the song of persephone ♡ ziall/niam au [COMPLETE]

neuf

"look at the stars," niall whispered. he and zayn were laying on a pastel picnic blanket, flower petals scattered over the grass. niall is so tired, but the sky is a masterpiece, and he never wants to stop looking at it. "how can there be so many?"

"i know." zayn's voice is quiet. they're both mystified by the silence of the night, by the act of inhaling and exhaling whole solar systems.

"we're almost out of gummy worms," niall sighed with a frown.

"you can have the last few. i'm good," zayn assured him, and niall smiled, stuffing a gummy worm in his mouth. "niall? what's going on with you and your mom?"

niall stiffened. "i don't want to talk about that."

"okay." zayn was soft, warm. his hand reached out to hold niall's, and niall let him. "i just want you to know i'll help in any way that i can."

niall turned around and hugged zayn hard around the neck. his cheek was so soft against zayn's, and zayn immediately folded his arms back around niall's tiny body.

"you're soooo nice," niall sighed out, still hugging zayn. he sat back and smiled shyly at him, and then dug through his backpack until he found the necklace zayn had seen on his dresser. "i went to the underworld for half the year," niall began to explain. "because i wanted to, not because i had to. liam, hades, he...he was so nice, and he listened. in the time i spent with him...i...i fell in love with him." niall's cheeks pinked, and zayn's face softened as he listened. "my mother made me come back after half the year, and she didn't let me say goodbye. it's hard to connect with her now...being around her makes me miss him more." niall shrugged. he looked sad for a minute, but then took a handful of gummy bears, and brightened again.

"it's gonna be okay," zayn told niall. "you'll see him soon, and you'll be away from here for a while." zayn's face was fond. "i am gonna miss you, though, little flower."

niall let out a delighted giggle, and to both of their surprise, kissed zayn. it seemed to be how he showed affection to people he really trusted, of which there were only two people. the blood drained from niall's face, and his eyes went wide.

"hey," zayn said quickly, pulling niall in close so he wouldn't run away. "it's okay, ni. you didn't mean to. it just happened. it's okay, flower. calm down and breathe for me." his hand stroked up and down niall's spine, and niall dropped his forehead onto zayn's shoulder.

"i shouldn't have done that," niall mumbled, voice muffled by zayn's t-shirt.

"it's okay," zayn said again. he was still rubbing niall's back. he would give anything to keep him from being sad. he kissed the side of niall's head. "come on, cutie, finish your gummy bears, yeah? a meteor shower is supposed to pass by pretty soon."

niall lit up again, and he made himself comfortable in zayn's lap, still eating gummy bears. he let out a squeal of delight as the first shooting stars sprinkled through the sky. zayn just watched him, stars in his eyes, much more fond than he'd ever intended to be. niall closed his eyes to make a wish, and then smiled and opened them again, watching the rest of the shooting stars.

"what did you wish for, ni?" zayn asked as they laid down to go to sleep. niall shuffled closer to zayn, nuzzling his cheek against his shoulder.

"a river of hot fudge," niall said with a yawn. "and peppermint snow. and happiness." zayn watched him as he started to fall asleep, his light eyelashes brushing his cheeks. zayn's chest is tight. he'd never meant to fall in love with this adorable boy. niall opened one sleepy eye. "what did you wish for, zayn?"

you, zayn thought, but he couldn't say that. so he put a hand to niall's cheek, smiling when niall nuzzled into his touch. "wisdom," zayn said, because that made sense to him. it was something he knew he would need, especially now. 

"that's a good thing to wish for." niall yawned again. "night night, zayn. i love you."

zayn wanted to cry when niall said that. instead, he kissed the blonde's temple. "i love you, too."