Wherever You Are // A Luke Hemmings fanfiction

Part 5

“Squeeze your hand?” I repeated in surprise, looking down at our intertwined fingers. I groaned as the plane rocked violently and gripped her hand tightly. “Take deep breaths and just look at me,” she murmured quietly, leaning in so close her forehead was practically pressing against mine.

I did as she said, trying to focus on her face instead of the harsh way the plane was moving. I knew the other boys were probably going to tease me about it later, but I could feel my body relaxing as she used her thumb to rub soothing circles on the back of my hand. Once my heartbeat had returned to normal, I let out a shaky breath, releasing my tight grip on her small hand. “Thanks.”

She smiled at me, the dimple in her cheek showing as she did so, and my eyes widened as I saw the crescent-shaped indents in her hand. “Oh god, I’m so sorry, Mik –” “Don’t be,” she said, touching my forearm lightly. “We’re all scared of something, Luke. It’s nothing to worry about.”

I nodded, leaning back and plugging my headphones into my armrest as Mikki turned back to face Ashton, asking him what movie they were going to watch first. As the titles for Pursuit of Happiness rolled onto their screens I snuck a quick look at her; she’d been willing to help calm me down despite all the bickering we did. Mikki Anderson really didn’t make it easy for a guy to get over her, did she?

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I glanced over at Mikki next to me, her eyes fixed on the screen of her TV as she absentmindedly ran her fingers through the soft tufts of hair on Ashton’s head, which was currently resting on her lap as he snored gently. She was watching Glee, and though we all teased her, I did secretly love when she made us watch it with her. It had become a guilty pleasure of mine, the same way Mean Girls had. Her eyelids kept fluttering shut, and I felt my heart pang for her. Mikki struggled sleeping on flights; she always had done, sometimes staying awake for entire journeys across the globe.

As she ran a hand through her long, brown hair, I caught a glimpse of the slim Marc Jacobs watch on her wrist, the leather strap and the silver faced one Ashton had bought her for her 16th birthday, and my eyes widened as I saw the time, which was still set to American time, despite the fact we’d been on the plane for three hours.

“Mik,” I said softly, nudging her with my elbow. She paused her show, pulling an earplug out of her ear and turning her head slightly to face me. “Happy birthday.” She blinked in confusion, her brow furrowed slightly, and I laughed lightly, tapping the face of the watch on her wrist. “It’s just gone midnight in Australia. You’re eighteen now.” Her eyes lit up, her lips curling into a massive grin as she looked down at it herself. “Oh my god, you’re right. Thank you!”

“Happy birthday, Mikki!” Mikey and Calum chimed in unison, pausing whatever game they were playing on their Nintendo DSs to come over and lean over Ashton’s sleeping form to give her a quick hug. At the sound of their voices, Ashton lifted his head, smiling groggily at his best friend and planting a kiss on her cheek, his voice husky from sleep. “Happy birthday, baby girl. Love you.”

As Mikki planted a kiss on the top of his head, before he fell asleep on her lap once again, I felt another wave of jealousy wash over me. This time it wasn’t even just the friendly kisses, I was jealous that Ashton could openly display his affection for her, yet I couldn’t. “Sorry you’re spending your eighteenth birthday on a plane with us,” I said. “We’ll give you your presents when we land in Dubai for the stopover. We promise, it won’t be that bad.”