The rain had already started before you noticed him. Soft at first only a light drizzle against the glowing streets of Dublin but within minutes the sky had opened completely, turning the city silver beneath the streetlights. Most people hurried past with lowered heads and rushed footsteps, trying to escape the cold.

You didn’t. You stood beneath the awning of a tiny record store, fingers wrapped around a paper coffee cup that had long gone lukewarm, watching droplets race down the glass windows. Somewhere inside the shop, an old song played quietly through crackling speakers. And then someone stopped beside you.

“Terrible weather to be out this late, huh?” The voice was warm. Familiar. You turned your head slightly and immediately rolled your eyes. Niall stood beside you with his hood pulled over messy blond hair, rain clinging to the shoulders of his dark jacket. No security. No cameras. Just Niall looking mildly offended by the existence of Irish weather.

“You’re late” you said flatly. He blinked once. “Hello to you too.” “You said twenty minutes.”

“I said approximately twenty minutes.” “That was an hour ago.”

Niall placed a hand dramatically against his chest. “And yet here I am. A survivor. Battling through wind, rain, and at least three aggressive tourists.” You snorted quietly, shaking your head while he grinned at you like he’d accomplished something impressive. Some things never changed. No matter how famous he became, no matter how many world tours or interviews or sold-out stadiums filled his life with you, he was still just Niall.

Your Niall. Your best friend. The one who stole fries off your plate without asking. The one who called you at 2 a.m. because he “needed emotional support” after watching a sad movie. The one who somehow turned every serious conversation into chaos within five minutes. Rain hammered harder against the pavement. Niall moved beside you under the awning, shoulder lightly bumping yours.

“Cold?” he asked.

“A little.”

Without thinking, he held out the second coffee in his hand. “Bought this ages ago” he said casually. “Still warm somehow.”

You took it carefully, smiling faintly. “You remembered my order?” “Please” he scoffed. “I know your coffee order better than my own.”

“That’s actually concerning.” “It’s dedication.” You laughed softly under your breath, and something in his expression relaxed immediately at the sound. That was another thing about Niall. No matter how exhausted he looked from traveling or working, he always seemed calmer around you. Like the noise of the world lowered a little whenever you were nearby. For a moment, neither of you spoke. The city blurred around you in streaks of gold and silver while music crackled softly from inside the record store behind you. Then Niall glanced sideways at you.