II

Jess could see that she was sitting up in bed reading, so he gently tapped on the window. Rory's eyes pulled up from her page reluctantly, not quite focusing on the window until she realized Jess's face was there on the other side of the glass. She dropped her book back onto the coverlet and threw her blankets off, racing over to the window in her bare feet. Rory grinned at Jess, her eyes not leaving his, as she unlatched the window and slid it up its casing. Jess perched himself on the sill.

"Here for your shadow, boy?"

He looked down, laughing softly. "I know I haven't returned every year to take you away with me, but some of those years you wouldn't have been here either." Jess raised his eyes to hers, trying to keep the seriousness out of his voice as he added, "You went and saw the world without me, Wendy."

Rory looked taken aback that her teasing reference had so quickly morphed into a grave sentiment weighted with regret.

He broke eye contact, jerking his head towards her bed and the book resting on it. "Whatcha readin'?"

Rory stood steady in front of him now, tucking her hair back behind her ears. Jess smirked at the sweet gesture of her teenage self manifesting itself years later.

"The Bell Jar. I love it. Such a classic. It's the third time I've read it," she added proudly.

"Oh, sure, what's not to love? Main character nearly bleeds to death after her first sexual encounter, then climbs into a suicide hidey-hole under her house. And those are just the highlights I remember."

A smile edged up onto Rory's face then dropped off as she registered the chill of the November air pouring in her fully open window. She put out a hand to Jess. "Come inside, it's freezing."

Jess swung one leg over the sill then paused, his eyes darting back and forth. "Won't, uh, Luke and Lorelei…"

Rory rolled her eyes. "You really think either of them would be upset to see you?"

"Ya know, strangely, it's not so much them seeing me that I'm worried about, it's them seeing me in your room in the middle of the night."

Rory crossed her arms. "They got married tonight."

Jess's eyes widened. "So you're telling me they're probably up there right now…"

"Gross, no. I'm trying to tell you they got married, came home, and then all mom wanted to do was prop herself up on a pillow mountain and marathon sentimental old movies."

"So Luke's probably asleep."

"Luke's probably asleep."

"And Lorelei?"

"Well, keep your ears open for 'Frankly, my dear, I don't give a damn.' and if you think you can hear an echo, she's still awake, if not, she is dead to the world." Rory nodded once, confidently. "It's her favourite line."

Jess was already climbing the rest of the way into her room as he nodded and said, "Go figure."

Rory's face pinked slightly as Jess straightened up, standing close in front of her. With his longish hair and leather jacket, she felt like she was possessing a character in a stereotypical teen movie. She snapped herself out of it and reached around him, yanking the window shut. Thankfully, due to Luke's loving maintenance of all features of the Gilmore house, it closed almost silently.

"So… climbing in an old friend's window at night. Very Dawson's Creek of you."

Jess was unzipping his coat and looking around, noting familiar objects from the past now relocated to different shelves and corners. He glanced back to Rory and raised his eyebrows. "Now is that a step up or down from the Peter Pan comparison? Cause I didn't love the tights, but I wasn't a big fan of Dawson's swoopy hairdo either." He gestured around his head, then stopped, his hand coming in contact with his own somewhat swoopy hair. "Guess I'm not really one to talk."

Suddenly, Rory stepped into Jess, sliding her arms around him intimately under his open jacket and tucking her chin over his shoulder. "I'm so glad you're here."

Jess smiled into her hair, bringing his hands up to stroke Rory's back. "Now if Dawson had given Joey that kind of welcome, I'm sure she'd never have given him up for Pacey."

Rory laughed and Jess's chest pounded in response to the way her body shook against his. "I didn't know you watched it."

Jess shrugged, causing Rory's chin to rise and fall with his shoulder. "I'm not a total hermit. Beside, binge watching old shows is a tried and true cure for writer's block."

"Tell me about it. Since you set me off on this autobiography thing I can't get enough of M*A*S*H." She pulled back from him and Jess quickly wiped the eager smile off his face that had appeared as a result of the long hug.

"Do you want to…" Rory glanced around the room, crowded with boxes. Her gaze landed on her bed with its covers pulled down. She whipped her head back to face Jess and hastily drew the chair out from her desk. "…sit?"

He hadn't been oblivious to the way Rory's glance had lingered on her bed. Jess decided to spare her the discomfort of trying to decipher his intentions while he stood less than a foot from her, unsure himself of the full extent of those intensions. "Actually, I was thinkin' we could go out." He raised a hand, jerking his thumb backwards at the window.

Rory laughed in a mix of relief and disbelief. "And do what? This is Stars Hollow. Nothing's open."

"We could sit on a bench somewhere and stare at our shoes." He smirked at her then glanced down. "Of course, you'll have to put shoes on first. It's kinda cold."

"Speaking of that." She looked at him with concern. "Are you warm enough? I don't want to mess with your look because, honestly, I'm loving the return of the leather jacket, but I have a sweater you can borrow if you want?" Rory cut off her rambling.

"You do?" Jess looked at her incredulously. "Did the size smalls run big at the Yale souvenir shop?"

Rory rolled her eyes and turned away, reaching deep into a box of folded winter clothing. She straightened up and tossed a black sweater at him. "It doesn't say 'Yale' on the front, but it should fit. It's yours."

Jess's eyes were on the sweater as he unfolded it. He held it in front of him and looked over at her. She had this all this time? Does that mean she's been wearing it? He was turned on in a possessive kind of way by the thought of her walking around in his sweater.

"You might want to actually put it on. I don't think it'll block that much wind if you just hold it in front of you." Rory grinned at him.

Jess shook his head in pretend disapproval at her teasing, then slid his jacket from his shoulders. As he stretched his arms above his head to put the sweater on, he could feel Rory's eyes on him. Good, he thought. Let her look.

Rory's eyes roamed Jess's torso from the narrow hips up the muscled abs and chest that were pressed to the fitted fabric of his t-shirt. She was suddenly consumed by two thoughts: one, how good in how many ways his body had felt pressed to hers in that hug, and two, that she was alone with him in her bedroom.

When she focused back on him, he was zipping up his jacket.

"I guess I better change quickly too." She was still standing there in her pajamas: an old t-shirt and flannel drawstring bottoms.

Jess moved to lift the window, but Rory put out her hand to halt him. "No, it's ok. Just, um, turn around for a minute."

Jess couldn't argue with that, especially since the majority of his brain and the entirety of his penis were very much in favour of remaining in a room with a naked Rory Gilmore. Particularly considering the alternative of standing outside in the cold.

He turned, keeping his eyes on his shoes and the space of floor between them as Rory shifted boxes and shuffled around in sock feet behind him. A door shut and Jess whipped his head around fearing the entrance of either Luke or Lorelei (he wouldn't sure in whose eyes this situation would be more damning), and instead got an eyeful of Rory's naked back, standing at her wardrobe.


References in this chapter:

Peter Pan by J. M. Barrie

The Bell Jar by Sylvia Plath

Gone With the Wind directed by Victor Fleming

Dawson's Creek created by Kevin Williamson

M*A*S*H created by Larry Gelbart