Presenting … Lucas Danes?
By GilmoreGirl1979 (the Reigning Quote Queen)
Provider of Quality FAN FICTION
R/R: yes please I love reviews, I wanna marry them (as previously stated, I have strange passions.)
friendly disclaimer: I REJECT ASP's/DR's REALITY AND SUBSTITUTE MY OWN! NO HARM NO SUE!
Dialouge borrowed from2.16 - There's the Rub
written by Sheila R. Lawrence
directed by Amy Sherman-Palladino
Featured Beta: Localizy, let's welcome her back she had a FLU Food Poisoning combo, and could barely sit up, let alone make sure my humble ramblings made sense and were properly punctuated so send her a feel better email now that she is on the mend and can sit up for longer 15 minutes.
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Chapter 34:
The End of Fear Is Where We Begin
Luke and Lorelai had wanted to test out their king sized bed as soon as they were alone; however Lorelai knew they would have plenty of time for that over the course of the weekend. Luke started unpacking while Lorelai commented on the robes and amenities until she realized they were going to be late for their first appointment, a couple's massage. Luke had some objections to wandering around the spa in nothing but a robe like the other guests, but Lorelai found a way to persuade him by tempting him with a private peep show later that night. As Lorelai and Luke lay side by side on separate tables, it was obvious that Lorelai was as malleable as putty, while Luke seemed tense as granite.
Lorelai's masseur asked, "How's the pressure – too much?"
"Nope, just fine," she sighed. "Your hands are amazing." Lorelai instinctively looked over at Luke's table and sure enough the comment made a little of the hulk's rage boil below the surface of his face. Thoughtfully, Lorelai asked, "How's your pressure, Hon?"
"This is weird," he grumbled.
"Luke…"
Luke's tone was biting, "Well, we're naked… with strangers… some strange man is touching you."
"Well, some strange woman is touching you!!" she shot back.
Luke sat up, "Okay look you two, just stop, maybe leave us for a minute." Luke waved them out of the room and thankfully the masseurs left them alone. Sitting on the table in his sheet and boxers, because he couldn't bring himself to strip down totally, he decided to be straight with Lorelai, "Lorelai, I'm not comfortable with this…"
"Baby, do you know what people usually do after these couple massages?"
"Have an orgy?" he complained dryly.
"Close, but if that's what you're into we're going to need to have a serious conversation about boundaries…"
"Boundaries? You're one sighing and moaning with some strange man touching you, complimenting his hands," Luke barked.
"Luke, you should know how I really sound when I'm really … enjoying myself," she commented, raising an eyebrow at him.She decided to stop teasing him after seeing he was really upset, "I'm sorry, but I've never had a couple's massage before… I was only being polite… you know how I suffer from pressure of speech."
"Lorelai, I'm not… Jeez, I just wanted to be alone with you and not have to worry about the diner, but now I'm just… uncomfortable…"
Seeing that diving right in wasn't the way to get Luke comfortable with this arrangement. "Well, if it makes you feel better I prefer it when you are my masseur," she hopped off her table and approached Luke, "Well, you're alone with me now and you know what? I am naked under this sheet… completely naked."
Luke couldn't help the smile playing at his lips, which he tried to hide.
"If you want we can go back to the room now and maybe reschedule our massage when you are more relaxed?"
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Luke loved moments like this. It was moments like these, usually post coital, that he felt he could see the true Lorelai. No puns, jokes, no off the wall statements, or misdirection. He could see her, the real Lorelai, completely relaxed, with her guard down, content, and absorbing their lovemaking. "That was way better than any spa treatment," she smiled, still catching her breath. "God, how do you do that?"
"Do what?"
"You know… that… every time," she marveled at her talented lover.
"Months of practice I guess."
"Not so many months…there was a month together we couldn't even be alone together, let alone have time to take our clothes off. Mm, maybe we should've had sex before your massage…then you would have been relaxed to have some strange woman touch you."
"You're the only strange woman I want to touch me," Luke kissed her neck.
"I'm not strange."
"Yes, you are," Luke kissed her mouth again. When he pulled away, he looked very serious to Lorelai. Lorelai saw something in his eyes; love and admiration for her. Say it… for pity's sake, Lorelai held her breath in anticipation of his words.
"Lorelai… I"Just then, a knock was at the door obviously disturbing Luke's train of thought. Lorelai knew his moment was ruined, but encouraged, "Go on, they'll wait…"
"Lorelai, that's your dinner and I know better than to keep you away from food," Luke started to get out of bed, but Lorelai kept her arms around him.
"It's room service, it will keep. What were you going to say?"
Yet again they were interrupted, the stubborn knocking repeated with a "Room service" muffled beyond the door.
Luke told Lorelai to cover up as he got out of bed to let the server in. Frustrated, Lorelai hid under the covers till the server was gone, inwardly cursing Fate's little taunts. In her heart, she knew Luke was moments away from saying it. Perhaps, in this new setting away from the town, the words might finally come out. Maybe she would finally work up the to say it first.
When the door closed again, Lorelai whipped the covers off her head and saw Luke modeling his spa robe, with a sexy open V revealing his chest, as he brought the cart closer to the bed.
Lorelai looked at her choices, "Is that what I ordered?"
"I guess."
"Hmmm, it sounded more appetizing than it looks," she wrinkled up her nose.
"It's good for you."
"And still no coffee," she sighed.
"Two days without coffee won't kill you."
"Hmmm. I need my legal addictive stimulants," she groaned.
"Oh I've got a stimulant for you," Luke kissed her again.
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Friday, after dinner
Lorelai and Luke were on the floor by the fire, wrapped tightly together, sharing a blanket. There were no TVs in the room either, since watching the horrible depressing news would counter act the works of all the relaxation techniques, but that didn't matter, since Luke and Lorelai had their own ways of keeping entertained. With their empty plates also on the floor, Luke bargained with Lorelai, saying he would sign up for a salt glow, whatever that meant, and scalp treatment, if she ate every leaf of spinach on her plate. Begrudgingly, Lorelai did. Luke was leaning against the side of the bed, Lorelai leaning back on his chest, both watching the flames of the fire. "I think sex made that healthy crap taste better."
"You think?" Luke whispered in her ear.
"I ate spinach, so yes. Who knew I'd love to exercise so much." Lorelai loved Luke's arms around her and commented, "Hmmm, this is nice."
"Yeah, well you did eat spinach … I thought you deserved a reward."
"And eggplant…don't forget the eggplant. I ate it in all it's purple-ness," she said, wrinkling her nose since the purple-ness reminded her of her gash from the rain gutter incident.
"And eggplant," Luke nodded in concession, as he kissed her shoulder.
"Is that what I have to do? Eat my veggies and I get a toy? A boy toy?" she giggled as she started to caress his bare thighs beneath their blanket.
"You are gonna wear me out."
Lorelai turned on the floor so she could peck at his lips again, "Well, this is a spa you are supposed to relax." She kissed his cheeks and whispered, "Rest and recover." Working her way to his lips she kissed him harder and harder with each "r" word she revealed, "Renew…reflect… refresh… rejuvenate… regenerate… recuperate… and well any other r words…"
Luke decided to play her game, "Well, I would love to recreate the last few minutes."
"Reproductive relations," Lorelai said with raised an eyebrow and paused only for the slightest moment as Luke led her to lie on the floor. She suddenly realized that those particular "r" words referred to kids. Lorelai didn't know if Luke noticed the subtle hint, or if he was just so focused on the moment, if he really understood just how long term she saw their relationship to be. She wanted him to be the one, to be it, to father her children, well subsequent children, and live with him, and Lorelai wanted him more…for their heated passion.
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Saturday
Lorelai woke up reinvigorated thanks to her evening with Luke and was determined to enjoy another day of her free of charge pampering. Lorelai knew the only way she was going to survive without Coffee in the morning was a different kind of pick-me-up. She cuddled close to Luke, attempting to see if she could arouse his interest first thing in the morning, but she was surprised to discover she was alone in the room. When she reached for him, Lorelai found a note crinkling in her hand. It was from Luke saying he had gone down to the pool and promised to bring her back some breakfast.
Lorelai remembered about the poolside fruit and yogurt the concierge mentioned, fruit and yogurt, yuck. She wasn't looking forward to the fruit but she was looking forward to sharing another meal with Luke. Lorelai dressed for the poolside quickly, figuring she'd save the shower for after her mud bath since she had no intention of going in the pool water, and she headed down to find Luke, hoping that maybe they could enjoy their breakfast outside since the weather was so nice.
Lorelai surveyed poolside, she saw people in line for the buffet breakfast, enjoying sun on outdoor recliners, and relaxing by pool, but there was no sign of Luke. Then she noticed a pair of women her age, giggling like schoolgirls. Lorelai saw what had caught their attention; they were fawning over a hottie doing laps in the pool. Lorelai watched the swimmer for a little bit herself, before returning to her search for her boyfriend. How would that look Luke catching me checking out some other guy? Lorelai ran into Bobby, the concierge who politely inquired how she and her husband were enjoying their stay. Lorelai wondered if she should head back upstairs to find Luke, maybe they had missed each other, but then she was awe struck as her hard bodied boyfriend emerged from the pool now that he had apparently finished his laps.
Lorelai tried not to gape as she saw Luke approach her with a towel around his shoulders, soaking wet from his morning exercise, "Hey," Luke smiled, and kissed her, much to the envy of Luke's fawning fans on the loungers.
"Hey," Lorelai smiled, as she relished in the jealousy of the gawking ladies, "I didn't know you swam?" as she looked at Luke up and down surprised he would be wearing so little in public, granted they were regular swim trunks, but still she enjoyed the sight of his skin in relative public.
"I fish, don't I."
"Yeah, but, well, I mean, I wasn't really aware of your exercise regiment."
Luke casually said, "Well, when I fish, I swim in the lake sometimes. But usually I run, go to the gym, you know."
"No, I didn't know, but I had wondered how you kept your trim figure," she said, loving that Luke kept surprising her, that she still had a lot to learn about him.
Luke smiled from the compliment and leaned in, "Well, I get quite a workout from my girlfriend."
"Really?" she smiled, almost blushing over the previous night. "Well, let's get you some breakfast." They walked over to the buffet line hand in hand and enjoyed their fruit on the pool patio.
"So what's on the agenda today?" Luke asked as they walked inside together with their yogurt.
When she saw the time on the clock, "If you don't want to play spa anymore you can stay in the room, or maybe check out their gym here. Just as long as you make love to me between my spa fun I'm happy."
Luke rolled his eyes. "I'm coming," he said reluctantly, only conceding because he wanted to spend every moment with her and took her hand as they went back inside.
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Luke let the attendants salt glow him, whatever that meant, to improve his complexion, while Lorelai got her pedicure and salt glow. Lorelai browbeat him into letting them give him a manicure figuring his hands were how he made his living and deserved a break and some moisturizer. Though Luke had to admit the scalp treatment wasn't so bad, he had refused to go to the mud bath, since he had to draw the line somewhere.
An hour later, Lorelai met Luke in their room in a slightly soiled robe.
"They didn't let you rinse?" Luke eyed her curiously, as she entered the room.
"Oh they would have, but I wanted to wait for you. I thought you could help me. Want to wash my back?" she said coyly, as she let the robe drop just outside the bathroom door. Luke was happy to oblige when he followed her in to the shower.
They were both clean and lying in bed again, quiet and happy. Luke's head was on Lorelai's chest and she cradled his head in her arms, while she played with his still wet hair. Luke considered himself the luckiest man in the world. Luke looked up at her, hoping to see the look of contentment on her face again, to commit another satisfied moment to his memory, however this time Lorelai's brow was creased. She kept her eyes closed and her forehead would furrow and spasm, like she was in intense pain. "You okay?" he asked.
"Headache," Lorelai said simply.
"You want some water?" Luke offered.
"Cucumber water, yuck," she pouted.
Luke knew why she was suffering, caffeine withdrawal. They were doing pretty well, as long as Lorelai was distracted by him or a treatment, but suddenly in that moment they were quiet and relaxing it hit her hard, as it had been nearly 24 hours without her life's brew.
Luke sat up, "Okay, get dressed."
Lorelai groaned, "Of all the things I thought you'd say to me this weekend, that was not one of them."She hoped her weakened condition didn't let it slip out about her expectant "I love you" this weekend now that they were away from town and truly alone.
"Come on, I'm taking you out."
"I'm comfortable here," she whined, not wanting to brave a face to her fellow spa clients in the dining room.
"Lorelai, I mean really out, like of this building."
Lorelai propped up on her elbows, "You mean out of the sanitarium?"
"It's a spa, not San Quentin."
"You're busting me out? But Clyde, where would we go?"
"I saw a little bar as we were driving in."
"A bar?" Lorelai said with interest.
"With booze," he enticed.
"And coffee!" she smiled.
"Of course, coffee."
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The smoky smell of the seedy bar made Lorelai feel dirty and she liked it. A mere 24 hours of detoxing her body and no coffee was all she could take apparently. As they entered, Lorelai noticed they seemed to be the youngest couple in the room. Luke found them a table and immediately ordered Lorelai a coffee as they perused the menu.
She was feeling better after that first sip and even more so in the middle of her martini and a steak dinner. They identified the bar as a 60/40 bar, a bar where 60-year-old men pick up 40-year-old women. They talked and laughed about what would drive someone to such a state, each silently thankful their search for companionship was over as they held hands across the table. Lorelai positively beamed across the table at Luke. He wasn't sure if it was due to the after glow of their last intimate encounter, if she was just recharging with her coffee, or if she was really looking at him with love. However, when her bare foot found it's way in his lap before dessert, he knew exactly that wicked grin on her face meant, 'let's get out of here,' as her toe nudged his neither regions.
For a moment, Luke took her foot under the table and massaged her sole with his knuckles, noticing the playful scowl in Lorelai's eyes as she bit her lip not to react vocally in public, her one hand grasping the edge of their table. Luke leaned in, "Put your shoe back on, you'll need it."
"As we run for the door?" she smiled mischievously again.
"One minute…" he told her with a grin of his own and he left the table.
Lorelai put her shoe back on and waited for Luke's return to leave the bar, but she watched as Luke went to the bandleader and slipped her something in a handshake.
Luke returned to the table and as he offered Lorelai his hand, the saxophone of the band started up on cue. Lorelai's 100-watt smile beamed as she took his hand and Luke led her to the middle of the floor, taking her in his arms. Lorelai let Luke lead and sway her around the floor, in the mists of the other older couples.
As Lorelai listened to the mellow saxophone and piano's intro, she recognized the tune immediately, "Is this Frank Sinatra?"
"Mmm hmm," Luke nodded.
Again, on cue, the singer began the lyrics, "Why do I do, just as you say? Why must I just, give you your way? Why do I sigh, why don't I try - to forget? It must have been, that something lovers call fate, kept me saying: "I have to wait". I saw them all, just couldn't fall - 'til we met…"
Lorelai smiled because Luke knew how she liked Frank, but then something else struck her about the lyrics to the song. "Wait, this is what we danced to at the ball, isn't it?" Lorelai said in astonishment that Luke remembered.
"Mmm hmmm," he agreed again, with a small smile on his face.
The singer began the poignant refrain of the classic standard, "It had to be you. It had to be you. I wandered around and finally found the somebody who… could make me be true, could make me be blue, or even be glad just to be sad thinking of you…"
At this point, Lorelai stared at Luke, and then at the singer, then to and fro again, blushing ever so slightly at the poignant lyrics, the prefect expression of their relationship.
"…Some others I've seen, might never been mean. Might never be cross, or try to be boss but they wouldn't do. For nobody else gave me a thrill, with all your faults I love you still. It had to be you, wonderful you, it had to be you."
Lorelai saw the pure love that shone in Luke's eyes and she took a deep breath, gazing in wonder how she ever got so lucky to find such a man in her little humble small town. Luke didn't seem to be able to say it out loud, but he was certainly saying, "I love you" by every single thing that he did.
"Do you still want to run for the door?" he asked leaning into her ear.
"No… no, I'm good here," Lorelai put her head back on his shoulder. As they continued through the song, Lorelai noticed the 60/40 couples around them, some admiring the display of true love before them, others jealous of what they didn't have or would never have again.
Luke and Lorelai stayed on the dance floor through Someone To Watch Over Me and Luke impressed Lorelai with his dance moves again, making her laugh as he playfully dipped her during Can't Take My Eyes Off Of You. As Lorelai popped back up she kissed Luke and since she was now sufficiently recovered from her withdrawal, they left the bar to head back to the spa to be alone again.
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Once back at the room, it didn't take long for them to show each other how they felt again. There was an impatient car ride and fervent kisses as they fumbled for their magnetic room key to unlock the door.
Luke was spent and sleeping soundly while Lorelai was lying on her side just watching him. She chuckled at his light snoring as her fingers grazed his pecs. "I'm just going to borrow a page from your courting hand book, okay?" she said to his sleeping face. Confident that he was asleep, she whispered, "I love you Luke Danes."
Lorelai swallowed hard, as if she expected the world to end with those words leaving her lips, relieved that he slept on peacefully beside her. "You decided to practice while I slept, so I wanted to just practice my response and say I feel the same way. You haven't been unnoticed over the years. If anything you were at the forefront of my mind a lot of the time, especially since I saw you every day. I never really pursued things before because well, I had Rory to consider and I was afraid you didn't like me. It sounds immature but it's true, I forgot the old school yard adage that if the boy is torturing you and pulling your pigtails that means he likes you. You were always barking and yelling at me about coffee or eating greasy food. You seemed to hate all of my bad habits or came down on all the things I thought were fun. But even so, you became protective of Rory and are one of my best friends. I couldn't stand it if I lost that. Now…all these months later… I think this is where we were supposed to end up… not at a spa per say," she shrugged, "but together. I can't help this feeling that we were made for each other," Lorelai chuckled and defended her point of view as if sleeping Luke had made a protest. "Oh, I know, you hate all the preordained, destined, fate talk, but I'm ready Luke. I know I want you… for the rest of my days. I will try to be patient for once, so you can say it whenever you want, and you will hear exactly what you want in return… you just have to open your mouth and say those little words…okay? I'm not going to run from you," Lorelai promised. "I love you," she finished shakily, happy tears shining in her eyes, as she kissed his lips while he slept through her confession.
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A/N: see it's like the eppy but better because it's my way! Luke is the pessimist instead of Lorelai, and Lorelai is all happy instead of sunshine Emily.
A/N: it had to be you is my parent's song, 40 years of marriage and they argue every day. I thought the lyrics were fitting for our favorite couple, and I wear a purple ribbon that all will be right in the world again someday.
Beta Message: Hi, its me, the beta. Don't blame Debbie for the slow updates as it has been all me. These last few months have been insane with work and family and then I was like deathly, emergency room visit sick over Christmas. I lost 30 pounds and for someone only 140 pounds on a bad day, I was not looking good. Thankfully, I am back to normal, or as normal as someone who is recovering from a superflubug can be. I hope we can get back to weekly updates to make your and my Tuesdays better.
Also please don't give spoilers in your reviews, it upsets the author who stopped watching when it went to shit a year ago.
A/N: Friday May 5th is when I conceived the idea for this chapter (which pretty much wrote itself) … and after relaying some of my delicious, tantalizing ideas, my beautiful beta and I came to an agreement about the chapters I had to go through to get to this chapter
gilmoregirl1979: just doing the Chris phone call(ch 23)
gilmoregirl1979: PS confession... I really want to get all this crap out of the way... so I can get to the there's the rub weekend
gilmoregirl1979: I'm so psyched for THAT!
gilmoregirl1979 : too many ideas
Localizy : cuz you aren't looking forward to that at all
gilmoregirl1979 : nah
gilmoregirl1979 : not in the least
gilmoregirl1979 : I mean
gilmoregirl1979 : 3 days of ll naked
gilmoregirl1979 : gross me out
gilmoregirl1979 : ugh
gilmoregirl1979 : if I have to...heavy sigh
gilmoregirl1979 : LMAO
Localizy: because we don't need happy LL moments at all
gilmoregirl1979 : PHFF why would we ever need THAT
gilmoregirl1979: I mean wasn't this last year filled to the brim with 'em... even a little heat (AHEM a very little!)
gilmoregirl1979: AHEM
gilmoregirl1979: not talking about it I know
A/N: when Localizy read this the first time she said QUOTE:
Localizy: AWWWWWWWWWWWWWWWWWWWWWWWWWWWWWWWWWWWWWWWWWWWWWWWWWWWWWWWWWWWWWWWWWWWWWWWWWWWWWWWWWWWWWWWWWWWWWWWWWWWWWWWWWWWWWWWWWWWWWWWWWWWWWWWWWWWWWWWWWWWWWWW
Localizy : breathe
Localizy : AWWWWWWWWWWWWWWWWWWWWWWWWWWWWWWWWWWWWWWWWWWWWWWWWWWWWWWWWWWWWWWWWWWWWWWWWWWWWWWWWWWWWWWWWWWWWWWWWWWWWWWWWWWWWWWWWWWWWWWWWWWWWWWWWWWWWWWWWWWWWWWWWWWWWWWWWWWWWWWWWWWWWWWWWWWWWWWWWWWWWWWWWWWWWWWWWWWWWWWWWWWWWWWWWWWWWWWWWWWWWWWWWWWWWWWWW
Localizy : Breathe
Localizy : I love it
Localizy : love it
Localizy : love it
Localizy : lather
Localizy : rinse
Localizy : repeat
gilmoregirl1979: and do you realize how poignant it had to be you is as their song?
Localizy: I do
A/N: Happy BELATED Anniversary MOM AND DAD!! 40 years!!
Why do I do, just as you say, why must I just, give you your
way
Why do I sigh, why don't I try - to forget
It must have been, that something lovers call fate
Kept me saying: "I have to wait"
I saw them all, just couldn't fall - 'til we met
It had to be you, it had to be you
I wandered around, and finally found - the somebody who
Could make me be true, and could make me be blue
And even be glad, just to be sad - thinking of you
Some others I've seen, might never be mean
Might never be cross, or try to be boss, but they wouldn't do
For nobody else, gave me a thrill - with all your faults, I love
you still
It had to be you, wonderful you, it had to be you
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Watch at your own risk, you will always be welcome here, the comfort zone.
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"That was all God given talent..." why thank you NON POD Luke!
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R/R: PLEASE, I like to better myself. To quote The Princess Bride,
"...Remember this is for posterity, ... so be honest."
Please be specific with R/R; name one (or as many as you can think of or want to mention..…) At least one specific thing you liked
Please! It makes me feel good...inside (Dirty!)
Hence the Rant option below.
Insert Rant here V
A/N: if not completely satisfied with this chapter, please return unused portion for a full refund...