Chapter Text
There was that one scene from this one show Luke saw years ago. Hadn’t been too integral to the already outlandish plot. Some side character had this irrational fear that the earth’s atmosphere would just give and he would be sucked into the vacuum of space.
Luke would find the notion stupid for years, right until this very moment here, where he felt exactly that- like his ability to breathe left him and he might as well be thrusted into the void.
He’d actually prefer it to what was happening now.
“Wait,” His opal pick could have slipped from his grasp, contrary to how tight he was gripping it,“You knew?”
Julie knew about their kiss pact? This whole time?
She nodded and her hand withdrew from his, sensing his mortification.
He was at a loss for words as he replayed the events of today- the birthday ruse, her coming here to see him-
“I’m- I’m gonna kill Alex and Reggie,” he finally gritted out, refusing to look at her.
“Luke, don’t be mad at them.”
“And the- And the whole birthday thing?”
Julie had the nerve to grimace, or at least he could hear her guilty exhale (the ground was the most interesting spot to rest his eyes on).
“That was their idea. I wanted to be honest from the get go.”
“I’m just so-” Luke couldn’t finish, but Julie can already tell.
Her hand twitched, as if she wanted to reach for his again, “Don’t be.”
“How can you sit there and not laugh about how childish and ridiculous I’m being?”
That had to be why she was here. She was aware that he hadn’t kissed anyone, purposely barring himself from moving forward, and must have pitied him. And fuck, she was subjecting herself a weekend at her aunt’s for this charity work (and what a riot she was, at least from what Luke remembered).
“I’m not gonna laugh at you,” She sounded sincere. And Luke realized it mirrored their conversation when they made their promise, “Not for keeping your promise all these years. That’s pretty damn amazing actually.”
Luke was surprised, “You don’t...think it’s weird?”
“A little. But mostly,” Julie shied away, smiling, “I think it’s sweet. But you didn’t have to… save yourself for me.”
They both scrunched their noses at the wording. Yeah, it seemed like Julie regretted saying it as soon as it left her mouth.
Then Luke had to ask the million dollar question. He raised his head to look at her.
“You kissed someone else, didn’t you?”
Julie pursed her lips, guilty, “We were together for, like, a second.”
“Oh.”
That didn’t make Luke feel any better, but he figured it had to have happened. Someone like Julie shouldn’t have to wait forever to be kissed. He just hoped that the guy had been good to her, treated her right, even if it was for a brief moment in time.
“But I thought since you’re you -handsome, talented Luke- you could have kissed like a dozen girls by the time I got with Nick and that maybe that one girl who got to be your first kiss was special to you,”
There’s been no one else.
“I wanted to wait,” Luke said.
Julie jerked her head in the direction of the plaza, “I’m guessing the girl we saw earlier? That was Kayla?”
Oh man, Alex and Reggie really did tell her everything...
His silence was as much of an admission as any, and Julie took the chance to take hold of his free hand once more, “Luke, I don’t want to hold you back from dating, from being with someone special.”
“Why didn’t you say anything earlier? Back at the garage. We could have had it over with and we didn’t have to do all this.”
“It’s because I wanna spend time with you. Get to know you again. I find it’d be easier if we had some fun. Because it should be fun,” A warm pink graced her cheeks as she glanced down, “And if we are gonna kiss, I’d wanna make it real good for you. You have been waiting 7 years after all. I dunno...”
Now it was Luke’s turn to find the situation sweet. It was endearing to see Julie, although confident to see this through, was blushing like crazy at the thought of making sure he had a good first kiss.
“Yeah, but I’ve been putting it off for so long, I think I made it out to be scarier than it actually is” What if he sucked at it? Movies and other sources had implied that there was a right and a wrong way to do it. And as much as this had to be good for Luke, he would want it to be a pleasant enough experience for Julie.
“First kisses are nothing to write home about though, I learned,” she laid it out, not sounding too beat up about it.
“Assuring. Thanks,” Luke remarked dryly.
“But at least we’ll have the rest of today, right? It’d still make a good story.”
“Maybe write a song about it?”
Julie laughed, tension relieved from her shoulders, “My kisses aren’t that good.”
“I’ve yet to find out,” Luke quipped, grinning. Until it was evident that the moment was vast approaching.
He tucked his new pick back in the bag with slightly shaking hands and turned back to face Julie, who had already scooted even closer to him. Luke resisted the urge to gulp or appear spooked, but fuck he was so nervous.
“Nothing, er, too crazy?”
“Yes, I’m gonna sprout a second tongue and french you to death,” Julie deadpanned, making Luke snort, “It’s just pressing faces together, okay?”
Her other hand found his shoulder.
“I got you.”
The words were gentle in delivery and just as assuring, and Luke was able to find his breath again. The atmosphere was still in tact.
Julie’s face remained a respectful distance away and Luke realized that she was waiting on him. He was calling the shots.
Luke spent the next few seconds taking in the scene, because deep down, as much as he wouldn’t admit it, he was the sentimental type. He wanted to commit the details- the way the wispy curls framed her face, the warmth in her brown eyes, the familiarity of her but the excitement of diving into something new.
The setting was not magical or picturesque in any way. They had the view of the parking lot, the distant roar of the 110 was their epic soundtrack. A trash can was literally right next to them, carrying the smells of discarded hot dogs and other mall foods.
Had he been picturing this moment for 7 years? Maybe. From time to time. But he never expected anything too grand. No matter what he had imagined, one factor stayed the same- Julie.
That was all he needed. That was all that mattered.
Garnering the courage he didn’t have at that party a week ago, Luke leaned in, prompting Julie to do the same.
Closing his eyes as their faces were centimeters apart wasn’t a conscious decision, but it happened naturally. And what came next was exactly how Julie had described- their lips pressed together.
It might have been a quick peck. Luke had no sense of time. No sense of anything. His mind, usually filled with lyrics and words, blanked, any notion of internal monologuing as to later describe this new sensation went out the window. There was no thinking. He couldn’t put this into words. What he was feeling.
His movements were guided by something, something warm and all encompassing and jittery. At one point his hand had come up to cup Julie’s cheek, and it would dawn on him later that he was adhering her to him, sneaking in more precious seconds, the few wits he still had telling him that whatever this was- he liked it.
But did Julie? He couldn’t be too sure, though her mouth quirked against his and Luke mimed it, though their kiss remained as chaste as first kisses should be.
Still, they slowly drew apart when it was time to breathe again.
Luke found it difficult to do so.
His eyes fluttered open slowly, finding Julie staring at him, mouth parted, still reeling from their kiss. Now conscious of the hand cradling her face, Luke retracted, clearing his throat. Had that been out of bounds?
She said nothing about it. In fact, Julie had yet to say anything. Luke saw a hint of surprise that she would quickly mask when she caught him studying her intently.
“So...” Luke murmured, having yet to find his voice.
Julie coughed, fanning her face, “That was...”
“Yup.”
“Yeah.”
And just like that. Luke’s first kiss. It happened.
“Come on,” Julie rose, dusting off her dress, “It’s getting late.”
She extended a hand to help him up.
Luke, once standing, nodded at her, “Thank you, Julie.”
Julie returned the nod. And paired it with a hint of a smile.
The ride to her aunt’s house was silent apart from the gusts of A/C. Not stifling. It was pleasant. A hazy, serene evening like one spent after an eventful day on the beach.
Luke would sneak glances at Julie, knowing that their time together would come to an end and he wasn’t sure if he would ever see her again.
On the driveway, grip on the handle, Julie put his worries to rest and made him promise to keep in contact.
No ‘Super Secret Band Swear’ necessary.
So, several things happened.
Luke had patched things up with Kayla, explaining away his cowardice by saying that he had been too overwhelmed and wouldn’t want to kiss her for the sake of a game. And she had understood but was kind of miffed that it took him so long to talk to her.
So he had made it up to her and finally asked her out on a date.
The first one had gone well, which led to them going on a couple more. And their latest date had been one for the books. The fair was in town and they bought tickets. It had been a fun-filled night with them gorging on cotton candy, Luke winning Kayla a stuffed monkey, and ended with them in the Ferris Wheel.
Now the mood was right, it had been so perfect with the lights of the fair below them, the moon and stars above them- like they were in some goddamn movie.
And so they kissed.
But it was… different.
Luke had expected to experience that similar burning excitement, but that wasn’t what happened. It had been nice, but Luke couldn’t put his finger on it. Kissing Kayla felt off.
He would later recount this to the boys.
“Is there supposed to be like this, ugh, I don’t know-” Kisses still gave Luke writer’s block, as in he really couldn’t describe what exactly was bothering him about this Kayla situation, “Like a, a thing. To make it so… good?”
Reggie frowned, “What? Like tongue or-?”
Alex chucked a pillow at him.
Luke shook his head, “We didn’t make out or anything, dude.”
Reggie gave a sigh of relief but quickly cleared his throat and made an excuse to grab more snacks, leaving Alex to take a crack at the issue.
“I think you mean a ‘spark’?”
Luke snapped his fingers, “Yeah! That’s it. A spark. Isn’t there supposed to be a spark?”
Alex made an unsure noise, “It’s not a requirement. Kisses aren’t everything, Luke.”
“You’re right. Of course,”
Then the drummer tilted his head, thinking, “So did you feel a spark? With Julie?”
Did he?
That would have explained a lot. But what did that mean?
Luke asked Alex this, who just shook his head at him like the answer was there right in front of him.
He had half a mind to text Julie about this, to get her opinion. They had maintained regular communication ever since her visit. There was not a day that goes by without them messaging each other song recs, catching up, or just plain ol sending godawful TikToks that would for sure incite a dramatic reaction.
But he couldn’t. He couldn’t broach the topic of a ‘spark’. Because what if Julie didn’t feel a spark when they had kissed, then he would look stupid and reaching for something that wasn’t there.
No, he wouldn’t bring it up.
It wasn’t long after that date when Luke, for reasons that had nothing to do with the kiss, called things off with Kayla. She had taken it well, feeling that they were just not connecting on that level. Luke couldn’t agree more.
LIfe resumed to normal after that, aside from Reggie now bowing out of band practice early to hang out with Kayla (to which Luke had given him the okay to pursue her. They seemed better suited for each other anyway).
It wouldn’t be until Spring Break when Luke would see Julie again. Her family was visiting her aunts’ and had invited him and the boys to stop by for dinner. He was bombarded with a hug the minute he entered the house and Luke couldn’t be more happy that Julie was back in town.
It was great to catch up with all the Molinas (especially Carlos, who had been so little when they saw him last), and most of the night was spent talking about fond memories.
They would end up staying for majority of the break, so Luke got to hang out with Julie often.
The night before she was slated to leave, they had a gig, which Julie was able to attend. Afterwards, they were planning to come back to their garage slash rehearsal space for a lil’ celebration. Julie rode back with him, and the two were chilling on the couch, waiting on Alex and Reggie.
They watched a movie on Reggie’s tablet while they waited, their heads knocking against each other to get a good look at what was happening.
Personal space hadn’t been a thing for either of them that night. They had been exchanging hugs, Luke would often sling his arm over her shoulder before and after their performance, just all around keeping each other close. It was just how they were apparently.
It didn’t give Luke pause when Julie had to drape her legs over his lap on the couch. And it didn’t seem Julie minded when Luke would bracket her frame with his arms, holding the tablet with both hands.
Luke couldn’t remember the reason he picked the movie. It was random and frankly he couldn’t care less about what was going on. But then came a romantic scene, where the characters kissed. Within his peripheral vision, he saw Julie moving to stare at him.
Thinking she was going to make a comment, he turned his head to listen, only to be met with her lips on his.
The surprise died away when Luke experienced it, the same magical sensation from before. And he wasn’t imagining it, he was sure this time.
It was a spark.
Upon realizing this, Luke dropped all pretense and kissed her back so fiercely that his grip slackened, the tablet clattering on the ground (sorry Reggie!).
“Wait-” Julie broke it first, “I’m- I’m not crazy, but you feel it too right?”
Luke could rejoice right now and he nodded vigorously, “A spark?”
A smile of disbelief broke out on Julie’s face, “Okay, I wasn’t gonna say anything because it was supposed to be the one time thing. It was supposed to help you but- but-”
“But what?”
“Kissing you wasn’t supposed to be everything I wished my first kiss would be like,”
“Maybe first kisses don’t matter. Maybe it’s about the first kiss that does matter?” Luke concluded.
“Okay, now you have to put that in a song,”
“Sure, but first-” Luke cupped her face like he had done the first time, “I’d rather be doing this right now.”
Julie drew closer, grinning, “I’m so not complaining…”
“Um, but I am?”
Their heads snapped to the direction of the doors. Alex was raising his hand, pretending to be disgusted at the sight of them tangled up on the couch, but Luke could tell that he was happy for them. Reggie too, who was more vocal about it.
“Yes!” the bassist whooped, “Finally!”
Julie giggled into Luke’s shoulder, probably blushing like crazy being caught like this. But Luke took it in stride.
“Hey, have I thanked you guys yet?” Luke called over.
“Nope,” Alex said, “But it’d be nice if you did.”
“Yeah,” Reggie piped up, “After all that we’ve done to bring you guys together. Can I say, I’ve been shipping you guys since we were kids! I was Team Juke before I knew what it was.”
Luke laughed, “Well, thank you, guys. Now can we get to celebrating that killer gig?”
“Maybe celebrating in a different way than how you guys were just celebrating? Sure,” Alex ran off to get some popcorn, Reggie followed.
“So… is it safe to say that we’re dating now?” Luke asked.
Julie pecked him on the cheek, “Sounds good to me. But can you promise me one thing?”
“Anything, Jules. You know that,”
She booped him on the nose, “If we want to kiss each other, let’s just do it. I’d rather not wait 7 more years.”
Luke raised a ‘shaka’, “Super Secret Band Swear?”
Julie returned it, “Super Secret Band Swear.”
“Sweet.”
“You know that I’m still not in the band.”
“We have to fix that soon,” Reggie said, he and Alex plopping down on either side of the newly-minted couple with the food.
And they had yet to figure out so many things, but for right now Luke was content residing in his most favorite place in the whole world- hanging out with Julie, and his boys, on a couch in a dusty garage.
Hmm, it seemed like not much has changed since 5th grade.
And that was fine by him.