Healing Myself

Added touch of sugar

"Cupcake."

"Cupcake?"

"I meant you, Sang." Luke clarifies as he continues to whisper, mindful of our current situation.

Our faces are so close together in the confines of this utility closet that I can smell the sweetness of Altoids on his breath that he keeps consuming every so often. It makes me feel a bit heady. But it could just be the mintiness of it.

Sure it is.

To elaborate on exactly what our current situation is, I would like to inform everyone that right now Luke and I are stuck in the utility closet just a few doors down from Principal Hendricks' office. We were hoping to find some evidence of his disloyalty towards the school. In the middle of our snooping, though, we were both alerted by Victor that the principal seemed to be making his way back toward the office so we had to quickly flee.

"Oh. Is that what you call me in your head?"

"Yes." The lifted apples of his cheeks are visible from the sleek ray of light that peeks in from the gap between the closet doors. "But I was hoping I could call you that out loud as well."

"Can I?"

Luke's teasing ways might mislead someone to think that he is insensitive to other's feelings, but that's really not the case. The sweetness he so loves to have, has inexorably been soaked up in his character as well. The caution and delicacy with which he asks this question is proof of that.

"Of course." A grin in response to my agreement appears on his face. "But I have one condition. You have to tell me why you want to call me that."

"Um.." his hand rises up and his stealthy fingers begin to rake through his hair, but the fidgeting attempt to buy him time is prevented as his fingers can't move past the man-bun he has on the base of his neck. He plucks the clip I had worn in my hair this morning---which was unceremoniously stolen by Gabriel---from his bun, and lets his fingers continue to brush through his hair to untangle the knots that had formed.

"Could you turn around? I promise I won't do anything." Something in his voice tells me that he really won't, despite what I've heard of his pranking ways from the others. So I trust him and turn around.

"You remember when we first met?" I hum in affirmation. His hands appear in my periphery but I don't move, letting him do his thing. Maybe it's embarrassing for him and me not watching him is important for his explanation. Warm fingers pull my hair back and run through them, just like he had with his own. "Your skin was like vanilla and I thought...your lips were like cherries," he collects my hair together and twists it up on my head, securing the bun with my clip, "and your hair was up like this. It looked like frosting, all golden and swirly."

I turned around this time, shocked by his sweetened descriptions. When I'd gotten out of home that day, I'd felt like crap. Getting my face slobbered on by Max and then going investigating in a dusty, old church definitely hadn't enhanced my beauty either. Hearing about me that day from Luke's perspective makes me feel that maybe I had really been happy that day. Or maybe that's just how he saw the world around us.

With an added touch of sugar.

"I sound like I'm about to eat you, don't I?" He dips his head down, blonde hair falling around his face like a curtain, barring me from seeing any hint of his bashful expression that was on display a mere moment ago.

I release a rather quiet giggle and tell him exactly what I think. "You just sound like you really, really love cupcakes. And I don't think there's anything wrong with that, especially not when you make me sound so delectable."

Luke's hand slithers into his jean pocket and he takes out the pack of Altoids he'd had with him. He gives a bright smile and holds it up to me. "Mints for celebrating my victory?"

"Sure." I pop one in my mouth and pick up another one. I bring it close to his lips and he opens them instinctively, always ready for a piece of sugary delight. His lips brush my fingers as he closes his mouth after I've put the treat in. I struggle to find something to distract myself from the tingling sensation spreading throughout my hand and cease my partner-in-crime's intense stare on my rapidly reddening face.

"Who got you these mints?"

His face procures a dumbfounded look. "How did you know I didn't buy it for myself?"

"I don't think you want to know the answer to that, Luke." He really doesn't.

"I'll make sure Gabe never steals any more of your clips. I know you like to wear them."

"I do. Mom and I have a thing where we try to let our hair down and tie it up on the same days. She likes it when both of us tie it up and I like it when both of us leave it down, so we balance it out by doing this. I could use your assistance with Gabriel on my hair-up days."

"See? My ninja skills are useful." He declares proudly.

Pride. That's something of his that's about to take a hit right now, point blank where it hurts the most.

"I'll tell you, but don't freak out, okay? I know you love your sugar but North loves you too and he's your family."

"North never gets me sweets." He said disapprovingly. However, his tone transitioned to one of wonder when he next asked, "so how did you know it was him? And wait, why would I---?"

"It's sugar free." Luke's questioning halts and so does his breath. "It's okay, Luke." I rub his arm soothingly. "Remember, North is your brother and he loves you."

"All this time," he whispers in a horrified voice, "I haven't consumed even one tiny teaspoon of sugar." He flips the mint pack in his hand. Eyes frantically roaming over what I'm sure are the ingredients of the candy, he whisper-shouts, "Sucralose. A sugar substitute. That's what I've been having?!"

My sweet-loving friend's chocolatey brown eyes fill with restricted rage just begging to be let free. "I'm going to kill him, Cupcake."

"Luke..."

"Or paint his jeep bright blue and pink, at the very least." A sigh of relief escapes past my lips at his harmless threat. "Now you come here, Cupcake," he circles his toned arms around me, hugging me, "you're the only form of sugar I got to keep me afloat right now."

I don't think Luke realised that he's the one keeping me afloat right now. His build, it's so similar to Dylan's that I could sink down to the ground from the weakness of my knees. The feel of being in his arms is so uncannily familiar to being with my lost love; and while I can sense the resemblance in their physiques, I don't imagine and long for the boy who is holding me to be someone else. I know where I am, and I'm happy there.

North better be prepared to receive the consequences of this one. A flashy car from his brother and a lot of healthy meals from me.

•••••

AN: Yes, Luke compared her to a dessert and yes, I know you shouldn't objectify people but it's Luke and we all know his intentions are pure. Anyway, have a great day!