Niall-Centric One-Shots

The Thing About Niall - Ziall

Request: Would ya write a ziall when Zayn is in love with his autistic neighbor who happen to be his sister best friend (she's also autistic). Please make it long and fluffy like Zayn teach him to draw or something like that. Thank you

Requested by: nilanrlm

Zayn watched as Alexis spooned the cereal in her mouth, their mother braiding her hair at the same time, and he stood at the mirror, fixing his hair, getting ready for his visit with their next-door-neighbor. 

Niall, their neighbor, was 20 years old, just like Zayn, except all throughout school he had been one grade lower than the dark-haired boy, and therefore hung out with his sister Alexis and became best friends with her. This was because they were in the same grade, and because like Alexis, Niall too was autistic.

Niall's family had moved in next door to the Malik's when Zayn was 14, and at the time, instead of befriending Niall, he befriended his older brother Greg. Niall and Zayn did get along, and Niall really liked Zayn, except he was less shy around Alexis, and they were best friends. Zayn thought it better to give the two their time alone.

Zayn had always been protective over his sister when it came to other people, especially in school, so of course he took it upon himself to do the same with Niall, as Greg was several years older and was never in the same school as them.

Niall and Alexis were both enrolled in the same special help classes, and Zayn often attended with his sister and Niall, per request of the teachers and helpers there, because he made them more comfortable.

Since Niall didn't really have a way of communicating it, or never really felt too, Zayn just assumed he was either bi or preferred not to label himself. Zayn himself discovered that he was gay when he was 17 years old and found himself getting jealous of one of the teacher assistants that was helping Niall.

From then on, Zayn knew he had a crush on Niall. It didn't exactly help that he spent more and more time with Niall once they got older and the blush Niall always had on his cheeks when he was around Zayn.

But for the past three years, Zayn had gone to college and visited his family every so often, and both Alexis and Niall had remained at home, continuing their daily routines and attempting college online.

This time he was home, Zayn had come just for the sake of being home, and because he was missing the cute, blonde-haired boy next door and hadn't seen him for awhile.

"Alexis, don't be upset." Trisha, Zayn's mother, said. 

Zayn got up from the couch and shut off the TV, nodded at his mother, and then waved goodbye to Alexis.

"Alexis, why are you so upset? You see Niall almost everyday." Zayn asked.

His sister just frowned. "Because he has been waiting to see you for so long, I want to see his face!"

Zayn just chuckled, and then pressed a kiss to his sister's forehead. "Sorry, sis."

Then he left the house and excitedly made his way from their front door, across the conjoined lawns, and to the Horan's front door. He knocked, and then the door swung open. Maura, Niall's mother, stood there and gave Zayn a big smile when she saw him, then pulled him into a hug.

Once they were inside of the house, Maura called up the stairs to Niall.

"Niall, he's here!" She shouted, and then quiet footsteps could be heard from the top of the stairs to the bottom.

There Niall stood, still small as usual, (he was always the runt of the kids in their class), a big smile on his face, his blue eyes sparkling, and his light purple hair tousled messily.