02 - A Change in Plans
He'd decided the best approach was to check what she was doing. After all, it was after midnight, and the dutiful student might be in bed already. So, keeping this in mind, Jess peered in the window at her empty bed before slipping quietly into the house. Then, finding his way quickly into the living room, Jess's heart dropped. Her and Dean. Asleep together on the couch.
Disappointment filled his chest as he prepared to turn away and head home. But before he could move, his eyes caught something. They locked in on Rory's attire. She was scantily clad in some sort of lingerie with a feather boa flung around her neck. His jaw dropped at the ensemble, and it was a full minute before he could bring himself to tear his eyes away.
Deciding now probably wasn't the best time to be standing around gawking, Jess tried slipping back out the way he came. Unfortunately, the shock of seeing Rory Gilmore in something so revealing had affected his motor system, and he ended up colliding with a tower of movies that fell with a resounding crash onto the floor. Not wanting to be caught in the unmistakable position of 'stalker', Jess ducked into the nearest room, deciding he would slip out the window while Rory and Dean said their goodbyes.
* * * * *
"What the hell!?" Dean awoke with a start, only to find his just-as- startled girlfriend staring at him with a confused look on her face.
"Why are you still here?"
Dean almost broke out in laughter at the panicked look on her face. "It's Saturday Ror.."
"Oh yeah.. Okay. Um... how long have we been sleeping?" Glancing at the clock, she only waited a beat before continuing the one-sided conversation. "And where is my mother? Doesn't she know what time it is? Dang kids these days, not calling if they're gonna be late. Oh, wait. There's a message on the answering machine." Rory pushed the button and waited for her mom's message to play.
"Rory. It's your mom. Yeah, I'm over at Sookie's and we're just having such a great time with the uh.. Twister and umm... Chutes and Ladders that I'm gonna stay here, okay? Not that it matters. You are obviously being my boring daughter, sleeping on a Saturday night. So if you get this, have a party, throw a rave. Anyways, I'll be home before you get up, so yeah, maybe I'll even get to erase this message before you even get it. That would be good. Okay. Bye."
Dean came up and wrapped his arms around Rory's waist during the course of the message. Now leaning down to brush his lips against her neck, he whispered, "so, looks like we're all alone."
Rory's body tensed a little at the thought. Alone? Her and Dean? It's not like they'd never been alone before, but here it was, after midnight already and she had just found out that her mom wouldn't be coming home any time soon. They'd never been alone with guaranteed privacy so late into the night before. And it didn't seem like Dean was taking this as a signal to evacuate either. She sighed, trying not to show her frustration.
Not that she had to worry about him picking up on it. Dean was too intent on breathing in her scent to notice her discomfort in the least. To him, her sigh was one of content and desire. Not being able to stand it anymore, he turned her around, kissing her mouth seductively.
* * * * *
Jess frowned as he listened to the message Lorelai had left. His frown deepened even more as he listened to Dean's reaction. "So, it looks like we're all alone." Those words were echoing in Jess's ears as he tried to pry open Rory's window. He had to get out of here before he saw or heard something that he did not want to. Before he couldn't help himself and punched Dean's lights out. Who did he think he was? He didn't deserve Rory. He would never understand her: her obsession with literature, her fetish for movies, the junk food addiction.. Dean tolerated it, but he didn't understand her.
Just then, the voices got louder as Dean was obviously headed towards the bedroom. Fuck! What was this thing shut with... nails? Looking up, Jess realized that it was locked, and as he reached up to unlatch it...
* * * * *
"You know, my parents are probably already in bed, and I have to be at the store early tomorrow morning, before they wake upp." Dean whispered the words seductively into Rory's ear.
Unfortunately, they didn't have the intended effect. Rory's eyes widened, and she began backing away from him. "Dean..."
But before she could say anything else, Dean let out a frustrated groan. "Urgh!" A few seconds of silence followed where Rory just watched her boyfriend stand in the middle of the hallway shaking his head, obviously trying to convince himself of something. Finally, after what seemed like a year to Rory, he started speaking again, "We have been together for over a year now, yet every time we have any opportunity to be alone... to be together... you tell me that you want me to go home."
"Dean, don't be mad. I just-"
"You love me, don't you?"
"Of course I do! And I don't want you to think that I don't, but..."
"But nothing, Rory. I love you too, and I just want to show you that." He took a step towards her, and suddenly to Rory, he looked almost menacing. Things were beginning to get much too serious for her comfort.
"You do show me. All the time. The other night when you surprised me with mint ice cream and actually volunteered to sit through 'Steel Magnolias' with me... Now that's love."
"Rory! You know what I mean."
"Yeah.." She suddenly found her eyes glued to the floor. It was amazing some of the stuff you overlooked during the course of the day. There was a slight pink spot to the left of Dean's right foot that could only be from spilled ...
"So..." Dean's expectant tone interrupted her inspection of the floor.
"Dean... You know what happened to my mother. I just don't- "
"God!" He interrupted her, obviously angry, "Does it always have to be about your mom?"
"My mother happens to be a very important part of my life, Dean. She happens to be my best friend and her opinion... but that's not even the issue here. I'm not ready, and I'm sorry if you can't accept that. I c-"
For what seemed like the thousandth time that night, Dean cut Rory off. "Forget it, I should have known better than to think you would. I'm going now." With that, he was gone.
* * * * *
So was Jess. He would have to thank Dean later for all the yelling. It had given him time to "convince" Rory's stubborn window that it needed to be opened. He was already out the window and about three yards away when he heard the unrestrained sobbing floating through the summer night and infiltrating his ears.
Stopping dead in his tracks, Jess held an internal debate. He couldn't just let her stay there all night crying by herself. He wasn't cold enough to do that. But what could he say to her? 'Just happened to be wandering by when I heard your boyfriend turn into the world's largest jackass.' No, this was definitely something she was not going to want to talk about. He should just leave her there. She probably wanted to be alone anyways. Jess turned his body towards town again.
But the crying. She was still crying. He couldn't just ignore it. How the hell could Dean be so inconsiderate? This was his job, god dammit! But Jess found himself walking towards the open window and peering in. His heart almost broke when he saw her curled up in a little ball at the head of her bed, her shoulders shaking violently. There he was, outside the same window he'd been past desperate to exit just minutes earlier. Well here goes. Jess tapped lightly on the glass, startling the crumpled heap on the bed.
He'd decided the best approach was to check what she was doing. After all, it was after midnight, and the dutiful student might be in bed already. So, keeping this in mind, Jess peered in the window at her empty bed before slipping quietly into the house. Then, finding his way quickly into the living room, Jess's heart dropped. Her and Dean. Asleep together on the couch.
Disappointment filled his chest as he prepared to turn away and head home. But before he could move, his eyes caught something. They locked in on Rory's attire. She was scantily clad in some sort of lingerie with a feather boa flung around her neck. His jaw dropped at the ensemble, and it was a full minute before he could bring himself to tear his eyes away.
Deciding now probably wasn't the best time to be standing around gawking, Jess tried slipping back out the way he came. Unfortunately, the shock of seeing Rory Gilmore in something so revealing had affected his motor system, and he ended up colliding with a tower of movies that fell with a resounding crash onto the floor. Not wanting to be caught in the unmistakable position of 'stalker', Jess ducked into the nearest room, deciding he would slip out the window while Rory and Dean said their goodbyes.
* * * * *
"What the hell!?" Dean awoke with a start, only to find his just-as- startled girlfriend staring at him with a confused look on her face.
"Why are you still here?"
Dean almost broke out in laughter at the panicked look on her face. "It's Saturday Ror.."
"Oh yeah.. Okay. Um... how long have we been sleeping?" Glancing at the clock, she only waited a beat before continuing the one-sided conversation. "And where is my mother? Doesn't she know what time it is? Dang kids these days, not calling if they're gonna be late. Oh, wait. There's a message on the answering machine." Rory pushed the button and waited for her mom's message to play.
"Rory. It's your mom. Yeah, I'm over at Sookie's and we're just having such a great time with the uh.. Twister and umm... Chutes and Ladders that I'm gonna stay here, okay? Not that it matters. You are obviously being my boring daughter, sleeping on a Saturday night. So if you get this, have a party, throw a rave. Anyways, I'll be home before you get up, so yeah, maybe I'll even get to erase this message before you even get it. That would be good. Okay. Bye."
Dean came up and wrapped his arms around Rory's waist during the course of the message. Now leaning down to brush his lips against her neck, he whispered, "so, looks like we're all alone."
Rory's body tensed a little at the thought. Alone? Her and Dean? It's not like they'd never been alone before, but here it was, after midnight already and she had just found out that her mom wouldn't be coming home any time soon. They'd never been alone with guaranteed privacy so late into the night before. And it didn't seem like Dean was taking this as a signal to evacuate either. She sighed, trying not to show her frustration.
Not that she had to worry about him picking up on it. Dean was too intent on breathing in her scent to notice her discomfort in the least. To him, her sigh was one of content and desire. Not being able to stand it anymore, he turned her around, kissing her mouth seductively.
* * * * *
Jess frowned as he listened to the message Lorelai had left. His frown deepened even more as he listened to Dean's reaction. "So, it looks like we're all alone." Those words were echoing in Jess's ears as he tried to pry open Rory's window. He had to get out of here before he saw or heard something that he did not want to. Before he couldn't help himself and punched Dean's lights out. Who did he think he was? He didn't deserve Rory. He would never understand her: her obsession with literature, her fetish for movies, the junk food addiction.. Dean tolerated it, but he didn't understand her.
Just then, the voices got louder as Dean was obviously headed towards the bedroom. Fuck! What was this thing shut with... nails? Looking up, Jess realized that it was locked, and as he reached up to unlatch it...
* * * * *
"You know, my parents are probably already in bed, and I have to be at the store early tomorrow morning, before they wake upp." Dean whispered the words seductively into Rory's ear.
Unfortunately, they didn't have the intended effect. Rory's eyes widened, and she began backing away from him. "Dean..."
But before she could say anything else, Dean let out a frustrated groan. "Urgh!" A few seconds of silence followed where Rory just watched her boyfriend stand in the middle of the hallway shaking his head, obviously trying to convince himself of something. Finally, after what seemed like a year to Rory, he started speaking again, "We have been together for over a year now, yet every time we have any opportunity to be alone... to be together... you tell me that you want me to go home."
"Dean, don't be mad. I just-"
"You love me, don't you?"
"Of course I do! And I don't want you to think that I don't, but..."
"But nothing, Rory. I love you too, and I just want to show you that." He took a step towards her, and suddenly to Rory, he looked almost menacing. Things were beginning to get much too serious for her comfort.
"You do show me. All the time. The other night when you surprised me with mint ice cream and actually volunteered to sit through 'Steel Magnolias' with me... Now that's love."
"Rory! You know what I mean."
"Yeah.." She suddenly found her eyes glued to the floor. It was amazing some of the stuff you overlooked during the course of the day. There was a slight pink spot to the left of Dean's right foot that could only be from spilled ...
"So..." Dean's expectant tone interrupted her inspection of the floor.
"Dean... You know what happened to my mother. I just don't- "
"God!" He interrupted her, obviously angry, "Does it always have to be about your mom?"
"My mother happens to be a very important part of my life, Dean. She happens to be my best friend and her opinion... but that's not even the issue here. I'm not ready, and I'm sorry if you can't accept that. I c-"
For what seemed like the thousandth time that night, Dean cut Rory off. "Forget it, I should have known better than to think you would. I'm going now." With that, he was gone.
* * * * *
So was Jess. He would have to thank Dean later for all the yelling. It had given him time to "convince" Rory's stubborn window that it needed to be opened. He was already out the window and about three yards away when he heard the unrestrained sobbing floating through the summer night and infiltrating his ears.
Stopping dead in his tracks, Jess held an internal debate. He couldn't just let her stay there all night crying by herself. He wasn't cold enough to do that. But what could he say to her? 'Just happened to be wandering by when I heard your boyfriend turn into the world's largest jackass.' No, this was definitely something she was not going to want to talk about. He should just leave her there. She probably wanted to be alone anyways. Jess turned his body towards town again.
But the crying. She was still crying. He couldn't just ignore it. How the hell could Dean be so inconsiderate? This was his job, god dammit! But Jess found himself walking towards the open window and peering in. His heart almost broke when he saw her curled up in a little ball at the head of her bed, her shoulders shaking violently. There he was, outside the same window he'd been past desperate to exit just minutes earlier. Well here goes. Jess tapped lightly on the glass, startling the crumpled heap on the bed.