fucking teenage society | 001. caregiver:
butch danes

five months later...

SEVEN IN THE MORNING was not the ideal time for Matilda Fitzgerald to be pouring coffee into people who desperately wanted to make small talk's, mugs. She had been busing tables for barely ten minutes and she had done more yawning than her actual job. But it was Luke's fault for giving her the morning shift, especially on a summer morning. "What the hell's wrong with you?"

Two blue eyes looked up from where they were passing a plate to a customer as Luke Danes stood, his eyebrows furrowed at his employee who was practically sleep walking throughout the diner. "It's seven in the morning, Biff."

"I'm aware," He replied like she was one of the most incompetent, deprived, and downright atrocious human beings he had ever laid his eyes on. She groaned to herself as she made her way behind the counter, grabbing extra ketchup bottles for the morning crowd. "We're not all vampires."

He stood still for a second, eyeing his employee as she made her way back over towards the window and sat down the bottles lazily. "I thought you wanted to be a vam-"

She glared at him quickly, her tired and ghoul like eyes making him hold up his hands in defense as he walked back into the kitchen. She rolled her eyes to herself as the bell rang, meaning yet another individual who would make her move around had entered the diner. She turned her head annoyingly as a familiar boy with a mop of dirty blonde hair entered the door.

"Oh don't you look happy." He smiled sweetly as he took a seat at the barstool. She groaned as she made her way behind the diner and poured him a cup of coffee. Specifically picking the light blue painted mug he was so fond of. She slid the mug over towards him as he took a sip, smiling at her with his odd smile front and center. "Can it, Bass."

The bell dinged once more, Matilda recognizing the persistent stare her cousin gave her immediately as they took a seat at a table. She gave her the same look nearly twenty minutes ago at home, it was her first day of school. Rory Gilmore was not going to be late.

She made her way over towards her family as Lorelai looked up at her with a 'help' look, Rory glaring at her mother without even realizing it. Matilda smirked to herself as she glanced over at her cousin before pulling out her notepad, "What do you guys want?"

"Eggs with sausage and bacon... put cheese on the eggs too. Also maybe a side of pancakes and ooh- waffles!" Lorelai smiled sweetly as she crossed her arms.

"Cutting back, I see." Luke muttered as he walked past the table only promoting Matilda to elbow him purposely. Lorelai smiled at her niece as Rory still looked unamused. "And what can I get you, Ted Bundy?"

Rory only glared at her cousin with these words, finally sighing as Luke came over and brought the two girls coffee. He rubbed his elbow in a faux pain as he made his way back behind the counter, making Matilda groan in annoyance. "What's the quickest thing I can eat?" Rory asked her cousin, making her blue eyes glare down at hers. "Air."

"Cherry danish," Rory replied as Matilda shook her head and made her way back to the kitchen where she told Caesar their order. As she made her way back to greet the new customers, she noticed an upset Lucas Danes on the phone. He was noticeably angry, in which he has been the past five months Matilda Gilmore has known him. But every few weeks he would get a phone call in the middle of the workday that made him extra ogre evil scary Luke man.

Matilda tended towards two more flocks of customers and snuck a sip of her friend's coffee, her aunt's food being ready for her within all of the madness. She refilled her families coffee while she watched Rory Gilmore anticipate her following day. "How are the eggs?"

"Good," Lorelai responded to her daughter as she finished up her breakfast. A few eggs along with half a waffle was left on her two plates, Rory having finished minutes ago. "They're still good."

"I'm still glad," Rory forced a small smile as she checked her watch once more. This only made Matilda roll her eyes as she checked her own watch. "You have fifteen minutes before you have to leave, freak."

"It's the first day of school, I want to get their early." Rory defended herself to her cousin who cleaned up her cleared danish plate. "We will be there early, I promise." Lorelai chimed in as she swallowed another egg.

"I have different classes this year, my routes aren't the same. I haven't found the quickest path around. And my locker, they moved it, so I don't even know if it'll work properly and then I'll have to get a new one and God knows how long that'll take or where it'll be and that could send the whole day into chaos. I'm just excited." Rory rambled, a bright grin taking up her whole face.

"Weird kid," Matilda shook her head as she walked away, Lane entering the diner behind the girl. Matilda exited the new founding conversation before it even started as she made her way behind the counter, going to grab a stack of clean plates for Caesar. Luke entered the main dinner area, letting out a huff in annoyance. "What's up your ass?"

"Watch your language in here," He grumbled as he handed a plate to a customer and made his way behind the counter. "Biff," Matilda held out making Luke put his hands on his hips as she stood infront of the girl. He sighed after standing quietly for a moment, her perfect blue eyes having a number on him (in a fatherly way). "My sister has been harassing me for months on what to do with my troublemaker nephew. And she finally cracked, she's making him come live here."

"What? A child is going to be in your hands?" Matilda asked in pure shock, the thought of Luke as a caregiver made her want to burst into laughter. The man gets anxious when someone breast feeds, he makes Matilda tend to the tables in which any minors are sat at- he is not meant to be a guardian. "Yes."

"As in Luke- Lucas Danes? You, Luke Danes. Butch Danes?" Matilda questioned. "Yes."

"Is going to be a caregiver? A guardian? A n-"

"Yes, Matilda. Jesus. Yes, I am going to be watching over my nephew." He interrupted in annoyance making her shake her head in shock. This was hard to picture for her, and anyone who would hear the news. "But he's your age, it's not like I'm going to have to watch his every move."

"Okay well..." Her voice trailed off as she sat down the heavy plates, turning back towards Luke. "Have you got a place for him to sleep? I've stayed upstairs with you before and you were on the floor, he needs a real bed. Food? But like not diner food I mean like snacks and stuff. Closet space?"

She glanced up at the confused Luke as she let out a breath. "I'll make you a list, okay? When's he coming?" Luke only glanced down at Matilda's watch, which she held up for him as he thought in his head. "Three hours?"

"Three hours?" Matilda repeated, expect this time it could be heard throughout all of the town. Making Kirk fall off his barstool in which made Luke glare at her. "Luke, you have to go shopping now."

"I can't go shopping now, it's seven in the morning. Matilda, I have to run the diner." Luke said, motioning around to the busy atmosphere of the Stars Hollow diner. "Yeah but Luke, you don't even have a couch that would fit two people. And another human being will be living with you. In three hours, might I add."

Luke grumbled at her words as he followed Matilda's words, sighing to himself as he kicked out all of his paying customers. Ten minutes later, Luke found himself clearing out half of his closet per his employee's request. She could only imagine what a teenage version of Luke Danes was like. If they were as similar as Matilda and her aunt, she would be screwed.

✧･ﾟ: *✧･ﾟ:

IT WAS TEN TIL' TEN when Luke rushed down from his upstairs office-apartment into his place of work. The place was lacking customers:  considering it was just past breakfast and about an hour and a half away from lunch. It took until about an hour ago for Matilda to convince Luke she could run the place while he made room for his new roommate. And ever since then, she's been cooking like a maniac.

"What are you doing out here?" Luke questioned Caesar who was currently playing busboy, making conversation with a pair of elderly women at an opposite table. "Excuse me ladies, my employee here needs a word." Caesar spoke smoothly making Luke question why he would want to impress old women- but he honestly couldn't care less. "Well, it's a long story but Matilda-"

"Where is she?" Luke pressed as Caesar pointed towards the kitchen. He only grumbled as he made his way to the counter, leaning over as he got a clean view of his employee. "Gordon Ramsay."

"You done?" The brunette girl replied, her long brown hair tied up in a ponytail as an apron wrapped around her jeans. She was flipping half a dozen pancakes as Luke stared at her in confusion. "Why the hell are you back here? You know what, I don't want to know." He flicked his wrist as he walked outside.

She only glanced at him as he left the building, shaking her head as she continued cooking the pancakes. After that set was done, she started on some eggs only to switch places with Caesar since Kirk walked in. And no one knew how to deal with that airhead like Matilda did.

"Matilda," Kirk greeted as he took a seat at the barstool, crossing his arms over the countertop. He was sporting his classic button up t-shirt and his messily brunette hair spiked up on his head. A 'Kirk' badge was on his shirt pocket, as his lips curved into a line. "What do you want, Kirk?"

"Well I would like to move out of my mother's basement, maybe get a girlfriend, get rid of my cat Kirk-"

"To eat," The waitress corrected as the door opened once more. The bell dinged as Matilda barely paid any attention, writing down his order as she made her way back to hand it to Caesar. She pulled the hairtie out of her hair, having no need for it as she was no longer cooking. Her long brown hair was messy now but she liked it that way. It was very rock'n'roll.

"Well this is my diner," Luke announced to his guest as he nodded his head- his backward cap bobbing in the motion. "Huh," A voice came from his side as his eyes glanced around the place. He had no desire to be here- in this diner, in this town. He wanted to go home. Not that he wanted to be there anywhere. It's not like an unwelcomed home is a happy home. "Belonged to your Grandpa."

"Huh," the voice repeated again. Luke sighed to himself in unaccomplished as his eyes landed on his blue eyed employee. She was glaring at Kirk now, who was ranting about how if she used a different shampoo she wouldn't have to worry about her "very obvious dry scalp." He led his nephew towards the counter where they stopped. "This is Matilda, she works here so you'll see her sometimes."

Her eyes glanced up to see the boy standing before her. She wasn't going to lie to herself and say he wasn't attractive. Anyone with two eyes could see that. There was something to him that made him so alluring, even with first glance. But she could hardly think about that, not when Kirk was being an idiot just two feet away. "Hey."

"Hey," He replied simply as he eyed her for a moment before Luke gave her a 'help' glance and made his way up the stairs- his nephew following like a puppy dog.

As if the war was approaching, Miss Patty darted towards the countertop. She stopped herself with her hands, a new wedding ring on her finger. "He's different from the rest, well maybe not my second husband. It's his brother- y'know." She told her all those weeks ago, when she brought the new man to the town. "Matilda, sweetheart, who's that boy?"

Matilda glanced up at Miss. Patty, her eyes darting to the woman only to look back down at her order form. She continued writing in ingredients the diner was lacking- considering Luke was too busy with his nephew. "Too young for you."

"Oh, I wouldn't dare. Not with the way you were looking at him," The dance instructor chuckled making Matilda lift her gaze, only to give the red headed woman a glare as she dropped her smile. "You know, just because you work here does not mean you need to become Luke. Unless that's in the application..." Andrew commented from a few seats down, eavesdropping in on the conversation between the two women.

"It's not," Kirk sassed from his seat infront of the waitress. Her look only made him nervously sip his coffee as he butted out.

Quickly, the dark haired teenager rushed down the stairs and through the dinner. His eyes remained in-front of him as he exited quickly, ignoring all the eyes on him. "He's cute," Miss. Patty gave the girl a knowing glance as she made her way back to her table. Matilda only scoffed to herself as she continued with her forms.

✧･ﾟ: *✧･ﾟ

IT WAS CHILLY AS September approached the small town of Stars Hollow. A sweater wrapped around the small girl as she exited the diner, she had been working since seven in the morning. And not to mention the fact that she ran the place for a few hours. Luke made her leave around one o'clock saying she needed to "get the hell out or I'll have to pay you overtime." In which she obliged, wanting to go to the bookstore anyways.

Her earbuds hung loosely in her ears, You Know You're Right by Nirvana echoing through her ears as she made her way down the street. With Stars Hollow, she got through barely half the song before she made her way into the bookstore. She only lowered her volume as Andrew greeted her, she gave him a nod in return. Their continuous gesture since they met a mere five months ago.

Stars Hollow Bookstore was where Matilda Gilmore spent most of her free time. Not that she was obsessed with reading or anything, she read a healthy amount. The crazy reader was always Rory and her Grandpa. But it was calm, peaceful, overall a great atmosphere. And the only place you wouldn't find Taylor Doose.

Making her way over towards the back of the store, the music section. It was a small section considering the store's size wasn't anything more. She was probably the only person who looked there anyways, besides Lane- Rory's best friend. Whom was very fond of Matilda.

The same several books on guitars, chords, songwriting, etc. appeared in their given spots. Turning her head she now gleamed through the poetry section, finding a new poetry book she didn't recognize. 'Love is a Dog From Hell' by Charles Bukowski. Her hand held the spine, pulling it into her arms as she opened the cover.

"I loved you like a man loves a woman he never touches, only writes to, keeps little photographs of." A voice recited from her side as she glanced up, recognizing the teenage boy. His lip curved up slightly as he leaned against the bookshelf. "That's a great book, I've read it a few times."

"That I can tell." She replied simply as she shut the book, holding it to her chest as she removed an earbud. The two remained silent as they watched one another for a moment, she was lost for his name as he remembered hers like it was tattooed on his heart. He watched her intently while she brushed a strand of hair out of her face, her bangs falling in the process. "So, what have you seen here so far?"

"Considering that out there," The boy pointed towards the windows in the front of the store which overlooked pretty much the whole town. "-is the whole town, everything." He nodded making Matilda hold a laugh, nodding in agreeance. "Yeah it sucks, I won't lie to you there."

"You aren't gonna defend your perfect little town?" He asked cockily making Matilda scoff at him, her hair falling from behind her ear. "This is not my town."

"Seems we have the same headspace," He nodded as his lips curved up a bit more. Into an almost smile. Matilda mimicked this action, his heart raced slightly at this sight. They remained silent once more, taking in one another for a moment.

"Are you heading back to Luke's?" Matilda asked as she started to make her way towards the cash register, the boy trailing behind. "You want to spend quality time with me that bad?"

Matilda handed her book to Andrew who glanced between the two teenagers, already preparing to send a page to the whole town. "Totally." She replied in a sarcastic tone and handed Andrew a twenty from her pocket, he accepted it and handed her the change. The two exited the store as they walked side by side down the street. "Well you're free to go sit on a bench and stare at your shoes."

"...or?" He asked her as the two stopped at the end of the block. She glanced up at him as they both looked over at Luke's, barely a fifteen second walk away. "You could tell me about the wonders of Charles Bukowski."

He rubbed his lips together as he put his hands in his jean pockets, a t-shirt clung to his chest. "What if I'm a murderer?"

"A murderer in Stars Hollow would be amazing. Let me introduce you to Taylor Doose," Her eyes lit up in humor as he smiled softly at her words. "Second option."

"Good choice..." Her voice trailed off as she started walking again, making her way towards the High School and turning left by the woods. "Jess," He replied- assuming she didn't know his name. In which he was right, of course.

The two made their way to the small bridge, taking a seat with the book as Jess told Matilda about the glamorous work of one of his favorite poets.

Maybe, just maybe, Stars Hollow wasn't so bad.

THE AUTHORS NOTE!
and here we start the beginning of matilda gilmore & jess mariano. just get ready 🙏

this chapter doesn't have too many changes (just a few quick fixes) but we'll slowly dive into a very different change in plot. hope you guys enjoy <3

question of the chapter: what gilmore girls character would you want to be your best friend and why?