Eternity [Narry]

Chapter Thirty Five

"Hey," Greg greets, "No Bressie?" He asks, taking a sip of his beer.

Niall's shoulder tenses and he drapes the dish towel over his shoulder, dumping a plate on the rack and he turned round to lean against the counter, next to his brother.

"He couldn't make it. Think he's spending it with his family." Niall states, matter-of-factly, trying to sound casual but his voice cracked at the end.

Stupid bloody hormones.

It got the best of him. Niall was about to head back into the living room when Greg caught hold of him, grasping his hand and it caused Niall to turn round on his heel.

"Niall. Did something between you two? You were so close at the engagement party..." Greg trails off, studying his brother carefully.

Niall opens his mouth and then closes it again, unsure of what to say. He couldn't lie to his brother – he was already keeping a secret from him that Harry is a vampire but he couldn't exactly tell the truth the either without bringing up the Dalca and exposing them, breaking another one of their rules once again. He couldn't do that to them, not when they had just made amends.

So instead, the only thing he mutters to him is, "It's none of your business," And he walks away.

Greg is left puzzled. It's not like Niall to remain so secretive about something or another and he's about to question him further but he sees him walk out the front door, only to sit out at the porch and he's about to follow him, sooner realizing that he probably wants to be left alone so he respects his privacy and heads back into the living room, while Maura and Harry are next to enter the kitchen so that Harry could show Maura their most recent baby scan picture, which was pinned up under a magnet against the fridge. Maura doesn't say anything for a while except coo quietly and fondly at the picture but then she stops, putting the picture down on the table and looking hesitantly at Harry, who's grinning proudly at his unborn child.

"Harry...I'm worried about him." She finally confesses and Harry's eyebrows knot together.

"What do you mean?"

"Look, you and I both know that this isn't any kind of normal situation for Niall to be in. I'm not stupid. I'm a mother and mothers worry." She says softly.

Harry couldn't help but smile kindly at the woman before a woman whom he'd admired so much because of the man she'd brought up, almost entirely by herself. He sees so much of Niall in her. They're both so caring and kind and generous, all the qualities that Harry had come to know and love in Niall. He leans back against the kitchen counter, resting the palm of hands against the edges and he looks directly at Maura.

"Maura, I promise you. I'll never let anything happen to Niall."

The wrinkles in Maura's frown softens and she's smiling back at her son in law.

"I always knew I could count on you." She says quietly.

Harry chuckles delightfully.

"Have I ever let you down?" He asks smugly and Maura rolls her eyes.

Harry grabs his mug of coffee, which he had made and pecks Maura on the cheek before heading back in the living room. He's about to join the rest of the family again when he catches a glimpse of Niall outside, all alone, just like he was at the engagement party – and he knew something was up.

He silently excused himself from the family, grabbed both he and Niall's coats and headed outside to greet him in the cold, winter air. It's snowing again, just like it was at the engagement party and Niall didn't even bother looking up as he approached him, sitting down next to him. Without saying anything, he takes Niall's coat out from under his arm and drapes it over his shoulders and Niall could only manage a weak smile.