Disclaimer: If I ruled the world.. c'mon, ya'll, sing along. No? Pfft. Anyways, I don't own anything but the things my warped mind creates.
Author: Me, duh! :) Umm.. Shay, yep.
Email: tlcforever@hotmail.com
Rating: PG-13. Could be upped to R eventually, I guess.
Spoilers: Season One is fair game. Anything after will probably be ignored.
Pairing: R/T, someday, somehow. L/L/C.. if I expand to include.. Pairing there is still up in the air.
Feedback: Is my reason for being. Or not. But still, its only a fair trade. I write for my readers, my readers review for me. See, it makes everyone happaaay.

Authors Note : Wow.. I honestly never thought I'd get this chapter out. I wrote it, rewrote it, rewrote it again and then here's the fourth time of me writing it. I had so many ideas floating through my head and I couldn't decide which to use and which to save.. so I apologize if this sucks. At least that way it will fit in with the rest of the story. Beh. Anyways, there's some much needed Troryness in here.. the good kind. Sorta.




I Cry Real Tears
Part Ten






The next few weeks flew by in a flurry, blurred images of events that took place racing through my head, almost as if they were part of a dream. But there was always clarity when it involved her, Rory. After our agreement to try again at a friendship, it seemed, we both put our entire being into making it work. We studied together, had movie nights with Lorelai together, ate lunch and more often then not, dinner together. She had thrown the door to her world wide open and I gladly took the invitation inside. I learned things about her that I would never have guessed, and I actually felt at ease, allowing her to know the real me and not the facade that I regularly wore.

Having her in my life made everything seem brighter, like I was living in some kind of alternate universe. I wasn't alone anymore, and that was a feeling I couldn't describe. If things at home got too bad, I had someplace to go, someone to get away from it all with. Lorelai had opened her home to me on several occasions, allowing me to crash on the couch after a particularly horrible fight with my parents and I'll admit it, I wasn't opposed to seeing Rory in her pajamas, even if they were blue with little cows and moons with faces on them. On those nights, which usually ended up being on a weekend, Rory would make me spill about what had happened, and then offer advice that in her mind, she thought would help make things better. I never told her that it was useless, that nothing could make things better, just allowed her to keep thinking she was helping. After that, with her snuggled up next to me, a pot of coffee sitting on the table in front of us and a bowl of popcorn between us, we'd sit and watch movies until the early morning hours. Sometimes Lorelai would join us, but it never was a feeling of intrusion. On a couple occasions Christopher had taken part in this routine and Rory and I found his banter with Lorelai highly amusing. It was on these nights that I felt as though I actually belonged somewhere, as the real me, not the pretend me that fit in everywhere else. It was nice.

Three weeks into our newly found friendship, something I hadn't anticipated, happened. It was a Wednesday afternoon, just like any other late October day, and I had given Rory a ride home from school, as we had a project to work on together. As we pulled into Stars Hollow she had declared she was starving and a stop at Luke's was highly necessary. When we arrived at the diner, we found Lorelai there, and she had demanded that we stay and join her because Luke was being... well, Luke. So there we all sat when all of a sudden the bell over the door rang and Dean stalked in and over to our table, not looking too happy to see me. Rory, being as intuitive as she was, got up and pulled him outside. Lorelai and I watched, with keen interest, from our table by the window as the two of them argued back and forth. A few minutes later Dean walked away, leaving Rory standing there beside the gazebo, her face hardened into a frown. She watched him disappear into the grocery store before turning on her heel and coming back inside. She flopped down in her chair beside me, her hair disheveled from the wind. It was then that she said the three words that made my heart soar and crack in pain for her at the same time.

"We broke up."



******



It was another week before Rory even brought up the breakup again. We were sitting in her living room, books and papers everywhere as we attempted to cram for an upcoming history test, when suddenly she was on her feet, her face unreadable.

"He didn't trust me," she blurted out, startling me out of my studying.

"Stupid," I muttered, loud enough for her to hear. Of course I knew just who she was talking about.

"I kept telling him that we're friends. That it wasn't like he kept saying it was. He didn't believe me, he kept insisting that something was going to happen between us, that you have a thing for me. He doesn't trust you, not that he should, after what happened at the dance, but he should trust me, you know? I've never given him any reason not to trust me, but he didn't. He didn't think that I was strong enough to decline whatever, I don't know what he thought was going to happen. I mean, we're friends. And this isn't the first time he brought this up. Every time you came here, the next day he'd be on me about it again, practically forbidding me from being friends with you. And I couldn't take it anymore. I couldn't stand the jealousy, the irrational behavior when it came to you. Who was he to be the judge of who and who I cannot be friends with?" She finished her rant, her voice slightly higher and angrier then it had been when she had begun.

They had broke up over me? I bit the inside of my mouth to keep the smile that threatened to appear. "He's an idiot, Rory. Even if he didn't trust me, he should have known to trust you. It's not a relationship if he doesn't."

"That's what I said!" Rory sighed, falling back next to me on the couch. "It's just because it's you. If it had been Paris or anyone else, he wouldn't have had a problem, but because it's you he went all Girl, Interrupted on me."

I chuckled at that and casually draped an arm over her shoulders. She leaned into my embrace, shaking her head before it came to rest on my shoulder. "So, Mary, you broke up with bag boy over wee little me," I whispered to her after a few seconds of silence. She groaned dramatically and slapped my knee, but didn't pick her head up from its current position.

"You and that damn ego," she mumbled into my shirt, her voice teasing.

"You know you love it," I said back, a smile stretching across my face.




******




That following Friday my family was once again summoned to join the Gilmore's at dinner and this time I managed to escape the dreaded dinner date with some random girl my parents normally forced upon me. We arrived on time, exchanged the usual greetings, sat in the sitting room until dinner was announced. Again, I found myself seated across from Rory, though this time the air was considerably less tense. We talked between courses, both of us engaging in the conversations the adults were having. I was surprised to see the look of approval stamped on my fathers face when his gaze shifted from Rory, to me. I ignored him and turned my attention back to Rory, who was discreetly elbowing Lorelai, who was hiding a laugh behind her wine glass, in the side while talking to her grandmother about the upcoming Debutante Ball, in which Emily had duped Rory into participating in.

My mother chimed in then, saying something about how important it was for a young lady to 'come out.' Lorelai responded with a sarcastic agreement, which my mother of course took seriously. Emily shot Lorelai a look of disapproval, causing both Rory and I to bite our lips to keep from laughing. The rest of dinner went on pretty much the same way, with a few awkward moments of silence after Lorelai had tossed out a random comment that nobody knew how to respond to. Dessert was served and then the adults retired back to the sitting room, my father and Richard disappearing into the latter's office. Lorelai excused herself and headed up the stairs, Christopher following a few moments after. I was about to suggest we go to the library or something, but Rory beat me to it.

"I could use some air," She announced, standing up. Emily glanced over at her and smiled, nodding.

"Of course, dear. Make sure you take your coat, it's a bit chilly out tonight."

"I will, Grandma," Rory promised before grabbing my hand and hauling me up and out of the room. We stopped just for a moment in the hall to grab our coats off the coat rack and then headed outside. It was on the cold outside, but what do you expect for November in Connecticut. She led the way around to the fence that opened up to the Gilmore's backyard. We walked around in an amicable silence, just enjoying the night until she came to an abrupt halt, gazing up at the house with a small smile playing on her lips.

"What are you looking at?" I asked when she didn't say anything.

Her smile widened and she pointed up at one of the balcony's jutting off the large manor. I turned my eyes to where she was pointing, a grin of my own spreading across my face when I saw it. Up on the second floor balcony, with the soft glow of the lights from inside illuminating them, was Lorelai and Christopher, locked in a tight embrace. Rory let out a soft sigh before tearing her gaze away. "C'mon, lets keep walking."

I nodded and draped an arm around her shoulders as she continued on through the yard. We came to a stop once we reached the back patio, dropping down onto one of the cool benches. Sharing a smile, we continued to sit in a content silence until she turned to me.

"Tristan, can I ask you something?"

"Yeah, sure."

She fidgeted for a moment before meeting my eyes. I felt my breath catch in my throat when she looked at me, the moon behind her enhancing her natural beauty. She bit her lip in contemplation, "Why," she began hesitantly. "Why did you try so hard to be my friend and then do something stupid, only to try and be my friend again?" She finally spit out.

I was at a loss for words. I had no idea how to answer that. "Well," I started, choosing my words carefully, "I wanted to be your friend because you intrigue me. You're this amazing person and when I met you, I knew I had to get you in my life, somehow. But I'm like five, I guess. I've never really had a girl as a friend before, so I didn't know to act around you."

"I don't believe that," she said softly after a moment. "I mean, look at you now. You're a great friend."

"I'm trying," I offered as a lame response.

She was quiet for a moment before speaking again. "Can I ask you something else?"

I nodded and gazed at her expectantly. "Anything."

Her cheeks tinted red and she looked down, allowing her hair to hide her face. I waited patiently for her to say something, but never would have guessed what that something was. After a few minutes, her head popped back up, her cheeks still flaming, an embarrassed expression on her face. "Umm... God, I can't believe I'm asking you this."

"C'mon, Mary. Whatever it is, it can't be that bad."

Her head bobbed up and down in a nod and her blush intensified but there was a look of fierce determination in her eyes. "Would you... um, would you kiss me?" She asked hurriedly, her face even redder then before.

I know I looked stunned. How could I not? Of all the things that could've taken place, this? Never even entered my mind. I mean, of course kissing her was always in my mind, but her asking? No. I guess I took too long to respond, because she began fidgeting again.

"It's okay. You don't have to. It was stupid of me to ask, I don't know what got into me, I'm sorry," she babbled, but her words were effectively cut off as I came out of my stupor. I gently pulled her to me, closing my mouth over hers in a kiss that was more then just a kiss. It was an event, an experience unparalleled. If I thought the kiss we had shared at Madeline's party last year was amazing, this one far exceeded it. It didn't last long, maybe a couple seconds, but I pulled back a changed man. I had kissed Rory Gilmore, twice. Rory Gilmore had asked me to kiss her, she had wanted me to kiss her. I swear I couldn't even form another coherent thought, other then that.

Rory's blush had faded, but now she was staring at me thoughtfully, her blue eyes glazed over with wonder, her lower lip tucked between her teeth as she pondered what had just happened. Finally a smile broke through and I let out a sigh of relief. She was about to speak, but Christopher stuck his head out the back door.

"Hey, kiddo, you ready to go?"

Rory nodded and stood, and I followed. She paused just outside the door, stopping me in my tracks. Her gaze was fixated at me and she smiled. "Thank you," she said softly before slipping back inside, leaving me staring after her.



******


Hee! Well, I figured that we realllly should get some troryness going on here. I mean, come the 28th of this month, this story is going to be a year old and so far there has been nothing.. so here's some fluff. Or something. Updates should be more frequent now, I think. :)

-- Shay