Disclaimer: If they were mine Luke would never get dressed, what does that tell ya?
A/N: I would like to thank BluJPlover, Ronata, flirtswithdisaster, and sassypaws for being the first to review. I really appreciate your encouragement and flattering reviews. (I seriously came close to blushing). lol : ) Well here's the next installment, hopefully it's to your liking.
Two Weeks Later: Independence Day
As the last customer filed out the door in time for the fireworks he found himself scanning the crowd outside his windows. He had expected to at least catch a glimpse of her from there, after all the damn carnival was just outside them. It seemed however that she wouldn't be coming, it was after ten and the fireworks were ready to start. Lorelai would not be attending one of her favorite festivals due to him and after a moment he found his guilt turning to anger. His anger however was not directed at her, it was at himself. He was the reason she wasn't at the carnival, he was the reason they weren't talking, he was the one who refused to forgive her after she had apologized profusely, and he was the reason he felt his heart break everyday he went without her.
As Taylor stepped down from his podium after announcing the commencing of the fireworks Luke stepped outside, scanning the crowd thoroughly to make sure she hadn't shown up or was just out of his eyesight from the diner. 'Surely she wouldn't be at the lake again?' He thought to himself. 'Where the hell have you been spying on her the last five weeks dumb ass, of course she's there.' As the first waves of red white and blue filled the sky above him he found himself drawn to the lake (ultimately to her), she had to be there, and for some reason he needed to see her.
After maneuvering himself through the crowd of blankets, sparklers, and children, he found himself fast approaching the pier. The resounding echoes of the fireworks through the silent night drowned out his footsteps and the sounds of his uncharacteristically heavy breathing. With his breath catching in his throat he again ducked behind a tree, seeing her again stretched out, this time on a blanket, staring now at the fireworks. As he watched her his throat began to constrict, along with his stomach, in a longing. 'Just go say something dammit.' He chastised himself, and opened his mouth to speak, slightly stepping out of his hiding place.
"Hi." He choked, his voice uncharacteristically soft, too soft, for the clapping of fireworks drowned him out. He slumped his shoulders defeatedly, taking this as an omen that tonight just wasn't the night. So instead of placing himself again behind the tree to stalk her, 'Face it, that's what you're doing,' he shuddered, he turned and slumped back towards the diner.
She arrived just in time, she could faintly hear Taylor's voice, announcing the first of the fireworks. The carnival she had figured would be boring, seeing as she had no one to ride the rides with, and she was tired of receiving pity from her fellow townspeople. She had narrowly escaped Kirk, who was seemingly headed to her house, as she rounded the curb to the pier. Like the past five weeks she was bare foot, however she carried a blanket due to the slight chill she had been receiving lately. The nights were still humid, but a eerie chill always seemed to overcome her.
She quickly positioned herself on the blanket as the first wave of red, white, and blue filled the air. Her first reaction was to smile, however like before she wished that someone was there to share it with. She'd just be a third wheel to Sookie and Jackson, Lane was in Korea, and Luke…was stubborn, so she was stuck alone…again. The echo of the fireworks made her smile however. It seemed as though the mountains were yelling back to the fireworks. 'Shut the fuck up!' She imagined them yelling , making herself giggle.
As the festivities continued she found herself craving a cup of Luke's coffee. Every year for the past five years she had drug him to this festival seemingly against his will and after the fireworks he would always make her a pot of coffee and feed her some pecan pie, it was tradition. This year there would be no coffee or pie and she sighed defeatedly before picking herself and the blanket from the pier. 'No point in watching the fireworks without the customonial pie and coffee.' She thought somewhat bitterly. As she turned to head home however her breath caught at the sight of a slumped over Luke heading back towards town square. 'What the hell?' She thought, unaware of the fact that her legs now had her following him.
A/N: Some consider this a cliffhanger. I consider it midnight and the fact that I've been up for twenty-four hours. Don't forget to review, please!