Niall wiped at his eyes as they sat on the couch. They had both decided to watch a movie to calm down, but Niall wasn’t sure if it was working at all. He wasn’t even focusing on the movie as he stared down at the coffee table, staring at all the lines and patterns in it.

He hadn’t even notice the movie ending as the credits rolled along the screen until Lila placed her hand on his shoulder. “Niall,” she whispered softly, and he brought his eyes over to look at her. They were bloodshot from crying and lack of sleep, but they were still the same color blue. “Why don’t we get some sleep?” she asked him softly. She gave him a small smile, and he tried to return it, but he ended up stopping because it felt more like a grimace.

With a soft nod, she stood up and took his hand to help him up. He followed her to his bedroom, and he took a seat on the edge. “Will you stay?” he murmured softly as he brought his eyes up to look at her, and he bit down on his bottom lip lightly.

With a small smile on her lips, she nodded and went to strip off the hoodie she had on herself. She wore a simple t-shirt and a pair of sweatpants. After she kicked off her shoes, she curled up next to him. They always had sleepovers with each other, and after Niall and Willow had started dating, they still did. “Of course, I will, Niall,” she told him softly, and she pulled the covers over them before she looked at him.

She cupped her face in his hands as she looked at him with a rather serious face, “You will get through this, Niall. It may be hard, but you will.” She nodded, and she slipped her hands off his face before she went to turn so her back was facing him. He watched her, and he could hear her breathing slow down to an even state so he knew she was sleeping. With a soft sigh, he ran a hand over his face. He could see her turn over on her side, and he looked at her.

He never actually looked at her before. The two had been friends since they were babies, and he had always viewed her as his small, tiny friend. She had matured over the years, not only mentally but physically as well. She had lost the baby fat she had as a teenager, and her hair had gotten a bit darker and waver. She had more freckles along her face, and she was beautiful. Niall couldn’t help but wonder how he didn’t notice till now.

With a soft exhale of air, he leaned down to press his lips against hers. He just wanted to know how it felt, but he wished he hadn’t because he couldn’t help but think of when Willow and him would share kisses. Those were magical, and this would never match up to theirs.