Pen to Paper [N.H.]

2.4 - Immersion - Roast

Niall's POV

'We should probably get started on lunch no?' I ask her.

'We? I thought you were cooking. Now you need my help?' She teases.

I laugh and then correct myself, 'I mean, I'll get started on making lunch. But you can't be just staring at me like that. You'll make me nervous and I'll mess things up.'

'Okay? What do you need me to do? We can continue working?'

'Or! OR!! We put some music and you sing.'

'You obviously meant we.'

'I sing for a living! I deserve a little break. Today, it's your time to shine!'

She laughs and says, 'Yeah right, as if you can shut up whenever there's music playing.'

'Yeah, fair enough.'

'What are you cooking anyway?'

'Guess.'

'Hmm, chicken roast with a side of mash?'

'What?! How did you know?'

'Lucky guess?'

'Am I that predictable? Really?'

'No! Of course not! I just know you?'

'We met less than a week ago!'

'True, but I've been around for longer, I know more about you than you know about me. You keep forgetting that you have more than 20 million followers on Instagram.'

'Yeah, I guess.'

'Besides, you know how I feel about predictability.'

'You think it's comforting!'

'What? Is that a bad thing?' She argues.

'Well... I don't know...'

'I don't think it is. If I don't and it's my opinion, then why should it matter?'

'Yeah, alright.'

I connect my phone to the Bluetooth speaker then play a random playlist. I wash my hands and start with taking the chicken out of the fridge and put into the glass pan.

'Hey, Ni, don't forget to season it!' She teases.

'The Seasoning Was On!! Seriously! I don't get why people kept freaking out about that!' I shout.

She starts laughing loudly at that, making me turn around. Seeing her like that just makes me happy. I have no idea what she's been through, but I know she's been through a lot. I see the fake smiles, and I see the sad lifeless eyes. Sure they're not always there, and it does make me feel better, maybe us hanging out is really helping her. Or maybe like she said, it's just happy moments. But even if it's temporary, at least I can make her happy. And that makes me happy. 

'What?' She asks after the laughter died down, but the smile not leaving her beautiful face.

'Hmm?'

'You're staring. And smiling.'

'Am I?'

'Yupp!' She looks at me raising her eyebrow and a knowing smirk on her face.

'No... Stop it... I know what you're doing! It's not gonna work!'

'What isn't?' She chuckles.

'That face! It's mine! You copycat! I invented that! You really think it's gonna work on me?'