Not Just A Kiss - Chapter One
Rating: PG-13
Summary: What if Rory and Jess had kissed when the sprinkler went off that day? What would have happened? This fic explores just that. Rory and Jess explore their relationship; from the angst to the humor, and even some unexpected surprises. R/J
~
She had been cold, and dripping wet when they had kissed the second time. But it hadn't been unpleasant, not in the least. In a way, it made it that much more thrilling - it would be forever imprinted in her mind for years to come. The air had been crisp and cool, a stark contrast to the desire that hung between them, and she knew whenever she would look back and think of their kiss, it would be with a smile. Maybe that wasn't much, but it was something, at least, so for that she was grateful.
Shivering slightly; half from the water that trickled down her skin, and half from something else, buried deep inside of her. Anticipation, maybe, or perhaps...no, she didn't wish to think about that. Not now.
She could remember being only a few feet away from him before she started to move, one foot stepping in front of the other, almost against her will. Her muscles had tensed up when she had gotten near him, but when their lips had come together; it had felt like the most natural thing in the world.
They had kissed. Gently at first, but then harder, rougher, until she had to pull away, gasping for breath. He had kissed her then again, softly, almost hesitantly, as if he were afraid she might pull away again.
They had both stood there, for quite sometime, after the kiss had ended. Rory chewed nervously on the inside of her lip, because she didn't know quite what to say. She wished she were better at these things, but in truth, she was extremely awkward at them; the present situation proving just that.
"Jess," she finally managed to say, her voice breathy and small. She realized then that she was scared, not of him, but of what would happen. What COULD happen.
"I hate to say this after we've had our moment here," Jess said, pausing for a moment. He looked like he was pained, something Rory would have never expected. "But you need to stop doing this to me."
"Doing what? Kissing you? Okay, I'll stop then."
A slight smile appeared on Jess's face. "No, that's not what I meant. I'm talking about these mixed signals you keep giving me. One moment you're all over me, kissing me, and then the next moment you've reverted back to some sort of ice princess, and want nothing to do with me. Which is it, Rory? 'Cause I'd really like to know."
She bowed her head, ashamed at her own action. She hadn't meant to lead anyone on, Jess OR Dean, but she had ended up doing both. Seeing the raw hurt on Jess's face... it struck something deep inside her, because she knew that she had caused it. "I'm sorry," she finally said.
"You're sorry? That still doesn't give me any answers."
Quickly turning away from him, she turned her head to stare at the fallen leaves and wet grass, not wanting to see the anger or disappointment in his eyes. "I don't have all the answers right now. I wish I did, but I don't. God, I'm just so confused, Jess."
He smirked at her - actually SMIRKED - before stepping forward, taking her shaking hands in his own. "You didn't seem so confused when you kissed me."
"That was a mistake. I didn't mean to-"
"Don't say that," he interrupted. "Just don't. You and I both know there's been this...tension, between us, even from the very first day. You kissed me because you wanted to. Admit it, Rory."
"Well, yeah," she said sheepishly, looking down at the ground. "An invisible force didn't exactly take control of me so I could kiss you. I know I did it of my own free will."
"So what's the problem, then?" His eyes bore deep into hers, as if searching for answers she didn't have. "What are you so scared of?"
"US!" she finally shouted, her voice ringing across the yard, and probably the entire town. "I'm scared of us, okay? You and me. It's just...something I've never experienced before. I've been in this relationship with Dean for so long. He was my first boyfriend, my only boyfriend. I sort of don't know what I'd do without him."
"But you owe it to him not to lead him on," Jess stated firmly, gripping a-hold of her shoulders. "If you no longer feel the way you used to about him, then maybe that relationship isn't the healthiest thing for either of you."
"I know. I just don't want to hurt him more than I already have. He's been so good to me...but I can't help the way I feel."
"About who?" Jess asked coyly, finally seeming to get what she was getting at.
"You."
"Oh, really? And just how do you feel about me?"
She scratched her chin, as if to contemplate that. Finally, she gave him a teasing smile. "Do you really want me to answer that?"
"I think I do."
"Well, maybe I don't want to tell you." She grew serious for a moment, her eyes clouding over. "Jess, where does this leave us?"
"I don't know."
"I mean, with Shane and everything. Are you guys still together or what?"
"The thing with Shane and I...it wasn't serious, Rory. Sure, we kissed, but there weren't really any emotions attached to it."
Rory raised her eyebrows in disbelief, not quite sure if she believed him or not. "Then why were you guys together in the first place?"
"I was trying to get over you."
Standing there, her mouth hanging open, Rory gave him a surprised look.
"What, does that surprise you or something?"
"Yeah, it kinda does."
"Well, it shouldn't." He turned to kiss her, his mouth hovering only inches from her own. She breathed in his breath, sweet and fresh, and parted her lips. Just as they were about to kiss, Rory heard the sound of crunching leaves in the background, and then a startled cry.
Turning around, she came face to face with Dean, who was starring at her in openmouthed horror.
Rating: PG-13
Summary: What if Rory and Jess had kissed when the sprinkler went off that day? What would have happened? This fic explores just that. Rory and Jess explore their relationship; from the angst to the humor, and even some unexpected surprises. R/J
~
She had been cold, and dripping wet when they had kissed the second time. But it hadn't been unpleasant, not in the least. In a way, it made it that much more thrilling - it would be forever imprinted in her mind for years to come. The air had been crisp and cool, a stark contrast to the desire that hung between them, and she knew whenever she would look back and think of their kiss, it would be with a smile. Maybe that wasn't much, but it was something, at least, so for that she was grateful.
Shivering slightly; half from the water that trickled down her skin, and half from something else, buried deep inside of her. Anticipation, maybe, or perhaps...no, she didn't wish to think about that. Not now.
She could remember being only a few feet away from him before she started to move, one foot stepping in front of the other, almost against her will. Her muscles had tensed up when she had gotten near him, but when their lips had come together; it had felt like the most natural thing in the world.
They had kissed. Gently at first, but then harder, rougher, until she had to pull away, gasping for breath. He had kissed her then again, softly, almost hesitantly, as if he were afraid she might pull away again.
They had both stood there, for quite sometime, after the kiss had ended. Rory chewed nervously on the inside of her lip, because she didn't know quite what to say. She wished she were better at these things, but in truth, she was extremely awkward at them; the present situation proving just that.
"Jess," she finally managed to say, her voice breathy and small. She realized then that she was scared, not of him, but of what would happen. What COULD happen.
"I hate to say this after we've had our moment here," Jess said, pausing for a moment. He looked like he was pained, something Rory would have never expected. "But you need to stop doing this to me."
"Doing what? Kissing you? Okay, I'll stop then."
A slight smile appeared on Jess's face. "No, that's not what I meant. I'm talking about these mixed signals you keep giving me. One moment you're all over me, kissing me, and then the next moment you've reverted back to some sort of ice princess, and want nothing to do with me. Which is it, Rory? 'Cause I'd really like to know."
She bowed her head, ashamed at her own action. She hadn't meant to lead anyone on, Jess OR Dean, but she had ended up doing both. Seeing the raw hurt on Jess's face... it struck something deep inside her, because she knew that she had caused it. "I'm sorry," she finally said.
"You're sorry? That still doesn't give me any answers."
Quickly turning away from him, she turned her head to stare at the fallen leaves and wet grass, not wanting to see the anger or disappointment in his eyes. "I don't have all the answers right now. I wish I did, but I don't. God, I'm just so confused, Jess."
He smirked at her - actually SMIRKED - before stepping forward, taking her shaking hands in his own. "You didn't seem so confused when you kissed me."
"That was a mistake. I didn't mean to-"
"Don't say that," he interrupted. "Just don't. You and I both know there's been this...tension, between us, even from the very first day. You kissed me because you wanted to. Admit it, Rory."
"Well, yeah," she said sheepishly, looking down at the ground. "An invisible force didn't exactly take control of me so I could kiss you. I know I did it of my own free will."
"So what's the problem, then?" His eyes bore deep into hers, as if searching for answers she didn't have. "What are you so scared of?"
"US!" she finally shouted, her voice ringing across the yard, and probably the entire town. "I'm scared of us, okay? You and me. It's just...something I've never experienced before. I've been in this relationship with Dean for so long. He was my first boyfriend, my only boyfriend. I sort of don't know what I'd do without him."
"But you owe it to him not to lead him on," Jess stated firmly, gripping a-hold of her shoulders. "If you no longer feel the way you used to about him, then maybe that relationship isn't the healthiest thing for either of you."
"I know. I just don't want to hurt him more than I already have. He's been so good to me...but I can't help the way I feel."
"About who?" Jess asked coyly, finally seeming to get what she was getting at.
"You."
"Oh, really? And just how do you feel about me?"
She scratched her chin, as if to contemplate that. Finally, she gave him a teasing smile. "Do you really want me to answer that?"
"I think I do."
"Well, maybe I don't want to tell you." She grew serious for a moment, her eyes clouding over. "Jess, where does this leave us?"
"I don't know."
"I mean, with Shane and everything. Are you guys still together or what?"
"The thing with Shane and I...it wasn't serious, Rory. Sure, we kissed, but there weren't really any emotions attached to it."
Rory raised her eyebrows in disbelief, not quite sure if she believed him or not. "Then why were you guys together in the first place?"
"I was trying to get over you."
Standing there, her mouth hanging open, Rory gave him a surprised look.
"What, does that surprise you or something?"
"Yeah, it kinda does."
"Well, it shouldn't." He turned to kiss her, his mouth hovering only inches from her own. She breathed in his breath, sweet and fresh, and parted her lips. Just as they were about to kiss, Rory heard the sound of crunching leaves in the background, and then a startled cry.
Turning around, she came face to face with Dean, who was starring at her in openmouthed horror.