A/N: Just something I wrote up quickly. My first published story so please be reasonably gentle if you even read idea was that either Jess came to town earlier or Tristan stayed longer, anyway, they just were around at the same time.

Disclaimer: I don't own anything. Even though I do have all seven Gilmore Girls box sets on my shelf.

____________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________

Rory was walking fast across the town square, trying to ignore the voices of those two idiots who were following her. She was done being the ever-sweet Rory. In fact, she was beyond furious. Even though she was convinced she loved Dean and in moments of painful honesty with herself she admitted she had a thing for Tristan, now they were just behaving as if they were five and making a scene in the middle of the town. She was pretty sure that Kirk was hiding somewhere in the bushes with his camera and a picture of her and her two admirers will make the cover of the Stars Hollow Gazette the next day. She just prayed that no one heard Tristan insisting that it was about time she chose one of them and ended her Mary ways.

"Mary, you can't ignore me forever!"

"Rory, talk to me!"

Suddenly she stopped and turned around on her heel, making her two followers bump into each other. That was actually pretty hilarious. But she couldn't start laughing now, she had to stay angry and tell them what she thought of their childishness.

"Firstly, Dean, since when do you actually follow me when you get jealous, isn't your favourite option to walk out and wait for me to come and apologise to you?" she hissed.

"Oooh, low blow Mary, look, you broke your boy here," Tristan pointed out sarcastically, clearly enjoying the fact that Rory was mad at Dean.

"And you!" she turned to him, "no one asked for your input, Tristan! Why are you even here in the first place?! I can recall a conversation from yesterday when I told you to stop talking to me!"

"Wait, you talked to him yesterday?" Dean cut in and then a look of realisation crossed his face. "It was when you told me you've got to go to Hartford to see Paris, right? You went to see him?!"

Rory wanted to shout something back at him but Tristan was faster.

"Oh no, she never told me she was with you," he teased, "I wouldn't have asked her to meet me if I knew."

She couldn't take it anymore and she left them to their stupid argument. She stormed into Luke's and headed straight towards the counter.

"Jess, can I have a doughnut, please?" she said and turned around at the sound of the bell at the door. Those two caught up with her again. "Actually, do you mind if I go upstairs?" she nodded towards the curtain.

"Sure," Jess raised his eyebrows and glanced at the two guys who just entered and were arguing loudly.

"Just... don't talk to them, don't let them follow me and please make sure they don't kill each other," she grabbed her doughnut and disappeared behind the curtain.

She walked up the stairs and into Luke's apartment. It was neater than the last time she was there, Jess had finally managed to unpack and now an entire wall was covered in shelves with his books and CD's. She walked up to them and examined the contents closely, finally picked out a big volume, put on some music and sat on a bed, her thoughts drifting away from the boys and instead focusing on the words in front of her. She reached for her doughnut with chocolate sprinkles and finally relaxed.

Meanwhile, downstairs, Jess was smirking while watching a very entertaining show. Dean, and some other guy he didn't know kept arguing and then stopping abruptly just to stare into space in uncomfortable silence. They have repeated the process at least five times already, he couldn't really keep up because things were crazy at the diner. From what Jess overheard, the blonde guy seemed pretty cool, especially since he was making Dean miserable, but he was clearly interested in Rory so Jess couldn't possibly like him. He let Luke take their order but then his curiosity got the better of him and he walked to their table with a coffee refill. Dean snorted when he saw him.

"Hey, I can go away, just thought you two might want some more coffee," Jess said, raising his hands in mock defence.

"Thanks, Jess," Dean pronounced his name spitefully.

"Sure. And, you know, for an extra twenty cents I can make you cappuccinos with cocoa hearts to make your date even more enjoyable," he teased mercilessly, enjoying every moment of it.

"And who are you exactly?" Tristan addressed him.

"Call me Dodger," he smirked.

"You can go in there, right?" Tristan pointed at the curtain and when Jess answered him with a nod, he took out a pen and scribbled something quickly on a piece of paper, then folded it and reached out to Jess. "Be so kind and deliver it to the princess up there, okay?"

Jess didn't need to be asked twice. He put the piece of paper in his pocket and turned around, just to hear Dean's voice attacking Tristan.

"I can't believe you, you intentionally sent him to Rory!"

Jess smirked, filled a cup of coffee, a box of fries and put two pieces of cherry pie on a plate and with all this headed upstairs. He opened the door with a kick since his hands were full.

"Hey, it's been almost two hours, I thought you must be..." he paused and frowned to hide the fact that his heart fluttered, "...hungry by now". It was silly. Jess Mariano's heart shouldn't flutter just because a Rory Gilmore was lying on his bed propping herself up on her elbow, reading his copy of Jane Eyre and listening to his Sex Pistols record. Nice mix by the way. It was embarrassing that he even owned Jane Eyre but his notes in the margins were even more incriminating. Busted. But he tried to play it cool.

"Bless you. As much as I love my fortress here, there's only healthy food in the fridge," she smiled at him and reached for a fry, sitting up cross-legged now.

"Well, you do deserve it for bringing two customers who won't go away," he smirked.

"They're still there?" she sighed, only half questioningly. She should have known they won't go away.

"Oh yeah. And the blonde guy, what's his name?"

"Tristan."

Jess chuckled. "Tristan made me carry a note to his Isolde," he took out the creased piece of paper out of his back pocket and handed it to Rory, who unfolded it and momentarily blushed and grinded her teeth. The note landed on the bed next to her and Jess couldn't help but read, "Your boyfriend is growing on me, Mary, you should come down so we could spend some time together. Yes, I guess I'm proposing a three-way. Yours forever, Tris". Jess shook his head with a mixture of amusement, anger and pity and decided to turn away Rory's attention to something else. As much as he loved seeing her blush, he preferred to be the one causing it.

"So, Sex Pistols, huh?" he tried to step on a safe territory but she blushed again and he had to stop himself from laughing out loud. She was unbelievable.

"Yep. I was angry."

"Good choice," he mumbled with a mouthful of fries. "Did you know that Sid Vicious played drums with Siouxsie and the Banshees for a while?"

"I did."

"You did?" his eyes widened in genuine surprise which Rory registered gladly.

"Lane Kim is my best friend, remember?" she grinned. "I prefer The Creatures though. Anima Animus – rescuing the honour of the 90's."

"Nothing can rescue the honour of the 90's." Jess smirked. "I heard that's one of PJ Harvey's favourite albums though."

"Oh, I love PJ! I almost went to her concert once."

"Oh yeah? Why didn't you?"

"Because it was Tristan who asked me to go. And he thought PJ Harvey is a band."

"Jeez, I'm never serving him coffee again."

She smiled at him gratefully and they continued talking until Luke came into the apartment announcing that he closed up the diner and he needs Jess' help cleaning up.

"Rory, your friends were particularly difficult to get rid of, Dean kept staring at the curtain and the other guy made friends with Kirk and said he wouldn't leave until they come up with an ultimate business idea."

"But they're gone now, right?" she inquired and looked out of the window to make sure that she could go home safely. "Jess, thanks for everything, I'm borrowing the book," she grabbed Jane Eyre and left before he could protest. She simply had to finish looking through his notes. She left but he just stood there, looking after her in awe, unaware of the fact that Luke was watching him with amusement.

"Jess."

"What?" he snapped.

"Don't 'what' me, I can see that you like her. And she likes you too."

"And since when you're such an expert, Uncle Luke?" Jess asked sarcastically.

"Those two were sitting downstairs arguing over her and scaring off my customers and she was here with you all this time."

"Whatever," he dismissed the claim, secretly wishing that Luke was right.

"She'll come around, Jess. She's a Gilmore, she has to eat."