hard love ✰ l.h. | ON HOLD

nine.

A red and white checkered blanket, a warm toned woven wooden basket, and a bottle of white wine with two complementary glasses. He did an exceptional job of turning movie scenes into reality.

I sat on the left corner, Luke on the right. Our legs stretched out to hold down the corners that flapped in the breeze. My ankles crossed over each other as I sipped on my glass.

I felt like I was in a daze. The scene ahead of me was beautifully painted with hills covered in mossy greens and pale yellows. Pink and purple lilies jumped out of our canvas. Oak trees grew from the corners and shaded us from the radiant sun. The weather was warm enough to leave my jacket home, but the sporadic drafts would make me regret my decision.

"So the hair."

"Not the hair," I groaned, rolling my eyes. I placed my glass down gently on the flattest part of the ground.

"Yes the hair. Why'd you cut it?" Luke asked, doing the opposite of me and sipping the chardonnay.

"Because I wanted to." A hint of defense peaked through my tone. I still smiled at him, though. Which he always politely returned.

"Okay."

I watched as he got up, neatly placing his shoes to the side. I raised an eyebrow at him as he extended a hand out to me.

I stared up at him. "What are you-"

"Stand up." He offered his hand out to me again. This time I took it without question. He pulled me from the blanket and onto the grass.

My toes wiggled as I stood on the warm grass. The last time I had felt so giddy to be barefoot was when I was in elementary school.

He scooped me up and over his shoulder, causing me to yelp.

"Luke!" I yelled, his shoulder pressing into my stomach. His shirt wrinkled as I held it in my fists.

From my point of view, I only saw his backside from the waist down. I watched the ground underneath him turn from vibrant green blades to brown wooden chips. I was about to question his actions until I was swiftly laid down onto a plastic slide. I slid down as I giggled, Luke watching me from the side.

"I learned how to walk 19 years ago, you know?" I asked, standing up where he met me at the end.

"I didn't know. Tell me more," he replied with a smirk. I stepped around him and climbed up the jungle gym.

"I learned how to tie my shoes when I was five," I said. I popped my head over the top and spoke down to him. I was finally taller than him for once. "And how to braid my hair when I was seven."

"I learned to cook pancakes when I was eight," he replied, following behind me. I hurried down the slide and smoothly went down once more. I landed on my feet as I waited for him at the end. His broad build struggled to get down the slide, he laughed as much as I did.

"And how to play guitar when I was thirteen," he finally replied.

Luke grabbed my hand and pulled me towards the metal merry-go-round. My head was already spinning before I stepped on, but I assumed that was from Luke's fingers intertwined with mine.

I could feel every move of his under me. Even holding hands was a gesture I was praising. His hand on my hip or a finger under my chin was so incredibly intimate already. My heart felt like the wings of a butterfly. A feeling so familiar, yet unfelt for a year.

I wondered how Luke felt. I wondered if his heart pounded as fast as mine or if his words were jumbling together in his head. How quickly were thoughts entering and leaving his mind? How would he configure his next step?

A step onto the metal merry-go-round. I hadn't been on one since I was twelve. My friends and I were doing the same thing we are now, jumping around on a ground we were too big for. The childish flame inside me was relight after all these years. I didn't want it to be blown out this time.

The momentum shoved me into the short railing. Luke had expectedly started spinning me and I had no choice but to grip tighter onto the railing and stand sturdily on my own two feet. A lesson I learned the hard way.

I couldn't help but laugh, and neither could he. I met his blurred stature every 360 degrees. At a point unknown he stopped pushing the metal ride and watched in a laughing fit. If I saw a grown adult of his height holding on for dear life on a kids toy, I think I would be folding over as well.

Luke was able to stop me, to which I was able to turn around and step near the edge and right to him. I held on tight to the poles as my head spun and stomach turned. I blinked in hopes of ridding the stars I was seeing, but the stars kept reappearing in Luke's eyes.

Our laughter died down, and my steps still stumbled. My smile stayed put as did his. A breeze hit my cheek, creating an even bigger mess of my hair. I brushed down the back and Luke reached to move the single pieces from my eyes. His fingertips moved slowly over my nose and forehead. I reached up to tuck my hair behind my ear, and Luke reached for my waist.

An arm hooked around the small of my back and his lips on mine caught me off guard. I tensed at the sudden kiss, but as soon as his hand found it's way to the side of my face I relaxed. My arms grabbed onto his upper arms as I moved easily with him.

Every person has their own "taste", so to speak. It's not a describable one, as it's never a familiar spice we're used to. While I could identify the sweet white wine on his lips, I was experiencing the most unfamiliar part of him. Warmth and sweetness was all that I could tell you.

I felt him lift me from the metal platform and I inhaled sharply from the unexpected gesture, interrupting our kiss. He latched back on and placed me back down onto the wood chips. I could feel him smiling into me, and without savoring the moment, he pulled away from me.

My hands moved from his arms to over my my face. Looking into his eyes in this moment would push me into overdrive and eventually systematic failure. More than likely, I assumed. His fingers curved under mine and peeled away the mask I had given myself. I peered up at him through my eyelashes and back down to his ring covered hands that were now holding mine.

"Mabel."

I reluctantly looked up and met his eyes. They were kind and caring, the rest of him mirrored his emotions. It seemed that he was as bad as me at hiding body language. I enjoyed that about him.

"You're not like anyone I've ever met before," he told me. Instinctively I smiled at his compliment, at least, I hoped that's what it was. He wasn't exactly the back-handed compliment type of guy.

"Everyone new I meet brings me this haunting remembrance of those before, but I don't remember you." He reached a single hand to the crook of my neck, his thumb ran lightly over my jawline. "And I surely won't be forgetting you."

-

A/N:

the kiss we FINALLY deserve

if you read this far tell me where you're from i am very interested ily guys