A/N: Pulled the trigger too early on this chapter so updated it with a new ending.
"Well good morning to you!" Sookie sang as Luke timidly pushed the kitchen door open and stepped inside.
"Um, morning…" he muttered.
"Porridge?"
"Yeah, please."
She patted the stool next to where she was standing and dished out a bowl for him and Luke had no choice but to sit down. He focused on putting some honey in his dish and spooning it through, to avoid Sookie's gaze but when he eventually looked up, she was watching him carefully. She had her elbow on the counter, her chin resting in her palm, and a soft smile on her face. Luke lifted his eyebrows and offered her a small smile before refocusing back on his breakfast.
"So…how was dinner?"
"Um, good."
"She liked what you had on offer?"
Luke ignored the pointed way she put her question and slowly nodded his head. "Yeah she seemed to really like the food."
Sookie chuckled. "And what did you have for dessert?"
"I made her a coffee," Luke said, purposefully avoiding her innuendo as he focused on eating his breakfast.
"Oh Luke…" Sookie reached over and patted his shoulder. "Oh Luke, Luke, Luke…"
The kitchen door pushed open and Lorelai breezed in a wide smile on her face. "Another wonderful morning, snowed in with twenty seven strangers who are liable to get stir crazy and murder us in our sleep!" she said in a light breezy tone.
Luke whipped his head around to watch her walk across the room, Sookie's hand on his shoulder became heavier and heavier and her fingers dug into his flesh enough to make him wince and look over at her. She was watching him with a sweet smile and nodded over at where Lorelai was fixing herself a coffee. Luke glanced over at where Lorelai was stretching to reach a mug on the top shelf, giving him a glimpse of her bare back as her sweater moved higher and higher the more she reached. He looked back at Sookie whose smile widened and quickly focused back on his breakfast.
"Morning honey," Sookie sang as she release Luke and turned back to Lorelai. "How did you sleep?"
"Really well." Lorelai sipped her coffee and turned to face them. Luke looked down at his porridge and Sookie got mack to making dough. "How about you both?"
"Good." Luke said.
"Like a baby!" Sookie added a dash of flour and started to roll the dough on the counter. "Weather looks like its letting up some."
"It does?"
"It does?"
Both Luke and Lorelai spoke at the same time, and looked out the window then at each other. A soft blush covered her cheeks and she looked away and Luke got back to his breakfast.
"Weather man said today should be the last of it." Neither of the others made a comment. "Power came back this morning," she continued, as if she was talking to herself. "Looks like everything is getting back to normal."
"What a relief," Lorelai muttered as she held her coffee up to her face and turned to look out at the soft snowfall.
"I should go check on the generator." Luke dropped his bowl into the sink then hurried out to the wet room to dress for his short walk over to the shed.
Both Lorelai and Sookie watched him leave in silence until he was no longer visible then turned to each other and smiled. "God help me Lorelai, if you don't give me all the details I'm going to explode!" Lorelai laughed. She crossed the room to her friend and kissed her cheek.
"He cooked me a cheeseburger. I presume I have you to thank for that. And the chili fries."
Sookie giggled and clapped her hands with delight. "How was it?"
"It was amazing." Lorelai's eyes twitched and she sighed as she remembered the taste of the food, the delight in eating it under his scrutiny and his reaction when she let out an audible moan. "That man can cook."
"And?"
"And what?" Lorelai sipped her coffee, frowned at Sookie innocently they looked out of the reach of her swatting hand with a laugh. "And nothing. We chatted."
"Chatted? Thats all?"
"Yeah thats all? What were you expecting?"
"If he didn't swipe clear this counter and take you on it I would be disappointed."
Lorelai let out a loud laugh. "Well be disappointed.
"He didn't even kiss you?"
"There was a-"
"Kiss?"
"A moment."
"Oh…a moment." Sookie's shoulders slumped a little.
"It was a nice moment."
"But not a kiss."
"Will you get your mind out of the gutter for one minute."
"One of us should be in there," Sookie muttered as she refocused back on her dough.
"I thought he was going to kiss me, but he didn't."
"Maybe he's married."
"He's not."
"Maybe he's got a girlfriend, or seven wives! Maybe he's a polygamist!"
Lorelai chuckled as she rinsed out her cup and dropped it into the sink. "He's not." She paused by the sink, both hands griping the ceramic edge a little tighter than she realised and her eyes found the shed through the foggy snow. "Maybe he just isn't interested."
"Oh honey!" Sookie was over to her in a flash. "Don't even think that." She rubbed her friends arms and pulled her in for a tight hug. "It's way more likely he's a chicken shit!" Her soft soothing tone made Lorelai laugh and she looked at her friend with a smile.
"Right, I better get my day started." Lorelai took one more look at the shed in the distance before turning on her heel and retreating to her office.
Luke crouched in the shed in front of the generator and fiddled needlessly with the control panel. He had already fixed the generator, and now that the power wayback up, and the snow was letting off, there seemed little need to be hiding out here in the cold anymore. And yet here he had been for the last forty minutes. He had checked the broken window which was still securely covered with a tarp and a board. he had checked the fuel situation and decided they had more than enough for a few more days if needed. He rejoined the grounding plate on the generator and insulated it with tape he found in a tool box but finally when enough was enough, he decided he needed to go back in.
He made his way back to the door and realised only then he had forgotten to prop it open to stop the snow drift from building up. Luke thought it hadn't been snowing that much when he came out, so it should be easy enough to open but due to the corner position of the shed and the door opening out, he found the snow drift had built up enough to block him in. A white hot flash of panic coursed through his body so Luke stepped back from the door and took a few deep breaths. He slowly reached for the handle and tried again, then stepped closer and tried with his shoulder. He stepped back and attempted to kick it open but still nothing moved. He looked around for something that would give him leverage to push the door open but nothing was slim enough to fit under the crack of the door, or strong enough to be able to bear the pressure. He looked at the window Lorelai had climbed out of the other day and knew there was no way his shoulders would fit through that window and he would end up freezing to death half in, half out of this stupid shed. Luke started to rummage through the equipment, looking for a walkie talkie, radio, phone, anything he could use to let them know he was stuck out here, but all he found was spare parts and tools.
"Shit."
Sookie slipped her cakes into the oven and hurried out to the dining room to get a few of the guests. She had arranged a rotating shift for the wait staff who were also snowed in, so they could enjoy some free time, as much as they could anyway, and not have to work day and night, and she took this opportunity to show some of the newer ones how she expected them to wait on guests. Other staff members were busy taking a food inventory though Sookie knew from a quick glance in her pantry that she had enough food for everyone for at least three more days, she needed to keep everyone busy and out of trouble. Already a fight between two of her staff members had to be broken up over fork positions on a table setting, so she knew nerves were frayed enough.
By lunch time she had a smooth running operation again and was ready to serve up sweet potato and butternut squash soup with lemon and garlic toast, as well as the old home favourite of grilled cheese sandwiches. The Inn guests flocked in as the aroma spread around the dining room and drawing room and Sookie sat back to watch her staff dish it out to delighted guests. Lorelai came out of the office with a tired smile on her face and came over to stand by Sookie and watch the lunch service.
"Good news and bad news," she said with a sigh as she leaned against her friend and partner.
"Good news!" Sookie said, wincing as one of her waiters almost spilled a full bowl of soup over one of the guests.
"Roads around town are open again, power grid is secure!"
"Yay!" Sookie clapped her hands a little. "Bad news?"
"It'll be tomorrow at the earliest before they get up here, most likely 2 more days."
"Thats not so bad," Sookie said with a wink and a nudge. "Give you more time."
"Time?"
"To seduce Luke," she said simply as she turned and walked back to the kitchen.
Lorelai started at Sookie's words and watched her leave. "Seduce?" she said as she hurried to catch up with her and grabbed her friends elbow.
Sookie laughed. "Oh please, like you're not thinking it. We're all thinking it!"
"I'm not thinking it!" Sookie looked at her with an single arched eyebrow. "I'm not!" Sookie slowly started to nod her head. "At least, I'm not thinking it right this minute." Lorelai added in a stage whisper and they both giggled. "Wait… where is Luke?"
"Not sure, I think he's still working on those jobs you gave him." Sookie collected a couple of cakes from her pantry and placed them on stands ready to be frosted. "I just hope you wrote down some jobs you actually want him to work on."
"Sookie!" Lorelai said in mock shock with a soft laugh then grabbed a passing waiter. "Will you go find Luke and let him know lunch is ready?"
"Yes ." Lorelai grabbed a couple of grilled cheese sandwiches, poured herself a coffee and sat down to eat as she watched Sookie decorate the cakes. She was almost done when the waiter came back looking a little stricken. "I can't find him."
"Hmm?"
"Mr Danes does not appear to be in the inn."
"Did you check his room?"
"I knocked but there was no answer."
Lorelai frowned. "I'll go up and see." She dropped her sandwich and coffee and hurried up to the first floor, her fingers pulling at her keys as she approached his door. "Luke?" she said as she knocked but she didn't wait for a response. She unlocked the door and pushed it open, rushing inside only to find it empty. "Luke?" she called out again, this time checking the bathroom but finding it empty too. She left his room and mentally went over the check list of jobs she had given him and started to explore the hotel in search of him. "Luke?" she called out as she checked various rooms but shortly returned to the kitchen where Sookie was still decorating cakes.
"I can't find him," she said and Sookie immediatly dropped her tools, walked over to her friend and placed a hand on her arm. "Where could he be?"
"When did we last see him?"
"This morning at breakfast, he…" Lorelai looked up at the window and the falling snow. "Oh no, he went out to the shed!"
"That was hours ago!" Sookie watched as Lorelai hurried over to the wet room to grab a coat, hat and scarf. "He must have come back in and we missed him."
"So where is he then?"
"Oliver!" Sookie called out to one of her waiters. "Go with Lorelai out to the shed!"
Without hesitation Oliver wrapped up and hurried after Lorelai who was already crossing the drive to the shed door. She was kicking away at the bank of snow when he arrived, dropped to his knees and helped dig the door out. Lorelai pulled it open a crack "Luke!" she called out but there was no response. "C'mon, stupid snow!" she leaned down and helped Oliver clear it out more then pulled the door open enough to squeeze in as Oliver kept digging.
Luke was huddled in a corner by the back wall, a plastic tarp over his body and his hat pulled down to cover his face. She almost missed him but hurried over as soon as she made him out. "Luke!" She pulled his hat off but his lips were blue with the cold. "Luke, wake up, Luke." she yanked the tarp off him, and grabbed for his hands where were folded on the inside of each opposite sleeve as his arms wrapped around his torso. "Go get help Oliver, we need to get him back tot he Inn, and tell Sookie to run a bath."
Luke's head lolled to the side and Lorelai shuffled her way in beside him, pulling his body practically atop of her, his head resting on the top of her chest as she rubbed his back in an effort to seep some warmth into him. The barrier of his coat was more of a hinderance than anything so she pulled off her glove, unzipped his coat and shoved her hand down the back of his top to her hand could rub against his skin. "Jesus Luke, you're freezing." She rubbed her hand along his back as far down as she could reach, back up to his neck and held his head against her chest with her other hand.
It seemed to take hours for Oliver to return with help and soon they wrapped Luke back up in the tarp he had used himself for protection and carried him to the inn. There was a minor debate about leaving him in the drawing room by the fire, or up to his own bedroom until Lorelai directed them to bring him upstairs. Sookie had prepared a warm bath in his room and was standing over it with soap when the commotion cam bursting through the door.
"Careful!" Lorelai said as they lowered Luke onto the bed. "Take off his boots." she was already tugging on his coat and pulled him up into a seated position to pull it off him. He fell forward and she caught him with a grunt then grabbed the bottom of his shirt and yanked it over his head, then pulled off his tee too. Oliver had taken off his boots and socks and stood back unsure what to do next. "Help me with his jeans." Lorelai tugged on his belt and opened it then the started to shimmy them over his hips. Oliver helped roll Luke side to side until they could pull off his jeans entirely. "Right, lets get him into the water."
Oliver took Luke shoulders and Lorelai lifted his legs and they hefted him into the bathroom and slowly lowered him into the water. Sookie stepped back, still holding the bath foam bottles in her hand, looking worried as Lorelai leaned over the tub and gently moved the water around Lukes body. There was enough room in the bath for him to be almost fully submerged, so she held a hand under his head to keep him afloat.
"Call Doc Shelton, ask him what we need to do!" Lorelai said and immediatly Oliver raced out to Lukes room to grab the phone. "C'mon Luke, wake up, wake up for me." She rubbed her hands over his chest, moving the warm water against his skin wondering if this was even the right thing to do.
"Here, Doc Shelton is on the phone."
Lorelai took the handset Oliver held out. "Hello?"
"Hi Lorelai, helluva weekend you're having out there."
"Yeah."
"Any response?"
"Nothing. His lips are blue, his body is shivering," she rested a hand on the centre of his chest. "His heart is beating really slowly."
"Do you have a thermometer?"
"Um yeah one sec…" Lorelai looked over at Sookie. "Grab the thermometer from the first aid kit in the hall!"
"Any discoloration on his skin?"
"Red in parts, his feet his hands, his nose and cheeks"
"Nothing darker than red, no blackness or ice crystals?"
"No, nothing like that."
"Okay, I think you may have caught this in time."
"I have the thermometer now." Lorelai took it from Sookie and unceremoniously shoved it into Lukes mouth.
"His temp should be no lower than 96, if it is you need to try something other than a warm bath."
"Okay, one sec…" Lorelai took the thermometer back out of Luke's mouth and held it up to the light to read. "94.5"
"94.5? ok, he may have a castoff hypothermia."
"Hypothermia?" Lorelai looked around at Sookie and Oliver.
"Based on what you've told me though, I think its not as severe as it sounds."
"What can I do?"
"Check his pulse."
"Slow, but strong."
"Has his color started to return yet?"
"Yes, his lips have lost the blue color, the rest is still quite red though."
"Okay, get him by a fire, dress him warmly, when he wakes give him warm fluids, something sweet too to keep up his energy levels."
"Okay, and if he doesn't wake?" Lorelai asked.
"He will, I've treated countless cases like this before Lorelai, he will wake very shortly once the shock of the cold has passed."
As if the doctors voice was calling to Luke, his eyes started to flutter open. "Luke! He's awake." The doc chuckled on the other side of the phone.
"Okay, dry him off, get him in front of a fire and feed him lots of warm fluids."
"I will, thanks doc, thanks!" She put the phone down and handed it back to oliver. "Can you get a fire going Ollie?"
"Yes ma'am."
Lorelai returned her focus to Luke and watched as his eyes moved around the room, his lids slowly closing over as he struggled to hold focus. "Hey Luke, relax."
"I'll get a pot of tea going," Sookie said and she hurried out of the room.
"What happened?" Luke muttered, allowing his eyes to close over as he tried to fathom why he was in a bath with Lorelai kneeling beside him and her hand pushing water over his chest.
"You got stuck out in the shed."
"Oh, stupid snow."
Lorelai chuckled. "Yeah, stupid snow." She continued to move the water around him and looked down at her hand on his chest. "You need to get out of the bath now though, and come sit but he fire."
Luke opened his eyes open wide and tried to stay focused. He moved his hands to grip the sides of the tub and tried to stand but his body was weak and he fell back into the water, splashing some of it out over the rim. "Sorry."
"Wait," Lorelai scrambled to her feet and grabbed a large towel to spread out on the floor over the spill. "Okay, c'mon…" She leaned down and helped him hook his arms over her shoulders then together they managed to get him standing. He stepped out fo the tub, heavily leaning on her for support and stood in the bathroom shivering. Lorelai grabbed two more towels, wrapped one around his shoulders and the others around his waist. "Lets get you out to the fire."
Oliver had a roaring fire going and had placed the chair in front of it and Lorelai guided Luke to sit down into it. He sat down with a grunt and felt his reserves of energy deplete and knew it would be a while before he could move again.
"Don't get comfy!" Lorelai ordered as she moved over to the bed. She grabbed the pillows and duvet and dragged them over to the floor by the fire to arrange them into a comfortable surface. "I'll be right back, start drying."
Lorelai and Oliver left the room and she hurried down to the laundry room to grab a change of clothes for Luke. On her way back up to his room she looked down at herself and realised she was soaking wet from his bath also. She detoured to her own room and changed into a pair of sweatpants and a long sleeve then hurried back to Lukes room where she entered without knocking.
"Here, you need to change into these." She handed him a pair of red and black flannel pj bottoms and a navy henry top.
"Are these yours?"
Lorelai rolled her eyes. "Put them on, get out of them damp towels."
He looked at the clothing she gave him and wondered if he would have the energy to pull them on, then when she went into the bathroom to empty the tub and clean up the mess he realised the alternative was her dressing him and that spurred him on enough to try. By the time she retuned he had pulled on the pj bottoms and was sitting in the chair exhausted, arms too heavy to lift. Lorelai took the damp towels he had been wrapped in and hung them up in the bathroom then returned and grabbed the henley top off him and started to roll it up to slip over his head. He muttered thanks as his arms moved through the arm holes and tugged it down over his chest before slumping back into the chair. His body was still shivering despite his proximity to the fire and his hands has lost their usual dexterity.
"Off the chair, over here," she said as she moved to the blanket arrangement she had made and patted the space beside her where she was sitting cross legged.
Luke took a moment then with a grunt pulled himself off the chair and practically fell onto the blankets beside her. He tried to sit up like her but she pushed him back down and fixed a pillow under his head. "Comfy?" he nodded, though he never felt more strained in his life with her leaning over him like that. "Hands."
"Huh?"
"Give me your hands?" she ordered and held out her own hand to take his. Confused he lifted one hand and she took it in both of hers then started to massage it firmly, rubbing each infer from tip to knuckle across his palm and the back of his hand then dropped that hand and waved for the other. She repeated the motion on the other hand never once taking her eyes off his hands and he watched her features under the flickering fire light.
"Left foot…" she said as she shimmied down to his feet. With only a slight hesitation Luke bent his knee and lifted his foot off the ground and she started a massage there. He's never had a woman rub his feet before and though he knew this was not quite a seductive massage he couldn't help but enjoy the feel of her hands against his skin. But before he could allow himself to settle into it too much there was a soft knock at the door and Sookie entered with a tray. Luke tried to sit up but Lorelai pushed him back down then got up herself to help Sookie.
"How are you feeling Luke?"
"Much better, thanks," he said though he was unable to hide the stammer in his voice.
"Looks like you have your own Florence Nightingale here."
"Yeah, she has been…amazing." the last word came out with a sigh and both women slowly turned to look at him. Luke blushed and looked away.
"Well I gave some tea here, you need to drink it up."
Luke propped himself up on his elbows and took the tea she offered. He sipped it gingerly and reveled in the warm sensation it carried through his body. "Thanks Sookie."
"Left a couple of sandwiches there too, in case you need something. Stay warm!"
Sookie hurried out and Lorelai went back to what she was doing.
"Thanks Lorelai," he stammered through his shivering body. "Its fine though."
"Well I just need your right foot, then we can check your temperature again."
Reluctantly Luke offered her his other foot and she quickly massaged it like the others. When she was done she put his feet back onto the blanket then grabbed another and draped it over him. "Comfy?" He nodded. She grabbed the thermometer and held it out. Luke opened his mouth and took it in, his eyes watching over her as she busied herself with the coffee Sookie had left for her. After a moment she reached for the thermometer and Luke released it.
"95.2."
"Better?"
"A bit." She shook the thermometer and left it aside then retuned her attention him. "You're still shivering."
"A little."
"Roll over," she said and she pushed his shoulder to make him roll over onto his side facing the fire. She grabbed another blanket from the bed and draped it over him then slipped under it and lay up against him.
"You don't need-"
"Move your head," she ordered, ignoring his protest and when he did she slipped her arm beneath it by his neck then curled it around him and pressed him against her. Her other arm came over his side and rested across his stomach, also pulling him back against her. "There, comfy?"
"Mmm hmm." Luke said, not trusting his voice to speak. He tried to relax but the feel of her body pressed against his, her breasts against his back, his ass nestled into her crotch and her hands splayed out on his stomach and chest were making it near impossible. His whole body ached and he still could not control his shivering, though he wasn't sure anymore how much was because of the cold.
When Lorelai felt him shiver against her once more, she moved her one hand lower and slipped it under his top and the other down the neck of his top and pressed her hands against his skin. She rubbed slow circles into his chest and stomach and let her warm breath out against his neck. Luke gritted his teeth to stop his body from reacting but it was no use even trying. He screwed his eyes shut hoping against hope that she wouldn't notice his quickening pulse, his peaked nipples, and thanked what ever god had gotten him into this situation that at least she was the big spoon, to save him from explaining anything else.
Her body heat against his soon had the desired effect and his shivering slowed to barely noticeable shudders. After a while had passed without a shudder Luke moved his head to look over at where Lorelai was lying, only to see her eyes closed. Her hands had stilled against his chest and her grip had slackened and he realised she was asleep. For the first time since she lay back behind him, Luke let out a long breath and felt his body relax against her. He moved his hands to cover hers and hold them in place then let his eyes closed over and followed suit.
Lorelai woke with a sharp pain in her neck and an inability to move. She kept her eyes closed for a minute more as her body tried to catch up with her brain and slowly clocked all the strange sensations she was feeling. She was hot. Too hot. Sweating and could feel dampness across the front of her top. Her hands seemed to be trapped somewhere, somewhere warm, too warm. Her legs were tucked into her blanket, too tight and against a radiator or something equally hot. With a moan she dragged her eyes open and looked right into the back of Lukes head. Lorelai blinked. She took a moment to take it all in and realised what was happening. He was holding her arms around him. His legs had moved and trapped both of hers and he was emitting more heath than a nuclear reactor.
Lorelai let her head fall back to take a deep breath of cool air then slowly started to extract her arms from his grip. Luke moaned in protest and pulled her tighter against him half rolling onto his front and pulling her with him. She gave it a moment then tried again, this time more successful she pulled the arms back that was wrapped around his torso and lay on her back, the other arm still trapped. Slowly she started to slip it out from under his head and it wasn't until it finally emerged that he woke.
Luke felt her hand slip out of his grasp and in his dream addled brain he snatched for it back but when he reached for her shew as gone. Her hand slipped out from beneath him entirely and he rolled over with it to see where it was gone. He was almost surprised to see her lying there at an awkward angle, propped up on one elbow as she shook the blood back into her numb hand. He had half thought it was all a dream but now, seeing her with sleep ruffled hair and rosy cheeks all the sensations of her body against his came flooding back.
"Hey," he said when she didn't seem to notice him watching.
"Luke, hey, how are you feeling."
"Much better."
"Lets take your temperature." She reached over and took the thermometer from where she left it and Luke obligingly opened his mouth for it. After slipping it beneath his tongue she shuffled her position to sit crosslegged beside him and Luke rolled over onto his back. "Right…98.3"
"Back to normal," he muttered.
"We should still get you checked out when we can."
"I'm fine." Luke said and he pulled himself up into a sitting position. "Not the first time Mother nature tried to take a bite out of me."
"You've had hypothermia before?"
"Yeah."
Lorelai shook her head. "Well I've not, nor have I seen it." She busied herself cleaning up the tea and pushing the sandwiches away, avoiding his eyes. "You gave us quite scare mister."
"I bet. Thanks, for all your help. For saving me." Lorelai brushed off his thanks but he grabbed her hand and rested a finger under her chin to make her look up at him. "Don't dismiss it. You really did save me."
"I just dragged you in from the cold and shoved you in a warm bath."
Luke let her words fade and kept his eyes locked on her for a few minutes without moving and just when he thought she was going to move away he leaned forward and kissed her.
Lorelai felt her eyes close over as he moved towards her and her breath caught in her throat, but when she expected to feel his lips on hers, soft but chapped from the cold, instead she felt his lips against her cheek, close to her ear and she released her breath. He pulled back and looked into her eyes again with a soft smile. Lorelai returned it as best she could, then hurriedly scrambled to her feet.
"You should rest a while." She gathered the cups and plates Sookie had dropped in, and stood with a flustered breath. "Rest up, stay warm and we'll see you for dinner if you're feeling up to it."
Luke watched as she scrambled to gather all the things she needed to bring and hurried out of the room.
