I Love You ~ Louis Tomlinson

Limerence

"Have you ever liked someone that didn't like you back?" Louis asks randomly as they walk around the large park in Bracebridge, Canada. 

There's a show tonight in Ontario and Louis had seen something before they came here about this picturesque little town near by. There's a hiking trail and a waterfall somewhere, but she doesn't think they'll make it there today. It's a few miles in and they're not really walking very fast. 

"Like romantically?" She asks for clarification, her voice going all high and funny with slight discomfort. 

He nods and she thinks for a minute, but she doesn't really have to think much. Of course she has. Hasn't that happened to everyone? "Yeah, sure." She shrugs, "Why do you ask?" 

"Dunno," he says looking down and kicking a rock aimlessly, "We've just never really talked about things like that." 

She nods as they keep walking. It's true, they really haven't. She hasn't felt the need to, she wanted to leave the past in the past. Not that it was some horrible heartbreak she doesn't want to rehash, really the opposite, for the most part her relationships were uneventful in the fact that they were barely even relationships. 

"We don't have to talk about it," he says awkwardly. 

"No, it's okay" she chuckles, but not in a mean way, just to try to diffuse the tension. "No, I mean I was sad at the time, but now all of it feels unremarkable I guess. I can talk about it if you like though," she offers. 

"Don't have to," he says, raising a shoulder and feigning casualty. 

"Well, there was a guy," she begins  "I've known him since I was like 8 years old I think and I don't know, nothing ever happened, but it also wasn't nothing." She says vaguely. 

"You're not really making much sense love," he says, the space between his eyebrows creasing cutely. 

"No," she laughs, "I suppose I'm not. It's just it never went anywhere, but he didn't treat me like he did the other girls in our friend group. He talked to me more, protected me, especially when another guy tried to talk to me, and I thought that meant something. And then," she spreads out her hands in a wide gesture, "Nothing." 

"Sounds confusing," he comments. 

She lets out a breath she didn't know she was holding in, "Yeah and I fell for it too many times. I didn't feel like I was asking for a lot," she shrugs, "It just seemed like he wasn't willing to give me what I wanted and then he went and did it for the next girl."

Louis stops walking so she turns to look at his serious face and sad eyes. "I want to give you everything you want. You really deserve it," he says looking into her eyes. "I hope I do," he whispers. 

She walks closer to him and puts her hands on either side of his face, "You do. I promise you do." She wants to kiss him, but the moment feels too fragile for even the slightest movement. So instead she stays where she is with her forehead pressed against his, willing her emotions to go straight from her brain to his. 

He's everything she's ever wanted, she's just not sure how to admit that to him for some reason. It seems too intense for the already vulnerable moment. 

"You do too," he breathes. 

They break apart when someone walking past them startles them out of their embrace. They begin walking again, hand in hand, their spoken bond now strengthening between them the longer they spend time together. 

"Limerence," she says breaking the silence. 

"Limerence?" He asks, looking at her with an eyebrow raised. 

"Yeah, it means what we were just talking about. It's like unrequited feelings. Being infatuated with someone and longing for someone to return those feelings." She explains, "Have you ever had that?" She asks, turning the question back on him.

"Sure, quite a bit growing up in middle school as you Americans call it," he says with a cheeky smile, "But nothing gut wrenching."

"And when you were older?" She pries. 

"Well, high school I was with a few girls briefly." He shrugs. 

She hums and leaves it at that. She knows he's been with other girls and she's obviously okay with it, its just not something she feels like she needs to know. If he wants to talk about it, that's more than fine, she's just not going to ask is all. 

"Just one serious one after I graduated," he adds quietly, "On and off." 

She feels like she should answer him, so she does. "Hm, for how long?" 

"Few years, 3 maybe," he says and yeah, curiosity does kill the cat more often than not, doesn't it?

"That's a long time," she points out, trying her very best not to seem jealous. 

"I guess so," he shrugs, "It was all just so crazy. We met when One Direction first formed and she was really understanding with how hectic it can all be. I think we got comfortable with each other so we didn't look for anything else, but turns out we both felt like it was never meant to be in the long term." 

"That makes a lot of sense really," she admits. 

"Yeah," he scratches the back of his head, "And it was hard to meet people after the first tour that wanted to be with me for more than the title, or more than just one night even." He acts like it doesn't bother him, but the tension that remains in his shoulders is telling. 

"I'm sorry," she says, rubbing her thumb back and forth on his hand hoping it gives him some comfort. 

He rolls his head to the side to look at her and giving her a toothy grin. "It's okay, then I met you and you certainly didn't like me because of my title."

She laughs and shoves him with her shoulder, "Well that's certainly true."

"Nope, just my sparking personality." He says playfully. 

"Yeah," she drones, "That's it."

"And my handsome good looks," he says, puffing out his chest. 

She resists the urge to chuckle, but it isn't that hard. He looks so happy and truthfully he isn't wrong. "Well yes, that as well." She says with the roll of her eyes. 

"You think I'm pretty?" He asks, batting his eyelashes at her. 

She leans up and kisses his cheek, "The prettiest." 

He takes his hand in hers again and they continue on their walk. They don't make it even close to the waterfall, getting distracted by teasing each other than kissing it better and picking wild flowers. 

Talking quietly not to disturb the quiet atmosphere and looking for birds in the tops of the trees. A butterfly even lands on Louis' arm and Natalie finds it quite fitting. He really is the prettiest and nature seems to know it too.