"Wake up, little one" I hear Niall's voice and short after I feel his warm lips on mine, making their way down to my neck.
"Niall..." I mumble turning around to him and running my fingers through his hair.
"It's Liam's birthday" he whispers.
Oh, right: Liam's 23rd birthday.
We decided yesterday that we'd wake him up the five of us. His parents and his sisters are also coming, but it's all a big surprise for him.
I get up and take the sweatshirt Niall is handing me and put it over my pjs. We meet Harry, Louis and Zayn at the corridor, and open Liam's bedroom door with a card Zayn has requested in reception.
Liam is peacefully sleeping on his tummy, both of his arms over his head and under the pillow.
Niall counts whispering:
"One, two, three... Happy birthday to you... Happy birthday to you... Happy birthday, dear Payno... Happy birthday to you..."
"I hate you all so much right now" Liam mumbles to the pillow, covering himself with the duvet.
Louis jumps on the bed, and in no time at all, the four of them are bouncing on it while Liam begs them to stop.
We order some breakfast and have it on Liam's room, watching the beautiful city of Washington D.C. from the window.
"See you in half an hour down in the lobby" we say goodbye, each of us walking to our rooms.
As soon as we enter in ours, Niall flops down on the bed, facing the ceiling.
"I'm going to sleep" he says, "wake me up in 20"
I chuckle and lie on him, making him jump.
"I'm sorry" I apologize moving to one side.
"No" he cuts, taking my leg and making me lie on him again.
I look at him. My mind decides to remember the first meal backstage at Dublin, when I felt bothered because I didn't know how shade of blue his eyes were. Now, barely centimeters away from them, I notice they are the color of the sea during a storm. A steel grayish blue.
Niall looks at me and the corner of his mouth upturns before he slightly lifts his head and kisses me.
His hands caress the back of my neck as my fingers run through his now half-brunette hair. Our tongues meet, tentatively tasting each other. Niall's hand trails down my back and mine lies on his chest, my fingertips scarcely feeling his chest hair on them.
The kiss becomes more passionate, more intense, even a bit rougher.
Niall turns me over and lies on me, his lips kissing my neck. He backs away for just a second a looks at me. I've never seen that look on Niall before. But I like it. I...
"Nialler!" a knock on the door
"It's Tommo" Niall mutters, quickly jumping off the bed and running to the bathroom; "You get it!" he says to me.
I hear the water suddenly running as I walk to the door.
"Hey" I greet the oldest member of the band; "Niall is taking a shower" I lie as good as I can.
"I just want a t-shirt he borrowed a couple of days ago back"
He opens the wardrobe and takes the t-shirt, exiting the bedroom a couple of seconds later.
"He's gone" I chuckle putting my head round the bathroom door.
"That was close" he sighs, "any other of the lads, I wouldn't have mind" I raise an eyebrow; "I mean, I would have minded!" he laughs, "but it wouldn't have been as bad as getting caught by Louis"
"We were doing nothing wrong" I pout with an innocent smile.
"Something on me begs to differ" Niall answers his hands surrounding my waist and we both burst out laughing.
We join the rest in the lobby some minutes later and we all head to the building where the interview will take place.
"Victoria" Sam calls me as the boys enter one of the rooms in order to get ready.
"Yeah?" I answer turning around.
"Liam's family is arriving in five minutes. Would you mind waiting for them by the main door and walking them here?"
"Sure" I answer with a smile and walk back to the elevator.
"Vicky! Vic! Victoria!" some fans outside the building shout.
I look their way. I smile and wave, and that's basically all I can do because a black van arrives and Liam's family descends from the vehicle.
I walk to them with a smile on my face.
"Victoria!" Liam's mum exclaims hugging me; "How are you?"
"Hi, Mrs. Payne" I greet her returning the hug; "I'm good, thanks"
"I told you to call me Karen" she says shaking her head.
"Hi" I say as Liam's dad hugs me.
"Don't you dare say Mr. Payne" he threatens laughing.
"Geoff" I say, and he nods smiling.
Liam's sisters look at me and smile. The only time I've seen them was at the movie premiere and I barely exchanged a word with them.
"Ruth" the youngest one smiles.
"Nicola" the other one introduces herself.
"Victoria" I laugh, as we enter the building; "Liam has no idea you're coming" I say looking at Karen "he was telling me yesterday about how you wouldn't be able to make it"
Liam's reaction is simply great.
He's talking to the interviewer and he winks at me when I stand by the camera. Then his eyes look behind me and his jaw drops and he stops speaking.
He quickly jumps off his seat and runs to his mother, who is already crying her eyes out.
"Happy birthday, sweetheart" Karen sobs hugging him tight.
"You are a big family of liars" Liam chuckles hugging his dad and his older sisters.
The rest of the boys quickly come over to say hello and hug the Payne family.
Once the interview is over, Liam leaves with his family to have lunch and we all head to the hotel to finalize the details of tonight's surprise party.
"How will we take Payno to the club?" Louis asks, "I mean, we have to get him there without suspecting anything"
"Don't know..." Niall says puckering up his lips.
"Maybe we could, like, make him believe that something bad has happened to Vicky?" Zayn proposes looking at me.
"Me?" I ask looking at him.
"Yeah" he answers, "you and Niall could go like, out tonight or something. He thinks the celebration is tomorrow. I'll be with Liam and you can call him telling him that you've lost Niall and you don't know where to go. I'll persuade him to go and get you and... tada!"
"That was brilliant, Zayn" Louis says patting his shoulder; "We'll do that"
"You'll have to pull some great acting" Harry says turning to me.
"Don't worry" I smile, "don't ask me to do it now, because I'll probably laugh; but wait for tonight and I'll be nominated for next year's Oscars"
~ ~ ~ ~ ~
"Shh!" I say turning around, as my phone starts dialing Liam's number.
"Vic?" he asks picking up.
"Liam?" I ask back with a panicked tone.
"Hey, is everything all right?"
"I've lost Niall" I answer in the same tone as before; "We were dancing and he said he was going to the toilet but he hasn't returned and... I've looked for him everywhere, I just don't know where I am... Are you with your family?"
"No, they had sleep hours to catch up with. I'm with Zayn. Wait, what's the name of the club? Zayn!" he shouts at the other end of the line; "Zayn, we need to go out! We need to go get Vic! She's lost Niall!"
I give him the name of the club and hang up.
"They're on their way" I smile turning to the crowd, and they all cheer, excited.
Liam calls me ten minutes later.
"I'm inside" I answer as the music plays through the speakers; "I'm still looking for Niall. I'll wait for you by the bar"
"Be right there" he answers.
"He's here" I say and everybody quiets that very second.
The music stops and I hear Liam's footsteps down the corridor.
"Happy birthday!" everybody shouts when he goes through the door.
Liam's jaw drops and the biggest smile appears on his face.
"Wow" he says looking around and greeting everyone.
Some minutes later, he approaches me.
"You..." he says chuckling, "you are a cheeky little monkey"
"Happy birthday, Liam" I smile at him.
He hugs me and walks away to greet some other guests.
"You're really important to him, you know that?" I hear behind me.
I turn around to find Ruth resting her arms on the bar counter.
"What?"
"You've become part of his life. And you've become quite important if you ask me. I read your twit longer" she says with a smile; "We knew nothing about it"
"Nobody did" I answer with a sad smile.
"I think you've been very brave. Liam talks a lot about you and Niall lately when we Skype. I'm glad Niall has found someone he loves and who loves him back. And that Liam has found such a wonderful friend. Life with someone from One Direction can be pretty tough sometimes" she smiles.
"Yeah" I agree, "Liam has helped me a lot, you know? He has saved me a couple of times"
"He has some super-heroic gene in him" Ruth chuckles, "By the way, Niall's birthday is also very soon, isn't it?" she asks later.
"Yeah" I smile, "in two weeks"
"Do you have anything special planned?"
"No, I won't be here actually. My classes start on September, 2; so I'm going back home..."
I suddenly stop there.
"You're going home when?" Ruth asks.
"... Tomorrow" I mumble staring nowhere at all.
Oh, my God.
Tomorrow is 30th already.
I'm going home tomorrow.