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𝐬 𝐞 𝐫 𝐞 𝐧 𝐝 𝐢 𝐩 𝐢 𝐭 𝐲

a happy, unexpected, and unplanned discovery or encounter. happening by chance rather than intention

PLOT a messy vegas night leads cece away from the girls and straight back to the boy she never forgot ; her childhood crush luke hemming. was it all just a happy accident , a coincidence even… or was it something more?

CHARACTERS cece lee ˒ luke hemmings ˒ dayna seo.

﹙ mentions of all members⠀﹚

WORD COUNT 8.8k ﹙ oops i got carried away. ﹚

GENRE fluff

PLAYLIST c e c e .

a/n i have been writing this on and off for way too long and i finally stopped overthinking and posted her UGH ! unedited and barely proof read please be nice :( pleeeease let me know what you think xx

﹙ j u n e ‘24 ⚲ v e g a s ﹚

cece had no idea where she was or what was going on around her. she knew she probably should be a lot more concerned than she was but honestly ,she was having too much fun to care.

ever since they left their last stop on tour, sora had been feeding the girls alcohol. after touring non stop for almost 2 months they had just under a week off before their show in los angeles that would close off the american leg of their tour. and sora had decided that this break was the perfect time to live out her cinematic vegas dream. it started with bottomless mimosas at breakfast that morning, then 2 more cocktails with their lunch, another 2 at dinner and 3 more shots while getting ready. sora was on a mission and she wasn’t going to let their individual tolerances stop her at all ,leaving cece —the resident lightweight— just about shitfaced before she even stepped foot out of her hotel room.

so it was really no surprise that she had no recollection of how she ended up in the smoky blue haze of the club that she couldn’t even remember the name of. sora had said it multiple times in her excited rants for over a week, so you’d think cece would be able to use the few fragmented clues to search it up. but it was one of those private and underground establishments. the type that didn’t exist unless you were in the know, it wasn’t something that would appear if you were to google it. realistically she knew that she easily could’ve tried harder to get details but when sora was in charge of a night out they’d all learnt to not ask too many questions.

she did have one question though ; where were her bandmates?

dayna once joked that they might have to invest in a tracking device to attach to cece.maybe even consider placing an airtag on her at all times. her habit of running off and constantly disappearing on a night out was a great concern for the leader. it was true, cece was guilty of getting swept up in her own world and the thrum of the 808s leading to her wandering off on her own without even noticing. she never recalled walking away or even thinking of leaving anyone yet it happened every time without fail. it was as if she had just spawned in the middle of the dance floor already moving along to the music. like she blinked and all of a sudden she was slotted between the bodies of strangers.

cece literally felt as if she was floating. maybe it was the multiple drinks sora had shoved into her best friend's hands or the smoke machine creating a cloud around her as she moved. she was simply being carried around by the bass of each song. she swore she could feel it booming through her veins. each beat echoing through her from her toes to her fingertips, vibrating her cells from the inside out.

it was invigorating.

considering the state she was in, cece was impressed that the word invigorating even came to mind, let alone that she would use it right in a sentence.

cece blinked slowly trying to somehow stabilize herself , focus and recall where she last saw everyone. everything flashed before her in chopped up clips: dayna sat at the bar nursing a cosmo , heeyoung yelling over the music at the bartender for water for yuri , sora banging on a bathroom door because cece needed to piss , heeyoung passing cece a shot she assumed was tequila, yuri giving cece her butterfly shaped claw clip… cece putting her cellphone in dayna’s purse…

fuck.

she didn't even have her phone.

she didn't know where she was, she was alone and had no way to contact anyone.

in a minor panic cece looked around, frantically scanning the crowd. she saw many familiar faces but none that really mattered to her at that moment. she did, however, suddenly understand why the bouncers had placed stickers on all the cameras of their phones when they walked in. every square inch of dimly lit space was packed with famous faces. some there with the exact people you expected to see them with whilst others grinded against someone that was not their equally famous partner. lucky for them, cece would likely forget before she could even report back to anyone. their secrets safe from public scrutiny. they were definitely there for the same reason sora had decided to take vivid there; to just have a good time without the fear of being seen. to just exist outside of the hyper judgmental eyes of the general public. to be freed from the pressures of celebrity for a few hours.

she was getting distracted.

“focus cece , focus” she whispered to herself as she squeezed her eyes shut as a means to forcibly sober up. her logic was that if she could even feign slight sobriety she could locate at least one member and not be alone anymore.

she couldn't focus on anything whilst being moved by the crowd on the floor. she needed to get somewhere else. if she’s outside of the crowd it should be easier to spot them she thought to herself. her legs moved before her mind even processed that she had opened her eyes. she made her way to the outskirts of the establishment. it was decorated with a roped off area , housing multiple private booths and sections. each with their own ice bucket filled with the most expensive bottles of alcohol that were refilled before any of the vip memebers even noticed that it was empty. the bouncer let her into the secluded area immediately , noting the bright red band that was placed on her wrist on entry.

cece sat down on the first plush couch that she saw, happy to find an empty booth that she could comfortably insert herself into. she let herself settle comfortably into her seat as she closed her eyes once again. the room needed to stop spinning in order for her to feel in control of her body again. and once shes in control she can think of a plan to get back to everyone before dayna made the dj announce that she’d lost her bandmate the same way mothers did in malls when they couldn’t find a child. the image so vivid in cece’s mind she couldn't help but giggle to herself.

she was getting distracted again.

after 10 deep and long meditative breaths cece slowly opened her eyes, just for her finally controlled breath to get stuck in her throat immediately. as if in cinematic slow motion she unexpectedly locked her gaze with the most beautiful glitter covered eyes she’d ever seen.

the initial shock of there being another person in the booth dissipated as soon as she was drawn in by his gaze. his eyes were such a particular shade of ice blue that ironically warmed her up just as much as the alcohol in her system had. an artistically messy application of silver glitter framed his baby blues and drew even more attention towards them, making it impossible to look away from him.

if she was sober cece probably would have been more subtle in her staring but in her current state she couldn’t control it.

the glitter reflected the many colours of the club, the subtle way it glimmered with every shift of light in the dark club had cece head going blank.nothing going through it but him. he almost didn’t look real. not in a creepy -ai-uncanny valley way– but in the way that he looked like… art. every one of his features worked in perfect harmony, his perfect nose, his chiselled jaw, the curve of his lips and those eyes… he was the perfect manifestation of a greek sculptor's muse. every aspect of him coming together to create the masterpiece that was the beautiful blonde stranger in front of her.

he was mesmerizing .

only when she saw the twinkle of his teeth as he smiled did she wake up from the trance she was in.

“are you alright?” the corner of his mouth lifted up in a slight smirk as he spoke.

cece nodded slowly. the words floated around her in a cloud as she absentmindedly smiled. she noted the australian accent that lay beneath his attempt at a more american sound. there was something about him that rang so familiar; from his accent to his soft blonde curls, but she was in no shape to recognize anyone right now— especially anyone from home in australia.

cece’s brain decided to continue to hyper analyse him during their brief exchange and she couldn’t help but notice every small detail about him. like how his blonde curls were bleached lighter despite clearly being a natural blonde.his darker blonde roots peaked through only making his look even more enchanting. the way his cropped dress shirt was unbuttoned down to his chest and stretched perfectly, clinging to every muscle. how the paint on his nails was slightly chipped.

once her eyes refocused, cece saw him waiting for more, his eyebrows raised in fake concern and humor.

she hadn’t answered him. surely hadn’t been staring at him for that long she thought… right?

“yeah, yeah… i’m fine. just… i um… i lost my friends.”she spoke slowly, finally tearing her eyes away from him to look around, noting that it was just the two of them in the booth despite there being bags and jackets thrown on the couch. he’d clearly not come alone. she shifted her attention back to the crowd in an attempt to finish the task she had originally planned to do and stop obsessing over the random man she’d just unabashedly drooled over and gawked at for a clearly embarrassing and noticeably long period of time.

he chuckled softly as he leaned forward, his elbows settling on his thighs as he ran his chipped black manicured nails through his hair. “i mean you’ve decided to sit with me , might as well introduce yourself right?” he spoke, each word laced into his laugh. he was clearly trying to get cece’s attention again and he got it back with ease.

cece actively tried to act unbothered but the smile that spread across her face as she pretended to ignore him was unmissable. “all that eye contact but not a single hello?” he let out a long, dramatic ,sad sigh.

it was no secret that cece was horrible at reading people especially when drunk. but she was pretty sure he was trying to get her attention in some way. was he flirting with her? surely not, maybe he was just always this charming. she had just decided to sit in his private area, maybe his lighthearted tone was a way for him to politely tell her to leave. it would make sense. her infatuation had made her delusional and mixed his friendliness with him being interested.

through the corner of her eye she watched as he took a swig of his beer, a sweet smile on his face as he watched her. their eyes met for a second before cece attempted to refocus and stop getting distracted. the beautiful stranger was taking up her attention and her bandmates faded slowly into the background of her mind as he spoke again.

“aww no” he sighed, dragging ou the syllables of his words like a childish whine. “ i’ve lost her.” he followed his words up with a slight kiss of his teeth before he threw his head back in pretend anguish. “no one’s gonna believe me when i tell them i saw the prettiest girl i’ve ever seen.”

he’d barely finished his sentence before cece whipped her head back to him so fast she was surprised she hadnt gotten whiplash. and there he was smiling, eyes already fixed on her.

was he actually flirting with her? or …

“sorry, i just .. i needed to get away from the crowd for a second i’ll go if you want—“ her panic took over as she thought again that he was just politely hinting at her to leave. but he shook his head stopping her thoughts before she could even consider moving.his eyes lingered on hers in a way that had her insides melting. “no stay, it’s alright.”

his accent had already changed ever so slightly . he ditched the minor american pronunciations, his australian coming in a lot stronger. his brain must’ve picked up on cece’s matching accent and he realized that he didn't need to make himself more understandable like he probably had grown used to.

his smile had a giggle bubbling inside of her that she attempted to hide but it was pointless. the blonde boy across the table clearly could already sense the effect that he had on her and she was never good at being illusive. cece wouldn’t even consider herself a good flirt , she had no idea how to do it if she was being honest. she just kind of hoped that her sunny disposition and big brown eyes would do all the work.

“i’m cece.” her giddiness could be heard as she spoke, making her want to kick herself.

as soon as the first word came out of her mouth and her faded australian accent came through she saw a shift in his demeanor.

“cece? as in cecelia?”

cece furrowed her eyebrows slightly as she nodded yes to his question. she watched as something she couldn’t quite pinpoint flickered across the boy's face. his previously teasing smirk melted into something softer, his eyes widening slightly as if seeing her for the first time all over again. she tilted her head, confused by the sudden shift. her brain was fogged by the alcohol and the neon lights of the club.

was he messing with her? why did her full name that she never used matter? did he not want her in his space anymore because of it? what was going on?

then, he said it.

“lili?”

cece froze, the nickname hitting her like she took a sniff of those strong salts heeyoung always spoke about. her eyes widened dramatically as soon as her ears registered what he'd said. it felt as if the music suddenly stopped and the lights had been flicked on all at once.it was a jolt to her system, pulling her out of the haze of the alcohol and into her living room back in sydney. the nickname hung in the air like a forgotten melody. it was one that only her family knew about, from when olivia was still a baby couldn’t pronounce her older sisters name. at first she swore she must have misheard him. no one had called her that in years, not even her own baby sister. her mind scrambled to place him into any context that would make sense that he would know such a niche aspect of her childhood. she was sure that a face like that would never escape her memeory. as she blinked rapidly she watched all the features on his face finally come into full focus.

and then it hit her.

“luke?!” cece gasped loudly. “holy shit! oh my god, luke ! mrs hemmings son!?” her hands flew up to cover her open, jaw dropped mouth.her shock—although dramatic–was genuine. luke nodded matching her excitement as he laughed loudly. he covered his mouth the same way she had. partly mocking her but also trying to hide the large smile he had.

the crooked grin, the way his pretty blue eyes crinkled when he smiled—it all clicked into place. luke hemmings. it was her luke. well, if we were to get technical he was never her luke, but that was besides the point.

“luke fucking hemmings oh my god!” cece screamed as she got up from her spot across from him and jumped to his side. her previous shyness forgotten as she threw her hands around his broad shoulders without a second thought. her head fell on his shoulder easily as if the space was shaped for her. she gave him an affectionate squeeze, excitedly rocking them from side to side. luke couldn’t stop laughing as he leaned into her too, scooting deeper into the booth to give her space to fit in beside him which she did without breaking apart.

“holy shit hi ! oh my god this is crazy ! i haven't seen you in years. i mean obviously i have. like you and your band blew up i saw you everywhere. but like i haven’t seen you seen you in … holy shit in probably like 12 years!” she pulled away and happily smiled at him. his equally excited smile had her mouth moving without control. “this is… wow, this is so crazy.how didn’t i notice ?! i mean, you look so different. but not in a bad way! um like, you look good—not that you didn’t look good before! but now you look, like, really good. oh god, wait, that sounded weird. i mean-“ cece took a small breath to try collect her thoughts as they ran away from her.

“ you stopped straightening your hair ,i like it. not that i didn’t like the quiff but the curls suit you so much. and the glitter oh my god it looks so good. oh my god this is crazy“

cece had a habit of rambling when she felt flusstered or nervous and she definitely felt both as she stared into the eyes of the object of her adolescent obsession. her thoughts scrambled to catch up as a thousand childhood memories crashed into her at once. memories she hadn’t thought about in years. memories of how her math teacher had become a friend to her mother, coming over for dinner with her family ever so often. his crooked smile at the dinner table as he shyly spoke about the band he had just started with his friends. the feeling she had was so vivid in her brain even after all these years. he seemed so untouchable at that time. it all felt so close, so real.

despite her younger self’s efforts to hide it she had the most obvious and soul shattering crush on luke. for years he existed just as her math teacher's cute -hot- son that she would see in snippets. on the rare occasion that she was brave enough to strike up conversation she always melted in his baby blues as he spoke. and there sat beside him in a random vegas club she didn’t know the name of she found herself melting in his eyes the same way she did as a pre teen.

luke chuckled taking another sip of his beer before placing the empty glass bottle on the table. he leaned back his face a mix of amusement and disbelief. “you haven’t changed one bit have you lili.”

“wait…” cece paused her rambles as she caught wind of the nickname being used once again.before she could enjoy the sweet nostalgia in the moment the memory associated with why he knew the dreaded nickname played through her mind. her previous excitement quickly fading into deep embarrassment . “you remember that?” she whispered, her voice barely audible over the thrum of the club. she’d hoped that it had faded into obscurity considering he’d never said it all those years ago.luke nodded still laughing lightly. his laughter made his perfectly styled curls bounce softly. his laughter only grew as he watched cece bury her face in her hands at the memory of how he’d learnt of the nickname.

as soon as felix caught wind of cece’s not so secret feelings he made it his mission to embarrass his sister in front of the older boy any chance that he got. she remembered how one particular time felix sat beside luke at dinner and wouldn’t stop using the nickname and in her attempt to silence him she kicked his shin under the table. but felix despite being younger than her was still always stronger expecially with his taekwondo training. resulting in him kicking her much harder making cece scream loudly. this was the first domino to fall. the noise made little olivia cry and in her tantrum she threw her mashed veggies at cece as punishment. the horror that filled her pre teen body as she watched luke laugh so hard that he had tears streaming down his face was earth shattering. the entire table was laughing and in hindsight it was hilarious. but the earth shattering visual of felix whispering something in luke’s ear and having to hit him on the back repeatedly as he continued to laugh so hard he almost chocked— was forever burned into the deepest parts of her developing brain.

she had a massive bruise on her shin for almost a month, and broke out horrifically following the caked vegetable mask she’d been given.

the memory was so embarrassing she must have blocked it out but luke clearly never had.

cece stared at him. her expression wide-eyed, pulse racing and her entire body being on fire as if she were twelve all over again. she couldn’t let felix’s attempt to ruin her reputation in front of luke be successful all these years later. she needed to change the subject.

“anyway umm…” cece looked away from him to hide the way that she was getting flustered as she pretended to scan the crowd again. she remembered his words from earlier, “i’ve changed!” she spoke definitively.

her firm response crumbled as she turned back towards him. just holding eye contact had her retreating back into a rambling mess. “i mean, i think i have. haven’t i? like sure i am a mess right now but that’s just cause i’ve been drinking and i lost my friends and don’t know where i am and don’t have my phone…but normally i’m, like, way more put-together. like, totally cool. super cool. not this.”

luke grinned, clearly enjoying her flustered state.“yeah, totally cool. got it.” cece aggressively nodded her head to emphasise that she was in fact good, making the blonde boy chuckle softly.

cece couldn't help but watch in awe as he leaned forward to grab another beer out of the ice bucket in front of him. every little thing luke did felt impossibly attractive. even the simple act of twisting off the cap on the bottle had her mesmerised. the way his expressions shifted slightly as he focused on opening up his beverage. the subtle flex of his arms as he flicked the cap off, the way his hands moved, the way his hair fell messily over his forehead , like he hadn’t even tried but somehow looked perfect. even the casual way he held his drink, like he’s completely comfortable in his own skin. how was he so effortless.

the relaxed but confident way he carried himself was so foreign to cece as someone who was hyper aware of every move she made.

he was completely mesmerizing.

cece hadn't realised how long she had spent watching him again until he looked up, almost as if he was waiting for her response to something he said."cece?" luke asked, his voice laced with amusement.

his voice broke her out of her trance leaving cece blinking up at him cluless, her mind completely blank “huh?”

luke chuckled softly, air coming out of his nostrils as he set the bottle down and leaned toward her slightly. “are you okay?” his brows furrowed slightly, his once teasing tone now overshadowed by his initial concern.

“oh, yeah i'm great. dandy even.,” cece insisted as she adjusted her posture making sure to sit up straighter to prove her point. she definitely was still insanely drunk but luke didn’t need to know that.

the much taller boy leaned in closer to cece making sure that she could hear him over the loud music. “you sure? cause i can help you find your friends–”

“no! no no no no. i’m fine!” cece blurted out a little too quickly, not even allowing fro the blue eyed boy to properly finish his sentence. luke raised an eyebrow, his lips twitching in amusement as he studied her.

“okay…” he drew out the word, clearly surprised and intrigued by her abruptness. “but you said that you were lost –”

cece interrupted him once again “no i know what i said… but i’m okay!” she lifted her hands up and frantically waved them as she shook her head. she knew that the real reason she found herself sitting beside luke was because she needed space to locate her bandmates, but now that she was so close to him that she could smell his cologne … she wasn’t ready to find them and inevitably end their moment. and something in her told her that this was not where they were meant to end their night.

luke’s face was somewhere between intrigue and amusement, clearly finding cece’s abrupt reactions entertaining. “i just mean …” cece started as she attempted to recover with a nervous laugh. “i mean, they’re probably fine without me. they’re grown adults. and, uh, you know, this place isnt that huge. i’ll run into them eventually.”

“right… ,” he replies, still looking at her like he’s trying to figure her out.

luke’s gaze had always been intense but tonight after all these years it felt different. he’d never looked at her like this before and she wasnt sure how to act . cece fidgeted with the rings on her fingers as she attempted to quickly change the subject. if they sat in silence for too long he’d realise she was attempting the delay reunitinbg with her bandmates to get more time with him.

“so, anyway, what about you? how’s, uh, vegas treating you? you… like the lights? or the—uh—the—”

luke tilted his head to listen to her over the music, “the lights are … nice i guess,” luke attempted to hold his laugh in as he watched cece get flustered.

“what you here for?” cece awkwardly cleared her throat as she attempted to have a perfectly normal and peaceful conversation.

“just had a show actually. and the crew decided we had to celebrate,” luke pointed off to a small group dancing on the crowded dance floor. he let out a chuckle as one of his friends stumbled back into a stranger. cece noted that she did not recognize a single person. as if reading her mind he quickly added, “it’s a solo tour, that’s why the boys aren’t with me.”

“oh my god that’s amazing luke! i’m so happy for you ,” cece didn’t mean to genuinely squeal as she excitedly clapped her hands. luke was notably a very shy kid even as his group gained attention when he was a teen he was so dismissive of his talents. if anyone called him a star or even the lead singer he’d deny it and say he could never do it alone. yet there he was over a decade later touring his own music as a soloist.

but even now he didn’t let the moment last long before he said a small thank you and moved the conversation along.

“so if you weren’t here to see me, what brings you here cecelia?” there was a cheeky grin on his face as he spoke and that alone had her stopping from correcting him. no one called her that, he knew that but clearly didn’t care and in that moment neither did she.

cece blinked a few times as her voice came out smaller than before. “it was actually sora’s idea.”cece spoke quickly. “um my bandmate. she… we’re on tour and we have a 2 week gap between shows so she planned this.” her hands gestured around her in an animated manner as she spoke.

luke’s expression shifted in recognition.“oh yeah you're in a kpop group! it’s called vivid right?” cece’s brows furrowed as a small smile spread across her face. she nodded at his question too stunned for words. “ and um sora is the…. the rapper yeah?. she produces and writes and shit ” he continued as he looked up at the ceiling as a means to remember any information he had. “there’s 5 of you or something and you guys' performances are crazy. you all dance really fucking good. but you always have been a crazy good dancer, i remember that.” his gaze landed back on cece at the end of his ramble, eyes sweet and soft and his smile creating waves in her chest.

cece didn’t know what she expected from luke when she mentioned her tour and sora but for him to know anything about her all these years later was not part of it at all.

she let out a soft laugh, visibly flustered and taken aback. “you know all that?”

luke let out a quiet laugh, “yeah, cece. i don’t live under a rock.”

she was still staring, caught between disbelief and something dangerously close to excitement. “i just figured…i mean, we haven’t spoken in years. and even then we were like 14 and barely spoke and we weren’t even really friends?! so i thought—”

luke turned toward her, close enough that the heat of him made her head spin. his voice was softer now, teasing but sincere.

“i kept up.”

cece’s breath caught. she had no idea what to say to that. luke shrugged, his tone casual but warm.“plus, my mom’s your biggest fan. she brags about you all the time.”

the smile that spread across her face was sincere as she envisioned her sweet elementary school maths teacher telling everyone about her. “she’s really proud of you.” his voice dropped slightly as something shifted between them. “i am too”

“can i have a drink?”

cece blurted out the words before she even realized what she had said. she was overwhelmed by luke and just everything about him that she couldn’t even begin to address what he had just said.

honestly she did not need another drink. if anything she needed water to sober up. but despite her inebriated state she felt she might need even more liquid courage to make it through any type of conversation with luke. she hadn’t even spoke to him for 5 minutes yet she already wanted the lush velvet couch to open up and swallow her whole. at least if she could sip on something it would stop her mouth from running. and the alcohol would make her not care that the object of her teen fantasies was sat beside her.

luke let out a soft chuckle as he nodded, leaning forward and rummaging through the bottles in the ice.

luke lifted up one of the many crystal glasses on the table, as he steadily filled it with the exact drink she’d asked for. cece was hyper aware of the way his fingers brushed against hers as he handed her the drink. she made the active effort to not linger too long on the contact but by the way the corner of his mouth twitched upwards ever so slightly and the slight crease in his brows she knew her attempts were futile.

then it was a blur. she’d lost track of time or how long she’d been speaking.

cece’s senses were overwhelmed—utterly overtaken by him.

the low hum of the club, the flashing lights, the thrum of bass beneath their feet—all of it blurred into nothing. all she could see was him. luke hemmings, sitting beside her like she’d always fantasized. his knee gently grazing her own and his soft ,drunk eyed gaze fixated on her. the arm draped behind her on the couch lingered so close to the skin of her neck it sent goosebumps down her back. his voice—that voice—deep, slow, and effortlessly charming had her swooning.his cologne swam in the air between them: warm, woody, and dizzyingly addictive. it smelt expensive and every time she inhaled, it was like breathing him in, like he was curling around her ribcage and refusing to let go. and then there was the way his fingers barely touched her skin—soft, absent-minded strokes that lit up her nerves and had her heart clawing against her chest.

she was spiraling.

her mind was fogged by his presence that she wasn’t paying attention to anything she was saying anymore. cece was fully animated at this point , her hands moving wildly as she spoke.all she could hear was the smooth sound of luke’s responses and the genuine belly laugh he let out every now and then. her nerves had her rambling and the realisation had her wanting to fold into herself but she couldn’t stop. she needed to chill, she needed to relax and she needed to shut up.

“cool.cool. um— “ despite cece not saying much of anything luke still leaned in closer, like she was the most interesting person in the room… she knew she hadn’t said a coherent thought for an unknown amount of time and.

“so, lili—”luke paused finally cutting her off. he leaned back into a more comfortable position, lifting his beer to his lips with one hand while the other casually slung over the back of the couch—just close enough to brush her shoulder, if she moved even slightly.

, “—is your boyfriend part of the friends you’re looking for tonight?”

“nope.”

cece answered too quickly, and she knew it. her gaze dropped to the drink in her hand, deciding that focusing on the glass was far safer than meeting his eyes. “well…” she sipped through her straw, her voice too light, too nonchalant.

“so its complicated?”

luke tilted his head, brows pulling together in quiet concern as he silently waited for elaboration. cece took a deep breath as she tried to focus on his question and not the almost nonexistent brush of the tips of his fingers on her shoulder.

cece blinked at him slowly as ran through the last 30 seconds. her eyes shot wide open, “oh no! no no no ! not complicated at all! he literally almost ruined my friendship and cheated on me. might’ve actually been a dick the whole time so… um yeah no boyfriend, none at all.”

she took another sip once again to shut herself up. it wasn’t until the liquid was halfway down her throat that she paused, and scrunched her face up in embarrassment. she really needed to get a grip. in her attempt to clarify that she was single she managed to overshare as she always did.just as she began to hypothesize that luke was finding the most polite way to tell her to fuck off his soft sweet voice brought her back.

“good.”

the word slipped from luke’s lips almost as it he didn’t mean for it to be heard. it was low, almost lost to the music and the hum of the club. but cece heard it. clear as day. her brows furrowed, eyes snapping up to his face.

a crooked, sheepish smile tugged at his lips.

“not good that he cheated,” he rushed to clarify, already tripping over himself. “or that he was a dick—fuck, that sounded so bad. i just meant—umm. fuck!” he paused, shaking his head at himself, some of his soft blonde curls falling into his face. he let out a loud laugh as he dipped his head down, clearly trying to collect himself. his mouth kept opening and closing as if he was attempting to say something but his laughs stopped him everytime. cece could feel her cheek’s tensing from how hard she was smiling at luke, catching herself giggling too.

“you didn’t deserve that. sounds like a piece of shit honestly.” his accent seemed to hang on his words much more now. sounding almost as strong as it did when they were kids. “i’m… really sorry that happened to you.”he added softer, his eyes lingering on cece’s in a way that made her melt.

the touch was almost absentminded at first, cece swore she was hallucinating when she felt his hand shift from the couch to her arm . but then she felt the touch settle into a slow and deliberate rhythm , tracing soft circles.

“but i meant.. good that you don’t have a boyfriend. or at least…” his eyes flicker over cece’s face, searching, just for a second. “good for me.”

cece stared at him frozen, heart skittering in her chest, her drink suddenly forgotten in her hands . the condensation dripping over her fingers.there’s something in the way he said it , ‘good for me.’ —

that had cece forgetting how to breathe, not that she’d been doing much of it up until this point anyway. she wasn’t used to this kind of honesty. especially when it was said like it meant something. and even more when it came from someone like him.

at that point even cece and her cluelessness couldn’t confuse it for anything other than what it was. luke was flirting … with her.

“so…” cece’s voice cracked immediately ruining her attempt at being blasé. luke let out a small laugh through his nose as he let her finish her sentence. “what about you, hemmings? got a girlfriend back in l.a.?”

luke didn’t answer immediately. he tilted his beer bottle, took a slow sip as he emptied it , and glanced at her from over the rim. his eye contact was heart stopping in the sexiest way possible. she was a bit embarrassed to admit the way that something as small as him looking at her directly in the eyes had her insides flipping and twisting.

“nope,” he said, setting the bottle down. “single.”

she nodded, still not looking at him. “good.” she hoped it sounded as confident, flirty and sexy as his had.

luke didn’t miss a beat. “good.”

her eyes flicked up at that. they met his, and there it was again—that electricity that pulsed between them, simmering just under the surface. neither of them said anything for a moment. cece was terrified that one slight movement would somehow ruin everything. she didn’t dare speak knowing that her nervous rambles would derail whatever was coming.

“i’m kinda glad he fucked up. and now you’re somehow in vegas … with me. .” lukes voice wrapped around her like a warm blanket as his fingers gently brushed the stray hairs of her bangs out of her face. cece’s eyes widened, caught completely off guard. her lips parted, but no words came out at first.

his hand moved then, slowly, fingers gliding back from her arm to rest at the nape of her neck.

the contact sent a subtle jolt through her spine, and she inhaled a little too sharply in surprise before realizing—oh. her hair. yuri had given her her claw clip earlier after she complained about being too hot. her neck was bare, open.

and now luke was touching it.

her skin burned beneath his fingers, but not in a way that made her move away. if anything, she leaned in without meaning to.

once again cece’s mouth was moving before her mind could attempt to build upon the obvious tension between them.

luke didn’t say anything else. just sat there, eyes on her, fingers resting lightly on her skin. he wasn’t saying a word. just watching her. cece once again had no idea what tangent she’d managed to go one in order to avoid her quickened pulse. the minuscule “composure” she’d garnered while trying to keep the tension from earlier had vanished and her anxious word vomit had taken over.

but much to her surprise it didn’t seem to bother luke at all.

he’d inched a little closer without cece even noticing, his beer forgotten, his attention entirely swallowed by the girl beside him. his hand had moved from resting on his own pant clad thigh to the exposed skin of hers.

she kept talking—clearly trying not to notice, to play it cool, to pretend her skin wasn’t tingling under his touch. her voice faltered for half a second when she finally glanced his way and saw the way he was looking at her.

still, she pushed on, stubbornly. “anyway, the crowd in osaka is supposed to be insane, so we’re all like mentally preparing for that and—”

“cece,” he said softly, interrupting her and finally pulling her out of her spiral.

she paused.

his hand shifted just slightly, tilting her face toward him so she’d really look at him. her breath caught. it felt as if the entire world disappeared around them. there was nothing there but cece abd luke. not even the persistent strobe lights and numbing bass existed in that moment, just the suddenly tiny space between them.

all that was left was their faces, now so close that cece swore she could count his eyelashes. every tiny shift in his expression was magnified: the way his eyes flicked from hers to her lips and back again, the way his eyebrows furrowed for a second and the way his tongue absentmindedly dragged across his bottom lip.

he was ethereal.

“you’re so…” cece murmured without thinking, eyes scanning his features. “pretty.”

her eyes widened the second the word left her mouth, “i mean like —”

luke let out a soft, breathy chuckle, eyes crinkling.

“cece,” he said again, this time with a little laugh in his voice.

“…yeah?” she whispered, frozen. terrified that she would somehow find another why to embarrass herself.

“you’re so cute,” he grinned.

and before she could spiral any further, he leaned in, finally closing the space between them.

the noise of the club melted into the background. all cece could feel was him—his hand on her cheek, his lips against hers, the rush in her chest as everything stilled but this moment.

kiss him back. she practically screamed at herself. the shock had her still and frantic like she was having her first kiss all over again.

her breath hitched, lips parting slightly against his, and luke took that as a silent invitation. one of his hands stayed cradling her cheek, fingers splayed softly beneath her ear, while the other dropped to her thigh again, grounding her like an anchor.

she barely registered that she dropped the drink she’d abandoned in her hands ages ago. the glass lay in her lap, the remaining drizzle of liquid splashing on her thighs, right where luke’s had rested but he didn’t seem to care. his grip tightening as he deepened the kiss.

she melted. cece completely, hopelessly melted.

the kiss was slow and tender, like he wanted to memorize the shape of her mouth before anything else. luke didn’t rush it; he kissed her so sweetly she could taste the sugar. it was firm, but still careful. like she was something delicate.

she didn’t know where she was where her members were or where her phone was but she did not care. all she could focus on was him, how he tasted like beer and mint and something entirely luke, how his lips fit so perfectly against hers, how his hand felt steadying against her body like he didn’t want to let go.

and when he finally pulled away just enough to look at her, their noses still brushing, he smiled the way teen cece would daydream he would, so soft and fond it didn’t feel real. luke rested his forehead against hers, breathing her in. “yeah,” he murmured, voice low and a little unsteady, “i’ve been wanting to do that all night”

cece’s eyes fluttered open, wide and dazed, lips still parted, like her body hadn’t quite caught up.she couldn’t even respond. she just nodded once, heart racing.

“i just… this is crazy,” she laughed almost speaking more to herself, her wet and sticky fingers grazing her bottom lip as if checking if that had really happened,her voice light and flustered. “i had such a crush on you back then.”

luke raised an eyebrow, leaning back with mock shock, one hand pressed dramatically to his chest. “wait… you had a crush on me?” he gasped. “i never knew.”

“shut up that’s so mean," cece said with a whine as she remembered how she would act around him. part of her figured he’d always known but the confirmation had her cringing. “it was cute.” he insisted softly as his thumb gently stroked her cheek. she couldn’t help but pout and softly shove his chest, “shut up. please ” luke laughed as he nodded, already moving in to kiss her again.

she was much more prepared this time. her hands finding home in his pretty bleached curls as he pulled her ever so closer. cece couldn’t help but internally squeal as she recalled every daydream she’d had about kissing luke and how this moment greatly outweighed anything she’d had imagined. despite her thighs being sticky and having embarrassed herself for who knows how long she was beyond content.

a small giggle left her mouth mid kiss making luke pull away slightly already beaming as he waited for her to share. “this feels like a movie. ya know. kissing your childhood crush who you haven’t spoken to in years in vegas and like... the only logical next thing to happen is to get married at one of those chappels”

luke tilted his head, eyes narrowing like he was considering it seriously. “okay so let’s go.”

cece blinked. “what…” she shook her head as if she’d heard him wrong but he only chuckled “are you being serious?”

he gave a crooked smile, the kind that made her stomach flip. “yeah. i mean...” his eyes dipped over her outfit, voice softening. “ you’re wearing white. seems like fate’s trying to say something.”

cece looked down at her outfit, the alcohol taking over as she excitedly noted that he was right. she wore a soft, off-the-shoulder white set made of layered, sheer ruffles that drape delicately over her frame. the cropped top exposes her midriff, while the matching frilled shorts sat low on her hips. she adored them for the way that they fluttered and floated around her with movement. the romantic feel of her outfit felt too inviting and too perfect. her slightly scuffed up black boots were definitely not wedding attire but it didn’t feel as if it mattered that much.

she clapped her hands together excitedly like a child. “oh my god, this is the perfect romcom!!”

luke laughed—genuinely, heartily—watching how her whole face lit up. “you are so cute,” he said, cupping her cheeks again and kissing her quick and deep. “i think i saw a guy selling fake flowers down the road,” he murmured against her mouth. another kiss. “probably knows where we could get you a veil.”

cece squealed and kissed him back like she’d waited her whole life for this kind of madness. “luke hemmings,” she whispered between kisses, “you better not be joking.”

“try me, mrs. hemmings,” he grinned playing into it only making cece that much more excited. she once doodled those exact words into her notebook.

before either of them could try and make a sensible decision—or even pretend they wanted to—cece hopped out of the booth, her adrenaline spiking. without hesitation, she grabbed his hand, lacing her fingers through his feeling the pressure of the rings that adorned them, and tugged him through the hazy crowd of lights and bass and strangers. to think that less that 5 minutes ago she was a rambling mess felt like a lie as she confidently lead him through the sane crowd that she’d been lost in.

luke followed, breathless, grinning like a fool as he stumbled behind her through the sticky floors of the vegas club. he didn’t know where they were going. he didn’t care.

but just as they reached the far side of the club, a voice cracked through the music, sharp and familiar.

“oh my fucking god, cece?! where the fuck have you been?!”

cece froze mid-step, her heart skipping a beat. she turned to see dayna storming toward her, a mixture of panic, relief, and suspicion etched into her striking face.

cece couldn’t help but smile sweetly and breathless. “omg, hi ! i was actually looking for you! i need my phone!”

dayna blinked, clearly unconvinced but too relieved to argue. she rummaged through her purse, eyes flicking between cece’s flushed cheeks and the tall blonde boy who now stood very still behind her. she handed over the phone, but her gaze didn’t leave luke.

cece followed dayna’s gaze and suddenly remembered her manners. her mind moving so fast and jumping between. “dayna, this is luke. luke, dayna.”

dayna’s brows furrowed. “…luke?”

luke gave a sheepish, dimpled smile. “hi.”

before dayna could ask any of the very valid questions clearly circling in her brain cece grabbed his arm again and made her way toward the exit with purpose once again.

luke, slightly flustered, manages a quick, “nice to meet you,” before cece starts pulling him again.

“cece, where the fuck are you going now?!” dayna called out, exasperated.

cece didn’t look back. she just threw her arm up in a dramatic wave and sang out, “i’m off to get married~!”

luke’s laugh escaped him in an uncontrollable squeak, the kind he only made when he was caught completely off guard—and cece lost it again, giggling as she leaned her head back against his shoulder.

somewhere between the noise, the glitter, and the chaos of a vegas night, they disappeared out the door.

luke had his arm around cece as they stumbled out of the club into the warm, electric vegas summer night, the heels of her boots clicking against the pavement, his low chuckle in her ear. they had no plan. no destination. just that heady, wild rush of nostalgia and fluttering hearts.

cece held a small bouquet of pink roses they’d bought off the street vendor that sold real flowers to both of their surprise. he also sold veils. the warm air had the tiny cheap veil blowing behind her. the cellophane crinkled in her hands as she twirled excitedly, nearly tripping before luke caught her waist.

“careful, mrs. hemmings,” he said with a genuine giggle, breath warm against her skin.

she let out a loud laugh followed by a drunk hiccup. “you know we’re not actually doing this, right?”

he nodded, slow and thoughtful. “yeah,” he murmured, brushing a strand of hair from her bangs. “but… this—” he gestured between them, “i want to see you again.”

cece nodded but her smile faltered slightly. she’d been living in a daydream all night, not allowing herself space to even consider its continuation. partly due to being insanely drunk and partly due to the fact that she had a habit of building something up only for it to crumble abd fall. running around vegas with luke in their romcom was fun but just like the movie it would end and they’d go back to not speaking for another 12 years.

“you said you guys have a show in la next week right?” luke asked, smoothing out her crumpled up veil with a soft smile. cece nodded once again. “let me take you out. for real. like an actual date.”

it’s said more as a statement than a question but she wouldn’t have declined even if it had been.

cece smiled so wide it hurt, something softer flickering in her eyes as she softly spoke, “okay”. she was barely audible but now that they’d escaped the club luke could hear every sound that escaped her.

“good.” he whispered before kissing her once more. his sincerity dripping from every movement of his lips. as if he could sense cece’s doubt that they’d exist beyond that night and he was trying to prove to her that he meant what he said.

the soft glow of the lamppost above washed over them in its warm light. the perfect lighting for their cinematic final kiss scene. even if it was the end and she’d never become mrs hemmings, cece convinced herself that this was enough for her. her cheap but beautiful flowers, the veil that itched the skin at the nape of her nape, their almost wedding, the kisses, the breathless laughter under neon lights—it all fulfilled her . everything with luke was too good to be true… for now.

if something was too good to be true it usually was, and cece had learned the hard way that time and time again. she was tired of the cycle that she continued to find herself in and she didn’t have it in her to be disappointed once again ,especially not by sweet beautiful luke.

cece then decided that that was all it would be. a short-lived whirlwind romance for a night. it may not be the fairytale that teenage cece had dreamed of but it would just have to do. she’d rather hold on to a magical evening than cry about him in a couple of months.

cece just wasn’t the girl that men loved for a long time.

she’d rather have luke for a moment ,frozen in time than experience the inevitable crash that would happen if it ever left vegas.

so she let him entertain the idea that they’d meet again as she prepared herself for the credits to roll.