Title: as time goes by
Pairing: Luke/Lorelai
Word Count: 783 (Part 1 of 5)
Rating: PG
Spoilers: spans from a couple of years pre-series to mid-season one
Summary: Five times Luke and Lorelai kissed (or wanted to) before Raincoats & Recipes.

Author's Note: First and foremost, this was a ridiculous amount of fun to write. I love these two way more than is healthy. Secondly, this fic wound up being unusually epic, so I decided to just post it in sections. More to come soon!

you must remember this--
a kiss is just a kiss

i.

"It's stupid."

"Gasp! Luke! How can you say that??"

"Y'know, most people don't say the word 'gasp.' They just gasp."

"Well, I am extraordinary. And—can I be honest here?"

"Can I stop you from being honest here?"

"Good point. Now, as I was saying – and I would have expected you to have figured that out by now."

"Is this discussion really necessary?"

"Uh, yeah, I think it is."

"You think it is, or you just like to drive me crazy?"

"Now, why oh why would I enjoy driving you crazy? You and your weird ideas!"

"Yeah. I'm the weird one in this conversation."

"Good for you! You're finally getting the hang of things. Oh, Luke, I always hoped this day would come! I used to sit outside for hours every night, waiting for a star to wish upon just so I could—"

"What are we talking about again?"

"Um, the unforgivable diss you just bestowed upon mistletoe. Duh."

"Ah. Right."

"How can you say it's stupid? It's seasonal, and joyous, and—"

"Awkward, and sadistic."

"Oh, you're just bitter because of that time you had to kiss Babette."

"And you wouldn't be?"

"What are you talking about?? She's one foxy broad. I'd keep an eye out for Morey, though. Something tells me that darkness lurks beneath his calm exterior."

"Right."

"Seriously. Dude wears sunglasses all the time. Think about it."

"Y'know, one day your luck's gonna run out, and you're gonna find yourself locking lips with Kirk. Then we'll talk."

"Oh yeah?? I don't think so, buddy. My mistletoe luck is a sure thing! In fact, I—"

"Excuse me!"

Lorelai stops mid-witty retort and reluctantly turns to face the front of the dance studio.

"Can the two of you please get your kissing over with so we can begin the town meeting?" Taylor demands impatiently, drumming his fingers against the podium.

"This isn't the kind of thing you can just force, Taylor," Lorelai retorts. "Mistletoe kissing is a sacred tradition that—"

Except then Luke entirely thwarts the point she's trying to make by leaning over, sort of quasi-slamming his mouth against hers for a couple of seconds, and pulling away again.

This one time when she was twelve and still getting the hang of the whole high heels thing, she fell down the stairs. It feels a little like that. One second, everything's solid under your feet, and the next, bam. Or maybe whoo-boy. This feels more like a whoo-boy.

"Um," she says, and stares blankly at Luke. "Hello."

Her heart is beating way too fast to be normal. Since when is mistletoe a health hazard?

"Sorry," Luke says gruffly. Which would be all well and good and typical Luke, except he also appears to be blushing. She doesn't know how to feel about this. "Just figured I might as well get it over with."

"Wow, that's romantic." Sarcasm. Sarcasm is good.

"I didn't mean it like that," he says quickly, reaching out to touch her and then stopping a few inches away, like suddenly a friendly pat on the shoulder is serious PDA. He pulls his hand back and stares at it angrily for a couple of seconds. The moment reeks of weird 'et tu, Brutus' vibes. He clears his throat and awkwardly continues, "Uh, I just meant the sooner we do it, the sooner everyone stops staring at us, the sooner we can sit down—"

"Oh, no, I totally get it," she agrees, accidentally nodding so vigorously that she's pretty sure bobblehead dolls ain't got nothin' on her. "I didn't mean it like – well, you know. Not seriously. Because, I mean, romance, not a factor here."

She says the last part extra loud, just so their lovely fellow townspeople don't get any ideas.

"Yeah, no, absolutely," Luke agrees quickly. "Definitely not a romantic situation."

"So we're in agreement, then," Lorelai says, and realizes that, for whatever reason, all of a sudden she's talking in her business voice.

"Yeah," Luke agrees with a brisk nod. "Agreement."

A handshake feels oddly necessary. She suppresses the urge.

"Um, great," she says instead. "Then let's sit down."

"Right," he agrees, shuffling awkwardly. "Let's."

And so they make their way through the studio, ignoring the fact that everyone's watching them in absolute fascination. (Except Kirk, who's completely mesmerized by a handful of those reindeer heads made out of clothespins. Figures.)

Rory's beaming in a way that absolutely does not bode well as Lorelai sinks down next to her.

"So," she says innocently, "when you guys get married, do you think I should call him 'Daddy' or just stick with 'Luke'?"

"Quiet, you," Lorelai grumbles.

"'Daddy' it is," Rory answers cheerfully.