Simplicity [Narry]

r e u n i t e d

You guys know this is designed to be a short-ish story, right? Just so you know. Yeah.

(I'm updating this now because you had to wait so long for this story to be published! This is my sorry :3)

Big love. xx

Three ~ r e u n i t e d

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"Hi, Niall."

Those two little words were enough to make Niall's heart jump out of his chest. He gaped at Harry Styles for a moment, then smiled, his stomach fluttering inside of him like a soaring dove. He didn't really understand why Harry Styles made him feel like he did, only that he liked it and that he was suddenly very self-aware. "Harry," he breathed, shuffling on his feet. "Greg isn't here."

Harry had been dropping by the past few of weeks to see Greg (and Niall, or so he hoped) and so a friendship had blossomed between them that made Niall go a little giddy. It was nice to see Harry after a horrible day at school, when he could smile and feel light, and know that Harry didn't hate him. He wasn't pushing him into a puddle, anyway, so Niall knew Harry must like him to an extent. It was very nice, knowing that. Knowing he had both Harry and Greg, now.

"I know," Harry said, reaching forward to readjust his hoodie which was wrapped around Niall's body, where he thought it belonged; it looked better on Niall. "I came to see you."

Niall's stomach did the flip-flop thing again, and he blushed. "Oh." He paused, biting down on his lip as he floundered for something to say; what did Harry want?! "Hi, Harry."

Harry's smile lit up the sky, soft and sweet like the remnants of sunlight. "Hi, Niall. Can I come in?"

With a vigorous nod, Niall stepped aside, deeply inhaling as Harry passed him to catch a whiff of that peppermint smell once more. He loved how Harry smelled; it was tangible, a crystal clear tingle on the most sensitive of taste-buds. "Peppermint," he said, almost without realising.

Harry looked at him, raising an eyebrow. "Sorry?"

"Nothing!" Niall blushed again, looking down to the floor.

"Shall we go into the living room?"

Living room. Gosh, Niall loved how Harry said that. It was as if every syllable was something precious to him, and he let it fall from his tongue like silk. "Okay," Niall said. He followed Harry like a puppy to the sofa where they both sat down. Niall opened his mouth, closed it, then sat in silence as he shuffled slightly, unsure of what to say.

"How are you, Niall?" Harry asked, looking at the boy delicately, as if Niall was just as precious as the words he spoke. "You look great."

Niall positively gushed, flushing pink right up to the ears before mumbling, "Thank you." He paused. "I'm fine, Harry. How are you?"

"Well, I'm fine, too." Another smile, perhaps even softer than the last. "You really do look great. My zip-up looks better on you than it ever did on me."

With a splutter, Niall blurted, "Impossible!" before flushing an even darker, rosy red.

Harry laughed, shaking his head. Niall was entranced by the way the way his curls didn't bounce but fell out of place, yet remained perfectly arranged. "No," Harry said, "it's true. You look very cute."

"It used to smell like you." Niall held up his arm, fingers curling around the cuff of the hoodie. "Then I washed it."

It was a shame to see the smell go, too. Peppermint and cologne was an amazing pair, a very beautiful smell, and one that Niall often let himself sink into after a tough day. Once the hoodie didn't smell like that, there was less comfort but at least he still had it's warmth and association: memories, Harry... They were enough.