Disclaimer: I do not own anything in the Gilmore Girls world.
Pairing: Rory/Colin
Set: Missing scene in The Real Paul Anka
Author's Note: This fanfiction was made for my friend Holli(skinarol)since she really loves this pairing, and so do I. And she even looked it over for me, which I thank her for. So this is for you babe, and I shall try to make more "one-shots" after this part, just for you.
To the rest of you, I love feedback, but not too harsh please. English is after all only my second language.
Without uttering a word, she saw him leave quickly. She didn't blame him though. Truth was, she was mad. But most of all, she was just so hurt. Why hadn't he told her about those girls? Did he want to hide it from her? If so, what else could he be hiding? All those questions kept going around in her head. Nothing made sense to her. If he really loved her as much as he said he did, then why did he cheat on her? Right, he didn't see it as that.
Her head was hurting from all the hundred thoughts swimming through her mind, it never stopped. She really wanted to forgive him. She loved him, didn't she? Sometimes she didn't know for sure if the relationship was worth all the pain he kept causing her. She knew that love wasn't a journey full of joy and happiness, but sometimes this whole situation seemed too much to take. What if he decided that she just wasn't worth it and went back to his old ways?
She was so lost in her thoughts that she never heard the knocking on the door. Nor did she hear the door slam behind her.
"Hey Rory," Colin's voice startled her and made her lose her grip on the newspaper she held in her hand. And because of her bad luck, she cut herself.
"Colin, you scared me." Rory said, meeting his eyes briefly. "What are you doing here anyway?"
"I was just getting some papers we forgot to take with us," Colin answered her before noticing the blood dripping from her hand. "You're okay?"
"What?"
"Your hand is bleeding," Colin said shortly, not one for showing emotions very often.
Rory quickly went to the nearest sink for water in hope to stop the bleeding, but once she turned it off again, the bleeding got worse than it was before.
"You need any help there?"
She had even forgotten all about Colin. Maybe she could use his help after all. It wouldn't really hurt. Besides, he was her friend. Wasn't he? Sometimes she didn't know that either.
"Yes please. Could you get a band-aid for me?" Rory asked him softly, earning a nod from Colin in return.
"Sure, why not. Just tell me where I can find it?" Colin smiled carefully, waiting for a response from her. She found herself looking into his eyes. She had no idea why, it had just suddenly hit her how helpful he could be sometimes. "Um, Rory. Band-aid?"
"Right, you can find them in the top drawer in the bathroom!" At once, he headed for the bathroom, and it didn't take long until he was back holding a pack of band-aids in his hand.
A moment later, she could feel Colin's hand over hers, asking her to open it for him so he could take a look at it. She noticed how tightly he held her wounded hand in his, like it would break if he wasn't too careful and the thought made her smile.
He gently took a tighter hold of her bruised hand, and with a cautious hand placed the band-aid over the wound.
"You are sure you're okay?"
"Yes, I'm sure. Thanks Colin." Rory was flattered to hear concern in his voice. For the long time she had known him, Colin wasn't known to be concerned about anyone. He was a great friend once you go to know him though. She realized that after her first break up with Logan. He and Finn had really been there for her then. They both moved her stuff into Lane's house without telling Logan. She knew how hard that must have been for them, but they did it anyway. It was times like that when she really understood why Logan counted on his two best friends. Those three were always there for each other. Always.
"No problem,"
"Did you find the papers you were looking for?" Rory said gently, enjoying the company of her boyfriend's best friend. They had come a long way since their first meeting, where Colin had insulted Marty. He never actually apologized for his actions, but that wasn't who he was. Rory knew that by now. He only showed emotions towards the people he cared about. She doubted that there were many out there that he actually trusted.
"I never got a chance to actually get them with your life in danger," Colin laughed at his own choice of words.
"Very funny McRae. Just get your important papers,"
Colin turned around and went quite slowly towards the pool table. He fetched the two missing papers he came to get in the first place. To Rory, it almost seemed like he was taking his time to do so. Going over the text, as if it was necessary yet she knew that it somehow wasn't.
"You're done?"
"Yeah, I'm done." Colin nodded, and she was positive that he would turn and leave the apartment at once. But since he never ceased to surprise her, he walked back to her instead. Again, watching her with his intense gaze. He obviously wanted to say something. Maybe to ask her about something, what she did not know.
Their eyes met and it felt like he was looking right through her, trying desperately to explore her deepest secrets. An action that scared her, even more than she'd like to admit.
"You had a fight, didn't you?" His words hitting straight at home. How he knew about it, she couldn't understand at the moment.
"Yes. He thinks I don't trust him," Rory sighed, not feeling the need to lie to Colin for some reason unknown to her. "And honestly, I'm starting to ask myself the same question."
"I really don't know what to say. I'm not exactly the guy who shares advice when their friend is in a jam. Hell, I'm mostly the one causing the problems in the first place," Colin scratched his head, obviously sincere. She couldn't help but take notice of his choice of words. She was his friend. She actually was. Strangely, that calmed her down. To know that if something bad was to happen between Logan and her, he'd still be her friend.
"I know Colin. I appreciate your support anyway," Rory shrugged, taking his hand to give it a friendly squeeze. His support was all she needed right now. She knew deep down in her heart that only she could make the decision to forgive Logan. Nobody could make the decision for her.
"Is it about those girls from the wedding? Honor's friends?" Colin quietly wondered, not pressuring her for an answer. He was somehow giving her the opportunity to back out of the conversation completely. But she needed somebody to talk to, so why not him?
"Yes, it's about the girls from the wedding." She wondered who else knew about this. If she was the one person who didn't know how Logan had spent his Thanksgiving. Even now, she could feel her stomach turn at the thought of her boyfriend with some other girl. Somebody who wasn't her. A tear silently fell from her eye, but was quickly brushed away by the man before her.
She looked up and met his eyes, in some ways waiting for him to say something but he stayed quiet. He obviously didn't want to interrupt her. And she really respected him for that. It proved to her what an amazing listener he could be, if he set his mind to it.
"You know he loves you right?" Colin started slowly, knowing it to be very true. "He talks about you all the time when you're not around. He keeps asking himself if he's even worthy of your love. All the time. You don't have to doubt where he stands. He loves you, Rory. You."
"I know. Trust me, I do know that. It's just so hard to forgive him for this." Rory explained, looking up at him. "It just hurts to know how easy he moved on."
"The keyword is – tried to move on. He couldn't move on from you." Colin interrupted her, wanting her to realize that his best friend really did love her. "And who could?"
The last part was barely audible, but Rory had heard it. It confused her more than words could express. What did he mean by that? But she decided to just let it go. She had enough questions in her head. She didn't need any more confused words set its trace.
"He's your best friend Colin. Of course you're on his side in this messed up situation," Rory muttered out, not knowing what else to say really. She couldn't very well ask him to pick her side over Logan's. That wasn't who she was. And it wasn't who Colin was either.
"Hey, I'm not on anybody's side and you know it." Colin honestly replied, obviously not eager to take sides in this matter, like she knew already. It was a lost cause, and she knew that. So why did she somehow feel the need to have him on her side?
"I'm sorry. I shouldn't have said that. I'm just confused and angry, and I'm taking it out on you when I don't mean to," Rory apologized to him, shaking her head at herself for being so selfish. She shouldn't treat him like this. He never did anything to deserve this.
Colin kept his gaze forward, not saying anything which worried her a little. She didn't want him to feel weird around her. Definitely not. Right now, he was probably the best friend she had had in a while. All others she tried to talk to always managed to change her judgement, or made her feel powerless to make her own decisions and choices. None of them actually stuck around long enough to listen to what she wanted. What she needed.
"I know Rory. I know you don't mean it," Colin whispered after a while, turning into her direction. Their eyes locking yet again. "Just try not beat yourself up about this, ok?"
"I'll try not to over think about things." Rory agreed quietly, and she knew that she really didn't want to think about this whole thing anymore. Because she knew that somehow they'd work things out. Besides, she was already sure that Logan loved her. Even if he had an odd way of showing it sometimes.
Suddenly, Colin made a move to leave and it disappointed her a bit. She had gotten used to having him there now. But she could understand that he needed to get home. And she did need more time to think things through.
"I should get going then," He stated, taking a hold of the papers he had left on the sink a while earlier in their conversation. She was happy that he had stayed for as long as he had. Just being there if she needed him.
"Thank you,"
Her words seemed to shock him a bit, apparently not understanding what she could possibly thank him for.
"For what?"
"For being there. For listening to me. I really needed that, so thank you." She offered me a big smile, and actually hugged him. She hugged him. She didn't really know what made her feel the need to do that, but it felt good. She could tell that he wasn't used to people hugging him very often and that he thought it was kind of awkward, but she didn't really care at that particular moment. She had wanted to show her gratitude somehow, and she had found this to be the only way to really prove how much it had meant to her.
"No problem," Colin grinned, moving away from the hug and headed for the door. This time to really leave. But before he disappeared through the door, he offered her one last smile and waved at her, and he got a wave back.
And she knew that this was not the last time she'd turn to him. Not at all.