dust; n.h.

eight

FLEUR V.

"Shit," The curse left my mouth the moment I stirred from my sleep. Arms were wrapped around me with a strong hold, and I found my head stuck under his chin. It only struck me that I was here, cuddled with him, when I looked at what he was wearing. An old tank with the American flag on it that looked like it hadn't been washed in ages. He smelt good. Probably the best-smelling person I had ever met.

Look, I was even talking about his scent. Who does that?

I struggled to get out of his deadlock, pushing at his toned arms in a desperate attempt to be set free. I felt caged, but it somehow gave me a sense of comfort. His arms only tightened around me when I tried to push them away, making me groan in defeat.

"Good morning," He lets a yawn escape his parted lips, and I look up at him with raised eyebrows. He quickly coughs, retracting himself away from me. I let my feet touch the floor, my oversized shirt just reaching mid-thigh. I could feel his stare burning holes in my flesh as I swallowed, feet stepping over random articles of clothing. I repeat - pigsty.

"Are y'feelin' okay?" He asks, and I mumble a response, not in the mood to do anything but get breakfast and go home. The idea of London was extremely appealing. I probably seemed like a zombie - my hair was in an utter mess, my shirt was falling off my shoulder and my socks were mismatched. Polka dots and stripes. Talk about the best combo.

"I'm fine. Just a little annoyed with what happened last night," I sighed, standing by my black suitcase, as my phone began to ring with the awful ringtone that is Marimba.

"Fleur," The voice greeted. Miguel. "I'm sorry dear, but the vinyl store is closing down. Business has been poor, we're losing out to our competitors. I'm terribly sorry, but you know how it is." I was speechless, fingers gripping the edge of the desk that was in front of me. I knew the store's business had been down, but I had no idea that it was this bad to force it into closure. I officially lost my only source of income.

"It's fine. Thank you, Boss. My regards to all of you guys. See you soon," And with that I ended the call, fingers trembling. My knuckles turning white, and my mind began to run. It was running a marathon.

I had little savings. I was twenty-one. I just spent half of my money on a last-minute flight to Helsinki. I was in Helsinki. I had no plans for the future. The record store just closed down. I no longer had a job. I was, in other words, royally screwed.

My lips quivered with the thought of not being able to support myself. I was never one to seek help from my family, especially now since they'd moved over to Hokkaido. I could look for a job, of course, but that too would take time. Not to mention, none of them would be able to provide enough, seeing as all of them in the advertisements were horribly unreasonable.

Tears that spilled from my eyes were a mix of confusion and hopelessness. I didn't understand why this would happen to me. Me! Out of all the people on the surface of earth. I let out a shriek of frustration, grabbing an empty beer can that was left on the table and flinging it across the room. I had a tendency to be destructive when I felt down. It sucked. I shook my head in disgust, and I began laughing at my own misery.

//

He notices her plight. Niall stares at the can on the maroon carpet, and a wave of something he'd never felt before overcame him and swallowed him whole. Pushing himself off the armchair, his bare feet tread lightly over the floor, toes curling at the cool surface. His calloused hands touch her shoulders, and she flinches. She twists into herself, words and sentences choked in her throat. With an ever slight force he turns her around, a gentle smile playing on his lips like her favourite record. His arms wrap her into a tight embrace, one his mother would call a 'bear-hug'. Her body shakes in sobs as she's reminded of her quarter-life crisis yet again.

"Your tiara's falling," He comments with a hint of cheekiness, and Fleur can't help but smile shyly. "I'm not a princess, stupid. I'm a desperate damsel in distress," She whispers, eyes still on the floor.

"Then I'll be your knight in shining armour. Simple," He grins, and her tears are dried by his tank top, warm skin giving her comfort and reassurance. Something she'd never truly felt, despite her previous boyfriends telling her she was deserving of protection. "Is that okay?"

She ponders and ponders and ponders.

"I don't- I don't know," She sniffs, preventing any unwelcomed snot from exposing itself. That would be bad for her self-esteem, wouldn't it? She thought she had rough arms, stubbly legs, flat hair that needed help urgently. She was never anyone's first choice. If she was a dinner food, she'd be the crappy appetiser that everyone overlooked. "Promise I'll take care of you," He says again, his words promising. She's in a dilemma with her inner demons, telling her she's unworthy. She bites her underlip until it begins to bleed, the salty taste of her blood mildly satisfying.

"Anyone can make promises," She remarks, wiping at her undereyes to get rid of any trace of a tear. "Fine. I solemnly swear to protect the princess in distress," He laughs, his hand over his heart. She giggles at his gestures, but takes them as they were.

She tiptoes, attempting to lock her arms around his neck but fails horrendously, and he can't help but chuckle at her height. "I'm not going to hug you if you don't help me out here," Fleur groans, and he rolls his eyes, lifting her feet off the floor. Niall waits, looking at her and raising an eyebrow as if to ask if she was sure.
"Just do it, you cowardly knight. How're you going to-" Fleur is cut off by his eagerness, and he doesn't waste a second to press her body closer, nuzzling his face in her neck. It ignited a flame in both of their bodies, passion fuelling the way. (Not forgetting mint toothpaste.)

"Aren't you something, Horan?"

"You're rather something too."

//

hey guys! sorry for the long wait but here's a new chapter! *cheers* do remember to take part in action1D, i think it has a great cause and potential to change the world. have an amazing day x