Imagines with Niall Horan

86. He's a kindergarten teacher

You realize what's going on a full two months before Niall does, when you stop by during the Christmas pageant rehearsal and watch Niall try to wrangle a group of squirmy, fidgety children dressed as barn animals into place long enough for the older students to read out their lines.

You smile the whole time, giving Niall an encouraging wave when Niall looks at you with pleading eyes and frazzled hair, mouthing I love you and then Save me across the auditorium to you.

During the rehearsal one of the little girls dressed as a sheep keeps wandering over to where Niall is playing guitar, though, and hiding around the back while she stares up with wide eyes, like Niall is the dreamiest thing she's ever seen.

All you can think is, Oh, honey, I've been there.

-

It's Valentine's Day and you get off work early, using the time to clean up the apartment a bit and start dessert for later that night. Niall gets home a few hours later and you grin, pulling off your apron to go greet him at the door.

"Welcome home, valentine," You say warmly, and Niall looks up guiltily from where he's digging in his bag, something off about his voice when he hugs you and says, "Oh- oh yeah, Happy Valentine's Day."

You pull back, eyebrows knitting together in concern. "Is everything alright? If you forgot to get me a card again you know I don't care," you say, and you lower your voice when you add, "You'll more than make it up to me later-"

"No, it's not- I didn't forget what today is, but I. Well."

Your stomach twists uneasily. "Niall, what is it?"

Niall bites his lip and goes back to digging through his messenger bag, pulling out a small folded-up piece of construction paper and handing it to you. "Here."

You open it up, not sure what you're expecting but feeling uneasy all the same, but the feeling quickly dissipates when you see what it is.

It's a crayon drawing of a stick figure man holding a guitar surrounded by pink crayon hearts, and underneath the stick figure it says in a child's big, messy handwriting, "MR. N WILL YOU MARY ME?"

You cover your mouth with your hand, only just holding back your laughter because the look on Niall's face is pure anguish, and laughing right now probably wouldn't be the best idea.

"Nory gave me that right before her mom picked her up today and I don't know what to do," Niall says miserably, sinking down onto the couch, and you set the card aside and settle in next to him, rubbing his shoulder.

"Well, as your wife I'm going to have to advise you say no," you say as gently as you can when you're still fighting laughter, and Niall groans.

"Babe."

"Niall," you say back. "She's six. It's a crush. Kids get innocent little crushes all the time and it's not a big deal. I would be more surprised if you didn't have any little girls and boys proposing marriage to you given that you're, you know..."

Niall raises his eyebrows. "I'm what?"

You roll your eyes. "You're easily the dreamiest person at that school, Niall. Crushes happen. Just let her down gently and- and-" you cut off, feeling suddenly sheepish for thinking it, but Niall nudges you, head tilted in question.

"And what?"

"And make sure she knows it's okay to have crushes and there's nothing wrong with that part of it, it's- it's just that you're already taken and a little too old for her," you finish, watching the way Niall's expression goes soft, his eyes warm and understanding.

"Oh princess," Niall says gently, lifting your hand to brush a kiss over your knuckles, and you feel your chest twist with how much you love this man. "Of course."

You lean into his side, enjoying the warmth of being close to him before you make yourself stand up from the couch, holding out a hand to pull Niall up as well.

"Well now that that's settled, I think you'll agree that the best thing to do now is hang that Valentine proposal on our refrigerator."

Niall groans, leaning his forehead into your shoulder. "Let's not."

"Nory put a lot of work into that drawing, Mr. N," You sing-song, picking it up and taking it into the kitchen to fix it on the fridge with some magnets. "It would be a shame for her talent to go to waste."

"We're taking this down tomorrow," Niall says, walking up behind you and kissing the side of your neck, his arms sliding easily around your waist. "Now about your Valentine's Day present..."

"Oh?" You say, feigning innocence even though your stomach is already swooping happily from Niall's light kisses over your neck and the promise in that tone of his voice.

"Follow me, Mrs. Horan," Niall says in a low voice, and he pulls away just to link his fingers with yours, leading you to your bedroom as you smile and squeeze his hand.