CHAPTER SIXTY ONE- You're fired.
Adam Levine’s voice sawing over the notes of the song I grew up with was keeping me sane as I refused to open my eyes. Listening to his slightly off key vocals glide so freely over the lyrics that were full of melodic promise made a tentative smile spread across my lips. Reaching my fingers out I rested my hand on the armrest of the sofa and let my fingertips entangle with the soft and scruffy mess that was Niall’s hair savouring the feel of his chest falling and rising rhythmically with each breath he took.
Suddenly the lyrics came to an abrupt stop and a bit of crackle was emitted from the speakers followed by the fed up huffing of someone. Furrowing my brow I groaned as I turned over snuggling over further into Niall and ignoring the failure of the speakers. He moved slightly with my movement and I felt him run a hand up my thigh past my hips and slip it underneath my top. Smirking at this I encircled an arm around him tracing a finger down his chest and settling it on his stomach tracing circles as his creeped further up my body. Just as he started to tug at my bra strap the sound of someone clearing their throat filled the silence we had been enduring and we both froze, his hand moved to my back as we slowly lifted ourselves up and squinted at the light that had invaded the room.
“Fuck off we’re tired…”
Niall moaned wrapping his arms around me and pulling me down so there was no space between us. Another clearing of someone’s throat. Niall groaned and then pushed me up with him as he sat bolt upright rubbing his eyes. Turning around to see who had woken us from our sane slumber I almost fell off the sofa at the sight of Claire scowling at us. Nudging Niall in the ribs he scrunched his face up as he finally opened his eyes and gathered his surroundings.
“What was that, Niall?”
She arched an eye-brow. I assumed it must have been fairly late in the morning as her make-up and hair was done and she was dressed in not so casual clothes. And with the knowledge that she never got up before nine it must have been at least eleven. As if she hasn’t been on our case enough lately. Surely, just one night, one night together.
Niall’s eyes widened as they met with Claire’s and then he scowled encircling his arms around me again and sliding me onto his lap he rested his chin on my shoulder running his fingers through my hair seeming fairly casual about this.
“He said they’re tired. So maybe you should let them sleep.”
A new voice chimed in. It was a few seconds before Harry’s remark received a response. It just lingered in the air for a few seconds, sweet to us, and sour to Claire. He shrugged carelessly as he crossed the last step and ran a hand through his hair flipping it from his eyes. Niall smirked at this pulling me closer to him as Claire slowly turned to look at Harry. Her elbows stuck out as she placed her hands on her hips her lips forming a thin straight line as she glared at him. He gave her one raised eye-brow and then sauntered causally to the coffee table picking up a magazine and flipping through it like this was the most casual situation in the world.
“What was that, Harold?”
He looked up at her chucking the magazine back down onto the coffee table he slipped his hands into his pockets giving another shrug. His expression was completely calm as he gave her a pointed look pressing his lips together he then licked his lower one once as he looked around the room and ran his fingers through his dark and dense curls again.
“You know I really think you need your ears tested.”
He gave a light eye-roll and then walked off to the kitchen all while Claire just stood there. Niall chuckled at this and made no point of hiding it as he did so. Carefully his hands creeped further around my waist and he pressed his fingertips against the area by my hips caressing it lightly. A total of thirty seconds later, a prominent silence evitable, Harry returned from the kitchen. The smell of granulated coffee and buttery biscuits wafted from the open door as he emerged shoving a biscuit between his lips, hot on his heels was Liam, he gave me a simper of a smile as he watched Harry settle a beanie over his curls. I gave them both a questioning look but they said nothing.
“And where do you think you’re going?”
Claire demanded as she narrowed her eyes at the two boys who were now pulling on coats. I smirked at this and this smug smile spread further over my lips as the feel of Niall’s lips on my neck followed completely uncaring that Claire was watching our every move.
“Meeting with management.”
Harry replied with a mouthful of biscuit spilling crumbs onto the floor. He settled his beanie around his curls and I watched as Claire’s jaw dropped about three stories.
“I-I’m management.”
She stammered attempting to sound sure of herself but didn’t exactly output that way, but it never had been lately. The boys had been getting more rebellious against her rules lately; it was quite the bit amusing to watch.
“Well we’ll just see about that.”
Liam shrugged and then they flashed us bright smiles before bustling through the door and I could hear their bright chatter muffled as they got further down the driveway. For a moment everything was eerily silent and then just to complicate and maybe humour things further Niall began to kiss my neck again and I watched in amusement as Claire pulled a disgusted face with a tut at our affection.
“You two get dressed right now; get your hands off of her Niall.”
She huffed and Niall looked up resting his chin on my shoulder he flashed a bright smile at the disorderly demeanours of Claire at this moment, in this situation that was clearly not in the least bit to her demanding favour.
“You hear that Ash? We have to go and get dressed…Together.”
He chuckled loudly finding himself highly amusing as he lifted me up prominently ignoring Claire’s remarks as he carried me up the stairs as she watched us with a disapproving expression. When we reached the top of the stairs Zayn was emerging from his room, his hair flat and pyjama bottoms slung loosely around his hips he was looking pretty run down. He tiredly lifted his gaze to us seeming completely unfazed as ne narrowed his eyes at us.
“I..I thought you weren’t allowed to sleep together.”
He mumbled as he leant against the wall wincing in pain as he leant his head against the cool white walls. Niall smirked at his grogginess as he carried on flattening out his hair and rubbing his eyes.
“We’re not.”
Niall shrugged and then walked on setting me down on his bed as he carefully positioned himself on top of me. For a moment the hung over Zayn just watched us and then he shook his head in too much of a state to question this further. He leant down further his lips brushing over my skin as his breath breezed through my hair that had now fallen from it’s loose ponytail some when during the around six hours of sleep we had endured on the sofa, which would have been longer if Claire hadn’t cut off both our musical choices and our peaceful slumber. In all honesty I couldn’t help but feel that she just didn’t like watching us sleep there together like that. I got a certain sense of pride from concluding that she was jealous. It was a good feeling to know you have something that someone else doesn’t. That is, if you don’t like said person, which I (or anyone) did not.
“We’re not actually going to get dressed are we?”
He clarified. This remark was just a simple and soft whisper in my ear, that type of whisper that is so close to your ear, completely audible to nobody but you as the speaker’s lips brush your ear making you shiver with yearning. And that was exactly what Niall was doing, I just had to refrain this yearning for a little longer.
“No.”
I shook my head and he grinned that stupid grin that had me from when I first met him. It was the ridiculously goofy one not at all like the seductive one I had received from Zayn that day I met them. And I much preferred the cute and goofy type to the clean cut, seductive type. It always had and always will be that way.
“Good,” He winked. “Cus I much prefer you like this.”
He chuckled slowly beginning to clasp his fingers around the hem of my top tugging it to either side so the buttons came undone one by one leaving me in a thin translucent vest top with lace outer. I raised my eye-brows at this as he began to let his fingertips work my exposed skin leaving little patches of warmth as they skimmed across it with harsher movements each time. Slowly they began to travel further up my body knotting around the straps of both my top and my bra. He leant closer and placed a light and not so igneous kiss on my lips and then pulled away making me tingle with crave. Simultaneous to his actions I enclosed my fingers around the bottom of his t-shirt tugging it upwards. This was when Zayn clamped a hand around the door frame giving us an excited look.
“Quick guys Claire’s coming make it look really sexual!”
He hissed giggling like a little girl. Niall outputted a smug chuckle at his words but slowly began to pull me back up and turned me so I was leant against the wall he tossed his top aside and brought me closer to him so my stomach was pressed against his he encircled his arms around my back fiddling with my undergarments. I could hear the footsteps echoing down the hallway now, stopping outside the door I continued to kiss Niall back knowing that she was watching, there was a prominent huff and the footsteps returned as she walked away and then a door was slammed. The smile spreading across Niall’s lips was evitable as they moved against mine, this triggering my own I tried my best to belittle it but rebels like this against Claire always made me smile. If she was more lenient, then maybe things would be a bit different, but she was anything but lenient. It was quite a surreal thing to think back to when I first met Claire and there were all these studious rules about how there was nothing to be going on between Niall and I, and how we weren’t allowed to be in the same room together in case something happened. And at the time we both thought that was ridiculous, that nothing was going to happen because we were over, and here we were now rebelling in the complete opposite to her. This thought made me grin like an idiot and I pulled away my idiotic smile fevering onto Niall’s lips as we stared back at each other.
“Zayn is such an idiot.”
I giggled as I caught my breath in my throat my chest rising and falling pressed right to his as he entwined our fingers together.
“Yet he has pretty good suggestions.”
He winked favouring his lips back onto mine. I reached my fingers up letting them travel his bare torso before finding his jaw and cupping them there as I let myself slip in ecstasy with him as my guide.
-
“I don’t know man; I just totally think bow tie screams seductive you know?”
Harry pondered as he held up a simple bow tie, and another black tie in the other hand. I rolled my eyes at the shirtless boy before me and brought out my text book from when I did formal wear back in New York. I flipped through the crème pages that were thick and laden with simple little scribbles I had done in the spur of inspiration. I flicked past the amateur and not at all professional section and to the last section where the final prints were. I got a sudden craving to do some simple little scribbles as a burst of inspiration hit me but I refrained as I narrowed my eyes at the fashion formal wear clueless teenager who was still holding up the two items of apparel sending me a flirty grin as he wiggled his eye-brows.
“Harold it’s a children’s book promotion, you don’t want to ‘scream’ seductive.”
I reminded him my tone monotonous. I had already spent half an hour persuading Louis to get dressed; this was before I actually persuaded him to put on what I suggested for him. And after tackling Niall to get him to shower I was getting pretty bored of advising clothing for the temperamental band. I let my pencil stroke over the dense paper inflicting simple and soft grey markings as I shaded over a sketch of a waistcoat that had been suggested on looking good on Liam in L.A last year. I didn’t know why or how I had kept all my design prints from my time there, but I had, and they were quite surprising. I guess as I started out avoiding Niall and basically, all of them at all costs I had a lot of spare time on my hands.
“You’re right.” Harry admitted ripping the tie from his neck and stuffing it into his pocket. I looked up at him quirking an eye-brow. “So no tie?”
“No tie.”
I agreed and he nodded flashing me a smile before sauntering out and going on search for Louis. Not even Harry could bring him completely from the dumps. It was strange to sit there and watch the person that had always been pinned as the most buoyant and excitable be the complete opposite. A lot of things were on the contrary now, but it wasn’t exactly unexpected. Now, I guess I’ve kind of learnt to expect the unexpected. But I never exactly saw Louis’ problem going on for that long, but I guess I didn’t see a lot of things coming. Just like I did not expect to see a complete clothe less Zayn enter aside from some boxers that were slung a little too lowly.
“Hey babe so I was thinking, grey jacket, or black jacket? I was thinking go all cool and mysterious with grey like that bloke from the fifty shades of grey book. I still have to read that. So what do you think?”
He grinned and I rolled my eyes at this remark and ran my fingers through my hair pushing it from my face. I looked down at my sketch book and flipped a few pages to the various collages of Zayn’s clothes from L.A he hadn’t worn grey in a while, and they were trying to switch it up for this appearance. Giving it a more ‘mature’ look. I found this hysterical when Liam told me this; apparently it wasn’t supposed to be a joke. Ooops.
“Did someone say fifty shades of grey? I’m so seeing that movie man! Hey Ash me and you should go and watch it together, yeah babe?”
Harry hollered from wherever he was smugness laced neatly throughout his tone as he fired this teasing remark at me. I rolled my eyes at this too. I’d heard you could be scarred from that book, so I was making a point to never read it. Or for that point watch the film. I shifted in my seat the soft cushion of the sofa warm against my legs. It reminded me of my own home, even though I didn’t exactly want to go back there and I was perfectly happy here and wherever I ended up with Niall every so often I’d wonder what it would be like to be back there. But it wouldn’t be the same, I knew it wouldn’t. Without Ellie there it would be eerily silent, all the traces of me ever being there gone, it would almost be like looking in with my parents not knowing. Examining their life without Ellie and I, it was a strange feeling, I shook it off realising Zayn was still looking at me expectantly.
“Dream on Harold!” I hollered and he shouted a few wistful words of tease. To Zayn I said, “You should go for the grey, but not because of your…reason but because you haven’t worn grey in a while.”
He flashed me a smile and then gave me a thumbs up.
“Oh we all know the real reasoning babe, don’t worry.”
He winked and then flashed me another one of those smiles before sauntering off singing to himself. Obviously his hangover had subsided.
I winced as I brought out my phone. My eyes settled on the contact icon, just that one button, this one number I had acquired. All I had to do was press it and it’s dialling tone would sound out to wherever in the world, the country, she was. But I couldn’t do it. My finger hovered near the green button for a good minute or so; it even got scarcely close to touching it at one point. But I couldn’t do it. No way could I do it. It was so pathetic, she might not even pick up, and maybe I’d get an earful of her voicemail, who even knew if this was the right number? I didn’t. It was supposed to be. But things never were what they were supposed to be anymore.
I sighed as I slid my phone back I into my pocket and ran my fingers through my hair, it could do with a wash. I’d been too stressed to do it last night after returning from the wedding, and besides I didn’t exactly fancy an earful from a drunk Zayn who was trying to sleep. I rolled my gaze around the room and settled it upon the instrument I couldn’t play leaning against the wall. I got a sudden yearning to try again, without Niall here to guide and laugh at my hopeless attempts, but I wouldn’t know where to start. And besides, I’d most likely just get stressed out and frustrated and then be in a bad mood for when they came back. And Niall and I were supposed to be going to look at a house tonight, I felt slightly sick at the thought of that. The excitement inside of me was fizzing but I was also nervous, I supposed it just proved that this really was real. That I was really growing up now, we were growing up. It wasn’t just innocent kid’s play like it was when we first met; it wasn’t just a seriously deep summer fling. This was real. And even though it was daunting and so concluding it felt right, and I felt like we were ready. I had been for a long time. But I guess in a kind of guilty manner I had been waiting for something else to mess us up, get in the way, delay, before we decided to get serious. But with Claire officially fired (watching her move her stuff out tonight was going to be gold according to Niall, especially as he was going to start talking very loudly about all the ‘things we could do as we were allowed to sleep in the same room now’ even though I found this the usual immature antics it pissed Claire off so it was all good) and management on the wall about us (leaning towards the good side) and my Mother officially left with a stern remark from myself, things seemed to be slotting together, somehow, some when.
As if the tentative smile on my lips and my fizzing thoughts had somehow triggered this the mellow feel of his lips on my neck followed sending a blissful rush inside of me. Carefully I disregarded my sketchbook to the side burying it beneath a cushion I strained my neck to behind me meeting my lips with his in a sweet and toe-curling kiss.
“What are you smiling about Dawson?”
He breathed against my mouth his breath warm as it escaped his mouth and hit the back of my throat sending a sweet and sour shiver wavering through me currents of content rushing through my body.
“Mmm maybe you.”
I smiled reaching a hand around his neck and pulling him round so he was beside me his skin pressed against mine as he shuffled closer forcing me to rest on the armrest of the sofa the cool leather soft yet cold against my back as it hitched my top up. I felt him smile as his lips touched mine again for a few seconds and then pulled away teasing me before pressing hard against them his tongue almost instantly running over my lower one asking for more. Allowing him this I moved closer running my fingers through his slightly damp hair from the shower and then proceeding my fingers to trace down his bare skin glistening with beads of water radiating off of it.
“Ooh! Ashley you know you’re supposed to be helping us get ready, not canoodling on the job thank you!”
Liam’s voice sounded as he thrusted the door open with a bang as it hit the blue painted walls no doubt another chip in the paint from the many times it had been flung open. Slowing down the kiss with Niall I carefully began to pull away smiling at Niall’s smug expression as he got up from his space next to me and made his way casually over to his drawers.
“She is helping me get ready,” Niall stated smugly. “For later.”
He said giving me a wink before sifting through his drawers and bringing out a crème polo. I gasped at that and sent him a look in which response Liam just rolled his eyes at.
“I swear you say the most inappropriate things Niall. I don’t know how Ashley puts up with it.”
“Oh Liam,” Niall said waving a hand in a rather opulent fashion, in which I raised an eye-brow to. “That was hardly inappropriate, I could have said much worse.”
“Mmm,” Liam mumbled. “I bet you could, but no,” He held up a hand halting Niall’s speech to a stop. “I don’t want to hear it.”
Niall just chuckled throwing me another wink before pulling his t-shirt over his head and shaking it droplets of water flying everywhere. One hit me in the eye.
“It’s okay, I’ll just tell it to Ashley later.”
“I’m taking this as my cue to leave. Hurry up Niall, you’re like the last one ready.”
Liam warned giving him a pointed look, he gave me a sympathetic look before giving one last raised eye-brow at Niall and then closing the door behind him.
“So,” Niall said turning to me. “You wanna hear what-“
“No. No I don’t Niall. Keep your dirty thoughts to yourself.”
He smirked as he picked through his trousers, he was reaching for ones right at the back and when he couldn’t reach them as I watched in amusement he grumbled to himself and slid the whole drawer from the white painted frame and placed it on his bed tipping the contents onto the soft comforter.
“But what if they’re about you?”
He piped up and I slapped a palm to my forehead. Inappropriate bastard.
“Niall.”
“Awh sorry babe.”
He cooed and then sauntered casually over pressing his lips straight to my forehead and letting them linger there for a bit longer than I had first anticipated he was going to. I pressed my palms flat against the cushiony and pampered sofa as I arced my back up slightly as he melted his lips onto mine, at this moment the door way flung open – again – undeniably leaving another chip in the paint. This time it was Harry who was actually fully dressed now, apart from the unbuttoned shirt. He looked to Niall’s drawer on his bed and then to the wooden frame that held the rest of them and gasped slapping a hand to his mouth as he pointed at it.
“Oooh you’re gonna be in trou-ble when Liam finds out!”
He sung like a little kid. Niall pulled away creasing his brow at the curly haired boy who was still staring in awe at the abandoned drawer on the bed.
“Harry you do realise that you can put it back in right?”
Niall clarified walking back over and plucking the wooden furnishing from the bed and sliding it back onto it’s rails all while Harry just watched in pure dumbfounded amazement.
“Oh my god that is so cool!”
Harry breathed and then ran back off down the hallway calling Louis’ name. I rolled my eyes at the strange and lack of knowledge behaviour and pried my sketchpad from underneath the cushions and poised my pencil in between my fingers again as I flipped it to a blank page beginning to sketch randomly with Niall and his singing as my background noise as I did so.
After ten minutes of watching Niall belt out lyrics to whatever song came on the radio I had to stifle my laughter as I watched him begin to dance around the room as he tweaked with his hair in the mirror. He looked over at me a smile twitching at his lips which hastily spread widely across them. His smile was feverish and made one upturn at mine as he made his way over holding out his hand for me.
“Dance with me.”
He commanded holding his head high and setting his lips into a stern line as he looked down at me. I looked at his hand and then back up at him shaking my head. He frowned leaning closer he carefully clasped his hand around my waist squeezing it slightly he then traced it down to my lower back making a shiver run up and down my spine.
“You know you want to.”
He sung and I caught myself as my eyes locked with his and at this moment Adam Levine’s voice burst out into their latest hit, we seem to have a thing with his voice today, despite my slightly narrow views on most modern pop music I did like this song and carefully stood up taking my hand in his. He smirked at me as the song began to get louder and brought both of my hands in between his voice sawed over the lyrics as I mirrored his ‘moves’ in a jumping sort of action as I listened to his voice overpowering the one blaring through the speakers.
“Sing for me.”
He demanded chuckling.
“No way.”
I refused and he frowned giving me that irresistible pout I looked away as the song came into about three quarters of the way through. Niall leant forward singing the lyrics smoothly into my ear his voice floating over each and every syllable, every note and every rhythmic beat. So perfect.
“Just the chorus?”
He proposed his breath now transferring into a whisper as it reached my ear. I rolled my eyes at his persistence and slowly let my voice fade into a not so dulcet manner beside his. He grinned as I sung in a highly un melodic manner with him.
All of my change I’ve spent on you,
Where have the times gone
Baby it’s-
“We’re going!”
Zayn hollered over the music smirking at us as we stopped mid-chorus and I bit my lip sliding my arms around Niall’s waist and resting my head on his chest as the song came to it’s climax and slowly faded out into the next one which was a rap I hadn’t heard before.
“Awh that’s cute, you should come perform with us Ash.”
He suggested with a chuckle, I sent him a death stare and a sarcastic smile.
“Very funny Malik.”
“I know hilarious. Come on Nialler we’ve gotta go.”
Niall looked down at me and smirked at the slight blush on my face. He held my hair away from my face as he leant down pressing his lips against mine for a good few seconds before looking down at me.
“See you in a couple hours, okay? I’ll text you.”
“Niall it’s a couple of hours not a couple of years, hurry up!”
Harry scolded from somewhere nearby.
“See you later.”
I echoed kissing his cheek and he sent me a smile already being dragged out of the door by Zayn.
There was a bit of muffled laughter and conversation as their voices floated upstairs lingering in the air. And then I heard a door slam signalling they had left and as soon as they had officially gone I brought out my phone. Without giving myself a chance to refrain I jabbed my finger against the Call Mobile button and listened to it ring. By now my hands were shaking, my breath catching in my throat and I could feel my heat drumming uneasy vibrations throughout my ribcage, but when it stopped was when I really felt sick.
“Lauren,” I said, her name already feeling foreign. “It’s me.”
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A/N.
helloo!
If you don't remember who Lauren is then go back to Chapter 82 of Picture This and skip to a few pages in and it'll all make sense since I cba to explain it all here:-)
for those of you who didn't get my message last night I'll just repreat it:
CONFIRMED: The final chapter of Second Snapshot will be Chapter 64 but it will be posted on wednesday since it's my birthday on tuesday;). There will be a singular chapter uploaded afterwards on all the information you need to know on the trilogy (threequel;)). Please inbox me any ideas AT ALL you have for the third book, I don't care how crazy and ridiculous I want to hear your ideas and what you'd like to see and I will consider EVERY one. Okay love you.
So yess, there we go;)
see you later bitches. oh and just a reminder that after the 5th of september uploads will be changing to every other day since now school is really starting to get serious for me and I'm gonna be honest with you I'm a bit of a geek and I like to get good grades so yeaah;p
okay love you bbz
-Emily.