The grin on your face widened when you stepped into Niall’s old bedroom. It was neat and orderly like it hadn’t been occupied in months, which it hadn’t. There was only one guitar in the room, and it rested on a stand in the corner of the room. It was a smaller sized guitar; one that you’d never seen before. An Irish flag hung on the wall and a soccer ball laid at peace on the floor at the foot of his bed. The bed was small and only meant to fit one person. But while you were there, you and Niall would both have to squeeze into that bed. At least, that was the plan.
“This is so cool,” You said as you took a step further into the room. Niall shut the door behind him and stuffed his hands in his pockets. You felt somewhat honored to be in his bedroom where he spent a portion of his childhood. There was nothing amazingly spectacular about his house, nothing that would have ever hinted he would become a world-known singer. His bedroom was just like the bedroom of any teenage boy. It was a subtle reminder that Niall had a childhood, too, and that he wasn’t always the blond from One Direction. There was a part before all that, and you felt so special to experience that part.
Even his town was humble. You’d seen only a little of it on your way in because Niall said he’d take you out and show you around at a later time. But from what you could see, it was a very comfortable community. Especially in his neighborhood, you felt as if it was one of those places where almost everyone knew each other. People didn’t scream or cry when Niall walked by; they simply smiled or nodded at him. These people didn’t know him as One Direction; they knew him as Niall from next door. It was a nice contrast to the madness he had become used to. He knew that when he was home, he would be treated the way he always used to be. He longed for that feeling, sometimes, when he was halfway across the world on tour.
You took some time to wander around the room, though it wasn’t a huge space. Your fingers touched places that Niall had once touched on a daily basis—like the handles on his dresser, the blanket on his bed, the guitar in the corner. For a few short moments, you felt as if you were a part of his life prior to being in the band. When you strummed your fingers across the guitar to discover that it was only slightly out of tune, Niall said, “That was the first guitar I ever got. A bit small for me now, but it still plays nice.”
He retrieved his hands from his pockets and fell onto his bed. He sat on the edge and stretched his legs out in front of him. After watching you for a while, he asked, “You wanna come cuddle with me?” You turned as he kicked his shoes off and squirmed into the bed. He propped himself up against the headboard and patted the little empty space next to him. “I’m kinda tired,” He added. You softly smiled and crossed the room to where his bed was. You slid out of your shoes, too, and crawled in next to him. It was pretty tight, seeing as you had to be squished up against Niall so that you wouldn’t fall out. He wrapped his arms around you, holding you in your place, as he dramatically said, “Don’t worry, my love! I’ll never let you fall!”
You laughed and buried your face in his chest. He dipped his head and pressed his lips to your forehead, humming in content. You looked a bit strange; two grown people squeezed into a child’s bed. But Niall made it work, like he said he would. He tangled his legs with yours and rested his chin on top of your head. He closed his eyes and a little smile tugged at his lips. For the first time in a while, Niall felt at ease with the world. His mind was clear; he had nothing to worry about. Nowhere to be, no deadlines to make. He could finally sit back and relax with you.
You laid in silence until you heard a knock on the door, and Niall peeled his eyes open as the door creaked open and his dad peeked in. “Are you two alright in here? You’re bein’ really quiet,” He said.
“Yeah, we’re fine,” Niall answered, rubbing your back.
“Okay,” His dad smiled. “Well, dinner will be ready soon. Then I think we should fix up a place for (Y/N) to sleep.”
Your eyebrows furrowed at this. Niall raised his head and looked at his dad to say, “I thought she was sleeping in here with me.”
His dad paused for a minute, narrowing his eyes at Niall. “You’re still my son,” He said. “You can do what you want when you’re away, but as long as you’re in my house, I don’t want you two tryin’ things.”
You squirmed into a sitting position as Niall chuckled. “Dad,” He said, “I promise we won’t. Besides, (Y/N) always sleeps with me. I’m not gonna make her sleep alone just because we’re here.”
Niall and his dad exchanged looks, and you sat awkwardly beside Niall until his dad sighed. “Fine,” He agreed, “As long as you keep your clothes on.”
He then disappeared, leaving you and Niall alone. Niall laughed a little before whispering in your ear, “I was crossing my fingers when I made that promise.”
**Niall, you naughty little boy!**