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The streets were quiet. A hush had fallen over Stars Hollow with the snow, muting the cheerful clanging of bells as people rushed in and out to complete their Christmas shopping. Lorelai breathed in the air around her, content with the scent of baked goods and mint that seemed to follow her.
Usually, she would drive her Jeep into the town square and park along the road, but today she decided to embrace the cold and walk to Luke’s by herself. Rory had been up when she left, covered in wrapping paper as she checked that each gift was wrapped perfectly. Lorelai didn’t worry about details like that; the spirit of the season meant more to her than perfection, and the spirit of the season meant gazing up at the sky to watch each individual snowflake fall.
Arriving at Luke’s, she shook the gathering snow out of her hood and boots, walking in without a care. Everyone in town knew to wait for her to walk in once she got close, the siren call of coffee distracting her from noticing people passing by. Luke was already waiting, travel cup in hand as she approached.
“Hmm, ambrosia of the gods!” she exclaimed, unable to take in anything around her as she consumed her drink. It was in no way her first cup of the day, as it would be impossible to walk to Luke’s without any caffeine in her system. But, Luke’s coffee was special, and she only fully became aware once the last sip hit her tastebuds.
“One day you’re going to get hospitalized with the amount of coffee you drink,” Luke responded gruffly, wiping down a nonexistent stain on the counter. Even so, he poured more coffee into her awaiting cup and said nothing as she stood to go.
“That day will be the day that I die!” she answered airily, smiling at Luke as he rolled his eyes. Deciding that her second cup would be matched perfectly with the still falling snow, she eagerly walked toward the door with only a “Bye, Luke!” passing over her shoulder.
She meant to start walking as she exited the diner, but the scene before her stopped her in her tracks. Even though she had been able to take in the beauty of the scene on her walk here, her one track mind waiting for coffee had distracted her enough that she only marvel properly at it once the caffeine had kicked in. The town looked downright enchanting, snow coating the gazebo and lights twinkling along shop window. Luke hadn’t bothered to put up lights again, but someone (probably Taylor) had placed a wreath on the door.
Lorelai only noticed that she had been staring around her for a few minutes when Luke walked out of the diner, shooting her a questioning look. “Shouldn’t you be going to meet Rory?” he asked, and the concern hidden behind his gruffness was too much. He needed to have fun.
Before he could register what she was doing, Lorelai gathered up a snowball in her hand and shoved it down the back of his shirt. His reaction was priceless, first shock and then barely contained anger leading her to burst out in laughter and run as fast as her coffee cup would allow her.
Days later, Lorelai found herself at Luke’s Diner, impatiently waiting for her burger and fries while Rory talked about her schoolwork. The snow had finally stopped falling, and the residents of Stars Hollow had resumed their day to day activities. Luke’s was busier than ever, and she couldn’t help but stare enviously at Kirk’s plate at the table in front of her. She perked up when she saw Luke finally appear with their plates, and Rory broke off her speech to turn towards him as well, twin expressions of hunger flitting across their faces.
Setting down the plates, Lorelai and Rory grabbed their burgers, unaware of the disgusted look on Luke’s face. The bustle of the diner surrounded them as they ate, Luke coming over now and again to top off their coffee and insult their dietary habits. Once finished, Lorelai walked up to the counter and got Luke’s attention, a mischievous smile on her face.
“I got you a present and you have to promise you’ll wear it,” she remarked, making sure to raise her voice so that she could have the whole diner’s attention. Aware of their audience, Luke sighed and motioned for her to continue. Smirking, Lorelai plopped a Santa hat on his head, right over his baseball cap, and noise filled the diner once again as the patrons attempted to hide their laughter.
Expression darkening, Luke turned around and examined the room. “The next person to laugh gets kicked out and banned.” Turning back around, he spied another hat in Lorelai’s hand. For a moment, confusion settled over his face as he wondered how she had grabbed the one currently on his head, but the newness of the cap gave it away. Handing it over, Lorelai watched as Luke pulled the Santa hat and old baseball cap off and pulled the new one on, where it fit perfectly.
“I knew you were attached to your hat, but I thought you might like a new one,” she explained, a rare moment of seriousness passing between them.
“Thank you,” Luke replied, and together they stood in silence until the ringing of the bell to signal that food was ready went off.
“I need to get that,” Luke looked up, apologetically motioning to the kitchen.
“Yeah, I’ll see you later,” and with that, Lorelai walked toward the door, looking out for Rory and hoping that maybe next year Christmas would make Luke smile more.