All of my 5sos work

Preference #54: Even with this view I would happily look at you instead.

"Come on!" I giggled with excitement as I raced up the hill trying to find the spot I dreamed about returning to. Five years it's been since we've had a chance to return, and to say I was excited would be an understatement.

Looking back I saw Luke struggling up the hill, pausing and raising his arm to signal to give him a minute. I peek back at the spot up ahead but turn in the opposite direction, running down to Luke. As I neared him his panting was evident, he noticed me coming and straightened up, trying to keep back the breath he was struggling to catch. "I'm good," He panted and I placed my hands on my hips, raising an eyebrow to query him. "just, just how?" He pointed up the hill to where I had previously been and let out a chuckle. 

Pulling his arm during his protests I motioned forwards, dragging him along with me if I had no other choice. "It's not that far Luke, come on we did this all the time!" I tried to encourage him but it wasn't as effective as I wanted it to be since he remained trailing behind me as we continued to walk. 

The closer we got to our spot I felt the familiar sense of butterflies slowly flutter in my stomach causing a smile to emerge onto my face in the darkness. I shifted the blanket over my shoulders as I got further up, the wind hitting my face in a more harsh manner that sent a shiver down my spine. Instinctively I kept glimpsing to Luke, seeing he had managed to catch up with me and smiled cheekily whenever I checked up on him. 

Before I knew it we had come to the top, I let out a silent gasp as I saw how nothing had changed, a sense of nostalgia washed over me as we observed all of the scenery; examining the flowers that grew in the same spot, how the trees branches still hung low and in the spring you could pick the blossom off of them, or make it rain pastel petals. How in front of us it overlooked the lake, that at night when the moon was awake and the sea of stars would appear in various positions like fairies of the night. The water would reflect the velvet sky above, creating ripples in the lake whenever an animal would swim through and adjust our perception of the land below and sky above. 

"Looks like good things never change." Luke placed his hand around my wait, embracing me and kissed the top of my head. I let out a sigh of contentment, finally feeling at peace to be reunited with Luke and have the opportunity to return to our once beloved spot. 

When we were growing up and I had just moved to Sydney and was aimlessly exploring the area my parents had settled in. I found myself walking far and wide along this lake and saw the hill above with a large old oak tree which was covered in pastel pink blossom. As any child would I was intrigued by the bright colours and ran towards it. Vague memories of that day included twirling on the spot, letting the blossom fall on me and relaxing beneath this tree, then Luke appeared. A pre pubescent boy appeared, shy and surprised to see another person there. 

"You aren't from here are you?" His slightly higher voice came to mind as I pictured myself under this tree, minding my own business until he appeared. Luke always joked how he knew I wasn't from here, that I was different from the people he had met before. 

"Why? Something wrong with being different?" A sense of confidence came through my shy exterior at that point, I felt comfortable with that stranger, something usual for me then.

"Not at all." He smiled to down to his feet, hiding a light blush that would cross his cheeks. Even now he is still prone to doing it, a mannerism he never outgrew.

As we stood here, hand in hand I thought about all of those lonely nights. Each time I would lie awake knowing he was so far away from me when all I wanted to do was message him, tell him a joke I had heard but then I didn't quite catch on to why I wanted to speak to him so badly. Luke had always been my best friend, but with my best friend gone it made me realise that he couldn't just be a friend in my mind. 

The first time he came back home we met on this spot, here was where I had my first kiss, the first time I told Luke how much I truly loved him. That was the moment when this became our spot, that no matter how far away Luke was, we would always have this place filled with memories. How even now, four years later we still find ourselves back to the same place, reminiscing on those same memories from being strangers to friends to lovers. 

I removed my hand from Luke's and picked up the blanket that had fallen from my shoulders and placed it down on the grass, happily collapsing onto it and waited for Luke to join me. Part of me felt so full of content just looking out and being reminded of all those good times we shared here, but also of all those times I came and sat here, calling his name wanting him to come home and be with me again. Sure, we had our ups and downs, but we tried to preserve this place for the good things only. And to Luke the good things are the only ones he knows about here. 

Turning my head around I saw Luke leaning against the oak tree, a small smile creeping onto his face as he caught me glancing at him. Standing up I walked towards him, holding out my hands for him to take a hold of which he did. "What're you thinking?" He asked as he took a few steps forward but paused, puzzled by the phased written across my face. 

"I just," I started to stutter as I tried to process my words in my head, "We're here. We are actually back here together. All of those times I felt doubtful or upset I would come here to feel better. That part of me felt by being back here I could feel closer to you, I'd spend hours sitting in the tree thinking about what you must've been doing or thinking. I always left myself curious as I walked away." I finished and turned away from Luke, not wanting him to see any tears fall from my eyes. "I guess it's just harder than I first thought. But now is what matters, where I am here, with you." My voice became quiet as I suppressed tears, Luke remained silent as I focused onto the view ahead, it becoming slightly blurred through my tears as I blinked rapidly. 

"You know," He took a few steps closer and I could feel his arms wrapping around my waist as I leant against his chest. "I imagined myself here too." He chuckled. "When I was lonely at night when you would be preoccupied to talk I pictured myself here at the tree, talking with you about your day or having a date, anything to stop feeling so crap for leaving you behind." He explained and I felt his hold on me tighten, his heart became faster as he spoke now, but as I placed my hands on top of his, the beating was less rapid and was calmer than before. "But now, even with this view I would happily look at you instead." He told me and I turned around in his arms, removing mine from his and wrapped them around his neck instead. 

"I love you Luke." I mumbled into his chest as a smile formed on my face, hearing the sounds of wildlife around us and the slight breeze picking up in the tree made me feel at ease. And being here in Luke's arms made me feel as if I didn't need anything else, that in this moment everything was complete. "More than you'll ever know."