in the crowd • luke hemmings

14. pretty girl

they'd managed to beat the crowds - lola mentally thanked god.

their little group shuffled towards the ring, michael, calum and ashton already grinning with excitement at the prospect of seeing their best friend win again.

lola had missed them; it felt like years since she'd last seen the boys. their work schedules clashed with hers so regularly, and right there, standing on a floor that was already sticky with spilled beer, lola made a vow that she would make more time for her friends

"dude i actually can't wait!" calum's cheeks were flushed red, and he already seemed slightly drunk from the single beer he'd had before they got there.

"you're always way more excited than he is." ashton laughed, slinging an arm around calum's shoulders.

michael grinned at his friends, resting his chin on top of bella's head.

"luke's going to come out here and fuck everyone up - and lola gets to see her man get down and dirty." lola felt all eyes turn on her at michael's teasing comment, all of her friends practically giddy with grinning, and her mouth fell open in search of words.

"michael! he - he isn't -" the clanging of a bell and sudden darkening of the room - which lola realised had become suddenly almost terrifyingly crowded - saved her from having to further splutter out weak excuses to defend herself from her friends teasing, and they all turned to face the ring.

a stocky man, leaning towards the short side, stood with his fists raised in the air, soaking in the aggressive applause from the crowd. lola scrutinized him for a moment, noting with relief that his arms didn't look quite as defined as luke. she was sure luke would be able to beat him.

roars of excitement erupted from the far corner of the room, and the group's heads all turned in almost perfect unison.

it was luke.

his expression was hard as steel, and he made his way easily to the ring, without even having to ask the crowd to move.

lola craned her next desperately to catch his eye better, to let him know she was here for him.

she'd confirmed over the call that she'd be there. she knew he'd know she was in the crowd somewhere but still, she watched as his eyes swiveled the room, scanning over the crowd and finally - finally - landing on her.

all the breath in her chest felt like it had been blown away, and all lola could manage to do under his gaze was what she always did.

she smiled at him.

and her smile stood out in the crowd like a lighthouse to a sailor, and luke had truly never been so grateful for a smile in his life.

the thin beam of light shining down from the ceiling showed her cheeks to be flushed pink - like they always were - and luke was struggling to maintain his cold, controlled appearance when all he wanted to do was run over and hug her.

he settled on a small smile back, the edges of his mouth pulling upright, pulling further upright when the small girl smiled impossibly wider back at him.

of course, the interaction did not go unnoticed by their friends, who waved fervently back at luke and shuffled lola to the forefront of their group to make sure he'd be able to see her properly.

luke finally reached the ring, climbing in with ease and standing a whole head taller than his opponent. both men bumped gloves - gloves that made lola breath a sigh of relief for luke's battered hands.