The sun was shining brightly behind her dark curtains when Christina blinked her eyes open. It was mid-morning, what sounded like a beautiful day if the birds chirping were any indication. She was sprawled on one side of the bed on her stomach, a leg and arm thrown haphazardly over the naked body on the other side. He was warm beneath her, his chest rising and falling rhythmically with the little breaths puffing against her skin.

He was deep in sleep and he looked content, comfortable, soft and warm and still blissed out. His eyelids fluttered slightly with his dreams, his mouth slightly open and the fingers of the hand on his tummy twitching near hers. She wanted to touch him, just be near him and around him and never leave.

Shifting slightly in the bed, she draped her body on his, grinning when he settled into her with a small sigh. It didn’t take more than five minutes before she started to feel her back pulling, a crick began to form in her neck, and she was shifting again, twisting her body around atop him to find a more comfortable resting place. Her hip dragged across his thighs and the obvious swelling between his legs. She stilled immediately when she heard a low moan rip from his throat, but despite his drawn eyebrows, he was still fast asleep.

With a sly smirk on her face, she twisted her hip again experimentally, watching as his face twisted slightly again and another quiet, rumbling sound came from inside him. Slowly, ever so slowly, she let her hand drag down his bare chest, over the plane of his tummy and into the coarse, curly hair below his belly button. His stomach caved beneath her hand and she couldn’t keep the pleased grin from spreading.

Ever so carefully, she dragged first one, then two fingers down the length of him. Turning her head, she watched as he twitched against her hand. Even in his sleep, he was so responsive to her and she really loved that. She loved watching him jump and twitch and throb in her hand. She wanted to see what else she could make him do.

She shifted slowly, sliding her body down his and beneath the sheets until she could put her face down to his level. She could see the evidence of last night still on his skin, the curls matted down by it, and she found herself wanting to taste him, to know what they taste like mixed and dried on his skin. She wrapped her hand lightly around the sticky skin and let her tongue dart out from between her lips. She gave his tip a delicate lick, eyes twinkling when his head swelled in response. He tasted tangy on her tongue, a little bit salty, but it wasn’t enough for a proper taste. Sticking her tongue out as far as she could, she dragged her flattened tongue up him from base to tip and, oh, did she like the way they tasted in her mouth.

She glanced up at him, ensuring he was still asleep, before twirling her tongue around his head and dragging it up and over, teasing his already hard cock even more. It had always been something she enjoyed, tasting and sucking and making a man into a sweating mess using just her mouth. This, though, this was about to be so much more than that. This was going to be far more enjoyable for her, she could tell as she sucked the very tip of him between her lips.

His breathing caught in his throat but his eyes remained closed. With a little bit of suction, she dropped her head lower and took more of him in her mouth. She loved the way he felt in her mouth, the way her lips stretched around him, the way he filled her. She tightened her fist and pulled up slowly, her cheeks hollowing ever so slightly as she tried to gauge his reactions in his sleep. Every time her tongue rolled over his head, he twitched, so he must like that. The deeper she took him, the more he throbbed, so that was good too. Taking him entirely out of her mouth, she ran her tongue up and down the length of him, over and over, licking it like the ice cream cone that had sparked the best night of sex she’d ever had.

She could hear his breaths puffing out heavy from above her, could see his fingers twitching against his stomach and his chest rising and falling more rapidly than before. Her mouth descended upon him once more, dropping hot open-mouthed kisses all over him, around his base, up into the v cut deliciously into him, even in the coarse hair curled up between his legs. It wasn’t until her lips slid along the skin covering his balls that he really reacted, but the sensation had his muscles tensing, a choked sound falling from his lips and his eyelids fluttering.

She watched with bated breath as his eyes opened slowly, hazy and unfocused. Her hand tightened slightly around him, holding him up, and she brought her other hand up to cup him as his eyes began to focus on her face, hovering just above him, mouth mere centimeters from his leaking tip. Her eyes caught his, stare intense as she let her mouth drop to leave another open-mouthed kiss to his head.

“Fuck,” he muttered thickly, voice deep and raspy from sleep. She dropped his gaze, glancing down so she could pay attention to her work as her kisses spread out, up and down and all around, covering every inch of him. He shuddered beneath her and she felt her chest swell at how worked up she’d gotten him. God, she loved making him feel good.

Darting her tongue out, she licked at him while her other hand offered him a light squeeze. He cursed again, her name coming out in his exceptionally thick accent amidst a number of colorful words and she couldn’t stop the smile from spreading across her lips at making him this way. She wanted to drive him crazy and make him break apart. She wanted to make him feel as good as he made her feel.

Her eyes returned to his face as she wrapped her lips around him and took him into her mouth. This was one of the best parts, watching the way eyes fluttered and mouths fell open at the feeling of her hot mouth sinking slowly down around him. She loved to watch the reactions, felt empowered by the fact that her mouth was able to cause this pleasure. She could feel herself growing wet just from listening to his little gasping breaths and watching his hands curl into fists.

She knew it wasn’t going to take much to make him come if his groaning was any indication, so she tightened her fist around him and worked it up and down his length in sync with the bobbing of her head. He slid easily between her lips and through her spit-slick fingers. She liked the way it felt to have him heavy in her hand and running along her tongue, thick in her mouth and stretching her lips around him. A thought flitted through the back of her mind that maybe, just maybe, she wouldn’t mind waking him up like this every day.

His stomach caved in and his back curled when her other hand tugged lightly at his sack and then he was muttering half-heard, mostly unintelligible things into the sun rays above her bed. She sucked in a deep breath, the scent of him filling her nostrils and making her core ache. She could feel his balls tightening in her grasp and she sank her head down further, as far as she could take him, tongue swirling around.

“Shit, Christina, I…. Fuck…… I’m close,” he stuttered out, jaw clenched tight and sounding strained. She pulled back until he was almost completely out of her mouth, then dropped back down to let him fill her mouth again. His hand unclenched and dropped to her head, palming her skull but not applying pressure. She preened beneath it, absolutely in love with the idea that he had to touch her, had to have a hand on her.

She squeezed both hands in time with each sucking retreat. With her hands all over him, it was easy to feel the telltale tightening in his balls and the throbbing of his length that signaled his impending oblivion. She gave a sloppy kiss to his head before forcing her mouth down over him and giving him a good, hard suck. Sneakily, she turned her hand around and pressed a finger into the fleshy bit of skin just behind his balls. He let out a strangled, “Oh fucking hell” and then he was pulsing in her mouth, emptying himself down her throat in thick, hot spurts. His entire body convulsed beneath her, the hand on her head tightening in her hair to hold her to him. Her hands and mouth worked him through, grasping him with just the right amount of pressure as his body continued to convulse.

When his muscles finally relaxed, he collapsed back against the bed. His hand loosened in her hair, dropping from the crown of her head to caress down her cheek as she pulled her head up and popped off of him, a smile plastered to her face. She could feel herself pulsing, knew she was impossibly wet, but she wouldn’t be distracted. There wasn’t anything better than post-orgasm Niall.

He sucked in a breath and then his hands were on her, hauling her up from between his legs so that he could wrap her up in an embrace. When her mouth was close enough, he leaned his head up and connected their mouths in a fiercely passionate kiss that did nothing to lessen her arousal.

He released her mouth and collapsed back on the bed with a contented sigh and a goofy grin on his face. She couldn’t help the giggle that bubbled out of her at the expression on her face, so pleased with herself for being able to make him like this. His smile only widened at her, arms wrapping around her and holding her close for a few splendid moments.
Until his stomach growled. Loudly.

He dropped one hand to his stomach heavily, letting it pat the ever so slightly rounded belly there, and gave her a rogue wink. “Time fer some breakfast, sunshine. Whatcha got ‘round here?”

---

Twenty minutes later, Niall had concocted a pair of beautiful omelets, bacon, and fresh fruit, setting the plate down in front of her with a flourish before digging into his. She watched him eat, shoveling food into his mouth as if someone might steal it otherwise. It made her smile, the way he felt comfortable to be himself around her, to not try to act differently. She loved that he was showing this to her, all his quirks. And maybe he did eat like a teenage boy with few manners, but how could she not find him adorable with his fork sticking out of his mouth, half chewing as he poured himself a glass of orange juice.

She ate slowly, only half paying attention to her food so that she could watch him eat and enjoy his food. She wasn’t fast enough, because he leaned across the counter and started in on the third of omelet left on her plate. She didn’t complain, only offered him a scrunched nose and a smile when their forks clinked together. Letting him finish the last of it, she finished off the fruit and sat back, full and happy.

“That was delicious, thank you,” she offered with a smile, standing from her stool and collecting the plates. Niall leaned towards her as she passed him, landing a kiss to her temple. When he pulled back, his cheeks were a little pink but he looked pleased.

“Anytime, sunshine.”

He took her stool, grabbing her mug and taking a sip of her tea when he thought she wasn’t looking. Rolling her lips between her teeth, she suppressed the smile and went to work on washing the dishes. He pulled his phone out behind her and began typing away, sipping at her tea until it was gone. He must not have realized that he’d finished it, because she watched as he picked up the empty mug not once but twice, trying to get more liquid out of it. Her absentminded smile widened when he finally switched his focus from his phone to her empty mug, peering into its’ depths to see the dried bottom. His eyebrows drew together in confusion and she carefully pulled it from his grasp, sticking her soapy sponge into it and turning her head down so he couldn’t see her trying to hold back her laughter.

“Yea, yea, laugh it up, chuckles,” he muttered, his focus returning to his phone for a few moments before he let out a heavy sigh and slumped into the back of the stool.

“Everything alright?” she questioned, a slightly worried look crossing her face. He glanced up at her and gave a tightlipped smile. He opened and closed his mouth twice before he could figure out what he wanted to say. She turned off the water and dried her hands, leaning against the counter and giving him her undivided attention.

“It’s ok, jus’ work stuff,” he replied vaguely, his eyes dropping to his lp where he was fiddling with the waistband of his boxers. She waited for him to elaborate, he always did if she was quiet for long enough. “We’ve got a few shows and appearances t’ do in LA an’ New York.”
“When do you leave?” she asked quietly, focus still entirely on his face. He glanced up, his hand finding the edge of her counter as he picked at it with his fingernail.

“In two days. I’ll be gone for 'bout 12 days,” he told her, his voice getting quiet and his accent thickening a bit. She nodded, her stare going to the calendar over his shoulder. This was bound to happen eventually. He traveled, it was just what he did. He didn’t have any control over it, she knew that. But it would still suck.

“That’s not that long,” she observed, looking back to him. He shrugged, his shoulders slumped, and he continued to pick at the edge of the counter, looking completely forlorn. She stood from where she was and rounded the counter, walking right up to him and running a hand through his hair. She used the grip to lightly tug at his hair, pulling his head around so he was looking at her. “It’s ok, you’ll be back before you know it.”

He took a deep breath, his eyes still connected to hers, and then he squeezed them shut and shook his head slightly. “Can’t remember t'e last time I felt like I had a reason not t’ leave, but I don’t wan’ t’ go. I wanna stay here with you.”

She smiled down at him fondly, her heart soaring, and let her fingers comb through his hair. “I know, Niall. But I’ll be right here when you get back.”

“Promise?” he asked, looking up at her with hopeful eyes and she felt a part of her crumple at the look on his face.

“Promise.”

---

It hadn’t been quick. In fact, it had seemed to Christina that the twelve days dragged on. The babies at work screame exceptionally loud each day and the parents were always on edge during pick-ups. Kelly hadn’t been much help as a distraction, her own job taking up much of her free time. The only saving grace were the semi-regular texts and nightly phone calls when he could manage them.

He tried to call when he knew she’d be home and relaxing. He’d explained the first night that he didn’t want to take her away from her life and she’d quickly scoffed at him, told him that she wanted to talk to him and it didn’t much matter to her what she was doing at the time. He’d disagreed and told her that she shouldn’t avoid her friends for him, but the smile in his face gave him away.

It still wasn’t enough. They’d only just acknowledged their relationship and work had dragged him away. She wanted more time with him. She wanted him in front of her so she could hug him and kiss him, cuddle him up and put her hands all over him. She hated feeling selfish like this, she really did understand that he had a job that required him to travel often, but she couldn’t help herself. She needed more of him.

Sunday had been particularly bad. The weekend meant that she didn’t have work to distract her, and Kelly had come down with some nasty bug (part of the reason she’d been MIA the whole week), so brunch had also been cancelled. She’d known the second she woke up with a headache that this day would be difficult. Indeed, she burned her mouth on her tea, dropped an egg on the floor, and stubbed her toe all within the first thirty minutes of her day. She was doomed.

Nothing seemed to help, none of her usual distractions did their magic. Cleaning only resulted in her making a bigger mess, reading had her in tears because she couldn’t get past a single paragraph, and writing was entirely impossible. She tried to go out for afternoon tea, but gave up five steps from her door when someone plowed into her on the sidewalk. By the time she collapsed back in her bed, she was verging on tears and feeling completely alone, despondent and incredibly sorry for herself.

Her eyes were just fluttering closed when the phone buzzed beside her head. She had half a mind not to answer it, but she picked it up and swiped the screen with her eyes still shut.
“What?” she half-barked into the phone. There was a deep sigh on the other end of the phone.
“Afternoon, sunshine,” his deep accent rumbled through the phone. Just the sound of those two words sent warmth spreading throughout her body. It was still amazing the way he could affect her, the way that just hearing his voice could turn her entire day around. A small smile flitted across her face as he continued. “How’s your day goin’?”

“Terribly,” she quipped, opting for honesty over some sort of fake enthusiasm that he would certainly see through in an instant. “It’s ok, really. Just been a rough day,” she added, not wanting to worry him. He let out a quiet huff on the other end.

“I don’t have much time t’ chat, but I wanted t’ hear her voice. ’m havin’ a rough day, too,” he admitted into the phone and she could hear the exhaustion in his voice.

They’d spoken almost every day on the phone, but there was one thing that had gone unsaid throughout the last nine days. It wasn’t that she didn’t feel it, she missed him terribly. It was almost that she was afraid to say it, didn’t want to be the one to cross that line. They’d tiptoed around the subject, offered thinly veiled comments and heavy sighs, but she hadn’t said it and she wasn’t sure she could now.

It was terrifying, but she didn’t want to push him away. She couldn’t. She was starting to need him around.

“Just called to hear your voice,” he told her, his voice low and earnest. She squeezed her eyes shut and felt her chest swell at his words. She wasn’t sure there was anything he could say that would make her feel better than that.

“I miss you, Christina,” he breathed out, and there it was. The three words that had her heart soaring, a smile firmly affixed to her lips and a giggle bursting forth.

“I miss you, too, Niall,” she replied and even she could hear the smile in her voice. There was a commotion from his end and a lot of shouting, then he was grumbling.

“Ah, shit. I gotta go. Listen, three more days, yea?”

“Three more days,” she agreed, and then he was saying his goodbyes and gone. She could make it three more days. Maybe.

And she did. She made it all the way until Wednesday. She somehow made it through work, made it through dinner (despite the fact that she couldn’t remember what she’d ate), and she made it through two episodes of some terrible show before the text came in.

Just landed. Are you home?

I am.

Mind if I swing by?

I suppose that would be ok.

Good, bc I’m here.

There was a knock on the door and she couldn’t help but smile and shake her head at him as she opened the door. He had a shiteating grin on his face that quickly morphed into something that was pure happiness. They looked at each other for a moment, took each other in, and then he was taking the two steps to her. He wrapped her up in his arms and leaned down to connect their mouths in a sweet, hungry kiss.

It was bad when he was gone, but it was so worth it now.

She was confused when he pulled back suddenly and tucked her head into his shoulder. Did he not know that she wasn’t nearly done kissing him? She tried to pull her head so she could look at him, but he pushed her head back down with a hand to the back of her head.

“Niall?”

“Shhh,” he shushed her and just held her still.

“But I…” she started, but he shushed her again. “Niall, I-”

“Just be quiet and let me hold you for a minute,” he demanded. She huffed, but relaxed into his arms a second later and let him squeeze his arms around her, let him engulf her, let herself be comforted by the feeling of just being in his arms.

“And then?” She asked after a bit. “What happens next?”

He pulled his head back to connect their eyes, one of his eyebrows raised.

“Anything you want, Luisne Gréine.”

---

“I gotta stop into t'e studio for a bit. D'ya wanna come?” He asked, cheeks pinkening slightly. “I can drop ya off at home if ye’d rather not, though.”

Her eyebrows raised slightly, turning to regard him thoughtfully, but he kept his eyes on the road and avoided her gaze. She shifted in her seat, a small, pleased grin overtaking her features.

“I’d love to, Niall,” she replied, and his resulting smile seemed radiant. She couldn’t help but to smile widely. She loved making him happy, making him glow and smile and shine so vibrantly. It was an addicting feeling, one she couldn’t help but crave all the time. The almost two weeks apart had been tough for them, but it was worth it to seem him smile like that again, and he had. Every day since he’d gotten back.

She’d seen him every day since his trip. Sometimes it wasn’t for more than a quick greeting, some tea, or a passing hello, but she loved it, loved being able to see his smiling face every day. She wanted to enjoy these days while they lasted because she knew that his job wouldn’t allow him to stay for very long, and the next absence was bound to be longer. And when it came right down to it. She’d rather go with him to the studio than sit around at home.
“I just gotta lay down one verse, shouldn’ be more t'en 20 minutes,” he explained as he signaled, turned, and pulled onto a road that would take them away from her road and towards the studio.

---

She hadn’t known what to expect, but it wasn’t a group of about eight men sitting on couches with half-eaten boxes of takeout sprawled across a coffee table.

They’d apparently taken a food break. Niall and Christina had happened upon them in the middle of their gorge, stepping into the room when numerous boxes were making an exchange of hands and each man was yelling over the next to try and get what they wanted.

Introductions were made, some through half-chewed mouthfuls of food, and Christina was settled into one of the couches and handed a bottle of water. She watched as Niall picked up one of the boxes and shoved a spoonful of what looked like fried rice into his mouth. She could only shake her head and roll her eyes. They’d just eaten lunch. That boy could eat for days.
He only grinned at her around his mouthful of food and started talking to Julian about what part he was going to work on, ignoring Louis ribbing him from across the room. It wasn’t more than five minutes and

“Let’s go, I’m ready!” Niall exclaimed, jumping up and dumping the almost-empty box on the table. He caught Louis’ eye and stopped in his tracks. “…..What?”

“Nothing! Nothing. Just look at you, all excited and ready to go. Trying to impress your girlfriend?” Louis asked, his voice singing out the last word. Christina’s eyes went wide and her head snapped up, gaze jumping from one boy to the other and back as she held her breath and waited for Niall’s answer.

“Don’t t'ink I need any help, but I suppose it couldn’t hurt,” he offered with a shrug and breezed through the door to the recording booth. Louis smirked at his retreating back. She slowly let her eyes drop back to the phone in her hand and found herself suddenly wondering what the hell had just happened.

When had they reached this point? How had she not noticed? Louis had referred to her as Niall’s girlfriend and Niall hadn’t refuted it. In fact, she wasn’t entirely sure he’d really noticed, or cared. He had just replied as he would have anyway and went about his way.

She wasn’t really sure how she hadn’t noticed that they were all but in a relationship, but as she sat and thought about it, all the signs were there. Everything, all the texts and calls, kind words, amazing sex, intensely strong and specific feelings, it was all there and it was all pointing to the exclusive type of relationship she wanted. The type that she’d wanted since he’d extracted himself from her grip that night in her apartment and walked out before he could screw anything up.

And then she realized that she wanted it - really wanted it. She wanted the kisses and the smiles, the scuffles and the disagreements. She wanted the dates, the nights in, the impromptu adventures, this sicknesses and the sniffles and everything. She wanted it all.
Harry was looking at her when she raised her head, a quiet smile on his face which turned into a subtle raising of his eyebrows when their eyes caught.

---

Twenty minutes had somehow turned into three hours and she wasn’t really sure how it had happened or where the time had gone. He’d been in and out of the booth, had sat with her for a bit and apologized the whole time, then taken to the soundboard with a kind of fervor she’d not seen from him before. She’d been 100% sincere when she told him she didn’t mind sitting and watching. It was fascinating to her, watching him work, seeing him in his element and looking so happy.

He’d turned from the board at one point, guitar perched in his lap and fingers absentmindedly dancing over the frets as he called out, “Sunshine! C’mere, want ya to hear t’is.”
Her brow had furrowed, but she’d picked herself up off the couch where she had been thumbing through a fashion magazine and made her way to him. He’d grinned up at her from his seat and plucked out a few notes.

“It’s not much, but t’is is t’e song I’ve been workin’ on,” he’d confided, then resettled the acoustic guitar and started to play, then sing, and she would have sworn to you then and there that she never wanted to be anywhere else in the world.

She had returned to the couch where Louis had taken up a spot not more than five minutes later, but Niall’s strumming and quiet, low voice across the room kept her distracted until it had been time to go. She felt a little embarrassed that she could barely keep up with the conversation, but Louis barely seemed to care, just offered her a knowing smile. She called out goodbyes as Niall bustled her out of the studio and back to his car under the cover of night and a cleverly concealing bush. She could hear the paparazzi milling about just on the other side and she was glad they couldn’t be seen. She wasn’t sure she was ready for that just yet.

They’d picked up dinner - she couldn’t believe it was dinnertime already - and made it back to her flat with no incidents. Settled on the couch with plates of delicious food and the telly quietly humming in the background, Niall sat and grinned at her, food almost completely forgotten.
“‘m sorry t’e stop at t’e studio took so long, but ‘m glad ye came,” he told her quietly, almost like he was afraid to say it too loudly.

“Me too, I had fun,” she offered, returning his grin with a little sigh of contentment. Every single part of this date or whatever it was, had been perfect. She’d do this every day for the rest of her life, just being with him and watching him be happy. Reliving the day as she ate her food reminded her of one particular comment that she’d been dying to ask him about, though.

“So Niall…” she trailed off ten minutes later in an attempt to pull his attention from his rapidly emptying plate and the movie they’d put on.

“Yea, sunshine?” he replied automatically, not even turning to look at her.

She had a sneaky look on her face when she continued, “….I’m your girlfriend now, am I?”

His head snapped sideways, cheeks pinkening quickly and eyes widening before he started sputtering. “T’at’s not…. what I mean is I didn’……. Fuck, I……..” He took a deep breath, his face flaming bright red as he turned to her and said clearly, “I didn’t tell ‘em to say t’at. I never told ‘em ya were my girlfriend.”

Christina couldn’t stop the smile from blossoming across her cheeks as she let him continue to make uncomfortable noises in the back of his throat, clearing it and coughing slightly.

“Would you like me to be your girlfriend?” she asked, straightforward and certainly looking for a reaction. He reddened more, if that was even possible, and she tried not to let the giggle bubble up from her tummy. When he didn’t immediately answer her, she gave him a pointed look and a raised eyebrow. He cleared his throat again before answering.

“I….Y…yes, I’d li..,” he stammered, his words catching in his throat. He gave her a look out of the corner of his eyes, rolled his lips between his teeth and let out a breath. “Yes, I want t’at. I want ya to be me girlfriend.”

Her grin turned sly, eyebrows drawing together slightly before she started in a song-song voice, “You liiiike me, you want to kiiiiss me, you want to daaaate me, you want to loooooove me, you want me to be your giiiirlfriiieeeend.”

His eyebrows shot high up into his hairline, mouth falling open slightly, and in the silence that followed, he asked in a deadpan, “Did ya jus’ sing Miss Congeniality to me?”

She waggled her eyebrows at him, a pleased look on her face, and she laughed loudly when he made a show of rolling his eyes at her. He turned back to his plate, picking up his fork and studiously ignoring her amusement. The happy smile quickly returned to her face.

“I don’t hear you saying no,” she leaned over and whispered to him. The look he gave her was one of complete agreement when he turned his head just enough to look at her. She gave him a triumphant look and turned back to her plate, eating and ignoring him right back.

That was it. He was her boyfriend. Cue the victory dance.

Notes

As always, please let me know what you think! And remember, there are extras posted over at ohteefour.tumblr.com