Broken Youth

Chapter 27

~ Chapter Twenty-Seven ~

[So for this chapter, it's going to be in 3rd person, as it's a flashback. It isn't immediately important in Megan and Harry's story, but it will come in handy. This is Niall and Jess' first kiss. Enjoy!]

FLASHBACK 0.1

Niall stroked Jess' cheek, his eyes glowing slightly in the dim light of the tent. The gentle spitting of rain echoed throughout the canopy, the small sound of Jessica's favourite album playing in the background, filling the empty spaces between the couple. A small sigh escaped Jess' parted lips, causing Niall to jump slightly. The forced air was so disjointed from the elegant feeling of eternity. Niall grabbed Jess' hand, pulling them both up and running up to the house, her hand in his, to find the wellies Kate had got out for them. Jessica found it funny that despite there being plenty of room for the two to fit in her parents' house, Niall insisted they slept outside. It was romantic, but unnecessary.
"Marley?" Niall called, his accent thick.
"What is it, noob?" Calum's sister ran to the door, already open; her hands on her hips.
"We're going to the woods- could you just remind Kate? We'll be back for the barbie in 2 hours, maximum." Mali nodded, Jess smiling widely at his thoughtful action. She loved the woods. Just like she loved food, or Harry loved books, or Mali loved the City; it was her favourite place and no-one (other than her Mother) and been down there with her, yet Niall knew how special it was to her.

"So remind me again, Jessica, which turn is it? Left? Or right?" Niall spoke into the walkie-talkie, causing Jess to giggle for she was only one stride behind him.
"Left, darling." Her Yorkshire accent changed the words, causing the 'G' to fall of the edge of 'darling' and the 'T' of 'left' to over pronounce itself. But by God did Niall love the way she spoke- it caused him to cuss slightly and grab her by the waist, his lips pressing against her cheek.
"Then left we shall go." Jess led the way, braking the embrace and skipping down the sloped road, her boots making a awful, rubbery sound. "Ah, the golf course. Recon me and Haz should shoot some holes tomorrow." Jess looked up at Niall and shook her head, turning left slightly and opening a small, old wooden gate. Ahead all they could see was a dark, green mass of leaves, debris and shards of wood, a canopy of tree branches overhead and a long, winding path. It was beautiful.

Niall let go of Jessica's hand, looking around him before taking out his phone and snapping photos of the first things that he laid eyes on. (Jess' bum being one of them).
"C'mon; let's go walk." Ni nodded at his girl, following her, his phone still in his hand, the camera app open. The walls of straight, brown trunks and luscious, green leaves brushed against their legs, leaving patches of damp. However they wouldn't care less; they were in a green, soggy heaven. Jess ran along the stream, the grass sloping for her, firming up as her feet came in contact with the ground, ensuring she didn't slip. She looked out, across from the crystal water and into the distance; a line of firs along the horizon, serving as the boundary from the real world and this work of art- the woods, complimented by the vibrancy of the golf course.
"Isn't it so breath-taking?" Jess breathed out.
"You are," Niall answered. "But so is the view. I mean the landscape, uh, you are too but I, uh, you know, already said, uh, that. I'll just shut up." He looked down, blushing furiously, Jess smiling to herself before grabbing his phone and taking a photo.

*

"Oh for gods sake; Niall stop videoing me!" Jess' hair was now tied up in a pony-tail, the sleeves of her- well, Niall's- hoodie rolled up and her shoes off; now clad in her socks. Niall chuckled as he span the camera round, now facing himself as he explained what she was doing.
"Video 4 of the 'Ness Diaries'," Jessica burst into laughter. "Now Jess has decided to walk along the logs of this bog. Ooh- Jess I made it rhyme!" Again she laughed, amused by how easily pleased he was.
"Now shut up and help me!" Jess' voice wobbled and strained just like her balance. Niall huffed, putting his phone away and taking off his shirt and shoes.
"Jesus, it's slippy." Niall cursed. Jess rolled her eyes as Niall attempted at running along the poll, only just making it to her before loosing his balance and falling off.
"Idiot." He grinned, picking himself up and snapping a picture of her laughing at his childish behaviour.

*

"Niall!" Jess called over the trickle of water as she dogged the small currents and ran to the other side of the quaint river, round the random trunk and to the miniature beach.
"Baby?" He trundled up the steep hill, finding himself at the foot of the long branch Jess had being going on about on their way up to the river. "Do I-"
"Stay there," Jess ran up the bank and round another stump to the stepping stones, standing artistically on them. "Take photos?" She pleaded.

Niall nodded, opening his 'Retrica' app on his phone, selecting different filters and borders, snapping photos of his girlfriend as she waded, stumbled and ran through the water, over rocks and onto the stones placed, seemingly, in the right places. The smile on Niall's face was overwhelming as his heart warmed. He wanted to kiss her. All over her face. She was so effortlessly, yet hectically, beautiful it almost hurt his heart to even comprehend.
"I got hundreds, babe, come and get a few snaps of me on 'ere?" Jess nodded, slumbering back to the beach and taking out her own phone, double checking the walkie talkies were still on the flat rock beside her. Niall, again, removed all his clothing, bar his shorts and clambered onto the vertical branch, perfect for sitting on.
"Careful!" Jess yelled, her heart swelling as Niall grabbed hold of a sprouting branch and hauled himself up, now tight-rope walking along the branch. "That's it-" Jess dragged out the 't' snapping photos in the black and white filter as Niall made his way to the end, sitting down.
"Actually quite comfy, care to join?" He winked, causing Jess to smile once again, shaking her head as she took more photos changing the filter to a more 'old fashioned' look.
"No thanks," Niall laughed heartily knowing her response before she'd even spoken it. "But jump in? It will be cold but worth it."
"Good few photos, 'eh?"
"Indeed."
"Zayn'll enjoy printing them off and framing them."
"And Louis will love editing them into backdrops and wallpapers."
"So it's worth it?"
"Yes, Niall, darling."
"Fine." With that Niall stood up and lept into the freezing water, thinking only of the scene from 'The Notebook', a classic film he'd been shown in old, DVD, faded colour version by this very girl. It was Jessica's favourite film and still several centuries on she loved to watch it on a cold, time-to-snuggle, evening. He re-surfaced gasping for air.
"Fuck!"
"Cold, babe?" Jess giggled, filling Niall's phone with photos.
"Shut up!"
"One question, Horan." She warned.
"Yes, it's very fucking cold."

He couldn't help but smile as she dropped the phones on the grass, stripping down to her underwear as she ran to him in the water. Jess gilded through the clear, freezing water and to Niall, mumbling curse words under her breath before reaching the warmer water now heated by his body.
"Not so bad now."
"Not so bad." Jess hummed in contentment, moving her legs so they were now round his waist, slipping her hands round his neck and into his hair as she did so. Niall closed his eyes and moved his hands higher up Jess' waist, kissing her neck, just under her jaw. Jess let a moan slip from her lips, the small reply sounding more like a symphony to Niall, his wandering hands slowing at the dimples just before her bum. Jess' lips soon found Niall's, moving in sync as their tongues tangled in harmony, showing more love and affection that the entire evening of second glances at Jess' bum or Niall's naked torso.
"I love you." Niall mumbled against her lips.
"I love you." Jess hummed back against his lips.

And there they stood for many more hours, kissing, cuddling, mucking about and later, illegally finding comfort on the golf course, all clothes and care abandoned; apart from the love shared between the two- in a rather... physical way.

But it was beautiful.

For both of them; the first time they made love was the only time it had ever felt that special. It seemed the golf course was the perfect spot, as the sun set and the passion between the couple heated, despite the temperatures dropping violently in the last of the autumn days. All thoughts of the barbecue and old bridge left behind in the water.

It was beautiful.

{Authors Note}

This one is for Jess Horan (Clark), my best friend. She plays Jess in the book and this is a little flashback. I thought we needed a little break from drama! But I'll be updating again tomorrow.

Love you all xo