A/N: Okay. Here it is. The chapter/moment you've all been waiting for. And without further ado, I give you: The Love Chapter….and standard disclaimers apply.

Nerves, Love Words and Vague Plans

"You look great," Rory assured her mother for the fifth time, watching her try on outfit after dress after outfit. She stifled a sigh as her mother dived back into the closet. A minute later she emerged with a Spanish-style dress with large roses on one layer and black lace over those. It was off the shoulder, with the hem of the skirt going from mid-thigh on one side to mid-calf on the other.

Lorelai looked at herself in the mirror. "Way, way, way too fancy!" She turned and stopped when she saw Rory closing the closet door and barricading it herself.

"Mom," Rory said, taking her mother's shoulders. "Take deep, even breaths, or you're going to hyperventilate." She nodded approvingly as Lorelai waved her hands and did as Rory said. "That outfit," Rory continued slowly, "is perfect. Really. Now." She turned Lorelai and sat her down at her vanity. "Do your makeup." She refrained from telling her mother she had ten minutes before Luke showed up at the usual time for a seven o'clock date: seven fifteen. He'd done that from the start, knowing Lorelai as he did. "I'm going to make sure Sookie leaves when I do. You know as well as I do that she'd serve the food for you if you let her."

"Yeah. Okay. Thanks." Lorelai sighed and dug into the various paints, powders and brushes.

**********

"You look fine," Jess said, turning a page of Northanger Abbey, not looking at his uncle.

"You know, it usually makes people feel better if you look at someone when you say that," Luke snapped, standing awkwardly in front of his closet in the clothes Jess had picked. He looked down at the charcoal Dockers and the off-white button-down shirt. He left the baseball hat on the dresser.

"I know how it looks," Jess said absently, tilting the book so he could write in the margin. He fought a grin when he saw Luke twisting in front of the mirror out of the corner of his eye. "Luke," he sighed. "Chill out. What are you so worked up about? It's just dinner."

"It's not at a restaurant. We've never had an in-house date. An in-house date is a big thing." He raked his hands through his hair and looked in the mirror again, skeptical. "I just don't think I should make a big deal about the whole thing. This," he added, pointing at his reflection, "is making it a big deal."

"No," Jess said. "Wearing a suit with a jacket and tie is making a big deal. This is just making more effort than jeans and flannel. Look, Luke. You've got to trust me. You look fine, Lorelai will think you look good—girls love that faux-casual look—and you guys will have fun. Not too much fun," he added, putting a stern edge to his voice. "But fun."

They were silent for a minute or two. Then Luke murmured, "Thanks," before putting on a coat and leaving.

"No problem at all," Jess murmured back to the empty room.

He closed the book and went downstairs, telling Caesar he could handle the diner. Caesar left just as Rory entered. She immediately slipped behind the counter and tied on an apron. Before he could say or do anything, Rory pulled him into a long, smacking kiss that had a few of the patrons applauding.

Jess blew out a breath when Rory pulled away with a grin on her face. "Wow," he said, returning the grin, and ignoring the slightly worrying mix of embarrassment and surprise at herself also in her expression. "Are we setting new standards for greeting now?"

"Only for everybody else," Sookie said from the counter, grinning at the couple.

Rory smiled back, her cheeks still tinted, and settled into the role of diner-girl for the night. "What can we get for you?"

**********

*Oh, god!* Lorelai screamed internally. *What am I doing? I've got to be a total idiot! I've never said, "I love you" to anyone! Well, any man. Well, romantically. I mean, yeah, they've said it to me…but what if he doesn't feel the same? Everyone could be wrong. God knows Mom doesn't know Luke at all, so she really can't be trusted. But…Rory, Sookie? They know him.* The doorbell rang, and she shrieked and whirled towards the sound.

"Lorelai?" Luke asked from the other side of the door, sounding worried.

"Oh," she said, watching him come in. "I thought I just saw a mouse. Turned out it was a wadded-up sock." She laughed, nervously. "Wow," she said, finally noticing his clothes when he took off his jacket and hung it up. "I like the clothes. Very nice." She smiled then, feeling some of her nerves slip away. *I can do this,* Lorelai thought now, with growing confidence. *I mean, it's Luke. He's great. He's cute as all get-out, especially when you can see his eyes. He's so handy, and…he kisses…well, really, really good.*

She stepped towards him, giving his eyes time to rake over her before she pulled him to her for a kiss. His arms twined around her waist and pulled her onto her toes. The kiss lasted for a few minutes before she pulled back and said, "Wait until you see what Sookie made for us."

"Just let me fix my own plate, okay?" Luke asked jokingly.

"Oh, fine, be a spoilsport." They hooked their arms together and went back to the kitchen. Lorelai had lighted candles that flickered over a table laden with dishes. Two plates were set on one side of the table. "I thought about all those 'romantic' dinners everyone has set up, and they always sit the people on opposite sides of the table," Lorelai babbled, beginning to dish food before she even sat down. "And I keep thinking, what's romantic about being on the other side of the table from someone? Isn't it better to be right next to each other?" She pulled a lid off a pot and made a face. "This is yours. Sookie made you some vegetable stew, and a tofu stir-fry. I think that's it." She pointed at a platter. "There's also some veggie burgers, and anything else you could possibly want."

"Lorelai," Luke said. "Come on, sit down." He pulled her chair out for her out of habit, and she slid into it. She looked up to thank him, and found her mouth claimed by his. She put a hand to his cheek as he pulled away. "Thank you," she said quietly.

"You're welcome," he said. He sat and dished himself some stir-fry. He tasted it, and loved it. Soon his plate was bare, while Lorelai still had most of the chicken that smelled strongly of garlic on her plate. "Is everything okay?" he asked. "You're not eating much."

"No, I'm fine," Lorelai answered quickly. "Really. Great. I just want to make sure there's leftovers. You know, for Rory." Luke nodded, and spooned another bite of crisped peapod into his mouth. "I want this recipe," Luke said simply.

"I'll ask Sookie for it tomorrow."

"Thanks."

"Sure."

Lorelai picked up her fork and began to pick at her food. "Okay," Luke said, putting down his own fork and turning in his chair to look at her. She turned also, until their knees were intertwined. "What's wrong?" he took her hands, and gazed into her eyes, searching for the cause of these nerves. Her hands were shaking.

Lorelai looked at him for a long moment, staring into those deep blue eyes, and feeling her own start to tear up. "I love you," she blurted, then began crying.

Luke felt the shock reverberate through him. "That's what's wrong?" he asked numbly.

"No, no, no! That's not wrong! Oh! I wanted to wait for the right time!" Lorelai pounded the table in half-hearted frustration. "But I have no idea what the 'right time' was! I know I was going to tell you tonight. I do know that, I planned that. But I can see that was a dumb thing to do."

"No," Luke said, brushing away a tear gently with the pad of his thumb. "No, not dumb."

She ignored him. "I mean, everyone can't be right. Why would you love me? I'm so neurotic I sometimes annoy myself, and as for the coffee thing—"

"But everyone is right," Luke said quietly, but it stopped her ranting. She stared at him. "They're right. I do love you. Even Rachel saw it. She told me not to wait too long to make a move."

"Oh, Luke," Lorelai said. "I'm so sorry. I didn't want to come between you—"

"No," Luke said sharply. "If anything, she came between us. And she knew it. I knew it, too, but I didn't think you'd want me."

"Why wouldn't anyone want you?" Lorelai demanded, her voice as sharp as his. "What idiot wouldn't want someone as sweet as you? You're a successful business owner, you're responsible for a difficult teenage boy—the only family he can count on—you care about people's health enough to yell at them, and most important of all, you took over the male role in a young girl's life when she needed it. Anyone would be lucky to have you."

"You," Luke said, pointing at her, "are exactly the same. Come on. You came here, sixteen, broke, without a job, and a baby attached to you, and you made quite a life for yourself. I'd say anyone would be lucky to have you."

"Wow," Lorelai said. "That's so sweet, I think I'm going to cry again." She bit her lip until she controlled it. "Enough of this mutual compliment-fest. Let's try this again. Luke Danes, I love you."

"Lorelai Gilmore, I love you, too."

Lorelai dove at him, nearly tipping his chair onto the floor in her enthusiasm. They laughed as they rolled and kissed in pure joy on the kitchen floor, until the laughter quieted into the touches and pleasures of love.

**********

Somehow, before midnight they made it up to Lorelai's bed. Luke stroked her arm lightly, making her shiver in delight. "So," he said, then kissed her temple almost absently. "What are we going to do now?"

"I don't know. What's the next step usually?"

"I think moving in together is the new custom. But that could be—"

Lorelai finished for him when he groped for words. "A little awkward, what with Rory and Jess being involved. I don't know. Maybe we should hold off on it. I mean, maybe we could wait until Rory's off at college." She fought back sadness at that. "Jess, too. Then if could be just you and me."

"By that time we'd be ready to get married," Luke joked, but was only half-kidding. He expected Lorelai to freak out, given her recent experience with Max. But she simply turned to him, smiling slyly.

"Maybe we would be," she murmured, then traced his lips with her fingertips.

"Maybe you would want to have more kids. With me." Luke looked sort of…wistful. "Don't get me wrong," he said hastily. "I love Rory like a daughter, I really do."

"I believe you've showed that in a hundred different ways already," Lorelai agreed quietly.

"But…I wouldn't mind if you wanted more kids," he said finally, quickly.

Lorelai just smiled slowly. "They'd be tall, you realize," she said. "Tall, with dark hair and blue eyes."

"Yeah," Luke sighed, and pulled her close again. "But this is all a few years away. We can wait. They can wait," he added almost under his breath.

"Yeah," Lorelai said, and kissed him again.