Disclaimer: I own nada.
AN: Rory's at Yale and trying the no strings thing with Logan. Takes place before Finale.
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Surprise, Surprise
The party had been going on for a few hours. People were spilling out from every corner of the building it seemed. People laughing, dancing, exploring each other in dark corners. Rory Gilmore was doing none of those things. She was wondering why she had ever come to the party in the first place. Unfortunately for her, the answer to her chagrin was across the dance floor, blissfully unaware of her presence and in the arms of a tall, blonde.
Rory sighed as she watched Logan Hunztberger from the corner of her eye. She had come to the party hoping to see him, more than that, she had hoped to see him alone. But he wasn't alone, for the last half an hour he had been dancing closely with a blonde in a red skirt. The most frustrating bit was that Rory couldn't do anything about it. She had initiated this care free, "college dating" between the two of them. She had told him there were no strings. Rory stood, eying the two, as if transfixed like staring at a car wreck. She kept telling herself to just go home, watching Logan with another girl would do her no good, but for some reason she couldn't get herself to leave. If she went home she'd have Paris to face- she couldn't call her mother; Lorelai would only be too delighted to be right about this whole unexclusive dating scenario Rory had started. Rory shook her head in frustration before ambling to the drink table for another refreshment.
"Rory love, what are you doing here?"
She looked up to see Logan's good friends Finn and Colin.
"Hey guys," She said nodding her head in greeting.
"Come back to our table with us. We are going to get smashed," Finn said jovially nodding the bottle of vodka that he clutched in his hand.
Rory shook her head, "no I don't think that'll be a good idea actually…"
Finn tossed the vodka to Colin who made a panicked face but managed to catch it. He, then grabbed Rory's hand and pulled her across the floor, yelling over his shoulder, "nonsense."
Once they had reached their destination, Finn dropped her hand and immediately bee lined to greet other friends. Rory cursed the Australian with a small attention span in her mind as she realized he had deposited her right in front of Logan …and co.
"Rory," The blonde boy greeted her with an easy smile. Always so composed.
She smiled weakly and hoped she sounded normal when she said, "Hey Logan."
Logan shot a quick glance to the leggy girl whose shoulder he had his arm slung around.
"This is Kate."
Again, Rory forced a smile and nodded to the girl.
"Hi, it's nice to meet you."
The girl nodded, not unfriendly but perhaps uninterested, and motioned to the dance floor.
"Logan," She crooned, "this is our song."
She edged closer the music and Logan paused before following her.
He placed his hand gently on Rory's shoulder and said, "it was nice seeing you Ace," before flashing her his patented grin and heading to the dance floor.
Rory grit her teeth in frustration.
It was nice seeing you Ace.
So fucking cordial. Like he hadn't woken up in her bed just two mornings ago. She massaged lightly at her temples wondering how she had ever gotten herself in this mess.
"Reporter girl, where've you've been?"
Finn had somehow made his way back to her. She glared at him through narrowed eyes.
"I've been here the entire time. You were the one who left me right in front of Logan and his date," she hissed.
The boy nodded absentmindedly and said, "she has killer legs," briefly ogling the girl Logan was dancing with.
Rory felt like her head might explode and Colin, ever observant, elbowed the Australian sharply.
Finn noticed her expression and said with a start, "OH. Nothing compared to yours of course. Now come love, have a drink and let me make it up to you. In fact," he said cocking an eyebrow at her, "I'll spend all night making it up to you."
Rory felt herself crack a smile in spite of herself. She was used to Finn's antics and still they never failed to amuse her.
"No on the all night. Yes on the drink."
An hour or so later, Rory ruefully examined the now empty bottle of vodka. She groaned with the deep foreboding that she was going to be oh so hung over tomorrow. She glanced around and saw that both her drinking buddies, Finn and Colin, had disappeared. Just as well, all she wanted to do was go home. Rory stood immediately saw a sight that bothered her more than the dull ache pounding through her head. Logan…girl. Lips locked, his hand on her hips.
Rory watched them, the ache in her head now feeling more prominent in her heart, and noted she did not know why the hell she was doing this to herself. She felt anger at Logan for making such a fool out of her well. Even if she had agreed to this…he didn't have to flaunt it so. She blindly stumbled through the crowds of people, tears welling up in her eyes. She fixated her gaze on the floor not wanting to see anyone she knew right now. She was getting closer to the door when she felt a hand tug on her arm.
She spun around, ready for Finn again and half hoping it was Logan, desperately sorry and ready to commit. The boy who stood in front of her was indeed blonde but he was taller and leaner than Logan. And while Rory was quite fond of Logan's warm brown eyes the slate blue of this boy's were unparalleled. They had always been.
"Tristan," she gasped.
"Rory, I thought it was you," the boy said breaking out into a nervous smile.
Without thinking, Rory stepped forward and embraced him. Relishing the feeling of being in someone's arms.
Tristan stiffened with surprise but instantly relaxed holding the girl tightly to him. After a moment, Rory stepped out of the embrace and looked at him with a sheepish look in her eyes.
Tristan smiled at her and said carefully, "I guess you aren't terribly upset to see me?"
Rory tried to nod but to her horror tears began to well in her eyes. She blinked furiously, willing herself not to break down in front of Tristan Dugrey.
Tristan, of course, saw this emotional crumbling and looked at her a bit panicked. The boy was positively frightened. She tried to say something to dismiss her emotions but instead, laden with frustration and alcohol, her mouth only quivered furiously.
"Hey hey, I thought it was only my kisses that made you cry, not the hugs too," he said feebly.
Rory smiled gratefully at the joke and then flushed remembering what he was referring to. Tristan looked at her carefully, "you okay?"
"There's this guy," Rory began before finding a loss of words. She had no idea how to explain the tangle she had gotten herself into with Logan.
Tristan was waiting patiently, rocking on his heels, a look of concern in his eyes. Rory took the moment of silence to look at him.
"You've gotten taller."
He shrugged his broad shoulder and said, "military school does wonders."
"what are you doing here, at Yale?"
"I just transferred. I thought you were all about Harvard?"
Rory smiled, touched that he remembered.
"I ended up here. With Paris as a roommate."
Tristan gave her a look of disbelief. "You two hated each other."
"She hated me. And only because of you," Rory said pointedly.
The boy shrugged again and treated her to his lazy grin, "what can I say. The girl was besotted with me."
"one of the many," Rory quipped.
Tristan smiled again. "I've missed talking to you, Rory Gilmore."
"I'm just delighted you've learned my name."
"Took me awhile but I think I've finally got it."
Rory smiled again at the boy in front of her. That same second her expression froze--Logan was coming this way, probably heading towards the exit, with the girl in hand.
"Rory you okay?" Tristan asked.
She shook her head furiously. Unable to stand the idea of sharing goodbye's before Logan took the girl back to his room, the same room Rory herself had frequented just this week, she stood in horror as the two got closer and closer and fuck! Her eyes met Logan's across the floor.
She turned her head sharply, like a fleeing animal, and whispered to Tristan quickly, "if I do something…will you just play along?"
"what?" the boy asked back confusedly.
Logan was about three feet away, clearly heading towards the two of them and the doors behind them.
She swallowed quickly and whispered, "kiss me."