Same disclaimer applies to this chapter; also, Velvet Jones belongs to Eddie Murphy/Lorne Michaels/etc.
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For a moment Rory could only stare at him. He stared right back and lifted an eyebrow in question. Then she threw open the window.
"How did you . . ." Rory began.
"A gentleman," said Jess, "never reveals his secrets."
She put a hand on her hip. "You hid in the bushes until Mom left, didn't you."
Jess merely shrugged. "Are we gonna continue to have this little moment here, or will you let me in? It's kind of chilly out here."
"Of course," Rory said mock-brightly, "I've forgotten my manners in all the fever and the random boys popping up outside my window."
"Random?" Jess clasped a hand over his heart. "I'm insulted. And please tell me I've been the only window visitor this morning."
Rory shrugged and flashed him an innocent smile. "The day's still young. Come around to the front." She'd thought about just letting him climb in the window, but that seemed subversive, somehow. As if Lorelai wouldn't be angry just so long as he wiped his feet on the mat.
When she opened the door, he found her wrapped in a quilt of horrendously clashing colors.
"What is that?" Rory pointed to the thermos in his hand.
"Chicken soup for the Gilmore soul." Jess brandished it like a trophy. "You're lucky it was the soup of the day."
"You really didn't have to do that," Rory told him, while thinking, *ugh, food*. She hadn't eaten anything since those sandwiches at the dance-a-thon. Just the thought of food was enough to . . .
Jess watched Rory's face turn several shades of green and thought fleetingly that maybe the soup hadn't been such a good idea after all. She whirled around and took off, presumably for the bathroom; he set the thermos down and followed her.
Rory dropped to her knees when she reached her destination and began retching into the toilet. Leaning over her, he pulled her loose hair out of her face and kept a warm, gentle pressure on the back of her neck. Though she was grateful for the help, Rory wanted nothing but solitude right then. She hated throwing up in the first place; the fact that she'd done it in front of Jess was mortifying.
He helped her up and sat her down on the toilet, handing her a Dixie cup of water.
"Thank you," Rory gasped, immediately following up with "I'm so sorry!"
"Don't be," Jess said with a shrug as she sipped, her face crimson. "I'd have to see you puke sooner or later -- if not now, then after the Stars Hollow Burger Battle."
"That's not till April," Rory said absently. Jess shot her an incredulous look, but she was staring off into space. He laid the back of his hand across her forehead, making her jump and look up at him.
"You really do have a fever."
"Of course I do," she snapped, irritably pushing his hand away. "You think I'd fake sick?"
"Ah, for a second I forgot who I was talking to. Forgive me, holy one." He fell to the ground at her feet, doing the best exaggerated grovel that she'd ever seen (and Lorelai had come up with some whoppers). Rory laughed, suddenly aware that she was feeling a little woozy.
"You shouldn't be here," she reproached him. "You're supposed to be at school, and my mom's not home, and . . . it's bad." Though she really, really enjoyed those chocolatey eyes looking at her with no other distractions nearby.
Jess stood up and hauled her to her feet, slipping one of her arms around his neck. She was wobbly and he doubted she'd make it back to bed on her own. "Nice to see that illness has no effect on your verbal prowess."
"Oooh, good word," said Rory with great approval.
"Exactly how much of that cough syrup did you take?" Jess wanted to know.
"Why?" She stumbled against him. "You think it's kicking in?" Giggling, she tried to kiss his cheek and managed to plant a smacking wet one on his shoulder. "Kicked in the butt by looooove."
"Okay, no more vintage SNL for Miss Gilmore."
"Who wrote the book of love? Velvet, it's as simple as that!" Rory replied, throwing her hand out and banging it against the wall. "Ow."
By the time they made it to Rory's room, she was nearly gone. Jess deposited her gently on the bed and tucked the copious amounts of blankets -- he stopped counting after four and Christ, it was only *November* -- around her still body. Kneeling beside the bed, he allowed himself the luxury of a good uninterrupted gaze into her face. It was flushed, her lips were parted slightly, and a stray lock of hair trailed across her cheek. Jess was momentarily sorry for Dean, because he'd no longer be able to gaze down at her with impunity, with the intimacy of a lover or a mother.
"Rory?" he whispered, touching her hand. Her fingers tightened briefly around his and she mumbled something that might have been "Love you." Of course, it also might have been "Lung foo" or even "La Louvre;" with this girl, it was best not to take anything for granted. And Jess made a quick, silent vow that he never would.
He sat down in her desk chair and watched her sleep.
~~~~~~~~
Author's Note: Wow, I'm so jazzed by all the responses this has gotten in such a short period of time! Thank you, guys -- I really mean that. I'm glad I was able to please :) Next up: most of what was promised in the last chapter (I'm only posting this little bit so quickly because the reviews made me so happy :)
Author's Note 2.0: I *think* I spelled "Louvre" right . . .
~~~~~~~~
For a moment Rory could only stare at him. He stared right back and lifted an eyebrow in question. Then she threw open the window.
"How did you . . ." Rory began.
"A gentleman," said Jess, "never reveals his secrets."
She put a hand on her hip. "You hid in the bushes until Mom left, didn't you."
Jess merely shrugged. "Are we gonna continue to have this little moment here, or will you let me in? It's kind of chilly out here."
"Of course," Rory said mock-brightly, "I've forgotten my manners in all the fever and the random boys popping up outside my window."
"Random?" Jess clasped a hand over his heart. "I'm insulted. And please tell me I've been the only window visitor this morning."
Rory shrugged and flashed him an innocent smile. "The day's still young. Come around to the front." She'd thought about just letting him climb in the window, but that seemed subversive, somehow. As if Lorelai wouldn't be angry just so long as he wiped his feet on the mat.
When she opened the door, he found her wrapped in a quilt of horrendously clashing colors.
"What is that?" Rory pointed to the thermos in his hand.
"Chicken soup for the Gilmore soul." Jess brandished it like a trophy. "You're lucky it was the soup of the day."
"You really didn't have to do that," Rory told him, while thinking, *ugh, food*. She hadn't eaten anything since those sandwiches at the dance-a-thon. Just the thought of food was enough to . . .
Jess watched Rory's face turn several shades of green and thought fleetingly that maybe the soup hadn't been such a good idea after all. She whirled around and took off, presumably for the bathroom; he set the thermos down and followed her.
Rory dropped to her knees when she reached her destination and began retching into the toilet. Leaning over her, he pulled her loose hair out of her face and kept a warm, gentle pressure on the back of her neck. Though she was grateful for the help, Rory wanted nothing but solitude right then. She hated throwing up in the first place; the fact that she'd done it in front of Jess was mortifying.
He helped her up and sat her down on the toilet, handing her a Dixie cup of water.
"Thank you," Rory gasped, immediately following up with "I'm so sorry!"
"Don't be," Jess said with a shrug as she sipped, her face crimson. "I'd have to see you puke sooner or later -- if not now, then after the Stars Hollow Burger Battle."
"That's not till April," Rory said absently. Jess shot her an incredulous look, but she was staring off into space. He laid the back of his hand across her forehead, making her jump and look up at him.
"You really do have a fever."
"Of course I do," she snapped, irritably pushing his hand away. "You think I'd fake sick?"
"Ah, for a second I forgot who I was talking to. Forgive me, holy one." He fell to the ground at her feet, doing the best exaggerated grovel that she'd ever seen (and Lorelai had come up with some whoppers). Rory laughed, suddenly aware that she was feeling a little woozy.
"You shouldn't be here," she reproached him. "You're supposed to be at school, and my mom's not home, and . . . it's bad." Though she really, really enjoyed those chocolatey eyes looking at her with no other distractions nearby.
Jess stood up and hauled her to her feet, slipping one of her arms around his neck. She was wobbly and he doubted she'd make it back to bed on her own. "Nice to see that illness has no effect on your verbal prowess."
"Oooh, good word," said Rory with great approval.
"Exactly how much of that cough syrup did you take?" Jess wanted to know.
"Why?" She stumbled against him. "You think it's kicking in?" Giggling, she tried to kiss his cheek and managed to plant a smacking wet one on his shoulder. "Kicked in the butt by looooove."
"Okay, no more vintage SNL for Miss Gilmore."
"Who wrote the book of love? Velvet, it's as simple as that!" Rory replied, throwing her hand out and banging it against the wall. "Ow."
By the time they made it to Rory's room, she was nearly gone. Jess deposited her gently on the bed and tucked the copious amounts of blankets -- he stopped counting after four and Christ, it was only *November* -- around her still body. Kneeling beside the bed, he allowed himself the luxury of a good uninterrupted gaze into her face. It was flushed, her lips were parted slightly, and a stray lock of hair trailed across her cheek. Jess was momentarily sorry for Dean, because he'd no longer be able to gaze down at her with impunity, with the intimacy of a lover or a mother.
"Rory?" he whispered, touching her hand. Her fingers tightened briefly around his and she mumbled something that might have been "Love you." Of course, it also might have been "Lung foo" or even "La Louvre;" with this girl, it was best not to take anything for granted. And Jess made a quick, silent vow that he never would.
He sat down in her desk chair and watched her sleep.
~~~~~~~~
Author's Note: Wow, I'm so jazzed by all the responses this has gotten in such a short period of time! Thank you, guys -- I really mean that. I'm glad I was able to please :) Next up: most of what was promised in the last chapter (I'm only posting this little bit so quickly because the reviews made me so happy :)
Author's Note 2.0: I *think* I spelled "Louvre" right . . .