Disclaimer: I don't own it. Italics below are exact quotes, and the scene at the town meeting, I paraphrased what happened mostly, except the italicized.

A/N: Ah, don't kill me. I've been busy. And when I wasn't busy, I was sleeping. Just doing my best w/ this story, so don't shoot me if you don't like it cause I read it and realized that I haven't been putting effort into it.

Flashbacks are represented in italics. They will all be back into the previous summer. Some will have a respective time area

Rory and Jess are walking, more like stumbling as they are kissing, into Rory's dorm in Yale. As they take a break for air, Rory says, "I know you have been telling me to practice getting my keys out and opening the door without stopping they kissing actions, but I still can't do it so you are just going to have to wait until…" Jess cut her off by kissing her, of course, as for she opened the door successfully. They stumble over to Rory's door and open it up.

"Hey, none of that in here, I'm trying to study," Paris says from her desk without looking up.

Jess bangs his head against the wall he was leaning on, "I told you she was going to be here, we should've just gone back to my place."

"I thought she was in class," Rory said.

"No, I skipped class," Paris says. Both Rory and Jess stare at her. "What? I'm allowed to skip class once in my life." They keep staring, shocked. "Okay, okay. Class was canceled. But I could skip class."

"Sure you could," Jess comments, "Let's just go back to my place."

"Ah, she ruined the mood," Rory said, nodding towards Paris.

"Does that mean I have to help you study like we planed to, but knew would never happen?"

"Yup, I got my books; let's go in the other room."

"Damn it," he follows her out the door.

About a week after Rory got back from Europe.

A content Rory lay between Jess's bed sheets, alone. A smile kept growing on her face as Jess walked back in with two mugs of coffee.

"You and your weird demands," he said as he cuddled down next to her.

"You love them anyway, admit it," she responded with a light chuckle, that could be argued as a giggle.

"So how do you feel?"

"Satisfied."

"I was that good."

"No, the coffee is."

Jess laughed, "So you're okay?" he said a bit more seriously.

"More than okay. I'm great, grand, splendid, superb, wonderful, super, magnificent, outstanding!"

"It's Rory the thesaurus."

"How are you?"

"Take all those synonyms you just used and multiply them by ten."

"Only ten?" She asked, with mock hurt.

"Fine a million."

"You have to be much more than that…"

"A trillion."

"That's better."

"Here," Jess gives Rory a pad of paper.

"This isn't notes on the book, these are lyrics!"

"Huh, nothing gets past you, but by who?"

"You never change," Rory sighed.

"10 seconds."

"Come on Jess."

"8 seconds."

"This is childish."

"5 seconds."

"You suck."

"2 seconds."

"Oh! Oh! I know it! It's…It's Song for a Mix Tape by The Ataris!" She said then mocked exhaustion. "That was hard."

"Turn the page," he replied with a smirk.

"Another one."

"I felt the had a common theme, 15 seconds."

"You suck."

"But you love me anyway,"

"Oh, this one is easy! I know this one! I got it!"

"Then what is it? 8 seconds."

"Taxi Driver by Gym Class Heroes!"

"I picked one of your favorites."

"How nice, now I have to get back to studying."

"I have to go to work. I'll pick you up that CD you wanted while I'm there."

"Play some boy band while you are there to see how many people throw up!" she replied as he bent down to give her a quick kiss.

"You know that is the best part at working at a record store," he said on his way out.

"And the discount," he heard right as he shut the door. Jess walked to his beat-up car that he finally weaseled out of Luke, since Luke stole it the year before. About 15 minutes later, Jess arrived at the record store in Hartford.

Right as he crossed the threshold, his boss, Joe, was already on his tail. "Jess, can I have a quick word with you in my office?" No, don't take this the wrong way; his boss was a cool guy, in Jess's eyes. Mostly stayed off his back, listened to descent music, and didn't bother him with personal questions. The problem was, he was too cool. He took a liking to Jess, not only because they were so alike, but also because of his work ethic. The boss wanted Jess to do more.

"I told you already, I'll think about it," Jess said, a little annoyed, when they reached the privacy of Joe's office.

"What's to think, you will become the manager of the store in New Haven. You will be closer to your home, get more money, what's to lose?" Joe replied.

"I will have to go to school."

"What's so bad about that? You will get your GED then take night classes at Hartford Community College."

"Just let me think about it more."

"Did you talk to Rory about it yet? I'm sure she'll think it's a good idea." His boss used to be cool. His boss used to stay off his back and used to not bother him with personal questions. That all changed in 30 seconds. Sure he had Jess's best interest in mind, but that annoyed Jess.

"Huh," Jess said, and then quickly left.

"Don't even think about playing any boy bands, or I, personally, will tear you to pieces," Joe quickly yelled from the office.

Jess kept his stoic face and walked to his position behind the counter. At 3 o'clock on a Thursday, the store was empty, and will be pretty much all night. He looked around, making sure no one was around, then glanced at Joe's door, now closed where music could be heard blasting from. He reached down into his messenger bag and brought out a notebook and started writing. Right after he put the Clash over the sound system, of course.

A few hours later, he was released into the world, with a last "Think about it," from Joe.

"How was work?" Rory asked as they walked to his car from her dorm.

"In mere seconds Joe went from cool, to insane."

"Why? What happened?"

"Uh," Jess glanced at her, "nothing much, just was being extra annoying today." He didn't want to go through with the 'you should try to go to school' speech. He promised himself he would tell Rory later, but just not now.

"Oh."

"How did studying go?"

"I've learnt that I obtain much more with you not there."

"You do obtain a lot of music knowledge with me there."

"Let me rephrase that, I've learnt that I obtain much more useful knowledge with you not there."

"Music knowledge is useful."

"It's going to be impossible to get my point across, isn't it?"

"Huh."

"What time do you get out of class tomorrow?" Jess asked, as they were waiting for their food.

"Uh, like 3. Why? Are we going to Stars Hollow?" Rory replied.

"I don't know. I was thinking about it, since you haven't seen your mom in like 2 weeks and I can see you are on the verge of a breakdown."

"That is the most I have ever heard you talk in so long."

"Don't get used to it. And do you want to go, I can try to get off of work Early. But how Joe and I have been communicating, it is not likely. So, I'll probably get out by like 4."

"I'll come by."

"I'll pick you up."

"It's cool, I'll drive."

"And leave my car in Hartford? No way."

"Damn it, you are going to make it hard for me to come there and annoy you at work."

"The only way is if you first drive me to work at like 10, then pick me up again at around 12 for a lunch break, then drop me off again before like 1:30, then pick me up again at like 4, to annoy me. And I love you, but I think you are way too lazy to do all that just to annoy me."

Rory thought about it for a minute. "Okay, I got it. You drive to work and take your lunch break. I get out of class at like 1. So, I will pick you up at your apartment at 1, drive you to work. Drop you off. Then go to class. Then come back at like 3:30 to annoy you for half an hour."

Jess just stared at her astonished. "You really want to annoy me don't you?"

She just smiled back and said, "you know it," just as their food arrived.

Rory walked up to Jess's apartment the next day at 1 and opened the door. It took them .469803 seconds to be lip-locked.

"See I've got a better idea," Jess said, parting them for a second. Then going back to kissing Rory in a sweeping kiss.

"Mmhmm," she mumbled into the kiss.

"We play hooky from both your class and work and not go to Stars Hollow at all."

"What do you suppose we do instead?"

"I have a couple ideas."

"Mmhmm" she mumbled again.

"Well, one involves ice cubes and pitching iron."

"You've been watching Billy Madison again?"

"Yea, let's go," he dragged her out the apartment.

She pulled up to the curb near the store and said, "Have a nice day at work, honey," 10 minutes later.

"Oh we are doing that again?" She nodded. "Shall I play along?" She nodded again. "Well then, have fun at school honey." She giggled as he smirked and leaned over for a quick kiss. He got out of the car, but quickly stuck his head in and asked, "Is now a bad time to ask for a quickie?"

Rory walked in the store at 3:15. Yes, she was bored. Luckily, she knew that Joe liked her, so she wouldn't be kicked out. When she entered she heard Joe said, "Did you talk to Rory about it yet?"

"Talk to Rory about what?" She made her presence recognized.

"I take that as a no. Why don't you two have a talk?" Joe said.

I guess later is sooner than I thought. Jess thought to himself, "Hey you're early."

"I was bored and wanted to annoy you," Rory joined Jess behind the counter , and then sat on the counter. "What's up? What does Joe want us to talk about?"

"Well Joe made me an offer."

"Was it an offer you couldn't refuse?"

"Is that even a quote from something or is it just a saying?" Rory opened her mouth the respond, but Jess interrupted, "Wait, I really don't care. No it wasn't. He said he would make me manager of the new New Haven store."

"That sounds like an offer you can't refuse."

"Well…"

"Ah, there's more," Rory nodded.

"Yes, there is more. He says I will have to get my GED and take night classes at Hartford Community College."

"Jess, this is a great offer. Did he even say what you have to major in? You can major in creative writing! It will be interesting, you will have a great job and work for no one. Well, you won't have a boss breathing down your back as much. You should take this."

"I really don't want to give into it. I told you the night of your graduation on the bridge that I don't want to go to school," he was on the verge of yelling, "I just want to go with everything I said that night on the bridge. Not stay with Luke, not go to school, have my own place, but mostly just…I seriously can't believe I'm going to say this," he hesitated, looked around, then lowered his voice to say, "But mostly just be with you." She silently chuckled. "And if turning this down will ruin this," he pointed to the space between them. "Then I'll do it."

"Jess," she got down from her seat on the counter and stood close to him. "I'm behind anything that you want to do, you know that. This is our relationship," she outstretched her arms. "And this is the problem," she made a tiny space between her fingers. "See tiny," she smiled.

He chuckled, "Okay, seriously. I do have these serious, touchy-feely moments every now and then, but you know the rules." He then kissed her.

"Don't repeat it to anyone, got it," she said as the separated.

"And that analogy really didn't make all that much of sense."

"I didn't have much time to think, sorry."

"I'm going to do it," he said randomly.

"Do what?"

"Take the job."

"You sure?"

"Positive, he didn't say what major I had to go into. Or if I even needed to take any business classes."

"Why didn't you talk to me about this earlier?" Rory asked a little upset.

"I don't know," he shrugged.

"Just know that you don't have to be afraid to tell me anything. And don't withdrawal information from me or there will be consequences. You have been warmed," she smiled.

a/n: this took longer than I expected. Hope you liked it. It was a bit mushy I know. But whatever.