in the crowd • luke hemmings

26. luke, the professional

"you're sure people will get this costume?" luke asked hesitantly, watching as lola leaned forward to pause the end credits.

"of course they will." she insisted excitedly, sitting back to look at luke properly, his arm still loosely draped around her waist. "everyone's seen this film."

"won't they think it's weird if i'm dressing up as a middle aged hitman and you're dressing up like a twelve year old girl?"

"baby you're looking too far into it." lola cooed, pressing a quick kiss to luke's lips. "it's not like we're going to paint wrinkles on your face - and besides, it's pretty evident you're not middle aged and i'm not twelve."

"i can't believe ashton is enforcing a dress up rule." luke pulled lola back onto his lap, playing idly with her hair.

"it's halloween, you have to." lola grinned, her mind already whirring as she planned their costumes. "it's fun. do you not dress up for halloween?"

"not since high school."

"what did you dress up as."

"wait a second, let me get ashton to send it over." it only took a second for luke's phone to buzz with an incoming text, and he let out a small laugh at the photo.

"michael bullied us all into this." luke turned his phone to show lola a slightly blurry photograph of the four boys dressed as ninja turtles, sitting around the island in michael's mum's kitchen with calum's mum doubled over in laughter behind them.

"no way." lola took the phone in her hands, her eyes wide open and her lips pulling into a fond smile. "you are so cute. do you still have the costume?"

the heavy flush that covered luke's cheeks was all lola needed to know, and she burst into a fit of giggles, looking back at the picture.

"you need to show me, please can we go to yours?" the hopeful grin on her face left luke unable to do anything except nod and watch fondly as lola pulled her converse on over her fuzzy bedsocks.

***

"oh my god." lola's eyes grew wide and she clasped her hands together in excitement as luke shuffled awkwardly into the room, his ninja turtle costume barely done up properly and in danger of tearing if he moved too much.

"it doesn't really fit." he said, readjusting the eye-mask.

lola shook her head quickly, her teeth biting down on her lower lip in a failed attempt to stop her grin from being too wide.

"i love it." she said decisively, standing up and running over to luke, wrapping her arms tightly around him and resting her chin gently on his chest so her head was tilted up to face him.

"really." luke smirked down at her, pressing a soft kiss to her forehead. "even the shell?"

lola peeked around his back, noticing the inflatable shell and letting out a delighted gasp.

"that's my favourite part."

***

bella sprawled across lola's bed, rewinding tennis courts so she could listen again for the millionth time to numb the pain of finding out michael wanted them to go as shark boy and lava girl for halloween.

lola hadn't stopped laughing at the distraught look on bella's face, but she tried to subdue her giggles to comfort her friend.

"pink is your colour, i think a wig will suit you." she said in an attempt to make bella feel better.

"you and luke are going as leon and mathilda from leon the professional! you're going to look hot and cool and i'm going to look like a kids film! a kids film lola!" bella dropped her head face forward on the bed dramatically, letting out an exasperated sigh.