All That's Left….
Authors Note: Thanks to everyone who has read and reviewed . This is the last chapter so please let me know what you think. It has been interesting to write. I hope you enjoy. The title comes from a Coldplay song.
Premise: Luke and Lorelai unexpectedly cross paths after 4 months apart and all kinds of chaos ensue.
Chapter 6 "Till Kingdom Come":
"I don't want to lose you." Luke words floated in the air of Lorelai's living room.
"See that is just it. " Lorelai started. "You don't want to lose me? Now, after all that's happened you don't want to lose me. I never wanted to be lost, Luke. I didn't. I may have messed up but I thought I had made it abundantly clear that I didn't want to be lost."
Lorelai was so frustrated. She just loved the man. How did he not know that by now? How did he not know that she never wanted to be lost? She knew that it wasn't entirely fair to be upset about it. She had never actually said the words to him before but he should know. She wouldn't have put herself through all of this for someone she didn't love. Plus, he had never said it either. In fact in all he had been saying lately that was the one thing that he had failed to mention.
"You did." Luke returned. "Things just got so messed up."
"Luke, I am so tired of being here… In this mess, you and I screwing up everything that started out so good. I always had this sinking suspicion that taking that leap from friendship to something more with you would end up badly. And look at the last four months…." Lorelai trailed off.
"So, what are you saying?" Luke asked. He was afraid of where Lorelai was going. He wanted absolute clarity about what she meant.
"I don't know. I don't know what I am saying. I just keep trying to figure out what all of this means. Until recently you have always been this rock in my life, Luke."
Luke let out a 'yeah right' kind of sigh. He knew better than anyone what a disappointment he had been to her lately.
"No, Luke you have been a rock. You have always been there for me, and for Rory. I never had to question you or your motivations. But now there is a part of me that does have questions. It's weird, I don't know how to approach it because I am not used to having to ask you those kinds of questions. I used to just know."
"Lorelai you can ask me whatever you want." Luke said slightly confused.
"It's more complicated then that." Lorelai quickly returned.
"Well, what can I do to make it less complicated?"
"It isn't even really fair to ask anything of you, Luke. You and I both have made mistakes. I did the same thing to you that you did to me. I put you on this pedestal, but the truth is we are both just human. We both make mistakes."
After Lorelai finished speaking something clicked in her head. Everything she had just said made so much sense. She could feel some of the fear surrounding the whole situation dissipating as she took the pressure off both herself and Luke to be perfect.
"I think maybe now that we both know that, things could be different. I now know that we will both make mistakes, and I also know that you and I is what I want." Luke articulated.
"Tell me, if we were to try this all again. What do you see happening?" Lorelai quietly asked. She wanted to be with him. He wanted to be with her. All of a sudden everything else began to feel so self inflicted.
"I see us being together again, really together." Luke answered sincerely.
"Like before?" Lorelai questioned. Her tone wasn't as pleasant as Luke would have liked it to be. Lorelai still had her questions. She had loved how they were before everything went wrong but she needed more now.
"Like, whatever you want it to be. God Lorelai, I don't know what you want me to say. I am not good at this talking thing. You know that. I will take whatever you are willing to give. I don't know how else to show you how much I love you." Luke was so caught up in the moment he hadn't realized what had had finally admitted.
"You just did." Lorelai said with a smile. He was in love with her. She thought she knew that before but actually hearing the words gave her the courage to try again. She loved him and he loved her. She could be happy if she just let their past mistakes go.
"I did." Luke asked bewildered.
"You did." Lorelai crawled closer to him on the couch and pressed her lips quickly but firmly to his. Luke was a little taken a back at first but then returned the kiss.
As she backed away she whispered to him. "I love you too."
"You do?" Luke asked breathless.
"I do and I want to be with you. I was scared. I still am. I meant it when I said I can't lose you again. No more breaking up. No more anything else but us." Lorelai said seriously.
"I have no intention of being lost or being anything but us." Luke sincerely replied.
"Good, you know Captain and Tennille always said love will keep us together." Lorelai quipped.
"Well, if the Captain says it, it must be true." Luke said with a laugh as he leaned in and kissed Lorelai again.
"What about Tennille, her word isn't as good as his?" Lorelai asked in between kisses.
"Okay fine, Tennille too." Luke said as he took Lorelai's lower lip between his.
"Luke," Lorelai breathed as she placed a series of light kisses on his lips. "Lets go upstairs."
"Great Idea, "Luke returned.
He scooped Lorelai up into his arms and began to carry her up to her room.
Lorelai giggled and then began to speak in her best southern belle accent, "Why Luke Danes, you big strong man you. I feel like a princess."
"Don't make me put you down." Luke laughed.
"But Luke, Just stop, 'cause I really love you, stop, I'll be thinking of you,
look in my heart and let love keep us together…" Lorelai half sang, half laughed.
"It's a really good thing we just reached your room, because otherwise that little display would have made me drop you." Luke said placing Lorelai down on her bed.
"It is a really good thing." Lorelai said in her most seductive tone.
She took Luke by his flannel shirt and pulled him down on top of her. Their mouths fused together and they slowly began to shed their clothes. They took their time with every aspect of their love making. They explored every inch of each other. There was no rush, no urgency. They were really together and there was no threat of it going away. Every move was sweet and deliberate. Every touch was slow and prolonged. They both knew they really had each other, they had time, and that certainty was a whole new kind of pleasure for the both of them.
Finally exhausted and satisfied Lorelai climbed off of Luke and settled next to him. Luke had one arm securely around her, and she rested her head on his chest. She was so happy. Luke was really there with her and he wasn't going anywhere. They could talk, he could stay. Things were gloriously different. Lorelai began to absently trace her finger along Luke's chest. She felt completely content and she didn't think it was possible to be any happier than she was at that very moment.
After a few minutes of post coital bliss Luke spoke.
"Lorelai," he began quietly.
"Yes." Lorelai said happily.
"I just want you to know that I meant everything I have said to you in these last couple of days. I am so sorry for everything that has happened. I love you, and I don't want to lose you, and I am in. All of those things really mean the same thing when you think about it. They mean that I want you for the rest of my life."
"Oh Luke," Lorelai said touched.
"Let me finish, before I chicken out. Maybe this is crazy. If it is we can pretend later I didn't say it. I just feel like if we love each other, and we have been through all this stuff, and here we are still in love… Still wanting to be together…. Still wanting that middle… That must mean something." Luke finished nervously.
"It means everything." Lorelai reassured.
"Good then, Marry me." Luke said quickly.
"What?" Lorelai asked stunned.
"I love you and I never want to be without you again. I just don't see the point in waiting. Marry me." Luke said with a confidence he had never felt before.
"We just got back together." Lorelai looked down at her watch. "Like it's been about an hour."
"Okay I understand, never mind." Luke said embarrassed. "Like, I said lets just pretend I didn't say it. "
"Yes." Lorelai said interrupting Luke as he spoke.
"What?" Luke questioned.
"I said yes. I will marry you." Lorelai confirmed.
"You will." Luke asked happily.
"Yeah, I will. You are right it is a little crazy, but so am I. It has taken us so long to get back to this place. I don't want to waste anymore time. I want you forever. Let's get married." Lorelai said getting more and more excited as went on.
"I don't have a ring." Luke said suddenly.
"I don't care about the ring. Do I have you?" Lorelai asked seriously.
"Of course you have me. I am not going anywhere, ever again." Luke firmly stated.
"Then that is all I need." Lorelai said placing a tiny kiss on Luke's chest.
"What a coincidence you are all I need too." Luke said with a smile as he kissed the top of Lorelai's head.
"That was pretty sappy." Lorelai laughed. "Luke Danes can be a big old sap. Who knew?"
"Yeah, right after I said it in my head I was like that was pretty lame." Luke declared.
"At least you can admit it." Lorelai loved being able to joke around with him, again. "If you have the urge to write me poetry, please don't."
"Oh jeez."
"Wait, I have a poem for you." Lorelai began.
"Lorelai…." Luke warned. Knowing exactly where she was going.
"There once was a man from Nantucket…" Lorelai started.
"Lorelai, stop."
"You are no fun." Lorelai pouted.
"That's not what you said 10 minutes ago." Luke laughed.
"Dirty!" Lorelai returned. She took a breath and then continued. "So we are really getting married."
"We are really getting married." Luke reiterated.
"So I am an engaged woman."
Lorelai smiled at that particular thought.
"Yes you are."
"And you are my betrothed." Lorelai went on.
"If you think you are going to start calling me that…" Luke began his tone serious.
"This is Lucas, my betrothed…" Lorelai started to tease.
"Lorelai…" Lorelai loved it when Luke said her name like it was some kind of warning.
"Lorelai Danes. It has a nice ring to it." That smile she was wearing didn't seem to be going away anytime soon.
"It certainly does." Luke confirmed. Luke couldn't seem to stop smiling either.
They sat in compatible silence both soaking in everything that had just happened. Luke and Lorelai were both about to doze off when Lorelai snuggled deeper into Luke's chest and spoke.
"Hey Luke," Lorelai said sleepily.
"Yes, Lorelai," Luke returned in a similarly sleepy voice.
"When you do look for a ring, try and remember the words princess cut."
Luke laughed and held Lorelai tighter in his arms. "Okay, you got it."
"I most certainly do." Lorelai said dreamily. "I need to tell Rory…"
"Tomorrow," Luke whispered.
"Tomorrow," Lorelai confirmed as she let herself fall asleep.
The End!