Drowning || niall horan au

fourteen

"Please tell me you were kissed!" Marisa exclaimed the second Hannah emerged from her bedroom and into the kitchen. She was making eggs and bacon for two, setting a finished plate down on the table for Hannah. The stove was turned off a little bit later, and Marisa joined the table.

Hannah remained quiet as she chewed on a piece of bacon. She heard Marisa grumble.

"Oh come on, I don't want to play the guessing game!"

"Okay, okay!" The blonde gave in and wiped her face. "I was kissed."

Marisa did a victory dance in her chair, pumping her fists in the air for emphasis. She was so proud of Hannah for finally recognizing that a guy like Niall was worth waiting for. Granted, they haven't even known each other for that long, yet it's been a long two years of Hannah rejecting all these men. A man shouldn't define a woman's happiness, but Hannah would never be able to realize how to be treated like a queen if she didn't try.

Hannah's cheeks got really red with the unneeded attention. Her one hand covered up a cheek while the other held the fork, picking up the broken pieces of the scrambled egg.

"Don't be embarrassed." Marisa chuckled, earning a mean look from her best friend. "I'm so happy for you."

"It was New Year's, what else so you expect from this holiday. A kiss is traditional!"

"Well, I don't think just friends would kiss."

Hannah looked up from her plate and ogled her friend. Marisa still held a smile on her face

"Was he good?"

"Well, I lost my appetite." Hannah stood from the table and emptied her plate on to Marisa's.

"Why can't you talk about this?" Marisa followed Hannah to the sink and waited for an answer while the blonde scrubbed the crumbs off the plate and leaving it in the sink.

"Because I've only been awake for nearly twenty minutes." She paused, and then let out a sigh. "And I literally have no idea what I'm doing."

"Good, good, we are making progress here." Marisa grabbed Hannah's hand and led her back to the kitchen table.

The two girls sat down again. Marisa was eager to help with Hannah's problem, and all Hannah could do at the moment was lean an elbow on the table and scratch her head.

"God, I wish I wasn't all screwed up in the head so I could actually enjoy life around me. Something great is happening here, and I know it. I just cannot bring myself to admit it." The blonde slightly lifted her head to glance at her best friend. "I'm scared, Ris. I haven't known this boy for two months."

"You don't have to know the boy for two months in order to really like him." Marisa reassured her. "The lad is an absolute sweetheart. Don't worry. I did my research."

Hannah let out a breath and started tracing her finger on the patterns in the wooden kitchen table. A small smile crept to her face at the thought of Marisa continuously looking out for her. And it even made her feel better to know Niall was harmless although she should have known that by now.

"Give me an honest opinion, please." Marisa spoke up again. She waited until she knew she had Hannah listening to her. "How much do you like Niall?"

"A lot."

"Define that."

The blonde looked at her friend again before sitting back in her chair to ponder a definition. She played with her fingers and thought back to ever single memory she had with Niall, good or bad. She remembered the times where she was a rude asshole to him, but he always found a way to not let it bother him. She remembered how persistent he was on seeing her, but never made a fuss if it was a dreadful time or not. She remembered the moments where he was there to pick up the pieces, and still wanted to stick around no matter how broken she was.