Playing Florence Nightingale
"Yes, Luke. Unless you have another flannel wearing, Oscar-the-Grouch, slightly drunk boyfriend I should know about." Luke/Lorelai, written for the bubbleficathon
This was written for the bubbleficathon on LJ. I was assigned ciachick711, who requested Luke, Lorelai, and a loofah.
~*~*~
"Mom--" Lorelai said, clutching her cell phone in one hand and the wheel in the other.
Emily continued on, oblivious. "I was thinking something simple yet elegant for this party, very Easter Parade--"
"Oh look, Mom, I'm about to crash into a tree. Gotta go." Lorelai snapped her phone shut and swung the Jeep into the drive. She was surprised to see both Rory's Prius and Luke's truck parked side by side in front of the garage. Luke had said he would stop by later, but she hadn't expected him until at least seven, and it was only four-thirty. And Rory hadn't said anything about coming home, but Lorelai wasn't going to look a gift horse in the mouth. Seeing her kid never required an invitation.
She twisted the doorknob and stepped into the foyer, dropping her purse on the table. "Hello?" she called cheerfully. No response from either Rory or Luke. Tilting her head inquisitively, she walked through the archway into the living room. Rory was sitting on one end of the couch, an afghan wrapped around her shoulders and a large textbook propped against her updrawn knees. "Hey kid," Lorelai started before she noticed that the headphones to her iPod were stuck in Rory's ears.
Crossing the room, she leaned low over the couch. No reaction from Rory. Wow, this kid can concentrate. Are we sure she's mine? "Hey," she said loudly, rapping her knuckles lightly on Rory's forehead.
Rory jerked violently, the textbook - International Relations, Lorelai noted - sliding off her lap and landing on the floor with a thump. Clapping a hand to her chest, Rory looked up at her mom. "Jeez, mom, abuse much?"
"Well hello, Miss Dead to the World."
Scowling, Rory pulled the headphones from her ears. "You almost gave me a heart attack!"
"Hi, mom, I'm fine, how are you?" Lorelai said in her "Rory mocking" voice.
Calming slightly, Rory sighed. "Hi, mom." She leaned over to pick up the fallen textbook.
"Hey, babe. What brings you so far from thine hallowed halls?"
"Paris was driving me seven kinds of crazy, so I came here to study. I'll probably head back in a few hours."
Lorelai plopped down on the other end of the couch. "I only see you when you need to study. Not fair. I'm sure there's a clause in the Mommy-Daughter Contract forbidding such negligence."
"At least you see me at all. I could have applied to Oxford."
"Perish the thought!" Lorelai said in mock horror. She kicked her heels off. "Oh, FYI - if your grandmother calls and asks anything funny about me, just please, please tell her the tree got the better of me."
"I really don't want to know."
"You really don't." Lorelai rolled her neck, wincing at the popping noise it made. "Wow, I'm tense. I'm gonna go upstairs and take a shower. Can you at least stick around for dinner?"
Rory giggled mischeviously.
"What?" Lorelai said suspiciously.
Rory smiled. It was a seemingly innocent smile, but Lorelai recognized it for what it was - the "I know something Mommy doesn't know" smile. It hadn't changed much in twenty years.
"OK, kid, spill."
"Yes, I can stay for dinner, but you might have an issue with the showering thing."
"Why, pray tell?"
"Your bathroom is occupied, and has been for the past forty-five minutes."
"By who? Luke?"
"It's 'by whom', and yes, Luke. Unless you have another flannel wearing, Oscar-the-Grouch, slightly drunk boyfriend I should know about."
"Wait. What? Luke's drunk?"
"Liiittle bit," Rory replied, holding her thumb and forefinger about an inch apart. "He stumbled in a while ago, crawled up the stairs--"
Lorelai's jaw dropped. "He did not crawl."
"Excuse me, who witnessed the event here? He definitely crawled - well, it was more of a half stumble, half crawl. Then I heard your bathroom door shut and the tub start running."
"That doesn't make any sense."
"I didn't say it made any sense. I'm just the innocent bystander."
"So he hasn't come out or anything?"
"Nope. I knocked on the door a little bit ago and asked if he was all right. He said that he was. Anything further you'll have to take care of yourself. I may be an investigative reporter, but I draw the line at busting in on naked Luke."
"Thanks for checking, sweets. Something's gotta be up if he's home so early." Lorelai heaved herself off the couch with a weary sigh.
"Home?" Rory asked.
"Huh?"
"You just said 'if he's home so early.'"
"Oh. I did, didn't I?" Lorelai shrugged. "It was just a slip of the tongue."
Rory frowned thoughtfully. "What would you say if I said I kind of like it, you know, the idea of this being Luke's home too?"
"Well, hon, we haven't really talked about that yet."
"I know. But it's something to think about."
"Yeah, it is." Lorelai leaned down and kissed Rory's cheek. "We'll talk more about it later. I'm gonna go check on my guy."
She eased the bathroom door open, her eyes adjusting to the dim light of the afternoon sun shining weakly through the curtains. "Luke?" she asked softly, scanning the room. Her eye caught the haphazard pile of clothing on the floor before sliding to the bathtub. Luke sat slumped in the tub, his chin resting on his chest. A thin sheen of bubbles floated on the water, hitting Luke at about chest level. "Luke."
Angling his head up, he smiled slowly. "Hey," he said, his voice thick. He was definitely a little drunk, Lorelai deduced from the bleary look in his eyes. Her eyes widened when she saw the flask clutched in his right hand.
"You ok, babe?" she asked, kneeling down next to the tub.
"Yeah. Need more bubbles, but otherwise, I'm dandy," he said, his voice slurring slightly.
"So, help me out, here. It's the middle of the afternoon, you're taking a bath - which is weird enough in itself, and the bubbles are a total different story - and you're drunk. Wanna fill in the blanks?"
"I kind of hurt my back at work. Slipped in the storeroom."
"Oh my god! Luke! Are you ok? Is there any pain? Did you see a doctor?"
He raised the flask in salute. "Don't need to. Got my medicine right here."
Lorelai sighed, exasperated. "Rory failed to mention the flask," she muttered. Reaching across the tub, she gently took the flask out of his hand.
Luke looked confused. "Rory's home?"
"You don't remember seeing her? Or hearing her knock on the door earlier?"
"Nope. But I am a little drunk."
"Yes you are."
"A bath just seemed like a good idea for my back. I don't have a tub at my place, just a shower."
"I don't care if you use the tub, although I'll definitely be mocking you about your choice of mango scented bath bubbles later."
"I like mango." He smirked. "I like it better on you."
"Ha ha." Lorelai pushed back a lock of hair off his forehead. "Seriously, Luke, you have to tell me if you're in any pain. Do you need to go to the hospital?"
Luke shook his head. "Can't stand hospitals. You know that."
"I know, hon, but if you're really hurt, we have to go."
"We?"
"Yeah, we."
"I like that." He leaned over a little to kiss her cheek. "I'll be fine.I can't feel much of anything right now."
"All hail the numbing effects of alcohol." She brushed her knuckles over his bristly cheek. "Do me a favor, huh?"
"What's that?"
"Call me when stuff like this happens."
"It was really fine. I didn't want to worry you."
"And I love that about you, but part of being in a relationship is not having to do everything alone. Even Mr. Fix-It needs a helping hand now and then."
Luke sobered up a little, an oddly serious look in his eyes. "I do need you. You know that, right?"
She smiled. "I know. And I need you - healthy, if you don't mind." She rested her forehead against his, breathing in deeply. All she wanted to do at the moment was climb in the tub with him, lean against his chest, and let everything else fade away. He had that effect on her. She pressed a kiss to his nose, his cheek, finally letting her mouth touch his. She kissed him slowly, thoroughly, not even minding the lingering taste of scotch on his lips. It fit him, somehow.
Reluctantly, Lorelai pulled back slightly. "Hmm, you know, I didn't think it was possible. but you just keep getting better at that."
He chuckled, the laugh rumbling in his throat. "I guess there's always room for improvement."
She pecked him on the lips again. "You really are an exceptional kisser."
"That's what all the girls tell me." She cocked an eyebrow. "But you're the only one I want to share my skills with, of course."
"That's what I thought." Acknowledging the dull pain from kneeling on the tile floor, Lorelai rose and sat on the closed toilet seat. "You sure you're ok?"
"Fine. Just need some more bubbles."
"That I can do." Reaching for the bottle, Lorelai turned the hot water faucet with the other hand. She mixed some of the bubble bath into the stream of water until the top of the bath water was frothy with mango bubbles. "There, all bubbly."
"See, you can play Florence Nightingale right here, no hospital visit needed."
"I don't have the outfit," she said playfully.
"I've got a pretty good imagination."
"Why, Luke Danes, I do believe that calls for a 'dirty!'"
"Since we're on the subject, I do happen to have plenty of room left in here."
"I would love to join you, but the kid is home."
"Raincheck?"
"You better believe it," she said vehemently. She rose from the toilet seat. "You finish up here, then we'll order pizza and make it an early night." She turned to leave.
"Lorelai." She turned back to face him.
"What the hell is this?" he asked, holding up her loofah.
"That's a loofah, hon."
"Oh." He stared at it intensely, the look of confusion on his face making Lorelai laugh. "I'm not asking because I'm drunk. I've seen this before and had no idea what it was."
"All the more reason to get you Queer Eyed."
"Good luck with that," he said, sinking back into the bubbly water and closing his eyes.
"Don't be too long," she said.
"Yeah." She turned again and reached for the doorknob. "Love you," she heard him sigh almost inaudibly.
Her hand stilled on the doorknob, but after a moment's hesitation, she merely smiled and opened the door. Shutting it silently behind her, she shook her head, a small grin still on her face. No need to make a big thing of it. They could talk about it later.
When she said it back to him, she wanted to be sure he'd remember.
end
Posted by Carrie on 04:24 PM