Club Penguin || l.h.

The End

"LUKE!"

I knew it was useless; a train could run through the middle of the house and he'd stay sound asleep. Instead of wasting my breath again, I leaned the whisk against the side of the bowl, careful not to get batter on the handle, and placed the warm pancakes on two plates. Then I wiped my hands with a rag and sauntered off to my room.

Normally on a wintry day like this I'd be curled by the fireplace, socks pulled high up to my knees and a paperback book resting between my fingertips. A gray sky loomed over grayer people and soft sunlight turned the fallen snow from yesterday to a mountain of sparkling jewels. My heart soared with happiness as I counted my blessings with every step. I hadn't been over the moon like this in such a long time that the unfamiliar feeling almost terrified me. Still, with all the worries came this unbelievably strong excitement for the future.

Luke's arm was still resting over my side of the bed, grabbing at the empty space I'd previously occupied. His nose was scrunched up and his mouth hung open just the slightest amount enough to allow his gentle breathing escape in quiet sighs. I paused in the doorway to admire the view, sending a prayer to a higher power that this moment could last forever.

"Luke, babe," I said gently, walking over to nudge him. "It's time to get up."

He groaned, reaching for my waist and dragging me onto the mattress with him. He peppered my face with delicate kisses, ignoring the pleas for help I choked out in between bursts of laughter.

"Please, I made breakfast for you," I said, throwing him my best puppy-dog-eyes in hopes he'd roll out of bed. 

Instead, Luke dug his fingers into the hollow of my hip, rubbing his thumb over my skin. "I can think of something better to eat," he joked, kissing me once again.

"If you let those pancakes get cold I will literally end you."

It took seventeen seconds for Luke to plant himself in a seat at the kitchen table, playfully acting nervous in response to my empty threat. I grabbed our plates and sprinkled blueberries on the side of Luke's because I knew he preferred to eat them separately. I ended up sitting across from him, soaking in the beautiful sight of messy hair and sleepy eyes. He practically inhaled his food, stopping only once to comment on how gorgeous he thought I looked this morning. I, on the other hand, ate slowly, savoring every bite and every second with the incredible man opposite me.

Luke cocked his head to the side after a few moments of comfortable silence. "Everything alright?"

I smiled; of course everything was alright. Luke knew I'd tell him if something was wrong. He was asking because I was staring at him, apologetically admiring every aspect of him.

We had turned into the worst kind of lovebirds. On his days off, he'd fly to Canada and spend the weekend with my father and I. On my breaks, I'd join him wherever in the world he may be. We ran fan accounts for each other and we'd tweet short poems expressing our feelings when we'd been separated particularly long. Such an immense love had sprouted from nearly nothing at all, and I'd never felt so lucky in my entire life.

I shrugged, returning my attention to Luke's adorable concerned face. "I read something this morning, actually. Some bad news."

He straightened himself in his chair. "What is it?"

"Club Penguin shut down. Like, for good."

Luke reached across the table, enveloping my tiny hand in his. "I guess it's just the end of an old chapter and the start of a new one. For us, at least."

I was surprised by his nonchalance, but I left it at that and finished my breakfast without saying another word.

"Do you wanna take a walk?" he asked, knowing I couldn't resist a chance to provoke a snowball fight.

I laughed. "Let me finish these dishes first."

Luke darted to our room to start getting dressed, leaving just as I walked in. He playfully tapped my ass and kissed my cheek, promising he'd meet me outside in ten. I pulled on my warmest outfit, throwing fashion to the wind in an attempt to combat the harsh Canadian cold. My boots barely fit over my thick socks, but once they were laced I was ready to go.

I decided to slip out the backdoor and follow the side of my house. I knew Luke would be standing by the front door, waiting with a snowball in his hand to pounce on me. He'd tackle me into the snow and soak all of the clothes I'd just spent so much time wrestling on. Then he'd apologize and carry me inside, make us tea (because he knows my distaste for hot chocolate), and insist I pick a movie on Netflix. 

But as I neared the porch where I knew he'd be, I heard the faint sound of him speaking aloud. 

"God, if you're really there, thank you, thank you, thank you for letting me meet such a wonderful girl on Club Penguin before they took it down. That stupid children's site gave me the love of my life. Thank you."

I bit my lip, holding back a sigh of adoration. A feeling of guilt overwhelmed me, as if I'd just been intentionally spying on him, so I slipped back into the house through the backdoor to exit out the front. Just as I did so, he broke a snowball on the top of my head and softly pulled me into the snow in the yard. And I'd never been so happy to feel the cold seeping through my boots. I'd never been so thankful to be wrestling Luke's frozen fingers away from my face. I'd never been so in love.