sunshine | l.r.h

five

chapter five:

end it

Delilah wakes to Luke shaking her shoulder. Groaning, she pulls the warm covers closer to her, trying to pretend like he's not there. Just a few more minutes of bliss.

"Delilah," he hums, shaking her shoulder again. Finally, she rolls over, looking at the boy sitting up next to her. Her brows furrow when she sees he's dressed in a hoodie and sweatpants. Her heart rate picks up slightly as she searches the room for a clock. The moment she finds one anxiety turns to confusion.

"Luke, it's 4:30," she groans, falling back onto the bed. Luke smiles at the girl before grabbing her hand and pulling her up. She holds the covers close to her body as she sits up.

"I know," he shrugs. "I wanna show you something."

Delilah wonders what could possibly be so interesting that he needed to wake her at this hour. Luke tosses one of his sweatshirts and a random pair of sweatpants onto the bed. Delilah eyes the clothing suspiciously as she slips on her bra and underwear. She grabs the sweatpants first, noticing how they're much too small for Luke. Her dark eyes meet his light ones in question.

To be honest, Luke doesn't know whose sweatpants they are. He sends Delilah a shrug. She slips them on and then the sweatshirt. The fabric is soft against her skin. Not the kind of softness that's manufactured but the one that comes with wear. When she looks back at Luke, he has his bottom lip between his teeth.

Something about seeing her in his clothes makes his head spin. The way it hung off her arms where it was too long to the way it just looks right on her. He clears his throat, trying to push back the thoughts in his head.

Delilah follows closely behind Luke, trying to figure out what the hell he's going to show her. He opens a window and looks back at her with a grin.

"You woke me up for a fire escape?" She questions, unsure of what there is to see. Luke laughs lightly to himself before stepping out onto the stairs. Wordlessly, he climbs. With furrowed brows, Delilah follows. The stairs lead up to the roof, where Luke is standing with his hand extended. She takes it and he helps her down off the ledge. The cool air nips at her cheeks and nose, making her hold her arms close for warmth.

Then, she understands what Luke wanted her to see. The roof is just tall enough for them to see over the surrounding buildings and out onto the water a few blocks away. She could see the reds and pinks starting to paint the sky. The city that never sleeps was almost silent.

Delilah had never thought about trying to see the sunrise due to her apartment being in the heart of the city. The way that the colors were intensifying could give her chills. As the sunrise progressed, the colors deepened. The pinks became dark oranges while the reds were almost maroon.

"Holy shit," she breathes, not being able to describe what's in front of her. Luke leans on the ledge, keeping his eyes glued to the marvelous sight.

"Every morning," Luke whispers. Despite having seen the sunrise and sunset many times, it still always amazed him. He looks over at Delilah as the sky paints her skin. He wonders if this is why people become artists. To see something so beautiful and want to make it live forever. Part of him wishes he'd brought a camera purely to take a picture of Delilah.

They stay there for what could've been forever, watching those vibrant hues slowly fade into the blue of the day. When the colors finally fade, they go back inside.

Delilah takes a seat at the barstool, pulling her legs close to her chest. Luke moves to the other side of the counter, grabbing pans and different utensils. She watches him quietly as he moves like he's done this many times before.