Author's Note: I apologize if the chronology of the story confused anyone.
These shorts were meant to be a series of sorts, the only tie-in being Jess
and Rory's several unexpected encounters. They weren't intentioned to be
related to each other beyond that particular coincidence. This one follows
where 'Promises' left off, however. It was accidental, but it's a little
more story-like than the others, if that makes any sense. I can't promise
the future parts will be like this, but I do hope this brought clarity as
to why the stories are the way they are. Thank you. (
The smartest thing she could do was walk away. Just that quickly, it would be finished. Without the extended nonsense, without her mind playing tricks on her. She could end it. And all she had to do was walk away.
She stayed.
"It's late," Rory murmured, pulling her coat tighter around herself.
"Yeah," Jess agreed with a slight nod. "How's school?"
"Fine," she said. "You didn't ask me here to talk about school."
"No."
"Then say something," she urged, shifting uncomfortably from one foot to another. He had an uncanny ability to make her feel utterly ridiculous and generally stupid within moments of being around him. "I'm freezing."
"Do you want my—"he started, shrugging off his jacket.
"No! No, I'm okay," she assured him, forcing a smile onto her lips.
He rolled his eyes and slid back into the coat. "Fine."
"Don't say it like that."
"Say what?"
"Fine. Don't say 'fine' like I'm crazy. I'm not crazy." She tucked her hair behind her ears.
"Is this you not crazy?" He gave her the crooked grin she had memorized.
"Shut up," she muttered quietly, hardly a whisper enough for him to hear.
Jess's eyes traveled over her. She had cut her hair, the most obvious difference he could note. Something in her face decreed a lost innocence. He would have loved to take credit for it, and knew that it might have been his fault somehow, but not entirely. Hours before, days before she had realized he was in town he had seen her. The radiance that was there was gone now. The comfort he once came with had long since left him, and that was apparent in her features.
Not that he had ever made her comfortable. Most of the time it was quite the opposite. But there was a certain level of contentment, a subdued smile she let him see every so often. Once, there had been something in her eyes that let him know she gave a damn. That, too, was gone.
"Jess?" Rory snapped, pulling her lower lip between her teeth. "Stop staring at me. What do you want?"
"I..." he squinted to see her clearly. She wasn't the person she used to be. He wasn't the person he used to be. If he could somehow put that thought into words she wouldn't walk away from, he might have. But logic had never been an ally of his, least of all around her. She made him do things without reason, on impulses he knew he shouldn't have catered to.
"You what? God, it's cold and I'm tired and my mom is gonna kill me because I said I'd be back at—"
And so he kissed her. Because it was the only thing that was familiar to him anymore. Because it was the only thing he remembered how to do properly.
She kissed him back, because as much as she should have walked away, she was well aware her feet weren't moving. And if they were, they were moving towards him.
The boy she swore she would never let break her heart. Again. Yet there she was, offering it to him openly, hoping he wouldn't let it bleed.
"Stop, stop. Stop it. I don't want this." Rory was a good liar; she had learned to be around him.
"What?" he questioned, confusion marring his features.
"What are you doing, Jess? What are you doing here?"
"I came to get my car," he said, hearing the irritation surface in his voice.
"No. What are you doing HERE? With me? What is this?" She stepped back a few inches, sure that if she didn't the little sliver of control she had left in her would disappear altogether.
"Rory, listen, I—"he stopped himself. "Shit."
"Just say it, whatever it is. Cause I have to go, Jess. I'm not doing this."
"I love you."
And he walked away. Because he had to do it before she could.
Rory set her fingers to her lips, the taste of his kiss still lingering.
She stayed.
The smartest thing she could do was walk away. Just that quickly, it would be finished. Without the extended nonsense, without her mind playing tricks on her. She could end it. And all she had to do was walk away.
She stayed.
"It's late," Rory murmured, pulling her coat tighter around herself.
"Yeah," Jess agreed with a slight nod. "How's school?"
"Fine," she said. "You didn't ask me here to talk about school."
"No."
"Then say something," she urged, shifting uncomfortably from one foot to another. He had an uncanny ability to make her feel utterly ridiculous and generally stupid within moments of being around him. "I'm freezing."
"Do you want my—"he started, shrugging off his jacket.
"No! No, I'm okay," she assured him, forcing a smile onto her lips.
He rolled his eyes and slid back into the coat. "Fine."
"Don't say it like that."
"Say what?"
"Fine. Don't say 'fine' like I'm crazy. I'm not crazy." She tucked her hair behind her ears.
"Is this you not crazy?" He gave her the crooked grin she had memorized.
"Shut up," she muttered quietly, hardly a whisper enough for him to hear.
Jess's eyes traveled over her. She had cut her hair, the most obvious difference he could note. Something in her face decreed a lost innocence. He would have loved to take credit for it, and knew that it might have been his fault somehow, but not entirely. Hours before, days before she had realized he was in town he had seen her. The radiance that was there was gone now. The comfort he once came with had long since left him, and that was apparent in her features.
Not that he had ever made her comfortable. Most of the time it was quite the opposite. But there was a certain level of contentment, a subdued smile she let him see every so often. Once, there had been something in her eyes that let him know she gave a damn. That, too, was gone.
"Jess?" Rory snapped, pulling her lower lip between her teeth. "Stop staring at me. What do you want?"
"I..." he squinted to see her clearly. She wasn't the person she used to be. He wasn't the person he used to be. If he could somehow put that thought into words she wouldn't walk away from, he might have. But logic had never been an ally of his, least of all around her. She made him do things without reason, on impulses he knew he shouldn't have catered to.
"You what? God, it's cold and I'm tired and my mom is gonna kill me because I said I'd be back at—"
And so he kissed her. Because it was the only thing that was familiar to him anymore. Because it was the only thing he remembered how to do properly.
She kissed him back, because as much as she should have walked away, she was well aware her feet weren't moving. And if they were, they were moving towards him.
The boy she swore she would never let break her heart. Again. Yet there she was, offering it to him openly, hoping he wouldn't let it bleed.
"Stop, stop. Stop it. I don't want this." Rory was a good liar; she had learned to be around him.
"What?" he questioned, confusion marring his features.
"What are you doing, Jess? What are you doing here?"
"I came to get my car," he said, hearing the irritation surface in his voice.
"No. What are you doing HERE? With me? What is this?" She stepped back a few inches, sure that if she didn't the little sliver of control she had left in her would disappear altogether.
"Rory, listen, I—"he stopped himself. "Shit."
"Just say it, whatever it is. Cause I have to go, Jess. I'm not doing this."
"I love you."
And he walked away. Because he had to do it before she could.
Rory set her fingers to her lips, the taste of his kiss still lingering.
She stayed.