She doesn’t think Val will remember. It was said in passing, a moment of misspoken hilarity in the middle of tense family drama, surely forgotten in the wake of the immediate news that followed that Lucia and Jacobo were safe.
But Juls remembers everything about those first days of getting to know Val. She remembers every word, every laugh, every touch that led up to her heart falling so hopelessly in love. She remembers that feeling of contented joy, at being able to coax a laugh from Val again, despite all the stress and anxiety she was feeling, and Juls knew she wanted to spend her entire life trying to get Val to laugh like that again.
So when summer starts to come to a close and she looks at her calendar to see that September 14th lands on a Saturday, Juls can’t help it. Her lip starts to curl upwards as an idea starts to form. Because look— Juls kind of agrees with Val: February 14 is a made up holiday designed to make people in relationships spend extra money. But the idea behind it, of picking a random day to show how much you appreciate the person you love? Juls can get behind that.
The Math of Love Triangles – Gilmore Girls; Rory/Paris; 2,600 words. A sleep-deprived Paris shows up in Stars Hollow to study. Rory deals with it as best she can (and has more Paris-induced feelings than she probably should). Set during season two.
“How long has it been since you’ve slept?” Rory asks.
Paris is sitting at the coffee table in the Gilmore living room, staring down at her math textbook like it’s murdered her whole family. Well, to be fair, she’s probably more upset about the math than she would be about the murder, based on what Rory has gleaned about Paris’s family.
The last math test before winter break is supposed to be brutal. Rory’s not sure if it can possibly be more brutal than Paris randomly showing up at her house at ten in the morning on a Saturday and demanding that they study, though. Sure, Paris showing up in Stars Hollow is becoming sort of an established thing after the midnight-Puffs-kidnapping and rehearsing Romeo and Juliet in Miss Patty’s dance studio, but that doesn’t mean Rory has to accept it. Especially when she’s still in her pajamas.
She isn’t anymore; she hurried into her room to change after Paris, still in the doorway, looked her up and down like she was some kind of deranged hobo. But the judgy energy persists even now that Rory’s in a sweater and jeans.
Mom promised she’d bring back coffee and baked goods from Luke’s to alleviate the pain, but she’s been gone a suspiciously long time. Maybe she lives in the diner now. Rory can’t blame her for that self-preservation tactic. Then again, Mom might be even more freaked out by Jess than Paris.
Rory definitely doesn’t share that stance. For one thing, she’s pretty sure Jess doesn’t have a terrifying vendetta against sleeping.
“I’ll sleep when I’m dead,” Paris replies, not looking up from her book.
“I kinda doubt that.”
“Wow, Rory. You’re hilarious. Has anyone ever told you how hilarious you are?”
