See Me Now (Mirry: Harry Styles&Michael Clifford)

Chapter 1

*Harry's Pov*

Waking up this morning was harder than other days. Not because Niall is crying in the room next to mine, not because I was needed at work earlier than usual, not because I wasn't feeling well, but because today it was exactly one year that Niall was living with me, a year since my sister had an emotional breakdown, dumped all her problems on me hoping that I could fix them for her. One of her so called problems was the 8- year- old boy crying in the next room and I had dreaded this day for over a week. 

You could say what you want about Niall, but that boy is nothing like my sister. Niall is care free, loving life, never needs an excuse to laugh, he iss grateful for all the small things that come his way, yet he is gentle, emotional and can't handle seeing other people having problems. So when his mum told him that she was leaving her little boy at his uncle's because she needed to sort herself out, because she wasn't being a good mum to Niall and needed to change that, the seven year old boy nodded and told her he understood. Everyday he would ask me when his mum would come back and everyday I would tell him it would be soon. It's been a year since he saw his mum, a year since he had a decent hug, a year since his laugh reached his eyes, a year since he played with his friends... A year since his heart had broken in a thousand pieces... 

Today is the day he wants to say goodbye to his mum. It's weird hearing an 8 year old saying that he can't wait for his mum anymore, not with him having a nice and decent guardian who has his best interest in mind. Not knowing where his mum is, not knowing whether she will ever return is harder on him than knowing she is dead, so today we will hold a funeral, because for some reason Niall thinks it will make things easier on him.

No brother wants to bury their sister that isn't dead, but I understand Niall and I do it for him. It is just  the two of us. Harry and Niall, Niall and Harry. We have no other people in our lives. He has no friends, I have no friends. Not even a boyfriend. Just my intern Louis and sometimes I am happy I can leave him behind, but he has been great with Niall whenever I couldn't handle the situation. Thankfully Niall looks nothing like my sister but more like of the many men my sister had a one night stand with. Nobody knows who Niall's dad is, not even my sister, well that is what she said, but the little boy has this thick Irish accent, so I'm pretty sure she had some idea. 

Anyway, it's time for me to wake up Niall and get this show on the road. Dread fills my heart, but it has to be done. No matter how much I don't feel like being a dad, today, I'm taking the part on me, not just uncle Hazza, but dad... If that's what Niall wants it's what shall happen. That boy deserves the best in his life and even though I'm not sure, I'm the best person to raise him, he chose me. We only have each other now and we will work things out. It's not going to be easy on him though, cause I'm making sure he will never turn in his mother. Niall is going to have to work hard in school, he will help around the house and listen to my rules. I have been going easy on him, but he has had a year to get used to the different situation he's been in, so that should be enough. Also, none of his childish games in the house. Defeating dragons, knights in shining armour... No, he will learn that it doesn't exist. Sure it might be hard, but the sooner Niall learns that fairly tales aren't real the better he will handle reality and disappointment. 

Both of us are standing in the garden, Niall carrying this little shoe box filled with the little things he still has from his mum. Burying them in the ground will be his way of burying his mother. He only wants to keep two things from her, one is a necklace with two tiny little feet that has his name and birth date engraved in them, the second is a picture of his mum and him at his first birthday. They are both smiling wide at each other, somehow that seems so far away. It was also the last year Gemma was there for him properly, was a dedicated mum. Things only went downhill from there and... Well here we are, burying the memory of my sister. I know that I should be sad or relieved or anything really for finally giving her son closure, but the only emotion I feel is rage. Never will I be able to understand how she could just walk away from this blond, little angel and all for bad boyfriends and wanting to be young again, partying every night and having a hangover the next day. How is that life better than having your own son? True, I never wanted to become a dad, my career is far too important for that, but with all this going on, Niall will become my priority. I will give him everything he never had before and he isn't even my own flesh and blood. If I can be a father, I'm pretty sure she could be a mum if only she tried.  

Niall puts the little box in the hole we made before and throws a white flower on top of it. I copy his movements and look at the smaller boy. He just stands there, tears rolling over his cheeks, a slight pout on his red lips, he then takes the shovel and closes the hole with some dirt. Before he can turn around and act like this didn't happen, I grab him close to me and hug him. He tucks his head on my shoulder, arms around my neck and sobs quietly. After a while we walk back into the house and I start dinner, as usual Niall is helping me out.

The next few days Niall is still very silent, very distant and very sad, but he doesn't feel like talking about it. At work my mind often finds it way back to the young boy who is learning a bunch of new things at school. Louis tells me that it is completely normal for Niall to grief and shut himself down a bit. Knowing that Lou has some experience with little kids, cause he has four younger sisters, I trust his judgment. Still, with everything the boy has gone through, I can't stop but wonder whether something is seriously wrong. What is he is traumatized or what if he has autism or something... I don't know anything about that, I barely know how to help Niall with his homework or how to make his favourite dinner.

The worry only increases when Niall's teacher tells me that Niall talks a lot about Michael, yet no one in his class is named that way. So now he got both his teacher and myself worrying over him. When Niall walks out of the school he catches my eye and waves at me, carrying this big smile on his face.

"Hey Ni, how was school?"
"The usual, uncle Haz. Is it okay that I call you uncle Haz for a while even though you now are my dad?"
"Call me whatever you want kiddo."
"Thanks uncle Haz! You are the best!"
"Hey Niall, can I ask you something?"
"Sure", the little boy's eyes grow twice in size and the innocent look shows me that he isn't expecting the next question.
"Who is Michael?"
"No one, uncle Haz."

He then runs towards the car and giggles, while whispering: "It's our little secret right, Mike?" 

The first dedication of this story goes to @Ricochet_Love_, cause he made this epic bookcover (Thank you so so much!) and approved of the little snippet I showed him :) Go check out his epic stories, they are phenomenal :)