A/N: Look, an update! This chapter is mostly word vomit—excuse the graphics—but here it is.
Notes:
I'm pretty certain I never gave Luke's chat room friend a name. I just named his brother, so yeah…
Warnings:
Mention of slight drug addiction
Long A/N at the end of the chapter. You don't really have to read it, it's mostly just plans for how I want the story to go, but I would like to hear how you guys feels about the plans. The note isn't exactly spoiler free, but you know…
Dedication:to Westeast
Shout_Outs:
kjay15: Yes she has. It was long time coming, she's probably known since forever. The update is 500 years late, but here it is.
samm10: Yeah, finally a bit of a shove in the right direction. Here's the next one, enjoy.
spies12: Thank you. I know, if I'd be creeped out by it, Zuri knows too much about everyone. Zuri loves her supernatural fanfiction *ha–ha*. Enjoy (:.
Naughty Jesus: Coz it took forever for an update! I'm sorry about that, but here it is again, later as per usual. Yerp, there's some real progress now, we're going somewhere, hopefully. Anything to get the job done, otherwise she probably would've have gotten half the answers she got. Nope, he's only there to help where he can, like Zuri. Zuri's there to look after her siblings, she will fight tooth and nail for them and hurt anyone who tries to hurt them! Luke's not really in the right headspace right now, but things will work out slowly.
Kigen Dawn: Yeah, he's got someone who understands him and what he's going through. He's not quiet at the listening stage yet sadly.
Casper97: Thank you.
Gratsu–of–fire–and–ice: No worries, the guy's name will be revealed in this chapter. Yes, I don't even know where that ship came from, but now I'm am part of the Rosie/Emma ship (:. Thank you, here's a late update.
ikeea: Thanks! He will, eventually.
orionastro: Thank you very much. Yeah, nobody's likely to get pregnant so that's a good thing. They do, they deserve to be happy! Here it is (:, enjoy!
MoneyBall07: Ask and you shall receive.
Guest: Aaaw, thank you *blushes*… Thank you so much, you don't know how much that makes me happy, thank you ((:.
Love worker: Thank you so very much! Here's more.
QuickerDraw: Yes did! My updating route for this story is so out of whack, but so are my updates for my other stories *ha–ha* but it's here now, finally. Hollywood's awesome. There'll probably be a little more about him and Ben sooner or later. Nope, even me I was very much into the angst, so no judgments here.
Lambie: Well it's here now and hopefully you like it. It is, but I have to keep you wanting more.
Raified: Aaw, thank you. I think everyone had that same reaction, they were just like: WHAT?! A dream? How dare you? *ha–ha*
big cheese: Yes! Of course! Here you go (:
whatthefoster: Thank you.
Guest: Thank you so much! Here's more, please do enjoy it.
KevKole: Thank you, here's more for you to enjoy.
narutokid16: Here. Is. More! I'm glad you're enjoying it, here's a little something more for you (:.
Ruki Cookie: So do I! Zuri has very good taste in fanfiction *he–he*.
Anna L: Aw, thank you so much! It's all right, I understand the review *blushes*… I will definitely continue the story for you. Please enjoy the new chapter (:.
Winged Beauty 16 (chapter 5): Wait, what panda? Thank you (:. Surprisingly enough, I've never actually had a panic attack, like not a serious one anyway, just you know, the really light ones that people usually have when they have to give speeches and meet new people and all that. But I do a whole lot of research about it and how you're supposed to react to a panic attack and then try to imagine it from my prospective and then voilà. So it's good to know that all the research I do is paying off. I try to keep the stories as authentic as possible whether it has Werewolves and Vampires or just normal humans, yah know. Thanks babe. (Chapter 6): Thanks again. I think that maybe he does, but we'll have to wait and see how things play out. Not quite yet because Luke is just not ready for that. I'm a big spoon all the way. I hate the feeling of someone clinging on me, but will cling and cuddle you to death. Again, thank you so much *blushes*.
Disclaimer: No!
To Have Your Arms Around Me…
"I don't care if it's not right/ To have your arms around me/ I want to feel what it's like/ to take all of you inside of me…"
— Madonna, Forbidden Love
""
Ibiza, Spain was just as beautiful as Luke had expected it to be. The sun was just setting when the family arrived, the breeze flowing from the ocean was cool but the setting sun made it pleasingly warm. Luke smiled to himself, closing his eyes and letting the pleasant mix of the warm setting sun and the fresh, salt water smelling breeze wash over him.
He could hear his family talking excitedly behind him as they got their bags together from the town car they'd hired to get them to the airport. He'd wanted to help but his mother had said he could just relax, enjoy the view of the setting sun. Luke knew his mother was still worried about him, worried that he might go into another attack or something. It may still happen, but Luke doubted it.
Someone stopped beside Luke. The boy didn't have to open his eyes to see who it was. He could smell Emma's expensive perfume. Luke stayed silent, kept his eyes shut and just continued to breathe in the salty ocean scent that was now mixed in with Emma sweet perfume scent. He didn't mind the change of smell so much, Emma kind of smelt like expensive flowers.
They didn't say anything to each other. Luke had nothing to say to Emma anyway. She was still most likely angry at him even if she was worried about him. She loved him, but Luke would be the first to admit that he was being an asshole lately. But he couldn't think of any other way to react to all the shit that had been going on. How was he supposed to react in front of his family when he was having dirty dreams about his brother? Sure, Zuri was okay about it, but that was Zuri. How would the rest of the family react to knowing that Luke was lusting over his brother? He couldn't do it, couldn't let them find out.
After a moment of complete silence between the pair, Emma sighed and walked away. Luke opened his eyes long enough to see the girl throw an arm over Ravi's shoulder and for them to disappear into the hotel. Luke watched after them for a long moment before letting out a sigh and turning back to look at the ocean.
It was slightly darker now, the sun disappearing faster behind the ocean line. He heard his mother's voice calling out for him and he turned to see Christina standing by the entrance, waving towards him. Luke nodded his head and headed towards his mother. They both walked into the hotel, Christina talking excitedly about everything they'd be doing for the time they were in Ibiza. It all sounded exciting, if Luke wasn't so emotionally and physically exhausted.
"It's going to be awesome," Christina said excitedly, throwing an arm over Luke's shoulder. "This'll be good for you, good for us."
"I know mom," Luke said quietly. Christina tightened her arm around Luke's shoulders as they walked towards their family at the reception area.
Luke looked at his father and found Morgan looking a bit frustrated. At first Luke thought it had something to do with the movie premier that was going to happen because Morgan had his phone in his hand. But the more Luke looked at his father, the more he realised that it had little to do with the upcoming event. Ravi looked just as frustrated as Morgan, if not a bit more, and when Luke looked at Zuri he found her trying to bite back a far too satisfied smirk. The receptionist was looking as frustrated as Morgan was.
"So nothing can be done?" Morgan asked the man at the front desk—Rico, his nametag read.
"I'm afraid not, Sir," the man said, shaking his head sadly. "We'll only have a free room that fits your requirements tomorrow afternoon."
Morgan sighed, running a hand through his hair. He turned to Christina and Luke and sighed again. Christina was asking what the problem was with her eyes, widening them slightly, her smile too big to be comfortable. Morgan sighed a third time, looked at his cellphone then looked to his wife and said, "We have a situation."
"What's wrong?" Christina asked. "What's wrong with the rooms?"
"Apparently— —," the word was said almost forcefully, even Rico flinched at the way it was said, "—when we were booking rooms, we accidently booked three rooms that had one double bed, one of the rooms being a honeymoon suite."
"What?" Christina looked confused, looking to Rico who was doing everything in his power to pretend he didn't see the look. "How could that happen? I'm pretty certain we book two of those rooms and not three."
"They say they got an email, sent a confirmation email and we agreed… apparently."
Christina frowned for a moment, biting her bottom lip before realising seemed to dawn on her and she turned and looked at her youngest daughter. Zuri looked thoroughly insulted by her mother even assuming she'd do such a thing. Everyone else seemed to figure that it was her, even Luke, who knew Zuri had too many plans up her sleeve not to do something like that.
"I would never," Zuri said, hand on her chest for dramatic effect. "As much as I want Luke and Ravi to get along, why would I book them a room with only one bed? Do I want them to kill each other?"
"Then who did it?" Christina asked.
"Ask Emma. Maybe it was her."
Emma snorted in the most unladylike way that everyone was certain it wasn't her. She always seemed to forget herself when she thought things were so utterly ridiculous they didn't even deserve her lady–manner or whatever it was she called it.
"Okay, so maybe not Emma. But I swear it wasn't me either."
"Okay kiddo" Morgan said, pulling Zuri into a hug. "We believe you. But now we still have a room that doesn't have the right amount of beds."
"It's only one night though," Zuri said slowly. "I mean, I'm sure we can trust Luke not to do anything stupid for one night."
"Hey!" Luke protested, looking as insulted as he sounded. Zuri looked at him, daring him to argue but Luke said nothing else, because yes, there was a chance he'd do something stupid, like develop a boner while in the same bed as his brother who he was currently very into. That would be nice.
"Or I could just share a room with Bertram for the night," Ravi said, speaking for the first time since Luke and Christina had joined the family. Bertram snorted, a clear 'as if', before he remembered who else was around and composed himself.
"No, no, Bertram needs his time away from you guys," Christina said sweetly. "He has to deal with you every day. This is his holiday as much as it is ours."
"Thank you, Christina," Bertram said, smiling too sweetly at Morgan and Christina. Luke rolled his eyes, the rest of the family rolled their eyes because they knew how not sweet Bertram really was.
After everything got sorted out, everyone headed towards their rooms to see them. Luke was even less excited about seeing his room than he had been before they'd gotten here. Not only would he now be expected to share a room with Ravi, but he'd have to share a bed. Maybe if Luke wasn't in such a funk he'd be able to handle one night, but too much shit could happen in a single night, Luke couldn't trust himself.
The room he and Ravi had been finally set up in was the room Christina and Morgan were originally supposed to get. It was still quite romantically done up, but apparently with fewer roses. Luke didn't go up to see it; instead he headed straight for the pool which was practically empty with people heading inside for dinner and whatever else.
Luke sat on one of the pool chairs with a sigh. He looked towards the crystal blue water. He leaned back against the chair, sitting himself down comfortably; stretching his legs onto the chair then shut his eyes.
It was silent for all of ten minutes before someone sat down beside Luke loudly and started playing music off their device. Luke knew who it was from the perfume filling the air, from the music playing. He ignored his sister, only because he didn't want to think about anything for the moment.
"You can ignore me all you want, precious, but I'm not going anywhere," Zuri said in an almost sing–song way.
"Don't care," Luke said quickly, still not opening his eyes.
"Oh you'll care when I tell you what I found out."
Luke sighed and sat up, looking at Zuri who was looking at him with a satisfied smirk. "Kay, what'd you find out?"
"You know Emma's delinquent girlfriend, Rosie?"
"Everybody knows Emma's delinquent girlfriend, Rosie."
"You know how Emma's delinquent girlfriend Rosie is really into hacking and junk?"
"Zuri."
"Congratulations, Rosie is now a proud member of Whatever This Is."
Luke didn't think about Rosie knowing, so went the easy route. "Is that what you're calling it?" he asked.
Zuri narrowed her eyes thoughtfully then snorted and said, "Is that the part you're worried about?"
"I'm trying not to panic here okay? Excuse me if I try to concentrate on the least likely thing to put me in a panic attack."
"Kay." Zuri stayed silent for a log moment, typing something on to her laptop. "Rosie thinks you're an idiot, by the way." She tried not to grin but mostly failed.
"I don't even try anymore."
Zuri snorted, somewhere between amused and unimpressed. "You don't say?"
They fell silent again and Luke looked into the clear water of the pool. It was kinda pretty, the lights inside the pool being turned on along with the lights around the pool area. It looked really pretty from where Luke was sitting and he smiled.
"How long are you planning on sitting here?" Zuri asked scrunching up her nose as she looked around. "It's going to get cold soon and you'll have to go inside."
"I'm not sharing a room with him, Zuri," Luke said. He tired really hard not to sound as desperate as he felt about the whole thing. He could not be in the same room with Ravi, he just couldn't.
"There's a perfectly comfortable couch in the living room."
"The living room?"
"Yeah. Apparently mom and dad were going all out with their room choice. That didn't work out. But I'm guessing it worked out for you. Maybe there is someone out there looking out for you."
Luke didn't narrow his eyes at his sister, but he would've if he wasn't afraid of what she'd do to him if she saw that. Instead he laid himself back on the chair and shut his eyes again. Beside him, Zuri sighed and went on typing.
"Oh!" Zuri said suddenly. Luke ignored her while she typed quickly on her laptop. "Oooh," she said, dragging the word out a little more.
Luke sighed, rolling his eyes under his lids. "You really want me to ask what's going on?" he asked his sister. Zuri said nothing but another, longer 'oh' came from her lips. Luke sighed, sat up and turned to her. "What?" he asked.
"Nothing," Zuri said, waving Luke off as she continued to type.
"No, not 'nothing'. You don't 'oh' like that unless you want someone to ask, so I'm asking. What?"
"Seriously Luke, it's nothing. Go to your room, it's seriously gonna get cold then you're going to be sick and you're going to die."
"Really? You really had to go that extreme."
"I'm serious. There is no cure for pneumonia. Please, I'm begging you, go back to your room."
Luke sighed, rolling his eyes at Zuri. He got up and Zuri hopped up too. She put her laptop under her arm and linked the other arm with Luke's arm. He didn't argue, letting Zuri lead him back into the hotel.
They walked towards the elevators, Zuri muttering lyrics to some song or another. Luke didn't pay enough attention to know what song it was, mostly he was just trying to find a way not to go to his room. He knew there wasn't a chance for him to escape now, not with Zuri holding his arm like a vice, it was actually starting to hurt.
Luke ignored the pain for the most part, instead concentrating on the way the elevator doors tinged when it opened, the steps he took getting into the elevator and the number Zuri pressed for their floor—level thirty, the second–to–last floor in the hotel.
The elevator ride was long and mostly filled with elevator music and Zuri singing along to it because apparently she recognised the tune. Luke ignored her and her horrible rendition of the elevator song, he figured it was mostly to get him to comment, take him out of his head—it wouldn't work.
The only stop the pair made was on the eighth floor where some brunet boy hopped on. The teen greeted Zuri and Luke. Luke ignored him completely while Zuri replied cheerfully then continued to hum to the elevator music. The boy made conversation with Zuri for his entire ride from the eighth floor to the twenty–second floor. He got off with a friendly wave goodbye and said something Zuri again because she was a pretty cool kid. Zuri nodded, gushing about how she'd love that and then the elevator doors shut.
"You are being so antisocial it's almost depressing," Zuri said, pressing the thirtieth floor button a few times.
"Thanks," Luke replied sarcastically. He tried to pull himself away from Zuri's grip but she wouldn't let go. Luke sighed and leaned back on the back wall.
"Seriously Luke, I'm not sending you to the slaughter house. You need sleep is all. Do you want mom to spend this entire trip worrying about your stupid ass?"
"No." And that was the truth. Luke didn't want his mom worrying about him. He wanted her to enjoy this trip. She deserved a holiday, especially with everything that was going on. Luke deserved a holiday too, but this wasn't going to be the one he enjoyed. Maybe he could find a way to go home early, be away from his family, from Ravi. That would be a good holiday for him.
"Hey," Zuri said, poking Luke's arm to get his attention again. The boy looked down towards his sister and found her looking at him seriously, all–knowing–eyes trained at him. "If anything happens tonight and you feel like you're suffocating, just give me a call. I Googled this hotel and know a few places where we can hide out till your I–want–to–murder–my–brother–coz thing passes."
"I want to murder my brother coz?"
"You know how that sentence ends, don't make me say it coz then you will freak out and neither one of us wants that."
"No, we don't."
They fell silent again and the elevator finally tinged open on their floor. Zuri pulled Luke out and led him towards the room he'd be sharing with Ravi. Luke's feet suddenly became heavier and he was practically being dragged towards the room.
Zuri did not for a single moment give up though, practically yanking Luke's arm from its socket till they reached the door. Zuri pulled out Luke's keycard from her pocket and shoved it into the socket. The room tinged and the red dot turned green. Zuri pushed the door open quietly and pulled Luke inside.
On the couch in the living room were two pillows, some sheets and a blanket. Luke turned to look at Zuri and she shrugged, her eyes practically saying 'I'm prepared for everything'.
Luke sat down on the single couch and watched as Zuri quietly made up a bed couch. She worked quickly and efficiently and Luke had to wonder how many times someone had to make a couch–bed to be able to do it that quickly and with such little effort. And then he had to wonder exactly why Zuri had been making a couch–bed so many times that she got good at it.
When Zuri was done, she patted the made up couch and smiled brightly at Luke before turning away from him. Luke didn't argue, he got up and started undressing. When he was down to his underwear stopped then crawled into the couch–bed. Zuri went all out with tucking him in and making sure he was comfortable. Luke still didn't argue, instead letting his sister fuss over him because he needed it.
With Luke finally tucked up in the couch, Zuri pulled out his cellphone from her back pocket. He looked at her questioningly but she only shrugged.
"My number's on speed–dial two in case something happens. Zack's on speed–dial three if you don't think I'll be able to help like he can. And Dr Patel is speed–dial four, if you want a more medical opinion, you know, like maybe you think you're having a heart attack or something. She said she'd be on call for you at all times."
"When did she say that?" Luke asked not at all surprised at how organised Zuri was with everything.
"When you were out like a light."
"She doesn't— —" Luke stopped and waved a hand.
"No, she doesn't. the only people who know are people who've worked it out."
"So you and Rosie and Zack?"
"Chat room Zack, you idiot. Ben's brother."
"Right? So just you, Rosie and a whole chat room of people."
"People who don't actually know your real identity. They think you live Australia, or was it South Africa? I don't actually remember, but it doesn't even matter. Seven–eighths of the people there lied about where they live anyway."
"But they probably named their own country, not countries that I know nothing about!"
"But that's what Google is for, you know, to Google, so you know shit. Stop freaking out and just go to sleep."
"Zuri— —" She cut him off with a raised hand. He sighed and said nothing.
"I got you a sleeping pill." Zuri pulled out a small clear packet from her pocket with a single white pill in it.
"What don't you have in those pockets?" Luke asked incredulously, because really, she seemed to have everything in there.
"A charger. Now shut up and put this in your mouth."
"I don't have water."
Zuri gave him a look and Luke sighed, throwing the pill at the back of his throat and swallowing. Of course she knew about his little seeping pill habit he'd had a long time ago. It hadn't been bad enough for her to intervene apparently because if Luke had earned anything in the time that Zuri had finally revealed her knowledge about his secret crush on Ravi, Zuri didn't stay quiet if she thought something was becoming a problem. Although, now that Luke did think about, he remembered he'd had a whole bottle that had somehow vanished. He hadn't been addicted enough to go searching for more though, sometimes one would just magically appear if he really had a bad day. Now he knew how that happened.
"Thank you, Zuri," Luke said for the first time since she'd gotten involved. Most of the time he'd just tried not to panic, but he hadn't really thought about how she'd kind of made things better for him, because she really had. He finally had someone who supported him completely and without judgment. He still thought he didn't deserve it, but Luke wasn't going to look a gift horse in the mouth. He was glad Zuri the All–Seer was around.
"It's nothing," Zuri said easily. She sat down by Luke's feet and opened her laptop. "Go to sleep, Luke. I'll stay till you fall asleep."
Luke nodded his head then settled down onto the bed. Zuri started tapping away at her laptop and then a moment later a lullaby started playing. Luke was about to sit up and ask when Zuri had recorded their mother singing that particular lullaby, but Zuri only patted his foot and told him to shush so Luke did.
Luke did as asked and he listed to the sound of his mother's soothing voice singing his special lullaby coming through the speakers of Zuri's laptop, and Zuri's gentle typing. The sounds finally lulled the boy to the first peaceful sleep he'd had in a long time…
…TBC…
Kay, so the ending could've been a lot better, but for once I just wanted it to end smoothly, Luke needs that. I think in the next chapter shit's going to get a bit real and I think maybe Emma's going to start piecing shit together about why Luke's being such a jerk to Ravi, maybe she's going to join Team Whatever This Is even though she's not entirely certain about how she feels exactly.
I'm thinking of taking the easy way out when it comes to the Ross's reaction to Luke's feelings for Ravi, I really don't want to deal with that conflict. At this point in time I'm thinking that Emma and Morgan are going to have the hardest time getting used to it but they aren't going to condemn the pair or whatever. I think Zuri, Rosie and Christina will be a lot easier to take it in coz Zuri's all–knowing and Rosie's hacker skills are on point and Christina… well mothers always know. Bertram I think is just going to be like: to each their own, while Jessie's as supportive as she can be with as little judgment as possible, because Jessie just wants to see her kids happy.
There most likely won't be any paparazzi reaction coz that's too much drama even for me. Maybe Tony will find out—I haven't watched enough of the new season to know about her new ex–man, actually I've only watched one episode, so for now it'll always be Tony she ends up with—and he's just like: hey, whatever makes you happy.
So yeah, I'd like to know what you guys think of the plans, what you'd like to see happen in regards to the family's reaction, who's reaction you want to see most and all that. Maybe, if it doesn't fit in with the story, I'll write like a little fic with whomever you pick's reaction, have like little outtakes and all that. But that all on you guys.
PS I think I might write Zuri's reaction to realising that Luke's in love with Ravi as a separate fic. I kinda like that idea…
PPS (or is it PSS?) I kinda really like this chapter, or more specifically, I like the interaction between Zuri and Luke, they're relationship gives me life and joy (:, that's all.
Anywhoo…
(",)