asking someone to be your girlfriend shouldn't feel this nerve-wracking. i've been on stage in front of thousands of people, traveled the world, faced interviews that tried to tear me apart—and yet, here i was, pacing in my living room like some lovesick teenager.

imogen was upstairs in my spare room, still asleep. we'd had a lazy morning—me bringing her coffee (well, hot chocolate, because of course she'd choose that over coffee), and us just lounging around. now i had the ring box sitting in my pocket. no, not that kind of ring. don't get too excited now, just a simple little thing i picked up, something understated and sweet—just like her.

"right," i muttered to myself. "you're louis tomlinson. you don't get nervous. you've got this."

except my palms were clammy, and my stomach felt like it had been flipped upside down.

the stairs creaked, and i turned to see her coming down. her hair was pulled into a loose braid, her face fresh and glowing in the way that only she could manage. she wore one of my hoodies, and it swallowed her whole. my heart clenched at the sight of her, she looked so at home here.

"morning," she said, her voice soft and a little groggy. she smiled at me, and it was like the sun rising. "you okay? you look... tense."

"me? tense? nah," i said quickly, shoving my hands into my pockets. smooth, tomlinson. real smooth.

she tilted her head, studying me with those big, soft eyes of hers. "you sure? you're pacing."

"just... thinking," i muttered, scratching the back of my neck.

"about  what?" she asked, padding over to me. she wrapped her arms around my waist, her cheek resting against my chest. "you can tell me, you know."

i looked down at her, at the way she fit so perfectly in my arms, and i knew this was it. there was no going back now.

"let's go for a drive," i said suddenly, pulling away just enough to grab my keys.

her eyebrows furrowed in confusion, but she nodded. "okay. where are we going?"

"you'll see," i said, grabbing her hand and leading her to the car.

we ended up at one of my favorite quiet spots, a little hill overlooking doncaster. it was one of those places where the world seemed to stand still. i parked the car and turned to her, my heart pounding in my chest.

"louis, you're acting weird," she said, her voice full of concern. "if something's wrong, just tell me."

"nothing's wrong," i said quickly. too quickly. "just... give me a second, yeah?"

she nodded, her brows knitting together as she watched me. i reached into my pocket and pulled out the small box, holding it out to her.

her eyes widened, and she looked up at me in shock. "what's this?"

"don't get too excited. it's not what you think," i said with a nervous laugh, opening the box to reveal the simple silver ring inside. "i, uh... i wanted to get you something. something that shows you mean... well, everything to me."

her hands flew to her mouth, her eyes glistening with tears. "lou"

"wait, i'm not done," i said, my words tumbling out in a rush. "i've never been good at this kind of thing—relationships, commitment, all that—but you... you make it feel easy. you make me want to try. so, what i'm saying is... will you be my girlfriend?"

her smile was so bright it could've lit up the entire hill. "yes," she said, her voice trembling with emotion. "of course i will."

i let out a breath i hadn't realized i was holding, a grin spreading across my face as i slipped the ring onto her finger. it wasn't much, but it was mine to give.

she threw her arms around me, burying her face in my neck. "you're so dramatic." she murmured, her voice muffled.

"says the one crying right now," i teased, holding her close.

she pulled back just enough to look at me, her hands resting on my chest. "you've made me the happiest person in the world right now."

"good," i said, pressing a kiss to her forehead. "because you've been doing that for me every day since i met you."

her cheeks turned pink, and she laughed softly. "you're such a sap."

"only for you," i said, brushing a strand of hair behind her ear.

we stayed there for a while, just soaking in the moment, the world around us quiet and still. for the first time in a long time, everything felt right.