Sunshine || l.h. {complete}

Thirty One

OKAY SO I LEFT OFF WITH A CLIFFHANGER AND HERE IT PICKS BACK UP

His chest rises and falls as she takes another step back from him, fear glistening in her green irises. She goes to speak again when he breaks, his eyes falling to his feet and his fingers fidgeting in front of his body.

"I..." he sighs, sounding somewhat embarrassed, "I want you here with me tonight."

Belle's skin turns pink as she settles her weight on one leg, "W-What? My parents are going—"

"I took care of it," Luke answers abruptly, licking his lips as his eyes run over her.

Running her hands over her thighs to get the sweat off of them, Belle remembers the last time she asked to stay the night. Luke acted as if she had the plague, as if she was asking him to do the unthinkable.

"Are you sure that this is such a good idea, Luke?" she questions, balancing back and forth while shifting her weight, "After all, I-I mean...the last time...it just, I don't—"

"I wasn't ready," Luke interrupts, walking forward to her, "I was embarrassed and didn't want you to stay in my stupid van when you could go home and be in a bed in a house that you knew wasn't going to rot out from under you or fall to shambles."

She allows him to run his hands down her arms, allows him to get close because she can sense that he's hurting.

"But," he begins again, taking a deep breath with his eyes close, "I need you tonight."

Instantly her hand juts out to cup his cheek, her thumb running over his cheek as she tries to do her best to comfort him. There's something hidden in his irises, hidden in the recesses of his words that she can't decipher, but knows he will tell her when he's ready.

"I wasn't ready to ask you to stay in some shabby van, it isn't what you deserve," he continues as he leans his cheek into her palm. "I want you here with me...in my, um, my h-home. I know it was selfish of me not to ask you, a-and I made a choice."

Luke wraps his fingers around her wrist and a frightened expression plagues his features, "I-I can take you home if you want. I totally understand a-and if you don't want to be here or this makes you uncomfortable, just say the word. I'll—"

She kisses him soundly.

"I want to be here," Belle tells him firmly, both hands on either side of his face. "Here. With you."

It is as if that is all he needed to hear because the broken features are pieced back together and he looks happy and she smiles in return as he bites his lip to contain his grin. He nods, holding her around the shoulders, and together they walk through the clearing towards his van.

Belle can see the campfire silhouetting the outline of Luke's van, and her stomach flip-flops. They've never done this before, it's a new thing. Sure, she's fallen asleep, but she's never spent the night. It's a different thing entirely.

What if he gets irritated with me? Will he make us sleep in separate places or will he cuddle like when he came to me when he was injured? Will he let us cuddle? Can I talk to him about fighting, about me seeing him fight?

So many questions fly through her mind that she doesn't notice that they're at his door. Belle swallows the spit in her mouth and straightens her sweater on her hips, trying to find something to do with her sweating hands.

Luke walks through the door, up the steps, and turns on the little lamp beside his bed. He extends his hand and she takes it, stepping up into the van.

"So, what'll we do?" she asks, looking around to find his big book of fables or even his fighting gloves so she can persuade him into letting her go to a fight. "You could read me another story. I love your sto—"