Louis

It was almost as if the night was sympathizing with her.

As if the moon knew what she felt - its dim light reflecting her dull and defeated state. As if the night breeze wanted to comfort her - enveloping her in an embrace, only it was cold, like her eyes. As if the crickets were wanting to cheer her up - murmuring sweet nothings over the silence to make her feel better, only she couldn't understand, like she couldn't understand him.

As if everything that night was comforting her. Every single thing but me.

I was known as a happy person. Always laughing, fooling around and making sassy remarks. That should make me good at cheering people up, right? And I was. But something was telling me that cheering up wasn't what she really needed so I kept my mouth shut, thus, the lingering silence.

We were in my car driving back to her house and no one was saying a thing. She was looking out the window, maybe watching the lights as it drew glowing lines as we swiftly passed by or maybe nothing in particular. I, on the other hand, was trying to focus on the road but failing when I occasionally took stolen glances at her, opening my mouth to say something but closing them after realizing I had none.

I was crap at comforting because I wasn't really used to people this upset. Cheering up was nothing a silly joke couldn't do. However, this situation was a different one. I was certain I would've had told her hundred jokes and she still wouldn't be fine. Heck she would've punched me straight at my face.

I sighed. I felt useless.

We arrived at her house and she didn't move a bit. That was when I confirmed she was staring at nothing in particular. She was stuck in her own head, she didn't even realize we were already infront of her house.

"El babe, we're here." I whispered while gently touching her hand.

She slowly turned to me and I almost shivered at her look. Her puffy crimson eyes looked so hollow, hopeless and defeated. I wanted to cry with her then and there but I realized she would think I pity her. She never wanted pity.

"Thank you." she said. Her voice sounded strained, hoarse. She sounded flat and empty.

Her shaky hands fumbled with detaching the seatbelt and opening the door. She stepped one foot out before pausing for a moment and stepping out completely. She walked towards the door, slowly dragging her feet while hanging her head low. If I didn't know better, I would've definitely mistaken her as a zombie.

I hesitantly revved the car with a heavy heart but didn't drive away, I pondered for a moment.

I couldn't just leave her alone. Especially after what just happened. But I couldn't really comfort her because I had no idea how. I would most probably say bloody sh*ts that would mess it up even more.

I was about to step on the gas pedal when my mind mocked me.

So you'd just leave her alone? What happened to 'looking after her'?

Oh screw it.

I quickly turned the car engine off and scurried out of the car to run after her. However, as soon as I reached the front door, I heard faint sobs that later erupted into loud cries and wails from the other side of that door.

"You lying bloody b*stard! I hate you! I hate
- huk! -you to guts! You're unfair-- Unfair and liar! I bloody- huk! -hate you but I love you- f*ck no! I hate you! -I hate that I love you!" She rambled inbetween sobs.

I pounded on the door but she didn't open it. "El, it's Louis." I was about to bust in but I tried twisting the knob first. It clicked - it was unlocked. I guessed she broke down as soon as she stepped inside earlier. "Move away from the doorway, yeah?"

The cries died down to faint sobs but other than that, there was silence. "I'm gonna open the door now. Make sure it doesn't hit you, alright?"

Silence.

I took it as a yes so I gently opened the door incase she didn't move. Halfway through, the door hit something from inside. I slipped myself in the half-opened door figuring I was right. She was sitting on the floor by the door and she didn't oblige when I asked her to move. She was still sobbing faintly so I kneeled down beside her and held her closer to me.
"Shh, babe. You're okay. You're fine."

She jumped at first, startled to find someone beside her but when she saw me, she clinged on me tighter then started crying again.

"He's a bloody as*hole! That friend of yours is- huk!- is f*cking heartless! I hate him! But I love him- no! I- huk! -I loathe him to the tips of his hair!" then she screamed in frustration. She started whimpering, tugging at her hair and kicking her feet.

I was stunned for moment. She wouldn't usually let anyone see beyond her facade. She wouldn't let anyone see her looking defeated. Miserable, yes maybe, but never defeated. She might've cried infront of many people but she never admitted or showed defeat or loss. Seeing her in this state made me realize that she had fully given up. Like what she told Harry, she was completely destroyed.

"F*ck," I cursed to myself. "El- El! calm down, calm down." I captured her arms and pulled her in an embrace.

"He's an as*hole, Lou. I- huk! - hate him." she weakly sobbed.

"I know you do, love." I soothe her as I ran my fingers through her hair.

She clung to my shirt and for a while, she was quiet. I was wondering if she'd fallen asleep so I quietly asked her, "El, are you awake?"

She nodded ever so lightly I wouldn't have noticed if I wasn't paying attention.

"Are you sleepy?" I asked her so I could carry her to her room incase she was too drained from crying to even walk. Yet she shook her head no.

I wondered about anything I could do to make her feel better cause I knew that sitting by the doorway while holding her wouldn't do the job and talking to her would just make her feel worse. I thought about the thing that she loved, the thing that could always calm her.

Coffee.

I gently peeled her off me, attempting to stand up and make her a cup but she tightened her grip on my shirt.

"Don't go." she protested. My heart clenched at her. How could I think about leaving her alone like this earlier?

"Babe, I'm gonna go do something useful. You wouldn't want me to comfort you, trust me. I suck at it." I told her gently.

She looked up at me with her droopy, puffy eyes through her long lashes. She gave me a weak, sad smile and said, "You don't have to talk. Just stay and that'd be enough."

And it hit me hard that she just didn't want someone walking out on her again. All her life she didn't have the people, who was supposed to love her, at her side; and when the time that she, herself, learned to love, the person who she supposed would fill the ever empty space beside her, the person she expected to give her the one thing she never had, didn't return the love she was willing to give. She was alone, once again.

I smiled sadly at her, "Let's go make you some coffee."

Eleanor

I sat by the kitchen table while Louis made my coffee.

"Hey, wanna grab a coffee after shift? It's on me."

I shook the voice away the same time Louis put the cup infront of me. Suddenly, I didn't want coffee.

"Oh, you didn't want coffee?" Louis said when he caught me shaking my head. I thought I offended him so I was about to deny but then, what's the point. "Good, tea is better anyway. Coffee wouldn't make you sleep. And let me tell you, I make world-class tea." he exaggerated.

I smiled weakly at him as he put the coffee he made away. He turned his back on me to make me his so called world-class tea. When he finished, he put the cup infront of me and sat beside me sipping on his own cup. I gently lift the cup to my mouth and blew on it couple of times before taking a sip. All the while, Louis was looking at me, expecting my judgement so I cocked an eyebrow.

I only drank coffee cause I liked its bittersweet taste. But the first time I drank tea, I almost spit it all out. It tasted like leaves and plants and I hated it ever since. Yet, Louis slightly changed my opinion just now. Surprisingly, he makes the best tea I've ever tasted and liked- not that I tasted a lot.

"This is good, Tomlinson." I smiled gratefully, "Take that as a compliment, I don't usually drink tea."

He smiled and sighed in relief. I mentally laughed about that- he was nervous- though I didn't have the energy to physically do it.

I surely wont be drinking coffee anytime soon. Not after all that happened and the memory it reminded me of.

So Louis' world-class tea it is. Tea would do for the moment- it should.