by Jason Vasha
Olta sighed as she changed the music and threw herself on her bed with a loud wail.
Her mother was siding with Maggie and had used her own words against her. Just bloody great.
If she was that transparent, it was no wonder Niall hadn't said anything. But then again he had given her that look again and he had approached her, sort of. Maybe she should have stuck around.She was such a stupid twit.
All she had wanted to do was to put him at ease. She understood how painful her being there must have been for him, really she did. But she had found it impossible to find the right words. So she had acted instead. Encouraged by his silent acceptance she had braved to extend him her invitation. But he hadn't reacted to that, at all, and Olta had regretted her words instantly. She had avoided his eyes, not wanting to see the silent disapproval. So she decided to leave him be, forgetting that the reason of the fear in her body was still in the house.
But then she had heard footsteps on the landing. Daniel's footsteps and her body had again frozen up. She had barely heard what he said, only heard the amusement in his voice. Then Niall had been standing and his eyes had been completely filled with that look. But that didn't do. That wouldn't do at all. She had breathed deeply, both for oxygen and to regain her faculties. And then she had run out. When completely at a loss, run. No-one had taught her that but Olta was starting to swear by it.
Slowly Olta got up from her bed. Putting Gorillas on she decided some dancing was in order to lose herself for a moment.
Saturday hadn't gone like it was supposed to.
On Saturday morning he had been awoken by his father banging and on his door. Niall had crawled out of bed, his body aching all over, but surprisingly enough it hadn't been too bad.
But in his groggy state he had forgotten he was only wearing his boxer's.
As he had opened his door his father had looked ready to kill but then he had stepped back and taken in his son's appearance and his look had softened for a moment only to have the rage return immediately.
"Daniel, get your butt over here. Now."The old man had called through the hallway not taking his eyes of Niall' body.
Niall had followed his father's gaze and looking down he could see the number of swellings and bruises grazing his body. He had wanted to go back into his room to put on some clothing but a slight shake of his father's head had halted him. Waiting for Daniel they had looked each other over. His father had looked at him wearily and questioningly, with a good dose of disappointment. Niall had shrugged indifferently at this and his father had scowled ever so slightly. This whole silent exchange of minute gestures was their equivalent of a conversation.
The rude awakening meant his father already knew what had happened from Daniel. Daniel had undoubtedly pointed towards Niall as the aggressor. His father had then come to Niall for corroboration and in this silent exchange his father had made his displeasure clear and Niall had told him that whatever Daniel had said was the truth. The problem now was that his father had seen the bruising on his body, which meant that the fight had quite clearly been more than an exchange of a few blows.
Daniel had come down the hall sauntering. Upon seeing his brother in his state of undress his face had darkened for a flick of a second before facing his father with the same look of indifference. Niall had smirked ever so slightly at the swollen nose and large purple bruise on his brother's face.
His father had looked his oldest son over with a doubtful eye.
"Strip." Their father had commanded. Daniel had obeyed without question.
Niall was glad to see that Daniel was sporting a fair amount of bruises, even if it didn't come close to Niall's.
Their father had stepped back for a moment, taken in both his sons' injuries.
"Niall, what happened?" He'd been cross referencing their story. Niall shrugged again.
"We had a minor disagreement about what to watch. So instead of letting Daniel watch Fight Club, I decided to give him a preview and Daniel decided he liked the preview better than the actual movie." Niall explained calmly, knowing that his story should comply with Daniel's.
Niall had been rewarded with a look of utter skepticism. Okay, their father was not buying their cover. He looked at Niall and then turned to Daniel.
"Let me see if I get this straight. Niall disagreed with your choice of entertainment and decided to throw a punch?" Daniel had nodded, seemingly unfazed by his father's sarcasm.
"And then you thought it only right to beat the crap out of your brother?" He spat the last part of that sentence. Their father had been angry but it seemed to more directed at Daniel. Niall had been pleased by that.
Daniel had opened his mouth to retort. One pointed look, however, and Daniel had closed his mouth.
"The two of you are sticking to this story?" Both sons nodded.
"Just like last time when the two of you claimed you couldn't seem to agree on which instalment of the Godfather trilogy you wanted to watch?" They both shrugged.
"Right. I'm taking you both to the hospital. Be ready in half an hour." Giving them one more pointed look their father had left them alone. Daniel had given Niall a very vicious glare and Niall had given a slight smirk. Daniel wasn't going to believe that Niall state of undress had been accidental, so why bother with it. Daniel had picked up his cloths and had briskly walked back to his room.
Back in his room Olta had popped into Niall' head. His memories of after the dance were a bit vague and muddled. But he still felt like a moron for the way he had chased her away.
When he had come down into the kitchen Matilda had been standing behind the counter and his father had been reading the morning paper. Matilda had looked at him worriedly and wearily.
"Tell me young Niall, why couldn't either of you simply watch a movie in your own room?" She asked. Niall frowned. His father not inquiring after his well being, okay. But Matilda not showing any sympathy, that was just wrong. And was with the two of them acting all parental unit like?
Niall had stayed silent as he devoured the sandwich in front of him.
"Do you honestly believe that your father and I are actually buying your lousy cover up?" Matilda had said accusatory.
"Apparently not but you should." Niall had shrugged, glancing over at his father. The man had his eyes fixed on the paper. Matilda had given him a final disbelieving look before returning her attention to her duties.
Their father had had no trouble to get their family physician to come in on his free Saturday. This meant that their visit didn't last for longer than an hour. As Niall had expected by his surprising mobility the damage wasn't that bad. He didn't have anything broken and his ribs weren't hurt too badly. The doctor had advised him to take it very easy, even take a few days off.
"Doctor Washington, would it be too much if I went to school?" Niall had asked. The way he felt now, he surely would be up to it and he wanted to go to school on Monday. He couldn't appear weaker than Daniel.
"You mean to tell me that you want to go school?" The doctor had asked the unbelief clear in his voice. Niall had nodded.
"A teenager who doesn't seize the opportunity to lounge about the house, wonders will never cease." The doctor had mused and as an afterthought he had added.
"No wonder you make your father proud."
Niall felt his eyebrow arch. His father was actually proud of him, was that what the good doctor was saying? Who would have thought? It wasn't as if he and his father had a poor relationship or anything. Niall loved his father and he was pretty sure his father loved him but being proud was a very different matter. Niall had felt a stupid grin form on his lips.
As the doctor had handed over a prescription he had noticed Niall changed look and he had smiled.
"I should advise you against attending school but if you take enough rest this weekend, you should be able to do a half day. But try not to push it though. It will take you longer to recuperate fully." Niall had nodded, unable to stop grinning and leaving the doctor to return to his game o
f golf.
"What's with the face, bro?" Daniel had asked on the ride back. Niall had looked at his brother, completely undisturbed by the foul glare he was giving him.
"Nothing, must be painkillers kicking in." Niall lied lightheartedly. He had looked at his father in the rearview mirror and hadn't missed the minute smile and smallest of nods he had given him.
Back at the house, however, their father made it clear that things weren't over just yet.
After they had had lunch in utter silence both Niall and Daniel had been summoned to the study.
"Good, I'll ask you two one more time. You're sticking to your story?" Their father had asked calmly, after taking a seat behind the antique mahogany desk. Niall and Daniel had nodded.
"Fine," He had still been calm but then the bottled up rage had exploded.
"Have you both absolutely lost your minds?!" He had bellowed. "If you can't get along, fine but you'll keep your feelings to yourself. I will not tolerate you beating each other to an inch of the hospital." The tirade had paused for a moment as their father had look from one son to the other. Shaking his head in despair he had continued.
"I will not tolerate any violence between you two again. I thought I had made that clear last time. The next time I get as much as a whiff of you two going at each other again the consequences will be very serious. For now I'll consider your pain punishment enough. Am I making myself understood?"
"Yes sir." Niall and Daniel had answered in unison.
Their father had waved his hand dismissively while turning towards some papers on his desk.
"Well off you go then. The pair of you need your rest."
Niall and Daniel had curtly nodded and left the study. In the hallway Daniel had stopped Niall by grabbing his upper arm.
"I will be seeing you, bro." Daniel had said in his usual voice.
"I'd guess that would be at dinner?" Niall had asked innocuously.
Daniel had tightened his grip on Niall' arm for a moment before letting him go.
"Funny." He had said, walking away.
Up in his room, Niallhad popped a couple of the prescribed painkillers and made himself comfortable on his bed. Niall had replayed Friday's events over and over in his mind and finally fell asleep with a decision on his mind.
So, now on brittle Sundayafternoon stood in front of Olta's house and finally rang the bell. It had seemed like a good idea. She had invited him, after all, and they did need to talk. So going over and talk to her had seemed like the best plan. Then why, even under the hazy influence of his meds, had he been standing in front of her house for over five minutes before actually ringing the bell. Because Niall honestly couldn't recall having ever been this nervous before.
The door was opened by Amanda. Right, Niall had never considered the fact that perhaps Olta wouldn't be home alone.
He noticed Amanda's slight frown as she took in his appearance but she covered it quickly with a sympathetic smile. Niall wondered what Olta had told her.
"Niall, hadn't expected to see you here on a Sunday." Amanda said ushering him in. Niall tried to smile but he couldn't help to grimace slightly as he walked in. Amanda's smile faltered.
"What happened to you?" She asked with true concern.
"I had a bit of an argument with my brother, mrs…Amanda." He said with a wry smile figuring he might as well stick to the story everybody would be hearing. Amanda's frown returned and for a moment Niall feared she'd go all motherly on him.
"Yes, and Vietnam was a quarrel." She scoffed instead with a small smile and Niall looked at her nonplussed.
"Never mind. Olta is up in her room, just follow the music." Amanda cast her eyes on the staircase and shook her head with a slight smile as she returned to wherever she had come from. Niall nodded with a small smile, relieved she wasn't pressing the matter. Making his way up the stairs he understood why 'follow the music' had been enough of a direction. Somewhere down the left loud music could be heard. Niall had heard the song before but couldn't really remember the song.
The door to Olta's room was open. Niall had his hand ready to knock on her door to announce his presence but as he saw Olta he quickly withdrew it. Instead he leaned into the doorframe, trying not to put too much pressure on his bruises.
Olta was facing him. She was dancing to the music, her eyes closed. Obviously to anything she moved with the teasingly slow beat as she half mouthed and half sang along with the lyrics the emotions flickering over her face. Niall was completely captivated by her and the fact that she was wearing a small red camisole on her green baggy pants didn't help matters. God, she looked good. As the music slowly faded away she let out a sigh of contentment.
Niall saw her slowly opening her eyes and before he had the presence of mind to let himself known belatedly he saw Olta's eyes go wide when she saw him standing there. A blush unlike any he had seen before spread from her cheeks down to her neck and chest. Niall finally broke the silence between him.
"I got bored." He said with a small, apologetic smile.
Chapter Thirteen
Olta's mind was reeling. Niall was standing in her doorway with a small smile and that look. That and he looked a little sorry. Sorry? Oh bugger it all, he had seen her dancing and now he was feeling sorry for her. Just great.
But what was he doing here in the first place? He was supposed to be..
"In bed." Olta finished her thoughts out loud. "You're supposed to bed, or at least resting on a couch or something. But you shouldn't be up and about." She rambled, desperately clutching to her remote control. Somehow she managed to turn the volume of the music down. Breathe girl; this is only one of the most embarrassing situations ever.
"The damage wasn't that bad, nothing some good painkillers couldn't handle." Niall smirked.
Olta didn't respond, still stuck on the embarrassment of the situation.
"But if it's a bad time?" Niall suddenly sounded and looked less secure.
Olta shook her head and motioned for him to enter her room.
"Why don't you sit down or lie down or whatever. Just make yourself comfortable. I'll get us something to drink." She rambled, darting past him and down the hall.
In the kitchen Olta poured two glasses of lemonade and, steadying herself against the kitchen counter, she gave herself a small pep talk.
"You can do this. You were in his room now he's in your room. You invited him after all. This really is no big deal. Really it is not." Breathing deeply Olta made her way back.
Walking back into her room she noticed Niall hadn't made himself comfortable. Instead he stood looking closely at her picture tableau on her wall. It had been a going away present from her friends.
"So this is the Tirana posse? Seems I wasn't too original." He asked, whilst going over the pictures.
Olta chuckled as she read the banner above the collage. In Mortis's calligraphy it simply said Tirana Posse.
"Why do you think I never objected?" Olta said as she handed Niall his drink.
"Thanks." He said and emptied the glass in one big gulp.
"Meds are making me thirsty." He added with a sheepish grin.
Olta handed her his glass and he looked at her questioningly.
"You're the one who's thirsty, not me." She offered by why of explanation, shoving her glass towards him. With a grateful smile Niall accepted as he handed her the empty glass. Again he downed it in one go.
