A.N.: This one shot is based on my friend's super awesome gif set. We made a deal after the revival that she'd make gif sets for Gilmore Girls and I would write a one shot for each of them. This is the first in a series of three, I believe, so keep a look out for more to come. I actually haven't watched or written Gilmore Girls since 2007... So it's been ten years. And then the revival happened and I have been living and breathing Gilmore Girls ever since. But the fics I had written were all Literati so this felt different. I'm focusing on Lorelai, Luke and Jess and speaking mostly from Lorelai and Jess's perspectives. I just really hope I can still feel their voices after all these years. I hope you guys like it. But mostly I hope my friend, who's been listening to me talk non-stop about Rory and Jess since Thanksgiving likes it. I dedicate this and every story in this series that I will be writing to her. Thank you for the beautiful gif set girl! I hope I did it justice.
Link to the gif set that inspired this fic on Tumblr: post/155169688949/pre-revival-jess-and-lorelai-ending-their
The holidays had snuck up on Lorelai Gilmore this year. Walking through the town that she adored wasn't doing it for her though. In spite of all the decorations that Taylor had insisted on, her father's unexpected passing four months earlier put a damper on her mood this time of the year.
It was the first time in a long time that Lorelai felt the need to pass on Christmas. It didn't help that Rory was not coming home in time to celebrate the holiday with her. She'd been trying to work overtime with some flaky Brit (Rory's words, not hers) in London in order to make it back as quickly as possible. It gave Lorelai some comfort knowing her daughter would be home relatively soon at least.
She entered Luke's diner with a smile, greeting Patty and Babette, before making her way to the counter and sitting down. A ceramic mug filled to the brim with her favorite dark elixir was placed in front of her and she looked up to smile at the hand that had put it there.
"And I didn't even have to ask," she grinned, sipping the coffee, "Kirk's training school seems to be paying off."
Luke rolled his eyes. "I figured we could skip the part where you ask, I try to get you to drink decaf, you overreact and then tell everyone in this place how I'm holding the coffee hostage until I just pour you the cup anyway."
"That's the sweetest thing you've ever said to me."
"Just drink your coffee."
"Sir, yes, sir!" she mock saluted before taking another sip, making him smile fondly before moving down the counter to get someone else's order. "So what are the plans for Christmas this year?"
"You haven't seen your mom since the-" He cut himself off. Lorelai appreciated him not completing that sentence though.
"Nope," she shook her head. "So Christmas at the Gilmore's is out this year. Besides, I doubt she wants to see me without Rory around."
"Rory can't make it home?"
Lorelai shrugged. "She's busy working. Otherwise, she wouldn't miss Christmas in Stars Hollow. She says she'll try to be home the first week of January though. So it's just you and me this year… Stud." She winked at him for effect.
Luke scratched his neck nervously.
"Uh oh." She frowned. "You, me and who else is suddenly invited to our threesome?"
"Can you not call it that?" Luke asked. "That's disgusting."
"So who's staying in our house over the holidays?"
"Jess."
"Jess?"
"You know Jess."
"I do know Jess." Lorelai told him. "I'm just confused about Jess being here for the holidays."
"Well, you know how he visits his mom and his sister every once in a while…" Luke shrugged. "Liz kind of guilt him into coming for Christmas."
"So why isn't he staying with Liz?"
Luke gave her a knowing look, which made her roll her eyes. "Okay."
"Okay?"
"Okay, Jess can stay at our place. But he's sleeping on the couch. The only spare room is-"
"I know. And he knows too. He actually offered to stay upstairs but we've been using it for storage so long that it'll take too long to turn into any kind of livable space and…"
"Luke, you're rambling and you don't need to make excuses for him staying at our house."
"I don't?" he asked.
She shook her head. "Nope. He's family."
"You did hear the part where I said Jess is coming to stay with us, right?"
"I did."
"For a week."
She took a deep breath. "I figured cause you know, Christmas and New Year's."
"And you're fine with this arrangement?"
"I'm… adjusting… to this arrangement."
"Will adjustment lead to acceptance?" he asked.
"By Christmas? I think so. I'm not the Grinch." He gave her another look that made her roll her eyes. "I'm not going to make your nephew sleep in the Gazebo or a storage closet upstairs. He can stay."
"You're sure?"
"I'm sure."
"Okay."
"Great." She grinned.
"I'll let him know?"
She cocked her head to the side in confusion. "Let him know?"
"I kind of told him I had to run it by you first because you know… your history and all."
"Jess and I got along for your birthday earlier this year just fine."
"You asked me to ask him if he wanted cake." Luke frowned.
"At least I didn't stab him with the cake knife." She grumbled, which prompted him to glare at her. "Okay, fine. Yes. Jess can stay. On our couch. During the holidays. For a week."
Luke was trying really hard not to laugh at her trying to cope with this new living arrangement.
"It'll be like he's not even there." He promised.
"I doubt that." She smiled sweetly. "He still snores, doesn't he?"
She sat up in bed later that night looking over at her boyfriend and sighed. "Luke…"
He mumbled in his sleep but wouldn't wake up.
Lorelai smirked, leaning down to breath heavily against his ear. "Luke… I am your father…."
"Go back to sleep." He groaned in response.
"Wake up," she smacked his arm lightly.
He opened his eyes slowly to look at her smiling face. He turned his head to look over his shoulder and groaned again when he noticed it was after three o'clock in the morning. "You do realize I have to be up in less than three hours, right?"
"I know… I'm sorry. But I can't sleep."
"What's wrong?" he sat up quickly, concern etched across his features.
"I keep thinking about Jess."
He eyed her suspiciously. "Jess?"
"Yes."
"Yes, Jess?"
She rolled her eyes. "Can you stop?"
"Okay." He frowned. "What about Jess?"
"Him staying here."
"Are you having second thoughts?"
"No," she frowned, picking at the duvet that covered them both. "Just… he's really that important to you, isn't he?"
"He is." Luke nodded. "He's kind of like my son. Sometimes, I think he's more mine than Liz's."
Lorelai smiled at that. "You ever wonder if things would have turned out differently if you'd gotten him sooner?"
"I think he turned out alright."
She growled. "So I've heard."
"You could ask me about it."
"Ask what?"
"About him? About him and me? And him and Rory?" Luke answered.
"Rory doesn't talk to me about Jess," Lorelai admitted. "She stopped talking to me about him a long time ago."
Luke pulled her to him and rubbed her arm as she laid half on top of him. "I can tell you about him. I don't know how often they talk but he's not the same kid that blew into town and disappeared on her three times. I can promise you that. Maybe it's time to bury the hatchet?"
"Okay." She mumbled. "Tell me about him. Tell me all the reasons why him having a friendship with my daughter shouldn't freak me out."
Luke smiled. "I will. But for now, get some sleep."
She sighed, closing her eyes, and leaned into him.
Jess Mariano was still packing two days before Christmas. He was driving up to Stars Hollow the next day and he was not even ready yet. His uncle had called him on Monday to tell him he could stay at his place. The problem was that his place was the same residence he shared with Lorelai Gilmore; the one person in town who still had reason to hate him after all these years. It was now Wednesday, Christmas was on Friday, and he was still getting his things in order.
Chris and Matt had been surprisingly fine with letting him disappear for a week. It was rare for him. It was even rarer for him to disappear around the holidays. He hadn't really celebrated Christmas in Stars Hollow since the short time he actually lived there. They knew that. So when he asked them if it'd be okay for him to head back there for Christmas break, the guys immediately knew they wouldn't stop him.
He was still shoving things into his duffle bag when the front door to Truncheon opened. He hadn't thought to lock it since it hadn't been that busy because of the holidays.
"We're closed." He called out automatically.
"If anyone asks, I'm here on Luke's behalf."
He quickly looked up and toward the door when he heard her familiar voice. The last time he'd seen her was at his uncle's birthday party in Stars Hollow months ago and even then, they'd both gone out of their way to avoid each other at all costs. Jess had spent more time talking to her now late father and daughter about his favorite books in a corner than he spent anywhere near her. Suddenly, he regretted not calling when Richard died four months ago. He'd sent Rory an email though. He wondered if she told her mom.
"Lorelai?"
"Luke told me I'd find you here." She answered as if that explained everything, including the fact that she was standing there, in his place of business, three hours south of her hometown.
"Yeah, well, between visiting Liz and Doula every now and then, I stay pretty close to Philly." He told her while still stuffing his duffel bag. Mostly it was just something to do. She still made him nervous even after all these years. He wanted to thank her for letting him stay at her house the following week but he couldn't bring himself to broach the subject. Jess Mariano was never really one for small talk. That was one of the many horrible characteristics he got from his own father. "But I'm betting you didn't come all this way to talk about that."
Apparently, Lorelai Gilmore could still bring out the angst ridden teenager in him. He inwardly cursed himself for that. He was an adult now. He had his own business. She was even standing in it. He'd grown up. He'd changed. He was not that punk anymore. And he couldn't understand why he wanted her, of all people, to finally see that.
"No, this is more like a favor to Luke. Something about a hatchet needing to be buried…" She told him before taking a deep breath. She seemed just as nervous as he felt and that was out of character, especially for her. "So I'll ask you once, the Beatles or the Stones?"
That was not at all what he was expecting her to ask. He eyed her with confusion at first. Jess had never been able to decipher Lorelai Gilmore's logic and he wasn't expecting to figure it out right now in this moment either. So he answered as truthfully as he could; pretending that this didn't feel like the most important question he'd ever been asked. "Mick and Keith still got some fight in them and they're still together. Plus, A Bigger Bang wasn't half bad." He completed his answer with a non-committal shrug.
She turned back toward the door already leaving. "Louis, I think this is the beginning of a beautiful friendship."
That confused him even more than the question had. His eyes followed her as she stepped up to the door with a question of his own on the tip of his tongue. But once again, Lorelai beat him to the punch, leaving him puzzled.
"Also, you're invited to dinner on Friday. We'll see you at seven."
She walked out the door and Jess wondered if this was what burying the hatchet felt like.