DISCLAIMER: I own nothing. Not the show, the characters, nada. The plot line is my own however.
RATING: PG-13 [you can never be too sure]
PAIRING: Trory
SETTING: This is set after both Tristan and Rory have graduated college. Dean and Rory broke up a month after Tristan left.
Rory never kissed Jess.
SUMMARY: Tristan's parents and Rory's grandparents went to set up a marriage between Tristan and Rory for a successful
business merger.
A/N: *...* means characters are thinking.
Thanks again to all those who have reviewed. I feel terribly inadequate for all your praise. I'll still continue however. :)
Chapter Eight
Dinner And More
Tense silence filled La Maison. Tristan had compromised with his father. Rory and him would go to La Maison for their
Saturday night date as long as he didn't pressure Rory into a Tuesday night date. Robert hadn't been pleased with the plan,
but it was clear he had no choice. Tristan wished that his father hadn't pushed so much last night. If only-
A loud sigh interrupted Tristan's musings. He glanced up to see Rory pushing her pasta around in circles with her fork.
"I'm sorry for last night," Tristan said quietly.
She looked up startled. "It's not your fault, Tristan. My grandparents just don't know when to stop."
"Yes, well, the same could go for my father."
"I suppose so," she replied. "You know, when I first came to Chilton, I wasn't too ecstatic about it. I was looking forward
to the educational opportunity, but there was more to it than that. I hated what Chilton represented. The way people did
only what society expected of them. I couldn't live like that. And now, here I am, involved in a relationship that's
expected to result in marriage. And why? Because it will help with a business merger! But I can't do it. I can't marry
you, because that would be living up to what they want. Fulfilling society's expectations. I should have known that simply
dating you wouldn't be enough for them. They want more than I'm willing to give. Marriage is just such a precious thing. I
can't give it away if I don't feel the right things." Rory finished her speech, hesitantly looking up at him.
"I understand, Rory, I really do. I've lived my life trying to live up to what's expected of me and I've hated every
minute of it. I couldn't ask you to go through the hell my life has been. Believe me when I tell you that I won't hold it
against you if you want to end this whole charade right here and right now."
As Tristan was talking, Rory was studying him, looking into his electric blue eyes. *I know he understands why I don't want
to do this anymore, but still... there's something in his voice that tells me he's disappointed.*
"I don't know. It's not that I'm repulsed by the idea of spending time with you, it's the fact that the pressure on us will
only increase," Rory stated. "But for now, let's not worry about that. Did you enjoy military school?"
"In an odd way, yes," Tristan said as Rory gave him a look of surprise. "The thing was, all of society's pressures that
we've been talking about weren't there. There were pressures, yes, but a different kind. They didn't ask you to put on a
smile if you weren't happy. There I was allowed to feel real, raw emotion. It was extremely liberating."
"I never thought of it that way," Rory replied.
"No, I'm sure you were more focused on the lack of eye candy without me around," Tristan said with a smirk.
"You know it," Rory said sarcastically. "But honestly, Chilton wasn't the same without you. The one enjoyable thing that
resulted is that Paris and I managed to become friends. Other than that, no good really came from you leaving. Life was
suddenly dull."
"I always knew you'd miss me, Mary."
"Well, Dean sure didn't, I'll tell you that."
"If you don't mind me asking, what happened to dear old Dean?" Tristan asked.
"About a month after you left, I broke up with him. Things were never the same the second time. He got jealous too easily.
I became good friends with a guy Jess when he moved to Stars Hollow and Dean never understood that. He was suspicious of
any time I spent with Jess. I'll admit that were a few times when I felt something more for Jess than platonic feelings.
However, I never acted on them. It infuriated me to think of how little Dean trusted me. Finally, I just couldn't take it
anymore and ended it," Rory finished with a sigh of relief.
"I always knew you were too good for Bag Boy," Tristan said with a smile.
"Thank you," Rory replied. "I wish I would never have told him I loved him that day at Chilton."
"So you didn't love him?" Tristan asked with surprise.
"I did, but not the way he loved me. I wasn't 'in love' with him. And that isn't the only thing I regret about that day,"
Rory said, gazing intently into his eyes.
"Really?" Tristan whispered.
"I also regret saying I hated you. I never did. You annoyed me and irritated me to no end. You infuriated me, but never
even close to the point of hatred."
"After all, who could resist a body like mine?" Tristan said with his insufferable smirk.
"Certainly not me," Rory said, rolling her eyes.
***The Gilmore House***
"So, you still want to give the whole dating thing a go?" Tristan asked quietly, his hands in his pockets.
"Yeah, it wasn't TOO bad," Rory answered him.
"Hey! I think you rather enjoyed it," Tristan said.
"Yes, you caught me. I actually had a good time with the incorrigible Tristan DuGrey," Rory laughed.
"Good," Tristan whispered right before he tipped his head down and kissed her. It only lasted a second, but it was long
enough for Rory to feel the passion emanating from him.
"Goodnight," she said before she turned and entered the house. She came into the living room to see her mother idly flipping
through a magazine.
"So, how did it go?" Lorelai asked expectantly.
"He kissed me. It was only for a second, but still, he kissed me." Rory's startled eyes showed that this was the last thing
she had expected from tonight.
"Did you like it?" her mom asked.
"Yes, and that's the scariest thing of all."
A/N: review review!!
RATING: PG-13 [you can never be too sure]
PAIRING: Trory
SETTING: This is set after both Tristan and Rory have graduated college. Dean and Rory broke up a month after Tristan left.
Rory never kissed Jess.
SUMMARY: Tristan's parents and Rory's grandparents went to set up a marriage between Tristan and Rory for a successful
business merger.
A/N: *...* means characters are thinking.
Thanks again to all those who have reviewed. I feel terribly inadequate for all your praise. I'll still continue however. :)
Chapter Eight
Dinner And More
Tense silence filled La Maison. Tristan had compromised with his father. Rory and him would go to La Maison for their
Saturday night date as long as he didn't pressure Rory into a Tuesday night date. Robert hadn't been pleased with the plan,
but it was clear he had no choice. Tristan wished that his father hadn't pushed so much last night. If only-
A loud sigh interrupted Tristan's musings. He glanced up to see Rory pushing her pasta around in circles with her fork.
"I'm sorry for last night," Tristan said quietly.
She looked up startled. "It's not your fault, Tristan. My grandparents just don't know when to stop."
"Yes, well, the same could go for my father."
"I suppose so," she replied. "You know, when I first came to Chilton, I wasn't too ecstatic about it. I was looking forward
to the educational opportunity, but there was more to it than that. I hated what Chilton represented. The way people did
only what society expected of them. I couldn't live like that. And now, here I am, involved in a relationship that's
expected to result in marriage. And why? Because it will help with a business merger! But I can't do it. I can't marry
you, because that would be living up to what they want. Fulfilling society's expectations. I should have known that simply
dating you wouldn't be enough for them. They want more than I'm willing to give. Marriage is just such a precious thing. I
can't give it away if I don't feel the right things." Rory finished her speech, hesitantly looking up at him.
"I understand, Rory, I really do. I've lived my life trying to live up to what's expected of me and I've hated every
minute of it. I couldn't ask you to go through the hell my life has been. Believe me when I tell you that I won't hold it
against you if you want to end this whole charade right here and right now."
As Tristan was talking, Rory was studying him, looking into his electric blue eyes. *I know he understands why I don't want
to do this anymore, but still... there's something in his voice that tells me he's disappointed.*
"I don't know. It's not that I'm repulsed by the idea of spending time with you, it's the fact that the pressure on us will
only increase," Rory stated. "But for now, let's not worry about that. Did you enjoy military school?"
"In an odd way, yes," Tristan said as Rory gave him a look of surprise. "The thing was, all of society's pressures that
we've been talking about weren't there. There were pressures, yes, but a different kind. They didn't ask you to put on a
smile if you weren't happy. There I was allowed to feel real, raw emotion. It was extremely liberating."
"I never thought of it that way," Rory replied.
"No, I'm sure you were more focused on the lack of eye candy without me around," Tristan said with a smirk.
"You know it," Rory said sarcastically. "But honestly, Chilton wasn't the same without you. The one enjoyable thing that
resulted is that Paris and I managed to become friends. Other than that, no good really came from you leaving. Life was
suddenly dull."
"I always knew you'd miss me, Mary."
"Well, Dean sure didn't, I'll tell you that."
"If you don't mind me asking, what happened to dear old Dean?" Tristan asked.
"About a month after you left, I broke up with him. Things were never the same the second time. He got jealous too easily.
I became good friends with a guy Jess when he moved to Stars Hollow and Dean never understood that. He was suspicious of
any time I spent with Jess. I'll admit that were a few times when I felt something more for Jess than platonic feelings.
However, I never acted on them. It infuriated me to think of how little Dean trusted me. Finally, I just couldn't take it
anymore and ended it," Rory finished with a sigh of relief.
"I always knew you were too good for Bag Boy," Tristan said with a smile.
"Thank you," Rory replied. "I wish I would never have told him I loved him that day at Chilton."
"So you didn't love him?" Tristan asked with surprise.
"I did, but not the way he loved me. I wasn't 'in love' with him. And that isn't the only thing I regret about that day,"
Rory said, gazing intently into his eyes.
"Really?" Tristan whispered.
"I also regret saying I hated you. I never did. You annoyed me and irritated me to no end. You infuriated me, but never
even close to the point of hatred."
"After all, who could resist a body like mine?" Tristan said with his insufferable smirk.
"Certainly not me," Rory said, rolling her eyes.
***The Gilmore House***
"So, you still want to give the whole dating thing a go?" Tristan asked quietly, his hands in his pockets.
"Yeah, it wasn't TOO bad," Rory answered him.
"Hey! I think you rather enjoyed it," Tristan said.
"Yes, you caught me. I actually had a good time with the incorrigible Tristan DuGrey," Rory laughed.
"Good," Tristan whispered right before he tipped his head down and kissed her. It only lasted a second, but it was long
enough for Rory to feel the passion emanating from him.
"Goodnight," she said before she turned and entered the house. She came into the living room to see her mother idly flipping
through a magazine.
"So, how did it go?" Lorelai asked expectantly.
"He kissed me. It was only for a second, but still, he kissed me." Rory's startled eyes showed that this was the last thing
she had expected from tonight.
"Did you like it?" her mom asked.
"Yes, and that's the scariest thing of all."
A/N: review review!!