Authors Note: I am so sorry it has taken me so long to get this out! From
now on I am going to try to get at least one up a week. Oh, and thanks to
my sister for encouraging me to finish this story. This next chapter is
kind of wordy, but I hope that you like it! Please review. Thanks!
Homecoming
Rory unconsciously tapped her foot against the chair in front of her. When the person occupying the desk turned around to glare at her, she glanced around before finally realizing what he was referring to. She stopped the motion with an apologetic smile to the offended.
The class seemed to drag on and on. It was the last period of the day, on Wednesday. The day that Tristan was getting to go home. She had worked it out earlier with her mother to take the Jeep to school so that as soon as the day was over she could head straight to the Dugrey mansion. Without realizing what she was doing, Rory had begun to tap her blue pen against her notebook. It was only when Paris reached across the aisle and put her hand on top of Rory's to cease her movement that Rory noticed what she had been doing. Another apologetic smile, this one rejected with a harsh glare. Rory resisted the urge to roll her eyes at Paris, who was still upset with Rory because she found out Rory visited Tristan in the hospital. Rory tried again to focus on the lecture at hand, but for some reason the themes of money and power represented in the Great Gatsby weren't really holding her attention. She had already studied the Great Gatsby, in depth, so she didn't feel to guilty when she let her thoughts drift to the previous Monday, the last time that she had seen Tristan.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
"I think that every Wednesday should become a national holiday."
Rory smiled patiently at the blonde boy in front of her. "Every Wednesday?" When he nodded his head she added, "Don't you think that's a little much?"
Tristan shook his head, unfazed. "You're asking me if I think that getting out of this sterile hell hole does not deserve 52 celebrations at regular intervals throughout the years?"
"Lot's of people get out of the hospital everyday, Tristan. It's not special just because it's you."
"I am special, " Tristan insisted. Rory just rolled her eyes. "Whatever. Those people can celebrate it on my day too. What do you think?"
Rory pretended to consider his question for a moment. "I think," she said, standing up from her position at the end of his bed, leaning against the foot board, "that for the sake of your sanity you need to get out of here as soon as possible."
"I could not agree more," he said, watching her gathering her stuff to leave. When she turned back around to him admitted, "although I can't decide whether or not to be offended by the sanity crack. I'm a completely stable person."
Rory just smiled and shrugged her shoulders. "Think about it for a while. It'll keep you occupied until Wednesday." She leaned down to give him the customary kiss on the cheek goodbye but at the last moment he turned his head so her lips came in contact with his. Rory remained still for a moment, not knowing what to do. When she felt his lips begin to move over hers she quickly pulled back, touching her fingers to her lips. Tristan looked terrified. "Rory." he started, quietly, but she just smiled. With her fingers still on her lips she backed to the door, "I'll see you Wednesday," she stated quietly before exiting to room.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
It was completely unexpected. The kiss. Rory had thought about little else since she left his room that day. True, it wasn't a real kiss. He kissed, she just kind of stood there. "Oh God," she thought. What he must think of her. She didn't even know what to think of her. They were just getting to be friends, she and Tristan. She was finally seeing him without his crown on, so to speak.
She was finally getting comfortable around him, and he seemed to be comfortable around her. When the bandages had come off she was afraid that he would either be so depressed or so embarrassed that he wouldn't want her around anymore. The first few days were hard. Whenever she came to see him he stayed completely covered under his blankets. Slowly though, he began to trust her when she said that it didn't matter to her. And it didn't. It really didn't. To her, the person that always sat on the hospital in front of her was not the new injured Tristan; he was just the new Tristan. She liked the new Tristan. Maybe he had been like that before, but she never got to see it. For some reason, she doubted many people had gotten to see it.
But the kiss. His lips on hers. It was good, she couldn't deny that. Sure, he had kissed her before, but she was so upset about Dean that she hadn't really considered whether she liked it or not. Of course, Tristan had probably kissed lots of girls. He knew how to kiss. She remembered the ways that the girls would throw themselves on him, and the way that he seemed more than willing to catch. He knew how to play the game. She did not want to be one of those girls, the kind that threw themselves at him. He didn't seem to be playing a game with her, but she had thought that before. The one thought that plagued her mind though, as she pulled up to his house following the directions he had carefully scrawled for her, was if she could trust herself not to become one of those girls. She stepped out of the Jeep, locking it behind her, and looked at his mansion. It was huge, much larger than her grandparents. The ivy covered stone and brick walkways made it look more like a castle than a home. Hesitantly she walked up to the front door and rang the doorbell. A man in a tuxedo opened to door. "Hello," he said, without the smallest trace of a smile. If Rory hadn't been completely intimidated she would have groaned at how stereotypical it was. A British accent even.
She cleared her throat. "Hi. My name is Rory." she paused for a moment. "Rory Gilmore. I am here to see Tristan." At the snooty look from the butler she added meekly, "I think that he is expecting me."
The butler gave Rory a once over. "Master Dugrey has just returned from the hospital, I don't think he is open to visitors."
From the condescending look that he gave her, Rory wished she could just melt right there. There she stood, on the steps that literally dozens of girls had come through, asking to see Tristan. Trying to keep herself under control, Rory nodded her head, "I understand. But I think that he is expecting me. Would it be okay if I come in? If he wants me to leave then I will."
The butler let her into the foyer. Rory glanced around and realized that her entire house could probably fit in that one room alone. "Wait here miss. I will go and tell Master Dugrey that you wish to see him."
While the butler headed up the winding staircase at the end of the hall, Rory let out the sigh that she had been holding. Maybe she had been wrong about this. Trying to calm herself, she looked around the house from the point where she was standing. Rich reds and deep blue flowed from the room to her left. The chandelier that hung from above lit the foyer with a soft glow, adding a speck of gold everywhere she looked. Before she could continue her investigation the butler came to lead her to Tristan's room.
When she entered his room, she was greeted with a smile from Tristan, who was resting on his bed. "Hey Mary." his voice was groggy. "Come here," he patted a spot next to him on the bed. She was surprised that he didn't seem the least bit awkward around her. She decided to play along, as if nothing had happened.
Hesitantly, Rory made her way over to him. She took in the surrounding room as she walked tentatively. The room was much bigger than her room, that was obvious, but it was cozy. One thing that did catch Rory's eye was the book resting on his end table. She picked it up before settling beside Tristan, sitting cross-legged beside him on the king-size bed. "Sense and Sensibility?"
"Well." he started, "I thought I'd try to find out what you find so amazing about that Jane Austen chick."
The grogginess of Tristan's voice concerned Rory. Before she chewed him out for referring to Jane Austen as a "chick" she asked, "Are you okay?" Her hand flew up to his forehead, and he chuckled at her.
"They just gave me some medicine before I came home today. Something about not wanting the trip to undo the progress that I've made so far. It just made me a little tired, that's all."
Rory looked at him quizzically, "You're hot."
"I'm fine, Rory," he said before smirking, "and I know."
Rory's eyebrow bunched in confusion. "You know what."
Tristan yawned before answering, "That I'm hot." Rory groaned, and hit him upside the head with one of the pillows on his bed.
"Owww." He moaned, rubbing his head.
Rory's eyes got wide as she realized what she had done. "Oh Tristan, I'm so sorry."
She looked so pathetic that Tristan just grinned, "I'm just kidding," even though he was fighting back tears. Not only was he tired, but the medicine had given him a headache worse than the worst hangover he had ever had. It was suppose to knock him out, but he had refused to go to sleep until she got there.
"I'm sorry," she whispered again. Before Tristan could respond she bounded off the bed and reached for her backpack. Pulling something out, she went back over to sit beside Tristan. "I brought you something," she said, opening the box. Inside was a silver ring, very similar to the one Tristan once had.
"I checked everywhere and with everyone at the hospital, but no one knew where your ring had gone. I even had one of the nurses check with the fire and paramedic squad that had brought you in, but no one knew." Not looking down at him, but at the ring, Rory continued. "I know this doesn't hold the same memories as the other one does, and it won't be as special, but I thought." she made the mistake of looking over at Tristan. She could have sworn that his eyes were misty before he quickly turned away. Thinking that she might have done something wrong she said, "I don't know, I tried to think of what to get you for a homecoming gift and this was what I thought off."
Tristan was indeed fighting off the tears, and this time not from the pain in his head, although Lord knows that he would blame it on the medicine if she saw him. "Thank you." He whispered. "It means a lot to me." It was one of the sweetest presents anyone had ever given him. To him it meant so much more than the memories of years past.
Rory looked down at him and smiled, wiping one of the tears out of his eyes. "I didn't mean to make you cry."
Tristan tried to regain some dignity by rolling his eyes and declaring, "Damn medicine."
Rory just continued to smile down at him. Soon he found himself starring at her. The kiss at the hospital had not been planned, he just acted. That's what he did, he acted. Before his actions had always been welcomed. Now, he wasn't sure. She had never given any indication that she was remotely interested in him. Still, she had been to visit him at the hospital almost everyday. No one, not even his parents, had done that. He didn't get to finish the thought when he heard Rory say, "Tristan." Embarrassed to be caught in his reverie, Tristan cleared his throat and held out his hand. "Well." he stated with mock impatience. At Rory's questioning glance he pointed at the ring, and then at his ring finger, "Aren't you going to do the honors?"
Rory grinned and slid the ring on to his finger, then looked at it. "That doesn't look right." Thinking for a moment, she removed it and then slid it on to his middle finger. "Much better," she concluded.
"Thank you," Tristan said, stifling a yawn. "Really."
"Your welcome." Rory glanced around his room. "So," she asked, "how does it feel to be home?"
Tristan shrugged his shoulders, "Not all that much different than being at the hospital. Just now I'm in my own room. It's nice."
"Where are your parents?" Rory asked. Not once had she met them, even through out all of her visits to their son.
"They brought me home from the hospital. My Dad had to go into the office right afterwards and my mother had postponed her flight to Florida with her DAR friends. She left earlier this afternoon." Tristan didn't seem phased by the fact that his parents weren't around to help him out.
"I'm sorry."
"Why? I'm not. I'm glad that they were able to take me home."
"But they aren't here now," she pointed out. "You were in a car accident for God sakes. You almost died." "They're not like your mother Rory," Tristan immediately became defensive, "They do the best that they can."
Rory was surprised that Tristan was defending them. "I'm sorry, I didn't mean that they weren't, I just thought you might be upset that they weren't here."
Tristan sighed, then stated, "I don't have the best relationship with my parents. Before this," he gestured to the bandages on his body, "things were bad. Really bad." Rory just sat back against the bed, listening to him. "I was leaving the party that night because they were yelling at me in front of all of their friends, parents of my friends. I couldn't take it anymore, so I hopped into my car."
"What were they yelling about?" Rory interrupted.
"They had gotten a phone call from Headmaster Charleston that a few guys and I had set the fire alarm that day in assembly. It wasn't true, it wasn't me. I did that kind of stuff in 3rd grade, not 11th. Anyway, I didn't want to listen to them anymore, so I got into my car. I was almost home when," he hesitated a moment, his breath caught in his throat, "when I was hit." Rory laced her fingers through his. "I'm sorry. you probably have better things to do with your time than this."
Rory shook her head, "If you want to talk about it, I'm here to listen."
Tristan just nodded and kept with his story, "At first I didn't think that it was that bad. The car was flipped over, but I thought I could get the door open. I almost did, but then the engine went up into flames." Tristan's hand squeezed Rory's. "And that was the first time I realized that the air bags had opened. They squeezing me." Tristan clenched his jaw, and Rory started to stop him, but he held up his hand. "Let me finish. Please."
"You don't have to. if it's too painful, then don't feel like you have to."
"I want to talk about it, no one will say anything about it." All of a sudden he felt the need to tell her everything, everything that he had been through that night. "I couldn't breathe. I think I twisted in my seat, and that's when I felt the pain in my leg. It was incredible. The fire," he paused, "the fire was getting closer, and I was trapped in there. I was terrified that the gas tank was going to explode and I was going to die. I was terrified of dying. It was the first time in my life that I thought it was going to be over. The smoke. was choking me so badly that I couldn't breath. I think that I must have blacked out then, because I don't remember being burned." Tristan looked down at his hands, the burn scars still visible. "When I woke up there was this nurse cutting all of my clothes off in the emergency room. I couldn't move, because my neck had a brace on it, but all the noise and the sounds and the smell. I think that I blacked out again. The next thing I remember was waking up in my hospital bed, and my parents looking down at me." Tristan looked up to Rory, "No matter what happened that night, the thing that I will remember the most is that my parents were there."
"Why wouldn't they have been?"
"I didn't expect them to be. Since then, things have gotten a little better. They came to visit me in the hospital as much as they could. It was nice, almost like a real family."
Rory hadn't realized that she was staring at Tristan, but when he turned to catch her gaze she immediately blinked away. Looking intently at a spot on the navy bedspread she said, "I'm happy for you then."
"Don't get me wrong, I'm not saying that everything is just as peachy as it could be, they're still not my favorite people in the world, but," he swallowed. "Things are better."
Rory turned to look down at Tristan. Sometime while he was talking she reached down to take his hand. They stared at each other for a moment, neither speaking. Tristan raised his eyebrows at her, and she blushed, "What?"
"You tell me."
Rory shrugged, "You're so much different than I thought you were. Hearing you say stuff like that. I don't know. It makes you seem human."
"As opposed to what." he huffed, "a cow? A donkey?"
"You know not what I meant. Although there were times I thought you were the biggest ass that I had ever met."
"No," he winked slyly, "you thought I had the nicest ass you had ever met."
Rory rolled her eyes, but she was giggling slightly when she did. Tristan looked up at her and murmured, "I'm sorry."
Rory shifted uncomfortably, diverting her eyes from the ones starring up at her. "About what?"
Tristan tugged her hand until she turned to look at him. "That I kissed you. I'm sorry."
All conscious thought left Rory's head. "You are?"
This time Tristan turned from Rory, pulling his hand from hers. "Yeah." His tone was one Rory had never heard before. He sounded embarrassed, defeated. He head turned on his side, facing away from Rory.
Rory sighed heavily, then got off the bed and went around to the other side. She knelt to the ground, coming into eye contact with him. Blue eyes starring into blue eyes, she whispered, "I'm not."
Homecoming
Rory unconsciously tapped her foot against the chair in front of her. When the person occupying the desk turned around to glare at her, she glanced around before finally realizing what he was referring to. She stopped the motion with an apologetic smile to the offended.
The class seemed to drag on and on. It was the last period of the day, on Wednesday. The day that Tristan was getting to go home. She had worked it out earlier with her mother to take the Jeep to school so that as soon as the day was over she could head straight to the Dugrey mansion. Without realizing what she was doing, Rory had begun to tap her blue pen against her notebook. It was only when Paris reached across the aisle and put her hand on top of Rory's to cease her movement that Rory noticed what she had been doing. Another apologetic smile, this one rejected with a harsh glare. Rory resisted the urge to roll her eyes at Paris, who was still upset with Rory because she found out Rory visited Tristan in the hospital. Rory tried again to focus on the lecture at hand, but for some reason the themes of money and power represented in the Great Gatsby weren't really holding her attention. She had already studied the Great Gatsby, in depth, so she didn't feel to guilty when she let her thoughts drift to the previous Monday, the last time that she had seen Tristan.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
"I think that every Wednesday should become a national holiday."
Rory smiled patiently at the blonde boy in front of her. "Every Wednesday?" When he nodded his head she added, "Don't you think that's a little much?"
Tristan shook his head, unfazed. "You're asking me if I think that getting out of this sterile hell hole does not deserve 52 celebrations at regular intervals throughout the years?"
"Lot's of people get out of the hospital everyday, Tristan. It's not special just because it's you."
"I am special, " Tristan insisted. Rory just rolled her eyes. "Whatever. Those people can celebrate it on my day too. What do you think?"
Rory pretended to consider his question for a moment. "I think," she said, standing up from her position at the end of his bed, leaning against the foot board, "that for the sake of your sanity you need to get out of here as soon as possible."
"I could not agree more," he said, watching her gathering her stuff to leave. When she turned back around to him admitted, "although I can't decide whether or not to be offended by the sanity crack. I'm a completely stable person."
Rory just smiled and shrugged her shoulders. "Think about it for a while. It'll keep you occupied until Wednesday." She leaned down to give him the customary kiss on the cheek goodbye but at the last moment he turned his head so her lips came in contact with his. Rory remained still for a moment, not knowing what to do. When she felt his lips begin to move over hers she quickly pulled back, touching her fingers to her lips. Tristan looked terrified. "Rory." he started, quietly, but she just smiled. With her fingers still on her lips she backed to the door, "I'll see you Wednesday," she stated quietly before exiting to room.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
It was completely unexpected. The kiss. Rory had thought about little else since she left his room that day. True, it wasn't a real kiss. He kissed, she just kind of stood there. "Oh God," she thought. What he must think of her. She didn't even know what to think of her. They were just getting to be friends, she and Tristan. She was finally seeing him without his crown on, so to speak.
She was finally getting comfortable around him, and he seemed to be comfortable around her. When the bandages had come off she was afraid that he would either be so depressed or so embarrassed that he wouldn't want her around anymore. The first few days were hard. Whenever she came to see him he stayed completely covered under his blankets. Slowly though, he began to trust her when she said that it didn't matter to her. And it didn't. It really didn't. To her, the person that always sat on the hospital in front of her was not the new injured Tristan; he was just the new Tristan. She liked the new Tristan. Maybe he had been like that before, but she never got to see it. For some reason, she doubted many people had gotten to see it.
But the kiss. His lips on hers. It was good, she couldn't deny that. Sure, he had kissed her before, but she was so upset about Dean that she hadn't really considered whether she liked it or not. Of course, Tristan had probably kissed lots of girls. He knew how to kiss. She remembered the ways that the girls would throw themselves on him, and the way that he seemed more than willing to catch. He knew how to play the game. She did not want to be one of those girls, the kind that threw themselves at him. He didn't seem to be playing a game with her, but she had thought that before. The one thought that plagued her mind though, as she pulled up to his house following the directions he had carefully scrawled for her, was if she could trust herself not to become one of those girls. She stepped out of the Jeep, locking it behind her, and looked at his mansion. It was huge, much larger than her grandparents. The ivy covered stone and brick walkways made it look more like a castle than a home. Hesitantly she walked up to the front door and rang the doorbell. A man in a tuxedo opened to door. "Hello," he said, without the smallest trace of a smile. If Rory hadn't been completely intimidated she would have groaned at how stereotypical it was. A British accent even.
She cleared her throat. "Hi. My name is Rory." she paused for a moment. "Rory Gilmore. I am here to see Tristan." At the snooty look from the butler she added meekly, "I think that he is expecting me."
The butler gave Rory a once over. "Master Dugrey has just returned from the hospital, I don't think he is open to visitors."
From the condescending look that he gave her, Rory wished she could just melt right there. There she stood, on the steps that literally dozens of girls had come through, asking to see Tristan. Trying to keep herself under control, Rory nodded her head, "I understand. But I think that he is expecting me. Would it be okay if I come in? If he wants me to leave then I will."
The butler let her into the foyer. Rory glanced around and realized that her entire house could probably fit in that one room alone. "Wait here miss. I will go and tell Master Dugrey that you wish to see him."
While the butler headed up the winding staircase at the end of the hall, Rory let out the sigh that she had been holding. Maybe she had been wrong about this. Trying to calm herself, she looked around the house from the point where she was standing. Rich reds and deep blue flowed from the room to her left. The chandelier that hung from above lit the foyer with a soft glow, adding a speck of gold everywhere she looked. Before she could continue her investigation the butler came to lead her to Tristan's room.
When she entered his room, she was greeted with a smile from Tristan, who was resting on his bed. "Hey Mary." his voice was groggy. "Come here," he patted a spot next to him on the bed. She was surprised that he didn't seem the least bit awkward around her. She decided to play along, as if nothing had happened.
Hesitantly, Rory made her way over to him. She took in the surrounding room as she walked tentatively. The room was much bigger than her room, that was obvious, but it was cozy. One thing that did catch Rory's eye was the book resting on his end table. She picked it up before settling beside Tristan, sitting cross-legged beside him on the king-size bed. "Sense and Sensibility?"
"Well." he started, "I thought I'd try to find out what you find so amazing about that Jane Austen chick."
The grogginess of Tristan's voice concerned Rory. Before she chewed him out for referring to Jane Austen as a "chick" she asked, "Are you okay?" Her hand flew up to his forehead, and he chuckled at her.
"They just gave me some medicine before I came home today. Something about not wanting the trip to undo the progress that I've made so far. It just made me a little tired, that's all."
Rory looked at him quizzically, "You're hot."
"I'm fine, Rory," he said before smirking, "and I know."
Rory's eyebrow bunched in confusion. "You know what."
Tristan yawned before answering, "That I'm hot." Rory groaned, and hit him upside the head with one of the pillows on his bed.
"Owww." He moaned, rubbing his head.
Rory's eyes got wide as she realized what she had done. "Oh Tristan, I'm so sorry."
She looked so pathetic that Tristan just grinned, "I'm just kidding," even though he was fighting back tears. Not only was he tired, but the medicine had given him a headache worse than the worst hangover he had ever had. It was suppose to knock him out, but he had refused to go to sleep until she got there.
"I'm sorry," she whispered again. Before Tristan could respond she bounded off the bed and reached for her backpack. Pulling something out, she went back over to sit beside Tristan. "I brought you something," she said, opening the box. Inside was a silver ring, very similar to the one Tristan once had.
"I checked everywhere and with everyone at the hospital, but no one knew where your ring had gone. I even had one of the nurses check with the fire and paramedic squad that had brought you in, but no one knew." Not looking down at him, but at the ring, Rory continued. "I know this doesn't hold the same memories as the other one does, and it won't be as special, but I thought." she made the mistake of looking over at Tristan. She could have sworn that his eyes were misty before he quickly turned away. Thinking that she might have done something wrong she said, "I don't know, I tried to think of what to get you for a homecoming gift and this was what I thought off."
Tristan was indeed fighting off the tears, and this time not from the pain in his head, although Lord knows that he would blame it on the medicine if she saw him. "Thank you." He whispered. "It means a lot to me." It was one of the sweetest presents anyone had ever given him. To him it meant so much more than the memories of years past.
Rory looked down at him and smiled, wiping one of the tears out of his eyes. "I didn't mean to make you cry."
Tristan tried to regain some dignity by rolling his eyes and declaring, "Damn medicine."
Rory just continued to smile down at him. Soon he found himself starring at her. The kiss at the hospital had not been planned, he just acted. That's what he did, he acted. Before his actions had always been welcomed. Now, he wasn't sure. She had never given any indication that she was remotely interested in him. Still, she had been to visit him at the hospital almost everyday. No one, not even his parents, had done that. He didn't get to finish the thought when he heard Rory say, "Tristan." Embarrassed to be caught in his reverie, Tristan cleared his throat and held out his hand. "Well." he stated with mock impatience. At Rory's questioning glance he pointed at the ring, and then at his ring finger, "Aren't you going to do the honors?"
Rory grinned and slid the ring on to his finger, then looked at it. "That doesn't look right." Thinking for a moment, she removed it and then slid it on to his middle finger. "Much better," she concluded.
"Thank you," Tristan said, stifling a yawn. "Really."
"Your welcome." Rory glanced around his room. "So," she asked, "how does it feel to be home?"
Tristan shrugged his shoulders, "Not all that much different than being at the hospital. Just now I'm in my own room. It's nice."
"Where are your parents?" Rory asked. Not once had she met them, even through out all of her visits to their son.
"They brought me home from the hospital. My Dad had to go into the office right afterwards and my mother had postponed her flight to Florida with her DAR friends. She left earlier this afternoon." Tristan didn't seem phased by the fact that his parents weren't around to help him out.
"I'm sorry."
"Why? I'm not. I'm glad that they were able to take me home."
"But they aren't here now," she pointed out. "You were in a car accident for God sakes. You almost died." "They're not like your mother Rory," Tristan immediately became defensive, "They do the best that they can."
Rory was surprised that Tristan was defending them. "I'm sorry, I didn't mean that they weren't, I just thought you might be upset that they weren't here."
Tristan sighed, then stated, "I don't have the best relationship with my parents. Before this," he gestured to the bandages on his body, "things were bad. Really bad." Rory just sat back against the bed, listening to him. "I was leaving the party that night because they were yelling at me in front of all of their friends, parents of my friends. I couldn't take it anymore, so I hopped into my car."
"What were they yelling about?" Rory interrupted.
"They had gotten a phone call from Headmaster Charleston that a few guys and I had set the fire alarm that day in assembly. It wasn't true, it wasn't me. I did that kind of stuff in 3rd grade, not 11th. Anyway, I didn't want to listen to them anymore, so I got into my car. I was almost home when," he hesitated a moment, his breath caught in his throat, "when I was hit." Rory laced her fingers through his. "I'm sorry. you probably have better things to do with your time than this."
Rory shook her head, "If you want to talk about it, I'm here to listen."
Tristan just nodded and kept with his story, "At first I didn't think that it was that bad. The car was flipped over, but I thought I could get the door open. I almost did, but then the engine went up into flames." Tristan's hand squeezed Rory's. "And that was the first time I realized that the air bags had opened. They squeezing me." Tristan clenched his jaw, and Rory started to stop him, but he held up his hand. "Let me finish. Please."
"You don't have to. if it's too painful, then don't feel like you have to."
"I want to talk about it, no one will say anything about it." All of a sudden he felt the need to tell her everything, everything that he had been through that night. "I couldn't breathe. I think I twisted in my seat, and that's when I felt the pain in my leg. It was incredible. The fire," he paused, "the fire was getting closer, and I was trapped in there. I was terrified that the gas tank was going to explode and I was going to die. I was terrified of dying. It was the first time in my life that I thought it was going to be over. The smoke. was choking me so badly that I couldn't breath. I think that I must have blacked out then, because I don't remember being burned." Tristan looked down at his hands, the burn scars still visible. "When I woke up there was this nurse cutting all of my clothes off in the emergency room. I couldn't move, because my neck had a brace on it, but all the noise and the sounds and the smell. I think that I blacked out again. The next thing I remember was waking up in my hospital bed, and my parents looking down at me." Tristan looked up to Rory, "No matter what happened that night, the thing that I will remember the most is that my parents were there."
"Why wouldn't they have been?"
"I didn't expect them to be. Since then, things have gotten a little better. They came to visit me in the hospital as much as they could. It was nice, almost like a real family."
Rory hadn't realized that she was staring at Tristan, but when he turned to catch her gaze she immediately blinked away. Looking intently at a spot on the navy bedspread she said, "I'm happy for you then."
"Don't get me wrong, I'm not saying that everything is just as peachy as it could be, they're still not my favorite people in the world, but," he swallowed. "Things are better."
Rory turned to look down at Tristan. Sometime while he was talking she reached down to take his hand. They stared at each other for a moment, neither speaking. Tristan raised his eyebrows at her, and she blushed, "What?"
"You tell me."
Rory shrugged, "You're so much different than I thought you were. Hearing you say stuff like that. I don't know. It makes you seem human."
"As opposed to what." he huffed, "a cow? A donkey?"
"You know not what I meant. Although there were times I thought you were the biggest ass that I had ever met."
"No," he winked slyly, "you thought I had the nicest ass you had ever met."
Rory rolled her eyes, but she was giggling slightly when she did. Tristan looked up at her and murmured, "I'm sorry."
Rory shifted uncomfortably, diverting her eyes from the ones starring up at her. "About what?"
Tristan tugged her hand until she turned to look at him. "That I kissed you. I'm sorry."
All conscious thought left Rory's head. "You are?"
This time Tristan turned from Rory, pulling his hand from hers. "Yeah." His tone was one Rory had never heard before. He sounded embarrassed, defeated. He head turned on his side, facing away from Rory.
Rory sighed heavily, then got off the bed and went around to the other side. She knelt to the ground, coming into eye contact with him. Blue eyes starring into blue eyes, she whispered, "I'm not."