You Found Me [Nouis]

Chapter 8

3 Months Later

Niall wonders if he should regret kissing Louis, now. Nothing really changed- not for the better, like he had been hoping it would. Louis and Eleanor were together, officially, and they were as happy as ever. Their friends knew now, Louis and Eleanor had announced it a week after Louis and Niall had kissed. Louis never spoke about the kiss, and Niall didn't bother to write in on anyone's arm. Nobody ever guessed, either. Why would they?

Niall was sitting under his willow tree, writing in the journal he'd shown Louis about half a year ago. The one Louis read when he found out why Niall stopped speaking.

I haven't been avoiding my parents lately. I'm covered in bruises and I smell like alcohol. I snuck a bottle of whiskey into my book bag when my dad passed out from screaming so much. My mum didn't even notice. She just looked at me like a zombie, lifeless and hungry. She never says anything about my father- how he beats me, how he hates her, how he spends all the money she makes on beer. I wonder why, sometimes. She doesn't even cry over Greg anymore. I do.

I got drunk that night and I cried and I think I broke the bottle in my hand. There was so much blood. It's all a blurry memory, now. I don't know what came over me.

I can't really walk, and I've missed a week of school. I wonder if Louis has noticed, or if he's been too wrapped up in Eleanor to even care. I hate that we've drifted, but it's not Eleanor's fault. She couldn't have known.

I've thought about going to the lake Louis took me to to calm me down, but I'm sure if he showed up there he'd have Eleanor with him. I'm happy for them, really, but it hurts to see them together. I know how much Louis loves her, and at least if I try to commit again, he won't be there to save me.

Niall sighed, putting his pencil down. He flipped through the pages of his book, going back to the day he and Louis had kissed.

I haven't written here in forever, but I feel like I have to right now.

Me and Louis kissed. It was everything I could have imagined, but when we pulled away, the first thing he said was "Eleanor." He looked so shocked, and I bet he regrets it now.

I left after that, so that's really all he said. I probably would have stayed if I hadn't been about to cry. He didn't get to say anything else.

Niall bit his lip. He picked up his pencil and, skipping a few lines, began writing.

He hasn't spoken to me since.

Niall picked up his binoculars, watching birds fly from tree to tree, from one patch of grass to another, chirping happily in the warm spring air. Niall looked around. Flowers were sprouting everywhere, their petals swaying around in the wind. His willow tree was slowly growing it's leaves and flowers back, sprouting even more beautiful than last year.

He missed this peace. The peace he had the day before school this year, when he was sitting and reading The Fault In Our Stars. The day before he met Louis, because since then everything's been a painful, confusing wreck.

Niall wishes he could just forget about it.

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Louis was running, probably too quickly, through the mud. He ran straight past Niall's house and into the woods behind it. The tears in his eyes were making his vision blurry. He tripped several times but didn't fall.

Louis finally spotted the willow tree, only a few feet away, and ran faster, crashing through the branches, startling the blonde boy that was sitting there.

Niall still had his binoculars pressed to his eyes, looking at birds as they flew every which way.

A loud rustle next to him made Niall jump, the binoculars falling from his fingertips. Louis was standing there, biting his lips hard, tears falling down his cheeks, streaming from his eyes, which were normally bright blue or light gray, but now they were dark, a stormy gray with blue clouds in them.

Niall froze.

Louis collapsed next to him, blurting out every thought in his mind, his arms around himself like a shield. Niall didn't move. He just sat there listening, which Louis was grateful for.

Nobody's ever listened to him before.

"I can't believe they're getting divorced." Louis broke off in a sob. Niall scoot closer to him, now, pulling him into a hug. Louis gripped him tight, sobbing into his shoulder.

Louis found it strange that someone who never spoke, hardly made a sound, could be so comforting. Louis had calmed down within minutes, falling limp in Niall's arms.

"My father is leaving me, Ni." Louis whimpered into Niall's shoulder. "My family is falling apart. Soon I'll have nothing left."

Niall frowned. He felt offended by that- the fact that Louis said he'd have nothing left after his father left. What about him?

Niall titled Louis' face up, pointing at himself. Louis sniffled. "But you hate me now, don't you? I haven't spoken to you in months."

Niall shook his head, pulling Louis into a hug. Louis held him tight, and Niall could feel how hard his heart was beating.

"I'll always have you, won't I?" Louis smiled past the tears, burying his face in Niall's chest. "You're the only one I can rely on, Ni."

Niall frowned at that. He took Louis' hand and pulled out his marker, writing 'Eleanor?' on his wrist. Louis frowned, as if he'd just remembered her.

"Yeah . . ." he trailed off. "yeah I've got El too. . . ."

Niall watched as Louis smiled lightly, looking at the name on his wrist, then back up at Niall.

"I'm suppose to love her, Ni." Louis said. "I do love her, and I've wanted her for so long. She met my mum, my dad, and my sisters. She loves all of my friends, she talks about everything with me. She's everything I could ever want."

Niall looked down, cringing. Louis tilted his face up with two gentle fingers, and Niall was confused by the look in his eyes.

"I love her," Louis said, and Niall's heart dropped to his stomach. He knew that, why was Louis reminding him? "but I'm in love with someone else."

Niall almost said something, opened his mouth slightly and took a breath, but Louis' lips came crashing down on his own, effectively cutting him off.

Niall wrapped his arms around Louis' neck as Louis wrapped his arms around Niall's waist. Niall smiled against Louis' lips.

Once again, everything felt okay.

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This story is extremely fast-pace but as you can see on the side (I hope; I really don't know anymore I'm on mobile and everything is stupid) this is a short story. There will only be a few chapters left so yeah. I'm really sorry if this is stupid.