Assault With a Deadly Weapon || N.H / 1D

58.

"We should get back up to bed." I told him.

"Up to bed?" He smirked, a flash of excitement appearing in his eyes.

"So that I can sleep." I shut down any ideas he might've had. I was sick, could you even imagine how uncomfortable that would be? Snot everywhere.

"Yeah I guess so." He nodded before sitting up with a groan. "Sorry I fell asleep on you, I should've helped." He apologized, running a hand through his hair. I couldn't help but admire how good he looked after he woke up. His eyes were tired, and his hair was messy, but I knew how cuddly he would be once we got upstairs, and that was precisely what I needed.

"It's okay." I shook my head, brushing off his apology. "It was pretty easy once you weren't awake to distract me."

"I distract you?" He raised an eyebrow, not believing what I said.

"It's becoming a problem." I nodded with wide eyes. "You're going to have to get less attractive or else I don't think we'll be able to work together."

"This is about as ugly as I get." He gestured to himself. "I'm sick, stressed, and sleep deprived."

"I guess I'll have to start looking for a new desk mate because even now I can barely take my eyes off of you." I tilted my head.

"You're awfully appreciative of me today. How much cough syrup have you had?" He squinted.

"Not as much as you'd think." I sighed. "I just feel like you could use the extra compliments." I took his hand. "You've been through a lot."

"Not as much as you." He shook his head.

"Don't make this about me."

"I'm not. I'm just saying-"

"You're dismissing your feelings." I cut him off. "Don't. I'm here for you if you need to talk, okay?"

"Okay." He nodded. "Thank you." He brought my hand up to his lips and kissed my knuckles. "Same to you firefly. Don't keep hiding your feelings from me."

Oh god I had to tell Niall.

I'll wait until we're in bed.

"Okay." I whispered. "Let's get out of here."

We left the sorted files, woke up Harry, and sent him back to the Roach's. By the time Niall and I got back to our wing, that terrifying, gut-wrenching feeling was back, and I wasn't getting rid of it any time soon.

"Oh I'm so happy to be back in bed." Niall slid into bed beside me, already sneaking his way onto my side of the bed. He immediately latched onto my waist, laying his head on my chest, sniffling, but breathing slowly. He fiddled with the buttons holding my pyjama shirt closed. I knew that if we'd both been feeling better, he would've been trying to undo those buttons. But not tonight. I had bigger things to worry about than my sex life.

I had to figure out how to tell Niall about my parents. I still didn't really have the words to explain it to myself. How was I supposed to tell him that the whole case could be thrown out the window, and it was all my fault? I decided that instead of telling him, I would show him.

As Niall placed lazy kisses on my collar bones, I picked up the file that I'd dropped on my nightstand. He didn't seem to notice at first, since he was so focused on how his lips pressed softly onto my skin. I brought the file in front of me, there was no way he would miss it.

"Baby..." He hummed in protest.

"What?" I used my free hand to play with the tufts of brown hair that were sticking up from his head.