demon baby

carrie tears her eyes away reluctantly, looking back up to flynn's very smug face. "yeah, just need to put on my chapstick and i'll be good to go."

when carrie continues to look at her, flynn grins. "well, don't let me stop you. go ahead!"

carrie rolls her eyes and turns back to the mirror. even so, her eyes continue to drift back to flynn's, who is shamelessly admiring carrie's own suit, a light pink one with a black lacy camisole underneath. both carrie and flynn refuse to be outdressed for any occasion, and if competition is what drives flynn to wear what she's currently wearing, carrie is willing to do whatever she has to do.

she finishes swiping the chapstick across her lips and flynn speaks again. "hey, my lips are pretty chapped too."

carrie automatically extends her arm holding the chapstick to flynn, but when flynn doesn't take it, carrie arches an eyebrow.

flynn grins and looks into carrie's eyes. looks down, barely. looks back up. carrie can't stop the blush that traces up her face, and she turns back around.

"aw, come on, care bear," flynn says, clearly struggling to hold back laughter. "sharing is caring, right?"

carrie turns around then, determination fierce in her eyes. flynn's eyes widen at the sudden movement, and then widen further as carrie grabs their arm and pulls them towards her. careful not to touch flynn's meticulously styled hair, carrie tilts flynn's face towards her own and kisses her. their lips press against each other and carrie can feel the second that flynn relaxes into it, their arms wrapping securely around carrie's waist. and that's when carrie pulls back, smirking at flynn's wide eyes and swollen lips.

"well," she says, hardly bothering to hide that she herself is out of breath. "wouldn't want you to think i don't care."

and she slips past flynn out of the bathroom. "let's go! we don't want to be late!"

flynn's laugh follows her out and she can't help the smile that spreads across her face.

-- <3 --

she can already tell this isn't a song luke has shared with the boys, not one from the 90's. this is a new one, and from the looks of the handwriting that is somehow more messy than usual, one that luke practically exhaled out of his mind. in julie's experience, one full of memories of doorways and baby photos and words unsaid, this means it is one of the songs that is most true to himself. her eyes skim to the top of the page, where the title is confidently scrawled in all caps: Wicked Beauty.

right away, julie's pulse speeds up. this couldn't possibly be another unsaid emily situation; this is undoubtably, irrevocably romantic. and this is further confirmed as julie reads through the lyrics

eyes like a wildfire... voice like an angel. she reads the phrases aloud to herself, eyes widening as she continues. there are stars after stars mentioned, at least four times in the song. she exhales slowly, almost disbelievingly.

"okay. okay, okay, okay."

"you okay?" the voice comes from right behind her and she jumps, turning around like a guilty child with the journal hidden behind her back. luke arches an eyebrow and shoves his hands into the pockets of his jeans.

julie curses herself for being a terrible liar and braces for the stream of garbage she knows is about to come out of her mouth. "oh, yeah," she babbles, "yeah, no, everything's totally great! so fine. you're so fine. i mean, i'm so fine. i mean, no, you're fine too, but everything's fine. we're all fine. why do you ask?"

luke doesn't answer, instead slowly walking towards her with a small and confused smirk on his face. she backs away barely a pace before her knees hit the couch and she falls into a sitting position. "what's behind your back, boss?"

julie stares at anywhere but luke, hopelessly glancing around for a distraction. but of course, she knows luke. she knows that once his attention is on something, he won't let it go. and that something is now her. this realization hits suddenly as she sees him now sitting up on his knees in front of her, leaning his elbows on her thighs and resting his face on his forearms. he grins at her with that insufferable smile, and she sighs.

"i found your journal."

luke's face cycles through several emotions before landing on cautious curiosity. "and, uh, what did you read?"

his sudden nervousness gives julie everything she needs. she leans forward, close enough to barely feel his breath blowing back at her. "oh, nothing. other than a little song called wicked beauty."

"sweet song, by the way," julie says, smirking at luke's suddenly bright red face. "kinda romantic, if you ask me. who's it about?"

"oh, come on, jules," luke says, ducking his head and looking back at her. "you gotta know. come on."

"know what?" she says, letting the words rest barely a moment before deciding to end luke's torture. she leans a fraction closer and rests her forehead against his. "of course i know. and by the way, me too."

luke leans back in surprise, his eyes wide and his grin wider. "really? you too?"

julie laughs and cups his face in her hands, pulling him gently back towards herself. "yeah, luke. me too."

-- <3 --