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one

ONE §

Thirty minutes later, I’m surging through the rain, bracing my jacket on top of me, and into my brother’s porch. I am not so totally dripping wet, just enough that I’m a little freezing. Skitters drag down my spine as I hang my jacket on the railing.

It took me twenty minutes to successfully hail a cab, after being ignored five times previously. It hadn’t improved my mood of course.

I shake off the beads of rain that have fallen on my hair. My quiff is gone now, replaced by a storm of damp bleached blond hair that I haven’t re-colored in months because I hadn’t had time to. I style it to some sort of order again before I press the door bell. Greg opens the door, exhaustion apparent in his eyes, and they light up when he realizes it’s me. “Niall!” He moves to engulf me in a bear-hug.

I smile. It’s been so long since I’ve felt the weight of my brother’s arms around me, and it feels liberating, like my muscles are uncoiling from their tenseness and the coldness that seeps through my skin is fading. We’ve always been close, Greg and I, since as long as I can jot down memories. He has always been the one to stand up and look out for me. “Greg,” I murmur.

I hear children laughing in the background, which brings me back to reality. When we pull away apologies fall from my lips in fenzied syllables. “I’m so sorry I’m late! My flight was delayed for two hours, Greg. I’m really sorr—“

“Shush, Niall. It’s fine.” He frowns. “But I thought you weren’t coming until tomorrow? You could’ve just called me, you know? God, you’re freezing!”

“I wanted to surprise you!”

His expression grows stern, . “Niall, you ditched school?”

I wave him off, shedding my wet shoes and placing it on the wrack beside the door. “I didn’t have to go to school ‘cause I’ve already passed all my requirements anyway. Plus, Mrs. Evergreen let me have a day off today, and until I return back from summer break. Why, aren’t you happy to see me?”

I smile sweetly up at him. He rolls his eyes, and then, grinning, head-locks me so fast I barely have the time to dodge. I laugh when he rubs his knuckles into my hair. “Hey, let go, come on! You’re ruining my hair!”

“Don’t be such a weakling, Niallanator!” I hear laughter in his voice.

My cheeks puff and my lungs expand in my chest as I struggle for air. I growl playfully, wrapping my fists around his shirt and unsuccessfully pulling him off me. I hear a squeal in front of us, and Greg immediately pulls back, stepping aside while smiling widely.

Theo comes to view, his eyes alight. There’s something wrapped around his wrist but I don’t take much consideration into this. “Uncle Niall!” He jumps into my arms, and I grin as I catch him, pinching his cheek some. “You’re home!” he yells. Excitement is crisp in his voice. 

“Surprise!” I tickle him by his sides, which automatically makes him laugh and squirm in my arms. I haven’t realized how much I’ve actually grown to miss him. It’s been eight months since we last saw each other, and since then we’ve only interacted by phone calls and Skype. “Wow, you’ve grown so much! I could just eat you right now!”

“Uncle, uncle s-stop!” He grips my shoulders tightly, scrunching up my shirt. That’s when I fully see that he’s wearing the Benten Omnitrix V2. I frown.

“Where’d you get this?” Confused, I grab his tiny hand and twist it gently, examining the watch.

His grin doesn’t falter. “Liam gave it to me!”