Jess

As Jess emerged onto the New York City sidewalk, the inky blackness of night was slowly swallowed by the soft glow of the sun's first rays. The air was frigid, but the warmth of the morning was seeping through his windbreaker, as if it were trying to thaw his chilled bones.

Fuck, it was too early to be out here.

Jess had told Luke to pick him up outside his mother's run-down brownstone walkup in Greenwich; the corner of Leroy Street and 7th. The area was usually fun and pumping for the most part, but at night it took on a certain darkness, like most of the low-income housing complexes that dotted the city. During the daylight the neighbourhood wasn't too rough, but even still, being out at 5:30 am made Jess a bit nervous.

Standing there, with no particular destination and a duffel bag at his feet, Jess looked ragged and hallow after being up all night. It was an invitation for trouble, the kind of trouble Jess did not want to deal with. The kind of trouble that it was way too early for at this ungodly hour.

Trying to look more casual, Jess scanned the area. The street was almost deserted, with only a few early risers walking by. Foot traffic only really picked up in about an hour. And sure, there were a few people here and there, but they might as well have been on a different planet. The standard 'that's-his-business' mentality of New Yorkers was in full effect.

See nothing. Say nothing.

Shit, usually Jess lived for this. He thrived in situations like this, but not today.

Glancing down the alley alongside casa di Mariano, Jess eyed the fire escape ladder. It was a routine he knew all to well—the old climb back up to his den. Up the side of the dumpster, up the ladder, up the twenty-five steps, then up goes the window pane and there Jess would be with his take from the night's hustle.

What's the saying: 'a fool and his money are easily parted' and what not.

Familiar habits. Familiar patterns. Easy enough to fall back into. Easy enough to forget everything and everyone else.

But today was different. Rory's face flashed in his mind, clear and bright, and the feel of her skin under his fingertips was branded in his memory. He could not forget her. No, he refused to forget her, not after everything they had been through.

Jess was determined to make it back to her and not fall back into the same cycle of self-destructive behaviour. It was the only way he could go back to Stars Hollow, and he was willing to do whatever it took to get there.

The growl of Luke's pick-up barrelled through the dawn, slicing through the silence like a cannon ball. Jess felt the sound reverberate within him, filling him with a sense of relief as the green truck rolled down the street.

"That chevy's too big for this city," Jess thought when it stopped at the curb in front of him. It was like a giant among dwarfs, too large for the cramped confines of the city streets, but a saviour nonetheless.

With a deft flick of his wrist, Jess heaved his duffel bag into the truck bed and climbed into the cab. He didn't want any awkward reunions or conversations through the car window; he just wanted to leave.

Conversation, forced and stilted and familiar in the family sense of the word, was the last thing he needed right now. Shit, Jess was already lucky enough to avoid that with Liz (and it was Liz, not mom, as he refused to call her that). She didn't come home for the fourth day in a row which meant that reunion was on hold.

"Thank god for small mercies," Jess thought. As they pulled away, he took one last look at the fading brick of his former home, committing its every nuance and detail to memory. He knew he would miss the city, with all its gritty, urban glory, but he would not miss that dump of an apartment and all the people who lived in it. They were ghosts now, left behind in the wake of the truck's exhaust as they drove off.

Jess settled into the worn seat, its old upholstery yielding to his weight. This was it. Finally, fucking finally, he escaped that hellhole. He escaped the violence, the drinking, the drugs, the revolving door of Liz's boyfriends—all of it.

And while sure, Jess would miss his kingdom, it was a small price to pay for the freedom he felt now.

"Thanks for coming," he said, buckling his seatbelt.

"Yeah, you owe me. I really hate traffic," Luke grunted, his voice as gruff as ever. Jess couldn't help but smile at the familiarity of it all. Because, of course, Luke was the same; flannel shirt, backwards cap, 5 o'clock shadow at 5 am. He even had the same hint of a smile under the sarcastic banter.

But Jess didn't want to talk—he was too wrung out. So he just nodded, leaning back in his seat a bit and pulling out his book, letting it serve as a shield against any further conversation. And though Jess was too tired to read, it made him look busy enough that Luke wouldn't ask too many questions.

The sound of Bruce Springsteen's voice filled the car. Born to Run was in the cassette player and "Tenth Avenue Freeze-out" was crackling out the stereo speakers. The gritty timbre evoked a sense of urgency that matched the rhythm of the road. Springsteen was also predictable of Luke, but at least it wasn't John Mellencamp; Jess really couldn't deal with listening to American Fool again like when Luke first picked him up from the Hartford bus terminal.

The Boss playing his heart out was, at least to Jess, a more suitable soundtrack.

He could feel the beat reverberating in his chest, resonating with a deeper part of him that yearned for something more. It was a feeling that he couldn't quite put into words, but the music seemed to capture it perfectly. Good ol' Bruce.

The sun was beginning to rise over the city, its golden light filtering through the tall buildings and rippling against the walls of glass. The skyline in the distance was a silhouette, a jumble of buildings reaching towards the sky like giant fingers. It was silent as they drove away from it, the city receding into the distance behind.

Jess's eyes were fixed on his book, while Luke's were fixed on the road.

And it was only when they hit the interstate that the calm was broken.

But, Jess wasn't ready to share just yet, so he didn't bother looking up from the page. And he didn't need to, to know that Luke was sending glances between him and the road.

"So, why'd you call?" Luke asked, his eyes flicking back and forth between Jess and the road ahead,"not that I care or anything, but y'know, why?"

An accident was what Jess wanted to avoid the most, because, let's face it, Luke was very easily flabbergasted. And, if Jess didn't response, Luke would get flabbergasted. That's exactly how Jess had ended up thrown in the Stars Hollow lake one afternoon; a flabbergasted Luke raging at something stupid Jess did.

So, that's the only reason Jess said anything at all. Or, well, that's the reasoning he was willing to give for why he answered Luke.

"Like I said, I want to come home," he said finally, his voice an apathetic whisper.

Luke's surprise was palpable, his eyebrows shooting up in disbelief.

"Home?" he repeated incredulously. "I thought here was home?"

Jess just shrugged again, unable to find the words to explain himself. But, this time the lack of response seemed to satisfy Luke, who turned back to the road. Gratefully, Jess turned back to not-reading his book.

As the miles stretched out ahead of them, Jess sank deeper into his musings. The sound of the asphalt beneath the truck's tires and the music playing from the cassette player drowned his mind. It was numbing. And Jess wandered about the cocktail of notes and textures, zoning in and out of the present and his thoughts.

Fuck, beyond tired was the only definition of this.

The printed words in front of his eyes added to the headache, a dull pulsing behind the retinas. The pressure was building in his cheeks and in his top teeth, and the clenching of his jaw pushed back against it.

Exhaustion and tension.

Needless to say, Jess couldn't concentrate. He was too scattered, too unfocused.

And yeah, he could have closed his eyes or stared out the window, but that would have just got Luke talking. It was an invitation to questions, and like trouble, it was far too early for questions.

Luke would definitely ask questions. A lot of questions and the standard 'things-are-going-to-be-different' lecture.

The same tired script Luke had said a hundred times before. The one about how Jess needed to graduate, work at the diner, and stay out of trouble. Jess already knew the conditions of his release (or re-incarceration depending on how you looked at it), and he didn't need to hear the terms out loud.

But it was coming. Jess knew it, it was inevitable.

So when Luke chuckled softly instead of yelling and said: "She misses you, y'know," Jess was momentarily thrown off guard.

Quickly recovering, he couldn't help the knowing smirk that slipped the corner of mouth up.

"Yeah, she kind of told me last night," he thought. Jess was definitely aware of how much Rory missed him. It was as much as Jess missed her, and god he missed her. He missed her so much it hurt, but he was not going to discuss the details of that with Luke. They were not going to start gossiping like two old ladies at the hair salon.

So, Jess played dumb and said, "Oh?" in a tone that was very deliberately nonchalant.

"Jess—" it was a warning but Jess interrupted, not wanting to go down that road.

"Thank you, y'know, for picking me up," he said, trying to change the subject. Luke stared at him, letting another beat of silence pass before clearing his throat. Jess could tell that Luke was stunned, probably because he thought that Jess didn't have any manners. But Jess did have manners; he just didn't care for them. Luke usually didn't either, so it worked out well.

"You're welcome," Luke said finally, and they lapsed into quiet once more. The tension between them simmered on low, like a pot of water waiting to boil. Jess could feel the weight of it pressing down on him, suffocating him. But he didn't want to break the silence. Not yet.

Truth be told, Jess was thankful that his uncle even bothered to get him at all. A part of him expected Luke to bail like everyone else, but the larger part of him knew that Luke wouldn't. Fuck, Luke never really let Jess down before, and this ride was just another reminder of how Jess could count on him. So for that, Jess truly was grateful.

And he wanted to say something, maybe make some sort of gesture. But minimalism was how they showed affection. It was how they communicated. It was how they just were.

And Jess wasn't going to fuck all that up now by being an overly affectionate slob.

Nah, he just kept on fake-reading, and Luke just kept on real-driving.

Because not speaking to each other was how they spoke to each other. It was a language they had perfected by now, a Danes-Mariano code that only they could understand.

Still, Jess felt inclined to make some sort of gesture in a non-gesture way. He considered offering to take over driving at the next rest stop, but he knew Luke was too stubborn to accept the help. So instead, Jess shut his book and leaned against the door frame. His temple rested against the cold of the window, and his eyes closed as he tried to rest.

The seconds stretched into eternity; Luke trying to drive and Jess trying to sleep. It was then that Jess finally spoke. His voice was barely above a whisper, but it cut through the air like a knife; the eight carefully selected words wisp-ing through the truck.

"For what it's worth, I miss her too."

Luke's response was simple, four letters that carried with it the weight of the world.

"Good."

At some point, Jess fell into a restless sleep. The sound of the road seeped into his dreams like a haunted symphony, complete with its own twisted choreography. It was violent and eerie; a performance that plunged him into a nightmare that he never wanted to witness in the waking reality.

Then suddenly, Luke was shaking him awake with a sense of urgency. His voice shattering the terrifying illusion. "Jess, get up," Luke said, "you're freaking me out."

Jess's heart raced in his chest as he jolted up, still caught in the tumultuous rhythms of panic. He took a deep breath, trying to steady himself but failing to shake off the remnants of his dreams.

The details of Rory's breakup with Dean lingered like a dark stain on his thoughts, tainting his subconscious with a bitter flavour. He felt an overwhelming urge to protect her, to make sure that she was okay. Not that she was a damsel who needed protection, but it was how he showed his love. The feeling was immense, gnawing at him from the inside out.

And it wouldn't be quelled until Jess saw Rory again to make sure she was actually alright. And not just fine.

"Yeah, shit, sorry," he muttered a quick apology, rubbing his face to shake it off. But the sense of trepidation was in his bones, making his muscles rigid and tense.

"What was that about?" Luke pressed but Jess was not going to entertain answering that.

"We close?" He asked instead, his voice neutral as he evaded the question with ease. Luke narrowed a gaze, clearly not fooled, but relented nonetheless as he turned back to the rolling greenery ahead.

"Yeah, about twenty minutes," he said. "You can pass out again upstairs when we get back. Looks like you didn't sleep much."

Jess nodded, staring out the window.

The landscape outside was becoming more and more familiar; a collage of green that he'd seen before like a patchwork quilt woven from the threads of his memory. The fields and trees were like old friends, greeting him as they passed by.

It was the outskirts of home.

As they got closer to Stars Hollow, the rural properties grew denser, and Jess felt a mix of emotions as they approached. The town had a nostalgic charm that reminded him of the idyllic small-town Americana that people from those small-towns sang about. Yet, it also held memories of the people who made him want to leave in the first place.

On one hand, there were the good moments, like the bridge and the peaceful stillness of the town. But on the other hand, there were the people who had pushed him away and cast him out. Dean and his threats. Lorelai and her constant hovering. Shit, and Taylor harassing Luke just because Jess was there.

Okay, yes, he couldn't deny he played a part in that, but it wasn't entirely his fault.

Sure, maybe if Jess hadn't pulled those pranks then Luke wouldn't have been the town pariah. Yeah, he will own that fuck up. But Taylor Doose was a crazy person, and fucking with the town was really, pretty funny.

Still, all that crap was enough to make Jess want to get the fuck out of dodge at the time.

Then there was Rory.

Just the thought of her made his heart skip a beat.

Fuck, Jess would run into hell, vacation next to the lake of fire, break bread with the devil himself, if he could just be next to that girl for one more second. Despite all the reasons to leave, and all the bullshit Stars Hollow threw at him, Rory was that one person who made him want to stay. She was everything. His love for her burned brighter each day like a flame that refused to be extinguished.

And it was love, Jess knew it on some level, even if he couldn't say it out loud yet.

They pulled up to a stop in front of the diner. The sights and sounds of the Stars Hollow's square, like a comforting blanket, enveloped him. And Jess smiled. Not just a smirk, a fucking smile. A real honest to god smile spread across his face like warm honey. Sure, he hid it behind the motion of unbuckling his seat belt, but he was damn happy to be back.

Because in just a few hours, when school let out and Rory bounded off that city bus, she would waltz into the diner and back into his life. He would wrap his arms around her once more.

And Jess couldn't fucking wait for that.

He was peachy, inwardly beaming actually, but the moment was short-lived. His smile faded, morphing into a very Jess-like scowl when he spotted Lorelai Gilmore standing outside the diner with her arms crossed. Her eyes were fixed on him.

Jess felt his stomach drop.

"Fuck me, it is way too fucking early for this," Jess thought even though it was already 9:00 am.

This was not what he wanted to deal with right now. Luke, however, seemed oblivious to the tension, or perhaps he was just choosing to ignore it. He strode past Lorelai with a mumbled greeting, disappearing into the diner. Jess longed to do the same, to ignore the death stares from mother Gilmore and retreat upstairs to finally rest.

But just as he was about to make his escape, Lorelai surprised him. Instead of continuing with the expected icy glare, she gave him a weird half smile. And it threw him off.

"What?" Jess asked as he slung his duffel over his shoulder and came to an abrupt halt when he met Lorelai's gaze. "Something on my face?"

"Hi to you too," she said, her arms still crossed over her chest and her posture tense. Her hackles were up. Well, shit.

Jess was ready for the lecture. To get chewed out. To get yelled at in the middle of the street with all the townsfolk watching. They were already waiting in anticipation for the drama anyway. They were all expecting a scolding or public humiliation, so might as well give 'em a show.

But, no, Jess reminded himself he had to be civil. For Rory.

And maybe he already fucked up by not being polite in his first greeting. Yeah, Jess knew he had correct himself. But the words seemed to escape him, and his throat felt constricted.

Lorelai's belittling stare was making him uneasy, and he didn't know how to break the ice. So, he took a deep breath and simply said, "Hi," trying to sound as polite as possible. He hoped it was enough to smooth things over.

"So, um—" she started but Jess interjected, suddenly feeling sick with unspoken words and they tumbled out without his permission before he could cage them back in.

"I'm not gonna hurt her, and I know you'll kill me if I do," he blurted out. He didn't know where that came from, but it was the truth, and it felt like what he needed to say.

Lorelai scrutinized him for a moment, her eyes searching for any hint of dishonesty. Then she let out a deep sigh. "Just, that's my daughter, so be careful," she said, her tone softening. "And thank you. For… I don't know, watching over her in New York and making sure she wasn't mugged, or hurt, or that she didn't join some weird underground cult in the city."

"Jim Jones was disappointed," he deadpanned and Lorelai let out a snort. Okay, maybe it was easier to just join in the banter with Lorelai sometimes instead of fighting it.

Turning on her heel, Lorelai opened the door of the diner, pausing to hold it open so Jess could walk in too. He hesitated for a second before following and walked past the counter towards the staircase that led up to his uncle's apartment.

Well, not just his uncle's, but his too.

Jess was mid step, his foot hovering over the bottom stair, when Lorelai spoke again, causing him to freeze.

"Jess," she said. Her voice was strained and shaky, and he turned to see her perched on a stool at the counter now, her eyes fixed on the coffee in front of her. Luke must have poured her a cup without question. Smart.

It was unsettling really. She was just staring at it, the coffee, and it was weirding him out. This must have been something more than just his intentions if she wasn't drinking the 'Gilmore elixir of life.' Not to mention, she was all quiet. Jess felt a knot form in stomach. Lorelai was a woman who held her cards close to her chest. For her to be acting so vulnerable was unusual, and he didn't like it.

So, Jess stepped closer. Pride was a big thing with this woman, and privacy was a big thing with him, and he figured it was better to keep this discussion between them.

"Look, I do mean it," Lorelai finally said. "Thank you for making sure she was safe yesterday, and the night of, y'know, the big crash-boom-bang. You did call and you did go get help, and it was an accident, so I can let it go. For now. I guess."

Jess was taken aback. He never heard Lorelai offer an olive branch before, let alone one to him, and Jess wasn't sure he trusted it.

Lorelai still had her guard up, looking at Jess as if he was the antichrist, and Jess still had his up, like Lorelai was nosy. And judgemental. And overbearing. And, well, Rory's mom. So, he couldn't fully trust the sincerity behind whatever she was saying.

At least, not yet.

So, yeah, no, Jess wouldn't roll the red carpet out for her; Lorelai needed to earn that, just like Jess had to earn her trust in return. The whole respect thing was mutual, went both ways, or so he heard.

Still, Jess wanted to ease the tension, to make things less uncomfortable and more civil. He wanted to try to, y'know, lighten the mood, to accept her gesture and keep his distance all at the same time.

For Rory's sake.

"You're just saying that because of Belinda," he said, and to his surprise, Lorelai laughed into her coffee as she finally took a sip.

"You got me, I'm a sucker for presents, even ones that aren't wrapped with a pretty bow."

A peace offering. That's what that was in the language a la Gilmore.

So, Jess picked up a chocolate glazed donut from the tray, put it on a plate, and slid it in front of her. This was his version of the same. Exchanging baked goods for peace.

"Oo, more presents!" She exclaimed, taking a bite.

And Jess didn't say anything else, just nodded, before finally going upstairs to pass out.

Rory

Rory hardly slept. Yes, she felt immensely better after her call with Jess, but her wrist throbbed with a persistent ache that refused to let her drift off.

More than that, her night was plagued by memories. Memories of Jess. His voice, his touch, his very presence. She couldn't help but think of the security that he brought, the way he made her feel grounded and safe.

But the reality was, he wasn't there. And Rory felt so cold without him holding her tight. So, she tossed and turned, and failed to find a comfortable position in her bed. Because every time she closed her eyes, Rory saw Jess's face.

It was a torturous cycle that left her feeling like a zombie when she woke up that morning, still wrapped up in his denim jacket as she groaned with fatigue.

And it continued into the day. Even as she made her way through the halls of Chilton, Rory's mind was still consumed with him. Her steps were heavy as she walked from class to class with dejection and quiet. She went through the motions of each lecture, taking notes and trying to pay attention, but her heart wasn't in it. Her mind kept wandering, wondering what Jess was doing, where he was, and if he was thinking of her too.

Rory glanced at the clock again before eying the door. It was as if she was willing time to move faster. God, if only time would faster. It had to or she was going to bolt right out that building and run back on a bus headed for Manhattan.

Headed for Jess.

Rory could not help by wonder what would happen if she again chose to do just that. To go to New York instead of school. Would she see Jess? Would he come back with her? The what-ifs were a never-ending spiral, and she knew she had to stop herself before she fell too far down the rabbit hole.

Paris, ever watchful Paris, noticed that Rory was off and tried to snap her out of it by handing her a copy of her notes and telling her to liven up. But Rory couldn't shake the feeling of emptiness that had taken hold of her. It was like a storm cloud had settled over head, following her every move.

It was gruelling really.

The classes stretched out into an eternity, and when the day was finally over, Rory was grateful to be pulling out her new favourite jacket from her locker. Cloaking herself in the warm, oversized denim, Rory gathered her things and got on the bus headed for home.

And she was going to go home today. Not New York. Despite how much she wanted to.

No, instead she would do the next best thing. Rory would get off the bus, get a coffee from Luke's, and run home to call Jess. Just like she did last night. It was the light at the end of a long tunnel, the hope that kept her going.

The sun was nearing it's descent by the time the bus started to pull into town. It was like a giant ball of fire, dipping slowly into the horizon, as if it were a fiery acrobat performing one last trick before taking the final bow. The sky was painted with hues of pink and orange, like a watercolour painting bleeding across the canvas. The crisp air was biting, tiny needles piercing her skin, and she wrapped her arms around her body to shield herself from it.

The doors hissed as the bus pulled up to a stop, and Rory took a deep breath before stepping onto the sidewalk in the town square of Stars Hollow.

That's when Rory's nerves began to fray.

The thought of running into Dean made her stomach churn. The pain in her wrist was the physical reminder punctuating the fact that Doose's Market was only a few feet away. And the events of the previous night flashed in her mind briefly. It terrified her.

Seeing her ex-boyfriend was the last thing she wanted.

So, instead of lingering about on the sidewalk, Rory took quick steps across the square, her feet pounding against the pavement like a hammer against a nail as she tried to put as much distance as she could between herself and Dean.

Rory made her way to Luke's, knowing her mother would be there already. She was probably sitting at her favourite table by the back shelves waiting for Rory to arrive. Probably on her second cup of coffee and maybe even a donut. Which meant, Lorelai was probably all wired up.

"Great," Rory thought as she approached the door of the diner. The apprehension washed over her like a giant tidal wave.

She knew her mother would want to know all the details of her breakup with Dean. And Rory couldn't blame her really, because Lorelai still didn't know what had happened exactly. Just that a break up had happened. So, Lorelai was slightly in the dark, and on some level, rightfully worried.

But, this time the break up was Rory's business, and Rory's business alone.

It was just a matter of having her mother understand that. That was the real challenge.

With a deep breath, Rory forced a smile as she opened the door robotically.

The bell chimed over head like a tiny orchestra. The predictable jingling was the last real sound Rory registered before it was drowned out by the pounding of her heart as she froze in the doorway.

Her backpack hung heavy at her side as she held it by the top handle. Her breath got caught in her chest as the stunned shock rippled through her body. Her eyes widened as they started to sting with tears. And Rory didn't see her mom.

Well, not really. Rory registered that Lorelai was there, just where Rory expected her to be. Actually Rory registered that the whole town was in the diner tonight, but she did not really see them.

No, the only thing Rory saw was Jess Mariano. Standing there in the flesh. He was like a ray of sunshine breaking through a stormy sky. His shaggy hair fell over his forehead like a curtain, and his dark eyes sparkled like stars in the night sky.

And for a split second Rory thought she was hallucinating. That Jess wasn't actually standing there holding a coffee pot like he was about to refill her mom's mug.

But he was there. In a pair of jeans and his red Metallica shirt. The sleeves were rolled up to his elbows and a pencil was tucked behind his ear like a sword. His eyes were locked with hers and it was like a bolt from the heavens had struck her down. It came crashing right through the ceiling and left her shattered as she stared into his eyes.

Jess was a mixture of comfort, sweetness, and spice, all rolled into one.

He was the fire that burned her up and the ice that soothed her. He was smoke, elusive and suffocating, but at the same time he was her oxygen mask, bringing life into her lungs with each breath of him.

And Rory was just frozen in place, like a statue carved out of ice, staring at Jess as he stared right back. She didn't care that the whole town was there, all she cared about was that he was there.

Jess put the pot down on the table without breaking their shared gaze. A smile was starting to form on his lips as he did. It was subtle and barely there unless you knew him well enough to know what Jess smiling actually looked like.

And then he said it. Just one word. It was all they ever needed. The sound shattered the invisible ice that encased her, like a spell breaking and letting her free.

"Hi," he said, his voice sent a shiver down her spine and made her heart beat wildly.

Without another moment of hesitation, Rory dropped her bag on the floor with a thud and ran across the diner, launching herself into him and wrapping her arms around his neck as she buried her face into the crook of it. Rory clung onto Jess with a tightness that had him near tears, and had her actually sobbing with happiness. Her body was shaking as he held her. It was as if every worry and every fear she had just melted away in his arms. His embrace was like a warm cocoon that shielded her from the rest of the world, a sanctuary where nothing else mattered but the two of them.

Immediately his arms wrapped around her waist, snaking under the jacket's denim and pulling her close, as he tucked his chin down to rest his forehead against her shoulder, hiding his face from view. Rory felt his warm breath against her skin, and through the fabric of her shirt, she felt the heat of his hands on the small of her back.

And it was everything. Everything she longed for all day and all night.

The pencil behind his ear rustled loose and fell to the linoleum floor with a gentle clatter, a small reminder of the reality beyond this moment.

The diner was filled with the aroma of fresh coffee but the normal sounds of the clinking cutlery and the chatter of patrons was silenced by the fascination of their reunion. Still, it all became a distant hum as Rory's attention was consumed by the warmth of Jess's embrace. She closed her eyes, savouring the every second, and let herself sink into the safety of him. Nothing else mattered but them two.

And Rory did not want to ask a single question. Yes, a part of her was racing through a million of them, all the who, what, where, when, and hows. But Rory did not want to know. She did not need to know. All she cared about was the fact that Jess was there, finally there, holding her. Wrapping her with an affection that had been reserved for her, and only her, since the instant he had arrived in Stars Hollow.

Still, the town was watching them with rapt attention. No one there had ever seen any emotion from Jess aside from sarcasm, so the shocked whispers were a natural response to the highly charged moment between them. But Jess, private as he was, did not move to pull away, and did not move to pull her off him either. No, he just hugged her as fiercely as she hugged him.

God, and she was grateful for that. And relieved. And safe. For the first time since she left him at that bus stop in Hartford, Rory felt safe.

Jess encouraged Rory to be real and empowered her to be reckless. He made her brave, made her realize she didn't need to be perfect all the time.

Because that was Jess. He was truth and he let Rory be truth just the same. Flaws and all and no shame behind it.

Liberating is the only definition for that feeling.

Rory pulled back a little, just so she could see his face, and Jess was smirking down at her, his forehead resting against hers.

"Hi," Jess was beaming at her, and Rory's heart fluttered with joy. She had been anxious about how Jess would react when he saw her again. That maybe he would change his mind, but his wide smile and sparkling eyes erased all her doubts, and she felt stupid for ever thinking otherwise.

"Hi," she replied, her eyes bright and wide and happy.

And she did not care that the entire diner was watching their interaction, or that the gossip mill of Stars Hollow would be buzzing with this in a matter of minutes. It didn't matter. None of it did. Not even Luke was standing at the counter with a dumbstruck look. Or her mom sitting at the table nearby with a mix of curiosity and distaste.

No, all Rory cared about was the boy in front of her, the boy who had made her feel alive.

And there Jess was, holding her, looking at her as if she was the only person in the world that mattered.

So, she closed the distance between them, leaning up for a kiss that Jess met with zeal. It was not chaste, but also not as wild and passionate as the one they shared at the bus station the day before. This kiss was controlled, focused, determined, and yet still it was fire and breathtaking.

And maybe just a little bit shorter than Rory would have liked.

Although it was still long enough to have the town gossips, Ms Patty and Babette, whispering at the counter to one another.

Rory did not want it to end, and kept her eyes closed even when they parted. Her forehead rested on his chin as he pressed a kiss to her hairline, his arms still holding her close.

"Missed me?" Jess whispered, the words tickling her skin, and Rory could not help but smile at his deep timbre.

"So fucking much," she whispered back, feeling the excitement race through her. Rory knew then she was a goner, that whatever had started between them back in New York, and possibly long before that, would never fade away.

It was just the first page of their story, and Rory could not wait to see how the rest would unfold.

The End of The Beginning