Just as Much

Erica's POV

“Niall, wake up.” I nudge him, it's past ten and some of his family are set to arrive here shortly, his cousins, aunts, uncles. I've let him sleep long enough. Everyone has already had breakfast, showered and dressed for the day while Niall still sleeps. “Niall.” I'm short with him. Yesterday we never really resolved our little spat, I just left him in the kitchen and went to bed. He came up a little later but I pretended I was sleeping when he wanted to talk.

I found out this morning that he had done the dishes from dinner. But I'm still frustrated with his decision to rush back and join up with the tour. If he misses the show in Indonesia he can join up with everyone in South Africa, they have a three day separation between the shows. He just needs more time.

Finally I just decide to rip the covers away from him.

“Jesus Christ what the fuck did you do that for?” He sits up, groggy and frantically searching for warmth of the covers to heat him back up.

“Because I've been trying to wake you up for a good twenty minutes Niall. Your family is coming, you need to get up, shower, and get dressed.” I fold up some clothes in my bag that got messed up when I took things out earlier.

“Okay ma.” He speaks with sarcasm at me and I can't help but turn my head and glare.

“Really?” I don't wait for his response before I turn my back to him again.

“What is with you?” He throws his legs over the side of the bed and stretches his back.

“What's with you? I'm fine.” I shrug my shoulders. I really don't want to get into this when he's about to have family here and it's the day of his grandmother's wake service.

“Don't lie to me Erica.” I hear him rummage through his stuff, tossing things about roughly. “I'm doing what I have to do, I'm going back on tour. I know you don't like it but I'll be back in two weeks, you can be pissed at me then.” He snaps at me and I can feel something just sort of fuel up inside of me.

“Whatever Niall.” He's totally missing the point.

“Yeah, yeah, yeah.” He takes his clothes and walks out of the room, leaving me to sit at the edge of the bed and think as to why he's so irrational right now, why he's taking such an angry tone with me. This is not the time nor the place to discuss things. I finish gathering my things and pull my phone up to look for flights back to London. I'm leaving as soon the luncheon gets over with on Tuesday. He doesn't want to stay, I'm leaving too.

“Forgot my deodorant.” He tells me as he kneels down and rummages through his bag. I watch him search and search, I can see his deodorant at the top. “What did I come in here for?” He looks back at me and just looks confused.

“What?” I ask, confused as to why he forgot. It was like two seconds after he told me what he forgot that he was looking through his bag.

“Right, deodorant.” He shakes his head as if he's trying to get an image out of his head and I watch him walk away back to the bathroom. Did he seriously just forget what he came back in here for?

After about twenty minutes I hear the shower turn off and knock on the door to check on him. The turn the handle just a bit when he doesn't answer and peek my head in.

“Niall?” I ask, the room full of a bit of steam.

“Yeah.” His voice sounds a bit breathless then I finally open the door all the way. He's laying on the floor, towel draped over him.

“Oh my God, Niall are you okay?” I rush in, closing the door behind me and kneel at his side.

“I think the water was just too hot. I started to feel strange and dizzy, and I tried to sit in the tub but it wasn't making it better.” I brush the hair out of his eyes as he looks straight ahead. “The cold floor helped.”

“Niall you're starting to worry me.” I speak to him, it's the truth. “Tired all the time, forgetting things, now almost passing out?”

“I'll be fine, I just need to eat something.” He finally turns to me and smiles a bit as if to prove that he's okay. But I know he's not.

“I'll go make you some honey toast. Come on, lets at least get you to the bed, you can lay back down for a little while.” I help him to a seated position then standing while I wrap the towel around his waist. We walk in silence back to his room as I help him slip on some boxers and he leans back on the bed. “Just sit tight.” I demand of him.

I pull at the bottom of my jumper and make a brave face as I approach the door. Everyone has enough to worry about, they don't need to worry about this too. I can hear Maura and Chris in the living room, talking about what drinks to serve before the Wake tonight. I took the liberty of using one of Maura's large roasting pans and putting a few roasts in to start cooking. I still need to peel the potatoes and carrots to add.

Avoiding everyone in the living room, I swing by and down the hall to the kitchen. I hear Denise before I see her, cursing loudly while she's bent over the sink. “Everything okay?” I ask seeing that she's actually peeling potatoes for me.

“Oh, yeah, I keep dropping these slippery little things.” She laughs. I find the bread and jam four pieces of bread in the toaster, I'm going to make Niall eat. He hasn't been eating as much as he usually does and I'm hoping that this will help him feel a little better. “Sleeping beauty finally awake?” She lets out a giggle again, this family is usually always laughing, I love it.

“Yeah, he's so slow this morning.” I putter the toast and drizzle some honey on the bread.

“You know, I haven't gotten to say this but I'm so glad that you and Niall are finally together. I've been rooting for you since I met you.” The thought of that makes me smile.

“Well thank you.” I don't really know what to say, its a sweet thought.

“Better get that toast to Niall while it's still warm. We know how the diva likes warm food.” She points at me with the potato peeler and gestures for me to take it up the steps.

“Very true.” I laugh and turn away, carefully juggling the four pieces of toast and a glass of chocolate milk.

“Erica, come meet everyone!” My eyes grow wide as I wipe my hands on my shirt. Meet everyone? I've just finished cleaning the tub and I look in the mirror. Holy shit. I look a mess, hair crazy, my lips are chapped, my shirt is wet from the water splashing on me. Meet everyone my ass. “Erica!” Niall yells again.

I roll my eyes and try my best to fix my hair quickly, I need hairspray to tame my frizz but of course this is the guest bathroom and there is no spray.

“Erica!” He calls again.

“Okay, okay, I can hear you!” I shout back at him. Not a great first impression but Jesus, I get it. I take a deep breath and straighten out my shirt, a nervous habit I've always had. I peek my head out to the bedroom then in the hallway, I can see them all gathered in the dining room, backs facing me and Niall looking down the hallway.

“Erica!” Niall is so excited that his brother and father are here, he motions for me to continue to walk down the hall. Of course I'm the mess, my black leggins and jean shirt look so classy. “Guys this is Erica, my housekeeper.” They nod to acknowledge me, hugging me after I've learned their names. “Erica this is Greg, my brother, and my dad Bobby.” I smile. They all look alike, you can tell their relate at least.

“Oh and this is my beautiful girlfriend Denise.” Greg gestures to a blonde woman coming out of the kitchen, caught a little off guard by the sudden introduction. She makes a slight nod and wave to me as she swallows the rest of the water in her mouth.

“You didn't tell me Niall finally got a girlfriend. Pretty one at that.” She smiles as she gets closer to me.

“Oh, not his girlfriend, his housekeeper Denise.” Greg corrects her and she makes no acknowledgment of it. Just hugging me as she gets closer.

“That's what they think for now dear, sooner or later, I just know it.” She lets her words linger as she whispers in my ear.

I smile at that thought by the time I've reached the top of the steps. Denise was so sure of our impending relationship she once said she'd bet money on it. Little did I know she was right. Well I had always hoped she was right.

Notes

These two. A natural progression of a relationship, they're struggling with a lot of outside influences. We'll see how it plays out. Haven't had a flashback in a while! :)

Hope you all have a great Friday, I might not be updating tomorrow, just depends on some things.

Thank you everyone for all your lovely comments, votes, subscriptions, and for reading! Love you all!

xoxox