Chap 04 - Liaisons Dangereuses

.:LATER THAT NIGHT:.

Rory got out Of her room carefully so she wouldn't make any noise. Step by step she went to the living room to find this new and somehow dangerous boy sleeping on the couch. But even in his sleep he didn't seem peaceful, it looked like all demons that hunted him were in his dreams. She could listen him whispering something, but she couldn't understand what it was. It was something important, that's for sure, because he had a very serious and worried look in his face. Suddenly he became quite and for once his figure was calm, as if the nightmare was over and he had fallen in a deep restful sleep. Watching his figure so openly was way better than trying to catch glimpses of him from the corner of her eye. But at the same time she felt guilty for analyzing him, like undressing him with her eyes without his permission.

She closed her eyes asking herself "what were you thinking?" but couldn't find an answer. She turned around and went to the kitchen. She poured herself a cup of water but dropped it, shattering the glass in hundreds of pieces on the ground, at the sight of Jess standing in the doorway in only his boxers, watching her.

She gasped in surprise and he only smiled.

"What are you doing here?"

"Watching you."

"Excuse me, what?"

"I'm sorry, I think I have this right since you were watching me first."

"I was not", she lied.

He laughed knowingly and she looked down realizing she had been caught.

"Don't you ever sleep?" she asked.

He ignored her question. "What were you thinking?"

"Nothing."

He looked at her with disbelief.

"Seriously, I guess I wasn't thinking."

"Okay, if you say so."

"Yeah, I say so."

He seemed to accept her answer, even if he didn't believe in it.

"Look, I'm sorry. It won't happen again. I was just...curious, I guess. We don't usually have boys in the house."

"No problem, I don't mind. But don't sneak up or lie about it."

"Fine."

Jess left the kitchen and went back to the couch while Rory gathered the pieces of glass to throw away. But in her way to her room she found herself watching the bad boy again and it surprised her how easily he could fall asleep.

"I know you're there", he told her with his eyes still closed.

"God! You scared the hell out of me", she said with her heart pounding furiously inside her chest.

He smiled opening his eyes. "Okay, what do you want?"

"Nothing. I just...came here to say good night."

"And since I was sleeping you decided to spend a little more time around just to watch?"

She didn't know what to say to that. She didn't know what she was doing there. But his eyes were piercing hers for an answer so much that she felt obligated to say something.

"I can't sleep."

"And while you're staring at me, neither can I."

"Right. Good night." She said and turned to go to her room.

"What are you doing?"

"Going to my room, so we both can sleep."

"I'll go with you."

"I don't think so."

"Hey, if you go and can't fall sleep again you'll come back, and I won't be able to sleep for the rest of the night."

"So what? You go to my room and make me sleep? How?"

He smiled malicious.

"Oh, no", she said, taking a step back.

He laughed, "I was just kidding. Come on", he said, pushing her to the room and closing the door.

He sat on her bed and asked, "What's your less favorite book?"

"I don't know, hmm...The Sun Also Rises?"

"You're kidding me, right?"

"Um, no", she said confused.

"You can't possibly dislike Hemingway."

"Oh", she said, realizing what he was talking about, "so, you read."

"I can put words together, yeah."

She smiled at his odd way to agree.

"Come here", he said, motioning to the bed.

She went over and sat on the bed as he had instructed. He got up, went to one of her shelves and took a book. Then he lay down in her bed. She was still sat, her muscles aching from the tension she was putting on them. He opened the book and started reading it.

"Hey, this is not Hemingway."

"I couldn't fins it, so instead I took this one."

"What book is this?" she asked curious.

"Listen and figure out", was his answer.

She laid down, paying attention to every word he read while her eyes got heavy and tired.

"Liaisons Dangereuses", she said in a whisper just before she fell completely asleep.

.:NEXT MORNING:.

In the following morning Rory woke up to find an empty space next to her. She was somehow aware that there had been a body there all night long and that she felt comfortable sharing her bed with it, touching it, feeling it against her skin. She felt colder without its presence.

Opening her bedroom door she found Jess sitting on the kitchen table having breakfast.

"Morning", he greeted.

"Good morning", she answered. "Want some tea?"

"No, thanks", she said turning on the coffee maker and sitting in front of him.

"You know, we don't have breakfast at home. We always eat at the diner."

"Yeah, Luke told me. I just wasn't in the mood to go out", he paused, "you slept well?" he asked casually.

"Yeah, very well", she told him without thinking.

"Huh. So, I'm better than I thought... We should do that more often."

"Do what more often?" Lorelai asked entering the kitchen.

"Talk about books", Rory replied quickly, not letting Jess say a word.

"Oh, you read? How nice. You two can talk about books then, right?"

"Yeah", Rory replied for him and he just glared at her.

"Oh, thanks God!" Lorelai said relieved. "I love you honey, but I couldn't stand you bantering and rambling about every book ever written. And now Jess is the one who is going to suffer. I'm so glad!", she confessed, filling her mug with coffee.

"Hey, I thought you loved me!"

"Right, I do. I just don't love your book conversation", she said and gulped her coffee down. "Okay, you can start talking about books. I'm out. Have fun!", and just like that she left. The two teenagers kept staring at each other, not knowing what to say.

"Hmm, so, I'm supposed to talk to you about books from now on?"

"That's what it seems."

"So, did you like Liaisons Dangereuses?"

"Yeah, it's nice."

"Nice? Interesting choice of words to describe it. What part did you like the most?"

"The scene between them, that one just before they sleep together. It seems that he's being honest for the first time. No masks, no pretending, no pride, just truth."

"You made too much out of nothing. I prefer the sex scene."

"How come I'm not surprised?"

He just stared.

"Seriously, which is your favorite scene?"

"Don't have one."

"Of course you have. Everyone does."

"Not me."

"Come on."

"All book is good."

"Please."

"I don't want to tell you."

She kept staring at him.

"What are you doing?"

"Watching you."

"Oh, no. Stop it."

"Tell me the scene."

"Ugh. Fine. I like the scene in which he kisses her and she pushes him away and he says he is sorry. The he says he's not sorry and that he doesn't understand why she keeps pushing him away. Now stop staring."

She looked down, "Why do you like that scene?"

"Just like it."

"There's more to it. You don't 'just like' something. You always have a reason."

"I like the fact that she admits she pushes him away not because she's afraid of him but because she's afraid of herself around him."

She keeps staring at him.

"Hey, I told you the scene, now stop it."

She looked down, "Right. Sorry."

"And drop the surprised look."

"It's just...I didn't expect such a good reason."

"Well, thanks for underestimating me then", he said sarcastically.

"It's not that but your reason is deep and there are thought and feelings involved...so, yeah, I was caught off guard."

"Don't read too much into it. It's just a story."

"Life is just a story."

"Whatever." He got up and went to the door.

"Where are you going?"

"Out."

She laughs and talks to herself, "He was honest for the first time", she tells herself and pause. "Who would guess? He really has a heart."