simple, but effective.
comment.

chapter forty-one

H.E.S.
I drive us to the airport, giving Niall some extra time to sleep. Since his mum called he's been so overly stressed and it's made him completely exhausted. I turn to check on him as he dozes off. I take a right turn and sigh, licking my lips.

Since Saturday, things have been extremely awkward. He doesn't think so, but I feel it. I can't even remember the last time we just laid in bed and took in the moment and felt the love that we've always had whirling around us.

I feel bad, being that it happened in the first place. And then I go and get fired right after. I'm not living up to the standard that's being Niall's boyfriend and it's taken a real toll on me. I'm running out of options to redeem myself, and I'm starting to consider Zayn's alternate job.

I pull the car into the parking lot, stopping the vehicle and shaking Niall awake.

"Ni..."

He doesn't respond and I sigh, picking him up and draping his arms across my back as I carry him bridal style. I take both of our tickets out of his coat pocket and take us to the front desk.

"He needs to wake up," the flight attendant tells me snarkily,

"Yeah yeah," I snap, "look there's a flight to Ireland in two hours and we have tickets so just,"

I grunt, handing her the tickets,

"Do your job; because it's not being a bitch."

She seems slightly offended but I wave it off, because if you don't wanna get attacked, don't poke the beast. The attendant does her airport magic and soon we're clear to go through security. I shake Niall awake, successful this time around.

"What's happening?" He mutters, yawning quietly. The girl hands me the sheets of paper, glaring at me as she staggers away.

"What's her deal, hm?"

He rubs his eyes cutely and I smile, kissing his forehead.

"Nothing. Ready?"

He nods and we prepare to go through the grueling airport rituals.

•

"Remember when we were going to LA?"

We sit on the plane and I nod, biting my lips as I hold his hand,

"What about it?"

"Well," Niall licks his bottom lip, "it's just that things have changed drastically since then."

"Tell me," I rub a circle in his hand and he smiles,

"We became official, you discovered you have a half brother, your dad and my ex got engaged, Zayn and Louis hooked up, you got fired, I got promoted, just to list off a few things..."

"Yeah," I chuckle, "and I don't think we've split, let alone taken a break."

"Exactly," he grins up at me, "I just feel like we can surpass anything."

"Maybe we're fireproof."

"Or invincible."

"I don't think there's a difference." I respond.

"Why?"

"Just that, invincibility doesn't last long. We can't be invincible forever. But I know we'll get through it anyway."

He agrees, gripping my arm tightly as the announce the flight departure. Eventually we're taking off and flying along with the clouds. There aren't a lot of people on the plane with us, and Niall and I have secluded ourselves to a quiet area of the plane. He curls further into me and removes the armrest separating us.

"I love you."

I look down at him, in awe at what he said,

"Huh?"

"I love you. I mean it this time, I love you."

Leaning down to kiss him seems so effortless this time. As I catch my lips with his suddenly this overly intimate feeling takes over, making me take Niall's hip into my grip. Our lips move softly against each other's delicately. His hand moves up to caress my hair and the wild tingling in my stomach tells me that I'm right. I've never been so right in my life and I know that I need him in my life forever.

"Niall?"

"Yes babe?"

"What do you think about getting married?"

He stares at me in disbelief, his fingers still in my hair and our noses rubbing against each other. His bright blue eyes are glistening and his smile is stretching to the tip of his cheekbones.

"Huh?"

"What do you think about getting married?" I say more confidently, a grin also enclosing onto my mouth.

"Harry you must have wedding fever or something," he says in surprise, "where is this coming from?"

"I don't know," I sigh profoundly, looking him dead in the eyes, "But I feel extremely compelled to marry you. Maybe I do have wedding fever but whatever's going on in my head isn't stopping me from how I feel about you. God Niall, I love you so much. And, I guess this is my crazy way of proposing to you."

Tears are falling from his baby blues as he tries to find composure. I hold him close to me still, biting my lip as I dare to continue,

"You don't have to say yes now, I'd never force you to do that. But, I just want you to know that I do love you to the moon and back, and not even that far, because let's face it, that's not that far."

We both giggle and I kiss his cute little mouth once the sound leaves his lips,

"I love you infinitely, and I guess I am crazy because we've only been dating for almost half a year, but I've never felt so confident in a relationship. I've dating so many other people but you--you seem to be the only person I've loved to this extreme."

"Really?"

His eyes glisten brightly and I wipe away his happy tears,

"I wouldn't drop everything and fly halfway across the world for just anyone baby."

He sighs, kissing me again before taking my cheeks in his hands,

"Maybe."

I can't take it anymore, my head falling from his hands and my laugh echoing throughout the cabin. Niall follows along with me, his being much prettier and listenable. I lean over, pressing my lips to his forehead,

"I didn't embarrass myself, did I?"

"No," he chuckles, "I'm honestly so flattered and emotional, I just can't even find words to express how much I love you right now."

"Good."

•

Once we were stepping foot in Ireland, it seems as if Niall's entire mood changed. It was then that I realized he was home. Niall was in his hometown, where he was born; where he grew up. I hadn't noticed until his foot landed on the foreign ground and he took a deep breath, a grin spreading on his face like poison.

"Wow," he grins, "I leave a college student and come back sorta engaged with a sorta fianceé and a job promotion."

"Too soon," I wince playfully, holding my heart and Niall snorts before taking my arm and dragging us to baggage claim.

"Come on," he whines, "we gotta go to the hotel so we can meet my mum and nan in the hospital."

I nod, grabbing our luggage and letting Niall take the lead. We exit the airport and we search for the car his mum had set for us to go to the hotel. Niall's quick eyes spot the car and he takes my hand again, walking me to the car.

"Hi," he says politely, "you're taking us?"

"Well, why else would I be here?"

"Hey," my attitude comes right back as I defend my boyfriend, "we're paying you. The least you could do is be polite."

He grunts as we climb into the car. I roll my eyes and take out my phone, seeing if I could do anything while being out of the USA. Niall curls up into me and I smile as my sorta fianceé falls right back to sleep.