Eleanor

"I should probably make you pay for your stay. You practically live here."

Another three months passed and July came; it was the fifth month after Louis and I was introduced to each other, five months since one of those nights I ran away utterly broken from Harry and Louis ran after me for the first time, five months that I had someone beside me for once. He and I had gotten so much closer since then that he went to my house everytime he got. Max had gone back to uni three months ago and all I had was Louis. Again. I was still in the process of healing but I was gradually moving on, and I felt like I was almost there.

"Considering I make you actual food whenever I'm here, don't you think you should pay me?" Louis said, glancing at me over his shoulder while he continued making breakfast. "Good morning, love." he greeted.

"Good morning, peasant." I greeted back with a giggle, rubbing my eyes to rid of my post-sleep sleepiness.

He gasped, "Hey, that's my line!"

"Not anymore." I stuck my tongue out. "What are you cooking anyway?"

"My mum told me to cook soup for you." He shrugged.

"Your mum? Your mum knows you go here?"

Since his back was facing me I couldn't actually see his reaction but I knew he was taken aback because he suddenly stopped his actions then scratched his neck, "Um, well, yeah."

"Oh." was the only thing I could say. I was confused, why would he tell his Mum he always went to my house?

"Here ya go, your highness." he served me the soup with a wink.

**

"Um, Louis do you know what date it is today?"

"July sixteenth?" he hesitantly asked, his eyes not meeting mine as we settled in the living room, sitting beside each other, watching on the telly.

"Correct. And don't you, by any chance, remember something special with today's date?" I asked, hoping he would finally get the hint. I was waiting for it for a while now.

"Nothing that I could think of," my immediately stomach dropped and my eyes widened, he finally turned to look at me but I looked down on my lap so he couldn't see the tears brimming in my eyes, "Should I have?"

I just whispered a low "no".

**

I went upstairs to my room for a bit to answer my phone since it had been going off for a while now. (Well, to my room because I wouldn't want Louis to remember just because he had heard it from others.)

I answered couple of calls from Niall, Liam, Perrie (who got Zayn in the background to greet me) Danielle and to my surprise, my Mum and Dad. I also replied 'thank you's to some texts from relatives and other people then to Max's text saying he'd call me later.

I was about to go back down when my phone went off once again. I looked at the caller ID but it was an unknown number. Apprehensively, I answered the call.

It was Louis' mum, Jay ("Eleanor babe, if you don't call me by my name one more time, I'm afraid I'm gonna force you to call me 'Mum'."). She called to greet me and to make sure Louis cooked the recipe she taught him in which I confirmed and complimented. There was too much noise in the background and she told me it was Louis' sisters who were fighting who'd get to greet me first. I was very endeared, they had yet to meet me but they excitedly wanted to talk to me. The four of them wished me to have a blast and I thanked them, telling them how I'd fancy meeting them soon. They were talking all at once, all giggly and hyper and they were so cute I wanted to hug them.

"Has Louis greeted you already? He's there, isn't he?" Jay asked once she had had the phone once again.

"Yes, he's here..." I trailed off.

"I have a feeling there's an incoming 'but'." She said, which was very true.

"But he hasn't greeted me yet." I continued, trying to keep my voice neutral.

She gasped, "Louis would never-- oh love, I'm sure he didn't mean to forget it."

"It's okay Jay, I understand. He has so much in mind, I wouldn't take it personally he doesn't remember." I told her.

"Just don't take it to heart, okay? He will remember it, I know he will." she assured me in which I knew I had to agree though the words inside my mind were I hope so.

"El, would you like to go to the carnival with me?" Louis said as soon as I ended the call. I almost threw my phone in shock.

I really hoped it was all a prank and he actually remembered what was so special today but as soon as I looked at him smiling at me innocently without a glint of mischief in his blue eyes and sly smirk on his lips when he had something planned, I immediately hid my disappointment and just nodded my head, telling myself that I should just enjoy this day.

**

"D*mmit, I was aiming to get you!" Louis exclaimed as soon as the guy in the game booth he played in gazillion times in, gave the stuffed lion to him.

We were finally in the carnival and it was suspicuously quiet. I literally couldn't see any other people in there but I shrugged it off as one.of the carnival's unlucky nights. After a few rides, Louis went straight to this game booth where you have to shoot balls into the holes on the spinning plate-like platform, insisting he lived and breathed this game. Turned out, he needed to play atleast ten rounds before winning a prize, thus the stuffed lion.

I gaped, "Me?"

His eyes widened, "No, not like that! I mean the elephant."

"How the f*ck did you confuse the elephant and me?" I asked, more amused than offended.

"El for Elephant." he simply said, smiling at me before his eyes flickered down on the lion and frowned once again. "Stupid lion."

"Hey I like him!" I said, snatching the large stuffed lion from him. "Don't hurt his feelings!"

"Him? How do you even say that's a 'him'?" he snickered.

"He's a 'him' because I said so!" I stuck my tongue out at him.

"Then what would you name him?"

"So you're giving this to me?" I asked, smiling sweetly.

"El, what planet have you gone to and you don't know how clichè movies go?" he sarcastically asked.

"You could've saved your breath by answering yes, you know?" I rolled my eyes then I looked down on the stuffed lion. "I'm gonna call him Louis, the lion."

His face flushed before he frowned, "No, you're not naming him after me."

"Why not?"

"B-Because!" he reasoned.

My brows furrowed, "Okay," I looked down on the stuffed lion again and an idea came to me, "Oooh! His lion hair looks like Max's--"

"Nope, you're not gonna name the stuffed lion I won for after him." he bitterly said.

"What! Why?!" I asked, growing irritated by the second.

"Because I won for it!" he shot back.

"But you don't want me naming it after you!"

"F-Fine! Call him Louis, the li-- whatever!" he said, his cheeks turning crimson as he looked away.

"Then Louis, the lion it is!" I said, looking down on newly named stuffed toy.

**

The carnival was now filled with vibrant lights, accented by the darkness that already enveloped the whole night sky that had stars scattered all over. It was still quiet and only several people were there but I guess those were the carnival's employees. Yet I liked the quietness, though carnivals were supposed to be fun and loud. I liked hearing Louis' laugh echoing all through out the place and I liked hearing his grunts and groans whenever he got frustrated when losing a game. Weirdly enough, I liked the feeling like it was just the two of us.

We were tired of trying to win prizes on game booths (which we failed) and enjoying extreme rides that made us dizzy so we decided to sit on one of the benches to rest. I sat Louis, the lion on my lap and stroke it's fluffy hair. It was silent for a while, until Louis broke it.

"El, look up there."

My heart raced and my hopes rose. Was I right all along? Did he have something planned? I slowly looked up and trained my eyes there for a while, anticipating. But after almost five minutes of waiting for maybe fireworks to show and spell my name, nothing happened.

"Louis, what--" I turned to look beside me to ask him what he wanted me to see only to figure out he wasn't there, "Louis?" I stood up and turned everywhere to see if he was anywhere around.

I started walking slowly turning from side to side, expecting Louis to plop beside me.

But he was nowhere to be found.

"Hello," I looked down and saw a blonde girl, aging around eight years old, infront of me holding a single rose in her hand.

"Hi there," I smiled. "Are you lost, love?"

"No," she answered, raising the rose she was holding to me, "I'm here to give you this."

"For me?" I confusedly asked, getting the rose from her tiny hand.

"Uh-huh." she nodded her head.

"What for?" I asked, almost believing she knew what was up that day.

"Hmm dunno, because you're pretty." she smiled at me then held my hand before tugging me to start walking. I complied.

"Oh," I smiled, "Thanks. You are, too. What's your name, love?"

"Daisy." she answered, her name sounding familiar.

"Well then, Daisy. Do you have someone with you? Wont they be worried?"

"I have," she gasped, "Oh there she is!"

Then suddenly, a girl looking exactly like her came rushing up to me, "Hi Eleanor!" she gushed holding out a rose, just like Daisy did.

I hesitantly held out my hand to get it. How did she know me?

"Phoebe! You weren't supposed to say her name!" Daisy whispered.

"Oops." Phoebe, I assumed, grimaced, making me grow suspicious of these twins infront of me. "You're so pretty -- oooh! That lion's so cute!" she gushed, eyes twinkling with excitement as soon as her eyes were set on the stuffed lion tucked in my arm.

"Thanks, his name's Louis, the lion." I suddenly remembered Louis and his disappearance. I quickly took a glance on my surroundings just to see if he'd suddenly appear.

The twins both giggled before Phoebe talked to the toy, "Hi Louis, the lion. I'm Phoebe and I know someone with the same name as yours!" Her name sounded familiar, too and I was starting to get more confused and lost.

"What--" I started to ask but they both shut me up.

"Shush, no questions yet." Daisy said.

We continued walking until a brunette came up to us, also holding up a rose to me with a small smile on her face. She looked so much alike with someone I know whom I couldn't quite put a finger on. "Phoebe screwed up didn't she?" she asked, and I guess she was referring to the name-dropping, "I'm Fizzy by the way, I'm their sister."

I looked down on Phoebe on my left side (I could only distinguish the twins because they were standing on either side of me since they walked up to me) and she was grimacing once again. "If your aim is to leave me confused and clueless to what is happening then no, you all are actually doing a great job." I joked while getting the rose from her hand.

"Hmm, good." she said, "Or we'd never hear the end of it from our idiot brother."

"What?"

She ignored my question and started walking, making us follow her. Then all too soon, an older blonde, maybe around fourteen or fifteen years old, was walking towards us with a sweet smile on her face, "Hi," she greeted me, "For you." she said, giving me yet another rose.

"Thank you..." I thanked her, trailing off when I realized I didn't know her name, "What's your name, babe?"

"Charlotte. But you can call me Lottie."

"And I'm guessing you're their sister too?" I asked.

She smiled, "Yeah."

"Well Lottie, Fizzy, Phoebe and Daisy, what are the flowers for? Are you sure you got the right person?" I asked.

"We could never be wrong." Daisy answered.

"And I think you know what the flowers are for!" Phoebe giggled.

There was only one thing I could think of what posssibly it was for. But how did they know?

"Girls, are your parents or guardians around? I'd like to speak to them." I asked them.

"You can speak to me."

I turned around to see who the owner of the voice was and my jaw dropped as soon as I saw the woman behind me. Then it all clicked, that was why the girls' names sounded familiar and why Fizzy looked familiar too, she looked exactly like her mum, "Jay! What a coincidence!"

"You've finally met my girls." she noted.

"Yes, and they're all so pretty." I smiled and they all giggled.

"It's obvious where they got it from." she chuckled.

"Ofcourse," I laughed, "Isn't it funny how we were just on the phone a while ago when I said I wanted to meet your girls?" Then I looked at the roses in my hand and took that moment to thank her since I presumed those were all from her, "Oh, and thanks for the flowers by the way. You didn't have to."

She smiled, "It's not from me, hun."

I furrowed because right when I thought I was finally enlightened, I was actually still kept in the dark. I was about to ask who was it from when she spoke before I even had the chance.

"Have you seen Louis?"

Then I remembered how he left me and I was looking for him after that, "No. He was with me but he disappeared." I wondered of why he'd suddenly leave me.

"Well did he greet you already?" she asked.

The smile on my face faltered at that question and I shook my head no.

"Do you want him to?" she asked further.

Why would she ask such question? It was weird. "Well, um, if he honestly remembered it himself, ofcourse."

"Then turn around, Eleanor."

I complied with creased brows. Slowly, I turned around and my heart raced as soon I saw Louis standing there with his hands on his back and his eyes looking so brightly blue, like they were one of the carnival's neon lights.

"Louis! Where did you go? Anyway, look who I bumped into!" I gestured to Jay behind me, "Your mum's here!" I excitedly informed him as he started walking to me.

"I see that, El." he calmly said and smiled that smile. That distinct smile he had that was different from all his other smiles.

It did nothing to calm my rapidly beating heart.

"Also, I've seen your sisters and they gave me these!" I said, raising those four roses I had in my hands. I heard the girls giggle.

"I know." he simply said and stopped right infront of me.

"How did you know? You weren't there." I noted, and if my voice was laced with tad bit of bitterness, it wasn't my fault.

"I know because I told them to do just that."

Wait, what? I gaped at him.

"You think I'll forget what's so special about today's date?" he asked.

My heart continued beating rapidly and as I look at him that night, I found myself noticing how beautiful his eyes actually were. They were sincere - you could easily figure out his emotions just by looking at it - and they were alive and bright. For the first time, I got lost in his blue ocean eyes.

"If you think so, then let me show you how sharp my mind is, opposed to what you think of me." he smugly looked at me before continuing, "Today, twenty years ago, one of the prettiest, strongest, and toughest woman I've ever known was born." he said.

I smiled widely I was afraid my face would split into two.

Then he revealed his hands from behind him, which were actually holding a bouquet of rose, holding it out for me to take. He also signalled for someone to come closer, and all of a sudden they all appeared out of nowhere. Niall, Liam, Zayn, and Danielle and Perrie who were holding a rectangular pink cake with a single candle lit up at the center. Harr wasn't there but surprisingly, I didn't mind. They all started singing and I almost cried. After they all sang to me, I blew the candle and thanked all of them.

Then Louis finally spoke the words I was waiting to hear from him all day.

"Happy birthday, El."

**

Louis and his family drove me home that night after telling me everything.

I was informed that Jay knew from the very start that Louis would do that, meaning she already knew what was happening even before she made a phonecall that morning. I was also told that Louis' sisters were all excited to see me that they were the ones who thought of the idea of the flowers just so they'd be involved in the surprise. The lads and the girls, however, had no idea until Louis called them to come last minute.

But what really made my heart swell with fondness was the reason as to why no one else was in the carnival.

Because Louis paid to rent the whole place just for his plan. For my birthday. For me.

I smiled happily as I lie down on my bed, waiting for Max's call. This day was awesome.

My phone dinged, indicating a message and I scrambled up to take it from the nightstand. I opened the message and I gasped as to who it was from.

From: Harry

Happy birthday, Eleanor.

Usually, just a simple text like this was enough to make my stomach do backflips. But that night, as I replied a quick 'thank you', I felt nothing.

So when Max finally called to greeted me a 'happy birthday' and to remind me that I was his most favorite person in the world, or when I told him how I celebrated my birthday and the surprise Louis did, the smile wasn't ripped off my face.

My day couldn't get any better.

A/N: Idk when uni starts in UK or when's their semestral break but idk just go with it lol I'm too lazy to research about it.

Anyway, lmaoooo this is three times the usual length of my chapters. So what do you think? Omg vote and comment if you liked this! :) and don't forget to check out my other work called Words Within A Photograph, it's still about Elounor dw! Loads of love for everyone! *gives you virtual kisses and hugs*