It was the next morning. The events of last night were a bit hazy, but every detail since entering your bedroom was clear as day. You had your first kiss last night. You shared said kiss with Niall last night.
Okay, the fact that he was drunk and would probably not have remembered anything that happened didn't matter. It was his confession that stuck with you. So he did feel the same way. Louis always said that the most honest people were the most drunk.
But when you woke up from your couch, you didn't expect to see your bed perfectly made, with a small post-it note on the pillow. You weren't worried about Niall's condition in the least. You knew him well enough to know that he was perfectly capable of handling a hangover. Yeah, he might be a little grumpy and annoyed, but he got over it quickly.
You walked to your bed and read the post-it note.
I snuck out the back way because I know your parents would kill you if they found me.
Don't worry about me. I'll be at home by the time you read this. Call me once you're up and ready. We need to talk.
Your heart quickened. Did he remember what happened? Was he mad.
Your spirits lowered until you saw a tiny, messy scrawl at the bottom.
You look beautiful when you sleep.
Well, you were bound to have this conversation at some point.
-
Two hours later, you were standing on your doorstep as Niall's black Range Rover pulled up your driveway. You couldn't see through the tinted windows, but you knew he was looking at you.
Well, it's now or never.
You put your hood on and rushed over to his car. The grey clouds in the sky threatened rain while the wind picked up. It wasn't a good sign.
You hesitated before opening the door of his car. Thankfully, he had the heat on, just the way he knew you liked it.
"Hey," he said once you closed the door. "Did you eat yet?"
"Yeah." You knew. You felt the way he was holding back and you knew. Niall knew.
"Okay," Niall murmured. He started his engine and drove away. You didn't know where he was going and you had a feeling Niall didn't know either.
After fifteen minutes of driving, you decided to break the creeping silence. "You said you wanted to talk?"
Niall pulled over to the side of the road and parked the car. It was the road less traveled, literally. And in the summer, you would take this route, pull the windows down, and drive to the next town over. It didn't give you the same effect when it was nearing winter. If anything, it made you sad.
You took off your seatbelt and turned to face Niall. His hair was down today and the eye bags under his eyes were more prominent than before, but other than that you saw no trace of anger in his face.
He ran his hands through his hair before turning his body towards you, mimicking your movements. "I guess I owe you an explanation..." He started, looking at you sheepishly.
You brought your knees up to your body. "So... You remember?"
He chuckled. "Of course I do. I mean, I don't remember what I said but... I kinda got the gist of it..." He trailed off, not needing to finish the sentence.
You played with your hands. He was going to tell you he didn't mean it. That he just wanted to be friends. "I get it, it's okay," you started.
"What?" Niall asked, confused. He waited until you met his eyes before continuing, "I want to try it sober. Kiss you, I mean. Because I sure as hell screwed up the first time... if that's okay with you." He treaded cautiously but his eyes were friendly, hoping.
You gave a nod, unable to say anything else. Niall inched slowly towards you carefully. He smelled like a mixture of his cologne and his house, where you knew his mom was already decorating for Christmas. Your breath hitched as Niall's face was closer to yours. His breath smelled like peppermint and suddenly, his lips were on top of yours.
The both of you sighed and you felt him grin against your mouth. He pulled you closer, running his hand through your hair.
Maybe winter wasn't so bad after all.