“Niall, it’s kind of cold outside for this, don’t you think?” I stand there with my feet tightly together and my hands in my pockets, my coat and uggs doing little to keep the cold from biting at my body.
“Eh, maybe only a little.” He grabs my hand in his and pulls me into the middle of the park and sits down on the ground, waiting patiently for me to sit next to him. I finally give into him and lean into his shoulder, watching our breaths come out in little white puffs.
“What are we even doing out here?” I run my fingers back and forth across the thick grass, watching him staring at nothing.
“You like stars, right?” I look up past the trees, and laugh.
“Niall, you can’t see any of them. We’re in the city.” I’m slightly irritable, but it’s cold, and it’s late, and I just want to go home.
He stares at me for a few seconds before hopping up, a slightly disappointed look on his face. He holds his hand out to help me up and I ask him, “What?”
“Well, we’re not staying here if you aren’t happy with it. So let’s take you home.”
“Niall, I-“
“Robyn, I know.” He looks at me and smiles. It amazes me how he’s managed to deal with my stubborn mood all the time, but I could never be more grateful.
We walk back to the car, my arm linked in his, my ears starting to hurt. He opens the door for me and I get in, blasting the heat as soon as he turns the car on. He plays some music and I stare out the window as he starts driving.
“Uhm, Niall, you know this isn’t the way to my house.”
“What?” He acts completely oblivious, continuing to drive in the wrong direction.
“Niall, where are you taking me?” I sigh, drooping my shoulders. He doesn’t respond, just a small grin creeps across his face before he puts it away. I start to pout and stare out the window, growing even more irritable and even more tired.
After he drives for a few more minutes, I fall asleep, my head resting on the window. I don’t wake up when he pulls over to the side of the road thirty minutes later, and I barely wake up when he picks me up from my seat. I finally open my eyes when he lays me down on the ground, and it takes my breath away.
He lays down on the ground next to me and I cuddle into his arms, not taking my eyes off the sky.
“I didn’t know this many could exist,” I whisper. Everything is quiet, there’s no other cars passing by, no animals scurrying past, nothing to disturb the two of us; sitting on a blanket on top of a hill in the middle of nowhere. The sky is scattered with glowing stars, some stronger than others, clumped together in some spaces and spread out in others. There’s probably more stars than I’ve ever seen every night of my life combined. It looks like black construction paper with powdered sugar sprinkled over it.
I sit there against him, his fingers running through my hair for what feels like hours, just looking at stars. I’m taken aback by their beauty, the way they shine without a specific color, without a limit.
I don’t move, and I don’t know how much time passes, but I start to get drowsy again, my eyelids fluttering shut before I jerk them open again.
“Babe, I think we need to go home.”
“No, no, no.” I rub my eyes, trying to convince him I’m awake.
“You’re falling asleep.”
“No, I’m not,” I say, trying to hide my yawn.
He laughs a little and continues playing with my hair, putting me back to my sleepy state in seconds.
“Robyn…”
“Niall, no. They’re too perfect.” Something about stars had always fascinated me, and I didn’t want to leave. “There’s nothing more perfect here.”
“Well, I can think of one thing.”
“What, the silence?” I laugh slightly and mock him. I always say nothing’s ever quiet when he’s around. He doesn’t respond, but slips his fingers through my hair again, and I twist my neck to look up at him. His blue eyes are staring at me, unmoving. “What?” I turn serious, knowing he actually has an answer.
“You.” He says it so matter of factly, as if the thought should have crossed my mind hours ago.
“Stop.” I turn my head back to the sky, leaning closer into his chest. He leans down to kiss my nose, pecking it lightly before returning to playing with my hair, not saying anything until I fall asleep and he carries me back to the car.
