In case it wasn't obvious from the summary - Luke breaks Lorelai's vase, which leads to a moment in her kitchen, which leads to an unwanted confrontation, which leads to...oh just read the story. Reviews much appreciated. MTL

Luke! Stop – that's valuable – I swear to God if you break that … get away from the vase … Luke – I mean it! Move the hell away from…"

Smash.

"Shit!" Luke swore as he scrambled around the floor, trying to gather all the pieces together to mollify Lorelai slightly.

"Mother! The company you keep!" Rory put her head around the doorway.

"Truly vulgar."

"Disappointing."

"It wasn't me that said it."

"If you invite strange men into the house, you are responsible for their behaviour."

"This is true."

"It is a Gilmore rule."

"Luke will behave better in the future."

"See to it."

"I shall."

Luke's very confused brain hurt as he listened to this exchange which, in true Gilmore fashion, happened at top speed. Rory. Lorelai. Rory. Lorelai. Rory. Lorelai. Rory. Lorelai. Rory. Lorelai. Rory's head disappeared and Lorelai was on the floor beside Luke again.

"My mother gave me that vase!"

"Lorelai! You kept something your mother gave you?"

"She comes over on Rory's birthdays and I wanted her to see that I kept it."

"You care what your mother thinks?"

Silence.

"Wow, no comeback," Luke looked at her in concern, "Do you need coffee?"

"Please."

In the kitchen, Lorelai leaned against the bench as Luke opened cupboard after cupboard searching for the coffee. He was muttering to himself something about a coffee-addict not having coffee somewhere accessible. Lorelai watched in amusement for a while, but then her caffeine need became greater than her need to inwardly laugh at Luke in her kitchen.

"Move."

"What?"

"You take too long."

"Do not."

"I make the coffee."

"I can make it," said Luke, triumphantly, finding the bag and holding the coffee aloft like some sort of treasure.

"No. And don't hurt the coffee. It didn't do anything to you."

Lorelai made a grab for it, but Luke held it high above his head. It's not fair, she thought as she jumped for it, he's taller than I am. Luke changed tack and held it behind his back, making Lorelai make snatches around him to grab at it.

"You know…" Luke mused, still holding it well out of her reach, "If you'd just let me make the coffee, you'd be drinking it about now…"

Lorelai ignored this as she pushed him backwards into a bench and made another snatch at it.

"Mum!" Rory appeared in the doorway again, a book in her hand. Both the 'adults' froze, looking guiltily at her. Luke was holding the coffee in one hand behind him and Lorelai was pressed right up against his chest, arm around his shoulders in an effort to grab the bag, other hand trying to push him even further backwards. Rory shook her head and left. As soon as she was gone, they resumed their struggle. Lorelai's face was an inch from Luke's as she finally closed her hands around the coffee bag. Without thinking, Luke closed the gap between them with A Swift Kiss To Her Lips.

Lorelai dropped the coffee.

"Luke…"

"Lorelai…"

All of a sudden, Lorelai regained the power of speech. Pushing Luke away from her body, she exploded.

"Luke! You can't do that, you can't just walk into my kitchen and take my coffee and kiss me. I'm with Max whether I like it or not, and –"

At this point Luke managed to say, "What?"

Lorelai put her mouth close to his ear.

"I said, 'I'm with Max'."

"After that?"

"N…nothing..?"

"Yes, you did…Lorelai, there's something I have to tell you, OK?" Luke took a deep breath and pulled his infamous baseball cap tighter on his head.

"I've always loved you, Lorelai. Always. Ever since you and Rory came into my diner eight years ago. But I knew that you were busy with Rory, and then she grew up and Christopher came back, and then you were with Max, and I knew that we couldn't be together. And I promised myself that I wouldn't do anything if you were happy. And I thought you were happy, with Max … and now you're not sure you want to be with him. So I don't have to do nothing anymore. I can do this…"

Breaking off, Luke leant into her and kissed her mouth again, lips searching hers and hands at her waist. But again, Lorelai pushed him away and turned her back, fingers at her mouth.

"I don't want you to do that, Luke! I don't need you here, in my kitchen, taking my coffee…" she trailed off as she felt Luke's hands touch her hips from behind and his lips touched her neck. But she took another breath and went on,

"I'm with Max, and Rory likes Max and I like Max and Max likes me… and … I need my coffee…and…stop it! I can't think with you doing that!" He was kissing her neck in small circles and it was driving her to distraction. Luke looked up, and turned her around to face him.

"I won't do anything you don't want. You don't want me here, in your kitchen, kissing you?"

"No –" She was cut off as his hands touched her stomach and his mouth pressed into hers, lips warm and longing on hers and despite everything, she found herself sinking into his kiss, wrapping her arms around his neck and feeling his arm muscles pressing her even closer to him.

"Sorry about the vase," Luke pulled away just enough to form the words, "and are you sure you want me to stop?"

"No…"

And again, Luke kissed her, those warm, passionate kisses that left her powerless and wanting to do nothing else for the rest of her life. He pushed her up against the cupboard where he had finally found the coffee. Her back hit the wood hard and Luke, eyes dazed with lust for the woman he had secretly loved for sixteen years, pushed his chest against her and kissed her with everything he had been holding back for so long.

Lorelai felt as if she had melted into the man that was holding her and doing all those wonderful things to her. She couldn't think straight, she couldn't do anything except hold onto Luke and kiss him back.

There was a noise at the doorway, but Lorelai barely heard it. Then there was a small gasp.

"Lorelai…"

It was Max.