THIS LOVE | luke hughes

xix.

PENELOPE WASN'T SURE WHEN the last time she went on a muffin run was, but whenever she realized she woke up before the sun fully came up, she decided that that day would start with a muffin run. She quickly changed into a pair of pants, deciding to leave on her hoodie from the night before and slip on a pair of her slides before grabbing her keys from her dresser. She started making her way down the stairs, only to hear noise coming from the kitchen.

She carefully made her way towards the kitchen, eyebrows furrowing as she wondered who it was. She was soon met with the sight of Luke's back, muscles flexing with each movement. "Luke?" She asked in a whisper, causing the boy to turn around to meet her eyes.

"Hey, sorry, did I wake you?" He question as he made his way over to her with a mug of coffee in his hand. It was his turn for his eyebrows to furrow as he noticed the keys in her hand. "Where you going?" He asked as he sipped at his coffee.

"Muffin run." She said as she raised the keys, shaking them slightly causing a small jingle to go through the house causing Luke to shush her before they both broke out into quiet laughs. "Wanna come with?" She asked, a smile on her face.

He knew he couldn't deny her offer whenever she looked at him like that, causing him to sigh as he passed the mug over to her. "Let me go put a shirt on." He whispered as she took the mug, beginning to walk towards the stairs. "Don't drink my coffee." He said while looking back to the girl who only nodded. He hesitated for a moment before rushing up the stairs.

Whenever Penelope couldn't see him anymore, she raised the mug to her lips and took a sip of the hot beverage that warmed her much like a fire would. It reminded her of her childhood, constantly begging her mother and Ellen to let her have a sip of their coffee early in the mornings before school.

Whenever Luke came down the stairs, she realized how much she drank causing her to hand the mug back to him with a giggle. "You're buying me a coffee." He said before he finished off the rest of the drink, placing the mug into the sink. "Let's go, I'll drive." He said as they both began to make their way to the door.

"Don't gotta tell me twice." She joked as she handed him the keys as they walked out, being hit with the Michigan morning air. "I pick music!" She said a little louder than her previous words, seeing as to how they were no longer in the house.

Luke shrugged as he opened the passenger door for her, a smile on his face. "Good thing I like your music." He said as the girl got into the car, her face warming at his words as he closed the door before circling the car and getting into the drivers seat, his knees hitting against the wheel. "Jesus, Penny, you're short." He joked as he began to adjust the seat so he could drive properly.

"Okay, not all of us are beanstalks." She retorted as she grabbed the aux, plugging it into her phone before going to her Spotify and hitting shuffle on her playlist before Tiny Dancer by Elton John began to play.

The familiar tune brought a smile to Luke's lips as he played his hand on the headrest of Penelope's seat, looking out the back glass as he began to back out of the driveway. The song reminded him of whenever they went to a dance their freshman year and this song began to play, causing the two to dance with one another although no one else was. He didn't care then if he made a fool of himself because he was with her.

—

The diner was one of Penelope's favorite places to come to during the summer. She grew up coming here everyday with her parents and the Hughes whenever she was a child, and it was the first place she ever worked at so she would say she had good memories at this place.

Penelope grinned as she sat down in the booth she had been sitting at for years, Luke slipping into the seat across from her. "What're you going to get?" She asked as she picked up the menu that she really didn't need, having everything memorized.