December: The Ziam Story

Chapter 7: Let Your Hair Down A Little

December 18 7:30 pm

Harry Pov~

Niall called me earlier, asking if I would meet him at his job and that he would be getting off from work soon. So, I'm making my way up the road now, heading to the diner. It it was kind of creepy walking the roads by myself, at night; however, the thought of Niall has kept me pretty sane so far. I would have asked Zayn to accompany me, but he ran off with Liam. They've been getting pretty close since we've been here. Zayn told me about the kiss they shared yesterday. I thought that was sweet. Zayn usually doesn't bother with love and relationships. He always felt like he was the odd one out, but I guess we all have someone for us.

I finished that last thought in my head, while watching Niall leave the diner. A smiled appeared on my face. I haven't seen him since meeting him yesterday morning, but it felt like I've known and missed him all my life. He walked over to me.

"Ready, Harry?," he asked.

I nodded and we started walking.

"Where, exactly, are we going, Niall?" I couldn't help but wonder.

"Well, there's a country club. Sounds corny, I know, but I've grown accustomed to it. My dad use to take me there all the time. He and my mom got a divorce about a year ago, and he slowly stopped coming around. Surprisingly, it's still my favorite place. Holds a lot of memories."

"I'm sorry to hear that, Niall," I said, while turning to him.

"It's okay. I've learned to deal with his absence. My mom, on the other hand, could still use some work. We had to move in with my grandparents. My nana thought she could help out with my mom's 'healing process."

Niall had a history. A history I was very interested in. His smile hides all the pain. His laughter keeps the shadows from surfacing. The sun always shined on him. The positivity was simply beautiful. He was beautiful. I couldn't stress that enough. We reached the country club and walked inside.

The music was playing loud. People dancing the same choreography in unison. Beers being passed out by waiters and slid across the counters to the older gentlemen. Hay was stacked in the corner. Some people rested upon them. This is my first time being here, yet I couldn't think of any other place I would rather be.

"Come on, Harry!," Niall shouted, running to the dance floor.

"Oh no, I don't - " Before I could finish my sentence, Niall pulled me to the dance floor and joined along with the others. He seemed at home. I wanted to share that feeling with him, even if it meant me looking stupid while dancing. I joined in. People shouted and chanted from all areas of the club. Every once and a while, people joined in on the dance. I gave Niall a spin at the end of the song and he landed in my arms.

"Well, Harry," he said, panting. "You're not so bad."

"Th-thank you," clearing my throat afterwards.

We both sat down at the bar, feeling ecstatic.

"Ronald! Two virgins please!," Niall shouted to the bartender.

I couldn't help but laugh at the pun.

"A toast to memories!," Niall said, raising his glass. We clinked them together and took a sip of our drinks. If there's one thing I know about the Irish, they like to drink.

After a long night of dancing and enjoying a few shots, we headed to Niall's house. We arrived to his front gate and he turned to me.

"Thanks, Harry." He gave me a hug and a kiss on the cheek. Then jogged to his front door. I rubbed my cheek and blushed.

"You're welcome," I said, but it wasn't loud enough, seeing as I was just about caught up in a daydream.

I made my way back to Uncle Simon's. When I walked through the front door, Zayn, Simon, Liam and a man I guessed to be Liam's father were all having dinner.

"Hey, Harry!," Uncle Simon called, waving for me to come over. "This is Mr. James, Liam's father."

"Hi."

"Hello there, I guess you're the other half of this fellow here." he pointed to Zayn. At first I thought he meant that in a relationship type of way, but I realized he was referring to us traveling out here in a pair. Liam and Zayn sat the table, talking amongst themselves and giggling.

"Are you hungry?"

"Oh, no thanks uncle. I think I've had enough for the night."

I made my way to the room, layed on my bed and replayed the kiss and hug over and over in my head. It wasn't a kiss on the lips, but it felt just as special. His lips were soft, made me feel very secure. I could get use to this. I pulled my iPhone out and texted Niall.

"I had an amazing time tonight, Ni. Hope to see you again soon :) - Harry

A couple of seconds later, my phone flashed from a notification.

"No, thank you. I haven't had that much fun in forever. I'm sure we'll be seeing each other a lot more ;) - Niall

A wide smile grew on my face and I held my phone to my chest. Suddenly, Zayn walked in.

"Hey, mate!"

"Hey, Zayn."

"What has you so happy?," he asked, curiously.

"Oh nothing. Just had an amazing time with Niall." I wanted to sound calm, but inside there were fireworks. I wanted to jump on the bed, tackle Zayn, dance all over the room. I had to remain content.

"You know, Harry, I'm glad mom pushed us to come out here."

We smiled at each other. Zayn climbed to the top of the bunk. The night grew quiet and we went to sleep.