"I've got to believe that at some point there's gonna be a right time for us." He said as she stood by her car, waiting to escape.
"Yeah," She smiled, "Maybe."
"Drive safe Gilmore." He warned as she got in and sped away, back to Yale and the boyfriend and a bunch of questions. But somehow he knew she'd be back.
***
He traced his fingers over her skin, wrapping his arm around her waist and resting in that perfect curve of her neck.
"I know you're awake," She drawled, soft from sleep, "I always know."
She turned over to face him, and there was a lightness there, that glowing part of him that the rest of the world only got to see in his books, but she had seen from the beginning.
"Hi."
"Hi."
They kissed gently, trying to push the uncertainty away. The same thought crossed both their minds, but they knew better than to say it. This is so much better than last time.
"So, you gonna stay for breakfast?" He asked, moving from the bed and pulling a t-shirt over his head.
She spread out on the bed, arms wide and closed her eyes, smiling. "Can I stay forever?"
"Sounds good to me," Jess grinned as he went through to the kitchen to turn on the coffee maker, "Not looking forward to getting back on the road?"
She sat up, and just grinned, "I love it, so much. Writing articles, making contacts, did I show you my credentials? I have credentials! It's almost like being a real adult now."
"But…"
"But I miss my mom, and Luke and decent coffee and waking up in the same bed every day and some of the places we visit make me insane with how satisfied they are to do nothing- this is a presedential election for god's sake!"
"Woah, easy there tiger, drink your coffee and relax. No-one's gonna change the world in a day, although if they were I'm betting on you Rory Gilmore."
She just smiled and sipped her coffee. "So…"
"So…" He assumed the worst.
"Are we gonna talk about the thing we're not talking about?" She asked meekly.
"I guess we could," he tried to stay casual, "Or we could file it in a folder with pretty much everything else between us, entitled 'Bad Timing' and move on to brighter things?"
'That really really works for me." She sighed in relief. "So, where's good for breakfast in this town?"
"In bed." Jess grinned, setting down her cup as he reached for her. He was not going to let it slip away this time.
****
"I'm really glad you're here." He said, leaning in. This was key, if she leaned in too…it meant that he wasn't an idiot, and the things he was thinking were right.
She leaned in, "Me too."
Abandoned bookstore after a brilliantly successful night, and here was Rory Gilmore, offering herself to him. The angst he'd had over sending her that invitation, and he was right all along.
He moved in to kiss her and it felt right, like it always had. The same gentle sweetness with that passion buried deep beneath. Someone else had kissed her and slept with her, someone else had taught her how to unlock that passion that was inside her, that need he'd always felt from her. And now, here they were, and it was finally the right time.
When they broke apart she looked shellshocked.
"You okay?" he stroked her arm gently.
"I…I really didn't expect that. I mean, I might have expected that but I didn't expect to feel…that."
"Which 'that' are we talking about here?"
"This thing between us." She stood up, confused and ready to bolt.
"It's me and you Rory, you know? There's always a thing." Too soon to tell her it was the only 'thing' that really meant anything to him. Too soon to tell her he still loved her. It was ridiculous, and he'd never got that right with her. Other girls were easy, but Rory Gilmore was still so much more.
"Yeah, I guess there was, there is." She still looked agitated, but he could see her looking at him anew, looking as she hadn't allowed herself before. She reached out and put her hand to his cheek. It seemed like forever till she made her decision. He knew, and Jess was not used to knowing more than she did, although he was used to knowing what she felt before she felt it. There was a need within her, although whether it was for him, he wasn't sure. She was hurting, and not quite herself, dulled down, washed out a bit. He had to take charge.
"D'you wanna come see the new thing I'm writing? Maybe watch a movie and get some chinese food?" He tried not to sound so eager.
She hesitated for a second, "Yeah, I'd really like that."
So they sat together on the couch for a long while, laughing and talking about Stars Hollow, wondering about Luke and Lorelai's wedding, and whether April was just smart or actually a genius.
There'd been wine, of course there'd been wine and beer, and the heat was flushing her cheeks so perfectly. He twined his hand through hers, and simply stared. When he leaned into kiss her she didn't lean away, and he started to feel her open up, to become his Rory again, the one from so long ago. When he pulled away, silent, she just nodded, and he lead her to his room.
It was passionate but awkward, not saying anything, not quipping or laughing. Silence was something new for them, and it didn't quite fit. Exploring her body had been a seventeen-year-old fantasy, and here she was, a present to be unwrapped. He took his time, trying to show her he cared, trying to let her know. She was satisfied but absent, she just kept staring into his eyes like she was hypnotised.
Later, when he woke, she was already dressed, writing a note on the desk.
"Hey, a Gilmore leaving quietly? Never." He joked, "Have you even had coffee yet? We could get some breakfast…"
She burst into tears. "I'm sorry. I'm so sorry. I shouldn't have, I didn't mean to, but it's you, you know? It's us, and I…"
"Hey hey hey, come here." He shushed her, and pulling on some sweatpants and a t-shirt, sat next to her on the bed. "What's this all about?"
"You asked me yesterday if everything had been fixed. One thing hasn't." She looked up at him with those huge blue eyes, and his heart dropped through his stomach.
"You're still with that guy," He said emotionlessly, "And you're going back to him."
"I love him." She said angrily, "He cheated on me and I ran away to you and I still love him."
"So he cheated on you, and you cheated on him, and what now? You're going to go back and live happily ever after?" He shouted, "You knew I still…you knew I cared about you and you used me for it! You really have changed." He sneered, "All the money, and the asshole boyfriend who cheats on you. Maybe that's just you now, maybe I don't know you anymore."
"I didn't mean to, I…I didn't expect…"
"To feel anything for me, yeah, you've said." He growled.
"I really am sorry." She grasped his hand, and those watery blue eyes of her stared at him with that same absent look of last night. Of course, now, he recognised it as guilt, tinted with sadness.
He thawed a little. He wanted her. It wasn't all or nothing with him, if all he could have were her tears, he'd take those. "Anyone who knows you knows you never mean to hurt anyone." He squeezed her hand before standing up, "Besides, I suppose this is cosmic payback for the first time I left. Come on Gilmore, have some coffee before you go. It's Luke's blend."
After a long, quiet cup of coffee, she got ready to leave, head bowed and tail between her legs.
"Are you going to tell him?"
"I really don't know. What good would it do, really?"
He shrugged, and handed her a bunch of papers. "Would you mind reading it for me? I know you're probably busy with Yale, Miss Hot-Shot Editor, but-"
"I'd love to."
"Thanks."
They stood in silence, and then shrugged and went to get into her car, giving him a small smile.
"You know, I've got to believe that at some point there's gonna be a right time for us." He said as she stood by her car, waiting to escape.
"Yeah," She smiled, "Maybe."
"Drive safe Gilmore." He warned as she got in and sped away, back to Yale and the boyfriend and a bunch of questions. But somehow he knew she'd be back.
***