A/N- Hello lovely readers! Today I'm bringing you something that's a hint of something different. It was a totally spur-of-the-moment decision. Let me know what you think of it and please be BRUTALLY honest, as it will guide how I write such chapters in the future. Also, be on the lookout the rest of the week because it just occurred to me that somehow I made it through 77 chapters without even addressing the R word and the E word. That's right, Friday Night Dinners are going to make an appearance, and soon. It's time, don't you think? Anyway, please read and review. I do not own Gilmore Girls, but I do own a hell of a lot of books, so at least I know that if Jess Mariano existed I'd have a fighting chance.


Chapter 77

The next morning, Rory and Jess woke up in the apartment above the diner, just in time to open up. He and Lorelai had actually managed to make it through Sookie's dinner at the Inn before rushing off to Lorelai's house to celebrate their new engagement. After the announcement, while they were all celebrating, Luke had asked Jess if he and Rory could handle the diner the next day, and he'd readily agreed. Not because he was thrilled at the prospect of Rory's murderous attitude that came as a consequence of being woken up at five in the morning, but because he couldn't believe Luke was actually going to take a real break for once. As long as he tried not to think about exactly how Luke would be relaxing, he'd be just fine.

Plus, there was of course the advantage of getting to sit around with Rory during the lulls, lounging, talking about books over coffee at the counter, a throwback to the earliest days of long looks and knowing smiles. Even Jess, as much as he detested living in the past, liked to reminisce on occasion when it came to her. But nowadays it was better because they could talk about their real lives, well, their real life. They seemed to share a life, he thought, as much as they were separate entities. But they really shared a world, one that other people could be a part of but really they lived in together, just the two of them. Back when they'd lived in this town he'd had to share her with everyone, and neither of them was really to jump in with both feet. Now they were just floating together on a peaceful current, wondering why it took so long for them to get to this point.

"Why did you agree to do this?" Rory groaned into her pillow, pulling Jess out of his reverie. He smirked.

"Come on, if you get out of bed and come downstairs with me, I'll make you breakfast."

"You're acting like you have a choice in the matter," Rory replied, shooting him a grin as she walked over to the dresser to pick out some clothes. She had fallen asleep in just one of her own wispy white tee shirts worn over a pair of simple white cotton underwear, and it was taking massive amounts of self-control on Jess' part to not just stare at her legs, her…everything. He looked up to find her eyes on his. He flushed.

"Can you really blame me? It's like you do this by design," he exclaimed defensively, turning away quickly and walking to the other side of the room, "I'm only human."

"I don't mind if you look," Rory said quietly, a moment later. Jess turned to her, his eyebrows raised. She met his eyes carefully.

"What did you…"

"I said I don't mind if you look. In fact, I like it when you do." She blushed a rosy pink as she said it but managed to keep her eyes glued to his. She saw his pupils darken.

"God, Rory," he groaned, "Do you know what that does to me?"

"I have a general idea," she smirked, "But you can never have too much knowledge." With that, Jess snapped and immediately walked back over to her, pulling her up against him in a searing kiss. She responded eagerly to him with just as much enthusiasm as was coursing through his own veins. Tentatively, exploratively, she lightly bit his lower lip and he moaned into her. Without breaking the kiss, he managed to move them toward the wall. There he immediately pushed her up against it and began to run his hands greedily, reverently down her body.

Rory tried to catch her breath. Thank God for the wall, because her knees had turned to jelly and she was sure she'd honestly be sinking if it weren't for the wall and Jess supporting her. She'd been kissed a lot of times, but any time Jess kissed her it brought to light parts of herself she didn't know existed. A level of desire ignited in her that for a long time she tried to deny was even possible. She had been ashamed to think that she wanted it just as much as he did, maybe even more. But with Jess she could never feel that way for long, because soon she'd become wrapped up in the sensuality of it, every tiny touch and movement shooting lightning through her core. Especially now, when she was so sure, knew everything was right, that they could really do this, that there was nothing to get in their…

"Hello?" a voice yelled from outside, "Luke, it's 5:30!"

"Are you…"

"There is no way in hell…"

"Luke, are you there? It's Kirk! Can you let me in? It's cold out here and I left my coat at Lulu's and Mom wouldn't let me go back last night…"

"I have never hated anyone with this much ferocity in my entire life," Jess said darkly, "Especially no one who lived with his mother."

"And for once I'm on bored with your angst and hatred," Rory said, rolling her eyes at the window, "But we really should…"

"Finish this?"

"Later, I swear."

"I'm gonna hold you to that."

"You better."