Reason To Be (A Zouis Family AU)

Part Three, Chapter Two

Niall can't stop pacing the afternoon before the party at James'. Well, he wouldn't call it pacing. More like just not being still. At all. For a few hours straight.

He finds himself in the living room whilst Dad and Papa speak to Liam on the phone in the kitchen and Harry does his coursework on the couch.

Eventually, the sixteen year old groans. "Niall. Can you just sit down for five minutes? Please," he sounds exasperated, but Niall just rolls his eyes.

"Well I can. But I think you're meant to ask if I may," he winds up.

Harry doesn't bite back. He just shakes his head. "God, you're annoying," he mumbles under his breath, and it's enough to make Niall stand where he is for a moment, mouth closing.

Harry never loses his temper with anyone really, but especially not him. And Niall gets it, he can probably be annoying sometimes with the constant talking and moving that he can't really seem to stop...but that doesn't make it hurt any less. Especially when it comes from Harry. The two of them have always been friends as well as brothers. They're always on the same side.

Except lately it doesn't feel like it.

He walks out of the room and grabs his jacket, not even bothering to let anyone know he's leaving early as he steps out of the front door.

He takes his time in walking to the party. His head doesn't linger on Harry for long, and by the time he gets to James' house, his head has changed the subject countless times.

He rings the bell, the music inside the house loud enough already that he isn't sure anyone will hear it. But then he glances up to see a doorcam and he waves at it goofily, knowing that James has a feed on the inside that shows who's on the doorstep. They're a wealthy family with a wealthy house and a lot of security.

And luckily, James and his brother now exactly how to wipe whole days from the CCTV and their parents never care enough to question it.

His friend opens the door with a grin. "Hey man! You're early," he yells over the music, and Niall wonders how he isn't flinching at the sound.

The older boy tugs him inside, where there are already a whole bunch of people hanging around in the open plan space, most of them with drinks in hand, some smoking. All of them look a lot older than him.

James slaps a heavy hand on his back. "It's only Grant's friends here at the moment, but they're pretty cool. C'mon, I'll introduce you to 'em," he says, wrapping long fingers around Niall's wrist and tugging him through the crowds, into the black out room at the back. It has no windows and with the lights out and neon flashes, it looks like how the clubs in the movies look despite the sun not even setting outside yet.

The music is even louder in this room, and Niall grins at the fact that there's a bar in the corner loaded with drinks, a couch and a dance floor. "Cool," he mumbles to himself, inaudible over the loudness.

And weirdly, he likes it. The way every beat reverberates through his entire body and the sound just surrounds him. It drowns out his thoughts for once.

James leads him to the couch where a girl, James' brother Grant, and another guy are sitting.

Grant grins. "JJ! Random kid!" He cheers loudly, voice slightly slurred as he holds up a plastic cup with such force that it sloshes over him, wetting his sleeve. He mumbles an 'oops' and Niall laughs.

James just rolls his eyes. "Grant, this is Niall! You've met him before!"

"Right! Short kid. The funny one," he says, face illuminated by random flashes of neon pinks and greens and yellows. It reminds him of Harry's highlighters at home, always scattered over the surfaces where he does his schoolwork.