Mute Musician (Ziall Horlik) AU

Chapter 15

Niall's POV

"How are you even getting there? I can go with you, Zayn." I asked him and begged him the same way I have been since he started packing his things to go back home to be with his grandmother. It had been a rough week with Zayn. He stopped saying anything at all. All he did was text his sister and he even skipped a few of his piano classes. I understood that he was dealing with a family emergency, but he was falling apart. The worst parts were waking up to here his silent sniffles coming from the bathroom when he had fallen asleep next to me. He also didn't even think of touching his piano.

"Zayn, I can go with you. I have a car and can drive you back home." I said. He shook his head as he zipped up his duffle bag and threw it over his shoulder. He got his wallet out and opened it to a small part that I realized he had stashed some money. He counted it then plopped down on his bed frustrated. He wanted to leave right after his last class so he could spend the full weekend at home, but he continued to have road blocks that he wouldn't let me help him with. One that I could tell he was dealing with now was money for transportation. He was just so emotionally closed off from me and everything that he felt the need to do everything on his own, but the truth was he couldn't.

"I'll go with you, Zayn. I don't want you to go through this alone." I said softy. He looked at me with his brown eyes full of tears. Just seeing that was enough for me to know he was truly hurting. I knew he was sad and scared something was going to happen when he wasn't there, but I saw pain in his eyes. I didn't really know how much his grandmother ment to him or what she was to him. I went over to just sit next to him, but he ended up pulling me so I was on his lap and his arms were holding me tight. We just stayed like that for a while until Zayn sniffle a little and let me go. I got off his lap and went over to the get my duffle bag to pack a few things. Zayn just sat there watching me before he went to the bathroom and locked himself in there. I heard the softest sobs coming from him a few minutes later, but decided not to do anything because he needed his space.

While he was taking the time he needed in the bathroom, I left the room to go to Louis' room. I may have lied a little about having a car here, but I knew it was perfectly fine to lie about because it got me going with Zayn. Louis was the only one one my best friends that had a car. His family had an extra one and let him bring it here so he could have more freedom of coming and going home. He didn't usually go places unless him and Harry had some sort of concert they were going to or Liam and him wanted to go watch some football game. He hadn't mentioned that he was doing anything over the weekend, so I figured it could borrow it. I knocked on his door once I got there and immediately heard Harry yell that he was naked and not to come in. I went in anyway, but regretted it because Louis was also kind of naked. He was just on his bed in his boxers, but the way Harry was running to the bathroom kind of gave off something I didn't need to know yet if had an idea of what was happening.

"What do you need?" Louis asked my kind of breathlessly. I went over to his desk and got his car keys. That got him sitting up and looking like he was ready to tackle me if I took those keys.

"Zayn's grandmother is really sick and he needs to go home now. I want to go with him and told him I could drive us there because it's fast than taking a bus or something. Plus, he has no money for that and wouldn't take my money even if I tried. Can I borrow this for the weekend? We'll be back Sunday night or Monday morning." I said. Louis thought for a second and nodded slowly to me. I went over to hug him but he pushed me away.

"Don't think that you can just hug me now. You owe me for this." Louis said with a sassy bite to his tone, but I could tell he was just joking with me. I shoved him a little bit then ran out of his room to go to my own room.

When I got in there, Zayn was slowly going through my drawers to finish packing my clothes in my own duffle bag. I smiled because this was his own way of telling me that he wanted me to go. I mean, I would have gone with him whether he said yes or not, but this was his own way of telling me that he wanted me to go with him. I cleared my throat a little and got him to turn around to me. His tan skin was blotchy from his past tears, but he had his regular strong look of determination to him back.