Secret Love Story (narry) (boyxboy)

Chapter 29

"Dad, mom. This is Niall." The smile that was gracing Harry's handsome face was almost blinding. White teeth with that one odd incisor that refused to turn white like the other enamel, flashing brightly in Gemma's well-lit apartment.

Mrs.A and Gemm who were used to Harry's sometimes odd behaviour, barely blinked but poor Robin who still had some catching up to do in his stepson's character blinked furiously at the statement."We know that Harry."

"Look I haven't been properly dry since February, this frigid London weather is a blessing compared to France's, I pissed off my manager to come here and she probably burnt all my underwear when I get back to France so please, just for me, play along to this simple fantasy, okay?" Harry practically begged.

It took everything in Niall not to burst out laughing, but the desperation is Harry's voice managed to help him hold back the guffaw of laughter that was threatening to escape. Robin still confused at what was going on, looked at Mrs.A in confusion. Mrs.A who was safely tucked underneath her husband's arms and protected from the cold by his bulk and the fire that was now roaring liberally in the fireplace looked back at him, mirth-making her eyes shiner brighter than they already were.

"Just play along darling" Mrs.A patted Robins gut in assurance.

Robin glanced at Gemm, "Okay?" but Gemm just rolled her eyes.

She expected something like this from her weird little brother. She could put a stop to it if she wanted to.

But the question was ... did she want to?

Her little brother entertained her so. And at that moment she was getting torturous joy from the subtle, not! way Niall was turning red under all the commotion that was happening. And poor confused Robin who still had no clue of what was happening was looking around for anyone or anything apparently, to explain what was going on. He also was looking at the ceiling as if it would give him answers to what was going on.

The poor man.

He was probably the only one in their family that had not figured Harry's feelings for Niall.

Harry took a deep breath ... and the blinding smile from earlier was back. It offset the bags under his eyes and the tired drooping of his shoulders. "Mom, Dad..."

"There's really no need to stand ceremony like this and make this into a such a big deal Harry," Niall mumbles, feeling self-conscious of the fact that they were standing in the middle of the room and Harry held his sweaty hand in a tight grasp.

The glare that Harry gave Niall could have curdled freshly purchased milk. But Niall just glares back and Gemma has to laugh a little at the silent argument that they are having with their eyes.

Plates from dinner had been shoved into the dishwasher and the coffee table had been removed under the impression that they were about to play the game heads up, but apparently, Harry had a different idea.

As I was saying before I was so rudely interrupted," Glares at his boyfriend. Continues talking "Mum, Dad, this is Niall."

"We know," Robin says again peering at Harry. Mrs.A jabs him in his ribs. "Go on baby,"

"Niall also happens to be my boyfriend"

His announcement was met with silence. Nobody moved and it seemed like the whole world had frozen over after his uttered words. Niall tries to tag his hand out of Harry's. Panic slowly creeps up his spine and cold set of shiver make him quake where he stood.

I don't want to be here.' He kept thinking

He really fucking did not want to be there. He wished he could just melt into the floor and disappear. And somehow find a mad doctor that could help him block out this whole ordeal.

"No shit, Sherlock." Someone finally spoke. It's Gemm with the usual bite in her tone."Like a blind person could have guessed that!"

"Wait, what?" Niall and Robin say simultaneously.

"Oh baby, I'm so happy for you!" Mrs.A keeps playing along as she goes to envelop Niall in a warm hug as if they were just meeting.

"He told you about us, Mrs.A? Niall asks her, a little panicked

"Oh call me Anne, sweety. Or better yet, mom!" Mrs A says."And he didn't have to tell me, Niall, I'm his mother. I know everything!"

'Does that apply to Anne only or all mothers?' Niall wonders

"Hear that Niall, mom!" Harry rejoices as he joins his mother in suffocating him between their embrace. Niall sends an SOS to Gemm but she just lounges in her chair like the queen that she felt she was as she popped her gum and shrugged at the look of panic that Niall was sending her.

"Wait one second! So I'm the only one who is surprised that Harry and Niall are going out?" Robin asks, still struggling to catch on.

"Oh Robin, you are so clueless! Where have you been the past three years or so!" Gemm chided her stepfather playfully.

"Right here!"

"Then you can't tell me that you haven't seen unusually close Niall and Harry are?" Mrs.A asks as she hugs both Harry and Niall to her bosom, alternatingly playing with their hair.

"Well, of course, they are close! They are best friends!"

"What about the pining? The wining and dining between the two? The whispers, the touches, the glances and the fight that almost broke Harry down and the one text that put him back together again?"

"... What in the world are you talking about?" Robin questions.

"Yep, men are clueless" Gemm sighs. She daintily places he feet on the ground and slips them into her house slippers. Sighs again when she realizes she put them on the wrong way, corrects them, then stood up." Guess its time that I play my pretend part, huh?"

"You better make it good!" Harry warns his sister from his mother's arms.

With an eye roll and a sassy hand on her hip," Niall, make sure you make my little brother happy. If you don't I will break you in half." She says whilst looking at Niall dead in the eyes through her posture spoke of playfulness and her tone light and unguided, her eyes were deadly serious.

"o..okay?" Niall questionably agrees.

"There. Was that good enough for you?" She asked Harry

Harry ponders for a while "It will suffice."

"Great. We can finally get this game on its way. So we agreed on playing heads up instead of scrabble right?" Mrs.A release Niall and Harry from her protective cocoon

"Hold on one second, why doesn't Robin get a role to play in this twisted fantasy of Harry's!?" Gemma asks, completely appalled.

Everyone in the room zeroes in on Robin who is still stuck on the couch, in the same position that Mrs.A left him, looking just as confounded as before. He was still trying to make sense of the fact that Harry and Niall were together, before trying to figure out why in the world they were all pretending like this was the first time they were meeting Niall because it certainly was not.

"He is still catching up, love. Let him catch his wit's end." Mrs.A finally says.

"Oh heck no! If I have to play a stupid part in Harry's stupid fantasy so does he." Gemm practically cries.

"Darling, what do you say about Niall and Harry dating?" Mrs.A asks her tone softer than a newborn kittens purr.

Robin's issue was not that Harry and Niall were dating. His problem was with the fact that his family are acting as if this was not news when it certainly was news to him! "Ahhh..." Robin oscillates," Welcome to the family?" And everyone goes back as they were.

Harry practically poops out a rainbow, his fantasy was complete.

Niall sighs with relieve, no one in Harry's family had a problem with them dating.

Gemm downloads the head up game, her hackles smoothed; justice had been served.

Mrs A. enjoys her time with her family, revelling in the radiant joy that was practically oozing out of her youngest boy as they played heads up.

Whilst Robin ... Robin stayed on the couched for the rest of the night, still trying to piece together how all this came to be.