DISCLAIMER: I own neither the show nor the characters of the Gilmore Girls.
Just the messed up way in which I am portraying them.
"So, how is he?"
"Sookie!"
"What?"
"That is so inappropriate!"
"Yeah, right. I, and the rest of this town, watch you and him dance around each other for years, you finally do it, and you're seriously not going to tell me about it? I think you owe me that much."
"So, what, I should put out some sort of review in the paper?" Rory giggled.
"Well, if you think he wouldn't mind," Sookie trailed off.
"Sook!"
"Kidding. Now, get down to the dirty stuff!" she said, pulling up a cup of coffee and biscotti in front of her after handing one to Rory. They sat in the kitchen of Rory's house, which was vacant for once. Jess was working, and Lorelai had gone out to 'get some air.' She'd been very mysterious today, and Rory couldn't quite figure out what was going on there yet. She figured she was just using code for heading to Lane's. Or trying to scam free coffee from the bookstore.
"It was nice."
"Nice? NICE? Over ten years of ogling each other from afar and you give me NICE?"
"It was amazing, okay? The best sex of my life!"
"Ooh, now we're getting to the good stuff," Sookie squealed.
"This is embarrassing."
"Oh, come on, I'm living vicariously here."
"Did you ever go out with Jackson?" Rory changed the subject.
"No, not yet."
"Why not?"
"He hasn't talked about it again."
"Didn't you ask him out?"
"Well, sort of. I asked if he would want to have dinner sometime."
"So, set a definite plan."
"No, the ball's in his court."
"Huh?"
"I asked about a vague happening, now it's his turn to set specific details."
Rory furrowed his brow. "Does his know these rules exist?"
Sookie furrowed her brow as well. "Hmm. What if he doesn't?"
"Just, talk to him, Sook."
"Maybe you're right. But if I have to talk to him, I need more details from you first."
"Why?" Rory giggled.
"Sort of a pre-reward. Go on," she insisted.
"It's strange, you know? I mean, just last week, he was the guy that gave me coffee."
"He was more than that."
"Not really."
"Oh come on. You can't say that you never thought of dating Jess."
"Never!"
"Rory!"
"What? I mean, maybe, occasionally, when he bent over to pick up a box of books, I snuck a glimpse," she trailed off, blushing.
"How's that?"
"Oh. My. God. You can't even begin to do it justice with words," Rory sighed happily.
"I'm dying!" Sookie giggled as Rory continued.
"So, wait, she told you to date around?" Lane asked her friend, in hushed tones, just incase her mother was standing outside monitoring the conversation.
"Yeah. I mean, I'm not handling the Tristan thing well, Lane. I just, I like him, but I'm afraid it's just physical."
"Wow. Remember when our conversations used to revolve around whether we'd rather be She-Ra or Jem?"
"You wanted to be Jem."
"Rocker chic, hello!"
"She-Ra definitely kicks some ass, though."
Lane nodded in agreement. "So, you're going to date Tristan?"
"I think so."
"But someone else too?"
"Just, for now."
"Who?"
"I don't know. I've been so preoccupied with him, family and school, I haven't been looking, you know?"
"Well, I can definitely recommend someone. Someone that's crazy about you."
"Really?" Lorelai asked, intrigued.
"Really."
"Who?"
"You really want to know?"
"Lane!"
"Luke."
"Luke?"
"Luke."
"As in Jess' nephew Luke?"
"The one and the same."
"He doesn't like me."
"Why do you say that?"
"He thinks I'm annoying!"
"No, he doesn't," Lane assured her.
"How do you know?"
"He told me. Confidentially, of course."
"Of course."
"But when you tell me that you might date other guys, I figure he won't mind if I offer up a little helpful information."
"I can't date Luke. That'd be like dating my cousin or something, wouldn't it?"
"Well, first of all, Rory and Jess aren't married. Even if they were, you aren't blood related to Jess, so you'd be half-cousins? Or is it step- cousins? That is so confusing to me."
"I don't think half and steps are big worries in the lives of most Koreans."
"True that."
"So, Luke?"
"Luke."
"Luke," Lorelai repeated, thinking to herself.
"So, big date again tonight?"
"Actually, no," Rory sighed.
"You can pull yourself away from him?"
"We have work to do, you know, and it's not like I'm addicted."
"Really?"
"Well, maybe a little," Rory blushed again. "It's just, he's so amazing. I never thought that we'd be so ... intense."
"I love intense."
"He's just, he's so smart, he's fun, he's there for me when I need him, and his body—I don't need to go there again," Rory smiled.
"He'd probably kill you if he knew all the things you told me," Sookie laughed.
"He'd probably just strut around, proud of himself," Rory corrected.
"He struts?"
"He should," she giggled again.
"So, seriously, just a quiet night at home?"
"Yep. Lor's out with Lane, and I'm hanging with you until I kick you out so I can get some work done."
"Hey! What'll I do?"
"Call Jackson," Rory didn't even hesitate.
"Maybe," Sookie glared at her friend.
"Hey, get a move on, I'm telling you, you don't even know how much you miss sex until you have it again. . ."
"Sexpot!"
"Hey, if Jess is involved," Rory smiled again. She couldn't quit smiling, in fact. Talking about her and Jess to Sookie just made it more real. Telling her how he had been so adamant about her clearing it all with Lorelai, him wanting to make it more of an official relationship, it just filled her with happiness and a feeling that she might jump right out of her skin at any moment.
"So, Lorelai is fine with this?"
Rory shifted. "Well, she likes Jess. I think it's weird for her, since I've never really had guys here, you know?"
"She'll be fine, I'm sure. She's at that age where her life is getting more hectic, so it's good for you to separate your interests a little."
"I guess. Couldn't she have just stayed five forever?"
"Too late, honey."
"I know. Just, would've been nice, that's all."
"I'm so happy for you!" Sookie exclaimed again, as if rethinking the whole conversation.
"I know. I've been so out of it around him, every time I see him, it's like my brain fogs over and all I can think is 'Yippee!' I mean, this is serious. I told him I loved him," Rory said, looking a little ashamed.
"You didn't!"
"Well, no, not really. But sort of. As a joke. But it was a really awkward joke," she explained.
"You're just bringing THIS up now?"
"Well, I just still feel kind of dumb about it."
"Did you mean it?"
Rory blushed, but didn't say anything.
"Well, how did it happen?"
"I don't even know, my brain turns off—he called me some kind of name, and I said 'Gee, I love you too', trying to sound sarcastic, but I don't think I pulled the tone off. It got really silent and weird after that."
"Did he say, anything?"
"We talked about it the next day, I brought it up, to tell him I wasn't some psycho that goes around professing love for new boyfriends that I've barely dated."
"But you HAD slept together," Sookie pointed out.
"Still, it was weird. But he did say the sweetest thing," Rory smiled, remembering.
"What?"
"He said he wouldn't have run screaming if I had meant it. Like meant it, meant it."
"And that's sweet?"
Rory smiled. "It is in Jess speak."
Sookie smiled at her friend, happy to see her so obviously in love and beyond content.
Lorelai left Lane's house and began the trek home. She shivered slightly, and decided to walk the short distance to the bookstore for coffee on the way home. Maybe she'd ask Jess about the next book they were reading in class. She knew nothing about J.D. Salinger, and she knew Jess knew all there would be to know. And he was mildly more interesting to listen to than her teacher. The fact that Luke might be there might be nice, too.
'Whoa, where did that thought come from?'
She shook her head. She wasn't sure Lane was right. She knew Luke and Lane had been friendly lately, not dating material, but good enough friends. Had he really admitted such a thing to her? If he did like her, he had a weird way of showing it. He just acted like a good friend. He'd seen her cry and scream and beg wildly for coffee at Jess'. He must think she was a first class brat, not to mention the way he'd witnessed her treat Tristan. . .
She stepped into the warm bookstore, letting the smell of the fresh brew wash over her. She could practically taste the warm bitter taste in her mouth as she walked closer to the counter, taking her time to look around the stacks for any familiar faces. Jess popped his head out from the storeroom and seeing Lorelai he came up behind the counter.
"Hey," he greeted her.
"Oh, hey."
"Coffee?"
"Please."
"Coming right up. You here alone?"
"Wow, you're sly," she mocked him.
"What? It's a legitimate question. If your mother is with you, I need to restock my supplies," he commented.
"You just miss her!" she mocked more.
"I do not."
"You love her! Jess and my mom, sittin' in a tree, K-I-S," she started but stopped abruptly when she saw Luke coming down the stairs from the apartment.
Jess turned, to see what had stopped her inane song, to notice his nephew, ready for a run.
"I'm going out."
"Keys?"
"You going out?"
"Never know," Jess said cryptically.
"Right. Later," Luke said, nodding to Lorelai. She nodded back, and actually gave a little blush.
"Wait, are you—is that Lorelai Gilmore blushing?" Jess now teased her after Luke had hit the sidewalk outside.
"Shut up. Where's my coffee?"
"I don't know. You're obviously very worked up. Coffee could have negative side effects, what with your heart rate obviously so elevated already."
"Jess, come on!" she pleaded.
"Fine," he said, handing over the to-go cup. "But don't say I didn't warn you. If you keel over on the way home," he continued.
"Shut up," she warned.
"Here. Take this one for your mom. On the house."
"Fine," she said, grabbing the second cup bitterly. She hated being embarrassed. It so rarely happened, something she prided herself on.
"Oh, but I'd avoid Peach. Luke runs down Peach and Elm. You might pass out, what with the swooning and all before. Then there'd be spilled hot coffee, burns, lawsuits," he continued, chuckling to himself.
Scowling, she turned and left the bookstore without another word.
"Jess' Books," came the answer.
"Why did you send me an angry, angsty child?"
"Did this child come UPS or FedEx?"
"Jess."
"What? I sent you coffee," he pointed out.
"Thank you. But Lorelai was so pissed at you! How could you tease her so badly?"
"Oh come on! You should have seen the way she was drooling over Luke. It was shameful, really."
"Jess, stop."
"What? You wouldn't have been able to hold back either!"
"That's wholly besides the point," she tried to dismiss his point.
"I can't help it if she's hot for my nephew. We do share genes, you know. You Gilmore Girls can't resist us."
"Hey, I'm resisting you, right now."
"That's because I'm not there."
"Whatever makes you feel better."
"If I were there, standing in front of you, running my hands down your body, leaning in to taste the skin right above your--,"
"Jess," came her pitiful resistance.
"Yes?"
"I have to work," she informed him.
"Need some help?"
"I'll see you tomorrow."
"Goodnight, Rory," he said, satisfied in his efforts to corrupt her thoughts for the evening.
"Night," she breathed, hanging up before she could ask him to get over here as fast as he could. Lorelai was in for the night, and she wanted to get to what was going on in her ever-on brain. She took a sip of her coffee, and turned the page on the lead story for the next day's paper.
"So, how is he?"
"Sookie!"
"What?"
"That is so inappropriate!"
"Yeah, right. I, and the rest of this town, watch you and him dance around each other for years, you finally do it, and you're seriously not going to tell me about it? I think you owe me that much."
"So, what, I should put out some sort of review in the paper?" Rory giggled.
"Well, if you think he wouldn't mind," Sookie trailed off.
"Sook!"
"Kidding. Now, get down to the dirty stuff!" she said, pulling up a cup of coffee and biscotti in front of her after handing one to Rory. They sat in the kitchen of Rory's house, which was vacant for once. Jess was working, and Lorelai had gone out to 'get some air.' She'd been very mysterious today, and Rory couldn't quite figure out what was going on there yet. She figured she was just using code for heading to Lane's. Or trying to scam free coffee from the bookstore.
"It was nice."
"Nice? NICE? Over ten years of ogling each other from afar and you give me NICE?"
"It was amazing, okay? The best sex of my life!"
"Ooh, now we're getting to the good stuff," Sookie squealed.
"This is embarrassing."
"Oh, come on, I'm living vicariously here."
"Did you ever go out with Jackson?" Rory changed the subject.
"No, not yet."
"Why not?"
"He hasn't talked about it again."
"Didn't you ask him out?"
"Well, sort of. I asked if he would want to have dinner sometime."
"So, set a definite plan."
"No, the ball's in his court."
"Huh?"
"I asked about a vague happening, now it's his turn to set specific details."
Rory furrowed his brow. "Does his know these rules exist?"
Sookie furrowed her brow as well. "Hmm. What if he doesn't?"
"Just, talk to him, Sook."
"Maybe you're right. But if I have to talk to him, I need more details from you first."
"Why?" Rory giggled.
"Sort of a pre-reward. Go on," she insisted.
"It's strange, you know? I mean, just last week, he was the guy that gave me coffee."
"He was more than that."
"Not really."
"Oh come on. You can't say that you never thought of dating Jess."
"Never!"
"Rory!"
"What? I mean, maybe, occasionally, when he bent over to pick up a box of books, I snuck a glimpse," she trailed off, blushing.
"How's that?"
"Oh. My. God. You can't even begin to do it justice with words," Rory sighed happily.
"I'm dying!" Sookie giggled as Rory continued.
"So, wait, she told you to date around?" Lane asked her friend, in hushed tones, just incase her mother was standing outside monitoring the conversation.
"Yeah. I mean, I'm not handling the Tristan thing well, Lane. I just, I like him, but I'm afraid it's just physical."
"Wow. Remember when our conversations used to revolve around whether we'd rather be She-Ra or Jem?"
"You wanted to be Jem."
"Rocker chic, hello!"
"She-Ra definitely kicks some ass, though."
Lane nodded in agreement. "So, you're going to date Tristan?"
"I think so."
"But someone else too?"
"Just, for now."
"Who?"
"I don't know. I've been so preoccupied with him, family and school, I haven't been looking, you know?"
"Well, I can definitely recommend someone. Someone that's crazy about you."
"Really?" Lorelai asked, intrigued.
"Really."
"Who?"
"You really want to know?"
"Lane!"
"Luke."
"Luke?"
"Luke."
"As in Jess' nephew Luke?"
"The one and the same."
"He doesn't like me."
"Why do you say that?"
"He thinks I'm annoying!"
"No, he doesn't," Lane assured her.
"How do you know?"
"He told me. Confidentially, of course."
"Of course."
"But when you tell me that you might date other guys, I figure he won't mind if I offer up a little helpful information."
"I can't date Luke. That'd be like dating my cousin or something, wouldn't it?"
"Well, first of all, Rory and Jess aren't married. Even if they were, you aren't blood related to Jess, so you'd be half-cousins? Or is it step- cousins? That is so confusing to me."
"I don't think half and steps are big worries in the lives of most Koreans."
"True that."
"So, Luke?"
"Luke."
"Luke," Lorelai repeated, thinking to herself.
"So, big date again tonight?"
"Actually, no," Rory sighed.
"You can pull yourself away from him?"
"We have work to do, you know, and it's not like I'm addicted."
"Really?"
"Well, maybe a little," Rory blushed again. "It's just, he's so amazing. I never thought that we'd be so ... intense."
"I love intense."
"He's just, he's so smart, he's fun, he's there for me when I need him, and his body—I don't need to go there again," Rory smiled.
"He'd probably kill you if he knew all the things you told me," Sookie laughed.
"He'd probably just strut around, proud of himself," Rory corrected.
"He struts?"
"He should," she giggled again.
"So, seriously, just a quiet night at home?"
"Yep. Lor's out with Lane, and I'm hanging with you until I kick you out so I can get some work done."
"Hey! What'll I do?"
"Call Jackson," Rory didn't even hesitate.
"Maybe," Sookie glared at her friend.
"Hey, get a move on, I'm telling you, you don't even know how much you miss sex until you have it again. . ."
"Sexpot!"
"Hey, if Jess is involved," Rory smiled again. She couldn't quit smiling, in fact. Talking about her and Jess to Sookie just made it more real. Telling her how he had been so adamant about her clearing it all with Lorelai, him wanting to make it more of an official relationship, it just filled her with happiness and a feeling that she might jump right out of her skin at any moment.
"So, Lorelai is fine with this?"
Rory shifted. "Well, she likes Jess. I think it's weird for her, since I've never really had guys here, you know?"
"She'll be fine, I'm sure. She's at that age where her life is getting more hectic, so it's good for you to separate your interests a little."
"I guess. Couldn't she have just stayed five forever?"
"Too late, honey."
"I know. Just, would've been nice, that's all."
"I'm so happy for you!" Sookie exclaimed again, as if rethinking the whole conversation.
"I know. I've been so out of it around him, every time I see him, it's like my brain fogs over and all I can think is 'Yippee!' I mean, this is serious. I told him I loved him," Rory said, looking a little ashamed.
"You didn't!"
"Well, no, not really. But sort of. As a joke. But it was a really awkward joke," she explained.
"You're just bringing THIS up now?"
"Well, I just still feel kind of dumb about it."
"Did you mean it?"
Rory blushed, but didn't say anything.
"Well, how did it happen?"
"I don't even know, my brain turns off—he called me some kind of name, and I said 'Gee, I love you too', trying to sound sarcastic, but I don't think I pulled the tone off. It got really silent and weird after that."
"Did he say, anything?"
"We talked about it the next day, I brought it up, to tell him I wasn't some psycho that goes around professing love for new boyfriends that I've barely dated."
"But you HAD slept together," Sookie pointed out.
"Still, it was weird. But he did say the sweetest thing," Rory smiled, remembering.
"What?"
"He said he wouldn't have run screaming if I had meant it. Like meant it, meant it."
"And that's sweet?"
Rory smiled. "It is in Jess speak."
Sookie smiled at her friend, happy to see her so obviously in love and beyond content.
Lorelai left Lane's house and began the trek home. She shivered slightly, and decided to walk the short distance to the bookstore for coffee on the way home. Maybe she'd ask Jess about the next book they were reading in class. She knew nothing about J.D. Salinger, and she knew Jess knew all there would be to know. And he was mildly more interesting to listen to than her teacher. The fact that Luke might be there might be nice, too.
'Whoa, where did that thought come from?'
She shook her head. She wasn't sure Lane was right. She knew Luke and Lane had been friendly lately, not dating material, but good enough friends. Had he really admitted such a thing to her? If he did like her, he had a weird way of showing it. He just acted like a good friend. He'd seen her cry and scream and beg wildly for coffee at Jess'. He must think she was a first class brat, not to mention the way he'd witnessed her treat Tristan. . .
She stepped into the warm bookstore, letting the smell of the fresh brew wash over her. She could practically taste the warm bitter taste in her mouth as she walked closer to the counter, taking her time to look around the stacks for any familiar faces. Jess popped his head out from the storeroom and seeing Lorelai he came up behind the counter.
"Hey," he greeted her.
"Oh, hey."
"Coffee?"
"Please."
"Coming right up. You here alone?"
"Wow, you're sly," she mocked him.
"What? It's a legitimate question. If your mother is with you, I need to restock my supplies," he commented.
"You just miss her!" she mocked more.
"I do not."
"You love her! Jess and my mom, sittin' in a tree, K-I-S," she started but stopped abruptly when she saw Luke coming down the stairs from the apartment.
Jess turned, to see what had stopped her inane song, to notice his nephew, ready for a run.
"I'm going out."
"Keys?"
"You going out?"
"Never know," Jess said cryptically.
"Right. Later," Luke said, nodding to Lorelai. She nodded back, and actually gave a little blush.
"Wait, are you—is that Lorelai Gilmore blushing?" Jess now teased her after Luke had hit the sidewalk outside.
"Shut up. Where's my coffee?"
"I don't know. You're obviously very worked up. Coffee could have negative side effects, what with your heart rate obviously so elevated already."
"Jess, come on!" she pleaded.
"Fine," he said, handing over the to-go cup. "But don't say I didn't warn you. If you keel over on the way home," he continued.
"Shut up," she warned.
"Here. Take this one for your mom. On the house."
"Fine," she said, grabbing the second cup bitterly. She hated being embarrassed. It so rarely happened, something she prided herself on.
"Oh, but I'd avoid Peach. Luke runs down Peach and Elm. You might pass out, what with the swooning and all before. Then there'd be spilled hot coffee, burns, lawsuits," he continued, chuckling to himself.
Scowling, she turned and left the bookstore without another word.
"Jess' Books," came the answer.
"Why did you send me an angry, angsty child?"
"Did this child come UPS or FedEx?"
"Jess."
"What? I sent you coffee," he pointed out.
"Thank you. But Lorelai was so pissed at you! How could you tease her so badly?"
"Oh come on! You should have seen the way she was drooling over Luke. It was shameful, really."
"Jess, stop."
"What? You wouldn't have been able to hold back either!"
"That's wholly besides the point," she tried to dismiss his point.
"I can't help it if she's hot for my nephew. We do share genes, you know. You Gilmore Girls can't resist us."
"Hey, I'm resisting you, right now."
"That's because I'm not there."
"Whatever makes you feel better."
"If I were there, standing in front of you, running my hands down your body, leaning in to taste the skin right above your--,"
"Jess," came her pitiful resistance.
"Yes?"
"I have to work," she informed him.
"Need some help?"
"I'll see you tomorrow."
"Goodnight, Rory," he said, satisfied in his efforts to corrupt her thoughts for the evening.
"Night," she breathed, hanging up before she could ask him to get over here as fast as he could. Lorelai was in for the night, and she wanted to get to what was going on in her ever-on brain. She took a sip of her coffee, and turned the page on the lead story for the next day's paper.