Business •Harry Styles•

4

The next morning was full of regret. My head was groggy and my lower regions had a dull ache that only made me feel worse about my decisions.

I roll out of bed, already running behind schedule and get dressed in a designer dress and slap on my makeup and just hope I look presentable to other people.

Usually, Niall would be sitting in the living area after a big night out. He'd have a glass of ice water and a bottle of Advil, alongside with two chocolate muffins, and my regular coffee.

But I was greeted by an empty living space, no one in sight and I let out a shaky breath and close my eyes trying to relax.

It'll be fine.

I gather the rest of my stuff and start heading to office, hoping nobody will try me.

When I get there, valet parks my car and I greet the door man with a smile, the fakest I can muster.

The elevator ride is completely silent, the woman accompanying me avoiding all eye contact with me, which leaves me with a smug smirk.

Finally, I get to my floor and when I walk out, Niall's desk is sitting there with a cardboard box on top with everything cleared off.

I look at the empty desk and let out a dramatic sigh when I look in the box and see a picture of us on the very top, my heart starts to race rapidly and guilt takes over my entire body.

"I-I'm sorry. I was going to try and get everything out before you got here." I hear Niall's stuttering behind me and I drop the picture back in the box.

"You're leaving?" I ask even though it's a beyond dumb question. "I mean yeah." He says in an obvious tone.

"I don't want you too though." I tell him furrowing my brows and I let out a dry laugh, "Don't be a twit Niall."

"What- that's the nicest thing you've ever said to me!" Niall cheers and his eyes light up, sadness is replaced with pure joy and I roll my eyes. "Don't get used to it." I tell him with a small smile.

"Can you like threaten to fire me or something so I know this isn't a joke?" He says and I let out a genuine laugh and cover my mouth immediately embarrassed.

I try to compose myself again and I watch as Niall continues to just smile. It amazes me how much one person can smile.

I shake my head as I begin to walk away towards my office before I turn around.

"Oh and Niall, unpack your things or you're fired." I tell him and his laughter fills up the entire building.

———————

"Are you doing anything tonight?" Niall asks me as I stop typing for a minute to look at him. This is about the twentieth time he's interrupted me and he's driving me crazy.

"No." I say and look back at my word document annoyed. "I think we should have one of our date nights tonight. Y'know been a long week for t'both of us." He says and I let out a breath.

"I will not be attending that grungy icky bar." I tell him a disgusted face and he laughs. "I was actually thinking that we could go to that Museum you were babbling on about last week." Niall says and I look back at him with my lips parted slightly and he laughs.

"I listen to what you're saying, I know it seems like I don't but, I usually am." He shrugs slightly and I laugh.

Niall's proposition still has me a little floored, he must really feel bad.

"But afterwords we are hitting up the bar. I'm going to need a barrel of alcohol to drain out all the dumb information I'll learn." He rolls his eyes and huffs, after a little more convincing Niall talks me into it.