I awoke well before the church bells, and looked down at LiLi's sleeping face. I smiled at his peacefulness; his whole presence seemed to be much younger than the way he holds himself when he's awake, and my heart gave a gentle squeeze. My stomach rumbled when I realized that hadn't finished my dinner last night when I ran after Liam.
As much as I didn't want to move, my stomach had other plans. I was starving. I untangled Liam's arms from me, and slipped silently out of the bed. Liam began to whimper in his sleep, so I landed a light kiss on his forehead, and he went back to normal, with a small smile left on his lips.
I tiptoed over to the door, trying to make as little noise as possible, and slipped outside. The door clicked shut, and I turned to go to the dining room and almost fell over with fright, as I saw Louis standing there, in front of me, eyebrows raised.
I stuttered. This must have looked terribly bad. I just came out of Liam's room, from sleeping there the night, with probably messy hair, and in the same clothes I had on the day before.
"Louis...G-good morning, this isn't what it looks like, and I know this looks bad, but I swear that nothing happened between Prince Liam and I last night." I swallowed uneasily.
Louis chuckled. "I can assure you, Beka, I wasn't thinking that. I'm shocked to see you up this early, though."
"...I'm starving, and besides, I could say the same thing about you, Louis." I smirked.
Louis shrugged. "I like waking up early. I usually go and play the piano. How'd you sleep?"
Louis plays the piano...? Well...I wasn't expecting that.
I sighed, tiredly. "I didn't sleep that well, Liam was pretty upset about what happened last night, and I didn't get to have my cup of tea. I can never sleep without a cup of tea. My brothers used to think that why I talk in my sleep." I stated, pouting, and Louis gave me a thoughtful look.
"Well, if we get you changed, we can get you some breakfast, and then spend the day together?"
I nodded, happily, delighted by the day's plan. "And you can play the piano for me?" I asked, hopefully.
Louis laughed, and hugged my shoulders. "Sure, if that's what you want."
-
I was trying very hard not to laugh at the childish joke Louis told me about why the mushroom when to a party, but I couldn't help it. He was a very funny person, I liked his immaturity very much, because it made me let all my stresses go. The two of us reached my room, and I pushed open my bedroom door.
Helena was sleeping in the middle of my bed, snoring lightly. I shook her awake, gently and she sat up smiling, rubbing her eyes.
"Good morning." She said to Louis and I.
"Why did you sleep here last night?" I asked, as Louis found an interest with a hairpin that was sitting on the desk in my room. He began to pretend it was a crocodile that was eating his fingers.
Helena raised her arms high above her head, stretching. "I was waiting for you to come back here after dinner, so you could tell me everything about that happened yesterday, and I was really tired from the little sleep we got the night before, and I guess I just fell asleep." She shrugged
Sympathy washed over me. "Helena, I hope you weren't waiting for that long." I said, feeling bad, but she shook her head. "Well in that case, do you think you can help me get ready for today? Prince Louis has asked for my company."
Helena slid out of the bed, answering my question silently, rubbing the sleep out of her eyes. She pulled new clothes out of the cupboard, and sluggishly pushed me into the bathroom, before closing the door behind her, leaving Louis to himself, as the crocodile hairpin terrorised his fingers.
I had a quick bath, and Helena caught a few minutes of sleep, as she slouched against the door. I wrapped myself in the robe that hung off the hook on the wall, and shook Helena awake again.
"So where did you end up last night?" she yawned hugely, as she was brushing my hair.
"I slept with Liam." I stated, and Helena froze with shock. "That came out wrong. Gosh you have a dirty mind, Liam had a fight with Harry at dinner last night, and he was pretty torn up about it, so I stayed with him for the night."
"Well...I'm awake now." She said sounding more alert, continuing to brush my hair.
After washing it, my hair had gone incredible curly, so Helena left the bathroom, to get the pin off Louis, much to his very loud protest. Helena managed to get the pin out of his hands when she offered him an extra cookie for desert.
Helena came back into the room shaking her head, and I laughed. She helped me into the red gown that Louis had gotten me, and tightened it around me tightly. While I was slipping my shoes on, Helena clipped the pin into my hair. I didn't bother with makeup today, my skin wasn't too bad, and so it didn't bother me.
I stood looking at myself in the mirror, making sure everything was perfect, and when I was convinced, I left the bathroom, and found Louis pouting about his missing crocodile friend. He seemed to brighten up when he saw me. "I love red!" he exclaimed, standing from sitting in the bed. I rolled my eyes, finding my basket on the floor. I picked up the folded piano music, and put it in my pocket, before Louis could see what it was. I pulled the overly enthusiastic boy out of my room, saying a goodbye to Helena, who had already collapsed on my bed again, falling asleep.
-
Louis had rushed me to the kitchen, where I met the chef, Fredrick. The two of us were sitting on two wooden stools, in the room smelling of spices. The chef was making us a special early morning breakfast that Louis seemed very excited about. Fredrick passed two plates to us with an omelette on each. Louis quickly scoffed the omelette down, then chugged down a glass of orange juice, even before I was half way to finishing mine.
I could see why Louis was excited about getting breakfast, the food was amazing, like it usually was, but this morning the food tasted so much better, because I was so hungry. My stomach gave a pleasured groan as I finished my last mouthful. I passed my plate to Fredrick's awaiting hand, and Louis rushed me out the door, excitedly. I yelled a thank you over my shoulder, to Freddie, and he laughed in return.
Louis decided I was running to slow for him, so he threw me over his shoulder, much to my protests, and ran through the halls loudly. I was willing him to be quiet for the other people sleeping, but he ignored me anyway. I rolled my eyes, and he stopped at a door, which he flung open with a little extra force and rushed into the room.
He placed me on my feet, and I looked around the room confused. Louis ran off somewhere, which I couldn't see where, because all of the thick curtains were drawn closed, blocking out the sun. I held out my hands, taking a couple steps forward, hoping not to run into anything.
"How can you see in this darkness?" I asked, Louis, not knowing where he was.
His laugh sounded in the room, and I looked around disorientated. "I eat a lot of carrots. The legend about them helping you see in the dark actually does work, you know?"
I laughed, and a curtain flew open on this other side of the room with Lou standing in front of it. He ran to the next one, opening all of the curtains, revealing the actual size of the room. I looked around, realizing a large object stood in front of me.
I almost missed it because it was so dark, but a beautiful grand piano awaited in the centre of the room. My family used to own a piano when I was younger, it was my mothers. It was one of the things she brought with her from her home in France. She taught me how to play, and I loved it, but then we had some troubles with money when there was a big storm that damaged the house, so we sold the piano, and I hadn't played since.
I ripped my eyes away from the beautiful instrument, and looked over at Lou, who was staring at me, intensely. "Do you play?" Louis asked, gesturing towards the piano.
"I used to, I've never seen an actual piano before...not one like this. We just to own an old stand up one."
I was pleasantly surprised to see the grand piano in the middle of the room. I walked over to it, sliding my hand across the black polished wood adoringly. My fingers twitched for the keys, but I refrained myself.
Louis sat on the seat, and I lowered myself next to him. He lifted the fall, revealing the black and ivory keys underneath. A shutter went through my body, as I looked over the keys, lovingly.
"What do you want me to play?" Louis asked, brightly, and I pulled the sheet music out of my pocket.
"This is the lullaby my mother used to sing to us when my brothers and I were kids." I said, passing him the paper. He read it over quickly, before putting it on the stand, and started playing the familiar tune.
Lou played the tune exactly like my mother used to sing it, and I began to sing the words to myself quietly. I smiled sadly, missing my family, and placed my head against Lou's shoulder, still singing. He smelt of cinnamon. Lou continued to play for me, and tears slipped down my cheeks. It wasn't until he finished the song, that he realised I was crying.
"Aw, Bekaboo, don't cry." He cooed, pinching my cheek. I hugged Lou to me. He pulled me on to his lap, so I was straddling him.
"Thank you, that meant a lot to me." I said looking into his overly blue eyes that were only filled with respect for me.
"I want to see you play, and I know you can sing, because I just heard you do it." He asked, forcefully
I sighed. "Lou, it's been a long time...I don't know if I can." I explained. In actual fact, I did remember how to play; very well, I just wanted to watch him play more. When Lou plays, his face fills with this overcompensating joy, that just lights up his whole demeanour.
"Call me Boobear, and I can tell you're lying to me, Bekaboo. Now....play." he demanded, standing the two of us up, and sitting me so I was facing the keys, and he sat down next to me.
My fingers were twitching with want, and I couldn't hold back from the temptation anymore, as soon as my fingertips touched the middle C. It all came back to me, the memories of playing for hours on a winter's afternoon, and falling asleep in my mother's lap, when she used to play for me.
I hadn't realised I was playing the lullaby, until I snapped back into the present. My fingers were running over the keys without hesitation. I didn't need the sheet music; I knew the song off by heart. I could see Lou watching me, fascinated, as he waited for the part where I would sing.
I took a deep breath, trying to get over the fear of singing with somebody watching. I closed my eyes, still playing, and thought of my family, them being the only people I could sing in front of, without becoming embarrassed with myself, and the words came out of my mouth automatically.
I could feel Louis's eyes on me. But I kept mine shut, trying to concentrate. His arms snaked around my waist, sending tingles all through my body. His lips grazed my ear, as he whispered the words I was singing, to me. His soft, brown hair, tickled against my cheek, making me realise just how close Louis was sitting next to me. I began to miss notes, as I became distracted, but my fingers still played, sounding awful.
Lou's hand came down on my fingers gently, stopping me from playing. The room went silent, expect for Louis soft singing in my ear. My eyes stayed closed, and his hand travelled over stomach, a gasp leaving my lips, as his touch left tingles all over my skin.
I bit my lip, and Louis disappeared. I couldn't feel his touch, couldn't hear his voice, I couldn't even smell the cinnamon scent of his skin. My eyes snapped open and I found Louis leaning against the other end of the piano, looking at me with amused eyes.
"You were teasing me." I gasped incredulously. Louis laughed, nodding, but I could see it in his eyes that he didn't want to have to tease me. "Well then..." I said, standing, and taking a few steps towards the door. I didn't make it very far, because he had raced after me, and was now standing in front of me. He gave me devious stare, and took a step towards me, I took one back. It continued like that, until I was backed up against the side of the piano.
I looked up into Louis's eyes, as he blocked my escape, with putting an arm either side of my body. He leaned in close. "Now who's the tease?" he whispered. Lou's lips curved into a smirk.
His smirk was my undoing. My lips found his with ease, and he automatically responded to me. I had to stretch on my toes again, because Lou was so much taller than I was. He noticed my struggling, and lifted me up, sitting me on top of the piano. We were the same height now, and I smiled into his lips, as he came closer to me, and I straddled his waist with my legs again.
My hand travelled over his hard stomach, where I could feel the washboard effect. I pulled him closer to me with my legs, and his fingers dug into my thighs as his hands slid across them, and around to my back. He bit my bottom lip, and my hands scrunched in the collar of his shirt.
"Thank you." I whispered to him, as began kissing my collarbone that was exposed to from the square neck line on my dress.
"For what?" he said standing straight, looking into my eyes with confusion. I pouted a bit, because I ruined the moment.
"For saving me from being executed. You mean a lot to me because of that, and I know I haven't shown that very much lately by seeing your brother's, but I don't want to commit to something as serious as marriage, and not know all of my options." I said, self-consciously, looking down, avoiding his eyes, at my hands that I was fiddling with in my lap.
Lou smiled, understandingly, and tilted my head up, placing a gentle kiss on my lips. "I understand, Beka, and it's ok, honestly. You don't owe me anything, and you certainly don't have to thank me, it was like second nature to me."
"But I feel like I should owe you something, anything, to all of you boys, and I've been trying to force myself into feeling something for one of the five of you, and I just haven't been able to. I'm sorry, Lou, I just can't do it." I said, tears springing to my eyes.
Louis took my hand into his, and looked at me disappointedly, but still with understanding. "Beka, when my brother's and I agreed that we couldn't settle our differences about who should have your heart, we decided that we'd all give it a shot, but we knew there was possibility that you wouldn't love any of us the same way we love you, and we accepted that even though we didn't want to. So my brothers will understand. Nobody should be forced to love someone, and besides, you of all people have had an array of emotions going through you lately. I don't expect you to be feeling any love just as yet." He said, whipping away my tears. I hugged him to me, and he held me tightly against him.
"You're a good person, Boobear." I muttered into his neck, and he chuckled, sending vibrations through his chest. I was enjoying the moment we were having.
"I'm also hungry. Can we go to lunch with the rest of the boys?" he asked hopefully, ruining the moment.
I laughed, hopping down the piano, taking his hand again, and the two of us left the gorgeous piano behind.
-
I wasn't hungry, because I was so nervous about telling the boys how I felt. I put it off as much as I possibly could, but when Niall had finished his fifth plate of food, sitting back full, I knew that I could stall any longer.
Lou took Josh's seat, and sat on my closest right, holding my hand encouragingly, under the dining table. Simon was happy to see Louis and I join the family for lunch. Apparently Josh's absence was a usual reoccurrence, it didn't bother him.
"I have an announcement." I said, nervously flicking my fingers, as everybody look down at me at the end of the table.
"When my mother met my father she described it as an instant connection as soon as they saw each other, they knew that they were destined to be together, soul mates, and that's how I grew up thinking what love was like, and as much as it hurts, I have be completely honest with you all, and say that I haven't felt that while being here." I said slowly, looking around the table. "I still owe a day with Niall and Harry, plus the rest of today with Lou, but after that, I'll be packing my bags and leaving." Louis's hand tightened around mine, protesting silently.
Simon whipped his head up to me. "Beka, as much as it is a little disappointing that you feel that way, I think that you leaving would only be more disappointing, and I'm sure the boys can agree, that we'd prefer you to be in our life, than not have you at all."
I looked at Simon, confused. "What do you mean?"
He smiled kindly at me. "We want you to stay. Even though you have only been her for a couple of days, you have already captured the heart of all of us here, we want you to be a part of our family."
My mouth fell open, and my heart almost exploded with compassion. I ran down the other end of the table, and tackled Simon into a hug. He laughed, patting my back lightly. "I promise, I'll be the best daughter you've ever had." I whispered into his chest.
"I have a daughter..." he beamed, hugging me back. He placed a light kiss on my forehead, and the boys tackled us to the ground, in a big group hug.
I groaned under their heaviness. "Boys have you ever considered going on a salad diet, you're crushing the little person here?" I said, gasping for air. The boys laughed, standing, and helping Simon and I off the ground.
"I will make sure we get the adoption papers ready by this afternoon." Simon stated.
"And I will make sure your sons find their missing puzzle piece." I replied, and Simon began to protest. "Simon, it's the least I can do, and besides a female's opinion on how the boys should present themselves around a girl will drastically better their chances." I laughed, and he agreed.
"Well, they need all the help they can get." He muttered to me, watching the boys fight each other with imaginary swords.
"We heard that!" Louis said loudly, pretending to cut off Harry's head. The curly headed boy fell to the floor dramatically, pretending to die.
"Nooooooooooooo! Louis what have you done!" Zayn screamed, shaking him.
"Quick Liam. We must save the princess." Niall said to Liam, and the two ran over to me, picking me up a running around the room.
"Put me down this instant!" I demanded.
"No can do, dearest sister." Liam smirked, and I rolled my eyes, crossing arms over my chest.
"Yep, you fit right into the family, Beka." Simon laughed, over the noise of Louis's and Zayn's fake crying.
Liam, and Niall put me down in my chair at the dining table, and tied me to it, with the rope from around the curtains. I tried to struggle against the binding, but the boys just laughed at me.
"Louis, help me!" I cried, and Louis's head snapped up, forgetting about his mourning over Harry.
"Did somebody cry for help? SUPERMAN!" He screamed, shoving his two brothers that had tied me up out of the way, and started untie me. I thanked him, with a kiss on the cheek, and chased Niall and Liam around the room. They were a lot faster than me, and they had a better advantage; their legs were much longer than mine.
I became tired easily, and stood in the middle of the room panting. In the corner of my eye I saw a figure standing next to Simon, talking to him. It was Paul. I hadn't noticed him come in. Paul handed Simon a letter, and began to walk out of the room, with a solemn face.
"Paul..." I called out to him, and he turned at the sound of my voice. I waved at him when he realised it was me, but his eyes widened, and he ran out the room, through the servants door. I ran to the door after him, and looked out in the hallways, but he had disappeared. There was no trance of him whatsoever. I walked back into the dining hall, mentally scratching my head confused.
I looked at Simon, who was reading the note Paul had handed him, with a look that wouldn't be described as happy. He looked almost heartbroken.
What is going on....?
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Ayyyoo Guys,
What you think of chapter tweleve? I had a lot of fun, writing this chapter. It propably isn't very good, but Louis is my favourite of all members of One Direction, so I enjoyed it quite a lot.
This chapter is dedicated to CelticWaddles, because she is one of my fabuLouis readers, so I fanned her. So a huge thanks to her.
Also if you'd like to be in my story, send me an inbox. I'm looking for four other girls that I can introduce into my story soon.
Love Always,
Beka
xoxo