Work Text:
December 2005
“I’m so sorry we can’t be there, Mom,” said Rory into the phone. “But the snow is so bad, it’s just going to be impossible.”
“Hey, hon, it’s okay. We saw you at Thanksgiving and at least nobody’s alone or anything. Of course, I wish you were here, but at least we have our guys, right?”
“That is true,” Rory agreed, even though she was choking up and could hear her mother wavering too. “You and Luke have a really great Christmas, and give Will a hug from me and Jess.”
“Consider it done, sweets. Have a Merry Christmas,” said Lorelai, before they finally ended the call.
“Hey, you doing okay?” asked Jess as Rory re-joined him in the living room.
She nodded but couldn’t give a verbal reply. Immediately, he got up and came over to hug her close. Honestly, though Jess wasn’t literally going to cry he was sad not to go home too. It would be weird not to see Luke and Lorelai for Christmas, the people who had raised them and been there since both he and Rory were eleven. Still, at least he and Rory were together.
“Well, lunch isn’t exactly going to be traditional, but at least one of us can cook,” he noted, glad to hear Rory’s teary sobs turn into laughter at his shoulder. “Given what I could get at the corner store, it’s pretty much going to be turkey burgers with potato wedges, and Twinkies for dessert.”
“Sounds fine to me,” said Rory, smiling as he wiped her tears away with his thumbs. “You’re here, I’m here, we have our gifts for each other, and of course, the tree,” she said, giggling as she gestured to the foot tall, LED covered, plastic tree on the shelf.
“Hey, do not mock the tree,” Jess told her mock-sternly. “It’s doing its best.”
“I know, and I’m grateful,” she said, talking about more than the tree and they both knew it. “I love you, you know that, right?”
“I got the impression after five years of dating, yeah,” he said, smiling as he leaned in to kiss her softly on the lips. “Merry Christmas, Ror.”
“Merry Christmas, Jess,” she replied, turning in his arms to look out of the window.
Together they stood wrapped in each other’s embrace, watching the snow fall over the Boston skyline. It wasn’t home exactly, but it was beautiful.