Take Me Home

I woke up the morning after Christmas on Niall’s couch. My body was sore and all of my muscles were stiff. I sat myself upright and blinked my sore eyes to clear the sleep out of them. Once the world around me became clearer, my eyes focused on the small box covered in Christmas wrapping paper. I stared at in confusion, having no memory of it sitting there the night before. I would have noticed a gift under the tree for sure. I squinted, trying to read the tag but once that proved useless I slide off the couch and crawled across the floor and picked up the box and saw that my name was on the tag.

I held the wrapped box in one hand and used the other hand to balance myself as I looked behind me for any indication that anyone had been inside. I was almost certain that Niall had to be behind this. I figured he must have had another friend of his come in and put the box under the tree while I was asleep. The thought made me uncomfortable…that someone had been in the house while I was asleep.

I turned my attention back to the box. I eyed it carefully, not sure that I wanted to know what kind of outrageous gift was inside. I didn’t know Niall very well but from what I did know of him, I knew he was far too generous and giving for his own good. I sighed, figuring there was no use in prolonging the opening of the box. I peeled the paper off to reveal a white unmarked box. I raised an eyebrow and pulled the top of the box to reveal a sleek white iPhone. I blinked in confusion, wondering why Niall had decided that I needed such an intricate phone when the one I had was just fine. It was a little outdated but it worked just fine.

“Your phone is a fossil.” I jumped in surprise, turning at the sound of the familiar Irish accent. Niall stood not too far behind me, peeking into his living room with a pleased smile on his face and his blue eyes sparkling.

“You’re not supposed to be home until next week.”

Niall shrugged and made his way closer. “Didn’t feel right leaving you here all alone.” he said and placed two mugs of tea on the coffee table before he sat on the couch where I had previously been sleeping.

“I’m a big girl. You really should have spent the time with your family.” I rolled my eyes and pushed the phone toward him. “I really can’t accept this. Thank you for thinking of me though.” I said quietly, trying not to seem ungrateful.

“I saw them. I spent Christmas with them. I’ll see them again.” Niall pushed the box back at me. “Your phone is shit. I’m leaving for tour in a few months. How am I supposed to stay in touch with you? Take it.”

“Niall…” I started but he cut me off.

“It’s Christmas, Lincoln. Just take it.” Niall said making it clear that he wasn’t going to let me get away with my old phone any longer.

“Thank you.” I said sincerely, smiling at him but averting my eyes when they accidently met his glimmering blue ones. Eye contact was never something I was good at, especially when I was embarrassed. “I don’t have anything for you.” I admitted sheepishly, feeling my face flush red.

“C’mere and let me teach you how to use that.” Niall patted the couch next to him, ignoring my confession of having nothing to give him in return. I didn’t take him for someone who expected something in return knowing how poor off I was but I still felt guilty accepting the gift.

I obeyed and took a seat next to Niall handing him the phone like it was the most fragile thing on Earth. I listened intently and watched the screen while he showed me all sorts of functions that the new phone had that my old one didn’t. It was a lot to take in but Niall assured me that the more I used it the easier it would become to operate the new piece of technology.

“You didn’t finish decorating the tree.” Niall said once we settled into a silence.

“Yeah…” I trailed off and rubbed the back of my neck as I thought back to the events of the night previous and how I ended up breaking down in tears before I could finish the job. “I was on the phone to my brother. I got distracted.” I told Niall, I wiped under my eyes with my sleeves in case any remnants on eye make-up stained my face.

“How’s he?” Niall asked casually, his eyes sparkling with interest. “Everything good?” he asked as if he knew my brother when in reality all knew about Ronan was that I didn’t talk to him nearly as much as I should.

I shrugged and let my eyes dance over the boxes of Christmas ornaments that never made it onto the tree. “He’s good, the whole family is good.” I paused to take a deep breath before adding “I talked to my nephew for the first time…he said he loved me.” I had no idea why I decided to tell Niall that, being as it meant nothing to him but I smiled fondly at the memory of the tiny voice.

“That’s awesome.” Niall said genuinely, nearly blinding me with his smile.

“How is your family?” I asked, shocking both Niall and myself. I was never one for small talk.

Niall shrugged. “They’re good. No exciting news really. It was just good to see them.”

“You should have stayed.” I added, getting up from the couch and placing a glittery snowflake ornament on Niall’s Christmas tree. I felt guilty for being the reason Niall’s family barely got to see him. “You don’t get to see them much. They probably miss you a lot.”

Niall followed suit and began hanging different ornaments on the tree. “I told you, it didn’t feel right you leave you here alone. They understand…they were actually pissed I didn’t bring you home but I tried to explain there was no point in arguing with you.” Niall joked and poked me lightly on the side, earning a smile out of me.

A comfortable silence settled between us once again, the only sounds were coming from whatever was on television. Both of us were too occupied with our tasks to say anything. Niall sighed and I knew he was going to say something I didn’t like just but the sound of it.

“Your brother sent you a plane ticket, why didn’t you go home?” he wondered, stepping away from the tree to get a good look at me.

“How did you-“ I started to ask how he knew about the plane ticket but he cut me off.

“Connor told me.”

I sighed, annoyed that this topic was coming up again. “I had to work.” I said flatly.

“Lincoln, you could have taken the time off if you wanted. We both know that so just be honest.” Niall said tiredly.

“I just can’t go back there.” I said, hoping he’d drop it.

“Don’t you miss them?” Niall wondered, glancing at me while he continued to place ornaments on the tree.

“They’re my family, Niall! Of course I miss them.” I said, my voice verging on annoyance.

“So why-“

“I just can’t! Okay?” I snapped, praying that conversation was at an end. I instantly felt bad about my attitude and I sighed in defeat, knowing I owed it to him to be honest and not only did I feel obliged to be honest with Niall…I wanted to be and that sort of scared me.“I’m just scared to go home because I know-I know…” I trailed off nothing wanting to verbalize the fear I had of running into the ex-boyfriend who put me through both psychological and psychical hell. I tried to force the words to off the tip of my tongue but it proved useless.

“You’re afraid you’re going to see him.” Niall finished softly, making me look up from the ground and meet his understanding eyes. I was so thankful that Niall had been able to follow my train of thought, not making me say it. I nodded my head and hung the last ornament on the tree. “I get it.” Niall said kindly. “And if I ever see him I’ll kick the shit out of him.” He added on making me laugh and shake my head at the thought.

“I appreciate it.” I smiled but rolled my eyes, stepping back to look at the finished tree.

“Any time.” Niall said stepping back to look at the finished product. “Looks great. Chinese food to celebrate? I’m starving.”

I nodded my head in agreement. “What else is new?” I joked. “Chinese food sounds great.”

Shortly after that, we were both lounging on the couch with our bellies full of Chinese food watching a comedy I had never seen before as Niall tried to explain the storyline to me. I couldn’t care less about what was actually happening in the movie. I was happy just to be around Niall, which is something I never thought I’d say. He was someone who just grew on you and he kept proving over and over again that he was one of the most genuinely kind people I had ever come in contact with. It was different. I was something I needed to get used to.

“I’ll be right back.” He said and stood up from the couch and stretched out his tall body before he disappeared down the hallway.

“Kay.” I said to myself since he was halfway down the hall by the time I had spoken.

Niall returned a guitar case in tow and I thought nothing of it as I had learned that he played guitar. He placed the guitar case on the couch beside me, in the spot he had recently vacated. “I almost forgot.” Niall said. “I got something else for you.”

I tore my eyes off the television and looked between his smiling face and the guitar case. “No.” I said and shook my head, feeling my face turn red with embarrassment. “Niall, I can’t.”

“Last one I promise.” but the smile on his face only grew larger. I shook my head and looked at the guitar case, afraid of what I would find in there. “Go on, open it.” He urged impatiently.

I unlocked the case and was instantly met with the flawless, sleek black guitar that I knew like the back of my hand. The case in front of me contained my dad’s guitar, the very same one I had sold to pay rent a month prior. Awestricken would be the only word to describe me as I slide my fingers across the frets.

“How?” I asked breathlessly, my eyes not leaving the guitar as I took in every detail that was original to my dad’s guitar. The small scratches on the neck and his initials on the headstock, everything I could remember about the guitar was there as it should have been.

“Connor mentioned it one night. She said you were really upset about it…so I tracked it down.”

No words could describe how happy Niall had made me. I couldn’t say anything I was so overcome with joy. I sprung up from the couch and wrapped my arms around Niall, breathing in his familiar scent as his arms wrapped around me. I swallowed hard, trying to suppress the tears of joy that were a result of gaining back a piece of my father that I thought I had lost forever.

“I guess you like it.” Niall laughed, not used to this sort of affection from me.

“I thought I’d never see it again.” I confessed, my voice shaking as I tried to keep my emotions in check. “Thank you. Whatever I can do to repay you I will.” I rushed, still holding on to him tightly.

“Stay with me.”

I pulled back and looked up at him. “What?”

“Just stay and we’re even.”

“I’m confused.” I said releasing my hold on Niall and stepping back.

“Just stay here until Connor gets back and we’ll call it even. I hate living alone.” Niall admitted scratching the back of his neck nervously as a light blush dusted his features.

“Okay.” I said quietly, shrugging my shoulders. “I’ll stay.” I agreed, keeping it to myself that I also hated to live alone. I was already weak in Niall’s eyes and I didn’t want to give him another reason to see me as so.