5sos Shorts

"Royalty" l.h.

Luke had worked in the castle his entire life serving the royal family. The princess and he were just about the same age, and she often found excuses to go looking for him to make conversation when he was working in the garden or the kitchens. On this particular day, he was left alone in the kitchen washing dishes while the cook and his help were out shopping for ingredients. Luke stood at the sink, his white sleeves rolled up as he was elbow deep into the water, scrubbing dishes violently as he tried to finish as quickly as possible.

"Luke?" The sweetest voice he'd ever heard called quietly out into the vast kitchen. Luke turned his head in the direction he'd heard the noise from.

"I'm at the sink, Isabelle!" He called out, not bothering with the formalities since they were alone. He could hear her shoes tapping at the floors as she rushed back to see him. She finally turned the corner and came into sight and took Luke's breath away as she always had. Her blonde hair was braided tightly and her gown hugged her tiny figure, her small pink lips smiling widely at him.

"Hello." She greeted excitedly, her brown eyes wide with excitement.

"What's got you in such high spirits, princess?" Luke asked, chuckling at her before going back to work- only more slowly this time so he would have more time to talk with her.

"I've been in lessons all morning, am I not allowed to be excited to see you afterwards?" She teased the blond man with a smirk, nudging him playfully with her elbow. Luke gave her a knowing look. She threw her hands up in surrender.

"Fine!" Isabelle laughed. "It's the ball that's got me this way. I'm so excited!"

"Right..." Luke spoke quietly, diverting his attention to the pot he was scrubbing. It was no secret Isabelle's parents, the king and queen, threw balls often in hopes of their daughter finding a worthy suitor. Of course, Isabelle saw the ball's for everything else wonderful about them and paid the high society men there to impress her very little attention. Luke hated the dances, for he was clumsy on those sleek tile floors and the last thing he wanted was to spend hours trying to stand up whilst trying to ignore the obvious advances men made on his best friend all night.

"I do wish you'd be there tonight, Luke." Isabelle sighed softly, wrapping her arms around him from behind and resting her cheek on his shoulder blade. Luke's entire body heated instantly at their proximity and he froze under her touch. Sure, she had given him hugs over the years, even the occasional peck on the cheek he cherished so much, but nothing like this. It was more intimate, somehow. Her palms splayed out on his chest as she pushed her front as close to his back as was humanly possible. Luke swore he could even feel her eyelashes against his shirt as she blinked.

"Belle..." Luke rasped, barely able to talk.

"Luke." She stated simply in turn, letting her hands fall to her sides as she stepped back from him.

He pulled his hands out of the dish water and wiped them on his pants as he turned to look at the small and beautifully elegant young woman who had been so close only moments ago. Her brown eyes held his gaze, their usual warm chocolate color suddenly a dark and heated brown. Luke swallowed thickly, feeling his hands begin shaking a bit as he fought back the urge to take her by the waist and pull her in closer to him.

Luke didn't know how long they stood like that. Close and face to face, yet just out of the other's reach. Isabelle bit her bottom lip and let out a small whine at the tension between the two despite the heat of their gaze and finally threw herself at him, her arms wrapping around his neck as she pressed her lips firmly to his. Luke was caught off guard, but managed to catch her and hold her up. Nothing had ever felt so perfect in his life.

Her pink lips pressed to his, her hands burying themselves in his hair, while he held her so her feet never touched the ground. The kiss felt like it lasted a lifetime, but in reality it was a simple single kiss and before they knew it Isabelle was back on the ground and Luke's forehead was pressed against hers. His lips were still parted in shock minutes after Belle's little stunt.

"Please say something, your silence is making me feel uneasy..." She whispered, her eyes searching his desperately. Luke pulled her to him again in a crushing hug and buried his face in her hair.

"I'm afraid if I do I'll wake up and this won't have happened." He admit before he pulled away from her. The happiness on Isabelle's face showed that he definitely said the right thing and she pulled his bottom lip between hers once more before backing away slowly.

"They'll be back soon." She realized, smoothing her dress as she began walking away and then turned to him once more. "I've made the first move, Luke. I suppose it's your turn now, yes?"