Summary: Jess never went to Stars Hollow, continuing down a bad path living in New York, eventually getting punished with community service, where he happens to bump into a certain Gilmore fresh from her yacht-stealing escapades. Lit. Set around 6x03 and onwards.
A/N: Hello! I am here! After only three and a half months, at that! Personal record? Anyhoo, thanks for the reviews and I hope you enjoy the chapter! (Which, incidentally, will be the last one, barring an epilogue – this has been a great writing experience and thank you all so much for making it that way.)
As she climbed the last of the stairs, her sigh of relief that the trek was over turned into a gasp as she saw an all-too-familiar someone standing in the hall. A someone who did not look particularly pleased with her.
"Hi."
That's great, Rory, she thought to herself, you sleep with your best friend, run away in the overreaction of the decade – strike that, century – and now, upon seeing him again, the best you can do is a meagre 'hi'. Top notch verbage there, Gilmore. Well, then again, verbage implies a verb of some kind, which that feeble offering lacked...
"What- what are you doing here?" She managed at last, effectively cutting off her inner diatribe.
Jess gestured to the pile of books next to him which she recognised as the ones she'd left at his apartment in her hurry to leave. His face had taken on a controlled impassivity that she'd only seen on a couple of occasions: the black eye incident after they'd first met, the time she'd confronted him at his apartment after he'd gotten badly beat up and, of course, the infamous hit-and-run she'd pulled after their last encounter. She knew this expression was the preface to a fight.
Nevertheless, she asked, "You came from New York to New Haven to return some books?"
"Well, Rory," he replied, with a sharp acerbic edge to his voice, "the returning of books is fairly standard between 'friends- close friends, and it doesn't have to mean anything'."
Stung by hearing her feeble justifications of the previous morning thrown back at her with such malice, Rory averted her eyes and chose to focus on the laborious task of going through each of the locks on her door rather than the increasingly irate Jess. "I get that you're angry..." she began, moving onto the second lock.
"I guess leaving the books was one of the many 'mistakes' you made that night, huh?" he continued, following her into her now open apartment.
"Look, I admit I didn't phrase it the best way, but-" Rory started again, having no choice but to turn back to face him now that they were inside.
"I dunno, I think you expressed yourself pretty clearly."
"But," Rory continued, as if uninterrupted, "I think it was the right thing to do."
"Bull."
"Jess!" she cried, exasperated. "Do you really think this could ever actually work? I mean- look at us! One night together and we're already messed up!"
"And whose fault is that exactly?" he bit back, matching her raised volume.
"And- and you really think we can maintain a relationship between New York and New Haven?" She asked, counting off the second reason on her hand.
"Oh, so yesterday it was 'I'm sorry if you felt something that I didn't' and now the distance is the only obstacle?"
Rory sighed, dropping her arms in defeat, "I don't know how I feel, Jess, okay? I've felt so many different things over the past few months and I just don't know."
"Bull," he repeated, barely suppressing an eye roll. "You know exactly how you feel and the only thing that's holding you back is that it scares you, is all!"
"Well thank you for that insight into my brain, Jess, real illuminating," she bit back, annoyed.
"Come on, Rory, this is what you always do – something scares you, you run and then make up justifications later, isn't that what happened with Yale and your mom?"
She recoiled, visibly shaken, "I can't believe you'd bring that up now!"
"You only react like that because you know I'm right."
"Or maybe I just don't want to be with you, Jess, did that ever occur to you?" she threw back, cursing herself for the blatant lie but wanting to get back at him at some way at the same time.
"You came to New York, Rory," he stated, deflating slightly.
"I know."
"You came to New York and then slept with me; are you honestly saying that meant nothing to you?" he asked, and Rory saw a rare, almost imperceptible, flash of vulnerability play across his face.
"What do you want from me, Jess?" she asked back, after a pause.
"I want you, Ror!" he replied, frustrated. "I want the girl who came up to me and started arguing about a stupid garbage picker and The Age of Innocence, the girl who stole a freaking yacht yet has an attack of guilt if she puts the wrong time on the community service sign in sheet! I wanna argue about The Monkees and go book-buying and trade CDs- fuck it, I want more than that! I thought I could keep doing the friend thing, but I can't remember the last time that I felt anything remotely friendly towards you – I wanna be with you Ror, and if you don't want that, that's fine, but I can't go back to being friends with you, I just can't."
Rory hesitated, shocked and moved by his uncharacteristic outburst, but something inside – the part that had been running awful break-up scenarios ever since the morning before – compelled her to give one last weak protest. "It wouldn't work out," she persisted, softly.
"For fuck sake, Ror, 80.9 miles isn't an insurmountable distance!"
The tiniest of smiles twitched at her lips, "You looked it up?"
He ran a hand through his hair, regretting letting that stupid figure slip out. The fight drained out of him as he felt resignation begin to take hold. "I just hit a couple of buttons on a computer..." he protested, weakly.
"You looked it up," Rory repeated, visibly touched.
He sighed, starting to back towards the door, "Look, I'm gonna go. I'm sorry I- I'm just gonna go." He turned to face the door, reaching for the handle.
Panic suddenly seized Rory and she cried "Jess, stop!" before she even knew what she was doing.
He remained frozen there, his back still turned to her. "Yes?"
"I- I think I'm in love with you." The sentence tumbled out of her mouth almost without her realising, but she knew it was true as soon as it came out – had been true for what seemed like an eternity. Her heart thumped as she stayed rooted to the spot, staring at his still turned back.
"You think or you know?" He tested, waiting to turn around until he had confirmation – he knew if he looked at her face again now he would never leave, confirmation or not.
"I know," she replied, resolutely, her new found bravery holding firm.
He turned around, and she could see the beginnings of his typical crooked smile upon his face as he took a step forward, back towards her.
"So?" Rory asked, suddenly daring as she matched his step, "Are you gonna say it back?"
Another step forward. "Are you gonna let me get it out this time?"
Step. "I think the odds are definitely in your favour."
They could no longer move any closer. Jess looked into her eyes, mere inches from his now, seeing all the fear and anger of earlier turning back into the happy, slightly challenging look that he'd come to adore. Bowing his head slightly towards her, he breathed, "I love you, Rory."
"I love you too, Jess," she whispered just before their lips touched.
It felt like barely a graze at first, him being quite tentative for fear that her new resolve would once again vanish under uncertainty and fear. She, however, quickly put an end to all such thoughts as her hands snaked their way around his neck, pressing herself as firmly against him as she could as her lips began to move fervently against his. He returned the kiss with equal passion, wrapping his arms around her back and running his tongue across her lower lip, which elicited a moan from her that made him quiver with want. Kissing him ever more desperately, Rory started to back up clumsily as she tried to move them to her room. Her back thudded against her door as her hand fumbled with the handle; Jess dipped his head to kiss along her neck, causing her to gasp as she continued to struggle with the door. At last, the stupid thing gave in and they staggered through the room, kicking the door behind them before tumbling onto the bed.
Rory sighed contentedly, her head resting against Jess' chest as her hand traced lazy patterns across his torso. She smiled as she felt his arm curling around her to pull her in tighter. "Kind of cutting off my air supply there, pal," she teased.
"I'm sorry, but you've proven yourself to be a flight risk, Gilmore," he replied, dropping a kiss on the top of her head, his arm still tight around her waist.
"So you're my probation officer now, Mariano?"
"It would bring our relationship a kind of poetic symmetry – plus, maybe handcuffs could be involved..."
"Now what kind of talk is that for someone who has yet to even take me on a date?"
"Book-shopping pretty much equates to dating for me."
"Wow, in that case we've been dating for quite a while."
"Yup."
"Guessing those month-anniversary gifts just got lost in the mail, then?"
"Did I not show up here with a stack of books?"
"My books," Rory corrected, before adding, "and while we're on the subject: lame."
"What?"
"Your excuse to come see me," she teased.
"I have no idea what you're talking about."
"'I travelled 80.9 miles to deliver books to someone I'm really mad at'," she mocked.
"Well, the only thing on TV was Saved by the Bell re-runs, so..."
"You wanted to see me," she sing-songed.
"I didn't even know they re-ran Saved by the Bell anymore, but apparently so," he continued, evasive as ever.
"Okay, okay, if I have to listen to you talk about Saved by the Bell rather than admit your own lameness, I'll drop it," she relented. She paused for a moment, then a thought struck her, "Hey, you got any plans for this summer?"
"Other than relishing the life of the non-community service worker? None."
She moved her head off of his chest so that her position mirrored his and they were face to face, "Well, I was thinking..."
"Always a dangerous sign," Jess replied, earning a light smack on the arm.
"Maybe, if you're not doing anything, you could come visit me in Stars Hollow?"
Jess hesitated, considering the offer, "Well, I'm not exactly rolling in cash at the moment; I'm thinking I'll probably have to take up my old messenger job over the summer."
"Well, Luke's always looking for more help around the diner if you need a job, and I'd bet he'd even let you stay in his old apartment above the store – he mainly lives with us now, anyway."
"I wouldn't be crashing with you?" Jess asked, eyebrows raised.
"Well, considering my room's about the size of a postage stamp, it'd be pretty close quarters."
"I can live with that," Jess replied, dropping a kiss on her shoulder.
"And you'd also be living with my mother...and your uncle, doing things of a, y'know, couple-y nature..."
"Luke's apartment it is."
"And I'm sure I could find it in my heart to drop by now and again, you being new to town and all..."
"Well that's very big of you," Jess said with a grin, pulling her in for a kiss, more lazy and relaxed than the impatient, desperate ones of before. When they broke apart, he looked into her eyes for a second, before asking, "You really want me to come?"
"I really want you to come," she confirmed.
"Okay, I'll talk to Luke about it," he resolved, revelling in the way her face immediately lit up with excitement.
She swooped in for another quick peck before starting to plan, "This is gonna be great: we can hang with Mom and Luke, head back to RBI with Lane, I get to watch you be terrorised by Miss Patti- oh, and I think the book fair's gonna be in town!"
"Miss Patti?"
"I think it's best to live in ignorance of that one until absolutely necessary. Oh yeah, and we'll have to catch a town meeting at some point."
"You seriously have town meetings? With a little council and everything?" he asked, incredulously.
"Why so interested? Thinking of running for town selectman?" she shot back with a grin.
"Well, you know how good my people skills are..."
"Ooh, let me be your campaign manager! I'll be the Leo to your Bartlet!"
Before Jess could respond, the door opened abruptly. Paris marched in and, without casting a single glance at the couple on the bed, headed straight for Rory's desk, retrieved a text book and walked straight out again, leaving a stunned silence in her wake as the door swung shut behind her. There was a momentary pause, before Jess asked, "What the hell just happened?"
Recovering from the initial surprise, Rory replied, "Research mode: as long as it lasts, she will be completely oblivious to all of her surroundings. And, apparently, indifferent towards the theft of my text books," she added. Upon seeing Jess' sceptical look, she continued, "I'm serious! The last time this happened, one of Logan's friends re-enacted The Passion of the Christ in front of her in its entirety. Not so much as a yawn of acknowledgement – and believe me, she is the only person in human history not to have yawned during Finn's Passion of the Christ."
"Does that mean we get to stick post-its on her later?"
"Depends if we can find any."
"Please, this is Rory Gilmore's college room. There'll be post-its – colour-coded, most likely."
Rory pouted, "There is nothing abnormal about my stationery tendencies."
"Do you want to write me a memo to that effect using one of your twenty ball point pens?"
"Well, if I'm going to continue to be mocked, I'm gonna need sustenance. Food run?" she suggested, sitting up in bed and beginning to reach for her clothes.
"Sure, I'll bet you have a nice categorised stack of take-out menus around here somewhere," he replied, following suit.
"With gold stars next to my favourite dishes," she replied, sticking out her tongue defiantly as she pulled on the last of her clothes. "C'mon, we'll go to Hector's – I'm craving tacos," she said, grabbing the now fully-dressed Jess by the arm.
"As you wish," Jess relented, allowing himself to be pulled toward the door. Noticing something leaning against the bookcase out of the corner of his eye, he paused, gesturing towards it with a smirk, "You seriously kept Don here?"
"Of course," Rory replied, proudly, before her smile turned slightly sheepish as she added, "besides, it was kinda Don who triggered this whole thing, wasn't it?" she asked, gesturing between the two. "I think he deserves some recognition." She broke off as her stomach gave a growl, causing her to look at her new boyfriend, imploringly, "Tacos now, please?"
Grinning, Jess followed her out of the room, casting a quick glance back at the stupid garbage picker that started it all and muttering, "Thanks, buddy."
A/N: Cheesy ending, I know, but hey – I happen to like cheese. Hope you enjoyed the last chapter, I'll be back soon with the epilogue!