My Brother's Boyfriend ✓

Thirty-One

About a week after that whole nightmare debacle where I finally was able to let Nick and Zayn back in, things were seemingly getting better. I mean, I was back to snuggling with my best friend, I was back to being fine if either of them decided to throw their arm over my shoulder, and I was back to being fine with being touched by almost anyone in general.

All in all, things were seeming to be pretty good. My stutter is completely gone, too! I guess I just needed to take time to myself to work on it, but I haven't stuttered since before that nightmare. I guess being able to let Nick and Zayn back in was the first big step to getting better, and I haven't stuttered once since.

Studying for finals was still really kicking my bum. I'd been up late each night going through my notes and spending each day either locked up in my room, or in the library just to try and get some focus.

It had gotten to the point where the lot of our group would have to come find me and force me into eating some food because I would be so lost in my studies that I would forget to eat and drink.

The last two weeks up until finals passed by in a flurry of studying, papers, assignments, studying, forgetting to eat, locking myself away to focus, and studying.

It was madness. By the time hell week was over (the week before finals) I was practically dead.

Thankfully, I only had three finals instead of four, and I would be done on Wednesday. I had one final on Monday, one on Tuesday, and one on Wednesday, and then I would be done. My second year at Uni would be complete.

I trudged through my finals, and by the time I made it back to my dorm room after my last final, I pretty much collapse. I fall onto the floor all dramatically, landing on my front, and sprawled out onto the carpet Nick and I have.

"You good down there?" Nick asks, peering over the edge of his bed to get a look at my pathetic state.

I merely grumbled a response that surely sounded like, "mmf," and he chuckled at me.

"What time do you have work?" He asks, and I check my watch to see I only have an hour and a half before my shift at the bar starts.

I managed to get a job partway through the term at a bar, but what the others don't know is what I do there. They don't usually go to bars for dinner or anything, opting for pizza and/or Chinese instead, so they've never been to visit me, which is good. I have a feeling that they think that I am a waiter or something there, but that's not exactly the case.

In fact, I actually perform.

I did get the job, initially, as a waiter, but when my boss heard me singing while I was washing dishes after we closed one day, she asked if I would be interested in performing, instead.

I still do some work as a waiter if needed, but most of the time I just play some music to give the place a bit of ambiance. It's actually loads of fun, and I really enjoy it.

"Seven," I mumble, glad I don't have to drag myself off of the ground just yet. I'm not planning on keeping it all a secret too much longer, but for now I'd rather them not make fun of me because I know for a fact that if they knew, they would be coming just to tease me while I'm working.

"Do you want to eat beforehand or eat there?" He asks, obviously looking for a way out of his own studying. His last exam is on Friday morning, and he doesn't have one tomorrow, so I know he's desperate to stop studying.

"We can go get some food if you want," I respond, giving him the out he was looking for.

"Cool!" He exclaims and hops off of his bed, grabbing my limp arms and tugging on them to make me get up. When he realizes that I'm not budging, he starts pulling on them harder to try and make me move, "Bloody hell, Niall, for someone so small you'd think you wouldn't be so damn heavy!"