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Hey girlfriend ;)
How you doing baby? xxx
Niall.
Are you smoking crack?
What???
How dare you ask the love of your life such rude questions?!
I'm just trying to show my deep, endless love for you!
And this is the treatment I get?!
I am so confused.
Have you forgotten our extensive love affair already?
Do I mean so little to you???
Elora looked up from her phone, eyebrows furrowed as she analysed her surroundings in the hope that they'd bless her with answers to the baffling texts she was receiving. Simon raised his eyebrows as he took in her squinted eyes, cautious to broach the subject in fear that she might rant about something he wasn't prepared to deal with. Apparently, Louis was back in her life so he was more than willing to pass that duty on to the Brit.
Eventually, he reluctantly spoke up, "Should I ask?"
The confused girl looked back at him for a few beats, her expression scrunched up similarly to how it looked when passing the fish aisle. After thinking (hoping) that she wouldn't respond, Elora informed him, "I've just received the most befuddling messages from Niall."
"Isn't that normal?"
Apparently, it had become normal for him to not be surprised at the mention of an A-List Popstar either.
"Well, yes, but..." she turned her attention back to her phone with an analytical intensity he recognised from when she fought over the construction of a particularly wordy sentence. "He's treating me like his girlfriend."
"You two always did border the flirty side."
"No, he's like actually called me his girlfriend."
"Oh."
"And, also, no we don't," his raised eyebrows prompted an eye-roll as she shoved him slightly. Their seating arrangement meant it failed slightly but it was the thought that counted.
"Sorry, sorry, I got that confused with Louis," he smirked, "or was it Harry?"
Her offended gasp caused his teasing expression to release cheeky chuckles, taking far too much joy in joking about her love life.
"You are such a twat," she swatted at his arm and he clutched it as the sting sizzled on his skin but the smirk refused to fade.
"I'm just saying it as it is," he retorted with a hedonistic glint in the dark of his eyes.
"Stop making me seem like such a bad person," she muttered as her focus returned to her phone, the upturn of her lips reassuring Simon that she was amused.
Anyway, I'm glad to see you and Tommo reconnected :D
Although I think Harold is offended he hasn't gotten a rumour yet
Just as she attempted to understand the new information imparted, and hopefully get Niall to actually explain what was going on, a new message popped up above the chat. With the reluctance of someone preparing for additional chaos, she read Harry's message.
You know, I'm quite hurt that after all this time, our steamy romance has yet to reach the papers. I feel we have not done enough and demand we up the ante.
- H xx
The stupefaction already clouding Elora's brain thickened into a fog at the addition of Harry's take on her relationships – relationships she wasn't aware she even had. Finding an inkling of humour in the situation, she at least informed Niall of his acute irony before agreeing that they should meet up and discuss the latest developments in both of their lives.
Before she could respond to Harry's message and express her boundless confuddlement, Simon kicked her feet with the nuisance of a needy toddler. When she returned her attention to him, he indignantly sniffed and stared out the window, "You know, our lunches together are intended to be moments of community and reconciliation. How are we supposed to enact that if you remained trained upon your phone?"
His haughty persona cracked when realising that she didn't buy the act (something about the unimpressed raised eyebrows gave the idea away).
Just as she was about to comment that they saw each other every day, Simon's expression shifted in intrigue and he leaned forward with a quirk of his eyebrows. Elora turned around, curious as to what had caught his attention but couldn't find anything of note. When she looked back to him, the odd man was sitting with a self-satisfied grin and watching her intently.
Before she could prod at him to explain his unusual behaviour, the presence of an unexpected person warmed her back. Glancing upwards, her face fell agape in shock at the sight of Louis Tomlinson standing beside her in his typical oversized sweaters and trackies.
"What are you doing here?" she grinned as she rose from the seat and pulled him into a hug.
When released, the popstar shrugged and subconsciously shifted closer, "Figured I should celebrate the latest milestone in our friendship with you."
They dutifully ignored Simon's scoff at 'friendship' as Elora looked at him in the commonplace confusion of her day.
"I'm assuming you didn't see?"
He handed her his phone when she asked what he was talking about, it was opened on an article boldly stating that One Direction was still proving their close bond to this day. The bewilderment of her morning grew as she wondered what the article had anything to do with her. She decided to humour her friend regardless.
Directioners! We here at Sugarscape bring great news! The latest development in our beloved Brit heartthrobs' story is making us swoon and we hope you join in on celebrating the love fest.
Way back when the hiatus was still a fresh sting marring our hearts in 2016, we got the beautiful photos of Ireland's Sweetheart on a romantic date with his gorgeous beau. The notoriously private blond (now brunet *sobs*) didn't comment on the dating rumours but fans were certain he had found The One and we mournfully celebrated in harmony. Unfortunately, there were no further sightings and, with no comment from either party, the uproar fizzled out and we assumed it had been a brief fling.
HOWEVER, much to the excitement of our team, new information was released yesterday that we just had to share. While out on a quiet stroll through London's botanical gardens yesterday, a lucky, lucky fan witnessed a world-stopping sight. Recently off-the-market Louis Tomlinson was out and about with a striking brunette that was NOT Ms Eleanor Calder. Now, now, we know what you're thinking but it isn't like our charming Donny boy to two-time so surely something must be in the works?
Fortunately for our curious ears, the fan took to Twitter to explain meeting Louis 'the Tommo' Tomlinson for the first time:
So, I've totally got news. I was out in London yesterday, just minding my own business, when I met the love of my life, the most beautiful man in existence, the blessing to my soul: Louis Tomlinson. I can barely believe myself but the photo now permanently stuck as my wallpaper happily reminds me. BUT, he wasn't alone! He was with some small brunette who I had never seen before. At first, I thought it was El but NO, he introduced her as 'Elora', his 'best friend.' Like, what? Since when?? I've never even heard of her??? She was super sweet though, took our photo and everything and even asked for the picture I had taken of them! (Yes, okay, I thought it might have been a romance rumour.) Lou looked super happy with her though so that was even better.
GASP! We KNOW! Who is this mystery woman that's so new on the scene, yet is apparently best friends with Loubear? That's where all the fun begins! After sharing the 'secret' photo she had taken of Louis and his bestie, the beloved fan from 2016 who met Niall on his date spoke up and – let us tell you – it's the cutest thing in the world:
OH MY SOUL! That's totally Nialler's girlfriend from 2016! I didn't get her name when I met him but I def remember her face. GUYS! What if Louis introduced them? Like Elora and Louis have been best buds and then Niall met her through him and then they started dating oh my gosh I cannot I'm screaming AAAAHHHHHHHHH
Same, girl, same. Could you imagine? What a fairytale!
The rest of the article seemed to be spatterings of speculation and calls to action for fans to share their theories. Elora wasn't sure her eyebrows would ever lower, maybe she would have to constantly walk around with a surprised expression for the rest of her life. That would be sure to make an entertaining headline.
Just as she had begun considering the article titles, Louis waved a hand in front of her eyes and yanked her from her possible future in journalism.
"You okay?"
"Oh, yeah," she grinned, "I think it's super funny actually."
"I mean," he shrugged before retrieving his phone, "At least they got some of the story right. Unless you'd like to tell me about any secret relationships with my bandmates?"
Her preparatory sigh barely covered her smile, "Well, you see, maybe now is the time to inform you. I wanted to do this with my babyboo but you know—"
The older lad lightly swatted her arm and Elora erupted into the giggles that revealed her disbelieving mirth.
"I suppose Niall's messages make sense now," Simon piped up from the table where he had remained seated. Understanding slackened her face and she nodded philosophically with a murmured 'I understand it all now.' Louis furrowed his eyebrows but said nothing of it, choosing instead to turn to the second South African.
"Heya, mate," his smile was easy if not a little cautious around the edges, "You alright?"
"Yeah, yeah, 'm good," Simon wafted away Louis' concerns before smirking wickedly, "You gonna take her off my hands now? She's been insufferable and my quota is almost full."
"Excuse you!" Elora gaped with an aghast gasp and weak attempt to hit the snarky man, "You were just whining about me not paying enough attention to you!"
His laugh was loud and conniving as he swerved from her violence and sashayed in his gangly way out of the campus coffee shop. After sufficiently rolling her eyes and gathering her various belongings, the young girl returned to the expectant singer.
"You got a plan?"
He smiled fondly before following her out of the establishment, aware of the eyes tracking their movements but unbothered in the face of spending time with Elora. Guiding the aimless girl towards his parked car, they chatted idly about their days and she explained (with the theatrics necessary to prove it truly was baffling beyond belief) how none of her friends had the courtesy to reveal the new rumours to her.
After getting seated in his simple, dark-tinted vehicle, he glanced at her with a quirked eyebrow and permanent small smile. She was shuffling about with the busyness of a bunny and, whilst adorable, he wished she would settle for just a second.
"Are you sure you're okay? This is your first gossip article in years and you're actually identified this time," he grimaced, "I hope you don't mind that I introduced you. I should have thought that through."
Elora faced him with an endeared smile and lightly grasped his forearm, "Don't worry about it, love. It genuinely meant a lot to me that you actually took that step."
He smiled weakly, warmed by her sentiment but still fearful that he had crossed an unspoken boundary. She sensed his hesitancy and held his hand as she spoke, "If I'm being honest, I'm only worried that Eleanor is going to have a problem."
Louis rushed to assure her before she let the fears spiral, "Really don't worry about it, okay? El's used to it and it's not even like the rumours are about us dating. If anything, she should be reassured that Sugarscape has basically ensured we'll never be shipped together."
Elora tried to hide the wince at his words and seemed to be successful when Louis didn't question her. He was right though, the gossip rag had been so excited about a possible Teen Fiction storyline that they had condemned themselves to limit the rumours circulating their relationships. There obviously wouldn't ever be a need to worry over rumours, of course, considering Louis' happy relationship and Elora's fixtured friendzone. At least she had a fake love affair with Niall (and a 'jealous' Harry.)
"You want to tell me how that actually happened in the first place?"
"What do you mean?" Louis attempted to deflect but she could tell by the squint of his eyes that he was very aware of what she had been referring to.
"You know," she lightly nudged him even though he had begun driving, "how you tried out retro dating and it seemed to work for you?"
The literal cringing grimace she received in response was not encouraging and Louis seemed to realise as such a second later. He awkwardly laughed and brushed his fringe aside, staring at the road and partially drifting off into his thoughts.
After a few moments of expectant silence, he resigned himself to the fact that then was apparently the time Elora wanted to broach that topic. He sighed and shifted in his seat, the leather pressing under his movements as he focused on that instead of answering.
"We never really did speak about that stuff, did we?" he admitted after a few more ticks of silence, his tone newly soft and hesitant. She cleared her throat and nodded, hoping the admission wouldn't be too uncomfortable but awkwardly aware of the unchartered territory they were toeing onto. It had always been something she'd wondered over but it almost felt like the one line she could never cross. There had obviously been many things they hadn't discussed, considering three months isn't a lifetime and life has many secrets which people unwittingly hold. It may have been a subconscious aversion for Louis but Elora always felt painfully concious of it whenever the topic drew near and then was swiftly ignored.
Now, she was able to recognise that paranoid observance as her feelings for Louis and the possible jealousy she could have harboured but young-Elora was blissfully ignorant.
They opportunely arrived outside his house before Elora could urge some type of continuation so she kept silent as Louis pulled into his garage. Despite how much time they had spent together in the Winter of 2015, Elora rarely went to Louis' house. It was easier for him to visit her because his house was always under scrutiny for any possible rumours and he always told her that he preferred how much more comfortable she was in her own home.
As they entered, Elora gently toeing off her shoes as she followed Louis' lead in his household processes, her eyes swept over the entrance. From what she could remember of the typically modernized style of his house, she could understand why he had felt uncomfortable in the place. Louis was notoriously a home body and loved the comforts of familiarity but he hadn't been able to properly acquaint himself with the building enough to call it 'home'. It had still been blandly decorated with monochrome furnishing and stylistic decor with fashionable finishes and a sleek design – very unlike the Donny chav he saw himself as.
After a few years of situating himself in the house, however, the shift was noticeable. The previously black and white centric colour tones had turned into warm earth tones and rich brown leather furniture. His walls and shelves were littered with photos of his family, friends and memories – half of which were his family and a good majority of the residue dedicated to moments with the One Direction lads.
Louis led her to his spacious kitchen, the cabinets a comforting wood and the marble countertops clean with disuse. He clicked on the kettle without question and began pulling out mugs and tea in the same pattern that had become so familiar between them all those years back. After pouring the boiling water into the two mugs and letting them brew, he turned to her and saw how she was gazing over his home. Any insecurity that he could've felt over her reception of his personal space was washed away by the serene smile gracing her lips and the glitter in her eyes as she settled comfortably against the kitchen island.
"Uhm, well," he started confidently after clearing his throat by refusing to make eye contact, "I can't really say why I never told you about Eleanor. It just never came up, I guess?"
Elora didn't feel like mentioning that it would have if he hadn't so ardently ignored the idea, so she kept quiet instead and nodded patiently. She could read the unease in his shoulders, wanting only to pull him into a hug and tell him that she didn't need to know – she would have, as well, if she wasn't aware that it would've crept up into the recesses of her mind constantly if she didn't get an explanation.
Turning back to the mugs, he removed their teabags and brought the milk from the fridge. He started speaking as he poured, "I spoke to you a lot about how our lives in the band were managed by the micrometre and how everything was planned out. When I started exploring a solo career, I wasn't expecting much of a change and I was right to. Obviously, now that there's not this invasive focus on my every move, it is easier to navigate some situations but, like, I still have you be careful, do you know what I mean?"
"I think so?" she questioned, "What does this have to do with Eleanor?"
"Well," he paused, putting the milk back and stirring the tea, "The spotlight in this industry isn't just on your music, even though it should be. It shines onto your personal life and that can be super difficult, you know? This intense focus on your image kind of forces you in a sole direction and you have to take on your mould, otherwise you're left flailing with no plan and then you fall off the radar, do you know what I mean?"
She nodded vaguely, still trying to grasp his point as she gratefully accepted the strong beverage.
"And, I guess," he cleared his throat and sniffed his tea, leaning back against the counter, "it's really difficult to find someone who's okay with that, you know? El and I kind of learnt everything together at the same time. She learned how to navigate being my girlfriend in the public eye and with all that scrutiny, so it's easy for her to handle it all, you know?"
"Yeah..."
"It was a really chaotic time when we broke up, right, and it's easy to lose sight of what matters in those phases. After some time in which I could grow and better myself, I started to see what I had done wrong. There was a lot of stuff I needed to sort out and when I began that, like, process, I knew I needed to talk to Eleanor. We had a proper sit-down and went over everything that happened. I wanted to apologise and then, you know, like move on with that growth behind me. We got talking and eventually thought, like, 'why not?' We were older and wiser and still saw something between us so we've been giving it a shot."
His clumsy finish was met with Elora's tensed silence as she scrambled to gather her thoughts and deem him with a suitable response. There had been a multitude of red flags in his explanation but she definitely did not feel in this place to comment just yet. The pair were still in the rocky stages of settling their foundation again and they'd never really addressed his relationship before, so she felt slightly out of depth. There was also the complicating factor of her being madly in love with him and slightly biased but she liked to ignore that like she ignored her tea addiction.
"You do want to be with her though, right?" she hesitantly asked, "It's not just a reunion out of convenience?"
"Oh no, no, no," he rushed to correct with flushed cheeks at the accusation, "I loved Eleanor for like four years and there's still that left. Obviously, we're still sorting out things but it's as we go along, do you know what I mean?"
Her hesitant nod was all she could offer before he began speaking again.
"And she's— she's really great, you know?"
Elora didn't know and she wasn't sure if she wanted to.
"She takes everything in stride and understands how to deal with all the chaos. Obviously she gets a bit annoyed when I get hung up in hectic times and can't be as attentive but she really gets it, you know? I don't have to explain it to her and at least she has the freedom to do what she wants without an annoying boyfriend watching her every move, do you know what I mean?"
Elora didn't get to question him about whether she got him though, or whether Eleanor wanted to have that much seclusion or whether Louis was actually happy instead of just settling for what he thought worked. Just as she was about to ask him why he didn't look for more than that, the front door opened to the scattering of paws and a sweet voice talking placatingly. Before Louis could call a greeting or warning (to which of them, it wasn't clear), two large, curly dogs came barreling into the kitchen. He was able to place his mug down before catching the large black one in his arms as it lept to lap at his face. The younger one with caramel curls circled his legs excitedly before sniffing out Elora and turning to her with inquisitive eyes. Her greeting smile seemed friendly enough for him as he moved closer, encouraged when she bent down to ruffle his fur and greet him sweetly.
"Oh, hey, babe," a female British accent entered the kitchen, "I wasn't sure if you'd be back yet. How was your meeting?"
Elora rose her eyebrows in question but remained on her haunches as the second dog joined her caramel friend after Louis' attention had been diverted. He was larger and even more friendly, with an almost grinning expression as he enthusiastically sniffed and nudged her.
"It wasn't a meeting, love," the telltale smack of lips made Elora wince, "I was out with Elora."
"Elora?"
"Niall's apparent girlfriend," said girl stood up, "Hi."
Her friendly grin turned to loud laughter as Eleanor swore and jumped back in fright at her sudden appearance. Louis joined in on the laughter as his girlfriend clutched her chest with wide eyes.
"I'm sorry, I didn't quite catch that," Eleanor said when the other two had calmed down.
"I was just joking, it's fine," she waved her hand before stretching it out, "Hi, I'm Elora, it's great to finally meet you."
"Hi, Eleanor," she introduced herself upon shaking the offered hand, "Sorry, did you say you were Niall's girlfriend? I thought that was Hailee?"
Louis smiled and shook his head, "Yeah, it is, Elora was just joking. There was this pap article today that brought up a rumour from a few years back about how she and Niall are together."
"Oh, I'm sorry, darling," she pouted, sympathy verging on pity, "It must be tough having to deal with that."
"Oh, it's alright," the youngest girl brushed it off, returning her focus to scratching behind the dogs' ears, "I find it all rather funny actually."
Eleanor's eyebrows scrunched together as an emotion attempted to surface on her face but she hid it just as Elora looked up. Elora prided herself on being able to hide her feelings for one of her best friends quite well but it was a completely different ballgame trying to disguise them around The Girfriend. She really didn't want to get on Eleanor's bad side, even if she wasn't particularly fond of the girl simply by association, but she still play a vital role in Louis' life and would be able to ward him off her if she saw any reason to.
"How do you two know each other then?" Eleanor asked with curious eyes as she watched her boyfriend smile fondly at the stranger while she petting his (their) dogs.
"Louis," the girl gasped teasingly, "I am so deeply hurt by you not mentioning me already."
The only male (human) in the room rolled his eyes but his grin grew regardless as he turned back to his partner, "We met back in 2015 and didn't speak for a couple of years but reunited a month or so back."
"Just as you started promo for the X Factor?" she questioned, scepticism clear in her voice. The question caught both of them off guard as Louis squinted in confusion while Elora held her breath, worried at the insinuation.
"No, it was before then, wasn't it?" he turned to Elora for confirmation, "Yeah, I was only beginning to hint at the idea then."
Eleanor's grumble of 'close enough' was overshadowed by the dogs frustration at their new friend not paying them enough attention. Louis laughed, ruffling their fur affectionately as they moved passed him, completely unaware of how his girlfriend was watching his friend with scrutinising eyes.
Elora was not oblivious, however, and could feel the tension building between them even if she hadn't necessarily done anything wrong. She couldn't blame Eleanor though, it was an important defensive barrier to build in their lives so that Louis could be protected from the swindlers and phonies in the world. She hated being associated with such horrible people but Eleanor didn't know her and it was perfectly reasonable that she be concerned about her motives (especially considering Elora's positioning in Louis' life was a constant battle for platonicism.)
"Hey, why don't you stay for dinner? Then you and El can get to know each other?" Louis suggested it with such excitement that Elora almost said yes but she didn't want to test the boundaries with Eleanor. She decided it would be best for Louis to explain their friendship a little better before they were introduced on better terms and could work on that proper friendship.
"I would love to but, unfortunately, I've got a full day of assisting tomorrow so I best be off to get some proper rest."
"Assisting?"
"Yes, I'm an assistant in the Psychology faculty at the university," she laughed at his confused expression whilst pulling out her phone, "What? Did you think I was still a student?"
"Uh, yes?" he questioned as though it made sense for her to be studying indefinitely.
Her chuckle was endeared as she typed out a message for Simon to pick her up, "No. I finished by Masters way, way back. I moved to England because I got offered the position, I thought had told you?"
"No, no you hadn't," he informed her with surprise in his voice, "That's a pretty big deal, isn't it?"
She shrugged, feeling warm from his attention and worried that if he showed any more interest she might melt into a puddle of goo. It really was pathetic how little it took for him to enrapture her.
"Why didn't you say anything?" he whined as grabbed her coat and handed it to her, "At least let me drive you home so you can tell me about it."
"We can talk about it later," she laughed again, her only response as the blush darkened her cheeks, "And it's really fine, Simon's already a few minutes away."
Louis pouted, which she adamantly ignored, but let her leave anyway after she had hugged him sufficiently tight enough and waved a farewell to Eleanor and the dogs. He watched her exit the gate and get into her friend's car, a calm smile on his face that she always managed to leave even when her presence had long since faded.
When he returned to the kitchen, it was to find Eleanor brewing two more mugs of tea with a stony expression hardening her face. Wrapping his arms around her skinny waist, he questioned her tension only to be met with hard silence and stiff stirring for a few moments.
Eventually, she admitted, "I don't like her."
"Oh, come off it," he rolled his eyes and tapped her bum cheekily as he moved away to grab the milk, "she's great, you just gotta get to know her."
Too lost in his smiling memories, he remained oblivious to the intensified glare Elora's rinsed mug was receiving.
⟨⟨ I'm sorry, I'm sorry. I'm not happy with this. I was beridden this entire weekend so I didn't get to write, which means that I'm unbelievably behind and there won't be much editing going on. Whenever a chapter gets edited, I normally delete these messages or change them so that's a good sign for when I do amnagetk get there. ⟩⟩