in my heart // n.h a.u

part four

It was supposed to be like any other day. Val was supposed to get up  early and head to the gym, before coming home and getting ready for her  second last shift at work before Christmas. Afterwards, maybe she would  hang out with Briar or maybe she would sit on her couch with a cup of  coffee and watch yet another Christmas film — she's slowly working her  way through all her favourites. Home Alone 2 is next on her list.

But, of course, that's not what happens.

On  her way back from the gym, she stops via her mailbox because she hadn't  checked it the day before and she knows there's a Christmas card from  Aunt Carol coming any day now. Aunt Carol always has the best Christmas  cards — the way the children are dressed up must be absolutely  mortifying for them, but it's all fun and games for Val. But it's not a  Christmas card from Aunt Carol she finds at all.

Val furrows her  brows as she stares at the card in her hand, her name scribbled on the  envelope in handwriting that doesn't belong to Aunt Carol. Maybe it  could be one of the twins, but she highly doubts that — there would have  been lots of colours and drawings if that were the case. Carefully, she  peels open the envelope and pulls out the card with a baby reindeer on  it. It's adorable and it has a Santa hat on. What more could Val want in  a card?

Upon opening the card, however, her eyes nearly roll out  of their sockets the second she reads who it's from. "Niall," she  breathes, smacking her lips together. Val takes a few seconds to try and  control her thoughts, but it's not until then that she realises there's  something else in the envelope. As she pulls it out, she practically  seethes the second she sees what it is. "You've got to be kidding me,"  she mumbles to herself, shoving it all back into the envelope and  locking her mail box before making her way back up to their floor.

Val  is very tempted to go via Niall's flat to give him what for, but she  also knows she will be late for work if she doesn't go back to her own  flat and get ready. Even though she knows it's going to be on her mind  until her shift ends, Val sighs to herself and does the right thing.

Much  like she predicted, Val spends the whole time wondering why Niall gave  her such a thing. Well, she feels as though she knows why and all, but  why now and not after the incident in the first place? It's utter  nonsense, she believes, but by the time her shift has finally come to an  end and she's saying goodbye to her coworkers, she can breathe and  finally allow herself to take in the situation at hand.

Val spends  her time in the lift on the way up to her floor deciding whether she  should question him immediately or go back to her flat and get changed  first, but the unknown is eating inside her and before she realises  what's going on, she's knocking on Niall's door.

The door swings  open just under a minute later, and Val has every intention of giving  Niall what for, but she's got her own little surprise — he's absolutely  covered in what Val assumes is flour.

"Sorry, I'm a little—Val?" Niall furrows his brows in confusion.

"Why are you covered in flour?" Val asks, also creasing her brows. Confusion is quite the mutual feeling.

"Was  trying to bake these things Mum likes, but things kind of, um—" Niall  pauses, biting his bottom lip as he stares back at Val, his cheeks even  tinging a faint pink through the flour. "Kinda made a bit of a mess," he  finishes, reaching his hand behind him to grab at the back of his neck.

Val  shouldn't be as surprised as she is, but she cannot help it — of course  Niall is just as useless in the kitchen as he seems to be every other  aspect of his life. Or at least that's what Val chooses to believe. She  doesn't know him as well as she pretends she does sometimes. "Did you  add salt instead of sugar or something?" she teases, forgetting the  reason for being on his doorstep in the first place. "Or, I don't know,  turn your oven to the right temp for fan forced when it's not?"