A/N - a completed offline fic that I'm breaking into chapters for hopefully daily updates. I don't have a beta (would love another pair of eyes if anyone is willing) and this fic is barely an excuse for a collection of smut. *shrug*

Note Rating... definitely warranted.

Carpe'ing the Diem

Luke ripped open another box with a knife and pulled the tabs apart to reach for the stock inside. He stacked the shelf in front of him with the pickles from the box, each one being slammed down harder and harder until finally, one of them smashed, dropping pickles, juice and broken glass all over the shelf and the floor.

"Dammit!" he cursed. He took a deep breath to try and dampen his temper as he pushed the box aside and reached to pick up the broken glass, but only succeeded in slicing his palm open. "God dammit!"

He dropped the rest of the glass that was in his hands and stood up to grab a towel from the kitchen. The blood that was pouring profusely out of his hand was dark so he knew the cut was deeper than it looked. Adrenaline was pumping through his body already masking the pain as he searched for a towel then wrapped it around his hand.

When the bell at the door dinged as someone walked in he looked up to see her standing just inside the door, staring at him, panting as if she had just run here. Which would fit with the fact that she was wearing a pair of trainers, running shorts and a blue and white flannel shirt he recognised as one of his own, but went against everything he knew about Lorelai Gilmore. He opened his mouth to tell her he was closed but she held a hand up to stop him.

"No. Don't." She took a step towards him. "Don't tell me you are closed. Don't kick me out again. Just let me talk."

Luke went to speak but he was losing blood at an alarming rate, it made him dizzy and he was finding it tough to focus. She was starting to sway, or was it he who was swaying, he wasn't sure, so he held onto the counter for support and tried to listen to the words that were pouring out of her mouth. He caught something about an apology, a miss-understanding. Did she say Taylor's name? Maybe she was sleeping with Taylor as well. He shook his head with a chuckle and immediately regretted it as he found it harder to focus now than ever.

Her tirade was still going on, he tried to open his mouth to speak again but when he looked down at his hand that was wrapped in the now blood soaked towel he lost his train of thought. He looked up at her. She had stopped talking and was clearing looking at him for a response.

All he could do was hold up his bloodied hand then everything went to black.

Lorelai pulled the flannel shirt over her head and held the fabric up to her face to bask in his scent. Without giving herself time to think she ran downstairs and hurried out the door. She started walking briskly but ended up sprinting toward the diner, toward him. She saw him walking from the store room to behind the counter as she approached and walked in through the door. When he opened his mouth to speak she held up her hand for silence and she was surprised when it worked.

"No. Don't." She took a step forward toward him. "Don't kick me out again. Just let me talk." She wondered if he stayed on the other side to use it as a barrier between them. "What happened the other night wasn't how it was supposed to go. I'm sorry you had to see that and walk in on me with…him but it wasn't what you think it was. Taylor asked me to take over for the festival, and I couldn't get him off my back. He wouldn't take no for an answer! Next thing I know I'm working with Charlie and he was your friend and he was great to work with but its not like you think it is at all Luke. He came on to me, I thought it was you! He tried to kiss me...I guess he succeeded, but it was not welcome, it was not welcome at all. It's all some massive misunderstanding, that I know, I just know some day we are going to look back on and laugh. Not today obviously," she said when she noticed how pale and angry he looked.

He seemed to be moving from one foot to the other in an attempt to keep himself from bolting across the diner and forcibly removing her. She took another step closer and continued on her tirade before he spoke, figuring this was going to be her only chance.

"I didn't kiss him. He kissed me. And if you had stuck around long enough you would have seen me push him away. Trust me it was all very Scarlet O'Hara!" when he didn't react she lost her resolve, took another step closer and tried again. "Luke, please, don't shut me out, don't just settle for whatever is put in front of you, fight me, fight for me!"

He looked like he was about to talk. She saw him lifting his hand and was holding a red rag, but she wasn't sure what it meant, then without warning, he swayed to the right and fell out of sight behind the counter.

"Luke!" She raced over to where he was lying and only then realised his hand was hemorrhaging blood enough to cause it to puddle where he had been standing and now where he was lying. "Jesus…hold on!" She snatched the phone off the wall and knelt beside his head. She dialled for an ambulance and gave the address of the diner then hung up, grabbed a fresh towel and wrapped his hand again, this time with a tighter binding and moved it so it was above his head. She lifted his head onto her lap and brushed his hair out of his eyes as they waited.