A/N- Probably the shortest chapter and latest you'll ever receive from me. I'm sorry. If it helps remember the last one was at least twice as long as they usually are, and this is half, so it kind of evens out?! I could explain all the reasons behind the latitude and brevity (visa applications, family meltdown, personal crises) but none of that really changes it, so I'm sorry, either way. I hope you all enjoy this chapter, and tomorrow's should be up sooner and should be longer. Please read, review and recommend (if you feel inclined to do so). As always, I do not own Gilmore Girls or any of its characters or concepts. Hope you enjoy the bit of Lit in here. I thought that at least one of them deserved a goddamn moment by now.
Oh, also, anyone want to offer an opinion on the future of this story? I'm trying to decide if I keep it T or make it M, because I'm considering incorporating some sexual situations. Honestly, it's not even that I want to write them, I'm not great at it, but this is a story about love between two adults with incredible chemistry, and realistically sex is a part of that. But if a lot of readers are young or wouldn't keep with this story if that became a part of it, I can take that into consideration. So please let me know in reviews (or in PM if you're more comfortable) what your thoughts are. Happy reading!
Chapter 43
The next morning, Jess woke up at 6:00 to open the diner for Luke. He'd called and offered to do it as he was driving to Stars Hollow the night before and Luke had readily agreed, since he'd be staying at Lorelai's and it was more convenient that way. He'd even told Jess to take off early, which was unheard of coming from Luke Danes. But now Jess was kind of regretting it.
It was the first night of full, peaceful, blissful sleep that Jess Mariano had enjoyed in almost a week. It was like going on a long vacation and coming back to your own bed, except for the fact that in reality he was on vacation and it wasn't his bed. But he slept soundly through the night, and judging by the contented sighs and breaths coming from the bed next to him, he wasn't the only one.
The first thing he'd seen when he had opened his eyes was Rory. The sun was rising through the apartment's one window and it was reflecting onto her skin, illuminating the porcelain of her cheeks. It's a cliché for a reason, Jess had thought as gazed at her lazily. Rory had never been a still sleeper, something Jess had realized early on, but today she was splayed out across the bed, half tucked into the blankets and half outside of them, curled around the pillow, the Metallica tee shirt pulled up a little high on her leg from the movement, just barely exposing her thigh. Jess had drawn an involuntarily breath at the visual, forcing himself to think. She's just a friend. You're helping her. It's not like that.
But this was his Rory. It wasn't Star's Hollow's Rory or Lorelai's Rory or even Luke's Rory. This was the Rory that only he ever really saw, totally given over to the type of calm she only enjoyed when he was around. Even Jess couldn't help but admit that she had only ever really been calm in his presence. There was just such a sense of peace within her, an artlessness about the way she was laying and the one she smiled in her sleep, so bright and uncautioned. Jess looked at the scene in front of him in wonder, trying to remember why on earth and how on earth he could have ever left this girl. Hell, how he ever got this girl.
It wasn't that she was divine or perfect or infallible. Ironically enough, that was the common Rory, the one everyone got to see and know. He thought she was sublime in her imperfection, her flaws and complexities writing a story that was too good for others to understand. It was written for him, and he'd known it since he'd first seen her. He had meant that part of his speech, way back when he recklessly begged her to run away with him. He had known since first seeing her that they were meant to be together, and that they would know each other like no one else ever could. This version of Rory was cracked and messy and a hypocritical contradiction of a personality, but it was Rory at her most pure. Jess understood that when no one else could.
Finally, he tore his eyes away from her sleeping form and reluctantly headed downstairs to make some coffee. If she ever had to wake up from that magnificent state, he'd love for her to need him for something.
