Of mother's and sons
"...So then he knocks the book right outta my hand."
Gloria snickered as she threw a right hook at Jess and missed. "Bad move. Didn't Lizzie warn him about you?"
They were sparring in the gym in New York the next morning. Jess had called in to Luke's, telling him he wasn't coming in. Luke hadn't been happy, but Jess hadn't really cared too much.
"Obviously not," Jess replied. "So I hit him. And then he hit me. And then I sucker-punched him in the face."
"Shit!"
"And then Luke came up, and I almost hit him."
"Jess!" Gloria cried, slugging him in the stomach.
He heaved, and stumbled back a little. "I had momentum. I think he told Liz this morning. I don't think she's going to be speaking to me any time soon."
Gloria tilted her head and nodded past him. "Wouldn't be too sure about that..."
Jess looked over as Liz walked in and Gloria sucker-punched him in the face. He went down hard and Liz rushed over.
"Jess! Oh, my god, are you alright?!" Liz cried, leaning into the ring a little.
He shook his head out and wiped blood from his lip. "Liz?"
"Hi. What was that?"
"Gloria's death wish," Jess muttered, dragging himself to his feet. "That was cheap."
Gloria laughed. "But funny."
"You're going down."
"Can we talk, Jess?" Liz asked.
"Go ahead," he replied, swinging a fist at Gloria's gut.
She heaved a little recovered.
"What was with you last night?" Liz asked.
"TJ provoked me," he replied, dodging Gloria's fist.
"And Luke?"
"He had momentum," Gloria supplied.
Jess glared.
"Jess-"
"He knocked a book out of my hand," Jess told her. "I wasn't in the mood."
"Never are," Gloria commented.
Jess swung a fist and clipped her jaw, causing her to spin and grab the side of the ring.
"Can't you ever stop hitting people?!" Liz cried.
Jess sighed, and hopped out of the ring to face his mother.
"If this is how you're going to be-"
"How I'm gonna be?" Jess shot. "I've always been this way!"
"Then don't come to the wedding!" She snapped harshly.
Gloria watched them stare at each other, and saw the slightest hint of hurt in his eyes.
"Fine," Jess said softly.
Liz immediately regretted her words. "Jess..."
"I'd just... screw everything up for you...."
"No," Liz cringed. "Jess, stop."
He didn't reply, only pushed past her and walked into the locker room.
******
"Hiya, Ma!"
Jimmy was promptly slapped across the face.
He flinched, and put a hand to his cheek. "Ow... jeez... what was that for?"
Sofia glared harshly. "Three guesses."
"I didn't pick up after myself the last time I was here?"
Sofia crossed her arms. "And when was the last time you were here... James?"
Jimmy looked down at his shoes. "Almost twenty years ago," he muttered.
Sofia nodded, arms still crossed.
"I'm sorry," Jimmy muttered. "Please don't call me James."
"What are you doing here?" she asked, letting him in.
He sighed and walked in, looking around. "Liz invited me to the wedding."
Sofia shook her head after closing the door behind her. "Why?"
Jimmy shrugged. "I don't know... I came to see Jess, mostly. Any idea where he is?"
"He's at the South Street Gym," Gloria replied, walking through the door with her gym back. "Who're you?"
Jimmy blinked. "Is that...?"
Sofia nodded. "Tom's girl."
"Wow... She looks... different..."
Sofia rolled her eyes. "Gloria, this is Jimmy."
Gloria's eyes narrowed. "As in Jess's dad, Jimmy?"
Sofia nodded.
Gloria threw her bag down, and began to advance on him.
"Gloria," Sofia warned.
The younger girl sighed. "Yes, Grandma."
"I see you still rule this house with an iron fist," Jimmy commented.
"Well, someone has to take charge. Your father was too soft."
Gloria sighed. "I'm showering. If Jamie calls, tell him to just come on over, please."
Sofia nodded and watched her granddaughter walk down the hall. She turned back to Jimmy. "So... Jess tells me you sell hot dogs, now."
Jimmy sighed.
*****
"I was outta line."
"You were angry," Luke corrected as he put a plate of food down in front of his sister.
Liz sighed. "I over-reacted... TJ's fine. No harm was done."
Luke sighed. "Listen, if you're not gonna stand your ground, I don't wanna hear it. You're his mother, and you're gonna do what you want just like you always do, but I don't wanna hear it."
"Fine," Liz shrugged. "...So... What's going on with you and Lorelai?"
Luke gave her a slightly startled look. "Nothing."
Liz smiled. "Nothing?"
"Nothing."
"Really? Because Jess told me the other day that you guys had a pretty juicy kiss."
Luke growled slightly. "That little- It was nothing. Lorelai and I are just friends."
"Then why are you blushing?" Liz giggled.
Luke glared and stormed into the kitchen.
*****
"What are you doing here?"
"I'm in for the wedding," Jimmy replied, sitting next to his son on a bench in the gym. He hadn't been into the gym in over twenty years. It hadn't changed.
"You?" Jess scoffed.
"Liz invited me."
"Wow."
Jimmy nodded. "I think she was just being polite. Don't know if she actually wanted me to come or not... I went and saw your grandmother... she told me there was a brawl at the bachelor party."
Jess rolled his eyes.
"Sofia says that Liz says that Jimmy says you threw the first punch."
Jess nodded. "I did. But he slapped a book outta my hands."
"So you slugged him?"
"No, I smacked him in the arm."
"Then what?"
"He smacked me in the face."
Jimmy nodded. "Then you slugged him."
Jess nodded. "And then I almost hit Luke."
"Jess..."
"I wasn't thinking," Jess muttered. "I didn't mean to."
"Did you apologize?"
"Working on it."
"Have you talked to Rory at all?" Jimmy asked, knowing full well that if anyone could make sense of Jess's behavior it was Rory.
"We aren't speaking right now."
Jimmy sighed and took the wrapping roll from next to Jess and began winding it around his knuckles.
"What're you doing?"
"We're gonna fight."
Jess shook his head. "No, way."
Jimmy laughed. "Scared?"
"Yeah, that I'll hurt you," Jess replied.
"Oh, please," the older Mariano rolled his eyes.
"You had a heart attack," Jess pointed out.
"I'm fine now," Jimmy said. He patted Jess on the shoulder and got to his feet. "Come on. I wanna see what you got."
Jess sighed and got to his feet. "It's your funeral."
*****
Luke looked up when the bell on the door rang. "Aw, jeez!"
Jess limped in, his right eye black, his lip and nose covered in dry blood, and his hands wrapped.
Jimmy walked slowly behind him with barely a scratch on him.
"What the hell, Jimmy?!" Luke yelled.
"I lost," Jess muttered, falling into a chair and hitting his head on the table.
Jimmy sat next to him. "You're the one who wouldn't give up."
"I'll win next time."
"Sure, Jess."
"You'll regret this."
Jimmy smiled. "Okay, Jess."
Luke walked over with a wet rag and handed it to Jess. "What happened?"
"We were boxing," Jimmy replied. "The kid wouldn't give up."
"Coulda won," Jess said.
"Sure thing," Jimmy smirked, and then winced, putting a couple of fingers to his bruised cheek. "You almost got me a few times."
"You're both insane," Luke grumbled. "I'm gonna get some ice."
"Hey, Luke?"
"Yeah, Jess."
"Sorry...I tried to hit you."
Luke cracked a slight smirk. "Well...lesson learned." He disappeared into the kitchen.
Jimmy patted Jess on the back. "Was that so hard?"
Jess gave him a weak shove and Jimmy laughed.
At that moment, Liz walked down the stairs. "Hey, Luke, what's-"She caught sight of them and stopped. "Oh, my god!" She rushed over and knelt in front of Jess. "What happened?"
"We were boxing," Jimmy replied. "It's nothing."
"Nothing?!" Liz cried. "How can you say that?! God, my poor baby."
Jess shoved himself out of his chair and stumbled behind the counter and up the stairs to the apartment.
Luke walked out of the kitchen just in time to hear the apartment door slam shut. He turned a glare on Jimmy and Liz. "Which one of you was it this time?"
******
Lorelai sighed. "Why did you go over there?"
"I wanted to give Rory her scarf back," her mother replied over the phone.
"They were having quiet time, Mom!"
Emily sighed. "I just wanted to know what goes on behind closed doors."
"They're a couple," Lorelai replied. "Normal couple-y things. They eat dinner together, and watch movie, and they read together."
"And they have sex."
Lorelai groaned. "That's not all their relationship is made up of. Real relationships don't work that way."
"I just wanted to know!"
"Mmhm. And now they're fighting," Lorelai nodded. "Real convenient, huh, Mom?"
"It wasn't like that."
Lorelai sighed. "I don't know how it was... I don't think I wanna know. All I know is, Jess isn't speaking to Rory, and she's miserable! And I hate it! And I have no idea where the hell Jess is this weekend, because he wasn't in the diner this morning, and Luke said he just called in, and it's ridiculous."
"Are you and Luke a couple now?"
"Mother!" Lorelai cried. "No! And don't change the subject!" She let out a breath to compose herself. "Are you trying to break Jess and Rory up?"
Emily considered this.
"Mom, come on."
"No," Emily snapped. "I'm not trying to break them up! I just... I want what's best for her."
"Me, too," Lorelai replied. "But that's her call. No ours. She's nineteen. She can make her own decisions about what makes her happy. And if Jess makes her happy, we have to stand aside."
******
"Hey, Luke."
Luke looked up from lecturing Jimmy and Liz to see Rory walk in with her books. "Oh, thank god. Someone who speaks the language. Go upstairs and talk to Jess."
Rory's look became slightly sad. "We're still not speaking, Luke."
"Well, start speaking now!"
"Luke, I-"She didn't get a chance to finish. Luke was pushing her by the shoulders over behind the counter to the stairs.
"Just go talk to him," Luke pleaded. "Liz uninvited him to the wedding, and Jimmy gave him a fat lip and black eye."
Rory gave a disturbed look to Jimmy and Liz.
"We were boxing!" Jimmy defended.
Liz rolled her eyes. "Shut up, Jimmy. Why did I even invite you?"
"Because you didn't expect me to come," Jimmy smirked.
"Ya got that right, buddy!" Liz snapped.
Rory's eyebrows rose. "Dirty," she muttered, still being pushed toward the stairs. She sighed and climbed them.
When she reached the apartment, she didn't bother knocking. She walked in, silently closing the door behind her. She could hear a Ben Folds CD playing from Jess's room. "Jess?"
She got no reply. She walked over to his side of the apartment, and peaked into his room to find him sleeping in a thin t-shirt and his boxers, his hair wet. She could see the bruising on his left eye and sighed. She walked over lay down next to him, facing him, reaching gentle fingers out to touch the slightly wounded skin.
He winced a little and squinted at her.
"Hi," she whispered. "Ben Folds?"
"Guilty pleasure," he replied, just as quietly.
She nodded. "What's the song?"
"Evaporated," he replied. "Gloria says it's very me."
Rory nodded. "I think so."
They lay in silence.
"I'm sorry."
They both said it in unison. She snickered, and he fought back a smirk.
"I do love you," he told her softly.
She nodded. "I love you, too. I don't want to break up over my grandmother."
He smirked. "Sounds pretty lame, doesn't it?"
She giggled. "Yeah, it does." She sighed. "I just wonder why it is that she doesn't think you care about me."
"Because she doesn't see us like this," he replied, putting a hand through her hair. His eyes drifted closed and he kept his hand in her hair.
She smiled and kissed him. "Why did Liz uninvite you to the wedding?"
He sighed and opened his eyes a little. "I hit TJ."
She sighed. "Jess..."
"He started it."
"Mature."
He smirked and closed his eyes again.
She scooted closer and wrapped her arms around him, kissing his neck. "You and Jimmy boxed?"
He nodded, wrapping an arm around her. "He's here for the wedding."
Rory nodded back. "I heard." She pulled away from him to inspect his black eye. "Does he have to be so rough?"
"It's boxing, Rory."
"I know, but your look like you got attacked by another swan," she snickered.
He rolled his eyes.
"...So then he knocks the book right outta my hand."
Gloria snickered as she threw a right hook at Jess and missed. "Bad move. Didn't Lizzie warn him about you?"
They were sparring in the gym in New York the next morning. Jess had called in to Luke's, telling him he wasn't coming in. Luke hadn't been happy, but Jess hadn't really cared too much.
"Obviously not," Jess replied. "So I hit him. And then he hit me. And then I sucker-punched him in the face."
"Shit!"
"And then Luke came up, and I almost hit him."
"Jess!" Gloria cried, slugging him in the stomach.
He heaved, and stumbled back a little. "I had momentum. I think he told Liz this morning. I don't think she's going to be speaking to me any time soon."
Gloria tilted her head and nodded past him. "Wouldn't be too sure about that..."
Jess looked over as Liz walked in and Gloria sucker-punched him in the face. He went down hard and Liz rushed over.
"Jess! Oh, my god, are you alright?!" Liz cried, leaning into the ring a little.
He shook his head out and wiped blood from his lip. "Liz?"
"Hi. What was that?"
"Gloria's death wish," Jess muttered, dragging himself to his feet. "That was cheap."
Gloria laughed. "But funny."
"You're going down."
"Can we talk, Jess?" Liz asked.
"Go ahead," he replied, swinging a fist at Gloria's gut.
She heaved a little recovered.
"What was with you last night?" Liz asked.
"TJ provoked me," he replied, dodging Gloria's fist.
"And Luke?"
"He had momentum," Gloria supplied.
Jess glared.
"Jess-"
"He knocked a book out of my hand," Jess told her. "I wasn't in the mood."
"Never are," Gloria commented.
Jess swung a fist and clipped her jaw, causing her to spin and grab the side of the ring.
"Can't you ever stop hitting people?!" Liz cried.
Jess sighed, and hopped out of the ring to face his mother.
"If this is how you're going to be-"
"How I'm gonna be?" Jess shot. "I've always been this way!"
"Then don't come to the wedding!" She snapped harshly.
Gloria watched them stare at each other, and saw the slightest hint of hurt in his eyes.
"Fine," Jess said softly.
Liz immediately regretted her words. "Jess..."
"I'd just... screw everything up for you...."
"No," Liz cringed. "Jess, stop."
He didn't reply, only pushed past her and walked into the locker room.
******
"Hiya, Ma!"
Jimmy was promptly slapped across the face.
He flinched, and put a hand to his cheek. "Ow... jeez... what was that for?"
Sofia glared harshly. "Three guesses."
"I didn't pick up after myself the last time I was here?"
Sofia crossed her arms. "And when was the last time you were here... James?"
Jimmy looked down at his shoes. "Almost twenty years ago," he muttered.
Sofia nodded, arms still crossed.
"I'm sorry," Jimmy muttered. "Please don't call me James."
"What are you doing here?" she asked, letting him in.
He sighed and walked in, looking around. "Liz invited me to the wedding."
Sofia shook her head after closing the door behind her. "Why?"
Jimmy shrugged. "I don't know... I came to see Jess, mostly. Any idea where he is?"
"He's at the South Street Gym," Gloria replied, walking through the door with her gym back. "Who're you?"
Jimmy blinked. "Is that...?"
Sofia nodded. "Tom's girl."
"Wow... She looks... different..."
Sofia rolled her eyes. "Gloria, this is Jimmy."
Gloria's eyes narrowed. "As in Jess's dad, Jimmy?"
Sofia nodded.
Gloria threw her bag down, and began to advance on him.
"Gloria," Sofia warned.
The younger girl sighed. "Yes, Grandma."
"I see you still rule this house with an iron fist," Jimmy commented.
"Well, someone has to take charge. Your father was too soft."
Gloria sighed. "I'm showering. If Jamie calls, tell him to just come on over, please."
Sofia nodded and watched her granddaughter walk down the hall. She turned back to Jimmy. "So... Jess tells me you sell hot dogs, now."
Jimmy sighed.
*****
"I was outta line."
"You were angry," Luke corrected as he put a plate of food down in front of his sister.
Liz sighed. "I over-reacted... TJ's fine. No harm was done."
Luke sighed. "Listen, if you're not gonna stand your ground, I don't wanna hear it. You're his mother, and you're gonna do what you want just like you always do, but I don't wanna hear it."
"Fine," Liz shrugged. "...So... What's going on with you and Lorelai?"
Luke gave her a slightly startled look. "Nothing."
Liz smiled. "Nothing?"
"Nothing."
"Really? Because Jess told me the other day that you guys had a pretty juicy kiss."
Luke growled slightly. "That little- It was nothing. Lorelai and I are just friends."
"Then why are you blushing?" Liz giggled.
Luke glared and stormed into the kitchen.
*****
"What are you doing here?"
"I'm in for the wedding," Jimmy replied, sitting next to his son on a bench in the gym. He hadn't been into the gym in over twenty years. It hadn't changed.
"You?" Jess scoffed.
"Liz invited me."
"Wow."
Jimmy nodded. "I think she was just being polite. Don't know if she actually wanted me to come or not... I went and saw your grandmother... she told me there was a brawl at the bachelor party."
Jess rolled his eyes.
"Sofia says that Liz says that Jimmy says you threw the first punch."
Jess nodded. "I did. But he slapped a book outta my hands."
"So you slugged him?"
"No, I smacked him in the arm."
"Then what?"
"He smacked me in the face."
Jimmy nodded. "Then you slugged him."
Jess nodded. "And then I almost hit Luke."
"Jess..."
"I wasn't thinking," Jess muttered. "I didn't mean to."
"Did you apologize?"
"Working on it."
"Have you talked to Rory at all?" Jimmy asked, knowing full well that if anyone could make sense of Jess's behavior it was Rory.
"We aren't speaking right now."
Jimmy sighed and took the wrapping roll from next to Jess and began winding it around his knuckles.
"What're you doing?"
"We're gonna fight."
Jess shook his head. "No, way."
Jimmy laughed. "Scared?"
"Yeah, that I'll hurt you," Jess replied.
"Oh, please," the older Mariano rolled his eyes.
"You had a heart attack," Jess pointed out.
"I'm fine now," Jimmy said. He patted Jess on the shoulder and got to his feet. "Come on. I wanna see what you got."
Jess sighed and got to his feet. "It's your funeral."
*****
Luke looked up when the bell on the door rang. "Aw, jeez!"
Jess limped in, his right eye black, his lip and nose covered in dry blood, and his hands wrapped.
Jimmy walked slowly behind him with barely a scratch on him.
"What the hell, Jimmy?!" Luke yelled.
"I lost," Jess muttered, falling into a chair and hitting his head on the table.
Jimmy sat next to him. "You're the one who wouldn't give up."
"I'll win next time."
"Sure, Jess."
"You'll regret this."
Jimmy smiled. "Okay, Jess."
Luke walked over with a wet rag and handed it to Jess. "What happened?"
"We were boxing," Jimmy replied. "The kid wouldn't give up."
"Coulda won," Jess said.
"Sure thing," Jimmy smirked, and then winced, putting a couple of fingers to his bruised cheek. "You almost got me a few times."
"You're both insane," Luke grumbled. "I'm gonna get some ice."
"Hey, Luke?"
"Yeah, Jess."
"Sorry...I tried to hit you."
Luke cracked a slight smirk. "Well...lesson learned." He disappeared into the kitchen.
Jimmy patted Jess on the back. "Was that so hard?"
Jess gave him a weak shove and Jimmy laughed.
At that moment, Liz walked down the stairs. "Hey, Luke, what's-"She caught sight of them and stopped. "Oh, my god!" She rushed over and knelt in front of Jess. "What happened?"
"We were boxing," Jimmy replied. "It's nothing."
"Nothing?!" Liz cried. "How can you say that?! God, my poor baby."
Jess shoved himself out of his chair and stumbled behind the counter and up the stairs to the apartment.
Luke walked out of the kitchen just in time to hear the apartment door slam shut. He turned a glare on Jimmy and Liz. "Which one of you was it this time?"
******
Lorelai sighed. "Why did you go over there?"
"I wanted to give Rory her scarf back," her mother replied over the phone.
"They were having quiet time, Mom!"
Emily sighed. "I just wanted to know what goes on behind closed doors."
"They're a couple," Lorelai replied. "Normal couple-y things. They eat dinner together, and watch movie, and they read together."
"And they have sex."
Lorelai groaned. "That's not all their relationship is made up of. Real relationships don't work that way."
"I just wanted to know!"
"Mmhm. And now they're fighting," Lorelai nodded. "Real convenient, huh, Mom?"
"It wasn't like that."
Lorelai sighed. "I don't know how it was... I don't think I wanna know. All I know is, Jess isn't speaking to Rory, and she's miserable! And I hate it! And I have no idea where the hell Jess is this weekend, because he wasn't in the diner this morning, and Luke said he just called in, and it's ridiculous."
"Are you and Luke a couple now?"
"Mother!" Lorelai cried. "No! And don't change the subject!" She let out a breath to compose herself. "Are you trying to break Jess and Rory up?"
Emily considered this.
"Mom, come on."
"No," Emily snapped. "I'm not trying to break them up! I just... I want what's best for her."
"Me, too," Lorelai replied. "But that's her call. No ours. She's nineteen. She can make her own decisions about what makes her happy. And if Jess makes her happy, we have to stand aside."
******
"Hey, Luke."
Luke looked up from lecturing Jimmy and Liz to see Rory walk in with her books. "Oh, thank god. Someone who speaks the language. Go upstairs and talk to Jess."
Rory's look became slightly sad. "We're still not speaking, Luke."
"Well, start speaking now!"
"Luke, I-"She didn't get a chance to finish. Luke was pushing her by the shoulders over behind the counter to the stairs.
"Just go talk to him," Luke pleaded. "Liz uninvited him to the wedding, and Jimmy gave him a fat lip and black eye."
Rory gave a disturbed look to Jimmy and Liz.
"We were boxing!" Jimmy defended.
Liz rolled her eyes. "Shut up, Jimmy. Why did I even invite you?"
"Because you didn't expect me to come," Jimmy smirked.
"Ya got that right, buddy!" Liz snapped.
Rory's eyebrows rose. "Dirty," she muttered, still being pushed toward the stairs. She sighed and climbed them.
When she reached the apartment, she didn't bother knocking. She walked in, silently closing the door behind her. She could hear a Ben Folds CD playing from Jess's room. "Jess?"
She got no reply. She walked over to his side of the apartment, and peaked into his room to find him sleeping in a thin t-shirt and his boxers, his hair wet. She could see the bruising on his left eye and sighed. She walked over lay down next to him, facing him, reaching gentle fingers out to touch the slightly wounded skin.
He winced a little and squinted at her.
"Hi," she whispered. "Ben Folds?"
"Guilty pleasure," he replied, just as quietly.
She nodded. "What's the song?"
"Evaporated," he replied. "Gloria says it's very me."
Rory nodded. "I think so."
They lay in silence.
"I'm sorry."
They both said it in unison. She snickered, and he fought back a smirk.
"I do love you," he told her softly.
She nodded. "I love you, too. I don't want to break up over my grandmother."
He smirked. "Sounds pretty lame, doesn't it?"
She giggled. "Yeah, it does." She sighed. "I just wonder why it is that she doesn't think you care about me."
"Because she doesn't see us like this," he replied, putting a hand through her hair. His eyes drifted closed and he kept his hand in her hair.
She smiled and kissed him. "Why did Liz uninvite you to the wedding?"
He sighed and opened his eyes a little. "I hit TJ."
She sighed. "Jess..."
"He started it."
"Mature."
He smirked and closed his eyes again.
She scooted closer and wrapped her arms around him, kissing his neck. "You and Jimmy boxed?"
He nodded, wrapping an arm around her. "He's here for the wedding."
Rory nodded back. "I heard." She pulled away from him to inspect his black eye. "Does he have to be so rough?"
"It's boxing, Rory."
"I know, but your look like you got attacked by another swan," she snickered.
He rolled his eyes.