Breathe in, Breathe Out

“Louis! Come on, you never agree with anything I want to do! Just be okay with my decision! Or at least let me make my own,” Isabella Tomlinson stared hard at her older brother, tears threatening to betray her inner emotions, “please.”

“Why can’t you see that he is no good?”

“Why can’t I decide that for myself?”

“Because you’re wrong,” he narrowed his eyes at her and sighed, “because he’ll hurt you.”

“Maybe he won’t! You can’t tell me what to do, Louis. I am an adult after all,”

“Isabella-“

“Just because mum and dad are dead doesn’t mean you’re my parent. I can take care of myself, Louis,”

“Oh really?”

“I do have a career of my own you know! I’m not just riding on your coattails,” she muttered bitterly, “no matter what the tabloids say.”

“Gymnastics is hardly a career. You’re almost twenty now…what are you going to be doing in a few years when you’re old?” He knew it was a low blow, but he knew he had to keep her in check somehow. No matter how much she insisted, she was his baby sister and he felt very responsible for her.

“I’m not exactly an idiot either, Louis! I can go to uni whenever I want,” she shook her head at him and turned her back towards him, “I’m going out with Jake whether or not you like it.”
He gritted his teeth and realized nothing he could say would stop her, “please don’t be stupid about it, yeah?”

“I’ll be fine, Louis,” she whispered softly and turned to face him again, “I’m a big girl after all.”

“Sure,” he agreed weakly and gave her a peck on top of her head.

Isabella hugged him briefly before grabbing her scarf off the kitchen counter and wrapping it around herself. She opened the door to the house she shared with Louis and Harry and said,

“I’ll see you later then Lou.”

Although Isabella may not know just how much Louis watched over, anyone she had ever been interested knew. He wasn’t shy about making people know that he watched over his little sister like a hawk.

--

“Hazza,” Louis sighed and slumped on the couch where Harry was currently on his laptop.

“What happened now?” Harry raised one eyebrow quizzically. He always knew when something had happened between the Tomlinson siblings. He had known them for long enough by now.

“Isabella has met a new boy that, of course, she already adores,” Lou sighed and shrugged his shoulders, “what can I do? She’s right when she says I can’t do anything to stop her…although I would love to do that.”

“I’m glad I’m the younger sibling,” Harry smiled weakly. He shut his laptop and put it on the table, “Isabella’s not stupid. She’ll be okay.”

“Let’s hope so,”

Little did the two boys know that Isabella had come back in the house to let them know that she wouldn’t be home for dinner that night, when she overheard their conversation. She really was glad that they both cared about her so much, given issues she had in the past, but she did wish they would let her be at times. Especially Harry.

Harry was after all, the one and only boy she had ever loved…so far anyway. But Isabella knew he was off limits, that was a given from the second One Direction was formed. Still she couldn’t ignore all the sparks she felt whenever he was near. The attraction, at least to her, was undeniable. And they had had a few intimate moments together, although they had never panned out…at least not so far.

“The guy is probably just really horny.” Harry stated this in a matter-of-fact tone.

“We know how teenagers are, dude, “ Lou’s eyes got wide, “we should probably keep an eye on them!”

“One date and that’s it, “ Harry winked at Lou. Isabella’s jaw almost dropped to the floor as she listened to them try and sabotage her date. Who were they to decide who she could date and who she couldn’t?

"She'll love that," Lou chuckled.

Isabella stepped into the room and frowned at Larry, “are you serious? You two are really that adamant that I cannot date a boy you’ve never met that you want to try and sabotage everything?!”

“When did you get back?!”

“That doesn’t matter! Please, just let me be!” She flung up her hands and flew out the room and a few seconds later the house. She couldn’t believe their nerve.

“Well, that went well,” Harry sighed.

“Horrible big brother Lou strikes again.”

“And accomplice Hazza.” Lou rolled his eyes and started walking out of the room, not sure if he was looking for Isabella or just moving about, when Harry called back out to him, “hey Lou!”

“What’s up?”

“What kind of guy would you want Isabella to date?” Harry knew he wasn’t being very subtle, but he hoped that Louis wouldn’t catch on. Harry knew that Isabella was most likely off limits, but he still wanted to know for sure. After all, you can never say never.

“I don’t know Haz,” he shrugged. All he wanted was that his little sister be happy and that she found someone who she deserved and deserved her back, “the one that’s right for her.”

“And you have no clue who that would be?” Now he was definitely pushing the boundary.

“Who can know? He could be right under her nose and she might never even know,” he sighed and walked out, clearly ending the conversation.

Harry smiled a bit to himself. Lou could be so oblivious sometimes, but one thing was for sure, and that was that he loved his little sister. And he hadn’t strictly told Harry he couldn’t go after her, after all he was the one that said the one for Isabella could be right under her nose. And that sure did sound a lot like Harry. Maybe, just maybe things might work out in his favor for once.

He reached into his pocket as his phone jingled. He smiled as he saw it was a text from Isabella.

I really hope you and Lou weren’t serious Haz. I love you both, but just let me make my own mistakes for once. Don’t wait up for me tonight, I’m staying with Eleanor.

He sighed and replied with a simple ok before flopping back down on the couch and trying to make sense of the whole situation.