euphoric (n.s. AU)

t w e n t y n i n e

Harry's POV

Three days. Three long, tortuous, miserable days was how long it took for Niall to even acknowledge my existence. No matter what I said or did, Niall wouldn't even so much as look at me. I know that I deserve this, and what I did was awful, but not being able to talk to or touch Niall has been one of the hardest things I've ever been through. My limbs ached for his touch, my ears desperate to hear his voice. I wanted to tell him how my days at work are before he arrives, about the drama I heard around the business that he loves to know about. I bought Niall a new cellphone, a newer version of the one he had before. He seems happy with it; given that's how he spends his time nowadays.

Niall and I are sitting on the couch; a foot apart, of course, when he finally lifts his head from his screen to look at me.

"Did you buy my cap and gown yet?" Niall asks me, locking his phone and setting it next to him. Yes - Niall put a passcode on his phone, and I don't blame him.

"Yes, I bought them a few weeks ago." I respond, my heart hammering in my chest. Only Niall would be able to have this kind of effect on me from such a simple question.

"What's for dinner?" He asks, and I try my hardest to hide my excitement. This is the longest conversation we've had in days; I was worried I'd begin to forget his voice.

"What are you craving?" I ask, changing my position on the couch to face him. His big blue eyes scan my face, before focusing them on his hands.

"I miss you." Niall admits, lifting his head to meet my gaze. My stomach does a flip; my breathing becoming unsteady. Those are the words I've yearned to hear for days. I quickly close our distance on the couch, pulling Niall's small frame into my own, cradling him in my arms. He lets out a shrill giggle, hiding his face in my chest. Oh, how I've missed that laugh. I plant what seems like a thousand kisses all over his face, head, and neck before Niall playfully bats me away. He frees himself from my grasp, laying his head on my lap while the rest of his body is extended on the couch. I reach my hand up and smooth his hair out of his face, gently caressing his cheek.

"Niall, I am so sorry, my love. I will do everything in my power to gain your trust back." I whisper, leaning down to plant a soft kiss on his forehead. When he doesn't say anything in response, I speak again.

"You mean everything to me. I know that I'm not perfect, and I make mistakes. But I love you so much." I coo, rubbing my hand up and down Niall's exposed arm. He leans into my touch before sighing.

"Harry... I don't know why I reacted the way I did. I know that it was selfish of me." Niall says, his voice barely above a whisper. I shake my head, giving his arm a light squeeze.

"Baby no, it wasn't selfish. You just recently got out of an awful relationship, it's understandable that you would react the way you did. You haven't fully healed from it yet, and that's okay; I'll be patient with you, every step of the way." I say, and by now Niall's in tears. I know that he has been through a lot; I didn't expect that our relationship would be smooth sailing. I knew there would be ups and downs - granted, this one was actually my fault. If this is going to work, I need to be patient and understanding with him, no matter what. I remove my other hand from his chest to wipe away his tears; I hated seeing him cry, and I hated being the reason even more.

"I just feel so awful. You've been so good to me and take such good care of me. I don't deserve you." Niall chokes out, bringing his hands up to cover his face. I shake my head in disagreement, still playing with his hair.

"Don't say that. You have nothing to feel bad about. I was wrong for what I did, and you reacted the only way you knew how. I'm not mad or upset with you, I just missed you so much." I tell him, and he removes his hands from his eyes to peer up at me. His blue, bloodshot eyes scan over my face, before he closes his eyes and puckers his lips at me. I let out a chuckle before leaning down and pressing my lips to his. I will never get over being able to kiss this boy. The kiss is short and sweet, but very much needed, as he takes his lips from mine and sits up from my lap.