`*~ These Are Days ~*`

Author: Genevah

Rating: R

Pairing: Rory/Jess

Disclaimer: I claim to own nothing.

Summary: Tweaked 'Teach Me Tonight' to my own likings. *Warning. Insane amounts of fluff o'nutters in this story… please read with caution* Oh… and it's definitely a Literati, anything else would be uncivilized!

A/N: I've revised some chapters… just makes me feel better. They're subtle changes, mostly in the writing, not necessarily changing the storyline.

'**~// Luke's Diner: Sunday Afternoon \\~**'

The bells jingled as Rory entered the diner. Her eyes searched the room for a certain dark-haired boy who was in her bed last night. There was no sign of him. She walked to the counter where Luke was standing.

"Hi Luke," she greeted and sat down.

"Rory," he greeted back. "What can I get for you?"

"The usual… oh but minus the rings. I'm not in the mood for onion rings today."

"How 'bout fries."

"Uh… yeah fries sound good."

"Okay." He said tearing the paper from the pad that he had just written down her order on and handed it to Caesar. "So. Your mom joining you today?"

"No, there was an incident at the Inn involving Sookie and risotto. Mom went to work early."

"Ah." He poured her a cup of coffee.

"Um… is Jess working today?"

"No, he has Sunday afternoons off."

"Oh…"

"He should be upstairs still if you want to catch him before he goes and does God knows what when he should be, heaven forbid… studying."

She smiled.

"Maybe later I guess."

She noticed she was unconsciously fiddling with the bracelet on her wrist. It was the bracelet that Dean made for her. She was still wearing it even though she broke up with him a month ago. She had completely forgotten about it. She never thought to take it off. She untied it and slipped it into her pocket.

"Hey," a familiar voice came from behind her. "I didn't take too long did I?"

"No, you're good," Rory smiled, turning to face her best friend taking a seat on the bar stool beside her.

"Mama actually let me out of Bible class early today."

"That's a first."

"That's what I thought too. So what was it you needed to talk about," she asked with a hint of concern in her voice. "It sounded important."

Rory glanced at her watch. "Lane, its eleven thirty, doesn't Bible class start at eight and end at eleven?"

They both looked up when Luke placed the plate of Rory's cheeseburger and fries in front of her.

"Yeah, eleven o'clock Mama Kim time, meaning twelve o'clock our time. So technically I'm thirty minutes early… our time," she reminded.

"Oh… right, how could I forget?" She watched Lane eyeing her cheeseburger, asking for permission without actually asking.

"Go ahead. I'm not that hungry anyways," she offered, pushing the plate towards her.

"Thank you." Lane took a huge bite off the burger and continued to speak with her mouth full. "Sooo… tell me," she mumbled. She was starving for something with meat in it and she didn't care to practice table manners at the moment.

Rory rehashed the events of last night, without leaving any minor details untold. Lane listened ever so intently with numerous replies of 'oh my gods' and jaw drop actions. She was the perfect listener.

"… and then he kinda stroked my cheek after he did the whole moving the hair out of my face and tucking it behind my ears thing," she said reenacting it on Lane.

"Wow, how very cheesy romance novel-esque of him. Didn't know bad boy had it in him."

"I know. It's weird. I never pegged him as that type… but I think he realized it too because he practically flew out of my window," she said giggling.

"Sooo… do you think you guys will-"

"Hey not so loud… there're prying ears in this diner," she said, reminding Lane where they were at. The diner was the quintessential place to hear and spread new gossip.

"Right… sorry… sooo?" She said bringing her voice lower just above a whisper.

"I don't know… it's just so weird, you know… me and Jess," she replied, mimicking Lane's tone of voice. "Maybe he was just having one of those out of body experiences when he did that. I mean it was kind of late, maybe he was sleep walking or something… I don't know," she knew it was a ridiculous notion, but she couldn't think of a justifiable excuse for Jess' temporary insanity.

"Rory… for a smart girl… you are so oblivious. That boy likes you. I can tell by the way he looks at you, like he's trying to memorize your face," imitating Jess by moving her eyes crazily over Rory's face, over exaggerating.

"Shut up." She paused to think. "You really think so?" Hope sketched her face at the prospect of said boy liking her.

Lane's eyes suddenly focused on someone walking behind Rory. She focused back on Rory, subtly signaling that the person they were just speaking about was approaching. Knowing exactly who Lane was referring to, she casually turned in the opposite direction of her friend. And there he was. He was heading her way. Their eyes connected. He acknowledged her presence with his infamous Jess nod, but didn't stop to chat. He headed straight for the door. A little disappointed, Rory turned back to Lane.

Rory just smiled, not knowing what to say.

"My fault. He saw me sitting here and probably didn't want to interrupt. Don't worry… you guys have plenty of time to decipher what happened last night." She said and took another huge bite out of the cheeseburger.

"What? I don't want to decipher anything… with him. That's not something we would talk about. It's too weird. We're just friends."

"Well I didn't know friends go around stroking each others face… but if that's how you guys work… more power to you." Lane teased.

"Lane." Rory rolled her eyes and laughed. "We are just friends. It would be too complicated if we were more."

"How so?"

Rory didn't know the answer. She just figured it would be. Rory shrugged. "I don't know."

"Rory… my oblivious best friend whom I love more than most of my cd's," joking of course, "… the boy is head over heals in love with you."

"He does not love me." Rory objected.

"Okay, maybe not so much love you, but he's definitely head over heals in like with you."

Rory laughed at her crazy friend.

"Whatever," she replied, disbelieving the idea.

"Hey, I've gotta get back home. Mama's expecting me for lunch. She's trying yet another recipe using tofu." She hopped off her stool and called out "call me later!" as she walked out the diner.

"Bye Lane."

Just as Lane rushed out, Dean was walking in. He spotted Rory sitting at the counter and walked up to her. Lane thought about going back in to see if everything was alright, but she knew Rory could handle it and went home.

"Luke… I think I'll have those rings now. " She wasn't in the mood for fries anymore.

"Hey."

She turned to see Dean occupying the same stool Lane had just left. "Oh… Dean… hey. Hh how are you?" She stuttered.

"I'm good. How are you?"

"I'm… good too."

"Good… good."

The first two weeks after their break up, Dean tried just about everything to get her back. He bought her flowers and candy, wrote her notes asking for forgiveness. He even stooped so low that he actually groveled. He didn't care how stupid he looked or sounded. He just wanted Rory back. But by the third week, Rory had made it abundantly clear that they were over, and Dean finally accepted it. She offered him her friendship and nothing more. It was something that he would have to get used to. Rory held a very big part of him and it was extremely painful for him when she didn't want it anymore. Friendship would have to do. By the fourth week, they tried casually hanging out once, doing friend type-type things… and he found that it was too awkward and too difficult for him. He hated that he couldn't touch her or kiss her when he wanted to. She was no longer his. They haven't hung out since.

 "So what's up?" She asked. It was a general question. No harm. No foul.

"Uh nothing… Taylor said I could take a break so I figured I might as well grab a bite to eat and then I saw you sitting here and I wanted to say hey."

"Mission accomplished," she offered a smile, hoping that he didn't take what she had just said as harsh.

"Right. Mission accomplished." He looked uneasy.

"I… I didn't mean for it to sound so-"

"No. It's okay." He forced a smile.

They both watched Luke set down a plate of onion rings in front of Rory.

Dean eyed the rings. She smiled. "Sorry bucko, these are mine. You're gonna have to get your own." He laughed at her as she claimed her plate. He ordered his own.

They sat eating and talking comfortably. A pastime they enjoyed when they were boyfriend and girlfriend. The diner doors' bells jingled, indicating a newcomer. Rory had a sense that it was Jess. And it was. She caught and held his gaze as he neared her. Again he nodded his nod and continued walking upstairs. She felt awkward, like she was doing something wrong by sitting and eating… and talking with her ex-boyfriend. Part of her wished Dean never sat down… maybe because she didn't want Jess to get the wrong idea. Not that he would even think anything of it.

When Jess walked in and saw the two of them laughing together, he would admit that it took him by surprise. But he wouldn't admit that he was a little disappointed and just a tad jealous. Okay… so what… he was more than a tad jealous. First Jess instinct was to play it cool, so he just nodded addressing her presence and went about his business.

Dean didn't fail to notice the exchange between the two. It disgusted him every time. He had yet to get used to seeing them hang out and they had been hanging out a lot lately. And he couldn't go anywhere without seeing them… together… laughing… playfully arguing… talking… reading… and looking at each other with that look. They were everywhere these days. One might expect him to be over her since she made it sickeningly obvious that she was over him. But it was Rory. Rory used to be his. She was a girl that was hard to get over.

"Well. I better get back to work. I'll talk to you later?" It was an empty question. This would most likely be the last time they would eat together.

"Uh yeah, bye Dean."

"Hey Luke?" She glanced upstairs.

Luke turned his attention from the broken toaster to Rory. "Yeah?"

"You wouldn't happen to have any gum by any chance?"

"Uh," he patted his chest pocket, "actually I do." He reached into his shirt pocket, retrieving the pack of gum.

"Onion rings… wouldn't want to offend anyone," she smiled sweetly, taking a piece from the pack.

 "Um…," she unwrapped the silver foil wrapping, revealing her breath saver and popped it in her mouth, "would it be alright if I go upstairs?"

"Sure go on up."

"Thanks Luke."

She smiled at him again and journeyed upstairs.

She knocked on the door. There was no answer. Jess' music was blaring so she figured he probably couldn't hear her knocking, so she took it upon herself and invited herself in.