linger // niall horan

four // a ceathair

niall's pov

Everyone shoves into my childhood dining room. There's not nearly enough room so we're practically sitting on top of one another. My arse is half way onto Harry's chair, but that was mainly to avoid sitting so close to Gus, who was sitting on the other side of me, thanks to my mum. 

It didn't feel like it was Gus I was looking at. It was Gus in a woman's body. It made my face flush just gazing upon her. Though her body has developed and filled out, there are still aspects that bring me right back to being sixteen and so in love: her wild curly hair, perhaps even more unruly now, and those freckles scattered across her nose and cheeks, as if the sun had kissed her repeatedly, but never on the same place. 

I remember being fourteen and would draw speckles along the margin of my notebooks in class in the exact same pattern as they fell down her nose. 

Her arm bumps mine on the table as she reaches for her glass of water. She just barely glances up at me but when my eyes meet hers, she looks away again. A reminder that six years have passed and she is no longer the girl I could read her thoughts with a single look. 

She's actually quite full of surprises. My mind wanders back to the news my mum threw out. Gus was dating Shay? I never thought I would hear those words. They were my best mates. It was always the three of us. But beside their friendship with me, they never had anything in common. They hated each other's guts, actually. 

A large portion of my time growing up was spent making sure the two of them didn't kill one another. It drove me absolutely insane. But to be quite honest, I think I prefer that than hearing about them dating. 

What stung the worst was that Shay knew. He knew how ridiculously in love with Gus I had been growing up. Part of me wondered if he did this to get back at me for leaving all those years ago.

I shake my head, hearing how ridiculous I sound. Of course it wasn't to get back at me, I mean, look at Gus. She's absolutely gorgeous, and she always had the best sense of humor and listened better than anyone I've ever met. 

The thought of Shay being able to come home to Gus and kiss her and tell her all about his day made my chest boil over with an unexplainable frustration. I could feel sweat forming on my forehead. 

My mum brought out two large pots of her famous Irish stew, earning a chorus of hungry chatter from everyone. 

"Didn't think you'd come to Mullingar and not get Irish stew, did ye'?" She smiles at the lads, her Irish accent thick and prominent. It made me smile, making me feel right at home. Sometimes when I'm on the road and I give her a call that accent brings tears to my eyes.

Though I don't regret ever leaving - joining One Direction was the best thing that's ever happened to me - I do miss Mullingar like crazy. I know that when everything settles down, I'd love to be back here.  I always dreamed of getting one of the big houses on the outskirts of town, right by the vale. 

"I say we just have Maura make 100 pots of this stuff for the wedding," Louis smiles, eating the stew up quickly. 

Everyone moans in agreement before dispersing into wedding chatter. Gus's parents have thousands of question for Louis and Mia, but of course the rest of the lads feel the need to put in their input as well. 

But I can't quite concentrate on whether or not grey or black tuxes would be the most flattering. 

"So you and Shay?" I speak the first words to Gus in six years.

Taken back, she bursts into a coughing fit, quickly grabbing a napkin to cover her mouth. She looks up at me with her big brown eyes, her eyebrows crinkled together.