Niall
"Daddy?"
"Uncle Niall?"
"Daddy."
"Uncle Niall."
"Theo. Chloe. Why are you awake?"
Answering without opening his eyes, Niall hid his face in his pillow, silently hoping that he'd open his eyes to find both children still in bed, instead looking up to see both Theo and Chloe standing by his bed, their stockings in their hands and pleading looks on their faces as they stared at him, Chloe making Theo take her stocking and crawling onto the bed, sitting at Niall's feet as she said, "It's Christmas. Santa came, Daddy. And we need to open our stockings."
"What time is it, Chlo? You and Theo both know the rules. If it's before seven, you have to wait." Niall forced himself upright, turning on the bedside lamp and wincing at the sudden brightness, sighing as Chloe pouted. "Chlo...what time is it?"
"Six. Nearly quarter past." Chloe crawled down off the bed, taking her stocking back from Theo and making for the door when Niall caught her wrist, stopping her in her tracks and sighing as he got out of bed. "Wait, you two. Give me a moment to make some coffee and, as long as your mum and dad agree, Theo, we'll do stockings."
Yawning again, Niall hugged Chloe back as she wrapped her arms around him, pressing a kiss to the top of her head before he gave her shoulder a gentle push, encouraging her to follow after Theo and waiting until she'd gone before he checked the time for real, groaning when he realised that it was a quarter to six, not quarter past. He still pulled on a t-shirt, raking a hand through his hair and checking his phone before he headed downstairs to Greg and Denise's kitchen, making himself a mug of coffee before he headed back upstairs, hesitating by the top as he heard Theo's valiant attempts to persuade his parents that they should get up.
Eventually all five of them were settled downstairs in the living room by the fireplace, the Christmas tree Chloe and Theo had spent the afternoon painstakingly decorating standing proudly in the corner, presents piled underneath it, mugs of coffee and hot chocolate set on the floor whilst Chloe and Theo sat, fidgeting with their stockings until they were told they could begin to open them, being made to sit through numerous photos for posterity and wait until fresh coffee was made before they could start.
Christmas stockings, at least for them, always contained not only things Chloe and Theo might have wanted, but also things they needed. It was a tradition carried on from when Niall and Greg were still young enough to believe in Santa and something Niall had refused to let die. Theo got new pyjamas, colouring pencils, socks, chocolate coins, a toy car, a The Incredibles themed plastic watch, football socks and shin pads, Top Trumps, and a jigsaw themed 30cm ruler that he pulled a face at but admitted he needed nonetheless. Chloe got a similar fare, including new pyjamas, swimming goggles, felt tips, fluffy socks, gilt hair slides, smarties, glow in the dark rubber ducks, a charm bracelet, travel edition noughts-and-crosses, and an owl themed eraser.
Chloe spent ages unwrapping her gifts, nudging at the sellotape and gently peeling it away, trying to remove the paper without ripping it, ignoring the exasperated sighs she received from Theo and showing each gift to Niall, still young enough to be oblivious to the fact that Niall was the one responsible for buying each gift and already knew what she'd been left by Santa. By the time they were done with stockings, it was late enough that Niall felt it was okay to call Liam, both him and Chloe disappearing upstairs to the guest room so that they could talk.
Liam picked up after the first few rings, the background of the call full of Loki's barking and what Niall could just make out as his family, bickering, laughing, celebrating, Liam's mum calling out in the background. "Liam? Darling? Is that them? Tell them we said hi. Or better yet, put me on the phone."
"No, Mum. Give me five minutes, yeah?" Liam's tone sent Niall back in time by about nine years, back to when they were two sixteen-year-olds, still making nervous phone calls to each other, wishing their families would be less interested in who they'd spend hours talking to. Niall grinned over at Chloe, who giggled, waiting for Liam to speak again. "Sorry about that. They're all here for Christmas, have been since yesterday. How are my two favourite people?"
"We're good. Really good." Someone in the background of the call shouted something that Niall didn't quite catch, distracting Liam for only a second before he was back and listening. "Always what I like to hear. I'm guessing Ireland is awesome."
"That it is. Greg and Denise reckon you should come next year, and I have to say that it's not a bad idea. Would be nice if you were here." Niall ignored Chloe as she pulled a face, tugging gently on the end of one of her curls before he said, "Chloe's here too. Say hi, poppet."
"Hi, Papa. I think Daddy misses you, you know. I do too. Oh! Happy Christmas. I got my stocking and Santa did awesome this year." Taking the phone from Niall, Chloe sat crossed legged on the edge of Niall's bed, happily chattering on at Liam for another few minutes before handing the phone back to Niall, glancing up at him and mouthing something about finding Theo before she headed for the door and ran downstairs.
"Wow." Niall laughed as Liam spoke, leaning back against the pillows and smiling as Liam continued to speak. "Sounds like Christmas in Ireland is something worth seeing. Definitely have to be there next year."
"I'll hold you to that. It sounds like you're having fun, anyway. How's the family? Chlo wants to see them again." Standing up, Niall wandered over to the window and glanced out at the street, a faint smile tugging at his lips as he saw the thin layer of snow beginning to blanket the road, turning back from the window and leaning against the cold window pane as he listened to Liam. "I'll be there, then. Roll on next Christmas. And they're good. Ruth and Nic are on air mattresses, they didn't want to take over Chloe's room, but it's nice. Seeing them all. Ruth and Nic want to meet Chlo. And see you. They keep asking questions. And they love Chloe's paintings on the fridge. I think Mum is desperate to see Chloe again, so we'll have to fix something."
"Yeah, we will. You...haven't opened gifts yet, have you?" Niall bit his lip, sighing in relief as Liam said, "No. Mum wants to wait a bit before we do gifts. She gave us stockings this, year, was Nic's idea, and we've just sorted them. She even got Loki one. Call me, before you open yours. In the bag of your's and Chloe's stuff, with all the others, should be a little box. There's something I wanted to say when you opened it."
"Okay, yeah. I'll call. We usually open other presents just before lunch, so I'll call you around then. Wait to open the envelope from me, I want to kind of explain it..." Niall grinned a little as Liam hummed. "That sounds cryptic. I want to open it now."
"Just wait." Niall's smile fell as Chloe shouted for him to go downstairs, announcing that breakfast was ready, prompting him to end the phone call. "I...have to go, I'm being summoned to breakfast, but I'll call you. I love you. Don't open the envelope until I call."
Hanging up, Niall dropped his phone back onto the bed, taking a second before he headed downstairs, shepherding Chloe and Theo over to the table and helping to set it, ignoring the smirk on Denise's face and taking the plate of french toast from her and setting it on the table and sitting next to Chloe, chiding her as she reached to take a piece of toast before everyone else was sat. Denise dropped a piece of toast onto Chloe's plate anyway, winking at her and shushing Niall when he tried to protest. "It's Christmas. Let her, just this once. God knows how much Greg's already eaten."
Chloe shot a triumphant look Niall's way, immediately digging in and ignoring the exasperated look Niall sent back, her first slice of toast rapidly disappearing and instantly being replaced by another, prompting the seven-year-old to look up and grin at her aunt. Theo was attacking his breakfast with equal gusto, both children only coming up for air when the toast ran out.
They were then made to sit there, fidgeting in their seats until the adults finished and let them leave, both Theo and Chloe running off to get changed so that they'd be allowed out in the garden until it was time to open the presents under the tree. Niall ended up helping Denise out in the kitchen, cleaning up after breakfast whilst she began the process of cooking lunch, both of them taking longer than strictly necessary due to the breaks they took to watch Theo and Chloe playing together, the thin layer of snow prompting them to cram handfuls down the others back and throw it in the air, watching it fall back down with looks of amazement.
Theo and Chloe eventually had to be called back in once it was finally time to open presents, both of them bounding inside when they realised why they'd been called away from the 'snow-castles' they'd been building, their jackets and shoes discarded by the back door as they ran through, practically bouncing up and down as they waited.
Theo began unwrapping his gifts first, unwrapping all the usual sorts of toys you'd expect a little boy to ask for, train sets, painting kits, an inside ant farm from Niall, a book token from Greg and Niall's parents, and shin pads and a new helmet to go with the brand new bike waiting for him in Greg and Denise's garage. Denise unwrapped books, charms to go on the bracelet she'd been adding to for years, boots, and a trip for afternoon tea in a posh hotel in Dublin, whilst Greg received a new watch, knitted jumpers, vintage car magazines and a trip to a local brewery.
Chloe kept fidgeting in her seat until it was her turn and she was handed her first package from Liam, one of the few put to one side for her to open today, her earlier carefulness gone as she tore into the paper, revealing an iPad Mini. Chloe's face lit up into a surprised grin, immediately jumping up to show Niall, who had to work very hard to keep the smile on his face. "Wow, poppet. That's...amazing. You have to thank Liam when he calls."
Reluctantly setting the iPad down after a moment, Chloe wasn't aware of the pang of jealousy flashing across Theo's face, or the slight frown on Niall's face going unnoticed as she was handed her next present, this one from Niall, who watched with trepidation as she removed the wrapping to find the battered, secondhand MP3 player Niall had managed to find through his work. Chloe still smiled as she unwrapped it, surging up to give him a hug, but the smile Niall gave her didn't quite reach his eyes. The MP3 player was soon put to one side as Chloe turned her attention back to her pile of presents unwrapping books and a new hoodie, slippers, bracelets and an inflatable T-Rex that Greg reached out and high-fived her over.
Niall had opened all but one of his presents, unwrapping the usual gifts he received most years, thanking everyone with the best smile he could muster, ruffling Chloe's hair and pressing a kiss to her forehead as he unwrapped the framed photo of the two of them with Liam she'd given him. The only one still unopened was the little box from Liam that he'd put to one side until he found a moment to have to himself. Chloe's iPad hadn't been opened yet, and she and Theo were staring at it, fidgeting in their seats and chattering excitedly about the apple device that Denise, well aware of the tension in Niall's shoulders, sent them outside again to play for an hour.
Waiting until Denise had corralled Greg into the kitchen, Niall headed upstairs, grabbing his phone from where he'd left it and taking a deep breath before calling Liam, not expecting him to answer immediately and biting his lip when Liam did. "Ni! I've been waiting for you to call. I haven't opened the envelope yet, everyone can vouch on my behalf...do you have the box?"
"Yeah, it's right here. Chloe loves the iPad by the way. Bit of a surprise. You could have warned me." Not meaning to have said that, Niall shook his head before he remembered that Liam couldn't see him, sitting back on the bed and crossing his legs as he muttered, "Forget about that, she loves it, it's Christmas. You have the envelope, right?"
Liam was quiet for a second, a moment of uneasiness passing between them before he cleared his throat. "Yeah, I have it. I have been dying to open it all morning. Wait a second."
Niall fidgeted as he waited, a smile slowing spreading over his face and brief burst of laughter escaping him as Liam let out a confused sounding, "Oh."
"Just read through it, love." Niall turned his attention to the little box sat beside him on the bed, wondering what was inside, pushing that thought away and refusing to dwell on one idea in particular as he listened to Liam read the letter out loud, pausing after a while to ask, "What the...what is this?"
"Basically, it's a way for you to have parental responsibility for Chlo. You'll be registered on her birth certificate, since, you know, you aren't. It's...a gesture, Li. To make you a permanent part of her life. Permanent part of our lives." Niall fell silent, playing with the hem of his shirt until Liam replied. "Oh. Ohhh. Ni...thank you. That's...I love you."
"There's a few more steps. They...they want a DNA test and we have to meet with a solicitor or someone, but it's- It's something." Niall stammered slightly, his smile softening as he spoke and his grip on his phone relaxing as he leant back against the pillows, waiting until Liam had finished marvelling at the gesture before he asked, "Is it my turn now? I really want to know what it is. Like, really, really."
"Open it then. It's a gesture...like your's." Waiting until he heard the sound of Niall opening it, Liam let out a brief burst of nervous laughter as he heard Niall gasp, hesitating a moment more before he said, "It's a gesture. I...I want to make things more permanent with you. It can be my place, even your place. Anywhere. I just want to be with you two. You can argue, maybe, that it's too soon or whatever, but...if you want it. I want it too. Okay, now I'm nervous. What do you think?"
The small box contained a key, one to Liam's flat. It wasn't necessarily a big gift, but, at the same time, it was. Niall couldn't help the grin spreading across his face and the tears welling in his eyes, clutching the box in his hand and nodding, even though he knew Liam couldn't see him, as he struggled to speak. "I love it. I love you. I want that too, you idiot. Wherever, I don't care. As long as it's you and me and Chlo."
"I love you too." Liam's grin was practically audible and it wasn't long before he let out a shaky laugh, sighing a little, his tone wistful as he said, "You know, I really wish I was there right now. Really, really, wish I was."
"I do too. I wish you were here. But we'll be home in a couple of days. And then..." Niall laid back on his bed, staring at the ceiling and smiling stupidly, the same soft look on his face that he always seemed t wear around Liam, still clutching the little box in his hand and staring at it as he laughed a little. "I think we match, Li. Our gifts for each other."
"That's okay, though, isn't it? There's nothing more that I want than you."
Niall was about to reply when someone else spoke, Liam's sister, either Nicola or Ruth, Niall couldn't tell which, taking the phone from Liam and giggling as she said, "Niall? I'm very sorry to have to do this, but lunch is on the table and my dad is getting impatient. It's very sweet, and, honestly, I wish my husband said half of the romantic crap Liam keeps spouting, but you'll have to excuse me if I take him away for an hour. Happy Christmas, by the way."
"That's fine. I'll call you later, Li. Enjoy." Hanging up, Niall couldn't keep the stupid grin off of his face as he looked back down at the box, spending a few minutes just thinking through everything before he got up, going downstairs just in time to be involved in the latest chaos involving Chloe and Theo and the argument over who got to pull the first cracker. That argument was easily resolved when Niall decided that, much to the children's chagrin, he and Greg would pull the first cracker.
The remainder of Christmas day followed in the manner Christmases were normally spent; Theo and Chloe got food practically all down themselves, everyone was made to wear the cheap paper hats found in the crackers and, after lunch, everyone was sat in front of the TV to watch the usual specials. Chloe fidgeted her way through most of the TV shows, helping herself to both her's andTheo's chocolate coins, only sitting still and focusing as Niall (with a bit of help from Greg and then Denise) helped her to set up her iPad Mini. Both Chloe and Theo ended up falling asleep in front of the TV and having to be carried up to bed.
Niall went up not too long after, calling Liam and eventually falling asleep after hearing about the rest of his Christmas, both of them repeating earlier ramblings, wishing the other was there with them, plans for next Christmas already hinted at and half made before Niall had to hang up.
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IT'S CHRISTMAS!
I mean, it's October, but it's Christmas. Shh.
I'm going to be pretty busy over the next week so I'm sneaking in an update now just in case I can't update later. (Also kadiebmore and Blank1980 were so enthusiastic about another update that I felt I had to.)
Oh, and, sort of, technically, Liam is in this chapter.
Thoughts on the chapter?