skittles | ziall boyxboy

24. bonfire banter

I hate the word banter but it is needed lol. (dont hate me i want lol back in fashion aha) DOUBLE UPDATE WHOOOOO!
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Niall was woken from his slumber by his patiend mother, who was shaking his shoulder gently and mentally cooing at how peacful and cute the blond looked when he was still very much asleep.

"The bonfire is in an hour, get yourself ready and I'll drive you round," She hummed, smiling when the boy noddded and proceeded to slide from the bed with a tired expression and pins and needles in his knees. He slugged away to the bathroom to freshen up, shower and do his hair as his mother made his bed quickly and retreated back downstairs.

It had been a while since the incident, a month or so, and Niall was yet to return to school, or see all the boys at once; and the bonfire would be a big step in his social behavior monitoring. They were his best friends, so it shouldn't be to difficult for him to comfortable, he had seen them all separately since the incident and they all knew his limits. What could go wrong?

Dressing snugly, Niall left the house with his freshly charged phone tightly in his grasp and beanie on his head. His mother dropped him at the school dorms, very few students were around, even less by the dorms, but Niall's eyes widened and his breathing laboured ever so slightly,

"I can't do it," He said, shaking his head, "Not without Louis, or Zayn, or someone," He muttered out, looking over at his sighing mother,

"Niall you need to do it by yourself at some point," She breathed out, stroking his flushed cheek with one hand,

"Yeah, but, just, not- not now," He stuttered, pulling out his phone, "Get one of the boys to help me, mum, please," He begged feeling overly uncomfortable even in the dim school car park with his mother, tears building up in his eyes as he sat there.

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finally making it to the bonfire pit, the five boys set down their camping chairs, seeing as it was already lit (thanks to Harry's cousin who had been using it before). Liam had bought a six pack of fanta cans, not being in the mood for beer nor having the opportunity to go and buy some that day.

They sat and laughed, singing silly tunes occasionally and watcign eachother from different sides of the large fire, the glowing flame making Niall look extraordinarly pretty to Zayn, who was sat to his side. The thoguhs were returned, slightly less eagerly so, but retered all the same. Niall couldn't stop thkning about hwo good Zayn looked and how nice it was to hear him laughing after so long without it, but he was still reluctant to commit to these words.

Louis was surpirised at how good the school bonfire was, he had expected maybe a ratty flame that would last maybe half an hour, but no, the lads had been there for well over an hour and a half and it was nearing half nine, the sun far set in the sky and the moon shining out. Their discarded drink cans in the punches on the arms of their chairs, slightly dented and empty. Niall was buzzing, he didn't think that he would be so relaxed, his anxiety levels being very much uncontrollable and erratic as of recent, and his hypersomnia was surprisingly mild at that moment; his nap and medication had helped.

Liam couldn't believe his eyes, he had honestly had doubts as to whether or not Niall would ever be the same again, the lad had always been very carefree and happy-go-lucky, a great presence with a glorious personality. But he had seen so little of the blond he had once known over the last month, his late night thoughts imagining a world where the lad was as isolated and enclosed as he is now, forever. How he would end up alone with a cat, living in a flat with the curtains constantly pulled and living off the money he would make from his very anti social job, relying on his faithful friends for food shopping and the newspaper every day. He wouldn't deny to anyone that he had thought this, there was a period at the start where it was very bleak, the mere thought of being without Zayn, who had become his security blanket, sending the lad into hysterics, tears, thrashing, screaming. He was grateful that Maura saw the need for professional help, thankful that the middle aged woman had not tried to deny her sons state and convince herself that he was okay when he wasn't, and try to continue as normal with the hope that he would heal himself. Everyone has a limit, and he was scared the Maura would reach hers soon, she struggled with Niall a lot over the years and with the added pressure of him missing school and possible depression looming, her mind must be going haywire.

Niall stayed in Liam and Zayn's dorm that night, the lads not having school the following day as it was a Friday and Zayn offering up his bed for the undeniably tired boy. By the time they got back, they were all very tired, Harry tracking to the other end of the dorm block with a tired wave and a small smile, his close friends returning them and thanking him sluggishly for inviting them. While out by the fire, the boys had taken photos, wanting to remember the strong bonding time they had shared and the first noticeable step in Niall's progress. They all shed their clothes, keeping their boxers on and slipping into bed, Liam in his own and Zayn sharing his with the blond boy he cared for so much. Secretly, the tanned lad was celebrating and congratulating himself on being able to sleep so close to the lad in the small, twin bed.