Say It Ain't So, I Will Not Go - A Luke Hemmings fanfic

Part 34

           

I had no idea what time it was when I woke up again, but if it were up to me, I'd still probably be asleep. My stomach apparently had other ideas. I rolled over in bed so I was facing away from the wall, and ended up almost falling off the edge of the mattress in shock when it dawned on me Luke was sitting in the bay window. I didn't realise he had a guitar with him until I heard the solid body rest against the drawers in the bottom of the window. I sat myself up and Luke insisted on checking I'd not hurt myself.

'I didn't even fall properly,' I pointed out with a laugh. 'You just scared the life out of me,' I assured him. Satisfied that I was unharmed, Luke went on mumbling angrily about how he'd tried to do something nice after last night's incident, and, in his words, 'screwed it up,' He was sitting beside me on the bed now, so I reached gently for his shoulder. He flinched slightly, composed himself, and met my gaze.

'I'm sorry.' He muttered, a sheepish smile playing on the corners of his mouth. 'You'll learn that I wear my heart on my sleeve most of the time,' he continued; 'so I have big plans that are supposed to impress you.' He paused for a minute, and chuckled. 'Unfortunately for me, they never quite pan out because I am awkward and clumsy, and generally the most disorganised person you'll ever meet.' I couldn't help laughing then, and Luke joined in. 'You alright?' Luke asked, suddenly alarmed as he watched me double over the edge of the bed and clutch my stomach. I nodded, sitting myself back up. A look of realisation crossed Luke's face and he stood up, telling me he'd be right back.

When he appeared in the doorway again, Luke was holding a mug, which he crossed the room with carefully and brought to me. 'You made me tea?' I asked as he set it on the bedside table. Luke nodded, looking pleased with himself. He handed me some Panadol, which I took gratefully with a long sip from the mug. I noticed then that he was watching me eagerly, so I set the mug back on the table and pressed a quick kiss to his cheek. 'Thank you,' I told him quietly, and I hoped he could hear the sincerity in my voice. It had been a long time since anyone except my Mum, Calum, or his family had done anything nice for me. The tea was a small gesture that would be almost insignificant to anyone else, but it meant the world to me.

'I can't take all the credit,' Luke admitted. 'I have two older brothers, so I'm not exactly experienced with this kind of thing.' He paused for a moment and continued, 'I want to learn how to help you deal with it though, and Calum knows you like the back of his eyelids. He said tea was the answer to most things for you, so I figured it was the best way to start.'

I smiled and kissed him on the cheek again. 'That doesn't explain the guitar though,' I pointed out.

'For me,' Luke replied, 'the answer to most things is music.' I nodded, knowing Cal was exactly the same. We sat quietly for a while, then, and there was no awkwardness in our silence, I noticed; it was comfortable, and easy. I finally broke the silence though, asking Luke what time it was. Somehow, I wasn't surprised that he told me it was time to get a watch, and I wasn't surprised I laughed even though I'd heard that joke a million times before. Luke looked to be though, for a second at least. He stood up and collected his guitar, my favourite smile on his face. 'Why don't you shower?' He suggested. 'It'll help you feel better, and we should get going soon.' I nodded, and Luke left the room.

I sat alone for a moment, I needed time to process what was going on. Luke was taking me on a date today. I'd never been on a date before. Usually my mind immediately jumped to the worst possible scenarios, but I was determined not to let that happen today; so I headed straight for the ensuite and the distraction of the shower. I decided I'd wear a pale floral skirt, white t-shirt and a pair of simple nude sandals. I pulled my dark hair into a low bun, and picked up my small cross body bag as I left the room. I wasn't big on makeup, and I hadn't eaten yet, so considering all I wear is lip gloss, it seemed redundant to apply it and eat later, because it would just get ruined.

I walked down stairs and found Cal eating a bowl of cereal over the sink. 'You never change, do you?' I laughed. Calum shook his head, swallowed his food, and turned around. When he'd taken in my outfit, he nodded approvingly. I couldn't help biting my lip. 'You sure?' He nodded again, putting his now empty dishes in the sink.

'You always look beautiful,' Calum told me. 'This is a great choice for a first date,' he went on, gesturing at my outfit. 'It's simple and doesn't show too much, so you're giving yourself lots of room to step up your outfits later on.' I let out a sigh I hadn't realised I'd been keeping in. 'It's quite feminine, too,' he added as an afterthought, 'Luke will really appreciate that.' Calum walked over and kissed my cheek. 'Just relax,' he told me quietly, 'it's only Luke. He's more nervous than you are.' I shook my head, there's no way that was true. 'He's been locked in my room for three quarters of an hour now, talking to his reflection in my mirror,' he informed me. 'He looks like he might cry any second. I haven't seen him this stressed out, like, ever.' Suddenly, there was a bang. Calum and I turned to see Luke on the floor at the bottom of the staircase. Calum couldn't contain his laughter, but I took a step back in shock as my hand flew to cover my mouth. Once he'd composed himself, Calum helped Luke to stand.

'That went a lot better in my head,' Luke grinned, catching sight of me. 'You look fantastic,' he added. All I could do was blush, and much to my dismay, I noticed my hands had started to shake. Luke closed the distance between us, taking my hands in his. 'I'm fine, love,' he assured me; 'it's okay.' I nodded, relaxing.

'So, Hemmings,' Calum interrupted, 'what's the plan?'

Luke bit his lip. I squeezed his hand, and that seemed to give him all the confidence he needed. 'I thought we'd have brunch in Circular Quay, and then head to Luna Park,' he explained. 'Is that okay?' he asked, looking at me nervously; 'we can do something else if you'd prefer,' he added.

'I haven't been to Luna Park in years, Luke, I can't wait,' I insisted. His face lit up and he seemed to relax considerably, and I felt a wave of relief wash over me too.