I Hate You ~ Louis Tomlinson

DECISION DAY

Today is the day, decision day. 

No matter what happens, Natalie is eternally grateful for Louis. He spent the morning with her, pressing kisses anywhere he could all over her face and neck. Making her cups of peppermint tea and rubbing soothing circles into her nervous tummy. 

He made sure she ate some toast even though he had to persuade her by kissing her after every bite. She may just be the luckiest girl in the world and he might just be the sweetest boy there ever was. 

All the boys ride with Natalie to Linda's office and hug her tightly. It's dramatic, but she loves them for it. They know she needs support, they can feel it. They can feel the anxiety all around her. 

What she doesn't know is this is practically killing Louis. He knows more than anyone just how much this is bothering her and it's eating away at him. 

They've come far the two of them. 

He just wishes he could take her worries away. He also wishes he wasn't the cause of them. Not that any of it really is his fault, but he can't help but feel like at least a part of it is.

So, the boys sit outside the conference room in the little waiting area for her. Thankfully the office is dead, might look strange to see One Direction just sitting in there, but Louis promised Natalie he wouldn't leave. 

He intends to keep that promise, and the boys want to be there for him. 

Zayn especially, he doesn't need Louis to tell him to see how much he's taken this on. He knows how much it hurts him, it's in his beautiful blue eyes. 

The other boys, they aren't so patient. Niall and Harry are having some stupid fight and Liam is playing peacemaker as always.

"Hey Li, why don't you take the boys to that cafeteria we saw on the way in and get them something? My treat," Zayn says going to pull his wallet out. 

"I think I can handle it," Liam says with a laugh. 

Zayn smiles back at him and Liam asks if they want anything. Zayn answers for Louis and asks for 2 teas. 

Zayn shifts closer to Louis once the other three are safely out of earshot and wraps an arm around Louis' shoulders, but Louis turns to hug him instead. Zayn's suspicions are confirmed true when he feels small wet marks start to grow on his shirt. 

"It'll be okay Lou," Zayn says trying to comfort his very best friend as he rubs his back. 

Louis sits up and Zayn's arm falls. "What if she leaves me? What if I wasted all that time and this is all we got? I know it sounds dramatic, but Zayn I'm going to miss her."

"You don't think she'll stay?" Zayn asks, he knows its not the best question, but Louis doesn't see the way she looks at him. 

Like he's the whole sun, moon, and stars. Like everything he does is beautiful. She laughs when he's not even funny, she's there the second he might even possibly look sad, she's happy for him when he's happy. She lets him go on and on about football. 

She matches his hyper energy in a way he's never seen anyone else do. 

They're practically attached at the hip and maybe that's because they're afraid their time will be cut short. Or maybe it's because they know that things like this don't happen all the time. 

So no, it might not be the best question, but Zayn doesn't see how Louis doesn't see it. 

"I don't know, she wasn't sure." Louis mumbles sadly, holding his chin in his hands and hunching over. 

"Can I show you something?"

"Okay?" Louis says unsure. 

"You're gonna call me a creep and well, don't." Zayn starts. 

"Okay," Louis says and the with a small pause, "Creep." He's has a shit-eating grin on his face when Zayn looks up at him, very unimpressed. 

"You're lucky you're sad or I wouldn't show you." He huff and turns back to his phone. "Ah, here they are." He hums happily to himself and puts his phone under Louis' eyeline. 

It interrupts the very riveting game he was playing where he was tracing the tile on the floor with his shoe, but he can't be too upset. It's a picture of him asleep in the living room, laying on Natalie's lap with her fingers in his hair. 

"That sweet." Louis says, still not fully understanding what Zayn is trying to say. 

"It is, but look at her face Lou. Do you see they way she looks at you?"

"That's only because I was finally quiet," Louis jokes. 

"Come on don't take the piss out of this. Here look, here's another one."

This one the two of them are in the kitchen, Louis is spinning Natalie around and she looks so incredibly happy. 

"And if that isn't enough, here," he says swiping to another one where she is cheering Louis on as he plays Mario kart.

As much as Louis does take care of her, she supports him with all her heart, not matter how small the situation is. 

"Are you obsessed with my girlfriend or something?" Louis jokes, but Zayn can hear a little edge to it. 

"Louis you idiot.  No, I just thought they would be nice to show you, but since you are being so difficult about it I guess its not as nice as I thought." Zayn huffs.

"I'm sorry, I'm just nervous and its hard." 

"You need to talk to her," Zayn says and his tone makes it known its not a suggestion. 

Louis groans and the boys come back. Maybe tea will calm him. 

"Just think about what I said Lou. Talk to her and be honest, she can handle it." Zayn says talking in a low voice so the other boys can't hear them. 

"I don't want her to feel forced to make a decision."

"You can't force her, but you do have the right to share your feelings. You deserve to be heard. I'm surprised she hasn't asked you." Zayn says.

"She has," Louis says hesitantly. 

"Lou you have to be honest."

"So you've said," Louis huffs. "I'm sad again. Do you have more pictures?"

Zayn rolls his eyes, but show them to him regardless. He just hopes Louis will take his advice and be honest with her.