Burn // NH

32. You're Going to Buy Me Flowers?

The moment we landed on Irish turf, I was beyond the moon with contentment and happiness. It was like all the stress from the past few days had just completely melted away and all the weights were lifted from the tops of my shoulders.

I was happy to be home for once. Not trapped in my head. Not cooped up in my office. Not dead on the couch at home, but home. Where hot, homemade stew was fresh from the crockpot that my mother had been baking all day. Where my old bedroom awaited my arrival. Where the vibrant green hills and the roaming white sheep and the grey, cloudy skies closed in around my body, providing me with that odd sense of comfort that could never be replaced.

It was purely relieving.

Ellison's other side of the family was...a lot and rather odd. And honestly, after spending a solid two days with them, I really didn't see where she fit in with her siblings on her father's side. They were so disorganized and close minded and very opinionated on every little thing, whereas Ellison was almost completely opposite. It was difficult to encounter and engage in actual conversation.

Her stepmother was very nice and her father seemed like he genuinely cared for her, but neither really related to Ellison on any sort of level. When she talked to them, it seemed almost as if she was talking to a friend. It was as if there was this distant blockage between them, but as far as I knew, no one had really put up a wall there. It was sort of confusing and just- it was weird to witness.

By the second day, I could see the relief flood over Ellison's features when we started packing up, as if staying there any longer would completely rip her to shreds. And I was actually expecting her to say something about it once we jumped onto my plane, but she didn't. Not one peep about the weekend came out of her mouth and I suddenly grew curious as to if this is how it's always been. Although, if Ellison wasn't going to bring it up, neither was I, and I guess we'd just move on and finish out the break here in Ireland.

"Niall."

"Ellison." I retaliated; my eyes glanced up from over the computer screen as my glasses slid slightly down the bridge of my nose.

She was stood tall and bold in the doorway of my old bedroom, yet looking so soft and warm in her fuzzy, penguin, pajama pants and my white henley long sleeved shirt. Her coffee colored locks were braided down over her shoulder, bangs curled and pined back as a few loose strands fell around the apples of her cheeks. Her feet shuffled against the carpet as she inched in and gently closed the door.

"Is everything okay?" My screen was tilted down and my undivided attention was fully given to the girl who stood with a soft smile.

"Yeah. Your mom's going to bed– it's late."

Across the room was a silver lamp with a yellow bulb, causing the room to light up with a golden scheme that seemed to dance around the casted shadows on the walls as Ellison made slow strides towards my frozen figure.

"And what about you?" I asked and removed my glasses.

"Well..." Her fingertips trailed teasingly around my shoulder before dragging up to my jaw where she tilted my head up and pressed a gentle kiss to my lips. The computer was shut and pushed to the side as Ellison crawled onto my lap. Palms immediately sliding to hold her bum, my forehead fell against hers. "I did win at scrabble today. And for that you said you'd do anything I wanted."

My eyebrows creased. "Woah, hold up. I totally won that game."

"What? No! Firenado and sprummer are not real words, Mr.Horan."