Sitting Ducks, Kissing Ducks

Disclaimer:  I do not own these characters.

Summary:  When Jess promises Rory that there will be no kissing until Valentine’s Day, Rory finds herself wanting to break the deal that she concocted. 

A/N:  New fic!  Not really sure where it’s going, if it’s going, when it’s going.  It’s really just for fun, and I’m home sick from school today, so I thought I would write it.  It takes place in season 3, after “That’ll Do, Pig” because I noticed how Jess was very into, well, the kissing.  But a relationship cannot be based solely upon kissing….

Chapter 1: Kiss Me ... Nevermind

            “Hey there,” Jess said into Rory’s ear as he slid onto the bench beside her.  Immediately, he went in for the kiss.  Per usual, as always, never not.

            Rory succumbed to the kiss, which of course was an exemplary kiss, as were all of hers with Jess.  But…

            “Hey Jess, how was school?”  Rory pulled herself away with a inquiry.  Jess was sorely disappointed, as would be most guys.

            “Let’s not talk right now.”  Jess moved his head back in.  He loved kissing her.  He loved…He wasn’t sure if he could even think, let alone say, the other thing he may or may not love.  It was too soon.  Especially for Jess, the rebel who didn’t have feelings.  But he did have feelings.  Inside feelings.    

            “Jess, please.  Let’s just talk for a little while.”  Rory said pleadingly.  They never talked anymore.  It was kissing.  And more kissing.  Oh and, more kissing.  Their talk was mostly restricted to talk about where they could meet up to do, yes, more kissing.  Not that the kissing wasn’t great…

            “Rory, we always talk.”  He said, but he knew it wasn’t true.  They always had used to talk, before they were allowed to kiss.  While Dean was still in the picture.  But now…not so much.

            He didn’t go back in for a kiss.

            “I miss the talking.”  Rory said quietly, and when Jess saw how serious she was, he took her hand in his and wrapped his fingers around hers.

            “I like the kissing.”  He said.

            “I do too.”  Rory admitted, but was rather sad that Jess hadn’t said he missed the talking too.

            “But I do miss our talking.”  Rory smiled at his admission.  She knew that he had.

            “So, how was school today?” Rory asked again.

            And instead of replying with a one, monosyllabic word, he formed a coherent sentence, just to please her.  “The teachers think I may be some sort of genius.”  This caught Rory’s attention.

            “A what?”

            “A genius, but I don’t think so.”

            “But, how? When? How? Yeah, how?”

            “I’ve been hanging around you so much that some of those horrid studying habits must have rubbed off on me.”  Jess joked.

            “Seriously.”

            “Seriously.  They forced me into taking the SAT’s and I got a 1600.  They were just plumb shell-shocked.”  Jess drawled in an affected accent.

            “That’s amazing, Jess.  I always knew you were smart.”

            “It’s weird though, because I only really spelled words out with those bubble letters.  Just a coincidence I guess.”  But Rory knew what he was doing.  He didn’t like this ‘genius’ idea spoiling his notorious reputation. 

            Jess wrapped his arm around Rory’s shoulders and she got the hint that he didn’t want to talk about it anymore.

After a couple minutes of comfortable silence on the bench, Rory had an idea.

“You wanna go read?” She asked.

“You are serious.” He said back, disbelievingly.

“As a heart attack.”  He smiled when he realized that he had said that same thing a couple days back.

“Alright, are we going to read, or read?” What he meant was kiss.

“Read, why?  Suddenly not turned on to Hemmingway.” She knew what he had meant. 

“Of course not.  It’s just not what we normally do on a Friday night.” 

“Live a little.” She teasingly dared.

“Are you saying that I don’t walk on the wild side?” He feigned shocked hurt.

“I’m saying that you should.”  She stood up and he followed suit, wrapping his arm around her shoulder and her arm around his waist. 

----

“I cannot believe you.  You lied.”  Rory accused.

“No, I did not lie.  I simply refrained from telling you everything.” He countered.

“But you said you read The Fountainhead.”

“Yes I did.” He admitted.

“But you just said you didn’t finish it.”

“But I read it.  Sure, not all of it, but some.”

“That,” she paused, “is deceitful.” Rory joked and lightheartedly punched his arm.

“Come on Ms. Muscle, let’s go read.”  The twosome turned the corner and saw the diner up ahead.

“I’m not going to let this drop.”  Rory said, pretending to be indignant.     

“Ok.” 

“Ok? How can you be so indifferent?”

“Are we still talking about The Fountainhead?” Jess asked incredulously.

“Yes.”

“Let it go.”

“No.  The book is classic.  You have to finish it.  And I am going to watch you do it.”

“I have a question for you.”

“Shoot.” She replied, not expecting to be opposed.

“Which of those Hemmingway books is your favorite?”

Rory shifted uncomfortably in his arms and Jess felt her nervous reluctance to answer.

“Um, hard decision.” She tried to buy time in thinking of the Hemmingway books he had talked about.

“Because you haven’t read any, have you?” He taunted.

“What? How dare you accuse me of something of the sort.”

“You didn’t read them.  Huh.”

“Fine, but at least I didn’t lie, lie about it.” She enunciated the ‘lie’.

“Nor did I.”

“Truce?” She finally resolved. 

“Maybe…” He teased.  Off her pouty look, “Fine, truce.”

They approached the door and Jess opened it wide for her to pass through.

“Hey Luke.”  Rory called to Luke behind the counter.

“Hey Rory, Jess.”  He nodded acknowledgement towards Jess.  “What are you up to?”  Knowing full well.  He was not stupid.

“We are just gonna go read.  Turns out Jess hasn’t finished The Fountainhead yet.”  She smiled at Jess and continued up the stairs that she had come to know so well these past couple of weeks.  Jess offered a sly wink to Luke, intentionally trying to piss him off.  With that wink, he knew Luke would begin to freak out the minute the couple had left.  Poor, uncle Luke, always worrying.  Too funny not to add to it.  Jess didn’t think it was mean, but rather amusing as hell.

Too bad they would really only be reading.  Jess knew this.  But a guy could try, right?

---

Rory plopped herself down on the couch and made herself comfortable as Jess got some sodas from the refrigerator.  He then sat down next to Rory, defiantly breaking the rule that Luke had set up when Rory and Jess had first begun dating.  Although, this wasn’t the first time a rule was broken…

“So, you wanna---”  But Rory’s sentence was interrupted by a sudden kiss form Jess.  And she couldn’t stop herself from getting into it.  But then she remembered:

reading

And she had another idea.

“Jess, we need to talk.” She said seriously.

“Ok,” But he still continued to kiss her.

“It’s about the kissing.”  This caught his attention.

“What about it?” He raised at eyebrow, curious for her response.

“Let’s not kiss anymore.”

He groaned.  “I have this sinking feeling that you are not kidding.  Are you?” He hoped, prayed.  No kissing?  She was his girlfriend.  And she was beautiful.  Was she aware that what she was saying was impossible.

“Nope.”  She shook her head. 

“But, Rory…”

“Jess, not forever.  Just until Valentine’s Day.  That’s only a couple of weeks away.  We can do it!”

“I wouldn’t cross motivational speaker off your career list.”

“Duly noted.”

“Alright, so no kissing in public, you mean?”

“No kissing in public or private.  No kissing at all.”  She had no idea how hard this would prove to be.

He sighed.  She was asking for the unfeasible, impracticable, out of the question, unachievable .  “Why?”

Now it was her turn to sigh.  She knew why- because she wanted to see what exactly their relationship was based upon- but she didn’t know if this made all that much sense.

“I just don’t want a relationship solely based on, you know, the k-word.” She didn’t even say the real word, as though it was dangerous to bring up.

“Is that what you think our relationship is?” His words were kinder than she had ever heard them.  Except for maybe the night on the bridge after the dance marathon.  She could tell that he didn’t think their relationship was exclusively that.  And he didn’t want the relationship to be solely that.

“It’s what I don’t want our relationship to become.” He could hear the need in he voice.  He would do this for.  He lo--- liked her.  He liked her a lot.

“Ok.  I’m going to prove to you that there is much more than the k-word.” He humored her, and he was completely genuine.

“Thanks, Jess, really, thanks.”  She looked longingly into his eyes and he smirked. 

“It is going to be very hard though.  You are quite irresistible.” She laughed a quiet laugh, wondering if she made a mistake.  It would be very hard.  He was very enticing too.  Oh so much so.  “But no more kissing.”

He could read the desire in her eyes.

So he leaned in to kiss her.  It was a long kiss.  Several minutes in length.  But it would have to sustain them for weeks. 

“Starting now.” He added.  Smiling widely, he picked up The Fountainhead from the bookshelf, along with his favorite Hemmingway book. 

Jess sat back down on the couch and handed Rory Hemmingway’s The Sun Also Rises.  He placed his arm around her and she snuggled into his body.  They were going to read.

No kissing.

But after that one last kiss, so full of emotion, so full of lo--- like, Rory didn’t know what she was going to do until Valentine’s DSay.

If she weren’t already crazy, she would go insane.