Drops of Jupiter: a Niall Horan AU

Five: Natalie

A rosy-cheeked Niall slid into his spot, beside Louis, at their lunch table. His leg was twitching nervously, but he had a rather large, dopey smile on his lips; Harry assumed this was a good sign.

"Well, you seem-"

"What time is it?" Niall tugged at his hair, obviously anxious.

"Um," Liam checked the time on his phone. "It's 1:13."

Niall let out a tiny, almost silent, groan and gave Liam a nod of thanks.

Louis thought Niall looked odd, but he just thought maybe it was because Niall was nervous about a girl.

Louis didn't think he could relate, he didn't have romantic feelings for anyone.

Yeah, he thought,

Get it together, Lou.

Lately, Louis had been battling an overwhelming feeling that he wasn't quite ready to address, and Niall's behavior hit him a little too close to home.

Two minutes,

Niall reminded himself as if he'd somehow forget the reason behind the nerves swirling up in his stomach.

Harry was genuinely excited for Niall, and he'd made sure the other two boys knew that, as well; he'd clued Liam and Louis in on 'the plan' the second Niall was out of earshot that morning.

"Ah, young love," Liam smirked, and Louis titled his head and muttered something about how Liam should shut up and eat his sandwich.

Harry had noticed Louis's rising irritably upon any mention or reference to love or romance, and had made it a point to ask Louis what was wrong during their next weekly movie might, but Louis had cancelled last minute, and Harry had watched Dirty Dancing by himself.

Oh well, young Patrick Swayze was attractive with or without Louis to watch it with.

Harry'd just have to ask Louis about it later.
Louis was watching Harry from the corners of his eyes, and he'd made a point to pretend he was surveying Niall's food, when Liam noticed his shifting gaze.

Harry was in the midst of asking Liam about which accent sounded better for his role as the young prince in Hamlet, when the boys' conversations had been interrupted by a feminine voice.

"Hello, Niall," Emmie set her pile of books and binders down on the table, then sat down hesitantly beside the blond boy.

"I got your, um," her pale cheeks darkened to a pink shade and she let out a nervous laugh. "I got your note," she cracked him a friendly smile as she stuck the yellow sticky note to his binder.

Niall smiled at Emmeline, suddenly so enveloped by her presence that he no longer cared if his best friends were blatantly watching the two of them.

"Oh, yeah!" He said nonchalantly, as if he hadn't just spent the past twenty minutes worrying about this whole idea would pan out.
"I noticed that your old one was pretty full, so I thought maybe you could use a new journal," Niall gave Em his warmest grin as he gently placed the book on top of her pile.

"Wow, Niall, that's so-" Emmeline was looking at Niall in a way she'd never looked at anyone before, and she could honestly say that was the most heartfelt thing anyone had ever given her.

Yeah, 'cause Grandmother's yearly gift of used calendars was still kind after the seventeenth round.

"Aw, how freakishly adorable!" Natalie Morales never ceased to amaze Niall and his friends, in the most horrible ways possible.