`*~ 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: ~*To everyone who reviewed*~ YAY! I can't believe I broke 200, reviews that is. I'm so happy!! And for my gratitude, here's the next chapter…
`**~// Gilmore Home: About a Week Later — April 20, Saturday Morning \\~**`
The Gilmore girls were sitting at the kitchen table eating their fruit loops; both fully displayed in all their bed head glory and mismatched jamies.
"Hey. Can I ask you something?"
"Ask away." Rory said as she put a spoonful of cereal into her mouth.
"What do you think of Luke?"
Rory snorted suddenly spitting the contents in her mouth everywhere.
"Eew, now that's just gross Rory." Lorelai whined then started to laugh hysterically, pointing at Rory, "Eeew, you've got milk coming out of your nose!" She pretended to get up. "Let me get my camera!"
"Mom!" Rory laughed wiping her nose.
"Oh if only Jess could've seen that!"
Rory suddenly quieted down.
"Ops." Lorelai blurted out suddenly remembering that they've hating Jess for the past two weeks. She had to admit she missed the little punk hanging around the house.
"No, its fine," she wanted to get off the touchy subject of Jess, "So Luke?" Lorelai nodded a yes. "Aw mom like's Luke." Rory tilted her head thoughtfully.
"Yeah hun, I think I do." She smiled gleefully.
"I think that's great. You know he's had a thing for you forever."
"Whatever!" She said in mock disbelief.
"How could you not have known that? Everyone in Stars Hollow and the three towns over know that Luke likes you."
Lorelai became starry-eyed. "Yeah… he does, doesn't he?"
Rory rolled her eyes at her. "So what's your plan?" She asked, knowing her mother all too well.
"What ever do you mean child?"
"You know exactly what I mean." Suddenly the light bulb turned on in Rory's head. "Hey, that's why you wore that sexy number into Luke's last week before you went to work." She ridiculed.
"You're insane." She attempted to brush off her daughter's accusations but failed miserably.
"Ha! I caught you. Come to think of it; you were showing a little cleavage too." Rory started laughing.
"Shut up Milk-Snot-Girl!" Lorelai joined in the laughter. "You no longer hold the title of Lorelai's Favorite Daughter. It's has been officially revoked."
"That's okay, it was worth it."
"Evil, evil child… huh, I knew you were mine." She said in true Lorelai fashion.
"So, tell me your plan."
"I told you. I have no plan."
"Yeah whatever. You'll tell me later and somehow I'll get sucked in on it too."
"I would never… " She started to say dramatically, "…well yeah."
"Mom!"
"I'll give you back the title of Lorelai's Favorite Daughter!" She tempted.
Rory shook her head at her mother. "You're nutty."
"Ah, that's why you love me."
After a couple hours of lazing around the house with her mother, Rory went to her room to study for a bit when her thoughts brought her to a time when she and Jess were studying together.
`**~// Flashback — Luke's Diner: Study Session \\~**`
Rory quietly studied Jess as he studied the assignment laid out in front of him. He had been doing exceptionally well ever since she had agreed to study with him. He was a smart kid, he just needed some encouragement sprinkled with Rory on top.
"Hey… can I ask you something?" She smiled daringly.
Jess looked up from his notebook. "You just love asking me somethings don't you?" He replied resting his chin on his hand looking at her intently, remembering their little slumber party a couple of days ago.
She glared at him.
"Fine. What?" He smirked.
"Do you think we have a close friendship?"
He chuckled. "What?"
"I mean are you that good a friend to me to tell me if I had some spinach in my teeth?"
"Well first off, when do you ever eat spinach?"
"Jess. Think hypothetical here, please."
"Right. Sorry." He mocked. "Of course I'd tell you…" He gave her a wicked smile, "But not right away."
"What?!"
"Hey I could get some laughs out of it."
"You're so mean." She smirked at him. "Well what if I had a booger hanging from my nose… would you tell me then?" She smiled big.
"Ah Geeze." He shuddered at the thought. "The day you have a booger hanging from your nose is the day I'll kiss Luke on the lips."
"Gross, you better pray that I never have a booger hanging from my nose in your company 'cause I will hold you to it."
"O Kay, can we please get off this subject… you and boogers… gah… not allowed." He made a revolted face cutting the air with his hand to prove his point.
"Jess." She whined, actually wanting an answer to her dim-witted question.
"What?" He whined back. "I don't want to picture you with a booger hangin' from you nose Rory. It's just not right."
She laughed. "What?"
"Rorry pleease, can we move on to something else… I don't want this conversation going into bodily functions and what not. You're tarnishing the perfect image I have of you." He teased with a hint of flirtatiousness added to it.
Her cheeks blushed. And Jess got what he wanted. He loved it.
"Fine. Back to work." She began studying again. Minutes later she looked at Jess again in the same studying manner.
He felt her eyes on him. "What Rory, you're kinda distracting me here." He joked as he gestured his hands toward the books in front of him.
"Nothing, I'm just happy we're close." She said semi-seriously.
He scooted his chair next to hers. "Do you feel a hugging moment coming on?" He teased.
She laughed at him. "Noo," She denied and tried to brush the comment off by writing something in her book. Jess saw her blush again and smiled. He could always tell how she felt; her blushes gave her away every time.
Quietly taking her eyes away from her book, she watched as Jess slid his books from across the table so that they were in front of him now. He planned on studying the rest of the night seated next to her.
"What?" Jess asked innocently.
"What do you think you're doing?" She loved it when he did cute stuff like this.
"Trying to make you happier," He replied, in a very modest attempt on his part at being sappy. He would've never been caught dead saying foolish things like that… to any girl, but Rory brought it out of him. She brought out the schmaltziness in Jess.
"What?" She couldn't believe that something that corny just came out of Jess' mouth. She absolutely adored it.
"You said you were happy that we're close. So, how's this? Does this make you happy-er" He gave her the sweetest, silliest smile that would make any girl melt.
"You're such a goof ball," she giggled.
"Hey. You should feel special. You're one of the lucky few to experience it and trust me when I say that it won't happen again." She was actually the only one to experience it.
They smiled goofily at each other and went back to studying with Jess comfortably seated close to her.
`**~// End Flashback \\~**`
Rory realized what time it was and remembered she was supposed to meet up with Lane in an hour, so she showered and dressed and headed over to the Lane's.
`**~// Stars Hollow Town Square — Early Afternoon \\~**`
"God… I can't wait till summer. All this cold weather is useless unless you've got someone to be with… you know, to cuddle with and all that other cute mushy wintry stuff."
"Yeah you're right. We've got to get ourselves some guys, and soon." Lane said playfully.
Reveling in the coldness around her, "Such a waste…" Rory declared lightheartedly.
"Um, Rory?"
"Yes."
"You're my best friend right?" Lane asked mischievously.
"Yeah."
"And you would do anything for me right?" She smiled sweetly for Rory.
"Depends."
"Well, I know this is kind of short notice, but Dave asked me to go to the movies with him, Zack and Brian tonight." Rory knew what was going to come next. "And… well, I was wondering if you could come too? I still feel a little awkward being the only girl and all."
"What about your mom? Aren't you scared she'll catch you like last time?"
"Oh, well, that's already been taken care of… see, she's got perfect timing Mama Kim does. She'll be gone the whole day, ironically off to some 'Rock Music is Evil: The Twelve Step Program' Seminar."
"Wow."
"Yeah, I know… my mom's gonna kill me if she ever finds out I've been rocking in a band. So? Will you come? Please Rory?" Lane begged.
"Of course I'll go." She told her. She would do anything for Lane.
"Hey if you want, you could bring Tristan."
"Uh yeah… maybe I should."
"Great." She hugged Rory. "Thank you."
She hugged her back. "Looks like somebody's going to have a cuddle buddy soon and it sure isn't going to be me." Rory teased.
Lane grinned. "I hope so… he's so cute."
"Yes he is." She smiled at her loony friend.
"Ooo look." Lane and Rory stopped walking to look at a sign promoting the next Stars Hollow upcoming event.
"Ah, I can't believe it's already time for the Semi-Annual Adopt-A-Puppy Day." Rory said.
"Oh hey, isn't Tristan looking for a puppy for his little sister?"
"Yeah, you're right. I'll have to tell him about it… I should call him soon to see if he wants to go to the movies tonight with us. It is kinda short notice."
Rory and Lane stopped at the gazebo to take a rest while Rory called Tristan on her mother's cell phone.
"Hello?"
"Hey Tristan, its Rory."
"What's up?"
"How are you?" Rory asked, knowingly stalling. She felt weird all over again.
Tristan laughed lightly. "I'm fine, how 'bout you?"
"Oh I'm good…"
There was a silent pause.
"So… don't get me wrong, I love that you called me Mary, but since you did do the calling, I suspect there must be a reason."
"Right… I mean there is… sort of."
Another silent pause on her part.
"And it would be…"
"Well… Lane and I were wondering if you'd like to come to Stars Hollow and hang out with us, maybe see a movie?"
"Wow, can't get enough of me Mary?" Tristan joked.
"Yeah that must be it Tristan, I just can't get enough of you." She joked back.
"We're kinda getting good with this whole friend thing… I mean we'll have hung out together for three consecutive days."
"Well, I mean… you don't hav-."
"No I want to." He said a little too eagerly for his taste. "What time should I be at your house?"
Rory turned to Lane. "What time did the guys want to go?"
"Um, just tell him to come around seven-ish."
"How's seven-ish?" Rory asked Tristan.
"Hmmm seven-ish? Sounds a little like date time to me." He teased.
"Tristan, the ish after the seven completely voids the fact of it being a date time." She teased back completely baffled by what her brain had just produced.
"You're right. I'll see you guys around seven-ish then."
"Bye." She giggled.
"Bye Rory."
`**~// Stars Hollow Town Square - Night \\~**`
Rory and Tristan were walking towards the movie theatre to meet Lane and the others when all of a sudden a blond mutters something directed towards Rory in passing.
"Freak."
Rory stopped and turned around. "Excuse me?"
Shane turned around to face Rory. "I'm losing Jess because of you." She said quickly.
"I'm sorry what?!" She couldn't believe this girl had the nerve to talk to her and for that matter accuse her of such a thing. Tristan stood next to Rory with his arms folded seemingly waiting for the next round in this verbal cat fight.
"Are you that dumb, I mean, I thought I was supposed to be the dumb blond here?" She thought about what she had just said. "Wait, that was wrong…," She seemed to be thinking hard, but it hurt too much. "Ah, you're confusing me…"
Rory displayed an astonished look on her face. What the hell is wrong with this girl? She looked at Tristan and she could tell he was really enjoying this. She smiled at him. Then her smile faded when the blond began to speak again.
"It's like you're always there and he's always looking at you. Why don't you stop following him like a lost puppy?"
"You're cracked!" Rory pulled Tristan by his sleeve and started walking away from the psycho. Tristan wanted more, but he gave into Rory's pull.
"You know he has a thing for you! And you just keep stringing him on!" Feeling defeated, Shane trudged off in the opposite direction.
"God, can you believe that girl?" Rory was fuming.
"You know she may be right."
"What?"
"That guy's obviously crazy about you… I mean who wouldn't be?" Tristan gave her his winning smirk.
"Shut up."
"I'm serious… you should've seen the dude's face when he saw you with me."
"Dude huh." She cracked.
"Shut up."
"So tell me, what did the dude's face look like?"
"He was definitely jealous… the look he gave me the other day at that bridge, I could almost feel my skin burning. The kid may hide it well but I can see it. I mean when you, well any girl for that matter, is seen with the likes of me, other guys are bound get jealous." He said matter-of-factly.
She rolled her eyes at the nut. "Is that so?"
The clouds have begun to part; Rory was finally in a happy mood. She kinda liked the realization that Jess was jealous of Tristan, maybe a little too much. She did see the look on his face, and now with the second opinion, it was undeniably a look of jealousy. Although she could attest that he should have nothing to be jealous about… she considered Tristan as a friend and nothing more. She couldn't wipe the smile off of her face the whole night.
When they reached the movie theatre, they saw Lane and the guys waiting in front.
"Hey." Lane said and informally introduced everyone. "Rory, Tristan, this is Dave, Zack and Brian."
Everyone said their 'heys' and 'what's ups'.
"You look unusually happy." Lane said to Rory.
"Yes. Rory is very, very happy." Tristan said knowing exactly what Rory was so happy about.
"Tell me later?" Lane asked.
"Of course. So, what's tonight's movie choice?"
"Well we know you girls want to see something like 'Tuck Everlasting' but since the guys out number the girls four to two…" Dave stopped in mid-sentence and looked to Lane to continue for him.
"We're watching 8 Mile," Lane finished. She and Lane shared a knowing smile; both had wanted to see the movie anyways.
"You guys haven't seen it yet have you, I mean we can still watch Tuck if you're really dying to?" Dave joked.
"No we haven't seen it yet." Rory turned to Tristan. "Is that alright with you?"
"I kinda wanted to see Tuck. That girl is hot." He smiled at Rory.
Rory looked at Dave. "8 Mile it is," she said disregarding Tristan's comment.
The group headed up to the box office. Tristan whispered to Rory, "You kinda look like the girl in Tuck."
A slight blush tinted her cheeks. "Shut up."
Inside the movie theatre, Lane was a little disappointed that she wasn't sitting next to Dave. She was completely taken by surprise when Dave asked Brian to switch seats with him so that he could talk to Lane.
"What's up?" Dave asked in a hushed tone.
Lane openly smiled flirtatiously. "Nothing."
Dave smiled back at her.
Throughout the movie, Dave would make it obvious that he was looking at Lane and she of course reveled in it.
A/N: Review please!!! Sorry guys, I should have warned you before you started reading this story… there's no real set plot, I'm just kinda writing in the dark here, but thanks for bearing with me though! ;)