i can't deny

"I think chilling out would be nice," Cecilia confirmed with a small grin as she watched him, "Though, when my shift ends, I'm definitely gonna go change into my normal clothes. Think you can do without my presence when I go do that?"

Michael grinned with her decision and nodded. "Corpse Bride it is," he assured her with amusement, "I'm looking forward to it." He smiled, though, taking her in, and nodded his agreement to her words. "Good," he murmured, "When does your shift end?"

Luke bit his lip in amusement at Cecilia’s teasing. “I’m sure I’ll be okay, as long as you’re quick.” He teased. “When does your shift end?” He asked with curiosity. “Long shot, but do you wanna watch a movie in my room? I’m sure Michael is too wrapped up with Arianna to bother us.” He smiled. “Or do you need to get home to your Mom and sister?”

“Almost five minutes.” Arianna told him as she stood to her feet. Looking to Cecilia, the girl smiled. “Am I okay to go and get changed?” She grabbed her room card and ID. Looking to Michael, she smiled. “You coming?”

"I'll be fast as lightning, promise," Cecilia joked lightly, though she nodded to Arianna's words, "Yeah, I think so." She smiled back to Luke. "In a few minutes. But, it's not like anybody can ask me to do something that can be done by then, so I can go ahead and change?" She arched a brow as she stood up. "And then I can meet you in your room for that movie, because my Mom has her own work and my sister's in school." She grinned, winking before she turned to go to the employee's locker room to change.

Michael blinked, but grinned slightly as he stood up, nodding. "Yeah, I'll come with," he assured before looking to Luke, "I'll see you later, man." He patted his friend's shoulder but offered a grin to Arianna, motioning for her to lead the way, though he waited patiently, just looking forward to the thought of spending more time with her, getting to know her more, and talking with her more. He just wanted to enjoy every minute with her that he could and he planned to, because something about her just affected him so much.

Luke lifted his hand to Michael as Arianna led him out of the employee room, standing to his feet as Cecilia disappeared to get changed, his heart nearly jumping out of his chest when she told him she'd meet him in his room. He was excited, he felt like a kid at Christmas, because this was his opportunity to speak to Cecilia, just them, one to one, and discover more things about her. Something about her just intrigued Luke so much, and he was curious, and he couldn't lie, he was already crushing, too, possibly something more. Waiting for Cecilia none the less, Luke bit his lip and thought to the concert the next night, hoping that Cecilia would enjoy herself.

Arianna grinned and took Michael's hand within her own, everything about the gesture feeling so real, like in another life, Arianna and Michael would have been together. "This way," she spoke gently, tugging him along to the elevators. Pressing the button to call it down, Arianna looked over at Michael and smiled at how natural and comfortable he seemed around her, too, hoping he knew that she felt the exact same way. "As for that dinner you promised me while we watch Corpse Bride, the Chinese place opposite here is amazing." She told him with a smile.

Cecilia changed into her normal clothes and let her hair down from its tight bun before she made her way out of the locker room. She couldn't help but to feel a little happy and excited about the idea of spending time with Luke but she tried to hide it as best as she could, not wanting to seem too eager, and went to meet up with him.

Michael grinned broadly when he felt Arianna's hand in his and he gave her hand a gentle squeeze, feeling his heart swelling as an excited and happy warmth filled him. Nodding, he followed her to the elevator, motioning her to get on first when it arrived. "That's fine with me, I guess we'll order in?" he suggested, "I can call when we get to your room?"

Luke smiled as he saw Cecilia come back, having to stop his jaw from dropping to the floor. "Holy shit." He murmured to himself, loving how beautiful she looked with her hair flowing past her shoulders. "I hope you don't mind me saying, Cecilia, you look absolutely gorgeous." He complimented. Realising he had been a bit too forward, Luke cleared his throat and smiled, offering Cecilia his arm. "Ready?"

Arianna squeezed Michael's hand back gently as she entered the elevator, pressing the top floor button as Michael stood beside her. "Sounds good to me." She smiled. "I just need to change quickly, but make yourself at home, don't hold back with anything." She led him, gently, out of the elevator and down the hall, to a bedroom hidden in a corner. Smiling at Michael, Arianna unlocked the door and pushed it open. Her room was tidy, but it was a little less boring that the guest rooms - almost all of her possessions in the room. "It's not much, but it's home." She told him.

Cecilia blinked several times but laughed. "Really? I'd think most guys would prefer the maid outfit," she joked lightly but ducked her head a bit to hide the blush forming on her cheeks. "But, thank you, Luke. You look pretty gorgeous yourself." She offered a small grin up at him, her cheeks still warm, but she nodded slightly. "Yeah, ready."

Michael nodded, offering a grin to her. "Okay, what do you want me to order for you?" he asked her as he walked with her, unable to tear his gaze away, though he didn't even want to try to. The sight of her eased his heart and he was glad that they'd get to spend time like this together. Seeing the room, he blinked as he peered around, a small grin on his features. "It looks like you've made it your own, though."

Luke gently led Cecilia to the elevators with a laugh. “I mean, that looked amazing on you as well, but seeing you like this,” he looked down at her fondly, unable to stop the rush of warmth flowing through him, he smiled. “It’s amazing to see you laid back.” He told her honestly, calling the elevator down and waiting for it patiently. “I love your hair down, too.”

Arianna smiled, grabbing a t-shirt and a pair of shorts from the clothes drawer. “Sweet and sour chicken, rice, and a Cola.” She winked at him. “Best food in the city.” Grabbing a pair of bed socks though, she looked to Michael. “Believe it or not, my managers, Robert and Kathy, brought me a lot of this stuff.” She smiled, disappearing to the bathroom to change.

Cecilia grinned slightly to his words, amused, and rolled her eyes playfully. "Yeah?" she asked with curiosity, tilting her head slightly as she peered up at him. "Maybe I'll start wearing my hair down more often." Not that it would matter, since she knew the band wouldn't be around for long, but she tried not to think about that, wanting to just pretend for a little while that that wasn't the case.

Michael nodded with the mention of it, grinning as he watched her in her room, and looked for the number to the Chinese place she'd spoken of, he called to place the order. "They sound like great people, in that case," he admitted before she'd gone into the bathroom, but he smiled, focusing on the call before he began scanning the room, wandering around it to take it in. Hanging up eventually once the order was placed, he continued taking in the room while he waited for Arianna to come back out of the bathroom.

"Yeah." Luke confirmed with a smile. "You definitely should, it would look amazing." He told her, gently leading her into the elevator, pressing the floor that he and Michael were situated on. He felt his heart ache suddenly, at the thought that after the show the next evening, he would have to part from Cecilia, but he wondered something else. "Would you ever give all of this up and just travel?" He asked, curious to what she'd say, but trying to pass himself off as casual.

Arianna tied up her hair and got changed, exiting the bathroom silently as she watched Michael explore her room. "They are." She smiled, moving to stand beside Michael, sitting on the edge of her bed. "But, c'mon, with your job, you must have explored the world by now." She spoke with wonder. "What's it like?" She asked, curious, patting the space next to her for Michael to sit down with her, longing to feel his presence beside her.

Cecilia grinned slightly, perking up a bit with the compliment, unable to help it. She didn't understand how Luke's words and opinions could mean so much to her, she usually just passed off anything most people said, but something about his compliments made her heart warm. She blinked, though, to his question and stepped into the elevator, staring at the doors as she thought. "I don't know," she said after a moment, "When I was a teenager, all I wanted to do was to travel, explore the world, see what it had to offer. And, I still do, really, but it's hard to think about things like that when it's not really something I can reach for."

Michael grinned over at her, taking her in when she'd come back out, his eyes scanning over her for a long moment. "God, you're just... Perfect," he admitted quietly, not even fully aware that he'd said it at first. When he did process what he'd said, though, he didn't bother taking it back or acting awkward about it, leaving the compliment in the air so that she'd know what he thought of her regardless. "I have. It's amazing. There's so much to see, so much to do..." He watched her for a moment, taking her in. "But, some of the best things catch you by surprise and you just want to hold onto them, you know?" He chewed on his lip, mentally debating, before he cleared his throat. "Would you ever want to see what's it like for yourself?"

Luke watched Cecilia as she thought about his question, and all he wanted to do was pull her to his chest, hold around her, feel her in his arms. Luke couldn't deny the spark for much longer, and the thought that he only had 48 hours to relish in the feeling made him want to spring into action. He couldn't believe that he was about to ask Cecilia to uproot, but what better time was there? Not getting his hopes up too much, Luke knew Cecilia had her mother and her sister here, he almost felt bad for being selfish and thinking of himself. "Well, I..." He took a deep breath. "The offer to join me on tour is open." He told her gently. "I've seen the world, Cecilia, and I'm lucky. But nothing I've seen out there can compare to what I've found in here." He offered her a gentle smile. "You've captured my heart, and the thought of leaving you, it's - I can't do it. If you want time to think, I don't mind that, but the offer stands."

Arianna smiled at Michael bashfully, tucking a stray strand of hair behind her ear. "Thank you." She told him, approaching him and studying him, too, how relaxed he seemed around her, and she loved it, knowing that she could bring some peace to him. He must of lead a hectic lifestyle, she wondered if he had much normality. "You're pretty perfect too, though." She told him honestly, and she meant it, she considered Michael to be the type of man that she'd dreamt of for years. Tilting her head slightly at Michael's question, Arianna thoughts drifted for a moment when she saw him chewing on his lip, finding it attractive. "One day, maybe." She nodded. "Let's be honest, Michael, I don't have much to stay here for, apart from Cecilia." She shrugged lightly.

Cecilia blinked several times when Luke first began talking and she found herself staring at him with shock and confusion. "That's a... Really huge thing to offer somebody, Luke," she pointed out quietly, trying to process the offer. She chewed on her lip a bit as she thought about it and ducked her head slightly. "Are you sure it's okay for me to think about it? I just... I mean, I get what you're saying, because I feel that way, too, and it's... Crazy that I can feel this way about somebody I just met, but I don't really want to be selfish and agree to it right off the bat if I'm needed here... So, I'd rather think about it a bit, see what my mom and sister and Arianna feel about the idea and everything... As long as you're sure that's okay, and as long as you're sure it's okay for me to actually go if I do agree."

Michael grinned to her words, watching her as he chewed on her lip, enjoying seeing her mannerisms, enjoying hearing what she thought about him, and, more than anything, not wanting to lose this, not wanting to lose these moments or these feelings. He was already falling hard for her and he knew that, and he wasn't sure there was a way to stop it, and he wouldn't want to stop it, anyways. He wanted to keep falling for her and he wanted to see if she'd fall just as hard for him, but he wanted the chance to actually explore that with her, as selfish as it was. His expression softened as he watched her, more serious. "You could come with me," he offered up quietly, watching her. "I just... A big part of me doesn't want to lose the way I feel about you right now, Arianna. I don't want to lose you. But, an even bigger part of me wants to give you the chance to see things out in the world." He watched her before he shifted, taking her hand gently in his. "And it's okay if you say no, it is. Or if you need time to think about it, that's okay, too, because I know it's a little... Out of nowhere and sudden, considering we just met. It's entirely up to you, Arianna."

Luke smiled at Cecilia. "You can think about it as long as you need to." Luke promised, leading her out of the elevator and turning to face her. "I don't want to force you to do anything, Cecilia. You're your own person, and that's part of what makes you so incredible to me." He told her, gently cupping her cheek. Luke knew, there and then, he was in too deep, he'd already fallen for her, but he loved every emotion she'd woken up in him. "But, it'd be more than okay. I want you to see the world, and I want you by my side." He explained. "I love that you work here, and I love that fate brought us together, but I couldn't leave you without getting that out into the open." He admitted, pressing a gentle kiss to her forehead.

Arianna blinked in surprise at Michael's offer. "W - what?" She asked, blinking again before gathering her emotions. Taking a deep breath, Arianna looked up to Michael, loving their height difference, feeling like Michael could protect her from anything. Biting her lip, Arianna studied his face for any signs of laughter or humour, swallowing as she saw he was serious. Though, when Michael took her hand, she squeezed his hand gently. "I know the feeling." She reassured him. "I - Michael, in the shortest amount of time, you've made me feel things that I never thought I'd feel, and I think I'm starting to fall in love with you, and it's a little crazy." She stammered. "I know we just met, but I feel like I've known you my whole life, things just come so naturally with you." She stepped forward. "Can I think about it? I need to talk to Cecilia about it, because she's the only important thing I'm leaving behind." She explained gently.

Cecilia listened to him quietly, lifting her hands to rest over his, her fingers curling around his hand as she leaned into his touch, finding it one of the most assuring things she'd ever felt. "You really are too good to be true, Luke Hemmings," she murmured quietly as she watched him, though she smiled slightly, her eyes closing over when he kissed her forehead, and she nodded slightly. "I'll definitely think about it and get an answer to you as soon as possible." The thought of parting from him, of losing him, hurt, it really did, and that surprised her, because she'd never expected to actually fall for somebody so fast.

Michael watched her, waiting patiently for what she might say, his eyes scanning over her, taking in the way she took a breath, the way she bit her lip, the way she squeezed his hand, finding that every bit of it was making his heart swell all the more, and he smiled when she spoke. "You can take as long as you need to think about it," he assured her quietly as he ran his thumb over the back of her hand gently, enjoying the way her skin felt under his touch. "Even if I'm gone by then, I'll buy you a ticket to come to wherever I am, if you decide to come later." He watched her, shifting to give her hand another squeeze. "But, if you decide not to come, ever, that's perfectly fine, too. I just... Really don't want to lose the way you make me feel. But you have no obligations to agree and that's fine. I want you to do whatever you feel is best for you, because I want you happy, no matter what that choice may be."

Luke smiled. "Well, isn't that a coincidence, Cecilia Marcus, that's exactly how I feel about you." His smile broadened then. "Anyway," he cleared his throat, kissing the top of her head. "Let's go choose a movie, because I just wanna spend some time with you." He grinned, offering her his arm. "My lady." He offered with a teasing wink, feeling like, around Cecilia, he could be himself. And the most liberating thing was that she didn't love him because he was in 5 Seconds of Summer, she loved him for him. Leading her to his room, he unlocked the door open. "Ladies first." He smiled. "And uh, if you need any questions answered about tour life, don't hesitate."

Arianna watched Michael carefully, knowing damn well he was feeling everything she was too, and that comforted her a little, but still, she nodded at his words, being yanked out of her thoughts as someone knocked the door. "Oh, uh, food." She reluctantly pulled away from Michael, already missing his touch. She opened the door, paying for the food with a smile, taking the bag and shutting the door. "I'm starved." She complained to Michael, getting some plates and forks, sitting by the small table by the window, which had a good view of the city.

Cecilia smiled, rolling her eyes playfully, amused with Luke's words, though her expression soon softened. "Well, then, how chivalrous," she teased but slid her arm through his, nodding, "To be fair, I want to spend time with you, too." She grinned slightly and followed him, surprised with how easy it was to admit something like that to him, but she wasn't about to question it. Smiling, she nodded as she slipped into the room and thought. "Well... What's it like?"

Michael blinked, admittedly a little bummed that his moment with Arianna had been interrupted - or, at least, he assumed it was a moment. It felt like a moment, and he wanted to go back to it, but he smiled and nodded. "You know, I could have paid for that," he mentioned but he stood up and made his way over to the table with her, sitting down as he watched her, though he smiled as he took his food. "I hope you enjoy the food, either way."

"Touring?" Luke asked with a smile, gently pulling his arm away from Cecilia's and taking her hand instead, leading her to sit on the edge of his bed. "It's amazing." He answered truthfully, wanting Cecilia to be persuaded. Luke knew, in that moment, he was being selfish, but he couldn't bring himself to care. He felt like he finally had a chance at happiness with Cecilia and he was desperate to keep it. "It's always fun. Play a show, settle back on the tour bus, watch a movie, or play games..." He grinned. "It's just... living with no worries, really. Not only that, we visit some incredible places." Luke studied Cecilia carefully.

Arianna smiled. "Shut up, I'm a grown ass woman." She laughed, sitting with Michael. "Hey, I hope you do too. I hyped it up so much." Looking to Michael, Arianna bit her lip. "You know," she started, saying what she was about to before the delivery came. "Today has been one of the best days I've ever had." She admitted to him with a blush, ducking her head slightly as she poked her food around her plate.

Cecilia listened to him quietly, chewing on her lip, because it sounded pretty amazing and so very tempting. "It does sound amazing," she admitted quietly, wishing that it was easier to agree to going, but mostly because she really just wanted to be with Luke. Something about his was addictive and made her feel safe and right and she didn't want to lose that feeling. "Are you and your bandmates close?"

Michael grinned slightly as he watched her. "I'm sure I will," he assured her quietly, "And, if I don't, I'll just let you have it. It's a win-win. Either I enjoy the food or I get to see you enjoy it." Shrugging slightly, he smiled as he started to eat, though he blinked when she spoke again and he watched her for a long moment, his smile broadening to another grin. "Yeah, well... It's been the best day for me. I don't want it to end."

Luke stood in front of Cecilia, still studying her, his smile broad as he took her in, never wanting to forget her face, or anything about her. Luke truly felt Cecilia was his one chance at finding something real, something genuine, and he didn't want to lose it now, or ever. "Close?" Luke's smile turned cheeky for a moment. "We're like brothers. You'd love Calum and Ashton." He told her with a smile. "And you kinda know Michael already." He laughed at their earlier antics - just a few hours prior to this moment, Luke and Michael had been daydreaming to know the names of these girls, and now here Luke was, asking Cecilia to run away with him - and not a single thing felt out of place.

Arianna smiled at Michael's words, more interested in him than the food. Studying him for a moment, Arianna toyed with her lower lip as she thought more about Michael's offer to join him. She felt so connected to Michael already, something about him felt so right, and being around him was so second nature to Arianna, and she couldn't believe that she had gotten so unbelievably lucky. "Hey, if watching a movie with you by my side is how this day ends, I think I'll be okay." She teased, making sure her silence wasn't worrying him. "So, who else is in your band?" She asked, her attention entirely on him.