*im so sorry its been so long I genuinely have no excuse except writer's block, but anywhere here ya go, it gets a bit mature but nobody messaged me angrily last time asking for a clean version so its only the mature version (that's not proofread lol)*
My voice is hoarse from barking orders and my head is spinning slightly from the lights that have been flashing all night, but I'm alive and not fired. As far as I know, at least.
Charlie stands over my shoulder, watching as I scroll through the pictures I've taken tonight for the damage control article. Her hair, still flawless after our long night, falls into my face as she leans in closer to the screen, zooming in on Niall's face in a group shot. It smells like jasmine.
"Hm." I can't read her monosyllables and it makes me even more nervous.
"Hm." Charlie repeats, tapping her fingernails on the shiny wood of the hotel conference room desk.
"Good 'hm' or bad 'hm?'" I draw up the energy to ask.
Waiting a beat to respond, Charlie stands up to her and considerable height. I immediately spring to my feet to, boots clacking against the hardwood floor.
"Surprisingly, a good one. You have good ideas, Andy. You could do well in a more permanent position at a bigger company. You have potential. You're a gifted reporter and photographer. I know some people that might be interested in a young, up and coming journalist like you. Think about whether you're happy where you're at now, and get back to me. Until then, go sleep, and eat something. Have that article emailed to me to go over by 10 pm tomorrow." As soon as she's done, Charlie turns away, already spitting orders at someone to get Simon on the phone for her.
Blinking, I turn to go, shouldering my bag, struck senseless by the direction Charlie had gone. I thought the shoot had gone well, but I hadn't thought it had gone that well. When I thought about the shoot, all I could really see were flashing lights and bared skin. The photoshoot had been sexy alright, but my mind had been stuck on Luke. Niall had shown up on time, looking sober and ready to go, a far cry from the blackout drunk he'd been when I'd dumped him on Luke's doorstep. Luke had followed through and been there for me, but there had never been any doubt in my mind he could deliver on this for me. He'd delivered, and now Charlie was offering me the potential of climbing ladders in the reporting world. Right now, though, I couldn't think about that. I didn't have the brain power left. I haven't slept in 24 hours. We worked through the night, into the morning.
I make my way through the lobby, full of well-dressed business people, immaculate and ready for their day to start. I was just desperate for my day to be over. The over the top glamour of the lobby would usually wow me, but I have an exceptional level of apathy for it right now. Dealing with 4 ridiculous and childish superstars in a mature photoshoot is not easy.
Luckily the elevator is empty when I enter it, and I waste no time in closing the doors to everyone else. But when I go to push the button, I pause. My hand hovers over the button to Luke's floor, and I realize just how much I want to go to his room, bang on the door, strip off all my clothes, and crawl into bed with him. I want him to hold me and wrap his arms around me. I want to fall asleep to the way his chest moves when he breathes. I want to fall asleep to the way he smells. I want to be naked and close with someone I love.
Shit.
I am in love with Luke. Again. Two years had passed and I thought I had gotten over him. Suddenly he's back in my life, and I'm reminded all over again why I fell for him the first time. He was everything I'd ever wanted. We'd been a perfect storm, but there was something about getting caught up in the whirlwinds and the lightning of somebody you loved who was bad for you. Luke was back in my life, for better or worse, and I was in love with him all over again.
The thought is terrifying. Telling Luke I loved him was what opened the chasm that swallowed us last year. Loving somebody is what gets you hurt. I didn't want to get hurt, not this time. The echoes of last time Luke left hurt all over again at the thought.
My mind is made up. I press the button to my floor, and lean back against the wall of the elevator. In the gleaming wall across from me, I can see my reflection. I looked ragged. My hair is messy, and the bags under my eyes are visible even in the warped surface.
The ride up is uninterrupted and for that, I'm glad. I don't need somebody walking in on my moping right now. I feel like Niall was acting last night. I'm in love, and I'm upset about it, god damn it. Maybe I'll find him later and ask what he was drinking, because I could use some of that right now. Alcohol sounds good, but sleep sounds better. Luke actually sounds the best, but I don't really need to feed my addiction.
When the elevator opens to my floor, it takes all my energy to make it to my door and find my keycard. So much interaction with people really wipes me out. Maybe I'm in the wrong job, considering my jobs requires people at almost all times. Charlie's offer doesn't sound so good when I think about it that way.
Swinging open, my door lets me into my dark room. Flipping the light on only reveals the clothes strewn everywhere from my earlier search. I halfheartedly pick a few up, throwing them back into my suitcase. Sleeping in a messy room messes with my brain too much for me to let them stay on the floor. It doesn't really make a difference once I kick off my shoes. Once I'm happy enough with the state of my room, I collapse down on the bed I didn't make up. As soon as my butt hits the comforter, a knock rings out at the door.
My groan is uncomfortably loud at the thought of having to get up when I've just sat down. The knock rings out again, and I can't justify ignoring it any longer.
Dragging my feet, I open the door without looking out first.
Luke's standing there, hair messy, bleary eyed, clad in sweatpants and a State Champs muscle tank, and my head pounds to the beat that I'm so fucking in love with him.
He doesn't linger in the doorway, moving in and sweeping me up in his arms. Just loose enough that I can still breathe, Luke holds me, wiping out the night I've had. His head is in my hair, my face is smashed against his chest, my arms instinctively wrapping around him too. With every breath he takes, he ruffles my hair, and I can feel his chest move under my ear.
"What are you doing here?" I mumble, almost incoherently. But he understands.
"Just wanted to see you." Luke replies, nearly as incomprehensible as mine, sleepiness filling his voice, even as he continues. "Let's go to bed, yeah?"
"Okay." I reach over and tug his tank over his head, sliding my hands down the skin I've exposed. Luke is as pale as ever, black tattoos stark against his skin, mapping out a story I still need to get in full. I lean in, kissing that batman symbol I half expected him to cover up with a different tattoo after he left. But there it is, still as sharp and dark as it was the day he got it. He's been taking care of it.
An eyebrow is raised at my actions, before he returns the action, reaching around to unzip my dress. One long finger slides the straps off my shoulders, and the dress falls down, pooling at my feet.
I push his sweatpants down, trailing my hands over his hipbones. He steps out of them, half naked in front of me. But its not enough, not yet. Reaching around, I unhook my bra, letting it go to the ground.
There's an intensity in Luke's eyes, clashing against the lingering bleariness. It's familiar, a dark and powerful look that says more than he ever would. His eyes cut straight through me, and I feel like he knows what I realized on the way up here. He doesn't break eye contact as he loses his boxers too. I follow suit, pushing my panties down and stepping out of them.
Finally satisfied, Luke pulls me to the bed, pushing me down a startling gentleness. He crawls in after me, pulling the blankets on top of us. They settle down, cocooning us in our own little world. Its just me and Luke, close enough to count his eyelashes, long and pale.
He pulls me close to him, one arm over my hip, the other hand intertwining with mine. We still fit together as perfectly as we did when we first met, even though Luke has only gotten broader. Every inch where our skin touches sparks. I feel the anxiety melt away.
"Go to sleep. I've got you and I'm not leaving." Luke whispers, kissing my forehead softly. He doesn't move, just keeps his lips brushing my face.
I'm safe and warm and naked with someone I love, and I fall asleep almost embarrassingly fast.
//
When I wake up, it's dark again, a dim light illuminating the room. I'm curled into Luke's side, one of his arms around me, placed low on my hip, my head resting on his bare chest. Luke's already awake and sitting up.
"You could've woken me up." I get out, not moving an inch.
"Nah, I like watching you sleep." Luke counters in a gruff voice.
"That's weird, Luke." I smile against his skin before climbing out of the bed, sheets falling away from my body, instantly stealing the heat. The air is cool against my naked body.
He doesn't say anything, just watching me stretch with darkened eyes. I feel his eyes on me every step to the bathroom.
By the time I get back, Luke's gotten himself out of bed, but I've come out in time to watch him stretch his arms over his head, body long and lean. Luke is all long limbs and tattoos and boxing muscles. I lean against the doorway, just admiring the view, biting my lip in silent appreciation. He doesn't miss it, turning to me with a grin, knowing exactly what I was doing.
"You seriously owe me for dumping Niall on me last night. It was 4 hours of him complaining about how he's in love." Luke smirked.
"Who's he in love with?" I'm pretty sure I already know, but I'll play this game if he wants to.
"Rose. He's gonna have to fight Michael if he really wants to ask her out though. They both think she's the moon and the stars." Luke walks toward me, infuriating grin still on his face, and I'm very aware of how we're both naked still.
"I figured. Rose isn't particularly interested in having a boyfriend right now though. Doesn't want to be tied down." I'm acutely aware of Luke's shadow of a beard, the shadow over his jawline. His face was smooth when it was buried between my thighs yesterday.
"Too bad." Luke says without an ounce of sincerity. He's close enough to touch now, and I can feel my cheeks heating up. He stops right in front of me, leaning down close enough I can feel the air when he exhales. His eyes have a dark glint, the smug look on his face from catching me checking him out still there. He still gives me butterflies, even though we've had sex before, and we literally slept together naked last night. The look on his face says he knows exactly what he's doing.
"Sorry about dumping him on you last night. He showed up in my room wasted when I was trying to get ready for a photoshoot and my job was on the line and it had to be perfect and I still don't know how you got him there without him being hungover and I totally owe you and you're the best and Charlie didn't actually fire me-" Luke cuts off my rambling by pressing his mouth against mine, taking advantage of my parted lips.
Immediately, it sends heat soaring through my body, igniting every inch of me. Luke's hands skim down my sides, just barely brushing my skin, and its enough to send me wild. His lips are chapped as they glide down my neck, across my collarbones, to the swell of my breasts. His stubble scratches my skin in the best way, forcing a moan out of my lips. Needing something to hold on to, I wind my fingers through his hair, soft and short. I pull him close, feeling his body pressed against me, feeling him pressed against my hips. I can feel just how much he wants this, wants me. Every doubt flies out of my head, replaced with a certainty of the fact that I love this man, and want to hear just what I do to him. I'm filled with confidence, my anxiety dissipating with every second.
Luke wraps his arms around my waist, boosting me up against the wall I was leaning against. He's in between my legs, so close to me. Our teeth clink as I pull his mouth back to mine, biting his lip.
"Easy." Luke mutters, not used to me taking control.
"Put me down." I command.
He sets me down, taking a step back. Searching my face, Luke's eyes look confused.
"Are you okay?" Luke won't keep going if he doesn't know I'm not 100% as into it as he is. It just makes me sure that this is what I want to do.
"I wanna make it up to you." I whisper, looking up at him through my eyelashes as I get to my knees.
Suddenly what I'm going to do clicks in Luke's head, and his hand darts out, grabbing my upper arm, pulling me back up to standing.
"Andy, I was totally kidding about you owing me, you don't owe me anything, and you definitely don't have to do that." Luke says quickly, the same intensity in his eyes. I know he's serious. He doesn't want me to do anything I don't want to do.
"Luke, I want to do it." I explain, pressing a kiss right over where his heart is.
"Are you sure?" Luke asks, the look on his face a mix of wanting to be sure and wanting exactly what I was going to give him.
"I love-" I pause for a half beat, catching myself right in time, "to make you feel good. Let me do this for you." I know Luke caught my pause, but he doesn't comment on it, slowly releasing my arm. Kissing me once, he lets me slide down again.
Keeping eye contact, I sink back to my knees, trailing my fingers down him slowly. When I know he's ready, I take him in my mouth and working over him. He lets out a growl, hands reaching down to pull my hair into a sloppy ponytail. Holding my hair with one hand, leaning against the wall with the other, I can visibly see Luke fighting for control. It's been a while since I've done this for someone, but I know Luke, know what will push him the furthest. I can see the exact moment he loses it, thrusting forward into my mouth, but I expected it, and take him as far as I can.
"Fuck." Luke is on the edge, all semblance of restraint gone as he keeps pushing into my mouth.
"Andy!" Luke growls my name, and then he's gone over the edge, shaking. He lets go and I help him through it.
When it's all over, Luke pulls me back up to my full height. He kisses me soundly, his taste still on my lips.
"Sorry I kinda lost it there. Are you okay?" For once, I think Luke is blushing as he looks over me, making sure I'm okay with his lapse in complete control.
"It was fine. I'm fine," I smile, pulling him back into the bathroom with me, "Now let's shower."
*honestly I feel like I need to go pray and bathe in holy water, feedback would be great please!!! Let me know hwat you thought?**
qΧ<>