A/N: This is not your typical Slip, but the idea has been rattling around in my head for some time. It's not so fluffy, but it definitely is smutty.
Say Goodnight
"Turn down," Lorelai called. She pressed her ear to the door and heard someone answer, 'Come on in.'
Using her pass key, Lorelai stepped into the room with a basket of pillow mints over her arm. "Hello there. This won't take long," she promised. She stopped short when she spotted the man sitting propped up against the headboard. "Luke."
Luke lowered the newspaper he was reading and said in an equally stunned tone, "Lorelai."
"What are you doing here?"
"You invited us, remember?"
"Us?" she asked blankly. Her gaze traveling down his bare, muscular chest, dallying a bit along the line of hair that trailed down his stomach, and then came to rest on the red-head kneeling between his taut thighs. "Oh, hey. Hi Nicole. There's the 'us'," she babbled.
Nicole lifted her head long enough to murmur, "Hi, Lorelai," and then drew Luke's stiff cock back into her mouth.
Lorelai gaped at the scene in front of her. She heard Nicole moan as she pulled Luke deeper, and then saw her reach down between her legs, stroking herself in time with the ardent pull of her mouth. "I don't usually do this turn down service. I mean, I did when I started many moons ago, but that's when I was a maid. Wow, you guys are here," she said nonsensically, her feet seemingly rooted to the spot.
"You didn't know?" Luke asked as he folded his newspaper and casually set it aside.
Lorelai shook her head quickly. "No. I mean, I remember inviting you. It's great that you're here." She found herself riveted as Nicole moaned loudly and Luke reached down, pushing his fingers into her hair and holding her head as he began to thrust up into her, increasing the pace. "Um, but when I told Michel I would do the turn down service, it must've slipped his mind that you were here. Pau-Pau fell in her water dish…" she trailed off as the sounds Nicole was making intensified.
Luke bucked up off of the mattress, undoubtedly giving Nicole what she needed, as her moans and whimpers built to a crescendo. As her orgasm hit, she released him with a soft pop, and collapsed in on herself, pressing her cheek to his powerful thigh as she gasped for breath.
"What?" Luke asked as he sat up.
Lorelai stared at him, unable to tear her eyes from his pulsing hard cock. "Never mind. I'll just do this and get out of your way."
Luke reached for Nicole's arms and pulled her up to straddle his hips. He pushed her down onto his cock, and fell back, watching Lorelai watch them as Nicole stared at a spot above the bed.
"I should go," Lorelai said nervously.
"It's okay," Luke was quick to assure her.
"It's just, um, people aren't usually using the bed when you do turn down service. Huh. Service," she babbled.
"Luke," Nicole whined petulantly.
"Okay," he said as he pushed her up off of him.
"You know, I'm gonna go," Lorelai said with a decisive nod, but then failed to move from her spot.
"Hey, you don't have to," Luke said with a shrug. Propelling the slender woman onto her back, Luke positioned himself on top of her, pulled her thin legs up to his waist as he pushed roughly into her.
"Let her go, Luke," Nicole said in a softly dangerous voice. Her head hung off the foot of the bed as she looked directly up at Lorelai and said in a smug tone, "Yeah, Lorelai, really, we can do all this."
Lorelai bristled at her tone. Instead of leaving, she stared at Luke's ass, cursing Sookie in her head as she watched the tight mounds of muscle rise and fall with each powerful thrust, and she yearned to reach out and touch it. "No, you are our guests and you deserve to get what you're paying for," she insisted, still unable to tear her eyes away.
"We're not paying," he grunted as he pushed Nicole's legs up higher, grinding into her with each stroke.
Lorelai's eyes widened. "No, no, but this is where you start paying - in sweat," she tried to joke.
"What?" he asked breathlessly.
"Fame, right?" Nicole chimed in, arching her back as she looked straight up at Lorelai.
"Yeah, Debbie Allen. In sweat. I just loved how she said that," Lorelai mumbled. She gave her head as shake as Nicole began to moan again, her breath hitching in her throat. She shifted slightly under Luke's intense blue gaze, and bit her lip. "Let's see. . .uh, you need towels."
"You can just give 'em to me," he answered, lifting one arm from the bed without breaking his rhythm.
Lorelai fumbled with the stack of towels in the crook of her arm. "Okay, here are your towels," she said as she handed them to Luke. He placed them on the bed, lowered his arm and began pushing harder. Nicole cried out softly, and he smiled grimly. "And, let me see. . . oh, I'll draw your curtains closed," Lorelai said, but her feet remained glued to the spot where she stood at the foot of the bed. She watched as Nicole climaxed again, her fingernails digging into the soft, supple skin that covered the muscles in Luke's back. "What else, what else? It's been a little while since I've done this," she whispered under her breath. "Oh, do you want a fire?"
Luke pulled back, his rigid cock slick and wet, jutting proudly from his body as he rocked back onto his heels and reached to turn Nicole onto her stomach. "I don't know. Nicole?"
Nicole rolled over docilely, pushing her elbows into the mattress as she lifted her ass into the air. "Uh, a fire would be nice."
"Okay, I'll light it for you," Lorelai said with a decisive nod.
She managed to take one step back toward the fireplace, but stopped when Luke grasped Nicole's ass in both of his hands, spreading her open so that he could plunge into her once more. "We have these new log bags now, makes it real easy. Uh, okay," she stammered as Luke began ramming his cock into the skinny lawyer once more. "So, nothing like a fire on a cold night like this, huh?" she said nervously.
"Mm," Luke hummed in a noncommittal tone. He grasped Nicole's arms and pulled her up, sliding his knees between her legs as he thrust up into her. He pulled her back against the solid wall of his chest, his eyes never leaving Lorelai. "She likes it better when she doesn't have to look at me, right, Nicole?" he asked gruffly as he sank his teeth into the side of Nicole's slender neck.
An uncomfortable laugh escaped Lorelai's lips. " Hmm, I'm not having much luck here," she murmured, cocking her head as she saw Luke's large hands engulf Nicole's small breasts. "And, uh, you know what, we laid off the person who was able to light these things no problem, now we can't light these things, and ironically we laid him off because of a fire. Laid off," she muttered with an unladylike snort.
"It's okay, forget it. I can light it," Luke told her. He slid one hand down to the nest of tight curls between Nicole's legs, and began to stroke her clit.
"Okay. What else, let's see. Oh, um, well, turn down. I need to turn down the bed," Lorelai said as she gestured to the bed.
Luke shook his head, holding Nicole up against him like a shield. "Really, Lorelai…"
"No, no, no. Up, up, up," she insisted. Lorelai licked her lips as Luke sank down onto his heels, his cock slipping free.
Nicole scrambled off of the bed, planting her feet wide on the carpet as she leaned over and grasped the bedpost. Her gaze traveled from Luke to Lorelai and then back to Luke as she raised her eyebrows challengingly. Luke followed, pushing up off of the bed and positioned himself behind Nicole to take up where he had left off.
Lorelai moved quickly to the opposite side of the bed, and the basket on her arm swung forward as she reached for the wrinkled comforter. "Okay, I'll get ya all settled here, nice and comfy. Great lines with these covers here," she said as the mattress shifted against her thighs with each burst of Luke's forward momentum. She picked up a pillow clutched it to her bare breasts as she fluffed it. "And Pillows, nice and plump. And a couple of pillow mints. There you go, now you're all ready to. . .uh, you're all ready for your evening."
Lorelai straightened up and glanced down, the basket of pillow mints falling to her feet as she realized that she was completely nude. She looked up, and found Luke's eyes locked on her. She reached up and covered her breasts with her hands, and saw his eyes darken with desire. Lorelai watched Luke's hands flex and then his fingers curled around Nicole's breasts as he murmured, "Fine, good, that's good."
"Luke," Lorelai whispered.
"I wish it was you," he said in a raspy voice. "She knows I wish it was you."
A strangled moan seeped from her lips as Lorelai watched his cock slide into Nicole with a powerful thrust. "You do?" she asked breathlessly, one hand roaming down over her flat stomach to nestle in the dark curls between her legs.
"You know I do," he growled as Nicole groaned loudly, as if trying to drown out the sound of their voices. "She likes me like this. She wants me like this. She wants me."
To confirm his statement, Nicole cried out, "Oh yes! Fuck me, Luke, fuck me."
"See?" he gasped as he thrust into her faster, his eyes never leaving Lorelai's.
"Yeah," Lorelai whispered as her own fingers matched the tempo he set.
Nicole looked up, and seeing Lorelai's eyes fixed unswervingly on Luke; she came again screaming her triumphant pleasure. "Mine, mine," she panted as she fell forward onto the foot of the bed, pressing her face into the comforter as her fingers clawed at the fabric. "Mine."
Luke stood across from Lorelai, oblivious to Nicole as he wrapped his long fingers around the shaft of his cock and began to stroke himself mercilessly. "She knows that I can only get off if I'm thinking about you, but I'm not supposed to think about you."
Lorelai moaned as her eyes fell to his stiff cock. She pushed one finger into herself as she confessed, "I think about you."
"And I want you. I want you so much it hurts," he said in a hoarse voice.
"I want you, too," Lorelai answered, her voice sure and steady. She pulled her hand from between her legs and lifted her knee to the edge of the mattress.
Lorelai scowled in confusion as a wooden chair on casters suddenly appeared on the bed, standing between her and Luke. Nicole peered at her from between the slats on the back of the chair. "Wait, wait. Ten feet," she said adamantly.
"Ten feet?" Lorelai asked.
"That's a safe distance," Luke said with a sad smile as he continued to stroke himself, never taking his eyes off of her.
"Okay, I didn't bring a frickin' tape measure. I'm not good at judging distances. You'll have to help me out with the ten feet thing," Lorelai said, her voice rising in frustration.
"Well, it's a little bigger than a basketball player. Just keep a really big basketball player between us," Luke answered helpfully.
"You want me," Lorelai stated firmly. "You want me and I want you," she said as she began to move to the end of the bed.
Luke followed suit, his hip bumping the bedpost in his haste to get to her. "I do. I want you. God help me, I want you."
A loud screech of metal against a tile floor brought them to a halt as they stood at the foot of the bed, a student desk blocking their path to each other. Lorelai looked around wildly, and spotted Max with his hands planted on the writing surface of the desk. "I knew it was him," he said in a hurt tone.
"No, Max, it wasn't…" Lorelai protested.
"No, not me. Never me," Luke said gruffly. His eyes bore into her as his hand moved faster, pulling on his cock ruthlessly, desperate for his elusive release.
"You know, I thought we were both going to just pretend to ignore the kiss. Wasn't that the deal?" Max implored.
"Lorelai's great at ignoring things," Luke concurred.
"I'm not ignoring you!" she cried as she reached for Luke, but couldn't quite get a hold on him.
Nicole knelt in front of Luke, and gently removed his hand. "It's okay. Pretend I'm her," she coaxed gently. When he looked down at her, and then back up at Lorelai, she drew his cock into her mouth and began to suck him gently.
Lorelai's brow furrowed as she stared into Luke's eyes questioningly. "Is this what you want?"
"This is what I want," Luke answered unconvincingly.
Lorelai turned away. She could still feel his eyes on her as she stared at the rumpled bed; half turned down, and now devoid of Max's desk chair. Her head whipped around when she heard a low, deep groan, and found that Max was gone too.
"You had your shot, okay?" Luke asked, his voice breaking.
"I did," she conceded softly.
"Jesus, Nicole," he rasped as he fisted his hands in her short, red hair. His hips jerked as he came, and it was her name that tumbled from his lips, but his eyes stayed unflinchingly on Lorelai. "This is what I want," he insisted.
Lorelai ducked her head as she nodded, unable to bear his scrutiny for a moment longer. "Okay. I'll abide by your wishes," she said softly.
Nicole sat back on her heels and ran the back of her hand over her mouth before she turned to Lorelai with a wide, fake smile. "Yes, great, Lorelai," she said sweetly.
Her cheeks flaming with humiliation, Lorelai dropped to her hands and knees and scrambled to collect the pillow mints that had scattered across the floor. Her hands trembled as she dropped them back into the basket and looped the handle over her arm as she pushed to her feet. "Well, you're all set. Just call if you need anything, and have fun," she called over her shoulder as she hurried for the door.
"Lorelai, your clothes," Luke called after her, gesturing to the pile of clothing at his feet.
Lorelai looked down at them, and then up at him. She pressed her lips together in a thin line as she shook her head and said, "Doesn't matter. Everyone knows anyway," and then fled the room, swinging the door shut behind her with a bang.
Lorelai sat straight up, pressing her hand to her hammering heart as she looked around her bedroom wild eyed. "Rory?" she called out, her voice cracking.
"I'm home," Rory answered in a dejected tone. "Sorry, didn't mean to slam the door."
Lorelai gulped in a breath. "How was that party?" she asked.
"I'll tell you about it tomorrow," Rory promised.
Lorelai exhaled her relief, knowing she wasn't in any state to face her daughter at the moment. "Okay. Goodnight," she said loudly.
"Night."
Lorelai flopped back onto her pillow, covering her eyes with her forearm. "Stupid Booster Club. Cost me eighteen dollars, my pride and now, my sanity," she muttered to the empty room.
****
Days later, Lorelai stood alone in her bedroom gripping her arms tightly as she stared at the bed. There was too much in her head. Tiny particles of thoughts careened around, ricocheting off her skull and smashing into each other.
Where did the eighteen dollars from the cash box go? What exactly happened in Kyle's bedroom? Why was Luke at home in bed with ten more minutes to sleep when John called about the Hummel? Should they put a wood fired stove in at the Dragonfly? How far did things go in Kyle's bedroom? Did her parents ask about her when Rory went to see them? Would Lane ever get the stench of beer and vomit out of her backpack or would she just buy a new one? Did Fran have any unseen heirs that would pop up at the last minute and snatch the inn from their grasp? Why didn't Luke go skiing? Did Diane like it when Max did that thing with his tongue that always creeped her out? Wouldn't that prom dress in the window have been perfect for Rory? Where had Luke been for the past couple of days? Is Lindsay pregnant? Is that why she and Dean are getting married? Why did Alex stop calling? What had she done wrong? Why wasn't Luke standing at the counter when she passed by the diner these past couple of days? Was Jess really pissed off at Rory for not having sex with him? Did Rory let things go too far before shutting him down? How far was too far? Exactly how much sex has Patty had? Did Luke really want her? Does he still? Was what she overheard Babette saying to Mrs. Slutsky true? Had Luke and Nicole really broken up? Why did she order manicotti at Al's? Why was it blue? Should she shorten the skirts she had in her closet, or should she just splurge and buy new ones? Luke likes the shorter skirts.
That was the thought that cut off all of the other questions. For days, she'd been kicking herself. For days, all she could think about was that damn dream. Lorelai shuddered as she turned away from the bed and caught her reflection in the mirror above the dresser.
The thing in Kyle's bedroom. No other women exist on a first date. Even if she's just a friend? I didn't wanna be that girl and you don't want me to be that girl, but after the hockey game, I was that girl. You talked to my stomach and then you kis… well, no.
She looked around at her own empty bedroom, and decided it was time to get some answers. Any answers. She rushed from her bedroom and down the steps as quickly as she could without alerting Rory. Lorelai crossed her lawn, picking up the pace to a fast walk, and then finally, breaking into a trot as she headed for the town square. If she couldn't shake the answers she wanted out of Jess, she'd make damn sure she pried them out of Luke.
****
His throat ached. It could have been the screaming. By now, surely half of Stars Hollow knew that Luke had crowned himself Employee of the Universe. It could have been the frustration. Luke Danes never wanted to hurt another human being as badly as he wanted to hurt Jimmy Mariano. He knew he should have put the guy's head in a wall when he'd had the chance. Then again, maybe that ache was simply the bitter taste of yet another colossal failure. Luke sank down into a chair at the tiny kitchen table and covered his face with his hands.
I should be used to that by now. After all, I've failed at almost everything in my life, he reasoned as he tugged at his tie, unraveling the single Windsor knot and yanking it free from his collar. As he opened two more buttons on his shirt, he decided that maybe that's why Jess' comment about the diner had struck home. The diner was the one thing he hadn't managed to screw up. At least not yet, he derided himself.
Luke sighed and shook his head as he rubbed the back of his neck tiredly. He was exhausted. First, there the fight with Nicole that became an ugly break up. The fight was over Lorelai. Of course, that was never said. Not out loud. Because saying her name when it was just the two of them alone in a room would be like striking a match next to a keg of gunpowder. But he knew it, and she knew it, and they both knew it was true. Everything she said, or implied, or alluded to was the absolute truth. He couldn't let Lorelai go. He couldn't be fully in a relationship with Nicole, because something always held him back. And that something's unspoken name was Lorelai.
And then, there was Jess. She would never say so, but Nicole had been mortified by his outburst when he'd met her parents. Luke could tell by the way she avoided his eyes when they talked about it. He knew that it was worse than he imagined, because she couldn't even manage to put on the lawyer mask to cover her disappointment in him. He knew by the subtle things she would say that she thought that he was too invested in his nephew, that he was exerting too much energy in a kid who was so obviously a lost cause, and that she thought that he used Jess as an excuse to keep her at arm's length.
That one, she actually said. Out loud. To him. The night Coop called the inn looking for him to tell him about busting up Kyle's party. The night Lorelai had walked right into their room. The night she had given him a choice. And ultimatum, really. And, he hadn't chosen the one she wanted him to.
Jess. He had no idea what to do with Jess. The one thing he did know was that Jimmy Mariano was the last thing he needed at the moment. Unfortunately, Luke knew that if he were Jess, stuck between certain failure in Stars Hollow and the mysterious allure of the father he had never known, it would be tempting for him too. But there was nothing he could say that Jess would hear. There was nothing that he could do, except do exactly what he said he would do if Jess didn't do what he was supposed to do.
He knew that there was only one thing that could hold Jess back from the brink of self-destruction. Luke sighed, leaning forward and rest his elbows on the table as he rubbed his palms together. His shoulders hunched up around his ears as he remembered what he had seen earlier that day. Jess was losing his grip on Rory, and he knew it. He knew it, and he didn't know what to do about it, so he was apparently going to do nothing. Sadly, Luke didn't have a clue what to do about it either, even if Jess would listen to him.
He picked up his tie and stared at his hands as the slick nylon slipped through his fingers like water. Luke knew that he was not the one to tell Jess how to hold onto the girl he loved. Hell, he had never so much as laid a hand on the girl he loved himself. Oh, he'd touched her. But actually, more often it was she who touched him. He'd held her before, wrapping his arms tightly around her and pulling her closer, but only as a friend. Always just a friend.
And, he was failing at being her friend, too. Jess was going to hurt Rory. He could see it coming, and there was nothing he could do to stop it. It made him angry. It made him sad. It made him sick to his stomach.
He wanted to grab Jess and shake him until he opened his eyes and saw what he was doing; to Rory and to him. He wanted to throw himself bodily in front of Rory; to prove to her, and to Lorelai, that he did care, that he would rather take the blow himself than let Rory be hurt. He wanted to throw up. His stomach knotted tighter with the sure knowledge that somehow he would take the blame for what happened between Rory and Jess. The bile rose in his throat as he squeezed his eyes shut, the tie slipping from his fingers and pooling unnoticed at his feet.
Luke knew he had to let go. Of both of them. The girl he could never have, and the boy he could never help. But letting go wasn't his strong suit. The funeral that day had hammered that point home as surely as his father could hammer a nail. He'd lost Nicole because he couldn't let go. He would lose Jess because he tried to hang on too tightly. He was losing Lorelai before he even got the chance to have her. The chair skittered backwards as he jumped to his feet. It fell to the floor with a clatter as he stumbled to the sink and bent over it, heaving up nothing, because he had nothing left to give.
****
Lorelai ran up the steps to the diner. Although the lights were out, she tried the door handle, but found it locked. Without hesitating, she reached up and felt along the top of the doorframe for the spare key that everyone knew that Luke kept there. She slammed the door behind her, and made her way to the curtain, shoving the thin fabric aside as she rushed headlong for the stairs, heedless of what may lay waiting on the other side.
Luke's head jerked up as he heard the diner door slam. He ran his hand over his face, and turned toward the door, preparing himself to go another round with his nephew. When the frosted glass door swung open wide, he sucked in a sharp breath as he saw Lorelai standing on the threshold.
"Where is he?" she demanded.
"Who?" he answered, even though he knew damn well who she meant.
"Jess! Where's Jess, Luke?" Lorelai asked as she stepped into the apartment.
His mind reeled as the memories came flooding back. Go to hell! Right back at ya!
He stared straight at her and said, "I don't know. Gone. Or he will be gone."
"What's that supposed to mean?" she scoffed.
"It means I'm done, I've had it," Luke shouted as he threw his arms out to his sides. "I'm done with all of it! Him, her, you. I'm done, I'm out!"
"You're out? You're out? How can you just be out?" she asked, advancing on him.
"I can't do a damn thing about it. Any of it. You know that," he said angrily.
"Why are you mad at me?" she asked, incredulous.
"Why do you think?"
"What did he tell you?"
"He doesn't tell me anything, you know that!"
"He didn't tell you what happened at Kyle's?"
"He got in a fight. It happens. I've been in a few myself," Luke said dismissively.
"I'm not talking about the fight!"
"Then I don't know what the hell you're talking about. You should go," he said as he waved his hand at the door.
"I'm not going anywhere."
"Go before I say something that I can't take back," Luke snarled.
"Hey, it's not my fault that Rory wouldn't give in," she spat back at him. "Wait. Yes. Yes, it is, and I'm damn proud of it," she amended, lifting her chin defiantly.
"What does that mean?"
"It means that if that little punk is enough of a jerk to dump her because she wouldn't put out at Kyle's party, then I'm glad he's gone!"
"He broke up with Rory?" Luke asked, stunned by the revelation.
"Well, I don't know. She doesn't know. All she knows is that she wouldn't sleep with him, and now he won't speak to her. I hope he never comes back!"
"Don't worry, he won't, so you'll get what you want. You always do," Luke sneered.
"What's that supposed to mean?"
"Just what I said. You always get exactly what you want. You don't even have to try," he shouted. "You hate Jess, well, you're getting your wish. I'm kicking him out," he said, throwing up his hands in frustration. "I don't know what else to do. I try and I try, but it's never good enough. I can never make it work. No matter how hard I try, I can never get what I want!"
"What you want? What do you want?" she asked with a puzzled frown.
"It doesn't matter."
"Yes, it does."
"No, Lorelai, it doesn't," he said as he shook his head adamantly. "No matter how much I want it, I can't make him do what he's supposed to do. I was an idiot to think that I could. And, you're right, if that's what wrong with him and Rory, then he needs to just get the hell out before he hurts her even more. And not just for Rory's sake, but for his own, because nothing sucks more than hurting someone who doesn't deserve to be hurt."
Lorelai took a step back as his words struck home. She pictured Max standing ten feet away from her, holding out his hand to ward her off like she was some kind of threat. "No, you're right," she said in a whisper.
"He has to go. Now, before it gets any worse."
"I'm not sure it can get worse," Lorelai murmured.
"Of course it can get worse," Luke sneered. "Things can always get worse. She could have said yes, right? She could have gone on with the relationship, even though he was too screwed up to see straight. He could have made her think that she was the one and that he wanted to be with her, when all he wants to be is someplace else, with someone else," he said hotly.
"Someone else? Jess has someone else?"
"No! Not Jess!" Luke waved his hand as if to brush the thought aside as he turned away from her.
"Then who?" Lorelai asked in a bewildered tone. "Who has someone else?"
"No one. Nothing. Forget it," he said as he squeezed his temples between his thumb and middle finger, trying to get a grip on himself.
Lorelai took a step closer again, cocking her head to peer around his shoulder. "Nicole? Did Nicole have someone else?" she asked gently.
The air huffed from his lungs as he lowered his hand and shook his head slowly. "No, there's no one else."
"Did you and Nicole break up?" she asked bluntly.
Luke turned to glare at her and said, "It wasn't because she wouldn't sleep with me, if that's what you're wondering. Go home, Lorelai, Jess will be gone in the morning."
"What happened?" she asked softly as she placed her hand gently on his arm. She felt his muscles bunch beneath his white dress shirt, and fought back the urge to squeeze them in response.
"Nothing happened," he said gruffly.
"Luke, you said there was someone else. If you weren't talking about Jess, and you weren't talking about Nicole, then who were you talking about?" she coaxed.
Luke looked away for a moment, and then turned to face her. "You. I was talking about you."
"Me?"
"Yes. You're the someone else. You've always been the someone else, no matter how much I don't want you to be."
"You don't?" she asked, taken aback by the vehemence in his tone.
"Why would I?" he demanded. "You think it feels good to want someone who will never want you? You think it's smart to blow a good thing because you just can't let go of the one thing you know you'll never have? You think I liked seeing her flinch? And this thing with Rory and Jess, it's just the capper. Now nothing will ever happen, can ever happen, can it? Even if you woke up one day and decided that you wanted me too, it can never happen."
"Why?"
"Why? Because I'm the one who brought him here! I'm the one who let your daughter be broken, not once, but twice!"
"Luke, Rory let that happen, you didn't," Lorelai said as she shook her head adamantly. "Just like Rory was the one who wouldn't let other things happen."
"Funny, you didn't feel that way about it last spring," he said with a sneer.
"I was wrong. I know I was wrong. You know that I know that I was wrong," she said firmly. "And you're wrong too."
"I am? About what?" he scoffed.
"You're wrong to think that I wouldn't want you. You seriously think that in all the time I've known you that I haven't thought about you? About us?" she demanded.
Luke snorted and said, "Don't."
"I have!" she cried in frustration. "There! Are you happy? I have thought about you. I've thought about you a lot. Naked. Is that what you want to hear? You don't get to do this! You don't get to play the victim here, Luke!"
"Play the victim?"
"Oh, poor Luke, Lorelai's a heartless bitch who doesn't see how much he wants her," she mocked snidely. "Bullshit!"
Luke reared back. "Bullshit?"
"It is bullshit and you know it! How many chances did you have, Luke? How many looks, and touches and moments did you let slip by? I waited, wondering if you'd ever make up your mind about me," she said heatedly. "Did you? No. Never. You never took that chance. You are Mr. Ambivalence 2003, Luke. You don't get to be the wronged man. You don't get to make this all my fault!"
When he turned away, crossing his arms over his chest, Lorelai moved in front of him; grasping his arms and trying to force him to look at her. "You think I liked this? You think I liked seeing you with her? She was so wrong for you! You think I liked thinking about you with her, picturing you touching her, your hands on her there in that bed? That's my inn!" she yelled, jabbing her chest with her finger. "If you were going to be screwing anyone in my inn, it should have been me!"
Luke gaped at her for a moment as her words sank in. He glanced down at her hands, taking in the way that her fingers curled into his shirt, hanging onto him possessively. He looked up again, arrested by the blue flames burning in her eyes. Raising his hands, he grasped the back of her head, tilting her face up as he lowered his lips, kissing her hard and hot.
Lorelai pulled back, blinking rapidly as his warm breath washed over her damp lips. "Is this it? Are we doing this now?" she asked in whisper.
"You said you wanted me," he answered in a deep, husky voice.
Lorelai looked down at their bodies pressed close together, and realized that every obstacle that ever stood between them, real or imagined, ceased to matter. She nodded slowly as she looked up again. "I do. I want you," she said, her voice growing stronger as her hands traveled up his arms to his shoulders. "I want you," she said as she pulled his head down to hers and kissed him passionately.
Her lips parted, and Luke groaned as his tongue swept into her mouth, tangling with hers as she opened her mouth wider taking him in. Lorelai's hands moved restlessly, rumpling his fine hair. Her fingers trailed down his neck, the tips of them tracing the strong outline of his jaw as she angled her head, hungry for all of him. Bypassing the buttons on his shirt, her hands slid to the waistband of his pants, and she pulled the tail free with impatient yanks.
Luke stepped back, pulling the shirt from his pants for her and stripping it, and his undershirt up over his head in one swift move. Impatiently, he pulled his hands from the cuffs and tossed the shirts aside, his chest heaving as he turned back to her.
Lorelai spread her hands over his chest, smoothing her fingers over the hard ridges of muscle clad only in warm skin. She opened herself to him willingly as he hauled her close again, claiming her lips once more and trapping her hands between them. Lorelai felt his nipple bead as her fingertips brushed over it. She moaned into his mouth as his abs tightened beneath her touch. And as her hands found the buckle of his belt she thrust her tongue into his mouth, giving as good as she had gotten.
Luke peeled her sweater over her shoulders, trapping her arms at her sides as he pushed her away. Lorelai blinked in confusion, but this time he did not hesitate. He skimmed the sweater down her arms, his eyes fixed on hers as it fell to the floor. His nimble fingers unerringly found the zipper on her dress. He saw her suck in a breath as he began to lower it slowly. He parted the fabric, his hands caressing the silken skin of her back, his fingertips tracing the graceful curve of her spine as she opened his belt and unhooked his pants. He reached for her hand, closing his tightly around it as he silently turned and walked toward his bed.
When they stopped beside the narrow single bed, a small smile curved her lips as Lorelai slipped the dress from her shoulders and let it fall to her feet. She stepped out of it, kicking her shoes aside as she reached for the clasp of her bra. She met Luke's steady gaze as she slid the bra down her arms and then pushed her panties from her hips. She watched as he unzipped his pants and toed off his dress shoes. He shed the remainder of his clothing and pushed it all away with his foot as he stood straight and tall, meeting her eyes unflinchingly.
Lorelai placed her hands on his chest and pushed him toward the bed, smiling with satisfaction as he dropped down onto it. She dropped to her knees between his legs, and before he could even reach for her, Lorelai closed her lips around the tip of his cock.
"Jesus, Lorelai," Luke groaned and his mouth fell open as she swirled her tongue around the very tip of him.
She pulled him deeper into her mouth, humming approvingly as her tongue slid over his hard flesh. Slowly, she pulled up, sucking deeply as she lifted her head. "Want me?" she asked softly.
"So much," he answered, his voice raw with honesty. "Too much." He reached for her arms, pulling her up to kneel in front of him. He cupped her breasts, watching as her pink nipples tightened. He leaned forward, capturing one rosy bud with his lips and pulling it into his mouth. Lorelai moaned, and Luke sucked harder, pulling her greedily into his mouth. When he released the furled tip, his warm breath washed over her damp skin. "Too long," he said as he wrapped his arms around her tightly and pulled her up onto the narrow bed.
Lorelai planted one knee on either side of his hips, trusting his steady hands to hold her as he reclaimed her breast. She arched back, feeling his fingertips pressing into her skin as he suckled her ardently. Placing one hand on his shoulder, she held on tight as the other slid between her legs, teasing her already damp folds. "I dream about you. I think about you. I want you. I want your hands on me. Your mouth. I want you inside me," she whispered as she moved against her own hand.
Luke moved to her other breast, pulling her nipple deep into his mouth and sucking until she cried out softly. He offered no apology, but laved the afflicted flesh with his tongue as his hands slid down to her ass and pulled her against him, trapping his pulsing cock between his stomach and the back of her hand.
Lorelai shifted slightly, removing her fingers from her wet folds and wrapping them around his stiff shaft. The moment Luke released her nipple, she rose up, grasping him firmly as she guided him to her entrance and then sank down onto the head of his cock. They froze for a moment, the tip of him barely inside of her, and then Lorelai leaned back to look at him. She felt his hands tighten on her ass, spreading her apart as he looked up at her without blinking.
"Mine," she said in the barest whisper, and then impaled herself on him.
Luke choked on a gasp as she pressed down, taking him in as she spread her knees wide. She stopped again, feeling him pulse deep inside of her as she wrapped her arms around his neck and hid her face against his hair. She began to move slowly, letting her body grow accustomed to this welcome invasion, letting the heat of their joined bodies melt and flow through her veins. Slowly, she picked up the pace, feeling his hands glide up over the curve of her ass, his palms smoothing up her back as his fingers spread wide, greedily covering every inch of flesh they could reach. She rode him harder, loosening her hold on his neck as she felt the heat building low and deep in her belly with every grunt he failed to stifle.
"Lorelai," he whispered, his voice edged in desperation.
She began to move faster still, desperately searching for the thread that would unravel the knot burning inside of her. Whimpers of frustration caught in her throat as she opened her eyes, staring intently at his dresser, reaching for that which eluded her. "I can't," she whispered.
Luke clutched at her shoulders, pulling down until she slowed to a stop. "Hang on," he said reassuringly as he slid his hands to her hips and began to lift her up off of him.
Lorelai clung to his biceps, feeling them tense and bunch as he pushed her up. "No," she protested futilely.
Luke persisted, pushing gently until she tumbled onto the bed beside him. He turned, intending to cover her body with his, only to find that she had flipped onto her stomach. "Roll over," he gently prodded.
Lorelai lifted her ass up off of the bed, pressing her face into his pillow as she said, "Like this."
Luke frowned slightly as he moved to position himself between her legs. He bent forward, pressing his lips to the curve of her ass, and was rewarded with her low moan of approval. He kissed his way down to her thigh and pulled up on her hips, urging her up onto her knees. When she complied, he turned onto his back and pulled her down again.
Lorelai cried out as his tongue parted her folds, and pushed up onto her hands, rocking against the delicious sensation as he pushed her knees apart. "Oh, yes," she moaned as he pressed his tongue deeper, parting her with his fingers.
Luke's tongue slid teasingly along her folds as she undulated against him. He swirled it around her clit, and answered her gasp with a throaty moan of pleasure as his fingers pressed into her hot, tight walls. He drew her into his mouth, sucking gently as his fingers slid slowly in and out of her, unfazed by her urgings, unhurried by the increasingly breathy moans that escaped her lips.
"I want you. Now," Lorelai panted as she fell forward onto her elbows, lifting herself up just out of his reach.
Luke continued to stroke her with his fingers as he wriggled out from under her, letting them twist inside of her as he turned and pushed to his knees between her legs. "Like this?" he asked breathlessly.
"Like this," she corrected as she rose up on her knees and reached blandly for his other hand. She grasped his wrist and pulled his hand to her breast, pressing it there as he slid his knees between hers. Lorelai groaned in disappointment as he pulled his fingers from her and then positioned himself at her entrance.
"Better?" he whispered in her ear as she sank down onto him.
Lorelai pulled his other hand from her hip and pressed his fingers to her clit as he rose up to meet her. "Better," she answered. "Fuck me, Luke, fuck me," she implored.
He thrust up into her, his fingers circling her clit as he pinched her nipple hard. "Like this," he growled in her ear.
"Yes, yes," Lorelai panted as she squeezed her eyes shut, once again trying to capture that flickering flame that burned inside of her. "Fuck me, fuck me," she chanted mindlessly as she cupped her other breast in her hand. His breath was hot and ragged, roaring in her ear as he pushed into her. Her eyes popped open as he groaned softly, and she knew that she wouldn't get there. "Talk to me. Tell me that you want me," she begged.
"Oh god, Lorelai," he croaked.
"Tell me that I'm the one you want."
"You, you."
"Why? Why can't I?" she asked plaintively. "Why, Luke?"
Luke stilled, frozen by her whispered pleas. "I don't know," he answered, his voice cracking as he pulled away from her his hands still clinging her as pressed his forehead to her back. "Maybe you don't want this," he said in a hoarse voice.
Lorelai shook her head adamantly. "No. I do. Yes, I do want this," she said as she stared at the wall above his bed.
"Maybe it's not the right time," Luke said unconvincingly as he pulled away from her, his hands slipping from her body as he sat back on his heels pressing his palms hard into his knees as he hung his head in defeat.
Lorelai heard it, the doubt creeping into his voice when it had been so sure just moments before. She turned and fell back onto her bottom, still shaking her head as she reached for his hands. "Look at me," she implored softly as she pulled his hands to her chest, clasping them tightly between them. When he raised his eyes, she wet her lips and straight into those fathomless blue depths. "I do. I want you so badly," she said with quiet surety. "I don't know what's wrong. I don't know why I can't, I want…" she trailed off as her eyes searched his for the answers she needed.
Luke leaned forward and kissed her softly, his lips clinging to hers as he pulled back a fraction of an inch and shook his head. "I'll do anything. Anything you want me to," he said gruffly.
"Kiss me again," she whispered.
When his lips touched hers, Lorelai let go of his hands and cupped his face in her hands, her fingertips tracing his cheekbones as she tasted her desire for him on his lips. She sighed softly and opened her mouth, taking him deeper as she fell back against the pillows, her legs tangling with his as their tongues danced around one another's.
When his lips moved to her cheek and then her jaw, Lorelai pressed deeper into the pillow and whispered, "You have no idea how much I've thought of this, of us." She ran her hands over the hard planes of his back, feeling the muscles ripple under his skin.
"You want me," he said, a statement, not a question.
"Oh, yes," she breathed as he pressed his open mouth to the pulse in her throat.
"You trust me?" he asked gently as he lifted his head.
"Yes," she answered, closing her eyes as she wrapped her arms and legs tightly around him, holding him close to her.
"Look at me," he ordered softly. When she opened her eyes, he saw the bright blue flames still dancing in them. "You trust me?" he asked again.
"Yes."
Luke nodded once and then shifted until he pressed against her entrance. He stared down into her eyes, waiting until he himself could believe the certainty in her gaze before he slid back into her. Lowering his weight onto his elbows, he framed her head with his forearms, his fingers tangling in her hair as he began to move slowly inside of her.
Lorelai stared up at him, unable to look away, unsure if she could even blink now that she was caught in that deep, intense blue. She let go. Losing herself in the feel of his body against hers, his cock sliding in and out of her, his hands in her hair. Her lips parted as she stayed locked on his eyes, searching them for all that she needed to know, and finding the answer to every question she had ever had about him. The coil that burned in her belly sprang free, shocking her with the heat that coursed through her veins. Her eyes widened and her lips moved soundlessly as the blood rushed in her ears. Every nerve ending was set aflame, every fiber of her being consumed by it, by him. She gasped, feeling him ripple and surge deep inside of her as she tightened around him, holding him tightly as the fire caught hold of him too and he filled her.
"Oh my god, Luke," she whispered as he collapsed into the curve of her neck.
"Yeah," he managed to grunt in agreement.
Lorelai blinked rapidly as she stared at the ceiling, trying desperately to gather her scattered wits. She grasped for them, struggling to regain control their breathing slowed and reality began to set in, thick and heavy, pressing down on her as the weight of his body pressed her into the narrow mattress.
"Luke?" she whispered.
"Hmm?"
"Um, I should," she began as she pushed gently on his shoulders, signaling him to get up.
"What?"
"I should, uh, Jess," she stammered, looking away as he stared down at her with a puzzled expression.
Luke nodded slowly and then pushed back, trying to mask his grimace as he slipped from her heat. "Yeah, right, okay," he managed to mutter.
Lorelai rolled from the bed and bent down to collect her bra and panties, clutching the scraps of black satin to her chest as she picked up her dress and held it in front of her. She gave him a weak smile and tilted her head toward the open door to his bathroom. "I'm gonna, I need to…" she said as she hurried into the small tiled room and shut the door firmly between them. Slumping against the worn wooden door, Lorelai's fingers tightened in the material she pressed to her chest. "Oh god, what did I do?" she whispered to the empty room.
Luke sat on the edge of his bed and ran his hand through his hair. "Fuck," he muttered under his breath and then surged up off of the bed. "Oh, fuck, what did I do?" he grumbled under his breath as he snatched up his pants and underwear, quickly straightening them out well enough to pull them on. He yanked the zipper into place, but left them unbuttoned as he pulled the belt from the loops and tossed it in the general direction of his closet.
Lorelai jumped as she heard something clank against the hardwood floor outside the bathroom door. She twisted around clawing at the zipper of her dress, but unable to reach it. She gave up, letting her head fall forward for a moment, her hair shielding her flaming cheeks. Finally, she looked up, meeting her own troubled eyes in the mirror above his sink. She smoothed her hair as best she could with her fingers, and then nodded slightly to her reflection. "You did this," she said softly and then reached for the doorknob.
Luke had just pulled his shirts on when he heard the bathroom door open. Lorelai laughed nervously as his head popped through the neck and then forced a bright smile. "Hey, can you zip me up?" she asked as she walked back into the room.
"Sure." Luke crossed over to her and gently pulled the zipper back up her spine as she swept her hair out of the way. "There you go," he said as he quickly removed his hands and stepped back.
"Thanks," she replied, tossing him a quick smile over her shoulder as she nudged her shoes with her toes and then stepped into them. Lorelai took a deep breath, and then turned to face him. "So, I should, uh, go. Rory," she added by way of explanation.
"You want me to walk you home?" he asked, silently praying that she would refuse his offer.
Lorelai shook her head quickly and said, "No, I'll be fine." She leaned in and pecked a quick kiss to his lips, and then started for the door. She paused in the open doorway, unsure of where they stood, but certain of one thing. Lorelai cocked her head and asked, "So, we'll see you tomorrow?"
"Sure."
She gave him a fleeting smile and a self-conscious wave of her hand. "Good. See you tomorrow," she said, and then pulled the door closed behind her as she hurried for the stairs.
By the time she reached the darkened diner, she all but broke into a run, only to be brought up short by the jingle of the bells above the door. Her mouth tightened into a line as she spotted Jess standing between her and the freedom of the sidewalk.
"Awfully late for a coffee run. And, there's no coffee in the pot," Jess drawled as he nodded to the sparkling clean coffee maker.
"You don't deserve either of them," Lorelai said in a harsh whisper as she pushed past him, and fled into the quiet Stars Hollow night.
Jess' eyebrows shot up and he said, "You are certainly right about that, Miz Gilmore," as he flipped the lock on the door.
He made his way quietly up the stairs, bracing himself for round two with his uncle. But when he stepped into the apartment, he found Luke standing in the kitchen holding a black sweater in his hands. Jess' gaze swept over his uncle's rumpled clothing and then he stepped forward, craning his neck to peer at Luke's bed.
He turned back to Luke and smirked as he said snidely, "No need to work out a signal, I'll be gone tomorrow."
Luke's head jerked up and his jaw tightened, the muscle jumping as he clenched his teeth together. "No need to leave on my account. You can always stay and repeat the twelfth grade."
"I'll be gone tomorrow," Jess repeated as he pulled a duffle bag from his closet and began to pack.
Luke nodded and dropped the sweater onto the couch before he left the apartment, seeking refuge in his diner, truly the one thing in his life he hadn't managed to screw up.