Title: Sing One You Know

Author: Girl on the Wing

Rating: PG-13

Summary: Another post-finale fic….I couldn't resist :) Luke and Lorelai attempt to hide their relationship from all of Stars Hollow, including Rory, as they deal with their increasing feelings for each other.

Disclaimer: Amy Sherman-Palladino owns everything except the plot.

A/N 1: Post-season four finale; has nothing from season five in it, since the season five premiere will most likely occur before I finish this.

A/N 2: Rory and Dean never slept together, just, as another author put it, had some good old sexual tension. This fic is purely for the benefit of Luke and Lorelai :) Lyrics are from "Sparks", by Coldplay.

A/N 3: Because I am a complete and total idiot, and I am not well-versed enough in the GG lore, and I just recently got back into my GG and L/L obsession….sigh Look, Luke didn't build Lorelai's house, all right? Builders built it. House builders. Okay?

Sing One You Know

Chapter One

Did I drive you away?

I know what you'll say,

You'll say 'Oh, sing one you know…

But I promise you this,

I'll always look out for you,

Yeah, that's what I'll do …

Somehow, the ceiling seemed incredibly interesting this particular night. As the moonlight streamed in through the thin curtains, Lorelai stared at up at the swirled ceiling above her, her arms folded across the covers pulled up to her chest. She had already decided over the last two hours that the builders of the house must've been very bored during the job, for the ceiling was far more detailed than she'd ever realized, and really, who would spend their time making a ceiling any more interesting than it already was, which was not at all, unless they were incredibly bored? This led her to the conclusion that the builders must've also been working during the summer and had been very thirsty, for if she squinted she could make out the shape of a water droplet in nearly every swirl of the concrete. From this, Lorelai began to think that if the builders had been bored and hot and thirsty while they were building her house, they had probably not been paying very close attention to the job they were doing. Lorelai frowned, rubbing her eyes. She was beginning to worry. In fact, the builders had probably not cared to do a good job at all. Just another house, another paycheck, right? Oh my God, the roof is going to cave in on my head.

It took only this thought for Lorelai to throw off the covers and pad down the stairs to Rory's room, where she poked her sleeping daughter in the side until she blinked and looked around groggily. "What – Mom, what are you doing?"

"We have to leave. Now," Lorelai whispered. "What?" Rory propped herself up on her elbows and stared at Lorelai as though she'd grown a second head. "Mom, it's four in morning. We're not going anywhere."

"We have to," Lorelai insisted. "The builders were really hot and tired while they were making our house and didn't pay attention to what they were doing at all, and the roof is going to cave in because all they wanted was a drink of water and they left a message imbedded in the ceiling!"

Rory looked at her mother, to the ceiling, then back to Lorelai, and said, "I think we'll be all right." With that, she turned over and pulled the covers over her head.

Lorelai stood with her hips and her hands, obviously torn between waking Rory again to have someone to share her roof troubles with and letting her much more reasonable daughter sleep. Lorelai pursed her lips, then went out to the couch and settled herself onto it, pulling the blanket off the back and hugging it tighter to her. She knew she was being ridiculous; she couldn't help it after not being able to sleep well for the past week. She'd been tossing and turning ever since that night on the porch at the Dragonfly…Lorelai watched the shadows playing on the wall from the small light in the kitchen, trying to collect her thoughts. She'd barely seen a glimpse of Luke since then, only when she rushed into the diner for a quick cup of coffee while handling things at the Dragonfly. In a way, Lorelai was almost glad the inn was keeping her so busy; she wanted desperately to see Luke again, to talk to him, but she was so scared at what might happen, what she would say…what had happened that night?

With a sigh, Lorelai glanced up at the roof unconsciously. Realizing what she was doing as the light reflected around her, she shook her head and tried to ignore the looming disaster above her and focus. She would have to face Luke at one time or another, she knew…Lorelai wasn't even sure why she was so scared to be around him now. Every time he looked at her, his eyes sparked with half-annoyance, half-concern, she felt something twist inside her, as though igniting something she'd kept away from everyone for a very long time. No one had ever made that happen before with just a look. That was only one of the things that made her so excited, and yet so nervous, about starting something with Luke. She knew this was different than Chris, or Max, or Jason, or any of those. This was Luke. Coffee Luke! Grumpy, backwards-baseball cap-wearing Luke! Her Luke. Lorelai was startled at the last thought than came into her mind, but it was true…this was, after all, Luke.

Lorelai rolled over and frowned, settling her head against the pillow in frustration. If this was Luke, the guy she'd known and loved and felt something even more about now, why was she having such a problem with it?

Because I'm insane and can't appreciate a good thing when it comes up and kisses me on my doorstep, that's why, she thought, grumbling. Her eyes drifted to the Felix clock on the wall, where they widened to see it was already five AM. She sighed and kicked the blanket off, heading upstairs as slowly as possible.

It's going to be a hell of a long day.

The diner was buzzing with early-morning customers when Lorelai stepped inside, light streaming through the blinds, revealing the bustle already happening around the tiny town of Stars Hollow. Lorelai heard the tiny bell on the door affirm her arrival, and she wove her way through the tables of newspapers and bagels and people chattering awfully loud for so early in the morning, when she found herself nearly bumping into a wall of flannel. She looked up to meet Luke's gaze, and for a moment, Lorelai saw something flash behind his brown eyes, something she recognized as the same thing she'd seen the only time they'd stood this close before. She was suddenly aware, very aware, of how close Luke was, how she knew she would be able to feel him beside her if she closed her eyes, and she was suddenly even more aware that they were standing in a crowded diner, surrounded by townspeople who could see their every move, and Lorelai stepped back, putting some space between herself and Luke. She could see the same relief she felt behind his eyes, and she gave him what she hoped was a comforting smile. "Hi," she said.

"Hi," Luke replied, adjusting his baseball cap, like he always did when he was nervous. Lorelai loved that she knew exactly how he fidgeted at times like these, and she leaned against the counter as Luke went behind it. "Here for your early-morning dose of caffeine, I assume?" As he spoke he pulled out a Styrofoam cup and poured the steaming coffee into it.

"Just like the morning and later-morning doses," Lorelai said with a smile. "And of course, there's the one at brunch, as well as lunch, early afternoon, mid-afternoon, and sometimes that hour right before dinner, but they don't seem to have named that one yet." She took the cup and sipped it, warmth sliding down her throat. She looked up at Luke, and the intensity of his expression as he watched her startled her. "What? Never seen an addict get her fix before?"

This seemed to nudge Luke out of his daze, for he shook his head and started wiping the counter furiously, another nervous tick, doing his best to squashing all the invisible crumbs. "I have, and far too often," he retorted. Lorelai grinned and took another sip. "We are nothing if not consistent," she said, and picked up the cup, pulling her hair back behind her shoulders. "Well, it's off to the Inn of Innumerable Things to Do and Fix for me," she said. Luke scrubbed the counter with the dishrag, not noticing its lack of any sort of dirt to its purpose.

"I might be by later to drop off some stuff for Tom," Luke said, his voice trying to keep down any hint of any sort of prospect other than that very one. Lorelai glanced at him as she headed for the door, coffee in hand, and was amused to see the dishrag doing overtime on the counter. "Okay," she said, tossing him another smile, and then turning and hurrying out the door.

Lorelai was grateful for the sun against her face as she headed to the inn, and she took another sip of coffee to calm herself down. At least this morning hadn't been too awkward…she remembered the first time they'd seen each other after than night at the Dragonfly. Searching for words, neither could come up with anything to say, suffice Luke handing her her coffee and grunting, "It's on the house," something Lorelai knew he said only for the sake of hearing it.

Lorelai opened the door to the inn and bypassed a couple checking out with Michel as she headed behind the desk and began rifling through the morning's papers. "Morning, Michel," she said, surveying bank statements and scrunching her eyes together, trying to make sense of it. "Good morning," Michel intoned. He flashed a freakishly wide smile to the couple as they left and said, "Your mail arrived." "I can see that," Lorelai said, flipping through the rest of the thick envelopes.

"It is all bills." Michel sounded pained as he said it. "Why can't the insurance company give us money, I ask you? A nice change of pace, don't you think?"

"I do think, but the insurance company probably doesn't share that point of view, Michel." Lorelai set down the bills and checked the schedule for the day. More furniture arriving at eight, a few more guests due at eight-thirty…even though the official test run was over, the Dragonfly was still accepting a few visitors to continue working out all the kinks. Lorelai sighed and surveyed the full day of work ahead of her.

"I give and I give and I give…" Michel ranted. "Is it so much to ask for them to give a little back?" "They do give back, Michel," Lorelai explained patiently. "If the inn ever burns down, they will give back lots and lots."

"I do not want to wait for that to happen," Michel grumbled. "I want them to give me money now." He seemed utterly put off by the insurance company's lack of generosity, and Lorelai left him to his woes as she started to make the rounds of the inn, the first in a long line of tasks awaiting her.

It was nearly four hours later when Lorelai wandered into the kitchen, her first break all day, where Sookie was washing the last of the breakfast dishes. Sookie looked up as Lorelai came in, still clutching her coffee.

"Hey there. Made a visit to Luke's already this morning, huh?" Sookie's plump face smiled, indicating Lorelai's coffee. "What? Oh, right…yeah, can't keep me away from the stuff." Lorelai forced a smile and pushed away any other implications of Sookie's comment out of her mind. There's no way she could know. Calm down, jeez. Lorelai perched on the edge of the counter as Sookie rinsed the plates. "So, I think the test run went really well, don't you?" She took a sip of her coffee, watching the dishes absentmindedly. "Definitely," Sookie agreed. "You should be really proud, sweetie. The inn is fantastic." She turned and grinned at Lorelai, who snapped at of her daze. "Yeah, of course. I mean, I hope so," Lorelai kicked herself as soon as the tumble of words came out of her mouth, and tried to make sense. "It wouldn't happened without you, you know. I can't do this alone." Lorelai returned Sookie's smile as her own words began to sink in. I can't do it alone.

Sookie peered at Lorelai, her eyes full of concern. "Are you all right, hon? You look tired."

"I haven't been sleeping well," Lorelai admitted. "It's nothing, though. Just distracted, I guess." Sookie patted her knee, not noticing the soapy stain it left on Lorelai's dark blue pants. "Well, the inn is almost ready, everything's in order, we're only a few days away from opening our very own place! Just like we always talked about." A wistful smile came over her face. "It'll be fine, Lorelai. Are you sure there's nothing else bothering you?" Lorelai looked over at her and felt guilty at keeping the secret from her best friend, but smiled and nodded, taking another sip of coffee.

"Um, it's empty." Sookie pointed to the cup in Lorelai's hand. Lorelai peered inside. "Oh. Right. Well, waste not, right? Taylor would be proud." She forced a grin and threw the cup away on her way out of the kitchen, unable to stay in the kitchen with Sookie one moment longer.

Lorelai hurried outside, bursting through the back doors to stand in the coolness of the Connecticut air, surrounded by lofty green trees and a shadowed blue sky. She took in a deep breath, covering her face with her hands and closing her eyes, trying desperately to focus. Why can't I do this, damn it?! The world around was silent except for the occasional chirp of a bird hidden in the deep branches of the surrounding forestry, and Lorelai tried to allow the calmness to sink into her. She felt her breathing slow and her shoulders relax, and she gazed through the trees at nothing, her mind occupied. She folded her arms across her chest as a chill went through her.

Lorelai was so absorbed in her thoughts that she didn't even hear the approaching footsteps from the inn. When someone appeared beside her, she gave a start and looked up. "Oh my God! Luke – Luke. You scared me half to death." Her heartbeat immediately quickened at being near him, and he was unable to help the small smile playing across his face. "Sorry," he said, his hand at her elbow. "Are you okay?"

She nodded too quickly, rubbing her arms, and their hands briefly touched. She dropped her arms and he pulled away, and Lorelai tried to brush over the awkwardness of the moment. "I'm fine. Just needed a break, I guess." She looked up at his face, lined with concern, and his worry it touched something inside her. Luke nodded and stood beside her, neither saying anything for a few moments.

Then, Luke broke the silence, and Lorelai was all too eager to talk about something, anything. "I just, uh, came by to give Taylor his papers," he said, then realized what it sounded like. "I mean, not that I didn't want to see you, I just…" he broke off, and Lorelai looked away.

"It's just, Lorelai…" Luke didn't seem to know what he wanted to say, but he kept going. "I did want to see you," he said softly. Lorelai closed her eyes at these words, words she had wanted so badly to hear from him for so long, and she was sure he couldn't possibly have meant that the way she thought he had when she felt his hand cup her face, and his soft touch against her cheek. She shuddered as his thumb brushed her lips gently, and when she met his eyes, she was terrified, wanting to know everything would work out fine, that this would work out, that it would work…she hesitated for a moment, then leaned up and met his lips with hers in a soft and unsure kiss. Her hand pressed against the rough stubble of his face and his hand slid to her waist, his fingertips smooth against her bare skin where her shirt rose above her pants, and she tensed at his touch, but did not move away.

"Lorelai! Lorelai?" A voice called from somewhere inside the Dragonfly, and they broke apart, Lorelai feeling a little dizzy. Her eyes met Luke's, but she couldn't read his expression. Suddenly, Sookie appeared at the edge of the inn. "There you are. Michel is having a fit. Something about the insurance company?"

Lorelai sighed, half-scared that Sookie had seen them and half-glad that they'd been interrupted. When he had touched her waist, when she felt his hands moving against her body…she wasn't sure how to react. Lorelai looked up at Sookie and nodded. "I'll be right there. Take the bills away from him, that should calm him down a bit." Sookie went back inside, and Lorelai and Luke stood once more in awkward silence.

"I – I should go," Luke said, almost apologetically. Lorelai gave him a frustrated smile. "Yeah, I should get back to work…you know Michel. Numbers make him jumpy." Luke returned her smile. They headed back to the inn together, and Lorelai was about to go to a hysterical Michel in the office when Luke took her elbow, and she jumped at the jolt of his touch. She stopped and looked up at him, and he said, "Can you come by tonight? I'll close the diner early."

Lorelai felt a smile creeping over her face, and she allowed it to surface. "Sure," she said, trying to hide how happy she was that he'd asked her. In all truth, she probably would've shown up whether he'd asked or not, but just that he'd cared enough to make sure…Luke returned her smile and let go of her, leaving quickly.

Lorelai exhaled and closed her eyes. Being around Luke like this was…she felt like an idiot for using the word, but, well, intoxicating. All she wanted to do was kiss him again, feel his hands against her body, but fear crept in somehow at this urging, and she found herself shying away.

Lorelai sighed. She would just have to wait and see what happened tonight.

Whew! First chapter after tons of little rewrites, finally :) I would muchly appreciate it if y'all left constructive criticism and the like....it's the only way an author knows if her work is being read!