You're Coming With Me (Luke)

[Zoelle Heroux]

He had told her to go on ahead and he would catch up, so that is what she had done. Though truth be told, she wasn't paying a whole lot of attention to where she was going. She was still a bit stuck on what Luke had said back there.

Everything always came back to this question of what they were and that seemed to keep changing. First they were supposed to be nothing, then friends with benefits, then some sort of undefined pair. Then that undefined part was an issue and the next moment he was saying to take all the time she needed. Then he was calling her his girlfriend. What the actual hell? She couldn't make heads or tails of this anymore and the worst part was she didn't even know what she wanted. Not really.

Part of her wanted to flee upon hearing that word. That wasn't for her. All she had ever wanted was freedom and that sort of commitment... well, that was the exact opposite. That was a cage. She had seen what having those sort of bonds meant and she was determined that she wouldn't be that way. She wouldn't cause that sort of pain. And yet... if she ran now, was she really any better? She could say it would be before it mattered enough to damage anyone, but that was such a blatant lie even she couldn't sell it.

It already mattered.

Besides, maybe he hadn't meant it. Given the sudden curse he had all but shouted in the store as she left, maybe it had been a slip of the tongue, out of habit. He'd probably had girlfriends before after all, so it could have just been a dumb slip of the tongue. Maybe it didn't mean anything. Yet what if it did? What would she do then? He had promised to be there, no matter what, to let her take her time figuring this out, but could she really throw that in his face? Would it even matter if she did? She didn't want to be a hated obligation again after all.

What should she do?

It was then that her phone chimed and she quickly pulled it from her pocket, eager for something - anything - to push her thoughts away.

New message from Lucas Blacke.

She swallowed hard, hesitating a moment before answering it. Yet once she'd read the text, all her worries melted away. She rolled her eyes at the pet name he called her and smiled at the part where he said he was missing her already. It was stupid and sappy, but it also made her happy. It was nice to be missed instead of forgotten for once.

"Hey, take a right outta the store. I'm by the fountain right now. Haven't seen anything I liked yet."

Zo bit her lip a moment before sending a second text.

"Better hurry up. Wouldn't want you to miss me too much"

Content with her choice for the moment, she took a seat on the edge of the fountain wall and waited for him to find her. After all, much as she tried to convince herself that nothing had changed with that one word, she knew she couldn't believe it until he was here with her again.

[Lucas Blacke]

The moment he had left the store in a blind manner just to keep the stream of people behind him moving, he had shot her a message instead of going looking for her. In his mind she could have gone home so looking for her would be next to pointless at this time. He did realize he was her ride, but also that she probably brought money if she wanted to buy something and would be able to ride the bus home or something, or 'convince' someone to give her a ride.

So when he got the message telling him she was still at the mall his heart stopped jumping around like a possessed person, boy was he nervous. She told him where she was and that she hadn't seen anything she liked yet, that she was at a pretty visible spot were people would often meet.

''Aight, right outta the store..'' He mumbled softly to himself as he abruptly turned around and walked in the opposite direction, nearly crashing into the people behind him. A quick apology from him paired with a smile made sure it was okay as he moved on to where Zo said she was as he suddenly got a second message. Because he for some reason held his phone to his chest he could feel the vibration over a large portion of it and instantly brought it up to loook at what he got. He figured it was spam, some sort of viagra scam or something, or worse. His parents.

But it wasn't. It was a message from her, and seeing her name made his heart jump. She messaged him instead of him having to message her! And the content of the message was even more exhillerating. His pace sped up a bit as he read the message and a smile came over his face involuntarily. He almost shot back a text but figured that'd be too much, he was almost there anyway.

As he came upon the area she said she was in he walked up to the fountain casually and sat down next to Zo. ''See anythin' ya like now?'' He asked her.

'''Coz I do.''

[Zoelle Heroux]

Zo stared at the screen of her phone for a few moments after she sent the second text, wondering if he'd text back or just show up. Finally she slipped her phone back into her pocket and took to just glancing around her as she waited.

Naturally though, her mind drifted back to the very thoughts she was trying to avoid. Why hadn't she fled? Part of her still wanted to after all. There was no way that she could handle that sort of relationship - it wasn't in her nature. But she was surprised to find that the part of herself that thought that way was a small minority.

After all, Luke understood her better than anyone. Maybe that wasn't saying much since he didn't know her all that well yet, but he knew what it meant to have those walls, to put on that act. That was more than most - well, any really - got. If there was ever a chance for her, surely this was it, right? She didn't want to mess it up.

It was then that she caught sight of him, and an involuntary smile immediately appeared on her face. It was strange how just seeing him brought some kind of comfort. He sat beside her and his words made her feel a little... giddy even.

"Hmmm... funny you should ask," she began, feigning surprise. As she spoke, her hand slid around to rest at the back of his neck, her body angling towards him. "Matter of fact, something just caught my eye," she continued with a small grin. She punctuated her words by pulling his face down to hers, kissing him for a long moment. In part because she wanted the small amount of comfort that contact seemed to offer, but mostly because the physical was their foundation. If things had changed between them because of that word... she'd surely sense it in his kiss far easier than she would hear it in his words. After all, he was an actor too.

She pulled back finally, not removing her hand though and still lingering close. She didn't care about the people around them - after all, teens kissing in the mall was an entirely commonplace scene. Her eyes met his as she spoke, her voice a touch softer than normal. "So, what now?"

[Lucas Blacke]

As he took his seat next to his queen he couldn't help but smile at his own question and the way she responded to it by reaching over and sliding her hand over to the back of his neck, telling him that she saw something she liked. He obviously knew that he was that something as she pulled his face down toward hers, and in that small moment he caught the look in her eyes and would bet his life on it that she was the one. How he knew that from just looking at eyes he didn't quite know, but eyes did a lot of things and lying was not among them.

His mind went over lots of his previous thoughts in that small moment, working at the speed she enabled him to, going over individual words and whatever they were. It was obvious to him that he had a need for more, hence the slip ups, but truthfully he didn't mind waiting. It wasn't like she wanted to save herself or anything. Thoughts went back to the word he'd used before and how he was sure Zo would hate it, or at the very least dislike it. And as expected she showed nothing of either emotion, Luke had been convincing himself of the fact she wouldn't show anything and just keep it buried deep inside.

A kiss jolted him back into reality as he instantly began to kiss back, not really figuring out why she did this and even wondering why he thought she needed a reason to do this. Perhaps it had something to do with what he had just called her. He really hoped it wouldn't keep haunting him, and perhaps it was even better to just explain it, or even simply address it to prevent misunderstandings.

As she pulled back he found his head slightly following hers as he didn't expect an end so soon. He swallowed and licked his lips instead of kissing her again though, and a soft exhale would make sure she'd know of his intent even if he didn't follow up on it. ''Zo,'' He said as he ignored what she just asked. ''Sorry for what I called ya. It- it is a need I have.'' He hesitated a slight moment and pulled back some more as he threw his gaze down a bit.

After a few seconds he looked up at her and continued. ''I'm fully prepared to wait for ya, even if ya never find what yer lookin' for.. But I..'' He shut up and kissed her.

''..I like ya, Zo.''

[Zoelle Heroux]

He returned her kiss instantly and for a moment all she could feel was relief. There was no awkwardness there, he wasn't holding back... Maybe that word was really just a word after all, because this felt as natural between them as it always had. She sunk into the kiss a moment longer, letting herself truly enjoy it.

Finally she did pull back though, and the way his lips started to follow hers as though he was reluctant to stop did make her smile. He exhaled softly and they were still close enough for her to feel his breath on her skin. She had always been comfortable with the physical, but this sort of closeness went beyond that. Still, despite all odds, she found it rather comforting.

His words through her off a little though, but she listened intently without pulling back, her hand still resting at the back of his neck. She couldn't help but feel that dread rising up in her again though as he said it was a need of his. Was he saying this wasn't working? Could she ever be that to him? He looked away and she thought for sure that the worst was coming, even despite his promise to her just minutes earlier. After all, a person could rarely deny their needs.

When he spoke again though, her eyes widened in surprise. He was willing to wait? It baffled her why he would say that. She sure as hell wasn't worth that kind of effort. She wasn't anything special. But then he kissed her again and though her reaction was a moment delayed, she couldn't help but return the kiss.

Once the kiss broke, she couldn't help but smile even with all the conflict she felt within. "I like you too, Luke..." she said softly. All the while her mind was racing to process everything he had just said.

Zo knew she should argue - try to help him see the truth. Try to make him understand. Try to change his mind. It was what would be best for both of them in the end.

Yet she couldn't do that. She couldn't push him away. She liked him too much to hurt him that way. To hurt herself that way. It was a mistake, and some day she would probably regret it. It might just break her when this went wrong after all, and surely that was inevitable. But right now she didn't care. She was too weak to let go.

"I want to be what you need me to be, Luke," she answered softly after a pause. "I just don't know if I can..." She filled the silence that followed with a kiss - softer and shorter than the ones before. "But I'll try. If you're willing to wait, then I'm willing to try to get there."

[Lucas Blacke]

When she listened to him talk he could clearly see her emotions even if she wanted to hide them. He didn't know what they were exactly, but she couldn't hide from him, and she didn't have to. Oh how he had been wanting to tell her how he felt, he had a speech and everything. Okay, not so much a speech as a general knowledge of what he wanted to address, and he would make sure she'd see it the way he did even if it took him multiple days of straight talking. But right now he just felt glad that she took the time to listen instead of running away like Luke figured she might.

She decided against what she would normally do, so would Luke. When she spoke the words in reaction to his though he couldn't help but smile widely even as she kissed him. She'd try to be what he wanted because he was willing to wait. To some it'd just be a simple trade but to them, or to Luke it wasn't. She was going to try, is what he chose to single out, and that was one major step to take, one he'd be around for. And if eyes really did convey anything, they would say just that as he looked at her.

''Even if ya can't..'' He began but paused before he continued. It wasn't particularly hard to finish that thought but it was best left unspoken. He was sure she'd make it work so that comment would just be wasted time he could be spending on better things. Like kissing her. Which he did the moment he paused himself, he dropped his bag on his foot to prevent the CDs from being damaged and put both his hands on hers, squeezing softly as he kissed her gently. ''As long as yer with me.'' He finally said.

''Now lets go an' find ya some skimpy outfits for me to buy ya.'' He said as he got up, grabbed his bag and held out his hand for Zo to take.

[Zoelle Heroux]

The smile he gave her when she responded was enough to make it all worth it right there. It was strange how something so simply could make her believe she had made the right choice, even if she knew that choice would all too likely destroy her. Even so, she couldn't help but smile back at him.

A tight feeling began to grow as he started to address if she couldn't, but then his words cut off, instead replaced with a kiss. Part of her was anxious to know how that sentence ended, but she couldn't help but think that if there had to be a pause, this was the best way to fill it. Her hand still rested at the back of his neck, her fingers tracing feather light patterns there. Meanwhile, his two hands wrapped around hers, squeezing gently even as they kissed.

As he pulled back, she sucked lightly on his lip, reluctant to put distance between them. Yet the words that followed helped ease that all too well. "That sounds easy enough," she said softly, a shy sort of smile coming to her lips. Being with him was exactly where she wanted to be after all. She knew that staying probably wouldn't always be as easy as it sounded, but for now at least, that was one thing she knew she could do.

She laughed as he suddenly stood up, proclaiming it was time to get her some new outfits. Zo reached out for his offered hand and rose to her feet. "Oh, so you're buying now?" she teased, not really taking him seriously. After all, why would he really want to do that? "Wait, and who said anything about skimpy?" she added after a moment. Not that she was inherently opposed to the idea, but that wasn't about to stop her from giving him a hard time about it anyway. Most of all though, she was grateful for how easy it was for them to go from such a serious, sincere talk to this sort of playful teasing. It was that thought that turned her smirk to a smile.

[Lucas Blacke]

She was just acting right? This whole thing was just a play. Probably. There was no way this could be real, it was fun but it wasn't real. He hoped it was real and did most everything he could to make it appear real, for him it was easier done than said, but she needed time. Time for what, exactly? He didn't dare ask out of fear she'd feel rushed and stop things all together. The only upside to it not being real was that he did feel happy with her despite it being nothing more than an act. He stifled a sigh as she still touched him and feigned a smile as he saw hers. There was nowhere he'd rather be, but that wasn't saying much was it?

Why though, why did he feel the need to label it, as if it needed a name to be? It was like he said, girlfriend or not, they were still together. Real or not, the days together still counted. When he finally stood up and she took his hand her words pulled him out of his own self-destruct sequence and forced him back to reality. ''My money, my choice.'' He replied. ''Why'd ya think I'm payin'?'' A stuck out tongue indicated that he was joking, if only slightly. It'd probably be her choice too, and she'd get a free outfit out of it so he didn't think she'd be complaining.

And like that they had gone from painfully serious to playfully them. He enjoyed that they could do that, yet it was giving rise to the idea this was all just a joke. And who was the target of this joke? Surely the one who tried to make the joke work, right? Zo had been smart enough to keep her distance, as if she knew this couldn't be.

Perhaps Lucas should do the same.

[Zoelle Heroux]

Zo still had trouble believing this was happening. For all her confidence, she didn't think a whole lot of herself, which really made a good portion of it bravado. When it came to things like this... usually she was so good at keeping people at a distance, it was never an issue. None of them ever even tried. Yet Luke did. She still couldn't understand why, but he kept pushing for more. That was just enough to make her think that maybe this could be worth it. Just maybe, he was different.

Whether or not she could admit it, she was in way over her head already. No matter what they called it, she was hopelessly entangled in this - in them.

Everything shifted then, and she followed suit with ease. She was surprised as he insisted on his money - no one had ever bought anything for her before. Still, she wasn't about to say no. She stuck out her tongue in return, even as her mind tried to figure out why he'd do such a thing. "We'll see about that," she teased back. "I'm sure I can find lot's of things that will make you drool."

Her hand squeezed his, still holding it and finding she was rather reluctant to let go. "Come on then, let's shop," she added with a wink, gently tugging him forward, her hand still in his.

[Lucas Blacke]

''Aye.'' He responded with a smile as she said there was lots to tease him with in terms of clothing ''But clothin' holds that much more oomph when there's a Zoelle inside them.'' A tongue found its way out of his mouth and showed her that he was joking, which he obviously was. ''I'm lyin' of course. Clothin' looks the best on the floor.'' He said with a wink as he squeezed her hand as she did his and bumped against her on 'accident', grabbing a hold of her other hand as he did so. He kissed the tip of her nose before letting one side of her go, keeping the other hand in his with no intention of letting go. She didn't falter, neither would he. Maybe it was a joke and it would be on him, but he'd see it through till the end.

He motioned for her to lead him to whatever store she fancied, and he kind of really hoped it was a clothing store. He'd often see men waiting on women to just get it over with, but Luke would enjoy the wait and enjoy seeing the form he so enjoyed in new clothes. He also couldn't wait taking them off when they returned. Enough things would happen to warrant that, he knew as much.

''Let's go in 'ere!'' He said as he came to a halt in front of a shop, forcing Zo to come to a halt as well as he was still holding her hand. ''Maybe we can find a lil' som' som', y'know?'' He nudged her slightly as he exaggerated a wink her way. ''I've always fancied girls in leather.''

He almost forced her to enter a sex shop with him. But he waited a second before doing that though, he wasn't sure how far she was willing to go.

[Zoelle Heroux]

"Damn straight!" she agreed with a laugh as he declared that clothes looked better on her. Which of course turned into an eyeroll as he added to his statement. "That's where you prefer them you mean. A completely different topic than where they look best," she corrected. "You were right the first time, things always look better on me. It just brings them that much closer to perfection," she said with a laugh. She was half kidding. After all, she knew that she looked good and she wasn't shy about admitting it, and why should she be really?

He took her by surprise then as he bumped into her, only to grab her other hand and pull her closer for a moment, placing a kiss on her nose before releasing one hand so they could fall back into standing side by side. He didn't let go of her other hand though, and her only respond was to intertwine her fingers through his with a small squeeze.

They started walking then, and her gaze flitted from here to there, looking for a store she wanted to go in. All the while, she couldn't help but be so conscious of how close they were - not that that was a bad thing in the least. She rather liked the constant contact between them, though it surprised her that she did. Of course, Luke and the things she felt and thought around him were constantly surprising her.

He came to a sudden stop, which in turn jerked her to a halt as well. She looked first at him and then at the shop in question in surprise though that quickly turned to a laugh. "Of course, you would." She shifted so she was standing in front of him, raising an eyebrow as he commented about girls in leather. "I'll be sure to keep that in mind," she purred. "But right now, we're not looking for lingerie, not today at least." A small smirk came to her lips. "After all, you've barely seen what I already own," she added with a wink.

After all, she wasn't a prude by any means, but she was kind of enjoying doing things that didn't completely revolve around sex for once. That was extremely rare for her.

"Come on, let's keep looking," she said with a smirk and a gentle tug of his hand.

[Lucas Blacke]

He supposed she was right, another point for her he assumed. He never had been one for thinking, and that was quite possibly the reason he had gotten so far. Even with all his promises he didn't think that far ahead. Sure, he knew they'd be a couple eventually with the passage of time, but thinking about more than that in terms of future plans? His band had been one of them, but other than that everything had failed him, hence his decree not to think about the future all that much anymore. Instead he'd just enjoy the present, or wanted to as he couldn't help but think about those nasty what-ifs. Like him doing something Zo wouldn't quite like, or her doing something he wouldn't like. That last one was a strange thought, he figured with a gently squeeze as their fingers locked, he couldn't ever see her doing anything to upset him.

But there was also the idea of it being nothing but an elaborate joke, but what where the odds of that being true? So she acted, big deal. If what he had seen before in his own room was the real her it'd make sense if this was nothing but real. Something he wanted very badly, thhough feared at times.

He finally shook his head as she said they weren't looking for lingerie and that he hadn't seen everything she owned yet. ''Obviously I haven't.'' He laughed. ''I'd rather see ya without clothes anyway, ya know this to be the truth.''

''Okay miss.'' He finally (and playfully) sighed as she said they should keep looking. Really though, he didn't quite know what she liked so they could've already passed stuff she liked. Weirdly enough he didn't know all that much about her yet.

[Zoelle Heroux]

He seemed a little disappointed as she pulled him away from the store, or maybe he was distracted by something else since he didn't respond to her banter either. But she refused to dwell on it. They were supposed to be having fun after all.

Zo smirked as he said he preferred her without clothes anyway - that was certainly true. "Well I can hardly argue that, now can I?" Even when they were just relaxing in one of their rooms they were usually in various stages of undress. "But if we start going out in public more, you'll have to see me fully dressed at least sometimes," she teased back, wondering if he'd pick up on the message in her words. After all, they were enjoying themselves so far here - at least she thought they were - so it wasn't so crazy to think maybe they could go out from time to time. They managed to have plenty of fun in the dorms of course, but a little change now and then could be nice too.

When he agreed - albeit with a sigh - to keep looking, she stood on her tip toes to give him a quick kiss. "Oh, I don't think you'll be disappointed," she assured him, hoping she was right. They resumed their walking then, though they didn't get much farther until she was pulling him into a store. It was a clothing store and though it catered plenty to the typical girly crowd, it also stocked some alternative clothes that were more to her style.

"Okay, rules," she said as she turned to look at him. "You can pick things out, but I swear if you pick anything frilly or pastel, I might have to punch you. Got it?" She was grinning but there was a look in her eyes that was at least half serious. She might not actually punch him, but she wouldn't try anything like that on, that was for sure. After all, she was much more a dark and neon kind of girl, as he should well know by now.

[Lucas Blacke]

Out in public more? This was actually the one thing he had caught from that and it chimed over and over again. Did this mean they were a thing? Maybe things had really gone faster than he realized, but she seemed so hesitant? Was this really what she wanted? Luke would oblige no questions asked, but the questions left un-asked would still haunt him on a daily basis, though maybe that'd get less with time. ''I suppose.'' He jokingly said with a shrug when he finally dropped his act and turned to her with widened eyes. ''Sometimes? Best news I've had all day!'' Though he was sure this wasn't what he should have been responding to, though he was sure he dropped enough hints to let her know he felt the same.

They were having fun, and what started out as a simple arrangement on being friends with benefits had quickly grown out into what he thought was way more than he could ever have conceived. And to preserve the fun they were having outside of the bedroom or any other place they enjoyed they'd have to spend time together. He knew it and apparently so did she, unless this was just some lonely guy looking to much into something he thought he heard.

''Rules?'' He asked as he got pulled into a store with a flinch and him sticking out his tongue in disgust. ''The pink though. It friggin' hurts my eyes.'' He half-joked. ''What kinda hell did ya drag me into, woman?'' A slight nudge to make her realize he was just joking. And as she continued on with the rules he nodded sheepishly, a slight chuckle leaving him as he heard that she'd punch him if he picked something frilly or pastel. Instantly, and obviously, his eyes scanned the store for things frilly and pastel. Nothing like a bit of violence to get the juices going, right?

''Oh my fuckin' god.'' He interrupted her as he suddenly pointed to what he saw behind her. A black shirt with a colorful ribcage on it. ''I'd so play with yer ribs.''

[Zoelle Heroux]

Zo rolled her eyes at his antics, but her smile gave her away. She leaned closer to him, bumping against him lightly. She hoped he knew that she was being sincere with him and she hoped he understood just what that meant for her. Her mask and act was a permanent part of her... except with him. That was no small thing. She thought that he got that about her, but there was no real way to know for sure.

So she did the impossible. She tried to just trust it. At least for now.

At first, she wasn't sure if his reaction to the clothing store was genuine or not, but the playful nudge that accompanied his words had her letting out a small breath of relief. "Haha, you're such a guy," she teased back. Truthfully, she wasn't a fan of pink either, but for some reason most stores seemed to think that's what girls wanted.

Still, as she laid out her condition, she could see the idea spark in his eyes. He was going to be difficult just to annoy her and pick out something she would never wear in a million years. What she wasn't sure of was if he was doing it because he thought she wouldn't punch him for it or because he thought she would. She wasn't entirely sure which option she preferred either.

But before she had a chance to start glancing around the store for something - anything - that was her style, he caught her attention. As it was, it seemed that Luke found it first. She turned around to look at what she was pointing at and she had to admit, she actually did like it. Still, his comment earned a dubious look. "That sounds sort of creepy you know," she teased as she walked over to the display and picked out her size. "It is pretty cute though," she agreed. "Alright, I'll try it on. Here, hold." After all, if he was going to shop with her, she would going to take full advantage.