#1dff update

[feminarrie]

ice and tanqueray - 03

The cadence of Niall’s voice is enough to quiet all of the excuses that sit just past the tip of her tongue. Y/N swallows thickly before nodding. Her eyes meet Niall’s and there’s a small glimmer of excitement that dances in the reflection of light in her irises. Gradually do her lips stretch into a smile that matches his own, both full of excitement and nervousness.

a/n: i know.... it’s been literal months since my last update. i’m just beginning to become more invested in this store again, so i appreciate your kindness and patience in waiting for updates! 

i hope you enjoy this cute little filler! 

It’s been a little over a week since Louis had suggested using the trip to Barcelona as a way for Niall to come clean about his feelings. The thought had been at the forefront of his mind and left Niall distracted in many of his meetings. Even when he’s home and the stress of the day has been washed down the drain, it lingers within the droplets of water on his skin.

He isn’t sure if he should ask her, if he’s honest. Niall’s fearful that she will think it’s an abuse of power on his part. Between wining and dining her, he knows that it’s possible for it to be misconstrued that way. But, that isn’t his intention. He isn’t some low life that uses his position as a way to get a pretty girl under his thumb. He only wants to make his feelings known so that, even if she does reciprocate them, they can move forward. Because Niall really doesn’t like feeling like a schoolboy that has fallen in love with the first pretty girl he has seen.

The days are winding down, though. There are only three days to make the proper arrangements if Y/N does choose to come with him. Yet, he is still sat at his desk staring at a blank screen while she chatters away on the phone to some business exec. She glances back at him with a roll of her eyes and gestures to the phone. Niall laughs softly, lifting his shoulders in an exaggerated shrug before dropping them.

He really should ask her. He’ll regret it if he doesn’t.

Niall continues to chew on the thought, rolling words over his tongue and rehearsing the best way to ask her. He sits there for so long, mind so riddled with anticipation that he doesn’t even realize Y/N has entered the room until she’s stood beside his desk. It nearly makes him jump out of his skin, but a short string of curses erupt from his chest.

“What’s so interesting that you’re sitting in silence?” Y/N jokes, a teasing glint in her eye.

His cheeks stain red at being caught up in his thoughts, but Niall quickly clears his throat and pushes some hair away from his forehead. His fingers become slightly tacky with residue from the gel holding his quiff in place and he’s reaching for a tissue to wipe it from them. It’s also a welcome distraction from Y/N, who is hovering so close to him that he can smell her perfume. It’s a mixture of the smell after rain and some fragrant flower petals, but he isn’t quite sure which ones.

“Just a little bit distracted today,” he says, clicking his computer mouse a few times to bring the screen back to life. “Have you got anything for me?”

Y/N nods with a soft smile, although her eyes remain questioning. She can see it in the way Niall’s tongue presses to the back of his teeth that he wants to tell her more, but she doesn’t push it. Instead, she pulls the pen from her notepad and places it behind her ear as she lists off his upcoming appointments and missed calls.

“Louis called about a business trip coming up in a few days. He wants to know if he’ll need to watch Murphy for you,” Y/N says, glancing between the pad of paper and Niall. “I told him he wouldn’t have to, if you didn’t mind me taking care of him.”

Niall suppresses a sigh that fights to inflate his lungs. Although subtle to Y/N, the push to ask her to accompany him on a business trip is blatant to Niall. Especially when he knows that the six year old golden retriever will be cared for by Harry, a mutual friend and Niall’s former roommate.

“About that, pet.” Niall says after another clearing of his throat.

Might as well bite the bullet now, he thinks. Y/N’s eyes are expectant, pupils dancing across his face to find a reason for his nervousness.

“I know it’s short notice, but I could really use your help during that trip.” He says, tongue darting out to lick his lower lip. “It won’t be all business, though. S’ Barcelona, after all and beautiful this time of year.”

Niall watches Y/N’s features change with a series of emotions. Excitement flashes in her eyes at first, a broad smile to match. But, her brows soon pinch together and she looks contemplative, mulling over her decision. It makes Niall’s knee bounce in anticipation of her answer, but he tries not to rush her. Even when she opens her mouth just to close it again, lips making a quiet popping noise each time.

“I- I would love to, Niall, but…” she pauses, lip coming to rest between her teeth for just a moment. “I can’t exactly afford to fly to Barcelona, financially or with school.”

Well, she could afford the short flight to Barcelona. But, even a two night stay in the city would cost more than half of her rent.

Her tone is apologetic, but Niall is shaking his head already to quiet any further apologies. Y/N’s worries over her course work and money had not gone unnoticed by Niall. In fact, the former is painfully obvious when two cups of coffee are already in the bin by the time he strolls into the office at nine in the morning. It becomes even more evident when big exams roll around and she’s asleep at her desk, right cheek dented with the edge of her notebooks.

“You wouldn’t be paying, Y/N.” Niall chuckles softly, the noise coming from deep within his chest when he sees heat blossom on her cheeks. “Besides, s’just a long weekend. I know you don’t have class Thursday through Sunday anyway. Just those four days, pet.”

Y/N’s top teeth pinch the corner of her lower lip, her tongue rolling over the pink flesh inside. The fear of getting behind on any homework keeps the urge to blurt out an excited ‘yes’ at bay. Being behind on work makes Y/N feel as if she is not in control of her time and surroundings. It ignites a feeling of stress within her that scorches her from the inside out until she’s caught up or having a breakdown, whichever comes first.

“You could take the next few days to get a headstart on your coursework. That way you can enjoy yourself, too.”

Her lower lip is still pinched between her teeth and her eyes dance across the top of Niall’s desk. She wonders briefly if bees had burrowed their way through exposed pieces of the wood that are only filled with clear lacquer. Lets her mind wander and question if the brunette haired boy had paid just a little extra for the one of a kind piece. Y/N is so caught up in her winding thoughts that she doesn’t see the slight twitch of Niall’s right index finger atop his desk, a sign of his nerves getting the better of him. She doesn’t miss the clearing of his throat, however.

“Oh,” Y/N says, finally freeing the now swollen flesh of her lip from its confines. “You’ve really thought this through, huh?”

Niall nods with a small laugh and a genuine smile that shows his teeth.

“I really would like you to go with me, Y/N.” He admits, “It would help me out a lot.”

The cadence of Niall’s voice is enough to quiet all of the excuses that sit just past the tip of her tongue. Y/N swallows thickly before nodding. Her eyes meet Niall’s and there’s a small glimmer of excitement that dances in the reflection of light in her irises. Gradually do her lips stretch into a smile that matches his own, both full of excitement and nervousness.

.  .  .

Niall stayed true to his word when he had offered Y/N the opportunity to use the rest of the week to get ahead on her work. She had worked tirelessly on a fifteen page paper about the rise and fall of Roman Empire, only taking breaks to shove all of her necessities into her suitcase. So, when she arrives at the airport nearly two hours before their 8am flight, it is safe to say that she is exhausted.

Her hair is pulled back from her face while she looks cozy in a navy blue sweater and leggings tucked into a comfortable pair of sneakers. She looks like the very definition of soft from where Niall stands beside her in line for a cup of coffee. If he allows himself to be hopeful, his only desire would be to have Y/N lay her head on his shoulder during the short flight. He allows himself to think that it is a possibility when she stretches her jaw wide with a yawn, a hand coming up to cover her mouth.

“Sorry,” she mumbles from behind her hand, moisture collecting in the corners of her eyes after yawning. “Pretty sure I went to bed ‘round half past midnight. So, I’m just really tired.” She rubs at her eyes as if to emphasize her fatigue.

Niall chortles, his own fatigue evident in the crease of his brow and red rimmed eyelids. “No need to apologize, pet. S’an early flight,” he says, his own voice still somewhat thick due to the early hours of the morning.

Their conversation pauses as Y/N shifts her attention to the barista. She refrains from ordering something with a shot of espresso because she has every intention, if Niall’s willing to swap seats, to rest her head against the window to sleep for the entirety of the short flight. A two hour nap would help her re-energize before she’s thrown into whatever work Niall has her doing. He’s only told her about some meetings with potential clients and more excitingly, agents that would work in a satellite office in Barcelona. Niall had tasked her with confirming his appointments upon their arrival, but her knowledge of her responsibilities stopped there.

Although Niall wishes to pay for Y/N, he stays put while she fishes a few notes out from a purse. He knows that she would just chatsie him for even attempting to pay for it. Especially considering that he has dipped into his own pocket to pay for her flight and separate hotel room. She doesn’t know that, though. He had shied away from telling her that he wouldn’t be charging the expense to the business account. Because now, he knows her well enough to know that she would have denied going even if he did need her help.

“I noticed our first meeting isn’t until seven, tonight.” Y/N says, stepping aside after having retrieved her drink.

“Thought I’d give us a chance to settle in before I show you around the city, if that’s alright with you?” Niall asks and he’s inwardly annoyed that he feels unsure of himself.

The feeling goes away shortly thereafter, though. When Y/N is looking at him with tired eyes and a soft smile, nodding her head. She only requests that Niall allows her to shower before she has to wander the streets of Barcelona. And Niall agrees that a shower after an early morning flight was more than a good idea.

It would allow him enough time to gather himself before they were fully consumed by the beauty of Barcelona. Well, moreso Y/N than him. He’s sure that he’ll be more enraptured by seeing her surrounded by the beautiful colors of the surrounding artwork and architecture that goes back more than a millenia than the actual city itself.

If he allows himself to dwell on that thought, Niall knows that he would be overcome with anxiety that has already taken up residence in his bones. And perhaps some of the jitters are from the flight that boards in just a short amount of time. But, Niall knows that most of them are due to the fact that he has every intention of asking Y/N to go to dinner with him, at some point during the trip...and he has no idea how she will react.

[feminarrie]

under the same moon - two

a/n: first, thank you so so much for all the positive feedback i’ve received for the prologue and first chapter! it really means a lot! second, thank you for being so patient for this next chapter! if the next few weeks are kinder to me, i should be establishing a consistent posting schedule!

if you’d like to be added to the tag list, send me an ask! 

Hanna’s dancing around her living room, microfiber cloth in hand, as she attempts to clean up her apartment. Her voice carries over the sound of Cyndi Lauper’s “Girl’s Just Wanna Have Fun” and she hopes that her neighbors don’t mind the full-on performance that she is putting on because she has no intention of toning it down.

Not when Imogen is less than an hour away from Northridge.

She had received the text message nearly three hours ago, but the excitement hadn’t dwindled since then. In fact, as the clock on the stove neared closer and closer to three in the afternoon, Hanna could feel the anticipation rising. It had erased any residual jet lag that Hanna had felt and replaced it with an exuberant amount of energy.

Hanna had managed to do the food shopping, tidy up her room, and was very close to having the entire apartment spotless before Imogen walked through the door. All that was left to do was a quick dusting of the the shelves, bookcases, and entertainment system that occupied the small space. Which took much longer than expected because Hanna is only just finished wiping down the storage space beneath their coffee table when Imogen walks in.

“Skeeter!” Imogen exclaims, kicking the door shut behind her and disregarding all of the bags she had brought with her.

Hanna’s chocolate irises are set alight when she hears the voice of her best friend behind her. She swivels to see her and just barely manages to stabilize her footing before she’s bounding toward her petite best friend. At just a quarter of an inch past five and five inches, Hanna is hardly tall. But, she dwarfs Imogen, who stands at only five feet tall.

“Imogen!” Hanna squeals, wrapping her arms around Imogen’s shoulders and squeezing tightly.

They stay like that for a moment, each laughing and squeaking with excitement. Hanna is the first to step back from the embrace and allows herself to take in Imogen’s appearance. She pays little attention to what Imogen is actually wearing, but does take in the way her skin glows with the sun and relaxation that she managed to get on her week long cruise. Mostly, she takes in the smile on Imogen’s face that mirrors the excitement and relief on her own.

“You look so good!” Hanna says, pulling her back in for a hug before releasing Imogen completely. “How was the cruise!?”

Imogen dives into the details of her Caribbean cruise. She tells Hanna about the cute lifeguard that had made eyes at her for almost the entire trip. Imogen goes into deeper detail about the family drama that happened before the ship had even set off.

“It was all over a bed, Hanna. Marcus still has a black eye!” Imogen groans, referring to how her younger brother Samuel had punched Marcus, the youngest, almost as soon as they had gotten into the room.

“I can’t say I’m surprised.” Hanna says with a shrug.

In being friend with Imogen for three years and living with her for two of them, she’s met her entire family on several occasions. Samuel and Marcus were always at each others’ throats. She’s seen them fight over who got the last slice of pizza that Hanna had bought as thank you to Imogen’s family for helping them move in. So, she really isn’t surprised over the scuffle they had.

“Enough about me, though.” Imogen interjects, taking a seat on Hanna’s bed after they’d wandered back from the kitchen. “How was London?”

Hanna had made them a glass of sangria each when she realized that the clock had struck five. After all, having Imogen back in their apartment was a cause for celebration.

She sits on the desk beanbag that sits in the corner of her room, just below the windowsill and beside a stack of her favorite books to reread. And the cherry red liquid esloshes around in its short stemmed glass, very nearly spilling, but Hanna manages to balance it before so much as a drop falls.

“Really good.” Hanna admits, moving swiftly on to list all of the history she had learned while exploring different landmarks.

Did you know that Charles Dickens used to carry around a compass to ensure that he slept facing north because he thought it would improve his writing? Hanna didn’t either, but the fun fact is forever in her arsenal should someone ask.

Imogen can tell that Hanna is holding something back though. It is evident in the way she chews at a hangnail at the corner of her thumb, a nervous habit that Hanna worked really hard to shake. But, it’s rearing its ugly head because she’s nervous about verbalizing all that has gone on since she had met Niall. As if speaking it out loud would have each syllable and hopeful inflection dropping and puncturing the little bubble she had created around herself.

“Are you going to tell me what’s on your mind or am I going to have to drag it out of you, Skeeter?” Imogen is raising a polished brow at her.

Hanna looks at her from over the brim of her glass as she takes a sip of the sweet cocktail, her brown eyes catching the light of the setting sun and the golden light enriches the color. She swallows before letting out a sigh. There’s absolutely no way she can keep a secret from Imogen.

“I sorta met a guy while I was in London, I guess?” Hanna shrugs, as if the most basic detail wasn’t true. “Remember Ira from freshman year?” She asks, waiting for Imogen’s response.

“She lived down the hall freshman year, right?” Imogen asks, raising her glass to her lips and taking an audible sip of her drink.

“Yeah,” Hanna confirms. “Well, we went out one of our last nights there. And I’m not sure how we ended up at some fish and chip shop, but we did.” She pauses for a moment, digging for her phone in the pocket of her shorts. “There was this guy there with his group of friends.”

She tosses Imogen her phone once she’s opened up Niall’s instagram page. Imogen scrolls through his profile while Hanna continues her story of that night. She omits the personal details that Niall had shared with her, but continued to delve into just how well they had gotten along. And told her about Niall’s insistence to drive her and Ira home because he didn’t want her wasting the remainder of her money on a taxi.

“So…” Imogen trails off, wondering why Hanna still looked as though she had something else to say.

“So,” Hanna begins, chewing on her lower lip and her eyes shift from Imogen, to the left wall, and the ceiling before landing back on her again. “We’ve spoken every single day. Texts and Skype calls. I almost fell asleep with him on video two days ago.”

.     .     .     .     .     .     .     .     .     .     .

Her eyes were very nearly bloodshot, red and pink veins twisting and intertwining across the white of her eyes. It was close to nine in the morning for Niall, who had very evidently still been asleep when she called him. She only realized that she had called on Niall’s only day off from work when he’s groggy and mumbling a “‘lo?” when he answered.

“Sorry for calling so early. And on your day off.” Hanna had mumbled, cheek pressed to her pillow as she rolls to her left side.

Niall wiped some sleep away from his tear duct and long eyelashes were soon fluttering as he opened his eyes. He blinked sleepily at Hanna, his vision still slightly blurred.

“No, no. Don’t be sorry.” He yawned, reaching behind the camera of his phone to grab his glasses. “S’why I keep myself logged in, love.”

And Hanna’s heart melted a little at that. The fact that he had kept himself active on the application for instances such as that was far too sweet of someone she had met only a few weeks prior. He didn’t owe her any such kindness, even with how close they were becoming. Interrupting someone’s day off of work—before it’s even begun—because she couldn’t sleep hardly seemed fair. But, with a foggy mind and the loud thunder that seemed to be hovering just above her part of town, she really didn’t feel comfortable sleeping alone.

Normally, her apartment is at least occupied by Imogen. Who typically wakes up when she hears the claps of thunder and shuffles into Hanna’s room to make sure she’s alright. Other times, Tyler and Sonam drag her into the living room to occupy her until the storm begins to migrate or dissipate.

“Remember when I told you I was an absolute baby about thunderstorms?” She asked, watching as Niall unfolds the arms of his glasses and perches the bridge of them on his nose.

It had been Niall’s turn for his heart to soften. He did recall her talking about how scared she was of thunder—not the rain that it brought though, she loved the rain—when she was on his lap at his apartment. He had thought that maybe it was an exaggeration, but he watched her jump with a particularly bright flash of lighting lights up her room and the crash of thunder that follows soon after. And he shouldn’t have been endeared, but he was. Desperate to have her beside him too, if he was honest. He would’ve liked nothing more than to pull her into his lap and remind her that he’d keep her safe from the storm.

He supposed words would have to do.

“Oh, love. You’ll be alright.” Niall whispered, shifting to his side just like Hanna had. “Is there anything I can do to calm ya down?”

“Just talk to me.” Hanna admitted, pulling her covers to sit just below her chin.

“What would you want to talk about?” Niall asked, kind still in the process of reorienting itself after a particularly vivid dream.

Hanna hummed quietly to herself in thought before answering. “Do you have any plans for your day off?”

“Mm, Liam’s mum is meant to stop by later, I think.” Niall mumbled, pulling down the notification center of his phone to see that it was nine o’ clock on the dot. “She said she’d be ‘round at eleven. Still does his laundry, can you believe that?”

In the midst of pulling her comforter tighter around her, Hanna laughs. It was a short and sweet sound that Niall would’ve missed if he wasn’t so focused on her. It’s paired with a delicate smile that hadn’t been there a moment ago. Niall took it as a small personal victory for being a sufficient distraction from the frightening weather outside.

“I would kill to have my mom still do my laundry.” Hanna admitted, “I’d love to have her up here in general.”

She’d been open with Niall about how close she is with her parents, so it doesn’t shock him that Hanna wishes her mother were closer. But, he can’t miss the homesick look in her eye when she talks about it. It’s a melancholy look that brings a sad smile to her lips, but her eyes shine bright. As if she was remembering all of the best parts of being home when she’s many miles away.

“When’s the next break that you have?” Niall asked, moving to sit up in his bed.

“Not until March, for spring break.” Hanna said after a moment, caught up in the fact that she was moping about missing home when she’s still got more than a week to take a trip if she’d like.

But, Imogen would be back soon and she knows that everything will feel much more homey when she does. And Niall does make her feel more at home, if she was honest. It’s why she had called him in the first place.

He emanated a feeling of safety that was so strong that it stretched across land, sea, and phone screens.

“You could always go see her then?” Niall suggested, pressing his back to his headboard and stretching his free arm up.

He was completely bare on top, Hanna noticed. A thick dusting of hair on his chest and broad shoulders immediately captivated her attention.

She was glad that the room was dark and thus, her image was grainy. Or else Niall would have seen the mauve-toned blush rise to her cheeks. She wasn’t quite ready to have a conversation about how ridiculously attractive she found him.

“I usually do. Imogen usually tags along, too.” Hanna said, yawning shortly thereafter.

Niall noticed the fatigue start to settle in as Hanna continued to talk. Her voice becoming softer and some words were hard to understand when she begins to mumble almost incoherently. Her thoughts were half finished and she jumped from one topic to another without much notice.

“Hanna,” Niall spoke softly, trying to gain her attention. “Hanna, love.”

Hanna knuckled at her eyes, stopping herself in the middle of her sentence. She couldn’t recall exactly what she was talking about, but she knew that Niall had stopped her before she could finish. It settled a pout on her plump lower lip when she finally got her eyes to focus back on the screen.

“S’rude to interrupt people when they’re talking, Niall.” She grumbled, finally halting her movements when the inner corner of her eye becomes sore and red.

“Sorry, love.” Niall laughed. “But, I think it’s about time you get some sleep, yeah? You’ve been mumblin’ about invisible monsters or something like that for fifteen minutes.”

“The book, Niall. Invisible Monsters by Charles Palahniuk.” Hanna grumbled again, but she’s still nodding to Niall’s suggestion. “I think so, too.”

“Alright.” Niall agreed, happy that Hanna was finally comfortable enough to sleep. “Just text me whenever you’re up, love.”

Hanna nuzzled further into her deflating pillows, too exhausted to fluff them up before she fell asleep. And Niall was once again so endeared that he had to bite his lower lip to conceal the face splitting smile that threatens to consume his face.

“I will. Good morning, Niall.” Hanna whispered, eyes already closed and breathing beginning to even out. “Hope you have a good day.”

“Already started out perfectly.” Niall admitted, though he wasn’t entirely sure Hanna heard it because quite frankly, he’s convinced she was already asleep. “Goodnight, Hanna.”

.     .     .     .     .     .     .     .     .     .     .

Two more glasses of sangria and a hefty deliver from Musse later, Hanna and Imogen were sprawled out across their couch. Imogen’s head was in Hanna’s lap while an episode of Friends played in the background. Neither paid attention to it, though. It was simply their go-to show when they were in need of some type of background noise.

“So, do you like Niall?” Imogen asks, glancing from her phone to Hanna. “I mean, it’s fairly obvious that you do. I haven’t seen you this gone for a boy since you had thing for Brad from that history class you took sophomore year.”

Hanna rolls her eyes at Imogen which earns her a slap to the thigh.

“I don’t know why you’d ask me, then.” Hanna pokes her tongue out at Imogen, a blush rising to her cheeks.

“To hear you say it,” Imogen says with a shrug.

Hanna leans forward slightly, flicking Imogen on the nose before pressing her back against the couch again. It has Imogen’s nose scrunching up and her eyes narrowing at her best friend.

“You’re so annoying.” Hanna rolls her eyes once again. “I like him, though. A lot.”

Hanna’s no longer afraid to mutter the words now. Not after Niall had texted her some picture of his grumpy face when he’d come home to an empty flat. And continued to text her. She could practically hear him grumbling about how Liam hadn’t told him he’d be home for the next few day. Even asked about Imogen and how excited she was to haver her back.

The happy bubble that surrounded her and Niall seems to be much stronger than she had thought. She still feels weightless and buzzing whenever Niall’s name lights up her screen. She still has to bite her lip when she texts him back, for fear of looking like an absolute weirdo, grinning down at her phone.

“Are you going to tell him?” Imogen pushes because she knows how Hanna is.

The question is valid. But, Hanna isn’t really sure if she’s willing to be vulnerable enough to share her feelings (even though she’s told him things even Imogen doesn’t know). Because being that vulnerable, with someone so far away, is scary. Downright petrifying, if she allows herself to be honest.

But, Hanna can’t shake the feeling that Niall is meant to be in her life. She can feel it with every muscle, bone, follicle, and fiber within her. And it only seems to strengthen when his eyes dance across her face and hang on her every word during their almost nightly video calls.

“I don’t know.” Hanna is truthful in her response. “I don’t know.”

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[feminarrie]

under the same moon - three

a/n: sorry for the wait, loves! i’ve been in a lot of pain the last week, but finally managed to finish chapter three! it’s a little over 2.2k and a whole lot of soft niall! a big big big thank you to @fireawaynjh for beta reading this chapter! 

want to be added to the taglist? send me an ask!

Niall sighs as he gets out of bed, chest heavy and eyes still bleary with sleep. He’d gotten almost a full eight hours last night, but his lack of a consistent sleeping schedule never allowed him a day without some sort of fatigue. And it’s aggravated slightly by Hanna’s presence in his life, but he’d rather lose sleep talking to her than miss out on the small glimpses into her life back home.

He widens his eyes in an effort to wake himself up more, prolonging his blinks to clear whatever blurs his vision. It doesn’t help much, but he hasn’t got time to sit around. He’s got a six hour shift at the record store just a block away from his flat. Plus one of Liam’s friends, Zayn, had asked if Niall would mind recording some of his music. Which, of course, Niall has agreed to when Zayn promised to pay him a hundred quid.

Fingers comb through the tangled mess atop his head, leaving some strands sticking straight up and others flopping down on his forehead. He supposes that a shower was likely a good idea, even if it meant skimping out on a healthy breakfast in favor of an overpriced scone and coffee from Starbucks.

Niall gets up to rummage in the black chest of drawers, finding a pair of black Calvin Klein’s and wandering off into the single bathroom in the flat. He’s grateful that Liam’s likely still sleeping in because he’s genuinely never met somebody that takes so long in the bathroom just to come out looking the exact same.

(Which also frustrated Niall because Liam was already fit. He could get just about any girl as soon as he steps out on the street. So, it really isn’t fair that he makes the water run cold before Niall’s had the chance to shower).

After he’s turned the shower on and while he is waiting for it to heat up to an appropriate temperature, Niall types out a quick good morning text to Hanna.

Good morning, love. Getting ready for work, but hopefully I’ll be out before you’re even awake. Hope your day starts off well!

After he’s pressed send, Niall scrolls through some of his curated Spotify playlists. He settles on one that is a compilation of his most listened to titles and turs it up to full volume. Take It Easy by The Eagles echoes of the white walls of the bathroom. Niall hums along with it as he steps into the shower. Before long, though, his voice is carrying over the sounds of Glenn Frey’s own vocals.

Niall sings his way through two more songs on the playlist before he’s stepping out of the shower. Brunette locks are plastered to his forehead and beads of water travel down the bridge of his nose only to drip to his lower lip. He licks the droplet away as he reaches for the grey towel that’s neatly hung over the metal rod of a towel rack. He uses it to quickly dry off his hair, leaving it in loose curls and sticking up in different directions. His body follows next where he starts from his feet and then all the way to his broad back before he steps outside of the porcelain tub to tug on his boxer briefs.

As he unlocks the door to exit, Niall grabs his phone from the shelf that’s hung exactly in the middle of the two towel racks beneath it. He pauses Jackie and Wilson by Hozier because he’s sure that Liam wouldn’t appreciate the blaring music as Niall makes the trek back to his room.

He doesn’t expect Hanna’s name to pop up on his screen, though. It’s only a quarter past seven in the morning, so he had expected Hanna to be tucked into bed for the night. Especially after she had groaned about needing to get back into a decent sleep schedule before classes resumed.

Sonam and Tyler are back!!! We’re out for Taco Tuesday and dancing!

Wish you could party with us n not have to go to work. ): ): ):

Niall sends a message that tells her that he would much rather be out with them than getting ready for his shift. Especially when his 8am to 2pm doesn’t generate the most traffic or revenue. Instead, he spends the majority of his time typing lyrics down on the notes app or texting Hanna when she’s awake.

He tosses the phone onto his bed and pivots to find an outfit within his closet. It’s mostly an array of deeper tones—browns, navies, oranges—but, they’re broken up with some white graphic shirts and striped short sleeved tops. He settles on a heather grey top that he pairs with his signature black jeans. Niall doesn’t bother with a sleek boot, but picks a pair of worn black Nike SB Blazer Mids.

The clock on his phone reads 7:38am when Niall finally all of his stuff ready to go. A phone charger and notebook thrown haphazardly into his backpack, his wallet tucked into his back pocket. He pulls his beanie and peacoat from their respective hooks just to the right of the door

When he steps out the door, he doesn’t bother to lock it behind him. He figures Liam will likely be leaving in only a few short hours and would need to lock up regardless. Even so, he texts his roommate a reminder to make sure everything is locked up before he leaves. Not that there is much worth stealing, if you asked Niall, but his laptop and guitar could sell for a pretty penny if they were taken.

Their flat is on the third floor, so Niall doesn’t bother with the elevator like he usually does. But, he can see from the electronic numbers that are lit up above the steel doors, that waiting for it isn’t worth it. Instead, he’s jogging down the stairs and pushing the door open to reveal an empty lobby.

With the holidays just passing and the upcoming semester drawing nearer, he had expected there to be more commotion. But, he reasons that it’s likely that most people won’t be leaving for their morning commute for another half hour or so. At least, those with traditional nine to five desk jobs.

Niall doesn’t dwell on it, though. He simply shoves his hands into the pockets of his coat and uses his weight to push open the entrance door.

The wind licks and bites at his skin, dyeing his cheeks and nose a shade of pink. The windburn and frigid temperatures have never been kind to his skin, but Niall has yet to learn his lesson. He routinely leaves the house without a scarf or gloves. Hell, he isn’t even sure if he owns any.

And he thinks about buying them, sure. But, whenever he actually pops into ASOS or TopMan, they’re never first priority.

He’s grateful that the walk to Starbucks is only two minutes because he’s ducking inside before he even realizes it. The smell of ground coffee and pastries occupy his senses. His eyes flitter across the menu as the scents swirl around him, twisting and turning until his stomach makes an audible growling noise.

The line is fairly short, only four others in front of him when he finally decides on his order. He takes the time to dig his phone from his pocket once more, seeing that Hanna had texted him back only three minutes ago.

Really wish you could be here!

You’re all I keep thinking about tbh.

Oops. Gotta go, the tacos are here and I’m so hungry. ):

Niall is smiling down at his screen like a proper idiot. Face lit by the blue light of his phone and teeth on full display. He doesn’t really know what part of Hanna’s messages have him grinning from ear to ear. He knows that, in part, it’s because she’s just so cute. It pains him at times, if he’s honest. Puts his lower lip in a pout because he almost always thinks about how he’d like to kiss her and tell her just how cute she is.

As he rereads the texts again, inching forward as the next person in the queue is ordering, he finds himself reading over the second message the most. Hanna’s admission, though small, has Niall rising up that much closer to cloud nine. He won’t allow himself to take up residence there, for fear that Hanna may not actually feel the same. Even though he’s fairly positive that she does.

He’s satisfied with how he is feeling now, though. He’s warmed by his proximity to the sun. Lightheaded from the fast growing altitude. Weightless as he allows himself to float just beneath the surface of cloud nine.

Niall’s only brought back down to earth by the impatient barista behind the counter. His tightlipped smile is disingenuous when Niall finally steps forward. He pays him no mind, though. Still feeling as though nobody can touch him even though his feet have settled back down on the ground.

He orders a simple black coffee with a few pumps of vanilla syrup and a buttered croissant. Niall pays for both and before he’s even wedged his wallet and phone into separate back pockets, his order is so waiting for him at the opposite end of the counter.

His movements are quicker after he’s noticed the clock. He’s got about seven minutes to make a ten minute walk to the record store. So, he fills the remaining space in his cup with cream before securing the lid and venturing back out into the cold.

One hand is shoved back into the warmth of his coat pocket while the other holds a coffee that would be too hot if it weren’t for the below freezing temperatures outside. The beverage sloshes inside the cup, only contained by the green plastic stopper that Niall had knicked before stepping outside.

He manages to arrive thirty seconds early and with only a quarter sized coffee stain atop the lid. He balances the cup in his left hand while his right digs for the keys to open up the store. They’re deep in the corner of his coat pocket, where Niall’s fingers must pinch and shift them until he can get a decent grasp on the cold metal.

The inside of the store is dark when he enters, save for one neon sign in the back that Niall never remembers to turn off. It hangs above the listening area that is tucked in the left back corner of the store. “Good vibes” is written in all lower case letters and glows pink in the dimly lit space.

Niall thinks the sign is somewhat cringeworthy and hardly fits with the rest of the store’s aesthetic. The open layout is contained by exposed brick and covered with records that are chosen weekly by the staff. What is left of the empty wall space is occupied by signed posters that almost always have a glare from the string lights hung throughout the room.

After setting his stuff down, he flips the black and white “closed” sign, so that it reads “open.” He switches the lights on next before rounding the counter to prepare the register. It only takes five minutes for him to completely settle in. It takes another five for his hands to finally thaw enough for him to grab his phone.

Hanna’s name appears on his screen once again.

hello again. I’m a little drunk already.

margaritas and a vodka cran will do that to ya though.

still wishing you were here!

probably best you aren’t, though.

not the prettiest drunk, you know?

Niall is about to text her back to let her know he’s seen her pretty drunk. He had seen the way her lightly freckled cheeks were flushed and likely warm to the touch when they had first met. Her hair had been tossed up into a messy bun that barely contained her thick brunette hair. Niall had also watched her shovel fries into her mouth without a single breath that night, too.

But, Hanna already sent another message by the time he finished typing up his own response.

can’t have the boy that i like, but have no chance with, seeing me like this.

Niall watches as his cursor jumps backward as he backspaces his message.

Is it too early to be that giddy over such a simple declaration of mutual interest? Niall doesn’t think so.

In fact, he allows himself to float just that little bit more until he is sitting comfortably on cloud nine. He feels floaty and yet, never more anchored down than he does now. Even as his thumbs hover over the keyboard, unsure of how to properly respond, he feels at ease.

He settles for a simple response. Short, clear, and hard to misinterpret.

Don’t say that. Call me when you get home, love.

He types out another message asking her to be safe while she’s out. With an extra reminder to have fun with her friends as they celebrate being back together.

And on the opposite side of the world, Hanna is making her own quick ascension to cloud nine. Even being as intoxicated as she was, she is still capable of reading Niall like an open book. Which is how she feels a potentially blooming relationship should be:

Easy.

feedback? | series masterlist

taglist: @stylishmuser | @exoticniall | @irish-nlessing | @niallersdirtylaundry | @niall-is-my-dream | @fireawaynjh | @starboyhaz | @klairelavarias 

[harrystylesfanfiction]

"Don’t let them win, Teej. Don’t let them make you feel like you have to be less talented because it makes them more comfortable.”

- from Breaking The Ice by sarbearfive on Wattpad https://my.w.tt/QxFJAmIIyP

[nofockingwya]

chapter 3

August 9th, 2013

I hadn't gotten a call yet, not even a text, from the boy who claimed he loved me oh so dearly. Hitting the 24 hour mark since we last spoke and Spencer hadn't even made an effort to see if I'd landed in LA safely or anything. I could be dead for all he knows! With the frustration feeding my power walk to the lift I dialled Spencer's number and hit the down arrow for the lift.

It took him five rings till he answered my call. "Hello?" He sounded as if he'd just woken up. Maybe my math's a little off but it was surely past two in the afternoon back home.

"Hey," I said bitterly. I wanted to say a lot more but held back while the lift doors opened and I saw I wasn't alone. Smiling at the middle aged couple, and a few sleepy looking crew members for 1D, I folded my arms and waited for Spencer to speak.

"Sup?" He mumbled into the phone. Way to add fuel to the damn fire Spencer Christian Jones.

"Just wanted to call and let you know we landed safe and sound last night, and that LA is great."

"Well that's good, LA is always great," Spencer said. He sounded distracted, which made me even more angry, the lift doors opened at the lobby and I wasted no time rushing out before anyone else inside could move.

"I'm sorry, are you busy right now? Did I call at a bad time Spenc," I hissed into the phone.

"Nope," he said popping the 'p'. I could hear a door closing in the background, but instead I ignored it and looked around the lobby to find Caroline. She was accompanied by a handful of people; Tori, Hana, Zayn, Niall, Harry, Lou and of course the little ones of the tour crew, Brooklyn and Lux. As I made my way towards the group, Harry was the first to see me approach them. He smiled at me and I sent him a wave before stopping and going to end my phone call.

"You know what Spencer, " I said, "I don't know what has been up with you lately but I don't ask for much from you. Very little really. So I didn't think it was much to expect a call or even a bloody text message asking if I landed safely after a long flight, hell after any flight!"

Spencer was quiet for a minute, the only sounds coming from the phone was the clinking of what I could guess was a spoon against a bowl. After taking a few breaths I looked up at the group of people potentially waiting for me, and it seemed I had gained a bit of attention. Along with Harry still looking my way, Niall, Tori and Caroline had all bothered to look my way between their conversations.

"M'sorry Liv," Spencer mumbled into the phone. "Guess I'm just a bit nervous about this casting call coming up," he explained. I tried to file through my mind, trying to figure out what he was talking about. Right, he mentioned one earlier this week. But if I'm correct its not till after the bloody weekend.

"Okay, well I have to get to work now."

"I'll call you later, promise," he said in a much happier tone then we had been using. It sparked a small smile to my face and my eyes drifted down to my boots.

"Alright, bye now,"

"Love you Liv,"

"I love you too," I said before hanging up the phone. Brushing that conversation and my shitty boyfriend out of my head, I walked towards everyone now and placed a smile on my lips.

"Sorry," I muttered once closer to them all. Caroline only smiled back to me and let little B attach to my legs, motioning with her hands for me to pick her up. Without hesitation I picked her up, fixing her dress once she rested on my hip, and kissed her little cheeks. She made my mood much lighter almost instantly.

"How are you?" I looked away from Brooklyn to respond to the sweet husky voice I've grown to know. Harry brushed his hand through Brooklyn's curls and smiled towards me.

"I'm alright," I nodded.

"Boyfriend problems?" He questioned, referring to the call I was trying to push out of my mind. I got a little embarrassed that he had heard my side of Spencer and I's little tiff.

"Yeah, sort of,"

"Want me to beat him up?" Harry gave me a smug look. I couldn't help but chuckle, not only at his comment but at the fact that Spencer was twice the size of Harry and could hurt him pretty badly. And I know a few million girls who wouldn't appreciate that.

"I think I can handle it, thanks though," I replied. Harry smiled, showing those beautiful dimples, and shrugged before turning his attention to the head security of their team who had joined us. Paul, head security of One Direction for over a year now, explained the car situation to get to the arena, and also that the crowd of girls had grown since last night.

"Just get into a car, there's two out there-"

"Uh, Paul, we're still missing some," Lou interrupted him to point out the obvious.  

"Where the bloody hell are Louis and Liam?" Paul hissed, pulling out his phone and quickly hitting the screen a few times before putting it to his ear. Just as Paul began to raise his voice at an unknown name, guessing part of their security team, the lift doors opened and tumbling out came Louis and Liam along with two large gentlemen I had recognized from last time I had seen those two; and a shy but beautiful brunette I had only seen pictures of online.

"I tried to speed them up, but Louis couldn't find his blue Vans," the brunette said once approaching us.

"Oi! I found one of them," Louis attempted to defend himself but instead got glares from all us of the styling team. Losing a pair of shoes was one thing, but only one killed something inside of me.

"We have to get going now," Paul cut in before any of us could shout at Louis. "We can't stop for pictures, none," he said sternly while looking at each one of the guys. Then with that we headed out.

Brooklyn stayed on my hip as Caroline adjusted her bag on her shoulder and I followed behind Caroline whilst making small chat with little B. To think about how last night I thought the girls were loud was absurd, cause the moment each of the boys stepped outside into the sunny LA day the screams were insanity. The girls grabbed past the barrier, being held back by some of the hotel security and a couple police as well.

Everyone, including Lou and Caroline cause they had become a familiar face to the 1D fans, waved at the hoard of girls before filing into the two cars.

"Wow," I muttered while buckling in myself and glancing out the window again at the girls trying their hardest to budge past the large men. Harry had taken the seat beside me, and poked his head beside mine to look out the window as well.

Even through the tinted window, a handful of girls recognized him and shouted his name. "Just wait till the show, that gets loud," he stated with a grin.

Liam twisted around in his seat just in front of me, his arm still around his girlfriend, and sent me a smile. "'Ello Olivia, how's it been?" He asked.

"I've been well, thank you. How about yourself?"

"Oh y'know, all good, got the girlfriend here so gotta admit I'm happier now." He beamed while bring her closer to his body. I couldn't help but smile back at how he wasn't afraid to speak about how happy she made him with all us in the car and her beside him.

"Aw," I said sweetly before looking to the very pretty brunette. "I'm Olivia, I just started working with the style team last month." I introduced myself.

"Sophia, and can you both convince him that sweatpants are not appropriate for dates." She said addressing both Hana and I, then rolling her eyes.

"You wore sweatpants on a date!" I said entirely too loud.

"It was once-"

"It was three bloody times Liam!"

"We weren't doing anything fancy,"

"Doesn't matter,"

"She's right, mate," Harry piped in and clapped his hand down on his shoulder, then leaning forward to put his head between the couple whom was arguing in front of us. "At least throw on some jeans, clean or dirty they make a better impression than sweatpants,"

"We've known each other forever, I didn't think I needed to impress anymore,"

"Oi, you always need to impress. Impress to undress," Zayn said with a shrug. Although his comment was a little inappropriate, I had to nod in agreement.

"Says the one who's engaged," Liam huffed back. Now crossing his arms at his chest like a pouty child. Seems someone doesn't like being ganged up on.

"What you're engaged?" I question while turning to Zayn who sat on the left of Harry. Harry was polite enough to sit back again so Zayn and I could talk.

"Yeah, happened last week actually," Zayn replied with a smile.

"That's so sweet, to the blonde from Little Mix right?"

"Perrie, yeah,"

"Aw, well congratulations," I said to which he replied with a short 'thank you' and the same proud smile.

"Yup," Harry said while crossing his hands behind his head. "Niall and I are the only single ones of the group now," he stated with a smug look.

"Congrats," I said while patting his black jean covered knee. My eyes drifted off to the downtown streets of LA, in the distance I saw the Staples Centre a couple blocks away. As we approached the back gates, which opened for us without question, I noticed the crazy amount of tour trucks and such parked outside. If I had to guess I'd say there were at least ten trailers and five buses alone.

Paul jumped out the front seat the moment the SUV stopped and pulled the back door open for the rest of us to pile out. Once my two feet were on the ground I took a few steps before taking in my surroundings. I had done the red carpets, Hollywood TV studios, and many interviews but being behind the scenes at a concert was something new for me. And as I gazed around in awe, I didn't miss the outrageous number of girls lined up along the fences to get a glance of the boys. Just can't escape them.

I looked over my shoulder to see Harry waving and even blowing some kisses at the many fans before jogging up to join the rest of us whom were walking towards the back entrance. Just as I went to continue to push open the door after following behind Tori, Harry beat me to it and opened the door fully, letting me walk through before himself.

"Alright ladies, back to tour prep yeah?" Caroline said clapping her hands once we were in the room dedicated to both wardrobe and hair. Much like her office there was a rack for each boy and shoes set under for them to chose from, there were little slips of paper with their names but just looking at the rack you know whom it belonged to.

"Who's been dressing them during tour?" I questioned being well aware Caroline has been in London doing shopping and calling brands for the upcoming campaign season fast approaching. I've been helping for the past month, with both Tori and Hana popping in when they could.

"We usually tag along majority of the tour," Caroline began to explain whilst setting Brooklyn up with Lux on the couch. "Aside from when I had Brooklyn and the first six months I took off and worked strictly from the office, during that time Jennifer took charge on the road. And the past month of us shopping for the very busy season ahead of us I've gotten Lou to step in and just make sure they don't look dumb,"

"I'd say I've done quite alright," Lou piped in while brushing Lux's hair. The poor blonde toddler was fighting to keep her eyes open.

Caroline asked for me to help Tori with reorganizing the rack of clothing. I noticed they each had a jersey on their racks, one LA Kings, a LA Clippers and a few LA Lakers. Picking up a tank style basketball jersey I turned to where Caroline was sitting beside B and looking through her laptop.

"Have they wore these yet?" I asked.

Caroline peered up from her work and saw the jersey I was holding, furrowing her brows she turned to look at Lou; clearly not knowing. "Lou?" She questioned, grasping her attention and pointing to the piece of clothing I held.

"Not on stage," she stated. I nodded and set the jersey back on Zayn's rack.

"We can get they to switch into them mid-set maybe, gain some hype half way through," I suggested with a shrug.

"Brilliant," Caroline nodded with a grin before going back to her laptop.

Some more time passed, in which I mostly browsed the depths of fashions through some rather addicting blogs. With London Fashion Week coming up next month most bloggers were predicting and hoping from our highly loved British designers. My personal favourite post was some sneak peeks of Burberry's new line, the colour palette was beautiful.

As soon as the clock turned to noon the boys started to show up, somewhat ready to prepare for their show tonight. Liam and Sophia came in first, with Niall close behind, and we quickly got the two started. Niall sat, well not really as he tried his hardest for Lux's attention, with Lou starting to style his flat hair into something more stage ready. Whilst Tori went through the look we were going to give Liam, mostly sticking to the simple things.

Sophia and I hung out on the couch, chatting about some upcoming events such as the movie premiere and the VMAs she was just going to miss. She too was into the fashion world, only she was taking her time with it and figuring out herself as well.

"Have you seen Burberry's colours for this season?" I gushed and brought out my phone to show her.

"I would kill to go to one of these shows," she groaned whilst flipping through TopShop's sneak peeks.

"Ugh me too,"

Sophia was quickly whisked away from me as Liam was ready to leave and I had to help Niall with his clothes. I pulled out a tank top with a faint American flag print and then the jersey.

"Those American girls will go wild when they see you sporting these, I swear they're programmed from day one to be all patriotic." I exclaimed with a chuckle, then handing him the tank to change into now.

"Mm those American girls, American girls," Niall began to sing to some made up tune. I continued to laugh over his ridiculous dance moves, continuing his singing whilst stripping off his t-shirt. He then proceeded to whip his shirt around like a lasso, now earning laughs from just about everyone in the room.

"What in the world did I walk into?" Harry questioned, my eyes switching to his tall figure with the door still in his hand.

Now even Niall laughed, and just like Harry's it was quite contagious, so I too laughed till my gut hurt. Niall continued to throw some funny shapes, whipping his shirt at Harry's bum as he walked passed us. My laughter died down, chuckling one last time as I rolled my eyes and chucked the tank as Niall.

"You fool," I said jokingly before joining Harry on the couch. He was looking down at his phone, but quickly shut the screen as I sat down. Nothing was suspicious about it, because he turned to look at me and sent me that gut melting dimpled smile.

"How're you?" Harry asked.

And just in time a rather huge yawn responded for me, ending it with a smile I pushed my hair behind my ears and leaned back against the couch. "Been travelling forever and I still can't fight jet lag I swear,"

"I feel the same way, spent most of these past two years travelling and mostly all my downtime consists of sleep."

"Can't complain though, right?" I said jokingly, referring to the conversation we had had about a month ago now. Harry smiled and nodded, then glancing down at his phone that had buzzed letting him know a text message had been sent to him. He only looked down at the screen for a split second before looking back my way.

"Actually I'd very much like to complain. My back hurts from all the prancing I've done on stage, there's no good movies on the telly in my hotel room, Niall snores, and I'd love a nap right now,"

Something about his remarks made me smile. Harry sure was one of a kind, and I quite enjoyed his company. I was about to respond when Lux had grabbed his attention, or rather going straight for his junk, but Harry was quick to defend himself and grabbed the little girls hands.

"What's up, Lux?" Harry asked with a grin.

"Mum wants you," she answered while pointing her little finger to where her mom was obviously finishing up with Zayn.

"What if I don't want to see your mum?" Harry said playfully, wrinkling up his face and making Lux laugh. It didn't take any time before Harry had grabbed onto Lux and began to tickle her, her high pitched laughter filled the room. I smiled at them both, then chuckled when their fun was ruined by Lou herself; shouting both their names as if Harry was her child too.

I reached forward to where the few snacks were laid out for us all, grabbing a handful of grapes and silently eating them while my thoughts consumed me. Sometimes I had to remind myself I was getting paid to do this. I was in America, basically hanging out with the worlds biggest boy band and not to mentioned the cutest little girls. I made a face as Brooklyn as her attention had surprisingly fallen on me instead of the show on the iPad in her lap.

"Livvy," I was suddenly awaken from my mistaken slumbers. Harry's voice jolted me back awake and I shook my head slightly before giving him a set of apologetic eyes. "Don't worry about it," he pointed off to where Hana was literally passed out on the couch opposite of me. "You wanna help me dress for tonight? If not I can get Caroline,"

"No, no," I waved him off and stood from the couch. "Let's get this going then," I said but then was cut off but yet another yawn.

"Then maybe you can nap," he said but then he too yawned. I chuckled before walking to his rack of clothing, which consisted of lots of black. As I pulled out a crew neck black t-shirt from YSL, and bending down to grab some Burberry boots, I reached for the heart printed shirt from Burberry that I had stuck there earlier.

"Prints, trust me," I said while wiggling the shirt.

"Isn't that for the premiere?" He questioned, grabbing the black YSL shirt and boots from me. I held the t-shirt up to me and ran my hand down where the buttons would be for the other shirt.

"No, this ones just plain, came with your choices for the show next month," I explained before returning it to the rack. "Thought you could wear it tomorrow maybe for the last LA show," I said with a shrug.

"Sounds like a good plan," Harry nodded before taking off his current shirt and setting it on top the rack. He took the YSL off the hanger and handed it my way, my eyes cautiously drifting to the tattoos that adored his collarbones and then down to the large butterfly on his lower chest.

"Interesting tattoo," I mumbled while putting the hanger back on the rack. Oh shit. I suddenly realized how offensive that could have sounded and quickly turned away from Harry to hide my embarrassment. Good one, Olivia.

"Thanks," he said. "D'you have any?"

Butterflies on my stomach? No. Inside when you smile at me? Hell yes. But I couldn't imagine I was the only one in the world. Although it was sort of inappropriate seeing as he technically was my boss and I was in a relationship, despite how shitty Spencer was acting lately.

"No, I'm not sure what I'd get if I were to," I answered truthfully. Instead of the pondering thoughts of how Harry made butterflies erupt in my stomach anytime he smiled or even talked to me, I tried to think of tattoo ideas. Maybe something small to start.

"I'd become rather addicted if I must admit," Harry said whilst scanning the tattoos that were along his now tanned skin. He's caught some more sun since we'd last seen one another.

"They're all very nice," I complimented while swallowing back absolutely nothing out of pure nervousness of letting the comment slide past my lips. Harry said a low 'thank you' before finally putting on the black t-shirt.  

The boys were all finished with hair and wardrobe, so they were finding their way back to their dressing room I suppose. Harry insisted I joined them, seeing as Hana had been woken up by Zayn and dragged along as well, but I quickly looked to Caroline whom as still looking at her computer.

"Run along, go play," she said jokingly before closing her laptop and sitting little B on her lap. Guess she was done for now too.

"Let's go then," I said to Harry who only smiled and held open the door for me. A boy with manners that's for sure. I noticed how Harry either greeted anyone on our short path through the hallways with a 'hello' or even just a wave, again he was clearly taught some manners.

"Oh perfect, just who I needed!" Louis basically shouted once Harry and I entered the room. I was assuming he was speaking to Harry but instead he was looking directly at me. I set down my purse down beside the couch before taking a seat next to Louis who had passed his controller to Liam, he now playing against Niall in some virtual footy game.

"Whatcha need?" I asked.

"So Eleanor and I's anniversary is comin' up and I don't really know what to get her but I had some ideas,"

"Like?"

"I dunno, maybe a new watch or a purse or something," Louis said and sounded pretty clueless. My mind immediately filtered through some nice, and relatively expensive, gift ideas.

"A Chanel bag is always a classic, and if you're going for a watch I'd go for maybe Michael Kors or Burberry but another option is jewelry and there's this brand called Nissa and I can email you their website if you'd like?"

"Shit yeah, email me everything," he nodded. I saved his email in my phone before shoving it back into my pocket and then focused on the video game being played.

It was still three hours till show time and I was still fighting sleep. Now being kicked out of my spot beside Louis from one of the boys of the supporting band, he had pink hair it was weird and I think they shouted Michael when he came in? Besides the point, but I now sat beside Harry as he messed around on some game on his phone. I had my head resting in the palm of my hand as I had turned my body to the side and rested my elbow at the top of the couch.

I reached forward slowly and dragged my finger along Harry's screen, making the three matching candies disappear. My gaze drifted over to him as if to check if me taking action in his rather slow game was ok; and judging by the small smile on his lips I'd say he didn't mind. And that it caused more butterflies to fly in my tummy.

Harry and I continued to play his game, him now moving it closer to me even though I had moved closer to him, in mostly silence. My eye lids were getting heavier as I connected some sparkling purple candies, and that was the last thing I remembered till I was woken up again by Harry's voice.

"Liv, Livvy," he had obviously tried again by the tone of his voice. My eyelids fluttered open and I instantly noticed that I was laying against him. With my head resting on his shoulder and my knees curled up, touching his thighs, I felt my cheeks heat up fast. "You can keep sleeping, but I've gotta move. The show's starting soon," Harry stated.

I sat up now and rubbed the corners of my eyes, avoiding the little makeup I did put on this morning. Clearing my throat before I spoke, I looked around to see everyone else was preparing to leave the dressing room as well; "no, I wanna see your show, I'm rested now." I said.

Harry nodded and offered me a hand, which I timidly took since I was still fairly embarrassed I had fallen asleep on him. "5-Sauce is just starting, they're pretty good too," he stated. My eyebrows furrowed together, confused as to what 5-Sauce was.  "Our opening band, 5 Seconds of Summer. They go by 5-Sauce for short," he explained.

"Oh," I replied. We all made our way down the hallway, and I kept quiet mostly. Just as I saw the back doors to where behind the stage was I placed my hand on Harry's arm, making him turn his attention to me as we walked. "Sorry for falling asleep on you," I said.

"S'alright, you don't snore like Niall so I really didn't mind." He said and then winked. I chuckled and then the sounds of whom I'm guessing 5-Sauce was were all I could really hear.

"I doubt you need it, but good luck," I said to Harry before he and the boys were off to wherever they hide before the show. He grinned, then leaning down towards my ear so he didn't have to shout.

"Thank you, and I really hope you enjoy the show."

"Seeing as I'm going to be watching it quite a few more times, I hope so too," I said back. Harry was interrupted by their tour manager who was nearly pushing him to follow the others. Harry furrowed his eyebrows at how he was being forced away, making me chuckle. Once he had gone behind some curtain with the others I turned to find my girls; consisting of Tori, Hana, and Sophia, where they were already enjoying the show 5SOS were putting on.

"I thought you were going to sleep through the entire show," Tori teased once I joined them.

"Harry woke me, and I haven't seen them perform yet so I wanted to catch the show," I said. The band of four, all played instruments, and were clearly very comfortable on the stage in front of thousands of people. I recognized Michael, the one with pink hair, as he played an electric guitar and occasionally sang into his mic. The other three were yet to be named for me but I suppose I could google it. Now would I google 5-Sauce or 5 Seconds of Summer?

And before we knew it the supporting band was off and the lights were back on. I was surprised when some fans shouted my name, as well as Tori, Hana, and Sophia's, but we all just waved and kept to ourselves. Conversing in some small talk before the lights turned off again and the sounds of screams nearly erupted my eardrums. Harry was right; the concerts were much louder.

The sounds only amplified when the boys were revealed and walked casually onto the stage. If I had to guess, I'd say the surrounding four blocks of the Staples Centre could hear these girls screams. The dramatic pause of the music made the screams seem even louder before the five jumped into action, or routine, and began the concert with a up-beat song that had everyone in the crowd singing and dancing along.

Each of the guys were circling the main stage, making sure to interact with everyone they could and let them know that they loved the people to the left as much as the ones of the floor. Niall was the first to wave ridiculously at us three, sticking out his tongue and making me laugh of course. Next was Liam who didn't hide the glimmer of love in his eyes as he blew Sophia a kiss. And then came Harry, and boy did he love that stage.

-&&&-

"No, you guys did amazing. Shut up already and taken the compliment,"

"But during Little Things I missed my line-"

"You sounded incredible though, and Niall I didn't know you played guitar," I addressed Niall. It was us three, Tori whom was replying to her husband via text with a smile on her face, and a couple of the security guys.

"Just a little something I've learnt, been teaching Harry actually,"

I turned to Harry. It seemed once our attention was on him he got all shy, something that wasn't like the Harry I've gotten to know. Shy Harry was new and kinda cute.

"I'm not nearly as good as Niall," he said.

"You could be," Niall shrugged in response. The lift doors opened at our floor and the guys were polite enough to let Tori and I walk out first before following suit behind us. Just as I stepped out of the lift my phone began to ring, the name across the screen turned my expression sour instantly.

"I'll be a minute," I said to Tori as I stopped off to the side of the hallway and slid my finger across the screen. "Hello,"

"Good evening Miss Banks," the bubbly voice on the other line was my dad's newest secretary, seeing as he fucked the last and married the one before that. What got me was that she knew it was the evening here in LA, when it was obviously the morning now in London. Dad was keeping tabs on me now.

"Hi Ella," I said. "What is it you need? Sorry, I mean my father, not you,"

"You're not returning Mr Bank's emails and he needs to speak with you, he now prefers for this conversation to happen over the phone. Now I know you're currently in America-"

"Yes, I am. Because I'm working at the moment, and if I'm correct my father has never taken calls while working. So tell him that if he needs to get ahold of me that badly he can stalk me some more and figure out when I'm not working. Have a good day Ella,"

I hung up the phone and leaned up against the wall, crossing my arms and shutting my eyes. The stress that came from even speaking about my father was irritating. My father and I's relationship will never be strong, I've given him a second chance. And there's no such thing as third chances now is there?

"You don't seem to be having the greatest day huh?"  Harry's husky voice said from behind me. My entire body was too tired to even jump at his sudden appearance; instead I just signed and turned around while keeping my surprisingly comfortable position against the wall.

"I had a good day," I corrected him. "I love my job and got to watch an amazing concert tonight," my eyes were getting heavy again. I let them close for a few moments and just listened to Harry's voice.

"I'm glad you love your job Livvy,"

Peeping open one eye, while squinting the other, I smiled at the boy now leaning against the wall beside me. I had noticed it before, but while in the same position our height difference was very noticeable. "My mum used to call me Livvy when I was little, not so much anymore though," I stated tiredly.

"It's cute," the way 'cute' came out with his slow accent was funny. But I can't ignore the way it made the butterflies in my stomach flutter again. I shut my eyes again and my lips curled up into a smile.

"Are you implying that I'm cute, Styles?" I teased. I opened my eyes again to catch the faint blush on his cheeks.

"I'm implying that... It's late and I'm fairly certain falling asleep in the hallway isn't allowed," he said. Faking a groan I stood up straight and slumped my body as I did.

"Fine," I grumbled like a child. Harry chuckled at my behaviour, which I could only blame on the jet lag and annoyance from both the men in my life. Harry and I said our goodnights before each going to our rooms. Just like the night before Tori was fast asleep in her bed, I prepared myself for what would hopefully be a good nights sleep and then I got under the covers. Before I fell asleep my last thought was how Spencer didn't keep his promise; he never called me back.  

[nofockingwya]

For Your Love - Chapter 2

in which olivia speaks passionately about disneyland...

“I trust your word, and I’ll have to make sure I can plan one day to go soon,”

“You better, I don’t know if I can associate with someone who hasn’t met Mickey Mouse or rode Splash Mountain or the new one, oh my god Screamin’ California is an adrenaline rush!” I spoke way to passionately about Disneyland for the sour memories that spoiled my mind. I couldn’t resist just holding onto the chocolate bar anymore so I broke it open and snapped off a piece before popping it into my mouth.

“I’m not really a fan of roller coasters or rides actually,”

“Wussy,” I mumbled. Harry immediately furrowed his eyebrows together and looked directly at me now, instead of messing around to find a crisp in his bag. I covered up my foul comment with a smile and then popped another piece of chocolate into my mouth.

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