years later | winnie & oerba

[sunflower fairy]

His mind had been successfully distracted from the recent incident, and it settled on his resentment toward his parents.. He held resentment for every single family member. Luca's siblings would have rather kept kept allowance rather than stick up for him. They were his successful replacements, and everyone seemed perfectly content with pretending he hadn't existed anymore. Luca's self-hatred issues were born from a place of neglect and loneliness. Even when he had someone like Drew by his side, he couldn't stop that prolonging feeling of hopelessness. He only ever wanted to be loved by his parents.

Being truthful seemed to do little good for Luca, and he regretted sharing so much with Drew. Despite her appreciation of being confided in, Luca never felt any comfort from talking about his problems.. He performed better when he just hid them and listened to other people rant about their struggles. "When don't you know something's up?" he teased, watching Drew lean back and relax. He was afraid to move any closer to her, not wanting to spark another awkward interaction. "I need a drink all this talking is hurting my head."

A scoff slipped from his mouth and Luca quickly coughed, trying to cover up his exasperation. He didn't know if he would've felt comfortable going to Drew. His entire high school career was a fabrication to get others to believed he had the life others wanted. Even when it came to Drew, some things were just better left untold or lied about. Luca's ego couldn't bear all the pressure of coming from a dysfunctional family. "No, there are some times you'd push me away," Luca playfully retorted, referencing her literal push away from their kiss.

Seeing Drew curled up in a ball brought a smile to Luca's face and for a moment he had hope that he could be happy. But that was just wishful thinking. "I embarrassed myself enough tonight, I think it's your turn to share a long buried secret," Luca challenged, his eyes darting away from the brunette. He hadn't wanted Drew to think anything of his staring..

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[winnie]

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Drew managed a small smile, hearing Luca talk about needing a drink. "You've had enough for one night, I think," she told him. The last thing she wanted was another awkward encounter, even if the last one hadn't exactly been unpleasant. Just... unexpected. Perhaps if he were sober she might not have pulled away. She couldn't really tell though. Right now she was trying not to think about it.

Instead she focused on his words, talking about her oushing him away. She had a confused look on her face. It took her a few moments but she eventually realised that he was talking about a while ago when he had kissed her. "Oh shut up," she murmured, grabbing the nearest pillow and tossing it at him. "That's very different and you know it," she said with a chuckle. This was how she remembered them being, back when they were in high school. Except of course, the topic of discussion was never a kiss between them.

When Luca suggested Drew share something for a change, she hesitated. She didn't really have many secrets that she kept — she even told him that she liked him back when she had feelings for him — though there was one topic she wanted to stray away from. It seemed unfair considering he had just told her the truth of why he left but she reminded herself i was because she had asked. So she would answer what he would ask.

"Alright," she nodded. That was fair. "Ask me whatever you want and i will be completely honest with you," she responded, sitting upright now, more alert. Her sleepiness had faded somewhat but she knew it would return soon.
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[sunflower fairy]

Seven shots of vodka was not enough to get Luca buzzed. When he drank, it was to get completely fucking wasted.. In actuality, he would have preferred to have two or three more drinks. Perhaps this whole rejection thing would have been easier to deal with, then. "Not enough," Luca countered. He could practically feel the smooth substance slip down his throat. But he doubted Drew kept any alcohol in her apartment.. just more fucking coffee. It was then that he realized Drew probably hadn't drunken any alcohol. She had been working, and he didn't remember her as much of a drinker.

The pillow Drew threw softly landed square in his chest, and he let out a deep laugh. "No, no, you're right," Luca relented, throwing his hands up in a mock surrender. "We wouldn't want you taking advantage of me or anything," he replied, a smirk evident on his face. "Or was the taste of alcohol too much for you?" Luca prodded, enjoying the upper hand he had seemed to gain. It was Drew's turn to be embarrassed.. Although, his intentions were purely playful.

It was nice that they were joking. And a good sign that perhaps he hadn't doomed their friendship. Ultimately, that was all that mattered. Luca wondered how many things Drew had kept hidden from him. To be fair, there was plenty of things Drew still didn't know. Like that chick's pregnancy or his first attempt at running away, to name a few. He highly even doubted she knew about his asthma, as he was intent on keeping that humiliating tid-bit a secret. "Whatever I want? This seems like too much power," Luca purred, his eyes brightening at the proposal.

She seemed to be a little more on edge, now that he was about to interrogate her. But there was only one thing Luca could think to ask. "You know you're little -- er -- infatuation with me back in the day? I wanna know more about it. When did you realize it was a thing? ..When had it stopped being a thing?" Luca pried, his narcissism kicking in. It was hard to believe that a girl like Drew could even entertain the idea of being with him. He wanted to make sense of it. And possibly figure out where he went wrong.
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[winnie]

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Drew scoffed. "Me? Take advantage of you?" She knew he was only joking but there was no reason she couldn't play along. "You'd need to get me drunk too if I were to ever do that," she replied, smiling playfully as she looked at him. It felt good to slowly slip back into old habits though she was a bit more confident now than she had been in high school.

Drew didn't think there would be anything else other than what was already on her mind that she would feel uncomfortable talking to Luca about but now, as he asked his question, she realised that this very topic, despite having confessed to him years ago how she felt, made her slightly uncomfortable -- mainly embarrassed because she had been rebuffed the first time she ever took initiative and admitted she liked someone. Her best friend. She probably dug her own social grave with that one, and for the longest time, she though it was what had led Luca to leave without even contacting her and staying in touch.

"Well," she cleared her throat before continuing. "I kind of realised during junior year. The start of it, actually." Which meant she went a whole year just pining after him before she actually said anything to him. That went without saying though so she didn't explicitly state it. She knew he would already understand that but she felt like addressing it aloud made her even more pathetic.

"As for when it ended... well, not long after you left," she explained. That part wasn't so hard to come clean about since she had already been pretty clear with him as to what her feelings were about him leaving. "I held a lot of anger and resentment because you weren't around and you didn't even say anything and eventually, it sort of overpowered the other feelings I had for you till ultimately, they all vanished." And that was the point that she had moved on. Now that they met again, she felt like she was back in high school, but before junior year. Before she realised she liked him.

"Why is this important anyway?" She asked with a sheepish smile. "You just want to see my squirm don't you?"
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[sunflower fairy]

The scoff that left Drew terrified Luca. He was sure he had somehow fucked everything up again and she was preparing to tell him off. But her next words were to harsh to be Drew's truth. His hard expression quickly melted into a playful grin when he realized she was joking with him. "Aha! So, you would take advantage of me, hm? Alcohol lowers your inhibitions, but it doesn't make you do anything you don't want to," Luca countered, his eyes brightening with his victory. "Which means that you're a terrible person."

Luca listened intently to Drew talk, his brows furrowing in concentration as he tried to imagine junior year. He would have never suspected that she had a thing for him.. Did Drew just hide her feelings that well or was he that fucking oblivious? Luca never noticed a shift in the relationship before he left, and through his eyes their friendship was exactly the same junior year as it had been in middle school. And Drew had apparently held hope that he felt the same, which meant that he also could have been misleading. Yes, Luca had occasionally flirted with her but it was never serious and it was something he had done for as long as he could remember.

On one hand, it hurt that Drew managed to move on so quickly. On the other, it made complete sense and it would be selfish of him to hope that you life had been on pause when he left. "I guess I hadn't really thought about it," his voice started to fade, drenched in sorrow. Luca had truly been a bad friend and there was nothing he could do to fix that. He was unsure if he had the capability to be a good friend to Drew and treat how right. He clasped his hands together, trying to distract himself from his regret.

"Oh, you know me too well," Luca mused. "It is pretty entertaining when you squirm." But that wasn't the reason he had asked. His curiosity had taken over, replaced by irrationality and impulse. Just as it had when he wanted to kiss Drew. Luca's emotional takeovers would be his downfall; he was sure of that. "I'm sorry, Drew. About everything. Things would have been a lot different if.." he trailed off, not wanting to finish his sentence. If he had returned her feelings. He could have had a chance at being happy. Maybe he would have stayed and she would have been the one to make him want to start a family. But Luca was alone. He was alone and daydreaming about a girl he had lost a long time ago.

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[winnie]

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Drew shrugged slightly. She hadn't really expected him to think about it. Half the time she worried that she was being too obvious while the other half was spent wondering if Luca could ever feel the same way about her. She had doubted it then and she doubted it now, but more so now considering she had already seen his reaction to finding out the news of her feelings for him. Of course, it had hurt -- a lot -- and paired with him leaving, and her parents dying, it had all been bunched together to be one big mess, but it was better now. Things were better.

Drew managed a small smile, seeing Luca agree to wanting to make her squirm, but even she knew before she even asked the question that he probably wondered this the moment she confessed to him how she felt. He'd always been impulsive. He usually spoke without thinking. That had never been a problem for Drew, yet it still made her ask that question.

"Things would have been different if what?" She prodded when he trailed off, unable to complete his sentence. there were many things she'd like to use to fill in the gap, but in her eyes there was only one clear answer and she imagined he suppressed saying it to spare her feelings. "If I had kept my mouth shut and never said anything?" She continued for him, letting out a soft chuckle that lacked humour. "Yeah, I was a stupid sixteen year old with a crush and thought Id actually have a chance with one of the most well known guys in school." Now that she looked back on it she wondered what she was thinking. She and Luca may have been best friends, but they were on two spectrums in high school. Tall, curvy and pretty looked good on his arm, not short, skinny and, for lack of any other word, adorable.

"It's fine, Luca," she eventually said with a small shrug. "I've come a long way since then so it doesn't matter. All I want to do is reconnect because if you want the same thing then who am I to turn down the offer?" She smiled at him, getting more comfortable and leaning back against the pillows. "It was a long time ago anyway," Drew let out a small yawn before continuing. "I promise, I won't make a fool of myself again." Her eyelids were growing heavy. It was almost as if her head touching the pillow was what set things in motion. Before she knew it, her eyes had slid shut and her breathing steadied as she fell into a deep sleep in that very same position.
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[sunflower fairy]

Now it was Luca's turn to squirm as Drew prodded about what he had meant. He hadn't meant to say it aloud at all, but his thoughts and his words often intertwined without any warning. It was hard to control what came out and what stayed a thought, but he had been hoping that Drew would let him get away with his insensitive statement. A slight redness fell on his cheeks and he desperately hoped it was too dark to see, though he still threw his head in another direction to hide his embarrassment.

Her next words hurt more than Luca had anticipated, and the hollow chuckle she let out felt like punishment enough for all his bad deeds. Even though Drew had reminded him several times that she had moved on, he could sense hidden resentment that Drew was likely trying to deny. His hands threatened to reach out to her and comfort her. His voice struggled to hold back words of regret and longing. Instead, he forced a laugh. "No, that's not at all what I meant, Drew," he reassured. "If I stayed. Things would have been different if I stayed," Luca clarified, trying to ignore his guilt of lying to her once again. It was a white lie to ease Drew's anger, what bad could it be doing?

He thought about his next words carefully, though nothing he thought of seemed like the right thing to say. "I don't think it was stupid to think you had a chance.. Who knows maybe we would have gotten together. It was just bad timing. For the both of us, I think," Luca decided. "We were a good pair," he continued, a smirk displayed on his face. And he whole-heartedly believed that. It was an odd friendship, but it was born out of pure love and care for each other. Drew had always been the one reliable and stable thing in his life, and Luca was so grateful for that.

It was very long ago.. The two were both in better places -- somewhat -- and they were no longer stupid, irrational kids. They had grown up, despite the tragedy of being forced to do it separately. Luca deliberated her words, searching for a response that wouldn't upset her. "Maybe.. I think I'm willing to make a fool out of myself," he admitted. His heart dropped at the next words that came out of my mouth, "I think it was a mistake to reject you all those years ago, Drew. I lo-" Her steady breathing and stillness indicated she was asleep. He had been confessing to her while she had been sleeping. Luca somberly lifted himself from the bed, before gingerly placing a blanket over Drew.

It was a startling realization.. While Drew had been struggling with losing feelings for Luca, he had been unknowingly struggling with the opposite. All of the reminiscing of fond memories and regret had clouded his true feelings. And being thrown back into her presence had made him sure of one thing; he had loved Drew. Luca loved their shared memories, her genuine kindness, her shortness, he had loved her. And the painstaking truth was that he hadn't managed to rid of those feelings entirely. He wanted more than a reconnected friendship. And he had been on the verge of admitting that.

Stepping out of the room, Luca eyed the front door. Now would be his time to escape. He could leave in his car. He could return back to Europe and pretend this night had never happened. He could run away again. But that seemed so silly now. Luca didn't want to leave, he wanted to stay and start something anew.. with Drew by his side. So, he lay on her cramped couch and let his exhaustion take him away.

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[winnie]

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Drew woke up a little later than usual the next morning. She hadn't realised how exhausted she was. She had wanted to wake up early because she had a client to meet but that wasn't for a few hours. She'd just thought she could get some other work done in the mean time but now that would have to wait. Looking around, she thought, for a moment, that it was like any other day, till she threw off her blanket and saw she was still in last night's dress.

That was when she remembered Luca had stayed over. She remembered talking to him about her feelings all those years ago and she remembered falling asleep. He must have tucked her in. But the immediate lack of his presence led her to believe that after that, he had left. That not only pained her but it worried her too.'she found herself sprinting to the bedroom door only to step out and find that Luca was stretched out across her much smaller couch.

A aigh of relief left Drew because she was glad he didn't opt to drive while under the influence. Part of her was also glad he stayed because it really meant they were reconnecting, but she had meant to give him the bed and she could have sworn he looked incredibly uncomfortable on that couch. So, Drew took a quick shower and changed into more casual clothes, being a pair of shorts and and a t shirt, before she tip toed into the kitchen to start making some breakfast.

She decided she'd let Luca sleep for a little while longer, if the smell of bacon and sausages didn't wake him. She could allow herself time to relax for a while since she didn't have to meet her client till much later.
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[sunflower fairy]

The dream that accompanied Luca's sleep was not comforting. It started out as a normal interaction with his little sister. The two were arguing about some silly thing or another before Eliza began to cough. Helplessly, Luca tried to comfort her as the life seemingly seeped out of her body. Her withering screams stopped and her contorted features relaxed. And as he mourned his sister's life, her three words echoed in his head, "You left me." "I'm sorry," he whimpered but her voice continued to roar. "You left me You left me You left me!"

He awoke in a start, his heart pounding and his face drenched in sweat. It was one of Luca's few reoccurring dream, but it haunted him as much as the first time he experienced it. Luca looked around at his surroundings, trying to overcome the sense of nausea that was threatening to take over. His head ached and slowly the memories of last night came back. The wedding, the drinking, Drew, their kiss, and everything else after that. His back was sore and it took more effort to stand up than anticipated. Luca was in desperate need of a drink.

Stumbling into the kitchen, Luca was surprised to see Drew already there. "Uh.. Morning, Sunshine," he greeted, a small smile pulling at his lips. Although Luca knew it was a silly decision to confess to Drew, a part of him had hoped she had heard. That meant less lying and avoiding eggshells. But she had rejected him already and no good would have come from that happening once again. "How'd you sleep? You need help with anything?"
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[winnie]

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Drew had just started frying the bacon when she heard Luca's voice. She hadn't heard him come in so she had been a bit surprised but she quickly composed herself. "Morning," she replied with a small smile before turning back around to flip the bacon. "I slept well," she added, resting the fork she was using on the counter top before turning once again to face him. "That's more that can be said for you i think," Drew continued, looking slightly apologetic as she leaned against the kitchen counter.

She knew he probably had been wary about sleeping on the same bed as her but she wouldn't have minded. It beat laying on the couch. Even she sometimes struggled to fit on it and even if she could stretch out better than he could, her back would usually end up aching all of the next day. "I wanted to give you the bed," she told him. "I kind of passed out though, didn't I? You could have still laid there i mean, I don't kick in my sleep," she told him with a small chuckle, trhing to maintain the light tone.

Turning back around, Drew slipped the bacon off the pan and onto a plate once she was sure that it was done cooking and nice ane crispy. She then proceeded to assemble a bunch of it along with sausages on a plate before handing it to him. "No need for the help though because breakfast is done," she grinned waited for him to take the plate. "Bon appetit, monsieur."

Drew was technically a vegetarian but she kept meats for when her brother or grandmother came over and it ended up being useful even now. For herself, there was just cereal and she was fine withh that. most days she skipped out on breakfast in fact so she was taking her time today. Walking to the small round table in the kitchen, she took a seat. "So, uh, how long are you in town for?" Drew couldn't remember if he said he was moving here or just visiting.

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[sunflower fairy]

It was then that he noticed the intoxicating smell of frying bacon. Luca noticed her disorientation before Drew managed to quickly hide it away, and it succeeded in bringing a smile to his face. It was nice to see a little break in her prim and proper behavior. Even though her intention was never malicious, she had always seemed a little condescending. Drew was never a person to judge but her worried comments and pity could make him feel so small. But her little tics or nervous fiddling always comforted him. The thought of waking up to a smiling and tired-looking Drew was one that Luca enjoyed, if only a little too much.

"Oh, I slept fine, don't you worry" he lied, moving closer to the brunette. Alongside the pain in his back and neck, Luca had yet to shake the terrifying dream from his mind.. The empty look in his sister's face haunted him. But he would not burden Drew with his complaints. "Yes, it was quite impressive, actually," he chortled. But he waved off her last statement, it had seemed better to keep his distance. "Can't say the same about myself, I'm quite the kicker," Luca responded lightly, trying his best to jokingly disregard her invitation. It wouldn't have felt right to sleep next to Drew, knowing what he knew about his true intentions with her.

"Ah, merci," Luca responded, taking an opportunity to showcase his rudimentary French he had learned during his time away. He gingerly took the plate from Drew, before moving over to the dining table. He was quick to dig in, and thus he had realized he hadn't eaten for a near twenty-four hours. His stomach was grateful for the greasy food. "I must say, you're quite the cook," Luca teased. He tried to ignore the dull ache for an accompanying alcoholic drink, as he was certain Drew would not approve of his morning tradition. To say Luca relied on alcohol was an understatement.. It was rare to find him ever sober; he was typically always in various stages of being drunk.

His attention was turned away from his cravings to Drew's question. And it was a particularly difficult question for him to answer. He frowned slightly. He was hoping to avoid his trail of thinking for as long as possible, but he was just about as clueless about his future in their little town as Drew was. "I'm not sure. Until I feel like leaving, I guess," he tried to avoid the fact that he had no place to stay and no place to go. Everything after his time at Drew's was up in the air. "Why? You tired of me already?"
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[winnie]

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Drew chuckled softly and shoveled another spoonful of cereal into her mouth. "Well," she said once she had swallowed. "I've had to cook for Dom for a good five years," she explained with a small chuckle. While Dom had taken over and decided to try to move on by thrusting himself into part time jobs to earn more money for the household, the work at home was left to Drew, which meant learning to cook a variety of things at a pretty young age. Luckily for her, she liked to experiment, so bacon and sausages were hardly a challenge. All there was to do was fry it all. The challenge was getting them perfectly cooked since she couldn't taste meat to see, being a vegetarian and all.

As he went on to answer how long he was going to be in town for, Drew rolled her eyes slightly at his attempt to be dramatic with his response. "yes, Luca, I'm exhausted because of your presence," she told him, a playful smile creeping onto her face to show that she was joking. "I'm only curious," she further clarified before leaning back in her chair as she watched him. She was more or less done with her breakfast since she didn't take too much cereal to begin with.

"I mean, we did discuss about reconnecting and that would be hard to do if you were leaving, like, tomorrow or something," she explained to him, resting her hands on the table and aimlessly fiddling with the spoon that poked out from the bowl she had been eating from. "Where are you staying while you're here?" She asked him curiously.

Now that she knew that his parents had kicked him out, she had a strong feeling he wasn't staying anywhere there. She knew she shouldn't assume and that it was possible that maybe they reconciled and he was living with them for a while, but the way Luca spoke about them the previous night made her think that that was not the case at all.
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[sunflower fairy]

Disapprovingly, Luca noticed how little Drew was eating. She only had a small bowl of cereal and yet Drew was still refusing to eat that. His mind wandered to her tiny size and, for an instant, he had contemplated the unhealthy ways she may have used to keep her figure trim. None of his thoughts brought his comfort, and he gently nudged the bowl of cereal toward Drew. "Eat," it was almost a demand. "Please, you should eat more," he restated, using a softer voice but firm enough to emphasize his point.

"You.. you were forced to grow up so fast, Drew. I'm so sorry," Luca mumbling, his eyes low. If only he could have taken on that burden for her. If only he had managed to grow up. His hands fled to his hair, fixing brown strands that hadn't needed to be fixed. Despite her short years, Drew had gone through enough pain and suffering that could fill a lifetime. Luca hated his parents, but there was a grim comfort in having parents to hate. His sudden intense urge to pull Drew close was succumbed by an uncomfortable shift in his chair.

He waved off Drew's joking insult, smiling at her sarcasm. "But you seemed to get plenty rest last night," he counted, with another bite of his food. Luca was slowly becoming full, but he ignored the signs indicating thus and continued to eat. Although, he didn't doubt that Drew had grown unaccustomed to Luca's ways and soon find him too obnoxious to stand. He awaited this day with dread, hoping that somehow he'd be able to still enjoy and remember their little adventures with fondness.. But he knew that would be easier said than done.

The next question froze him. Was it a good idea to tell Drew? Luca didn't want to continue his lying, but he knew she'd freak out if she found out about his current living arrangements. His car was far roomier than Drew's couch, however, and was somehow a less embarrassing alternative. But her worrying was infinitely better than Luca force-feeding her lies so he told the truth. "Ah, I was planning on just staying in my car," he replied with a small laugh, trying to underplay his words.
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[winnie]

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Drew raised an eyebrow when Luca prodded her to eat more. She gingerly picked up her spoon to take another bite of her cereal but continued to look at Luca with a confused and slightly curious expression. "You know, most days I don't even eat breakfast," she told him with a small chuckle, gathering that he was concerned about her eating habits. "I don't always get the time. In fact I was supposed to leave early today too but I decided not to. I can't walk out without preparing a god meal to make up for the fact that you had to sleep on my shitty couch."

Nevertheless, Drew obliged and continued to eat until there was no more cereal left in her bowl. There hadn't been much there to begin with so she finished what was left quite quickly and continued to listen to Luca. Hearing him apologise for what she had gone through almost immediately made her overlook the fact that he had left without saying anything. He hadn't known what happened, after all. Now she had a feeling that, had he known, he might have stayed behind to offer her some comfort. She liked to think that, at least.

Hearing Luca's reply to Drew's quesiton though, was not one she had expected to hear. "Your car?" She echoed. WHy would he possibly do that? Surely he could afford a hotel. After all, his parents... his parents kicked him out. Of course. How had she not put two and two together? If his parents had kicked him out, they would have cut him off too. Which led her to wonder what kind of money he'd been living off of when he was in Europe for so long.

"Okay well I'm not going to entertain that," she said finally, not asking him why he was staying in his car because she had a feeling he wouldn't be so keen on discussing that aspect either. "You'll just stay here till you figure out what you want to do," she decided with a shrug, leaning back against the chair. "In my bed, this time. I can fit on my couch easily so it's no problem for me." She certainly wasn't going to sit by and let Luca spend nights in his car.
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[sunflower fairy]

His eyes lingered on Drew's face, slightly slanted as he concentrated on her. What was her deal with eating? Surely skipping breakfast indicated other bad eating habits and that brought worry to Luca's mind. "You should eat breakfast, Drew," he said, not meaning to patronize. His intentions were good, as he only wanted to ensure that Drew was happy and healthy. But the sternness in his voice was evidence enough that he was against Drew's actions. "I'll make you breakfast, if it comes down to it. But you need food," he continued, adding a softness to his voice that hadn't been there before.

Cautiously, Luca watched as Drew finished her bowl. He flashed a smile once the cereal was gone and continued with his own breakfast. Whatever small amount of nutrients were in her breakfast were very much needed. He quickly gulfed down the rest of his plate, deciding to continue to ignore the dull ache in his stomach. Luca was not going to betray his own advice.

Chewing on the last of his bacon, Luca nodded. He had to make the situation seem less serious than it was if he wanted to avoid Drew freaking out. "Yeah, my car," he repeated, with a mocking smile. "It's not as bad as you think, trust me, I'm fine," Luca attempted to reassure her. He leaned in to take her hand but quickly decided against it and snatched his hand away. That wasn't a good idea, he scolded himself.

He waved off Drew's next proposal. He could not and would not stay with her, it would be too much of a challenge to keep his words in check. "I don't know, Drew. I don't know that that's really a good idea," he argued, slumping back in his chair. He had been completely fine until the beginning of this year. It was easy to sell all the shit he took from his parents, and it gave him a sizeable amount of cash. But six years had been a strain on his finances, and his reckless spending did not make it much easier. "Besides, I'd be too much of a burden on you. And you should enjoy your own bed!" He thought for a moment. Drew was stubborn, and she likely wasn't going to let this go. So, what were his options.

"Okay, okay. How about this? If I stay here, you have to eat three decent and nutritious meals a day. Any slip up means I'm out of here," he proposed, proud of himself.
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[winnie]

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Drew had never really paid much attention to her eating habits because they'd stayed the same ever since she joined college. Of course in the beginning her grandmother had scolded her for skipping out on the most important meal of the day but eventually she stopped — or probably grew tired of saying anything because it had become custom, for Drew. "It's not like I don't eat anything else all day, Luca," she told him with a reassuring smile. "Just breakfast, mainly because I don't have the time." She sometimes got up late so she had to hurry to get ready.

Nevertheless, she wouldn't exactly protest to Luca cooking up a meal for her in the morning. Of course, she wouldn't ask him to do such a thing but if in case breakfast were already done in the morning she might take the time out to eat it since some effort had gone into it. Plus, his tone seemee to indicate that he really cared about her health and it just added to the fondness she already felt for him.

When Luca initially declined her offer, saying it wasn't a good idea, she first believed that it was because it would maybe be too awkward, considering what happened years ago, and of course, last night's kiss, but then he began to make excuses about the bed and Drew's face changed from having been a litle disappointed, to sporting an eye roll. "Oh God, Luca, stop being so dramatic," she told him with a small laugh. "I sleep on my couch every time Dom comes over and he stayed here for a full two months so I think I can manage."

Hearing his proposal was surprising — she didn't realise he cared that much about her consuming three nutritious meals a day, but who was she to deny? "Alright, fine. Deal." She nodded. "You've gotta make breakfast though which means waking up earlier than me," she told him with a small smirk. "So if there's a slip up, it may just be because of you."
​

 

[sunflower fairy]

A skipped meal was still a skipped meal, no matter how little and insignificant Drew wanted it to seem. And for all Luca knew, she could have very well been lying to avoid upsetting him. If there was some type of eating disorder going on, he'd be sure to force some sense into Drew. And if it was all in his imagination, what really could be the harm in making sure Drew stayed full all day? "If you don't have time to eat, you should make the time," Luca countered, cocking an eyebrow at Drew. Wasn't she supposed to be the lecturing one?

In all honesty, Luca didn't want to have to deal with the pain of hiding away recently discovered feelings. But Drew had a point, he wanted to mend their friendship with her. That likely meant keeping his mouth shut and monitoring his flirtatious advances, but Luca was determined to stay alongside Drew. He would not leave her. That is until she thought it was best for him to go.

Chuckling, Luca stood up before grabbing the used dishes. Moving toward the sink, he playfully scoffed at Drew's contentions. "I'm not being dramatic, just acting like the gentleman my parents so desperately wanted," Luca leered, gingerly placing the dishes in the sink as he prepared to clean them. No use in making Drew's life any more difficult. "Besides, if I am to be staying here, you are to oblige to my demands," he beseeched, a smirk at his lips.

It hadn't occurred to Luca that he'd be on Drew's schedule if it meant living and cooking for her. He was never the best cook, but he was efficient enough to cook something relatively healthy. Practical skills had never interested Luca, and he had grown up with no need to learn how to cook. Instead, his energy was focused mostly into music.. Mastering the art of fiddling around on a piano or massaging the chords on a guitar. The lessons had began in an attempt to make use of Luca and, despite his reluctance, he had grown to love music. "You shouldn't doubt my abilities, Drew. There will be no slip-up on my end," Luca grinned, his pride seeping through.

"When do you have to leave? I was thinking we could go out or something," he offered, his calloused fingers rubbing against each other in anticipation.
​

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[winnie]

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Drew's gaze followed Luca as he grabbed both their plates and took them to the sink to wash up. Drew got up as well, only to walk over to the counter and lean against it, arms crossed, while she continued to listen to Luca talk. Honestly she didn't think she could make tike but that could have been because she never bothered. It was just never a big deal to her but apparently it was to Luca.

"I don't doubt your cooking abilities," she told him with a small chuckle, hopping up onto the kitchen counter in one swift motion. She had a tendency to sit up there every time she cooked or if someone else was in the kitchen and she kept them company. Usually she was with her grandmother when she was cooking pasta. That was how Drew learned most of her recipes — watching and then replicating when she was alone.

"I'm just saying that I wake up early every morning which means if you don't want slip ups, you'll have to wake up earlier," she explained to him, leanning back slightly so her head rested against one of the overhead cabinets.

When she was asked when she was supposed to leave, Drew quickly glanced to the clock on the wall above the kitchen doorway before looking back at Luca. "I meet my client at twelve so i have some time," she answered him before raising an eyebrow curiously. "Why? What did you have in mind to do?" Obviously they wouldn't be going for food since they just ate so she wondered if he had an idea when he asked.
​

 

[sunflower fairy]

Despite Luca's determination to put his mistakes out of his mind, he couldn't help but wallow in self-pity. He quickly dried the plates and utensils, attempting to also ignore Drew's presence. Why had he just agreed to all of this? In retrospect, it would only hurt them and consequently damage their friendship. It would be hard to accept just having a friendship and being constantly surrounded by Drew and her things would not make that any easier.

He smiled at Drew's words, turning to face her. "Good, because I got this! You have nothing to worry about," Luca reassured, crossing his arms to mimic Drew's position. So long as he had Google and a microwave handy, things were sure to be fine. Although he was still shaken with the memories of last night, Luca was sure that things would work out in the end. Everything he was feeling would soon go away.

A scoff exited his mouth as he listened to her proposal of early mornings. "How early are we talking? Being friends isn't worth all of my sleep," he joked, nudging her side to let her know he was only teasing.

"Why don't we visit that little coffee shop? For old time's sake," Luca proposed, a smile plastered on his face.


​