Moments

Before Yet Another Tour

"Want to watch a movie over dinner? You pick."

"Um… I dunno."

"Whatever you like out of the ones we have here."

"Uhh… what's the scariest one we have here?"

"Paranormal Activity? Or Batman? Or… Iron Man? Thor? Avengers?"

"Can we not watch Batman?"

"Toy Story 3. That one's good."

"Bottom line's Harry Potter. Toy Story is for big kids with little brains. Alright, that sounded really different in my head. What I mean is-"

"We know. We get the point."

"So… Iron Man or Thor?"

"Iron Man."

"Yeah, we'll watch that then."

"You don't get scared by violence very easily, do you?"

"Not if it's on tv. But Niall's a different case."

"I know that. He's always like that on tour when we watch movies. He's your responsibility tonight."

"He's yours on tour."

"Let's just watch the damn movie, shall we?"

"You got the remote, Niall."

He was holding my hand right from the start of the movie. Tight. Eventually, I wrestled it from his iron grip and instead wrapped myself around him. It's easier that way. If he's really absolutely terrified then he hangs on to my arm, maybe around my back and not my hand. Halfway through the plane scene and the absolutely impossible bid to save everyone who fell out of the plane, Niall wrapped an arm around me and pulled my head to his shoulder. I think I then fell asleep, because the last thing I saw was a fight scene involving people who could recover from almost any attack inflicted upon them. I certainly didn't see the ending.

I woke up in my room on the bed with a topless Niall. Tangled together. I moved. He woke up. "You're leaving tomorrow."

"I know. I don't want to."

"It's your job, just as I have my own job."

"You'll move to Ireland with me in a couple years, right?"

"Can't tell. I've got family all over the place. Cousins in Hong Kong, Canada and Australia, second cousins in China and Australia. My grandparents are getting sick, mum and dad are thinking of moving back to Hong Kong to look after them for a couple years while we're all grown up. Gran's got colon cancer, grandad tripped over twice, other grandma has knee trouble and stuff."

"That doesn't sound very good."

"Not at all. And then there's my other grandad who's dead."

"That's really not healthy."

"Believe me, I know all about it. Let's see… pipe smoker, PE teacher, and all his sisters died as kids so he loved my mum very much. And then there was my dad. Not particularly charming. Daniel's even seen pictures of mum's ex-boyfriends. Decided her second boyfriend looked best," I chuckle.

"Imagine Taylor Swift's kids doing that." If you're implying that they'll have a very long list…

"Try something closer to home, will you? How about potato noodles?"

"Potato noodles. I like eating potato noodles at that shop we went to the other night."

"Potato." Pause. "Noodles." Pause. "You don't geddit?" Really, Niall. I would have thought you'd have some clue. And then it dawned on him, excitement growing in his eyes. And then he attacked me in a hug. After overcoming my initial surprise at being attacked in such a way, I wrapped my arms around him. After a while, he loosened his grip and brought his face close to mine.