#5secondsoflambrini

my genuine reaction to the line below in @5secondsoflambrini‘s “CEO!Luke Christmas” one shot

Requested: Nope, but would you believe this came to me when I was doing my homework with a ring in my hand? cause it’s true hehe

Plot line: You fill in for your father during one of his meetings with Mr. Hemmings. I don’t wanna spill too much, just bear with me 

Head held high, you walked into the all too familiar office, your eyes bearing a stern look behind your designer shades. It was the last place you wanted to be at, but you had to remind yourself that work came first; it always did.

“Welcome Miss (y/l/n)” The receptionist abrubtly stood up as you walked in, remembering you from your previous visits; the visits that had stopped months ago; the visits that still burned in the back of your mind.

“I’m here on behalf of my father; he had a meeting scheduled with Mr. Hemmings.” The young girl quickly collected herself at your strict words, her professional demeanor taking over as her eyes scanned over the papers scattered all over her desk. There was no denying that the staff at Hemmings.Inc was very much admirable; their boss’s professionalism rubbing off on them, allowing him to have one of the most hard-working and strict staff.

“He’s currently seeing Mr.Hood. Their meeting will be done in a couple minutes, we’re very sorry to keep you waiting.” 

Nodding at her words, you took a seat as you waited, your eyes scanning over the various changes you couldn’t help but notice. With your eyes glued to the wide TV hanging on the wall facing you, you tried your best to shake off the nerves. 

After all, you had been attending to business meetings ever since you turned 18, your father already making sure to integrate you in the business world. The path had been planned for you before your even spoke your first word; everything, starting from the economy and finance private lessons you had taken up as you just turned 15, to the Job you currently had at the firm, was preparing you for the final step; taking the director’s chair.

“What a pleasant coincidence to see you here.” 

Your eyes diverted from the big screen towards the towering male. “The pleasure’s all mine, Mr.Hood.” you stood up from your seat so as to greet him, shaking your hands as you exchanged polite smiles. Calum Hood was a well known face in the industry; consequently, you have met him a handful of times. As firm and confident as he was inside the meeting room, Calum was quite the charismatic CEO.

“Oh! And congratulations on the big news!” His smile widened and became much warmer at his words, but you couldn’t possibly reciprocate his enthusiasm. Only managing a tight smile and a forced thank you, you excused yourself as you marched towards the wooden door that held a golden plate announcing the CEO of the building.

The sound of clicking heels alarmed Luke, his body turning around to face his visitor as he muttered a few words into his phone before hanging up. His eyes however had not expected to find you taking a seat in one of the chairs in front of his desk. 

He didn’t like it. He didn’t like how you felt so far away from him as he sat in his big chair; he didn’t like how your eyes looked nothing like the warm ones he last saw. 

Clearing his throat, Luke leaned in on his elbows as he recalled that he had a meeting with your father.

“Miss (y/l/n), to what do I owe the pleasure?” 

You sat up straighter, taking in a deep breath before spilling the news, mentally cursing your father for putting you in such a position.

“I’m here on behalf of my father, concerning our last deal. My father would like to offer his sincere apologies, as we won’t be closing off the deal with your company. And as you can guess, we’re pulling off our investements concerning the project…” 

You trailed off as you muttered the well rehearsed words, seeing as Luke had hastily shot up from his seat, his hands tugging on the roots of his hair in frustration. 

You knew how his reaction would be, hell that was your own reaction upon hearing the news from your father. Everyone knew just how important this deal was to his company; it was his biggest project yet, the plan leading to its success very well planned and studied. Yet the plan he had spent restless nights perfecting was crumbling down to pieces as the one thing he had failed to anticipate was happening; your Hotel retrieving from the deal.

“Do you have any idea what this decision can do?” Luke growled, his body leaning on his desk on his arms; his back muscles flexing with the tension; his eyes significantly turning darker, sharper. 

Of course you knew the outcomes of your father’s decision, yet the reason behind it was enough to keep you from trying to change his verdict.

“We are well aware of the consequences, a-and we’re willing to reimburse the damage that might follow.” 

No, it was not right. Something didn’t feel right to Luke. He knew damn well that as soon as your Group would walk out of the deal, a hundred more would fight for the open spot. The Companies fought for the chance to take part in the deal, the surname Hemmings being enough to lure them in, already predicting the success of his project due to his well known reputation, but your Group on the other hand was retracting. 

Your father was no fool, nor were you. Luke had admired the work you had both put into building up your company, both of you very driven and aspiring to outlast your competitors. Thus, it was prone that walking away from a winning deal wasn’t a hazard decision, the reason now triggering Luke more than anything.

“Wait, wait- Where is this coming from anyway?” 

Luke walked back towards you, his composure much calmer than a few minutes ago. He sat on top of his desk, his body hovering above you where you sat. Raising an anxious hand to fix the loose strands of hair, you closed your eyes in concentration as you tried to come up with a satisfying answer for him.

“I’m not supposed to get into these things, i-it’s confidential-“

Your words were cut short as a cold hand wrapped around your wrist, the hand that was tangled in your hair being lifted higher.

Luke couldn’t divert his eyes from the no longer vacant patch of skin linking your knuckle and fourth finger; his hand holding yours shaking as his dry mouth attempted to swallow the lump in his throat. With every rapid beat of his heart his eyes grew wider, his chest felt tighter, his heart felt heavier.

You couldn’t bare look at his baffled expression, the emotions breaking through his ocean blues shattering the composed exterior you had worked on. Deflecting your eyes from his towering figure, you started down at your shoes, the touch of his hand filling you up with a familiar chill yet flooding you up with an enormous sense of guilt at the same time.  

Suddenly dropping your hand as if it were burning with the power of thousand suns –his heart burning just the same- Luke furiously arised from where he sat, pacing back and forth as he fought to keep his hands from shaking and his lungs from screaming out in frustration.

“You’re engaged?” He whispered for himself, his own mind fighting to reject the idea. “You’re engaged.” His words were no longer questioning; he was affirming it, the veracity of the news you were throwing his way weighing him down. He was drowning, and the big rock that adorned your left hand was the sinking anchor.

Undoubtedly, Luke’s personna was easily admired, every aspect of him notably enthralling. He was poised, composed, firm, confident and cocky at times; the characteristics forming a laudable CEO. But he couldn’t keep that font in front of you; not when you had seen deeper than the CEO him, not when he had seen past your professional side, not when he had already fallen in love.

Luke ran a hand over his scruffy jaw, his lungs exhaling a deep breath through his nose as his back was still facing you. He couldn’t turn around; he couldn’t risk meeting your joyful eyes as you spilled the details of your engagement, he couldn’t force out a congratulating smile, not when he knew that your words could very well strangle him. 

But had he turned around, he would’ve noticed how you shrunk further into your seat, how you were fighting the tears that threatened to spill, how you were searching for a way to escape his office. You knew that the news would break through eventually, sooner or later he would’ve heard of your engagement as the media never failed to spill out details of your lives. Yet you foolishly still clung to the silliest thread of hope; still believed that you could somehow shelter him from the news; that you wouldn’t have to face him once he hears of it. Alas, being in the same business meant that you’d never fully escape each other.

“Wh-who is he? I- How?” Luke’s mind was as blank as white sheet, the shakiness in his voice betraying his vulnerability. 

He couldn’t help it; you were his weakest point, you were the salted wound that refused to heal over time. And although Luke had a tendency to hate weaknesses and work on overcoming them, he couldn’t do the same when it came to you; how could he hate the way you had understood him completely? How could he deny the warm feeling that surfaced with the mere thought of you? He had already failed at preventing every fiber in his body from yearning for you ever since you left.

“I know- I know that whatever we had wasn’t ideal… But I-“

I hoped you’d wait for me

The words lingered in the air. He didn’t need to speak them for you to understand. But he was right. Whatever had tied the two of you -as beautiful as it was, and as fun as it had been to sneak around- was not ideal. You had both known that; ever since the first glance he had sent your way when you first tagged in with your father, it was clear that pursuing your feelings screamed danger. 

That had never managed to stop either of you. But the more invested you became in each-other, the more dangerous the situation turned out to be; more and more deals were signed between your respective firms, and you couldn’t be selfish enough to imperil the profits of your companies. As long you weren’t named CEO yet, he couldn’t risk getting on your father’s bad side, just as you couldn’t risk damaging his deals. 

Still, as you parted your ways, an unspoken agreement set place: an accord that maybe it wasn’t over yet for you; that perhaps you weren’t supposed to come to such an abrupt end; that you could still have second chance at new beginnings.  

But as the days, weeks and months dragged by agonizingly slow, neither of you were sure if you could hold up the end of your bargain and keep away from each-other. And as Luke’s mind recalled that you were currently spoken for, waves of distress washed over the vow he had engraved in his heart.

“I would’ve waited for you. For as long as took…” Your words were muffled by a silent sob, making them barely audible. But Luke had caught them, and boy was he glad he did. Turning around in a hurry, his puzzled eyes observing your every movement, Luke couldn’t deciper your words. Were you giving him some kind of hope? Or were you messing with his worn-out heart?

“What? What’s that supposed to mean?” All it took for him was to hear your silenced cries, and to see your shaking shoulders as you turned your face further from him to understand. And as soon as he put two and two together, his heart shook in fear of what it might be.

“Is- is this what’s it’s all about?” Luke managed to croak out, his eyebrows furrowing once you nodded a yes. Just like that, his worst fear became an undeniable reality. 

Your new relationship couldn’t be broken with a simple fight; and it wasn’t some kind of white-veil occasion he could easily barge in and scream out ‘I object’. No, it was more than that –maybe even too far from his reach. 

It was an arranged marriage; a business deal tying your Company with whomever you were engaged to. It was a contract upon which lied hundreds of dollars. It was no longer just about you and him; it involved so much more.

“Who?” Luke seemed to be the only one talking, but he needed answers. Maybe he was foolish to try; maybe it was beyond him to deal with the given situation. But could you blame a loving heart for trying?

“Denis” The name left your parted lips with as much hatred as you could muster, the exact same feeling bubbling inside Luke as he registered the name. It took every fiber in him to fight the urge to punch the nearest wall, his knuckles whitening as he fisted his hands. Your broken presence in his office was the only thing keeping him from seeing everything in red; he wouldn’t allow himself to aggravate your state.

Hate was quite an underrated term when it came to Denis and his company in general. He was sleazy, corrupt, deceitful, and the list goes on. He had built up his firm from the remains of the company his father had inherited him –the company he had shredded and torn apart; he wasn’t the working type at all, as he mainly went for illegal and illicit trades, the list of his partners dragging on. 

Sadly enough for you, your father’s name was imprinted on that list. Surely, your father was very keen on keeping his deals clean and sustaining a good reputation, but things weren’t always that way. There had been a time when his first concern was profit, that was before you had joined him, it was before he had an actual responsibility towards you: handing you the Hotel in its best condition.

But as Denis’ company fell deeper into debts, his last resort was to bring up that black list, your father’s name popping in bright colors. And as soon as the blackmails and threats of exposure started coming his way, your father’s choice was quickly made. He had agreed to merge companies with him, allowing Denis to repay his debts as your father directed his investements towards him; hence the need to break your partnership with Hemmings.Inc. 

Maybe there could have been a better option, maybe you didn’t need to be thrown down the bus and sacrificied like you were; but there was no deying that a business deal cloaked by a marriage was the quickest and least suspicious way.

“Do you want this?” Luke almost gagged at his question, but he couldn’t help himself. If he were to build up a plan, if he were to find a way out he needed to know. 

You, on the other hand, couldn’t believe your ears, for it was the first time you’ve been asked about your feelings concerning the deal from the moment that ring was practically forced on your hand. The bafflement momentarily took over you as you croaked out a “what?”

“Do you want this? Do you want him?” Luke’s heart broke at every word; the thought of you confirming that you did was insufferable.

“No- God no..” You shakily answered him, your hand attempting to wipe the flow of tears, your chest feeling somewhat lighter as you had finally confessed your feelings to someone other than your soaked pillow at night. 

Before you could register anything, you felt yourself get pulled up and crashed into a warm embrace. And as soon as the familiar scent of cologne filled your nostrils, you broke into full sobs, unable to hold them back anymore. Luke’s arms wrapped tighter around you, his hearaching at every hearbroken cry you let out, your agonized state paining him more than the fact that you were unattainable for him. 

His hand gently patted your head, allowing you to rest your forehead against his warm neck, the composed and almost robotic façade you had been showing for the past weeks wearing down. And perhaps that was why it hurt him the way it did; he knew you to be quite strong and hard-headed, your resistance to pressure remarkable. He not very often saw you break down, and it was definitely never as bad as your current one. 

But it was futile for you to try and hide it when you were embraced by the only person you felt you could openly trust –the reliance you once had for your father long gone with his deal.

“Whether you want to be with me or not, I’m helping you through this. We’ll find a way out, I promise.” 

His soothing words felt like waves dragging back to the safety of the land. But he needed you to know; he desperately needed you to know that he wasn’t seeking anything from you. He wasn’t doing it in hopes of having you for himself, and not because his heart wanted nothing more than to hold you and have you flaunt an even bigger ring in front of everyone else. His actions were merely driven by your own rejection of the engagement. And whether or not he managed to find a way to break it, he wanted, needed you to know that he didn’t expect you to repay him or want him.