Time After Time - A Gilmore Girls Fanfic #1

Chapter 25

Rory leaned her head back and sighed as warm water trickled down her scalp and sluiced down her back. She let out a soft moan as Jess repeated the process, combing his fingers through her wet hair.

"I can sit in this tub forever," she said, leaning into his hands as he massaged her scalp. Around them steam rose from the surface of the water, wrapping them in a foggy, dreamlike atmosphere.

A moment later, she felt Jess' lips on her bare shoulder. "Sounds doable," he said. "I mean, we'd eventually get pruny and would definitely have to change out the water at some point, but it sounds like a damn good way to spend the rest of our lives." He gathered her in his arms and she leaned back into his chest with a contented sigh.

They were quiet for a few tranquil moments, each lost on their own thoughts. The entire time Jess' hands slid all over her body, caressing, tracing, smoothing over her curves. She felt a little like clay and he the artist molding her to life with his talented hands.

"Jess?"

"Mmm?" he said, the sound rumbling deep in his chest.

"Remember that night when you came to my dorm room in Yale and asked me to run away with you?"

He was quiet for a time. Finally, he said, "I do, yes."

"Remember what you asked?"

"How could I forget?"

She twisted around in the water until they were facing each other. "Let's do it. Let's run away and spend the next few weeks traveling and pretending we're young again. It'll be like a do-over. A relationship mulligan."

"What about Nantucket?" he asked, his eyes flickering all over her face.

She paused. In her excitement, she had all but forgotten about her grandmother. "It'll be fine. They'll understand," she said, hoping she didn't sound as uncertain as she felt.

"When was the last time you got to spend Christmas with your grandmother?"

"I don't know. Three, four years ago."

He slid a hand up the curve of her spine and let it rest on the back of her neck. Then he gazed at her for a long, quiet time, his expression giving nothing away. Just when she thought he'd shoot down her idea, he said, "How about this: We spend Christmas in Nantucket, then we leave right after?"

"We?" she asked with a hopeful smile.

"Yep."

"An editorial we?"

"Nope."

"You want to go to my grandmother's house willingly?" she asked incredulously.

"Stranger things have happened."

"Is there a gun pointed at your back that I'm not seeing?"

"Not that I'm aware of."

"Did you, perhaps, hit your head during the fire and are now suffering from some mild form of amnesia?"

He pursed his lips and flashed her an adorable frown. "I don't remember?"

She laughed, flicking water on his face. He retaliated by tickling her sides, making her squirm, the sound of laughter and splashing water echoing through the enclosed space. She managed to grab hold of his hands, holding them together to keep him from attacking again.

He stopped, his voice taking on a more serious tone when he said, "I know you, Rory. I know that Christmas with your family is a big deal to you."

She leaned forward and pressed a soft kiss to his lips. "You're a big deal to me."