(For disclaimer, etc. - see 1.)

19. I Think We're Alone Now
Characters/Pairings: Luke/Lorelai
'Verse/Timeline: The Runaways 'Verse - The Literati Advent Calendar 2017
Date: December 2026

"Can you even remember the last time we had Christmas alone together?"

Luke had to give that question some serious consideration and still came up blank at the end of it all.

"I actually don't think we've ever had Christmas alone together," he told his wife, a little surprised by the revelation himself, as she sat down beside him on the couch, encouraging his arm around her.

"Really? Never ever?" she checked, apparently thinking back herself. "Hmm, I guess Rory was always here, and Jess," she said thoughtfully. "Then the kids came along."

"Not to mention my sister, TJ, and Doula. Plus, with April's visits-,"

"And all the times we had to see my parents, or Mom came here-,"

"It pretty much adds up to a big family Christmas every single year."

"Wow." Lorelai shook her head. "That's crazy. We've never been alone for Christmas until now. We really should've planned something special. I mean, we knew the kids had that plan to send Rory and Jess to New York, and then Jack and Billy both signed up for that ski trip thing. Tori got invited over to Dax's family, and then Emily made that last minute decision to go visit Aunt Hope. Everybody accounted for but us and we have zero plans," she suddenly seemed to realise.

"Maybe you didn't have a plan," said Luke with a smile he could hardly hide as he reached for the drinks on the table and handed one to Lorelai. "Merry Christmas, Crazy Lady," he told her, clinking their glasses together.

"Merry Christmas, Diner Man," she said, grinning back at him before they both drank. "Wow. This is really the good stuff."

"Yes, it is" Luke agreed, "and it's just one part of the plan that I have for us over the holidays. I mean, you know me, I've never been fancy party guy or romantic guy."

"I don't know, you can be pretty romantic when you wanna be, Luke Danes," said Lorelai, smiling widely. "You really think we'd still be married after twenty years if you were never romantic?"

"I meant not big with the gestures and the sweeping you off your feet," he explained. "Honestly, as much as I hate to say it, I'm getting to the age where sweeping is just not going to happen anymore anyway."

"Trust me, as unsexy as it is, I don't think my back would handle the sweeping too well either," she told him, shaking her head.

It wasn't as if they were exactly young and carefree anymore, not with their ages sitting one on either side of sixty, but Luke meant what he said about plans for this Christmas. It was the first they had ever spent alone together, and it was going to be special, he was bound and determined on that.

"So, you had plans of the unromantic, non-sexy variety?" Lorelai prompted him then.

"I had plans of the special variety," he assured her. "It starts with the wine, and then there might be gifts, and a very special meal..."

"Ooh, I like this already," said Lorelai, smiling and clapping like a girl a fraction of her own age and making Luke smile also. "You sure there's not even a hint of romantic and sexy in the plan too?" she checked, eyes rising until they found the mistletoe on the ceiling above their heads.

Luke followed her gaze and smiled. "Well, I guess maybe a little," he said, leaning in to meet her kiss. "It'd be a shame to waste an opportunity, after all."