A Month In London - A One Direction FanFiction

Chapter 1 - When In London...

Ch. 1 

It was chilly when I arrived in London, even though it was the beginning of Spring. The trees were still sleepy and only a few were groaning green. The sound of my suitcase bumping along on the cobble stones was rhythmic and settled my nerves. I had just come out from autumn however my pants and jacket were failing at keeping the cold out. The wind was causing my brown hair to whip my face and the hairs at the nape of my neck to stand on end. I was searching for my apartment and was having little luck. My feet hurt and I was jet lagged and all I wanted to do was unpack and go to sleep.

I was not about to give up so I approached a tall man with black jeans and brown hair and tapped him on the shoulder. I almost fainted when the man turned around and I realized who it was. Liam Payne from One Direction! His warm brown eyes and dazzling smile almost knocked my off my feet and I was standing there with my mouth slightly open. I shook myself out of it and worked up the courage to ask him for directions. "Um, hi, I was wondering if you could give me directions to 'The Azure' apartments? I'm kind of lost." Liam smiled. "Sure! You're not very far away. I'll walk you." he offered.

"Thank you so much. I'm Catherine." I said, sticking my hand out. "Liam." he replied, shaking it. As we started to head off I quickly said, "By the way, I was, and still am, a huge fan of One Direction." Liam laughed, "Well that's fantastic to hear." he replied. That broke the ice. Our whole walk was filled with conversation and not one boring moment.  

"So, what brings you to England?" he asked as we strolled along the path that was lined with quaint shops and cafés. "Well I'm actually here from Australia. It's my uni holiday so I thought I'd take a month off and come here." I replied. "Are you in your second year?" he asked. "Yeah actually, how'd you know?" I puzzled. He didn't reply, he just looked me up and down. I caught his drift. I looked like a proper uni student with orange patterned pants and a bright blue top. I practically radiated 'Uni Girl'. "I'm not saying that it's a bad look! No, it suits you! I just saying that it's quite obvious." he quickly added when he saw my smile had dropped. I smiled again, a little giddy from the compliment.

"So, Australia hey? He asked as we walked. "Born and raised." I replied with a grin. "But you don't look Aussie..."he puzzled. " Well that'd because my background's Greek and Romanian." I replied. "Well it's a beautiful mix." he said with a smile. Wait. Did I just hear that right? Did Liam Payne just call me beautiful? I pushed it to the back of my mind, knowing that it would come back and bounce around my head when I tried to fall asleep tonight. We continued to talk and get to know each other and all too soon we arrived at my apartment block. We entered the lobby and instead of there being a receptionist there was a whole wall filled with numbered letterboxes.

I went over to the one labelled 5 and entered in the four digit code. There sat an envelope with my keys inside. I took it out and slammed the door shut, taking a deep sigh when I saw the stairs I had to climb with my two tonne bag, and there weren't any lifts. "I'll carry it up for you if you'd like." Liam offered. I smiled as he picked up my bag. As we made our way up the stairs Liam puffed and staggered up the stairs. "Geez, did you pack your whole house?" he gasped. "Ha, just about!" I replied with a giggle. We got to my door and I unlocked it and pushed it open. Liam staggered past with my bag and dropped it next to the couch.

He bent over and rested his hands on his knees, trying to catch his breath. "Are you alright?" I asked. He straightened up and smiled at me. "I'm fine love, just needed a quick break." He walked over to me and stepped into the hall. "So ah...it was nice meeting you Catherine." As he turned to leave he scratched his head and turned to look at me again. "Ahh, I was wondering if you would like to go to dinner tomorrow night...with me?" he stuttered. "Yes, I would love that!" I beamed. Liam matched my own smile and bit his lip. "And one more thing...could I possibly have your number?" he asked. I smiled and grabbed my pen from my bag.

I scrawled my number on the envelope that I had in my hand and held it out for Liam. As he took it from me and his hand brushed mine. Instant butterflies sprung up in my stomach and my knees almost buckled, forcing me to support myself on the doorframe. "Well then, I'll see you tomorrow, beautiful." Liam looked at me through his eyelashes and blushed, making me even giddier. There was that beautiful again, and now I was certain that he meant it. "See you." I managed as he made his way down the stairs. He waved one last goodbye as he rounded the corner.  

I shut the door and slid down it, putting my head in my hands. Yes I liked Liam, but I didn't want to hurt him. Only four years ago, Liam and his girlfriend, Danielle got engaged. Only three days after, she was killed in a terrible car accident. We all bawled for days and Liam left the band, bringing about the end of One Direction. I would never forgive myself if I hurt him. He was such a nice guy and I didn't want to be the cause of any grief he could feel. I took a deep breath, trying to sort my mixed up emotions.

I looked up and took in my surroundings. There was a decent sized living room with a sitting area and dining room. It backed onto a quaint kitchen and had two bedrooms stemming off it. I kicked off my shoes and walked over to the master bedroom, dragging along my bag. I looked around at the large room with a double bed in the centre. It had an en suite and walk-in wardrobe, which brought a smile back to my face.

I swung my bag onto the bed and unzipped it, having a mini heart attack when it exploded with clothes and other bits and pieces. I was so surprised that I actually managed to get it all in there. I sighed and started to unpack, colour co-ordinating my wardrobe and placing my shoes in neat rows. I then brightened up the rest of the apartment with little decorations, making it finally feel like a home. I collapsed onto my bed and instantly fell asleep, not once thinking about what had happened that day.