Lightning in a Bottle

My New York trip went by so fast and before I knew it, I was back in London and a taxi was dropping me off in front of my house.

I’d actually managed to fall asleep on the plane- I know shocker right, so I was buzzin with adrenalin when I got home. The house was quiet when I got in, “Niall?” I called out but was met with silence.

The further I walked into the house, the more I noticed how disgusting it was. It was blatantly obvious that Niall hadn’t so much as put a dish in the dishwasher since I left, and hadn’t bothered to clean up after his ‘lads night.’ There were beer cans and bottles all over, take away boxes all about and a questionable stain by the couch.

In an annoyed huff I left all my bags by the door and took inventory of what a wreck the rest of the house was. The kitchen was gross rubbish and dirty dishes piled in the sink and on the counter, there was more beer bottles and cans in the backyard as well as cigarette butts all over the patio. To say I was annoyed would be an understatement. It’s not like I’m super anal about being clean, but this was mental.

The upstairs was basically untouched thankfully. Though all the guest rooms had unmade beds. I found Niall in our room completely passed out, fully clothed on top of the blankets. Annoyance bubbled up in me but I decided not to wake him. Instead I shut the bedroom door and headed downstairs to grab a garbage bag and got to work on cleaning.

It only took me an hour to get the house back to a livable state. I got all the rubbish out of the living room and backyard and whipped down the table surfaces. By the time I had that done I was over the whole thing, I didn’t want to be the one cleaning this shit. So instead of vacuuming and doing the dishes I just grabbed my keys and left and sleeping beauty continued to sleep.

*****

“Hey Ayden. Didn’t expect to see you,” Josh said as he let me in his house, “Thought you were in New York, when’d you get back?”

“About an hour and a half ago actually.”

“Oh,” he said giving me a curious look, “And you thought you’d come here first? Don’t you wanna see Niall?”

I huffed as I threw myself on his couch, “I did go home first, but I walked into a completely trashed house. And the wanker was just sleeping!” I was still annoyed and irritated about the whole thing. “Like, how hard was it to clean up after yourself?” I exclaimed.

Josh chuckled as he took a seat next to me, “When the cats away the mouse will play.”

“I fucking hate that saying,” I snapped. “So I cleaned up a lot of it, then left ‘cause I was irritated.”

“You didn’t wake him up?”

“Nope. I’d just end up yelling at him and I’d rather not do that after the long ass plane ride I just had.”

He nodded, “Well you can hang out here. I’ve missed you, we’ve all been busy I don’t think I’ve seen you in ages.”

“It does feel like it’s been forever,” I agreed. “How’s the new album coming?”

*****

Even though I came here because I was pissed off at the Irish lad back at home, I was glad I came over to Josh’s. It had been too long since we had just hung out one-on-one. We ordered pizza and watched the Downton Abby marathon that was on. It was close to 10 at night when I decided to head home.

When I got in the car, that’s when I realized I’d left my phone in it all night and I had countless missed calls and texts. Mostly from Niall, who seemed to get annoyed and worried the longer he hadn’t heard from me, but also texts from Harry, Kota, Eleanor and Blue saying that Niall was looking for me.

I replied to my friends, not bothering to reply to Niall since I was headed home anyway.

When I pulled into the driveway, I saw Niall peek through the living room window at me. Well at least I know he’s awake this time.

I hadn’t even opened the front door all the way before he was one me, “Ayden, where the hell were you?”

“With Josh.”

“Why? Why didn’t you wake me when you got home?” I walked around him heading into the kitchen. I needed tea or something. I was fine when I left Josh’s but now he had me all frazzled again. “Um, hello? Are you going answer me?” He called after me as he followed close behind.

I sighed, “Because I came home to a trashed house and you were just sleeping. I was annoyed so I cleaned up and left.” I noticed, as I put the kettle on, that he had done the dishes.

“I didn’t mean to sleep for so long,” he snapped. It was so clear that he was in the mood to fight, “My pain meds knocked me out.”

“Okay.”

He groaned in frustration, “Are you seriously acting like this right now?”

“What do you want me to say? You’re practically screaming at me for leaving so I wouldn’t start a fight. Which I guess was pointless now,” I sighed.

“You left for hours and I had no idea where you were! No one did, and you didn’t answer the phone! I was worried!”

“I left my phone in the car, sorry.”

“That’s all you’re going to say?” His voice was still raised to an annoying level. “You just leave without saying anything after you’ve been gone for a week, don’t come home until the middle of the night and all you can do is give me a half assed apology?”

I pulled two mugs out of the cabinet, “do you want tea?”

I had just set the cups down when his hand shot out and swiped one off the counter. I watched as it smashed to pieces against the other counter. “No, fuck you Ayden,” he said before he stormed (well, hobbled because of the knee brace) out of the kitchen and up the stairs.

“Wow, really?” I called out after him. I was met with the slam of the bedroom door. He must be on his man period or something because that was such a ridiculous tantrum he just had.

I cleaned up the broken pieces of mug and finished making my tea before I went to see what his deal was. When I walked into the room he was bending and extending his knee with a pinched look on his face. “Can you just leave me alone for a bit?” He didn’t even bother looking up at me.

His attitude was annoying the hell out of me, but I swallowed my anger, “How much pain are you in?”

“I’m fine!” he snapped.

I sighed and leaned against the wall, “No you aren’t. You just blew up on me for something small, you’re clearly in a pissy mood.”

“Yeah, and you’re not helping!”

“I’m just going to ignore the fact you’re treating me like shit right now, because I’m pretty sure it’s because you’re in more pain than you’re willing to admit.” I walked over to him, “Let me see your leg?”

“No, just leave it.”
I eyed him, “What aren’t you tell me?” After being with him for so long, I can tell when he was hiding something. He was a shit liar too. He always avoided eye contact and got really red or really white depending on the situation and right now, he was pale as fuck. “Niall?” He sighed defeated. His shoulder slumped before he leaned down and pulled the leg of his sweats up. His knee was completely grey and purple, “Jesus Niall, what did you do?!” His knee had been bruised since his surgery, but it had faded to a light yellow color. But this was fresh.

“I nicked it on the corner of a wall when I was with the lads.”

“And you didn’t think to go to the doctor when it started to look like this?” I shrieked, “Come one, we’re taking you to the hospital, you could have fucked your knee up again.”

“Ayden, I’m fine!”

“Niall!” I snapped, “Your kneed is fucking purple and you’re in pain. Get the fuck up right now, we’re going to the doctor. Don’t make me act like your goddamned mother right now.”

“Fine,” he seethed. I felt bad for yelling at him, but he was being an idiot. He put his brace on as I grabbed his crutches. I tried to help him up but he shoved me off, “I got it, I’m not crippled!” I decided to not comment on that.

*****

Turns out Niall just bruised his knee, thank god. But the doctor said if he did it again he could severally damage his kneed and might need another surgery. But that was just ‘worst case scenario.’ Cool. They upped his pain killer dosage and sent us on our way pretty much.

“I told you I was fine,” he mumbled on our way back home.

I was over him being a dick at this point. I understand being irritated because you’re in pain, but I just got home from being gone a week and I just come home to him being a complete asshole. So instead of commenting on when he said I just turned up the radio and let Taking Back Sunday fill the tension in the air.

When we got home, I didn’t even bother helping him out of the car since he brushed me off the last time I tried. I just walked in the house and went straight to the music room and locked the door. I really wanted to go for a drive to my lookout spot, but I didn’t want him to bitch at me for leaving again.

This room was both of our favorites. It’s where he kept his guitar and piano, and where we kept all my records and CD’s. The beauty of this room is it was soundproof too, so you can pretty much be as loud as you want without disturbing anyone else.

I put on Armor For Sleep’s album ‘What to Do When You’re Dead,’ and turned it up just loud enough that I wouldn’t be able to hear Niall if he tried to bug me. I just needed some alone time after this long ass day. I curled up in the bubble chair we had in the corner and just let the music help unwind my nerves.

I got comfortable and pulled my phone out. I scrolled through the text I’d gotten earlier before I clicked on Dakota’s name and called her.

“Hey babe,” she said as she answered, “Did Niall ever find you?” she paused, “Where are you? Bit loud.”

“Home,” I grabbed the remote to the stereo and turned it down only one notch. I sighed, “But yeah, I was at Josh’s, I just left my phone in the car.” I sighed again, “Can I vent to you?”

“Uh oh. What happened? Didn’t you just get in this afternoon?”

“Yeah,” I mumbled before I jumped into the day I’ve had since I landed back in London. “…turns out his knee’s fine, but he’s still being a twat.”

“Yikes, sounds like someone are on their man period.”

“That’s what I was thinking!” I exclaimed. “Like what the hell, all I did to him was take off. Granted, sure he had a right to be worried, but he took it to a whole other level.”

“Well, he’s knee’s killing him. Just think how we get on that one really bad cramp-y day.”

I sighed, “Yeah. But now he’s on hardcore pain killers. He should be high and happy. But no, he was still a dick until we got home and I locked myself in the music room.”

“I’m sorry love. Maybe he’ll come to his senses and apologize. Locking yourself away won’t make it easier for him though.”

“Yeah,” I sighed, “but I just need a moment. It’s so hard not to punch him sometimes.”

“Oh I know,” she giggled, “My boyfriend is Harry Styles remember?”

I snorted, “That’s true.”

“But just relax, make him grovel. You guy should be fine by tomorrow, I know you two.”

“Yeah I guess. Thanks for letting me rant.”

“No problem. It’s what friends are for. I can’t count how many times I’ve vented to you. And if we factor in Harry’s rants, I’m sure we both owe you a year of listening at least.”

I laughed, “Yeah, I’d say so. I’ll let you go though. You wanna get lunch tomorrow or something?”

She hummed, “How about dinner? I’ve got work until 6.”

“It’s a date.”

“Awesome. I’ll see you tomorrow. Don’t stress, guys are twats.”

“Truth. Bye.”

I hung up and set my phone on the floor before I pulled my feet up and folded myself into comfort on the chair and turned the music back up.

*****

I didn’t realize I fell asleep until I fell out of the bubble chair. I groaned as I rolled onto my back to stretch out my limps from being in a pretzel for god knows how long. I grabbed my phone to check the time; 4:05am. Ugh.

My back hurt and my joints were all kinked. Why didn’t I curl up on the couch? I’m an idiot honestly. I have never wanted my bed more. And some tea, since I never drank the cuppa I made earlier.

I got up, shut off the stereo and headed for the door. When I opened the door though a sleeping Niall fell back onto my feet. Well, a once sleeping Niall. He groaned as his back hit the floor, “What you do that for?”

“I didn’t know you were against the door,” I sighed, “Sorry.”

I went to step over him but his hand caught my ankle, “Wait.” I stopped and stepped back. I watched as he rubbed at his face before he sat up. He bent his good knee and looked around at the ground like the answer on how to get up would just appear out of nowhere. He attempted a few times before I couldn’t stand to watch him be helpless, so I grabbed under his arms and helped hoist him up, “Thanks.”

“Yeah,” I said before walked around him, “I’m making tea. If you don’t want any, a no is better than breaking a mug,” I shot over my shoulder as I walked down the hall. I heard him sigh a ‘fuck’ before he started following me.

I grabbed the cold tea I’d left on the counter and dumped it in the sink before I refilled the kettle and set it back on the stove. Niall came over next to me and pulled himself on the counter. He sat with his arms leaning on his thighs and stared down at his hands for a few minutes as I moved around the kitchen. “Ayden,” he said softly.

“Do you want tea?” I asked opening the cabinet.

“Yeah, but can you come here for a second?” I didn’t answer him as I rinsed the strainer out. I was only a few feet away from him, but apparently not far enough because as soon as I set the strainer down, he leaned over and grabbed my arm. I sighed and just let him pull me over. He brought me between his legs and crossed his ankles behind me so I was stuck in place. “Hey,” he said, his finger coming up under my chin to bring my gaze up to his, “I’m trying to apologize. I was a complete cunt.”

“Yeah, you were,” I sighed.

He winced at my words, “I was- my knee’s been killin me for days. Then my meds knocked me out, and when I woke up I saw that you’d come home, I knew you were pissed because the house was a mess. I swear I meant to clean before you got back.” He sighed, “Then you weren’t answering your phone and I was worried and irritated, and then I was just, I don’t know, you know I don’t take pain well, I always turn into an asshole and I have a short fuse. But I’m sorry yeah? I didn’t mean to take my frustration out on you, especially after I hadn’t seen you for a week.”

Niall may piss me off a lot, but he seriously knew how to make me completely melt. I sighed and leaned my head against his chest. He wrapped his arms around me holding me to him, “Can you stop being a dick please? I get your knee hurts, but like, call one of your mates and be a dick to them!”

He chuckled, “Okay.”

I sighed into his chest, finally bringing my arms up to hug him around the waist. I finally felt at home, with his arms around me. Even though I was still annoyed with the shit he pulled on me, I just didn’t have the energy to care, because the jet lag was getting to me and I just missed him all week and I just didn’t want to fight.

I pulled back and looked up at him, “Will you kiss me now? I’ve been gone for a week.”

I watched the smile spread across his face, “I thought you’d never ask.” He leaned in slowly, pressing his lips to mine softly. His hands came up and cradled my neck, his legs pressing me closer to him. I could do this forever, just kiss him. There’s something to be said about a really good kiss. Kissing and making out were so underrated in the sex category when you think about it. Everyone’s just in a hurry to get themselves off that they forget the little things, like laying in bed with someone and kissing them. Or standing in the kitchen, kissing someone after a long week without them and after a stupid fight.

Nothing felt better.

Then the kettle whistled and I reluctantly pulled away. I sighed, “Do you want honey?” I asked against his lips.

“Yes, but I want you more.”

“Cheeky. Maybe when it’s like not 4:30 in the morning and I’m not jet lagged.” I smirked, “Good morning sex?”

He perked up at that, “It’s technically morning. It could be good right now!”

I barked out a laugh, “Maybe. Do you want lemon?”