fallen angel - n.h.

vi. - the girl & the faded lipstick

✖️- vi. -✖️

[please check end of chapter for definitions to bolded, underlined words] (:

NEW YEAR'S DAY 1965-THE MORNING

3rd person narrative p.o.v

• n.h. •

He groggily wipes his eyes with one hand. Leaned up on one elbow, his other arm drops to his chest once his sight is cleared.

"Christ it's bright." His throaty morning voice mumbles as he scratches at his bare chest. His head is pounding. He yawns loudly before turning away from the window. His body softly collapses against his bed. He lets out a soft groan.

Thought I'd shut that.

The cheesy leopard print bed sheets are pulled up high over his shoulder as he smacks his lips, content.

Niall snuggles back into his sheets, resting his head atop his pillows. The pillowcases are a softened royal purple.

Niall snuffles happily, nose pressed into his pillow. He's never loved anything as much as he loved his bed on a morning after he'd gotten pissed drunk.

And then he hears the jingle of his lock clicking open and then the door to his flat is slammed open. His eyes, as well as his nose, scrunch in frustration. He tried to ignore the noise. The sound of stumbly footsteps got louder as they approached his room. But he isn't alarmed because he's already heard cocky laughter from voices familiar to him.

The loudness of the footsteps momentarily softens. Niall hears the sound of giggles and shushes as his best mates creak open his ajar door, slowly. Then, when they're actually inside the room, they decide to yell loudly.

"Oh look what we've got 'ere! Sleeping Beauty!"

"Wut tha fuck." Niall slurs sleepily at Darragh. Each word dragged out. "M tryin' to sleep..."

"Happy New Years to ya too, Niall." Darragh shoves at Niall.

It's quiet for a bit before Sean lets out a huge shout of laughter, pissed out of his wits like Darragh. "Looks like it was a Happy New Year for Niall." Sean looks over at Darragh. "That's why ya left so early! Brought a molly home, didn't ya?"

"A bunch of eejits you both are." Niall attempts to pull the blanket over his face and get some more shut eye, ignoring the question.

"HA HA! And what's this?" Darragh wrestles the blanket from Niall's grip and manages to get it below his chin. "How's the head?" He asks Niall with a knowing smirk, pushing his friend's hair off his forehead. Last night, it had been styled but after last night's "activities" (you can say) his hair had fallen back into his eyes-soft looking, the dye somewhat faded against the darker brown roots.

"Yeh feckin' bastard!" Sean adds when he sees Niall's forehead. "Look at ya!"

"What are you lot going on about now?" Niall hits Darragh's clammy hand from his forehead, now fully awake. "Fuck." He rubs at his head when he sits up too fast. "Would one of ya get the window?"

"Have a look for yerself, mate." Sean closes the curtains, Darragh shrugging his shoulders before leaving Niall's room. Probably leaving his room to find something to eat.

Niall reaches over for a pair of pants to put on after Sean follows Darragh to the kitchen. He winces at how stale his mouth feels and probably smells. He sits on the edge of his bed, huffing out a breath before rubbing his hands across his flushed cheeks.