Forbidden Desires {Ziall AU}

Chapter 25: you're a sour little boy with a fragile masculinity

TRIGGER WARNING-
Mentioned domestic abuse (past tense)

chapter title from LEMONS (Demo) by Brye

Hello lovely people!

I'm so sorry for no update last week, I don't have any excuse. However I did make this one a little longer for you.
There are some heavy topics briefly discussed in this chapter so please check the trigger warning in the chapter summary above.
I have a little Christmas special that will be ready for next week's chapter, I'm really excited to write it (and I hope your excited to read it!)
But for now,
Enjoy <3

The bass thrums through my veins, shaking me to my core. The strobe lights blind me with every turn. It's all too bright and dark at the same time, and I need to sit down. Now. I knock back the cocktail Niall bought for me, (which is around ninety nine percent liquor). Not that I'm complaining.

We're sitting at one of the obscenely small tables around the edge of the room while Niall hangs off my side. He doesn't realise how little he needs to drink to get shitfaced, he always thinks he can hold it better than he can. Now he's been hanging off my side for the last hour, whispering sweet little comments into my ear. They're making the blush coating my face more permanent.

"I love you," he giggles into my neck, hiding his face on my pulse point.

"Yeah?" I grin, wrapping a protective arm around his waist, "well guess what?"

He lifts his head, giving me a lopsided grin, "what?"

I lean into his ear, "I love you too."

A beautiful grin spreads across his face, the group of giggles slipping out his mouth. "Dance with me," he asks.

If it was anyone else, I would've laughed in their face, yet there's nothing I can deny him. So, we're dancing. Well, less dancing, more dirty grinding. He truly has no shame, but I've come to wonder if that's more the alcohol's responsibility than his own. It's in a place like this where people let go of their day-to-day worries and dance the night away. When Niall ends up leaning into my chest, we make our way off to score an empty table. Niall gets another round of drinks, (which we don't need) but down nonetheless.

Whatever, fuck it.

It's not long after when a girl grabs my attention. She keeps on casting her razor-sharp eyes to our table. Anger tries to push its way up my spine, but I force it back down. She's looking, she's doing nothing wrong, I remind myself. She's full of long tanned legs and box dyed blond hair, her overdone makeup shimmering under the lights. If I keep looking, she'll come over, but I can't seem to look away.

She seems so familiar.

I put her out of my mind, instead trying to keep up with Niall's rambling conversation, which proves to be difficult. Where do I know her from? The question nags at me for long after I've forgotten her. Until a perfectly manicured hand slips its way onto Niall's shoulder, turning him around. The girl stands there, a sly smirk painting her face an ugly colour.

When she opens her mouth, her voice comes out sweet enough to be enticing, "You look so good in that jacket." It fills me with rage. She runs a hand down his arm, but he has enough sense to pull away from her. For a moment, she seems to be hurt, but her facade quickly brightens again. She smiles, "Do you come here often?"

He furrows his brows like he can't make sense of why he's talking to her, "no," he answers.

"Really?" she exaggerates, "I could have sworn I've seen you here before," she shakes her head like she can't believe it.