Dedicated to HunterMay18.

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Chapter 18: Ogres Are Like Onions

"Luke, I don't like this one bit," I said, walking blindly with only Luke to guide me.

We were on our very first official date (save the date for the scrapbooks!). Luke had the wonderful idea of letting it be a surprise and wrapping a bandana he got at Walmart for a dollar around my head. It wasn't an original idea, so I'm sure he got it off a movie or something. I would say book, but Luke doesn't read, not on his own freewill anyway.

I heard him scoff. I could practically see him rolling his eyes. "I'm not going to let you get hurt."

"I can't see. I don't like not seeing."

"I think you can live without one of your senses for awhile."

The ground beneath me felt rocky and unpaved. Luke was determined to keep up speed, while I tried my hardest not to fall on my face. My grip on Luke's hand tightened, as if that would help me keep my balance.

"Ow, Charlie! You're cutting off circulation."

"Oops, sorry," I apologized, letting go.

"Well I didn't say you had to let go." Luke grabbed my hand. On the back of my hand I could feel Luke's lips. There was a light smacking sound.

"Should I be the one doing that to you?"

"Kissing me?"

I laughed. "Your hand."

"I'd rather you kiss my lips..."

"If we're going to do this the traditional way, we're not kissing on the first date."

"What?" he objected. "That's not fair. We've known each other for like ever."

"Luke..."

"But we'll do it your way," he mumbled loyally.

"Good! So if we're doing it my way, do I get to take this thing off?" I gestured to the blindfold.

"I don't think so."

"Are we almost there yet?"

"Be patient, Charlie."

"I'm not a patient person."

He chuckled. "I know you aren't."

"Can you at least tell me where we're going?"

"That would defeat the purpose of a blindfold, now wouldn't it?"

"I guess so...If I guess; will you tell me if I'm right?"

"It depends."

"On?"

"On whether or not I'm in the mood to tell you."

I grimaced. That was such a typical Luke thing to say. "So basically, you're not going to tell me."

"You know me so well."

"Well I'm going to guess anyway. Okay, what's a place where you'd have to walk to?"

"I don't know. You tell me."

My first thought was of the clearing where Edward takes Bella in Twilight. "Are we in the woods?"

"You wish."

I breathed in the air, to make sure it wasn't forest air or whatever. "The air's fresh."

"It's not fresh. It's like a billion years old."

"We're outdoors."

"Yeah, that was kind of a given."

"Are we at a lake?"

"You wish."

"Would you stop saying that?" I exasperated, throwing my freehand wildly in the air.

I know he's going to say it again. If he didn't, then we really needed some best friend bonding time.

Three.

Two.

One.

"You wish."

I sighed and shook my head, chuckling quietly to myself. I guess we didn't need any more bonding time, but I would sure like it. But not too much. I could only handle so much Luke at a time. "I give up."

"Good, because we're here."

"Does this mean I can take this silly thing off?"

"No, it means I will take it off you."

"As long as it comes off."

"I wish you had this attitude with the rest of your clothes!"

"Luke!"

"Joking..."

"Sure you are."

"Okay, maybe I'm only half joking."

"You're such a romantic," I drawled sarcastically.

"I try."

The thin piece of fabric that was obstructing my vision was dropped. The yellowy blackness was replaced with the vivid picture of a handsome Luke in a fitted, button down plaid shirt. His blue eyes were lively, dancing, staring into mine. I couldn't help but smile; Luke's was so contagious.

After ogling over Luke for what felt like eternity, when in reality it was only a few seconds, I took a look around at my surroundings. We were in an empty park. It wasn't a big, fancy one like Castle Park, but it wasn't completely helpless. It had the basics: a slide, a swing set, monkey bars, and a manual merry-go-round.

It looked vaguely familiar, like I've been here before in my early childhood days. I couldn't quite place it. "Luke? Where are we?"

"You don't recognize it?"

I shook my head. "Should I?"

"We only went here everyday when we were younger."

I bit my lip, trying to recall the location. "Do you want to remind me of the name?"

He sighed. "I'm the girl in this relationship."

I grinned. "Only because you remember every little date."

He shrugged. "It means I've liked you longer."

"Whoa, that's so not true!"

"Face it, Charlie. I win."

"I like you more."

"I'm more dedicated to you."

"How can you say that?"

"You're the only girl for me. And you're dating four other guys."

"Are you really bringing that up? And F.Y.I, it's two other guys and you. At least I haven't slept with a fifth of the population of our school."

"I thought you were over that," he stated bitterly.

"I don't think I'll ever be over that, Luke. You broke my heart however many times you've had sex."

"You seemed fine with it."

"I got used to it."

"I don't want to spend our first date quarreling. Truce?"

I smiled. "That's an awfully big word for you, Luke."

He rolled his eyes and lifted me off the ground. I let out a high-pitched squeal. "Agree to our truce."

I pretended to think for a moment. "Hm, no."

He brought me closer and I wrapped my legs around his waist. "Do it," he growled.

"What are you going to do about it?" I challenged.

"I'll kiss you."

He said it so seriously and threateningly, like it was a bad thing, that I could help but giggle. "Do it," I whispered.

Screw the traditional way. We weren't traditional anyway. You weren't supposed to fall in love with you best friend, but we did it anyway. I leaned in closer, my lips getting into kissing position. I would let Luke close in the distance. There was no doubt in my mind that he wouldn't. After all, he was just a boy.

A moment later, I was sprawled across the ground, wiping dirt off my bottom. I scowled up at Luke, who was grinning sheepishly. "What the heck?" I demanded, getting onto my feet.

"You seemed too eager."

"And that's a bad thing?"

"I'm not a fan of eager girls."

"You slept with them," I pointed out.

"But I would never be in a relationship with them, now would I?" he countered.

"Fine, don't kiss me. I don't care." I crossed my arms and looked the other direction.

"I think you do care," he sang. "Or else you wouldn't be so mad about it."

"For that, you're not getting a kiss tonight."

"I'm okay with that."

"Good. You're going to have to be."

"I am."

"So was your plan to just play on the playground?"

"I thought it would be sentimental. I know how much you like cheesy stuff like this. Besides, we haven't been here in while and I thought it'd be a blast from the past."

That was true; I really loved cliché, romantic things. I always compared my life to fairytales, which was something I needed to stop doing if I wanted to be completely satisfied with it one day. "Is there a particular reason that this place is special?"

He clicked his tongue several times. "I'm hurt, Charlie. You can't remember our spot?"

"What are you talking about?"

He pointed to an overgrown oak tree that was well over its due date. "That's our spot. Right over there."

"What's so special about it?"

"It's where we had our first kiss."

"It's—that's...that's the place? Really?"

"I mean, the tree was a little smaller then, but it's the same coordinate location."

"Why do you remember this?"

He grinned accusingly. "Because I'm more dedicated."

"You're just better at remembering things than me."

"That too."

After a moment of silence, I screamed, "Last one to the swings is a rotten egg," and ran as fast as I could towards the red swing set.

I should've started running before I announced it. I forgot that Luke had longer and more athletic legs than me. So naturally, he beat me there by five seconds. "I'm not sure I like the smell of rotten eggs," he yawned, having his victory smile pasted on.

"You cheated," I supplied.

"I didn't cheat! You had a head start."

"You run faster than me!"

"Then it's even."

"I still say you're a cheater."

"Say what you want, you're just jealous because you're an egg that nobody wants."

I frowned. "You don't want me?"

"Oh, trust me, I want you."

I rolled my eyes and threw my head back laughing. I hopped onto one of the swings and began pushing myself away from the ground. "Push me?"

"But I'm the winner."

"Okay," I sighed. "Go pick your swing."

"Nah, it's okay. I just wanted to see if you'd actually do it."

"Get your butt on a swing and let me push you."

Luke wiggled his eyebrows. "I like this new demanding side of you."

"Oh, shut up."

He winked. "Yes, ma'am."

I pulled the swing back and launched it, stepping aside as it swung back. I pushed him, ran away, and came back and pushed him again. That's pretty much how it worked for the next five minutes.

"Harder and faster," Luke cheered. "Wait, that's what she said."

"You can't make a 'that's what she said' on your own joke."

"Too bad; I just did."

"Is it my turn now?"

"To go fast and hard?"

I bit my lip. "To swing."

"Nope, it's still my turn and I want to go higher."

"Can't you just pump?"

"Nope, that's what you're for."

"Sexual joke?"

"Swings are full of em'."

"But seriously, is it my turn?"

"Yeah, it's your turn."

Luke, being the trooper he is, diligently pushed me until we both got tired of it. We didn't spend much time on the slides—they got boring real fast. We spent a little more time on the monkey bars.

"Don't let me break my neck, Luke."

"I'm not going to let you fall, Charlie. When have I ever?"

"About an hour ago when we were about to kiss."

"Right...well I won't get sued for it."

"I wouldn't sue you."

"You're right. I'm too cool to be sued."

"Don't push it. Do you think if I sat on top of the tall ones and you sat on the small ones, I would be taller than you?"

"Probably not. You're really short."

"Can we try it?"

Luke shrugged and lifted me up onto the tall, orange bars. I gripped the slippery bars, praying that I wouldn't fall. I let my legs dangle, swishing them back and forth. Luke easily got up on the short ones. "See? I'm still taller."

"That should be illegal. Now get me down and carry me to the carousel."

"Your wish is my command."

Luke leaped down and I jumped onto his back. Holding onto his shoulder with one arm, I pointed to the sky with my other hand. "Off we go, my noble steed."

"What am I? Donkey?"

"If you want to be."

"I'd rather be your Shrek."

I nuzzled into the crook of his neck and whispered in his ear, "I'll be your Fiona."

"But Fiona wears green."

"Not when she's getting married to Shrek."

"But then her skin's green."

"Don't be so ogre-ist."

He laughed. "Ogre-ist?"

"I made it up myself," I beamed proudly.

"Only you, Charlie. So was that a marriage proposal? Because I'll gladly accept it."

"No, it wasn't a marriage proposal."

"Too bad. We could've eloped and everything."

For the billionth time this night, I rolled my eyes. "You wish."

"Now look who's saying it?"

"What can I say? You've rubbed off on me."

I slid off his back and onto the moving, metal machine. "On the count of three, we both push off, okay?"

I nodded. "I got it."

***

"Did we really just spend two hours playing at the park?" I asked, limping back to Luke's truck.

"Yup."

"Why is the park so far away from the road?"

He shrugged. "Who knows?"

"I'm tired, Luke."

"So go to sleep."

"I can't. We're walking."

"Is this you asking nicely if I'll carry you?"

I smiled guiltily. "If you want to..."

"An excuse to hold you? Okay."

Luke scooped me up, bridal style. I turned my pelvis towards Luke—it was warmer that way. His arms felt strong beneath me. Luke was my rock; of course he needed to be strong. I snuggled closer to him, breathing in his boyish and pleasant smell.

"Sleepover?" he asked.

"Please?"

"Go to sleep, Charlie. I'll get you there safely."

"I know you will."

My eyelids felt heavy. They were threatening to droop any second now. Unlike when I fell asleep on my date with Ian), falling asleep with Luke seemed natural, routine almost. But to be fair, almost every time I hung out with Luke it ended with me sleeping. "Don't forget to use a seatbelt. I don't want us to get in an accident and be hurt."

"I know, I know. You and your seat belts," he muttered.

The rocking of Luke moving and my already lethargic state made it easy for me to sleep. I was a bit sorry that I didn't get that kiss with Luke, but maybe it'd be more special if it was another time. He could wait until another date. After all, we did have the rest of our lives together.