It’s dark.

Liam’s never been able to sleep through the rain. He’s laying with his head groggily on the pillows as he looks at the window. There are droplets of water on the glass, but those are far less interesting to him than the blonde sleeping soundly next to him.

He sighs with a slight smile, snuggling up closer to him. Niall doesn’t wake up, he just smiles slightly and keeps sleeping through the patter of the rain outside.

Niall’s always been able to sleep through anything. Liam doesn’t want to wake him so he just lays there, tracing Niall’s skin with his fingertips. It’s so soft and it’s one of the things that Liam loves the most about him. He also knows that Niall doesn’t think so – he hates the slight imperfections on his neck and face. But Liam thinks they give him character.

In fact, Niall’s always been self-conscious about his body in general. Mentally, he’s carefree, but physically he isn’t always so sure of himself. Liam is well aware that Niall thinks he’s too boxy. There’s no way he’ll ever set foot in a gym though.

Liam even got rid of the scale in their bathroom because there had been more than one time he’d caught Niall looking down at it with a pout.

Niall rolls over onto his back and Liam just keeps laying beside him. Normally the rain would be annoying him at this point, but he’s perfectly content to lay there beside Niall. They don’t have to be up early the next morning, so having a lazy drifting in-and-out-of-sleeplessness night is perfectly fine with Liam.

Niall’s mouth hangs slightly open as he sleeps and Liam has to admit he finds it rather cute. He’s actually always found it cute, even back when they were sharing a room on X Factor. Before he had realized just how far he would fall for this boy.

He thinks he probably fell in love with Niall’s laugh first. The way it easily bounced off the walls and made everyone within earshot smile was one of the greatest things about it. Liam loves the way Niall’s always smiling, and the way his eyes squint and light up when they do.

He thinks that Niall is going to have beautiful laugh lines when he gets older, and Liam almost can’t wait to see them.

The rain had been bothersome, but Niall’s even breaths soothe Liam. Soon he’s drifting off to sleep, cuddling up close to the love of his life.

~~~

“Mmph,”

Niall half opens one of his eyes. It’s raining, but that doesn’t bother him much. He hardly notices it over Liam’s incessant chatter.

“I don’t… yeah, that’s all right,” Liam mutters, still completely asleep.

Niall closes his eyes again and attempts to go back to sleep. Just as he’s relaxed enough to go back to dreamland, Liam’s voice starts mumbling again.

“The sun… after the rain…”

Niall has no idea what Liam’s on about, but they don’t have to wake up early the next morning, so he’s not really bothered. Though he does think that maybe Liam would be a little quieter had he not drank a mug of creamed earl grey before going to sleep, but that’s beside the point.

Besides, Niall has always found Liam’s love for tea endearing. Even if the caffeine right before bed it a silly idea.

Of course, if Niall ever breathed a word about that to Liam he’d likely get the evil eye. Perhaps some lecture on how he could stand to drink more tea, because lord knows that according to Liam, Niall doesn’t drink enough of it.

He doesn’t care though. Liam’s words of advice don’t bother him, he finds them endearing. Niall knows Liam better than anyone, and he knows that Liam’s that way because he just wants to be there for the people he cares about.

Niall also thinks that Liam could stand to care more about himself than the well-being of others. He lays his head on the pillow, watching his boyfriend sleep as he thinks about these things. He wishes Liam could see how amazing he actually is, and put himself first for once. But that’s all right with Niall. After all, that’s what he’s there for. He’ll take care of Liam when Liam doesn’t think to do so.

He’s pretty sure he loves Liam more than Liam loves himself, because for someone who acts like he’s got it all together to everyone else, Niall knows he holds a lot of self-doubt.

“I love you,” Niall says quietly, kissing Liam on the cheek in the midst of one of his mumbles.

These words are enough to pull Liam out of his slumber, and for a moment Niall feels guilty.

“Did the rain wake you?” Liam mutters slightly irritably because the rain is hammering outside.

“No,” Niall says quietly. He hadn’t even noticed the rain’s now pouring harder until Liam mentioned it. He continues to lay beside Liam, placing his hand on top of his and lacing their fingers easily.

“You’re perfect,” Niall whispers as Liam closes his eyes again.

“Nobody’s perfect, Nialler,” Liam mutters, sighing a little as he tries to go back to sleep.

“Hmmm…” Niall says, closing his eyes, still holding Liam’s hand.

It doesn’t take long, but Niall’s fast asleep again. His mouth is hanging open and he’s smiling about something or other, just as he always is. The rain keeps Liam awake again, but as he looks over at Niall, he can’t help but feel a little more calm.

“But you’re perfect to me,” Liam says, finishing his thought from earlier as he gently pulls Niall’s hand up and kisses it. He sighs with satisfaction a little, no longer bothered by the rain as he falls asleep.