Collide, Ignite

Finally was able to show the lads that part of the song you helped with and we all agreed if it makes the record we need to give you proper credit.

That was the text message Reilly woke up to on the morning of the day she was leaving to head up to Wolverhampton for the weekend. After typing out several different responses which ranged from a simple NO to a multiple message rant on why that was silly and unnecessary, she had ultimately deleted every single one without sending it and left the message unanswered.

She was going to fight them on it if the song made the album because she didn't want the recognition. She hadn't set out to help with the song. She's had just been playing the guitar while Niall worked and he heard something he liked. That didn't deserve credit. However, that was a bridge she would cross if they came to it.

Instead she focused her energy on cleaning the house before she left. Dressed in a pair of capri leggings and an oversized tshirt, with her long hair pulled up in a high ponytail, she started upstairs in her room and worked her way downstairs. In the middle of scrubbing all the surfaces in her kitchen, the door bell rang. Reilly blew her bangs out of her face, abandoning the sponge on the counter, and made her way to the front door.

Mild surprise struck her when opening the door revealed Zayn. He rarely showed up at her house unannounced, but then again she hadn't talked to him much recently and in a way the visit seemed overdue. She stepped back to let him inside, and he kissed her cheek as they exchanged greetings.

He followed her into the kitchen. "I was just in the middle of cleaning before I head up to Wolverhampton," she explained, "so I don't have to worry about it when I come back."

"Ah, well I'll help you," he offered, rolling up the sleeve of his shirt.

Reilly quickly brushed off the suggestion. "No, it's okay. I feel like cleaning my house is probably the last thing you want to do. You can just sit down and I'll make some tea and you can hang out while I clean," she said.

Zayn pushed the rolled sleeves up past his elbows and bent down to retrieve a sponge from underneath the sink. "Don't be stubborn, Reilly. You didn't ask me to help. If I didn't want to do it, I wouldn't have made the offer," he told her. She tried to hide the sigh escaped her when Zayn started to scrub the stove, but her smile looked as forced as it was. Zayn let out a chuckle. "One thing that won't ever change about you is that you really don't like it when people try to help you out," he commented.

She exhaled heavily through her nose. "I can accept help," she argued. "I just don't think my friends should have to do chores around my house when Lexie and I are perfectly capable of doing them ourselves."

"Family," he corrected her. "Just because you have Liam's name and you call his parents Mum and Dad doesn't mean the rest of us aren't your family as well." She muttered that she knew. "Maisie calls all of us her uncles," he pointed out. "Speaking of," he went on, "it's a shame she had to go home. You come round more when she's here. I've hardly seen you the last two months."

"Well, you are her favorite," she replied.

Zayn breathed out a laugh. "Yeah, but Niall's giving me some stiff competition," he said. "Anyway, Harry's going with you for her birthday, yeah?" he inquired.

Reilly nodded. "She wants everyone to come, but I told her I didn't think so. I know Liam and Aimee are going to be on vacation then, and Niall said something about Mullingar." She shrugged. "I meant to ask you and Louis but things got crazy there for a bit, then things started to settle and I had to go and quit my job and throw everything all out of whack again."

"Well, I can't speak for Louis, but I would love to go. And so would Jasmin. She really adores Maisie, you know?" he said. And then he changed the subject to one she'd just mentioned. "So, how are you doing, anyway? Since you've quit your job," he asked.

She could only shrug. "I'm fine, I guess. Everyone says I did the right thing, my psychologist included." She shrugged again. "I've just been trying to keep myself busy. I joined a second dance class, so I guess that's good. Oh and Louis asked me to be part of a charity soccer game he's putting together, so I should probably train for that." Once again, she shrugged. "I would say I'm handling it better than I probably would have six months ago, or even just six weeks ago."

Zayn had finished washing the stove and crouched down to clean the front of the oven. "Well that's good then. You seem good. And Niall, how are things going there?" he asked.

"We've spent a lot of time together this past week, so, good, I suppose. I don't really know what he's thinking, though," she said with a shrug.

"Have you asked him?" he suggested, glancing over at her. Reilly shook her head. "He showed me that guitar bit you added to the song he's been working on," he said and Reilly held in a sigh that was building. "Really brilliant," he added.

She couldn't hold the sigh in forever though, and it came out loud. "I didn't do it on purpose. We were in the same room and I was playing a guitar and he was playing a guitar and being frustrated and then he just," she sighed again and stopped talking.

"And now you're upset that we want to give credit where credit is due?"

"But credit isn't due!" she exclaimed. "I was just messing around with the guitar. It's not like he and I were writing together. I didn't know he could even hear what I was doing. And the only reason I was there is because I was upset about quitting my job and I also wanted to tell him about that award I'm getting and we ate together and I didn't want to come home to my empty house. I don't need to be credited on the song. Niall would have figured it out on his own eventually. He was just letting his frustration get the better of him," she ranted, and then glanced at Zayn. He looked amused.

"Well I have no doubt about that," he agreed with a laugh. "But I don't agree that you don't deserve credit. It doesn't matter that you didn't do it on purpose, Reilly. Sometimes things just happen on accident," he said.

She leaned her elbows on the counter and exhaled heavily. He was talking about the song, but he may as well have been talking about the last five and a half years of her life. "Fine," she groaned, dragging out the single syllable. "Do whatever you guys have to do if the song makes the album. But make it known to the others that I am vehemently opposed to it," she said.

Again, he laughed. "Absolutely," he said. He stood, crossing the few steps between them and gently placed a kiss just above her temple. "We all just really love you, you know? And we want you to have all the things you deserve."

"I know," she mumbled. And she did know. But it was hard to accept sometimes, especially when it involved One Direction as an entity. She hadn't signed on to be friends with One Direction. She had become friends with five boys who had shown her kindness without expectations. All she wanted was to be able to do the same. It felt like she wasn't doing that when it came to things involving the group.

Zayn stayed for another hour after that. When they finished in the kitchen they moved to the living room. The talked as much as they could over the sounds of the vacuum, which ended up being a lot like a game of telephone. Hilarity ensued at some of the things they were mishearing and it had Reilly laughing until her sides hurt.

When he left, Reilly headed upstairs for a shower. She let the hot water rain down on her for a few minutes longer than necessary, but it felt so nice that she couldn't bring herself to turn it off so soon. Her skin was pink when she got out and opened the bathroom door to release the steam. She stood in front of the mirror, though she couldn't see anything in it with how fogged up it was.

Her mind began to wander. She imagined herself standing there just as she was in her towel, wringing her wet hair with a towel, except the mirror was clear. She saw Niall come up behind her, felt his arms wrap around her waist and his lips press against her cheek, and he said something in her ear that made her laugh. Her eyes fell closed and she recalled the tickle of his breath on her skin, the tingling sensation where they touched. Her heart was fluttering at the mere thought of him. She wanted to lean back and have his chest be there, and for his arms to tighten around her to hold her close to him.

With a sigh, she opened her eyes. She wanted him, but she still had no idea how to say it to him. She had even discussed it with her psychologist, who suggested that maybe she was still not ready. The question Reilly posed after that was what if she was never ready? What if the chance she and Niall had five years ago was the only real chance they ever got? Was she to be left with the ghost of the something she'd never fully allowed herself to embrace? And what if she was reading Niall all wrong? What if he no longer wanted her?

She shook the thoughts from her head; she didn't want to think of them. It felt like she and Niall were on the same page, more than they ever had been before. It felt like he wanted her, too. She couldn't let her nagging fears get the best of her, especially not right before she was going to spend the weekend with her family.

She wrung her hair with a towel and then ran her fingers through it to get rid of any major tangles before she stepped into her bedroom. Her bag for the weekend was already packed and on the floor at the foot of her bed. She walked past it and opened her closet, starting at the contents for a moment. After a moment she pulled out a long wine colored button down shirt and a pair of dark gray leggings. For the two hour drive, comfort was the main goal.

It only took about fifteen minutes to finish getting ready. She blow dried her hair and pulled half of it up into a pony tail, letting the rest of it fall in waves loosely down her back, and put on a little mascara and eyeliner. The mirror had cleared and she ruffled her bangs before turning and stepping back into her room.

She was just getting ready to load her bag into her car when a black Range Rover pulled up and blocked her driveway. Niall jumped out immediately. "Hang on!" he exclaimed before his feet even hit the ground. Then he was at her side, taking her bag from her. "Thought I could drive," he said and turned to put her bag in the back of his car.

"You don't," Reilly started, but then paused for just a second. "Do you even know where you're going?" she asked.

Niall shrugged. "Been there once or twice. Also have GPS in the car. Between those, and you being copilot, figure we should be able to find our way," he said. "And if we get lost," he shrugged again and winked at her.

Her cheeks immediately turned pink at the insinuation, though she tried to distract him from that by raising an eyebrow at him. It didn't work, though. He was already in a fit of laughter. She didn't know how to respond and started laughing as well. Whether she was laughing at him for being so amused, or at herself for her reaction, she wasn't entirely sure.

Once Niall calmed down, they both got into the car and started the journey to Wolverhampton. They had been spending more time together since Reilly quit her job, freeing up more hours in her day and making it easier for them to find hours to see each other instead of minutes to read text messages. In fact, it was at Niall's suggestion that Reilly had joined the second dance class.

"I'm glad you decided to come," she said through the music that was pouring out of the speakers. Niall reached over and turned the volume down a little to hear her better. "Did I tell you that?" she asked.

He grinned and dropped his hand down onto hers, leaving them to rest on her knee. Her skin tingled and a warm sensation swelled through her stomach. "Was hardly a decision to even consider," he replied. "Just really happy to be with you the whole weekend. And also, your mum is a real great lady, and I'm excited to celebrate her with you and your family."

"She is pretty great, isn't she?" Reilly said, placing her free hand on top of Niall's. The warmth from her stomach spread up into her chest and she looked over at Niall with what could only be described as fondness. "I really like that you call her my mum, and them my family," she told him.

Niall's eyebrows pulled together. "What else would I call them?" he asked.

Reilly raised her shoulders and held them for a moment before letting them drop again. "It's just that," she let her gaze drop from Niall's face to where their hands were still on her knee. Her fingers started to dance over the skin on the back of his hand. "Owen always called them Liam's family. I guess that's what I'm used to hearing," she admitted. Upon the mention of Owen, she felt Niall's hand stiffen, and by the time she finished, she could feel all the muscles in his arm had gone taught. She turned her hand underneath his over and folded her fingers in the space between his.

"If you call them your family because that's what in your heart, then I'm going to call them your family as well. 'S not my place to say that your family have to be of blood relation," he said. "People always say 'blood's thicker than water'," he went on, "but that whole saying is 'blood of the covenant-'"

"Is thicker than water of the womb," she finished with him. She gave his hand a gentle squeeze and offered him a smile. "I know."

He took his eyes off the road for a moment to glance over at her with a grin. "Course you do, Darlin'," he said.

They got quiet again after that, but they were comfortable with it. In their best times, they always had been. Niall probably would have turned the music back up if his hand wasn't caught between Reilly's, but it was and he wasn't inclined to try to move it. Both were enjoying the tingling sensation that never seemed to subside.

At some point, Reilly must have fallen asleep because the next thing she was fully aware of was opening her eyes and seeing the familiar houses of the street her parents lived on. Niall's hand was now on top of hers and the music was slightly louder than it had been previously. She could vaguely recall feeling his hand slip from hers, and how cold her hand had felt for a moment. But she had not been awake enough to reach for him again.

Niall stopped the car outside her parents house and, after turning off the car, angled his body toward her. "Has anyone ever told you that you mumble in your sleep?" he asked.

She thought for a moment and was just about to say no when she remembered, "Harry did once," she told him. It didn't happen often, but on a few occasions Harry and Reilly had shared a bed. For as much of a cuddler as one might think Harry was, he had never invaded her space while sleeping the way Louis did. Niall's only response was a slight chuckle as he took his seat belt off.

"Can't believe you slept nearly the whole drive," he said after a moment.

Reilly took off her seat belt and stretched. "Zayn and I spent the morning cleaning my house," she said. Niall raised an eyebrow at her. "I hadn't seen him or even talked to him much in the last few weeks. I think he was just checking in on me. And, you know, making sure I'm alright with the whole thing with that one song," she said. She wanted to add on that she wasn't, but decided before the words escaped that it was conversation for another time, especially given that she had told Zayn to do what was necessary. Niall nodded and then reached for the door handle.

"Hey, what was I mumbling?" she asked before he could push the door open.

He dropped his hand and turned back to look at her. A mischievous grin pulled across his face. "Just stuff," he answered. His gaze lingered on hers for a moment longer than what was normal, even between them. "Tell you what, though, it was hard for me to not pull to the side and cuddle with you," he told her.

A slight blush tinted Reilly's cheeks and the smile that stretched across Niall's face was bright. Without another word, Reilly pushed open her door and stepped down out of the Range Rover. She walked around to meet Niall and their hands brushed as they walked to the door, but instead of allowing him to catch her fingers, Reilly lifted her arms and folded them across her chest.

There were several cars outside the house. Liam and Aimee were there, and so were the older girls. Everyone knew Niall, and yet, the closer they got to the front door the more Reilly's stomach started to do somersaults. She and Niall weren't even together; there was no logical reason for her to be nervous. But logic hadn't been playing as much of a part of her life as she had once forced it to. No, she had been letting her heart lead her much more, and with that came the task of accepting that sometimes there just wasn't a logical explanation.

She pushed the door open and then returned her arms to the folded position across her chest. Niall trailed closely behind her, his fingers brushing the small of her back every so often like he was craving even just the slightest, most innocent contact. Reilly was too, she always was, but at the same time there was some part of her that didn't want to put that on display to her family, maybe only because she and Niall had not moved past friendship yet, and possibly never would.

"Mum?" she called out as they walked through the empty living room. "Daddy?" They continued through the house until they came upon the family room, which was also empty. Reilly turned and looked back at Niall, confusion written across her face. "Everyone's cars are outside," she said. Niall only shrugged. Right then she heard something coming from the direction of the kitchen and she headed toward it.

She was just about to walk in when Niall grabbed her elbow and pulled her back gently. "You alright, Darlin'?" he asked. Reilly turned a confused look on him and nodded. "You started to act weird once we got out the car," he observed.

"Niall, I'm fine," she said in a hushed voice. He looked at her for a moment and then gave a nod and held his hand out toward the kitchen as if to say after you.

As she walked past him, his hand dropped and grazed her hip, sending a shiver through her. She tried to play it off but it was obvious he noticed when he reached out and tickled the small of her back. Reilly shivered again and turned to shoot a look at him. He was grinning at her when she faced him and all her resolve crumbled. A smile broke across her face, making the grin on Niall's face melt into a smile. The little touches were nice.

Aimee and the older girls were at the stove. Liam, Mr., and Mrs. Payne were at the island in the middle of the kitchen. It was her mother who looked over first when she walked in and a wide smile broke across her face.

"Reilly, Sweetheart!" she said happily as she crossed the kitchen, arms outstretched, to meet Reilly. Just as they hugged, Mrs. Payne must have seen Niall come in behind her because she quickly let go as she said, "And you've brought Niall with you!"

Everyone turned to look. Mrs. Payne was already hugging Niall and welcoming him. Mr. Payne crossed the kitchen to shake Niall's hand and patted his back in greeting. Niall's face was bright, and he seemed more at ease than Reilly felt.