Flicker -NH

Part 7

"I know this place." Niall points out looking around the neighborhood. 

"Really?" Lexi asks. 

"Yeah. I run here a lot, I think. It feels familiar." He nods to her. 

"You run?" 

Niall scoffs before shoving her to the side lightly. 

The block is slightly higher above sea-level, with the ground getting higher and higher as they go further up. 

"There it is," He points at the bigger group of houses higher up the section. "That's around where I live. I knew that I've been here before." He grins and she lets out a low whistle. 

"I ran there a couple times." She says before laughing. "I meant walk, I don't run." She shrugs. "I always thought to myself 'that's where all the rich people live.'" She says. 

"I guess that's kinda true now that I have a living proof." She hums. 

He rolls his eyes at her comment as the two silently walk, their hands brushing against each other now and then but none of them are daring enough to just grab it. 

"It's pretty cool. Having a celeb living so close to me-" 

"Well I don't know if you wanna call a what? Twenty, thirty minutes walk close." 

"Well it's better than forty-five minutes." She points out and he hums in agreement. 

The two stops in front of a cozy, one story house and she turns to him. "Well," She chuckles pointing at her home. "It's not much but it's nice." She smiles. 

The awkwardness falls back between the two of them as they stare not knowing what to do. 

"Want me to walk you back-" 

"And have you walk back alone? No thanks." He cuts her off. 

"Clearly the fact that we have a celebrity living in this area means it's pretty safe-" 

"Nuh uh, good night." He ends the discussion. 

She shrugs in defeat before giving him a smile. "Good night then, Ni" she smiles tilting her head back to the side. "Thanks for walking me back" 

"I think it's a nice gesture after a whole fay of making out-" 

"Oh my god" she groans. "Stop mentioning it as if it's a big deal. It's just a job. You're so annoying" She covers her face in embarrassment and he laughs at her response. 

He grabs her hand and pulls her in, leaning in to peck her cheek as a goodbye. The both of them exchange one last smiles before he starts walking in the other direction. 

He waves his hand as big and as high as he can when she's almost out of sight and she replies the gesture. She watches as he becomes too small to be seen before walking in her house.