A/N: To make up for not updating the last one quickly, I'm giving another chapter! I hope you like it and thank you so so much for all the reviews. I smile everytime I read them and you're all the best for sticking with me and this story.
Flashbacks in this chapter are from the day of Liz's dinner in the previous chapter btw and texts are italics and underlined. Just in case it got confusing ;)
"What about here?" Jess asked Rory as he slid a book onto her bookshelf.
It had been a week since they left Stars Hollow, after the dinner at Liz's. Jess followed Rory with only his baggage he brought with him. After four days, he went back to Philadelphia and packed his own bags. Chris asked him to look over the zine before leaving which resulted in him leaving a day later.
Rory walked over to him and shook her head. "No. That does not go there."
Jess turned to look at her. "Why not? You said I could put my books here, too."
"Not that book," she replied as she took For whom the bell tolls off the shelf. "And definitely not next to The Fountainhead."
"But they just want to get along," he teased.
"Nah-uh," Rory laughed. "Ayn doesn't like Ernest. He doesn't go there."
"But I have more in my bag," he told her. "Where will my collection go?"
"I'm resisting saying my answer," she lifted her head with a smug look.
Jess pretended to gasp in surprise. "That's cruel."
"You don't even know what I'm thinking," she laughed.
"I know that look," he pointed at her.
She feigned innocence. "What look?"
"The Ernest-makes-me-want-to-sleep look," he accused.
Rory widened her eyes. "How do you know that look?"
He gave her his own look. "Because I know you."
She crossed her arms over her chest. "You don't know my looks."
"Please," Jess scoffed jokingly. "I've spent a lot of time looking at you. I think I know what each look looks like by now."
"And you were really looking at my face each time?" She countered.
"All right, good point," he said which made Rory laugh. "But most of the time, I was."
"Please," she mirrored his tone from a minute ago. "You were checking me out, not remembering my expressions."
"I can neither confirm or deny," he replied.
Rory hit him playfully on the chest and Jess put his arms around her. His hands rested on her bottom. "And what exactly are you doing now?"
"Well, you pointed out I spent so much time looking at you," Jess explained. "I decided maybe I should put better use to that time now that I have you."
"Is this your way of winning the conversation?" She whispered. As soon as his hands were on her, the whole conversation was the last thing on her mind if she was bring honest.
Jess smirked at her. "Oh, I think I've already won."
"Really?" Her voice rose back to normal volume. "And what makes you think that?"
His smirk just grew. "I finally have you."
"You had me before," she pointed out.
"Yeah but I was stupid then," he shrugged. "I like to think I'm smarter now and that I can keep you this time."
"Wow," she said, a thrill shot through her at his words. "Cocky, too, huh?"
"Come on," he held his face inches away from hers. She could feel his breath. "You know its true."
"I don't," she grinned. "But, you know, you could try to convince me."
Jess leaned closer and right when she thought he would kiss her, he pulled away. "Nah."
"What?" She asked then exclaimed. "You're such a tease!"
He just laughed. "Oh, I definitely have you now."
She smacked him again and made a face. "Maybe you want to sleep on the couch tonight."
"You know you'll just come out and ask me to stay with you if that happens," he grinned at her widely.
"I won't," Rory tried to back up out of his hands to prove her point but his hands just held her tighter. It made her not want to move anyway.
"Okay," he removed his hands then and backed up himself.
She bit her lip and looked at him. He was teasing her, that she knew. He was also waiting for her response.
"Oh, fuck it," she muttered and wrapped her arms around him. Lips crashed together as his arms went around her, too.
He pulled away. "Does this mean Hemingway goes next to Rand on the shelf?"
She laughed. "Oh, shut up."
He laughed with her and kissed her again, quickly having shut down any conversation.
...
Jess waited as the line rang. He didn't particularly want to have this conversation but he knew he needed to have it. It rang one more time and a voice answered on the other side. "Truncheon books. Matt speaking. How can I help you?"
"Its Jess," he told his friend.
"Jess," Matt said almost coldly. "What's up?"
"I actually have a question to ask you," he sighed.
"Yeah?" He asked. "What's that? How dare I care about my friend and how this girl is gonna kill you again?"
"She didn't kill me," Jess defended.
"That's not the way I remember it," Matt pointed out.
Jess sighed again and put his hands over his eyes. He uncovered them in seconds. "This isn't why I'm calling, man."
"Okay," Matt said in surrender. "Fine. I'll stop. What's your question?"
"Do you think I could work from somewhere else again?" He asked. "I know I just got back not too long ago but I kinda need a favor."
"Okay," Matt agreed. "Where? Stars Hollow again?"
"New York city, actually," Jess told him.
"New York?" He asked. "What's in - oh."
"Yeah," Jess said.
"She's there?"
"Yep."
"Jess."
"Don't say a word."
"You're going with her?" He questioned. Jess was silent so he asked another one. "Why?"
"Because I want to be with her," he simply answered.
"Oh, man," Matt sighed. "This is gonna end badly. You know that, right? Please tell me you know that."
"No, I don't know that," Jess gritted his teeth. "But please, tell me how you know more about my relationship than me. Especially when you've only met Rory barely twice."
"I saw you after the open house!" He shout-whispered. "Are you really that stupid to want to go through that again?"
"First of all," Jess said angerily. "The open house - it's the past. If I ever hear you mention it around me or especially Rory, I'm gonna kick your ass, got it?"
"Fine," Matt replied. "What else?"
He took a deep breath before he spoke again. "Second is you don't get a say in this. I don't give a shit we're friends. I know you think you're being a good friend and fuck, maybe you're right even. But this is happening. We're together so either keep it to yourself or we're only coworkers from now on."
Matt was quiet on the other end. Jess heard his breathing so he knew he was still there. Finally, Matt talked again. "Okay. All right."
"Seriously?"
"Seriously."
"So I'm going," Jess told him. "And you know why I am."
"Yeah, I do," Matt agreed. "Doesn't mean I like it...but I'll try to keep my mouth shut."
"First time for everything, right?" Jess smirked.
Matt laughed for the first time during the whole phone call. "I guess so."
"I'll come in a few days," he told him. "Grab some stuff, Garret's book. But she's leaving tomorrow and I plan on going with her when she does."
"All right," He agreed. "Just watch out. I know you don't think you need to but do it anyway."
"I will," he shuffled his feet as he stared down at them.
Matt sighed. "And I'll tell Chris. He's definitely going to be fine with it if I am. He is on your side, after all. Even yelled at me for what I said to you."
"Good," Jess smirked. "Remind me to thank him."
"Sure thing," he said sarcastically.
...
"Hey Luke," Jess said when he answered his cell phone.
"Jess," Luke said. "How's new York?"
"Good," he nodded. "The same as I remember."
"And Rory?" He asked.
"Doesn't Lorelai know how she is?" Jess asked. "Or are you just looking for info?"
"Lorelai tells me nothing," he said. "She just grins and says how she talked to Rory."
"Because that doesn't sound suspicious," Jess answered in a sarcastic tone. "Rory's good, too."
"Good," Luke said. "So you two are..."
Jess smirked. "Are you asking about sleeping arrangements, Uncle Luke? Because, I got to say, I'm a little surprised."
"What?" Luke made a noise. "No! That's not what I'm asking about!"
"You sure?" He teased.
"No!" Jess imagined the shade of red Luke would turn as he yelled and had to resist a laugh. "What I was gonna say was you two, you're pretty serious this time, aren't you?"
Jess nodded. "Yeah. We are."
"Wow."
"Wow what?"
"Nothing," he said. "Just you and Rory, back together. Who would have guessed after all this time, right?"
"Not me," Jess said honestly. "I kinda always thought I missed that chance for good, you know?"
"Yeah, I do," Luke said. "That's exactly how I felt when I found out Lorelai married Christopher."
"Yeah," he whispered then his voice got more volume as a smirk grew on his face. "I guess we each had our own rich pricks to deal with, huh?"
"I guess so," Luke almost laughed. "Hey, Jess?"
"Yeah?" He asked.
"I'm glad...about you and Rory," he told him in a serious voice. "I always kind of hoped you two would find your way back. Kinda like...well, like me and Lorelai."
"So we're the younger version of you two," he nodded. "Huh."
"That just sounds weird when you say it like that," Luke pointed out.
"Not as weird as when people point out me and Rory are cousins," Jess cringed.
Luke sounded like he cringed himself on the other end. "That's..."
"Yep," he agreed.
"Moving on," the older man said. "Thanksgiving is next month. Lorelai was wondering if you were gonna come."
"When's she due?" Jess found himself asking.
"January," Luke sighed. "Don't you and Rory talk? You know what? Never mind."
"We talk," he shrugged. "But saying her mother is gonna have my uncle's baby sounds a little weird when put like that, don't you think?"
"So don't put it like that," he hissed sarcastically. Jess wanted to laugh that he was even able to do that.
"Yes, sir," Jess chuckled.
"Sometimes, its hard for me to forget you're not that same smart-ass kid anymore," Luke mused.
Jess didn't comment on that. It was one of his fears to be that way again and though Luke only meant it as teasing, he couldn't help but remember what he was like when and what he'd done. Instead, he went back on-topic. "We should be there, Luke."
"We?" He asked. "You and Rory are gonna come down together?"
"I have to tell her first," he replied. "But, yeah. We should be."
"Okay, good," he agreed. "We'll... We'll talk later, all right?"
"Yeah," Jess agreed. "Definitely."
They hung up the phone and Jess looked around him. He sat in Washington Square Park as he thought of what this place had once meant to him. He had forgotten how much he loved New York. Rory was at work and he missed her, that was a big part of why he came here, too. It was one of their places.
Jess scrolled on his phone through the pictures. There was some shots he got of Rory in the past week when she wasn't looking. He had called them revenge for the ones she took of him on her own phone.
The time read 1:15 pm and he sighed. Usually Rory had a lunch break soon so he considered surprising her. He sent a quick text to her just in case.
Lunch?
Still working :(
I'll come to you ;)
Give me twenty minutes ;)
Kay. I got to get back anyway.
Where are you?
Our park of course.
NO! We were gonna go together!
Sorry. Got bored :)
Fine. Be here in twenty minutes okay?
Okay.
He shoved his phone back into his pocket and stuffed his hands inside after. Jess began a walk through the park as he left behind the bench he had been sitting on when Rory came up behind him thirteen years earlier.
...
Lorelai walked behind Rory, looking down at the paper in front of her daughter. There was a snickering sound from behind Rory which made her look up. "What's so funny?"
"Have you seen what you're writing?" Lorelai asked.
"Obviously I have if I'm writing it," she answered then looked down at the paper in front of her. "What's so funny about it?"
"Its a pro/con list," the older woman pointed out. "I can't even remember the last time I saw you make one of these."
Rory remembered the last time she made one, though. It was right after the doctor called to confirm her pregnancy. She was trying to figure out how much money for baby and how long maternity leave should be. "It has been a while."
Lorelai sat next to her at their table. "So what's this one for? Anything I can help with?"
"It's Jess," she told her mother. "He said something earlier."
"Please do not tell me the kinky things he says to you," Lorelai pleaded.
Rory rolled her eyes and went on what she wanted to say. "Jess wants to come to New York with me."
"Yes," she nodded. "I knew this."
"I'm making it about him coming with me," Rory explained. "I love him so much, Mom. But I can't make him do this for the wrong reasons."
"Do you really think if you decide something," she started, "that youre making him do it?"
"No," she shook her head. "He wouldn't listen to me."
"So there," Lorelai tapped her daughter's hand. "Think of it as incredibly romantic."
"It is pretty romantic, isn't it?" Rory smiled.
"Very," Lorelai nodded. "Besides, do you really think he would move there without any wanting to?"
"New York was his home for seventeen years," Rory defended. "He could want to go back."
"Or he could want to be with his gjrlfriend," Lorelai told her. "It's funny how of the two of us, I'm the one defending Jess' actions and you're in doubt."
"I'm not in doubt," Rory pouted then sighed. "Okay, I am. But its only because I don't want him regret this."
"Do you think he'd regret being with you?"
"No, but -"
"Do you think you'll regret being with him?"
"No, Mom -"
"Then thats it," Lorelai told her. She grabbed the paper toward herself and out of Rory's grasp.
Rory protested, "What are you doing?"
Lorelai crossed out the whole con side of the columns. "You're making me defend Jess right now which might not be as weird as it once would be, but here it is. That man loves you. He has always loved you. He wants to come with you to be with you and because he's tired of missing you."
"You really think so?" She asked with a hopeful smile.
"Yeah, kid." She smiled back. "I do."
Rory's smile grew. "Thanks, mom."
"However, if you end up on a situation like me," she pointed out. "I will be angry."
"What does that mean?" Rory asked then made a face. "You think I'm gonna get pregnant?"
"I think its very possible," she made her own face.
Rory threw the paper at her. "Oh my god!"
"What?" Lorelai said innocently. "Like you two aren't doing things that could result in that!"
She ripped off another piece of paper just to throw it at her. Lorelai held her hands up to block it. They both laughed as Lorelai flicked it back at Rory like a football.
...
Rory walked outside into the cool early October breeze. She tugged on her jacket and buttoned it up. When she looked up, she saw familiar brown eyes and a crooked smile she would know anywhere. "Hey."
"Hey," she smiled.
It wasn't until seeing him right there that she truly understood how much she missed him. Rory leaned in and kissed him happily, letting her lips tell him how much she did. He responded just as eagerly and when it ended, he asked, "What's that for? Not that I'm complaining."
"Just wanted to," she grinned as she said the words he said to her so long ago, before their first kiss.
Jess wrapped an arm around her and they began their walk to a coffee shop down the street. "How's work?"
"Hectic," she laughed. "And lonely. Its much better now."
"I agree," he kissed her hair.
Rory smiled brighter. She couldn't remember the last time she was truly happy like this. She tried to remember when she felt this excited about a lunch date or when Logan came around but there was nothing. The last time she thought of real and total happiness...was at Kyle's party, before...everything bad that happened that night.
"Jess?" She asked.
He looked down at her as they walked. "Yeah?"
"I'm really glad you're here," she told him honestly.
"Me too," he smiled. "There's nowhere else I want to be."
"Me, either," Rory replied. They walked to the door of the coffee shop and before she slid inside while he held the door, she thought to herself, Me, either.
A/N: I told you it would get to the birth of Luke and Lorelai's new baby and it WILL. I'm moving at snail's pace but it will get there so if it seems like its fast because thanksgiving is a month away in the fic, its only because for every chapters based on one day, I try to make up for it later. But I hope you like it and I'm desperately trying to update as good as I used yo. I miss writing this more often but what can you do when life happens right? Don't worry, I intend to see this out til the end and I will but just be patient that the updates might be slower than used to.
And once again, thank you for all the reviews! You have no idea how happy they make me to read, okay? You're all blessings and thank you for being here and telling me your thoughts!
Ps I have headcanon where lit texts without using abbreviations since they're Literary fans and would want to write all formal even when texting lol
