A/N: A/N: This chapter of Slip of the Tongue belongs to my personal hero, Sue Sylvester. Through her agents, Jewels12, Bigbagofwierd, and Ninjasquid01, Sue requested that I try to dirty up the Gnostic Gospels. Well, I'm not that brave, so I tried to do the next best thing. Thank you to Sue and her crew of Cheerios!

Oh, and I'm going to apologize in advance for the abuse of 80s power ballads in this one….

Your Head is Where Those Nagging Songs Are Found

"You're a dick," T.J. sneered, and then walked away.

Having just caught the man's parting remark, Lorelai's eyebrows shot up. "So, I just heard the tail end of that conversation and I'm assuming you haven't changed your name to Richard?"

"Long, long story. I'll tell you later, but here's a teaser: the word Etch-A-Sketch comes up," Luke said facetiously.

She couldn't help but smile. She loved it when Luke was in a snarky mood. "I'm hooked."

"You're all dressed up," he observed.

"Just for you," she said as she gestured to the dress she had worn to the function her mother had insisted she attend.

"You go somewhere?"

"Well, my parents had a charity event and they needed a chair filled and who fills a chair better than I?"

"No one comes to mind."

A faint blush colored her cheeks. Only someone who knew Luke would know that in his strange Luke-ish way, it was a high compliment. Hell, for a guy like Luke to even notice when she did dress up was a compliment. And he always seemed to notice.

Swallowing the tingle of awareness that tickled the back of her throat she asked, "So, did Jess leave yet?"

Luke shrugged and then glanced away before meeting her gaze again. "I stopped by Gypsy's earlier and she was just about done then, so probably."

Lorelai felt herself bristle. The surge of anger she felt earlier that day was back with a vengeance, but for Luke's sake she bit down on it. "No good-byes?"

"No. Liz has a feeling about him, though. She thinks he's gonna be fine."

"He could be," she answered in what she hoped was an encouraging tone.

"Yeah." Luke pushed his hands into his pockets, and then his face lit a little. "Oh, hey! Here," he said as he extracted whatever treasure he had discovered.

Lorelai automatically opened her palm, accepting whatever it was he was offering her without hesitation, or even a hint of her usual caution. She looked down and spotted a pair earrings made of thing gold wire and delicate pearlescent beads. Lifting them from her palm, she stared at his gift in the flickering glow of the firelight, and her heart began to beat a little faster.

"Pretty," she breathed admiringly. Looking up into his eyes, Lorelai felt a sudden rush of warmth that had absolutely nothing to do with the blazing pyre beside them.

"Liz made them yesterday." Luke nodded self-consciously. "She wanted you to have them."

Lorelai's stomach dropped as she closed her gloved fingers around the earrings. "Oh, great." She glanced down at the ground, pulling her coat a little closer to ward off the chill winter air. "Well, be sure to tell her thanks for me."

"I will," he answered. Luke gave her a small smile, and Lorelai couldn't help but return it before turning toward the bonfire.

Standing next to Luke, she didn't dare let herself dwell on her disappointment. The flames danced against the inky sky, casting an almost magical glow on the faces of her friends and neighbors. Moments ticked by as Lorelai waited for Luke to take the opportunity to bolt. When he turned toward her, she braced herself for the inevitable.

"Do you want some punch?" he asked.

"What?"

"Punch. Do you want some?" he repeated.

Lorelai eyed him skeptically. "You mean the ten thousand proof punch you always claim is guaranteed to kill me?"

"Yeah."

"Because you want to off me?"

"I was just asking if you wanted me to get you a cup of punch," he retorted, his patience slipping.

She narrowed her eyes. "Are you going to have some?"

"Hell no."

"So you are trying to kill me," she concluded.

Luke raised both hands in frustration and then planted them firmly on his baseball cap. "Do you want the punch or not?" he growled.

Lorelai grinned as he restrained the obvious urge to throttle her. She turned to him again, her eyes wide and innocent. "Why, yes. Thank you so much for your gracious offer, Luke. I would love a cup of punch," she said sweetly.

"Guh," he grunted, turning on his heel and stalking toward the table Miss Patty had set up near the gazebo.

Lorelai watched, chuckling softly to herself as he stomped away and enjoying the view immensely. A burst of feminine laughter rippled through the crowd, and she saw Luke raise three fingers in a dismissive wave before veering sharply to his left. Lorelai turned and spotted Liz and three of her friends clutching each other, their gazes fixed on Luke's retreating back as they wiped tears of laughter from their eyes.

She saw Liz smile fondly as she watched Luke disappear into the throng of townies waiting their turn at the punch bowl, and then suddenly her eyes met Lorelai's. She beckoned Lorelai over with an enthusiastic wave of her hand. When Lorelai hesitated, Liz murmured something to her friends and waved again.

Forcing a smile, Lorelai moved cautiously toward the knot of women, feeling the stares of curiosity from the two she didn't know, and the sharp stabs from the daggers shooting from Carrie Duncan's narrowed eyes.

"Uh, hey, Liz," she said as she approached, keeping a wary eye on Carrie.

"Hey, Lorelai," Liz answered brightly. "Do you know Carrie, Anna, and Jill?"

"Hi, I'm Lorelai," she said, giving the others a small, awkward wave. Carrie sniffed disinterestedly and looked away, her eyes scanning the crowd. "Nice to see you again, Carrie," Lorelai added pointedly.

"Oh, yeah, uh huh."

Liz simply rolled her eyes at her friend's rude behavior. "Hey, Lorelai, we wanted to ask you something," she said, placing her hand on Lorelai's arm to command her full attention.

"Oh?"

"What has Luke got against Journey?" Jill blurted.

"Journey?"

"The band? He says they freak him out," Anna told her.

"Oh, well, gee … Steve Perry's a little spastic, I guess," Lorelai murmured.

"That's not what I wanted to ask her," Liz cut in, waving her hand to quiet her friends. " Listen, Luke hasn't said much, and I'm dying to know … have you actually met his wife?"

"Nicole?" Lorelai asked, taken aback by the question.

"Yeah," Liz confirmed.

Lorelai shifted uncomfortably, feeling the other three women's attention suddenly focused on her like a laser beam. "Uh, yeah, I've met her."

"What's she like?" Anna asked without missing a beat.

"I hear she's a lawyer," Jill chimed in.

"I can't picture Luke married to a lawyer," Liz commented with a sad shake of her head.

"I don't want to picture Luke married at all," Carrie muttered petulantly.

Before she realized what was happening, Lorelai found herself nodding – for once, in complete agreement with Carrie Duncan. When the expectant look on Liz's face registered, Lorelai frowned. "He didn't introduce you to her?"

Liz shook her head. "No, but I'm not really shocked by that. I've been kind of an embarrassment to him in the past," she said with a rueful smile.

"Oh, Liz, I'm sure that's not why," Lorelai said in a rush. Taking a deep breath, she searched for the right words to describe Luke's wife to his sister and her friends. "Uh, Nicole is … nice. She's very, um, neat. I mean, she dresses nicely. For a lawyer, you know," she stammered.

"Do you like her? Is she good for him?" Liz prodded.

"You know, I haven't really spent a whole lot of time with them together," she hedged.

"But he's happy, right? I really want him to be happy," Liz insisted.

Biting her lip, Lorelai glanced over her shoulder. The crowd at the punch table was still six people deep, and Luke was nowhere in sight. Loyalty to Luke demanded she answer in as positive a manner as she could, but she found herself wondering the exact same thing.

When she turned back to Liz, she met the other woman's pleading gaze directly. "You know, they didn't really plan to get married, so I think that scared them both a little. But, yeah, I think he's happy. I mean, they're figuring things out. You know…." she trailed off, ignoring the twisted knot forming in the pit of her stomach.

"Yeah, yeah. I get what you mean. That's cool," Liz answered quietly. She nodded, her forehead creasing just like her brother's as she processed what Lorelai had told her.

When she opened her mouth to speak, her words were cut off by the blare of a car horn. "Oh, geez, that's T.J.," she gasped. "I've gotta go, girls," she told the others, leaning in for another flurry of hugs. Turning back to Lorelai, she smiled warmly. "It was really great to meet you, friend and customer, Lorelai."

Not wife. The words Liz had uttered earlier in the day hung unspoken between them. "It was great to meet you too, Liz," she said quietly.

Liz gave Lorelai's arm a gentle squeeze. "Take care of my big brother, okay?" she asked as she moved past.

"I'll do my best," Lorelai replied, turning to watch as Liz waved frantically at a battered brown station wagon idling at the curb.

Tucking her hands into her pockets, she shivered in the chilly night air. Her fingers closed around the earrings Luke had given to her earlier, and her eyes widened. "Oh! Liz, wait!" she called, trotting a few steps to catch up to her.

"Yeah?" Liz asked, peering up at Lorelai curiously.

Extracting the earrings from her coat pocket, Lorelai held them up for Liz to see. "Thank you so much for the earrings, they're so pretty," she said sincerely.

Liz gasped, reaching to touch the dangling beads with her fingertips as a smile spread across her face. "He gave them to you! I knew you were his type!" she crowed, and then enveloped Lorelai in an impulsive hug.

"Whoa, no…. He just, he said you wanted me to have them."

"I did! I knew the minute I laid eyes on you that you were the one for my big brother, and I was right!"

The horn blasted again, and Liz whirled, shooting a glare that should have melted the hood ornament on the ancient wagon. Lorelai saw the man behind the wheel hold his hands up in surrender, and then Liz turned back with a radiant smile.

"Liz, Luke and I…."

"Were meant to be," she concluded. "I had a feeling about you, Lorelai. My feelings are always right. You know, my dad used to tell me he knew my mom was the one the second he first laid eyes on her. Luke's just like my dad," she said fondly.

"But, Liz, it's not like that."

"Well, not now," she answered with a shrug. "He's married to that other woman, but he's not happy, Lorelai. I can see he's not happy. It's the eyes," she explained, gesturing to her own, and nearly jabbing herself in one.

"The eyes?"

"He's eyes don't light up when he talks about her. Let me tell you, he lit up like a Christmas tree when I mentioned your name, though," she said, giving Lorelai a nudge with her elbow. "You'll see, it'll all work out."

"Well, I, uh…."

"I'm just so happy he gave them to you," Liz gushed, grabbing Lorelai for another bracing hug. "I knew he would. I just knew it!" She glanced back over her shoulder at the waiting station wagon, and then sighed. "I've gotta go. Either T.J. is going to blow a gasket or that junky car we borrowed from Fat Tony is," she said regretfully.

"Fat Tony?" Lorelai asked in a bewildered tone.

"He's a good guy. Not as good as my T.J., or Luke, but a good guy. Take care, Lorelai," she said as she began to back away.

"Liz, wait!"

Liz just grinned and shook her head. "Take care of my big brother for me, okay? He's always taking care of everyone else, but sometimes he needs someone to take care of him. I'm counting on you." Liz pointed a finger at Lorelai, leveling her with a stern look that came frighteningly close to her brother's usual expression before she turned and ran toward the car.

"I will," Lorelai answered weakly. Heaving a sigh, she looked down at the earrings clutched in her palm and whispered, "I'll try."

Wandering back toward the bonfire, Lorelai scanned the crowd, checking each face in the flickering firelight to be sure she was still where she thought she was. She looked down, smoothing her hands over the wool of her coat as if to confirm that she was still who she thought she was.

Everything looked different in the firelight. Unfurling her fingers, she stared down at the earrings nestled in her palm and wondered how something so small could feel so big.

****

As Luke inched his way to the front of the line, he would swear his ass hurt from the mental kicking he had been giving it ever since he dangled those stupid earrings in front of Lorelai's eyes. At the moment, giving them to her had felt so good. Her eyes widened, and then warmed, lighting with delight as she reached for them. Her cold fingers brushed his, and he felt a jolt that shocked him to his toes. It was only when she spoke that he remembered who he was, and realized what he had done.

Still, he'd seen the disappointment in her eyes when he told her the gift was from Liz and not him. He'd seen the blush warm her cheeks as she avoided his eyes. He'd seen her wrap her arms around her stomach protectively, and felt like he'd just been kicked in the gut. He hated that he was the one who disappointed her.

Even though he knew he shouldn't have given them to her, he couldn't begin to imagine even considering giving those earrings to Nicole. Luke snorted softly, picturing the small, polite smile Nicole would have given him. His lips tightened into a line, knowing the earrings his sister had made would have been worn exactly once, and then tossed into a jewelry box to be forgotten.

His heart sank as he took another step closer to the table, settling like a ball of lead in his gut. The worst part was knowing he'd pay for what he'd done. Lorelai would wear those earrings. He'd see them on her every damn day, and never be able to tell her that he was the one who wanted her to have them.

Babette and Morey stepped away from the punch bowl, and before he could stop himself, Luke grabbed one of the paper cups and downed its contents in one gulp.

"Someone has worked up a powerful thirst," Patty purred from her perch behind the table.

Luke stared blankly into the now empty cup, and then crumpled it in his hand. "I'll take another," he mumbled as he reached for his wallet.

"Luke, dear, are you okay?" Patty asked worriedly.

"I'm fine," he insisted, dropping the bills on the table and extending his hand for the cup she ladled from the bowl.

Patty gasped. "What happened to your hand, Sweetheart?"

Luke reared back slightly, staring down at the boring beige bandage that graced his palm. "Oh, uh, nothing. Just a little cut," he assured her. Snatching up the cup, he nodded to Patty and then moved quickly aside.

Once he was a safe distance away, Luke looked down at his hands with a bewildered frown. One held a cup of preternaturally potent punch with Lorelai's name on it, and the other was graced with the evidence of his earlier humiliation. Suddenly, he felt the urge to run.

He wanted to run and run, like he hadn't run since Butch Danes turned in his track shorts. Run away from ungrateful young punks who can't see that someone is only trying to help them. Run away from flaky little sisters, the prying eyes of the gossiping biddies who watch his every move, and the choking tightness that clogs his throat each time he drives into Litchfield. He didn't care if he never saw another carefully neutral wall, painstakingly hung picture, or tastefully uncomfortable piece of Swedish designed furniture. He wanted to run away from the knowledge that there was only one reason he kept his feet firmly planted in Stars Hollow.

Turning his head, picking her out of the crowd took absolutely no effort on his part. The wind teased her hair, chestnut tendrils backlit by the fire, bathed in reds and golds. As if sensing his stare, she turned, the firelight dancing over her porcelain skin as she searched the crowd. Luke stood rooted to the spot, fervently hoping he was the one she was looking for. The moment her gaze came to rest on him, a smile curved her lips, dimming the glow of the flames that leapt behind her.

"I thought maybe you'd decided to run out me," she said as he approached.

Luke choked on his greeting, wondering if she somehow knew how close he had come to doing just that. Extending the cup of punch, he cleared his throat. "Here."

"Thank you," she murmured as she took the cup and raised it to her lips.

He forced himself to look away. He could feel her eyes on him as he stared into the fire, thinking of a thousand reasons to leave, and desperately trying to come up with a good excuse to stay.

"Are you happy?" Lorelai asked quietly.

Shocked by her question, he glanced over at her. "What?"

"Are you happy? With Nicole?"

"We're not going to get into this again, are we?"

"No, no," she quickly assured him. "I'm not judging you, I swear. I just want to know."

"If I'm happy?"

"Are you?" When he didn't answer right away, she went on in a rush. "I want you to be. Everyone wants you to be. We just, uh, well … you don't seem happy," she finished softly.

Luke blinked as he stared straight into the flames. Pursing his lips, he tried to formulate a safe answer. Then he made the mistake of turning to look at her. "No."

"I'm sorry." Sincerity rang in her voice as her eyes searched his. "I am."

Luke tried to shrug it off. "My own fault."

"Still…."

They fell silent as they both turned back to the fire, but Luke would swear she inched a little bit closer to him as she clutched her cup with both hands.

"I've been seeing this guy," she began in a low voice. Luke clenched his jaw, biting back a thousand smart assed remarks about whoever this guy of hers could be. "You know, at first it was kind of a joke. Well, not really a joke…. He's my father's business partner. I started dating him to, uh, kind of stick it to my parents," she admitted softly.

Unable to come up with a suitable response to her confession, Luke just grunted an acknowledgement.

Lorelai smiled as she peered into the contents of the cup. "I like him. He's a nice guy, and we have a lot of fun together. He's funny. Completely neurotic, but funny. But tonight, he was at the thing that I was at. My parents totally don't know we've been dating," she added conspiratorially. "But we were sitting there, and this guy came by the table, and he and Jason talked for a minute. I figured he was just some other business guy, you know? The usual, 'you look well, let's play golf, my girl will call your girl' kind of stuff. And then I found out that the guy was his father," she concluded flatly.

Luke blinked in surprise. "Really?"

Lorelai nodded, staring deep into the fire. "And I started thinking on the way home. I wanted so badly to get away from all that. Those people, that kind of life, children who mean nothing to their parents…."

Luke's head swiveled. "You don't think you mean nothing to your…."

She shook her head. "No. I know my parents care about me," she said quickly. "As much as they care about anyone." She took a deep breath. "But Rory was there, filling a chair just like I was. And, all I could think about all the way home was that I never, ever want to be that polite to my kid."

Luke chuckled quietly, and she looked up at him with a small smile. "You know what I mean."

"Yeah, I do."

She shrugged and took a sip of her punch. Her fingers curled around the cup, squeezing it until the side caved in slightly. "I don't know what I'm doing with Jason," she said in a rush.

Luke decided to stick to the most noncommittal sound he could mange. "Hmmph."

Lorelai snorted softly. "I guess you don't wanna hear about that."

Luke cocked his head, but kept his eyes locked on the bonfire. "I don't know what you want me to say."

"I don't know, either."

He closed his eyes, seeing dark red flames spiking behind the lids, feeling to cold wind on his neck, and trying to blame the hum in his blood on his sudden intake of alcohol. He had almost convinced himself that the booze was to blame when Lorelai slipped her hand under his arm, leaning closer to him. He willed his eyelids to remain shut, afraid if he opened them he'd see the same bleak reality he'd seen every damn day since she walked into his diner.

"We're a hell of a pair, huh?" she said, giving him a gentle nudge.

Luke exhaled, opening his eyes as he turned to her. "What do you mean?"

Lorelai shrugged and moved a little closer still, his arm settling disconcertingly into the valley between her breasts. "You and me. It's always the wrong people, always the wrong timing."

His throat tightened as he tried to puzzle out her meaning. When she looked up at him, her clear blue eyes piercingly direct, he felt every muscle in his body go lax. "I guess so," he managed to croak.

Lorelai gave his arm a gentle squeeze, and then looked down at the virulent liquid in her cup before lifting her eyes to his again. "So, Luke…." she began, her voice lighter.

"Hmm?" he answered, still lost in her eyes.

"How would you like to be my hero and fix me a pot of coffee?" she asked with a beguiling grin.

The oxygen seeped from his lungs, trailing out from his parted lips, and vaporizing in the cool night air. He nodded slowly, averting his eyes and looking across the square to the diner. "Yeah, okay. That's what I do, right?"

"Right," she confirmed, slipping her hand from the crook of his arm.

****

"Oh, it's warm in here," Lorelai said. She paused inside the diner door and rubbed her hands together to get the blood flowing.

Luke shed his jacket and draped it over the counter as he headed for the coffee pot. "A little colder out there than it seems."

Unbuttoning her own coat, Lorelai walked toward the counter. "That's the best part about being outside on a chilly night, coming inside where it's warm and cozy."

A coffee filter dangled from his fingers as he glanced back at her. "Cozy?"

Lorelai grinned. "Yes, you have a very cozy diner."

He rolled his eyes and then jammed the filter into the basket. "Just the effect I was goin' for."

She watched as Luke filled the coffee filter with grounds and then reached for an unlabeled canister stashed behind the machine. "Nutmeg?" she asked as he shook some onto the dry coffee grounds.

"I'll never tell."

Hunching her shoulders, she plunged her still chilled hands into her coat pockets. "You tattled on yourself years ago," she said smugly. Her fingers closed around the earrings. "You know, I've tried it at home, but it never turns out the same," she said as she drew them from her pocket.

"Gotta have the touch." Luke shoved the basket into the machine.

"I guess so." Lorelai studied the earrings in the dim glow of the diner's lights, and then began to remove the earrings she wore.

Luke placed a pot on the burner, and set it to brew in one fluid movement. She slid the wire of the second earring through her lobe and smiled as she said, "I'm so getting you a toga."

Shooting a look over his shoulder he asked, "What?"

Touching a fingertip to the dangling bead, Lorelai felt it swing on its wire, tickling the skin of her neck. "A nice white one with maybe some gold trim. Short, I think. The ladies will want to see the legs. A pair of pretty gold sandals…. You want wings on them, Butch?"

Luke turned and leaned back against the counter, crossing his arms over his chest as he leveled her with a look. "How much punch did you drink?"

Lorelai's smile widened and she pressed her palms to the worn countertop. "Liz was right. You are Caffienos, god of all things caffeinated."

"I told you not to talk to Liz, she's cracked," he grumbled.

"She adores you. You're her hero," Lorelai insisted as she started to move around the end of the counter.

"I'm no hero."

"You're my hero," she persisted, coming to a stop in front of him. "Let me see your hand."

"What?"

"Your hand. The one you cut while trying to keep me from freezing to death."

Luke slowly unfolded his arms, and she reached for his injured hand. Smoothing her fingertip over the bland, beige bandage, she looked up at him through her lashes. "Does it hurt?"

"More annoying than anything," he answered with a shrug.

Lorelai's smile widened and she lowered her eyes to his palm again. "Like me?"

"Exactly."

"Then it's the perfect reminder of me, isn't it?"

"You think I need reminders?" When she looked up sharply, he shifted uncomfortably. "I mean, you're here every day."

Lorelai nodded. "I am. I'm your friend and customer."

Luke's brow furrowed. "Yeah."

"And you're my hero," she murmured, and then bent to press a soft kiss to his bandaged palm.

When she raised her head, Luke cleared his throat and extracted his hand from hers. "You look nice."

Lorelai smiled and tossed her hair back over her shoulder, feeling the earrings dance against her skin. "I told you, just for you," she teased, her voice warm and husky.

Luke reached up, stilling one beaded earring with his finger. "They look perfect on you," he murmured.

Everything stopped. Lorelai felt her heart stop beating the second their eyes met. And then, everything started.

She didn't know who moved first, and frankly she didn't care. The moment Luke's lips touched hers, nothing else mattered. She pressed her hand to his neck to steady herself, and felt him shiver. She pressed her body against his, and the ground shifted under her feet.

Luke angled his head, his lips warm and firm, his kiss soft and seeking. She clutched the collar of his shirt, the heat of his skin seeping through his t-shirt to sear her thumb, her fingers burrowing into the soft flannel as she hung on. The tip of his tongue grazed her lower lip and she felt herself opening to him. And then he pulled away.

She stared at him, wide-eyed with shock, trying to figure out what had just happened. "Luke…."

"You look beautiful," he rasped. "I always want to say that, but I never can."

Stunned, Lorelai blinked once, twice, and considered attempting a third, but then abandoned her plan in favor of pulling his mouth back to hers and kissing him ravenously.

Luke wrapped his arms around her, hauling her against him as their tongues met. The edge of his bandage scraped against the smooth fabric of her dress as his hand slid up her spine, his fingers closing around the nape of her neck. A soft, urgent moan tumbled from her mouth into his, and his answering groan bounced off of the walls of the empty diner.

Lorelai broke the kiss, gasping for air as his lips trailed along her jaw. "We're the right people," she whispered.

Luke froze for a moment. He lifted his head as his hand slipped out from under the silken curtain of her hair.

His arm loosened and she rocked back, looking up at him with a puzzled frown. "What?" Lorelai asked breathlessly.

Tenderly, Luke cupped her cheek with his hand, the plastic cover of the bandage warm against her jaw. His fingertips stroked her cheekbone, and she closed her eyes as she leaned into his caress. "Not the right time," he whispered at last.

Lorelai shook her head. "We've wasted a lot of time."

"I'm married," he said in a dull, flat voice.

Lorelai jerked as if the palm against her cheek had struck her. Stumbling back a step, she gaped at him, her eyes wide with disbelief. "Yeah, uh, you are," she muttered as she bowed her head, tugging ineffectually at the seams of her dress.

"I wish I wasn't."

"And I'm not your wife," she continued as if he hadn't spoken. "Friend, customer, but not wife."

"Lorelai…."

She tried to turn away, but he caught her arm, holding her there as she averted her face.

His fingers bit into her bicep, and the muscle in his jaw jumped. "I wish I wasn't," he repeated through clenched teeth.

"But you are," she concluded. Looking down at the long fingers curled around her arm, she scowled. "Why does Journey freak you out?"

"What?"

"Journey. They said you told them Journey freaks you out."

"Who said?"

"Liz and her friends."

"You talked to Liz again?"

"I can talk to anyone I want!"

"Not about me, you can't."

"Well, she was wrong anyway."

"Wrong about what?"

"About this, about us, about these!" Lorelai jerked her arm from his grasp and began removing the earrings he had given her.

"Lorelai, don't…."

"And I was wrong. God, why am I such an idiot?"

"You aren't an idiot."

"I always do this, I always screw things up," she muttered, clutching the earrings in her hand.

"You haven't screwed anything up."

"I've screwed everything up!" she hissed. Tossing the tangle of wire and beads at his chest, she spun on her heel and started for the door.

Luke's hands flew to his chest, trapping the earrings against his flannel before they could tumble to the floor. His head jerked up in time to see her snatch her coat from the counter. "I stopped believing," he blurted as she reached for the door. She gave the handle a vicious yank and the bells rang out. "They told me not to, but I did, and look at where it got me."

Lorelai slowly turned. "What?"

"I stopped believing. I stopped hoping this would ever happen," he said, gesturing between them.

Lorelai stared at him, incredulous. "What are you talking about?"

"Journey," he answered with a shrug.

"Journey?"

Luke slipped the tangled earrings into the pocket of his jeans as circled the end of the counter, and then came to a stop in front of her, planting his feet wide as he crossed his arms over his chest. "I hated that song when it came out. I still hate it."

"Because you stopped believing?"

"Because you don't always get what you want."

"Can't. It's you can't always get what you want," she corrected, closing the door gently behind her.

"That's not Journey."

"Thank God you know that," she confirmed with a nod. "Why were you talking to them about Journey, anyway?"

"They asked me to go to some Styx/REO Speedwagon/Journey concert with them."

"Who did?"

"Crazy Carrie and her cronies," he said with a dismissive wave.

"Styx/REO Speedwagon/Journey? That's quite the lineup," she smirked.

"I liked Styx."

"Not REO?"

Taking a cautious step forward, he shrugged. "REO had a couple of good songs."

Lorelai cocked her head. "Really? Which ones?"

Luke frowned. "Uh, I don't remember."

Crossing her arms under her coat, she mirrored his stance. "Ridin' the Storm Out?"

"That's one."

Lorelai moved closer to him, her eyes locked on his as the wool of her coat brushed against his folded arms. "You gonna Take It on the Run, baby? Roll With the Changes?"

"Our timing is all off."

Lorelai pressed her lips together as she turned away. "I think it's time for me to fly," she said with a wry smile.

Luke nodded his understanding. "You want me to walk with you?"

She favored him with a ghost of a smile. "I have my car."

"Oh." While she unfolded her coat, he cast about for something to say. "I'll, uh, I'll come by tomorrow to finish fixing the window."

Lorelai paused, her coat bunched at her shoulders as she tried to shrug into it. "Oh, the window."

Luke frowned, looking down at the bandage on his hand and then out at the revelers in the square. "It's got to be freezing in your house."

Settling her coat on her shoulders, she flipped her hair out from under the collar. "I'll be fine."

Shaking his head, he held up one hand to stop her. "I've got some plywood out back. I'll just come over and board it up."

"Luke, no," she said as he hurried through the diner.

"I should have finished it this afternoon," he answered, disappearing through the curtain.

Lorelai pulled her coat closed, hugging it to her as she heard the heavy back door screech on its hinges. Taking a few hesitant steps toward the curtain she called, "Luke, really, it's okay."

Her plea was met with the sound of trash cans crashing and a muffled curse. "Luke, it's fine!" Pushing the curtain aside, she shivered as the icy wind blew through the open door. "Seriously, I'll just pile on another quilt."

"I'm sorry," he panted, unearthing a weathered sheet of wood with a jagged edge and mottled by multiple nail holes. "I meant to finish up earlier tonight, but the diner got busy, and then that guy with the Etch-a-Sketch was bugging me," he explained as he dragged the piece of plywood into the back hall.

Lorelai held up both hands to stop him. "Luke, it's fine, you don't have to fix the window tonight."

He drew up short. "I'm doing it again."

"What?"

"Fixing things. Being a pain in the ass."

"A pain in the … no you aren't."

"Just like Jess said. I'm interfering. You don't want my help, you didn't ask for my help."

"I did ask for your help," she gently reminded him.

"What am I doing? I'm no better than anyone else. I'm not the reliable guy, I'm the guy who kisses his friend and completely forgets he's married. Hell, I'm the idiot who goes off on a cruise, marries a woman he doesn't even love, and then is too screwed up to get a damn divorce!"

Lorelai reached out, grasping his flannel-clad arm. "Luke, please."

He turned to look at her, his eyes searching hers as the plywood slipped through his hands, landing atop his scarred work boots unnoticed. "I can't fight this feeling anymore," he said quietly.

"Huh?"

"Don't go."

"Why?"

"I just … I don't want you to go."

"I shouldn't stay," she said with a sad smile.

Luke shook his head again. "Doesn't matter if you're here or not, I'm gonna keep on lovin' you. I can't fight that anymore."

Lorelai blinked. "Are we talking about REO Speedwagon again?"

"I don't think so."

A frigid gust of wind whipped through the open door, lifting the hem of her coat and sent the ends of her hair swirling around her cheeks. Lorelai tried to push them back, but Luke gently brushed her hand away. He captured a wayward lock, stroking it between his thumb and forefinger.

"She loves to laugh, she loves to sing, she loves everything," he said in a soft, throaty voice, his eyes locked on hers.

"That's Journey," she pointed out breathlessly.

Luke shook his head, his lips quirking at the corners. "I couldn't care less."

Lorelai reached up, her thumb tracing his cool lower lip. "The girl can't help it," she murmured as she leaned in to kiss him sweetly.

Luke leaned into her kiss, silently asking for more, and Lorelai acquiesced. As his arms wound around her once more, the sheet of plywood tipped forward, and then was trapped between their bodies.

She broke the kiss with a laugh, and Luke grappled with the heavy wood, grunting as he heaved it through the open door and into the alleyway. Throwing his shoulder against the battered steel, he pushed the door closed and turned the locks. Breathless, the color rose high in his cheeks as he leaned against it.

"What about the guy?" he rasped.

"What about your wife?"

"I told you how I feel about you."

Lorelai crossed her arms over her chest, her fingers clutching at her wool coat. "What do you want, a little lovin', touchin', squeezin'?"

"No!"

"It's true. All of it is true, Lorelai. I'm not hiding anything. Do you believe what I said?"

Cocking one eyebrow she asked, "Open arms?"

He took two steps, pacing the tiny hallway, and pressing his cap to his head with both hands. "When I think of Lorelei my head turns all around," he muttered under his breath.

"Whoa, switching to Styx. They spelled if wrong, you know," she sniffled.

"You know me. You know everything about me."

The power of his direct gaze was enough to cause her grip to loosen. She cocked her head. "What started out as friendship has grown stronger.…" Her hands fell to her sides, her fingers curling into her palms. "I only wish I had the strength to let it show."

"I can't fight it anymore. You want me to crawl on the floor? I will," he told her with a stubborn tilt of his chin.

"Would you come crashing through my door?"

"In a split second."

"You're right, REO is so much better than Journey," she said, reaching for his hand.

Her fingertips traced the outline of the bandage, and then she pressed her palm to his. "There's a gale force wind whipping through my living room." She glanced at the stairs to his apartment. "It's warm and cozy here." Lacing her fingers through his, she turned and pulled him toward the steps.

"It always seems that I'm following you," he observed as they topped the staircase.

"Girl. You have to add the girl on there, or you're off beat," she said as she stood aside, waiting for him to open the apartment door. "Am I going to have to sing 'Henry the Eighth' to get the Speedwagon out of your head?"

Luke chuckled and motioned for her to enter. Once inside, he paused near the table, watching as she slipped out of her coat. "Uh, you can have Jess' old bed. The sheets are clean."

Surprised, Lorelai turned to face him. "But I … I thought we were…." she stammered. "I thought you couldn't fight that feeling anymore."

"I'm not." Luke shrugged. "I told you."

Huffing with impatience, Lorelai crossed the room and came to a stop when they were toe to toe. "I am this far from going home, turning on the oven, and pulling a Plath," she said in a low, threatening tone.

"What?"

"Do you want me here or not?"

"Of course I do," he answered, bewildered.

"To sleep in your nephew's bed? That's what you want?"

Luke gaped at her for a moment, and then clamped his mouth shut, swallowing hard. He shook his head mutely, and Lorelai smiled.

"I didn't think so."

Grasping his wrists, she pulled his arms around her and waited until she felt his hands caressing her back. She pressed her cheek to his shoulder, slipping her arms under his and pulling herself closer to him. They held each other tight for a moment, swaying to some imaginary song. After a minute, Lorelai lifted her head to peer up at him, and Luke immediately raised one hand to cup her cheek, smoothing her hair back from her face.

It was possible he made the move, but just as likely she did. Lorelai only knew that, just like the kisses they shared downstairs, nothing else mattered from the moment his lips touched hers. Soft, teasing kisses pecked at the corners of her mouth. Firm, warm lips claimed hers with a sigh. He drew gently on her lower lip, causing her to moan as she opened, inviting him in. He hesitated for just a second, and she whispered, "Don't stop."

Luke kissed her ardently, his tongue teasing hers as her back bowed. She arched against him, knocking the cap from his head and relishing the feel of his hard body pressing against hers. He took the kiss deeper, and she slipped her hands under his flannel, tugging at his t-shirt until she found the warm, smooth skin of his back. His kisses gentled, circling her tongue with his as her fingers dug into the hard ridges of muscle bracketing his spine. She felt a tug between her shoulder blades, and then melted into the kiss as the zipper on her dress gave way.

Warm, strong fingers caressed her back, parting the fabric until it bunched at her shoulders. With a frustrated grunt, she pushed away, breaking the kiss only long enough to strip the sleeves from her arms and allow the dress to pool at her feet.

Luke stared at her, his lips parted and his breath coming in ragged puffs. She leaned into him, and he stepped back. Her startled gaze immediately sought his, but instead found only the plaid barrier of his flannel as he yanked both shirts over his head. The moment they hit the floor, she was back in his arms, her skin against his, and his mouth covering hers.

He unclasped her bra, but it just hung loose, trapped between their bodies as he walked her toward his bed. When her knees bumped the mattress, she fell back, shaking the bra loose and digging her thumbs into the waistband of her nylons. Luke helped her, pausing only for a moment to stare at the silky stockings dangling from his fingertips. He blinked as he turned back to her, and then his jaw dropped as she stretched out on his bed bare to the tips of her toes.

Hurriedly, he peeled his jeans down his legs, dragging his boxer briefs with them and stumbling as his boots hindered his progress. Lorelai laughed when he dropped to the side of the bed, grumbling under his breath as he bent to unlace them. She sat up, her hand smoothing over the curve of his back before she wrapped her arms around his torso.

Luke stilled as she pressed her cheek to his shoulder blade. "You okay?"

"Been a while since I've been kissed," she teased.

"Hang on." He toed off his boots, and stripped his socks as he pulled his feet free from the pool of denim and cotton beside the bed. "Okay," he said, breathless. Turning his head, he kissed her hungrily, his body twisting to meet hers as he pressed her back onto the mattress.

When his lips strayed to her jaw she murmured, "Just don't stop kissing me."

"Huh uh," he grunted, drawing on the soft skin just beneath her ear. "Never."

Luke was good to his word. He kissed the pounding pulse in her throat. He drew the tender flesh of her bare ear lobe into his mouth, teasing it with his tongue. Lorelai's hands moved restlessly over the ridged muscles of his shoulders and back, soaking up the heat of his skin. His mouth traveled down her throat, his tongue dipping into the hollow at its base. His lips closed over her collarbone, sliding along its curve to her shoulder. His hands traced the curve of her waist, filling with the swell of her hips, and then gliding over her stomach before cupping her breasts.

Lorelai moaned, pressing her hands to his shoulders and urging him lower. "Kiss me."

His mouth closed over the tip of one breast, drawing on her beaded nipple and then teasing it with his tongue. Her fingers sank into his hair, holding him to her breast as she arched into his mouth, begging him to take more. He suckled gently at first, his fingers kneading her soft flesh as she writhed beneath him. Pulling away, he sucked in a gasp, and then dove for her other breast. The moment he claimed it, all of his cautious restraint fled. He sucked greedily, pulling away only to tease the turgid tip with a breath of cool air before warming her again with his mouth.

Lorelai forced her eyes open, watching as he consumed her. Carried away by the sight of his head bowed in single-minded dedication, and the sensations his lips, teeth, and tongue stirred, she ground wantonly against his hip. Desire knotted in her belly, pooling between her legs as the hard length of his erection pushed against her thigh.

"Kiss me," she whispered. When Luke responded by pulling her nipple deeper into his mouth, she cried out, "Oh God, Luke, kiss me!"

Gripping his head, she pried him from her breast, pulling him up to her mouth. She kissed him heatedly, pouring every ounce of the desire he'd stoked in her into his eager mouth. Shoving at his shoulder, Lorelai urged him onto his back, scrambling on top of him as he shifted carefully, trying to keep them from rolling off of the narrow bed.

Luke gave a breathless laugh as she straddled his hips, rising up over him with her hands planted on his chest. His chest heaved with exertion and his eyes looked dark and hazy with unchecked lust. She smiled down at him. "Are you happy?"

His chuckle hitched in his throat. Clamping his mouth shut, and breathing heavily through his nose, Luke struggled for control. His eyes met hers, and that was all it took. Staring up at her intently, he nodded, forcing the only words he had through his constricted throat. "I said that I love you. I meant that I'd love you forever."

Lorelai blinked, and then her arms gave out from under her. She pressed her mouth to his, kissing him lingeringly, tasting the words on his lips. She broke the kiss, searching his expression for any shade of doubt, and finding none. His breath teased her lips, beckoning to her, but she shook her head slightly. Reaching up, she smoothed the furrows of his brow with her fingertips, staring deep into his eyes.

"Uh, you okay?" he asked in a whisper.

Lorelai's answering smile was slow to start, but soon bloomed, spreading across her cheeks and lighting her eyes. "I was just hoping you'd see what your love means to me."

Luke's eyes narrowed. "I tell you I love you and you're mocking me with Journey?"

"Not mocking at all. It's the truth," she insisted as she pushed away, tossing her hair back over her shoulder as she straddled him. Lorelai lowered herself to him, pressing the damp folds of her sex to the pulsing length of his erection.

Luke stared up at her, his eyelids drooping to half-mast as his hands found purchase on her hips. He rocked beneath her, biting his lip as she arched her back and matched his rhythm. After a few minutes of the exquisite torture, she rose on her knees, her fingers wrapping around his stiff shaft to guide him to her.

"Wait!" Luke rasped, starling her as he heaved himself from the mattress.

"Wait?"

"Hang on," he panted, curling one arm around her to hold her steady, and leaning over the edge of the bed. He snagged the loop of his jeans, and dragged them onto the bed, where he proceeded to rummage left-handed through the pockets. "We need to put something on."

Lorelai reared back slightly, and then blinked as realization dawned. "Oh, yeah. Right. Good idea," she said with a quick nod.

"Here," Luke murmured as he tried to extract his hand from the pocket.

"You want me to do it?"

"Yeah. I'm not very good at stuff like that."

Luke offered her his closed fist, and Lorelai opened her hand to take it. When she felt something light, and definitely not wrapped in foil, drop into her palm. She gasped in surprise.

"Earrings? You think we need earrings?" she asked as she held the tangled knot of beads and wire up to the lamplight. When Luke nodded mutely, she tipped her head and flashed a shy smile at him. "Okay."

Luke fell back to the mattress, his hands resting lightly on her thighs as he watched her untangle the earrings and slide the wires into her ears.

"Better?" she asked, brushing her hair back for him to see.

"You're all dressed up," he answered with a sly grin.

Lorelai laughed, peering down into his smug face as she wrapped her fingers around his cock and cooed, "Just for you."

His fingers tightened on her thighs, and he circled his hips. "So much better."

Smiling she guided him to her entrance, letting her head fall back as she sank onto him. The earrings he'd given her tickled the tender skin his mouth had caressed minutes before, the words he'd said echoed in her brain.

"Softly you whisper," she murmured, holding herself steady with her hands braced on his hips. "So sincere."

Lunging from the mattress, Luke wrapped his arms around her, burying his face in her hair.

"Feeling your heart beat with mine." She ran her hands through his hair, cradling him to her. "I love you too, Luke."

He kissed her, and she willed her words flow from her lips to his. He kissed her, and kept on kissing her as their bodies began to move in time with one another. He kissed her, pulling her down on top of him until she stretched the length of his body. He kissed her, as they lay hopelessly entwined in one another, sharing each breath, tasting each moan, and savoring each cresting wave carrying them to completion.

He kissed her, soothing her ragged gasps as her muscles grew lax and loose, enveloping him in her pleasure. He kissed her, hoping each touch of his lips to hers would convey so much more than any words could ever say.

Lorelai pressed her face into the crook of his neck, peppering his stubbly beard with kamikaze kisses that made him chuckle drowsily. His fingers sifted through her hair, pausing occasionally to tease the opalescent little bead that glowed like her skin. Lorelai sighed, heedless of the weight of her body pressing him into the mattresses.

"Happy?" he asked cautiously.

Lorelai's lips curved against his throat, and she gave him a short, fast nod before dissolving into giggles.

"What?"

Lorelai just shook her head, trying to contain her mirth and failing. At last, she raised her head and peered up at him, convulsing with laughter.

"You're not makin' me feel real good right now," he grumbled.

"No, no!" she gasped. "I just … I just wanted to … I have to….' she sputtered. Pressing her weight onto his chest, she struggled to school her features as she framed his face in her hands and then gave him a slight bow. "Domo arigato, Mr. Luke-boto."