She's Not Afraid. (Niall Horan)

Chapter 33.

Marina.

 

"I thought you had another day off?" I asked, half yawning as I sat up in bed. The duvet was wrapped tightly around my body in my arms. I turned my head slightly so I could read the time on the bedside clock. Half nine in the morning. He normally went to work earlier than that and on days off he didn't wake before at least eleven. 

He jumped slightly at the sound of my voice, clearly not expecting me to be awake. Was he trying to sneak out? I watched him struggle to pull on a pair of jeans without falling over clumsily.

"I do. Well sort of." He replied, his back facing me as he pulled open his drawers, rummaging from what I could only presume was a pair of socks.

"Sort of?"

"It's just this thing I'm doing."

"A thing?"

"Yes a thing."

"What thing."

"Just a thing?"

"Yeah, just a –"

"If you say thing once more I'll cut out your tongue."

"Fine," he sighed, he refused to meet my eye contact, his gaze falling anywhere but me. I tried waving to get his attention but the wardrobe door was getting more action than I was. "It's just a project or something."

"Are the other boys doing it too?"

"No, not really. A little bit but-"

"What is it?" I cut him off, truly inquisitive about said 'project'.

"I can't tell you," he sighed, once again refusing to look at me. Now I really was curious. He was jumpy, on edge and wouldn't even look at me. He was up to something and I couldn't determine whether I should be concerned or not.

"You don't have some other chick already do you? Because I'm not willing to go down without a fight." He let out a brief laugh before his eyes finally met mine. Shaking his head he made his way over to bed and knelt against the mattress where I was sitting on my knees.

"Of course not but it's nice to know you'd fight for me." His lips briefly met mine before I sharply pulled back.

"You'd do the same right?" I asked, genuinely concerned. His head titled slightly as if he didn't catch on what I meant. "You'd fight for me right?"

"I don't know who else could put up with you, I see no competition."

"You're hilarious."

"A man of many talents."

"Wow someone's annoying this morning." I groaned at his previous ego filling comment, of course he said it as a joke but none the less his head would grow bigger if I agreed. "Now can you please tell me what it is?"

"No," he sharply replied catching me off guard. My heart jumped a little at his sharp tone and abrupt reaction. "Sorry." He sighed. "I can't tell you, please just drop it?"

"Oh, okay." I quietly spoke, it was my turn to avoid his staring this time. 

Niall was barely ever angry or even yet annoyed. He was happy, carefree and laughter filled but right he was hardly his bubbly self. Maybe my overly intrigued demeanour had sent him off, or maybe he was grouchy because he had barely slept. When he came home last night – early morning rather, I pretended to be asleep. I was pretty much asleep anyway, only really conscious of sounds around me; the rest of my body was practically dead. But I heard him trip over something at precisely three fifteen in the morning. A couple hours lasted longer than I anticipated. I didn't have a nightmare without his presence but I didn't enjoy the emptiness either.