Five minutes later Lorelai stood in front of Luke's diner. She looked through the window and saw that the diner was still dark and empty. No Luke in sight. She tried the door and found it open. As she entered the bell above rang and Luke emerged from the kitchen. They regarded each other for a moment.

"Hey." – Luke was the first to speak.

"Hey." – She replied and walked over to the counter.

"So...you got my message." – It was more a statement than a question.

"Yes." – Lorelai told him with a smile. She sat down on a stool still looking straight at him. "Yes, I got your message which means that you got mine too."

Luke smiled back at her. "True. I got all 44 of them."

"44? Really? I thought there were more."

"Nope, sorry. If there would have been 50 I'd give you a breakfast for free. But since there are only 44...well, that's only enough for coffee." – Luke joked.

"Ah, damn! Only coffee?" Lorelai asked with a fake disappointment in her voice. "Well, okay. I guess I'll live."

"The way I know you, I'm sure you will." – Luke said dryly. Lorelai smiled at him realizing for the thousandth time how much she has missed their banter, how much she has missed him. Luke put a mug in front of her and purred hot coffee in it.

"I missed you." – Lorelai said looking directly at Luke. He looked as surprised as she felt at the words that escaped her mouth. Luke looked at her for a moment longer before he replied : "I missed you too."

The air around them filled with something that neither wanted explain. Something that neither of them were ready to face. Not yet. Luke quickly changed topics.

"Well, I have two questions for you."

"Okay, shoot."

"First one, could you please define the term "best Luke" to me?"

Lorelai smiled at that. "You see, I sat all alone at home trying to figure out what to write to you.First I wrote best friend. But that didn't feel right. Don't get me wrong – you're a best friend, but one out of three. Rory and Sookie are the other two. If I would have written "best friend" then it wouldn't have been entirely true. 'Cause there are Rory and Sookie too."

"Yeah, you mentioned that."

"Then I thought of writing "you're one of my best friends" or "my best male friend" but that sounded silly and like I was showing off that I have three best friends. Then I came up with "best Luke". That term describes...." – Lorelai trailed off and a furrow appeared between her brows. "...the idea of "best Luke" sounded better in my head."

"Yeah, most things do." – Luke replied with a smirk and Lorelai just pouted at him. Her pout only made his grin wider.

"Well, that was question number one. The second one, how come that your biggest hope is that I forgive you?"

"Oh, that. Well...it's my biggest hope since Mulder and Scully finally got together."

"Mulder and Scully?" – Luke asked with raised eyebrows.

"Yep, do you know that they needed nine years to become a couple?"

"Nine years."

"Would you please stop repeating everything I say?"

"Sorry, go on." – Luke said as he walked over to a table and started to put down the chairs.

"Thanks." – Lorelai said and turned in her stool to watch him work. "Anyway, Mulder and Scully needed seven years to kiss, a child and nine years to become a couple. I swear it was a roller coaster with those two. Since they are together and everything, my number one hope now is that you will forgive me for being a huge moron." – Lorelai stood up, walked over to a table and started to put down chairs too.

"After this little speech I assume you're a fan."

"I've watched every episode – sometimes only for mock-reasons, 'cause let's be honest – some of the episodes were baaad. Still, I've watched all of them plus the movie."

Luke shook his head in disbelief.

"What?"

"Nothing. I would have never thought of you as an X-Files fan."

"I've never thought of you as a Trekkie, but well..."

"Ah, gee. It was just a shirt."

"Whatever you say Lucas." – Lorelai smirked at him and Luke only rolled his eyes. Suddenly they realized that they were standing close to each other, both holding onto the same chair which was still upon the table. They were staring intensely into each others eyes. Both waiting for the other to drop their gaze down first, but neither did. Then it happened.
Luke and Lorelai kissed.

Afterwards neither of them remembered how long they stood there smiling and staring at each other or who decided to move first. All they remembered was that they did move and that their lips did meet for the first time.

The kiss was slow and gentle. Luke's right hand was on her waist, pulling her closer to him as the kiss deepened. His left hand lay on top of her right one which was still holding the chair
After it seemed like an eternity to them, she pulled away and opened her eyes. They stared at each other again, both holding their breaths.

"I should go now." – Lorelai mumbled. Luke nodded uncertainly with his head, but before she was able to make a step towards the door he pulled her back into another kiss.

The second kiss was more passionate and demanding then the first one. Lorelai's hands went around his neck and Luke's arms encircled her waist to hold her in a tight embrace.

TBC