The next day, Niall was sat with Louis on the benches after their last lecture.
He'd talked to Zayn and told him that he was still in a dilemma but that he would make up his mind by the end of the day.
"So wanna tell me why you decided to delay my journey back home?" Louis asked and got comfortable on the hard bench.
Niall took a deep breath. He knew he had to talk to his bestfriend about it but he was freaking out. He had no idea how he would react.
Niall really needed the money for school but getting it from Harry Styles who he'd known his true self was sickening.
"Ni, are you okay?" Louis placed a hand on Niall's thigh comfortingly. "Maybe we should talk at home."
Niall was grateful to have a friend as amazing as Louis. He would simply read him without being told anything.
"No, it's okay. I'm gonna tell you something and you shouldn't freak out or say anything until I'm done okay?" Niall said and Louis looked at him quizzically but still nodded when he saw Niall's seriousness.
"Okay."
So Niall spent the next half hour explaining to Louis what had happened to him.
"Oh my god and this Liam person just put his hand on your arm? Maybe he lik-" Louis' sentence was cut off by Niall's glare.
"What did I say about interrupting me?"
"I'm so sorry, Ni. Please carry on." Louis smiled sheepishly and Niall glared at him but continued.
This time around, Niall managed to finish telling his story without Louis interrupting him.
And when he was done, Louis' mouth was open and he was looking at Niall with wide eyes.
"Louis please say something." Niall whined, effectively pulling Louis out of his trance.
"You are about to become Prince Harry's husband. Oh my god this is huge." Louis put his palms on his cheeks, eyes not leaving Niall.
"No, Lou. I'm supposed to think about it and give him an answer by the end of the day." Niall stressed.
Louis took his hands from his face and grabbed Niall's in his own. "What is there to think about, Ni? This is an opportunity that only comes once, once in a lifetime and you are not throwing it away, I won't let you." Louis said seriously.
"But Louis, he's really mean and controlling and manipulative. I honestly don't see myself getting married to someone like that for a whole two years even if it's fake." Niall whined.
"I know, Ni. He may not be a good person but you will be together for the benefit of both of you. Just think about school yeah, you need him as much he needs you." Louis said squeezing Niall's hands.
"But-" Niall was about to protest again. He didn't like the prince one bit and he was hoping Louis hated him too so that his decision won't be tough.
"No buts, Ni. Look, if you refuse to do this, you will remain struggling with life, with education while he will just have to look for someone who will be willing to do it and move on as if he never even asked you. Don't think about the present, think about the future, yeah?" Louis said and Niall kept quiet for a bit but nodded.
"Okay." He said, unsurely. "I'll think about it like that."
"Good." Louis smiled and opened his arms for Niall knowing that he needed it. Niall immediately moved into Louis' embrace and cuddled up to his friend's chest.
When they pulled away, Niall stood up. "Okay, we better get going before I run late to work."
Louis agreed and soon they left.
*
When Niall got to the diner, he greeted his colleagues and started on work but Jane called him to the back office before he could do anything.
He walked to the office and knocked once, before getting in. "You called for me?"
"Yes, Niall. Please sit down." Jane said with her usual smile and gestured for Niall to take a seat.
When Niall was sat down, Jane folder her hands on the desk and sighed, immediately alerting Niall that something was amiss.
"Niall, business isn't doing as good as it is supposed to and we're almost bankrupt. It doesn't help that we used money to renovate the whole diner and then business goes down. I'm afraid we can't afford all of you at the moment." She took off her glasses and Niall felt like a whole building had just collapsed on top of his head.
He kept quiet, waiting for her to finish.
"I have to let one of you go. And Sean is my son so it's either you or Amelia and I thought about it very hard, I have decided to let Amelia go considering you have been here longer than her but I don't know how to tell her." Jane pinched the bridge of her nose.
Niall wasn't getting fired, he didn't know whether to breath a sigh of relief or feel sad that Amelia was gonna get the sack. And he saw that Jane wasn't happy about doing that either, they had grown fond of each other and she treated all of them like her children.
"Oh my god." Niall breathed out and put his head in his hands. He knew exactly how Jane was feeling.
Suddenly everything seemed clear to him. It was like an sign had just shined on him and helped him with his Harry Styles decision.
So he took a deep breath and addressed his boss.
"You don't have to fire her, Jane. I'll go." Niall said and looked at the woman infront of him.
"What? No Niall, you need money for school, I can't do that to you." She argued and Niall smiled because she was such a parent.
"Don't worry, I'll be fine. Plus, Amelia is pregnant remember? She has to save up enough for her baby considering the father of the baby wants nothing to do with her." Niall pointed out and now it was Jane's turn to put her head in her hands.
"Are you sure about that? I won't forgive myself if you have to drop out of Uni." She stressed, looking at Niall with worry.
"I'm sure." Niall said confidently.
"How will you manage? Have you picked up a third job?" She asked worriedly but Niall shook his head.
"I'm getting married." Niall said with a smile which soon turned to a grimace when he thought about his husband to be.
"What!? Really? That's awesome. Who's the lucky lad?" She smiled at him.
Niall was hesitant at first but he decided to let her in on it. She was after all, the person he looked up to that was close to a relative, a mother.
"Can you keep a secret?" Niall asked her and she nodded excitedly.
"Is it your professor? He seems so happy whenever he is here with you." She wiggled her eyebrows making him laugh.
"No, jesus, Jane. He's my professor, I'd never." Niall said and Jane pouted at getting it wrong.
"Who is it then?" She asked.
Niall took a deep breath before peeling the bandage off at once. "Prince Harry Styles."
"Prince- wait is he even gay- no wait, since when, Niall? Why didn't you tell me?" She rambled and softly hit his head.
"It just never came up, I'm sorry." Niall scratched the back of his head.
"It's okay. I'm so happy for you. Oh my god, that's why he came looking for you yesterday. You make such a cute couple." She gushed and Niall smiled sadly.
He had just lied to her. And he was gonna be lying to a lot more people but it was for his education.
Harry may be a dick but he would suck it all up and endure it. For his education.
Niall and Jane talked for a bit until he had to go back to work.
"I have to get back out front, I'll see you later and please don't tell anyone yet. Harry is still closeted." Niall said to Jane.
"Don't worry, I won't breath a word of it. I'm so happy for you." She said and ushered him to go back to work.
Niall walked out to help out Amelia wipe the tables and wait on customers.
He couldn't help but feel a sense of nostalgia already. Because it was official. That was his last time working in the little diner that he loved so much.
*
His shift rolled quickly and soon he was going on his break. He went to a booth and sat down because there were only a few customers around.
He took out his phone and the card Harry had given him, looking at it sternly.
Finally, he sighed and decided to start by texting Louis before he made the call to Harry.
To Lou: I've decided to do it.
He sent it and waited for his friend to reply. Within a minute, his phone buzzed with Louis' reply.
From Lou: That's an amazing decision, Ni. You won't regret it and I promise I'll be with you all along. You won't feel alone in this, okay?
Niall almost cried because Louis Tomlinson was the kind of friend that everyone on Earth needed and he was the lucky one to call him his bestfriend.
So he sent Louis one more text before he could call Harry.
To Lou: Thank you so much, Lou. Means a lot.
After that, Niall dialled the number that was on the card and put the phone to his ear, waiting for Harry to pick up.
He was nervous. But who wouldn't be?
On the fourth ring, Niall heard a deep, slow British accent in his ear, prince Harry Styles.
"Harry Styles speaking, who might this be, please?"
Niall was taken aback at his politeness but he composed himself quickly.
"Uhm, it's Niall."
"I'm sorry but you gonna have to speak a little louder, I can hardly hear you."
Niall cleared his throat and decided to speak louder.
"It's Niall, Niall Horan."
"Niall, hi, love. You alright?"
At that Niall was now suspicious. Because Harry was still acting nice even after knowing who he was speaking to.
"Yeah, I'm very well, thanks. I called to tell you my decision." Niall said.
"Hold on a bit, baby." Harry said and Niall heard muffled voices and after a couple of minutes, Harry was back on the phone. "I was in the throne room with my parents. What were you saying?"
And now Niall knew why he was acting all sweet and nice. He was with the king and queen.
The same people Niall is meant to be lying to soon. He shivered and not in a good way.
"Niall, I haven't got all day! Speak up." Harry hissed and Niall almost changed his mind but he thought about the one thing that was making him do this. University.
"I'm gonna do it." Niall said through gritted teeth.
"Didn't expect less, to be honest." Harry said and Niall could practically hear the smugness in his voice.
"You are impossible." Niall couldn't help but let it slip and for a moment, he was worried about how Harry would react to that but he was surprised when the prince just laughed.
"Trust me baby, you aren't the first one to call me that. At this point, I consider it a compliment. So thank you." Harry said and Niall rolled his eyes even though the prince couldn't see him.
He had a feeling he would be rolling his eyes a lot in the next couple of years.
"Anyway, after this call, text me your address. I'll come and see you tomorrow and we can talk about stuff then. How 'bout that?"
"See me? Are you sure you want to be seen around my place yet? How 'bout I meet you wherever you'll choose?"
"I need people to see me around you so that it won't be completely from the blues when we announce our engagement."
Niall saw Harry's point and nodded before he realised that Harry couldn't see him.
"Okay, see you tomorrow then." He didn't wish to keep on talking to the prince so he immediately hung up after that.
Niall then sent his address to Harry and hoped that he had made the right decision.