Disclaimer: I briefly quote Shakespeare's Sonnet 73...but only the last two lines.
A/N: This update is for all the lovely folks at Fan Forum. You guys rock!
I Miss You
Chapter 3: (is) A Gift
Tristin tips back his desk chair and props his feet up on his desk. Today is a very special day. Her nineteenth birthday. He tries not to think about what he was doing a year ago on this very day. But he fails. He can't help remembering, given the amount of time and planning he had done to ensure that everything would be perfect for the big day. They had been together for a little over five months at the time. He had wanted to do something that would sweep her off her feet, as retribution for the hell he had put her through and to show her exactly how he felt about her. So he had pestered her mother and friends for weeks, trying to get ideas for the perfect birthday gift. All of their suggestions, though heartfelt and guaranteed to do the trick, just didn't seem right. He smiles fondly when he remembers what ended up happening...
***
Nothing was going according to plan. Tristin smacked his forehead in frustration. How much money does he have to pay these incompetant people to get something done right around here? She was going to be here any second. He gave the staff a few instructions before returning to his post by the window.
After days of agonizing, he had finally decided on something relatively simple for her eighteenth birthday. A nice candlelit dinner in the gazebo in Stars Hollow. Unfortunately, that plan would not be happening, due to a freak accident involving a bonfire at Stars Hollow High's pep rally. Tristin didn't fully understand it himself. Rory had been unable to contain hysterical laughter when she tried to tell him what exactly had happened. At any rate, the bonfire had come only a few days before her birthday, leaving Tristin scrambling around looking for a Plan B. Plan B had come in the form of a private movie viewing of Charlie and the Chocolate Factory in a meadow under the stars in the outskirts of Stars Hollow. Plan B had to be scrapped when claps of thunder interrupted fourth period and continued throughout the afternoon. Which left Plan C. Which was currently not shaping up to be any better than the first two failed attempts. He buried his face in his hands. Why couldn't everything have worked out? Maybe God liked to see him suffer.
Through the heavy drapes, he saw her walk up to the front door of his house. Alright. This was it. The door bell rang. He paused at the door for a few seconds, not wanting her to know he had been peeking through the windows for the last fifteen minutes, awaiting her arrival. When he finally opened the door, he had on his cocky grin. "Where's my birthday kiss?"
Rory smiled, remembering the verbal sparring from the last birthday he been in attendance for. "It's my birthday."
"So it is." He stepped forward and captured her lips with his own. "Ready for your present?"
"It's not a stripper jumping out of a cake, right?"
"Ouch, you wound me."
She walked into the entryway as he took her coat. "So where's the big surprise you've been obsessing over for the last week?" she teased.
"Right this way." Tristin led her to the main dining room. The table had been set for an intimate dinner. The scent of fresh flowers permeated the room. Candlelight cast merry shadows flickering on the walls. He shifted from foot to foot, anticipating her reaction.
"Oh, Tristin," she breathed. "This is beautiful."
He relaxed. He leaned over to give her another kiss. And was interrupted by a loud alarm. "What the hell..."
"It's the smoke detectors! Is there something burning in here?"
Tristin's eyes bugged out. "Uh oh..." He rushed into the kitchen. Black smoke was coming from the oven. He hurriedly turned off the oven and opened the door. More black smoke billowed out into the kitchen. He coughed and fanned the air in front of him with an oven mitt. A litany of curses poured from his mouth.
Rory stood back, trying to hide a grin of amusement. "Dinner, I presume?"
Tristin sighed. Plan C, down the tubes. "I don't think I am meant to give you an extremely romantic and meaningful gift tonight. Sorry, you'll have to wait until next year."
"Not so fast, mister. Come with me."
Tristin took the burned chicken out of the oven and set it on top of the oven. He opened the windows in the expansive kitchen before following. "Where are we going?"
"A little birdie told me about the original plan for tonight. That's where I want to celebrate my birthday with you."
***
They had ended up driving to Stars Hollow. They made a quick pit stop at Luke's to pick up some burgers and coffee then continued on foot to the gazebo. Sitting in the crumbling gazebo under the stars, certain it was about to fall, Tristin remembers thinking there was no place on earth he'd rather be. When it had come time for him to give her his present, he had known for sure that heaven existed and was indeed within his reach. When she had seen his gift, a beautiful leather bound volume of Shakespeare's sonnets, the look in her eyes had shown Tristin the way to Utopia. And he had taken it, no regrets.
"This is a gift I will never forget," she had promised solemnly.
He hopes now that it is true. It has been a week since he last talked to her. She is doing well at Harvard, thriving in its prestigious classrooms. He loves Princeton. But he misses her. He will not call her tonight. This is not good for us, he lectures himself. I have to put her behind me so she can be my future. He turns off his desk light and sits in the dark.
She is tired. Probably a result of being awoken in the wee hours of the morning by her insane mother, all for the sake of tradition. She smiles affectionately. She is nineteen today. She feels no different. The constant ache is still there, will always be there...until someday. She opens the book and reads, feeling that the words written centuries ago summarize her life so accurately. "This thou perceiv'st, which makes thy love more strong, To love that well which thou must leave ere long." She shuts the book and sets it back in its place on her night stand. She falls asleep thinking of him.
A/N: This update is for all the lovely folks at Fan Forum. You guys rock!
I Miss You
Chapter 3: (is) A Gift
Tristin tips back his desk chair and props his feet up on his desk. Today is a very special day. Her nineteenth birthday. He tries not to think about what he was doing a year ago on this very day. But he fails. He can't help remembering, given the amount of time and planning he had done to ensure that everything would be perfect for the big day. They had been together for a little over five months at the time. He had wanted to do something that would sweep her off her feet, as retribution for the hell he had put her through and to show her exactly how he felt about her. So he had pestered her mother and friends for weeks, trying to get ideas for the perfect birthday gift. All of their suggestions, though heartfelt and guaranteed to do the trick, just didn't seem right. He smiles fondly when he remembers what ended up happening...
***
Nothing was going according to plan. Tristin smacked his forehead in frustration. How much money does he have to pay these incompetant people to get something done right around here? She was going to be here any second. He gave the staff a few instructions before returning to his post by the window.
After days of agonizing, he had finally decided on something relatively simple for her eighteenth birthday. A nice candlelit dinner in the gazebo in Stars Hollow. Unfortunately, that plan would not be happening, due to a freak accident involving a bonfire at Stars Hollow High's pep rally. Tristin didn't fully understand it himself. Rory had been unable to contain hysterical laughter when she tried to tell him what exactly had happened. At any rate, the bonfire had come only a few days before her birthday, leaving Tristin scrambling around looking for a Plan B. Plan B had come in the form of a private movie viewing of Charlie and the Chocolate Factory in a meadow under the stars in the outskirts of Stars Hollow. Plan B had to be scrapped when claps of thunder interrupted fourth period and continued throughout the afternoon. Which left Plan C. Which was currently not shaping up to be any better than the first two failed attempts. He buried his face in his hands. Why couldn't everything have worked out? Maybe God liked to see him suffer.
Through the heavy drapes, he saw her walk up to the front door of his house. Alright. This was it. The door bell rang. He paused at the door for a few seconds, not wanting her to know he had been peeking through the windows for the last fifteen minutes, awaiting her arrival. When he finally opened the door, he had on his cocky grin. "Where's my birthday kiss?"
Rory smiled, remembering the verbal sparring from the last birthday he been in attendance for. "It's my birthday."
"So it is." He stepped forward and captured her lips with his own. "Ready for your present?"
"It's not a stripper jumping out of a cake, right?"
"Ouch, you wound me."
She walked into the entryway as he took her coat. "So where's the big surprise you've been obsessing over for the last week?" she teased.
"Right this way." Tristin led her to the main dining room. The table had been set for an intimate dinner. The scent of fresh flowers permeated the room. Candlelight cast merry shadows flickering on the walls. He shifted from foot to foot, anticipating her reaction.
"Oh, Tristin," she breathed. "This is beautiful."
He relaxed. He leaned over to give her another kiss. And was interrupted by a loud alarm. "What the hell..."
"It's the smoke detectors! Is there something burning in here?"
Tristin's eyes bugged out. "Uh oh..." He rushed into the kitchen. Black smoke was coming from the oven. He hurriedly turned off the oven and opened the door. More black smoke billowed out into the kitchen. He coughed and fanned the air in front of him with an oven mitt. A litany of curses poured from his mouth.
Rory stood back, trying to hide a grin of amusement. "Dinner, I presume?"
Tristin sighed. Plan C, down the tubes. "I don't think I am meant to give you an extremely romantic and meaningful gift tonight. Sorry, you'll have to wait until next year."
"Not so fast, mister. Come with me."
Tristin took the burned chicken out of the oven and set it on top of the oven. He opened the windows in the expansive kitchen before following. "Where are we going?"
"A little birdie told me about the original plan for tonight. That's where I want to celebrate my birthday with you."
***
They had ended up driving to Stars Hollow. They made a quick pit stop at Luke's to pick up some burgers and coffee then continued on foot to the gazebo. Sitting in the crumbling gazebo under the stars, certain it was about to fall, Tristin remembers thinking there was no place on earth he'd rather be. When it had come time for him to give her his present, he had known for sure that heaven existed and was indeed within his reach. When she had seen his gift, a beautiful leather bound volume of Shakespeare's sonnets, the look in her eyes had shown Tristin the way to Utopia. And he had taken it, no regrets.
"This is a gift I will never forget," she had promised solemnly.
He hopes now that it is true. It has been a week since he last talked to her. She is doing well at Harvard, thriving in its prestigious classrooms. He loves Princeton. But he misses her. He will not call her tonight. This is not good for us, he lectures himself. I have to put her behind me so she can be my future. He turns off his desk light and sits in the dark.
She is tired. Probably a result of being awoken in the wee hours of the morning by her insane mother, all for the sake of tradition. She smiles affectionately. She is nineteen today. She feels no different. The constant ache is still there, will always be there...until someday. She opens the book and reads, feeling that the words written centuries ago summarize her life so accurately. "This thou perceiv'st, which makes thy love more strong, To love that well which thou must leave ere long." She shuts the book and sets it back in its place on her night stand. She falls asleep thinking of him.