9Chapter Two: In My Defense…
In her defense, she never expected Chris to show up. She never expected him to try and get a merit badge for showing up, unannounced, and then butt into their lives. She expected Sookie to be available; she didn't expect Luke of all people to volunteer for drunken revelry.
She didn't expect to get so...horny.
Somehow, she'd gone from freaked out at the thought of Rory getting too hung up on the idea of a nuclear family, to blissfully agreeing to date her coffee dealer. Not that there's anything to complain about with Luke...if anything, I should send him a thank you card. Maybe a nice fruit basket… Her skin tingles at the memories of the night before.
Oh my god, I went out drinking without telling Rory, then I stayed out overnight and lied about it to her and Chris! I am sixteen! I have regressed to high school! Lorelai was still in the car, staring at the window to Luke's Diner. She'd dropped Rory and Chris back home, but now she needed to get in there. She could see Luke, setting up drop cloths and laying out paint brushes. She needed to go in there and talk to her boyfriend. Like an adult.
"I am an adult, dammit," Lorelai muttered, unbuckling the seatbelt and getting out of the car. She set off across the street, forcing herself to charge towards the door like a woman possessed. She was already half an hour late, she couldn't keep him waiting.
Oh lord, I hooked up with Luke last night. We're dating. I didn't even realize I was over Max, and now I'm dating Luke. Lorelai nearly tripped, her hand accidentally shoving the door with more force than necessary. She tumbled into the diner, then righted herself and looked up with a sheepish expression. "Hey, there."
Luke's expression was a picture. He was clearly fighting laughter, desperately trying to maintain a grumpy expression. Lorelai was in ragged jeans and a ratty old t-shirt, so she wasn't quite sure why his gaze was turning so heated, but it sent a jolt through her nipples nonetheless.
"You're late," Luke said, crossing the room in three strides. With no hesitation, he pulled her against him and laid the mother of all kisses on her surprised lips. The world went bright and sharp, then fell away. His arms were like steel framework, supporting her as she melted into his lips.
They kissed for years; time warped and twisted and sidled away to a distant corner of reality. His teeth caught her lip, a sharp burst of pain that set every nerve alight and made her throb with want. Whimpering and panting, Lorelai leaned into the kiss and let herself be caught up in an overwhelming cavalcade of sensation. Luke was the center of the universe, a burning light that made her want to hide away or bask in it forever. She wasn't sure if she'd ever felt this way; having a kid at 16 certainly limited the number of real, adult relationships she'd been in. Max had pushed so hard to try for a relationship, and it was honestly the closest to healthy out of all her past entanglements. Max never made her feel like this though; the scariest thing about him was the fear of Rory caring too much and Lorelai never caring enough.
This was new. Different. Overwhelming in a whole new way.
Oh god, what if we don't work? What if I get to feel this way and then it's gone and I never find this feeling again? I'm not equipped for a real relationship! I'm bad at it! Lorelai's sudden surge of panic cut through the heady rush of lust.
"Luke, slow down," She pressed hands firmly against his chest and he immediately backed up. His breath was ragged, rasping. She could feel her own pulse pounding in time to the heart fluttering under her palms. His eyes were warm, a self satisfied smirk curling at the edges of his mouth.
"Sorry," Luke said. "I didn't mean to do that."
"Just fell onto my lips, I guess?" Teasing him cut through the DANGER, DANGER, EMOTIONAL PERIL alarm ringing in her head. "We should probably talk, at some point."
"Yeah, talking sounds great," he said, while leaning into her lips again, gently nibbling and licking and caressing; she was near panting in seconds.
"Talking is adult, and we're adults," she breathed out before surging forward again, hands going to his collar and pulling him closer. This time, she bit his lip, held him tighter as they rocked into each other. A breathless laugh escaped as they broke apart again.
"I thought you wanted to talk," he said, tugging lightly on her ponytail and smiling fondly.
"Yes. Yes, I do, so you go sit and I'll sit far away and we'll talk," Lorelai pointed commandingly across the room. With a muffled laugh, Luke let go and strolled to a chair near the back stairs. Lorelai grabbed another chair and sat by the door. "We need to discuss terms."
"Terms?"
She huffed, crossing her arms and glaring. "Luke, we've been friends for years, Rory loves you like family, I lo-," she cut herself off, blushing slightly. "You're family, not just a friend. If this goes badly, if we break up, it's not just our feelings that will be hurt."
"Rory will never lose me, no matter what happens between the two of us," Luke's voice was quiet, but his gaze sharpened, pinning Lorelai in place. "You already know that, though. What's really bothering you?"
Lorelai shifted.
"Lorelai…"
"I'm not great at this, Luke," she said. "I tried so hard with Max, and couldn't make it feel right. I don't actually...date, very often. I know I'm flirty, but most guys aren't interested in the single mom, high school dropout. The ones left after that are either looking for a housewife or a hookup most of the time."
"I haven't been in a real relationship in years," Luke offered. "I had an on again, off again thing with a girl from high school, but we spent more time apart than together for the majority of that time."
"I'm just afraid of being...bad at it, I guess," Lorelai whispered in a low tone. She felt a flush burn across her cheeks, and a sudden spate of unnecessarily demanding tears welled up.
"I don't know what to say to make this easy, or if we can do this," Luke admitted, pulling her into a hug. "I want to try. I hope it all works out."
They stayed in a standing hug for a few minutes, both feeling like there was more to say and completely unable to think of what it was. An awkward shuffle occurred as they pulled apart, Luke clearing his throat and gesturing around.
"So...paint?"
Chris was meanwhile at the Crap Shack with Rory. He'd spent the stay trying to be Super Dad and mostly wound up embarrassed and disappointed. How dare this town judge him? God I hope Rory doesn't tell Lorelai about the bookstore…
"Alright, kiddo, how about breakfast tomorrow with your mom before I head out?" Chris leaned casually against Rory's doorframe, peering in. "Still can't get over how many books you have in here. Hey, how about you let me buy you a new bookshelf next time I'm in town?"
"Luke always just builds me a new one when I run out of space. We ran out of walls is all. He swears he'll think of a solution other than under the bed," Rory explained, barely glancing up from her book. "I don't think breakfast is a good idea, though. Mom doesn't really want to spend time with you right now, but we could get something just the two of us."
"Yeah, sounds good," Chris tried to hide his wince at the reminder.
Rory glanced up hopefully as he turned away. She wanted to punch Dad for the way he left Mom to carry all the burdens for so many years, but there was still that inner five year old dreaming of a Daddy who showed up. Don't get your hopes up, he probably won't come back for ages and ages.
When Lorelai got home that night, she found Rory curled up in bed with a dreamy smile on her face and a book dangling half off the bed.
"We should get married," Chris threw it out there, one last desperate attempt. Lor was in a better mood this morning, she'd even joked with him for a minute.
"...what?"
"We can be a family! A real family, with the kid and a picket fence. I'm ready now! I have a real job, a real income," Chris went all in, ignoring the inner voice trying to stop him from lying and making things even worse.
"Chris, you couldn't even afford a book," Lorelai said, her face buried in her hands.
"Lor, come on, at least look at me," Chris begged, as she turned away. "I know I fucked up when Rory was a kid. I know I should have been there more, and that's what I want now! My money situation will get better. Please, just one more chance? At least think about it!"
"Chris, I'm sorry, but I just can't right now," Lorelai gasped out, her shoulders starting to shake as she headed for the door.
"Marry me, Lorelai Gilmore. Please," Chris called out, his voice almost cracking in desperation.
I can't hold it anymore. Oh boy.
Lorelai's cackles echoed down the stairwell as she went up to her bedroom in a rush, failing to stifle the laughter she'd been suppressing since Chris first proposed. Proposed! Did he go to my mom for life advice?
A/N: That's all I've got for Chris's episode, tbh. I'm tired of staring at it.