we met at a party

Chapter five

Plane rides suck. You aren't even afraid of flying, but being trapped in a giant metal canister full of people isn't exactly how you prefer to spend your time. Niall lets you sit by the window and squeezes in next to you after putting the carry-ons in the overhead bins. You pull out a book and something falls out. A bookmark. Thankfully, it's a new book so you haven't lost your place. You lean down to pick it up, smiling softly.

The bookmark is from your first date four months ago. Louis took you to Barnes and Noble, then to a small French café in a quieter part of the city because, "Louis may have let it slip that you have a favorite place in the city."

You chatted for hours before Niall eventually took you home where y/b/f was watching some nature documentary on the sofa. She immediately turned it off, Siberian tigers forgotten, and made you tell her everything. You woke up the next morning with a text from Niall saying,

had fun yesterday

you free tomorrow night?

You couldn't say yes fast enough.

"Y/n?" Niall asks.

"Yeah?" You reply absently, still examining the paper in your hands.

"Why are you staring at your bookmark?"

You look up at him, "I'm not."

He raises an eyebrow, making you blush.

You quickly change the subject, "Remember when we got this?"

Niall nods and slings an arm around your shoulder to pull you closer. "Our first date."

"Ding, ding, ding, we have a winner," you tease. He kisses your head, "Shut up."

You sit in comfortable silence while the flight crew begin going through the motions of getting the plane ready for takeoff. You stare out the window at New York as it gets smaller and smaller. Over the course of the long flight to England, you alternate between sleeping, reading, and watching tv on the small screen in front of you.

Eventually, the plane lands in Cornwall, the southwestern tip of England. Once you're through passport control, you pull out your phone and switch it off of airplane mode. There are three texts from y/n.

Hey! Hope your flight was good

Tom and I are gonna stay a few extras days in London w his family

Enjoy the alone time ;)

You let out a little huff of laughter and Niall leans over your shoulder. "What's so funny?"

"Nothing, just y/n saying she and Tom are staying in London for a few more days."

Niall loops an arm around your waist and lowers his voice as he speaks into your ear, "Sounds perfect to me."

You duck your head, blushing. "Just get the bags." Your boyfriend snorts一 yet somehow it's still adorable 一 and heads toward the conveyor belt of suitcases and the mass of tired people waiting around it.

Once at the hotel, you go to check-in while Niall pays the cabbie. The room is quaint; small without feeling too cramped. Amazingly, it's nearly dinner time in England, even though it feels like it's only the middle of the day to you. Damn jetlag, you think, observing the dark rings under your eyes from the exhaustion of traveling in the bathroom mirror. As if reading your mind, Niall chides, "You look beautiful, y/n. Stop fretting."

"I don't fret," you say, turning away to hide the faint flush creeping across your face. You can't decide if you love or hate the fact that Niall can still get you flustered over a small compliment.

"You do," he replies, "But I think it's adorable." Before you can reply, he continues, "I saw some pubs on the way over, why don't we pop down and try one out for dinner."

"More like lunch," you joke, brushing past him.

Niall wanders over to the suitcases near you. "Ah jetlag, thou art a heartless bitch."

Now it's your turn to snort loudly, "Language!"

"Oh, like you've never said worse."

You gasp in mock-offense, "How dare you imply such a thing!"

Niall suddenly sobers, "I'm so sorry," he says. "I didn't mean to imply anything一 I was outright saying it."

"Niall!" You giggle as he pulls you closer to him and attacks your face with small kisses. He smiles, "But it's okay, 'cause I love you anyway."

You freeze. He tenses.

His words echo in your head. I love you I love you I love you I love you一

"I love you."

His eyes snap to yours. "You do?"

"Of course I do, idiot," you lean forward to tuck your head under his chin and plant a kiss to his jawline. His arms wrap around you and hold you in place and says, "Good, because that would have gotten really awkward." There's a beat of silence, then you both erupt into fits of giggles.