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Chapter 87 | The Date (God knows what chapter we're on) : Tangled

Lucas:

"OHMYGOSH!" Bella's squeal can probably be heard from a mile away as we pull up into the allocated parking spot and I finally allow Isabella to open her eyes and take in the sight that befalls us.

Isabella's head turns so fast so that she can meet my gaze, her messy hair whipping around her as her mouth curls into the biggest grin I've ever seen on her face. "A drive in movie theatre?" She clasps her hands excitedly and my own lips involuntarily lift to mirror her smile as I nod my head.

"I've always, always wanted to go to one!" Her eyes turn back to the front of the car, scanning the surroundings, watching as other cars pile into the parking lot before flitting to the big screen that the movie that has not yet begun to play will be showcased on.

"I know," I nod once again with a chuckle, watching her eyes as they light up, my own eyes growing fond as I continue to watch her, "it's exactly why I wanted to take you to one."

"And I'm so glad you are this is fucking awesome!" She squeals once again and I genuinely think this is the most excited I've ever seen Isabella.

My smile grows further in immediate reaction to her excitement.

Yep, I'm now very much regretting even considering agreeing to go on Mia and Grace's date. Sure, the picnic was extremely fun but if I knew my own date idea would have made Bella this happy, the two of us could've could've escaped paintballing. Why oh why did I think my original date idea was too simple? Isabella absolutely loves this and that's all without even knowing what movie we're watching.

As if hearing my thoughts, Isabella asks that very question. "So what movie are we watching?" Her eyes side glance my way and she tucks a strand of chocolate coloured hair behind her ear. Her hair by now is quite messy, she looks like Einstein with hair standing up all around her face and her braid all soggy and basically non existent.

I reach forward and pat down some of the escaping strands. "Tangled," I tell her as she stares up at me anticipatingly and I grin as she swings her arms around my neck.

"Hell the fuck yes!" She all but screams into my ear. "Woohoo!"

She cuts off her own screaming by beginning to kiss me senseless and I laugh against every peck she presses against my mouth. I do have to stop her from her mouth assault a second later however, before she gets too carried away. Isabella still is very much sexually frustrated, very evident in the fact that she had mauled me at every red light on the 20 minute drive over here and unfortunately, as much as I want to keep making out with her, the movie is about to start in about a good minute or so and I still have to set up the backseat of the car so we can watch more comfortably.

Isabella pouts as I pull away from her so I kiss her lips once more for good measure. Her mood perks up anyways once she hears the beginning disney intro start to play out and her attention snaps to outside the window.

I quickly set up the back of the car whilst she's immersed in watching the intro credits, pulling up the trunk and pushing down the back two seats down before throwing a couple blankets onto the makeshift seats and calling Isabella to come get in the back so we can get comfortable.

I help her get into the back and she shuffles backwards as I stretch my legs out in front of me. Once I'm seated properly, Isabella leans into my side, wrapping her arms around my torso as she rests her head against my chest.

"I have a confession to make," Bella suddenly says, as the disney intro fades into the beginning of the movie. Her voice causes my eyes to dart down towards her.

"Yeah?" I quirk an eyebrow at her. "What is it?"

"Don't let this fuel your big head-" she sighs and throws me a look as her words cause my lips to lift into a smirk. "But if there ever came to a point where someone was holding me at gun point and making me choose between Flynn Ryder and you," she pauses before continuing, her face growing solemn, "...I'd pick you."

"Aw," I smile, patting her head, pleased with her answer. "That's sweet, but Izzy, if I were in that scenario, I'm sorry but I'd still pick Flynn over you."

Isabella's mouth immediately falls open. "You'll what?" She asks, clearly surprised at my answer. "You'd pick Flynn?"

I nod my head firmly.

Isabella's eyes narrow and she swats my chest before looking away from me. "OKAY THEN," she grumbles, arms crossing over her chest, "I'm retracting my previous statement immediately."

My serious expression drops and I laugh, trying to get her to look at me again but Isabella continues to move her head away stubbornly.

She raises her palm to my face. "Don't talk to me bitch."

"Izz, I'm only kidding," I continue to speak through laughter, "you know I'd pick you-"

"Shut it Miller," she cuts me off with another swat to my chest, "You've can't take back what you said, now hush, I'm trying to watch the movie."

***

It takes a couple more apologies and several minutes of grovelling on Isabella's part for her to finally move back into my side. My arms encircle her body, keeping her sturdy in place beside me as she rests her head on my shoulder and we both watch the movie in silence. The chatter from all the other cars all come to a standstill as everyone else also becomes engrossed in the plot of the film.

A snack vendor person approaches our car mid movie and I buy a tub of overpriced popcorn for the two of us to snack on. We both fall into a silent game of who-can-catch-the-most-popcorn-in-their-mouth whilst watching the movie which I briskly win (of course) and Isabella being the sour loser she is, promptly shuts the game down after that.

Although I do spend time immersed in Rapunzel and Eugene's story, I find myself more often than not, being drawn away from the screen in front of me and more focused with the warm body that's curled into my side instead.

With her head resting on my chest, I constantly get a waft of Isabella's vanilla shampoo every time she moves and the scent is like a warm blanket over me.

I also think the smell hypnotises me or something because I don't know exactly when it is that I take Isabella's braid out and begin to re-plait it myself, something I surprisingly remember to do from when Grace had taught me several years ago, but I catch myself doing it and doing it surprisingly well.

I also catch myself, more often than I'll admit, staring down at Bella quite creepily, taking in all the lines and curves of her face and the way her mouth tilts up when watching the movie or the way her eyes grow glassy with tears when something sad happens, (something I will be teasing her mercilessly about), and just wholly admiring her beautiful face.

She, more often than not, smacks me away from distracting her from the movie via my staring, especially when I try to take some, not so sneakily, pictures of her, the two of us together as well as the view in front of us on both my phone and the disposable cameras.

As the evening slowly draws to a close and sunset begins to paint the sky - the purples and oranges and pinks of the sky being the perfect backdrop for the movie, Isabella pulls on one of the hoodies I keep in the car as it starts to get a little chilly. She also begins to fall asleep, the neck of the hoodie pulled up over her nose and her eyes slowly fluttering shut as she buries her head into my chest.

"Hey Izz, don't fall asleep," I nudge her slightly with the arm that is not wrapped around her before moving a strand of hair away from her face.

She murmurs slightly. "No thanks."

"Yes thanks, open those eyes please." I sit up slightly, forcing Isabella to move her comfortable position. She groans irritatingly but does as I say, rubbing her eyes with her knuckles.

"First you pick Flynn over me and now you won't let me sleep?" She grumbles, "Why do you hate me today?"

I chuckle. "I don't hate you baby, but I need you awake," I tell her. "Now up, up."

Isabella lets out a noise I don't even reckon is human. "Fine, but you owe me a major making out sesh after this and a new book."

"I promise," I snicker. "But you do know both those requests are only benefits for me?"

"Ugh, there is no winning with you is there?"

"Nope," I grin and ruffle her hair.

***

The movie ends not long after and slowly the car park begins to empty. The big screen switches off and cars peel out the lot until all that is left is the sound of silence.

Darkness erupts into the air, the sky no longer an array of pinks or purples but a deep blue with stars spotting the atmosphere and the half moon shining brightly above.

"Why are we not moving?" Isabella asks when we're the only car left in the parking lot and I've finished packing up the back of the trunk and have returned back to the driver's seat. Before I can answer her question she gasps and wacks me on the arm excitedly as she swivels around to meet my gaze. "Are we gonna do car sex?"

"No," I knit my eyebrows both incredulously and amusedly. "We are not having our first time together in my car and plus my windows aren't even tinted enough for that."

Isabella pouts and slumps back in her seat disappointedly. "Then why are we still here?"

I hum ambiguously before quickly poking my head out the side of the car and scanning the surroundings, making sure there's no one around before turning back to Isabella.

"Lucas?" She prompts with a raise of my eyebrow and eyes me quizzically as I reach down and grab the white bag under my seat before popping the car door open and getting out instead of answering her question.

"Hey Lucas!" Isabella calls after me, following me out of the car, the echo of the door slamming shut behind her filling the air as she throws her hands in the air exasperatedly. "Where are you running off to?"

I look over my shoulder, waiting for her to catch up with me. "Just follow me," I say, extending my hand and watching as the wind whips through her hair as she approaches where I'm standing and interlinks my hand with hers.

I pull her forwards until we're standing right in the middle of the parking lot. "We're doing something but we don't have much time to do so," I explain, staring down at her, "I had to bribe one of the security people with 30 dollars to do this but he's switching shifts soon so we gotta be quick."

"Okay..." Isabella returns slowly, "but Luke, you still haven't explained what exactly it is that we're doing." She pauses for a second and raises her palm before I can speak, her eyes narrowed slightly. "Waittt, before you tell me what it is you're planning to do, is it something illegal?"

I scrunch up my face in answer before lifting one shoulder in a half shrug. "Kinda but not really. We won't get arrested for doing this but we could get slightly in trouble because I technically don't have permission to do this but don't worry it's nothing too bad...I don't think anyways."

Isabella raises both her eyebrows, curiosity now more evident in her expression. "Alright, as long as we don't get sent to prison, go ahead."

I grin at her and prise open the bag that's clutched in my hand. "Okay so you might think this is a little cheesy-" I begin to say, pulling out the sky lantern that had been folded inside the bag and present it to Bella. "But I thought this would be fitting for our date, y'know Tangled vibes and all."

Isabella gasps loudly before I even finish speaking. "Shut UP," she covers her mouth with her hand in surprise and immediately lifts her gaze to meet mine, her eyes widened into saucers. "Oh my God shut up I love you," she then grins waving her hands in the air excitedly, her face breaking into the biggest smile, "what the- Lucas, oh my actual wow," a flurry of other words leave her mouth that I don't get to process before she grabs the lantern from my hand in the midst of her hand waving and half runs, half jumps off further into the middle of the parking lot.

"Hello, Bella we're doing this together," I call after her with a laugh as I watch her try to unfold the lantern quickly in her excitement and fail miserably. I approach her and gently pull the lantern from her hand and pop it open with ease.

"There are markers in the bag too," I tell her, as she fawns over the plain, white lantern, pulling out the said sharpies, "for us to write on the lantern before we set it off."

"Oh my God yay," Isabella nods, the smile still permanently locked onto her face as she grasps the markers from my hand and takes back the lantern before settling cross legged on the floor.

She scribbles something on the corner of the lantern before capping the lid back onto the pen and passing me the lantern. "Look, the first drawing!"

"What is it?" I ask as I lean forward to take a closer look. I spot a tiny heart with I + L drawn in the corner and lift my gaze to quirk an eyebrow at her. "Why is the drawing so small?" I question before taking out another marker from the bag and pulling open the lid. I settle the lantern flat onto my lap and draw a big, albeit wonky, heart and write I + L inside.

"Oo yeah, that's better," Isabella nods her head before shuffling closer so she can draw some more on the empty spaces of the lantern. "Budge up."

The two of us spend a couple of minutes filling up the spaces on the lantern with both messages and stupid drawings. We both draw various stick figure versions of the two of us all over and when I draw a couple of stick people in very compromising positions Isabella yells at me.

A couple of minutes later however, she pauses to show me her drawing of two stick people in a doggy style position nearly on the verge of tears from laughing so hard at her creation.

I snatch her marker away and narrow my eyes. "And I get shouted at for my drawings."

"Sorry amor," she grins and tries to take the pen back from my grasp, I move it further away as she inches closer but mirror her smile.

"Apology accepted, but only 'cos you spoke Spanish."

"You like it when I do that?" Isabella raises a brow.

"Hell yeah, it turns me the fuck on. Say something else and I'll give back your pen."

"Mm alright," Isabella pauses for a moment in thought as I wave her pen in the air, out of reach in a tantalising manner.

"Tienes la cabeza gorda," she finally says slowly and seductively once she's come up with something before grinning, "now please can I have my pen back?"

(You have a fat head).

"Of course," I return, passing over the marker and feeling tingly all over. I run a hand through my hair and lean back before tilting my head. "Now what does that mean?"

Isabella's smile widens as she uncaps the pen. "It means: I love you, you're so sexy."

"Oh great," I lean back further on my hands and throw Isabella a lazy smirk.

"Mhm." She nods, fighting back a bigger smile, "now are we done writing on the lantern? Can we light it up now, I'm so excited for that."

I nod my head. "Yes," I agree, "let me go get the lighter and play some music."

After I run back to the car, grab the lighter and leave the doors open as I put the stereo on full blast, playing 'the night we met' I run back to a grinning Isabella.

"Okay the lantern wasn't so cheesy but with the song, it makes this all ultra cheeeesy," she admits waving a hand in our general direction with a snicker. "Really? The night we met?"

"Oh shush," I wave my own dismissive hand in return, "it's called setting the mood."

Isabella giggles but nods her head in either defiance or agreement to my mood playlist and crouches down to lift up the lantern that is almost as big as her.

"You ready then?" I ask her, twirling the green lighter between my fingertips, a smirk painting my lips.

Isabella nods and holds the lantern up steady. "Yes," she smiles, giving me the green light to flick the flame of the lighter inside the lantern and watch it come to life.

The fire flickers inside, casting the lantern a bright orange, eliciting a gasp from Isabella. The light illuminates her face and reflects orange in her eyes, eyes that soften once they meet mine.

"It's so beautiful," she says, her eyes flickering back to the lantern held in her grasp.

I nod and smile, "It is," I agree, although I'm staring at my girl and not the lantern.

I watch her watch the lantern in awe for a moment, watching her gaze scan all of our drawings and quickly rereading each of our messages. I briefly do the same, committing all the cute things she discreetly wrote about me to memory and trying not to let all the compliments size my ego (not right yet anyways) before breaking the silence.

"You wanna set it off now?" I ask, my eyes flitting across the shadows of her face caused by the lantern light.

"Yep." She smiles. "Countdown?"

I nod. "Of course."

She begins by saying 'three' and then we count down together slowly, lessening our grip on the lantern as finally the word 'one' leaves our mouths. Our heads slowly raise as we begin to watch the lantern fly up into the night sky. It glides slowly at first until it catches the slight breeze and moves further and further up into the night.

Without losing eye contact with the lantern in the direction it moves, I move forward and wrap my arm around Isabella and tug her to my side.

"Bye," she waves at the light before resting her head on my shoulder and letting out a sigh, "I hope any children don't catch hold of you and see the inappropriate drawings we drew."

I snicker and squeeze her arm before we both fall silent again and simply watch the lantern fly until it is barely a speck of orange in the far far distance and lastly until it vanishes completely from our sight.

Then, I clear my throat, breaking the quiet. "I have another note for you," I tell Isabella quietly, glancing down at her as she lifts her head to meet my gaze. Her eyes light up like they always do whenever I tell her I have a note to give her.

"Really?" She smiles as I nod and reach down into my pocket and pull out the little piece of paper before slipping it in her extended palm and kissing her wrist, performing the ritual that has become a part of our daily routine.

Isabella moves her attention onto the note in hand once I've let go of her arm and wastes no time in opening it, just as I waste no time in revelling in her reaction to what she reads inside.

I watch her olive coloured cheeks tinge the slightest shade of pink, a content sigh leave her mouth and her entire being soften as her eyes scan my handwriting before Isabella re meets my gaze.

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