the fair smelled like spun sugar and popcorn grease — thick in the air, sticking to my hair, my clothes, everything. kids screamed from rusted rides. lights blinked in overstimulating patterns. it was all too loud, too bright, too much.
jess looked like he hated every second of it.
“remind me why we’re here?” he muttered, hands shoved deep in the pockets of his jacket.
“you said you wanted to ‘do something normal,’” i reminded him, teasing.
he rolled his eyes. “yeah. i meant like…pizza. or a movie. not a circus of noise and overpriced snacks.”
i bumped his arm. “you’re just mad you lost at the ring toss.”
he narrowed his eyes. “that game’s rigged.”
but even then, even grumbling, even with that practiced jess mariano indifference — he didn’t let go of my hand. he kept glancing over at me when he thought i wouldn’t notice. like he was checking that i was still there. like he couldn’t believe it.
we rounded a corner and suddenly he stopped.
“what?” i asked, following his gaze.
a photobooth. shoved between a lemonade cart and some rickety plywood wall. old, dented, the kind that looked like it hadn’t worked properly since 1999.
“let’s go in,” he said simply, already tugging me forward.
i stared. “that thing probably hasn’t printed a photo since bush was president.”
he gave me a look. “do you trust me?”
i hesitated.
he smirked. “too late. you’re already going in.”
the curtain swished behind us. it was a tight fit — knees touching, shoulders pressed close, my leg half-draped over his because there was no room to sit properly. i could hear his heartbeat in the quiet. i could smell him — something like old books and mint gum and late-night air.
“alright,” he said. “photo one: normal. smile. pretend you like me.”
i scoffed. “who says i’m pretending?”
3… 2… 1…
click. he looked at the camera like he was daring it to call him out. i looked at him.
“photo two: stupid faces,” he announced. “you go first.”
i crossed my eyes. he puffed out his cheeks. we were ridiculous.
3… 2… 1…
click. laughter shook the tiny booth.
“third photo,” he said, turning toward me, voice dropping just a little. “you know what happens now.”
i raised a brow. “do i?”
he leaned in — slow enough to change his mind, fast enough to make my breath catch.
3… 2… 1…
his lips brushed mine like a question. soft. certain. like he already knew the answer. like he was just waiting for me to say it out loud. i kissed him back right before the flash.
“fourth?” i asked, breathless.
he tilted his head. “i don’t know. just…you. me. however it turns out.”
3… 2… 1…
we tangled. arms. laughter. his forehead against my jaw. my hand in his hair. the photo wouldn’t make sense to anyone else. but to us? it was everything.
the machine whirred. jess grabbed the photo strip before i could.
“let me see,” i said, reaching for it.
“nope,” he said, holding it above my head. “this one’s going in the back of my wallet.”
i rolled my eyes. “what, next to your fake id and faded coffee punch cards?”
he leaned in again, softer this time. “next to the only thing that makes me feel like i’m not gonna mess this up.”
my heart stuttered.
i didn’t say anything. just grabbed the curtain, pushed it open, and let the warm night air wash over me.
he followed, a step behind. always just a step behind — not because he was slow, but because he wanted me to lead. because he liked it when i pulled him forward.
the strip of photos peeked out from his back pocket.
i saw the way he looked at it when he thought i wasn’t watching.
and later — months later — when i’d find it folded into a worn paperback he kept by his bed, i’d still remember the way his hands shook when he kissed me.
how he never said “i love you” that night.
but didn’t need to.
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au where mc is really close with rory and jess. rory and jess still have a connection which mc thinks is romantic, even if rory has a boyfriend. rory and jess start to get really bitey at each other just like in canon, with mc thinks it is because Romantic Tension but actually it turns out that they're both jealous about the other spending time with mc. rory eventually confesses and mc goes straight to telling off jess and then kissing him.
.... okay that's a really specific request 😅 honestly just a thing where rory isn't demonized and her connection with jess isn't ignored. it's platonic and then mc gets to kiss the boy 😌
＃┆misread pages 〟 jess mariano rory gilmore
⤷ contains. platonic rory & mc friendship, friends to lovers, mentions of kissing, mutual pining
rory and jess had always been… intense.
sharp banter, long looks, all that unresolved history hanging around like a stubborn cloud.
and yeah, you adored them. both of them.
but being the third wheel in their dynamic always felt like you were trespassing on some emotional battlefield.
today was no different. the two of them were sitting across from each other in luke’s, sniping like federal agents interrogating each other with literature quotes.
“you don’t get to just claim a book because you hovered,” rory muttered, arms crossed.
jess sipped his coffee, bored and smug. “hovering? wow. someone’s defensive.”
“it’s signed.”
“it’s smudged.”
you stared at your cup. considered drowning in it.
because of course — they were still tethered, still magnetic, and you were just… orbiting.
“okay!” you said a little too brightly. “this was fun. love the book tension. i’m gonna go.”
neither tried to stop you as you rushed out, heart heavy and stupid.
you barely made it halfway down the street before—
“hey!” rory jogged up beside you. “why are you speed-walking like you just robbed taylor’s store?”
“i’m not,” you lied, absolutely doing that.
rory’s eyebrows rose. she wasn’t buying it, shockingly.
“you think something’s happening between us,” she said gently.
you swallowed. nodded once.
she sighed — not annoyed, just empathetic in that very rory way.
“we’ll always care about each other. we’re close. but it’s not romantic. not anymore.”
you blinked. “then… why do you fight like that?”
she huffed a laugh. “because we’re both idiots.”
“…context appreciated.”
she glanced back toward the diner, then to you, eyes soft.
“he’s jealous. every time i spend time with you.”
“oh.”
“and i’m jealous of him for the same reason.”
“oh.” much smaller this time.
“you look at him the way i always hoped someone would look at me,” she added. “you love him.”
your breath stuttered.
“go,” rory nudged. “before he starts pretending he doesn’t have feelings again.”
you didn’t think — you just turned, marched back into the diner, and beelined for jess.
“you forget something?” he asked, confused but trying to look unbothered.
“yeah,” you breathed. “that you’re a complete idiot.”
jess blinked. “…accurate, but can we circle back?”
“you like me.”
his mouth opened. shut. opened again.
“define ‘like’,” he mumbled.
you grabbed his shirt and kissed him.
he froze — one beat — then kissed you back like he was terrified you’d change your mind. one hand in your hair, the other on your waist, breath shaky, heart right there in his palms.
you pulled back just enough to breathe.
“you could’ve told me.”
he shrugged, cheeks red. “yeah, well. not big on… talking. about feelings.”
you nudged his chest. “then kiss me again instead.”
and he did.
slow, certain, like you were every margin note he ever made in every book he ever loved.
across the diner, rory gave a tiny triumphant fist pump before slipping out the door.
somehow, it didn’t make you feel like a third wheel.
it just felt like history settling in the right order.
and jess, breath warm against your cheek, whispered,
“took you long enough.”
you smiled against his lips.
“worth the wait.”
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this is my original work — please respect that.
a/n. hiii hello!!! sorry this took me so long to answer, i’ve been all over the place :’( i really hope this is what you wanted, sorry if i got confused with something else!!
