`*~ 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: Yikes! Sorry it took me so long to add another chapter… I must've really used the term Christmas Vacation. I wrote this chapter a couple weeks ago too, was too busy and lazy to post, mah bad! ~*emjai*~ me love you too, ~*nina & emjai*~ the Tristan + girlfriend thing may just be in the works ;) ~*girlfrommars*~ Yay! A newcomer… welcome! ~*Seehoo*~ Wow! Thanks for your review-s, love reading reviews like that! ~*To everyone who reviewed*~ Mmmmuah, thanks for stickin' around!
I've revised some chapters… just makes me feel better. They're subtle changes, mostly in the writing, not necessarily the storyline.
`**~// Gilmore Home - Wednesday Morning \\~**`
Rory woke up to the growling, gurgling noises in her stomach, something that hardly ever happened this early in the morning. Then it occurred to her… that smell, almost smelled like pancakes. No… that can't be right, she never, in all her seventeen years of living on this earth, woke up to the warm, yummy smell of pancakes in the morning. Her mouth watered as the smell intoxicated her room, she pulled herself out of her bed willingly, slipping into her fuzzy cookie monster slippers. When she opened her door, she found her mother… Lorelai Gilmore, near the stove, flipping, what most certainly looked like a pancake.
Lorelai saw her daughter walk into the kitchen with a big look of bewilderment plastered on her young face.
"Hey sweets. Did you sleep well?"
"I'm not sure yet. I think I'm still dreaming… by the way, have you seen my mother? She's tall, about your height, same brown hair and blue eyes… come to think of it, you're a striking resemblance of her, but you can't possibly be my mother… she doesn't cook nor has she ever been inclined to cook anything in her life. She's the type of person who'd eat really stale cheese-nip if it was the last thing in the house just so she didn't have to cook."
Lorelai chose to ignore her daughter's incessant mocking. "Hon, do me a favor and set the table."
"Set the table?" She'd never heard these words before.
"Yes, daughter. Set the table. I made breakfast."
"Somebody pinch me before this nightmare continues." Rory searched cupboard for two plates.
"Don't fret my dear it's all edible. Trust mama."
"Well I have to admit, you sure have the smell factor down. It really smells like pancakes."
"I know, doesn't it? I'm so proud of myself. I've been up since four a.m. and finally an hour and a half and five batches later, I've come up with a decent, fit for human consumption, batch of pancakes," she said proudly.
"You've made five batches of pancakes?" Rory sat at the table, more reluctant to taste her mother's cooking now.
"Uh-huh."
"And what was wrong with the first four batches?" She dared to ask.
"I can't tell you. I'd be a bad mother if I did. You may have nightmares and then you'd want to take me to court and divorce me for being so cruel." She placed three pancakes on Rory's plate. "Now eat up and tell me what you think… and be honest."
She looked at her mother expectantly.
"What? What's the matter? Why aren't you eating?"
"Well I kinda need butter and syrup?"
"Oh right! How could I have forgotten? Sorry, all the excitement…"
Rory spread the butter and poured the syrup on her pancakes, while Lorelai stood beside her, anxiously awaiting her review. Rory took her precious time cutting up her pancakes into bite size pieces, allowing her some time to figure out how to get herself out of this taste test.
"Come on already! Eat." Lorelai grew antsy by the minute.
"Do I have to?" Rory whined.
Lorelai glared at her.
"God help me."
"Oh you're sooo dramatic… Eat!"
Rory stabbed a piece and stuck it in her mouth."
For once in her life, Lorelai couldn't read her daughters expression. "Well…"
"This is… really good mom," she said truthfully, completely impressed.
"I knew it! Success at last." She grabbed Rory's fork out of her hand and tasted a piece for herself.
"Hey! Give that back, get your own plate." Rory fought, lightly shoving her mother away and covering her plate with her arms.
"Mmm, this is good… almost as good as Luke's. Hey. I'm a regular Susie Homemaker."
"Well I wouldn't take it there just yet, but why the sudden need to cook?" She grabbed her fork back and began eating the rest of her pancakes.
Lorelai fixed herself a plate and sat down next to Rory. "I was talking to Luke the other day, and he was telling me how much he missed waking up to the smell of homemade pancakes that his mother made when he was young. So that got me to thinking, you- my precious baby girl, never once experienced what it was like. I mean I have, of course my mother didn't cook it, but nevertheless I still experienced it, and I didn't want you to miss out." She said thoughtfully.
"Aww, that's so sweet… but now I'd like to hear the real reason please."
"Augh… okay fine, as I recently professed the liking of a certain diner guy to you, I thought that maybe it would be good to learn a few tricks of his trade..."
"And this is part of your plan to what exactly?"
"Well I was thinking about inviting him to breakfast at our place one day and I'd cook him pancakes and he'll get all impressed with my skills-"
"…or lack-there-of." Rory interrupted.
"Look how my daughter mocks away at her only living mother." She glared.
"Sorry, continue."
"Anyways, as I was saying, he'll get all impressed with my skills and we'll just have to see what my skills make him want to do. It'll all be in his hands."
"Well, I'm happy to say that if these pancakes don't kill me later, you're a shoe-in with Luke… so… the whole story about Luke and his mother's homemade pancakes?"
"Okay, so I wasn't entirely telling you the whole truth… it wasn't his mother, it was Rachel." She admitted. "Geeze kid, you're getting a little too good at this whole 'I know you're lying' thing. I've taught you too much my young grasshopper."
"I know. You've trained me well."
"Ah yes, but you're using your powers against me and that's a big nono."
"I'll try to remember that."
"So tell me… how are you and Jess doing?" She dared to ask.
"Why do you ask?"
"What, I'm not allowed to ask how you guys are doing? It's a valid question Rory."
"Right. Sorry." Rory was still a bit protective of her new relationship with Jess. "It's good, we're doing really good."
"Good." Lorelai sensed her reluctance and left it alone. She knew in time Rory would tell her everything- her thoughts and feelings- everything, when she was ready. She went through the same thing when she was Dean.
"Hey listen, I don't have to be to work until twelve, want a ride to school?"
"Sure."
"Okay."
`**~// Stars Hollow: Bus Stop — Afternoon \\~**`
Jess wanted to wait for Rory's bus to arrive from Hartford. He was prepared too. He pulled a book out from his back pocket and began to read. Twenty minutes later, her bus had arrived.
He stood up and waited for her to emerge and finally after ten or so people got off the bus his eyes landed on a girl who put true meaning to the words private school uniform. He's seen her many times in her school uniform, but today in particular, she looked extremely sexy.
"Jess? What are you doing here?"
"What, too much?"
"No, I just… I didn't expect you to be here."
"Why, I've waited for you before?"
"I know… it's just different."
"I could go if you reall-"
She crushed his lips with hers to shut him up. This was their fifth kiss, the first- being outside her front door, the second- when Jess kissed her after she saw the Shane scene in the diner, the third- which was a timid third kiss, that resulted in a mere peck when he left Sunday night, and the fourth and fifth- were replicas of the third when they saw each other at the diner.
This time was different though. She felt bold and inebriated by his scent, and she felt the desire to deepen the kiss. She opened her mouth slightly, moistening his lips with the tip of her tongue, waiting for him to react, his soon brushed softly against hers. Jess grew weak with every stroke of her tongue and feel of her lips, she was quite the unpredictable one, and he was learning to really love that quality about her. He could feel her hands moving on his back. This woke him up. He realized that his hands were still at his sides. He quickly wrapped them around her in an embrace.
Moments later…
"Hi Jess," she said sweetly.
"Hi Rory," Jess was loving the fact that he could kiss Rory whenever and wherever he pleased… he loved it even more when she instigated it.
They started walking towards the diner.
"I have something to tell you…," she began, but her thoughts were interrupted when she saw what looked like Lane with a certain boy who was in fact Dave Rygalski. He was kissing her next to a big oak tree, seemingly hiding from prying eyes. Out of the corner of her eye, she saw Mrs. Kim walking down the street towards the two.
On instinct, she knew she had to intersect… and fast.
"Mrs. Kim!" She ran towards her leaving a confused Jess behind.
She glanced over at the two kissing fools and was glad to see that her intersection was successful, they had heard her. They quickly jumped away from each other at the sound of Mrs. Kim's name.
"Oh God." Lane was petrified. If her mother saw her, she would have been on a one-way ticket plane ride to Korea.
"I'm sorry, I shouldn't hav-" Dave tried to sympathize, but was interrupted by Lane.
"No, I mean, I'm sorry… I have to go." She quietly ran back to her house, unnoticed by Mrs. Kim.
"What is it Rory, I'm in a hurry?" Mrs. Kim said curtly.
"Oh, um nevermind." She smiled sweetly. "I forgot what I was going to say."
Mrs. Kim hastily walked away from her.
Rory walked backed to Jess.
"What was that all about?"
"Nothin', just helping a friend live to see tomorrow."
"Ah, I see… so what was it you wanted to tell me?"
"Oh right. Well, um… I'm sorta hanging out with Tristan on Saturday. I felt bad forgetting him like that the other night so I invited him over to watch a movie."
"What?" He didn't sound mad; instead his tone had a hint of hurt to it. He couldn't tell her he didn't want her hanging out with him anymore. Well he could but he would have to call himself Dean. He knew in the back of his mind that if they hung out together there would be a possibility of something happening. That was how things usually escalated, that's how he and Rory became what they are now, and if he wasn't careful… he may lose her… to him.
"I'm sorry, it's not okay is it? I'll just cancel? Forget I brought it up." She hadn't thought about the consequences of what she said. Of course it's not alright, how would you like it if Jess wanted to hang out with some girl? She wanted to reassure him that they were just strictly friends.
"I don't care if you hang out with this guy, you guys are just friends." He stressed friends only to make him feel better.
"No it's wrong. I'm sorry Jess."
"Rory, seriously, it's fine." He couldn't believe he was giving his girlfriend permission to hang out with another guy.
"Jess… you can trust me you know. I have no romantic interest in him what-so-ever. You have nothing to worry about." Her assurance didn't make any impact though. He was getting the feeling that he may just be the Dean in this relationship and Tristan would be playing him…
`**~// Kim Home: Moments After the Lane/Dave Kiss Fiasco \\~**`
"Hello?" Lane answered the telephone.
"Lane."
"Oh, hey Dave. I'm really sorry about earlier. It's just that, you should know something about my mom."
"And what's that?"
"Well, I'm sorta not allowed to date anyone that my mother hasn't set me up with."
"You don't think she'd like me?"
"You see, she's looking for someone more along the lines of a potential Korean doctor."
"Ah, I see, one of those… Hey. You know what? I was planning on being a doctor someday so that covers one requirement, now the other, well I may need some extra time to find a way to make myself Korean… but I think I can manage that," he joked.
"Ha ha, you're funny."
"Look Lane, I really like you and if you need to hide me from you're mother for a while, I'm willing to work with that… I would just really like it if you gave this thing with us a chance."
"Really?"
"Yeah, really."
"Okay."
"Okay?"
"Yeah, okay."
"Great."
"Just as long as you're sure about the whole sneaking behind my mother's back thing. It may get ugly, are you sure you'll be prepared?"
"I'm one hundred percent sure Lane."
"Positive?"
"Affirmative."
"Okay."
"I had a great time at the movies today."
"Yeah, me too."
"When do you think we could meet up again? Maybe this time we could go somewhere and get a bite to eat."
"Hmmm, I'll try and figure something out."
"Okay, well, just give me a call."
"Okay."
"Anytime."
"Alright."
He chuckled a bit at his persistence. "Alright, I'll talk to you later."
"Bye Dave."
Two weeks had passed and the Tristan movie night never happened because Rory had to spend the week with her grandparents. They insisted that she spend the week with them because they were leaving for Paris for two months.
`**~// Gilmore Home: May 10, Friday Night: Seven-ish \\~**`
Rory hadn't spent quality time with Jess for about two weeks, seeing as though she was at her grandparents for a week and the week after that she had finals to study for and projects to finish. Most of their time spent together was talking on the phone for hours and hours on end late at night when Rory was supposed to be sleeping (she didn't mind losing a couple of hours of sleep for him) and the few times they saw each other at the diner. And let's not forget the few times they snuck away from the diner to talk alone and make-out for a few short minutes. Rory was on a strict time budget with all the end of the school year projects and finals. The only time she could put in with Jess were a few minutes here and there during the day.
Her new boyfriend was Paris actually… they had spent almost every waking hour together, perfecting their projects. Yes, projects plural… they had the pleasure of being paired together on four projects for four different classes and Paris was working Rory to her fullest, which meant little to no time for Jess.
They planned to get together for a couple of hours tonight to watch a movie with her mom. Jess practically had to beg Luke for a few hours off, his uncle was torturing him for the sake of entertainment purposes of course. He took the abuse for Rory though, he really missed being with her for more than ten minutes. He'd almost forgotten what the girl looked like. The only catch was that he had to come back to the diner to help his uncle close up.
The doorbell echoed through the house.
"I'll get it!" Rory yelled as she jogged to the front door, butterflies picking away at her stomach.
She smiled at the sight and smell of her boyfriend. She always loved the way he smelled. "Hey."
"Hi," and with that said, he politely kissed her on the lips.
"That sucked Jess. I haven't seen you for almost two weeks and that's all I get… a measly little kiss?" She teased.
"I'm sorry. Here, lemme try that again." He closed the door between them and knocked on it.
Rory giggled and opened the door again.
He slipped his arms around her waist, pulling her very, very close to him and she in turn wrapped her arms around his neck.
"Better?"
"Umm...," she pretended to think.
Jess leaned in giving her his most passionate kiss yet that he could muster up, which wasn't hard at all, and moments later he unwillingly pulled away to see her reaction.
"Much better." Rory whispered, their faces hardly an inch apart.
"I missed you," Jess professed sincerely, barely audible. He kissed her again and felt the smile that had formed on her lips.
Lorelai had to go to the Inn at the last minute, having to fix yet another problem that had arisen just as she, Rory and Jess were about to sit down to watch the movie.
"Okay, you guys be good." She turned to Jess, waving a pointed finger at him. "I mean it Jess. I've got cameras set up in every room so no hankey pankey. Understood?"
Jess nodded.
"Alright, I'll be back as soon as I can… and expect me to pop up at any moment mmkay?"
The two nodded and Lorelai left.
Two hours later…
The television light flickered throughout the living room making lightning shadows on the wall, and being as though it was on mute, the only sounds that could be heard were the faint breathings coming from Rory. She was lying on the couch with Jess' body situated between her legs and they were having a necking session… an actually necking session, their first too.
"I'm not to heavy am I?" Jess muttered softly against her neck as he stroked the soft silken skin he found underneath the hem of her shirt.
"Mm-uh." Rory breathed as she crazily ran her fingers through his hair thoroughly enjoying the effect Jess's lips had on her neck. She never had one of these sessions with Dean and he probably couldn't have made her feel this good either.
He slowly kissed his way up her neck to her chin and paused to look at the clock. She opened her eyes in disappointment when she could no longer feel his lips on her.
"What?" Rory breathed again, her eyes were heavily glazed with pleasure.
He smirked at the sight of her. Seeing her so turned on by him was quite amazing. He liked the fact that she could take this much pleasure from a simple necking session, and from him no less. He couldn't deny that this feeling was a first for him too… just kissing her neck like that and hearing her breaths of pleasure was all too much.
He swiftly kissed her lips, "I have exactly five minutes before I have to get back to the diner."
She grinned at him. "Since when have you ever been on time?"
He dragged a finger along the length of her neck. "Since I can't control myself around you?" He said sexily.
"Oh yeah." She smiled, fully pleased that she had this affect on him.
"Yeah." He shot her his sexy smile.
She ran her fingers through the back of his head feeling his soft hair. She took a finger and made circular motions on his head making his hair twirl on her finger. "Well quit yakking, I only have five minutes," she teased.
His mouth opened a bit in mock surprise by what she said. "I guess I should really get back to what I was doing then huh?"
"I guess so."
He possessed her lips again, but instead of cutting it short he lingered a while until he felt Rory gently urge him to go back down to the part of her neck that was feeling neglected. He obeyed by showering her neck with suckles and kisses, and from the soft moans escaping Rory's mouth, he could tell that it was time to stop before things got a little too heated… he would… stop… just not quite yet.
Ten minutes later and now both heavily breathing; Jess stopped with one last peck on her neck and laid his head down on her shoulder; his lips contently resting on the soft skin of her neck.
Her hand was still lost in his hair. Rory looked at the clock and smiled. "Luke's going to kill you."
A mischievous smile took form on his now swollen lips. "Nah, you wouldn't let him do that," his voice a little hoarse.
"And what makes you think that?"
"Well, if Luke killed me… my lips… and your neck…," he placed a chaste kiss on her neck, sending all too familiar tingles down her spine, "wouldn't be able to play anymore."
"Hmmm… excellent point. I think you're right." He gave her another soft smooch on her neck.
He started to get up, but Rory held him down by tugging on the sides of his shirt. "Wait." She pleaded softly.
Now he smiled, fully pleased that he had this affect on her. "Can't get enough of me Rory?" He asked with a twinkle in his eye.
She playfully rolled her eyes at him and pushed him off of her. She got up from under him and they were now in a sitting position still very close to one another.
"My how fast your head swells with a simple request. Are you sure you don't need me to hold you're inflated head on your way to the diner? I mean I wouldn't want you to topple over or anything."
He put one arm around her waist and pulled her into his grasp. He kissed her ear and whispered "I can't get enough of you." He said childishly and with his other hand he swept her hair away from her neck. And to make his point clear to her, he ravished her neck once again. A couple minutes later Rory got up so she could compose herself, these feelings were all too new to her and they were a bit frightening. She stood in between his knees, and he took both of her hands, interlocking them with his; looking at her expectantly with those puppy brown eyes of his and she knew exactly what he wanted. She bent down and gently kissed him.
"You really should go Jess," she smiled.
"Don't want to," he said like a four year old and pouted.
"You are sooo cute." She let go of one hand and pinched his cheek.
He stood up, taking her other hand back, giving her a tender kiss on her lips. A big grin claimed his face when he stopped. "I seriously cannot get enough of you Rory."
She smiled sweetly. "I know."
He chuckled. "Oh you do, do you?"
"Yup." She said suppressing a laugh. They stared at each other both grinning to no end.
"Ok… we're getting a little too lovey dovey here, don't you think?" Jess proclaimed happily.
"Yeah, it's like the phone call thing, where the new couple goes on and on about who's going to hang up first."
"God, that will definitely not be us."
"Yes… definitely." Rory agreed.
They stood silently gaping at each other, grinning wildly.
"We're hopeless." Rory said.
"It's inevitable." And they began kissing again. Jess stopped and coolly threw himself on the couch again with his arms open for her.
She laughed at him and to his disappointment, she grabbed his wrist and pulled him back up. "Jess… go."
He pouted at her. "Fine."
He allowed her to lead him to the front door, their hands intertwined.
He stopped at the door and leaned against it, pulling her close to him with his hands securing her behind her waist.
"Jess…"
"I like this…"
"What?" Rory beamed.
"Us… like this."
She placed a delicate kiss on his cheek, grabbing the door knob behind him, she moved back pulling him with her so she could open the door.
"You like me don't you Jess?"
He answered by putting his hand behind her neck, his fingers in her hair, stroking her cheek with his thumb and took her lips again, but this time he put everything into it, leaving her completely weak and wanting more when he pulled away so abruptly. "Bye Rory." He turned and left her leaning against the door for it was the only thing that could keep her standing. He himself was having a problem standing upright. He was surprised he made it down the porch steps okay.
A/N: I hoped this made up for my frozen period of not updating… I was initially going to make this into two chapters, but I thought that I should be extra nice to you guys since you're so great about REVIEWING!!! ;)