first impression (a Niall Horan fanfic)

chapter 44

-Hayley's POV-

I sat awkwardly as Niall threw the car into park. I had to pee really bad. Then again everytime I'm nervous I feel like I have to pee. I took a deep breath and opened the car door. I looked around me. It was cute. Houses lined the steets with green lawns out front. Not really any different than America.

"Hayley." Niall snapped his fingers infront of my face, bringing me back to reality.

"oh sorry." I blushed running my fingers through my hair for the millionth time. "just, erm, thinking."

"I know." he said kissing my forehead. I felt his hand traverse from my elbow down to my hand, interlocking our fingers. "c'mon." Niall insisted jerking his head towards the door.

"Niall!" Maura screeched as she opened the front door and wrapped her arms around him. "oh my god, it's so good to see you! Get in here!"

I stepped through the doorway just as Maura pulled me in for a hug. "Look at you! Niall, she is gorgeous." I felt my cheeks burn from embarrassment. I knew how awful I must have looked. Sweat pants, a hoodie, and bed head.

We all sat in the cozy living room. Niall told stories about the boys.

"uhm, you know, there's one story we haven't heard yet." Chris, Niall's step dad, said.

"what's that?" Niall asked between swigs of his beer.

"how did you two meet?"

I felt myself stiffen. We didn't talk about that much. Niall and I had talked about the time in the hospital parking garage when he gave me his number, but we didn't talk about the hospital or the signing.

"uhm we met at a signing." I said briskly trying to avoid details. Niall nodded in agreement.

"no no no." Maura laughed. "we want details."

"you don't want the details, mum." Niall laughed nervously.

"Niall..." I said just loud enough for him to.hear. He looked at me and sighed, signalling me to continue.

"I went to a signing in Kansas City and while I was there things got a little hectic." I started doing my best to keep a steady voice.

"hectic?" Chris asked with a furrowed brow.

"I was shot at." Niall spilled out unexpectedly.

"He wasn't shot though!" I interrupted before Maura's head exploded. "uhm, I sorta kinda... dove infront.." I mumbled under my breath.

"oh my God!"

"I told you you didn't want the details." Niall mumbled rubbing his forehead.

"I'm fine now!" I said trying to calm everybody down. "I'm fine. Niall's fine. We are fine. I promise." I forced a smile hoping the conversation would be dropped. Awkward silence followed.

Niall stood up and drank the rest of his beer in one gulp. "I think we should head back. Jetlag will catch up real soon." He took my hand and pulled me to my feet, not wasting any time.

"Niall, can I talk to you." Maura said quietly as Niall ushered me out the door.

"Start the car." Niall ordered placing the keys in my hand. "I'll be there in a bit."

The longer I sat in the car, the more tired I got. I glanced back at the house every once in while, hoping to see Niall walking out the door. Or even see him hug his mother through the window. I looked down at my phone, checking the time, when I heard a tapping on my window. I swear I jumped clear out of my seat and I may or may not have pissed my pants a little bit. I rolled down the window just enough to see the man outside the car.

"Uhm can I help you?" I asked in shakey voice.

"What's a pretty girl like you doing out here by yourself?" The man asked. He was average height, dark hair, dark eyes. He had a little bit of stubble and a strong jaw line.

I slowly reached for the panic button on the dash, just in case he was some weirdo that decided to rape me. "I am actually waiting for someone."

he shook his head and let out a deep laugh. "c'mon let me buy you a drink." his accent was thick, just like everyone else here. As dreamy as it was, he still creeped the shit out of me.

"No. My boyfriend will be here so-"

"is that an American accent?" he interrupted. "what's a sexy American like you doing in Mullingar?"

"like I've said before, I am waiting for my boyfriend. So I'd really appreciate it if you left." I was getting tired of being nice. I can only be nice for so long.

"oh c'mon!" the man yelled pulling at the door handle.

"Hey! Cole!" Niall yelled as he ran down the walkway. "What the fuck you think you're doing?"

"I'm trying to take a pretty girl out to get a drink." Cole? that what Niall called him?

"Don't even try to pretend you didnt know she's mine, you knob." I noticed his hands begin to ball into a fist. His veins rose the surface and his jaw clenched.

"Niall!" I yelled out the window I had cracked open. "just get in. let's go." I pleaded. His glance exchanged between Cole and I. "Niall," I said again. "please."

"Just fuck off." Niall growled shoving Cole's shoulder.

The drive was quiet and awkward. I didn't want to say anything to piss him off more than he already was. I swore his hand veins were going to explode. The grip on the steering wheel was never loosened while the dashboard received a few hits. I couldn't help but remember the party months ago, when Niall had punched Kyle in the face. I had mixed feelings about it. I loved the fact that Niall was protective but when he was mad he was furious. There was no in between.

"Sorry about that." Niall mumbled. I could barley hear him over the sound of the tires against the road.

"It's ok." I said meekly looking straight ahead.

"Did he touch you?"

"Niall no of cour-"

"I'm serious." Niall shouted causing me to jump slightly. "What did he say or do?"

"The window was barely opened so he never touched me. He just asked me to go get a drink after I said no multiple times."

He said nothing.

"why?" I squeaked.

"Back in school we didn't get along." Niall explained. "We went to the same all boys school and well, you know, we're teenage boys. We like to think highly of ourselves. Well I didn't date much. I had expectations and restrictions. Cole just-" he trailed off and ran his fingers through his hair. "Cole didn't treat girls very well and it pissed me off. He bragged about how many girls he'd get with and how he cheated on his girlfriend and it just sickened me. We got in a few fights. We just. He's a knob."

I didn't say anything I just nodded.

-Niall's POV-

I set the suitcases down in the bedroom. Hayley and I didn't talk at all after the Cole Conversation. Maybe I did overreact but Cole was truly the last thing I needed. Especially after my mum questioned my decisions. She went on and on about how she could see the love between Hayley and I but as soon as she found out we met because Hayley literally saved my life, it's not love it's guilt. I'm pretty sure I would know. Hell I doubted it at the beginning too, but I could not be happier now.

I sat on the couch, rubbing my temples in an attempt to get rid of this headache, while Hayley finished up in the bathroom.

"It's all yours."she said gesturing towards the open bathroom.

I could feel the jetlag beginning to catch up with me. I rushed to brush my teeth and change into a pair of sweatpants before I could crash.

"Hayley." I said as soon as I made it into the bedroom. I stopped when I noticed that she was already passed out. I felt myself begin to smile. God, how was I so lucky? I pulled the covers back and crawled in next to her. Pulling her as close to me as possible. I reached over and turned off the lamp. "Goodnight Princess." I said pressing a small kiss to her temple. "I love you."