Zayn and Niall: Everybody Needs Somebody Sometimes

I'm Not Sick

hiii! long time no see, but here you are with another little chapter. i hope to be updating more frequently from now, so yeah, keep your eyes open for new chapters when they're out! again, thank you for all your support, and i hope that you guys like this chapter. i understand that it may seem a bit repitetive at this point, but i promise it'll all come together! pretty pls comment because ur comments make me happy and inspire me to write :~)

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Soft gold and shimmering satin. Ribbons of white, draped around crystalline chandeliers. Heavy velvet curtains and polished ebony shoes. Lines running under the marble ground, like cracks that were buried too far below to be seen - but cracks just the same, shards and pieces of broken stone and broken boys and broken hearts.

"Louis," Eleanor said, sighing. "I'm talking to you."

"Mm," Louis' head jerked up, fingers instinctively untangling from within one another. "I'm sorry, what? I didn't catch that."

"I asked you what you want," Eleanor pinched the bridge of her nose, and Louis noticed her freshly manicured nails.

"I want to be happy."

Eleanor took a deep breath, blinking rapidly at him. "I was talking about dinner, Louis. What would you like to order?"

"Right," Louis said numbly, quickly reaching for the menu and looking through it. "Um, I'll have some wine."

"We are out for dinner," Eleanor said slowly, biting her teeth through each word like it pained her to speak to him. "And you are going to eat."

"I'm not hungry, El," Louis pushed the menu aside.

"If all you wanted was to get yourself piss drunk, you're welcome to leave and do that alone at home," Eleanor said curtly. "But while you're out here, with me, I expect you to at least try to act normal."

Fuck normal, Louis felt like saying, I don't want to look at you because everything I love is home alone, and all I can think about is getting back. But he'd made himself a promise. He'd made his choice. He couldn't afford to mess it all up now. This was the one chance he had to make good with all the shit he'd done.

"I'll have a lasagna," he sighed, looking up to meet Eleanor's gaze for the first time all night.

Eleanor pursed her lips, but didn't say anything to him while making the order. When she was done, she turned back to Louis, interlacing her fingers under her chin and fixing him with a hard stare. "Why are you doing this, Louis?"

"Why am I doing what?"

"This," Eleanor gestured across the table. "Why are you taking me out for dinner when you look so miserable, like you'd rather do anything else in the world than be here right now?"

Louis massaged his temple, thoughts colliding with each other in his brain. True, he hadn't made an effort to be congenial since the moment they'd arrived. "I'm sorry," he said exhaling and sitting up straight on the chair. "I'm sorry, let's try this again."

She blinked.

"I just have a lot on my mind," Louis explained. "I know I've been acting like a piece of shit tonight, and I'm sorry about that. Can we start over?"

Eleanor nodded tersely, still not saying anything.

"Here, gimme your hand," Louis reached across the table and took Eleanor's slender fingers within his own, massaging warmth into her skin, giving her a faint smile. "How was your day?"

"Tiring," Eleanor said, looking suspiciously at their clasped hands. "I went to the hospital for a checkup, came home, had to clean up because Mum wasn't around, and then had to get ready to meet you."