5:56 pm

Luke and Dani began walking back to her dorm room, sipping on their hot chocolate on the way. Right now Dani was a little mad at Luke, but he could barely take her seriously. "I can't believe you."

"I think the same thing to myself sometimes." Luke chuckled.

"Screw you." Dani rolls her eyes. She wasn't really being serious though.

"When and where?" He asked, also not being serious.

"Oh my god, no." She said, trying to contain her laughter. Luke looked at her confused, wondering why she found his words amusing. "What?"

"You sound like such a fuckboy!" Dani laughed. "I can't, oh my god-"

"I was joking!" He exclaimed.

"Didn't sound like it!" She continued laughing, covering her mouth because she looked completely obnoxious.

"Alright," Luke sighed. "I'll give you that."

Dani uncovers her mouth, calming herself down from the fit of laughter. "Because I'm right."

"Well, I don't usually fuck on the first date." Luke leaned down a little and whispered in her ear.

Dani eyes widen and she doesn't say anything, mainly because of the shock from that sentence. Luke was full of surprises, but she wasn't expecting that at all. She probably should have though.

Dani, who acts like that didn't just happen, opens her door to her dorm room and let herself and Luke in. She set down her drink and climbed up onto the bed, still wearing Luke's jacket, then he did the same.

"Alright, ask me anything." Luke said.

"Um, okay." Dani replied awkwardly. "How come you're in New York instead of Australia? Your accent makes you stick out like a sore thumb."

"We wanted better opportunities." He answered. "Michael, Calum, Ashton, and I hope to become a famous band one day, but for now we're getting degrees here incase it doesn't work out."

"Wait, wait, wait. You're in Ashton's band?" She asked.

"I mean, it's kinda obvious." He shrugged. "We're best buds."

"So you sing and stuff?" Dani questioned, wanting to know more.

"I guess you could say I'm the lead singer, but I don't think I should be." Luke said, trying to be humble about his "leading man" status.

"Why?"

"Ashton is a way better singer, but drumming is more his passion."

"And singing is yours?" She asked.

"I play guitar too." He replied.

"Well how about you sing for me?" Dani proposed. "It's only fair since we met because you liked my singing."

"Maybe some other time." Luke said, hinting that he wanted to see her again.

"Like when?" She questioned.

"I'll get back to you on that." He winked. "Anyway, what are you here for?"

"Finance."

"Gross."

"Yeah," She sighed. "I really want to be a fashion designer but that's way out of reach."

"A fashion designer?"

"Yeah, like designing clothes and stuff." Dani said. "I would love to collab with big brands like Tommy Hilfiger or something."

"You got any designs?" Luke asked.

"I mean..." She paused. "I do, but they're not that good."

"Awe, come on," He pouted. "show me."

"Alright," Dani gave in and quickly climbed over Luke. "hold on."

Dani went over to her desk and opened a drawer filled with various designs on paper. She quickly went through the designs and picked a select few that she thought Luke would like, but in reality he was going to end up liking them regardless.

She walks over to Luke and hands him the pile of designs, and he carefully looks through them, amazed by how great they look. "You realize these are amazing, right?"

"I don't know about that, but I've designed some men's stuff too!" She exclaimed, quickly grabbing some men's clothing designs she made. "Don't think they'd be your style but it's something."

"I really like this one." He pointed to a design with a striped shirt and what he assumed were leather pants. It kind of had Beetlejuice vibes to it, and that's why he loved it. "Looks cool as fuck."

"Cool like you'd wear it or cool like it's just cool?" Dani asked.

"I'd wear it." Luke said. "Looks like something I'd perform in."

"Wait, are you serious?" She questioned. "Like, you're not joking, right?"

"I'm serious. You ever thought about designing outfits for a band?" This was definitely a spur of the moment thing, but Luke would probably do anything for Dani at this point. He genuinely did like her designs, but asking her to design stuff for his band might be too good to be true.

"No..." Dani paused. "Wait, do you want me to design outfits for your band?"

"If you can physically make them too, then yes." Luke shrugged.

"I have a sewing machine in my closet." She said quickly and pointed to the sewing machine sitting on a shelf in her closet.

"Then I might have to consider you the fashion designer for 5 Seconds of Summer." He smirked at her.

"Oh my god, this is amazing!" She squealed and hugged him out of nowhere. "You don't understand how much I appreciate this."

"It's, uh, no problem." He said quietly and awkwardly placed his hand on the small of her back. It felt weird to have her arms wrapped around him, but it was a good type of weird.

Dani, who was too excited to think about how awkward the hug was for Luke, let's go and continues her excitement. "I can't wait to tell my best friend about this next time I FaceTime her."

"You don't see her often?" Luke questioned.

"We're in different states right now." She replied. "She's trying to be a model. I hope it works out because she's gone through so much with transitioning and-"

"So you have, like, no one?" He interrupted, feeling bad that Dani pretty much had no friends.

"I manage, I guess." She lied. There were way too many nights where Dani wished she had her best friend or just someone that could understand her and not make her feel like a weirdo. She would consider Ashton a friend, but they're simply classmates who never saw each other outside of class. "So, next question."

"Ask away."

"What possessed you to have this idea?" Dani asked. "Like, this whole "Christmas and chill" thing?"

"When life offers you something, you take it." Luke replied. It was pretty damn good advice, but Dani failed to see the importance of it. When she was offered a scholarship, she didn't choose to take it, her parents made her take it. There's a difference with that.

"Well life hasn't exactly offered me anything lately." Dani sighed. She wished that some big designer could just find her and help her get outta her and let her dreams take off, but right now she was stuck here, in college getting a degree she doesn't even want.

"Yeah it has." He said. Dani looked at him, not sure what he meant, following with a moment of silence until Luke spoke again. "Me."

Life did offer her Luke. What would've happened if she had kept her door shut while singing her heart out to Christmas songs? This sure wouldn't be happening right now if she had. Everything about this was fate, but Luke and Dani didn't come to that conclusion yet.

"You know what this sounds like?" She asks him, and he looks at her in confusion. "Flirting. Are you flirting with me?"

"No!" Luke quickly shakes his head. "Of course not! This is strictly a developing friendship. Nothing more."

"Good, because I don't think I would consider you my type." Dani joked, but Luke didn't catch on.

"And what is your type?" He questioned.

"Hm, I don't know." She paused. "Most definitely not a guy who wears leather."

"Ouch." Luke places a hand over his heart, pretending to be hurt. "Way to break a guys heart, Barnes."

"Strictly a developing friendship, remember?" Dani poked, smirking at him.

"Yeah, uh, of course." He stuttered with his sentence.

"Good. So, you gonna make me try eggnog or what?" She asked, changing the subject so they didn't have to discuss whatever was going on between them.

"You bet." Luke grinned. "There's plenty in your mini fridge."

"There's no need to call it a mini fridge. It's just a fridge." Dani shrugged.

"But saying mini fridge sounds fancy." Luke pouted with puppy eyes.

"If you say so." Dani then walked over to her mini fridge and took out one of the many bottles of eggnog Luke weirdly bought.

"You just gonna drink out of the carton?" Luke asked her.

"Consider it my own personal eggnog." She replied with a smirk as she took off the cap.

"A woman after my own heart." He joked. Well...

"Ah, ah, ah." Dani shook her head. "You thought."

"You know I was just playing." Luke chuckled. Was he "just playing" though?

"Well, here goes." Dani takes a sip of the eggnog, making a weird face in the process.

"Well?"

"No. Just no." She shook her head, but quickly changed her mind. "Well..."

"You like it or not?" He asked.

"Actually, that's disgusting." Dani quickly closes the carton and puts in back in the mini fridge. "Next movie. Now."

"And that would be?" Luke questioned.

Dani quickly climbed onto the bed, making sure she wasn't getting in Luke's way. Once she got comfortable, she announced her choice of movie. "Elf."

"Elf?" He raised an eyebrow.

"Don't go making fun of me now, Charlie Brown." She scoffed.

"It's a good movie!" Luke protested.

"So is Elf, case closed." Dani said, crossing her arms.

"You sound like a lawyer saying that." He laughed.

"Too bad I don't wanna be one." Dani then grabbed her laptop and put on Elf, and set down the laptop. "Now, let's watch my movie."

•••

7:12 pm

Luke and Dani were long into the movie, and they had now reached to the shower scene, which Dani oddly loved. "Oh, man. I love this scene."

"Why?" Luke cringed. "It's creepy."

"Considering that you snuck up on me while I was singing in my dorm room, you sir have no room to talk." Dani sassed.

"Ouch." He whispered.

"Now shhh." She quickly pressed her finger up to his mouth then pointed that same finger to the screen. "It's happening"

Dani's eyes were glued to the laptop screen as she watched Will Ferrell's character Buddy innocently enter the women's locker room to hear Zooey Deschanel's character Jovie singing. The scene may be pretty weird, but who doesn't love a good song?

"So really I'd better scurry." She sang quietly, feeling a bit confident in herself.

"Beautiful please don't hurry." Luke wasn't singing along, but at least Dani had Will Ferrell on her screen to sing with.

"But maybe just a half a drink more." Dani continued, trying to convince Luke to join in.

"Put some records on while I pour." Luke wasn't giving in just yet, but Dani wasn't giving up at all.

"The neighbors might think-"

"Baby, it's bad out there." Luke quietly mumbled, which Dani thought she heard, but thought she was just thinking things.

"Say what's in this drink?"

"No cabs to be had out there." He sang a little louder, and she immediately looked at him in shock as she heard his voice.

"I wish I knew how to break this spell." Dani sang out, giggling at the end of the line.

"I'll take your hat, your hair looks swell." Luke chuckled as he sang along.

"I ought to say, no, no, no sir."

"Mind if I move in closer?" And Luke did move in closer, lightly brushing shoulders with Dani as the two laughed to the song.
"At least I'm gonna say that I tried."

"What's the sense in hurting my pride?"

"I really can't stay."

"Oh baby don't hold out-"

"But baby, it's cold outside." The two sang in unison, impressing each other with their voices. Dani was pleased to hear what Luke's singing sounded like, and she was genuinely surprised to hear how well he sounded.

They shared a look, one that seemed tempting. Luke was itching to see what this was, but he held back for the sake that he only knew Dani for a day. Dani, on the other hand, wasn't sure what this was either, but her lack of experience didn't make it any better.

Dani quickly looked away, blushing like crazy, and she took a deep breath to keep herself calm. She turned back to Luke, playing it cool with what she was about to say.

"Not bad."

"Same goes to you."

•••

I'm a sucker for Elf even if it's kinda weird okay bye

Also what's your fave songs off of Fine Line? Mine are Falling and Sunflower Vol. 6