She opened her eyes and was blinded by the sunlight beaming through the windows of the only semi-familiar room. An arm was wrapped around her waist and a warm breath rhythmically grazed the skin on the back of her neck. Her mind eventually caught up with the scene and she closed her eyes again, remembering the events of last night and wanting this moment never to end.

The drive back to The Hollow seemed longer than usual. She'd fallen for him. Quickly. He'd been charming and handsome and could keep up with her wit. He challenged her and kept her on her toes. Obviously, he was smart. You don't teach at a fancy school like Chilton if you're not smart. And there was just...some way about him that stirred feelings in her that she hadn't felt in a long time, maybe ever. She'd thought it'd be easier. She'd thought the premise of breaking it off was for the sake of her daughter and she tried hard to convince herself of that. Her best friend of 15 saw right through her. And so did he.

Sookie was right. Every relationship, the same pattern. Two months in and she started looking for any reason to bolt. Was she really that afraid of falling in love? But here, in his arms, she knew she could stay forever and not want to run. And she'd realized the night before that he was the one she was no longer afraid to fall in love with. Five long years of glances, smiles, banter, and those deep blue eyes that always gave away his thoughts. She'd gone in for coffee as usual but she never left.

It was like a scene from a movie. Girl breaks up with guy, other guy comforts girl, and girl realizes that other guy is the one. Boom, done, they get married and the credits roll.

He'd sensed something was wrong. The diner was empty and he was getting ready to close. After locking up, he pulled out a chair across from her.

"You wanna talk about it?" he asked.

"Not really," she lied.

"Okay. I'll be upstairs. Let me know when you're ready to go."

He walked up and she watched after him, wondering how he'd come to know her so well. After he disappeared behind the curtain, she returned her attention to the cup in front of her, staring down at the dark brown liquid that she'd become so obsessed with. She wondered why he cared so much. It wasn't like she was his to care about. But, before she knew it, her legs were moving and she found herself turning the doorknob.

"Hey," she whispered.

"Hey. Give me just a sec and I'll let you out," he said as he finished drying a dish.

"No, it's okay."

"What do you mean?" he asked, puzzled.

"Um," she stammered. "I mean that you don't have to let me out yet...I think I might actually want to talk about it."

"Oh. Yeah, of course. Go have a seat," he said, nodding toward the couch, but she'd already sat down at the kitchen table.

"There works too. Coffee?"

"I've still got the one from downstairs," she replied, holding the mug up.

He pulled out a chair and sat down across from her in a similar fashion as he'd done downstairs.

"So, what's going on?"

Taking a deep breath, she closed her eyes and said "I think I was falling for him."

"Rory's teacher?"

"Yep. That's the one."

"Is that a bad thing?" he asked.

"I keep telling myself that I broke it off because I didn't want her to get attached. But, really, I broke it off because I didn't want to get attached."

"Ah," he nodded in understanding.

"What was that?"

"What was what?"

"That knowing look on your face when I told you why I broke it off."

"It's just...predictable I guess," he said nervously.

"Is that really what I do? Every time?"

"Pretty much," he confirmed. "There are usually signs that come along with the time frame."

"Such as?" she questioned.

"You wear your hair up, dress weather appropriate, come here for dinner more, stop flirting with all the guys in town...that sort of thing."

"I don't flirt with all the guys in town."

"It's not like flirting-flirting," he said. "It's more like you compliment them so they'll do pretty much anything you want."

"Well damn, you make me seem so manipulative."

"It's not like that. It's just your bubbly personality. It attracts them, I guess."

"Do I flirt with you?"

"Sometimes," he said. "I don't think you do it intentionally. Again, it's just the way you communicate."

"Does it attract you?" she asked.

"No warm-blooded guy on the planet could ever feel bad after Lorelai Gilmore compliments him," he admitted.

"Oh…," she said quietly. "I'm sorry, I don't mean to act like that. I'll try to be a little more conscious of it."

"Seriously, don't apologize. And don't make an effort to stop. It's harmless."

"So you like it?" she pressed a little more than she should have.

"Yeah, it's a nice confidence booster."

"What on earth do you have to be not confident about?" she asked in a sweet voice.

"Right there, that's it. That's that flirty voice you get when you want to make someone feel better."

She looked down at her coffee and didn't say anything for a few seconds.

Looking back up, she smiled at him. "A lot of people have hinted that you and I flirt a lot."

"I think that's just the way we communicate. It works. You mock me, I mock you, you say something cute, I say something grumpy, and the cycle begins again."

"Has anyone around town ever told you they think we should date?"

"You and me?" he asked.

"Yeah."

"Of course. It's like they have a pool of when it's going to happen and the one betting on that given week is the one pestering me about it," he laughed.

"So it's not just me."

"No," he shook his head slowly. "It's not just you."

She bit her bottom lip nervously. "Um...what do you think about that?"

"I think people should mind their own business."

"Luke…," she pleaded.

He exhaled and relaxed his shoulders. "Okay…," he was quiet for a moment. "I think it could be good. Mayb-"

"Me too," she cut him off, reaching across the table and covering his hand with hers.

They both felt the jolt of her touch, the electricity that it ignited. They looked up and locked eyes and their gaze was unwavering.

Coming back to reality, she tried to retract her hand, but he grabbed it and held it firmly.

He never took her eyes off hers, even as he stood up and walked around to her side of the table. He took her other hand in his, and pulled her up from where she was sitting. Moving his hands up, he placed them on each side of her face and cautiously brought his lips down to hers, brushing them softly.

He opened his eyes, his face still millimeters from hers, to find that she was already gazing at him. She hadn't pulled away and he took that as a good sign. He searched her eyes, gauging her reaction until she moved in again to kiss him back. Pulling away, she looked up at him again and, in their eyes was a mutual longing. He pulled her to him and softly kissed her again but longer and slower. She snaked her arms around his neck and threaded her fingers through his hair. He moved his arms around her waist and placed his palms on the small of her back, pulling her flush against him. She hesitantly glided her tongue across the seam of his lips and he parted them almost immediately. As she deepened the kiss and the heat behind it grew, she pushed him toward his bed.

He stopped halfway and pulled back. "We don't have to...I mean we just-"

"Shut up," she cut him off, crashing her lips back to his and continuing her mission toward his bed.

She reached up to unbutton his red and white flannel, her fingers almost dancing down his torso. His breath hitched at the sight of her undressing him but, before she got to the final button, he reached down and grabbed her wrists.

"Lorelai," he said sternly.

"What?" she jumped at the tone of his voice and looked up at him.

"I didn't mean to...um...I just wanted to see what it would be like...you know...to kiss you. But that's all," he stammered through his words.

She swayed her hips and a wicked smirk spread across her face. "Yeah. Well I want to see what it's like to do more than kiss you."

"Have you been drinking?" he asked.

"What kind of question is that?"

"The kind that lets me know if you really mean what you're saying."

"The only thing I've been drinking today is coffee...and this tall glass of water," she nudged him and winked.

"Are you sure you want this?"

"Luke," she said, moving her lips to his ear. "Fuck me."

Her hot breath sent chills down his spine and he picked her up without hesitation, laying her down on the bed beneath him.

"That took so much work," she whined.

"Shut up," he repeated her earlier words before crashing his mouth down to hers.

Half an hour later, he stirred next to her and she opened her eyes again. Turning in his arms to face him, she kept her eyes intently on his as they fluttered open. When he saw her, a genuine smile crept across his face.

"Those nosey townspeople were right," he said in his raspy morning voice.

"Thank god," she breathed, moving her body closer to his and kissing him with all she had.