all strings attached || n.h au

part four

"I've been good. Better now that I'm done moving everything into my new place."

"Yeah?"

"Yeah. You should come over," he offered with a smile. A smile that she once loved so much but now she looked at it and felt nothing. It didn't make her heart skip a beat the way Niall's smile could. It didn't warm and melt her heart at the same time. "I could cook dinner for you. I still remember your favourite food. And wine, of course."

"Sounds good. I'll keep that in mind," Kyra said, hating the way her voice sounded. She sounded insincere and uninterested. "Will you excuse me? I need to say hi to my mum. Haven't seen her in a while."

"Yeah, go ahead. We'll catch up soon," Ryan smiled as he stepped aside and gave her some space so she could make her way to the kitchen where she found Niall taking out some plates from the cabinet whilst her mother tasted the food she made. Her brows were pinched together like she's not satisfied with the taste. "Hey, mum."

"Hey," she greets with a smile. "Come over here and taste this, will ya?"

Kyra didn't need to be told twice to do that. Before she moved out, it's her job to taste her mother's food and made sure they're not lacking anything before they served it to everyone else. Taking the spoon from her mother's hand, she tasted it and told her mother that it's lacking some salt.

"Right!" She sprinkled some salt into the food and Kyra tried it again. "Better?"

"Much." She replied with a nod.

"Great," her mother spun around to take a plate offered by Niall and thanked him. "Can I keep you in here forever? Might save me some time from having to go through the cabinet for some plates."

"It'd be my pleasure," Niall grinned good-naturedly.

"You can stay in Kyra's old bedroom. It's not like she'll ever come back anyway," her mother said to Niall who was now looking at her. He had been in her room before and she had expected him to make fun of the old posters still hanging on the wall above her bed but he didn't. He didn't seem affected by it, in fact, because apparently he was guilty of that too. That was the moment she realised she didn't have to hide anything from Niall.

Kyra and Niall continued helping her mother in silence until eventually, they're left alone in the kitchen as everything had been taken to the dining room. Kyra looked around and when she's sure that no one would catch them, she turned to Niall and ran her fingers through his hair. His soft silky hair. She leaned forward and pressed a soft kiss on his lips. He didn't respond at first but after coaxing him a little, he returned the kiss, his fingers pressed against the skin above her hip. She could get lost in this kiss. And she would if she didn't just hear the clearing of someone's throat.

Eyes wide, she whipped around and found Travis standing a few feet away from them with Eliana in his arms.

Kyra could feel Niall freezing next to her so she looked at him and said, "I told him about us. He knew."

"You two are lucky I'm holding Eliana right now."

Kyra rolled her eyes because she knew her brother wouldn't do anything even if he's not currently holding his daughter.

Niall's brows furrowed in confusion. "And he's okay with it?"

"Yes."

And at the same time, Travis said, "Nope."

"Cut it out." Kyra told her brother. "The protective older brother shit doesn't work anymore."

"I won't mind testing it out." Turning to Niall, he grinned, "Wanna hear my scary speech?"