"Candace." Luna's voice is sugar coated, and the air smells of too-sweet bubblegum as she strides across the room, only to bounce on the heels of her feet; perpetually restless. Candace's sapphire eyes flicker upwards, questioning. Luna grins. "Soooooo, there's this party - "
"No thank you," Candace declines, feeling slightly rude at having interrupted her sister, but as she catches the sinister look on the pinkette's pretty face, her guilt lessens considerably.
"You never want to have any fun." A foot is stomped, a hand is thrust onto a jutting out hip. Luna is going all out with the tantrums today. Gill must be attending said party. "Can you just pleaaaaase lighten up and let loose for once?"
Candace places down her knitting needles gently. "Luna...I just wouldn't feel comfortable. You can still attend without me..."
"No, I can't," Luna snaps, and Candace shrinks into her oversized sweater. "Grandma said you have to go too or I'm not allowed. Apparently, I'm a 'loose cannon' whatever that means."
"I believe it's a nice way of saying you are known to be a bit...r-reckless..." Candace offers, and this does nothing to appease her younger sister at all, unsurprisingly.
"Reckless, my foot! I'm a grown adult, I should be allowed the right to attend a party by myself!" Luna huffs, pigtails flying over her shoulder wildly at the push of her hands.
Candace's resolve withers away. "...I'll go with you," she says, finally, and Luna lights up like a firework. "H-However...I don't want to stay long. And no drinking. Please."
"Eeek!" Luna squeals, happily, clapping her hands together. "And I'm not even old enough to drink, so no worries!" However, Candace is very much aware that has never stopped her before.
She hovers idly by the fruit punch bowl with Julius, who is going on about work and Mira, and Candace smiles every so often in his direction when it's called for. "I think she's doing better," he says, and that catches her immediate and undivided attention.
"M-Mira...?"
"Yeah," Julius replies, a gentle smile resting upon his lips. Candace's own expression softens at the sight. "She's really trying, you know? She still has days where she won't come in...And that's okay, because I know she's trying." His hands shake. Candace hesitantly touches his arm, and smiles up at the violet haired jeweler. The shaking stills, if only for a moment.
"She's amazing..." Candace concludes, pulling her hand away, cheeks warm. She casts a curious glance to where others were dancing wildly, paper cups in hand. Luna gravitates around only Gill and vice versa. It seems a bit odd to be having such melancholic thoughts at a party like this. Glancing back at Julius, whose eyes are trained intently on her, she finds she doesn't really mind if it's odd.
Julius clears his throat. "Do you want to...?"
Candace's gaze flickers between her close friend and the 'dancefloor' which is really just Hikari's wooden floor covered by a rather roughed up looking carpet. "U-Um...I suppo -"
"Dudes." Enter, a very wasted carpenter. Julius' nose turns upwards at the sight. Luke's bleary eyes switch between the two of them quickly. "Erm - Dude. And dudette?"
"What is it that you want, Lucas?" Julius sighs, apparently miffed at being interrupted.
Lucas? Candace wonders. She's known Luke since grade school, and she is most certain his name is not Lucas.
"M'name's not Lucas," the carpenter slurs, tripping over his own feet, catching himself just barely in time before a nasty fall occurred. He grins, all teeth, all manic. "Y'guyss, Y'guyysssss have been sitting in this corner the whole night! Time for you to dance." He grabs Candace by the wrist and tugs in the direction of the dancefloor.
Candace stares helplessly over her shoulder at Julius who scowls.
"Come along, JULIIIIII!"
At the affronted look on Julius' face, Candace can't help but giggle. Luke turns to her, eyes clearer than she'd seen all night. Not that she's been paying much attention...
"Y'got a pretty laugh."
The next morning, Candace pretends not to spot Luna pulling some gold out of the cash register, and see her sneaking off to presumably go bribe Chase into making her his 'miraculous' hangover cure. Sisters turn a blind eye sometimes...
"Yo," a voice calls, effectively pulling Candace out of her entranced state of knitting.
"Oh," she hums to herself, placing the needles gently on the counter and standing up to greet the customer. "H-Hello. How can I help you?"
She finds herself face to face with eyes made of lightning. Though, she might stare forever if given the chance, this time she allows herself to look away. "I came to bring some firewood. We've got tons. Way more than we need. Pops figured that handing out some to the other townsfolk would be a nice gesture." Luke shrugs, causing the logs tucked neatly underneath his arms to jostle a bit. "'Specially with Winter comin' up and all."
"I s-see," Candace replies, stunned. "That's...That's very kind. Thank you."
"Yeah," Luke smiles, looking away, awkwardly. "So...Where do you want it?"
"O-Oh! By the fireplace, please..."
He follows her into the living space of the shop and places the firewood in the designated area. "Phew. Even with the minecart, I'm kinda beat." The carpenter scratches the back of his exposed neck, eying the ground.
He's not shy, she knows. She wonders why he's acting so strangely. "If you'd like...I could make some tea and you could rest a while... A-Assuming you don't have any other stops, of course! I wouldn't want to keep you from work."
His nose twitches, bandage moving with it. "Not a fan of tea, but thanks for the offer!"
"We've got other things as well," Candace mumbles quietly, and she's almost positive he cannot hear her, because he struts back to the front door. Oh, well...
"Maybe we could grab some lunch tomorrow or something, though," calls Luke from outside, smiling widely before shutting the door without waiting for a response.
Candace is bewildered and enchanted.
They do grab lunch or something.
He orders a spinach salad with a side of mayonnaise, and she orders herbal tea and a few cucumber sandwiches. They eat in peace, ignoring the inquisitive gaze of an ever curious Maya, and the annoyed stare of a currently being prodded Chase.
"Delicious," Luke declares. The salad is more mayonnaise than spinach, Candace notes, eying him carefully. "How's yours?"
"...It's very good," Candace replies softly, averting her gaze.
"Are you guys on a da - " Maya's question is muffled by Chase shoving his hand over her mouth crudely. He glowers at her, violet eyes intense.
"You need to learn when to shut up." She licks his hand, he pulls away staring at his limb in disgust. "God, you're gross." He wipes it off on his apron and quickly goes off to search for presumably a pot of boiling water.
"That's what you get!" Maya pokes out her tongue childishly before turning and placing one hand on her hip. Candace is reminded of Luna momentarily. "So, are you? On a date, I mean!"
Candace chokes on her tea. "E-Excuse me?"
"Yeah," Luke answers, casually shrugging. "I guess we are."
Candace stares at him, dumbly, for the remainder of their supposed date.
There are more supposed dates.
Little things, mostly. Lunch at the Inn, walks through the Garmon district, playing kick the can with Chloe and Bo. Simple things. Wonderful things.
Candace tries her hardest not to look too deeply into it, to find exactly what they are. She knows they're dating - that much was made obvious by Luke himself. But are they exclusive? Is she going to find him taking a walk on the beach with Selena one day? Would she even deserve an explanation, if so?
"Stop thinking so much," Luke advises her, swinging his axe into thin air. She crosses her arms and stares at him pointedly. "Don't give me that look," he smirks, resting his axe over his shoulder carelessly. "What are you thinking about anyway?"
"W-Well," she replies nervously, unfolding and refolding her arms to fight the chill in the air. "It's kind of...embarrassing."
Cobalt eyebrows raise. "Now you gotta tell me."
Candace purses her lips. "...Are we...Together? ... Exclusively, together. I mean... I k-know we've been on dates but - "
"Is this what you were looking so worried about?" Luke's eyebrows furrow, he frowns slightly, dropping his axe to the ground. It lands with a resounding thud as they stare each other down in silence.
Candace caves first. "...Y-Yes. I was just wondering..."
"Well, don't wonder," Luke says, and he remedies the distance between them easily. His arms wrap themselves around her waist and tug.
He is the boy with lightning in his eyes and his kisses are electric.
A/N: I wrote more Candac e / LUke FINALLY. It's four in the morning and I'm sorry it's really cliche . No I'm not. (also I don't know why I always wrote Julius as a jerk he's a sweetie pie let's shower him with kisses )