A/N: I didn't want to keep you waiting too long because I know how bad cliffhangers are! Lol.. so here you go! (:
SONG OF THE DAY: You Always Make Me Smile (My cousin @Miss_Nialler recently downloaded this on her Kindle Fire lol)
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Niall
I didn't know what to say to Liam, so I just stood there in shock. It wasn't really the smartest thing to do when it was pouring down rain on you. When I realized that I was tired of shivering and being cold, I decided to act upon it.
"Um, Li, let's just go inside, okay?" I changed the subject, dragging him in front of me as we headed towards the door.
Once we stepped inside, we got all these weird looks from my bandmates and Mady, because they were probably wondering what the heck we were doing all wet. I looked over at Liam, then turned to face the others.
"We'll explain later, I promise.. ," I choked out my words, still freezing. I rubbed up and down my arms. "But, for now, could you guys please do me a favor and bring down some towels?"
"Okay. I'll go," Harry offered, standing up out of his chair. "I'll bring both of you some towels and new clothes."
"Thanks," Liam spoke up, wiping his soaked bangs out of his eyes. Hazza nodded, before racing up the staircase to the bathroom, and then to our rooms.
"And, I'll make some hot chocolate," Zayn offered, walking over to the kitchen. I watched as Mady stepped out of his chair.
"I'll help him," Mady agreed. "I don't trust him alone in there." I chuckled as she turned to walk away, and Zayn only rolled his eyes jokingly.
Louis was the only one left in the room, and I was surprised he hadn't offered to help Hazza gather the towels and clothing items. It almost seemed as if he'd take any chance to hang out with him, since they had a great bond. I guess he just wanted to stay down here for some unknown reason; well, at least it was unknown by me. I don't know what Liam is thinking.
I looked over at the brown-eyed boy, and he seemed to be shivering just as much as I was. His bangs were so wet they were practically glued to his forehead, and shirt that I was wearing was just about clear since it was stuck to my chest.
I was relieved when I saw Haz running down the stairs with clothes and towels piled up in his hands, and tossed it to me through the air. Since I was freezing, the towels felt so warm in my arms, and I didn't hesitate to wrap it around me.
"I'm going upstairs to change. I'll be right back," I announced, running up the stairs. Liam eventually tagged along behind me, but we separated when he entered his room and I entered mine.
Zayn
"Mady, do you know where Hazza keeps his marshmellows?" I asked, rummaging through the cabinets.
Mady crossed her arms over her chest, shrugging as she did so. "How should I know? I'm only the guest."
"You're right. Sorry," I replied, finally finding the bag for myself. I opened it up, reaching in to take out a few marshmellows to add to the cocoa.
Mady helped me carry the mugs out to the kitchen, but it took a few trips before we had all the mugs set up and ready to drink. Once we had everything set, we waited for Nialler and Liam to come back as the steam settled and stopped rising.
Before we knew it, I saw the blonde boy heading down the steps. This time, his clothes were baggy and dry, rather than clingy and wet. His hair was dry as well, now a lighter shade of blonde than it was before. Nialler's shirt was oversized and grey, an the image of a Mickey Mouse iron-on was plastered on it. His trousers were a nice shade of tan, and they were large enough to sag down a little.
Meanwhile, Liam's hair was dry, and his eyes sparkled under the light. He was wearing an average-sized purple shirt and pre-ripped jeans. His hands were stuffed deep into his pockets, and his white sneakers made his look tie together as casual.
"Hot chocolate is ready, you two. Nice to know you're all dry," I said, taking a seat in front of a mug of the cocoa.
"Good, I'm really thirsty," Nialler declared, pulling out a chair just as I did. "And, yeah. I hate being cold. The feeling is just.. so unsatisfying. You know? And, I think Liam would agree."
Liam nodded. "Totally. And, I'm parched too." He took a seat in the chair next to Nialler, as Mady was on my opposite side. Harry was on the other side of Mady, and Lou was right on the opposite side of Harry.
I watched as Niall raised the glass to his lips, although he didn't have a steady hand. It was then that I remembered about his injured finger, and that would make everything harder than it was originally meant to.
"How's your.. injury?" I asked, not sure of how to approach Nialler with the question. He set his hot chocolate down, looking over at his injured hand.
"Eh. So far it hasn't bothered me yet," Niall admitted. "I'm sure it will get in the way, though. I mean, I might not be able to play guitar for a while. And, everyone knows I love to do that. It's my favorite hobby."
"I'm sure you'll get through it," Mady nudged him, causing the blonde to smile weakly at her. "You're pretty tough."
It almost looked as if Niall was blushing, but who wouldn't be after such a nice compliment? Anyways, it warmed my heart to see that all was going well for Mady. I'm pretty sure by the end of the week her and Nialler might be seeing each other; or they will at least be a lot closer. In fact, the lads and I might see if Mady can stay for longer than a week, because we really enjoy her company.
"What are you smiling at, Malik?" Louis nudged me, obviously noticing what I was thinking of. I shook my head.
"Just thinking," I told him, taking a drink of my hot chocolate. Luckily for me, Lou didn't ask any further questions after that.
"Hey, when you are done with your hot chocolate," Liam began, an excited look in his eyes. "Do you maybe want to play some video games?"
"Yeah! Let's go now," Louis was first to run out of his chair, grabbing Harry's sleeve as he did so. "Come on, Hazza!"
"Okay, okay. Calm your balls," Harry joked, and Lou just ignored him. While chuckling a little, I stood up and began to head upstairs with the boys. Before I did, I turned to the Irish boy, who was still sitting at the table.
"You coming, Nialler?" I asked him, and he looked up at me suddenly, as if he was being broken out of his thoughts.
"Oh, yeah. I just need to finish my cocoa," he took another sip, and I looked up at Mady this time. She was standing there, her arms crossed as she watched the blonde.
"Would about you, Mady?" I started. "Do you want to join us? We can show you how it's done." I winked at her, and she giggled.
"I'll be up. I'll just stay down here with Niall until he's ready," she gave me an idea-filled look, and I smiled at her before heading upstairs.
Niall
I was confused on why Mady wanted to stay down here with me, because I would think that she would much rather play video games with the boys than watch me drink. I tried to look down at the table to avoid any awkwardness between us, but Mady just pulled up a chair next to me.
"Almost done?" She asked, rested her arms on top of the table. I set my glass down, looking up to meet her eyes.
"Yeah, I'm done," I answered her. "And, Mady..."
She gave me a confused look as I stared at her. "Yes?"
"You... have really pretty eyes," I complimented her.
"So do you," she smiled at me. "I've always loved your blue eyes. They're so beautiful."
I blushed a little. "Thanks."
We sat there looking at each other plainly for a few moments, unsure of what to say. Though, I didn't mind, and I didn't think she did either. Even with silence, we were enjoying each other's company, and that's all that seemed to matter to me right now.
Before I knew it, I could feel myself leaning in closer to her. My heart pounded in my chest, and I could see how nervous Mady was by the look on his face. Our lips were just about to touch, but before we could, Lou shouted from the staircase, causing me and Mady to jump away from each other.
"You guys coming or what?" Lou asked, and I was holding my chest as an attempt to slow my heart rate.
"Yeah, we're... coming." I answered him, sighedly.
"And, one more thing," Lou acknowledged us as we turned to walk up the stairs. "Were you two... about to.. kiss?"