Chapter 5: Coffee, Introductions, and Hobbits

"And here it is." Rory said with a smile.

"Here is what? Rory, are you blind? This is a hardware store."

"Do you live here? Yeah, I didn't think so. This is a coffee lovers heaven if I say it is."

Tristan chuckled. "Only if you say so."

The two entered Luke's only to see Lorelai complaining to Luke.

"Please? Please? Please? I will sing if you give me coffee. I need it! It's like air. Without it, I will suffocate!" Lorelai then placed her hands upon her neck and acted if as though she was suffocating.

"It's bad for you."

Luke then looked past Lorelai to see Rory and Tristan.

"Who are you?

Rory instantly responded. "I am truly hurt Luke. I thought by now you would know me."

"I don't mean you. I know you are the maniac's daughter. I mean that boy next to you."

Tristan answered. "Hi, I am Tristan DuGray."

Lorelai took this time to go behind the counter and steal the pot of coffee and a mug.

"Lorelai, did you know about this? Did you know about him?" Luke asked the empty seat in which Lorelai originally was.

Lorelai had already poured herself a cup, and had just then chugged it down. She was now pouring herself her second cup. Luke had just then noticed. "Lorelai!"

Lorelai looked as though she was in heaven. "Your timing is perfect Devil's spawn."

Tristan gave Rory a look of amusement. "Talk about me much?"

"I wouldn't take it as a compliment you know."

"Rory, do want me to knock this guy out?" Luke said while holding up his fist.

Rory laughed it off. "Don't mind him. He's just protective and a little nuts.

Just then, Jess walked in with his Metallica shirt on.

"Jess, what did I tell you about that shirt?" Luke said a little angrily.

"Not to wear it while I work."

"And you are wearing it because?"

"Since when have I ever listened and obeyed you, oh mighty Luke?

Tristan couldn't help but laugh. He thought about how he had just laughed more than he had in a year.

"I wouldn't laugh, Bible boy." Luke said with more anger.

Jess then looked confused? "Bible boy?"

"My name's Tristan. Mary here just likes to talk about me."

"Tristan?"

Rory then interrupted their conversation. "Hey Jess." Rory then walked to him and kissed him on the cheek. Tristan saw all of this and instantly wanted to crawl into a dark hole. Rory then whispered into Jess's ear. "Ask Lorelai. She will tell you now and I will tell you later."

Jess whispered back, "ok". The Jess loudly asked her, "So, what you doing today?"

"Showing Tristan here around this town. Want to join?"

"Tempting, but no. Luke is making me work today."

"Ok"

Lorelai then spoke up. "You kids should be moving along. Here, take some coffee." She then poured coffee into two large to-go cups.

"You know, this is my diner." Luke all of a sudden interrupted.

"Really? I didn't even know that." Lorelai put on these big puppy dog eyes, lip all stuck out.

Luke's heart melted. "Fine, it is yours too."

"Yay!" Lorelai then pointed her finger to the door. "You two go now."

"Bye!" They both said. They walked out and into the streets of Stars Hallow.

Tristan then asked, "So, where to?"

"I guess I can show you around town a little."

They walked right along. Rory was explaining while they were walking. ". and that is Ms. Patty's dance studio, that's the book store, that's Doose's market owned by Taylor."

With impeccable timing, Dean walked out. "Dean!" Rory said in surprise. She ran to hug him and greet him. Dean felt a smile crawling onto his face.

"Hey Ror."

Then Dean spotted Tristan only a few feet away from him. The smile that was on his face slowly disappeared. "What are you doing here Bible boy?"

Tristan placed a smirk on his face. "I am here with Mary. You still work here bagboy?

Dean's eyes fired up with jealousy and anger. "Yeah. Anyways, what are you doing today Ror?

"I'm showing Tristan around town. What about you?"

"Funny you ask. My shift is over in 5 minutes and then I am going to go to Lane's house to pick Margaret up. Lane's going to pick Dave along and it's gonna be a double date."

"Oh yeah! Lane mentioned something along those lines. What are you guys going to watch?"

"Lord of the Rings"

"The movie doesn't give the book justice! I remember the first movie. They cut out so many parts and shortened so many important parts. Peter Jackson should have been more alert about these things."

"Yeah. I'm telling you though, it's like a really good movie"

"Whatever you say Dean."

"You want to come?"

Tristan was watching this conversation the entire time, feeling a bit left out. He knew Dean would ask her but what happened next was something he never expected to here. Rory turned to him. "Tristan, you up for sitting on your butt for 3 hours watching little hobbits and a evil ring?"

"What, I already get a butt comment?" Tristan placed a smirk on his face.

Rory rolled her eyes. "Do you want to or not?"

"Sure, I wanted to watch it anyways." *I just want to sit next to you for 3 hours. *

Dean gave Tristan a look that could have melted metal. "I'll ask Taylor if I can leave now." Dean then went inside the store.

Tristan then said something that shook Rory up a little. "I think he still likes you."

"I think you are delusional. And I can't believe you STILL haven't finished your coffee. It's been 15 minutes and it is still half full! You don't deserve it." Right then, Rory grabbed the coffee right out of Tristan's hand and gulped it as fast as it was humanly possible. "It was just too holy for you to handle."

Tristan laughed as Dean came out. "Taylor let me go, but right now, he is on the phone with Ms. Patty, talking about the new blonde boy standing outside of his store. If we don't get out of this town, Bible boy is gonna be swarmed with people."

Tristan then looked at Dean. "Oh, I am touched bagboy. I didn't know you cared."

"I don't. But I don't want to see Rory in the middle of all of this gossip."

Rory right then interrupted. "Dean, pink or purple?"

"How can you ask a guy that?"

"Just answer the question."

"I don't know. I guess purple."

"Tristan, cats or dogs?"

"Dogs."

"Because you are one." Dean said under his breath. Dean knew Tristan and didn't like him, and didn't think he ever would. The three of then walked along the streets, getting a few stares from people, but weren't stopped during the entire time they were walking to Kim's antiques. Rory kept the this or that game going, but had to be the middle man since the two boys seemly would never get along, or at least, not today or anytime soon. They had finally reached the shop, with Rory still playing.

"Tristan, hobbit or man?"

"Man."

"Dean, man or dwarf?"

"Man."

"Tristan, man or elf."

The suddenly, a voice from inside the store screamed out "ELF!" Right then, Margaret and Lane walked out of the store, both having huge smiles on their faces.

Margaret turned to her cousin and continued her conversation on who was better than whom in the movie. "I am telling you, Legolas would kick Aragorn's butt any day!"

"You are so lying to yourself. Don't deny it, Aragorn is the strongest and best!"

Rory looked to Margaret to Lane and back. "You two are weird."

Margaret denied it. "She is, I'm not!"

"Don't lie to yourself!" Lane said.

"Whatever." Then Margaret finally turned to Dean. "Hey Dean!" Margaret hooked her arm with Dean's, both of them with huge smiles on their faces. "I can't believe you like this movie Dean."

"What's wrong with the movie?"

"It's just that, back home, I have an insane sister and cousin who LOVE this movie, especially the elf. You should see them, they fight over who likes him more and have this weird game where one says the name of a character while the other one says a direct quote from the movie. For a month, they wouldn't shut up about it. Luckily, I left before it got really heated. But once in a while, they would three-way me so they can fight with each other on the phone." Dean just laughed at this, finding it funny how insane some people were.

Margaret continued to talk, but this time, to Rory. She has never seen Tristan before so she had to ask. "Rory, who's your date?"

"Oh him? He is just Tristan."

Tristan couldn't help but to add on. "Just Tristan? Oh no, no. I am Tristan DuGray, Devil's Spawn, Evil one, also known as Bible boy. Isn't that right Mary?"

"It's RORY!" Then Rory threw her hand up in defeat. "I give up."

Lane then finally spoke up. "I feel like the 5th wheel. Can we please move along and get Dave so I can have a date too."

"Ok."

Lane and Margaret bantered on about Lord of the Rings while Rory and Tristan followed closely behind. Tristan pondered on something so he asked Rory. "I notice how you didn't say anything about this being a date."

Rory was asking herself the same question. *It's because you want it to be a date. Shut up! I do not. * Rory was in inner turmoil and stared straight ahead. "What? Two friends can't go out without it being a date?"

Tristan cringed at the f word. He couldn't imagine just being friends with Rory. She was the only girl he thought about in Military School. She was the only one who could break and mend his hear all at once. Looking at her made him drool and touching her made him turn into a bumbling idiot. But he knew that he couldn't ask for much more so he sucks it in and breathed. "Yeah, two friends can do that."

Rory then looked at him, and when his eyes met hers, he couldn't break away. She was so captivating and beautiful. He wanted to put his arms around her and smell her hair. He wanted to fit her perfect body into his arms. But he knew the limit and knew that if he wanted her, he needed to give her time. He couldn't break away from his stare so when Rory smiled and looked ahead, the connection broke as well as his heart. They finally met Dave at the bench they were supposed to meet him at, had their small introductions, and went on.

Rory thought for a moment. "I think we should watch the movie somewhere else. I really don't want to be disrupted while I am watching the movie."

Dean decided to take his car with Margaret, while Dave and Lane followed Rory and Tristan to Tristan's BMW that was parked right outside of Luke's. Inside of Luke's diner though, there seemed to be an eruption of people. Ms. Patty spotted the four of them. "My goodness, it's him."

The four of them ran into the car. Rory screamed at Tristan. "Drive Tristan, Drive!"

Tristan accelerated the car. "Umm, exactly where are we going."

"I am not sure. I will page Dean and ask."

After a few message exchanges, they picked the AMC at Hartford. The four of them easily flowed a conversation, as though they were all old friends. They finally reached the AMC, met Dean and Margaret there and headed for the theater. Dean bought himself and Margaret tickets; Dave bought himself and Lane tickets. Tristan also bought Rory's ticket, but had a little argument with her about it. When they got in line for food though, Rory insisted upon paying for it. The six of them walked into the theater, only to see 5 other people in there.

They snuggled in, for the 3-hour show. Dean put his arm around Margaret's shoulder, and Dave did the same to Lane. Tristan debated with himself for an hour whether or not to make a move on Rory. She was so beautiful. But when it came down to it, he didn't even try to make a move. He just sat back and watched her watch the movie.