A New Perspective (One Direction Fanfic)

Emily and Niall Oneshot

*I had this idea running through my head and decided to get it out! Ignore any errors, I didn't even proof read.*

Our first fight was unexpected. It wasn't a normal exchange of a few words then an apology and a hug like we normally do. It lasted longer and hurt more than that. It didn't really start out as a fight but somehow, somewhere along the way we both ended up hurling words at each other that we didn’t mean.

"Where are you going?"

"The studio, I have some tracks to record." Niall was answering me as he slipped on his shoes by the front door.

"But you were in the studio all day today. Why would you have to go back tonight?" I pressed him.

"Because Emily, we need to get this song finished. You wouldn't understand." He said sounding exassparated.

"Maybe I'd understand if you'd explain it to me. It's eight at night and you're going back to the studio after you've already been there for eight hours today. They can't wait 12 more hours to do the recording?" I was getting annoyed by his condescending attitude but I didn't want to fight with him, especially not while I was feeding Cale his nightly bottle.

"No they can't. We’re on a schedule and I really need to go." His hand was on the doorknob, keys hanging from his fingers.

"Right a schedule. I'm sure an eight p.m. recording session was on the schedule." I replied sarcastically.

"It was a last minute decision!"

"Well this last minute decision has been going on for the past week. Honestly Niall you spend way too much time at work." He scoffed at that.

"I spend too much time at work? At least I actually have a job." His words were like a slap to the face. In an effort to calm myself down I took Cale, now full, and laid him down in his nursery. When I came back to the living room I expected Niall to be gone. He wasn't. Instead the blonde headed boy was sitting on the couch, leaned back, arms folded in front of him.

"I thought you had a 'last minute decision' to get to. Wouldn’t want you to be late." I snapped at him.

"Well I decided if you think I work so much maybe I'd just stop for a night and see how the other half lives."

"Excuse me?"

"Well I don't know what it's like to not have a job or have to do anything besides stay at home all day."

"You think taking care of Cale isn't a job? You think that cleaning this flat, and doing everyone's laundry and the cooking isn't a job? You've never even been to university! You have no idea what it's like being a student, even in the summer I still have to do work!" I was almost shouting by now but managed to keep my voice somewhat under control.

"I never asked you to do any of those things! You offered to clean and cook and do laundry. If you offer to do it, it can't be that much of a job. Yeah you're right about the university thing but even with your fancy degree I'll still earn more money in a year than you will in a lifetime." He was standing now, a few feet away from me. His arms were still crossed albeit more tightly.

"Niall Horan you are a fucking ass." I spit at him.

"And you Emily Grey are a fucking pain in the ass." He said back.

I was shocked into silence by what he'd said. I had never ever thought Niall would say something like that to me. I never thought he'd say anything he'd said to me.

"I have to get to the studio." He said before brushing past me and out the door. I considered going after him but I getting get my legs to move.

--

The next three days were...tense. I'd stayed in my room the rest of the night except for when Cale cried however every time I got up to get him I'd see Niall already by his crib and I'd creep quietly back to bed.

The next morning was extremely awkward. Niall had gotten Cale up before I could and when I went into the kitchen he was feeding him his bottle. He didn't say good morning like he usually did or give me a kiss on my temple like normal. He didn't even meet my eyes. Neither of us said anything but the tension in the air was thick. This continued until he left for his scheduled work time. Then it was Cale and I left to ourselves at home. I got no goodbye and again no kiss pressed to the side of my head. That day was also grocery shopping day which normally I don't mind too much but today was different. Today the pictures that emerged of Cale and I were analyzed to an extent where I was shocked at how close the fans were to guessing at what was going on. I saw on the internet pictures of me at the store and Niall going into the studio, both of our faces are stoic and the tiredness around our eyes is prominent. Everyone was making guesses about us either being tired as new parents or that we'd gotten into an argument of some sort. When Niall got home that evening he came in the house with a crumpled up fast food bag which he threw away; a silent indicator that he'd already eaten. He didn't leave that night, instead going to his room as soon as Cale was put in his crib. Normally we'd watch tv together or hang out on the couch. Tonight there was none of that. And there was no goodnight or kiss to the temple.

This pattern continued for the next two days. Niall would get Cale at night and in the morning, then we'd tiptoe around each other until he'd leave. He'd come home every evening, promptly at 4:30 and throw away a fast food bag. Then we'd lock ourselves in our room till we were needed by Cale.

The unfortunate thing was that we were still so in tune with each other that we didn't need words to communicate. Everything we did around each other was anticipated and conveyed through body language.

And unfortunately for me, I missed Niall more than I thought possible to miss someone when you lived with them. And as much as I missed him I was also mad at him. I hadn't and wouldn't forgive him until he apologized and at the rate we were going it looked like it would never happen.

On the third night of our on going silent treatment I couldn't sleep. After tossing and turning for hours I finally relented and crept into the kitchen. I grabbed my favorite container of ice cream out of the freezer and found a spoon to eat it with. I hopped onto the counter and rested my head against the cabinet behind me as I spooned the Chocolate Brownie Batter into my mouth. For ten minutes I sat there with the ice cream in my hand and with my eyes closed. Then I heard footsteps. I immediately picked up my head and opened my eyes. I saw movement and then Niall was walking into the soft light cast by the moon in the kitchen. Our eyes met and for awhile we just stared at each other. Finally, after much deliberating I rationed that with both of our stubborn tendencies a truce would never happen unless I made the first move.

I held out the ice cream container to him and watched as he first looked at the container and then back up at my face with a small smile on his face. He reached his hand out and accepted then dug around in a drawer for another spoon. He returned to standing in front of me and for a few more minutes we silently passed the container back and forth between us.

"You're not a pain in the ass." Niall said sincerely as I was spooning a hunk of ice cream into my mouth. "You're amazing Emily. You take care of Cale, and the house and me and you never complain about it. You're a hard worker and an amazing mum. The last thing I've ever wanted to do was hurt you. I'm sorry. I'm sorry that I said the stupid things I did and I'm sorry that I haven't been around as much as I should be." His words were a relief and I put down the ice cream on the counter next to me.

"I'm sorry that I even brought it up in the first place." I told him. "And I'm just sorry for being such a-a- a bitch about it. It wasn't my place."

"Emily you have nothing to be sorry for. You were right and I'm not just saying that." We smiled softly at each other before he started speaking again. "I've missed you Em. It’s been the longest three days of my life." His hand tentatively reached out and brushed over my knee. I jumped down from my spot at the counter and stood in front of him for a second. His arms opened up and I walked right into them, wrapping my arms around his back, his around my waist. I buried my head in his chest and felt him rest his forehead on my shoulder. He turned his head and placed a kiss on my neck before pressing his nose into it. I sighed contently and tightened my hold around him. For now everything was fine and for now we weren't fighting.