Nightmare

Niall lifted me up off the couch and into his arms, bridal style, pressing my forehead to his chest so that I could hear the b-boom, b-boom of his heart. "Norah, what did we say about sleeping on the coach during the day?" he mumbled. I guess he was trying to sound strict or cross or something, but he mostly sounded rather fond of me, like always. He stroked the short, newly-grown hairs at my temples, which were softer and curlier than the rest of my head.

"Sorry," I sighed, sliding my arms around his neck. I leaned up a little and pressed a really small kiss to his cheek. "You didn't shave."

"It's easy forget when you barely ever have to," he stated simply. He met my gaze almost reluctantly. "Sweetie, if you keep taking naps out here, the boys are going to see you one day. I told you, you're welcome to my bed, right?"

"Right," I replied. I was forgetful, which was dangerous. When I lived with my mum, I used to take naps on the couch at the same time every single day. It was a force of habit, and Niall's couch was even more comfortable than the one at home. Well... this was kind of home, now, but it didn't used to be. It's going to take a little bit of getting used to.

"The boys are coming over, so you're going to have to chill in here for a while. I'll kick them out before bedtime, though, okay? And we can set up your bed and watch a movie, maybe?"

"You don't have to watch a movie with me," I frowned. I knew that my ideal movies weren't exactly how Niall wanted to spend his Friday nights, and I didn't really mind watching alone.

He plopped me down onto the bed and pressed a kiss to my forehead. "I want to, kiddo." Niall's bed smelled nicer than usual, so I assumed he'd put new sheets on. Honestly, without people coming around all on their own like they used to, his flat gets messier much quicker, so I've been trying to help out with the chores around the house. He asked the boys not to come over unannounced anymore because of me. That made me feel bad... not that they really listened, anyway. Mostly, I'm supposed to stay in his room during the day with the door locked. There's snacks and water and a bathroom and a bed, and he doesn't mind me using his laptop, so it's really not that bad. 

"Niall," I called out, trying to stop him before he could retreat back to the living room. 

He paused in the doorway and looked over his shoulder at me. "Norah," he replied, smiling faintly, mostly just in his eyes.

"What's going to happen next week, when your tour starts?" I asked, sitting up and crossing my legs. I was tempted to say, 'Nevermind!' and hide under the covers, with the look he was giving me, but I stood (or sat) my ground.

"Babe," he frowned. "I hadn't even realized it was so soon..." he rubbed the back of his feet. "I suppose... we'll have to tell the lads, then, huh? You're obviously coming with us."

"Really?" I asked, unable to control the way my face surely lit up. I'd never been anywhere outside England and Ireland, so a world tour was pretty much a dream come true. I was afraid he'd leave me behind with a stuffy governess.

"Of course," he smiled, leaning against the door frame. "I can't very well go on tour without my best girl, can I? And, by the time we get back, your room will be all finished, and you'll have stuff from all over the world to decorate with... maybe we can do a bit of shopping, too, build up your wardrobe a bit?"

I bit my lip and nodded. "When... when are we going to tell the boys?"

Niall got a cautious look and took a few steps forward. "Well, we could do it tonight, but we're going to have to tell them the whole story. Are you up for it?"

I nodded again. It'd been a few months. I was probably okay to talk about it, not that I'd tried. Last week, when everything had been officially settled from a legal perspective, Niall and I had a little party with sparkling apple juice and cupcakes. He'd accidentally mentioned Mum, and although that sort of made my heart swell up in a bad way, the look of realization that came over his face, and the way he pulled me into a hug sort of made it better. "I can do it."