A Gradual Descent

Chapter 9: From the Beginning

Author: Knowhere

Rating: R

Disclaimer: Nothing.

AN: Yes, it's been forever. I have no excuses to offer that'll make up for it, so I offer this chapter. And since it's been forever, you might want to brush up what happened in previous chapters. I know I had to go back and read what I'd written.

Enjoy!

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'd tease, flirt, and have his fun, but they're both unprepared by the need to be with one another. AU.

She banged her head on the back of the couch, the squishy feeling of the cushions ruining the effect. "Mom, what is wrong with me?" Rory extended the last word and turned it into a pathetic whine.

"Honey, why were you with Dean in the first place?"

Rory looked down, shamefaced. "I ran into him the other day and we were just talking…"

"Rory." Lorelai's firm voice halted Rory's ramblings.

"It's nice to be wanted." Rory admitted quietly, picking at a loose thread of an afghan that was thrown over the back of the couch.

"Aw honey." Lorelai reached over to rub Rory's back. "So what? Did you think sleeping with Dean was going to help you get over Jess?"

"I don't know. And we didn't sleep together."

"Who, you and Dean?"

"It felt weird. Wrong." Rory sighed. "I just...ugh! Jess just...he hurt me!"

"You were the one to break things off with him," Lorelai pointed out quietly.

"I know! I know that!" Anger rushed through Rory and she shot to her feet. "What else could I do? The guy was using me for sex."

"Was he?"

"I don't know what it was, but all we were doing was sleeping together. We never spent time doing any 'couple' things. He never opened up about his life or asked me much about mine. We didn't take walks or go out for coffee or a movie. He just showed up at my apartment and being the idiot that I am, once he started taking off his clothes, I apparently lost my brain!"

Lorelai couldn't help but giggle. "I'm sorry," she held out her hands in surrender, "I don't mean to laugh, but it just sounds so funny coming out of you."

"Mom, this isn't a laughing matter." Rory's head lolled back and forth as she sat back down on the couch in defeat. "Seriously, I have a problem. No, you know what?" Rory gestured wildly, "Jess is the one with the problem! What is with that man? I mean, after everything that happened with me and Simon and him and Simon, you'd think he would want to be with me. Be together."

"Honey." Lorelai looked at Rory. "Does he even know how?"

"What do you mean?"

"I mean, from what you've told me about Jess, it's obvious that boy doesn't know the first thing about being in a relationship. And if things started out so intense for you, you can't expect him to jump for joy at having just stolen his best friend's girlfriend. The only thing he knew for sure was that you were compatible in bed and that's what he did." Rory opened her mouth to argue but Lorelai raised her brows and continued before Rory could edge in a word. "I'm not saying what he did was right, but all I'm saying that if you want to be with a man like Jess, someone who's slightly damaged, relationship wise, then you're going to have to be extremely patient in things like him opening up to you with emotions and his past. You can't expect him to be the so-called perfect boyfriend. But Ror, there is no perfect boyfriend. And if you expect Jess to fit into that cookie cutter shape, you're just damning the relationship from the start."

"Jess isn't damaged," Rory mumbled, conceding to the fact that her mom made a good point. She did have high hopes for her relationship with Jess; maybe her expectations were unattainable.

"Rory, everyone is a little bumped and bruised from their past relationships with family, friends, and boyfriends and girlfriends. Even you. But maybe Jess has been knocked around one too many time, so to speak. He clearly doesn't know how to deal with a girlfriend."

"You should see this guy's dating record. It reads like an entire alphabet of a black book. And it's not a little black book, it's like the freaking phone book!"

"That's just sex to him. Do you think Jess has ever had a girlfriend?" Lorelai asked.

Rory calmed down. "So you're basically saying that I was too hard on him."

Lorelai shook her head. "No, I'm not saying that either. You thought you were doing the right thing by breaking it off a relationship that didn't have a future. What I am saying is that maybe you did so prematurely. Are you so sure there was no future?"

"He said he didn't know what he wanted."

"Maybe he was just being honest. Not everyone plans out their lives or have five year goals like you do."

Rory shrugged. "I guess."

"I know that scares you but you've always chosen guys in the past who knew what they wanted out of life. They knew where they wanted to go to school, what cars they were going to buy, the career, the perfect ideal family…and look where it got you. None of those guys were right for you. Maybe this is a good change of pace for you."

"Jess has a great career. He's famous and doing what he loves." Rory couldn't help but defend him a little. He mom made him sound like a vagrant or something.

"Then he's not totally flying by the seat of his pants, is he? He achieved some of his goals."

Rory gave a rueful grin. "Can't blame this all on him, can I? Guess he's not the only one who needs to grow up." She got up. "Do you mind if I just…" She gestured towards the door.

Lorelai smiled. "Go."

Rory hurried out of her childhood home, tucking her arms into a zip up sweatshirt as she quickened her steps along the sidewalk. After the spontaneous make out session in the kitchen, she knew she wasn't as over Jess as she thought. And going to Dean was obviously a bad idea. Yes, they had dated in high school and he was a friend that she occasionally saw, Rory had originally gone to see him because she felt lonely. She wanted someone. But going to Dean only made it clear that she wanted Jess.

She wanted the guy who made her so angry that she could actually believe that it was possible for steam to come out of your ears like in the cartoons. She wanted the guy who could make her scream in frustration one minute and scream for a whole another reason the next, and not in frustration. He was the one that got her fired up; who was adventurous in bed and had a mouth like a sailor. Who would whisper naughty things in her ear while he stroked her body and entered her from behind. The guy that cuddled her afterwards in a tenderness that seemed so at odds with his character. She wanted that man.

And her mom was right, she had expected too much from the relationship with Jess. She had applied her normal relationship standards to a man who wasn't standard. But she also couldn't wait forever. She refused to be in a relationship that was going absolutely nowhere, but she needed to understand that with Jess, his timetable just moved a lot slower than normal. And she should have been more understanding. As Rory made her way to the diner, she could only hope that Jess would meet her halfway because she was willing to compromise, but she wasn't willing to forget everything she wanted and valued in life and relationships just for him.

The bell jingled behind her and Rory straightened her spine and headed towards the back stairs.

"Rory?"

Her head whipped around and saw Simon sitting at the counter nursing a milkshake of all things at seven thirty in the morning. He offered her his charming quirky smile and gestured to the seat next to him, which wasn't completely empty. Killer sat perched next to Simon, looking very interested at the food laid out in front of her.

"Do you have a minute?"

Rory, tired and frazzled, had a flash of a previous conversation with Simon when he had warned her off from Jess. Had he already spoken to Jess this morning? Or maybe he caught sight of his friend and now saw her and put two and two together. "Simon, I'm not really in the mood to duel it out with you."

Simon's eyes flashed but then settled back down. "Are you in the mood for a cup of coffee?"

"Are we going to talk about Jess?"

He shook his head. "Not right now."

"Okay."

Simon scooped up Killer and plopped her down on his lap, making room for Rory. He reached over and grabbed an empty mug and filled it himself. Rory arched a brow. "Now you're playing waiter?"

"I was asking for so many refills that Luke just gave me the whole pot." He smirked.

"Thanks."

The sat quietly for a few minutes, each of them sipping their coffee and mulling over their thoughts. Once in a while, Simon stroked Killers soft fur, following the lean length down her back. "Rory," Simon turned his head, "I just wanted to say that I enjoyed our time together."

Rory smiled softly. "I did too. I know our breakup wasn't that much of a shock given that both of us knew something was up, but I don't regret anything. We had fun, didn't we?"

"Yeah."

"I think you're a real gentleman, Simon. Really."

His smile curled into a self-deprecating one. "But the girls only want the bad boys."

"Is that why you think Jess and I happened?"

Simon paused. "Yes and no."

"What do you mean?"

"There's something about Jess that draws people in. I know that. Even though I'm not a woman, I know there's something. Something about him being so mysterious, I guess. Every girl wants to heal him."

The way that Simon worded things gave Rory pause. "Do you think I want to heal him?"

"Don't you?" Simon saw the hurt and anger bubbling up and back peddled. "I don't mean to lump you in with the crowd, Rory. I'm just simply asking a question."

"It's okay. I know I'm one in many."

Simon reached over and touched her gently on the forearm. "Don't sell yourself short. You know you mean more to him than any of those girls. And yes, I think that in a way, you want to heal him. Love is the ultimate band aid, right?"

Rory's heart stuttered as if she was coming up on some big answer. "What's wrong in my feeling like I can help?"

"Nothing. I know you like to help. It's how you show that you care." Simon smiled softly and he heard the innocence in Rory's voice. "But being in a relationship with him with some altruistic goal in mind isn't healthy. Though what do I know about healthy relationships." He chuckled under his breath.

"More than Jess." Rory sipped at her coffee. "It wasn't all about the healing, you know. There's…chemistry between me and him."

"I'm sure there was." He glanced at Rory's face and reconsidered his words. "I'm sure there is?"

Rory's face heated all the way down to her neck. "Jess came to my house this morning."

"I see." He finished off his coffee and slipped his phone out of his pocket, thumbing his way through his Blackberry. "I've got to fax off some work to the office. I need to make some calls. Can you take Killer up to the apartment?"

"Yeah, sure." Rory knew what Simon was doing; he gave her the perfect opportunity to see Jess.

Simon stood up and bent down to give her a chaste kiss on the cheek. "Listen, Rory, whatever happens, happens. If Jess is what you want, go for it. Don't think that it'll be a problem for me. You and I," he ran his hand through his hair, his gesture much like Jess, "weren't meant to be. And my friendship with Jess will survive this. Actually, it's gotten a lot better now that we've learned to live on our own."

Rory looked puzzled. "Live on your own? What happened to the apartment?"

"Jess didn't tell you that he moved out? It's been months."

"We didn't really have a chance to talk much this morning."

"Got it." Simon chuckled. "You know, I'll tell you, I've never seen Jess so torn up about a girl before. That honor goes solely to you. I think you're good for him. Shake up his world a bit. Teach him that women are supposed to be more than bed warmers. Things might not have come to pass as smoothly as everyone would have liked, but hell, it'd be a good story to tell your grandchildren."

"I didn't say I wanted to be with him."

Simon smiled. "And you didn't say you didn't."

Rory walked up the stairs with her back straight and a sleepy kitten in her arms. She raised Killer up to eye level and nuzzled her nose with her own. "Wish me luck?" Killer was startled awake and hissed, baring her tiny teeth in annoyance. Rory snorted. "You really picked the right guy to keep you."

She knocked lightly and waited for an answer. "Jess?" Rory knocked again and tried to lock. Finding it unlocked, she poked her head in and when Killer sprung out of her arms and skittered away into the bedroom, Rory hesitantly followed. She walked past the kitchen that had a few PopTart wrappers lying around on the table. Jess's clothes were haphazardly thrown in the vicinity of an open duffle bag. She braced herself for the image of a sprawled out Jess on a messy bed but found rumpled covers instead. Killer had curled up on the pillow and gone back to sleep.

The sound of the shower drew her gaze to a closed door and Rory contemplated just waiting him out on the bed but dismissed the idea as rude. She knocked on it instead. "Jess?"

She heard a clatter and a muttered four-letter word come out behind the door. "Rory?" He sounded surprised.

"Yeah, it's me. I'm returning Killer." Rory bit her lip. "I mean, Simon asked me to bring Killer back up here."

"Okay."

"And," Rory lifted her hand out to pick at a piece of peeling paint away from the door that stood between them, "I came to talk to you."

"Give me a moment."

She back away from the bathroom and sat on the bed, taking stock of his heavy silver watch on the nightstand and his keys and sunglasses next to the alarm clock. The door swung open to revel Jess clad in a pair of worn blue jeans and nothing else. "Hi."

Jess's face uncharacteristically softened at the sight of her and he didn't look in the mood for a fight. "Hey. Didn't think I'd see you for a while."

"Yes." Rory's gaze followed a few stray water drops make their way from his dripping hair down over his pecs and mingling in the ridges of his abdominals. "I know I have a habit of running away."

"Well, that makes two of us."

Rory liked how they were able to make fun of each other without a hint of malice between them. "I came to clear the air between us, I guess."

"There's air to clear?"

In the moment, while she looked up at Jess, Rory forgot about all the hurt between them. She just wanted to be truthful with him and receive the same from him in return. "Why is it always so hard between us, Jess?"

His bare shoulder shrugged. "I'm kinda screwed up."

"Yeah." Rory's smile bellied the statement. "But I'm not perfect either." Rory smiled ruefully. "I want to say that I'm sorry."

He looked shocked. "For what?"

"For expecting so much out of you. Out of the relationship."

"What do you mean?"

"It freaked me out that all we were doing was having sex. I was afraid that we were only compatiable in the bed and nowhere else. I wanted a connection with you that went beyond sex. But I expected things from you that I think you weren't ready to give me because maybe you just hadn't given them in the past to other women."

"I don't get it."

"I don't know exactly what your past with women have been about, but I gather it hasn't been all that great or serious, right?" At his nod, she continued. "And so I think I was expecting you to give me something that you didn't know how to give. And I hadn't shown you that I was worthy of your trust for you to give it back."

"No, that's not true. You don't have to earn anything with me."

She shrugged. "I know. I just meant that I guess since we started off so weird, we skipped the whole 'get to know you' phase. We went straight to the serious relationship phase."

Jess came close to her; close enough to feel the exchange of body heat. "That did kind of throw me off. For one thing, I've never had a serious relationship. And it was wrong of me to keep you at arm's distance. I knowingly did that and I was such an ass."

She smiled. "I think we can agree on that."

Jess chuckled.

"Simon mentioned that you moved out."

"Yeah." Jess sat down next to her on the bed and stared straight ahead. "I like it. Different, of course. It's weird not coming home to see Simon and going out for a beer or something, but I think the change has been good for us. I feel grown up. Funny, isn't it?" He smiled.

"What brought on the change?"

His reply was swift. "You."

"Me?" Her gaze swung around to his.

"I moved out right after we broke up. There was something really screwed up about me that I needed to fix on my own. I couldn't rely on Simon or anyone for that matter to make things better. I just needed to get my life into perspective."

"And have you?"

He shrugged. "More or less. It's been lonely, but good for me. Get my ducks in a row."

Rory giggled. "You've got ducks?"

"Yeah." Jess smiled and hesitated. He had a lot he wanted to say and felt that he might has well take the plunge, even though it was highly uncharacteristic for him. "I owe you an apology, Ror. For how I've used you, for how I treated you these past few days, and for coming to you this morning and jerking you around like that. I want to explain even though I know it doesn't excuse it, I still want to tell you."

"Okay."

"I," Jess started and faltered, unsure of his words. "I wasn't sure how to handle things. What happened with Simon was complicated and I wished that I hadn't taken his girlfriend. And then there you were. I wanted to stay away from you but I couldn't. I just couldn't resist. I just wanted you and I took it. Blame it on chemistry or on the fact that you and Simon weren't working out anyway, but it was wrong and I knew it. But when we were together, I tried not to let things get too serious. I thought that if I kept you in bed where I was used to things being that I could handle it all. But when you realized it and asked for more…well, we both know how that ended up."

Rory reached down for Jess's hand and held it, palm to palm. "I figured all of this. But thank you for saying it out loud."

Jess's head dipped down, ashamed for what he was going to say. "I'm no good for you Rory. If you had any sense at all, you'd keep away from me."

Shocked, she reached out to cup his cheek and brought up his gaze. "Maybe I don't want to keep away."

He sighed and brought his arm around her, banding around her waist and tucking her into his body. "What are you saying?"

"I'm saying that being with you isn't a walk in the park."

He chuckled. "I know."

"And I don't expect you to be perfect. As long as you get this notion of me being perfect out of your mind as well. I'm not some princess to put up on a pedestal. I'm just human. I'm going to make mistakes too and you've got to excuse them once in a while." She took a breath and settled her weight into the crook of his body. "And I'm saying that I can't resist you."

That brought his head up. "What?"

"I'm saying that we had a lousy start. What with this whole mess with you, Simon, and me. I want to start again. Get to know each other for real this time. No insulting each other or you telling me to stay away from Simon and him telling me to not hurt you. I want to be normal this time. Date."

"Do I have to start all the way back at first base?"

Rory giggled. "Yes."

"Damn."

She sobered. "But I want some commitment this time Jess. I'm not talking about rings, but I want something from you. I want the possibility of a future together. I'm not expecting forever. If things don't work out in the end, then they don't and I won't regret my time with you. But I'm going into this a second time around constantly wondering if you're taking me seriously."

"You drive a hard bargain." Jess couldn't help but nuzzle the soft skin of Rory's neck.

"Are you agreeing?"

Jess laid a soft kiss to her jaw, unable to stop from stealing a taste of her. She tasted like peaches and sunshine. It reminded him of everything he craved because she tasted like something he wasn't. "Yes. I give up. Being without you sucks and I'm sick of pretending that I prefer to be alone. So if a commitment is what you need, then I'll do my best not to fuck it up. No promises, but I'll try."

"That's all I want." She turned her head and caught his lips with hers. Softly, as if it was their first kiss, she molded her lips to his. They fit nicely together. She caught his lower lip and teased it open with shy licks. When he opened for her, he angled their mouths strongly together. He took over the kiss, tasting like sex and sin. He was like a thundering storm and she, the sunlight after the rain.

Pulling back with his breathing ragged, he panted. "We can go back and do the dating thing later but I've got to touch you now." He pulled at her sweatshirt, unzipping it. His hand instantly went to cup her breast through her tank top and he groaned at the familiar but tantalizing weight. "I've got to be inside you."

"Yes." She moaned at the feel of his thumb teasing her nipple into a sharp point.

His mouth worked along her jaw and down towards her body as he levered himself over her and went to work removing her clothes. Rory attacked the button fly of his jeans and pushed them down with her hands and feet, desperate to feel some skin-to-skin contact. She caught a flash of movement and saw that Killer had jumped off the bed as soon as Jess started to push her down.

Jess sucked hard at the curve of her neck, feeling the primal need to mark her as his woman. But his hands were gentle on her, working the shallow curve of her breasts and the feminine dip of her waist. He reveled in the softness beneath him as he laid her naked body beneath him. Jess's arms were under her, supporting her shoulder blades as his mouth traveled down to her breasts. His hot breath teased her skin into goose bumps, her nipples tightened and darkened to a deep rose. Unable to resist the offering, Jess suckled one into his mouth, his cheeks hallowing with every deep pull.

Rory was feeling the desperate need for release as her hips pushed up against Jess's boxer-clad erection. She felt him harden and his hips responded to her movements, pushing down into her, seeking her warmth. "Jess."

"You taste so damn good." When his head dipped further down her body, Rory tightened in response. Jess coaxed her legs open as he sifted and gently petted her. "No, don't hide from me." Without an ounce of hesitance, Jess opened her to his gaze and lapped at the taste of her. It was dizzying to his senses and he nearly came when he felt her push her hips against his tongue. "That's it."

"Jess, it's too much."

"No it's not." He licked at her, alternating between soft laps and hard wet thrusts of his tongue. "Come for me."

When Rory felt Jess add two fingers into the mix, she squirmed for him to hit the right spot. And when Jess closed his lips around the throbbing knot of nerves and used his fingers to probe within her, she cried out and gripped fistfuls his hair tightly. Sparks went off behind her closed lids and she felt Jess stay with her, gentling her down from a startling climax with soft kisses. When she came back down and regained feeling in her limbs, she let go of Jess's hair and found him resting his cheek on her inner thigh. "Wow."

Jess chuckled and stole her breath away when he deliberately and sensually licked his upper lip and then sucked the bottom one into his mouth. "Hmm, yummy."

She couldn't control the full body blush that stole across her body, heating her already sparkling nerve endings. One could never accuse Jess Mariano of being a shy lover.

He came up onto the pillows and switched their positions, placing her on top. With a deep kiss, she tasted herself and found it be a slightly shocking but a bit sexy. He smiled up at her as he settled her on his hips, with his erection looking swollen and angry at being denied any action. Jess palmed himself and treated Rory's wide-eyed gaze to a few lazy strokes where his thumb circled the head and down again. "This is your show, sweetheart." Jess got up on his elbows. "Ride me."

Rory was breathless but also excited at being given free reign from a man that she knew from experienced liked to be in control. This was Jess's way of giving her something of his. "Condom?"

He jerked his head in the direction of the nightstand. "There's only two."

"Didn't pack much, huh?"

Jess got an embarrassed look and Rory marveled at the blush that appeared. "I didn't pack them."

"So how do you have condoms?"

Jess raised a brow in reply.

"Oh god!" Rory covered her face with her hands. "Don't tell me these are Luke's."

"Okay I won't tell you. But please hurry and put it on me."

She was embarrassed as hell at the thought of not only having sex up in Luke's apartment but using his birth control as well. Rory really didn't want to think too much about it. To distract herself from bad mental images, she tore open the wrapper and concentrated on him as she unrolled it onto Jess. He was hard and velvety soft in her palm. She gave him a sweet kiss on top when she finished the condom that had him growling at the sight.

"Next time." He smirked. "For now, I've got to be in you."

Rory took him into her body slowly, rocking them into a rhythm that had them panting from the sheer delicious feeling of it all. When it wasn't enough, she dug her fingers into his chest and told him in a breathless voice, "You finish us."

Jess quickly flipped them over and draped her knees over his shoulder as he dove into her faster and faster, seeking that elusive ending for them both. When his muscles tightened in signal that his orgasm was coming, he rubbed his thumb in tight circles where Rory needed it most. Her inner muscles clenched and as she went headlong into her own climax, she squeezed and milked him into his. Jess swallowed her cry into his kiss as his body tightened rhythmically. He continued to lazily thrust into her until the last of her tremors racked through their bodies. With a satisfied smile, he lay down and pulled her into his arms.

Rory woke to a bright room with sunlight steaming in through the open drapes. Though there was sun, the air was chilly and she snuggled back into Jess's warmth. He was curled tight behind her. One of his legs was wedged between hers and the arm at her waist tightened as she tried to turn around to face him.

He opened his eyes slowly and his sleepy smile matched his drowsy gaze. "Hey."

"Hi."

He pulled her in for a kiss, soft and sweet. He lingered close to her and rubbed their noses together for an Eskimo kiss. "That was amazing. It felt like the top of my head was coming off when I came."

"You're good at this dirty talk." Rory's face flushed.

Jess smirked and kissed her nose, inhaling the scent of peaches. "So what do we do now? Do I call you for a date?"

Rory laughed. "You could. Or we can get dressed and go down and have breakfast. Do you have plans for today? We could just hang out at my house and watch movies and veg."

"Sounds good."

They got up and showered together filled with wandering hands and sloppy wet kisses. It eventually led to slow shower sex where the heat of the water heightened their senses and even though things got messy, they got creative and it ended with Jess's hoarse shout of satisfaction as Rory tightened around him. They got dressed and laughed at their rumbling stomachs.

Sitting down at the corner booth, Rory didn't protest when Jess pulled her down to sit next to him, his arm tight around her waist as his chin on her shoulder as he perused the menu. Luke shot them a funny look but kept otherwise quiet when he took their orders. Jess fiddled with the napkin holder and spoke nonchalantly though he was burning to ask. "Can I ask you something?"

"Sure."

"That guy I saw you with the other day, is that anything I have to worry about?"

Rory pursed her lips, thinking about what he was talking about. "Dean, you mean."

"The giant, yeah."

She gave him a mild look of reproach. "We dated when we were kids back in high school. And we just hung out a couple of times since I've been here. Nothing serious. So no, nothing you have to worry about."

"Since I agreed to this commitment thing, I expect there to be no one but us. Three's a crowd you know."

She wisely kept silent on all the implications of their weird Jess-Simon-Rory trio and just smiled, tilting her head in flirtation. "I thought it was every guy's dream to have a threesome."

Jess shrugged and sipped at his orange juice. "They're not all they're cracked up to be."

Her mouth dropped open and she leaned closer as she whispered, "You've had a threesome before?"

He smiled. "It was a drunken thing back in college." Jess feathered a kiss over her eyelids and whispered back, "I much prefer you. Though if you want to get kinky, I'd be totally up for that."

Rory laughed. "Like what?"

"Like maybe using the convenient slats of my headboard to tie you up. All helpless but to enjoy what I do to you."

A flash of heat flew through her body and pooled between her legs. "Maybe."

Jess smirked at the clear signs of Rory being turned on. "Or maybe we're in a public setting like this and I tell you everything I wish I were doing to you. Like licking at those pretty pink nipples, or maybe—"

Rory slapped a hand over his mouth to stop him. "Not right now!" She was embarrassingly turned on just listening to his low voice.

Jess laughed and ducked to kiss her red cheek. "Another time then." When their food arrived, they dug in with gusto. Jess watched as Rory tucked into her plate stacked high with pancakes a few bacon strips and a sunny side up egg. "Sex sure works up an appetite, doesn't it?"

Even though a blush appeared on her cheeks, Rory took the teasing in stride and winked at Jess. "I'm gearing up for tonight."

Jess raised a brow. "I thought I was supposed to date you. Go back to the beginning."

She bit her lip. "Well…"

Jess chuckled at the sight of Rory trying to shoot him a sexy naughty look. With her innocent demeanor and features, it didn't come off as naughty as much as silly. But it turned him on nonetheless. "Come 'ere." Jess pulled her legs into his lap and hooked his arm tight around her waist.

Rory sighed at the feel of Jess's body. There was something so indescribably masculine about him. Whether it was the scent of sandalwood and Dial soap or the scratchy stubble that dotted his jaw, she didn't know. But for all the heartache they put each other through, all she knew was that Jess made her feel alive. He made her feel alive when they fought, when they laughed, and when he was doing things to her body that should (and probably was) outlawed in some Southern states.

She kissed him gently on the jaw, tongue peeking out to taste. "Let's just enjoy this weekend, okay? We have plenty of time to figure out the logistics of this relationship when we get back to the real world in the city."

Jess nodded and couldn't resist cuddling her closer. "Okay. I agree. Let's just have fun while we're here but I just want to make things clear. This isn't some vacation fling or some rebound sex. When I gave you my word about trying this, I meant it. So when we get back home, we'll do what we need to."

"Deal." Rory offered him her pinky to hook around his.

"What the hell is this?" Jess laughed when Rory chased his hand around the table.

"You're supposed to pinky swear. Here, give me your pinky."

Jess playfully pulled away. "How old are you?"

"Give me your pinky!"

"No." Jess grabbed her hand and pulled her into his chest for a kiss.

"Well, well, what have we here?"

Jess and Rory pulled away and looked up to see Simon with a shit-eating grin on his face. Jess waved his arm to the empty seat across them. "Like you're surprised." He scoffed. "You totally had your hands in this."

Simon sat and nodded. "I was sick of seeing the two of you moping around and drawing blood. If we were back in kindergarten, you would have been dumping glue on her clothes and pulling Rory's hair." Simon sat comfortably as he ordered his breakfast and spied his friend and Rory make eyes at one another and sneak what they thought were secret touches under the table. Simon felt his heart lighten at the sight of his friend easily smiling after so long. And being together again, all three of them, wasn't as weird as any of them had feared. It was just a meal among friends.

"How long are you staying, Jess?"

"I'm about done. Maybe a few more days or so. How about you?"

Simon shrugged. "Couple more days but definitely before Sunday night."

Jess frowned. "Why?"

"No, it's not what you're thinking." Simon hurried to assure them that he wasn't leaving because he was uncomfortable being with them. "I…kinda have a date."

"What?" Jess's eyes just about bugged out of his head.

"Hey, I date!" Simon replied, affronted.

Rory giggled at Simon's expression. "Of course you do."

"That's right. I dated you."

Jess rolled his eyes good-naturedly. "I know you date, Si. But you didn't say anything about it."

Simon seemed to squirm in his seat. "Well, I didn't want to bring it up."

"Why? Is she ugly?"

"Jess!" Rory punched him in the shoulder. "How could you say that?"

Jess rolled his eyes again and placated her with a condescending pat on her hand. "Shh, baby, this is guy talk." He nuzzled her shoulder for a moment.

"No, she's very attractive. Cute little thing with big green eyes and light brown hair. Small but packs a punch."

"So why am I only hearing about her now?"

"She's uh…a little young."

Jess munched on Rory's last piece of bacon. "How young?"

"Twenty-three." Simon ducked his head down and sipped his coffee to cover up his embarrassment.

Jess didn't bat an eye. "You like her?"

"Yeah. I've seen her around the office for a few months now. She's new. Comes around once in a while to ask about things."

"So if you like her, what difference does it make that you're a few years older than her?"

Simon shrugged and got a wistful look on his face. "Not a bit when I talk to her. She has this funny little habit of twisting her hands together and she'll breathe with her mouth slightly open when I get near her, and—"

Rory, who had been watching the conversation like a tennis game, spoke up. "Enough! This is way too much 'guy talk' for me."

"Aw baby, you kinda do the same thing when you're turned on. You breathe in deep as if you can't get enough air and when I do that thing you like with my tongue against your—"

"That's way more than I need to know!" It was Simon's turn to shut them up.

Jess laughed at their embarrassment. "You guys are so easy to embarrass."

Simon narrowed his eyes and nodded to Rory. She got the hint and spoke up with her best innocent face in place. "Jess, when you get close you do this grunting thing. Very animal. And sometimes you even whimper when I take you into my—"

Jess got a terrified look on his face and kissed Rory to stop her from talking. "Okay, got it. We all know each other's dirty secrets."

"Pun intended." Rory laughed.

Both guys rolled their eyes at the cheap shot. "All right, I'm leaving. I can't stand all this gushing between you two." Simon got up, smiling.

Jess narrowed his eyes. "You're going to call that girl, aren't you?"

Simon blushed. "Whatever."

After they watched him leave, Jess nuzzled Rory's cheek. "I'm glad he found someone."

"Feel less guilty?"

Jess shook his head. "No, it's not that. I'm just happy for him. He deserves someone who will want to be with him because he's a good guy."

Rory didn't take offense to that remark. "Yeah, he is a good guy." She elbowed him lightly. "Wanna go take a walk? I can show you the town. Tell you some stories of me growing up."

Jess smiled and it was genuine. "Yeah, I'd like that." He pulled some bills to leave on the table and averted his gaze while he said, "And maybe I'll tell you some of my stories."

He missed Rory's brilliant smile, but she was certain he felt it.

"So I guess I'll see you back in the city." Rory leaned her forehead up against Jess's, arms wrapped tight around each other.

Jess traced the curve of her neck and bent his lips to hers. "This is silly." He breathed in her scent. "We're going to the same city."

"But in different cars."

He laughed. "We're awful."

"Yeah, I think we are." Jess released Rory and opened the driver's door for her. "I'll call you." He paused for a second. "Promise."

Rory laughed. "Okay." She straightened and cupped his face in her hands, looking him dead in the eyes. "I'm glad we ran into each other here. And I'm happy about how things turned out."

"Oh yeah?" He cocked a brow.

"Yeah."

"I'm happy too. And I'll try not to be such a bastard."

"Well, we'll both make mistakes, but we'll work through them, right?"

"Right."

"Okay, I better get going. I have to be at work tomorrow." She got into the car. "When can I see you?"

"This weekend?"

"Sounds good."

He closed the door. "I'll call you for our first real date. And to just say goodnight."

She stuck her head out the rolled down window. "You don't have to be some Ken-doll boyfriend."

"Ken?" He looked insulted. "Sweetheart, I'm GI Joe all the way."

She laughed. "Yeah right."

"God you're so damaging to my ego."

"See you later."

He watched her drive away and as her headlights went around the corner, he pulled out his phone, knowing that she had set hers to silent so she wouldn't be able to hear the ringing. He waited for her voicemail to kick in. "Hey Rory, this is Jess Mariano. I just wanted to say that I had a great time getting to know you in Stars Hollow and to ask if you'd like to go out on a date with me. Saturday would be great. Dinner, a movie, and some ice cream? Call me back." He smirked as he hung up, a goofy smile growing as he imagined her listening to his message.

"What was that?" Simon walked up behind him, cradling a complacent Killer in his arms.

Jess turned. "Asking out Rory for a first date."

"Ookay." Simon smiled. "I'm glad things worked out for you guys."

"Thanks, Si. I really mean it." Jess gave Simon's shoulder a manly punch. "If it weren't for you I don't know what I'd do."

"Yeah, you'd be using your palm and five fingers."

Jess laughed but sobered a few seconds later. "No, I mean it." He glanced at Simon seriously. "Having you as a friend means a lot to me. And I know you put up with a lot of my shit, but I just want to say that you mean a lot to me. You're my best friend."

Simon smiled softly but joked nonetheless. "Your only friend."

Jess shook his head. "That's cause I'm the only person who can put up with you."

"Ditto." They walked back to the diner, shoulder to shoulder, friends.

"You okay?"

Simon glanced over at Jess and thought about it for a moment. It had been an emotional ride lately, but he honestly felt that they were better friends because of it. "Yeah, I think I am."

AN: That's it; the end. :) Please read and review. Come on, it doesn't take much to just drop a note to say what you thought of the story.