A/N – Tarja Holopainen – Yes, please offer up any suggestions/requests you may have for new chapters! I have a couple left on the docket, as well as some great suggestions from other commenters that I plan to fulfill, but I'm open to any ideas you may have for new scenes to explore :)

The Black Dress

Inspired by Episode 5:10 – But Not as Cute as Pushkin

LORELAI: The hair flip is that effective, huh?
LUKE: Combine that with your black dress and you could probably get me to be your backup dancer.

Description: An evening at the Gilmores' Christmas party takes an unexpected turn.

"Please don't make me do this," Luke grumbled, adjusting his tie in the mirror in Lorelai's front hallway.

"It won't be that bad," Lorelai said, fumbling her way down the stairs while pulling on her black sling backs.

"It will be that bad. You think I don't remember our last dinner with your mother?"

"It's not the same. This is the Gilmore Christmas bash, the one night of the year my parents are tolerable," she insisted.

"Aren't your parents still separated? Why are they even throwing this party?"

"Keeping up appearances. Can't let the upper crust know there's trouble in paradise," she responded, edging him out of the mirror so she could check her lipstick. Luke peered over at her, taking in the woman next to him. She was wearing a black trench coat tied tightly at the waist, and her hair fell in waves over her shoulders. She looked sophisticated, yet sexy.

"You look pretty tonight," he complimented. She smiled while giving him an appraising look. He was wearing his black suit with the blue shirt he'd worn on their first date, paired with a navy tie and brown overcoat.

"You clean up pretty nice yourself, Mister."

"Thanks." He ran a hand over his freshly shaved chin. "I still don't want to go."

"You have nothing to worry about, I promise. They'll have a house full of people, so the focus won't be on you."

"A house full of people just like them," he groused.

"No, a house full of drunk rich people – that's the best kind!"

"If you say so."

"Plus, apple tarts. Have I mentioned the apple tarts?" she said, excitedly. Luke fixed her with a glare.

"Not really a selling point for me."

"And an open bar," she elaborated. Luke sighed.

"Remind me why I have to go to this thing again?"

"Because Rory's in the middle of finals, so I need you there to be my buffer."

"Exactly, which means the focus will be on me," he argued.

"No, the focus will be on the apple tarts." He rolled his eyes.

"Sure."

"No, seriously, they're amazing." Luke frowned. "Luke, it'll be okay. I wouldn't make you go if I thought you were going to get steamrolled. You trust me, right?"

Luke sighed. "Yes, I trust you. It's the Grady twins I have doubts about."

"Look, we'll go in, shake a few hands, have some drinks, eat our weight in canapés, and if I even get a whiff of Emily's criticism, we'll leave. Deal?"

"Do I have a choice?"

"Not really."

"Fine."

"Great!" Lorelai exclaimed. "Let's go before you change your mind."

XXXX

Lorelai chatted animatedly during the drive to Hartford, and Luke was content to let her go, chiming in with occasional reactions, but more or less just listening to her incredible stream-of-consciousness. He'd never met anyone who could have a whole conversation without ever actually engaging the person next to them. In some ways, that made Lorelai his perfect match. He loved to hear her talk almost as much as she loved the sound of her own voice.

Even with the distraction of Lorelai's constant chattering, Luke couldn't kick the nerves that were swirling in his gut. His last encounters with the Gilmores had not been pleasant, and he really wasn't looking forward to recreating the experience.

Some of Lorelai's assurances had helped, though. He supposed it would be okay to have other people around to take some of the heat off of him, and at least this time he knew what he was walking into. He was like a lamb to the slaughter the first time he'd dined at the Gilmore mansion. This time he was planning on at least making it through drinks before letting Lorelai's parents get the better of him.

When he pulled into the driveway, they were immediately greeted by a valet, who Luke handed his keys off to reluctantly. Lorelai assured him it was standard practice for these kinds of parties, and he had Emily's voice running circles in his head comparing his old truck to a work vehicle. He figured it was best kept out of sight.

Once the pair made it to the front doorstep, Lorelai raised her hand to knock on the door, and in a moment of nervous energy, Luke grabbed her wrist before she could make contact with the grandiose mahogany.

"Wait!" he exclaimed. Lorelai looked at him, wide-eyed. He loosened up his grip. "Sorry, just give me a sec."

"Luke..." she attempted.

He held up a finger "Just a sec."

Lorelai watched as he shook out his shoulders and bounced on the balls of hit feet, as if preparing to take on a heavyweight champion.

"Are you..."

"One more second should do it," he responded. He stopped bouncing and steadied himself, squaring his shoulders. Lorelai looked up at him, amusement evident on her features.

"You ready, Apollo Creed?" she asked. Luke took one more deep breath and nodded his assent. She chuckled and shook her head, raising her hand to rap on the door. It opened a few seconds later.

"After you," Luke offered, suddenly seeming much more sure of himself. Lorelai eyed him curiously, but stepped through the threshold ahead of him. The maid closed the heavy door behind them and offered to take their coats. Luke quickly shrugged off his wool overcoat, happy to be rid of the extra layer over his suit jacket.

He watched then as Lorelai shed her black trench, not having seen her without it before leaving the house. He tried to keep his eyes firmly in their sockets as her full ensemble was revealed to him for the first time. She was wearing a black sleeveless dress with a deep vee that accentuated her cleavage, matched by an identical vee down the back that exposed miles of alabaster skin. The natural waist flared out into a skirt that flipped flirtatiously around her slender legs, hitting her just above the knee.

Suddenly, Luke felt incredibly thirsty. Parched. Had the temperature gone up?

"Luke?" He heard her voice, but it sounded far away, as if pulling him out of a dream. "Luke?" she said again. Luke blinked, and tried to focus. "Eyes are up here, buddy," she said, a laugh in her voice. Luke looked up at her crystalline blues, finding them looking back at him, amusedly.

"See something you like, big guy?" she teased. Luke's eyes narrowed, and she laughed brightly, before her attention was captured by an approaching storm.

"Lorelai, Luke, how lovely to see you both!" The sound of Emily's voice brought Luke crash landing back into the present. He shifted focus from his bombshell of a girlfriend to her mother, who was wearing a pleasant smile that could have fooled just about anyone.

"Hey, Mom," said Lorelai, a tight smile on her face.

"Mrs. Gilmore," Luke greeted with as much ease as he could muster.

"Oh now, Luke, we've talked about this. It's Emily, I insist," she told him lightly.

"Right, Emily. Sorry. Thank you for having us," he tried again.

"Of course! Now come with me, there are some people I'd like you to meet." She ushered them both into the living room where a crowd was amassing.

Luke felt Lorelai's hand slip into his as they weaved around groupings of the Gilmore's friends, following close behind Emily as she talked a mile a minute, pointing out people Lorelai was supposed to know and sharing anecdotes about each one. Luke chanced a glance down at Lorelai and found her scoping out the place, but otherwise looking remarkably at ease.

"Hey, Mom, where are the apple tarts?" Lorelai asked.

"Honestly, Lorelai, you've been here for two minutes and you're already going on about those tarts," Emily admonished.

"They're the reason for the season," Lorelai volleyed back.

"I think Reverend Boatwright might have something to say about that."

"Tarts, Mom?" Emily heaved a deep sigh.

"The trays are making the rounds." Luke watched amusedly as Lorelai did a little happy dance. Emily turned her attention to Luke. "I swear, with the way this girl eats, it's a wonder she's not 300 pounds."

"It one of nature's great mysteries," he joked lightly.

"I'm standing right here," Lorelai groused. Emily ignored her, focusing her attention on Luke.

"And how about you, Luke. Have you heard about the tarts? They're to die for," she said.

"I've heard about nothing but the tarts for weeks," he confirmed, giving Lorelai a playful nudge.

"Do you enjoy sweets?"

"Not big on sweets," he explained. "But I don't think I'm getting out of here without trying one anyway."

"One? Try a dozen," Lorelai huffed.

"I'm not eating a dozen tarts," Luke argued.

"We'll see."

Emily intervened. "Not to worry, we have lots of different hors d'oeuvres going around. I'm sure there will be something that speaks to your simpler tastes, Luke." Luke bit his tongue against his first instinct, which was to tell her to stuff it.

"I'm sure," he said, pleasantly, before Lorelai jumped in to rescue him.

"You know, Mom, I think we're going to go find something to drink. Mind if we catch up with you later?"

"Oh alright, just be sure to find your father. He wants to discuss insurance for Luke's franchises before you two leave," Emily allowed. The pair hadn't even turned away before she was off to greet another group of guests who had just arrived.

"Geez," Luke grumbled.

"I know, I know, sorry," Lorelai said quietly, steering him toward the bar. "I swear, that's as bad as it's going to get."

"Your father wants to discuss insurance for my franchises," he reminded her, his voice low.

"You're not discussing anything with my father," she said, firmly. "I'll distract him, don't worry about it."

The pair stopped at the back of the line for the bar, another couple ahead of them. Luke took a deep breath and let it out slowly to shake off his first encounter with Emily. He turned to Lorelai, who was watching him with a certain amount of pity.

"I'm fine," he told her. "Really."

"I know you are," she told him. He took another breath as they stepped up to the bar.

Lorelai ordered, "I'll have a gin martini with an olive." She turned to Luke. "Beer, Hon?"

"Nitwit juice?" he asked. Lorelai smiled.

"Not tonight. Just drink what you want." He breathed a sigh of relief and ordered his beer.

While waiting for the bartender to fix their drinks, Luke appraised Lorelai once again, this time keeping slightly more control over his faculties. He leaned in and whispered in her ear.

"Have I told you how amazing you look tonight?" A smile bloomed over her features, erasing the final vestiges of her concern.

"I kind of got that impression when your jaw hit the floor back there." She reached up and wiped at his chin with her thumb.

"What are you doing?" he questioned.

"Just getting that last bit of drool," she teased. He swiped her hand away and reached for their drinks, handing her the martini.

"You know they say being humble is a virtue," he told her as they wandered deeper into the party.

"Please, I left the last of my virtues in the back seat of a 1982 Ford LTD," she batted back.

"And yet you still found a respectable man who was willing to take you on," he said in faux wonderment.

"Yes, whatever will you do with me, Professor Higgins?" He let his eyes rake over her form openly, a wolfish grin on his lips.

"I've got some thoughts." Shock registered on Lorelai's features just briefly before she managed to segue into something resembling amusement, tinged with arousal.

"Wow, and this is without alcohol. I truly didn't know the power of the black dress until just this moment," she said.

"Yeah, well, wield it responsibly."

"Where's the fun in that?" she questioned, a sultry grin on her lips.

"God help me," Luke said in response. He shook his head and took a long gulp of his beer, feeling the effects of their flirting, and her dress, catching up with him.

"Lorelai, Luke, there you are!" The bellow of Richard's voice yanked Luke back from the brink of impropriety. He was starting to feel like a ping pong ball, getting bounced from extreme to extreme. Somehow, for a Gilmore party, that seemed apropos.

"Here we are," Lorelai confirmed jovially. "Great party, Dad. Although I have yet to see the apple tarts. I'm about to lodge a complaint."

"I'll have the maid set aside a box of them for you to take home, how does that sound?" Richard offered. Lorelai grinned.

"Sounds like a very merry Christmas to me," she said back. Richard shook his head, but smiled at his daughter's antics, before turning his attention to Luke.

"Now, Luke, I believe we have some business to discuss. Have you had a chance to call Herb about the line of credit for the new diner?"

"Oh, well, Mr. Gilmore..." Luke attempted.

"You know, I think those Enron guys got off too easy," Lorelai interrupted. Both Richard and Luke looked at her confusedly.

"Pardon me?" Richard asked.

"Enron, Dad. You know, those guys who defrauded their shareholders..."

"I know what Enron is, Lorelai. What's puzzling me is why you're mentioning a three-year old case when I'm trying to discuss business with Luke, here," Richard scolded her.

"Oh well, you know, I was just thinking about business, and insurance. Don't you think their insurance company would have had to pay out big time to cover their losses?"

"Well, it's hardly an insurance job, with corruption at that level," Richard huffed. With that, he launched into what sounded like a well-worn diatribe against businesses taking advantage of private insurance corporations.

Luke sighed with relief as he went on, and sent Lorelai a grateful nod of approval. Crisis averted, for now.

XXXX

As the evening wore on, Luke and Lorelai mostly succeeded in dodging her parents. They got sucked into conversations with various party-goers, most of whom were fascinated with Lorelai's new beau, many of whom regaled them with stories of a young Lorelai that ranged from boringly mundane to shockingly entertaining, much to Luke's delight and Lorelai's chagrin.

Through it all, Lorelai kept her arm around Luke's, pressing her body against him, every so-often whispering scandalous things in his ear, just to watch him squirm. Luke fended her off as best he could, knowing he would make her pay for those things later, but also wishing he could show her just how affected he was by how she looked and everything she was doing to him.

"Stop it," Luke grumbled as they walked away from Tweeny Halpern and three of her hangers-on.

"Whatever do you mean?" Lorelai questioned innocently.

"You know what you're doing. Knock it off," he shot back.

"Oh calm down, I'm just teasing you."

"Yeah, well, unless you want me to bend you over the table of chocolate boxes, I suggest you slow your roll a little," he whispered in her ear.

Lorelai shrugged. "Not the worst offer I've had today."

Luke sighed deeply and attempted to adjust himself discreetly. She had been after him ever since she realized just how affected he was by the way she was dolled up tonight. The combination of her dress and her antics was proving to be more dangerous than she knew.

"I need to use the bathroom," Luke said, mostly out of self preservation.

"Oh, sure. Here, follow me." She snagged him by the hand and pulled him toward the stairs, which had been roped off.

"I don't think we're supposed to go up there," Luke hesitated.

"It's my parents' house, Luke. The rope is not for us," she said, as if it was the most obvious thing in the world. He didn't miss her scoping out the room to see if there were any eyes on them before she carefully unhooked the rope for them to slip past, re-securing it before they disappeared upstairs.

"I really don't mind using the bathroom downstairs," Luke argued as Lorelai propelled him forward.

"This one is more private," Lorelai told him, leading him down a long hallway.

"Is there some reason we need it to be more private?" he questioned. Lorelai didn't respond, she just directed him into a bedroom.

"Ensuite is over there," she said, pointing toward a door in the back corner of the room. Luke took a few steps forward before hearing her close and lock the bedroom door behind them.

"I won't be long," he told her.

"Eh, you might be longer than you think," she said. She placed a hand on the middle of his back and pushed him toward the bathroom, going with him. Luke allowed himself to be shoved through the door, only to find her entering right along with him and closing and locking the bathroom door.

"What are you doing?" Luke asked.

"I'm getting you to the bathroom," she said. Luke raised an eyebrow.

"I really don't need help in that department."

"Well, maybe I can help you with something else." She donned a sultry grin, and Luke suddenly realized her intentions.

"Lorelai, we're at your parents Christmas party," he admonished, his voice lowered to a whisper. Lorelai stepped toward him and put her hands on his belt.

"What's your point?" She slipped the leather from the buckle and pulled it loose. Luke's hands rested at his sides, fingers twitching as he fought the urge to touch her.

"We can't do this here," he argued feebly. Lorelai raised her eyes from her work on his belt, meeting his gaze with a challenging one of her own.

"Then stop me," was all she said. The pair watched each other for a moment, hundreds of scenarios running through Luke's head as he tried to ignore the feeling of her hands on his belt, and his pants getting tighter and tighter with each passing second.

"Fuck it," he whispered, as the last vestiges of his self control jumped out the window. His lips were on hers before he knew what he was doing.

The kiss wasn't soft. It was hard, lips fusing, teeth gnashing. He opened wide against her softer, more pliant lips and welcomed her tongue inside of his mouth, rolling his around it, tasting apple mixed with gin.

Lorelai went back to work on his belt, tugging it loose and undoing his pants quickly. Luke barely noticed as it all dropped to the floor around his ankles, only realizing they were gone when Lorelai's hand entered his underwear and took hold of his erection, pumping him mercilessly. He moaned loudly into her mouth, his hands grasping and groping at her shoulders as she worked him over.

Lorelai's lips left Luke's with a smack, and suddenly she was on her knees before him, taking his hardness into her mouth. She didn't tease him the way she often did, instead taking him in as deeply as she could, holding onto his thighs for support as she set up a feverish pace.

Luke groaned, looking down at her as she worked him over. She peered up at him as she went, her bright blue eyes shining darker than usual, making her look every bit like the sexual deviant she was proving to be.

Luke reached down, and with a flick of his wrists, dropped both of the straps of her dress off her shoulders. Lorelai unhanded Luke's thighs just long enough to dislodge her arms, revealing her braless chest to him for the first time. Somewhere in the logical part of his mind, he knew that the cut of the dress made it impossible for her to pair it with a bra, but seeing it for the first time, and knowing she had been walking around like this all night, sent him into a frenzy.

He took her head in his hands and began pumping in and out of her mouth. He tried not to go too deep, to respect the boundary that she had created with her own movements, but it was difficult to keep his composure while fucking the mouth of his gorgeous girlfriend who had been tempting him with her body all night long.

For her part, Lorelai opened her mouth wide and accepted Luke's control. She reached down and slipped a hand underneath the skirt of her dress and began teasing her own clit, making sure she was wet and ready for whatever came next. It came as no surprise to her that she was already slick with her own juices.

Luke groaned as he watched Lorelai pleasure herself while his cock drove in and out of her mouth at a measured pace. He knew he couldn't last long with this level of stimulation, and he wanted his chance to fuck her. With effort, he withdrew himself from Lorelai's hot mouth and shuffled backward, careful not to trip over his pants still around his ankles.

"Get up," he said, his voice low and husky. He stepped out of his pants and went to work on his blazer and shirt while Lorelai got to her feet. The pair quickly undressed themselves the rest of the way before their mouths were once again fused, kissing furiously.

Luke's cock found its way between Lorelai's legs of its own accord, and she spread her legs apart so he could move it between her slick folds. Luke grunted into their kisses as he glided his length against her, becoming wet with her juices. He wanted her more than he could ever remember, and come Hell or high water, he was going to have her.

Luke spared a look around the room and came to a quick conclusion, before turning Lorelai away from him and pressing her into the bathroom vanity, bending her slightly forward. Her hands found the cool marble to steady her, and their eyes locked in the mirror as Luke slid into her soaking core from behind.

"Jesus," Lorelai moaned, as Luke filled her up.

Luke set up a quick pace from the start, unwilling to put off the pleasure that had been building since the beginning of the night, grasping her tightly by the hips and pulling her back into him with each of his thrusts.

"Fuck, Lorelai," Luke groaned, staring her down in the mirror as they watched their coupling. From this angle, they could see Lorelai's small breasts bouncing with each thrust, and Luke's strong form dwarfing her from behind, making her seem smaller than her 5'9 frame. Their moans echoed throughout the room, bouncing off glass and marble tile, creating a cacophony of pleasure surrounding them.

The sounds of every impact from Luke's thrusts became louder and more insistent as they neared completion, coming faster, hitting harder, punctuated by shocked gasps from Lorelai's lips, and grunts from Luke who fought to get her to the finish line ahead of him.

"Ung, Luke," Lorelai moaned. She caught his eye in the mirror as her pleasure began to overtake her, and her eyes screwed shut of their own accord.

Luke circled her waist with his arms and brought his body flush against her back as his hips continued to move in deep and steady thrusts, working her through it. At the loss of her gaze, he dropped his forehead to her back and pounded into her until he reached his own peak, pummelling her body as he was wracked by wave and wave of pleasure, his legs and arms shaking from the intensity of it as he emptied everything he had to give inside her warm and waiting core.

Luke shuttered as he came down, hugging her tightly, his head on her back. The two leaned over further, Lorelai's head dropping onto her arms on the cool marble surface that aided in cooling her overheated body.

They panted together, heaving heavy breaths, as Luke's spent cock dropped out of her and come began to trickle down her inner thigh. Neither could be bothered to care about any of that now, as they recovered from the intensity of the moment they had just shared.

Luke realized he was causing discomfort only when Lorelai began to shift underneath of him. He pushed himself up and stumbled backward, landing against the far wall and leaning on it for support. He watched as Lorelai pushed herself upward and met his gaze in the mirror once again. She grinned, and he laughed out loud at the absolute absurdity of what had just taken place.

"I hope you brought some lipstick to freshen up," he teased lightly. Her grin bloomed into a full blown smile as she flashed her pearly whites in the mirror.

"Never leave home without it," she confirmed. She turned to face him and wandered in his direction. Luke wrapped his arms around her and pulled her in for a soft kiss as he leaned against the wall, and she leaned into him.

"This was such a bad idea," he protested meekly

"The worst," she agreed, solemnly. "Want to go again?" Luke laughed, the sound reverberating through the room.

"I couldn't if I wanted to," he told her. She looked down at his flaccid penis, dangling limply between them, and sighed back up at him.

"You think he'll be open for business later on?"

"As long as you're still wearing that dress, I'm gonna go with 'yes'," he confirmed. Lorelai leaned up and kissed him softly.

"We should get back downstairs before they notice we're gone," she said. Luke nodded and went for the toilet paper roll, tugging a few squares off of it and running them under warm water from the sink. He returned to Lorelai and knelt down, swiping the lukewarm sheets up her leg and along her tender centre, cleaning up the evidence of their encounter. Lorelai watched him do this, finding herself overcome by the tenderness of his actions.

"You're one of the good ones, you know that?" she said, her voice, though a whisper, seeming loud in the small room.

Luke looked up at her, his eyes soft and kind. He stood and deposited the soiled paper in the toilet before returning to her and snaking his arms around her middle once again.

"You're the only one," he said. Lorelai sunk into his chest, wrapping her arms around his middle.

"I wish we could stay like this," she sighed.

"In the bathroom?"

"Just together, like this. Anywhere."

"I could deal with that," he agreed. He brought a hand to her head and smoothed her hair, dropping a kiss to the top of her head.

Finally, after a few moments more, the pair disengaged and went about putting themselves back together, hoping to rejoin the party without arousing suspicion.

On the way home that night, Luke glanced over at Lorelai as she peered out the windshield of the truck. A small smile played on her lips, and a box of apple tarts sat in her lap, waiting to be devoured at home. He smiled, feeling lighter than he expected after an evening at the Gilmores'.

He chalked it up to a good dose of the Christmas spirit, even if it was still two weeks away. He could get used to starting the holidays like this.

A/N – Hope you liked it. Let me know!

Next Chapter Inspired by Episode 2.15 - Lost and Found

LORELAI: I could answer the door wrapped in cellophane but unless I was wearing a Yankees cap, he wouldn't even notice.
LUKE: Geez.
LORELAI: Oh, don't be embarrassed Snuffy, I'm just teasing. It'd be a Mets cap.