- Niall -
The lads and I were shoved closely to each other as the cheesy music to a morning talk-show rang from the speakers. I felt someone grab my hand, but I didn't bother looking to see who it was. That was the thing I could care least about at a time like this. My hands grasped and tugged at the hem of my faded black shirt and I'm almost positive that my eyebrow was twitching.
Why am I even so nervous?
Oh, yeah. This is our first interview where Harry and I are... dating.
Today is the day we confirm everything. Or, rather, lie about everything. Maybe it wasn't a lie, though... It just wasn't exactly the whole truth. Harry and I like each other, sure. But never in my life have I imagined our relationship blowing up to this size.
I released a breath I didn't know I was holding as I ran over the plan in my head for the one hundredth time. Harry and I have liked each other since we started performing live shows at the X Factor house, we wanted to keep quiet, Harry hid his feelings and just couldn't take it anymore, we started dating last month, blah blah blah.
It made me sick, literally. The thought of going on a live, popular morning television show and confessing my (fake) love for my best male friend is making me gag.
Not that I'm homophobic, it's just really terrifying. I've known Harry for nearly three years. We've been the best of friends for as long as I can remember. We've had our moments, but in the end, he's always going to be there for me no matter what. Harry's basically a little brother to me.
Adding in a relationship would just make things ten times more complicated. The media and the fans are probably the scariest things in the world. They judge you faster than you can even speak. I don't want my fans to hate me. As far as I'm concerned, they never would fully hate me.
But what if?
What if they start to think that Harry and I are freaks? What if they stop coming to concerts because they don't love us the way they used to anymore? What if we stop selling albums and playing gigs worldwide because no one really knew who we were anymore?
What if I ruin everything?
That's the last thing I would ever want. Harry deserves this life more than anything in the world. Louis, Liam, and Zayn all deserve to be having the times of their lives and the last thing I would ever want to do was mess that up for them.
"Boys, you're on." A bald man poked his head around the black curtain seperating the boys and I from the stage. I sucked in a deep breath and watched Zayn lead us onto the stage to the loud applause and cheering of fans waiting for us.
My breathing hitched in my throat and I realized that I was more than nervous - I was bloody horrified. I just can't. Not now, not with Harry, maybe not ever. My feet planted themselves in a firm position and my eyes watched the boys all give warm waves to a few people in the crowd. I just can't.
Harry shook his curls out then turned to peek at me. Once he saw that I refused to move a muscle and go onto the stage, his eyes widened and he rushed over to my side, completely abandoning the young girl he was waving at. His hands found my shoulders and his eyes stared into mine.
"Niall, stop freaking yourself out. It's stressing me out." Harry cracked a smile.
I shook my head at him. "I can't do it, Harry. I'm sorry, I can't."
"Why are you apologizing to me, Niall?" he asked, his eyebrows crinkling in confusion. "Take a deep breath and look at me, you idiot. You aren't letting anyone, especially me, down. Why are you so on edge?"
"I'm scared," I croaked, feeling my eyes start to swell up.
"You wanna know a secret?" Harry whispered, leaning in to me slightly. I nodded, so he continued. "I am, too. But you know what else? I'm also really not worried, because I've got my best friend with me."
I grinned, losing eye contact with Harry. Some stage hand in a black suit was telling us something about 'hurrying it along', but we ignored him. The fact that Harry wasn't scared because I was with him really made me smile. It meant that I shouldn't be scared at all. I should be the strong one, if anything. Harry is depending on me and I can't let him down. If we're doing this, then we're doing this together.
Harry sighed. "You gotta risk it to get the biscuit."
A loud, raspy laugh escaped my lips. "I do like biscuits."
"I know you do, that's why I said it. Now, are you coming or not? Because I think the fans are waiting."
I grinned as Harry tugged on my sleeve, guiding me onto the stage. A few girls squealed some random words about Narry Storan - God only knows that they'd say about what was coming.
The entire interview went by in a daze. I kept quiet the entire time, repeating Harry's encouraging words in my head. The only reaction the interviewer could get from me was a laugh every now and then and an occasional nod. She was really nice and asked the boys and I tons of questions about what all the girl attention is like and if we ever miss our mums.
Then, it hit me. This is happening right now and there is nothing I can do about it.
"Now for the question every female in the world wamts to know. Who are you all dating and who is single?" Her smile widened and her lips slightly puckered. I wonder if she was hoping that Harry was single so she could ask for his number later. Sucks for her.
"I'm still dating Danielle," Liam said first. A few fans aww'd and a few whistled. They were clearly the favorite couple out of everyone else. Maybe it was because Danielle was an extremely sweet, talented, and beautiful person and because she's been in the family since the beginning.
"I'm dating Perrie Edwards, from Little Mix." Zayn cracked a tiny smile and scratched the back of his neck. Him and Perrie reminded me of the bad-ass couple in school that everyone was afraid of, yet adored at the same time.
"Erm, I have a girlfriend. Eleanor," Louis answered awkwardly, adjusting in his seat to put his arm around Liam's shoulders. El was one of the sweetest people I have ever had the honor of meeting. She was quite literally the female version of Louis.
I then realized that all eyes were on Harry and I as we both stared intently into space. I'd assume that we had been staring for quite a while now, because the lady cleared her throat and leaned closer to us.
"Harry, Niall? Want to answer?" she asked with a giggle. "Or are you both single and ready to mingle?"
"Actually..." Harry started. "Uh... I'm dating someone."
A few girls gasped and I swear that one in the very back row had started crying. "Really? Who, might I ask?" the interviewer pressed on.
'Erm..." Harry then looked to Louis, who nodded his head in encouragement and support. I smiled to myself; Louis was always such a great friend. The butterflies in my stomach turned into moths again and the excruciating urge to vomit was coming back.
Here it is. No turning back. Now or never.
Then, he finally said it. "Niall. I'm, uh, dating Niall."
Sound in my ears went away and I realized that it was all said and done now. Everyone in the room gasped and an unbearable silence engulfed everyone. Stage crew had stopped working, the fans stopped giggling, and everyone was staring at us. I'm used to overwhelming attention, but never before like this.
"Wha - Really?"
"Yes, really. We've been together for a month now. I'm very happy."
"Wow. Well, good luck to you both. Stay tuned and you'll catch the boys performing their charity single. One Direction, everyone!"
Then the crowd cheered, the boys and I stood up and thanked the kind woman for her time, and we left for the stage on the other side of the studio. And I have never felt so alive in my life.
***
"I think that went well," Zayn noted once we were all huddled in the green room in the studio in which we had just done an interview. "I'm really proud of you, man." Zayn's eyes flickered up to mine and I smiled at him.
"Yeah, thanks."
"What? I'm the one who said everything!" Harry insisted, pouring coffee into a styrofome cup. He pulled out some sweetener and suger from the refrigerater and poured in some of each. "Hey, Niall, want coffee?"
"Yeah. Thanks."
"Seriously, Niall," Liam said, zero-ing in on me. "You were amazing out there. Such a brave little leprechaun."
"Yeah," I muttered. "Thanks."
"Is that all you can say?" Louis asked, giving me a funny look. He lauged and shook his head at me. "Wow, Harry. I think he's already in love." My cheeks heated up and I went red as Louis continued in to embarass me. "Can you feel the love tonight?" he sang loudly, flailing his arms into the air.
Zayn joined in, screaming the words off pitch. "The peace the evening brings? The world for once in perfect harmony with all of it's living things! CAN YOU FEEL THE LOVE TONIGHT?!"
Harry took that moment to slap Louis lightly across the face. "Why don't you annoying little shits go wait in the van. I'll just finish making Niall's coffee and I'll be there in a minute."
Louis nodded and sang his way out of the door with Zayn and Liam following close behind him. I began following along before Harry stopped me.
"Oh," I said. "Two -"
"Two sweeteners, three sugars. I got it." Harry grinned as his eyes peeped up at me over his curls, which werw now partially hidden in his beanie.
I stepped closer to where the coffee maker was perched on the counter. "How do you know that, you weirdo?"
"Hey, I've known you for way too long." He smiled, pouring in some sugar. Once he finished stirring my coffee just the way I liked it, he handed the cup out to me happily. I took it, took a quick sip, and moaned in pleasure. "Hey, Ni?"
"Yeah?"
"Good job out there, man. Really. I love you."
I smiled up at Harry. "I love you, too."
---
IT HAS BEEN SOOO LONG IM SORRY ILYSM PLS DONT BE MAD BBYS.
lol, anyway. the story has just begun. c;
- maddie xx