Just as Much

Erica's POV


I wake up about an hour later to Niall slightly snoring. His arms wrapped tightly around me. I don't know what we're doing, or where we're going but this moment is perfect. I have no idea what to expect from him right now. We need to figure things out, but I also need to learn to live in the moment. I never do that. Everything I do is planned, executed, and taken care of, so if he wants to just see where this takes us, I don't know if I can. I'm not good at letting go like that.


“Quite thinking.” Niall mumbles in his what I thought was his sleep. But his grip loosens and I turn to see a very awake Niall.


“I wasn't thinking.” I lie.


“You were over thinking everything. You were tense. What is going through that brain?” He asks, tucking a loose strand of hair behind my ear. If Niall can fly across the ocean to tell me how he feels, I can tell him what I'm thinking.


“I just don't know where to go from here.” I purses his lips and looks at me. “I don't just sleep with people like we did last night.” I swallow, a little anxious to hear his response.


“I know you don't Erica.” He kisses my temple. It's odd but almost familiar how affectionate he can be. I knew he would be like this but I didn't ever think it would happen to me. I never thought it would be me and you.


“It's just, what are we doing?” I scoot back from him just a little bit so I can see his reaction.



“Well.” He pauses and sits up, creating even more space between us. “I want to take you out. Like a proper date. But I have plans that I can't formulate tonight.” Those millions of butterflies exploding in my stomach again.


“Okay.” I nod for him to continue.


“So, I have to go to Orlando tonight, then we go to LA, then Australia, then back to London. But we'll be back here in December, we're shooting Saturday Night Live on the 20th. So maybe we could go out then? Like after or the next day?” He asks and my face falls.


“My last day at the society is December 18th. Caleb is coming back on the 19th so I'm planning on flying home that day.” Of course this isn't working.


“That's fine.” My ears perk up. “You can just stay in the hotel with me. We're coming in on Thursday, you can stay with me. Just bring your bags. We can make a weekend out of it and fly back on Sunday. I'm flying into Dublin though.”


“I have to fly to Manchester, we're spending Christmas with my grandparents in Sheffield.”


“Well then it's settled. You'll fly into Dublin with me and then take a flight to Manchester.” He claps his hands like that's it.


“What?”I ask confused.


“Erica. I'm taking a private plane to Dublin. It could be just me and you. Just hanging out the whole way back.” I've never been on a private plane before.


“Are you serious?” I ask, suddenly very excited.


“Yes. It would be fun.” He gets of the bed and stretches a little bit, holding his hand out for me to follow. It's already noon. The day has gone so quickly.


“So about this date?” I ask, my question lingering in the air.


“That is for me to plan, and you to enjoy.” He pulls at my chin with his thumb, making me smile.


“I'll miss Christmas in London though.” I slump just a little bit, I've always been around London when it's Christmas time. Well, not when I was little but for the most part I have been.


“But you'll have Christmas in New York City!” Ahh, I've missed excited Niall.


“But I'll miss Borough Market, and the Christmas music shows at the Royal Albert Hall, and the Christmas tree maze at Vauxhall, and Festivi-tea.” I whine. Thinking about all the things I'll miss in England. I miss home so much.


“Yeah but we can do New York things!” I roll my eyes as Niall thinks. “Like Rockefeller Center, and FAO Schwarz, we can get things for Theo, and I'm sure I can look up other things to do. You won't even miss London.” He tells me cheerfully. I've missed how happy Niall can be, like all the time happy. He brightens your day without even trying.


“What would you like for lunch Niall?” I ask as he sits on a stool against the counter.


“I don't want anything you're making.” I look at him with question. “Meaning, I'll be making you food. So you sit.” He pats on the stool next to him. “And watch me work my magic.” He looks around the kitchen and starts puling things out of the fridge. I'm assuming he picked up extra things when he bought stuff for breakfast. “As long as you tell me where everything is.”

------------------


“Do you really have to leave?” I whine as I sit myself on the bathroom counter.


“I'm sorry!” Niall yells over the shower curtain. It's like all the sudden I just can't imagine filling my time without him. Just after a day. That's how much of a hold he already has on me. How much of a hold he's always had on me. I play with his clothes, he asked me to pull out an outfit, telling me he's missed my choices in his fashion. I laugh. I never put much thought in his things, I would just pull things out to get him off my back when he was whining.


We've had quite the dull day. But it was everything I've wanted in a long time. Just him and I. He made lunch and didn't redeem himself from breakfast at all, he actually set the smoke alarms off burning the chicken. Needless to say, we ordered out for dinner. He even did the dishes. I like the side of Niall when I don't have to do anything. I smile at the thought of him trying to use a towel to air the alarms off.


Then we just lounged all day. I helped him re-pack all of his things, I was appalled at the sight of his things, just thrown in. I almost wanted to start over, wash them all over again because they were riddled with wrinkles. But that's the housekeeper in me, he's a guest in my place, I don't need to do everything for him. I'm not his mother.


“Erica! I need a towel.” The water shuts off and I hop of the counter to reach underneath and get a towel to throw at him. “Little warning next time!” I laugh as I'm assuming either he caught the towel I threw over, or it fell in the wet tub. He rips the shower curtain back to reveal a slightly wet Niall with a towel clinging to his hips. Not so pure thoughts flood my brain. “What?” He looks at me with that devilish grin.


“Nothing.” I smile sweetly and bat my eyelashes, acting as innocently as possible.


“You like what you see?” He saunters towards me, trapping my body with his arms.


“How original. I hate when people say that.” I shrug and hop up on the counter, running my fingers through his wet hair.


“You think I can skip out on Orlando?” He asks, leaning into me, kissing me quick.


“Probably not.” As much as I'd rather have him stay. I'm sure we could think of a few things to do. “You have to be at the airport in two hours Niall. We don't have a lot of time to get you ready.” I tell him. I know he's a bit disappointed but he already won't get into Orlando until close to midnight, and they have to be up early for the show so he'll already be exhausted.


“And you can't come with me?” He pleads, even sticking out his bottom lip.


“Some of us have real jobs Niall. Ones that if we don't show up, we can get fired.” I gently remind him. I know his job is real but not like my 9-5.


“Yes, I know. Those poor souls.” He laughs as he drops his towel and starts dressing. I avert my eyes, trying not to focus on certain things as he dresses quickly. “So are you doing my hair?” He's such a girl sometimes. He gets so excited or other people to mess with his hair.


“I don't think I remember how. It's been so long. You'll just have to do it.” I slide off the counter, watching his face.


“What? No. Get back here.” He grabs me by the waist and puts me back on the counter. “Pretty pretty please?” I laugh and start getting out the things to fix him up. I silently start combing his hair, spraying it with heat protector, blow drying it with a round brush.”


“What?” I ask, noticing him staring at me.


“You know how many times I wanted to kiss you while you fixed me up? I would just sit here and try to focus one something else, anything else. You were so close to me, your body would drive me crazy. I was so close to your face that I fought the urge to just grab your face and kiss you fiercely, every single time.” His sudden omission caught me off guard.


“So what's stopping you now?” I put the brush down.


“Nothing.” His lips on mine, my hands wrap around his neck and my legs wrap around his waist. “I think we have some extra time.” Niall tells me breathlessly as he carries me back to the bedroom.

Notes

I'm backkkkkkkkkk! :)

Hope you all didn't miss me too much while I was away, but it was nice to not write and hang out with my brothers and parents for a bit! :)

So cute Erica and Niall! I have fun writing them all happy, no more second guessing themselves if they like each other or not. Kind of nice.

Happy Monday!

xoxo