little do you know // niall horan au

chapter 12; blurred lines

Mona was exhausted.

She was so tired that she felt her fingers trembling with it, her muscles weak from her lack of rest, and it was only when she noticed that her hand was shaking as she lifted her water bottle to her mouth that she realized she hadn't eaten for the day. As if on cue, her phone buzzed with a text from Niall that read: Lunch ? I know u prob haven't eaten.

Mona grimaced. While she'd been trying to keep her distance from him since they returned from their cabin trip, she'd mostly been trying not to think of how it had been several days since she kissed him. She'd been cleaning the apartment all morning, partly because it was a mess, but mostly because she just couldn't stop thinking about Niall and his laugh and how gentle he was with her. Though it had only been a week since their mini getaway to the cabin, the memories haunted her, and she try as she might, she couldn't stop thinking.

So she did things that would keep her mind from having to wander. She scrubbed and cleaned the apartment until it was so clean it could've sparkled and tidied both her and Harlow's rooms. She had just finished switching around her wardrobe before she realized she hadn't been drinking enough water and headed to the kitchen to grab her bottle from the counter. And here she was now.

She didn't know how long she'd been staring at the message, but by the time she'd registered the knocking at her door, her bottle of water was empty and the screen of her phone had already dimmed out. With a sigh, she moved to answer it, already having an idea of who it might be. Sure enough, when she opened the door, she was met with the familiar sight of blond hair and a blinding smile.

Niall held up a bag, presumably containing food, and sent Mona a megawatt grin. "You took forever to respond so I just brought lunch up anyway," he said with a shrug, walking in when Mona moved aside and immediately making his way to the kitchen.

"Yeah," Mona got out slowly, following him. He looked good, with his hair styled and glasses swapped for contacts, his shirt loose enough that it still showcased the broadness of his shoulders but tight enough that Mona could see his muscles ripple beneath the fabric as he reached for something in her cupboards. "I was busy cleaning," she got out feebly, at a loss for words. It wasn't a complete lie, after all she had been cleaning. She just didn't disclose the fact that she had indeed seen his message.

"Yeah, I can see that." He turned around to send her a grin, eyes twinkling with the sunlight streaming in through the tiny window in front of him. "Have you eaten yet?"

Mona knew she couldn't lie to him but that didn't stop the thought of trying to anyway from zipping through her mind. "Uhmm," was all she got out, though, and she couldn't help but cringe at how easily Niall got her so tongue tied. It would probably do her a bit of good to learn how not to make her feelings this obvious sometimes.

At that, Niall scoffed, briefly turning around again to send her an unimpressed look. "Thought so." Before Mona knew it, a plate of food was being shoved into her hands as Niall led her to the couch with an arm over her shoulders, quickly pressing his lips to her temple while he was at it. "You look dreadful, Mo. At this rate 'm gonna have to come in to check on you every day."

Mona knew he was trying to make it clear that he was joking from the way he grinned into her hair, but she could sense the serious undertone in his voice. Regardless, she played along, rolling her eyes and bumping her hip against his before taking a seat at the couch. "Thanks, you're so kind," she said dryly, and Niall laughed. "What will I ever do without you."

Niall hummed, reaching for the remote to turn the TV on and flipping to the food channel. Cutthroat Kitchen was their show; they liked making bets on which contestant they thought would make the worst and funniest mistake. Something dipped in Mona's stomach at the realization of how habitual it was, sitting here with Niall, the only sound being the TV as they ate their food in silence. She couldn't help but think of how routine this was, how Niall had managed to burrow his way into a special place in her heart reserved only for him and make her feel like life wouldn't be the same without him. And it wouldn't, not with how dependent she was on his presence.