A/N: Okay, I really like this chapter. It just might be my favorite of all the chapters I've written. Either this one or the last one. Maybe if they were one chapter I'd like them together the best as a unit. Not together together, but just together. Like close… haha. Read on and you'll get the joke.

A/N2: Thank you to everyone for not sending me hate mail because I changed that last chapter eight. I'm glad everyone is liking where this is going now.

Chapter Nine

The walk back to his tent was one of the hardest he'd ever had to take. The desire to stay with Lorelai was almost overpowering. He'd lit her lantern before he'd left and the way the candlelight flickered and danced across her face made is heart beat a little faster. But he'd dragged his eyes away from her beautiful face and had left her in her perspective tent, heading towards his own.

When Luke approached his tent, he stopped, listening intently. Somewhere in the darkness, something was stirring. He heard a whimpering sound and tried to locate the direction from which it was coming. He ducked quickly into his tent to retrieve his flashlight, but nearly screamed at the sight before him.

"Ah, jeez, Kirk!"
Kirk was lying spread-eagle in the corner of Luke's tent. A pillow was clutched to his chest, barely covering his… self. The sight scared Luke so much that he stumbled backwards in horror, hands over his eyes. Ducking quickly out of his tent, he walked in circles, trying to figure out how best to solve the situation.

I can't go back in there, that's for sure, he thought. Instantly, his mind swung towards the possibility of Lorelai. No, you can't go to her. Not now. Mentally, he argued with himself for ten minutes before he finally made his decision and turned in the direction of her tent.

Striding quickly, he tried to think about something other than the possibility of spending the night with Lorelai Gilmore. It didn't work.

He kissed me, she thought, sitting up. On the forehead, sure, but it was still a kiss nonetheless. Hugging her legs to her chest, she began to wonder what being with Luke would be like. He wasn't a very publicly affectionate person, but Lorelai knew that Mushy Luke was hiding in there somewhere, just waiting to be coaxed out.

Yes, coaxed out to play. She smirked. DIRTY!
Suddenly, from somewhere in the distance, Lorelai heard a shout, followed by Luke's patented "Ah, jeez." She quickly got onto her knees, pulling Luke's flannel close around her body and stuck her head out into the night. She saw Luke pacing back and forth in front of his tent. He circled one way, then rounded and circled the other way. It looked as though he was talking to himself.
No way! I'm witnessing an INTERNAL LUKE RANT! But Lorelai's observations were cut short when Luke suddenly stopped pacing and turned to face her. He began walking her direction. Hoping Luke hadn't already seen her, she flipped around crawled back into her tent, quickly throwing herself to the ground.

It wasn't long until she heard him outside her tent.

"Umm, Lorelai?" he whispered, apprehension in his voice. "Are you still awake?"

Lorelai feigned a yawn and a cough before replying, "Now I am… come on in."

Luke paused. She wasn't mad, was she? God, I hope not. He pushed aside the flimsy flap of Lorelai's tent and crouched as he ducked in. Lorelai was sitting cross-legged on top of her fairly large sleeping bag, still wrapped in Luke's warm flannel jacket.

"Hey," she said, eyes weighed down with sleep.

"Hey, uh, do you think I could crash here tonight? Kirk is kinda borrowing my tent… naked." He looked down, suddenly interested in his shoes.

When Lorelai snorted in laughter, Luke smiled and looked up. In unison they both raised one hand and said in surprisingly good Kirk-voices, "I have night terrors." The sound of Luke's laugh made even more goosebumps appear on Lorelai's skin. She was suddenly thankful for the heavy, concealing flannel.
"Yeah, um, you can sleep here, I guess." Her heart began thumping so loudly that she was afraid Luke could hear it too. She stretched out her sleeping bag, but stopped and looked up at Luke.
He understood her problem immediately. There was only one sleeping bag. A large sleeping bag, yes, but there was still only one. The only way for both adults to sleep warm and comfortably would be to…

No. I can't suggest that. Luke mentally slapped himself. But then again, we are two adults. It's not like we're immature kids or anything. I mean, it would be totally innocent. I just need somewhere to sleep.

It felt as though she had read his mind when she said, "Well, I mean, it's not like anything's going to happen. We're just going to sleep. Together. I mean, alone, well, together, but not together together. Just together, in the same bag. Not together."

"Right," Luke said as he climbed in opposite of Lorelai.

Slipping in, Lorelai made sure that she was far enough away from Luke so that she wasn't laying right next to him, but close enough that it didn't look like she was revolted by the thought of sleeping with him.

Lorelai feigned yet another yawn and Luke leaned over to blow out the candle-lantern. For several moments, they lay in the dark, nearly suffocated by amount of sexual tension in the small space. Luke listened closely, trying to figure out if Lorelai had fallen asleep, not knowing that Lorelai was doing the same. Suddenly, Lorelai started shaking with laughter. She tried to stay quiet as long as she could, but was only able to hold it in for a few moments.
"What are you laughing at?" Luke questioned, slightly confused.

Lorelai flipped over onto her stomach as she continued to laugh. Giggles evolved into hysterical laughing and soon Lorelai was pressing her head into her pillow to keep from waking all of the citizens of Stars Hollow.

"Are you okay?" Luke said through chuckles of his own. Lorelai's laughter was contagious; this he'd known for years.

"I… I… I dunno… I…haha!" Lorelai gasped for breath. She swung her head up to look at Luke. Although there was no candlelight, she could still see his face. The definition of his jaw and the sharp angle of his nose were apparent in the darkness. Even then texture of his lips could be seen. She realized that she'd never been this close to him before. She couldn't remember being able to smell the essence that was Luke so strongly. As she studied him, her laughter subsided slightly until she was left grinning madly.

His own grin matched hers molar by molar and Luke noticed that Lorelai's eyes were locked on his face. Her beauty was stunning. She'd pulled the ponytail out of her hair after he'd left her before, so now her curly hair fell freely around her face, the dark strands swinging as she moved. Her skin looked so smooth, and Luke could smell her shampoo and perfume. He realized that their faces were less than a foot and a half apart.
"Do you, uh, need some more blanket?" he questioned, moving closer to her so that he could shift some of the bag in her direction. He never took his eyes off of hers.

"Thanks," she said, accepting the blanket and moving closer just the slightest bit as she readjusted. She sighed, "Goodnight, Luke."

"Goodnight, Lorelai."

The darkness closed in around them, and Luke lay on his back, staring out Lorelai's small "window." He glanced over and saw that she was on her side, facing away from him. He found himself wondering what she was thinking, and whether she was asleep. He decided that maybe sleep might be something to achieve, so he followed suit and closed his eyes, trying to sleep. After a few moments, he heard Lorelai shift a foot away. Her arm flung out and rested against his, hand lying over his forearm. A few more seconds of stirring resulted in Lorelai's fingers entwined in his own, hands linked together. He opened his eyes and glanced over in her direction again, seeing that she was on her back and that her head was facing away from him. He scooted over slightly, closing the distance between his side and that of Lorelai's. Still, her head remained facing the other way.
As soon as Luke closed his eyes again, he heard Lorelai shift… again. This time, one leg swung over his, and he felt Lorelai press up against him. One of her arms was draped across his stomach and was clutching his side. He opened his eyes, and looked down at Lorelai, whose head was resting on his shoulder.

Lorelai felt his gaze on her, and looked up. Her eyes met Luke's and she held it, refusing to break the eye contact. She felt as though an entire conversation was being held through the eye contact alone.
Without warning, Luke's hand—the one not clutching hers—slid up to the side of her face. He bent his head lower while simultaneously encouraging hers upward. Lorelai's grip on his hand tightened as their faces approached a dangerous nearness. The last few moments of separation felt as though they lasted forever.

Finally, Luke's lips hesitantly met hers, as though he wasn't sure if she wanted what he did. Her soft lips felt warm on his, and he hoped with every fiber of his being that he wouldn't wake up to the sound of a wailing alarm clock. Luke continued brushing his lips over hers; still not sure of what was going on in her head. Lorelai quickly reassured him that it was exactly what she wanted when she lightly sucked on his lower lip, drawing it in and gliding her tongue across it. She maneuvered herself sot that she was nearly laying on top of Luke. Tongues delved and playfully fought for "air-time" as hands slid across backs and stomachs. Lorelai turned her head and pulled her lips away from Luke's. Opening her eyes, she searched his face for any signs of surrealism. She, too, had been waiting for that same blaring sound of an alarm clock to wake her from this dream. When Luke's eyes finally opened and connected with hers, her breath caught in her throat and she suddenly felt as though he was staring directly into her soul.

His expression softened and he smacked his lips.

"Hmm… what is that, scotch?" He looked down at her once again, smiling widely.

She punched his shoulder lightly, but gripped his hand tighter.

"Are you mocking me, Luke Danes?" she asked, voice low and a seductive glint in her eyes.

"I just might be," he challenged.

"Good," she said. "Don't ever stop."

He sighed and somewhere in the back of his mind, he realized that the knot in his chest had been replaced with what felt like helium. The light he felt inside his heart contrasted to the dark that was falling around them. Lorelai adjusted so that she was once again pressed up against his side. She resumed her hugging and rested her head on his chest.

"Goodnight, Luke."

"Again…" he said with a chuckle.

"Yes," she responded, nodding her head. "Again."

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