Until You're Mine | Zaniam Halloween AU [COMPLETE]

SEVEN

Niall wakes up in the back of the van, sleepy and disoriented. He is groggy, but seeing Zayn unconscious beside him wakes him up a little. He rushes to his boyfriend's side, feels for his pulse. Zayn's heart beats hard against his fingertips.

"He's fine," Liam's voice says, and Niall's head snaps up.

"What's going on? Where are we?" Niall demands.

"We're moving," Liam answers. "I told you about that, remember?"

"Moving where?"

"You know I'm not going to answer that, sweetheart."

Niall huffs, which makes Liam laugh. He opens a bag of something that smells like breakfast food, and Niall's mouth waters.

Liam glances at him in the rear view mirror. "You hungry, baby?"

Niall nods, ignoring the pet name.

"If you come sit up here with me, you can have some."

Niall hesitates. "Is that a good idea? What if I knocked you out while you're driving?"

Liam snorts. "With what?" Niall looks around, finding nothing he could even use to knock Liam out. "I think I could defend myself. Come on, come sit with me, angel. I know you're hungry."

Niall inches forward hesitantly, and after a few minutes, climbs his way into the passenger seat next to Liam.

"Hi," Liam says once Niall sits, as if they hadn't been talking to each other all this time. To Niall's annoyance, it makes him laugh.

"Hi," he says, somewhat grumpily. "Can I eat now?"

"Sure," Liam smiles, handing him the bag. With a delighted sound, Niall takes a breakfast sandwich our and cheerfully begins to eat it.

"Why won't you tell us where we're going?" Niall asks, mouth full.

"Don't talk with your mouth full, angel," Liam scolds gently. Niall makes a face, but swallows and repeats his question. "It's a surprise."

"Bull --" Niall cuts himself off. "Bullcrap! It is not."

"It really is. I swear," Liam says, smiling. Niall feels himself smiling in response, and Liam uses his free hand to stroke Niall's cheek. For some reason, Niall doesn't pull away.

"Is there food?" Zayn's voice is soft and sleepy.

"Hi!" Niall says cheerfully, turning around to face Zayn.

Zayn shakes his head, chuckling. "Hi, cutie."

Liam hands the bag of food back. "Here you go, sweets."

Zayn takes the bag gratefully, giving Liam a semi-shy smile. He eats quietly, making faces at Niall when he catches him watching. It makes the blond giggle.

"What're you laughing at?" Liam asks, but his voice sounds happy.

"Zayn's making faces at me. It always cracks me up," Niall answers amidst giggles. In response, Liam turns to face Niall and makes the most ridiculous face Niall has ever seen. Zayn can only see half of his face, but it cracks him up, too. Niall ends up wiping tears from his eyes.

"Oh my god," Zayn says, which sets Niall off all over again. Liam even lets out a few chuckles himself.

Suddenly, while Liam is grinning at Niall, Zayn leans over the driver's seat, grabs the wheel, and yanks. Niall lets out a scream as the van jerks toward the ditch on the side, away from oncoming traffic. Liam yells Zayn's name, but Zayn cuts the wheel harder and the van rolls off the freeway and into the ditch.

- - -

"Niall. Niall!" Zayn's voice, frantic, and Niall blearily blinks his eyes open. There is broken glass everywhere, and Niall can taste blood in his mouth. "Come on, sweetheart, we have to get out." Niall finally manages to focus his gaze on Zayn. He looks mostly okay -- a little bloody, but no serious injuries.

Niall looks over at Liam. He's unconscious and his arm is at an unnatural angle. Niall isn't close enough to see if he's breathing, and for some reason, his eyes well up with tears at the thought.

"Are you okay?" Zayn asks, and Niall nods. He helps Zayn get him out of the crushed van. Sirens are blaring and people in other cars are coming towards them to investigate.

"My ankle," Niall gasps, and looks down. It doesn't look broken, it just hurts, and Zayn loops Niall's arm over his shoulder so he can keep his weight off of it.

"You distracted him perfectly," Zayn murmurs as he helps Niall limp towards the sound of sirens. "Even I almost believed you actually enjoyed being close to him like that."

Guilt twists in Niall's stomach. He can never tell Zayn the truth, so he just doesn't say anything at all. Zayn calls for help as they near the flashing lights, and Niall's ankle has started to hurt so bad it's making him dizzy.

"It's okay, baby. I'm right here," Zayn coos as Niall starts to lean more heavily on him. "I've got you."

"He's going to find us," Niall whispers into Zayn's neck.

"No, he won't, baby. Not now. He can't," Zayn replies.

"Sir? Sir, were you in the van?" one of the cops asks Zayn.

Zayn nods. "My boyfriend is hurt, please --"

"Yes, we'll put him on the stretcher. Which one of you was driving?"

Zayn looks confused. "Neither of us. Another guy was driving."

The cop stares at him. "There was no one else in the van just now, sir..."

Zayn goes pale, and he carefully sets Niall on the stretcher before running back to the edge of the street and peering down into the ditch. Sure enough, the driver's seat is empty.

"Is he gone?" Niall asks when Zayn gets back. "Zayn, is he going to find us?"

Zayn is still pale as a sheet. "He wasn't in the car," he says slowly, and that answers both questions.