The Housekeeper [h.s.]

Cheering Presents

Sleeping was the hardest part. My eyes could close for 1 minute and then my mind would go off to Harry-land again. The picture of him laying there in his horrible hospital clothes with his beautiful eyes closed kept playing, even though I tried my very best to shut them out. I needed sleep. If I didn't get sleep, I would just get more depressed than I already was. And we didn't want that.

Liam and Niall had been trying their best to watch over me and take care of me the last few days, something I really needed. I don't know how I would get through all of it without those two. My relationship with Niall also got better along the way. I discovered that we had a lot more in common than I thought.

Louis had taken this very badly. He had stayed in his room all the time and he didn't want any food when we offered him some and when I made dinner. I wasn't working these days, because Liam had convinced Ms. Dalaria to give me some time off, but I still made food for all of us. Not necessarily because I was such a good-hearted person with my heart on my sleeve, but because I knew none of the boys but Harry could cook, and we didn't want bad-tasting food at this point. Food could actually be very comforting at times.

"Knock knock!"

I heard Liam from outside of my room with his cheering, kind voice. Still, I couldn't help but think of Harry each time someone said "knock knock."

The door slowly opened to reveil a smiling Liam, holding a plate of food in his hands. A bagel with nutella on it, an apple and a glass of strawberry milk. When I noticed it was strawberry milk, I couldn't help but grin.

He chuckled. "Yeah, I figured you'd be happy about the strawberry milk."

I laughed as he sat the plate on my nightstand and sat down on my bed.

"Thank you, Liam. For everything. You and Niall have been so kind to me these days, and I honestly don't know what I would've done without you guys" I said and picked up my bagle.

My stomach growled. I guess I was really hungry after all. The truth was that I didn't quite notice when I was hungry or thursty, which was very bad for me. God knows what could happen out of that.

"No problem, Luce. Really, I actually have enjoyed taking care of you these days."

I smiled and gobbled the piece of bread I held in my hand. God, it tasted so good. The best bagle with nutella I had ever tasted. Not that I had eaten that many bagles in my life, but still. It tasted pretty amazing.

Liam pushed himself up from the bed to my disappointment, but I didn't say anything. Although I liked having Liam here. Someone to talk to. I guess I was boring company.

"If you need anything, you know where to find me" he said and gave me a wink.

I smiled, before I remembered what it was I was going to ask him about.

"Oh, uhm. Liam?"

He turned his head to face me and nodded with curiosity in his eyes.

"How's everything with you and Sophia?" I asked carefully, making sure I was careful with my words.

He looked down for a moment, like he was thinking. Then he looked back at me again before he sighed.

"We've kind of been fighting a lot lately, and it's just about these silly little things. I don't know why we're even fighting about it. We wouldn't normally fight about those things, but we do now. I'm really worried about our relationship, Luce."

His voice sounded shaky, as if he was about to cry. I went over to him and hugged him, as I felt like he needed it. Whenever I needed his embrace, he was there for me. Now I wanted to give something back.

He slowly pulled away from our hug, with tears in his eyes. I stroke his cheek and dried the tears away. Suddenly he started to lean forward. I didn't pull back. I let it happen.

Our lips met, and for a moment it felt so good and right. But then it all felt wrong. I quickly pulled away and put my hand to my mouth.

"Don't do that."

"Do what?" He asked, confused but not angry.

"Take advantage of my hurting."

He looked down and shook his head. "No. No, I'm so sorry, I didn't mean to do that, I," he said and stopped talking in the middle of a sentence. Then he went out of my room without looking up at me.

I couldn't really understand what just happened. Why did I do it? How could I? All the guilt and pain all of the sudden got to me. All I wanted to do was lay down on my bed, and cry. Cry myself to sleep.

And so I did.

A knock on the door woke me up. I heard the squeaky door open. My head went up from my duvet to see Niall standing there with a big smile on his mouth and a big box as well. I sat myself up in the bed and furrowed my eyebrows.

"What've you got there?" I asked curiously with a sly smile.

He grinned. "A little something I thought might cheer you up."

His arms lifted the big box onto my bed, and motioned for me to open it. I pulled the pieces of cardboard apart from eachother, and I couldn't be more surprised by what was in it.

"Niall" I gasped in joy and shock.

In the bottom of the box, a cute, little puppy lay and looked up at me with big, adorable eyes. I carefully picked it up and put it onto my chest. The warm fur felt nice and cozy against my face. The little puppy put out his tongue and licked my face. I giggled.

Niall laughed. "It's a pomeranian. It won't get much bigger than that. And don't worry, whenever you've got work, me and the boys will take care of it" he said and smiled.

I smiled back. "Thank you so much, Niall. It did really cheer me up" I said, and I kind of felt like giving him a hug, but that would probably squeeze the living thing out of the puppy.

"No problem. I know it's really hard for you these days, so good friends are important for you now" he said.

I nodded, hardly paying attention to what he said because the little puppy I was holding in my arms was so darn cute. It cut me off reality and let me be in my own little bubble for a moment, and a moment was all I needed. No less, no more. Just a moment.

"I didn't name it, so you can call it whatever you want" he said.

"Oh, come on, don't lie to me. I know you've thought about a name or two for it, we all do. So let me hear" I said and smiled.

He chuckled and shook his head. "Fine, you got me. Well, I thought about Niall junior for a while but I figured that would kind of be a bit weird for Harry when he comes back, so," he said and sighed sarcastically with a frown.

I rolled my eyes and giggled. His positivity and optimism helped me and inspired me to think likewise. Liam was just the same. Always positive and looking forward. I needed people like that around me. There were no chance I could've gone through all of this with Louis for example. He would just make me even more depressed and it would end up with both of us lying in bed with a box of tissues, crying like two love-struck idiots. I guess we kind of were anyway.

"No, but seriously. I've been thinking of the name Milo. When I was little, I had a little dog called Milo, so that's why" he finished, and smiled shyly.

Milo. It sounded pretty good. A cute name for a cute dog. Besides, I felt like if I didn't call the dog that, I'd might hurt Niall a bit, and that was the last thing I wanted to do after everything.

"Milo it is, then" I said happily and looked down on my little puppy, who was now sleeping, and I couldn't be more satisfied with the name.