a/n hey there! Thank you for your divulging! It makes me happy! Very happy indeed! Now enjoy the chapter! Hopefully it's not too short...
A couple days passed. All Jess really did was think, eat, go to the bathroom, and sleep. And with all the thinking and convincing himself not to tell Rory, he began to know that he could give her everything. He would get the moon. He wanted to see her smile. Forget that, he wanted to see her. For her to see him. And for his wishes to be granted, he needed to get out of the foresaken apartment.
"I'm going to tell her I'm back!" Jess declared that morning. It was 5:15, and he was sitting in the storage room. Early mornings were the only chances he got to get out of the apartment, so he decided to always get up early, no matter how tired he was. "Oh yeah?" Luke asked, looking over his shoulder from unpacking a load of bacon. "Tired of waiting?"
"Yes. Plus I can trust myself." Jess felt very open. He never felt that way with Luke. It was strange. "Trust yourself to what?" Luke asked. He thought he didn't want to know. Jess rolled his eyes. "To give her what she needs." Luke nodded, relieved, and understanding. "Oh." He paused. "So when are you going to tell her?"
"Tonight," Jess replied. He got up off of his bottom and began unpacking the carboard box he had been sititng on. Luke stopped. "You sure she'll be able to handle it?" Jess shrugged. "Well it's better than telling her in the morning, when she'll be upset all day in school, now isn't it? At least she'll be able to sleep it off."
Luke shrugged, then nodded. "Yeah," Jess said, nodding , grinning a false grin. He seemed suddenly upset. Maybe it was the idea of finally telling Rory.He ad been back for about a week. Maybe a little longer. He lost track, sititng up inside the apartment. It was hard to concentrate sitting in the same spot days on end, not being able to venture out into the real world. Not that there really was a real world in Stars Hollow.
They worked silently. The stale smell of the cardboard box somehow made Jess happy. It somehow made him relieved. And the smell of meat, the feel of frozen boxes and packages, made him feel the same. He had never been so glad to be at the diner then he was those early mornings. "Okay. Diner should be opening. Back upstairs!" Luke said in his growl-like voice. Jess grumbled and dropped what he was holding, and headed back upstairs to the apartment.
He immediately plopped down on his bed, deciding to quickly take a nap. He absent mindedly set his alarm clock, not realizing that the people downstairs in the diner would hear it when it went off. He didn't think ahead, not now. He would once Rory knew he was back. He would try and be a better person. Try being the key word.
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About four hours after Jess went upstairs, Luke heard an annoying beeping sound coming from upstairs. And so did his customers. His hand jerked, spilling the coffee he was pouring. "Sorry," he grumbled. He got a rag and wiped it up.
As he was passing to go put the rag away, there was a tap on his arm ."Yeah?" he asked, turning aorund. His face fell into its usual angry expression. "Oh. It's you Taylor. What do you want?" Taylor cleare dhis throat. "I was wondering, are you going to take care of that annoying beeping noise?"
"Oh yes. Right after I still a potatoe up your nose," he said sarcastically, and wlaked off, leaving Taylor holding up a quesitoning finger, with that annoying flustered/ questioning face. "What is it, anyway?" Kirk asked.
"It's my alarm clock, haven't you ever heard of it?" he asked, annoyed. "But why is it going off?" Luke quickly made up a lie. "I was planning on getting up late today, opening the diner later, but I woke up early and ended up opening it the regular time. Must've gforgotten to turn it off."
Thne he ran up the stairs and burst through the doors. Jess was sleeping soundly in bed, his mouth open, but for once no snoring. Luke scowled and turned the alarm clock off, then shook Jess. "Jess-Jess get up!" he hissed. Eventually Jess's eyes shot open and he stared at his uncle's infuriated face.
"Whoah! Not a pretty picture to be waking up to, uncle Luke!" he sarcastically exclaimed. "Well I'm not in a very pretty mood! What were you doing having your alarm clock on! Have you no brains? They could hear it downstairs! I had to make up a lie to expain it." He wa spointing at the door, indicating to the diner.
"Well at leas I have you," was Jess's sarcastic reply. Luke pulled him up out of bed. "Why were you sleeping?" He sounded tired. "To rest up," Jess replied obviously. "For?"
"For telling Rory. I'm also going to shower...probably use the bathroom before I go, too..." He said thoughtfully. "Whay ar eyou telling me this?" Luke looked both disgusted and questioning. "Just thought you wnated to know all my plans for the day," he replied, a sneer easily sliding onto his olive colored face.
Luke shook his head. "Just kepe it down..." he sighed, and left the apartment.
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Night came. When the Gilmores came, Jess saw. He had showered, and he now took a deep breath. Luke pushed Lorelai outside and away from the diner, her questioning him and giving him strange looks the whole way. He took another deep breath, and then wlaked down the stairs.
Rory was in the middle of laughing at Luke and Lorelai, when she saw Jess. No one else was in the diner. Had Luke planned this? Jess gave a tiny smile. "Hey," he croaked, and ran his hands nervously through his greased up hair. "Hey," Rory croaked back. She looked at her plate, then back up at him.
"Can we talk?" Jess gave a faltering smile. Rory stuttered nervously, looking anywhere but at him. "Um...yeah. Sure." She stood, forgetting about the food on her plate. "The bridge I presume?" she asked. Jess nodded, and the two headed out.
It was a slightly awkward walk. They stayed at a distance as they walked through the eerily empty Stars Hollow streets. It was lit only by the tremendously dim street lights. Roey looked at the ground and saw how close their shadows were. She looked up an noticed that her shoulder was brushing with his. She blushed, and took a step to the side. Jess noticed and smirked, his cheeks also tinging pink.
They reached the bridge and both stood there. So many memories...good and bad. Jess looked at Rory. So scared an timid. He wanted to pull her to him and kiss her deeply. But he couldn't. He was an idiot and ran away from her. Afraid he wasn't good enough for her, that she needed a Dean. He neede to talk, reason with her. Ask if they could start all over...be friends. He cleared his throat nervously.
Rory stared at Jess, and felt herself shudder. She still loved him. But it hurt too much. She couldn't be that girl who just threw the past away and welcomed the guy back with no argue. She wanted ot be right then, but she knew she couldn't. She had to think, be wise about this. But man she wnated to kiss him, to wlak down the street with him, head resting on his shoulder. But she wouldn't be that girl who threw it all away. She had goals, expectations for christ's sake! Rory bit her lip and looked at the ground to prevent the urge of leaping at him.
"Shall we?" he invited. Rory sat. "How long have you been back?" she asked. "Boy aren't we just jumping right it!" Jess smirked. He was trying to be evasive. "You wanted to talk, so I'm talking." Jess didn't answer.
a/n okay. sorry if the ending is not great. I was gonna put another thing but my mind went blank as to what it was. Drats. well. sorry for taking so long to update. Nikki and I's friend came visiting from Florida, and the day before that I slept over at another friend's house. so...yeah. Hope you enjoyed. Fell free to review!