AN: Got a cool idea and decided to try my hand at a one parter. I've never been one to leave a story short but I though I would give it a try. Who knows, maybe if I ever finish my other story (the one I probably should be working on now) I'll continue this one.
Background information: Rory and Tristan met when they did and he did go off to military school. They weren't best friends. They talked civilly and of course bantered. They even ran into each other at the movies once and hung out. (I might be doing a one part story on that too if I ever get around to it, so don't even think about it, unless you want to co-write it or something) I believe that is all that really matters. It is just that if I'm going to say he still loved her or something he has to have talked to her and all that jazz (not saying I will do this but just keeping my options open). Oh, I apologize if you think the characters are OOC but, it will all be explained (I think) and this is Fan FICTION so technically I can right whatever I want (within limits) so please enjoy and feedback would be so utterly and greatly appreciated!
Chapter One: A Farewell is Necessary Before You Can Meet Again.
Rory stood to the edge of the foyer in someone's mansion. She was at another party her grandmother had conned her into going to. Emily had been dragging her to parties since she graduated Chilton claiming Rory needed to "make connections" before entering Yale. Who knows whose estate this was, all she knew was that she was stranded. She wandered out to the balcony, and just stared out at the view.
Tristan stood on the balcony staring out at nothing in particular. He had spent the previous two hours making small talk and trying to get all the guest's children's names straight. He needed a break. He sensed someone else approaching. He turned to see who he had to chat up next.
"Mar---Rory?" he corrected himself, he didn't want to start off badly again.
Rory turned around "Tristan, what are you doing here?"
"I, uh live here..."
"Oh wow, uh nice place you got here"
He chuckled "nice to see you again Ror"
Rory just stared blankly at him for a moment before replying "You too, how've you been?"
"Eh okay, military school was just so fun" he stated sarcastically. He continued quickly wanting to evade that topic "what have you been up to the past year Rory?"
"Wow, three and counting"
"What?" Tristan asked confused
"My name, you got it right" Rory said winking
"Well, I guess military school taught me some manners,"
"Maybe..." she paused "or maybe you just grew up" their eyes met and she held his gaze for a moment. They both knew it wasn't meant crudely. They both unconsciously took a step forward.
"I figured it was about time"
"Yeah..." a silence lapsed through; however, it wasn't quite uncomfortable
"So" Tristan spoke suddenly "you know it's my birthday" he said sadly
"Oh, wow happy birthday, why so glum then? I'm guessing this is for you then..." Rory trailed off at the look on his face
He didn't know why he was spilling his soul to her, maybe it was because he still loved her or maybe it was because he just felt her could trust her. However, the reason didn't matter only the fact that he was.
"Nope, not for me" he stated and after a questioning look from Rory he continued "I guess they forgot, this is just to show off their newly furnished dining room. Pretty sad huh? A dining room wins over their only son's birthday."
"Oh, Tristan, I'm so sorry." Rory said sympathetically while rubbing his arm soothingly.
"Yeah, well, it's not your fault"
"But, still"
They just stood there like that for a while. This time it was Rory who broke the silence that had once again fallen between them. "Come on"
"Huh?'
Rory grabbed his hand "just come"
She led them through the crowds until she finally located her grandparents. "Hey Grandma?"
"Yes Rory?"
"I ran into a friend from Chilton, he's been gone a while so we were going to go out and catch up and then he will take me home okay?"
Emily gave a skeptical look but, then saw Tristan behind Rory "yes, yes that's fine, I'll see you next Friday"
"Okay, bye grandma, grandpa"
"Goodnight Rory."
Rory turned to face Tristan "let's go"
"Go where?" Tristan whined still confused.
"Just trust me" she said staring into his eyes once again. Just as quickly she turned around and started to maneuver through the crowds with Tristan trailing behind her.
"Keys?" Rory asked when they reached the driveway.
"What?"
"Give me your keys, please."
"Oh no! No, no, no, no!"
"Come on, don't you trust me with your pretty car?" Rory said pouting innocently as she stroked the hood of the car.
"No, that's not fair! Don't look at me like that. I don't even know why you dragged me out here and now you want to drive my car?"
"Uh yeah" she said as if it was the most obvious thing in the world
"I won't scratch it. You see, I came with my grandparents so, I don't have my own transportation device handy. So, would you kindly hand over your keys?"
Tristan was casually tossing the keys up into the air as she went on with her excuses. He continued to toss them up as he contemplated the situation.
"Why don't you just tell me our destination and I'll drive."
"You see, I would but, then I'd have to kill you." She whispered mysteriously in his ear. She snatched the keys from the air when he tossed them up a little too high. She chuckled at his expression. "Thanks, you're a doll" Rory said leaning in to kiss his cheek before going around to the driver's side. "And Oh so gracious" she continued as she slid into the seat.
Before closing the door Rory leaned her head out to face Tristan, who still stood dumbfounded. She frowned momentarily before commenting "you only know how to lead don't you?"
"Huh?" was his intelligent response
"Well, apparently you aren't so great at following someone else's piloting." Tristan was about to argue when he realized that on some level she was right. She continued talking anyways "just get in the car." Rory said laughing.
Once he got in, he couldn't help but question "where re we going?"
"You'll see" was Rory's only reply
"My, how you have changed" Tristan thought aloud. However, he wished it had been a silent thought after he saw her tense.
"I haven't changed at all" she spoke just above a whisper.
"Ha! So you're saying if you had run into me at a party like this a year ago you would still have kidnapped me?"
"Maybe" she said smiling
"Bull"
"Excuse me?"
"You heard me"
"Well," Rory started, put off "if I had run into you at party a year ago and you acted like you have been tonight then yes I would have." She said seriously, looking in his direction.
"And how, prey tell, have I been acting tonight?" he choked out after he released himself from the intensity of her gaze.
"You, Tristan, were real." She smiled and left her answer at that.
Tristan sat back in his seat deep in thought. Rory smiled at him again. Oh, how he loved that smile. She then turned on the radio and flipped through the stations until she found something that was up to her standards. I Found Love by Sam Phillips faded out as the annoyingly peppy voice of the radio announcer came through.
"We are now beginning our uninterrupted hour of music. Please sit back and enjoy." "Somebody Told Me" by The Killers began to play and Rory started tapping out the rhythm on the steering wheel while humming along.
"I love this song" Tristan yelled as the beat played out and he turned up the volume. He began to sing along
Breaking my back just to know your name
Seventeen tracks and I've had it with this game
I'm breaking my back just to know your name
But heaven ain't close in a place like this
Anything goes but don't blink you might miss
Cause heaven ain't close in a place like this
I said heaven ain't close in a place like this
Rory glanced over and smiled as she watched his foot tap on the floor and his hand tap against his leg. She joined in as the chorus approached and they were screaming the lyrics out together:
Bring it back down, bring it back down tonight
Hoo hoo ooo
Never thought I'd let a rumor ruin my moonlight
Well somebody told me
You had a boyfriend
Who looked like a girlfriend
That I had in February of last year
It's not confidential
I've got potential
Ready? Let's roll onto something new
Taking its toll and I'm leaving without you
Cause heaven ain't close in a place like this
I said heaven ain't close in a place like this
Bring it back down, bring it back down tonight
Never thought I'd let a rumor ruin my moonlight
Well somebody told me
You had a boyfriend
Who looked like a girlfriend
That I had in February of last year
It's not confidential
I've got potential
A rushin', a rushin' around
Pace yourself from me
I said maybe baby please
But I just don't know now
When all I wanna do is try
Somebody told me
You had a boyfriend
Who looked like a girlfriend
That I had in February of last year
It's not confidential
I've got potential
A rushin', a rushin' around
By the end of the song they are both laughing hysterically. A few more songs play and then Rory abruptly pulls over and parks the car.
"Wait here, I'll be right back." She says as she turns down the radio volume.
"Where are you going?" Tristan helplessly asks
"Just sit still." She smirks and walks away.
Rory returned about five minutes later and puts a brown bag into the trunk and continues to drive toward their undisclosed destination.
"Okay, now this is really starting to get to me."
"What?" Rory asks innocently
"You kidnap me, in my own car no less, and then we make a mystery stop, and I still have no idea where the hell we are going."
"You tagged along rather willingly so I wouldn't call it kidnapping."
"Rory…" he begged
"Did you really want to be stuck at that party?" she said pointedly, glancing his way. She saw him nod his head no. "Plus, where is your sense of adventure? Live a little." she continued wistfully.
"You're one to talk…"
"Hey, you haven't seen me in quite some time, who are you to judge?"
"You're the one who said you hadn't changed at all…" Tristan replied.
"I—" Rory stuttered. Tristan was about to announce that he won when Rory spoke up again. "You didn't know me then, and you don't know me now."
Tristan thought for a moment "yet" was all he said in reply
Rory gave him a slight smile, which he returned. A few moments later she announced "we're here!"
"And where is 'here' exactly?"
"Look around!"
"In case you didn't notice it's dark" Tristan explained as Rory got out of the car and he soon mimicked her action.
"Ta da!" Rory said gesturing towards their surroundings. Rory reached into the car and turned the music up.
"Rory" Tristan said questioningly
"Tristan" she mimicked
"What are we doing here?"
"We're here to celebrate!"
"Celebrate what?" he paused and looked around, his eyes now adjusted to the semi-darkness. "And at a run down park?"
"Geeze, I'm trying to do a nice thing here and all your questioning is really killing the atmosphere. You should stop thinking," she said then added playfully "just for tonight and just live and let be."
"Maybe you have changed" Tristan muttered to himself "Rory, you're starting to scare me…" he said as she turned the music up louder and began to sing. She walked around to the trunk and took out the back she had placed in there earlier. She pulled a blanket from the bag and laid it on the hood of his car.
"So we don't get anythingon your precious car." She smirked.
"You stole my smirk" Tristan pouted
"Just sit down."
"Someone's bossy tonight. I like it." he winked at her
She chose to ignore his comment. "what is the exact time?"
He gave her a look before glancing at his watch "8:51 and 26 seconds"
"Perfect." Rory began to pull the rest of the contents out of the bag. She took out a cake and set it between them and then proceeded to place candles on the cake and light them. "Happy Birthday" by AlteredImagesbegan to waft through the speakers.
"Happy birthday Tristan" she smiled and he gave her a genuine smile in return. He sat their speechless. "Now come one, make a wish" she said holding the cake up. He thought for a moment then leaned forward to blow out the candles. "What did you wish for?" Rory asked giddily.
"I can't—"
"Shh!" she said suddenly and clasped her hand over his mouth
The voice of the radio announcer came on "sorry to interrupt our supposedly uninterrupted music hour but that song goes out to Tristan, from Rory, on his 18th birthday!"
Rory clapped her hands excitedly. "Thank you Rory, this means more to me than you could ever know." He said sincerely.
Rory, strangely scared by his honesty, reaches into the bag once again. She pulls out a bottle of champagne and two flutes. As she is opening to bottle Tristan can't help but ask "Now Mary, how did you get this?"
"I have my ways" she replied mysteriously
"Did you flirt with the cashier so he wouldn't card you?"
"Maybeh" she shrugged. He gave her a pointed look. "I hijacked it from the party on the way out."
"My, my, my, I am impressed Mary. Who knew you had it in you?"
"You'd be surprised what I can do" she whispered sexily while leaning close to his ear. She then suddenly moved back and handed him a flute of champagne.
After about thirty minutes of just talking, drinking, and eating cake, Rory jumped up and as she began running backwards slowly she yelled playfully "last one to the swings is a rotten egg!"
Tristan, never being one to turn down a challenge, jumped up as well and began chasing after her. Right before they hit the swings he tackled her to the ground. They fell into the sand pit laughing hysterically. Tristan was on top of Rory, his hands on either side of her supporting his weight. When the laughter subsided they realized the position they were in. Tristan rolled off Rory and onto his back. They both laid there staring up at the stars.
"It's getting late" Rory stated
"Do you want to leave?"
"Not really"
They again lapsed into another session of silence.
"Hey Rory?" Tristan said suddenly
"Yea?"
"Why did you kidnap me?"
"I thought we came to the consensus that it wasn't kidnapping."
"Okay, you're missing the point."
Rory sighed before answering "No one deserves to have their birthday forgotten." He smiled at her. "and you were actually being real, you let me see some emotion. You, Tristan, were your true self."
They were not both propping themselves up on their elbows. "you got all that from a ten minute conversation?"
"Well, I am going to be a journalist, got to hone my skills." He laughed lightly at this.
"It's good to know some things don't ever change."
"Well, they do say change is the only constant, which I guess is true. It's the only thing you can be absolutely sure will happen." Tristan opened his mouth to speak "Don't bother with your cute quip now."
"My quips are cute?" he said slyly
"Oh, God"
"Oh, a new nickname, I like." She playfully pushed him and he toppled over in surprise. She burst out laughing at his expression. "You did not just push me!"
"Then how come you fell over?"
"Maybe I'm just clumsy"
"Maybe, but I don't think that's the case now" Rory stood up and brushed the sand off her dress. "Ugh, I have sand in my shoes." She frowned then reached down and slipped them off. She then walked over and sat down on a swing. She dug her toes into the sand before beginning to pump her legs back and forth. Tristan got up and snuck behind her and gave the swing a forceful push. Rory yelped and grabbed onto the chains as if her life depended on it. This time it was Tristan's turn to laugh. He then sat down on the swing to her right. They both began to pump their legs lightly.
"Jumping contest?" he questioned mischievously as they gained height.
"Absolutely" she replied, accepting the challenge
"You're going down!"
"You wish!" she responded as she pumped harder.
They repeated the contest many times, and each time Tristan triumphed. They got back on for their umpteenth try. As they gained speed and height Tristan grabbed Rory's hand. She glanced over as she felt his warm hand against hers.
"One" he began counting.
"Two" she continued for him
"Three"
"Jump!" they both hollered together as they soared through the air. Rory landed a bit in front of Tristan, but they came down in a heap.
"I win!" for exclaimed, jumping up.
"What?"
"I went farther"
"No"
"Yup! Oh, ya, I win, and more importantly, you loose!" Rory chanted childishly
"You know, now only are you a bad loser, but you are a rotten winner!"
"I'm not a rotten anything."
"Generally, I would have to agree," he said kindly "but not in this case."
"Humph" came Rory's reply.
He slung his arm over her shoulders as they walked back to the car. The sat back down on the hood and had another piece of cake as they chatted away. They soon slide the remaining contents of the cake back into the bag along with all the other paraphernalia with the exception of the blanket. They lean back against the windshield. Tristan notices Rory shiver so he slides of his jacked and places it around her shoulders.
"Thanks" she whispers and smiles in appreciation. They sit in silence for a good ten minutes.
"Rory?" Tristan says breaking the lull
"Yea?" she turns her head to look at him and realizes their close proximity. He can feel her now rapid breath against his cheek. He reaches out and brushes a stray hair behind her ear. His hand lingers there as they both lean in slightly. His lips barely graze hers when a loud ring causes them to spring apart and ruin their romantic moment.
"Sorry" Tristan mutters as he clumsily reaches into his pocket for his phone. "Hello?" he answers. "Hello?" he hangs up. "A perfect moment ruined by a wrong number." He glances over and realizes he is talking to no one, as Rory is busy putting everything back in the trunk.
"It's really late, we should go. Here" she says handing him his keys."
"Rory…"
"What?"
"Nothing" he said after a beat. "Nothing, let's go." She got into the passenger side as he slid into the drivers seat.
The drive to Stars Hallow was quiet, both parties lost in their own thoughts. As they reach the exit Rory began to give Tristan directions.
"I remember" he answers quietly. Rory just stared at his profile in slight awe of this guy she really only just met, figuratively speaking, anyways.
AN: I really hope you all enjoyed this and feedback, of any kind, is so greatly appreciated. I debated for a very long time whether or not to end it here or bring it to a close at her doorstep but I thought the wording her was just perfect and it's the start of something. Also tell me if you want me to make this into a multi-chapter story because I have ideas for it but I want to know yours. So please review and let me know what you think.