"Nellie never showed up?"
Lindsey asked Luke this question as he shoved things into his bag. He was irritated and anxious; this was half because Nellie never showed up to his fight that night. He couldn't really figure out if it was because she didn't like fighting or if it was because of some other reason he couldn't figure out for himself. For once he was worried and he was starting to see how Nellie felt when he didn't listen to her concerns. But, he was still mad at her, so really he shoved down the fact he was currently being hypocritical in the most sincere way possible.
"I don't know where she is," Luke muttered. The room he was in was empty for the most part. At that point it was only him and Lindsey after Luke had done so much to push away those who were trying to help him with his injures; which was why he currently was ignoring the pain in his knuckles and the feeling of dried blood under his nose all because he was anxious over his lover. Lindsey frowned at the boy as he started to zip up his bag, Luke not saying anything as he put the bag over his shoulder and winced slightly at the pain that went through his knuckles.
"Did you try calling her?" Lindsey asked. Luke didn't reply and just stepped towards the door instead, expecting Lindsey to follow him. She did, looking at him with slight annoyance as he looked only straight ahead in anger. He didn't really want to talk about it anymore—truthfully he didn't mind continuing to be bitter about it. He knew Lindsey had a point though, he didn't call Nellie (but that was just because he was mad at her for not showing up).
Luke didn't bother to call Nellie as he stepped out of the building, the area outside of the arena being even louder and full of more desperation for his attention from people with cameras he had never seen before. He was forced through it for a few seconds, the only thing the cameras actually getting were the glare on his face and the blood under his nose. It was interesting since it didn't have any answers, and it almost made him look like he didn't just win the fight he had been working for ages to win. But Luke wasn't even content when the car door shut behind him and the quietness filled his ears for a few moments; mostly because a different sort of nervousness crept up on him. His phone started to ring as this happened, Lindsey looking at him expectantly to answer it and when he didn't she did.
"Hello?" She said, glancing over at Luke as she didn't speak for a moment. "Hey, Nellie," she said. Luke looked at Lindsey when she said his lover's name, the sound of it giving him reassurance that was quickly replaced by anger. Luke glared at Lindsey before he took the phone from her hands, making her give him a similar look back for his harsh actions.
"Where the hell are you?" Luke asked, sounding angry as he spoke into the phone. Nellie replied truthfully, not that it was a secret anyways, and waited for Luke to speak again. "I'll meet you there," he said, hanging up the phone without giving the girl a goodbye. Nellie let it go, the fact of the matter not bothering her all that much; Luke was still livid, not wanting an explanation until he actually saw her face to face. He told his driver where to take him, as he handed Lindsey the phone back. She gave him a look like he was in the wrong for a few moments.
"What?" He spat.
"Ease up, Luke. She didn't show up; that's it," Lindsey said. Luke only looked away from her, not wanting her to be the one who told it to him straight as he was stuck in a car without someone to comfort him much. He just gripped the side of the door until his knuckles bled and his chest felt tight. When they arrived to where Nellie had told him she was, anger started to replace the anxiousness that had filled him before. He picked up his bag as Lindsey watched his display of anger, the girl not saying a word as he got out of the car and slammed the door behind him.
He told the driver to leave without him, and to take Lindsey home. He didn't want to get back in the car. He already felt sick to his stomach and he hated it; he didn't want to suffer through it again all while still being mad at Nellie. It would be harder to accept her comfort if it panned out that way. He was being negative, and he knew it, but he didn't care. So, he stepped into the convince store Nellie was in, walking into the aisle across from her and leaning on the short stand between them. Nellie glanced up at him, her lover looking unamused and unsatisfied as he stared at her. Nellie looked at him, furrowing her eyebrows as she picked another item off the shelf.
"Hey," she said, tucking hair behind her ears as she started to walk down the aisle again. Luke followed her, giving her another look for her simple greeting.
"Hey? Really? Where the fuck were you?" He whispered, making Nellie shrug as she read a box held in her soft hands. Her subtle actions were really driving Luke mad. Nellie could tell as she avoided his gaze, the girl sighing as she slammed the item back onto the shelf. Luke didn't flinch at the action, rather he just kept staring at her in anticipation of a response.
"I was home. You never called so I figured you were busy," she said, making Luke scoff—which earned a glare from Nellie. He wasn't doing a very good job at letting her explain herself, nor did he really seem like he wanted that.
"No shit—"
"Stop cursing at me," she said, glancing at him when she said it. Luke pursed his lips after she said it, Nellie looking down at the shelf again when she spoke. "I'm sorry I didn't go, okay? I don't know what you want me to tell you anymore. I don't like it, Luke. I don't like watching you get hit in the face—and I get it, you can defend yourself," she said, putting quotes around her words as she spoke. She shook her head as Luke's glare softened, Nellie already feeling guilty for missing it in the first place. "It still bothers me; so, no, I didn't go because of that. I avoided it—really fucking hard."
"Next time just come and sit with me before; or tell me where are. I worry, too," he replied, still sounding angry. There was a few seconds of silence between the pair after he said it and they almost seemed mad at each other. They really weren't. Nellie frowned, her lover walking around the end of the aisle to meet her on the other side.
He took a few of the boxes she had in her hands, resting the small boxes between his fingers. He placed his hand on the side of her face, running his thumb over the skin of her cheek. She sighed slightly, looking up at him as he moved his lips down to meet her soft ones. It made her heart race briefly, and helped melt away some of his anger.
"I'm alright, baby," he said.
"I know. You always are," she whispered. Nellie paused as her eyes fell on his injuries—the sight of them making her chest ache faintly. "Why didn't you let them clean you up?" She asked, frowning at him before he kissed her lips quickly and softly; the action almost distracted her from her question completely even if he didn't mean for it to.
"I was distracted," Luke replied. Nellie nodded, looking at him as he glanced at the objects in his hands. He still seemed somewhat tense as they stood there, and Nellie tried her best to ignore it.
"You still seem like you are," she said, stepping towards the fridges; the action caused Luke to follow her. She didn't know what was bothering him at that point, and part of her didn't really want to ask what it was. Nellie didn't say a word as she took a bottle of water from the fridge and opened it; she poured some of it onto her sweater and reached up to the boy's face to get rid of the blood that was still under his nose. He grabbed her wrist for a moment, stopping her before she could touch the material to his face. "I can wash it, pretty boy; it's okay," she said.
Luke let go of her hand and let her clean the blood from his face as best as she could with the end of her sweater and some water from a bottle. He reached for her other hand, placing his fingers between hers as she did it. She moved her hand from his face and smiled softly at him.
"Thank you."
Nellie smiled slightly, standing on her toes to kiss his nose.
"My pleasure. Always."
Nellie lead Luke to the counter after; the boy held onto her hand tightly as he reached over her for a quick second. He grabbed a bag of cookies for her like he had the first time they had gotten him bandaids together. He paid for the things again, just like he had the first time—this time he just admired Nellie more as the tired looking man behind the register rang them up. He carried the small plastic bag for her, letting her rest her head against his arm as she reveled in the slight nostalgia he gave her over buying the things he did for her. She glanced up at him when they reached a corner, the boy looking at the mostly empty street until she caught his attention.
"Luke," Nellie said, getting him to look down at her with furrowed eyebrows. She hesitated in her words for a moment, her lover looking at her with faint confusion. "I'm sorry I didn't go. I really I am."
"Don't worry about that, Bambi," he said, shaking his head softly. Nellie kept him from crossing the street as she pulled on his arm gently. She looked up at him with guilty eyes, which quickly looked down at their hands. His were all beaten up, a deep red staining some of their surface; and it was kind of a look that made Nellie feel okay—mostly because she knew it showed Luke was doing what kept him at peace (and that was what was most important to her).
"I tried to watch," Nellie admitted, making Luke smile gently as his heart raced. She smiled at his hands after she said, "did you win?" Nellie questioned, looking up at him as he smiled and nodded his head. She smiled back at him sweetly, standing on her toes before moving foreword to press a kiss to his lips. His heart raced at the feeling of her lips, the warmth of her lips spreading into his stomach as he smiled into it. He held onto the side of her face after her lips moved from his, not wanting the feeling of her to leave him as they stood on the corner.
"I'm proud of you," she said, her lips brushing against his when's she said them. Luke couldn't help but keep smiling at the brown skinned girl as they stood there; the action making her laugh quietly while she stood on her toes to brush her nose against his. Nellie took a step back again shortly after that, going back to holding Luke's hands as they stood there. Luke stared at her for a short while, a question coming up in his mind as her fingers played with his softly.
"Do you think you'll ever find it less senseless? Fighting I mean?" He asked. Nellie paused like she was actually taking a moment to think about the answer to his question instead of saying the first thing that came into her busy mind. She truthfully didn't know, so that's what she told him; and she shrugged her shoulders when she did.
"I don't know, baby," she sighed. "I really don't." Luke nodded his head, feeling mostly content with her answer due to its honesty. But Nellie still felt like she had more she wanted to say about it, and Luke was all for hearing it as she moved her lips again. "I think I love almost everything you do. So maybe I'll just become hypocritical—like just for you."
"Just for me?" He asked, smiling slightly as he loved a hand to her cheek, and then a thumb to the corner of her mouth; all while he smiled lovingly at her.
"Yeah. Just for you."
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surprisingly not dead considering the fact I had lyrics from 1985 by Bowling for Soup copied and not the stars I need for my transition. life is lit.
hello, friends. it's been a while and i realize this but since this was the last chapter, I was really trying so hard to get it just right. not quite sure if I did that still, but as of right now, this is how I feel it goes.
I'm still trying to figure out if I want to write an epilogue for this story? we'll have to see? im so busy and im trying so hard for guys???
anyhow
I'm trying not to get stressed out as I procrastinate hard core on a lot of things and also I'm trying to not panic right now since I didn't study my lines for a project tomorrow and also left too much homework left to do ahaha why am I like this someone tell me I've been dying to know
enough complaining though. thank you all for making this story the great great experience that it was. it meant the world and now I'm going to try to move on to a new story that works out (cross ur fingers and stay tuned).
for now, have a lovely week, and tell me what y'all have been up to since I've been slacking so much. lol