"You've been pining for me."

"I have not been pining."

"I'm your Ava Gardner."

"God help me."

Season 5.03- Written in the Stars

1996

Luke stared at the wall. Stared and stared. He'd been looking at the satellite picture of Stars Hollow for almost an hour. He couldn't tear himself away. With a huff, he tore it off the wall and wrapped it on newspaper. He stomped down the stairs and out the front of the diner. The whole town was preparing for this insane Founder's day firelight festival. Luke stormed over to where all the bonfire kindling was being kept and dropped the photograph into it.

Taylor's head shot up from his clipboard. "Oh, Luke! Is that registered kindling? Has it been checked over with the kindling committee because I'm willing to bet it hasn't!" Taylor sing-songed.

Luke ignored him entirely and walked back to the diner, his fists clenched. "Luke! Luke, don't be so rude!" Taylor shouted after him.

"Leave him, Taylor." he heard Miss Patty say. "He's having a rough time."

"That's no excuse." Taylor huffed, then curiosity got the better of him. "What kind of a rough time?"

Miss Patty just nodded to the dry patch of ground where Rachel's truck used to stand.

"Ah."

That was the most activity people saw from Luke for almost three months. He didn't speak to anyone, didn't go anywhere. The most you got out of him was 'What do ya want?' and 'That'll be a buck sixty'. In the opinion of most town gossips, this was it now for Luke Danes. The sweet boy they once knew had disappeared inside this angry young man. 'He's had his heart broken one too many times', they'd mutter as they watched him unload deliveries. Children made up stories about the angry diner guy and would dare each other to tap on his windows and run away. Luke ignored it, he didn't see any of it. The world was a blur to him now. Everyday he pulled on his black baseball cap tightly.

She was back.

Luke lifted his head. He'd been watching this woman, in the least creepy way possible, for almost a month. She was magnetic. She'd come in that one time, the time she'd given him the horoscope, and hadn't returned since. Luke wondered if he'd somehow scared her with his gruffness, or maybe the coffee was no good. He shouldn't have given it to her, he scolded himself, then maybe she wouldn't have left. In fairness, she did seem to be very busy. She was always rushing around, running errands, dropping her kid off at school. Clearly, no one had told her about leisurely small-town life. He didn't even know her name yet, but he desperately wanted to.

Luke watched her trot across the street towards the diner, and his heart fluttered a little. She was walking closer, closer. Ding! The little bell on the door swung. Luke dropped his head back down and stared into the till.

"Hello, Mr. Coffee Man!" the woman declared, chucking her stuff down and hopping up onto a stool like she owned the place.

"It's Luke," Luke told her. "This is Luke's. I'm, y'know, Luke."

"Oh cool. I mean you never know. It's not like at Wendy's every chick that serves you is named Wendy. That would be a very specific job description."

"This isn't a chain, so..." Luke said, cursing himself as he did. Why couldn't he keep up with her?

Unbeknownst to either of them, half the town was watching this transaction. The gruff diner guy hadn't said more than two sentences to anybody since Rachel left. And now Stars Hollow's surrogate daughter, the beloved Lorelai who was infamously unlucky in love, was perhaps getting through to him, softening him up. That was that. The seed was planted.

"Can I get you anything?" Luke asked.

"I need a swimming pool's worth of coffee."

Luke smirked. "Bad day, huh?"

She smiled at him. "What are you? Like the crusty old barkeep who wipes down his bar and slides drinks across it while listening to the gripes and complaints of all his regular customers."

"If that's what you want me to be."

"That's exactly what the crusty barkeep would say!" she said, pointing at him playfully, her blue eyes twinkling.

Luke sniggered again and put the coffee down in front of her. She didn't leave straight away like she did last time.

"Well, Mr. Barkeep..."

"Luke."

"If you really want to know... my daughter's hurtling into her preteen years. I forgot how sucky that stage of life was, how inconvenient it all is. It's really uncomfortable and annoying and..." she stopped herself. "Sorry. I know small towns are all up in each other's business but I can never tell if I'm oversharing or not."

"Probably," Luke said. "Doesn't bother me. I've got a sister who couldn't keep her mouth shut if you paid her."

"Oh, so we find out some more." she leaned forward, interested. "So come on then, what's your story?"

Luke shrugged. "Don't have one."

"Everybody's got a story."

"Not me."

"Ah, come on."

Luke half-smiled. People didn't talk to him like this anymore. Everyone in town knew his story, but they never mentioned it to him in case it upset him. "I don't even know your name," he muttered in response.

"Oh right. It's Lorelai. Lorelai Gilmore."

Luke nodded.

"You gonna remember that?"

"Probably not."

Lorelai laughed but he was lying. He would remember that name. He would never forget it.

Thanks for reading! I wrote this chapter ages ago and I think it's one of my favorites! Also, I'm not sure if this is the last chapter or if I should take the story further than this? I don't want to go into the timeline after the beginning of the show but I could take it right up to there? I'm not sure, all suggestions welcome! x