Author's Note: This is my first Gilmore Girls fan fic, so please be kind.
Couples: Rory/Tristan a bit of Rory/Dean…
Disclaimer: I don't own any of the characters, they all belong to Amy Sherman-Palladino.
Moonlit Window
Chapter 2: Caffeine's Caffeine, Right?
Rory had woken up early to review her notes and to figure out a way to tell her mom about Tristan. Maybe I can wake him up now and sneak him out the door. She thought, but she knew she couldn't do that; it would be best to tell Lorelai the predicament. Rory paced back and forth then sat down and pulled on her stockings and her shoes. She slowly opened the door to her room and tiptoed to the living room to check on Tristan but to her surprise he was already awake. He was sitting on the couch putting his clothes away in his backpack.
"Wow, you're up early," she said as she sat down beside him.
"Well, it was hard to sleep with you making all that racket. I thought I might as well get up and keep you company," he said, grinning. Rory blushed, she had thought that she had been really quiet but now that she thought about it, she had walked into her dresser a few times while pacing.
"Ah, the old Chilton uniform," he said, looking at her attire.
"Yeah, I've got a big test today." She said, looking at her hands.
"You probably stayed up all night like you brainiacs always do for tests. You'll ace it." He said, mildly joking. She stood up.
"Just because I pay attention to my studies doesn't mean I'm a brainiac." She retorted.
"I didn't mean you were a loser. I just said what I assumed." He said. Rory glared at him
"Ok, so you're telling me that you didn't stay up practically all night to study for your stupid test?" he asked, raising his eyebrows. Rory blushed again and was silent.
"Want something to eat?" she asked, walking towards the kitchen, changing the subject.
"Sure," he said, following. He smiled to himself for getting to her again. They sat at the kitchen table and Rory began to riffle through the cupboards and the fridge. As usual there was nothing in the Gilmore household to eat. She sighed.
"Well, there's nothing to eat. I guess we should go to Luke's," she said. Tristan looked up.
"Yeah, whatever," he said, nonchalantly. Suddenly they both heard someone running down the stairs. Rory quickly ran back out to the living room and saw her mom standing in the hall.
"Hey Rory, gotta go, Michel wanted me to do something, catch ya later," she said quickly, as she pulled her hair back into a pony tail and grabbed her bag and ran out the door.
"But, mom…" Rory protested as she ran out the door behind her but it was too late, Lorelai was already pulling out of the driveway. Rory turned around and went back inside. I guess I'll have to explain to her later…
"So, that whirlwind was your mom, I presume?" he asked, standing in the hall when she walked back into the house.
"Yeah. I wanted to tell her that you were here but she didn't hear me." Replied Rory.
"Hmm… she's hot," said Tristan, plainly. Rory rolled her eyes.
"Come on, let's go to Luke's, I need coffee." Said Rory, getting her school bag. Tristan grabbed his coat and followed her out the house. When he shut the door and stood on the porch Rory was already on the street.
"Hey, aren't you going to lock the door?" he called out. Rory waved her hand to motion for him to leave it and he ran and caught up to her.
"You guys don't lock your doors?" he asked, puzzled. Rory shrugged.
"It's not like there's anything really valuable to steal," said Rory, jokingly. They walked side by side to Luke's. They walked passed Doose's Market and Tristan looked inside through the window.
"So, where's the stock boy?" he asked, sarcastically.
"Dean goes to school, you know," she said, walking faster. Tristan widened his steps to keep up with her.
"I thought that hick boys like him didn't need an education," said Tristan, in his usual arrogant manner. Rory stopped walking and spun around and faced him.
"What is your problem Tristan? I was only trying to help you and now you're acting like a complete jerk, no wonder you had no one to run to for help." She cried, angrily. Tristan was a bit stunned by her outburst but he didn't let her know it.
"Fine, I'll leave you alone." He said, turning around to go back to the house to get his stuff. Rory watched him then sighed and ran after him.
"I'm sorry," she said, her face showing true concern. Tristan didn't look her in the eyes.
"I don't need your pity," he said, brushing her away.
"Tristan, talk to me." She pleaded, reaching for his arm. Tristan softened up a little bit and turned back to face her.
"What happened at military school, why did you run away?" she asked softly, staring up at him.
"I told you, I just wanted to leave. Wouldn't you leave if you were in military school?" He asked. Rory stared at him. "Never mind," he replied and turned away again but this time Rory reached for his hand. He stopped and looked at her hand in his and then looked up to her face. She showed true worry in her eyes. He sighed.
"Let's just go to Luke's or whatever you call it," he said. Rory let go of his hand and ceased with the questions, but it wasn't over yet. He was off the hook now but she'd ask him about things later.
They walked into Luke's, the twinkling of the door chimed and Luke looked up and nodded a 'hello' to her. She and Tristan sat at the counter and ordered breakfast. Tristan watched, fascinated as Rory gulped her coffee and quickly asked Luke for another.
"So, you like your coffee, don't you?" he asked, watching as she picked at her chocolate chip muffin. Rory smiled at him.
"Coffee is a big thing. I mean I've grown up drinking it and its just really soothing to me. But my mom's the real coffee-aholic. I mean, I'm bad enough but she goes absolutely nuts for it. " She said, with a laugh. She watched as Luke placed chocolate chip pancakes in front of Tristan and a glass of Coke.
"Coke, in the morning?" she asked, looking at him bizarrely. Tristan looked at her laughing.
"You're the one who's already had like 3 cups of coffee this morning," he said, shaking his head and taking a bite of his pancakes.
"Correction, 2 cups." She said.
"Whatever, I mean caffeine is caffeine, right?" he asked, taking a sip of his Coke. Rory smiled at him.
"But it's so much better in coffee form." She said, gazing admirably at the cup of coffee in her hand. Luke looked at them as if they were insane.
"They're both bad for you," he said, gruffly. Rory and Tristan looked up at him. "That'll rot your teeth," said Luke, motioning to Tristan's glass. "And that stuff turns ya into your mom," he said sarcastically, pointing to Rory's cup. Rory giggled.
"Hey, but you're the one giving us the stuff." Said Rory pointedly. Luke ignored her.
"So, who the hell are you?" asked Luke, looking at Tristan. Tristan looked startled and looked up at Luke.
"Tristan Dugrey, sir." he said somewhat airily, extending his hand for Luke to shake. It worked on Rory's grandfather, he thought to himself. Luke looked at his hand as if it were a foreign gesture and snorted.
"Sir," Luke muttered and turned to some customers that had just entered. It was obvious that Luke was not impressed as Rory's grandfather had been at the mention of 'Dugrey'.
"Being a 'Dugrey' isn't going to get you anywhere with Luke," said Rory, reading his mind. He looked up and felt embarrassed.
"I forgot, small-town people don't know class when they see it," he said, snootily. That just made Rory burst out laughing.
"What's so funny?" he asked, feeling a heat suddenly creep up his face.
"You. You think you're so…" she began. Tristan stared at her.
"I think I'm so…" he asked, questioningly. Rory let out a breath.
"…You think you're so above everyone." She said finally.
"Hey, is it my fault I was raised in an upper class society, not a farm house like the Beave?" Said Tristan, his voice rising.
"You know what? You're impossible! You're conceited and completely clueless when it comes to being nice. I mean, you enjoy making people's lives miserable and being a complete jerk, don't you have an conscience at all?" Rory cried, looking at him in disgust.
"Thanks, you know I do love your little lectures about me Mary, but alas, I must part, " he said, grabbing his coat as he headed to the door. Rory watched as Tristan left. Rory sank down into the stool and finished her coffee. She suddenly felt a horrible feeling in her stomach, she felt so bad at yelling at Tristan again, but sometimes he just drove her crazy. Why is he always acting so distant and so irritating? It was bugging her that she didn't know what was wrong. One second he could be somewhat normal but then the next he's back to his jerkish ways.
Unexpectedly, the door to Luke's Diner opened and Rory jumped, startled when she heard the chimes of the door. I guess he's back again, she thought, prepared for another round of bantering.
"Hey, I'm sorr_," she began but stopped when she turned around and saw Dean standing behind her, a smile.
"Hey," he said as he kissed her on the top of the head. "You're what?" he asked. "Never mind," said Rory, putting on a smile as Dean sat down beside her.
"So, are you ready for your test?" he asked as Luke came towards them for him to order.
"Well, I would have studied more if someone hadn't kept me out late," she joked. Dean put an arm around her.
"I'm sorry, but you could have said 'no'," he replied, looking at her innocently.
"Aww… don't worry about it, I like spending time with you. I guess staying up til 3am was the consequence." She said with a mock sigh. He laughed.
"So, I'll walk you to the bus stop?" he asked. Rory nodded and they grabbed their coffees, waved at Luke and walked to the bus stop, hand in hand.
Not far from them stood Tristan who watched them intently, his face sad at the sight of them. Rory was so happy beside Dean. It made him sick as he watched Dean kiss her before she hopped onto the bus. But this didn't hurt nearly as much as when he'd seen her run out to Dean the day where he had asked her to the PJ Harvey concert. To hear her cry out that she loved Dean had practically killed him. What does she see in that stock boy, anyways? He asked himself. He had partly wanted to walk up to them and ruin the moment but he didn't feel like causing a rumble with Dean, not yet anyway. Tristan wandered around Stars Hollow and began to discover Rory's world.