Disclaimer: Amy and Daniel Palladino, along with the rest of the WB, own Gilmore Girls. I'm just borrowing the characters.
Jess- It's a creative process I like to call boredom and insanity. 'Borenity', if you will. I've been trying to get my muse to give me more Tristan, but she's a bit hopped up on cocaine, so it may take a while. Sorry. I tried; I don't know if this chapter shall satisfy you. I tried, I swear. I think it is... I'm just babbling. I had no idea I was so good at that... Ok, that's a lie, I did. You should see the notes to some of my friends... they're like the energizer bunny, just keep going and going and going... Ok, I'm just a tad bit hyper. It's Friday, can you blame me? Plus, I've had a good day. Well, yesterday was better because Blake (my current crush) and I just talked forever. I talk about him in my a/n coz I can't talk about anything else! Whoa, this is long. Blame Keanu on my use of whoa, but I digress.
Ms. Vaughn- Naturally your brother's life would be more important than my review, just as my sister's "homework" is more important than my insatiable boredom or my story. Yeah, sarcasm was the best invention. Ever. Oh, btw, I hope your e-mail is working again. Coz I have so much to tell you, but I don't want to bore anybody else who may be reading this!
four51- No problems. I hope you like this chapter!
Jazz14- Oh, I hate braces! I'm sorry about your mouth hurting; I hope you've felt better by now!
mz.sammiz- It's ok that you haven't reviewed, as long as you like it that's what's important!
Surya- I'm glad you liked it. God, I probably revised that five times, just to get it right. I'm so happy I could make you laugh and that it sounded Gilmore-ish!
OTHlover04- I don't say this enough, but thank you for reviewing each time. Even if you don't say a lot, you still make me smile.
More thank yous to sweet19903, bBy x jUjUbee, amanda, Callista NicTeryn, Kiki, smile1 (can I say that I love your name, because I always smile whenever I see it!), and of course Sexychick119. I love you all alot!
A/N: The boy who sits next to me in Espanol Tres smells really good. Kinda minty and a slight mixture of body spray. And mouth freshener. Y'know, the thing you spray? But I think that's because he smokes. Anywho, I needed to tell you all that because he's awesome. He's funny, he's cute, he smells good, he has a car, he's a senior... le sigh. It's sad. But anywho, onto the story. I hope it's not too clichéd...
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Lorelai moaned and leaned her head against Luke's chest. They were sitting in one of the chairs in the inn. "I think that was the best Thanksgiving I've ever had. Sookie, you are a goddess."
"Oh it was nothing," Sookie said from her place on the floor next to Jackson. "I just added a dash of nutmeg to the stuffing. It makes all the difference! Luckily Jackson was able to get another batch of cranberries."
"There was nothing wrong with the first batch!" Jackson protested.
"They were squishy," she replied.
"They're supposed to be!" He cried.
Michel turned his head to glare at the couple. "Please do not argue about this anymore, you are giving me a headache."
"Mrs. Melville, you're a much better cook than my mother's kitchen staff," Tristan praised.
"I think that means it was good," Rory supplied.
Sookie giggled. "Call me Sookie, sweetie."
"This is my first Thanksgiving that hasn't ended with me listening to one of my mother's drunken rants," Paris stated.
"There's a first for everything," Rory quipped.
"You're welcome to all future Thanksgiving shindings in the future at the Hollow," Lorelai added. "You too, my Hartford oppressed."
"And you, my freedom fighter, are always welcome to kidnap me from my smothering lifestyle," Tristan replied in the same 19th century voice Lorelai had used, glad somebody was looking out for him.
That's what Lorelai saw. She knew he hated Hartford because she'd been there once. She and Rory were his and Paris's saviors. Listen to me, he thought. I sound like a fucking walking cliché.
Luke slid out from under Lorelai. She held her arms up. "Carry me."
He bent down and she wrapped her arms around his neck. He straightened up and swung her legs over his other arm. She laughed and pecked him on the lips.
"I'm going to Luke's for a while," Lorelai told Rory pointedly. "Be good and don't do anything I would do. TMC is having a John Hughes night for your viewing pleasure. Make sure Tristan keeps all appendages to himself."
Tristan pretended to be offended. "Lorelai, how could you even think that I would be anything less than a perfect gentleman?"
"Because I know you," she replied.
"Don't worry, Mom. We'll worship the Brat Pack in honor of you," Rory assured her.
"That's my girl."
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When Rory came out of her room Tristan and Paris were already occupying the couch watching The Breakfast Club. She was wearing sweats and an old Guns 'N' Roses band T-shirt that had been her dad's.
She sat down with her back against the couch, and squirmed a bit as she tried to get comfortable. Finally Tristan handed her a pillow.
"Thanks."
They sat in silence for a few more minutes until Paris said, "I like Anthony Michael Hall's character."
"I like Ally Sheedy's," Rory replied.
"Molly Ringwald," Tristan said.
"Surprise, surprise," Paris muttered.
"I'm bored," Tristan announced as the movie went to commercial.
"Do you seriously have the attention span of a six year old?" Rory asked, eyebrows raised.
"Yeah. Do you have a problem with that?" he shot back, eyebrows just as high as hers.
Rory shook her head. "Nope, just clarifying things so I don't have to guess anymore."
Tristan got up. "Where are your videos?"
"Cabinet underneath the TV." Rory pointed in the direction.
He emerged with his prize, Sid & Nancy. Paris groaned and threw a pillow at him which he ducked with ease and a smirk on his face. "How can you hate this movie, dear Paris? It has all the things one should adore: sex, drugs, a murder/suicide pact, punk rock, and Gary Oldman."
"I only hate it because of your long time obsession with it that included only talking in lines from that movie for a week after you saw it," Paris snapped.
Rory giggled. "That must've been hard. Did you ever get stumped?"
"Nope!" he replied proudly. Paris snorted. "Ok, once or twice," he admitted. "But otherwise, I did well."
Rory just shook her head and lifted herself into Tristan's abandoned seat. He scowled and put the movie in, then draped himself over the two girls. Rory and Paris looked at each other and rolled the heavier boy off them. He landed on the floor with a thud.
"Ow!" he whined.
Paris rolled her eyes. "It's not like we seriously injured you."
The smirk made its triumphant return. "I was just testing your love for me. It seems to be slim." He jumped up and plopped himself between the two, wiggling his butt causing them to move so he could have more room. Casually he draped an arm behind the seat of each girl.
Rory propped her feet on the coffee table and made herself more comfortable, accidentally elbowing Tristan in the stomach in the process. He grunted.
"Sorry," she said sheepishly.
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Lorelai quietly snuck into the house a little after midnight, not wanting to wake any possible sleeping kids who could question her about where she'd been for the past five hours.
What she found was a fuzzy screen and three sleeping twenty-one year olds curled up together on the couch. Tristan was in the middle, his head lulled on the back of the couch. Paris's feet were swung over his lap and she resting her head on the armrest. And Rory was nestled in the crook of Tristan's arm.
Not wanting to awaken them, Lorelai shut off the TV and turned off the light in the kitchen. She draped a blanket over their sleeping forms and took one last look at them before she made it upstairs.
Tristan'll be happy when he wakes up, she thought with a slight giggle.
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Tristan was naturally the first to wake up at 5:30 the next morning. What he found shocked and pleased him at the same time: Rory and Paris on either side of him sleeping. Sure it was perfectly innocent, but he felt that a cold shower was in his near future.
He lifted Paris's legs off his lap and removed himself from the couch. Rory shifted and he froze, hoping he hadn't woken her up. He knew how she was in the morning, and didn't want to be on the receiving end of one of her grumpy morning moods. However, she just laid her head on Paris's legs. Tristan breathed a sigh of relief.
He gathered up his stuff and left a note as to where they could find him when the occupants of the house awoke from their beauty sleep. He arrived at the aforementioned destination in less than five minutes and found Luke cleaning his diner.
Luke just raised one eyebrow at the straggler in his diner. "I didn't want to wake them," came the explanation for his disheveled state.
Luke pointed upstairs. "You know where the shower is. I take it you're here to help me?"
Tristan just nodded, thankful he knew someone in the town as sane as Luke was.
Just 15 minutes later, Tristan came back downstairs to find Luke serving the only customer in the place- Kirk. He was talking animatedly to Luke who was wiping down his counter. As soon as he saw Tristan descend from the stairs, he scurried over to him and enveloped the younger man in a tight hug. Tristan awkwardly patted Kirk on the back while shooting Luke a confused look. Luke just snickered at his plea for help.
"She said yes!" Kirk exclaimed when he finally let go of Tristan.
"Um, what?" he asked.
"Lulu. I proposed, she said yes," Kirk explained.
Tristan rubbed the back of his neck. "That's great, Kirk."
"Do you want anything, Kirk?" Luke asked. Kirk opened his mouth, but Luke held his hand up. "Besides for me to be your best man?"
Kirk looked down, crestfallen. "Coffee."
"Ah, jeez," Luke muttered, looking at Kirk's wounded puppy dog expression. "Fine, I'll be your stupid best man if it means that much to you."
Kirk's happiness returned in a split second. "Thanks, Luke!"
Tristan watched the exchange with interest. It was like Luke didn't want to say no, he just had an image to live up to. It was clearly obvious that Kirk worshipped Luke, and Luke knew this. He was beginning to like this town.
"Stop smirking and get to work," Luke growled as he passed Tristan, shoving an apron in his hands.
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Saturday morning was a good day. Rory could tell. First, Dean came back from Chicago and called her to say that he wanted to see her as soon as possible. So she was waiting in the gazebo for him to show.
She was going back tomorrow. It was sad, all the things she missed. And she was friends with Tristan. It was crazy. But their banter was enjoyable, and it was going to be hard to see him go again when he had to inevitably leave Yale to go somewhere else.
Finally Dean came up to join her. "Hey." He gave her a hug.
"Hey, back," she replied, sitting down. "How was Chicago?"
"Good," he replied. "I've forgotten how much I miss it there."
"So what's up? You sounded urgent," Rory prompted.
Dean suddenly looked uncomfortable. He looked away. "I got into college. I start spring semester."
"Dean, that's great!" Rory exclaimed, giving him another hug. "I always knew you were smart enough. Where are you going? Connecticut U? That's close to New Haven, you know."
"Not exactly," he replied, looking at the ground. He suddenly looked her in the eye, dead serious. "Rory, I'm moving back to Chicago."