Sunshine || l.h. {complete}

Thirty

OKAY SO DON'T HATE ME OR THIS CLIFFHANGER

BUT ALSO ps if i get lots of love on this chapter bc my week/month has been awful maybe i'll {double} update xx

Luke holds her hand behind his back as they climb up the stadium stairs towards the row behind the student section that has been roped off. He knows her well enough to keep her away from crowds because of the pulsing bodies and the smells and the pushing and shoving and the cussing. Luke holds onto her elbow as she makes her way towards where he's gestured for them to sit. Her thigh touches his as they settle in, her hot chocolate steaming in her hands.

"Want a sip?" Belle offers, noticing that his eyes are glued to her mouth as she blows on her drink to cool it. He shakes his head and smiles, eyes wandering over her in awe, "No thanks, Sunshine, I'm good."

Belle cocks her head to the side, "Then why are you looking at my drink?"

"I-I wasn't e-exactly looking at your drink," he sputters, covering his mouth with a fist to cough, "Remember what we talked about at the house? About your lip stain?"

Thinking back, all she can remember is the hunger in his eyes at the sight of her dark red lips, about how he commented that he was scared to kiss her because it might make him look like he kissed a cherry.

"Oh," she blushes, "I see."

Belle glances up just in time to see Elaine smack Ashton's arm as his hand shrinks away from her bowl of cheese fries. "Uh!" she groans, sitting down beside Belle, "I told you that if you wanted some that you should've gotten some!" Ashton sighs and pouts a bit, leaning his head on her shoulder, "But yours look so good, baby. Please?"

After a little more huffing, she holds out the bucket in front of him and he giggles before taking a fry and popping it into his mouth. He plants a sloppy, cheesy kiss to her cheek which she wipes away with a disgusted face. Belle giggles, blowing out a breath over the top of her steaming cup of hot chocolate. She watches as the smoke curls and wisps when she puffs through her mouth, a smile stretching her lips.

"Belle," she hears Luke's voice echo softly beside her.

Her head tilts to the side as she grins up at him, "Hm?"

He shakes his head, looking mesmerized as his eyes grow clouded, "Nothing, nothing." He wraps his arm around her shoulders and tugs her close to him as the band marches out onto the football field, the cheerleaders lining up to make the spirit line for the football players to run through.

Behind them, Elaine and Ashton are still playfully bantering, and so Belle turns around with a laugh, "Elaine, stop being so rude!"

Her brown eyes bug out from behind her glasses, eyebrows raised into her hairline, "What?! I'm not being rude! He had the opportunity to buy his own, but no, he didn't want anything!"

Ashton snorts, "I'm the one who bought them for you! Technically, they're mine!"

"No, no, no," she rolls her eyes, "they're mine because you gifted them to me. So you passed ownership from you to me when you gave them to me..."

"Shut up!" Belle laughs, "You two are so immature! Oh my goodness. Just share. And get over it."

Elaine rolls her eyes and eats another fry, "Fine. Only because mom told me so."

"You're so lame," Ashton chuckles, taking her by the hip and pulling her closer. "But that's just how I like you."

They kiss and Belle makes gagging noises before returning to watch the start of the game, with all the music and the cheering and the confetti. The students are shouting and Belle finds solace in the way that Luke's shoulder smells and how his hand curls around her shoulder and the way his fingers are absentmindedly tapping to the beat of the song the band is playing while the team captains flip the coin.