Start All Over (On Hold)

18. One Last Time

Whenever I started to stir awake in the morning, I always held onto my blankets tighter and hoped to return to sleep. Usually, I was having some dream that I wanted to get back to, and waking up required letting the dream ago. Everything that had seemingly filled my head for hours slipping from memory within a few seconds. 

On most days, the dreams that left me content in my unconsciousness were better than the reality I had to face when I opened my eyes.

Today was not one of those days.

All of last night's events flooded into my head, replacing the excitement of the dream that obtained my mind not even a minute ago. At least, I hoped that those events were real and not actually a part of any dream.

My arm wound tighter around the figure that my body was pressed flush against. It wasn't a pillow, or a teddy bear, or even my blankets. Slowly, I opened my eyes only to see the sleeping face of the one and only, Niall Horan.

A grin immediately took over my expression as I admired his features. The freckles that dotted his skin, the way his light pink lips were slightly puckered as he breathed through his nose. His eyelashes rested softly on his cheek, and I was in my own personal heaven. 

He obviously wasn't used to having a sleeping partner because as he started to wake up, he lifted his hand to rub at his eyes, only his hand hit me in the head instead.

"Ow," I yelped quietly, trying not to startle him.

"Oh, shit," Niall muttered, finally opening his eyes. He laughed quietly and pressed a kiss to the spot where he had whacked me.

"Goodmorning to you, too."

The corners of his lips tugged upward into a broad smile as he finally woke all the way up and looked at me. "How is it that you're still gorgeous even just after waking up?" He had a bad case of morning voice, but it just made him sound sexier, honestly.

My cheeks turned pink quickly and I hid my face in his chest so he wouldn't see it. As he chuckled, my head moved up and down with his chest. Gently, his hand began to move on my back in small circles. He was making this 'one time only' thing really hard to walk away from. "At least you didn't try to fight me on it," Niall said before hugging me close to him.

I grinned against his shirt as I hugged him back. "Last night was kind of perfect."

"Yeah, it really was," the boy agreed and we finally pulled apart after a moment. "We should go get breakfast, and see if anyone wants to join." Sluggishly, he rolled over and got out of the bed. His arms raised above his head as he stretched, a long yawn sounding from him.

"That sounds nice." I sat up in the bed, and bit my lip as I watched Niall. His shirt rode up slightly as he stretched, revealing his happy trail. Ugh, I'd only been awake for a few minutes and already my hormones were starting to stir from how sexy he was. 

He turned his back to me and pulled his shirt off over his head, it took a moment for me to stop staring at the muscles in his back and climb out of his bed.

"Hopefully I can go back to my room and change," I sighed before stretching just as he had.

"Yeah." Niall looked at me over his shoulder as he answered, but then had to do a double take. He stopped what he was doing and turned around to face me fully. I noticed that his eyes had widened slightly, and his lips parted while he looked me over. "Damn," he mumbled under his breath.

I forgot that I was dressed in his shirt and boxers as pajamas, and he probably only just remembered too. As he drank my appearance in, heat rose my cheeks, turning them a deep shade of red. I was looking anywhere but at him, though he didn't seem to like that.