STILL | NH |

THIRTY ONE

Niall

If I ever thought that getting to fall asleep next to Rigby was a dream, then I wouldn't even know where to begin to describe what it's like to wake up next to her.

I'd been awake for at least the last twenty minutes watching as the soft glow of the morning sun danced across her skin, highlighting the freckles across her face — even a small scar next to her chin.

Her hair was messy, all over the pillows going in a million different directions, her cheek smashed against her palm as I lifted my hand ever so slightly and moved a piece of her hair behind her ear.

It had been a few days since she broke the news of her award, something that made me proud to even be with her.

I always felt like her choosing me in the ways that she does was an honor, something that I feel like words wouldn't even be able to properly convey, but to see her win something so prestigious made me want to stand and scream from the rooftops.

That little white number was still hanging in my wardrobe, something else that made the butterflies come alive with a vengeance at the thought of it on her body, how it would feel to watch her dance around in it.

Her things took up space amongst mine, like they belonged there in the first place. It felt like a normal occurrence when one of her fuzzy patterned socks would come out of the dryer stuck to a t-shirt of mine, like she was stamping out her territory.

Rigby was everything, all at once.

Placing a quick kiss to her forehead and forcing myself to roll out of bed I got ready to head into The Bunk Off. I wouldn't be there all day, leaving a note for Rigby to meet me in the afternoon or whenever she got up, that we had plans — celebratory ones for her.

For my intelligent, smart clover girl.

I placed it on the pillow.. Knowing her routine of reaching for me is the first thing she does when she wakes up. She claims she's 'just stretching' but I've never known anyone to 'just stretch' and run their fingers into someone else's hair first thing.

Clover,

Went into work to sort some stuff out.. Come by when you wake up and feel like it, have a couple things up my sleeve for you.

Charms x

Throwing on a pair of jeans and a gray hooded sweater I grabbed my wallet and keys before driving over to the pub, ready to get some things taken care of before I knew Rigby would be here.

When she said she didn't want to do anything to celebrate herself other than spend her time with me I feel like I could have died a happy man right then and there. Of course, I would have been fine doing whatever she wanted whether it be going out to dance or just doing what we did that night, kissing on the couch with absolutely nowhere to go.

However, that didn't mean that because she chose not to do anything that I didn't want to do something special for her. She deserves to be celebrated all the time and I pray to god that she lets me be the one to consistently do it for her for as long as she'll let me.

A couple hours later I found myself up the stairs and in the office with papers scattered around me. Inventory, product orders, tax forms, marketing ideas..

You name it.

Although the desktop looked like a complete disaster, it would shock someone to look at it and know that almost three quarters of what I needed to get done that was on my to-do list was already accomplished by now.