don't you go // lrh

/twenty three/

/good girls are bad girls that haven't been caught/

/luke/

"Are you sure this stuff works?" I ask, reading the warning label on a bottle of 'wound wash'.

I try to look over my shoulder, up at Amara.

"Hey! Stop moving." She says, delicate fingers readjusting my neck.

"Doesn't answer my question." I chuckle.

"Yes. It works." She promises.

Amara had me sitting down on the toilet while everyone slept in the next room, she wanted to clean my brand spanking new piercing. Just in case.

"Looks great." She says when she tosses the last q-tip into the bin.

"Promise?"

"Promise."

All the beds and the entire couch were taken by our friends. My friends? Her friends? Our friends. Sure.

So Amara grabbed spare blankets and pillows and we laid in the tub together.

Fully clothed.

I'm perfectly capable of restraining myself!

Though with her head on my chest, it sort of is hard not to think about it. Her. And I swear it's like she can read my mind because she's tilting her head up, with sleepy eyes making me melt to the point where I might slip down the drain myself.

"Luke?"

"Hm?" I hum.

"I really like you." She says, a soft hand playing with my newly pierced flesh.

It doesn't even hurt. All I can feel is her.

I scan her face with my eyes, feel myself get all warm inside, and she doesn't expect a reply. At least I don't think. Her lashes flutter closed, she nestles closer to me, arm draped over my stomach.

My hand nearly twitches from holding itself back. Eventually, when I'm sure she's asleep, I give in. I start stroking her hair with my hand. Yup. I knew it. Head full of the softest hair I've ever known.

Damn.

Damn. Damn.

❖ ❖ ❖

I didn't sleep that uncomfortably or for that long.

Michael came in at around 6am to tell us we've got John back at the house, waiting for us. And he doesn't sound too pleased.

"I thought he was in London." I groan, wiping the crust off my eyes.

"Got in last night." He was whispering, didn't wanna wake Amara.

But she woke up when I tried to untangle myself from her.

I helped her out of our makeshift bed, holding both her hands in mine.

Ashton and Calum were already awake too, putting their shoes on by the door.

I kissed Amara's cheek goodbye and she didn't say much. Just crawled into bed with Jesse.

John sent us a car and in the passenger seat was his assistant, Leslie. She's holding a cup holder with four to go coffee cups, the smell takes up the entire car and I'm grateful because I might puke from the smell of cigarette smoke on my clothes and hair.