Creepy Christmas

Author's note: The idea for this story grew out of a conversation with xoxosoulshine, a tumblr friend, who was house-sitting in a home with a LOT of Christmas decorations. All credit goes to her. Happy Narrydays my grinchy queen!

"Just drop your bags there. I'll show you to the guest room in just a mo," Liam tells Harry and Niall as they follow him inside and wait til he shuts the creaky front door. "Really appreciate you agreeing to stay in the house over the holidays."

"No worries, mate, happy to help out," Niall assures him. Harry, though, isn't as sure as Niall. Eager for a chance to escape the hustle and bustle of London during the holidays, Niall jumped at the chance to escape to the country when the agency called to see if they were available. They were supposed to be house sitting in a lush sky rise with a view of the city until after the New Year, but the agency called last week to say their clients had cancelled, apologizing profusely and sending along a large sum to make up for the fees they should've earned. They'd been offered this last-minute job at an estate north of London and Harry hadn't had the heart to tell Niall no.

"C'mon Harry, we'll go for long walks and sit by the fire. Plus, we'll be much closer to your mum's." Harry could hardly argue with that and in the end agreed to go. They are popular with their wealthy clients and he'd hoped a better offer would come through, but nothing did. Fuck this fucking place, Harry thinks as he looks around the great room. A stone fireplace in the center of the room extends from floor to ceiling with large windows flanking either side. Bookcases lined the other two walls in the room with three separate seating areas. The mantle is adorned with large boughs of greenery, with gold and silver baubles peeking through. Trimmed with clear white lights, it looks as if it could make the cover of a glossy design magazine. A huge tree twinkles with lights in one corner and various other items decorate the large room. 

"Is that" Harry turns away from one of the windows to find Liam standing behind him.

"A hedge maze? Yes," he smiles proudly. "We worked on it all summer, but it's near perfect now. Have you ever been in one?"

"No," Harry finally smiles. "I've always wanted to try it."

"Harry's a huge mystery buff. He loves all those whodunits. I prefer history myself," Niall says, moving to stand beside Harry and wrapping an arm around his waist.

"There's boots and plenty of winter gear in the mudroom off the kitchen. Explore the grounds while you're here. It's supposed to snow tonight, which means I need to get on the road. There's plenty of food in the fridge and a decent takeaway in the village. Charge whatever you need to my account at the market, they've been told you'll be shopping with them. Here are the keys, follow me and I'll show you to your room.

They follow Liam down a long hallway to a door at the end. When he opens it, Harry's jaw drops. It's larger than the entire flat they would've been staying in. Maybe Niall was right about this country stuff.

When they registered with the agency a few years ago, Harry insisted they only make themselves available for jobs in the London area. Having grown up in a small village, he couldn't wait to get out and loves the energy and excitement of the city. Word of mouth soon filled their engagement diary and while they still do a few jobs for the agency to fill in the occasional empty week, most of their clients now are return customers who booked straight with them.

"Blimey," Harry hears Niall whisper as they take in the room.

"The ensuite is through there," Liam points to a door on the right. "You can stow your things in the closet."

They follow Liam back to the entry and Harry helps him carry his bags to his car. "I left the number for the plumber on the corkboard in the kitchen. If you have any troubles, give him a call. He knows the place backwards and forwards and he'll come straight away."