The Ebb and Flow

Chapter 2: Close for Comfort

Author: Knowhere

Rating: Pg-13

Disclaimer: Nothing.

AN: Thanks for the reviews and the comments.

Summary: Literati. The ebb and flow of a relationship. Charted from its beginning infancy, to its development, and further into its maturity. Due to the age difference, Jess and Rory begin their relationship solely as a friendship. AU.

She awoke on a strange bed and her eyes were swollen shut and caked with dried tears. Rubbing at her face, she glanced around and took in the sight of Jess's bedroom. It was masculine with the dark blues and light grey color scheme and he had big bookcases that lined two of his four walls. They were made from a deep solid wood they were shiny and boasted his impressive collection. It surprised her to see that the room was fairly clean, there weren't clothes lying around or loose papers littering his desk. In fact, everything was neatly gathered in piles, shelved, or put away in their place.

"Good morning."

Rory turned at the sound of his voice. It had grown deeper since they first became friends and she could understand why some voices were much more attractive than others. Jess's had a sandpaper quality to it, like he didn't use it often and had to kick start it into working. She tried to smile at him. "Morning."

He walked into the room but left the door wide open. Sitting at the desk, he kept his distance. "How are you feeling?"

"Pretty lousy." She tried to insert a bit of humor into her voice but failed as she told the truth.

He smiled gently. Comfortingly. "Want some breakfast? My mom made some scrambled eggs before she left for work this morning. They're not Luke's, but they're not that bad." Jess let his eyes sweep over her, taking stock of her appearance. "Does your mom know you're here, Ror?"

She looked down guiltily and eyed his pillow, wanted to just crawl back into his bed and shut out the world. "I left a note."

He nodded and spoke carefully. "Rory, I think I should take you home."

She knew he was right, that she should go home and not worry her mother, but it suddenly felt like he was trying to get rid of her. Unbalanced with all the emotions already coursing through her, she couldn't help but feel that she wasn't wanted anymore. Standing up quickly, she tried to tug on her sneakers with tear-filled eyes. "Yeah, sure, okay."

Jess worried at the sight of her sudden burst of activity and crouched down in front of her as her fingers struggled with a knot in her laces. His hands reached out and stopped the fumbling. "Rory, stop."

She struggled against his intervention and only tried harder. Their hands warred briefly and she was loosing her tight rein on her anger and frustration. "I can do it. Let go!"

His hands left the shoes and went to grasp her face in his hands. "Rory, stop!"

She got angry and dropped her sneaker and raised fists up to his chest. "Don't tell me what to do!" She pounded his chest in a few strong thumps. In the back of her mind she knew she was being utterly irrational, but it felt good to hit something, to have some sort of outlet for emotions she was unfamiliar with feeling.

Jess let Rory hit him a few times and moved his arms to encircle her body. When he held on tighter and pulled her into his body, he felt her fists taper off into weak attempts. "Shh."

Instead of feeling comforted, she just launched into further anger instead. "Don't try to calm me down! Stop it!" But when he just held her tighter, she burrowed into his chest.

"Okay." He acquiesced.

Rory's tears ran down the side of his neck, sliding down hotly. "They've fought before. Why would he leave this time? I thought they were happy."

Their position was awkward with her leaning into him and him crouching. Getting up, he moved his way onto the bed and sat them down with her between his legs. He stayed quiet, knowing there was nothing he could say to make it better. He also knew that she wasn't looking for words from him anyways.

"Why would he leave?" Her voice trailed off. "Why would he leave us? Me?" Her mumblings dwindled down and became nonsense.

He rubbed her back in slow motions, sweeping up and down, from her loose tangled hair to the bottom of her sweatshirt. Jess glanced over at the clock and saw that his afternoon shift for Luke would be starting in half an hour. Grateful that it was Sunday, at least he didn't have to worry about getting Rory off to school in this condition. He normally wasn't all that good with emotional girls, not forming a deep enough commitment to ever have gotten to this phase in a relationship.

Guiltily, he noted with a self-deprecating voice, he liked feeling Rory in his arms. He liked knowing that she came to him out of all her friends in the middle of the night seeking solace. God, what kind of guy was he to be thinking of these things when she was so obviously hurting?

But it did feel good and a nagging voice said that it felt better than just the action of comforting her. It felt good on baser levels. Purely physical ones. And he had no right to be thinking of those things. Not now, not ever.

They walked silently on the way to the diner. She wore one of his button-down shirts with the sleeves rolled up to her elbows. He hadn't taken her home like he had suggested earlier. Her mom would have gone to work anyways and Rory justified it by saying that her phone was on. If her mom were worried, she'd call. Jess seemed to accept that answer and dropped the subject of returning her home. Rory didn't want to be alone and so when Jess told her that he needed to be at work in fifteen minutes, she just followed him without asking and he thankfully didn't question it or deny her.

"You gonna do that basket auction next week?" Jess spoke up from her side knowing that letting Rory's mind stew away in her thoughts was probably not the best course of action for her right now.

"Yeah." She bobbed her head and glanced over.

"Know what you're going to make?"

She smiled, her face tightening at the action. "You know I don't cook."

"Oh, right." He smirked but his heart warmed at the sight of her smile, no matter how strained it appeared.

"You going to be there?"

Jess nodded and slipped his hands into his pockets. "Yeah. Wouldn't miss it. Caroline is looking forward to it and so obviously she wants me to bid on her basket."

Rory had met Jess's reoccurring date, Caroline, a few times at the diner. She was a pretty blonde that lived on Crescent Drive. She had one of those little apartments that she shared with a couple of roommates. Jess didn't really have girlfriends and never once introduced a girl to Rory as such, but he had been seeing Caroline on a pretty frequent basis. Rory's initial crush on Jess had lessened as they grew to be friends and she wasn't so naive to think that Jess didn't date. Nor was she jealous. Jess never cancelled on her to go out with a date and he was always there in the mornings with a cup of coffee.

And Rory had a few of her own dates as well. At first it was thrilling to have the new boy at school, Dean Forrester, pay attention to her. When he asked her out, Jess somehow caught wind of the fact and gave her a talk about guys. Instead of bothering her like it should have for Jess to have butted into her life, Rory just smiled as Jess told her that she should never feel like she owed Dean anything and that if he hurt her, he would be there to gladly kick his ass.

So when Dean kissed her for the first time and made Rory feel nervous with the new concept of French kissing, it was Jess she went to for advice. Jess's first question was if Dean had kissed her without her approval and after a few minutes of talking Jess down from his building rampage, Rory had found out that it wasn't always that sloppy or wet and that every kiss certainly did not require tongue.

"That's nice of you to bid on Caroline's basket."

"I guess."

They arrived at Luke's and Jess held open the door for her. The bell tinkled with a welcoming noise and Luke looked up from the counter and nodded in greeting. "Hey Rory."

"Hi Luke. Could I get a root beer float please?"

"I got it." Jess slipped behind the counter and grabbed the tall glass and ice cream scooper. He dished out a bit more ice cream than normal and loaded the top with whipped cream. Setting it in front of Rory at the counter, he winked at her and walked into the backroom to do some shelving.

Luke's gaze didn't miss the interaction and he noted with curiosity that Rory's shirt looked a lot like one that his nephew had been wearing just last week. But he held his tongue, remembering the way Lorelai had looked this morning, haggard and red-eyed, much like her daughter right now. "Your mom was in here earlier."

Luke's gruff voice floated softly over the counter and Rory looked up, startled. "Did she say anything?"

"Only that if I saw you, to tell you that she'd be at the inn late tonight going over the account books. So don't wait to have dinner with her."

Rory nodded. "Thanks."

Luke just accepted her answer and went away to take some more orders. The diner was slowly filling up with the lunch crowd and Jess reappeared from the back to help out. He brought Rory a burger with a small heap of golden brown fries to go with her float. Throughout the lunch rush, he kept an eye on her, watching as she just ate her food, picking slowly at her fries, selecting only a few. She played with her salt and pepper dip and it appeared like she was separating the mixture when he walked by the counter to give another order to Cesar. Jess didn't say anything when Rory started to draw with her fingertip in her ketchup. But when he noticed that she had been staring blankly into her soda for the past five minutes with unseeing eyes, he was afraid that she would start crying again. "Hey, wanna watch a movie after my shift? My house?"

Her head whipped up. "Okay. What do you want to rent?"

Jess smiled and grabbed a few hot plates. "Ladies' choice."

Rory's heart lightened at the thought of relaxing in front of the television without having to think about her parents. She mentally catalogued what new movies available were versus the idea of watching something she'd already seen and therefore wouldn't have to deal with the element of a surprise ending.

"Hey Rory, thought I'd find you here."

Rory turned and was caught in a brief friendly hug. "Dean, hi."

He sat down beside her and thumbed through the menu. "What are you doing?"

Dean smiled and Rory noted that he really was a cute boy. "Just having lunch. You?"

"Looking for you actually. I wanted to ask if you'd be up to seeing a movie with me. There's that new action flick playing. Some of the guys at school said it's really cool. Great special effects."

"Oh really?" Rory tried to remain pleasant at the thought of maimed bodies and guts and blood spewing on the big screen.

"So, what do you say? Starts at five."

Rory chewed briefly on the inside of her cheek, finding the right words as her eyes sought out Jess. He was by the window waiting for an order from an elderly couple and when he scribbled down whatever it was, he glanced up over in her direction. His eyes quickly accessed the fact that Dean was now sitting next to her and he cocked an eyebrow in silent questioning to Rory, asking if she needed him. Rory just looked down and back over at Dean's waiting open expression. "Actually, I already have plans. I'm sorry."

"Oh." Dean looked disappointed. "Okay, well, I probably should have called you earlier."

"Maybe another time though."

Dean's face broke out in a shy smile. "Sure." He ordered a grilled chicken sandwich and caught Rory staring into space. "You okay?"

Rory's gaze sharpened. "Yeah." But she didn't offer anymore than that.

Jess watched the pair as he made his way slowly back to the counter, picking up stray plates and coffee cups. It wasn't jealously he felt, that was ridiculous, but a stronger sense of protectiveness of Rory that wasn't there before. He had always kept an eye out for her since they did start their friendship at a time where Rory was discovering boys and all that, but Jess's feelings of needing to protect Rory didn't go very far. She was his friend, albeit his younger friend, but he didn't feel like he was responsible for her. He knew she was capable of taking care of herself and Jess knew that it was one of the reasons why they became friends in the first place.

He didn't constantly feel like he was her big brother, and when Rory showed up at his work or at his house, he didn't treat her like a young puppy following around a master. He treated her like his equal, though sometimes it was evident that she wasn't. When their conversation veered away from books, it was obvious at times of their age gap. Especially when Rory had asked her questions about boys and kissing. But Jess took those questions in stride and spoke to her as if they were having any other conversation, never making her feel embarrassed for having such inquiries.

Seeing Rory now with a boy, especially since she had just spent the night in his bed and was now wearing his shirt, struck Jess with a sense of urgency to see if she was okay. It was just a few hours ago that she was crying in frustration to the point where she needed to hit something. Jess grabbed the coffee pot and topped off Rory's cup, watching Dean from the corner of his eye. Jess noted that they weren't speaking but Dean was staring at Rory. "Here," Jess slid a twenty dollar bill towards Rory. "Get whatever you want to see." Jess noticed that Dean was now paying a great deal of attention to him. "And pick up some snacks too, okay?"

Rory pocketed the money with ease. Jess always paid for their movies and snacks. At first, it unnerved Rory to feel like Jess was responsible for something that they both participated in but Jess had assured her that it was fine and he was more than happy to do so. He reminded her that he was the one working and she wasn't. "Okay. Chips and candy?"

Jess smiled. "Ice cream too." His eyebrow raised in mild curiosity when he saw that Dean was glaring at him. "You want anything else?" Jess's voice was noticeably cooler than before.

Dean shook his head and Rory swung her gaze with confusion between the two guys. She sipped her coffee and swirled in some creamer when Jess walked away to grab another order. Maybe she wanted to see Pretty Woman or Runaway Bride. Rory didn't normally choose such girly movies when she watched them with Jess, but maybe he would let it slide this time since she was feeling so down. She had a feeling that Jess wouldn't utter a protest if she showed up with a chick flick.

Dean waited until Jess was out of earshot and glanced over at Rory. "You hanging out with him?"

"Yeah, why?"

"Nothing. Its just…well, isn't he in college?" Dean had never really paid attention before when he came into Luke's but now watched Jess with a critical eye. He didn't know that Rory was acquainted with that guy. He always saw her with her girlfriends around the school campus.

"Jess goes to school in Hartford."

"And you guys are…friends?"

Rory shifted uncomfortably in her chair. She didn't like the way that Dean had just said friends as if there was something bad or dirty hidden underneath that singular word. "Yes."

"I didn't know that." Dean frowned. "Why didn't you tell me?"

"You never asked." That was the first thing that popped into her mind. Besides, Rory added mentally, what difference does it make who I'm friends with? It's not like Dean was her boyfriend. They'd only gone out on a few dates, mostly in a group with other friends, and he had only kissed her twice.

"And you guys are watching a movie today?"

Rory was getting annoyed and impatient. She didn't need to deal with this sort of thing right now. She didn't know or want to know why Dean was suddenly so interested in her friends. "Dean, I'm friends with Jess and yes, we're watching a movie today." She stood and wiped her mouth with her napkin and then balled it up. As habit, she collected her plates into a neat pile, not wanting Jess to have to clean up too much after her. But she winced at her mess, knowing that she could never really eat without sloshing her ketchup or spilling some coffee. "I'll see you around at school."

Dean hastened to get up and he followed her quickly retreating figure out the front door. He caught her by the shoulder. "Rory, wait." He shuffled his feet as she looked expectantly at him. "I'm sorry. I shouldn't have said…" He grappled with the correct words. All in all, he didn't know why Rory was so upset. He had simply asked about Jess and was caught off guard at finding out that Rory was friends with a guy who was in college. "That. I shouldn't have said that."

Rory deflated and she relaxed. "It's okay. I'm sorry too. I've just had a hard day." She smiled, hoping to soothe Dean. "I'll see you later, okay?"

"Okay."

When Rory showed up again that night tapping on his window, Jess opened it but wanted to tell her to go home. It wasn't right for her to spend the night; that much he was certain of. But when he saw that she was once again teary eyed, he couldn't make his mouth form the words. He didn't have the heart to suggest that she go home when she silently climbed onto his bed. She didn't even ask for permission, and while it wasn't that which bothered Jess, it was the nonchalant actions that she undid her sneakers and pulled up his covers to her chin that made him uneasy. She scooted into his twin bed without sparing him a glance and she closed her eyes just as easily.

He watched her the entire time, debating whether or not he should go sleep on the couch. His parents would wonder why and he didn't want to explain it just yet. It was obvious that no one in the town knew of Rory's parent's separation and he knew that Rory didn't want it to be public knowledge. So Jess got into bed next to her, sat upright and opened his book. He watched Rory's breathing even out and smoothed off some hair that had fallen into her face.

Jess woke up before six in the morning to find that he had spent the night sitting up, leaning against his headboard. However, it was Rory that had shifted. She curled herself into his body and had a knee over his. Her head was pressed into the seam of his jeans. He pulled her hand gently away and winced at the thought that it was dangerously close to his lap.

He knew what was nestled inside that little wicker basket. Two burgers with fries and a big slice of apple pie. He knew because he had packed it for her just this morning. What he'd forgotten was the fact that her dad normally bid and won her basket. Jess chided himself at not recognizing that it was clear that Rory had secretly, or not so secretly, hoped her dad would return to carry on the yearly tradition. But Jess stood in the back and watched as Rory climbed up the platform to place her basket down in front of Taylor and realized that Chris wasn't going to show.

Rory scanned the crowd and didn't see her dad. Surely he wouldn't miss this, right? They did this every year. She saw her mom standing next to Sookie who gave her an enthusiastic little wave. Rory smiled back but failed when she faced the truth that her dad wasn't going to appear with his usual smile. Taylor started the bidding but the crowd was silent, too used to seeing Chris bid on his daughter's basket. Rory bit down on her trembling lip when she heard Jess's voice ring out loud and clear with a bid of fifty dollars. She searched for his face and watched him pay for the basket and then disappear into the crowd again.

When he appeared at her side holding the lunch with an easy grin, Rory was surprised. "What are you doing?"

"I believe I'm having lunch with you."

"But…" she trailed off seeing Caroline appear in the background behind Jess, out of hearing range. "What about Caroline?"

Jess glanced over his shoulder and shrugged. "It's okay, she understands."

"You told her?" Rory was terrified at the idea of the whole town knowing that her family was having problems.

"No, I didn't tell her anything. She knows we're friends, that's it. She's okay with it."

She nodded but caught a glimpse of Caroline watching them with an expression that Rory was unable to name. Was it jealousy? No, it didn't look like it. Pity? No, not that either. Contemplation? She couldn't label it. Rory wondered just how 'okay' Caroline was with the situation. Jess didn't say another word about it and Rory dropped the question.

But when he started walking, Rory noticed that Caroline didn't take her gaze away either. No matter what it was, Rory sighed with relief. "Thanks, for…you know."

Jess smiled that smile that enabled him to charm his way into or out of any situation. "You're welcome."

AN: Read and review, please. Questions, coments may be asked and will be answered in forum. Writing updates as well as spoilers there as well.