NIAM STORIES (BXB ONE SHOTS)

Card Tricks (Pt. 01)

I was seven when we first met.

Lost in the jungle of toys and sweets, I was beginning to find Kiddie Land very frustrating. Everywhere I look there were humongous stuffed animals, sequined princess dolls, and mighty-looking action figures. The fluorescent lights on the ceiling were blinding and a bit warm on the skin. There was no way I would be ending up a roasted Irish in this place, I told myself. I hurried up along the corridor and I bumped into another kid on the blind turn.

"Ow!" exclaimed the kid. "That hurt!"

"Sorry," was my quick response.

I noticed that he had cards in his hand and some of which were scattered all over the floor; he began to pick them up and so did I as a form of apology.

"I'm Niall," I say without fear, without even thinking on whether or not the kid would care on what my name was.

He reached for my hand and shook it. "Liam Payne," he replied with a grin. He stared at me for a moment and then his thick eyebrows furrowed, his eyes lighted up a few seconds later just in time for him to say, "You're pretty."

I suddenly blushed and found myself unable to take my gaze off of him.

Not especially when he asked if I wanted to see him do tricks with his cards.
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I was thirteen when he got detention for beating up the one who was bullying me.

When he found me quivering in fear of the boy that towered over me, what happened next came by so fast. The boy's face got slammed against the lockers and he began to beat him up, growling protectively, "Don't you touch my friend ever again!"

The other boy, bloodied and bruised, ran away quickly down the hall. When finally we were alone, he knelt in front of me and caressed my cheek. I winced when his fingers touched the forming bruise near my jaw.

"He'll fucking pay for what he did to you..." he hissed angrily.

"Liam," I appealed.

I grabbed his forearm and snapped out of his angry trance. He pulled me close and I gladly leaned and nuzzled against his chest. When he began mumbling something about payback again, I got brave and nuzzled on his neck. He stiffened for a moment and I worried he'd pull away, but then I was surprised when I distinctly heard him choke down a small moan down his throat.
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I was fifteen when he asked me to be his date to the prom.

I had nothing to do that evening, already decided not to attend since I will inevitably find no one to go with me, when my mom knocked on my bedroom door. She poked her head inside when she opened it and was grinning, saying that there was someone downstairs waiting for me.

When I just rolled my eyes at her, my mom practically dragged me downstairs in my pajamas. I began grumbling at her but stopped at my tracks when I saw him all dressed up for the prom.

"Pick three cards," he said, pulling out his deck and spreading it evenly in front of me.

After I had handed him the three cards, he flipped it over and my eyes widened at what was written in marker pen on the cards: I LOVE YOU.

What else could I have done? Of course I kissed him! Our lip-lock was only interrupted by my mother clearing her throat and ordering me to get dressed. She smiled and I smiled too.
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I was twenty when I broke his heart.

I didn't mean for it to happen. I was drunk and wasn't thinking straight. Everything was hazy and before I knew it, the first sane thought that popped in my line of vision was him angry and kicking the stranger who was fucking me out of the flat we were sharing.

"I trusted you..." he growled bitterly.

Tears were running down my cheeks. "Liam...please..."

"Get out."

"Liam--"

"I SAID GET THE FUCKING OUT OF MY SIGHT!"

I slept in my old bedroom that night. Even my mother won't talk to me after she found out what happened. As my pillow got soaked with tears, Liam's howl of grief and agony was still ringing in my head.
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Happy or sad ending for part two? You guys choose in the comments!