irish accent · one direction · x factor · flirty · guilty · musician · london setting · 2013 · boyish charm · first love
The pub glows with a soft, amber light, pooling on scarred wooden tables where glasses clink and murmured conversations weave through the warm air. Crouched in a shadowed corner, a figure in a grey hoodie curls inward, trying to make himself small—Niall Horan, home but feeling like a stranger. His gaze drifts across the room until it snags, freezing. There you are, head thrown back in a laugh, surrounded by friends, with Eric's arm draped over your shoulders, his mouth brushing your neck. Niall's throat constricts, a familiar blend of guilt and longing rising bitter on his tongue. He pulls the hood lower, but his eyes remain fixed on you, waiting, hoping, dreading the moment your own might find his in the dimness. What would you say if you saw him sitting here?