Hi India! I know I’m like 5 years late on this question so no worries if you want to ignore :) but I just re-read FRWAD. It’s so freaking good. I love the premise of it so much and there isn’t a superfluous word in the entire thing. Every moment reading it is joy!
But my question! In the first half, when do you think Louis started to have feelings for Harry? Do you think he picked Harry for the project because of an underlying attraction that he didn’t understand? And if that’s the case, when do you think he admitted the attraction to himself? The tattoo?
would just love to hear your thoughts!
Hey, love!
So, first off, I hope you know that you’re never ever too late to ask a question about something I’ve written, and I think every single author in fandom will agree. There’s no more genuine compliment than knowing something you wrote is still being read (or re-read) and that your characters are still being thought about, even after the novelty wears off. Honestly, you’ve made my week with this ask alone, so thank you so much! ❤️
Second, your question. I definitely think Louis picked Harry because of an underlying attraction he didn’t understand. There are two really important things (lines? quotes?) that inspired my version of younger Harry, and those are:
“Babe,
there’s something tragic about you,
something so magic about you,
don’t you agree?”
— From Eden, by Hozier
(this is why it’s the opening song on the For Reasons Wretched and Divine playlist)
And
“Some of us get dipped in flat, some in satin, some in gloss... […] But every once in a while, you find someone who's iridescent, and when you do, nothing will ever compare.”
— Flipped, by Wendelin Van Draanen
Both, I think, illustrate how Louis felt about Harry from the very beginning. It’s that inexplicable intrigue, that fascination, that pull you feel towards someone, when you don’t yet know or don’t yet allow yourself to call it attraction. I think that all Louis could admit to himself at the time was how much he wanted to know Harry, and he wasn’t really ready to look into why.
And, yes, the tattoo was definitely the first italicized Oh in Louis’ head. I remember writing that and wanting the reader to feel the obvious and indisputable realization that this was very much Not Platonic; that seeing that tattoo made Louis’ sexual attraction towards Harry pretty undeniable. 😉
I’m glad it seems to have come off that way! And thanks for coming to talk to me about FRWAD! You made me miss my boys! 🥰