Okay. I knew it would happen sooner or later. This whole revival thing has gotten me back into fanfic world. This little thing has been in my head all weekend. I thought maybe if I wrote it out it would leave me alone. It's been a while since I've written these two, so bare with me! Takes place during 7.22.
The music of the party was thumping in the background, Michael Jackson faded away into the Mighty Lemon Drops- all details Lorelai would be able to recount later, but in the moment, she noticed nothing. Guests were laughing. Taylor was griping. But all she heard was her heart, beating so hard inside her chest as she headed towards the diner.
She moved without knowing, exactly, what she was going to do, what she was going to say – but she knew she had a purpose. He had finally responded to her karaoke admission. He threw this party. He was Luke. This was him. He still loved her.
"Thank you," she said, simply.
"It's no big deal." Typical.
"Luke."
"I just like to see you happy."
No matter how many details of this moment would come back to her later, she's still not sure who leaned in to whom. She's not sure how she knew that it was time to go for it. After everything they had been through in the past year, she has no idea how she knew it was safe to take this risk. She's not sure, but she knows they were both on the same wavelength, they were both thinking the same thing, they were both in the same place, at the same time – finally.
She thinks it was during the kiss when the music finally registered in her mind, the sounds of the party behind them. He wrapped his arm around her like he was never going to let her go. Please, she thought, please let that be true.
They kissed for what seemed like forever, but at the same time it was over in a flash. When they finally pulled apart for air, she leaned her forehead against his.
"I'm sorry," she whispered, softly and gently, tears in her eyes as she looked up at him. "I'm sorry. I'm so sorry."
She wasn't clear about what she was sorry for – but she had to say it. She was sorry for so much. She was sorry for the ultimatum and walking away the way she did that night. She was sorry for going to Christopher. She was sorry for marrying him. She was sorry for hurting Luke, for making him feel his insecurities about Christopher all those years had been valid. She was sorry for everything she'd done wrong. She couldn't believe that here they were, a year and a marriage to someone else later, and they were making up from their fight, and part of her couldn't believe that he could forgive all that with such a simple apology.
Or maybe he already had.
"I'm sorry," he told her. "I messed up. I – I was an idiot. I hurt you. I'm sorry."
She sniffled and shook her head. "I hurt you, too."
"We messed up," he clarified, and they both smiled at that.
"We're idiots," Lorelai added and Luke chuckled. "Luke, I love you."
"I love you," he replied, rubbing her arm softly. "We can fix this. We will fix this."
She nodded and they were kissing again, right here in front of the diner. The same place where, a year ago, she had delivered an ultimatum and walked away from him in tears. She had been upset then, but in no way would she have imagined all that would take place between then and now.
For as much as she hated all the mistakes they had made – the pain she had been in at the end of their engagement, hurting Luke by going to Christopher, hurting Christopher and confusing Gigi and Rory – she had a sense that this past year would only make them stronger.
"Let's go back to the party," he said, and she nodded and took his hand.
For the first time in a year, she felt relief.
Everything was going to be okay.
