Niall sat at a coffee table in West Hollywood, tapping his fingers against the wooden structure . He told himself he was only doing that because he was impatient, but the truth was, he was a little nervous about being here. Krystal had asked to grab lunch with him today. He wasn't keen on the idea at first, especially considering he and Kelsey were still at a sort of impasse. But he'd thought about what Kelsey had said the other night, and he knew she was right. He needed to ask for the paternity test; to give him peace of mind once and for all.
Things with Kelsey, were well... at a standstill. She'd texted him the next day, apologizing for the way she'd acted. Saying that she knew he was just trying to do the right thing, but that she still wasn't quite sure where her place in all this was. She said she needed time; that maybe she'd rushed into things.
Niall had begun to wonder if maybe they'd both rushed into things. Was Niall rushing into this new record label? His departure from Capitol? Was this all too much too soon? It had seemed like the perfect solution weeks ago, but now, even Niall questioned whether being back with Kelsey was the right decision for anyone other than him.
But for now he was at lunch with Krystal. Who also happened to be the last person Kelsey would want him to be spending time with. Niall knew this lunch was a necessary evil. He needed to figure this out: the balancing of these two women in his life, because for the time being he was doing a real shit job at it, if he said so himself.
Krystal arrived looking flustered. Her usually well-groomed blonde hair, a mess on the top of her head. Her face tired, like she hadn't slept in days. Niall noticed that her baby bump was just beginning to peak out from her oversized grey t-shirt. Before long it would be impossible to hide. She greeted Niall with a hug and a somewhat forced smile.
"How are you?" Niall asked, as Krystal took a seat across from him, taking a sip of the water with lemon that Niall had ordered for each of them.
"I'm okay," she replied, and Niall sensed the fatigue in her voice. "Thanks for grabbing lunch with me, I know Kelsey probably doesn't like us being seen together." Krystal averted her eyes, like if she stared at Niall for too long, someone would come and tell her off. Had she forgotten that in the eyes of the press these too were still very much together?
"Actually, I was glad you asked. I had something I wanted to talk to you about."
"Niall I need to tell you something," Krystal blurted out, as if she hadn't even been listening to what Niall had been saying. Her voice strayed from its usual confident nature. Niall could tell whatever she had to say was bothering her, because she can't seem to sit still, fidgeting in her seat like a child in kindergarten.
"Is it the baby? Is everything okay?" Niall asked, his mind jumping to the worst possible scenario.
"Everything's okay Niall. The baby's fine." Krystal's hand reaches down to feel the small bump on her stomach that was growing daily.
"Then what is it?" Niall asked.
Krystal took a deep breath. "Please try to understand, I didn't want to lie to you Niall. I was just trying to do what I thought was best."
"Krystal..." Niall began, feeling his pulse quicken.
"I wanted it to be yours," Krystal spit out, her eyes growing glossy. "I wanted it to be yours SO bad. Because I knew that you, Niall Horan, would take responsibility. You wouldn't run the opposite direction, and you wouldn't leave me all alone. You would be the best dad that the world had ever seen," Krystal's words had turned into sobs now. "And he, he was just some dead-beat minor league baseball player that I slept with because I was lonely. And when he dropped me, and I found out, I didn't even let myself think twice about it. Because it could have been you. I needed it to be you." Tears run down Krystal's cheeks now, and Niall noticed that a few fellow restaurant patrons had turned their head to look in their direction.
"What are you saying?" Niall asked, but he was pretty sure he knew what exactly what Krystal was saying. He just needed to hear her say the words out loud.
"The baby's not yours, Niall. I got a paternity test."
Niall felt the world come to a stop. Words were leaving Krystal's mouth in flustered sobs but he was hearing it all in slow motion, like someone had shoved him underwater and he could only make out bits and pieces. He wasn't sure if it was relief, anger, disappointment or a combination of the three, but for a man who usually had an endless supply of words, he found his reserve to have suddenly run dry.
"How long have you known?" he asked, fighting back the lurch in the back of his throat. The thought that if he had simply asked, if he had done what Kelsey said months ago, he could have avoided this mess in the first place. Niall thinks of all the nights he spent tossing and turning over how to make this work, how he was going to be a father and travel the world playing music and do right by his kid. Except it wasn't his kid now, was it?
Krystal's eyes dropped to the floor in shame. "About a month."
"Were you going to tell me? Would you have even told me if it wasn't for Kelsey?"
Krystal bit her lip, because even she wasn't sure of the answer. She'd like to think that in the end she would have come clean, that she wouldn't have let her one mistake ruin the life of the one man who had done nothing but treat her with respect. The man who had changed her life, and in most ways for the better. But the truth of it was Krystal had wanted to be selfish, because the thought of having to raise this child on her own had been nearly unbearable.
She tried to get out the words but they became incomprehensible, instead turning into gruntled sobs, her breath labored and face becoming an unflattering shade of red. She expected Niall to get up and leave, because how could he possibly stay when all she had done was lie to him for the past 4 months. But instead she feels the warmth of his arm as it wraps around her shoulder, then ever so gently bringing her head to his chest.
"Hey, it's okay," Niall said softly, rubbing gently circles on Krystal's back as she cried into his shoulder. He's well aware that they have become the lunch hour entertainment, but he ignored it. He could imagine how hard this must be for Krystal, to have harbored that secret for so long.
"I'm so sorry," Krystal whimpered.
"It's okay," Niall whispered back, Krystal's head still pressed against the side of his neck.
Niall wanted to be angry at Krystal, because his life over the past few months would have a been a lot simpler if she had just told the truth from the beginning. Kelsey wouldn't have hated his guts. Kelsey wouldn't have doubted their relationship when they finally found each other again. Niall wouldn't have worried what fatherhood would do to his career.
But he can't be angry with her. He knows how hard this has been on her. Losing her mother's support, her heart being broken by a man she thought could be something more, possibly losing the acting career she was working so hard to achieve.
Krystal pulled back from his embrace, using the back of her hand to wipe her now running nose. "I wish I would have told you from the beginning that it could have been Eric's. Honest to god, Niall, I do. But then you were so good about it. So attentive and caring and I knew that you would be such a good father. I was afraid of what would happen if it wasn't yours," Krystal's bottom lip quivered. "And then you went to Vegas, and you saw Kelsey again and I knew I should get the test. And even when I held that flimsy piece of paper in my hand ready to look at the results I prayed to God that it would be yours. Because I didn't think I could do that alone. And when it wasn't, well... I didn't know how to tell you."
"You can tell me you hate me," Krystal said quietly, she grabbed the white cloth napkin from the tabletop bringing it up to wipe away the remnants of mascara clinging to her cheeks.
"I don't hate you Krystal," Niall replied.
"How could you not? You almost lost the love of your life because I was afraid of being alone!"
"Listen, Krystal," Niall grabbed Krystal's hands as he knelt beside her chair. "Just because I'm not the father, doesn't mean I'm not going to be there for you, if you need it. I'd like to think after all of this we are friends. So let me be your friend. No one should have to do this alone, mistakes made or not."
"You're a good man, Niall Horan," Krystal smiled softly. "And I really hope things work out for you two," Krystal said. "You deserve it. You deserve to be happy."
"So do you," Niall responded. "You and this little munchkin in here," he set his hands on Krystal's belly and grinned when he felt a little kick. "Uncle Niall has a nice ring to it."
"It does," Krystal laughed softly, and Niall was grateful to see a small smile on her face again. "Now what did you need to talk to me about?"
"Doesn't matter now," Niall shook his head, retreating to his seat. "Let's eat some lunch."
**********************
Niall had barely reached his car door when he dialed Kelsey's number. Surprisingly, she answered on the first ring.
"Kelsey?" Niall said softly, half afraid that she would hang up on him before he had the chance to share the news.
"Yes, Niall," Kelsey replied. She didn't understand why he was calling her. Especially not after she explicitly told him that she needed space. But then again, she didn't exactly wonder why she'd answered without hesitation when his name flashed across her screen.
"You were right."
"About what?" Kelsey asked with confusion.
"The baby. Krystal got a paternity test. It's not mine. It's her ex's."
Kelsey stayed quiet for a moment and Niall wondered what this reaction meant. Was she relieved? Was she angry that he hadn't found out earlier?
"Wow." Those were the only words that Kelsey could think to say. What she really wanted to do was scream for joy. Go out in celebration. She wouldn't be the evil stepmother. She wouldn't have to share Niall with Krystal. She and Niall could maybe, finally, be happy.
"Aren't you going to tell me 'I told you so'?" Niall asked expectantly, picturing Kelsey on the other end of the phone with a smug grin plastered onto her face.
She wanted to. But she doesn't, instead she whispered "Are you okay?".
"Ya, 'course," Niall said, scratching his chin. "I don't know what to feel right now to be honest."
"This is good Niall." Kelsey paused. "For you. For us."
"I know it's just..."
"You got excited to be a dad." Kelsey finished his sentence for him.
"Am I crazy for thinking that?" Niall exclaimed. He felt he had this all wrong. Because he should be celebrating that he would get to keep his freedom for a few more years of his life. He had been waived of additional responsibility for the time being, but a part of him feels...disappointed.
"No," Kelsey replied softly. "You'll be a great dad one day Niall. But today is not that day."
Now it is Niall's turn to stay quiet on the other end of the line. He has so much he wants to say to Kelsey, but he's not even sure where to start.
"I'm sorry I'm not there right now," Kelsey said.
"It's okay. I'm sorry I didn't ask Krystal sooner. She got a paternity test over a month ago. And before you start on her," Niall began, just as Kelsey was about to ask how she could keep that a secret for so long. "She feels awful. She was scared." Niall took a deep breath. "I know you needed some time to think, and maybe this seems like the solution to all our problems, but I want you to know Kelsey, I told Krystal I'd still be there for her if she needs me. I'm not going to abandon her."
Kelsey twirled a pen sitting on the desk in front of her. "I understand Niall." She didn't want to act like this had suddenly made her mind up for her, but hadn't it? Niall becoming a father was the biggest insecurity Kelsey had in their relationship and now it was solved.
Niall was a good man. A kind-hearted soul that maybe she didn't deserve. This Krystal situation had only proved that. And Kelsey was still scared, scared that this would end in disaster and heartbreak once again. But she was also tired. Tired of making excuses for herself to not be happy. Tired of worrying what would go wrong this time. Tired of being scared to accept the love that was clearly in front of her. It was time for her to be happy, for both of them to be happy. "Let's do this. All in."
"You're sure?" Niall asked, wondering if this time Kelsey really meant it.
"Positive."
Niall smiled. "Capitol Records isn't going to know what hit them."
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I just posted one & the same, a one shot I wrote last summer for the 1DFF cliche challenge on Tumblr here. If you are needing a quick Niall read while waiting for next weeks update check it out! (Only a few chapters left ☺️)