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It goes like this when Zayn first lays eyes on Niall he thinks he’s one of the most beautiful boys he's ever seen he's popular the way he floats from person to person throughout the night leaving nothing but smiles in his wake and Zayn maybe resents him a little for it, he sees Niall as everything he isn't but most of all he's reminded of his sort of ex Cole who was also beautiful with sandy blonde hair, blue eyes and a show stopping grin.
What Cole didn’t have however was a backbone, he was painfully closeted and basically everything between them had to be kept hidden and Zayn hated it. He’d always told himself he would never hide but he had been stupid and in love and Cole convinced him it would only be temporary but then one night they were out together on a rare date when they ran into a group of Cole’s jock buddies who were confused as to what Cole could possibly be doing with the school fag and to Zayn’s dismay Cole hadn't come to his defense, had instead joined in on the gay bashing until one guy told him to prove it and without hesitation Cole turned and hocked a loogie right into Zayn’s face.
Zayn stared at his boyfriend with wide, shocked eyes as he felt the spit slowly slide down his cheek from just under his right eye where it had landed in total disbelief that that had really just happened. That was just the beginning as the boys then took turns kicking him in various parts of us body, the final blow coming from Cole himself before they all walked off leaving him folded in on himself in the fetal position waiting for the pain to subsidize, Cole included who hadn’t even spared Zayn a parting glance.
Blinking from his unwarranted reverie Zayn almost choked on the final swig of beer he'd just taken as his vision was suddenly filled with blue blue and a disarmingly charming smile.
“Can I get ya another?” Zayn drew back slightly because this was quite possibly the last thing he needed, what he needed was to not be there to not have this insanely fit Irish boy looking at him like he's something special even though they'd never spoken before, even though he didn’t know him from Adam because if he didn’t get out soon he knew this boy could break him, completely destroy him if Zayn let him and he of course had no intentions of letting him, he couldn't not again. So with the excuse of having a mouth filled with beer he silently shook his head hoping to come off as cold and flippant as possible and fled without a word.
He gets home and is embarrassingly buzzed off of the one beer he’d had because he doesn't drink often and not very much when he does drink so he has no kind of tolerance whatsoever and when he climbs into bed in only his pants he doesn't trail his hand down his body to rest on the slight bulge of his crotch and he certainly does not picture blue eyes and golden blonde haired covered by a green SF snapback, nope. Zayn comes harder than he has in months and fuck this can't happen again.
XXX
It goes like this Niall doesn't do relationships and that's something his mate and sometimes drunken snogging partner Justin just didn’t understand so after breaking things off with him for good that night all Niall had planned for the night was some mindless drinking and fun.
Then everything went to ruins when Liam entered the house, about an hour late on account that he had some dumb thing to work on for his Political Science course, as if that were a valid excuse which ok maybe it was but only because it was Liam and all the brothers knew how he was so they just sort of came to accept and expect it from the earnest boy. What was unacceptable however was the gorgeous boy with the raven hair that trailed hesitantly in behind him, Niall did not approve of that at all especially because Liam didn't bother to make any introductions just handed the boy a beer and left him to it. Rude.
Niall flits around the room as he usually would laughing here, clapping a back there—pinching Demi on the bum for being fresh. But his eyes rarely left the mysterious brunette as he looked for an opportunity to approach him which was funny because he's never had an issue introducing himself before would just walk right up to someone and throw out his hand for shaking, but this time he was nervous feeling out of his element, his skin tight and uncomfortable and he didn’t know why.
Finally the boy tilted his head up and finished off the single bottle of beer that really should've taken the average college student under two minutes to down but had taken this bloke and absurdly long time but he was done now and Niall saw this as his chance. Walking away from the conversation he hadn't heard a word of with a beyond wasted Josh without a word he approached the boy, hands already clammy and seriously what is this? He doesn't do nervous. Why was this boy affecting him so?
The bottle was lowered to reveal deep toffee colored eyes that Niall honest to god could drown in and die a happy man, his cheeks were puffed out making him look like a chipmunk and if that wasn't the cutest thing Niall had ever seen he didn't know what was. He worked his throat a bit wincing at the clicking noise it made having gone dry now that he was in such close proximity to the dark beauty who was even more gorgeous up close and whose smell was downright intoxicating. He opened his mouth and said the first thing to come to mind:
“Can I get ya another?”
Niall mentally slapped himself because really it had taken this boy an eternity to finish off his first and only beer it was more than apparent he wasn’t much of a drinker and god he'd never had one of those moments you read about in YA novels or see on the CW you know those instances—where you wish the ground would literally open up and swallow you whole so that you don't have to live in that moment of utter mortification any longer—as he watched the boy’s eyebrows knit up in first surprise and then confusion before he shook his head and didn’t even bother to swallow his beer and say a simple ‘hi’ maybe tell Niall his name or even just smile, but no instead he nodded towards the door and left him standing there without a word.
Niall stood there in shock because that kind of thing didn’t happen to him, people normally loved him he was the life of the party, the one man welcome wagon, and a Casanova of sorts if he did say so himself. People did not flee his presence, people did not refuse him what he wanted and he had wanted in the very least to know this boy’s name but as he watched the boy rush to the door, nearly plowing into Liam on the way, they exchanged hurried words before the boy was gone.
Niall waits a few beats before approaching Liam.
"Who’s the fresh meat?" He asked, shooting for causal. Liam threw him a patent Liam! adorably confused look before simply shrugging.
"Who Zayn?" Niall fought the urge to roll his eyes because really Liam!
“Reckon so the dark one with the hair." It was Liam's turn to roll his eyes.
"Oh right ok like that isn't vague as hell." The blonde finally just threw his arms up in frustration.
"Jesus Christ would you come off it, the one you brought with ya tonight."
"Yeah alright that would definitely be Zayn then, what of it?" Niall shrugged again trying to remain cool, calm, and nonchalant.
"S'nothing…just cute yeah?" Now Liam was grinning, tilting his head much the way a dog would as he tried to read something in Niall’s facial expression.
"Yeah?" Niall decided to stop playing games and nodded.
"Deffo, think he bats for my team?"
"I think so, I mean I get vibes but you know my gay-dar isn't exactly in tune." Niall rolled his eyes but accepted the response for what it was; an offer to find out for sure the next day in class.
"Thanks mate." He brought a hand up to the older boys shoulder and squeezed once before wandering back over to Josh who still seemed to be talking having not even realized Niall, had left him a bit ago.
XXX
It goes like this when Liam wakes up the next Friday morning he's confused by the crinkling sound of paper as he turns over and he peeks one eye open long enough to spy a Ransom note made with cut out magazine letters and everything and Liam has to blink because that must've taken whoever made this forever to do and he doesn't think any of his brothers had the patience for it to be honest. But he brought the note up to his face anyway and read it out loud, his throat dry and voice in its froggy morning state.
“Bring Zayn to tonight's party if you ever want to see your prized Woody & Buzz dolls again.”
Liam couldn’t help but chuckle as he saw that the note was signed The Riddler remembering last year at Halloween the frat house had put Liam in charge of picking the party's theme and he had of course chosen superheroes and/or villains (he’d originally wanted all Batman but people had complained that that was too narrow a theme so he'd broadened it a bit) and the Irish boy had chosen to dress up as the Riddler because 'green mate it’s me color' so Liam knew exactly who'd left the random note for him and really he shouldn't have been too surprised given the note had mentioned Zayn whom the blonde hadn't shut up about since the previous week.
It was sort of adorable how hard and fast Niall had fallen for his quiet classmate but he'd be lying if he didn’t think the pairing would be a bit on the odd side they were just so different after all where Zayn was dark, Niall was light. Where Niall was cheerful, friendly, and read like an open book Zayn tended to reserve his smiles and laughs for only when they were truly deserved, he kept to himself more often than not and he seemed to like being a mystery to people though Liam was proud to count himself among the few people Zayn chose to 'let in'.
So even though this was quite the drastic measure to get Liam to invite Zayn to the party—Niall must’ve been up pretty late to make the note and then had either gotten up early to sneak it into Liam’s room or had just not gone bed until the wee hours of the morning, Liam rolled his eyes again because this was just so Nialler then frowned because that meant Niall would probably no doubt skip all his classes today in favor of resting up for the party. In the end he found himself nodding in agreement even though Niall wasn't even there to see it and rose from his bed to get ready for class.
XXX
It goes like this professor Cornelius is in the middle of lecture medieval political philosophy something Zayn has yet to grasp when Liam leans over and whispers:
"Hey Malik.” Zayn wanted to ignore him, truly he did but Liam had this effect on people where it was nearly impossible to say no to him.
“What?” he hissed back instead.
“So there's another party at the frat house tonight & you should come.” Zayn resisted the urge to roll his eyes.
“Thanks but I think I'll pass s’not really my scene.” Zayn watched from the corner of his eye as Liam nodded, but then fidgeting slightly in his seat edged forward.
“Yeah ok I understand and ordinarily I would respect your decision but tonight I'm going to have to insist." Zayn actually looked up from his notebook at this because really, Liam was really going to pull this bullshit on him.
“Um ok but why?” Liam blushed tapping nervously at the corner of his own notebook and not meeting Zayn’s gaze.
“For Buzz and Woody.” Zayn pulls a confused face, trying to remember if Liam mentioned any of his frat brothers named after the famed Toy Story characters and came up empty. So he had no choice but to assume Liam was referring to the actual Toy Story characters and thus stared at the younger boy is disbelief.
“Excuse me?” Liam pitched a wounded look.
“They've been kidnapped and there was even a creepy ransom note made of magazine clippings left in my bed this morning telling me to bring you to the party or else.” Zayn searched Liam’s face looking for some sign that he was taking the piss and again came up empty.
“Are you serious why me?” He asked curiously and even more curiously: “Who wrote it?” All Liam could offer was a shrug of his shoulders.
“Wasn't signed, but please Zayn I know it must sound pretty silly but those dolls mean a lot to me.” Zayn wants to say no, remind Liam there's only a limited amount of people who could've taken them, since only about thirty boys lived in the frat house, so all he'd have to do was ask around until he found the culprit.
Wanted to remind Liam that his dolls were more or less in the hands of someone who cared about him and wouldn't really harm his precious toys but it was the pout that stopped him from saying any of this, the pout coupled with the most sincere puppy dog eyes Zayn had ever seen and god why did Liam have to be so damn attractive is the thing. So against his better judgment Zayn finds himself heaving out a heavy sigh.
“Oh for fucks sake alright.”
“Cheers mate, swing by around 9 or so it's the perfect time the party would've already started an hour before so everyone will be decidedly drunk and particularly foolish.” Zayn had to hold his tongue not to ask why exactly Liam thought he’d want to be there with people in that state but thought better of it and nodded instead.
“Yeah-yeah now would you please shut up? I'm trying to learn here for fucks sake.” That earned him a famous Liam Payne eye crinkled smile so basically it was worth it.
XXX
Later that night as he gazed into his closet he was having more than second thoughts he was have fourth, fifth, hell tenth thoughts because he shouldn't be going tonight. Fuck Liam and his warm caring eyes and insanely pretty mouth because no Zayn was not going tonight he couldn’t because he just knew that he would be there and if Zayn were honest with himself he'd admit that he hasn't been able to get that exact blue of the Irish boys eyes out of his head, his dreams hell he’d even felt compelled to paint it. Just a blob of blue in the middle of an otherwise blank canvas but it just needed to be done, he'd squeezed out a bit of every shade of blue he owned as well as white and a touch of gold because he remembered the ring of gold just around the boy’s pupils and god he was too far gone already and he hadn’t even spoken to the boy.
He couldn't do this, wouldn't allow himself to fall not again so there really was no possible way for him to go to the party tonight, Liam would understand. He was just about to abandon his closet in favor of going to his dresser for a faded pair of sweat pants instead when his phone suddenly buzzed to life with an incoming text message and he regretfully opened it to find it was a picture message from Liam.
Biting his lip he clicked it open and groaned when he saw it was a photo of Liam pouting into the camera with the caption: were r youu??? Sighing out loud he brushed a wary hand over his face before walking back over to his closet once more and blinding reaching in for the first top and jeans combination he came across. Who was he kidding he was so going to that party tonight. Who knows maybe he wouldn't even run into Irish or better yet maybe Irish would be far too busy pinching the asses of various different fit girls like he had the other night to notice him, yeah see all he had to do was think positive and he may just survive the night.