"get in."
niall turns, confused. he's midway to his car, arms full of his school stuff. louis is walking behind him, confused as well.
niall squints. "liam?"
"get in," liam repeats.
"what is going on? i thought i was meeting you at home?"
"not anymore. get in."
niall hesitates. "where are we going?"
"do you trust me?"
"of course," niall answers, no hesitation.
liam smiles. "then get in the car."
niall turns to louis. "um, see you tomorrow, i guess? i think?"
louis laughs. "see you tomorrow, ni." he gives niall a hug. liam leans across the armrest in the middle of the car so he can open his door for him, and he squeezes niall to his side once he's in, kissing his face.
niall wriggles away, giggling. "so what are we doing?"
liam snorts. "and you call me a control freak."
"you are! i just like to know what's going on!"
"call it what you must, sweetheart." at this point, liam is merging onto the freeway in the opposite direction of where they live.
"so we're not going home?"
"i can tell you that much." the smile on liam's face is still present; whatever's going on, he's excited about it.
"you can't tell me anything more?"
liam shakes his head, mute. niall pouts, arms crossed over his chest, but not even that makes liam answer any of his questions.
- - -
after an hour of driving, niall's restlessness is intensifying by the second.
"can't we please stop? just for a minute? you know i can't sit still for this long!"
with a chuckle, liam nods. "we're only about ten minutes out, baby. do you need to stop or can you wait?"
niall's pout intensifies somehow. "i'll wait."
so liam keeps driving, skillfully not answering niall's many demands to know where they're going. not much later, they stop, and niall is surprised to find himself staring up at a hotel.
"what?"
"niall." liam takes niall's hand in his. "you've been working so hard, and we've both been busy...i just want to take a night away and do something fun. i just want to spend time with you. i know we spend time together all the time...but i wanted to do something to make it feel intentional, you know? not just watching something on netflix, but...being somewhere together, you know?"
niall's heart has melted to goop. "yeah," he murmurs. "i totally get what you're saying." he's having yet another rush of affection towards his husband, and this wave is overwhelming. he'll probably drown in it. he beams back at liam when liam grins at him, but his smile turns confused when he hears the trunk open and liam gets out of the car. "wait, we're not staying overnight, are we? we both have to go to work tomorrow!"
"i can take care of some stuff from here," liam answers as he lifts a suitcase out of the trunk.
"um, i can't," niall responds.
liam laughs. "yeah, i kind of figured. your boss says you've built up weeks worth of vacation time."
this is true, and niall bites his tongue at liam's mention of it. "i was hoping to save it up for after the baby's born and we adopt."
liam rolls his eyes. "one day isn't gonna ruin that."
niall shrugs. that's true, he supposes, so he gets out of the car. "so do i have any say in what happens or have you already planned everything out?"
"both," liam smiles. "i know what we're doing tomorrow, but today is whatever you want."
"okay." that sounds good to niall, and he takes liam's free hand as they make their way into the hotel. "wow," he gasps out. the hotel is so pretty it's ridiculous, with gold trim and white marble. it reminds niall of what he thinks a castle looks like, and his stomach starts to churn when he thinks about how much this must cost. "liam," he mumbles.
liam already knows what he's thinking. "don't worry. zayn knows the guy who owns this place and he's letting us stay for free."
niall whistles lowly. "we need to bake zayn a pie or something. a+ friend," he says as liam checks in at the reception desk. while he's talking to the receptionist, niall wanders around, staring at the various paintings on the wall and the detail in the decoration. something about it is so pretty that it stirs up an odd feeling in his chest.
"you ready to go up, angel?"
niall turns at liam's voice. liam is reaching out his hand for him, and niall slips his hand into his husband's. "i know what we should do tonight," niall says, biting his lip. he wraps his arm around liam's waist under his suit jacket. they're the only two in the elevator.
"oh, yeah? what's that?" liam questions. his voice goes a little husky just at the sight of niall biting his lip.
"well...i was thinking..." niall inches closer, and liam tilts his chin up, ready to kiss him. "well...we probably won't get much sleep..."
"and why's that?" liam's voice is even huskier now.
"because YOU PACKED ALL EIGHT HARRY POTTER MOVIES!" niall yells, and then sprints out of the elevator. liam bursts into the laughter and chases him down the hall, calling him a tease. niall ends up having to stop because he doesn't know the room number, and when he turns around, liam is smirking.
"yeah, that backfired on you, didn't it?" he questions, still smirking, and niall laughs.
"a small loss compared to that epic troll in the elevator."
liam snorts. "you're such a nerd."
"this is true." liam gives the room card to niall, who swipes and unlocks the door. to his surprise and utmost delight, the room design is similar to the lobby. everything is white and gold, and he wanders into the bedroom in awe. there are beautiful, drapey curtains over the window. the bed looks plush and the sheets are satin, the pillows velvet. the carpet is soft under niall's feet as he kicks his shoes off, and when he strolls into the bathroom, he gasps again at the clawfoot tub.
"this place must cost a bajillion dollars a night!" he exclaims. he hears liam's laugh in response. "thank you," he says softly, wrapping his arms back around his husband's waist for a very long, much needed hug. liam hugs him back, leaning his cheek against the top of niall's head.
"of course, sweetheart," he responds. "you ready to start this harry potter marathon?"
niall laughs. "i was only joking about that."
"i wasn't," liam responds, which makes niall laugh again. so they cuddle up on the bed, cozy and cuddled up together. liam laughs at the contrast of the white satin sheets and niall's captain america boxers. "do you think they'll judge us if we order pizza hut to this fancy ass hotel?"
niall laughs again. "i like the way you think, my friend."
"i'm your husband."
"you're my friend, too."
"that is the best compliment i've ever received, i think."
- - -
"wake up, sweetheart." a hand nudges at niall's shoulder, and he's slowly blinking himself from the dusky blue of sleep into consciousness.
"hi," he says to liam once he can blink without being tempted to go back to sleep.
"hi," liam chuckles back. he kisses niall's forehead. "hey, i have something really cool i want you to see today."
niall nods. it takes him some time to get up and ready, but not much later, they've finished their complimentary breakfast in the hotel and are on their way out.
"where are we going?" niall immediately asks.
liam groans. "not this again, please. how can we both be the person that hates surprises?"
"i don't hate them," niall counters. "i actually like them a lot. it's the suspense that gets me."
"then that means you like random gifts and not the surprise bit," liam laughs.
"whatever," niall mumbles. liam kisses his temple, which cheers him up noticeably until they get where they're going: the aquarium! "oooooh!" he gasps.
"i thought you'd get a kick out of this," liam smiles, and they make their way through the aquarium, giggling to each other the whole time. they make a game of finding the ugliest fish they can and saying, "that's you," but liam wins a lot because niall keeps getting distracted by the other fish. by the time they finish there, niall is exhausted and clutching to a stuffed whale liam bought him because he claimed he'd die if they left there without it, and how that would be a dishonor to mankind.
"so fun," niall murmurs tiredly.
"yeah? you had fun?" liam asks, tenderly brushing niall's hair back.
niall nods sleepily. he somehow manages to buckle his seatbelt once they're in the car, and he is so sleepy. he wants to sleep so badly, but he also wants to stare at his beautiful husband, and he's genuinely torn.
"what's wrong?" liam asks, voice amused.
"i never want to forget," niall answers. "you know, like how i feel right now. how you make me feel, how you look right now, i gotta remember. but i'm tired. so it's hard, but i'm keeping it in my mind so i can remember it later. i like to do that. i really like you, liam."
liam laughs. "you love me, you sentimental little thing."
niall shakes his head, weary. "no, i like you. it's different. i love you, too, though, of course. i love you and i like you."
liam laughs, kisses niall's sleepy mouth at a stoplight. he likes how his kisses go soft and only half responded-to when niall is so tired. "i like and love you more than anybody i know."