The Broken Beat |One Direction|HS|

Chapter 36

“Aren’t they just adorable?” a soft feminine voice penetrates my sleepiness, causing me to stir from my daze.

Feeling something stir underneath me, I shift along with it, making my body mold onto whatever is under me. Folding my legs even further underneath me, I snuggle into the warmth on my left. The voice continues uttering something I couldn’t understand due to the haziness still over my mind. Another voice joins in and I grow restless as they invade my thoughts and hinder my sleep. Arms seem to tighten around me and I begin to question where I am. Gently opening my eyes, I prop myself on my elbows, only to hear a loud groan of pain from the person beneath me. Niall’s eyes shoot open and a look of distress comes across them. It’s only then that I realize my left elbow is placed heavily on his stomach.

Quickly, I sit up, taking my elbow off of an annoyed Niall. Saying sorry, all I get in reply is an irritated grunt. A hand slaps across the back of Niall’s head and I laugh as his mother sternly tells him to be more manners some towards ladies. Laughing harder, I listen as he whines, telling him mother he had justification for being rude. Nonetheless, his mom gives him a glare before going off into the kitchen, followed by her husband, the two voices from earlier retreating. Glaring at me, Niall starts to complain that I got him in trouble with his mum.

Sticking my tongue out, I get up and head towards my suitcase, which is still sitting up against the wall next to the door. Laying it down and opening it, I grab a few articles of clothing and head upstairs towards the bathroom and close the door. Quickly going through my normal morning routine, I’m out of the bathroom in twenty minutes, a new record. Laughing at myself for being such a girl, I thump down the stair case, coming to an empty living room. Hearing a loud ruckus in the kitchen, my feet pad softly on the carpeted floor as I make my way towards the kitchen.

“Mum, no!” Niall’s low accent yells, “Give them back to me, please!”

“Of course not, Niall,” his mom says, her voice carrying over to laughter as I hear her struggle to keep her son away, “I’ve got to show Rosemary, she’ll love them!”

Once my body enters the kitchen, all movements cease. Niall’s father is sitting on the counter stool, an amused smirk on his face as his eyes travel to meet mine. His smile widens. Niall’s leaning over his mom’s shoulder, trying to grab something in her tight grasps. At the sight of me, his mom shoves him off, almost sending him tumbling towards the floor. Who knew his mom had so much strength in her? Mental note to self: Don’t piss Maura Horan off.

“Rosemary!” her high pitched voice says, coming towards me, a large photo album in her hands, “Lovely of you to join us! And Merry Christmas, love.”

She gives me a tight hug and I return it, immersed in the feeling of motherly love.

“I’ve got to show you something,” she says, indicating the large album, “Since we didn’t get you a Christmas present and got that idiot hundreds, we thought you’d enjoy a little laugh at his expense.”

I gave her a confused grin as she leads me towards the counter which was covered with food. Pushing dished of bacon, pancakes, and eggs away, she made a spot large enough for the album and smacked it down on the granite. I look at her husband as he chuckled while Niall let a petrified groan escape from his lips. Maura grins widely as she opens the front cover and the first thing I see is a naked baby Niall in the tub. Not being able to stop myself, I let out a loud laugh with Niall’s parents joining in as the urge to laugh got harder to control.

“Mum!” Niall screams, charging over to the two of us, “Why’d you put that one first? It’s the most embarrassing one!”

“Oh, shut up you little baby,” Maura says, flicking her wrist at her son, shrugging him off, “You whine more now than you did when you were four.”