A/N: Hey, reader peops! So this chapter follows on swiftly from the previous - even the titles are linked - so what do you think is gonn happen next, huh? ;)

(For disclaimer, etc. - see Prologue)

Chapter 10 - ...Never Been Kissed

Jess sat up sharply in his bed when a loud smash sounded from the kitchen area. It was dark for the most part, probably stupid o'clock in the morning, he guessed, because Luke was up and dressed already. It was him causing all the noise, a mug clearly in pieces on the floor, and a whole lot of coffee grounds skittering off to the side.

"What are you trying to do? Scare me to death?" asked Jess, running his hand over his face and up through his hair that stuck out at all angles.

"Yeah, Jess, that was my master plan!" Luke yelled crossly as he stooped to clean up the mess he had made. "My whole world revolves around you and pissing you off, okay? Nothing else exists but you and your need to lounge in bed all day long!"

He was being unfair and they both knew it. Usually Jess would rise to it, fight back, but not today, not like this.

Uncle Luke wasn't a bad guy. Sure, they had their fights, but Jess knew deep down that his best interest was always what Luke was working towards; whether he always showed appreciation of that was another story. Ever since Rory's party, Luke had been acting especially weird. Angry, more mad at the world than Jess had ever been, and at age eleven, he'd given it a real good try. Something was wrong.

Getting out of bed, clad in only boxers and a T-shirt, Jess staggered a little on his way to the kitchen, just because he was so half-asleep. He fetched the broom and dustpan to clean up the mess that Luke was currently staring into, picking at it with his fingers.

"Stop," ordered Jess, seeing clearly that his uncle was just making it worse, and that he was probably going to cut himself if he carried on.

Luke got up, backed up against the counter and watched as Jess cleaned up his mess. This wasn't right, none of it. His head felt so overly full these past couple of days. He couldn't sleep, he couldn't concentrate. Hell, he couldn't even co-ordinate the breakfast things in his own apartment, so how he planned on being any use in a diner, Luke hadn't a clue.

"I don't know what's the matter with me," he grumbled, as Jess finished cleaning up and put things back where he found them.

"Me either, but you've been the proverbial bear with a sore head since Rory's party," he told him sharply, heading back to bed now the worst seemed to be over.

"Like you've been any better!" Luke countered, stopping his nephew in his tracks, halfway to his bed. "You've hardly said two words to me, you snapped at several customers yesterday, and don't even get me started on the blaring music that I thought we agreed needed to be dialled down to much less than eleven!"

Jess bit his lip and took a breath, determined not to lose it, but the temptation to explode became too much. Sure, he knew he'd been kind of a pain in the ass since having to watch the disgusting display of Rory fawning over Dean and his precious home-made piece-of-crap bracelet. It was then that something clicked in Jess' head. He knew what was wrong with his uncle, and spinning on his heel, he let rip at Luke for ragging on him.

"Why don't you stop yelling at me and just ask her out already?!" he asked crossly.

Realisation dawned on Luke's face for all of a second before he managed to mask it again.

"What? who?" he asked in confusion, but it was plain as the nose on his face that he knew exactly what Jess meant.

"Lorelai!" he spelled it out, even though it was obvious already. "C'mon, Uncle Luke, it's been building for five years!" he continued, waving his arms emphatically. "Now she has Max, and you're freaking out. We both know that's your problem. So for love of everything, just ask her out, before things get too serious with the English teacher."

Luke's jaw worked but no words came out for a long time. Jess didn't exactly explode much, but when he did there really was no choice but to listen. For the most part he had something to say that was worth hearing, or at the very least he believed it was very much worth saying. Sometimes Luke wondered if he got the random temper thing from him. It wasn't dissimilar.

In amongst all of this, his brain tried to come up with an acceptable response to the accusation that he wanted to date Lorelai. Luke might have a better chance of batting it away as stupid and ridiculous, if he didn't know deep down that Jess was completely right. That didn't mean he was about to let his sixteen year old nephew give him love life guidance. That would just be pathetic, crazy, and pathetic a couple more times.

"I don't want to date Lorelai," he said as calmly and reasonably as he could. "I wouldn't... Not that she's not attractive or... She is a fine woman, but we're not... I'm not... Just, no!" he said eventually, moving his hands in a cutting motion as if drawing a line under it.

Jess rolled his eyes.

"Wow, that was a real convincing argument, Uncle Luke," he dead-paned, turning once again to go back to his bed.

This time he made it and flopped down heavily on his front. The mattress springs had barely stopped twanging when he realised Luke had followed him over.

"What? You just want me to make you and Rory even more like brother and sister?"

Jess scoffed at that, he just couldn't help it. The irony made him laugh, a painful hollow sound.

"Yeah, I'm her brother."

"What's that tone for?" Luke asked immediately, apparently genuinely bemused. "You love Rory, you guys have been joined at the hip since you came here."

There was no way in hell Jess wanted to be having this talk, not with Luke, and especially not right now. Unfortunately, it seemed he didn't have a choice. In any case, there was a limited number of people Jess was willing to talk to about anything real, or anything at all actually. Given his feelings for Rory, and Lorelai being her Mom, Luke was maybe his only option. Dragging himself up to a sitting position, Jess propped himself against the headboard. He let out a long breath but wouldn't meet Luke's eyes when he finally spoke.

"Not anymore," he shook his head. "Now she has Dean."

Luke felt a pang of sympathy for his nephew's plight. The kid could be a pain in the rear sometimes, no doubt, but his affection for Rory was unwavering. Their friendship was just so solid and such a big deal to both of them. Luke could understand why Jess was feeling a little insecure. After all, there really was only him and the Gilmore Girls that hadn't loved and left him so far.

"C'mon, you know Dean won't take your place, Jess," he told him. "That's a completely different kind of relationship, that's..."

Realisation dawned as he watched his nephew squirm. Luke felt so very awkward, almost as awkward as Jess looked in fact. A frown came to his brow and then he knew he was going to have to ask the question, if only to prove to himself he wasn't going completely crazy and imagined what he thought he was seeing here.

"Oh, geez," he groaned. "That's the kind of relationship you want with Rory?"

Jess moved fast, pretty much threw himself into a pair of jeans and fastened them.

"I gotta go," he muttered, grabbing a jacket, not caring anymore that it was four in the morning, it just didn't matter.

"Jess!" Luke scrambled after him, reaching to grasp at his arm. "Wait a second. You like Rory?" he asked him, completely seriously, eyes locked onto Jess' own.

"She's my best friend, I couldn't exactly hate her, could I?" he exploded, looking away, pulling on his arm until Luke let go, but he wouldn't give up.

"You know what I mean," his uncle said determinedly. "You have feelings for her, non-friendship feelings. Boyfriend-girlfriend feelings?" he tried.

"Do you hear yourself?" his nephew countered, finally getting his arm out of Luke's hand.

He would leave now and he tried, pulling open the door and stepping out. His uncle's voice stopped him in his tracks within a second.

"Jess, I... I mean I'm surprised, I honestly didn't think about this happening but..."

"It's not happening!" he snapped, looking back over his shoulder. "Nothing is happening, and if you say anything to Rory or Lorelai about this conversation, I'm gone," he said seriously, not so much a threat as a promise, Luke knew. "Seriously, Uncle Luke, just... just don't. Please."

He was serious, deathly so, they were both very away of that. Jess hadn't exactly confessed but the fact he was swearing Luke to secrecy proved their was a secret to keep here. He liked Rory, the way guys liked girls. His love for her was changing and he had no idea what to do about it. Luke would love to advise him, but he had no clue himself. This was such a curve ball. Still, he could do the one thing Jess was begging him to do and keep his silence, for now.

"My lips are sealed," he promised solemnly.

Jess nodded once.

"Thank you," he mumbled, right before he left, the door slamming behind him.

Jess watched the sun rise from the bridge. It wasn't exactly the most private of places, anybody could and would use it to cross the lake. Still, it meant something to him to be here.

Even when they were kids, this was a place that belonged to himself and Rory. It was part of their shared history. On the odd occasion when she fought with Lorelai, and the less odd occasions when Jess fought with Luke, this was where the kids found each other. In happier times, they met here to plan good things, like surprises for her mother and his uncle, or even for Lane. In some strange way, Jess figured he had come here thinking maybe Rory would appear, as if she knew he was hoping for her to. It didn't come as a huge shock when she never did show.

Lying on his back, Jess had read an entire book before he realised he probably ought to move already. He shifted to check his watch and then remembered he never put it on in his hurry to leave. It had been light for a while now, and though it was quiet here, the town was probably starting to fill up, stores opening, people heading for work or school. Jess knew he should really get back home, let Uncle Luke know he was okay, if nothing else. The guy really hadn't done anything wrong anyway.

Jess got to his feet and stretched out his aching body. Lying on planks of wood was only comfortable for so long, especially when a person was functioning on little sleep. Shoving his paperback into the back pocket of his jeans, Jess set off walking back to town. The sun got in his eyes on the way and if he hadn't known the route so well, he probably would've wandered into people or even oncoming traffic on his way. Squinting against the bright light, he genuinely didn't see Rory running straight at him, until she practically bowled him over.

"Rory?" he made a grab for her but somehow she evaded. "Hey, what's going on?" he asked, seeing the panicked look on her face.

His hands grasped at her upper arms before she could bolt right by. This time he had her attention, but she still looked really freaked out.

"I just... He was..." she began to mutter and ramble, something she was always good at, "and I can't... I shoplifted!" she announced suddenly, waving a box of corn starch in Jess' face.

He frowned hard, completely baffled, and understandably so. She wasn't making any sense.

"You lifted corn starch from Doose's Market?" he asked, since that was what she seemed to be telling him.

"No," Rory shook her head, pulling out of his grasp. "Well, yes, but not on purpose, I..." she looked back over her shoulder to the market a moment. "I have to get out of here!" she declared suddenly, taking off at a run.

Jess was astounded by the speed she moved at. Rory was not a runner, not in the least athletic actually, and yet she was tearing off towards the bridge of all places. The very place he just came from, but hey, it was theirs to run to, always.

"Rory!" Jess called after her as he gave chase.

She stopped half way across the bridge, and he was glad. She never was much of a runner before and yet she had got over here in record time. Something was wrong, very wrong, and Jess knew it long before he saw tears forming in Rory's eyes. Her arms came up and then dropped again as she stepped to the left and to the right, like she had no clue how to control her limbs at all.

"Rory, c'mon," he said sternly, grabbing her by the shoulders once again. "Stop. Talk to me," he urged her, ducking his head and attempting to meet her eyes.

She looked up so suddenly he actually jumped, and then she started talking... fast.

"I think Dean was going to kiss me."

"Huh."

"I ran... and apparently stole."

"Huh."

"Can't you say anything else?"

"I don't know what you want me to say," Jess admitted, finally finding those words he was usually so good with.

His fingers were still wrapped around Rory's upper arms, his eyes still staring into her face, but he was barely seeing a thing. There was white noise in his ears for a few moments as he tried to get over the surprise and the pain of it all. Dean tried to kiss Rory, his Rory. Its not like he didn't know this day was coming, but it hurt, and way more than it should.

"Oh, he's going to think I'm a freak now," said Rory, so sadly, pulling out of her friend's grip and dropping down to sit on the edge of the bridge, legs dangling.

Jess watched her do it, let his brain catch up with the rest of him, and carefully sat down beside her.

"Why would he think that?" he asked, watching her shift the box of corn starch from one hand to the other in some pointless act. "I'm pretty sure tall, dark, and farmboy thinks you're amazing, which you know you are," he told her, mumbling by the end, trying to think of all those things he would say when they were just best friends, before he realised his feelings were changing.

"Don't be nice to me," she sighed. "I'm such an idiot! Why couldn't I just let it happen without going all... all Rory?!" she exclaimed, looking away.

"Maybe you just didn't want him to kiss you," suggested Jess, even though it was all wishful thinking and he knew it.

He was hardly breathing, waiting for her to answer that, hoping for an agreement, knowing it wasn't really coming. It was still oddly painful when she told him he was wrong.

"That's the dumbest part, I did want him to," said Rory sadly, staring off into the calm water just rippling gently in the breeze. "I really, really did but... I just, I've never..."

She fumbled over her words, suddenly looking at Jess with the most exasperated expression.

"You know what I'm trying to say!"

"I do, but it's kinda fun watching you try anyway," he smirked out of habit more than anything, but he changed his expression immediately when she continued to look upset. "So you haven't exactly been around the block a bunch of times, the Boy Wonder probably likes that in a girl," he shrugged, wishing he was having this conversation with anybody else - Lorelai or Lane maybe - because this was just painful.

"Maybe. I just had this fear that he would kiss me and I'd freeze or I'd try to kiss back and it'd be horrible and awful, and he'd laugh at me, and I'd become known as 'bad kisser girl' or something."

"That would not happen," Jess told her gently. "You're good at everything you try to do, why would this be different?"

That hadn't come out quite the way Jess had intended, but Rory didn't seem to notice.

"I'm not good at everything, at least not this kind of stuff" she muttered some more, and then suddenly he felt her eyes on him. "But you are, right?"

"What?"

She could not be suggesting what Jess thought she was suggesting. That would be beyond crazy. Inappropriate at best, more than it had ever been since he started to care about her, see her in a different way. He opened his mouth to tell her that, but no more words came out, and then she was talking again.

"Jess, c'mon, I've seen you with girls," she said, shifting her body so she was facing him a little more. "You talk the talk, and I know you've walked the walk too. Your Spin the Bottle adventure with Missy Parker in the ninth grade was pretty much legendary."

He started getting up when she wouldn't stop. Jess had some experience with girls, that much was true. Rory knew, not because he made a big deal out of telling her, but just because the rumour mill was on constant overload in this town. Stars Hollow could spread a story around its entire population in such a short time, Jess was surprised they never got in the Guiness Book of Records for it. Of course that wasn't the point he needed to be focused on right now.

"Jess, I just need a little help here," Rory urged him, grabbing at his arm - he hadn't even noticed her get up. "Isn't this what we do? When one of us needs help, the other one is there to provide said help," she reminded him, turning him around to face her.

"For studying, yeah," he agreed, pulling his arm from her grip and backing up a step because anything like close was too close right in this moment, "or if you need help shifting furniture, or Uncle Luke needs a hand at the diner. This is... it's just different!" he tried to tell her.

She ought to understand, if he could tell her how he really felt she definitely would, but there was no way this was a good time for that kind of confession. Jess wondered if there would ever be a good time. Little by little, Rory was becoming Dean Forester's girlfriend. Sure, this whole almost-kissing thing had been a set back, but all Jess knew for sure was that he didn't want to be stuck in the middle of it.

"Fine!" Rory huffed, when he wouldn't talk to her anymore. "Don't help me!"

Jess was incensed by her attitude and made sure she knew it. He started yelling the moment she tried to walk away.

"Hey, don't take this out on me!"

"I'm not taking anything out on you!" she yelled back as she rounded on him. "I just thought when I needed my best friend to help me out, he'd actually be there. My mistake!"

She turned to go again, and Jess couldn't explain what came over him.

"Rory?"

Her name was enough to make her stop and turn. She opened her mouth to ask what he wanted, but she never got the chance. His fingers closed on her wrist, spinning her into his arms and then he was kissing her. Jess was kissing her and Rory couldn't process it. His lips were on hers, a soft but firm pressure, full of warmth and promise. Rory didn't know when her eyes had closed exactly but the fact she was seeing nothing but darkness and stars probably meant she wasn't looking at the real view. She wasn't breathing, and somehow she didn't care. She leaned into Jess' embrace and the moment they were sharing, her knees just about ready to buckle when suddenly it was over.

When they parted, Jess looked like he wasn't sure what he'd just done. The truth was, he couldn't really explain it if he was asked. He hadn't meant to kiss Rory, he truly hadn't, but suddenly it just felt like the thing to do. She asked him to after all, it wasn't like she could be mad that it happened. Maybe he was just making the most of what might be the only oppurtunity he was ever going to get. Now he was staring at her and she was staring back, neither of them breathing too well. After a full minute, he thought he'd found his voice.

"Rory..." he began, but she shook her head.

"I... I can't... Wow," she gasped, her hand suddenly flying to her mouth, and then she was running again.

A flailing display of arms and legs crossed the bridge and headed off into town, a box of corn starch still gripped in one hand. Jess watched her go, dragging a hand back through his hair as he stared after her. Even though he'd probably made the dumbest mistake of his life right here, for a moment, he just couldn't keep the smile off his face.

To Be Continued...