If I Let You Know... [N.H.]

16. dRuNk

"Shit" someone mutters.

The door closes quite loudly. I sit up and turn on the bedside lamp.

"Niall?"

"Did I wake you?" he slurs from the end of the bedroom corridor.

It takes me no time at all to realize that he is quite drunk. His accent is thicker than normal and he is not walking properly.

"Oh man, we had a sick time. We laughed, we danced, we sang, we..."

"Drank?" I ask, raising an eyebrow.

"Yeah, that too" he laughs, "you should have come. Liam and Sophia left early though. You can guess why"

Unexpectedly, he starts banging on the wall behind the bed with his fist.

"Payno!" he cries, "Stop doing the dirty!"

"Niall!" I exclaim getting out of bed.

"You hear me, Payno?" he laughs, "It is too late for sins!"

"I'm sure he has heard you" I say taking him by the wrists so he stops hitting the wall.

He hugs me, still laughing. I stand still.

He has never hugged me before.

I feel his strong arms around my torso and his chin nuzzled into my neck. A part of me wants to hug him back, but my common sense tells me to gently back away. I stare at him in silence. I have seen some pictures of drunk Niall but nothing compared to what I have in front to me right now: the way he talks, the way he moves, the smile permanently printed on his face... I've never seen him like this.

"You know what they're doing, right?" he chuckles like a five year old and I try not to laugh.

"You have to go to sleep"

"Why?" he whines

"Because"

"I thought you were fun" he pouts.

"Put your pjs on and go to bed"

I give him his pijamas and lead him to the bathroom. I go back to bed and wait for him there.

A couple of minutes later he exits the bathroom only with his black boxers on.

"Niall! Your pjs!"

"Clothes are for wimps" he answers and tucks himself in bed.

I shake my head, turn the light off and doze off almost immediately, but a couple of minutes later, Niall's voice awakes me.

"Victoria... I can't sleep"