That Certain Something
Chapter 2: The Beginning of Something New
Summary: L/L! This season hasn't really happened in the world where this fan fic takes place. Previously, (chapter 1) Lorelai decided not to marry Max when her mother suggested the possibility of Luke having feelings for her. This chapter—Lorelai asks Luke about Max. It isn't his answer that shocks her, it's what she, herself, does in response.
Disclaimer: Still have no rights to anyone whatsoever, or the chuppa, or the fact that Lorelai and Max were ever together (if I did, they would have broken up completely the first time!).
A/N: Thanks for the reviews. I love reading them! If you haven't reviewed yet, I'd love to hear from you too! Also, this chapter takes place three months after the wedding. Selected parts and/or sentences are taken from or derive from the actual show (Sookie says something that was in the 'Romeo and Juliet' episode which title I can't think of right now, etc)
__________
"Hey, Sookie. Coffee?" Lorelai asked, walking through the door to the kitchen at the Inn.
"In the pot." She said, pointing, but not looking up. When she finished washing the strawberries she was holding she found a mug for Lorelai. "Sorry. I thought there was a mug there."
"Thanks." Lorelai said, filling it.
"So, what are you doing tonight?"
"I think I'm going to hang with Luke."
"Oh, really?" She asked, lifting her eyebrows and smirking.
Lorelai threw her a look, "Yes. I told him I was sick of spending my Saturday nights alone and he asked me to come over."
"Ooh…like a date?" Sookie giggled.
"No! We're just going to hang out, play a few hands of poker…that kind of thing."
"It's been three months, Lorelai. It's okay to want to date again."
"I'm not sure that I want to get into a relationship with Luke…"
"You don't want to see it, do you?"
"See what?" Lorelai asked, defensively.
"You don't want to see what is right there. You haven't *wanted* to see it. He *loves* you…he's loved you for the longest time. Don't you see how he looks at you? He looks out for you, too. You and Rory. You're everything to—"
"Sookie," she interrupted.
"Why won't you just give him a chance? Didn't you tell me that it was because of him that you didn't go through with the wedding?"
"Uh…"
"Isn't he the one that is always there to cheer you up, and is willing to drive you to the hospital when your father's sick, and puts Dean into a headlock because he hurt your daughter. It's *right there,* Lorelai. It'll always be right there. You just have to look in his eyes."
__________
"Hey." Lorelai said, walking through the diner door. She was curious if Sookie was right. She'd asked Rory what she thought and she had shrugged, saying that everyone knew there was something between them, even if they kept denying it.
"Hey." He answered. He held out a paper cup of coffee. "I saw you coming in."
"Ah. Thanks."
"So, are you ready to have your ass kicked at poker?" He joked. She smiled.
"I'd put money on that not happening."
"But not your daily coffee?"
"I'm not *that* good."
He smiled as she drank her coffee slowly. She looked at him from the brim of her cup. His eyes were sparkling happily. He looked away quickly.
"Let me just finish closing up."
"Sure." She turned around on her stool and watched him carefully, thinking about what Sookie had said. He *had* always been there for her, he adored Rory, he helped her as often as he could, he'd made her a *chuppa* for her and a man she was sure he didn't even like. He'd also held her when she'd cried at the hospital, where Luke had brought her even though he'd had a diner full of customers, and again the day after the wedding when she'd cried because she'd thought she'd made a mistake. But did he love her?
Lorelai wasn't positive that she even knew what love felt like anymore…well, the love between a man and a woman. She knew that with Max it hadn't been true love or it would have lasted forever. Maybe that was just a fairy tale. She didn't know that either.
It was easier to believe that her was not in love with Luke than it was to believe that she was. They had been friends for what felt like forever and he had become a confidant of hers. She wouldn't know what to do without him, had that situation ever come up. She gave up marital bliss for the possibility of "something" with him. If only she could believe that those feelings could happen between them; that Luke could love her.
Her eyes followed him into the back room. He had gotten himself a beer and the deck of cards. Lorelai was still savoring her coffee.
"All right, five card stud. Jokers and deuces wild." He divided the poker chips, handing her half and then dealt the cards. "Ante."
__________
They played for close to two hours, when Lorelai finally said that she had to head home. Luke offered to walk her home and she had agreed. They walked slowly, talking about nothing in particular. When they reached her porch he turned to her.
"I had a really good time tonight." Lorelai said, smiling.
"Me too."
"If you're ever willing to get rid of some more of your money, I'd be happy to play with you."
"You didn't win *that* much."
"Well, for sitting around drinking coffee and laughing with a good friend I think twenty five dollars is pretty good."
"Yeah, well…" He shrugged, smiling. His eyes were sparkling again, when she looked into them, but he didn't turn away this time.
"Can I ask you a question?"
"Yeah?"
"Did you like Max?"
"What?"
"Did you like him?"
"Truthfully?"
"Yes."
"No. I…uh…I thought that he would hurt you. He did."
"No, I stopped the wedding."
"But it was because he didn't make you feel the way you wanted to feel." He said, quickly. Her response was just as fast. She wanted an honest answer. She didn't want to give him time to think.
"How do I want to feel?"
"Loved. Happy. Safe."
"And where would I find that?"
"With…" He paused. She knew that he had finally realized that he wasn't thinking about what he was saying. She had almost gotten him to say that he would give her that *something* that Max hadn't given her.
Lorelai thought about the words she wanted to say next. Daringly, "With…you?"
He didn't answer her right away. "I—" She didn't let him finish. Holding his gaze, she stepped closer to him and leaned her mouth against his. The kiss was light. She thought that he might pull back for a second. He didn't. He touched his hand to her cheek and ended the kiss. They didn't pull back right away; instead Luke rested his lips against hers though he didn't kiss her. She could feel his breath moving past her cheek, shakily. Suddenly, he kissed her again.
His kiss was full of passion. She knew then that Sookie had been right about his feelings for her. Her knees grew weak and she wrapped her arms around his neck. He clutched her to him, drawing her close. She could feel his heart beating against her chest, the warmth of his body pressed against hers. Her heart leaped with every moment she spent in his arms, a feeling of warmth spread down her spine and through her body.
Finally, he pulled back. He said, "I've wanted to do that for a long time."
"I think I have, too."
He kissed her a final time, softly, before he she hesitantly drew away from him.
"Goodnight," she said quietly, a smile spreading slowly over her face. "I'll see you tomorrow?"
He nodded. "Goodnight."
Chapter 2: The Beginning of Something New
Summary: L/L! This season hasn't really happened in the world where this fan fic takes place. Previously, (chapter 1) Lorelai decided not to marry Max when her mother suggested the possibility of Luke having feelings for her. This chapter—Lorelai asks Luke about Max. It isn't his answer that shocks her, it's what she, herself, does in response.
Disclaimer: Still have no rights to anyone whatsoever, or the chuppa, or the fact that Lorelai and Max were ever together (if I did, they would have broken up completely the first time!).
A/N: Thanks for the reviews. I love reading them! If you haven't reviewed yet, I'd love to hear from you too! Also, this chapter takes place three months after the wedding. Selected parts and/or sentences are taken from or derive from the actual show (Sookie says something that was in the 'Romeo and Juliet' episode which title I can't think of right now, etc)
__________
"Hey, Sookie. Coffee?" Lorelai asked, walking through the door to the kitchen at the Inn.
"In the pot." She said, pointing, but not looking up. When she finished washing the strawberries she was holding she found a mug for Lorelai. "Sorry. I thought there was a mug there."
"Thanks." Lorelai said, filling it.
"So, what are you doing tonight?"
"I think I'm going to hang with Luke."
"Oh, really?" She asked, lifting her eyebrows and smirking.
Lorelai threw her a look, "Yes. I told him I was sick of spending my Saturday nights alone and he asked me to come over."
"Ooh…like a date?" Sookie giggled.
"No! We're just going to hang out, play a few hands of poker…that kind of thing."
"It's been three months, Lorelai. It's okay to want to date again."
"I'm not sure that I want to get into a relationship with Luke…"
"You don't want to see it, do you?"
"See what?" Lorelai asked, defensively.
"You don't want to see what is right there. You haven't *wanted* to see it. He *loves* you…he's loved you for the longest time. Don't you see how he looks at you? He looks out for you, too. You and Rory. You're everything to—"
"Sookie," she interrupted.
"Why won't you just give him a chance? Didn't you tell me that it was because of him that you didn't go through with the wedding?"
"Uh…"
"Isn't he the one that is always there to cheer you up, and is willing to drive you to the hospital when your father's sick, and puts Dean into a headlock because he hurt your daughter. It's *right there,* Lorelai. It'll always be right there. You just have to look in his eyes."
__________
"Hey." Lorelai said, walking through the diner door. She was curious if Sookie was right. She'd asked Rory what she thought and she had shrugged, saying that everyone knew there was something between them, even if they kept denying it.
"Hey." He answered. He held out a paper cup of coffee. "I saw you coming in."
"Ah. Thanks."
"So, are you ready to have your ass kicked at poker?" He joked. She smiled.
"I'd put money on that not happening."
"But not your daily coffee?"
"I'm not *that* good."
He smiled as she drank her coffee slowly. She looked at him from the brim of her cup. His eyes were sparkling happily. He looked away quickly.
"Let me just finish closing up."
"Sure." She turned around on her stool and watched him carefully, thinking about what Sookie had said. He *had* always been there for her, he adored Rory, he helped her as often as he could, he'd made her a *chuppa* for her and a man she was sure he didn't even like. He'd also held her when she'd cried at the hospital, where Luke had brought her even though he'd had a diner full of customers, and again the day after the wedding when she'd cried because she'd thought she'd made a mistake. But did he love her?
Lorelai wasn't positive that she even knew what love felt like anymore…well, the love between a man and a woman. She knew that with Max it hadn't been true love or it would have lasted forever. Maybe that was just a fairy tale. She didn't know that either.
It was easier to believe that her was not in love with Luke than it was to believe that she was. They had been friends for what felt like forever and he had become a confidant of hers. She wouldn't know what to do without him, had that situation ever come up. She gave up marital bliss for the possibility of "something" with him. If only she could believe that those feelings could happen between them; that Luke could love her.
Her eyes followed him into the back room. He had gotten himself a beer and the deck of cards. Lorelai was still savoring her coffee.
"All right, five card stud. Jokers and deuces wild." He divided the poker chips, handing her half and then dealt the cards. "Ante."
__________
They played for close to two hours, when Lorelai finally said that she had to head home. Luke offered to walk her home and she had agreed. They walked slowly, talking about nothing in particular. When they reached her porch he turned to her.
"I had a really good time tonight." Lorelai said, smiling.
"Me too."
"If you're ever willing to get rid of some more of your money, I'd be happy to play with you."
"You didn't win *that* much."
"Well, for sitting around drinking coffee and laughing with a good friend I think twenty five dollars is pretty good."
"Yeah, well…" He shrugged, smiling. His eyes were sparkling again, when she looked into them, but he didn't turn away this time.
"Can I ask you a question?"
"Yeah?"
"Did you like Max?"
"What?"
"Did you like him?"
"Truthfully?"
"Yes."
"No. I…uh…I thought that he would hurt you. He did."
"No, I stopped the wedding."
"But it was because he didn't make you feel the way you wanted to feel." He said, quickly. Her response was just as fast. She wanted an honest answer. She didn't want to give him time to think.
"How do I want to feel?"
"Loved. Happy. Safe."
"And where would I find that?"
"With…" He paused. She knew that he had finally realized that he wasn't thinking about what he was saying. She had almost gotten him to say that he would give her that *something* that Max hadn't given her.
Lorelai thought about the words she wanted to say next. Daringly, "With…you?"
He didn't answer her right away. "I—" She didn't let him finish. Holding his gaze, she stepped closer to him and leaned her mouth against his. The kiss was light. She thought that he might pull back for a second. He didn't. He touched his hand to her cheek and ended the kiss. They didn't pull back right away; instead Luke rested his lips against hers though he didn't kiss her. She could feel his breath moving past her cheek, shakily. Suddenly, he kissed her again.
His kiss was full of passion. She knew then that Sookie had been right about his feelings for her. Her knees grew weak and she wrapped her arms around his neck. He clutched her to him, drawing her close. She could feel his heart beating against her chest, the warmth of his body pressed against hers. Her heart leaped with every moment she spent in his arms, a feeling of warmth spread down her spine and through her body.
Finally, he pulled back. He said, "I've wanted to do that for a long time."
"I think I have, too."
He kissed her a final time, softly, before he she hesitantly drew away from him.
"Goodnight," she said quietly, a smile spreading slowly over her face. "I'll see you tomorrow?"
He nodded. "Goodnight."