A/N: Thank you so much for all of your comments and reviews. I am so happy that you enjoyed this story. Well, here's the final chapter. I tied it all up in a bow, just for you!

So Wrapped Up In You

The day of Rory's graduation from Chilton

Luke ran up the porch steps, and began to pound on her door. When he got no response, he tried the handle, but for once, it was locked. For a moment, he considered which of the dozens of ways he knew of to break into her house he should use, but his thoughts were interrupted by Babette calling to him, "I think they're still at the thing, Doll." Luke turned in her direction, but said nothing, just raising his hand in acknowledgement. Babette smiled and waved, turning back toward her door, and then stopping as she called back to him, "Was it a nice ceremony?"

"Yeah," he called back in a slightly hoarse voice. "Very nice."

"Good, well, we'll see you at the party later," Babette said as she waved again and then closed the door behind her.

Mindless of the fact that he was still in his dress clothes Luke sank down onto the top step and buried his face in his hands. He could see her perfectly; her red dress swirling around her legs as she closed the diner door, her dark hair brushing her shoulders, her swell of her breasts as she tried to catch her breath long enough to say what she wanted to say.

Don't get engaged.

He knew it was just a dream. He knew that she didn't actually say that, but he also knew that the dream had happened for a reason. That reason had been there bubbling under the surface for months now. He had tried to ignore it. He had tried to shove it down, lock it away and throw away the key, but once again, like a thousand times before, it was this close. This close to being all or nothing. This close to going for broke. This close to knowing once and for all if it was meant to be.

He heard the crunch of gravel under tires and looked up as the Jeep pulled to a stop in its usual spot. Lorelai opened the driver's door and smiled when she saw the hunched figure on her porch. "Hey, if we knew you were coming we'd have baked a cake," she called to him.

"Are you trying to poison him?" Rory asked as she closed the passenger door.

"Well, I would have had Sookie do the actual baking," Lorelai said as they crossed the yard. She looked at Luke with a concerned frown, taking in his disheveled clothes and the short hair that stuck up in little tufts where his hands had raked trough it. "Are you okay?" she asked as they reached the steps.

Luke stared at her for a moment and then said in a voice rough with urgency, "I need to talk to you."

Rory glanced uneasily between her mother and Luke and then stepped up onto the bottom step. "I'll just go get changed and ready for the party," she said in a nervous tone.

Luke stood up as she passed, brushing his sweaty palms over his suit pants as he cleared his throat and said, "You did great today, Rory."

Rory smiled and gave his arm and awkward pat as she passed. "Thanks, Luke. And thanks again for coming," she said as she hurried for the door. She tried the handle, and blinked in surprise when she found it locked.

Rory turned back to Lorelai with a questioning stare, but her mother simply shrugged and said, "Sometimes the mood strikes me," and tossed her keys to her.

Lorelai waited until Rory had closed the door behind her before she looked up at Luke and said, "What's going on?"

Luke stepped down one step and said, "You tell me."

Lorelai reared back a little at his terse tone and asked, "Uh, Rory graduated today? We're getting ready to leave for Europe?" She paused for a beat before adding, "Um, you're going to be boarding the Love Boat?" When he said nothing, but crossed his arms over his chest, staring at her intently, Lorelai began to fidget under his scrutiny. "Hey, be sure that you tell Isaac, and Julie and Doc 'hi' for me and tell them I miss seeing them every week. Charo does too, because she's had a whole boatload of nothin' to do since that show when off the air," she babbled.

"Lorelai," he said impatiently.

"What? You're the one who came by to play guessing games," she said defensively as she stepped onto the bottom step, avoiding his eyes.

"You've been playing guessing games with me for months now. Hell, years," he said, getting angry. "I think it's my turn," he said snidely.

"I don't know why you're mad at me," she said, looking up at him with a confused shake of her head.

"Don't you?" Luke asked as he stepped down another step, his eyes fixed on her. When she looked away, he said in a low voice, "You know damn well what I meant."

"What you meant about what?" Lorelai asked plaintively.

"Everything," he answered succinctly.

"Everything what?" Lorelai asked, her impatience rising to meet his.

"When I asked you about the cruise, and Nicole, and committing," he said gesturing with his hand.

"What about it?" she answered with a tinge of anger. "Do you need my permission?"

"I don't know, do I?" he asked bluntly. "Considering everything, Lorelai?"

"Everything what?" she cried out in frustration.

"You know what I meant!" he shouted, staring down at her. "Everything that has been going on, or not going on, or almost going on between us these last few months," he said angrily. "I'm not imagining it. It's not just all in my head, so don't try to Gaslight me," he warned as he pointed a finger at her. When Lorelai stared up at him with her mouth agape, but no sound coming from it, Luke shook his head and said firmly, "I have to know."

"Know what?" she whispered in a bewildered tone.

"I need you to tell me once and for all, considering everything," he said slowly. Luke took a deep breath, looking her straight in the eye as he asked, "Yes or no? Do you want me to go on this cruise with Nicole?"

"You don't need my okay, do what you want to do, Luke," Lorelai said with a dismissive wave of her hand as she tried brush past him to go into the house.

Luke reached out and caught her as she reached the porch. He held onto her arm, but Lorelai kept her face turned away from him. "Lorelai, what do you want me to do?" he asked, his voice cracking in frustration.

"What do you want me to say, Luke?" she cried in an exasperated tone. Finally, she turned to look at him, her eyes level with his as she said, "I just want you to be happy," with quiet desperation.

"I want you to say, 'no, don't go'," he said urgently as he stepped up onto the porch again. "I want you to say that you want to be with me as much as I want to be with you," he said in a gentler tone. "That's what would make me happy," he said with quiet conviction as he released her arm and reached up to trace the curve of her cheekbone.

Lorelai stared at him wide eyed as his fingertips trailed feather light strokes over her skin. "Luke," she said hesitantly.

"A week ago I told Nicole that I couldn't see her anymore," he said softly. "I can't see anyone but you, Lorelai," Luke said as he brushed his thumb gently over her lips. "Say this is what you want," he said in a low husky voice, his warm breath washing over her parted lips.

"This is what I want," she repeated in a dazed tone.

"Good," Luke said as he pressed his lips to hers, letting them slide gently over hers, slowly drinking her in as he gathered her close to him.

When he pulled back to gauge her reaction, Lorelai kept her eyes closed as she asked, "A week ago?"

"Yeah," Luke answered with a slight smile, knowing that she was about to let him have it.

Lorelai's eyes popped open as she glared at him, whispered, "Bastard," and then launched herself at him, rocking him back on his heels. He caught her tightly around her waist as she framed his face with her hands, holding him still as she kissed him passionately, letting all of the anger, frustration and confusion of the past months out as Luke parted his lips and let her take what she wanted. Her tongue tangled with his, battling for control as her hands slipped into his short hair, her nails raking over his scalp. She pulled away panting and said hoarsely, "Europe, I'm going to Europe in less than 48 hours."

"I know," he answered as he pressed his lips to the pulse throbbing beneath her jaw, walking her backwards until her back hit the side of the house just next to the front door. "Are you coming back?" he asked in a raspy voice just before he opened his mouth and drew on her skin gently.

"God, yes," she breathed as she stared up at the wisteria that bloomed bright purple and dripped from the eaves of the porch, filling the spring air with its sweet scent.

Luke raised his head and looked down at her until she met his gaze. "I'll be here," he told her as he ran his hand over her soft curls and then tucked one gently behind her ear.

Luke kissed her hard and hot, he parted her lips with his and pressed his body into hers as the tip of his tongue touched hers and the electricity arced between them again. Lorelai braced herself, the fingers of one hand digging into his shoulder as she wrapped the other hand around his bare forearm and held on. She moaned softly as he tore his mouth from hers and blazed a trail of hot wet kisses down the side of her neck, pausing to suck on her collarbone as Lorelai slid her hand up to squeeze his bicep. Luke's hands were frantic as they ran from the curve of her hips up into the dip of her waist and than skimmed the sides of her breasts. Lost in the moment, he pressed tiny kisses along the neckline of her dress, bending his knees as his lips danced over the soft swell of one breast, and then stopped, exhaling a ragged breath as he found that tantalizing hint of the valley between her breasts and dipped his tongue below the neckline of her dress.

Neither heard the front door open, but they both heard Rory's soft gasp. They broke apart instantly, their hearts pounding and their eyes wide as they turned and the three of them stared at each other, each of their faces flaming red. "Uh, sorry," Rory said as she stepped back and quickly closed the door.

"Oh my Gawd! That was hot! Kiss her again, Sugah!" Babette called from her porch as she fanned herself with her hand.

"Oh my God!" Lorelai gasped, a shocked laugh escaping her lips before she could clamp her hand over her mouth and then spotted Sookie and Jackson standing frozen in place next to their car, their mouths hanging open in shock.

"Oh God," Luke groaned as he ducked his head, but still did not relinquish his hold on Lorelai's waist.

Lorelai slowly lowered her hand and said, "Luke, I need to…"

"I know," he said, but still did not let her go.

"Luke?" she asked softly.

"If I let you go, you're not going to change your mind are you?" he asked hoarsely.

Lorelai laughed nervously as she saw Sookie and Jackson quickly turn away, Jackson pointing out something non-existent in a nearby tree for them to stare at with feigned interest. "Not likely to happen now," she told him.

Luke looked down at her and said with a smirk, "You have a tendency to insert your own reality when it suits you."

Lorelai smiled impishly and said, "You know me too well."

"Lorelai," Luke said impatiently.

Lorelai kissed him gently and said, "Go home, change into your party clothes and then come back."

Luke groaned and asked, "Come back? To the party?"

"We have less than 48 hours and you want to spend it tonight sitting alone in your apartment?" she asked.

Luke thought for a moment and then nodded as he said, "Back in twenty minutes."

"Gimme thirty, I need to talk to Rory," she said gently.

Luke frowned and said, "Do you want me to go in there with you?"

Lorelai smiled and said teasingly, "Nah, I know you're scared of her."

"I should," Luke said as he stepped back and gestured to the door.

Lorelai shook her head and said, "It'll be fine. If there's a problem, I'll call you, but I don't think there will be," she said as she slipped her hand down his arm and gave his hand a reassuring squeeze.

"I just jumped you on your front porch," Luke said gruffly.

Lorelai shrugged and said, "Well, it is dusk. You think no one noticed?" she asked with an overly optimistic tone.

"You mean other than your daughter, the peanut gallery and the two avid bird watchers in the yard?" Luke asked.

"Yeah, other than them," Lorelai answered with a grin.

"Nah, no one noticed," Luke said with a sheepish grin.

Lorelai beamed at him and said, "Thirty minutes, the clock is running, so you should be too."

Luke nodded as he backed toward the steps and said, "Back in twenty. I don't want you to have ten extra minutes to change your mind," he said as he hurried down the steps and took off past Sookie and Jackson, his eyes averted and his jaw set with determination.

XXXX

When Luke returned to the house carrying two full bags of ice, Rory had opened the door and smile shyly as she said, "Hi, Luke."

Luke gulped a nervous breath and said, "Hey, Rory," as she stepped back to let him come in.

"Your girlfriend is in the kitchen," she told him with a sly grin.

"Rory," Luke started to say, his brow creased with worry.

Rory simply shook her head as she smiled and nudged his arm until he turned toward the kitchen. "She's been timing you, you'd better cross the finish line," she warned as she gave him a gentle push in the right direction.

Luke stepped into the kitchen to find Lorelai muttering as she rooted around in the nearly empty freezer. "The ice maker must be broken," she groaned.

"You're here! You brought ice!" Sookie exclaimed as she spotted Luke and then gasped his arm as she bounced excitedly. "This is so great!" she enthused.

Lorelai glanced over her shoulder and saw him standing there with his bags of ice, and smiled slowly as she turned and said, "Beautiful!"

Luke rolled his eyes as he glanced down at the bags and said, "They won't be enough if the ice maker is out."

"I meant you, but you're probably right," Lorelai answered with a grin.

"I can go get more," Luke offered quickly.

Lorelai shook her head and said, "Not so fast, Mister. You're not getting out of here that easy."

Luke glanced nervously over at Sookie's beaming grin and asked, "You think this is easy?"

Lorelai scoffed and said, "Babette isn't even here yet. Or Patty. I'm sure that she's heard by now," Lorelai added with a grin.

Luke grimaced and carried the ice over to where she stood in front of the open freezer door. "Let me just put these in here," he said as he jerked his head, signaling for her to move. When she stepped aside, he loaded the bags of ice onto the freezer shelf and asked, "How much more do you want?"

Lorelai smiled at him and murmured, "Loaded question."

"Ice," he hissed between his teeth, but his eyes warmed with amusement.

"What do you think four or five more bags?" Lorelai asked as she turned to see Sookie smiling at them with her head cocked and a dreamy expression on her face. "Sook?" Lorelai said in a louder voice.

"Yes, definitely more," Sookie said quickly as she snapped from her trance.

Lorelai turned back to Luke and said, "Do whatever you think is right."

"Sounds like a plan," he answered as he pecked a quick kiss to her lips and then hurried out the back door.

"Oh, Lorelai," Sookie said in a tear choked voice.

"No crying, Sook," Lorelai warned sternly.

"I'm just so damn happy," Sookie said with a watery smile.

Lorelai walked over and hugged her friend tightly. "Hell of a day, huh?" she asked.

"Great day," Sookie said adamantly.

"I'm gonna need you, Sook," Lorelai said as she pulled back and looked down at Sookie meaningfully. "I'm gonna be gone for almost two whole months," she said regretfully.

Grasping her meaning, Sookie shook her head and said, "I'm pretty sure that you don't have to worry. You can trust me, though, if that red headed stick person comes sniffing around, I'll snap her like a bean," she promised.

"And boil her?" Lorelai asked.

Sookie winced and said, "You don't boil beans, it sucks the flavor out of them. You cook them slowly over low heat with a little bacon fat or salt pork," Sookie began to explain.

"Sook!" Lorelai said impatiently.

"I'll boil her. In oil," she added with a gleam in her eye. "And not extra virgin olive oil, cheap off brand vegetable oil," Sookie promised.

Lorelai smiled and said, "I'm so glad that you're on my side."

Sookie snorted and said, "Good thing Jackson did take my knives away, huh?"

XXXX

Luke pushed the sleeve of his navy blue sweater up over his elbow, a bottle of beer dangling from his fingers as he leaned back against the archway that led to the kitchen and watched the festivities. He smiled as Lorelai shoved the microphone that came with the portable karaoke machine into Rory's hands and said dramatically, "Sing for Mommy. Make Mommy proud!"

Rory tried to refuse, but soon the other guests were shouting their encouragement as Lorelai inserted one of the discs and pressed the buttons, trying to get to the exact tune she was looking for. Pink cheeked, Rory finally nodded her acquiescence, and Luke felt a pang of empathy as he knew that starting something with Lorelai Gilmore meant that there would be many moments like the one Rory was currently experiencing in his future. As the opening bars of 'Girls Just Wanna Have Fun' filled the room, Rory and Lane groaned loudly and Lorelai began to dance, flinging her arms above her head as she threw her head back and cackled an evil laugh. Luke lowered his head and chuckled as he shook his head at her antics, but soon his eyes were drawn back to her. By the end of the song, Sookie had stood up and was dancing along with Lorelai while Jackson sat on the arm of the couch repeatedly cautioning Sookie not to 'jiggle baby' and then gave up, throwing his arms in the air as they shouted 'They just wanna, just wan-naaaa,' along with Rory and Lane. As the song ended everyone cheered, and caught up in the radiant smile on Lorelai's face, Luke raised his fingers to his mouth and whistled loudly. When Taylor and Kirk's heads swiveled in his direction, Luke scowled at them forbiddingly until they turned their attention quickly back to the karaoke machine and Patty stood up to take the mike.

Lorelai sauntered over to Luke and smiled up at him as she took the bottle of beer from his fingers, lifted it to her lips and took a long drink, her eyes locked on his. She lowered the bottle and offered it back to him with a sweet smile as she said, "Drawing a little attention to yourself there. Careful or they revoke your wallflower status," she teased.

Luke watch as she plucked at the front of her shirt, trying to get a little air circulating, and licked his lips before saying, "I have a feeling its gonna get yanked out from under me anyway."

Lorelai gave him a guileless smile and asked, "Yank what?"

"Stop," he admonished as he tried not to stare at her mouth and failed.

Lorelai surreptitiously took his hand and said, "Come with me," as she headed for the kitchen door.

Luke followed willingly, breathing a sigh of relief as they stepped out into the cool spring night. Thinking that she wanted to sit on the steps, he paused on the second one, and Lorelai almost pulled him down the rest in her haste. "Where are you going?" Luke asked as he hurried to catch up to her.

"Over here," Lorelai said as she nodded to the detached garage.

As she pulled one of the doors open, Luke frowned and then let go of her hand to help her with it. "What? Do you need me to check your oil or something?" he asked as she walked into the darkened garage.

"Yes, please," Lorelai said in a throaty voice as she gave a bawdy laugh.

"You've been living next to Babette for too long," Luke muttered as he felt for the light switch and then flipped it on. When the bulb lit up, he saw that the space had been cleaned out, and the only thing actually in the garage was a drum set in the center of the floor. Luke pointed to it and asked, "For when you're channeling John Bonham?"

"For when Lane is channeling Keith Moon," Lorelai replied with a smirk.

Luke looked around at the few containers stacked neatly along the sides of the garage and muttered, "Let's hope neither, since they are both dead."

Lorelai grinned at him and said, "That's what I love about you, that party-party-party attitude of yours."

Luke shrugged and said, "I'm just sayin'."

Lorelai held out one hand to beckon him, and when she felt his fingers tighten around hers, she smiled and turned out the light. "Stop sayin'' and start kissin'," she whispered as she leaned into him.

Luke stared down at her, trying to force his eyes to adjust to the dim light that shone through the open door and asked, "Here? Now?"

"Here," Lorelai said as she raised her hand and tugged gently at the front of his sweater. "Now," she murmured as he lowered his lips to hers.

Luke kissed her sweetly. The frustration and desperation that fueled their earlier kisses was replaced by tenderness, longing and a touch of wonder as his lips moved over hers. When they parted, Luke ran a hand over her hair and stared at her as he tried to find the words he wanted to say. When he opened his mouth and Lorelai looked up at him expectantly, all he could manage was, "Leave me your car keys. I'll start it to make sure that the battery doesn't die."

Lorelai smiled, knowing exactly what he was saying, and answered, "Okay."

"Where's Rory's new car?" he asked.

"My parents are storing it at their house," she answered, her smile widening slightly at his unique way of telling her that he wanted to take care of Rory too.

Luke nodded and captured her lips again, this time taking the kiss a little deeper, pulling her a little closer as his hands traced the curve of her spine. Lorelai angled her head, parting her lips and running the tip of her tongue over his in a lazy dance that drove him wild. Luke groaned as he pressed her to him, molding her soft curves to his as they had that night in the diner. "Lorelai," he said raggedly as they came up for air, and he found his hand on her bottom.

"I'm sending you lots of postcards," she said as she ran her fingers from his temple to his jaw, feeling the stubble that had begin to bristle on his cheek.

Luke swallowed thickly, and quickly raised his hand to safer territory. "Call," he said gruffly. "Collect if you have to."

"I have a calling card," she assured him as she reached behind her and moved his hand back down again. "I'll bring presents," she said teasingly.

"All I want is you," he answered with a slight shake of his head.

"I can't believe I have to leave," she said softly.

"Can I take you guys to the airport?" he asked.

Lorelai nodded and leaned into kiss him again, cradling the back of his neck as she kissed him hungrily, and then running her hands over his broad shoulders and down onto his chest as he squeezed her ass gently urging her closer to him desperately. Lorelai let her head fall back as he plundered his neck and throat. "Breakfast," she whispered to the darkened ceiling.

"What?" Luke asked, his voice muffled against her skin as he slid one hand boldly over her ribcage and up to capture her breast.

"Oh God, breakfast," she moaned as she arched into his palm.

Luke lifted his head slightly and asked, "You're hungry? Now?"

Lorelai began to claw the hem of his sweater, lifting it clumsily in her haste to get to his skin. "No, coming for breakfast tomorrow," she panted as she angled her head and urged his lips back to her neck. "Oh yes, I'll be coming," she said with a breathy laugh as his tongue danced over her skin. Lorelai moaned again as Luke ran his thumb over her nipple and then pinched it gently through her shirt. "I'll send Rory out to do errands after we eat," she rasped as she smoothed her hand over the hard muscles of his back.

"Okay," Luke said, not quite grasping her meaning, but not caring as he gently bit her ear lobe and then drew it into his mouth.

"Your apartment," she groaned as she pressed into him, undulating wantonly against his hard length. With a grunt of frustration, she pulled her hands from his back and quickly began to unbuckle his belt.

Luke reared back, his eyes wide as he asked, "What are you doing?"

"Can't wait for tomorrow," she mumbled as she unbuttoned his jeans and fumbled for the tab of his zipper.

"Lorelai," he hissed. "Tomorrow?" he asked in a confused tone as he reached for her wrist to stop her.

Lorelai resisted, dragging his zipper down a couple of inches before he stopped her and she looked up with a perplexed frown. "I want you. Don't you want me?" she asked, the vulnerability seeping into her voice in direct opposition to the defiant tilt of her chin.

Luke exhaled loudly, trying not to laugh as he said, "Oh, you have no idea, but…"

"No buts. I'm leaving in less than two days and I won't be back for almost two months!" she cried.

"And we've waited years," Luke countered. He frowned as he searched her eyes and asked, "Is that what you meant by tomorrow?"

"What did you think I meant?" Lorelai asked in an injured tone.

Luke shook his head quickly and said, "I don't know. Hanging out, making out," he said with a shrug.

"We're not teenagers. I vote for making love," she said with a decisive nod.

Luke stared at her, his mind racing as he weighed what she was offering him. Finally, he took a deep breath and said, "Make it a long list of errands."

Lorelai grinned as she ran her fingertips along the hard ridge covered in denim and said, "Oh, don't worry. I'm blocking out hours," she assured him.

"Stop that," he grumbled.

"I don't have any intention of ever not driving you crazy," she said with a smile. "Fair warning."

"That made no sense," he answered as he pressed a firm kiss to her lips. "And that's just fine with me," he told her. He stilled her hand and whispered, "We should get back."

"Just a few minutes more," she said as she buried her face in his neck, kissing, licking and biting him greedily.

Luke didn't protest, instead, he slipped his hand under her shirt and splayed his fingers over the silky skin of her back. Lorelai immediately began to stroke him through his jeans again as she sucked on his neck. A moment later, she felt the clasp of her bra give way, and lifted her head questioningly. Luke smirked a little and said, "Oops," as he ran his hands around to her stomach and then up under her bra to cup her breasts.

Lorelai smiled, her eyes heavy with desire as she looked up at him and reached for his zipper once more. She pulled it down and ran her finger teasingly under the elastic of his boxer briefs as she said, "Oh! Pardon me," with a smug smile.

Luke raised an eyebrow and pulled away from her tempting hands as he pushed her shirt and bra up roughly up over her head. He looked down at her upturned breasts and groaned as he lowered his mouth to capture one dusky nipple with his lips. He caressed her, his hands rough against her soft skin as each pull of his mouth grew more demanding. "Now," he muttered as he released her nipple and slid down onto his knees, his fingers frantically working the button and zipper on her jeans.

He opened them and hooked his fingers into the waistband to tug them down when they heard Sookie call in a tentative voice, "Lorelai? Luke? Where are you guys?"

They froze, both of their heads turning to the open garage door, and then Luke scrambled frantically for Lorelai's shirt as she tugged her jeans up and zipped and buttoned them. "This is ridiculous," Luke muttered as he handed her the shirt and then quickly zipped his jeans, tugging his sweater down, trying in vain to cover his unbuckled belt.

"I'm sorry," Lorelai hissed as she pulled her shirt on, her bra dangling from her fingers as she shoved her hand through the sleeve.

Sookie heard shuffling sounds coming from the garage and froze. She wrung her hands as she bit her lip for a second and then called softly, "People are starting to notice that you're not in there."

"We'll be right there," Lorelai called back.

"I'll tell them that you went for a walk," Sookie said as she turned back toward the house and hurried to head off anyone else who may have decided to go looking for them.

Luke exhaled as he closed his eyes and then looked down as he buttoned his jeans and began to buckle his belt. "I'm sorry, I got a little carried away," he apologized gruffly.

"We both did," Lorelai said as she held her bra out for him to hold for a moment.

Luke's eyes widened as he realized that she wanted him to hold it, and then took it reluctantly, keeping a wary eye on her as she slid her arms back out of the sleeves of her shirt, but left it bunched around her neck. As Lorelai took the bra back from him and began to fasten it, Luke struggled to keep from his eyes averted. He cleared his throat and said, "I should probably go."

"Luke, no," she said sadly.

He smiled at her in the dim light and said, "I hate to, uh, and run," as he gestured to her as she straightened her clothes. "It's Rory's night, and I kind of feel like I'm messing that up," he said with a shrug.

"You're not," she insisted as she pressed her palms to his chest.

Luke lifted one of her hands and brought it to his lips, brushing a kiss across her knuckles before his said, "I have deliveries in the morning, but I'll see you at breakfast."

Lorelai eyed him carefully, wondering if this was his typical evasive maneuver. She frowned slightly as she murmured, "Maybe I'm putting too much thought into this."

"What?" he asked with a perplexed shake of his head.

"I mean, it doesn't have to be a big thing, right? You're single, I'm single, we find each other attractive," she said, her voice a degree cooler than it was a moment before. "We can just, you know, uh, enjoy each other, no strings attached," she said with a shrug.

"What?" he asked incredulously.

"It doesn't have to be a whole big commitment thing," she assured him quickly.

"Oh yes it does," he shot back, his voice rising.

Now it was her turn to be confused. "What?" she asked.

"Yes, it does, Lorelai," he insisted.

"It does?" she repeated.

Luke paused and looked at her carefully as his brow furrowed. "Let me be perfectly clear," he said slowly. "I don't just want to sleep with you, contrary to all of the evidence presented tonight," he told her sternly. "I mean, I want to sleep with you. Very badly. Well I don't mean badly. Good. Very good. I want it very much," he said, growing impatient even with himself. He grunted in frustration and ran his hand through his hair as he tried to find the right words, and fervently hoped that for once in his life, they would just come out. "I want to be your, uh, boyfriend, for lack of a better word," he told her. "Pick a word any word, I wanna be that," he said as he pointed to the ground emphatically. "Friend, lover, companion, mate, or whatever," he rattled off with a definite nod. "Pick one or all, that's me, that's what I want," she said as he pressed his fingertips to his chest. "I don't want 'no strings attached', I want every string you have, Lorelai," he told her bluntly. When she stared at him, speechless, he said, "And you can have my strings to jerk around just as much as you want, that's fine," he said, a note of apprehension creeping into his voice as he looked at her cautiously.

"Lobster," Lorelai murmured.

"What?" Luke asked uncomprehendingly.

Lorelai blinked slowly as she looked him in the eye and said, "I want you to be my lobster."

Luke reared back a little and tucked his chin to his chest as he said, "O-kay." He blinked rapidly as he tried to figure out what she could possibly mean, but came up empty. He narrowed his eyes and asked in a tone filled with cautious disbelief, "Are you saying that you want me to pinch you?"

Lorelai burst out laughing and hugged him tightly as she pressed her cheek to his shoulder. "No, I'm not that kinky," she managed to say between giggles.

Luke smiled his relief and said, "Good, 'cause that was kind of weird."

"It's just this thing from a show. Friends," she told him and felt his whole body tense and stiffen. "The show is called Friends, not that I want to just be friends," she said quickly as she pulled back to look at him. "Man, we suck at this," she said with a rueful laugh as she felt him exhale with relief.

"We'll get better," he said confidently as he tucked her hair behind her ear. Luke leaned down and kissed her gently, drawing her lips against his slowly, and letting them linger for a moment even after the kiss ended.

"Man, you're good at that," she whispered.

"I was thinking the same thing about you," Luke said gruffly.

"We should get out of here before we get going again," Lorelai said with a wince.

"Yeah," Luke agreed as he laced his fingers through hers and they walked to the garage door. "I'll see you guys at breakfast?" he asked.

"Definitely," she answered with a nod. Lorelai glanced back and sent him a sidelong smile as she said, "Would have been a great 'our first time' story."

Luke snorted and asked, "To tell the grandkids?"

Lorelai's smile grew as she gave him a shy glance out of the corner of her eye and said, "Maybe."

XXXX

Lorelai rolled over the sheet he had pulled up over them slipping down past her waist as she propped her forearm on his bare chest and flipped her hair back out of her eyes with a saucy toss of her head. She smiled and said smugly, "I know what I'm bringing you back from Europe."

Luke stroked her arm gently and asked, "You?"

"Me and a matador's costume," she said with a broad smile.

"You in a matador's costume?" Luke replied innocently.

Lorelai shook her head with a knowing smile and aid, "Oh no. You in a matador's costume."

"Ain't gonna happen," Luke said with a laugh.

Without thinking, Lorelai reached up and traced the crinkly corners of his eyes with her fingernail. "Is to," she countered with a gleam in her eye.

"Ya think?" he asked with raised eyebrows.

Lorelai nodded and said, "You'll look so hot in that cape thing."

Luke smirked and brushed her hair back over her shoulder as he said, "Didn't do too badly without it."

Lorelai smiled and said, "Not bad at all," as she pressed soft kisses to his chest.

"How much time do we have?" he asked reluctantly.

Lorelai glanced over at the ancient alarm clock on his nightstand and said, "Not much. Rory balked at doing all of Mommy's errands so that she could get lucky."

"Lorelai," Luke chastised with a grimace.

She smiled as she rubbed her nose against the fine hair on his chest and said, "Sorry, not really." She sighed as she pressed her cheek to him, listening to he beat of his heart as she said, "I should get going soon."

"I'm going to miss you," he said quietly.

Lorelai shook her head and said, "Not yet. It's too soon." When he frowned, she shrugged and said, "You still have to help us pack our backpacks, and then we'll have dinner, and then you're taking us to the airport. Not time for that yet," she said simply.

"Okay," he answered as he kissed the top of her head. "How soon is soon?" he asked.

"Soon-ish," she said with a slow smile.

"I can make it quick," he said in a low voice.

Lorelai grinned as she turned to look at him and said, "Good thing, because I'm easy." She rolled over onto him and pressed up, straddling his hips as she ran her hands slowly down the center of his chest, and then flattened them as she let them glide back over him. "I'm thinking black, with blue and silver sequins," she murmured.

"I'm thinking you're nuts," he answered as he ran his hands over her bare bottom, pressing his arousal against her damp folds.

"Big broad shoulders in that short jacket," she said as she ground down on him slightly. "Crisp white linen shirt," she murmured as she leaned forward and nipped at his throat.

"I don't care how beautiful you look right now, I am not wearing that," he said gruffly, as he slid his hands up to cup her breasts.

Lorelai smiled, watching him carefully, as she rocked back slightly, teasingly rubbing herself along the tip of him as she whispered, "Tight black pants to show off that fabulous ass of yours." Luke smiled, his breath coming a little faster, and shook his head. Lorelai smiled as she pushed back, positioning him at her entrance as she said, "Oh you'll wear it." She sat back, lowering herself onto his shaft slowly as she closed her eyes and drew in a deep breath, savoring the feel of him filling her. When he was fully sheathed in her, Lorelai opened her eyes and found him staring up at her with a blissful expression. She laced her fingers through his and brought their joined hands to rest on her thighs. Lorelai locked eyes with Luke as she began to move slowly, and smiled brilliantly as she murmured, "I'll pull a few strings."