𝐚𝐝𝐞𝐥𝐚𝐢𝐧𝐞𝐬 𝐩𝐨𝐯

i was in the middle of folding laundry when my phone buzzed on the counter. without looking, i grabbed it, expecting imogen's voice to chirp through the speaker like it usually did.

"adelaine?"

except it wasn't imogen. the voice was lower, rougher.

"uh... louis?" i asked, confused. "why are you calling me? where's imogen?"

"relax, she's fine," he said quickly, though his tone was a little strained. "she's out, and i, uh... needed to ask you somethin."

i blinked, taken aback. louis? calling me? this had to be good.

"okay," i said slowly, a grin already forming on my face. "what's this about?"

there was a pause on the other end, like he was working up the courage to say whatever it was. i could almost picture him running a hand through his hair, looking stressed.

"look," he started, his voice gruff, "i want to ask her to be my girlfriend."

i froze.

"wait. are you serious?"

"no, adelaine, i'm just calling to chat about the weather," he snapped, but there was no real bite to it. "of course i'm serious."

"oh my god," i said, my grin widening. "you like her, don't you? like, really like her."

"jesus christ," he muttered, and i swear i heard him slap a hand to his forehead. "yeah, obviously. i wouldn't be asking for your help if i didn't."

this was too good. imogen was going to flip when she found out. but for now, i had to play it cool.

"okay, okay," i said, trying to rein in my excitement. "so what's the problem? just ask her."

"it's not that simple," he said, sounding genuinely frustrated. "she's... imogen, you know? she deserves something better than me just blurting it out. i want to do it right. and you know her better than anyone, so... help me out here."

i bit my lip, thinking. as much as i loved teasing him, he sounded so earnest it almost made me feel bad. almost.

"okay," i said finally. "she likes simple things. nothing over the top. you could take her somewhere quiet, somewhere she feels comfortable. maybe bring her flowers—daisies, since you've been calling her bluey."

"right," he muttered, his voice softening. "she'd like that, yeah?"

"she'd love it," i assured him. "but honestly, louis, it doesn't matter where or how you ask her. she's crazy about you. as long as it's you, she'll say yes."

there was a long pause, and for a moment, i thought the call had dropped.

"you really think she'll say yes?" he asked finally, his voice quieter than before.

"are you kidding me?" i said, laughing. "she's been head over heels for you since day one. she just doesn't know how to say it. she surprisingly sucks at words."

i could practically hear the smile in his voice when he said, "thanks, adelaine."

"anytime," i replied, still grinning. "but just so you know, when you do ask her, i want all the details. and if you fuck it up, i'm coming for you."

"noted," he said dryly, but there was a warmth in his tone that hadn't been there before.

as i hung up, i couldn't help but smile. imogen had no idea what was coming, but if louis was willing to go through all this trouble just to ask her out, i had a feeling things were going to work out just fine.

louis pov

planning something romantic for someone is harder than it looks. and it's even harder when the person is imogen alodia. because she's not just anyone, she's sweet, she's kind, she's so thoughtful it makes my head spin, and she's got this way of making me feel like the most important person in the room, even when she doesn't mean to. so yeah, no pressure.

i sat on the edge of my sofa, my phone pressed to my ear as i listened to daisy laugh echo through the line. "you're seriously calling me for advice? louis tomlinson, mr. sarcastic, mr i don't need help?"

"oh, shut it," i muttered, rubbing a hand over my face. "this is important. i need to make it perfect."

"well, first of all," she said, her voice still tinged with amusement, "just the fact that you're trying this hard means it's already perfect. but fine, i'll help. what's the plan so far?"

"that's the problem," i groaned. "i don't bloody have one. do i take her somewhere fancy? do i keep it lowkey? she's not the type who wants a big show, is she? adelaine said she's not. "

"definitely not," she said, and i could practically hear her rolling her eyes. "she's not flashy, louis. she's all about meaningful stuff. i think... so, think about what she loves. maybe something to do with art?"

art. of course. but it couldn't just be me standing in a gallery, handing her flowers and saying, 'be my girlfriend.' that'd feel... off.

"okay," i said slowly, "but what if it's too much? like, i don't want to overwhelm her. she's... well, she's been through a lot. i don't want her thinking i'm pushing too hard."

her tone softened. "louis, she likes you. no—she really likes you. she told me so herself. you just have to show her you care and that you've thought about her. it doesn't have to be some grand gesture."

"you're no help," i joked, though her words settled something inside me.

"you're just mad because i'm right," she quipped.

after hanging up, i sat there staring at my phone for what felt like ages. my thumb hovered over imogen's contact. i could've called her right then, blurted out everything i felt, but no. that wasn't how i wanted this to go. she deserved more.

so i started thinking about all the little things. her love for cozy nights in. the way she lights up when she talks about her art. her favorite food, her favorite places. slowly, an idea started forming.

the next morning, i found myself walking into a florist's shop. "i need daisies," i told the woman at the counter.

"just daisies?" she asked, eyeing me curiously.

"yeah," i said, a bit sheepishly. "it's... a thing. long story."

with the flowers in hand, i swung by her favorite coffee shop, grabbing her usual hot chocolate order to go. it wasn't a grand plan yet, but it was a start.

then i made a few more calls. reserved a quiet spot at a little café she loved. it wasn't anything over the top, but it felt... right. intimate, thoughtful—her.

when i got back home, i plopped down on the sofa, staring at my phone again. my nerves were buzzing, and for once, i didn't have a sarcastic comment to shake them off.

"you've got it bad, mate," i muttered to myself.

and maybe that was the thing. maybe this wasn't just about asking her to be my girlfriend. maybe it was about admitting to myself that i wanted this, her, for the long haul.

a knock at the door pulled me out of my thoughts. phoebe poked her head in, grinning like a maniac.

"what are you up to?" she asked, flopping down on the couch beside me.

"none of your business," i shot back, though the smirk tugging at my lips probably gave me away.

"oh, come on," she teased. "it's about imogen, isn't it?"

"maybe," i said, trying—and failing—to sound nonchalant.

phoebe's grin widened. "you're in so deep, louis."

"shut it," i said again, though there wasn't any real bite to my words.

"just don't overthink it," she said, surprising me with her seriousness. "she's crazy about you, you know."

"yeah, well," i mumbled, feeling a bit exposed. "let's hope she says yes."

but deep down, i already knew.