Author's Note: Thanks for all the amazing feedback! You all are so awesome.
Previously in "A New Beginning": Luke and Lorelai spent Valentine's Day together.
Luke watched as Lorelai took another sip of her coffee. She had been sitting at the counter all evening. Rory was spending the weekend with her father. He knew that Lorelai wasn't too thrilled about it as evidenced by the three pieces of pie she had already eaten. She was pushing around the remnants of her last piece's crust with her fork when Luke finally stopped her. Taking away her fork, he told her, "Okay, this is just pathetic."
"Gee, thanks, Luke. You sure know how to make a girl feel all warm inside," Lorelai mumbled. "I'll just leave if I'm bugging you that much." She stood to leave.
He stopped her. "No, I didn't mean that."
She looked up at him. "Then, what did you mean?" she asked pointedly. "That I'm just one step away from knitting tea cozies?"
"I meant that just because Rory isn't home doesn't mean that you shouldn't be having any fun," he clarified.
"What should I be doing?" she inquired, her voice softening.
He flipped over the closed sign on the door. "C'mon, grab your jacket," he stated, grabbing his own jacket from where he had left it in the kitchen. "I'm not going to watch you sit around here and eat five more slices of pie. I don't own a forklift to get you out of here."
Obliging, she slipped into her jacket. "Where are we going?" she asked, following him out of the diner. "Oh! Are we going to go cow tipping? Because if we are, I have to go home and change my shoes. These shoes do not condone such an activity."
He looked at her like she was crazy. "Where do you even come up with that stuff?"
She shrugged her shoulders and grinned mischievously. "I'm not going to tell. A girl never tells her secrets. It keeps her a mystery."
"Yeah, a mystery as to why the men with the white jackets have yet to come for her."
"Well, where are we going then?" she whined. "Why won't you tell me?"
"You haven't given me a chance to tell you!" he pointed out. "I thought we could go see whatever movie is playing at that damn bookstore."
"You mean Black and White and Read?" she asked excitedly. "I love that place."
"I know you do. You and Rory go there practically every week." He offered her his arm. "So you're in?"
She slipped her arm through his. "I'm in. Lead the way!"
The pair quickly made their way to Black and White and Read where Lorelai squealed in delight as she read the sign out front. "They're showing the Wizard of Oz! Do you know how great that is? Or let me guess, Mr. Hermit here hasn't seen it. Do you know what you've been missing all of these years? 'Lions and tigers and bears, oh my!' This film is a classic to end all classics."
"I've seen the damn film, Lorelai," he told her.
The two walked into the tiny theater. Luke paid Kirk, and at Lorelai's insistence, bought some popcorn and drinks.
"Big Red is free! Mine!" Lorelai exclaimed before running over and plopping herself down on the comfy red couch.
"Did you have to do that?" Luke hissed at her as he joined her on the couch. "No one else is even here."
She just shrugged and grabbed a handful of popcorn.
Kirk started the film after only a minor incident of getting his sleeve caught in the projector. Luke and Lorelai watched the beginning of the film quietly, munching on their popcorn.
Luke was finally starting to enjoy the film when Lorelai startled him by squeeing very loudly, causing him to drop the popcorn. "What the hell was that?"
"Munchkins!" she exclaimed. "Aren't they cute? I want one. And I've always wanted to be a member of the Lullaby League."
"I knew you had a fixation with the Oompa Loompas in that Waldo movie-"
"Wonka," she corrected him.
"- but the Munchkins as well? Do you have a thing for very short men?"
"C'mon, Luke. You have to admit that they're really adorable."
"Not really," he said.
"You're no fun. And it's not like I want to marry one. Well, an Oompa Loompa maybe, because then, I'd always be surrounded by chocolate. But a Munchkin? I don't think so. Plus, I'd have to deal with the Wicked Witch, and that would be no fun. Although the ruby slippers are pretty..."
"There's a whole lot of logic involved there," he stated, rolling his eyes at her.
She picked up the empty popcorn container. "You spilt all the popcorn." She handed him the container to him. "Can you go get us some more?" she asked, giving him her signature pout.
He took it from her. "Fine. But then, you are going to sit here quietly through the rest of the movie."
She saluted him. "Ay ay, captain."
Luke returned a few moments later with the popcorn. He sat beside Lorelai and ate a few pieces himself before she reached over to take some. He held the popcorn out of her reach.
"Hey, I want some popcorn!" she said, trying to grab the box from Luke.
He continued to hold it out of her grasp. "I thought you agreed to no more talking?" he reminded her.
"But I want some popcorn. Gimme!" she ordered.
He held the container over his head. "I think you've had enough junk food for one night."
"Mean!" she exclaimed. Lorelai was not one to give up so easily so she formulated a plan to try and get her hands on the popcorn. Kneeling on the couch, she straddled one of Luke's legs and reached for the popcorn. She unknowingly pressed herself against him as she struggled to reach the box. Even though she was higher up now, Luke's arm was still much longer than hers. "It will be mine," she informed him.
"Not if I have any say."
Preparing her best pout, she looked down at him. Suddenly, the position they were in became clear to her. Her face was so close to his. Close enough to kiss him, she thought. Momentarily, she contemplated closing the last few inches between them.
However, the moment was broken when Kirk yelped after accidentally burning his hand on the popcorn machine. Lorelai quickly scrambled off Luke's lap to the opposite side of the couch. Feeling sheepish, Lorelai watched the movie silently, completely forgetting about the popcorn. Had she really almost kissed Luke?
Luke was breathing heavily. He swore that Lorelai had almost kissed him. He wasn't quite sure how he felt about that. She was his best friend, and he'd give anything to keep her happy. But did he want more than that?
They both pushed away their thoughts. Denial was always a safe place be.
Luke took a deep breath and glanced over at Lorelai. She gave him a shy smile before scooting a bit closer to him. He closed the remaining space between them, wrapping his arm tightly around her. She placed her head against his shoulder as he ran his fingers soothingly through her hair. He held out the popcorn to her, and she took a few pieces.
Friendship was a safe place to be.
Wasn't it?
To be continued. : ducks to avoid flying objects: Please review!
La prochaine fois: Sookie wants to take Lorelai to a singles bar.