“This weekend is going to be epic, Nialler!” Zayn cheered, kicking up his feet on the dashboard as Niall drove round bend after bend of stretch of road, shooting Zayn a grin before focusing back on the street.
“It better be!”
It was ten minutes before they got to their destination - a dock to grab a boat so they could go to a nearby island - and Niall saw the dock before Zayn did so he had a split second to prepare himself before he heard Zayn let out a hiss.
“What is he doing here?” Zayn growled, dropping his feet so he could cross his arms over his knees and scowl at Harry who was stood by the dock, leaning against his silver corolla with his arms crossed over his broad chest.
Niall didn’t respond, instead nibbling on his bottom lip as he drove the car to a stop beside Harry’s. He still didn’t respond as he opened the car door and jumped out, rushing over to Harry as the brunette’s face split in a wide smile.
“Nialler!” Harry cheered, grabbing Niall in a bear hug and lifting him off the ground. “So good to see you! God! It’s been forever!”
“Yeah!” Niall laughed, squirming out of Harry’s arms so he could have his feet planted on the ground again. He stumbled a little as he landed on the ground and he looked down to stabilize himself but, by the time he looked up, Harry’s smile was gone to be replaced by a frown and bunched up eyebrows.
“What’s he doing here?” Harry questioned, his eyes still not leaving the car behind Niall and, as Niall looked behind, he saw that Zayn had stepped out of the car but stayed beside it, arms crossed offensively over his own chest. Harry looked back down at Niall, wrinkles creasing his face. “I thought it was just going to be you and me…”
“I… I know but…” Niall stepped back so that he stood somewhat between them and they both could hear him. “I just thought that we could hang out… you know, like old times.”
“I think we’re a little too old for ‘old times’.” Harry sighed and turned away, shoving his hands deep into his pockets.
“But… c’mon, guys… We’re…” Niall stuttered, trying to come up with an argument for them to stay.
“I didn’t take the weekend off for this, Niall. I’m sorry.” Harry stepped back, moving towards his car. “I’ll call you.”
“Yeah, some of us have horrendously busy lives.” Zayn sneered at Harry, rolling his eyes. “Why don’t you go back to your modelling? Must be hard work pouting at a camera for three hours.”
“Excuse me if I take advantage of my better characteristics, Malik, instead of propagating my lesser ones.” Harry huffed, crossing his arms over his chest.
Zayn let out a bark of laughter before he sauntered a little closer. “Wow, that’s a big word, Styles. You want an award for that? Must have been practising for hours.”
“You know what, Malik. I don’t have to take this.” Harry pointed a sharp finger at Zayn, narrowing his eyes.
“Don’t be such a little bitch.” Zayn brushed Harry away, turning to face the car again.
“I wouldn’t have to be a bitch if you hadn’t been balls deep in my boyfriend at christmas.” Harry roared, clenching his shaking fists at his sides.
Zayn barked another laugh and shrugged his shoulders, facing Harry again. “I was drunk. Louis was not. Maybe you just couldn’t satisfy his needs.”
“Fuck you!”
Harry lurched at Zayn and Zayn launched himself at Harry and Niall screamed, “I have cancer!” and both boys froze in their step.
“What?” Zayn gasped as Harry mouthed soundlessly.
“I have cancer.” Niall repeated, kicking at the ground a little. “The doctors say six months but… I’ve… I’ve come to terms with it. Nothing I can do anyway. It’s… it’s all over; kidney, lungs, heart, fuck, it’s in my bones.”
Niall took slow steps over to Harry and Zayn and took a hand from each of them, holding them tightly in his own. “So, I just… I just want to have this last hoorah before I start to go for treatment.”
“Treatment,” Harry breathed, tightening his grip on Niall’s hand. “But I thought you said…”
“Terminal.” Niall nodded slowly. “But my mum wants to believe that it can be fixed, that it can be stopped so I’m going to do it for her. Just to keep hope alive. But I’m going to die… so… so can we just do this? Can we just do this one last thing? No fighting, no anger, no yelling. Just us. Please?” Niall looked from Zayn to Harry and back again and eventually they both nodded.
“Yeah,” Zayn breathed, pulling Niall closer for a moment so that he could wrap his arms around him tightly. “Yeah, yeah, of course, yeah.”
“Thank you.” Niall sighed into Zayn’s chest before he pulled away and faced Harry. “Can we do this?”
Harry sucked on his bottom lip for a moment before he too nodded and he pulled Niall in for his own hug. “Of course, Ni. Of course we can.”
