vanilla // lrh

twenty nine

*nervous deep breath*

Stay right here?

What did that even mean?

Was I ready for this?

What did he even mean?

I laid on my back, with a towel wrapped around my freshly showered nude body, staring up at the ceiling of my childhood bedroom.

It was still a boring cream color, but I wasn't.

Before I could drown myself in thoughts of past me staring up at the wall, I heard the bathroom door open.

"Still not dressed?" I heard the thin accent call, and I sat up immediately.

He wanted me to get dressed?

Luke stood in the doorway of the bathoom, towel wrapped around his waist, and another in between his hands, shaking the water out of his hair.

As his eyes were closed and he attempted to dry his hair, I made sure to take as many mental pictures as I could of him.

His pale torso was completely bare, which I had only seen from a distance at his boxing matches. Droplets of water fell from his stomach, wear a trail of small blonde hairs lined.

I also noted a large scar toward the middle of his torso and almost on his side, it was fading, but nearly three inches long.

"Take a picture, it'll last longer," He laughed, tossing his hair towel to the floor, and standing straight, beginning to make his way over to me.

I would be lying if I was I wasn't secretly hoping the towel tied around his waist was to somehow fall to the floor.

"Why didn't you put any clothes on, Ellie?" He asked, lowering the volume of his voice and growing closer to my face.

He rested his hands on both sides of me, leaning himself over the edge of the bed, and nearly pressing his forehead to mine.

"I thought-" I breathed, my pulse louder than my words.

His wet curls fell beautifully around his face, his plump pink bottom lip drawn back by his teeth.

"You thought I was gonna kiss every inch of your naked body, didn't you Ellie?"

"No, I-"

I stumbled over my words, and he smirked casually, bringing his fingers up to me, gently and slowly tucking a piece of my damp hair behind my ear.

"I didn't think- I just-" I mumbled, and he smiled.

He had me in the palm of his hand and he knew it. And he absolutely loved it.

Luke's head dipped down to my shoulder, pressing a kiss to it, and pulling away with the same sexy grin.

"Maybe later, baby."

And with that, he quickly pushed himself off the bed and walked over to the dresser.

"You have anything sexy to wear? I have something I want to show you." He called, his back facing me.

He was so broad.

My eyes trailed over his back, and noticed another scar on his left shoulder, and stretch marks that traced his lower back like zebra stripes.

"What could you possibly have to show me? We're in my hometown." I answered, my words much stronger now that his wet half naked body wasn't centimeters from mine.

He turned his head over his shoulder. "You seem to always underestimate me."

"I guess so." I admitted, getting up from my spot on the bed and walking over to him.

"How about this?" He said, holding up a wrinkled yellow sundress.

"Yellow huh?" I laughed, grabbing the dress.

Before I met Alec, before my mom remarried, that dress was nearly my favorite thing in the world.

Before everything changed.

"I think you'll look real hot in yellow," He said, paying the compliment no attention, as he continued rummaging through the drawers.

"A little different than my usual fit."

"You think I'll fit in it?" He laughed. "There's like- nothing in here larger than a size small."

"I could see if there's anything of Todd's you can wear."

"Would you?" He smiled, and I nodded.

I left the room, and trailed down the hallways, and I felt 15 again.

Then again, 15 year old me would never walk into Todd's room, grab clothes for a hot Australian boxer and let him take me wherever he wanted.

Todd and my mothers room looked the same as I remembered it, but I decided not to dwell on it. I had down enough of that today.

I filed through the closet, grabbing a bright red button up. I hoped it fit Luke, but I also hoped it would be a little tight, and hug his shoulders.

"Are you okay with wearing your jeans?" I asked, walking back into the room.

Luke was sat at the edge of the bed, picking at his fingernails.

"I was hoping you'd say that," He said. "Dad jeans aren't the most flattering on my ass, you know."

"Oh for sure," I laughed, tossing him the shirt.

"Red and silky, huh? If I didn't know any better I'd think you were trying to fuck me."

I shook my head and laughed.

"Aren't you going to leave the room?" He mocked. "I need to change. And I know you've seen me half naked before but that doesn't count so-"

"You're real funny," I said, trying to sound angry but my smile couldn't help but escape my lips.

I went inside the bathroom, sliding the yellow dress over my head, and shaping it out onto my body.

It fit just as it did before, tight right until the waist, and fell nearly to my knees.

I looked at myself in the mirror.

I was makeupless, and my hair was a damp mess falling down my shoulders. But I felt beautiful in my own skin, something I rarely felt. And certainly never felt before in that yellow dress.

I opened the door, and Luke stood looking at himself in the mirror.

I admired him once again, he was unbuttoning the top buttons of the red silk shirt, and just as I had hoped it was snug around his back.

"So where you taking me?" I said, and he turned with a wide grin.

His hands were rolling up the sleeves of the shirt, but his eyes remained on me.

And let me tell you, red never looked so good.