20 - Bittersweet Proposal
The trip home was quiet, neither saying much of anything. They entered their townhouse, walked upstairs, and each got ready for bed. They lay there side by side for about five minutes before the blonde finally broke the silence.
"Mind telling me what that was all about?" Andy asked.
"Not particularily," Marty grunted, staring up at the ceiling.
"Martin Alexander Harrison," his girlfriend intoned seriously, rolling onto her side to face him. Even in the gloom of their bedroom, he could feel those jade irises burrowing into him. "I'm not letting this go, so you can either tell me what's going on, or you can spend the night in the guest room with your brother if and when he gets back. Or the couch. Your choice. Either way, speak up, or get out."
Marty let out a loud sigh before simply stating, "Rory and Dan."
"What about them?"
"He's no good for her, and I really thought she'd see that," he elaborated, then shook his head at himself. "Then again, Rory's never had the best taste in guys, you know?"
"Actually, no, I don't," Andy stated, resting a hand on his chest. "You never really told me much about her."
"Back in Yale, she dated this guy who was completely wrong for her," he explained, letting out another sigh before continuing. "The guy was a playboy, cheated on her numerous times, but she stuck with him. Gave him chance over chance, for some damned reason, and I never really understood why."
"You liked her back then, didn't you?" Andy asked, seeing between the lines like always.
"Yeah, I did," Marty admitted, not seeing a reason to lie about it. That was all in the past now anyway, wasn't it? "The whole thing put a huge strain on our friendship for the longest time."
"That only partially explains why you were so up in your brother's grill at the Comet Club though," his blonde girlfriend said, nudging him along to continue.
"Up in his grill?" Marty frowned, turning his head to face her. "Do people actually still talk like that?"
"Quit stalling," she stated.
"I just thought Rory knew better, and I'm disappointed that I was wrong. Add in the fact that Dan likes to press my buttons, and things almost got out of hand there," he muttered, rolling on his side so that he was now facing the blonde fully as well. "But now that I've said all that, I'm starting to feel guilty about it, and it all just sucks-"
"Monkey nuts?" Andy finished.
"Yeah," he agreed with a chuckle.
The blonde placed a hand on his cheek, caressed it lovingly. "You're a good person, Martin Harrison, and I'm lucky to have found you."
"No, I'm lucky I found you," he replied, taking her hand in his own so he could kiss her fingertips.
"You're damned skippy, mister," Andy joked, closing the distance to kiss him softly. "Now let's get some sleep."
"I love you," he stated.
"I love you, too," she returned, cuddling up against him.
In what seemed like an instant later, the blonde was conked out. Marty lay there staring at the ceiling without any real coherent thoughts in his head before he finally passed out as well. He awoke to find Andy sprawled out in an awkward position at the edge of the bed, precariously close to falling off. He reached over and pulled her back, simulantiously attempting to wake her in the process.
"Ah'm drownin' in swimwear," she drawled in that sexy Southern accent of hers, obviously still half-asleep.
"I'm going to take a shower," Marty informed her, mouth next to her ear. "Did you want to come with?"
"Raincheck, don't wanna move right now," she mumbled, curling herself up into a ball with all the covers around her slim body. "Luff ya, now go 'way."
"Okay, your loss," he chuckled, finding her extremely cute at that moment. Fifteen minutes later, feeling squeaky clean and substancially less groggy from last night's alcohol related activities, Marty exited the washroom with just a towel around his waist to find his girlfriend sitting on the bed, staring down at her hands. Thinking that Andy was just trying to shrug off her hangover, he walked past his rock star girlfriend towards the dresser for some clothes.
"Yes," she announced mysteriously, confusing him.
"Yes?" Marty frowned before turning to face her, not quite knowing what to expect. "What are you talking about?"
"I'll marry you," Andy clarified, opening her hands to reveal the felt case that contained the engagement ring he'd purchased several weeks ago. "The answer is yes."
"Where-"
"I was looking for a pair of those wool socks you sometimes like to wear before I headed downstairs to make coffee, and that's when I found it," she interupted, her expression apologetic. "I'm sorry if I ruined whatever plans you may have made, but my answer is still yes."
"Really?" Marty asked, relief and happiness washing over him.
"Really," Andrea confirmed, standing up to walk over to throw her arms around his waist. "I want to be Mrs. Martin Alexander Harrison."
"Oh, thank God," he whispered, pulling her close against his body. "I thought for sure you'd say no."
"I'd be an idiot if I had," she laughed into his chest, returning the tight embrace. They separated for a moment, Andy holding her left hand out as Marty shakily slid the engagement ring onto her finger. "Perfect fit," his girlfriend (now fiance) stated, viridian eyes shimmering. Just then, the doorbell rang to announce the arrival of an early morning visitor.
"Okay, who the hell could that be?" Marty grumbled, not liking the fact that somebody had the nerve to interupt the happiest moment of his life thus far.
"I'll get it, since you're pretty much naked," a grinning Andy said, then tipped toed to kiss him before slipping out of the bedroom.
"Oh, like you're one to talk," he chuckled under his breath, referring to the blonde being clad only in pajama pants and t-shirt. A moment later Marty heard his fiance's happy squeal echo throughout the house. Must be Lexie, he concluded with a wry smirk, pulling on the last of his clothes and heading downstairs, only to stop on the landing when catching sight of their Sunday morning visitor. "Rory?"
"Oh, hey, Marty," the brunette reporter greeted with a limp wave, looking a little lost while standing alone in the foyer. "Your fiance just ran off into the kitchen to make some coffee."
"Andy loves her morning coffee," he said, feeling extremely lame for saying that.
"She's definitely a keeper then," Rory returned with a weak smile, awkwardness coming off of her in waves. "Congratulations, by the way."
"Um, thanks," Marty nodded, wondering at her strange behavior. "What brings you here on a Sunday?"
"I just came to tell you, um," she began, licking her lips thoughtfully before continuing. "To tell you that I'll be heading back to Stars Hollow for my vacation. My mom wants to see me, and I kind of miss her, as well as little Billy and my step-sister April, too. If she's there, that is. So, I just thought that I'd come over to tell you since I'm leaving right away and won't be reachable for the next week or so."
"Look, Rory, about last night-"
"We're cool, Marty," she interupted, shaking her head. "I know you were just looking out for me. I really should be thanking you. If you hadn't done what you did, then I might have ended up making your brother into my next douche-bag reclaimation project."
"Logan, version 2?" He joked weakly.
"Yeah, I guess you can put it that way," the reporter chuckled in a noticably forced manner, then hiked her thumb to the door. "Well, I should get going. My flight leaves in about the next hour or so, so I'll just be-"
"Going then," he finished, nodding. "Say hi to your mom for me."
"Will do," Rory nodded back, then turned to leave out the door. She paused and looked over her shoulder at him, her voice sounding strained. "See you when I get back."
"See you then," Marty whispered to the now empty space, the closing door clicking louder than it had any right to. He was tempted to chase after her, demand to why she was lying to him, but he couldn't get his feet to move. Maybe it had to do with that inexplicable expression of hurt in her azure eyes that was preventing him.
"Where'd Rory go?" Andy asked, jolting him back to life.
"Home," Marty answered, trying to shake off the feeling that this was the last time he'd ever see Rory Gilmore. It was a depressing thought, to say the least. "She's going home."