Baby Boy | Zustiall AU [COMPLETE]

Thirty Nine

TW: explicit details of sexual assault

"I don't like this plan," Justin tells Niall, shaking his foot nervously as Oliver, a friend of Justin's, feeds a wire around the collar of Niall's dress. "I really, really don't like this plan."

"Justin, he's going to be fine. He can handle this," Oliver assures Justin, clipping the microphone and tucking the collar over it so it's invisible. "There. That okay, Niall?"

"It's fine," Niall nods. His hands are shaking, too, but Niall tries to hide as to not worry Justin.

"You're sure?" Oliver asks.

"Yeah, Ni, are you sure? If you're uncomfortable at all, you just let us know. We don't have to do this," Justin assures him, putting his hands on Niall's shoulders, smoothing out a crinkle in the fabric with his thumb. 

The plan was Niall's idea, and he was too stubborn to let Zayn or Justin talk him out of it. Not that they didn't try – they certainly did – but Niall was determined. He's sick and tired of Alex's shit, and he so desperately wants to see how his relationship with his boyfriends will grow and flourish without the constant need to look over their shoulders. 

"I'm okay," Niall assures them both. He takes a deep breath. "Oliver...can you please remind me of what to say again? Just once more, please."

"Of course." Oliver gives him a smile as he double checks that the microphone works. "All you have to do is have a discussion with Alex like it's normal. You texted him and asked him to meet, right? So just...talk to him like it's normal. You just want to try and get him to admit what he did to you, to Zayn. How he tried to hurt you. Think you can do that?"

At the mention of what Alex did, of what he's done, Niall's hands start to shake again, but from fury rather than anxiety. "Yes," he answers, biting hard on his lower lip. "Yes, I can do that."

- - -

"Not gonna lie, I was pretty surprised you told me you wanted to meet," Alex tells Niall as he sits across from him at the restaurant. Niall tries to convince himself to eat, knowing he needs to act as normally as possible so Alex will find this believable, but his stomach is twisting into knots. 

"Yeah, well...after the three of us...broke up, well...I guess I wanted to know what happened between you and Zayn. He would never tell us what happened, and you're the only other one who knows."

"Liam knows. He broke my fucking nose," Alex snaps, stabbing at his salad aggressively.

Niall flinches at the sound. "He won't..." He swallows hard. "He won't tell me either."

Alex lets out a dry chuckle, chewing with his mouth open. "Well, settle in then, Niall. You're in for a long-ass story."

"I've got nowhere to be." Niall takes a sip of water and tries to calm his racing heart. In all honesty, he's not sure he's ready for whatever Alex is about to say, judging by the smug smile on the guy's lips, but he supposes he has to be.

"Suit yourself," Alex responds, far too proud of the sick shit he's done. "It was easy to get him to come. Excuse the pun, I do mean coming to where I asked him to meet me." Niall rolls his eyes. "Really, it was simple. All I had to do was threaten you. Told him I knew where you lived, said that I knew he and Justin would come running if I so much as put a hand on you. Only shame is that he didn't tell Justin he was coming. I could've had them both." He shakes his head in mock shame. "Anyway, so Zayn came and met me where I asked him to. Liam came, too, and I hadn't expected that. I took pictures of everything."

Niall perked up a little; this was what Oliver asked him to make sure he got. "What do you mean 'everything'?"

Alex rolled his eyes. "You know, everything I did to Zayn."