So this is my first published story for Gilmore Girls and the first story I've posted in probably ten years! Please let me know if there's anything you'd like to see changed, and give some input if you've got time! I don't really know where this story is going, but it takes place at the dinner in Nick & Nora/ Sid & Nancy. This operates as if Dean and Rory never got back together. Otherwise, I think everything is about the same.
Disclaimer: I don't own Gilmore Girls or any of the characters, although I would snag Jess in a heartbeat!
Small Changes
Chapter One
"You want a soda?" Rory asks him.
"I'll get it." He leans into the fridge and sees some Heineken's next to the soda. His hand hovers over the beer for a second. Then remembering Rory's welcoming smiling and bright blue eyes, he changes his mind. He rolls his eyes at his own stupidity over this goody-two-shoes that he doesn't even know. Something about her intrigues him and he supposes that stealing beer, being a jerk, and pissing off everybody she knows is probably not the way to get to know her.
"Hey, you get lost?" Rory comes back into the kitchen and smiles sweetly at him.
"Hey, do we have to stay here? Not like bail out entirely, but maybe not eat in there?" She shifts uncomfortably and glances back at the family room where everybody is gathering.
"How about I make you a deal? We eat dinner in there with them, and then we can eat dessert in my room, door closed and everything. I promise I eat quickly. What do you say?" She looks up at him and he's reminded vaguely of a puppy dog or a kitten or something equally cute.
"Door closed, huh? Isn't that against town ordinances?" He's surprised when she just laughs.
"Oh, I was raised by a rebel. I follow in her ways. Sometimes I even lock it." He gasps, jokingly.
"Alright, we have a deal. You have to sit next to me and protect me from the lemon couple." She laughs out loud at this and he thinks making her laugh is the greatest thing he's ever accomplished. He wants nothing more than to keep doing it.
"I can do that. Trust me, we're all crazy but it's a crazy that grows on you. Sookie is the greatest chef there is and you will not be disappointed you came." He just shrugs at her and she grabs his hand to pull him into the family room where everybody is sitting.
She glances down at their clasped hands and asks quietly, "Is this okay?"
He wants to admit that he never wants to let go of her hand, but figures that'll come off cheesy and desperate, so he just nods.
"Mom, Jess and I are gonna eat dessert in my room." Rory announces when she's done eating dinner.
"Oh, I get it. We're too old and boring for you two. That's fine, just make sure you don't leave the door open because I don't think Luke will appreciate any of your musical tastes." Rory laughs and pulls Jess into the kitchen to get dessert. She piles a brand new plate with two different pieces of pie, three scoops of ice cream, and four different cookies plus sprinkles a handful of jelly beans for good measure.
"Aren't you going to get anything?" She asks him innocently.
"No. No way is that whole plate just for you!" He's in disbelief, and she just shrugs looking a little sheepish.
"You're an animal!" He jokes, and is glad that she doesn't look upset at all.
"How are you not three hundred pounds?" This gets a grin out of her.
"We Gilmore's are mysteries to modern science!" She announces proudly. He grabs himself a piece of pie and a cookie and follows her into her room. He shuts the door behind them and glances around, not really sure where to sit. She sits on her bed with her back against the headboard and pats the end of the bed, indicating that's where he should put himself. He slides his shoes off and sits facing her.
"You like Bowie? I've been on a Ziggy kick for a while now." She turns toward the cd player and presses play and Suffragette City comes on.
"Yeah, Bowie is cool." He's surprised to realize that he's a little nervous about being alone with her. He's never really felt this way before.
"So… You're from New York?" Rory asks, clearly trying to come up with some sort of conversation.
"Yeah." He's not sure he wants to go into his sob story with this girl.
"It was just you and your Mom?" He can tell that she's just trying to learn about him, but he hates talking about his home life.
"Yeah, just Liz and I until I got to be too much to handle and she sent me here. Look, can we talk about anything other than parents? After underwater basket weaving, it's pretty much my least favorite topic. Alright?" She looks a little taken aback by his harsh tone, and he feels bad.
"Sorry." He mumbles and avoids eye contact.
"Hey, it's alright. Not everybody can be as lucky as I am in the parent department. Sure, my dad pretty much didn't exist for the first sixteen years of my life, but my mom more than makes up for that. Do you like school?" She grasps at something else to talk about and he's glad for the topic switch, but he files away the information about her dad.
"Not really, actually. I lied earlier, though. I do read, more than most people I think. That's really the only part of school I like." She looks both excited that he reads and disappointed that he doesn't like school.
"I'm not an idiot or anything, but I get bored and I'm not a fan of being told what to do." She snorts at this and he pretends to be offended.
"Well, you've got the whole devil may care attitude going on. I figured that bad boy smirk came with a dislike of authority!" He shrugs, but is secretly pleased that she is taking an interest in him.
"Do you have a girlfriend?" This throws him for a loop.
"Even if I had one back in New York, I think coming to Mayberry would have ruined that." He keeps his answer purposely vague to see what her reactions is. She seems almost a little disappointed at the idea of him having a girlfriend.
"It's good that I didn't have to deal with it, though. Less of a hassle this way. I've never really been the dating type, although there's a first time for everything." He smiles at her and she blushes at the implication.
"What about you?" She laughs a little bit.
"No girlfriend for me. I'm saving experimentation for college." This shocks a laugh out of him.
"No, I broke up with my boyfriend a couple months ago." He can't believe how thrilled he is to hear this.
There's an awkward silence for a minute.
"My mom doesn't want me." He almost can't believe that these words have come out of his mouth. He hopes and prays that she didn't hear him.
"Oh, Jess…." Now she's pitying him. He almost can't handle it and wants to run.
"I don't know why I said that. Forget it. Do you like the Strokes?" She sets her empty plate aside and he can't believe she actually finished all that crap.
"Jess, believe me when I say I understand how it feels to be unwanted by a parent. My mom got pregnant when she was sixteen, and she was strong enough to deal and do what needed to be done. My dad still isn't. Parents aren't perfect, and sometimes they just downright suck. I know getting sent here isn't your idea of a good time and it stinks to be away from everything you know, but I am sure somewhere deep down your mom did it because she wants to give you a shot away from her." He shrugs, not making eye contact.
All of the sudden, Rory is right next to him and is wrapping him in a hug. He doesn't reciprocate, but doesn't pull away.
"I know this is a weird little town and not nearly as cool as New York City, but it's not all bad. If you hate everything and everybody else in Stars Hollow, at least know you'll have me as a friend." She's pulled away to tell him this and he looks her in the eye.
"We're friends now?" The words along with his patented smirk make her backpedal.
"I mean, only if you want to be. I just thought we were getting along well and we seem," He cuts her off with a hand on her knee.
"We're friends, Rory. Chill. I was just teasing you." She laughs in an uncomfortable way.
Not too long after, Luke knocks on the door and tells Jess it's time to leave. He smiles at Rory before getting up and walking to the front door. He turns around to find that she's followed him.
"Tomorrow is Sunday." She tells him and he laughs.
"Yeah. Days of the week work the same in New York." She rolls her eyes at him.
"Want to go do something? We can see a movie or get some pizza or something." He thinks about this for a second.
"Sure. I'll stop by here tomorrow morning?" She shakes her head.
"I'll be at the diner for breakfast. We can leave from there." He nods.
"See you tomorrow then." Rory looks like she wants to say something else, but he turns around and walks down the steps. He stops and turns around to look at Lorelai.
He mutters a quick "Thanks", and then walks away again. Luke apologizes for his lack of communication and thanks them himself before taking off.
"Well, he's a ray of sunshine!" Lorelai exclaims as soon as the door is shut.
"Mom! He just moved to this tiny little place from New York City with no notice! Give him a break!" She defends Jess and ignores her moms suspicious look.
"What? Do you like James Dean?" Rory rolls her eyes.
"He's a nice guy. I think he's not really used to adult doing things that are good for him and not just themselves. I'm not saying he's not working the whole chip on the shoulder thing, but maybe he's got a reason for it, you know?" Rory turns away from her mother, knowing she'll be teased for the blush rising in her cheeks.
"Okay. I'll give the kid another shot. You just be careful around him. That smirk is dangerous. A smirk just like that one is why you were even born!" Lorelai wags her finger in front of Rory's face.
"Ew, Mom! We are just hanging out. No big deal. I doubt he even likes me like that." Lorelai notices that Rory doesn't mention her own feelings for the hoodlum, but decides to keep quiet.
"Alright. Goodnight, Rory. See you tomorrow."
Rory gets ready for bed and decides to read for a little while before bed. She finds, however, that she just cannot stay submerged in Emily Dickson's world. Giving up after the fifth time reading the same sentence, she turns off her light and tries to go to sleep. She has a hard time shutting off her brain, however, and finds herself thinking about brown eyes and how good it would feel to kiss that smirk off Jess' face. Even the thought to herself, in the privacy of her own bed makes her blush. That doesn't stop her from wanting to do it, however.
Meanwhile, across town on a blowup mattress, Jess is having the same difficulty sleeping. He's never particularly been into girls beyond having sometime to do and the fun of whatever physical stuff they would let him get away with. He didn't really do the whole crush thing, and he certainly wasn't a relationship guy. Rory Gilmore has him thinking and feeling things he doesn't even know he's capable of, though. There is something about the fact that she looks so innocent and yet could crack jokes about being a lesbian that really draws him to her. She is sweet, of course, but she also has a side that's a little more wild. He definitely wants to be the person to bring that out. Plus, she has great taste in books and music, so that has to bode well for them having a good time together.
A/N: Please let me know what you think and if I should continue this!
