When Kinsley woke up the next morning, she was alone in the bed. She slowly opened her eyes, blinking a few times to get used to the sunlight streaming in through the windows. She frowned, wondering where Niall was. A note on the nightstand caught her attention. She sat up and reached over, picking it up and reading it.

Good morning, love. Hope you slept well!  Had to run off to the studio early. Had a great time with you last night. Miss you already! I'll text you when I'm done with work.

-Love, Niall xo

Kinsley felt warmth spread through her chest as she read his words. He was so sweet. She set the note back down and looked over to find Roxy curled up at the foot of the bed. The dog's ears perked up when she noticed Kinsley was awake. Her tail thumped against the bed, and she gave a soft bark.

"Good morning, Roxy." Kinsley chuckled, reaching over to pat the pup's head.

Roxy seemed content and curled back up to sleep. Kinsley smiled softly and pulled herself out of bed. She stretched her arms above her head, yawning and shaking her head to wake herself up. She then slipped on a hoodie over the shorts and tank top she wore and put her shoes on before she got Roxy ready to take outside.

She walked into the kitchen to grab her phone and keys, noticing that Milo was sleeping on the cat tree again. She shook her head fondly, smiling softly at him. He was adorable. He did sleep a lot though. Which wasn't a surprise since usually cats slept a lot. She let Roxy off her leash and harness and the pup had ran to the toy basket in the living room and grabbed her favorite squeaky toy, wagging her tail eagerly.

Kinsley chuckled and grabbed her phone and keys before heading out the door with Roxy, ready for their morning walk. As they strolled through the neighborhood, Kinsley couldn't help but replay the events of the previous night in her mind. The warmth of Niall's embrace, the sound of his laughter, the way he looked at her...It all made her heart flutter. She couldn't deny the feelings stirring inside her, feelings that went beyond friendship.

But she pushed those thoughts aside for the moment, focusing instead on enjoying the crisp morning air and the peacefulness of the neighborhood. Roxy happily trotted alongside her, occasionally stopping to sniff at something interesting. Once they returned home, Kinsley made herself a cup of coffee and settled down at the kitchen table with her laptop. Roxy eagerly went to the living room to play with her squeaky toy she still held. Milo had jumped off his cat tree and stretched, his back arching as he yawned. Kinsley smiled and gently patted his head as he walked past her, headed for his food bowl.

"Good morning, baby." She murmured, smiling softly as Milo looked up at her. He purred and rubbed his head against her hand before going to eat his food. She chuckled and turned her attention back to her laptop, trying to focus on work. She worked as a freelance graphic designer, and she had a few projects lined up that required her attention.

While she also did music as a career whenever she could, her design business kept her busy enough. She had worked as a barista at one point and had gotten into graphic design on the side. She soon got the guts to quit her barista job and focus more on graphic design and, of course, her music. Being a solo artist was a lot harder than she thought though which is why she was on the show in the first place. She wanted to get her name out there and hopefully gain more recognition for her music. And yes, she is popular but that's mainly because she was in the band One Direction. While she loved her time in the band, she also wanted to establish herself as a solo artist and show the world what she could do on her own.

As she worked, her phone buzzed with a text notification. She smiled when she saw it was from Niall.

ni🎤

Hey love, you free for lunch? i'll have to get back to the studio afterwards, but we could spend an hour together :)

Kinsley couldn't help the smile that tugged on her lips. She was never one to turn down an offer for food. And having lunch with Niall? That was even better.

kiki🎸

ofc, just name the place and time :)

ni🎤

okay, great! meet me at that new pizza place downtown in an hour. see ya soon, love xx

Kinsley smiled and put her phone down. She couldn't help but feel excited about spending time with Niall again. Even though they had seen each other last night, she was eager to see him. She finished up the project she was working on and then took Roxy outside for a little bit. After showering and getting ready, she checked the time. She had a few minutes to spare so she spent some time with her animals, petting and cuddling them. Roxy was sitting beside her on the couch, her tail wagging as she enjoyed Kinsley's attention. Milo was lounging on her lap, purring as she stroked his fur. She loved spending time with her animals. They always managed to brighten her mood, no matter how bad her day was.

After a while, she reluctantly got up, kissing Roxy and Milo's heads before putting on her shoes. "Alright, guys, I'm gonna head out. Be good for mama." She said, grabbing her keys and phone before she locking the door and leaving. Her pets are normally good on their own, so she never worried too much about leaving them.

Kinsley hopped in her car and headed to the pizza place. She was looking forward to lunch with Niall. As always. Once she arrived, she parked her car and headed inside, scanning the tables for him. She spotted him sitting at a table by the window, his eyes focused on his phone. But when he looked up, his beautiful blue eyes locked with hers. She felt her heart skip a beat at the soft smile he sent her and the way his face brightened when he saw her. It made her feel special, knowing that she was the one who put that smile on his face. 

She quickly made her way over to him, greeting him with a warm hug. "Hey, Ni." She grinned, pulling away and sitting across from him.

"Hey, love." He said softly, a smile still on his face. His eyes roamed over her figure, admiring how gorgeous she looked. He had always thought she was beautiful, but there was something about her today that made her even more stunning. He couldn't quite put his finger on it. Maybe it was the way her hair fell in loose curls around her shoulders or the way her brown eyes sparkled in the sunlight.

"So, what's good here?" Kinsley asked, glancing down at the menu.

Niall shrugs, his eyes still on her. "Not sure, but everything looks amazing. The reviews online are good, so I figured we'd give it a try. And I know how much you like pizza." He chuckled, remembering the countless times they had ordered pizza when they were in the band.

Kinsley grins, feeling her cheeks warm up. He always remembered little things like that. He was so sweet. "Sounds good." She glanced up at him, meeting his gaze. There was a look in his eyes, one that she couldn't quite decipher. She swallowed, suddenly feeling nervous. It was almost like he was looking at her with new eyes. Like he was seeing her for the first time.

"Um, so...How's your day been so far?" She questioned, trying to break the tension.

Niall smiles at her. "Good. Busy. As usual. It's a lot better now that I got to see you." He admitted, causing her heart to flutter and face to turn red as she smiled shyly at him.

"Yeah, same goes to you." She replied.

Conversation came easy as they talked about their respective jobs and shared some stories about their time in the band, both reminiscing on their time together. They always had a good time together, whether it was working on a song or hanging out. They enjoyed each other's company. It was one of the reasons they had become such good friends. They had ended up taking a couple pictures with some fans who were brave enough to come up for them. This was expected and something they were used to. They didn't mind interacting with fans, and it was nice when they did. But they mostly just wanted to have a nice lunch together. When their food arrived, they dug in, talking between bites. It was nice and comfortable, the way it always was with them. Niall had even paid for her despite her protests.

"You're so stubborn." He said fondly, smiling at her.

Kinsley huffs, crossing her arms over her chest. "I'm not stubborn. You're just too sweet." She retorted. She didn't know why he insisted on paying for her. She was perfectly capable of paying for herself. But she always appreciated it when he paid for her. He was always so thoughtful and kind.

"Whatever you say, love." Niall chuckled, standing up.

Kinsley rolled her eyes and stood up too, grabbing her purse. She followed him out of the restaurant, chatting and laughing along the way. Their arms brushed against each other, and every time their skin touched, it sent shivers down her spine.

Once they were outside, Niall turns to her, a soft smile on his face. "I had a great time, love."

"Me too." Kinsley nodded, smiling up at him.

"I'll see you soon, yeah?" He said, pulling her in for a hug.

Kinsley hummed in response, hugging him back. She wished they didn't have to say goodbye. She always missed him when they weren't together. "Okay, bye, Ni." She whispered, reluctantly pulling away.

Niall smiled and gave her a little wave before turning around and heading off towards the studio. Kinsley watched him go, a pang of longing in her chest. She wanted to be with him. Not just for a couple hours at a time. But all the time. That was normal, right? To want to hang out with your best friend all the time?

She pushed those thoughts aside, getting in her car and driving back home. Her heart fluttered as she replayed their time together, remembering the way his eyes had sparkled when he laughed or the way he looked at her like she was the most important person in the world. She knew it was just her imagination, but part of her wished that it was true.

"Hey, girl. How was your date?"

Kinsley was startled out of her thoughts by the sound of her friend's voice. She was now at home, talking with her friend, Aurora, on the phone.

"It wasn't a date." She insisted.

"The way you talked about your lunch with him, it sounded like you two were looking at each other with heart eyes the whole time and were flirting the entire meal." Aurora teased.

Kinsley rolls her eyes, though her friend can't see it. "We were not. We were just catching up. And we always have fun together."

"Sure." Aurora laughs. "Look, it's obvious you're into him and he's into you. Why not give it a shot?"

"'Cause I could lose my best friend if things don't work out." Kinsley sighed, her shoulders sagging.

"Or maybe you'll end up together and live happily ever after." Aurora suggested.

"Don't give me hopeful thoughts." Kinsley grumbled.

"Why not? What do you have to lose?" Aurora challenged.

"He means a lot to me. I don't wanna risk ruining our friendship." She said softly, chewing on her bottom lip.

"I know. And you'll never know unless you give it a try." Aurora pointed out.

Kinsley sighs, not wanting to argue anymore. "I'll think about it, okay?"

"That's all I ask." Aurora says. "So, are you ready for The Playoffs? You've been practicing, right? And at least you don't have to worry about the Knockouts."

"Yeah, true. Really happy about that though I still hope Poppy goes to The Playoffs. I'm a bit nervous, but I'm excited. And I've definitely been practicing." Kinsley assured her.

"Good. You'll do great. I know it." Aurora said encouragingly.

They talked for a little while longer before hanging up. Kinsley laid back on her bed, staring up at the ceiling. Her mind raced, thinking about her friendship with Niall and what her friend had said. Was there a chance they could be more than just friends? She wanted to believe that there was. She couldn't deny the feelings that were stirring inside her. But she was scared. Scared of losing him, of losing their friendship.

"Ugh." She groaned, throwing her arm over her eyes. She hated how complicated things were. Why couldn't they just stay friends and nothing else? Why did her feelings have to complicate things?

"Stupid feelings." She mumbled.

A small meow caught her attention. She moves her arm to see Milo standing on her stomach. She couldn't help but chuckle. "Hi, baby. What's up?" Milo meowed again, nuzzling her neck. She smiled, picking him up and held him close, stroking his soft fur. He purred, his body vibrating against hers.

"You always know how to cheer me up, don't you? You act like a grump, but you're a total softie, aren't you?" She cooed, kissing the top of his head.

Milo simply blinked at her, his tail curling around her arm. She smiled and continued to cuddle him, finding comfort in his presence. Her thoughts were still racing, but the warmth of his small body and the softness of his fur helped to ease her worries, if only for a little while.