The Most Wonderful Time

Niall Horan loved his life and was thankful for every bit of it. He was thankful he got to see the world, meet new people, be with his best mates and make his fans happy – all while doing what he loved the most. He didn’t regret choosing to be in a boy band that wound up to be one of the biggest in the world at the moment because he couldn’t imagine doing anything else with his life. Yet even though he was living the dream, it still had its downsides; the biggest two being privacy and seeing his family and friends. It seemed like he was losing touch with friends left and right and he was missing so much of his family’s life. He never thought that he’d have to miss out on as much of his nephew’s beginning years as he’d been. Sometimes he just wanted to take a step back and be able to spend time with his loved ones without all the chaos that seems to follow him around.

Frannie’s Bakery & Coffee Shop was one of the few places that had managed to be a safe place to be by himself without anybody seeing him. Sure, he’d been caught a few times by a fan here and there but only rarely. Frannie’s was a small, hole in the wall building shoved between an abandoned used-to-be dental office and a maternity clothes shop. He’d found it last time he was home when he needed to hide from a group of fans that were only growing by the second and he knew that he couldn’t just take a few pictures and sign a couple autographs then leave – he would’ve been there for hours.

“Can I get you anything else?” Francesca, a woman with graying hair, asked him politely with a kettle of tea in her hand.

Niall gave her a smile. “No thank you, I’m okay,” he declined, gripping his half-full cup of warm tea. She returned the smile and told him to just holler if he needed anything before she walked away. Niall’s eyes slid back to the window, staring out at the nearly empty street. He wasn’t surprised as it was cold outside and nearly Christmas so most people will be shopping at the bigger stores. A girl soon came into view, riding on a bicycle. As she stopped in front of the shop, she quickly hopped off and carelessly rested the bike against the bike rack before hurrying inside, the bell dinging as she stepped in.

“Fran, I am so sorry I’m late!” the girl quickly apologized. She was pulling off her scarf and hat, shoving them into her purse as she spoke. “I woke up late and then the hot water wouldn’t come on and then my piece of shit car wouldn’t start – go figure, right? Right before the holidays too – and then I had to bang on the neighbor’s door to ask to use his kid’s bike who said the only way I could use it is if I do her chores for a week while I’m over babysitting, the little shit, and then-“

“Darling, it’s okay,” Francesca interrupted with a small laugh. “It isn’t like we’re busy so just put your stuff away and then get something warm to drink and eat – you’re gonna get sick riding a bike four blocks in weather like this.”

The girl only laughed and thanked her, putting her big purse behind the counter before walking over to the coat rack and hanging her coat up. As she rubbed her hands together to create warmth and turned, Niall was able to get a good look at her. She was short, with brown hair that got lighter as it reached her chest. Her cheeks were flushed due to the cold but her big brown eyes still popped. Big brown eyes that looked very familiar to him…

“Dani?” he guessed, eyes slightly wide. He was worried that it wasn’t her and he’d just make a fool of himself but when her eyes met his, he could see the recognition.

Danielle hadn’t seen Niall in over two years. They used to be really good friends and as his dad lived next door to her family, they saw each other quite a bit. Even after he became a fifth of One Direction, they still spoke. But once she had moved out on her own and got a job and Niall’s band was getting bigger and bigger, touring the world eleven out of twelve months, they both just got too busy and lost touch. Dani wanted to blame him for it but a phone works both ways and she didn’t make any effort either. It was a shame, really, because she’d always had a small crush on the blonde boy.

When he said her name and she saw it was in fact him, she couldn’t help her excitement. “Niall, hi,” she greeted, a grin forming on her lips.
Niall smiled wide, standing up and offering her a hug that she accepted. “How’ve you been?” he asked.

“Good, I’ve been good,” she replied. “Moving out on my own didn’t turn out to be as scary as I’d originally thought.”

“That’s great,” he answered. “Do you have a bit to talk or do you need to get right to work?”

“She has time to talk, don’t you worry,” Francesca interjected, obviously eavesdropping on the two.
“We do have to make sure the customers are satisfied, of course.”

Danielle ignored the wink her boss sent her at the end of her sentence and just chuckled to herself, sitting in the vacant chair at Niall’s table as he returned to his own. “I don’t think I’ve got to ask how you’re doing, Mr. Popstar.”

“You’ve been keeping up with me, have you?” Niall joked, though he couldn’t help but feel glad she hadn’t completely forgotten about him.

“Hey, it’s kind of hard not to when the girl I babysit is in love with you guys,” she defended. “Besides, I can’t go on the internet without hearing about one of you.”

“It’s alright, I know you’re secretly a huge One Direction fan,” he waved off. “I won’t judge how you’ve most likely got my face plastered all over your bedroom walls.”

Danielle laughed. “Of course I do!” she joked. “It’s the only contact since you haven’t bothered to call.” She had meant it in a teasing way but Niall frowned slightly.

“Dani, I didn’t purposely ignore you or anything. I just had to get my number changed quite a few times and I eventually just lost your number and-“

“It’s fine, Niall – really. I was only kidding,” she told him. “I failed to retrieve any of your new numbers, so we’re even.”

His smile returned. “Good,” he said, sounding relieved. “I have missed you though, Dani. Really.”

Dani felt her cheeks heat up slightly at his words. “I’ve missed you too,” she replied quietly but Niall didn’t miss her words. He couldn’t deny the butterflies that filled the bottom of stomach, her adorableness reminding him of why he’d had such strong feelings for her in the first place. “So… how’s your family?”

The two continued for what seemed like hours, just catching up and reminiscing. Niall told Dani what it was like touring and his favorite places he’d visited and Dani filled him in on what had been going on in her life. Before either of them knew it, it was dark and Francesca had gotten up to turn the Open sign to Closed. “Oh my God, Fran – I am so sorry. I totally lost track of time and I swear I’ll make up the hours. I can come in tomorrow, if you’d-“

“Danielle, calm down,” the middle-aged lady interrupted her for the second time, causing Niall to laugh. She hadn’t fixed her rambling over the years, evidently – it seemed to get worse, if anything. “If I needed you at all today, I would’ve asked. And tomorrow is Christmas Eve, we aren’t even open. Don’t worry about it.”

Danielle hesitated, trying to come up with some way to make up for her wasted time but she knew Francesca would only shush her, telling her that it’s okay. “If you’re sure,” she said.

“I’ll be sure as long as this boy decides to give you a ride home as opposed to making you ride a Barbie bike in the dark,” she compromised.

Danielle turned to Niall to tell him that he didn’t need to do that but Niall spoke before she could. “I can definitely do that,” he agreed, a polite smile on his face.

“But how do I get Marcy’s bike back to her if-“

“You have to do a week’s worth of chores for her, right?” Danielle nodded. “Then screw it, she’ll get her bike back before then. I’m gonna give you a ride home whether you like it or not,” Niall insisted firmly.

Danielle bit the inside of her cheek to keep from smiling any wider than she had been. “Okay,” she finally gave in. “I’ll just ride it back to her tomorrow or something.”

“Okay, then go get your stuff,” he directed.

She rolled her eyes but turned to walk to the counter as her smile grew. She grabbed her bag and set it on the counter, pulling out her hat and scarf. “Don’t let him go,” Francesca whispered to her, pretending to occupy herself cleaning an already sparkling dish.

“What?” Danielle asked, confused. She had her hat on and scarf fixed already but she played around with her scarf so Niall wouldn’t wonder why she was just standing there.

“That boy,” she said, nodding in Niall’s direction. Luckily, he wasn’t paying attention to them but rather busying himself with his phone. “The way the two of you’ve been talking for the last five hours and the way you were looking at each other… I’ll tell ya, I didn’t even look at my first husband that way and he was quite the looker.”

Danielle stifled her giggle behind her hand while feeling her cheeks heat up for what seemed like the billionth time that day. “We’re friends, Fran. I had a crush on him a few years ago and I kind of got the feeling he had a crush on me as well but that was a long time ago. We’re different people now.”

“Love, you’re talking as if you’re my age. You’re young! Act like it,” she instructed. “I don’t care if his life is busier than Elvis’ was or how often he’s away from home – you’ll regret it if you don’t at least try.”

Danielle narrowed her eyes at her boss. “Have you been listening to our conversation the entire time?” she accused.

“I’ll see you after Christmas and I’m expecting details,” Francesca responded, ignoring her question a she grabbed the plastic tub full of dishes and walked through the door to the kitchen. “See you, darling!” Danielle scoffed, chuckling.

“You ready to go, Dani?” Niall questioned, fighting a smile as he shoved his phone in his pocket. He’d overheard bits of their conversation – enough to know that Dani used to have a crush on him and Francesca supported them fully.

“Yeah, let me just grab my coat,” she said, pulling her coat on quickly. She called out one last goodbye to Francesca before they exited the shop and walked toward the remaining car parked out front. They got in and he quickly started the car, turning the heat on as well.

“It doesn’t take long to warm up,” Niall informed Danielle, who he noticed was shivering badly.

“I’m fine,” she replied in an unconvincing tone, causing him to chuckle.

“Alright then,” he responded, deciding to just let it go. “You’ll have to tell me where you live, though.”

“It’s only a bit away from your house. Do you remember that park that your brother used to always take us to for hide and seek?” Niall nodded, recalling the memories. In year 6, Greg found out about Niall’s crush on Danielle and decided to play wingman. More weekend than not, he’d go with the two of them to a park only a few streets over from their houses to play hide and seek. Every time Greg would be the seeker and Niall and Danielle would have to hide. Greg always insisted Niall should make a move – kiss her, hug her or hold her hand even – but Niall would always back out, making sure his hiding place was far from Danielle’s. “It’s the light blue house across from there.”

“You go to the park often?” he asked as he pulled out of his parking space and drove down the familiar street.

Danielle shrugged. “Sometimes,” she answered. “Last summer I spent a lot of my free time just on my porch and just watched the kids play – and not in the way you’re making it sound, asshole,” she added, seeing the smirk on his Niall’s face. “It was just nice to see how carefree and happy they were. I mainly made it over there at night when all the kids were gone and couldn’t get freaked out by me.”

Niall laughed, causing Danielle to smile at the sincere and joyful sound. “You are very freaky looking, I must admit,” he informed her jokingly.

“Ha ha, you’re hilarious,” she deadpanned, rolling her eyes.

“I am, aren’t I? How kind of you to notice,” he mused.

“How long are you here for this time?” Danielle blurted. She’d been dying to ask him all day but oddly enough, it never seemed to fit into the conversation. Niall didn’t spend much time talking about himself, only mentioning his life when Danielle asked questions; he focused more on what’s been going on with her. She felt uncomfortable, thinking she was talking too much about herself, but Niall seemed nothing short of interested. That was why she knew if she didn’t bring it up, it wouldn’t get brought up and she was running out of time.

“’Til New Years,” he replied. “Then I’m off to London for a few weeks and then LA for February and a few weeks of March, I believe, and then I’m back here for a week or so before I have to head back to London to get ready for the tour.”

Danielle felt a wave of emotions. Shocked he could actually remember all that, happy that he was staying for another week but also sad that he was only staying for a week. “Wow,” she finally managed. “How long have you been here?”

“Since the second, I think,” he answered. He could’ve sworn he heard the disappointment in her voice and he couldn’t blame her; he felt the same. He’d been here for almost a month and they only found each other in his last week home.

“Oh,” was all she could say. “Okay.”

Niall sighed, glancing over at her. She was biting the inside of her lip; a telltale sign that something was bothering her. “Dani, I would’ve called you or something if I could. But I-“

“Don’t worry,” she interrupted. “Like I said, a phone works both ways.” Niall wanted to argue because it would’ve been much easier for him to get her number than vice versa but he decided not to as he saw they were only a few houses away from the small, light blue house across the park. He turned into the driveway and parked, turning the car off as he analyzed the house. It wasn’t too big and only a one floor but it looked cozy and enough for one person. “It isn’t anything you’re probably used to but… it’s home,” she commented, noticing his eyes on her house.

“No, I like it,” he told her honestly.

She got out of the car, turning in her spot to say thank you but stopped when she saw Niall getting out as well. She closed her door and heard the car beep, signaling it was locked as they walked up the small pathway to her house. Fishing her house key out of her bag, she unlocked the door before turning to Niall. “Thanks for the ride and for today. You didn’t have to take me home or spend this much time with me but I really enjoyed it,” she explained to him with a soft smile.

It was like Niall was hearing a clock counting down. After she walked inside and he drove away, they wouldn’t be speaking again anytime soon. Sure, he now knew where she lived, but he knew he wouldn’t just show up out of nowhere on her doorstep. He had to at least get her number so he could see her again before he left. He snapped out of his thoughts when he saw her turn and open the door. He grabbed her hand, turning her to face him. She got a little closer than he had planned, maybe three inches away from his face, but as he stared down into her eyes, he couldn’t bring himself to care. “So, I was wondering if you’d mind-“ Niall began, in a whispering tone but she cut him off. With her lips.

It took a second for either of them to really get the hang of it; both of them nervous, Niall surprised and Danielle worried about his reaction. But quickly they caught on, Niall’s hand leaving her wrist to wrap his arms around her waist and Danielle’s arms curling around his neck as she stood on her tip toes. Their lips moved almost perfectly in sync, fitting together like puzzle pieces.

A motorcycle driving by caused Danielle to break away, standing flat on her feet. She felt her cheeks heat up profusely and she was breathless, her eyes wide and waiting for Niall to say something – anything. But it took him a few seconds to even open his eyes. “- giving me your number,” he finished his previous sentence quietly.

This caused Danielle’s eyes to nearly bulge out of her head. “Oh my god,” she muttered, stepping away from him and putting her hand over her mouth. “I am so sorry! I have no idea what came over me. I don’t know why I did that but I promise it won’t hap-“

“Danielle! Calm down, okay?” Niall cut in, laughing slightly. She was flushed and stammering and, as much as he tried not to laugh, he couldn’t help it. “You need to stop doing that. As cute as it is, I don’t need you getting a heart attack on my watch.”

Danielle closed her eyes and took a deep breath before opening them. “Okay,” she said. “Can I have your phone?” He gave her a confused look, causing her to roll her eyes. “You said you wanted my number, right? I need your phone.” Niall gave her his phone and she punched in numbers, sending a message to herself before handing it back to him. “There you go, no you don’t have any excuses not to text me or call me if you want to hang out.” He nodded but before he could say anything else, she was inside and had shut the door.

Danielle knew it was probably rude but she was beyond embarrassed. She couldn’t believe she’d kissed him when he only wanted her number – and he was probably only being polite by asking for that! Sure, he kissed back, but he’s a guy and he was probably only caught off-guard. She sighed and dropped her bag by the door, deciding that all she needed was to change and make her some tea to forget about how much of an idiot she made herself out to be.

On her way to her to her room, her phone started vibrating. Pulling it out of her pocket, she answered it without checking the ID. “Hello?” she greeted nonchalantly.

“Don’t sound too excited to be speaking to me,” a familiar, chirpy voice answered.

She pulled the phone away from her ear, looking at the number that she’d sent herself a text message from only moments ago. “Niall?” she asked, already knowing the answer.

“Ding ding, and she gets it right!”

She couldn’t help but let out a small giggle. “Gee, thanks,” she replied sarcastically. “Can I ask why you’re calling me?”

“Well, since you asked, you told me to text or call if I felt like hanging out with you,” he began. “I figured texting would be a waste of time so… I called. You fancy spending some wonderful time with me?” She couldn’t help but feel relieved that he wasn’t put off by the kiss. She didn’t know if it was only her imagination or not but he sounded really, really happy to spend time with her. But she could only be imagining.

Danielle walked to the door, opening it to find the blonde boy still on her doorstep with his phone pressed to her ear. She laughed, hanging up on him. “Wonderful time, huh? Are you guaranteeing that?” she teased.

Niall smiled, shoving his phone in his pocket. “I’m guaranteeing the most wonderful time. You won’t regret it,” he promised.

She moved out of the way. “Come on then,” she responded. “Let’s see what you’ve got included in this wonderful time.”