Broulmates ♡ Ziall AU [COMPLETE]

ONCE

"You ready?" Thomas asks. He's just rung the doorbell, and Niall's hands are already shaking. 

"Yeah. Just let me grab my hoodie," Niall says. He goes up the stairs and grabs the first hoodie he sees, and hesitates for a second. This hoodie is Zayn's. It makes his throat feel tight, but he grabs it anyway. Maybe the scent of Zayn's cologne will keep him from freaking out on this date. "Where are we gonna go?"

"Is the movies okay?" Thomas asks. Panic flashes across Niall's face. "Niall? We don't have to."

"No, the movies is fine," Niall says, voice crackly. He wants to do whatever Thomas wants to do. He wants to feel something.

The movie is uninteresting. Niall isn't even really sure what they're watching; he's too focused on making his hands stop shaking. Thomas' hand is on his thigh, and Niall has to keep himself from screaming because sometimes, for a split second, he thinks the hand is Henry's, and he can feel his disgusting hands all over his skin.

"Did you like the movie?" Thomas asks as the lights come up. Niall blinks a few times, confused.

"What? Oh. Uh, yeah," he says unconvincingly. Niall has never been a good liar, and Thomas just stares at him. Niall gives him a fake, dry smile, and Thomas smiles back. When he does so, Niall instantly feels bad. Thomas really likes him, and Niall is just using him.

Before he can say anything, Thomas puts an arm around Niall's shoulders and leads him towards the car. "You want to go back to my place?"

Niall's mouth tastes like poison. He knows what this means. No, he thinks, no. I don't want to go to your place. I want to go home and call Zayn and have him hold me until I can breathe again. But he doesn't say that, because he doesn't want Zayn to have to deal with the mess that he is. So he says, "Sure," and his voice breaks like glass. 

- - -

Niall doesn't even get to step fully into Thomas' house before he's kissing him. He's not very good at kissing, not that Niall is much better, and Niall digs his fingernails into his palms so he doesn't bite Thomas' tongue.

Thomas leads him to the bedroom, which is right down the hallway, and a cold sweat runs down Niall's back when Thomas goes to pull of his shirt. He mouths roughly at Niall's neck, not even questioning the marks that are there from earlier.

Suddenly Niall can't breathe. The hands go from gently beside his head to over his mouth. Thomas' gentle smile becomes Henry's. "Stop crying. You like it." Niall's breathing is raspy. "Stop crying."

He doesn't even realize he's screamed until Thomas jerks back. Niall curls up and starts to cry. "D-Don't touch me," he chokes. The room is spinning. He is sure he's going to die.

Thomas' face curls up in disgust. "You're a fucking tease. Should've known from those marks on your neck." He tosses Niall's shirt back at him and literally shoves him out of his house. "Fucking waste of time. You don't even put out. I guess what Henry said was true." 

Niall's blood goes cold at those words. Suddenly he doesn't feel warm enough in Zayn's hoodie. And even worse, he has no way to get home now. 

He calls both Liam's and Harry's phone, but neither of them answer, so he resorts to calling Zayn.  And, of course, Zayn being Zayn, he answers on the second ring.

"Niall?" Zayn's voice is soft, concerned. Zayn's voice is home, so much so that just the sound of it has Niall bursting into tears. "Niall? Angel, what's happened? Talk to me, sweetie."

Niall just shakes his head, though Zayn can't see him. "N-Need to go home."

"Home?" Zayn is confused. It makes Niall cry harder; he is so ashamed. "Where are you, baby?"

"Th-Thomas' house."

"Oh." Zayn's voice is clipped, taut.

"P-Please don't," Niall whines, even though he knows he practically asked for this.

"Don't what?"

A frustrated sob leaves Niall. He doesn't know how to explain. "I w-want you to love me," he tries to explain. His nose is still running and his eyes are itchy. "B-but I'm m-messed up." His hands are still shaky. He sobs again. "I t-tried to...I didn't want..."

"It's okay." Zayn doesn't understand, but he appreciates that Niall is trying.

"No," Niall huffs. He wants to explain. Needs to. "I didn't wanna poison you!" he cries. "I'm...I'm messy, Zayn, and y-you..." He shakes his head, eyes squeezed shut tight. "You're p-perfect. I d-don't wanna stain you." 

"Sweetheart." Zayn's voice is so soft. "Hang on." He hangs up, and Niall stares down at the phone, confused. A few seconds later, though, Zayn's car pulls up in the driveway. Niall trudges over to the passenger seat, embarrassed, head lowered.

"Hey," Zayn's voice says. Niall hadn't even realized he'd gotten out of the car. Zayn walks around the hood of the car to Niall, tilts his chin up. "You listen to me, and you listen good." Zayn's jaw is tight, eyes ablaze. Niall expects to be afraid, but he isn't. Zayn would never hurt him. "Damn it, Niall." His jaw tightens further. "I love you. Okay? I love you. I loved you before the Henry thing, and I loved you after. I loved you yesterday. I love you today. I'll love you tomorrow." Both hands cup Niall's chin. "Angel, there is nothing you can do. Nothing you can do can make me love you less. I love you as much today as I did yesterday, and I'll love you this much tomorrow. I love you, Niall James."

Niall lets out a sob. His hands go up around Zayn's neck, fingers in his hair. This is so familiar. This is so safe. "Tell me again," he whispers. This is it. This is his cure. "Please."

"Sweet little angel," Zayn coos between kisses on Niall's face, gentle kisses over every sore spot Jim left. They aren't sore anymore. Nothing hurts now. "I love you, little one. Always will. My sweet little angel." He kisses Niall's hands, careful to not touch him anywhere that isn't safe. 

"Once more, please." Niall is almost gone now. He is okay.

"Look at me." Zayn's hands are on his cheeks again. Niall blinks up at him, happy tears in his eyes. "I love you."

Niall finally cries. He is smiling so hard, and he goes up on his tiptoes and kisses Zayn's cheeks as many times as he can. "I love you, too! I love you, I love you, I love you. I can't say it enough times. I'm sorry. I'm so sorry. I love you."

Zayn lets out a laugh, kisses the end of Niall's nose. Yes. This is it. This is right. "I know."