can't get a tattoo!" I protest against the dare to no one in particular. "My mom would kill me!"
"Just because you four idiots have tattoos doesn't mean that I have to get them. I didn't even get the screws in October so what makes you think I'm going to get one now!?" Niall argues with his band mates. He's not wrong; the other four are getting quite a collection of tattoos and it all started when all four got the ankle screws. Niall didn't because he said he's going to be the one laughing when they're all old and saggy with those "dumb tats."
He understands a lot of them have significant meanings to the boys but he wants no part in it. Harry and Zayn have the most, Louis is in the middle, with Liam having a few but I have a feelings they're not done permanently inking themselves.
"You two said dare and I gave you one," Louis replies stubbornly, crossing his arms over his chest.
"I don't think that's a good idea, babe," Eleanor speaks softly but I don't think he heard her.
"Hayleigh will literally get murdered by her parents and Ashton," Presley defends me and I point at her frantically.
"See!?"
"Doesn't Ashton have tattoos?" Harry asks and I roll my eyes.
"He has two and the only reason he got them was because his little....someone he loved got hurt and the other was for him and Natalie."
"So why can't you get one?" Zayn asks and I sigh over dramatically.
"For one I don't want anything permanently inked on my skin!" I shout, making everyone else stop arguing and stare at me. "Second, my parents only allowed it because they were sentimental."
"So get something sentimental," Liam reasons.
"For fuck sakes none of us want a bloody tattoo!" Niall's accent goes full Irish and it's always hard to take him seriously when he does so I smile slightly, despite the fact he's mumbling curse words under his breath.
Thursday, January 17, 2013:
"Remind me again why are we looking at tattoos?" I ask the next day, petrified when I see a heavy set man walk into the shop, every inch of skin visible covered in colorful drawings.
"They think we're chicken," Niall mumbles, flipping to the next page. "I want to prove those mother fudge buckets wrong." Let's just say, he didn't say fudge buckets.
As soon as I woke up, Niall dragged me downtown to a tattoo parlor that the boys visit often. We spent the whole night watching movies but near two A.M. he spoke his thoughts about chickening out.
"Hayleigh?" Niall's soft voice breaks the peaceful quiet.
"Yeah?" I wasn't asleep. I was tired yes, but my brain wouldn't shut down leaving me to stare at the window silently.
"Do you think we made the right choice?"
For a few seconds I don't know what he meant, but once I realize I turn my body so we're facing each other. I lay my head in my folded arm and stare at him thoughtfully.
"I don't really know," I reply honestly, making him sigh.
"That's not what I wanted to hear," he admits and I furrow my eyebrows.
"What do you mean?"
"I just want to know that we made the right choice by not giving into peer pressure," he tries to explain but I'm having a hard time following.
"Ni, they can't force us into sometime as big and important as a tattoo. They are forever and it should be a choice made by yourself if you want to get one or not."
"I always thought the lads did look cool with them but then I'd think they weren't for me," Niall speaks his thoughts.
"You're over thinking this," I say after a minute. "If you want one, get one. If not, don't. I'll be by your side either way."
His blue eyes stare at me through the darkness and he moves his body closer to lazily place an arm over me. "What if I want to get one with you?"
"Ask me tomorrow," I decide and he lets out a small laugh. "For now," I pause and lean forward to peck his nose, "we should sleep."
"I love you, Haybear," he whispers and I smile before closing my eyes and snuggling into his chest.
"I love you too, Nialler."
A shaky breath escapes my lips and when he looks up at me, his expression softens. He pulls me into his signature Horan hug through the bar of the chairs we were sitting in. "I'm sorry Hayleigh. I forgot about how much you didn't want to do this. You don't have to."
I make a decision, "I'll do it." He pulls away slightly so he can stare at my face to see if I was lying.
"Really?"
"Mhm," I nod, forcing a smile on my face. "As long as it's small and meaningful."
He pecks my nose and smiles, "Of course, love."
Hey guys! I hope you guys are having a good time enjoying the fall from wherever you are. I apologize that this was longer, I just couldn't stop writing!
What do you think Hayleigh and Niall should get as a tattoo?
I'd love to hear your ideas!
And the reason Harry said no to El when asked about liking anyone is because he loves her remember?  That's why Niall interfered because H wasn't comfortable sharing the info with Connor and Presley in the room.
Just to clear some confusion :)
AND IS ANYONE ELSE REALLY PUMPED FOR MADE IN THE AM. IM SI EXCITED AND THEIR SNAPCHAT IS THE BEST THING EVER.
I have a feeling my fave track is going to be Never Enough or Hey Angel!!!
Bye guys! See you next week lovelies! Xx