Standing Still
"Running had always been a viable option for Lorelai Gilmore, but for the first time in her life, she wanted to stay exactly where she was." The benefits of standing still. Luke/Lorelai, Rory, Emily, and the Lazy-Hazy-Crazy-Days festival.
AN: This was written for a Luke/Lorelai ficathon on LiveJournal.
Ficathon requests:
- post-season 4 finale
- Rory and Emily return from Europe
- L/L lust or (accidental?) public affection, exposing their relationship.
Other character besides Luke and Lorelai: Emily
Restrictions: No Rory with Dean or Jess subplot.
~*~*~
Heathrow Airport was not the place to have a nervous breakdown, Rory knew. She tried to remind herself of that, but apparently her rapidly beating heart wasn't getting the message. Was nineteen too young to have a heart attack? She wasn't sure.
Rory checked her watch impatiently, noting that the minute hand had only moved three spaces since she'd checked it last. She knew, logically, that compulsively checking the time wouldn't make the plane arrive any faster, but she wasn't feeling logical at the moment.
I'm nervous. Why am I so nervous? I'm just going home, that's all. Nothing to be afraid of.
Right. Nothing to be afraid of.
"Here you are, Rory." Rory jumped a bit as she heard Emily's voice over her shoulder.
"Grandma." She smiled as the elder Gilmore woman sank down into the plastic chair beside her, handing Rory a water bottle. "Thank you," Rory said gratefully, twisting the cap off and drinking from the bottle.
"Any news on the flight while I was gone?" Emily asked, crossing her legs.
"Nope. It's still just listed as 'delayed.' No details."
"Unbelievable," Emily said in her most disapproving tone of voice.
"I'm sure it'll be here soon," Rory said, hoping to dissuade Emily from marching over to harass the gate clerk.
Emily sighed. "I'm sure you're right." Settling back in her seat, she smiled at Rory. "So. Since we have a bit of time, tell me how you liked our little trip."
Rory returned the smile, turning to Emily. "Grandma, it was so fun. I mean, Mom and I did Europe the summer before, but that wasn't the same. It was neat to see things from such a different perspective. I have to say, I could get used to traveling in style."
Emily seemed pleased. "You enjoyed yourself this summer, then?"
"I absolutely did," Rory affirmed, using her hands for emphasis.
"I'm very glad to hear it."
"What about you, Grandma?"
"Well, I've been to Europe several times, but never with my granddaughter. It was lovely to spend time with you, Rory."
"Same here." Rory smiled and took another small sip of her water. She really had enjoyed the trip. It had been wonderful to spend time with Emily, of course, and not have to think of anything further than what they would have for dinner or which museum they would visit next. All in all, it had been a nice reprieve for Rory. And though she was scared out of her mind to go home to Lorelai and Stars Hollow and real life, she felt that her summer away had allowed her time to regroup and better deal with what waited for her at home.
Sneaking a glance at her grandmother, Rory wondered if Emily felt the same. "Grandma?"
"Yes, Rory?"
"I know we haven't talked much about...things...lately."
Emily sighed. "If you mean your grandfather and I, Rory, I appreciate your concern, but I would prefer not to discuss it."
"I respect that, I was just wondering--" Rory stopped and stared at her hands. She didn't want to overstep her bounds with Emily, not after they'd just had such a great summer together.
Emily replied in a much softer tone of voice, "Go ahead, Rory."
"I was just wondering what happens when we get back to Hartford," Rory said in one rush of breath.
"What do you mean?"
"I mean, do you go home? Do you go back to your hotel? Do you talk to Grandpa? Is he even in town?"
"Slow down," Emily said, seemingly alarmed at Rory's rapid-fire questions. "I'll go back home, of course. Your grandfather is on a business trip."
"So you're just going to go home alone?"
"Of course."
Rory pursed her lips, thinking for a moment. "Why don't you come to Stars Hollow with me? Just for a few days. You could stay at the Dragonfly."
"I'm not sure that's the best idea, Rory."
"Why not? We're having this huge festival in a few days, and it just occurred to me that you've never been in town for a true Stars Hollow extravaganza. It is a sight not to be missed," Rory cajoled.
"I'm sure your mother would just love the idea of me hanging around your town."
"Mom would be fine with it," Rory said, but she could tell by Emily's expression that she wasn't buying it. "Besides," Rory continued, "you'd be there for me. I want you there. I'm starting back at Yale in two weeks, and this is the last bit of summer break I have. I've really enjoyed spending time with you, touring Europe, but this is your world, Grandma. You've been an excellent tour guide, and now I think it's my turn to show you a bit of my world." Seeing that Emily was close to giving in, Rory reached over and grabbed her grandmother's hand. "Please? I'll take care of Lorelai."
Emily squeezed Rory's hand back, and Rory knew she had won. "Well, all right."
The two women looked up when they heard the PA system crackling. "...nonstop from Heathrow to JFK, now boarding."
"The plane's here? When did that happen?" Emily asked in surprise.
"I guess that whole 'watched pot' thing has its merits," Rory replied, grabbing her carryon and rising from her seat.
"Yes, I suppose so."
~*~*~
"I'm sorry, I just can't believe it."
"Ah, jeez, are you still on about that? It's not that big of a deal."
"Excuse me? This is the biggest of deals. It's monumental."
"It's really not."
"You without the flannel is the definition of monumental, Luke. I mean, for heaven's sake, who knew those arms were underneath those long sleeved shirts?"
Luke arched an eyebrow. "You've seen me without the flannel before."
Lorelai smiled, a small smile that was just for him. "I know I have. I just didn't realize you were ready to take the guns public, that's all." She looked at him expectantly.
"What do you want me to say? Fine. The gun show's in town," he said, pointing to his bicep, which was barely covered by the sleeve of his gray t-shirt.
"Atta boy."
"I told you, I got grease on my shirt, and I just happened to have a t-shirt on underneath. I didn't feel like going upstairs for another shirt."
"I'm just saying it's a nice view, that's all. You have quite the set of biceps there, Mr. Danes."
"Why thank you, Ms. Gilmore." He quirked his lips in a smirk as he cleared away her breakfast plates. Smiling back, Lorelai tipped her coffee cup up to her mouth, draining the rest of its contents. The banter was familiar, safe—other aspects of their relationship were not. Lorelai was still getting used to being with Luke. It was hard for her to think of Luke, the town Luke, in the same sentence as "the man I'm dating." It was still all very new and, well, weird.
Except for the kissing, she thought as he returned to the counter. She did enjoy the kissing.
"So when does Rory get back?"
"Sometime today. She and my mother spent last night in New York."
"Well, I can't wait to see her."
"Me, either." Lorelai reached in her purse, pulling out her wallet. "So, since I can't convince you to come to the festival with me tomorrow night..."
"Damn right you can't."
"How about I stop by after the festivities?"
"That sounds good." Lorelai slapped some cash on the counter and looked cautiously around the empty diner. Satisfied that no one was around, she leaned across the counter and placed a quick, impetuous kiss on Luke's lips.
"I gotta go," she whispered, her face still inches from his.
"Yeah," he responded hoarsely before kissing her again.
"Well, I guess I don't really have to go..."
"You have work, Crazy Lady. Get out of my diner."
"Fine."
Lorelai hadn't been on the grounds of the Dragonfly ten seconds before Michel accosted her. "Desdemona is being unreasonable," he sniffed.
"You know, I hear horses do that from time to time."
"The Millers wish to take a ride by the lake, but Desdemona will not come out of the stables. Cletus is acting perfectly, I don't understand her problem."
"Well, I'm sure your charming manner is helping things greatly."
"Excuse me?"
Lorelai sighed. "Nothing. Look, I'll take care of it. Apologize to the Millers for me, tell them this will be resolved very soon." She walked off in the direction of the stables, whispering an apology to the beautiful boots she was wearing. Five minutes of sweet-talking and three sugar cubes later, Lorelai emerged from the stables, accompanied by Desdemona and the Inn's equestrian caretaker. "Good girl," Lorelai whispered to Desdemona, patting her on the nose.
"Mom!"
Lorelai looked up from Desdemona to see Rory running across the lawn to her. "You're back!" Lorelai yelled excitedly, running to meet Rory halfway.
"Didn't Michel tell you I was here?"
"No, but that's not unusual."
They hugged tightly, standing in front of the inn, and Lorelai breathed a sigh of relief. She hadn't let herself realize it, but she'd been afraid that things with Rory would be awkward. But this—this felt right. Pulling back, Lorelai looked into her daughter's eyes, scanning her face.
"You've lost weight. How is that possible? You had no weight to lose!"
"Oh, come on, you remember how hot it is in Italy this time of year. I must have sweated some of it off," Rory said, smiling.
Lorelai smiled in return. "How are you, babe? Really."
"Better."
"Promise? None of this lying to Mommy business."
"I promise."
"All right, then. Let's go say hi to Sookie, I'm sure she wants to see you." Lorelai grabbed Rory's wrist, but Rory stayed frozen in place.
"Mom, before we go in, I should tell you...Grandma's here."
"You mean, Grandma's just here to make sure you got home all right, and then she's going right back to Hartford. Is that what 'Grandma's here' means?"
"Not so much, no."
"Rory," Lorelai said warningly.
"I invited Grandma to stay for the end of summer festival."
Lorelai gasped. "You didn't."
"I did. Mom, I felt so bad for her. We didn't talk about it much, but I can tell she's really upset about this whole Grandpa thing. We've had a really good time this summer and I didn't want her to have to go home all alone. Please say she can say at the inn for a few days. Please? For me."
Lorelai let out an "argh" of frustration. "You would pull the guilt card on your own mother, the woman who birthed you?"
"Absolutely," Rory affirmed. "So?"
She looked so hopeful. Realizing she really didn't have a choice in this, Lorelai waved her hand dismissively. "Fine."
Rory smiled and kissed Lorelai's cheek. "I love you, Mom."
Lorelai gave a small smile back, biting the inside of her lip to keep the unbidden rush of tears from escaping. Bruised and broken heart aside, Rory was the same kid she'd always been, and Lorelai loved her for it. "Oh, hon, I missed you."
"I missed you too." Rory looped her arm in Lorelai's and they began to walk to the front steps. "Grandma's waiting in the lobby."
"The one thing this inn was missing--its own personal firing squad."
"Oh, stop." Rory turned a curious eye to her mother as they climbed the steps. "So. How's Luke?"
To her horror, Lorelai felt her face flush. "I'll tell you everything later," she whispered as she opened the front door. Emily was standing at the front desk, conversing with Michel.
"Hi, Mom," Lorelai said, forcing a smile on her face as Emily turned around.
"Hello, Lorelai. The place looks wonderful."
"Thank you. It's been going really well."
"I'm glad to hear it." The three Gilmores fell silent for a moment until Lorelai cleared her throat.
"So, Rory tells me you'll be staying for a few days."
"If it's all right with you, of course."
"Of course it is," Lorelai replied, and was surprised to find that she meant it. A part of her had felt outrageously guilty since the night of the test run, and she wasn't used to feeling guilty about anything involving her mother. "In fact, you're in luck, we've just had a cancellation."
"I assume the room is indoors, this time?"
Biting back a smart reply, Lorelai settled for, "You bet. Michel," she said, turning to the concierge, "My mother will be in room 4 for the weekend."
Michel nodded and began clacking away at the computer, muttering under his breath. As Lorelai grabbed the key off the wall rack, she distinctly heard him say "Paw-Paw and Chin-Chin." Flashing him an evil glare, she turned back to her mother. "So, Mom, let's get you settled in."
~*~*~
"Rory, my darling, if you don't get a move on I will personally drag you out of this house, naked or not!" Lorelai called from her stance by the front door.
"I'm coming, I'm coming," Rory replied, hobbling down the hallway as she tried to pull her right shoe onto her foot.
"Since when are you the last to be ready? That's my title, and I don't give it up easily."
"I couldn't decide what to wear."
"My god, you really are my daughter. It's just the end of summer festival, nothing special."
"I know, but it's my first big thing since I got back and I want to look nice, I guess." Rory looked in the mirror and smoothed her hands over her hair. "Mom?"
"Yeah?"
"Nobody knows, right? About...what happened?"
"I don't think so, babe. I haven't told anybody, that's for sure."
"Not even Luke?"
"Of course I didn't tell Luke. It's not my thing to tell."
"Thanks, Mom."
"You're welcome. Now, can we go? Your grandmother will kill us if we're not on time."
The girls walked across town to the Inn in relative silence, enjoying the warm summer twilight. As they neared the Dragonfly, Lorelai spotted her mother waiting on the front porch.
"You're late," Emily called.
Figures.
"Trust me, Mom, the festival will still be there."
Rory nodded her agreement. "Oh yeah, Grandma, Stars Hollow can party for ages. I can't wait for you to see it."
"Well then, shall we go?" Emily descended the stairs to join her daughter and granddaughter, and the three women walked in the direction of the town square.
As they entered the square, Rory pointed some of her favorite booths out to Emily, who seemed to take it all in with a childlike delight. Lorelai was stunned—she'd honestly never thought her mother would enjoy something so simple as a town festival.
"Roll out those lazy-hazy-crazy days of summer..." Lorelai heard as they rounded the gazebo.
"Oh, you have got to be kidding me," she said.
"Not again," Rory moaned.
"Did I miss something?" Emily asked.
"Taylor!" Lorelai made a beeline for Taylor, who was standing in front of the orchestra pit--since when did Stars Hollow even have an orchestra pit?--talking to the mayor.
"Lorelai."
"Hey, Taylor, how ya doin. I see you brought back the lazy-hazy-crazy people."
"They were a huge hit last time, so I asked if they'd like to do it again. They've come all the way from--"
"New York. Yeah. I remember." Lorelai threw up her hands, knowing there was nothing she could say that would make any sense to Taylor. "See you around." She walked back to where Rory and Emily stood. "So, why don't we go check out some of the booths."
"Sounds like a wonderful idea," Emily replied. "It's all so fascinating."
"Let's hear her say that after she's heard the song thirty times in a row," Lorelai hissed to Rory as they followed behind the elder Gilmore.
~*~*~
Two hours later, Lorelai watched in amazement as Emily Gilmore, poster woman for the Daughters of the American Revolution, sat on a bench--a public bench, at that--and nibbled at a cone of cotton candy.
"This is delicious!" she said in amazement.
Lorelai considered bringing up how little nutritional value cotton candy actually had, but decided her time was much better spent committing this moment to memory. Emily Gilmore, eating cotton candy. Would wonders never cease?
"I'm going to go get a hot dog," Rory said, rising from her spot next to Lorelai.
"OK." Lorelai turned back to Emily. "Thank you for coming. I know Rory's enjoyed showing you all of this."
"I've had fun too, Lorelai. Thank you for allowing me to share this with you."
"Sure thing," Lorelai replied. From the corner of her eye, she saw the lights go out in the diner. She tried to discreetly check her watch.
"Why do you keep checking the time?" Emily asked, her voice suddenly sharp.
So much for discreet. "No reason," Lorelai replied with what she hoped was an innocent smile.
"Of course there's a reason. Are you late for something?"
Before Lorelai could reply, Rory returned. "Here Mom, I grabbed you a hot dog too."
"Thanks, babe," Lorelai said, grateful for the interruption. They sat and ate their hot dogs while Emily kept working on her cotton candy. Lorelai was almost done with her hot dog when Rory tapped her arm and said "look, it's Luke."
Sure enough, Luke was headed in their direction. Lorelai allowed herself a moment of admiring his jeans, blue button up shirt, and hatless hair. Goodness, but that man cleans up good. That out of the way, she began to panic. Luke...her mother...oh, this is going to be awkward.
"Luke," Rory called when he was a few feet away.
"Rory. Glad to have you back, kiddo." He looked pleasantly surprised when she jumped up for a hug. "Mrs. Gilmore," he nodded to Emily as he released Rory.
"Mom, you remember my...friend, Luke Danes," Lorelai said to Emily. Luke flashed her an odd look at the word "friend," but said nothing.
"Yes, of course. Hello, Luke."
"How was Europe, you two?"
"It was great," Rory answered.
"Yes, we had a lovely time," Emily added.
"Good, good, that's good," Luke said, crossing his arms. He was nervous, Lorelai realized. She also realized that Emily, who was still sitting next to her, was examining Luke entirely too closely for Lorelai's comfort.
"Well," Emily said brightly. "This has been fun, but I'm feeling a bit tired. I think I'll just head back to the inn." She turned to Rory. "Would you like to walk back with me?"
"Um, sure," Rory said. "So, we'll see you later, Mom. Great to see you, Luke."
"You too," Luke said. He sat down next to Lorelai once Emily and Rory were gone.
Lorelai chuckled. "My mother, the Yente. Who knew?"
"What?"
"Did you not see her Speedracer impersonation when you showed up? She knows."
"About us."
"I don't know how, but yeah, she knows about us." Lorelai bumped Luke's knee with her own. "So hey, what's with the joining town functions thing? I thought I was going to meet you back at the diner."
"Yeah, well, I closed up kind of early, thought I'd just meet you out here." Luke leaned forward, resting his forearms on his knees. "So, you haven't mentioned anything to your mom, then," he said casually.
"I haven't really had the time, Luke. She and Rory have only been in town for two days."
"Right." Luke paused. "But you do plan to tell her. I mean, eventually."
"Sure. I mean eventually, yes, I'll tell her. It's just that this is pretty new. Hell, I'm not even sure what this is."
"Right. Of course you're not sure," he said, a bitter edge to his voice. "God forbid you be sure of anything."
Lorelai wrinkled her forehead. "Hey, how did this become an argument?"
Luke sighed. "I don't know." They sat side by side on the bench in tense silence, watching the townspeople pass by. Lorelai couldn't pretend she didn't know the source of Luke's frustration. She was notorious for being cautious, almost too cautious, at the beginning of relationships. She knew it, and she knew that Luke knew it. She'd guessed it would be an issue with them; she just hadn't planned on it being so soon.
After a long moment, Luke spoke. "Lorelai, I know what I want."
Lorelai smiled sadly, giving a small shrug of her shoulders. "You do? Because I don't."
"I know that, too."
"Oh," Lorelai said quietly, staring at the ground. Damn it, the man knew her way too well. "So...what do you want?"
"I want you," he said. "Pretty simple. In my entire life, there are two things I've ever wanted. I mean really wanted. Owning the diner was the first one, and once I got that, I thought my life was fine. It was great. I had everything I wanted." He flashed a look at her, his fist clenching and unclenching in his lap. "But then you came along and made me fall in love with you, damn it. And suddenly the life I had wasn't good enough anymore. It still isn't. I want you, Lorelai. I want to be there for you, for you and Rory, as long as I possibly can. I want to be the guy."
"What do you mean, the guy?"
"You know. The guy in your life. The last guy."
"Oh God...Luke..." Lorelai said, awe in her voice. She watched incredulously as he stood up off the bench.
Looking down at her, swallowing hard, he continued. "If that's not what you want, you need to tell me. We need to stop this thing before it even gets started, because once I have you, I don't think I'll be able to let go." Before she could process it all, he was gone, wending his way through the crowd.
She sat. She pondered. She called herself a moron and jumped off the bench, launching herself into the crowd after Luke. She might be many things, but stupid was not one of them, and letting him walk away might be the most idiotic thing she could do.
She spotted him on the far side of the gazebo, his face lit by the twinkling lights hung from the trees and the sparklers carried by children around him. He was slumped against the wooden railing, staring at the ground. She neared him, a tree branch cracking under her foot and alerting him to her presence. He angled his head up to look at her.
Lorelai stopped several feet from him, crossing her arms. "See, the thing is, you can't just say something like that and walk away."
He shrugged a shoulder carelessly. "Well, you followed, didn't you?"
"Good point."
"Why did you?"
"Because you're pretty." His raised eyebrow told her what he thought of that statement.
"Fine," she huffed. "Because only an idiot would just sit there after that." They stared at each other, the air between them charged with tension. It was always like this between them. There were too many feelings lurking just below the surface, too many things that had gone unsaid for far too long.
Lorelai knew she could walk away. She could leave him standing in the town square as she ran toward home, convincing herself it was for the best, for both of them. Then maybe next week, next month, next year, she'd go back into the diner and pretend nothing had changed. She was a master of denial, after all.
"Lorelai."
It was his voice, the deep gravelly timbre of it as he spoke her name, that made her decision for her. Running had always been a viable option for Lorelai Gilmore, but for the first time in her life, she wanted to stay exactly where she was.
"I'm a pretty selfish person, Luke," she began hesitantly. "And naturally, I like being adored. But here's something you won’t often hear me say--I'm not perfect. You already know that. And the fact that you want to be with me anyway is just...incomprehensible to me."
"Well, in case you haven't noticed, I'm not perfect either."
"Yeah? Well you're looking pretty damn close right about now. You're always there, Luke." She gestured emphatically to him to accent her words. "You've always been there, looking at me like this, and I never saw it until now. Sookie tried to tell me, hell, my mother tried to tell me, but I didn't listen. But I see it now, and that's weird, because I feel like an idiot for missing it all these years. And now, with all this, you've got me wondering what the hell I've done to deserve someone like you wanting someone like me. Not to mention I'm deathly afraid that I'm going to lose you." Her voice rose as she became increasingly more agitated. "You say you want me now, but what about six months from now, a year from now? I might not look so good to you then! You might think 'hey, this being with Lorelai business, not exactly what it's cracked up to be'. And I want to be with you, Luke, I'm sorry I couldn't say it before but I do--"
Lorelai didn't get to finish her thought because Luke's lips were on hers and really, who wanted to talk when there was kissing to be had? She staggered off balance, thrown by the abruptness of the kiss, but Luke wrapped his arms around her waist and pulled her closer to him. Catching her before she fell--typical Luke. She made a small whimpering noise when, after several moments, he broke the kiss, but smiled devilishly when he spun her around so that her back was pressed against the gazebo. He kissed her again, softly, sweetly, his hands skimming up and down the sides of her dress. She gripped his shoulders, bunching the fabric of his shirt in her fists as the kiss changed from soft to deliciously intense. She wrapped her left leg around both of his, unconsciously drawing him closer to her. There was no space between their bodies, but still, Lorelai felt he wasn't close enough. Could never be close enough, she wanted more—good God, why did we wait so long for this? But Luke's mouth was currently trailing down her jawbone, sending shivers down her spine, and Lorelai determined that now was not the time to ask herself stupid questions.
Faintly, she heard what she recognized as the intro to "Lazy-Hazy-Crazy-Days" come from the other side of the gazebo. "That damn song," she muttered.
"Couldn't agree more," Luke mumbled, his lips currently doing wonderful things to the spot between her jawbone and ear.
"Luke, maybe we should--" She broke off as he lifted his head and looked at her. He was breathing unevenly--they both were, she realized, as if they'd just ran around the square several times--and the look in his eyes was something she'd never seen before. Sure, she realized now that he'd been looking at her with caring and longing for countless years, but she was certain he'd never looked at her with the raw passion she was seeing now. It thrilled her and terrified her all at once.
"Luke," she whispered. He nodded, and she knew he understood what she was trying to tell him, but she wanted to say it aloud anyway. Leaning her head toward his ear, she said in a voice just above a whisper, "I want you, Luke."
He swallowed hard and tightened his grip around her waist. She was about to suggest they go back to the diner or her house--hell, maybe the Dragonfly was closer, they could go there--when she heard a strangled gasp coming from about ten feet away. Luke and Lorelai's heads snapped around to find Kirk and Lulu standing stock still next to the gazebo. Luke dropped his hands from Lorelai's waist and stepped away quickly, clearing his throat. Lorelai could feel her face start to flush as she put her hands to her disheveled hair and tried to smooth it back.
After a moment of silence, Lulu started to apologize. "Oh Lorelai, Luke, I'm so sorry, we were just taking a walk and--" but Kirk interrupted her.
"You two are together?"
Lorelai glanced at Luke, who had already started to shake his head. She grabbed his hand, lacing her fingers through his as he looked up at her in surprise. She turned back to Kirk, a brilliant smile on her face. "That’s right, Kirk. We are."
To her surprise, Kirk let out a whoop of joy and grabbed Lulu around the waist, spinning her around. "Do you know how much money I just won?" Putting her back on the ground, he looked back at Luke and Lorelai, beaming at them. "Well, I gotta go, but I have to say, Luke, I'm proud of you, buddy. Way to be a man."
Luke growled and took a step forward, obviously wanting to tell Kirk exactly where to stick his pride, but before he had the chance Kirk was jogging back toward the orchestra pit, yelling for Taylor. Lulu shrugged her shoulders, whispered one last apology, and turned to follow him. Lorelai squeezed Luke's hand.
"We're front page news now, bub."
He sighed that sigh, the one which, she knew, meant why the hell do I put up with you? "Did you have to do that?"
"They were going to find out anyway, Luke. Nothing stays secret in this town. Besides..." she grabbed his other hand, forcing him to look at her. "I don't want us to be a secret."
He cracked into a rare smile. "I don’t either. But of the residents in this town, there are many, many people I'd want to tell about us before I told Taylor." He spit the name out with disgust and she smiled. Some things never changed.
But some things did, she noticed with amusement. Luke had lipstick--her lipstick, she thought with a self-satisfied grin--smeared at the corner of his mouth. "Here," she said, reaching her hand out to his face.
"What?"
"You have lipstick on your face." She brushed her thumb against his cheek, trying to rub away the reddish-brown smudges there.
His hands came up to her head, his fingers running through her hair. "Your hair's a mess." He smirked at her.
"I wonder why, Casanova." The lipstick mostly gone, she rested her hand on his cheek, feeling the scratchiness of his stubble on her palm. Her smile slowly died as she looked at his face. He wasn't classically handsome, she knew. But in that moment, she thought he looked sexy and gorgeous and perfect.
Perfect was the only word she had to describe him.
"I have to go," she whispered, slowly dropping her hand from his face.
She wasn't prepared for the flash of panic in his eyes. "What? Lorelai, don't..."
"Luke," she said, chuckling softly. "I just have to run to the inn for a while. I'll be back. Don't look so freaked."
He visibly relaxed. "Sorry. I'm just..."
"What?"
"I'm afraid you're going to change your mind about this. Us."
Lorelai shook her head slowly. "I won't, Luke. I'm done running from this." She leaned in to kiss him one more time before she began to walk away. After three steps, she turned to see Luke standing in the same spot, still staring at her. "Luke."
"Yeah?"
"Meet me at the diner in an hour."
He smiled again, and she felt her stomach do a little flip at the sight of it. "OK."
"OK." She raised her hand in a small wave and turned to walk in the direction of the Dragonfly.
~*~*~
Lorelai swung open the door of the Dragonfly, her eyes scanning the lobby for a sign of her mother or Rory. Emily was sitting on one of the sofas, calmly reading a home and garden magazine, sipping a cup of tea. Rory was curled into the armchair opposite the sofa, concentrating intently on her copy of The Blind Assassin. Lorelai stalked across the foyer and into the main living area to where the two women were sitting. Without preamble, Lorelai blurted out, "Mom, I'm dating Luke."
Startled, Emily looked up from her magazine. "Lorelai, what on earth--"
"Yes, Mom, I am dating the diner man. He makes me happy and I haven't felt like that in a really long time and you know what? I may very well be in love with him! I know he's not what you'd planned for me or whatever, but he's exactly what I need in the life that I have now, and I'm sorry if you can't accept that." Lorelai broke off, glancing at Emily and Rory. Rory had dropped her book, and was staring at her mother with her mouth hanging slightly open. Emily calmly closed her magazine, set her cup of tea on the coffee table, and rose off the couch.
"Lorelai, may I say something?"
"What?"
"I'm very happy for you both. That's all." With a tiny hint of a smile, Emily turned and began to walk to the main staircase.
Mouth hanging slightly open, Lorelai trailed after her mother. "That's all?"
"That's all," Emily replied.
"That's all, she says. Approval with no qualifier from Emily Gilmore. That's never happened to me before."
"I think you forget, Lorelai, I've seen this coming for years."
"And there it is. So, you're just accepting this because you thought it was inevitable."
"I don't understand why this has to be so difficult. I am happy for you and Luke because I can see you both truly care for each other. If the look in his eyes whenever you're around is any indication, he's been in love with you for quite a long time. I’m happy you're finally seeing it. All right?"
Wordlessly, Lorelai nodded.
"Now, I’m tired. I'm going upstairs to bed, while you stay down here and realize what it is you just admitted to yourself."
"What I just--oh!" Lorelai clapped her hand to her mouth.
Emily smiled, looking triumphant. "Exactly. Good night, Lorelai."
Lorelai stood rooted to her spot, staring at the empty staircase long after Emily was gone. With a disbelieving shake of her head, she wandered back into the lobby. "Did she just...?" she asked Rory, unable to form a full thought.
Rory nodded, a satisfied smirk on her face. "Indeed she did."
"Wow. I need to sit down." She did just that, sinking into the spot her mother had vacated seconds before. She glanced at her daughter. "What is that look?" Rory looked entirely too pleased with this whole turn of events.
"Nothing," Rory said smugly. "Just...you're with Luke."
Lorelai tried and failed to keep the grin off her face. "I'm with Luke."
"About time," Rory replied, picking her book up off the floor.
"You know, I completely agree."
end
Posted by Carrie on 08:24 PM