Chapter 14

"Wow," Rory said breathlessly.

"Yeah," Jess replied, equally winded.

"That was… you're… I'm so…" Rory struggled to bring her brain back down from the stratosphere.

"Yeah."

They smiled at each other's lack of coherence as they settled deeper into the bed, legs and arms entwined, faces near enough to kiss without too much strain.

"I really hope you weren't thinking this would be a one-night-stand, because that was way too good not to do again," Rory said without thought.

Jess smirked. "You really think I would have expected you and me to have a one-night-stand?"

"No, I guess not," she replied, then felt some of the elation fade as she thought about the situation. "What are you expecting?"

"Expecting? I don't know," Jess said, a more serious expression replacing the smirk on his face. "Hoping? Fantasizing? That's a different story."

"What we just did wasn't what you were fantasizing?" Rory asked, mostly teasing but also partially seeking reassurance that he'd enjoyed himself as much as she had.

"Oh, that was part of it…. A big part of it." He admitted before kissing her tenderly. "But I was also hoping for… I don't know…. us? You and me, together. I meant what I said in the dedication, Rory. I love you. I always have."

Rory gazed into his eyes, so full of sincerity and love, and she believed him. He loved her. But did she love him back? She had loved him in the past, of that she was certain, and her current feelings for him were just as, if not more, intense than they had been then. It was that thought that solidified it for her. She loved him. They still had things to figure out, but on that point she was sure.

"I love you, too, Jess."

Grinning, he kissed her again, this time less tenderly and more greedily. She couldn't stop the wide grin that spread across her own face even as they remained lip-locked. Eventually their smiles got to the point that kissing became secondary and they simply rested their foreheads together and laughed with sheer joy.

A knock at the door startled them out of their jubilant moment. "Jess!" Luke's voice came from beyond the frosted glass. "Can I come in?"

"Shit," Jess said, then louder, "Give me a minute."

Rory wrapped the sheet around herself and got up, heading for the bathroom. "I need to freshen up anyway."

Jess nodded and smirked at her as he tugged on his jeans and reached for a t-shirt on his way to the door.

From inside the bathroom, Rory heard Luke say "I just need to put the cash drawer in the safe." Jess's reply was muffled, but she heard the sound of the safe opening and then closing a few seconds later. Luke then wished Jess goodnight, telling him to stop by the house anytime the next day, and departed.

A minute later, Jess knocked on the bathroom door. "It's safe to come out, now."

"Okay, just a sec." Rory finished freshening up, checked her reflection in the mirror, and wrapped the sheet around herself again before opening the door and stepping back out into the apartment.

Jess smirked at her modesty and sprawled back onto the bed. "Not embarrassed to be seen with me, are you?"

"Not specifically. I just don't think Luke needs to get this image of me," she gestured to indicate her unclothed state.

"No arguments here. Luke is more protective of you than he is of me."

"Well he is basically my step-dad." Rory said as she began to gather her clothes that were scattered on the floor.

"Are you leaving?" Jess said, observing her actions.

"Just evening the playing field," she replied with a look at his mostly covered body.

He raised his eyebrows suggestively. "I'd be happy to lose the clothes again if that's what's concerning you."

"As tempting as that offer is, and as much as I plan on taking you up on it later, I was hoping for some coffee and maybe some food first?"

He smiled and got out of bed. "As you wish." As he rummaged in the kitchen, Rory quickly pulled on her jeans and shirt. She knew it was silly to feel modest after what they had so recently done, but she had never been completely comfortable allowing people to see her naked. Even when she had been living with Logan she had tried to avoid getting dressed in front of him.

"Looks like there isn't any coffee up here. Or food. Unless you want a powerbar." Jess reported from the kitchen. "We can go downstairs and make some. I'm sure Luke won't mind."

"Okay, sounds good." Rory replied, finding and slipping on her shoes as Jess did the same.

Downstairs, Jess turned on the light that illuminated the area behind the counter and started up the coffee maker. Rory hopped up to sit on the counter and grabbed a donut from the case beside her. A buzzing in her pocket made her aware of her phone and she slid it out to look at the text that had just come through from her mother.

Lorelai: Where R U?

Rory: At the diner. Might stay the night here.

Lorelai: ORLY?

Rory: Tell you about it in the morning.

Lorelai: OK. U happy?

Rory: Very :-)

Lorelai: Good. See U tomorrow. 3

Rory smiled and once again thanked whatever powers-that-be for her relationship with her mother.

"Here," Jess said, handing her a large mug full of fresh coffee.

"I love you," Rory said gratefully, accepting the cup and taking a sip.

Jess smiled his crooked smile. "So sex and coffee are the secrets to your heart. I'll remember that."

"Incredible sex and amazing coffee," she corrected. "I don't go around giving my heart to every cute Starbucks barista that crosses my path."

"I'm very glad of that," Jess said, standing in front of her and running his hands up her thighs.

"Yeah?" Rory asked flirtatiously, taking another bite of her donut while parting her knees to let him step between them.

"Yeah." Jess took advantage of the opening she gave him and slid his hands around to her hips.

Rory finished the donut and began licking the icing off her fingers, which seemed to have a positive effect on Jess, whose eyes darkened as he watched. Before she had a chance to lick the rest of the sugar off her lips his own were on her and he was finishing the job for her. His tongue traced her lips, which she parted for him as she pressed against his body.

A few minutes of this had them both panting and moaning. "Did you get enough food?" Jess asked with his lips against her jaw.

"I'm good," Rory replied, her voice coming out high and breathy.

"Should we go upstairs?" Jess continued his work down her jaw to her neck.

"Can we bring the coffee with us?"

She felt his smile against her skin. "Whatever you want."

"Okay, then." As he reluctantly stepped back, she hopped down off the counter and grabbed her mug, then made her way past the curtain and up the stairs. Jess followed after grabbing the coffee pot and switching off the light.

Back upstairs the coffee was almost immediately abandoned on the kitchen table in favor of more pleasurable pursuits. Their mutual exploration of each other's bodies was less frenzied this time, but no less passionate. Whispered words of love and encouragement filled the air between kisses and moans.

As they once again basked in the afterglow of their lovemaking Rory lay curled into Jess's side, her head resting on his shoulder and her arm over the taut muscles of his stomach. His arm was wrapped possessively around her shoulders.

"Rory?"

"Hmm?" She replied, craning her neck to look up at his face.

"We can make it work."

"Make what work?"

"Us. You and me. I know I haven't been Mr. Stick-Around-Guy in the past, but I've grown up. Give me a chance to prove it to you."

Propping herself up on her elbow in order to be able to look at him better, she took in his expression. Beneath the distractingly sexy tousled hair, his brow was furrowed with a determined frown. His eyes were dark and pleading.

"What about the distance?" Rory asked.

Jess sighed. "We can make it work. Yes, it will suck, but DC isn't that far from Philly, right?"

"Right," she replied half-heartedly, "DC… I don't even know if I want to take the DC position, to be honest."

"What do you mean? What else would you do?"

"I don't know," she said, slumping back down against the pillow. "I just know that I'm tired of writing about politics. It's the same article every time – no politician has anything new to say and I'm sick of it."

"Yeah, that's why I don't vote," Jess said dryly.

"What! You don't vote?" Rory exclaimed, scandalized. "We'll come back around to that later, mister."

Jess grunted amusedly. "I'm sure we will. So what do you want to do if not the White House Press Corps?"

She paused for a minute before answering. "I think I want to write about books. I'm hoping that this New York Times contract will inspire Hugo to give me mostly book review assignments for the next three months. After that I don't know what I'll be doing, though."

"Where will you live for those three months? You don't have to be in DC to review books, do you?"

"No. I'll probably just stay with my mom. It's too short a time to try to find an apartment anywhere." Rory sighed. She didn't really mind living with her mom and Luke, but the concept of being a twenty-four-year-old Yale graduate living at home with her parents was still disheartening.

"Would you come visit me in Philly?" Jess asked tentatively.

She smiled. "Of course. If you promise to come visit me here whenever you can."

"You drive a hard bargain, but I think I can agree to those terms." They both rolled to their sides and faced each other, grinning.

"You really think we can make this work?" Rory asked him.

"I don't see that we have any other choice." With that, he leaned in and kissed her, melting her worries with the warmth of his lips.

"I love you, Jess," Rory said, breaking the kiss briefly.

"I love you too," he replied before he tucked her into his arms and they both drifted off to sleep.

A/N: Some people were asking what "ORLY" means - it's texting shorthand for "oh really". I didn't realize it wasn't common knowledge. Maybe it's an American thing, or just a thing that my friends and I say. Sorry for the confusion! I actually debated with myself over whether or not Lorelai and Rory would use texting shorthand (e.g. "u" for you, "r" for are, etc.). I decided that Lorelai probably would because she's impatient, but Rory not as much, given her respect for the written word.

I hope the sex talk is still appropriate for a "T" rating. Please let me know what you think in the reviews! Thanks!