Bully Me [Larry/Ziall | AU]

Bully Me : Chapter 23

[Here is another new update ^^ ! This chapter is dedicated to a good friend of mine and a newbie to the Wattpad world - @FarhaNyte ! I hope you enjoy reading it ^-^ ]

Chapter 23

** 

It was already half past five when the trio reached Gusto's café. The walk had turned out to be longer then Stan had promised, but they still trudged on in the hopes of reaching it on time.  

Zayn's presence had put both the boys on edge. 

Niall couldn't stop thinking about the handprint on his waist, which still burned under his t-shirt. While Stan was furious about Niall's decision to let Zayn join their group. 

Zayn was best pals with the school bully, Harry Styles. Even if he didn't get his hands dirty like Harry did, Zayn was still his partner in crime and that made Stan's hatred towards both of them logical. There was also one other reason for Stan's immense dislike towards Zayn. 

He was the first newcomer Zayn had targeted in their third grade. Being the geeky bespectacled guy, with braces tucked under his teeth and wearing clothes that were too big for him, Stan was the ideal victim for the duos nasty pranks. 

Harry hadn't been much interested in him back then, but Zayn was. He had suffered more under Zayn's hands then Harry's. And Niall had just gone and pissed him off further by sweet talking Zayn into joining them for brunch. 

'Guys? Is this the one?' Niall called out. 

He was standing in front of a brightly lit café with the 'Gusto's' neon sign blazing on top of it. The place still sported decorations of the inauguration ceremony - colorful streamers hanging down from the glass windows, glittery stars glued onto the black marbled walls on the outside and fairy lights coiled around the nearby trees and entrance of the café. 

'Yes, that's the one!' Stan shouted back and hurried towards where Niall stood. 

Zayn took his time getting to the door, where they both stood waiting for him. His cool, I-don't-give-a-shit attitude was enough to bring back all the hatred that Stan had kept hidden under his face. He didn't want Niall knowing the mutual feelings they shared, least he saw Stan in a different light. But Zayn wasn't making it any easier for him. 

'Let’s go inside.' Stan muttered as soon as Zayn's feet graced the doormat, wasting no time in opening the door and practically pushing Niall and himself into the air-conditioned room. 

The place held a soft, mild ambience. Sweet vanilla scented candles had been placed on the round tables, two on each of them. Their small pudgy bodies were hand-painted with glitter colors like purple, blue and red, making them extremely pretty and eye-catching. Comfortable chairs surrounded the tables in a group of three and floral design cushions were placed on them to make the setting more homely. 

'This is nice.' Niall whispered as his eyes travelled all over the place, taking in the golden hue of the lights, the printed wallpapers with Gusto's splashed over the entire surface, and settled on a table at the far back. 

He forgot about Stan in his eagerness to get to the secluded place where he and Zayn could hopefully exchange a few words and spend more time touching each other. His mind was so occupied with the thoughts of Zayn that he didn't notice another person shadowing his every move. 

'Niall?' 

Niall turned, unable to contain his excitement. His eyes searched for Zayn, but he had disappeared into the dim darkness of the café. Instead of him, Stan's blank face entered his personal space and Niall took a quick step backwards.