Time After Time - A Gilmore Girls Fanfic #1

Chapter 29

Jess awoke to a pleasant weight on his chest. When he opened his eyes, he found Rory snuggled in the crook of his arm, her blue eyes blinking up at him. "Hey," he said, his voice still hoarse from sleep.

Her lips curled up, her eyes warm and tender. "Hi."

"Find anything good at the bookstore?" he asked, bending down to press a kiss to her forehead. He lingered a little with his lips on her skin, breathing in the cool ocean scent in her hair.

"I did."

"You were there for a while," he said. "I was going to call you but decided you were probably lost in a book."

"I actually was."

He folded his arm and gathered her closer, remembering a young Rory in her Chilton uniform, sitting on a bench with a book in her hand. He used to stand back and watch her during those times, burning to know what she was reading, wishing he could join her in whatever land she had been transported to. He knew, even back then, that wherever she went, he'd willingly follow. "Anything good?" he asked.

He regretted his question the moment she pulled away, leaving him cold, but she returned moments later with a sack in her hand. "Definitely," she said, reaching into the bag. "Close your eyes."

"Is this really necessary?" he asked, eyeing the bag.

"Hey, if you want your first Christmas gift, you'll close your eyes and hold out your hand."

"Yes, ma'am," he said, holding out his open palm and pretending to close his eyes.

"Hey, all the way," she said. A moment later, she placed something hard and flat on his hand.

He opened his eyes and saw a copy of Howl by Allen Ginsberg, the same book of poetry he'd stolen from her bedroom the first night they met.

She smiled down on him, her eyes bright. "You need to restart your library somewhere and, I figured, this book is a great jumping off point."

He flipped open the thin book to a random page and grinned. There, in the margins, were various notes written in her small, neat handwriting. As he continued paging through the book, he couldn't help but remember that night a long time ago, when he'd given back her stolen book and she had compared him to a thief in Oliver Twist. It was the very night he'd begun to realize there was more to Rory Gilmore than just a pretty face.

"I plan to have your bookshelves restocked as soon as possible," she said with a resolute nod.

He glanced down at the book, his heart clanging around in his chest. And, before she could react, he sat up, pulled her close, and kissed her for a long, luxurious time. "Thank you," he whispered after he pulled away.

She blinked up at him, biting at her bottom lip. "I'm sorry."

He drew back, frowning. "For?"

"For always doubting you, for always thinking the worst. I thought I was your biggest advocate but, come to find out, I always expected you to hit that comically large self-destruct button at the first sign of trouble," she said. "I don't know why I'm that way, why I presumed you'd let me down at every turn. I think, maybe, I've been unconsciously doing it my whole life. To you, to everyone."

He dragged in a breath, unable to do anything but stare at the wrinkled skin between her eyebrows.

"But I'm trying to change that. I don't want to be that way anymore," she said, reaching for his hand. "Not with you."

Jess opened his mouth to respond when there was a knock on the door. He let out a frustrated groan before calling out, "Yeah?"

"You guys hungry?" Luke's voice filtered in from the hallway.