Sacrilegious {ziall}

Maybe Next Time

Chapter five

The brunette didn't show up to school that week, and Niall grew more and more worried by the day. He was nervous about the shape that zayn was in. He shook his head, walking home each afternoon, looking around the streets, wanting to be met with amber eyes. It never happened.

He laid in bed on Friday night, squeezing his eyes shut. He shook his head. He was exhausted and afraid. He had been met with malicious nightmares each night when he shut his eyes. Watching the brutal murder of a beautiful boy with beautiful eyes and a sardonic smirk. He would walk over, taking the last bit of life from the dying frame of the man that he so desperately wanted to save.

And each morning he'd wake, bags under his crystal clear eyes and anxiety in his normally calm heart. He didn't sleep that night, walking to liam's house and calling him out, asking Liam to drive him downtown.

"no, Niall. It's nearly midnight. I shouldn't even be out here." Liam kept saying, shaking his head over and over again, but Niall was persistent. And eventually Liam just gave Niall his keys. "whatever you do just don't...don't get in a car accident. I need the car by tomorrow afternoon. I have a date." he said, pulling Niall in for a kiss on the cheek. "stay out of trouble." he said lowly.

Niall nodded, thanking him before jogging to the truck, getting in and speeding downtown and to zayn's complex, getting out and running up to zayn's door, banging on it until it was answered. "zayn." he said breathlessly, staring at the bruised and bloodied boy. His face fell, and he came in, pulling zayn to the couch.

"let me help you." was all he said, his head swimming in circles.

The boy just stared at him, his eyes nearly swollen shut. He sniffled, opening his mouth to speak, but the blond shook his head, looking down. "no, shhhhh." he said softly, getting up to go run a bath for the raven haired boy.

He stared at the clear water, deep in thought. Why? Why would anyone want to hurt zayn. Why would a single person on the earth want to hurt such a beautiful boy. Niall couldn't answer the question. There was no answer to that why. They just sat there in niall's head, tecked away and haunting. He stood up abruptly, looking around before walking back to Zayn. "c'mon." he said softly, leading him to the bathroom.

Zayn avoided eye contact, waiting for a bit before cautiously discarding his shirt. Niall watched him cringe in pain while the cloth fell to the floor. The expanse of zayn's chest and back was covered in blues and yellows and purples, vicious bruises from harsh hits. The blue eyed boy reached out slowly, running a hand down Zayn's arm.

The touch was reassuring and kind, it was niall's promise. He was promising zayn that it was okay, that it would get better. He adverted his eyes when zayn hooked his thumbs in his shorts, and he couldn't help but blush when he heard zayn's familiar chuckle.

It was only after zayn was in the water that Niall looked at him again. "let me help you." he said again, and zayn just shook his head. It was frustrating for Niall to watch someone so free and strong be struck down. And zayn of course, wouldn't let him help.

Niall squeezed his eyes shut. "zayn, I swear." he said lowly. "you will let me help you. I will not let you be out on the streets. You get in enough trouble as it is." he hissed. The darker boy was taken aback by that, giving Niall a slow once over. His eyes were distant, and he shrugged. "Niall, I'm fine." he argued.

The blond shook his head. "Wash up, I'll be back in like ten minutes. There's no way you have any food right now. I'll go get a bit of food for you, and maybe some painkillers." he said softly, getting up and leaving the room.

It only took a few minutes to get to a grocery store. Niall swallowed thickly, stepping out into the cold night. He kept his head down, pulling his hood up. He walked in, grabbing foods that would last zayn a while and a bottle of ibuprofen before checking out and driving back to zayn's.