Hey my readers! This is my first gilmore story I write, but I wrote two other fics. Be sure to check them out!
Summary- "What do these people think, that they can just invade my privacy? This whole town should be a mental ward. They just have to realize that Lorelai doesn't feel that way. Maybe I do, but she doesn't. I'm just the guy with the coffee." (AU) Java Junkie.
A/N- remember to REVIEW! Please!
It was nearing the Fourth of July in Stars Hollow. The town was bustling with excitement: Kirk was testing his homemade firecrackers, which, if the multi-colored smoke surrounding his house was any indication, wasn't going too well, Miss Patty was vicariously living through her young ballet students, making them pirouette over and over again in their twice-daily practices, and Taylor was beginning his yearly ritual of endlessly pestering Luke, determinedly asking him to put a sign proclaiming the festivities in his diner window. Luke, of course, was counteracting this ritual with one of his own- repeatedly refusing, often using colorful language.
One morning, near the end of June, Taylor walked into the diner and sat up at the counter, a would-be casual expression gracing his face. He picked up the menu and pretended to browse through it, making thoughtful sounds every now and then.
At the other end of the counter, Luke sighed in annoyance, and walked over the spot in front of Taylor, standing there in silence, waiting.
After a moment's silence, though, he lost his patience and said in a curt voice, "Spit it out, Taylor."
Taylor looked up from his menu, a pleasantly surprised look on his face. "Why, hello Luke. I didn't even know you were there."
Luke frowned at him in disbelief. "Of course you didn't, Taylor." When he only made a sound of agreement, Luke's eyes shot heavenward, and he said, "Just say what you want to say, or get out."
Taylor looked up from the menu once more, an innocent look on his aging face. "You know, I've never actually tried your tuna melts before. Are they any-"
"Taylor!" Luke exclaimed, his voice rising over the din, "What do you want?"
Taylor frowned at him sternly. "No need to get testy, Luke," he told him haughtily. "I was just trying to make conversation."
Luke raised an eyebrow in disbelief, and Taylor sighed. "Alright, already. I came here to ask you if-"
"No," Luke interrupted, walking around the counter, holding a plate piled with hot French fries. "Here," he told the customer, setting down the plate. "I hope your arteries enjoy this as much as you do."
Once he got back to his spot behind the counter, Taylor said in an offended voice, "You didn't even let me finish, Luke. That's not very customer-friendly."
Luke rolled his eyes once more. "Listen, Taylor, we do this little bit every holiday. You ask me to put up a sign in my window for some activity or another. I say no. You ask again. I say no. You ask a third time. I say no. And every time you ask after that, I still say no." He leaned onto the counter, and stared Taylor in the face. "So now you're going to ask me to put up a sign in my window for the firework display this weekend. Again. And since you seem to know everything, I'm sure you know that my answer will be…?"
Hopefully, Taylor asked, "That you've finally seen the light after all of these years, and not only will you put up a sign, but you'll also decorate?"
Luke snorted, and Taylor sighed. "Fine," he said poutily. "But I would like to remind you that not only are you a native citizen of Stars Hollow and you're still being very unpatriotic, but that this fine little diner of yours is located right in the middle of the town. If you put up a sign, everyone will know about it."
Luke shook his head wearily. "For one thing, Taylor, the population of Stars Hollow is like, 27. Everyone knows. And for another thing, I would really like to know what it is exactly that makes you think that I'll ever give in and there's any point in asking me."
Taylor looked up at him uncertainly, and said, "'Cause you're a big old softie?"
Luke glared at him as only someone named Luke can, and Taylor sighed.
"Well," he started slowly, trying to choose his words wisely, "I don't know if you know this yet, but Lorelai's in charge of advertising this year…"
Luke nodded dismissively as he grabbed a rag and started wiping down the counters. "Yeah, and?"
"Well," Taylor said again, this time waggling his eyebrows at him. Luke rolled his eyes. "Good grief, Taylor," he said exasperatedly, determinedly ignoring the man's moving eyebrows, "If Lorelai's in charge of it then why are you here?"
Taylor shrugged sheepishly. "Well, you see, Kirk and I had this little bet."
Luke slapped the rag down onto the counter and leaned on it heavily. "What kind of bet?" he asked in a dangerous sort of voice.
Guiltily, Taylor said, "That you would say yes to her and not to me."
Luke fought back a blush, knowing that that would only be fuel for the fire.
"Get out, Taylor," he said, resuming his cleaning.
"But-"
Luke glared at him again and said, "Unless you want me to shove al of the tuna melts in the world down your throat, I would suggest you leave. Now."
Taylor rolled his eyes in an aggravated sort of way. "Fine," he muttered, stalking out. "But that sign will be here eventually."
After Taylor had left, Luke sighed in relief.
It was times like these that he wondered why he had never left Stars Hollow.
---
Later that day, around noon, Lorelai walked into the diner. She headed straight for the counter, right in front of where Luke was wiping the counter off.
Dropping her purse onto the counter surface, she leaned forward, and said, "Must. Have. Coffee."
Questioningly, Luke quirked an eyebrow at her, and she said, "I'm having the worst day ever. Thus the need for coffee."
Luke rolled his eyes at her, and said, "You say that almost every day, Lorelai. It's not possible to have twenty thousand worst days, ya know."
Lorelai frowned at him poutily as he poured her a large cup of coffee. Oh, God, she thought as she took a deep swallow from the cup Luke sat in front of her, he's cranky today. Of course he'd be cranky today. Today's the day I promised Taylor I'd talk him into advertising for the stupid fireworks. And if I don't, Taylor will completely complain to the entire town about me at the next town meeting. I hate Taylor.
After she drank her coffee in a pouty silence, he stood in front of her again and asked, "Do you want some more?"
Lorelai brightened. "Oh, Luke. You always know exactly what to say."
He rolled his eyes once more, but nevertheless refilled her cup.
"So, Luke," she said in a sweet, persuasive voice. "How's your day been?"
"Quit with the small talk," Luke said, an annoyed look on his face. "I know why you're here, Lorelai."
Lorelai grinned at him "'Cause of your oh-so excellent coffee?"
He smirked. "Flattering, but no. Taylor stopped by today."
Her face fell a bit. "And?"
Luke shrugged. "That'd be a 'no'. I will not put a sign in my window. You know, I don't even see a need for the sign; everybody already knows about it! There's no need to annoy people by telling them about it over, and over, and over, and over, and-"
"Luke!" Lorelai exclaimed, laughing. "You can stop now! I get it. The sign's a no-go." Lorelai smiled inwardly at his ability to just rant at any given moment. Yeah, he can do a pretty good rant, just like me. Not that I have a problem with ranting. It's kinda cute Especially when there's coffee to go along with it…Lorelai paused, rethinking her thoughts. Wait…cute? Luke? Luke's cute? She looked down at her once-more empty coffee cup questioningly.
"This isn't Irish coffee, is it?" she asked Luke rather suddenly, interrupting his scathing retelling of his encounter with Taylor.
Luke shook his head. "Why?" he asked, sounding a bit worried. "You don't think the mix's gone bad, or anything, do you?"
She shook her head, smiling at him again. "Nah. Just wondering." Pushing her empty cup forward, she said, "Can I have just a little bit more? I swear, it'll be my last."
Luke snorted, pouring her more coffee. "You say that every time."
She gave him a mock glare. "Okay, one, I do not say that every time. And two, will you please put a sign up? Please? Taylor really, really wants you to."
He rolled his eyes. "Are we on that again?" When she nodded, he frowned.
"Well, then, one, " he started, mimicking her, "Yes, you do say that every time. And two," he said, giving her a slightly disgusted look as she practically inhaled her third cup of coffee, "How can you drink that stuff, when I know you know that it's really unhealthy? And three," he said, cutting her off before she could retort, "I do not care, nor have I ever cared, what Taylor wants."
Lorelai grinned at him. "One, this whole one, two thing will totally get confusing after a while. Two, I love it, and the love blinds me from all other ways of thinking, and, three, I've gotta get you to put the sign up in the window, or Taylor will completely bug me about it until that day I die."
Luke rolled his eyes again, wondering why he seemed to do that so much around her. "And," she continued, sensing a weak moment, "It would help me so, so much." She poked her bottom lip out, making it quiver, giving him her puppy-dog face.
Luke groaned inwardly. The puppy-dog face. I can never resist the puppy-dog face.
"Listen, Lorelai," he said in a softer-than-usual voice, "You just don't understand the reason that I can't say 'yes'. Besides the fact that I think it's stupid."
"You're right," she said interestedly. "I don't understand. Enlighten me." She leaned forward and rested her elbows on the counter.
He sighed, and looked around the diner resignedly. "C'mon," he said, gesturing towards the back room. "I don't want anyone else to hear this."
Lorelai perked up. "Sounds juicy," she said, grinning at him as they made their way into the storage room.
Once they got into the room, though, Luke realized that he hadn't completely thought it out; he had just gotten a shipment in that day, and there were lots of unpacked boxes, which left the standing room at a minimum. They ended up facing each other, about four inches apart.
Luke developed a sudden fascination for his shoes.
After a few long moments, he finally looked up. "Ok, here's the thing. When Taylor came in today, he said that he bet Kirk that I would let you put the sign up and not let him. So I can't give in, cause then Taylor will think…too much," he said, finishing lamely. He looked down at his shoes once more.
"Oh."
Lorelai blushed at her stupid answer, but it was pretty much all she could say. Okay, so we flirt some. Maybe a bit more than some. Maybe a lot. But I would flirt with Kirk if he had coffee to give me! And Kirk isn't even anywhere near as cute as Luke is. I mean, he does not think of me in that rip-my-shirt-off way. I don't know if he thinks of anyone in a rip-your-shirt-off way .I mean he's Luke! And just 'cause I wouldn't mind ripping his shirt off does. Not. Mean. Anything. She paused, shaking her head in confusion. I don't have feelings for Luke. He's my Diner Man, my Burger Boy, my Mr. Backwards Baseball Cap. He is just my friend, right? Of course right, God, what is wrong with me today? Thinking back to the coffee, she decided maybe the coffee had gone bad.
And while Lorelai was thinking all of that, Luke had some thoughts of his own. God, I'm going to kill Taylor. In creative, painful ways. What do these town people think, that they can just invade my privacy? This whole town should be a mental ward. They just have to realize that Lorelai doesn't feel that way. Maybe I do, but she doesn't. She definitely doesn't. I'm just the guy with the coffee.
Lorelai finally broke the silence. "So, I guess the whole sign thing's a 'no'."
"I just don't want Taylor to get rich off of Kirk."
Lorelai laughed a little, before gesturing at the door. "We've been in here a while," she said, waggling her eyebrows at him in a way similar to Taylor. "We'd better get out of here, or people might start talking." She winked at him suggestively and then she giggled.
"Aw, geez," Luke grumbled, and they walked out of the storeroom.
Ok, did everyone like that? If you want me to continue, I would be happy too, but I need some reviews and a lot of idea's to get this up and running! Help! And REVIEW! Please please please.ok, enough begging. Ok, once more, REVIEW. Ok, I'm done now, really, I am. Haha. and remember to review, hehehe.