Disclaimer: I do not own anything to do with Gilmore Girls.

Chapter Twenty Three: Holding Back

Tristan moved along the aisles staring down into the glass case, his brow furrowed in concentration. That's when he saw it, at that precise moment a store assistant came up to him. "Have you made a decision?"

"I have, I'll take that one right there" Tristan replied pointing inside one of the glass cases and reaching for his wallet.

"So..." Rory began as she and Tristan walked through Stars Hollow holding hands.

"So what?"

"Have you got it yet?"

"Got what?"

"My birthday present of course."

Tristan laughed, "as a matter of fact I have."

"So.... What is it?"

"Nice try Rory, but I'm not going to tell you."

Rory used her key to let them inside her house, they both sat down on the couch. Rory pouted at Tristan "please...."

"No."

"Pretty please."

"Nope" Tristan replied smiling at her begging.

"What can I do to make you tell me?"

"Absolutely nothing, my lips are sealed."

"Oh really."

"Uh huh."

"So even if I..."

Rory brought her lips down on top of Tristan's, her hands escaped into his hair as she kissed him as passionately as she could. Rory started to climb up over Tristan pushing him back down onto the couch. Rory's lips left Tristan's and she stared down at him, by this time Tristan was lying back on the couch and Rory was straddling him. "As much as I enjoyed that, I'm still not telling you a thing."

Rory pouted and climbed off of Tristan, she sat back on the couch and folded her arms across her chest. "Fine!"

"Rory."

"Nope, no kisses for you anymore."

"But..."

"No buts mister, you could resist that kiss, try living without them."

"I think I can handle it."

"Oh you do, do you? We'll see."

Rory and Tristan were sitting inside a movie theater; Rory was staring intently at the screen, while Tristan stared at her. It had been three days since her promise not to kiss him anymore and so far she had stayed true to her word, it was killing him. He had never noticed it more then right now, sitting in this movie theater. He and Rory usually spent a major portion of their trips to the movies connected at the lips. She can't last much longer, can she? It was really hurting his ego to think that this might be easy for her. Tristan placed his arm over the back of her chair and slipped it around her shoulders. She didn't look at him, but left his arm where it was. He bent his head and began to place wet, opened mouth kisses on the skin of her neck, where it was bared by the pony tail she wore. To Tristan's surprise she didn't stop him, but actually tilted her head slightly to give him better access. He nibbled, sucked, licked and kissed her neck through the duration of the movie. Rory didn't stop him, nor did she acknowledge him. By the end of the movie, Rory's breathing had noticeable quickened but she pretended not to notice. She thought to herself I don't know if I can keep this up for another two weeks, he's much to good and driving me absolutely crazy.

Two days after they had been to the movies together and still without having kissed each other, now for a total of five whole days, Tristan and Rory were sitting on the couch. Rory had the remote in hand and was flicking through the channels. Tristan's hormones were in disarray, this whole no kissing thing was putting him on edge, but he was too proud to beg. So far he had not pushed the issue, but it was getting increasingly harder, especially because they spent so much time together, all their free time was spent together. All the little things were really starting to grate on his nerves, like for example her flicking the channel and not settling on one for more then a few moments. Without even thinking Tristan had reached over and snatched the remote from her hand. "Hey!"

Tristan didn't reply. "Give that back!"

"No can do."

Rory held out her hand, "give it."

Tristan's infamous smirk settled over his features, "what are you gonna do about it?"

Rory grabbed for the remote, Tristan pushed her arm out of the way and leant backwards holding the remote over his head. Rory gave him a dirty look, "Tristan I'm warning you."

"Oooh big bad Rory's gonna get me" he laughed.

Rory tried desperately to reach for the remote, she didn't really care about having the remote anymore, but it was the principle of the thing. Rory bounced a little on the couch trying to get some leverage as she grabbed for the remote, but Tristan held it just out of her reach. Rory dug her feet into the floor and used the back of the couch to get up as high as she could; she pushed off the back of the couch and grabbed for the remote, missed and elbowed Tristan in the face as she landed half on top of him. Tristan grunted at the contact and the remote dropped to the floor. "Oh baby I'm sorry!" Rory exclaimed.

She took a hold of his chin and tilted his face to the light to see if she had hurt him. "Does it hurt? I can't see anything?"

"I'm fine, but you know you could make it up to me."

Rory frowned and tried to move away but Tristan used his arms to hold her against him. Rory struggled a little bit and his arms tightened, "Rory please."

"I..."

"You're killing me here."

"I can't" she muttered but she could already feel her resolve weakening.

Tristan frowned, "Rory..." Tristan was cut off as Rory kissed him desperately.

There kisses came fast, quick breathes were taken between kisses. "I'm so sorry!"

"Sssh less talk more kissing."

Rory obliged for a few moments, "I'm never not kissing you again."

"Where's you mum?"

"At work, we're meeting her at Luke's in an hour and a half."

"Plenty of time" Tristan muttered as he kissed Rory in-between maneuvering her shirt over her head.

AN: Hey Everyone! I hope you all liked this chapter and are a bit happier with the length. I got 7 reviews for the last chapter and if I can keep it round there until the end of this story (which isn't far away) I'll be happy. Thanks to all my reviewers. I just want to clear up that no Tristan and Rory haven't had sex. I realised some of what I wrote could be misleading lol, so I thought I'd clear that up, the furthest they have gone is detailed in chapter 17. Please review, you know I'll love you for it.