One Month.

3- Smiles

--Sydney's POV--

It was so weird to be standing in an empty Ford Field. And to think, in just a couple of hours, every seat would be filled. It was normal for the guys, they barely even glanced at the stadium, but I couldn't pull my eyes away from anything.

"Want to see what it looks like onstage?" Niall asked, coming up behind me. I jumped a little, but nodded. He grabbed my hand, pulling me up there, and gesturing broadly to the stadium.

"Oh my god," I breathed, just looking at everything. It made me feel incredibly small but larger than life as well. Thousands upon thousands of empty seats, that would soon be filled with people. The number actually didn't make me feel as insignificant as I figured it would.

"Cool, right?" He asked, grinning at my reaction.

"Understatement," I replied, still trying to take it all in. "How do you guys do this on a daily basis?" He shrugged.

"It becomes second nature. I mean, this is more than any of us ever could have hoped for, so we're just trying to make the most of it, see the most of everything that we can before it's gone." He said, looking at the stadium fondly.

"It's still so crazy, this many people, all here to listen to you, but you're still not the assholes a lot of like, lesser stars are." I insisted. Once again, he just shrugged, this time with a touch of pink in his cheeks.

"Maybe because we know this was all pure luck, and chance. I mean, if one thing went differently the day that we auditioned, we probably wouldn't be here."

"I'd say there's a bit of talent involved, too," I said jokingly, making him laugh.

"Just a bit," he said, shaking his head. "C'mon, I'll show you where you get to watch from." He pulled me across the stage, which is the first time I noticed that he was sill holding on to my hand.

"Side stage?" I questioned, and he nodded, smiling widely.

"Reserved specifically for 'our people.'" He said, making our quotes around the words 'our people.'

"So I'm people, now?" I asked teasingly.

"You became part of the people the moment you agreed," he said, and nudged me softly. "How are you feeling, by the way?" I frowned a little.

"You haven't cured my tendencies in only a couple days, if that's what you're asking." I said, trying to not sound as cold as it seemed.

"No, I just meant in general, like, how are you adapting and such?" I relaxed a little.

"Oh. I feel a lot better knowing I have my clothes now, otherwise, I think the only part that's going to be hitting me is jet lag. Luckily, though, I have all of tonight to enjoy before my sleep schedule is completely fucked." He laughed a little.

"You'll never really get used to it. We end up sleeping in some pretty weird places, whenever we get the chance." He said, and I laughed.

"That's reassuring," I said rolling my eyes.

"Nah. That's the truth." I looked at him seriously.

"Thank you."

"For what?" He asked, surprised.

"For not lying to me like every other human being I've associated with." I said simply. He squeezed my hand.

"Of course not." I blushed a little. I couldn't help it.

"Niall! Come out come out wherever you are!" Harry's voice called. Niall's eyes dropped from mine, and it made me feel a bit better that he was blushing as well.

"What?" Niall called back, not letting go of my hand.

"Doors open in two! They want us all backstage," Harry explained, jogging into view, and smirking slyly. "Am I interrupting?" He asked.

"No," Niall and I said at the same time, making me blush harder. Harry laughed.

"Too cute." He said, shaking his head. "Just don't let them see you," he said, then walked away, still laughing. Niall and I fell into silence for a moment.

"We should probably head backstage," he said, and I nodded, following him shyly, trying to stop blushing. Harry looked way too proud of himself backstage, when Niall and I weren't even doing anything. Speaking of Niall, the blonde was quickly whisked away to hair and makeup, leaving me with the others.

"Oh wipe the smug smile off your face, you didn't see anything." I said the words before even processing them, and Harry raised an eyebrow at me.

"Really? It looked like something."

"It wasn't."

"I feel like you're lying to me." He said, tilting his head and keeping that smirk firmly in place.

"What's going on?" Louis asked, confused.

"Niall was holding my hand to show me around and Harry's making it out like we were fucking in a broom closet or something," I said before he could say anything.

"You totally have a thing for him," Harry interjected.

"No, as a matter of fact, I don't."

"Do!"

"Don't!" I said sharply.

"I don't believe you." He said simply. I rolled my eyes, then a devious idea came to mind. I walked over to where he was sitting, and straddled his lap, forcing my lips against his. After a solid ten seconds, I pulled back.

"You should," I said, standing back up. He just sat there, in stunned silence, while the other boys laughed at him.

"What'd I miss?" Niall asked, walking back into the room.

"Sydney broke Harry."