The door shut behind Miss Patty, and Luke let out a sigh as he slid the
lock into place.
"You look tired," Lorelai observed.
He rubbed his hands over his face and through his hair. "Yeah, well, it's been a long day." He took in another deep breath and let it out slowly, feeling some of the tension of the past week seep out of his body. "Thanks again for all your help with the diner."
"Hey, I told you. It's no problem. I live to serve, especially when it involves yelling at people in diner slang."
"You know, you got way too into that," he said.
She smirked at him. "I liked it better when you were thanking me."
"Nothing lasts forever. Where did Rory go?" A leftover plate of cheese and cold cuts caught his attention, and he settled into a chair and grabbed a cube.
"I think she went upstairs after Jess, muttering something about 'town spirit' and Arbor Day."
Luke chuckled. "He's not going to know what hit him."
"Hey," she said. "Are you implying that my daughter is pushy?"
He shrugged and reached for a slice of ham. "She's her mother's daughter."
Lorelai stepped around the counter and sat in a chair next to him. "We are not pushy. Gimme that ham."
He stared at her; she stared back and decided that the battle wasn't worth it. They sat in silence for a few minutes, with the faint murmur of the television drifting down the stairs.
"What did your mom want?" he asked.
He'd caught her with a mouthful; she choked a little, then managed to swallow. "Excuse me?"
"Earlier. Your mom was here? Left muttering something about the Romanovs?"
"Oh. That." He watched as her expression tightened a little, the way it always did when her mother was around, or being discussed, or within a ten- mile radius. "Nothing. Just the usual combination guilt trip and martyr complex."
"That still doesn't explain why she was looking at me funny."
"Funny?"
"Definitely funny. As a matter of fact, she's always looked at me like that."
Lorelai shook her head a little, but it wasn't a denial. "Well, she…okay, this is funny. You're going to laugh. And that's good, right? Laughter's the best medicine, and you've had kind of a rough time lately, what with the funeral"
He interrupted before she could work herself up into a full-fledged frenzy. "Lorelai. Stop. Breathe. Talk."
She took a deep breath and refused to meet his eyes. "She's got this crazy idea that you and I are…you know. Involved."
"Huh."
"Huh? What does that mean?"
"Doesn't mean anything. That's why it's not actually a word. It's just 'huh'."
She laughed nervously. "Funny. Very funny. You're a funny guy. That's the only reaction you have?"
He stopped for a moment and thought about it. Thought about his uncle, who no one had liked, who had died alone and basically unloved.
Then he leaned forward, slid a hand around the back of Lorelai's neck, and kissed her. She froze for a second, which wasn't real flattering, but after a second, she leaned into him and kissed him back. Her lips were soft, and she smelled nice, and when he threaded his other hand into her hair, she made a soft, pleased sound and leaned in a little further.
He pulled back after a few more seconds and smiled at the slightly dazed expression on her face.
" I didn't expect that to be your reaction," she said.
"I know," he said. "That's why I did it."
--End--
"You look tired," Lorelai observed.
He rubbed his hands over his face and through his hair. "Yeah, well, it's been a long day." He took in another deep breath and let it out slowly, feeling some of the tension of the past week seep out of his body. "Thanks again for all your help with the diner."
"Hey, I told you. It's no problem. I live to serve, especially when it involves yelling at people in diner slang."
"You know, you got way too into that," he said.
She smirked at him. "I liked it better when you were thanking me."
"Nothing lasts forever. Where did Rory go?" A leftover plate of cheese and cold cuts caught his attention, and he settled into a chair and grabbed a cube.
"I think she went upstairs after Jess, muttering something about 'town spirit' and Arbor Day."
Luke chuckled. "He's not going to know what hit him."
"Hey," she said. "Are you implying that my daughter is pushy?"
He shrugged and reached for a slice of ham. "She's her mother's daughter."
Lorelai stepped around the counter and sat in a chair next to him. "We are not pushy. Gimme that ham."
He stared at her; she stared back and decided that the battle wasn't worth it. They sat in silence for a few minutes, with the faint murmur of the television drifting down the stairs.
"What did your mom want?" he asked.
He'd caught her with a mouthful; she choked a little, then managed to swallow. "Excuse me?"
"Earlier. Your mom was here? Left muttering something about the Romanovs?"
"Oh. That." He watched as her expression tightened a little, the way it always did when her mother was around, or being discussed, or within a ten- mile radius. "Nothing. Just the usual combination guilt trip and martyr complex."
"That still doesn't explain why she was looking at me funny."
"Funny?"
"Definitely funny. As a matter of fact, she's always looked at me like that."
Lorelai shook her head a little, but it wasn't a denial. "Well, she…okay, this is funny. You're going to laugh. And that's good, right? Laughter's the best medicine, and you've had kind of a rough time lately, what with the funeral"
He interrupted before she could work herself up into a full-fledged frenzy. "Lorelai. Stop. Breathe. Talk."
She took a deep breath and refused to meet his eyes. "She's got this crazy idea that you and I are…you know. Involved."
"Huh."
"Huh? What does that mean?"
"Doesn't mean anything. That's why it's not actually a word. It's just 'huh'."
She laughed nervously. "Funny. Very funny. You're a funny guy. That's the only reaction you have?"
He stopped for a moment and thought about it. Thought about his uncle, who no one had liked, who had died alone and basically unloved.
Then he leaned forward, slid a hand around the back of Lorelai's neck, and kissed her. She froze for a second, which wasn't real flattering, but after a second, she leaned into him and kissed him back. Her lips were soft, and she smelled nice, and when he threaded his other hand into her hair, she made a soft, pleased sound and leaned in a little further.
He pulled back after a few more seconds and smiled at the slightly dazed expression on her face.
" I didn't expect that to be your reaction," she said.
"I know," he said. "That's why I did it."
--End--