A/N: I'm calling this canon compliant, because hey, it could have happened in that big gap between Season 7 and the revival, right? ;)

22. One Christmas Night
'Verse: canon
Timeline: post-series, pre-revival
Date: December 2011

Rory woke up knowing for sure that she drank a little too much last night, but felt she was not so badly hungover that she couldn't get herself out of bed and face the day easily enough. The surprise came when she opened her eyes and found this wasn't her bed, or her room, or her house. In fact, this wasn't anybody's house. It was the Dragonfly Inn, where she had spent yesterday evening enjoying a Christmas party that her mom and Sookie had laid on for the guests and townsfolk alike.

Of course, that didn't explain why she slept over. That wasn't so much to do with the party as one unexpected guest at the event. Rory's eyes were wider than wide as she recalled all the details of last night, just before the bathroom door opened and Jess walked back in.

"Hey," he greeted her uncertainly.

"Hi." Rory nodded, sitting up with the covers clutched to her naked chest. "Um, so, that happened," she said of last night, smiling as she recalled it very vividly.

"It definitely did," Jess agreed, nodding his head. "Regrets?"

"None. You?"

"Are you kidding? Of course not."

"Okay then." Rory sighed, strangely relieved that he agreed with her.

"Look, Ror, it's like we said years ago, it is what it is, you and me," Jess continued then, sitting down on the edge of the bed by her legs. "I don't know why we can't ever just let each other go. I guess maybe because we don't exactly want to?"

"I guess," she agreed once again. "But I wasn't... I can't lose you as a friend, Jess, not now, not after everything, and trying to make something real work with us..."

"I'm not asking you to marry me, Rory," he told her with a smile, leaning on his elbow so his face was that much closer to her own. "No matter what happens, we trust each other and, in whatever form it takes, we love each other. Last night, we had a few drinks and we... did something we never did before," he said, clearly choosing his words carefully.

"We did," she said, smiling too much. "Three times."

"Well, I'm glad you remember that much at least." Jess grinned at her.

Rory's hand at his cheek tempered the over-the-top smile some as she met his eyes.

"I remember everything, and I really don't regret it, Jess. It was a great night, the best," she promised him. "I just don't want to screw anything up here. We work as friends. I don't know if I'm in a place right now where I can have anything else, with you or with anyone, honestly."

Jess closed the last gap between them and gently kissed her lips.

"Rory, as far as I'm concerned, nothing has to change, one way or the other," he promised her. "We did what we did, it happened, and you're right, it was great, but if that's all it was then that's cool. I still respect you, I still wanna be your friend... and I promise not to tell your mom if you don't tell my uncle," he said, serious smile turning into a wicked smirk in a second.

Rory giggled. "You got yourself a deal, mister," she promised him, kissing him one more time. "So, that's it. One night, no encore."

"That's it," Jess agreed. "Although, until we leave this room, technically the one night's not over yet, right?"

"Oh my God, I'm so glad you said that!"