starstruck - lrh

fifty-one.

 "Fucking hell."

I look over to Luke, watching him rip up the sixth sheet of paper of his in the past hour. I bite my tongue as everything inside of me begs to suggest for him to take a break.

It's been impossible to watch his frustration come undone. I've seen him do this time and time again but usually that was over one song, not three.

Once we got back to mine, Luke asked if I minded if he continued to write for a little here. I obviously told him he's more than welcome to take all the time he needs as I know he needs to do it and I don't want him to push it off because it'll only make things harder for him.

I originally went to my room to give him space but I came down after an hour and brought my own lines to memorize and go over but I haven't gotten much done considering I've watched him torture himself for an hour.

I feel so guilty and I want to suggest he takes a break but I know he would never allow himself one. Especially because it'll stress him out more if he takes a break.

"Shoutout to the old me and everything he showed me

Had to fuck it up..."

Luke hesitates as he's been singing this one line time and time again. It seems he has no idea how to finish it and I can tell it's killing him.

"Had to fuck it up...," he sings once more as I look at him in the corner of my eye and wait for him to think of something. "Fucking fuck, why didn't I just become a math teacher?"

I bite back a smile, taking the opportunity to step in as he covers his hands over his face and rests his elbows on his knees. I walk over to him quietly, preparing to do whatever I can to make him feel better.

As he shakes his head, I take a seat behind him and rest on my knees as I place my hands on his shoulders. If I know anything about relaxing someone, it's that a good massage always helps.

Luke doesn't move or react to my hands being placed on his shoulders as he stays hunched over.

"You're being too hard on yourself," I say, my hands starting to slowly work into his shoulders. "Why don't you take a short break?"

Luke finally removes his hands from his eyes and sits up slightly, "I don't have time to take a break, Have."

I know that he will continue to say this until every song is complete. Especially because he takes his damn time on each song individually and will hardly ever settle for something that's great, as opposed to perfect.

"Yeah but sitting and trying to force something never works," I say to him, my voice calm as I dig into his shoulders a bit more in order to increase the relaxation. "I know personally that the best thing you can do is just get up and walk around for a few minutes and try again."

Luke seems to actually listen to my words as he tilts his head back slightly, seeming to relish in the massage as I can see his eyes are shut. I try to intensify the movements of my hands to tempt him further considering it's so hard for me to sit back and watch this all happen.

"I know I just-" he says, stopping himself as a loud sigh leaves his lips. I don't say anything as I wait for him to continue and keep up with the massage. "I just want for things to work, Haven. If this opportunity slips out of our hands, I don't know how much longer I can just live out here and force something that won't work."

I resist the urge to shoot him an incredulous look considering the popularity they've managed to gain in the matter of a few months is absolutely insane. Everything has been working perfectly for them which is why they have the opportunity they do with Ian.