Luke stood in the doorway of room 221 and tried to remember how to breathe.
Lorelai was looking at him. She looked healthier than she had the last time he had visited. Her skin wasn't pale or sweaty, but instead glowed with health. Her hair flowed down around her shoulders, and Luke thought he could make out faint traces of makeup lining her stunning features.
"Hey," he croaked.
"Hey yourself," Lorelai said, her slightly puckered lips hinting at a smile.
Luke didn't know what to do with his hands. He wiped them self-consciously on his jeans and kept staring at her. Staring was rude, this he knew, but somehow he couldn't take his eyes off her.
"So… did you come here for a reason, or just give the doorway a patented Luke-Danes-flannel-makeover?"
"Mm? Uh, I thought..," Luke said, snapping out of it, "Thought we should talk."
"Oh, yeah. Right." She looked uncomfortable, and fiddled with her hands absentmindedly. "So.. you gonna sit down then, orrrr...?"
"Oh— Oh yeah!" Luke said quickly, walking to the chair next to her bed and easing himself into it.
He leaned forward, elbows resting on his thighs, and rubbed one palm with his index finger. Luke was focused on his hands, focused on NOT focusing on the beautiful woman whose face was turned to his. He let all the air in his lungs out in one long, low breath.
"So I think that—," Lorelai started just as Luke said "I'm sorry that I—". They both stopped and looked at each other.
"You go ahead."
"No no, uh, it's fine. You go."
"ALLLL-Righty theN!" Lorelai said with a bad accent and an awkward smile. "I'll go first."
She breathed deeply, opened her mouth, then closed it again. "My mind.. has… gone completely blank," she admitted, her eyes staring straight ahead.
Luke snorted. "That's a first."
"Oh, like you could do better!" She laughed, "this conversation isn't gonna be easy no matter HOW we approach it!"
"Listen, Lorelai, it's— it's fine, really. It wasn't a big deal," Luke said, every lying word tasting vile and acidic in his mouth, "We can just.. forget it ever happened."
Even as he said it, Luke knew he could never forget it happened. It had been the greatest kiss of his life, a moment where he finally felt pure elation instead of the half-assed happiness he had known before. He wondered if he could ever think of her the same way again, as just a crazy, caffeinated friend. He wondered if he had ever JUST thought of her that way.
"Wait, Luke," she said, her voice breaking apart his thoughts, "It.. well, it was a big deal. To me, it was, at least…"
Luke's heart surged with hope. Was Lorelai saying what he thought she was saying..?
"Luke? Do.. YOU want to just stay friends? Because if that's what you want then—"
"NO!" He exclaimed, noticing the thread of vulnerability in her voice. "I mean," he said, dialing it back a little, "that's not.. I don't want that. I don't want.. to just stay friends."
It felt so good to finally say it out loud. It felt better to catch the glimmer of a smile fleeting across Lorelai's face as he said it. She was happy. Happy about this.
"Good," Lorelai said, after a second, "Good. I, um, concur."
"Concur?" He said, raising his eyebrows at her.
"Hey, you put me on the spot!" She said defensively, "I can't be blamed for what comes out of my mouth when I haven't had coffee yet!"
"You haven't had coffee?"
"The doctors said it might counteract some of the medicine they've been giving me. The sleep-inducing ones."
"So, you mean to tell me, you haven't had coffee for over a week?! I gotta meet these doctors, they're miracle workers!"
Lorelai squirmed and ducked her head. "Well, Rory snuck me in some contraband.. sooooo…."
Luke laughed. "I know I say that stuff'll kill you, but it's different when you're in THE HOSPITAL!"
"I needed it!"
"Sure ya did," Luke said with a well-placed eye roll.
They sat in a comfortable silence for a few minutes, both smiling to themselves. Then Lorelai spoke up.
"You know, um.. Luke. Tomorrow's the day I'm finally being released…"
Luke looked up at her, eyes squinting as if they could figure out where she was going with this train of thought just by staring at her.
"And," Lorelai continued, choosing her words carefully, "although Rory has demanded that we have a Mother-Daughter bonding day as soon as I get out, I imagine that she.. would be fine with letting me have the evening to spend how I please. And with whomever I wish." She looked up at him with hope in her bright blue eyes.
Luke wanted to laugh. Was she seriously asking him out? She was being so cordial about it too! Who knew Luke Danes would be the one to finally make Lorelai tongue-tied. He grinned at her teasingly.
"Is that your way of asking me out?"
Lorelai blushed and tried to scoff. "Wh-what? No!... yes."
Luke laughed and smiled at her, not even caring that he must have looked dopey with that huge grin plastered on his face. He couldn't seem to wipe it off.
"I think I'm free," he said nonchalantly, ignoring how his heart had migrated to his throat, "Pick you up at six?"
"Sounds perfect," Lorelai said, her smile pushing up at her blue eyes.
Again, there was a brief moment of silence where they both just smiled and said nothing, expect this time they were looking at each other.
"You know," Lorelai said casually, "It's funny how we're doing this all out of order."
"Whaddya mean?" He asked.
"Oh, just.. we've kinda been on the "getting to know you" phase of our relationship for AT LEAST five years…"
"True," Luke said with a shrug.
"...and we kissed before the first date even began," she continued, her smile turning feline, "who knows what else will happen before our first date? Bull Durham, anyone?"
Luke turned red. "Don't say that," he managed to choke out, looking away.
"Why not?" Lorelai laughed cattily, her voice turning to baby talk, "Is this turn in our relationship bothering you, Little Luke? Is it too hard for you?"
"YES," he griped testily, not getting the innuendo until it was too late. She laughed delightedly and clapped her hands as Luke's face turned another shade of puce.
"I can't believe you're embarrassed NOW, considering you used tongue on our first kiss!"
"Ah, JEEZ," Luke said, covering his face, mortified at himself.
Lorelai kept giggling as Luke grabbed his baseball cap off the bedside table and adjusted it firmly, his mind racing to think of a conversation change he could use.
"So what'd your mother say after I left?"
Lorelai stopped laughing and looked at him aghast. "Why ON EARTH would you bring up my mother right now?" She pretended to vomit into her hands.
"Sorry," He muttered, secretly relieved for the change in conversation.
Lorelai collected herself and folded her arms across her T-shirt. "Well, first she yelled at me for not calling, then she yelled at me for not being sorry about not calling, OOH! Then she yelled at me for not telling her about dating you, and then about how I should have married Christopher when I had the chance and how I'm squandering my potential and am a failure in every sense of the word. So, same old, same old, really."
Luke winced, partially at Lorelai's description of her mother, partially at how normal she made it sound (he couldn't imagine anyone thinking of Lorelai as a failure), and partially at Christopher's name. He had never met the guy, but from what he knew, he was a deadbeat and scumbag, and Lorelai was lucky to be rid of him. But he kept that to himself.
"Yeah, sorry I ran outta her and left you like that," Luke apologized sincerely, casting his eyes downwards and rubbing the back of his neck.
"Oh don't worry about it," Lorelai said dismissively, waving her hand, "Par of the course for the Gilmores. You're lucky you escaped with you life, my friend!"
He chuckled. "Yeah, I guess I am. Lucky."
She smiled at him warmly, eyes roaming his scruffy face with such affection it made Luke's heart swell. Then her eyes flitted to the clock, and her face changed abruptly.
"Wait, isn't it the lunch rush right now?"
"Ah jeez!" Luke blurted, realizing she was right. "Sorry, I have to go. Caesar's out of town for the weekend and I'm already short handed."
"S'okay, I get it," Lorelai said. "Thanks for stopping by!"
Luke got to his feet, adjusted his baseball cap, and looked around the room, his hands itching for an excuse to stay. He didn't find one. What he did find when he turned around though, was Lorelai looking at him with the same expression from the other day.
"C'mere," she said, holding out her hands for him.
Luke gulped and tried to restrain his smile as he walked over to her. He bent down and Lorelai's hands rested on either side of his face. She pulled him closer to her until he could feel her warm breath on his neck, see her eyes watching him through half-closed eyelids. Her rosy lips were slightly parted, just begging to be kissed. He leaned forward, but Lorelai put a finger to his lips, stopping him.
"Ah, ah, ah," she whispered in a breathy voice, "Not until tomorrow."
Luke growled (half in amusement, half in frustration) and bit down lightly on her finger, trying to tease her as much as she was teasing him. He thought she was about to moan, but instead she just let out the air in an irritatingly adorable giggle.
"Nice try, burger boy," Lorelai breathed against him, "but you have to get to work."
"Don't wanna," he murmured against her hand.
She pulled him closer and pressed her lips to his neck. He sucked in a breath as she left a trail of kisses up his jawline, mouth working softly against the sensitive skin. Luke let his eyes flutter closed as he enjoyed the feeling of her lips on his neck. He bit back a whimper as she bit down on his neck, sucking at the soft skin.
Then she pulled back, kissed him on the cheek, and shoved towards the doorway. "Now, VAMOOSE! You're late!"
Luke groaned and pointed an accusing finger at her. "You did that on purpose, didn't you?"
Lorelai's eyes sparkled with a smile as she fought to keep her face neutral. "I don't know what you're talking about."
He shook his head, a chuckled bubbling in the back of his throat. He raised his hand in goodbye. "See you tomorrow."
"Six o'clock, right?"
"Six o'clock," he confirmed with a nod.
On his way out, Luke was so focused on sneaking not-so-secret glances over his shoulder that he smacked nose-first into the doorway, causing Lorelai to laugh uproariously.
"Shut it, you," Luke growled at her, closing the door behind him. He could still hear her laughter through the wall as he walked away.
All the drive home, along with the rest of the day, to everyone in Stars Hollow's unavoidable surprise, try as he may, Luke Danes could not stop smiling.