DISCLAIMER: I own nothing. These are fictional characters created by someone who isn't me, but used in an even more far-fetched situations to satisfy my own sick ends.

She knew her alarm was going to go off at any moment, and she silently wished that time would stop and by some miracle she'd never have to leave this spot. She couldn't even look at the clock; she just tried to settle into her cozy spot on the bed. Her place currently being curled up on him. She could feel his chest rise and fall with each even breath, and the sound of his heartbeat was filled her left ear. She could feel his arms around her, strong and warm as if to secure her in place.

The unthinkable had happened the night before. Well, the unthinkable in Rory Gilmore's mind. She thought back to the events that had brought her to this very moment, lying next to Tristan DuGrey early this morning. It'd been five days since that fateful evening—the evening in which she and Tristan finally kissed again and confessed that there was something between them. He'd stayed until four am, watching the chick flicks that he'd brought over. Well, they'd watched them after she'd teased him mercilessly about the films he'd chosen to bring over. He claimed he'd simply tried to pick movies he thought she'd like. She told him that his feminine side was obviously trying to find an outlet and he must have more estrogen in his system than she had. Their banter went on and on, but it didn't stop the space between them from being nil. She stayed curled against him, her head on his chest, his lips resting intermittently on the crown of her head. When the early morning hours came and the last credits rolled, he pried himself out from under her, and they kissed one last time before parting in attempt to catch a nap before work.

This became a habit, every night after work; he'd show up at her house with some sort of offering, as they pretended they needed something to base their togetherness on. Tuesday night, he'd come loaded down with Chinese food—one of everything from her favorite neighborhood take-out place. They spread the smorgasbord out and watched a Road Rules marathon until the wee hours of the morning. It was harder to say goodnight on this second evening, as there was no definite end as the conclusion of the movies had been. One would be strong and insist it was time to get to sleep—the other would be weak and wear the other one down quickly, ending them up right back on the couch in a horizontal position, kissing and touching for another episode of the seemingly unending marathon.

Wednesday night was board games night. He'd brought every game he could get his hands on. They played Parcheesi, Connect Four, Boggle, Scrabble and Trouble. There was yelling, cries of joy, cries of protest, thumb wresting to decide a tie-score; which ended with Rory laying under Tristan, being tickled into submission. She shook her head vehemently, tears of laughter rolling down her face as he buried his face into her stomach and burrowed into her, making her laugh even harder. He lightened his pressure, and brought a hand up, pulling her soft t-shirt up with it. Tears still rolling from her eyes, she looked up and silenced herself as she watched him place butterfly kisses around her bellybutton. Needless to say, he didn't get out of her apartment before dawn.

Thursday, she'd worked late, not arriving home until ten o'clock. When she got to her door, she found a rose on her doorstep, with a note attached. She smiled softly as she pressed the flower to the tip of her nose before gingerly unfolding the handwritten note, obviously a hasty last minute measure. He'd written it on the back of what looked like a receipt of some sort, and scrawled the short message on the back.

Brought you something. Maybe I'll see you around later.

Smiling, she entered her apartment and decided to soak away the day. She could literally feel the weight and grime on her from the mounds of paperwork, and all the negative energy form co-workers more stressed out and behind than she was. She took the rose, laid it on the edge of the bathtub and turned on the hot water. She added some bath salts and left the room, so she could slip out of her clothes and into her robe. When the tub was filled to her satisfaction, she dipped a toe in, easing her foot in slowly to the hot water. She took her time, and by the time she was resting on the bottom of the porcelain surface, she was completely content and almost intoxicated from the warm fragrance from the steam that was coming up from the surface of the water. Her stress was melting away, mixing into the water, and moving away from her.

Her phone rang and caused her to smile. She'd hoped for this, and brought the cordless phone into the bathroom, resting it next to the rose on the ledge of the bathtub.

"Hello?" she asked, the relaxation her body was feeling was evident in her easy-going tone of voice.

"Hey, what are you wearing?" he opened, hoping she was in the mood to play since they'd missed each other.

She smiled, loving the fact that she could be honest and drive him crazy at the same time.

"Nothing," she said as if it were the most natural thing in the world.

"Oh, really? What a coincidence," came his lilted insinuation.

"Are you in the tub, too?" She tried to sound innocent, as if she weren't quite picking up on his meaning to drive him crazier.

"Not quite," she could hear his smirk, and blushed despite the fact that he couldn't see her.

"I got your rose," she said, picking it up in her other hand, twirling it around in the air over the water.

"Oh, yeah?" he couldn't help the smile that covered his face, despite the disappointment that he wasn't currently there with her.

"Yeah," she breathed, biting her lip to try to ease the unyielding smile that just seemed to be a permanent fixture on her face this past week.

"I was hoping to catch you," he told her, as if she hadn't already known that fact.

"Maybe tomorrow night. I'm kind of beat," she sighed into the phone.

"Right. Tomorrow then. Goodnight, Rory."

"Night, Tristan."

She hung up, still smiling from the longing in his voice. Longing that she had created in him. Not that she wasn't a little dismayed that they were taking this hiatus from their growing—whatever this is. 'The talk' as it's so lovingly referred to by Lorelai, had been successfully avoided past the fact that they want to spend more time together and that there is definitely something going on. Lorelai begged for details when Rory had called her at lunch on Tuesday. She said after raising her all those years and living through the brief but scarring Spice Girls craze in middle school, that she owed her full and descriptive details of the romantic happenings with her and Tristan. Finally giving in to what she assumed her mother wanted to hear, she told her mother that they'd made hot, passionate love in every room of her apartment. When Lorelai asked if she'd since sterilized the place, Rory hung up on her. Lorelai called back later and left a message on her voicemail about her being a spoilsport and that she expected to have juicy details for her the next time they talked.

Of course, they hadn't of yet had sex—though on this Saturday morning, she couldn't imagine any more perfect a scene. The unthinkable thing that had occurred was that Tristan had come over and stayed all night in her bed. They kissed, touched, and held each other—then they just fell asleep next to each other. It was innocent and wonderful, and she was finding that being with Tristan was nothing like she imagined—but more than she could have ever began to dream of.

Her thoughts whirring quickly through her brain reminded her of something that again put her recurring smile back on her face. It was Saturday. This means her alarm wasn't about to interrupt the lovely feeling of laying here in his arms; a feeling that was reinforced as they tightened around her as if he were sensing her even entertaining the thought of getting out of bed. Letting the memory of partial consciousness wash over her, she gave into the warmth of his body and sleep once again took her.

AN: Would have had this up sooner, but was a little blocked on where to go after the last chapter. Hope you enjoy, and as always, reviews more than welcome. Encouraged, even. :)