Your Reason to Be

Louis' POV

She places the frappe in my palm and I curl my fingers around the cup. I slip the straw in-between my lips staring intently into Chennaya's eyes. Taking another long sip, I trail an index finger down her arm. 

"What are you doing?" she mutters shaking away my hand.

I chuckle at her irritation. Taking the same finger, I dip it into the whip cream on top of the frappe, before sticking the cream-covered finger into my mouth. I lick my lips in one slow gesture, for a little effect. 

Chennaya gazes at me in mere bewilderment before laughing. She smacks a hand to her mouth, silencing her hysterics. "Are you trying to turn me on?" She gasps. "In public?"

I wrap an arm around her waist and step closer towards her body. Her familiar scent envelops me, intoxicating each nerve running along inside of my arm. It isn't even reasonable how acutely she effects me anymore.

"What if I am?"

She chuckles once more, her shoulders shaking as she bites down onto her bottom lip trying to prevent the laughter spilling out. "I may be twenty one and a young adult but really? My hormones aren't raging." I raise an eyebrow at her before lifting one of my arms and flexing my biceps. "No I'm not one of your fans who go bloody berserk over your arm."

"Are yo-"

Before I can even complete the question, I receive a nice slap on the back of my head. I let go of Chennaya and twist my head around to see Stan - with an unnaturally massive grin cemented around his lips. "Are we still going to the park?"

I look up studying the darkened sky, seeing the sun dip down below the horizon at an agonizingly slow pace. "Nah, I can't. I wanna go see Lottie before she sleeps. She's been going to bed really early lately."

"Poor thing must be knackered," he mutters. With a small shrug from me, Stan walks back the other way with Tara lagging just an inch behind him.

Chey and I stay back a few meters to allow for us to have privacy. I can't help but think back to Lottie and how she begged for me to invite my girlfriend over here to Doncaster. I knew it was a big favour from Chennaya since she was busy with university and such but I couldn't help but be disappointed when she rejected my offer for her to join me.

If it wasn't for Lottie's favoured perseverance - to persuade me to make Chennaya eventually agree - and her constant yet sincere pleads for wanting to see her, then Chey wouldn't be walking beside me, small hands and thin fingers inside my larger and rougher ones. I squeeze our entwined fingers just to reassure myself that she is solid and this isn't simply the most wonderful dream. If it is, I'd be waking up to a reality full of nightmares.

"Lou? You seem deep in thought. What's on your mind?"

I twist my head to the side, gazing at her sweetly confused face. She smiles innocently at me eyes swelling with questions. "Everything."

She purses her lips together. "Just tell me Louis. I'm here for you remember? I'm your girlfriend and even if I wasn't we'd still be friends, right? You can tell me. If something's wrong I'll help you. I-"

"There's nothing wrong," I explain chuckling a little.

"-I'll take care of you like you did with me." My eyebrows gather up together in the centre of my forehead, as I cock my head to side questioningly. "You were there when Jarrod cheated on me. You were my shoulder to cry on. You were there when I faced him and broke off our relationship. You fought him because you care about me.

When I didn't have a place to go you were eight by my side, offering to give me shelter. You let me stay in your house with the rest of the band who are now also my friends. You allowed me to do that and I couldn't be anymore grateful.

And not just that, even though you had feelings for me you were selfless and let Niall date me. But I'm glad for that cause it taught me not to be a cougar.

You took me in and held me. There is not one thing in this world I can do to top all that off. You are truly amazing and I'm happy I have you."

That speech of hers leaves me absolutely speechless. It takes me several minutes to regain myself and unscramble my thoughts. "Just be my girlfriend and I'll be happy. I wish that we can stay like this for as long as we can."

"Then let me take care of you, okay? You have no choice in the matter. Thank you for not giving up on me and being unexpected. Thanks for being Lou."

Even though I hate to admit it, I can feel a certain type of heat reach the tip of my ears and slightly touch my cheeks. If this is what I've been missing for years then this is what we should have many more years to come - so I can make up for it.

"Thanks for the chance."