Changed
A/N: Same old, same old…italics are their thoughts.
Thank you to all the reviewers: Nice-one - you are so cool! I love Tristan, too. I swoon just thinking about him J . MestFanFicAddict, Jazz14, Smile1, not4me, AnGelKiSsEs2, Tristanlover59, Fancyeyes, jessiebite, troryluvvv, and all of the anonymous reviewers - thank you for your kind words! They mean a lot to me and it's really awesome thing to know that people actually read my stuff - thanks again!
Disclaimer: Don't own anything.
Chapter 6: In Your Arms
Rory got home an hour later with a huge smile plastered on her face. She could think of nothing else but the kiss that she and Tristan had shared. After they kissed, Tristan had taken her home and kissed her again after he walked her to the door.
"Mom! Are you home?" She ran up to Lorelai's room, excited to tell her mom about what just happened.
"Yep." Rory heard her mom's voice from her room and came in and sat on her bed. "Why are you so happy?" Lorelai eyed her daughter curiously as Rory's smile grew wider.
"We kissed." Rory started to blush at the thought of Tristan's lips on hers.
"What?!"
"It was after school and I started yelling at him and then he kissed me."
Lorelai paused for a few minutes before actually speaking. "Rory…are you sure about him?" Lorelai slowly raised her gaze to Rory, afraid she would get mad at the asked question.
"What do you mean?" Rory had a confused look in her eyes.
"It's just that with Tristan's record with woman…you can understand my…concern about you getting together with him."
Rory paused. She didn't really think about it. She was so caught up in all the feelings that Tristan brought her that she had forgotten all about Tristan's history. "I think I'm old enough to make my own decisions."
"I know you are, but that doesn't mean that I can't worry about you."
Rory sighed. "I know, but can you just try to stay out of it…? I mean, I want it to be my decision and mine only."
Lorelai frowned at her daughter's comment. "I guess I can try, but I want you to know that if you need me for anything, you know where I am."
"I know. Thanks, mom." Rory hugged her mom, then proceeded to head to her own room.
* * *
She couldn't get to sleep. After what her mom said to her earlier that day, she couldn't help but think about only that. Come on, Rory, this is Tristan. He means so much to you, why doubt him? But he has been with so many girls…how can I not think about it?
* * *
Those terrible thoughts of Tristan plagued her mind as she walked through the hallway, in hopes of reaching her locker soon. She opened her locker just as a pair of arms encircled her waist.
"Hey, you." His voice was low and sexy and irresistible to Rory. All uncertainties went flying out of her head.
She turned around and wrapped her arms around Tristan's neck. In the same low, sexy voice, she replied back, "Hey, you."
Tristan chuckled then lowered his head down to kiss her. After their kiss, she opened her eyes and smiled as she took him in. He was even more cute, more sexy, more of everything.
"Well, Rory Gilmore, I've got to say, you look exceptionally beautiful today."
"Well, Tristan DuGrey," Rory mimicked how he phrased his sentence, "I've got to say, you look exceptionally handsome today."
Tristan was now smirking, enjoying Rory's comment and new attitude.
"Can I walk you to class?"
"Of course, but only if you carry my books." Rory lifted her head in a playful way and put her books in his hands.
"Wow. This is what it's going to be like now, huh - you bossing me around and carrying things for you?"
Rory stopped and pretended to think of his question. "Basically." Rory started to walk away, then looked back at Tristan and smiled.
He caught up with her, laughing once again. That's what he loved about being around her - she was always able to make him laugh in a way that he never did before and feel things he never knew he could.
* * *
Rory sat there in English class, returning to the state she was in before she talked to Tristan this morning. She sighed as the teacher droned on about tragic flaws and other stuff that she unconsciously tuned out. She then smiled thinking about the humiliation the same teacher had brought to her when she was caught staring at Tristan. She turned her head slightly in Tristan's direction to find that he was actually paying attention to what the teacher was saying. He looked so amazing - his eyes were showed that he was in his thinking mode; his eyebrows were scrunched together a little bit, as if it were going to help him concentrate a little more; he slouched down a little bit in his seat with his chin resting on his hand that was propped up on his desk. She smiled once again before returning her gaze to the teacher.
* * *
After the bell rang, she got up out of her seat and placed her binder and book in her backpack. As she was about to turn to see if Tristan had left yet, she felt him kiss the back of her neck and give her a hug. "Well, it's nice to see you, too," Rory said while turning around.
"I kind of figured since you were checking me out all during class." A sparkle began to form in Tristan's eyes as he saw Rory's checks turn an incredible light pink color.
"I was not checking you out." Rory rolled her eyes in an attempt to throw him off, then started to walk out of the room.
"Hey, I'm not complaining." Tristan threw his hands up. "I would just rather have you doing it when I'm actually paying full attention to you and there isn't about 20 other people in the room." Tristan had a big grin on his face.
"If you weren't paying any attention, then how did you know that I was staring at you?" Rory then looked down, noticing that she had admitted to his friendly accusation.
"Ah…so you were looking?"
Rory closed her eyes, knowing that she was going to have to admit defeat. "Fine, I was looking at you, but you were looking at me, too." Rory raised her finger and pointed at him.
"Yes, I was, but at least I'm not afraid to admit it."
Rory stared at Tristan for a few minutes then started to walk away from him. "I'm going to late for class."
Tristan watched as she walked away. Great. Nice going, dufus.
* * *
After school, Rory stocked her backpack up with all her homework and books. She put all of her attention into the book she brought with her everywhere to read.
He saw her walk out of the doors of the school and called out her name. "Rory!" She didn't look up, so he assumed that she was too into her book. He started to jog up to her. When he reached out his hand to grab her arm, she turned around, almost resulting in Tristan running into her.
She smiled slightly when she met his gaze. "I thought I heard someone call my name." Her voice was soft, but loud enough for him to hear.
"Then why didn't you turn around?"
Rory noticed that Tristan's voice had a slight tint of hurt in it. She didn't know what to say, so she just shrugged her shoulders.
Tristan stood there for a while before asking, "Rory, are you mad at me for some reason?"
"Of course not. Why would you even think that?" Rory voice was again soft and sincere.
"I don't know. I know that it's only been a day, but you seemed to pay more attention to me before…all of this…than you do now."
Rory put her backpack on the ground and laced her fingers behind his neck and looked into his eyes. "I'm so sorry, Tristan. I've just had a lot on my mind. I didn't mean to make you feel like that. Please know that I would never purposely do that."
Tristan put his arms around Rory's waist before commenting. "I know now." They both smiled and shared a tender kiss. "Come over to my house today."
"Tristan…"
"To study, I promise."
Rory smiled at his anxiousness to spend time alone with her. "I would love more than anything to be with you tonight, but I have to go over to my grandparents' house tonight for dinner."
"Then just stay with me until you have to go," Tristan brought his hands up her arms, making her hands come down to intertwine with his, "please?"
Rory sighed. "Alright. I just need to tell my mom and figure out what I am going to do about what to wear."
"Well, I can drive up there with you and you can tell your mom and get something to wear, also."
"Sounds like a plan." Rory kissed Tristan once more before they headed towards his car.
* * *
"Mom, are you here?" Rory stepped into her house as Tristan waited next to the door. After she looked in the kitchen and living room and called for Lorelai upstairs, she assumed that she was at Sookie's or the diner. "I don't think she's here. You want to come in while I try to go find a dress?"
"Sure." Tristan took slow steps into the house, inspecting every corner he could see.
After a few minutes, Rory emerged from her room in jeans and a t-shirt, while holding the dress shoes she was planning to wear that evening and proceeded to write her mother a note explaining where she was going to be and that she would meet her for the dinner tonight. They then headed out to Tristan's car to go back to Hartford.
* * *
"Rory, we've been working for two hours straight. Can't we take a break?" Tristan pleaded.
"Tristan, you said that if I came over, we would study the whole time." Rory continued to try to read through the notes that were written in her notebook.
"True, I did say that we would study, but I didn't say that we were going to the whole time." Tristan started to make his way to his desk in his room where Rory was sitting and grabbed her arms, gently urging her to stand.
"Tristan…"
"Dance with me."
"What?"
"Dance with me."
Rory laughed a little. "There's no music."
"I don't need music to want to dance with you."
Rory sighed contently as she and Tristan stepped away from the desk to the middle of the room, starting to dance to their own beat.
After a few minutes, Rory yawned, signaling just how tired she actually was.
"Do you want to take a nap?" Tristan backed away from her slightly and looked down into her eyes.
"No, that's okay." Rory tried to convince Tristan that she wasn't tired at all, but that came crashing down when she yawned again.
"Come on, Rory. You still have about…" Tristan glanced at the clock on his stand, "three hours until you have to go that dinner of yours. I'll even set the alarm so that you get up in time." Without waiting for her response, Tristan led her to his bed and lightly pushed her so that she sat on the bed, then he sat right beside her.
"I'm not going to sleep in the same bed as you."
"Why? You afraid you going to do something…naughty?" Tristan raised his eyebrows at her.
"Alright, back to studying." Rory tried to get up, but Tristan stopped her.
"Come on, Rory, I was just kidding. You and I both know how tired you are, so just sleep."
Rory stared at him inquisitively before finally giving in and lying down on his bed. He soon followed her actions and lied down next to her.
"Don't you dare try anything, mister." She waved her finger at him before closing her eyes and drifting off to sleep.
* * *
Tristan woke up an hour later, finding Rory wrapped in his arms, sleeping. He smiled as he watched her take breaths in. She looked so beautiful. Her forehead was slightly pressed up against his chest and one hand was on his waist while the other was touching his stomach. Tristan kissed the top of her head before letting a peaceful sleep wash over him, forgetting Rory's prior engagement she had later that night.
