I Know
Jess' eyes fixed on her as a grunt of frustration left her lips. Her fingers raced through her hair, then back to pick up the pen that had fallen from her grasp.
"Diner's closed." He mumbled, pouring another helping of coffee into her cup.
"I know. I'm sorry.I have to finish this before I go cause-I'm sorry." Rory moved to stand but his hand clamping down on her wrist prevented her from walking away.
Walking away was all she had the desire to do. The prospect of it seemed so simple, to walk away from her harbored thoughts and feelings and not look back. To push the vision of him out of her head permanently, to rid herself of the confusion he brought. It seemed the most logical possibility, yet she couldn't. Or she didn't want to. Which of the two she wasn't sure.
"What's up with you?"
"Nothing."
"You're crying."
"I know."
"Why?" Rory met his gaze, eyes glassy and rimmed red. His outward apathy immediately dissipated, features softening, tone quieting. "Why?" Suddenly she seemed so frail, defeat etched into her face in a way that pervaded his defenses far more than it probably should have.
"Nothing it's fine. I'm fine. I have to go." A choked sob left her throat with the latter statement. She twisted out of his grasp, feet carrying her swiftly towards the door with unhindered determination.
The last person whose presence she needed to be in was the only comfort she sought out. She hadn't come to the diner with the intention of losing it in front of him. Unfortunately whatever idea of 'collected' she brought in with her went straight to the proverbial gutter with the first glimpse of him.
His figure in front of her again, an almost taunting stance. She didn't dare lift her eyes; the tears caked her skin, unkind and callous in their path. Vaguely, she felt his arms blanket her as she buried her face in the crook of his neck.
Jess tightened his hold on her, wondering briefly how the hell it had gotten to this point. He had inadvertently-or maybe not-screwed up her whole 'perfect' little world and the events that followed were a chain reaction of events that brought her to this. Running flush faced into his embrace, of all places. A smile curved his lips at the thought. Oh, the irony.
He wondered for a bare millisecond where the beanstalk was at this particular moment. His hands wove through her hair absently, fingers trailing lightly over her neck. She squirmed suddenly, breaking free from the contact and looking up at him with fear etched into her orbs.
"I have to go."
"So you mentioned."
"I'm really sorry Jess, I didn't mean to-"
He fought the urge to groan, instead opting on cutting her off. "Go home Rory. Sleep, wake up, you're back in the fairy tale. Alright?" Brushing past her, he started up the stairs.
Rory followed him, stopping a few paces behind. She drew a shaky breath, nodding slightly. "I just.I wanted to say thank you. For-you know."
He reached out, letting his thumb graze over her cheek. "I know."
He watched her slumped figure retreat from the diner, then headed to his room.
Jess' eyes fixed on her as a grunt of frustration left her lips. Her fingers raced through her hair, then back to pick up the pen that had fallen from her grasp.
"Diner's closed." He mumbled, pouring another helping of coffee into her cup.
"I know. I'm sorry.I have to finish this before I go cause-I'm sorry." Rory moved to stand but his hand clamping down on her wrist prevented her from walking away.
Walking away was all she had the desire to do. The prospect of it seemed so simple, to walk away from her harbored thoughts and feelings and not look back. To push the vision of him out of her head permanently, to rid herself of the confusion he brought. It seemed the most logical possibility, yet she couldn't. Or she didn't want to. Which of the two she wasn't sure.
"What's up with you?"
"Nothing."
"You're crying."
"I know."
"Why?" Rory met his gaze, eyes glassy and rimmed red. His outward apathy immediately dissipated, features softening, tone quieting. "Why?" Suddenly she seemed so frail, defeat etched into her face in a way that pervaded his defenses far more than it probably should have.
"Nothing it's fine. I'm fine. I have to go." A choked sob left her throat with the latter statement. She twisted out of his grasp, feet carrying her swiftly towards the door with unhindered determination.
The last person whose presence she needed to be in was the only comfort she sought out. She hadn't come to the diner with the intention of losing it in front of him. Unfortunately whatever idea of 'collected' she brought in with her went straight to the proverbial gutter with the first glimpse of him.
His figure in front of her again, an almost taunting stance. She didn't dare lift her eyes; the tears caked her skin, unkind and callous in their path. Vaguely, she felt his arms blanket her as she buried her face in the crook of his neck.
Jess tightened his hold on her, wondering briefly how the hell it had gotten to this point. He had inadvertently-or maybe not-screwed up her whole 'perfect' little world and the events that followed were a chain reaction of events that brought her to this. Running flush faced into his embrace, of all places. A smile curved his lips at the thought. Oh, the irony.
He wondered for a bare millisecond where the beanstalk was at this particular moment. His hands wove through her hair absently, fingers trailing lightly over her neck. She squirmed suddenly, breaking free from the contact and looking up at him with fear etched into her orbs.
"I have to go."
"So you mentioned."
"I'm really sorry Jess, I didn't mean to-"
He fought the urge to groan, instead opting on cutting her off. "Go home Rory. Sleep, wake up, you're back in the fairy tale. Alright?" Brushing past her, he started up the stairs.
Rory followed him, stopping a few paces behind. She drew a shaky breath, nodding slightly. "I just.I wanted to say thank you. For-you know."
He reached out, letting his thumb graze over her cheek. "I know."
He watched her slumped figure retreat from the diner, then headed to his room.