This Crazy World
Part 5
"Happy Birthday!" Luke's cheery voice greeted him when he opened the door.
Jess blinked once and then looked out the door, studying the sky. Then he turned back to Luke. "Huh."
"What?"
"Just checking for flying pigs," Jess said, a frown on his face. "Apparently there are none."
"I know that," Luke said, shaking his head and motioned inside. "You gonna invite me in?"
"Uh, yeah," Jess shook his head and took a step to the side, "come in."
"Huh, this place looks different."
"Told you it would." Jess closed the door, the frown still on his face.
"Yeah, you did," Luke nodded, looking around and taking in his surroundings, "I just didn't think it'd change this much."
"It's the art," Jess said, moving from his spot inside the door and walking over to the stairs.
"Oh, right," Luke said, walking further in. "Hey, that painting's gone."
"Yeah, someone bought it," Jess smirked.
"You sure?"
"Why, you want it?"
"Really funny."
"I could give you the name of the buyer if you want," Jess smirked, walking up to Luke.
"I think I'll survive."
"If you say so," Jess shrugged.
"So, umm…here," Luke said and reached out a plastic bag he had been holding.
"What's this?" Jess asked suspiciously.
"Look, I know you don't want any celebration, don't worry. It's the books you forgot when you were up last time."
"Oh," Jess said and took the bag.
"Yeah well, I thought you'd like them back."
"Thanks."
"So, you about to open up?" Luke said, gesturing around them.
"Yeah, in half an hour," Jess nodded. "I'm just gonna have some breakfast."
"You just got up?"
"Yeah," Jess shrugged, "so what?"
"You're getting lazy."
"Not everyone can be up with the sun."
"I like being up early."
Jess raised an eyebrow at him. "That's why you got in your car at six in the morning to come down here?"
"It wasn't six."
"Ok, with your driving it'd have to have been five thirty," Jess smirked.
"There's nothing wrong with my driving," Luke defended, glaring at him.
Jess laughed and shook his head. "Whatever you say."
Luke ignored him. "Besides, I had to get out of town early so I didn't run into Liz."
"Ok," Jess said, giving him a thankful nod and gestured up the stairs. "I'm gonna eat breakfast. You can come up if you want, but don't say I didn't warn you."
"Oh right, the disaster zone," Luke nodded and followed him up the stairs. "I'm sure it can't be worse than that place you called an apartment in New York."
"Well, this one's got actual rooms," Jess said over his shoulder.
"Already a plus."
"And actual furniture," Jess added as he reached the top of the stairs. "Though most of them are obviously covered at the moment." He frowned.
"Covered?" Luke asked from behind him and then came up the last steps and stopped short. "Oh."
"Yeah, I forgot about that," Jess said, scratching his head.
"You forgot about it?" Luke asked astonished, staring at the room in front of him, every inch of it covered in piles of books.
"Well, I tried to forget about it," Jess said, shaking his head. "This is why I don't like birthdays."
"Now you completely lost me."
"Chris and Matt found out it's my birthday. They decided I needed new bookcases."
"That still doesn't explain what all these books are doing here."
"Well, they thought it would be a great idea to empty the existing bookcases and throw them away before they got the new ones."
"Huh."
"Exactly," Jess agreed and sighed before making his way over to the kitchen part of the room by sidestepping piles of books on the floor of the living room. "It's clear over here if you want to try it."
"Where are they now?" Luke asked with a skeptical look at the cramped floor between him and the kitchen.
"I sent them out to get bookcases," Jess said and started looking through the fridge. "Told them not to come back without any."
"Sounds risky," Luke replied and sighed before stepping over the nearest pile of books. "You've got way too many books by the way."
"There's no such thing," Jess protested with a smirk and retracted from the fridge with mayo and ham. "You want anything?"
"You got tea?"
"Sure, up there" Jess nodded to a cabinet. "Take your pick."
Luke nodded and went over to the cabinet after clearing the last book pile. "Wow," was all he said when he opened the door.
"What?" Jess asked from where he stood making sandwiches.
"Lorelai would flip if she saw this," Luke chuckled. "She thinks I'm bad and I've got three kinds of tea."
"Well, with three people drinking tea and everyone having different tastes it becomes a lot with time," Jess shrugged.
"But when do you have time to drink all this?" Luke asked, still staring. "There must be more than thirty different kinds in here."
"Thirty seven actually," Jess said and put the lid back on the mayo. "I'll boil water, give you some more time to stare," he smirked, ignoring the glare Luke sent his way.
Luke shook his head and then reached into the cabinet and took out the first container he reached. The label read blueberry/cream and he shook his head at the absurd combination. "This any good?" he asked, holding it up.
Jess strained to read the messy label from the other side of the kitchen and then shrugged. "Don't know; it's not mine."
"Might as well try this," Luke shrugged and closed the cabinet again.
"Tea-strainers are in that drawer," Jess said, pointing to his left and went to take out a tea container for himself.
"So, how long has it looked like this?" Luke asked, looking out over the sea of books.
"Just since last night," Jess shrugged and put two mugs on the kitchen table.
"They did all this last night?" Luke asked surprised. "How did you not notice?"
"Chris and Matt said they were having a party, I didn't want to be here for that, which I guess they counted on, 'cause they spent the night doing this," Jess said, motioning to the living room at the last part. "I spent the night catching up on reading in the park around the corner. When I got home this is what it looked like."
"And they already threw out the old bookcases?"
"Yeah," Jess confirmed. "Not that I'm extremely sad they're gone, 'cause they weren't that great, but it was better than this."
"Yeah, I'd have to agree on that one," Luke said and sat down at the table with his tea.
"Guess they didn't factor in the closing time for furniture stores in their plan," Jess said and joined him at the table.
"Well, apart from the book mess it looks good here."
"Yeah, it's not too bad."
"I'm serious," Luke said, looking at him. "You guys seem to be doing really good."
Jess just nodded and they both grew silent, drinking their tea and Jess eating his sandwiches. When he was done Jess looked at his watch and sighed a little.
"I should get down and open."
"Oh, yeah," Luke agreed, looking up. "Right, you do that. I'll take care of the dishes."
"No, you don't have to do that," Jess protested, stopping on his way to the sink with his mug and plate.
"It's no problem," Luke insisted. "Just look at it as my birthday present," he added with a grin.
Jess glared at him. "Fine," he grumbled and climbed over the books once more to get to the bathroom and brush his teeth before going downstairs again.
A while later Jess looked up from where he was sitting reading from a notebook as the stairs creaked.
"Hey," he said, putting the notebook down.
"It's quiet down here," Luke observed.
Jess shrugged. "Saturday morning."
"Yeah," Luke nodded, looking around. "Well, I should…"
"You could stay if you want," Jess interrupted.
"What about…" Luke half asked, motioning around them.
"It's no problem," Jess insisted and stood up. "Once Chris and Matt gets back I'm free for the day."
"Given they actually do come back."
Jess glared. "If they know what's good for them they will."
"Right," Luke chuckled. "What's that?" he asked then, pointing to the notebook.
"Um…nothing," Jess mumbled, picking it up again and putting it down in a desk drawer.
"Nothing, huh?" Luke said, eyeing him curiously. "That wouldn't happen to be…"
"It's nothing," Jess said sternly.
Luke narrowed his eyes a little, but let it go.
"You never told me how it went with Lorelai."
Luke shrugged, but smiled a little. "Good, I think. We actually talked. Nothing major, nothing solved, but it was better than the last time."
"Good," Jess said with a genuine smile.
"Yeah." Luke nodded to himself and looked like he was going to say something more when there came a loud crash and some yelling from outside.
They both whipped their heads around and then exchanged amused looks.
"If I'm not mistaken, we have company," Luke said, grimacing a little at the sounds.
"So it would seem," Jess agreed, chuckled to himself and looked up at Luke. "Should we help them?" he asked with a smirk.