Here's to Being "All In"

By: I Love Lukey

A/N: What happened on Luke and Lorelai's first real date? The series episode, "Written in the Stars" jumped from the restaurant, to Luke's place. I've always wondered what really happened between him telling her that he was all in, and them rolling around in the sheets basking in the afterglow. This story gives you all of the details! Its first and last lines are dialog from the series.

*~*~*

"Lorelai, this thing we're doing. Me, you. I just want you to know, I'm in. I am all in. Does that uh, are you, uh scared?"

Lorelai's chin was down but her eyes smiled up at him, then she turned her face toward him exposing a grin that she couldn't control any more than she could control the beating of her own heart.

They didn't say a word after that, but Luke exhaled in relief. He said what he'd been meaning to say for over seven weeks and she didn't get up and run away. In fact, she scooted over a little closer to him in the booth. She even looked happy about his pronouncement, as their thighs brushed lightly against each other.

Their eyes locked and neither wanted to disrupt the magic. Lorelai couldn't stop smiling. She had waited so long for a real relationship with a man she knew would accept her for who she was. Never one to proceed cautiously, she slipped her hand into his and hey held hands for a few minutes without speaking.

After a quiet, but intimate dinner, he whispered softly, "Let's go." She held his gaze and nodded in agreement.

They said goodbye and hugged Maisy and Buddy, the owners of Sniffy's Tavern. Maisy slid a bottle of champagne into Luke's arms as she whispered only to him, "You two are magic together." He tried to return the gift, but she firmly, yet politely, pushed it back at him. "Trust me, I can see it from here. Your parents can see it from there," she said sincerely, pointing heavenward. "Live a little, Luke. We all just want to see you happy." Luke conceded. He knew he wouldn't win this one, and he really didn't want this night to end quite yet.

They once again thanked their hosts graciously, and waved goodbye.

The pair held hands as they walked across the parking lot to Luke's well-worn truck. He unlocked the door for her. The awkwardness at the beginning of the date had all but disappeared. As he opened it to let her in, she turned to face him. Standing in the vee of the open truck door, in semi-privacy, they both paused. He set the champagne down on the passenger seat, then held both of her hands in his before kissing her softly.

"Aren't you going to say anything?" he asked expectantly.

"Nope," she replied as she kissed him back.

"That's a first," he teased.

Softly and tentatively they kissed again. The kiss grew in intensity with each heartbeat. They wrapped their arms around each other and kissed with passion. Lorelai felt like she was spinning and falling at the same time. Maybe it was the champagne, but she doubted it. She clung to him, feeling eager to taste his soft mouth for a few more moments.

After the deep, satisfying kiss. They both embraced. Hugging each other tightly as if to simultaneously pronounce, "Finally. We finally found our way to each other."

Lorelai breathed in his scent. He smelled masculine and comforting. A nice, round aroma, she thought, full, sort of spicy, but very subtle. Funny, how she knew his smell. She'd recognize it anywhere, yet this was the first time she really, consciously breathed him in, wanting more of this aromatic embrace. They hugged for what seemed like several minutes, but it was really only a few heartbeats.

"Lorel…" he started.

"Shhhh," she said. "Let's not talk yet."

"Okay, let's get back to Stars Hollow," he suggested, though he wasn't discouraged.

The truck ride home was comfortably quiet, an Eagles' song played low on the radio. I want to sleep with you in the desert tonight, with a billion stars all around… Lorelai blushed as she quietly sang the words to one of her favorite songs. …'Cause I gotta peaceful, easy feeling, and I know you won't let me down. She glanced over at Luke and they caught eye contact again. In the darkness of his cab, she couldn't tell that the tips of his ears were burning brightly.

When they finally parked in front of his diner, he jumped out, and opened her door. "Thank you, kind sir," she demurred.

"I thought you'd like some more champagne," he said, lifting the bottle hopefully.

"Yes, more champagne sounds great," she replied through a shy smiled.

Once inside the closed diner, she hopped up on a stool. The lights were dim but, they were surrounded by exposed windows. He grabbed a bar towel and expertly opened the champagne with a satisfying pop. He filled a bucket with ice, and sank the bottle in it, twisting it as he pushed. Then, he pulled her gently behind the counter, into the storeroom.

"Hey, your insurance doesn't cover…" Her protest was interrupted as he twirled her around, and encircled her waist with his free hand. He pulled her into him and kissed her squarely on the lips. Her words were instantly forgotten in his warm embrace.

"We have a little more privacy in here," he said between kisses. His voice was low and throaty with an intensity that was new to Lorelai.

"Privacy is good," she rasped. She sensed that he wasn't in the mood for idle chitchat, so she instinctively kept her responses short. This was fortunate, because suddenly she was out of breath, and found herself in one of those exhilarating kissed of his.

She had imagined kissing him and smelling him for almost two months now. But, her vivid imagination paled in comparison to the real thing. They found themselves moving up the stairs, pulled by some unseen force like the sliding needle on a Ouija Board. Neither initiated the change of venue, yet neither resisted, as they glided up the flight.

Once inside Luke's cozy, but masculine apartment, they both stopped and took a breath. Self-consciously, Lorelai stepped back and looked around. "Um, I need to use the restroom. Should I go back downstairs?" she asked.

"No. You can use mine. It's right there." He pointed.

She excused herself and shut the door.

*~*~*

Taking a few minutes to get a grip, she brought her hands up to forehead and gasped lightly. "I'm in Luke's apartment! In his bathroom!" She noticed his clean, but worn brown towels, and his single shower stall. The scarcity of toiletries endeared him to her even more. He had a single bottle of shampoo, bar soap, stick deodorant, and some shaving products. He was definitely low maintenance. "Aw, he shaved for me tonight, " she clasping her hands to her chest. She had realized earlier, but seeing the tools now made it more real.

She had known this man for eight years, and had visited his place a few times. She had even spent the night once because there was a fire at the Independence Inn. Yet, being in his bathroom now, after visiting Sniffy's, which was the equivalent of bringing her home to meet the folks, and having the conversation about the horoscope, was as personal as they had ever been together. This was even more personal than the last five minutes of embracing, or the last seven weeks of long confiding conversations on the phone.

Suddenly, she felt like an outsider, longing to be a part of his life. She wanted to make his bathroom prettier, fancier, and more comfortable for him. She wanted to make it into someplace where she had made an impact. She almost felt jealous of the very walls and tile that surrounded her. Like she needed more of him, and wondered if she'd ever fit into his real life. He certainly didn't need anything more from her in here.

I need to talk to Rory, she thought as she rummaged through her purse and snapped open her cell. She heard the cupboards closing and the clanking of glass from the kitchen, just on the other side of the door. She realized that he'd hear every word, so she clapped the phone shut, and dropped it back in her purse. Feeling utterly cut off from the rest of the world, especially her daughter, she started freaking out a little more. Not having her daughter's brain there to bat around crazy ideas with, she found her own working double time.

Lecturing herself, she asked, "What are you doing? You can't just date Luke. Oh, no! What if it doesn't work? Where will you get coffee? Where will you eat breakfast? What will the townies say? Aside from Sookie, he's your best friend. What if you mess everything up?"

Having a mini nervous breakdown, she continued the what-if game with increasingly dire consequences. "What if he likes country music? What if he thinks The Maltese Falcon is better than Casa Blanca? What if he wants to watch hockey every Sunday? What if he doesn't think Zamboni is a funny word?"

"Lorelai, think about it! Make up an excuse. Get out! He'll break your heart. You already want to change his brown towels to blue, swap out the bar soap for antibacterial moisturizing foam, light some relaxing lavender candles, get toilet paper that's quilted, and wrap a carpet around his toilet base. Lorelai…"

She closed her eyes deliberately as she washed her hands, forcing herself to concentrate on the feeling of warm water sliding over her fingers, rinsing away the lather. She took a few slow, relaxing breaths. When she opened her eyes. She held her own gaze in the mirror. "Shut up!" she said, defying herself. "You want this. This is a good thing, a really good thing," she whispered authoritatively, as she dried her hands. She flicked off the light as she left the small room and her irreverent reflection behind.

~*~ *~

Luke was sitting with one arm on the back of the couch, his knees were resting wide apart. Their gift bottle of champagne was on ice. A filled flute was bubbling impatiently for Lorelai on the coffee table, alongside a generous slice of cherry pie. He already had an open beer in his other hand. He was so casual, so masculine, that when he looked at her, she didn't even have to make the awkward decision of where to sit. All the worrying in the bathroom floated away, and her blood pressure dropped to a near normal level. It was comforting to see him so unruffled and calm. He shifted slightly for her to sit by his side, tucked protectively in the crook of his arm.

"Everything okay?" he asked, slightly concerned.

"Everything is great, more than great." She exhaled, spying the pie. "For us?"

"For you. You know I don't touch the stuff," he reminded her. "And I know that you didn't have dessert yet. What kind of date would I be if I let your blood sugar level get too low?"

"Thanks. I had no idea you'd be such a thoughtful date," she mused, picking up the plate and taking a generous bite.

"How would you have known?" he questioned softly.

She shook her head thoughtfully, "I should have known. I just didn't see it. I didn't see us. You know?"

"Yeah, sometimes we don't see what's right in front of us. Even if other people can." He was more prophetic than usual. He knew the pie would be a great conversation starter; she always chatted as she dined. This time, he really wanted to know what was on her mind.

"Then, sometimes things clear up, and we see what was there all along," she completed his thought.

He nodded in accord. It wasn't like Lorelai to be so short on words. He began to worry that he may have said too much. She could get him to go from felling like a cock-sure superman, to an insecure teenager. How she could do that in 30 seconds or less, was beyond him. In order to calm his own nerves, he encouraged her to speak some more. He asked, holding his breath, staring straight in her eyes, "So, you're really not afraid?"

Keeping his gaze, she admitted. "I'm not afraid right now, while you're holding me. But, I'm pretty much a basket case the rest of the time."

"Basket case, sometimes? That's a pretty good start, considering how you are to begin with," he teased.

She playfully punched him in the thigh. "Yeah, it's a pretty good start, considering."

He lifted her champagne glass and handed it to her as he relieved her of her empty plate. Then, he held up his own beer. "To this thing we're doing. Me, you," he said. They locked eyes, clinked drinks, and drank.

"Here's to being 'all in,'" she said, as they toasted again.

This time, he couldn't keep from smiling. As he leaned over to kiss her, she almost kissed his teeth.

"C'mere," he said as he held her in his strong arms. While breathing in sync, they once again intensified their embrace. He gazed at her intently, then cradled her face in his hands as he kissed her again.

"Lorelai, you're so beautiful," he said, trying to rein in his emotions.

She didn't become self-conscious at this complement because she felt wanted, desired, and beautiful all at once. She didn't have a drop of doubt in her heart regarding his desire for her. She could feel it in his kiss. They pulled each other down, with him lying on top of her. His head was slightly above hers as she scooted over to allow him to rest more comfortably. With his knees between her legs, she could feel his desire burning against her.

Trying to hold on to her last ounce of composure, before all self-control escaped her completely, Lorelai touched upon an increasingly urgent subject. "Luke, do you remember the time that I told you about the dream I had of you, of us?" she asked, seemingly out of the blue.

"The one where I was making decaf for you? Are you sure it wasn't a night terror?" he asked facetiously.

"And, do you remember why you were so sadistically making me drink decaf?" She quizzed.

"Oh yeah, the twins." he responded.

"Your twins." She corrected.

"Oh, so … this is your way of making sure we're, um, safe?" he asked trying not to read any deeper into the dream than that. "Not that I'm assuming anything, which, I'm not. But, if you were to stay... all night, here with me, you'd be...we'd be...safe. If that's what you're getting at."

She nodded, feeling relieved to have had 'the discussion' out of the way.

You feel safe with me, don't you Lorelai?" he asked pointedly.

"I feel like I'm in a Volvo station wagon with a seat belt, front and side impact airbags, a roll bar, and a helmet when I'm with you." She answered in typical Lorelai hyperbole, snuggling into his embrace and breathing in his intoxicating aroma.

He hugged her a little closer, "Good, because I really don't want to mess this up. I can take you home if you think we're going too fa . . . aw, geeze, I'm wrinkling your blouse." He said starting to get up.

"Luke." She stared up at his face while pulling him back down. "I don't want to go home. I want to stay here. With you."

He smiled at her admission. "You'd say if I were rushing you, or squishing you, or wrinkling your…?"

"Shhhhh." She giggled. That was the second time that night she stopped him from rambling. She wasn't the only one who felt that there was a lot riding on this first date.

"It's not funny," he groused.

"I know, this is some serious making out."

"Well, not so serious… yet. But, now that we got the safety issue and the logistics out of the way…" he said, kissing her face, then her neck, reveling in her soft skin and her sweet smell.

Their slow, steamy kisses intensified as he slid his hand up to softly cup her breast. She gasped a little, feeling like she was melting into him. She couldn't separate all the sensations from each other, her entire body was aroused and reacted as a whole. Even if she had been inclined to protest, she would have been physically incapable of it, instinctively pressing into him without hesitation. He slowly, steadily, placed his hands on her bare belly, then, slid slightly higher as she relaxed into the passion.

She found his hot, bare skin under his shirt and her hands caressed the small of his back. She reached up to his shoulder blades and scratched him teasingly with her fingernails. Then, she pulled her hands around front, and unconsciously unbuttoned his shirt. He twisted as they both removed it, shifting her blouse slightly as he turned, revealing more of her cleavage than she was aware of.

Not able to help himself after that eyeful, "Sit up," he said as he deftly freed the buttons from their holes and pulled her blouse open. Her only answer was to shift her arms to get the flimsy blouse off and eliminate one more layer between them. She was left wearing a lacy flesh-colored half bra. "I don't want to wrinkle your blouse," he explained, with a devilish smile. He casually draped it over the back of the couch.

"Yeah, we can't have any wrinkled blouses," she echoed his playfulness.

While he helped her to her feet, he kissed her chest and neck as they made their way a few short steps to the bed. They both pulled up on his tee shirt, he lifted his arms as they peeled it off, revealing his broad chest. He stopped and held her at arm's length, admiring her again. "Lorelai, you're so beautiful."

"You already said that," she quipped.

"I know, but it's true." His bare chest rose and fell deeply, as he stood staring at her.

She giggled, suddenly feeling overexposed. She reached out and pulled on the front of his belt and fell backwards onto the bed. He followed, but avoided dropping all of his weight on her as he landed. He reached behind her back, flipped her on top of him, and unhooked her bra in one easy motion. He tossed it aside and drank in the beauty of her small, firm breasts. He took one in each hand as she lowered herself so he could kiss them. She could feel his desire increasing as his heat radiated right through his pants into her jeans. Softly moving to an ages old rhythm, they slowly gyrated, relishing the sensation of each others' touches.

They were caught between blind passion and wanting to prolong the ecstasy of desire. When she felt she couldn't wait a second longer, they maneuvered again so that she was flat on her back. He stood up, leaned over the bed, and reached for the button of her jeans. He looked in her eyes intently, making sure she was in agreement. As he eased the zipper down, she nodded slightly. He commenced rolling them off of her hips then discarded them absently on the floor, never taking his eyes off of her.

He lowered himself slowly, so that he lay on his side next to her. He traced the contours of her body with his hand. He delighted in her skin, following each area he caressed with soft, feathery kisses. He circled her nipples with his thumb, then his lips. She moaned softly with each touch, expressing her pleasure quietly, yet unmistakably.

As he worked his way down her lean body, she wriggled under his touch. He traced the elastic outline of her panties with a single finger. She moaned a little and squirmed at his touch. Finally he pulled down on both sides of her sole garment, and tugged. She lifted her hips in consent. He once again drank in the silky, smooth beauty of her skin, the curve of her hips, and the soft triangle of hair. He smoothed his hands flatly along her legs from her ankles to her thighs. Then he kissed her knees, and worked his way up. Lorelai responded to each kiss with more and more enthusiasm. When he reached her center, he found her wet with desire. Slowly, and ever so softly, he teased her with his tongue. She gasped for breath and separated her thighs a little wider for him. He read her body reactions, as he zeroed in on the perfect location and rhythm. His enthusiasm and expertise at this particular activity was an unexpected surprise.

How can someone who appears so gruff, feel so soft? she thought. His tongue was like slippery, wet silk.

She felt as if she were spinning with each twirl of his tongue. Her desire was building past the point of no return, as he continued to caress her with his mouth. She felt like a flower blooming, and each level of intensity heightened into new territory. The intensity grew in every part of her body. If there were such thing as an all-body orgasm, this would be it. It continued until she could take no more and pleaded for mercy, calling out his name, her interior muscles spasming repeatedly. Finally, she relaxed and metaphorically fell back to earth.

"Oh, My God!" she gasped. "Ok, so that was amazing!" She tugged at his arms, "Come up here," she urged, her voice low and sultry.

He smiled proudly, and scooted up.

"Kiss me," she whispered huskily.

He obliged, and she could taste her own salty desire on his lips, which made her quiver even more. "Luke, I need you inside me now," she begged.

"You can relax a minute…" he protested.

"Please? Now!" she reached down and unfastened his belt. Her desire for him was unprecedented and she knew he was more than ready. They both tugged at his pants. She pushed them down, with her foot on the inseam. He protested no more.

Now was her time to take in the full view of him. He was built strong, and boy was he willing. After taking a few seconds to don the protection that he promised her, he swung on top of her, gently pushing apart her legs with his. He put his mouth on hers before he gently thrust into her, tentatively, at first, as if he didn't want to hurt her. Then with a little more pressure. She moaned at the pleasure and the slight stretching he caused. Once again they melted together. Their rhythm was based on eons of human evolution. She wrapped her legs around him and pulled him in closely as they kissed. They looked into each other's eyes, marveling at what they both felt. It was their first time together, yet they felt like they've been wandering forever and had finally made it home.

When Luke was ready to release his desire, his thrusting intensified and their union heightened. He felt his entire being released into her warm, silky sheath. He imagined making love to her so many times over the years, but he never imagined it could be this right.

Afterward, they lay together to catch their breath and snuggled closely. Once again they were breathing in the scent of each other, fingers entwined.

"So, is that what you meant by 'all in'?" she teased, smiling up at him.

"Very funny," he said, though he wasn't smiling. "Babe, this doesn't even scratch the surface."

At that, she sighed and snuggled into him even closer. "I can't believe you kept that horoscope," she teased.

* * *

The End.