Broulmates ♡ Ziall AU [COMPLETE]

OCHO

It's been a few days since the sleepover, and Niall is managing.

He's definitely better. It's easier to manage with his friends knowing. They are careful with him, and Liam is encouraging Niall to go to the police, but as of now, things are okay. One of them is always by his side, usually Zayn, and they keep him safe.

Today, though, Niall wants to be on his own. He realizes that Zayn, Harry, and Liam might not be around for the rest of his life, and he needs to be able to function on his own. (He also fears that they're annoyed with him.)

"Are you sure?" Liam asks him carefully.

"We don't mind going with you," Harry adds.

"Not at all," Zayn nods.

"I can do this," Niall assures them. His heart is in his throat. He can do this, right?

So he goes to math by himself. By the time he gets in the classroom, his shirt is sticking to his back with sweat. His hands are shaking, and when Henry walks in the room, it takes everything he has in him to not puke all over himself. Usually he's able to ground himself by thinking that Harry/Liam/Zayn is only a few doors away, that they won't let Henry hurt him. Today he is alone.

That thought sends panic rippling up his spine, and Niall somehow (he doesn't know how) manages to gasp out, "Can I go to the bathroom?"

The teacher says yes, and Niall makes his way out into the hallway before it becomes hard to breathe. He's clutching the hall pass so tightly it's cutting into his palm, his vision fading in and out. He goes into the bathroom and lets out a slow breath, pressing the heels of his hands to his eyes.

"I can do this. I can do this," he whispers to himself. He is shaking so hard that it feels like his bones are rattling. He only moves his hands from his eyes when he hears the door open, and then a scream bubbles up into his throat.

"Miss me?" Henry's voice is cocky. He grips Niall by the waist, pulling him into a bruising kiss. Niall bites his bottom lip as hard as he possibly can, and then just starts screaming at the top of his lungs.

"ZAYN! ZAYN!" he yells, screaming until his throat is raw. Zayn's name mixes with Harry's and Liam's and Niall is thrashing, thrashing. He can't see -- everything is blinded by his tears.

"You like it. Stop crying." Henry's fingers crushing his face. Blood on his tongue. He can't stop screaming. Everything hurts. Everything hurts so much. "You like it. Stop crying. Stop crying."

Then a new voice. "Baby, I've got you. Niall, angel, I've got you. You can stop screaming, honey." Zayn. Relief washes over Niall so roughly that he goes limp in Zayn's arms. "I've got you. You're okay, baby, I didn't let him hurt you."

Harry is there, too, brushing Niall's hair back off his forehead. "I'm so sorry we weren't here, Ni." His voice is so heartbroken. "If we'd been just a few minutes late..."

"You weren't," Niall rasps. Harry's hand is so warm on his cheek. Niall shifts. "Where's Liam?"

Harry winces as a cry of pain fills the bathroom. "He's a bit busy." 

The bathroom door flies open and hits the wall, and when Niall looks up, the principal is standing there.

"Tell him," Liam spits. He shoves Henry to the ground. His nose is gushing blood down his face, and one of his eyes is so swollen Niall isn't sure how he can see out of it. "Tell him what you fucking did!"

The principal looks too shocked to even question anything. When Henry takes too long, Liam grips him by his hair, yanking him up so that his gaze meets the principal's. "TELL HIM!"

"I raped him," Henry sputters, blood splattering down his chin to the tiled bathroom floor.

"He tried to do it again, just now," Niall whispers. He is still shaking. He hadn't realized. 

The principal's gaze goes from shock to disgust. His gaze travels over their faces. Liam, blaringly angry, Harry, concerned, Zayn, protective, and Niall, terrified. His lips are trembling, eyes welling up with tears. He is so afraid that the principal won't believe him. He looks at Henry, who has a sick smirk on his face.

Without a word, the principal grabs Henry by the arm and yanks him out of the bathroom.

"Liam," Niall sobs, reaching for him. Liam immediately pulls Niall in, rubbing the smaller boy's back. Nobody has stood up for him like these three have, and Niall loves them so much it hurts. "Thank you," he weeps, full out weeping, tears and snot dripping onto Liam's shirt.

- - -

At a red light, two blocks from his house, in Zayn's car, Niall starts to cry again. It's abrupt, seemingly without cause. His eyes and nose are sore from crying so much already.

"Niall!" Zayn gasps, "What's wrong?" 

"You'll never love me now," he gasps through his tears. He's appalled at himself for actually saying that to Zayn, but it's true.

"I do love you," Zayn says, confused. His heart is beating awfully hard, awfully fast. He can taste his heartbeat on his tongue.

"I mean love me," Niall whimpers. "You can't. Nobody can." His entire body is shaking he's crying so hard. 

"Niall," Zayn murmurs. There is such little time. The light will change soon. The moment will be gone. Niall looks up at Zayn, wet eyelashes long and clumpy, cheeks and nose red. Even distraught, he is so beautiful, Zayn thinks, and then, gently, gently, slowly, so he has time to pull away, Zayn kisses Niall.

I think it goes without saying that Niall, in fact, does not pull away.