Beautiful Scars

Beginning Ends

"She is going to be fine."

Louis had been staring at the door that had just closed, shutting him off from the girl he had spent every second with for the past fifteen hours. Eleanor's words caused him to break his gaze as he turned to face her. She had a small, warm smile on her face and immediate guilt washed over Louis. He reached out, drawing her to him.

"I'm so sorry, El," he began. "I know I have been really distracted this morning. We were supposed to have a perfect dinner together last night, and then I got caught up in this big mess." His fingers played in her soft hair. "I love you so much." He did not want to sound cheesy but since last night, he knew to never take time for granted. Who knew the next time he would get to tell her? "And I am sorry I have been so preoccupied with Ally. I just..." He sighed, searching for the right words. "I'm just really worried about her."

"Louis," Eleanor said, pulling out of his hold so she could look him in the eye. Louis' heart skipped a beat. Those hazel eyes never failed to drive him crazy. "I love you. This morning, when I first got here...well, I was confused and concerned and kind of annoyed that you never called me."

Louis broke her steady gaze, silently cursing himself, wondering why on earth he had not called her. But Eleanor did not mean to scold him. She took his hand and their fingers intertwined. "But I get it now," she continued, her voice soft and sweet. "What you went through last night, both you and Ally, is absolutely insane. I still can't really wrap my mind around it. But I do know that I love you even more for what you did. You're incredible Louis. And Ally, she is pretty incredible too. I know that she is going to be okay. It may take a while, but both her bruises and her fears will fade. When I talked to her, after he called, she was scared, but she was also practical and strong. If there were any two people in the world who I thought could go through something like that and come out on top of it, it would be someone like you two. You did it, Louis. You and Ally both did it, and now, no matter what consequences come of it, you're going to make it through."

It took only a second before her words sank in and a smile was growing on Louis' face.

"Ah, Eleanor. What would I do without you?"

And then Eleanor was smiling, but Louis was already pulling her towards him. He kissed her, and her hands moved to his chest and she was kissing him back. It was not a long kiss, but a lingering one. They broke apart, both with slight smiles on their faces.

"Alright, now you need to rest," Eleanor said, jumping to her feet.

"Awww, come on babe, I'll do that later," he said with a cheeky grin, trying to pull her back down to him, but she avoided his grasp.

"Oh no you don't. You stay right there. I'm going to make you breakfast," she said, looking down at him.

Louis huffed, sitting back on the couch. "Fine, as long as it is yummy."

Eleanor laughed. "I'll try," and with that she left him to enter the kitchen.

Louis sighed, alone for the first time since the incident.

He was tired, although he would never admit it to Eleanor. His body was incredibly sore and his head pounded. Still, he felt as if he had been in this hotel for too long. He was bored.

Noticing his phone on the table, he leaned over to pick it up. The crack it had suffered last night nearly split the screen in two. He wondered when was the soonest time he could buy himself a new phone. He would not need this daily remainder of the pain. The contacts screen was still open, flashing Ally's name across it. He knew what Eleanor said was true, but he still worried about her.

He quickly sent her a text.

Hey, Ally. It's Louis. Did everything work out with your cousin alright?

 He sat back and waited with his eyes closed, listening to Eleanor move around the kitchen, until the phone buzzed in his hand.

He checked her response.

Yeah! She was a bit concerned at first, but I convinced her everything was okay. I told her the scratch was from my friend and I practicing stage fighting...

Louis cracked a smile and typed,

Hahaha glad to hear it

"Seriously Louis, I tried, but that kitchen is pretty pitifully stocked." It was Eleanor, stalking back into the room with a plate and a glass of water balanced in her hands. She laid them down on the coffee table.

"A bowl of honey bunches of oats and an apple?" Louis asked skeptically, examining the food before him.

"Hey, it's not my fault. You should have bought better food," she said defensively.

Louis laughed. "I'm kidding. This is perfect."

"Good," she said and then jumped to her feet once again. "Oh darn, I forgot a spoon!" She hurried back into the kitchen as if the fate of the world was doomed by her lack of a spoon.

"Calm down, El," Louis called, chuckling. "Everything's okay." Still smiling, Louis realized how true that was. The day before, he would have never believed it if someone told him how the rest of his night would turn out. Him and the other boys had just won a huge award, he had been ecstatic at the prospect of seeing his girlfriend again, but then... The world decided to throw him a curve ball.

It was awful what happened, but if anything good could be said of it, he did get to meet Ally. He missed her already. He missed her sarcastic comments and her easy laughter and the way she would always roll her eyes at things he said. He missed all of that, and she was only a few blocks away. That would change soon. When the band went back to Britain and she returned to New Jersey, they would be worlds apart. He would be leaving tomorrow afternoon. Maybe he could take Ally out to dinner tonight with Eleanor and the rest of the boys tonight. He smiled at the thought of Ally's excitement at meeting Liam, Niall, and Zayn. Yes, that was a good plan. They could all have a dinner together before life started rushing on again.

For years to come, Louis and Ally would have these two days engraved in their minds. After the first weeks, the nightmares faded and these memories were nothing more than a crazy adventure that led them to meet; something they were both oddly grateful for.

Being a worldwide celebrity is tough. With all the attention, crazed fans, constant supply of wealth, and lack of privacy, it can be difficult to stay grounded. For Louis, Ally was always the person he could fall back on. The person he could always call whenever he needed a friend or a relief from drama. And Ally would do the same for him. Whenever one of their lives got complicated, the other would always be there for them, maybe across the world, but through the lens of a webcam, be there to sympathize, laugh, cry, rant, or give advice. Their relationship was never complicated. It was the deepest type of friendship without it ever going past that. Louis was mad for Eleanor and one day in the near future, Ally will find a special person to share her heart with.

It was not about meeting your celebrity crush, or your biggest fan. It was about finding that one person that you could be completely yourself with, and never letting them go. You could show them your biggest fears, deepest regrets, highest hopes, rudest opinions and they would never judge you. There was never any doubt that they loved you and you felt the same way about them.

Some scars never fade, but neither do certain friendships.

A/N: So, that's it. To anyone who has read this story, I can not put into words how much it means to me. I love writing and to think that others like to read what I wrote is absolutely incredible. To anyone who took the time to comment, thank you thank you thank you. Reading your comments make my day. This is one of the first stories I have ever written and thank you all for the support you have given it. I know it is not perfect, but I figured it was good enough to be shared. Thank you and have a lovely day! 

xx. Verity