Title: Loved Despite Of Great Faults
Disclaimer: I don't own anything. But if I did Rory and Jess would be together and Dean and Rory would have never slept together cringe...
Summary: What I think should have happened after 'Last Week Fights, This Week Tights'. [Literati]
Rating: PG-13 for some mild language.
Notes: Be kind. This is my first Gilmore Girls fic...oh! And the title is from a Blonde Redhead song =).
"Doesn't matter." Dean answers as Rory questions about what Lindsey thinks about Rory and him hanging out together.
"What's going on with you?" Rory questions, but is suddenly distracted as the door to the building opens and Jess walks in. "What are you doing here???" Rory asks simply shocked and partially annoyed.
"I need to talk to you." Jess states moving towards Rory.
"Jess..." Dean comments annoyed to see Jess's face.
"I need to talk to you." Jess says stronger trying to ignore Dean's presence.
"What's going on?" Dean asks obviously clueless.
"What are you doing here?" Rory asks obviously very annoyed now.
"Rory, please..." Jess pleads.
"Rory?" Dean asks questioningly.
Rory sighs, "Go -- go home..."
"No." Dean says as he glares as Jess.
"Yes, go. You should go." Rory convinces Dean. "Why won't you leave me alone? You won't go away!"
"Rory..."
"What do you want?"
"I don't know. I just wanted to see you, talk to you. I just..."
"What?"
"Come with me."
"What?"
"Come with me."
"Where?"
"I don't know...away!"
"Are you crazy?"
"Probably. Do it. Come with me. Don't think about it."
"I can't do that." Rory says exasperated as she opens the door and walks into her room.
"You don't think you can do it, but you can! You can do whatever you want."
"It's not what I want."
"It is. I know you."
"You don't know me!"
"Look, we'll go to New York. We'll work, we'll live together, we'll be together. It's what I want. It's what you want, too."
"No!"
"I want to be with you, but not here. Not this place, not Stars Hollow. We have to start new."
"There's nothing to start!"
"You're packed. Your stuff is all in boxes. It's perfect. You're ready. And I'm ready. I'm ready for this. You can count on me now. I know you couldn't count on me before, but you can now! You can."
"No!"
"Look, you know we're supposed to be together. I knew it the first time I saw you two years ago, and you know it, too. I know you do."
"No, no, no, no, no!"
"Don't say "no" just to make me stop talking or make me go away. Only say "no" if you really don't want to be with me."
"...No."
Not exactly expecting that to come out of her mouth, Jess backed up out of Rory's room and made his way to the building's door.
Rory sits down on a box and puts her head in her hands. oh my god oh my god oh my god... Rory thought to herself as she rocked back and forth. Wait...
"Wait..." Rory said to herself as she stopped rocking. I can't just leave things like this... "Wait!" Rory called out in the empty dorm room rushing towards the door. "Jess!" Rory called out, frantically looking for the only other person on campus. "Jess!" Rory called again, running a bit further to see is she could catch him. "Jess!" shouted as soon as she saw his departing back solemnly make its way to the parking lot.
Jess slowly turned around, his eyes pleading for answers and his body screaming to run away. "Wait...", Rory breathed as soon as she was nearly a foot away from him.
"...Wait for what Rory? Don't make this any harder than it is. You already said no, I don't need you to push the knife in any deeper."
"Why now...?"
"What?"
"I mean, what changed? How am I supposed to know you're going to be any different? How am I supposed to know you're not going to just pull another disappearing act on me again when things get tough?"
"Ror—"
"Give me something! Anything, to believe what you're saying is true..."
Jess just stood there.
"...Well?"
"What else do you want me to say Rory?!" Jess exclaimed exasperatedly. "I just poured my heart out to you back there! I've spent months trying to change my ways, so I can be who you need! I love you Rory, I always have. You're smart, you're...hah--god you're so beautiful, you're funny..." Jess smiled a little, "You mean more to me than anyone ever has, and I want to be with you. ...But you...don't want to be with me. So, unless you have something to say—I can't stay here, standing like an idiot in front of you."
"I..., um, ...oh god Jess, why do you have to make this so hard?"
"Love is not an easy thing."
"And since when did you get so wise on the topic of love?"
"Uhh...Luke,"
"Luke?" Rory asked, eyeing him questioningly.
"He, um, he has this self help books..."
"Self help books? On love?"
"And a tape..., but that's beside the point! You know I love you, you know I want to be with you. And I get that I wasn't there for you before, but I'm here for you now!"
"You...ugh, you have a tendency to just pop into my life whenever things are somewhat easier, and you can turn everything upside down. It took me a really long time to finally get over you...and when I try to move on—"
"He's married for Gods sake!" Jess snapped as he flailed his arms around slightly.
"What...?" Rory asked confused.
"Dean! He's married! I mean, how can you fucking move on—"
"I wasn't talking about Dean, I was just saying in general!"
"But he was here tonight," Jess stated as he crossed his arms and looked to his left.
"Yeah, he was. But that shouldn't matter. We're friends. Friends hang out with each other, and it's my life! I can do whatever I want."
"...Why did you stop me? Hmm? So you could make me feel worse by expressing how I love you even more than I did in your room back there, just to have you tell me what I've already heard?"
"I..." Rory started, but looked away from his earnest gaze.
"You...?" Jess asked quietly as he took a step closer to her.
"I...love you..." Rory whispered almost inaudibly.
"Say it how you mean it..." Jess beseeched, taking another step closer, making them only inches apart.
"I love you Jess,—I don't want to though, because I'm so scared that if I love you again you're just going to leave me, but I love you Jess, I always have, and—"
But Rory couldn't finish her thought, everything around them faded away. Jess took the sides of Rory's face as he gently rubbed his thumb over her cheek, and finally placed that longing kiss on her lips for the first time in what seemed like forever. The two held the kiss, not ever wanting to lose the moment.
Too scared to move, Jess broke the kiss and rested his forehead against Rory's. "I, ha, I've been wanting to do that for so long..."
A single tear ran down Rory's cheek.
"Rory...? Is, did i...?" Jess stammered as he whipped away her tear.
"Stay..." Rory whispered. "Stay here tonight...with me...talk to me? ...please?" Rory asked through glistening eyes.
"I'll stay..." Jess whispered back.
Jess reached down for Rory's hand and as he laced his fingers in-between hers. He was happy.
Please review! Tell me what you think! And tell me if you want me to continue. Thanks! GreenEydGrl22