`*~ 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: Alright alright. My last author's note was somewhat of a lie. I'm a big fat liar! The scene isn't in this chapter and it probably won't be in the next either. *ducks quickly, missing a tomato by a hair* Sowie! It's written though, I swear it is, but I couldn't include it in this chapter. Just didn't fit. Oh and sorry for the delay. I was a little discouraged by a review. Normally I can take a good smack in the face, but this certain one just stung. I'm better now, a little wounded, but better now. It's all part of the process I guess.
Hope you enjoy! Again, as always, thanks for the reviews. They do keep me going... oh and Oregano… not creepy in the least! And it would only be fair, I've already made out with all of your fics ;p I'm an Oregano-fic whore and I don't care who knows it!
A preview of the sequel to These Are Days is up too… I know… I'm weird… :D
The closer Rory came to Luke's Diner she saw that there were a number of people standing along the sides of the building, forming two distinct lines, restless with semi-displeased looks on their faces, waiting for their chance in the diner. She made her way through the line to the inside, mumbling to everyone that scowled at her that she wasn't there to eat. She promised! These people looked dead set in defending their place in line and they were ready to take anyone out, even Rory.
It was unusually full today, probably exceeding the building's capacity. It had even gotten to the point were people shared seats, half a cheek each on one chair. She wouldn't be surprised if the fire marshal paid a visit. Oh but wait, he has. He was standing at the counter in-between two occupied stools, eating breakfast. And the kicker, there wasn't one employee in sight. Rory needed some explaining. She went to the first familiar face, one that she hadn't seen for a couple of weeks.
"Hey Dean." Thankfully, there was no weirdness speak of. "What's going on in here?"
Before he could answer, everyone's attention focused on the two men that had mysteriously appeared behind the counter. A hush descended throughout the crowd.
"Taylor!" Luke yelled at the top of his lungs. His temper could no longer be suppressed and he didn't care that all eyes were on him. "I did not agree to this!"
"Now Luke, there is no need to raise your voice. These people are here in celebration. To celebrate the anniversary of your diner." Taylor replied in his rather annoyingly calm voice.
"I did not OK this Taylor."
"Well Luke, your permission wasn't needed. This was a unanimous town decision to-"
"This is my establishment. Not yours. Not theirs. But mine," Luke stated forcefully, his hand thrusting perfectly through the air driving every point across.
"I'm sorry, but we're not leaving." Taylor grew confident that the people around him would back him up if need be.
"I'm gonna punch you Taylor!"
Taylor slowly backed away from Luke and towards the comfort and hopefully safety of the crowd. "Now now Luke. There is no need for violence. Besides, there's all off us and only one of you." Taylor pointed out.
"You know what? Fine. You want to celebrate? Go ahead. But the coupons you had made without my permission will not be honored." He turned away from Taylor and spoke to the nosey crowd. "You people can eat and celebrate to your heart's content, just no coupons."
Suddenly the silence of the customers turned into an uproar. These people came to the diner to celebrate Luke's anniversary and for all his years of serving the best diner food, well the best food period in all of Stars Hollow, aside from Sookie's of course. But more importantly, they wanted to use the damn coupons. Some had coupons for free pancakes; others had coupons for free omelets, free burgers, free pie… the list went on.
Luke glared at Taylor, glared at him like never before. It actually made Taylor shiver with fear, but he held his position as usual. It was Luke against the town. And there was no way Luke could turn down the entire town. And they all seemed to be there today.
"This is not over Taylor!" Luke yelled in frustration and stormed into the back kitchen.
"Alright people, show's over. Back to your meals…", then he continued in a hush tone, "coupons will be honored. Enjoy!" Taylor announced happily.
"Wow. How did I not know about this?" Rory asked Dean.
"Well this celebration had been in the works for weeks now. Many a town meetings took place in the wee hours of the morning." He said a matter-of-factly.
Rory's mouth dropped in disappointment. "Say it isn't so."
"It is so."
"But why weren't my mom and I in on it. We would have decorated better than this." Rory said thoughtfully, not liking the lame decorations strewn haphazardly throughout the diner. "I can't believe all of you have conspired without us."
"They figured you guys would spoil it somehow… tell Luke or Jess."
Rory mocked being offended. "I wouldn't have said anything."
"Yeah… right Rory."
"What? I wouldn't have. I can keep a secret."
Jess came out from the back kitchen, hands and arms balancing plates with various hot food items on them. He skillfully deposited the meals to its rightful customers and started back towards the kitchen to do it all over again. But he stopped abruptly when he heard the voice of his girlfriend behind him. Yes, it was her… and she was talking to the bean pole. He felt the need to make his presence known and his relationship with Rory as her boyfriend acknowledged. It was only fair.
"Hey." He greeted, not caring that he interrupted whatever they were talking about. Rory was in the middle of saying something to Dean when he kissed her on her moving lips.
"Mm, hey you." Rory blushed. It was weird kissing her boyfriend in front of her ex-boyfriend.
She was a little fazed by his silly little act of branding her as his, but it was kind of endearing to see that coming from Jess.
Dean felt himself become invisible and so he slipped away from the two unnoticed.
"It's crazy in here." Rory said, looking at all the people in the diner. Some were hovering rudely over others that were eating, rushing them to eat faster.
"Tell me about it. Taylor's gonna pay for this."
"I'm free this morning. I can help out if you want." Rory offered.
His face lit up instantly. "I'd be forever in debt to you."
"I'll keep that in mind." Rory reached into Jess' back pocket and split his order pad in two, tucking one piece back into his butt pocket, giving him a sly flirtatious pat that only they were aware of and stole the pencil that rested on his ear.
Jess raised his eyebrows in response to her actions, clearly enjoying being woman-handled and kissed her again. They both took off in separate directions ready to take on those ravenous creatures that had invaded the diner.
`**~// Luke's Diner – Night \\~**`
The doors were locked and the closed sign now replaced the open sign. Luke's diner had run out of food. There were no more donuts, no more hamburgers, not even any pickles. No more nothing. The town had eaten Luke's diner empty.
Jess had finished wiping down the counter and had hopped onto it, laying face down, his arms dangling off the counter. He didn't care that he was in violation of sanitation codes. Fuck the sanitation codes. He was exhausted and there was no way his body would take him upstairs. Rory sat at the table that was closest to him, her head resting on her arms, half asleep, half dead.
After Luke had locked the doors and turned the sign around he disappeared upstairs. He was like a zombie. He couldn't believe that these people had eaten him dry. Thankfully, with luck on his side, tomorrow was the scheduled day of new shipments. He would make damn sure that Taylor Doosie picked up the bill. If he wasn't in the right state of mind tomorrow morning, he just might close the diner for the day… might.
"Jess?" Rory mumbled into the table, her own voice echoed loudly into her ears.
"Yeah?"
"I'm dead aren't I?"
"Yep."
"Good."
A long silence later…
"Jess?"
"Hmm."
"I can't move."
"You're not supposed to move. You're dead… and you shouldn't be talking either."
Another long silence…
"Jess."
"Huh?"
"I can't feel my legs."
Jess smiled to himself. "Still talking huh?"
`**~// Luke's Diner - Late Night \\~**`
Knock-Knock. Tap-Tap-Tap.
Rory was the first to wake up to those disturbing noises. Her heavy eye-lids opened. Raising her head, she felt the annoying pain of a crick in her neck.
"Ow-haow. Crap." She tried to ease the pain by messaging her fingers into her neck.
She turned awkwardly towards the counter where she last remembered Jess to be. He was still there, in the same position. Poor baby.
Tap-Tap.
Reflexively, she turned her head in the direction of the door. Ouch! Poor me!
She stood up and slowly hobbled in the direction of the door and peeked through the blinds.
"Mommy?" Rory whined.
She unlocked the door and let her in and immediately fell into her arms.
"Ah, honey, are you okay? I heard about what happened in here… I can't believe these idiots did this without telling us."
"Mmm." Rory could no longer form words.
"Yuck." Lorelai looked around at the decorations. "These decorations suck."
"Mmm."
"Man… is it true that there were coupons?"
Rory nodded into Lorelai's shoulder.
"Damn. I would have loved to have coupons. Why weren't we given any coupons?"
"Mmmm."
"Ah babe. Lets get you home."
Lorelai squatted down a little and urged Rory to get on her back.
"Mmm, wait…" Rory struggled, she remembered... "Jess." She couldn't let him stay on that uncomfortable counter and get the same torturous cricks that she had.
"Uh… what do you want me to do Rory?" Lorelai whimpered, not wanting to carry her boyfriend upstairs.
"You have to take him upstairs."
Lorelai frowned. "Hun, I'm not that strong."
"No… just wake him up and help him upstairs… please." She urged, nudging her to go to Jess. Rory plopped herself in the nearest chair to wait.
"Fine…" She sauntered over to the counter. "Jess. Yoohoo…" Lorelai poked his shoulder. "Wake up Jess… I'm your angel, savior of pestering cricks. If you don't want them, then you better get your pretty lil' ass up." She thought for a moment at what she had just said. "Ew I didn't mean that. You don't have a pretty ass- I mean not that I look at your ass or anything- You know what? I'll just stop right now."
She could hear Rory giggle unattractively. It was a natural reaction. She had no control over laughter. There was no strength involved.
Lorelai carefully pulled Jess off the counter and threw one of his arms around her shoulders.
"Alright now… Jess… you have to move with me… c'mon now, you can do it… left, right…"
Jess finally a little more alert and awake now, made Lorelai's job easier. Thank God, because Lorelai didn't know how she would manage to get him up the stairs.
"You think my lil' ass is pretty Ms. Gilmore?" Jess couldn't resist asking. It was too easy.
`**~// Luke's Diner – The next morning \\~**`
Luke woke up sane and refreshed that fine morning. He caved. The diner was open for business.
The crick in Rory's neck had disappeared. An Advil and a good night's sleep seemed to be the perfect cure-all. With the diner commotion yesterday, she had forgotten why she went there in the first place.
"Here." Rory placed her mother's Polaroid picture on the counter and pushed it towards Jess.
"What's this?"
"I need you to give it to Luke."
Jess concentrated on the picture.
"Who is this?"
"Take a closer look."
"It's a picture of your mom dressed as… Zorro?" He looked to her for confirmation.
"Why yes it is." Rory replied as if it was a normal thing to have a picture of her mom dressed in a Zorro getup. "But you don't know that. Understood?"
"Should I be stupid enough to ask why?"
"I don't know. Should you?"
"Why?"
"You ever seen Amélie?"
"Can't say I have."
"Then come over tonight and discover for yourself." She smiled flirtatiously. They both knew what went hand and hand with a movie date.
Jess agreed. No questions asked.
"You want me to get you something to eat?"
"Uh yeah, but something to go, I'm meeting up with Lane and the band. They need an outsider's opinion. The last time they sat down to discuss band names, Zack suggested 'Follow Me to the End of the Desert'."
"Long."
"It's of epic proportion."
He leaned in closer to Rory, taking hold of her hand then drew light feathery doodles on it with his finger, "… so I'll see you tonight."
Both watched his tiny show of affection. Her eyes lit, her love for this boy very apparent, "… tonight." Tonight would be one of those DVD nights.
After Rory left the diner, Jess stared back at the picture. He still couldn't come up with a logical reason as to why Rory's mom was dressed in the Zorro getup. The words 'Gazebo. Tomorrow. 4:00P.M.' in white were written across the picture.
"Hey Luke." Jess called as he walked into the storage room where his uncle was restocking- a task that Jess was supposed to be doing.
"I thought I told you to take these out of the box and put them onto the shelves. Not open the boxes and leave them to magically place themselves onto the shelves."
Jess mocked disappointment. "Uncle Luke… I can't believe you said that. Why don't you just tell me that Santa Claus doesn't exist? Geeze." Jess taunted.
Luke glared at him. What he wouldn't give to just smack the boy upside the head. What the hell…
*SMACK*
"Hey!"
"Quit being a smart ass and help me empty these boxes before the dinner rush starts."
"Ya know, I had something I was supposed to give to you, but now… I don't think you deserve it." Jess said, holding up the picture.
"What?"
"You see, I was told to give you this, but since you want to be mean to me and ruin my childhood beliefs in Santa Claus and the Easter Bunny…"
Luke stood up from his crouched position on the floor.
"Gimmie that." He grabbed the picture from out of Jess's fingertips. "Who is this?"
Jess shrugged.
He stared at the picture. It was a woman wearing a black hat and what appears to be a matching black Zorro mask around her eyes. Luke looked closer. Those eyes. He knew those eyes. He has looked into those eyes for the last ten years. Wow that's a long time…he muses to himself.
"Is this Lorelai?"
"Ding ding ding. Give this man a bone."
"Why is she wearing a Zorro mask?"
Jess shrugged again. He didn't have the faintest idea. He couldn't even come up with something creative. He must be losing his touch.
"Is this some kind of joke?"
Jess held his hands up in defense. "Hey I had nothing to do with this. I'm just the messenger, and you know what they say… 'Don't shoot the messenger'." He said lamely.
"Why did she want me to have this?"
"Beats me but… I think you should play along."
"Play along?"
"It's just a suggestion. Who knows? Maybe she has something to tell you."
"Whatever." Luke's hopes lift up a bit at the thought, skillfully hidden from Jess of course.
"So are you gonna show or what?" But before Luke could answer for himself, Jess continued. "Who am I kidding, of course you're gonna show. You'll be eagerly waiting with sweaty palms and flowers," He teased.
Luke smacked him upside the head for the second time that day, lovingly of course. "Shut up and get to work."
"Would you stop that? Child Protection Services are going to be receiving a phone call from me if you don't!" Jess yelled after him as Luke walked out of the storage room.
"The hotline number's on my speed dial." Luke countered back. He stared down at the Polaroid of Lorelai. He couldn't wait to find out what this was all about.
`**~// Gilmore Home – Night \\~**`
"Mmm. Pizza good." Lorelai managed to mumble with a mouth stuffed with pizza.
"Yes. Very good." Rory replied.
"The nerve of them right?" Lorelai continued the rant she was on before she praised the pizza.
"I know. Stupid towns' people. We can keep a secret!"
"We sure can!"
The two giggled.
"It's your fault you know." Lorelai accused.
"What? How did this turn into being my fault?"
"They knew you'd be the one to slip and tell Jess."
"What?!"
"Yep. Remember that time…"
"What time?" Rory goaded. She knew there was no time.
"That time when you slipped and told little Natalie Mae that she was adopted."
Rory's mouth dropped and she quickly covered it with her hand. Well, okay, so there was that time.
"In my defense, I was six. I didn't know any better."
"But you're Rory… smart, intelligent, niice Rory. You're supposed to know better." Lorelai teased.
"I can still hear Mommy Mae crying her eyes out and looking at me like she wanted to poke my eyes out and rip my limbs off. Why are you making me relive that? I was doing so well at forgetting that particular nightmare of my childhood."
"One word. Coupons."
"I'm sorry." Rory said in a playful sorrowful voice.
Lorelai sighed dramatically. "Eh, well. Maybe next time." Then there was that gleam in her mother's eye.
"What was that 'Maybe next time'?" Rory asked suspiciously.
"We can make our own coupons. You know, print them up and make them look all professional. You can do just about anything with a computer these days."
Rory shook her head at her mother.
"We can make free coffee ones… mmm and free Danish ones…" Lorelai holds on to Rory's arm, seemingly unable to contain herself. "Can you image it Rory? We can use the Danish coupons when it's not even Danish day. Luke will have to bake 'em fresh just for us." Her eyes grew bigger and bigger at the thought. "What do you want for free Rory?"
Rory giggled. "As much as I love the idea, I don't think Luke will appreciate this coming from you."
Lorelai waved her off. "Ah, he loves me."
Rory smiled, picking at her pizza crust. That he does. "So… I gave Jess the picture."
"You did?" Lorelai feigned indifference.
"Yep…" Her mother was silent. "You're still going through with it aren't you?"
"Of course."
"Okay, just making sure." Rory looked at her mom. She looked like she was having second thoughts. "Don't chicken out."
"I'm not!"
"Okay."
"Okay."
`**~// The Next Day - Luke's Diner - Afternoon \\~**`
Luke looked restless and excited and he only got that way when Lorelai was involved.
Jess watched his uncle from behind the counter. His arms folded, contented with the scene before him. The diner was pretty empty. One lone customer seated in the far corner by the window reading his newspaper. Luke was standing beside him with the coffee, filling his cup every time he took a sip out of it. The man with the paper didn't seem to mind at all. Luke looked at his watch and then outside the window in the direction of the Gazebo. Jess had been watching him do that for thirty minutes. Thirty fucking entertaining minutes.
Jess shook his head. What he wouldn't do for a video camera right about now. Luke would enjoy watching himself look like a complete lovesick idiot. Hell Lorelai and Rory would love to witness this.
"Hey Luke. It's almost four o'clock, shouldn't you freshen up or somethin'?"
Luke turned to Jess. His face was blank and Jess started to wonder about him.
"Are you alright?"
"What- huh? Yeah I'm fine." Luke thankfully came back to earth… for the moment anyway." He walked to where Jess stood and set the coffee back on the warmer and absentmindedly rubbed his palms against his jeans and headed upstairs. "Watch the diner." He said to Jess without even so much as a look.
"Sweaty palms." Jess said aloud to himself.
Ten minutes later and five minutes to four o'clock, Luke returned downstairs. And to Jess he looked the same as he did when he went up the first time. Possibly even worse. What the hell did he do up there for ten minutes?
"You're forgetting the flowers Luke."
Luke didn't even acknowledge what Jess had said.
"This is insane. Why does she want me to meet her at the Gazebo? Why can't she just come to the diner? And what the hell is with the Zorro mask? I can tell it's her." He ranted, his uneasiness was very apparent.
Jess watched in amazement. He's never seen his uncle like this. It was quite funny.
"Would you calm down?"
"I am calm." Luke glared.
"It's four o'clock." Jess said tapping on his watch. "You better go."
Luke glanced at his watch to confirm that it was indeed four o'clock, and then walked towards the door. But he didn't open it. He just parted the blinds with his finger and peered out towards the Gazebo.
It was empty. There was no Lorelai.
His brows straighten out of confusion. "She's not even there."
Jess smirked and shook his head. If only Luke had watched the movie.
"Would you go already?"
Luke turned around. "She's not even there. Why go?"
Jess scratched his brow in annoyance. "She's being fashionably late. Go."
Luke turned to the diner door once more. That time he looked around the outskirts of the gazebo - still no sign of Lorelai anywhere.
"Go." Jess ordered again, obviously fed up.
Luke finally left the diner, not because he wanted to, but because his nephew was being annoying.
He took a seat on the wooden bench inside the gazebo. He fidgeted, trying to find a 'I'm cool and collected' way to sit. Finally finding one, he casually glimpsed down at his watch. It read 4:04. Still no Lorelai in sight.
"This is insane." He garbled under his breath.
Somewhere behind him, he could hear the annoying ringing of a payphone. He had paid no mind to it for the last minute. But like an alarm clock, it was unrelenting. He was now aware of it and it irritated him to no end. Some nice higher being must have heard him because the ringing stopped.
"Hey mister!" He heard a boy yell. "Heyy misster!"
He twisted around and saw a little boy holding up the phone and waving him over.
"It's for you!"
"For me?" His face painted with disbelief.
He walked uncertainly towards the boy. What the hell is going on here?
"Are you sure it's for me?"
"Yeah. She said the guy wearing flannel and the baseball cap."
He snatched the phone from him and put it up to his ears. He didn't say anything immediately.
"Hello?"
"Follow the blue paws Luke."
"Wha-" The person on the other end had already hung up.
Luke looked along the street and huh would you look at that - huge paws drawn in blue chalk one after another, seemingly leading somewhere. He followed them all the way up to the magazine stand a block away.
Again he heard a pay phone ringing. He picked it up without a second thought.
"Who is this?"
"Cosmo. Page fifty-four."
And then her voice was gone again.
"Uh…" Luke shook his head. "Cosmo?" He asked the owner of the stand. The owner didn't say a word. Luke followed his eyes to the table. There it was. Cosmopolitan. Luke pointed to make certain that he could take it. The guy nodded.
Flipping the magazine to page fifty-four, he saw three more wacky Polaroid pictures taped to the page. Each one marked with words. The first is a picture of a finger pointed at him with the words 'Do you' written beside it. The second, a hand strategically positioned in front her face so as to shield her identity with the words 'want to' clearly written across the palm. And the third… he can't tell what the hell it was but it read 'meet me?'… is that a body part?
Luke's secretly smiled. He was no longer irritated or annoyed. If anything… he was having a blast being giddy like a schoolboy with a crush. His thoughts in high gear, wondering what this all could mean.
Out of Luke's sight, Lorelai hid behind the bushes only a few feet away from him, watching her own mini movie unfold before her very eyes.
"I'm sooo good." Lorelai's smile held nothing but satisfaction.
"Shhh. He might hear you." Sookie shifted from her awkward crouching. "Can we go now? I can't feel my toes."
"Yeah…" Lorelai said not really paying attention. She was clearly distracted by something. She stared momentarily at his butt, her head tilted a little to the side. "Wow. From this angle… Luke has a very shapely butt."
Sookie giggled. "Oh my God. I can't believe I've never noticed that. It's kinda… plump."
The two grown women ogling Luke's behind both giggled a little too loudly.
Luke turned toward the bushes.
Lorelai quickly covered her mouth and Sookie's with both her hands and they stayed completely still.
A/N: Wanna free chapter? Press the Go button and receive a free virtual coupon today. Hurry, quantities are limited!
*waves to Marissa, Leila, Dani, Ilona, Angel Monroe, Mija, and Becka* - Thanks for the welcome! Such sweeties!