-Catching Up-

When he was seventeen, Jess Mariano didn't even like himself but he was sure of one thing: he loved Rory Gilmore.

It wasn't enough, though. He wasn't enough. He knew that. Luke had told him, Lorelai had told him—hell, all of Stars Hollow had told him he wasn't good enough for her.

When he was seventeen, Jess faced something that he had known for most of his life. Loving someone wasn't enough, not if you weren't good for them, not if you had too many problems of your own.

He was too angry at seventeen, so he left. For California. For good. He thought it would be best for Rory. The way he saw it, he wasn't doing her any favors sticking around. She was headed to the Ivy League and he wasn't even going to graduate high school.

It was a decision he had regretted ever since. He should have stayed and worked at Luke's and gotten a GED.

But instead he went to California and that was a dead end, just like everything else in his life had been up until that point.

He came back to Stars Hollow and told Rory he loved her. But that was a dead end.

He went to Hartford, and told her that Logan was a jerk and that he wasn't right for Rory. But that was a dead end.

Then one day Luke called to tell him Rory would be in Philadelphia, following the Obama campaign trail.

"She's reporting on it," Luke said. "I know it's not your thing, political speeches and all. I just figured you'd want to know. Maybe you two could meet up while she's in town."

Jess bought a button down shirt. He wasn't real sure about it, but it felt like something you would wear to a political speech.

In true Jess fashion, he sat as far in the back as he could, arms crossed, not even paying attention to what the presidential hopeful was saying. He only had eyes for Rory.

Jess was surprised to see they were matching; the blouse under her blazer was the same shade of navy blue as his shirt. He had never been superstitious before, but he took this as a positive sign.

He watched her smile at Senator Obama and he was sure the senator was just as charmed by it as Jess always had been. Despite the sweet smile, Rory didn't sugarcoat her questions.

"Senator Obama, the race has hardly started and there is controversy about your eligibility to hold the presidential office. What do you have to say to those who question if you are a natural born citizen of the United States of America?"

Her voice was steady and clear. Confident. Hard-hitting. A wave of pride Jess had not expected to feel swelled inside of him.

When the questions closed and the senator gave his goodbyes and the applause began, Jess clapped with the best of them. But his applause was solely for Rory.

"Fancy meeting you here," Jess said, catching her at the refreshments table.

"Jess!" Rory was flushed with excitement and Jess thought he'd never seen anything so beautiful. She threw her arms around him and Jess pressed his hand into the small of her back.

He had not realized until that moment how much he had missed her touch.

"Where's whatshisface?" Jess asked. "Should I get prepared for another shoving match? 'Cause I've been practicing."

"Logan…" she said his name like it was heavy on her tongue. "He, uh, he's not in the picture anymore."

"Bummer," Jess said, but inside he was beaming. Maybe he did finally have good luck after all.

Rory took a shaky breath. Jess knew her well enough to know now was not the time to discuss it further. So he changed the subject.

"How long are you here for?"

"Oh, a few days. There's four stops on the Philadelphia leg of the campaign. But we leave in the morning."

"Then we can have tonight. Unless you've got other plans…?"

"Not unless you consider transcribing my recordings while gorging on room service to be plans."

Jess made a show of rolling his eyes and placed his hand on the small of her back again, to lead her through the crowd.

"I'm disappointed in you, Gilmore. The Rory I know would never settle for room service! Let me get you Thai food, you can bring your work to my place."

"The Jess I know would never let me bring Thai food in his apartment. I don't think your roommates will appreciate you burning it down afterwards, you know." Rory was laughing. It sounded good.

"You're in luck. I don't have an apartment anymore, or roommates. I have a house, my own house."

Jess opened her door for her when they got to his car.

"You bought a house? Oh, Jess, that's great!"

"Well, I rent a house. It's a tiny thing, but I think you'll like it. It's right by a library and it's not too far from the bookstore."

Jess brought her to the house first, then ordered Thai food to be delivered.

"Wow, real furniture!" Rory said, teasing him about the days when all he had was a mattress on the floor and ideas in his head.

"The store has been good to me. And I get a tiny commission every time someone buys my book, which isn't often but it helps."

"I don't know why they don't. It's my favorite book."

"You flatter me," Jess said, fondly watching her look through his bookcase, her fingers flitting over the spines.

Rory turned towards him, and he knew from the blush creeping into her cheeks that his thoughts had been playing across his face.

"What?" he asked.

"It's really nice to be here with you, Jess."

He took a step towards her. She did the same. And then, of course, the doorbell rang, shattering the moment.

"Uh, I'll just…" Jess didn't finish, turning to go to the front door. He didn't count the money he gave the delivery boy, but he knew it was way too much. He told him to keep the change.

Rory was already in his kitchen, smirking at his plates.

"What?" he asked again.

"None of your plates match. It's just very Jess."

"Rory," Jess said, his voice coming out much huskier than he intended.

"Jess," she barely had time to get his name out. He had crossed the kitchen in a handful of steps, taking Rory's face in his hands and pressing his lips to hers.

He kissed her again and again, his hands roaming from her hair to trailing beneath her blouse.

"I can't catch my breath," Rory whispered against his mouth, echoing words she's said years earlier.

"You're not supposed to," Jess murmured against the skin of her collar bone. He slipped her blazer off, the fabric making a soft whoosh as it hit the floor. Rory's hands were fumbling with the buttons on his shirt.

"What are you doing?" Jess chuckled, watching Rory sink to the floor.

"I can't get these damn heels off." Her hand were shaky as she did away with the clasps and kicked the shoes aside. Jess pulled her back up and into his arms.

They were a little clumsy as they made their way from the kitchen to Jess's bedroom, leaving a trail of discarded clothing in their wake.

This was something Jess had been waiting for since he was seventeen, and he intended to savor it. He trailed light kisses down her neck, across her breasts, along her stomach, punctuating his trail with a kiss on her hip bone before working his way back up.

For Rory's part, she couldn't keep her hands from mapping his body, fluttering from his hair down his shoulders and arms, over his chest. The landed along the edge of his boxers, the only piece of clothing he had left.

"Rory," Jess breathed her name. "You're sure?"

"This is what I want. You're what I want, Jess."

They both shuddered when he moved inside her. Jess held her close to him, whispering her name in her ear. Rory smothered her moans where his neck met his shoulder until they both couldn't take it and neither of them were trying to be quiet.

"He proposed," Rory said much later, the weak light of pre-dawn streaming through the window. Jess knew she was talking about Logan.

Jess played with her hair, looping it around his fingers. Rory was curled against his chest. They had forgone sleep to hold and kiss each other, memorizing each other's bodies.

"But I said no," Rory said as Jess placed a kiss at her hairline. "It didn't feel right."

"I'm happy you said no."

"Me too."

Rory sat up, he hair tumbling around her face as she moved, and she leaned forward to kiss Jess squarely on the moth before tipping her forehead against his.

"This is what feels right."