A/N: Please note that I have changed the rating on this story, because it is evolving into something a little more mature than I originally intended. However, I will not be writing any heavy duty smut in this one. Here is one more, a short update before the weekend. I probably won't be able to write more until next week. Thanks for reading and your continued support.
Behold the Power of Pancakes
And there was necking. Lots of necking. Sometimes it got a little heated, and they had to retreat to opposite ends of the couch, but it was never long before one began to inch closer to the other as if caught in their gravitational pull.
Kevin Bacon was really doing his best to make Luke care about whether that silly town out in some prairie-like state had their prom or not, but he was failing miserably. It was hard to care when he had Lorelai's perfume surrounding him. It was hard to care when he could feel her every breath. It was hard to care when he could touch her soft skin, and run his fingers through her mass of curls. And, he really couldn't care less about it when she was leaning over him, pressing her soft curves against him, and allowing him to kiss her. Kiss her lips, her face, her neck. Kiss her a lot. Repeatedly. And then some.
Finally, Lorelai literally flung herself back against the cushions opposite him, panting from their most recent, and most heated, session of making out like teenagers. She pointed at him accusingly, "Don't come near me!" Frantically, she pushed her hair back from her eyes in time to see the look of panic cross his features. "Oh, Luke, I didn't mean it like that." she said realizing that he thought that he had offended her. She knelt on the cushion next to him and reached out to stroke his cheek. When is dark blue eyes met hers, she whispered "God, I want you." His eyes widened with awareness, then he took her hand from his cheek and brought it to his lips. He kissed the back of her hand, looked up at her and whispered "Ditto" to her before turning her hand over and pressing his lips to her palm.
Lorelai's mouth dropped before she pulled her hand away and stood up from the couch and began to pace in front of him. "So much for all that talk about waiting until we were more comfortable in the relationship, huh? All I want to do is drag you up those stairs right now!" Luke smiled that cocky little smile that both aroused and incensed her. "Don't look so smug! I could have my way with you if I wanted, mister. I could make that Dudley Do-Right resolve of your crumble like a cracker, if I wanted to!" she said with a knowing smirk.
"Well, we know that you are right about that." He growled back at her, rubbing his hands over his face. He hung his head over his knees for a moment, then looked up at her with regret. "I should probably go home."
Her response was instantaneous, "No! Don't go. Not yet."
He stood up and walked over to stand in front of her. Taking both of her hands in his, he said "Lorelai, if I stay any longer, we could end up doing something we could both regret." He pressed his forehead against hers as he continued "I don't want that. I don't want there to be any regret or doubt or anything else like that between us."
"You know, I am starting to think that it's really going to suck to have a boyfriend that is so good all of the time." she said petulantly.
He laughed as her pulled back and tipped her chin up to look at him. "Oh, I can be bad, believe me." He said still laughing at her pout. "But I will promise you this, Lorelai Gilmore, when I am bad, you will appreciate it that much more."
Shocked and delighted at his playfulness, Lorelai pressed a dismayed hand to her cheek. "Mr. Danes! What are you implying?"
"I didn't imply, Miss Gilmore, I promised." He said gazing at her intently. "Now, walk me to the door like a good girl, and I promise to make you chocolate chip pancakes when you come to see me at the diner in the morning."
"Hah! What makes you think that I am coming to see you tomorrow?" she said with mock scorn.
"You will." He returned, pecking her lightly on the lips and pulling her toward the front door with him. "I have the coffee, and you need the coffee, remember?"
"I hate that you have such power over me!" she crossed her arms across her chest and continued to pout.
He pulled on his coat, and turned to her. "Considering that it's only about a tenth of the power that you have over me, I would think that you could learn to deal with it." He leaned in to kiss her again.
"I had a great time tonight." She said when they pulled apart.
"Me too." He said as he kissed her again with more passion. With a groan, he pulled away and rubbed his knuckles over her cheek. She reached up to hold his hand there. "Good night, Lorelai" he said softly, "Have sweet dreams."
"Good night, Luke." She whispered back. "I will have sweet dreams. Chocolate chip pancakes and you, yum."
He gave her one last laugh as he walked out the door, down the steps and across the lawn. When he reached his truck, he turned to see her gazing at him from the doorway. She raised her hand to touch it to her lips, as she turned to close the door. He couldn't help himself, he called out to her "Make sure you turn the lock!" Lorelai just rolled her eyes at him, and let the door click firmly between them.
Luke climbed into his truck and started it up. Glancing around as her put it in gear, he decided it was best to leave his headlights off until her got past Babette and Morey's house. Just in case.
The next morning, Lorelai all but swaggered into the diner. The door had not even closed behind her when she began calling in a singsong voice "Lucas! Oh, Lucas! I'm here for my special pancakes!" She heard a snort and a giggle to her right, and when she looked over she saw Miss Patty and Babette trying to stifle their glee. "Good morning Patty! Good morning, Babette! My, aren't you two chipper this morning!" she said smiling down at them.
"Apparently, we're not the only ones, Sugar!" Babette said in her raspy voice. "You look mighty perky yourself this morning!"
Patty leaned over conspiratorially, "Tell me, dear, was it as good as I have imagined it would be?" she said with a broad wink.
"I have no idea what you mean, Patty." Lorelai said, her eyes wide with innocence.
"Come now, dear, Babette saw his truck parked at your house last night. It was still there when she and Morey turned in, and you know that they are not early birds. Tell us, we're dying to know." Patty said in a breathy voice.
Lorelai leaned over the table and said "Sorry girls, nothing hot and heavy to tell you, it was just dinner and a movie. But, stay tuned, you never know!" she said with a wink back at them. Just then Luke emerged from behind the curtain covering the stairs to his apartment. He eyed her chatting with Miss Patty and Babette, and began to approach with caution.
Lorelai sauntered over to the counter to meet him. "Hi!" she said brightly, favoring him with a dazzling smile, which he could not help but return.
"Hi yourself." He replied a little startled when she leaned over the counter with her lips pursed for a kiss. He quickly obliged, but blushed deeply as he busied himself with getting her a mug of coffee. "Here's your morning poison." He said, his cheeks still pinkish.
"Sorry." She whispered across the counter. "I didn't think. I was just happy to see you."
"It's okay." He whispered back, "I liked it, it will just take a little getting used to…" he trailed off as Kirk cleared his throat, standing next to Lorelai's stool. "What Kirk?" he snapped.
Kirk cleared his throat again, nervously, and said "Luke, how come Lorelai get some kind of special pancake? Just because you get to kiss a girl does not mean that she should get preferential treatment."
"Yes it does!" Lorelai interjected indignantly.
"No it doesn't!" Kirk shot back at her.
"Sit down and shut up, Kirk, or you will have to leave!" Luke snarled at him.
"If I kiss you, can I get special pancakes?" Kirk asked.
"No!" Luke yelled, spinning around to head into the kitchen.
"What if I kiss Lorelai? Will I get special pancakes then?" Kirk asked persistently.
Luke turned back to glare at Kirk, and Kirk began to sink into his seat under the pressure of it. "Okay, okay." He mumbled, "I only really like the regular pancakes, anyway."
Lorelai spun back around on her stool, and wearing a huge smug grin on her face, she placed her chin in her palm and stared at the specials board dreamily. That was how Rory found her minutes later. She stopped by Patty and Babette's table to say hi to them. Rory motioned to her mother with her chin "What's with her?" she asked them.
"Honey, I think you mom might be smitten." Babette replied with a smile.
"Really?" Rory asked incredulously, for she had never seen Lorelai like this.
"Really." Patty replied as Luke stepped from the kitchen holding a plate of chocolate chip pancakes with a smiley face drawn in whipped cream. He placed the plate before a beaming Lorelai, and grinned back at her, oblivious to the rest of the diner. "And, I would say the feeling is mutual."
"Wow." Rory said as she moved toward Lorelai. "Hi Mom. Hi Luke." she said a bit cautiously.
"Rory!" her mother exclaimed, turning the grin on her daughter.
"Hey Rory!" Luke smiled at her too.
"So I take it, it was a good date last night?" Rory said slowly.
"Yeah." Luke and Lorelai replied simultaneously.
"Good." Rory said. "Okay, are you guys going to cut this out now? Because your are kind of freaking me out." Both Lorelai and Luke were startled and looked around as if noticing for the first time that they were not alone in the room.
Blushing furiously, Luke retreated to the kitchen mumbling something about getting Rory chocolate chip pancakes, too. Rory turned to her mother who sat with her shoulders hunched, laughing silently. "Sorry, didn't mean to scare your boyfriend off…" Rory started.
"That's okay." Lorelai replied, "If Luke or I had seen anyone else acting that way, we would have been mocking them mercilessly. Thanks for snapping us back."
"Anytime." Rory assured her. "Nice pancakes. How'd you score those?" At Lorelai's devilish grin she held her hand up to stop her, "Sorry! Forget I asked. Well, you had better start before they get cold."
"Oh yeah!" Lorelai said pulling the plate closer to her. She giggled and said "Watch this." to Rory as she spun around on her stool holding the plate. "Hey Kirk!" she called with cocky jerk of her head. When he looked up, Lorelai shoved a huge forkful of pancake and whipped cream into her mouth, smiling while she chewed.
"Oh! Now, that's just mean!" Kirk yelled as he jumped up and scurried from the diner.
Lorelai's laughter died out as she turned back around to see Luke placing an identical plate of pancakes in front of Rory. "Aw! Now I don't feel so special!" she pouted.
"You can't handle the power." Luke said tersely as he walked away.