A/N. This is a work in progress. It'll probably be updated once a week, on
Thursdays when I'm off from school. Names of streets and buildings are
completely made up and don't exist in the real world, as I know it. It's a
future fic, set up during Rory's 3rd year at Yale.
Please review and let me know what you think.
*284 Keaton Street---Rory Gilmore's apartment, shared with her roommate and fellow Yale student Grace Troanni; daughter of uptight religious parents rebelling by wearing naval-revealing shirts and dating with out intention of marriage.
*The phone rings.
Rory is seated on the floor of her living room studying.
Grace springs out of her bedroom with a large girn on her face.
"Guess who?"
Rory smiles at her friend as she stretches her arms out towards the phone in her roommate's hand.
Grace pulls the phone closer to her and puts her mouth to it, in a seductive voice she says, "So when are you going to get over this girl and take me out for a change?" Grace giggles as she listens to the reply.
"Hey I can be there in 10 if you're serious, but if you're not..." Jess Marino's voice is sly yet rough in a warm way.
"Wipe that smirk off your face, I know you'll never give her up for me." Grace says with faux harshness.
In a lowered voice Jess replies, "Well being that she won't have me, there's nothing to give up now is there." Jess tone is cold but honest.
Grace frowns, "Stop with that shit, you know it depresses me."
"Yeah, well..."
"Well, I'm giving you over to Rory; you're boring me."
Before Jess can reply Grace hands the phone to Rory and rushes back to her room to get ready for a date.
"Hey." Rory's voice is exasperated. "Everything ok?"
"And why wouldn't it be?"
"I don't know, but Grace was making that face again."
"Writers for big-time newspapers aren't allowed to have bad days." Jess says nonchalantly, a smart-ass grin playing on his lips.
"Wait-do you mean-
"That's right, got the call this afternoon, I ship out a week from Monday."
"Ship out?" Rory asks confused.
"Well, I can't really write for the New York Times from Connecticut now can I?"
"I just didn't' think about it, I guess." Rory says slightly deflated.
"Oh God, she's back. Am I really going to have to take the "I just-dropped- my-ice-cream-cone-on-the-ground-so-now-I'm-sad" Rory out for a celebratory drink?"
Rory sighs, Jess immature unstructured way with words always made her feel better, and he knew it. Right now at a time when she didn't want to feel better she really hated him for being himself. She groans, "No."
"Good, because as we learned from the whole "breaking-up-with-Mr.-wonderful- Yale-
socialite" sad, pathetic Rory can't hold her drink." Jess says in a patronizing tone.
Rory stifles a laugh, hoping that her best friend would hear her, "So where are you taking me?"
"Narnia"
"Yay!" Rory exclaims, excited to be going to her favorite nightspot; a little underground café club named justly for the fictional land in "The Lion, The Witch, and The Wardrobe."
"Pick you up in 20?" Jess says, attempting to mask his happiness.
"Sounds good."
"Alright, till then." With that simple goodbye, the phone clicks leaving Rory to prepare for a night of dancing and literary discussion.
Rory runs into Grace's room, where grace is in front of her mirror applying streaks of blue to her messy brunette tresses.
"So, did he propose yet?" Grace says sarcastically; not taking her attention away from the task at hand.
Rory sighs heavily, "I told you, it's not like that."
"Ok." Grace says, convinced by neither Jess nor Rory's constant denials. "So what'd he want?"
Rory looks down at the floor, "He got the job."
Grace turns around quickly forgetting about her hair, causing her to get blue dye all over her dresser. She gives a backward glance to the blue comb excreting blue dye, shrugs and then speaks, "That's great!"
Rory nods solemnly.
"It is great, right?" Grace raises an eyebrow at her friend.
"Of course it is, it just means that now instead of being 10 minutes away he's an hour and 10 minutes away."
"Yeah, but that's not really that long of a drive, plus we can make up some killer compilations for you to play in the car ride down there." Grace gives Rory a reassuring smile.
"Yeah, I guess."
"So where's he taking you to celebrate?"
At the thought of tonights plans Rory perks up, "Narnia!"
An unenthused Grace turns away from Rory, attempting to mop up the dye with a hand towel. "Oh. What fun a night spent with 60 other people dancing to emo and punk while discussing Faulkner in a place decorated to look like a closet."
"It's in reference to 'The Lion-
"I know! You two have explained the reference a thousand times, I still don't think it makes that place interesting."
Rory bounces on the bed, "So who's tonight's lucky boy?" Rory smirks.
Grace turns around again, glaring at Rory, "You've been hanging around with Rebel with a cause way to long, wipe that damn thing off your face."
Rory laughs, "Come on who is your boy tonight?"
"He's not a boy....and it's Scott."
"Scott, as in Scott DeMilo?"
"Venus himself."
Rory sits down on the bed with a thunk, "Scott, the up-and-coming independent filmmaker who for some reason has taken to hanging out with us for the past 2 years?"
"Yes, that one." Grace grins.
"I thought you had a rule about 'playing with friends'?" Rory gives her promiscuous friend a stern look.
Grace blushes.
"Wait a second, are you telling me you're not playing?" Rory says shocked.
Grace kneels on the floor by the bed, now at eye level with Rory she gushes, "I don't know!" She sighs, "All I know is he asked me to go with him to this exhibit downtown last Tuesday and I had fun, real fun. He made me laugh, really laugh, Ror. So when he asked if I'd meet up with him after he got off work at the bar, I couldn't help but say yes."
Rory's glare softens.
"I know, "I'm pathetic."
Rory puts her hand on her friends shoulder, "No, I think it's great. Good luck." With that said Rory gets up making her way to Grace's closet. "Can I borrow this?" Rory asks pulling out a light purple fitted three quarter sweater.
"Knock yourself out."
*10 minutes later.
*There's a knock at the door.
Grace makes her way over to the door.
"Ah Princess Grace, and how is thy lady tonight."
Grace puts out her hand, playing along and letting Jess kiss it, "I'm wonderful." She says happily.
"Ah, yes tonight's the night isn't it?" Jess looks her up and down, "Scott won't be disappointed."
"How did yo- he told you!?"
"Um, yes. Best friends do tend to confide in each other." Jess says purposely being snide.
Grace gives Jess a huffy look and stomps off. Startled by the noise Rory emerges from her room.
"Oh, hey."
Jess looks up, "Hi." He says quietly, taken back by Rory's simple beauty.
"Well, I'm ready. You?"
Jess shakes out his messy hair, in an attempt to control himself, "Y-yeah." He puts out his arm and Rory takes it.
*30 minutes later: Narnia.
*Rory is seated on a small couch, designed to look like a pile of clothes. Jess approaches her with a cup of coffee in one hand and bottle of beer in the other.
Rory makes a face at Jess as he takes a swig of his Killian's Irish Red, "How can you drink that stuff?"
"This is a club, a slightly elite, distorted club, but a club none the less; I'm supposed to drink this here." Jess says holding the brown bottle up to her.
Rory's face is still puckered as he continues, "And you should talk, I'm not the only one hitting the Irish stuff." Jess says making reference to the alcohol slipped into Rory's coffee.
"Well I can't drink it plain here can I? They'd laugh me right out, this is a club you know." Rory says sheepishly as and old favorite, 'Somewhere Out There' by Our Lady of Peace plays in the background.
Jess smirks at her and begins to speak but is cut off by the man at the next couch pulling Rory back into the groups' conversation.
"I can't believe you actually are standing here telling me that you think 'Rent' is more poignant than La boheme." He says callously.
"Well, I'm not standing, I'm sitting but I think for today's society it's more affective, and gets the message across in a way that's easier for today's society to understand."
"Fuck society, we're talking theatrical art here." The stranger barks at her.
"Hey buddy! Calm down, the woman's only giving her opinion there's no need to scream at her." Jess cuts in angrily.
Rory moves closer to Jess, shocked by his protectiveness of her.
"And by the way 'Rent' is only loosely based on 'La Boheme, it's actually-"
And so Jess was off on another one of his passionate rants.
Rory watches closely as his facial expressions change, his arms are flaunted about in motions to prove his point. Rory had witnessed thousands of Jess' rants, sitting on the very same couch that they were seated at now, but for some reason tonight was different. Maybe it was the "Irish" coffee, or maybe it was that two weeks from now Jess would be more than just a phone call away. Either way sitting close enough to Jess to feel his heart beat angst her body, Rory feels her pulse race, and her brow moisten with sweat.
What is happening to her? Was Grace right, did she have feeling for Jess? Overtaken by her thoughts, Rory gulps down her coffee.
Jess gives her a sideways glance, "Whoa, something the matter?"
Rory makes a face as the alcohol slides down her throat, "N-nope, just thirsty." She blinks profusely, "I-I'm going to get another coffee, want something."
Jess gives her an odd look, "I'll have another Killian's."
Rory nods and then walks towards the bar as Jess turns back to the heated discussion.
*4 hours later: Midnight. *Jess and Rory exit the club, Jess's arm is hooked with Rory's, supporting the later, who is somewhat sloshed.
"Alright come on." Jess says softly, "I told you to pace yourself."
Regaining balance Rory replies, "I did, they just put a little too much alcohol in my last coffee."
"You're third." Jess gives her a knowing look.
"I'm fine really, you can let go of me." Rory says calmly.
Jess looks her up and down and decides to let her go. At first she stumbles but regains balance and continues to walk towards Jess' car. As they approach it Jess jogs forward to get the door for Rory. He stands by the door as she makes her way into the car.
"Hey Jess?" Rory says, stopping in front of him
"Yeah?" He answers.
"I'm going to really miss you." She whispers moving his face closer to her with her hands.
"W-what are you doing?" Jess asks, mesmerized by Rory's clear blue eyes, fixated on him.
Rory breaths a calm breathe, "This."
Jess goes to speak but his words are lost as Rory's slender pink lips crash into his.
Jess is consumed by the kiss, he attempts to pull away but Rory wraps her arms around his neck making it impossible for him to escape.
After a moment, he manages to wriggle out of Rory's grasp, long enough to say, "This isn't right, you're drunk."
"I told you, I'm fine." Rory says breathing heavily.
Jess moves swiftly away from Rory, before she can take hold of him again he grabs her gently by the arm and puts her in the car, makes his way unsteadily to the drivers seat and drives away.
*5 minutes later: In front of Rory's apartment.
"Here we are, come on I'll get you upstairs." Jess says calmly, his heart beating rapidly.
"Don't make me go up there like this." Rory whispers.
"Rory.."
Rory puts her finger to his lips, "Please Jess."
Jess searches her eyes; in them he sees desperation. He knows that Rory Gilmore only gets drunk when something is bothering her. But what could be bothering her? Her mother was happily living in Stars Hollow, with local proprietor, Luke Danes, school was going well for her and her paid internship at a local news station was really taking off, it couldn't have been her breakup 3 months ago, one night while She and Jess were watching movies, she had confided in him that Skyler Thomas, meant nothing to her and she'd only stayed with him because he was a really nice guy. So what was it that made overindulge? The sudden thought of him leaving came to mind.
"Couldn't be." He mumbled to himself.
"Jess?" Rory asks.
"Huh?"
"Please, I just, I don't want to go up there."
Jess nods and turns away from Rory, starting up his car they drive off.
*7:30am.
The alarm clock sounds loudly in Rory Gilmore's ears, she winces and the groans reaching for her purple elephant clock, sent to her care of Lorelai Gilmore. She reaches out to her dresser but to her shock the purple elephant is not there. With out looking she reaches again, coming up empty handed. Confused she roes over towards the other side of the bed in search of "Peppy", the purple elephant.
Rory is stopped mid-roll by a large mass lying motionless, save a few quiet breathes to her right.
Rory opens her eyes wide, as the events of last night calm into mind. Abruptly she sits up, turning to examine the man sleeping next to her. In an instant the familiar smell of h Old Spice after-shave and Brut cologne drifts past her nose, sending a shiver up her back. She doesn't look at him, she doesn't have to; the mass stirs causing his messy brown hair to stroke Rory's arm. She moves away from him, feeling nauseas she begins to get up but before she can, her pale face is met by the calm face of Jess Mariano, hidden behind a disheveled mane of hair.
"Oh my God!" Rory Gilmore exclaims, getting out of bed, only to realize she's only wearing her bra and underwear.
"Rory!" Jess says as Rory holds her hand up attempting to shield him from viewing her shaking form.
Rory moves quickly around the room in search of her purple sweater and gray chinos, mumbling to herself, "Oh my God."
"Rory!" Jess says stumbling out of bed and onto the floor.
Rory continues to move at the speed of light around the room.
Jess stands up making his way towards her, she pushes past him; pulling her sweater on, grabbing her pants and heading to the door.
Jess jumps in front of the door stopping Rory in her tracks. She tries to look away but he forces her to meet his gaze.
"Rory, it's ok."
"No, it's not ok!" She screams.
"You don't understand.."
"No, I think I do Jess. What's there not to understand I slept with you, I was drunk , end of story." Rory exclaims as tears begin to flow down her face.
Jess goes to wipe them away put she pushes his hand away from her. "Rory it wasn't like that, I didn't mean to-
Rory sighs, "Please don't." Jess breaks their gaze unable to look in the eye with out breaking down himself. "I-I know you didn't, I'm sure any guy would have taken advantage of the situation." Rory says bitterly.
Jess looks up at her, suddenly angry at her point of view, "That is not what happened!" He says sternly.
"Ok, then tell me, Jess. What did happen?" Rory say equally furious.
"I took you home, and you didn't want, you were-and I was..." Jess trails off unable to make sense of exactly what happened the previous night.
Rory nods, "That's what I thought." Grabbing Jess' arm she swings under it and out the door.
Jess runs after her, "Rory, please don't go." He says as Rory struggles to button her chinos.
Rory looks up at him as she opens the front door, "Maybe it's not such a bad thing that you're leaving." She says bitterly.
Jess moves towards her, searching her face for some weakness, but he doesn't find it. Rory's face remains hard, her eyes cold freezing his insides, "Maybe you're right." He says finally giving up, defeated.
A single tear streaks Rory's face, she wipes it away and then leaves, Jess doesn't go after her.
*20 minutes later: Rory arrives home.
Grace is sitting at the counter reading the paper. She looks up at Rory as she puts her purse on the table.
"Hey. You look awful, party too hard?"
"D-did anyone call for me?" Rory says as fresh tears begin to fall.
"No. Sweetie, are you ok?" Grace says standing up and walking towards her friends.
"You sure J-Jess, didn't call?"
"no....did something happen?"
"I, I uh; I slept with Jess." Rory says shocked as the words leave her lips.
"Oh my God." Grace says putting her hand to mouth, unsure of how to comfort her friend.
"I know!" Rory exclaims as she allows her legs to give in and falls to the floor in despair.
*11am Connecticut Train Station.
*Jess is standing in line, talking quietly into a cell phone, his voice is broken and unsteady.
"So you can set me up with an apartment?"
"Maybe not for a few days but until then you can crash on my couch." The voice on the other end says."
"Thanks, Matt."
"What happened? I thought you said you couldn't leave until everything there was squared away?"
"Yeah, well all the important stuff was resolved this morning."
"Ohhh..." The confused voice of Matt Greer, Jess Marino's childhood friend says, "Say what time are you going to get here?"
"Meet me at Penn in about an hour and a half." Jess says flatly.
"NEXT!!" The tellers voice yells.
"Look, I got to go, see you in a while bye." Jess says mechanically shutting off his phone and approaching the window, "One ticket to New York..."
A/n Hope you guys liked it. It's a bitter more mature material than what I usually write, but I thought it was time. Hope I don't offend anybody by my use of the word Irish in reference to the alcohol in Rory's drink, it is an actual term used. Let me know what you think over all. R/R
*284 Keaton Street---Rory Gilmore's apartment, shared with her roommate and fellow Yale student Grace Troanni; daughter of uptight religious parents rebelling by wearing naval-revealing shirts and dating with out intention of marriage.
*The phone rings.
Rory is seated on the floor of her living room studying.
Grace springs out of her bedroom with a large girn on her face.
"Guess who?"
Rory smiles at her friend as she stretches her arms out towards the phone in her roommate's hand.
Grace pulls the phone closer to her and puts her mouth to it, in a seductive voice she says, "So when are you going to get over this girl and take me out for a change?" Grace giggles as she listens to the reply.
"Hey I can be there in 10 if you're serious, but if you're not..." Jess Marino's voice is sly yet rough in a warm way.
"Wipe that smirk off your face, I know you'll never give her up for me." Grace says with faux harshness.
In a lowered voice Jess replies, "Well being that she won't have me, there's nothing to give up now is there." Jess tone is cold but honest.
Grace frowns, "Stop with that shit, you know it depresses me."
"Yeah, well..."
"Well, I'm giving you over to Rory; you're boring me."
Before Jess can reply Grace hands the phone to Rory and rushes back to her room to get ready for a date.
"Hey." Rory's voice is exasperated. "Everything ok?"
"And why wouldn't it be?"
"I don't know, but Grace was making that face again."
"Writers for big-time newspapers aren't allowed to have bad days." Jess says nonchalantly, a smart-ass grin playing on his lips.
"Wait-do you mean-
"That's right, got the call this afternoon, I ship out a week from Monday."
"Ship out?" Rory asks confused.
"Well, I can't really write for the New York Times from Connecticut now can I?"
"I just didn't' think about it, I guess." Rory says slightly deflated.
"Oh God, she's back. Am I really going to have to take the "I just-dropped- my-ice-cream-cone-on-the-ground-so-now-I'm-sad" Rory out for a celebratory drink?"
Rory sighs, Jess immature unstructured way with words always made her feel better, and he knew it. Right now at a time when she didn't want to feel better she really hated him for being himself. She groans, "No."
"Good, because as we learned from the whole "breaking-up-with-Mr.-wonderful- Yale-
socialite" sad, pathetic Rory can't hold her drink." Jess says in a patronizing tone.
Rory stifles a laugh, hoping that her best friend would hear her, "So where are you taking me?"
"Narnia"
"Yay!" Rory exclaims, excited to be going to her favorite nightspot; a little underground café club named justly for the fictional land in "The Lion, The Witch, and The Wardrobe."
"Pick you up in 20?" Jess says, attempting to mask his happiness.
"Sounds good."
"Alright, till then." With that simple goodbye, the phone clicks leaving Rory to prepare for a night of dancing and literary discussion.
Rory runs into Grace's room, where grace is in front of her mirror applying streaks of blue to her messy brunette tresses.
"So, did he propose yet?" Grace says sarcastically; not taking her attention away from the task at hand.
Rory sighs heavily, "I told you, it's not like that."
"Ok." Grace says, convinced by neither Jess nor Rory's constant denials. "So what'd he want?"
Rory looks down at the floor, "He got the job."
Grace turns around quickly forgetting about her hair, causing her to get blue dye all over her dresser. She gives a backward glance to the blue comb excreting blue dye, shrugs and then speaks, "That's great!"
Rory nods solemnly.
"It is great, right?" Grace raises an eyebrow at her friend.
"Of course it is, it just means that now instead of being 10 minutes away he's an hour and 10 minutes away."
"Yeah, but that's not really that long of a drive, plus we can make up some killer compilations for you to play in the car ride down there." Grace gives Rory a reassuring smile.
"Yeah, I guess."
"So where's he taking you to celebrate?"
At the thought of tonights plans Rory perks up, "Narnia!"
An unenthused Grace turns away from Rory, attempting to mop up the dye with a hand towel. "Oh. What fun a night spent with 60 other people dancing to emo and punk while discussing Faulkner in a place decorated to look like a closet."
"It's in reference to 'The Lion-
"I know! You two have explained the reference a thousand times, I still don't think it makes that place interesting."
Rory bounces on the bed, "So who's tonight's lucky boy?" Rory smirks.
Grace turns around again, glaring at Rory, "You've been hanging around with Rebel with a cause way to long, wipe that damn thing off your face."
Rory laughs, "Come on who is your boy tonight?"
"He's not a boy....and it's Scott."
"Scott, as in Scott DeMilo?"
"Venus himself."
Rory sits down on the bed with a thunk, "Scott, the up-and-coming independent filmmaker who for some reason has taken to hanging out with us for the past 2 years?"
"Yes, that one." Grace grins.
"I thought you had a rule about 'playing with friends'?" Rory gives her promiscuous friend a stern look.
Grace blushes.
"Wait a second, are you telling me you're not playing?" Rory says shocked.
Grace kneels on the floor by the bed, now at eye level with Rory she gushes, "I don't know!" She sighs, "All I know is he asked me to go with him to this exhibit downtown last Tuesday and I had fun, real fun. He made me laugh, really laugh, Ror. So when he asked if I'd meet up with him after he got off work at the bar, I couldn't help but say yes."
Rory's glare softens.
"I know, "I'm pathetic."
Rory puts her hand on her friends shoulder, "No, I think it's great. Good luck." With that said Rory gets up making her way to Grace's closet. "Can I borrow this?" Rory asks pulling out a light purple fitted three quarter sweater.
"Knock yourself out."
*10 minutes later.
*There's a knock at the door.
Grace makes her way over to the door.
"Ah Princess Grace, and how is thy lady tonight."
Grace puts out her hand, playing along and letting Jess kiss it, "I'm wonderful." She says happily.
"Ah, yes tonight's the night isn't it?" Jess looks her up and down, "Scott won't be disappointed."
"How did yo- he told you!?"
"Um, yes. Best friends do tend to confide in each other." Jess says purposely being snide.
Grace gives Jess a huffy look and stomps off. Startled by the noise Rory emerges from her room.
"Oh, hey."
Jess looks up, "Hi." He says quietly, taken back by Rory's simple beauty.
"Well, I'm ready. You?"
Jess shakes out his messy hair, in an attempt to control himself, "Y-yeah." He puts out his arm and Rory takes it.
*30 minutes later: Narnia.
*Rory is seated on a small couch, designed to look like a pile of clothes. Jess approaches her with a cup of coffee in one hand and bottle of beer in the other.
Rory makes a face at Jess as he takes a swig of his Killian's Irish Red, "How can you drink that stuff?"
"This is a club, a slightly elite, distorted club, but a club none the less; I'm supposed to drink this here." Jess says holding the brown bottle up to her.
Rory's face is still puckered as he continues, "And you should talk, I'm not the only one hitting the Irish stuff." Jess says making reference to the alcohol slipped into Rory's coffee.
"Well I can't drink it plain here can I? They'd laugh me right out, this is a club you know." Rory says sheepishly as and old favorite, 'Somewhere Out There' by Our Lady of Peace plays in the background.
Jess smirks at her and begins to speak but is cut off by the man at the next couch pulling Rory back into the groups' conversation.
"I can't believe you actually are standing here telling me that you think 'Rent' is more poignant than La boheme." He says callously.
"Well, I'm not standing, I'm sitting but I think for today's society it's more affective, and gets the message across in a way that's easier for today's society to understand."
"Fuck society, we're talking theatrical art here." The stranger barks at her.
"Hey buddy! Calm down, the woman's only giving her opinion there's no need to scream at her." Jess cuts in angrily.
Rory moves closer to Jess, shocked by his protectiveness of her.
"And by the way 'Rent' is only loosely based on 'La Boheme, it's actually-"
And so Jess was off on another one of his passionate rants.
Rory watches closely as his facial expressions change, his arms are flaunted about in motions to prove his point. Rory had witnessed thousands of Jess' rants, sitting on the very same couch that they were seated at now, but for some reason tonight was different. Maybe it was the "Irish" coffee, or maybe it was that two weeks from now Jess would be more than just a phone call away. Either way sitting close enough to Jess to feel his heart beat angst her body, Rory feels her pulse race, and her brow moisten with sweat.
What is happening to her? Was Grace right, did she have feeling for Jess? Overtaken by her thoughts, Rory gulps down her coffee.
Jess gives her a sideways glance, "Whoa, something the matter?"
Rory makes a face as the alcohol slides down her throat, "N-nope, just thirsty." She blinks profusely, "I-I'm going to get another coffee, want something."
Jess gives her an odd look, "I'll have another Killian's."
Rory nods and then walks towards the bar as Jess turns back to the heated discussion.
*4 hours later: Midnight. *Jess and Rory exit the club, Jess's arm is hooked with Rory's, supporting the later, who is somewhat sloshed.
"Alright come on." Jess says softly, "I told you to pace yourself."
Regaining balance Rory replies, "I did, they just put a little too much alcohol in my last coffee."
"You're third." Jess gives her a knowing look.
"I'm fine really, you can let go of me." Rory says calmly.
Jess looks her up and down and decides to let her go. At first she stumbles but regains balance and continues to walk towards Jess' car. As they approach it Jess jogs forward to get the door for Rory. He stands by the door as she makes her way into the car.
"Hey Jess?" Rory says, stopping in front of him
"Yeah?" He answers.
"I'm going to really miss you." She whispers moving his face closer to her with her hands.
"W-what are you doing?" Jess asks, mesmerized by Rory's clear blue eyes, fixated on him.
Rory breaths a calm breathe, "This."
Jess goes to speak but his words are lost as Rory's slender pink lips crash into his.
Jess is consumed by the kiss, he attempts to pull away but Rory wraps her arms around his neck making it impossible for him to escape.
After a moment, he manages to wriggle out of Rory's grasp, long enough to say, "This isn't right, you're drunk."
"I told you, I'm fine." Rory says breathing heavily.
Jess moves swiftly away from Rory, before she can take hold of him again he grabs her gently by the arm and puts her in the car, makes his way unsteadily to the drivers seat and drives away.
*5 minutes later: In front of Rory's apartment.
"Here we are, come on I'll get you upstairs." Jess says calmly, his heart beating rapidly.
"Don't make me go up there like this." Rory whispers.
"Rory.."
Rory puts her finger to his lips, "Please Jess."
Jess searches her eyes; in them he sees desperation. He knows that Rory Gilmore only gets drunk when something is bothering her. But what could be bothering her? Her mother was happily living in Stars Hollow, with local proprietor, Luke Danes, school was going well for her and her paid internship at a local news station was really taking off, it couldn't have been her breakup 3 months ago, one night while She and Jess were watching movies, she had confided in him that Skyler Thomas, meant nothing to her and she'd only stayed with him because he was a really nice guy. So what was it that made overindulge? The sudden thought of him leaving came to mind.
"Couldn't be." He mumbled to himself.
"Jess?" Rory asks.
"Huh?"
"Please, I just, I don't want to go up there."
Jess nods and turns away from Rory, starting up his car they drive off.
*7:30am.
The alarm clock sounds loudly in Rory Gilmore's ears, she winces and the groans reaching for her purple elephant clock, sent to her care of Lorelai Gilmore. She reaches out to her dresser but to her shock the purple elephant is not there. With out looking she reaches again, coming up empty handed. Confused she roes over towards the other side of the bed in search of "Peppy", the purple elephant.
Rory is stopped mid-roll by a large mass lying motionless, save a few quiet breathes to her right.
Rory opens her eyes wide, as the events of last night calm into mind. Abruptly she sits up, turning to examine the man sleeping next to her. In an instant the familiar smell of h Old Spice after-shave and Brut cologne drifts past her nose, sending a shiver up her back. She doesn't look at him, she doesn't have to; the mass stirs causing his messy brown hair to stroke Rory's arm. She moves away from him, feeling nauseas she begins to get up but before she can, her pale face is met by the calm face of Jess Mariano, hidden behind a disheveled mane of hair.
"Oh my God!" Rory Gilmore exclaims, getting out of bed, only to realize she's only wearing her bra and underwear.
"Rory!" Jess says as Rory holds her hand up attempting to shield him from viewing her shaking form.
Rory moves quickly around the room in search of her purple sweater and gray chinos, mumbling to herself, "Oh my God."
"Rory!" Jess says stumbling out of bed and onto the floor.
Rory continues to move at the speed of light around the room.
Jess stands up making his way towards her, she pushes past him; pulling her sweater on, grabbing her pants and heading to the door.
Jess jumps in front of the door stopping Rory in her tracks. She tries to look away but he forces her to meet his gaze.
"Rory, it's ok."
"No, it's not ok!" She screams.
"You don't understand.."
"No, I think I do Jess. What's there not to understand I slept with you, I was drunk , end of story." Rory exclaims as tears begin to flow down her face.
Jess goes to wipe them away put she pushes his hand away from her. "Rory it wasn't like that, I didn't mean to-
Rory sighs, "Please don't." Jess breaks their gaze unable to look in the eye with out breaking down himself. "I-I know you didn't, I'm sure any guy would have taken advantage of the situation." Rory says bitterly.
Jess looks up at her, suddenly angry at her point of view, "That is not what happened!" He says sternly.
"Ok, then tell me, Jess. What did happen?" Rory say equally furious.
"I took you home, and you didn't want, you were-and I was..." Jess trails off unable to make sense of exactly what happened the previous night.
Rory nods, "That's what I thought." Grabbing Jess' arm she swings under it and out the door.
Jess runs after her, "Rory, please don't go." He says as Rory struggles to button her chinos.
Rory looks up at him as she opens the front door, "Maybe it's not such a bad thing that you're leaving." She says bitterly.
Jess moves towards her, searching her face for some weakness, but he doesn't find it. Rory's face remains hard, her eyes cold freezing his insides, "Maybe you're right." He says finally giving up, defeated.
A single tear streaks Rory's face, she wipes it away and then leaves, Jess doesn't go after her.
*20 minutes later: Rory arrives home.
Grace is sitting at the counter reading the paper. She looks up at Rory as she puts her purse on the table.
"Hey. You look awful, party too hard?"
"D-did anyone call for me?" Rory says as fresh tears begin to fall.
"No. Sweetie, are you ok?" Grace says standing up and walking towards her friends.
"You sure J-Jess, didn't call?"
"no....did something happen?"
"I, I uh; I slept with Jess." Rory says shocked as the words leave her lips.
"Oh my God." Grace says putting her hand to mouth, unsure of how to comfort her friend.
"I know!" Rory exclaims as she allows her legs to give in and falls to the floor in despair.
*11am Connecticut Train Station.
*Jess is standing in line, talking quietly into a cell phone, his voice is broken and unsteady.
"So you can set me up with an apartment?"
"Maybe not for a few days but until then you can crash on my couch." The voice on the other end says."
"Thanks, Matt."
"What happened? I thought you said you couldn't leave until everything there was squared away?"
"Yeah, well all the important stuff was resolved this morning."
"Ohhh..." The confused voice of Matt Greer, Jess Marino's childhood friend says, "Say what time are you going to get here?"
"Meet me at Penn in about an hour and a half." Jess says flatly.
"NEXT!!" The tellers voice yells.
"Look, I got to go, see you in a while bye." Jess says mechanically shutting off his phone and approaching the window, "One ticket to New York..."
A/n Hope you guys liked it. It's a bitter more mature material than what I usually write, but I thought it was time. Hope I don't offend anybody by my use of the word Irish in reference to the alcohol in Rory's drink, it is an actual term used. Let me know what you think over all. R/R