Disclaimer: Amy and Daniel Palladino, along with the rest of the WB, own Gilmore Girls. I'm just borrowing the characters.
ShatteredTears89- Aw, thank you! I know, I can totally relate. I love Logan, I love Colin, and I love Finn. And I love Marty, but only with Paris…. Strange, I know, but eh. Whatever. Thank you for reviewing!
rika- Thank you! I was worried that the last chapter wasn't up to par with the rest of them….
Padme the 2nd- Hee. All guys are stupid, but you gotta love them. Especially ones like Tristan….
sooty7sweep- Yes, he's a bit… misguided. Haha.
smile1- Thank you!
Ms. Vaughn- OMFG! If they'd shown the Passion of the Christ reenactment, I may have had a coronary…. That would be hilarious! I loved all the pranking. Fun times, there. His face at the end was priceless! But no more new eppies until January… sadness beeches me…. Jess is so my hero right now. I'm sorry about the finals week thing. Ours aren't until January… but they send out progress reports the Friday of Winter Break. Goddamnit! My parents said that I can't get my permit if I have any Cs. I have two. Fuck! I could get it the 23rd! Aw, oh well. I can still bum rides. Heh. Thank you for everything! I've really enjoyed your reviews! They totally made writing worth it! Thank you again!
OTHlover04- Thank you!
TiCkLeDpInK22- Hmm… well… no, I'm kidding. I don't need cookies, as long as you like the story.
A/N: Well, I'm really happy that I got this chapter out in reasonable amount of time. So, the holidays are coming up. I hope everybody had or has great holidays! I love you all, and I hope you're all safe and have fun! Peace!
8888888888888888888888888888888888888888888888888888888
Tristan knew he was being stupid and rash. But then again, logic had always failed him, so he figured that it was better than being cautious, and then watch her be swept off her feet by someone else.
Someone who wouldn't have a straight nose after meeting Tristan.
The crowd was thinning. It was almost 10:30, and people had to get home to help their kids to bed so that they could leave out their presents or get enough sleep before they were awoken by said children.
Lorelai had promised to bring his things to the diner. For unknown reasons, she had more faith in him than most people. He never asked her about it. He felt strangely connected to her.
Thus he concluded that he had to tell Rory about his feelings. That's how it would end- with the ball in her court. It'd be best if it was out there, right?
But she wasn't in the town square anymore.
So he decided to try her house. It only seemed natural she would be there. On the way there, he pondered what Lorelai had told him. She was the one that had encouraged him to tell Rory. For reasons unbeknownst to him, Lorelai actually liked him. That was good, at least.
He found himself standing on the porch of Rory's house. What would she say? Would she laugh in his face? He was sure she'd laugh, though rationally he knew that Rory Gilmore did not laugh at people to be mean. His rational side did tell him, however, that she would reject him. But he had to tell her.
He took in a shaky breath and knocked on the door. An antagonizing minute and a half later she answered the door wearing pajamas, slippers, and a jacket while her hair was back in a sloppy ponytail. Lane was curled up on the couch watching It's A Wonderful Life.
Rory's eyes lit up and her lips curved upwards into a smile. "Hey!"
Tristan shoved his hands into his pockets. "Hey."
"I thought that you had left?" she asked.
"I just moved my stuff to Luke's place," he easily lied. No need to get her worked up too soon. "You know Lorelai. She doesn't trust me enough to have me sleep on the couch for one night."
Rory laughed. "With good reason."
Tristan put a hand to his heart and winced as if he was in pain. "That hurt, Mary. That hurt me right here." He tapped his chest for emphasis.
She tightened the jacket around her torso and wrapped her arms around her stomach to keep the jacket from slipping open and letting in the chill wind that had started up. "I haven't seen you in a while. Where'd you go?"
Tristan shrugged. "I've been around. I saw you with that guy." He tried to keep his last statement cool and casual, he really did, but the jealousy got the best of him and despite his best efforts, it came out sounding bitter.
Her visage drooped to one of shock and a bit of hurt. "You saw me with Finn? I can explain. There was mistletoe and-"
"You didn't want to forgo tradition and tempt the fates?" Tristan finished, not bothering to hide the amusement out of his voice. "I understand. I'm not mad." His eyebrows furrowed as he replayed her reply in his head. "Did you say Finn?"
Rory nodded. "That's what they called him. Why?"
"I know him," he explained. "Well, actually, I know his friend, Logan, better."
"Logan?" she questioned.
"Hutzenberger," he told her with a smirk. Knowing her and the fact that she wanted to be a journalist, it wouldn't be hard for her to place the name with twelve of the most well-known world-wide newspapers.
Rory's eyes widened. "You mean…?" she trailed off.
"The newspaper guy?" he replied. "Son of Mitchum Hutzenberger, yes. We grew up together, but we weren't exactly what you would call best friends. We were always competing with one another." He paused, then added, "I think he goes to Yale now."
She raised an eyebrow. "You've been lurking around there how long now? Almost three months? And you don't know whether or not he goes to the school?"
"He's not one of my preferred acquaintances," he told her dryly. "Plus, I've had other, much more enjoyable, company that I would rather spend my lonely Wednesday nights antagonizing." He wiggled his eyebrows at her.
She rolled her eyes. "Yes, thank god for that," she replied sarcastically.
"Admit it, you enjoy my company," he teased, poking her lightly in the side.
She jumped and poked him back. "So, why do you and he not get along? Bitter rivalry? Was a girl involved?"
Tristan sighed. "I know that my life must be truly fascinating for you, but you're going to need to learn that I am not an open book. There are certain things about my life that need to be kept private."
She snorted with laughter. "You're just as good of a liar as you were at Chilton."
He smirked at her. "I can't fool you anymore, can I?"
She shook her head. "Nope, I'm good at this. That's why I'm an investigative reporter at the Yale Daily News. And what's this about 'anymore'?"
"I lied to you at Chilton!" he cried indignantly.
"When?" she asked.
"When you asked if I still wasn't over Summer and I said no," he pointed out.
"Then who were you talking about?" she challenged.
He looked at her for a second, then looked away and changed the subject. "So you wanted to know about the torrid past of Logan Hutzenberger and I?"
She blinked at the change, but didn't ask him about it. "Yes, please."
"He always thought that he was better than me because his dad owned newspapers all over the world. He forgot that my dad owned the accounting businesses that controlled the money," Tristan explained.
"Better than the infamous King of Chilton?" Rory cried in mock horror. "Say it isn't so!"
"You're good at that quippy thing, you know that?" he asked. She just shrugged in response. "And I wasn't the King of Chilton until he graduated. He was two years ahead of us."
Rory nodded her head in an understanding response. There was a lapse in the conversation. Tristan took his hands out of his pockets, but put then right back in and took them out again. Rory put a hand on his left bicep. His eyes snapped down to the aforementioned hand, and then back up to her face, but not quite focusing on her eyes. His nervous movements ceased, quelled by her warm hand.
"Tristan? Are you okay?" she asked, her voice etched with concern.
"No," he answered truthfully.
"No?" she echoed. "That's not usually the answer I get when I ask that question."
Tristan gave her a faint smirk. "And you know they're lying."
"True," she conceded.
His eyes traveled around her face, enchanted, taking in every dip and feature there. "Rory?"
Their eyes met. "Hmm?"
"I was wondering if, well, maybe-" He broke their eye contact and looked down, running a hand through his hair. Why was he having so much trouble? It wasn't as if he's never done this before.
"Yes?" she urged.
"Maybe you'd like to go out sometime," he finally spit out.
"For coffee?" she asked.
"For coffee," he confirmed.
Rory's lips split into a wide smile that showed that she had been waiting for him to ask her that. "Sure."
Tristan unconsciously let out a breath that he'd been holding in. "I knew you'd fall susceptible to my charms one day or another, Gilmore," he teased.
She rolled her eyes. "Ever so modest, DuGrey." She suddenly became unexpectedly nervous, shifting her weight back and forth from one leg to the other and biting her lip. "So, is this the part where I give you my number?"
He frowned. "I already have your number."
"I know, but to keep with tradition and all," Rory explained. "Wouldn't want to tempt the fates."
Tristan laughed as she took out a piece of paper and scribbled her number on it. "Thank you, Rory. So, I guess I'd better get going so I can call you."
Rory smiled at him again. "Goodnight, Tristan."
He took her hand and kissed her knuckles. "Goodnight, Rory."
He turned around, but faced her again when she called out, "Tristan?"
"Yeah?" he asked.
She wrapped her arms around his neck and lightly pressed her lips to his. When she pulled away, he just looked at her. She pointed up.
"Mistletoe."
-End-
888888888888888888888888888888888888888888
A/N2: Yes, that was the end of the story. Thank you to everybody who stayed with me the whole way! I loved writing this story, and I love everybody who loved it! It's a bit redundant, I know, but still! Hope to see you all soon reviewing for another story! Haha. Not to self-promote myself or anything….