"What's Christmas day without an full English?" My father laughed as my mother set the four plates of eggs, bacon and every other piece of breakfast foods in front of us sitting down and grinning. It was funny how an occasion like Christmas day could make even the sourest of people happy?
It was like even the worst families transformed for this one day in the year; everyone- even my mother sat at the table in their pyjamas, my brother in a rather embarrassing pair of Christmas bottoms my father in his dressing gown and my mother in her own pair of Christmas themed bottoms. I myself stuck with my normal clothes, grey pyjama bottoms and a black vest top, as I said, I wasn't big on Christmas.
...
"Open this one next, here look, this is from your father and I." My mother grinned passing my brother a neatly wrapped gift as he smiled like a four year old, ecstatic as he ripped the paper off revealing the expensive gift from my parents.
"Sophie this is for you" My father smiled reaching under the tree and retrieving a small box, handing it to me as my mother smiled softly.
It was a novelty gift, a mug that stirred whatever drink was inside of it, I smiled putting it next to the small pile of presents jumping slightly as the door bell sounded.
My mother stumbled to her feet going to answer it. I sighed playing with the bit of wrapping paper, ripping it in to little shreds before my father nudged my arm and nodded towards the door. I furrowed my eyebrows before following my fathers stare and feeling a grin spread over my face when I saw Niall standing in the living room door, besides my mother, who surprisingly didn't look as put off as I'd have thought she would.
"Its Christmas, I wasn't going to turn him down" My mother laughed sitting back on the sofa, I wondered if she may have been a bit a drunk, I knew it was only noon, but as she would say, its Christmas.
"Can I have a minute?" Niall asked quietly as he stared at me, I nodded pulling myself to my feet as he smiled lacing our fingers and pulling me in to the hallway. "Put some shoes on" He whispered as I rose my eyebrows but obliged slipping on some boots before Niall pulled me outside, shutting my front door.
The cold air hit my like a ton of bricks, considering I was in a black vest top and my pyjamas. Niall pulled me down the road walking in to the empty park as I shivered.
Almost instinctively Niall pulled off his black sweater than hung over his black shirt and pushed it over me. Although the garment wasn't necessarily warm, it had been on Niall, and he was naturally warm, so the sweater warmed me up. Plus it smelt of him, enveloping me in the smell I loved so much.
"so, happy Christmas" Niall laughed looking down at me as we walked side by side through the crispy grass of the park. I knew, judging by Nialls gently sarcasm, he felt the same way about Christmas as I did.
"Oh yeah, you too" I teased as he laughed shoving me gently with his arm.
I think I had changed my mind, I did like one thing about Christmas. The serenity of it all, as I walked through the deserted park with Niall, we were completely on our own, everything was silent, not a bird made a noise, or a car to be heard. The thin winter air was filled with Nialls voice, and our laughs. We were completely on our own and it felt so good.
"Did you get anything then?" he asked pulling me over to a bench by the lake as he sat down. Before I could answer he had pulled me on to his lap causing me to laugh and cling to him.
"Not anything worth an explanation" I whispered moving closer to him as I shifted in his lap facing the lake and leaning back against him sighing in content. He stayed quiet for a while, resting his chin on my shoulder. I could feel Nialls warm breath trickling down my neck as he remained so close to me, it sent a shiver down my spine.
"So are you going to tell me why you've been acting so distant lately?" I whispered keeping my eyes focused ahead of me. I knew anything I asked Niall I was taking a risk with, but I didn't care, I wanted to know, it was eating away at me, why he had been talking to Louis, going off, not coming home till the early hours of the morning. I needed to know.
"I actually have an explanation" he laughed quietly pulling me around to face him. in the cold Nialls cheeks were a deep shade of red, at least I thought it was the cold, he could have been blushing, although I'd never known Niall to blush.
Niall went to speak again but instead he shook his head to himself standing up and taking my hand in his.
"Come on" He sighed starting to walk towards the exit of the park. I rolled my eyes, still sat on the bench staring at him. I didn't understand Niall, I don't think I ever would understand him, the way his mood switched like another person just entered his body. One second he was laughing and being affectionate, and the next he was distant, worried, like he was now, walking away, clenching and unclenching his fists down by his side.
I watched as he stopped by the park gate turning to me and cocking his eyebrows up, I shouldn't have given in, but I always did with Niall.
I trudged after Niall, walking straight past him to prove some sort of point, I wasn't sure what. I huffed crossing my arms over my chest childishly walking back towards the house as I heard nialls heavy footsteps chasing after me before his hand wrapped around my arm pulling me abruptly back.
"Don't be stubborn" He mumbled matching my pace as he walked beside me, head facing the ground.
"I cannot keep up with you Niall"
"Why am I going too fast?" He ask turning to me with a slight smirk trying to lighten the mood with a bad joke.
I glared at him for a moment before the smile playing on my lips won, rolling my eyes sarcastically at him as the corner of his lips lifted and he stepped closer to me, lacing our fingers and pulling me down the street.
...
"Can you wait here for a moment?" Niall whispered as we stopped outside of his house, I furrowed my eyebrows as he looked at me questioningly. I nodded as he smiled "I'll be two minutes" He whispered before pushing open his front door and disappearing inside.
I didn't understand why I couldn't have gone with him but I suppose he had a reason for abandoning me on his doorstep.
But before I could ponder too much over the matter Niall slipped back out holding a small package wrapped up in brown parcel paper and string.
"You got me a Christmas present?" I asked raising my eyebrows as he pulled the front door to. I was flattered at the fact he had bought me a present, I had bought him something too, despite the fact we both agreed on not getting each other anything.
"No, no I did not" He laughed quietly as I furrowed my eyebrows looking down at the package he held in his hands. "If it were a Christmas present Miss Winters, I would have wrapped it accordingly, with Christmas wrapping paper and perhaps a bow" he teased as I listened to his words. "This however is poorly wrapped in brown paper and string, this is nothing more than a small gift, no occasion needed"
I laughed shaking my head it was an endearing thought, a sweet concept. Niall handed me the package and nodded for me to open it as I pulled off the string and ripped the back of the paper gently revealing a small tattered book, the paper was an old brownish colour, and the front beautifully decorated in an emerald green with a silhouette of a boy standing on the edge.
"Y-you probably already have it" Niall mumbled as I traced the gold letters on the front of the book smiling warmly "I-I saw it on your shelf, but it was a newer copy, but it looked well used, s-so I thought.." He mumbled scratching the back of his neck as the smile on my face grew.
I let my fingers run over the gold letters that read out 'peter pan' before looking up at Niall.
"this is a first edition" I whispered as he nodded, his cheeks redder than they had been in the cold. "Niall I love it so much" I said taking a step closer to him, clutching the book tightly in my hands.
"Louis helped me find it, I just wanted to get you something I knew you'd like" He mumbled looking down at the ground as I nodded, wrapping one of my arms loosely around his neck and kissing him softly. I felt his smile press against the kiss before he moved back against me, warming the kiss up.
The book meant so much to me, more than I think Niall had intended. Peter pan was our story, as I had said before we had fallen so hard in love. The story of the boy who would never grow up, and the girl that fell in love with him.