It's Just A Cafe || Luke Hemmings

chapter 27

Mac's POV

The Thursday school hours were over and so was my taxi service. I never really noticed that Luke doesn't drive. I don't know if he actually knows how or if he just doesn't have the chance to.

Right now Luke and I were on the couch. It looked like it was gonna rain soon so we skipped the cafe and went straight to my house. Our homework was done and we were cuddling on the couch.

Luke looked like he was nervous about something. He would zone out and he would sigh shaky breaths every other minute. He was playing with my fingers that were rested on my stomach, my head in his lap.

"What are you thinking about?" I asked him. He shook his head and sighed a little.

"Nothing." He muttered. He sighed quietly and started poking my thumb.

"Why are you so shaky?" I questioned softly. Something was bothering him and he looked like he wanted to let it out but was too scared. He shouldn't be though; it's just me.

"Things are bothering me." He responded almost inaudible. I caught his fingers from poking mine and held his hand.

"You can talk to me Luke. Don't be scared." I persuaded gently.

"But it feels different now." He bowed his head and looked past my face.

I tilted my head and furrowed my eyebrows, "What do you mean?"

I felt him shift uncomfortably under my head and he darted his eyes to avoid mine. I squeezed his hand to get him to make eye contact with me and raised my eyebrows to restate my question.

"Uhm, since I'm your b-boy-friend now," he gulped like he wasn't sure if I was okay with him calling himself my boyfriend, "I don't know if some stuff I tell you will change your choices."

I wanted to laugh at his outrageous thoughts but I know what wouldn't help his self esteem. "You mean change whether or not I want to date you?"

Luke barely nodded his head.

"I promise you that you won't change my choice, okay? Anything you tell me will only make me like you more." My reassurance can only go so far into Luke's cute head but then the rest is up to him to understand it.

He sighed a little sigh of relief and lightly squeezed my hand. "Can, can I vent to you?"

"Please do."

"Well I got a B on my test-"

"Luke that's awesome! I'm so proud of you." I praised him. My smile grew so big and his mirrored mine, until he continued.

"Thank you, really. But, um, my dad didn't think so." His smile faded and he looked away again.

I don't know much about his dad, he clearly doesn't voluntarily bring it up into conversation and I don't initiate the topic in fear it would get Luke upset. The very few things I know about Luke's father are not pleasant things. He has scarred Luke of loud noises like yelling and thunderstorms.

"Come on. Don't close out on me now." I spoke very softly and quietly to him.

"He um, said that I could do better. Even though it was a whole two letter grade jump from my last test. He said that I shouldn't come home next time if I get a grade like that again." His eyes have gathered tears and he was fighting to keep them in. "I just don't want to become homeless because I can't find the missing length of a triangle." He whispered defeatedly.

"You won't be homeless because you can always stay here. Luke, a B is awesome. Be happy about that! Just think that if you improved that much you can improve even more." I started rubbing my thumb over his knuckles and fingers.

He nodded his head a little and I could feel him retracting from this topic. But then he came back with another one.

"I have a question."

"What is that question that you have?" I ruffled his hair. He smiled slightly and continued.

"Um, remember when we went to the Halloween store? And how I'm being a penguin?" He started.

"That is more than a question but yes I do remember. You also said you were hoping for something to change between something but I don't remember what that something was." I furrowed my eyebrows and tried to remember.

"Us. I wanted something to change between us. And, something has." Luke blushes slightly and his smile returned.

"Aww you're adorable. But what's your main question?" I was getting impatient.

"Will you be a penguin with me?"

"God dammit Luke you were acting like you were about to propose and now you're asking me to be a penguin with you?" I laughed.

"I was not acting like I was gonna propose!" He protested.

"You were breathing weird and your hands were shaking." I stated.

"Can you just answer the question?" He whined.

"Of course I would love to be a penguin with you, you idiot."

:::::
yo yo yo
im back!1!!!!!!!
my plane got cancelled so i came back from my trip a little later than planned
~sorry if your country doesn't have the letter grading scale but I live in the U.S. so that's all I know://
first long chapter in a while & I hope you guys enjoyed!!
much love xoxo
-caitlin
(but shy Luke im done)