Sorryyy it's more Lorelai x Chris than I had thought in the beginning - while writing this I actually realised that I ship them as teens (at least in my story, teen Chris is just cute). But don't worry, it's still a Javajunkie story! Just you wait and see :)

Also this time I will mention a trigger warning for mentions of suicide (just this time and then never again!) towards the end of the chapter.

Enjoy!

•

Lorelai Gilmore and Christopher Hayden.

They couldn't keep their secret a long time, since the next day they spent every single second in school with each other. They arrived together and left together, enjoyed lunch break together.

In the afternoon they did homework together and, after they finished, enjoyed kissing each other some more.

"Don't you mind about people knowing about us?" Lorelai whispered in between their kisses. "I don't exactly have a good reputation."

"I don't care. You've slept with a few guys, if that gives you a bad reputation, then I never want to speak to other people again," Chris said gently and kissed her again. "Only to you I want to speak. My Lorelai."

Lorelai sighed happily and buried her nose in his chest. "It's so different with you ... you're so different."

"Because I don't want to have sex yet?" Chris asked and chuckled as Lorelai nodded. "But I do want sex, Lor, only what I want even more is a relationship with you. I want to date you officially. And if we've talked about this topic, we can talk about getting intimate. I want this in a proper way, I want you as mine in a proper way."

"Okay," Lorelai said, her heart racing a marathon. "I've never been in a relationship before."

"I know, baby, me neither," said Chris and blew a kiss on her forehead. "So let's try it?"

"Yes," Lorelai breathed and Chris brought his lips back to hers.

After a while of making out, Lorelai pulled away, placing her hand on his chest. "I should meet your parents," she said and Chris shook his head.

"Definitely not. But I should meet your parents."

Lorelai snorted. "Definitely not."

"I should bring you back to them. I'm sure they're worried to no end."

"I'm sure they aren't. But of course, bring me back to them. You'll probably not survive this."

"You won't survive meeting my parents," Chris said and pinched his girlfriend's nose. "And you're way too cute to die so early."

"Okay then let's agree on not to meet each other's parents so soon, alright?" Lorelai chuckled and pinched back Chris' nose.

Chris laughed.

"Alright."

•

Lorelai stayed with Chris for a week.

She knew she had to return one day though, so one day after school she did.

"Mom, I'm home," she called as she entered the dining room.

Emily's eyes were cold as she spotted her daughter, her eyes moving up and down her body. "Where did you get that coat from?"

"Uh, I bought it, like all the other stuff I couldn't take along. After all I can't wear the same stuff every day," Lorelai answered and let her bag with clothes fall on the ground. "I bought it from my own money. The money I earn at the flower shop."

Emily pursed her lips. "Fine," she said. "Where have you been anyway? I called the Wells family but they assured you weren't with them. Tell me now, Lorelai Gilmore!"

Lorelai rolled her eyes. "Fine, I've been with my boyfriend."

"Your - your boyfriend?" Emily gasped.

"Yes, Mom, I have a boyfriend. May I go upstairs now? I really need to get some homework done."

"Feel free to go wherever you want to, it's not like I could stop you," Emily replied bitterly and Lorelai stepped past her, walking upstairs.

She threw her bag of clothes on her bed and sat down at her desk, pulling her maths book out of her school bag. After trying to concentrate for a few minutes, she realised that it wouldn't work. She needed Chris, a genius when it came to maths.

She stared out of the window - suddenly spotting something interesting.

A young man working in the garden. He was raking the fallen leaves and putting them into a black bag. Lorelai shook her head - Emily had honestly hired a new gardener just to put the leaves away?

She watched him for a while.

Something about him seemed familiar to Lorelai and she couldn't say what. Did she know him?

She couldn't tell who he was but he was definitely not from her school. He was wearing a flannel shirt and a backwards baseball cap. No one from her school would ever wear that.

But he seemed young and somehow his stature and posture seemed so familiar. And his moves ...

She kept watching him.

Finally he seemed to be done. He threw the bag over his shoulder, looking up while doing so. And finally Lorelai recognised him.

She jumped up and rushed down quickly, she needed to catch him while he was at the garbage cans, so their mother wouldn't see them talking.

While running towards the gates, she noticed a single orange leaf on the perfect-mowed lawn of Emily Gilmore. She picked it up and continued running, catching the young man as he emptied the bag inside the trash can.

"You missed a leaf, Mr Danes," Lorelai said in her best Emily imitation and Luke twirled around.

"I am sorry, Mrs -" he fell silent, staring at her. And then he let go of the bag, making it fall right into the bin. "Lorelai?"

"Surprise," Lorelai said, grinning. "What a coincidence."

"What are you doing here?" Luke breathed and Lorelai shrugged.

"I decided to stalk you."

Luke's eyes darted around. "You better go, the owner of this house isn't the friendliest person around."

"I know," Lorelai replied with a chuckle. "She's my mother."

"What?" Luke snapped at her and Lorelai shrugged.

"This is my house, Luke. I live here."

Luke stared at her. "You're rich?" he asked, sounding insecure. "And your name is Lorelai Gilmore?"

"Yes and yes. Now you. What are you doing here?"

"Your mother needed a new gardener and as I saw how much money she offered, I decided to get a part time job here. I come here after college three times a week."

"Oh, nice," Lorelai said. "My mother is hard to please, have fun."

Luke didn't reply. Instead he just stared at her.

"Okay," Lorelai said slowly. "Sorry for interrupting your work. I have homework to do."

She turned around, but just as she wanted to leave, Luke called her back.

"This has to be a sign," he said as Lorelai turned back to him. He wasn't directly looking at her, as if he was scared of asking her.

"Spit it out, Luke," Lorelai laughed.

"Do you - would you like to go on a date with me? To the cinema? Or just dinner?"

"Wow." Lorelai smiled at him sadly. "I'm sorry ... I have a boyfriend now, Luke."

"Oh. Okay."

She could see the disappointment in his face.

"Yeah. But we will definitely see each other again," she added with a smile and waved at him.

"Yeah. For sure," Luke muttered and continued working, now trying to fishing the bag out of the bin.

•

They sat around the dining table, quietly. Eating in deafening silence.

Lorelai felt the eyes of her parents on her though and decided to simply ignore them. She had enough judging dinners behind her, she knew how it worked. In a few days they'd have calmed down.

But as the dessert was served, Emily spoke up.

"Are you and your boyfriend ... Are you careful?"

Lorelai dropped her fork. "Mom! That is so not appropriate!"

"Don't do that, kid! I know you're not a virgin anymore, I've caught you with many boys before and so has your father. So - Are you being careful?"

"That's none of your business!" Lorelai shouted and stood up.

"Sit down, Lorelai!" Richard bellowed and Lorelai quickly sat down. "It is our business if you're suddenly giving birth to a child."

"Oh my god, I won't." Lorelai rolled her eyes. "Okay, just for your info - Chris isn't ready yet. He wants to wait. That's why I am waiting too. Good enough?"

"Chris, so that's his name," Emily said. "I suppose, Christopher. What's his last name?"

Lorelai moaned. "None of your business."

"Lorelai," her father said in a warning voice. "We need to know the boy to tell you if we even approve of this ... relationship."

"Believe me, you approve," Lorelai sighed. "Okay, fine. It's Hayden. Christopher Hayden."

"Oh." Richard leaned back. "She's right, I approve."

"Me too," Emily replied with a nod. "Christopher is a very good guy and Francine and Straub are indeed nice people."

"Fine people, indeed. Good choice, Lorelai," Richard agreed and their daughter sighed quietly.

Emily and Richard shared a look and Lorelai knew exactly what they were thinking.

Finally she's getting a grip.

•

"Boo."

Luke jumped as Lorelai snuck up behind him but as he saw her, a smile spread across his face. "Hey, you."

"Hey," Lorelai grinned back and pointed at his rake. "Soon there will be no leaves falling down anymore. What will you do then? My suggestion - Mom needs a new pool boy."

"I don't really see myself as a pool boy," Luke answered and Lorelai let her eyes run down his tall, broad figure.

"Not sure. I do see you as such." Luke chuckled and Lorelai grabbed his hand. "Come along, it's cold outside."

"Hey, are you insane? I have to work! And you mother -"

"Is gone," Lorelai finished the sentence for him. "I'll make you some coffee and then you can head back to work."

Luke sighed and let the girl pull him inside. "Fine. But I prefer tea."

"Not sure if we have that," Lorelai laughed and pulled him towards the kitchen. She ignored Luke's silent noises of appreciation as he went inside the house.

"It is huge."

"It is."

"You grew up here?"

"I did."

"How was it?"

"It sucked. Still does"

"Hm, okay."

They went into the kitchen. There, Luke immediately started to admire the stove. "It's beautiful," he said and Lorelai chuckled.

"You like stoves?"

"I like to cook," Luke admitted and Lorelai grinned.

"I don't. I can't."

"You should learn it."

"Because I'm a woman?" She cocked an eyebrow at him.

"No, because one day you might live alone and who's gonna feed you then?"

"KFC, I guess," Lorelai said with a shrug and Luke sighed again.

"Do you want me to teach you?"

"Cooking? No fucking way."

"Fine. And baking?" Luke tried.

Lorelai let out another laugh. "Luke, please don't fool me. You cook? You actually cook?"

"And I'm quite good," he said with a grin.

"I don't believe you," Lorelai challenged him, pressing her fists into her waist and looking at him with a sly smile.

"You don't? Fine, what do you want me to cook?"

"Anything. But not here, my Mom would get suspicious."

"Alright." Luke scratched his chin. "Okay. Next time I come, which is in two days, I'm gonna bring you something I cooked at home."

"Sure." Lorelai rolled her eyes. "And at home you'll ask your Mom if she'll cook something for you."

"That won't be easy," said Luke and turned away from Lorelai. "Now where's the tea?"

Lorelai opened the cupboard over the stove and Luke took the wooden box that said "tea" out of it.

"What do you mean?" Lorelai asked.

"Hm, Earl Grey, peppermint, chamomile, ... don't you have something warming? Ah, here. Ginger and lemon."

"Blergh," Lorelai made. "Hey, talk to me. What did you mean earlier?"

"Earlier when?" Luke asked and switched on the kettle.

"Just a minute ago, Luke. I said you would ask your Mom to cook something and you said -"

"That won't be easy. I know what I said."

"Then what -"

"It won't be easy to ask my Mom to cook for me because she was buried eight years ago."

Lorelai suddenly felt very small. "Oh. I'm sorry. I didn't know."

"Of course you didn't." Luke shrugged and poured boiling water into his tea cup.

"How did she ... how did she ..." Lorelai didn't dare to ask.

"How did she die, you can say it." Luke took a deep breath and avoided Lorelai's eyes. It was still hard to talk about it. "She was really depressed. She never told anyone, she thought she had to be strong for me and my sister. My sister, Liz, she is your age now. Back then she was eight and ... really not easy. She still isn't. I didn't know about my Mom's depression for a very long time and she was taking antidepressants. More or less, I guess. She wasn't happy, according to my Dad. She had also been consulting a therapist - but -"

Luke swallowed and Lorelai kept quiet. Very quiet. She didn't want to make a sound, in case he felt uncomfortable.

"One day I came home from school and I ... found her."

Lorelai's went wide but she still didn't say a word.

"She had hanged herself," Luke now choked out, his hands clutching the hot cup.

"Oh my God," Lorelai now mumbled and reached for his hand. She placed hers above his and Luke finally looked at her, his bright blue eyes glistening.

"I went to therapy after that. For years, because I just stopped talking. I didn't want to be social anymore, just didn't feel like it." He grinned lightly. "And somehow I am still like that, anti-social and introverted. I hate talking to people I don't know."

"But you talk to me," Lorelai pointed out and Luke nodded lightly.

"Because there's something between us," he said quietly and Lorelai gasped, quickly pulling her hand away from his.

"What ... what are you talking about?"

"I've immediately felt it, Lorelai," Luke said carefully. "We share a connection. I still feel it ... don't you? Maybe it's just friendship, maybe it's more. But there is something. Please tell me you feel it as well."

His eyes were pleading and Lorelai couldn't help but nod lightly. After all she felt it too.

"I feel it," she whispered and Luke put his cup back on the stove.

"Thank you," he said lightly. "For ... the tea and for listening to my whining. Also for admitting that there's something between us ..."

He reached for her, placed his hand on her waist and pulled her against him with a swift move.

Lorelai was surprised at how well she fit into his body, how well she molded against him. She hadn't remembered. Also the last time she had been drunk.

But - there was no doubt - they did have a connection.

He looked down at her, at her lips. He wanted to kiss her. Lorelai's heart started beating.

Oh yes, they definitely shared a connection.

He awoke feelings, that made her heart race a marathon. Feel butterflies in her stomach.

Feelings that Christopher didn't cause -

Christopher!

She pushed Luke away. "I have a boyfriend," she gasped and Luke frowned.

"Ah, right."

"I'm sorry."

"No, I am sorry, Lorelai. I shouldn't have ... done that. Tried to kiss you. It was wrong."

"Mhh," made Lorelai and freed herself from his embrace. "Do you think we can stay friends? Because I really don't want to lose you in my life."

For a short time Luke didn't say anything. But then he smiled at her.

"Sure. Friends is okay. I really don't want to lose you either."

"Okay. Well then, friend - see you in two days. And don't forget the food!"

Luke chuckled. "See you, friend. And nope, I definitely won't."

Lorelai waved awkwardly before heading back up into her room.

Luke and her, just friends.

She had no idea if that would work.

•

Hey-ho readers!

Does anyone know how Luke's mother died? I did some research but they never mentioned even her name. That's why I wrote this and because my stories somehow always have a deeper message (like "It has always been you").

In fact, I have a friend who's mother hanged herself and was found by her when she was around seven years old ... And her character is quite similar to Luke, that's why I wrote it.

Leave a review, please! Thanks ❤