Niall’s POV:
Megan was wearing a little white sundress.
Her red hair sat in waves that spilled over her exposed shoulders, settling below her chest where she fiddled with the ends.
Green eyes shone brightly, like two miscoloured stars standing out against a night sky.
Freckles lightly adorned her porcelain skin, decorating the canvas of her cheeks and nose.
Her lips were pink and parted and full and, most importantly, smiling.
Megan was smiling.
Megan was beautiful and she was smiling and it dawned on me that I had never witnessed true beauty like hers. How I had ever looked at her and saw anything less than perfection was beyond me. And it might have sounded sappy and corny to go on like this in my head, but that didn’t change the fact that these thoughts were true. She was this glorious human being that I was given the privilege to be in love with. It was amazing, really, how I had ever become so unbelievably lucky.
“Niall?” she questioned in a whisper, sitting up from her spot against the arm of the sofa, “What are you thinking about?”
I shrugged, “You.”
A blush crept up her neck, “Oh.”
“What are you thinking about?”
“You.”
“Oh,” I said quietly, mimicking her soft voice with a smile. She grinned and leaned back down, settling down, relaxing. I couldn’t remember the last time she had truly relaxed with me; I used to admire the way she’d snuggle up to me on the sofa and just breathe. Breathe because she was alive and well and I didn’t mind the way the air proceeding from her nose hit my bare chest. It was nice to be that close to someone. It was nice to be that close to her.
“Tell me something, Niall,” she mumbled, “What is your favourite place in the entire world?”
I raised an eyebrow, “Is this a trick question or something?”
She shook her head and smiled, “No, I’m just curious.”
I thought long and hard about my answer. This wasn’t something I often had to think about; I had seen more of the world than I ever dreamed would be possible...and yet no foreign country or landmark or stadium-sized concert stuck out to me at that moment. Instead, it was a simple little place that not even I was expecting. “The sofa in my mum’s living room,” I answered finally.
Megan’s eyes widened in wonder, “Pardon?”
I just laughed, “Is that not the answer you were looking for?”
She quickly shook her head, “I just don’t understand. I mean, you’ve been all around the world. You’ve seen Japan and Italy and all of these beautiful places that I can’t even imagine...”
I nodded, “It is quite amazing, I think so too. Sure I’ve seen more beautiful places, but you asked me what my favourite place in the entire world is and I told you.”
“You’re right,” she muttered, “So why the sofa? It’s rather odd, don’t you think?”
I shrugged, “Remember when we were little and I started tickling you on the sofa so you punched me in the face?”
Megan’s eyes widened at the memory but it didn’t take long for her to laugh.
“And remember that stormy day a long while back when we watched the entire Lord of the Rings series, the extended editions?”
She grinned, “You never even liked Lord of the Rings that much, you just watched it because I probably threw a fit or something.”
I shook my head, “No. I watched it because for some bloody reason you loved that little gremlin thing and I loved watching you smile.” Megan’s features softened and she became unsure of what to say. “And what about the time I came home X Factor and found you sleeping on the couch?” I continued, smiling at the memory, “Remember what we almost did? And remember when we didn’t and I asked you to move in with me? I don’t think I’ve ever seen you smile like that...”
I could see the tears welling up in her eyes and I found myself praying again that she didn’t cry. She was too beautiful to waste her breath on tears. “I smiled,” she began, “Because I knew you loved me. I knew you wanted to take care of me...and you were the only person who ever wanted me that much.” Her voice broke off on the end, resulting in a tiny sob that she tried her best to contain within her small chest.
“I had full intentions of taking care of you, Megan, although I didn’t do the best job at it...”
She just stared at me and tried to ignore the delicate tears strolling down her cheeks, casually as if they belonged there. “I know.”
“I hope so,” I murmured, “I meant everything I said to you that night, and every other night we lied around on that lumpy old sofa. Remember Christmas? Every single Christmas, the two of us wound up there with a plate of cookies. And this past Christmas...I just...It’s my favourite place in the world because of you.” I tried not to look embarrassed, but with her big green eyes staring at me like that, it was difficult.
“Can it be my favourite place too?” she asked then, smiling with shiny eyes.
I allowed myself to breathe, “Well, I guess so.”
Megan just laughed before settling into a comfortable silence, watching me the entire time. We sat there for a long while, just enjoying each other’s company, enjoying the ability to live and breathe next to each other without hesitation.
When my eyes began to wander the main room of Megan’s small apartment, my eyes came across something that made me smile. It made me smile for a number of reasons, but I asked, “Do you still play?”
Megan raised her eyebrows in dim confusion, obviously just being pulled from a daze. He eyes followed mine though and landed on the worn-looking instrument in the corner.
Megan’s POV:
With a shrug, I responded, “Once in a while. It’s nice to play with someone though. I like to listen and have other people listen, I guess. Although that’s pretty stupid considering I never let anyone listen to me play, other than you...and Tyler. But Tyler never really played with me, anyway.”
Niall gave me an odd look. His eyebrows pulled together like he was thinking very hard about a math equation; perhaps trying to sort out some kind of algebra. When he finally spoke, all he said was “Tyler?”
I nodded, “My ex-boyfriend...Well, more of an old friend, I suppose...”
There was the most peculiar expression spread across his feature...almost like he was having an epiphany...only not a good one...Maybe just a moment of realization. “Like record-shop-Tyler? Like the guy you used to work with?”
My eyes widened in surprise, “You know him?”
Niall winced, he physically winced like I had just slapped him, “I might have had a pint or two with him...maybe.” He rubbed his eyes before groaning, “Megan.”
“A pint or two...Niall.”
He just shook his head though with the most pained look on his face I had ever seen, “Did you actually date him, Megan?”
I sat up in worry, reaching out for him, “Niall, are you alright?”
He nodded and buried himself into my hug, nuzzling his face in my neck so that his words were muffled when he spoke, “It’s just...he’s awful.”
At that I had to laugh. Niall spoke with such genuine innocence, like he was a child stating what he believed to be a universal fact. “He’s not really, Niall,” I insisted, my mouth close to his ear as I held him there, “Besides, it’s over now...you don’t have to worry. Now stop.” I kissed his temple, prompting an appreciative sound in the back of his throat. I laughed again when he didn’t pull away and began running my fingers through the short blonde hair at the nape of his neck.
“Baby,” I murmured, “What’s wrong?”
Finally, he pulled back, allowing me a good look at his blue eyes, “I’m just...jealous, I guess, which I know is unfair...It’s just...I don’t like the thought of someone else being with you because...Well I’m in love with you, Megan.”
For some reason, the same three words just couldn’t find their way out of my mouth. They were stuck in the back of my throat and the best I could manage was a smile. Telling Niall I loved him and telling him I was in love with him were two different things completely. Even if it was true, I just couldn’t find my voice. He smiled back, trying not to let onto the fact that he was a little disheartened. I saw it though. Niall was an easy person to read. He was like an open book, ready for the world to read and enjoy and love.
He swallowed before standing up and walking across the room. When he returned, he had my guitar in tow, sitting down next to me and propping it up on his knee. “Can I play you something?”
I smiled, “Please do.”
I recognized the song he was playing after the first couple chords. It was one of my favourite songs by one of my favourite bands...when I smiled, Niall smiled...he knew, I thought...
“Look at the stars,
Look how they shine for you,
And everything you do,
Yeah, they were all yellow...”
His rendition of the song only lasted a few short minutes, but once he finished I realized it was late. It was like I had just watched and listened to him play for hours until it was suddenly dark enough to fall asleep. Niall stared at me and I stared at Niall until he smiled.
“Are you tired, Darling?”
I shook my head, “I’m not sure.”
“You should get some sleep, I’m gonna head out now, alright?” I sensed the reluctance in his eyes but I didn’t say anything. That seemed to be the theme of the night; speechlessness.
“Oh, okay,” I stood up and followed him to the door, my eyes lingering on the muscles in his back as he stretched his shoulders. Before heading out completely, he turned to face me and place a soft kiss on my cheek. And then he was gone...just like that.
I sat in my apartment for a long time. Too long, in fact. I was just thinking; thinking about me, thinking about Niall...it was strange; I wanted him here so bad and once I got my wish, I had no idea what to say. Perhaps I was simply afraid. Telling someone the you are in love with them is a big step...especially, it seemed, when you had already said it once before without it working out.
Deep down though, when I pushed away the fear and the buildup of unnecessary emotions, I had to see the truth. I was in love with Niall. I didn’t just love him, like I already knew; I was in love with him, and I could not continue to lie to myself for another year before I got a chance to see him again.
My fear, I realized, was irrational. It was irrational because this time, it was different. This time, I didn’t need to lean on Niall like he was my supporting structure; I didn’t need him to formulate the person I was because I had finally become a person on my own. I lived so much of my life in fear and sadness and I was finally moving past it all.
It was okay to be in love with Niall. I was okay...and the fear really was pointless.
By the end of all of my thinking and over analyzing I was already halfway out the door. Dublin was a big city and I would have had no idea where to go if I hadn’t known what I was looking for. Niall was a creature of habit though, and I knew precisely where to look.
I hadn’t been to our old apartment since the day I left. Even during these past few months living in Dublin, I had purposely been avoiding any route that would lead me past the familiar building. When I found out that Niall kept the place, I was surprised to say the least. I didn’t think I liked the idea of him roaming around the place that used to be ours; letting it consume him with memories and ‘what-could-have-been’s. Now I was glad, because it allowed me to find him.
I knocked once or twice on the door before it finally swung open, revealing a half-dressed Niall with droopy-looking eyes. “Megan?” his voice was full of confusion until I took a step forward. My arms were around him and my lips were on his as quickly as I could get them there. It took him a minute to respond, but I was suddenly a hundred times warmer when his hands found my waist, pressing me against him.
“I don’t want you to go,” I said when we broke apart, “I’m in love with you Niall.” I breathed a laugh, “Of course I’m in love with you, I think I’ve always been in love with you.”
He smiled and pulled me inside the doorframe, pushing the familiar door closed behind me before pressing me up against it. A small kiss was set on my lips, “I love you so much.” He pressed his body against mine and went to work kissing my lips, my nose, my cheeks, my forehead, my neck. His fingers pressed into my hipbones, digging into the skin and pushing and pushing until I gasped.
He pulled away at the sound and took my hand in his, leading me in the familiar direction of our bedroom. I sat down on the edge of the mattress and pulled him along with me, watching as he laid me down and propped his body over mine. He kissed me again, and there was no denying how much I adored the feeling of our mouths together. Niall had a way of being gentle; he handled me gingerly like I was a porcelain doll, only applying force in the right places. He kissed me too softly and pressed too hard on my hips; a combination that tended to drive me crazy. He bit at my neck and kissed the same spots, muttering sweet nothings in response to the sounds I made.
“I love you,” he murmured into my skin after my shirt was off. His abdomen pressed against mine, skin against skin, as his tongue raked over the protrusion of my collarbone. “And I’m sorry.” He kissed further down my chest, “So, so sorry...”
*
I woke up to the sound of light rain hitting the windowsill and the sensation of the cool wind running along my exposed back. My body shivered absently which caused the arm around my waist to tighten. A warm hand pulled the sheet further up my back, covering me as I snuggled deeper into warm, bare skin. Only a few minutes of silence ensued before there came a faint humming. I smiled at the sound.
“Are you humming Fifty Cent?” I murmured.
Niall laughed and fiddled with my hand that was curled up next to him, “It’s stuck in my head.”
“Mm.”
He kissed the top of my head, “Are you going to wake up, or would you like to lay here forever, darling? Your choice.”
I smiled and hugged him closer to me, “Lay here forever.”
Niall ran his fingers through my hair, letting it fall against my back before drawing across my spine. “Sound good to me.” He let me cuddle with him as his fingers traced my spine and shoulder blades. I rather enjoyed the sound of his heart breathing and feeling of his chest rising and falling as he breathed. I liked breathing with Niall. I liked existing with Niall.
The moment couldn’t last forever though because of course the poor thing’s stomach growled. His hands stopped as I let out a little laugh, “Oh yeah, I forgot,” I said as I tapped my hand on Niall’s tummy, “I have to feed you, too.” Stretching my muscles, I flipped over and opened my eyes, “Babe, you’re such a handful.”
Niall laughed and kissed me once me, solidifying that morning was truly here and so was he.
A/N: Hiiiiii everyone! I’m so, so sorry that I haven’t updated in nearly two weeks. It’s exam time, as it probably is for you guys too, which means I’ve been incredibly stressed and have had virtually no time to write or do much of anything for that matter. Anywayyyyy...I was quite excited to post this chapter beCAUSE GUYS THIS IS THE SECOND LAST ONE ONLY ONE MORE LEFT AFTER This omg. I know this is a little long, but I have a hard time cramming everything into one chapter, as I’m sure you know by now haha, ok. I really, truly hope you enjoyed this chapter! I really don’t want to let you guys down with the ending because jadshjhdgjhsjdg I love you so much????!?!?!
So let me know what you think! I really adore your support on this story, and thank you so much for the amazing amount of votes on the last chapter. You have no idea how much it means to me. I LOVE YOU—Summer xoxooxoxo