Last Hope (Ziall Horlik) AU

Chapter 11

Zayn's POV

There was a knock on my door and I heard Louis' loud voice yelling at someone. I ran out of the living room where I had left Niall with a few boxes of pizza.

"Lima!" Louis shouted at my best friend as I opened the door for our much needed Friday night fun. Liam, Harry and Louis had a pack of beer, but I noticed Louis also had a box of juice pouches with him.

"Zayn, tell this short thing to not call me Lima." Liam whined to me before I let them step into my flat. They took the drinks to put them in the refrigerator to chill the drinks for a bit more. I walked back to the living room and sat next to Niall before his light hand slipped into mine.

"They won't mind I'm here? I'm not good with people." Niall whispered to me. I shook my head, and interlocked our fingers together.

"I'm here. If they have a problem with it, they can leave and leave their beer here." I told him and wanted so badly to just cuddle him up. My friends walked into the room, making Niall let go of my hand and scoot away from me. My heart broke a little, but I knew he was the one being smart here and not letting too much out about our fragile friendship.

"Niall, I have some juice pouches chilling for you in the refrigerator. You know, because you're just a little baby boy that can't drink with your teachers. Let's try to keep this illegal action as legal as possible." Louis said with a laugh. We had talked about this at lunch today and he said he wouldn't mind Niall actually being here tonight. He also said he's comfortable with Niall already being 18. The four of us are just worried about the whole teacher thing. I'm not that much because Niall has been living with me for a week now and I haven't gotten any suspensions from anyone, but Harry and Louis don't know that. Only Liam does, and he said he would pay my bond if I get thrown in jail.

"I'm 18 and I can drink. I'm also Irish, so I've practically had alcohol in my blood my whole life." Niall told Louis with a laugh. I smiled at him and scoot over on the couch to Niall for more people to sit.

Harry sat down and Louis sat on his lap. Liam sat on one of my reclining chairs and started scanning the channels for the football game. Niall got a pillow in his lap then sneakily got my hand in his, hiding it with the pillow. I smiled when he blushed deeply at his own actions, but I found it adorable that he needed have me close to him.

"I want a beer. The game is on in a few minutes." Liam said, but his eyes landed on my hidden hand. I looked at him and saw in his eyes so much running through them, but one was complete confusion.

"I'll help you with that." I told him, and Niall let go of my hand. Liam and I made our way to the kitchen and started getting drinks for everyone in silence before Liam spoke up.

"You like him, don't you?" He asked me. I looked down at the paper plates and napkins in my hands before shaking my head. I liked Niall as a beautifully battered person, but I don't think there was anything romantic there. Sure, any time we're touching in anyway or just seeing him smile because of something I said makes me feel a rush of unknown emotions for him.

There is something there, and it scares the shit out of me. I know it's legal because of his age, but illegal because he's my student. I don't want to do anything to affect his future, and I don't want to take advantage of how vulnerable he is at this point in his healing mental health. I just can't help but want to hold him tightly or to learn every single tiny thing about him. It's also not the legal part of it, but the part that I haven't had had a good relationship since I was in high school. I've had allot of issues with commitment and being a good man in a relationship because of the damage done to me from a parent abandoning me.

It took years of therapy to get that out of me and now I'm just afraid of being in a relationship because I don't want to get hurt or hurt someone. That's what I fear the most and if it's Niall that my heart decided to have feelings for, then that makes me more scared. I want what's best for him and I know the man I am is definitely not the one he deserves.