Personally, I love this chapter. After the last few days of drought, I'm so glad ideas are pouring down on me. I know, I said I was going to end this...but I can't. That said, I'm not going to promise an update any time soon. Though if I get as much response to this chapter in comparason to the last, I'll definitely reconsider. Even if no one likes this, another update will still be cooking on the back burner. Enjoy!!
Everyone who reviewed the last chapter is absolutely fantastic!! Here's to you: Good2Know, rrainyddaze, Jessi, JessRoryYunaTidusforever, blonde-biatch, JESSandRORYforever, Kassandra27, Curley-Q, Sailor-Lit, QuEEnSeRb716, Luna Leo, ignacio, D.M. Jackson, DuskReaper, iamcool511, and Java!! Thanks everyone for showing me I needed to post something else. Keep on reviewing, loves.
Disclaimer: Nothing is mine. Pinkie swear.
"Look Sugah! They're standin' under the mistletoe!" a very thrilled Babette informed Lorelai.
"Offspring and hoodlum!" Rory and Jess turned their heads respectively.
"What?" Jess groaned, angered that they were ripped away from their conversation.
"You're standing under the mistletoe," Lorelai replied in a sing song voice. "You know what that means, don't you?" she taunted.
"Moooom!!!" Rory shouted, covering her face as her pale skin began to flush.
"I am not kissing her," Jess said decidedly.
"Come on Jess, it's a tradition!" Lorelai shouted as Jess and Rory stood frozen under the mistletoe, not even moving to glimpse at each other.
Jess grimaced. "Ew. I don't want to kiss Rory! She's a girl!!" he said, much more persistent than before.
Rory glanced around the room. It was filled with most of Stars Hollow's residents. They were all staring at the friends, waiting for Jess to make a move.
"But it's a tradition! You can't break a tradition!" Lorelai begged. Jess scowled in her direction. "You're such a party pooper!! Just kiss Rory!"
Jess scowled again, but touched his lips to Rory's briefly. Instantaneously, they blushed.
Everyone in the room that witnessed the kiss applauded. Jess shook his head, stepped away from the mistletoe, and dashed.
Lorelai chuckled as she remembered the scene. The kids had been eight years old a the time of the mistletoe incident. Jess had moved to Stars Hollow a year beforehand and, while he enjoyed Rory's company, he still thought kissing girls was "icky."
There they were, unknowingly standing under the mistletoe chatting about books. She smiled at the situation they were in seven years ago.
"Offspring and hoodlum!" The two teens in question turned at the sound of Lorelai's voice.
"What?" Jess groaned, angered that they were ripped away from their conversation.
"You're standing under the mistletoe," Lorelai replied in a sing song voice. "You know what that means, don't you?" she taunted.
Jess was overcome with a case of deja vu. He grinned devilishly. "I don't want to kiss Rory. She's a girl," he joked.
"Ick. Kissing!" Rory exclaimed as she caught on.
"Come on, you two! It's a tradition!"
"Ew...kissing," Jess said.
Rory smiled and looked at Lorelai. "Yeah. Come on, Jess. It's a tradition, you know." She turned around winked at Lorelai.
Mischief sparkled in his chocolate brown eyes. Silence engulfed the two of them as everyone in the room held their breath. Before she could protest, Jess closed his eyes, pursed his lips, and went in for the kill. The applause started. Rory wrapped her arms around his neck in a futile attempt to lengthen the kiss. After what seemed like minutes to Lorelai, the clapping died down and the whispering began.
"Uh, guys? You want to come up for air any time soon?" Lorelai asked, trying to ignore the gossip.
Jess broke the kiss and sheepishly looked into Rory's eyes. She tasted like strawberries and coffee, and smelled like vanilla. Quickly, Jess did what the Mariano men did best: he ran.
Dashed, rather, as he skittered through the crowds of people that cluttered the halls.
"Jess!" a disgruntled voice called after him. He knew Rory was following him, which in turn meant he should stop running. He couldn't. "Jess!" her voice was fainter this time. Jess had gotten further from her. She hadn't stopped chasing him though, he could tell from the crunch of the leftover leaves behind him.
He was too fast for her by nature. Rory knew that. She also knew Jess had an extreme dislike for confrontation. In this instance, she didn't really care. He was starting to falter, and Rory noticed. Obviously, he was heading for the bridge. The sharp turn he just took gave him away.
Jess groaned. He was too predictable for his own good. The foot steps behind him ceased and he looked around. There was no Rory Gilmore in sight. Sighing, Jess realized he only had two options: sulk back to the party, or seek refuge at the bridge. Lorelai was at the party, Rory took a short cut to the bridge. Jess shook his hair out and went to the place he knew was safest.
"Hi, stranger," she said meekly, her cheeks flushed from exertion. "Come here often?"
Jess hung his head. "Not too often," he replied.
Rory scuffed her sneaker on the bridge. She looked so timid and delicate, Jess couldn't help but smile. Brown met blue as ferocious emotions flitted in their eyes.
"I don't need mistletoe as an excuse to kiss you," Jess said.
Smacking her lips in the process, Rory looked up at her friend. Nervously, Jess placed his hands on her waist. Rory followed his lead and wrapped her arms around his neck once more.
They stood there for a moment, rocking back and forth in the wind. Jess leaned down and planted a short kiss on Rory's lips, but pulled away seconds after and took a step back. At first, Rory looked away in disdain, but gathered her courage and yanked him closer by the collar.
He was pleased with her initiative, and extended the kiss. As the kiss continued, the first snowflake fell to the bridge and gleamed.
Good things happen when it snows. Lorelai raised her wineglass to the window as she gazed at the snowflakes that were falling gently to the ground.
