I love Luke Danes! Tonight just made me love him even more. Here is my homage to this beautiful character!
La La La…I own nothing…Yada, yada, yada.
I'm just another girl, sitting at home, thinking, "If I could only find a man like Aragorn" so please don't sue…
Jess entered the diner about late afternoon. Luke was glad that it had been during the before dinner lull seeing as Lane wouldn't be in for another hour or so.
Luke noticed the changes immediately. Woah.
No more leather jackets or Metallica T-Shirts. Jess was wearing a dark blue ribbed sweater and light washed jeans. At first, Luke didn't even recognize him. Not only because of his wardrobe but also because of his hair.
He didn't have hair that reeked of teenage rebellion.
Jess' hair was short, and well groomed and…short. It's shorter than mine.
And he was smiling, beaming, right at Luke.
And Luke was beaming right back.
An hour and a half later, after Lane had arrived and Luke had briefed her on the specials and all, the two men were sitting in the old apartment at the kitchen table, silently regarding each other. This is awkward. It was Jess who spoke first.
"You look good Luke…Lorelai sure agrees with you."
Luke smiled at him and chucked lightly. There's that sense of humor.
"Yeah, she sure does." He replied making direct contact with blue eyes.
Jess got up from the table and began to walk around the apartment.
"You didn't change much up here." He picked up a picture frame and gazed at a picture of Luke, almost Jess' age now, holding up a fish and grinning ear to ear.
"Yeah well…I moved the stuff I needed into the house and left the rest of my things here. We just use the apartment for breaks from the diner now."
Jess nodded and made his way to the other side of the apartment. What is he doing?
His old bedroom.
He noticed the bed was the same. Still made, same blankets and pillows. The dresser was still in the same place. Nothing had been changed.
"Why did you leave all this here? I thought you'd have gotten rid of it after I split."
Jess sat down on the bed and smoothed his hands over the soft blue fabric beneath him.
"I'm not sure." Great! We've only been up here a few minutes and I'm already lying. Luke leaned against the doorframe, crossed his arms, and stared at his shoes. They were both silent for a moment. As Luke looked down, Jess took in the room in front of him and sighed.
Luke observed him. What's he doing?
"Did you…did you think…hope…that I'd be coming back?" Jess' gaze reached his Uncle's before he stood up and moved to the old dresser.
Oh, no.
Then the dam broke. And water went everywhere.
"No…Well, I don't know. You just left so suddenly! And part of me thought that you just had to see for yourself. See what else is out there. I believed that you just had to experience something else. Another life that didn't involve baggage. You had so much baggage for Christ Sake Jess! So, much goddamn baggage!" Luke had found his way to the bed and sat in the same position that Jess was in earlier.
Shit.
"Lu…Luke?" Jess was looking in the mirror and could see his Uncle's dejected countenance in the reflection.
"Yeah Jess?" His eyes closed. I'm not going to cry again. Not this time.
"I'm…I'm really sorry. For everything." Jess' head hung limply from his thin neck as he took a deep breath in.
Luke's eyes opened, he leaned over his knees, and clasped his hands in front of him, chin to chest.
"I know you are…I accept." Jess turned sharply to meet his glare and they gave each other a small smirk. I'm glad that's over.
"I have some news."
"Ah, yes…the news. What is that news? You're not going into the army now are you?" Luke tilted his head awaiting his response. Please say no.
"No…I uh…Well, I graduated." Luke's eyes widened considerably as Jess pierced his lips together and grinned.
"You graduated?" Luke shifted on the bed. Graduated!
"Yeah…I got my GED and…Now I'm going to college." Jess leaned back on the dresser behind him.
"College? You're serious?" Luke got up and stepped closer to him. College!
"Completely. I'm just going to a technical school for now, just to get my generals out of the way, but I hope to go to a University a couple of years down the road."
Luke was silent, shock still apparent in his expression. University?
"Well? What do you think?"
College…Luke was so overwhelmed by his admission that he grabbed Jess and hugged him closely to his body.
"I think that it's great…"
Jess reluctant at first, finally returned the hug and patted his Uncle on the back.
"I guess what you said finally stuck."
They pulled apart and Luke's hands went to his hips. Jess' went to his pockets.
"What did I say?"
"That I have to graduate and go to college. That I have to prove to everyone else, including myself, that I can do something more with my life then working at Wallmart.
Luke laughed full-heartedly.
"Good to know."
"I'm not working at Wallmart even now. I got a job at a Barnes and Noble. Still one of those corporate nightmares but I get discounts on books, which is always good to have."
"Yeah that's true."
Again the room was soundless as the two men reflected on their conversation. A new job…School…different hair…wow…he wasn't kidding when he said he had news.
Luke spoke first this time.
"Are you hungry? We can go to the house and have some dinner. You still have to see Lorelai."
Luke headed toward the apartment door. College…college…college…
"Yeah…I'd like that very much."
They walked to the house. It wasn't far and the autumn nights seemed to become more pleasant with each passing day. The town was pretty empty considering it was a Tuesday night, but it was still well lit, the stores still open for a few more hours. As they passed by one particular building Jess began to snigger.
"What?" Luke turned to him as they continued to walk.
"I can't believe that half of these businesses are still running. The Chat Club, Porcelain Paradise…It's just…crazy."
Luke shuffled his feet and smiled. The whole town is certifiable…
"Yeah nothing's changed."
"Not nothing…I mean look at you." Jess pointed at him and kicked a rock into the street.
Me?
"I haven't changed." He said it partly in disbelief and partly in modesty.
"Haven't' changed? The town bachelor. Born and bred here in Stars Hollow. Figured to be single for life, now married with a bundle of joy on the way. You can't tell me that you haven't changed. You…have become the product of a woman my man." Jess slapped his shoulder and they shared a laugh. And it's all worth it.
"Yeah…Well, I always wanted it. I just wasn't sure I was ready, that I could handle the crying and the feeding. And that's just Lorelai."
They laugh together.
"If it weren't for her though…I'd still be living alone and serving grease to a bunch of mental cases."
Jess noted his contentment.
"You still serve mental cases…"
And he immediately regrets continuing the topic.
"But now I don't live alone."
He noticed how his face fell. He grasped for a new topic.
"When is she due?" He gave him a questioning glance.
"Well…the doctor says at the end of March, but Lorelai is convinced that she won't have the baby until April 1st."
Jess seemed perplexed.
Luke snorted audibly. He doesn't get it.
"April 1st is April Fools Day…"
Jess simply responded by grapping his gut and laughing hysterically.
When they reached the house a few minutes later, Jess viewed the lot in its entirety. He noticed the great white pillars, the two level porch, and the beautiful red brick. This house was made for his Uncle. Strong, sturdy, carefully constructed, and handsomely detailed. They made their way up the porch and into the foyer. The woodwork was all Luke but the interior décor was utterly Lorelai. The colors were deep purples and rich Burgundies. There were a million pictures and personal knickknacks. They instantly made their way down a large hallway to enter the kitchen. At the counter island, on a vintage looking bar stool, sat Lorelai Danes, eating Chinese takeout from a carton and reading Cosmo magazine. She looked up immediately when she heard them enter and Luke chuckled when he saw a chow mien noodle hanging loosely from her lips. Even adorable with food hanging out of her mouth.
She finished chewing as he made his way toward her. When he reached her side he placed his hand on her upper back and leaned in to give her a delicate kiss. When he pulled away from her they were both smiling and Lorelai put her chopsticks into the carton and made her way toward Jess.
"Hey, Jess…It's good to see you." She placed a light kiss on his cheek and gave him a friendly embrace.
"You too…" He looked down at the small bump of her stomach.
"You're hardly showing." Jess gave her a smile and she returned it before making her way back to her husband.
"Yeah, well, not for long. I've been eating so much…"
"What's new about that?" Luke joked. She jabbed him in the stomach with her elbow and he groaned softly. Jess chuckled.
"So, Jess how was your flight here?" She went to sit at the table, which was in a small breakfast nook (just a few steps away and down from the counter she was not so long ago perched at), and gestured for the men to join her.
They did.
"Not so bad. A little turbulence over the Rockies but, there's nothing new about that."
"I like the hair. It suits you."
He ran his hand through it self-consciously.
"Thank you. It was kind of an impulse. I just got really tired of styling the old one. Besides it was getting way too long." Long?
"How long was it?" She asked, genuinely interested.
"Um…almost to my shoulders." Shoulders?
Her mouth opened and her eyes widened.
"Wow…Do you have pictures?"
Both men laughed at her immense interest.
Jess looked at her seriously.
"No…I burned them all."
Later that night after they had all eaten, talked, and turned in, Lorelai snuggled up to her husband in bed and began to ask him how it all went.
"So? Did you talk to him?"
Here it comes.
He rubbed her bare arm absent-mindedly.
"Yeah…He asked why I didn't change his room."
"Really?"
"Uh huh. He told me that he's sorry."
"I bet that made you feel good."
A little…"Yeah…He really meant it."
They held each other silently for a moment, stroking skin, and hair, comforting each other.
"If we have a girl…We should name her Jessica."
Huh?He looked down at her then and gave her a look of uncertainty.
"I think that Jess would be a cute girls name."
He nodded and then tickled her side.
"I thought we were going to name her Lorelai." He shot teasingly.
They both giggled and wrestled each other, giving playful kisses and touches before they felt fatigued and drifted into peaceful slumber.
A/N: Okay…it's shorter than I thought it would be. But do not fear…I'll update again before tomorrow! I have a few days off of work so I have plenty of time! Let me know what you think of the story and tell me if there should be a meeting between Jess and Rory. I'm not quite sure if that's going to happen right now…Let me know what you want to read!
Rusty
