Sorry for the delay AGAIN! Crazy busy week at work yet again so have been exhausted every evening. I hope you're all still with me. Please do let me know whether you're enjoying this as I feel like not many people are actually reading it. Let me know if you would still like me to continue with this. :)

Chapter 8

Matt and Jess were sat on the couch at the Crap Shack one day after school, watching some tv. "So my mom's away on Friday for the night..." Matt said.

"Oh yeah? How come?" Jess said.

"She got roped into this spa day thing with my Grandma. She's dreading it." He grinned.

"Sounds bad." Jess smirked.

"Yup, I'm worried one of them will end up killing the other." Matt joked.

"So you have the house to yourself huh?" He said glancing over at him.

"Well, Rory will be here but yeah." He nodded.

"Interesting." Jess commented.

Matt glanced at him. "I guess having some company wouldn't be that bad." He said casually.

"It wouldn't, huh?" Jess smirked. "And what would be the benefits?"

"How about a little action like this?" Matt smirked before leaning in and kissing him passionately.

"Ok, so that is very tempting." Jess smirked.

"So you'll come?"

"I'll be here." He nodded.

"Cool." Matt grinned.

"Can I get another preview of what might happen?" Jess joked.

"Oh definitely!" Matt grinned leaning in again and as they started kissing, he accidentally pushed Jess down on the couch so that he was on top of him.

"Ah geez! Seriously?" A voice said.

They jumped apart to see Rory standing there. "Rory!" Matt said, blushing slightly.

"Ok, you guys need to stop this! I know I know about you two but I could have easily been mom then!" Rory pointed out.

"Nah, mom's working late today to make up for the time she'll be missing on Friday." Matt said. "We're not that stupid that we'd do this when mom could walk in."

"Oh so it's ok to do it when you know I can walk in?" Rory raised her eyebrows.

"Yeah but you love me!" Matt grinned.

Rory rolled her eyes. "Yeah but that doesn't mean I want to keep walking in on you two making out all the time. This is the fifth time this week!" She exclaimed.

"Sorry." Matt said smirking slightly.

"Yeah, sure you are." Rory shook her head but smirked slightly.

"We'll make sure it doesn't happen again." Jess said.

"Uh huh. That's what you said last time." She said.

"Well we mean it this time." Jess said smirking slightly.

Rory just shook her head. "You two belong together." She said walking off towards her bedroom.

"Maybe I should head back..." Jess smirked at Matt. "Luke will wonder where I am anyway."

"Ok. So I'll see you tomorrow. Still on for Friday?" He said.

"If it's ok with Rory." Jess nodded.

"I'll talk to her. I'm sure it will be fine. Plus I'll suggest she should invite Tristan. Seems like it's going ok between them so it will be a chance for you two to meet." He said.

"Ok. See you tomorrow." Jess said giving him a kiss.

"Bye." Matt smiled, watching him leave, before heading towards Rory's room. "Can I come in?" He asked, poking his head round.

"Sure." Rory smiled. "Has your loverboy gone?" She teased.

"Yes he's gone." Matt smirked. He glanced at her. "I am sorry you keep walking in on us at the wrong time. I promise we don't time it." He said sheepishly.

"It's fine." Rory said.

"Are you sure? Because if it makes you uncomfortable..." He said.

"Matt, no! You know that's not it." Rory assured him. "You know I like seeing you so happy and if Jess is the cause of that, then I'm happy for you guys. I just don't always want to walk in during the gross moment of your relationship." She said smirking slightly.

"The gross moment? We were only kissing!" Matt laughed.

"You were on top of him on the couch! And then the time before that you were sucking each other's faces off!" Rory said.

"We were not!" He scoffed. "It was only kissing."

"Ok so you would be ok walking in on me and Tristan kissing like that, would you?" Rory raised her eyebrows.

"Ok good point." Matt conceded. "Sorry, we'll try to be more discrete." He told her.

"Thank you." Rory smirked.

"So how was school?" He asked.

"Good. Although Paris had a meltdown because she got an A- on a test." She said.

"Oh dear..."

"She wanted to study with me Friday night but luckily I think I got out of it." Rory said.

"Oh yeah? What plans do you have for Friday then?" He asked casually.

"Was just thinking I would have a quiet night in, doing laundry, something like that." She shrugged.

"So you're not inviting Tristan round?"

"Wasn't planning to. Why?" She asked.

"Well...uh...I kind of invited Jess round." Matt admitted sheepishly.

"Why am I not surprised?" Rory smirked. "Well I might think about asking Tristan then. I don't fancy being the third wheel."

"You don't mind?" He checked.

"No. Just keep the making out to the confines of your room." She said. "Or anything else to that matter!"

"Ew Rory!" He exclaimed.

"What? It's your first time with him staying over. You're saying that's not a possibility?" She said.

"I...I'm not ready for that yet." Matt said quietly, biting his lip. "You don't think he'd think that's why I invited him round, do you?"

Rory saw her brother's worried expression. "Nah, I'm sure he won't. Like you said, it's early days right? I'm sure he won't even be thinking about that." She assured him.

"Ok." Matt said quietly.

"Look, if you're worried about it, just talk to him. I'm sure he'll understand." Rory said.

"Yeah...you're right." He said.

Rory smiled at him. "It is really nice to see you happy. You are happy right?" She said.

Matt smiled genuinely. "I'm really happy." He said softly.

"Good." Rory smiled.

"Honeys I'm home!" A familiar voice called as the front door opened.

"And the subject is dropped." Matt said.

"You're going to have to tell her sometime." Rory told him.

"Yeah, in a parallel universe maybe." He quipped as they left Rory's room to go and greet their mom.


"So four orders of garlic naan, four samosas and four vindaloos. And two big portions of rice. Is that right?" Rory asked Matt and Jess as they sat on the couch.

"Sounds good! Tristan's coming to eat as well right?" Matt said.

"Yeah he should arrive in about an hour." Rory nodded.

"Perfect timing then. Go order!" He smiled.

"Will do!" Rory said walking off towards the kitchen.

"So, enjoying yourself?" Matt asked Jess.

"So far so good." He nodded.

Matt smirked. "Good."

Jess smirked. He glanced round to check Rory hadn't returned before leaning in to kiss him.

"You know we can kiss around her, right?" Matt teased.

"I don't want to make her uncomfortable." Jess said.

"It's not us kissing that makes her uncomfortable. It's..uh..the making out type of kissing we do...and us getting carried away." He said, blushing slightly.

"Right." Jess smirked slightly. "Will try to rein myself in then. Although, that'll be hard."

Matt blushed again. "Well, maybe it will be for the best. I mean we don't want to get too carried away right? I mean...we're..uh..we've not reached that stage yet right?" He said awkwardly, glancing over at Jess.

Jess glanced at him for a moment. "We're ready when we're both ready. If we keep to kissing, that's fine with me." He said.

Matt let out a breath. "Ok...good." He said relieved. He glanced at Jess and smiled shyly. "Thanks."

"Hey, look, I want to take it slow too. I want to do this right and if that means not getting too carried away too early, that's fine by me." Jess said sincerely.

"And that's why you're my boyfriend." Matt smiled leaning over to kiss him.

"Food's ordered!" Rory smiled coming back in just as the doorbell rang. "That's weird. I'm sure Tristan said he'd get here by 8." She said confused.

"Maybe he missed you." Matt joked.

Rory rolled her eyes at her brother and went to answer the door. "Paris?" She said surprised. "What are you...?"

"I tried to stay home and study myself but I can't. I don't know what anything means anymore. I mean, I can't even read my own handwriting. What does this say? The person who wrote this should be dressed in a clown suit stuffing bodies under their porch!" Paris ranted.

"Paris..." Rory sighed.

"What?" She said moving past into the house and stopping when she saw Matt and Jess there. "Oh...this is your big night planned..." She said quietly. "You're having a party..."

"Not a party really. Just...hanging out." Rory said.

"Yeah, Tristan's joining us later and we're going to..." Matt was saying but stopped when Rory gave him a look.

"We were just planning to hang out Paris. We've ordered food in and we were going to watch a movie."

"Oh." She said. "Well fine. It must be nice to have people to hang out with. Don't let me stand in your way." She said before starting to head for the door.

"Paris, wait." Rory sighed.

"No, forget it, I don't want to get in the way of your big night." She said.

"I'll study with you ok?"

"What, really?" Paris said surprised.

"For one hour, that's it. We can do a quick review and a pop quiz and then you're going home. Deal?" She said.

"Deal." Paris nodded quickly.

"Ok, so, go sit down. Ill be back in a minute." Rory said.

"Where are you going?"

"I'm going to the toilet."

"Ok, but my hour doesn't start until you get back out here, right?" She called after her. She glanced over at Matt and Jess who were stifling their laughs on the couch.

"I'm assuming you won't interrupt our study session?" She retorted.

"Aw Paris, we wouldn't miss this! Jess and I are great at electrochemistry." Matt grinned.

"You are?" She said skeptically, raising her eyebrows.

"Oh yeah, we're the teacher's pet in our chemistry lessons." He nodded solemnly.

"Somehow I highly doubt that." Paris said sitting down.

"Why do you always have to wound me so much, Paris? I thought we were friends." Matt teased.

Paris just rolled her eyes but stifled a smirk. "Just don't pull away Rory's or my focus and you can stay in here." She said.

"Gee thanks Paris! We get to stay in the living room of my house on a Friday evening. Score!" Matt grinned.

"Stop baiting me Gilmore." Paris said.

"Aw Paris, you know you love me really. Besides, who else makes you laugh like I do?" He smirked.

Paris smiled slightly. "Whatever." She said as Rory came back into the room.

"So this is Paris by the way." Matt told Jess.

"I gathered." He smirked.

"Ready?" Rory asked.

"Ready." Paris nodded.


Matt looked round the living room later that evening and smiled at the sight. Rory and Tristan were sat on the armchair, snuggled up together. He smiled as Rory leant her head on Tristan's shoulder and he reciprocated by giving her a quick kiss. He could tell Tristan made Rory happy and he could tell Tristan's feelings for his sister were genuine. He was happy for them both. He then glanced over at Paris who was sat on the other armchair. After the study session, they had managed to persuade Paris to stay and hang out with them. Matt was proud of his sister when she asked Paris. He knew their friendship had been up and down but he could tell they respected each other and in all reality, he quite enjoyed having Paris around as well. She was a good friend to Rory and they had become friends over the time she would hang out with Rory while he was there. He enjoyed getting the laid back side of Paris out of her because he knew out intense she could be. He smiled as he remembered what a nice evening they had actually all had together that night, eating the food, chatting about book and generally just hanging out. He had been nervous about having Jess round for the night as it did dawn on him that it would be the first night they would spend together and his conversation with Rory still replayed in his head. However, his conversation with Jess had eased his worries massively and the casual nature of the evening had relaxed him immensely. He felt a nudge in his ribs and he looked to see Jess smirking at him. "What?" He said.

"You were miles away. I thought I'd just bring you back to reality." Jess smirked.

"Sorry." Matt smiled sheepishly. "Was just thinking what a nice evening it's been." He said.

Jess smiled. "Yeah it's been fun." He nodded as the credits to the movie came on.

"So it's getting late. Maybe..uh..maybe we should head to bed. Our mom's getting back early tomorrow so we should make sure we're up in time to walk back to the diner." Matt said.

"Makes sense." Jess nodded, starting to stand up. He glanced back to see Matt still sitting down on the couch looking awkward. He was quiet for a moment before sitting back down. "Why don't we all have a slumber party in here?" He suggested.

"What?" Matt said confused.

"We could bring the mattresses down from the beds and just sleep in here. It would be like a massive sleepover." He said. "Would you guys be up for it?" He asked Rory, Tristan and Paris.

"Sure!" Rory nodded.

"Sounds good." Tristan agreed.

"Yeah why not." Paris said after a moment.

"See?" He smirked at Matt. "They think I'm good at coming up with amazing ideas."

Matt laughed. "Yeah you are." He said. "I'll go get the mattresses." He said before leaning into Jess' ear. "Thank you." He said softly, giving his a quick kiss before heading upstairs.


"Hey Luke!" Lorelai smiled, coming into the diner the following morning.

"Hey!" Luke smiled. "Matt and Rory said you were at a spa last night. Did you have fun?"

"Oh yeah, my mother and I stole bathrobes!" She grinned.

"My mistake. I asked." Luke said dryly.

"You haven't seen Matt, have you?" She asked. "Rory said he was doing some work with Jess here."

"Yeah, they're upstairs I think." He nodded.

"What is it with those two? I swear they always have these projects to work on." Lorelai said. "Can I head up?" She asked.

"Sure. I'll come with you. I need to grab something anyway." He said, following her through the curtain. He glanced at her. "I think it's nice Matt's taken Jess under his wing. It's good for Jess to have a good friend like him. Maybe he'll be a good influence for Jess." He said cautiously.

"Yeah. Maybe." Lorelai said but wasn't sure.

"Look, I know you don't like Jess but Matt's a good kid. I'd rather Jess be hanging out with him than hanging out with someone I don't know god knows where." He said.

Lorelai sighed. "I know. I'm sorry, Luke. I just...I just worry, that's all." She said.

"You and me, both." Luke said as he opened the door to the apartment. "Ah geez!" He immediately said.

"Matt!" Lorelai said stunned as they found the boys all over each other on the couch.

"Jess?!" Luke said equally as stunned.

The teenagers jumped apart like shrapnel and stood up awkwardly.

"Mom..." Matt said quietly, blushing embarrassed.

"Luke..." Jess said gruffly.

So what do you think their reactions will be? Please do let me know if you want me to continue with this! I've got so many ideas for it but it will only be fun writing this story if I know you all are enjoying it. :) I love reading your reviews so please keep them coming. Your support really does mean so much to me so thanks again! :)