Broken Strings || Niall Horan [AU]

16 | midnight memories

Then, when I'm finally ready, the only thing left to do is wait. 

The doorbell rings at 7 o'clock, and the sound echoes throughout the house, startling me. Nervously, I get to my feet from my position on the sofa and pat down my dress, tucking a stray strand of hair safely behind my ear before heading to the front door. Inhaling deeply, I pull it open. 

When I see him, all the nerves and worry and anxiety melt away, and I'm home again; home is wherever I'm with him, and now, leaping into his arms and listening to his laughter as he stumbles backwards and holds me tight on my doorstep, I truly am home. I'd forgotten how good it felt, how safe and wonderful, to be enveloped in his warm embrace. His arms are wrapped right around me, our bodies fitting together like pieces of a broken vase. Together, we're complete, and right now, nothing else matters.

Behind him, somebody clears their throat, and I open my eyes to see Harry, Liam, Louis and Zayn, standing there with arms folded across their chests. "Alright now, Nanna, we know you're excited to see each other but we've got a competition to get to," Harry says. 

Reluctantly pulling away from Niall, I repeat, "Nanna?"

"Niall and Anna. Nanna." 

"Right," I say, chuckling. 

Only then do I get a proper look at Niall. He's wearing a black t-shirt and a denim jacket with cut-off sleeves, and a pair of black jeans, which expose just how skinny his legs are. His hair is up in a quiff, his eyes bright and his smile wide. He looks good, so good that I'm beginning to wonder why I haven't kissed him yet, or why he doesn't have a thousand other girls lusting after him. After tonight, however, he probably will. God only knows how many attractive girls there'll be at the Band Battle, just waiting to snatch up a gorgeous bandmember. 

"You like it?" Niall asks, gesturing to the denim jacket. "Harry picked it out."

"I love it," I say. "You look great."

And all the girls will fall at his feet, I think. Worry begins to set in, but when Niall takes my hand, sliding his calloused fingers inbetween mine, I'm reminded of just how much he cares about me and the worry disappears once more. Our fingers interlocked, he looks down at me. "Do you mind?" He asks, his eyes twinkling like crystals. 

I shake my head. "Of course not," I whisper, squeezing his hand tight. 

All six of us begin to walk, the four other boys in front and Niall and I trailing behind. Conversation comes easily to us and Niall tells me stories of funny things that happened while the boys rehearsed, such as Harry throwing a toddler-like tantrum when Louis accidentally sung a lyric wrong. Niall says this in a hushed tone, wary of Harry walking just in front of us. Louis must overhear, however, because he turns around and, winking, says: "I did it on purpose, actually. Just to see how he'd react."

I tell Niall about Mum's new boyfriend, and Niall laughs at the irony of it all. "So, she told you not to get a boyfriend, and then got one herself? Wow." 

"I know, but she apologised for it. She also said sorry about how she acted with you the other night. And, she wants you to come round for dinner sometime so she can get to know you."

Niall lets out a fake gasp. "Oh my God, maybe David can come too and we can double-date! That would be totally rad!" He says in an over-excited voice. 

"Shut up, you idiot," I laugh, giving him a playful whack. Sunlight splashes the pavement before us, casting our shadows long. We walk in silence for a while, our hands still entwined. "So, are you nervous?" I ask after a while. 

Niall shrugs. "I'm trying not to think about it. If I think about how big this is, I'll start to panic and I'll get all anxious. I'm feeling OK at the moment, but there's just so much pressure... There's so much to lose..."