She knocked on the door of the apartment, and checked the address and
room number she'd written down, making sure one last time that it was the
right one. It would by quite embarrassing to show up at a stranger's door,
holding a potted plant and a teddy bear.
The door opened and Jess was smirking in front of her. "Hi."
"Hey," Rory smiled. She held out the plant to him. "Happy housewarming."
He took the plant and looked at it. "Thanks. I don't know how long it will last with me as its caretaker, but thanks."
She smiled, and he stepped aside to let her in. She looked around, and noticed that there was no furniture except for a single mattress and a television. His things were still in boxes and the walls were bare
He sighed and closed the door, leaning against it. "I've been lazy."
She turned to him, hugging Hephaestus to her. "Obviously. Do you need help?"
He shook his head. "I'll get it done eventually." He glanced at the bear in her arms. "What's with that?"
"Oh," she replied, looking down at the stuffed animal. "I thought you might want him."
He shook his head.
"Oh, come on!"
"I told you to keep him."
"But you've got your own place now," Rory replied. "You can hide him somewhere."
He smirked. "I want you to have him."
"But he misses you. And Paris hates him."
"All the more reason you should keep him."
She pegged him with the bear.
*****
"So what made you hate California?" Rory asked as they sat in the diner.
Dave shrugged as he took a bite out of his burger and swallowed, seemingly without chewing. "I didn't really... okay, yeah I hated it."
Rory and Jess both smirked.
"It was like... everything was so fake," Dave went on. "You couldn't even go to class without feeling like you were apart of some cheesy teen comedy/drama. I couldn't really connect with anyone."
Jess nodded. "It's too sunny there."
"You say that about here, too," Rory pointed out.
Jess shrugged. "Yeah, but I have you. You're like my own personal could-cover."
"Should I take that as a complement?"
"Just roll with it," Lane replied.
"How long have you guys been back together?" Dave asked.
"It'll be two months soon," Rory answered. She turned to Jess. "What are we doing for our two-monther?"
He shrugged. "Same thing we did for our one month?"
"We should do something different," Rory said. "Like bungee jump. That could be fun."
Dave raised an eyebrow. "That doesn't strike me as being particularly romantic."
"We'll think of something," Jess reassured.
"So now that Dave's back, what's going on with the band?" Rory asked.
"Well, Gil had to drop out," Lane replied. "It got too hard for him to juggle his shop, se we've got an opening."
"The problem is convincing Zach and Brian," Dave added. "They're still not so happy about my leaving in the first place."
"They'll get over it," Lane promised. "We missed you."
Dave leaned over and kissed her on the cheek and she smiled.
Jess rolled his eyes. "We are eating. Or didn't you notice?"
"Oh, please," Lane replied. "You two are so much worse. Luke comes down from the apartment half blind sometimes because of your guys. And I heard Taylor talking about you swallowing each others' tongues near the super glue?"
Rory blushed, and looked out the window absently.
"That was for sentimental reasons," Jess defended.
"I think he's trying to kiss me in every location Dean did," Rory explained quietly, feeling embarrassed. "It's something much akin to marking his territory."
"That's disgusting," Lane replied. "Yet, kind of romantic in a sick way."
Jess glared.
"Alright!" Luke called on his way out of the kitchen. "Break's over. Lane, Jess, up."
Lane shrugged and Jess rolled his eyes as they got up to work.
Rory smiled as she watched Jess. She couldn't believe he'd agreed to come back on weekends, but he claimed that he needed the extra money.
Dave smirked as he glanced at Lane. It was good to back. "So, Rory. How's Yale?"
*****
"Please?"
"Mom..."
"Rory, please. This is really important, I could use some back-up," Lorelei begged over the phone.
Rory sighed as she unpacked her bag from her weekend trip back home. "Mom, he's Jess. And the last time he went to Friday dinner with us he became Mr. Insecurity. Or as much Mr. Insecurity as Jess can get. I don't like it when he becomes Mr. Insecurity because he hates being Mr. Insecurity. He gets fidgety and he clams up and won't admit he's Mr. Insecurity. He thinks Grandma judges him. And frankly, I wouldn't be surprised. I will come to dinner with you. Just like always, but we're leaving Jess out of it."
"Rory, I am begging you," Lorelei said. "They're inviting Jason this Friday, and it'd be so much more comfortable if you brought Jess."
"Why? So he can take the heat off of you?"
"Yes! Exactly!" Lorelei replied. "Please?"
"No. I'm not putting him through that again."
"Rory, please."
She didn't reply.
"Are you crumbling? I think I hear you crumbling."
"You owe me," Rory told her.
"Oh, I so do. Thank you so much, Rory."
*****
She showed up at the book store the next night.
"Please?"
"No," he replied, as he shelved books.
"I know this isn't your idea of fun but-"
He sighed and looked at her. "Why do you want me to go again?"
"Reason one," Rory stated. "It'll make a good impression."
"You already know that I don't care about impressions," he replied.
"Reason two: My mother is supposed to tell them that she's dating my grandfather's partner, and he's gonna be there, and she wants you to come to-"
"Take the heat off. No."
"I'll owe you."
He gave her a confused look. "Owe me what?"
"I'll read Hemmingway."
"No deal."
She gave him her best smile. "Please?"
"No."
"Please?"
"I said no."
"Don't make me pull out the big guns, mister."
"You don't have any," Jess replied, picking up another stack of books to shelve.
"Oh, I don't, do I?"
"Nope." He turned and began to shelve the books in his arms.
She glared a little at his back, whirled him around and kissed him deeply.
This, he was not expecting. Since when did she get so forward with this? Not that he didn't like it, but she'd been a lot bolder as time went on, and they were together longer. Then again, he realized, there was no one in the store to catch them. He dropped the stack of books in his arms and placed his hands on her waist.
*****
They stood on the front porch of the Gilmore's house. Rory was about to ring the bell when Lorelei came shooting out.
"Mom, what-"
"I did it. I told them."
"Already?" Rory asked. She took Jess's arm and looked down at his watch. "We're only ten minutes late."
"I know, but I just... blurted it out, and now the three of them are sitting there in shocked silence, and I needed air so I ran."
Rory took her mother by the arm and led her into the house. Jess followed.
****
A few hours later, they walked out of the house.
Jess sighed. "Well... the was..."
"I think they took it pretty well," Rory replied. "Shocked, but well."
Jess nodded. "So, you going for the weekend?"
Rory nodded. "Yeah, I promised Mom. You coming?"
"Yeah, I promised Luke my weekend."
She nodded again and smiled. "Why does this feel awkward?"
"Probably because I'd rather be kissing you."
"That can be arranged." She stepped forward and kissed him lightly, just as the door opened, and Lorelei and Jason stepped out.
"Oh, god!"
Rory jumped back and turned red. "Mom... Jason... hi."
Jess sighed.
Lorelei squeezed her eyes shut, and held onto Jason's arm. "Blind! Bliiind! Help me to the car!"
Jason sighed and shrugged. "Sorry, guys."
They watched the two adults make their way to the car.
The door opened and Jess was smirking in front of her. "Hi."
"Hey," Rory smiled. She held out the plant to him. "Happy housewarming."
He took the plant and looked at it. "Thanks. I don't know how long it will last with me as its caretaker, but thanks."
She smiled, and he stepped aside to let her in. She looked around, and noticed that there was no furniture except for a single mattress and a television. His things were still in boxes and the walls were bare
He sighed and closed the door, leaning against it. "I've been lazy."
She turned to him, hugging Hephaestus to her. "Obviously. Do you need help?"
He shook his head. "I'll get it done eventually." He glanced at the bear in her arms. "What's with that?"
"Oh," she replied, looking down at the stuffed animal. "I thought you might want him."
He shook his head.
"Oh, come on!"
"I told you to keep him."
"But you've got your own place now," Rory replied. "You can hide him somewhere."
He smirked. "I want you to have him."
"But he misses you. And Paris hates him."
"All the more reason you should keep him."
She pegged him with the bear.
*****
"So what made you hate California?" Rory asked as they sat in the diner.
Dave shrugged as he took a bite out of his burger and swallowed, seemingly without chewing. "I didn't really... okay, yeah I hated it."
Rory and Jess both smirked.
"It was like... everything was so fake," Dave went on. "You couldn't even go to class without feeling like you were apart of some cheesy teen comedy/drama. I couldn't really connect with anyone."
Jess nodded. "It's too sunny there."
"You say that about here, too," Rory pointed out.
Jess shrugged. "Yeah, but I have you. You're like my own personal could-cover."
"Should I take that as a complement?"
"Just roll with it," Lane replied.
"How long have you guys been back together?" Dave asked.
"It'll be two months soon," Rory answered. She turned to Jess. "What are we doing for our two-monther?"
He shrugged. "Same thing we did for our one month?"
"We should do something different," Rory said. "Like bungee jump. That could be fun."
Dave raised an eyebrow. "That doesn't strike me as being particularly romantic."
"We'll think of something," Jess reassured.
"So now that Dave's back, what's going on with the band?" Rory asked.
"Well, Gil had to drop out," Lane replied. "It got too hard for him to juggle his shop, se we've got an opening."
"The problem is convincing Zach and Brian," Dave added. "They're still not so happy about my leaving in the first place."
"They'll get over it," Lane promised. "We missed you."
Dave leaned over and kissed her on the cheek and she smiled.
Jess rolled his eyes. "We are eating. Or didn't you notice?"
"Oh, please," Lane replied. "You two are so much worse. Luke comes down from the apartment half blind sometimes because of your guys. And I heard Taylor talking about you swallowing each others' tongues near the super glue?"
Rory blushed, and looked out the window absently.
"That was for sentimental reasons," Jess defended.
"I think he's trying to kiss me in every location Dean did," Rory explained quietly, feeling embarrassed. "It's something much akin to marking his territory."
"That's disgusting," Lane replied. "Yet, kind of romantic in a sick way."
Jess glared.
"Alright!" Luke called on his way out of the kitchen. "Break's over. Lane, Jess, up."
Lane shrugged and Jess rolled his eyes as they got up to work.
Rory smiled as she watched Jess. She couldn't believe he'd agreed to come back on weekends, but he claimed that he needed the extra money.
Dave smirked as he glanced at Lane. It was good to back. "So, Rory. How's Yale?"
*****
"Please?"
"Mom..."
"Rory, please. This is really important, I could use some back-up," Lorelei begged over the phone.
Rory sighed as she unpacked her bag from her weekend trip back home. "Mom, he's Jess. And the last time he went to Friday dinner with us he became Mr. Insecurity. Or as much Mr. Insecurity as Jess can get. I don't like it when he becomes Mr. Insecurity because he hates being Mr. Insecurity. He gets fidgety and he clams up and won't admit he's Mr. Insecurity. He thinks Grandma judges him. And frankly, I wouldn't be surprised. I will come to dinner with you. Just like always, but we're leaving Jess out of it."
"Rory, I am begging you," Lorelei said. "They're inviting Jason this Friday, and it'd be so much more comfortable if you brought Jess."
"Why? So he can take the heat off of you?"
"Yes! Exactly!" Lorelei replied. "Please?"
"No. I'm not putting him through that again."
"Rory, please."
She didn't reply.
"Are you crumbling? I think I hear you crumbling."
"You owe me," Rory told her.
"Oh, I so do. Thank you so much, Rory."
*****
She showed up at the book store the next night.
"Please?"
"No," he replied, as he shelved books.
"I know this isn't your idea of fun but-"
He sighed and looked at her. "Why do you want me to go again?"
"Reason one," Rory stated. "It'll make a good impression."
"You already know that I don't care about impressions," he replied.
"Reason two: My mother is supposed to tell them that she's dating my grandfather's partner, and he's gonna be there, and she wants you to come to-"
"Take the heat off. No."
"I'll owe you."
He gave her a confused look. "Owe me what?"
"I'll read Hemmingway."
"No deal."
She gave him her best smile. "Please?"
"No."
"Please?"
"I said no."
"Don't make me pull out the big guns, mister."
"You don't have any," Jess replied, picking up another stack of books to shelve.
"Oh, I don't, do I?"
"Nope." He turned and began to shelve the books in his arms.
She glared a little at his back, whirled him around and kissed him deeply.
This, he was not expecting. Since when did she get so forward with this? Not that he didn't like it, but she'd been a lot bolder as time went on, and they were together longer. Then again, he realized, there was no one in the store to catch them. He dropped the stack of books in his arms and placed his hands on her waist.
*****
They stood on the front porch of the Gilmore's house. Rory was about to ring the bell when Lorelei came shooting out.
"Mom, what-"
"I did it. I told them."
"Already?" Rory asked. She took Jess's arm and looked down at his watch. "We're only ten minutes late."
"I know, but I just... blurted it out, and now the three of them are sitting there in shocked silence, and I needed air so I ran."
Rory took her mother by the arm and led her into the house. Jess followed.
****
A few hours later, they walked out of the house.
Jess sighed. "Well... the was..."
"I think they took it pretty well," Rory replied. "Shocked, but well."
Jess nodded. "So, you going for the weekend?"
Rory nodded. "Yeah, I promised Mom. You coming?"
"Yeah, I promised Luke my weekend."
She nodded again and smiled. "Why does this feel awkward?"
"Probably because I'd rather be kissing you."
"That can be arranged." She stepped forward and kissed him lightly, just as the door opened, and Lorelei and Jason stepped out.
"Oh, god!"
Rory jumped back and turned red. "Mom... Jason... hi."
Jess sighed.
Lorelei squeezed her eyes shut, and held onto Jason's arm. "Blind! Bliiind! Help me to the car!"
Jason sighed and shrugged. "Sorry, guys."
They watched the two adults make their way to the car.