Stuck in the Middle (Two Stories in One) [Calum Hood & Luke Hemmings AU]

8. Sloane

"This is amazing," Sloane murmured, her voice carrying every bit of awe, as she picked up a pair of homemade earrings and observed them. They were beaded, blue and silver, and she held them up to her ears as she looked at Luke and asked, "What do you think?"

He'd been consumed by the fried chicken he'd bought from a snack booth, but as soon as Sloane asked him a question his eyes were on her. Her heart thudded, as it normally came to do in the case of Luke, at his complete attention, blue eyes taking in the earrings before he nodded with a grin. "You should get them." Sloane smiled as he offered the paper plate towards her. "And you gotta try this chicken. It's so fucking good."

She chuckled as Luke picked up the piece of chicken he'd been eating, holding it out to her and Sloane stepped towards him and fought the grin as she bit into the chicken he was feeding her. It wasn't hot enough to burn her teeth, soft enough to easily rip off the chicken and its skin as Luke pulled it away for her to chew. She hummed in approval at the taste as she pulled out her wallet, trying not to laugh as she swallowed when Luke widened his eyes and nodded as if to say I know, right?

Sloane thanked the woman after paying for and receiving the jewelry in a small paper bag before her and Luke continued on. They were at some grand flea and farmer's market in town, their friends somewhere around there as well, and it was one of the coolest places Sloane had been to. She didn't often get to go to flea markets or the like back home, her parents much preferring she buy her items at more appropriate places, but they weren't here to control her life, much to her relief. She was free to take in the smells of fresh fruit and cooked meats, free to admire the trinkets and jewelry people put their hard work into making, to see the plants, bongs, paintings, toys, and everything else people were selling in continuous stalls and booths.

"Wait, this is amazing," Luke laughed, drawing Sloane's attention to where he stood in front of a stall. Her gaze went to what he was holding, an amused laugh eliciting from her as she took in the small gnome statue he held in his hands; the gnome held a sign that read Go Away in one hand while the other had its middle finger stuck up. "I'd totally get this and put it on my yard." He shrugged. "If I had a yard, I mean."

Rubbing at his arm, Sloane mused, "You're too nice to have such a mean gnome."

Luke frowned, lips puckering into a pout as his blue eyes met Sloane's. Defiantly, he argued, "I can be a mean guy." Sloane wasn't convinced.

They walked around the market for hours, a constant buzz in the indoor mart as eventually they met up with their friends. Eventually, they decided to go home, with Sloane purchasing a jar of strawberry jam as well as a cliche Daytona Beach, Fl. shirt just for kicks. She somehow managed to convince Luke to buy a cowboy hat for shits and giggles—"It's your brand!"—and grinned childishly when he complied. She had a feeling it didn't take much convincing on her part, but the reasoning for that was too conceited to say out loud.

The day felt long despite it being a vacation, and so Sloane helped herself to the wine when it came to be dinner time at the house. After eating, she found herself wandering down the hallway towards the back of the house her second—nope, third—glass of wine in hand as she approached the glass doors leading towards the deck. It was slightly ajar and she saw the familiar head of blonde curls as Luke sat on one of the what were actually lawn chairs. Quietly, she opened the door and slid it shut behind her, stepping out onto the deck and walking over to where he sat. The smell of salt was an interesting scent mixing with the bittersweet wine, and Sloane walked around the chair until she stood at Luke's side.

"Am I interrupting?" she asked just as he looked up at her.

Luke smiled, legs splayed out in front of him and hand holding a bottle of Heineken. His curls danced ever so lightly in the breeze. "Not at all," he returned, sitting up and moving his feet so he was kind of straddling the chair, gesturing to the space now created on the rest of the chair as he added, "Join me."