Niall
I wake up with Harry's arms wrapped protectively around me. We're both naked and his bare chest is against my back and I can feel how muscular he is. I feel so protected and safe that I don't want to leave. My eyes are tired from the lack of sleep I've had and I'm sore from the previous night but I don't mind. I'm smiling a little and I start to stroke the small strands of hair on Harry's arm, causing goosebumps to arise on his skin but he doesn't bother to wake up. His mouth is parted and I can feel his steady breathing against my neck but I'm brought out of my trance when my phone starts to vibrate on my nightstand.
I groan quietly and free myself from Harry's grasp before rolling over and fetching for my phone. Bresi's name appears on the caller ID so I quickly end the call and place my phone back down on the table. I couldn't deal with him right now. Not after the way he acted around Harry. I was in love with Harry, not Bresi. I stare at Harry's sleeping face, at how long his eye lashes are and how pink his lips are. I was so smitten for him it was ridiculous. I reach over and stroke his hair a little bit before I press my lips to his, kissing him softly. He grins when I pull away and he lifts himself up to straddle my hips, the bed sheets only covering half of him. My fingertips slowly graze his thighs as he stares down at me, his arms on either side of my head.
"Mornin', love." He grins, his voice thick and groggy from sleep. He bends down to kiss me before I could reply, his tongue in my mouth. His mouth moves from mine down to my jaw and then my neck, kissing at the bruised love bites on my neck. "Last night was amazing." He comments and I can only hum in approval, to busy concentrating on his lips on my neck.
"Hey...I need to sort something out today." I whisper and he looks up at me with a questionable look. "I need to end things with Bresi." I admit and he sighs deeply, rolling off of me.
"How long will it take?"
"Well, hopefully he's still in town so...not long." I assure him and he nods, cuddling up to my side and I know that this is his way of not letting me go. I stare at his slightly bruised cheek that Bresi left. I stroke at it aimlessly and he cringes in pain. "You should probably put some ice on that." I suggest but he only purses his lips.
"I've had worst, trust me." He replies and I roll my eyes. I shift myself over on the bed and I try to get off but Harry only pulls at my hips and drags me back down again, causing us both to erupt in giggles.
"Harry!" I exclaim as he starts to tickle at my hips, leaving me laughing hysterically. He finally lets go once he leaves me panting and breathless and I struggle from his grasp. I wonder into the bathroom to change into last nights clothes – I couldn't be bothered showering, I was too tired. I slip on a jacket because it's autumn and before I head out, I check on Harry but he's fast asleep again, snoring softly. I chuckle quietly and head out to Liam's garage, where Bresi had probably crashed.
Liam's at the reception when I enter, answering a call and when he finishes he greets me. The radio is blasting again and somehow it reminds of Louis in his room, when he's working. There's an old BMW X5 parked in the garage but it's all been torn away so Liam could build it up from scratch. I go over to the radio and turn the radio down so Liam could manage his phone call. Once he's finished, he smiles at me.
"What?" I frown, wondering what he's grinning at.
"I know that look. Same clothes from the night before, flushed cheeks, dilated eyes. Doesn't take a genius to figure out what happened last night." He winks, causing me to blush further.
"Um...is Bresi in?" I ask casually, changing the subject but Liam frowns.
"He caught the ferry to Ireland late last night. Said something about you and Harry getting back to together and that he didn't wanna wait around for it." He explains and I sigh deeply, running a hand through my hair.
"Can I use your laptop?" I ask and he nods, gesturing to his desk. I call Bresi to Skype him and it takes a few rings for him to pick up.
"Hey, Niall." He greets and I smile back.
"I'm sorry about last night...I shouldn't have hit Harry like that." He apologizes but I shake my head dismissively.
"I'm sure you're forgiven." I assure him.
"So, uh...are you guys back together, then?" He wonders and I nod slowly.
"Looks like it." I reply and he smiles weakly.
"I only ever wanted to make you happy." He says softly and I smile back.
"I know." I answer. There's another voice in the background and Bresi goes to check it out.
"Your brother wants me to go play football with him...gotta go." He winks at me before waving goodbye and the screen goes blank. I exhale a little and close down the laptop and look at Liam, who's cleaning a pipe that's covered in oil.
"So, uh...how was your date last night? Or do I really want to know the gory details?" Liam teases and I laugh. I'm about to open my mouth to reply when Louis appears at the doorway, dressed in running gear and panting heavily. I stand up from my chair and give him a questionable look.
"Hey, Niall, can I ask you something?" He asks and I nod.
"Um, I was just wondering if you wanted to go on a double date? Y'know Harry and yourself and Briana and I?" He asks casually and I frown.
"I'm not to sure about that, Lou." I admit and his smile fades as I walk over to him.
"I'm still trying to get the image out of my head of seeing you in bed with him when he cheated on me." I remark and he cringes at the thought.
"But you forgave Harry!" He protests.
"No I haven't! He knows I still can't trust him!" He retort.
"Yet, you're still with him." He scoffs. I'm about to open my mouth to protest when he catches the silver band on my finger. He walks forward and takes my hand in his to admire it more closely. "What is that?" He asks suspiciously, frowning at me.
"It's a promise ring, from Harry." I explain smugly, snatching my hand away from him. He's confused for a second, trying to figure something out when all of a sudden he starts to smirk. "What?" I ask innocently.
"That's so typical of him." He laughs, throwing his head back. I give him a puzzled look.
"He got me one of those four years ago." He sighs, pointing a long finger at my hand. I can feel the colour draining from my face, my heart hammering against my chest. No...he couldn't have...he couldn't have given me the ring just for the sake of it, could he? Was that just an empty promise? I'm quiet for a moment, my breathing is ragged and choked as if I'm about to cry at any second. Which I felt like doing so.
"He didn't, he wouldn't." I say weakly, swirling the ring on my finger.
Louis rolls his eyes.
"Open your eyes, Niall. Did he say he'd promise to keep you safe? Did he promise not to hurt you ever again? Did you he swear to you that he was still in love with you?" He presses. My mouth is dry as I stare at him in awe.
"I think it's time you left." Liam chirps in all of a sudden and I forgot he was even standing there. He had been so quiet. Louis glances at Liam, biting hard on his lower lip. I sit on the sofa next to the radio and Louis joins me, ignoring Liam's request.
"I just don't understand...first you were rooting for Harry and I to be together, now you're splitting us apart?" I mumble.
"Don't get me wrong, Ni," Louis begins, "The guy does have a heart when he uses it but...I just don't want to see you get hurt." He shrugs.
"Bit late for that, innit?" I scoff and Louis cringes.
"Please leave now." Liam insists and Louis' eyes warily drift to Liam's determined gaze. He finally huffs out a sigh and stands up and I watch him leave, Liam seeing him out and when he's gone, Liam sits next to me on the sofa.
Louis was wrong, wasn't he? He was only talking from his experience. Just because it had happened to Louis, it didn't mean that Harry would...finish with me, would he? I let the tears stream down my face and Liam pulls me close that the tears fall down to bid already stained T-shirt. He cry for god knows how long until I hear footsteps outside the garage door and Harry appears in the doorway. I wipe away my tear-stained face and when Harry sees the sight of me, he bends down at my knees so that he's eye-level with me.
"Ni, what happened?" He speaks softly, his fingers wiping at the escaped tears and once again, I feel warm inside.
"It was Lou...trying to change my mind about you." I sniff and Harry's expression turns cold.
"Hey, don't listen to him, yeah? We're in a good place now, he doesn't know what he's talking about." He assured me but I frown.
"Then why is he under the impression that you gave him a ring like you did me?" I counter. He's speechless for a second, unsure of what to say.
"I did give him a ring," he finally admits, defeated. Liam, beside me, grunts at Harry and stands up before heading toward the back of the garage where he could give us some privacy. Harry scowls at Liam's disappearing figure before he takes Liam's place on the sofa and sits next to me. "Look," Harry continues, "Don't listen to Louis, all right? What we have together, is something way more special than what Louis and I ever had and you have to believe me, okay?" Harry presses and I sigh, staring at the gleaming band on my finger. I slowly take the ring from my finger and I'm about to place it back in Harry's hand when he protests and places the ring back on my finger.
"I made a promise to you and I intend to keep that promise, okay?!" Harry snaps and he's out the door before I can mutter another word. I heave a deep sigh and Liam comes back in a few minutes later.
"Wow." He breathes and I chuckle.
"Yeah. Wow." I agree half-heartily.
"What do you think he's going to do?" He questions.
"Nothing stupid, I hope." I answer and Liam smirks.
"This is Harry Styles we're talking about. Stupid is his middle name." He jokes, nudging my left foot with his working boots and I can't help but laugh.
"Oi. That's my boyfriend you're insulting." I remind him, nudging him back but he only sticks out his tongue in reply. He then takes my hand in his and guides me to the broken car, hands me a toolbox and orders me to get to work.
After I've finished with the garage, I head home where I find Harry. He's sitting on the sofa, waiting patiently with his palms faced down on his laps. He smiles at me and I return it. I go and sit down next to him but he softly grabs my hips and shuffles me over so that I'm sitting on his lap, our fingers entwined at my hips. I can't help feeling vulnerable in this position, knowing that his body is protecting over me. His skin is warm against mind, making me feel homely and his hands around mine are making me feel safe. I let out a small giggle as Harry traces circles with the pad of his thumb on the back of my hands, making me feel at ease.
"Where were you all afternoon?" I ask casually.
"Arguing with Louis." He mumbles back sheepishly. I tense up at the thought and glance sideways at him.
"Where is he now?"
"Down in Doncaster with his girlfriend." He shrugs.
"Oh." I reply, staring down at our clasped hands.
"I was going to ask you, um...would you like to meet my family?" He asks hesitantly. I freeze in his grasp, my body tensing. At the back of my mind, I know it's something that has been bothering me a while now. Harry and I have been going out a little over a year (if you don't count is being on and off, that is) so surely I should've met his parents by now? After all, he has met my mother and that was only a couple of months after we started dating. Wow, that seemed so long ago...
"I'd love to." I admit, as Harry opens his mouth to backtrack what he said when he sees the look on my face. His expression softens and he nuzzles his face in the crook of my neck, looking quite content.
So that's what we do. We get Taylor to drive us down to the small village in Cheshire where Harry was raised as a child. Where his mother and sister were staying. Taylor doesn't really say much all the way there but he knows what I'm thinking. He knows that I'm guilty for going behind Harry's back to Taylor about his parents. But then again, at that time, Harry was so closed off that going to his family with me was the last thing on his mind. Could you blame me for being at least a little bit curious?
Taylor approaches a small family bungalow in the middle of nowhere. The sun is streaming behind the rooftop, making the house look golden. The grass is freshly cut, with three cars placed in the driveway in front of Taylor's. There's a pool in the back garden and in front garden, there's a toy bike and car set, indicating that there was perhaps a young toddler around. Harry and I exchange glances and I can see that he's nervous. His hands are clasped tightly together on his lap and his breathing is hard and shallow. I place a comforting hand over his and he looks up and smiles weakly. He exhales sharply, takes my hand and guides out the car and up the driveway and to the doorstep.
He rings the doorbell politely and takes a step back, standing next to me. I take a side glance at Harry and take in his appearance. There's nothing out of the ordinary about him. He's dressed the same style; in black jeans, Chelsea boots and a hat placed over his head. His body language is different though, perhaps looking a little hesitant and shy. Harry never strikes me as a shy person. Maybe a bit reserved and low-key but never shy. But I guess, going to see his parents after about four years, he had a right to be all of those things.
The door clicks open and a tall, slim girl appears. She had the same face and shape of eyes as Harry except her hair was wavy and silver-blonde. It was clear that she was Harry's sister, Gemma. Harry quickly reaches for my hand and squeezes it. I squeeze it back with reassurance. Gemma's eyes fall down at the gesture. Her eyes narrow together and wrinkles her nose a little, in a way that I've seen Harry done before.
"Mum?" She calls suddenly, her hair swishing across her shoulder as she looks behind her. There's the sound of rushing footsteps and moments later, an older version of Gemma appears next to her. She had dark hair like Harry's and green eyes like Harry's. She takes in the appearance of Harry standing there, just like Gemma had and without warning she throws her arms around her son. Harry grunts and stumbles a few steps back front the weight of his mother but still manages to hold her tight all the same. I can't help but smile at the site and unconsciously, I glance at Gemma, who glances back but then we quickly look away as if it didn't happen. Harry's fingers leave mine to wrap his arm around his mother's and they embrace in a hug. When they pull back, Harry's mother has tears in her eyes and she quickly goes to dab at them with her finger as she sniffles lightly.
"Mum...why are you crying?" Harry croaks, his hands placed on her shoulders in a comforting manner.
"I'm sorry." She sobs and Harry gives her a questionable look.
"For disowning you all these years ago." She admits sadly. Harry's body tenses up again, just like he had done back in the car. I frown at the trio standing in front of me. Disown? Harry was disowned? Well, that would explain a lot. Harry doesn't say anything but his back is still turned to me, as if he's avoiding me. Harry's mother hiccups herself into silence and glances at me before looking behind my shoulder.
"Is that Taylor?" She asks, sounding surprised as Harry and I glance back to Taylor still parked in the car, watching us closely. Harry beckons Taylor to come forward so Taylor steps out of the car and walks towards us, a proud grin on his face.
"Hello, Anne." He greets politely and hugs Anne briefly.
"Taylor!" Gemma exclaims, wrapping her slim around him.
"You've gotten so big! I remember when I used to change your nappies as a baby." Taylor jokes and Gemma laughs, her cheeks flushing.
"Not so little anymore, Taylor." Anne chirps in and Taylor joins in on the laughing.
"Well, I'd best be off. I have two mouths to feed now." Taylor grins and Anne beams at him.
"Did you get the card I sent the twins on their birthday?" Anne asks curiously.
"They did and they adored it. Anything to do with Frozen they'd love." Taylor assures her and Anne giggles helplessly.
"Take care, Taylor!" Anne and Gemma wave goodbye, watching the car drive off. When Harry and I turn around, I nudge him gently, shying behind him. It's as if Harry has suddenly remembered I'm there because he starts to introduce me to his family.
"Uh, mum, Gem, this is Niall, Niall this is my mother and sister, Gemma." Harry introduces quickly, gesturing between us all.
"N-nice to meet you." I stutter nervously and Anne smiles back, shaking my hand politely.
We're ushered inside the bungalow and I've never seen a house look so welcoming and friendly-looking before. It's freshly styled and very modern but still gave off that family-friendly feeling. It may look old on the outside but it looked brand new on the inside.
"If I'd known you were both coming, I would've cooked something. You look starving." Anne gushes, looking worriedly at me Harry and I.
"Actually, Niall and I were just going to get a McDonald's for dinner, to save you the bother. Weren't we, Niall?" Harry interjects, leaving me flustered.
"Er...y-yeah, yeah we were." I stutter, nodding for good measure. "Will you be okay while I get one?" He asks. I glance at both Gemma and Anne, who are busy making teas in the kitchen. I nod at him and smile to reassure him that I'd be okay. He smiles back, pecks me on the cheek and he disappears out the door.
"Niall, would you like a tea?" Anne asks kindly from the kitchen.
"No, I'm good, thanks." I reply and Anne comes strolling back into the living room with a mug in her hand. Gemma walks past her and heads upstairs with her own mug.
"Honestly, you don't have to stand there like a statue. You can sit down if you like. We don't bite." She jokes half-heartily. I laugh and take a seat on the sofa, opposite her on the other one.
"So, what do you do for a living, Niall?" She asks curiously, taking a sip of tea.
"I work in Starbucks." I state and Anne nods knowingly. We fall into an awkward silence until she speaks again. Ben had randomly phoned me up one day during the week and had offered me my old job back. I had a sneaky suspicion that Harry had something to do with it but I don't dare mention this to Anne. That means explaining that the real reason I lost the job in the first place was because of a misunderstanding between Harry and Ben. Anne didn't need the grief.
"That's a nice you're wearing." she compliments. I look down at it and blush furiously.
"Thanks, it's a promise ring. Harry bought it for me." I explain and she frowns.
"What on Earth does my son have to promise you?" she presses. I gulp nervously.
"He, uh...cheated on me a while back. He promised me that he'd never hurt me again." I croak and I can't help but let out a quiet sob, the memory still fresh in my mind. Anne smiles sympathetically at me. She puts her mug of tea down and comes to sit over next to me, wrapping a comforting arm around my shoulder.
"He's your boyfriend, I take it?" She wonders and I give a shaky nod.
"Look, I know that Harry loves you just by the way he looks at you. No matter how many times he messed up, he loves you. You're very special to him and I think you should keep that in mind." Anne assures me and I frown.
"How do you know?" I ask and she breathes a laugh.
"Mothers intuition." She replies simply.
"Besides...he wouldn't have brought you here otherwise, would he?" She reasons. I think about what she says when the door clicks open and Harry walks through, carrying two bags of McDonald's and a tray of drinks. I automatically leave Anne's hold to help him. I take the drinks out of his grasp and carry them into the kitchen where there's two plates already set out for us. Anne must have helped out a bit. We carry our meal up the stairs to Harry's bedroom and dump ourselves on Harry's bed. I look around and spot pictures of Louis and Nadine are plastered up on the wall, along with him and Cassandra. I make a sound of disgust and Harry looks up.
"I haven't been here since I left. I was very delusion back then." He says defensively and brushes past me to rip off the pictures of Cassandra and he throws them in the bin by the door.
"You were disowned?" I correct him and huffs a little.
"I was with Nadine at the time. My mother was under the impression that she was stealing me – which she was at the time, so she sent me off to London to talk some sense into me. I was in love with Nadine at the time and she took advantage of that to get my money and I gave her everything. Like I said, I was delusion." He shrugs carelessly and hands me a bag of chips which I munch at happily.
"Would explain why Cassandra hates Nadine so much. Her taking all of your money." I reply and he snorts, taking a huge bite out of his burger. We fall into a comfortable silence as we eat our dinner and I can't help but wonder what a teenage Harry would be like. Perhaps maybe a bit mischievous just like he is now but probably not as rebellious. It's clear that Harry had left in a rush the last time he was here. There are dirty clothes sprawled at the bottom of the bed and a few boarding passes lie here and there and his wardrobe is left open but completely empty.
I'm brought out of my train of thought as Harry starts to wave a chip at my face and he pops one in my mouth without warning. I chuckle at him and return the favor, both of us feeding each other chips. Once we're finished our dinner, he puts the rubbish in the bin and snuggles up to next to me. A thought occurs to me as he hugs me.
"Did you get your mum to say those things?" I ask curiously, our hands clasped together. He pauses for a second.
"What things?" He asks, looking oblivious.
"Never mind." I reply quietly, feeling a little relieved.
Perhaps Anne was right. Maybe Harry did love me after all.
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Here's an update, as promised. I dare you all to watch the Narry video I've uploaded. It's honestly so amazing. I don't know how somebody can look at Narry being together and say that there's nothing going on between the two. I mean, look at them! They're inseparable. Off-stage as well as on-stage. Anyways, what do you guys think of this chapter? What do you think of Anne and Gemma? Let me know! Would love to hear your thoughts. Much love :) xxx