Chapter 8 - Happy without her here?
Rory and Tristan had been getting on quiet well since Rory's little breakdown. Thought Tristan's behaviour slightly confused Rory, he was totally nice to her, when it was just them, and then at school he was a total jerk. She decided to confront him about it. They had begun meeting up after school, Tristan driving Rory back to Stars Hollow, no questions asked, it had just been something they'd started doing.
"Hey can I ask you something?" said Rory, about 5 minutes into the trip home.
"Sure" answered Tristan, glancing at her and then looking back at the road.
"Why are you nice to me?" she asked looking at him, he avoided her eyes.
"I don't know, you listen to me I guess"
Rory sat for a minute thinking.
"So your only a jerk to people who don't listen to you" she rebutted.
"What?" asked Tristan confused.
"You're nice to me, but at school you're a total jerk"
"Gee thanks Mary" Rory scowled at him for using her dreaded nickname, he had been cutting back recently.
The rest of the trip continued in silence, until they pulled up outside the Gilmore-Danes house. Tristan turned off the ignition and turned to face Rory.
"I'm sorry" he said looking at her, his eyes sincere. Her face softened a bit at his apologue.
"I don't know why I am the way I am at school. Before I went to Military school I had this…reputation, and even though I've come back and I'm not that guy anymore, I guess everyone there still thinks I am, and expects me to be. I would loose my friends if I just suddenly turned around and started acting…differently."
"No you wouldn't, you would loose those kind of friends, you could make better Tristan, real friends who would always be there for you"
"Real friends like you?" he asked, his eyes intently focused on hers.
"Yeah…" she said meekly. Rory didn't know if she'd exactly classify what they had as 'friends', it was just two people hanging out together. She didn't think Tristan could actually be 'just friends' with any girl. She didn't know if her feelings towards Tristan were as friends or as…more than friends.
They sat there, their eyes examining each other carefully, never feeling awkward, just exploring each other through their eyes.
His soft features, gorgeous smile and blue eyes enchanted her. Each pair of blue eyes intently focused on the others. Neither of them noticed that they were slowly leaning in closer towards each other, leaning over the gears in the middle of the car. As if it had a life of its own, Rory's hand moved up and touch Tristan's check softly, and as if this was the sign Tristan had been waiting for, his hand moved up and cupped the right side of Rory's face with his hand. He had never had such a mesmerising connection with a girl before. Tristan slowly moved his head forward, kissing her softly on the lips, Rory kissed him back. Both kisses feeling fragile and sweet, yet full of something more. Tristan pulled back, his hand still holding Rory's face, he was smiling broadly.
"See you tomorrow…Rory" he said, his eyes scanning hers
Rory smiled, that kiss had been…wow nothing like anything shed ever felt before.
"Yeah, see you tomorrow" she said slowly opening her door, her eyes not leaving his till the last possible moment.
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Luke stood at the front window, he saw Rory get out of Tristan's very expensive car. Teenagers shouldn't be aloud to drive cars that expensive or high-powered Luke thought to himself, but he was really just jealous he didn't get to drive that car. Rory walked up the steps, a wide smile on her face. Which under normal circumstances wouldn't be unbelievable, but Luke had not see Rory smile like that since before her mum was alive. It was the smile she used to have, when her and Lorelai would come into the Diner begging for coffee. Luke and Lorelai's coffee banter, making Rory laugh.
Thought Luke was happy for Rory, to be smiling again. He, himself still felling sad, and a tiny part of him didn't understand how Rory could be happy again. For the most part he knew she was still hurting and that it was a good thing she was moving on. But to Luke it felt almost like she was forgetting her mum, something he would never let himself do.
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Later that evening Luke was walking through the towns square, he had just closed up the diner for the night, giving Caesar a well earned break. He didn't really feel like going home yet, so he kept walking, he walked around the town, passed rows of houses and tree, he found himself back once again at the town gazebo. He slowly climbed the steps and sat down on the bench at the top. His thoughts drifting from the Diner, to Rory and Rosey, to the baseball score from last night. But all these thoughts still reminding him of her. The diner – she used to come and beg for coffee. Rory - her daughter, so much like her. Rosey – their daughter, they're beautiful baby girl. And even baseball – which Lorelai had most often stoped him from watching, her charm and famous pout, waring through Luke till he gave in. Luke was disturbed from his thoughts as someone else climbed up the steps of the Gazebo.
"Hey Luke" said Sookie, Lorelai's best friend.
"Hey" said Luke,
"Do you mind if I?" Sookie asked gesturing to the spot beside Luke.
"Oh yeah sure" he said shifting over a little. That sat in silence for a few minutes until Sookie talked first.
"How are you holding up?" she asked, her voice full of concern for the man.
"Aright…sort of….i don't know"
"Yeah, its so weird here, in his town without her" Luke nodded his head in agreement. Again they sat in silence.
"Your doing a great job, with those girls you know" said Sookie looking up at him.
"You think?" asked Luke, had no idea weather he was doing anything right, all he knew was that he couldn't let them down.
"Yeah, Rosey is perfect and Rory seems to be doing…ok'ish"
"Yeah she is…doing ok'ish' he said thinking back to earlier, when Tristan had dropped Rory off home.
"I just…" he started but stoped again, he wasn't usually a very open person, but he had been holding in all these feelings, he didn't know if he could not…talk about it.
"I just…I miss her soo much" Sookie gave him a sympathetic look, not saying anything, letting him continue.
"She was the only one, the only women I ever loved…and she was amazing and…and…now she's gone"
Sookie put her arm around Luke shoulder; he let himself feel his emotions, his head resting on top of Sookie's. They didn't say anything, the words ' it'll be ok' not seeming appropriate because either of them believed it. They missed her too much to think that anything would ever be all right again, without her here.
