Heat Wave - Ziall (One Direction)
Title: Heat Wave
Pairing: Zayn Malik/Niall Horan (One Direction)
Chapter: 1/1
Rating: T
Warnings: None
Prompt: Hostile Climate
Summary: The boys are stuck in an Arizona Heatwave, and Niall just can't get cool...and his body image problems aren't helping.
Disclaimer: I do not own the characters!
Author's Note: This is an entry from my Hurt/Comfort Bingo Card.
Driving through Arizona in a tour bus in the middle of a heat wave with broken air condition was Niall’s own personal hell - and it was hot enough for it, god damnit. The other boys were doing things to stay cool, pouring water on their heads, sitting in front of fans, that sort of thing, but no matter what he did, Niall couldn’t get cool, and it was driving him crazy. He had tried so hard to be stoic, to be good, so that his fellow band-mates wouldn’t see him as weak but that was just exactly how he felt right now. Weak. Really, really fucking weak. He didn’t like the heat, and every minute that past felt like an hour…it also didn’t help that he was too self-conscious to take his shirt off, despite the fact the other boys were walking around in practically nothing.
He didn’t say anything, though. He just repositioned himself, moving the cool cloth from his forehead to his neck as he took a sip from his water bottle. He was sprawled out on one of the couches on the bus, as was everyone, really, but he was facing away so that the others didn’t see just how pained he really was by this whole scenario. Enough people already thought of him as the baby of the band, and he didn’t want to perpetuate that stereotype any further by being weak in a heat wave. If the rest of the boys could handle it, than god damnit, so could he. He just squeezed his eyes shut and told himself that it would all be over soon enough. They could pass into a cooler state, get the bus fixed - anything to break them of this god damned heat.
It wasn’t until Harry offered Niall half of his sandwich and Niall refused, stating that he wasn’t hungry, that anyone realized anything was wrong with him, and even then, it was Zayn. The other boys dropped it, thinking that maybe he just had a stomach ache from the heat, but Niall’s refusal was so pitiful that Zayn couldn’t help but wonder if something was really wrong with the boy. He waited, though, for Harry and Liam to plod off to find Louis before confronting the boy about it. He didn’t want to make Niall self conscious or bring it up in front of the other boys in case it was nothing.
“Hey, you alright?” Zayn asked, walking over to where Niall was sprawled.
“Yeah, fine,” Niall mumbled.
“You refused food, kid…that’s not exactly standard for you, you sure something’s not up?” Zayn asked, not wanting to let this go too easily. Niall mattered to him, and he didn’t want to leave the boy wanting and hungry, confused or overly hot.
“It’s just really, really hot,” Niall stated, turning to look at Zayn. The second he did so, it became clear to Zayn that he was in a lot of pain.
“Jesus Christ, Niall…why didn’t you say something before?”
“Cause.” Niall shrugged. “Didn’t want you guys to think I was weak or anything.”
“Niall, just because you’re hot doesn’t mean you’re weak - come on, take that shirt off, that’s the first step.”
“No.” Niall shook his head.
“Why not, Niall?” Zayn asked.
“Cause…”
“This is really not the time to be self conscious, Niall,” Zayn stated. “It’s not like we haven’t seen you topless - come on.” He grabbed at the hem of the shirt, helping Niall remove the article of clothing. “There,” Zayn said, tossing the shirt away. “Isn’t that a little bit better?”
“A bit,” Niall admitted, moving his hands to cover his slim, but untoned stomach.
“What are you doing?” Zayn asked, grabbing Niall’s hands and shaking his head. “You don’t have to be ashamed of the way you look, Niall…”
“Why not?” Niall asked. “You guys all have abs and I have…this.” He poked his belly.
“Abs are overrated.” Zayn smiled at him. “I think you’ve got a gorgeous body.”
“Zayn, you don’t have to be nice to me just because I refused half a sandwich…”
“That’s not why I’m saying these things.” Zayn shook his head. “Niall, I really do think you’re gorgeous, abs or not.”
“Really?” Niall managed a weak smile. If Zayn thought he was attractive, well, that was like the holy grail right there.
“Really.” Zayn leaned down, kissing Niall gently on the cheek. “Now let’s keep you cool, eh?” Zayn smiled grabbing some ice cubes and placing them down Niall’s chest and stomach so that the frozen water could melt and cool him. Niall shuddered a little at Zayn’s touch, and smiled again at how kind the boy was being to him. Maybe there was something there, but it was too hot for him to act on it now, it would have to wait until they passed into Oregon.
Pairing: Zayn Malik/Niall Horan (One Direction)
Chapter: 1/1
Rating: T
Warnings: None
Prompt: Hostile Climate
Summary: The boys are stuck in an Arizona Heatwave, and Niall just can't get cool...and his body image problems aren't helping.
Disclaimer: I do not own the characters!
Author's Note: This is an entry from my Hurt/Comfort Bingo Card.
Driving through Arizona in a tour bus in the middle of a heat wave with broken air condition was Niall’s own personal hell - and it was hot enough for it, god damnit. The other boys were doing things to stay cool, pouring water on their heads, sitting in front of fans, that sort of thing, but no matter what he did, Niall couldn’t get cool, and it was driving him crazy. He had tried so hard to be stoic, to be good, so that his fellow band-mates wouldn’t see him as weak but that was just exactly how he felt right now. Weak. Really, really fucking weak. He didn’t like the heat, and every minute that past felt like an hour…it also didn’t help that he was too self-conscious to take his shirt off, despite the fact the other boys were walking around in practically nothing.
He didn’t say anything, though. He just repositioned himself, moving the cool cloth from his forehead to his neck as he took a sip from his water bottle. He was sprawled out on one of the couches on the bus, as was everyone, really, but he was facing away so that the others didn’t see just how pained he really was by this whole scenario. Enough people already thought of him as the baby of the band, and he didn’t want to perpetuate that stereotype any further by being weak in a heat wave. If the rest of the boys could handle it, than god damnit, so could he. He just squeezed his eyes shut and told himself that it would all be over soon enough. They could pass into a cooler state, get the bus fixed - anything to break them of this god damned heat.
It wasn’t until Harry offered Niall half of his sandwich and Niall refused, stating that he wasn’t hungry, that anyone realized anything was wrong with him, and even then, it was Zayn. The other boys dropped it, thinking that maybe he just had a stomach ache from the heat, but Niall’s refusal was so pitiful that Zayn couldn’t help but wonder if something was really wrong with the boy. He waited, though, for Harry and Liam to plod off to find Louis before confronting the boy about it. He didn’t want to make Niall self conscious or bring it up in front of the other boys in case it was nothing.
“Hey, you alright?” Zayn asked, walking over to where Niall was sprawled.
“Yeah, fine,” Niall mumbled.
“You refused food, kid…that’s not exactly standard for you, you sure something’s not up?” Zayn asked, not wanting to let this go too easily. Niall mattered to him, and he didn’t want to leave the boy wanting and hungry, confused or overly hot.
“It’s just really, really hot,” Niall stated, turning to look at Zayn. The second he did so, it became clear to Zayn that he was in a lot of pain.
“Jesus Christ, Niall…why didn’t you say something before?”
“Cause.” Niall shrugged. “Didn’t want you guys to think I was weak or anything.”
“Niall, just because you’re hot doesn’t mean you’re weak - come on, take that shirt off, that’s the first step.”
“No.” Niall shook his head.
“Why not, Niall?” Zayn asked.
“Cause…”
“This is really not the time to be self conscious, Niall,” Zayn stated. “It’s not like we haven’t seen you topless - come on.” He grabbed at the hem of the shirt, helping Niall remove the article of clothing. “There,” Zayn said, tossing the shirt away. “Isn’t that a little bit better?”
“A bit,” Niall admitted, moving his hands to cover his slim, but untoned stomach.
“What are you doing?” Zayn asked, grabbing Niall’s hands and shaking his head. “You don’t have to be ashamed of the way you look, Niall…”
“Why not?” Niall asked. “You guys all have abs and I have…this.” He poked his belly.
“Abs are overrated.” Zayn smiled at him. “I think you’ve got a gorgeous body.”
“Zayn, you don’t have to be nice to me just because I refused half a sandwich…”
“That’s not why I’m saying these things.” Zayn shook his head. “Niall, I really do think you’re gorgeous, abs or not.”
“Really?” Niall managed a weak smile. If Zayn thought he was attractive, well, that was like the holy grail right there.
“Really.” Zayn leaned down, kissing Niall gently on the cheek. “Now let’s keep you cool, eh?” Zayn smiled grabbing some ice cubes and placing them down Niall’s chest and stomach so that the frozen water could melt and cool him. Niall shuddered a little at Zayn’s touch, and smiled again at how kind the boy was being to him. Maybe there was something there, but it was too hot for him to act on it now, it would have to wait until they passed into Oregon.