Spontaneity

Pairing: Luke & Lorelai

Genre: Romance

Setting: Nothing in particular. After Max, after Rachel, after Jess leaves (before he gets together with Rory.) Before Nicole, before Alex, no Sherry.

Summary: No one would dub Luke spontaneous. No one would dub Lorelai well planned. So why is it Luke who kisses Lorelai in the middle of an argument, and not the other way 'round?

Note: (A) Still need a beta.

(B) About the kiss. Well, I have to build up to it, sorry, but we'll get there, and it'll be great. (I hope.) XP And eventually I'll get in some good fluff.

(C) I've got a vague idea of where it will go, but plot suggestions are welcome.

(D) I don't know why, but I'm not very happy about this chapter. If you know what I think is wrong with it, tell me! I can't seem to figure it out!

Disclaimer: The usual. I don't own nothin' so don't sue.

Spontaneity

Chapter 1: Jealousy

When looking for gossip, as many Stars Hollow folk do, you must find emotions that will amount to actions. Deep content will not provoke, and neither will mutual hatred, so such emotions are to be avoided when looking for subjects on which to talk.

I have said before that Stars Hollow folk are not out to get each other, and I will say it again. Many just live a mundane life, and feel they need a life through others. They want an interesting life, which means that they look for a something more than their average day. So they look for emotions that will lead to difference, and one of these emotions is jealousy.

While the residents of Stars Hollow may not know the truth about Lorelai's spontaneity, one thing they do know the truth about is her jealousy. It is hard to miss how Lorelai will cringe when talking about a potential Luke date, or how she 'tries' to be happy for him and his partner.

Stars Hollow has long given up on the inevitable recognition of her attraction to him, and has turned to other such means of their friendship. The occasional fight is welcomed – if coupled by a make-up, that is – but what is more are the confrontations of others in their lives. Max, Rachel, and every once in a while, Chris, bring more to the gossip of Luke and Lorelai than a fight ever did.

It is a shame that Luke never really has realized the jealousy in Lorelai that is obvious to the naked eye. Perhaps it is even more of a shame that Lorelai, too, has never realized it.

----------------

Rory was concerned for her mother. It was seven in the morning on Saturday, and Lorelai was up and running, convinced that they had to visit Luke's for breakfast. However, her concern did not make her any more frustrated with her mother's blunt attempts to leave so early.

Tired and annoyed, Rory resorted to whining; "But mom, why?"

"Ooooh," Lorelai turned on her small child voice – and attitude. "I want some coffee. Nothing says 'Have a nice day' like hot coffee!" She wagged a playful finger at Rory, who found nothing funny or playful about it.

She was logical, and determined to get back to bed. "But we have coffee here; lots of coffee. Remember that time you went crazy after watching Glitter and bought five packets?"

"But… But… It's all gone! … Now to Luke's!" Lorelai made a subtle movement towards the door, of which Rory countered with a movement to a cupboard, pulling out three unopened packets of coffee. "Oh, yeah, uh, well… I want pie. And you know Kirk gets there at the crack of dawn to steal all of the good pieces. Just this once I want the first piece cut. Please. I'll love you forever and ever."

Rory sat back down, looking slightly dejected. "I'm not dressed."

Lorelai looked at her daughter with mock amazement. "Really?" Rory lowered her head onto the table, and started to close her eyes. "We'll have none of that. Look." Lorelai moved quickly to Rory's room, shuffling through her closet unceremoniously.

"You know, Mom," Rory tried once more to convince Lorelai of a different path from her slightly uncomfortable position of laying her head on the table. "I hear the diner's open all day."

"Pink shirt or white shirt?"

"All day. So why don't we go there in the day."

"You're right. Definitely blue."

"You know, sunlight and all."

Lorelai walked back in with a jump in her step. "Right," she said, "Clothes ready."

Rory gave a long, hard, look of daggers to her mother, and stood to go back to her room, presumably to get changed out of her pajamas. But not before mentioning, "You are the bane of my existence" to Lorelai.

"Love you too, sweetie!"

--

An overzealous Lorelai and a grunting Rory walked into the bustling diner, taking a seat at the counter. A few glances around told them that the diner was full, and that Luke was nowhere to be seen. Rory rested her head on the counter table, slowly closing her eyes peacefully.

Lorelai patted her daughter's head kindly. "I'll wake you for the pie, hon."

Several seconds and frustrated taps on the counter later, Luke walked out for the back of the diner carrying two large plates of food over his head carefully. "Watch out. Coming through." He moved towards to opposite corner of the room to large group of people.

As he passed counter, Lorelai tried to say her hellos. "Hey Luke."

Luke replied distractedly. "Hey Lorelai." It was not the response Lorelai wanted. She waited grumpily until he returned to the counter, facing her with pen and pad ready. "Right. What'll you have?"

"Wow. Bad night last night?" Lorelai was less than subtle, yet Luke remained naïve of her hinting.

"Bad night? No. I'm great. Fine. Happy even." Although Luke sounded sarcastic, Lorelai saw a glint of a smile in his face as he turned around to face Caesar. "Aren't I happy, Caesar?"

"Two cheeseburgers, extra fries."

"Yeah, yeah. What's up with Rory?" Luke looked pointedly at the sleeping figure.

A nervous giggle escaped Lorelai's mouth, as she tried once again. "Oh, well, she had late night last night. So, uh," She suddenly became mock serious, which only brought about a look of confusion from Luke. "What were you doing last night?"

Luke turned his gaze to his pad. "Nothing. Are you going to order any time soon? I'm pretty busy." He then scanned the crowded diner quickly, making mental notes about seating arrangements and orders, as if to make his point.

"Oh, right, order. Uh, we'll have two pieces of cherry pie."

"Sorry, none left."

Lorelai looked incredulously at Luke, then around the diner, as if hoping to find the missing pieces of pie. "What?"

"No pie. Something else?"

"No pie? But, but, we got here early! Just for pie! We need our pie. Really need it." Lorelai looked concernedly at her sleeping daughter. "Look! Rory has gone into a coma because I couldn't get her pie! We must have our pie!"

Turning around, Luke started to work at the counter with his back to Lorelai. "Sorry, no cherry pie. Come earlier next time."

"You're a … a … a bad person! You're killing Rory! You're –" Luke turned around with two mugs filled with coffee "- Oh! Ok then."

--

Sipping her coffee awkwardly slowly, Lorelai waiting until the diner occupants thinned out. Long ago Rory had arisen from her 'coma' and went to see Dean. Lane had come and gone, as had Kirk, apparently thrilled at the taste of the cherry pie.

Luke, however, continued to move around with plates of food, dishes, and checks. Every few minutes he would glance uncertainly at Lorelai, as if she would explode at any minute. Not that she looked it – in fact, you could say she looked peaceful with her piece of blueberry pie – but simply because Luke knew what was coming, and not sure how to counter it.

"So," Lorelai stated, after Luke finally settled down behind the counter. "How's, uh, stuff?"

"Stuff?" Luke looked at Lorelai for only a second, as she nodded enthusiastically. "Well, you know, there's an S, a T, sometimes a U, even a little bit of a double F. How 'bout you?"

Lorelai tilted her head back and forth, making a dramatic pause before continuing on to the more important issue. "Oh, yeah, well…" She took one final sip of her coffee. "Just wondering where you were last night. I was going by the diner and it was all closed."

"Yeah. You know, the darkness, lack of people, what you might call night. It's when I usually close the diner."

"Yes, but normally on Friday nights you… I mean, we would, uh, kind of… Meet-up." As it was said out loud, the sentence – besides being grammatically incorrect and broken up – seemed pitiful. Almost as if late Friday nights were some sort of charade they put on for … dating.

It hurt that Luke didn't look up; that he simply moved to another table and started to collected dishes. "I had to go out."

Lorelai wriggled nervously in her seat at the counter "Yes. You did. And where did you have to go out to?"

Luke moved effortlessly back to the counter carrying three dishes on one hand and a sponge in the other. "None of your business."

"Oh, come on Luke. We're friends! Did you go to bank?"

"No." He replied gruffly, moving to a table further away from where Lorelai was situated.

"No, right, of course not. You only go to the bank on Tuesdays… Right, right…" Luckily there was a small amount of chatter coming from three women sitting in the corner of the diner, because otherwise the silence settling in on Luke and Lorelai would have been awkward and suffocating.

Sipping her coffee several times, Lorelai stared determinedly at her mug, until Luke came by with an unsettling closeness. Looking up, she felt small and powerless, wondering what he was doing and what he was thinking.

But before even a sound could escape her mouth, Luke reached down in front of her, taking the plate of pie crumbs out from between the coffee mug and herself. As he turned to move toward the kitchen, an unfortunately loud sigh flew from Lorelai's lips into the air.

Luke turned to Lorelai – not with his body, but simply his face – and stared at her for only a beat, before continuing to the kitchen. Lorelai's second sigh was softer, and kept to herself, but held just as much meaning.

--

"Mom, no!" Rory tried to walk away from the desperate Lorelai, but failed as a strong hand pulled her back.

"But he'll tell you! Go in there, ask him where he was Friday night, and leave. Please, Rory, just do this!" Rory stood her ground. Lorelai tried to lighten it up. "Hey, and get me some cherry pie, will you?" She grinned, but Rory didn't respond. "Uh, Rory?"

Rory sighed, and changed her stance and her face. Lorelai recognized the expression as one of logic. "You know why he won't tell you?" Rory let the question sink in for a beat before continuing. "Because he knows you'll take it badly. –"

"- Will not -"

"- You've just proven you will by this whole ordeal! He was probably doing something social –"

"- Like what? Luke is not a social person –"

"- Like going out on a date! And if he told you, you would go nuts and be jealous and probably ruin anything he's got going for him!"

"Don't go into the jealous thing again! Why does everyone in this town have to be like that!" Lorelai huffed sullenly, staring at the pavement outside of Luke's diner for several long beats. Rory, caught between not wanting her mother to be unhappy, and lying to her, sighed a sigh of retreat, leaving Lorelai open to the floor.

And like a child who was finally being sincere, she continued. "I don't want to ruin anything for him."

As often was the case in the Gilmore household, positions were switched as Rory took the mother stance. "I know you don't. And if you just leave it alone, you won't."

The mother-daughter team, though it was never certain just who was who, walked through Stars Hollow silently. Lorelai continued to stare at the ground, provoking an amount of concern from Rory. "Maybe he wasn't on a date."

"Yeah," said Lorelai to the pavement. "Maybe."