A/N: Inspired by a contest over on another site.
Disclaimer: I don't own Gilmore Girls.
Not a Bad Guy
I hadn't been to Luke's Diner in a long time. I'd been avoiding it because I didn't want to face Luke or Lorelai, not after everything that had happened. But tonight, for some reason, I found myself wandering through the streets of Stars Hollow late at night, and when I finally stopped I was standing in front of that very place, staring up at the 'William's Hardware' sign.
The sign on the door said closed, but I stepped up to it and tried to peer through the glass anyway. I knew Luke didn't live there anymore, he'd moved in with Lorelai a few months before their wedding, but for some reason I wanted to see those familiar tables and chairs again.
As I peered through a tiny crack in the blinds, I caught sight of movement by the stairs. I almost shouted and ran for help, but then I squinted a little and saw who it was: Jess Mariano. I stepped back and blinked, unsure of what to do. If I were sensible, I would have just left it at that, but curiosity got the better of me, so I knocked.
When he opened the door, he smiled. Honest to god, he grinned. Not the arrogant, "I'm so badass I'm better than you" grin I was used to, either, it was just a pleasant smile.
"Hey, Dean," he said, taking a step back from the door. "Want a cup of coffee?" I couldn't say anything. I just nodded and walked past him to the counter. I sat down on a stool, dumbfounded, while Jess breezed past me and turned on the coffee machine.
When the dark liquid started dripping down in to the pot, he turned around and leaned against the counter, and I realized it wasn't just his smile that was different. The way he stood, the clothes he was wearing, all of it seemed so…un-Jess.
"How've things been going?" Jess asked after our silence had dragged on. I shook my head, jolting myself out of all the past encounters with Jess that were running through my mind, and realized there was a full mug of coffee in front of me. I took a sip before I answered, trying to figure out what I was going to say.
"Things have been going all right," I said, setting down my mug. I toyed with the handle for a few seconds, then finally asked the question that had been on my mind since I'd first seen Jess through the window. "Why are you here?"
He smiled, but it wasn't the same as the earlier smile. This one was sad, sort of ironic, I think.
"I thought I'd stop by for a visit," he replied with a shrug. I nodded.
"Visiting anyone in particular?" I asked. He ducked his head slightly, looking down at the floor, and I knew the answer. "Rory," I said. He nodded.
"Yeah, I, uh…," he started, but then he just shook his head and reached into his coat pocket. He pulled out a small jewelry box and set it on the counter. We both stared at it, and I only nodded.
"What do you think she'll say?" I asked, my eyes still on the box.
"I dunno," he replied. "But 'yes' would be nice." We both chuckled lightly at his attempt to lighten the mood, and I looked up at him, pushing my still full mug across the counter and standing up.
"I'd better go," I said. "But, uh, best of luck." He nodded and I quickly left, tears burning at my eyes.
Because from just one short conversation, I knew Rory's answer; because I could tell that this Jess, this grown up Jess Mariano, was not a bad guy.
