more || halsey + luke au

july

In July, my life began. The humid, summer air that stuck to the bottom of your feet when you walked on cool tile, the seemingly endless afternoons that melted into the perfect nights.

It didn't matter that the weeknights blurred with the weekend nights, the common thread tying them together being booze. It didn't matter that I was hiding something under my tongue every time I spoke.

"Teach me how to do your eyebrows like that," I said through a laugh one night when Ashley and I were getting ready to go to a party.

"Want me to just do them for you?" She said, spraying an extra coat of hairspray on her blue mountain of hair, that happened to be all piled up on her head tonight.

"Sure," she said, setting the can down and kneeling down to eye level, where I was sitting on her bed.

Her hand was so soft on my face, she held me to steady herself as she went ahead and did all of my eye makeup. I was grateful, having known nothing about cosmetics. As she was brushing assorted products onto my face, she began singing along to the music that played softly in her room. Something soft by The 1975 - I couldn't tell what.

Her face got so close to mine when she was helping me with her eyeliner, that I could smell the last cigarette she smoked. I touched her face gently and advanced to kiss her, I just couldn't help it.

She seemed really into it, grabbing my waist and everything. The air hung heavy around us, an almost tired sensation.

There was a knock on the door.

Ashley pulled and looked me in the eye with such an intensive motive that I couldn't move, and the music only enhanced it. "Friends in the daylight." Was all she uttered as she spun around and opened the door.

It was Luke, peering around the corner at me. "You look beautiful, Mick."

"Thank you," I said, pushing myself off the bed and walking up to him, my arms draped around his shoulders. "But I thought we agreed that this was girls night."

"It is," he defended. "I just, wanted to give you this." He pulled a small blue box out from behind him and dropped it into my hands gently.

 Tiffany & Co.

"You shouldn't have," I smiled, though he really shouldn't have.

"Go on," he looked at me eagerly. "Open it up."

I did as he pleaded, and carefully unwrapped the package. Inside I found a small, golden ring. Upon further examination, the engraved initials "MF + LH."

 Mickey Fosters + Luke Hemmings 

Most boys would carve that on a tree.

Here is my boy, with a Tiffany's box.

"Thank you so much," I slipped it onto my finger and kissed him softly and quickly. "I'm speechless." A warm smile spread across my face.

"I'm so glad you like it." Luke replied.

All I could do was keep that same look on my face. I ran out of things to say.

"We better get going, Mickey." Ash interrupted, like she sensed I had no more words. "It's seven."

The sun was still out, and would be for another two hours. We had time to drive safely, although I'm sure Ashley was not concerned with that part.

"Bye Luke," I said, kissing him on the cheek and slipping right past him and out Ashley's bedroom door. I waited for her, and then we were down the stairs and out of the house.