Disclaimer: If you recognize it, I don't own it. The plot and any original characters(specifically Claire) belong to me. Everything else is stuff I only wish I could take credit for.
A/N: Reviews are awesome and make me happy. This chapter isn't very long, but I hope you enjoy it. :)
Chapter 10: I've Got the Girl
Jess sat Indian-style on the floor, a copy of Adam Bede in one hand and a ballpoint pen in the other. He had pulled out his copy and was reading it again, and he really did like it. A lot. He was writing notes in the margins, sporadically looking up at Claire. She was wearing paint-covered overalls and a white wife beater, working on her large portrait of him. It was close to being complete, except for the section of it that was still blank. She hadn't decided what would go there yet, so she hadn't wanted to draw on it until she had a good idea.
"It's looking good, Claire." He commented as he underlined a passage that stood out to him.
"Thanks, kiddo. I'm liking it. You're probably my favorite subject to paint. Where's your female counterpart tonight?" Claire demanded.
Jess shrugged and said, "Don't know. Didn't want to see her. Thought I'd give us both time to think."
Claire nodded. "Maybe that's a good idea."
A sharp knock came to the door and Jess's head shot up. He closed his book and stood. He padded over to the door in his bare feet and opened it carefully because it was still broken from his and Rory's slamming it too hard.
Rory stood in the doorway, and she was crying. There were tears slowly making their way down her face. "Hi."
"Umm, hi." Jess said awkwardly, scratching his head as he looked at her. He never knew what to do when she was crying.
Rory stood there, staring at him almost expectantly. Jess hesitated, then wordlessly took her into his arms. He rubbed a hand up and down her back while the other one toyed with the ends of her hair.
"She hates me, Jess. She hates me." Rory said, sounding absolutely heartbroken.
"Shh." Jess said. He pulled her into the apartment and shut the door with his foot. He led her over to the couch and sat her down.
"Rory?" Claire asked, putting her paints down. "What's wrong, sweetie?"
Rory looked up at Claire pathetically. "My mom hates me." She proclaimed.
"Oh, baby." Claire said. "I'd hug you, but I'm covered in paint."
Jess looked up at his roommate with a tight smile. "Claire…"
Claire nodded. "Wow, you know what I need? Cigarettes. I'm going to go buy cigarettes. In Pennsylvania. They're cheaper there." She grabbed her keys and purse off the table and walked out of the apartment.
"Tell me what happened." Jess said, rubbing her back gently.
"I told my mom." Rory said, sniffling. "And she flipped. She screamed and called me stupid and hung up on me."
Jess's jaw clenched. "Oh." He muttered angrily.
"She hates me, Jess. She thinks I'm just a dumb kid. She's…she's ashamed of me." Rory sighed.
"She's being a dumb bitch." Jess said hostilely. "You're 19. You can make your own decisions. And yeah, you're going to make some bad ones. Personally, I don't think this is a bad one, but even so. She got knocked up before she graduated high school. Who the Hell is she to talk?"
Rory sat there, staring at Jess with her mouth open. "That was terrible. I can't believe you just said that about my mother."
"I'm sorry." Jess said, kissing her head. "But she made you cry. And she called you stupid. You are not stupid."
Rory smiled at him, but it was forced. "Don't call my mom a bitch. I might be thinking it right now, but it is not OK for you to say it. But thank you for feeling so strongly about it."
Jess nodded. "I'm sorry."
Rory's eyes widened. "An apology. You have changed, Jess. What do I do, though? She hates me."
"No, she doesn't." Jess responded in an even voice. "She hates me, and she hates that you don't hate me. And she probably hates that you're growing up and not her little girl anymore. But she doesn't hate you. Your mother could never hate you."
Rory sniffled and nuzzled her head against Jess's chest. "She does hate you. She'll probably always hate you."
Jess tightened his hold on Rory and kissed the top of her head again. "I know that, Rory. I know. But I read somewhere that love can cancel out hate. Or maybe I just made that up, but it sounds like something I plagiarized. I love you. Your mother can't change that for me. If she can change it for you, then maybe what we have isn't real."
Rory lifted her head and looked at Jess in amazement. There was an openness and a softness in his eyes that was unusual for him. "You're scared this isn't real?" She questioned of him.
Jess shrugged and adverted his eyes.
Rory took his chin in her hands and turned him back to face her. "Jess, I'm looking for an answer here."
"Yeah. I'm afraid." Jess said. "You keep looking at me like this isn't going to last, like you don't believe in us. What else should I think?"
"You should know that being scared doesn't mean I'm not in love." Rory retorted, placing a long, sweet kiss on his lips.
Jess returned the kiss and placed both hands on her face, stroking her cheek as they kissed. Rory wrapped her arms around his neck and pulled him down onto the couch and on top of her.
"Rory…" Jess said, ready to tell her that they should wait and that she was just upset and that it wasn't right.
"Jess, shut up." Rory said, smiling against his mouth. "I love you and I'm ready to do this with you. I don't want to do this because I'm upset. I want to do this because I love you." It was as if she was reading his mind.
Jess smiled and pressed his forehead to hers. "OK." He said, standing up. He offered her his hands. She took them and allowed him to lead her into his bedroom.
Rory is in my bed. Rory is in my bed. Rory is in my bed. Naked. The thought ran through Jess's head as Rory slept, her head on his bare chest. It was the first time he'd ever slept with a girl. That wasn't to say he'd never had sex, because he had. With four other girls. But it had always been a "get up and go" situation. He'd never slept with a girl in the same bed before. Not even Claire. It was an amazing feeling to have her warm body pressed up against him. It was safe and it was pleasant and it terrified the Hell out him. But the fear was suppressed by something much bigger—the all-encompassing love and contentment he was feeling right now. This hadn't been having sex. It had been making love, and that truly was a first for him.
Rory looked up at Jess from her position on his chest. His eyes were closed and there was a small smile on his face. He looked as happy as she felt. What she had done with Dean had been OK, but it wasn't this. This had been beautiful and life-altering and amazing and perfect and absolutely terrifying. She was absolutely in love with Jess Mariano again. Well, not again, she had never really stopped being in love with him. This was absolutely terrifying for her. Her heart was still mending from the last time they were together. She didn't know how she could handle being brokenhearted again. "Please don't hurt me." She whispered, so quietly that she was sure there was no way Jess had heard her, especially in his sleeping state.
Jess tightly wrapped an arm around her and mumbled, "Never again" before actually drifting off into sleep.
"Jess, babe! It's 8 o'clock. You have work in an hour!" Claire exclaimed as she walked into the room. "And hey, you and Rory look naked. Congratulations on your having of the sex." She spun on her heel and walked back out.
"That was embarrassing." Rory said, sliding out of the bed.
Jess watched with appreciation as Rory slipped back into her clothes. "Not really. Claire's seen much worse than that, and she doesn't really care."
Rory turned to face Jess and blushed at his intense gaze. "I've gotta get back to the house. The carpenters will be there at ten."
Jess nodded. "I've got to be at work for nine, so I have to leave in about a half hour."
Rory walked over to where her boyfriend was lying in bed and leaned over to kiss him goodbye. She brushed her lips against his, only to have him wrap his arms around her waist and pull her towards him.
Rory made it back in time to meet the carpenters, but her shirt was on backwards. Jess was a half hour late for work.
