Turns out I am quite the liar and didn't leave this as a one-shot after all.
Niall let out a small giggle, as he leaned back in to Zayn to press their lips against each other once more, and wrapped both his arms around the other boy's neck. By now he has scooted so close, that he was practically sitting on Zayn's lap, who didn't mind one bit. Just as they were about to deepen their kiss and get lost in each other again, a distant but distinguishable "NIALL!" rang through the air.
Zayn couldn't help but laugh, as the blond broke their kiss and buried his head in his shoulder, groaning loudly. "He always has such bad timing."
"Hey, that's alright. I think it might be time to head home now, anyways. Been a long night.", he said, but tightened his arms around the other's waist, nonetheless.
After a while, they let go of each other. As Niall realized just how close he had been sitting to, or rather on, Zayn, his cheeks went beet red and he got on his feet quickly. Zayn could barely stifle his laugh.
"Lou, I'm down here!"
By the time he had replied, Louis had shouted his name two more times, and seemed to be getting closer, now apparently strolling around by the club entry. After a moment, they heard steps approaching and suddenly Louis' face popped around the corner in a very comical fashion. When he saw who was standing besides Niall he broke into a mischievous grin.
"Hi Nialler!", he said in a very suggestive, loud voice, as he walked over to his two class mates, jostled between them, and put his arm around both of their shoulders.
Suddenly the awkwardness of the entire situation became very clear to Zayn, as well as the realization of what had actually happened just a few minutes ago. He raised his hand as a greeting to Niall's friend and decided to stare wide-eyed at anything that wasn't human, not wanting to make this any more uncomfortable than it had to be.
"I was just going to take off, before I decided to check if you were maybe still around somewhere. I thought you had probably gone home with pretty boy by now, but why not make sure you're not sitting in some corner crying your eyes out?"
"Why would I...", the smallest of the boys said, before his eyes widened as he took Louis' words in, and continued in slight panic, "What do you mean 'Gone home with him'?"
Louis raised his eyebrows and gave him a sly look, as if he knew something that he shouldn't. Which, now that Zayn thought about it, he probably did. He had practically set the two of them up, after all.
"Yeah, what do you mean? I'm not, like, g-"
But Zayn never got to finish that sentence, as Louis' turned his head and gave him the same expression, which silenced him quickly. "I think we can all agree that that's complete, and utter bullshit."
He squeezed their shoulders once more, before dropping his arms and practically starting to skip away happily to give the boys some privacy. Seriously, there was probably no guy in their town that was as camp as that one. No wonder he could tell Zayn's feelings towards his friend.
He looked over to the boy standing a few feet from him and caught his gaze. As he looked into those eyes, that he had been dreaming about for what had to be close to 15 months now – had it really been that long? – the darkness, that had been so successfully lifted by simply Niall's presence next to him, started creeping back into his mind. What would happen with them now? Would he even want to...continue whatever it was, or would he leave Zayn with a glimpse of what could have potentially make him happy and let him crumble more then he had before? But no, he was Niall. He wouldn't do that. He wasn't that sort of person.
Too scared to find out what would happen next, and too content with simply observing the blond for just a few moments longer, Zayn continued to stand on his spot completely frozen, barely even blinking. Niall's eyes started to become overshadowed with worry, the longer Zayn was motionless and consumed with his old fears and new doubts he'd never had a reason to have before.
"Zayn? Hey, are...are you okay?"
He flinched and quickly drew his eyes away, as tears started swelling up.
What had he been thinking kissing Niall...sweet, innocent, beautiful Niall? The strange boy that was kind enough to help him out, even though his friends had probably tormented him at some point in his life. That had been kind enough to try and talk him through his problems. That was kind enough to ask him if he was okay.
"Are you crying?"
As he glanced up to him, Niall had a panicked look on his face, his eyes wide and round and full of compassion.
"Zayn?"
He heard him slowly, cautiously move closer, until he felt warmth enclose him, and arms slide around his waist, and a head nuzzle his shoulder, once again.
He found himself clinging to Niall, but slowly easing in to the embrace.
"Do you want to sit?"
He nodded cautiously, and let the other lead him back, right to the spot where they had been sitting before. He sat down slowly, but didn't want to let go of Niall, so he just clung to him harder until his entire upper body was supported by the blond, who was now petting his hair over and over, as Zayn quietly sobbed into his shirt. The warmth of Niall and his smell helped him calm down slightly.
"Do you know that no one's ever asked me that before?", he sniffled.
"Asked you what?"
"If I'm okay. At least not genuinely."
He felt lips slowly being pressed against his head, and not moving away.
"It's fine, Zayn. It's going to be fine.", they mumbled into his hair.
He doubted that, but the simple idea of it was comforting. Nothing was ever just fine for him.
"But now you know. And your friend knows. And it's just getting harder to pretend each day."
Another wave of sobs overcame him.
"Wait." Niall sounded surprised and on the verge of being hysteric. "Am I the reason why you've become like this?"
Now he knew everything.
He shook his head, even though it was still tightly pressed into the other boy's chest, and then just clung to him even harder. He would leave him now that he knew. And even worse than that, he would feel responsible for Zayn's misery.
"No, it's not your fault.", he said, but it was barely audible between the shaking and the crying and the body that muffled his words. "It's my fault. Because I'm not normal, and my father is going to hate me for it, and I'm sorry. I am so sorry."
There was a long silence and Zayn just stayed where he was, praying that things would get better, and that Niall wouldn't move away from him in disgust. He took in Niall's smell in long, deep breaths...and prayed.
"...maybe he won't hate you. Maybe he'll accept it.", Niall took up the topic again that Zayn desperately hoped to forget all about.
"He won't. I know him. He's always going on about the fags and the freaks."
He couldn't keep talking about this, he had tried too long to bury it and digging it all up now was more painful than anything. "I'm really sorry for ruining your night.", he said in a voice that, even to him, sounded too hard and too cold to come out of his mouth, as he quickly scrambled away from Niall and made to stand up and just...get away.
But Niall was still holding him tightly and wouldn't let go, and dragged him back next to him. He was still trying to help. Why wouldn't he just let it be?
"Please don't go, Zayn! Not like this."
By now even Niall sounded choked up. He was sitting in front of him, facing him, and looking directly at him with a sincerity that he had never seen before. Zayn moved his gaze towards his knees.
The smaller boy moved his right hand to Zayn's cheek, and stroked it carefully with his thumb, trying to wipe away the tears. "There's nothing abnormal about it! Please, Zayn."
But Zayn didn't look up. He couldn't. Because even if that were the truth, it would change absolutely nothing for him.
He was surprised when a pair of lips were suddenly pressed against his forcefully and desperately. He was even more surprised when he felt a tear drop roll down Niall's face.
"Did that feel abnormal?"
"No.", Zayn stifled.
Seeing Niall like this – crying...crying because of him – it broke him even more than he would have imagined. So he wrapped his arms back around Niall's torso...anything to make him better.
"Okay. Okay. Okay." He kept chanting into Niall's shoulder, until finally, after another minute or two, the tears had stopped.
"Thank you, Niall. For everything.", he whispered into his crush's ear.
Zayn felt better. Not good, and definitely not great, but better, nonetheless. For once, he felt like he could cope with his situation. That feeling would probably vanish by the time he got home and saw his father again, but for now it was all he could wish for. And with Niall in his arms, hefelt safe.
"Don't mention it.", the other boy sniffled quietly into his shoulder, which caused Zayn to chuckle.
He moved his head from it's place on Niall's shoulder, to be able to look at him properly, but not without pressing his nose against his cheek lightly, and softly breathing him in. He was so beautiful. Zayn turned to face the blond and to look into those gorgeous eyes that made him practically melt inside, but Niall had kept them shut. So he leaned in and kissed the pale forehead, and slowly started trailing his way downwards to the place between his eyebrows, the bridge of his nose, until he finally reached the tip. When he leaned back once again, Niall's eyes were wide open and full of warmth.
"Zayn, what exactly is it that is happening here?"
That was a good question. Zayn wanted it to be more...really wanted it. But could they even do it? He was scared that he would do something to fuck it up, or that he simply wasn't ready for that sort of thing yet. He bit down on his lower lip, a stupid habit of his, and looked at Niall with questioning eyes.
"I don't know, Niall.", he said sincerely before breaking into a cheeky grin and suggestively adding, "But I do quite like it."
Niall moved out of the embrace just enough to get his hand free, so he could smack Zayn on his upper arm, while murmuring something that sounded like 'arse'. His face got flushed, but a wide grin was spreading across it.
When Zayn had finally stopped giggling like crazy, something that he had truly forgotten he was even capable of, he found the need to be even closer to the shorter boy, who was still tightly encased in his arms, and started showering his right cheek with little pecks and butterfly kisses. He wanted to show Niall how much this meant to him.
"Zayn", he whispered into his ear, "can we make this work, please?"
"Yes. Yes, we will.", he murmured back.
He honestly had no clue why the other boy had even put up with him through all that has happened tonight, but he was beyond glad that he had. And through some crazy miracle, Niall wanted him back! So he would do anything in the world to make it work, and to make him happy as best as he could.
Their lips met and this time the kiss was different than the ones before. It was passionate, but gentle, and forceful and loving at the same time. It was a strange combination, if Zayn had to be quite honest, but it was the best thing he had ever experienced. His hands were tangled in Niall's hair, as he ran them through it to discover how every inch of it felt between his fingers, and Niall was the only thing on his mind. It felt like he was the only thing that would be on his mind ever again, as he felt the boy's heart beat against his own, and his smile against his lips.
They were going to be alright.
Eventually, they broke apart, and decided it would be best to go and see if Louis was still somewhere around. Apparently he had taken off as soon as Zayn had broken down, and honestly, the boy was quite thankful for that.
"How had he known, anyway?", Zayn asked curiously.
"What? About us? Mate, don't ask me, 'cause I don't have the slightest clue.", the blond said, his accent coming through thickly.
He was just all around perfect, Zayn thought, as he stared down at him with a smile that made his facial muscles hurt. He didn't think he could ever get enough of him, even though they had only really known each other for about two hours. It all still felt quite surreal to him.
"I really like your accent, by the way.", he said as they started walking back towards the crowds slowly, arm in arm.
Niall laughed a little, which must have been the most gorgeous sound Zayn had ever witnessed. It was so...pure and full of energy. It made his smile impossibly wider.
"Thanks! I moved here from Ireland when I was five, and it must have stuck with me somehow. I suppose from my parents, or something."
"Makes sense. But I'm glad, it's, like, really adorable.", he admitted.
Niall blushed once more, but only slightly. He seemed to really be getting more comfortable around Zayn. He faked a gasp and looked at him with wide eyes. "Does that mean you're only interested in me because of my accent?"
"Of course. I only kissed you because you're Irish!"
The blond burst out laughing, and threw his head back slightly while doing so. Like in the romantic comedies, that Zayn would absolutely deny watching if anyone asked him about it.
By now they had almost reached the corner of the building, and the laughter and shouting and the music were getting nearer with every step they took. A few feet before they would have been in sight of the masses again, Zayn stopped, and pulled Niall into another hug.
"Is it okay with you if we...erm...are, like, less open about this in front of others?", he said quietly, feeling guilty for having to ask something like that from the boy, already. He wanted nothing more than to shout it from the top of the mountains and proudly present Niallto the rest of the world as his. But he knew he couldn't. Not yet at least. He still had a lot of issues to work through.
But the blond seemed to take it better than he could have hoped. "Yes, of course. I don't think I'm ready for that sort of public announcement yet, either.", he said as he leaned in to give him a small peck on the lips, and then dropped his arms to his sides. "So, you ready to rock'n roll?"
"Yes, I am indeed ready to rock'n roll!", Zayn laughed, as he came to the conclusion that he must be the luckiest man on earth.
A/N: So, yeah, there you have it. Someone asked me to continue this story, and I had to agree. The ending was too abrupt, and there were way too many issues for Zayn that still weren't resolved. And all I want is for my Zayn-y boo to be happy again, so I wrote s'more.
And I am going to keep writing, as it still isn't finished and shit has to be worked out and I really couldn't fit that all into this chapter. Not sure yet if it will become a proper multi-chapter story, or more a three-/four-shot kind of deal. Let's see.
Side note: I can't write out romantic, lovely kissing scenes, but I'm great at lengthening out the emotional drama and break downs for you. Now, what does that say about me?