Like Dreamers Do (Niall Horan Fan-Fiction)

Chapter 17

It was midnight. Downstairs, my grandad was snoring lightly having fallen asleep on the sofa.
He had fallen asleep mid conversation. If that wasn’t embarrassing enough in front of Niall, my grandad had certainly made sure to bring up things that would make me go red. 

For example, just under an hour ago he had begun telling Niall about one time when I was five and I tripped over during my school play, bringing down the whole set and the play had to be cancelled.
Niall found that hilarious.
Ha-ha. 

They had been getting along like a house on fire, although the majority of the conversation did consist of soccer or ‘football’ as they call it here.
They even sat next to each other on the couch downstairs, leaving me on the armchair opposite, curled up and having to pretend I was interested in what they were talking about. 

It felt like a blessing in disguise when my grandad finally drifted off, with Niall and I wandering upstairs to my room.

“You were really sweet to him.” I mumbled, falling into my bed and throwing my hands behind my head. “I think he likes you.”
Niall grinned, collapsing into the desk chair in front of my laptop. “He’s a laugh, and he has great taste in football teams! Though to be honest, I was hoping he’d tell me more stories about when you were younger.” He added cheekily, with me throwing a pillow at his face. 
“Shut up!” I laughed, sitting up on the bed. “Just because I was a little odd as a kid.”
Niall threw his hands in the air. “Hey, no judgement here. It’s adorable.”

I made sure my face was hidden when he said that, since I was turning red. Niall didn’t seem to notice though, turning to my speakers and flicking through my ipod. To distract myself, I checked my phone, realizing I had over 10 missed calls from Shelly. 
Fantastic. 

I threw my phone to the other end of my bed, nodding my head at Niall’s choice of music.
“You like Nirvana?” I asked, laying back again, turning my head to the side so I could get a good look at him.
Which was a bad idea, because he was staring back at me. With the sweetest look on his face.
Why do I do this to myself?

Niall nodded his head, jumping out of the chair and rolling next to me on the bed. 
“Love them.” He agreed, throwing his hands behind his head and lazily shuffling over to me as he perched his legs over mine. He grinned, leaning his head onto my shoulder. “Hi.” He said, and I couldn’t help but laugh quietly.
“Get off me!” I giggled, pushing him away in a feeble effort.

Oh God what am I doing? I’m giggling like a little teenage girl. I should stop. 

But he didn’t ‘get off me’ not that I wanted him to anyway. He put his arms around me, mimicking that night we had spent together weeks ago, when he had looked after me.
But with his actions came a thought; how long were things going to be like this for? I mean yes, I have only officially met up with him three times, but I know I can feel – something. 

I don’t know what it is. But what I do know is that I don’t do this type of thing. I don’t let guys come into my house, into my room to just – lie there. 
And that was all we were doing. Just lying there and talking, his arms wrapped around my torso.

I mean what is that?? We can’t physically get any closer, why can’t he just turn his head a little bit, towards mine? I don’t know how much longer I can deal with just lying next to him without anything interesting happening…

I really shouldn’t be thinking these things. 

But I can’t help it. After everything I had been through in Australia, Niall was the only person to make me feel normal again. He made me forget. And right now, that was what I needed. 

“So I heard a few things about you in the press.” I began, feeling slightly light headed since Niall’s blonde curls were brushing against my neck.
“Oh yeah, what were they?” He asked, smirking a little. I was hesitant, but asked him anyway.
“Are you dating that girl Katie?” I blurted out, feeling like an idiot. “I mean I don’t care or anything, it doesn’t bother me but I just thought I might ask because-”
I was cut off from Niall laughing. “Elli, I’m not dating anyone. They say stuff like that all the time.” He explained, sitting up quickly to face me. “I feel like I should ask, why was that the main thing you wanted to ask me?” He grinned slyly, his blue eyes burning into mine.

Oh my God.

But I somehow thought quickly on my feet.
“Well, let me answer your question with another question. Why did you decide to visit me in my room tonight?” I put to him, trying to look a lot more confident than I felt. It all faded away though when Niall opened his mouth to say something, instead spreading it into a grin.
“Bit cheeky.” He exclaimed, shoving me lightly so I pushed him back, laughing. That went on for a while, and I’m not entirely sure how it happened, but suddenly he grasped both my hands and pinned me down onto the bed, his legs on either side of my body. 

He was still smiling, and so was I for a brief second, before I found it very difficult to breathe. In fact my breaths were coming out kind of jagged and quick, as he stared down at me. He too stopped smiling for a second, his expression turning to one of – well I don’t even know how to describe his face. 

We were like that for a while, his hands twisted in mine as his body was spread on top of mine, neither of us saying anything. I couldn’t say anything.

You know that one really loud song on your iPod that starts playing and scares the crap out of you?
Well, on my iPod it’s the song ‘Funky Town’. 

I snapped out of my trance when the song smashed out at full blast, smacking my forehead right into Niall’s on my way up. 

“SHIT! Oh my god OW!” I called out, still not loud enough over the music.
“Hang on I got it!” Niall was laughing as loud as anything, clutching his forehead as he hopped off the bed and switched off the iPod speakers. 
“Told you that you gotta stop being clumsy around me!” Niall was still in hysterics.
Hilarious.

“Shut up, I think I have brain damage.” I whined, rubbing my forehead and sighing. “I don’t think there’s any way my grandad could have slept through that.”
Sure enough I heard a rustle come from downstairs, the familiar creak of the old sofa.
“I should go anyway, haven’t you got school tomorrow young one?” He teased, sitting down next to me. “I’m sure those girls will be dying to hear what happened tonight.”
I rolled my eyes. “Don’t remind me. Yet another day of everyone staring at me because I know you.”
“Well I better leave in the shadows tonight.” Niall laughed, standing up before turning back to me. “But listen, we should do this again yeah? I mean I wanna see you, I can do Saturday this week, if you want?”

I smiled to the ground, standing up next to him.
“Yeah that sounds good.” I decided, before an awful thought hit me.

Don’t tell him about Shelly’s party. Do NOT tell him about Shelly’s party. You guys can just hang out together, alone on Saturday night. DO NOT MENTION HER PARTY.

I had blurted it out before I even realized.