Work Text:
December 2008
“Loin-fruit!” Lorelai declared happily, grabbing Rory and pulling her over the threshold into a huge hug. “I didn’t think you were getting here until tomorrow.”
“I thought I’d surprise you,” her daughter told her, pulling back and noting the almost manic grin on her mother’s face. “And apparently I did. Are you okay?” she checked.
“I’m fine. Finey McFine,” said Lorelai, just this side of loopy as far as Rory could tell.
Just when she was asking what on earth was going on, Luke appeared from the kitchen, and he wasn’t alone.
“Rory, hey, welcome home,” said her step-father, but it was actually the guy behind him that had her attention, something Luke quickly noticed. “Ah, right, yeah. So, we have another visitor for the holidays, isn’t that great?” he said, clapping his hands together once and smiling too much.
“I think it’s fine,” said Lorelai, still grinning. “Just fine.”
“They freaking you out yet?” asked Jess, looking past his uncle and her mom to Rory stood by the door still.
“Oh, yeah,” she agreed, nodding her head. “So much that I wish I could go back out this door and run all the way back to New York.”
“Is it weird if I come with you?” he checked, laughing some as Rory did the same.
“Well, excuse us for being concerned that this might be an uncomfortable situation for the two of you.” Lorelai scoffed. “That is the last time I’m sensitive to the feelings of others,” she told Luke, flouncing off to the kitchen the way only Lorelai could.
Luke rolled his eyes and went after her, ever the dutiful husband, and Rory sighed.
“So, how are you Jess?” she asked him straight.
“Not bad.” He shrugged easily. “You?”
“Pretty good,” she admitted. “Truncheon?”
“Good. The Times?”
“Also good.”
“Good.”
With all that covered the two nodded once each and then shifted awkwardly in place.
“Okay, so now it’s a little uncomfortable,” Rory admitted, fingers twisting together nervously. “It’s been a while.”
“It has,” Jess agreed, “but hey, we’re both adults, at least one of us well-adjusted, the other... getting there,” he said of himself. “It’s just Christmas with family, right? We can handle that.”
“Sure, we absolutely can.” Rory nodded her agreement.
“Okay then,” said Jess. “So, coffee?” he suggested, ushering her towards the kitchen.
“Sounds like a solid plan,” said Rory, moving in that direction.
They walked down the hall together, stopping under the arch, the both of them staring at Luke and Lorelai who dutifully stared back at them, completely agog.
“What?” asked Rory.
“Um, maybe don’t look up?” Lorelai advised, putting all her attention on pouring coffee, while Luke scrambled to find snacks.
At the same moment, Rory and Jess both dared to tip their heads back and saw the mistletoe right above them. Rory looked at Jess with a question in her eyes, and he looked right back at her, challenge accepted. There were no more awkward moments after that.