Celeste observed with curiosity how Jess seemed to be the only person keeping calm, definitely the right choise of chauffeurs, now driving the three of them towards the hospital. Rory was panicking due to the shock of her water breaking and what that meant - not even so much for the pain, feeling just mild contractions, or something of the likes, so far. Logan was on Facetime, frantically running around their apartment at the same time, looking for Rory's hospital bag and gathering their charger and other necessities Rory and Celeste kept going over in their head, making sure they had everything. Rory was still just 38 weeks, and while not uncommon, and clearly being tired of being pregnant, it was still a shock.
Logan was already pacing nervously at the front entrance as they finally arrived, Rory wearing one of Celeste's wrap dresses, which barely fit, they'd quickly changed her into, so she wouldn't have to arrive in her wet leggings.
"Finally! How are you feeling?" Logan asked with a sigh, nervously studying Rory from head to toe.
"Scared," was Rory's honest answer, as she held onto Celeste's arm, Jess having gone to park his car. She muttered something more about 'coming round the mountain' barely audibly, clearly not making a lot of sense in her panic mode.
"She doesn't seem to be in too much pain now," Celeste commented.
They walked inside, getting Rory settled in the waiting room of the private maternity ward, as Logan went to let the nurses know she'd arrived having alterted them in advance.
"What if I can't do this? What if I am not ready?" Rory worried, stroking her belly nervously.
"I bet I'm going to be asking the same things in five months," Celeste chuckled, trying to to calm her. "He can't stay in there forever. You're going to meet your son soon, just think! And besides, you have a village, a rather large one," she rubbed her shoulder supportively. That was certainly true, just by the mere amount of baby gear she'd been getting as gifts - from Emily, Lorelai, a lot of people in Stars Hollow, ...even Shira.
"Alright, the nurse is going to come and take you in so they can check how far along you are," Logan said, trying to stay practical and clear headed. 'Trying' rather than actually succeeding in it.
"Oh boy," Rory sighed, the thought still only sinking in.
"Mrs. Huntzberger?" the nurse in pink scrubs, in her 50s, came to get her.
"That's me," she waved at her hesitantly.
"Come on, let's get you to the wheelchair and get you checked out," she said, as Logan already helped her up and towards the wheelchair.
"Good luck!" Celeste said, looking after them as they rolled off. She wasn't sure if they should stay. She knew the theoretical parts - this could still take hours, if not days, but to just leave felt just as wrong. If she had any family besides Jess', Logan and Rory were it. At the very least she wanted to know the first update.
Jess arrived some minutes later, finding Celeste lounged in one of the leather sofas in the waiting room, browsing some maternity magazine.
"How is she?" Jess asked her.
"They're just checking her progress," she replied, as Jess sank into the seat next to her.
"That was some crazy 30 minutes," Jess sighed at the panic mode that had occurred.
"Yeah, and that was just the beginning. But you seemed to be solid as a rock. Now I definitely feel confident in trusting you to drive me here when it's my turn," Celeste chuckled.
"Well I am not sure I'll be that calm then - Rory is not you, and that is not my child in there," Jess said as he ran his finger through the back of his hair. 'My child' had a certain unique ring to it, he'd not quite said out loud before.
"That he certainly isn't" she laughed, bumping her shoulder against his, and he wrapped his arm around her shoulders. She decided to keep believing that Jess would in fact be the one to keep his brain as clear as he had now.
Logan returned fifteen minutes later looking a fraction calmer than he had going in.
"It might be a while, she's just 2 cm, contractions are a little irregular too. But we are going to stick around - she's too terrified to go home like they advised, so we'll just try to rest here. Thank you for driving her, but I think there's not much point for you to stick around right now," Logan said.
"Okay," Celeste said, raising from their seat. She understood that he was going to be busy and nervous enough not to want to deal with visitors at the same time. Not that they were expecting anything from him, but still keeping them updated and he added pressure to Rory potentially, that there were people waiting after her to progress, which clearly wasn't the way it worked, wasn't what either of them needed.
"Do you need us to call anyone? Luke?" Jess asked, following Celeste's lead.
"I'll start texting everyone as I go back in, it'll give me something to do," Logan said. "God, I haven't felt this useless ever, I think," he chuckled bitterly, rubbing his forehead.
"You're here, that's what matters. I'm sure you'll both do great," Celeste assured, hugging Logan supportively.
"Thanks," he replied.
"Give us a call if you need anything," Jess said and patted his shoulder, before they turned to leave.
The sun had just set as they drove home, and along with a mild drizzle, the windshield wipers chattering at a steady rhythm. They didn't speak much, both of them wrapping their head around the past hour or so, having jolted them out of their calm evening. It was exciting, a little scary, but also they sensed the life altering aspect of this - Rory and Logan were about to become parents and it wasn't too long until they would be in the same position.
Jess had just parked his BMW in front of their house, turning off the endine, as his phone rang.
"Yeah?" he answered, the car's speakerphone still picking up the call.
"Jess! How is she?" Lorelai asked.
"They said it might take a while. Logan's with her. They told us to go home," Jess replied, still somewhat confused why Lorelai was calling him of all people.
"Yeah, that's what Logan texted me but he's not taking my calls," Lorelai said, in a worried voice.
"She was just 2 cm dilated, it could be a whole day before anything happens," Celeste jumped in, thinking perhaps the extensive fact based knowledge she had, would calm her down a little.
"Still, can you text me the address. I should be there, I know how scary these things are for her," Lorelai added.
"I'm sure they'll tell you when they are ready for visitors," Celeste replied innocently, trying to think of what Rory might want, what she might want in her position.
"Hey, who asked you anyways?" Lorelai barked suddenly.
That statement left Celeste baffled, raising her eyebrows in surprise of her rudeness - so she hadn't just been imagining this. Lorelai did have an issue with her.
"Hey! Lorelai, I know you're scared for Rory right now, but you have no right to speak to Celeste like that!" Jess defended her. It felt strange to stand up to her, no longer a teenager speaking to his girlfriends mother but as and adult to another. "I have no doubt Logan will call you as the first in line if things start happening," he added. "Go take a stiff drink or something," he suggested, disconnecting the call.
"What is her problem!?" Celeste exclaimed, confusedly.
"That she's crazy?" Jess replied half seriously.
"Thanks for… that," she added. She was grateful that he'd defended her.
"Yea, she has no right to do that," he shook his head, still angry at Lorelai.
"But do you know - I barely know her! It isn't about you is it? Logan?" Celeste inquired, having thought about it since the last time they visited Stars Hollow.
"I'm not a mind reader of the crazy, but if I were to guess I'd think she's just jealous of you spending time with Rory. They used to be inseparable - best friends first, mother and daughter second as she used to put it. But after they had their fight, and now you've sort of been in the best friend role besides Logan, she might feel threatened. Like she is never going to get her back the same way…," Jess explained his theory.
"Huh, that actually makes sense," Celeste replied thoughtfully.
"Yeah, but that's no excuse! If she has issues she should talk to Rory about it, go to therapy, not lash out at you. I won't have that!" he added, defensively.
The way his protectiveness for her radiated made her feel incredible - it was one thing to hear that someone cared - but feeling it though actions spoke louder than words. He was on her side, her team, her love, her everything.
"You know… I think we were in the middle of something before..," she said with a innocent smirk a moment later, stroking his hand gently, a humming tension forming in the air.
Seconds later Jess' foot pushed the door to the house closed behind them with a loud bang, their mouths and arms being otherwise occupied, as they stumbled up the stairs. Their kisses were deep and passionate, knowing just the way to tease just enough.
His hands held nothing back this time, as they reached the bedroom, pulling off her dress and exposing her lace bralette, now definitely containing more of a C cup than a B as before. Her belly was tight and round, but clearly a bump that couldn't be confused with anything else. She looked amazing to him.
His lips traced her neck, breasts and her belly down to her thighs, kneeling mid-way, as her hands stroked his neck and hair. Jess massaged her thighs, paying special attention to their inner side, slowly removing her panties that were already a little damp from before.
"Oh, god, Jess," she moaned in a trembling voice as he divided his tongue to the apex of her things, allowing herself to land onto the bed.
The heated mess between her legs demanded more of him, bucking her hips towards him as he continued his ministrations until her breathing grew rapid enougn for him to know how much she wanted more. He urged her to turn around, kissing her back, and neck as she did, his hands caressing her breasts, now more sensitive than ever. Celeste pushed herself against him tighter, feeling like he was doing all the foreplay. At the very least, she could apply some pressure. He stroked her hips, his fingers tracing the roundness off her ass, dipping his fingers once more along her slit, causing a desperate moan he knew so well.
Having hastily stripped off his pants, and pulled off the henley shirt from the back of his neck with one swift movement, she raised to her knees, demanding one more kiss over her shoulder, with what he gladly complied.
Her center was warm and inviting, the feeling of belonging overcoming him, as he delved into her.
"You feel incredible," he murmured to her ear, supporting one leg onto the bed, the other remained on the floor, his hot breath reaching her skin. That was only added incentive for her to try to squeeze along to the best of her abilities, almost sucking him deeper into her. They continued to move, her riding along with it, deep and rhythmic trusts giving in to all the natural urges, switching off the brains.
"Oh, fuck," he reacted, as she let out a series of whipmers, feeling her climax - the way her core contracted driving him over the edge with just a few more deep thrusts. This hadn't been a marathon, but just what they needed, extinguishing their thirst for each other for the time being like the very best wine.
They landed onto their sides, his lips kissing the top of her shoulder as they gasped for air, a light giggle escaping her lips.
"What?" he inquired between breaths.
"Nothing.. Just I love you, I love us," she sighed.
He stroked her belly, kissing the top of her arm once more, having propped himself up to his elbow by now. "I love you too," he murmured.
"What was that?" he asked, his hand sensing something odd on her belly.
"I'm not sure… I've never felt anything like that," she asked, momentarily becoming worried.
"There is it again," he noted.
"I think it might be her moving," she said in amazement, adding, "I've only sensed a slight flutter until now."
"We might have woken her," he laughed.
They stayed like that for a while, their palms both pressed against her bump, waiting for that magical sensation again, only being jolted out of their bubble by a text notification. He glanced at his phone a moment later, considering that perhaps it was Logan needing something from them.
"Everything is slow and steady here. But can you or Este take over Rory's birthday party cancellations that I had for the 8th," Logan texted him, sending along a order confirmation for the details with the catering company and guest list.
"Sure thing," he replied, snuggling back into Celeste's neck. Surely those could wait until morning.
