Just Pretending... Right?
by Sarah Dawson
Chapter Six: It Takes Two to Tango
Spoilers: Nothin' really. It's, like, an imaginary kinda season. Neither Lorelai or Luke are dating anybody, and Rory's not dating anyone either (I kinda changed my mind, in case that confuses anyone...! ).
Pairing: L/L
Disclaimers: NOT. MINE. Well, besides, ya know, the story?...
Distribution: Don't care, just let me know. (Raspberries424@aol.com)
A/N: Alright, in case anyone's noticed, I've gone back and redone, like, all the chapters. Obviously, I couldn't change that much, but I've found formatting and spelling/grammar errors here and there that bug me, hence the change. If anyone has also noticed that I seem to contradict myself sometimes, well, it's my first [soon-to-be complete] GG fanfic. It was not well planned out, it was not in any way written out before the actual posting, and I have never written an actual rough draft for any of it. I reallyyy don't have an excuse, except to say I'm sorry : ) and do keep reading my stuff. Every author has one fic that they can write off as an experiment that didn't go as well as they planned. If it's cliche, well, oh well. I tried, I really did! So, uh, yeah. The End! Except not quite, actually...
So, sorry it's been so long. For the reason of my absence, see above please. This chapter is one I'm not so much as proud of, but it's here, and I needed it until I can get to the next one. Does that make sense?? Anyhoo, read on as you anticipate the next chapter, which will be, like, the turning point of the story. Woohoo! ~sarah~
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"C'mon Rory, pleeeeeeease don't leave me alone with him, please! I might do something incredibly stupid that we'll both regret for the rest of our miserable, pathetic, utterly and completely Luke-less lives!" Lorelai whined into Rory's ear when they reached the club. Luke was parking the truck, and upon seeing him, Lorelai had changed her mind about it just being him and her.
"Or, maybe you'll do something you should've done years ago and we'll both live happy, carefree, Luke-filled lives." Rory commented smugly as she and Lane tried not to laugh.
Since Luke arrived then, all Lorelai could do was glare at the two. "Where to?" Luke asked gruffly, purposely ignoring Rory and Lane's smothered giggling.
"The tennis courts, I guess." Lorelai instructed, grabbing his hand and marching him towards the club. Rory and Lane waved cheerfully as the elder Gilmore stuck her tongue out at them over her shoulder.
"Bye Mom, bye Luke, we're gonna go find... um... a place to go... Bye!" Rory announced finally, dragging her friend in the opposite direction, ignoring her mother's silent pleas.
Lorelai sighed and led Luke down the path. He raised an eyebrow. "What, disappointed to be left alone with me?" he teased.
Lorelai almost laughed at the irony. Something like that, she thought ruefully. "No silly, I'm just... dreading seeing my mother. Rory can only occupy her attention for so long." she replied with a toss of her head. Yeah, right.
Luke rolled his eyes. "Why am I here again?" he asked, knowing the answer she had given previously was probably 100% not true.
Huh. Good question. I could use an answer myself. Except, it could be because I had this eerie dream that could actually, very possibly be about something that I want very much, but I really didn't want to figure it out alone, so I decided maybe it would make sense to just bring you along for the ride. And, now, I am totally regretting that because seeing you is making my heart flutter and my palms sweaty, and all those cheesy, weird cliches and maybe, just maybe, this was a very, very bad idea.
"Because you love me?" Lorelai batted her eyelashes.
Luke seemed nervous for a split second. Or maybe she imagined it? "Ah, right. I remember now." he looked away and an awkward silence filled the air.
Lorelai tilted her head, walking a bit behind Luke. Had he hesitated? Did Luke... nah. Impossible. Still, that would be really sweet... No. She smacked her head. No. No, no, no. Stupid, stupid girl. Luke is not in love with you, and you are certainly not in love with Luke! She pushed the thought away and caught up with him, linking her arm with his. "So, tennis..."
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"So why are we doing this again?" Lane asked doubtfully, picking a twig out from her hair.
"Hi, because my mom and Luke are totally crazy about each other and neither of them will admit it. Therefore, I need to find out what goes on now, because that way, I can bug Lorelai about it until I can possibly find a way to get her to make a move." Rory explained impatiently, craning her neck to get a better view. Eh, at least they were holding hands. Unfortunately, nothing else looked like it was happening. She was beginning to get a little bit concerned about the whole process... not happening.
Lane looked at her curiously. "Why are you so fired up about Luke and Lorelai getting together?" she questioned.
Rory hesitated. "I guess it's because... Ever since I was little, I kind of imagined that Luke was my dad, because he was the only father-like guy that was ever there for me. Well, besides Taylor, but that was just creepy." They both shuddered. "So I kind of... imagined my mom and my dad-like guy--Luke--together, and... it seemed like a really nice picture. Besides, I know both of them really well, and I know Luke is totally in love with my mom, and... I think it would just be really nice if they got together, you know? I really want them both to be happy. I mean, look at them now." She gestured towards the couple, who were talking and laughing, obviously very happy for the moment. They were holding hands and every so often, Lorelai would place her hand on his arm, obviously teasing about something.
Lane nodded. "They are really cute together." she agreed. "And Luke is definitely waiting for Lorelai. Everyone knows that."
Rory smiled. "Yeah..." she said, glancing at the couple. "It just sucks that I can't find a way to give them a little push. I've tried talking to Mom about it, but even in a lighter tone, it's more likely to push her away than in the direction we want." She giggled. "Oh, it was the cutest thing; Mom had this dream about Luke this morning, and it was totally obvious as to what it meant, and she was completely freaking out."
"A dirty dream?!" Lane exclaimed in surprise.
"Funny, that's just what I said...! But ew! No!" Rory cried, clamping her hands over her ears. Lane pulled them down quickly.
"Tell me everything!"
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"C'mon Luke, hurry up!" Lorelai hissed, dragging him by the hand.
"Lorelai, you should really try to be nicer to your mother." Luke scowled, following her reluctantly.
"Look, we'll just hide another the bleachers for a minute, and then my mother will go by, she won't see us, and we're free! It's pretty simple, Lukey." she shot back, pulling him to crouch beneath the spectators' stands.
They sat in silence--besides Luke's impatient sighs--for a few minutes, and then Lorelai laid back on the ground with a small sigh of contentment. Luke frowned at her. "What are you doing?" he asked. "That's disgusting." Lorelai laughed and grabbed his shirt collar, pulling him down next to her. "It's more comfortable down here..."
Luke fell back beside her, their faces dangerous close. "Hi." Lorelai whispered.
"Hi." Luke replied dumbly. Before either of them knew what was happening, they were kissing, and had moved so they were pressed up against each other, laying on the ground. Neither one pulled away, and it didn't feel like Lorelai had thought it would. Not that she'd, you know, thought about kissing Luke, but still. The first time they'd kissed, sure, it was... really, really, really amazing, but she'd dismissed it as a fluke. But seriously, this? A lot longer than last time--by about a whole three three minutes--and she was on some conscious level, she was surprised it wasn't weird. And that she really didn't want it to end. Naturally, a split second later, Lorelai heard someone clear their throat and opened her eyes reluctantly, only to recognize her mother's legs--and shoes--standing by the bleachers.
Panicking, she quickly pulled away and straightened up, crawling out from the bleachers. Luke followed suit, blushing furiously. "Hey, uh, Mom." Lorelai said weakly, staring at her mother's shoes from on the ground.
"Lorelai! What are you doing crawling around underneath those filthy things? You are setting a horrible example, and giving people an inappropriate impression of not only you, but the entire family. And what exactly did you two think you were doing down--No! I do not want to know! Honestly, Lorelai!" Emily scolded threateningly. Luke reddened slightly and stood up, dusting his jeans off.
"Please excuse us, Mrs. Gilmore. Lorelai lost her earring, and we were simply looking for it in case it had dropped under the bleachers, and then, well..." Luke lied, resisting the urge to glare at Lorelai.
"Yeah, sorry Mom." Lorelai mumbled, crossing her arms.
"Hmph. This is just like you Lorelai, tramping around in public places like a teenager. I expect more appropriate behavior or you will not be allowed to come with Rory to these events again. Forcing your daughter to invite you was rude enough. I could hear you on the phone." Emily replied snootily, turning to leave. "Goodbye, Luke." She narrowed her eyes briefly. "Lorelai, behave."
After she left, Luke turned slowly to Lorelai, half annoyed and half amused. "Forced your daughter to invite you? Came because of Rory?" he asked, a smirk playing at the corners of his mouth.
Lorelai blushed and stared at her shoes. "Um, Rory has to do a project on-on tennis and, uh, I kind of talked my mother into letting us go, and then she er, suggested I bring you. Yep. That's right." She replied quickly.
Luke hid his smile. "I'm sure." he said, secretly wanting to believe she just wanted to spend more time with him. Especially after what they had been doing underneath the bleachers...
Lorelai glared at him. "It's true..." she muttered, kicking the ground with her toe.
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"So how was it?" Rory asked on the way home, attempting to mask her curiousity.
Lorelai grinned secretively. "Oh, right, we made out underneath the bleachers. So, uh, yeah, it was pretty fun. Did you have fun? You and Lane were gone for a long time, you must have had, uh, fun. Oh!" she exclaimed, her smile fading. "And Grandma kind of let it slip that I was the one who came up with the idea. I don't where she got that from!"
Rory's eyes widened. "Whoa, whoa, wait--you made out with Luke underneath the bleachers?? Ew, um, okay, that sounds... fun." she replied, trying to hide her excitement. Even if it did sound sort of... you know, gross... at least this meant they were probably starting to get it through their thick heads that they were perfect for each other. "How the hell did that happen?" she asked abruptly.
Lorelai winced. "Oh, yeah, that."
"Mom! Explain yourself, please."
"Well, I saw my mother, so I made Luke hide underneath the bleachers with me until she passed, and then we were just fooling around--Ooh, dirty, except not-not like that. You know, we were just playing around, and somehow our lips... might've come into contact with each other, for uh, longer than would be... friend-like." Lorelai explained weakly.
Rory couldn't hide her smile. "Ahem. Looks like someone's getting a clue!..." she trailed off, raising her eyebrows pointedly.
Lorelai glared at her. "Okay, look. Maybe, just maybe, I have a tiny, tiny 'thing' for Luke. Not-not a big thing! Really, it doesn't even deserve to be a called a thing. It's more like a, uh, half-thing! No, a quarter-thing. Because, it's the type of... thing that will blow over in, like, a day, tops. See, I'm already over it? No more thing! I'm absolutely free of... things with... Luke..." She sighed heavily. "Yeah, uh, Rory? I think I have a thing for Luke."
Rory grinned. "Seriously?! Are you actually admitting it? Like, could I quote you on that?"
Lorelai frowned suspiciously. "Who would you quote me to? No, never mind. Look, I would really appreciate if you did not mention this to anyone, meaning not Miss Patty, and not Luke. It's not like I'm going to do anything about it! I'll get over it, I-I'll move on! No one has to know! I mean seriously, what could I actually do about it?" She asked skepticly.
Rory rolled her eyes. "You're right, Mom. Luke has never had feelings for you. Of course not, what was everyone in the entire town thinking?" she replied nonchalantly.
Lorelai bit her lip. "Uh, feelings?" she asked weakly.
"Oh, Mom." Rory sighed.
Lorelai pouted. "Luke does not have feelings for me, and I don't have feelings for him! End of story!"
"And now we're slowly going backwards..." Rory said with a small smile.
Lorelai sighed as well. "Okay, look. I'll... check it out. If I get the impression that Luke has, you know, more than friendly feelings for me, then I'll... think of something to do, alright?"
"Promise?" Rory raised an eyebrow hopefully.
"I... almost-promise." Lorelai replied.
"Come again?"
"Like, if it doesn't happen... it doesn't mean I broke a promise, okay?"
"Right, Mom."
"Just so we're clear."
"Oh, yeah. We're clear."
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TBC... Yes, short, but the next one's almost done, and it's loooong, okay? Yep! Enjoy! And pleaseeee review?
by Sarah Dawson
Chapter Six: It Takes Two to Tango
Spoilers: Nothin' really. It's, like, an imaginary kinda season. Neither Lorelai or Luke are dating anybody, and Rory's not dating anyone either (I kinda changed my mind, in case that confuses anyone...! ).
Pairing: L/L
Disclaimers: NOT. MINE. Well, besides, ya know, the story?...
Distribution: Don't care, just let me know. (Raspberries424@aol.com)
A/N: Alright, in case anyone's noticed, I've gone back and redone, like, all the chapters. Obviously, I couldn't change that much, but I've found formatting and spelling/grammar errors here and there that bug me, hence the change. If anyone has also noticed that I seem to contradict myself sometimes, well, it's my first [soon-to-be complete] GG fanfic. It was not well planned out, it was not in any way written out before the actual posting, and I have never written an actual rough draft for any of it. I reallyyy don't have an excuse, except to say I'm sorry : ) and do keep reading my stuff. Every author has one fic that they can write off as an experiment that didn't go as well as they planned. If it's cliche, well, oh well. I tried, I really did! So, uh, yeah. The End! Except not quite, actually...
So, sorry it's been so long. For the reason of my absence, see above please. This chapter is one I'm not so much as proud of, but it's here, and I needed it until I can get to the next one. Does that make sense?? Anyhoo, read on as you anticipate the next chapter, which will be, like, the turning point of the story. Woohoo! ~sarah~
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"C'mon Rory, pleeeeeeease don't leave me alone with him, please! I might do something incredibly stupid that we'll both regret for the rest of our miserable, pathetic, utterly and completely Luke-less lives!" Lorelai whined into Rory's ear when they reached the club. Luke was parking the truck, and upon seeing him, Lorelai had changed her mind about it just being him and her.
"Or, maybe you'll do something you should've done years ago and we'll both live happy, carefree, Luke-filled lives." Rory commented smugly as she and Lane tried not to laugh.
Since Luke arrived then, all Lorelai could do was glare at the two. "Where to?" Luke asked gruffly, purposely ignoring Rory and Lane's smothered giggling.
"The tennis courts, I guess." Lorelai instructed, grabbing his hand and marching him towards the club. Rory and Lane waved cheerfully as the elder Gilmore stuck her tongue out at them over her shoulder.
"Bye Mom, bye Luke, we're gonna go find... um... a place to go... Bye!" Rory announced finally, dragging her friend in the opposite direction, ignoring her mother's silent pleas.
Lorelai sighed and led Luke down the path. He raised an eyebrow. "What, disappointed to be left alone with me?" he teased.
Lorelai almost laughed at the irony. Something like that, she thought ruefully. "No silly, I'm just... dreading seeing my mother. Rory can only occupy her attention for so long." she replied with a toss of her head. Yeah, right.
Luke rolled his eyes. "Why am I here again?" he asked, knowing the answer she had given previously was probably 100% not true.
Huh. Good question. I could use an answer myself. Except, it could be because I had this eerie dream that could actually, very possibly be about something that I want very much, but I really didn't want to figure it out alone, so I decided maybe it would make sense to just bring you along for the ride. And, now, I am totally regretting that because seeing you is making my heart flutter and my palms sweaty, and all those cheesy, weird cliches and maybe, just maybe, this was a very, very bad idea.
"Because you love me?" Lorelai batted her eyelashes.
Luke seemed nervous for a split second. Or maybe she imagined it? "Ah, right. I remember now." he looked away and an awkward silence filled the air.
Lorelai tilted her head, walking a bit behind Luke. Had he hesitated? Did Luke... nah. Impossible. Still, that would be really sweet... No. She smacked her head. No. No, no, no. Stupid, stupid girl. Luke is not in love with you, and you are certainly not in love with Luke! She pushed the thought away and caught up with him, linking her arm with his. "So, tennis..."
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"So why are we doing this again?" Lane asked doubtfully, picking a twig out from her hair.
"Hi, because my mom and Luke are totally crazy about each other and neither of them will admit it. Therefore, I need to find out what goes on now, because that way, I can bug Lorelai about it until I can possibly find a way to get her to make a move." Rory explained impatiently, craning her neck to get a better view. Eh, at least they were holding hands. Unfortunately, nothing else looked like it was happening. She was beginning to get a little bit concerned about the whole process... not happening.
Lane looked at her curiously. "Why are you so fired up about Luke and Lorelai getting together?" she questioned.
Rory hesitated. "I guess it's because... Ever since I was little, I kind of imagined that Luke was my dad, because he was the only father-like guy that was ever there for me. Well, besides Taylor, but that was just creepy." They both shuddered. "So I kind of... imagined my mom and my dad-like guy--Luke--together, and... it seemed like a really nice picture. Besides, I know both of them really well, and I know Luke is totally in love with my mom, and... I think it would just be really nice if they got together, you know? I really want them both to be happy. I mean, look at them now." She gestured towards the couple, who were talking and laughing, obviously very happy for the moment. They were holding hands and every so often, Lorelai would place her hand on his arm, obviously teasing about something.
Lane nodded. "They are really cute together." she agreed. "And Luke is definitely waiting for Lorelai. Everyone knows that."
Rory smiled. "Yeah..." she said, glancing at the couple. "It just sucks that I can't find a way to give them a little push. I've tried talking to Mom about it, but even in a lighter tone, it's more likely to push her away than in the direction we want." She giggled. "Oh, it was the cutest thing; Mom had this dream about Luke this morning, and it was totally obvious as to what it meant, and she was completely freaking out."
"A dirty dream?!" Lane exclaimed in surprise.
"Funny, that's just what I said...! But ew! No!" Rory cried, clamping her hands over her ears. Lane pulled them down quickly.
"Tell me everything!"
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"C'mon Luke, hurry up!" Lorelai hissed, dragging him by the hand.
"Lorelai, you should really try to be nicer to your mother." Luke scowled, following her reluctantly.
"Look, we'll just hide another the bleachers for a minute, and then my mother will go by, she won't see us, and we're free! It's pretty simple, Lukey." she shot back, pulling him to crouch beneath the spectators' stands.
They sat in silence--besides Luke's impatient sighs--for a few minutes, and then Lorelai laid back on the ground with a small sigh of contentment. Luke frowned at her. "What are you doing?" he asked. "That's disgusting." Lorelai laughed and grabbed his shirt collar, pulling him down next to her. "It's more comfortable down here..."
Luke fell back beside her, their faces dangerous close. "Hi." Lorelai whispered.
"Hi." Luke replied dumbly. Before either of them knew what was happening, they were kissing, and had moved so they were pressed up against each other, laying on the ground. Neither one pulled away, and it didn't feel like Lorelai had thought it would. Not that she'd, you know, thought about kissing Luke, but still. The first time they'd kissed, sure, it was... really, really, really amazing, but she'd dismissed it as a fluke. But seriously, this? A lot longer than last time--by about a whole three three minutes--and she was on some conscious level, she was surprised it wasn't weird. And that she really didn't want it to end. Naturally, a split second later, Lorelai heard someone clear their throat and opened her eyes reluctantly, only to recognize her mother's legs--and shoes--standing by the bleachers.
Panicking, she quickly pulled away and straightened up, crawling out from the bleachers. Luke followed suit, blushing furiously. "Hey, uh, Mom." Lorelai said weakly, staring at her mother's shoes from on the ground.
"Lorelai! What are you doing crawling around underneath those filthy things? You are setting a horrible example, and giving people an inappropriate impression of not only you, but the entire family. And what exactly did you two think you were doing down--No! I do not want to know! Honestly, Lorelai!" Emily scolded threateningly. Luke reddened slightly and stood up, dusting his jeans off.
"Please excuse us, Mrs. Gilmore. Lorelai lost her earring, and we were simply looking for it in case it had dropped under the bleachers, and then, well..." Luke lied, resisting the urge to glare at Lorelai.
"Yeah, sorry Mom." Lorelai mumbled, crossing her arms.
"Hmph. This is just like you Lorelai, tramping around in public places like a teenager. I expect more appropriate behavior or you will not be allowed to come with Rory to these events again. Forcing your daughter to invite you was rude enough. I could hear you on the phone." Emily replied snootily, turning to leave. "Goodbye, Luke." She narrowed her eyes briefly. "Lorelai, behave."
After she left, Luke turned slowly to Lorelai, half annoyed and half amused. "Forced your daughter to invite you? Came because of Rory?" he asked, a smirk playing at the corners of his mouth.
Lorelai blushed and stared at her shoes. "Um, Rory has to do a project on-on tennis and, uh, I kind of talked my mother into letting us go, and then she er, suggested I bring you. Yep. That's right." She replied quickly.
Luke hid his smile. "I'm sure." he said, secretly wanting to believe she just wanted to spend more time with him. Especially after what they had been doing underneath the bleachers...
Lorelai glared at him. "It's true..." she muttered, kicking the ground with her toe.
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"So how was it?" Rory asked on the way home, attempting to mask her curiousity.
Lorelai grinned secretively. "Oh, right, we made out underneath the bleachers. So, uh, yeah, it was pretty fun. Did you have fun? You and Lane were gone for a long time, you must have had, uh, fun. Oh!" she exclaimed, her smile fading. "And Grandma kind of let it slip that I was the one who came up with the idea. I don't where she got that from!"
Rory's eyes widened. "Whoa, whoa, wait--you made out with Luke underneath the bleachers?? Ew, um, okay, that sounds... fun." she replied, trying to hide her excitement. Even if it did sound sort of... you know, gross... at least this meant they were probably starting to get it through their thick heads that they were perfect for each other. "How the hell did that happen?" she asked abruptly.
Lorelai winced. "Oh, yeah, that."
"Mom! Explain yourself, please."
"Well, I saw my mother, so I made Luke hide underneath the bleachers with me until she passed, and then we were just fooling around--Ooh, dirty, except not-not like that. You know, we were just playing around, and somehow our lips... might've come into contact with each other, for uh, longer than would be... friend-like." Lorelai explained weakly.
Rory couldn't hide her smile. "Ahem. Looks like someone's getting a clue!..." she trailed off, raising her eyebrows pointedly.
Lorelai glared at her. "Okay, look. Maybe, just maybe, I have a tiny, tiny 'thing' for Luke. Not-not a big thing! Really, it doesn't even deserve to be a called a thing. It's more like a, uh, half-thing! No, a quarter-thing. Because, it's the type of... thing that will blow over in, like, a day, tops. See, I'm already over it? No more thing! I'm absolutely free of... things with... Luke..." She sighed heavily. "Yeah, uh, Rory? I think I have a thing for Luke."
Rory grinned. "Seriously?! Are you actually admitting it? Like, could I quote you on that?"
Lorelai frowned suspiciously. "Who would you quote me to? No, never mind. Look, I would really appreciate if you did not mention this to anyone, meaning not Miss Patty, and not Luke. It's not like I'm going to do anything about it! I'll get over it, I-I'll move on! No one has to know! I mean seriously, what could I actually do about it?" She asked skepticly.
Rory rolled her eyes. "You're right, Mom. Luke has never had feelings for you. Of course not, what was everyone in the entire town thinking?" she replied nonchalantly.
Lorelai bit her lip. "Uh, feelings?" she asked weakly.
"Oh, Mom." Rory sighed.
Lorelai pouted. "Luke does not have feelings for me, and I don't have feelings for him! End of story!"
"And now we're slowly going backwards..." Rory said with a small smile.
Lorelai sighed as well. "Okay, look. I'll... check it out. If I get the impression that Luke has, you know, more than friendly feelings for me, then I'll... think of something to do, alright?"
"Promise?" Rory raised an eyebrow hopefully.
"I... almost-promise." Lorelai replied.
"Come again?"
"Like, if it doesn't happen... it doesn't mean I broke a promise, okay?"
"Right, Mom."
"Just so we're clear."
"Oh, yeah. We're clear."
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TBC... Yes, short, but the next one's almost done, and it's loooong, okay? Yep! Enjoy! And pleaseeee review?