A/N: I'm working on a longer story but this idea for a one-shot popped into my head and I wanted to write it out. This fic is set right after Season 4 Episode 17 ("Girls in Bikinis, Boys Doin' the Twist"). The only thing I changed is that Jason and Lorelai aren't together anymore.

I don't know how realistic this situation is or how likely it is for Luke but I hope I didn't stray too far from his character. Also the T Rating is just to be safe, it's probably more like K+.

Anyways, I hope you enjoy this one and thank you for reading! :)

Disclaimer: I don't own Gilmore Girls.

Lorelai followed Luke into the diner. The place was empty, which, wasn't a surprise given the time of night. The town had gone to bed hours ago. The streets were quiet and empty and for once Lorelai was glad for it—at least no one was around to witness Luke in this state. He was drunk. Not too drunk to function on his own, but more drunk than she'd ever seen him. She'd had a long evening, staying at the inn after the construction crew left to finish touching up the stain on the windows, and hadn't gotten home until after 11 pm. Through habit she hit the flashing light on her answering machine and let her messages play aloud as she went to the kitchen to get some water. She hadn't even made it to the fridge before Luke's slow, slurred voice stopped her in her tracks.

Lorelai, it's me…again. I'm callin' you again, because, I need another ride, I think. If you can, I mean, if you're, if you're not busy. You're probably busy, you're always busy. But I am drunk—I think. And I don't know who else to call so…I'm in Bristol…bar's called...bar, some-somethin'—I can't remember, but it's, it's off the main road here, you can't miss it. I don't know if you'll get this message but…maybe I'll see you here soon.

Fear struck Lorelai immediately—she couldn't remember a time she'd heard Luke sound so…morose. She'd grabbed her purse and keys, jumped into the jeep, and broke a few speed limits driving towards Bristol, all the while wondering if the situation with Nicole had somehow gotten worse.

She went into two bars before she found the right one. She'd walked in and spotted him immediately—body slumped against the bar-top, head resting on his arm, eye-level with the shot glass he was staring at, one finger slowly circling the rim. He seemed to be in deep contemplation. As she approached the counter the bartender acknowledged her with a nod that let her know he'd been keeping an eye on Luke. She thanked him, paid Luke's tab, then sat on the stool next to him, hoping he'd be willing to tell her what the hell was going on.

This was the second time in four days she'd been called on to pick him up. Not that she minded—not at all, not the late hours, or the driving or posting his bail…she didn't mind doing those things for Luke. He was her friend, and you helped your friends when they needed it. There was no question he would do the same for her if the situation was reversed. What worried her about this whole thing was the circumstances that led to her having to pick him up. Beating up a car? Going to jail? Drinking in excess? None of it sounded like Luke.

Getting him up and out of the bar had proved difficult. She'd apparently made it to Bristol too quickly for his liking and he wasn't done drinking yet. She watched him down two more shots of tequila before he reluctantly agreed to cut his night short and follow her outside. The ride back to the Hollow was silent—Luke fixed on staring out the passenger side window, Lorelai fixed on an ever-growing anger for Nicole. She had half a mind to drive to Litchfield and yell at her for what she'd reduced her friend to. But that thought was dismissed quickly when Lorelai realized that would mean coming face to face with her—the one bright spot in all of this? She'd never have to see her again. And besides, Nicole didn't get to see how hard Luke was taking her betrayal…how her callous actions had caused one of the steadiest guys to become unhinged. She hated that Nicole had that kind of power over him. But she could understand it. Betrayal in any form was a hard pill to swallow, never mind when it came in the form of adultery. She could only imagine how terrible it all was for Luke.

That's what this was about right? Lorelai thought as she followed Luke through the diner. This had to be about Nicole…right? She hadn't been able to get a clear story out of him and curiosity was burning her. Unfortunately she'd have to be patient and wait for whatever information he was willing to share.

Her hands instinctively went to his sides when he stumbled on the stairs and stayed there as he found his footing. His hands came to rest over hers still on his torso. He made no mention of it, just kept them in that position for the rest of the way up. He slipped his right hand into her left as they rounded the corner to his apartment. Surprised, Lorelai didn't even think to let go, instead she simply watched their fingers entwine and noted how nice the warmth of Luke's hand felt.

It was short lived though as Luke's drunken state required the use of both hands to open the door. When he did, he took Lorelai's hand again and led her inside. Again, he dropped it quickly as he made a beeline for the kitchen. She watched as Luke procured a half-finished bottle of whiskey from one of the cabinets. He snagged two glasses from the dish rack and fell into one of the chairs at the kitchen table. Lorelai took the seat beside him and declined his offer for a drink. She sat quietly while he downed two fingers of whiskey and poured himself two more.

"Luke," Lorelai said gently, tapping his forearm to get his attention. "Slow down, ok?"

Luke met her eyes and sighed at the concern he saw in them. "I'm fine, don't worry about me."

Lorelai nodded but knew that was impossible. Of course she was worried about him, she'd only ever seen Luke drunk once—when he'd climbed a tree to get into her house, broke a lamp and cut his hand trying to fix her window. But this was…different. This wasn't having a few beers to take the edge off and accidentally getting drunk; this was intentionally getting drunk because you found yourself in a bad situation and needed some kind of escape—big difference. "All I'm saying is you can spread it out, you know? That whiskey can last all night if you—"

"Lorelai."

"Fine," she acquiesced. She'd stop for now. "Why were you even in Bristol anyway?"

"Microwave broke," he pointed to the appliance behind him, "I had to pick up some parts this afternoon and then I just stayed there."

"Makes sense."

"Mm."

They fell into silence and Lorelai couldn't take it anymore, she had to ask. "Luke?"

"Hm?"

"Did—did something happen tonight?"

"Not really."

"Nothing with Nicole?"

"No."

Lorelai's brow furrowed. She didn't believe him. "So you were in Bristol and just thought, 'oh what the hell I'll check out the bar scene'?"

"Yup."

"By yourself?"

"Mhm."

"So you're in a foreign town—"

"Bristol's not foreign, it's Bristol."

"Well, regardless, you're, in a town you're not normally in…by yourself…drinking alone…and, what, you just decided it was a good night to get wasted?"

"As good a night as any."

Lorelai rolled her eyes; his stubborn streak was really annoying sometimes.

Luke knew he was being an ass. He sighed and thought about what had led him to the bar in the first place. He hadhad to pick up a replacement part for his microwave, but he'd also been there to see his lawyer. He'd confronted Nicole and filed the divorce papers days ago but needed to go back in to put his signature on a few more documents. Pages and pages of legalese—just to get out of a short-lived loveless marriage that never should have happened in the first place…but hey at least there were protocols in place for mistakes that huge, he thought dryly. He was getting divorced. Divorced. He'd never thought that was a possibility for him. He was the commitment type, and always thought that when he got married it would be for the long haul…with someone he loved and they'd happily spend their life together. And he did want that life—a lot. Maybe too much… So much that he'd jumped in without thinking, and now? Now he'd been cheated on, arrested and he was getting divorced. Divorced. It was an ugly word…left a bad taste in his mouth. He took a sip of whiskey to chase it away then watched the liquid slosh around as he shifted the glass back and forth in his hand.

"Sorry. I'm, bein' a jerk."

"It's ok."

He sighed again. "It hit me today."

"What hit you?"

"Everything," he paused to take a gulp of whiskey, then continued, "I'm sitting there in a lawyer's office listening to him go on and on about mediation and alimony and dividing up assets and I'm thinkin' how the hell did I even get here? This whole thing is crazy. I mean, I asked her out on a whim, you know…casual, one date, that's all I agreed to, and then we went out and it, it didn't suck so we out again and then before I know it I'm meeting her parents and we're going on a trip together and then we're married. Married Lorelai!"

"I-I I know." Boy did she ever. She remembered all too well the moment she found out that Luke was a married man. The gut punch, quickly followed by that terrifying sinking feeling. "It…all happened pretty fast."

"Pretty fast?" he scoffed, "We dated for a few months and then suddenly she's-she's my wife?"

"Mrs. Backwards Baseball Cap," Lorelai absently murmured. She shook her head. That wasn't right. Even if they were married, there was no way Nicole had ever held that title, it just didn't fit.

Too into his rant to hear her, Luke went on. "People are together for years before they even think about getting married! Years. But not me, nope, all it took was a couple of drinks and I'm pledging my life to this woman I only went out with because she was there and everyone else had someone," Luke paused, letting out a derisive breath "…I wonder what's gonna happen tonight," he murmured to himself, throwing back the rest of the whiskey in his glass. He took a second to enjoy the burning feeling of it going down his throat then slowly poured himself another, ignoring Lorelai's raised eyebrows. "I'm no better than the rest of the nutcases in this town. I knew marrying Nicole was a mistake the minute I woke up the next day! I should've gone through with the divorce the as soon as we got back, at least then I could blame in on a drunken night. But she wanted to try and what was I supposed to do? Bail on her? I couldn't do that."

"You could've," Lorelai pointed out, "But that's not really you."

"No."

Lorelai looked at him steadily. His eyes were a little glassy, but the pain in them was still evident. "So you stayed."

Luke scoffed again. "And look at where that got me. Now she's sleepin' with someone else, I'm talking to lawyers…" He paused, fingers tapping against the side of the glass. "She didn't even have the decency to try and hide it. Didn't even care if I found out."

"I'm sure she didn't want you to find out."

"She did," he replied firmly, "She had to. You can't bring another man into the home you share with your husband and expect to get away with it."

Lorelai frowned in consideration. He had a good point.

"This whole thing is…just, pathetic, I'm pathetic."

"You're not—"

"I am. I'm pathetic. I'm Mr. Pathetic, your friendly neighbourhood screw-up," he slurred, "That's what you call a grown man who makes stupid mistakes, right? That's what I did, I made a mistake and then I made more mistakes and now they're all piled up into one big ball of stupid. I should've known better…"

Lorelai's brain stuttered. She couldn't believe what she was hearing. Luke was not a screw-up. And he, definitelydidn't talk about himself like that. He sounded…defeated, and that was not something she could take. "I-I, don't mean to kick you when you're down, but I have to say Luke, you're, very very wrong. Like, Justin and Britney in matching denim levels of wrong."

"No I'm not. First serious relationship I've had in years and I blew it."

"She blew it."

"It's not just her fault."

Well that was probably true, Lorelai thought. Relationship problems were rarely ever one-sided. Still, she'd gladly place all blame on Nicole. "Everyone screws up Luke, everyone has their stuff. I mean hello, teenager mom over here. That wasn't exactly something I set out to do."

"Naw," Luke threw a dismissive hand. "That's different, you got Rory. Rory's great. I screwed up and all I'll have are some papers that say I screwed up."

"Luke—"

"Your stuff turned out ok. Mine won't."

"How do you know it won't turn out ok?"

"Because I know," he said with an air of certainty, "I'm alone. And I'm gonna be alone. You're never alone."

"I'm alone now," she pointed out.

"Not for long. Give it a day or two; I'm sure you won't have a problem finding someone that wants you."

"And you will?"

"Did I not tell you about the divorce?" He asked sarcastically, "I'm damaged goods now."

"Luke, come on. You're blowing this way out of proportion, you're not—"

"Am I? Let's see…I'm pushin' forty, I work in a diner, live above that diner in an old office…I'm grumpy and stuck in my ways and can't make a relationship stick, so, yeah, I guess you're right, I'm a real catch."

"You are!" Lorelai said fiercely, combatting his heavy sarcasm. "You are a catch!" At Luke humorless laugh, she continued, voice raised in frustration at his inability to see just how great he was. "You're what, 36? That's not pushing forty. You own your own successful business, you—live in an apartment, not an office—"

"Used to be an office—"

"Not an office anymore. You've made a life for yourself on your own terms, and that's amazing! And yes, you are grumpy sometimes, but isn't everyone? You're also extremely kind and generous and funny and you are so well-loved in this town Luke!"

Luke rolled his eyes. "I'm tolerated in this town. If it weren't for the diner I'd just be another nameless idiot walking the streets wondering if Taylor will notice if I spit my gum out on the sidewalk—"

"Luke!" Lorelai interrupted. She was verging on exasperated now. "Oh, my God! This has got to be the whiskey talking—"

"Sure, let's blame the whiskey…" he interjected airily.

"You can't actually believe what you're saying!"

"Why did you even come here?"

Lorelai's face registered his abrupt change in topic, but she answered anyway, "Because you called me."

"Yeah but you actually came over here. You got in your car and picked me up and now you're babysitting me—"

"I'm not babysitting you, we're, talking."

"Why did you come here?" He asked again.

Lorelai sighed at having to provide an answer that should have been obvious. "Because you show up for the people you care about Luke."

"Psh," Luke scoffed derisively.

"What? You don't think I care about you?"

"Sure you do, I have the coffee, you need the coffee..."

"Luke—"

"Or maybe like how you care about Patty or Kirk, or Jackson or Bootsy…naw," he changed his mind, "not Bootsy, Boosty's a jackass."

Lorelai's spirit and face fell. That hurt. How could he even… "Is that what you really think? That you and Kirk are on the same level to me? That you and—anyone else in this town are just interchangeable in my life?"

He shrugged flippantly in response and her hurt turned quickly to anger. She didn't know where this was coming from—if it was because he was drunk or what, but regardless, he was being a stubborn ass and she wouldn't stand for it—not when he was belittling himself, belittling his role in her life. She shook her head determinedly before the word even left her mouth. "No."

"No?"

"I refuse to let you think that you mean nothing to me. How could you, after all these years, after all the time we've spent together?" She paused. "Do you think I'd bail Kirk or Patty or—whoever, out of jail or-or or drive all the way to Bristol in the middle of the night just to give them a ride home?"

"Yes, you would."

Lorelai rolled her eyes, "Ok, fine, I would. That was a bad example." She sighed, her voice quiet now, "I'm, not sure how to explain it but…" she shrugged, "it's just different. Kirk and Patty and the people in this town are my friends and I love them, but you're…Luke," she said simply, "I mean, you're my friend too, but you're in your own separate category, one that's—justyours. And it's different, me and you, our relationship is different. You know that."

Luke shook his head in disagreement.

"You're my best friend Luke," she shrugged again, unable to come up with anything more adequate to say, "the best guy I know."

A slow sneer formed on his face. "Yeah…your friend Luke…what a great guy he is. Good enough to fix your window but not good enough to date."

"What?" Lorelai snapped, a jolt of anger going through her at his insinuation. "What is that supposed to mean?"

"Nothin'," he murmured before taking another swig from his glass. "I just meant…we'll always be friends. Someone like you would never go out with someone like me."

"Someone like me, or me?"

"You."

"Of course I would!" She snapped again.

"No you wouldn't. I'm not your type."

"How do you know what my type is?"

"I know. I know you like those GQ guys with the suits and the fancy cars…"

"Luke—"

"I'm not like that. I got the truck and the flannel and—"

"You're more than a truck and a flannel shirt Luke. Any girl would be lucky to have you!"

Luke's eyes rolled of their own volition. She was just placating him, trying to make him feel better, he knew that. She'd never see him as a real possibility. But regardless, he wasn't going to let the opportunity pass him. He took another swig from his glass. Maybe the whiskey was getting to him, he thought mildly, or maybe he was just tired of the status quo, but for whatever reason he didn't want to just move past it like he always did. "Oh yeah?" Letting go of the glass, Luke slid his hand into hers resting on the table between them.

"Y-Yes!"

"You'd date me?"

His thumb brushing softly against the back of her hand belied his tone of voice and was completely distracting. Still, Lorelai managed to keep her voice steady, "Yes, I would."

"Alright, fine then, let's go out," he challenged.

"Fine!" She said defiantly.

"Fine!"

"Ok!"

"Ok!"

A few moments passed. The apartment was silent except for the ticking of a clock and the hum from the refrigerator. The anger and frustration of their conversation dissipated as they sat at the table, holding hands, eyes locked, breathing heavily, lost in a moment neither expected or even saw coming. Lorelai's eyes dropped to their joined hands and that image stole her attention. She'd never held Luke's hand before tonight. And now she wondered why she hadn't.

"I uh, should, go," she said stiltedly, her eyes back on his. "I'm—going now, home."

"Ok," Luke murmured.

Reluctantly, Lorelai slipped her hand out of his and walked to his front door. When she got there she turned back to face him. "Are you gonna be ok?" As far as she could tell he was still very much drunk.

"I'll be fine."

"Are you sure?" His eyes were still glassy, his words still slurred, his movements lethargic. "Do you want me to stay with you?"

"Yeah."

"Yeah?"

Luke blinked hard trying to clear some of the fog from his brain. He didn't mean to say that it just slipped out. "No, it's…you go. I'm home now, I'm not goin' back out."

Lorelai hesitated. "If you're sure?"

"I'm sure."

"Ok, then, I'll…see you."

"See ya."

With that, Lorelai quickly took her leave, not stopping, not looking back until she'd driven a block away from the diner. The town was impossibly still. There was no one in the streets, no signs of life or movement, no one, expect for Lorelai high-tailing it home. Home was safe. At home she'd be able to think and process what the hell just happened.

Was she going out with Luke? Yes. …Maybe? No, that wasn't a real invitation, she told herself firmly. He was under the influence—probably didn't even realize what he was saying. Actually, based on the load of crap he'd been spouting all night, she was sure that he didn't know what he'd said. He wasn't thinking straight—couldn't be to think she didn't care about him. That whiskey and tequila combo really must've messed with his head, Lorelai thought derisively as she put the jeep in park and walked to her front door. Where the hell had all of that come from? Even the insinuation that—she shook her head in frustration—of course she cared about him. Wasn't it obvious? What did he want, skywriting? A blimp to circle the greater Hartford area with a banner declaring her admiration for him? She'd thought they were past the stage of needing friendship bracelets to validate their bond…Ok so she and Luke weren't ever at that stage, but they didn't need to be. In her book he was right up there with Sookie and Rory. Everyone knew that. Sookie and Rory knew that. It was no secret—yet, he seemed oblivious to the fact. Maybe she should buy him a friendship bracelet, he clearly needed the reminder.

Now in her room, Lorelai lay sideways across her bed, feet on the floor, her mind combing through their conversation. In amongst all of Luke's self-pity and ridiculously drawn conclusions about their relationship, had been a question. He'd asked her out…or, not asked, per say but…it was almost like he was daring her…pushing her to answer because he was so sure that she would say no and prove his point. And she knew that's what he thought, so she'd said yes. Without even thinking about it for a second. Because that's what she did right? She rebelled against people's expectations… Lorelai rolled her eyes at herself. If there was ever a time for her to take a minute to think before she spoke, it was then. But of course, she hadn't. She'd said yes and now they were going out. …Maybe. She still wasn't sure. It was entirely possible that his words were hollow. After all, things said under the influence were supposed to be taken with a grain of salt. Weren't they?

But what if he did mean it? What if the alcohol hadn't put words into his mouth, but rather just let his guard down enough for him to say what was already there? Would any of this have come out if he wasn't drunk? And aside from all of that…did she even want him to mean it? Her mind rewound to the handful of times in the past where she'd thought he might have been trying to ask her out or, make a move. Like that night she'd gone on the double date with Sookie and Jackson. She'd ended up playing cards with Luke, and before Mrs. Kim had interrupted them, she'd been pretty sure he was about to ask her out. Or, he was leading up to it at least. In fact, she'd been so sure that she brought it up the next time she was at the diner, to give him a chance to follow through, but he didn't. He'd played the whole thing off as a joke and she was left wondering if she'd imagined the longing in his eyes that she was so sure she'd seen. And she'd gone along with it, took his lead and continued on with their friendship as if all that had happened that night was a card game. But…her answer would have been yes, if he'd asked her then.

She thought back to other missed opportunities and knew she'd have said yes all of those times too. She'd always known that Luke was a great guy and knew that if he ever asked, her answer would be yes. But this situation they were in now, this was…different. Over the years, she and Luke had grown closer. He meant a lot to her, so simply dating him wasn't really an option anymore. If this had happened years ago it would have been easy. The stakes were so much lower then. But if anything happened between them now, it would live in the land of 'serious'—in the land of 'very serious' actually.

Her biggest problem right now was that she didn't even know if she was dealing with something real yet. Was he really interested in her? Or was she analyzing something that didn't exist? Would he even remember their conversation when he sobered up? Or would this whole night be a memory only she had to live with? She had so many questions, and none of the answers. The only thing she knew for sure? If this was real, her answer was yes.

/

Lorelai's day started bright and early the next morning. For once she wasn't expected to be at the inn until 10 o'clock and was intending to use the late start to catch up on some much-needed shut-eye. Instead, she found herself wide awake at 6:30—her mind just continuing where it left off from the night before. She thought about Luke's potential date invitation again—the pros, the cons, the possibility that he might not remember anything and the inevitability of her broaching the topic if he didn't—because no matter which way it went, she needed to know. It all tumbled around her brain and the longer it did, the less likely it was that she was going to be able to get back to sleep. So, she got up, got dressed and was headed towards the diner a mere hour after she woke, hoping to get things settled with Luke before the breakfast rush started.

She walked over and knew from a block away that something was off. Kirk had his face pasted to one of the windows, peering inside in a way that for most people would be considered creepy, but for Kirk was actually pretty standard. It wasn't until she got closer that she saw that the place was closed. The diner was empty and quiet, the lights were off, and if all of that hadn't been enough of a clue, Luke had posted his "Gone Fishing" sign on the door. Yup, the diner was definitely closed.

Lorelai figured it had something to do with Nicole, maybe he was in Litchfield having it out with her or meeting with his lawyer, or maybe he was just feeling the after effects of drinking his weight in whiskey and tequila. That was probably it, she decided. He was probably upstairs, huddled under the covers trying to sleep it off.

She tried telling a very upset Kirk to go home, but he was adamant that he saw movement in the back and insisted on waiting for Luke to show up. For a brief moment Lorelai wondered if she should join Kirk, but that was crazy so she bid him goodbye and started the walk to Weston's—disappointed she'd have to wait even longer to get her answers.

/

She'd gone back to the diner at lunch time and again around 8 pm, hoping he'd at least have opened for dinner, but he hadn't. All day the diner sat empty and dark, so, naturally, curiosity hit the whole town. Luke's was almost never closed, and it wasn't in Stars Hollow's nature to simply accept that today it was. Lorelai had been fielding questions all day about where Luke might be, what happened that he had to close the diner, and when did she think he was coming back. Sure, there were some that just wanted the latest gossip, but Lorelai knew that most inquiries were born out of true concern for Luke's well-being. She was right to say he was very loved in this town, today was proof of that, even if he didn't believe it to be true.

She said nothing, kept his personal life private like she knew he'd want, and joined in the town's collective concern as night fell. He hadn't been operating with sound logic recently and that meant he could be out doing just about anything…not that Luke was prone to reckless behaviour…although, she had just picked him up from jail…

Lorelai walked home that night hoping her worry would amount to nothing and that Luke was just holed up in his apartment taking a brief respite from the rest of the world. She'd have to try again tomorrow.

/

Lorelai was just about to put on her jacket when a knock on her front door stopped her. It was early, probably not even 8 AM yet, she mused idly as she reached for the doorknob, there were very few people who would stop by unannounced at that time of the morning; Sookie, or maybe Rory if her roommates were getting on her nerves—but Lorelai knew the only real possibility was…

"Luke."

"Hey," Luke replied sheepishly.

"Uh, hi," Lorelai replied, gesturing for him to come in. He didn't go far though, choosing to remain in the entryway.

"I'm glad I caught you before you left," Luke said, gesturing to her pantsuit as she closed the front door.

"Oh, yeah, I've, got a meeting at the bank, inn business."

"Right. Then I won't keep you long…uh, here," he handed her the coffee and take-out bag he'd been holding, "these are for you."

"For me?" Lorelai said happily, immediately opening the bag to see what he'd brought. Two danishes, one chocolate, one apple. She smiled, "Ah, you shouldn't have."

"No I, definitely should have," he sighed, "Consider it an apology for the other night. And a thank you," his eyebrows furrowed, "I don't think I actually said thank you yet."

"Oh you don't have to," Lorelai said modestly.

"I do have to. I was drunk and you took care of me."

"I didn't really do much."

"You made sure I got home safely, that's more than enough. So, thank you."

"It was no problem, Luke. I'm just glad your responsible gene kicked in and you thought to call someone. And, I'm, glad it was me." When he met her eyes and returned her shy smile, she went on. "I uh, went by to see you yesterday…but the diner was closed."

"Oh yeah, well…"

"The coffee pot looked sad," she supplied when he didn't continue.

"It did not."

"It did. And, Kirk took it pretty hard."

Luke rolled his eyes. "Tell me about it, he showed up at 6:30 this morning and wouldn't let me hear the end of it."

"Well you screwed with his routine, he was lost without you."

Luke grunted in acknowledgement.

"So how bad was the hangover?"

He looked at her sharply as if he'd been caught out. "The uh—"

"I figured that's why you closed up shop yesterday."

Luke sighed in slight embarrassment, sticking his hand in his jeans pockets just to have something to do with them. "Let's just say it was a good reminder that I'm not 20 anymore…can't handle my liquor like I used to."

"Always a sad realization."

"Mm."

"So that's it? You just hung around your place all day?" Lorelai asked, hoping she sounded nonchalant, but needing to know where he'd been the day before. She hadn't let herself acknowledge just how worried she was until he showed up at her door.

"Not really, I left pretty early. Took a cab back to Bristol to pick up my truck."

"Right. The truck."

"Yeah, and then I just…stayed out. Took a long drive. I needed to clear my head."

Lorelai nodded. She could understand that. He'd been so down on himself that night. So down about everything. It was upsetting to see him like that—to know that he felt that way even for a second didn't sit well with her. And as if he could hear what she was thinking…

"I'm sorry for being such a downer the other night."

"Oh, no, it's, fine. I, I know you're hurting. I've never been in your situation but I can't imagine it's easy to go through."

Luke flashed a brief smile at her kind words. He'd been a mess the other night, he knew that. He'd gone into a bit of a spiral, but yesterday had been good—all things considered. He'd had a lot of time to sort out feelings and thoughts that had been creeping their way to the forefront of his mind, and by the time he went to bed last night he'd felt a thousand times better. He'd thought about his life and his future…what he didn't want, and more importantly, what he did. It had never been clearer to him. "Honestly I'm, not as upset about this Nicole thing as I should be," he confessed.

Lorelai's brows furrowed. "What do you mean?"

"Well I mean…my wife cheated on me…I should be devasted, but I'm not."

"You're not?"

Luke shook his head. "No. I—I think my pride's more hurt than anything, you know? I realized… I don't think I ever thought Nicole was it."

"It?"

"The person I'd settle down with, have kids with, get old and grey with…I don't think I ever thought that person was Nicole. Not once in our entire relationship."

"…Yet you married her?" Lorelai couldn't help a little sarcasm.

"Yeah, well, that was obviously a mistake," Luke shook his head, eyebrows furrowed as he tried to explain. "It didn't happen because we loved each other…at least I didn't. I never felt that strongly for her, I just…we got married and then I figured that was my chance, you know? To do the married-thing."

"Right," Lorelai quietly acknowledged, eyes wide as she tried to digest everything Luke was saying. He'd never loved Nicole? That was…She'd never thought they were right for each other but had always felt somewhat guilty about it because Luke had seemed committed to the relationship—happy. Or, maybe not happy but, he was trying to be. And ultimately that's all she wanted for him. She couldn't help the relief that flowed through her body at his confession though. Not only because Luke was getting out of a situation that didn't work for him, but because it made her less anxious about her not-so-deeply-buried feelings about him. The being right about it all was just a bonus.

"It would've been easier if she had been it, you know," Luke continued, "Then getting married wouldn't have been a big deal, we could've made it work. I tried, but we just…it wasn't right." He shrugged. "Hell, she probably saved us a lot of time. If she hadn't cheated on me now, we'd probably just be here in a year or two…maybe it wouldn't have been because of cheating, but we'd be getting divorced for sure." He paused and let breathed out a resigned breath. "Just a crappy way for things to end, you know?"

"Yeah," Lorelai nodded understandingly, "If it was always going to end, why did it have to be in that way."

"Exactly. I think that's what got to me the most…it just feels like a big failure." He smirked ruefully, aiming to lighten up the conversation. "I'm not so good with failure."

"Most people aren't." They stood in comfortable quiet for a moment before Lorelai asked, "So what now?" At Luke's raised eyebrows, she clarified. "What are you going to do about Nicole?"

"Oh, I uh, I filed for divorce last week."

Lorelai blinked in surprise, "You did?"

"Yeah. First thing I did the morning after I got arrested. I knew it was over. Then I went over to Litchfield and talked to Nicole—told her I knew about everything and told her I was out, that I should've been out ages ago.

"Uh, wow—how did, she take it?"

"I think she knew it wasn't going to last. I mean, she wasn't exactly happy but she wasn't shocked either…you don't cheat on someone you want to stay with, you know?"

"Yeah."

"So that's it," Luke shrugged matter-of-factly, "It's been over for a while, it's just the paperwork that's left. Nicole said she's going call in a favour and see if it can get pushed through faster but, yeah, that's it." Luke shifted uncomfortably and dropped his eyes to his shoes. Now that he'd said all of at that he wasn't quite sure how to get out the rest of what he wanted to say.

"That's it," Lorelai repeated, more to herself than to him. So, for all intents and purposes…Luke was a free man. A free man who'd maybe expressed interest in her two nights ago. A free man who she hadn't been able to stop thinking about.

"Luke—"

"So—"

They both let out a breathy chuckle. "No, you go, please," Luke said, gesturing for her to speak first.

"Uh, I was just going to ask how much you remember from the other night…"

"Why, did I do something stupid?"

"No no, I just –we talked. About some things, and I'm wondering—"

"I remember our talk."

"You do?"

"I mean I think so."

Lorelai nodded thoughtfully, pausing to gather up the courage she suddenly felt she needed. She met his eyes and spoke sincerely—knowing she was about to step out onto uneven ground, but still needing to broach the topic with him. "Well I just, wanted you to know that I, I meant what I said the other night. You're an amazing guy Luke. You have so much to offer someone. Maybe it's taking a little longer than you'd like, but it's going to happen for you, I know it will. You're gonna figure it out."

"Thanks," Luke said softly. He couldn't help but smile at the conviction in her voice. He didn't have to wonder if her words were genuine, they were, because she always was. She wasn't saying these things just to reassure him, she actually believed they were true. She believed in him…and that felt better than he'd care to admit. She'd never know how much he appreciated it, Luke thought, as he watched her fidget with the sleeve of her suit jacket. He appreciated everything about her actually. She was the best friend he'd ever had…he just didn't want that to be all they had anymore.

"I think I do have it figured out."

"Yeah?"

"I meant what I said too."

Lorelai's eyes had strayed nervously to the cuff of her sleeve. When she looked up again, she found Luke's eyes already seeking hers out, steady and unwavering. Her heartbeat sped up; her thoughts slowed. "You—"

"About you and me, going out together."

"Oh," she breathed. They were both quiet for a moment—Luke waiting for Lorelai to speak, Lorelai trying to remember how to. "I, was, uh, wondering if you would remember that…"

"Oh I remember," he said simply. "I didn't mean for it to come out that way, but—were you hoping I wouldn't?"

"Remember?" At his nod, she shook her head. "No. The opposite actually."

A hopeful smile crept its way onto Luke face. "Yeah?"

"Yeah."

"Then does that mean…" He saw her take a sharp breath as he moved a few steps closer. Gently, he took her hands in his and searched her eyes for something that told him he wasn't about to make a completely idiotic move… But he couldn't read her, and decided to just go for it—he'd already come this far… "Would you have dinner with me tonight?"

There was something about holding Luke's hands, seeing how earnestly he'd asked her out, that made her beam. As if her answer would be anything but yes. "I'd like that," she said quietly, giving his hands a squeeze.

"I would too," Luke replied, his smile now matching hers. "Lorelai?"

"Yeah?"

Luke tugged on her hands that were still in his, pulling her closer until their lips met. The kiss was gentle but firm, tentative at first, but when he started to pull away and she lingered, he changed course. He deepened the kiss and was rewarded with a soft moan that floated into his ears like a sweet melody.

After a longer moment than either of them had been prepared for, they broke apart, each trying to handle the flood of emotions coursing through their body.

"Ok," Lorelai said breathily. It was both an acknowledgment and an acceptance of what had just transpired between them.

"Ok," Luke repeated, just as out of breath as she was.

"Good."

"Good."

They shared a smile. Lorelai took the moment to trace feather-light fingers along the side of his face. She trailed over his jawline thoughtfully then grasped his chin, using it to pull him back to her. Their lips fused together in a not as gentle but just as overwhelming kiss. Luke couldn't imagine anything better until Lorelai ran her tongue over his bottom lip—and that was it—he couldn't have stopped kissing her then if he wanted to. Wouldn't stop kissing her. Not now, not when he finally had her.

Lorelai's arms moved from around his neck to his back, pulling him in closer. The length of her body brushed against his, and Luke felt lighter. Freer than he'd been in a long, long time. He smiled into her kiss. Maybe Lorelai was right, maybe he would get everything he wanted. Maybe he wasn't so pathetic after all.

-END-