Imagine
Valentine's Day-
Author's Note: Sorry I didn't upload this sooner didn't have the time to write or upload it earlier, and I know it's late.. but still, I tried. Over five months late. My rendition of how I think Narry might spend their day. Hope it's cute and that you enjoy it. Tried not to make it too long or cheesy, but I just couldn't resist. Thanks for reading, you're all lovely. Have a nice Wednesday.
Niall's P.O.V.
February 14th. It was just another day to me. For most people it meant spending time with their better half. Making a kind gesture by sending them flowers or chocolates, maybe even cards. Some people got engaged and married on this day, believing it was somehow better or more romantic than any other day out of the year. Every store was littered with anything and everything that had to do with the holiday. Boyfriends, fiancés, and husbands would rush to find their special someone a present. The one thing girls really liked was jewelry. You could never go wrong with that, I had learned that from my mum. Radio stations would start playing those cheesy love songs even weeks before February came. Countless movies revolved around the day and I'd seen just about all of them.
For single people this day was completely different. There are two types of single people. The ones in the hopes of finding someone, they were usually left disappointed today of all days. It being a reminder of all those couples in love, feeling envious. I knew before I got together with my boyfriend I sat at home with a tub of ice-cream, on my couch, watching those sappy movies. Never one to go out and spend the night with my friends or some party, which was another thing people did. The people that were happy to be independent, and didn't mind the lack of company from someone else. They didn't stay home. Probably went out to a gathering with friends or simply enjoyed being by themselves because they didn't need anyone to make them feel loved.
I didn't have anything against Valentine's Day, it's just that it's not my favorite day or holiday of the year. It was no secret that I wasn't the most romantic person either. Everything was planned by Harry, who in fact was a hopeless romantic and sucker for a happy ending. I just find it strange that people felt the need to shower the ones they love with gifts and other things on this one day. It was like they were only allowed to show how they really felt on February 14th. Why not do it on any other day of the year? Have it be a pleasant surprise, something unexpected. There shouldn't be one set day for this. Anyone should be able to do this on any given day of the year and make it be just as special. Just something about it all left me feeling confused.
Every year a new romance movie came out in theaters, Endless Love being the most recent, and without a doubt we would be going to see it today. For the last two years Harry had taken me to see Safe Haven and The Vow, which I must admit were pretty good, but I would never say that out loud to anyone. What would today bring? All these thoughts ran through my mind as I finally opened my eyes for the first time that morning. Something was missing. The strong arms that were usually wrapped securely around my waist, the warm body pressed flush against mine wasn't there. I turned over onto my stomach and found a rose, with a note attached to it on Harry's pillow. The sweet smell of vanilla soon filled our bedroom and I couldn't help but roll over onto my back and take a deep breath, taking in the smells around me. My eyes scanned over the note that read:
Dear Niall,
Morning babe! Happy Valentine's Day. Just want you to know how much I love you and I have everything planned out for us today. There's a surprise waiting for you downstairs. Follow the arrows and you'll find it. See you soon.
-Harry xoxo
My heart melted at the words and I raced out of bed, grabbing a shirt and throwing it on over my head before following the arrows that led me downstairs and into the kitchen. On the counter was a plate containing heart-shaped pancakes, as well as eggs, bacon that spelled out I love you, and a steaming cup of French vanilla coffee. It was really cute and Harry knew me like the back of his hand. My appetite was rather large. I sat down in one of the kitchen stools and dived right into my meal, which was absolutely delicious by the way. As I was leaving the kitchen I noticed heart-shaped cookies sitting on a tray, cooling by the oven. Beside that was another rose, along with a note attached to it. This time I decided to wait a few minutes before opening it. What else did this cheeky bastard have up his sleeve? Only one way to find out.
Dear Niall,
Hope you enjoyed breakfast love! Made it myself before I left. Had a few errands to run before the big night. Have a few more surprises planned out for us. Follow the arrows out of the kitchen, I have something else for you which I'm sure you'll like.
Lots of love,
-Harry xoxo
My curiosity was peeked and I tilted my head to the side as I read the second letter, wondering what it could be. One thing was clear. This boy never ceased to amaze me. With the help of the arrows I found my way into the living room and looked around for any signs of anything unusual. In the back corner of the room, on one of the chairs, a suit was laid out waiting to be worn. I walked over to it and stood there for just a moment, admiring everything Harry had been doing for me since this morning. It was a light shade of grey, with a baby blue tie, matching the color of my eyes. What was the occasion? As if on cue, I spotted another note poking out of the front pocket of the jacket. It was shorter than the others, nonetheless, my eyes quickly scanned the paper resting in my hand.
Turn around.
Those were the only two words written on the page and I did as told. Although I didn't know what I was looking for exactly my eyes landed on the ground. How did I not see that when I came in? I walked over to the center of the room and bent down, inspecting whatever it was closer. Realization hit me like a pile of bricks. There were candy hearts spelling out, 'Will you be my date tonight?' and my heart melted at the sight of it. This was above and beyond anything I was expecting. A simple breakfast in bed, and day spent together would have been enough. Knowing Harry that just wouldn't cut it for him. One question rang in my mind. How would he know if I accepted or not? It isn't like he could be in two places at once to see my reaction and set everything up.
I let out a squeak when I felt a set of arms pulling me into a broad chest. Glancing over my shoulder, I was met with the most gorgeous pair of emerald eyes. A cheeky smile made its way onto Harry's face as he turned me over in his arms so that I was facing him, hugging me even closer to his chest. No words were needed to show how we both felt. "How was breakfast, love?" He asked me, already knowing my reply. "It was lovely. Thank you for everything. You really didn't have to do all this." I tucked my head in the crook of his neck, deeply inhaling his scent and waited for his reply. "I wanted to." He tried reassuring me and pulled back slightly to get a better look at my face. "So what do you say?" He asked signaling to the suit and roses. As if he needed an answer.
"A million times yes! Why would you even ask babe?" Harry chuckled and leaned forward, smiling against my lips before he nibbled gently on my bottom lip. I tilted my head to the side in order to deepen the kiss and give him a better angle to slip his tongue in my mouth. The moment was short lived and I groaned trying to show my disappointment through a pout and puppy dog eyes. But it didn't really work on Harry. "Sorry babe but we're just going to have to save it for tonight." He quirked his eye brows hinting at something and I smacked him lightly on the arm. "Listen I'd love to stay here but I have to go." Harry loosened his grip on my waist but I stepped forward, latching my arms onto his shoulders making it impossible for him to move. "But you just got here." I jutted out my lip in an effort to persuade him to stay.
He looked like he was actually considering it for a second but quickly drew back and planted a kiss on my cheek. "I still have things to do before tonight. But I just needed to see you and your response." What was he doing that was keeping him busy all day? I just wanted to cuddle with my boyfriend. Was that too much to ask for? "Just wanted to spend some time with you." My eyes downcast to the floor and I didn't wait for Harry to answer before turning around to walk out of the room. "Hey, hey." He grabbed me by the elbow and looped his hands around my waist before using his fingers to lift up my chin to meet his eyes. "Of course I want to spend time with you. I just need time to get everything ready. I want it to be special and perfect." I nodded my head, still not saying anything as I nuzzled my nose against Harry's cheek.
"I'm serious. I don't want you thinking I don't want to spend time with you because that would never happen Niall." He attempted to reassure me but I still wasn't completely convinced and said, "Okay," putting on a smile so that he wouldn't feel bad. "Go. Do what you have to do." I said shooing him in the direction of the door. But he wouldn't budge until I kissed him. He laced his fingers in mine and brought me to his chest and pressed a searing kiss to my lips, showing how sorry he was for making me upset and having to leave so soon. I pecked him on the lips to let him know it was okay and I was fine. We still had tonight and I was looking forward to it. And I had something of my own planned out for Harry. He wasn't the only one that knew how to be romantic or woo me.
Once I glanced over at the clock I noticed that it was only one in the afternoon and I still had hours before Harry would come back to pick me up. Now would be the perfect time to practice the song I had chosen to sing to him. It was a bit cliché and I knew he has heard it a million times but it fit. It fit us perfectly. It fit the occasion. And it just described our relationship in other ways words couldn't. The thought had come to me when we had first received the set list for the Take Me Home tour weeks ago and I knew in that moment that that was it. There wasn't really a need for me to practice seeing as I had played the song on my guitar many times before. Still I was anxious and the nerves were taking over. It had to be perfect. And this had formed into some sort of mantra for me.
So the rest of the afternoon I went over each note carefully and did my best to harmonize my voice with the melody of the song. It sounded different with just one person singing it rather than the other four. But it didn't matter. Not really anyway. I just hoped Harry would like it. It was nearing five o'clock and I decided it was best to start getting ready. Harry hadn't actually left a certain time he would pick me up but I figured it wouldn't be any later than six. I stowed my guitar away in the corner and carefully laid the suit out onto the bed before hopping into the shower. I may have screamed at the top of my lungs out of excitement at one point. But who could blame me? Tonight was going to be amazing and something I would hopefully remember for a long time.
My first instinct was to get dressed and then slowly make my way over to the bed where Harry and I usually cuddled but then I remembered he wasn't home and took my time in the bathroom. By taking one glance at my hair in the mirror I was cringing. I had to look my absolute best. Maybe styling my hair in a quiff would make it look a little less ridiculous? After some anticipation I finally settled on a hairstyle and put the suit on with ease, slightly fumbling with the tie. Within minutes I was downstairs pacing the living room in a nervous manner and checking the clock every two minutes. Why was I so anxious? It isn't like this was my first date with my boyfriend. Tonight just felt different. Like something was going to happen but I just couldn't put my finger around it.
The sound of a car pulling up the front of the house brought me out of my thoughts. Peering out the window I noticed it was Harry's black Range Rover. I pulled the curtains back before he had the chance to see me. This was our third time doing this. We had been together for three years now and it was nerve wracking at the thought of not being together or not going on these cute little dates. I had to stop myself before I had a full on panic attack over something that was less than likely to happen. Footsteps could be heard from the other end of the hallway and it was as if the air was knocked out of my lungs and I forgot how to breathe. Harry was standing just a few feet away from me. My breath got caught in my throat as my eyes slowly scanned up and down his body.
I took in the sight in front of me, mentally taking a picture to capture this moment forever. Harry was breathtaking. There was no other way to describe it. The suit he was wearing matched the color of his eyes and it was tight in all the right places, showing off his never ending torso and lengthy legs. Anyone would die to have his body. Heck, I questioned how and why he liked me sometimes when he could have anyone else in the world. I had gotten really lucky. My heart was beating out of my chest as he inched towards me and brought me in for a bone crushing hug, as if we hadn't seen each other in years, when in fact it had been hours. "You look amazing babe." He whispered in my ear sending chills all along my spine.
He didn't even have to try because Harry looked amazing and sexy at all times. "Thanks." I responded, bowing my head down in embarrassment while trying to hide the blush growing on my cheeks. "You're not so bad yourself, Styles." When I looked up again I saw a small smirk painted on Harry's lips and had to refrain myself from laughing at how adorable and innocent he looked. "Come here." He said grabbing me lightly by the waist. "You have no idea how gorgeous you look. I could take you right here, right now." If you thought I was blushing before it was nothing in comparison to now. I was shocked to say the least. Harry was being so straightforward and I loved it. "Later," I said prying myself from his reach as a means of giving him a taste of his own medicine.
"Now where were you going to take me tonight Styles?" I drawled out the sentence and watched his lips curl into a sideways smile. He knew what I was trying to do and he didn't bother stopping me. Every time I used his last name instead of his first name it seemed to turn him on for reasons still unknown to me, yet it seemed effective. "Think I'm going to tell you? My lips are sealed." He brought his fingers up to his lips and mimicked a zipper indicating that he wouldn't say anything further on the matter. "You're no fun." I said crossing my hands over my chest. Harry simply laughed at me and leaned forward to press a kiss just under my ear. "I know you won't be saying that after you see what I have in store for us tonight." My ears perked up at those words and I listened for any further hints he might drop but sighed when he didn't say anything else.
With our hands intertwined we left the house and went into the car. As I stepped inside Harry pulled me back and smirked to himself. By the look on his face I knew he was up to something yet I said nothing about it. He reached in his pocket and dropped something into my hands. "Put it on. I don't want you seeing where we are going until we get there." I whined and groaned but it didn't seem to faze Harry. He helped secure the blindfold over my eyes and soon all I could see was darkness and let me tell you it isn't fun. I'm the type of person that has to see everything at all times and be aware of my surroundings. I didn't say anything as we sat in the car in silence seeing as I was blindfolded and I knew Harry wouldn't tell me a thing. "You're awfully quiet." He commented and leaned over to kiss my cheek. "Can't see anything," I muttered under my breath.
"We're almost there." Harry said and I was counting the minutes in my head. London was only a 10-15 minute drive from our house, depending on traffic. Most days we managed to get where we needed to go without time being an issue. "I just want to know where we're bloody going. This is irritating me." I said indicating to the blindfold and nearly jumped in my seat when I felt Harry removing it. "There. Happy?" He asked sensing my discomfort. "Yes. Very." I responded and stuck my tongue out at him. "Such a gentlemen you are Niall." I couldn't help but laugh at that. "That's what I have you for Harry. To keep me in line." He rolled his eyes at me and unbuckled his seatbelt. "Have you even noticed where we are? You were so hell bent on it a few minutes ago." My eyes instantly darted out the window as I took in my surroundings.
It had grown dark outside and the city lights were shining all along the bustling streets of London. We were in the very heart of London in front of one of the fanciest 5 star restaurants. Normally it wasn't this busy during February let alone night time, but due to the holiday people were out and about. I didn't expect Harry to take me here and it came as a great surprise. "You didn't have to." I said turning back to Harry, giving him the most genuine smile that I could muster. "But I already told you I wanted to. Let me spoil you just this once and show you how much I love and appreciate you." It was like we had fallen into the same routine as this morning. I took a deep breath and just smiled saying my thanks and kissing Harry softly on the lips. "Just wait until we get inside." Harry said and I chose not to question it, simply nodding my head. I had learned it was best to go with whatever he threw at me.
It was all very posh to say the least. And definitely Harry's taste. Since he was from the posh end of the country. Everyone was dressed up in elegant suits and dresses. I felt slightly out of place among all these people, but I ignored it and went on looking at the scenery. There was soft music playing in the background and the other restaurant goers seemed to be engrossed in their own meals and conversations. The overall atmosphere was soothing. And I liked it. Upon entering a hostess showed us to our table. A bouquet of roses sat on the center of the table in a vase, surrounded by dimly lit candles. You could say I had an eye for detail. "Here are your menus. Your waiter will be with you shortly." The woman said in an overly sweet voice before proceeding to another waiting couple.
One look at the menu sent me into a state of confusion. It was all in French. "You bastard." I muttered under my breath to Harry who caught what I said and laughed. "You're just jealous because I can speak French and you can't." Harry teased and I glared at him. "Not only that, but I won't be able to order my food." And I knew he had done this on purpose. "That's the fun of it." He said, smiling to himself. I leaned back in my seat, rolling my eyes as I watched Harry closely inspecting the menu. He set it down and called the waiter over. "Hello, my name's Alexandre. I will be your server tonight. What may I get you?" His French accent was very visible as he spoke. Harry said his order in French, glancing over at me with an amused expression. The waiter looked over at me expectantly. "I'll have whatever he's having." He nodded his head and scribbled it down.
"Any drinks, gentlemen?" I paused for a second before deciding I wanted water. "We'll take your finest bottle of champagne." Harry said and handed him our menus. "Certainly. Your food will be ready shortly." With that he left. "What did I just order?" I asked Harry feeling a bit anxious. "You'll just have to wait and see." This could either be very good or very bad. The French were after all known for their exquisite food. Yet there was the fact that they ate snails. But I can trust Harry. At least I think when it comes to food. "Trust me, I think you're going to love it Ni." There was this knowing look on his face again and I know he didn't mean just the food this time. I was itching to know what he was so excited about. "If you say so." I said looking down at my watch to see that it was only 6:30. Still plenty of time. Maybe I could get to my other surprise. If we had time.
Within the next 10 minutes our food arrived. "Enjoy." The waiter said, setting it down in front of us. I gazed at my plate curiously and picked up my fork. "Should I trust this?" I asked no one in particular earning a few chuckles from Harry. "Best French dish in my opinion. It's Confit de canard." (random dish I found) Sounds fancy. After another moment I hesitantly took a smaller piece, placing it on my fork and in my mouth. It was like the perfect blend of spices and heaven. Without another word I devoured my meal in minutes, looking up to find Harry watching me with a pleased expression on his face. "Good, yeah?" I nodded, savoring the last bit of it. "Told you." He responded after finishing his own food. "I'll get the check. Then we can go to our next destination."
"What, no dessert?" I asked crossing my hands over my chest. Of course I was joking. But dessert. "You're always thinking of food Ni." He said as he got up and reached for my hand across the table, gently pulling me up with him. "You will get some tonight, I promise. Just not now." He tugged on my hand, waiting for me to open it so he could slide his fingers to fit in between the spaces, where our hands fit perfectly together. The air had grown quite chilly outside. I curled further into Harry's side and zipped my jacket up all the way. As we stepped into the car Harry turned the heat on full blast and said, "Give me your hands." I pulled them out of my pockets and Harry made a grab for them, starting to rub them with his own. "Didn't think it would become this cold." He said more to himself than me. "Good thing the next place we're going is much warmer."
"I hope it is, for your sake." I joked as I slumped back in my seat. "Wake me when we get there?" I asked, resting my head on the cold glass of the window. "No we'll be there in less than five minutes Niall." Harry said as he smacked my shoulder to get my attention. "Fine. But I'm counting." And he was true to his word. Five minutes later we were stepping out of the car into an empty parking lot. The only thing you could see was the starry filled sky. "What are we doing here Harry? There's no one here." He smirked at my confusion and took my hand, leading me towards an abandoned looking building. "That's kind of the point. To have some alone time, you idiot." I ignored his comment and kept looking around trying to determine where we were. Maybe once we got inside I'd be able to tell. "It's just through that door." He let go of my hand and walked the extra few steps, opening the door.
"Are you just going to stand there or do I have to come over there and close your mouth for you?" Harry asked nudging me out of my momentary state of shock. "Is this what I think it is?" He nodded his head in confirmation. "Yeah. It's the old drive in that they turned into a theater." This place held some sort of secret meaning, not just to me, but for him too. We had come here as teenagers and kids all the time. The old spot where we would come to hang out with our friends. The one escape we had from our parents growing up. And the place where Harry and I first met. Had our first date. Our first kiss. It brought back all these amazing memories I had forgotten about for the time being. "I knew how special this was and thought what better place to celebrate our third anniversary. I rented out the whole place just for us."
"That's the sweetest thing anyone has ever done for me babe." I said as I engulfed Harry in a hug. "Anything for you. Just wait until you actually see what we'll be doing." Harry laughed and walked into the heart of the room where the big screen was. On all sides of the theater there were rows and rows of seats neatly lined up leading to a small stage. The only occupants in the room being myself and Harry. I made my way over to the stage where Harry was currently standing. A blanket was sprawled across the floor with a picnic basket on top of it. "Hold on, I forgot something." He said, holding up his finger and ran across the room where we had just entered. He flipped a switch and suddenly the room became brighter. Christmas lights were hanging from the ceiling and the edges of the plush seats. "You really went all out." I had barely gotten out the words before I was tackled backwards on the ground.
"Nothing's too good for you babe." Harry all but whispered it in my ear and bent down to kiss me for a second and pulled back smiling like a fool. "You're so cheesy." I said laughing against his shoulder blade. "Only for you." He replied with his head resting on my chest. "Come on, tell me why we're here." This couldn't be the only reason. "We're going to watch Endless Love." Of course we were. I wouldn't expect anything less from Harry. The commercials had only been on tv for weeks. "I've been dying to see it." He gushed and my heart swelled for a moment, just looking at his doe eyes. I hadn't seen him this happy or excited in a while. It was nice. "Me too." I said earning the biggest smile from him I had seen all night. "Stop being so adorable and let's just watch the movie." Without a moment's hesitation Harry sprang up from my chest, pulling me with him in an upward position.
"Calm down Haz, you're heart might burst." Whatever I said didn't seem to register in his mind. He focused on the opening credits and pulling me into his lap. He reached over for the basket and took something out. "We just ate dinner Harry." I said looking over my shoulder at him. "It's dessert. What you don't want any anymore? You were looking for it just a while ago." He began to draw his hand back but waited for me to say something. "Sorry, I'll shut up." A look of satisfaction swept across his face. "Thought so." My eyes wandered over to the basket. What did he bring? A bowl of chocolate covered strawberries. With whip cream. "You know my weakness." My mouth slightly watered. "Course. Now open up so I can give you one." I leaned forward and closed my eyes, waiting for the sweet taste to greet my taste buds.
And when it never came I frowned at Harry. A soft giggle left his mouth as he got whipped cream on the tip of my nose. "Think you're so funny, don't you?" He kept laughing as I returned the favor. "Yeah I do." I shook my head at his overly cocky behavior but inwardly laughed at how ridiculous he could be at times. After that we did actually feed each other the rest of the strawberries without getting it everywhere.. well as much as Harry would allow it. The remaining chocolate on my lips was licked away by Harry who seemed to be enjoying this more than the movie. Funny thing was that this was his idea and he should be at least paying attention. It wasn't what I had been expecting at all. I thoroughly enjoyed the plot more than any other romance movie I'd seen. And the love between the two main characters was inevitable. Anyone with eyes could see that they were made each other.
It made me think of me and Harry. Were we a match made in heaven? Something that was meant to be forever and ever? Admittedly I had cried during some parts, and even held onto Harry tighter. My eyes were beginning to droop and he seemed to sense it too. "Get up babe, you can sleep in the car." My tiredness was short lived, only to be replaced the second Harry rose to his feet, getting ready to leave. "Wait a second." I said jumping to my feet and racing outside to where my guitar case rested against the wall. During the movie I had managed to slip out my phone and text one of the lads to bring it here. The song I had been practicing all day. I was about to play it for Harry. The nerves that I had been harboring hours before returned. This had to be perfect. I took a deep breath and made my way back inside where Harry was patiently awaiting my return.
"What's this?" Harry asked upon noticing my guitar. "You're not the only one that knows how to plan a surprise or two." He raised his eye brows in surprise and didn't say anything, simply just sat down and waited for me to explain. "I didn't want you to be the only one planning something special for tonight. I wanted to do my own thing, hopefully something we'd both remember for a long time." Harry all but cooed at my words and stared at me with heart eyes. Here goes nothing. I fiddled with the guitar for a few seconds trying to find the right tune. I didn't even need to think about it because the lyrics came from my heart.
Your hand fits in mine
Like its made just for me
But bear this in mind
It was meant to be
And I'm joining up the dots with the freckles on your cheeks
And it all makes sense to me
The rest of the song went smoothly, or at least I hoped. The chorus being my favorite part. I put the guitar down in its case and looked at Harry, waiting for his reaction. I didn't think that he would cry. "That was beautiful babe. Just like you." Again my heart swelled up at his words and I felt tears prick my own eyes. "I know it wasn't perfect, but I tried. I did." I said and watched Harry's smile turn into a frown. "What are you talking about Niall? That was amazing. Nothing less." He kissed the top of my forehead. "And I don't want you thinking otherwise." I nodded as if in agreement and wrapped my arms around his neck, standing on my tippy toes to reach his height and kissed those lips I loved so much. "I love you." I whispered against his lips and smiled. "I love you too." He echoed the words back and I thought about the box that was weighing my pocket down. I wanted to show him my other surprise but it didn't feel right.
Today had been perfect, nothing less. We were as happy as ever. This might be too much or mess things up. I was planning to propose. Soon. Really soon. Just not today. Something wasn't sitting well in my stomach. Maybe it was the fact that it was Valentine's day? Or the cliché meaning behind it? Maybe I just wanted my proposal to be more special and on a day that was our own. Not that thousands of other peopled most commonly shared. I reached for the box in my pocket and played with it for a second before deciding against it. Another day. "Let's go love." Harry said already waiting by the door. "Yeah, I'm coming." I said as I met him halfway where he tucked me closer into to his side. When we were in the car I was already drifting off to sleep. And if Harry said anything... well I didn't hear it. The last thing I remembered was a light kiss being pressed to my forehead.
Author's Note: I've had such a bad day today. Everyone's been getting on my nerves, I have a headache, and I'm just really really tired. Good thing I have nothing important to do today. I promised I would try to update more over the summer so here I am. It's like over five months late and I'm sorry, I never got around to finishing it. So forgive me and enjoy. It's literally only 3 in the afternoon where I am and I'm going to bed now. I might update one more time today later after I wake up of course. Until next time. :) *Requests/prompts are always taken.
P.S. This may be the cheesiest one-shot I've written so far, it's just so cute! Not edited yet I'll look it over later sorry for any mistakes.