A/N: Another one-shot, yay! This one is from Season 1, Episode 15: "Christopher Returns." I tried not to be too mean to Christopher, because I really hate him… but I actually liked him a lot until "Wedding Bell Blues." So I didn't want to make him a bad guy in this fic.

Disclaimer: I don't own anything of Gilmore Girls. Also, parts of the dialogue were taken from TWIZ TV (dot) com.

"That was...that was a memorable evening." Christopher stated, referring to the blowout between the Gilmores and the Haydens at the slightly unconventional Friday-night dinner. His parents had once again brought up the subject of Rory's accidental conception and how it was all Lorelai's fault that Christopher never went to Princeton. Chris knew that that wasn't true though. He had never really planned on going through with college, but he didn't need to let his father know that.

"Oh yes," Lorelai replied, her bitter sarcasm escaping, "it was beautiful in there. We should commemorate it with an oil painting or a severed head or something." She took a deep breath and looked down at the view below her. She had always loved the view from this balcony. It helped calm her down whenever she was really upset with her parents, which, as it turns out, was a lot. The balcony was one of the few good things about this house of horrors.

"Next time we get this group together we're gonna have to frisk for weapons." Christopher joked, trying to cheer her up.

"Hand out gags." Lorelai went along, although she was only half-joking.

"Employ six individual cones of silence." Lorelai finally laughed, and Christopher smiled, glad that he caused it. He still loved Lorelai so much. He had grown up a lot, even if his business was still failing, and he planned on getting back together with her. He was ready. That was the real reason he had gone to Stars Hollow. "Boy the old balcony is still the same isn't it?"

"In all it's beautiful away-from-them-ness."

"Perfect hide-out—totally private. We spent a lot of time out here."

"Sneaking dad's telescope, scanning the sky for alien ships."

"Never found any."

"Huh. And then when we were older, scanning the neighbors houses for naked people."

Christopher laughed, "Found a couple of those."

"Mrs. Dominski undulating in her big fat underalls is forever carved into my brain." Lorelai was laughing now too.

"And in mine." Christopher pulled a bottle of tequila out from under his jacket and held it up in a mock-toast: "here's to Mrs. Dominski's underalls."

"Aw, you're holding out on me."

Christopher takes a drink from the bottle, before offering it to Lorelai. "Take it. And in an effort to further chronicle this balcony's history, we are now in the immediate vicinity of the spot upon which was Rory's initial emanation." He knew that wasn't very subtle, but he was beyond caring. He had to somehow bring the conversation towards them so he could hint at a relationship.

"Yes we are. Here's to Rory." She brought the alcohol to her lips and tipped her head back, relishing the feel of it burning down her throat.

"The bright spot in all the darkness."

"And how."

Chris could see that this approach was not going anywhere, and decided that maybe a more subtle route would work better. "You know even if you hadn't gotten pregnant and everything had gone as planned, I still never would have made it through Princeton."

"Oh I don't believe that." Lorelai knew that Christopher may have been a little goofy and immature—but there was no doubt that he was smart. Very smart. And she liked to believe the best in people. Well, except for her parents.

"Yeah, well that's why you're you and I'm not." Realizing he did not have the patience for the subtle approach, he decided to just forgo any conversation and let his actions speak instead. Quickly, so he didn't have any time to lose his nerve, he reached out and pulled her to him, pressing his lips to hers and waiting to see her reaction.

He didn't have to wait very long; Lorelai was kissing him back almost right away. After a moment they pulled away, before he pulled her to him again. This is nice. She thought. I forgot what a good kisser Christopher was. Much better than Max. Hmm… I wonder if he's a better kisser than Luke. I wonder if Luke is a good kisser at all. Maybe- Oh my god!

"Luke!" She gasped aloud as she jumped away from Christopher in a near panic.

Christopher looked at her confused. "Call me crazy, but I feel like I should be offended that you're calling out another man's name while kissing me."

"No! I was supposed to help Luke paint his diner tonight. I totally forgot. Christopher, this was nice… but it was a mistake. We can't do this. And, oh, I don't know! I just- I have to go. God, I can't believe I forgot! I'm a rat. I have to go." Lorelai rambled and mumbled as she scurried about, making sure she had everything. She was about to head back into her bedroom and downstairs, but then remembered what happened earlier. She couldn't risk a long confrontation with her mother right now.

"Chris, could you bring Rory back in my car? I'll call a cab."

"No, Lorelai, you're in a big hurry. You take your car and Rory and I will call a cab."

"Are you sure?"

"Yes, go on." Christopher watched her vanish down the balcony, embarrassed about what happened and anxious to be away from her, but at the same time, still wanting to be with her always.

Lorelai rushed to her car, so worried about Luke thinking badly of her that she never even realized what she had been thinking about him while kissing Christopher.

---

Lorelai sped down the roads, making it back to Stars Hollow in record time. She slowed down as she reached the town limits and made her way to the diner. She pulled into a parking space just in time to see Luke shutting everything down.

"Wait!" She cried as she slammed her car door shut. She ran up to the diner door and starting knocking frantically. "Luke!"

Luke turned around and smiled. She hadn't stood him up after all. He opened the door and let her in.

"I thought you weren't coming." He said, showing no emotion in his voice, but with the smile still gracing his features. The smile that only Lorelai Gilmore could bring to his face.

"You're not getting out of this that easy mister." She walked past him, and picked up the plastic tarps they had gotten and set to work covering everything. Soon they were ready for the real painting. She walked over to the paint cans and stated to open them when Luke interrupted her.

"Aren't you a little over-dressed for this?" Lorelai looked down at her dress and nodded in agreement.

"I forgot. Um, I have some jeans in the car, I think."

"Why don't you go get them, and then you can borrow one of my shirts."

"Okay." She ran out to her car, and soon she was back, jeans in hand. Luke led her up the stairs to his apartment. He went straight to his closet and brought her one of his many flannel shirts.

"Aw, cute!" Lorelai smiled at him. "We'll match. We'll be like a real painting team with uniforms and everything! I've never been part of a team before. Sports aren't really my thing. But now, I have finally found where I belong."

"Just go change." Luke scowled at her, though his stomach did a little flip when she said she belonged with him. He knew that wasn't what she meant, but it sure sounded nice anyway.

---

"No, no, no, Luke. You're doing it wrong."

"It's paint." Luke argued. "It goes on the wall, the wall becomes a different color. How could there be different ways to do it?"

"Oh, Luke. You have so much to learn." She laughed as she demonstrated the right way to use the roller. She made him copy here, and when he finished, she jokingly patted him on the head, unfortunately forgetting that the roller was still in her hand.

"Oh! I'm sorry." She said, not sounding very apologetic as she laughed harder now, looking at the big spot of paint that she got on his ear.

"You don't sound like it." Luke grumbled.

"Well, I am." Lorelai tried to reassure him through her obvious amusement.

"I don't think you are." Luke crept towards her. "But I think you will be." He splattered her with his own roller and joined in her laughter as she shrieked in protest. They quickly called a truce before it became an all out war.

"Hey, you want a beer?" Luke offered.

"Yeah, that'd be great."

Luke pulled a couple of bottles out of the fridge and they sat down in the middle of the diner floor and took a break. He looked around at what they had done. They were almost finished, and he had to admit: it looked good. They sat in silence for a while, content to just be drinking together. When Lorelai finished, she laid her bottle on its side and began to spin it around on the floor. She watched it, mesmerized at the way it kept on going after she let it go.

"What are you doing?"

She looked at Luke, lost for a second before coming back.

"Spinning the bottle." She replied, her answer as unhelpful as usual.

"Why?"

Lorelai didn't really know why she was doing it; it was just fun to watch. She didn't want to say that though. That was boring. She wasn't supposed to be boring.

"Haven't you ever played spin-the-bottle, Luke?"

"No."

"Well, one person spins the bottle, and whoever it lands on—"

"I know what spin the bottle is."

"But you just said you didn't."

"No, I said I've never played it."

They stopped the conversation there, and both fell silent watching the bottle slowly come to a stop. Both were shocked when it actually stopped pointing directly at Luke. Lorelai smiled, seeing a new opportunity to make Luke feel uncomfortable.

"Well."

"Well, what?"

"Aren't you going to kiss me?" She smirked as he shifted in place. Ha! 3 shades of red! I bet I can get more. She loved this game of making him as embarrassed as possible.

"I told you, I don't play spin-the-bottle."

"No, you said you never have before. There's a first time for everything."

Luke saw what she was doing. She knew he wouldn't do it. She just wanted to see him squirm. Suddenly, he wanted the upper hand. He didn't know why, it wasn't like he had ever had it before, but he got this desperate urge to call her bluff. Maybe it wasn't really that he wanted the upper hand. Maybe he just really wanted to kiss her. And so he did.

He pulled back almost right away, ending the kiss as quickly as he started it. He looked into Lorelai's eyes trying to find a reaction there. He was very nervous, afraid of the fact that he may have just ruined a great friendship. Before he could dwell on it for too long, her lips were back on his and they were kissing again, this time much harder and longer. The kiss deepened, and somebody moaned, although neither one could tell who.

"Definitely better than Christopher." Lorelai muttered quietly to herself when they pulled apart, remembering her earlier speculations.

"What?" Luke was still slightly shocked, hardly able to believe that he had finally kissed Lorelai Gilmore.

"Nothing." She kissed him again, and pulled him up, so that they were both standing. She brought her hands up around his neck, and his went around her waist, pulling her closer to him.

Carefully, she guided him towards the stairs and they climbed up to his apartment, lips never breaking apart, the unfinished painting completely forgotten.