Epithet of a Heart
Chapter 4
As Rory lay down to try to go to sleep, her mind was whirling. Finn had kissed her, and she had invited him to stay the night. The strangest part, the part that scared her the most, was that this hadn't phased her one single bit. It felt normal.
When Finn had ambushed her at the pub, she hadn't expected to have such a good time. She hadn't expected them to be so comfortable around each other. It was like they fit, like the missing pieces of one were filled by the other. This thought scared Rory – she had never thought of herself as 'incomplete.' If anything, she would have said that her mother was her other half.
Shaking those thoughts away temporarily, Rory's mind returned to their conversation at the pub. Finn's revelation about his parents had made him seem more approachable to her. He no longer seemed 'larger than life,' like a person without problems who lived life whatever damn way he pleased. The vulnerability that had been present in his voice when he talked of his parents separating had shown her how deeply it had affected him and she hadn't pushed for more details, curious though obviously she was. She hadn't wanted to upset him any more – especially not on Valentines Day.
Valentines Day. She was unspeakably glad that it was over. What a day. Now, she just wanted to sleep and let her liver cleanse her system of all the alcohol she had consumed. Unfortunately, she found herself quite unable to sleep. Maybe it had something to do with the knowledge that less than twenty feet away, Finn was sleeping in the other room.
She had never gotten used to guys sleeping over. Her own father was never home enough to make a lasting impression and her mother had always been careful to keep the guys she dated separate from her life with Rory. The handful of times Rory herself had slept with Dean and Logan, not much sleeping had been involved. She would wake up to an empty bed, and although she knew it should, it really hadn't bothered her. Why would it? It was just like what she was used to.
But with Finn it was different. He was so genuine and she had the feeling that he would still be on the couch in the morning when she exited her room. Suddenly, she felt the need to see him again. As quietly as she could, she tiptoed out of her room. She made her way sure-footedly to stand next to the couch. The moonlight slipped through the curtains and highlighted Finn's face. His eyes were closed – what a pity, Rory thought, his eyes were his best feature. His eyes were always filled with a bit of mischief and a definite smirk – such a Finn-like characteristic. As her eyes trailed down to look at his lips, she started to reevaluate the importance of his eyes.
Those lips had kissed her.
As she thought back, she realized the word 'kiss' might have been being too generous. His lips had brushed hers. Just enough of a preview of what she was missing to leave her wanting more. Needing more.
She sat down next to the couch to have a better view of him. She couldn't believe she felt such a strong connection to him. And although she had thought about it, she decided that she couldn't just pass it off as being lonely on V-day. She'd never had so much fun just hanging around with a guy. Every time he called her 'love' or 'hun' she had felt a small fluttering in her stomach and warmth spreading through her body – both telltale signs that she might feel something for him. Something that she hoped was reciprocated. With Finn it was so hard to tell.
Impulsively, she leaned forward to press her lips to his. Just another brief kiss, stolen in the dead of night. As she drew herself away, she regretted that she wouldn't be bold enough to do that in the morning. She sighed and gently rested her forehead against Finn's. Although she knew she was just making it harder for herself, she couldn't keep from touching him. Her hand tenderly traveled down the contours of his face, caressing his skin softly. Unexpectedly, her hand was grasped in a much larger one. Rory jumped, startled at being caught, and felt herself beginning to blush.
Finn spoke without opening his eyes. "Not that I'm complaining, but is there any reason you're waking me up like that in the middle of the night?"
"Sorry," Rory whispered, on the verge of tears. "I didn't mean to wake you."
Finn's fingers started stroking the inside of Rory's palm. "Like I said, I'm not complaining, other than the fact that it's much too early to be awake."
At his soothing tone, Rory smiled a little. "At least the sun's not out yet!" she commented as her mind conjured up Finn's aversion to the sun.
Finally, his eyes opened and he smiled crookedly. "Well, I guess there is that!" When Rory didn't reply, Finn wisely did not mention her stolen kiss. Instead, he asked kindly, "Are you okay?"
"Yes, I'm fine," came Rory's automatic response. Finn's gaze hardened slightly and seemed to penetrate her. She relented, "Actually, I'm not totally fine."
Finn's eyes softened again. "What's wrong?"
"I don't know what I'm doing," Rory whispered, almost inaudibly.
"Nobody does," Finn offered comfortingly. He sat up slightly. "Come 'ere." He patted the spot next to him. Tentatively, she climbed up next to him. As soon as she settled herself down, he pulled her into a hug. "It's all going to be okay, love."
She let him hold her for a few minutes. As she sat there, comforted in his arms, her mind kept repeating his last sentence over and over. She zeroed in on the way his voice had said 'love' – so affectionately and warmly. It hit her that she had never seen him be that way with anyone else. A small niggling of hope grew within her – maybe there was something there after all. Suddenly emboldened, she pulled back slightly from his embrace. She looked up and really met his eyes for the first time.
His face had confusion written blatantly all over it. What had he done wrong?
Throwing all caution into the wind, she leaned up to kiss him. For a second, he didn't respond and she worried that she had misinterpreted his words and actions. He only saw her as a friend. She began to pull away and had already started composing an apology when she felt Finn deepen the kiss.
Relief coursed through her and she inadvertently grinned. Take that morning! Night was definitely her favorite time of day!
AN: Not my usual fluffy banter or humor…I'm not really sure what happened to this chapter…I'm so confused.
I really feel the need to explain why I haven't updated in…OMG, over two months, but unfortunately I have no concrete excuse. All I can say is that my muse abandoned me. (Although that much is probably obvious to those of you that made it through the chapter) Anyway, all I can say is that I'm really sorry! I'll try and start updating more regularly again, but I'm not sure. Although I must say, reviews help. So, tell me what you thought please? - Rebecca
