Sunset Lovers

I'll Protect Your Ears

It was Wednesday morning and I was on my way to work when I got a message from Niall. I reminded myself to answer it once I got to work.

The drive was peaceful this morning but I was feeling a bit tired so I just hope my shift will go by quickly today.

Pulling into the work car park I find a parking spot to pull into. Turning off the engine I check my message from Niall.

Niall
Hey Mate, I just remembered I invited the lads over tonight. Hope that's alright with you.

I quickly type out my response telling him that it was fine with me before pocketing my phone and making my way into the bakery.

"Morning Barbara." I yell out, not knowing where in the bakery she was. She quickly popped her head out from behind the counter. "Oh, good morning Harry." She greets, looking a bit flustered.

"Um, everything ok?" I question. "Yes, kind of. Not really, I'm meant to be making a catering order to be picked up today but there's still so much to set up out here." She says, looking even more flustered.

"Well, why don't you go and prepare the order and I'll worry about everything out here." I smile softly, placing my hand on her shoulder and giving it a light reassuring squeeze to try and help calm her down. "Oh Harry, you're an Angel." She says, clearly relaxing a bit. "It's no worries, I've got it out here." I say as I turn around and get to work.

Now you may be wondering if Barbara and I are the only ones to work at the bakery but we aren't, we always share our shifts together and on our days off there's other people that work. We like to share the workload even though I've never really met the other workers, but I don't mind.

~~~

By lunch time I was absolutely exhausted. Barbara's catering order had been picked up but there has been people in and out of the doors all day.

"Barbara, what is going on? There's so many people." I ask, looking outside at all the people filling up the streets. "I'm pretty sure it's the last day for the show so I guess everyone's going there for the day, then theres fireworks tonight." I grimace at the mention of fireworks, I don't hate fireworks, I actually enjoy watching the pretty colours light up the sky, but the noise scares me a bit. I hate the loud bad noise that they make.

"I guess that makes sense then." I turn back to look at the door as I hear the bell chime. After serving the customer I look over to the clock for what feels like the one hundredth time today, one more hour before I can start cleaning up, an hour and a half before I'm hopefully leaving to go home.

~~~

"Bye Barbara." I call out before taking off my apron and hanging it up. Rule is, whoever is on closing shift is who has to take the aprons home to wash. "Bye sweetheart." I hear her say from the kitchen.

Walking to my car I check my phone and notice I have no messages, I don't mind at all though because I don't have the energy to answer anyone right now.

The drive home was quiet, no radio or music on just pure silence.

Pulling up at home I noticed Liam's car in the driveway, I groan to myself forgetting that they were going to be at ours tonight, I don't really have the energy to talk to anyone. I get out of the car and after turning the engine off and make my way inside.

Once I get inside I made my way over to the lounge room where I can hear loud voices. When I make it to the lounge room and find a gap between Louis and Zayn I go and drop down on it, not saying anything.

"Hello to you too Curly." Louis chuckles, looking down at me. I grunt out a hello, not having the energy to talk. "You ok? Long day at work?" Louis questions. "The longest." I groan out, running my hands down my face.

"Would this be a bad time to tell you that we've decided we want to go watch the fireworks tonight." Niall grimaces from the other couch, shooting me a sympathetic look. He knows how I feel about fireworks.

"Um, do - do we have to?" I stutter, trying to swallow down the lump that's forming in my throat. "It's alright Curly, Niall told us how you feel about fireworks. I'll be there though, no need to worry." I hear Louis whisper down at me, hands coming to card through my hair as I've now got my head resting on his shoulder.

"I - I don't know. Is everyone going?" I ask, nuzzling myself closer to Louis, enjoying the way his hands are carding through my curls. "We are mate, but if you don't want to don't think that we'll force you because we won't." Zayn speaks calmly from the other side of me. "Yeah mate, no pressure." I hear Liam say from the other side of the room, sharing the other couch with Niall.

"Um, I guess I'll go. Just let me go shower." I tell them, getting up from where I'm leaning on Louis and making my way to my room to get clean clothes before going into the bathroom.

~~~

After deciding on letting Liam drive we're all getting into the car. Liam driving, Zayn in the passenger seat, me in the middle with Louis on my right and Niall on my left.

"Uh, I actually don't know if this is a good idea. Last time I saw fireworks I screamed every time I heard them crack." I say, not looking at anyone and keeping my gaze on my hands resting in my lap.

"It was fucking hilarious mate, everyone thought it was the kids screaming but no, it was just Harry over here. Was covering his ears and everything." Niall laughs out so I send a glare his way. He's not making the situation any better.

"It's alright love, I'll protect your ears from the noise." Louis assured me, placing a hand on my knee to stop it from bouncing. "Thanks Lou." I whisper, looking down at his hand on my knee, feeling my pale cheeks turn red. "Do you just not like the noise or do you not like any of it?" I hear Liam ask from the drivers seat.

"I just don't like the noise, they're quite pretty but the noise does scare me for some reason." I admit, feeling a bit embarrassed. "Yeah, I understand that mate. They can be a bit loud." Zayn bummed from the passenger seat.

No one made a comment on it again once the conversation died down, light chatter about everyone's day filling up the car next.

When we finally made it to the show I turned to look at Louis to notice he was already looking at me, his piercing crystal blue eyes meeting my forest green ones making my breath get caught in my throat.

I hear Niall cough next to me, breaking us out of our trance and feeling Louis take his hand off of my knee, forgetting that it was there.

"Come on Curly, I've got some fireworks to protect you from." Louis smiled softly.