Work Text:
'Verse/Timeline: canon - Season 3
Date: December 2002
Rory shivered as she pulled out of their kiss, not entirely convinced that all of her reaction was due to Jess’ flawless technique. He must have noticed, since his hands moved up and down her arms in a way that ought to warm her in a different way to the making out.
“You have no stamina for the weather, Gilmore,” he told her with a smirk.
“Hey, it’s cold out here, and I’m not entirely dressed for long periods of outdoor activity,” she countered. “I told Mom five minutes,” she reminded him, pulling on his wrist so she could check the time on his watch. “I should probably head back in.”
“Yeah, probably.” Jess sighed, pulling her to him the very next second and kissing her soundly one more time.
“Jess,” she whined, trying half-heartedly to get away. “You know, if you would just come inside-”
“Pass,” he said quickly, backing up a step. “You’re right, I should just make tracks.”
“I don’t want you to,” she told him desperately. “I don’t believe you really want that either, but I don’t understand why you can’t come into the house, just for a little bit.”
“Because your mom would like nothing better than to stuff me into the oven with your Christmas turkey?” Jess suggested.
Rory rolled her eyes. “Okay, first, you know we don’t cook, and second, it’s not as if she actually hates you or anything, she’s just... protective.”
“Like a grizzly bear,” he said, rolling his eyes.
“Jess!”
“Rory, come on,” he said, shaking his head. “I didn’t mean it, okay?”
“I hope not,” she said with a look. “Come on, please, it’s Christmas, one of my favourite times of the year. This should be a happy day. When you said you wanted to come over, I was convinced it actually might just be, but now you won’t come in and...”
When he moved in closer and put his lips to hers again, Rory meant to protest. After all, she had been making a valid point and he could not just get out of everything by kissing her. Except that maybe he could, because honestly, he was just that good at it.
“Happier now?” he asked, pulling away at last, leaving her breathless.
“Mmhmm,” she confirmed, nodding her head.
“Good. Me too.” Jess smiled, planting one last quick kiss on her cheek. “I gotta go. Told Luke I wouldn’t be too long, so... Merry Christmas, Rory,” he told her, pulling twice on the edge of her jacket before turning and walking away down the porch steps.
Smiling giddily and feeling a whole lot warmer, Rory watched him go for a moment, then headed right back inside. As she stepped in through the front door, she felt something shift in the inside pocket of her jacket, close to where Jess had tugged on the material. Looking down, she realised there was something there that hadn’t been before.
“Oh my goodness,” she said, giggling as she pulled the thin tome from inside her jacket.
It was one she recognised from her own bookshelf, though it was different now, she knew as she flipped the pages and found a whole array of marginalia in very familiar handwriting. Now, it really was a happy Christmas.