A/N: That is right folk. It is another would have, could have stories! This one takes place during the episode "Those Lazy Hazy Crazy Days." You know, when they make up after fighting over Jess and Rory. They should have gotten together and you know it! So read it, and review so that I know whether it was as good as Stephen King or as bad as… I don't know just bad. MUAH!

I Don't Usually Make Out With Strangers

It was well after closing when Luke heard the bell of his dinner door jingle. He looked up from counting the money in the cash register, and blinked. Lorelai Gilmore stood in the door weigh. He tried his best to look like he was mad. A hard thing to do with someone like her. He cleared his throat and looked back down at what he was doing. "We're closed."

Lorelai took in a long breath. "I know." She was sick of their fight, and she really needed coffee. Especially after tonight. So, she did what she knew best. Ranted. "Look, I didn't come here to make up, or to try to get you to forgive me, or talk. I wouldn't even have come here at all but I had a really crappy night and I really, really need a cup of coffee." He looked at her with no expression. God, he missed her. She was the only person in town that he could stand to be around for longer than 20 minutes. This past few months had been hard and he actually admitted to himself how much he liked her. All right, loved her.

She didn't know if he was mad, sad, or just trying to figure out a really hard math problem. He wasn't the easiest person to read. She stuck up her hands as if caught by the cops, and took a cautious step toward the counter. "Just pretend I'm not me. I'm Mimi, a new customer." He rolled his eyes, and went back to counting. "I've never been in here before. I was just walking down the street and I spotted this place. 'Ooh, hey, nice place.' And I came in." She had reached the counter and was bending over it for a cup. "Now Mimi is going to pour herself a cup of coffee and sit over here way far away from you, and she promises, just as soon as she's done, she will rinse out her own cup and leave."

She poured her coffee, and sat at the far end opposite of Luke. He sighed, and almost said something. But, she cut him off, shaking her head. "This is the second time I let myself do this."

He creased his forehead in question. "Do what?"

"Think I finally found it."

He had no idea what she was talking about, but he got the feeling she was upset. "Found what?"

Lorelai looked up from her half empty cup. "Love, comfort, safety."

He nodded his head in understanding. "Ah."

She shook her head again, and spoke as if she weren't really talking to him in at all. She spoke as if she just wanted to vent and let her problems be known. "I mean, first with Max, which of course, I screwed up, and then with Christopher, which of course, all the elements of the universe got together to screw up."

He began feeling uncomfortable about discussing her love life. Mostly because he wanted to have a love life. Preferably with her. And when he was uncomfortable he was sarcastic. "Yup, it's tough when the universe is against you. That's like taking on the Manhattan garbage union."

He regretted saying it as soon as it came out of his mouth, but she kept going as if she hadn't heard him. "I always thought if he could just get it together, grow up- maybe we could do it. Maybe we could really be a family, in the stupid, traditional 'Dan Quayle, golden retriever, grow old together, wear matching jogging suits' kind of way. And then he did get it together- he became that guy… and he gets to be that guy with her." She was crying now. She hated crying, especially in front of Luke. " Chris is gonna have a baby with his girlfriend. He's gonna marry her… and he's gonna be there for her while she's pregnant and he's gonna be there with here while her child grows up, and he's gonna be there for her while she does… whatever it is she does. And I am in exactly the same place that I was in before."

He had stopped what he was doing, and had winced when he saw her crying. He had to cheer her up. If not for her sake, than for his. "Is that so bad? I mean, you got Rory."

She smiled. "Yes, I do."

Luke saw his success and decided to take this root. "You got friends, you got a house, a job, apparently an iron stomach."

She chuckled. "No, it's not so bad. I'm lucky, I know. I just… I feel like I'm never gonna have it… the whole package, you know? That person, that couple life, and I swear, I hate admitting it because I fancy myself Wonder Woman, but…" she took in a wavy breath. "I really want it- the whole package."

He stood there for a moment. This was the first time she had talked like this to him. He was a little out of his element. So, he did the one thing he knew always made her feel better. He put a donut on a plate, and came around the counter. He set it in front of her and sat on the stool next to her. "You'll get it."

She looked at her donut, than at him. "How do you know?'

He shrugged. " I know."

She squinted her eyes at him in curiosity. "How do you know?"

He was starting to get annoyed and wasn't really aware he was talking until he was almost done. "Because I know, okay? You're smart, kind, and beautiful and you'll get it. If you don't, there is no hope for any other person in the world."

Her eyes were watery again, and his were huge at the realization of what he had said. He looked down at his hands that were folded in front of him. He looked up at the sound of her voice. "You really think that?"

He nodded. "Yah."

He looked at her, and their eyes locked. They sat in silence for a while, and never broke away. Finally, Lorelai looked down. What was that? She wrapped up her donut and stood up. "I should go. It's pretty late, you know?"

He sighed heavily, and shook his head. "Yah."

She headed for the door, not really knowing what just happened. Did I just have a moment with Luke? And he was still sitting on the stool. His mind was racing, his heart was pounding, and he wondered if making a move would be a good idea or a bad one. He took the latter. "Wait."

She had just reached the door when he called for her. She turned around as he was coming toward her. He looked upset. No, he looked nervous. "What…"

Before she had time to finish he had reached her, and had brushed his lips against hers. A sudden tingling swam over her body, and if he hadn't grabbed her waist she might have fallen over. At first, she didn't know how to respond, but as his kiss got more passionate she felt no choice but to kiss him back. Her arms wrapped around his neck, grabbing handfuls of the green jacket he always wore. He wrapped his arms around her tightly, and kissed her with all the built up tension he had. She let out a little whimper, and tightened her grip. It was the best kiss she had ever experienced. And it was with Luke. Luke? The realization of who was kissing her was overwhelming, and she broke from him.

She looked as if she was discussed, and his heart sank. He stepped back, and desperately tried to make the awkward feeling that had surfaced go away. "Sorry about that, Mimi. I don't usually make out with strangers."

She let out a nervous chuckle. And he let out a sigh of relief. Maybe she won't hold this against him. Maybe they could go back to the way it was. She watched him as he shuffled his feet. And, a flood of memories came upon her. Random things, like all the times he helped Rory and when he bid on her basket. She had been looking for the perfect guy, and he had been her best friend for 7 years. She smiled, and took a step toward him. "Listen, Luke."

His heart stopped. He didn't want to be shot down, he wanted to save himself from that embarrassment. "No, it is okay Lorelai. Lets just forget about it, huh?"

She frowned. "Luke."

"Thank God it is so late. Could you imagine the town finding out? I can't even fathom what Taylor would do."

She stepped forward. "Luke."

" I mean, he has no life. Look at his sweater vests. This would blow his mind."

She grabbed his hand. "Luke, shut up."

He frowned. And looked down at his hand. He was holding her hand. His eyes grew and his mouth dropped and he said the only word that he could form. "Huh?"

She smiled at his expression. Then, kissed him. Not as passionately as the first one, but gentle. When they parted, he was grinning. "You know," she said. "We could have saved a lot of time if you would have done that sooner."

He kissed her again. His hands in her hair, her arms around his neck. He breathed her in, and broke. She leaned her forehead against his. She took a deep breath, and let it out slowly. "Thank you, Luke."

He grinned, and gave her a squeeze. "No, problem Mimi."