Title: There's Luke
Chapter: Two
A/N : Thanks so much for reading/reviewing the first chapter! This one is from Luke's point of view.
Usually when I'm asleep, I'm gone - as good as dead until my alarm goes off the next morning. This morning is different. This morning, my eyes open well before wake-up time. I roll over and find her there, and then I remember why.
We proposed to each other last night. But mine was the one that counted. And Lorelai Gilmore said "yes."
Whenever I wake up and find her in my bed, I always get a chill. Like I still can't believe that after eight years I finally get to have her here.
Even though it's the predictable thing to do, I'm watching her sleep. I'm always amazed by the way she sleeps - not like anyone else I've ever seen. She looks beautiful. But even when she's not trying to look beautiful – first thing in the morning (before coffee) or sprawled on the couch eating her fourth piece of pizza – she still looks beautiful. I sleep with my mouth open and I snore. She just lies there, perfectly, breathing quietly through her nose.
I should be rolling my eyes and jumping out of bed. I have never been the guy who sits around, watching some girl sleep. But eight years ago, I met this brunette with caffeine withdrawal and I knew that if she were ever the one in my bed, I'd watch her sleep.
Did I mention that I still can't believe she's here? For eight years I kept trying to make myself think of her only as a friend, but from day one that newspaper horoscope had a spot in my wallet and she had a spot in my mind. Even when I wasn't supposed to be thinking about her, she was there. Other women are beautiful or funny or caring, sure, but Lorelai is different. She has a spark. That's the only way I know how to say it.
I mean, if you'd asked me nine years ago if I would fall in love with a woman who can't survive for 30 minutes without a caffeine fix, blatantly uses her cell phone in my diner, makes fun of my baseball hats, and eats takeout Chinese food after it's been in the fridge for God knows how long, I would have probably said no. Hell, I probably wouldn't even want to be friends with her.
But Lorelai… she has this thing about her. This spark. That's all I can say.
She hasn't moved since I've been watching. I turn off my alarm clock so it won't wake her in a few minutes. It's 5:30 a.m. I carefully slide out of the bed and tiptoe out of the apartment. Let me make something clear. It's not often that I tiptoe. It's also not often that I get out of bed early, walk downstairs, and make an extra pot of coffee. But today, sure.
Once I get to the diner, I pour her a mug just the way she likes it. I hesitate to go upstairs because I'm sure the smell will wake her up, but I need to talk to her before work and there's no way to do that without coffee.
When I slip back into the apartment, she's still sound asleep. I put the steaming mug on the table next to her side of the bed. While I'm waiting for her to wake up, I take the small, black box out of the nightstand drawer. It's been there for few days now. When I bought it, I was pretty sure I'd get to use it. Then the whole 'the kids' mess happened and I wasn't so sure. I was thinking pretty seriously about the return policy. I'm glad I waited.
"Mmm," she murmurs as she wakes up. It sounds so good to hear her voice. Did I mention that I still can't believe she's here? "Is that coffee?" She yawns. How can she look beautiful when she's yawning? Her eyes are finally opened and she's looking at me, smiling. "Have I died and gone to heaven or did you really get up to make me coffee in the middle of the night?"
"It's not the middle of the night, it's 5:42, and yes, I made you coffee," I respond.
She sits up so she's eye level with me. "Is this part of the fiancée reward package? Because if so I'm going to have to get engaged more often." She takes a sip of her coffee.
I can't believe she just said fiancée. My fiancée. It's real. This is happening.
"I actually needed to talk to you about something," I say.
"Sure. What's up," she manages, between sips of coffee.
"I, uh, forgot something kind of important last night."
"Oh, did you?" she asks.
I don't know any other way to do this, so I just say it. "I have something to give you."
"Oh, do you?" she asks. She has to know what I'm going to say. And now she's messing with me. God, I love her.
I pull out the box and hold it so she can see. "Oh, Luke! Luke…" Maybe she didn't see it coming.
She puts her coffee down and covers her mouth with her hands. "Luke, how did you…?"
But she doesn't get to ask me how I already had a ring because I'm opening the box and putting a diamond ring on her finger. She keeps looking from the ring to me, with this look like she might start crying.
Once the ring is on, she laughs. "It's perfect," she says. "This is perfect. All of it." She pauses. "Thank you," she leans in and kisses me softly on the lips. I want to stay so badly, but I can't. She kisses me again. And again. I swing my feet over the side of the bed. I don't have time for this right now. I mean, I'd like to have time for this right now, but…
I'm seated on the edge of the bed, looking at Lorelai, who's looking back at me the way she can when she tries to make me her puppet. "Lorelai, the diner. My diner? You know, got to open the diner on time."
She laughs. She finds this all very funny. "Yes, Dinerman!" she says dramatically. "Anything for the diner, Dinerman."
I roll my eyes. I walk over to her side of the bed and plant a kiss on her forehead. "I'm going to go get ready for work. You rest and drink some coffee and come down for breakfast whenever you feel like it."
"Thank you, Dinerman! I'm so glad we have you here to look out for us, Dinerman," I hear her shouting as I walk into the bathroom and shut the door behind me.
A few moments later I stand in the shower. I'm still smiling because even when she's making fun of me for wanting to open the diner on time, she's beautiful. And she's mine now. After eight years. My fiancée.
But as much as I'd love to stand here and think about her for the next ten minutes, I should probably start doing normal shower things, like using soap. As I reach for the Ivory, I hear the bathroom door open again. There's a hand that I hope to God is Lorelai's opening the shower curtain.
I'm glad I got up to make that coffee this morning.
So yeah, I know that was very fluffy, but I hope that's okay. Please review! Hopefully the next chapter will be up soon and will have a little more substance. Thanks for reading!