A Gradual Descent

Chapter 1: Salt

Author: Knowhere

Rating: R

Disclaimer: Nothing.

AN: Surprise! I don't even know where this came from. Don't worry, I haven't forgotten about Lux. I just needed something to draw my attention away from it for the time being. That is, until the inspiration comes back for Lux. In the meantime, enjoy this…

Not an original idea by anyone's standards, least of all mine, but I'm taking this and reworking it to make it my own.

Summary: Literati. She refused to be a cliché, falling for the seemingly dangerous guy when she was with the safer one. He refused to let the innocent girl of his friend to make him feel something unwanted. He'll tease, flirt, and have his fun, but they're both unprepared by the need to be with one another. AU.

---

He rubbed the back of his neck, edging across the threshold of his room, heading straight for the kitchen. Squinting at the early morning light, he padded barefoot and nodded a greeting to the fair-haired roommate leaning against the counter. "Hey."

Simon nodded and munched quietly on his cereal. "You got in late last night."

Jess smirked. "Keeping an eye out for me, Mom?"

Rolling his eyes, he dumped the remaining milk into the sink. "Whatever."

"You wound me with that callous remark." Jess clutched his chest in a mock gesture. "Here I thought you loved me, Simon."

Unable to keep the smile away, he tugged at his dirty blond hair. "Get over yourself, Mariano." A surprised squeak made him whip his head in the direction of Jess's room. A leggy redhead came out with Jess's distinctive navy sheets wrapped around her slender figure.

Jess didn't bother to looking up until the weight of his roommate's accusatory glance compelled him to speech. "Simon, this is Charlotte."

Simon nodded politely seeing that the girl was clutching the protective sheets in a nervous gesture. Jess didn't seem to notice. Walking over to her, he nodded to the direction of his room and lowered his voice. "Thanks for last night." Though his words were oddly warm, one would have to be a complete idiot to miss the pointed statement.

Charlotte flushed. "Call me sometime?"

Jess made a snort of agreement, but didn't actually voice any promises. Both men watched the intruder disappear into Jess's room and reappear in a matter of minutes, fully dressed, but Simon's the one to watch her subtle retreat into the hallway of their spacious apartment. Watching his friend descend onto the plush leather couch, Simon stayed in the confines of their clean kitchen. "So?"

Not turning, Jess picked up the morning newspaper and carefully leafed through it. "So, what?"

"What's the story?"

"No story."

"There must be something to say." Simon pressed, refusing to let him drop the subject.

"Nope."

Simon wrinkled his brows, knowing Jess all too well to misread the plain aloofness. His friend was intensely private and revealed almost nothing. It's a gift, one that Simon respected and is utterly baffled by. He's known Jess long enough to know that he spoke in actions, looks, and silence. How someone is able to convey so much more in silence than words, is beyond the understanding of friendly, chatty, open Simon. More so, the reason behind how the pair became best friends eluded both men. Simon knew Jess's gift of retaining private thoughts, but was also is acquainted with Jess's ability to talk all night without revealing a single thing of consequence. Even after years of being friends, and then roommates, Simon had only cultivated certain concrete facts about Jess. Everything else is conjecture, guesses, and assumptions. Washing and then quickly drying his hands on the hanging towel, Simon crossed the space in several strides. "I'm gonna leave. Dinner tonight?"

Jess nodded and watched his friend disappear behind the room across the living room. "Sure. Call me when you get off work." Reading, but not concentrating, the tiny black print swam in front of his eyes. Flicking the corner of the paper with his thumb, Jess vaguely added a mark in the tally inside his mind. Another one. Another girl. Another nothing. Not that the thought should surprise him. He knew what he was doing. Call it distraction, a dalliance, or boredom, but it all amounted to the same thing. Release. A simple physical reaction that left him satisfied for the time being. And they were always willing. No woman was forced into his bed; he didn't need to resort to such extremes. There were plenty of pretty distractions that were good and willing to go home with him for the night. They all knew not to expect anything from him, and if they didn't, he made sure they did the next morning.

Jess Mariano was not a man for anything else than a trifling rendezvous with women. He left the inane ideas of love to the wildly successful novels he wrote. He left them to the world of fiction, where he lived through his characters. He gladly left the ridiculous notion to his creations, strangers he saw on the street, and of course, his roommate. Simon Cannon was not closed mouthed about his willingness to love. Over the years, Jess watched his friend descend into the so called feeling of being in love, and in the end, Jess was the one to pick up his friend when that idiotic blissful feeling disappeared and left Simon broken hearted. Jess was smarter than his romantic friend. He was the one who had avoided the pain for so long. He was the one who viewed love as something unattainable. He viewed it as a prison, a self-induced imprisonment, complete with shackles that bound the victim for a lifetime.

Shaking his head, he put down the paper and propped his feet up on the coffee table. Scoffing, he turned on the television and settled into the cushions. Love…why would anyone willingly want it?

---

"You're ditching me? What happened to bros before hos?"

"Jess." Simon's quiet tone of warning was engulfed in disgust.

"Oh, calm your ruffled feathers Cannon. I was just kidding." Jess switched the phone to the ear and continued to walk at a leisurely pace. "Who is she? You've never ditched me for a girl before."

"I met her a while ago. Friend of a friend. But I ran into her today. Anyways, don't act all offended, Mariano. I know you're not."

Jess shruged. "Still, I don't like being cancelled on. Well, she must be something. Tell me she's at least pretty."

There's rustling before Simon answered. "Not that it's any of your business, but yes, she is."

"All right. I'll see you later then."

"Okay."

"Cannon?" Jess adopted a fake tone of concern. "No glove, no love." No response came through the line except for the distinctive tone of Simon clicking off, and Jess laughed to himself. Not that he would say it aloud, least of all to his face, but Jess knew that the one word that would describe his best friend completely was sweet. As sweet as any man could be, Simon was. He was caring, polite, but he was still very much a guy's guy. He watched sports religiously, drank most under the table, and was fiercely independent. It was when the topic came to women that Simon became every mother's dream. He was the boy next door with his charming good looks. His square jaw and bright blue eyes could have graced magazine covers had Simon not been too intelligent to enter into a world where he was only admired for his body instead of his brain.

The two were much alike, and yet so different. Where Simon was open and honest, Jess was secretive and twisted flat out lies to make them sound like honesty. Simon wore his heart on his sleeve and Jess buried whatever beat below his chest. But both were inherently good men. Simon, being proud of the fact, Jess denying every single word, taking such praise as an accusation. They were both intelligent, Simon consistently being head of his class, and Jess lurking the sidelines, surprising everyone when he too, came up on top of his graduating class. Simon framed his college diploma with pride whereas Jess stuck it between the pages of his favorite first edition, a large crease down the middle of the important document signaling an accomplishment.

Both men enjoyed the finer things in life, and they spared no penny when it came to choosing a comfortable apartment. Both of them held down careers that allowed for various other luxuries in their lives. However, how they spent their money differed slightly. Simon chose to use his to make their home comfortable, with gadgets in their kitchen, a lush sofa, and a stereo system any man would be proud to show off. Jess was quieter in his daily expenditures, saving his money for seeing the world on his often disappearances from the confines of New York City. He traveled the world with a backpack, passport, and camera. He had a passion for photos that he indulged in, vowing that one day he would purchase a home that allowed a space for him to install a darkroom.

Simon chose his girlfriends carefully, almost methodically, and Jess only needed to reach out his arm and there always seemed to be a willing girl for the night. Simon had to work for it, despite his good looks and boyish charm. Jess had magnetism to his personality that Simon could not begin to compete with. Thankfully, they never chose the same woman. Despite the fact that Simon was loyal to everyone, and Jess to no one, they shared the similar sentiment that friends were hard to come by. All in all, Jess was a closeted loyal friend, sticking up for Simon when other men viewed Simon's romantic side as weak. More than once, Jess had gotten into drunken bar fights with Simon at his side, though both always regretted resorting to fists the next day.

In spite of their differences, the two had met through mutual friends when they were fresh out of college, both looking for jobs in the city. On the surface, they made for an odd pair of friends. But anyone who knew them knew better than to come between the two.

---

Jess awoke early, his body never allowed him to sleep longer than seven hours at a time. Slipping on his boxers, he rubbed his eyes as he swung his door open and walking to the kitchen for a cup of morning tea. The sight of a slender brunette pushing various buttons at their expensive coffee maker made him stop for a moment. Smirking and enjoying the sight of exposed legs, Jess leaned casually against his door.

Frustrated, she mumbled to herself and continues to push random buttons. Holding a mug between nervous fingers, she huffed and blew a stray lock of hair out of her way. "Come on, please turn on. I'll be very grateful. I'm only asking for a cup of coffee. Just one and I'll never bother you again." She seemed to be stroking the side of the polished steel, as if a caress was what the machine needed. "Oh you stupid thing. Why do people make such fancy machines? How hard is it to add a simple 'On' button? As if dropping a couple hundred for a coffee machine is worth it at all." Hearing a muted chuckle from behind, she whirled around, a shocked expression gracing her fair features. Looking very much like a deer caught in the headlights, she clenched her bare toes and dropped her gaze nervously.

"I'm sure if you gave it another gentle pet, it'd be convinced of turning on." Jess mocked her gently as he stepped into the kitchen. Coming up to her, he assessed her with a swift but smoldering glance and flicked at a hidden button, watching the coffee maker whirl instantly to life.

"Wow, you're good at that."

Jess nodded, feeling amused. "It helps that I have an intimate knowledge of the machine, I suppose."

She smiled and impishly replied, "So you're the kind to waste an excess amount of money on a coffee maker simply because it looks manly with its polished steel."

"Nope. That would be Simon." At the sudden mention of the missing person who obviously brought this female into their home, Jess sobered. Not moving back an inch, he remained entirely too close for comfort. "And you are…?"

"Oh! Rory. Hi." She offered her hand to him and he took it, shaking it briefly with his long fingers caressing the inside of her wrist before releasing.

"Jess. Simon's roommate." He stepped back and took stock of her appearance once again. She had wide blue eyes that almost seemed unnatural. A dusting of freckles appeared as she began to blush at his intense stare. He noted that the freckles continued over the tops of her shoulders and her pale arms. Her lips pursed and he couldn't help but notice that they were full and slightly pouty at the moment. He itched to taste them below his own lips, wondering if they were as soft as they seemed. Her tank top clung to her upper body, framing small breasts and a flat stomach. She was wearing a pair of Simon's boxers, Jess noted, as he continued his visual trip down her body. Her waist was slim, flaring out to the curve of her hips. Naked legs continued for a while and Jess took in the bare feet with toenails painted a cheery, but muted shade of pastel yellow.

"Stop that." Her voice broke the smothering silence.

He didn't jerk his face guiltily up to hers. Lazily, with a smirk in place, he met her face at his own leisurely pace. "Stop what?"

"Stop looking at me like that."

"Like what, sweetheart?"

Rory blinked at the sudden endearment, realizing that a man like Jess gave them freely and without consequence. "Like you're sizing me up."

He smiled, a gleam of white teeth contrasting against the darker olive of his skin. "So what if I am?"

She stuck out her chin. "It's impolite."

He chuckled. "Like I give a damn about what's polite."

"Well, don't." She stuck stubbornly to her resolve.

"Why not?"

"It's making me nervous."

He leaned down and reached behind her for the mug she had previously clutched between her fingers. "That doesn't sound like my problem."

"Hey, I was going to use that cup."

He turned and fixed her with a pointed gaze. "It's mine. Here." He opened a cupboard and handed her another mug. "You can have one of Simon's."

She rolled her eyes to herself. "Sheesh, no one taught you to be nice to guests, did they?"

He smirked at her attempt to make him feel guilty. "But you're not my guest."

She recoiled at his rudeness. Refusing to take the mug he offered, she turned away and retreated to Simon's room. Thoroughly put off by Jess's blatant disregard of manners, she clicked the door closed behind her and spied Simon still sprawled on his stomach, hair rumpled, with the covers twisted and pooling around his lower back. Crawling in beside him, Rory snuggled against him and pressed open-mouth kisses to his shoulder blades. Simon stirred and lifted his head, smiling drowsily. "Hey, you."

She smiled. "Morning."

"What time is it?" Simon rolled onto his side and reached out to tuck her against his chest.

"Seven."

"Hm." He mumbled into her hair. "Early." A couple of seconds tick by and he speaks up again. "Were you just in the kitchen?"

How he knew, she had no idea. "Yeah."

"I suppose Jess was there."

She played dumb. "Jess?"

"My roommate."

"Um, yeah. I was trying to get a cup of coffee. He turned it on for me."

"There's a little flat button on the side. It's flush with the machine. Can be hard to find."

Dryly, she remarked, "Yeah."

Noting her change of tone, he pulled back to look at her. "What?"

"Huh?"

"You wanted to say something."

"Nothing." She sighed. "Just…your roommate."

Simon's playful glance suddenly became hard. "What about him?"

Misreading his expression, Rory quickly confided in him. "He's rude."

Simon's jaw twitched. "What do you mean?"

"He was rude. That's what I mean." Rory knew that Simon had a protective streak and thought that he would understand that his roommate had made her feel uncomfortable in their early morning exchange.

"Jess is like that. A bit unpolished."

"I don't like him. He was presumptuous and arrogant."

Simon released her from his arms, but didn't get out of bed completely. "I'm not asking you to like him."

Feeling disorientated at the release, Rory ducks down to catch Simon's eyes. "What?"

He turned and faced her dead on. "Jess is my best friend. I know he grates on some people's nerves, but I'm not asking you to like him. But he's my friend and he lives here. End of story."

Unused to his side of Simon, even after a month of dating, Rory suddenly back peddled. "I didn't mean…"

Swinging his legs over to the edge of the large bed, he sat up and turned to fix his gaze on her. "No, I'm sure you didn't mean anything when you insulted my friend." He was accusing her and absolutely devoid of the open, friendly Simon she'd come to know and appreciate over the course of their relationship.

Confused and hurt, she sat up beside him. "Simon, I'm sorry."

Quickly, his demeanor changed and he relaxed. Taking her hand into his larger one, he gave her his charming smile. "Me too. I didn't mean to be like that." He played with her fingers and smiled ruefully. "Didn't mean to ruin our first morning together."

She relaxed as well. "It's okay, nothing's ever perfect."

He stood and shruged on his shirt. She reached for his arms and he stopped her efforts. "I just want to make one thing clear, Rory. If you're going to be with me, you have to understand that Jess is my friend. I'm not the kind of guy to change friends because his girlfriend doesn't like them."

Simon was very loyal and Rory knew it. It was one of his more admirable qualities. Before, she thought it make for a wonderful boyfriend, but now she was starting to see how that quality in Simon swung both ways. "I'm not asking you to change friends."

"I know you aren't." He traced a finger down her jaw. "It's just been a problem before and I don't want to go through it again."

"With Jess?" She couldn't stop herself from asking. If Simon had problems with previous girlfriends and Jess, why was he being purposely blind to the fact that maybe it was his roommate's fault and not the girls?

"Kinda." He replied vaguely.

She adopted a flirtatious smile. "Well, we can always stay at my place."

Simon wanted to protest, saying that he won't avoid his own home simply because of his roommate, but decided to relent. Her sweet smile made him want to kiss her again. Pulling away from their brief connection, he rubbed the pad of his thumb across her lower lip. "Breakfast?"

"Sure."

---

The apartment was brightly lit, even though Jess was only occupying the dining table with his laptop open and whirring quietly as he tapped away at the keys.

Dropping his bag onto the counter, Simon loosened the knot of his tie. "Hey." Jess grunted a reply. Sifting through their mail, Simon tossed some of the junk away and handed Jess some envelopes. "You eaten?"

Jess shrugged and gestured to the bowl of mac and cheese on the table, all without breaking his stream of steady tapping on his keyboard. Stopping, he closed the Apple computer and glanced up at Simon's weary face. "Long day?"

"Yeah. I could use a drink. Come on, let's go."

Disappearing into his room, Jess grabbed a jacket and donned it quickly. "The usual?"

"Yeah. I almost lost a client today. My boss totally took it out on me. Asshole."

Jess smirked and clapped a hand on his friend's back. Locking the door behind them, he pocketed the key. "Sorry, man." Pushing the down button, they waited for the elevator. "I'll buy you a drink tonight."

"Several."

Both of them chuckling, they stepped into the elevator.

---

"Simon's not home." He braced both hands on either side of the doorway, blocking her entry.

Annoyed at his tone, she crossed her arms protectively across her chest. "Well, do you know when he'll be back? We were supposed to have dinner tonight."

"You sure?"

His cocky question made her scowl. "Yes."

"He didn't mention it."

"Well, I don't think Simon tells you his dinner plans." She snapped impatiently.

He smiled, his lazy smile that she'd come to hate over the course of dating Simon. "Huh."

She waved a hand in the general direction of the apartment. Incredulously, she gestured. "Are you gonna at least let me wait inside?"

"I guess that would be the polite thing to do, yeah?"

She narrowed her eyes. "Yeah."

Not moving, he watched her in amusement. She allowed every emotion to play across her face. He could read her a mile away. While Jess normally preferred mysterious women, this one was so enchanting in her openness that it made him want to know more just because she offered it in her features.

She snorted. "Fine. Forget it. Just tell Simon I came by. If that's not too much trouble." Sarcasm dripped from her last remark.

He chuckled at her turned back. "God, you're adorable when you're mad."

She whipped around, hair swinging. "What did you just say?"

"You heard me."

Cocky bastard. "I did, but I can't believe it. You don't even like me."

"What does that have to do with anything?" He shrugged.

With her eyes wide, Rory could barely comprehend the conversation. He was one of, if not the most, annoying man she had ever been in contact with. Jess was disarming in his intensity, throwing her off guard with just the tiniest elevation of his eyebrows or the tug of a hidden smirk.

He stood aside. "Well? You gonna come in or what?" He teased.

Rory hesitated. "Maybe I'll just call Simon."

"What? All that talk about coming in and now you don't?" He continued to stare at her. "Come on. I don't bite." She walked slowly, ducking below his arm that held the door open. As she brushed against his chest, he whispered into her ear, his breath hot and promising. "But if you asked nicely, I'd be happy to oblige." She stiffened and took a seat at their kitchen table. He chuckled at her reaction and closed the door behind him. Going to the fridge, he opened it. "Want something to drink?"

"I don't want to put you out." She replied tartly.

"Oh, don't worry. You're not." He remarksed just as smartly. Not bothering to turn to look at her, he rummaged through the containers. "Milk? Nah, you don't look like you'd want milk. Beer? No, you don't seem like the beer type. Orange juice? No, too breakfasty. Water? We have bottled. Simple and plain. Yeah, that sounds like you."

Her jaw dropped as he turned around and offered her a bottle of Aquafina. Shaking her head angrily, she picked up her purse and headed for the kitchen. Sucking in a gulp of air, she marched straight up to his face and tilted up her chin in defiance. "What the hell is your problem? If you don't like me, just come out and say it. There's no need to hide behind your insults."

To his credit, he didn't even flinch. "I never said I didn't like you."

"You didn't need to." Her voice became louder.

"If I wanted to say something, believe me sweetheart, I'd tell you flat out. I don't hide behind anything."

"Don't call me sweetheart!"

"Now you're telling me what I can and cannot call you?"

"God!" She threw up her hands. "You're the most infuriating person I've ever met!"

He actually had the gall to smirk. "I'll take that as a compliment." He really was having way too much fun pushing this girl's buttons. Jess had never taken much interest into Simon's girlfriends, staying away from what was obviously forbidden territory. But there was something about this one that made Jess want to engage, made him want to push her to her boundaries just to see how she'd react.

"You would." Placing her hands on her hips, she furrowed her brows. "I can't understand why Simon would be friends with someone like you."

Jess eyes darkened considerably and Rory knew she had crossed a hidden line. "That's not your concern."

Suddenly, she doesn't care about what Jess deems to be her concern or not. She finally found a sore spot and she wanted to rub some salt into him, much like he'd had been in their limited interactions with one another. He wasn't the only one who could insult. "What? You can dish it out but you can't take it? Why would someone as nice and caring, as Simon be friends with a guy who obviously cares about nothing? Who treats women like objects, and disposes of them like yesterday's newspapers?"

Jess's features were not clenched in his defense, but his eyes were hard, dark brown encased in steel. "And why would Simon be with someone like you? Ordinary, just like yesterday's news?"

Her blue eyes widened and without warning, her palm came into sharp contact with the side of his face. He took the slap and turned his face back to hers. Cupping his wounded jaw, he smirked. "That's the best you've got?"

"I can't beleive you." Her eyebrow twitched and she raised her hand again, to the other side of his face, when he surprised her and caught her wrist with an instant hard grip.

Tugging harshly on her arm, she almost collided into the hard planes of her chest. "I gave you one. You don't get to hit me again."

He spoke as if he had allowed her to slap him. Angry beyond words, she turned her wrist and dug her short nails into his skin. "Go to hell."

Jess stared into her eyes, unyielding his grip. "I don't believe that is your decision to make." He sensed her slight movement and he reached down to grasp her waist, ensnaring her into the warmth of his own body. "Don't even think about it."

"What?"

"You want to kick me. I can feel it."

"So what if I do?"

He smiled his lazy smile again. "Don't do it. I'm warning you."

"You're warning me?" Rory sucked in an angry breath. "Who the hell are you to warn me?"

That was the last straw for him. Swooping down, he caught her lips between his own, moving with surprising skill. Why she was surprised, she had no idea. Someone like Jess would be skilled in seduction, and the thought that he would degrade her into one of his conquests made her want to knee his groin. Trying to wrench away from him proved fruitless, he tightened his grip on her, demanding a response to his kiss. While she refused, he slowed down to coax it out of her with a gentle pressure of his lips, the tantalizing dart of his tongue against the front of her lips. He released her wrist and moved his hand to the back of her neck instead, gently massaging the soft skin until she gasped. Taking that opportunity, he delved into her mouth, running his tongue along the front of her teeth. He wasn't pushing or demanding, she realized. He was experienced. He was slowly letting her grow accustomed to him, waiting for her willingness to his kiss. It was obvious that he would wait all night if need be, but he was going to get a response one way or another.

Unable to help herself, drunk on his slow kisses, she brought her hands up to clutch at his shirt. She was always the good girl. The calm one that relied on protocol to govern her life. Rory Gilmore always played by the rulebook, always the one who never had detention and was never grounded. She was the girl that parents wanted their daughters to be friends with, and their sons to date. She was never the adventurous one, never to catch the eye of the bad boy or the dangerous type. She caught the attentions of guys like Simon, who cherished her and in a way, coddled her. Never had she been kissed like this. Never with a man like Jess. One who held his own in any situation, and who actually goaded her into a fiery temper.

He was still waiting, and instead of resisting, she gave in. She just wanted to know for once in her life, what it felt like to give into temptation, to give into her baser instincts instead of shying away from them. She opened her mouth again, accepting his kiss and matching it with her own angry one. He irritated and aggravated her. He pushed her to her limits every time they tried to have a normal conversation. Working her frustration of him out on their kiss, she clutched his shoulders, biting his lip as he tugged her even closer between his parted legs. She could feel his arousal, even through the denim of both their jeans. He continued to kiss her slowly, as if she would break, or like she wasn't even worth his full attention. Annoyed, she gripped his collarbone and then his jaw opening his mouth as she showed him that she wasn't the delicate girl everyone thought she was. She was a woman in her own right; almost thirty years of being protected made her angry. She was tired of being mothered. She had one that she loved dearly and that was enough. She was a grown up, damn it.

As if he could sense her change of emotions, Jess pulled her closer still and wrapped both arms tightly around her lower back, bending her under the torrent of his weight. He pushed her against the kitchen counter, making her wince as he finally kissed her fully, holding nothing back. Matching their hips together, he held still, not moving a muscle even as she obviously wanted him to grind into her. Easing out of the kiss, he slowly opened his eyes, seeing that she already was staring wide-eyed with disbelief. Releasing her, he breathed heavily, as if even he couldn't believe what was happening.

She narrowed her eyes and watched the quick play of emotion across his features. In a brief moment, she realized that Jess had just crossed into unknown territory. He might be able to hide behind his hard exterior, but Rory realized that Jess had never kissed any of Simon's girlfriends before. That knowledge left her dizzy with an unknown emotion. But as she glanced into Jess's eyes once more, he schooled his face into his usual blank expression. The real Jess had hidden once more behind his empty façade. He was gone, and it made Rory want to kiss him again just to bring him back.

He stepped back and straightened his spine. Walking around her, he doesn't even spare her another glance. She hears his bedroom door close with a distinctive click behind him. Staying still, she reaches shaky fingers up to touch her bruised lips. The front door turned with the sound of a key as Simon stepped through.

He smiled in pleasant surprise. "Rory, what are you doing here?"

"We were supposed to have dinner, remember?" How she found her voice, she couldn't recall.

"Right! So sorry." Contrite, Simon walked over to her and smiled. "Can you forgive me?"

"Of course. That is, if you take me out now." She smiled what she hoped was a flirty smile. What she didn't add was she wanted out of the apartment straight away.

"Sure. Anywhere you want." He ushered her out with a flick of his wrist. "You must be starving by now."

She nodded and turned to get her purse. When she glanced up, she noticed Jess's dark form in the entrance of his room, staring at her with the same intensity she had become accustomed to. Rory met his gaze steadily, even though her belly was shaking. Continuing to return his stare boldly, she silently challenged him to say a word about what had just passed between them. Breaking the eye contact, she followed Simon, who was unaware of the tension in the room.

---

Later that night, Simon returned to the apartment, unaccompanied. Jess watched from the couch as his friend bid him goodnight and walked into the bedroom alone. Watching the television, but seeing nothing, Jess knew that the absence of Rory was significant. He knew that after every date, Simon inevitably brought Rory back to their apartment. Unsure of what was going on, Jess privately scolded himself.

How the hell had he allowed himself to kiss his best friend's girlfriend? It was an unspoken agreement that girlfriends were off limits. Jess had pushed the boundaries to have even flirted with her, but to kiss her was unthinkable.

But the most disturbing of all was that Jess was wondering what she felt about it all. Never had he ever concerned himself with the inner thoughts or feelings of women he kissed. He wanted to tease her again, make her so angry again that she would crush her lips against his just to make a point. He wanted to feel her plastered against him once more, her smaller frame strung tightly with coiled frustration and passion. Beneath her good girl exterior lay something deeper that Jess wanted to know. He very much doubted that Simon knew there was another Rory lurking beneath the surface.

What scared Jess most of all was the possessive need to keep that hidden Rory all to himself. He wanted to make her come out again, make Rory his own. He suddenly realized that there was more to it than that. There was a need that went beyond the physical. Something more and unattainable.

That startling thought alone was enough to make him sleepless for the entire night, staring up at the ceiling.

---

AN: Review Please.