23. Our Christmas Tree
'Verse: AU, in which Rory & Jess never met before
Timeline: post-series - sequel to 'O Christmas Tree' (LAC'17 #1)
Date: December 2009

"Seriously, how did we not learn our lesson from last year?" asked Jess as he man-handled the Christmas tree into the corner of the apartment. "That is insane," he declared, stepping back to see the poor tree squashed horribly into the too small space.

"It'll be fine," Rory assured him, stepping up beside him with a box of ornaments in her arms. "And really, how could we not have one after the way we met?" she said, leaning in to kiss Jess' cheek.

He couldn't argue with her and they both knew it. Jess was only grateful he didn't need to work at the Christmas tree lot this year, out in the cold and quite often the dark too, then finding needles in his clothes, hair, and everywhere else forever more. Of course, he never would regret having the job last year. As Rory rightly said, it was how they met, how they came to be here now, living together, completely in love.

"What?" asked Rory as she caught Jess grinning at her for no apparent reason.

"Nothing," he told her, shaking his head. "I was just remembering how I got paid for hauling the tree in here last year," he said with a wicked smirk.

"I still can't believe I just kissed you like that." Rory shook her head, one hand covering her face a moment as she blushed terribly. "I know I blamed the mistletoe, but honestly? You were just so charming and cute and, yes, I know, I'm setting feminism back a decade or two just saying this, but seeing you being all manly with the tree carrying and everything, it was... attractive," she said, looking intently at the decorations rather than her boyfriend.

"Well," said Jess, moving to take the box from her hands and put it aside, "you were definitely the most beautiful woman who came to the lot, and the smartest actually, tree size estimations notwithstanding," he said, smirking as he pulled her into his arms. "And for what it's worth, I actually think you did great things for feminism, you know, making the first move and everything?"

"Really?" Rory smiled, putting her arms up around his neck. "Well, I'm not sorry that I did, or that I dropped by the book store two days later and asked you out for coffee," she said, leaning in to plant a kiss on his lips.

"It's a good thing I like forward-thinking, outspoken women, isn't it?" said Jess, holding her close.

"And it's a good thing I like manly, tree-carrying, book devouring men, I guess," Rory replied, her forehead pressed against Jess' own. "So, are we going to decorate this monster tree now?"

"We could," Jess considered, glancing briefly at said tree before meeting her gaze again. "Or we could do it later."

"Later?"

"Later." Jess nodded, moving in to kiss her.

Rory didn't feel the need to argue at all as she got lost in the moment, sure she was seeing bright lights and stars even though the decorations were all still in the boxes yet. When her feet left the ground, she gasped with surprise, breaking their kiss.

"What?" said Jess, smirking at her expression. "You're way easier to handle than a tree," he told her, shrugging his shoulders.

Rory laughed as he carried her to their bedroom and they closed the door on the world for a while.