the first thing luke was aware of when he woke up, was the feeling of lola's breath in the crook of his neck.
his eyes weren't even open yet, but he could feel where her head was resting just below his; curls running wild on the pillow behind her, shining in the morning sunlight.
luke wanted to stay there forever.
not wanting to wake lola, luke resisted trying to pull her closer, and instead began to trace patterns on the bare skin of her back, allowing his fingertips to dance across the soft surface.
"your hands are warm." lola's voice was muffled, but still spoke directly to luke's heart, making it skip a beat.
"it's nice." she continued, before seeming to fall back asleep.
luke just smiled and leaned to press a kiss on her temple, his hands never stopping on their journey down lola's spine.
the silence returned for a few moments more; a comfortable blanket that descended over the room and wrapped itself around them.
"baby?" lola spoke after a few minutes, her voice barely more than a whisper. "what time is it?"
reluctantly, luke removed his hand from lola's back and rolled over slightly, picking his phone up and squinting at the lock screen.
cal: you're gross you didn't hide SHIT with your shirt last night
cal: but also you go brotha;)))))))))))
cal: come over today? ash is being sick and it's really gross i don't want to deal with it
cal: LUCASS
mikey: please go and see calum
mikey: he keeps calling me and asking for you
mikey: i heard ash being sick in the background and it made me throw up and now bella is mad
ash: YOU WERE FUCKING IN THE BACKSEAT?!,!?!,!?!
ash: my bad i was still drunk when i sent that
luke cringed at the thought of his friends throwing up, and decided he'd wait a little while before responding - give them time to sober up.
"it's quarter to ten sweetheart."
lola groaned slightly, propping herself up on the arm that had been pressed against luke's chest.
"i have practice today." she said, turning so she could sit up fully, and tucking her hair behind her ear. "i should start getting ready soon."
luke stayed laying on his back and reached up, wrapping one of her curls around his finger.
"calum wants me to come over, so i'll take you. how long are you practicing for?"
"i think twelve to half six today."
luke's eyebrows furrowed slightly in concern.
"don't overdo it baby."
smiling, lola leaned down and wrapped her arms around luke, laying her head on his chest and relaxing into him, letting her actions reassure him, i won't, i promise.
he brought his hand up to cup her jaw, running his thumb back and forth across the guiding line of her cheekbone.
"i don't want to move." luke whined, holding lola closer, like he was trying to pause the morning so they could stay in her bed for even longer.
"you mean you don't want to help clean up all ashton's sick?"
"oh god."
***
luke was completely wrapped up in a blanket, a bowl of popcorn on his lap, watching mean girls.
he had no idea how it had come to this.
when he'd arrived - about five hours ago - ashton was sprawled in the bath in his underwear, vomiting into a bucket with a pair of sunglasses on, while calum gagged profusely as he scrubbed a stain on the floor.
they both made the choice that spraying ashton with the showerhead - cold water, of course - and forcing him to eat dry toast and drink water was the best way to help get him over his painful hangover, and once ashton was sufficiently dosed with painkillers and a new pair of sunglasses that didn't have vomit on them, he demanded a film day in the dark.
which also involved everyone having a blanket and calum being forced to go out and get obscene amounts of microwaveable popcorn, and ashton choosing all the films.
so they sat, all of them wearing sunglasses, something luke didn't remember agreeing to, and watched mean girls in a comfortable silence, the only sound coming from their crunching popcorn and occasional laughter.
"luke what time are you picking lola up?" calum asked suddenly, only to be aggressively hushed by ashton, who was still engrossed in the film.
"in half an hour - it's been so long." luke whined.
"just go and see her now." calum shrugged, shovelling another handful of popcorn into his mouth. "bella used to go sit in her practices when she got bored of hanging out with us - now she has sex with michael instead which is fair enough. they know you at the studio anyway, just tell them you're there for her."
luke couldn't help but smile at the thought of seeing his girlfriend and nodded, passing ashton his popcorn and grabbing his keys from the coffee table.
"are you sure you'll be okay here?" he checked suddenly, feeling bad about leaving his friends if they weren't feeling well.
calum just waved him off, his eyes fixed on the screen.
"we'll be fine man."
"go get your girl." ashton agreed, his voice unrecognisably husky from it's lack of use.
"besides, if ashton throws up again i'll just make you come back." calum broke his gaze from the screen, turning to face luke with an innocent grin. "drive safe!"
"i'll see you guys soon, feel better ash!"
***
lola barely heard the faint knock on the door over her music, and for a moment, she wondered if she'd imagined it - but just in case, she decided to call out anyway.
"come in!"
a mess of blonde hair and blue eyes stuck his head in sheepishly, and despite the ache that was taking over her body, lola smiled.
"hi baby. i'll be done soon, if you want to sit down and wait."
luke just nodded, deliriously happy at the fact he was getting to watch her dance again, and sat on the small wooden bench at the back of the room.
watching lola's face in the mirror, the focus and passion in her eyes made luke think back to her showcase; the first time he'd ever seen her dance.
he was sure he'd fallen in love with her at that moment; even if he hadn't known it that yet.
she'd brought tears to his eyes without even meaning to - and luke had no idea how long it had been since he'd cried before that night.
the tiny girl onstage had made him feel more than he'd felt his whole life before that without even talking to him, without even trying - she'd danced her way into his heart and set up her home.
"how was ashton?" lola asked, her slightly out of breath question breaking luke from his thoughts.
"he's feeling better now i think - just needed water and painkillers." he replied softly, still fixated on how pretty she made all the movements look - and if luke were a cartoon, there's no doubt he'd have heart shaped eyes.
"how did you get into ballet?" he asked suddenly.
"well." lola started, lifting her leg into a graceful arabesque and checking it was straight in the mirror. "my parents put me in classes when i was little because i liked the look of it apparently. and then it was just all i wanted to do."
luke just smiled dreamily at her in the mirror - not wanting to admit how impressed he was that she could hold a conversation while dancing, because when he was boxing, there was nothing else going on in his head.
"how old were you when you started?"
"four? maybe five i think. my parents kept my first pair of ballet shoes and they're so small - they're more like dolls shoes." the statement make luke grin, and at that moment he wished he could've met lola when they were children and witnessed it all firsthand.
"i bet you were the cutest little ballerina."
he watched the mirror with satisfaction as a light blush passed over lola's face, and she giggled slightly.
"i was really clumsy when i started. but i wanted to be good so badly because i enjoyed it so much - after just my first lesson, i completely fell in love with it."
her choice in words hit luke's chest, and his eyes met hers in the mirror.
"i know the feeling." he breathed out.
completely clueless as to what he was doing, lola smiled brightly at him in the mirror.
"oh, is that how you were with boxing?"
luke shook his head, leaning forwards slightly.
"not with boxing. but-i know the feeling."
lola hummed thoughtfully, her heart starting to beat faster and harder in her chest - not from the dancing, but from the feeling that something was coming, that something was going to happen.
she wasn't sure why there was a lump in her throat or why she was suddenly shaking; she wasn't sure why when she came to the end of her routine the eye contact she held with luke in the mirror felt like he was staring straight through her; she wasn't sure why she couldn't turn around and look at him.
"i love you." lola spoke into the silence, watching luke's reflection carefully as his eyes widened.
she turned around slowly, luke's eyes leaving the mirror and meeting hers straight on, the warmth radiating from them enough to make his knees weak.
swallowing nervously, lola clenched her fists to try and alleviate some of the nerves.
"but you know that, right?"
luke shook his head slowly, sitting back and trying to wrap his head around the enormity of what she'd said.
it had been building up for what felt like forever - they'd both felt it, they both knew.
he didn't expect her to say it though.
there was something inside of him, something from his past, that still told luke that she didn't really love him.
all the times he felt like she did, or at least felt like she might, it reminded him that he didn't deserve it; he wasn't soft like her, he wasn't the type of person that was loved.
he didn't deserve her loving him.
but she did all the same.
luke swallowed harshly, not sure why his vision was blurring or why there was a lump in his throat.
"i didn't know." he whispered. "but i do now."
"you didn't know?" lola's eyebrows furrowed at the sight of luke's insecurity - she couldn't understand how he hadn't known.
lola adored luke with everything in her, and the thought of him not believing he was as loved as he truly was broke her heart.
she took a few steps towards him, gently bringing both of her hands up to cup his cheeks and raise his head to face her.
"of course i love you." lola said, leaning down to kiss luke's forehead and watching his eyes flutter shut. "i love you so much."
"say it again." luke spoke suddenly, his voice shaking.
he brought his hands up and wrapped them around lola's waist, pulling her into him until she was standing between his legs.
"please?"
"i love you, luke." she complied easily, running her fingers through his hair and wrapping her arms around his shoulders, one hand still cradling his head and caressing his cheek gently.
pulling her even tighter, luke turned and hid his face in her body, preventing the tears that were burning his eyes from falling.
she loved him.
with shaking hands, and a shakier voice that was muffled by the soft material of lola's leotard, luke finally spoke the words that had been on the tip of his tongue since he first saw her dance.
"i love you so fucking much."
IM SORRY THIS IS ON THE SHORTER SIDE
BUT
THEY LOVE EACH OTHER 🥰
i was so happy writing the last part they deserve this so much - i feel like a proud parent they've come so far lmao
stay safe & love always