Broken Strings || Niall Horan [AU]

13 | boys in bands

"Yeah, uh, hi," I say, following him into the house. The entrance hall in which I caught Niall singing just days ago, and where he auditioned yesterday, has been transformed. It looks much smaller, crammed with musical instruments, all set out in a circle, facing the spot where Louis and I stand. The floor is a maze, a chaotic tangle of black wires and note-splattered sheets of music. Behind the keyboard is a raven-haired boy, and he looks up briefly, greeting me with a quick, shy nod. My eyes pan over to the stairs, where Harry and another boy with short chocolate hair and eyes to match are perched, discussing something in hushed voices. When they see me, they end their conversation, getting to their feet and brushing the dust off their bums. 

"Hey, Anna!" Harry says brightly as they walk towards me. "It's good to see you. We were just talking about you. This is Liam." He gestures to the boy by his side. 

"Hi, Anna," Liam grins, and I smile shyly, blushing furiously as I wonder what they could've been saying about me. 

"And that's Zayn," Harry adds, pointing to the boy behind the keyboard. 

Zayn looks up again and our eyes meet. "Hey," he says before dropping his gaze, focusing once more on the keys beneath his fingers. He seems shy, and I like that; it's good to know I'm not the only one. 

"We're just having a little break," Harry explains. "We came round here bright and early -- around eight -- to set up. Luckily, all the electricity was working. Niall's starting to learn our first song. He's really getting the hang of it."

"Aw," I say with a smile. "Speaking of which... where is he?" I awkwardly lift the brown McDonalds bag, the scent of breakfast muffins wafting through the air between us. 

Harry grins, deep dimples making an appearance. "He's just using the toilet. Tell you what, he'll be glad you've brought some food for him. Seemed a bit disappointed when he realised we'd brought nothing but our instruments."

"And our ravishing good looks," Louis chirps, "and our darling personalities." He walks over to the drumkit and plonks himself down, twirling his sticks between his fingers. 

"Ignore him," Liam says to me. "He's full of shit." He laughs. 

That's when Niall appears at the top of the staircase; our eyes meet and a mile-wide grin spreads across his face, his eyes lighting up. "Anna!" He exclaims, jogging down the stairs and bounding towards me like an excited puppy. Laughing, I fall into his arms, our embrace tight and warm and safe. The McDonalds bag gets squashed between us, the sound of it crumpling causing Niall to raise an eyebrow as we part. 

"You brought me food?" He questions, holding me at arms length. 

"Yep," I say. 

"You're the best," he replies, quickly pulling me in for one more hug before excitedly taking the bag from me. He eagerly peers inside.

"I hope it's okay," I say. "They're a bit squished..."

"I'm not picky," Niall states, pulling out a muffin and taking a huge, satisfied bite. "I'll literally eat anything."

"Apart from when I offered to buy you a salad and you nearly had a heart attack," I laugh, remembering our evening at Nando's. It was only a few days previous, but it already feels like a lifetime ago; like Niall and I have been friends for years between then and now, our friendship blossoming and growing. 

"That was one time," Niall chortles through a mouthful of muffin. He nods towards the bag, handing it back to me. Thankfully, he swallows his bite before saying: "You have yours, then. I feel bad eating alone." 

I smile, pulling out my warm muffin and taking a bite. The flavours of egg, beef, cheese and bread explode across my tongue and I nod in satisfaction. Swallowing my mouthful, I realise that Harry and Liam have moved away, and are discussing something in whispered voices. Every few seconds, they glance in mine and Niall's direction before quickly looking away. "What are they talking about?" I ask him.