Disclaimer: I still own nothing to do with Gilmore Girls.
Author's Note: Thank you to everyone who's reviewed so far. Sorry it's taken me so long to update- hope you like this chapter!
At least she was ready when he arrived, having done an unlikely amount of dithering over what to wear. It wasn't that she was usually more decisive: it was just that she was surprised she was putting so much effort into getting dressed just to hang out with Tristan. Of course, the last time he'd seen her she'd just woken up after crying herself to sleep, so probably it wasn't so unreasonable that she'd want him- anyone, for that matter, to see her in a better light. Especially when her eyes were still red from the afternoon's tears. It wasn't that she'd got dressed up for the occasion, either- she was just wearing a sleeveless blue top and jeans. Simple but effective.
Tristan certainly thought so when she came to the door. She'd have looked good to him in anything, but the soft blue brought out the colour of her eyes. He noticed their slight redness too, though. He was beginning to think that there wasn't much about Rory's appearance that would pass him by.
"Hi." He felt strangely awkward, as if it was a date. Not that it was a date, of course. And not that he ever felt awkward or nervous on dates. Supremely confident, more usually. Rory, in fact, would probably say over-confident. Not that she would know, because she'd never been on a date with him. Perhaps it was awkward because this wasn't exactly a date and he'd have to keep reminding himself of that because this was Rory. "Are you ready?"
Rory was watching him curiously while his mind was babbling to itself. "Yes. Just let me get a jacket. Where are we going?"
"I don't know- if you're not up for going out we could just go back to my grandfather's and hang out. We can get food on the way..."
"Sounds like a plan."
They were quiet as he drove, both a little nervous and unsure. Tristan being Tristan, he decided that had to change and overcompensated. As usual.
"So, Mary- looking forward to a quiet night in?" He pushed a hand through his hair as he spoke, flashing his eyes at her and managing to imbue the words with his usual innuendo.
Rory tried to ignore it. "Yes- it'll be nice not to have to really go out for a change. Sure you're all right with that, though? I mean, I wouldn't want to deny Tristan DuGray an audience with his adoring public."
He laughed. "No adoration at all? You wound me, Mary."
"My purpose in life achieved already!"
"I thought that was to drink coffee!"
They both laughed, the ice broken. He didn't know whether to be happy or sad that she wasn't being offended any more by his comments. Maybe he had toned them down a bit, afraid how she'd react. Or maybe she didn't read any intent in them at all. Perhaps that was good- it reduced the chances of her running away. On the other hand, if she didn't take him seriously at all, there was no chance of her seeing him the way he wanted her to. He sighed.
"Something wrong, Tristan?" she said sweetly.
"Just disappointed, Mary."
They opted for pizza and fought amiably over the toppings. She insisted on lots of ice cream for dessert and then demanded a tour of the house. He was pleased that she seemed lighter, less preoccupied than on their previous meetings, took her straight to the library in an effort to score extra points. It seemed to work.
"I guess now I know how you started reading," she commented, walking in a full circle around the room. She paused here and there, touching occasional volumes almost reverentially. He enjoyed watching her- she was so completely at ease surrounded by books.
"Nothing much else to do up here," he said, leaning in towards her as she returned to him. "Want to see the rest of it?"
He was somewhat selective, leading her next to a small sitting room in which a baby grand piano sat. He didn't know if reminding her of times past would really help his cause- after all, they hadn't exactly achieved a happy ending before. He just knew he wanted her to remember- and he couldn't sit at any piano without remembering the kiss they'd shared.
It was obvious that it crossed her mind too. He could tell from the blush that crossed her face.
"Do you still play the piano?" she asked.
"Sometimes- not so much anymore. Do you still read at parties?"
"Not so much any more. I read other times though- why don't you play?"
"Pianos aren't so portable. I started guitar when I went to military school. At least I can take it anywhere."
"Do you have one here?"
"Yes- it's in my room. Do you want to see it?" He just about managed to keep the innuendo out of his voice.
"Yes- if that's ok."
"Well, sure- if you think you can control yourself with me alone in my room, Mary," he said, the cocky grin back.
She rolled her eyes. Funny how much he liked seeing her do that.
"Oh, I can control myself." She leaned in a bit closer. "The question is, can you?"
He wasn't sure, was astonished that she seemed to be flirting with him. "I'm not very good, you know," he said, leading the way to the stairs to his attic room.
She giggled. "Now that's something I bet you've never said before while leading a girl to your room!"
He shook his head. He didn't know why she had this effect on him.
She didn't know why she was pushing him into taking her into his room. Normally she would have avoided any such situation, not wanting to give him the wrong idea. Whatever that was. She wasn't very sure anymore.
"Here we are," he said, opening the door and ushering her inside.
The room was amazing- windows that stretched the whole way along the slanted roof, with a view even better than from her grandparents' house. It was more plainly decorated than she would have imagined, not that she'd been thinking about his room, but at least there were no posters of naked women on the walls. Perhaps he'd grown out of that, or perhaps his grandfather wouldn't have approved. The bed was huge, the focal point of the room, but she'd have expected that. It wasn't unexpected, after all- it was a bedroom. But the bookshelves crammed with books and his huge CD collection vied for attention too.
"Nice room," she said softly, sinking onto the floor with her back against the door.
"Thank you." He smiled and shook his head as he registered the position she'd taken up. He'd been looking at her as if he couldn't quite believe she was there, but the innocence of the situation was almost amusing. He sat down on the bed and reached for the guitar case.
"Sure you want to do this?"
She nodded. "It's time you displayed some of your talents."
His eyes widened. "I'd be happy to display any of my talents for you, Mary."
"Let's just stick with the musical ones for the time being."
"Is location included with that? Like what happened on a certain piano bench?" He couldn't help but push it a little, looked at her with hopeful eyes.
"Shut up and play, music boy!" She was laughing at him again.
"OK, but I'd just like to point out that I have talents much greater than the mere musical..." He trailed off as she shifted against the door. "You can come on in, Rory. It's safe, I promise."
"I know, but I'm fine here. Now play!"
"Maybe I don't perform to order....."
"Quit stalling!"
"Quite the dominatrix, Mary?"
His fingers were tracing chords. He wasn't sure what to play for her. With her sitting before him, all that came to mind were romantic songs. With a small sigh he settled for "When You Say Nothing At All", knowing that it was cheesy, but if she thought of the words, he'd mean every single one. He wasn't going to sing for her, that would be ridiculous. Not to mention the fact that he had no illusions about his voice. There would be no quicker way to make her run from the room. Well, maybe there would be one quicker way. He was almost grateful for the distance between them and the fact that he was holding a guitar that would restrict his access to her. It seemed safer.
He followed the first song with "Shelter from the Storm." She recognised both songs, which was a good sign for his playing, started to demand choices of her own. It was turning into the perfect evening. He hadn't turned on any lights and the fading sunlight lit the room as he played everything she asked.
"Do you know any Springsteen?"
"Almost all," he confessed.
"Thunder Road? Secret Garden?"
"A Jerry Maguire fan?" he smiled.
"You had me at hello," she quoted.
He wished that was true, segued into Tom Petty's Free Falling from the same film, which pretty much summed up the way he was feeling. He didn't know what to do but keep playing whatever she requested and hope she wouldn't leave.
Rory was genuinely enjoying herself. A musician catering personally to her every whim, a sunset that was one of the most beautiful she'd ever seen- it was almost the most romantic evening she could remember. Except that it wasn't romantic- it was just hanging out with Tristan. She was having to force herself to remember that.
She seemed to have run out of songs to request by the time it was almost dark, and he was playing random chords that occurred to him as they chatted softly and inconsequentially, each too much caught up in the other to tease.
He found himself playing the song that always made him think of her, seemed to represent how he thought of her. Her brow furrowed in that way that suggested she was trying to recover some lost thought or memory. He watched her, knowing it was the song title that she sought in the recesses of her mind, half-hoping it escaped her.
"What's that song?" she asked eventually.
He hesitated, not wanting to tell her in case the words would give him away. "Just a song, Mary. I'll let you figure it out some other time."
Her nose wrinkled in vague annoyance. Fortunately she didn't push it. "I'll hold you to that. If you're not going to tell me, can there be coffee now?"
"Indeed there can."
He set the guitar to one side and laughed as she struggled to her feet, catching her arm as she stumbled. "I did offer you a more comfortable seat, Mary."
"I know. Coffee withdrawal," she explained, trying to ignore his touch. It was getting harder to ignore anything about Tristan- how she felt so comfortable with him, yet all her senses seemed heightened. She sighed softly as his hand withdrew and they made their way back downstairs. It had been a perfect evening. She almost didn't want to leave.
They lingered over coffee, neither wanting to be the one to bring the evening to an end. At last Tristan forced himself to his feet, mostly because if he sat beside her any longer he wouldn't be able to stop himself from touching her, or trying to kiss her, and he didn't want to her to run away again.
'I'd better take you home. Your grandmother may be sending out a search party."
Rory laughed. "I don't think she'd notice if I was there or not. Plus she knows I'm with you. The DuGray name is almost as much like Hartford royalty in her head as the Gilmore name. Even if it does belong to the disgraced delinquent son!"
Tristan laughed. He was ashamed of his past- though not as ashamed as he was of his family for the way they'd treated him. Somehow Rory's teasing made it better in a way that ignoring it all never could. He held out his hands to help her up, and she took them, finding herself pulled out of her chair and suddenly closer to him than she'd expected. He forced himself to step back, to look away from the eyes that almost bewitched him. He ran his hand through his hair in an effort to compose himself. Rory, to her amazement, had to clasp her own hands together so that she wouldn't start running them through his hair herself.
"I'll get your jacket."
"Thank you."
She wasn't sure what else to say. The drive back to her grandmother's was almost silent, not quite comfortable but not uncomfortable in a way that made her want it to be over.
"Thank you," she said again as he walked her the few short steps to the door. "I had a really good time."
"Really?" He looked suddenly vulnerable, wanting her approval.
"Really." She reached up and kissed him gently on the cheek. "Goodnight," she added quickly, opening the door.
"Night, Mary." He smiled softly as she rolled her eyes. "Shall we do it again?"
There was the merest hint of suggestion in his voice but she smiled back. "Yes, I think we shall."
They were both still smiling as she closed the door.