You were sat on the deck in the backyard of a friend of a friends friendâs party, mind slightly buzzing from the alcohol and rejoicing in the calmer environment compared to inside; where the party was currently in full swing with no sign of slowing down for the night. You tilt your head up to look at the night sky, not too much to see in terms of stars when youâre in suburbia, but if you look hard enough you can make out orionâs belt.
You feel someone set themselves down next to you, the sound of a lighter rings in your ears.
âIs it okay if i smoke?â the person says
âhuh? oh. yeah. Knock yourself outâ
âCoolâ the clicks of the lighter sound out again. You turn to look at the stranger, the light from inside the party dimly illuminating both of you from behind, the flame of the lighter momentarily showing his features in better light.
âso,â He takes a drag of his cigarette âwhat brings you out here and not in there?â
You fiddle with the rings on your fingers. âi got a bit overwhelmed in there, wanted a bit of a breather before i go back in there and find my friend,â You turn and point in the general direction of where you saw her last, currently deep in the dancing crowd âsheâs my ride homeâ
âah, have to say with the way this party is going, i donât know if youâll be heading back home any time soon. Your friend seems to be having quite the time in thereâ
âyeah, figuresâ
You both return to silence for a while, him finishing off his cigarette while you gently drum your fingers to the music that bleeds out to where youâre sitting. The break in conversation didnât feel as awkward as it usually does with people, you partially blame that on the alcohol. But something about this stranger feels easygoing.
âSo, you asked me now i ask youâ You throw out âaside from a smoke break, you donât look in a rush to get back in there eitherâ
âyou caught meâ He gently chuckles, jokingly raising his hands up lazily. âif you must know, i too needed a break from all thatâŠI mean I like to party as much as the next guy but sometimes people and sounds get to be too muchâ
You feel yourself sobering up a little as you nod in agreement with his statement. You want to keep your buzz going, so you start to stand up getting ready to offer to get a drink for him as well.
âWell uhâŠâ you trail off, you realise you havenât asked his name yet.
âLukeâ He smiles up at you
âyes, Luke. I am going to grab another drink, would you like one?â
Luke leans back, resting on his palms. âWhatever youâre having iâll have tooâ
You bravely stumble back into the party, mission in mind.
You return, drinks in hand. You pass one to Luke and sit back down in your previously claimed spot.
He mumbles out a thanks as you both enjoy your drinks.
About an hour passes, conversation easily flowing just like the drinks you are having, neither of you making any move to return to the party.
âMan, sheâs totally not taking me home tonight is she?â you chuckle, a little pissed off your friend who earlier tonight promised âit will just be in and out! i promised my friend we would make an appearanceâ How you believed her is beyond you, you think with a smile
âI donât know about you but iâm ready get out of here.â Luke stretches as he makes a move to get up âI live nearby, walking distance, if youâd like to tag along i was thinking of ordering in some really greasy shit probably a good pizzaâ He offers his hand to help you up.
Your stomach growls at the mention of proper food, the chips and other finger food at the party doing the bare minimum to satiate the hunger, especially with you being outside and the snacks being deep inside the party. âHow can i say no to such an offer? Sure iâll go to your place stranger. Promise not to murder me?â
âWeâre not really strangers now are we? you know my name, i know yoursâ he pulls you up with ease âdoes he work out?â you think. âPlus the walk back to mine should give us enough time to become even less of strangers, no promises on the murder thing, gee you know i just loooovee doing that all the timeâ he throws in at the end jokingly. You let out a big laugh as you both make your way out of the party.
You message your friend,
âNot kidnapped, left with a friend, Iâll see you tomorrow.â
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It was that time of year again, at the peak of summer, your area held a festival over the long weekend. It was a mid-range big deal for everyone who lives here, kids love it for all the carnival style games and rides, the teens and adults love it for the performances of up-and-coming bands and the occasional known artist headlining. Itâs a great time for everyone involved.
âWhaaat? itâs that time of year already?â Vanessaâs lazily remarking to no one in particular.
âHm? What is?â You were currently preparing lunch for the two of you, busy chopping up some vegetables in the kitchen.
âThe festivalâs this weekend! Looks like the opening night is going to be good this year!â Looking up from the cutting board you see Vanessa very comfortably sprawled out on your couch scrolling through the eventâs page. You hear some gasps and mutters as she sees the lineup of events, she always was one to get excited about local bands and solo artists. She frequently dragged you to dimly lit venues, cheering on bands that have eccentric names with performances that left you feeling electric, if anyone had good taste it was her.
âAHH! YOUNG ASTRAL IS PERFORMING?!â Vanessa exclaims as you set down various plates on the table.
âRemind me again? Young Astral?â
âHow can you forget, ughhh come on they were so good! And donât get me started on their bassistâŠâ She gets up off the couch to sit down with you. Placing some chicken on her plate, you smile as you let her go on about the latest band sheâs crazy for. Youâre certain if she put on one of their songs, youâd recognise it, but by titles alone there was no way.
âAnyways, I am absolutely, without a shadow of a doubt, going to go see their set.â
You go with Vanessa to the festival pretty much every year, sometimes her other friends join you and it becomes a group outing. Itâs always a lot of fun. You serve yourself some of the chicken and settle down to eat. Just as youâre taking your first bite, Vanessa switches subjects.
âSoâŠ.â Vanessaâs tone of voice has a hint of teasing in it. âYou going with anyone this year?â
You raise an eyebrow at her, what is she trying to suggest?
âYou?â
âNope. Wrong answer.â She pokes around her food, staring at you with eyes that say âYou know.â
You do not know.
Okay that was a bit of a lie, it would be nice to go with Luke but youâre sure heâs going with all his friends and you really donât want to intrude if he already has plans.
âAsk him.â
âWhat? No. I couldnât, Iâm sure heâs busy with plans to go with his friendsâŠâ
âAsk.â Vanessa takes another mouthful of the chicken with a finality that left no room to argue.
After that the conversation shifted to something else. Topics of work and Vanessas current projects filling the quiet apartment with laughter and enthusiastic conversation. With lunch finished the two of you moved onto having some drinks on your balcony, exchanging jokes and fond memories of college as the sun started to set.
Vanessaâs phone buzzes.
âShoot, is that really the time?â She exclaims. You turn to look at her just as sheâs getting up, you vaguely remember her saying something about a date tonight. Youâre up and out of your seat along with her, taking her half empty drink off her hands as she scrambles inside to grab her things.
âThink about what I said mâkay?â Vanessa reminds you as she gives you a hug goodbye.
âSure.â Waving her off, only shutting the door when the elevator closes. Turning around back into your apartment, you start to tidy up a bit.
Thinking about it was easy, deciding to do it is another thing. On one hand, it sounds like a lot of fun; you enjoy his company. On the other hand, you really donât want to intrude if he has any plans, and you donât want to be that guy that gets retroactively tacked onto plans just because they asked if the other one wanted to hang out at the same time. Overthinking is a beast you havenât quite tamed yet.
Grabbing your phone, you type out the message.
âWant to go to the opening night of the festival with me?â
Your thumb hovers over the send button, somehow your phone feels heavy in your hand as you run through the possibilities of sending versus not sending the message. You felt stupid for overthinking asking a friend to hang out, rationally you knew it was harmless. Steeling your nerves, you press send just as you receive a text from him.
âWould you like to go to the first night of the festival with me? Heard there was going to be fireworksâ
No way.
Three dots appear underneath his message, heâs writing something.
âHaha no way! At the same time too!â
âDoes that mean youâre down to come with me?â
Heâs a double, triple, quadruple texter. Your phone buzzes with each message back-to-back.
Your shock leaves you motionless for a second, you just had to text him the exact same thing at the same time. You were agonising over nothing, just to end up in an awkward situation. Only you see it as awkward though, on the other side of the screen Luke was beaming at receiving pretty much the same message he just sent looking back at him.
â???â
Right. You were texting him.
âIâd like to go with you if youâre down for that?â You finally reply.
âHaha how fucked up would it be if I said I didnât want to?â Heâs teasing you. âOf course, Iâll pick you up from your place at about 6?â
âSounds good to me.â
âItâs a date then đâ
âhaha, suređâ Leave it to him to say something like that, you knew he didnât mean it that way.
Vanessa was right. She was also currently gloating at the fact that she was correct. Once again on your lunch break, you were relaying to her that you ended up inviting Luke at the same time he did. Vanessa scoots closer to you, her voice dropping to just above a whisper âI never did mention him by name yesterday yâknowâŠâ
Your eyes widen, she didnât.
âYeah? Well, uhhâŠâ Youâre caught off guard, not sure what to say. Vanessa was holding onto that fact until after you told her about your plans, she was enjoying this. Whatever this was.
âHaha relax! Iâm glad youâre going; besides I would have felt a little bad if you didnât have plans since I doâŠâ
âOh? Plans?â This piqued your interest.
âIâm going with someone to the Young Astral set!â
âAnyone I know?â
âHmm, no I donât think so but they were at Lukeâs party. We are into a lot of the same bands!â
âNice! Iâm glad you guys share interests; how dare you leave me to fend for myself though. Whatever will I do without you?â You playfully jab her; you couldnât really get mad at her for that.
âOh please, like Iâd leave you hanging. Text me your outfit options later.â
Finishing up lunch, you return back to your desk and the pile of tasks left waiting as you mentally rummage through your closet. You wonder what Luke was going to wear, heâs probably way less worried about it than you are.
The weekend rolls around in the blink of an eye, work was busy enough to keep you occupied all week. Now was finally the time to have fun and unwind a bit. It was just past 4 PM, youâre putting away the last of the groceries when your alarm reminder to get ready goes off. Texting Vanessa to make sure sheâs not going to be late to her date, you scurry off to have a shower. Taking your time putting on the outfit you and Vanessa agreed upon the other day, you add the finishing touches to your look as your phone pings. Itâs Luke, heâs on his way.
For some reason, nerves settle in your stomach.
Why were you nervous? This is a hangout just like any other. Donât be silly.
Shaking your head, you will yourself out of your train of thought. Grabbing your things you head out the door and into the elevator, you fiddle with your hair in the mirror, brushing down strays as the numbers get closer to the bottom floor.
Ding!
Stepping outside of the apartment building, you find a spot to wait for Luke. Your mind drifts elsewhere, running through scenarios and mundane tasks you need to get done at some point. Your eyes barely register his red car pull up right in front of you, he waved but you didnât notice.
Honk!
You startle.
Winding down the passenger side window, Luke leans over the centre console of the car and beams up at you.
âYou gonna daydream all day or are you going to get into this handsome strangerâs car?â
âOh, shut up.â You roll your eyes; he took no time at all to kick off the jokes and annoyances.
Settling into his car, you buckle in after a quickly muttered âheyâ. Luke gives you a quick once-over then starts the car and heads off; His playlist filling the otherwise quiet cabin of the car. The sun wasnât going to set for at least another hour or two.
Arriving at the festival, you could already see the large crowd of people arriving and gathering at the pier and beach area. Finding a parking spot was a slight challenge with the amount of people but after circling around a bit, Luke managed to snag one for himself. The ignition is shut off, the music turning off with it. Youâre about to open the door and get out when Luke grabs your attention.
âHold on, I need you to do something firstâ
Taking your hand off of the doorâs handle, you turn and look at him with slight confusion.
âOpen up the glove box for me, will you?â
âSure, what did you need from it?â reaching over and opening the compartment, you spot a sleek black box. Luke points to it.
âFor you, go on; open it.â
With curiosity, you open the nondescript box. You were met with an accessory; the exact one you were eyeballing when you and Charlie were hanging out.
âWha-how? This is-â Youâre flustered and excited as you try to express your gratitude.
âCharlie sent me a picture of it a couple of weeks back, I thought youâd like itâ
You lean over the centre console and hug him.
âOh my god this is-ah I donât know what to say! Thank you!!â
He freezes up for a moment, then returns the hug.
âIâm glad you like it; I was a little nervous you wouldnâtâ
Pulling back, youâre enthusiastically putting on the gift straight away. âAre you kidding? This is like, the coolest thing ever.â
He notices youâre fiddling with putting it on and moves to help you put it on. Heâs close. Suddenly the car space feels smaller. With a bit of adjusting; itâs on.
âShall we get going? I want to get on some rides before the fireworksâ Heâs grinning.
âMhm!â
Of course he would take you on this kind of ride, why did you think this was going to be calmer rides like the smaller rollercoaster or even the teacups. You were nearing the front of the line for a ride that takes you up high then drops you without any warning. Your stomach was doing flips just even thinking about it, seeing the people ahead of you on the ride made your stomach do flips. All it took to find yourself in this situation was some simple goading from his end.
âWhat? You scared?â
That was all it took to do your best to prove him wrong, a resolve reared its head. Your turn was up. Luke grabbed your hand as he led you to an available seat right next to him. You clip yourself in and wait for the operator to come around and do the final safety checks. You turn to Luke who is grinning like an idiot, clearly, he enjoys these kinds of rushes: heâs even kicking his legs back and forth like this is the most fun a person could anticipate. You grip the safety bar, looking up at the sky and the tall, tall tower youâre going to be climbing; and at that very moment pray that you make it out of this alive. Proving him wrong was the last thing on your mind right now, you were nervous as all hell.
The mechanism starts to work, jostling you a little bit as you start to rise. You have to hand it to them; you get a really good view of the ocean and the festival below with this ride. But the fact that it is going to be dropping you at a high speed with 0 warning was enough for your nerves to take centre stage. You hit the top and the waiting game begins. You look at Luke yet again, his expression a total inversion of yours. He notices your stare and quirks his eyebrow at you.
âIsnât this fun?!â He beams. âAny second now!â
Clunk!
The telltale sound that you were about to plummet down rings in your ears, your hand flies to Lukeâs own hand out of pure instinct and anxiety. Grip strength you didnât even know you had revealing itself in this very moment. Screwing your eyes shut, you feel your insides try to make their way out of your body due to the sheer force of falling.
âOh fuuuuuuuuuu-â is all that could be heard by the people in the line below you, paired with Lukeâs overjoyed laughter at the sensation.
The ride slows and comes to its final stop, youâre released from the safety bars and you feel like your knees are going to give out the second they touch solid ground. Coming to your senses as you leave the ride, you realise you were still holding his hand.
âHaha that was too good! Oh, we should go to that one next!â Your horrified eyes follow his pointing, relief floods you as it looks like a much milder ride. He tugs you towards it, easily navigating the crowd with you in tow. Yes, you were scared, but thinking back on it, it was fun.
The two of you went on a few more rides; each time, spending the time in the queue chatting away and joking around. The sun was slowly setting and the crowds started to really grow. Leaving yet another ride, you hear the live performances kicking off and youâre reminded of Vanessa. You hope her date is going well.
âAh man, performances are starting! Did you want to see any of them?â Luke was turning towards the direction of the sound, trying to hear if he recognised the group that was currently playing.
âI donât really know any of the artists this year, but if you do then letâs go!â
He smiles at you, starting to work his way through the crowd and towards the stage area; only getting slightly sidetracked with his destination by one of the food trucks. He realises after all of those rides that the two of you should grab a bite. He orders some fries and drinks for the two of you, which you gladly accept.
Luke was scanning the program flyer nearby when his eyes light up with recognition.
âYoo! No way!! âYoung Astralâ ANDâRiot of the Red Lightâ? Theyâre performing?â
You were taking a sip from your drink when Lukeâs excitement jostled you around. Why does it seem like everyone but you knew about these bands? No wonder Vanessa and Lukeâs friends got along so well when they met.
âOh, theyâre starting their set now actually! Come on letâs go!â Youâre joining the crowd all the way at the back, there was no way you were making it anywhere near the front at this point. The songs sounded semi familiar so you had no trouble going along with them. Looking around you manage to spot Vanessa and her date navigating around in the ocean of people, you send her a jokingly creepy text; attaching a picture you snapped quickly of her from behind. You knew she would laugh at that. Luke was as excited as ever, seemingly knowing every word as he records short snippets of the performance, you smile at his enthusiasm. You were struggling to see over the crowd now, but this was a common thing for you so you werenât too fussed about it, Luke on the other hand noticed that there was no way you were able to see right now. He leans over to your side, getting close so you can hear him.
âCan you even see?â
âNot really! But itâs fine!â
âLike hell it is, come on, up you go!â
âWhat do you mean âup I goâ, Whoa!â In an instant youâre being effortlessly hoisted up onto his shoulders. Catching your balance, you feel Lukeâs arms steady you.
âIs this okay to do? Arenât I heavy?â
âOh please, I lift way more than whatever you weigh I promise.â
You laugh at his lack of concern for having a whole person weighing on his shoulders. You record some of the song while you have a view. Luke takes your phone out of your hand midway through the second snippet, flipping the camera around to record a video of the two of you moving about, heâs lip syncing dramatically and you canât help the giddy giggle coming out of you at his eager energy. He manages to snap a couple of selfies before returning your phone to your hands again. His hands find their place on your legs to steady you as he sings along to the next song, your attention diverted away from the performance and to his arms. You could feel his biceps against your thighs moving as he danced along to the performance, clearly, he has a good workout routine because they looked really good from this angle. Staring just a bit too hard at his hands that were holding you in place, is it weird to think they were pretty? Your own hands rested on his head, playing with his hair a bit as you got a little too lost in thought, the song ended and you were none the wiser until he shifted to let you down from his shoulders. Feet hitting the ground once more.
âSo, what did you think of the view?â
âAmazing,â You donât think you were talking about the same thing.
âI knew you would, no way you were getting the full experience from down there. Tall people privilege or whatever they say.â Heâs puffing his chest out with mock pride. He takes out his phone and checks the time.
âLooks like we have just enough time before the fireworks to get a proper meal in. What do you say?â
You realise you were hungry at that exact moment; you were too wrapped up in your own head to notice before but a slightly too overpriced meal from some random food stall sounded like heaven right now. Truly peak festival experience. Eagerly nodding your head at the suggestion, you take his hand and guide the two of you back in the direction of the food stalls and trucks.
Lining up and ordering from a kebab stall, you receive a portion from the man running it that could feed a small village. At least you wonât starve. Finding a spot to sit; the two of you devour the meal while doing some people watching. Luke managed to finish his kebab in a shockingly fast time. When you joke about him eating like âheâs been starvedâ he quickly defends himself.
âA growing boy like myself has to eat, plus Iâm so certain the amount of chicken he put in my kebab made me hit my protein target for the day. #sogratefulâ He nods like heâs dishing out the wisdom of the century.
âPlease never speak in hashtag to me ever again,â You cringe. He snorts a laugh at that. Finishing your kebab, the two of you dispose of the wrappers and drink cups so that you can make your way to the beach and get a good view of the fireworks that were about to begin.
Managing to find a spot that is less crowded, you sit down on a grassy section of the beach, as to avoid the amount of sand youâre going to end up with in your clothes and shoes. Easy conversation flowed as you waited for the firework show to start.
Luke turned his attention fully onto you âUm, thereâs something Iâve been meaning to tell you actuallyâ
Averting your gaze from the boat currently setting up the fireworks in the horizon, you return the attention. Feeling the seriousness and nerves in his voice.
âSure, whatâs up? WhatâsâŠwrong?â
âNothingâs wrong, quite the opposite really,â
You give him your full undivided attention, trying to wordlessly help him feel like he doesnât have to be nervous to say whatever he wanted to tell you. Leaving silence to prompt him to go on.
âWell, weâve known each other for a little while. And I feel like from the moment Iâve met you, it has just been so easy to be with you and like, Iâve never really had that with someone before. I feel like we have a connection that you donât find easily and I cherish that. I really enjoy the time we spend together. Youâre someone who has very quickly fit into my life, almost like you were meant to be there the entire time. Something that now that I know what itâs like, I donât want to be without. And Iâd be stupid to let you goâŠWhat Iâm trying to say is, that I think that I-â
BOOM!
The firework show has started, and in that moment, you see his lips moving but you couldnât make out what he was saying over the barrage of fireworks happening on the horizon.
â-and Iâd like that if you do.â
âIâm sorry, I didnât quite catch that last part??â You tilt your head in confusion, trying to piece together what he was trying to tell you.
âOh! Um, never mind! The fireworks are amazing, arenât they?â He has an awkward smile, as he quickly changes the subject.
You really wanted to know what he wanted to sayâŠ
You feel yourself being nudged, you try to ignore the interruption and get back to sleep.
âCome on wake upâ The nudging remains persistent. Who annoys someone whoâs so clearly sleeping?
Poke. Poke. Nudge. Poke.
âMmm? What?â Your sleep riddled voice manages to ask.
âCome on letâs go somewhereâ heâs poking you again.
âWhat time is it? Did you even sleep?â
âSunâs going to be up in a couple of hoursâ Luke says as you turn over to face the window, the sun wasnât up but you could see the night sky brightening up. You groan, running a hand across your face. You are not a morning person, and you are especially not a morning person after going to a party. You run through your options; you could ignore him and hope he gives up OR realise that this is Luke and he can be incredibly annoying and persistent when he wants to, which youâre certain is the case right now.
âIs it going to be worth it?â You ask, turning your head to look at him and make sure he means what he says.
âDefinitely.â
There are empty drinks in pretty much every corner you turn and look; evidence of a party. Pizza boxes and various snack bags laying around, and the most obvious piece of evidence of all; the people who didnât make it home and were currently asleep in a variety of different positions. You do your best not to trip over the people in the hall and stairs, Luke offering his hand for some stability and stealth; doing your best to not wake anyone.
Once in the car, Luke makes sure youâre all buckled in and heads off. Still unsure of where exactly the two of you are going, you decide to sit back and tune into the music, let the scenery go by. Suburbia turns into highways and then to trees and winding roads. Once youâre on a more secluded stretch of forest road you feel the car speed up past the speed limit, the force holding you down to your seat bit by bit. You silently freak out; your mind starts racing with thoughts.
âDoes he realise heâs speeding down this secluded road? That we might encounter other drivers? Or cops?â
âOh my god, a bend is coming up! Weâre going to crash I was so stupid to get in the car with someone without asking where weâre going!â Youâre gripping the seat as the bend comes closer and closer, you squeeze your eyes almost totally shut; not wanting your last moments to be in blind panic. You feel the car start to turn at speed; but you realise, in control. As the car comes out of the turn, you slowly pry open your eyes and let go of the breath you were holding. Loosening your grip on the chair, you turn to look at Luke with an expression that can only be described as panicked disbelief at what he just did. Luke was wearing a slight smile, not the least concerned with his actions two seconds ago, eyes steadily trained on the road ahead of him. You realise heâs in complete control of the car, that stupid move was completely calculated and you werenât in as much danger as you originally thought.
âStillâ You think âHe could have warned me.â
âYou looked like your soul was gonna leave your bodyâ He laughed.
HE LAUGHED? You thought you were going to die and he laughs. You ought to strangle him right here right now.
âNot funny.â
âOh, come on, relax! I do this all the time!â Lukeâs eyes were still laser-focused on the road.
âAll the time? As in drive like a madman down secluded roads?â
âYeah, I mean aside from the time I get on the track, and the rallies. I do this route a lot, know it like the back of my hand.â
You stay silent.
âLook, I wouldnât do anything that I wasnât certain wouldnât harm you. In fact, I took the corner a lot slower than I usually do. I got this.â
Youâre really not letting go of the fact that what he just did was incredibly irresponsible. Doing your best to calm your frazzled nerves and try to trust the expertise that he seems to have, you notice the car has slowed back down to just a bit over the limit; that you can live with.
Itâs still dark when you arrive at your destination, Where exactly? You probably should have asked that before getting out of bed, because you realise; youâre at a hiking trail.
âHiking? Itâs dark out and we were literally partying just a few hours ago.â
He doesnât respond as heâs parking the car. Only giving you a nod in affirmation.
âYou know if you wanted to murder me you had that chance when we first met. I donât understand why you have to take me out to some hiking trail in the dark for that.â
âOh, sure I do. Easier to hide the body that wayâ He shoots back easily. âBesides, weâre not going to go on that trail until the sun starts to come out properly. Granted we got here earlier than I thought we would so weâre going to have to wait a bitâŠâ
âYeah, because somebody over here drives like they donât care if they die.â Youâre still a little bitter about it, clearly.
âYou liked itâ
You donât dignify that with a response. So, what if you did? Youâre not going to tell him that, the idiot would probably gloat about it and never drive like a normal person with you ever again.
The parking spot for this particular trail had a nice view, so it wasnât too bad that you have to wait until some sunlight to head out. Despite the view, you're nervously fidgeting, not quite sure of what to say or do now that the car ride is over and the waiting begins.
Just like the night you first met; you hear the sound of a lighter. This time the smell of weed hits you in the confined space.
"Wanna smoke with me?" He takes a hit, offering the joint to you " it's fine if you don't, I'll do it outside"
"UmâŠno it's fine, I've smoked before...it's just" you're playing with your fingers nervously, embarrassed about what youâre about to admit "I'm not the best at doing it, I always end up coughing a lung out."
"I can help you with that."
"You can?"
Luke turns his body towards you properly, he inches himself closer to you, His voice dropping just above a whisper "May I?"
You nod, a little confused on what he's about to do. Nonetheless deciding to trust him.
"When I nod, inhale through your mouth" Luke takes another hit, this time holding it in as he grabs the back of your head, gently guiding your face closer to his, he nods and you breathe in just as he's releasing the smoke into your now receiving breath. His lips are ghosting above yours. They linger for just a second too long, his gaze fixed on your eyes; flitting down to your lips then back at you.
You exhale.
"See? You didn't cough," he's softly praising you, the hand behind your head is now gently cupping your face "you did so well." Where his hands were making contact, you could feel heat spreading. The intimacy of your position not lost on you. Your mind runs back to that night on the couch where you were in a similar âcompromisingâ position and you thank the heavens youâre in an isolated area at this very moment. You donât think you could take an outsider seeing you like this.
You feel shy, unable to squirm away from the feeling in your chest within the confines of this car. Luke lets go of your face, leaning back in his seat, he takes a couple more hits letting time pass as the sun slowly begins to rise, the dappled light filtering between the leaves of the trees an indicator that the morning was slowly beginning.
âReady to go?â He asks as he grabs a bag from the backseat. You nod and make a move to get out of the car. Your mind still reeling from what just happened.
âFriends do this all the time, donât read into it too much.â You affirm mentally as the two of you head to the foot of the trail.
âYou look awfully preparedâ You note, gesturing to the backpack.
âOh yeah, I hike a lot. Clears your head.â
âIronic with what we just didâŠâ
âHehe you still feeling it? I have a tolerance so itâs fine. You alright?â Heâs examining you, making sure youâre good to do this hike. âI didnât really plan on that earlier part, so itâs fine if you wanna bail.â
âNo, Iâm good. So long as you donât get us lost, Iâm fine with it.â Youâre a little fuzzy but nothing unmanageable. The lack of sleep feeling like itâs taking more of a toll than the weed. A hike seems like the healthiest thing youâll do all week. Hell, all month even.
âAlright! Letâs go then!â Luke somehow has the energy to be enthusiastic at this hour, youâre certain he slept less than you last night. He leads the way, easily navigating the path.
Youâre about halfway through the trail when you start to get a bit out of breath, the inclines were just slightly steeper than what you expected and your lungs were playing catch up. You donât exactly go on hikes, at best going on short walks during your longer lunch breaks at work; the intensity of the activity was starting to hit you. Luke notices the shift and slows down a bit to be by your side, heâs rummaging in his bag.
âHere, have some.â Water.
You gratefully take it, the few sips practically reviving you. With a satisfied sigh you hand it back to him.
âThank youâ
âCanât have you dying before the best part now can we?â He offhandedly says while putting the bottle back in the bag. Heâs pointing out plants, bugs and critters on your way; telling you all these fun facts heâs learnt over the years. You wonder where he keeps all this information but you intently listen in, he manages to make it all sound so interesting. Continuing your walk, you come across a lookout point. The dense trees thinning out to carve out a picturesque spot to take a break, you spot a large rock that has been worn down over the years by the many hikers before you sitting on it; no doubt taking in the breathtaking view. You sit down, Luke joins you. Letting out a sigh of relief from taking a break you allow the wind to mess with your hair a bit, not bothering to fix it just yet.
âSee? The best part!â The sun is finishing itâs rise just in time for the two of you to catch a view of the sprawling forest below; and in the distance, the waking city. You look towards him, the morning sunlight is hitting just right, highlighting his features in a way that was unfairly ethereal. Youâre so stuck in thought that you donât notice heâs also turned to look back at you, a soft smile on his face as he catches you staring. Eyes widening at being caught, you quickly return your sights onto the expansive view ahead; he follows your lead. Neither of you say anything as you bask in the view and sounds. As the sun fully rises, the two of you continue hiking. The second half of the walk being easier than the first, finding comfortable conversation as you pass by trees, plants and birds.
Finally at the end of the trail, you feel accomplished that you survived being woken up before sunrise and taken on a nature walk. You high-five him in celebration, his face is flushed red from the long walk, heâs sporting a big smile. Heading back to the car, you check your phone; no signal. Oh well, Iâm sure its fineâŠVanessa is probably still sleeping God knows where. As Luke shuts the door and silence settles in the cabin of the car, your stomach decides now is the time to rumble.
Luke quietly laughs, dialling up your embarrassment.
âLetâs get breakfast.â
Nothing sounded better than some fast food right now, your mind was on what you were going to eat throughout the entire ride back into the city. You barely register that Luke is bringing the car into a drive through until the smell of the kitchen hits you. He greets the person on the other side of the speaker with enthusiasm, ordering a variety of things before turning to you; implying it was your turn to add to the order. As the order is read back and the total was given, Luke pulls up to the next window to pay for and collect the food. Your excitement for food was rising as the two of you waited for your order, the smoking and long hike making your hunger grow by the second.
Luke passes you a couple of bags donning the restaurants recognisable branding. You situate them on your lap as he puts your drinks in the cup holders, then heâs back to driving. As Luke was navigating the morning traffic, you were feeding him some fries here and there with an occasional nugget; just enough to hold the two of you off from destroying the contents in the bag straight away, opting to enjoy the meal back home. âFancy styleâ as he put it, which just meant putting the food on actual plates using actual cutlery.
Pulling into the driveway and making your way back in, you notice that everyone who was straggling behind earlier were now gone. The only evidence of a party now being the slight mess that was still around; clearly someone started cleaning up some time after the two of you left the house. Setting down the bags, you set yourself down on the kitchen stools; Luke was too busy gathering the plates and cutlery to notice people coming downstairs.
âLook who decided to reappear!â
âOh, gâmorning Charlie! We got breakfast for everyone!â Luke gestured to the bags of food as he turned around.
âDonât think you can bribe me with that, where were you? We thought you were face down in a ditch somewhere.â You could see Charlie was leaning to get a look better look of the contents of the bag. Her act of being worried was slowly cracking. Both you and her knew he did disappearing acts all the time.
âOh please! I know you were too busy with Jonothan last night and this morning to be too worried about your dearest older brother. Besides, itâs none of your business.â Heâs childishly sticking his tongue out at her, which she mirrors back. Jonothan was behind Charlie, blushing at Lukeâs remark. He didnât want to get involved and still got dragged into it so early in the morning.
âDid you get me my pancakesâŠ.â
âWhat do you take me for? Of course I didâ
âWe will talk about this later.â She remarks, squinting at Luke with scrutiny as she sits next to you; plating the pancakes she starts to eat them before anyone else can take a bite of their own food. As you begin to have your breakfast your mind wanders back to Vanessa.
âI wonder where she is? I thought she would still be hereâŠâ as you were running through all the possibilities your phone decides now is the time to play catch up on receiving texts. You see that you have one from Vanessa from just earlier this morning.
âI saw you leave with himâŠ.â
She did?
âWhere are you?â You decide to change the subject.
âBit of a late reply donât you think? Where did you go? What did you do?â Sheâs ignoring your question.
âWe went for a hike, then we got breakfast for everyone back at Lukeâs. Weâre eating rn. Soooo where are you?â You were concerned about he whereabouts, but you suppose the fact that sheâs still texting you means she hasnât been kidnapped.
âRelax lol. I had to head back home, had stuff to do I couldnât leave hanging.â
You donât reply to that message just yet, mouth full of breakfast.
âA HIKE? Really? Hehe did you guys do something?â
Thereâs the follow-up.
âWHAT? No?????? What the hell are you on about.â
âOh, you did do something. Itâs only a matter of time before I find out what exactly.â Itâs too early for this, you decide thatâs the end of this conversation for now. Putting down your phone you tune back into the conversation happening in front of you.
âSo, Sierra ended up wrangling everyone into a taxi back to their hotel a bit after you guys headed upstairs, Jay kept on going on about someone but no one could really make out what. He had A LOT to drink and smoke last night haha.â Charlie recalls some snippets of last night. You didnât really catch a glimpse of her at the party, you didnât realise she would be there.
âYeah, sounds like themâŠIâll make sure to call them and make sure itâs all good later.â Oddly responsible coming from Luke.
Youâre finishing up your breakfast, absorbing the idle conversation when you make eye contact with Luke. The scene of you and him shot-gunning in his car floods back into your mind and youâre trying so hard not to, feeling the embarrassing thoughts and emotions crawling their way up and making a home in your chest; like how you kind of wanted to kiss him. Itâs like he knows youâre thinking about it because a smug knowing smile is quickly shot your way, before being replaced with a neutral expression when Charlie focuses her attention back on him.
âGet your head in the game. FRIENDS! We are FRIENDS! Donât think about it too hard!â You will yourself to rid yourself of any other thoughts. When it came time to help finish cleaning up the house, you had renewed vigour. Wiping down surfaces like they personally wronged you. Just donât think about it, nothing good comes from thinking about it.
âCome on weâre going to be lateâ You pester Vanessa who currently has all her makeup and hair supplies sprawled on your bathroom sink.
âGirlâs gotta take her time to look prettyâ She idly replies, applying her lipstick with calm precision. âOkay, there. Done. How do I look?â Turning to face you, she strikes a pose.
âHot, now can we go?â The ride-share you ordered is rounding the corner as you check the map.
She doesnât reply to you, instead heads towards the door with an exaggerated swing of her hips, just to piss you off even more.
âYouâre annoying you know that?â You say as you bite back a smile.
âAnnoying, gorgeous and someone you canât get rid of. You know you love meâ
âWhateverâ The smile breaks through as you speak.
The short ride to Lukeâs place was spent with Vanessa fixing up the small little details you missed while getting ready, for whatever reason sheâs quite insistent on it tonight. The car finally rounds the corner to Luke and Charlieâs place.
âThis is where he lives? Are you kidding meâ Vanessa is practically pressed up to the glass. The poor driver is going to have to clean thatâŠ
âItâs nice, isnât it?â
âNICE? Are you kidding? Ocean-front, Modern? In California? This is more than niceâ her architecture nerd slips out, thatâs the Vanessa you know from college.
You thank the driver as the two of you get out. You hear the muffled sound of music inside, there are some people on the front lawn having drinks and conversation. Vanessa takes lead, not even bothering to ring the doorbell; like anyone would hear or answer it anyway. Inside, the familiar home is now filled with people, the smell of alcohol and weed. Vanessa takes your hand, not wanting to lose you to the crowd. She easily weaves through the crowd as she looks for the source of drinks or a familiar face; whichever comes first.
âOver here!â You hear off to the side. You scan the crowd and spot Nicole waving you over. You attempt to weave through the crowd just as âNess did earlier but it was obvious she was more skilled at it than you. Squeezing past the last line of people, you are met with some familiar faces, and some new.
âHey! Glad you could make it!â Nicole greets the two of you with a drink in each hand, she lifts them up in offering. Your eyes quickly glaze over the group of people Nicole is with, Cassie and Mel are both there; Luke isnât. Vanessa quickly introduces herself and starts making the rounds with everyone. Nicole slides over to your side and quietly remarks âIf youâre looking, heâs near the pool with the othersâ
âWha-Who said I was looking? For who?â
âOh come on donât be coy here, you know whoâ Sheâs playfully nudging you with her elbow. She points in the general direction. âGo on!â Nicole cheers you on, you decide to take her word for it and head that way.
Dodging another group of people, you spot him before he spots you. Heâs with some people you donât know; six others. He seems to be in familiar conversation with a redhead guy. Youâre debating whether or not to get in there, hesitation creeping up on you. As youâre mentally debating, Luke looks up and notices you, he waves you over; now you have to go over there. You wave back and enter the circle of people.
âYou came!â
âWhat like I wasnât supposed to? You made sure I would just this morningâ You joke.
âYeah, fair enoughâ He laughs.
âYou gonna introduce us?â The redhead interrupts, smiling at you as he gives you a once-over.
âOh right! Let me make the roundsâ Luke introduces them one by one. You learn the mint haired girl is Sierra, the one with micro bangs and curls is Frenchy, the two quiet ones chatting amongst themselves are Honey and Kim, the guy in the beanie is Quint and the redhead Luke was just chatting with is Jay. You honestly donât know if youâll be able remember them all but still nod along. Jay stands next to you; he leans on your shoulder.
âLuke and I go way back, he stayed at my place when he did his exchange year in Australia back in what you guys call middle school, year 8 for us.â
You raise your eyebrows at that, he never mentioned living in Australia for a year.
âYeah, we used to get up to some shit, I taught him everything I know.â Jay smiles fondly.
âHa! If making bongs with a Gatorade bottle and hose was ever considered a sparkling educationâ Luke jokes back. âI recall teaching you some things as well, it wasnât all take!â
âAh but we canât talk about that now can we!â That comment left you curious, but it seems neither of them wanted to divulge any details on that.
The rest of the group joined into the conversation bit by bit. You found yourself striking up easy conversation with Sierra, who was telling you all about how she manages the groups stream schedule and special events. She seems to like what she does. As the sun sets, Lukeâs American friend group and Vanessa meld into conversation with the Australian Squadron. Quite a crowd.
âIâm going to go get another drinkâ you say to no one in particular.
âOh! Iâll come with!â Itâs Jay, he seems to be sticking around you. You donât reply, instead start heading off in the direction of the coolers
âSoâŠâ Heâs leaning against the wall as you rummage through the selection of drinks, trying to find something you like. âDid you come here with someone?â
âHm? Oh yeah, my friend Vanessa over there.â you jerk your head in the direction of where you last saw her.
âAh so not with someone?â He asks, noticing youâre still rummaging for a drink. âHere, let me mix you something instead. It going to be a million times better than whatever youâre going to find in thereâ
Giving up on your quest for anything you like in the cooler you get up and let him make you something. He walks over to the table with drinks and cups set up and gets to work expertly mixing various spirits together. The result is a gradient drink with a slice of fruit floating on the top.
âA pretty drink for a pretty person such as yourselfâ he says with a smile. You shy away at the comment, not expecting it in the slightest.
âHeh, Thanks?â You take a tentative sip, itâs good. âMm! This is better than what I was going to choose.â
âYouâre talking to the drink expert after allâ Jay puffs up at the complement. âSoâŠno partner here with you tonight or no partner at all?â He tries asking in a more direct manner, leaning an arm against the table. Feeling a little bit under the microscope you answer him nonetheless.
âNo partner.â You keep your response short.
âI find that hard to believe! So, youâre saying I have a shot?â
âHaha uh...â Youâre really shying away from the attention heâs giving you right now. âThatâs-Ummâ Struggling to find what to say next, gee the ground looks awfully interesting right now.
âDonât get shy on me nowâ Jay teases as he swings an arm around your shoulder. âIâd be an idiot to not shoot my shot with someone like you, I mean look at you!â
Your introverted side is not used to this kind of attention, youâre trying your best to come up with a way to let him down gently âI mean, Iâm flattered and all but- â
âTheyâre not interested Jay, back off.â You hear Lukesâs voice.
âYeesh, Yâknow you could have let them say it themselvesâ Jay says dejectedly, removing his arm from around your shoulders in faux surrender. He heads back in the direction of the group, shaking his head; you miss the teasing smile he shoots Luke as he passes by.
âSorry about him, heâs a bit relentless sometimesâ
âHaha itâs fine, just not used to that kind of attention -or rather- wasnât expecting it!â You take another sip of the drink Jay made you to break up the feeling in your chest, you laugh awkwardly.
âCome onâ Luke gently takes your hand, âWe should head back there, youâve been gone for a hot minute; Nicole was asking about you.â
âOh, rightâŠâ
He notices your hesitation. âItâs fine. If itâll make you feel better, I wonât leave your side for tonight. Jayâs harmless, but he can be a bit much.â You nod in agreement, letting him lead you back to where everyone was.
And he didnât lie, Luke was stuck by your side like glue for the night. Where you went, he went. Vanessa and Nicole noticed, oh they absolutely noticed and were whispering to each other like there was no tomorrow. You were too busy letting out your social side, the drinks you had were loosening you up as you hoped they would. A while passes like this, you talked with Cassie about his tattoo work and everyone was very enthusiastically showing you the work he did on them, Luke seemed to be a frequent customer of his. As you were talking about your college days with a couple of people, a particular song started playing that had you widening your eyes in excitement âMan! Did this bring you back!â You drum your fingers against your thigh to the beat.
âYou look like you wanna danceâ Luke teases.
âPshh-what? NoâŠâ
Before this little back and forth can continue though, Vanessa is taking you towards the crowd of dancing people; moving you and her about just like she did in your college days. âCOME ON! You know you wanted to!!â She was right, you did. The two of you jumped about and did the âroutineâ you worked out over the years to the song, which was really just some uncoordinated dance moves mushed together. But hey, who was keeping track of that? As the song ends you take a second to catch your breath, you really donât move like that often and adulthood really takes a toll on your physical capability. As youâre about to tap out though, another song starts up that really brings you back.
âMan, this playlist is good!â You offhandedly remark. Vanessa was still up and at it, her energy knows no bounds and you see her being swept away by another dance partner for this song.
âThanks, I made it.â
You think you just about gave yourself a heart attack. You turn around to find Luke right behind you.
âCare to have this dance, your majesty?â He extends his hand to you, as if he were addressing someone of the royal court. You snort at the bit.
âWhy yes, I doâ Putting your hand in his, you start to dance with him. The moonlight and scattered fairy lights illuminate the two of you, Lukeâs face is wearing an unabashed smile and you canât help but smile just as big as the two of you move however you feel. The song feels like it goes on forever and itâs just him and you in this moment, you wish it could have lasted longer. But as the song fades out, so do your dance moves. Heâs looking straight at you, neither of you making a move to get off the dancefloor just yet. He looks like he has something to say but as quickly he opens his mouth to say anything heâs closing it just as fast.
âWhat?â you smile, a little out of breath.
âNothingâ He grins right back at you, leading you away from the dancing crowd.
âHey! If it isnât the dancer duo!â Nicole welcomes the two of you back to the group, âYou made it back just in time, we were about to light the bonfire on the beach!â
âSweet! Would have sucked if we missed out on thatâ Luke strikes you as the kind of guy to keep a fire going at a party, so itâs no surprise heâs excited about this. Nicole takes your hand as she leads you through the back fence gate to the beach of the property. Sitting down on one of the available seats you watch as Luke, Jay and Quint get busy lighting the fire. Nicole and her girlfriend sit down next to you, the three of you watch as the guys work at the flames.
âWhat do you think of him?â Nicole points to Luke with a nod of her head.
âThink of him? Heâs a good friend? What, am I not meant to?â Frankly, youâre a little confused about her question.
âOh my god, Vanessa was rightâŠâ Nicole put her head in her hands, her girlfriend Teresa was patting her back in sympathy.
âLukeâs a good guy. Heâs helped us through some tough times.â Teresa is looking towards Luke as she speaks, âGive him a chance, he may not be the most direct guy, but he means well.â
Yeah, that really clears it up. Arenât you already giving him a chance? You guys are already friends?
âWhat Teresa means is- â
âOkay you two. Move over, I wanna sit here.â Luke cuts Nicole off before she can finish. She gives him a look that says she really wants to ignore his interruption and finish her sentence but she relents. You look at Luke in your peripheral vision as he sits down, he almost looks embarrassed. Huh.
âMy friends mean well; They also love to stick their noses in my businessâ Heâs sending a ânot quite madâ glare their way as Nicole and Teresa sit a couple of seats down from the two of you. Teresa sticks her tongue out at him in childish retaliation.
âI know what thatâs like, I have one of those of my own.â You relate.
You spend the rest of the night in front of the bonfire, talking with everyone about a variety of topics. The ocean air bites at you, the outfit you chose being on the fresher side since itâs summer, the bonfire does little to shield you from the cold gusts that come. You feel something wrap themselves around your shoulders, you notice Luke has given you his jacket.
âSâcold, donât get sickâŠâ
You feel the leather as you pull it closer to your body, feeling relief from the wind. You lean on his shoulder.
âThanksâ
You hear him mutter something, but with the conversation flittering about and the sound of the waves crashing down you donât quite hear him. You tune into otherâs conversations, only really half listening as all the drinks you had settle into you manifesting as exhaustion. You fight the feeling, knowing that youâre still very much in a social situation, but the warmth of the jacket and the fire along with the sounds of the ocean are a recipe for sleep. Luke notices this and nudges you.
âHey, come on letâs not fall asleep here.â
âHm?â
Luke gets up and offers his hand to you. You gladly take it as he pulls you up onto your feet. He doesnât say a word as he leads you away from the bonfire, through his backyard and back inside the house, where he guides you up the stairs to his bedroom. There arenât too many people left at this time of the night, which youâre grateful for since you doubt you could navigate a crowd in this state. Luke leads you into his room, shutting the door behind him.
âHereâ Heâs throwing something your way, with your drunk reflexes you manage to half-catch it last second, with your face. Pulling the object off of your face you realise itâs a shirt. You stare at it, a little confused.
âI doubt youâd want to fall asleep in that outfit, use my bathroom. Get changed.â You heed his instruction and hobble over into the room. Getting out of your current outfit was a bit of a challenge but you seem to manage it efficiently enough. Stepping out donning a much more comfortable outfit you find that Luke has also changed into sleepwear. Noticing youâve made it out, heâs lifting the blanket on his bed and slipping in, you follow his actions.
âGânightâ You mumble out, rest coming easily in this very moment. You feel arms around you just as you slip into sleep.
Where you meet a stranger at a party and you find he very easily fits into your life.
Current Word Count: 22.5K
Chapter 1 - The Party
Chapter 2 - His Place
Chapter 3 - Back Home
Chapter 4 - Texting and Little Treats
Chapter 5 - Chance Meetings
Chapter 6 - Insomnia
Chapter 7 - Drinks
Chapter 8 - This Weekend
Chapter 9 - Drive
Chapter 10 - The Summer Festival
Chapter 11 - What do I do?
Chapter 12 - Do I?
WIP NOTES: I may add or take chapters out as I go but I do want to have a vague idea of how many chapters i have planned out so far :thumbs up:
I have never in my life written X reader, a multi-chapter fic, nor proper fanfiction ever so FORGIVE my pacing, this was truly born from me being insane about my OCs.
I can cringe about this later, for now I shall be free.
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âSo let me get this straightâ Vanessa is gripping the edge of the breakroom table so hard you fear she may take a chunk out of it. âNot only did you meet JONATHAN, like THE Jonathan. You went shopping with him and his partner who also happens to be your âfriendsâ little sister? I go out of town for a week and come back to this.â
You squirm in your seat; you havenât even told her about last weekend yet.
âHi guys!â A voice calls out from the entrance behind you, a welcome intrusion. With a sigh of relief you turn around to wave to the blonde.
âHey Mati! Itâs been a while!! The IT department has been keeping you busy, havenât they?â
âYou have no idea; Iâm helping on projects I havenât technically been assigned to but my manager wants me to do anywaysâ Mati sighs as they slump into one of the available chairs in the small break-room.
Vanessa poked at her salad as you idly chit chatted with your fellow coworker. She knows this is your way of avoiding saying the next part of your catch-up conversation. Sheâs not letting you go that easily.
âOut with it, I know thereâs more to it.â
Busted.
âOoh what are we talking about?â Mati curiously leans in as they unwrap their homemade lunch, probably made by their partner.
âSomeone,â Vanessa points at you with an accusatory glare âHas been having some interesting turn of events while I have been out of town. She met with a famous person and now I KNOW thereâs something elseâ
âI was going to get to that part eventuallyâ you mumble, itâs true you tell Vanessa everything as does she. âWellâŠUhâŠI couldnât sleep, you were busy with your stuff. Luke couldnât sleep either it turns out. And he ended up coming over at about 2:40 in the morning.â
Vanessaâs eyes widen slightly. She is getting used to hearing about this guy coming over often; But to hear that heâs coming over so late in the night? Sheâs a bit apprehensive. âContinueâŠâ She goads.
âWe chat a bit on the couch, but I end up suggesting that we could try to sleep together, in the same bed! not SLEEP together,â You feel the need to clarify that lest your friends and coworkers have the same misunderstanding you had the other night âand we end up talking all night like you and I do âNess! And it worked; we fell asleep!â
âYou gave me a mini heart attack there I thought you finally jumped him or he jumped youâ Vanessa says through a mouthful of her lunch.
You start blushing furiously at her suggestion that you did that and were just very proudly telling her about your escapades at your workplaceâs lunch room. âNO! What? Weâre just friends? Donât be silly âNessâ
âMhmmâ She hums condescendingly.
âAnywaysâ You continue âWe end up making a deal that we can let each other know when we canât sleep and we can helpâ
âOh, thatâs funny that you have a friend named Luke too!â Mati interjects âItâs such a common name, isnât it?â
âYeah, I suppose it isâ âSure could beâ You and Vanessa agree in unison.
âThereâs more isnât thereâŠâ Vanessaâs intuition is rarely wrong.
âWe kind of maybe, sorta, possibly ended up cuddlingâ you say quietly âYâknow, like friends doâŠnothing elseâ
âŠ
âWHAT!?â âNessa stands up from her chair in disbelief, she quickly regains composure and sits back down. Youâre going to give her a heart attack from your obliviousness. âAnd nothing else happened? You invite a man into your home late at night, bring him to your bed and NOTHING happened?â
âLike I said, nothing happened. As friends doâ
Vanessa has her head in her hands as Mati finishes off their lunch. âOops sorry guys I have to rush back! Great hearing about your weekend!â They wave off as they scurry back to the IT department. You wish them good luck with everything over there, you know how busy it gets on that side of the building.
âSo, anyway could I get an autograph from Jonothan?â Vanessa pesters you as the two of you are back at your workstations.
âHaha Iâll see what I can do" you muse, logging into your computer so you can return to the work you left for after lunch.
Getting home at around 5 was something of a miracle; work has been keeping you late for the past month or so due to some big project pretty much every department has to have hands on deck for. Putting down your belongings and removing the most constricting and uncomfortable parts of your office attire is the first thing you do as you lazily shut your apartment door. Sending Vanessa and Luke separate texts that you got home safe, the next item on your after work routine list is to grab a sweet treat from the kitchen and slump down on your little table out on your balcony and drink in the sunset. The sounds of the city fill your ears as you hear people and vehicles all moving along like ants, trying to get to wherever theyâre going this evening. As much as youâd like to, you canât spend too much time idling around this afternoon since you promised Vanessa you'd meet her for drinks later; with a tired sigh you get off your ass and get ready to head back out.
âMan it feels like ages since the last time we properly went outâ âNess laments as you get in the taxi parked in front of your apartment.
âI know, work has been so hectic I forgot we ever had free time beforeâ
âIâm just glad I was able to get you out of the houseâ She laughs, she pokes your ribs.
âYeah yeahâ You nudge her playfully âYou are totally paying for the first round, call it a celebration of me getting out of the houseâ
The taxi comes to a stop near the bar. Making sure the two of you have all your things, you get out of the car; not before tipping the driver of course. Vanessa hooks her arm with yours as you walk to the entrance of the bar, ready to have a bit of fun opposed to work related stress for a change.
Vanessa does the honour of ordering your first round of drinks, insisting they be shots. She says something about âNot wanting to waste our time on drinks that are practically waterâ; to that you mentally reply that itâs barely 8pm. The two of you enjoy a drink of your choice that is âpractically waterâ after her round of shots, you really didnât want to be off your face so early on in the night. Enjoying conversation and laughter you spend a while sipping on your drink as Vanessa gains a 2 drink advantage, admittedly Vanessa is much less of a lightweight than you are so the extra drinks donât do too much to her.
You feel someone tap your shoulder, you turn around and are met with a familiar face.
âHello strangerâ Lukeâs smiling at you.
âWuh-Luke! Hi!â You give him a quick hug hello, âWhat are you doing here?â
âSame as you I suppose, getting some drinks with a couple of my friendsâ
An âAHEMâ rings in your ears, reminding you that youâre accompanied tonight.
âOh! Luke, meet Vanessa! Vanessa, Lukeâ You introduce the pair, you know the two of them are recalling whatever you have said about the other throughout the thousands of times you have mentioned them in their absence.
âSo this is the famed Luke huh? Glad to finally put a face to the nameâ Vanessa extends her hand, Luke shakes it.
âLikewise, this is the Vanessa Iâve heard so much about! Say, would you two like to join my friends and I tonight? Weâre right over thereâ Luke points to a booth with some people loudly talking with each other, you can hear laughter already. Vanessa being the ever-social butterfly takes him up on the offer without hesitation before you can even ask her if sheâs up for it. Luke claps his hands together with a smile.
âThen itâs settled! Come with me guys.â He walks back towards his friends, the two of you in tow.
âLuke! Already picking up people? We just got here man, can it wait until weâve at least had something to drink?â A girl with long silver hair âberatesâ him as she notices you and Vanessa.
âOh come on Nicole, you said you wanted to meet them. Well here they are!â Luke gestures his arms to you; you shyly wave at the eyes that set on you.
âWait as in the one that you canât stop ta-â Luke quickly interjects Nicole, as if she was going to reveal something compromising about him.
âHA! Look you got to meet them before everyone else, letâs not embarrass me so early on! Please âCole?â He says as he slots himself next to her. Luke grabs you to sit down next to him as Vanessa sits across from you, next to a guy with wavy blonde hair and a freckled girl. Before the silence can get too awkward a server brings a tray of drinks. âSorry to bother you but can we get 2 extra drinks for the table?â Luke adjusts the order to fit you and Vanessa into their night of drinking. The server nods and returns to the bar.
âWell, if thatâs the case then. Let me introduce everyoneâ Nicole gestures around the table âIâm Nicole, this guy over here is Cassie and next to him is Melanie, but we all call her Mel.â Lukeâs friends all wave when mentioned.
You introduce yourself, always a bit awkward around strangers at first. Vanessa gives you a reassuring nudge under the table. Vanessa follows after you, easily talking to people she barely knows is one of her many admirable talents.
âAh and here I thought we would all have to wait until the party to meet youâ Mel says as she takes a sip from her drink.
âUh what party?â Youâre confused.
Nicole turns to face Luke, an incredulous look on her face. âItâs this weekend and you havenât told them yet? You kept on telling us you were going to!â
âI was gonna call and ask them tonight! Swear...â Luke pathetically replies.
âTheyâre here now, go on. Ask!â Nicole nudges him.
âSome friends from overseas are coming here this week, Iâm holding a party with them at my place this weekendâŠI was wondering if you wanted to come?â
âOf course weâre going!â Vanessa accepts the invitation for the two of you, being one to never pass up an opportunity to go to a party. Despite Vanessas response to the invitation, Luke keeps his eyes trained on you; waiting for you to reply.
âSure! Sounds like fun!â You agree.
The drinks flow freely at this table you notice. With every round, you feel confidence come to you as the volume of the now full bar dulls down to a comfortable muffle and your social side comes out with the company you keep; gone is the initial awkwardness of the night. Joking with everyone at the table as if you were all old friends, Luke puffs up with pride at how easily you mesh in with his closest friends; he puts his hand over yours underneath the table and is pressing his leg close to yours. Nicole and Vanessa notice Lukeâs demeanour and give each other a knowing look, seems those two share similar personalities and are getting along very well.
âAnd then this guy! You know what he does? He somehow gets himself stuck in a chair!â Cassie is recalling something stupid from his and Lukeâs youth with a fond smile and a laugh. âWe had to call the fire brigade to get him out, I donât even speak Spanish so it was hard enough to get help!â He says between tears.
âWe should have left him there to figure it out and gone back to the hotelâ Mel guffaws out.
Youâre laughing so hard, you barely notice Luke leaning on you until he speaks up defending himself. âI thought I was going to have to live stuck in that chair forever! I canât believe you would even think of leaving me in thereâ
âBut we didnâtâ Cassie counters. Conversation drifts elsewhere as you finish one of your many drinks.
As the night draws to an end, youâre outside hailing a taxi to get Vanessa and you back home. As you finally manage to get one you call out to Vanessa, who was hanging back talking to Luke about something.
âWhat was that about?â You curiously ask.
âNothinâ muchâ Vanessa stumbles out. You shake your head in false disappointment at her lack of detail, sheâs up to something; that much you know. As you get settled in the taxi Luke calls out to you.
âSee you this weekend?â
âSee you this weekend.â You mirror, mustering up a tipsy thumbs up.
Tonight was just one of those nights, sleep was not coming. Luke has been tossing and turning for a while now, he doesnât have a clock in his room so that he doesnât stare at it all night wishing and hoping he was asleep at that very moment. Itâs late, Luke knows that. He refuses to turn around and look at the time on his phone. He knows glancing over is only going to make the anxious, heavy feeling in his chest grow. Heâs glancing up at the bedroom ceiling, he is sure he would have stared holes into the ceiling by now with all the sleepless nights heâs spent in his room. Trying to calm his mind, trying to think of anything to get his mind off of the anxious feeling and the gnawing thought that he should be soundly asleep by nowâŠ
âWhat do I have to do tomorrow? list off the tasks in order. Reorganise them. Run through scenarios.â
âVisualise a place where I am calm, a place where I am at peace just by being thereâ
No. Nothing is working; sometimes boring himself with trivial thoughts affords him at least a little bit of shut eye in this scenario.
Not tonight it seems.
Luke sits up in his bed, he admits defeat and looks at the time on his phone.
â2:17 AMâ The numbers stare back at him; he sighs as he feels that desperation settle in his stomach. Heâs been trying to sleep since 9:30 PM.
âI just want to be asleepâ He anxiously runs his hands across his face and hair.
As he says that, his phone quietly pings with a notification. He glances at his phone; heâs obviously not sleeping tonight so he might as well look.
âYou awake?â
Itâs you.
âI amâŠ. what are you doing still awake? Work have you doing another all-nighter?â
âNope. Canât sleep :/â
Luke feels a little reassured that at least he isnât alone in this situation, though heâs certain the reasons for why either of you canât sleep are different, you are still in the same boat.
âMe neitherâ He turns on the lamp beside his bed âtried all my usual tricks, looks like tonight isnât a night that I sleepâ
âWish I was asleep right nowâ You donât know why youâre messaging him, you kind of did it on autopilot since youâre always texting him. As you sent that first message you felt a little bad, worried you might have woken him up or that he was going to see that message whenever he woke up and it would have been awkward to have a missed âyou up?â text from a friend sitting in his notifications.
Your phone starts buzzing in your hand, you jump a little from the sudden noise in your quiet apartment. These past few weeks you learnt he likes to call rather than text whenever the two of you are able to. Youâre still getting used to calling instead of texting, since you text all of your friends and only really call them to get them to answer the door or get an urgent message through.
âHello?â your voice comes out a little awkward, having not really used your voice since you got home from work.
âheyâ Heâs speaking softly, Charlie must be home and asleep in her room. âIs it okay if we talk this way?â His voice sounds deeper, tired and soft. You shake away any straying thoughts from your head, your friend is calling because they canât sleep, get your head in the game.
âUh, yeahâ you roll over to the side where your bedroom window is, looking outside at the night sky.
You hear shuffling on the other side, a beat of silence passes.
âThis might sound a little sillyâŠbut could we hang out right now? I kind of donât want to be alone tonightâ He asks. You can hear the slight hesitation in his voice, how he said that last part a lot quieter than the first.
You nod, before realising he canât see you. âCome overâ your quiet voice rings through Lukeâs speaker. You swear you can hear a faint sigh of relief at your response.
âIâll be there soonâ
The dial tone beeps.
Youâre in the kitchen, having a late-night hot drink when the buzzer rings. You pad over to the small screen affixed your wall, seeing Lukeâs familiar figure.
You buzz him in, shortly after there is a soft knock on your door.
âheyâ you greet as you open the door to let him enter your apartment.
âheyâ he mirrors back.
You get a good look at him; his figure is hunched over and showing obvious signs of exhaustion and anxiety. Itâs strange to see the guy who is always smiling throwing joke after joke like this. You shut the door and lead the two of you to settle down on your couch.
âYou look like shitâ you joke.
He lets out a small laugh âThanks, you tooâ heâs looking up at your barely tamed hair and mismatched choice of pyjamas. You both share a chuckle; Luke relaxes a bit.
âSo neither of us could sleep tonight huh?â
ânoPeâ Luke pops the âPâ as he leans his head back on your couch, getting comfortable.
âI tried all of my usual tricks, hell, I even counted sheepâ you recall.
âDid you get far?â
âI got up to about 260 sheep before I gave up, I donât think anyone needs that many anywayâ
âThat sounds like way too manyâ
You really want to ask him why he canât sleep but glancing over at him you can tell he definitely wants to think about anything but whatever is on his mind right now. You brush it aside for another time, if ever. You return to the topic at hand; the lack of sleep blighting the two of you right now. Youâre twiddling with your fingers as a possible solution comes to mind, you hesitate a little bit before steeling yourself to suggest your idea.
âWhat if we slept together?â
Lukeâs head turns to look at you so fast you fear it may snap.
Oh wait.
You realise the mistake in your wording.
âNO WAIT THAT CAME OUT WRONG!â Youâre blocking the stupid mischievous look slowly spreading on his face with your hands as you hear him start to spew out teasing words, thereâs the Luke you know again.
âYou havenât even wined and dined me yetâ
You try to cover his mouth so heâll shut up. He easily removes your hand without any difficulty
âMan, I knew I was irresistible, but to try to bed me when Iâm in such a state? Wooowww, you dogâ
Youâre embarrassed, you should have known he would have taken your words the wrong way as they were coming out of your mouth. âGround swallow me up now, Iâm ready to goâ is all you can think as you turn red.
âYou know thatâs not what I meant!â as you say that you realise that this âmisunderstandingâ prompted a bit of a wrestling situation as Lukeâs teasing and your need to hide and make him shut up at the same time put the two of you in a bit of a position. A position that if anyone were to walk in, they would hurriedly muster up a âsorry, youâre busyâ and back out of the room. Thank goodness you donât have roommates.
Luke relents his teasing; feeling he has done enough. âOkay okay,â He repositions himself back on his side of the couch, letting you get back up as well, âWhat did you mean then?â
âWhat if we just, went to bed together. Talked there? No pressure to actually fall asleep. You know, sleepover style where you talk all night but somehow along the way you seemingly pass out?â
Luke never thought of that as a way to combat his sleeplessness, but you had a point. He felt a bit confident with your idea, having someone by his side while trying to sleep might curb his overthinking.
âYa know what, thatâs not a bad idea,â Heâs stroking his chin as if he had a long beard âLetâs do itâ
As youâre leading him over to your room your mind thinks over to your friend Vanessa, who youâre certain would be having a field day if she heard of what was currently happening. You can hear her voice now âYOU? Leading a MAN?? To your room late at night??? Iâm not ready to be a cool aunt yetâ you smile and shake the thought out of your head. Vanessa can find out later. Currently Luke and you were insomnia warriors, ready to fight sleeplessness and win.
You didnât fix your bed when you got up earlier so slipping back in was as easy as ever. You pat the empty side of the bed inviting him to join you, Luke hesitates for a split second before removing his hoodie; leaving him in his beloved band t-shirt he uses for sleep. He gets into the opposite side of the bed and mirrors your action of facing each other to talk.
Just like a sleepover, silly late-night conversations flow easily. Lukeâs earlier demeanour of tension and nerves shifting to a lighter one as the two of you talk about nothing and everything all at once. Youâre both laying on your backs, finding talking up to the darkness of the night freeing; like you can say whatever comes to mind. As Luke is recounting his various spontaneous adventures you feel the familiar and very welcomed sensation of sleep taking over.
âHey"
"Mm?" You hum, sleep just about taking you.
"Let's make a deal"
You keep your eyes shut, silence prompting him to continue
"Whenever you can't sleep, you can always pester me. Yâknow; Call me, beep me, if you wanna reach me"
You turn around to face him
"Was that a Kim possible referenceâŠ"
"No..." You can hear the smile in his voice.
"You dork. It's a deal," Before dozing off you add "and you have to do the same."
Silence envelops the two of you, finally able to sleep.
Sometime throughout the night the two of you end up in a tangle of limbs. As you wake up between dreams you feel the weight of an arm keeping your back glued to his slowly rising and falling chest, as you try to readjust you feel said arm hold you tighter. Seems his subconscious doesnât want to let you go; Whatâs that about? Before going back to sleep you think about the other side of Luke, the little glimpse you got tonight sparking your curiosity and need to understand him.
The next morning Luke wakes up feeling unusually rested considering how late he ended up finally sleeping. He recalls falling asleep by your side but as he turns to your side he notices that itâs empty. He gets up, eyes still heavy from sleep as he makes his way to your living room. He finds you in the kitchen plating up an incredibly delicious breakfast. You seem to notice him at the last second, a smile spreads on your face as you greet him good morning.
âWelcome to the land of the living sleeping beauty!â You joke as you put down the final plate of breakfast options on the table. âI didnât know what you wanted for breakfast but I didnât want to wake you up to ask so I just made a bit of everything.â
Luke settles into the dining table chair, a dopey smile and messy bedhead accented by the sunlight that filtered in through the balcony sliding door. The two of you enjoy your varied breakfast in light conversation.
These days it seems you have company at your place more often than not. Vanessa was always a frequent flier in your home; staying multiple nights was common place for her. Now though, Luke has managed to be added to that roster of people who always seem to be at your place. The two of them have yet to officially cross paths, Vanessa is constantly asking about âyour new friendâ and Luke always hears about the hi-jinks the two of you get up to in and out of work.
Today was one of those rare days you have your apartment to yourself, it feels a little strange. You woke up decently early for your standards, treading out to the living room only after having some phone in bed time. Taking a look around your apartment you realise a bit of a clean is in order, so you put on your go to playlist and get to work.
You were about to make your way over to the door and be on your way when you feel a tap on your shoulder. Turning around youâre met face to face with a girl, she looks slightly nervous.
âYes?â you ask, hopefully giving her the courage to say what she seemed to want to ask.
âUmâŠyou wouldnât happen to know a Luke Miller, would you?â She asks, her eyes say she is second guessing every word as it was coming out of her mouth.
You smile, a little confused on her question, but decide to answer truthfully anyways. âYes, I do? Why?â
Her eyes widen, relaxing a bit when hearing your answer, âThat probably sounded so so creepy to hear from a stranger just now oh my god sorry! Itâs just I heard your name, and like, you looked like someone my brother was telling me about, actually heâs been talking about non-stop â wait TMI for the momentâŠ.uhh,â She rambles, she steadies herself by breathing out âIâm Charlie, Lukeâs sister.â Charlie extends her hand out to you.
Now itâs your turn to be surprised, a smile spreading out on your face as you take her hand. âCharlie! Iâve heard so much about you itâs nice to put a face to the name and storiesâ
âGood things I hope?â she giggles.
âAbout as good as a sibling can get when talking about their little sisterâ you chuckle.
Youâre quickly shaking your head in disagreement âOh no youâre fine! Actually, today is a bit of a free day for me. I was just going to go and do some window shopping really,â
âIf thatâs the case, how about you join me and my boyfriend today? We were going to do the same thing! Great minds think alikeâ
âJono! This is that person Luke keeps talking about, can you believe it?? That we just happened to be here at the same time??â She beams at him as she brings the two of you to sit down. âJonoâ is staring at his phone, rapidly typing something.
âIâve heard of YOU talking about how he goes on about them. I barely listen to a word that comes out of that guyâs mouthâ He coldly says. Such a contrast to Charlieâs enthusiasmâŠ
âDonât mind him, heâs not good with new people. I promise heâs not mad at you, like, at all. Heâs also a bit of a hater towards Luke.â She reaffirms, laughing about that last fact.
Jonothan looks up from his phone, putting it down on the table. âYou know, if you have any dirt on him. Iâm willing to payâ
Charlie and you are getting along fantastically, from the way Luke was describing her she truly is a âgirly girlâ. She radiates femininity in concentrations you didnât know were possible, if this were high school you would have been way too intimidated to even look her way. Glad that those days are in the past; you find her energy and conversation easy to enjoy and reciprocate.
âSo, anything in particular you wanted to look at?â
You think a bit before shrugging âI was thinking of landing myself a new accessory today but Iâm honestly not sureâ speaking honestly
âHmm, if thatâs the case why donât we check out some stores nearby and once weâre properly in the shopping mood we can find you the perfect accessory?â Charlie suggests thoughtfully. She truly is an experienced shopper if youâve ever seen one. Jonothan seems to be absorbing in the sights of the manicured shop displays as you all walk through the shopping district.
The further you walk, the fancier the stores get. You feel a little uneasy about the growing price tags with every step you take, but donât say anything. If it comes down to it you can just say nothing caught your eye. Charlie takes the three of you into various stores along the way, telling the two of you all about how âthis piece is an offshoot of something that was in Paris fashion week this yearâ and that âThe stitching could have been betterâ on this; clearly, she knows her stuff. Before you know it, youâre in the luxury brand side of the shopping district. You feel out of place, but Charlie and Jonothan guide you through these brands like itâs an average Tuesday.
As you walk through one particular store, one of their adverts catch your eye. It was promoting their summer perfume. The face staring back at you was about as familiar as three seconds ago.
âHaha hey Jono look! Itâs you, BUT BIGGER. Ah man they totally edited out your freckles this time âroundâ You hear Charlie jab at Jonothan, your pale face must have been absolutely hilarious because you could hear Jonothan let out a quick laugh. Charlie smacks the back of his head.
âBe nice, not everyone rubs shoulders with high fashion models everyday like you do. Oh my gosh donât be snootyâ She reprimands.
Itâs not that youâre in shock that your friendsâ sisterâs boyfriend is a famous model; but the fact that you didnât recognise THE Jonothan Turner. The exact same model that Vanessa has been religiously following since you guys met in college. You have heard about basically every single online escapade this guy has had, which has stressed out his poor manager and social media team to no end. His latest shoots and promotional videos shoved in your face by her while youâre trying to get reports done at work.
You recompose yourself and shake your head âNo itâs not that at all! I just canât believe I met you and didnât recognise you! My friend is a big fan, sheâs shown me all of your shoots and despite all that I totally didnât register that THAT was who I was talking to and hanging out withâ Youâre rambling.
âAh, so that was itâ Jonothan now had a slight smirk on his face âAnd I take it youâreâŠnot a fan?â
âNO, itâs not that, just that this kind of stuffâ you gesture to the various fancy displays and salespeople around the store ânever really caught my eye, not my sceneâŠâ
Jonothan gently nods, and then goes off to continue wandering the store. I guess thatâs that.
âDid your friend really show you every single shoot?â Charlie was back next to you in an instant, leaving Jonothan to do his own thing.
âEvery single one since Iâve met her at least, I guess Iâm up to dateâ
âHow would she feel about seeing my own personal shoots with himâ
âI think she would implode seeing stuff that hasnât been released to the public,â you pause âBut wouldnât you feel weird showing them to her? I mean sheâs a big fanâŠlike ravenous almostâ
Charlie giggles âNot really. A fan is a fan, at the end of the day that guy is still my boyfriend despite it all.â Â Youâre both sifting through some clothes âBesides, heâs a model. Itâs his job to be looked atâ
You guess you have to agree with that.
âOooh letâs go in here! They have some amazing accessories!! Maybe weâll find something for youâ She enthuses. You not so much. The three of you were very much in the crazy expensive side of the shopping district now, so expensive that the pieces donât have any price tags on them. But she wasnât wrong, the pieces were amazing and so absolutely your style. Within the short amount of time you have been hanging out, Charlie has figured out your tastes with scary accuracy. As Jonothan is on the other side, trying out some new rings with one of the attendants; Charlie and you are taking a look at the necklaces and bracelets. Your eyes land on a stunning piece, something so your style itâs basically torture to look at knowing that it is most certainly out of your price range. You will yourself to look away, you can fantasise about it later while buying cheap jewellery online.
âSee anything you like?â She asks, suddenly close to you. You jump a bit, so absorbed in that piece you didnât notice her right next to you.
âUhh, no, not reallyâ You lie. âI donât think today is my lucky dayâ
âOh, thatâs a shameâ
Leaving the store, Charlie and Jonothan are walking out each with matching black paper shopping bags. You on the other hand are empty handed, save for those pair of sunglasses and shirt you bought earlier on in the day when the stores were a lot cheaper. Despite your lack of purchases, you were satisfied with the day, you well and truly did window shop. Charlie and Jonothan being professionals at such a thing. If you were to do it alone, you would have never dared to even step foot in the direction of the stores and boutiques you saw today. It really did refresh you to imagine styling and wearing all the clothes and accessories that piqued your interest. It helped that the energy Charlie and Jonothan brought to the table was easy enough to match. You still couldnât believe you met THE Jonothan, Vanessa would be bouncing off the walls at this information.
âThanks for today guys, it was really great meeting youâ
âYeah, it was alright meeting youâ Jonothan adds.
âOh!! Wait, likeâŠI totally was going to ask when we were walking around the stores earlier. Can we exchange numbers?â She asks, fishing around her bag for her phone. You agree and add each other as contacts. âOne more thing! Haha sorry I keep almost forgetting things. Letâs take a selfie to commemorate our meeting! What crazy chance we had todayâ
âAs long as you promise to send it to meâ you smile as you position yourself in the frame of the picture. Charlie quickly snaps various poses and angles. Once youâre done, you say goodbye to them and head in the opposite direction; waving them off for a little bit longer.
Your phone pings
â10 attachmentsâ
âHope we get to hang out soon!â
Youâre smiling down at your phone, something that seems to be happening more and more often these days.
âOf course ;3 Thank you for today!!â you reply back.
So much for a day just by yourselfâŠthis was better.