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Niam - Midnight Memories

"Hey, Niall, wake up!"

The urgent whispers, along with the thud of fingers against glass, pull Niall from his sleep. He sits up and squints his eyes through the dimness, looking for whatever it is that’s waking him up. On the large branch of the sycamore tree just outside his window sits Liam, waving at him frantically as if to catch his attention. He’s grinning. Niall rubs his eyes furiously, trying to wipe off what he thinks is a dream. He looks again, squinting harder, and sure enough Liam is still there.

What the—?

Niall hops off the bed and sprints to the window, unlatching its locks and peeling it open. “What are you doing here?” he asks incredulously.

Liam’s grin widens. “Happy Birthday, Ni.”

“What?” Niall asks in a hushed whisper, because even though his parents aren’t home, he’s sure the utter silence would magnify even the faintest of sounds. He turns his head to the digital clock on the bed side table. “No it’s not. Still two hours and a half before twelve. Why did you come?”

Liam ignores the last question. “Come on,” he says, “Get dressed and come on!”

A grin spills on Niall’s lips as he notes the enthusiasm sparkling in Liam’s eyes, and he nods without hesitation because, after all, they had done things even more absurd than sneaking out in the middle of the night. He quickly pulls on a pair of jeans and the nearest t-shirt lying around, not caring if his hair looks absolute crap. A cold wind drafts from the open window, spurring Niall to take on a jacket as well.

Liam waits below as Niall climbs down the tree skillfully. Niall smiles as he remembers the fun times they’ve had with this sycamore — they used to climb it every morning and afternoon when they were children, innocent and bare to the whole world. Memories had been engraved on this tree, moments of tears and giggles that were sketched somewhere in Niall’s mind.

Niall’s hands grip at the trunk’s calloused barks as he finally jumps down, right next to a grinning Liam.

“So, where are we going?” Niall asks breathlessly. He momentarily hates Liam for being so fit and looking so perfect under the moonlight even though he had walked twelve blocks from his house to Niall’s.

Liam’s teeth practically glint against the moonbeam as he answers with a huge grin, “Anywhere.”

Turns out anywhere is everywhere. Literally everywhere. They went to Nando’s where Niall ordered half of the  menu, and visited their old school which they attended when they were on third grade. They roam the streets and run around, reminiscing their old days. Back when everything was simple and each step didn’t need much calculatation. It’s as if they’re seven-year-olds all over again, feeling the cool night wind slap at their faces as they run with arms outstretched, giggling under the stars.

Niall heaves as they reach the playground, collapsing on his knees. His face is flushed and his dyed hair is puffed up. His whole body tingles with the adrenaline that had over taken it, his bones practically vibrating. Bits of laughter fall past his lips as he tries to regain his breathing. Spinning. His head is spinning with a kind of childish glee he hasn’t experienced for so long.

“That was …,” he begins, his heart pumping wildly inside his chest, “ … that was …”

“ … fun,” Liam finishes just as breathlessly. “Come on.” 

They sit on the abandoned swingset, grinning as their breathing eased. The metals of the play equipments that skatters around the park gleam a silver coating of moonlight. It’s silent, a kind of sweet tranquility that makes Niall reminisce all of those good times he’s had with the boy beside him.