It was after dinner and Emily and I decided to take a walk along the pier since we promised we wouldn’t just forget about each other like last time we were around the boys. It was a warm evening and the view of the Opera house was lit up in the distance.
“I can’t believe we are in Australia,” she said breathlessly amazed at the view.
“It’s pretty incredible,” I replied
We stood there people watching for a while before I said, “How soon did you and Harry start having sex?”
She looked at me and asked, “Why?”
“Wondering…”
“Have you and Niall?”
“No,”
“Do you want to?”
“Yeah. I’m just scared is all,”
She leaned against some railing and said, “Harry and I didn’t have sex until the night before they left to come here,”
“But neither of you guys were each other’s first,”
“No,”
We sat in silence for a while and she asked, “Why are you scared?”
“He would be my first,”
“Well, you’re ready, right?”
“Yeah,”
“Are you nervous because you don’t know what to do, or because it’s with Niall, or because the thought of not being a virgin anymore is scary?”
I thought about it for a moment and said, “I suppose not knowing what to do,”
“It’s not how it is in the movies – especially your first time. Things aren’t going to be smooth and confident. But you both are comfortable with each other, Niall has done it before I’m assuming, so he will walk you through it. I think if you were to do it with anyone, Niall would be the best person. He’s opened you up so much already, it only seems fitting. You’ve changed so much since meeting him,”
“Have I?”
“You walk a little straighter, you smile more, you speak up more, Suz, you have really gained a lot of confidence. Don’t tell me you don’t feel better, and that you don’t feel that you’ve become a more outspoken person,”
“No, I see it. I think the first time I noticed it was when I stayed with Niall the first night. I put on his tee shirt, and looked in the mirror and for the first time I thought I looked pretty. And it was because I looked happy. That’s when I really realized what he does for me,”
I looked up at my friend and she was smiling at me. “I’m so glad to hear you say that, I’ve waited so long for you to see what I see in you. You need to get laid by this boy, and soon!”
I laughed and gave her a hug, “Thanks Em,”
She smiled at me and I said, “You know, you really do look very pretty tonight,”
Her smile fell a little and she said, “I feel kind of naked without all my usual makeup. You can pull off wearing just a little, but I don’t feel like I can,”
“I do. Harry obviously does. You don’t need makeup to be pretty. You’re still beautiful when you take it off before bed, and you’re wearing your oversized shirts and baggy sweats. Your personality still shines through, and that is what makes you pretty,”
“Harry said the same thing the first time I let him see me without makeup,” she said kind of bashfully. I smiled and said, “Harry is a keeper. I like you guys together,”
“I like us together too,” she said with a big smile.
“I’d have to agree,” said a familiar voice from behind and we turned around to see the one and only Mr. Harry Styles. “Hey,” we greeted the curly haired fellow, “We are getting ready to go, you guys ready?”
We nodded and followed him back to the car. By the time we got to the hotel Emily and I were both so exhausted we turned in early. The boys stayed up later, hanging out in Liam’s room. Before I went to bed I thought about having sex with Niall. I knew I was ready. I did feel comfortable around him. I just was nervous to take that next big step in my life.
----
The next morning I awoke in an empty bed, but heard the shower going. I got up and knocked on the door and came in. “Morning!” I said
“Hey princess!” he called from behind the curtain
“Mind if I brush my teeth?” I asked
“Not at all!”
As I put toothpaste on my brush I asked, “What do you guys have to do today?”
“We have an interview to go to, and a photo shoot, and a concert tonight,”
“Busy day!”
“Yeah, we have to leave by noon, do you and Emily want to come?”
“I do, I’m sure Em does as well,”
“Alright, what time is it?”
I peeked out into the bedroom at the digital clock on the nightstand, “11:15,”
“Did you want to hop in the shower before we left, or are you more of a night time shower person?” he asked
“Um, it doesn’t matter, really. I can take one tonight,” I answered
Maybe it was just me, but was I feeling some sexual tension? No, it’s all in my head because I’ve been thinking about that more lately. That’s all. The shower stopped and Niall reached his hand out to grab a towel. I spit out the toothpaste in my mouth and rinsed the rest out with water. When I looked up I saw Niall step out with the towel hung maybe a little too loosely around his hips. I realized I was staring when he said, “Like what you see?”
I blushed and turned away. “Sorry,” I mumbled and awkwardly walked out without making it too obvious that I stole a couple more glances.
I walked into the big walk-in closet and stood there deciding what to wear. Emily had bought me a new sundress for the trip that was a deep red with little flower buds all over it and an opening in the back that showed some lace. I took my pajama’s off and stepped into it. The zipper on the side was stuck and I was having a hard time with it when Niall walked in, still in only a towel.
“Forgot clothes,” he said and added, “Having a hard time with that?”
I looked up and nodded defeated.
“Here, let me,” and he gently put one hand on my hip and the other took hold on the zipper. It wouldn’t budge.
“Hmm,” he said looking at my exposed side stomach and bra. I gulped a little nervously before he gave it another go. It still didn’t move up any further so he tried pulling it down, and it easily gave way, now exposing all the way down to my hip. I looked up at Niall and made eye contact with him. He smiled at me before adjusting the zipper stream and when he tried pulling it up again it easily slid to the top.
“Thanks,” I said quietly
“No problem,” he replied, not taking his hands off my waist yet. We looked into each other’s eyes and I had to blink several times to focus. I looked away and said, “Here, you should wear this today,” I randomly took a hanger off the rack without noticing what it was.
“As beautiful as I think that would make me look, I think I would have to pass,” he said chuckling a little and I looked down to see I was holding my pink blouse. I blushed and put it back.
“Is everything okay, Suzan?” he asked
“Yeah, why?” I replied a little too quickly
“You’re acting different this morning,”
“Am I? I didn’t notice. Maybe you’re the one whose acting different,” I replied realizing how ridiculous that sounded after I said it. He frowned at me and said,
“Tell me what’s wrong,”
“Nothing is wrong…I just…I’ve been thinking about things lately…”
“You aren’t going to try and break up with me again, are you?” he asked worried
“Of course not,” I replied with a smile, putting his worries to rest. He smiled back a little and asked, “Okay then, what have you been thinking about?”
I sighed as he pulled a shirt over his head. “I’ve been thinking about me. And about you…”
“Okay…” he was waiting for me to stop beating around the bush.
“And um…you know…going farther,”
He turned around from the dresser where he was pulling boxers out of and said, “Farther how?”
“Like…sex,” I replied quietly
“Are you ready for that?”
“Yes,”
“But you don’t sound like it,”
“I don’t know…I…I can’t be sexy, I don’t know what to do!” I confessed. He smiled a little and said, “Don’t worry, I think you’re over-thinking this too much,” He pulled his boxers up under the towel and after doing so, he hung his towel on the edge of the door.
I looked at the ground, unsure of how to feel. After pulling some jeans on, Niall came over and pulled me into a warm hug and said, “How about tomorrow we go on a date, hmm? We have a TV show to go on, but that’s it for the day. Let’s go out, and if things happen when we come back to the room then, don’t worry. Okay? If you get too uncomfortable, we don’t have to do it. Remember what I said? You’re in charge, we go as far as you want, when you want,”
I smiled up at him and said, “Thank you for being so understanding,”
“It’s because I lo- uh… I like to see you smile,” he said, recovering nicely from whatever it was he was going to say.
We finished getting ready and headed out for the day’s activities.
----
The interview was boring since Emily and I weren’t able to come in the room and listen, but thankfully it didn’t take too long. After that we went to the photo shoot and thank God there was food there because everyone was starving. It was fun to see the guys get all dressed up and pose for the camera. At one point when they were doing individual shots, Harry asked if Emily could join him for a couple pictures. She was nervous at first because she didn’t wear as much makeup today, just like last night and was still a little self conscious. Eventually he convinced her that none of them would be published and she agreed to go up and pose with him.
While the rest of the guys were taking a break, Niall asked me if that was something I wanted to do too. “Oh no, being in front of the camera has never been my favorite thing,” I answered
He put his hands on my waist and kissed me softly. “What was that for?” I whispered
“Just letting you know that you’re beautiful,” he replied
I wanted to tell him I loved him. It always feels so right to tell him, but he hasn’t told me yet, and I don’t want to risk him not feeling the same way.
Before we left the photo shoot one of the interns came up to me and Niall and handed us an envelope. I looked up at the pixie-haired blonde woman in confusion and she said, “I took some shots of you guys when you weren’t looking. I hope you don’t mind. You just looked so cute together, so I printed the pictures and wanted to give them to you,”
“Wow, that’s really sweet of you, thank you!” Niall said enthusiastically
“Thanks,” I said, caught off guard that I was unknowingly photographed
We walked out to the car and took the photos out. There was one of a close up of Niall and I kissing with light from the nearby window casting a soft golden glow on us. Another photo was right after kissing and we were both smiling and looking into each other’s eyes as I leaned into him. The last picture was later on when Niall was stuffing his mouth with Gold Fish and me laughing at him. His cheeks were puffed out like a chipmunk smiling goofily at me.
“Before we go for sound check, we are stopping by the hotel. Danielle just got there and we are going to pick her up,” Liam informed us all.
Niall and I looked up from our pictures and acknowledged we heard him.
“What are those?” Zayn asked us
“An intern took some pictures of us,” I explained
“Lemme see!” Emily exclaimed taking them out of Niall’s hands
“You guys are adorable!” She said
“Little adorable Nizy,” Liam said, using our couple name the fans gave us and pinching our cheeks. We smiled bashfully and I cuddled up next to Nialler a little more.
When we got to the hotel, a woman with head full of bouncy curls stepped up to the van door, slid it open, and was welcomed by the boys attacking her as they did with me and Emily. She sat down next to Liam and introduced herself to Emily and me.
“Hi, I’m Danielle!” she said
“Hi! I’m Emily and this is Suzy! It’s great to meet you!”
“You too! I’ve heard a lot about you guys!” she replied
When we got to the arena for the concert that night, Emily and I sat with Danielle while the boys did their sound check. She was a really nice person and really easy to talk to. I could see why she and Liam were together. He was a happy person anyway, but when she got in the van he got ten times brighter. I could tell that he wanted to spend more time with her instead of go and do sound check, but it was nice to get some time to get to know her better.
At first I was nervous because I wasn’t sure if we would get along and I was afraid of feeling inadequate among her and the other girls, but after meeting Danielle I felt better about meeting Perrie and Eleanor.
The concert that night was fantastic and full of energy. So far, Australia was a great place!