Quick oneshot set during S3, as we didn't get enough cute moments between Rory and Jess! Enjoy!
This is not happening. Jess blinks and stares around the studio again in disbelief, refusing to accept that he's spending his Saturday night at Miss Patty's School of Dance. He's still clinging to the hope that this is some kind of hallucination brought on by eating the bacon that was sitting out too long.
"Smile! I want big smiles, right now!"
Like everyone in this godforsaken town doesn't have a crazy smile permanently on their face anyway. It's as if every neighbour is Pennywise! Of all the crazy shindigs this town could come up with, this one takes the cake. Jess was just walking along, head in book, half-reading, half-thinking about what food to order for movie night with Rory, when Miss Patty was grabbing his arm and some story was being babbled in his ear about Kirk getting stuck on a rafter. Jess actually allowed himself to be taken to the studio, more out of curiosity than real concern, and the next thing he knew the door was slammed shut and Kirk was blocking it. Jess had turned around to see a crowd of other townsfolk muttering amongst themselves and Miss Patty strolled up to the stage, a dangerous beam on her face.
"Welcome to the show, ladies and gentlemen!"
"I swear," Jess mumbled to Kirk, "after this you'll be in the rafters for real, and no one's going to rescue you."
"Oh, I'm used to that," Kirk said cheerfully and, before Jess could retaliate, Miss Patty called for volunteers which was how Jess found himself on the stage with a few other victims after Kirk had shoved him in the back. No one, Jess wasn't surprised to see, had volunteered for real, and as he looked across the audience his eyes landed on Rory. He stared at her and she looked as though she was trying not to giggle. As if there's something funny about this! And Jess thought the main struggle of the evening would be convincing her not to order from Sandeep's. The only saving grace is that Luke and Lorelai aren't here. Jess catches himself checking again, just to make sure. The jokes from either of them are more he can bear.
"I'm arranging a summer concert," Miss Patty tells them all, "and I need you dollfaces to try out a few numbers. Of course, I'll be the main event, but I need backup. Now, don't look so concerned - there's costumes in the back and a box right here!"
Costumes? No way. This is worse than being beaked by the swan! Rory isn't even trying to pretend not to laugh now and Jess remarks, "Hey, aren't you going to support me?"
"I can support you right here," Rory giggles and shakes her head as Jess asks, "You can't support me from the stage?"
"Not unless you want the audience's ears to bleed - I can't sing."
"I can vouch for that. Her singing is flatter than my first boyfriend's mattress," Miss Patty says seriously, which Jess doesn't need elaborating on.
"Fine, fine you can't sing. But -"
"You know I can't dance! Years of ballet lessons and I still stunk!"
"What about the dance marathon?"
"That was different!"
"Right," Jess sulks. "And what makes you think I'm Fred Astaire?"
"It's funny. Plus, there's your dazzling good looks," Rory remarks and Jess can't help smiling a little in a spite of himself. She's definitely not ordering from Sandeep's after this though.
Miss Patty starts tinkling a tune on the piano, stopping to rummage through the box and throw things at the 'volunteers'.
"I thought we'd start with This Little Light of Mine, as the concert's about the town of Stars Hollow and we're all little stars! Well," Patty amends with a chuckle, "I'm a big star, but this one's not about me."
Jess feels his mirth trickle away as the townsfolk start pawing through feather boas and sequin vests. Suddenly, he recalls a play he did in Kindergarten where he played a sheep. Liz was supposed to be there and Jess was so excited he couldn't eat lunch fast enough, even if his costume was more threadbare than wool. Then the play started, and Liz wasn't there, and Jess couldn't think of his line. Someone laughed, Jess remembered - baa! - and as he opened his mouth to say it his entire lunch came up instead. That was the end of any form of acting career.
"I'm not putting on some costume," Jess says and Patty purses his lips. "No way."
"It's for the show!"
"I don't give a damn!"
Everyone stops and when Jess looks back at Rory she's biting her lip, looking concerned rather than amused now. He looks desperately at her and forces his glance back.
"I'll sing for...whatever the hell this is," he forces himself to say. "But just..."
"Alright, alright," Patty says and Jess lets out a sigh of relief. "But you'd better give a good performance!"
She sits back at the piano, starting to play, and Jess can see the audience still whispering. A spark of defiance flies up. They want a performance? He'll give them a performance!
Jess waits for everyone to start singing, gradually opening his mouth and joining in and sticks his hands in his pockets. As he joins the chorus he brings out a lighter, flaring it on the word shine. Laughter and whispers start spreading across the room and Rory is shaking her head, but smiling as well. Encouraged, Jess carries on, lifting up the lighter and swaying a little.
Finally, Kirk looks over and shouts, "Fire hazard! I'm on it, Patty!" Ungainly, he jumps onto the stage, falling onto the mostly-empty box of costumes and over the room's laughter Patty exclaims, "Oh, get up Kirk! And you -" she says sternly to Jess "we've all had enough of your hooligan ways!"
Jess almost bursts out laughing. Hooligan ways? Jeez, have these people never been beyond their backyard? They should come to New York if it want to see real hooliganism. Controlling himself, Jess shrugs and says, "Just trying to add a little something to the show."
"Thank you, there'll be sparklers," Patty says and Jess practically strains himself holding in laughter.
"And those are much safer than my lighter," he says seriously and, ignoring him, Patty starts to go back to her piano.
"Okay, everyone, I think we're done with that show. Time for variety hour!"
Variety hour, huh? Either inspiration or stupidity seizes Jess and without thinking he snatches up a spare pair of sunglasses, unpops two buttons on his shirt and grabs a sequinned feather boa before loudly breaking into some Bowie.
"I'm back on Suffragette City! Wham bam, thank you ma'am!"
Loud shouts and whoops echo around the room as Jess runs down from the stage and jumps around the room, the boa swinging wildly and the sunglasses slipping down his face. Pressing them back up, he sparks the lighter up again to add a little edge, or whatever you want to call it. Patty is staring, for once struck dumb, and with a great leap Jess jumps back on the stage and finishes the chorus, "Oh, my Suffragette City, oh my Suffragette City! Suffragette!"
To really make their eyes pop, Jess gets out a cigarette. He's mostly given them up but still has a spare in his pocket. He lifts it, pretending to light it and ceases as he sees Patty glare, shoving it back in his pocket. Picking up a random tennis racket off the floor, Jess strums on it as his guitar and whistles the final bar before singing once more, "Suffragette!" There's a shocked silence and then spattered applause starts and Rory gets up in her seat, cheering. Jess takes a wide bow, dropping the tennis racket, and tips an imaginary hat.
"Encore!" Rory calls, laughing so hard she can hardly get the words out. "Encore for Jess Mariano's one man show!"
"There will be no encore, Rory Gilmore!" Patty says sharply. "I think Mr Mariano is finished here for the night!"
"Would you say I had a little talent?" Jess asks, panting a little as he catches his breath.
"I could see you on Broadway," Patty allows and Jess thinks he maybe sees some amusement in her eye. "But not necessarily on the stage."
"I'll take that as a compliment," Jess grins, straightening up and dropping the sunglasses in the box. "Night, Patty."
Rory takes his arm as they stroll out, laughing as they hear Babette shout, "Didn't I tell you he was a gnome-kicker? He can't be trusted!"
"Wow," Rory says in admiration once they're at a safe distance from the studio. "I was just teasing you when I called you Fred Astaire."
"Astaire's got nothing on me."
"You were amazing!" Rory exclaims, stopping to put her arms around him. "I was impressed!"
"Yeah, well...they said they wanted a show."
"Not complaining. I only wish I had a camera."
"Can't tell you how thankful I am you didn't."
"Remembering it's just as good."
Rory lifts up a corner of the feather boa Jess still has around his neck and, laughing, Jess lifts it up and puts it around her neck.
"Looks better on you."
"Oh yeah?"
"Yeah."
"I wore one once with a tiara."
"I'd like to see that."
He leans down to kiss her and Rory holds him tighter, eagerly kissing him back before breaking away.
"You know, it's a good thing you didn't smoke that cigarette or I wouldn't have kissed you. You know I hate that taste."
"I wasn't really going to light it," Jess jokes and then, with a grin, "But maybe you should kiss me again, you know, to make sure."
"Right," Rory says seriously. "Just to be sure."
She kisses him more than once, making absolutely certain, and Jess cups her head in his hand. She looks beautiful, even with the silly feather boa. If anything, it adds to it all. He wants to take her somewhere, be with her, do more than make out on the couch with Luke interrupting every five minutes. Rory gazes back at him, her blue eyes shining, and Jess feels his heart yearn too. He's never cared more for anyone, he knows. He wonders if he can ever say it.
"Jess..."
"Let's go somewhere."
"Where?" Rory asks reasonably and Jess shrugs helplessly. Where the hell are they going to go - her place? Lorelai will be camped out right by the bedroom door.
"Guess back to mine," Jess says resignedly and Rory smiles, looking a little daring as she says, "Hey, we'll figure something out. We'll find somewhere."
"Oh yeah?" Jess asks, brightening up and Rory laughs, sounding a little nervous.
"I don't mean tonight...I'm not um, ready..."
"That's okay," Jess says quickly and she nods.
"But sometime, I swear. Keep thinking what you're thinking."
"I don't have a choice."
They walk back to Luke's, hand-in-hand, and Rory says nonchalantly, "That shirt looks good like that."
"It does, huh?" Jess grins, using his spare hand to touch the exposed skin. He has to force himself not to think about Rory touching there or it's doubtful he'll even make it back to the apartment. He knows he'll need a cold shower later.
Rory answers by pressing herself closer to his side. They walk silently for a moment until Jess releases a breath and says, "So, Almost Famous tonight?"
"Jess," Rory groans, stopping. "We've seen that a million times!"
"Oh come on! I humiliated myself for you tonight!"
"Hey, I never asked for a Bowie concert!" Rory argued but she laughs. "I loved it though. Okay, okay, we'll watch Almost Famous."
"Thank you."
"And order from Sandeep's?"
"Rory, you know it stinks out the entire apartment!"
"But if I have to see Kate Hudson try and commit suicide again..."
"Fine, you've got yourself a deal."
"Thank you."
"You drive a hard bargain, Rory Gilmore," Jess says, stopping to kiss her, and Rory smiles as they break apart.
"Yes I do and you love it."
Jess kisses her again in answer. He does love it. He loved doing the Bowie riff for her, he loves all the things he does with her. Maybe he even loves her...what does Jess know? But right now he's with her, holding her to him, and it's more than Jess ever wished for. All the other junk he's going through doesn't seem important. Rory's with him, the night is theirs and Jess knows he's never been so happy before. He hopes she knows. Rory squeezes his hand, Jess kisses her head and they walk together into the night.