Moments
Authors Note: Chapter four it's like chapter three but not. That's my slogan for this chapter. It's catchy right? Ha ha. Review, please. I love me some feedback. Thank you kindly.
Premise: A lovely little Luke and Lorelai story that starts right after Dean Interrupts the pair eating in the gazebo in A Tisket A Tasket and goes from there….
Chapter 4 "Line in the Sand":
Luke sat staring at the screen in front of him with absolutely no idea what was happening. He was trying to concentrate on the movie. He really was. It was just impossible. It was completely and utterly impossible. How the hell was he supposed to pay attention to the movie when Lorelai's head was buried in his shoulder? Everything about her was overwhelming him. The smell of her hair was by far the best thing his nose had ever encountered. He felt like a walking cliché even thinking that particular thought, but he couldn't help it. It was clichéd for a reason; it was just a fact that most girls smell good. Lorelai in particular smelled like vanilla and some kind of orange citrusy thing and the combination was filling Luke's head with all kinds of inappropriate thoughts.
Adding fuel to the inappropriate thoughts fire was the fact that Lorelai had been practically all over Luke for about twenty minutes. He had to contend with the indescribable feeling of having Lorelai's hands wrapped tightly around his arm. The feeling of her fingers pressed firmly into his skin. How her eyelashes were lightly fluttering, brushing his shoulder ever so slightly. Luke was surprised that he was still breathing.
For a second, Luke thought he might actually be able to think about something other than her. She had finally begun to slowly pull back from his shoulder. His hope quickly evaporated when something, for the life of him he couldn't tell you what, happened on screen and she quickly nuzzled her face back into his arm. This time he could feel her lips smashed against his flannel covered arm, along with all the previous space infractions. At that moment something in him snapped. Luke decided that she was trying to torture him.
Suddenly, all the desire he felt was replaced by a burst of anger. It seemed that it was Lorelai who always trying to tip toe over the line they had placed in the proverbial sand. The line between friends and something more that they were never allowed to completely cross. It was completely frustrating because he didn't even want that stupid line there in the first place. She was the one that had created the ridiculous line. She was the one who had basically said to him in many different ways and on many different occasions that his friendship meant something to her. That she wasn't willing to screw it up by taking it any further than that. Okay, so maybe she never said it outright but he could read between the lines. In fact, she had made her opinion on their relationship perfectly clear just a couple of months ago. She had gone out on a date with that stupid cartoon t shirt wearing kid. Luke wasn't dense. He knew he had been an ass to her after he had found out she had been on her 'casual' date. He also knew she probably had an idea as to why he was acting like he was even though she feigned innocence. She had to have known why it bothered him. And just when Luke was ready to write her off she had come into the diner talking about how she sucked at dating and asking if she 'had him'. God, of course she had him. That was the whole problem. However, he knew exactly what she was trying to tell him and he accepted it without a fight. They had a good friendship and that was going to be it. She didn't want to lose what they had, and he didn't want to be lost. Yet, here she was hugging his arm, and last week she had made him buy her basket, not to mention the fact that if Kirk hadn't interrupted their little moment in the diner they probably would have kissed. If she wanted to just be friends she wasn't holding up her end of the bargain.
"Hey, Lorelai are you planning on ever giving me my arm back?" Luke finally asked. He tried to keep his tone as even as possible. She didn't need to know how much this was affecting him.
"When the movies over, sure." was Lorelai's muffled reply.
"Oh jeez," Luke sighed.
Lorelai pulled back slightly to look at Luke's face. Her hands were still around his arm.
"Come on, Luke I'm scared." Lorelai pouted as she gave his arm a gentle squeeze.
Truth be told she wasn't really that scared. She has seen this movie enough to know when she needed to avert her eyes. Sure, it had been a genuinely scary part when she first buried her head into Luke shoulder and wrapped her hands around his arm. But, her decision to do that had less to do with the movie and more to do with the fact that every brush of his leg was driving Lorelai completely insane with the need for more contact from the man. So, she just did it. She just made the leap. Once she had gotten there his arm was so muscular and his shoulder felt so nice she just didn't want to pull away. That wasn't so terrible now was it? Oh hell, Lorelai knew she was currently playing with fire. It seemed every time she was in such close quarters with Luke all her logical reasons for keeping their relationship purely platonic went out the window and she felt the need to push a little at the constraints she had placed on their friendship.
"It takes me about five times before I can watch a movie like this without looking away. Oh except for The Shining. I still haven't seen that entire movie without looking away. When Jack goes into room 237 and that woman is in the bathtub, my eyes are in a pillow simple as that. It will never change. I don't want to see it. I just know I don't. " Lorelai continued. " I mean those twins give me enough nightmares. You wouldn't want me to have nightmares tonight would you, Luke?"
"I thought you said you had seen this movie countless times." Luke questioned. He knew her better then she thought he did, something was off.
"Oh I have. Rory loves stuff like this. When we first bought it on DVD we watched it like every weekend." Lorelai quickly responded. She hadn't realized what she was letting slip.
"So that's certainly more than five times. So you have seen this whole thing without covering your eyes. I mean you did just say that, that Shining movie is the only one you haven't see all of. Yet, you have claimed my shoulder until the end of this movie. For stuff you have already seen. Interesting. " Luke said with a smirk. Try and get out of this one Lorelai Gilmore!
Crap. Lorelai thought. Say something clever. Say something witty. Fix this. You have pushed far enough for tonight. Retreat! Step away from the line.
"Um, well it's a very nice shoulder." Lorelai fumbled. Her mouth had gone with honesty without even asking her head about it.
"Oh it is, is it?" Luke quickly returned. He was as close to grinning as Lorelai had ever seen.
"I didn't mean it like that. I just meant that…" Lorelai floundered. Why had she said that? Why? Damn it.
"You just meant…" Luke prompted when Lorelai had trailed off. He loved it when he got to turn the tables on Lorelai. His anger was now completely gone and in its place was utter amusement.
Luke turned his head in anticipation of her answer. They were once again face to face, that same few inches separating them.
"I meant that… See what I meant was… I mean…. So this movie has aliens in it and…. I was just…Oh to hell with it," Lorelai finally whispered. She leaned in and closed the gap between them all plans of retreating flying right out of the window.
Their lips made the absolute lightest of contact. It was practically nothing and yet neither one of them could find the ability to move or breathe. Luke was in utter shock that this was finally, actually happening. Lorelai was just as shocked that she had actually made a move. To sum it up they were both completely stunned. Neither one of them made any attempt to back away, or deepen the kiss. They were completely and utterly still against each other's lips. A tingly sensation rushed down the length of Lorelai's back at the light brush of his lips against hers and she was about to seek more contact when a noise stopped her.
"Mom, I am home! Mrs. Kim found Lane and me eating a bag of chips and I was banned from the house for a week." Rory called out as the front door slammed behind her.
The spell Lorelai was under immediately broke and she flung herself on to the other side of the couch as far away from Luke as possible. Her eyes were wide with shock and she was still bouncing from the move when Rory came into the room.
"So did Luke come and fix the book shelves?" Rory asked as she came into the room completely oblivious.
"Oh, hi Luke," She said as she looked down at Luke sitting perfectly still on the couch. "I guess the answer to my question is yes."
In the back of his mind Luke knew he was supposed to respond to what Rory was saying but he was pretty sure Lorelai had just rendered him mute. She had kissed him. Well kind of, their lips had touched. His lips had touched Lorelai lips and then she had jumped away like he was a carrier of the bubonic plague. Now Rory was here. Too many thing were happening at once. He tried saying something but nothing came out. Yes, he was definitely mute.
On the other side of the spectrum it seemed Lorelai's problem was that she could speak enough for the both of them.
"Yeah, he fixed the shelves. Fixed them good. Not to mention promptly. That's Luke alright good and prompt. Um, not that I know anymore about Luke then the average person does. Why would I? Anyway, the shelves are fixed and Luke and I were just sitting here watching Alien. Ya know Sigourney weekend and all. Just watching a movie you know like people do. You know normal friend like shanagans." Lorelai nervously spattered.
"Okay, well I think I will go put my books back." Rory said in bewildered tone. "Thanks again Luke."
"I should go." Luke found the ability to speak as he suddenly popped up off the couch.
"Oh don't leave on my account." Rory quickly answered. Something was going on with him and her mom for sure. The weirdness level in the house was quickly approaching an eleven.
"No, I am not. Oh and you are welcome by the way. Sorry I didn't say that earlier. The shelves were no big deal. It's just uh late. I have to open the diner tomorrow and…It's well late." Luke clumsily explained.
Lorelai looked at Luke with curiosity. He was so nervous. Yeah, she was too but he was like uber nervous.
"Oh well okay, bye Luke. See you tomorrow, I am sure." Rory replied as she made her way into the room.
The sound of Rory's door shutting compelled Lorelai to speak.
"Luke." She began. It was just his name but it was laced with so many things. Fear, questions, and something else Luke couldn't quite place. "We should probably talk."
"Rory's here. We can talk later. It's okay." Luke hated talking. He especially hated it when he was pretty sure he knew what Lorelai was going to say. She would try and explain that what just happened had been an accident, or a mistake, or that she was delirious from a high fever she wasn't aware she had until just now. He knew Lorelai and the way she had flung herself off of him gave him a pretty good idea where any conversation between them was headed.
"Oh okay." Lorelai seemed almost disappointed but Luke was too wrapped up in his own thoughts to notice.
"I mean I know you wanted to watch those movies with Rory anyway. Call her back in here and tell her the crazy man left and she doesn't need to hide in her room anymore." Luke continued.
"Rory doesn't think you are a crazy man."
"Well, whatever. Good night, Lorelai." Luke said almost a little sadly.
As he walked towards her front door Lorelai ran to catch up to him.
"Luke, are you okay?" Lorelai questioned.
"I am fine," Was Luke's instant reply.
"Are we okay?" Lorelai asked concerned.
"We are fine."
"Are you sure?"
"Positive." Luke gruffly replied.
"And we will talk." Lorelai tried to confirm.
"Yes, we will talk."
"I mean what just happened…." Lorelai started.
"Lorelai its fine, everything is fine. I get it. Things happen. Go have fun watching that one movie Rory was so excited to see. The one about busting ghosts or whatever don't you worry about me."
"Uh okay, I guess. Um night, Luke." The confusion was apparent in Lorelai's voice as she spoke.
"Night," Luke said once more before heading out the door.
The door slammed shut. Leaving a completely puzzled Lorelai staring at it like it would give her all the answers as to what had just happened in the last five minutes.
"Rooorrryyy! In case you are keeping tabs or something, it is now official your mother is a complete idiot." Lorelai yelled. She cast her eyes downward and headed towards her bedroom.
"Mom, what?" Rory called opening the door from her room and peeking her head out.
Lorelai paused on the staircase, "Never mind, I just need to go to sleep. Night, Rory."
"You sure, you don't seem fine." Rory asked concerned.
"Yeah, nothing a time machine won't fix," Lorelai quipped as she finished walking up the stairs and into her room.
She slammed her bedroom door shut with a little more force then necessary. She looked around for a brief second at her disaster area of a room. She sighed heavily before flinging herself stomach first on to her clothes covered bed.
"Worlds biggest idiot," She mumbled into her pillow closing her eyes and willing sleep to come.