Disclaimer: These characters are so not mine. This particular scenario is though.
Thank you to my reviewers:
evangeline b – Thank you. I love lit, too!
Cila – All I can say is 'wow'. Thank you so much for your wonderful review. It's really nice to hear which parts you liked, and that what I write is having the effect I want it to. Thanks again!
xh4z3L3y3sx – Thanks! I tried very, very hard to avoid a lull. I don't want to write filler chapters, not when there's good stuff just waiting to be told!
just hidden – Thank you! Here's more…
RogueHoney – Thanks!
Brucasforever – Thank you!
Tookie Clothespin – Thank you. The 'not leaving' part sort of happened organically, and I think the message really fit with the relationship I'm trying to develop between them.
cutebabe058 – Thanks!
Gilmore-Buffy-Fan13 – Thank you! And, seriously, Rebecca is a wonderful movie. I just wish it didn't cost about $100 on DVD (It's 'rare' and out of print.)
pam halliwell – Thank you, thank you, thank you. Here's more.
Lunatic Lorenzio – Your review made me laugh, thank you!
Secondwolfmoon – Thank you so much. It feels really good to write their relationship the way I want it to be.
LoVeIsTrUsT – Here's more!
IloveJoeL. – Thank you!
AN: Oh my, I cannot believe what a slacker I am…another chapter already? Clearly, the slacking is referring to my schoolwork and not my apparent fan fiction addiction. I'm shirking important duties to bring you this, so you'd better enjoy it! ; )
Breakfast, A Dinner, and Lunch
Against all reason, Jess woke up early the morning after the movie night. He should be exhausted, because they had certainly not gone to sleep right away after going to bed that night. They had spent hours talking, kissing, and touching one another; only the sincere conviction on both their parts that it should not go further kept them from moving into uncharted territory. Jess sighed softly; it wasn't easy doing what was best, and his body was plotting mutiny. Giving in slightly, he ran his hand lightly across Rory's stomach, side, and hip, careful not to make any sudden movements that might wake her. He had to do something besides lay there in bed with her, or he was going to drive himself insane. A quick glance at her clock revealed it was almost time for her alarm to go off. Doing his best to move gently and quietly he slipped out of bed, eliciting a small groan from her, but not actually disturbing her sleep. He slipped on his jeans and stole into the kitchen where he started the coffee machine with a small stash of coffee grounds from Luke's which he had snuck in with last night's food. With that done, he tried as quietly as possible to begin making a breakfast of pancakes, eggs, and bacon, all the while cursing the proximity of her bedroom to the kitchen.
Rory woke slowly to the smell of coffee percolating and bacon frying, accompanied by a soft clatter of pans and dishes coming from the kitchen. She stretched and let out a big yawn before relaxing again into the comfort of her bed, letting her thoughts drift back to the previous night. After their little spat, Rory had wanted nothing more than to be in Jess' arms, and he had been more than happy to oblige. Things had started off slowly at first, and then built to hot and heavy, but both had backed off when it became clear their bodies were starting to do their thinking for them. Rory was relieved that they were both on the same page as far as what was a good idea to give into physically, but that didn't mean it was easy. Groaning at what just the thought of last night was making her feel, Rory dragged herself out of bed and to the doorway of her bedroom. She was able to open the door and stand there quietly without Jess noticing her, allowing her to admire him while he made her breakfast. There was something about watching him pad around the kitchen, his hair a wild mess, barefoot and shirtless while making her breakfast that made her want to pin him to the kitchen table and throw their self-imposed limitations directly out the window. The sigh these thoughts brought from her alerted Jess to her presence.
"You're up."
"Early. Yuck. Coffee."
"Good morning to you, too."
"Coffee."
"Don't be so pushy," Jess teased as he gestured to the slowly filling coffee pot, "It's almost ready."
Rory just raised an eyebrow at him and deftly replaced the coffee pot with a large mug. When the mug was full, she replaced the pot, all without spilling a drop.
"It was ready already, silly," she stated as she settled into a kitchen chair to enjoy her hard-earned spoils.
Jess was thoroughly amused by her antics, but just smiled, shook his head, and went back to preparing breakfast.
"Luke's?"
"What?"
"Luke's. This coffee is from Luke's. How did you get coffee from there, here in my kitchen?"
"I brought it."
"You can do that?"
"Why shouldn't I be able to do that?"
"I don't know…I just always assumed…I mean, it's Luke's coffee…"
"Believe it or not, those coffee grounds will taste the same wherever youbrew them."
Rory gasped in shock.
"You mean, all these years? And now that Luke is living here, we could…I mean, here in our kitchen...Luke's coffee all the time?"
"I'm surprised your mother hasn't thought of it yet. Could you grab some plates for us?"
Rory stood and began to set the table with plates and silverware.
"Oh, well, she has this thing about Luke's, where she likes to eat Luke's food at Luke's, and not here at home."
"Weird."
"Two years at Yale I've practically gone through Luke's coffee withdrawal, and the entire time I could've begged coffee grounds off of him?"
"He'd probably say no."
"Hmm, you're probably right. But now, I have you to steal them for me!"
"Oh, do you?"
"You bet. You wouldn't deny your girlfriend the elixir of life would you?"
They both paused for a moment while the realization of the word 'girlfriend' sunk in. This subject had not been discussed yet, assumed perhaps, but certainly not discussed. Jess cleared his throat softly before responding.
"I suppose that wouldn't make me a very good boyfriend, now would it?"
Rory relaxed a little at his reply, and sat down at the kitchen table.
"Although…"
She looked at Jess curiously, wondering where he was going next. The food was ready by this point, so he began serving them both while continuing the conversation.
"It doesn't feel right to call you my girlfriend when I haven't even taken you on a proper date yet."
"The wedding…"
"That doesn't really count."
"Oh…"
Jess sat down, and they both began eating their breakfast.
"I mean, that was all taken care of for me, I didn't have to pick you up, or wait for you to get ready, or think of someplace to take you…"
"I guess."
"So?"
"So what?"
"So Rory Gilmore, how about we go on a date? Dinner and maybe something else. Tonight?"
Jess was smirking and watching Rory expectantly.
"I'm supposed to work until at least six," she said regretfully.
"Then I'll pick you up at work."
"I don't want to go on a date in my work clothes."
"You'll look beautiful."
"Thank you, but not the point."
"So then, pick an outfit this morning and bring it with you, or I could even bring it for you when I pick you up."
"It's not that easy to pick an outfit for a date!"
"Isn't it?"
"Jess!"
"Rory!"
Rory shot Jess a glare, but she wasn't actually annoyed. She was actually feeling a bit giddy about the prospect of going on a date with him.
"Fine. I'll bring an outfit to change into. So, what should it be: Casual? Semi-casual? Semi-formal? Formal?"
"Ummm…"
Jess hadn't actually thought the date that far through yet, so he wasn't sure what to tell her.
"Casual? I guess…what on earth is semi-casual?"
"Ugh, men. You're impossible," Rory complained as she stood up to pour herself more coffee.
She couldn't fight the small smirk forcing its way onto her face; she was teasing him now, and it was fun to watch him squirm just a little. She walked up behind him, placed her mug down on the table, and wrapped her arms around his neck.
"Don't worry about it. I'll pick something," she said quietly in his ear.
His bare skin was just a little too much to resist, so she ran her hands up and down his arms, along his shoulders, and finally across his chest. He placed his hands on top of her arms, and for a few moments they just sat quietly in each other's embrace. Finally, she resumed her seat at the table and they finished their breakfast. He began to clean up the kitchen while she went to take a shower. He had just finished feeding Paul Anka when he heard her turn off the shower and leave the bathroom. As she made her way back into her bedroom wrapped in her towel, he caught a look at her with a good deal ofbare skin exposed. She shut the door behind her and he had to literally stop what he was doing to take a moment to collect himself. A few deep breaths later, Jess' conviction that someday, she would be his, completely, solidified even further. Nothing in the world could make him give her up, and he was going to do his damnedest not to screw this relationship up.
"Do you want me to drive you to the train station?" he called so she could hear him in the bedroom.
She stuck her head out to respond.
"You don't have too…"
"Yeah, but if I'm picking you up at work…"
"Oh, right. Okay then."
She smiled at him thinking how nice this was; waking up together in the morning and discussing their plans for the evening over a homemade breakfast. They had settled into a comfortable routine in the few days they spent together, and she was thoroughly enjoying it.
"If I remember right, your train leaves at 7:57, so we'd better get moving," he hinted, and she scurried back into her room as he went to get himself ready for the day.
It was a pleasant early spring day where you could finally feel a hint of real warmth in the sunshine and the drive to the train station passed quickly in light conversation.
"Got you here with eight minutes to spare," Jess said before giving her a quick kiss goodbye.
"Thanks for the ride. I'll see you later."
Rory waved as she walked past the small brick station to the platform. She had enough time to buy a ticket from the machine and soak in the early morning sunshine for a few minutes before her train arrived. She toed the yellow line of the railway platform, closed her eyes, and listened to her train approaching. As it squealed to a stop in front of her it created a strong gust of wind which brushed across her face and sent her bangs fluttering. There was something enjoyable, almost romantic, about commuting by train. She'd never mentioned it to anyone else, but she had grown to enjoy her train rides to Stamford the year before, and had been glad to start them up again. On the train, she had the opportunity to read as much as she liked or just stare out the window at the passing towns; it was a relaxing way to get where she needed to go, and it definitely beat fighting traffic on the highways.
Her day started off quickly, and she soon jumped into high gear. As the morning wore on, she noticed some people starting to act strangely, and a soft buzz swept across the the main room of the office.
"Gary, what's going on?" she stopped the new kid from the mailroom as he passed her desk.
"Huntzberger's here. You know, the family that owns the paper…"
"Mitchum," Rory barely managed to mumble out in shock.
She almost felt faint, but rallied again when something inside of her reminded her that she had nothing to fear from him; she'd wasted months of her life because of him, and she wasn't going to let him take another minute of her precious time.
"Nah, he was here yesterday, with that kid of his. I think today it's just the kid. Brushing up to take over daddy's business I'm sure. Well, I gotta go Rory, see you around."
With that, he set off, leaving Rory to once again feel a little faint.
"Logan," she murmured before quickly stepping into the nearest conference room to collect herself.
She had her eyes closed as she shut the door behind her and leaned against it for support.
"Ugh, damn it, damn it, damn it…" she muttered out loud.
"Not the language I'd expect from you, Rory."
Her eyes flew open when she realized she wasn't alone as she'd thought she'd be.
"Logan. What are you doing here?"
"Well, A…Rory, I needed a moment away from the sycophants, so I came in here to get away from them, which seems shockingly similar to the reason you came in here. Unless that is, you knew I'd be here…"
Rory shot Logan a short glare. He had his characteristic smooth smirk on his face, and to the casual observer he would seem completely unflustered and supremely confident. Rory knew better; she could see the tiniest hint of discomfort in his eyes, and she could tell by the way his hand was ever so slightly fidgeting that he was nervous.
"I meant, what are you doing here, at the paper, in Stamford?"
"You should know that…'Daddy says'. I have less than two months before I graduate and this type of thing becomes my permanent version of hell. This is just a warm-up. We acquired the paper almost a year ago; it's time for the yearly check-up. He and I came in yesterday, and today I'm on my own to wrap things up," Logan stated with an air of forced cheerfulness and a biting undertone of bitterness.
Rory almost felt bad for him. Part of her wanted to yell at him, to tell him that he needed to either accept his life and the privileges and expectations that went along with it, or make a change and deal with the consequences. She wanted to slap some sense into him, but she realized it wasn't her place. In her opinion, he needed a partner, someone who would help him deal with the stuff he hated in his life, and drag him through itwhen the going got tough. She couldn't be that person; she had her own life that she was trying to pull together, and frankly, during the few months she'd had of dealing with his life, she'd lost herself along the way. At one point, though, she had been willing to be that person for him, but he hadn't wanted it. The part of him that felt entitled to his bitterness, as if he'd earned the right somehow, also seemed convinced that the only way to deal with his life was to be frivolous, to drink, make trouble, and find solace in a multitude of women. He'd held off on the 'multitude of women' part when he was with her, but she felt like he hadn't really treated her much differently that the other girls he'd been with. Instead of many faces, she was just one, he'd made some effort to let her into his life, but their relationship never found deeper roots than the occasional quick thrill and constant good times.
"Uh, Rory?"
She snapped herself back to the present.
"What?"
"You've been standing there staring at me for two minutes. Is everything okay?"
"Oh, yeah, everything's fine. I was just thinking, you know, since it's been a long time since we've seen each other or even talked," Rory rambled, "I'm sorry you're still upset about your dad and going to work for the papers and all though I can't understand why, I mean, I love it here at the paper. I had to beg to get the job here, and I mean that literally, I mean I sat in that waiting room all day and harassed the boss, and I'm surprised they didn't kick me out because I really had to be persistent, to the point where I think I was verging on obnoxious…"
"Whoa, Ace, slow down, take a breath."
Rory tensed slightly.
"Don't call me Ace."
"I…I'm sorry…habit. I didn't mean to…"
"Don't apologize, just…don't?"
"Sure thing. Rory."
"Well, uh…I'm going to eat lunch now, so I guess I'll see you around."
"Wait. Rory," Logan called softly, before clearing his throat, "Where are you eating lunch?"
"I'm…uh…going downstairs to the cafeteria."
"Well, you know, I should, uh…eat something, too, and get to know what it's really like to work here…I don't want to be labeled as pretentious or anything…" He cleared his throat again a little before continuing, "Maybe, you and I could…eat together?"
"I…I don't think so, Logan."
"Aww, c'mon, why not?"
"I just…I don't know, it's too weird."
"It's just the company cafeteria. We can even sit with other people if you like. You can claim I followed you or something. You're not going to make me eat all by myself, are you?"
Rory hesitated. She was completely unsure of how she wanted to handle this. He wasn't really asking a lot. What was lunch in the cafeteria? She'd be eating there already, and it wasn't as if they'd be alone.
"Hold on a minute," she told Logan as she pulled out her phone.
She wanted to go somewhere private for this call, but the conference room was about as private as it was going to get in the news office. She took a deep breath and hit Jess' speed dial number.
"Hey Rory, we're right in the middle of a lunch rush, so I can't talk long. What's up?"
"Hey Jess…uh, there's something I wanted to…um, Logan's here."
"What? What the hell is he doing there, Rory?"
Logan was sitting in his chair observing this conversation with intense curiosity, which made Rory a little uncomfortable.
"Um, remember how his dad owns the paper? Well, he's overseeing a yearly check-up to see how things are running."
"Okay…so, why'd you call?"
"I'm going downstairs to eat lunch, and he wants to eat with me. Catch up or something."
There was a long silence between them. Jess' mind was racing. The insecure boy inside of him wanted to throw a fit and tell Rory to stay away from Logan, but the bigger part of him, the part which had promised not to do anything to screw this relationshipup, wanted him to let it go for now. She had at least let him know, right?
"Uh, Jess? You know I'm not asking permission or anything, I just didn't want you to find out from a flyer or something…"
"Uh, yeah, Rory. Thanks for letting me know, I guess."
"We're still on for tonight right? I'm really looking forward to that and I don't want to mess…"
Jess' voice softened a little and he continued reassuringly, "I wouldn't miss it for anything. I'll be there at six to pick you up. Have a good lunch, and let me know if he does anything I'll have to kill him for."
Rory chuckled and glanced over at Logan.
"Sure thing. Bye."
"Bye Rory."
Rory glanced over at Logan, who was still watching her curiously, but now with a slight hint of shock apparent in his face.
"Wow. So, you and Jess?"
"Yes, me and Jess. What about it?"
"That's a pretty tight leash he's got you on there…"
"Stop speaking, right now, before you say something you're going to regret."
Logan raised his eyebrows and held up his hands in innocence.
"I didn't realize…"
"Look, I called Jess of my own volition, as a courtesy, because when you're dating someone, it's unpleasant enough for them to find out you're spending time with an…ex…and even more unpleasant if they find out from someone else after the fact."
"Yes, that is rather unpleasant, isn't it?" Logan stated calmly staring at Rory directly.
"Yeah, I get it; I did that to you with Jess. We all get the irony of the situation. Look, I'm starving, so if we're going to do this, let's just do it, okay?"
"Lead the way," Logan said as he stood up and held the door open for Rory.
In the cafeteria, Rory was beginning to regret telling Logan it was okay for him to eat with her. Forget the unpleasantness of him being an ex, everyone in the building knew who he was, and many of them were staring at her as she sat across from him. They'd sat down at her regular table, but a hush had fallen there as soon as people realized who he was. Logan introduced himself and attempted to make light of the situation, but all that did was make people stare at Rory more. Rory racked her brain for a safe conversation topic.
"How are Honor and Josh doing?" she finally managed to ask.
"They're doing really well, the wedding is in Mid-May. Honor is having a wonderful time planning the wedding and fighting with my mother over the preparations. She's really in her element."
"That sounds like Honor."
"Yes…So, your mom? Did she ever marry, uh…?"
"Luke. Yes, they actually got married last Saturday, and they're away on their honeymoon right now."
"Really?"
"Yeah, my mom hadn't wanted to set a date while we were fighting, and once we made up, she was tired of waiting, so she planned the wedding for over spring break so I could help with the preparations and everything."
"That's nice."
"Yeah, it was beautiful. I was the maid-of-honor of course."
Logan chuckled slightly.
"What?"
"Nothing, just, best man at your grandparents' wedding, and maid-of-honor at your mother's? That's quite a track record."
Rory let out a small laugh and nodded her head in agreement.
"Well, I never claimed my family was normal."
"No, you didn't."
"How is it having a step-father?"
"Well, I haven't really been around him since the wedding because they've been in Vermont, but I imagine it'll be just like the last ten years or so of having him around, only he'll actually be living in the house with my mom."
"Interesting."
"You know my mom proposed to him?"
"Really? I didn't know that."
"I guess, after she and I had our fight and I moved into my grandparents', she was terribly upset, so she went to find him at the diner. She told him what happened and he flipped out. He had this crazy plan where they were going to kidnap me, bring me home, lock my in my room with my mom, and force me to go to classes. Mom just realized how amazing he is and how he's always been there for the both of us, through everything. She wanted the whole package, so she stopped him, mid-Luke-rant, and asked him to marry her."
"Wow. That's a great story."
"I guess. I wish it hadn't come out of my acting so stupid though."
"You weren't acting stupid, you were confused. It happens."
"I…I just really didn't like the person that I became. You get that, right?"
"What?"
"I'm strong and independent and confident, and I let that all slip away while I took the easy route out. Can you believe I wouldn't even listen to my mother?"
"Most people don't, really."
"But this is my mother, the woman who has done nothing my entire life except support me, love me, and do everything in her power to do what's best for me. It took Jess coming back to snap me out of it. Seriously, he was the last person I ever expected to come around offering life advice…"
Logan tried fighting the curiosity that comment piqued in him, but he gave in quickly.
"What did he say to you? I'm curious…I mean, you went outside with him for, like, two minutes, and by the time you came back in you were like a completely different person."
Rory looked at Logan for a minute, unsure of how much she should say, and how much he would understand.
"He told me I wasn't happy, he could tell just my looking at me, and basically that I was being stupid for giving up on everything I'd ever wanted and worked for. I started in on my usual defense of it being 'complicated', which was how I was justifying it to myself, but he wouldn't have it. He never did have much patience for bullshit, so he called me on mine."
Rory paused to look at Logan for a moment, he was paying attention, and it didn't seem like she had lost him yet or triggered any intense reaction, so she continued.
"Most of all, though, it was just the fact that he came back to show me how he had pulled his life together. He was working towards everything he'd ever wanted, and was succeeding, and I was planning tea parties and drinking every night."
"Hey, like I said, that's not my…"
"Stop. Logan, I'm not blaming you. By the way, that night, I really could've killed you for berating Jess like that. You didn't even know him, and you were trying pretty hard to insult him, and making a fool of yourself by the way."
"I came home to find my girlfriend hanging out with her ex-boyfriend; completely new situation for me. It's easy for me to assume the worst in people. And I didn't make that much of a fool of myself, I mean, sure, I may have been drinking a little, but I was just trying to see if he'd stand up for himself."
"Yeah, well, the Jess I knew in high school would've pummeled you after the first snide comment, but he's grown up a lot since then. And seriously, with the author thing? I don't know what you were thinking."
Logan bristled slightly, but in the back of his mind he knew he deserved this.
"What are you talking about? I was just testing him."
"A test he passed admirably, by the way. He could trounce you any day in a literary knowledge competition. Those authors you mentioned? Not only has he read all of them, but he probably has notes in the margins that would be useful for any graduate thesis being done on their work."
The tension had thickened noticeably between the two in the last minute or so. They just stared at each other for a few seconds.
"Hey. I get it; I was an idiot and a prick, happy now?"
Rory tensed again, but took a deep breath and let out a sigh.
"Look, I don't want to fight. Can we just put all that crap behind us? We have six more weeks of school and the Yale Daily News together, though we've done a pretty good job of avoiding each other there until now, and who knows when else in life we'll be thrown together at one of my grandparents' parties or something, so I'd prefer if we stayed on at least civil speaking terms."
Logan reluctantly sighed, "Fine. I didn't want this to turn into a fight either."
He glanced up at the clock before continuing, "I guess I should be getting back now."
"I guess I should, too. Wouldn't want the boss to think I'm slacking."
Logan chuckled slightly at this and stood to leave.
"Bye Rory, I guess I'll see you around."
Rory waited a minute and then got up, said goodbye to the other people at her table, and made her way to a quieter spot in the hallway. There, she pulled out her cell phone and called Jess. She wasn't sure exactly why or what she wanted to say to him, but right then, she really just wanted to hear his voice.
"Hey, calling again so soon? Do I have to kill him?"
"No, he was…fine, I guess. We chatted about his sister's wedding, and then had some tense talk about other stuff. We stopped before it turned into an all out fight. I guess we decided to be on civil speaking terms now, so I don't have to worry about avoiding him at school, which will be nice."
"I guess…so, why'd you call then?"
"I, uh, just really wanted to talk to you..."
"Oh?"
"Yeah. Thank you."
"For what?"
"Being you."
Jess turned his back to the crowd at the diner to hide the color rising slightly in his cheeks. He didn't blush easily, and he wasn't about share this moment with the world.
"I'll see you tonight, then?"
Rory could hear the slight crack in his voice, so she decided to let him be for now.
"I can't wait. See you then."
"Bye Rory"
"Bye Jess."
AN: Reviews make up for the fact that I'm an absolute slacker with my schoolwork, I swear. Hehe. But seriously, they are completely appreciated, so thank you all in advance.