pretty chapped lips : malum :

3.3

It all happened in the two weeks that I was free for winter break. The two weeks my parents left me home alone to study. The two weeks that are the clearest memories Id have for the next month.

The first day of being alone, I didn't tell anyone. But before I knew it I had a certain blond rapping at my door, all flushed cheeks and heavy breathing like he ran all the way from my house to his.

My hair was a mess and my eyes were dull. I felt tired and not there at all, craving sleep like I would soon know the long haired guy that always had his head hung in the corner of jack and Alex's craved a needle in his arm. For a second I thought he wasn't really there when I saw Luke. I was tempted to say I was seeing things, but he grabbed my arm and looked at me with pleading eyes that made me realise he was so very real.

That day was one that could be remembered. Sitting on the floor of my room with Luke looking at me with nervous eyes and shaky hands. For a few minutes he beat around the bush, asking how I was, if I had plans for the winter break, things I didn't reply to as I waited for him to explain why he was there.

"Can I kiss you?" He blurted out suddenly amidst telling me of how his brother Ben was taking him camping for a couple days before his birthday.

"What?" I wasn't mad, more shocked. But the blue eyes boy seemed to panic as he moved to sit on his knees, looking at me desperately.

"Okay so Ashton wants to hang out on my birthday and it got me thinking why he would do that - like I know I told him its my sixteenth and I wasn't doing anything but still - and then I started thinking about why he's even talking to me and Mikey I really like him and maybe he likes me and maybe that's why he wants to hang out and I'm scared because one of these days I may kiss him and I've never kissed anyone and I-"

"Okay."

And he stopped.

And he stared.

And before I knew it, I was sitting thigh to thigh with Luke Hemmings. Hands awkwardly on his hips, his even more stiff against my shoulders. We were close, too close for two friends. I could practically taste his breath on my lips. (Tea and gum, sweet and minty, a little like him most days.)

"So I just-"

"Luke."

He looked at me. His eyes were wide and it hit me he was scared. His hands were so stiff because his shoulders were shaking. He was pale as a sheet of paper and I swore he was going to keel over.

So I moved my hand to his jaw, and I tried to think it wasn't him. And I knew when his eyes fluttered closed and his breathing slowed, he wasn't thinking of me either. There was a few moments of silence, of just edging closer and making sure not to bump noses before his lips were pressed to mine and it felt fine.

I acted like the blond hair that I ended up curling my fingers in was brown, lanky and forever a mess instead of perfectly styled. I pretended that the hands that skirted along my sides, along my thigh were slimmer, slender and tanned knowing exactly what they were doing. I made myself believe that the boy who's tongue ended up against my own was a nineteen year old higher than my test scores.

It took until his phone rang for us to both realise that we were us, not who the other wished. Cheeks flushed and wandering hands on my lap as the blond with messy hair and red lips hurriedly whispered to his mother on the other line, I wondered for a moment if I would regret my first kiss.

But when Luke turned to me and grinned, that awkward little smile he always has when he hung up the phone, I figured there's nothing bad with kissing your best friend.

"Wanna try again?"

AN tbh this is one of my favourite chapters, nice and light hearted for you.

anyways, important question.

muke or lashton for the next fic? i need to know so i know what to work on more heavily since i have actually finished writing chapped lips and have only to put up the chapters. so, comment for which you would prefer.

muke

or

lashton

anyways with that i best be off, i hope you enjoyed a bit of muke and until next time my loves

-rachel x