daycare // hemmings

twenty four- lost in stereo

"You know what I wanna do?" Tobie whispered. She was laying flat across the seats, looking at the movie playing but not paying attention, as it was some old film about Johnny Cash and she couldn't care less.

"Hm?" Luke answered distractedly, actually interested in the movie. He had stayed up with her on the plane as she couldn't sleep, and she was more than bored. It had only been eight hours and she was about ready to drill a hole in her skull.

"I wanna hold a koala."

Luke laughed quietly. "Okay. Any other touristy things in mind?"

"I wanna hop with a kangaroo," She rambled, answering the question. "And see a dingo, and a Tasmanian devil, and a wombat and a numbat and a-"

"So you wanna see all the animals?" Luke cut in. Tobie sighed, poking his chin.

"You're no fun." She said.

"You're cute." He replied.

She smiled, booping his nose. "Anyone ever tell you your nose is boopable?"

"Fans do all the time; what does it mean?" He asked, looking down at her. "I can't understand it."

"It means you have a cute nose, basically."

"Oh." He frowned. "Then why don't they just say that?"

"Because it's weird? If a stranger came up to me and said 'you have a cute nose', I'd be freaked out. And your fans get that."

He shrugged. "Okay."

"They're cool, y'know," She said. "The fans."

"Well, I mean, they're our fans." He said.

"I know. It's strange how they're cool and you're not. Where do they get it from?"

He frowned and she giggled, reaching her hand up to his shoulder. "I'm kidding."

"Prove it," Luke answered, smirking.

"How?"

He leaned down so they were nose to nose. "Gimme a kiss."

"Deal," she said. Instead of kissing him on the lips like he assumed she was going to, she pulled his hand out from under the blanket and kissed it, then pushed his hand to his face, laughing.

"You're so rude. All I want is a kiss from my girlfriend and she denies me. Blatantly denies me."

"You're such a dork," Tobie answered, lacing her fingers through his and holding them in the air. Her arm stayed there until he brought their hands back down, bouncing them on her nose before letting them rest on top of the blanket. He watched the movie for a bit before she put her free hand on the screen and he sighed, pushing it away. However, Tobie put her hand there again, and he huffed, grabbing it and holding it in his own so she couldn't move either hand. She reached her foot out and covered it and he groaned, laughing.

"What do you want?"

"I'm bored." She said, clapping their hands together.

"The trip's not even half over, baby," Luke said, leaning on the headrest. "Have you tried going to sleep like everyone else?"

"Of course I've tried. It didn't work."

"Did you pack your meds?" He asked. Tobie shook her head.

"I haven't needed them lately. I've been sleeping just fine."

"You know I can tell when you're lying, right?" He asked, bouncing his knee. "I've been with you every night since the end of November; you don't sleep as well as you think."

She rolled her eyes, sitting up. She broke apart their hands to rub her face, leaning on the arm rest. "We've been sleeping in a hospital chair since the end of November, too, though."

Luke nodded. "I know. I've been there."

"No shit, Sherlock," She smiled. "Are you worried? Even the least bit?"

"Of course I'm worried," Luke said. "Jamie's in the hospital, dying, and in thirteen hours we'll be in Australia, on the other side of the world. We're unreachable until then, too, so if anything happens I won't know until it's too late. I'm more worried than excited for this trip."

She smiled sadly. "She's gonna be okay."

"I wish you'd believe it." He said, poking her shoulder. "Because you'll tell it to me every day but you'll worry yourself sleepless about it."

"Can't really blame me, can you?" She asked.

He nodded. "Let's not talk about this right now. How about getting you to sleep? Because, and no offense my love, but I'm not dealing with you when you've been jet-lagged and up for twenty one hours straight."

Tobie giggled. "I don't want to deal with me when I've been up that long either, so there's no judgement here."

"Good, then c'mere," Luke said, putting the footrest up on his chair. She flipped the armrest up and scooted to his seat, head on his shoulder again. He reached around her and pulled the blanket over them, but when it didn't cover them completely she laughed as he pulled her on his lap, making the blanket fit. He laughed too, kissing the top of her head.

"Now, count some sheep and sleep." Luke said, pinching her sides. Tobie laughed again, swatting his hand.

"Quit it, would you?" She asked, sitting up and looking at him.

"Well you've got me all wound up now." He replied, rolling his eyes. She shook her head and stood up, heading to the plane's lounge. "I'm not gonna stay in that chair, then."

"Good, because I'm hungry."

Tobie started searching the cupboards for food and Luke put on his Spotify playlist, letting it play softly enough to not wake the others up. He closed the divider between the lounge and the seats, then started humming, recognizing the song. It was "Lost In Stereo" by All Time Low, and one of the very few songs Tobie had learned off his playlist. She turned to look at him when he tapped her shoulder, and he held out his hand.

"May I have this dance?" Luke asked, bowing.

She laughed, taking his hand. "You may."

Tobie didn't know how to dance, but what was fortunate was that he didn't really know, either. Luke twirled her out, then pulled her back in, and she laughed when she tripped over her own foot, resorting to just spinning in a circle. When the song ended he didn't let go, and she smiled, just standing in the middle of the plane with him, the next song floating around the room.

"I'm not sure if it's healthy to love you this much." She mumbled, stepping back.

"Then I'll love you until it kills me." Luke replied, smiling. "Because it's too much fun and I don't ever want to stop."