Better in cones

Chapter Twelve

The smell of coffee drifting under her door woke Rory, she smiled to herself as she sat up and pulled back the tangled covers, her hair was a mess and remembering that Jess and Luke would still be here she ran a brush through it, before picking out a white top and blue skirt to wear. She changed quickly, just finishing as there was a knock on her door. Followed by Lorelai letting herself in and closing it behind her.

'Hey the boys are about to leave to go fix the diner's many problems, they made us breakfast before they left though, well Luke did. Jess sat and read and then made the coffee.' Lorelai said sitting on the edge of Rory's bed. Rory span around to catch Lorelai's eye.

'They're leaving?' Rory said before bolting out the door, and through the front door chasing the two guys down the drive. Jess hearing her footsteps turned around and smirked a little.

'I'll catch you up.' He said to Luke before walking casually back up to Rory, the two stood there for a minute just looking at each other.

'Thanks for breakfast.' Rory said after a minute of silence, he nodded slightly.

'I didn't do much.' He shrugged, and Rory looked down at her bare feet. It was already hot outside, and the grass felt nice under her feet. Smiling slightly she looked back up at Jess.

'Still thanks.' Rory blushed, why was she finding it so hard to think rationally this morning.

'It'll get cold.' Jess warned her, she met his eyes and took a sharp intake of breath.

'I don't care.' She shook her head reaching out and lacing her fingers with his, he looked at her slightly shocked, she caught his gaze with a nervous smile, breathing slowly.

'You ok?' He asked softly.

'I don't want you to go.' She said sadly, her heart beat a little quicker as he took a step towards her. 'It's so complicated, nothing makes sense in my head right now, all I keep thinking is that if we...and the...I don't even know. Just don't go.' Rory felt tears coming to her eyes and she reprimanded herself for acting so foolishly.

'I'm not going anywhere.' He reassured her.

'Promise me you'll wait for me until I can think clearly.' Rory begged him, he looked at her softly and took her in his arms.

'You're worth the wait Rory Gilmore.' Jess said hugging her closely, she sighed happily and relaxed in his arms.

'I'm sorry for freaking out, it's just when I got up and mum said you were leaving, I suddenly lost it and all I could think was that you were going to find someone better, that you wouldn't be..' Rory rambled on, Jess placed a finger on her lips to stop her talking and kissed her cheek softly.

'There is nobody better.' He whispered pulling away slightly. 'You ok now?'

'Yeah, I'm perfect.' Rory smiled at him 'I'll see you later yeah?'

'We could catch a movie or something.' Jess suggested. 'Or go for a drive to the coast. Go down to Westport, it's only about an hours drive.'

'Let's go for a drive to the coast, that sounds perfect.' Rory said giving him one last hug. 'Your a good friend.'

'Friend?' He smirked at her. She blushed and kissed his cheek.

'For now.' she smiled before retreating back inside the house. Lorelai had started her breakfast but from the amount gone it was clear that she'd been watching the interaction between Rory and Jess. As Rory sat down at the table with a far away expression, day dreaming Lorelai sighed bringing Rory out of her dreaming state to look at her mum.

'What is it?' Rory asked tucking into her own breakfast of eggs, bacon and French toast and coffee.

'My baby girl is growing up.' Lorelai said simply shrugging her shoulders, Rory looked back at her confused but let it go. Lorelai looked at the way Rory was smiling distantly at her cup of coffee. It was clear her daughter was in love, deeper than she'd ever been in love before. The way Rory was acting now was making Lorelai wonder if Rory had ever truly loved Dean, it was clear she had liked him but this was the real thing, her daughter had fallen in love and she didn't even realise it yet.

'Me and Jess are going down to Westport today, down to the coast if that's ok with you.' Rory said after a little while.

'Course it's ok. So are you and Jess an item yet?' Lorelai asked carefully approaching the subject.

'Not yet, we're taking things slowly.' Rory replied sipping her coffee.

'Slowly, ok. Well have a good day while your poor mother has to slave away at work in this terrible heat.' Lorelai joked dramatically. 'Is it just you and Jess going?'

'Uh not sure really we've not made definite plans, but I'm going to stop by the diner after breakfast and find out. Maybe Lane could come and Paris.' Rory thought, after having received an annoyed voice mail from Paris about not spending any time with her.

'Poor Jess, him and three girls.' Lorelai laughed.

'I know, but there aren't really any guys I could invite. Still Jess doesn't really get on with any of the guys from his school, so at least him and Lane get on ok and he got on well enough with Paris.' Rory shrugged and finished off her food. Lorelai looked at her daughter with a small smile.

'He's really making an effort with your friends, and me for that matter. This morning he spoke to me.' Lorelai said. Rory smiled up at her mum pleased that Lorelai liked Jess a little more now.

'I should get going, find out the plans for today.' Rory said getting up and kissing her mum's head. 'I shouldn't be back late.'

'Ok hun, bring me back some sand.' Lorelai called after her, Rory laughed as she grabbed her back.

'I'll see what I can do.' She called back.

*

'You're wrong.' Paris said shaking her head, the large hat on her head protecting her from the sun moving as she did. Jess groaned slightly and looked at her wearily.

'I'm not wrong, it's an opinion.' Jess replied his eyes moving towards Rory who was sat on the sand drinking lemonade and talking to Lane.

'A wrong opinion, you can't just lump all poetry together and call it a waste of words.' Paris said angrily.

'And why not, if you can call Kerouac indulgent nonsense then I can say what I like about poetry.' Jess replied keeping his calm.

'Kerouac was indulgent, besides that's an opinion on one author not an entire form of literature.' Paris replied. Rory looked over at the two of them, Jess laying casually on his back, propped up on his elbows, and Paris sat upright arms crossed over her chest.

'You're forgetting as well Jess that Kerouac was a poet.' Rory said moving over to sit next to him. He smirked at her.

'You're right there, and he was good too but can you really say his poetry was better than his novels?' Jess asked her, his full attention now on Rory, she gazed back at him, thinking for a moment.

'No, his novels were better. Still you can't say you hate all poetry when you like his.' Rory replied laughing laying on her side in the sand.

'Fine you win.' Jess smiled at her, lying down on his back. Lane and Paris glanced at the two of them, as they both laughed happily.

*

'Today was good.' Rory said sleepily as she and Jess walked back from the diner to her house that night, it was coming up for ten and the sky was getting darker. They walked a few inches apart, their hands swinging beside one another's.

'Debates and all.' Jess agreed, Rory laughed thinking about the debates on book and music they'd had with Paris and Lane, each debate people switching sides, though for the most part Rory and Jess agreed, until Hemingway was mentioned anyway.

'You're quite sweet you know that.' Rory said letting him take her hand, and lace their fingers together.

'Don't tell anyone, you'll spoil my reputation.' Jess said as they made it to Rory's house. Rory smiled up and him and gave him a hug, letting his arms wrap themselves around her waist.

'Goodnight Jess.' Rory whispered.

'Goodnight.' He replied pulling away and resisting the urge to kiss her, she needed time and he would give that to her, so with on quick peck on the cheek he walked away.

A/N- Hope you like it, review and let me know.