I Hate You ~ Louis Tomlinson

WOULD YOU TAKE IT?

"If they offer you the chance to stay and tour with us, would you take it?" Louis asks one night as they hang out in his room.

Natalie is sitting up crisscross applesauce in the middle of the bed, starting to draw an outline of a painting she's working on. Louis is laying down with his head by the footboard, curled around her with one hand mindlessly brushing back and forth over her ankle.

"Oh, um. I don't know," she says, meeting his eyes and judging by his face, it's not the answer he anticipates.

"Oh, why not?" He says sadly, turning to lie on his back and looking up at the ceiling instead of her.

"It would just be a lot." She says hesitantly.

"What do you mean by that?" He asks. 

"It's just, that would be a lot more public. I'd be traveling with you guys and that kinda scares me. I've never traveled like that before and people would start to notice me, probably."

"I mean how could they not notice such a beautiful person," he says turning to her with a smile.

"Come on Lou, I'm being serious." She whines.

"So am I, but okay. Well you're looking at someone who has really traveled a lot in the last few years. I can help you with packing and I know some other things that can help. It'd be so fun!" He says sitting up and looking at her excitedly.

"Louis I'd give up basically every aspect of freedom. I mean I even struggled feeling trapped here in the beginning. Being on a bus for weeks on end with no way out, that sounds really hard to me."

"But we'll be together." He says grabbing her hand and looking at her pleadingly.

"I know, but I'm telling you it might not make me happy."

"Oh, so being with me won't make you happy?" He asks, letting go of her hand and shifting in his seat.

It had been calm up until that point, but now Louis is getting defensive and childish and she was never one to deal with that well.

"Louis you know that's not what I meant." She deadpans.

"Oh, I do. Do I now?" He sasses back.

"Yes, I was saying that traveling might not make me happy."

"Don't you care what I want?" He asks.

"Of course I do, but I can't make my decisions based on what I think will make you happy Louis."

It gets quiet after that and neither of them really know what to say. Natalie picks at the side of her nail, trying to think of anything she can say to him, but nothing comes up. He can't ask her for that, it isn't her job to make him happy no matter how much she wants to.

"I think we need some space," she says quietly, "Just for tonight. We should talk in the morning when we're less exhausted and our heads are clearer." She says and gets up. She moves to her night table and quietly picks up her few things she usually keeps in his room.

"Are you sure? You can stay if you want." He says. He desperately wants her to stay, but he understands what she means.

"No it's okay," she says with a half-smile and reaches out to squeeze his hand a second. "Goodnight Lou."

"Night love," he says a bit sadly, "I'll see you in the morning yeah?"

"Of course."

He leans up and pecks her lips before he can stop himself. She kisses him back a second before she pulls away. She makes her way into the bathroom, hoping a hot shower will help her collect her thoughts.