**A Rose**
A/N + Disclaimer: Working title, of course, in progress, not entirely thought out, and I am still doing a Twist of Fate. Just having trouble with ideas in that dept. Don't own it, I'm just playing around with these delightfully crafted characters to amuse herself. As this fic continues, please offer names. Please.
Rory Gilmore found herself yet again stuck between Chilton's Advocates. Paris and Tristan. They had lockers on either side of hers senior year and she knew that life was going to be miserable.
Paris's offer of friendship (in her own little screwed up way) had come in junior year after they won the debate. Her offer included checking over their WPMs. Rory later found out that was the closest thing to friendship Paris could actually offer her.
Tristan, on the other hand, couldn't have been that bad, Dean had told her when she came home from the first day of school with her horrible news.
"He likes you too much to still be so immature, Rory."
Rory, of course, demanded he hand over the coffee and not judge a person he hardly knew.
Of course, Dean had been right. In a way. Tristan hardly talked to her, yet alone teased her. While they still were in the same classes, he had little to no contact with her daily. Rory noticed that he avoided contact with most people.
Then came that dreadful day. Tristan and Rory had been assigned a project. Nothing out of the ordinary. It would be too much of a cliché. The only problem with this project is that they would have to spend an entire week (including the weekend) together to get this project done.
Rory banged her head against her locker in a foolish, public attempt to try to forget that the day had happened. Or maybe she was still trying to summarize how it had happened. Or maybe she was trying to understand why it had happened, but the fact still remained.
Somebody tapped her on the shoulder.
"Um, are you alright?" It was an obviously male voice, and it was truly concerned. It wasn't Henry's, so Rory's curiosity insisted that she see which spawn of Satan was misfiring their synapses and being nice to her.
And of course, it had to be Tristan.
"I suppose I am. Horrible day." Rory stepped back a bit, opening her locker and hoping there were coffee beans inside.
There weren't, but a bottle of those Starbuck's frappacinos was, and Rory grabbed it automatically. "Hmmm.. Coffee."
Tristan chuckled. "Much like my white jelly beans addiction."
Rory half-glared at him jokingly. "Do not connect my beautiful Columbian what-not with your disgusting coconut imitation."
At this, he could only chuckle more. "You're funny, you know that?"
Rory was surprised. Not at his comment but at the politeness of his comment. "Yes, I have been told this. Not by anyone here, that is. Except for maybe Henry, but he only thinks I'm funny because I tend to ramble. Do I ramble? I mean, going on a little, that's different—"
She was honestly turning into a blubbering idiot. And she honestly didn't know why.
Tristan laughed again. "You want to make the studying arrangements for this week? I'm up to anything."
"Could we go get some warm coffee first? I only drink this Starbucks crap when I can't get to Luke's. Now the day is over and I can." Rory began to babble again, but she stopped herself. "We're going to Luke's."
Normal Tristan would have said, "What, is that some sort of dirty biker diner where you take all your strings of secret men?"
But this Tristan, this oddly more mature (damn Dean for being so right) Tristan, just shrugged. "I'll follow you in my car, I guess."
Rory smiled in spite of everything that had happened that day.
"Romeo and Juliet. Bring back any old memories?" Rory asked as they sat down at the bar, waiting patiently for Jess or Luke to emerge.
"Yes, many." Tristan murmured. He was still playing somebody strong and silent. He had certainly been strong before, but now he seemed stronger. A different kind of strength. One with a price.
"Good or bad, Tris?" She was silent, and the two might have given off the vibe of two old friends with a bitter past.
"Mostly good, until I screwed up and left the one thing that was keeping me alive behind." He replied.
Luke came out. There was a suspicious male in a prep school uniform talking to his stepdaughter, who was also in her prep school uniform. He narrowed his eyes.
"Coffee?" He asked automatically.
Rory smiled. "You know me well."
"Who's your friend?" Luke spat as endearingly as possible.
"I wouldn't exactly—"
At the same time, Tristan said in a way similar to the way he had introduced himself to Richard Gilmore at Rory's sweet sixteen party, "Tristan DuGrey. At your service, sir."
"If you were at my service, you'd be fifteen feet away from my stepdaughter, Tristan." Luke retorted flatly.
"Touché." Tristan replied.
"I like you." Luke growled after a moment. "What do you want to drink?"
"Water will be fine, thanks." Tristan said with a shrug. Luke disappeared back into the kitchen.
"How did you do that?" Rory asked in awe.
"What?" Tristan sort of scowled at his confusion.
"Luke doesn't like anybody right off the bat. He didn't even like Jess right off the bat and he's his nephew. Hell, he doesn't like Dean and I've dated him for two years!" Rory exclaimed in a loud whisper.
Tristan winced, hoping it was an unnoticeable wince. "I guess I've got good people skills."
Rory smiled. "So, what was the one thing that kept you alive?"
"Don't get too cocky, Mary, it was my grandfather." Tristan muttered.
Just as she was about to retaliate, Luke came out with the coffee and water.
She glowered.