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

five

"we're okay, right?" zayn keeps asking the next morning before he leaves. "everything between us is good, right?"

"we're fine, zayn," niall laughs, shoving him out the door. "if you don't go, you're gonna be late, and your manager is already pissed."

"okay. you promise everything's fine?"

"it won't be if you don't go!"

"okay, okay." zayn cups niall's face in his hands, kisses him quickly. they are both lost in it for a second before niall pulls back. "i love you, so much." zayn's voice is a whisper.

niall fights back his smile. "i love you, too, zee." zayn kisses him one more time and slips out the door, yelling at justin to hurry his ass up.

"see ya, little one," justin smiles, kissing the top of niall's head as he makes his way out the door.

"bye, justin," niall grins back, hating himself for blushing. 

- - -

"thank you," zayn says to justin in the car. "you didn't have to do that...but you know how important niall is to me, and --"

justin shakes his head. "dude? shut up."

zayn looks over. "what?"

"zayn, you'd do it for me. right?"

zayn nods, though he's confused. "of course i would."

"then it's all good." 

zayn shrugs, still so confused, but doesn't say anything else about it.

- - -

a few months pass without incident. niall's trust in zayn is stronger than ever, considering how he's proven himself worthy. most of zayn and justin's touring lately has been overseas, and skype has been helpful, but not quite enough.

strangely enough, niall finds himself missing justin, too. it's weird, considering how strongly he'd disliked him at first, but now everything is different and a bit odd.

the facetime ringtone starts to go off on niall's phone as he's eating dinner, and with a bright smile, he holds the phone up to his face.

"hi, niall!" zayn's voice is sleepy, but happy, and niall's heart is beating so hard.

"hi!"

"hi, ni!" another voice calls, and zayn turns the camera so niall can see justin's face, too.

the smile on niall's face grows. "hi, justin!"

"scoot over," justin says, voice off camera, and then there's a bit of blurriness until both zayn and justin are visible onscreen.

"hi," niall says again, still smiling.

"hey," they say in unison.

"where are you right now?"

"france," justin says, yawning. he leans his head on zayn's shoulder.

"we played our biggest concert yet," zayn adds, his hand absentmindedly going up to run his fingers through justin's hair. niall doesn't mind nearly as much as he probably should. he just watches, quiet, not mentioning it. he won't say a word, but his heart isn't breaking. it's strange all around.

 zayn looks up and catches the strange expression on niall's face. he immediately yanks his hand out of justin's hair, waking him up in the process. he opens his mouth to say something, but he can't find words.

"i know," niall whispers back. his throat is tight and his eyes are teary, but he isn't sad, not really. to be honest, he's not too sure of what he's feeling. he just loves zayn so much, it aches deep.

"i don't know what i want," zayn says, though he doesn't remembering choosing to say that. he looks deeply confused.

niall takes a deep breath. "do you want me?"

zayn's eyes snap up to the camera. "always," he says, instantaneously. not long enough to think. he doesn't need to.

"okay," niall replies. his heart settles in his chest, stops churning with the ocean. the ache melts away, slowly, slowly. 

justin hasn't said a thing the whole time. he knows that he should stay out of this, that this isn't his conversation to have. but at the same time, he desperately wants to say something. wants to tell the he knows what they're missing, that he could fill the gap. but he doesn't want to lose them, either, and that fear outweighs what he wants. so he stays quiet, his head still leaning in the gap between zayn's chin and his shoulder. they have been quiet for so long.

"hey," zayn says, nudging him. "you've been quiet."

justin hums. he asks too much of this world that holds him. he closes his eyes.

"you should sleep," niall's voice says. "it's late, and you've had a long night."

"i don't want to say goodbye," zayn's voice responds. justin's heart seizes. it is wrong to be jealous like this. it is wrong.

"me neither."

niall sighs. "goodnight, i adore you." a pause, and then niall's voice whispering, "goodnight, justin."

justin opens an eye. "goodnight, cutie." his voice is raspy, and he doesn't miss the way niall's cheeks go pinker and he shivers at the sound. hope flutters in his chest. though he should, he doesn't stifle it.

zayn blows a kiss at the camera, and niall says goodbye one more time before zayn shuts his laptop. "is it okay if i sleep here?"

justin would never tell him to move. "you know i don't give a shit."

zayn laughs, shifts in the bed so justin is laying on top of him anymore. "goodnight, dork."

justin yawns. "goodnight, nerd."