Jess and Rory walked out of the building and down the street to a small restaurant for dinner. They didn't say much throughout dinner, and when they were finished, they left and walked back to the apartment building. Jess had his arm around Rory, and Rory had her arm around Jess back with her hand in his back pocket. They went up in the elevator to the apartment. Jess reached out to ring the bell when he saw a Post-It note on the door.

"We went out to dinner and a late movie. We'll be back around three. -Liz"

Jess reached above the door and felt around for a moment and finally pulled a key down to unlock the door. He replaced the key and then walked in, locking the door behind him. Rory followed him to the back of the apartment. He opened a door to a room and closed and locked it behind Rory. He reached for the light switch and flicked on the light. Rory looked around. It was a relatively small room with a wooden desk, a large bookshelf, mostly empty, and a queen-sized bed with a green comforter over green flannel plaid sheets.

"This is your room?"

"Yeah, this was my room." Rory noted Jess' use of the past tense. Jess walked over to his bed and sat on it.

"C'mere." Rory obeyed and walked over. Jess reached out for her waist and pulled her down to sit on his lap. She sat down, both of her legs on one side She leaned forward and kissed him. He layed back, pulling her down on top of him and then rolled her over so that he was on top. He reached to undo the buttons of her shirt, and she lifted his over his head. She kissed him, exploring his back and stomach with her hands, although she had already memorized every inch. Suddenly, they both stopped kissing and sat up. Rory knew that they were both thinking the same thing.

"Uh, Jess? Where do you want me to sleep?"

"You can have my bed. I can sleep on the floor. If you want."

"I don't want to put you out."

"You're not." Jess reached for his shirt.

"No, but, I'd rather you sleep in the bed."

"I'm not taking the bed and putting you on the floor."

"That's not what I mean."

Jess stopped pulling his shirt over his head. He had his hands through the armholes, and he just held them like that, held together by the material of his shirt, in his lap.

Rory looked away, embarassed.

"You don't have to."

"I won't unless you want me to."

"I want you to."

"OK."

Rory was staring at the sheets, and Jess was staring, straight at her. Rory was playing with the material, and Jess could feel that there was something else she wanted to say. He waited.

"But. . . I don't. . . could we just. . ."

"Just sleep? Yes."

Rory looked up at him. "Thank you."

Jess kissed her softly and quickly, just a brush of his lips against hers. "I love you."

"I love you too."

Rory stood up. "I'm going to go change," she said.

"OK," Jess said, "There's a bathroom down the hall." She picked up her bag and unlocked and opened Jess' bedroom door. She went into the bathroom, changed into pajama pants and a t-shirt, and brushed her teeth and washed her face. She brushed her hair back into a ponytail and then carried her bag back out of the bathroom. She knocked tentatively on Jess' door.

"Jess?"

"Yeah?"

"Can I come in?"

"Yeah."

She opened the door and put her bag down in the corner. Jess was lying on his bed in boxers and a t-shirt, reading. Rory walked over and lay down next to him, between him and the wall. She layed her head down on his chest.

"Will you read to me?" she asked.

"Sure," he said, turning back to the first page of the book he had started. "Do you want to get under the comforter before I start?" he asked.

"No, I'm ok," she said. She noticed that her pajama pants were almost exactly the same plaid as his sheets.

"OK." Jess rubbed small circles on her back with one hand while holding the book with the other. "Mother died today. Or maybe yesterday. I don't know which. I got a telegram from the home: 'Mother passed away. Burial tomorrow. Sincere sentiments.' Maybe it was yestersay."

Rory closed her eyes, feeling the soft rhythm of Jess' hand on her back, of his vocal cords vibrating through his chest and into her ear, of his soft breathing, of his hearbeat. She fell asleep to his voice.