I Thought You'd Care
Chapter 8: Mad World
Chapter 8: Mad World
Niall’s POV
It didn’t take her long to shower—maybe ten minutes. I had gone to my room to grab something. I heard her call from somewhere. “Niall?” Before I could respond, I heard a gasp.
“Nell!” I yelled. “Are you okay? Where are you?” I ran around the corner into the music room, and there she was.
“Yeah, I’m fine. It’s just…this piano is amazing.” I got a good look at her and realized just how good she looked in the clothes that I had given her. They fit her just right, hugging her body in all the right ways, making her look even better. Her hair fell down in thick strands, just a few inches past her shoulders. It was almost brown when it was wet. “You look nice,” I said, unable to let her appearance go without comment.
She smiled shyly. “Thanks. These are nice,” she answered, referring to the clothes.
“Yeah,” was all I managed to say. “Um, about the piano. Louis plays, a little bit, but this is mostly where I come to play guitar and sometimes we sing. I don’t really know why we have it. You play piano, right? If you want, you can play it.”
She grinned. “That would be awesome.” She sat down on the bench, and in a burst of courage, I sat next to her, close enough that our knees were touching.
“You should play me something,” I said.
She smiled again. I loved her smile. “Okay. I don’t really know…oh, actually I do.”
I heard a few syncopated notes, and she launched into a jazz song. It started out in a more swing fashion, but ended bluesy. It was great. Her fingers moved adeptly over the keys, alternating between fast and slow, jumping octaves with ease. I wished the song would last forever: I could sit there, watching her play, her smile far-off and just so plainly happy, for ages. It was the most unadulterated happiness I had ever seen someone have. Just watching her, hearing the song swell and move with her, filled me with chills.
“That was amazing,” I said, after the last chord had finished ringing in the room. “Wow. Do you know anything else?”
She laughed. “I know loads of other songs, Niall. Do you want to hear a more…popular one?”
“I’d listen to anything you have to play.” I answered truthfully.
She played the opening to a favorite song of mine, Mad World. There was an opening flair on the piano that I had always loved—it was just so beautiful. As the beginning finished, and the background chords started, I couldn’t resist. Without much thought, I started singing along with. She had been about to stop, I could tell by the way she stumbled a little over the notes for a moment. She looked over at me with wonderment, still playing the right notes despite her shift in focus. I only smiled and continued singing.
“And I find it kind of funny, I find it kind of sad. The dreams in which I’m dying are the best I’ve ever had.”
She looked back at the piano and closed her eyes. I noticed her softly whispering some of the words with me. As the song came to a close, I noticed a tear roll down her face. As the last chord died, I reached out and wiped it off, slowly, with my thumb. I stared right into her eyes, unwavering, and my heart pushed up in my throat.
We had been sitting like that for a full fifteen seconds, and I was just debating whether or not to kiss her—questions like ‘what if she doesn’t want to, what if I get rejected’ running through my mind—when I noticed her leaning in, ever so slightly. I quickly decided to match her actions. Her lips brushed lightly on mine, and I grabbed her hands and pulled her up so we were standing, never breaking the initial contact. I pulled her away from the piano a bit, then up close to me, wrapping my arms around her waist. Her fingers crossed behind my neck and played with my hair a little bit. I deepened the kiss, squeezing her closer against me. She moved in rhythm with me, and finally tugged on my bottom lip a bit with her teeth. I’d never had a girl do that, and it was maddening. I opened my mouth, and I felt her tongue collide with mine. Finally, I released, but still kept my arms around her. “Wow,” I whispered hoarsely. “You’re a good kisser.”
She stared up at me. “You are, too. Actually, the best I’ve ever known, I’d say.” She grinned cheekily. I smiled at that. That was a compliment that I didn’t mind receiving.
“So,” I asked, grinning mischievously, “Are you hungry?”
Niall’s POV
It didn’t take her long to shower—maybe ten minutes. I had gone to my room to grab something. I heard her call from somewhere. “Niall?” Before I could respond, I heard a gasp.
“Nell!” I yelled. “Are you okay? Where are you?” I ran around the corner into the music room, and there she was.
“Yeah, I’m fine. It’s just…this piano is amazing.” I got a good look at her and realized just how good she looked in the clothes that I had given her. They fit her just right, hugging her body in all the right ways, making her look even better. Her hair fell down in thick strands, just a few inches past her shoulders. It was almost brown when it was wet. “You look nice,” I said, unable to let her appearance go without comment.
She smiled shyly. “Thanks. These are nice,” she answered, referring to the clothes.
“Yeah,” was all I managed to say. “Um, about the piano. Louis plays, a little bit, but this is mostly where I come to play guitar and sometimes we sing. I don’t really know why we have it. You play piano, right? If you want, you can play it.”
She grinned. “That would be awesome.” She sat down on the bench, and in a burst of courage, I sat next to her, close enough that our knees were touching.
“You should play me something,” I said.
She smiled again. I loved her smile. “Okay. I don’t really know…oh, actually I do.”
I heard a few syncopated notes, and she launched into a jazz song. It started out in a more swing fashion, but ended bluesy. It was great. Her fingers moved adeptly over the keys, alternating between fast and slow, jumping octaves with ease. I wished the song would last forever: I could sit there, watching her play, her smile far-off and just so plainly happy, for ages. It was the most unadulterated happiness I had ever seen someone have. Just watching her, hearing the song swell and move with her, filled me with chills.
“That was amazing,” I said, after the last chord had finished ringing in the room. “Wow. Do you know anything else?”
She laughed. “I know loads of other songs, Niall. Do you want to hear a more…popular one?”
“I’d listen to anything you have to play.” I answered truthfully.
She played the opening to a favorite song of mine, Mad World. There was an opening flair on the piano that I had always loved—it was just so beautiful. As the beginning finished, and the background chords started, I couldn’t resist. Without much thought, I started singing along with. She had been about to stop, I could tell by the way she stumbled a little over the notes for a moment. She looked over at me with wonderment, still playing the right notes despite her shift in focus. I only smiled and continued singing.
“And I find it kind of funny, I find it kind of sad. The dreams in which I’m dying are the best I’ve ever had.”
She looked back at the piano and closed her eyes. I noticed her softly whispering some of the words with me. As the song came to a close, I noticed a tear roll down her face. As the last chord died, I reached out and wiped it off, slowly, with my thumb. I stared right into her eyes, unwavering, and my heart pushed up in my throat.
We had been sitting like that for a full fifteen seconds, and I was just debating whether or not to kiss her—questions like ‘what if she doesn’t want to, what if I get rejected’ running through my mind—when I noticed her leaning in, ever so slightly. I quickly decided to match her actions. Her lips brushed lightly on mine, and I grabbed her hands and pulled her up so we were standing, never breaking the initial contact. I pulled her away from the piano a bit, then up close to me, wrapping my arms around her waist. Her fingers crossed behind my neck and played with my hair a little bit. I deepened the kiss, squeezing her closer against me. She moved in rhythm with me, and finally tugged on my bottom lip a bit with her teeth. I’d never had a girl do that, and it was maddening. I opened my mouth, and I felt her tongue collide with mine. Finally, I released, but still kept my arms around her. “Wow,” I whispered hoarsely. “You’re a good kisser.”
She stared up at me. “You are, too. Actually, the best I’ve ever known, I’d say.” She grinned cheekily. I smiled at that. That was a compliment that I didn’t mind receiving.
“So,” I asked, grinning mischievously, “Are you hungry?”
8/19/13