A/N: Sorry I haven't updated in awhile. I've been busy with school and life and I haven't had the time until now. Hopefully it'll be updated again soon! I just wanted to let you know that there are a few quoted passages and those words/conversation was taken from A Farewell To Arms by Ernest Hemingway! (PS, I'm sorry this is a bit short. I promise the next one will be longer!)
It had been a crazy few days with flying and trying to be in the right place at the right time. Rory was already making sure that Jess was on time to all of his signings and even to their flights. The last flight of the week landed them right back in New Haven. It wasn't Jess' choice, of course, but they knew that Rory had to discuss everything with her mother once again. If there was anything that Jess wanted to fix, it was their relationship. Though Jess and Lorelai weren't exactly each others' biggest fans, he knew what Lorelai meant to Rory and he couldn't stand knowing that the two hardly talked anymore.
Every now and then, their hands would brush up against the others and Rory would smile wide enough that Jess could catch it in his peripheral vision, making him shake his head at the girl. There was something about the way she had been acting that made it seem like everything was the way it was when they were teenagers. Nothing had ever really changed between the two and sometimes Jess didn't know if that was a good thing or not, but when he saw Rory smile, he knew that it was alright to stay around for a little while longer.
They both felt as if they were teenagers again. Smitten in the most obvious way possible, even though they both wouldn't admit it if it had to do with that word whatsoever. Rory would rather go with "enamored" while Jess would just go with the simple half-shrug as he stuck his hands in his coat pockets. That's how it always was and always will be. No matter the place or time, they were who they were and that affection wouldn't change for anything. Even after Logan and all the hurt and pain; the fact that Jess had to put Rory back together with safety pins and duct tape... Even after all of that, they were still the same old Jess and Rory, even if it took some getting used to after all the time that had passed between then and now.
As the two circled the town square, they felt the eyes of the town on them, making them both uncomfortable. "Jeez," Jess exhaled and shook his head. "Some things never change."
"Especially Stars Hollow," Rory affirmed with a smile making its way to her lips. She loved the town more than she loved a lot of things. It was obvious to anyone that had ever met her. This was her home, where her roots were. No matter where she ended up.. or how long she had been away, this was always her home and that would never change.
Jess raised his eyebrows at the girl. "It's like this place was frozen in time. Some weird science experiment that no one has ever been able to explain to me."
The smile faltered from the girls face. "I thought you were over hating it."
"Just because I'm here sometimes doesn't mean anything," Jess shrugged. "It just means that it brought me a little closer to you. In that sense, it was hard to hate it. Maybe it's just the people I don't like."
"That must be it," Rory nodded. She liked it when Jess was being nice. She almost wasn't used to people sharing and not yelling at her. Years of Huntzbergers' and lying around will do that to you.
Come midnight, the two headed back to Lorelai's house to go their separate ways.
The left side of Rory's lip went up and something went off in her eyes. "Maybe... You'll fall in love with me all over again." Rory quoted one of Jess' favorite Hemingway books.
The moment those words rolled off of her tongue, Jess' heart stood still and he wasn't able to make a peep. "Hell," he replied with a grin, "I love you enough now. What do you want to do? Ruin me?"
The girl started to giggle softly. "Yes. I want to ruin you."
Though the two were having a small, goofy moment, Jess suddenly turned silent and his face was painted with genuine solemnity. "Good," Jess said. "That's what I want too." He nodded as he watched Rory's face turn from a cheerful smile to a doleful frown. "Goodnight, Rory."
"Goodnight, Dodger."
Rory watched him as he turned away from the Gilmore house and started walking back towards the diner. By the time he was at the end of the driveway, he turned back around. Rory could see the playful smile on his face. "Like I said before... Ernest only has lovely things to say about you." With that, he turned back around and kept on going.
The girls heart sang in a way she didn't know possible. As much as she despised Hemingway, she couldn't help but to read his works whenever she was missing Jess. It felt as if there was still a part of him in her life if she read the books and made small notes on the pages like he always did. Before heading inside, she spoke to the wind. "Why, darling, I don't live at all when I'm not with you."
