icicle ♡ narry christmas au [COMPLETE]

eight

"uncle ash!" livi yells delightedly as she pulls the apartment door open. she throws herself at her uncle, who catches her and sets her on his hip. she squeals and hugs him, and he presses a few kisses into her hair.

"hi, little angel!" he cradles her closer. 

"hi, calum!" livi calls to ashton's best friend, who shuffles into the apartment behind ash. "do you have candy canes again?"

"what's christmas without candy canes?" he asks, giving livi a wink and handing her a candy cane. she squealed delightedly.

"hey, ash, calum," harry calls from the kitchen. ashton puts livi down so he can hug his brother, and he hugs calum, too. "how are you two?"

"good," ashton grins. "i was going to bring my boyfriend, michael, but i think it's too soon...maybe the next holiday."

"you said that on thanksgiving," livi frowns, which makes harry laugh.

"so, this boyfriend of yours," ashton begins, "is he coming tonight?"

"yeah, he is," harry responds, biting his lip. he's a little nervous about it, to be honest, but niall and his brother were going to be alone for christmas, and that was sad, so he'd invited them over. "but he's not my boyfriend."

"yes, he is," livi mumbles, and ashton laughs and high-fives her. the doorbell rings then, and harry glares at both of them. not at calum, because he has no idea what's even happening.

"he's here. be nice, please," harry pleads.

"the fu -- heck?" ashton questions, catching himself at the last second. "i'm always nice."

even calum snorts at that, which makes livi giggle.

"hi," harry says, very softly after he's pulled the door open. niall and his brother are standing there, niall in a deep green lacy dress. "you look lovely." he steps back so they can come in, and he kisses niall's cheek, loving the way his cheeks heat up.

"harry, this is my brother, luke," niall introduces. "lu, this is my...boyfriend, harry." he hesitates, gaze flickering over to harry. his smile widens at niall calling him 'boyfriend.'

"hey, harry," luke grins, and surprising him, he gives harry a hug. luke is much taller than niall, and is wearing the ugliest ugly sweater harry has ever seen. he likes him instantly. "thanks for being so good to my brother." he actually pats harry's cheek before going around him to introduce himself to ashton and the rest of them.

"i'm livi!" livi exclaims. "harry's my daddy and i'm six!"

"it's an honor to meet you," luke grins, shaking the little girl's hand. she giggles, happy that luke isn't treating her like a little kid.

"uh --" luke is about to introduce himself to calum, but the words get stuck in his throat. calum is just so soft and small, and he's smiling so shyly up at luke. goddamn, he's in love already. "i'm luke," he introduces himself, voice so gentle.

"i'm calum." calum is blushing and is looking everywhere but at luke, which makes luke laugh. he still hasn't let go of calum's hand. "i'm ashton's roommate."

luke nods, still not looking away from calum's face. 

"would you look at that," niall says dryly. "ten bucks says luke kisses him before the night is up."

"i don't think i'm even going to bet against that," harry laughs, and niall giggles, too. harry leans in and kisses his cheek, staring down at him so fondly. "you look lovely."

"you already said that," niall mumbles, blushing.

"i know, but --" harry's cut off by livi tugging on his shirttail. "what's up, angel?"

"can we put on christmas head thingies now?" she whines, and harry laughs.

"i'm sorry, birdie, i'd forgotten. come on. dibs on the mistletoe, though." harry opens a box that had been sitting on the table, and everyone crowds around him to see what's inside. he hands livi a headband that has antlers on it, and she squeals excitedly. ashton's has a christmas tree on it, calum's is a star, luke's is a snowflake, and niall's is a little snowman. harry's of course, is mistletoe.

"look at that," luke laughs, poking at the star. "put you on top of the tree. cutest star ever."

"stop it!" calum blushes, giggling, and niall rolls his eyes.

"typical luke," he mutters, shaking his head fondly at harry. "i love him, though."

"he's very smooth," harry agrees, putting an arm around niall. livi is sitting in ashton's lap, flipping through a picture book, and calum is laughing at something luke said, luke cupping his cheek in his hand. "i love this."

"i love this, too," niall whispers. he hasn't gone home for christmas in years, and this is everything he could've wanted.

"hey," harry says, and niall looks up at him. "merry christmas eve." he is smirking, and he flicks the rubber mistletoe dangling off his headband.

"you would have picked that one."

harry shrugs. "it's the perfect excuse to keep kissing you."

"you need an excuse?"

"not really." harry is trying not to smile. "i should be able to kiss my boyfriend whenever i want."

niall blushes. "is that okay?"

"me, being your boyfriend?" harry gathers niall's tiny, cold hands, nails still painted pink, in his own larger ones. "best christmas present ever."

"it's christmas eve," niall reminds him.

harry rolls his eyes. "shut up and kiss me, boyfriend."

niall laughs. "okay, boyfriend."