V

Kiss full of color makes me wonder where you've always been

It's Friday night the next time she sees Luke and she has missed him too much.

She never realized that dating someone without a phone would be like this, she definitely is a very spoiled millennial; is this what her parents had to go through? When she finally talks about Luke with her dad she'll ask him said question and then she'll probably give him a hug because it's tough. Even though they recently just started dating and even with lots of work to distract her she still missed him and longed to have his number just to be able to keep talking to him.

Unable to reach out to him all she could do was wait to see him again. Did he feel like this as well? She could only hope.

So when he appears, just as she has just started putting the flowers in the back, she leaves everything and rushes to give him a hug. She crashes onto his body and surrounds him with her arms, trying to keep him as close as she can. She's pleasantly surprised when, instead of asking what's going on or breaking the hug, he simply surrounds her with his arms, keeping her even closer and buries his face in her curly hair.

No questions, no comment, nothing other than a hug where she tries to let him know how much she missed him. Then, it occurs to her that it might do her some good if she voices those words out loud, just in case he doesn't get the memo.

"I missed you." She says, right against his heart and he immediately shivers in response. She can't help but to giggle a little bit by that, she likes to know that's his response to her words. But then, she hears his verbal response.

"I missed you too Jules." He answers, using one of his hands to gently coax her to stop hiding her face against his chest so that instead they can look at each other. Their smiles could probably compete with the Sun right now. "A lot."

She doesn't waste more time and stands on her toes to kiss him. She has survived longer periods of time without kissing someone but apparently four days without Luke's lips are too much for her. And he seems to think the same because he's eager and deepens the kiss while caressing her cheek. The calluses on his fingers make her shiver so when she breaks the kiss because she needs to breathe he keeps his hand there.

"I've been craving burgers all week. Would you like to grab a bite?" He asks and she happily nods at his proposal. She's about to comment that she needs to finish storing everything when he steps away from her and picks the same flowers she was carrying when he appeared. He looks at her expectantly but she's a little bit stunned about how he simply put himself to work, not even waiting for her to ask for help. "You're the boss Julie, you need to tell me what to do so that we can go and get those burgers."

She snaps out of her reverie and smiles at him before grabbing some flowers for herself and looking at him. "Follow me." She says before walking to the storage. With Luke's help they finish quickly and most importantly Julie doesn't feel incredibly tired so the idea of going out for burgers actually sounds amazing. But first, she kisses his cheek as a thank you.

"What was that for?" He asks, hand gently grazing the part of his skin where her lips just where.

"That was a thank you. I wasn't expecting you to help me, much less without me asking you first." She explains, removing her apron and name tag before storing them behind the counter. She would normally head upstairs to change or at least try and leave all traces of work behind her but Luke has already seen her and she doesn't want to waste time, she wants her burger now.

"Why wouldn't I help you? It's a lot of work and I happen to have an extra set of hands…" He doesn't say anything else as she turns the lights off and they walk outside to wait for her to finish the closing of the store. "I didn't mean to say that you are a weak woman who desperately needs the help of a man, by the way. I think you are a strong, capable and amazing woman."

She laughs as she throws her keys on her bag, because she didn't see that coming. "Luke, you are absolutely right by saying I'm strong and amazing. I've done what we just did many times on my own but with your help it was better, so it's fine. I do appreciate the help."

She offers her hand to him once she finishes talking and his eyes travel from her face to the hand, raising his eyebrows in surprise, as if he can't believe her offering. He looks back at her as if asking for permission making her roll her eyes fondly at him before taking his hand by herself. He doesn't hesitate and intertwines their fingers immediately, a gesture that melts her heart.

"Feel free to ask me to come and help you do that every night." He says to her but his eyes are not on her but on their hands. He has the same look on his face as when he saw the store for the first time, full of awe and wonder. She's tempted to tease him and ask if this is the first time he holds hands with anybody but the way his green eyes twinkle with excitement she knows the answer is probably going to be yes.

"If you had a phone I might do that." Is what she ends up answering just as they start walking towards a burger place.

He laughs and shakes his head at her. "For you, boss? I just might get one." He answers before changing the subject and asking about her days.

(Next week, when he proudly appears with a smartphone and asks her for help on how to set it up, her heart soars.

And then, when she realizes her number is the only one he's saved, she kisses him senseless, unable to stop herself.)

They are sitting in the restaurant, have just made their respective drink orders when Luke finally lets her ask about his week.

"Boring, not even a Sunset Curve gig or anything like that to say something interesting is going on." He all but pouts at his statement, crossing his arms and looking like a kid. He's unfairly cute, jeez.

"And why is that? Shouldn't you be working the musical scene?"

"Well, this week we couldn't do that because I got a job." He says and she can't help but to send a smile his way because she didn't expect for him to say that. For a second she wonders if she's the one who inspired this but decides that's too self-centered to even entertain for long. "I just started so I don't wanna jinx it." He adds and thanks the waiter when she brings their drinks, leaving her to raise her glass.

"To your new job." She says and he sends a smile her way before raising his beer.

"May they pay me well to treat you to more burgers in the future." He adds before clicking the drinks and taking a sip. She does the same, but only a second later.

The word future lingers in the air but only she seems moved by it because Luke is focused on the menu in front of him. She doesn't know how to interpret his statement because future can mean a lot of things and unfortunately there's no clue as to which one he seems to mean. Is she making a big deal? She hopes not but just in case…

"Future?" She asks and he stops paying attention to his menu to focus on her. For a second he looks at her as if he doesn't understand what she's talking about but then he laughs a little not in a mocking way but almost as if he's in disbelief.

"I'm not sure how to break this to you Julie, but I'd like to keep seeing you in the near future. This dating thing isn't half bad." He says and now it's her turn to laugh because she can't believe she likes this dork so much.

"Half bad? Is that what you have to say about us dating? I might go and look for another person who has better things to say about dating me." She says, a little bit of sass in her voice but he doesn't let himself feel intimidated by what's clearly a bluff.

"I'm afraid if I say dating you is the most wonderful thing that's happened to me you might accuse me of trying to butter you up or call me exaggerated or worse, you might feel scared by my honest words and flee because you don't feel the same." His voice loses strength as he says the last words and she knows he's telling the truth but her heart breaks a little seeing him nervous about what he just said. Does she think it's too much? Yes, but Luke is too much and she enjoys it, she revels in that. She's also incredibly flattered by the fact that he called them dating something wonderful.

"Haven't you heard? I'm a strong, capable woman. I don't scare easily." She says and extends her hand on the table for him to grab, which he does briefly but then takes her hand to his mouth and kisses her knuckles, probably as a thank you for not fleeing at his words. She would kiss him to try and seal it but with the table in the middle it's kind of awkward and she prefers kissing him in private anyways, good things come to those who wait. "And on that note, this strong woman won't share desert okay?"

"Of course, you're the boss Molina." He laughs and turns his attention once again to the menu but his words remind her of something, so she squeezes his hand to capture his attention once again. "What's up? I want to order, I wasn't lying when I said I've been craving a burger all week… "

"I know, sorry. I'll quickly ask you this and then we'll order." She says and he nods her way to encourage her to continue. "It's just that I called my friend the other day and I talked about you but… I realize I don't know your last name."

"Oh that? It's Patterson, Luke Patterson. Beer cold, not warm." He jokes imitating Daniel Craig's accent before turning his attention back to the menu. She laughs at his lame joke and looks at him for a second, appreciating the new information she just received. Their hands remain together, even as they discuss their respective orders and talk to the waiter but she doesn't care, it feels nice having him that close, it feels nice how his hands are rough and full of calluses but still trying to be soft around her own. "So… I couldn't help to notice that you talk about me with your friends."

Ah, the fucker. That's why he was so quiet and pretended it was no big deal sharing his last name with her. And like a fool she fell into the trap.

"Nothing to be embarrassed about Julie, I talk about you all the time. Reggie and Alex have tried to keep me from speaking but I can't help it and they are my friends so they are stuck listening to me rambling about how great you are and how pretty is your smile." He says without even hesitating and she has to blink because once again: Luke Patterson is too much and her heart might not take it.

"Bold of you to assume I'm embarrassed." She says and he chokes on his beer which makes her send a very amused smile his way. "But anyways, thank you for the compliments but please spare Reggie and Alex of your ramblings. If you had a phone you could just simply text me."

"Don't try to distract me, I can see you blushing. And again I must repeat there's nothing to be embarrassed about. If you didn't talk to your friends about me I would feel offended or something." He explains, shrugging a little bit.

"Or something?"

"I don't know Julie, you could be using me for kisses or compliments. I'm very good at those two things or so I've been told."

"I haven't told you anything that comes close to that."

"Julie let me make it clear I don't need a verbal confirmation to any of those things. This isn't me bragging this is me stating a fact. So don't even try." He says squeezing her hand lightly before withdrawing it because the waiter appears with their respective orders. She understands it's the smart thing to do because eating a burger with one hand is a recipe for disaster but… Almost as immediately as he does it she starts missing the contact.

"You need to add to that list that you are also very good at holding hands." Is all she says before starting to eat. For a second, he just looks at her while his lips bloom into the biggest grin possible.

"Duly noted boss. Now, bon appetit."

Once they have finished and get up from the table, he's quick to take her hand in his. He doesn't let go until she's back at the store, and even then he has a hard time leaving her. She has a hard time leaving him too.

After that night, Luke starts popping up almost every night to help her with closing the store.

He appears unannounced and starts helping her with whatever she needs, from storing the flowers to doing inventory or even with registering and checking the numbers with her. She tries to offer him money because what he's doing is part of the tasks and responsibilities of any employee of the store and she feels bad, almost as if she's taking advantage of him by not paying him when if this was someone else would but he doesn't want to hear about it, simply stating that her company is enough for him. So instead she tries to have some goodies from her dad's bakery to share with him every night which he seems to appreciate more than money.

Most of the time they talk while focusing on their respective tasks but other times either one of them suggests they put on some music and then they enjoy singing out loud or commenting about the song of choice. Safe to say she's never had so much fun while closing the store, so much so that the nights Luke doesn't appear she finds herself all moody and sulking around but Luke is always quick to make it up to her by kissing her until she feels boneless next night he comes around.

Things change when he gets a phone. It's not drastic but the channels of communication definitely open up and now instead of just missing him almost constantly they text throughout the day about all and nothing at the same time. Silly memes and nonsense are part of the endless text chains, accompanied by serious conversation in between, but her favorite part about Luke having a phone is when he sends her audio messages out of the blue. Most times is to send her snippets of songs he's working on so she feels like it's a private serenade she can replay forever.

(When she lets him know this he answers by saying, "Well, I guess I'll keep 'em coming boss!".)

Him having a phone also allows her to snap a couple of pictures so that she can send Carrie photo proof of Luke, because she will not make it through another call where her friend mocks her about having an imaginary boyfriend. So, she sends her current two favorite pictures of him, one where he's carrying a bunch of dahlias in his hands and is completely unaware of the camera and another one where he, having caught her snapping pics, is rubbing his neck and smiling so wide and open his eyes are almost shut.

When Carrie responds by saying: "Girl he's a total snack! I can't believe you haven't jumped his bones already!" She has to ask herself the same question, why hasn't she had sex with Luke?

The answer is simple: she doesn't want to.

Ok, no. Let's backtrack a little bit. She does want to, she's very interested in having sex with Luke 'My biceps could rival Thor's' Patterson is just that she doesn't want to rush into it. She's fine with waiting a bit.

When she tries to explain that to Carrie, her friend immediately says "Okay but are you at least thinking about the guy when you masturbate?" and because of this Julie is very tempted to hang up her friend but instead refuses to answer the question (to which the answer is affirmative). She just doesn't say it out loud because her friend won't understand, not really.

Of course she wants to have sex but it's too soon, they are getting to know each other and Luke is already too much, she's afraid the flames that she felt when they had their first date end up causing a fire and consume her completely. She's afraid because if that happens she knows she won't even be mad because he's an amazing, sweet, talented and supportive person; it would be so easy to fall in love with him. It would also make her completely vulnerable and it's not like she's going through life acting all tough and putting walls against her heart and refusing to fall in love…

But she's cautious because she's seen her dad all these years and she knows it hurts to love. No one talks about how even when love is amazing, good and it's literally the force that drives her store, love is also the source of a lot of pain and even if she knows that behind every funeral arrangement there's love and good memories she's just trying to give herself more time.

What the hell is she doing thinking about love when she's only been dating Luke for three weeks? She's tempted to facepalm herself because honestly, it's getting ridiculous. She'll have sex with Luke when she feels like it even if she's sure fantasizing about him it's not half as good as it could be if she just 'jumped his bones' (Please never tell Carrie she used that phrase, she'll never live it down).

Anyways, not having sex with Luke does not mean she cannot sleep (read: share a bed) with him. So, on the day she shows him her house and he meets Carlos she suggests he sleeps there. The face he makes is something she'll never be able to forget, the way he seems to be completely caught off guard, flabbergasted and simply confused by her words. He seems to have reverted to his speechless mode so she decides to take pity on him and clarify the situation, when he doesn't verbally responds she thinks he might be disappointed about the fact that they are just going to cuddle but the way he eagerly nods makes her smile so she kisses him briefly before going to the bathroom to get ready for bed.

The routine of brushing her teeth, changing into her pj's and braiding her hair to get it ready for bed distract her but it's not enough to stop her thoughts from going to where they wanna take her, because she definitely notices the way his eyes twinkled at her words. She fails horribly at not focusing about it but she can't help but to feel flattered by his reaction. Even if they are not going to do anything, it's nice to know he wants her.

She thinks she's safe from any kind of thought until he strips and she blatantly checks him out. So much so that he's the one who has to take action so that she gets her mind out of the gutter. She squeezes his hand in a gesture of thank you because voicing the words out loud might make things awkward and she doesn't want the first time they cuddle to be awkward.

And it's not. It's actually kind of amazing.

When they get to bed and they accommodate their bodies to actually cuddle she smiles, because it actually feels really nice the way he holds her and seems really happy to be doing this with her, which she confirms when a happy noise escapes his mouth. She can't help but to laugh a little but for the most part she agrees with him so she kisses his sternum after thanking him for doing this with her. A part of her hates herself for not staying awake any longer, because it really feels good to be with him, but she's very tired and her body prioritizes getting some rest above enjoying Luke's touch. She's half asleep before she even notices it.

The last thing she thinks before going to sleep is that she could get used to his body under hers.

The first thing she thinks after waking up is that she could get used to waking up next to him.

She finds it funny, how she should feel self-conscious and not really enjoy it, but she likes waking up next to him. She knows it makes complete sense, they are after all building something together and it has a strong foundation so she doesn't feel the need of hiding or pretending she wakes up any differently than how she really does it. This is proof their relationship is worthy.

The light coming from the window bathes them and makes the situation feel almost ethereal, if it wasn't for the noises of the city ring in her ears she could totally believe Luke and her are in their own little bubble where they can stay all day in bed and look as if they are golden. He's still asleep so she takes a second to look at him, taking in the messy hair she gently runs her fingers through, the way his eyelashes seem to go on forever, the fact that his lips look very kissable right now…

In fact, all of him looks kissable right now so she starts kissing his face to wake him up. It doesn't take her too much work, feeling him stirring under her as she's barely pressed a couple of kisses. He doesn't open his eyes though so she kisses his eyelids before moving on to his cheeks as his hands surround her waist, keeping her in place. He doesn't say anything but he hums in appreciation and smiles at her kisses so it's safe to say he's enjoying this way of waking up. She's stopped kissing him and is simply playing with his hair when he opens his eyes and smiles at her before speaking:

"Good morning. Last night I wanted to say you looked really beautiful but you were asleep already so I'm telling you now."

That makes feel weak and she's very tempted to forget about morning breath and simply kiss him but barely containing herself she opts to simply hug him in response. "Can we stay in bed for a little while? I like it here."

"I like it here too but you have to have breakfast and open the store so we really shouldn't." He reminds her but does the opposite of what he said and simply hugs her tightly for a couple of minutes before securing her in place and leaving the bed with her in his arms. She shouldn't feel so surprised by how easily he can carry her, as if she didn't weigh but she does feel surprised by the gesture, the way one of his arms secure her in place and the other rests on top of her braids, caressing her hair gently. When he stops in the bathroom, she knows she needs to hop down and start getting herself ready but she doesn't want to and instead, wraps herself tightly around him. "C'mon Jules, you know you have to get ready." He kisses her cheek and bends down to help her, making her sigh because there's no prolonging this moment.

"I hate it when you're right." Is all she mumbles once she's standing on her own. That makes him laugh and even if she enjoys hearing it the only thing she can really focus on is that he seems to have too much energy in the morning and that's unfair.

"Good thing that doesn't happen that often, right?" He jokes, letting her go to the bathroom while he goes to pick up his clothes. She takes her time brushing her teeth and working on her hair before going out and picking her working clothes. That's when she sees him in the kitchen, making breakfast for her which makes her feel like she's on cloud nine. Luke is someone very special and she feels very lucky to have found him.

"You didn't have to cook me breakfast." She says, once she has changed and realizes he just put a table for one, meaning he's not staying.

"It's nothing, I just wanted to help. I can't even promise it's edible." He shrugs, trying to downplay his gesture but she won't let him so she's quick to yank him closer and kiss him senseless, trying to let him know she can't believe he exists and is nice and hot and charming and talented and simply amazing. She kisses him to let him know how grateful she is they have met and are dating and having fun. She kisses him and thinks this is a guy worthy of falling in love.

When she has to break the kiss because of her stupid need for air, they just stand in front of each other clearly trying to process the intensity of what happened. He's the one who speaks first because she's still wrapping her head around what she just thought.

"I'm going to think about that kiss all day long." She can't help but to smile at him, a gesture he returns. "And about that beautiful smile as well. Have a wonderful day Julie." He finishes, kissing her forehead before saying a quick 'Adiós' to Carlos.

She blinks and he's gone but he hasn't left, not really. The breakfast he made is there, he also made her bed (where his scent probably remains) and he filled Carlos' water and apparently changed the sand… He's there in her home but also in her thoughts. So, as she sits to have breakfast she calls her dad because it's time for him to know about Luke, she can't keep her happiness to herself any longer.