Beauty & the Beast [Narry]

Chapter 1

Niall sat up in his bed, glancing over at the clock. It was only nine am. The book store wouldn't be open for another hour.

Still, Niall got up and got dressed, grabbing money out of his drawer and tucking the two books he'd gotten under his arm.

He walked into the living room where his father was sitting, staring at the television. Their dog, Frisy, was next to him, fast asleep.

"I'm going out, dad." Niall said. He pet their golden retriever's head, gently waking it up. Frisy jumped down, ready to follow Niall wherever he went. "I'll be back soon, okay?"

"Yeah, whatever." Bobby dismissed him with a wave of the hand. Niall nodded, slightly offended, but he was used to being ignored by now.

Niall walked outside, Frisy on his heels, his tongue out as he panted along, looking around at everything. Their neighborhood was so lively, even in the winter when snow and ice covered the ground. Everyone was tending to their flowers, which they managed to keep alive, or just roaming around. Niall loved it here.

"Where should we go, boy?" Niall looked down at his dog, who looked up at him and let out a happy sound. Niall smiled down at him.

"I'm still tired." Niall knew he was taking to himself, but he knew his dog was listening. Frisy was the only thing that ever listened to him. "Let's go get coffee, Fris."

They walked to the coffee shop together, and even though no dogs were allowed inside, Niall knew the owner would let Frisy inside.

"Niall!" It was Beth who spoke, the manager of the little coffee shop. She came around the counter, pulling Niall into a hug. "You haven't been here in a while. Oh, you brought Frisy too! Where have you been?"

"Sleeping in, I guess." Niall chuckled, pulling away from the soft hug. "I haven't needed a coffee in a while. I usually don't wake up until the book store opens."

"Oh, you and your books." Beth chuckled, looking at the books under Niall's arm. "What can I get you?"

"Uh," Niall studied the menu for a moment, looking around for something he may enjoy. "a medium carmel frappé, please."

"Coming right up." Beth slipped behind the counter again, preparing Niall's coffee. Niall sat in a chair in front of the counter.

"Here you are," Beth said. Niall went to pull out money but Beth held up her hand. "That one's on me. Haven't seen you in forever, figure I give you a treat."

Niall smiled, putting his money back. "Thanks, Beth. I appreciate it, really." Niall stood, leaning over to give Beth a one-armed hug.

"It was nice to see you again. I'll see you tomorrow, right?" Beth smiled as Niall nodded. They pulled away from each other. "Run along, now. Don't wanna be late to the book store."

"Bye, Beth!" Niall called. Frisy followed Niall outside and down the road, towards the book store. It was quite a long walk, so Niall had time to finish his frappé before they got there.

He threw the empty cup into a trash bin, brushing away the stray drops of cold liquid on his fingertips. He checked his watch. 10:15.

"Oh!" Niall exclaimed, drawing a bit of attention, though he hadn't meant to gasp so loudly. "Come on, boy, we're late!"

It wasn't a big deal, since the book store was open for eight hours every day, except holidays, but Niall promised Mrs. Knight he would be the first to check out a book from her new shop.

He began walking, quite quickly, Frisy on his heels, but a hand grabbed his wrist. Niall spun around as Frisy began barking. Niall was met with Nathan's face. He was smiling. Nathan's hand trailed down, tangling his fingers with Niall's.