Disclaimer: I own nothing. Everything up to Jews and Chinese Food is fair game. Past that, it's just where my mind takes over.
Teaser: When Rory and Logan's arrangement goes prematurely sour, his friends take it upon themselves to intervene. Sequel to Keeping it Casual
Story Title: Nothing A Good Friend Wouldn't Do
Chapter Title: Getting To Know You
AN: Okay—this is the last update before I head out of town. I'll be writing while I'm gone, but with no way to post til sometime next week. Assuming my comp is back from the keyboard doctor. . . Keep those fingers crossed. And in the mean time, enjoy!
Lorelai excused herself from the pair after their food had been served with all pleasantries issued. They began to eat as their conversation about Rory's last article for the Yale Daily News continued. Sauntering up to the counter, she stopped and leaned in against it, staring wordlessly and expectantly at her flannel-clad boyfriend.
Luke looked up from the napkin dispenser he was refilling. It was obvious by her body language that something was wrong.
"Something wrong with the food?"
"No," she said pointedly, "Something's wrong with the service."
He looked at her, obviously in a state of utter confusion. "What the hell are you talking about? I was perfectly nice to him," he countered.
"Exactly!" she pointed a triumphant finger at him.
"You want me to be not perfectly nice?"
"Man, we really should develop an efficient signal system," she muttered.
"You're being nice to him," he informed her.
"I have to be nice to him. I promised Rory, as the cool mom that wants her daughter to continue to confide in her so I can prevent anything truly horrifying from happening to her. You on the other hand can talk about your gun collection and put pretty boys like him in a headlock for looking at her sideways," she explained.
"I don't have a gun collection. And how does one look at someone sideways?"
"You know what I mean! Help me out!" she groaned.
"I thought I was helping you out. Won't Rory be suspicious if I'm hard on him when you're being all supportive and nice?"
"No, she's probably already suspicious of your best behavior act!"
"Hey, I'm never mean to Rory," he said, offended.
"No, but you've been sort of mean to her boyfriends."
"Jess was my ward; I had to keep him in line."
"And calling Dean 'Bag Boy' was just a town law?" she cocked her head to one side.
He sighed, and looked at the pair that was occupying the table that Lorelai had just come from. Rory was giggling, and Logan was talking rather animatedly. He had to admit, the guy did seem to make her happy, despite Lorelai's concerns. Lorelai turned to see what Luke was gazing at, and had to smile despite herself.
"You know, I hate to admit this," she sighed, "But I was really impressed that he showed up here."
"Yeah. I can't imagine this is the type of town he's used to spending any amount of time in."
"He came to her world, to face her angry mother that went on a rampage when last he met her," she rolled her eyes at her own behavior. "I mean, that does show some level of commitment, right?"
Luke rubbed one hand over her back, in silent encouragement. She turned to look at him, and nodded.
"I need something."
"Like a shot?"
"Something, to pretend I came over here for something other than to discuss them."
"Ketchup bottle?" he offered.
"Perfect. I knew you could come in handy some day," she smiled and retreated back to the table.
Rory smiled brightly at her mother, still amused from whatever anecdote Logan had just shared. "So, Mom, is it okay with you if Logan stays for movies and everything?"
"Everything, huh?" she began, but upon Rory's brow furrowing, she spoke up again, "Of course it's okay. Any particular movie requests?" she attempted a normal conversation.
Rory looked to Logan. "Well, whatever we get, the video store's going to close soon, we should hurry."
"The video store is going to close soon? It's 7:30," he raised an eyebrow.
"On a Sunday," Rory said.
"Welcome to the middle of nowhere," Lorelai smiled. "Where you scrounge up all necessary entertainment items in advance."
"I guess so. Well, we can go, we're almost done."
Lorelai nodded. "Great, I'll hit the market and meet you guys at home," she agreed.
"Why don't you invite Luke," Rory suggested.
"Oh, you mean like a double date kind of deal?" Lorelai asked.
"It wouldn't be the first time," she pointed out.
"Right, uh, sure. I'll talk him into it, and then hit the market."
"Talk him into it?" Logan asked, unclear of why he would be against the idea.
"Luke's not big into movies or junk food," Rory explained.
"But he is big into hanging out with me," Lorelai grinned. "He'll be there. Give me a half hour."
Rory nodded, and stood up, pulling on her jacket. "Sounds doable. You ready?" she asked Logan, who was still sort of taking it all in.
"Yeah," he moved to follow her out of the diner and towards the early closing establishment. They walked down the sidewalk, him slipping a comfortable arm around her shoulders, and she shifted in close to him. She greeted the person behind the register with great familiarity, and began perusing the titles with a scrutinous eye. Her actions were automatic, and he wondered if she even realized he were there with her. He looked around the tiny shop, his gaze finally falling on a large red curtain at the back of the store. He smirked and leaned into her ear.
"What's back there?"
She looked up, and blushed. "Oh, it's so not what you think it is," she said.
"It looks like fun," he said, pulling her easily behind him as he made his way past the partition. She stood back and watched as he took stock of the titles on these hidden shelves.
"There are Walt Disney movies back here," he mused.
"Yep."
"Next to Showgirls."
"Yep."
"Where are we?"
"Behind the Rory curtain."
He turned again to look at her, the unasked question practically rolling off of him. She sighed. "See something you like?"
"You so aren't going to get away without explaining the Rory curtain," he shook his head.
She sighed. "A few years ago, I caught two little boys ogling the Showgirls cover, and mentioned the need for a higher shelf placement for certain items to the staff. Pretty soon the only movies that weren't behind the curtain were Benji and Lassie movies."
"Wow."
"They even put my picture up, making me some sort of censorship queen, until," she paused, smiling to herself.
"'Til what?"
"A friend, he uh, sort of removed the picture from the premises."
"You have friends who engage in breaking and entering?"
"Had, yeah."
He noticed the way she got pensive and tightlipped, but decided to let it drop. "So, would Lorelai be opposed to Showgirls?" he picked up a copy of the movie.
"It's sort of been done to death. It does have a high mockability quotient, but after a certain number of showings, it's just painful."
"Okay," he said, slightly surprised by her response. "Eyes Wide Shut?"
"Only if you're ready for a full on Kubric marathon—it tends to make for a long night."
She wandered back out from behind the curtain and continued her search, leaving him to search on his own. Within moments, she found the perfect title and took it up to Kirk.
"Good evening, Rory."
"Evening, Kirk."
"Do you have your rental card?"
"Why do you need the card?" she asked, beginning to rifle through her purse.
"New policy," he said, tapping on the piece of construction paper taped to the counter. "No one is allowed to rent the movies without an official, verifiable Stars Hollow Video Card."
"Hang on, I have it somewhere," she said, not bothering to read the paper.
"We close in ten minutes," he said, pushing her to search faster.
"I got it, I got it," she muttered.
"Ace, hey, what are you doing?" he asked, coming up next to her, having been unaware that she'd made a selection.
"Trying to rent a movie," she glared at Kirk, who pointedly ignored the comment.
"Let me pay," he insisted.
"Nope, my town, my movie, my money," she shook her head.
"Not without a card," Kirk said under his breath. Rory shot him a death glare, her hand pulling out one last card from the bottom of the pile she'd pulled out of her wallet.
"A-hah! Told you," she thrust the card to a dejected looking Kirk. Logan held his laughter, watching instead as she forked over the bills to pay for the rental. He grabbed the box, and they were on their way.
"So, Swept Away? How is that better than Showgirls?"
"We haven't mocked this one quite thoroughly enough," she informed him.
"This is a very interesting place," he commented, as they made their way back to her house in the cool night air.
"That it is. Though you really haven't seen the best parts," she said, leaning into him as if for support.
"Oh, really?"
"Really. You've not seen Luke and Taylor go three rounds over Luke's unwillingness to participate in whatever town event Taylor is trying to plan; you haven't witnessed a town meeting where my Mom throws food at people she disagrees with and Taylor fights with everyone in the crowd about anything until he gets his way; ooh, and you haven't met Ms. Patty," she smiled, her blue eyes lighting up.
"Who is Ms. Patty?"
"The dance teacher that, if my calculations are correct, has now heard about you and is dreaming up ways to bring her hand in contact with your posterior," she seemed to be holding in some sort of evil happy dance.
"I take it back; this place is starting to feel like the setting to a really twisted Stephen King novel," he looked around.
"What are you looking for?"
"Little twin blonde girls on bicycles," he said, to which she poked him in the ribs. "Ow," he rubbed his side.
"It's not that crazy."
"There aren't really town meetings?"
"It's a 200-year-old tradition. We're very big on tradition," she said solemnly.
They had reached the porch to her mother's house. The porch light was on, signaling that the house was not empty. She smiled, and pulled him in for a quick kiss before heading in. He tugged on her arm, keeping her in front of him.
"Logan," she giggled.
"Just, wait," he said, looking up at the house before turning his attention back to her. "Is this, I mean, how strange is this going to be?"
Rory's face softened. "It's going to be fine. Mom's been nice, right?"
"Yeah, but," he admitted.
"So, it's fine. We'll go in, we'll watch a bad movie, you'll join in on the mocking, make her laugh, we'll sleep, wake up to the best coffee in the whole world, then go back to school. It's not a crisis situation, I promise," she stroked his arm reassuringly.
"So, she's not going to try to shave my head or put my hand in warm water while I sleep, is she?"
Rory giggled again. "I see you're catching on to her sense of humor."
"Rory," he warned.
"No, and if you're so worried, don't be—I'll protect you. I promised, remember? Just like you'll do for me next weekend," she reminded him of the fact that even though she hadn't made him come here, he did owe her for what she would be facing next week.
"Right."
"So, you ready to watch Madonna crawl around on a beach for two hours?"
"Gee, you know just what to say to entice a fella," he teased.
She grabbed his hand and led him in to the house, ready to enjoy a night with her favorite people in the whole world, all in one room. She had no idea how intense the following weekend might be, or what kind of damage it might do to their relationship, but she wanted to enjoy their growing closer. They were every day, with every moment that passed. It was as if she could feel some invisible thread knitting them tighter, creating stronger bonds. Tonight it would just be reinforced, and for that she was truly relieved.
