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It’s no secret Niall’s been a nail-biter for the majority of his life. The worst of it took form in the last year and a half in the band and the start of his solo career. Now, he actually managed to grow them to a healthy length and they looked alright compared to the short red, sometimes bloody stubs they used to be.
He’s pleased with the progress he’s made with this milestone and can’t help but laugh to himself. Because Pleasing was the name of his boyfriend's newest business venture, a beauty line that took off from the instant it was announced to the public. The fans loved it more than anyone.
His habit took such a long time to break. He researched ways of ‘how to stop biting your nails’ and even went as far as seeking out a doctor’s help. Niall’s ability to play guitar frequently became affected by this and he knew if he wanted to play more on his first solo album he’d have to take control to kick this nasty habit.
Only in times of stress does he tend to slip into his old ways. Another reason he wanted decent nails was so that he could experiment with painting his own. He’d never shied away from exploring his more ‘feminine side’ as some people referred to it. In fact, he found himself to be fascinated by people who felt comfortable enough to do this without worrying about societal expectations.
He first saw his friend Luke from 5SOS sporting nail polish on a finger or two on each hand and thought it looked good. Next, he saw his friend Shawn trying it out for himself, and eventually his boyfriend Harry. Niall wanted in on this. He sometimes watched longingly as his girl friends flaunted theirs they got done in the salon or did themselves at home.
First though, he wanted to be ready. He knew his were nowhere near as healthy or good-looking as others; he didn’t want to embarrass himself. Instead, he did his research and found a nail-growing serum that helped to strengthen his nail beds. He sought out vitamins and watched countless videos that explained basic nail care.
In a matter of a year, his nails completely changed. And people noticed. He got compliments for the first time ever on their natural appearance and overall healthy look. He observed as Harry became more into the beauty industry and studied his habits on how he did his own nails. And he figured now was his time. It made sense because his boyfriend was launching Pleasing and had endless samples at the ready. So Niall figured, now was a good a time as any to dip his toe in the water of beauty.
*****
Niall hummed under his breath as he ran his fingers over the soft brushes resting in the cup on the vanity. He didn’t know the first thing about make-up and didn’t pretend to. But, the multi-step process girls took to get ready always amazed him. He was eyeing the shelves lined with various products, half of which he imagined delivered the same results, but promised to be ‘different’ than each other.
His eyes skirted over the set of four Pleasing polish colors propped on top of a box. It took only a moment to make up his mind. He swooped forward and picked up the tester kit and walked out of the room without a backward glance. Harry surely wouldn’t miss this singular kit. Heck, he had numerous samples lying around the house as it was.
The bottles had a nice, round marble top and Niall admired this choice Harry had made in selecting such a unique bottle. His hands were slightly sweaty because he was afraid he would mess up. His tendency to be a perfectionist would surely carry over in painting his nails. But, he felt confident since he watched videos and had seen this done to many people before.
He pursed his lips as he tried to decide what color to go with. The Perfect Pearl seemed to be a safe option because the shade could blend in with his clothes and wouldn’t stand out compared to the black or pink. Yet, he kind of wanted to try them all out and make up a color scheme as he went. After deciding he’d do a bit of each color he prepped the area he’d be painting in and spread a paper towel on top of the coffee table.
Cotton balls and acetone sat at the ready, in case he made a mistake. He had clipped and filed his nails first. That was something he struggles with slightly, the motion of filing his nails and how other people make it look so effortless. Next, he moves on to buffing, pushing back his cuticles, exfoliating, and moisturizing. He’s so set on his task that he doesn’t realize he has an audience.
He allows his hands to dry for a minute and grabs the Perfect Pearl first, unscrewing the round top and dips the brush into the bottle a few times. He knows he has to watch the amount of polish clinging to the brush and gently wipe the excess off because otherwise it’ll come out in globs when he tries applying it to his nails. His tongue pokes out in his attempt to concentrate.
Niall’s eyes scrunch up before he opens them enough to see. He angles the brush so that it’s pointing at his cuticle and is so careful to apply a thin and even first coat. He sits back to admire his work and smiles because why didn’t he do this sooner? The excitement bubbles in his stomach and he thinks he shouldn’t be this happy to paint his nails.
He makes it through his first hand and blows gently to dry the first coat faster. Painting his left hand will definitely be a challenge because his left is his dominant hand. That doesn’t stop him from trying his best and once again smiling at the results. Okay, so it wasn’t that bad. He feels immensely more confident and the notion that it’s coming from a small bottle seems silly but he doesn’t care.
There’s one point where he almost drops the brush in his hand and an air bubble appears on his thumbnail, but he disregards this and feels an unexplainable level of proud and happy. His second coat is nearly dry by the light tap he gives his middle finger and decides to wait a couple more minutes before adding a top coat. His cheeks hurt from the smile that he can’t wipe off of his face. Was this how Harry felt when he first became into beauty and painting his nails? Did he feel this sense of giddiness from the prospect of launching a business and creating a brand that would replicate his wonderful experience to others?
The top coat has finally dried and he moves to securely close the five bottles when a mess of limbs surpass him in a blur and lands startlingly in front of him. “Me next!” Harry is holding out his hands mere inches from Niall’s face and his smile radiates so clearly. If his lips stretch anymore across his face Niall is scared that his face will split in two and his dimples will disappear.
He doesn’t even want to ask or know how long Harry had been watching him. All he knows is that his boyfriend is a goofball and he looks so thrilled and enamored that Niall’s using his nail products. He’s kind of scared to say anything, so he looks down at Harry’s hands instead. And wait a minute. “Harry. Your nails are already painted.”
Harry breaks eye contact for a minute and seems to consider this fact. “I can fix that.” And he wastes no time in grabbing the cotton balls and acetone and starts rubbing along his nails to remove the polish already on there. Niall stutters out a laugh at the ridiculousness of his boyfriend. “Don’t you care about the designs on there? You just got them done two days ago.”
“Nope,” Harry replied without the slightest bit of hesitation, his eyes crinkling as he shares Niall’s infectious laugh. “I want them done by the new professional. My boyfriend.” The way Harry emphasizes this statement shouldn’t send chills down Niall’s spine and tug at his heartstrings the way it does. “And it doesn’t hurt that it’s the Pleasing brand. I heard it’s good. Some new, up-and-coming lad starting his first beauty business.” His eyebrows wiggle as he makes this affirmation.
“You are so bloody ridiculous and that’s why I couldn’t love you more.”
“Is this how you speak to all your clients? Because now I feel less inclined to tip you.”
“Shut the fuck up, you wanker.”
“Whatever you say, but I still think you shouldn’t address your clientele like this, they might get the wrong idea.”
Niall’s face is dotted with a light blush as heat rises to his cheeks. Only Harry. “But seriously, what do you think of the product? Do I have the Niall seal of approval?”
“Of course, baby. I can’t even begin to tell you how proud I am of you.”
Harry fists his hand that Niall’s not starting to paint to hide his smile and he fails miserably because Niall sees anyway. He wanted to know what made Niall suddenly decide to test out nail polish. Specifically his. It feels so different to have his boyfriend paint his nails. Different from his manicurist or someone from his make-up team. And he decides he likes this way better.
He curls his hand and props it on his chin as he watches Niall work. “You’re so lovely Niall.”
“Thanks?” He accepts the compliment and the confusion is adorable on his face.
“I just mean, this is so unexpected in the best way possible. I know you’ve talked about taking care of your nails better and breaking your habit, but this is beyond anything I imagined.” He reaches forward to inspect Niall’s hand and laughs when Niall squawks, telling him to hold still, and hoping to God he tips his manicurist well if this is how he acts during his appointments.
“I’m sorry, but you’re the worst client. I don’t know how your manicurist manages if you’re this fidgety.”
“Hey! I’m not that bad. It’s because I have my boyfriend doing them. It feels different, special even.”
“Stop with the cheesiness or I might throw up before I can finish this.”
“Okay, okay. Go ahead.” And Harry makes sure to sit perfectly still for the rest of the time and fights back a smile as he watches Niall in his element. “I’m finished. Let those dry for a bit more.” Harry barely realizes that Niall’s finished until he releases his hand and moves to clean up. Drying nails be damned, he reaches for Niall and dumps him into his lap.
“Harry!” He whines and rushes to grab his hands, to see if his nails are intact. “You smudged them!” He complains and Harry, shrugs because he doesn’t care. “Oops. You can try again tomorrow.” And he’s done talking as he moves to press a kiss to Niall’s collarbone and continues nosing along his neck to his jawline. Niall doesn’t have any fight in him left and slumps against Harry’s chest, where Harry wraps his arms around Niall and smirks against him.
****
He can’t explain why he feels so turned on by his boyfriend wearing his nail polish, but he does. It’s like when they share their cologne or shampoo, to smell like each other. As if reading his earlier thoughts, Niall says “I was curious. I’ve wanted to try nail polish for a while. See how it would feel. I saw Luke wearing it first, then Shawn, and you. And then you started this brand and it kind of inspired me to take initiative once I saw the finished product sitting on your vanity.”
“It’s like, I’ve always wondered what I’d look like with it. But I was so embarrassed by how bad my nails looked years ago. So I took matters into my own hands and I finally feel confident enough to wear it.”
“What I’m hearing is you have me to thank?”
Niall smacks Harry lightly on the arm and he laughs. “I’m kidding, just kidding.” A beat passes before Harry continues, “I’m so happy that you feel more comfortable in your skin now. I know that your nail-biting habit was an insecurity of yours for so long and that it messed with your head when you couldn’t play guitar for a bit because of it. You should be proud of yourself Ni. And it doesn’t hurt that you’re wearing the best brand to start.”
He bites lightly into Niall’s shoulder to let him know he’s serious about everything he said and joking about the last bit. “You weren’t wrong. Although I did see other people doing it, you’re the reason I started to think about doing this. I saw how happy it made you when you first started wearing nail polish and I wanted to see if I’d feel the same, so thank you.”
Niall’s confession makes his heart sing and butterflies erupt in his stomach. He tips his head in the direction of Niall’s temple and kisses it twice before grabbing hold of his wrist. He studies the contrast of the nail polish with his skin and thinks about how they can have matching nails now. His heart races at the thought and he’s so in love. He doesn’t voice this to Niall yet because he’s taking baby steps and needs a soft launch into the world of beauty and exploring those blurred lines between masculinity, femininity, and society’s rendition. Harry’s been dancing on this line for so long that he knows he can help Niall get to the point he wants to reach and is comfortable with.
Niall’s eyes are closed and his head rests on Harry’s shoulder. Harry relishes in the quiet moment and raises Niall’s hand to his lips. He kisses the tips of Niall’s fingers and watches as he blinks his eyes open slowly, in a syrupy kind of way that suggests he’s on the cusp of sleep. “I can’t wait to paint your nails.” He whispers on Niall’s lips, not quite kissing him, but making his presence known. He intertwines their hands and can’t help but smile down at the abundance of colors, wondering if Niall would ever agree to model for Pleasing, his hands were certainly good enough in Harry’s opinion. And he knows the world would lose it, and he’s obsessed.