Time Bomb

Oh oh, oh oh
Oh oh, oh oh

Their relationship felt like a car accident to Sam. It was all an accident. They only met because she was Liam’s sister. He only asked her out because he didn’t realize just how difficult she was. He only stayed because he didn’t want to break her heart. A recipe for disaster. A ticking time bomb.

All over the world, people doubt Samantha Payne and Niall Horan. ‘She isn’t good enough for him,’ said a jealous Demi Lovato over twitter. In response, and outraged Niall posted a twitpic of him and Sam, writing that he ‘wouldn’t have it any other way.’

Little did everyone outside of the immediate One Direction family know, Sam and Niall were at their wits end with each other. Constantly fighting like they weren’t human. Spouting insults with hidden diggers just to upset the other person. Sam did it as a defense mechanism, push someone else away before they push you. Niall did it as revenge, almost. He didn’t want to purposefully hurt her, not at all, but he did want her to see how she made him feel.

One day, Liam corner his sister. “You have got to stop hurt Niall. And! He has to stop hurting you. This isn’t healthy. I’ve seen you cry more times in the past three months than I have our whole lives.” As he hugged Sam, she dropped her final wall, the one only her brother seemed to destroy.

“Liam what if he leaves like Marc, or Kalvyn, or Trace? What if I let him in and he tears me apart?”

“Sweetie, he already is. His words are killing you slowly. And your words are killing him quickly. Neither of you deserve this. Just break up with him.” All progress Liam had been making flew out the window with his last sentence.

Sam broke from his grasp with her eyes ablaze. “Break up with him? Break up with him?! Never. He is the greatest guy I’ve ever dated. We are like a time bomb, ready to explode every other moment, but if I had to pull him from the wreckage of our explosion, I would, and I’d never let him go.” Smirking slightly, Liam backed from Sam to let what she had just said, well screamed, sink in.

“You think we’re gonna explode?” Niall’s soft voice cut through the sibling’s silence like a knife. “If we’re gonna lose it, I’ll try to defuse it. Our ‘time bomb’ that is.” His accent made every word he spoke sweeter to Sam’s ears. “Give us a sec, mate?” Liam walked off, hoping that the fights and crying would end in one last explosion.

“How much did you hear?” Sam choked back a sob.

“Enough to know that you do care. You care more about yourself though. Wish I knew that at first.” He rubbed the back of his neck sheepishly. Sam’s face contorted with rage.

“You knew the whole time, Niall James Horan, that I struggle with things unlike ‘normal’ people! I told you, warned you, and so did Liam. He didn’t want this to happen, the inevitable result. The final explosion.” Black tears cascaded down Sam’s once pretty face. Her lips quivered and her whole body shook from the physical pain her emotions were taking on her. Complicated. The only thing she could think of was how broken she was about to become.

“I knew, you’re right. I jumped in feet first into the ‘mess’ you call your life. I knew you were going to be difficult, but I know, for a fact, that I’m never gonna let you go. I’m never gonna let you let me go. I wouldn’t take you any other way. Believe it or not, this girl,” he held up a small hand mirror, letting Sam see her broken self,” this girl is the girl I want to love. Not the one that has it all together. I love how different you are. You call it difficult, I call you a unique challenge. You’re biggest problem is that the second I have you figured out, you change all the rules.”

Sam crumpled then. Her legs finally giving out. She completely fell to the ground sprawled out and just sobbed. Niall rushed to her, only to have her scream again. “There is only one way down this road Niall! One way. but we are taking it separately, I can’t take this. I can’t do this to you either.”

“Oh baby, you aren’t doing it to me. I picked you and I would pick you a thousand times over. You’re beautiful, whether you believe it or not, and you have a hold on me that I couldn’t shake if I tried. These fits, storms, they end. We were stupid, yeah I get that. We might as well gotten married with how fast we moved. Everything was falling into place, I thought, but the Demi, and the other celebrities, had to rear their ugly heads and make you doubt everything. I don’t doubt us and I know that you shouldn’t either.” Niall pulled Sam to him. Curled together on a dirty hallway floor, they let everything loose.

Sam mentioned all her fears, crying loudly and hiccuping every once in awhile. Her tears had long since ran out of mascara to run, but that didn’t stop the rivers from flowing. Niall just listened to her. Her melodic voice filled with hurt stabbed his heart with every other word, but things had to be said. Everything had to be said.

NIall spoke out about everyone else’s influence on them. “We are in the relationship, we need to be together to face the world, as a time bomb or otherwise.”

“When I break, will you fix me?” Niall smiled and nudged her.

“Would I still be here if the answer was no?” Sam let out a loud laugh, it cut right through her sobs. “Please stop crying love, that kills me more than when we fight.” Niall was silently suffering, tears flowing from his eyes as well. Hastily he wiped them away, but to no avail, there was twice the amount to replace them.

They remained on the floor together for at least an hour. They had long since stopped talking and just enjoyed time with each other. Slowly their tears stopped and their hearts and minds filled with the good times they had shared over their three months together. Chasing ducks and pigeons, getting and sharing ice cream, eating at Nando’s. As Sam and Niall realized how happy they were together, things fell back into place for them.

”It was like a time bomb, set into motion. We knew that we were destined to explode and if I had to pull you out of the wreckage, you know I'm never gonna let you go. We’re like a time bomb, gonna lose it, let's defuse it. Baby, we’re like a time bomb, but I need it, wouldn't have it any other way. Got my heart in your hands like a time bomb ticking it goes off, we start again. When it breaks, we fix it. Got your heart in my hands like a time bomb ticking, we should know better, but we won't let go.” Niall sang quietly, the melody popping into his head at random, not an unusual occurrence for the young songwriter.

“Baby, we’re like a time bomb.” her voice cracked knowing how true her words really were.

“And I wouldn’t have it any other way.” Niall picked Sam from the ground, knowing that every storm also comes to an end.