A/N: Thanks so much to all the readers and reviewers. Thanks to Summer,
Loz, Helen, Katherine and Lauren, and if we left anyone out . . . thanks to
you too. Doesn't mean you're less important, just means I (Lauren) am
suffering from severe academic burnout and my brain isn't functioning.
Joan says: Is it ever? Just kidding.
Disclaimer: In the vein of our other disclaimers -- if we owned the show, this week's episode never would have happened.
"Flowers or polka dots?" Rory held up the sample curtain fabrics to Tristan's chagrin.
"Neither," he answered, snatching them from her and setting them down. "Solid color."
Rory pouted. "You're no fun."
"If fun means turning out apartment into a hippie haven, then I'm a snoozefest," Tristan answered. "We're not having floral curtains, a floral couch, a floral wallpaper, or -- try as you might -- floral carpet."
Rory rolled her eyes. "Let's go look at couches." She grabbed his hand and dragged him in the direction of the couches.
"Well," he said, stopping her. "There's another piece of furniture we need to look at." He turned her in another direction.
"What?" Rory asked curiously.
Tristan stopped in front of a section filled with beds.
Rory's eyes widened, as she turned to smacked him playfully. "Tristan!"
"What?" he asked, feigning innocence. "I need a bed! What am I supposed to do, go reclaim the one in my old room from my dad?"
"Or, you know, just shop for one by yourself," Rory said.
He fell onto a nearby bed. "But shopping alone is so boring."
Rory sat next to him. "And what you're insinuating is lewd."
"I insinuated nothing," he said indignantly, holding his hands up. "A bed is a necessary piece of furniture."
For the fourth time that day, Rory consciously rolled her eyes. "Come on. Couches are this way."
Tristan stood and followed her.
"But really," Rory went on. "We should establish some ground rules if we're going to be living together."
"I'm harmless, Rory," Tristan said with his own roll of the eyes.
"Sure you are," Rory said dismissively. "You're so harmless you'd kiss a girl who'd just broken up with her boyfriend and was clearly vulnerable."
"That was the old Tristan," he told her honestly. If he were still that same guy, he'd most definitely be kissing Rory by now.
Stop it , he told himself. You're just torturing yourself.
"Well, anyway," she continued. "We'll have two bathrooms, and we'll make use of them."
"Fine by me," he said. "I need my space too. Women underestimate the time men need to look as great as they do."
"I'm sure you spend an hour every morning getting your hair to stick up just right," Rory said with a giggle, touching the tips of his hair.
He felt a small tingle. Heel, Tristan.
"And in addition to that, we have to establish some sort of system for groceries."
"I'll buy them, you'll cook them," he answered without a thought.
"I'll be happy to," Rory said sweetly. "But when they have to rush you to the emergency room for severe food poisoning, I'm completely unresponsible."
"Okay, we'll buy TV dinners," Tristan said.
"That's better."
"And the TV to eat those dinners in front of . . ." Tristan looked at her. He, of course, couldn't buy anything, since he had recently subjected himself to the probable loss of his trust fund.
"It's going to be there," she assured him. "I have a feeling if we don't buy one my mom will."
"Good," he said. " Baywatch reruns are on twice daily."
"You never cease to amaze," Rory said. "Come on, couches are obviously a dead end." She waved her finger in the direction of the furniture. "Let's really go look at curtains now." She again grabbed his hand and began dragging him along.
He complied willingly. You never cease to amaze either.
Disclaimer: In the vein of our other disclaimers -- if we owned the show, this week's episode never would have happened.
"Flowers or polka dots?" Rory held up the sample curtain fabrics to Tristan's chagrin.
"Neither," he answered, snatching them from her and setting them down. "Solid color."
Rory pouted. "You're no fun."
"If fun means turning out apartment into a hippie haven, then I'm a snoozefest," Tristan answered. "We're not having floral curtains, a floral couch, a floral wallpaper, or -- try as you might -- floral carpet."
Rory rolled her eyes. "Let's go look at couches." She grabbed his hand and dragged him in the direction of the couches.
"Well," he said, stopping her. "There's another piece of furniture we need to look at." He turned her in another direction.
"What?" Rory asked curiously.
Tristan stopped in front of a section filled with beds.
Rory's eyes widened, as she turned to smacked him playfully. "Tristan!"
"What?" he asked, feigning innocence. "I need a bed! What am I supposed to do, go reclaim the one in my old room from my dad?"
"Or, you know, just shop for one by yourself," Rory said.
He fell onto a nearby bed. "But shopping alone is so boring."
Rory sat next to him. "And what you're insinuating is lewd."
"I insinuated nothing," he said indignantly, holding his hands up. "A bed is a necessary piece of furniture."
For the fourth time that day, Rory consciously rolled her eyes. "Come on. Couches are this way."
Tristan stood and followed her.
"But really," Rory went on. "We should establish some ground rules if we're going to be living together."
"I'm harmless, Rory," Tristan said with his own roll of the eyes.
"Sure you are," Rory said dismissively. "You're so harmless you'd kiss a girl who'd just broken up with her boyfriend and was clearly vulnerable."
"That was the old Tristan," he told her honestly. If he were still that same guy, he'd most definitely be kissing Rory by now.
Stop it , he told himself. You're just torturing yourself.
"Well, anyway," she continued. "We'll have two bathrooms, and we'll make use of them."
"Fine by me," he said. "I need my space too. Women underestimate the time men need to look as great as they do."
"I'm sure you spend an hour every morning getting your hair to stick up just right," Rory said with a giggle, touching the tips of his hair.
He felt a small tingle. Heel, Tristan.
"And in addition to that, we have to establish some sort of system for groceries."
"I'll buy them, you'll cook them," he answered without a thought.
"I'll be happy to," Rory said sweetly. "But when they have to rush you to the emergency room for severe food poisoning, I'm completely unresponsible."
"Okay, we'll buy TV dinners," Tristan said.
"That's better."
"And the TV to eat those dinners in front of . . ." Tristan looked at her. He, of course, couldn't buy anything, since he had recently subjected himself to the probable loss of his trust fund.
"It's going to be there," she assured him. "I have a feeling if we don't buy one my mom will."
"Good," he said. " Baywatch reruns are on twice daily."
"You never cease to amaze," Rory said. "Come on, couches are obviously a dead end." She waved her finger in the direction of the furniture. "Let's really go look at curtains now." She again grabbed his hand and began dragging him along.
He complied willingly. You never cease to amaze either.