Title- Here Without You
Pairings- Luke and Lorelai (JavaJunkie all the way)
Set in the fourth season, after 'Afterboom' and before 'Luke can see her face'
Summary- Liz has cancer and she and TJ broke up. Who will be her savoir? And how will Lorelai react? It will start out a story then turn into a series of letters and each chapter will be in a different person's point of view.(Luke and Lorelai have been friends for 11 years.)
Disclaimer- If I owned it, there wouldn't even be an April or Christopher.
Chapter 13- Lorelai (August 14th 4:15 P.M)
God, I was sick of this heat wave we were having. The guest weren't coming that much, wanting o stay in a cooler place or a place with tons of attractions like Disney. Not only that but Taylor's ice cream shoppe had a broken freezer so all the ice cream was melting or already had.
I was walking past Plum Street when I noticed some construction on the other side of the road. It must be that stupid café, I thought, instantly feeling bad for Luke. And then the thoughts of Luke mixed with the high temperature started causing bad thoughts that included me, him, and a shower.
Just as I tried to brush the thought out of my head, I stumbled of the sidewalk and right into someone's back. "Sorry," I mumbled, embarrassed, feeling as if everyone was staring at me and reading my dirty thoughts.
"Nah, its fine," Said a guy. A very cute guy, by the way.
"Yeah, well, it's my fault. I've been deprived of coffee and coolness." I said awkwardly.
"Coolness?" He asked, trying to suppress a grin.
"My handy man moved and the air conditioner's working so I have to wait until the guys come to fix it and who knows when that'll be, considering the fact I called them about a week ago." I stopped my incessant rambling just long enough to notice his amused expression. "I'm Lorelai," I introduced myself, trying to change the topic.
"Darren," He said, holding a hand out, which I gladly shook. "Are you from around here?" He asked, gesturing around the town with widespread arms.
"Yeah, actually I own the new Dragonfly Inn," I told him, subtly trying to get the word out about my most prized possession.
"Yeah, I've heard of it. Sounds nice." He commented. "I just moved here, actually. This is going to be my café." He said, pointing to the center point behind all the construction going on.
I tried to put on an impressed grin, though on the inside I felt horrible. Should I remain loyal to Luke, my chuppah-building best friend and walk away? Or just stay put and see where the conversation ends up.
When he flashed a smooth grin at me, I decided upon the ladder.
"So, what made you choose to open a café?" I asked casually.
"I don't know, I couldn't choose anything else and when I decided to move to this town last month I noticed there weren't many food eateries." He said proudly, though shrugging as if it were no big deal.
"There was a diner," I interjected carelessly, though I had the thought that maybe with my hair flip I could get the guy to switch occupations.
"Yeah I heard," He said with a half-laugh, half-scoff. "The proprietor was a really ass. No manners, always yelling and barking at the customers. Never participating in any events around town and had no people skills." He said, smiling at me with what he thought I'd agreed with.
Instead I shot him an incredulous glare. "Who the hell told you that?" I spat, feeling protective for Luke, for some reason. I told myself it was because we were friends, good friends. Even though in my subconscious I knew if he were just a friend, I'd agree with Darren and play along, hoping to get a date for the evening or a relationship for a month or more.
He looked taken aback and immediately shot his hands up in a defensive gesture. "Heard it through the grapevine." He said nonchalantly. "What, you sleeping with him or something?" He asked with a small laugh.
"What?" I asked, my eyes widening in discomfiture. "No, he's just- he's my friend. Best friend." I corrected, stumbling over the words ungracefully.
"So you're single?" He asked, not-so-subtly changing the topic with a wry grin plastered on his face.
My face must have been so distorted. Mixed up of shock, confusion, anger, surprise, and incredulity. Is this his way of asking me out? "What?" I sputtered, barely believing this guy.
"You're single?" He asked again, faking a look of innocence.
"Yes, but that doesn't mean I'm going to go on a date with you," I said with an acidic laugh. I mean, he was making Luke sound like an ass. "I'd rather go out with Kirk, and that's saying something." I gave him a pathetic shake-of-the-head and sighed, readjusting my purse on my shoulder and began to head home- the route I had been on before I met Darren.
His coffee probably sucked, too.
It was Saturday and the last time I had called Luke was Thursday, that meant it was time to call him. I grabbed the remote off the coffee table and hit the mute button, so I wouldn't be too distracted on the phone but just enough.
I leaned over the back of the couch and grabbed the phone off the top of the laundry basket. Why the basket was there, I had no clue. I pressed the 4 and immediately held it between my chin and shoulder, getting up to grab a water in the kitchen.
"You're calling early," He noted, sounding relaxed and nonchalant.
"Yeah, I got out of work a little early today. Sookie thought I was overworking myself." I said, not even fazed by Sookie's cautiousness towards me. I mean sometimes she acts as if I'm a pregnant woman who's going to overwork herself into premature labor.
"Well have you?" He asked knowingly.
"It's a new business!" I defended. "We need to have people working to make sure it's to its top level of perfection,"
"I know, I know. I ran a business before, I know how it works but I don't want you to overwork yourself into exhaustion. And neither does Sookie." He added, and I noticed how well he took care of me, and cared for me.
"Oh yeah, by the way, I'm boycotting the new café." I informed him, taking a swig out of the bottle and resuming myself on the couch; phone still clipped under my chin and the remote back in my hands.
"And why is that?" He asked curiously.
"The guy's an ass. His name is Darren." I told him vaguely, hoping not to get into the details as I flipped by the cooking channel. It was Emeril. He was flipping some type of fish into the air with a pan and I was so fascinated by the ways of cooking, I barely heard Luke asking me for more in-depth information.
"He was just a jerk. And he asked me out." I told him, trying to leave out the part out of him talking Luke down.
"But you're not going?" He asked, unconvinced.
"Nah, the guy was too full of himself, it seemed and, I don't know there was just something about him," I said plainly, shrugging my shoulders for emphasis though he couldn't see.
"Good," He said, sounding reassured.
"Good?" I asked, smiling at his slip-up.
"Well," He said nervously. "You know, you sleeping with the proprietor of my competition, it might ruin our friendship." He stated, but it sounded a bit like a question at the end.
"Right," I said, this time smiling at his logic.
There was a pause in the conversation in which I was engrossed in watching Emeril fry and sauté the fish. Now I know I can't cook but that's why the cooking channel is so much fun. Because i know I'll never, in my life, be able to do that.
"So apparently, Liz's job working at the renaissance fair was just a summer thing," He began, pausing briefly to make sure I heard him. "Now they want me to sell jewelry in an actual store," He said with fake cheerfulness.
"No," I gasped in disbelief. Luke actually selling bracelets and necklaces in an actual store, where tons of women will end up asking him what looks better on her and stuff. That's priceless.
"Yup," He sighed. "I start on Wednesday, lucky me." He mumbled.
"Well, think of the bright side," I said, trying to sound cheerful.
"And that is?" He asked dryly, fully knowing I had no bright side.
"Well," I said, trying to make my voice strong as if I had a point to make. "There's no costumes," I stated, but it sounded more like a pathetic question.
"I didn't even wear the costumes," He said flatly.
"I know," I said, wrinkling up my nose in frustration.
As I was trying to think up a better reason for Luke to work in a store, and kept my eye on Emeril, I heard an ear-piercing scream, jolting me out of my thoughts. "What the hell was that?" I breathed out, trying to ease my rapid beating heart.
"That was Liz," Luke said with what I could picture a wry and annoyed smile.
"Is she okay? Was she shot?" I asked, completely wide-eyed in terror.
"No, she's just hungry." He told me in a patient tone.
"How on earth can you live with that?" I questioned. "Can't she get her own food?" I asked skeptically.
"Oh, believe me. I'm ready to kill her. She is so using me to tend to every single one of her freaking needs." He said in a tight voice.
"Well, I'll let you go then," I said warily. "Talk to you Monday," I added before clicking off the phone.
And I thought it was hell for him to just accept my annoying antics and pleads for coffee daily.
-Authors Notes-
So many reviews. Thank you so much. If you haven't noticed, the more reviews I get, the faster I update.
I know I write better in Lorelai's POV. It's just easier to be more descriptive by her and with Luke, he's tough to write about, that's why the chapters with his POV usually suck and are short.
'Grats to all you who thought Darren was going to be cute. I've had so many different ways to take this I had to choose one. I hope you like it though.