Chapter 27
(Next Morning. 10 am. Harry's Thoughts.)
"Hey be quiet." I said to the team that was following me.
Liam, Louis, Zayn, and I were awalking into Caroline's apartment building with a Christmas tree and box of old ornaments to surprise her. We thought maybe it would help her feel more at home. Plus she was hosting Louis's surprise party in a couple of days and it had to look festive in there. It would be the first time for me seeing her apartment. Zayn said it was very nice in there. She was on the second floor so it took a little effort to bring a tree up that way. When we got to her door and knocked quietly a few times nobody answered.
"Where do you think the spare key is?" I asked.
Liam bent down to the floor mat and picked it up.
"Nothing under there surprisingly." He said.
"I know how to pick locks." Zayn suggested.
"Of course you do." Louis said nudging him. "Let's just see if we can find the key ourselves before we pick our friend's lock."
I backed up a few inches and looked around. Then I saw it. I reached up on the ledge above her door and grabbed the small gold coloured key. I unlocked the door then replaced the object. Louis let go of the tree and left it on Liam and Zayn to carry as he opened up the door. We walked into the apartment.
"Hey shut the hell up." Louis whispered pointing.
We followed the direction his finger was pointing in. The bed was out in the open since it was a studio apartment. Laying down fast asleep was Niall on the left and Caroline had her head resting on his chest. As far as I could tell he had no top on but couldn't tell if she did. Well what did I expect. It was their first night alone in her own apartment which he would pretty much be living in. Why wouldn't they.
"Alright let's put the things down in that room and then we can find a creative way to wake them up." Liam suggested.
I manoeuvred the tree into the tree stand with Zayn's help. I looked around her apartment since you could see pretty much every part of it from where you stood. There weren't as many divisions as I thought. Just one thick beam in the centre of the room. Niall's old guitar was hanging out in the corner of the room.
"Liam, Niall taught you how to play a few chords on guitar right?" I asked him.
"Yeah why?"
I pointed him towards the guitar.
"Lou grab her iPad and see of she had Garage Band so you can play piano from it. Zayn grab something to play drums on. This will be fun." I said.
"Oh dear god what are we going to do to these two?" Louis said opening the app.
I gave them all a go and Liam started playing chords, Louis fit himself in and Zayn kept the beat. I sang a few words about waking up then Zayn went, then Lou, and Liam and neither of them moved. We played louder and there was still nothing. I cut the boys off.
"Plan B." Louis said walking over to the bed.
"What is that?" I asked.
"Well one time you and Niall pushed me off of a bed so why don't we do it to him?"
"At least put down some cushion. Care's there too." Liam stated.
We took the cushions off the couch and put them on the side of the bed Niall was on. This way he would fall first.
"Ready?" Louis asked.
The four of us were lined up on Caroline's side.
"One."
"Two."
"Three."
We lifted up the edge of the mattress and off went Niall and Caroline.
"What the hell?" She said aloud.
Niall groaned loudly. As walked over to the other side of the bed.
"How did you get in?" Niall asked seeing us.
"Everyone leaves a spare key somewhere." I laughed.
"What are you doing here?" Care asked.
They were both still on the floor. The sheet was wrapped around their lower halves and she was still laying on his chest.
"I don't know what were you doing here?" Louis asked using hand motions.
"Sleeping!" Niall exclaimed.
"Naked?" Zayn teased.
They both looked down and Care immediately pulled up the sheet.
"Maybe something else. But last night okay!" She said annoyed.
"Alright calm down, but get dressed you two we have a surprise in the sitting room." Liam said kicking their sides.
Niall stood up and Caroline wrapped the sheet around herself. Us four walked off to the sitting room and began with the tree. They closed the divider Care bought to separate the room a little more.
"I wonder why she's so annoyed this morning." I said mostly to myself.
"Maybe it's because we just saw her almost full on naked?" Liam said sarcastically.
Before we knew it Niall appeared in front of us with his joggers on.
"Thanks for picking up the tree." He said to us.
"Anytime pal." Louis said.
He went to grab the ornaments while Zayn began with the lights.
"Where's Care?" Liam asked.
"Went to shower. Need her?" He replied.
"Only wondering where she is."
"There's more decorations in my car I'm gonna run out and get them." Niall said.
"I'll come with you." I said.
We put on out coats on and head out to his car. He handed me one of the boxes.
"These are so old. But pretty." I said to him.
"Most are my Gram's, the rest were my Papa's." he said.
Inside the box I had were old ornaments. If you held them up to the light you could see through them. Niall was looking at me with wide eyes worrying I would drop one.
We went on and finished up her Christmas tree and put a evergreen wreath on her door while she was walking out of the bathroom clean and in sweats.
"A little more like home now?" Niall asked putting an arm around her.
"A little bit." She smiled. "You guys gotta get going I have to work today."
"Got your job back?" Louis asked.
"Top Shop and Top Man. I'm sure I'll see you there."
I went to fill the dogs bowls up for the day. Somehow they were still asleep after all the noise we caused.
"So you guys have to get out of my apartment soon." She added.
"Oh fine, we should get going shouldn't we boys?" I asked.
"Yeah I have to finish my shopping anyway. Haven't even thought about getting things for Dani yet." Liam said.
"I've gotta get going. Have to meet Greg out in Manchester today. Fancy joining me Harry?" Niall asked me.
"Yeah I'd like to stop by and see the old place. When ya leaving?" I asked.
"About now."
"Oh well then. Give me a half hour to stop home? I'll meet you at your house and we'll go from there."
Niall nodded his head in agreement. He kissed Care goodbye and Zayn and Liam followed him out. Louis and I stayed back a little longer.
"So, sorry for walking in on you guys all, well, ya know... this morning." I said beating around the bush.
"Yeah that was pretty damn embarrassing." She blushed and looked down.
"We ought to go now, you've gotta get ready for work." Louis said kissing her cheek.
She hugged us both goodbye and Louis continued out the door.
"Thanks for the tree. It really makes things special." Caroline said.
"I'm glad. Thought it would make this place more like home." I smiled.
I pecked her forehead quick then turned to the door.
"Oh by the way..." I added.
"What is it?" She asked.
"Nice rack." I said then slammed the door knowing I missed a slap across the face by a second.
I ran down to my car and looked up at her window she was standing at. She opened it up.
"To hell with you Harry Styles!" She joked.
"I love you too!"
___________________________________
(December 24th. 10 pm. Eleanor's Thoughts.)
"Alright Care should be coming through with Lou and minute so get down!" I yelled.
Tonight finally was Louis birthday and he wasn't expecting anything. I figured maybe I should be a good girlfriend and plan something for him. I head someone fiddling with the lock and we shut the lights off and got into a cluster near Care's bed where we would be seen. The door opened and we all stayed silent.
"I'm sorry for making you fix something for me on your birthday but I can't stand the creaky drawer in the kitchen anymore. Would you hit the light?" Caroline's asked.
Louis turned on the light and we all yelled and jumped at him. He was genuinely surprised and gave everyone a hug. He kissed me and then the side of Care's head and thanked us all for everything. We sat around in her living room awhile drinking some spiked cider and relaxing the night before Christmas. When 1 am rolled around we all started to leave.
"Thank you Care!" Louis said as we were walking out the door.
He took my hand and we descending the two flights of stairs and when we got outside a light snowfall was beginning to come down.
"Thank you for tonight love." Lou said to me.
"Anything for my lovely boyfriend." I said stopping then went up on my toes for a kiss.
___________________________________
(Christmas Morning. Caroline's Thoughts.)
Waking up in an apartment alone proved to be one of the strangest and scariest experiences for me. Though it had only been one night alone I knew it would need some getting used to. But in all honesty, most nights I probably wouldn't be alone, I'd have Niall or Liam or Harry or someone with me. I swung my legs over my bed and straightened out my white snowflake pyjama pants and the grey thermal I officially took for good from Niall them stood up. I slipped on fuzzy socks, my robe, my wool coat and my winter boots then grabbed my keys to head out the door. It was 7 in the morning but I had to get to my Mum's house for the day. I almost left without my presents but remembered them at the last second.
I stopped by the local bakers and picked up the cinnamon bread they sell only for Christmas time and then drove the rest of the way to the new house. I parked in the driveway and then went to the side door that was connected to the kitchen and knocked. Ana came running all giddy to let me inside.
"Hi Care! Merry Christmas!" She almost yelled whilst embracing me.
I set my things on the counter then hugged her back.
"Merry Christmas Ana." I said. "Where's Mum?"
"I think in the main room. Come in! And bring your gifts with you!"
It felt as though I was only a guest in the new house. There wasn't anything I could call my own inside of it. I took off my coat and boots turn carried my gifts inside to put under the tree.
"Hello Caroline, dear how were the past couple nights?" My mum asked hugging me.
"A little strange to be separated but I had Niall crash on the couch the first night so at least it wasn't so lonely." I admitted.
We all had cups of coffee or cocoa in our hands as we unwrapped the gifts we bought for one another.
"Oh my god Mum thank you so much." I said as I unwrapped the last gift from under the tree.
Inside the package was a set of four modern, crystal wine glasses with out the stems that were dipped in a silver coating at the base plus a bottle of moscato.
"I figure at some point you're going to have to unwind with the girls and your birthday is in three months. You're almost of age." She explained.
"Thank you. They're so beautiful." I smiled.
We hung around the house until around three. At that point I returned to my apartment since Mum and Ana had to catch a flight to Scotland late that night to see my grandparents and I wanted them to be ready. I bid my family farewell and said a Merry Christmas before I got into my car with a few new things. When I pulled up to my complex I noticed a light on in my flat. As I walked upstairs I found the door was unlocked so one of my friends must he inside.
"Merry Christmas love." I was greeted with when I opened the door.
Niall reached for my waist and pulled me in for a short, sweet kiss.
"I thought you were going to be with family all day today." I stated simply.
"You're part of my family now." He smiled.
I reached up around his neck and hugged him tightly.
"Well don't you want to come inside? And relax a while?" He asked.
"I mean I do pay the rent." I joked as I stepped in and shut the door.
I went to the kitchen and fixed a couple of cups of tea and brought them into the sitting area where Niall was seated with a football game on. I handed him and mug and cozied up to his side. He instinctively put an arm around me and took a sip from the cup.
"I almost forgot, I have something for you." I said after a few minutes.
"Oh do you?" He asked.
I stood up and walked over to my dresser and reached into the bottom drawer and pulled out a neatly wrapped package. I walked back over to the couch and handed it to my confused looking boyfriend.
"What on earth did you get me." He asked curiously unsure by the way I presented it to him.
"Just open it." I nudged him.
He tore away the paper and took the lid off the box.
"This is so awesome!" He exclaimed like a little boy.
Inside was the leather guitar strap with Bieber's signature on it, a navy bowtie with little yellow stars on it and an American flag greyscale tank top.
"You can wear that onstage when you get famous with your guitar." I smiled.
"Thank you." He said wrapping his arms around me. "And this is for you."
There was an envelope tucked underneath his foot that I didn't notice earlier. I reached for it than broke the seal. There were my dogtags again with a small 'x' on it and a pair of tickets. I pulled everything out and started looking closer at my gift.
"You got us Ed Sheeran tickets?" I asked amazed.
"Thought you may like them." He answered smugly.
"But this show sold out months ago!"
"Good thing I pretended I was sick from school one day in order to get them. They're pretty good seats too."
I read off the information on the ticket.
"Jesus Niall front row? How the hell did you manage this?" I was truly caught off guard. I never would've guessed.
"Greg knows a guy who helped me out. He works in the arena and he's gonna get us to meet him to." Niall said easily.
"Seriously?"
"Seriously."
"Thank you ten times over. This is amazing."
"Merry Christmas Caroline." He said leaning in to kiss me.
"I love you."
"I love you too."
I cuddled up to his side and directed my attention back to the Rams game he had on. After about fifteen minutes of silence between the two of us he looked at his watch.
"Oh god, you better get packed. We've gotta leave in thirty minutes." He said nonchalantly.
"What do you mean?" I asked confused.
"If we want to get the last ferry to Ireland before Christmas is over we have to leave as soon as possibly." He stated standing up.
"What are you talking about?"
"Just me, you, and the warm cottage for five days until the crew comes out for New Years."
"What? Niall how'd you manage to pull this together?" I asked as he helped me up.
"I like to surprise you." He stated handing me my suitcase. "It's packed already. You can thank Perrie later. Let's go."
I grabbed my keys from the table and shut the lights. I guess I was off to Ireland.
"Oh and your mom isn't going to Scotland. She had to get you back here some way."
"How do you plan all of this so quickly."
"I've been planning this since the moment we got back from NYC. You need a break from reality, and everyone else agreed so that's what you're getting." He said as we descended the staircase.
His car was already packed with everything we would need for the two weeks left of holiday. I set my suitcase in the backseat then climbed into the passenger side where he already had a blanket waiting for me.
"I love you so much Niall Horan."
"Always?"
"Always."
End of Chapter 27.
Guess who's back.
Who's back again.
Caroline's back.
Tell a friend.
Sorry for the 5 month hiatus. I probably will only write this from time to time but you can check out my new fic "Arrows".
As usual you can find me on:
Twitter: croconialle
Love to whoever reads.
X Ca