SURPRISE!
Now, I know that everyone that the death knell had been chimed on this fic forever ago, but here I am surprising ya'll with an update... and I don't think that I could be more proud of myself if I tried. :D
I think I started this fic when I was 16... I have now passed the big 18 year mark. Actually, this chapter was supposed to be posted on my birthday, a sort of gift for everyone to mark the day that I'm now considered an 'adult' by society, but obviously, that didn't happen. (For those of you not in the know, my B-Day was April 26). I ended up trashing a lot of what I had written already so I spent the night of my birthday/the morning of the 27th rewriting. I like it better now.
I do hope everyone hasn't forgotten this fic, but considering that it's been over a year since the last new chapter, I do know that you probably have.
I'm not going to make any excuses, because frankly, I can't think of anything specific (writers block included) that really stopped me from writing this. All I can say is that I'm really really sorry for the delay.
There is a huge thank you that has to go out to my amazing beta who; even though she isn't really a Trory fan, stepped up and helped me in my time of need. (lo,l) ;)
So thank you so much, Sami! (Samantha14)
Now, I'm just going to shut up (it's not like anyone is actually still reading this, anyway) and get to the chapter. :D
-Jayde
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Chapter 7: What to do with Espresso Machines and Feather Boas.
Now, in his mind, there would be nothing better than the act of pressing Rory against her locker in a brazen act of PDA. But of course, in all of his fantasies – slash – dreams – slash – desires, he had never thought that it would happen. Well, he had thought that it could happen, possibly, but if it did, it wouldn't have come about because of some cruel joke. And that she would reciprocate the feelings that he had been harboring toward her for what felt like forever now.
Of course, reality was what reality was, and that fantasy of his well... wasn't reality. So now, he found himself pressing the girl of his dreams against some random block of lockers, and all he could do was try not to blow his acts. Both of them.
Pulling back from Rory, he took in her flushed face and swollen lips as the warning bell for the end of lunch rang through the halls. He knew that a look of longing had clouded his features as he looked at the softly panting girl in front of him, so he made sure that he erased all expression from his face as she opened her eyes.
Smiling softly, still a little bit dazed from their heated kisses, Rory blinked, and looked at her partner in crime, "... I think that the breath mints worked."
Tristan groaned and stepped back, not even trying to hide his scowl, "Oh, come on, Rory, give it up, the burrito thing was two days ago. The horse is dead."
Grinning, she dipped down and picked up her school bag from the floor, "Maybe so, but don't eat anything questionable if we are going to... perform. Okay, darling?" She leaned in and brushed her lips against his before turning and walking towards their next class, scattering the many people who had been covertly watching the quiet exchange.
He shook his head at both Rory and the people who apparently hadn't been satisfied with two days of random make-out sessions by himself and his aforementioned best friend.
Following her into class a moment later, he made a point to take her hand and brush a kiss over her knuckles before he took his place in the seat behind her, much to the 'awww'ing delight of female classmates and the frowning disapproval of the teacher.
He'd always wanted to do that.
- - - - - -
"What do you mean I can't go to Luke's?" Rory whined a couple days later, "Food is at Luke's, coffee is at Luke's. Life is at Luke's!"
"Yes, but Luke's is right beside the Town Square, which is where your 'Not-So-Surprise Surprise Birthday Party' is being set up as we speak."
"But—"
"I'll be back in a few minutes with the massive order of food that Luke has ready for us to eat while we wait for the preparations to be finished. We both know that it will be a bit of a wait once Taylor decides that he has to make sure everything is in accordance with all of the town codes."
Groaning, Rory looked at Tristan as she slumped, rather ungracefully, beside him onto the couch. "He closed down my eighth birthday because the fun house was too close to the curb, remember? I'd rather not have that happen on my eighteenth."
"Sorry, we forgot the fun house—well, Lorelai tried to talk everyone into it, but the idea was thrown out almost at once."
"Well, I don't really have the desire to jump so much that I lose my birthday cake again, anyway. It doesn't taste as good coming up."
"And on that note, I'm getting the food. I'll be back in a few minutes."
"Just don't let Miss Patty see you. You'll be held up – no pun intended – for hours."
"I'll go in the back." Smiling, Tristan levered himself out of the deep couch, and brushed a kiss over Rory's lips unthinkingly, "I'll be back soon."
Hearing the door close, Rory let out the breath that she had been holding since Tristan's lips had touched hers not a moment ago.
She knew that the kiss had just been reflex; after all, it was only natural that their little act could cause some spillover when they weren't around the people who they were acting for. But then again, she also knew that ever since she had had the idea of fooling everybody else – (something she freely admitted – to herself, if no one else – was a little bit childish and impulsive) that something had changed in her friendship with Tristan. Something intangible.
She had felt that subtle shift as soon as she had kissed him for the first time, and she really wasn't sure if she was comfortable with it. Before the beginning of the week, she'd never really thought of Tristan as anything other than a buddy, and if she had, she refused to admit it, even to herself. And she knew it was the same for him. She was just... well, the phrase 'one of the guys' wouldn't have been remiss, but for the fact that he really didn't have any close male friends. Which, again, she knew was her fault, since they spent the bulk of their time together.
But since she had been actually acting as if she saw him in a 'you boy, me girl' kind of way, it was sort of hard to get the thrill of pleasure that ran through her body as she was pressed up against him in a (supposedly simulated) passionate embrace out of her mind. Knowing that it was just the weird situation that they found themselves in, or rather, that she had put them in, she had tried to ignore the odd sensations that she found herself experiencing more and more often.
So, she had pushed everything that she deemed 'new' to the side and acted as if nothing had changed; as if she didn't feel a fluttering in her stomach whenever her best friend was close enough to touch. Or smell. Or hear. So basically she ignored everything that was 'new' at any time that Tristan was within a hundred yards or so. It really wasn't that hard. Not hard at all.
It was killing her.
- - - - - - - - --
The Town Square had been transformed into a magical place. White fairy lights were strewn everywhere, while blinking Christmas lights (generously on loan from Kirk) added color in some of the trees.
Luke had also built around a throne that had once been a set piece in one of Stars Hollow High's many theatre productions; it now had a large 18 at the top, and someone (Rory strongly suspected her mother) had draped feather boas across the entire thing. They all clashed horribly, lime green and fuchsia beside bright lemon yellow and rich royal purple; she thought it was perfect.
So now, she found herself sitting on the huge throne that was in the middle of the gazebo surrounded by presents, with Lorelai and Tristan at her sides.
"Ohhh! Luke! You got me an espresso machine! You do know that you're going to have to come over every morning and make it though, right?"
Luke sighed and ran a hand over his face, "All you have to do is open the top panel and put in the specified amount of water in the compartment, then you open the smaller part that's right under the water and put your ground espresso beans in it—"
"Luke... you lost me at 'open'."
"What one?"
"...The first one."
Luke turned to Tristan, "I feel for you, Tristan. I really do." He shook his head again, and stepped down from where he was standing at the top of the gazebo steps.
"Okay, who's next?" Lorelai picked up a box that was close to the top of the pile of wrapped gifts beside her, "Okay, Patty. You're up."
As Rory started to open the present, Miss Patty glided to the steps of the gazebo, waving her cigarette, "It's just a little something that I think you two... lovebirds will enjoy."
Rory's fingers froze on the wrapping paper, "... 'Lovebirds'?" she enquired, shooting a glance at Tristan.
"Well, darling, you two didn't think that you could keep it a secret forever, did you?" Turning to the now curious group behind her she waved her arm, "They're finally together. We all knew that it would come. The day that Little Rory opened her eyes and saw Tristan looking back at her. I mean, we all know how long Tristan has been looking at her, how in love with her he's been for forever—"
"Well, well... thank you for getting that pesky announcement out of the way." Lorelai interrupted as smoothly as she could, and waved her hand, "I don't think that they wanted their relationship to be such a big deal, though, right kids?" She shot a look at the now very red pseudo-couple, who were looking at her gratefully and shaking their heads.
"See there, you've embarrassed them, Doll." Babette chided, "Now Patty, do you wanna' see if you can get 'em to kiss?" She continued in a exaggerated whisper.
Rory looked to her mother pleadingly, not wanting to give the town any more gossip that would only whet their appetites for more.
"How about Rory just opens her presents right now, okay? The relationship is still so... fresh; let them get used to it themselves before they go around kissing on command."
Tristan barely suppressed a snort, and looked sheepish when Rory shot him a quick glare over her shoulder. To appease the crowd, though, he moved closer and took her hand.
Rory gave him a smile, and then began to unwrap (albeit one handed) her gifts again.
"She gave me edible underwear, Tristan. Edible Underwear! Because she thinks that 'we lovebirds will enjoy' them."
"Well, did you see what flavor they were?"
Rory leveled a look at him that would have skinned a stronger man; Tristan only smiled and gritted his teeth, waiting for the rest of her rant. It had been going on for the last four blocks or so as they walked back to her house, having been shooed away so the clean up crew could take care of the remnants of the party. Rory however was still a sight to see, since she still had on a sparkly headband that proclaimed 'Happy Birthday' in large sparkling gold letters and multi colored boas. She looked beautiful.
"And then she made that dig about you 'always being in love with me' or something like that; I mean, hello? Does she not understand that we're friends? Because that's what we are, right?' She looked up at him for a second, and then seemed to shake herself mentally, as if she was shaking a thought from her mind. "I just think that it's stupid how they all have to focus on us like that."
"Everyone's been saying that I've been in love with you for years." He growled out at her as he ran a hand over his face. She really had no damn idea.
"Then why does that bother you so much now, Tristan!"
Something snapped inside of him. All of the frustration that he had felt in the years that he had loved her, all of the torment that he had felt during the past week's performances, all of it just broke out of the carefully erected restraints inside of him.
"Because I actually do love you, Rory!"
The way that he said it left no doubt as to what kind of 'love' he was referring to.
She sucked in a breath and blinked, hard. Looking into her best friend's shocked face; she carefully formed the only words that she could think of: "How long?"
Tristan shrugged, not really knowing what to say. Not really knowing why he had to say anything at all, "Months, years... it feels like forever, Rory. I think that I've loved you forever."
Rory shook her head; she couldn't form a coherent thought. A million things were racing through her head, and she couldn't say anything. Closing her eyes, she took a deep breath and tried to clear her mind. Feeling Tristan move away, her eyes flew open as her hand grabbed his arm. "Tris... you're my best friend."
"And I always will be, but... you not knowing... it's killing me. Every time we kiss because of this stupid joke, it hurts." He took her hand from his arm, and then brought her hand to his lips.
The sweet gesture caused tears to fill Rory's eyes, because she could clearly see the pain in his. "Tris..."
"I'm going to go home now, Rory. And the next time that I see you, you're not going to act any different around me. You're going to be my best friend, and I'll still be there whenever you need me. That won't change. But you'll know that... when you're ready, I'll be there for more, too."
Rory nodded numbly, and slowly put her arms around him. With her head in his shoulder, she tried to hold back the tears that were coming dangerously close to falling, "I love you, Tris."
He wrapped his arms around her and maneuvering around the cardboard headband, kissed her hair, "I know you do, Rory. I love you, too."
Slowly stepping out of her embrace, Tristan took her face in his hands, and softly brushed a kiss over her lips. "I'll see you, Ror." He turned away from her, and made his way to his car, looking back only once before he drove away.
If he had been closer, he would have seen the tears that slowly made their way down her cheeks.
She wasn't quite sure when it had started to rain, but as she stepped out of the car in front of the gates to Tristan's house, she was instantly soaking wet. Walking to a door, she punched in the security code, and went through. Running up the long driveway, she didn't even notice the chill in the air, or the sharp bite of the icy water when it hit her bare skin.
She stopped at the door, trying to muster up the courage to knock. Taking a deep breath, she closed her eyes and leaned on the stone pillar outside the entrance. She usually didn't bother to knock. She had walked through the door like it was her own since she could remember. But now everything had changed. She wasn't sure what rested beyond the ornately carved oak door. She didn't even know what she wanted to be there.
The only thing that she did know was that she had to see Tristan. She didn't know what she was going to do when she saw him, didn't know what she was going to say; she just knew that she had to look into his eyes and hope that the answer would come.
Rory took one last breath and turned back to the door, pushing the doorbell before she lost her nerve.
She was shifting nervously from foot to foot and chewing on her bottom lip as the door opened, and then he was there.
Just looking at him made her throat tight, and the look of bewilderment on his face at any other time would have had her laughing. As it was now, all she could do was rake her gaze over his features, looking at him as if it was the first time.
It really was; it was the first time that she had looked into his bright blue eyes and had let herself see more than just a friend. It was the first time that she looked at him and saw, really saw, what had been so obvious to everyone but her.
And she knew exactly what she wanted to do about it.
She kissed him.
- - - -
