× Horan

LAX was madness. Cops were at every corner, telling people where to go to keep it orderly, but that only went so far. It was nearly impossible to maneuver between people let alone try to drag your luggage along behind you as well. If it was busy a week away from Christmas, then I didn't want to be anywhere near here on the Eve of.

My claustrophobia was surprisingly tamed, and I knew that it more than likely had to do with Lynn right beside me the whole time we walked. She always had a way to keep me calm, and I had known that ever since she witnessed one of my attacks and helped calm me down.

"I can't feel my right ass cheek," I muttered to Lynn.

She laughed, but the sound was taken away with the crowd. "Just the one?"

"The man sitting next to me smelt bad so I had to lean away," I clarified.

"Oh, I just thought you liked me or something."

"Of course not. That's ridiculous."

Lynn rolled her eyes, but there was a smile on her lips anyways. As soon as we walked out of the terminal, we quickly moved to the edge of the shifting crowd and followed the flow of traffic.

The place looked more like a shopping mall than anything I had expected. There were two glass elevators leading to an upper floor which had the appearance of a mall. In the middle of several large open areas were blue fabric covered seats. The air was cool and only the faint aroma coming down from the food area gave it any scent. Some stairs lead up to a viewing deck where eager children watched the airplanes take off and land. There were mounted telescopes for them to look through and the back wall was one large window.

"Who's picking us up?" I asked.

Lynn was wearing UCLA sweat pants and a loose white tank top, a sweatshirt tied around her waist. Her caramel hair was pulled back into a high ponytail and her bright blue eyes were scanning the crowd.

"Grandma said that she was sending someone, but she didn't say who," she responded as she stepped off to the side and out of the stream of people. She checked her phone. "She just sent me a text saying that we are to go to terminal five."

I looked at the ceiling to see where the signs pointed us. "Five is over there," I said as I pointed to the right.

We took off in that direction. As we walked, the crowd started to thin out, but only a little bit. As we got to terminal five, we stopped in an open space and looked around. There were plasma screens of arrival and departure times on the wall of the airport. People were lined up at the check-in desk with suitcases and baggage. In the arrivals lounge there was a curious mixture of bored and excited people. Some looked like they were waiting for a bus, others like they were children waiting for Santa himself. Some lounged on the low comfy chairs and others bounced on their toes.

It was hard to look for someone when you had no idea who you were looking for. But thankfully, we didn't have to wait long, because the next thing I knew someone shouted Lynn's name.

We turned around at the same time to see a tall, blonde woman in black jogger pants and a matching trainer jacket. She looked familiar with her straight blonde hair and skinny figure, and it wasn't until she was close enough for me to see her eyes to remember who she was.

"Coach Sharp!" Lynn shouted and ran over to meet her halfway, leaving her luggage behind. "Grandma said someone was coming to meet me, but I just figured it was going to be one of her friends, not you!"

Coach Sharp pulled away from their hug and looked rather offended. "Are you saying that I'm not one of your grandmother's friends?"

"Of course you're not," Lynn assured with a silly grin on her face. "You're family."

I really didn't want to be the one to ruin the reunion, but it was already nine in the evening, my right ass cheek was beginning to tingle, and it was crowded as hell. I just wanted to get into a bed and never wake up. Besides, it wasn't like Lynn couldn't catch up at her grandma's place.

I walked over to them. "We should get going," I said.

Coach Sharp looked at me for the first time that evening. "It's good to see you again, Niall," she said with a smile that didn't reach her eyes. "It's been too long."

I nodded at her and grabbed my luggage. Lynn got the hint that I was getting impatient and took her bags before the three of us walked out the nearest door.

The night was dry and a little chilly, but nothing compared to the London weather. I walked behind Coach Sharp and Lynn as they continued to chat on the way to the parking lot. I wasn't really paying attention to what they were saying, something about a baby, I think. I was too exhausted to keep my attention on the conversation.

I was still on London time, but it was a California night that awaited us. The jet lag sucked at me like a leech, if I stopped moving for even a second I was sure I would fall asleep. So I bit my nails to stay awake.

Even once we were in the car driving down the streets of LA, I could barely keep my eyes open. From what I did see was trees and lamp posts decorated for the holidays and bright colored lights of houses we drove past glowing like the north star. It all looked weird to me to see all this and not have snow on the ground and a winter coat over my shoulders. Despite the time, the hustle never came to a halt. The city's residents were off for Christmas shopping or to chill out in a smoky jazz bar downtown.

Passing all the pretty lights and Christmas decorations made me think of home. I couldn't help it, really. I remember a time when it was custom to be home for the holidays, and now it was custom to make sure and stay as far away possible.

Christmas time in the Horan household had never been festive. It always felt like any other day with the exception of a huge tree in the living room that was only there in the first place because our nanny, Martha, put it up. There were never any gift exchanges and never any family time. The only reason there were cookies and other treats was again because of Martha. God bless Martha for at least trying.

It could have been five minutes or two hours, but we eventually got to Lynn's grandma's place. I quickly jumped out of the car and opened the back trunk, taking out the luggage.

"Are you coming in?" Lynn asked Coach Sharp once she was out of the car.

Her window was rolled down and she leaned through the open gap at Lynn. "I wish, kiddo," she said sadly. "But I got to get home and start wrapping some Christmas presents before I get overwhelmed with them. But I'll come by later, I promise."

"You better," Lynn said before she came to me and started taking her bags.

Once we had our things, Lynn waved goodbye to Coach Sharp and the two of us started up the front porch. It was dimly lit inside the entryway of the house when we stepped inside, but I saw enough that the open kitchen was just to our left and the dining room to the right.

I stood in the entryway as Lynn walked into the house. "Grandma!" she shouted as she dropped her bags to the floor. "I'm home!"

Not even a moment later, a small woman rounded the corner from a hallway with the widest grin on her face.

"Grandchild!" she said. She walked the rest of the distance and engulfed Lynn in her arms. She looked frail, but there was no denying the strength she had in that tight bear hug. "Oh, it feels like forever since I last saw you, even though it had only been a month."

"Any day away from you seems like eternity," Lynn responded, holding her grandmother tight.

"Darling, don't get sappy on me now."

When they were finished, Lynn seemed to remember that I was there with her. "Oh, Grandma," she said and walked over to me. "This is Niall; the guy I was telling you about on the phone before."

The frail woman walked to me and took my hand in both of hers. "Yes, it's so good to finally meet you. Lynn has said so much about you."

I wanted to hope that it was all good things, but regarding our past, I wasn't so sure that was the case. I just hoped I didn't already have a bad image in this old woman's eyes before I even met her. I was staying in her home; I didn't want her to think I was some kind of wanker... even if I was.

Instead of removing her hands from mine, she just stepped closer and flipped my hand over, rubbing her fragile thumb over my palm. "You're hands are so cold," she said. "That's a symptom of poor circulation, ya know."

"Grandma, I'm sure he's fine," Lynn said, amusement in her eyes.

She ignored her granddaughter and trailed a finger along one of the grooves in my palm. "You're heart line is almost completely straight, you must think with your head way too much in relationships."

Heart line? Was this old woman reading my palm?

"You have a groove that cuts through your success line, which means there are obstacles to your achievements," she said. "Something you can control, but you still go against your better judgment anyways."

I glanced up at Lynn to see her reaction and saw that she was already looking at me. I wasn't sure what to say to the old woman in front of me, but I knew better than to pull away. So I continued to stand there as her feeble fingers traced over the lines of my palm.

"Gram," Lynn said as she stepped forward and gently took her hands off of mine. "We just got off an eleven-hour flight and we're tired. Can we continue this another time?"

Her Grandma seemed to realize that and her pale blue eyes widened. "Of course! It was so good to meet you, Niall."

"You, too..."

"Nona," she said. "You can call me Nona. Now off you go. Lynn, show this handsome young man to his room, he looks absolutely spent."

I couldn't help but smirk at Lynn from the "handsome young man" part, and she just shook her head as she grabbed her things again and walked further into the house. I quickly grabbed my luggage from the floor and followed after her, past a staircase that leads to the basement, and through a hallway.

There were framed photographs on the walls of the hallway, of children and adults of all ages. One in particular caught my attention the most. It was of a young man and a little girl and boy out on a field, a soccer ball in-between them. I didn't pay attention to the two figures, because the one in the center took my attention. There wasn't any doubt that it was Lynn when she was little; there was no denying the caramel colored hair and the bright smile on her face.

"This is the bathroom," Lynn was saying down the hallway, pointing to a room with an open door. "And across is where you will be staying."

I walked into the room. It was small, but it wasn't like that mattered much anyways. The walls were a cream color and the carpet was white. In the center of the room, pushed up against the wall, was a full sized bed, made in a white comforter and a navy blue cover throw and pillows. A landscape photograph hung on the wall above the bed and lamps sat on the nightstand tables. A navy rug lay on the floor and a cream chair sat in the corner. The room seemed pretty cozy if I was being honest.

"Make yourself at home," she said as I dropped my luggage on the bed. "Do you need anything else? More blankets or pillows? Water?"

I shook my head. "I'm fine."

"My rooms the door at the end of the hall if you do decide you need something," she said.

"Does your grandma always read palms?" I asked suddenly.

"I knew you were going to ask that," she said with a laugh. "It's something new she's been doing. Without working and having me out of the house, she gets pretty bored. This is just her latest hobby. Be glad you weren't around when she took up braiding hair. Just because your hair is short, doesn't mean you wouldn't be leaving the house with a Dutch double braid."

It was an amusing thought to think of Lynn sitting on the floor in front of her Grandma as she braided Lynn's hair, tugging and pulling, but Lynn not saying a word about the pain.

"I think I'd look good with a Dutch braid," I said as I unzipped my bag.

"I'd watch what you say," Lynn warned. "She may be onto a different hobby, but that doesn't mean she won't test that idea."

This time I laughed.

"I should let you get to sleep," Lynn said and was immediately followed by a yawn. "Goodnight, Ireland."

"'night, Princess."

She closed the door on her way out, but I saw the small smile on her lips before she disappeared behind the wood.

I dug out my toothbrush and pajamas from my bag and headed toward the bathroom. After that I went back to my room and settled into bed. For how jet lag I was on the car ride to the house, I couldn't for the life of me get to sleep.

I stirred and wiggled, covered and uncovered myself repeatedly, took off my pants and shirt even, and nothing seemed to work. I wasn't sure if it was because I was in an unfamiliar bed or in an unfamiliar room or in an unfamiliar house, but I just couldn't get to sleep.

So instead of staring at the ceiling, I got out of the bed and tugged my pajama pants on again before I left the room. The hallway was dark, but I heard voices coming from a room beyond.

"-seems like a nice boy," I heard Nona say.

I quietly passed the living room the two of them were sitting in and made my way to the kitchen unheard. A light was on, but it was on the lowest setting, softly illuminating the space.

"How would you know?" Lynn asked. "You barely gave him a chance to speak before you were reading his palm."

"Oh, pish posh."

I looked around the kitchen. The refrigerator was efficiently humming quietly and the sleek granite counters were uncluttered. Everything looked up to date, something I was surprised to see in a grandmas home. From what I remembered from my Nanny's kitchen was that everything was old - the wood, the appliances, the china. I started looking through the cupboards for a cup to pour myself some water.

"I just can't believe this is the same boy that you were reluctant to even take the offer to London for," I heard Nona say, making me pause from my search. "Things must have changed in the few months you were over there to invite him home."

There was a wall dividing us apart, but I could hear everything they were saying crystal clear. I was obviously an intruder on this private conversation, but if the conversation involved me, than I really didn't give any shits about that.

"Things definitely had changed," I heard Lynn say. "I'm just trying to figure out if it's for the better."

"Do you like this boy?"

Through the doorway that leads into the living room from the kitchen, I saw a shadow move on the wall. "I can't like him," Lynn finally responded. "Coach said-"

"I didn't ask if you could, I asked if you do."

Suddenly, the light in the living room went off. "It's getting late," Lynn said. "We should be getting to bed."

"Alright, Lynn," Nona said knowingly. "I'll see you in the morning."

"Goodnight, Grandma."

I heard small footsteps of someone walking down the hallway, and then followed a second later were the closing of a door. I stood still for a moment, wondering where Lynn was in the house and if it was safe for me to continue my hunt for a water glass.

My question was answered by a sudden figure walking through the doorway and then stopping. Lynn was there, eyes wide and staring at me. The look on her face reminded me of shock, but I only grinned.

"Checking out the view?" I teased.

My voice seemed to shake her from her surprise because she looked away and leaned against the kitchen counter. "No," she stated simply. "I just didn't expect you to be in here."

"You don't have to lie," I said as I found the right cupboard and pulled out a glass. "If it makes you feel any better, I sometimes find myself staring at you during practice when you're only wearing a sports bra."

"Well, from now on I'll make sure to wear shirts."

I just shook my head and opened the fridge, making myself at home. I pulled out the water pitcher and filled my cup before putting it away again. Leaning against the counter across from her, I watched Lynn closely as she did the same.

"Was it true what your grandma said?" I asked. "That I was the reason you were having doubts about joining the football team?"

Lynn nodded. "You were a first class douchebag, Niall."

"Do you regret your decision?"

"Sometimes," she admitted. "But not because of you."

I wondered what else made her rethink her choice. Was it the classes, the people she encounter? Or maybe it was the team as a whole...

Lynn stepped forward then, inching her way to me. She had changed into pajamas, loose fitting shorts and a Captain America tank top. I also took note that she was no longer wearing a bra. I instantly regretted taking note of that because now it was going to be even more difficult to fall asleep without imagining what lay under the fabric.

She stopped right in front of me, her warm breath fanning against my neck. She hasn't even touched me and my sweatpants were already getting tight. The grin told me that she knew just how much I was turned on just from her nearness, and I hated how much power she had over me without even doing anything.

There was this air in the room that was filled with static. I could feel it on my skin and breaking through my uncombed hair. The pressure of the silence was making the atmosphere around us feel heavy. Maybe this is what it's like when people say they feel fireworks going off.

"How's your ass cheek doing?" she asked, a silly smile on her lips.

I laughed, my fingers itching to reach out and brush the hair away from her face. "Better. But maybe you should rub it for good measure."

Lynn moved her arms so she was gripping the counter on either side of me, trapping me in place. "As much as you might think your ass has magic like a genie, that isn't going to make me rub it."

I didn't know what her intentions were. One moment she was making sure I was comfortable, but now she was going out of her way to do the opposite in the most sensual way possible. And it was working in her favor marvelously. There was no question that she could feel the tightness in my pants as she pressed herself closer.

Then just as quickly, she moved away. "Like I said to Grandma: It's getting late."

And then she was gone, leaving me in the dimly lit kitchen and the static electricity behind.