Life: 2.0

Chapter 7: Bright and Shiny

Author: knowhere

Rating: R! Adult, adult! Consider yourself warned.

Disclaimer: Nothing.

AN: Please note the rating. Thank you for those who have taken the extra time to review. Hope you have enjoyed the writing notes as well!

Summary: Literati. Life doesn't always turn out like you expect. Jess and Rory meet as adults when their lives are at a transition period. Life, love, and everything else: Version 2.0. AU.

She opened the front door to find Gabe standing there in his typical attire of jeans and a dark t-shirt, a beanie covering his normally disheveled hair, and his hands deep in his pockets. "Hey Gabe."

"Jess wanted me to come over and ask if you'd like to join us for dinner. He made lasagna."

She smiled. It had been three weeks since that Saturday night dinner at her grandparents, and since then, her and Jess had been out on two more dates. Jess didn't feel comfortable leaving Gabe during weeknights, and coupled with the fact that Rory usually had papers to grade, they didn't go out on school nights. So they were left with Fridays and Saturdays, but Jess had been under a deadline to finish a project for the paper so they hadn't seen each other last Friday either.

But the two times they went out proved to be some of Rory's most memorable nights. He took her out for miniature golf where she discovered that Jess was insanely competitive. He kept meticulous score, taking the time to scribble down each unsuccessful stroke she took. She was surprised he didn't bring his own clubs. And when the game ended and he naturally came ahead as the victor, (she didn't make any holes on less than five or six strokes, whereas he had four hole in one), he was a gracious winner and even praised her that she did well for someone who had only mini-golfed three times in her life.

They went inside to the game area and shot skeet ball and played hair hockey, which she finally won. She suspected that he lost on purpose because he missed several pucks that should have been deflected easily. It warmed her even more to think that he would be so sweet.

When they took their tickets up to the counter to exchange for toys, he chose a sparkly blue bracelet that glittered under the florescent lights. As he snapped it on her, he laid a small kiss to the inside of her wrist and gave her a silly smile to go along with it. Under the flashing neon lights, sounds of kids running around, and machines beeping and ringing like crazy, she lost a little piece of her heart to Jess Mariano.

The next date was at a drive-in. She hadn't even known there was a drive-in movie theater nearby. He had been secretive about where he was taking her, only telling her that the dress code was comfortable and casual, and that he'd be there to pick her up at six.

Rory had been unnerved by the mystery and changed so many outfits that her bed had been piled high with rejects by the end of the night. Finally, when it was ten minutes before he was supposed to arrive, she made a frantic call to Bram for help. In the span of the next three minutes, they dissected what Jess could mean by 'casual and comfortable' and they settled on a simple cotton dress that fell just short of her knees and gathered under her bust. Bram had assured her that it was sexy but sweet, date-like without looking too over the top. She paired it with a pair of leather flip-flops and pulled her hair back into a ponytail, swiping her lashes with two coats of mascara and her lips with a hint of cherry gloss.

When they arrived at the drive-in, he surprised her by pulling a paper grocery bag out of the trunk filled with chips, candy, and sodas. He left the car momentarily to go to the concession stand for two slices of pepperoni pizza and when he was gone, she rummaged through the snacks and found that he bought her a large package of Red Vines and Sugar Babies.

They ate while an action movie from the 90's played on the screen, the car filling with the noises of screams and gun fights through the speaker hooked onto the driver's side window. Jess picked off his pepperoni and fed her by hand. When she innocently sucked on his retreating finger, she smiled at the sight of his eyes flaring with desire. By the time they finished their dinner, they moved to the backseat so they could sit next to each other. They shared the Red Vines bite for bite and she rested her head on his shoulder.

As the movie outside showed an elaborate car chase down a crowded five-lane highway, they were busy steaming up the windows of Jess's SUV. Ten minutes later when the chase had ended and the hero was still miraculously alive, Jess had spread Rory out across the seats while he kissed her hungrily. She felt as if her body had been on fire, spreading from the heat of his mouth to the tips of her fingers. Her toes had actually curled when he wedged his hard thigh between hers. When the hero on rescued the heroine from the evil villain bent on destruction, Jess pulled the neckline of Rory's dress down and suckled her breasts through the thin lacy bra she wore. She had cried out against him and tunneled her hands into his hair to keep him in place.

By the time the credits rolled and the other cars were starting to leave, Jess pulled back with an astonished look on his face. His shirt had come half untucked and her dress was hanging off one shoulder. He gave her his funny half smile and they laughed at how they were making out like teenagers. And when Rory teased Jess that Gabe would probably be doing the same thing in a year or so, Jess had shuddered and shook his head with vehemence, denying the mental image that she planted.

He helped her fix her dress and they climbed back into the front seat. On the way home, he held her hand and she couldn't get rid of her goofy smile. When he walked her to her door, kissed her lingeringly and said goodnight.

"He also made brownies." Gabe's voice cut through her daydreams. "They're really good. Jess went by the grocery store today after work for vanilla ice cream too."

"I'd like that. Thank you. I'll be over in about five minutes, okay?"

Gabe nodded. "Sure." He peered around her. "Can Wes come along?"

Her smile widened. Gabe seemed to have taken to her Westie and vice versa. There were a few times when she came home from school to find that Wesley wasn't inside but next door playing in the backyard while Gabe did his homework on a lawn chair. "Want to take him with you now?"

She went to the couch to pick up Wesley and handed him to a grinning Gabe. "Hey little guy."

Rory closed the door behind them and jogged upstairs to change out of her sweats.

"Is she coming?" Jess called out to his brother when he heard the door open and close.

"Yeah," Gabe's voice was muffled.

Jess ducked his head and smiled as he chopped up some carrots and red onions for the salad. He was excited to see her again. The last time had been that night at the drive-in. He'd spoken to the girl at the paper who did local events and promotions about where he could take his date, and she had suggested the drive-in. Truthfully, Jess had only been to a drive-in movie once in his life back when he was seven years old. His parents had taken him to see some cartoon and all he remembered was that he gorged on food and candy and they had to leave early because he got sick.

That night with Rory had turned out better than he could have imagined. He was initially apprehensive about his date ideas because he knew she was used to fancy restaurants and expensive gifts from her ex. But he figured that if she wouldn't be comfortable with doing simple stuff with him, then she wasn't the kind of girl he wanted to be with.

When he had taken her miniature golfing, he noticed that she seemed to have a great time. He hadn't missed the way her eyes had gone all soft and feminine when he fastened that cheap child's bracelet on her wrist. He figured that if she enjoyed the arcade, she might like the drive-in as well.

She did. He honestly hadn't meant to make out with her in his backseat but when she was sitting next to him, her warm body a pleasurable weight against his chest, he couldn't help but kiss her. The moonlight had filtered in through the windows and with the movie flickered before them, she looked ethereal, her big blue eyes all luminous and shiny.

When he kissed her, it had been a gentle connection, a melding of their mouths and excited breaths. When she gripped his shirt and pulled her above her, he levered himself over and tucked her beneath him. He had felt her tighten up unconsciously and he soothed her with sweet kisses and a tender tongue. He traced her teeth and lips, painting her with kisses.

Her hands had wandered down the length of his back and her sandals fell with a soft thump onto the floor mats. Rory's bare feet had rubbed restlessly against the back of his calves, and when she pushed up with her hips, he tugged down the neck of her dress. She had worn a filmy bra that was meant to do one thing and one thing only: seduce.

His fingers had traced the edge of the delicate lace, teasing her skin and the nipple below. When he felt her harden in his palm, he drew her breast into his mouth and sucked. He laved the lace until it grew transparent and he was able to clearly see and feel the tightened nub below. He wanted to peel down the cups and rub his cheek against the raspberry-textured nipple, roll it between his thumb and forefinger, but she had distracted him by pulling at his shirt and running her small hands up and around his chest.

He felt her nails prickle at his sensitive skin and he rubbed his shadowed jaw across the delicate skin of her neck. He tasted blindly, any and every inch of skin he could reach. But by then, the movie screen had dimmed and headlights were flashing on around them. He had pulled back; stunned that he had lost control and let things get so far in a public place. Good thing she hadn't been upset. Instead, they had a good laugh about it.

When he arrived home, it took every once of self-control he had not to follow inside or sneak her into his own quiet house. On second thought, he decided not to push for anything more. The night had been lovely and he wanted to leave it at that. They had said their goodnights and he indulged himself in one more cinnamon sugar kiss.

"Gabe, set the table please."

A few seconds later, Gabe walked in with a trotting Wesley at his heels. "Where are all the plates?"

"In the dishwasher." Jess looked down and saw Rory's little white dog sitting next to his feet. "Why don't you just ask Rory if you can keep her mutt?" he asked with a chuckle.

"He's a nice dog." Gabe adopted a voice people only used on animals and children. "Aren't you? Who's a good boy?"

Jess rolled his eyes.

"Can we get a dog, Jess?"

His eyes widened to the point of horror. "No!"

Gabe scowled. "Why not?"

"Because I have enough trouble taking care of the two of us. Let's not mix in a dog."

"I'll take care of it," Gabe bent down to sneak a piece of bread to Wesley.

"What happens when you go to college in a few years?"

Gabe didn't answer for a minute. "Maybe I'm not gonna go."

Jess turned sharply. "Why would say something like that? You're going to college." He plated the lasagna. "That's not open for discussion."

"I can take the money Mom and Dad left me to do something else instead."

He shook his head. "No. That money is supposed to be for school. I'm not going to let you spend it away on anything else."

"I don't know what I want to do."

"You'll figure it out. You have plenty of time."

Gabe shrugged and brought the plates over to their small kitchen table. "Guess you can't wait to get me out of the house, right?"

"That's not true." Jess sat down the salad and looked Gabe dead in the eyes.

"Yes it is. If it weren't for me, you'd probably have Rory over every night."

Jess let that comment pass. Instead, he chose to answer Gabe's underlying insecurities. "If it weren't for you, I'd still be out partying and getting drunk every night, going home with some chick from a bar and waking up not knowing her name."

"Sounds like a blast."

Jess ducked down to catch Gabe's eyes. He saw that his brother really thought that lifestyle was better. "Look at me. Hey," he shook Gabe's shoulder. "That part of my life is done. It's over now. Frankly, it got a little tiring after a while. Doing that every weekend can get boring fast. It's not very fulfilling when you can't even remember the girl's name." Jess gestured his arms to encompass the space around them. "This might not have been in my plans, but it's my life now. I like it. A lot. And…I love you, brat."

Gabe quirked his lip in half a smile. "You don't resent it?"

"No, I don't." Jess answered quickly and firmly. He smirked. "Besides, if I wanted Rory over, I'd find a way. But I'm having fun just getting to know her too. That's something new to me."

"Is making out with her new to you too?" Gabe added with a gleam in his eye.

Jess's head whipped up. "What?"

"Sunday. You thought I was still asleep. She came over to bring some mail that was placed in her box by accident. I saw you two go at it."

Jess smirked; remember the other day when he had pushed Rory up against the back of the door. "I'm not apologizing for that. I'm a man and she's a beautiful woman." Jess thought for a moment, reliving that memory. "But don't mention that to her, okay? You might embarrass her."

"Of course not!" Gabe shuddered. "It's not like I want that picture in my head when I see her for last period every day."

Jess chuckled.

"The guys do call her the hot teacher, though," Gabe added as a quiet afterthought.

"Oh yeah?" Jess's rational brain checked out as dirty fantasies rolled through his brain. Rory as the naughty schoolteacher. Complete with a short skirt and belly-baring Oxford shirt. Maybe with a ruler in hand and a pair of librarian glasses perched on her upturned nose. Jess smirked.

"Hey guys." Rory's voice floated from the front door.

"In the kitchen!" Jess called out to her, surprised to hear that his voice had deepened. He shook his head, clearing out his sexy fantasy.

"That was great, Jess. Thanks for inviting me." It really had been great. The lasagna noodles were cooked to perfection, tender but not falling apart. The meat sauce was hearty and filling but not overpowering. She even enjoyed the salad, which was tossed with a light citrus vinaigrette.

"Glad you like it." He smiled at her and stood to gather up some dishes.

When she first arrived, she had noticed that he was wearing a t-shirt emblazoned with the emblem of an old punk rock band. His jeans were frayed at the cuffs and he was barefoot. He had asked about Gabe's day at school, she hadn't been too surprised when she felt his bare foot reach over to play with hers. By the time Gabe started to discuss his science project and how the had to make a visual chart of the different kingdoms of living things for Biology, Jess's foot had progressed to slip and down her shin, teasing her. And when Gabe left the table to finish his history worksheet that was due tomorrow, her foot was cradled next to Jess's.

"What are you doing on Friday?" Jess asked from his position at the kitchen sink.

She brought over a few plates and the silverware. "I might have plans with this guy I've been seeing."

He smirked. "Oh yeah? What's he like?"

She sidled up close to him. "Tall, brown hair, with an attachment to power tools." Yesterday evening she had heard him buzzing away with his saw, cutting up more wood. For what reason, she had no idea.

He chuckled. "Good looking?"

Dipping her voice to a whisper, she told him, "Very sexy."

"I'm trying to get my hot neighbor to go out with me." He turned on the water and filled the sink. "She doesn't get up before eleven on the weekends and has an annoying little dog that always hangs around my house," he told her with a smirk.

Rory giggled at the apt description. She watched his strong forearms work up and down as he scrubbed a dish, a glass, and then another plate. He was so sexy. Jess was a guy that she could easily imagine having been one of those boys back in school that she would've never dared to speak with. He was the kind that courted the attention of the prettiest popular girls and didn't pay any attention to bookish geeks. For her, he was an ultimate childhood fantasy. The bad boy with the leather jacket and motorcycle. He might not have the bike, but he was nonetheless lots of fodder for sexy fantasies.

She swallowed and before she even had a chance to filter the words through her rational mind, she blurted, "When are we going to have sex?"

Her eyes widened when she heard her own words. Shit! She hadn't meant to say it out loud, even though she had been thinking it. She half thought that after the make out session in his car the night of the drive-in movie, he might follow her into her house. But he hadn't. And while she thoroughly enjoyed that night, she wondered why he hadn't pursued things further.

His laugh was a choking bark. "Jesus, Rory!" They heard the sound of the television click on in the living room and she realized that Gabe must've finished his homework.

"Sorry." Her face was bright red and she wanted to find a graceful way to get the hell out of there.

He wagged his head and grinned. "And I thought you were all proper and shy."

"Why would you think that?" She recoiled and scowled. Sometimes she hated that image of her. All virginal white lace and Victorian sensibilities. "That's not me."

He soaped up another dish and dropped it into the water to rinse. "I'm beginning to see that."

"Don't put me up on a pedestal, Jess." Her voice sounded short, even to her.

"Did I hit a nerve?" he asked.

"Maybe."

He concentrated on washing the remaining dishes and she watched him in silence. After they were all washed and placed into the rack to dry, he wiped his hands on a dishtowel and caged her in against the counter with his arms and body. "So if I told you I've had fantasies of sneaking into your house in the dead of night, crawling into your bed, and waking you up with a passionate kiss, you wouldn't faint on me or push me away?" His tone was light, but his words were hot.

She shook her head. "Nope."

He gave her an incredulous look and narrowed his eyes. "And what about if I told you I fantasize about taking you in my shower? I have a great shower, Rory," his voice dropped low and sexy, rasping against her splintering nerves. "It has three massaging heads. And one specifically for the lower back. What if I told you I want to take you upstairs right now, soap your creamy skin and hold you against the spray of the hot water? What about then? You'd have water hit your front, your back, and right where you're aching the most. I'd bracket your body from behind and reach around to cup your breasts."

She started to pant lightly, her pulse beating erratically.

"The water would run down your body and the shower would get steamy and hot. Then I'd watch your face turn rosy red as I slip my finger inside you." He leaned closer to her, his breath tickling her ear as he whispered naughtily, "Can you feel it? Are your nipples hard just thinking about it? You're going to be tight; I just know it. But you'd be wet for me, wouldn't you baby?"

Her chest heaved. The kitchen suddenly felt too small, too enclosed. And he felt too big, leaning close to her like that. She wanted to step back and reestablish some personal space. She wanted to pull him closer still and climb into him. "Yes," was her breathless answer.

"Would you come for me if I took my time with you? And I am gonna take my time tasting every inch of you. Are you going to taste as sweet as your kisses? All cinnamon and sugar spilling on my tongue?"

Rory clenched his biceps; she felt her nails sink into his shirt and to the skin, leaving little half-moons against his olive complexion. "Jess…"

"Are the brownies ready?" Gabe popped into the kitchen and opened the oven door with a pair of potholders that he grabbed from the drawer.

The Jess leapt away from her to turn back to the sink, scrubbing viciously at the lasagna pan with a brush. Rory couldn't make herself move; she was rooted to the floor. She was still breathing hard and could hear her blood roaring in her ears.

"Rory? Do you want one?" Gabe offered her his plate piled high with three sinfully looking chocolate concoctions.

She couldn't do anything but shake her head no.

"Jess?"

He didn't turn to face his brother. "No," Jess's voice cracked. "Go enjoy them."

Rory could see Gabe shooting Jess a curious glance but instead of sticking around, Gabe shrugged and went back out into the living room. A minute later, sounds of a crime scene drama filled the silence.

Jess threw down the soapy brush and snatched her up in his arms. His mouth dropped to her shoulder and his teeth teased her sensitive clavicle. "God, I've gotta be in you soon or I'm gonna explode." He chuckled self-deprecatingly.

She nodded, "I know what you mean."

"Tell me I can come over tonight," he kissed her on the lips, his tongue plunging into her without warning. This kiss wasn't gentle or tender. It was demanding and passionate, an alpha male asserting his dominance over a potential mate.

"Can you do that?" She tilted her head to the side to grant him further access. "What about Gabe?"

He chuckled. "I make my own decisions. I'm a big boy." His grin turned devilish. "You'll see."

She giggled. He was good at turning even the most innocuous words and statements into something sexual. "Use the key I leave out for Gabe when he walks Wesley."

He nodded and kissed her again. She felt his body tighten and respond and she could hardly wait any more. "I'll be over around one o'clock."

"Alright."

His fingers brushed her lower back, sneaking their way past the waistband of her skirt to touch the elastic of her underwear. "Jesus, baby." His kiss grew stronger and his other hand thumbed her breast through the light swishy fabric of her top. "Tell me that's not a thong I just felt."

She felt wicked listening to him talk to her like that. No one had ever talked dirty to her. All of her past lovers had treated her like she was made from spun sugar. The lights off, under the covers, silence all around. She didn't want that from Jess. She wanted earthy and sweaty and dirty. "Are we going to have sex with the lights off?"

He raised a brow at her off-the wall question. "Tonight?"

"Yeah."

"Maybe; since it'll already be dark. It'll be interesting, feeling my way around." He grinned. "But in the morning? No. I'm gonna open up your shutters and watch you come with the sunrise."

She felt hot and shivery between her legs. "The morning?" she squeaked.

He laughed under his breath. "You didn't think I'd be done after just once, did you?"

Her tongue felt thick. She didn't know what to say.

Reaching for a brownie from the platter on the stove, he bit into it and winked as he passed by. He fed her a wicked chocolate kiss and left her wanting more.

AN: Please read and review. Writing notes will be attached to signed-in review responses from me. This time I talk about writing a chapter which I have nicknamed, "The Foreplay Chapter." :)