Oblivious {Niall Centric}

i

He was giggling into his hand again, leaning back against Liam's chest as he sat in the warm lap of his water-bending friend. His eyes were so blue with how excitement glistened in his irises. His cheeks turned red with the intensity of his amusement. Louis was so darn funny to Niall!

He heard a loud commotion to his left, silencing his laughter as he observed the scene between the school punk, Rex -- George was his real name, but he insisted on being called Rex, so Niall complied -- and a curly-haired teen he had never seen before. "Oh dear. . . Louis," He turned to Louis with a worried look. "We have to stop them before one of them gets hurt!"

With a discontented sigh, Liam placed Niall on the picnic table they were seated at for lunch. "Don't you worry your pretty, little blonde head. I've got it covered."

Niall watched in concern from the top of the picnic table, nervously taking Louis' hand in his own. Louis fed him a grape with his free hand to ease Niall's worry, but it was a fruitless effort. Niall chewed the grape impatiently when Liam dragged a furious Rex over to their table. "Oh come on! I could have beat his sorry as-" Rex stops yelling when he is lugged in front of Niall to sit on the bench. "Uh. . . I mean butt."

"Hi, Rex!"

"Hi, Niall," Rex was tall and lean, blue-green hair spiked up in a mohawk. His grey eyes softened from their usual cold glare whenever Niall was near. "Sorry you had to see that."

Niall giggled at that. "Don't apologize. I just didn't want you to get hurt or in trouble for fighting."

Rex was the school punk, but it was impossible to not have a soft spot for the blonde. "I still feel guilty. . ."

"All is forgiven," Niall smiled before his eyes widened. The curly-haired teen was making his way over to them -- or more accurately, Rex. "Hello!"

"If you think I'm done with you, yo-" The boy with curls for days stopped his rant when his eyes ran up the pale, smooth skin of Niall's legs, trailing passed his shorts and striped shirt and to his brilliant blue eyes. "Hi."

Breathless, the curly-haired boy greeted the oh so precious Niall. Eyes widened and mouth agape, he stood and stared at the ethereal beauty of the blonde boy. "I'm Niall! What's your name?" Niall chirped happily, oblivious to the warning looks of his friends.

"Harry."

"Well, Harry," Niall began, clapping his hands together once as he straightened his posture. "It is nice to meet you. Could you tell me why, Rex here, was about to hit you?"

Rex interjected before Harry could answer. "This punk," It was ironic when the school punk pointed to Harry like he was the world's most wanted criminal. "Thought it would be funny if he replaced my grape soda with water and purple food-dye!"

Louis and Liam chuckled as Niall pouted his lips in thought. "So you decided to fight him?"

"Yep."

"It was just a prank," Harry spoke up after a minute of silence had gone by. "If you would have asked nicely, I would have gave back your soda."

Rex snorted. "Why did you even do it in the first place?"

"Zayn dared me," Harry replied. "Didn't think it'd be this big of a deal."

"Rex is just a little sensitive," Niall explained, hearing a groan of detest from Rex. "I'm sure if you apologize, we can all put this behind us."

"I really don't do apologies, babe," Harry started, eyes scanning over the soft features of Niall's face. If he looked hard enough, he could see a reflection of himself in Niall's eyes. "But because you are nice and really pretty, I will apologize."

"Yay!" Niall cheered. "See how talking it out is better that using your fists, Rex?"

"This isn't Full House or Fuller house. Not everyone is willing to have a heart-to-heart talk and move on with life," Rex groaned, disappointed when Niall waves him off dismissingly.

Somewhere, off in the distance, the bell rang for fifth period. Lunch was officially over. "Alright, off to class you go," Liam lifted Niall off the table even though Niall whined in protest. He could get down by himself! He crossed his arms over his chest, glaring up at a chuckling Liam. "Don't want to be late, do you?"

"Okay," Niall sighed defeatedly, skipping off to class. Before he went through the school doors, he turned back and yelled, "Bye guys! Even you, Harry!"

~.~.~.

He didn't mean to, honestly he didn't! "I'm sorry," He repeated for the twelfth time, gathering up the last of Zayn's papers. "Here."

Zayn's amber eyes squinted at Niall, observing as much detail as he good. The blonde wrung his hands together nervously, biting his lower lip. Zayn reached out, thumb pulling Niall's lip from his teeth. Niall blushed when Zayn tugged him closer by the belt loops of his jean shorts, eyes staring so deep into his that Niall felt naked. He was pushed against the locker, Zayn caging him in. "I'm afraid a simple sorry won't be enough, sweetheart."

Being this close, Zayn could see a faint scatter of freckles across Niall's nose where his glasses were sometimes perched. "It was an accident, I promise!"

"I don't doubt that," Zayn chuckled low in his throat, leaning down to stand eye to eye with Niall. "But I'm still not satisfied."

"Please don't hurt me," Niall squeaked out, shrinking into himself as much as Zayn would allow him to.

"I wouldn't dream of it, sweetheart," Zayn breathed, thumb caressing the blonde's cheekbones. The flesh of his face was a deep red as Zayn continued. "I want a kiss."

A kiss? That wasn't too bad. Niall leaned in and pecked Zayn's cheek, wondering why Zayn would want a kiss from him of all people. "May I leave now? My friends are waiting for me outside."

Zayn released him, face blank and eyes with a faraway look in them. He didn't know the rumors were true: Niall was innocent beyond reproach.

Niall scampered off, clutching his bag tight to his chest and shaking his head to rid his thoughts of the school's only fire-bender, Zayn Malik.

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I regret nothing.