bandaid

2

The fire on the stove Liam is cooking his eggs and bacon with rises in sharp purple. It hits the base of the pan like if it were Louis' soul getting stabbed. "So who's the guy?"

Zayn's eyes stare down onto the tiled floor as his fingers tap anxiously on the kitchen counter top. His lips chapped from all the times he has bitten them nervously. The blonde ends of his long hair all split because he doesn't have the motivation to get a simple haircut. That is what life does to you. When it hits, it leaves your soul so gray there's no chance for a ray of colors to rise up.

Niall sighs as he walks from the beige colored couch to lay his hands on Zayn's shoulders. His hands messaging him lightly because he feels his pain. Zayn's eyes are like crystallized water. He is shaking because he's scared. He is scared to share his pain.

"You called me early in the morning just as I was taking Darcy to school. When– when you hanged up, you know how scared I was? Shit Zayn. When I get scared, Darcy gets more scared–"

"It was Ian."

Louis stops breathing, blinking, and feeling all at once. He chuckles a bit as he leans onto the same counter Zayn is on. His eyes now looking like his, a trembling ocean's surface. "Ian? Darcy's drunk fucking father."

"He– he must of been following her around and–"

"That son of a fucking bitch!" His right hand tightens into a fist as it slams on the grey marble counter. His breathing is so slow and steady now it's like if he's holding that air for dear life. His lips part open, but he's afraid to ask why.

"Sav- She's gone because he- he wanted her gone."

Announcing those treacherous words out loud made everything go silent. It made the bright blue sky into a black and white backdrop of a 1930's film. It made the tick of the wall clock seem like time feels no guilt. Time never stops for a broken heart, but it can heal with the journey. Healing that Louis was feeling up until now. All peace is now an unknown stranger. It's an alarm he demands to be drowned away.

Liam turns off the stove and lowers the wooden spoon all covered in grease. He walks towards Louis, but speaks no words. The words told were already too powerful and too damaging. Instead, he wraps his arms around his chest from behind as he lays his head on his shoulder.

Nonetheless, Louis opens up. One breath and gain of strength at a time. "Zayn- Zayn was going to marry her-"

Before he's able to finish his sentence, Zayn stands up from his stool crying. His eyebrows are raised and eyes are trying to focus on the color of the floor tiles, but he can't because he's shaking in discomfort and desperation. "Marry her? yeah I was, but she died with all the desire of getting proposed to. She left without a diamond ring on her finger. I- I never got to tell her how much I wanted her to be my wife! And now it turns out that bitch took that dream away from both of us, that is agony!"

He repeats that last word multiple times as he walks towards the door and out of his apartment. He's burning in the definition of agony and it's driving him crazy.

Louis shakes his head with no tears left to shed as he has wiped his eyes countless times. He releases himself from Liam's grip and follows Zayn.

"I need a drink."

xxx

It's five in the afternoon, two hours after Darcy's school dismissal and Louis is just now driving home sober. He has voicemails from the guys, except from Zayn, of how they had to go pick up Darcy from school because he was nowhere to be seen.

He had lost track of time and the longing to drink. His lips couldn't taste one single drop of alcohol for however much his pain was. His mind was too busy for him to drink carelessly.

As Louis opens up the door to his place, he takes a deep breath. Darcy's eyes are the first ones he notices as she runs towards him for a hug. He feels guilt looking at how this little girl was so worried about him, yet he only gives her half a smile. He's legally her guardian, yet most times she's the one looking out for him.

Such an innocent child has no idea what a monster her so called father is. The fairy dresses and sparkly tiaras Louis buys for her are such drastic differences to his poisoned heart. She deserves this pretend fairytale childhood and not the truth about her parents, not now. She wouldn't be surprised if her uncles told her Louis has been crying and in pain, but she tries to clean all sadness with barbie dolls and bubble guns.

"We knew you'd be gone for a while, so Liam and I picked her up." Niall speaks up as he looks at Louis carefully. Him and Liam are very protective and affectionate friends. They care too much, but that amount of dedication is lifesaving. It doesn't go unnoticed and Louis makes sure of reminding them.

Louis smiles and thanks them just as he realizes the curly hair guy from earlier is standing inside his apartment. He raises an eyebrow in confusion and stares blankly.

"What is he doing here?"

Liam smiles gracefully, grateful someone asked, as he places his arm over Harry's shoulder. "We were roommates in college! I didn't knew he lived here until I saw him getting his mail."

"Yeah, he moved in recently."

"yeah." Harry whispers under his breath, looking directly into Peter Pan's eyes.

"Yeah." Louis adds awkwardly, breaking their eye contact as he remembers to close the door behind him.

As he turns back around, his glance lowers towards Harry's arms, remembering Darcy's comment earlier about random bruises. Spots of purple are scattered lightly below both elbows, almost fading now. They are small, not alarming. He nods to himself as he remembers it's none of his business whether this guy has bruises or why he does. He has his own issues to worry over.

He suddenly feels a hand on his left shoulder and jumps a little; he realizes it's Niall as he hears his deep voice whisper near him. "Turns out he's living with his boyfriend upstairs. I'm just saying it's obvious he's not a free man Louis."

"I can't be in a relationship-"

"No no, he's not a free person because he has an over possessive asshole of a boyfriend. Just- keep an eye out for him."