In The Forgotten Gilmore, Alessia Gilmore grapples with adolescence in Stars Hollow, a town where gossip flows as freely as coffee at Luke's Diner. Overshadowed by her mother Lorelai's bond with twin sister Rory, Alessia finds solace in her irrevere...
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The dorm was quiet, the morning sun filtering through the curtains, casting a soft glow over the room. Riley sat on the couch, a book in hand, though he wasn't reading a word. His mind kept circling back to the kiss from last night—a moment he had been trying to ignore since their brief conversation, where Beau had only mentioned it through the haze of his hangover. The tension had hung between them like a low hum, unacknowledged but ever-present.
Next to him, Beau lounged wrapped up in a blanket like a burrito, his eyes half-closed and lips pursed in an exaggerated pout. The remnants of last night's revelry were evident on his face, a mix of exhaustion and the aftereffects of too much fun. Beau groaned dramatically, squirming slightly as if trying to escape the weight of the world.
"Ugh... the world is too bright. And my head feels like it's stuffed with cotton."
"You're hungover," Riley said, glancing up from his book—his heart raced, knowing exactly why he couldn't focus. Last night's kiss lingered in his thoughts, a memory he had been actively avoiding but couldn't shake.
Beau buried his face deeper into the blanket. "Everything hurts. Why did I drink so much?"
"Because you have no self-control," Riley quipped, though his voice was softer than usual. He recalled Beau's lips against his, warm and inviting, and how right it had felt—a moment of connection he was still grappling with.
Beau shifted, squinting over at Riley. "No self-control, huh? Pretty sure we weren't exactly responsible last night either."
Riley tightened his grip on the book, refusing to meet Beau's gaze. "I don't know what you're talking about."
"Oh, you know," Beau replied lightly, his teasing tone a stark contrast to the weight of the situation. "The kiss, Riley. You know I remember it." He paused, searching Riley's face for something more. "You can't pretend it didn't happen."
Riley's heart raced, and a faint blush crept into his cheeks. He stood, needing to move away from the intensity of the moment. "I wasn't pretending," he muttered, heading toward the kitchenette. Riley's back was turned, but he could feel the heat rising in his face. "I just didn't know where you stood," he said, his voice barely above a whisper, the question hanging in the air.
Beau sat up, clutching his head but still wearing that mischievous glint in his eyes. "Well, I think I was pretty into it. That counts for something, right?" He took a breath, the weight of the moment shifting. "So... does this mean we're, like, a thing now?" he asked, trying to sound casual, but the tension was undeniable.
Riley felt a mix of hope and anxiety at Beau's words. Before he could respond, the door swung open. Alessia walked in, bright and cheerful despite the oversized sunglasses hiding half her face, clearly shaking off her own hangover.
"Morning, dorks," she chirped, heading for the fridge. "I feel like I got hit by a truck. But a happy truck, you know?"
Riley shot a quick glance at Beau, who stifled a grin. The tension between them evaporated, replaced by the familiar ease of their friend walking in.
Alessia grabbed a bottle of water and collapsed onto the couch opposite them, blissfully unaware of the awkward silence she'd just interrupted. "You guys look like you had a fun night too."
Riley, flustered from the earlier conversation, chuckled awkwardly. "Yeah, something like that."
Beau stretched out on the couch, stifling a groan. "It was definitely... eventful."
"Yeah? What'd I miss?" Alessia asked, oblivious to the underlying tension.
Riley and Beau exchanged a quick look, but before either could say anything, Riley stood up. "I'll make some coffee."
As he busied himself with the coffee machine, he could feel Beau's gaze lingering on him, but for now, the tension remained unspoken, masked by the light-hearted domesticity of the moment.
Alessia sipped her water, glancing between them. "You two are weird today," she muttered, stretching out like a cat on the armchair.
Beau's grin widened as he watched Riley, the memory of the kiss still fresh in his mind. The morning might've been quiet, but something between them had undoubtedly changed, and Riley's heart raced at the thought of what might come next.
As the coffee brewed, Riley caught his reflection in the microwave. He could see the uncertainty written all over his face, and he wondered if he was ready to confront what this shift might mean for them. Would Beau still want to explore it when the fog of the night faded away? The questions buzzed in his mind as he turned back to face his friends, both of them blissfully unaware of the storm of emotions brewing beneath the surface.
