A/N: Another one-shot I had written last year sometime that I never posted. I finally finished it, so I thought since I'm on a roll, I would post this one, too. Let me know your thoughts. A little fluffy, but what can ya do. I'm a fan of the fluff.
I love you.
It is amazing how three little words could shatter your entire world and excite you to your very core at the exact same time. How the words replay over and over in your mind like a broken record that you can't shut off. That you're not sure you want to shut off.
I love you.
The words hold so much meaning if said by the right person. But how would one truly know if it were the right person uttering the precious words before them?
That very question is one that Rory Gilmore found herself struggling to answer.
I love you...
Rory stood motionless, and Jess forced a small smile onto his face, as he ducked his head and turned to leave. Rory stared after him, a confused frown on her face, as she tried to sort through the countless thoughts and emotions running through her mind.
She snapped out of her daze as soon as she heard the engine. Before she realized it, she was standing in the middle of the road, and he slammed on his brakes.
"Rory, what the hell! Are you okay?" Jess stuck his head out the window, concern on his face.
Rory took the opportunity to run over to the passenger side and hop into the car. She had no clue what she was doing there, all she knew was that he couldn't leave. Not now—not after saying what he had said.
Jess sat back in his seat, sighing. "Get out of the car." It was more of a plea than a demand, but Rory ignored it nonetheless.
"No. We need to talk," she stated.
Jess closed his eyes. "I don't have anything left to say."
Rory touched his hand, and his eyes slowly opened. They met hers, and by that one look alone, he could tell he had really thrown her, telling her what he did. Truth was, he felt relieved. He had been holding back the whole time they had been dating, fearing that if he got too attached to her, and let her in too much, something would happen and he'd get his heart broken. Little did he know, it would happen either way, and it would be self-inflicted pain that caused him to hurt so much.
"So, what, you're just going to leave again?"
Jess took out a pack of cigarettes and reached for his lighter. Rory grabbed both from his hand, flinging them onto the floor by her feet. Irritated, Jess turned to her. "What am I supposed to do? Wait here until you feel the same way? I'm not Dean."
Rory narrowed her eyes slightly. "I know that," she said quietly. "I just...you didn't even give me time to process what you said." Ironically, Dean had done the exact same thing way back when. She thought it was best not to mention that to Jess, though.
"Well, here we are. I can't go anywhere, and you're not going anywhere, so...process it."
Rory tilted her head, half-smiling at him. "Jess loves me." It felt odd saying those words together, in the same sentence, in that order. She almost giggled at the way her heart had started fluttering as his name passed through her lips.
"Geez. Are you going to make this into some cheesy Dawson's Creek scene?"
Rory's eyes sparkled, and a smile lit up her face. "You watch Dawson's Creek?" she teased.
He just smirked at her.
"Rory, are you in or out, because in about thirty seconds, I'm headed to the airport, with you in the car or not."
"Why did you keep running away from me?"
"Which time?"
Rory started to answer, then smirked at him. "At Weston's. At the bookstore...?"
"Honestly?"
"Honesty is much appreciated, yes."
"I had a feeling I'd tell you..." He trailed off, not feeling the need to say the words again, especially since she hadn't said them back. She understood, he realized, looking into her sympathetic eyes. "...And I was scared."
"Jess Mariano, scared?" she smiled.
He shrugged at her, trying to play it cool.
"I'm glad you told me," Rory revealed suddenly.
Jess turned to her, smiling genuinely. "Yeah?"
Rory had only seen him smile like that once before—right before the first time they had kissed.
"Yeah," she confirmed, smiling back.
Jess glanced out the window, catching eyes with Lorelai. "Your mom is glaring over here. I think you'd better go." He sounded disappointed.
Rory sighed. "Do you have to leave tonight?"
Focusing his attention back on her, Jess nodded. "I have to get out of this town. I'm starting to go crazy already."
"You'll fit right in," Rory grinned.
Jess just shook his head. "I never fit in here," he said seriously, reaching for his cigarettes on the seat next to him, only to remember that Rory had tossed them onto the floor.
"You fit in with—"
"Move it!"
Rory turned around in her seat, and Jess glanced into the rear-view mirror. "Looks like someone needs to get by. I have to go now, Rory."
"No."
"Yes."
The person behind them honked their horn loudly, and Jess frowned, starting the engine again and started to pull forward.
Suddenly, a figure appeared beside the car, running alongside it, banging on his window. "Stop!"
"Lorelai?"
"Mom?" Rory frowned as Jess rolled down his window. "What are you doing here?"
"I could ask you the same question!" she replied. "Where are you going? And what are you doing in Jess's car?"
"I had to talk to him. And we're just trying to get out of the way."
Lorelai glanced over her shoulder. "Oh. So you're not running off with Jess?"
Rory exchanged a look with an amused Jess. "No, not today, Mom. Relax."
"Well? I saw you and him driving off, what was I supposed to think?" Lorelai asked, walking off, but not before glaring once more at Jess.
Jess pulled over onto the side of the road, letting the car behind them pass.
"I really do need to go now."
"I'm trying to stall you, so you'll miss your plane and have to catch one tomorrow."
"Rory."
"What?" She looked over at him, pain in her eyes. She couldn't let him leave like this. Not again. Not after hearing his confession.
"I'm moving back to New York soon. Maybe you can come visit me sometime."
"This is really goodbye?" Rory's eyes searched his, trying to figure out just the right words to say that would make him stay.
"It looks like it." Jess glanced at his watch. "I really will miss my plane if I don't leave soon."
Rory wordlessly got out of the car, shutting the door. She bent down to look at him once more through the open window. "I love you, too, for what it's worth."
And with that, and tears in her eyes, she walked off.
Jess let out a breath, wiping at something that must've blown into his eyes, and took off down the road.
Not ten minutes later, as Jess was stopped at a red light, he had some sort of revelation.
What was he doing? He had just told Rory he loved her--and even heard her say it back. Was he really going to just leave? Could he actually ignore his thoughts of what could have been and just go on with his life? Did he want to?
The light turned green, and he had a decision to make. Go back to California, back to a dad who already had a family, or stay in Stars Hollow, with Luke and his mom, who were his real family. The decision didn't seem that hard to make, but once he added to his mental list the fact that Rory was in Stars Hollow, it was a no-brainer.
He did a U-turn, speeding back into the direction he had come from.
"Rory, this is a good thing. Really," Lorelai assured her daughter. "He left you before, remember? You were heart-broken. But you got through it. And you're doing great now. Things will still be great, you'll see."
Rory gave her mother a hug. At that moment, a car came speeding into the town square. The Gilmores looked up, with shock registered on both of their faces, as Jess slowed to a stop right in front of them. He got out of the car, his eyes on Rory.
Rory ran over to him, throwing her arms around him.
Jess hugged her back as if he would never let her go. "It's worth everything," he whispered. "Everything."