More Than This (A Niall Horan Fan Fiction)

Prologue

Thalia's POV

"Niall, c'mon, let's go home! I have tons of assignments to do and I don't want not to perfect them!" I shout at Niall who is just busy kicking balls at the soccer field. He just loves playing football. Actually, I'm just kidding that I don't want not to perfect my assignments. I don't care about them as long as I just get a lot of A grades than B's. And oh, by tons of assignments, I mean two.

Niall Horan, yes, him, is my childhood friend since he was five years old and I was four ―I barely remember this but I somehow did―, and because we are also neighbors until now. But we didn't see each other so often after his parents got divorced. Since then, he and his older brother, Greg, lived between each of their houses for a few years. Eventually, they decided to live with their father here in Mullingar.

And that was when our friendship started.

And ... right now, I'm standing beside a wooden bench, crossing my arms whilst patiently asking Niall to go home. We're teenagers now, he's just turned 16 this September and I'll be 16 on January. Both of us could say that we're best friends and that's why I'm calling him to go home already because it's like he is obligated to go home with me and take me home safe and sound. And we are used to this thing ―going home after school together― for almost nine years. Nevertheless, Niall's house is just across mine so have no worries.

"Niall, please?" This time, I beg him, pulling out a puppy eyes. And it actually worked. Ha!

He waves at me, kicking the ball once more before running towards me. "Sorry, Thal." He apologizes and I just smile and nod. "Shall we go?" He asks and I nod again.

* * * * *

"She's so pretty, don't you think?" Niall asks me, his stares are all on at Alliyah, his crush who is as well heading out the school campus, waiting for her car to pick her up and drive her home. But instead of answering him, I look away and just roll my eyes, silently groaning.

He has a crush on that Alliyah girl for a couple of months already. And I can't deny why every time Niall sees her, he couldn't take his eyes off of her. Because she is pretty. In addition to that fact, she has a nice and long hair and lovely green eyes and she is demure.

Unlike me, I'm not pretty at all and so unnoticeable. I believe that I'm not even cute ―but except from my mother, Niall is always reminding me that I am. These light freckles on my cheeks under my eyes and on my nose looks horrible. My black hair falls back past my shoulder which seems not to grow even an inch longer after I cut it this short. My eyes are green but it doesn't look lovely at all. It's bloodshot. Last but not the least, I'm too carefree to be demure as her but I have my limitations and knows how to put my actions in place.

Wait, why am I comparing myself to her? Ugh. Shrug it off, Thal!

"Uhm ..." I mumble, looking back at my best friend. "Yeah." I finally say because if I will say no, we'll just have a fight. But I think, my honest answer would be a no.

Without any hesitation, Niall squeezes me into a bone crushing hug. He then kisses me on the cheek but his peck lands on my jawline. And then he finally lets go of me. Maybe he was just too satisfied with my answer. As if I was telling the truth.

"Cut it off, Ni. We have to go home." I playfully roll my eyes at him and he does the same.

* * * * *

As soon as I'm home, it's the usual that I will feed Niall, so, I direct myself ―don't forget that he's following behind me― inside the kitchen just to find my mother preparing foods for us.

"Hi." Niall greets my mother as he make himself comfortable on a bar stool while I give my Mum a peck on the cheek.

"What's for this afternoon, Mum?" I ask, taking a seat next to Niall.

"Shepherd's Pie." She answers as she places two plates of this steamy traditional Irish pie in front of Niall and I.

"Great! I'm so hungry." Niall rubs his palms then smells his plate.

"You don't have to be O.A., Ni." I laugh at him.

"I am not." He raises a brow at me and takes a spoonful of the food onto his mouth.

* * * * *

"Tomorrow again." Niall tells me as he seats up from my lap.

We are at the living room, watching our favorite TV show, the Two and a Half Man. I'm sitting at the end of this sofa while Niall was comfortably laying down onto it, his head was resting on my lap. I had my fingers playing with my best friend's hair the entire time. He just loves it every time I'll play with his hair and I love it when he does the same with mine. He usually braids my hair, way back when it was still long, but now, he likes to pull it into a very messy bun.

It's just six p.m. but he has to go because he has homeworks to do and I do have mine as well.

"Tomorrow after another and another, dot, dot, dot." I tell him as I finally stretches my body from being unable to move because he was on my lap the whole time earlier. "Everyday, rather!" I added, laughing at the end.

I didn't even bother to walk him to the door, either way, we are too close to each other that we don't need to treat each other in a very special way. We're like siblings. He goes in the house casually so he'll leave like it, too.

"Goodbye!" He yells. With that cue, it means that he already is ready to open the door and leave.

"Get lost already!" I jokingly tell him, yelling back.

I heard him laughing but shuts the door anyway.