One In The Same - Jess Mariano

The Luckiest Maiden in the Land

A/N: Short chapter, but I liked writing this one. I am drunk, so there may be mistakes lol. Going to bed now, updates may be slower leading up to this weekend :D

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  "You need to talk to Luke," Y/N tries to avoid the fact that Jess had basically just confessed that he still has feelings for her after all this time. She doesn't really know what she should say, especially after spending all this time getting over what she felt when Jess left.

Jess nods, picking up on the fact that Y/N is apprehensive to talk about the elephant in the room. "I don't... Uh- So, was that 'the boyfriend'?" He forces out.

"No, we're just-" She doesn't finish speaking, suddenly feeling too awkward to even mention sex.

"Ahh," Jess nods in understanding, he lets the corners of his lips quirk up slightly at the information. "Whose decision was that, then?"

"Well, if you wanna get technical about it, it was Rory's," At this Jess lets out a breathy laugh of shock, eyes nearly bugging out of his skull.

"Rory? Picture of innocence, bashful Bambi?"

Y/N lets herself smile. She can appreciate the surprise on his face. "I know, it's hard to picture,"

"Wow. Things really have changed since I've been gone, huh?" The air gets a little thicker with tension once again at the mention of his sudden departure. A minute goes by before he speaks again. "I shouldn't have left. I just felt so guilty about Rory getting hurt, and the whole town already hated me enough. It was cowardly of me to run off,"

"Why didn't you say goodbye?"

"Because..." Y/N waits in anticipation. "You would've tried so hard to make me stay, and it would've been too hard to say no to you,"

"Well. I guess you're right. But, it still left me feeling like I wasn't enough to make you stay. It really fucking hurt Jess. I would've stood by you and fought against anyone who would've said anything bad about you, or who blamed you for anything. Luke would have too,"

"I regretted it everyday - not saying goodbye. I replayed every scenario in my mind, but I was stubborn and stayed thinking it would be better if I just was out of your life, that it would be easier if you could just hate me,"

"I did,"

Jess and Y/N meet eyes once again, "Did?"

"The rest remains to be seen... I just need a minute to think. This is all such a head fuck, I'm sorry-"

"Don't apologise," Jess walks closer to her, and places a hand lightly on her arm, smoothing his thumb over the skin comfortingly. "I'll give you a million minutes if that is how long it takes for you to trust me again,"

Y/N mouths a thank you, not being able to fully speak aloud. Jess and Y/N head downstairs to see Luke. Jess had found a way to get into the apartment undetected when he lived here before, so this would be the first time in months that the man would see his nephew. Luke turned around just as Y/N and Jess appeared from behind the curtain in the diner. For a second, it doesn't even register in his brain, but he does a double take and silently open his mouth slightly.

"Jess..."

"Yeah," Jess shrugs his shoulders lightly, he's clearly uncomfortable with the strong attention focused on him. A lot of the townspeople in the diner are looking at him too, in hushed conversations. "Liz is here too. I think she's heading over here with TJ to see you soon,"

"Alright," Y/N looks between the two - she doesn't think she has ever seen two people who struggle to speak in long sentences this badly. It was the same way when Jess first came to town, and it would be entertaining if it wasn't so tense. "So, have you two... spoke?"

"No, we just stood and looked at each other for a while. Very informative," the girl speaks in a deadpan voice.

"Oh yeah, I would really recommend," Jess adds on, and Luke rolls his eyes in his usual fed up manner.

"Glad to see you two are right back at it making me want to dive out the window for just asking a simple question,"

"Did Y/N's boyfriend not act in my place for that? Just met him, he seems like a real catch," Y/N punches Jess' shoulder.

"Jess!" Luke points his finger at the girl accusingly.

"You had that rich boy up there again? How many times-"

"Kill me," Y/N sighs, and sends a death glare to Jess, to which he just smirks victoriously.

"Oh, don't worry uncle Luke, he said he was just looking for the bathroom and ended up in Y/N's closet. Sounds very truthful to me," Y/N pushes Jess' shoulder again, and he lets out a breathy laugh.

"We were just studying," the girl tried, but it didn't come out as convincing as she would like. She already knew it was a lost cause anyway, but she still tried to play on the defensive.

"Oh right. Biology? You know... Reprod-" Y/N slaps a hand over Jess' mouth, her eyes blown wide. At the same time, Liz Danes walks into Luke's and approaches the counter with a wide smile on her face, so Y/N moves her hand, and takes a step or two away from Jess.

"Who is this then?" Her voice is chirpy and enthusiastic, then she lets out a dramatic gasp. "Oh my gosh, is this her?"

"Mom-" Jess tries to cut her off but she keeps on going, as though she was excited to embarrass her son.

"It is! Y/N Hayden, in the flesh. I've heard so much about you," Liz grabs the girl's hands, cupping them between her own. "She's even more beautiful than you described," She looks at Jess when she says this, and lowers her voice - but not enough for Y/N to not overhear. It is her turn to smirk at him, proud that the tables have turned onto him, and now he was the one caught red handed.

"Are you excited to get married?" Y/N for some reason feels nervous talking to the bubbly woman.

"Yes! I feel like the luckiest maiden in the land,"

"Liz has decided to have a mediaeval themed wedding," Luke informs Y/N for the context. She uses all her energy to not laugh - she did not want to upset Jess' mother on their first meeting. Last time Liz was in town, Y/N was still in her pit of despair, running around causing hellfire in her path.

"You're going to look so pretty in any of the tunics I picked out. You can get first pick," Jess bursts out laughing at Y/N's expense.

"Can't wait to see that,"

"-And I picked out a very simple, but amazing tunic for you too Jess," Ever the optimist, Liz didn't seem to pick up on the teasing nature of Jess' remark. He immediately stopped laughing and shook his head, irritated at the instant karma thrown at him.

"Could you send me the pictures after the wedding? I need that immortalised," Y/N smiles, putting on an innocent face.