Nothing Without Love

Louis' POV

“Mark!” I yell as he enters my house. I've bounced back and forth, calling him dad and calling him Mark. He's the only father I've ever really known. The only one that's really been there for me and not taken to the tabloids to come after my fame. My real “father” is an asshole. If he's not trying to get after my money through the press, he's trying to play the guilt trip that I don't know my half sister well enough.

“Louis!” He drops his bags and gives me a hug. The only father I've ever really had. Surprisingly I wasn't really surprised that him and mum got a divorce. It is what it is, marriage doesn't seem to last forever anymore. Sad as it may seem that people seem to marry for fun or that they think it will be just a fun time. I've known from watching my mum and Mark that marriage is difficult. It's not a golden path.

“How was your flight?” I ask. The big thing I like about my former step father is that he's been my friend for so long. He listens to me, tells me no bullshit, and reads me like a book. We had to be on a team because we were the only guys in the house.

“It was long, thanks for the invite.” He plops down on the couch and kicks his feet up on the table. He's always one to relax right away. That no bullshit attitude I admire. He's the one that gave me a verbal kick in the ass quite a few times when I needed it but wouldn't listen to others. He's the one that would listen to my rants about nothing. He's the one that took me for ice cream and pizza when the estrogen in the house was getting to high. “What are the plans for tonight?” He asks, flipping through a magazine I've left on the table.

“Um, there's that UFC fight tonight. I got us tickets a while back. Thought we could check it out.” I suggest. UFC isn't really my thing but Mark has always been a fan. He always wanted to go to the fights if they were close, even if they were in London, he wanted to go. He took me a few times but I think I was too young to enjoy it.

“Oh, whose fighting?” He asks, of course he asks, I have no idea whose pitted against each other.

“Um.” I run my fingers through my hair and search for the tickets on the messy counter. It's the catch all corner. I throw mail there, instructional manuals, basically everything. I find the tickets towards the bottom of the pile, a real ticket, not a computer printed one. “Looks like Chaos and the Hammer?” I question their nick names, their actual names not printed on the ticket. Sounds so primitive.

“Chaos?” He turns his attention to me finally. “No shit?”

“Yeah, is he good?” I have no clue. I'm literally just doing this because of Mark. If he wouldn't be here I'd be thinking of reasons to see Niall or Harry, or Jeanne. Of course I didn't really need a reason to visit Niall, Ryan was just born a week ago and I've yet to visit. I know that if I go to visit though I'll be running into Josie. I don't know if I'm ready for that.

“The best. Well one of them. They've been talking about this fight for a while.” He rubs his palms together in anticipation. “When do we leave?” Now I know he's getting excited for it.

The atmosphere is already electric. People shouting, a few fights have already gone on. Apparently quite a few before the actual main event. I can tell Mark is into it, yelling, spilling popcorn, high fiving some of the people around us. I find it comical just to sit and watch. He never got remarried after him and my mum split up. Said he was okay with it, it wasn't for him. I actually don't even know if he's dated another woman but we usually don't talk about those things. Well, I'll tell him my social life but he never dabbles with his.

The lights start to change as the atmosphere grows louder. I can only assume that the main even is starting. Mark jumps to his feet, yelling, shaking his fist in the air as the announcers begin to speak about the fighters. I half listen, once again watching all the crazy people around us.

“Holy shit!” Mark startles me a bit as I strain my neck to see what he's looking at. Chaos is walking down the isle, looking tough as nails. I don't think I'd mess with him if I ever saw him on the street. “Is that The Gun?” He asks.

“What?” I scrunch my face as I have no idea what he's talking about.

“Tommy “The Gun” he was a huge boxer in the 90's and early 2000's. I used to talk about him but their was too much going on in the house, you probably don't remember.” He exclaims. “I wonder if that's his son. I know he had at least a kid that would be about your age. Old enough to be Chaos. They kind of look alike.” He sounds like he's fangirling right now over this fighter.

Then she catches my eye.

I squint and all but jump on my chair to see her.

Josie?

“She's a beauty.” Mark elbows me but I can't keep my eyes away from her. Is she with him? She's the only girl in his entourage. Is she dating him? I watch as the ref comes to check their hands and one of his assistants rub Vaseline over his face. He pounds his hands with “The Gun” and then opens his arms to embrace Josie. Holy shit. She has a boyfriend. Has she had him the whole time? Is that why she left early the night we slept together? She cheated on him. And he's a professional fighter. He could kill me if he finds out.

I suddenly shift uncomfortably in my shoes. I might die here today. Die from a severe beating.

We watch the fight and I'm a little more stunned at every punch, kick, jab that Chaos delivers. He's going to kill me. What if he already knows that Josie cheated on him with me? What if he sees me and just literally jumps out of the this cage at me.

The fight ends with one final blow and Hammer is out like a light. The fight literally lasted two minutes.

“Fuck that was a good fight!” Mark is all hyped up, just bouncing off the walls it seems like. “We still going to the after party?” He asks, something I've completely forgotten about. The after party that I was invited to because of my apparent celebrity status. Is Josie going to be there? How can I even be calm when I know that she could have cheated on her UFC fighting boyfriend with me?

“Yeah, we can go.” I tell him, gathering up our things.

“Are you okay?” He pulls on my arm to make me pause. I keep seeing the vision of Josie running up to Chaos and giving him a big hug. Everyone was smiling. And all I could do was watch her. Watch her body jump, watch it mold. I remember her being so sexy. Maybe that's what the tattoo was about? Those boxing gloves? It wasn't an interest, it's because she's marked with a guy that could kill you with his fingertips.

“What? Oh, yeah I'm fine.” I lie slightly. “Lot of blood tonight. You know how I am with blood.” I remind him, waiting for the people in our row to move so we can leave. I've always been a bit squeamish around blood. I suppose it's a bit of a girly trait but my mum was always like that and I guess it just rubbed off on me.

“Oh I know! Remember when I got my fingernail ripped off with that car door?” Just the brief image sends shivers down my spine.

“How could I forget? I was still in the car as the blood was dripping down the window!” I want to punch him for bringing up that night. I feel myself starting to gag at the repeated picture playing in my mind, feeling a little light headed for the fact of the matter. “I need to sit.” I tell him, taking a rest on someone else;s chair.

“Sorry, forgot how much of a girl you are about blood.” He laughs and this time I do punch him, just lightly on the arm, but enough to get my point across.

Notes

Ah, Louis, Louis, Louis. his mind is wondering. :) No worries, they'll be interacting soon I promise! Thanks for sticking with me, i know we started out fast but have kind of fizzled, it's all part of my plan!! Short notes today, I'm off to get things done.

Thanks you everyone being so amazing!

xoxoxox