always ♡ ziall au (gotg #2) [COMPLETE]

quattro

"where do we start?" niall asked his father. he was dedicated to finding zayn -- maybe he knew what had happened.

"i think --" apollo was cut off by a loud banging at the door.

"WHERE IS HE?" it was artemis' voice, and she didn't sound pleased.

"where is who?" apollo asked, pulling the door open. "christ, woman, don't you ever call before you show up?"

artemis rolled her eyes. "please, apollo, you love having me here." she flipped her long, silvery hair over her shoulder. "now. where is he? i know you've hidden him here, you little rat." she sneered at niall and he flinched back, surprised.

"why does she hate me so much?" he whispered to his father.

"she's zayn's mother," apollo explained. "she wanted to keep you two apart."

niall bristled, suddenly remembering a bit about that. "you had me killed!"

"yes, well...you two were soulmates, 'till death do us part,' or whatever that nonsense is." she grimaced. "there's a reason why my children were destined to be single."

niall wrinkled his nose. "it's not my fault that zayn and i are soulmates!"

artemis rolled her eyes. "wait." her eyes narrowed. "how could you forget me?"

"hades did something," apollo filled in. "he doesn't remember zayn."

"well, where is zayn?" 

"we don't know," niall responded. "we don't know, and i need to find him..." he went to pull out the gem from under his shirt. "well. you won't care, but i need to find him."

"i'll help you," she said quietly.

"you'll what?" apollo questioned. his head snapped around so fast, niall was amazed he didn't get whiplash.

"i'll help you find him." they stared at her in disbelief, liam included. "he's my son, okay? i just want to be sure he's okay."

~ ~ ~

"what the fuck? why would anybody drink this shit?" zayn questioned, sniffing at an opened bottle of sunlight. it smelled like liquid death, mixed with lemons. he put the bottle to his lips and sipped. with a very unmanly shriek, he spat the sunlight all over the floor, watched it scatter like glass. he'd burned his tongue.

that triggered a memory -- that same blonde boy from the last memory was there. he was giggling, bundled up in a bunch of blankets. "mercy!" he'd squealed, still giggling. the sound was so sweet -- like music. he fell off the couch and pouted up at zayn. "you're the worst!"

"you love me," zayn had grinned, and leaned down to kiss the end of his nose.

"yeah," the boy huffed, "you're lucky i do."

the memory was so brief, but so strong that it brought tears to zayn's eyes. his chest ached, but somehow he knew. he knew.

"niall," he said, so quietly, and then had to sit down because his head hurt so badly.

~ ~ ~

"well, then... how do we start?" niall asked. "he could be anywhere. anywhere in the world."  that thought triggered an achy sadness in his chest, and his lip trembled. liam pulled him into his arms when he saw that.

"i can send his sisters, we'll try and find him," artemis offered.

"i know a few places i can look," apollo said.

"niall and i..." liam trailed off. "what should we do?"

"you two stay here in case he comes back." artemis nodded, agreeing with her brother.

"if there's any chance that he found out who he was, he would come straight here," she said. "you two wait it out here."

"liam, if anything happens to my son..."

"i know, you'll beam off my genitals with your hands of fiery hell," liam sighed, and niall giggled. 

"we'll see you soon," apollo said, and then disappeared. a few seconds later, artemis vanished, too.

"i never expected her to offer to help," liam sighed. he shrugged then, threw an arm around niall's shoulder. "i'd better call lou, tell him i'm camping out here a few days."

"will he mind?" niall asked nervously. he didn't know louis all that well, and didn't want to be the cause of any problems between liam and his soulmate.

"no way, dude. he trusts me. and you. plus, he knows you're like the dorky little brother i never had."

"you have harry," niall pointed out.

"he doesn't count," liam shrugged. 

"how does he not --"

"so what movie are we watching?" liam asked, pulling out his phone and texting louis. 

"hercules," niall beamed. liam groaned and rolled his eyes.

"again?" he whined. "not fair. your dad actually says words in that film, i'm not even convinced my mom exists in it."

"not my fault," niall shrugged, giggling. 

~ ~ ~

"you fall asleep during that film every single time," liam laughed fondly. "why do we even watch it?"

"shut up. love it," niall mumbled sleepily. he'd ended up somewhat curled up in liam's lap, his head resting on his stomach. "wanna sleep."

"'kay. let's go upstairs." he nudged at niall's shoulder fondly. "come on." 

"carry meeeee," niall whined, and liam rolled his eyes, but tossed him over his shoulder. niall squeaked, giggling, and then squeaked again when liam dropped him on the bed.

"g'night," liam huffed. he had to smack the wall several times before he found the light switch, which made niall giggle more.

"can we cuddle?" niall asked, voice soft and sad in the dark. he missed zayn again, but being with liam made it hurt a little less.

"yeah, okay. just don't knee me in the crotch again."

"that was one time!" there was silence again for a few minutes, and then, "i like being the small spoon."

"i know, niall. go to sleep."

"okay." more silence. "why do triangles look like that?"

"niall."

"okay, okay. sorry. but, okay, how did miley's friends not know she was hannah montana?"

"you wouldn't know if i was hannah montana."

"i so would," niall argued.

"why are we still talking? i told you to go to sleep." liam's voice had a laugh in it, even though he was trying to sound irritated.

"why are oreos so good?"

"you're the worst friend ever."

"okay, grumpy gills," niall muttered.

liam chuckled. "that would've been funnier if you'd said it to louis."

niall laughed, too. "liam?"

"niall, i love you, but i will duct tape your entire face if you don't shut the fuck up."

"g'night."

"thank the gods," liam huffed, burying his face in his pillow.