Niall's POV
It hurt so bad to see her cry over what that bastard did to her. It makes my heart ache to know such a perfect girl has been broken so deeply, and by some jerk off.
I look down at her, asleep against my chest with dried tears on her face, and I swear to myself that I will never hurt her like that. I will never let anyone hurt her like that. She deserves someone who will make her feel invincible. I think I can make her fell as such.
My mind bounces back to a memory where she came over from Brad's house a year or so ago. I can't believe I was too dumb to see what was happening.

Flashback:
"Hey, Ni!" Junie yelled from the front door. I come out of the kitchen and hug her.
"How are you?" I asked, looking at her face. She shruged.
"Been better," She smiled warmly, but I noticed there was something missing from her eyes that night.
"What happened to your cheek?" I asked, concerned. I lifted my hand and lightly ran my fingers over a bruise I saw forming.
"Oh, that," She said, somewhat nervously. "I-I tripped. Getting out of bed this morning. Hit my head on the nightstand. Boy, did Brad and I get a kick out of that," her voice faltered at the end and I looked into her eyes. There was a brokenness in them that I had never seen before. Something I just couldn't seem to put the pieces together for. I couldn't seem to grasp at what was wrong. I wanted to know, but I left it alone, not wanting to upset her.
"I'm okay, I promise," She said, smiling and taking my hand. I nodded and we went to the living room to see the other lads.

Why couldn't I have seen it before?! I was so dimwitted! I could have protected her. I could have helped her. She was hoping I'd catch on, I could see it in her desperate eyes, but I only shrugged it off, like a freaking moron.
By now I have tears threatening to fall, but I have to be silent because I don't want to wake her up and make her upset. So I take a few deep breathes to calm myself. I kiss the top of her head and lean back against the headboard, letting sleep pull me into numbness.

"Niall, Junie," A sweet voice coos me out of my sleep. "Dinner's ready. Don't want it to get cold," The voice-- female-- whispers and I groggily open my eyes.
Eleanor's there, smiling sweetly like she always does. "We made what Louis wanted, which happened to be mac and cheese. He's quite strange, but you can't deny a guy on his birthday," She giggles, her always bright eyes shining.
"Thanks, El. We'll be right down," I say, smiling back at her. She smiles and nods, then kisses the top of my head and Junie's before leaving the room. El is like the mother of the group. always right minded, always compassionate, forever lovely. She's going to be the worlds best mother someday.
I gently shake Juniper's shoulder. "Junie," I whisper, receiving a groan. I shake her a bit harder. "Princess," I say a bit louder. She just shrugs me off, but fails to hide her grin.
Well two can play at that game.
I start tickling her and she squeals, trying to squirm away from me. She's laughing. Her laugh is perfect. She squeaks sometimes and it makes my world that much brighter. Though she hates her laugh.
"Okay! Okay, I'm awake!" She laughs and I stop tickling her.
"Damn it, Niall! You made me squeak!" She yells indignantly, making me laugh and blow her a kiss. She catches it and puts it over her heart, like she used to do when we were kids. My heart flutters at the thought. She and I had made a promise when we were about thirteen. She had had her first heartbreak that afternoon and we'd gone to the park. She was crying and I was holding her while we sat side by side on the playground. I had promised her I'd ask her to marry me someday, and she'd promised to say yes. Then when we went into our separate houses across the street from each other that night, I'd blown her a kiss. She'd caught it and held it over her heart. And to me the promise was sealed.
But I doubt she remembers that.
"Hungry, love?" I ask, standing up off the bed and walking to her side. She laughs and meets my eyes.
"Always," She says, then gets up and sprints out the bedroom door and downstairs, me hot on her tail.
Dinner was the usual-- chaotic. Louis decided that he and Juniper were the captains of a ship. His macaroni noodles and hers were the crew and their forks (Liam refused to let us eat with spoons) were the catapults. Then they proceeded to launch mac and cheese at the rest of us around the table, cackling with insane laughter the whole time. It was a beautiful moment. El, who'd normally take control and end a situation like this, just bit her tongue and let the now 22 year old act like a child on his birthday.
After dinner, the other couples decided to call an early night , knowing full well that Junie and Louis will wake everyone up at the crack of dawn to start our Christmas festivities. Christmas is Juniper's favorite and she takes it very seriously.
Junie and I stay down in the common room and snuggle up on the loveseat, listening to soft Christmas tunes. Junie is singing and I'm just listening. Her voice is intoxicating. She's working on writing some songs right now, then she's going to present herself to Simon, hopefully getting him to sign her to his label, but we won't know for sure. It's his loss if he doesn't, honestly.
"Hey, Ni?" Junie says when the song ends.
"Yes, love?" I answer.
"You know I remember the promise," She says, looking up at me.
"What promise?" I ask innocently.
"The promise from when we were kids. You promised you'd marry me," She answers, and my heart drops straight to my stomach.

Notes

Eeek! Sorry for the cliff hanger! What do you think is going to happen??
Hope you all are enjoying the story! I'm having lots of fun writing it!
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~livelaughlove