I Still Love You

By: Apolla

Disclaimer: I do not own Rory or Jess (if I did, they would still be together)

Pairings: Literati

Setting: Takes place during Episode 4.21 – Last Week Fights, This Week Tights

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Rory and Dean are talking outside of Rory's dorm room at Yale when Jess comes up to them, causing Rory to stop talking to Dean. "What are you doing here?" she asked Jess.

"I need to talk to you," he said.

"Jess……" Dean trails off threateningly.

"I need to talk to you," Jess repeated, only looking at Rory.

"What's going on?" Dean asked Rory.

Rory ignored Dean, asking Jess, "What are you doing here?"

"Rory, please," Jess said, looking at her beseechingly.

"Rory?" Dean asked, not wanting to believe that she would listen to Jess over him.

"Go – go home," Rory told Dean.

"No," Dean said, sure that she can't mean it.

"Yes, go. You should go."

Dean left, looking angry and frustrated. Rory turned to Jess. "Why won't you leave me alone? You won't go away."

"Rory," Jess said, his voice full of emotion.

"What do you want?" she asked, refusing to look him in the eye.

"I don't know. I just wanted to see you, talk to you. I just……" Jess trailed off.

"What?"

"Come with me," he said suddenly.

"What?" Rory asked in disbelief.

"Come with me," Jess repeated, taking a step towards her.

"Where?"

"I don't know...away!"

"Are you crazy?" Rory asked, backing away from him.

"Probably. Do it. Come with me. Don't think about it."

"I can't do that," Rory said, opening her door and walking into her room.

"You don't think you can do it but you can. You can do whatever you want," Jess said, following her.

"It's not what I want."

"It is. I know you."

"You don't know me!"

"Look, we'll go to New York. We'll work, we'll live together, we'll be together. It's what I want. It's what you want, too."

"No!"

"I want to be with you, but not here. Not this place, not Stars Hollow. We have to start new."

"There's nothing to start!" Rory said, getting more and more upset.

"You're packed. Your stuff is all in boxes. It's perfect. You're ready. And I'm ready. I'm ready for this. You can count on me now. I know you couldn't count on me before, but you can now. You can," Jess said, his eyes burning with emotion.

"No!"

"Look, you know we're supposed to be together. I knew it the first time I saw you two years ago, and you know it, too. I know you do."

"No, no, no, no, no!" Rory said, shaking her head and repeating the word over and over again.

"Don't say "no" just to make me stop talking or make me go away. Only say "no" if you really don't want to be with me."

There was a pause, and then Rory spoke again. "No!" she whispered.

Jess backed away and left. Rory sat down on a box and put her head in her hands.