Baby, You Light Up My World!

Baby, 3

"Do you want it to be?"

The question echoed in my head as I tried to comprehend what he meant. "I- Uh- Like- I mean- You're- And I'm- Uh- What??"

He looked down shyly, "It's just that- I think you're," he scratched the back of his neck, "pretty and nice and funny . . ."

"Um, Niall, I'm not really your type . . ."

"That doesn't matter." He said with a shrug.

Butterflies erupted in my stomach, but I held my nerves back. "Can we, maybe, just wait? Until we know each other better?"

He smiled softly, "Sure." He leaned in slowly and brushed his lips across mine slowly. A door slammed not a second after our lips touched and I jerked back.

Harry had just stormed out of the bus.

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"Hey, hey, hey!" Hailey came back on the bus a short while later, carrying food to be cooked. She'd bought enough for us to cook for the boys for about a week, maybe a little less.

The guys came back later, tugging Harry along. They sat at the table, Harry included, and played a game of Rumey with a deck of cards. Hailey and I cooked up a dinner of mac-n-cheese with BBQ sausage.

The guys each piled a high plate and stuffed their mouths. Niall kept sneaking me glances and smiles. If Hailey noticed, which she probably did, she didn't comment. The guys complimented us. Even Harry gave a vague, "Better than fast food."

Hailey and I beamed.

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That night, back on the road, the boys (excluding Harry) asked Hailey and me if we wanted to watch a movie. We politely accepted. Liam quickly put a movie in the DVD player.

"What are we watching?" Hailey asked baside me. We were sitting along the side couch in front of the TV. Harry was who-knows-where in the back of the bus. Liam was spread across the floor and Zayne sat on the far end. Louis sat beside him. And beside him was Niall. Who was sitting beside me. Hailey was at the end.

"Freddy VS Jason." Liam said with a grin.

Hailey gave me a sharp look. She knew my secret. My only fear. Scary movies. Uh oh.

During the opening credits, Niall did the yawn-stretch-arm-above-girls-shoulders-thing and squeezed my shoulder. Hailey noticed immediately and gave me a questioning look. I replied with a look that said 'later'.

The movie started and I started shaking. Hailey slid her hand in mine and I dug my finger nails into her palm. Niall looked at me. He leaned toward me and softly in my ear, his lips brushing my earlobe, said, "Are you okay?"

I leaned toward him too. Our faces were close together as I said, "I have a fear of scary movies."

Niall's eyes widened. "Oh, do you want me to tell them to turn it off?"

"No, no. They want to watch it. I'll just have to tough it out." He silently held his hand out, palm up and looked at me. I smiled gratefully and slid my hand into his, squeezing lightly.

I looked at the screen just in time to see Freddy. I turned and put my head on Niall's shoulder.  His shoulder was shaking and it took me a minute to realize he was laughing. He was laughing at me. I hit his stomach without looking up and he laughed harder.

Peeking at the screen, I jumped about ten feet in the air and cowered back into Niall's shoulder. His hand came and stroked my hair. "It's okay," he whispered softly. "It's just a movie."