I Miss You
Chapter 5: To Know
He finishes packing his suitcase for the trip home. The fall semester of his sophomore year is over and now it's time to return to Hartford for Christmas break. He is looking forward to it. It has been a little less than a month since he has seen Rory. She is probably already home in Stars Hollow. He pictures her curled up on her bed reading, or sitting at the counter at Luke's drinking coffee with her mother.
The past year has been hard but well worth it. After they had finally given up and admitted the futility of trying not to love each other that memorable afternoon in November, they had committed themselves to an exclusive, long-distance relationship. The result? A year's worth of memories he wouldn't trade for the world. And still going strong.
Lately though, they haven't been able to see each other as frequently as they would have liked. Because each is weighed down with increasingly harder courses as well as being forced to focus on their respective majors, time is a luxury they don't always have. But now they are on winter break. A whole month of freedom. He can see her as much as he wants. And he's looking forward to every second of it.
***
He stands on her porch, poised to knock. He is startled when the door is flung open and she throws himself into his arms. "Hey! I missed you so much!"
He smiles into her hair and gives her a bear hug. "How much did you miss me, Mary? Because I know a few ways you could show me how much..." He gives her his best leer.
She smacks him in the arm and groans. Then she lowers her voice seductively. "Come inside and take your coat off."
They step over the threshold and are immediately accosted by an exuberant Lorelai. "Howdy, stranger," she drawls in the way of greeting. "Haven't seen you around these here parts for a long time."
"I was roping me come cattle out in Princeton," he grins.
"Do they really have cows in Princeton?" asks Lorelai, dropping the facade. "I've always wanted to go cow tipping. But then Rory reminds me that tipped over cows stay tipped over and can't get up and the poor farmer is stuck trying to push up a cow just because I wanted to have a little fun. And then I realize that I probably wouldn't be able to tip a cow over anyway, not unless I had a lot of help or got really fat, but the getting fat thing would take a while and I don't know many other people who would actually want to go cow tipping."
Tristin stares at her in amazement. "I can't believe you said that all in one breath."
Lorelai grins. "It's been awhile, hasn't it? Give me a hug!"
"Mo-om!" Rory sighs.
"What? I'm just giving Tristin a hearty 'Welcome home, we missed you, Merry Christmas' hug."
"If you don't mind," she says good naturedly, "I'd like to go make out with my boyfriend now."
Lorelai makes a sweeping gesture towards the living room. "Well please, don't let me keep you. I'll just go help Luke with dinner in the kitchen."
"More like annoy Luke while he's trying to cook dinner, keep you from burning the house down, and fending off your verbal abuse all at the same time."
"He's a man of many talents." With that, she bounces cheerfully into the kitchen. "Lu-uke! Entertain me!"
"Poor Luke," Rory smiles sympathetically.
"Hey, he had to know what he was getting into when he married her."
"Oh, he did," Rory assured him. "That's why he loves her."
Tristin waggled his eyebrows up and down. "Want to go make out now?"
"Okay, One Track Mind Guy."
"That's why you love me."
***
Later, after dinner, they trek to the site of the newly rebuilt gazebo, situated in the exact spot where the old one had been. She is planted firmly on his lap, his arms circled tightly around her waist, and his hands are entwined with hers.
"This is nice," she sighs. "I like being in the same state as you."
He pulls her closer to him, so her back is leaning against his chest and her head is resting on his shoulder. He leans down and kisses her cheek. She tilts her head and captures his lips with her own. Disentangling her left hand, she raises it to his face and gently pushes his head down closer to hers. The kiss deepens, his tongue slowly exploring the inner recesses of her mouth. Rory shifts, turning her body and grabbing on to his shoulders. She repositions herself on his lap so they are face to face, without breaking contact. As Rory pulls away, breathless, Tristin's mouth moves lower to suckle at her neck. She tilts her head to the side, allowing him greater access to the smooth skin there. Her arms twine dreamily around his neck and her fingers play with the downy hairs at the base of his scalp. One arms wraps around her lower back, supporting her, while the other traces shapes over her spine. He traces a wet trail back to her mouth and decidedly plants one on her forehead. "I love you," he pants.
"I know," she says smugly.
He chuckles. "Come on," he says, standing up and forcing her to her feet. He grabs her hand and begins to tug her in the direction of her house. "They'll be wondering where we are."
"What do you think your mom and Luke are doing?"
Rory wrinkles her nose. "I don't even want to know..."
Tristin laughs and leads her down the snowy street, back to her house.
Chapter 5: To Know
He finishes packing his suitcase for the trip home. The fall semester of his sophomore year is over and now it's time to return to Hartford for Christmas break. He is looking forward to it. It has been a little less than a month since he has seen Rory. She is probably already home in Stars Hollow. He pictures her curled up on her bed reading, or sitting at the counter at Luke's drinking coffee with her mother.
The past year has been hard but well worth it. After they had finally given up and admitted the futility of trying not to love each other that memorable afternoon in November, they had committed themselves to an exclusive, long-distance relationship. The result? A year's worth of memories he wouldn't trade for the world. And still going strong.
Lately though, they haven't been able to see each other as frequently as they would have liked. Because each is weighed down with increasingly harder courses as well as being forced to focus on their respective majors, time is a luxury they don't always have. But now they are on winter break. A whole month of freedom. He can see her as much as he wants. And he's looking forward to every second of it.
***
He stands on her porch, poised to knock. He is startled when the door is flung open and she throws himself into his arms. "Hey! I missed you so much!"
He smiles into her hair and gives her a bear hug. "How much did you miss me, Mary? Because I know a few ways you could show me how much..." He gives her his best leer.
She smacks him in the arm and groans. Then she lowers her voice seductively. "Come inside and take your coat off."
They step over the threshold and are immediately accosted by an exuberant Lorelai. "Howdy, stranger," she drawls in the way of greeting. "Haven't seen you around these here parts for a long time."
"I was roping me come cattle out in Princeton," he grins.
"Do they really have cows in Princeton?" asks Lorelai, dropping the facade. "I've always wanted to go cow tipping. But then Rory reminds me that tipped over cows stay tipped over and can't get up and the poor farmer is stuck trying to push up a cow just because I wanted to have a little fun. And then I realize that I probably wouldn't be able to tip a cow over anyway, not unless I had a lot of help or got really fat, but the getting fat thing would take a while and I don't know many other people who would actually want to go cow tipping."
Tristin stares at her in amazement. "I can't believe you said that all in one breath."
Lorelai grins. "It's been awhile, hasn't it? Give me a hug!"
"Mo-om!" Rory sighs.
"What? I'm just giving Tristin a hearty 'Welcome home, we missed you, Merry Christmas' hug."
"If you don't mind," she says good naturedly, "I'd like to go make out with my boyfriend now."
Lorelai makes a sweeping gesture towards the living room. "Well please, don't let me keep you. I'll just go help Luke with dinner in the kitchen."
"More like annoy Luke while he's trying to cook dinner, keep you from burning the house down, and fending off your verbal abuse all at the same time."
"He's a man of many talents." With that, she bounces cheerfully into the kitchen. "Lu-uke! Entertain me!"
"Poor Luke," Rory smiles sympathetically.
"Hey, he had to know what he was getting into when he married her."
"Oh, he did," Rory assured him. "That's why he loves her."
Tristin waggled his eyebrows up and down. "Want to go make out now?"
"Okay, One Track Mind Guy."
"That's why you love me."
***
Later, after dinner, they trek to the site of the newly rebuilt gazebo, situated in the exact spot where the old one had been. She is planted firmly on his lap, his arms circled tightly around her waist, and his hands are entwined with hers.
"This is nice," she sighs. "I like being in the same state as you."
He pulls her closer to him, so her back is leaning against his chest and her head is resting on his shoulder. He leans down and kisses her cheek. She tilts her head and captures his lips with her own. Disentangling her left hand, she raises it to his face and gently pushes his head down closer to hers. The kiss deepens, his tongue slowly exploring the inner recesses of her mouth. Rory shifts, turning her body and grabbing on to his shoulders. She repositions herself on his lap so they are face to face, without breaking contact. As Rory pulls away, breathless, Tristin's mouth moves lower to suckle at her neck. She tilts her head to the side, allowing him greater access to the smooth skin there. Her arms twine dreamily around his neck and her fingers play with the downy hairs at the base of his scalp. One arms wraps around her lower back, supporting her, while the other traces shapes over her spine. He traces a wet trail back to her mouth and decidedly plants one on her forehead. "I love you," he pants.
"I know," she says smugly.
He chuckles. "Come on," he says, standing up and forcing her to her feet. He grabs her hand and begins to tug her in the direction of her house. "They'll be wondering where we are."
"What do you think your mom and Luke are doing?"
Rory wrinkles her nose. "I don't even want to know..."
Tristin laughs and leads her down the snowy street, back to her house.