Work Text:
December 2002
They may have only been dating for six weeks but Rory had Jess’ Christmas gift picked out long before. She may not have actually given it to him so readily if things hadn’t changed the way they did on the night of the Dance Marathon, but since they had, she was free to give Jess the gift. Funny then that she still hadn’t, that she had even gone so far as to lie and tell him she hadn’t bought his gift yet when he presented her with what was clearly a book in Christmas gift wrap.
“You’re being ridiculous,” she said, meeting her own gaze in the mirror.
“You say something, hon?” Lorelai called from the kitchen.
“No!” Rory yelled back, wincing immediately and changing her mind. “Um, actually, yes. I’m going out for a while,” she said then, pulling on her jacket and shoving the package with Jess’ name on it inside there as she headed out her bedroom door.
“Out where?” asked Lorelai curiously. “It’s pretty late.”
“I know but I’ll be fast. I just need to see Jess about something.”
Lorelai looked like she wanted to say something else about that but instead just smiled and nodded, going back to the magazine open on the table.
Rory beat a hasty retreat, hurrying towards the diner at double-speed, not least because it was pretty cold out there in the dark, three days before Christmas! By the time she got to Luke’s, she was relieved to find him still downstairs cleaning up. Ducking by the windows, she rushed to the back door, retrieved the hidden key and let herself in. She was up the stairs, quiet as a mouse, and tapping on the apartment door within a minute, only realising then that she was completely out of breath. It was why she seemed to be hyperventilating when Jess first saw her.
“Jeez, what happened to you?” he asked, ushering her inside. “Are you okay?”
“I ran,” she gasped out, nodding madly. “Not from anything,” she explained when he continued to look concerned. “To here, to you. I... I wanted to give you this.”
She produced the gift from inside of her jacket and pretty much shoved it into his hands before Jess was quite ready. It was a miracle he didn’t drop the damn thing.
“Thank you,” he said flatly, clearly a little confused. “You ran all the way here to give me a Christmas gift, in the dark, three days before Christmas?” he checked.
“Yes.” Rory nodded, only realising now how truly crazy her behaviour must seem. “I just... I wanted you to have it. Now. Open it,” she said, gesturing madly.
Jess clearly still didn’t understand what this all about, but he did as she asked, with Rory watching him perhaps a little too intently. When the wrapping was finally off, Jess stared at his gift with an expression Rory couldn’t read at all. Her eyes flitted between his face and the tassled metal book-marker imprinted with the quote ‘There is no friend as loyal as a book.’
“You hate it,” she said worriedly, until Jess looked up at her, not smirking like he usually would, but genuinely smiling.
“I love it,” he promised her, though she was sure she wouldn’t have heard him if they weren’t so close and alone in a silent room. “It’s perfect. Thanks.”
Rory nodded her head, words failing her, a smile stretching her lips too wide but she couldn’t help it. The expression wobbled just a little when she heard signs of Luke finishing up downstairs and she threw herself forward, stealing a quick kiss from Jess before bolting out the door. She left him staring at the gift in his hands, still confused, still amazed, and probably more sure than ever that he was in love with Rory Gilmore.