My Brother's Boyfriend ✓

One

Welcome to another story!

Eleven Years Ago

"Nick! Niall! There's someone at the door for you!" Our mum yelled to us as we were unpacking our belongings into our shared room.

We look at each other, "Race ya!" He shouts at me before we're both taking off out of the room and down the stairs.

We make it to the door at the same time to find three other boys behind it.

"Hi, I'm Liam," The one with brown eyes spoke up.

"I'm Harry," The one with curly brown hair said.

"And I'm Louis," The third boy, with feathery hair said.

Nick and I look at each other before we introduce ourselves. I'm a little more reserved than he is, so he does all the talking.

"Hi, I'm Nick and this is my brother Niall," he says flawlessly. It doesn't occur to me then that being as shy as I am is a problem. I'm just so used to Nick talking for the two of us.

"Would you like to come play? Louis has a trampoline!" Liam exclaims.

"One sec," Nick says before running off to find our mother to ask her. Nick and I were supposed to be going to the market with mum, and I don't really want to play with anyone right now. I like being with my mum because she understands me, and I'm comfortable around her. Maybe Nick can go play instead and I'll go to the market?

"Hi Niall," The curly one, Harry, says to me.

"Hi," I say quietly as my eyes fall to the ground and one arm folds across my chest, holding onto my other. I am feeling very exposed without my brother beside me.

"How old are you?" He asks, refusing to let me stand there in silence as I would like. I'm only ever outgoing with my family, so I'm extremely uncomfortable being around three strange boys.

"Nine," I respond, still looking down at the ground.

"Cool! I'm almost nine, Liam is nine, and Louis is ten," he responds. I'm older than him? I never would have known.

Nick comes running back to where I'm standing, "Mum said it's okay if you want to go, Niall, but you don't have to if you don't want to," he tells me, obviously aware of the fact that I'm shy.

"I'll go if you go," I tell him in a hushed voice, making a last minute decision to join them, though I'm sorry I won't be going to the market with mum anymore. She's going to have to go alone, now.

He turns to look at the three boys outside our door, "Okay! We're in!" He shouts and they all take off running for what I suppose is Louis' house, save for Harry who walks beside me.

"You're quieter than your brother. Are you shy?" He asks.

I just nod my head, watching the cracks in the sidewalk as we head toward Louis' house.

"That's okay, you'll fit right in with us. C'mon!" He says and grabs my hand before pulling me along, my eyes going wide at his sudden exclamation, and laughter bubbling out of my mouth without my permission.

"I like your laugh, it's infectious," he tells me when we stop running. I don't say anything, but the redness in my face is apparent. Maybe I'll have some friends outside of my family for once.

I'll remember that day forever. Coming home that night, mum was watching the news on the telly when she asked us how our day was. The news was telling us of a fire that took place at the nearby market and killed three people. Mum was at the market that day, but had gotten out right before the fire had started.