look at his smile. He was so proud. :))))

Eleanor

We entered the poorly lit room and as soon as the door was closed, darkness together with silence engulfed the whole atmosphere. He was leaning by the wall beside the door and I stood a couple of feet away from him. No one was saying anything and all that could be heard was our intake of breaths. I waited for him to start speaking; I may or may not expected him to explain. Nothing was said though; he just simply flipped his phone out of his pocket and started tapping.

I sighed. Guess I'll be the one to start the conversation, then.

"So," I started saying, "What are we supposed to do the within the next seven minutes?"

I looked at him, waiting for a response but all I was rewarded with was a small shrug.

A pang of hurt shot through me as I gaped at him, "Seriously?"

That got his attention as he snapped his eyes from his phone to me but still didn't say anything.

"Are you seriously ignoring me right now?"

"I don't know, will you hear me out this time?" he asked sarcastically.

I was dumbfounded. He was acting like I was at fault and he was the one who caught me snogging another guy's. The nerve.

"Excuse me?!" I spat out harshly. "I was the one who walked in on you, snogging another girl's face off!" I yelled.

We probably could be heard from the outside because of how loud we were being but right now, I didn't even care. I looked up to have a talk with him and clear the matter up but all I ever received was this - him turning the story around and make it seem like it was my fault.

"I was not snogging her face off!" he shot back.

"Are you hearing how ridiculous you sound just now, Louis? I saw you with my own damn eyes!"

He got away from where he was leaning on the wall and towered over me with a pained and mad expression mixed together, plastered on his face.

"Will you f*cking listen for once!"

I stared at him wide-eyed and listened for what he was about to say.

"I did not kiss her, alright? She kissed me!" he yelled.

I scoffed, "Ofcourse-"

"No, listen! That was my ex back there, okay? The break up was mutual so I believed we were on good terms after that. That night, she was completely wasted she had no idea what she was doing. She kept taking her clothes off infront of many people f*ck's sake! So I decided to take her to upstairs so she could sleep, but when I tried putting her to bed, we ended up falling on it together then she crawled on top of me and kissed me. And that's when you came in. I swear I never kissed back, not when you're all I could think of that moment!" he said; his eyes were boring on me -- cold and hardened. "That's the same thing I was trying to tell you when you decided it would be best not to hear me out, by the way. But really, what's the difference? You probably don't even believe me, seeing as you trust me so little," he smiled bitterly.

It wasn't the most believable reason ever and if someone would've told me the same thing, I would've never believed them, but the way Louis looked so hurt by the fact that I didn't trust him made me think twice.

"No, Eleanor, you don't just get to blame all this on me. You act like it's all my fault when really, you haven't even heard my side of the story," he added.

"And you act like I shouldn't have to be hurt by this! Well, breaking news, Louis, I couldn't help what I feel and right now, I bloody am!" I finally got to say something back.

"Well, that's the problem now, isn't it?!" he rhetorically asked, "You only think about what you feel. I didn't say you shouldn't feel hurt nor you can help your feelings. What I'm saying is, I don't know, maybe take my feelings into consideration, sometimes? Maybe I am hurt, too!"

That hit me like a ton of bricks.

I was always cautious of what I felt. Every single time. Whether I'd be hurt or sad, I always took precautions because I never wanted what happened in the past, to happen again. Louis was very aware of it. He always thought of what I would feel every single time he did something, and he did his best that the only thing I would feel was that I was loved. I was so caught up in watching out for myself, that I had neglected his. That I've forgotten he has his own feelings, too.

"Louis, I-"

He turned away and walked back towards the wall, leaning on it once again. He sighed, "Just, let's not spend the remaining minutes fighting. Please."

"No, Louis-"

"Not tonight, Eleanor," he said. The way he called me Eleanor all the time tonight made my heart drop. It sounded so cold ad hurt. I just wanted him to call me El again. He spoke again, "You can yell at me all you want some other time but let's finish the seven minutes in silence."

Tears were now brimming in my eyes but I refused to let it fall. I've grown stronger, I reminded myself.

"Is everything alright in there? Louis? Eleanor?" a feminine voice from the outside said. Danielle.

"It's all good," Louis responded so simply but I could hear every emotion in his voice that I felt so guilty not considering his feelings before.

It was all silent again.

Then, I figured this was one of the times I couldn't be strong. Not infront of Louis. Not when he was the reason I've grown strong.

"I-" a sob escaped my lips stopping me from what I was about to say but I continued either way, "I'm sorry for yelling at you, I'm sorry for fighting with you, I'm sorry for not thinking about your feelings, and I'm sorry for not trusting you enough and not hearing you out. I'm sorry, okay!" I finally let it out in time with my sobs.

I didn't care if this was the end of us but I needed to say it now.

"I-I just, I love you and," I heard him take a sharp breath but he didn't move from where he was making me cry a little harder, "-"-and this game was such a stupid idea. I think I should go."

I trudged towards the door but before I could even grip the knob, a pair of arms pulled me to his chest.

This time I didn't fight him.

"Shh, El, no. Don't cry, don't cry, I'm sorry," he cooed, "I'm sorry I yelled at you. I didn't want to see you cry."

"I'm sorry, I'm sorry," I said inbetween hiccups.

"It's okay, baby," he said pressing kisses on my forehead before nuzzling his nose on my hair. "I'm sorry you had to see that," he said, pertaining to the incident we were fighting about.

I just shook my head and buried my face even more on his chest. "Am I forgiven?"

"Only if you forgive me."

I nodded, "We're okay, now? You don't want to end this-"

"Shh, El babe, don't say that. I would never want to end us," he said, pulling back just a little to look at me in the eyes. "I love you."

My heart started pounding inside my chest while I felt funny in my stomach. This is going to be the first time I would address it to him formally.

"And I love you."

Although it was dark and a little bit cramped inside, the way the crinkles by his eyes appeared when he smiled made my heart flutter. Screw clichè romantics.

"Say that again," he said.

"I love y-" I pouted. I didn't get to say it because he pecked me right on the lips, "Let me finish before you kiss me."

"One more time."

"I love yo- Louis!" I whined.

"Okay, okay. I swear I will not interrupt," he chuckled.

I beamed at him, "I love you!" I say quickly so he couldn't stop me although he already said he won't.

Then he leaned in and said, "I will never get used to hearing you say that," and then kissed me right after.

"What's happening here-- oh," Danielle came barging through the door catching us in the act.

I scrambled to separate from Louis, blushing furiously.

Louis groaned, "It's not even seven minutes yet!"

Danielle raised both her hands in surrender, "I'm sorry. You were in a yelling match one moment then it fell silent; I thought something happened. I didn't know that-" she raised an eyebrow at us, "Something was happening."

"Shut up, Dani," I scolded.

"Told you, you'll both sort it out," she winked at me," Should I leave or...?" she asked, motioning to the door.

"No," Louis said, surprising me. I looked at him confusedly when he grabbed my hand and started tugging me, "We're leaving anyway."

We walked out of the small room hand-in-hand, passing by our group who all gave us smiles like they knew what was happening and that we'd up together tonight.

"Wait," I stopped in my tracks, making Louis stop as well, and looked back to Danielle who was just walking out of the room we got out from, "You planned this didn't you?" I raised an eyebrow as I put the pieces all together, why she was acting odd, why Liam spinned the bottle when we were distracted, and why everyone seemed to be onboard with the stupid game.

"Maybe," she drawled out, "You're welcome."

I just laughed and yelled one last 'happy birthday' to Niall and 'bye' to everyone, earning a chorus of 'sod off, f*ckers,' 'partypoopers' and 'use protection' to which Louis flipped the finger to.

**

"But I didn't want to go home yet," I pouted as I figured out we had pulled over infront of my house.

"It's been a long and tiring day, babe. You need to rest," he sweetly said.

"Or, you just wanted to be alone with me," I cheekily smiled.

"Damn, I thought I was being sneaky," he playfully replied.

"Nope," I said, popping the 'p'.

"C'mon, you cheeky little bugger," he chuckled, getting out and rounding the car to open the door to my side.

I made grabby hands at him and he just raised his eyebrow at me.

"Hurry up, peasant, I don't have all day! Especially since it's been a long and tiring one as you said so carry me!" I giggled.

"As you wish, your majesty," he said, bowing his head like a servant would to a royalty.

He kneeled infront of me with his back facing me so I jumped on his back with both of my legs on either side of him and my arms loosely wrapped around his neck.

"Where to, my lovely princess?" he asked.

"To the castle!"

And to the castle, we travelled.

**

I was now comfortably tucked in my bed under the covers with Louis sitting beside me, stroking my hair to coax me to sleep, and even though he already made me drink the tea he made, I still couldn't sleep, like my body was still seeking a warmth unknown to me.

I peered up at him under my lashes, and immediately, he smiled down at me.

"Louis?"

"Is there something you want, love?" he cooed.

I bit my lip and looked down nervously but he tilted my chin up to make me look up at him once more. "What is it?"

"Will you stay here tonight?" I asked, and in the moment of hesitance, I added, "Please."

He sighed with a smile, that distinct smile he was started giving me a long timr ago, and then said, "Anything for you, my princess."

He took off his shirt and pants and stayed clad in his boxers before he slipped under the covers and hugged me from behind, making me the little spoon.

I sighed in content.

Although, there was still one question that was lingering in my mind.

"Lou?"

"Yes?" he breathed out on my neck where his face was nuzzled, sending a shiver down my spine.

"Are we," I paused, "Are we dating now?" When no answer was said right away, I was quick to clarify, "I mean I'm not pushing--"

He pulled me on the shoulder to make me face him and look at him in they eye.

I did, and even though the lights were off and it was dark, I could see the twinkling of his ocean eyes.

"Only if you agree to have a date with me on Saturday next week," he silently said, "We wont be dating if we don't go on an actual date, wont we?"

A smile spread out on my lips. I nodded.

"Louis?"

He laughed before jokingly asking, "What now, curious little princess?"

"I love you."

He pecked me on the lips, "I love you, too. Now go to sleep."

Oddly enough, like my body has found the warmth it was looking for, I did.

A/N: *winks* love y'all <3