"Yo!" greeted Tristan as he leaned up against the locker next to Rory's.

"Yo? What is this, the 1990s?" she said taking out the books she needed for the night. "And you're leaning again."

"Okay, okay.  We need to come to some compromise about the whole leaning thing." He took her backpack and started to walk down the hallway. "You coming?"
"What are you doing?"

"I'm giving you a ride home."

"You don't need to do that. The bus is quite adequate."

"Adequate? Well, okay. You can take the adequate bus, but I'm giving your backpack the DuGrey treatment."

"Meaning?"

"That I'm taking it to Kissing Point and making a woman out of it. Geez Mary, what do you think? I'll drop it off at your place. Now, would you care to escort your backpack? I mean, you shouldn't leave her unattended. Think of all the sleazy people in the world," he gave her a wink.

"Enough with the winking, I'll go."

"I knew you'd succumb to my charms eventually, Mary."

"Humph. And it's not a 'she', it's a 'he'."

"What is?" he asked in confusion.

"My backpack," she explained. "Call him Homer."

"Homer?"

"Yes."

"As in the classic novel?" he questioned. "What am I saying, of course it is."

"No, it's after a classic cartoon."

"So, Homer's your favourite cartoon character, I assume?" he said opening the car door for her.

"No, I like his friend Barney. But Barney was my blanket, so Homer gets to be my backpack."

"I like Patty, personally. Way sexier than Selma, you know."

"You're crazy. Nobody likes Patty," she said as he pulled out of the parking space.

"Then I must be nobody."

"You got that right."

He shifted into drive.

"And Nobody's perfect." He flashed her a big cheesy grin before screeching out of the car park.

Each day Tristan found himself waiting at Rory's locker before first class with a Styrofoam cup of coffee. He started to sit with her at lunchtimes, and drive her home after school, sometimes staying for a study session and dinner.

On a late-autumn Saturday Tristan knocked on the Gilmore's front door. Lorelai answered.

"You know you don't have to knock anymore. We waver your knocking rights. From now on you can just come in," she said, taking his coat and ushering him into the house.

"But isn't that kind of, I dunno, rude? Walking into somebodies house uninvited?" he asked.

"I just invited you though," Lorelai rebuked.

"But what if you were, I dunno, naked or something." His eyes widened in terror. "Nnnot that I think of you guys naked or anything. Aah, geez!"

Lorelai took by the shoulders smiling, pushed him back outside and shut the door on him. Then she opened the door again.

"You know you don't have to knock anymore. We waver your knocking rights. From now on you can just come in," she repeated.

"Thank you I will," he answered with his head down.

Lorelai let him back in the house with a pat on the head.

"Good boy. She's in her room."

Lorelai went upstairs singing, "All the old paintings on the tomb, they do the sand dance, don't you know." (AN: It's a Bangles song, Walk like an Egyptian)

Tristan walked through the now-familiar house to Rory's abode. There, he found her curled up on her bed with a pained expression on her face.

"Hey what's wrong?" he said sitting on the floor to he could look at her face.

"Period pain," she said wincing. (AN: See how close they are now? She didn't even blush when she said this.)

"Oh. Can I get you something? Hot water bottle? Some sort of medicine? I could go to the pharmacy, ask what they recommend." He stood up and got his car keys out of his pocket. "I'll be right back."

"No, that's alright," she said, laughing at his concern. "Hot water bottle sounds good."

"Coming up."

"It's in the bathroom cupboard."

*He's nice. Dean used to clam up when I mentioned my time of the month*

(AN: Okay, time out. Isn't he so cute? Tristan, not Dean. Don't you want to give him a big hug? [Everyone nod] Okay, back to the story)

Tristan came out of the bathroom with a terry cloth clad hot water bottle.

"You know, I saw these really good hot water bottles at the pharmacy the other day. They were in the shape of animals. I'm going to get you one," he said, giving her the worn-out water bottle.

"That's alright, I'm quite content with Oompie," she said, giving the bottle a squeeze.

"Oompie?" he repeated.

"As in Oompa Loompa. My mom named him."

AN: Okay, that's it for today. I know it's short. Sorry guys. Not feeling too creative today. Ta muchly for everyone who sent reviews. Muah! Big Elmo kiss.  Were those little ANs during the story disruptive to the flow? Let me know so I can cut them out if necessary. Ah crap! Just remembered that I forgot to put disclaimers in.

Disclaimer: I own nothing. All characters belong to Amy S-P and WB. Don't sue, you'll just make me cry.