A/N: If you didn't catch it, the title to this chapter is from the John Legend song 'All of Me'. I'm not the biggest JL fan, but I've always thought that this song was so beautiful and intimate. Even though I don't actually think they would have chosen this song for their first dance, the lyrics are just so Luke and Lorelai. I listen to a ton of music and that's usually what inspires my writing. I hope this format I used makes sense :)
Luke took Lorelai's hand and led her back up to the gazebo. They stood in the very same spot where they'd exchanged vows, for the second time, nearly thirty minutes earlier. The sun had just started to set and the twinkle lights that were strung up all over the town square cast a beautiful, pink glow all around. As the opening piano riff in the song started, Lorelai wrapped her arms around Luke's neck. He immediately encircled her waist and pulled her close. They shared a smile full of love and contentment as they started to sway to the music.
What would I do without your smart mouth
Drawing me in, and you kicking me out
Got my head spinning, no kidding, I can't pin you down
What's going on in that beautiful mind
I'm on your magical mystery ride
And I'm so dizzy, don't know what hit me, but I'll be alright
My head's under water
But I'm breathing fine
You're crazy and I'm out of my mind
'Cause all of me
Loves all of you
Love your curves and all your edges
All your perfect imperfections
Give your all to me
I'll give my all to you
You're my end and my beginning
Even when I lose I'm winning
'Cause I give you all, all of me
And you give me all, all of you
Luke couldn't help but smile at the first line of the song. It made him think back to years ago when they were just friends and he secretly loved all the teasing moments he and Lorelai would share…
"Now, I went over the square footage and the details of the lease with your husband this morning. Did he fill you in?" asked Mary, the realtor in charge of helping Luke find a new apartment.
"What? Oh no, we're-" Luke started to say before Lorelai interrupted.
"No, no, he didn't, but you know how men are. The minute that ball game comes on, all the realities of life just go right out the window," said Lorelai as she looped her arm with his and pulled him close.
"Don't I know it," chuckled Mary.
"I mean, I could answer the door wrapped in cellophane but unless I was wearing a Yankees cap…ugh, he wouldn't even notice," said Lorelai pointedly.
Luke shook his head slightly and rolled his eyes, "Jeez."
Lorelai turned to face him, hugging his arm tighter to her chest. "Oh, don't be embarrassed Snuffy, I'm just teasing," she cajoled him with a smile. She turned to face Mary. "It'd be a Mets cap."
Luke couldn't take the awkwardness of the scenario any longer and asked Mary to give them a moment alone.
"I promise we won't do anything dirty," teased Lorelai as she stroked Luke's ear softly with her pointer finger while giving Mary a devilish grin.
How many times do I have to tell you
Even when you're crying you're beautiful too
The world is beating you down, I'm around through every move
You're my downfall, you're my muse
My worst distraction, my rhythm and blues
I can't stop singing, it's ringing, in my head for you
My head's under water
But I'm breathing fine
You're crazy and I'm out of my mind
'Cause all of me
Loves all of you
Love your curves and all your edges
All your perfect imperfections
Give your all to me
I'll give my all to you
You're my end and my beginning
Even when I lose I'm winning
'Cause I give you all of me
And you give me all, all of you
They continued dancing, eyes locked on each other as if they were the only two people in the world. Luke was in complete awe of this beautiful woman he held close in his arms. The line of the song about her being beautiful even when she's crying made him think back to one of her most vulnerable moments. He was so glad he was there to comfort her that night…
"You know, there are very few times in my life when I find myself sitting around thinking, "I wish I was married" but today, I mean - I'm happy. You know? I like my life. I like my friends. I like my stuff. My time, my space, my TV," said Lorelai with a sniffle.
"Yeah, sure," said Luke softly.
"But every now and then, just for a moment, I wish I had a partner, someone to pick up the slack. Someone to wait for the cable guy, make me coffee in the morning, meet the stupid sink before it gets sent back to Canada," said Lorelai as she made her way to a nearby bench to sit down.
"What happened?" asked Luke as he took a seat next to her.
"Um…" said Lorelai, her voice breaking a little as she rubbed her forehead trying to control her emotions. She sniffled before continuing, "I just thought I had everything under control, but I didn't, and the inn is just falling apart. This has been my dream forever, and I have it, and it's here, and I'm failing. I can't handle it. I just spend every minute running around and working and thinking. And I thought I would have help, but Sookie has Davey, and Michel has Celine, and I'm - I can't do it all by myself."
Luke scooted closer to her and wrapped an arm around her shoulder trying to comfort her.
"And I don't even have time to see my kid, and hell, forget see her, just even talk to her. And I miss her. And I sat there in my parents' house just listening to my grandmother basically call me a charity case, and I couldn't even argue with her. I couldn't even say anything, because I am. I'm running out of money, and I don't know what to do about it, and I was gonna, I was gonna ask you for $30,000 at dinner tonight. That's how pathetic I am," cried Lorelai as she covered her face with her hand in embarrassment over her admission.
"Thirty thousand, wow. Well, okay, I mean if you-"
"I don't want to talk about it now. I don't want to think about it," she sniffled again before leaning in and resting her head on Luke's chest. "I'm failing. I'm failing," cried Lorelai as Luke hugged her close and placed a gentle hand on the side of her head.
"You are not failing," said Luke adamantly as he hugged her tighter and gently stroked her arm.
"I don't know what to do. I don't know what to do. I don't know what to do."
"It's okay," said Luke calmly as he rested his chin atop her head and continued to hug her close.
Give me all of you
Cards on the table, we're both showing hearts
Risking it all, though it's hard
'Cause all of me
Loves all of you
Love your curves and all your edges
All your perfect imperfections
Give your all to me
I'll give my all to you
You're my end and my beginning
Even when I lose I'm winning
'Cause I give you all of me
And you give me all of you
I give you all, all of me
And you give me all, all of you
As the last verse of the song played on, Luke thought back to one of the best moments of his life. Their first date. It's when he laid out his feelings for her on the table. The line in the song 'Risking it all, though it's hard' brought him back to that moment…
"I'm just trying to remember the first time we met. It must have been at Luke's, right?" asked Lorelai as her eyes danced around trying to recover the memory.
"It was at Luke's, it was at lunch, it was a very busy day, the place was packed, and this person-"
Lorelai gasped excitedly. "Ooh, is it me? Is it me?"
"This person comes tearing into the place in a caffeine frenzy."
"Ooh, it's me," said Lorelai happily.
"I was with a customer. She interrupts me, wild-eyed, begging for coffee, so I tell her to wait her turn. Then she starts following me around, talking a mile a minute, saying God knows what. So finally I turn to her, and I tell her she's being annoying-sit down, shut up, I'll get to her when I get to her."
"Y'know, I bet she took that very well, 'cause she sounds just delightful," said Lorelai with a nod.
"She asked me what my birthday was. I wouldn't tell her. She wouldn't stop talking. I gave in. I told her my birthday. Then she opened up the newspaper to the horoscope page, wrote something down, tore it out, handed it to me."
"God, seriously. You wrote the menu, didn't you?" asked Lorelai dryly.
"So I'm looking at this piece of paper in my hand, and under 'Scorpio' she had written 'You will meet an annoying woman today. Give her coffee and she'll go away.' I gave her coffee," said Luke with a slight smile.
"But she didn't go away," supplied Lorelai with a huge grin.
"She told me to hold on to that horoscope, put it in my wallet, and carry it around with me," said Luke as he leaned forward and pulled his wallet out of his back pocket. He opened it up and retrieved a tiny, folded piece of paper and handed it to Lorelai. "One day it would bring me luck."
Lorelai took the scrap of paper and said teasingly, "Well, man, I will say anything for a cup of coffee." She opened up the tiny horoscope and stared at it for a moment as the memory came back to her. "Um...I can't believe you kept this. You kept this in your wallet?" asked Lorelai and judging by Luke's serious expression she knew her answer. "You kept this in your wallet."
"Eight years."
"Eight years," repeated Lorelai in disbelief.
He gently snatched the scrap of paper from her hands and returned it to his wallet with a sigh.
"Lorelai, this thing we're doing here - me, you - I just want you to know I'm in. I am all in," said Luke, watching her carefully.
As the song ended, Luke pressed his forehead against hers. Lorelai gave him a watery smile and his heart completely melted. He placed a soft, lingering kiss on her lips and hugged her tight.
"I love you so much," Luke whispered into Lorelai's ear.
"And I love you," said Lorelai as the crowd that gathered around the gazebo started to whistle and cheer for the happy couple.