CHAPTER 18

Tristin opened his eyes only to focus on another set of big, blue, saucer sized eyes. He lifted his head off of his pillow. The head watching him tilted slightly to follow his movement. The pint-sized tot that observed him mesmerized him. Despite his amusement, he tired to shake Rory awake who apparently fell asleep on him while they watched last night's movie.

"Rory, wake up. We have an audience," Tristin whispered.

"Tell them to find entertainment elsewhere," she mumbled, burying her head onto his chest. She burrowed deeper into him to inhale the scent that was his alone. The clean scent of soap just magnified it.

"Uh, I don't know how to tell that to a midget," he whispered again.

Rory lifted her head to see what Tristin was talking about. For a moment, she forgot where she was. She turned around and saw a chubby blonde toddler staring at them. She was a vision of innocence: tousled hair and thumb in mouth. Rory was still in awe of her little sister.

"Good morning, Gigi," she said sleepily.

Gigi mumbled a greeting without taking her thumb out of her mouth.

"Want to jump on the bed?" Rory asked.

The toddler waddled to Rory and raised her arms for Rory to pick her up. Rory untangled her legs from Tristin's. However, their pretzel embrace was one Rory didn't want to undo. She sat up on the side of the bed and lifted her sister over her knees.

"Ooh, you're getting heavy, sis," Rory teased her sister. "Did you climb out of your cradle again?"

The tot just nodded her head.

"I guess we have to tell dad to get you a big girl's bed for Christmas, huh? I really don't like you climbing out of that crib," she told her sister.

"Da?" she asked looking at Tristin.

"That's Tristin. Can you say, "Tristin"?" she asked.

"Disin!" she repeated before returning her thumb in her mouth.

"Good girl!" she exclaimed. She swung herself around so that Gigi can see Tristin. Tristin opened his sleepy eyes to get acquainted to the little girl. "Tristin, this is my little sister, Gigi. Can you say hi?"

"Hi, munchkin," he greeted. His voice was husky from sleep. Never in her life had she felt goosebumps from hearing someone greet her kin.

"Disin Wowy da?" she asked.

"No," Rory chuckled.

"What's she asking?" he asked Rory to interpret what her sister asked.

"She's asking if you're like my dad... my husband," she blushed, explaining her sister's words.

"How'd you get that from what she just said?" Tristin chuckled.

"She knows two words for the most part. "Da" for anyone like dad or is a guy and "No" which is pretty self explanatory," Rory said.

"Ah," Tristin said to Rory's revelation.

"Befast?" Gigi asked innocently.

"All right, let's get you breakfast," Rory agreed. She got up from the bed and followed the almost four year old to the kitchen.

Tristin stayed under the covers watching Rory walk away. When they disappeared in the kitchen he listened to her have a conversation with Gigi. In his head, he could picture them together with a little one of their own. "Snap out of it, Tristin!' he said to himself. He had to remind himself that the apple of his eye doesn't even know he existed. He questioned himself within moments how the thought popped into his head. How could he think that way when she's probably still in love with Logan? He took his pillow and covered his mouth. He let out an exasperated groan before getting up to use the facilities.

Christopher emerged from his bedroom when he caught the scent of freshly brewed coffee wafting in the air.

"You didn't have to, Rory," he said. "You're a guest. I should be the one serving you!"

"Tell that to munchkin over here. She was hungry. I don't think Gigi minds having cold cereal," Rory said as she turned to the girl on the high chair. "Don't you Gi?"

"Daddy seeyal!" Gigi exclaimed, pointing to her cereal bowl.

"I see that, pumpkin," he said, knocking his forehead against the child. She leaned forward to meet him, grinning at her dad.

"Can I help you with anything?" Tristin popped his head in the kitchen after he put the bed back into its original couch form.

"Yes," Rory groaned. "I may love reading and I can follow chemistry books and manuals but I am all thumbs in the field of culinary arts."

"Ah, you are your mother's daughter," Christopher chuckled. "A pretty face that lives on take out and pop tarts alone."

"Dad, have you ever had one of mom's meals? Trust me, I'll spend the three dollars at Al's Pancake before mom attempts to make sushi again," Rory said.

"Point taken," Christopher said.

"So, what do we have here?" Tristin asked, squatting in front of the opened refrigerator. Within moments, he was able to scrounge up bacon and sausages, eggs and biscuits. Thirty minutes later, they sat down and ate the feast Tristin came up with to feed the adults.

"I can see how Tristin can be a powerful ally, Rory. He can wear the apron in the relationship," Christopher said.

"Dad!" Rory responded emphatically.

Rory's response made Gigi laugh.

"You thought that was funny, too, huh?" Tristin asked the child next to him. She shook her head in agreement. Moments later, she held out her arms for Tristin to take her down.

"I see you've charmed my other daughter, too!" Christopher commented. "Now, I would like to see if you have the same effect on Lorelai."

Rory blushed and covered her face with her hands. Tristin just chuckled.

"Oh, she's smitten," Rory dryly answered. "Anyway, have you heard anything about the road conditions?" Rory asked in hopes that the subject around Tristin would be dropped.

"Well, the news said the streets are going to be open to traffic after lunch," Christopher announced.

"That's good. At least I could spend some time with Gigi today before heading home," Rory said laying a kiss on her sister's cheek.

"Where's mine?" Tristin asked, audible enough for her to hear alone.

"Me kiss!" Gigi said grabbing her sister's hair. Tristin laughed at how quickly Gigi picked up on the cue.

"Why don't you kids take Gigi to the park down the street? I bet she would like to walk in the snow," Christopher suggested. He also offered Tristin a change of clothes, which he readily accepted.

An hour and a half later, Tristin, Rory and Gigi found themselves in the part not far from the brownstone. Gigi went to play with the other children from the neighborhood. Tristin and Rory cleared the snow off a park bench a few feet from where the children played.

"Slept well last night?" Tristin asked.

"Surprisingly well," she admitted. "You are a wonderful pillow, you know?"

"That's good," Tristin said almost inaudibly. A smile crept on to his lips.

"I had to admit, I liked waking up next to you," Rory said bashfully.

Tristin blushed at her admission. He remembered how aroused he was having her soft thighs pinned between his and how her arms snaked around his waist as he cuddled her through the night. The rise and fall of her chest against him was sweet agony on him. He could have stayed in that position all day. He was grateful that it was Gigi who caught them in the compromising position rather than Christopher.

"I was worried that you're still upset about Logan," Tristin admitted.

Rory was mum for a minute or two. She looked away before responding.

"You want to build a snowman?" Rory asked like she didn't hear his question at all.

"Sure," Tristin said, a little confused.

"It will be fun," Rory replied tugging on Tristin's hand.

It started with a small mound of snow. They packed the soft snow shavings and rolled it near the park bench. Little by little, Tristin and Rory tried to build the wintertime staple. They gathered twigs and searched for dark stones. They giggled about small stuff. Neither of them remembered what they talked about but they both remembered that they touched each other a lot: a tap on the shoulder here, a tug on the arm there. Each time they were connected, the touch lingered longer than the last.

"You are not seriously considering leaving that lopsided," Rory commented on the third snowball that would have been the head.

"It's called artistic licensing," Tristin said.

"You're so full of it!" Rory laughed, hooking her arm on his waist.

He readily grabbed her forearm and spun her around. Under the light fall of the incoming snow, he twirled her like they were dancing in a ball filled with twinkling lights instead. Like magnets, they were drawn to each other. The air seemed to be still around them. The incessant chatter of children and adults fell on deaf ears.

They dare not to resist the urge. Slowly and deliberately, Tristin bent his head to capture Rory's lips with his. Rory actively pursued Tristin's lower lip, nibbling and sucking it gently. His raspy breath clued Rory in that he was enjoying the kiss they're sharing. Rory's mitten covered hand snuck around Tristin's neck to bring his lips closer. His broad hands spanned the small of her back and tugged her hips and cradled it against his.

"Rory," he uttered between kisses. His knees weakened when her tongue brushed up against his palette.

"Shh," Rory tried to silence him.

As quickly as the moment presented itself, the magic spell around them broke when little Gigi ran literally onto their legs using them as bumper walls.

"Hug!" she shrieked.

Both Rory and Tristin were in a trance when they felt the little girl hugged their legs.

"So you want a hug, too?" Tristin teased.

He loosened his grip on Rory and bent over to pick up the little girl. She squealed when Tristin lifted her up in the air and twirled her around. When he put her down, she ran around the half completed snowman. Rory took delight at Tristin's child-like behavior chasing after her little sister. When he finally caught up with Gigi the second time around, he whirled her again. This time, Tristin fell on the ground. Gigi giggled when she landed on Tristin's chest. Once again, Tristin stared back at the huge blue eyes.

"I love you," the pint-sized girl confessed to him before her chubby hands reached for his cheeks for her to land a big kiss on his lips.

"Maybe you can teach your sister to say that to me the next time around," Tristin suggested to Gigi.

The little girl just nodded like she understood what Tristin tried to tell her.

"And tell her too not to wait to long to fall for me. That would be such a great Christmas present," he added.

The little girl just laughed as she laid her head on Tristin's chest.