A/N: Hey, loves! Sorry for the absence as of late. I'm hoping to update more frequently (sorry if I've said this before), but life's been very, very busy lately and it's hard to get time to write. Thank you all so much for sticking around and loving this fic, though. It means so much to me! Also, who else is excited about Jess coming back for the revival?! Or excited about the revival in general, lol. Anyway, please favorite, follow, and review if you like it! x

Later that night, the two sat on Lorelai's front porch and looked out into the stillness of the neighbor hood. A bitter wind nipped at Rory's cheeks, making her turn bright pink in the early winters grasp. Jess sat next to her with a cigarette hanging loosely from his lips. Whenever he exhaled the smoke, he thought of speaking up, but nothing was coming out. For being writers, it should be easy to express words aloud, but the two of them could only sit there, feeling the freezing cold seep into their bones, instead of searching for literally anything to talk about. Every now and then, she could see Jess shake his head out of the corner of her eye and hoped he would speak up, but instead he would just bring the cigarette back to his lips and stay quiet.

Inside the house, Luke and Lorelai watched from the living room. The two didn't know whether or not if they should be concerned or to laugh at the obvious discomfort that filled the atmosphere that night.

After what seemed like hours of nothingness, Rory shifted to stand up from the step. Out of nowhere, Jess reached for her hand and gingerly tried to pull her back down next to him. The girl cocked her head to the side as she looked at him. His eyes were still peering out into the street before them, but she decided that the gesture was enough to keep her put for a little while longer.

"So," he finally, inhaling the frosty air deeply into his lungs.

"So," she repeated with a nod. To Rory, this felt like the first day all over again. They had been friends for years, but nothing was more awkward and humiliating than talking to Jess the day after the dance. The two stood in Luke's apartment like they had never once been left on their own devices before. Rory remembered how it felt; how she didn't know what to say or do and how Jess didn't either. All they knew what to do was nod and sigh every now and then and how the distance between where they stood felt like a hundred yards. Now, they were sitting only inches away from one another and she had the same exact feeling all over again, only this time, it was serious. This time it's not an innocent situation where only good things can come of it. The only thing that could come out of their current situation could've been more sadness, tears, and heart break. Or at least that's how Rory saw it. "It's been a long time," she frowned.

A corner of Jess' lips turned up into a faint, half-hearted smile. "I'm nervous, too."

The girl thought she was going to break under the softness of his voice. "Good, I'm not alone."

He shook his head, letting the smile slip away from his face. "I don't know what I'm doing here," he admitted and looked over at her with uncertainty written all over his face. "Did you and Richie Rich not work out? Is that why I'm here?"

Rory's heart sunk in her chest. He didn't sound upset, but instead, there was a hint of hurt in his voice. Straightaway, Rory started shaking her head. "No, Jess, that's- That's not-" She took a deep breath, trying to collect herself. The last thing she ever wanted to do was hurt Jess, but she knew that she had pained him deeply in the past. "I love you. That's why you're here."

"Oh c'mon, Rory," he scoffed and turned to face her. As soon as he did, he was met with her big, blue Bambi eyes, making him feel weak instantly. Eventually, he pulled his eyes away from hers in order to finish his thought. "You can't just say that after all of this time, ya'know. That dumb Post-It doesn't mean anything."

She felt tears starting to sting her eyes, but tried her best to force them back. That wasn't exactly what she wanted to hear, but something in her knew that he didn't mean it. "The Post-It means everything." Her voice low enough to come off as a whisper, physical pain sept through her words, making Jess' heart clench.

"We were kids," he shrugged. "I proposed for real and you- You didn't stick around long enough to even give that a fair shot. I think it's time that you let it go. It is what it is. You, me."

She hung her head low as the tears started to flow. Jess didn't need to actually see the tears in order to notice that she was crying, but he ignored it, knowing that she was trying to hide. "How can you say that?"

The man chuckled and stood up, deciding to light up another cigarette. He thought he was going to lose it as he kept laughing. After the first drag, he pointed a finger at her. "You left me, remember? You left me for some blond douchebag out of nowhere. We were going to get married, and then you fucking left." He shook his head as he found the irony in the situation. "I showed up here so I didn't have to spend a fifth Christmas by myself," he threw his hands in the air, gesturing around the town, "in Stars Hollow of all places. But not for one second did I think that you just asked me here because of a Post-It we wrote on when we were sixteen."

By this time, Rory's tears felt like icicles on her face, but she couldn't help herself. She had never cried because of Jess before, but she wasn't sure if it was because of him or her stupid actions. "It was dumb and I'm sorry." Her apology sounded stubborn and genuine at the same time. Jess wondered if it was because he had upset her and she wanted him to shut up, but at the same time, he wanted to know if she meant it.

He took a few steps forward in order to sit next to her. Without a thought in his mind, he absentmindedly threw an arm around her shoulder and pulled her close. "Don't apologize," he whispered as he placed his head on top of hers. "There's nothing to apologize for. It was five years ago."

Rory frowned, hating that it had been so long before they had gotten all of this out in the open. The conversation wasn't finished, but there was something in her that wanted to stay silent for now. "I want my friend back." After those words were spoken, she swore she could hear Jess crack a smile.

"I want my friend back too." He held her close and felt her shiver a bit in his arms. "Lets get you inside, alright? It's freezing out here."

The two trailed back into the house and saw Lorelai and Luke frantically running to sit on the couch. Luke cleared his throat, hoping that neither of them noticed, but Lorelai knew that they did. "How's it going?" She asked nonchalantly. They both shrugged in unison. "Well, I didn't hear any yelling or doors slamming, so I'd assume that's a good thing?" She raised a brow, waiting for an answer. "Did we act like adults finally?"

Rory smiled at her mother, feeling actual embarrassment. They had been acting like children and everyone in the house could admit that. "We did," Rory nodded.

The room fell silent once more, driving Luke insane. "Who wants hot chocolate?" He asked as he stood from his uncomfortable position on the couch. The three raised their hands as he parted the two friends to talk towards the kitchen.

Lorelai watched closely at the two, feeling relieved that there wasn't such a strong tension in the air anymore. It was still there, but baby stepped often worked. As soon as Luke left, the two eyed each other and gave one another small grins. The older Gilmore girl closed her eyes and smiled to herself, thanking the universe that they were acting somewhat okay once again. At least now she knew that it wasn't going to be an awkward Christmas.