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She had no idea what she was doing at this party. Standing in a corner while people drunkenly stumbled around her, people were hooking up in front of her and she could hear someone vomiting in the bathroom beside of her. Yep. She had no idea what she was doing. She had a drink in her hand that she had been nursing for about twenty minutes. Why did she even come? The cute boy with the sparkling blue eyes in her communications class had smiled at her, winked even when he asked her to come. She tossed and turned the options over in her head all afternoon. If she didn’t go, he probably wouldn’t have noticed. She had no idea what she was doing at this party.It wasn’t like she didn’t go to parties. She did. Frequently. She liked a drink and a dance as much as the next girl, but right now… she had no idea what she was doing. She hadn’t seen anyone she knew and she’d been looking. She jumped, nearly choking on her drink as someone pinched her sides.“Was wondering where to find you.” She turned her head and saw him standing next to her, grinning cheekily.“Standing here…. In the corner.” She answered smiling at him. "Life of the party."“I see you have a drink.” He indicated her cup looking slightly disappointed.She raised the cup, tilting it towards him smirking at him before taking a drink.“So… are you having fun?” He asked after an awkward silence.“Time of my life.” She replied sarcastically, smirking at him.“Do you want to head outside? You know… away from the noise?” He suggested shaking his head and laughing lightly.“Sure.” She nodded putting her now empty cup on the table closest to her. She jumped slightly as he took her hand and led her outside.It was a lot quieter outside, there were a few people lounging around on the deck, a few people gathered on some old couches that surrounded a small bon fire and others were heading into the bushes, giggling and stumbling as they went. This was college life. How romantic.“Is this the part where you lead me into the dark forest to kill me?” She asked smiling.“How about just to the bonfire?” He suggested making her snort with laughter.“So you are going to kill me in the fire then? I suppose it might be faster. Would make quite a scene though.” She started laughing.“What? No.” He sounded panicked. Nervous almost. “I just meant. We could sit by the fire. If that’s ok.”“Sounds good.” She smiled nodding at him. Who knew? He was nervous. That somehow boosted her confidence.“After you.” He indicated the couches and she sat, somewhat unceremoniously onto the chair. He flopped down next to her and put his arm around her shoulders.“So…” She said playing with her hands in your lap.“So…” He answered. “Um. So I’m Niall.”“Yeah I know.” She snorted with laughter.“Oh right. I… I didn’t… yeah.” He smiled at her, she wasn't sure if it was the fire or if it was him, but she swore he was blushing.Things got easier after that, easier to talk, easier to laugh, easier to argue about the most absurd things.“I am telling you, slurping your drink is the worst thing that someone can do when you are in close proximity. I don’t need to hear every part of your drinking experience. You can finish it with a refreshing sigh, or even an ‘Ahh’ but I don’t need to hear it’s journey from cup to mouth.” She ranted- she was getting animated now. She wasn't even sure if Niall was listening to her, he just sat smiling at her as she spoke.“And another thing…” She continued while he grinned at her.“I’m just saying it’s rude.” She finished with a huff, particularly pleased at her well laid out arguments.“I have to disagree. People that get way to close into your personal space at the worst. Especially when you don’t really know them. Like, why do they want to be that close? Are they smelling me? Why are they smelling me? Do I smell ok? Is there something on my face? Are they partially blind? As it turns out, no! It’s none of those things. They are just unaware of a personal space bubble. I think I could handle someone’s slurping their drink as long as they weren’t in my face about it.” Niall finally returned an argument.“What?” He asked noticing the incredulous and sarcastic look on her face.“I mean.” She indicated his arm around her shoulders where they sat, knees touching, for all intents and purposes; they were quite in each others faces.“Well this is different.” Niall rolled his eyes at her.“Is it now?” She asked as he quirked an eyebrow at her and grinned again.“Yeah I mean I want to be close to you.” He half mumbled and she could feel some butterflies hatching in her lower stomach.“And I know you.” He finished.“You met me tonight.” She reminded him.“But you’re in my communications class, not to mention my literature and business economics classes.” Niall shrugged. She actually hadn’t realized that they had three classes together. She'd only recognized him from communications.“This is literally the first time that we’ve spoken.” She laughed. It was ridiculous to think that he knew her.“That’s not true.” He shook his head seriously.“When?” She asked turning slightly to face him better, disbelief clear in her voice.“When what?” He sounded confused.“When were the other times that we’ve spoken? Was I conscious for them?” She asked sarcastically.“I’d hope so, or you are very convincing when you are asleep.” Niall laughed and continued speaking when she didn’t say anything. “Well for one, when I asked you to come tonight.” He said clearing his throat.“That’s it?” She scoffed.“No!” He replied immediately. “You… erm… you actually sat next to me on our first day in Comms.” He said sheepishly.“I don’t even remember that.” She shook her head. “That was months ago.”“And you thanked me when you dropped your book off your desk and I picked it up for you once.” Niall said quietly.“I literally have no memory of that.” She replied confused.“Well. I remember it.” Niall said proudly.“That’s not exactly ground breaking conversation though is it?” She laughed. “I mean you don’t really know me, and by your standards, we are much too close in each others personal space boundaries… no bubble wasn’t it?”Niall shrugged and shook his head as he picked up his drink that he had long since forgotten about.“Well I feel like I know you.” He said brining the cup to his lips. It was in that second that she realized what he was doing. She was in his personal space boundary, he was going to slurp his drink. The mischief in his eyes was clear.“Don’t you dare.” She said, although she couldn’t help grinning at his childish behaviour.“I’m just taking a drink.” He said lightly over the rim of the cup, she could still his smirk.“If you slurp it, so help me I will knock it right out of your hands.” She scoffed with laughter. She noticed that he’d moved his arm around her and curled closer into her. If she were to knock it out of his hands, it would surely coat the both of them. That was a risk she was willing to take.“You are in my space after all.” He said thoughtfully before he brought his lips to the cup.“Don’t.” She said in warning, but were cut off by the loudest slurp she'd every heard.“Oh my gosh.” She cringed as she laughed. It was comically loud and he pulled back from the cup spluttering with the air intake.She took the opportunity to take the cup out of his hands and throw it somewhere behind her.“Hey.” He managed to breath out between coughs. “That was my drink.”“Correct.” She laughed patting him on the back. “That WAS your drink.”“Not very nice.” He coughed before clearing his throat and beating his chest with his fist twice.“You slurped.” She shrugged as if it was the most simple thing in the world.“Well. You are in my space.” He said, he was somewhat serious. His voice still held the joking tone, but his face was serious as his eyes searched hers.“That’s your fault. With your arm around me.” She breathed. This was going to happen. He was going to kiss her.“I fully accept all the blame for that.” Niall whispered before he closed the gap between them and kissed her softly.She had no idea what she was doing at this party. It wasn’t like she didn’t go to parties. She did. Frequently. She liked a drink and a dance as much as the next girl, but right now… She had no idea what she was doing.