NO BODY, NO CRIME

Chapter 17

Louis slowly opened his eyes and gave them a rub to remove any sign of sleep. He smiled as he felt the weight of her head on his other arm and left a kiss right above her forehead. He waited for a while and felt the feel of her breathes on his chest. 

Louis moved his hand and removed the loose strands that were poking her eye making her frown. Her face was back at its peaceful state once the hair was removed. She smiled graciously in her sleep and cuddled closer into his arms. Louis thought this was the calmest she had been since that day.

The first month, Eleanor wouldn't sleep all night or during the day. Then came a period, whenever she tried to sleep she'd wake up shouting in the middle of the night until the last two months. Last two months, it was restlessness and talking in her sleep. They were not just nightmares about the recent events, she'd dream about every bad occurrence starting from her childhood to every dark hypothetical situation she'd ever thought of. Louis had asked her to talk to a specialist last month and from the looks of it, it worked. Eleanor was a little unsure of it as she was too afraid to open up much, but she was never forced to, so it was fine. 

Louis was by her side more than she had expected. He had honestly helped her through it. Except for her night-time scares, Eleanor was doing well. She seemed happier than before- helping Harry propose to Taylor on Christmas, being preoccupied helping them plan the wedding etc. Honestly her happiness was mainly because how Louis was helping her after she got discharged from the hospital and taking care of her as much as he could, taking time out of his demanding job. He tried to keep things light for her and entertained her. They honestly got to know each other better and she also met his family- his siblings, his dad and his son. That's what actually made her open up to Louis more about dealing with grief when her father died and handling an over-bearing mother. Louis at first thought she was exaggerating but after meeting the woman, he knew Eleanor was right. Eleanor even met Brianna and thought she wasn't as bad as Zayn made her to be, she was sweet but a little ditzy, as Louis would say the least. 

Eleanor was truly back to being herself when Louis blurted out he loved her three months ago during sex. Eleanor swore that was the most she'd laughed in her life (sadly, at the expense of Louis' awkwardness), but didn't lie when she said she felt the same. It was a great around four months for them, except for Eleanor's sleep problems. But now, that was gone too, at least Louis hoped they wouldn't come back. 

As Eleanor started shifting in her sleep, Louis knew she was waking up. She flickered her eyes and looked up at him. The smile on his face brought her instant warmth and she smiled back. He kissed her forehead and Eleanor sighed contently as it lingered. 

"Morning, love," he said in his morning rasp and Eleanor hummed in response. "Slept well?" That was the question he really wanted to ask.

"Yeah," she said as she straightened herself, staring at the ceiling. "I actually had a dream."

"Huh?" Louis was confused, she'd been having those for months.

She turned back towards him. "A dream, Louis. Not a nightmare."

"Oh," he comprehended. "What did ya see?" he askes, interested. He had heard so much of her vulnerable nightmares that he was ready for this change. 

"I-" she looked down and Louis could see a tinge of pink on her cheeks. 

"C'mon, it's just me," he insisted. 

"Nothing you wanna know," she shook her head into his chest. 

"Oh c'mon. Please," he begged. 

"Okay!" she looked back up. "I saw you."

"And...?"