"Hello, Mrs. Gilmore," Tristan greeted Emily the next evening.
"Hello, Tristan," She smiled at him, taking in the well-pressed khakis and button down blue oxford shirt. "You look nice."
"Thank you," Tristan said, looking down and checking out the outfit that he had spent two hours and many questions of the maid to decide on.
"Rory will be down soon," Emily said. "Come on in."
Tristan entered the room, and Emily noticed the single white rose he held in his hand.
Tristan gripped it tightly, smiling bashfully at Rory's grandmother.
He stood silently for a minute, nervously shifting his weight from foot to foot. Anxious for the evening to get started, he adjusted the rose in his hand and kept from swearing as one of the thorns he had missed when he spent hours cutting them off pricked him.
I can't believe I spent all that time, THEN I found out there are thornless roses, Tristan thought to himself.
He looked up as he heard Rory's voice, "Hi Tristan." She said softly. Tristan watched her descend the stairs, a smile spreading across his face.
She reached Tristan, and he shyly held out the white rose.
Thanking him, she blushed. They said goodbye to Emily and walked out to Tristan's car.
Tristan helped her in, then shut the door and jogged around to the other side.
"So where are we going?" Rory asked him.
"Surprise."
"I want to know."
"The element of surprise means you don't get to know."
Rory pouted exaggeratedly.
Tristan switched on the CD he had spent forever picking out, Michelle Branch. He figured it would either be romantic or start up an argument about her singing style.
"Confession? I love her." Rory smiled.
"Me too. But if you tell anyone, I'll deny it." Tristan threatened.
They drove in silence, just listening to the music. The car took them past a sign that said 'Welcome to Stars Hollow'.
"What are we doing here?" Rory asked as they passed the diner and the unicorn-peddler.
"Again, surprise?"
"Fine."
Tristan parked at the edge of town, and they started walking into the park.
"Are we there yet?" Rory asked.
"Yes," Tristan smiled, and Rory caught her breath.
Jess and Luke, according to Tristan's instructions, had set up exactly what he had wanted. Candles surrounded the small clearing, and a picnic was set up in the middle.
"Cliché, I know," Tristan apologized, "But I thought—"
"It's…" Rory said, battling the part of her that wanted to confess how much she loved it. What Dean said…she didn't feel guilty about being here with Tristan. Not much, anyway. But she didn't want to move to fast. So she replied, "Wonderful."
Tristan nearly exploded with glee, all the while kicking himself for how sappy this girl made him. He led her over to the blanket, and she sat down.
"Coffee?" He asked her. He'd brought tons of it, according to Jess and Luke's suggestions, along with her favorite meal from the diner. They'd also recommended the vanilla scented candles, the red blanket they said she would love, the location…..
"Always."
He handed her a cup, looking at the candlelight flickering across her face. The paleness was still there in her skin, the sadness still haunted her expressions, her eyes still held a look of forlornness. But Tristan thought she looked happier, and that maybe he had something to do with that.
Light conversation drifted between them. Tristan had intended…well, he wasn't sure. But he wanted them to finally talk about everything.
Rory looked at Tristan, and in an instant decided something.
"Can I show you something?" She whispered, pausing between words.
"Of course," Tristan replied, confused. What could she have to show him?
Rory grabbed his hand to stand up, and held it as she led him through the trees.
Tristan didn't want to let go of her hand.
Rory stopped at a wrought-iron gate, and said to Tristan, "We're here."
"Hello, Tristan," She smiled at him, taking in the well-pressed khakis and button down blue oxford shirt. "You look nice."
"Thank you," Tristan said, looking down and checking out the outfit that he had spent two hours and many questions of the maid to decide on.
"Rory will be down soon," Emily said. "Come on in."
Tristan entered the room, and Emily noticed the single white rose he held in his hand.
Tristan gripped it tightly, smiling bashfully at Rory's grandmother.
He stood silently for a minute, nervously shifting his weight from foot to foot. Anxious for the evening to get started, he adjusted the rose in his hand and kept from swearing as one of the thorns he had missed when he spent hours cutting them off pricked him.
I can't believe I spent all that time, THEN I found out there are thornless roses, Tristan thought to himself.
He looked up as he heard Rory's voice, "Hi Tristan." She said softly. Tristan watched her descend the stairs, a smile spreading across his face.
She reached Tristan, and he shyly held out the white rose.
Thanking him, she blushed. They said goodbye to Emily and walked out to Tristan's car.
Tristan helped her in, then shut the door and jogged around to the other side.
"So where are we going?" Rory asked him.
"Surprise."
"I want to know."
"The element of surprise means you don't get to know."
Rory pouted exaggeratedly.
Tristan switched on the CD he had spent forever picking out, Michelle Branch. He figured it would either be romantic or start up an argument about her singing style.
"Confession? I love her." Rory smiled.
"Me too. But if you tell anyone, I'll deny it." Tristan threatened.
They drove in silence, just listening to the music. The car took them past a sign that said 'Welcome to Stars Hollow'.
"What are we doing here?" Rory asked as they passed the diner and the unicorn-peddler.
"Again, surprise?"
"Fine."
Tristan parked at the edge of town, and they started walking into the park.
"Are we there yet?" Rory asked.
"Yes," Tristan smiled, and Rory caught her breath.
Jess and Luke, according to Tristan's instructions, had set up exactly what he had wanted. Candles surrounded the small clearing, and a picnic was set up in the middle.
"Cliché, I know," Tristan apologized, "But I thought—"
"It's…" Rory said, battling the part of her that wanted to confess how much she loved it. What Dean said…she didn't feel guilty about being here with Tristan. Not much, anyway. But she didn't want to move to fast. So she replied, "Wonderful."
Tristan nearly exploded with glee, all the while kicking himself for how sappy this girl made him. He led her over to the blanket, and she sat down.
"Coffee?" He asked her. He'd brought tons of it, according to Jess and Luke's suggestions, along with her favorite meal from the diner. They'd also recommended the vanilla scented candles, the red blanket they said she would love, the location…..
"Always."
He handed her a cup, looking at the candlelight flickering across her face. The paleness was still there in her skin, the sadness still haunted her expressions, her eyes still held a look of forlornness. But Tristan thought she looked happier, and that maybe he had something to do with that.
Light conversation drifted between them. Tristan had intended…well, he wasn't sure. But he wanted them to finally talk about everything.
Rory looked at Tristan, and in an instant decided something.
"Can I show you something?" She whispered, pausing between words.
"Of course," Tristan replied, confused. What could she have to show him?
Rory grabbed his hand to stand up, and held it as she led him through the trees.
Tristan didn't want to let go of her hand.
Rory stopped at a wrought-iron gate, and said to Tristan, "We're here."