I Thought You'd Care
Chapter 9: Nell and Niall. Niall and Nell.
Chapter 9: Nell and Niall. Niall and Nell.
Harry’s POV
I don’t know what I expected when I walked into our flat. The guys and I had all spent the night over at others’ flats—Zayn, Lou, and Liam at their girlfriends’ places, me at Ed’s, in his spare bedroom—and we had met up for coffee in the morning before heading home. We made jokes all the way up the stairs, and I unlocked the door. It was about ten, so I figured Niall would be up. “Hey Nialler, we’re back,” I yelled. I threw my keys into a dish on the kitchen counter and kicked my shoes off. Walking into the living room, I noticed the TV was on. I was about to call for Niall again when I froze.
I found him.
Lying on the couch, with his arms wrapped around Nell, spooning her. They were asleep.
I slowly turned around and walked into the kitchen, where the rest of the guys were. “Guys, what the fuck.”
Louis smirked at me. “What is it, Harry?”
“Come into the living room with me.” I said, my eyes still wide. I felt a fury growing in my stomach. I liked Nell. Niall wasn’t allowed to have her.
I heard gasps from the boys as we all walked into the room. “Okay, you’re right, Harry, what the fuck.” Louis said.
Liam cleared his throat loudly. Nothing. “Niall!” He yelled, after their lack of response. “Wake up mate! You too, Nell!” That broke them out of their haze. Nell snapped up and looked around, panicked, for a moment. When she saw us, she seemed to calm down. Then she looked down at Niall, back at us, and blushed, averting her eyes. “Hey, guys.” She said.
It took Niall a moment. He groaned and sat up slowly, rubbing his eyes. He didn’t even notice us for a second. He smiled sleepily at Nell. “Hey, love.” He said. “Sleep well?” She giggled—imagine that, her giggling at something Niall said—and the fury in my stomach grew. I was going to have a word with Niall as soon as she was gone. He looked around at us and his eyes widened. “Uh, hey, lads,” He stammered. “You’re back.”
Liam grinned. “Yeah, Ni, we’re back.” He turned to Nell. “I didn’t think you’d still be here.”
She blushed even harder. “Well, we got hungry, and then we played piano,”—Here she stole a glance at Niall and smiled at him, a secret-ass smile that got the fuck on my nerves because I was the one who should have secrets with her—“And then we played FIFA, and then we watched a movie, and I guess we fell asleep.”
Niall nodded. “That’s pretty much it,” He said. “Except we ate a lot more food in the periods between those activities.”
She laughed, her eyes twinkling. “Hey. We’re growing people.” Turning back to us, she asked, “How was your night?”
“It was good,” Zayn smiled. “I hadn’t seen my girlfriend Perrie in a little while, so that was nice.”
Liam and Louis both smiled at her. Were they oblivious as fuck? Did neither of them notice how angry I was about this whole situation? Or how jealous I was of Niall? How were they cool with this? When I slept with a girl—even if we just slept, like that was it—it was a big deal. It was like ‘sigh-Harry’s-just-with-another-girl’ but if it was Niall, we all just forgave him. It made me angry. “I saw Elle again, so I had fun.” Louis answered.
Liam also piped up. “Yeah, Dani was there, and so was our friend Ed.”
They all looked expectantly at me, like I was supposed to say something. I had been trying not to betray my emotions on my face, so I smiled a tight-lipped-smile. “I had loads of fun.”
Nell yawned and looked at her watch. I just noticed that she was wearing some different clothes, and I wondered where she got them. I decided to just accept the fact that she looked amazing in them and not care where they came from. “I should probably be getting back. My mother is going to be fucking pissed, and I don’t trust her alone with my little brother for too long.”
“I can drive you back!” Niall volunteered quickly.
That definitely wouldn’t be happening on my watch. “Niall, you just woke up. I’ll drive her.” I said. His face fell, and I felt bad, but I liked Nell a lot. While Nell got up and grabbed her phone and her clothes from yesterday, leaving Liam’s t-shirt neatly folded on the table, I shot him a look that said, ‘we’ll talk later’. He looked confused, a bit hurt, even, but I would explain later.
“Ready to go, hotshot?” She asked, smiling. With that smile, I understood why Niall was so giddy. Having her all to myself for a night…well, let’s just say that I admired him for keeping it PG.
“Yeah. Let me grab my keys and we’ll be off.” I took them from where I had thrown them when I walked in and headed towards the door, her in tow, leaving the guys snickering at a drowsy Niall.
Harry’s POV
I don’t know what I expected when I walked into our flat. The guys and I had all spent the night over at others’ flats—Zayn, Lou, and Liam at their girlfriends’ places, me at Ed’s, in his spare bedroom—and we had met up for coffee in the morning before heading home. We made jokes all the way up the stairs, and I unlocked the door. It was about ten, so I figured Niall would be up. “Hey Nialler, we’re back,” I yelled. I threw my keys into a dish on the kitchen counter and kicked my shoes off. Walking into the living room, I noticed the TV was on. I was about to call for Niall again when I froze.
I found him.
Lying on the couch, with his arms wrapped around Nell, spooning her. They were asleep.
I slowly turned around and walked into the kitchen, where the rest of the guys were. “Guys, what the fuck.”
Louis smirked at me. “What is it, Harry?”
“Come into the living room with me.” I said, my eyes still wide. I felt a fury growing in my stomach. I liked Nell. Niall wasn’t allowed to have her.
I heard gasps from the boys as we all walked into the room. “Okay, you’re right, Harry, what the fuck.” Louis said.
Liam cleared his throat loudly. Nothing. “Niall!” He yelled, after their lack of response. “Wake up mate! You too, Nell!” That broke them out of their haze. Nell snapped up and looked around, panicked, for a moment. When she saw us, she seemed to calm down. Then she looked down at Niall, back at us, and blushed, averting her eyes. “Hey, guys.” She said.
It took Niall a moment. He groaned and sat up slowly, rubbing his eyes. He didn’t even notice us for a second. He smiled sleepily at Nell. “Hey, love.” He said. “Sleep well?” She giggled—imagine that, her giggling at something Niall said—and the fury in my stomach grew. I was going to have a word with Niall as soon as she was gone. He looked around at us and his eyes widened. “Uh, hey, lads,” He stammered. “You’re back.”
Liam grinned. “Yeah, Ni, we’re back.” He turned to Nell. “I didn’t think you’d still be here.”
She blushed even harder. “Well, we got hungry, and then we played piano,”—Here she stole a glance at Niall and smiled at him, a secret-ass smile that got the fuck on my nerves because I was the one who should have secrets with her—“And then we played FIFA, and then we watched a movie, and I guess we fell asleep.”
Niall nodded. “That’s pretty much it,” He said. “Except we ate a lot more food in the periods between those activities.”
She laughed, her eyes twinkling. “Hey. We’re growing people.” Turning back to us, she asked, “How was your night?”
“It was good,” Zayn smiled. “I hadn’t seen my girlfriend Perrie in a little while, so that was nice.”
Liam and Louis both smiled at her. Were they oblivious as fuck? Did neither of them notice how angry I was about this whole situation? Or how jealous I was of Niall? How were they cool with this? When I slept with a girl—even if we just slept, like that was it—it was a big deal. It was like ‘sigh-Harry’s-just-with-another-girl’ but if it was Niall, we all just forgave him. It made me angry. “I saw Elle again, so I had fun.” Louis answered.
Liam also piped up. “Yeah, Dani was there, and so was our friend Ed.”
They all looked expectantly at me, like I was supposed to say something. I had been trying not to betray my emotions on my face, so I smiled a tight-lipped-smile. “I had loads of fun.”
Nell yawned and looked at her watch. I just noticed that she was wearing some different clothes, and I wondered where she got them. I decided to just accept the fact that she looked amazing in them and not care where they came from. “I should probably be getting back. My mother is going to be fucking pissed, and I don’t trust her alone with my little brother for too long.”
“I can drive you back!” Niall volunteered quickly.
That definitely wouldn’t be happening on my watch. “Niall, you just woke up. I’ll drive her.” I said. His face fell, and I felt bad, but I liked Nell a lot. While Nell got up and grabbed her phone and her clothes from yesterday, leaving Liam’s t-shirt neatly folded on the table, I shot him a look that said, ‘we’ll talk later’. He looked confused, a bit hurt, even, but I would explain later.
“Ready to go, hotshot?” She asked, smiling. With that smile, I understood why Niall was so giddy. Having her all to myself for a night…well, let’s just say that I admired him for keeping it PG.
“Yeah. Let me grab my keys and we’ll be off.” I took them from where I had thrown them when I walked in and headed towards the door, her in tow, leaving the guys snickering at a drowsy Niall.
8/19/13