Tristan stepped off the plane and let out a long breath. There was no going
back now, he'd made up his mind that all this pressure had to stop. He'd
taken the deal with his father to get familial pressure off of him, but now
all of it was starting to affect him and Rory. This all had to stop, and no
matter what his father threatened him with, it stopped this weekend.
"Tristan!"
"Gramps, hey! Thanks for agreeing to pick me up."
"I must say, I figured you would have rather seen Rory," he admitted.
"Well, Gramps, you're still my favorite old man."
"Watch yourself, son," Janlan warned.
"Kidding, always kidding."
They loaded into the car and the driver set off towards the house. They sat in silence though Janlan kept looking at Tristan, who appeared to be watching Hartford go by as if it were brand new to him.
"Son, is there something you would like to tell me?"
"What? Why would you ask that?"
"Well, last I checked you weren't quite so enamored with Hartford."
"Actually, there is something I'd like to discuss with you."
"Well, now, I'm not getting any younger here."
"Right. I'll get to the point. I need you to get off my back about transferring to Yale."
"Excuse me?"
"Now, please hear me out."
"Tristan, I must say, you're acting like a damn fool. That girl obviously means the world to you, and why you won't transfer is beyond me. Yale was all you talked about from the time you were knee-high, until the time you went off to military school. Now, I demand to know what happened to make you so obstinate about this."
"In this family, you want to know why I'm obstinate?"
"Tristan," Janlan warned.
"That's what I wanted to tell you. I swore I wouldn't say anything, but it's time the truth came out."
Janlan nodded, and Tristan took a long pause. He had thought of how to say this, but nothing sounded real when he uttered the words out loud. It all sounded like the horrible nightmare it was.
"Before I left for military school, the day before in fact, I came home and found Dad screwing his secretary. Mom was gone to her yearly Palm Springs retreat. Dad yelled, I left, and that night I got into trouble. When Dad picked me up, he threatened to make life more hellish for me if I ever told anyone, and shipped my ass off to military school."
"Tristan, you--,"
"I'm not done. When I finished military school, I decided I didn't want to come back to the shambles of a family. It was all a lie, and I hated him so much—I wanted out. I wanted a chance to break myself of becoming like him. I wanted to start all over on my own. So I told him I'd keep his secret if he signed my trust over to me."
"He, he WHAT?!"
"Gramps, I had to do it, I had to get away from him."
"Tristan, this is lunacy."
"No, it's not. It's how it has to be."
"That jack-ass you call a father has done many things I'm ashamed of in his life, but this takes it all."
"I'm going to talk to him, this weekend."
"And say what? No, I'll talk to him."
"It's my problem."
"Your father screwing around on your mother isn't your problem. Him sending you away because of his fear isn't your problem. You should know that."
"Gramps, really," Tristan started, looking away from his grandfather's enraged gaze.
"NO! Damnit! Your going to Yale won't make you like him. That was your dream. It's where you should be. Now, if you need to stay where you are for right now, I understand, but please, boy, don't be foolish. This is your education, and no matter how fine you think what you're getting is now, Yale is even finer. I promise you that."
"I'm going with you, when you talk to him."
"No, you're not. You go see Rory. That's where you should be tonight. Relax, get geared up for tomorrow night. You'll need it, I have a feeling it'll be a night you won't be able to forget."
Tristan looked at his grandfather and smiled gratefully. He felt somehow he was being denied a battle, but perhaps it was just being postponed an evening. His father wouldn't take being berated by Janlan without a fight with Tristan. Not about this.
Tristan took his grandfather's car and headed towards Stars Hollow. He knew it was Friday and they wouldn't be home from Friday night dinner yet. He drove up to Luke's Diner and parked out front. Wandering in the front door, he noticed Luke standing in the corner, pouring coffee for some patrons that Tristan thought looked vaguely familiar from his few trips to the town. He sat down at the counter and took off his jacket.
"Oh, hey—Tristan, right?"
"Yeah."
"The girls won't be back for another hour or so. Was Rory expecting you?"
"No, she wasn't. But as it turns out, I'm free tonight, so I thought I'd wait here for her."
"Sure, sure. You want anything?"
"Yeah, actually I haven't had dinner yet. I'll take a burger and onion rings. And a coke."
"Sure, coming right up."
Tristan sat, wringing his hands and not making eye contact with anyone. Luke noticed how uncomfortable he looked, and walked back over to him.
"Hey, do you want to take your food upstairs? I could join you, I haven't actually eaten either."
"Yeah, that would be great."
Luke showed Tristan up to the apartment, bringing up food for the both of them. They sat down at the table and started eating.
"Are you, uh, okay?" Luke inquired, not sure he wanted to know.
"Yeah, I'm fine. Just a lot on my mind."
"Well, if you want to talk, I'm here. I mean, we do have something in common."
"Yeah, I guess we do. It's just, my dad's a real jackass."
"Sorry," Luke shifted uncomfortably, not knowing what to say to the kid.
"It's just that the shit is hitting the fan in my family right now, and I really wish Rory would get back."
"Things are good with you two, right?"
"Yeah. They are. She's really excited about you and her mom."
"Good. I'm glad."
The two men sat in silence for a few minutes after that, finishing up their dinner. Neither had seemed comfortable talking to the other, but both knew that they were bound to be thrown together a lot in the future possibly.
The phone rang, and Luke all but ran to answer it, grateful for the distraction. He said a few words to the person on the other end, and hung up.
"They're downstairs. Come on." Luke motioned for Tristan to follow him, and they made their way downstairs. Lorelai and Rory were seated at the counter, and Rory's eyes got wide when Tristan appeared behind Luke.
Lorelai looked from Tristan to Rory. She bit her lip and grabbed Luke's sleeve to get his attention.
"So, I was wondering if I could crash here tonight."
"What? Lorelai, I thought--," Luke started, confused.
"No, I've been meaning to help you out opening one day. I think it would be fun."
Rory and Luke looked at Lorelai like she had sprouted a second head.
"Mom, you want to sleep in a tiny bed and get up ungodly early to serve people food?"
"Lorelai, did you hit your head on your way here?" Luke asked, slightly concerned.
"NO, I was just thinking that it would be nice to find to help you out, Luke. Besides, Tristan and Rory will be at our house, taking up all the oxygen." She squinted her eyes and turned her head to the side, trying not to look at either of them.
"Mom--,"
"No, Rory, I think you and Tristan should go home and I'll see you tomorrow," Lorelai raised her eyebrows at her offspring, begging her to take the offer of a house to themselves.
"Alright, crazy lady. Let's go, Tristan."
Tristan followed Rory out to his car and they silently got in. The drove the small distance to her house, and they went inside and sat down in the living room. The tension was thick in the room, and for the first time in a while, both were a little unsure of themselves around the other.
"So, uh, I thought you were going to your grandfather's tonight."
"I did. I told him about Dad and he insisted on talking to him alone. He told me to come see you, and that we should 'Relax, get geared up for tomorrow night'. That was an exact quote."
"Sounds like tomorrow's going to be fun. What's he going to say to your dad?"
"I have no idea. He told me that going to Yale wouldn't turn me into my dad."
"He's right."
"Yeah, well," Tristan mumbled.
"What else did he say?"
"He said what my father did wasn't my fault and he shouldn't have shipped me off."
"He's right about that, too. Tristan, what you did was stupid, but it didn't warrant what happened."
"It was for the best, Rory."
"You really think that?"
"Yeah. It sucked, but I think it was necessary."
"Wow. You've really matured, do you know that?"
"That's exactly what I'm talking about. I'd still be the same smart ass that walked the halls of Chilton if I hadn't gone. I'm not that guy anymore, Rory."
"I know that."
"Good. I mean, I feel like all I went through made me worthy of you."
Rory was taken aback. She had no idea how to respond to that statement. She sat, staring at Tristan, eyes wide. Tears welled up in her eyes and one started to escape down her cheek.
"Don't cry," he whispered, wiping the tear away.
"I never thought you weren't good enough for me."
"It was true. I was so stupid when it came to you. I liked you so much, but you were—different. I mean, you saw through me. You didn't put up with my attitude."
"Well, you were pretty full of yourself back then."
"I know. But now, Rory, I just, I don't want to screw us up."
Rory moved and curled up into his lap. She put her arms around his neck as he wrapped his arms around her back. They held onto each other silently for a long time. He put his face into her hair and she smashed her cheek into his shoulder. The tension had been cracked.
"You aren't screwing anything up, Tristan," Rory sighed and pulled back to look at him.
"I should be with you all the time. I'm an idiot for not being there with you. You deserve a boyfriend in the same city as you."
"I just want you. Wherever you are. It's not too hard. As much as it sucks when we have to go back to our respective schools, it's worth it."
"Are you sure?"
"To be honest with you, I was doubting it earlier tonight. I was afraid that we were just always going to be suffering from this bad timing. I've been feeling so selfish, you have all this crap with your family and I want to you be with me so badly. Tristan, I love you. This is the most turn-the- world-upside-down feeling I've ever had. I want all the things we've been talking about—for you to transfer, to move in with you, just to be with you. I am so sure of that, but I started wondering if that would ever happen. I don't want to push you into it, and if you don't want it, well-- ," she trailed off as her voice broke and a new wave of tears hit her. She didn't want to cry, but she seemed to have no control over it.
"Shh. Rory, please don't cry. Please, I want all that too."
"You do? Really?"
"Yes. I wouldn't have brought it up if I hadn't been thinking about it. I love you. You're more important than where I go to school, my family, everything. This will work. I want that more than you can understand. All this craziness is because of my dad. I wanted to go to Yale, all my life. I had to do what I did, though. Do you understand that?"
"Yes, I get that. But now?"
"Now, I think I've proved the point to myself. I'm not him."
Rory nodded, smiling at him through still glistening eyes. Now the tears welling were those of happiness.
"Now, I'm not guaranteeing I can get in to Yale," he teased.
"You're going to apply for the transfer?"
"I wouldn't start until fall, you know."
Rory squealed and kissed him with such ferocity that he fell back against the couch cushions. He quickly recovered and kissed her back. He kissed all the tears off of her face, soothing her and running his hands up and down her back. Soon it turned from comforting back to passionate. Soon he had her on her back, as he hovered over her, roaming his hands over her body. She moved against him and tugged on his shirt.
"Was your mom serious about staying at Luke's?" he grunted.
"Yeah. She thought we should talk."
"I love your mother. Remind me to tell her that."
"Shut up, Tristan," she pulled him back down to her and resumed making him forget about everything else going on in his life. All he knew was the rhythm of her body with his.
"So, that was a strange display earlier," Luke commented as he turned off the diner lights and began putting all the chairs up on the tables.
"What? Can't a mother send her daughter off alone in a house with her boyfriend?"
"Lorelai, what if they--,"
"Have sex?"
"Well, yeah."
"Luke, newsflash. She's my daughter."
"Oh, you don't mean, they, she—Oh God! You just let this happen?"
"She's safe, Officer McGruff."
Luke looked at her in distaste and headed up stairs to the apartment. Lorelai followed closely behind him, and tapped him on the shoulder once they reached the apartment.
"What?"
"Well, I was also hoping you and I could have a little fun, ourselves."
"Lorelai, how can you think of doing that when your daughter is off doing God-knows what with that guy!"
"Well, obviously she's the only one having fun tonight!" Lorelai complained.
"Besides, shouldn't this be a week of rest?"
"What are you talking about?"
"Well, we started seeing each other about four weeks ago, and we've been active the entire time. Usually about this time women, you know--," he hedged not wanting to talk in depth about this particular topic.
"I, oh, my GOD! Luke, oh my God. Oh God. Luke! You're right. We SHOULD be taking a hiatus, and we don't need to. Luke! Oh, GOD!"
"Lorelai, calm down. Calm down, seriously. There must be a logical reason for this."
"Logical? Oh, yeah, there are tons of logical reasons. I can call Rory and she'll give you the best reason for missing your period. She's the prettiest reason for missing your period I could ever show you."
"Lorelai, breathe! Isn't stress a reason to be late?"
"Yeah, it can be. But Luke, with all the stress I've ever had in my life, only one thing has ever made me late. Ever."
"Yeah, but opening the Dragonfly is the biggest thing, other than Rory, you've ever done. It's a lot of stress. Just don't freak out yet. Come on, let's just get some sleep. You'll feel better after a good night's sleep."
Lorelai looked at Luke and nodded. He was right, this was a lot more stress than she was used to. She thought she had been handling it well, but maybe it was getting the better of her. She let Luke put her to bed, and curled up close to him in his tiny bed.
"Luke?"
"Yeah?"
"You need a bigger bed."
"I know."
He knew she was freaked out. They had just started going out, and now this. The thought didn't really bother him, though. He didn't know what was going on in her head exactly, other than shock, but as he smiled softly to himself, and wrapped his arms around her tighter as she drifted off to sleep.
"Tristan!"
"Gramps, hey! Thanks for agreeing to pick me up."
"I must say, I figured you would have rather seen Rory," he admitted.
"Well, Gramps, you're still my favorite old man."
"Watch yourself, son," Janlan warned.
"Kidding, always kidding."
They loaded into the car and the driver set off towards the house. They sat in silence though Janlan kept looking at Tristan, who appeared to be watching Hartford go by as if it were brand new to him.
"Son, is there something you would like to tell me?"
"What? Why would you ask that?"
"Well, last I checked you weren't quite so enamored with Hartford."
"Actually, there is something I'd like to discuss with you."
"Well, now, I'm not getting any younger here."
"Right. I'll get to the point. I need you to get off my back about transferring to Yale."
"Excuse me?"
"Now, please hear me out."
"Tristan, I must say, you're acting like a damn fool. That girl obviously means the world to you, and why you won't transfer is beyond me. Yale was all you talked about from the time you were knee-high, until the time you went off to military school. Now, I demand to know what happened to make you so obstinate about this."
"In this family, you want to know why I'm obstinate?"
"Tristan," Janlan warned.
"That's what I wanted to tell you. I swore I wouldn't say anything, but it's time the truth came out."
Janlan nodded, and Tristan took a long pause. He had thought of how to say this, but nothing sounded real when he uttered the words out loud. It all sounded like the horrible nightmare it was.
"Before I left for military school, the day before in fact, I came home and found Dad screwing his secretary. Mom was gone to her yearly Palm Springs retreat. Dad yelled, I left, and that night I got into trouble. When Dad picked me up, he threatened to make life more hellish for me if I ever told anyone, and shipped my ass off to military school."
"Tristan, you--,"
"I'm not done. When I finished military school, I decided I didn't want to come back to the shambles of a family. It was all a lie, and I hated him so much—I wanted out. I wanted a chance to break myself of becoming like him. I wanted to start all over on my own. So I told him I'd keep his secret if he signed my trust over to me."
"He, he WHAT?!"
"Gramps, I had to do it, I had to get away from him."
"Tristan, this is lunacy."
"No, it's not. It's how it has to be."
"That jack-ass you call a father has done many things I'm ashamed of in his life, but this takes it all."
"I'm going to talk to him, this weekend."
"And say what? No, I'll talk to him."
"It's my problem."
"Your father screwing around on your mother isn't your problem. Him sending you away because of his fear isn't your problem. You should know that."
"Gramps, really," Tristan started, looking away from his grandfather's enraged gaze.
"NO! Damnit! Your going to Yale won't make you like him. That was your dream. It's where you should be. Now, if you need to stay where you are for right now, I understand, but please, boy, don't be foolish. This is your education, and no matter how fine you think what you're getting is now, Yale is even finer. I promise you that."
"I'm going with you, when you talk to him."
"No, you're not. You go see Rory. That's where you should be tonight. Relax, get geared up for tomorrow night. You'll need it, I have a feeling it'll be a night you won't be able to forget."
Tristan looked at his grandfather and smiled gratefully. He felt somehow he was being denied a battle, but perhaps it was just being postponed an evening. His father wouldn't take being berated by Janlan without a fight with Tristan. Not about this.
Tristan took his grandfather's car and headed towards Stars Hollow. He knew it was Friday and they wouldn't be home from Friday night dinner yet. He drove up to Luke's Diner and parked out front. Wandering in the front door, he noticed Luke standing in the corner, pouring coffee for some patrons that Tristan thought looked vaguely familiar from his few trips to the town. He sat down at the counter and took off his jacket.
"Oh, hey—Tristan, right?"
"Yeah."
"The girls won't be back for another hour or so. Was Rory expecting you?"
"No, she wasn't. But as it turns out, I'm free tonight, so I thought I'd wait here for her."
"Sure, sure. You want anything?"
"Yeah, actually I haven't had dinner yet. I'll take a burger and onion rings. And a coke."
"Sure, coming right up."
Tristan sat, wringing his hands and not making eye contact with anyone. Luke noticed how uncomfortable he looked, and walked back over to him.
"Hey, do you want to take your food upstairs? I could join you, I haven't actually eaten either."
"Yeah, that would be great."
Luke showed Tristan up to the apartment, bringing up food for the both of them. They sat down at the table and started eating.
"Are you, uh, okay?" Luke inquired, not sure he wanted to know.
"Yeah, I'm fine. Just a lot on my mind."
"Well, if you want to talk, I'm here. I mean, we do have something in common."
"Yeah, I guess we do. It's just, my dad's a real jackass."
"Sorry," Luke shifted uncomfortably, not knowing what to say to the kid.
"It's just that the shit is hitting the fan in my family right now, and I really wish Rory would get back."
"Things are good with you two, right?"
"Yeah. They are. She's really excited about you and her mom."
"Good. I'm glad."
The two men sat in silence for a few minutes after that, finishing up their dinner. Neither had seemed comfortable talking to the other, but both knew that they were bound to be thrown together a lot in the future possibly.
The phone rang, and Luke all but ran to answer it, grateful for the distraction. He said a few words to the person on the other end, and hung up.
"They're downstairs. Come on." Luke motioned for Tristan to follow him, and they made their way downstairs. Lorelai and Rory were seated at the counter, and Rory's eyes got wide when Tristan appeared behind Luke.
Lorelai looked from Tristan to Rory. She bit her lip and grabbed Luke's sleeve to get his attention.
"So, I was wondering if I could crash here tonight."
"What? Lorelai, I thought--," Luke started, confused.
"No, I've been meaning to help you out opening one day. I think it would be fun."
Rory and Luke looked at Lorelai like she had sprouted a second head.
"Mom, you want to sleep in a tiny bed and get up ungodly early to serve people food?"
"Lorelai, did you hit your head on your way here?" Luke asked, slightly concerned.
"NO, I was just thinking that it would be nice to find to help you out, Luke. Besides, Tristan and Rory will be at our house, taking up all the oxygen." She squinted her eyes and turned her head to the side, trying not to look at either of them.
"Mom--,"
"No, Rory, I think you and Tristan should go home and I'll see you tomorrow," Lorelai raised her eyebrows at her offspring, begging her to take the offer of a house to themselves.
"Alright, crazy lady. Let's go, Tristan."
Tristan followed Rory out to his car and they silently got in. The drove the small distance to her house, and they went inside and sat down in the living room. The tension was thick in the room, and for the first time in a while, both were a little unsure of themselves around the other.
"So, uh, I thought you were going to your grandfather's tonight."
"I did. I told him about Dad and he insisted on talking to him alone. He told me to come see you, and that we should 'Relax, get geared up for tomorrow night'. That was an exact quote."
"Sounds like tomorrow's going to be fun. What's he going to say to your dad?"
"I have no idea. He told me that going to Yale wouldn't turn me into my dad."
"He's right."
"Yeah, well," Tristan mumbled.
"What else did he say?"
"He said what my father did wasn't my fault and he shouldn't have shipped me off."
"He's right about that, too. Tristan, what you did was stupid, but it didn't warrant what happened."
"It was for the best, Rory."
"You really think that?"
"Yeah. It sucked, but I think it was necessary."
"Wow. You've really matured, do you know that?"
"That's exactly what I'm talking about. I'd still be the same smart ass that walked the halls of Chilton if I hadn't gone. I'm not that guy anymore, Rory."
"I know that."
"Good. I mean, I feel like all I went through made me worthy of you."
Rory was taken aback. She had no idea how to respond to that statement. She sat, staring at Tristan, eyes wide. Tears welled up in her eyes and one started to escape down her cheek.
"Don't cry," he whispered, wiping the tear away.
"I never thought you weren't good enough for me."
"It was true. I was so stupid when it came to you. I liked you so much, but you were—different. I mean, you saw through me. You didn't put up with my attitude."
"Well, you were pretty full of yourself back then."
"I know. But now, Rory, I just, I don't want to screw us up."
Rory moved and curled up into his lap. She put her arms around his neck as he wrapped his arms around her back. They held onto each other silently for a long time. He put his face into her hair and she smashed her cheek into his shoulder. The tension had been cracked.
"You aren't screwing anything up, Tristan," Rory sighed and pulled back to look at him.
"I should be with you all the time. I'm an idiot for not being there with you. You deserve a boyfriend in the same city as you."
"I just want you. Wherever you are. It's not too hard. As much as it sucks when we have to go back to our respective schools, it's worth it."
"Are you sure?"
"To be honest with you, I was doubting it earlier tonight. I was afraid that we were just always going to be suffering from this bad timing. I've been feeling so selfish, you have all this crap with your family and I want to you be with me so badly. Tristan, I love you. This is the most turn-the- world-upside-down feeling I've ever had. I want all the things we've been talking about—for you to transfer, to move in with you, just to be with you. I am so sure of that, but I started wondering if that would ever happen. I don't want to push you into it, and if you don't want it, well-- ," she trailed off as her voice broke and a new wave of tears hit her. She didn't want to cry, but she seemed to have no control over it.
"Shh. Rory, please don't cry. Please, I want all that too."
"You do? Really?"
"Yes. I wouldn't have brought it up if I hadn't been thinking about it. I love you. You're more important than where I go to school, my family, everything. This will work. I want that more than you can understand. All this craziness is because of my dad. I wanted to go to Yale, all my life. I had to do what I did, though. Do you understand that?"
"Yes, I get that. But now?"
"Now, I think I've proved the point to myself. I'm not him."
Rory nodded, smiling at him through still glistening eyes. Now the tears welling were those of happiness.
"Now, I'm not guaranteeing I can get in to Yale," he teased.
"You're going to apply for the transfer?"
"I wouldn't start until fall, you know."
Rory squealed and kissed him with such ferocity that he fell back against the couch cushions. He quickly recovered and kissed her back. He kissed all the tears off of her face, soothing her and running his hands up and down her back. Soon it turned from comforting back to passionate. Soon he had her on her back, as he hovered over her, roaming his hands over her body. She moved against him and tugged on his shirt.
"Was your mom serious about staying at Luke's?" he grunted.
"Yeah. She thought we should talk."
"I love your mother. Remind me to tell her that."
"Shut up, Tristan," she pulled him back down to her and resumed making him forget about everything else going on in his life. All he knew was the rhythm of her body with his.
"So, that was a strange display earlier," Luke commented as he turned off the diner lights and began putting all the chairs up on the tables.
"What? Can't a mother send her daughter off alone in a house with her boyfriend?"
"Lorelai, what if they--,"
"Have sex?"
"Well, yeah."
"Luke, newsflash. She's my daughter."
"Oh, you don't mean, they, she—Oh God! You just let this happen?"
"She's safe, Officer McGruff."
Luke looked at her in distaste and headed up stairs to the apartment. Lorelai followed closely behind him, and tapped him on the shoulder once they reached the apartment.
"What?"
"Well, I was also hoping you and I could have a little fun, ourselves."
"Lorelai, how can you think of doing that when your daughter is off doing God-knows what with that guy!"
"Well, obviously she's the only one having fun tonight!" Lorelai complained.
"Besides, shouldn't this be a week of rest?"
"What are you talking about?"
"Well, we started seeing each other about four weeks ago, and we've been active the entire time. Usually about this time women, you know--," he hedged not wanting to talk in depth about this particular topic.
"I, oh, my GOD! Luke, oh my God. Oh God. Luke! You're right. We SHOULD be taking a hiatus, and we don't need to. Luke! Oh, GOD!"
"Lorelai, calm down. Calm down, seriously. There must be a logical reason for this."
"Logical? Oh, yeah, there are tons of logical reasons. I can call Rory and she'll give you the best reason for missing your period. She's the prettiest reason for missing your period I could ever show you."
"Lorelai, breathe! Isn't stress a reason to be late?"
"Yeah, it can be. But Luke, with all the stress I've ever had in my life, only one thing has ever made me late. Ever."
"Yeah, but opening the Dragonfly is the biggest thing, other than Rory, you've ever done. It's a lot of stress. Just don't freak out yet. Come on, let's just get some sleep. You'll feel better after a good night's sleep."
Lorelai looked at Luke and nodded. He was right, this was a lot more stress than she was used to. She thought she had been handling it well, but maybe it was getting the better of her. She let Luke put her to bed, and curled up close to him in his tiny bed.
"Luke?"
"Yeah?"
"You need a bigger bed."
"I know."
He knew she was freaked out. They had just started going out, and now this. The thought didn't really bother him, though. He didn't know what was going on in her head exactly, other than shock, but as he smiled softly to himself, and wrapped his arms around her tighter as she drifted off to sleep.