A/N: Just a little holiday 2008 themed fluff-piece to tide you over before In Society is finally updated. One-shot.
December
Lucille Mabel
What's the use of all of this?
To remember you in the entire
'Cause I'm watching it slip away…
And in the annals of the Empire
Did it look this grey?
Before the fall…
- A Record Year for Rainfall, The Decemberists
Rory put the book down and turned to look at Paris, "Can you believe this?"
"That Bukowski actually managed to publish another one? Sure, whatever." Paris replied hastily, her attention obviously elsewhere, "Have you seen my keys?"
"Paris!" Rory exclaimed trying to gather her full attention, the box she had just received open on the counter. A direct shipment from Philadelphia.
"I heard you. Jess Mariano, 'The Poet Laureate of the City of Brotherly Love'. Now have you seen my keys?"
Rory rolled her eyes and turned her attention back to the box. She spotted Paris' keys next to it. "Here they are."
Paris walked up to where her best friend was standing and grabbed her keys. "Thanks."
Rory leaned against the counter, the small tome wrapped gingerly between both hands as she read the back cover.
The path a relationship takes can't be described so easily. There's a lot to do with love and with heartbreak and everything in between. For when one purloins the heart of another, all that is left is the ups and downs that follow…
She was in a trance and hadn't realized Paris hadn't left yet, "When was the last time you talked to him?"
"It's been a while. Two years, probably." Her blue eyes gazed at the front cover now. It was plain white, the title reading A Simple Palaver in a not so unusual text. In the bottom right corner there was a sketch of what appeared to be a small foot bridge. His name was just to the left. Rory's thumb traced the beveled lettering.
Paris smiled, "You've still got it bad."
Rory glared at the blonde, "I don't know what you're talking about."
It was Paris who rolled her eyes this time. "I'm talking you, him. Unfinished business."
"There's no unfinished business there. It is what it is." Rory shrugged, casually repeating one of the last things he said to her. She put the book down on the counter, "Weren't you going somewhere?"
It wasn't until a week later that she actually started reading the book and it wasn't until the 'About the Author'page that it all really sunk in.
Jess Mariano was born in New York City. This is his first published work since the limited release of his 2005 novel The Subsect. He currently lives in Philadelphia.
"Wow," Rory whispered to herself. She was lying in bed; it was well past three in the morning. That didn't seem to matter as she reached for her cell phone. Underneath the small paragraph was a handwritten note in familiar script.
Hey Rory, I know this is really random. I figured you'd find it eventually and wonder why I didn't tell you about it. So here is me telling you about it. I learned long ago not to cause a Gilmore to lose her temper. This is just what the finished product is supposed to look like, needless to say, the story kind of concerns you and I wanted you permission before I went ahead and published it.
- Jess
He left his number. It was the same one that was in her phone. The same one that she had never dialed, the same one that had almost been dialed so many times, the same one, the same one, the same one…
At three in the morning, three weeks before Christmas, she dialed. It rang three times.
"'Ello?" The voice on the other end was groggy, low, and his.
It took a moment of collecting her thoughts before she spoke, "Publish it."
"Rory?"
"Yes. Hi."
She could hear rumbling on the other end, she imagined him readjusting himself in his bed. She had no qualms about waking him. "Did you like it?" The question was pure and curious and in her mind, the feature dominating his face at the very moment was a smirk.
"I loved it, Jess. God…it was so…so wonderful."
"Really?"
"Yeah. I would have never pegged you for writing romance."
"It didn't even have a happy ending," Jess tried to argue.
"Well it is what it is then I guess, right?"
"For that story at least."
Two weeks before Christmas, the emails have become more and more frequent. There have only been a handful of phone calls since the first one the week before. Rory insists they're insignificant, Paris insists otherwise.
Rory is typing away at her computer when Paris enters their apartment in Hartford.
"Another article?" Paris asks, as she sets a bag of groceries on the kitchen counter.
Rory types a few more words before replying, "No."
"Ah." Paris smiled to herself, knowingly.
The brunette clicked 'Send' and closed her laptop. She remained seated at the kitchen table. "That was a little pointed, Paris."
"Just an observation," she shrugged as she began to put the groceries away.
"Would you like to share?"
"I've just noticed you've been talking to him a lot lately."
"Who said I was even talking to Jess? There were a myriad of things I could have been doing when you walked in the door."
The groceries were put away and Paris began brewing some coffee. "I didn't say anything about Jess."
Rory glared, "You implied it."
"And you assumed my implication."
"This is ridiculous." Rory got up from her chair to leave the room.
"Just admit it."
She turned back toward Paris, "There's nothing to admit! Since when can't I talk to my friends without insinuations of some ulterior motive?"
"Since a certain special friend of yours wrote a book about your high school romance. That same friend, might I add, that you're still in love with despite not having talked to him for two years."
Rory's eyes went back and she shook her head. "You don't know what you're talking about."
"All I'm saying is we're not getting any younger."
"So we're talking about this now, then?"
Paris stood her ground, "Yes."
"Okay, why don't you tell me why you insisted on moving in here last month? What happened with Doyle?"
"It just didn't work out." Paris replied, her eyes dodgy as she poured herself some coffee.
"He asked me what I thought about him asking you to marry him…" Since Paris didn't reply, she continued, "I told him it was a good idea."
Paris took a sip, "Maybe it wasn't."
"Oh, Paris…"
Paris sunk down on the kitchen floor. "I wanted to say yes."
"Why didn't you?'
"I panicked. There he was, down on one knee like I was in some movie starring Julia Roberts and all I could think was, 'Hey Paris, what have you done to deserve this?'"
"Have you talked to him since?"
"No."
"Paris, you need to call him."
"Fine."
"That easy?"
"No, you didn't let me finish. I will if you tell me what's going on with you and Kerouac."
"Nothing. We're just friends. Nothing's going to happen between us."
Paris scoffed as Rory handed her the phone, "Do you want something to happen?"
"Paris is getting married," Rory announced, the phone cradled between her ear and shoulder as she washed the dishes.
"She actually found someone to handle her?"
"Stop. Doyle's a good guy."
"Send her my congratulations."
"I will." A pause. "Are you coming to Stars Hollow for Christmas?"
"Is that an invitation?"
"I'm sure Luke would love to see you."
"Huh."
He was getting cocky, she could tell. "I would too."
"I'll see what I can do."
"It's only a week away. Find out fast so I know whether or not to get you a present."
"Are presents mandatory now?"
"They've always been mandatory. See if Lorelai even lets you in the house without a gift for her."
He chuckled, "I can imagine."
Christmas morning, Rory made her way to Stars Hollow. Her trunk was full of presents. As she unloaded, she left Jess' present in her car. Last night he told her he wasn't sure if he could make it.
Her plan to bring in the presents all at once backfired when she reached the door. The pile was nearly three feet tall in her arms, each balanced on the one below it. She ultimately decided to knock with her foot. Lorelai answered within seconds.
"How'd you get to the door so fast?" Rory asked as she set the presents on the ground near the Christmas tree.
"I saw you pull in."
"No doubt you were watching as I was struggling with these then."
"Right you are."
"You couldn't have helped your only daughter?"
Lorelai shrugged, "It was more entertaining this way. Besides, you may not be my only daughter for much longer." She rubbed her growing stomach, the modest engagement ring on her left finger catching the light.
Rory rolled her eyes. Luke and her mother had decided on getting married in the fall although news of pregnancy provided a further delay on the couple's wedding. Lorelai refused to look fat in her wedding gown. "Good thing I only got you coal for Christmas."
Lorelai pouted, "Me…your extravagant mother who suffered through fourteen hours of labor to bring you into the world?"
Rory's answer wasn't the least bit delayed, "Yup."
"Alright then. Sookie should be here in a few minutes to drop of all the baked goods. Luke's upstairs getting dressed so when he comes down we can open up all the presents."
"Sounds good!" Rory grinned.
There was a knock on the door in the kitchen, "Must be Sookie!" Lorelai announced and headed toward the kitchen. Rory followed closely behind, although turned into her old room.
It still looked as it always had. Lorelai had been talking about converting it into a room for the baby but the renovations hadn't started yet. A piece of paper taped to the outside of the window caught her eye. She opened the window and grabbed the note.
It seems I didn't get a present for Lorelai. Meet me after you open presents?
It wasn't signed and the meeting place wasn't established, but she knew who and where. She smiled.
Lorelai appeared in the doorway. "What are you so happy about?"
Rory crumpled the note and hid it behind her back. "It's just good to be home. Did Sookie already leave?"
"Yeah. She didn't want Jackson to touch the fabulous meal she was making."
Rory's smile widened, "Sounds like her."
The presents were opened in a record five minutes and Rory slipped out with an excuse about meeting up with Lane who was spending Christmas with the twins and Zach at her mom's house. She was sure to grab the lone present left in her car before she treaded to her destination.
He sat there, feet dangling a mere inches above the water. Cigarette in hand.
"I thought you quit." Rory scolded, albeit while smiling.
"Old habits die hard, I guess."
She smiled before sitting down next to him. She placed his present on the side furthest away from him. "Does Luke know you're here?"
"Not yet." He smashed the end of his Marlboro into the side of the footbridge.
A silence fell upon them. Rory remembered the present. She grabbed the bag and handed it to him, "Merry Christmas."
"You didn't have to get me anything, you know."
Rory grinned, "I know, I wanted to though."
He simply looked at Rory for a moment before removing the tissue paper from the bag. He looked down in amazement. It was a book of course; he expected that, but not a first edition Hemingway. "You shouldn't have."
"It didn't cost me a thing, promise." The look he gave her just encouraged her to continue, "Grandpa gave it to me about a year ago, I thought you would appreciate it more."
"Thank you," Jess stated simply.
"You're welcome."
"My present for you isn't nearly as extravagant," Jess tried to explain as he placed the book back into the bag.
"You didn't have to…" she started.
"I didn't. Not really anyway." He held his hands out in the air to show he didn't actually have anything.
"Oh."
Jess chuckled, "Don't sound so disappointed."
"I didn't mean…"
"Just teasing you, Rory. Calm down," he let out a laugh. "It's not much, but I wanted to tell you that I'm getting the book published."
Rory's eyes brightened, "Really?'
He nodded.
She suddenly had her arms wrapped around his neck in an awkward hug, "I'm so proud of you."
Jess tried to wave it off but still returned the hug, "It's no biggie…"
He invited her to spend New Years with him in Philadelphia the following week. She instead insisted he stay in Connecticut. Luke had been more than pleased to see his nephew and she considered this in her argument in getting him to stay. It worked.
It wasn't necessarily true, however, that Jess spent that much time with his uncle in the time between Christmas and New Years. Both he and Rory took time off from work and lounged around Stars Hollow. The town buzzed with gossip about them getting back together. The pair denied these rumors as best they could, citing the excuse that they were 'just friends.'
It was ten minutes until midnight, ten minutes until the New Year, ten minutes until it was 2009, ten minutes, ten minutes, ten minutes…
Lorelai was throwing a 'small' New Year's Party which meant practically every goofball in Stars Hollow was currently occupying her living room, much to Luke's chagrin. The TV was on, preparing for the yearly tradition of watching Dick Clark's New Year's Rockin' Eve. Lorelai had been rambling on about the addition of Ryan Seacrest's name to the show's title and her disappointment toward that fact when Jess vacated himself from the room and found Rory sitting on the bed of her old room, book in hand.
He knocked on the door frame to get her attention before entering the room. "It's almost time to watch the ball drop." He then added quicly, "Don't say 'Dirty.'"
Rory dog-eared her place in the novel and set it down on her desk, "I may be my mother's daughter, but I really have moved past those kinds of quips."
Jess gave her a look.
"Fine…I was going to say it."
He smirked, "Any New Year's Resolutions you plan on inevitably failing?"
"Aren't we optimistic," she smiled at him. "If you must know, in order to have a positive 2009, I have decided to go against the whole resolution thing this year."
"Really?"
"Yes, sir. I don't need any failures to bring down my year."
"Sounds reasonable."
"Rory! Jess! Get your asses in here! You're going to miss it!" Lorelai shouted from the living room.
Jess took a step away from the doorway to let Rory get through, "After you."
She walked past him and he followed closely behind.
There was still about two minutes until midnight and everybody in the room was busy chatting away: Luke and Lorelai, Sookie and Jackson, Gypsy and Andrew, Kirk was talking to himself.
Rory and Jess started a quick conversation about his book, details that had been forgotten for the last week. Truncheon was going to print 500 copies set to sell in March
"Oh! Oh!" Lorelai announced getting excited, "It's time for the countdown!"
Those in the room started to count from ten, sans Luke and Jess who just looked amused at watching everybody. Everybody else was watching the TV screen.
"10…9…8…7…6…5…4…3…"
Two seconds until the New Year, Jess turned Rory to face him.
One second until the New Year, Rory was looking at Jess strangely.
Right when the New Year hit, Jess gave Rory a sweet and chaste kiss on the lips.
Everybody else was too preoccupied to notice. As he pulled away, he whispered, "Happy New Year."
Still stunned, with a smile on her face she replied, "Yeah…Happy New Year."
END.
A/N: Happy December, Happy Holidays & Happy New Year! There might be a companion to this piece in the future, if deemed necessary that is…
In Society should be updated in January.