little do you know // niall horan au

prologue

Fire. Mona's body was on fire, the presence of Niall almost intoxicating, with his warm skin pressing into hers, the look in his eyes enough to ignite flames in her veins.

Eyes. Niall's eyes were hooded, only a ring of deep blue visible around the blown out black of his pupils, fluttering shut every so often as Mona did something he liked, like pressing tiny, lingering kisses to the freckles scattered across the thick column of his neck, a groan bubbling out of his lips when she sucked particularly hard on the one just below the end of his jaw.

Lips. Niall's lips were soft albeit slightly chapped, moving with languid yet fervent strokes over Mona's, and she decided that she could kiss him all day and never get tired. Because it was the one thing with Niall that stayed constant, the delicate movements of his lips against Mona's skin, his hands smoothing across her skin only to tangle in the locks of her hair.

Hands. His hands drove her crazy, and she was willing to bet hers had the same effect on him. His were large, with long, slightly crooked fingers that could make Mona see stars without even trying; paired with his indulgent kisses and electrifying gaze, she would melt like putty in his hands in an instant, more than willing to allow him to have his way with her.

Because Niall Horan had the capability to take Mona's breath away. He could stroll into a room, hands shoved into his pockets and lips pursed into a thin line, and he'd still be the only person Mona would pay attention to. With his broad shoulders and slim waist and the aloof way he carried himself, he was all that she could see, and had she cared enough to think about the way he absolutely lit up when their eyes would meet and a smile would curve along her lips, just for him, then she'd probably be afraid of the way their arrangement had evolved over the past few months.

She didn't know how it started this time. What began as Niall innocently sneaking in for a cuddle ended up with her straddling his hips, their lips pressed together in passionate kisses that had Mona fighting for a decent breath. It was different this time, too. Her limbs were the exhausted kind of sluggish from the past weeks of working herself into the ground with coursework and the ungodly hours spent at her job at the pub. Niall picked up on that, completely in tune with her movements with the months they'd spent finding themselves in situations such as this one, sneaking out in the middle of the night to someone's apartment to relieve some tension.

"We don't have to do anything if you don't want to," he breathed, pulling away to allow them to catch their breaths. Mona shook her head, connecting their lips once more. For some reason, she didn't want to disappoint Niall. Maybe it was because she was selfish–she'd gotten so used to their casual relationship that she didn't want it to end–or maybe because it was Niall. Either way, kissing him was what she enjoyed best, so she continued the languid movements of their mouths, suppressing a whine when Niall pulled away again. "Mo, honestly. If you're not up for it, then it's fine."

Mona sighed, her limbs giving out, so she simply allowed her body to fall lax against his, tucking her head into the crook of his neck. "Sure?" she asked, though they both knew she was minutes away from falling asleep.

Niall huffed. "I'm not going to force you to have sex with me. You know that." Something about his tone made Mona smile, like he was appalled that she would think of him so lowly, and she liked that he respected her enough to say that. "Besides," he said, shifting their bodies so they were more comfortable. "Just wanted a cuddle anyway."

Mona hummed, surprised. "Yeah?" She glanced up at him only to see his eyes falling shut, her fingers drawing shapes onto the exposed skin over his hip. This was new. It was always just sex with them, they never snuck out for cuddles.

And yet, it wasn't like Mona could say no. Because she found solace in the warmth of Niall's body, comfort in the gentle way he handled her, knowing how to push her buttons but never pushing her too far, always finding a way to keep her close. And Mona understood why. Because she felt the safety when she was encased in Niall's arms, and once, all those months ago, Niall told her that she reminded him of home with her mint-scented lotion, and she never changed it.

"Yeah," Niall replied, his voice cracking a bit with impending sleep, and Mona nuzzled into him a bit closer, held him a bit tighter, because this was...nice. Calming in a way that consoled her, eased her nerves. His fingers were twirling the curly locks of her hair, his heartbeat a steady rhythm that was slowly lulling Mona to sleep.

Suddenly, she felt a surge of affection for him. Niall, her best friend. She thought of all the times she managed to coax a smile out of his normally impassive features, and all the moments where he made her laugh in public. They both made each other lighter in a way no one ever had, making them easier to be around. They were good for one another. "Thanks," she found herself mumbling into his shirt, her breaths slowly evening out.

Niall huffed out a little laugh, curling his body a little so that he was laying on his side as opposed to his back, his arms still wound around her. His lips hovered over the skin of her forehead before he pressed a light, lingering kiss there, Mona's lips curving upwards at the gesture.

With that, Mona allowed herself to fall asleep, the memory of Niall on her mouth, and somewhere deep inside, she almost wished that it could be like this every night, that come morning, Niall wouldn't have to sneak out before anyone caught them—not that they hid their friends-with-benefits relationship from their friends anyway. Except she knew that it was too outlandish a thought, and with that in mind, she fell asleep, Niall not too far behind her.