3. Making Christmas Memories

'Verse: Hard Reset
Timeline: post-fic
Date: December 2005

"Hi," said Rory the moment the apartment door opened.

"Hi," replied Jess, leaning forward to kiss her hello. "This is a nice surprise, unless we arranged something and I forgot?" he checked.

"You didn't forget," she promised, shaking her head, not even smiling a little bit then.

"Rory, come on. We can't never mention memories or forgetting stuff just because of what happened to me," he told her gently. "I didn't even say that on purpose."

"I know," she agreed as they moved to sit together on the couch. "I can't help it, Jess. A part of me is still just waiting for something to happen, for you to wake up one morning and all your memories will be gone again."

"Rory, that's not going to happen," he assured her. "You were there at the doctor's office the last time I had a check-up. Sure, there may be occasional lapses on details here and there, but who remembers everything anyway? I'm fine," he promised her, squeezing her hand.

"I know," she repeated. "Can I help it if I love you enough to worry about you?" she said then, her free hand at his cheek.

"I love that you love me, but the worry is unnecessary," he assured her, leaning into her touch. "Now, you came over here to surprise me, which you did, but the bag seems like it has some purpose too?" he said, looking down at the shiny gift bag clutched in her lap.

"Well, I was thinking about your apartment and how great it is and how it would be even better if it actually felt like Christmas was a week away, which by the way, it does not right now," she noted, looking around at the bare walls and empty space.

"Rory, I'm not getting a tree," he told her, for what he was sure was the hundredth time. "You have one at your mom's house and one at your dorm and one at Luke's. My apartment doesn't need one. We won't even be here on Christmas, we'll be in Stars Hollow."

"I already know all of that," Rory assured him, taking the bag from her lap and thrusting it into Jess' hands. "No tree, I get it. Something so much better."

Jess gave her a sceptical look then opened up the bag and peered inside.

"Seriously?" he checked, reaching in to pull out the motherlode of twinkle lights.

"Grandma was going to throw them out since it turns out she has a million strings. She said I could have them if I want." Rory grinned.

"So, I get to live like Tinkerbell for Christmas?" said Jess, making a face. "Great."

"It'll be so pretty and festive and great," Rory insisted, even as Jess dropped the bag on the ground in something close to disgust.

"It'll be emasculating," he told her straight.

Rory pouted a moment before a thought occurred to her. She shifted closer to Jess and gave him a good long kiss.

"I'll make you a deal," she said softly, pressing a further kiss to his lips. "Put up the twinkle lights and I promise that any time you don't feel like a man, we'll find some way for you to prove that you are."

"Oh yeah?" asked Jess with a smirk that always came naturally.

"Yeah," Rory assured him, giggling like crazy as he took a hold of her and pulled her down flat onto the couch with him, kissing her senseless.

Maybe the twinkle lights weren't such a bad idea after all.