The Darings

Finn pound her fist on the door again, frowning heavily. She had already knocked once and Niall had yet to answer. She was getting ready to kick the door down when Niall opened it, shirtless and in boxers. He threw his hands over his face rubbing the sleep away from his blue eyes. His hair was a mess and he looked slightly cuddly.

Finn tilted her head to the side looking him up and down. It was two in the afternoon and she had just left Ash’s dorm, leaving the girl to think to herself. Ash looked like she was having one of those mornings. But Finn didn’t want to be alone.

“Are you really sleeping? It’s past new, idiot.”

“I’m fuckin’ tired.”

She examined him. He looked like he haven’t even showered. Rolling her eyes, she pushed herself in, patting him on his strong chest as she walked by. “Get in the shower, tosser. I’ll make you lunch.”

Niall grumbled something incomprehensible, waving her off as he trudged to the hall where his shower was. Finn smirked a bit, shaking her head as she set her things down and went into the kitchen, making him a grilled cheese with a side of chips.

It was done by the time he came back out, towel drying his hair. He was shirtless with athletic shorts on. He stilled looked tired but the shower seemed to have gotten the sleep off his face. He wrapped the towel around his neck. Finn handed him the sandwich, trying to ignore his toned, athletic body.

“Are you allergic to shirts mate?”

Niall rolled his eyes. He jumped up on the counter, patting the marble top. Finn pulled herself up next to him as he crunched into his sandwich. “I’m an Irish stallion, I know.”

“Or an Irish snowflake. You’re looking rather pale there, sunshine.”

“Oh sorry, I’ve been a bit busy getting calls to the deans office. It really cuts into the tanning time.”

“Please, like you don’t have a way to weasel your way out of it?”

He smirked, taking another bite of his sandwich. “I’ve got a few ideas up my sleeve.”

“Mhmm.” She elbowed him lightly. “That’s what I would thought you’d say.”

A few moments of silence passed them. Any other person would have started fidgeting or kicking their feet back and forth as they hung, but Finn was perfectly still leaning against the fridge slightly and studying Niall as he ate. He didn’t seem to mind it. In fact, Niall did not seem to mind a lot of the things Finn did.

“What’d you make Harry and Ash kiss for?” he asked through a mouth full of sandwich. Finn ignored his bad manners. “Why’d you dare them to do it?”

She shrugged slightly. “It seemed like they needed encouragement. And it seemed like a perfectly good idea at the time.”

“What if he hadn’t wanted to kiss her?”

“Do you know something I don’t?”

He shook his head, laughing. “No. He wanted to kiss her, that’s her fucking sure.”

“Then why are you asking me if you already know the answer?”

His blue eyes flickered to her. “I didn’t know the answer. That’s the thing with you- you make no sense to me.” Finn frowned heavily, sitting a little straighter. Niall realized she felt slightly insulted and he put down the sandwich, making a gesture with his hands to calm down. “No, not like that. I just think that people are pretty simple, you know?”

“Pray tell.”

“Like Harry: he’s all well and good with people, he likes talking to them and talking about things that people need intelligence for, but if you get a bit to close, he doesn’t like it. Ash: a damn brilliant girl who has never been giving a chance to express her brilliance and how awesome she could be. You? I have no fucking idea.”

“Maybe that’s the point.”

“Oh please.” He slid of the counter, finish the rest of his sandwich. Finn watched him with a pointed gaze. If her sharp eyes bothered him, Niall hid it pretty well. “That’s a load of rubbish. Everyone wants someone to understand them, to get who they are.”

“Fine.” She slid off the counter, leveling her gaze with him. “Who are you, then?”

He shrugged and gave her a boyish grin. It made the annoyance in her dim slightly. “I’m just a kid who is trying to pass off as smart enough to hang out with brainiacs like you and Haz while also being chill enough not to be taken too seriously.”

“Interesting self assessment.”

“Do you disagree?” She shook her head no. “So, who are you Finn Watz?”

She took a moment to answer, working her jaw defiantly as she did so. “Someone who likes to listen, not talk.”

“Why?”

“You find out a lot about people from what they will or won’t say to fill the silence.”

“What have you found out about me?”

She smirked a bit, just the tiniest upturn of the corner of her mouth. “That you feel comfortable around everyone, that you can mold to anything. You don’t need to talk during a silence, but if you think the person wants to hear your voice, you talk about what interests them.”

He snapped and pointed at her. “And that’s why I pretend to be as smart as you and Harry.”

Back in the living room, they sat down. Niall put on football and Finn stretched across the couch. When Niall noticed she was bending her knee as to not disturb him on his end, he picked up her feet, putting them in his lap and setting his hands on her ankles. She glanced at him sharply but he didn’t notice, eyes focused on the TV.

They remained that way for almost half an hour, comfortable to not talk. Finn watched the game, eyes flitting from player to player as she analyzed their movements from what her brother’s had taught her about the sport. She couldn’t play, but she knew it fair enough.

“What are you going to tell the dean?” she finally asked. Niall glanced away from the TV reluctantly. She knew he was trying to enjoy the game, but she wanted to know what exactly his idea was. “You said you had a master plan, right?”

“It wasn’t a master plan.”

“I’d still like to know.”

“Well for one, we don’t know if he had proof that it was us, but he’s called us in so they know something. Best bet? Not to lie. To admit we were being tossers.”

“Great plan.”

“Don’t be sarcastic yet. We play on that he needs us to stay out of trouble- I’m the star player on the field and our team has a shot at the championships, but only with me. Harry comes from one of the biggest contributing families to this school, they give him trouble, his family is going to stop being boosters. Ash? You know that bird has top of the marks in academics, he isn’t going to risk punishing her and distracting her from her studies.”

“And me?”

He grinned. “You’re Finnley Watz. You’re fucking terrifying to be alone in a room with, much less be the victim of your anger.” He looked back at the TV and his grin spread even more. “Plus, I have a sneaking suspicion that with all of the listening you do, you’ve heard enough to pull at least a little bit of dirt on the dean.”

Finn was silent for a few moments. The sound of a goal being made on the tele went out. Niall made a proud fist at the TV, but Finn was still quiet. Finally, she shook her head, and of all things, a laugh fell from her lips. “God dammit, Niall. You don’t even have to pretend that you’re as smart as we are.”

His blue eyes met hers. “That means a lot. Coming from you anyways.”

“Why?”

“Because,” he said simply. “Every boy in the entire world just wants to be okay in Finn Watz’s eyes. If they don’t they’re lying.”

“I don’t know what that means.”

Sadness touched his voice and he absently stroked her ankle. His eyes went out of focus, and she assumed that he had no idea that his fingers were delicately brushing across her skin, making her spine go rigid to fight a shiver. “I know that you do.”