A/N: Thanks to those that left reviews so far :)

(For disclaimer, etc. - see Part 1)

Part 2 of 3

Luke would like to blame Lorelai for the fact he caved and went to take hot beverages to the stupid reenactors. Unfortunately, he had been giving the idea serious consideration long before she suggested it.

Of course, he just planned on taking coffee over there, it was her that had insisted she take an order pad and a pencil and actually ask them what they wanted in advance. Worked out pretty well since a couple were hoping for cocoa and another was looking for herbal tea. Also, at least with two of them to carry everything, they had all the guys with muskets fixed up in one trip.

"I know you think they're crazy for standing out there like that," said Lorelai as she helped clean up from her own food and the drink prep for the reenactors, "but I like it. It may be over-the-top, but it's one of the town's oldest traditions. I like tradition."

"I know that you do," said Luke, smiling indulgently. "Thanks for your help," he said then, taking the cloth from her now she was done wiping down the counter and gesturing for her to get back on her side where she belonged.

"No problem," she assured, heaving a sigh right after and going back to her stool. "Well, I guess I should get out of your hair, head home already. Can't hang around here driving you crazy all night."

It took more effort than it should for Luke not to tell her that she absolutely could, that she wasn't driving him crazy at all, that he loved her company. Maybe it would've made more sense if he did tell her, but he didn't. He never did.

"Uh, give me a second and I'll drive you," he said, shoving the rest of the stuff back under the counter and grabbing up his keys.

"Oh, no, it's fine," Lorelai insisted as she fastened her coat and reached for her hat, getting ready to go. "Honestly, not that I don't appreciate the offer, but the snow won't last forever. I'd like one last walk in it tonight, you know, really enjoy my present," she said, grinning big. "Thanks for a great night, Luke. This was definitely the most fun I've had on a Friday night in a while," she told him, turning and heading for the door.

Snap decision made, Luke called behind her, just as her hand made contact with the door knob.

"I'll walk you."

Lorelai looked back at him but didn't say a word, which was new. Not much stunned Lorelai Gilmore into silence. In any other circumstances, Luke might've been quite proud of himself for achieving such a thing, but right now, he just felt a little stupid. Not wanting to give her the chance to come up with a snarky comment, he continued quickly.

"It's dark and slippery and if you go out there by yourself, I don't trust that you'll actually make it all the way home," he told her. "So, let me grab my jacket and I'll walk you," he repeated.

"Okay, thanks." Lorelai nodded, stepping back from the door to wait for him apparently.

Luke sighed with relief and then moved quickly, pulling on his jacket and a pair of gloves for good measure before remerging into the diner to walk Lorelai home. He absolutely felt like a doofus just thinking about what he was doing. Of course, traditionally, a man walked a woman home after a date, which was absolutely not what this evening had been.

Except, the more Luke thought about it, the more he realised it did have a few date-liked qualities. They spent time alone together. They ate, they talked, they laughed, they shared. Any other two people might have called it a date, why not them? He knew why, of course. Because it was him and it was Lorelai. They didn't date, at least, not each other. That would be stupid. Wouldn't it?

"How do you not love this weather?" Lorelai asked as they walked along, pulling him from too deep thought.

Luke shrugged his shoulders, hands shoved deep into his pockets. "What's to love about snow? I mean, sure, it makes a nice picture when you see it on TV or out of a window, but trudging through it, getting cold, potentially falling on your butt because of the ice. Then it melts and there's all the water running around, cars splashing you, mud clogging the drains-"

"Wow," Lorelai interrupted, eyes wide and expression incredulous. "Mood killer, table for one, right here."

"What mood?" he asked, shaking his head. "It's just weather."

"It is so not just weather," she countered, bumping his shoulder as they turned into the next street. "Seriously, Luke, I know you're known for being kinda grumpy about town events, and the reenactors, and pretty much anything Taylor is involved with," she listed easily, "but do you really have to do the whole Debbie Downer thing on snow? The most wonderful, amazing kind of weather there is. I mean, you have to have liked it when you were a kid at least, right?"

It shouldn't matter that he didn't like something that Lorelai loved, Luke knew that. It wouldn't usually bug her this much, but maybe snow really was that important to her. Maybe it mattered that, just this once, he tried to see the magic she saw in something. This night had been so different to any other and Luke didn't really have an explanation for that, unless of course, it really was the snow, after all.

"Sure, I guess I liked snow when I was a kid," he told her, considering it. "I mean, okay, so, maybe it's not so bad now either."

"High praise!" Lorelai teased making him smile in spite of himself.

"I don't see the world the way you do, Lorelai," he reminded her. "Honestly, I don't think anybody sees things quite like you do, except maybe Rory, and even then... it's not the same."

"You're making me sound very special there, Luke," she told him, biting her lip, like she wasn't sure whether to make this into a joke or not. "Sure you wanna do that?"

"It's not taking that much effort," he admitted, immediately wishing he hadn't the moment it was said.

Lorelai turned her head so sharply to look at him, the whole top part of her body turned towards him again. Unfortunately, the bottom half didn't follow and she lost her footing quite spectacularly thanks to the slippery conditions. Luke thanked his lucky stars he had fast reactions, his arms shooting out to catch her long before she risked hitting the ground.

"Geez, what did I say about you not making it home in one piece if you walked by yourself?" he said, steadying her as best he could until she got her feet back under her.

Honestly, Lorelai did feel a little shaken by her near accident. One second up and the next so sure she was going to be flat on the ground, but no. Thanks to Luke, she was mostly up, though she struggled some to get her feet to plant firmly.

Somehow, it didn't seem as if the whole problem was the slippery surface underfoot. With her heart hammering in her chest thanks to the way Luke was holding her so tightly, Lorelai was trying to figure out exactly what she was feeling as she looked straight into his eyes that were so very close to her own.

"I have a horrible feeling I would've been doing the splits right about now if not for you," she said more softly than she meant to, given it was meant to be at least a semi-humorous comment. "Thanks."

"You're welcome," Luke told her, seeming to realise all too fast quite how close together they were. "Um, you good?" he checked, carefully removing his arms from her body.

"I'm good," she promised, clearing her throat and looking ahead. "I'd say I can probably make it from here but..." she said, considering the distance of barely a hundred yards left to travel.

"Probably best I get you all the way to the door." Luke nodded. "You, uh...?" he began to ask, only to change his mind and just reach for her arm, wrapping it around his like a gentleman escorting a lady.

It made Lorelai smile. It also made her heart flutter in the weirdest way. She couldn't say she never thought of Luke that way, in a man to squire her around town kind of way. The thought crossed her mind from time to time. She always pushed it away, or maybe just squashed it down, since it did seem to pop back up on a semi-regular basis. Tonight, more than ever, actually.

Shaking herself back to reality, she made herself laugh. "You do know that all this is really going to achieve is both of us on our butts in the snow instead of just me, right?" she said, finding it all the more amusing when Luke tried to give a severe look that didn't quite come off. "You know I'm right."

"Just walk," he advised, striding towards the Crap Shack and taking Lorelai along with him, out of momentum, if nothing else.

They reached the porch within a minute, marching up the steps to the front door, and suddenly coming to a halt. Lorelai contemplated the front door, then shivered from more than cold as Luke unlooped their arms and stepped away from her. It had been so much warmer when they were moving, warmer still when she pressed up so close against him.

"Thank you for the whole walking me home thing," she said then, "and for not letting me fall, and for feeding me and keeping me entertained this evening," she reeled off. "Wow, it's like I just can't take care of myself at all."

"So, what's new?" Luke rolled his eyes, but he was smiling all the same. "So, I should go," he said, turning as if to leave.

"Or you could stay," Lorelai told him fast, a burst of laughter escaping her when she realised exactly how that sounded. "Wow, that was... I'm so sorry."

"What for?" he asked, peering back at her curiously.

"No, I didn't... I mean, um..." she stammered, trying to find the words. "When I said you could stay, I meant, maybe you'd wanna come in for a minute, have a drink, let your fingers and toes thaw a little before you hike it back home," she explained, "but when I said it the way I said it... It just sounded a little more Mae West than I meant for it to. You know, 'Come up and see me sometime'?"

As if Lorelai didn't feel awkward enough already, seeing Luke look even more so only made it worse. She had embarrassed him more than she even managed to embarrass herself, and that was really saying something. It was also ruining what had been such a great evening and she so did not want that.

"Okay, freeze frame, and rewind the tape," she said, eyes closed and fingers spinning in some kind of tape spooling action. "Luke, do you wanna come into the house for a drink before you head back? I'd really like a chance to pay back a little of the hospitality and the butt-saving tonight."

Luke meant to say no. It would've made much more sense for him to just go already, because they had already established, in one way or another, that this was not a date. Nothing was really going to happen between him and Lorelai tonight. Nothing more than a cup of tea and a friendly chat anyway. Still, she gave him the big blue eyes and, of course, there was nothing he could do but agree to whatever she wanted from him.

"Sure, I'll take a cup of tea. If you let me make it," he added fast. "I've seen you boil water before, it wasn't pretty."

Lorelai smiled that big, ridiculous smile that could only ever look good on her.

"Come on in," she said, opening up the door and leading the way.

They dumped their coats and things in the hallway then headed for the kitchen together. Immediately, Luke sought out the tea kettle and left Lorelai to put on the coffee machine, something he knew very well she was adept at. It was when they both moved at the same time, him intending to look for tea and her seemingly headed towards the fridge for milk, that things got awkward again.

"Huh. This just keeps on happening," said Lorelai, trying for light and flippant, it seemed, but not really managing it somehow, her chest pressed up against Luke's own.

"Lorelai..." he began, knowing it would be better to just move and laugh it off, but after everything else tonight, he just couldn't.

"Luke?" she prompted when he fell silent, not bothering to remove herself from the situation either.

He had to think that was a good sign, had to just let himself believe for a moment. His hand came up towards her cheek, barely making contact when suddenly a door opened and, over Lorelai's shoulder, he saw a startled young face.

"Aww, geez!"

To Be Continued...