"Revolving Satellites Redux" by Gluglug
Chapter Nine: Love, Truth and Honesty
Spoiler Warning/Timing: Mid - Third Season
Rating: PG -13
Disclaimer: Gilmore Girls and all characters are property of The Dubba Dubba Dubba WB, Dorothy Parker Drank Here Productions and Amy Sherman- Palladino. They don't belong to me, just borrowing.
Summary: Luke and Nicole have a talk about their relationship
That same night, it was almost midnight and Luke was driving home from his date. He was thinking about everything that had happened that evening and he was emotionally and physically drained. After going for a drive to clear his head, he decided to push what had happened with Lorelai out of his mind and tried to focus on Nicole.
They had reservations at a romantic restaurant and afterwards Nicole invited him back to her place, being the fourth date and all. They were fooling around on her couch but as things heated up, visions of Lorelai kept popping into Luke's head. The more he tried not to think about her, the more intense they became. Before he did something embarrassing and stupid like call out the wrong name, Luke decided to halt Nicole's amorous advances. He sat up on the couch and tried to calm himself. Nicole was taken a little aback by his behavior.
"Luke, what's wrong?"
"Nicole, I need to ask you something."
"What do you need to know?"
Luke was never one to mince words. "I need to know if I can trust you."
"Luke, I'd like to think so."
"Well, um, I'm having some doubts. You see, I heard about your little chat today with Lorelai at the soda shop. I want to know why you felt the need to talk to her behind my back."
Nicole sighed, her heart sinking. Damn that Lorelai, she hadn't counted on her telling him.
"Luke, I'm sorry I went behind your back, but I'm falling for you and I really want us to have a future together. But if Lorelai is in the picture, I don't think that can happen. I just wanted to make it clear to her that you're mine now."
"I thought I was clear, Nicole. I wish you would've just left things alone."
"But I had to find out for myself. Remember when I asked you about her? You got all uncomfortable, and it wasn't just because I used a word you don't like. Lorelai told me that you two never dated, but I swear, you should've seen the look on her face when she was talking about you. She's in love with you, even if she's in denial."
"She's not in denial."
"What?"
"Lorelai told me tonight that she has feelings for me."
"When?"
"Right before our date, I brought her some soup and she told me."
"Why were you bringing her soup? She looked perfectly healthy when I saw her."
"Well, apparently her egg cream or whatever didn't agree with her."
Nicole rolled her eyes. "Oh, please I bet she just faked a stomach ache so you'd come running, like you always do whenever she bats her eyelashes. 'Oh Luke, fix my porch, oh Luke, I'm out of coffee, bring me some? Luke, why don't you clean out my gutters? Oh and bring your toolbox so I can name all your tools?'"
Luke was annoyed. "Nicole, just stop it, ok? I get the point."
"Did you ever stop and think about why you do all those things for her? I've tried to pretend that we can get around this, but I can't do this. You say you have a problem trusting me because of what I did today. Well, you know what? I can't be with a guy who's not honest with himself and the way he feels."
Luke realized that they both had trust issues to deal with. "Nicole, I'm sorry.."
"Me, too Luke. I really thought we could have something great but after all I've been through I need to be in a relationship with someone I can trust."
"What do you mean, after all you've been through?"
"Luke, now that we're being honest...I lied to you on our first date when you asked me if I was ever engaged or married. I was engaged once. You see, I found my fiancé in bed with a female friend. He had claimed all along that they were platonic but in my gut I had a feeling. I had the same feeling with you and Lorelai. I hate talking about it because it was so painful and our first date was so much fun I didn't want to be a downer."
Luke felt a little guilty for his comments to Lorelai earlier in the evening. "Gee Nicole, I had no idea. I'm sorry this keeps happening to you."
"So you admit that your feelings for Lorelai aren't so platonic?"
"Yeah, I guess so." He sighed. "Hey, since we're being honest. Um, I've had feelings for her for a while but we've never quite got it together, I guess it's always been a timing thing." He took a deep breath. "I know this sounds bad, but the reason I initially asked you out was that she had started seeing someone and I was tired of waiting around. When you first came into the diner, I felt a spark so I thought - what the hell have I got to lose?"
"Me."
"Yeah, I realize that now. I'm sorry if I hurt you, Nicole. I've had a good time getting to know you the past few weeks and I feel really crappy about how all this turned out."
Nicole nodded, some tears welling up in her eyes, but she wiped them away. "I've enjoyed myself, too. My only consolation is that I'd feel even worse if we kept dating, and at least I never walked in on the two of you doing the nasty."
He chuckled. "Be thankful for the little things, right?" He got up from her couch. "I guess I should be going."
"Yeah, and tell Lorelai she better know how lucky she is."
"I will." He smiled. "Hey, will I be seeing you around Stars Hollow?"
"Probably not, my month with Taylor ended last Friday, so one of my colleagues should be available if there are any issues with the soda shop. You can call my office if you need assistance."
"Well, maybe with your next client, you'll meet some guy who doesn't have a "platonic" friend hanging around all the time."
"I should be so lucky."
Luke remembered how it felt to embrace Nicole for the last time right before he left her apartment. When he had pulled away he felt regret, but nothing like the sadness he felt earlier that evening when he let go of Lorelai. He looked at his watch, it was already Sunday morning, too late to drop by. Besides, he really needed some sleep.
Luke pulled up to the diner and got out of his truck. As he got closer to his apartment, he noticed something by the back door. It was Bert, he realized he had forgotten to take him earlier that evening.
Luke also noticed that there was a letter sized package sticking out of the toolbox, wrapped in tissue paper. He picked it up and noticed an attached envelope. When he saw a picture of Garfield on it, he smiled and brought the items inside with him.
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A/N: After the angst fest over the past few chapters, I didn't want this breakup to be too painful. See, it turns out that Nicole didn't lie to Lorelai after all. But, she had lied to Luke, which is the reason they shouldn't be together.
The title of this chapter comes from a late 80s Bananarama song - I'm more of a fan of their early 80s stuff (apparently so is Lorelai), but it fit.
I had considered having Luke repeat Lorelai's mistake from chapter two, but that would've been really cheesy and I'm trying to keep that to a minimum. My next challenge is to make the next chapter or two not cheesy. I have a dairy allergy, too :- )
Chapter Nine: Love, Truth and Honesty
Spoiler Warning/Timing: Mid - Third Season
Rating: PG -13
Disclaimer: Gilmore Girls and all characters are property of The Dubba Dubba Dubba WB, Dorothy Parker Drank Here Productions and Amy Sherman- Palladino. They don't belong to me, just borrowing.
Summary: Luke and Nicole have a talk about their relationship
That same night, it was almost midnight and Luke was driving home from his date. He was thinking about everything that had happened that evening and he was emotionally and physically drained. After going for a drive to clear his head, he decided to push what had happened with Lorelai out of his mind and tried to focus on Nicole.
They had reservations at a romantic restaurant and afterwards Nicole invited him back to her place, being the fourth date and all. They were fooling around on her couch but as things heated up, visions of Lorelai kept popping into Luke's head. The more he tried not to think about her, the more intense they became. Before he did something embarrassing and stupid like call out the wrong name, Luke decided to halt Nicole's amorous advances. He sat up on the couch and tried to calm himself. Nicole was taken a little aback by his behavior.
"Luke, what's wrong?"
"Nicole, I need to ask you something."
"What do you need to know?"
Luke was never one to mince words. "I need to know if I can trust you."
"Luke, I'd like to think so."
"Well, um, I'm having some doubts. You see, I heard about your little chat today with Lorelai at the soda shop. I want to know why you felt the need to talk to her behind my back."
Nicole sighed, her heart sinking. Damn that Lorelai, she hadn't counted on her telling him.
"Luke, I'm sorry I went behind your back, but I'm falling for you and I really want us to have a future together. But if Lorelai is in the picture, I don't think that can happen. I just wanted to make it clear to her that you're mine now."
"I thought I was clear, Nicole. I wish you would've just left things alone."
"But I had to find out for myself. Remember when I asked you about her? You got all uncomfortable, and it wasn't just because I used a word you don't like. Lorelai told me that you two never dated, but I swear, you should've seen the look on her face when she was talking about you. She's in love with you, even if she's in denial."
"She's not in denial."
"What?"
"Lorelai told me tonight that she has feelings for me."
"When?"
"Right before our date, I brought her some soup and she told me."
"Why were you bringing her soup? She looked perfectly healthy when I saw her."
"Well, apparently her egg cream or whatever didn't agree with her."
Nicole rolled her eyes. "Oh, please I bet she just faked a stomach ache so you'd come running, like you always do whenever she bats her eyelashes. 'Oh Luke, fix my porch, oh Luke, I'm out of coffee, bring me some? Luke, why don't you clean out my gutters? Oh and bring your toolbox so I can name all your tools?'"
Luke was annoyed. "Nicole, just stop it, ok? I get the point."
"Did you ever stop and think about why you do all those things for her? I've tried to pretend that we can get around this, but I can't do this. You say you have a problem trusting me because of what I did today. Well, you know what? I can't be with a guy who's not honest with himself and the way he feels."
Luke realized that they both had trust issues to deal with. "Nicole, I'm sorry.."
"Me, too Luke. I really thought we could have something great but after all I've been through I need to be in a relationship with someone I can trust."
"What do you mean, after all you've been through?"
"Luke, now that we're being honest...I lied to you on our first date when you asked me if I was ever engaged or married. I was engaged once. You see, I found my fiancé in bed with a female friend. He had claimed all along that they were platonic but in my gut I had a feeling. I had the same feeling with you and Lorelai. I hate talking about it because it was so painful and our first date was so much fun I didn't want to be a downer."
Luke felt a little guilty for his comments to Lorelai earlier in the evening. "Gee Nicole, I had no idea. I'm sorry this keeps happening to you."
"So you admit that your feelings for Lorelai aren't so platonic?"
"Yeah, I guess so." He sighed. "Hey, since we're being honest. Um, I've had feelings for her for a while but we've never quite got it together, I guess it's always been a timing thing." He took a deep breath. "I know this sounds bad, but the reason I initially asked you out was that she had started seeing someone and I was tired of waiting around. When you first came into the diner, I felt a spark so I thought - what the hell have I got to lose?"
"Me."
"Yeah, I realize that now. I'm sorry if I hurt you, Nicole. I've had a good time getting to know you the past few weeks and I feel really crappy about how all this turned out."
Nicole nodded, some tears welling up in her eyes, but she wiped them away. "I've enjoyed myself, too. My only consolation is that I'd feel even worse if we kept dating, and at least I never walked in on the two of you doing the nasty."
He chuckled. "Be thankful for the little things, right?" He got up from her couch. "I guess I should be going."
"Yeah, and tell Lorelai she better know how lucky she is."
"I will." He smiled. "Hey, will I be seeing you around Stars Hollow?"
"Probably not, my month with Taylor ended last Friday, so one of my colleagues should be available if there are any issues with the soda shop. You can call my office if you need assistance."
"Well, maybe with your next client, you'll meet some guy who doesn't have a "platonic" friend hanging around all the time."
"I should be so lucky."
Luke remembered how it felt to embrace Nicole for the last time right before he left her apartment. When he had pulled away he felt regret, but nothing like the sadness he felt earlier that evening when he let go of Lorelai. He looked at his watch, it was already Sunday morning, too late to drop by. Besides, he really needed some sleep.
Luke pulled up to the diner and got out of his truck. As he got closer to his apartment, he noticed something by the back door. It was Bert, he realized he had forgotten to take him earlier that evening.
Luke also noticed that there was a letter sized package sticking out of the toolbox, wrapped in tissue paper. He picked it up and noticed an attached envelope. When he saw a picture of Garfield on it, he smiled and brought the items inside with him.
---------------------------------------------------------------------------- ---------------------------------------------------
A/N: After the angst fest over the past few chapters, I didn't want this breakup to be too painful. See, it turns out that Nicole didn't lie to Lorelai after all. But, she had lied to Luke, which is the reason they shouldn't be together.
The title of this chapter comes from a late 80s Bananarama song - I'm more of a fan of their early 80s stuff (apparently so is Lorelai), but it fit.
I had considered having Luke repeat Lorelai's mistake from chapter two, but that would've been really cheesy and I'm trying to keep that to a minimum. My next challenge is to make the next chapter or two not cheesy. I have a dairy allergy, too :- )