ROUGH - Niam AU

Chapter 6 - Confessional

Niall wasn't at school the next day, or even the day after that. In fact, he wasn't in school the whole of the rest of that week. Liam asked, but neither Zayn nor anyone else had seen or heard from 

Niall, and they didn't seem to be too worried by that either - as if it were usual for one of their best friends to go missing for days on end. Liam forgot to ask Zayn about what his attacker had meant by him being Zayn's 'little bitch' and why Niall had been so hostile to the man. Liam forgot pretty much everything that week; it was the first time ever he failed an exam. Liam found himself sleeping more during class than at night and he found himself caring less about his grades and more about how he was going to get through one more day.

All because of one Irish blonde who Liam really knew nothing about except for that he had crazy mood swings, was an extreme lightweight and had a love for any and everything Irish.

So on Friday, when Liam arrived home and found the blonde boy swinging on the front gate, he should have been surprised, but he wasn't. Niall had a tendency to show up when Liam least wanted him too, but needed him the most.

"You look like shit." Niall smirked as Liam approached him.

"You are a shit." Liam glared.

Niall nodded, "I deserved that." 

But Liam wasn't stopping there. "You're also a belligerent, stroppy, pathetic, bi-poloar, emotionally unstable, hypocritical arsehole." Liam continued, "And i hate you." 

Niall grinned, "No you don't."

"What do you want Niall?" Liam sighed.

"A second chance." Niall said, as if it were the most simple thing in the world.

"At what?"

"You."

"I'm not a possession or something you can... win, Niall." 

"I know that." Niall said, his voice calm and collected like he had practiced this conversation a hundred times in the mirror... "You're Liam James Payne, you're 17, I've never seen you use a spoon, you cough every time you have a cigarette, you moved here because your dad lost his job, you have two sisters and... you're gay." Niall smiled weakly at Liam who had began to realise just how much Niall was shaking.

"I'm pretty sure that's more than anyone here knows about you." Niall finished.

"How do you know all that?" Liam asked the obvious question.

"I like watching you." Niall said honestly. "I've never met anyone like you before Liam."

"There's nothing special about me." Liam smiled sadly, like he was actually saying 'why would you even give me the time of day Niall.'

"I think you're special." 

"You're a giant cheeseball aren't you Niall?" Liam said, allowing a small smile to creep onto his face. People like Niall do that... cause unwanted, but much needed smiles.

"Is there anyone you think is special?" Niall pressed, ignoring Liam's comment.

"What do you mean?" Liam asked, confused by Niall's bluntness.

"Where you came from, did you leave anyone special to you?" Niall asked awkwardly.

"Oh umm," Liam looked away, realising what Niall was asking. "No but people knew..."  

"How did they take it?" 

"Better than you did." Liam eyed Niall who looked down at his feet, knowing exactly what Liam was referring to.

"I'm sorry Liam," He said eventually. "I shouldn't have ran out like that when you had been so nice and i defiantly shouldn't have called you what i did..."

"You wern't at school all the rest of the week." Liam stated, ignoring Niall's apology, not quite ready to forgive him but not angry enough to not forgive him.

" I needed time to think after..." 

"After you kissed me." Liam finished the sentence.

The two boys stood awkwardly in front of Liam's house, not particularly close together but closer than normal conversation distance.

"I've never done that before." Niall confessed.

"What, kissed someone?" Liam said, confused. He had assumed Niall had been with at least a couple of girls considering his more than average good looks...

"Kissed someone i barely know and not want to stop... also you're a dude so ya know..." Niall trailed off beginning to loose his cool. Liam made him feel so stupidly pathetic, something about him reduced Niall to a blundering idiot and it scared him.

"Well if it helps I've never been kissed.. so..." Liam also was beginning to loose the protective emotional blanket he had wrapped himself in, something about Niall made every muscle in Liam's body quiver with fear and excitement and lust.

"So where does this leave us?" Niall asked, unknowingly shuffling closer to Liam - draw to him like a magnet.

"I think that's up to you." Liam replied

"Kiss me." Niall said bravely. Liam hesitated, but slowly closed the gap between him and Niall and tilted his head down to tentatively press him lips against Niall.

"Wait." Niall spoke softly. "Someone might see us." 

Liam stepped away from Niall and strained his head to look along the length of the street, sure enough a group of people Liam vaguely recognised from school were coming around the corner.

"Let's go in." Liam said, without thinking grabbing Niall's hand and ushering him into the house.

"Hello?" Liam called once he had closed the door. No one replied. "That's weird." He muttered to himself.

"No one's ho-" Liam didn't finish his sentence because Niall had pushed him against the wall and pressed their lips together in a short, desperate kiss.

"I figured." Niall said, breathing heavily. "You're so kissable." He mumbled.

"Niall, do you like me?" Liam said, his eyes flickering between gazing at Niall's summer blue eyes and plumb wet lips.

"I guess so." Niall sighed in defeat, how could he not admit he loved kissing the taller, handsome boy in front of him.  

"Good." Liam smiled pulling Niall closer to him. "I like you to."