5 years earlier
It was getting pretty late and Rory was contemplating putting her book down and going to bed when her phone rang.
"Hello?"
"Hi Rory."
"Oh, Jess, hi. I haven't heard from you in..."
"It's been a while I know. Got busy."
"All part of that stupid being a grown up thing."
"It's overrated."
"Definitely."
"So, that's actually kinda why I called. I've got a few meetings with my publisher in New York next week and I wondered if I could borrow your guest room for a few days."
"Of course you can. When should I expect you?"
"Well my first meeting is Monday but if you're not busy I thought I might drive down tomorrow night..."
"So I'll have you for the entire weekend?" Rory cut him off excitedly.
"Well, yeah, if that's okay with you? It's pretty last minute. Don't want you having to change any plans on account of me."
"I have no plans. Do you still have your key?"
"Yes."
"Well I can usually get off a little earlier on Fridays but just let yourself in if you beat me home."
"See you tomorrow night then."
"See you then Jess."
"Hey Rory?"
"Yes Jess?"
"Thanks."
"Save your thanks for tomorrow. It's been a while, I've missed you."
"Goodbye Rory."
"Goodbye Jess."
Rory let the phone slip through her fingers and drop onto the couch beside her. She rested her head back and let out an elated sigh, unable to keep the smile from her face. Jess had called. She knew he would because he respected the rules they'd written over two years ago she just never knew how long it would take for him to fulfil them. She hadn't heard from him in almost three months and she had missed him. None of that mattered now though, he was coming to stay and they'd have the whole weekend to catch up.
Jess didn't even bother to knock when he reached Rory's door. He turned his key in the lock and let himself in, dumping his bags in the tiny entry way then following the sound of Rory's off pitch singing. He sat on the closed toilet in the bathroom enjoying the terrible concert, waiting patiently for her to switch off the taps and step out of the shower. He pushed her towel into her hand as it reached for the towel rack and she let out a startled scream. She wiped her face dry, realised it was Jess and began to hit him with a comb she'd picked up off the bench.
"Jess! How...what...you scared me!"
"Well I guess we're even then, your vocal stylings are pretty terrifying."
Rory wrapped the towel he'd handed her tightly around her body and grabbed a second one from the rack to dry her hair.
"I didn't expect you to be here this early," she admitted, calming down from her fright.
"I can leave and come back if you want," Jess offered.
"Or you could just get over here and give me a proper hello," Rory held her hands out to him and he lifted them to his shoulders, wrapping his arms around her waist and pulling her in for a long overdue hug.
Rory could barely conceal her disappointment when he simply kissed her on the forehead and let her go.
"Hey, don't look at me like that!" Jess noticed the frown lines forming on her forehead. "I was trying to be a gentlemen."
"Why would you want to do a thing like that?" Rory asked him.
He stepped back toward her and grabbed her around the waist, lifting her and throwing her over his shoulder and carrying her through to her bedroom.
"Well that wasn't very gentlemanly!" Rory protested but the heat rising beneath the surface of her skin showed him that she didn't mind his behaviour at all.
When he undid her towel she let out a happy sigh and closed her eyes as he kissed her from head to toe.
"I've missed you," she whispered as he rested his head on her chest sometime later. She stroked the smooth skin of his back and ran her fingers through his messy hair.
"You missed me or you missed that?" Jess ran his hand up her leg, leaving it to rest at the crease of her thigh.
"Both I guess," Rory pulled gently on his hair to make him turn his face toward her. "Three months is a long time to go without talking to your best friend."
"Best friend huh?"
"You know what I mean."
"I've missed you too Rory," he moved up her body and kissed her.
"You missed me or you missed that?" Rory threw his own question back at him as she felt him growing again against her hip.
"Both I guess." he answered her with her response then covered her body with his once more and reminded them both again what they'd been missing out on.
"Is there anything in particular you want to do this weekend?" Rory asked him as they lay together in bed the next morning. Jess's bags were still at the door where he'd left them. Empty pizza boxes littered the floor and two wine glasses sat forgotten on the bedside table. It had been an eventful night of catching up and neither of them felt any motivation to move at the moment.
"This." Jess answered her, his head half buried in his pillow.
"Besides this? We can't just stay in bed all weekend," Rory pointed out sensibly.
"Why not?"
"Well, because..."
"Face it, you have no counter argument."
"But what if I get hungry?"
"I'll make you something."
"But this is my place, you know the pantry is full of books."
"Would you like me to go out and get us some breakfast?" Jess asked her, already preparing himself to get up.
"Oh would you? I guess I'll just wait for you here then," she laughed as she pulled the covers up over her head in preparation for the attack she knew was coming.
Jess surprised her by simply patting her head through the sheets and bidding her goodbye.
"I'll be back soon."
Jess took a lot longer than Rory expected and she began to get restless lazing around all alone in her bed. By the time he returned she was showered and dressed and sitting at the kitchen table waiting for him.
"What happened to the plan?" Jess asked as he put two overflowing grocery bags on the table in front of her.
"Felt wrong without you," she admitted.
"Well, I'm back now, do you want to..."
"Let's do something. I've been living here for over a year now and aside from my route to and from work and the location of every decent coffee stand along the way I still don't really know my way around. The last two times you stayed we didn't have much time but now we do and I'd love for you to be my tour guide," she watched Jess as he unpacked the food.
"Okay," he agreed.
Rory went back to her room and pulled out a guidebook she'd been keeping in her drawer but had yet to open.
"You won't be needing that," Jess assured her as he handed her a cup of coffee and a plate of toast. "You eat, I'm going to shower and then we'll go."
By the time they returned home late that evening Rory's feet were killing her. Jess had taken her to 3 different used book stores that she'd never have found on her own and one little hole in the wall record store she'd been to once before.
"Hey Jess?" she called out to him from the lounge.
"Yeah?"
"I think we should go with your plan for tomorrow."
"I'm going to hold you to that Gilmore. My back is killing me from carrying all your books."
"So I guess you won't be carrying me to bed tonight?" she looked up and saw him standing against the doorframe.
"That was a one off, don't expect that to happen ever again," he warned her.
"Thanks for today Jess."
"I'm going to bed now Rory," Jess moved toward the door to the guest room.
"You don't have to sleep in there if you don't want to," Rory told him, slightly confused by his motion.
"I know but I think I should. This thing only works if we stick by the rules right? I'm having a little trouble with number 4 right now."
"Oh." was all Rory could find to say.
"Goodbye Rory."
"Goodbye Jess."
She watched as he disappeared into the guest room, shutting the door behind him. Suddenly realising maybe she wasn't so clear on the forth rule herself anymore.
The next morning she found a note pushed under door.
I'm sorry but I can't stay.
J x
The guest room was empty, the bed made, all trace of Jess gone. She sat on the bed with her arms wrapped around her body and sobbed, certain her heart would fall out of her chest if she didn't hold it in tight enough.
I'm sorry too Jess, she told the empty room.
I didn't mean to fall in love with you again either.