`*~ These Are Days ~*`

Author: Genevah

Rating: R

Pairing: Rory/Jess

Disclaimer: I claim to own nothing.

Summary: Tweaked 'Teach Me Tonight' to my own likings. *Warning. Insane amounts of fluff o'nutters in this story… please read with caution* Oh… and it's definitely a Literati, anything else would be uncivilized!

A/N: Can I just say I LOVE ALL MY REVIEWERS! Reviews are like a drug. Seriously. I think I'm addicted to them. I may just post like two sentences just to get some ;p Just kidding! Anyways, here's some more fluffity fluff fluff… I think it keeps getting fluffier… you've been warned…

Oh and keep an eye out for an update of Your New Kuckoo, the These Are Days sequel. It'll be up soon too… I think ;p

`**~// A Week Later. Independence Inn - Night \\~**`

"Please, please, pleeease go home, Lorelai." The look on Michel's face was that of one who was petrified to be in the company of lepers while simultaneously forcing a look of sympathy. Michel hated all things contagious. He already had his bout with ennui and didn't feel like catching whatever funk Lorelai was in.

Sookie glared at Michel as she soothed Lorelai's back tenderly. "Sweetie, for once, I agree with Michel. You really should take the rest of the day off." She said nicely as opposed to Michel's actual groveling.

"Yes, you are scaring the tourists."

"Michel." Sookie warned. "Zip it."

"Well she is. That little girl over there just asked me if she sees dead people."

Lorelai didn't twitch in her daze. Slouched over, with one hand under her chin, elbow resting on the front desk, unmoving, she could have been mistaken for The Thinker Statue… The Mumbling Thinker Statue. Every now and then, little indistinct words would escape her mouth. Some jumbled together, and others in the form of a heavy sigh.

Lorelai took their advice to leave early and left the Jeep at the Inn, opting to walk home instead. A soothing stroll around the town might lighten her spirits. The beauty of Stars Hollow in the evening always relaxed her. She could walk leisurely down the street with her head hanging back and get lost in the vastness of blue above her and forget all her worries. Tonight the sapphire sky was littered with endless twinkling diamonds beckoning her to float in them. What woman could resist diamonds?

Her eyes now at her brightest blue, she hugged herself as the nightly cool breeze rustled through her hair and over her skin, creating happy tingling sensations. She inhaled and exhaled deeply. There was nothing like the fresh air of Stars Hollow. It was truly like no other.

She felt better already.

The path she walked to get home sent her along Gypsy's Auto Shop, greeting Ms. Gypsy herself, whom she could barely see under the hood of the car she was currently fixing. She sure is a petite lil' thing, Lorelai mused. She passed the gasoline station. Crossed the street to the sidewalk, stepping over every crack for she didn't want to break her mother's back… or did she? She laughed at her absurdity. She approached the Beauty Supply Store, peaked in and saw Jess' ex filing her nails behind the counter. She moseyed pass Taylor's Soda Shoppe before moseying back and actually going inside. The lovely smell alone was a mood lifter. Smelt of hot fudge and cold sweet melt-in-your-mouth treats. It was always warm and oh so inviting.

"Hey Joshua."

"Ms. Gilmore. What can I get for you today, your usual Butter Brickle Crunch?"

"Umm… naah, I think I'll go with Rory's favorite today, Chocolate chocolate chocolate." She set her purse onto the counter, muttering to herself that if she forgot her wallet in the trance-like state she had been in, she'd kill Luke personally. At this point in time, nothing was going to get in her way of having that icy cold goodness in her tummy.

"Would you like that in a cup or cone?"

"Cup please." Still digging around in her purse… no wallet? …Nohoho wallet!

"One or two scoops?"

Nearing panic mode, Lorelai ventured into the zipper compartment and saw one heavenly looking five dollar bill and smiled big. "So many decisions for a taste of heaven huh. Make it one."

While she waited, she inadvertently looked through the window into Luke's diner. She quickly turned her back, curtaining her hair over the side of her face, silently praying that it would actually make her invisible. Stupid Taylor and his stupid window.


A whole week had passed since her plan played out and she had skillfully avoided Luke's Diner and more importantly Luke the person. For the past seven days, her little slaves Rory and Jess would bring her coffee and whatever she desired to eat from the diner. It was all part of her plan she told them. When in reality she was hiding. But she didn't know why exactly. Well it could be that she was waiting for Mr. Luke himself to make the next move. But days passed… and nothing. He showed no signs of interest. And that just confused her. Wasn't he supposed to be head over heels in something over her?

She stood outside the Soda Shoppe, already knowing she wasn't going anywhere near the diner. She would have to cut across the street to accomplish that feat. Her eyes fell upon the Gazebo, a Luke memory snuck up on her. The day he was sitting there on the bench, waiting for her, like he knew that she wanted to tell him she wanted to be with him...

After her last bites of her ice cream she tossed the cup into a nearby trashcan and headed towards the Gazebo.

Might as well check out the new benches…

So there she was, walking quite nonchalantly towards the Gazebo in the middle of the town.

Then she saw it. Realization slowly set in. Somewhere in the recesses in the back of her mind, she's seen that piece of paper all around town… for days in fact. At Doose's Market when she went to pick up a weekend supply of Mallowmars. At the Video Store Friday night when she and Rory decided on Stand By Me for their usual movie after dinner with the Grandparents. At Gypsy's. Even at the Gas Station. At the Beauty Supply Store. At Taylor's Soda Shoppe just a few minutes ago. She saw it but never digested the weighted meaning of something so simple. That and the fact that they were meant for her. There taped on the very seat Luke sat on five days ago at exactly 4:02p.m.… was a piece of paper. If her smile could get any bigger she'd turn into the Cheshire Cat himself.

`**~// Gilmore Home - Night \\~**`

"When's your mom coming home?" His voice was gruff and sexy. It was his secret weapon she supposed. She would admit to herself it was a sweet torture. And she knew he knew it too. Even now she wished he'd talk to her…

As she adjusted to the weight of him, the loose strap on her pale pink cami delicately fell around her left shoulder. His eyes followed its journey… almost in slow motion… an invitation of some sort… He lightly nipped at her now bare shoulder, running a feely hand up and down her leg bent along his side. Her skin was always soft to his touch. Silky. Satiny. Sometimes shimmering. But always, always her skin held the scent of a girly flowery Rory sweetness.


His eyes openly roamed over her breasts… because he can. In fact, she derived great pleasure in watching him gape at her with his lustful chocolate eyes and pitifully boyish expression.

He noticed from the moment she answered the door an hour ago, there was no bra covering those breasts. And from the moment he realized this, he knew he wouldn't be able to wait for the movie to be over… to… do… what they did on DVD nights…

Surely, she caught his not so subtle sideward and geeze… frontward glances during the movie. His response would be: 'What? You did that on purpose', and she'd smirk because there was a tiny hint of truth in his statement. Her decision to go bra-less was a last minute choice. All of her pretty bras were in the laundry, and since neither she nor Lorelai gave in to doing laundry for the week, all she had left were dinky plain boring ones. Enter 'why not go bra-less?' thought. She had only a couple minutes to ponder the thought, because for once in a blue moon, Jess decided to show up early.


When she'd turn back to watch the movie, he'd stretch his arm in the air while his other covered a fake yawn, then he'd hang his previously stretched arm around her shoulder causing her to shake her head at him and smirk at his adolescent moves. Only minutes later, a snaky finger would lightly play with the enticing nipple poking against the thin fabric.

He loved summer. He couldn't remember loving anytime of the year until now. Summer meant beautiful Rory in tank tops and shorts and skirts. Bare legs. Bare arms. Skin and more skin. His eyes and hands free to feast on every gorgeous inch as he pleased.

"When's your mom coming home?" He asked a second time in between his kisses.

Being caught by her mom in their horizontal From Here to Eternity moment was an encounter Jess didn't want to have to encounter. For the past couple of weeks they've upped their necking sessions to grinding sessions. Very intense grinding sessions. Ones that later left Jess alone with his mind in the shower imagining his own version of what could've occurred if neither of them held back.

It had become a nice routine, albeit harsh and painful at times, but very nice nonetheless: He would come over. They'd talk. Pop in a choice DVD. And soon they'd end up in the same exact position they were in at that very moment. Jess comfortably settled in the hub of Rory's legs, his piece jumping against her making her squeal attractively. He'd playfully talk dirty to her, make her laugh and snicker at how ridiculous he sounded, but then, his lower body would move to manipulate her, and soon his naughty words would take their desired effect.

"Maybe we should go to your room…"

Rory was too distracted to respond, concentrating on the lovely and somewhat new-fangled sensations coming alive as Jess pushed his body against her in ways that made her crave and privately scream more!

"Rory..."

He halted his lower body movements altogether…

Maybe that'll get her attention.

"Don't stop," she whispered warmly into his ear, smoothing her pelvis over his, urging him to keep going.

After a few persuading pumps of her own and still no kind of movement from him, her hazy eyes opened slightly to see Jess' smirk.

"What?" She was completely out of the loop when he said things that didn't involve him telling her what he'd do to her. Funny how being turned on makes you have selective hearing.

"I asked you a question." He said clearly amused.                                                                                                               

"Oh. Sorry... What was the question?" In all honestly, she didn't hear the question.

His hair tickled her nose when he shook his head at the look of her truly innocent blue eyes.

Silly Rory.

"I said 'what time is your mom coming home? Maybe… we should go to your room'."

Rory slipped her hand out from under his shirt to look at her watch. "I think we're safe for at least another hour."

"See. Now how hard was that?" Jess joked, kissing her lightly on the tip of her nose.

She shushed him, moving her chin up so his lips touched hers.

Jess continued his onslaught there. The gentleness of his lips seduced and teased, and she grew reckless with every passing kiss. His fingers tickled their way up her thigh and under the hem of her cargo skirt. Within seconds her thighs and a certain unmentionable were no longer covered by the khaki fabric.

His fingers brave and fearless, brushed against the floral satin between her legs… slow-long meaningful strokes… a deep breath…

Rory was wet…

This new found discovery made Jess dizzy from the blood rush to his lower regions. Removing his hand, he brought it up to the side of her face, taking a silky strand of her hair between the tips of his fingers following down the length of it, then rested his head on her shoulder, his eyes focused on the strand's end amid his two fingers. Somewhere, he was pulsating more than ever before…

He slowly ground against her with more cause… massaging, inducing soft moans music to any guy's ear. Time passed and his tantalizing continued…

Damn you Jess…


He could feel her warm fingers slipping through the elastic of his boxers. Awkward and shy at first, slowly catching up with the moment. Soon her hands gripped and pushed his ass, utilizing and operating it to her desire.

Fuuck…

His teeth grazed lightly at her collarbone. His way of saying thanks for the overwhelming urge to come on her. His tongue lightly licked the hollow of her neck before his lips tickled her there and underneath her chin. He released the strand, bringing his hand back to her middle, before anything embarrassing happened without his control. He stroked and fondled her there for some time, causing her to drip through the satin and douse his fingers with her slippery goodness. What he wouldn't do to just feel that on him…

Again, he ground into her, silently wishing all man-made materials would disappear.

Her breath was jagged and warm near his ear and he could feel her pulse race against his skin. His heart pounded with the excitement of it all, working up the

nerve to bring her to a whole new world of pleasure. His two fingers snuck under the satin material, through the coarse hair to her moist opening.

Her hazy eyes latched onto his, begging for something more…

She should know by now that she didn't have to beg… he'd do anything for her…

He watched as her mouth opened slightly, her moans a little more formed and a little more urgent…

`**~// Gilmore Home – Outside \\~**`

Lorelai stood on her front porch, staring at nothing in particular. She grinned like an idiot, replaying the very events that were making her do that. She stared at the hand full of papers in her hand.

"Lorelai doll…" Babette called, walking up the side steps of the porch, interrupting her thoughts. She quickly hid the bunch of papers behind her back.

"Hey Babette." She greeted walking to meet her halfway.

"I need a favor suga'. I cooked up some clams for Morey tonight…," she nudged Lorelai's side with her elbow, "… it's an aphrodisiac. Once Morey's eaten about a dozen of those little boogers he gets all-"

"-Uh what was it you needed Babette?" She quickly interrupted her, saving herself from painting that horrible picture.

"Butter. Morey loves butter on his clams and I just realized that I forgot to stop at Doose's to buy some. Could you spare a stick hun?"

"Oh sure, of course." Lorelai approached the side door that led into the living room. "Come on in," she said waving her to follow.

Babette's mouth dropped. For the first time in her life, she was at a loss for words.

"Ror-y" Lorelai gasped loudly at the sight of seeing Jess bearing down into her daughter. Her hand quickly flew up to cover her eyes, which was pointless. In that one instant her brain took a snap shot, one that she had no intention of taking, and in it she saw one of Jess' hands holding on to the armrest behind Rory's head and the other grasping the headrest seemingly using them to better anchor him so he could grind against her daughter.

"Mom!"

Rory frantically pushed Jess off of her and quickly stood up, gathering her senses, straightening her clothes. Jess preferred to stay seated on the couch, unnoticeably sliding one of the small pillows over his lap. No need to further embarrassment.


Lorelai turned to Babette. Big Mouth Babette.

"Uh Babette, the butter's in the fridge," she said, pushing her in the direction of the kitchen. "Go ahead and help yourself, I bet Morey's wondering what the hold up is."

"Alright sweetie." Babette walked slowly across the living room floor, trying to catch more meat to beef up this already juicy piece of gossip. "Hi Rory." She said, wink and all.

"Hey… Babette." Rory greeted back uncomfortably, scratching her eyebrow. The growing heat of her embarrassment stained her cheeks.

No one said a thing until they heard the back door of the kitchen close.

This was just as awkward to Lorelai as it was for Rory and Jess. Kinda like walking in on your parents having sex, except it in this scenario it were the daughter and boyfriend experimenting with innocent foreplay.

Lorelai forced a smile, a little sympathy for Rory. Keyword little. She's far too young to be doing that… well at least from a mother's standpoint. That's a big contradiction considering she was only a few years younger than Rory when she had sex. And they weren't even having sex… they were just… AAHH! The strong urge to throw the floor lamp that was only at an arms length away from where she stood was, for Jess' sake, held in check. Rory was a big girl now; a young intelligent woman who can make her own grown-up decisions. There was no need to further any humiliation. No need to inflict pain on the boy she's likes. Right?

Wrong.

"Please tell me you were not just now having sex." Lorelai's eyes were shut. They couldn't have been having sex right?! They were fully clothed for christsake! She couldn't look at her or for that matter, him… the evil-boy who wants to take her daughter's virginity.

Rory quickly shook her head.

"No… we weren't… we were just-," Rory faltered, too embarrassed to actually put a name on what they were doing.

Lorelai opened her eyes.

"You." She pointed a commanding finger at Jess. "Get out."

"Mom-" Rory began to protest.

Jess rolled his eyes, dropping his head in his hands, exhausted with Lorelai's tantrums. After all this time, can't she just get over the fact that her daughter wasn't a little girl anymore?? Luckily, she missed his actions. She was too busy glaring at Rory, making her unable to finish what she wanted to say.

Lorelai closed her eyes, messaging her temples, regaining some semblance of calmness. She wanted to be rational. Really she did. But seeing her baby doing something that no mother should walk in on didn't sit well with her. It wouldn't sit well with any mother!

"Leave Jess."

He stood up beside Rory, his back turned towards Lorelai and smiled ruefully, affectionately smoothing his knuckles up and down the length of her arm that she was scratching nervously.

"I'll call you later?"

With a slight nod and a reassuring smile from Rory, Jess silently slipped out of the Gilmore house, leaving Rory to handle the repercussions on her own. He would have stayed and helped talk their way out of this one, but when Lorelai says 'get out' and 'leave Jess'  in that particular 'don't fuck with me' tone, then you best get the hell out of her house.

`**~// Gilmore Home – Outside \\~**`

Jess adjusted himself again. You'd think that from Lorelai's interruption he'd soften up… not so. In the midst of some adjusting, there was a…

"Fuck." He said out loud to himself. And stupidly he tried to brush it away.

Dumbass. Wet stains don't fly away.

Well this was a first. Rory had marked her territory. Just thinking about it, he had to re-adjust again.

Shaking his head and smirking thoughtfully as he walked down the steps of her front porch trying to find a way to hide it. He reached in his back pocket for a book… now all had to do was make it home. He held the book in front, casually covering the lovely Rory stain.

"Hey Jess."

He stopped short, before he actually bumped into her.

Shit, he cursed his luck.

His eyes encountered Sydney's catching smile.

A forced smile and a low 'hey', he moved around her and kept on, book coolly in place.

"I wouldn't go in there if I were you." He cautioned, turning his head to acknowledge her.

"Why?" Sydney followed behind him. "Wait up… why shouldn't I go in there?" She kept with him, right by his side, not going anywhere.

He sighed, looking away from her, still walking. "Rory's mom's knocking some sense into her."

"What do you mean?"

"Look, why don't you call her later and ask her yourself." Then realizing he sounded too harsh for his own good he added, "I'll see you later."


She finally took the hint and stopped walking with him, and then suddenly her cell phone started to vibrate in her shorts pocket. She reached for it, scanning to see who it was before she answered it. She grinned. She should have known it would be Tristan.

`**~// Inside the Gilmore Home \\~**`

Lorelai remained silent, trying to be calm. She shrugged, shaking her head.

"What do you want me to say Rory?"

"We weren't even…" Mortified, she couldn't even look at her mother.


"Are you having sex with Jess?" Lorelai had never been so terrified to hear the answer. "I want the truth."

"No. We've never-" She sighed in frustration. She couldn't complete her sentences.

"You know… to be honest with you, I hoped and prayed that the two of you would have broken up before it could even reach that point," she said motioning towards the couch. "I hoped that by now you would finally see that Jess just isn't right for you… He has no promising future."

Lorelai didn't miss the look of shock and disappointment in Rory's eyes. Of course that was a stupid thing to say to her… it wasn't true. She never thought that about Jess.

Rory couldn't believe that those very words came out of her mother's mouth. Never, in a million years, did she see that coming.

"I thought… I thought you liked Jess."

"Hey. I like Jess. I like Jess just fine. I just don't think he's the right guy for you… You could do so much better Rory." And the lies just keep on hitting. Lorelai was upset and angry and every other adjective associated with those two words.

Tears threatened to form in Rory's eyes. "Why are you saying these horrible things to me? Where is this coming from?!"

Lorelai sighed. She felt awful. She was scum. She was the tiny creature that fed on scum. Until tonight she never thought those things about Jess. Until tonight she thought Jess was a great guy for Rory.

"I can't talk about this. Not now."

Rory made a move for the front door, muttering under her breath something along the lines of I can't believe this…

"Where are you going?!"


She didn't answer. The door slamming was the only sound she heard.

"AUGH!" Lorelai groaned, absentmindedly throwing the papers onto the coffee table before running upstairs. "If Rory was a boy I wouldn't be having this problem!"

`**~// Meanwhile Outside Gilmore Home \\~**`

Sydney flipped open her cell.

"Hey you." She said into the mouth piece.

"Hey sexy. Miss me?"

"Yeah, it's been what… a whole hour since I last talked to you?"

"Hahaaa… I missed you." He admitted cutely. "I stopped by your house to see you but your mom said you weren't home."

Sydney smilled. "Hm… Eager much Tristan?"

"For you babe… always. I thought maybe we could order some pizza and hang out tonight."

"Yeah, we could do that. Are you still at my house?"

"Yeah, where're you at?"

"Well, at the moment I'm standing in the middle of the street in front of Rory's house."

"Ah… back to ho'in the streets again I see."

Sydney laughed. "Yup. Just call me Vivian."

"I'll be there in a few… and get out of the street before that Taylor actually gives you an offer."

"That wasn't even remotely funny Tristan. That was just plain gross."

She heard some shuffling, keys jingling, a door open and slam shut, then the sound of a car starting.

"Sydney!" Rory called from the porch, jogging across the lawn to meet her.

Sydney waved.

"What are you doing standing in the middle of the street?"

"I'm Vivian-ing it tonight. Care to be Kit?"

Rory looked at her funny, but new exactly what movie she was talking about.

"Nevermind. I was just talking to Tristan- and- nevermind. You just had to be there. Anyways, I ran into Jess, and he told me that I shouldn't go inside because your mom was and I quote 'knocking some sense into you.' What's that all about?"

Rory's face turned worried. Jess should know by now that her mother could never change her feelings about him.

"What's the matter Rory?"

"Hello?" A faint Tristan could be heard through Sydney's cell phone.

"Well-," Rory started.

Sydney signaled Rory to hold off for a second. "Yeah Tristan, I'll see you when you get here okay?... Bye."

Rory filled Sydney in on the whole debacle, naturally leaving out anything that didn't need to be mentioned.

Tristan's SUV pulled up along side the two girls still standing in the middle of the street.

Sydney greeted her boyfriend with a lingering kiss.

"Hey." His voice was low and husky, as if his hello was only meant for her. "I thought you never kiss on the lips." He said smirking.

She kissed him on the lips again, and then stepped aside to reveal Rory.

Rory waved a small wave at Tristan. Other things were on her mind and she wasn't up for conversation.

Tristan smirked at her. He couldn't stop his eyes from sliding down and up the length of her. He smiled to himself, ruffling his hair, quickly looking away before the females took notice.  "Three thousand for both of you."

"Okay… you guys are acting a little too nutty right now so I'll leave you two alone." She joked and started to walk away from them.

"Where are you going?"

"I don't know. I just know that I can't go home right now, but I'll be fine. Seriously."

Sydney jogged over to her grabbing her gently but firmly by the arm.

"Wait, come hang out with us."

"No seriously. I'll be fine."

"No. Seriously. You're coming with us."

Rory gave in. She really didn't have anywhere to go. She had to get away from everything humiliating. And that meant any place where her mother or Jess or Babette would be. God! Babette! Soon the whole town would find out and she'd be even more humiliated.

Could this day get any worse?

It was a little after midnight when Rory arrived home. The house looked quiet and dimly lit from an outside perspective and she could only hope that her mother wasn't in there waiting up for her. She and Tristan had been sitting on the porch steps for about a half hour, talking and every now and then watching the brainless moths burn themselves on the porch light behind them. He could sense that she didn't want to go inside, but didn't push her to tell him why.

"I'm so glad I'm not one of them." Rory said, turning to Tristan.

Tristan smiled, lifting his head back up. His current position was rather comfortable. Elbows propping him up, his legs stretched out before him. Rory was in a similar position, until her back started cramping up, so she sat up with her back against the wooden railing.

"You really didn't have to drive me home. I could've walked."

"And run the risk of you being kidnapped? I don't think so."

"Need I remind you that we are in Stars Hollow?"

"Hey you may think that your cocoon of a town is safe, but there's always a psycho freak lurking around in waiting. And when he strikes, I'd rather it be someone other than you." Tristan told her, casually winking at her.

Rory rolled her eyes at him.

"Besides, Sydney's mom was trying to find a good excuse for me to leave, and me taking you home was a perfect one."

"Why do you say that?"

"Let's just say it's not the first time she's wanted me to shorten my stay. She thinks I'm spending too much time with Sydney."

Rory smiled. "Well, you are pretty much over at her place every day."

Tristan ruffled his hair. "A little much huh."

"You just like her."

"That obvious?"

Rory nodded, giving him a comforting smile. Tristan had fallen and fallen hard.

"It's cute."

"It's not cute. It's pathetic… That's it. I'm staying away from her. She's ruining me."

"You can't stay away Tristan. Face it. You're doomed to a life of being whipped."

He shifted forward, sitting up. "Hey. I. Am. Not. Whipped." His finger pointed straight in between her eyes making her cross-eyed when she stared at it.

"You are too soo whipped." She teased, pushing his finger out of her face. "You're practically glued to her side."

"Am I with her right now? No. I'm not."

"Because her mom made you take me home."

"She could've come, but she didn't."                                           

"You wanted her to didn't you? So you could go make-out and do all the kissy kissy lovey dovey stuff that whipped boys such as yourself thrive on."

He shook his head at her. "Heartless Gilmore. Heartless."

She childishly stuck her tongue out at him.

"Where's your Siamese twin tonight?" He dared to ask. She hasn't so much as mentioned his name once today.

"Oh… he's probably at home, sleeping."

She was no longer looking at him. It looked like she was staring at his ear; but really, she was staring at the gnome on Babette's lawn behind him.

"Something wrong? You look distracted… Are you and Jess in a fight or something?"

"What?" She was in a daze, thinking about Jess.

"Are you and Jess fighting?"

"Oh no. We're great actually. Progressing very nicely." Her smile was forced to hide the fact that something was bothering her.

"Progressing?" He said, confused, but when she smiled that certain smile, he knew exactly what it meant.

Another hour had passed and the two have since moved to lying on the hood of Tristan's SUV, still talking.

"You know… I never knew you could eat so much. You ate more slices of pizza than me and Sydney put together."

"It's in the Gilmore genes, though we may have to run some tests on Lane. She could be my long lost sister. She can consume just as many if not more slices of pizza. Either that or me and my mom are highly influential people if around us for a lengthy period of time."

"I'm curious as to where it all goes."

"A lady never reveals her secrets."

Tristan nodded his head in mock understanding.

"I think I'm starting to really like her." He said quietly.

She could tell from the look in his face that he was being a hundred percent sincere.

"Well she already really likes you so try not to screw this one up."

"Kinda hard to do when fucking good things up is my specialty. Girls like her… and," he leaned his head in closer to hers, "-you, are hard to come by."

Rory hoped the warm feeling in her cheeks wasn't her blushing. It was a good thing it was dark out. "Not that I really pay attention to rumors or gossip that float around school, but I've heard that you've been with a lot of girls Tristan. There has to be at least one girl that you loved."

"There may have been one…we went out for a year."

"Wow." Rory's eyes widened in amazement.

"Impressive right?" Tristan seemed like he was in his own world. Thinking about a past that he had buried and wanted to keep buried. "I actually thought we had something serious. Then I found out she was fucking my best friend."

"Oh God."

"Not once. Not twice, but probably half of the year we were together."

"How did you not know? She never once slipped."

"We had the same circle of friends. I didn't think twice about it when they hung out. Besides, I was too naive and too whipped as you would say to have noticed anything… I was so into that girl Rory…"

Rory frowned. "How did you find out?"

"God." He looked away and smiled in disgust. "They were getting sloppy. The two of them and a couple other people threw me a party-" He shook his head remembering, "my birthday party. Everyone was pretty much wasted. I didn't have that much to drink though, but I was in the study lying down. My head was pounding from the live music... and basically just from everyone there. Plus, I had other stuff on my mind…" He turned away. But before he did, she caught a glimpse of hurt that adorned his face. "It was the anniversary of my grandmother's death."

Rory's mouth dropped slightly, feeling a shiver run through her body. "I'm so sorry."

He chuckled to ease the tense-filled moment they fell into and not wanting to delve into that particular part of his life. "Anyways, to make a long story short, they snuck into the study, thinking it was empty, airing out all their dirty little secrets right before my very ears."

"That's horrible."

"And that… is my sob story."

"Tristan-"

"Do me a favor and don't tell Sydney okay?"

"Okay," she said quietly.

After letting him have a few minutes to himself, she broke the silence, lightly bumping him on his shoulder with hers.

"Hey. Thanks for keeping me company tonight. Surprisingly, I had fun… again." She teased.

"Ha ha. Yeah, surprisingly you're not so much the boring prude I always assumed you were." He joked.

Rory's mouth dropped and she pinched him hard in his side. "Jerk!"

"Ow!" He grabbed her hand and rested his arm around her shoulder, playfully hugging her. "Ya know I got nothin' but love for ya."


She glared at him, pretending to still be offended, trying to shrug away from his hold.

Finally loose from his grip, she jumped off the hood of the SUV, dusting her bottom off when she reached the ground. "I should really go inside."

"Right." Looking down at his watch, he saw that it was almost one o'clock. He jumped down too as she started to walk away.

"Hey. If you ever wanna hang out like this again…"

Talking to her was like talking to his grandfather. He could tell her things and say things he wouldn't tell his closest friends. There was a certain comfort he got from her and he liked it.

"Yeah, same goes for you too Tristan."

"Will do." Tristan simpered and walked over to the driver's side. "Oh and call me if you're having trouble sleeping. I've been told I've been blessed with a special talent to make a girl sleep like a baby." He continued to joke.

She was already up the porch stairs. "It must've been really difficult to hold that in." She joked back.

He nodded, agreeing. "Very."

Inside, Lorelai was asleep on the couch, looking rather restless when Rory stood before her silently watching. She turned to go to her bedroom but stopped when she caught sight of a stack of papers on the coffee table. A small smile replaced her frown. Her mother finally saw the signs that Luke plastered all around town and collected them.

Three simple words holding so much weight on their future. When and Where? Luke wanted to know the time and place where he and her mom could finally get it together.

"Hey. You're home." Lorelai said softly, trying not to startle her. She brought her legs into her, making room for Rory on the couch.

Rory turned to leave the room.

"Rory come on. Come sit down with your mean ol' mother."

Rory folded her arms and stood facing her, making no move to sit down.

"I didn't mean those things I said…"

Rory dropped her arms to her sides, hoping that she was telling her the truth.

"… I was just upset and angry at the time." Lorelai offered a small smile. "I mean… put yourself in my shoes Rory. Look at what I walked in on."

Slowly, Rory walked over to the couch and sat down next to her.

"You can trust me to be careful."

Lorelai sighed.

"I do trust you to be careful Rory."

"And… Jess… he would never do anything to hurt me. You can trust him too."

"I want to sweetie… but… it's an extremely hard thing to do when I see Jess doing… what he was doing."

Rory cringed a little.

"I know this is so incredible embarrassing… believe me, I'm just as embarrassed about this as you are. If you want, we can just forget all the ugliness from here on out."

"No. We can… talk about this. I want to."

Lorelai smiled reassuringly. Happy her daughter could still be open with her about anything.

"I think I might be ready."

Lorelai's heart stopped. Even that.

"Oh."

"Yeah. I've been thinking a lot about it lately and… when the time's right…"

Lorelai nodded, completely understanding, but not totally agreeing.

"I… love him."

"I- I… wow… so, we love Jess now huh?"

"Yup."

"When did this happen?"

"About a month ago."

"A whole month… and you didn't tell me?" The look of hurt on her face couldn't have been suppressed, even if she tried hard enough. "I wish you would've told me."

"I know. I wanted to, but… I guess I wanted it to be our thing first." She looked at her mom for any sign of understanding.

Lorelai smiled. "Ah to be young and in love. I miss that hun."

"It's going to happen for you too… and it looks like soon. " Rory grabbed the stack of papers and held them up.

Enter Cheshire Grin.

"Evil daughter. Why didn't you tell me? You let me suffer for a whole week."

"And ruin your fun?"

"What fun? I've been a complete mess."

"But it was all worth it when you finally read it though wasn't it?"

Lorelai smiled big. "Yes. Definitely worth being mopey, grumpy, and the other five dwarves for a whole week."

"Well now you can go back to being little Amélie. You're up."

*****

A/N: Coming soon… A pool party. Jess and… floaties? JLo's ass?? A punch drunk Paris? (Geller not Hilton) Stay tuned…