Your New Cuckoo
Author: Genevah
Rating: R
Pairing: It's top Secret… I don't even know…
Disclaimer: I claim to own nothing.
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Flashback
"Wow." Lorelai's eyes widen with awe. "Very… posh," she says with a hint of haughtiness in her voice.
She shifts a little to the left, still glued to the entranceway, not quite ready to move forward yet. The sight before her is just too alluring. It's one of those 'You can look, but you can't touch sights'.
The décor of the loft is stylishly simplistic. Though simplistic, not necessarily meaning inexpensive in appearance, because everything in the apartment is indeed expensive. Two huge pieces of artwork adorn the rich two-tone blue-gray and taupe painted brick walls, making very attractive focal points. And the lighting, not only drawing attention to these abstract paintings, set the mood throughout the room. Not too bright. Not to dim. But perfect enough to enhance the comfort vibe that the place emits.
Her focus moves from the abstract art pieces to the two windows on either side of them.
"My… those are huge windows."
"Yeah. It's nice. Though not too big on privacy."
The floor-to-ceiling windows are breathtaking; enriching the overall grand appeal of the size of the loft. Whether it is natural light from the sun during the daytime or the moon during the nighttime that enters these windows, they are both equal in its ability to captivate and mesmerize.
Although Rory likes the whole sex appeal of the sheerness of the oversized curtains, she didn't like the fact that the people who eat in the restaurant across the street from them could easily see into their living area. Plus, the location of their apartment, smack in the middle of downtown New Haven, with the hustle and bustle of other restaurants, shops and businesses nearby, didn't help much either.
"My God… it's like I've been sucked into an episode of Queer Eye for the Straight Guy." Lorelai says as she forces herself to step away from the entranceway so she could digest everything. She takes two steps down and walks, further still, until she's standing in the middle of what would be the living area. She leans against an industrial column, quite possibly for support as she looks above her.
Sleek black painted exposed duct work run across the high ceilings conforming to the urban flair of the apartment, along with black wooden beams strategically placed throughout for support and added dimension.
The contemporary furnishings outfit the living area, and all other areas for that matter, taking on function and form. From Italian Leather to chenille, these luxurious textures encase sofas chairs and ottoman. There is a certain masculinity about it, which of course should be expected. It is, after all, owned by a young man.
"This is incredible Rory." Her mother says with absolute wonder.
Rory understands completely. Her eyes were the same size as her mother's are right now when she'd first step foot in his loft.
Lorelai gasps suddenly, covering her mouth with her hand. "He's got one of those plasma televisions you can put against the wall." Lorelai points to it as if Rory hasn't already seen it. "It's humongous… I wanna move in." Lorelai says in a childlike whiny voice.
"I don't think his mother would appreciate that Lorelai." Luke finally chooses to speak. It's the first sentence he's uttered since he'd stepped into the apartment and Rory can't help but wish he would tell her he likes the place too. His opinion does in fact matter to her.
Lorelai glares at him. "How dare you say that? I'm not thaat old. I'm like Dick Clark—This skin", she points to her face "will stay as soft and as firm as the day I was born… my hair may go grey but this face will remain youthful… and, if I may, sexy… I didn't want to tell you that Luke, but I've been told that by many boy's his age." She mocks being insulted. "Tell him Rory. Don't guys your age think I'm hot?"
Rory nods, "You are what they say 'one hot mama'."
Lorelai shoots her gaze to Luke. "See. I'm 'one hot mama.'"
Luke smirks, fully amused. He dares. "'Mama' being the effective word there Lorelai."
She scowls at him, playfully of course.
"So Luke, whaduya think… huh… I already know how mom feels about it… so…"
"Uh. This is nice."
God, it's like pulling teeth. Nice. That's it. That's all. The two unbeknownst to the other think this simultaneously.
He wants to say more. He wishes he could say more, but he still feels like an outsider. Not part of the family. Not yet worthy to give his opinions… to her.
He did like it though—the apartment—aside from the windows. That kid needs to get thicker curtains. With all that money, couldn't he afford to buy thicker curtains? He still wasn't comfortable with the fact that she was going to be living with a guy. One that wasn't her boyfriend. And on that note. How could Jess let her move in with this guy?
"I'm gonna go help them unload the U Haul." He wants to leave before he says what he's thinking out loud.
"Alright hun, don't hurt yourself. You're not as young as you used to be." Lorelai jokes, batting her baby blues at him. "Try not to break your hip. You may need it later." An overstated wink at Luke sent him to the edge.
"Ha ha. You're a funny one, Mrs. Danes."
Lorelai's smile is bright and sincere. God I love the sound of that. "Say it again." Lorelai orders, walking up to him, the tour of the apartment is lost for but a moment. She throws her arms around him, waiting anxiously to hear those words again.
"Mrs. Danes." He says again, but quietly this time.
Could it sound any more perfect?
Luke's smiles adoringly at his new wife, it's the kind of smile that radiates even in his eyes. They kiss… very passionately.
"Alright you two," Rory deigns it necessary to interrupt before the two go at it in front of her. Heaven forbid. It would scar her for life. "Your honeymoon doesn't start until you guys are in Hawaii." She says a matter-of-factly.
Dumbfounded, Luke suddenly remembers Rory is in the room.
"Right." It's kind of funny to see Luke get flustered. He's been getting flustered a lot lately since he'd been married to Lorelai. Always getting caught being all lovey-dovey with her. Unable to suppress the urge to be affectionate in the company of other people. "I'm gonna go and unload."
Lorelai and Rory look at each other and start to giggle.
Luke shakes his head at the two.
"Too easy." Lorelai says to Rory.
"Yes. He walked himself right into that one."
"I'm leaving now."
"Pip. Pip. The faster the better." Lorelai says, releasing him from her arms. "Oh and Luke… keep that in mind for later mmmkay."
"EEW! Gross! Offspring ears in the room." Rory says, thoroughly disgusted, covering her ears.
Embarrassed Luke quickly makes his exit.
Lorelai continues on and takes some lengthy steps across the living area into the kitchen. She feels on the granite counter tops, admires the chrome knobs and modern wooden cabinets.
"Man this is a nice kitchen."
Rory follows and sits on a bar stool. Arms lean against the table, listening to her mother's every 'ooh' and 'ahh'.
"What I wouldn't give to have a place like this when I was twenty."
Rory only smiles when her mother looks at her. She has yet to see the best part, and boy is she going to love this one. Note the sarcasm.
"Let's go see your room now." Lorelai says affectionately playing with her daughter's hair.
Rory slowly gets off her seat. And as if stalling for time she tucks it under the table… unnoticeably slow.
She nervously pulls a strand of her hair between her lips. "Okay… uh… this way." She says, gesturing the way to her new room.
She leads Lorelai towards the metal staircase and tentatively smiles. She looks up, as does Lorelai.
Lorelai then stares at her daughter.
Rory expects that look on her face… that look of disapproval.
"You're sleeping up there?" Lorelai points up.
Rory nods again.
She shakes her head looking at her daughter with a very displeased look then starts up the metal staircase without saying anything. Rory follows.
At the top of the stairs, Lorelai instantly sees her living space. It's spacious, mind you, very spacious, but the key word instantly doesn't sit well with her. One. Two. There's only two walls. One full one and one with a huge window in the middle of it. How could this be? How could this possibly be? Metal railings do not constitute as walls to a bedroom. Bedrooms have four walls… and a door!
"Uh… ha… no door?" She asks Rory, very uncomfortable with this new found discovery.
Rory smiles a little, hoping it would lighten the mood. "No door."
Lorelai doesn't stop with the shaking of her head, her displeasure clearly written all over her face.
"Um…" Lorelai fidgets looking at her feet, unsure, unsure about everything. "I don't know about this Rory."
She can tell Rory she doesn't like this. Everything. The whole living arrangement. Her living with a boy. But she knows that she doesn't really have the right to tell her she can't move in. She's grown. She has to keep reminding herself that. She's grown into a lovely young woman, and she should be treated as such.
"Mom…"
"And Jess approves of this?" Heh heh… Jess my boy. Yes. He could tell her not to move in.
"No…"
I knew I liked you Jess.
"… not at first, but he's agreed to at least tolerate it."
Drat. I should've had a heart to heart with him.
"Huh."
Lorelai stares at the bed. It's right there. In the open… sort of. This could possibly be a good thing. Lorelai hopes. Harder to have sex… with just two walls and no door…
Lorelai musters up a smile. Not like it matters much, she's had sex on a balcony… of her parent's house.
She sighs, defeated. "I approve then… I guess. If Jess can, I should too."
The wave of relief compels Rory to throw her arms around her mother and hug her. "Thank you."
Lorelai can't believe how independent Rory has become. It's sad, for Lorelai, she sees Rory's future, albeit very promising, she can't help but feel that motherly pang in her heart that she won't be a constant part in that picture. She knows it's too early to think like that. They're still very close, not as close as she'd like, not as close as they used to be, but very close nonetheless.
"That's the last of it." Jess says loudly to nobody in particular and looks around the room for a quick resting place.
A long while later…
The guys were exhausted. Moving all of Rory's furniture and books to her new upstairs room wasn't as easy as initially thought. Eighty percent of her stuff are books. Thick ones, small ones, hard ones, soft ones. Put them in a box and they just all equal heavy pounds of words.
"Alright sweetie, I'm sorry I can't stay long enough to help you put all your things away, but I have to be up early tomorrow." Lorelai told Rory.
Rory surveyed the room. It was a complete mess. There were piles of clothes and books and nick-knacks everywhere from an earlier mishap with one of her moving boxes. Needless to say, Rory's things have taken over the loft.
She looked back at her mom and put on her best pouty face. "Alright… if you have to go… then I guess you have to go." Rory says in her best surly feel-sorry-for-me voice.
Lorelai tenderly smoothes her daughters' hair and gives her a tight squeeze. "Ah, I'm sorry babe, but Luke and I really have to get going. More packing awaits us."
"I know." Rory said in a sad child-like voice. "Thanks for everything though."
"I'm sure those big strapping boys over there will be happy to help you put your things up."
Rory looks at Jess thoughtfully. "I can't wake him up. He looks so peaceful. He must've been really exhausted… my poor baby." She says with a concerned smile.
Lorelai looked at her daughter with her 'eew' face.
Jess had fallen fast asleep on the plush tan leather sofa. Not a care in the world that he was sleeping on top of some of Rory's books and clothes.
"Yeah I wouldn't wake him." Lorelai eyes land across the room and spots a full head of messy blond hair. "What about that one?"
They both look at Tristan lying on the hardwood floor.
Rory follows her mother's gaze. "Oh my god." Rory quickly walks towards him and kneels retrieving her unmentionables he's been sleeping around and on top of.
"Why Rory, you didn't tell me Tristan had a fetish with women's lingerie." Lorelai mocks.
"Tristan, get up." Rory nudges his shoulder, while desperately trying to remove her bras from under his head.
"Hmm- five more minutes."
"Get up, you… you perv."
Tristan's eyes open and he lies on his side propping his head up. All three pairs of eyes were on the lacy lavender bra whose strap was momentarily stuck around his earlobe.
"Lavender's my favorite color Ror." Tristan teases. "How'd you know?"
Rory glares at him and grabs the bra and the rest of her undergarments and stuffs them into the nearest box. She looks to her mother. "How fast can grandpa get me that nice apartment a few blocks from the school?" She jokes with a serious face.
"Now now… play nice you two." Lorelai walks over to Rory and hugs and kisses her goodbye. "Oh and Rory, you really shouldn't wake Jess. Seriously. He looks really comfortable there on that couch. Mmhmm. I don't think your bed would have that same comfy effect."
"Mom…"
"What?" Lorelai says innocently. "You're still my little Rory. No boys are allowed in your room." She jokes.
Rory rolls her eyes. "Uh… ookay."
"That means you bub." Lorelai points at Tristan. "You may think that since she has no kind of door to keep you out, you can just waltz up into her room without knocking... nope. Nu-uh. You will yell from the top of your lungs to get her attention and then and only then will she come downstairs to you. Not you upstairs to her. Capeche?"
Lorelai finally smiles at Tristan's weirded-out look. "I'm kidding, but seriously though, please respect my daughter's privacy and announce it first before you make your way upstairs into her room."
Tristan nods respectfully. "You have my word, Lorelai."
"Thank you."
"Okay, I'm gone." She's almost halfway out the door. "Oh, I almost forgot, there's some food in the fridge. I noticed that it was pretty scarce in there, so while you guys were hauling Rory's junk upstairs, I took the liberty to order a whole bunch of Chinese food that'll last you weeks… er until it goes bad. Rory's a master at smelling out rotten Chinese food, so you're in good hands Tristan. Alright roomies, I'm off to get lucky!"
"Bye mom."
"Bye Lorelai."
"Don't forget to call me before you guys leave." Rory reminds her mom before she disappears through the door.
"I won't!"
The two new roommates stand in their spots looking at the other awkwardly.
Tristan breaks a smile first. "So…"
"So…," she nods feeling awkward, "this is weird, right?"
"Very, but I'm sure everything will go back to normal."
"Right."
"So uh…" Tristan starts walking in the direction of his room. "… I guess I'm gonna turn in."
"Oh… yeah… okay. I'll just try to move all this mess upstairs."
"Do you want me to help you, 'cause I can help you?"
"Oh no, that's okay. You've done a lot today. Tomorrow maybe… if I haven't cleared it all?"
"Alright." Tristan nods. "I'll see you in the morning."
"G'night."
"Night."
Rory thinks for a minute. She's really done the unthinkable. She moved in with Tristan. Who would've thought?
She looks at the clutter again and it just makes her tired. She decides to put it off until tomorrow morning. She grows more exhausted every time she looks at her stuff.
She looks at the sofa where Jess is sleeping. It's big enough for two to lie down comfortably, but instead of crawling in next to him, she sneaks between his legs and rests her body on top of his. He rouses a little.
She smothers him with light kisses until he wakes.
"Mmm," he moans into her mouth. His arms snake around her back and his hands slip into her pants taking full grasp of her bare rear, pushing her into him.
Rory breaks away from the kiss. "Hey-"
"No talking." He demands playfully and pulls her into another warm kiss.
She pulls away again. "Jess-"
"I said no talking." Again he engages her into a steamy kiss.
"Mmmm-… Jess… mmm-" God he's so good at that. "… hold on a second."
Jess sighs a little. "What's up?"
"I don't think we should be doing this down here… it seems kinda rude, don't you think?"
"No."
"C'mon Jess."
"What? He knows we're a couple. And what do couples do? They couple. And we're just coupling. No biggie. I'm sure he knows not to come in here if he hears you moaning."
She glares at him with big blue eyes and playfully punches him in the stomach.
"Fine… we'll continue this upstairs."
Rory smiles brightly. "Good idea."
She gets up and pulls Jess to his feet. He crouches down signaling her to hop on to his back.
"Are you sure you can carry me… I mean, your muscles must ache from carrying all that heavy furniture up those stairs." Rory says in a mock attempt at being concerned.
"You know you want to get on."
Rory jumps onto his back. "How can I turn down a piggy-back ride?" She says a matter-of-factly.
"You don't."
She jumps onto his back in a very unlady-like fashion, almost sending her and Jess tumbling to floor. Jess quickly gains his balance, purposely giving her a bumpy ride towards the stairs.
"Giddy-up!"
The next morning…
"Wake up sleepy-head." Rory sings into Jess ear and then lightly bits down on his earlobe.
He opens his eyes and looks around. Everything looks ten times tidier.
"Why didn't you wake me up? I would've helped you."
"Liar."
"Okay so… I would've watched you." His smile couldn't get any wider. He loves this. He wishes everyday could be this good.
"So what's on your agenda for today?"
"Well I've still got that paper to write… sure you don't want to write it for me?" He asked her jokingly of course. "I'll pay you."
"Bad." She gives him the stern face.
He ruffles his hair, not wanting to say the inevitable. "I should leave soon."
"Nooo." Rory pouts and plops herself comfortably on top of him, snuggling into his welcoming arms. "You're not allowed to leave… ever."
"Have to. Paper won't write itself… I'm sorry. I shouldn't have put it off till the last minute. Believe me I'd stay longer if I had a choice."
Jess still couldn't get over the fact that his girlfriend was living with him. Sure they were all friends, but for the life of him he just couldn't trust Tristan alone with Rory. Sydney or no Sydney.
"When will I see you next?"
"I'll try this weekend. No promises though."
He wasn't able to make it that weekend, or the next, or the next after that. Schedules clashed. School was demanding. But they still had the telephone. The one thing that kept their long distance relationship a little less difficult. 78.6 miles give or take between them. Two and a half hours drive on a good day. Him in New York. Her in Connecticut. 78.6 miles give or take between them. Two and a half hours drive on a good day.
Not bad at all. Right?...
End of Flashback
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