The Ones We Lost And The Ones We Found

20

After several minutes of searching every single cupboard in the kitchen, and making a huge mess of the said kitchen, Louis and Eleanor found their treasure in the farthest corner on the top. They sat behind the kitchen island on the floor with bowls, milk and their precious cereal, away from the herd in the living room that will need a chill pill if they find Louis out of his bed. Passing the cereal and milk to each other they sat facing each other, eating their cereal.

Soon the whole box was empty and they just sat their in the middle of the aftermath they created in the kitchen, their backs resting against the counter wall. "What did we just do?" Eleanor asked looking around at all the open cupboards and empty containers of milk and coco pops lying next to their bowls on the ground. 

Louis took a look at his surroundings and shrugged as he spoke, "We just took a break away from being adults and enjoyed some really amazing cereal." he flashed Eleanor a 480 watt smile, who returned it with the same intensity. "Whatever that was, it felt nice." Eleanor said turning to face the opposite wall. "It did, yeah." Louis said mirroring her actions. They sat in comfortable silence for a few minutes before Eleanor spoke again. 

"Thank you." she said capturing the man's attention. "For helping you destroy the kitchen and enjoy the best breakfast ever? Anytime." Louis said receiving a chuckle from Eleanor, "Yeah that too, but that's not it." she said making the blue eyed man to turn to her, confusion dripping down his face. "The whole week, you lads made it so much easier for me to deal with everything, hospital bills to all of our essentials and now basically taking Lizzie and I in for a while, I don't think I could deal with all this even with all the girls' help. Thank you for that." 

"Well as beautiful as it was to hear you praise us like the noblest men on the planet, it isn't the whole truth you know." Louis replied and it was now Eleanor to look confused, "None of you would be in the position if it weren't for me colliding into you. It was pretty much my fault that Lizzie got shot and it is all on me, so this is the least I could do." Louis said trying to take all the blame on himself. 

"That's not all true." Eleanor argued frowning at the man's unrequired modesty, "How is it not? It is true, Lizzie wouldn't have been hurt if I just did my job properly." Louis said, his voice drowning in guilt and his head bowed down like he is ashamed of what happened. "Don't do that." she said making his head turn back to look at her.

"Don't blame this all on yourself. None of what happened is your fault, you did not know that would have happened, you did not know they would start shooting amidst all that people. You were in just as much danger as any of us if not more, hell if it weren't for me losing my balance, everyone would be perfectly fine. If I wouldn't stumble, Lizzie wouldn't let go and she wouldn't have been in the raining bullets and you wouldn't jump in to save her even though it should've been me who jumped in, I'm the one responsible for her." she ranted on, not really listening to what she was uttering.

"Did not know you were a hypocrite like that, you tell me not to blame myself over what happened and now you are taking it all on you because you tripped? Now that's hypocrisy at it's finest if you ask me." Louis said light-heartedly, "Yeah that was not the best way to tell but you get it right? It isn't your fault that happened, none of us are. It was fate we couldn't avoid." she said trying to give better wording to her intentions. 

"Maybe it was fate, it was terrible it happened but it did get us to meet one of sweetest children and also get to live with her so that's a plus." Louis said his big smile returning. "You really did not have to, you know. Have us stay with you, we might just burden-." Eleanor started but Louis cut her off before she could complete her sentence, "No you are not, we know you might not need any of our help and probably shouldn't want anything to do with us, but we need to make sure you are well kept for as long as you will have us." Louis said 

"I don't know how to put this, we need you to stay close to us so we know we did not cause you anymore harm, like we don't know how much damage we've done except the possible trauma and ruined vacation and a constant fear and God only knows what." Louis tried explaining as he found himself tangled in words he couldn't weave together properly. "I take it this is the first time something like this has happened with you lot?" Eleanor questioned and Louis gave her a nod.

"It is quite weird that I am moving in with people I met only a week ago, under questionable circumstances might I add." Eleanor said making a deep chuckle escape the lad's throat, "But I guess that I do understand where you are coming from. Also you lads aren't that bad of company so it will be nice I hope." Eleanor continued making Louis nod his head frantically in agreement.

"We should probably get out of here before the rest of the house loses their shit. Also my arse hurts from sitting on the hard ground." Louis said getting on his feet and extending a hand to help Eleanor to her feet, which she was hesitant to accept considering his shoulder just got a surgery and politely declined pointing at his shoulder as she got up on her own. 

Louis retracted his hand and made a move to leave the kitchen before he was yanked back in by Eleanor, Louis turned to look at her with questioning eyes filled with confusion. "Fix the mess before you leave." she commanded like the mother she is with her arms crossed. "But I'm hurt." said the man in a baby voice as he cradled his shoulder trying to escape.

"You have one good arm which works just fine to close all the cupboards while I wash the bowls and put them in their rightful place." she said dragging Louis, who was groaning like a child, by his good arm to help her in the kitchen. Louis huffed as he shut all the cupboards while Eleanor washed the bowls and dried them and put them with the other bowls before throwing the empty box of cereal away.

"Now that wasn't so hard, was it? Barely took a minute." Eleanor said with a big grin, "It was so exhausting that I'd rather take another bullet." Louis said dramatically wiping sweat off his forehead. Eleanor laughed at his antics and pointed gun fingers at him and Louis instantly put his hands up in surrender. Both of them burst out laughing loudly probably catching all the housemates' attention. 

They walked out of the kitchen, Louis trying to be sneaky as he crept away past the living room as quite as he could while Eleanor joined them as they watched some show about Vampires, which is probably why they missed Louis and Eleanor's laugh, and Perrie said something about not minding if Damon used her as his personal blood bag. 

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