All of the characters in this story belong to Amy S-P and the WB. All I did
was write the story. This story takes place right after the dance marathon
episode.
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Rory woke up, looked at her watch, and groaned. 7:00, time to get up. Then she registered that it was Saturday and smiled and rolled over to go back to sleep. She didn't have to get up for however many hours as she wanted. She could sleep all day.
She could.
If she wanted to. But for some reason, she couldn't fall back asleep. She tossed and turned for an hour before she sighed one last time and got out of bed. Where could she go? Was Luke's even opened this early on the weekends? Rory had never been up early enough to find out. She pulled on some jeans and a t-shirt and grabbed a sweatshirt as well. She saw The Amber Spyglass lying on her bedside table. She grabbed it as she walked out of her room. She left a note for her mom in the kitchen and then left the house, closing the front door quietly.
She walked directly to the bridge. She sat down with her back up against the railing and began to read where she had left off. She didn't realize how much time had passed until her watch alarm went off, signaling the arrival of eleven o'clock.
"Oh my God Jess!" she said, having just remembered their plans.
"Yes?"
Rory looked up and there was Jess with his back against a tree, looking at her from the nearby bank.
"I-how-I mean." Rory was dumbfounded. She didn't know whether to apologize or demand an apology for scaring her. She didn't have to do either one.
"I'm sorry for scaring you," Jess said, approaching her, "I didn't want to disturb you. You looked so. peaceful." He was smiling, and then suddenly his smile fell, "and stuff," he added, trying to keep his bad-boy image in tact.
"No, that's really OK. I'm really sorry. I was just so involved with my book."
"I noticed."
"Yeah." Rory smiled shyly. She didn't really know what else to say.
"Do you want to go to Hartford?"
"Oh. Yeah, totally. I left my bag at home. Wanna walk over there with me and then we can go?"
"Yeah, sure."
The walk to the Gilmore house was relatively quiet, but Rory wasn't sure if she was imagining it when Jess reached three times for her hand and then pulled back at the last minute, replacing it in his pocket. They finally reached the front porch of the Gilmore house. When Rory opened the front door, Jess looked rather uncomfortable, like he didn't know what to do with himself.
"Um, you can come inside if you want. I'll just be a second."
"Ok," Jess responded, walking through the front door, and then, after a beat, walking towards the couch and sitting down.
"I'll just get my bag." Rory said, walking towards her room. She grabbed it and walked back into the living room.
"C'mere a second," Jess said. Rory walked over to the couch and sat down on the very edge, about a foot away from Jess. Jess laughed at this behavior.
"Hey, you scared of me."
"No," Rory responded, a little too fast.
"Good." They sat in silence for a moment, and then Jess said, "What happened to us?"
"What?"
"Before the dance, before you broke up with Dean," Rory quickly downcast her eyes.
"Sorry," Jess said, "what I mean is. I mean-"
"I'm not scared of you," Rory said quietly, still looking at her shoes, "I'm scared of us."
Jess' expression softened. "Hey. Don't be. Hey." Jess reached out for Rory's face. He took her chin gently and turned her face towards his. He stared into her eyes. Those sweet, innocent, blue eyes. He ran his hand down the side of her face and gently brushed her shoulder before letting it fall onto the couch. "There's no reason to be scared." Rory stared deep into his dark eyes, and then they slowly leaned towards each other for the sweetest kiss either one had ever given or received. With a soft brush of their lips on the others, they returned to their seated positions, staring into each others eyes. Rory then moved closer to Jess and rested her head on his shoulder, and he combed his hand through her hair.
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Rory woke up, looked at her watch, and groaned. 7:00, time to get up. Then she registered that it was Saturday and smiled and rolled over to go back to sleep. She didn't have to get up for however many hours as she wanted. She could sleep all day.
She could.
If she wanted to. But for some reason, she couldn't fall back asleep. She tossed and turned for an hour before she sighed one last time and got out of bed. Where could she go? Was Luke's even opened this early on the weekends? Rory had never been up early enough to find out. She pulled on some jeans and a t-shirt and grabbed a sweatshirt as well. She saw The Amber Spyglass lying on her bedside table. She grabbed it as she walked out of her room. She left a note for her mom in the kitchen and then left the house, closing the front door quietly.
She walked directly to the bridge. She sat down with her back up against the railing and began to read where she had left off. She didn't realize how much time had passed until her watch alarm went off, signaling the arrival of eleven o'clock.
"Oh my God Jess!" she said, having just remembered their plans.
"Yes?"
Rory looked up and there was Jess with his back against a tree, looking at her from the nearby bank.
"I-how-I mean." Rory was dumbfounded. She didn't know whether to apologize or demand an apology for scaring her. She didn't have to do either one.
"I'm sorry for scaring you," Jess said, approaching her, "I didn't want to disturb you. You looked so. peaceful." He was smiling, and then suddenly his smile fell, "and stuff," he added, trying to keep his bad-boy image in tact.
"No, that's really OK. I'm really sorry. I was just so involved with my book."
"I noticed."
"Yeah." Rory smiled shyly. She didn't really know what else to say.
"Do you want to go to Hartford?"
"Oh. Yeah, totally. I left my bag at home. Wanna walk over there with me and then we can go?"
"Yeah, sure."
The walk to the Gilmore house was relatively quiet, but Rory wasn't sure if she was imagining it when Jess reached three times for her hand and then pulled back at the last minute, replacing it in his pocket. They finally reached the front porch of the Gilmore house. When Rory opened the front door, Jess looked rather uncomfortable, like he didn't know what to do with himself.
"Um, you can come inside if you want. I'll just be a second."
"Ok," Jess responded, walking through the front door, and then, after a beat, walking towards the couch and sitting down.
"I'll just get my bag." Rory said, walking towards her room. She grabbed it and walked back into the living room.
"C'mere a second," Jess said. Rory walked over to the couch and sat down on the very edge, about a foot away from Jess. Jess laughed at this behavior.
"Hey, you scared of me."
"No," Rory responded, a little too fast.
"Good." They sat in silence for a moment, and then Jess said, "What happened to us?"
"What?"
"Before the dance, before you broke up with Dean," Rory quickly downcast her eyes.
"Sorry," Jess said, "what I mean is. I mean-"
"I'm not scared of you," Rory said quietly, still looking at her shoes, "I'm scared of us."
Jess' expression softened. "Hey. Don't be. Hey." Jess reached out for Rory's face. He took her chin gently and turned her face towards his. He stared into her eyes. Those sweet, innocent, blue eyes. He ran his hand down the side of her face and gently brushed her shoulder before letting it fall onto the couch. "There's no reason to be scared." Rory stared deep into his dark eyes, and then they slowly leaned towards each other for the sweetest kiss either one had ever given or received. With a soft brush of their lips on the others, they returned to their seated positions, staring into each others eyes. Rory then moved closer to Jess and rested her head on his shoulder, and he combed his hand through her hair.