Always There + Niall Horan

Twenty-Four

I think about it now.

"Wait, we didn't even do anything though?" I say. And then I remember when Niall purposely smacked Harry's hand away when Harry was about to clean the ketchup off my face, but instead he made sure he did it himself, not Harry.

"And what was that about? Cleaning the ketchup from my lip? Really?"

"Oh, that. Romantic, huh?" Niall says, and I just laugh while palming my forehead and shaking my head. God, he's such an idiot. A cheesy one.

Niall stands up, taking his cup and pulling his legs out. He looks like he's getting ready to go somewhere.

When he realizes I'm just sitting there watching him—motionless—he smirks and extends his palm towards me.

"Come on," He says, his hand still waiting. "I've claimed you for the night, princess. You're not going anywhere." I catch his gaze to see him smirking.

Although it's silly, I let him take my hand anyway. He pulls me out, helping me stand once I get out.

"Cheesehead." I comment. I have to pull my hand from his grasp when he purposely doesn't let go of it. He just laughs.

...

Niall walks me out and into the outlet mall. He decides that he's going shopping for new clothes and hats. I just follow as he goes in shops and looks at things, and he uses me to choose what looks better on him.

I tell him most of the things he tries on look ugly and he glares at me. I'm not about to tell him if he looks hot. Which he does, I'll admit.

"This one?" Niall takes off the green snapback from his head and reaches for a red one from the shelf, putting it on afterwards. He looks at me. "Or this one?"

I scrunch my nose while I look at him. The red snapback makes his blond hair stand out because of how bright it is, but the green one looks good on him as well. His hair is long enough that it sticks out under the hat too. 

I'm conflicted and Niall's drooping his eyes at me.

"They both look bad on me, don't they? That's what I'm getting from your expression." Niall says, the tone in his voice flat. He turns his head to look at a mirror on the wall, switching the snapbacks on his head to view them.

"The red one." I say, and he puts the red one back on to look at himself in the mirror, then turns to me again. "I like that one." I tell him.

He takes my opinion and holds on to the red hat while looking for more. I smile, knowing he's taking what I like.

He purchases a total of four snapbacks out of that store. I remember how he already had so many at his house, but here he is buying more. I guess the boy has a thing for snapbacks, just like how girls are for shoes. I'm not complaining though, he looks good in those hats. They're also what completed his appearance and person.

We walk out of the small hat store and Niall starts to head somewhere else with the bag of hats that he holds in his hand.

I notice how the sun is going down; the sky is getting darker around us. It's evening now and I think about Cady, Liam, and Zayn. I wonder what they could be doing and if they miss me.

We're a group—all four of us—and I'm supposed to spend time with them today. But I'm alright with Niall. I spend time with those three all the time anyway. Niall has nobody he knows here. Maybe it's the little pity I have for him that tells me to stay.

I watch Niall as he walks towards a store called Express. He pulls the glass door open, walking inside and holding the door as I walk in after him.