Disclaimer: These characters are owned by the WB, Dorothy Parker Drank Here Productions, and Amy Sherman-Palladino.

Author's Note: Thanks to everyone who has read this and reviewed. It's overwhelming to get such great feedback and I hope that the rest of the story doesn't disappoint. Thanks to jesouhaite for beta-reading this chapter and giving me such great feedback. Spoilers through episode 5.14, Say Something.

They stood there for a few seconds, neither knowing how to be with the other right then.

"Uh… We could go to the inn. It would be away from here, and there are some nice picnic spots," Lorelai offered nervously. "I mean we could also go to my backyard, but then there is Babette, and …"

"The inn sounds great. Should I grab a blanket before we go?"

"We have some there for the guests to use, so it should be okay."

They turned to walk toward the inn, surrounded by awkward tension. Luke desperately wanted to grab her hand or put his arm around her, but knew he couldn't bear physical contact until they knew what they were to each other, until they had talked.

They walked quietly for a few more moments, but Luke was not surprised when Lorelai interrupted the silence. She could never stand silence. "Luke?"

"Yeah?"

"I'm sorry about Chris being there. I didn't know- I haven't seen him since- I don't know why-"

"I kind of got that impression," he said stiffly.

"Luke, what he said that night-"

"Lorelai," her breath caught and he realized it was the first time he had called her by name in over a month, "I want, well, we need to talk about that, about . . . him, but not right now, not first."

She nodded, but then was quiet, as if she didn't know what to say. The silence continued, somewhat more uncomfortable now for his having stopped her. They didn't know how to be casual with each other anymore. When they got to the inn, he waited outside while she went to get a blanket. He wondered if this had been a mistake. The awkwardness was unbearable.

She returned and they walked to the garden to spread out the blanket. They both sat down and Luke opened the basket, surprised to see it full of food.

"Did you say you made this?"

"Sookie helped me. I mean, I made it, but Sookie helped me figure out what I should make and walked me through the actual making. It might be horrible. It's okay if you don't want to eat it." The babbling was back. At least it was better than the silence.

"I want to eat it. I can't believe you cooked."

"Sandwiches aren't really cooking," she said.

"You made brownies."

"From a mix."

"You did this for me?" He still needed confirmation.

"Yes."

"Why?"

"Rory told me you wanted me to."

"So, because Rory said?" he asked, frustrated.

"No . . . I don't know. Did you?"

"What?" He was confused by the question.

"Want me to make it?"

"I bid on it, didn't I?"

"Yes, but why did you?" she asked, pushing him for an answer.

"I missed you and I wanted to talk."

"We could have done that without the auction thing. I could have lived without the Taylor mocking."

"I wasn't sure you would want to. You seemed pretty definite the last time I talked to you." He remembered with pain the night she called him her 'ex-boyfriend.'

"I thought that was what you wanted. You did break up with me, you know."

He winced, "I didn't mean I wanted us to be done permanently. I just needed some time."

"That's not what it seemed like."

"I'm sorry that I hurt you."

"I hurt you first."

Neither one knew what to do with those words. He wanted to deny it, but it was out there and mostly true, so he left it. The tension in the air was thick. They sat eating their sandwiches, careful to avoid any physical contact. They seemed to be in agreement on that point.

After a few minutes, she offered him some salad. "Now I have to be honest here. I did not make the salad dressing, because as far as I'm concerned, it comes from a bottle, but Sookie insisted, so she gave us several homemade choices. There's some sort of vinaigrette, raspberry I think, blue cheese, honey mustard, Parmesan peppercorn and Caesar."

"I'll take the vinaigrette."

"I guess I'll have that too," she said with a thoughtful look on her face.

"You're going to eat salad?"

"Sure, how often do I get to eat my own cooking? Though, I've never really understood the appeal of salad," she said this brightly and he looked at her with a small smile.

The brief moment of lightness grew serious again as they continued eating in silence. Luke broke it by saying, "I've been worried about you."

"Why? I'm fine. I'm dealing."

"Rory told me you stopped drinking coffee."

She hesitated before admitting, "Yeah."

"Why?"

"It reminded me of you."

"And that was bad?"

"It hurt to think about you, to think about what we could have had if I hadn't screwed it up." The pain in her voice pierced him.

"I think we can spread the responsibility for that around a bit."

She looked at him then, a curious look in her eyes. "Well anyway, I just can't drink coffee knowing I can't have yours." She was back to the coffee again, a safer topic.

"You can have my coffee anytime you want."

"Not really. Not yet. Maybe someday." She was still talking as if their breakup was permanent. It unnerved him.

"You know…" he hesitated, not sure he should admit this.

"What?"

"I started drinking coffee."

"What? You? Why?" The look on her face was priceless and if it hadn't been the moment that it was he would have laughed out loud.

"It reminded me of you."

"And that was good?" she asked.

"Uh…yeah."

"Wow, I'm having trouble picturing you drinking coffee. You? Really?"

"I was putting some of your things into boxes, trying to put away anything that would remind me of you. There was this cup of coffee sitting there that I had brought up that morning before I remembered you wouldn't be there. When I dumped it out, it smelled like you and I missed you. So, I made a cup and for a while I just held it, and then I drank some, and well, that's how it started."

"And now you drink coffee?"

"Sometimes." When I miss you.

"So, you were packing stuff away." She hesitated before asking, "Does that mean you have a Lorelai box?"

"I have six Lorelai boxes."

He heard an intake of breath and watched her swallow. Then he asked, because he had to, "Do you have a Luke box?"

She looked down before answering, not meeting his eyes, "I have 23 Luke boxes." Her voice was soft and vulnerable. She didn't like to admit weakness, but between the coffee admission and the boxes, she had been totally exposed. He knew it was not a comfortable place for her to be.

He could sense her uneasiness, so instead of dwelling on the meaning of her confession, he commented, "Well, just goes to show how much more stuff you have than me."

It worked. She giggled softly and said, "Yeah, you're probably right. Was there anything left after you filled your boxes?"

"Not much."

She gave him an unreadable look, then changed the subject. "Well, I ate salad. Will you have a brownie? There is probably something desperately wrong with them, but-"

"They look fine. I'd love one."

He was a good sport and ate the entire brownie, even though he never ate sugar, and he had to admit that they weren't as bad as he expected.

"Thanks for lunch. It was surprisingly good," he teased, trying to lighten the moment.

"Hey!" she said, feigning a pout. He loved seeing that side of her again, however briefly.

"It was good to see you."

"Yeah. I'm glad you bought the basket," she said, smiling shyly.

"Well, I've got to get back to the diner."

"Oh . . . of course. I don't want to keep you."

"You're not. I just. . . I'd like to talk more." She was looking at him apprehensively, and he couldn't tell if she wanted him to continue. But honestly, what the hell was there to lose? "Can I make you dinner sometime? I could bring over a lasagna or something. Maybe tomorrow?"

He looked up to see an almost imperceptible nod. "That would be nice, but Luke…?"

"Yeah?"

"Could you just bring hamburgers? I. . . well, Sookie doesn't make hamburgers."

Author's Note: If it felt like this moved slowly, it's because I can't imagine that Luke and Lorelai getting back together will be easy or quick and I think that there will be a whole lot of awkward. Now, Amy may prove me wrong in future eps, but that's just my take on things.