Author's Note: The reviews I recieved on chapter 6 were AMAZING. Srsly, I was smiling so big while reading them. I must've looked very foolish smiling that widely at a computer screen. To thank you for your lovely comments, this chapter has quite a bit of fluff in it. And since the last chapter was in Rory's POV, this one is in Jess's. Enjoy. =]

Disclaimer: I do not own "Gilmore Girls", nor am I affiliated with it, the creators, the writers, the actors/actresses, the directors, or the producers in any way. I am just a fan.

Ever since Dodger.

"You…" she started. But couldn't get it out. She tried again. "You… love… me?"

"Well… yeah," he breathed out. "It's you, Rory... It's always been you." Couldn't she see that?

"For… how long?"

"Jeez, Gilmore! Aren't you studying to be a Journalist? Shouldn't you be able to pick me apart, piece by piece, shredding me for answers and finding them all?" He smirked, but only for a millisecond. He realized that this wasn't a matter to smirk about. Because she might not feel the same. At that thought, his expression went back to what it formerly was – exasperated.

"I don't… ?"

Jess cut her off. "Let's just not put a time frame on it. It doesn't matter."

Rory nodded. Then she said, "I don't love him anymore."

That wasn't exactly what he'd wanted to hear, but it was definitely better than the alternative. I don't feel the same way. He shuddered at the thought, hoping she wouldn't notice. "Well, that's good to know."

"But…" she said slowly.

"But. There's always a 'but'." He sighed.

She hesitated briefly before going on. "I can't stay here forever. I have to go back… Back to my mom, and Luke, and my grandparents... Back to my job – back to Yale. Back to Stars Hollow…" she trailed off.

"Back to your life. I know; I get it." He looked down for a second, afraid she could see the pain in his eyes. "And I really hope that there's another 'but' coming."

She grinned. "There can be."

At that, his stomach untied itself a bit in relief, but was quick to re-tie itself in anticipation. "Well, let's hear it."

"But…" Her grin slowly turned into a smile. "Just because I have to leave here… It doesn't mean I have to leave you."

He suddenly felt himself smile. "Oh, yeah?" he asked playfully, leaning towards her.

She grinned, her eyes turning into little blue crescent moons. "Yeah," she whispered, as Jess leaned in even closer. He closed the distance and pressed his lips softly to hers. The only thing he could think was, Whoa. Déjà vu, much? Hadn't they done this last night? He sure didn't mind.

Rory surprised him buy grabbing his shirt collar in her tiny fists and leaning backwards on the bed, pulling him down on top of her. He was more than willing to keep this going… but he wasn't entirely sure she was ready. He was scared she wasn't really thinking about the consequences of her actions. He hated to admit it, but he still wasn't one hundred percent positive that she was in this for real. Not yet. Not while she was still attached.

He pushed himself up on his elbows. Rory didn't remove her lips from his, though. She just stretched her neck up higher. Jess smirked against her lips before parting his from hers. "Rory."

She dropped her head back onto the pillow, but slid an arm around his shoulder and lightly fingered the hair at the nape of his neck. "Why do you pull away?"

Jess smirked, reaching up to brush some hair out of her eyes. "For the same reasons you do." She pouted, but kept toying with his hair, which was slowly weakening his resolve. He had to get this out before his reasoning dissolved altogether. "You don't wanna cheat on him."

Her fingers on the back of his neck stilled themselves, while an incredulous look came across her face. "What? Of course I do! Do you know how many times he cheated on me? Even when we had just first started dating, he wanted to keep things casual. And you know me – I'm a relationship kinda girl! But I liked him, so of course I said, 'Sure. Casual. That's what college kids do. Cool," even though he knew good and well that it was a lie! So he slept with me on the weekends, and then on the weekdays he was sleeping with Mary and Laura and Wendy and Katie! It wasn't until I went on a date with one of his friends that he caved and finally decided to be my boyfriend, all because I was out on a mere little date with a nice guy that I didn't even really like! But I had to watch him flirt with these girls and kiss these girls, and I was just left to assume that all the things he was doing with me, he was also doing with Mary and Laura and Wendy and Amber!"

Jess smirked as Rory caught her breath. "I thought it was Katie… ?"

Rory scoffed. "Yeah, well, I'm sure there was plenty of room for an Amber in there, too. And maybe an Amy and an Amanda. Ooh, and a Brittany. And a Danielle… And a Jennifer… And what were the names of those bridesmaids… ?"

Jess stopped her rant by kissing her again. After a few moments, he propped himself back up. "You done?" he grinned.

"I should cheat on him. He deserves it," Rory said determinedly.

"I agree. He does deserve it."

"But..." She bit her lip. She was so cute when she did that.

He finished her sentence. "But you don't wanna."

Rory sighed. "I can't."

He nodded. "I know."

She began to sit up, so Jess pushed himself off of her, sitting up across from her. "I have to end it," she said.

"That would be beneficient," Jess replied. "Very, very beneficient."

"But…"

Uh, oh. "There's a 'but'?"

"I have to know that you won't leave me, Jess," she said quietly. "Not like before. My heart won't be able to take it." She chuckled humorlessly. "And neither will my sanity."

Jess took both of her hands and wrapped them in both of his. "I won't. I promise."

"I really wanna believe you."

He sighed and let go of her hands. How could he say this to where she'd believe him? He meant it – he really did. He loved her… just so much. He wanted her to believe him – he needed her to believe him. Everything truly depended on it. So, he did all he knew to do. He quoted his favorite author.

"I kissed her," he said. Then he leaned forwards and gave Rory a soft peck on the lips. "And saw that her eyes were shut." He reached up and ran his fingers over her eyes, closing them. He could see that she was confused, but she let him, nevertheless. "I kissed both her shut eyes." He leaned forward and gently laid a kiss upon each of her eyelids. "I thought she was probably a little crazy."

Rory smiled, eyes still shut. He knew she recognized his brief monologue now. She mouthed the words as he spoke them next. "It was alright if she was." Rory openened up her eyes so she could see him deliver the last line. Jess smirked at her. "I did not care what I was getting into."

"You see, I've been leading a sort of funny life," Rory said, also quoting Hemingway, and it was all Jess could do to refrain himself from grabbing her and enveloping her in kisses. "And I never even talk English." She reached up and stroked his cheek lightly. "And you are so very beautiful."

"I don't. I don't want want anybody else to touch you. I'm silly. I get furious if they touch you." Jess reached over and skimmed the back of his hand down her arm. Rory closed her eyes and leaned into his touch.

"You do. What you tell me about in the nights. That is not love. That is only passion and lust. When you love, you wish to do things for. You wish to sacrifice for. You wish to serve."

"I do wish that," Jess whispered without thinking. He quickly corrected himself, however, and continued on. "Often a man wishes to be alone, and a girl wishes to be alone, too. And if they love each other, they are jealous of that in each other. But I can truly say we never felt that. We could feel alone when we were together, alone against the others. It has only happened to me like that once."

"Only once?" Rory questioned with a grin, though Jess knew she already knew the answer.

"Only once," he replied honestly.

"We're going to have a strange life." Rory smiled, finishing off the Hemingway-quoting.

Jess grinned right back at her. She'd said 'we'. He really liked that. His expression went serious again. "You needed to know that I wouldn't leave," he said. "And I need to know that you're serious about being with me."

"I know you won't leave," Rory replied. "Because if you do, I'll have Mom, and Luke, and the entire freaking town of Stars Hollow after you with their knives and pitchforks." She smiled. "And all you need to be sure that I'm serious about me and you is this…" She leaned forward, putting her hands on his shoulders and pulling herself into him. When she kissed him, it must've been with all the passion that she had in her. Jess nearly lost it. He tightened his arm muscles, keeping them stiff by his side to keep himself from grabbing her tiny frame and pushing her back down beneath him.

When she pulled back, her face still only inches from his, Jess was speechless. Looking into her crystal blues, he liked what he found there. That small action had given him all the encouragement he needed. He knew that it had been her way of saying what she was afraid to speak out loud. And then…

"I love you, Jess Mariano." Rory Gilmore had proved him wrong once again.

His breath was caught in his throat. His stomach dropped all the way to the floor. His heart was beating frantically, banging around senselessly inside its fragile cavity. He didn't give any of it the time of day for more than a moment, though, as he no longer felt the need to hold himself back from his yearning for her. He grabbed her tiny frame, pushed her back down beneath him, and enveloped her in kisses.

When they both had to unfortunately come up for air, a sly grin came across Rory's face. "...What?" Jess asked carefully.

"For how long?" she repeated her former question.

Jess sighed, but he couldn't help but to smirk. "Is it really all that important? You'll think I'm a pathetic loser. Hell, I think I'm a pathetic loser. All that matters is that I do now, in the present."

Rory put her arms around his neck and pulled his face down to where it lingered less than an inch from hers. He closed his eyes and parted his lips slightly, awaiting her kiss. But when none came, he opened his eyes again. "Please tell me," she whispered. She was obviously toying with him.

"Or what?" he asked playfully. "You'll refuse to kiss me ever again?" He leaned down to kiss her, but she was quick. She turned her head at just the last moment, causing his kiss to land on her jaw. Jess smirked. If that's how she wants to play it, then that's how we'll play it. He continued to plant kisses down her jawline and down onto her neck. He heard her sigh and knew his plan was working. "You can't keep this up forever, Gilmore," he mumbled against her skin.

"Why won't you just tell me?" she half whined, half groaned.

"Kiss me and I'll tell you," he stated.

"But how do I know you aren't bluffing? I could kiss you, and then, what if you don't tell me? You'll get a kiss, and I'll get nothing. You should tell me first, and then I'll reward you with a kiss," she rationalized.

"But that makes you the winner. That was your plan from the start! And I, being a stereotypical macho and self-absorbed man, cannot let you have that satisfaction. Or, worse yet... What if I tell you, and then you don't let me kiss you?"

Rory grinned. "Well, then maybe we should do it at the same time."

Jess raised his eyebrows. "Seriously?"

"Seriously."

Through the many years he'd known Rory – no matter how many of those years had been spent horridly apart from her – he knew that she wasn't one to be reasoned with. When she had her mind made up, that was it. There was no changing it. "Alright," he replied, resigned.

"And if you don't hold up to your end of the deal, then that just shows me that I can't trust you. And trust is the basis of a healthy relationship, you know."

Relationship. With Rory. Although he'd never admit it, he loved the sound of that. And although he knew she was just playing around, he didn't want to give her any reason whatsoever not to trust him. "I promise. I won't let you down." He said it with all the sincerity he had within him, and by the way her expression became slightly more serious than it had been before, he knew she understood that he'd meant it. And he had. He'd really, really meant it.

He closed the tiny gap between their lips. And as she kissed him, he whispered against her lips, "Dodger."

She placed her small palms on his chest and pushed him up slightly. An incredulous look was in her eyes. "You've loved me ever since I called you Dodger?" Jess tried his hardest to keep from looking guilty and just nodded slightly. "That was the day we met," Rory breathed out.

"I am aware. I told you I was a pathetic loser." He avoided her eyes. He didn't want her to see the vulnerability in his.

She lifted his chin up with her fingers so that he was looking at her. "It's not pathetic," she said. "It's beautiful." Jess leaned in and kissed her, yet again. It was all he could do to show her the gratitude he felt, but he never got tired of it. Each kiss felt like the very first. She pushed him back up again, though. "I love you," she whispered. Then, she said softly – almost desperately, "Tell me you love me."

Jess looked deep into her sky-colored eyes and said as passionately and seriously as he could, "I love you, Rory Gilmore."

Rory smiled hugely at him. "I love you, too," she said before pulling him in for another series of kisses. "And I'm sorry it took me so long to see it."

A/n: All the Hemingway quotes were taken from his famed novel A Farewell to Arms. I hope you liked this chapter! Because I really enjoyed writing it. And don't worry... Logan will be taken care of in the next chapter. And by "taken care of" I don't mean killed. I mean... dealt with. But that sounds like I'm killing him off, too... There's just no way to put this. He will live, unfortunately, so stop all your cheering and jumping for joy. =] Oh, and I want y'all's opinion on how I'm doing with keeping them in character. That would be much appreciated!