Drowning || niall horan au

eleven

Hannah sat on Niall's couch with a cup of hot tea that she made. Niall's cup was still steaming as it sat on the coffee table next to the knots and crosses game. The other side of the table was littered with a pair of scissors, a tape dispenser, and several strands of horribly cut wrapping paper. She should have been distracted by the television that was playing a Christmas special, but instead, she had been intently watching Niall trying to wrap a present.

She had been at his flat for about two hours, phoning him first to see if she could come over. He happily agreed although he knew he wasn't going to be much entertainment for Hannah. The both of them seemed to enjoy each other's company anyways. So he'd been sitting on the floor, sporting a few paper cuts from wrapping paper with poorly wrapped presents off to the side of him. Hannah asked if he needed or wanted help, but he felt that he should be doing it himself.

"A-ha!" He held a small box in the air for Hannah to see his accomplishment. "Won't my parents be proud?"

Hannah took another sip of her drink. "You could still use a little more work."

He flashed a sarcastic, disapproving face that made Hannah chuckle. That present was tossed off with the others, and then he grabbed another box, but it was obvious that this one was filled with a pair of shoes.

"Theo's gonna love these." He pulled them out of the box to show them off to Hannah. They were a pair of Jordan's, such a small size that Hannah actually thought they were cute.

"They're so tiny!" The blonde smiled and pointed at the miniature shoes.

"Wait," Niall threw the Jordan's back in the box and jumped from his spot on the floor, heading for his room. He returned with the same pair of shoes except they were a size that could fit Niall's feet. "I have the same pair!"

Hannah shook her head at his little excitement over him and his nephew now being able to match shoes. He set his pair of Jordan's off to the side and went back to his spot on the floor to finally wrap the shoe box. The blonde got lost in watching Niall attempt to wrap another present again. His tongue stuck out when he tried to cut a straight line in the wrapping paper. His face got really close to the gift as he made sure the paper was tightly around it. Just as he was finishing up taping the last side, Hannah began to speak.

"Are you going back to Ireland for Christmas?" It should've been obvious that he was going back, so Hannah immediately regretted ever talking.

Niall inspected the present before letting it join the rest of the pile. Then, his attention turned to Hannah. He took his full cup of warm tea off the table, taking a sip before answering.

"No, the weather is going to be crap for the next couple of days. So, I was going to stuff the presents in those boxes over there and have them shipped back home."

Niall pointed to the cardboard boxes that were lying next to the computer desk on the hardwood. He didn't look too upset by the news he gave Hannah, but she could tell how much he wished he could go home for the holidays just by the tone of his voice. He never gets to see his family that often anyways, so this must hurt more than Hannah could imagine.

"I'll be going back to Winchester." She told him, looking at him although she received no eye contact in return. She was quiet for a moment. "You can come if you'd like."

That offer got his attention, ogling the girl on the couch instead of the cartoons on the television.

"You don't have to do that. Harry invited me over to his mum's. I wouldn't want to intrude."

"It's not intruding if I'm inviting you." She leaned forward, her elbows resting on her thighs, hoping that the closer she was to him, the more he would realize she was serious about his offer. She was still so anxious over the thought of Corey being home for Christmas that it never crossed her mind how much commotion there would be if she brought Niall home. But she felt that she could handle that better than dealing with her brother.