Comfortably Numb
Footsteps padded quietly into the barely lit room, cautious in direction. The figure stopped as it reached the bed, leaning forward slightly.
"I don't wanna talk." Rory mumbled, a pout framing her delicate features.
"But Ror." Lorelei trailed off with a whimper. "If you don't talk you might internally combust and then what am I supposed to do with a town full of loonies and without a daughter because she decided she'd rather implode? What then? Huh?"
"Mom, please?" Her voice barely above a whisper; her pleas barely hidden by her morose expression. The night had deteriorated so quickly; some impromptu devil's tattoo that neither of them had foreseen until the marks were visibly etched, the scars drawn in permanently.
"Tonight really sucked, huh?"
"Royally."
"Listen, sweets.like I said earlier, I know you're upset with your dad. I get that, trust me. The haul tomatoes at Chris during the opening monologue so you don't have to hear the rest of it law is being passed as we speak, but you've gotta realize-he's your dad. So, okay, not the most decisive person in the world but hey, that's why you've got me right? No? Okay, narcissism, not funny, note to self. What I'm trying to say is just.don't try to hold it against him for too long, okay?"
"Yeah. Night Mom, love you."
"Night." Lorelei pressed a kiss to her daughter's forehead before leaving the room reluctantly.
The tears that had been suppressed for a seemingly endless stretch of time fell freely, giving no indication of ceasing. Rory didn't bother to wipe her eyes; the effort would have been a futile one. Instead she dwelled on those brief moments, what wouldn't have been enough time to hold a legitimate conversation but was more than enough to leave her in a state of complete confusion.
He had a knack for undoing everything. He had a knack for being her undoing. Just as quickly as her nerves had settled, just as soon as she was sure of her thoughts, they were gone. Tumbling from the constant frailty of her mind's web into an unknown path, one that held no clarity.
She waited for sleep, willing it and growing wary with the chase. As she became restless, she pulled herself out of bed, slipping on a pair of worn sandals. I need to walk. I'll walk and I'll clear my head and I'll come back and sleep. Sleep. She shrugged into her jacket and headed towards the window.
The night was at an unusually comforting chill, the end of summer becoming more definite with the change of atmosphere. Stars Hollow seemed vastly empty without the commonplace hectic activity surrounding it. A blanket coated every occupant, the cocoon of sleep a brief solitude for the forthcoming days.
Rory walked without seeing, her vision blinded to everything but his image. How randomly he had walked in; how quickly he'd stolen a rare permanence in her heart. She walked on with that knowledge alone, the surface worries delving into something much deeper as she continued. Her eyes took in the picturesque scenery embedded into the stillness of nighttime, never once noticing any of it.
Her feet led her into familiar territory, attention unfocused until a sharp screech beneath her feet broke her from the reverie. She glanced down, deadened wood meeting her suspicions. Her gaze traveled the length, meeting his orbs just as he raised his head. Oh God. Oh no.
Jess sealed his lips around the cigarette, his features devoid; his stance lazy. "Hey." He murmured hoarsely.
"Hi." Rory replied, her voice coming more quickly than she'd intended.
She lowered herself to the ground, keeping a few feet of distance from him.
"Shouldn't you be dreaming of the seven dwarves and Prince Charming right about now?" he raised an eyebrow in question.
"Please don't do that right now Jess."
"Sorry."
"Thank you. I'm fine."
"Hey great, me too."
They sat in silence, the knowledge that they were both attempting in vain to fool themselves bringing an irrevocable numbness to each.
Footsteps padded quietly into the barely lit room, cautious in direction. The figure stopped as it reached the bed, leaning forward slightly.
"I don't wanna talk." Rory mumbled, a pout framing her delicate features.
"But Ror." Lorelei trailed off with a whimper. "If you don't talk you might internally combust and then what am I supposed to do with a town full of loonies and without a daughter because she decided she'd rather implode? What then? Huh?"
"Mom, please?" Her voice barely above a whisper; her pleas barely hidden by her morose expression. The night had deteriorated so quickly; some impromptu devil's tattoo that neither of them had foreseen until the marks were visibly etched, the scars drawn in permanently.
"Tonight really sucked, huh?"
"Royally."
"Listen, sweets.like I said earlier, I know you're upset with your dad. I get that, trust me. The haul tomatoes at Chris during the opening monologue so you don't have to hear the rest of it law is being passed as we speak, but you've gotta realize-he's your dad. So, okay, not the most decisive person in the world but hey, that's why you've got me right? No? Okay, narcissism, not funny, note to self. What I'm trying to say is just.don't try to hold it against him for too long, okay?"
"Yeah. Night Mom, love you."
"Night." Lorelei pressed a kiss to her daughter's forehead before leaving the room reluctantly.
The tears that had been suppressed for a seemingly endless stretch of time fell freely, giving no indication of ceasing. Rory didn't bother to wipe her eyes; the effort would have been a futile one. Instead she dwelled on those brief moments, what wouldn't have been enough time to hold a legitimate conversation but was more than enough to leave her in a state of complete confusion.
He had a knack for undoing everything. He had a knack for being her undoing. Just as quickly as her nerves had settled, just as soon as she was sure of her thoughts, they were gone. Tumbling from the constant frailty of her mind's web into an unknown path, one that held no clarity.
She waited for sleep, willing it and growing wary with the chase. As she became restless, she pulled herself out of bed, slipping on a pair of worn sandals. I need to walk. I'll walk and I'll clear my head and I'll come back and sleep. Sleep. She shrugged into her jacket and headed towards the window.
The night was at an unusually comforting chill, the end of summer becoming more definite with the change of atmosphere. Stars Hollow seemed vastly empty without the commonplace hectic activity surrounding it. A blanket coated every occupant, the cocoon of sleep a brief solitude for the forthcoming days.
Rory walked without seeing, her vision blinded to everything but his image. How randomly he had walked in; how quickly he'd stolen a rare permanence in her heart. She walked on with that knowledge alone, the surface worries delving into something much deeper as she continued. Her eyes took in the picturesque scenery embedded into the stillness of nighttime, never once noticing any of it.
Her feet led her into familiar territory, attention unfocused until a sharp screech beneath her feet broke her from the reverie. She glanced down, deadened wood meeting her suspicions. Her gaze traveled the length, meeting his orbs just as he raised his head. Oh God. Oh no.
Jess sealed his lips around the cigarette, his features devoid; his stance lazy. "Hey." He murmured hoarsely.
"Hi." Rory replied, her voice coming more quickly than she'd intended.
She lowered herself to the ground, keeping a few feet of distance from him.
"Shouldn't you be dreaming of the seven dwarves and Prince Charming right about now?" he raised an eyebrow in question.
"Please don't do that right now Jess."
"Sorry."
"Thank you. I'm fine."
"Hey great, me too."
They sat in silence, the knowledge that they were both attempting in vain to fool themselves bringing an irrevocable numbness to each.