thank you from the bottom of my heart for your kind words! they mean so much to me. and thank you for sticking with me and my story.
wrote something more lighthearted this time :)
short rated m scene in this chapter
disclaimer: I own nothing
"Let me get this straight. You want to drive up to Connecticut before a snow storm, so that we will then get stuck there during the snow storm. With a five month old baby. And probably the cat too, I assume."
Jess leans forward on his elbows on his desk at Truncheon. Rory stands in front of him with an excited smile on her face and a little out of breath, having ran downstairs from the day care office to share this plan with him. She was working on her book, Persie napping and under the care of a daycare worker, when Lorelai called to tell her this very important news.
She nods emphatically in response to Jess.
"Yes! Well, it's not a snow storm, that's dramatic. But it is going to be the first snow of the season in Stars Hollow! I want Persie to experience her first snow, Jess. Please."
He cocks his head, holding a hand up as he tries to grasp her reasoning.
"It's supposed to snow here too, you know. In New York. Where we live."
"But here is not Stars Hollow," she argues back, giving him a challenging, but playful, look as she crosses her arms over her chest. He sits back in his chair with a sigh.
"Even though we're going there next week for Thanksgiving? I'm sure there will still be snow on the ground. We can show her then."
She stares back at him, and he already knows she's about to pull out her most devious weapons as soon as she slumps down in the chair across the desk. He grimaces as she sticks out her lower lip in a pout and widens her big blue eyes - which have even more power over him now that he has a daughter with a matching pair. He groans and brings a hand to his head.
"I don't know how you still manage to manipulate me with that pout after all this time together. I think you should be studied by military scientists."
The pout vanishes and turns into a crescent grin.
"So, we can go?! We'll leave tonight?"
He eyes her before shutting his eyes for a moment and nodding.
"Yes, fine. We can leave before dinner and eat at a rest stop on the way. I know how much you like that crap."
She gasps and stands up to circle the desk towards him.
"I love it! Greasy pizza, a cinnamon pretzel and a Nathan's hot dog is the perfect meal," she takes a seat on his lap and wraps her arms around him, "you're so good to me!"
He chuckles and kisses the side of her face as one of his hands finds her bottom and squeezes it.
"That's because you're so good to me," his lips find her neck as he mumbles, "especially this morning. Waking up with you straddled across my lap is my favorite way to start the day for sure."
She pulls back and sees his suggestive look; he throws her a wink that makes her giggle. He watches as she tucks her bottom lip under her teeth and turns her body so she's now straddling him in his office chair. An intrigued smirk creeps across his face.
"I can be good to you anywhere," she teases, pushing herself down into his lap more. He hums in delight, hands reaching up to brush through her hair and down her arms that are currently covered in a cardigan. He begins to push it off of her shoulders.
"Really? Anywhere? I remember just a few months ago you had a conniption about having sex while my sister and her girlfriend were sleeping upstairs."
She shakes the sweater the rest of the way off her arms, it falls onto the floor beneath them.
"Being a mother for five months now has really changed things," she sighs and gives him a matching smirk, "time is precious, so I'm happy to get it wherever I can."
She feels his response to her words throb against her thigh. A groan vibrates in his throat; he pulls her face to his as he mumbles,
"And I'm happy to give it you wherever, whenever you want, baby."
As they get swept up in a devouring kiss - one of his hands tangled in her hair and the other squeezing her ass - a loud knock on the door shatters the passionate bubble and brings them back to reality. He huffs as Rory pulls away from him with a hot blush on her face.
"Who is it?" he calls out, frowning when Rory starts to scamper from his lap. He pulls her back at her hips, sitting her on his leg again. She shoots him a glare.
"It's Mandy," the daycare employee replies, "I'm looking for Rory."
Rory tries to get out of his hold again, but he keeps her in place.
"She's here, come on in."
The older woman pushes the door open with a babbling Persie in her arms.
"Sorry Rory. I know she needs to eat, and I tried to give her a bottle, but she just would not take it. She kept pushing it away."
She jumps out of Jess's lap and takes the baby from her hands.
"It's all good, Mandy. Thank you for finding me," she smiles at her, "we started giving her baby food recently, and for some reason it's caused her to become more attached to me when it's time for milk. Jess is the only one that seems to be able to get her to take a bottle now, and only in the middle of the night if it's just the two of them."
Mandy gives her a sympathetic grin, "oh yeah, I've been through that with one of my kids. A change in feeding routines can just throw them off sometimes. She wants mom and dad's comfort is all. Anyway, I'll leave you to it."
"Thank you!" Rory calls after her as she closes the door. She looks down at Persie and then at Jess, "I can't believe she's not crying. That's good."
He smiles and nods, then lifts a hand to wave her over.
"Come back here so I can hold you."
"Hold me or her?" Rory asks as she takes a seat on his lap again. He wraps his arms around her waist, and under the baby so he's holding her up.
"Both of you," he murmurs. She turns her head to give him a quick kiss. She looks down at the baby, that's grown so much in size over the last few months and tickles her fingers over her belly.
"Guess what Persie? We're going to Stars Hollow today. You're going to see Nana and Grandpa Luke, and you're going to experience your first snowfall! Isn't that so exciting, sweets?!"
A smile grows on Persie's face as Rory speaks to her in a silly, animated tone. Then she releases her little baby giggle and kicks her feet out, making both Jess and Rory smile wide.
"Look, Jess! She is so excited to see her first snow in Stars Hollow," she turns to give him a kiss again, "thank you. You've made two Gilmore-Mariano girls very happy!"
His heart skips a beat at her words; despite the fact that it's still not legally her name, as they haven't gotten married yet, she's been referring to herself with both names since the baby was born. He doesn't tell her how incredible that makes him feel, though he's sure she knows - and he's also sure that's exactly why she continues to do it. As she looks away to lift her top so Persie can eat, he presses his lips in the crook of her neck.
"That's all I ever want."
"Look at her! Oh my god, Persephone Victoria. How did you grow this much in three weeks?!"
Lorelai steps up to Rory in the foyer of the Gilmore house, where the family of three has just entered after a long drive. Rory hands Persie over, ready to let her grandparents entertain and soothe her for as long as they want. It was a difficult ride - due to the time they left there was lots of traffic, and Persie was feeling extra fussy the entire time, to the point where they had to pull over so Rory could climb in the backseat and entertain her the rest of the drive.
"Mom, please remind us to never drive from New York to Connecticut at four in the afternoon with a baby," she whines, and wraps her arms around Lorelai and Persie. Lorelai clicks her tongue sympathetically and pats her on the arm.
"Aw, honey. Did you guys have a tough ride?"
"You could say that," Jess grunts as he slips off his coat, "you know, I love the Gilmores. There are lots of great things about you guys. But I'm starting to think your traditions are a little too zany."
That makes Rory chuckle, and she moves away from her mom to Jess's side. He gives her a small smile to let her know he's joking before lifting his hands to her shoulders to help her take off her coat.
"Oh Jess, they could be worse. I could have continued the Emily Gilmore traditions, and then you would have to get this baby sworn in as a socialite," she turns around and beckons them to follow, "come on. I've had Sbarro for dinner many times and I know for a fact that it's not very filling. Luke kept some good food warm for you."
For the first time since they left New York, an elated grin crosses Rory's face.
"Really? What kind of good food?!"
Lorelai gives her a look over her shoulder, "oh, you know. Nothing crazy. Just a little pot roast."
"Oh my favorite!" Rory claps her hands and jogs ahead into the kitchen. Luke stands at the stove, stirring the pot of food he saved for them. She wraps her arms around him.
"Hi Luke! Thank you so much for saving us food."
He squeezes her with the one arm he has around her back.
"Of course. No one should rely on rest stop food for nutrients," he pulls away and looks between Jess and Rory with a shy smile, "I have food for Persie too. I heard she likes pureed sweet potatoes. There are jars in the fridge. I can heat one up for you if she's hungry."
"She just ate half an hour ago," Jess replies, standing near the kitchen table with his hands in his pockets. He gives him a grateful grin, "but thank you, Luke. She will definitely love that."
"I get the feeling she's loving all kinds of foods, huh?" Lorelai teases, pinching lightly on the baby's belly rolls, "She's a chunky little monkey."
"Oh she loves pretty much everything we've given her so far," Rory replies, taking the bowl of food Luke offers her and sitting at the table, "except avocado. She doesn't seem to like that."
"Avocado is kinda slimy, isn't it Persie? I'm totally on your side," Lorelai states and then pushes out the chair next to her, "have a seat, Jess."
He shakes his head. Rory looks up to meet his eyes with question.
"Actually, I think I want to do some work. Do you mind if I go over to the apartment above the diner for a little bit?"
Rory shakes her head, "not at all. Go ahead."
"You sure?" he asks, stepping closer to her, "I can take Persie with me if you want. I know the car ride was tough."
"Don't worry about it, Jess," she insists, standing up to give him a quick kiss, "we're good here. I'm sure mom plans to talk to her for as long as she possibly can."
"I sure do!" Lorelai quips, "I have so much to tell her about my life lately."
Jess chuckles and nods; he kisses her again softly.
"Okay, thanks. My phone will be on if you need me. I'll be back in a couple of hours."
"Is he okay?" Lorelai asks after she hears him walk out the front door. Rory shrugs a shoulder as she chews on a soft potato.
"I think so. And even if he's not, it's normal for him to need time to himself before telling me about it."
Luke pops into the conversation as he places a cup of water in front of Rory.
"You think he's feeling weird about Jimmy coming for Thanksgiving next week? He's staying with you, isn't he?"
"He's been totally fine, and he didn't seem weird just now," she shrugs again, "and, no. Jimmy is not staying with us. We offered and he said he would get a hotel so he's not in the way, which I think Jess secretly appreciates."
"Huh. Guess Jimmy's not as much of an idiot as he used to be," Luke mumbles, and brings the pot of food to the table to add more to Rory's bowl.
"This is so good Luke, thank you!"
He pats her on the shoulder, "I put some in the freezer for you guys to take home with you when you leave."
"Damn, I thought those were for us!"
"Lorelai," Luke rolls his eyes, "I cook for you every day."
"I know, I just wanted Persie to see you roll your eyes. I thought it would make her giggle."
"She really did not like the car ride," Rory explains, "I think she needs some time to get happy again."
"Well, I'm going to hold on tight to you until you smile and laugh for me little girl, yes I am! You're all Nana's now!" she cackles, and Persie kicks her legs against her arm, "oh wow. Those are definitely the feet that kicked you in the womb, Rory. She's strong."
"Strong willed too," Rory mumbles, "a real Gilmore."
"Oh dear, let's hope she doesn't have a baby at sixteen and run away from home!"
Luke and Rory simultaneously shoot her a harsh glare. She laughs nervously.
"Not funny? Sorry," she places her lips near the baby's ears and stage whispers, "delete that from your impressionable little brain, Persie. Or your mother will kill me."
"If Jess doesn't kill you first."
"Now, there's no need to tell him about this."
"Oh, I will be telling him."
"You guys make me feel like such a child sometimes!"
Luke clears his throat before mumbling,
"If the shoe fits."
"We don't have to take this Persie! Come on, let's go watch reruns of The Nanny. I know you love Fran's crazy laugh! And Mr. Sheffield isn't too hard on the eyes, am I right?"
As Lorelai leaves the room, Rory looks up and shares a smile with Luke.
"Persie is a lucky granddaughter."
Luke's smile broadens and he pats her hand on the table.
"She's a lucky kid all around."
…..
Despite the cold temperature, Jess decides to walk the way to Luke's. Needing a little outlet from being cramped in the car and being forced to hear Persie's crying and not being able to do much about it. As much as it stressed him out, it inspired him too. She inspired him, in a peculiar way, - her endless cries, her strength, her resilience on only her third or fourth long drive. Most of all, her willfulness; communicating the only way she knows how until she got what she wanted (her mom playing with her in the backseat). Although he knows these are all normal baby things, it sprouted a creative thought in his mind, the first demanding one he's had in a long time.
He walks down the dark but still friendly looking streets of Stars Hollow, brainstorming how and what exactly he wants to write. His eyes stay focused ahead of him, silently registering places with memories - like Weston's, Stars Hollow High, and eventually Miss Patty's. He shakes his head as he recalls the first time he was forced to attend a town meeting; it was so Norman Rockwell, all he could do was laugh at its absurd quaintness. The only perk being that Rory was there, sitting only a couple of seats away from him. And she was so focused on whatever drama was going on between Taylor and Lorelai, he was able to steal many satisfying peeks at her. With a half smirk on his face and a budding story in his mind, he rounds the corner towards Luke's. He takes a breath and subconsciously scans the area. He stops in his tracks when he sees a familiar figure, with a billowing cigarette hanging from his mouth and a sour look on his face sitting in a very familiar setting.
He puts his hands in his pockets, shouldering his laptop bag higher on his arm, and strides over to the gazebo. He quietly ascends the small steps, and Brandon looks up from the floor at the sound.
"Hey," Jess nods in greeting, staying put on the steps, "didn't know you were in town."
Brandon runs a hand through his hair and shrugs, "could say the same to you."
Jess takes another step up, then leans against the frame of the gazebo.
"Didn't know you smoked either."
Brandon takes a long drag while holding Jess's eye contact before dropping it on the wooden floor and stomping on it. Jess chuckles as he watches the embers die down.
"Taylor is going to have a fit about that. Hope I'm around to witness it."
"I started today."
Jess cocks his head in confusion at Brandon's mumbled statement.
"Sorry?"
"Started smoking today."
"Ah. Just felt like you were missing a vice in your life?"
"No. Just felt like smoking alone is less sad than drinking alone."
"It's not really."
Brandon sighs, "no. I guess not."
He picks up the pack of cigarettes and smashes the carton between his hands before tossing it over the side of the gazebo. A deep belly laugh erupts from Jess, and in the absence of cigarette smoke, he takes a seat next to Brandon.
"Taylor isn't going to know what to do with himself. I'm proud of you."
Leaning forward on his knees, Brandon turns his head; Jess is satisfied to see the corner of his mouth twitch.
"So. You feel like telling me what's got you all James Dean tonight or do you want to sit here and stare at these old wood planks together for a while?"
Brandon turns his gaze downward again, "If you stare at them long enough you start to see faces."
"I guess this town has always given off some Twin Peaks vibes."
"Some what vibes?" Brandon turns back to Jess with a quirked brow. The older man sighs in response.
"These are the moments that I really feel our age difference."
"Speaking of age difference," Brandon mutters, sitting up with a dark look on his face again, "Martha is going to a patisserie school. In Paris. For two years."
Jess frowns slightly. "I've heard that's the place to do something like that. What does that have to do with age though?"
He gestures with his hands in frustration before he explains.
"The way that I found this information out began with a fight. A girl that works at the Truncheon with us in Philly texted me earlier. Just asking me where I put the step ladder that goes in the storeroom because she couldn't find it and needed something high up on a shelf. Completely work related, nothing else."
"Okay…"
"I was with Martha when she texted me, and my phone was on the table. Her name popped up and Martha just freaked," he shakes his head as he thinks over the events, "she has never been that way about anything before. It came out of nowhere. She accused me of cheating on her or something."
Jess shifts in his seat, because he thinks he knows where this is going.
"I showed her the message and then showed her our entire text history. I even handed over my whole phone and told her to go through it because I'm not hiding anything. Then she started crying…"
Jess sighs, "because she had the kind of news that could possibly start a fight."
"I guess," Brandon shrugs. He looks out over the town square, taking in the stillness that only comes before a storm.
"She wants to stay together. Which I think is even more immature than picking a fight with me."
Jess crosses his arms over his chest as he starts to feel the sting of the crisp, cold air through his jacket.
"What do you mean?"
Brandon swivels his head to face him, eyes and forehead scrunched.
"How are we supposed to be in a relationship when she's on another continent? Not for months at a time, like Rory was at her job. But for two years."
Jess looks him over, seeing great conflict racing through the young man's mind. He reaches a hand to nudge his shoulder.
"She'll come home for holidays and breaks. You know Sookie wouldn't let her miss Thanksgiving at least."
Brandon's face falls, not finding his words amusing,
"What about the rest of the time? I just sit here missing her and thinking about all the romantic French dudes she's meeting?"
"Paris is pretty touristy," Jess argues, "there really aren't that many 'romantic French dudes' there. Just a lot of American idiots."
Brandon glares, but it weakens as he asks in a broken plead,
"What the hell do I do, Jess?"
Jess looks him in the eyes, sitting quietly for a beat; then he shrugs both shoulders slightly.
"Support her. Whether you break up or not, you should support her. Bitterness won't help the situation at all."
Brandon closes his eyes and shakes his head as though he's attempting to shake the memories of the night away. Then he rolls his head back to rest against the gazebo wall, eyes staring partially at the ceiling and partially at the bright stars in the sky.
"She's so special," Brandon mumbles out, "she's sweet, and beautiful, and so funny. And fuck, she's an incredible chef. I don't even understand why she wants to go. What difference does a degree or certification or whatever make when you already know how to bake a tarte tatin?"
Jess chuckles softly, "Why did Rory want to go to a private school when she was excelling at Stars Hollow High? She wanted the challenge, and she wanted to put the work in to feel deserving of her future. Or to guarantee it maybe, I don't know. Something along those lines. Probably the same for Martha."
Brandon turns his head to face him again, "I'm sorry, but baking is not the same as being an international journalist."
"No, not in the literal sense. But in the sense of being well-trained and esteemed, it absolutely is," Jess argues, brow raised in challenge. When Brandon turns his gaze back to the ceiling without replying, Jess lightly smacks his arm and speaks again.
"Hey, you're not alone anymore. Why don't we go get a drink?"
Brandon frowns, "I don't know."
Jess stands up and in front of him, causing Brandon to sit up in his seat.
"We should get a drink, because I need to tell you something that you're not going to like hearing. Would like the booze to dull you a little first."
He eyes Jess with a preemptive disgruntled look on his face.
"What? Tell me what you want to tell me."
Jess sighs. He pulls a cold hand from his pocket to run through his hair. He stuffs it back inside as his fingers start to numb and meets Brandon's eyes.
"You're the one being immature about this."
Brandon blinks back at him. Jess shrugs.
"I'm not criticizing you or anything. Just telling you what I'm hearing," he leans forward to grasp Brandon kindly on the shoulder, "it makes sense. This is your first real relationship. She shouldn't have picked that fight with you for sure, but…you're the one making this Paris thing feel more threatening than it is."
The two men stare at each for a silent minute, Jess still gripping his shoulder, his look sympathetic and fatherly towards him. Slowly, Brandon's features fall to a frown of acceptance. He swallows hard before saying,
"I think I do want to go get a drink."
Jess gives him a half smile and a nod.
"Good deal. As you probably know, there's nothing fun open in this town. But I left a bottle of whiskey in the apartment above Luke's for emergencies."
"Perfect, no strangers or overpriced drinks is exactly what I need."
Jess leads the way as Brandon stands and follows.
"Or worse, people that you know and want to avoid. Much more likely here," he then looks back momentarily at Brandon to ask, "do you need money?"
"No, just don't like paying eight dollars for a beer," he shakes his head, "by the way, what are you doing walking around here alone on a random Thursday?"
He shrugs a shoulder, "Rory wanted Persie to experience her first snow."
"I know I haven't lived in New York for a while now, but last I checked, it does snow there."
"I've learned not to ask too many questions," he jokes in response, opening the door to Luke's, "it makes sense to Rory and that's all that matters."
"Good philosophy," Brandon chuckles quietly, "But…you are sans Rory and Persie. And you're walking about with your work bag."
Jess walks through the restaurant, ignoring the few diners still there despite Caesar trying to close up.
"Jeez, you're chatty all the sudden," he mumbles in Brandon's direction, "what happened to not wanting to talk?"
"I didn't want to talk about my thing. We can talk about yours," he replies smartly, following Jess into the apartment. Jess doesn't reply as he goes to a cabinet and pulls out a mostly full bottle of Woodford Reserve followed by two small glasses. Brandon watches as he gives them each a healthy pour, and then turns and holds a glass out to him. Jess clinks his glass to his before taking a sip; he watches in amusement as Brandon throws his back completely. He clears his throat.
"Another one? Just to make sure your liver is truly fucked."
His words manage to derive an abrupt laugh from the younger man. Jess half smiles and pours him another anyway. He then leans back against the counter in the tiny kitchen, facing Brandon where he stands near the table.
"Why don't you think it will work? Between you and Martha, long distance. Because, by the way, you've already done the long distance thing for, what, a year already right?"
"Oh, I don't think I'm drunk enough yet," Brandon mutters in reply, taking a hearty sip of his whiskey. Jess shrugs and nods in acceptance. The two quietly sip, the silence between them somewhat comfortable. Jess keeps his gaze on Brandon, whose eyes shift around the room. Eventually, they land on the laptop bag Jess placed on the table when they walked in. Brandon nods towards it.
"You were coming here to work?"
Jess opens his mouth, ready to go ahead and confirm that rather than telling the whole truth. But, he changes his mind as he looks at Brandon again; feeling like a true father figure in this situation, he understands that the best way to get him to talk, is to be honest with him.
"Actually…I got an idea. A writing idea. I think it's my first solid one in a couple of years."
Brandon turns to him, his eyes slightly wider. He stands up taller and puts his glass down on the table.
"Oh shit. Don't let me keep you away from it. I can go."
Jess shakes his head and his hand simultaneously, "no, no. I don't want you to go. Especially since you just chugged half a glass of whiskey. You're definitely sleeping up here tonight."
Brandon goes to argue, but a boozy hiccup suddenly escapes him.
Jess smirks, "see?"
His lip curls upward as he takes a seat at the table. He takes another sip of his drink and then frowns.
"I'm supposed to help Martha with prepping for the Autumn festival this weekend."
"Damn, that's this weekend? I thought it passed already," he grunts, "I guess Rory left that detail out on purpose."
"I think Martha said that Taylor postponed it because of the election."
"God forbid something more important than the fall festival is happening in this country."
Brandon laughs; it warms Jess to hear it. He takes a seat at the table across from him.
"You can decide if you're going to do that tomorrow. No need to grapple with such a daunting task tonight."
He laughs again and sits back in his chair, looking more relaxed than Jess found him in the gazebo.
"So. You have an idea?"
Jess nods, "I do."
"That must be a great feeling."
"It definitely is."
"Something inspire you?"
Jess shrugs his head sideways, trying to curb his small smile.
"Maybe."
Brandon's brows lift into a humorous look.
"Don't tell me it's this whimsical town."
"God no, I've incorporated enough of this place in my writing," Jess shakes his head, and then a genuine smile - one full of deep love and pride - graces his features, "my daughter inspired me."
Brandon's look softens, his eyes glancing over Jess with a hint of admiration.
"Well," he finally responds with a gentle grin, "then I think it's safe to say, whatever it is, it will be very good."
Jess takes a breath before nodding; he holds his glass up to meet for another cheers. This time, they both down their drinks; though when the empty glass hits the table, they're both smiling.
He wakes up in the small, dark room at the Gilmore house later that night. He came home just in time to help put Persie to bed, and then he and Rory crashed immediately after. With blinking eyes, he tries to make out where the rustling noise that woke him is coming from. Then, he hears the familiar sound of Persie's baby babbles.
"Shhh," he hears Rory whispers, "we don't want to wake daddy up, sweet girl. Just another minute, then you can talk all you want."
Jess clears his throat and sits up in bed; his eyes have adjusted enough to see Rory standing over the nearby bassinet with what looks like clothes in her hands. He sees her jump slightly.
"What are you doing?" he asks, voice rough with sleep. She lifts Persie up in her arms and steps over to the bed, taking a seat on the edge near him.
She whispers, excitement evident in her voice, "I'm bundling her up to take her outside. To see the snow."
"In the middle of the night?"
"It's early morning."
"It's darker than Helsinki in the middle of winter outside."
"Okay it's two AM."
"You know there will be even more snow to show her if you just wait until a normal time to take her outside. And don't people say not to wake a sleeping baby?"
"Jess," her voice is pleading, and even though he can't fully make them out in the dark, he knows her big blues are being used on him, "it's her very first snow."
He sighs, running a hand through his flattened bed hair. He drops his hand onto the blanket.
"Okay. I'm up. I'll finish taking care of her," he pushes the covers back as she stands up. He stands next to her and affectionately pats her hip, "you go bundle your pretty little ass up, lunatic."
"I love you, I really do!" she gushes, kissing his cheek and handing the baby over, "I'll grab your coat too."
He chuckles as she runs out of the room. He flips on the light and finishes bundling Persie up in layers of warmth. Finally, he puts a little blue pom hat on her head, a knitted gift from Matt's wife. He quickly puts socks and a sweatshirt on himself and turns back to Persie lying on the bed. She kicks her legs and moves her arms around, looking like she wants to roll over; Jess thinks she's going to cry because of how restricted the movements feel in all those clothes - instead, she giggles. The sound of it sends a thrill through him every time he hears it. He lifts her up into the crook of his arm and kisses her face.
"Okay then," he mumbles as he walks them out of the room, "I guess you're going to be a snow freak too."
He finds Rory waiting by the front door in slippers, an unbuttoned coat, and a scarf tossed around her neck. She smiles at them and holds one arm out to give him his coat and takes Persie with the other.
"Ready?" she asks, with one of her childlike, infectious grins. It's impossible to curb his own smile in response so he doesn't try.
"I'm ready, and I think Persie is too."
Wasting no more time, she opens the front door and the family of three leaves the warm, dark house and walks into the crisp white night. Jess's jaw drops as he sees there's already an inch of snow on the ground, and he laughs incredulously when he looks up and in the moonlight sees thick, heavy flurries still falling from the sky.
"I thought this was supposed to be a light snow?"
Rory turns her eyes from the beautiful scene in front of her, to her equally beautiful fiancé.
"It was! I don't know what happened, but it feels magical."
She looks out at the snow covered lawn again and then down at the baby hoisted on her hip. She turns her body slightly so Jess can get a better look; he melts when he sees Persie's wondrous eyes taking in every detail of this new experience. Her adorable little mouth open, the corners of her lips turned up slightly. He takes a breath to steady the buzzing in his chest, this special moment with his family in the middle of the night feeling like a lucid dream.
"She loves it," Rory says, her excited voice softer than before; Jess can tell that she's feeling similarly to him. He steps closer and puts his arm around her shoulders. Under the gleaming stars, and the peaceful, soft pouring of snow from the sky - he decides he wants to share something with her. He kisses her head and mumbles,
"Remember how I said I was going to Luke's to work earlier?"
She nods.
"Mhm, but you ran into Brandon instead."
"Yes, I did," he kisses her head again, "but I wasn't going there to work in the first place. Well, I wasn't going there to work on Truncheon related stuff."
She pulls her head back slightly to meet his eyes.
"What do you mean?"
He gets lost in her curious, pretty facial features for a moment. When she cocks her head, the side of his mouth perks up.
"I have a book idea."
She gasps, and the bright smile he loves is back again, "really? You're writing something new?!"
"I just got the idea tonight, haven't put anything to paper yet," he shrugs one shoulder. His half smile weakens as he further explains, "this idea I have, it's a little out of my wheelhouse. It would be like nothing I've done before."
Her smile softens as she hears some uncertainty in his voice.
"It's exciting," he continues, and his lips twitch slightly as he admits, "but feels intimidating too."
She looks between his eyes, and he can feel the subdued enthusiasm wanting to pour out of her. But she understands he needs assurance right now, and not a million questions thrown at him. She shifts Persie up higher on her hip and frees one of her arms. He hardly feels the cold air anymore as she wraps her arm around his neck to kiss him deeply. Her hand moves to hold his cheek as they break apart. He leans into it when she says confidently,
"You're brilliant, Jess, and fully capable of taking on something different," she kisses him again, "and you don't write anything that doesn't come from your heart, and your heart is a beautiful thing."
He grins in appreciation.
"I don't know, I think I've written from my gut before. Definitely my spiraling brain."
"All connected to the heart."
He laughs quietly and nods. She doesn't ask him any questions, thinking that he probably isn't ready to divulge anything else yet. Typically, he doesn't even tell her he's working on something until it's mostly written. Instead, she turns around again to give Persie a better view of the snow. She carefully takes a seat on the top of the porch steps, keeping them slightly covered still. But the new view seems to be tantalizing, as she starts to kick her legs and babble excitedly in Rory's arms. Jess smiles at his snow lovers, and joins them on the step. His eyes are fixed to the baby's happy legs as he says,
"It's about Persephone. The book I want to write."
His words give Rory pause, and it takes her a moment before she turns to face him.
"You want to write a book about our daughter?"
"Not Persie," he shakes his head, but stops himself, "well, it is about Persie in a sense. I want to rewrite Persephone's story, the goddess. I know a lot of authors have done that sort of thing, you know mythology is a bunch of stories in the first place, but-"
"That doesn't matter," Rory cuts him off, the excitement she held in before coming out at full force, "you can do it too! That's so cool! What's your idea for her story? Or you don't want to tell me yet?"
"I haven't fully conceptualized it yet, it's going to take time, research, and a lot of aggravating writing and editing over and over again, I'm sure," he jokes, but his look is serious as his gaze turns on their daughter, "but I want to…write something that captures her power, and her spirit. The most popular story about her is that she was kidnapped and forcibly bound to Hades. Forced to spend half her time in dark places. I think that's crazy, and I don't want that to be the story our daughter refers to as she grows up. Persephone is a freaking goddess, she doesn't have to do anything she doesn't want to."
Rory listens with rapt attention, although he doesn't take his eyes off Persie.
"All I know, is that I'm going to write her as someone that understands both the Springs and the Winters of life, and that's how she ends up as Queen of the underworld. Not because it was forced on her. Because she was drawn to it," he slowly reaches tender fingers towards his daughter, and grips her little hand in his as he mumbles, "a strong, beautiful story for a strong, beautiful girl."
"Jess…" Rory hums sweetly, "it's going to be amazing. But I do have to say one thing."
He finally turns his eyes from the baby to Rory's face, and the impish look he finds there enchants him. He can feel his pupils dilating with love as he asks,
"What's that?"
"If you write a book for Persie, you're going to have to write books for all of our kids."
His lips break into a glowing cheshire grin, and he replies with fervent interest,
"And how many will that be?"
He watches as her snow speckled cheeks grow pinker. She looks down at the gleeful baby in her arms and then back at Jess with a telling half-smirk.
"That's to be determined."
His smile grows and he leans over to press his lips against her flushed face.
"Well whatever number that ends up being," he murmurs, "I'll have no problem writing something for every single one."
"Really? What if it's ten?"
"Ten?" his eyebrow quirks, "I may be too busy or exhausted to write ten novels, but I'm sure I could swing some short stories."
She laughs in a mesmerizing way, and for a moment he thinks he would gladly have a ridiculous sized family with her. She shakes her head and looks down at Persie again.
"And what if it's just…two? Or three?" she asks in a tender whisper. He takes a breath and wraps his arm around her shoulders, pulling her into his warm embrace. He kisses her head.
"Then I will write two or three extra special novels. Straight from my heart."
…..
"Oh my god, that's not the same baby you brought here last month! Sugar, there's no way! Look at those delicious cheeks. They're like scrumptious little muffins on her face, how do you keep from eating her right up?!"
Babette's shrill voice attacks them as they walk through town the next day with Lorelai. Jess takes a step back on the sidewalk, like he's dealing with a wild animal. He pulls the baby's stroller with him, trying to keep her out of the overbearing woman's reach. Rory shoots him a look, both of apology and to say 'we expected this'. Luckily, Lorelai steps in for them both then.
"Aw Babette, you're starting to sound a little Hansel and Gretel. I noticed you doing some renovating recently, you're not putting in sugar windows or a cake roof, are ya?"
"Oh you! Always so clever," Babette shrieks in response, "no, we were just winterizing our windows early this year! And glad we did, I mean look at all this snow! They said an inch. Well, if this is an inch then my Morey's been lying to me about his size!"
"Oh Persie, cover your ears!" Lorelai exclaims with a grimace, "okay Babette, I think we'll be on our way now."
Needing no further out, Jess pushes the stroller hastily away from the scene with Rory and Lorelai trailing behind.
"What?!" Babette calls after them, "I was talking about his height!"
"Sure she was," Jess grumbles, "I can't believe I have to do this all again next week for Thanksgiving."
"Sorry Jess, this town is obsessed with its new favorite family!" Lorelai teases, "Speaking of, ready to plan that wedding yet?"
"Oh mom," Rory whines, "not you too. Grandma has not so subtly been hinting at it since Persie was born."
"Sorry sweets. It's coming from a place of love, I promise," Lorelai wraps an arm around her shoulders and squeezes her. As they come up towards the town center, they both gasp. In contrast, Jess groans.
"Snowman competition!" Lorelai shrieks.
"Wow! Is there really enough snow for that?!" Rory asks, looking around to see many familiar faces participating, "I guess there is. So crazy we got this many inches in November. And for Persie's first snow!"
"You know I was thinking about that," Lorelai says, her softer tone calling Rory's attention to her face, "the anniversary of dad's passing was recently."
The emotions immediately stir in her chest at her mother's words, at the thought of her grandfather. Tears sting her eyes, and she smiles.
'You think this was him? He sent us this special snow for Persie?!"
"Maybe," Lorelai shrugs one shoulder high with a sweet smile, "maybe letting us know that he's watching. Maybe his way of playing with his great granddaughter."
"I believe it," Rory says softly, and turns her head towards the sky as she whispers, "thanks Grandpa. Persie loves it."
With a watery smile, Lorelai pulls Rory to her for a moment.
"Well," Rory states as they part, "we have to build a snowman now! In his honor. We'll make him a business man!"
Rory looks over at Jess, who looks less than excited about the prospect. She laughs.
"You don't have to participate."
He frowns bashfully, "it's not that I don't want to be part of it. But…there are so many people over there. My head might explode."
She laughs again, "it's okay, Mr. antisocial. You can hide. Or go work."
She adds on a wink with her last suggestion, and he doesn't miss it. He smiles.
"Okay, I think I will go work a little," he hands the stroller off to her and gives her a brief kiss, "call me if you need me. Or better yet, shoot a flare. I'll see it in Luke's window."
"Roger that!"
Over an hour later, Rory is starting to feel her own social battery draining. The lovely friendly faces of Stars Hollow have pulled her and prodded her while gushing over the baby endlessly. Some have even given her unsolicited advice. Such as Miss Patty offering suggestions on how she and Jess can 'spice up' their sex life as new parents - Rory stopped listening when she heard the words ''breast milk' in this context. A few welcome faces have stopped by their snowman post too, like Lane and Zack. Even Martha and Brandon, and Rory was relieved to see that they both looked happy and in love.
But it's starting to get to her, and when Liz, TJ, and Doula all show up, their energy overwhelms her. She watches as Lorelai takes Persie out of the stroller and is immediately handed off to Liz. She hears TJ ask if he can put her in the snow and make snow angels with her little arms, and Rory decides to take the opportunity to make an escape. She places her hand on her mom's arm and Lorelai turns to her, grinning and unsuspecting.
"I'll be back. You're okay with her, right?"
"Of course! Wherever you're going, will you bring me back an extra hot coffee?"
Rory gives her a small smile and nods. She walks across the snow covered town center, keeping her head slightly down to avoid being approached by anyone. She looks up as she gets closer to Luke's diner; the sight of many townsfolk packed inside has her changing route. She pivots and walks towards Miss Patty's dance studio, searching the outside for any sign of life. When she doesn't see anyone, she steps up to the door and slowly pushes it open. She takes a relaxing breath as she finds the space is completely empty, and the sounds outside muffled by the walls. She closes the door behind her and doesn't even turn on a light, not wanting to alert anyone of her secret hiding spot. But she's just crossed the room to sit on a yoga pillow, when she hears the door opening. She curses to herself and presses her body against the wall, attempting to hide in the shadows. The door opens further and someone steps inside, and she steps into the light when she sees his familiar frame.
"Hey," Jess says as he spies her. He closes the door behind him and strides across the room to meet her.
"You forgot to send up a flare," he teases, "luckily, I've been helping Luke in the diner and saw you making an escape through the window."
She chuckles and blushes slightly.
"I hope you're the only one."
He places his warm hands on her cold face; the sensation mixed with the dim lighted room sends a hot tingle through her body.
"I think you're safe. Plus, I locked that door before coming over here so even if someone did notice, they're not getting in to see Oz without a key."
"You're simply a genius," she quips, leaning forward to press her lips to his, "I love this town, but those people were draining me."
His warm touch moves from her cheeks to the base of her neck. He smirks when he feels goosebumps emerge under his fingers. He pulls her face closer to his, and she feels his breath dance over her skin when he murmurs,
"Poor baby."
He covers her mouth with his then, his lips engulfing hers for a hot second. She opens her mouth in happy acceptance, and before she knows it, they're pressed up against a wall with their tongues down each other's throats. Her face heats, because she feels like a teenager sneaking a makeout session in with her hot boyfriend. But she's reminded that he's a full grown man, that knows how to make her feel incredible, as she feels his member throb to life between them. He grinds his hips against hers and she holds him tighter to her. She sucks in a much needed breath as he breaks their kiss; she doesn't question anything as his hands move to her pants.
After those first few difficult months, adjusting to life with a baby and adjusting to the newness of her body - her sex drive went back to normal and then some. She often finds herself flooded with hormones when she gets to watch Jess be the most loving and cherishing father. And then that is often compounded by him being there for her, as the man he always has been to her, as her future husband - never making her feel like she's any less Rory than she was before.
In a moment, he's smoothly brought them both down to the floor, lying her on a yoga mat. He sits back on his knees to pull her jeans and underwear down, and then hastily unbuttons and shoves his out of the way too. He covers her body with his, bending his arms next to her head to kiss her deeply. His erection pulses against her leg, and she reaches between them to guide him inside of her. He groans against her mouth, and she shifts her hips so he's pushing further inside. She finds the bottom of his shirt and slips her hands beneath it to grip onto his sturdy back; she grinds her hips against his. Comprehending her desire for more, he tangles his fingers in her hair and starts to thrust. She moans against his mouth now, and as her fingers dig into his skin, he gives her more. Their throats vibrate with subdued sounds, as they purposely keep their lips locked together to avoid the outside world hearing their activities. Jess drives deeper into her, and she starts to meet his every thrust; in response, he holds in place as their hips meet to grind against her in circles that make her quiver. The closer she gets to her climax, the deeper her nails dig into him. As he pushes as far into her as he can, rubbing against her in quick rough circles, she falls apart while scratching her nails anywhere she can reach on his back. The feeling drives him on, only needing to sink into her a few more times until he's coming too. She pushes her knees out wider, allowing him to settle his body on top of hers. They lay like that, a bundle of heavy breaths and tender kisses, until Jess chuckles. His chest vibrates against hers; she doesn't know why he's laughing, but she can't help grinning widely too. The feeling of him completely surrounding her has her heart flying. And as she looks around, her eyes now well adjusted to the dim room, she starts giggling too.
"The entire town is outside!"
"I know," Jess replies with a kiss to her neck. He pushes himself up on his arms just enough to meet her eyes. She can easily make out his handsome, devilish smirk.
"Thought you were just trying to turn me on when you said you're happy to get it wherever and whenever you can."
She giggles again and shakes her head. Her hands move from under his shirt; she curls her fingers and runs the back of them lovingly over his face.
"Oh, I meant it."
He kisses her knuckles as they graze over his lips and mumbles,
"Yes, me and the walls of Miss Patty's believe you now."
She sighs and drops her hand, "if only these walls could talk. Actually, it's good that they can't."
His smirk lifts higher, "Why? You afraid they'll tell me about you and Dean having sex in here?"
She gasps.
"How do you know about that?"
He laughs and slowly pulls out of her.
"Please," he scoffs playfully while pulling her jeans back up her legs, "in the Dean affair chapter of your book, you said that you two shamefully repeated your mistake in a 'communal building'. Doesn't get much more communal than Miss Patty's."
She blushes all over; he stands briefly to redress himself, then lies himself down next to her on the floor. She turns her head, and is met with his beautiful face, empty of any negative emotion.
"Yikes, I guess I forgot I put that in there. I will need to make that more ambiguous whenever I finish and edit the book…" she pauses before asking, "but…you're not bothered by it?"
"Not at all," Jess replies, voice smug with satisfaction, "I'm happy to write over that memory for you. Because after that, I'm sure you will never think about anything you did with Dean in here again."
"You sound confident."
"I am. There's no world in which an eighteen year old Dean is more memorable than me: at forty-one years old, engaged to you, has every inch of your body memorized. Deeply in love with you. I know there's no comparison."
She kisses him hard.
"You forgot to mention we have a baby together."
"I didn't want to bring her up. Was worried the reminder would have you running to check on her."
She giggles, "no, she's good. She's got my mom, your mom, Doula, and all of Stars Hollow out there wanting to take care of her."
"Well, I guess all of them combined can do as good a job as us," he pulls her closer to him, "let's rest here for a little while."
"Mmm, maybe we'll fall asleep and someone will find us. Just like me and Dean after the dance."
Jess huffs out a short laugh. He presses his lips to her head and mumbles,
"Or maybe we can squeeze in another round before we're found out."
She smirks and kisses the corner of his crooked mouth. She unbuttons her jeans again as she sighs,
"Simply a genius. Just like I said."