A Welcome Distraction

Thank you(s): I was not quite sure how to spell that word. Lol. I just wanted to say thank Elaida for beta-ing this story for me….. so many months ago! I've had this lying around in my comp for so long, I don't even remember when I wrote it, and She beta-d for me two months ago. So, thank you very much.

Dedication: To Raven and Cinn, because how boring my life would be without you guys. I appreciate everything you've done for me.

College life was hard enough as it was. Exams, papers, quizzes, and something resembling a social life pretty much filled her week. One could definitely deduce that this was a very stressful combination. Add a roommate like Paris and the holidays that were upon her, and Rory Gilmore was about ready to explode.

With a major in journalism and a minor in English, there were enough papers for her to write and enough classes for her to study for to take up most of her time. Plus, with final exams just around the corner, there was no room in her schedule to procrastinate. She had books to read, things to do, columns to turn in to that slave driver that was her editor, also known as Doyle (who just a few months ago had joined forces with the dark side and was handing her columns to write left and right).

And her boyfriend… Oh, yes the boyfriend. He was the one person for whom Rory found herself being tempted enough to procrastinate.

Tempted being the operative word.

By a funny twist of fate, she had found her now-boyfriend sitting next to her in one of her classes during her fourth semester at Yale. She had been surprised to see him; Tristan DuGrey was the last person she would have thought to sit next to in class. Now, several months after their "first meeting" the holidays were right here. And they were supposed to figure out what they were going to do during them. If they could find the time to actually do so.

When she heard a knock on her front door, she rose from her desk and the piles of books that threatened to bury her, and went to answer it.

She found her boyfriend on the other side of the door, standing under some freshly hung mistletoe.

"That wasn't there when I last closed my door," she said with a small smile on her lips, pointing to the mistletoe.

"Yeah, well… it's tradition, and tradition states that you must kiss whoever is standing under the mistletoe with you," he told her, pulling her towards him. He leaned in and touched his lips lightly to hers. He pulled back a bit, and Rory stood on her tip-toes to kiss him again.

"It's a good thing it was you and not the pizza guy with my food, because otherwise I would be placed in the position of having to kiss him… you know, because of tradition."

"Then, as a precautionary measure I'm going to take this with me so he doesn't get any ideas… or any other guy for that matter. Besides, I think I can put it to better use in there. Maybe start a new tradition." He leered as he removed the mistletoe from the tack where he had hung it, and showed himself into her room.

As he came in he saw the books that were taking over his girlfriend's life, thus preventing her from hanging out with him.

"I see you're over-scheduling," he mocked, finding his way to the couch.

"You sound just like Terrence, and I have enough of him during Paris' sessions." She walked to the refrigerator to remove two bottles of water.

"He still thinks of your reactions as passive/aggressive?" he asked, as he received the bottle of water that was being handed to him.

"You'd think that after all this time he would let go of it." She joined Tristan on the couch and placed her leg over his.

"So, Mom sent a holiday care package... something to hold me over until I get back home," she told him, changing the subject.

"Really?" he asked, disbelief clear in his voice, "Lorelai?"

"I only have one mom, Tristan."

"Well, it's just that Babette is more of a care package person."

"She is. She's the one that sends them usually… except not this time"

"What did she send?" he asked, curiosity peaking.

"Well," she started as she got off of the couch and walked towards a small box. "There's a fruit cake, sugar cookies, strawberry jelly, a pine cone as a Christmas decoration, and cilantro."

"Cilantro?"

"Yeah… that is actually for you." She handed it to him.

"For me?" he asked with a raised brow, not taking the offered leaves. "But I don't like cilantro."

She passed him a note that was clearly written by Lorelai. The quick scrawl left no doubt of it. "Read this."

"Who's Caleb? And why are you giving me his cilantro?"

"Caleb? Caleb Nichol?" A blank look. "From The OC… he hates cilantro… never mind!" She finally said, sounding a little defeated at not being able to share the joke with him.

"You know what? Let's forget the cilantro." He laid down on the couch and pulled her to lie on top of him. "Mmm, this feels nice," he murmured, his voice husky.

"Yes, it does." Her voice sounded almost purr-like. She crossed her arms on his chest and rested her chin on them.

He put his hand on the small of her back. "Did you think about what I asked you?"

At this a small flash of realization crossed her face, fast enough for him to miss it. To distract him, she moved up a bit and kissed him. Lightly. "About what?"

His throat hummed. "About the holidays?" he told her as his hands dug a bit into her flesh.

"The holidays?" She pretended not to know what he was talking about. While doing so she moved her arms from his chest and placed them next to his sides, trapping him. She lifted her body from her position and took control of his mouth bit by bit.

"Mmm… yeah… you know?" he said, as his hands traveled up and down her back.

She knew well what he was questioning her about. He had asked her to go to Aspen with him during the holiday season. She had already made up her mind about it, told Lorelai, and was ready to go even before the date arrived. But right now, she wanted to distract herself from her duties. She wanted to procrastinate and couldn't have thought of a better plan than this.

"I do?" she told him as she nibbled on his lower lip. "Well, you know…I still have finals to worry about," she said, pressing herself against him. She heard a low noise leave his throat just as she took over his lips, darting her tongue inside of his mouth enough to make him groan again.

She pulled back a bit. She enjoyed the look on Tristan's face when they were like this. His eyes were stormy enough for her to worry about it, but knowing that she could handle whatever came her way.

He opened his eyes and she saw the lust that usually filled them. "Have you thought of what you want for Christmas yet?" he asked her, pulling her down to him again. This time it was his tongue that was doing the searching.

"Mmm…" she almost groaned, "I did." She kissed him again.

"What is it?" he asked, placing small kisses down her neck.

"You," she told him, and bit his neck hard enough to get a reaction from him.

"Have you been a good little girl?" he growled, flipping both of them to switch positions, taking the time to trace over her jaw and ear.

"I'm dating you… automatically, that means I haven't." She arched her back, giving him full access to the rest of her neck.

He planted small, open-mouthed kisses down her jaw. When he reached her neck, he smirked around his next words.

"It's a good thing that I'm this giving… because you can still have me."

THE END.