OVERWHELMING
Author: Lucille Mabel
Rating: PG-13
Disclaimer: Copyright infringement of the characters of Gilmore Girls or the final lines of The Sun Also Rises is not intended.
Author's Note: Inspiration sparks from Hemingway this time around, excuse me for any brief lapses of these two being out-of-character.
Summary: Every touch is the cause and every attempt for closeness is the effect. Movements were concise, even in their erratic state—it was an experiment in chemistry taken to the breaking point.
Pub
It was a summer night and it was rather bright for 9 p.m. All of them were sitting outside underneath the arcade, protected from the rain that fell on the taxi-filled streets. Rory had her eyes fixated on the remaining liquid in her coffee mug, Seth at her side as always. Jess sat across from them, twirling a fresh cigarette between his fingertips.
Seth ran a hand through his light brown hair and grinned in an almost aggressive way, "I can't believe I'm leaving tonight."
He was talking to Rory, yet her gaze was still cast low. She didn't reply and it was much like she was in some sort of trance. Jess looked at her forlornly as he stuck his cigarette between his lips and lit the end of the narrow stick. After inhaling some of the spoke, he spoke for the first time that night, "You'll be back."
Seth draped an arm around Rory's back and she finally looked at him. She smiled as she began to lean on his shoulder. "What do you say we have another round of drinks before I have to leave?"
Rory looked at her mug, "I could use another coffee."
Seth kissed the top of Rory's head. "I meant real drinks. Liquor."
She blushed suddenly, "I suppose a shot wouldn't hurt."
Seth moved to get up and Rory sat up straight. "Mariano, how about you choose our poison and I'll go to the bar and get it."
Jess had just finished his cigarette and was smashing the butt in the ashtray that sat in the center of the table. He looked up at the couple and smirked, "Tequila."
"Tequila!" Seth shouted causing the rest of the customers to look their way. He looked at Jess and nudged his head toward Rory, "Maybe you can get her to start talking while I'm away. I'd hate my girlfriend to be a bore on the last night I see her for a month."
Jess smiled, "I'll see what I can do."
Seth walked into the old pub and both Rory and Jess watched him disappear into the crowd. When Rory turned her attention back to the table she found Jess staring at her, "What?"
"You seem out of it today," Jess quipped.
"Seth's leaving for a while. I have a right to be a little down."
He shrugged, "I just think he'd prefer you happy."
"Well I'm not," Rory wrapped her arms around herself protectively.
"Just think Gilmore, with Seth away you can spend all your free time with me," Jess winked.
She couldn't help but laugh, "You're such a pig."
"Hey, I wasn't the one who thought we'd be doing something nasty. That was all in that pretty little head of yours."
"I'm sure Seth wouldn't appreciate you talking to me like this."
"Huh. I've known you longer. Figure that means I should be the one complaining about the way he talks to you."
"Seth is my boyfriend. That's puts him ahead of you even if you've known me longer. You're just the friend."
Jess mocked hurt, "I was the boyfriend once, too. That, plus friend, should put me way above Seth."
"I should remind you that was ten years ago. Different circumstances."
"Touché, Gilmore."
Seth arrived with the drinks and sat down. "One for you," he passed one to Jess, "one for you," he gave the second shot glass to Rory, "and one for me. Cheers!" Seth held his glass up and both Jess and Rory followed suit.
"To good business in France," Rory exclaimed triumphantly.
"Cheers," Jess mumbled. All three of them brought the small rims to their mouths and downed the liquid inside immediately. Rory's features were the most effected by the taste as the liquid trickled down her throat. Jess hardly looked effected.
Seth made a small cough, "Good."
"You all packed?" Rory asked.
"Shipped most of my stuff last week."
"Good."
"You going to miss me?"
Jess piped in, "You have no idea how much."
Rory glared at Jess, "Don't be a jerk." She turned to Seth, "Of course I'll miss you." She reached over to his hand and gave it a light squeeze.
Jess rolled his eyes, "I feel like I'm intruding on a real sappy moment here. Maybe I should leave?"
Seth looked as his watch. "Actually, I should probably get to the airport. You know what they say about being there hours early for international flights and all." He stood up and Rory followed suit.
"How 'bout I wait with you for a cab?"
"If you'd like."
Jess sat still in his seat, "See you around, Bryant." He nodded toward Seth and pulled a box of Camels out of his jacket pocket.
"Later Mariano," Seth waved slightly.
Rory looked toward Jess, "I'll be back."
Jess smiled softly at Rory before watching her link hands with Seth and walk to the pub's exit. He lit another cigarette.
Rory returned ten minutes later and Jess was still sitting in the same place. She sat down in a huff across from him, her hair damp from the rain. "Happy? He's gone now."
"I have nothing against him. Some might say we're friends."
"You never talk to him."
"Do too," he argued like a toddler.
"No, you just turn into monosyllabic Jess. You're twenty-eight for God's sake. You've had to have learned how to speak coherently by now."
"I save it all for the novels," Jess smirked, "Besides, it's not like you're that talkative either when he's around."
"We've been dating for over a year. It wouldn't have lasted that long if I never spoke to him."
"I didn't say you didn't talk to him. Just that you're different around him."
Rory fought the urge to roll her eyes, "It's only when you're around!"
"What? Do I still make you nervous?"
"Please."
Jess shrugged, "No, tell me why after over a year of dating he still knows hardly anything about you."
"He knows stuff…"
"That I don't know?" He stared straight at her, one eyebrow raised.
"Well…"
Jess looked smug. "Fine, let's get off of this. Want another drink?"
Rory gave him a glimpse of her withering stare, "After this conversation I probably need one."
Jess grinned, "Alright, I'll be right back."
Apartment
"I think I drank too much," Rory announced tipsily as she collapsed on one side of the sofa in Jess' apartment.
"You still drank less than me," Jess slurred and laughed as he too fell onto the couch.
Rory began to erupt in a fit of laughter, "You're funny."
He grinned wildly at her, "I didn't even do anything."
Rory continued to laugh, "Well I'm laughing aren't I? You must be funny."
Jess nodded at her reasoning, furrowing his brow in the process, "Makes sense to me." He chuckled.
"What time is it?" Rory squinted her eyes as she looked at the clock hung on one of the walls. "Can't see…"
"Does it matter?"
"It's probably late. I should get home."
"Do you? You can crash here."
"Really Jess? That's nice of you," she smiled at him and sat up. "I'm going to have a headache in the morning," Rory stated, giggling in the process.
"Me too. I'm supposed to get my manuscript sent in too"
She looked at him, eyes fogged. "You're writing again?"
Jess nodded viciously. He suddenly squinted and brought a hand to his temple, "No sudden movements, remind me."
"What are you writing?"
"A story."
"I know that!" Rory exclaimed louder than expected. She brought a hand to her mouth and laughed once more, "Sorry."
"It's 'kay. Story's 'bout us."
Rory blinked harshly, "'Bout us?"
"Yup."
"What about us?"
"It's based on us, more like."
"Tell me about it…" She got closer to him and leaned in with interest.
"Don't want to spoil the surprise."
"I don't care…tell me how it ends at least."
"They realize that they love each other…I figured I wrote enough depressing novels, so I thought why not."
"That's nice," Rory stared directly at Jess who returned the glance.
She smiled, he grinned.
They were like magnets, gradually getting closer.
Rory laughed right before their lips made contact.
Eyes closed.
Arms were thrown about; in hair, wrapped around one another.
Jess guided Rory to a horizontal position and they broke apart. Jess still hovering above, "What are we doing?
Her eyes opened and she saw him looking down at her. "Kissing," she stated blatantly.
"You're drunk."
"So are you."
"We're forgetting about what'shisname."
"Seth?"
"Yes, him."
"We couldn't have forgot him. I just said his name."
"Ah, right."
Drunken kisses were splayed about mercilessly. There was no time to think about the consequences, just the now involving him on top of her on the couch in the middle of his living room.
Every touch is the cause and every attempt for closeness is the effect. Movements were concise, even in their erratic state—it was an experiment in chemistry taken to the breaking point.
Heat was created through the sudden movements. Articles of clothing were thrown about until they were both left in their underwear. Soon it appeared that they were about to recreate a scene that hadn't happened for five years. Coincidently, they were drunk then too.
Rory smiled as Jess started attacking the nape of her neck, "You're good at that."
"Lots of practice," Jess quipped before continuing his actions.
Rory moaned quietly as he gently bit her earlobe, "Seth was never this good."
He grinned into the shell of her ear, "Is, Rory. You're still with him."
Rory shook her head, "No, tonight I'm only with you."
She kissed him as passionately as she could in her drunken state and the reciprocation was just as intense.
Within a moment, the rest of their clothes were removed and in the next, he was inside of her.
Daybreak
Rory woke up on Jess' couch with a major hangover. She laid there for ten minutes trying to gain her bearing. Afterward, she looked down where she noticed a thin blanket was wrapped around her naked body.
"Fuck," she muttered internally as she stood to collect her clothes.
She padded over toward Jess' bedroom door which was opened a crack. Looking inside, Jess was sleeping soundly on his queen-sized bed. Rory took the opportunity to make her way to the bathroom to take a shower.
The water was scalding as Rory used Jess' soap to scrub away at the events of the previous night.
Rory's ethereal movements woke Jess even though she was trying to be discreet. The feeling was unpleasant; the combination of the bright sun streaming through his blinds and the constant pounding that was happening somewhere near his temples.
In a blur, a flow of memories came in sync with the pounding.
Pub.
Thump.
Tequila,
Thump.
Apartment.
Thump.
Rory.
Thump.
Sex.
Thump.
He ran a hand through his unruly curls and sat up. Jess winced and got a clean pair of boxers out of his drawer. He heard his shower start and decided he would make a pot of coffee.
Today was going to be long.
As soon as he started the coffee (with the double the recommended amount of beans), his phone went off with a shrill scream.
Jess picked it up quickly so it wouldn't yell at him anymore. "'Lo?" he greeted.
"Hey Jess, it's Seth."
"Oh hey," Jess shuddered with a pang of guilt.
"Do you know where Rory is? She told me to call her right when I got here, but she didn't pick up. I'm still at the airport."
"She's here. I didn't want her walking home by herself. You know her…can't hold her liquor," Jess attempted to joke.
"Glad to hear you're taking care of her. Can I talk to her now?"
"She's in the shower."
"Oh. I only have another minute before I have to go…uh, could you tell her I'm here and I'll try and call her later today."
"'Kay. Talk to you later."
The phone clicked off just as Rory entered the main room of the apartment.
Jess stared at her for a moment before turning his attention to the freshly brewed coffee.
Rory walked toward the kitchen, "Jess…" she tried to start.
He fished two mugs from a cabinet, "Coffee?"
"Um, yeah…please."
She took a slow sip before trying again, "Jess, we need to talk…about what happened."
His lip twitched slightly before he answered, "I know."
"It's no use putting it off…"
"I wasn't trying to…it's just that Seth was just on the phone looking for you."
"Oh," she stared blankly into her coffee and traced the rim of its container.
"He made it to France okay."
Rory nodded curtly, "Good."
Jess decided to be bold about it, "We had sex, Rory."
"I know."
"You're with Seth."
"I know."
"How could we?" he lifted his hands in a gesture.
"I…don't know," Rory bit down on her bottom lip and Jess watched as its color turned to a deep crimson, "We had a lot to drink."
"Yeah…but we knew what were doing."
Rory's eyes were wide as she looked at him, "We shouldn't have done it though."
Jess scoured at his face with his hands, "What do you suppose we do now, then?"
"We need to figure this out."
Jess rolled his eyes, "We could just forget it happened…like last time."
"It's different this time, Jess! We were twenty-three and both single last time."
He scoffed, "You act like you care for this guy!"
"I do!"
"Then why are you just stringing him along?"
"I'm not."
"Whatever, Rory."
Her eyes were getting watery, "What do you want from me, Jess?"
"Nothing."
"Jess…"
"I think it's obvious that I'm…"
"That you're in love with me?" He recoiled as she spoke, "I know Jess. But it never worked out between us. We could have had such a damned good time together."
"Yes, isn't it pretty to think so?"
"Of course it is. You've always been in the back of my mind. But we tried once; we're better off as friends."
"We were young then," Jess rebutted, "things change; we've changed."
Jess' gaze was full of intensity. For a moment, Rory tried to match it. "I need to call Seth."
He watched as she slipped on her ballet flats and walked to the door, "You can use my phone if you want."
"I think I should just go home."
Teahouse
After leaving the confines of Jess' apartment, Rory found herself outside and taking a deep breath of the toxic New York air. Her loft was only two blocks from Jess', however she decided to go to the teahouse on the corner that usually opened early.
The room was small in comparison to the apartment she had just departed, filled with plush sofas and elegant patrons. Still, she felt less claustrophobic.
Rory ordered a green tea and sat in a vacant seat by one of the large windows.
Internally, she debated whether or not to tell Seth about what had happened the night previous. He would most likely dump her (for he had always suspected something between Rory and Jess) and even telling him that both she and Jess were drunk when it happened would do nothing for forgiveness.
On the other hand, she could take Jess' advice and ignore the event altogether. He had practically agreed that it could have been kept between the two of them; Rory felt something wrong about that scenario as well.
She knew why. When it came to Jess things were always complicated and it was getting annoyingly so.
For so many years she tried to deny the fact that she was in love with him. A decade of her life had nearly passed since begrudgingly announcing to an unknown (yet known) listener at the end of telephone connection that she might have loved him. Since then, it had bit her in the ass with constant reappearances and lavish gestures. They had finally settled into this quasi-friendship and now that may have been blown to pieces.
The scale had practically been set once more.
Dean, Jess.
Logan, Jess.
Seth, Jess.
The unvarying presence of the latter was tipping the scale in his favor.
It was ironic how the unpredictable was the constant.
Rory downed her tea in one solid gulp.
Loft
Rory returned home with the intention of calling Seth.
"Yeah?"
"…I don't think it was a mistake," Rory's voice squeaked out, her lips less than a millimeter away from the receiver. "And I know we knew what we were doing and I think I know why."
"Huh. Twenty minutes and you've run an entire psychoanalysis on our being. Interesting."
"Must have been the tea."
"Well, Gilmore, inform me."
"Um, as I said earlier, er…you've always been in the back of my mind and I guess I kind of thought that was how it would always be after you left Stars Hollow."
"Okay…" Jess edged.
"I think we should try, again. No watchful eyes from my mom or Luke or Stars Hollow. Just us."
"Have you talked to Seth yet?" He said it before he realized it. This is what he has wanted for years and even after Rory's confession he is still apprehensive.
"I was going to…but then I called you instead."
"Huh. Call him, sleep on it. Spur of the moment decisions never get you anywhere good."
"Says the man who does everything in the moment."
"I must know from experience then."
"Fine. I'll call him now and I'll call you tomorrow."
Jess nodded into the receiver, "Good luck."
She hung up.
Paris
Seth woke from his nap by the ringing of his cell phone. It was Rory.
"Hey, I was trying to reach you earlier," he greeted in a too-chipper tone.
"It's not an awkward time, is it?"
"Nope, I'm just six hours ahead."
"Okay, good." A silence emerged and Rory remembered Jess' words from early last night, "Do you feel like you know me?"
"What do you mean?"
"What do you know about me?"
"Uh…you went to Yale. Your two best friends are rather obnoxious; Paris has to be right about everything and Jess has the damn cocky smirk." Seth chuckled.
"That was only one thing about me."
"Where's this coming from Rory?"
"You don't know me."
"Yes I do."
"What's my mom's name?"
"I don't think you ever mentioned it."
"She's a big part of my life; I think I would have mentioned her. We have the same name for God's sake," Rory was getting irritated.
"Her name's Rory?"
Rory rolled her eyes. "I slept with Jess last night," she stated bluntly.
"You what!?" Seth's voice was still groggy from his nap and was now laced with anger.
"We were drunk. It still happened though," she began to lose her edge.
Before long, another one of her relationships crumbled.
Apartment
Jess' phone rang as he lay awake reading. He looked at the clock which glowed exactly '12:00 a.m." Reaching across his bed for the handheld, he brought it up to his ear.
Before he had time to greet the person on the other end, his ears strained to hear a small whisper, "It's tomorrow now…"
He grinned.
Author's Note: I really don't know where this came from but I could really see myself continuing this in the future, however my sole focus is currently on In Society. I'd like to see what you guys think, so if you could leave a review or a comment that would be lovely.