Thanks for all your reviews, I hope to see even more this chapter, and I'm looking forward to getting them!

After they had argued over a couple color choices Lorelai hadn't really put much thought into, she came to her favorite, which she hoped he liked, cause it was the last choice at the moment. "I've got all the choices set up and while any one of them would work, I think this combo is currently my favorite." She gestured to it, and watched for his reaction. "See? Imagine. This will be for the walls and this will be for the trim -- the, like, edging around the doors and the windows."

"I know what the trim is," he said defensively.

"Okay, Christopher Lowell. So sensitive." She smirked. "The colors are actually quite similar to what you have here now, but they're just a little richer, a little warmer. What do you think?"

"Well," he stretched out.

"Wait, wait, wait." Shewent to the lights and turned them down. Luke's stomach reacted in a nice way. "A little ambience," she said, her eyes on him. She made her way back over to him.

He couldn't help but stare at her. She looked so happy. How could someone always be so happy? Not that he hadn't seen her pitfalls, but ninety-five percent of the time she seemed giddy.

"...You're looking at me," she said, looking back, pushing some hair behind her ear. "...What?" she said, totally confused. "Luke... Luke," she nearly pleaded now.

He let out a short breath. "You're gorgeous." He smiled.

Her grin was gorgeous too, as she looked down shyly. She tilted her head as though it would help her understand where this had come from. "Just now figuring this out?" she managed to utter quietly.

"Definitely not."

Lorelai broke the eye contact, feeling way too vulnerable in the situation. Why did I dim the lights? "I am really good with lighting," she said, and looked back up. Realizing how close they were, she accidently dropped her beer causing glass to shatter alcohol to go everywhere. "Oh, God, I'm sorry!" she exclaimed after she jumped backwards, trying not to get any on her shoes.

She walked to the counter and grabbed a roll of paper towels. She headed straight for the mess as Luke leaned down to help. "Watch the glass," he warned.

"I am; I am," and as she said this, she looked up at him until he looked back at her. As soon as he did, she averted her eyes. She unraveled some of the paper towels, but her hands were shaking now... The way he's been looking at me.

She went to pick up another piece of glass, but her hands were shaking to much. "Dammit!"

"Lemme see it," Luke insisted.

She held out her hand. "I'm fine."

"I told you watch it."

"Oh, that makes it hurt so much less."

"I'm sorry. Does it really hurt that bad?" he asked getting up.

"Uh, yeah. Where are you going?"

He grabbed something from under he counter, a box of Band-aids, and pulled one out, ripping it from the others. He unwrapped it. "Come here."

She got up holding the wrist of her bleeding hand with the other.

She held out her hand. "Don't make it too tight... or too loose. I don't want it to fall off."

"I know how to put a Band-Aid on," he said, looking down as he wrapped it around the side of her hand. "Is your finger cut too?" her asked, turning her hand a little.

"Uh, yeah, just there," she said pointing, but looking at him the whole time. He seemed so concerned- one of the things she absolutely loved about him. He really cared about you, or her at least.

"That's not your hand. That's my arm."

"I meant there," she corrected, looking down this time, but feeling like an idiot.

"Yeah, okay."

He wrapped it around her finger, and looked up at her once he was finished. She was still looking at her hand.

"Finished," he said, breaking her spell.

"Oh, I-I noticed." He grinned, looking up now. "Thank you." She held his gaze.

But he broke it and walked back towards the mess she had made earlier. "I'll get the rest of this."

"Thanks, Luke." She slid onto a stool facing the mess, Luke, and the rest of the diner.

His back was to her now, which she always enjoyed, but at the moment she was just wondering what he was thinking about. Had it been as incredible for him when he was staring into her eyes? Did it make him want to cry? How could we have lasted this long without kissing? Not just tonight, but... three or four years. It seemed like so much longer.

Maybe it wasn't as hard for him. Maybe he really didn't feel the same way. That made almost made her feel sick. She admitted to herself then that she had subconsciously been depending on the fact that it was requited love. Just thinking about that made her sad, fairly angry at herself and somehow at Luke, but she was acting crazy. She didn't know how he felt, and she wouldn't unless she put him in a situation to tell her.

The question was "how?"

Kiss him and wait for a reaction? But that would be hasty... and horny... same thing here.

Put myself in a "come n' get it" situation he couldn't resist?

Just ask?

Okay, the last "option" was way too mature, even for me.

Her eyes were still focused on his ass as he turned around with the glassand a paper towel in his hands.

"Lorelai, can you--" His head rose to find Lorelai staring around him, at him, at his butt? He could ignore that. It wouldn't be the first time. "Lorelai," he said louder.

"Uh, yeah?" She blinked for the first time in a while.

"Can you grab the trash can from behind the counter?"

"Of course." She got up and headed behind the counter, still completely unfocused.

"Wrong side. The side with the cash register."

"Oh!" She laughedfunnily. "Duh." She grabbed the trash can and headed back around the counter placing it by Luke's side.

"Thanks," he said and dropped the contents of his hands into the half-full bag.

Lorelai sat back down for a while as he finished cleaning.

Once finished, he got up, went around the counter (at which Lorelai was still dreaming or thinking or conspiring) to wash his hands. He wiped them off on the dishtowel and continued to stare at Lorelai's inanimate-at-the-moment body. Take out the long, hyphenated adjective and you have every day of his life at the diner.

He put the trash can away again and sat down on the stool next to Lorelai's.

"Lor-e-lai," he whispered in a sing-song voice. "Lorelai, do you want to help me free all the camels from the zoo?"

No answer.

"Taylor wants me to ask you if you'll marry him."

Nope, nothing.

"Want some coffee, maybe a donut?"

Maybe I should call a doctor.

"How bout another Band-aid, a beer, a car, a rooster, a Monte Cristo sandwaich?" he asked fairly exasperated. "A hickey?" Geez. Stupid, stupid.

But her mouth now formed the word "yes" softly, barely audible, and it played on her lips. Her eyes moved to the other side of the diner, as far away from Luke's expression, concerned and questioning, as possible.

She knew she shouldn't have answered that. She should've, probably could've played it off as a joke, but tears welled in her eyes now. She was inches from so much she wanted. She could've felt his breath if he'd been breathing which she wasn't sure about at the moment.

She blinked back the tears of deprivation to herself, and one rolled down her cheek on the side closest to Luke. Damn.

"What's–..." He tried to ask her something, but he could barely hear himself. Seeing her cry made him want to burst into tears. It made his heart break. "Are you okay?" Ugh, you idiot, of course she's not. Look at her.

She swallowed again as she furrowed her brow. She licked her lips and took in a deep, unsteady breath to say something.

What was she supposed to say? "I've got an unrequited love that needs fixing", "Oh, I was just crying ver the fact that I think you may not like me back", "Wanna play spin the bottle?"?

God, it was all so stupid. "Nothing, it's nothing."

"Lorelai," he said urgently. "Just tell me what it is, and if there's anything I can do to fix it, I will."

"Well, I don't want a promise you make pre-soul-bearing be the reason for doing whatever it is I–I might want you to do." She looked at him here.

Bad idea.

His sad, longing face just made her feel worse.

"Okay, then I don't promise." Now he was waiting. What could it be? She never asked him for anything important enough to get her to cry in front of him.

"Can I have some coffee?" She turned her head toward him a little more but looked down to the floor.

"Is that it?" he asked, dumfounded.

"No, no, no. Coffee'll just make it easier."

"Oh, okay." He went around the counter and poured her a cup. "It's been sitting here a while. Might be bad. You mind?"

"Bad can be good. Just gimme." A line straight from another dream.

He handed her the mug and watched as she put her lips to the side raising it slowly as she chugged it back.

"Ah," she said with a grin. "Refreshing."

Luke rolled his eyes. "Better?"

"Much... Guess I should try and get this out now...Um..." She looked into his eyes again now. It felt wrong not to as she told him this. She felt her cheeks flush hotly as the words tore at her throat, but she couldn't choose the right ones.

"...There's this guy."

I'll update again tommorrow if I get a chance. Hope you liked this chapter.

This is the first time in forever I've been waiting and really looking forward to Tuesday, but not for GG. The episode looks pretty stupid, imo. Then agian, I'm not spoiled. I have a feeling that if I was I might be more excited, but I don't know. I'm just really waiting for Lauren on Ellen! It's always awesome.

Review please!