Hey guys, thanks for checking this out! I hope this JavaJunkie makes up
for my Trory/JavaJunkie, I'm With You, which I haven't added onto in
forever, but I plan to soon. Anyway, I hope you like! The second chapter
will be up soon. Please review!
Disclaimer : I neither claim to nor own anything except my awesome Paul Frank pajama pants and a cute furry hat that makes me feel very J.Lo. All characters belong to Amy Sherman-Palladino (who is a goddess, of course) and all those other people.
Luke wiped down the counter, watching the door for Rory and Lorelai. She was leaving today, Rory. He didn't know what Lorelai was going to do. Luke was going to miss her too. She was practically his daughter, and they all knew it. His eyes followed as they rounded the corner and entered the diner. Both of their faces were red from crying. They settled for a side table next to the window.
He tried to be nonchalant as he made his way around the counter to their table. He cleared his voice and poured their coffee. "Hey."
"Morning Luke." Lorelai answered softly, looking up at him gratefully.
"Thanks." Rory chimed in.
"Do you guys want anything else?"
"Not really."
"No."
"Okay," Luke replied gently, "Call me if you need anything." He walked into the kitchen and grabbed Kirk's egg white omelet with bacon.
He had known today would be different, but it was still a shock for them to not want food.
He set the plate down, refilled Kirk's mug, and threw seven Equal's toward him. Jess came barging down the stairs, stopping abruptly when he saw Rory. He stared at her for a moment, and then glanced over to Luke, who was fiddling absentmindedly with the cash register, trying to look busy. He took a deep breath and started over to Rory.
"Hey." He instinctively ran his hand over her head and through her soft hair. He didn't sit down.
"Morning." She forced her mouth up.
"Hi Jess."
"Lorelai." He acknowledged.
Jess stood there. On one hand, he wanted to sit down next to Rory and hold her. He knew she would start bawling, but he liked that he was the one whose shoulder she cried on. On the other hand, he knew there was a good chance of breaking down himself. It didn't really make a difference, as they were going to be going to school in the same city, Rory at Yale and Jess at University of New Haven. However, Rory was leaving today and Jess was leaving in a week.
He walked behind the counter and poured himself a mug of coffee. The two men watched as Rory and Lorelai simultaneously sipped their coffee. Luke was thankful that the diner was empty on this hazy summer morning, as Kirk had just left. He busied himself in the kitchen, but Jess just stood, leaning on the counter, staring into his coffee.
"Luke!" Lorelai called. He sighed, grabbed the doggy bag he had been staring at, and walked out of the kitchen. Rory was looking at the floor, blinking back tears. "We have to go." She explained.
Luke nodded and cleared his throat. He wasn't good at this stuff. Before he could do anything, Rory hugged him. He relaxed and clumsily patted her back, hugging her too. "Thank you for being here, Luke." He felt one of her tears hit his shirt.
"I'm proud of you, Rory." She pulled back, laughing at herself, and wiped her tears.
"Thanks."
"And I'm glad you're going to school closer to home." He smiled.
"Me too."
"Here." He held out the doggy bag. "It's a burger for later."
"Thank you." Rory looked over at Jess and started sniffling as she walked over to him. Luke turned to Lorelai and she held out her arms. He somewhat reluctantly returned the favor.
"Rory was right - thanks for being here, Luke. Thank you for being here for Rory and me, and thank you for being a dad to her." She sniffed.
"You know I love her."
"I know you do." She squeezed him one last time and broke away. "I'll see you later."
"I'll be waiting." They were quiet - only Rory's stifled sobs were heard as the four walked outside to the car. Rory looked up at Luke and let go of Jess's hand.
"Bye Luke." They hugged once more.
"Good luck, Rory. I'll see you soon." She nodded. Hesitant and quick at the same time, she kissed his cheek. He felt his face burn and jammed his hands in his pockets.
She and Jess kissed and rested against each other. "I'll see you in a week, Ror."
"Ok."
"C'mon babe, it's time to go." Lorelai wrapped her arm around her daughter, but Rory sped to the passenger's side and jumped in, sobbing. "Bye guys, I'll see you later." She got in the car and with one last look, drove away.
Jess wiped his jaw. "I'm going out." He said, walking away. Luke didn't respond.
Meanwhile, as they drove away .
"Mom?"
"Yeah hun?"
"Why are the last goodbyes always the hardest?"
(Later that night, 10 p.m., the diner)
Luke flipped off the main lights, dimming the diner. The sound of "I Love Lucy" floated downstairs. Jess had come back two hours after Rory left and stayed upstairs all day. He sat down in front of the counter, the day's receipts in front of him. Just as he started going through everything, there was a knock on the diner door. He spun around. It was Lorelai.
He got up and went over to unlock the door. "Hey."
"Hey." She responded tiredly.
"Rory all settled?" He led her over to the counter.
"Yeah. Some of her stuff is unpacked already." Lorelai sat down. "Her roommate's nice too, her name's Emily. Those castle dorms still scare the crap out of me, though. We also found this diner right near the school, this little place called Clark's. Actually," She looked around, "it's bigger than this place. It's across from the grad dorms."
"That's good, Rory has a place to eat out."
"Yeah." She took a sip of the coffee he had given her. "I miss her already, Luke." She started silently crying, rubbing her face with her hands. He came around from the behind the register, and sat down next to her.
"I know. But you'll be fine." She blinked. "Hey, come here." He stood up and held out his arms, which she gratefully accepted.
Luke stood there, trying to ignore the pang he felt.
"You've been hugging a lot today - isn't this against your oath as the flannel-clad hermit?" She joked as they sat down again.
"I'm not a hermit." Lorelai just looked at him. "I'm not." He defended.
"Ok." Her eyes drifted to a couple walking by, holding hands. Luke followed her gaze. "God, I miss that."
"What, sweaty palms?" She playfully rolled her eyes.
"No. Holding hands, going for walks late on summer nights."
"When have you ever done that? It's hot and cold at the same time and there are mosquitoes."
"It's the idea."
"I miss it too." He admitted quietly, nodding when her eyes questioned his words. "I miss being in a relationship." Luke watched as she faced the door again. "Hey, why don't we do something." Lorelai swiveled and he felt his face sting, "sometime?"
"Really?"
"You'll be complaining about being lonely, soon there will be less movement up and down the stairs here." He shrugged, "I'm a hermit."
"That would be nice, Luke." She smiled and agreed genuinely. "I should go." He exhaled loudly.
"Yeah. Ok." They stood and Luke opened the door.
"Thank you." Lorelai leaned up and kissed him on the cheek, her hand on his shoulder. "Night Luke."
"Night." He returned.
Disclaimer : I neither claim to nor own anything except my awesome Paul Frank pajama pants and a cute furry hat that makes me feel very J.Lo. All characters belong to Amy Sherman-Palladino (who is a goddess, of course) and all those other people.
Luke wiped down the counter, watching the door for Rory and Lorelai. She was leaving today, Rory. He didn't know what Lorelai was going to do. Luke was going to miss her too. She was practically his daughter, and they all knew it. His eyes followed as they rounded the corner and entered the diner. Both of their faces were red from crying. They settled for a side table next to the window.
He tried to be nonchalant as he made his way around the counter to their table. He cleared his voice and poured their coffee. "Hey."
"Morning Luke." Lorelai answered softly, looking up at him gratefully.
"Thanks." Rory chimed in.
"Do you guys want anything else?"
"Not really."
"No."
"Okay," Luke replied gently, "Call me if you need anything." He walked into the kitchen and grabbed Kirk's egg white omelet with bacon.
He had known today would be different, but it was still a shock for them to not want food.
He set the plate down, refilled Kirk's mug, and threw seven Equal's toward him. Jess came barging down the stairs, stopping abruptly when he saw Rory. He stared at her for a moment, and then glanced over to Luke, who was fiddling absentmindedly with the cash register, trying to look busy. He took a deep breath and started over to Rory.
"Hey." He instinctively ran his hand over her head and through her soft hair. He didn't sit down.
"Morning." She forced her mouth up.
"Hi Jess."
"Lorelai." He acknowledged.
Jess stood there. On one hand, he wanted to sit down next to Rory and hold her. He knew she would start bawling, but he liked that he was the one whose shoulder she cried on. On the other hand, he knew there was a good chance of breaking down himself. It didn't really make a difference, as they were going to be going to school in the same city, Rory at Yale and Jess at University of New Haven. However, Rory was leaving today and Jess was leaving in a week.
He walked behind the counter and poured himself a mug of coffee. The two men watched as Rory and Lorelai simultaneously sipped their coffee. Luke was thankful that the diner was empty on this hazy summer morning, as Kirk had just left. He busied himself in the kitchen, but Jess just stood, leaning on the counter, staring into his coffee.
"Luke!" Lorelai called. He sighed, grabbed the doggy bag he had been staring at, and walked out of the kitchen. Rory was looking at the floor, blinking back tears. "We have to go." She explained.
Luke nodded and cleared his throat. He wasn't good at this stuff. Before he could do anything, Rory hugged him. He relaxed and clumsily patted her back, hugging her too. "Thank you for being here, Luke." He felt one of her tears hit his shirt.
"I'm proud of you, Rory." She pulled back, laughing at herself, and wiped her tears.
"Thanks."
"And I'm glad you're going to school closer to home." He smiled.
"Me too."
"Here." He held out the doggy bag. "It's a burger for later."
"Thank you." Rory looked over at Jess and started sniffling as she walked over to him. Luke turned to Lorelai and she held out her arms. He somewhat reluctantly returned the favor.
"Rory was right - thanks for being here, Luke. Thank you for being here for Rory and me, and thank you for being a dad to her." She sniffed.
"You know I love her."
"I know you do." She squeezed him one last time and broke away. "I'll see you later."
"I'll be waiting." They were quiet - only Rory's stifled sobs were heard as the four walked outside to the car. Rory looked up at Luke and let go of Jess's hand.
"Bye Luke." They hugged once more.
"Good luck, Rory. I'll see you soon." She nodded. Hesitant and quick at the same time, she kissed his cheek. He felt his face burn and jammed his hands in his pockets.
She and Jess kissed and rested against each other. "I'll see you in a week, Ror."
"Ok."
"C'mon babe, it's time to go." Lorelai wrapped her arm around her daughter, but Rory sped to the passenger's side and jumped in, sobbing. "Bye guys, I'll see you later." She got in the car and with one last look, drove away.
Jess wiped his jaw. "I'm going out." He said, walking away. Luke didn't respond.
Meanwhile, as they drove away .
"Mom?"
"Yeah hun?"
"Why are the last goodbyes always the hardest?"
(Later that night, 10 p.m., the diner)
Luke flipped off the main lights, dimming the diner. The sound of "I Love Lucy" floated downstairs. Jess had come back two hours after Rory left and stayed upstairs all day. He sat down in front of the counter, the day's receipts in front of him. Just as he started going through everything, there was a knock on the diner door. He spun around. It was Lorelai.
He got up and went over to unlock the door. "Hey."
"Hey." She responded tiredly.
"Rory all settled?" He led her over to the counter.
"Yeah. Some of her stuff is unpacked already." Lorelai sat down. "Her roommate's nice too, her name's Emily. Those castle dorms still scare the crap out of me, though. We also found this diner right near the school, this little place called Clark's. Actually," She looked around, "it's bigger than this place. It's across from the grad dorms."
"That's good, Rory has a place to eat out."
"Yeah." She took a sip of the coffee he had given her. "I miss her already, Luke." She started silently crying, rubbing her face with her hands. He came around from the behind the register, and sat down next to her.
"I know. But you'll be fine." She blinked. "Hey, come here." He stood up and held out his arms, which she gratefully accepted.
Luke stood there, trying to ignore the pang he felt.
"You've been hugging a lot today - isn't this against your oath as the flannel-clad hermit?" She joked as they sat down again.
"I'm not a hermit." Lorelai just looked at him. "I'm not." He defended.
"Ok." Her eyes drifted to a couple walking by, holding hands. Luke followed her gaze. "God, I miss that."
"What, sweaty palms?" She playfully rolled her eyes.
"No. Holding hands, going for walks late on summer nights."
"When have you ever done that? It's hot and cold at the same time and there are mosquitoes."
"It's the idea."
"I miss it too." He admitted quietly, nodding when her eyes questioned his words. "I miss being in a relationship." Luke watched as she faced the door again. "Hey, why don't we do something." Lorelai swiveled and he felt his face sting, "sometime?"
"Really?"
"You'll be complaining about being lonely, soon there will be less movement up and down the stairs here." He shrugged, "I'm a hermit."
"That would be nice, Luke." She smiled and agreed genuinely. "I should go." He exhaled loudly.
"Yeah. Ok." They stood and Luke opened the door.
"Thank you." Lorelai leaned up and kissed him on the cheek, her hand on his shoulder. "Night Luke."
"Night." He returned.