**Okay, working on four stories at the same time is so much easier than just one. If I get stuck on one, I just hop on over to the next. Very appealing. Can't say I'll ever do it again, though. It's been too long. Decided on a hot night in July to start making up for it. Hope you all like this one & feel free to check out the other three. They're all complete. All of them are AU. You'll see that I took creative liberties with relationships and things, but what's new about that? :) Disclaimer: I love the characters; I don't own 'em.**
Title speaks for itself, really. LL. Rated K+. Enjoy!
Movie Guy
"Luke! Luke! Luuuuke! LukeLukeLukeLuke!"
Luke turned on the sidewalk, his face in a frown. Nothing passed his lips. He simply watched as Lorelai theatrically ran from across the street and over to him with her purse on one arm and her laptop bag on the other.
When she made it to him, she lowered both bags and leaned on her knees.
Luke folded his arms and shook his head. She held up a finger to him, requesting a second to catch her breath.
He waited a few seconds before speaking. "This is sad."
"What is?" she asked as she retrieved her things. She stood up straight.
He only answered by shaking his head again. "Feel better?"
She smiled, looked radiant once again as she ran a hand through her hair. "Much. Small piece of advice, though. Never run in shoes that barely like to be walked in."
He glanced at her shoes. "Guess it's a fashionable thing, right?"
"Of course. Caught these babies on sale last week and just had to buy them."
"Had to?"
"They were pouting at me, Luke. Full-on pout. Have you ever seen a shoe pout? It's sad, heartbreaking, and creepy all at the same time. It's enough to make plastic leap from any woman's purse."
"One more reason I'm happy to be a guy."
"Could never be a shoe whisperer, huh?"
"Exactly."
She smiled. Allowed a second of silence to pass. "So, um, am I keeping you?"
"From what?"
"You tell me, Mr. Not-in-the-diner during daylight hours."
He rolled his eyes and started walking, prompting Lorelai to do the same. "Didn't know I was on house arrest."
She swayed as she strolled alongside him. "Just running an errand, Errand Boy?"
He shook his head. "Nope. No errand," he answered.
"Well, uh…getting called in to play, Cabana Boy?"
He looked over at her expressionlessly, long enough for her to smile her proud, brilliant smile. "I'd have to work in a cabana first."
"Delivering a pizza, Pizza Delivery Boy?"
He sighed, hooked his fingers in his jeans. "What's next? Boy George?"
"Ooh, going to see your MAC supplier, Boy…" She frowned. "No, not nearly as much fun when you assist."
He smiled. "Good."
Lorelai pulled on his flannel sleeve petulantly. "Where are you taking meee?"
He laughed at her. "What makes you think I'm taking you anywhere? You're following me. Without consent, might I add."
"Well, if you tell me where you're going then-"
"What, you won't follow me anymore?" he asked doubtfully.
"It's a possibility."
He looked away from her without care. "You can be a nuisance, but I'm sure you're aware of that fact."
"Rory's alluded to it once or twice. But it's only because she's all sensitive about my Let's-Put-Away-The-Schoolbooks-And-Entertain-Lorelai game. Sourpuss."
He chuckled. "Wow."
"I can't believe you're calling me annoying because I'm being Ms. Concerned Friend and Best Customer. I'm insulted, Luke. I have half a mind to give you a full minute of silence as punishment."
"Perish the thought," he intoned as he pulled out his wallet.
Lorelai looked down at it. "Trying to buy my chatter?"
"Why would I buy something I get for free all day, every day?"
"Oh my god, did you hear that? Thousands of guys just stopped what they were doing and gave you a standing ovation."
"Sorry, didn't catch that. Must be a dog and a whistle type of thing."
She gasped. "Why, Lucas, did you-"
"No, I didn't just refer to you as a dog, Lorelai," he deadpanned on cue.
She dropped the expression. "Just checking." She watched him pull a one-dollar bill from his wallet. "What can you do with a buck?"
He sighed as he reached around to stick his wallet back in his pocket. "The same thing you'd do with a cow or a pig, probably. Never been real big on deer meat, myself."
She smiled sidelong at him. "My word, did Luke Danes just attempt a joke?"
His tone stayed even, distracted. "That was actually an attempt to change the subject. Guess it didn't work."
"Shoulda gone with the joke."
"Ah."
Luke veered off and climbed the stairs to BWR. Lorelai kept walking a few steps before she took notice and clumsily reversed direction. She scanned the building like she'd never seen it before. "This is where you're going?"
"Yup." He handed his dollar to the guy at the door, who, he gladly noted, wasn't Kirk for once.
"Why are you going here?"
He looked down the stairs at her. Gave her a look that questioned her intelligence. "To build furniture," he replied in sarcasm. He rolled his eyes. "I'm here to watch a movie, why else?"
Her confusion only grew. "But…why?"
"Jeez." He grasped the handle. "I'm going inside already. Movie starts in like a minute."
Lorelai's eyes zipped over to the chalkboard that told of the matinee feature show. "Nell?"
He looked over at the board. "That's what it says," he answered impatiently.
Her expression slowly changed to a smile, but there were large traces of incomprehension mixed in. "Okay. Well, enjoy the movie."
"Thanks," he said quickly. "See ya," he added over his shoulder.
"I can just wait out here for you if you like! Walk you back to the diner since you enjoyed my company so much on the way over!"
Luke turned around, only to see her grinning. His snarky response fell away, and he shook his head, fighting a smile of his own. Hers suddenly seemed contagious. She was beautiful always. But sometimes…every once in a while…he'd be caught off guard and her smile would make him lose track of everything.
"Just go away," he ordered gruffly.
"As you wish," she replied with a courteous bow.
He started to go inside once again but stopped. "And next time you want to catch up to me to be nosy, try not to scream my name for the whole town to hear! If you don't mind."
She smiled in the devilish way that always made Luke just want to rip off his ears before she said whatever it was she had to say. Unfortunately, he hadn't found a way to do that and he couldn't get away fast enough. "You're opposed to women screaming your name, Lucas?" He rushed inside and she yelled to the closing door. "I always thought it was an ego boost! Have I been wrong all this time?" she yelled before the door could close.
She saw a flannel-covered arm swiftly reach back and pull the door shut.
Lorelai giggled and turned back the way she'd come.
-OOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO-
Luke hung the diner phone up just as Lorelai came inside. They caught sight of one another at the same time.
"Hey."
"Hey yourself," she responded with a smile as she claimed a stool. "Cup of coffee for a tired working woman?"
He smiled as he pulled out a mug. "Catering thing's wearing you out, huh? Is it going okay?"
"Catering thing's going more than okay. And as long as it stays temporary, I'll continue to happily sing its praises."
He chuckled.
"Hard work, though. What a woman's gotta do to make her dream a reality these days."
Luke filled her mug and passed it to her. "Well, here you go, then. Guess you've earned it." She took it with a quiet repetition of 'thank you'. The words came until the mug was at her lips and hot liquid was flowing down her throat.
Luke went through only a couple of receipts and dropped them by the register with a sigh. "So, what are you doing for the rest of the night?" he asked her.
She shook her head and set her cup down. "This."
"Oh?"
"Yeah, came in to grab a bite to eat—I want to order a burger, by the way; thanks for asking…" She smiled as he rolled his eyes. "And after I leave here, I'm swinging by the video store on my way home. That's about it. Why, what's up?"
His brows rose. "That's perfect, actually!"
She drew a look of confusion. "What, my spinster schedule?"
"No, the video store. I was gonna ask you if you minded going by there with me. But you're goin' anyway, so that works out good."
"Yeah, guess it does…" she began slowly and thoughtfully before losing the desire to figure the mystery out on her own. "What's with you lately anyway?"
He smiled a little. "The movies?"
She nodded at that. "You vying for your own chair on At the Movies?"
"No, nothing like that," he disputed calmly.
"Then, why the sudden interest in film?"
"Long story," he said. He quickly passed Caesar Lorelai's order slip then finished his response with, "Kind of adopted a new hobby, so to speak."
She smiled suspiciously. "Really?"
"Yeah." He went around the counter and locked the door. There was a couple seated at one of the tables, but he wanted to be sure no one else came in. "Is it okay if I tag along with you?" he asked over his shoulder.
"Fine by me." She turned and settled her eyes on him as he went from table to table, quickly wiping them down. "You have an hour before closing, Luke. You that anxious to get there?"
"Wouldn't say anxious. But it's not that busy in here, and the sooner I close, the better chance I have of being able to watch something before I turn in."
"Okay, I think it's time to start on that long story for me, buddy."
He shook his head. "Too complicated." He moved around chairs. "Besides, it's not a big deal."
"No sir, I disagree. Complicated always equates to interesting."
"Not necessarily."
She sighed and reached back for her coffee. "Alright, if you want to be all Brittany Murphy in a sanatorium refusing to spill, then that's your prerogative. But let me tell you this," she said with a finger pointed up, "My assistance in the matter can only help. And if you let me in on this new direction your life is in, maybe I can get you there faster. I, my friend, am the perfect roadmap to cinema Hall of Fame."
Luke began collecting saltshakers from the tables to refill. "You say that like I'm studying for a quiz."
"Are you?"
"No."
"Then, what's the deal?"
"Long story."
She laughed. "You could have told me half of it by now if you weren't so focused on the length of it."
With the last shaker in his hand, he returned behind his counter. "Can't I get a little of your help without you knowing why?"
"Hm. Odd concept for me to grasp."
"I can imagine."
She shrugged. "But I don't see why not. Last week, I helped my pal, Vito Mancini, bury this really heavy thing in a black body bag, no questions asked. He kept me on a need-to-know basis, but I'm sure everything was on the up and up. Can I trust you like I trusted Vito, Luke?"
"Jeez." He turned and got her food from the window.
She smiled and bit into a fry when he set her plate down. "I've got your back. Don't fret."
His lips spread at her words. "Thanks."
"Even if I'm left in the dark and am only being used for my abundant knowledge, I've got your back."
He peered at her under his lashes. "Thanks," he said again more stiffly.
"Even if I'm walking into this blind and don't have enough of your respect and trust to be given full access to the situation at hand, you can count on me always."
"Great. Thanks…again."
"Even if-"
"Lorelai!"
"Okay," she said laughing. "Think I've made my point."
"Big time."
She picked up her burger and admired it like all burger eaters do. "If I guess it, will you at least tell me if I'm right?"
"Guess what?"
"What this whole thing's about."
He shrugged. "Whatever."
"So, yes?"
"Whatever."
"I'll take that as a yes."
"Fine."
She smiled, stared at the spot on her burger that was about to be introduced to her teeth. "A woman," she supplied easily.
Luke's half-interested gaze suddenly livened considerably.
Lorelai took a bite while chuckling at his expression. She spoke with a mouthful. "And on the first guess, she gets it."
Luke lowered his eyes uncomfortably and rounded the counter again, this time with a broom. "Hurry up and eat so we can go," he requested.
-OOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO-
Lorelai bit her lip. Walked behind Luke as he went from aisle to aisle in the rental store. He picked up a video cover.
"This one looks interesting. What's it about?" he asked as he held it out to her.
Lorelai looked at the cover. "A Streetcar Named Desire?" She took the box from him. "Love, betrayal, heartbreak, despair, censorship at its finest. Marlon Brando stars in this. Ever seen him in anything?"
Luke shook his head.
She smiled as she held up the box. "Well, he's definitely easy on the eyes."
"Reexamine your audience, Lorelai," he suggested tediously.
She chuckled. "He was very believable in this role. He's actually responsible for the infamous 'Stellaaaa'," she parroted without the true volume. "Ever heard that?"
Again, he shook his head.
She lightly slapped the box against his chest and waited for him to take it. "Rent it. It's a good one. And it's a classic."
He nodded and collected the actual rental case and put the cover back in front. "Think I can watch this tonight? How long is it?"
"No idea."
"Haven't you seen the thing?"
"Yeah, but I didn't watch it on a timer. No true movie lover cares about duration, Luke. It's all about the movie. Doesn't matter if it's two hours or five. You watch it and love it and appreciate it, regardless. If it sucks, all the more better."
He rolled his eyes. "I'm not watching a five hour movie no matter how much it sucks."
"Well, it does take quite a bit of commitment."
"There ya go. I don't even have what it takes to get inside of the door."
She pat his arm. "Just give it time."
He sighed. Looked over at a random shelf and picked up another box. "What's this?"
Lorelai chuckled. "What does it look like?"
He turned the cover from her back to himself. "Howard the Duck," he read aloud with apathy. He studied the picture but didn't seem to process it well. "So, what, is this some kind of kid movie? 'Bout a duck?"
She smiled widely at him as she took the cover and put it back on the shelf. "Wouldn't say it's a kid movie, but it's definitely not your type of movie."
He picked it back up and read the box. "Sounds like an alien thing."
"Well, it has talking ducks in it so I'd say you're on the right track with that assumption."
He looked at her. "Is it really stupid?"
She appeared confused. "It's strange, a little far-fetched, may find one or two laughs in there, what with the appearance of tiny duck rubbers and everything, so…it has potential for entertainment. This is a very generous assessment seen totally from your viewpoint, by the way."
He looked at her skeptically. "You think I'll appreciate duck rubbers?"
She laughed softly and took the box from him again. "Just trust me when I say you won't like this. Like at all."
He took it back from her. "Not really about what I'll like. Just going for a variety."
Lorelai raised her hands in question and dropped them. "What is it with this chick? Is she treating this like a stage on a video game? Gotta collect so many movie knowledge points in order to gain access to her?"
"Of course not."
"Then, why are you cramming?"
"This isn't cramming. It's…whatever," he ended with flippancy.
She rolled her eyes. "This is cramming," she said again, undeterred. "She must really be something."
"I'm getting this," he said stubbornly.
Lorelai shrugged. "Your choice. Just don't come crying to me when you can't get the duck/ human porno scene out of your head."
Luke looked at her instantly with disgust all over his face. "You're kidding, right?"
She smiled. "Guess you'll just have to see for yourself."
He put the box back in place and pulled her along while she laughed. He only listened to it for a few seconds. "Jeez, will you quiet down?" he grumped.
Lorelai allowed herself to be pulled until he stopped in front of another movie shelf and let her go. "So, tell me, Luke," She crossed her arms, "What is this mystery lady willing to do for you?"
He tossed her a look. "What?"
"You're meeting her halfway, right? You can't possibly be going the whole distance here. I mean, here you are stepping one hundred percent out of your zone, looking into bestiality movies and-"
"Lorelai," he warned.
She chuckled. "And it's all for her. At least tell me she's gonna swing by the lumberjack store and pick out some matching outerwear."
He sighed and started scanning titles. "For your information, she's doing her part too."
"Her part?"
"You know what I mean."
"Okay. Her part." She crossed one leg in front of the other and leaned her shoulder onto the shelf to look into his face. "What does her part entail?"
"Why is this your business?" he asked with only mild dissatisfaction.
She scoffed. Glanced to the videos that got the majority of his attention then looked back at him. "Hey, I'm looking out for you here, Luke. I want to make sure some highty flighty flim flam fly-by-night woman of questionable morals isn't gonna saunter in and take advantage of you."
He smiled. Shook his head as he picked up a movie and put it back. "Didn't know you cared so much," he stated blandly.
"Of course I care so much," she followed with a light push to his arm.
He smiled more when those words weren't followed with silly jokes.
"Now," she continued, "Tell me what Mystery Woman is doing that makes what you're doing not-so-crazy."
He picked up Scent of a Woman and showed it to her.
"Really into the pornos tonight, aren't you?" she teased.
He muttered out a "jeez" and got ready to put it back, but she stopped him.
"Keep it. It's compelling, it's gripping, it's Al Pacino as a blind guy with nothing to lose, lots to learn, and even more to impart. It'll have you gasping, laughing, clapping, gleaming, beaming, crying, sighing, shaking your head, and getting up for bathroom breaks because it's Titanic long."
Luke looked at her like he hadn't understood a word of what she said.
She smiled sweetly. "Just kidding about the Titanic part. It is like three hours long, though," she said with a tap to the box. "May wanna save it for when you have more time. Not tonight. Not unless you want to pull a Ferris Beuller tomorrow."
"What's that?"
"A movie that's officially on your must-see list," she answered quickly. "Now, where was I?" Luke moved along and she stood up from her comfortable lean and followed him. "Ah, I remember. You were just about to tell me what your movie lady is doing for her diner fellow."
"Oh, was I?" he mocked.
"Mmhm," she assured flamboyantly.
He stopped again and started browsing the selections in front of him. "She's learning to fish."
Her eyes brightened. "Like I did?" she asked excitedly.
He chuckled. "Yeah. Like you did."
She simmered and let that sink in. "Oh. Wow. She really likes you then, huh?"
"I dunno. I'm hoping, I guess."
She nodded. "Cool," she responded. "So…how do you know she's not already a fisherperson?"
He smirked. Thought about her, Lorelai could tell. About something she'd done or said. "It's pretty obvious," he answered. He looked at her. "Just like I'm sure it was to your guy."
"Ex-guy."
"Well, ex-guy."
Lorelai glanced down at the floor. "So, I guess this is pretty fifty-fifty, then. You pretend to be into movies, and she pretends to be into fishing. Mutual dupe fest." She watched him smile.
"Well, it's not like I'm learning to scale mountains."
"She does that, too?"
He shrugged. "She's pretty athletic."
"Like Chyna Doll?"
"The wrestler?" he asked, taken aback. Lorelai nodded. He met her eyes with such a rare look of amusement. "How do you know who she is?"
"Surreal Life," she said like it was obvious.
He accepted that with a shake of his head. "No, she's not quite that…bulky."
"Oh. Well…sucks for you if you ever get jumped by a team of thugs."
"In Stars Hollow?"
"Even Candy Land has its sour patches."
"Yeah, I guess." Luke reached for The Rookie. Smiled as he held it out to her. "Seen this?"
Lorelai shook her head. "But it's baseball, so you may like it. You should rent it," she said with enthusiasm.
"Already saw it," he said proudly. He put it back.
Lorelai's lips spread. "Happy that you got one on me?"
"Little bit. Think I'm gonna work it in as a reference later on."
"Bask, my friend. Bask as long as you possibly can. It won't last long," she guaranteed.
"Well, that goes without saying," he agreed. She laughed. Luke moved down the aisle a bit. "Baseball's another thing she's taking up."
"Oh yeah? Which team she goin' out for?" she asked with light humor.
Luke ignored her. "Saw these printouts on baseball history and players and stuff on her desk last week."
"Hm. Really?"
He looked at her with question. "That's not weird, is it?"
"What do you mean?"
"It's not, like, creepy? Stuff I should probably take as a sign or something?" He clarified when her expression wasn't one of understanding. "Take me, for instance. I told her that I haven't seen much. She knows that I'm completely clueless when it comes to movies." He pointed around them. "But I'm here, trying to…I dunno, maybe get to a point where I'm a little less clueless." Lorelai nodded. "But she's like pretending to be into all this stuff that she doesn't really like. And I'm finding out on my own that she's not really into certain stuff. Should I be looking at this as a character type of thing?"
Lorelai considered that. "I don't think so. Not yet, anyway. It may be something you definitely want to keep watch on," she said with laughter in her voice. "But right now, it's just…dating," she said with a shrug. "As much as I hate to say it, it's game playing." She gestured to him. "You see a guy; you like him; you want to appeal to him, you're gonna start molding yourself, to an extent."
"So…right now, I can just-"
"Feel flattered that she likes you enough to do all of that."
He nodded perceptively. Waited a beat. "And she can feel flattered too," he began in modesty. He motioned to their surroundings again. "Because as you can see…" he finished openly.
"You like her just as much," she finished while looking away from his eyes.
"Well…I'm willing to venture out a little bit for her," he said instead.
Lorelai turned to the movie shelf. Smiled. "Very sweet," she commented simply.
"You know me," he began in a deadpan. "King Romance."
Her smile widened. "I'm starting to think you kind of are."
"Oh, please."
She picked up a tape and passed it to him. "Here you go."
Luke read the cover. "Harold and Maude?"
"Yup. Touching and disturbing all at the same time. May-December romance at its grossest."
He held it to the side. "And you think I want to see this, why?"
"Variety. Isn't that what you said earlier?"
He rolled his eyes and started reading the cover. "Don't think I meant this much of a variety," he mumbled.
She walked away from him and came back with Rush Hour. She passed it to him. "Now, you have some classics in there. A little drama, a little comedy. Think you're good to go for a couple days." She pulled him by the arm as he tried to read over the movie description for the newest movie in his small stack.
Lorelai reached down on a shelf and grabbed It Happened One Night while barely slowing. She could locate the movie with her eyes closed due to the number of times she'd already rented it.
"What'd you get?" Luke asked.
She let him go, turned and walked backwards as she held it out to him. "The classics I threw at you are just the very tip of the iceberg, my friend. Not gonna throw this kind of quality at you until you've put in some time, though. Shown me you're serious."
He reached for it and she snatched it back. "I can't even hold it?"
"No. Keep your amateur paws off until I feel you're worthy."
He smiled. "Well, just let me know when I'm ready, Old Wise One."
She matched his smile and went to walk next to him again. They stopped in line behind a few other customers, and Lorelai went to grab Twizzlers, Whoppers, and Bottle Caps. She looked back at Luke as she scanned the selection for something else to purchase. "Do you want something?"
He shook his head at all the junk food in her hand. "No, thanks."
Lorelai picked up more Whoppers and Twizzlers and tossed them to him. He barely caught them. Ended up looking at her with a frown. She picked up a king sized Reese's pack and joined him in line. "If you're gonna watch movies, you're gonna follow movie watcher etiquette. That implies sweets and junk. Gotta have candy." She pointed back over to the food rack. "Want popcorn?"
He rolled his eyes and adjusted the things in his hands. "I'm good, thanks."
She nodded with satisfaction, opened her Twizzlers, and stuck one in her mouth.
"Can't wait til you at least pay for 'em?"
"Can. Don't wanna though," she said with an alluring smile.
He looked away in order to maintain his gruffness. "Just try not to get us locked up, will you?"
She turned toward him while acting suspicious. "Here, let me stuff the rest of these in your pants."
Luke reddened a little. "Jeez."
"No?"
"No!"
"Oh, okay," she said acting bruised. She turned back and continued chewing on one end of her candy. She hummed and swayed a bit as she watched the customers ahead of her. She looked at Luke suddenly. "Hey, if-" She stopped and her eyes widened self-consciously. "What?" she asked, wondering what she'd done.
She'd caught him staring at her. He shook away thoughts of how captivating she was. How pretty she was even when gnawing on sticky, disgusting candy. He turned away casually and mumbled out the first thing that bounced through his mind. "How can you eat something like that?"
Lorelai grinned. "Easy. Wanna bite?"
He tried not to balk at the thought of eating the sugary treat. "I've got plenty of my own thanks to you, so no."
She turned the other end up toward him. "Here, you can have this end if you're worried about cooties," she said ignoring what he'd said.
He rolled his eyes. "What were you about to say when you turned around here?" he asked plainly, trying to change the subject. He knew if she kept offering, he would take a bite just because it was her. And the last thing he wanted was processed, artificially flavored, way-too-sweet candy so late at night.
Lorelai recalled her earlier thought. "I was going to tell you that if you want, you can stop by my house sometime and look through my collection. I've got plenty."
He met her eyes. "Really? You wouldn't mind?"
She laughed modestly. "Well, no, as long as you don't try to like skip town with them. Although, my movies have been a little cooped up in the crapshack. Maybe a good town skip is what they need," she said with consideration.
"Well, I'm not skipping town any time soon, so it'll be alright."
"So, yeah?"
Luke smiled. "Yeah, that'll be great. Thanks."
She leaned into him with her arm. "Anytime, Friend."
The customer in front of them left, and they stepped up and placed their things on the counter.
-OOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO-
Lorelai pulled all covers off her bed and threw them to the floor. She went around her room and collected scattered clothes and tossed them in and near the clothesbasket that sat by the doorway.
On her head was a blue scarf. She wore multi-colored flip-flops, old torn jeans, and a baggy t-shirt that advertised Stars Hollow's pie eating contest from six years ago.
Kelis' Milkshake damn near shook the entire house from the stereo downstairs.
Lorelai went over and threw everything inside the basket that hadn't quite made it. She pushed it into the hallway and then gathered her sheets, comforter, pillowcases, and shams and tossed them out as well.
Going back inside the bedroom, she took an old rag and began to dust everything from her dresser to her bedposts. She straightened as she did that. Got everything neat and orderly.
The radio station had switched from Milkshake to Outkast's Roses without the normal groove-killing commercials and studio loquacity.
She dropped the rag in the pile of clothes, took the basket down to the laundry room, started a load while dancing all the while, and then returned upstairs to retrieve the bed dressings.
Juvenile's Slow Motion started just as she reached the bottom of the stairs. She was halfway to the kitchen when what sounded like a loud knock made her turn around. She went to the door and only opened it a crack, not sure if she was just hearing things.
Luke stood there.
She pulled the door open all the way and smiled at him. Repositioned all of the bedding in her arms. "Hey! What are you doing here?"
He pointed behind her. "You think you have that loud enough?" he asked while wincing.
They both almost had to yell to be heard. "Cleaning day!" she explained. "The louder it is, the more I get into it!" She held up the things in her hands. "See, it's only been half an hour and I'm already on laundry!"
He shook his head.
Unnnnnh I like it like that; she's working that back; I don't know how to act; slow motion for me; slow motion for me…
Luke lifted an eyebrow. Lorelai laughed.
"Here, come in," she said as she stepped to the side.
He walked in and reached back to close the door. They both ended up doing it. Met eyes and smiled.
Lorelai dropped her load off to the side and beckoned him to follow her into the living room. She made it to the stereo and only turned it down to a quieter level. "So, what's up?" she asked.
Luke walked over to the TV and pointed to it. "Came by to get a couple videos," he said. "If you don't mind, I mean."
She shook her head. Waved him on. "Help yourself. They're all over here. Be sure to check the cases, though. I don't think any are in the DVD changer or the VCR but just to be on the safe side…"
He nodded. "Gotcha."
She smiled at him as he knelt down in front of her collection. "Okay, let me know if you need something. Gonna keep going before my Red Bull wears off," she said pointing towards the laundry room.
He looked up at her, chuckled, nodded. "Alright. Thanks."
Lorelai turned back and increased the volume once again on the radio. She didn't turn it up as loud as it was, but she still turned it up loud enough to make Luke roll his eyes.
She patted his back and hopped over him on her way to the foyer to collect what she'd dropped.
A few minutes later, she emerged from the laundry room. "Hey?" she called. Luke looked up, and she finished her journey to where he was. She turned the radio down again and then came to stand over him. She placed a hand on his shoulder and leaned part of her weight onto him. She waved the rag at him that she'd been dusting with earlier. "Wanna make yourself useful while you're down here?"
Luke looked from the rag to her face. "You want me to dust?"
She smiled wide. "Pretty please?"
His tone was very monotonous. "I don't dust."
"But you're already down here, and it'll save me some time, so…can you? Just this once? Pretty pretty sexy please?"
He rolled his eyes. Sat up a little and took the rag from her. "Sexy please?" he inquired.
"Well pretty please obviously wasn't doing anything on its own. Why not throw in a please with a little lingerie and lipstick?"
Luke sat back and looked at the large stack of movies. "You want me to dust every one of these things?"
Lorelai gave him a look like that was preposterous. "Bare minimum, Luke. Just what you can see." She pointed. "The fronts, the sides, the stand, and you're done."
He shook his head and put the rag to work. "Remind me to never hire you to clean my house."
She chuckled and started removing old magazines from the coffee table. "Not even if I wore my Yvette maid outfit?"
"What?"
She paused. "Oh jeez, how do I say this in man-speak?" she asked thoughtfully. "Um…really, really short dress. Major skin action. Awooooga, awooooga!" She looked at him for comprehension. "Huh, huh? How 'bout it?"
Luke's face held no expression until finally, he took on a deliberate look of curiosity. "How short is this dress now?" he asked covertly.
Lorelai broke out in laughter. He smiled and went back to his middling dusting duty.
She leafed through the magazines in her hand. "How is all the movie watching coming along?"
Luke shrugged. "Fine, I guess. Really liked the Rush Hour one." He smiled. "Thanks for the recommendation."
Lorelai tossed a magazine at him. "Quite welcome. What about the others?"
Luke turned the magazine in his hand to get a good look at it. "They were okay. If you know of any more movies like Harold and Maude, though, keep 'em to yourself." He squinted at the cover as Lorelai chuckled at his words. "This yours?" he asked of the magazine.
She continued to clear the table. "Yeah. I sign up for all kinds. I take advantage of the free period then cancel. If I remember to anyway," she said with a shrug. "Anyway, that one I never even cracked open."
He held it up like she hadn't seen it. "Why would you? It's Outdoor Life. Free or not, I wouldn't think you'd let something like this inside this house."
She nodded. "Yeah, I did have it quarantined in the corner for a while. But then I think my old age softness kicked in, and I let it fraternize a bit with the Vogues and Elles. They all hit if off okay. Not as well as it did with Cosmo, though. Oh boy. I don't think old Outdoor Life ever recovered from that."
Luke sat it on the floor. "Well, thanks for not tossing it. I read these sometimes."
"I know."
"You know?"
"Yeah. Caught you skimming during a lull a while back." She stopped. "And I remember because I distinctly recall turning to Rory and going 'Look, Honey, Luke's reading! I told you! I told you he could!' Then we snapped a picture and stuck it up on the fridge like proud parents. Wanna see?"
"I'll pass," he said plainly.
"Suit yourself."
He finished dusting and stood up with the rag and magazine. "Done with the sad excuse for dusting."
Lorelai looked at the freshly wiped movies and smiled. "Thanks. Now, do the TV and everything around it."
He frowned.
She clasped her hands and held them under her chin. "Pretty sexy please?"
He rolled his eyes and turned back toward the entertainment area. "Just went right for what you thought would work, huh?"
"My best interests told me to stop goofing around and go for it. I listened."
Luke diligently worked the cloth over all of the appliances. Even the areas that weren't visible. "Came over here for a movie and ended up getting put to work," he mumbled. "Jeez."
"Speak up, Benson. Can't hear you with the music and everything," she taunted. She'd heard him fine.
"Who are you trying to impress anyway? I've never seen you on any kind of cleaning kick."
"What can I say? Saw a Pine-Sol® commercial earlier with the housewife lady and got inspired."
"You don't say."
"Yeah. Got inspired to never allow myself to look like the Pine-Sol® housewife lady," she conveyed with humor.
"Who said TV wasn't educational?" Luke stated drearily.
"But then, the commercial went off and some kind of religious group came on and started stressing the importance of getting one's House in order." She gestured around her. "So, I turned the TV off and decided to do just that. After all, the crapshack deserves it."
"Somehow, I don't think that's quite what they meant."
She smiled broadly, choosing to move past his comment. "So, here I am!"
He finished dusting with a sigh. "And here I am. Unfortunately."
She held her hands out for the rag, and he tossed it to her. She got down on her knees and started wiping the coffee table. "Don't worry, Deeds, I'm finished taking advantage of your generosity." She winked at him quickly then turned attention back to the table. "You can go back to cruising for movies."
Luke leaned down on the floor once again. "Thanks."
Lorelai moved the rag in circles around the tabletop. "So, has the whole movie thing come up in conversation with Mystery Woman since you've started with this?"
"Uh," he began thoughtfully. "A few times."
She glanced up at him. "How'd you do?"
He shook his head. "Why do you have it in your head that this is some kind of dating bar exam that I have to pass?"
"Easy to see it that way."
"She just talks about movies a lot. Just thought it might be nice to understand what the hell she's saying."
Lorelai turned pouty. "You don't care anything about understanding what I say."
Luke scoffed. "Nobody can understand you, Lorelai. You use the obscurest references known to man. I mean, you've seen everything, and everything you watch has its own little weird, permanent compartment in your head. And then it shoots out. Extremely randomly. And quick. Your wit is insane. Who in the hell can keep up with that?"
"And listening to you, you'd think it wasn't even remotely worth the effort," she followed. He looked back at her. She went on. "I've known you way longer, and you've never watched anything for my benefit."
His eyes bugged. "Where would I start?"
She found amusement in his affronted screech. She let her very real words flow through lips that now had a smile. "Still. Ouch. I kind of matter, too."
He grew annoyed and turned back to the rack. "Such a handful," he muttered.
"No, I'm not," she sulked.
"Oh, I beg to differ."
Lorelai threw her rag at him and hit him in his lower back. "Take it back!" she ordered.
He reached behind him and tossed the rag back on the table without even turning. "I could watch ten movies a day and stay on top of every current event there is for a whole year, and I'd still be light-years behind you."
"Well, at least there are the easier-to-handle, easier-to-keep-up-with, crystal light versions of me running around for the taking."
He looked back at her. "What's that supposed to mean? You trying to say I went out and found a woman like you?"
She shrugged smugly. "If it walks like a duck and talks like a duck, it sure ain't a giraffe."
He squinted. "Oh, it's a giraffe, alright. A big, tall, duck stomping giraffe."
She gasped. Came back at him instantly. "Oh yeah? Well, guess what giraffes eat. Trees! And guess what doesn't grow on trees. Money! And guess who's allowing you to save yours by letting you peruse and pick movies for free! Unh hunh, that's right! Who's the baddest duck in the land now?" she finished, losing steam.
"So all of a sudden a few dusty movies make you the biggest and baddest?"
She raised herself on her knees. Looked at him like he was a peasant. "Whether the movies are at my side or not, I'm the coolest. And the only way you'd understand that is if you were on my level, which as you can see…" she said pointing to his lower height, "you most certainly are not!"
Luke rolled his eyes at her very uninhibited drollery. "Well, if I stand on my knees, I'd be the coolest," he mocked.
"And then I'd stand all the way up, and I'd be Mufasa again!"
He fell in with her like it was the most natural thing in the world, though it went against everything in his nature. A lordly expression crossed his face, and he got to his feet. He looked down on her. "And then, I'd get the final laugh," he calmly remarked.
Lorelai looked up at him, unwilling to accept defeat. She hopped to her feet as well, kicked her flip-flops off, and then decidedly clomped up onto the coffee table. She got to her full height and stood akimbo. "You were saying?" she derided.
Luke stared up at her. He smiled a little when she challenged him using a facial expression. He looked away, shook his head. "How did we even get here?" he wanted to know.
Lorelai chuckled and climbed off the table on the same side she'd gotten on. "No idea. But just for the record, I won."
"Congratulations." He leaned toward the movies.
"Aw. You gracious loser, you."
"Yup," he began listlessly, "That's me, alright." Luke studied the movies for a moment before he pulled one of the DVD's out of the stack. He sat it on the table behind him and then proceeded to pull out two movies that he'd decided to take with him.
"What's this?" Lorelai asked as she picked it up and turned it to see.
Luke erected himself and turned to face her with a tired sigh. "The Graduate," he answered needlessly. "Watched it a couple years back. You said something. Rattled off some crazy Lorelai-ism, said I was acting aloof, and then you mentioned a Benjamin Braddock." He looked down at the movies in his hands to avoid her eyes, which were now on him. He spoke passively. "I asked later on what you meant. You gave me a movie title. I rented the movie," he recalled.
He looked at her then. Wanted to tell her to stop smiling like she was. But he ignored it the best he could. "So you were right before. You do kind of matter, too."
The invisible hanger in her mouth only expanded more.
"Jeez," Luke muttered. He leaned down and collected his magazine from the floor. "I've gotta go. Thanks for the movies," he added as he held them up.
She grinned at him, twinkles in her eyes. "Anything for the man with the crazy good flattery." She leaned on the table. "I have half a mind to give you my kiss."
He was quiet for a beat. "Your what?" he asked with no enthusiasm whatsoever.
She displayed more of the smile that threatened to steal all of Luke's contrived fronts.
"My kiss. In the refrigerator," she added with a cool wink. "It's chocolate. And good. And sooo big; it's the one that comes in a box," she shared happily. "I'm going to eat it when I finish cleaning. Kind of like a treat to myself! Awesome incentive, right?"
"Sure. The greatest," he followed blandly.
She nodded. Watched him momentarily as she bit her lip. "Come back anytime to get more. I'll be here." She gestured around. "Probably won't be doing this unless you come back in a year or more," she added with light laughter. "But…I'll be here."
Luke looked at her. Smiled in appreciation—his understated half-smile that it was more than slightly difficult to look away from. Lorelai didn't bother trying. He held up his magazine. "You got more of these, or is this the only one?"
She started putting things back on the coffee table. "Um…I think there's more."
He seemed pleased. "Really?"
She waved her hand aimlessly. "Yeah. Just probably stuffed them somewhere until I made it to a recycling bin. Check the uh…" She made an effort to look clueless, "drawer of the table in the foyer."
"Alright." He went over and pulled open the tiny drawer.
"You see them?" she called over.
"The, uh, magazines awaiting a trip to the recycling bin?" he asked.
"Yeah," she answered as she worked on arranging things on the coffee table.
Luke backed up to peek around the wall at her. "The ones with the 'Give to Luke' post-it note on 'em?"
She smiled. "Yeeeah," she drawled. "But I don't think Luke Perry's gonna swing by like he promised. You can go on and take them instead."
He smiled broadly as he collected them from the drawer. "Thanks, Lorelai."
"Favor before you leave?"
He tucked them in his arm along with the videos and closed the drawer. "Sure."
"Come crank my jams back up for me?" she asked sweetly.
Luke chuckled. "Why not?" he said to himself. He walked over to the stereo and turned it back up to the deafening volume from before.
I'm a freak to the core; get a dose once, you gonna want some more; my tongue touch ya girl, your toes bound to curl; this exclusive stick I don't share with the world…
Lorelai started dancing in place immediately like her ON switch had been hit. She grinned at Luke. "Want me to make you a CD?" she yelled while pointing to the stereo where loud hip-hop rang out.
He just tossed his hand up in a wave and headed for the door.
"Is that a no?"
He waved more resolutely, kept walking.
"Let me know if you change your mind!" she called after him.
The door opened and closed in the blink of an eye. Lorelai laughed and went back to work.
-OOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO-
"Lorelai, where are you going?"
Lorelai looked over her shoulder at her best friend. "Upstairs, Sookie. You can come if you want."
"To Luke's apartment?" she asked amusedly. "Why would I go up there? Any and everything Luke Danes can do for me, he can do for me right down here in this public area."
"Very risqué. I see someone has been taking lessons from the Peewee Herman School of Erotica."
Sookie appeared wistful. "I thought we were here to dish and share pie. Remember how Elijah's wife and Frank had that I've-seen-you-naked kind of eye contact the other day? We were supposed to sit down and talk about that! We need to work out ways of finding out all there is to know, Lorelai. We can't do that with you running up to Luke's."
"Oh, Hon, we have plenty of time to delve into the lives of our Dragonfly Inn Hardbodies. I still fully plan to deconstruct our construction crew with you, Sookie Soo." She walked back over to the counter and took a long drink of coffee. In the short time spent talking, she'd grown less capable of tearing herself away from it. "I just have to go up!" she began again as she put distance between both her beloved mug and best friend. "I can bet Luke is watching my newest suggestion, and I need the reaction like pronto."
"What's the movie?"
"Runaway Bride," she said with a smile.
Sookie held in laughter. "I thought you liked him!"
"Oh, come on, what guy you know doesn't appreciate a good-natured romantic comedy with about a dozen weddings in them? It speaks to their soul, Sookie. I mean, sure it's probably telling them to get up, go buy a gun, and introduce it to their temple, but it speaks to them and that's all that matters!"
"Poor, poor Luke."
"Now, if you'll excuse me, I'm going to go check my friend's pulse and make sure he's still conscious."
"With any luck, his soul is still starving for conversation."
Lorelai chuckled. "Order me a burger, if you don't mind."
"Got you covered."
Lorelai went up and found the door to his apartment wide open. Luke was on the couch sitting comfortably. He was scooted up a bit, leaned on his knees toward the television. His eyes moved from the TV to Lorelai when she appeared at his doorway.
"Hey. Come in," he said as if it was commonplace for her to show up at his door without warning.
Lorelai walked in, barely needing the invitation. "Knew I'd find you up here having a matinee moment while Caesar slaves," she playfully berated. She sat down next to him. He remained scooted up on couch, and she sat all the way back comfortably.
"It's busy?" he asked as he looked back at her.
She shrugged. "Not yet. It will be when I go back down, though. Pouring my coffee is so not a one-man job. Not when I'm dealing with a rookie."
"Caesar's a rookie now?" She only shrugged. He had focused back on the TV. He spoke to her in a multi-tasking effort. "So, you're saying it takes multiple guys to get the job done, then?"
"Exactly," she responded undeterred.
She saw the edges of his mouth curl some. "Insightful."
Lorelai crossed her legs in comfort. Focused on the screen. "And don't think I didn't catch that little whore reference you just threw at me." He nodded with distraction. "Now, thank me for being the mature one," she ordered slickly.
"Do you thank me the other 99.9 percent of the time when I'm the mature one?"
She laughed softly. "Turning red and desperately grasping at a change in subject is mature now?"
He shrugged. "Whatever works."
Lorelai spoke quieter. Gave him an exaggeratory sexy and playful, "Thank you, Luke."
He smiled. Looked back at her. "Thank you, too, then."
They held contact for a second longer before Luke turned back to the TV. Lorelai finally looked there too. Smiled as she thought of something.
"Sookie blames me for forcing you to watch this, by the way. I didn't bother telling her that you're a closeted sappy romantic. Figured I'd just keep that between you and me."
"I'm not a romantic anything."
"Oh, yeah?"
"Yes."
"Luke?"
"What?" he asked not turning.
"Look," she urged while gently tugging on the back of his shirt.
He glanced at her and brought his eyes back to the screen in the next second. "Look at what?" he asked irritably.
"You have to look longer," she whined.
"Jeez." He took the remote from the coffee table and hit a button to pause the movie. He, then, looked back at her fully, where she rested against the back of the couch. He still sat toward the edge. "Okay, now what?"
She smiled. "See." She pointed her finger close to his face. "Big, cheesy romantic. That's you," she ended by lightly touching the end of his nose.
"No, I'm not," he defended dryly.
She laughed. "You couldn't even look at me without being scared to death that you'd miss something. The only reason I have your attention now is because you paused the DVD. You're such a sap, and I want you to admit it."
"I'm not admitting anything."
She looked at the paused screen. "It's a wedding rehearsal. He's standing in the church acting as her fiancé. She's getting ready to walk towards him." She looked back at Luke and grinned. "You know you're dying to know what's going to happen when she gets to the end of that aisle."
Luke looked back at the screen. "This is stupid." He gestured at the TV. "It's not like anything is going to happen anyway. Her real fiancé is standing right there. What, are they going to make out in front of him? In a church?"
Lorelai shrugged noncommittally. "Maybe…"
"That's not going to happen," he muttered. He played the movie, and Lorelai smirked as Julia Roberts walked down the aisle toward Richard Gere. Her fiancé, who acted as the minister, glazed over the vows and announced the kiss offhandedly as he rushed through the proceedings in chronological order.
To everyone's surprise, the bride-to-be and the acting groom gravitated toward one another in slow motion and began kissing passionately.
Luke watched with attentiveness until they parted. Rolled his eyes as if he wasn't moved one bit. "What an idiot," he grumbled. "What in the hell was he thinking?"
Lorelai watched as he stopped the movie, then powered the TV off. She wiggled her elevated foot and knocked his leg. "He wasn't. That's what makes it all romantic and worthy of Luke's attention," she teased.
He turned his head around to face her. Had his chin pressed to his shoulder as he rested his eyes on her. She cocked her head a little in a playful fashion, and then they were just looking at each other. Her eyes became more thoughtful as she boldly studied him. Took only seconds for that potent scene to play out.
Luke finally asked the question that he'd intended to ask in the beginning. "So, do they end up together?"
She smiled. Moved her eyes from his eyes and to her far less interesting lap. "You're asking me to give the ending away? Not sure how comfortable I am with that," she jested.
"Never been real big on secrets anyway, so I'll live."
"But I'll be wracked with guilt. You want that for me?"
He smiled. "Just tell me if he gets the girl," he requested almost intimately. Her eyes went back to his in an instant. He stared back for only a short time before he playfully tossed his hands up. Turned away. "Fine," he relented. "I'll watch the damn thing."
Lorelai's eyes followed his movements. Her heartbeat slowed, and she nodded on cue. "Like that's a sacrifice," she mocked. "The other day I saw you eyeing Gone with the Wind in the video store, and if Kirk, who likes to take time to loudly discuss every movie he rings up, wasn't working, I'm sure you'd be engulfed in it right now."
He stood up and faced her. "If you're through making up stories in your head, it's about that time for me to show you the exit."
She looked up at him. Pouted. "You don't like me anymore?" she sadly asked.
He rolled his eyes. "Jeez."
She smiled at him. "Am I not good enough to spend some quality couch time with? I thought we were having a good time. Looking at Runaway Bride together and-" She laughed. "You know, Luke, if you can't take hearing the title without flinching, then maybe you don't need to watch it. Are you that embarrassed?"
"It's your suggestion, not mine," he retorted.
"I didn't have to convince you too hard," she stated glibly.
"Well, I wanted variety. Variety. Meaning all kinds. This is just a part of that. No big deal. So, stop trying to make it one."
She grinned. Pushed her purse aside and stood up. "It started out as a 'no big deal' kind of hodgepodge but then…" Luke turned as he watched her walk over to his television. She picked up a stack of movies that he'd gotten from both her and the video store. She laughed as she scanned the titles, "…then you found a genre that you liked and just kinda…set up camp."
He walked over. "Okay, put them down," he said tiredly.
She moved away. "Ghost."
"With Patrick Swayze," he defended. "Who I know from Black Dog, and if I recall that movie was pretty damn bad ass. It's passable."
"Yes, well before Black Dog, there was Dirty Dancing where Mr. Swayze's bad ass was first seen grooving and grinding on a dance floor. Not exactly worthy of an overly enthused chest bump. And by watching this, what you have come to see and probably grinned like a schoolgirl over is that Ghost is a heartbreaking story about true love. Looking mighty sappy in here, Lucas. Just the beginning of what's to come, I'm sure. What else we got?"
"Lorelai, just give me the-"
She moved further away. "Let's see, Jerry Maguire is in here."
"What is that supposed to prove? It's about an agent guy who quits his job. Not much you can do with-"
"And then proceeds to start his own business with Dorothy Boyd, the one to support his dream when no one else would. He like falls in love with her kid and then falls head over heels in love with her." She waved the movie. "Their romance carries this movie. It's motivation to him, it's strength to him, and it's entertainment to me because hellooo, it validates my point like crazy!"
"Would you put those down!"
"Ooohhh my god, it's The Way we Were!"
"Jeez!"
"Seriously?" She laughed. "Where do I even begin?"
He put his hands on his hips and sighed defeatedly. "My mom liked Streisand," he revealed.
Lorelai's dancing and grinning came to a sudden end. The delight fell from her features, and she slapped a hand over her eyes. She dropped her chin to her chest, feeling like the biggest and most insensitive moron there was. She looked at him after a moment. "God. I'm sorry, Luke. I'm so so sorry," she said sincerely.
He stared at her. Walked over to where she had finally rooted herself and held his hand out for the movies. She passed them over.
He backed away while looking down at them. "Actually, I don't know what her feelings were on Streisand. I just really wanted to see this movie." He lifted his eyes to her with a growing smile.
Lorelai gasped audibly. She stared at him for a long moment like she was sure she'd heard him wrong. She didn't see anything that proved that. She watched his smile expand and then transform to rueful amusement.
"You…jerk!" she said with too much affection to mean it.
He chuckled. "I'm sorry. You were just going on and on and I-" He turned his arm toward her when she suddenly appeared at his side and started hitting him. "Hey, I said I'm sorry!" he said again, unable to stop the laughter, which Lorelai only found more insulting.
"Laughing people aren't sorry, Luke!" she said with a hit to his arm for every word she spoke.
"Okay, okay!" She stopped. He tried to look serious. Bit his lip to stop the smiling. He looked at her and said again, "I'm sorry." Lorelai twisted her lips in every direction trying to look angry and not join him in his still present amusement. "That was a low blow," he admitted.
"Damn right it was a low blow."
He nodded in agreement. Grasped his arm. "But now my arm hurts, so we're even."
She looked down at his arm where he rubbed it. Watched him rub that bulging area for a moment in silence. "Didn't really know you could hurt muscles." She looked back at him. "They're supposed to be rugged and made to withstand. At least I thought," she baited.
He smirked, rolled his eyes. "Well, I guess these are sissy muscles because they hurt."
She laughed a little.
He smiled. Looked in her face. Her eyes rose to his. He blinked nervously. "My mom really did like Streisand," he said with a shrug.
A beat of silence passed. "Really?" she asked softly. Sagely.
He nodded.
She followed with a perceptive nod of her own. "And what about you? Now that you've seen her in action, what do you think of her?"
He smiled at the tone she used. Not piteous. Definitely not unfeeling. Maybe just sympathetic with a twist, he thought. Something so warm. Something so appropriate for the man she knew better than most. Like she knew exactly what he'd respond to.
"She's okay," he said. "She was a little…intense in the movie. Didn't like the ending very much. But she did a good job."
Lorelai smiled at him. Stayed close even in the expansive open area of his apartment. "You know, Rory saw it when she was younger. She was upset for about a week over the way things turned out. It's a good movie, but if you're a hardcore romantic, it's enough to send you on a ranting rampage."
"Yeah, I guess so."
"Did your mom like it?" she asked gently.
He shifted some, showed that the topic wasn't his favorite, but he answered openly. "She was a hardcore romantic, so you figure it out," he ended with a smile.
Lorelai narrowed her eyes little by little. "I see. So, that's where you get it from," she replied like she'd solved a mystery.
He shook his head. "Listen, I've got a lunch thing in a little bit, so-"
"You want me to scram?" she asked lightheartedly. She backed away.
He smiled fully. Emanated unease, but the smile was genuine. "Wouldn't put it quite like that, but…yeah, it'd be nice if she didn't have to, you know…" He gestured toward her. "…see you," he finished.
Not quite sure if she should be offended, she looked at him in confusion. "Gonna need you to explain that one, Mugsy."
He knocked the edges of the DVD's against his thigh casually. "If I went to pick up a girl for something, I probably wouldn't feel too comfortable to see…John Wayne standing in her house."
She frowned. "Why would John Wayne be standing in her house?"
"You know what I mean."
She smiled. "No, I really don't."
"Who's somebody you like?"
"Present company excluded?" she asked sweetly.
He rolled his eyes. "Well, somebody you're attracted to?"
She eyed him questioningly. "Um…present company excluded?" she asked again.
Luke chalked her lack of gaudiness up to her being genuinely confused and wanting clarification. "Just name somebody you like, dammit."
She tossed her hands out at her sides. "Chris Farley."
Luke gave her a weary look. "Chris Farley is dead, Lorelai."
"So? I still like him. John Wayne is dead, too. That didn't stop you from slapping him the middle of some lady's living room."
"But of all the people you could've named, you name Chr-" He stopped abruptly. "Whatever." He rubbed his temple exhaustedly and thought of what he was trying to get at. "If I were to go pick up a date, I wouldn't wanna see…" He rolled his eyes, "Chris Farley standing there."
She crossed her arms. "Why not?"
"What do you mean, why not?"
"Why wouldn't you want to see him?"
He was rapidly approaching his wit's end. "My point is, you're Chris Farley!"
"Gee, thanks," she said sarcastically.
"You just said-! Forget it." He started to walk away but turned back. Turned a laughing Lorelai around by her shoulders and pushed her toward the door. "I'll talk to you later."
She took small reluctant steps as she leaned back into his hands. "But…but…I can't meet her at least?"
"No."
"Why?"
"If you think I'm going through that again, you're delusional."
"But what if you like…fall in love with this girl? I just can't be in your life anymore?"
He continued to push her. "That's stupid."
"So is this!"
"No, it's not. Remember what you told me? Women friends don't exist until….well, I don't know when. But I know it's not anywhere near now."
"This is so hurtful."
He stopped pushing and allowed her to turn. "You want to meet her that bad?" he asked, wondering how serious she was.
"I don't care about meeting some girl you're dating," she sulked. "I'm hurt that you're choosing her over me."
He seemed annoyed. "How the hell could I choose her over you, Lorelai? You're gonna be here regardless. You're the closest thing to a best friend that I have in this stupid town. You're always gonna be around. Who in the hell knows how long she's gonna last? Where's the comparison?"
Somebody cleared their throat, and Luke and Lorelai snapped their heads around to the door.
There stood a petite brown-haired beauty who didn't look entirely pleased. She looked from Lorelai to Luke. Stared at him for a long while, maybe waiting for him to say something. He didn't. Just looked ambushed. She turned back without a word.
Lorelai looked down. Then at Luke. More time passed.
He shook his head. "Um…you're a woman," he said quietly. He gestured weakly toward the door. "What are the chances I can fix that?"
She brought her lips in and looked away from him. For the first time since he'd known her, he found her speechless.
He chuckled once. Dropped his head. "Damn."
-OOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO-
Luke rapped on the door. Stood rolling his neck as he waited for an answer. When it opened, he met Lorelai's eyes and held up the four movies that he had borrowed from her.
"Returning these," he greeted.
She moved aside to allow him in. "Wow, watched them already?"
He stepped past her and kept walking until he stood at her DVD tower. "Had a slow yesterday," he explained drably.
She gave the door a push and managed to make it a few feet before it clicked shut. She waved to the area where he stood. "Well, drop 'em off and pick some more. Lorelai-recommended ones have a pink post-it. Color picked especially for you, of course."
Luke leaned down. "Did you put these in alphabetical order?" he asked with question.
Lorelai made it to the couch. She laid on her back, crossed her ankles, and then proceeded to toss them over the top of the couch. "Yeah," she answered. "I, too, had a slow yesterday. Had a baby shower to cater, but it got canceled. Guest-of-honor's sister fell down a flight of stairs on the way to the Hall. Half the party goers spent the day in the ER."
"She okay?" he asked.
"For the most part. Broke her thumb and scraped her leg up pretty bad. Gonna hobble for a while, but she'll be all right. They're rescheduling the shower."
He nodded. "Good."
Lorelai looked over at him from where she rested. "Why was your day slow?"
"I dunno," he answered listlessly. "Just was."
"Heard from Movie Girl?"
He pulled out a movie and put one of the four in the correct spot. "Nope. No word from Movie Girl," he replied idly.
"Sorry."
He glanced back at her. "You're doing it again," he warned.
"No, I'm not," she defended. "I'm just-"
"Apologizing. Again. For the millionth time."
She stretched her hands out in front of her. "Well. I feel bad," she said pitifully.
"Don't. I'm the one who put my foot in my mouth."
"Guilt by association. If I hadn't have been there, your mouth would've been closed and/or drooling over Runaway Bride when she showed up. That's totally my fault."
"Well, either way, what's done is done." He pulled another movie out. "What's American Pie about?"
She looked at the movie in his hand, one she hadn't flagged. Smiled. "Just about some guys. You know, coming….into their own and being extremely open to experimentation by sticking their…um, heels deep in the um...damn it, where's a good innuendo when you need one?"
He quirked a brow. "What?"
She shrugged. "Guy has sex with a pie."
"What?"
"I think that sums it up."
Luke put it back while shaking his head. "Why would you have a movie like that?"
"It's hilarious."
"I doubt that."
She laughed. "And he gets caught by his dad. You want to know why he did it?"
His tone was monotonous. "Movie's back now. Let's just pretend I never picked it up." He fished out three movies that had a post-it note. Didn't bother looking at them.
"Ooh!" She swung her feet to the floor and hopped up. She hurried over to where he stood and went straight for a movie in the middle of the collection. "You have to see this one," she said before pulling out Goodfellas. He took it. She peeled off the pink post-it and pointed at it with a smile. "This'll give you some of your macho back."
A corner of his mouth turned up. "Thanks"
She went for another. "And this one is really good, too. You'll like this." She handed him Taxi Driver.
"It might take me a while to watch all these," he said as he watched her go for yet another.
She shrugged without care. "It's okay." She took a breath and smiled at him while holding the video to her chest. "And finally, this one." She turned it so he could see the cover of Westside Story. He just looked at it blankly. She winked and set it on top of his stack. "Got to indulge in the sap just a little."
He noticed the special twinkles in her eyes.
"Guess this is one you really like," he said endearingly.
She shook her head. "Love. Really, really to infinity love." A pleading look crossed her face. "Now, it's got dancing and singing but-"
"Jeez, Lorelai!"
She laughed and got more desperate at his obvious distaste. "But it's good, Luke. Really good. Just give it a chance."
He looked down at the DVD like it emitted a smell. "I'm not making any promises," he muttered.
She nodded happily. "Just give it a chance. That's all I'm asking."
"Jeez. Alright."
"Really?" she asked brightly.
"I said alright," he grumped.
Lorelai was pleased. She looked from the movies in his hands to back at him. "I'm glad you're still watching. Even though…you know."
He shrugged. "Well, it's an okay hobby. For now anyway." He watched her blink, smile. "Besides, you're still in my life," he said dryly. "May as well make an effort to keep up with you."
"Well, you can try."
His lips curled the slightest bit. "Yeah."
"And um," Lorelai jumped in after a few seconds of quiet. "Again, I'm sorry about Movie Girl." Luke dropped his head at hearing another piece of the unending apology. "She was really pretty," she concluded sincerely.
He met her eyes. Squinted. "You're sorry because she was pretty?" he asked confusedly.
"No. I'm sorry because I'm sorry." She paused. "But she was…really really pretty."
He seemed amused when he asked, "'Really really'?"
Her response was a simple, "Extremely."
They stared at each other. Luke broke contact. Looked down and clutched the top of his backwards cap. "I'll, uh, get these back to you as soon as I can."
"No rush."
He looked up at her and found her with a less intimidating regard but adamant, nonetheless. "This movie…Westside Story will be watched first," he said with a lean in. She smiled. "Probably not for very long, but uh, I'll take all I can handle."
"Be sure to let me know what you think."
"Will do." He started to walk but stopped when he remembered he'd neglected to put the rest of the DVDs in place.
"Don't worry about it. I'll do it," she told him.
"Oh, okay. Thanks." He led the way to the door. Opened the door and turned to find Lorelai a couple steps behind. "Come by later?"
"The diner or…?" she asked softly.
He paused. Looked in her eyes for as long as he could before he looked away. "Uh, yeah, the diner. Drop by tonight if you can."
"No choice," she said as she made it to the door and clutched the indoor part of the knob. He held the other side. "Gotta eat, don't I?"
He smiled. Lingered there for seconds after that smile faded and uncertainty surfaced. "Okay, bye," he said at once. He shut the door.
Lorelai stepped away. Turned. Looked down as she started to walk back into the living room. A knock made her turn on her heels. But as soon as she did, the door opened on its own and Luke stepped back in and closed the door.
She stopped in place. "Hey…?"
"Hey."
Silence. Eye contact.
"Um…forgot something?"
He took a breath, rubbed his eyes, gestured at her with the movies in his hand. "Ca-" He seemed to get annoyed with himself. He shifted and tried again. "C-can we, um…" He met her wide eyes, "Can we try something?"
Lorelai took a moment to think. Took a moment to just look at him. "Try what?" she asked quietly.
His lips moved as he attempted to respond. His voice wouldn't come. Not like he wanted it to. "Um."
She asked again, "Try what?"
He told himself to breathe. Breathe and Relax. Breathe and relax. It seemed to have the opposite effect, though. He muttered the words, more than spoke them. Sounded resigned to the tenth power. "Nevermind." He rolled his eyes, wanted to punch himself. "I'll see you." With that, he turned back to the door and put his hand on the knob.
Lorelai moved from where she was to where he was. Put her hand on the wooden door and closed it gently when he started to pull it open. She took steps back. Gave him room to turn around.
She breathed a slow breath as she looked up at him. "Try what, Luke?" she asked once more, her tone soft and insistent.
He gained courage from her proximity. Lost anxiety as he witnessed her strong desire to actually hear him out.
He swallowed. "Try this," he answered.
She braced herself. To him, it looked like she stopped breathing altogether. Even before he started moving in.
He saw her lids get lower as his face drew nearer to hers. He extended his hand to place it on her hip and then realized that hand was filled with movies. "Dammit," he whispered. Lorelai opened her eyes fully and looked at him with alert. She followed his gaze as he looked down and around for somewhere to set the DVDs. He spotted the table off to his far right but found little desire to leave his spot in front of Lorelai.
"Here," she offered. She held her hands out, and he passed her all of them. She took only a couple steps, reached over and set them down. Looked at the floor as she returned to her previous spot bashfully.
Luke waited a moment before placing his hand to her hip. She walked to him. Met his eyes just as his other hand found a place on her body.
He leaned in, dipped his head slightly and captured her lips with his. Felt exhilarated when her lips moved on their own volition. Still, he parted just barely. Had his nose brushing hers. "Okay?" he whispered.
She hummed "mmhm" and gently tugged at his flannel until she had his lips back on hers. The connection was soft and intimate. Luke parted his lips, finally decided to really taste her. He nipped at her lower lip, soothed it with his tongue and got her to open up. They kissed deeply with no misgivings. Absolutely no inhibitions. Brought speed to its slowest and immersed themselves in that deepness, that delicious feeling of tongue on tongue.
They parted, and eyes stayed closed. Thoughts lagged and sputtered.
Lorelai wobbled a little as she took a step backwards.
Luke appeared to reach for her, but he didn't complete the action. He watched her for a reaction and hoped for the best there was.
"Tell me you just learned to kiss that way yesterday," she said with heavy rise and falls of her chest.
He swallowed. Noticed the eye-catching movements of her breasts and wanted them pressed against his body again. "I don't think so," he answered absentmindedly.
She met his eyes. "So, for…eight years…that's how you kissed?"
"Probably," he said with his dark, impassioned eyes scanning hers.
She saw his worry, his affection, his questions in the anxious movements of his eyes. "I'm an idiot," she muttered indistinctly.
Luke licked his lips, glanced down her body just with nervous energy. He took in the sexy jeans and fitted shirt she wore. Shoeless feet with painted toes. He saw beauty that he had yet to see surpassed. And still, it was no match for how much he liked her as person.
She'd let him kiss her, and there was no way he could come back from that.
"Was it okay?" he asked hopefully. "Are we, uh, still okay? Was it weird?" He asked the last question with a certain level of disappointment. Spoke it all at once like it occurred to him a split second before it came out.
She put her hand to her chest. "Oh my god. There was nothing weird about that, Luke. And regardless of what, we'll always be okay."
He breathed lighter. Smiled a little. Looked at her again with those anxious eyes. "So…what do we-" He shrugged, flustered. "C-can I stay? Watch the movie…uh…" He looked over at the movie title she loved so much. "Westside Story or something? With you, I mean. We can watch it together."
She smiled. Held back laughter as she gave him the most endearing look. She sighed, got herself together and told him, "If you're free, I'm free."
"Oh, I'm free," he said instantly.
She bit her lip and made it the world's most sensual act. Walked over and grabbed the movies from the table. She looked at them like she'd never before seen or heard of them as she walked within reach of him and swept her hand down his arm to his hand. She curled her fingers over his and gently pulled him along. Caressed and touched his fingers unnecessarily before letting him go. She spoke with nonchalance as he continued to follow her over to the sitting area.
"No way you can fall asleep or lose interest now that you're watching this with me. You've definitely messed up now, pal. Get ready for some hardcore Manhattan-style love story goodness."
He smiled, shook his head. "I'm ready."
"You better be." She flipped on the TV and opened the DVD player. Luke stood by the end of the couch staring at every part there was to see of her from behind. She carefully placed the DVD inside and just distractedly muttered the steps as she did them.
"Okay, get the TV on the right channel here…go on and skip to the movie…sounds a little low; we can come down here and turn the volume up a little; there we go…Resolution seems off; how long has it been like this?…"
Luke's lips curled. He wondered if she was nervous. He could definitely relate.
"Hey, there's some popcorn in the cupboard, Luke. You can go pop some if you want," she said without turning.
He straightened his hat. Started walking. "Not all that big on popcorn, actually. It always annoyed me the way it just sits in your teeth afterwards."
"Really?" she asked like there was something wrong with him. "Even caramel corn? Caramel corn never did anything to hurt anybody."
"Yes, even caramel corn."
She still faced the TV. She could both hear and feel him coming closer. "Well, what do you eat at the theater? You can't possibly be bold enough to deny popcorn in its house of worship."
"Nachos."
"You like nachos?" She kept up the front that she was busy setting up the movie even though it was already playing.
"I do," he answered.
"That shocks me," she joked quietly. "I really didn't think you, uh…" She felt his chest press into her back. "…that you…um liked that k-kind of, um thing."
"I go to the dark side every now and then," he said huskily near her ear.
"Oh, really?"
He touched her hips sensually, got her turned. Hugged her waist and smiled when she wrapped her arms around his neck. He brushed her nose with his and went in for a kiss that was eagerly returned. Luke rubbed his hand up and down her back.
He began to walk backwards to the couch. Lorelai disengaged. Before Luke could wonder, he realized she was just ensuring safety. She guided them there then pressed her lips back to his just before they dropped to the cushions.
Luke laid back, felt all sorts of excitement when she came down on top of him. They shared another toe-curling kiss and she broke to mumble against his lips, "I've never neglected my movie like this." She gave him a deep tongue-kiss. Pulled back. "Never."
He nodded, ran through her soft, thick, fragrant locks. "It's okay," he reassured breathlessly. "We'll watch."
They kissed again. "Just not now?" she followed breathily.
Luke shook his head. "Definitely not now."
"I can live with that."
She brought her lips down upon his and proceeded to show him just how fine she was with that arrangement.
-The End-
The end, the end, la la la la laaaa la!
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