he don't like the lights ♡ ziall/zustin/jiall au [COMPLETE]

four

"i want you to call it quits."

it's the day after niall heard them kissing, and it's been all he could think about. them kissing. them touching. them fucking, maybe? niall isn't really sure about that part. 

"what?" zayn's voice is confused.

"you and justin. i want it done."

"i...where is this coming from? this is so sudden."

"i just can't stand to see it anymore. i don't want to think about it." niall's voice quivers; all of this is true.

"i...well, ni, it's not that easy," zayn stammers. "i mean, we --"

"do you love him?"

niall doesn't mean to bring it up. he really doesn't. he wants to allow all of that to be behind him, but all he can hear in his fucking mind is that sound zayn made while he kissed justin.

"where is this --"

"answer me, you fucking asshole," niall demands, tears seeping into his voice. "you tell me, zayn malik, you be honest with me. i deserve that much." his voice is wobbly and wet. he's fighting back tears so hard.

"he's my best friend," zayn answers. "but what i feel for him doesn't come close to what i feel for you."

"fuck you," niall gasps out, and he hangs up the phone before he starts sobbing. 

- - -

"i don't know what i did," zayn mumbles. he's pacing around the hotel room, chest heaving. "what did i do, justin, what did i do?"

"i don't know," justin says honestly. he's at a loss here. "i...check your texts, your calls." he shrugs when zayn stares at him blankly. "i don't fucking know! i don't have any other ideas!"

zayn shrugs and flops on the bed, scrolling through his texts. "i don't know what the fuck you thought i was gonna find."

"did you check your calls?"

zayn rolls his eyes, but obliges. he's scrolling aimlessly through his calls when he suddenly freezes, and justin's gaze flicks from his book to zayn. 

"what's wrong?"

"what time was the interview yesterday?" zayn questions.

"what?"

"the over-the-phone interview. the one where we fucking kissed, and i said i loved you. what fucking time?"

"i -- i don't know," justin stammers, startled by the urgency in zayn's voice. "six, seven pm? why?"

"i've got to go home." zayn looks around for his shoes. "fuck!"

"go home? zee, you're in the middle of a tour, you can't just go home."

"fuck!" zayn yells again, and then whirls around to face justin. his eyes are wild with panic. "niall called me yesterday in the middle of that interview, and i didn't get a chance to warn him about it because he was with liam! so he didn't fucking know that was an interview, he probably just thought he overheard us."

the blood drained from justin's face. "oh."

"yeah. so i don't give a fuck about the tour. i'm an idiot, and i'm about to lose my fucking fiancee." he finally finds his shoes, tugs them on, and grabs his suitcase. "can you take me to the airport?"

"no." 

zayn looks up at him, surprised and indignant.

then justin smiles. "i'm going with you. this is half my fault, too."

- - -

in his time of distress, niall crashes at liam's.

it's no surprise to liam at all, honestly. niall didn't even call first -- the doorbell just rang and there he was, teary-eyed and sniffling. he explained everything to liam over a cup of tea, and now he's watching legally blonde and telling liam how he's gonna have a 'fuck men' phase.

he literally just finished that sentence when the doorbell rang.

"am i having a party that i was told about or invited to?" liam mutters to himself, but goes and answers the door. to his surprise, zayn and justin are standing there, zayn with a bouquet of roses and justin with a giant stuffed bear and a handful of balloons.

"i knew he'd be here," zayn responds to liam's unasked question.

"i should break your arms," liam says, but steps back to let them in. niall is still balled up on the couch. at the sight of zayn, his frown intensifies, but he brightens when he sees the giant stuffed bear, and he takes it out of justin's arms, beaming.

"i'm still mad at you, though," he says to zayn, nuzzling his cheek against the bear. "and so is mr. dynamite. so don't talk to us, we don't wanna hear it." he squeezes his bear tighter and trains his attention back to the television.

"i know you're angry," zayn begins, "and judging by what you probably heard, you have every right to be. but it's all a misunderstanding, and it's all my fault, and i'm so sorry." niall perks up a little, but doesn't shift his gaze from the tv. liam plops in the loveseat next to him, tosses an arm around niall and mr. dynamite. 

"said i don't wanna hear it," niall mumbles.

"just go straight to the point, idiot," justin mutters to zayn. "look, niall, it was an interview. if you heard anything mushy between us, it was because we had an over-the-phone radio interview. they called my phone, and zayn must've butt-dialed you in the middle of it. he and i are just friends, i promised you i wouldn't cross that line." he sounds hurt, and guilt twinges in niall's chest.

"is that true, zee?" niall asks.

"yes. that's exactly it." zayn sounds sincere, and his face is pinched; he looks frightened.

niall looks over at liam, who is already looking at him. the two of them are so close they're able to communicate without words, and judging by liam's expression, zayn is telling the truth. liam can always tell.

"okay," niall sighs. "but don't make that mistake again. you have to warn me, otherwise i'm gonna assume the worst. i don't know how not to." 

zayn finally moves, cupping niall's face in his hands and pressing multiple kisses to his face. "i'm so sorry, baby boy. i'm the worst."

"yeah, you are," niall responds, but he's giggling adorably. zayn nips at his bottom lip in retaliation, and niall's giggles only increase. "i forgive you, just...don't do it again. please." for just a second, his face goes weary, and zayn can see how much that was weighing on him. but then it's gone, and niall has wiggled his way into zayn's lap, his head in justin's. justin is the kind of person who plays with your hair if your head is in his lap, which is niall's favorite thing, and before long he's practically purring like a kitten. "wait!" he yelps suddenly.

"what?" justin asks, so startled that he stops playing with niall's hair.

"didn't you guys have a concert tonight?" when neither of them answer right away, niall sits up so he can look at them both. "didn't you?"

"yeah," zayn finally answers. "but...i wanted to make things right with you. it was all i could think about."

niall's expression goes soft. "really? you...you missed a whole concert just for me?"

zayn nods. he feels the strangest urge to cry, he loves niall so much.

"you really love me, don't you?" niall asks, very quietly.

"i really do," zayn replies, just as quietly.

"seriously he does," justin adds. "he even talks about you in his sleep."

"i wouldn't doubt that," liam notes, and the embarrassed expression on zayn's face makes niall laugh.