CHAPTER THIRTY SIX- Teach me.
"If I'm right," Niall pondered as he rolled his eyes across the sky that was now overcast with thick white and grey clouds, the stars concealed behind the dense layers of weather. "It's about to start snowing."
I looked at him and then cast my gaze across the endless channel of clouds towering over us.
"White Christmas? No way. Who are you, the weather ma-"
At that precise moment as I was about to finish my tease of a sentence the velvety vision of a small and soft snowflake landing on my coat halted me to an abrupt stop. And then as the smirk began to rise on Niall's lip I felt a few pass my skin, brushing my cheeks and settling on my collar, one went on my nose as well and a few seconds later they were coming down in a white satin flurry gracefully dancing in the air they were hastily covering ground, dissolving into the river, cluttering our clothes, skin, hair. It was everywhere.
"What was that?"
Niall grinned pressing his forehead against mine. I ignored him continuing to run my gaze around us and admire how pretty it was. And how nice this was too, to sit here with him by this river on Christmas at night with the unsuspected snow gracing us with it's silken presence as it whipped around our bodies a cool breeze accompanying it and the chilly night air it was tumbling down into from the overcast sky. It was an impressible sight, especially if you looked to the far right and followed the defining treeline to the hills where even through the dazed cloaked darkness of the night you could already see the snow thickening as it blanketed the ground in a dense cover on the peak of the hills.
"We should walk up there one day."
Niall suggested in a brief whisper, his breath was a warm mist against my neck as his lips brushed my ear. I looked at him as he followed my previous gaze to the hills a small smile quirking at the corner of his lips.
"Where?"
I questioned even though I had a pretty good idea where.
"Up the hills, there's this really old castle up there."
"Ooh get you, you historian."
I joked and he smiled sliding his gaze away from the picturesque view, latching it with mine.
"No it's got an amazing view though, you never know, might get some really good shots from up there..."
This was enough to convince me. It'd be nice to get some countryside shots for my new landscape and city portfolio, it's filled with shots of mainly the lights from New York, and the bridge and London Eye from London and it'd be nice to get some contrast in there. Because maybe life isn't all about keeping things on the same line, sometimes it's nice to let some colour splash the black and white world, to expand out, explore and add in some contrast sometimes. Because we all know, that the same old thing gets boring after a while.
"Take me to this place of promising photography opportunities."
I demanded giggling and even going slightly over excited at the thought of feeling my camera in my hands again, rekindling the emotion of capturing the moment there and then, there's something certain about that, like you're never quite sure if you will ever see that moment, that image again, so it's quite settling to know you can press the shutter and you'll have that moment to forever hold onto. There's just something rewarding about it that never gets old.
"Oh I will."
Niall mused smiling as he dropped a kiss onto my forehead feeling his fingers through my hair that had evaded my hat.
"Good."
I grinned snuggling further into him as I felt a few flakes of snow catch in my fringe and a few dropped into my eye-lashes forever lurking in the corner of my vision, but I kind of liked it like that, it was pretty, and a white Christmas was something I hadn't experienced in years.
"You wanna go back now? It's late and I can feel you're freezing."
I lifted my head from his chest feeling my breath catching in my throat; he smiled down at me his crystal blue orbs seeming even more pure and bright against the backdrop of white flurries of snow while the sky lurked behind as an ebony reminder that not everything's as pure as snow.
"Yeah," I agreed fumbling my hands from my pockets and entwining my fingers with his. "Your family's probably wondering where we are by now..."
Smiling he pulled me up from the no longer arid ground that was littered with frosted snowflakes and immediately into him. I pried my gaze from his and let it travel the river bank.
"I so wish I had my camera," I sighed. "That'd be such a good shot."
The snow cascading down past the riverbank in it's frequent swift movements was utterly mesmerizing and to capture into a photograph in the perfect milky Christmas light like this would be magical. But unfortunately, I didn't have my camera .
"You're an obsessed photographer you know..." Niall commented and I just looked at him. "My obsessed photographer."
He corrected and I smiled as I slowly melted my lips onto his, despite the chilly atmosphere here they were still so warm as they moved against mine. Sending sparks of electricity licking inside my stomach and flooding my veins. I don't think I ever will be able to suppress this feeling and I don't think I ever want to, so magical, enchanting.
After we pulled away and began to set out away from the river and back across the field Niall brought my hand in-between both his palms rubbing it, his hands were so warm and mine were practically numb.
"Your hands are actually freezing."
Niall observed as he brought my fingers to his lips and then pressed a soft and warm kiss to my knuckle.
"Niall it's snowing, it is obviously cold."
He shrugged as he took my other one and rubbed it in between his.
"I'm not cold."
"Well I know, but that's nothing new."
He just smiled throwing an arm around my shoulders as he pulled me into him and I buried my hands deeper into my pockets.
When we got back and started up the driveway the house looked scarcely abandoned.
"I can't believe everyone's asleep already..."
Niall furrowed his brow as we started up the steps and the porch lights flicked on. He tried the door but it was locked.
"We're gonna have to go round the back, my Mum knew I wouldn't take a key..."
He mumbled tugging me along with him back down the steps.
"Niall everyone knows you never take keys."
I giggled and he smiled as he fumbled with the manual lock on the gate and it swung open revealing the neat garden cloaked in the darkness the white flurries of snow wispy as they continued to jewel the grass in white diamonds of ice.
"I just don't see why I should take a key if someone's gonna be there to let me in that's all, I mean it's only another opportunity for me to lose it."
"Who would want to let you in?"
I teased as he pushed the back door open and then stepped inside flicking the kitchen light on, the kitchen hadn't been cleaned yet and was rather cluttered after the manic dinner that was made today.
He gave me a sarcastic smile as he pulled me up and past the threshold swinging the door shut behind me.
"You because you love me."
He smiled placing his hands on my hips and pulling my body against his, I quirked an eye-brow feeling my skin beginning to tingle as his fingers brushed my jawline.
"No arguments with that."
I smiled as his lips slid onto mine kissing me with depth as he slowly pushed me backwards forcing me to slide onto the worktop, even through the jeans I was wearing the surface was cold against my thighs and now I could feel my hands and cheeks burning as they warmed up to the now overexposed heat. My hands curled around his waist the same way his were around mine.
"Mummy-"
"Jess! What have I told you about running off?"
Niall and I abruptly pulled apart and snapped our gazes to the kitchen door where the same little girl from this morning was stood with her finger in her mouth grinning wildly at us. The women whom I remembered as Toni gave the child a scolding look before picking her up and settling on her hip and moving her gaze to Niall and I giving us an apologetic look.
"Sorry, we're just leaving right now aren't we Jess?"
And before we could react or reply she had rushed herself and the girl I now knew as Jess across the living room and through the front door, the slamming of it sounding through the house and shortly afterwards complete silence was resumed apart from the slightly ragged breathing of Niall and I. Niall looked back at me a smirk creeping it's way up onto his lips and I just stared back at him slightly embarrassed, I could have sworn nobody was home, well at least I don't think there is now.
"Well that was interesting."
Niall commented already inching his lips back onto mine ,I was sceptical that some other innocent child was going to walk in on this not-so-innocent moment but I let him melt his lips onto mine anyway but this time it was a sweeter and quicker kiss.
"You know I can't help but notice, that we always get walked in on."
Niall smirked as I slid down from the worktop and onto the floor. I was still leaning right up against it though since his body was pressed so close to mine there was virtually no space between us.
"We're not as careful anymore..."
I observed as I guiltily traced a single finger across his stomach and moved it upwards tracing it over his chest, he smirked at my actions practically mirroring them as he encircled his hands tighter around my waist slowly snaking them around to the small of my back and then slipping them to my bum. I looked up at him and his smug smile and the clear enjoyment in his eyes with that same adoration as he leaned forward pressing his forehead against mine.
"Maybe that's because I like to show you off and I don't care what people think anymore..."
He mused brushing his lips with mine teasing me with a short and light peck. I gazed back into his eyes silently daring him to tease me some more, so he did letting his tongue run over my lower lip for a few seconds before smirking at me, I held no reaction simply staring at him with an impassive expression.
"Oh she's good."
He enthused smugly and I smirked as I ran two fingers back down his chest and past his waist settling them on his upper thigh.
"Gotta be cruel to be kind."
I winked and he raised his eye-brows and I refrained from wincing as I could already guess what he was going to do as he ran his fingers down my stomach and hips curling them around my inner thigh.
"Two can play at that game Dawson; I know how you roll baby."
He chuckled as he slowly manoeuvred his fingers closer in between my thigh gap letting them brush over my leg slightly before favouring into swifter motions. I had to supress a moan as he then began kissing my neck slowly yanking the scarf I had on away.
“Stop it…”
I hissed placing a hand on his chest and then switching it to his shoulder pushing him back slightly.
“Why, can’t you handle it…”
He teased moving his fingers further up my leg causing me to endure a wave of incondite shivers with his touch. The materiel of my jeans in between his fingers and my skin felt like a burden but I wasn’t going to give in so easily, with so little from him, he doesn’t need to know how much effect he has over me and it’s clear he doesn’t, he loves to tease me, the same way as I love to tease him, but when he’s like this it’s barely feasible to tease him back.
“It’s early Niall, let’s do something productive.”
I mused smirking as I moved out of his grip his fingers loosely in between mine as I tugged at his hand pulling him out of the kitchen. I could feel his eyes on me as he followed behind that annoying smirk playing on his lips with the complacent knowledge that he had won playing in his brain. I had pulled away, suggesting otherwise activates, and therefore, he had won. But everyone knows I’m competitive, so we’ll just see how far this goes.
“Oh I could think of a few things.”
He breathed pairing this remark with a wink, his breath igneous on my neck as his lips skimmed my ear. I refrained from wincing at the recent channel of shivers he cast over my body with just one whisper in my ear.
“Shut up.”
I giggled giving him a light and playful prod in the chest; he smiled dropping a kiss to my temple as he collapsed onto the sofa with me his eyes scanning the room and the mess of torn wrapping paper, presents, crackers etc.
“Feeling musical?”
He questioned wiggling his eye-brows at me. I just looked at him deciphering what this meant but he was already lifting one of his guitars from behind the sofa and placed it on his lap smiling at me. Then he leant closer brushing some hair from my shoulders.
“You teach me to take pictures like you, and I’ll teach you to play the guitar…”
He breathed smiling at me as he cupped my face with his hand his fingers resting lightly on my jawline, leaning his forehead against mine his lips grazed against mine quirking into a small smile.
“Deal.”
I grinned as he slipped his lips onto mine, my hands were still slightly stinging from the slap of heat that had hit us as we ventured in from the cold outside but they were warming now and the stinging sensation was less noticeable.
“Gonna teach me then or what Mr musician?”
I giggled pulling away and sitting back up from where I had slightly caved backwards someone in the midst of the kiss.
“Uh huh, are you feeling patient? Because we all know you’re not very patient when it comes to this.”
I gave him a pointed look of warning and he smirked motioning for me to shuffle over so he could position the guitar in my arms.
“I’m not impatient.”
I retorted bluntly but he continued smirking. Although I knew this wasn’t always true, patience had been something that I was quick to excel in if it was to do with just waiting around for something and doing nothing while waiting but to endure in persistence at a frustrating task is not my idea of using patience, so needless to say learning to play the guitar was not the first thing on my to-do list.
“Sure you’re not love.”
He nodded as he began twisting the tuning keys and plucking the strings.
“I’m not.”
I persisted refusing to move into a convenient position.
“Okay. You’re the most patient person I’ve ever met, now come and sit here.”
I rolled my eyes as I lifted myself up and carefully sat in the space between his legs as he positioned the instrument in my arms, which, took a while, well it’s not exactly like it’s the most comfortable instrument ever is it?
“Right so put this finger here…No this one.”
“This is so confusing, why does there have to be so many strings? Surely two or three is enough.”
“Impatient.”
Niall sung, I turned around raising my eye-brows and he chuckled placing his hands over mine and sliding his fingers in the gaps in between he smiled pressing a kiss to my temple.
“Awh I’m sorry. Here, try again.”
He smirked completely re-arranging my fingers on the chords.
“Further up…That’s it and then put that one there, and move that one to the left…Perfect! Keep them there and hold them down okay?”
I did as instructed but this did not come naturally at all for me. Talent wise, I had never been a musical person and I don’t think I ever will be, but it’s worth a try. I had always preferred to listen to music it didn’t exactly matter to me that much how or what was used to produce that sound before I met Niall, I can’t say that I’m extremely into it now but I am more than before. I suppose I’ve just never really been a very musical person all in all, I can’t sing and I don’t have a natural talent for an instrument and I’m perfectly fine that way, it’s just not naturally my thing.
The sound of someone’s feet crunching up the driveway sounded and Niall and I looked at each other and then listened to the sound of the lock being fumbled with and finally the door swinging open, a flurry of snow coming with it and cluttering itself on the carpet.
“Fuck that.” Greg muttered slamming the door behind him and shaking snow from his clothes and onto the floor. We just looked at him waiting for him to expand on this. “It is fucking freezing out there, the snow is ridiculous and the beer isn’t even good. I tell you, do not go down to the festival this year.”
He began to remove his outerwear flinging it this way and that, some landed on the bannister; some on the floor and his scarf near missed the coat hanger by the door.
“We weren’t planning to anyway.”
Niall chimed in and it was only now that Greg slipped his gaze to us a smirk rising on his lips as he removed his hat flinging it across the room it landed on the other sofa.
“Awh you’re teaching her to play the guitar, that’s cute Nialler.”
He cooed messing up Niall’s hair as Niall scowled at him.
“Awh you couldn’t handle the cold, that’s cute Greg.”
Niall shot back while I just sat there watching this brotherly banter play out in front of me and I wondered how much longer I had to kept my fingers pressed against the strings if I wasn’t going to play it yet, can I take them off now?
“Awh neither could you since you’re back now.”
“Actually we came back because we’d been out for a while, but it turns out there was nobody here when we got back anyway.”
Niall frowned and Greg continued to smirk as he flicked on the light in the kitchen and more light flooded the room otherwise than the dim lamp we had on in the living room.
“And you saw that as a bad thing?”
He raised his eye-brows smirking even more now and I caught a slight blush creep onto Niall’s cheeks.
“Shut up.”
“Awh, my little bro’s all grown up!”
Greg enthused messing Niall’s hair up again and before he could retaliate Greg ran up the stairs chuckling to himself.
“Dick.”
Niall mumbled and I smiled.
“Awh Nialler’s all grown up!”
I mocked ruffling up his hair the same way his brother had.
“Don’t you start.”
He warned but he still didn’t supress the smile tugging at his lips as he smoothed his hair back over with his hand.
“Right come on then big shot musician, if you’re that good you can teach someone as hopeless as me.”
I grinned attempting to re-arrange my fingers on the strings. He slid his arms back over my shoulders and placed his fingers in between mine as he spread them out across the strings, the fibre was rough against my skin and dug into my fingers.
“You’re not hopeless you’re just…A special case. Keep your fingers there and then just strum it and it should work.”
So that’s what I did, but the sound wasn’t as dulcet as I hoped, or at all. Now I could practically feel Niall breaking out into his laughter at my attempt of an A chord. I frowned smoothing my palms over the glossy body of the instrument feeling how smooth it was, especially in contrast with my recent burst of music, if you could even call it that.
“Would you shut up,” I mused turning around and titling Niall’s chin up with my fingers. “Teachers aren’t supposed to laugh at their students you know.”
He sobered up his laughter favouring it into a half smirk which at time was annoying, but also undeniably cute.
“I’m sorry baby.”
I shook my head wagging a finger in front of his face, he just stared at me.
“Nope, stay professional Niall. I’m not your baby, teachers can’t date students.”
He raised his eye-brows and now he pushed the guitar to the side encircling his hands further around my waist to my stomach and pulling me back into him.
“Well maybe, I don’t like to play by the rules…”
He breathed into my ear, his lips stroking my ear in a soft and satiny motion, so brief but at the same time it had so many racing feelings etched into the crevices of how it made me feel, creating light and colour in even the darkest of corners.
“Mmm I’ve noticed.”
I hummed twisting my body to the side slightly as he shifted me so my shoulder were leaning against his. His hands moved to my lower back keeping me there as he leaned closer brushing his nose against mine, after a few painstaking seconds he closed his lips against mine mere seconds afterwards running his tongue across my lower lip. I smiled as I pulled away briefly melting in further. Smirking I abruptly pulled away just as it was getting hot, he stared at me it took him a few seconds to realise I had pulled away.
“You know you’re a moment killer.”
He breathed brushing his lips back against mine but I refrained from kissing him again pulling back slightly still smirking at him.
“Err has someone forgotten the events of earlier?”
I questioned quirking an eye-brow and he pondered for a moment before smirking.
“Oh you want me to do it again? Gosh Ash am I really that irresistible?”
He chuckled. I gasped hitting his arm and sending him a death stare.
“Cheeky thing. I was on about the fact that two can play at the teasing game.”
“Oh is that right is it?”
He raised his eye-brows and I nodded knowingly.
“So right.”
“Well, why don’t we test your little theory?”
He proposed and I rolled my eyes as he stood up holding his hand out for me.
“Not before I thrash you into oblivion at a game of COD.”
I giggled and he smirked hastily pulling on both of my hands and slamming my body into settling his hands on my hips.
“I can make this work for myself.”
He winked and then before I could even think about forming my reply he swiftly scooped me up forcing my legs around his waist as he started up the stairs. I rolled my eyes but had no choice but to abide by this forced option and clung onto his chest enjoying the feel of just hugging him as he carried me. He flicked on his bedroom light and my eyes immediately darted to the open curtains with the darkness outside, so wrong.
“Would you let me down now?”
I asked and he smirked as he looked up at me.
“Really? I quite enjoy having you glued to me like this.”
He chuckled and I rolled my eyes.
“Niall…”
I reasoned and he smiled resting his forehead against mine.
“But you’re the same height as me now…”
He frowned hoisting me up further and I just looked at him silently daring him to keep this up for a little longer.
“Oh haha very funny.”
“I know I’m hilarious, and I bet you can’t wait until you can indulge in my hilarious-ness twenty four hours a day.”
He chuckled and I smiled just at the thought of what he was implying.
“You got half of that right.”
“All of it.”
“Shut up and game with me.”
I mused and he grinned finally letting my body slowly slip down through his hands and as soon as my feet touched the floor I pried myself from his grasp and pulled the curtains shut.
“You obsessive thing.”
He chuckled shaking his head as he turned the Xbox on and began sifting through the multiple games.
“Shut up, I don’t see how it doesn’t annoy you. It looks absolutely terrible.”
“Living with you is gonna be a nightmare isn’t it?”
He smirked enveloping my body back into his.
“Depends,” I sung as I connected my arms around his waist. “How co-operative you are, but of course, there will be rules.”
“Well why does that not surprise me?”
“Because you love me and my organised manor, which I will enforce, believe me.”
“Oh I know you will Ash, I know you will.”
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A/N.
ew this was short and shit I hate this chapterrr
sorrys.
the next chapter is equally as bad;3 idk man I just couldn't write when I wrote these two:3 might upload it today as well so I can just get it over and done with :/ it gets better after...
so right I was thinking about the rumours about the horribble teachers I'm supposed to have next year and now I keep on having like terrible dreams about it;3 I just want my new timetable
so apoligies again for this crappy chapter.
see you laters.
-Emily.