Convalescence

XXXIII.

Lili's POV

Lili's eyes fluttered open and, after taking a moment to adjust to the bright sunlight, she looked towards the dresser and smiled at Niall's gorgeous gift sitting proudly on top.

A fresh bouquet of flowers directly in your line of sight was definitely one of the best ways in the entire world to wake up.

It just brightened up the room so beautifully, adding a pop of colour to the otherwise dull and neutral walls.

She still couldn't believe Niall had gone so far out of his way to buy them for her simply because he knew it would make her happy. Even when he was working, he was thinking of her.

The smallest gesture always went a long way with her, and Lili appreciated how often Niall took that into account.

Yes, he was wonderful with the big gestures. Any time he had the opportunity to shout his love for her from the rooftops, he took it.

But the little things he did for her – like buying flowers or writing a love note – stuck with Lili more than anything else. They meant the world to her.

Lili glanced down at the angel lying next to her on the mattress, wrapped in the satin sheets.

Niall's warm, muscular arm was, as per usual, draped across her torso, which was probably the only thing better to wake up to than the flowers.

Even without an ounce of awareness, he always found a way to keep an arm around her or lay his head on her chest. It was the best feeling ever.

They could fall asleep on opposite sides of a 30-foot bed and still wake up tangled together in the middle of the mattress. The magnetic pull between the two of them was irresistibly strong.

But Lili didn't mind one bit. If she could wake up in Niall's arms every single day for the rest of her life, nothing else would matter. That was all she needed.

Niall's breathing was slow and deep, eyes darting back and forth behind his eyelids. He must have been having a vivid dream, because every now and then, his cheek or eyebrow would twitch.

It was nice to see him sleeping so well, even if it only lasted for a few hours - he refused to admit how nervous he was for the upcoming week, which manifested in sleep issues.

For majority of his career, Niall had convinced himself that nerves showed weakness, meaning he didn't allow himself to outwardly experience them. Sometimes he couldn't hide the way he felt, but more often than not, he managed to conceal things well.

Of course, he'd put in a lot of work to unlearn harmful ideals like that as of late, but it wasn't something that could be fixed in an instant. It was going to take a lot of time and effort.

Lili wanted so badly to kiss him, maybe scratch her fingers up and down his back softly the way he loved so much. But he was sleeping so peacefully, and she wanted to prolong it for as long as she could. He needed the rest so badly.

It was actually nice to just watch him in silence, as creepy as that sounded.

His long lashes fluttered against his cheek each time his eyes darted one way or the other. The cutest little snoring sounds escaped through his nose each time he breathed in.

The corner of his mouth turned up into the faintest of smiles, and she grinned as his arm tightened around her waist to pull her even closer.

The fluttering in her chest and stomach were unbearable, and the heat from his chest against her body sent shivers down her spine.

She lifted a delicate hand up and brushed his dark hair aside, before grazing the pad of her thumb across his rosy cheek. The sleepy smile on his face grew.