MR. PERFECTLY FINE ; LUKE HUGHES

18

˗ˏˋ꒰ 🍒 ꒱ you're the closest to heaven that i'll ever be
THE GOO GOO DOLLS^

LUKE

BEING WITH Lorelei has taught me a lot, especially about myself. I never once was an avid reader, in fact, the last book I fully read was The Great Gatsby junior year of high school. Other than that, footnotes were my best friend.

My teammates would use the term simp when they described my adoration for Lorelei, I on the other hand, called it, spending time. I liked her, a lot. There was no doubt in my mind, but I was a guy and I'd never fully admit it to a group of twenty year old boys.

With my sport being inside, on ice, I never spent much time outside. Other than during the summer on my brother and I's boat, doing some kind of workout, or playing a sport. Never could I imagined I'd be having a picnic on center quad.

It wasn't exactly picnic weather, you couldn't go outside without a jacket and the wind picked up to extreme speeds, but Lorelei mentioned she loved picnics, so here we were.

I looked down, watching her lay her head against my chest, sitting in my lap with her knees tucked to her chest.

"Are you cold?" I asked. She peered up at me, the faint blush on her cheeks indicating she was.

She shook her head, crossing her arms over her chest as she leaned into me more. "Not really. I love this weather."

"You love the cold?" I cocked a brow. I was being a full fledged hater, I loved the fall because of hockey, and the summer for spending time at the lake house. But being out in the cold like this, fuck no.

She shrugged, picking a strawberry out of the container she had brought. "Yeah. I love winter. It's just so..."

"Let me guess, romantic?" I cut her off, feeling her nudge my ribcage with a snort.

"Shut up." She rolled her eyes. "It's like the definition of romance season. Hello, have you ever heard of Hallmark?"

I bit my bottom lip, shaking my head. Lorelei was special, I had never met someone with such passion for everything. It's like, she always knew what to say. She always saw the best in people. After all, she's into me.

"I've actually never watched a Hallmark movie in my life." I admitted, leaning on my palms as she widened her eyes, looking back at me.

Lorelei looked offended as she scowled at me. "You've never seen a Hallmark movie? Like, ever?"

I shook my head again with a click of my tongue. "Never in all my nineteen years of living. It's not really something I'm into."

"Yeah because you watch stupid sports all the time." She shot back. "There's no enjoyment."

"You're sounding like a hypocrite there, Lo." I squeezed her hip gently. "You did come to one of my games. Need I say, you looked very intrigued."

Lorelei scrunched her nose with a soft laugh. "In your wildest dreams, Lukey. I was actually dragged to go along. Why would I want to watch you?"

I tipped my head down to kiss the corner of her mouth, her hand raking through the curls at the nape of my neck as she smiled widely at me.

"You're so beautiful." I said, I was thinking the words. I always was, since the first day I met her.

Lorelei furrowed her brows slightly, flicking her dark eyes between mine. "You mean it?"

"Why wouldn't I?" I chuckled, bringing my hand to tuck the loose strands falling from her updo. "You don't compare to anyone I've ever met."

"Isn't that a bad thing, though?" Lorelei looked down, her cheery demeanor seeming to die down.

I blinked, I had never seen this side of her, ever. And frankly, I fucking hated seeing her like this. "Lo. Look at me." I grabbed her chin, forcing her to look at me. "There's no one like you. No girl on this planet could ever compete with you."

Lorelei jutted her bottom lip out and I wanted to know what she was thinking.

"Why are you doing this? Why do you wanna be with me, Luke?" She asked, throwing me completely for a loop.

I contemplated what to say, feeling like I was walking on eggshells. This was all still new for me, for her.

"I've never met someone like you before." I shook my head, smoothing out my chin. "You're full of ambition and you love things that a lot of people don't. I mean, while everyone here is out partying, you're researching a novelist that died three fucking decades ago."

Lorelei cracked a small smile at me. "I just feel like we're opposites."

"Opposites attract, don't they?" I hummed, pressing my thumbs into the back of her shoulders.

She shuddered at the feeling, tilting her head back to lock eyes with me. "Yeah, I guess they do. Can we at least set one rule?"

I furrowed my brows, confused. "What would that be?"

"Don't fall in love with me." She grinned, narrowing her dark eyes at me.

I parted my lips, darting my eyes over her features, taking them in. I pursed my lips with a shrug. "What happens if I do? Will we go out Romeo and Juliet style?"

"Absolutely not." She chuckled, turning her head to place a kiss in the crook of my neck. If kisses could linger, it would tattooed onto my skin.

"Why not? Too sad?" I scrunched my nose, thinking back to the romance film I barely remembered.

Lorelei clicked her tongue with a short nod. "I'd prefer if we didn't go out like that."

when is it my turn