Disclaimer: I do not own anything remotely associated with the Gilmore Girls, or it's characters.
"Remind me never to be pregnant again during the summer," Steph complained as she unbuttoned another button on her shirt. "It's freaking miserably hot."
Laughing in response Rory continued to flip through the magazine in front of her as she responded, "Well you're almost halfway there. Twenty-one more weeks more to go."
"Thanks for being my countdown. I can't believe summer is almost over; it's already the end of July. It feels like graduation was just yesterday."
"I know. Time flies when you're planning a wedding," she giggled, showing her a picture of a table setting from the bridal magazine that sat on her lap. After receiving a look that screamed 'no' from Steph, she continued to leaf through the pages.
"So how is the baby making coming?" Steph slipped into the conversation.
"Oh hush," Rory dismissed the comment.
"What?" Steph smiled deviously. "I'm just interested."
"Well the sex is out of this world if that's what you're inquiring about."
"Well, while that's good to know, I was referring to the actual results of the intercourse."
"Ew, don't call it intercourse please," Rory scrunched her nose up.
"Don't avoid the question." Steph said seriously, as a pillow flew in her direction. "Heyyyy, you don't throw pillows at pregnant people!!"
Rory's only response was a small smirk as she continued to read.
"Ugh," Steph finally relented. "I can see now that I'm not going to get any dirt out of you today. I've gotta go; Colin and I have an appointment at three." She managed to pull herself up from the chair as she made this statement. Her growing belly was often throwing her balance off.
"Good luck!!" Rory smiled cheekily at her as her pregnant moved to exit the apartment.
As Steph opened the entrance door to leave, she met Logan in passing, "Hey Huntz, good luck with her. She's not much fun today."
Letting out a small laugh he replied, "Thanks mommy. See you later." He moved further into the apartment and greeted Rory, "So what's this I hear about you being a grump today?"
"I'm not a grump. Steph's just mad because I won't divulge the intimate and detailed aspects of our sex life to her. This pregnancy has sure enhanced her inquisitiveness."
"You poor thing," he cooed, sitting next to her and wrapping an arm around her. "If it's any consolation, I missed you a lot today."
Turning her head to capture his lips she responded, "You miss me everyday."
"Someone's getting a big head."
"Honesty cannot be deemed egotistical," she retorted.
"You sure are on your game today."
"Everyday."
"I can see I'm not going to win, so I surrender."
"It's best that way," she smiled slightly. "So how was your day?"
"Long. Mitchum insisted that I sit in on this morning's meeting—which lasted for a grand total of two hours and thirty-nine minutes. And someone," he emphasized, "has been ignoring my mothers phone calls all day, thus causing her to call my cell and office phone incessantly all afternoon."
Rory elicited a small giggle, as a smirk appeared on her face.
"You wouldn't happen to know anything about that would you?"
Putting on her most guiltless expression, she looked at him with innocent eyes while mindlessly twirling her engagement ring around her finger. "I have no idea what you're talking about."
"Oh I see," he glanced at her, fully knowing she was trying to put one past him. "Anyways, what's on your agenda for this evening?"
"Oh you know, I was thinking that, maybe," she paused as she ran her hand across his chest and looked up at him, "after dinner we could spend the night holed up together. Take a bath, enjoy some time alone…you know, relax," she finished in a rather seductive voice. Her lips were hovering centimeters away from his as she spoke, her expressive eyes melting him instantly.
"Mhmmm," he moaned slightly, covering her pink lips with his own lightly, before pulling away only slightly to respond fully, "That sounds perfect. We could skip the dinner part, and get straight to that relaxing," he murmured, working his lips along her jaw, and down to her neck, nibbling lightly on her skin—the way he knew she loved.
Doing her best to ignore the warmth that flushed her body at his gentle bite, she feigned shock, "Skip dinner? Do you even know me Mr. Huntzberger?"
"Mhmm," he continued to work his lips along her collarbone, despite her weak attempt to deter his actions. "Have I mentioned to you today that I cannot wait until I can call you Mrs. Huntzberger?" he asked rhetorically, pausing only to give her an honest, meaningful look as the words escaped from his mouth.
She melted as his eyes looked into her own. "Let's forget dinner," she smiled softly as her hand found it's way to the nape of his neck, only to tangle her fingers in the short hairs, pulling his head toward hers, causing their lips to collide. Her lips parted slightly, and his tongue entered her mouth, deepening the kiss.
In one swift move he'd scooped her up in his arms, pulling away slightly to smirk at her, "Practicing for the wedding night." He carried her into the bedroom, shutting the door with his foot, neither planning to emerge anytime soon.
They lay in bed nearly two hours later, still undressed and enjoying the warmth from their contact.
"Our relationship moved fast," Rory broke the comfortable silence abruptly, but casually.
Still, caught off guard by her unexpected comment he responded simply, "Yes it did."
"Not that I mind," she felt compelled to add to her original comment, hoping it would counteract any negative implication that he may have assumed.
"Well that's good," he said coolly, "I don't mind either."
She giggled, glad that the comment hadn't freaked him out. "I only said something because lately I've been thinking…" she trailed off.
Unable to read her, a spark of worry ran through his body, "Thinking about what?"
"Just about how different this relationship is from the one I had with Greg." Noticing his tense expression, she brushed her fingertips across his cheek and added, "I didn't mean to bring him up as a sore subject sweetie. I meant the difference was a positive one."
"What do you mean?" he inquired, curious as to her line of thought.
"Greg and I dated for a long time. We had good times and bad ones, and sure, I even loved him at one point in time. But I don't think that in all the time I knew him, dated him, or planned to marry him, that I really ever fell in love with him. But with you, I fell in love with you almost immediately. And that feeling, it grows every day." A smile crept up onto his face, melting all of his previous tension away. "Did I ever tell you about the day he proposed to me?"
He took note that her face wasn't wistful, not that he expected it to be. "No, not specifically. That first night you moved in here you gave me the readers digest version of your relationship and the breakup, but no real sordid details were discussed of the former."
"Do you mind?" she inquired for his permission to relay the story.
"Sure," he granted, curious for a reason he couldn't pinpoint.
"It wasn't anything extravagant or well-thought out—to be honest it was rather simple. We were home from school and we went out one night with a group of friends. Not exactly the most romantic scene for a proposal in my opinion, but it was certainly a surprise, which I think was his main intent. I went to the bar to order a drink while talking to a friend, and when I distractedly reached out to grab my drink from the bartender, the ring box was placed in my hand. No down on one knee, or anything like it."
Logan nodded, slightly uneasy at hearing the story of her first engagement, but nonetheless still interested in the remainder of the tale. His silence urged her to continue.
"When I could finally tear my stare away from the box that sat in my hand, I turned to face him fully. He merely asked, 'Marry me?' and continued to stare at me expectantly. I shouldn't have been surprised; I know it was coming. And in general, I was looking forward to it…I think."
"What do you mean?"
A thoughtful pause surrounded them briefly, before she set out to explain further, "Marriage was expected of us, by everyone. We had been together so long that it was the obvious next step. I had time to prepare myself for the proposal…so I can't say I was really surprised when it actually happened."
He sensed a 'but' in her tone. "But?"
"I never could have prepared myself, or even fathomed, the feeling that I got when I saw that ring box…" she paused slightly. "I felt as though I was suffocating, and I was completely nauseous. But, I did the only thing that I could think of—because of what everyone expected of me—I said yes."
"So you'd wanted to say no?"
"I don't know… At that point in time my mind was overriding my heart, and it was easy to convince myself with logic that it was the right choice to make."
"I see," he said, unsure of how else to respond.
"It wasn't like that when you proposed. The only thing I could think of was saying yes before you changed your mind," she giggled softly.
"Change my mind? Are you crazy?" Logan said, tickling her gently.
"Crazy for you."
"Corny too," he laughed. Turning serious once more he added, "Thank you for telling me Ace."
"I just wanted you to know that I think even though our relationship has moved fast, that following my heart has put me right where I am supposed to be. And I cannot wait to be married to you, to make babies with you, and grow old with you."
"Me too Ace. Me too," he sighed and kissed her on her forehead. "We're right where we're meant to be."
A/N: Two updates in one night!! I hope everyone is as excited about that as I am!! Comments/reviews PLEASE!