Disclaimer: They are not mine. I own nothing but my ideas.
Come Fly With Me: Part 2"Tristan…" Rory's patience with his Neanderthal display was growing dangerously short.
"As you wish, Mary"
Luckily for Tristan, he decided to let her down gently on her feet once they were out of view of the gate attendant. However just for good measure, she stomped on his foot. Just to let him know there were no hard feelings.
"Just for that, you and Finn sit together, I'll take the window seat across the isle." Rory thought she'd won. 20 hours away from the boys, with a nice seat, good entertainment…however as she entered the flight, and moved towards her seat, her heart fell. All the positive thoughts went flying out the window. She wasn't a size-ist, she liked all types of people…however, she preferred them not to invade her space. Ever since the spitter on that horrible bus back from New York on her mother's graduation day…she simply preferred to keep her distance. However, this would be more difficult. The man sitting in the aisle seat beside her window seat could have rivalled the marshmallow man from Ghostbusters. Even with the more than generous width of the First class seat, and the privacy divider between the seats, the businessman spilled into her space. She stood blocking traffic in the aisle causing Tristan to bump her.
"Mary, you can't just choose to stand in the aisle. People are waiting for us to get settled so they can lift…" Tristan started.
Finn abruptly cut in, "I wonder if they've had to recalculate fuel consumption or limit that man's baggage to ensure we can lift off, and stay off."
"Mary, you want to rethink that seating arrangement? I'm sure one of us could stand your company for the entire flight."
Rory's smile emerged even as her eyes betrayed her reluctance. "No, I'm the smallest of them all, I said I'd sit alone, and alone I shall sit."
Both boys with cheeky grins replied, "As you wish." Bowed and slid around her to reach their seats. After Rory stowed her carry-ons and had to suck in her stomach to even make it past the Mm man, she sighed. It just kept getting worse, he had a unique odour.
"Hello, I guess we're seat mates. I'm Frankie J. Mallow. Masters of Health Administration and on my way to organize hospitals in Asia to be more efficient etc." Mm man began.
So that's what that smell is Rory thought it's like a combo of hospital smell with BO with old person smell.
"Too bad the heat and humidity doesn't agree with me, and my mother would be too lonely…" Mm man continued.
This is going to be one long flight. Rory thought as she nodded absently and made affirmative and hopefully distracted noises at what she thought were appropriate points.
After lift off, the stewardesses handed out the Givenchy sleep suits and Bvlgari toiletry kits complementary in first class, (This is true got it off airline website) and Rory requested a New York Times paper. Rory's plan was to keep the noise cancelling headphones on her head, her mouth busy with a coffee, and her neighbour blocked with the NYT.
(one hour into the flight)
Finn's slumber was interrupted by the stewardess, and not the way it had played out in his dreams either. The woman gently called, "Sir, Sir, There is an emergency call that was patched through and connected to the phone at your seat. Please take the call."
Finn answered the phone, "'ello…"
"Finn!" Logan's panicked voice came over the line. "I've been trying to reach you for ages. Listen I know you're on a flight with Rory right now. But, mate, you've got to keep her away from the Times paper today. I just got a glimpse of one, and "Stasi and I made the society page. Big time."
Finn looked at the seat across the aisle, and from what he could see from around the Mm man's belly, she had the times, and she was about half way through. Almost at the society page. Finn blanched noticeably, even with his pale creamy complexion, one could easily see the haunted look of a terrified man.
Tristan looked up from his laptop and his emails to see Finn gesturing madly.
"Rory…paper…Logan…wedding announcement…" Finn tried to get out of his window seat but became tangled up in the headphone cords and tripped over Tristan's lap, the seat phone disconnecting.. Tristan could only look on in horror as the empty coffee cup shattered.
Trying to find the bright side at this horrible intrusion of Logan on his plan Tristan said a little prayer of thanks that there was no where she could run, quickly that is. Mm man was asleep, or was until the shattering coffee cup woke him. Tristan was out of his seat before Finn could recover. Mm man was difficult to deal with but after convincing him with two Franklins, agreed to change seats with Tristan, unfortunately leaving Finn in the same predicament Rory had found herself in as she walked on the plan.
As Mm man got comfortable and acquainted himself with his new seat mate, Finn's thoughts turned slightly murderous. This flight is not going well, the hols better be better, I'm not having any fun at all, and what is that SMELL! That pretty redhead sitting ahead of me is never going to look back now. What have I ever done to deserve this!
Tristan adjusted his position in the new seat, trying to fit his shape comfortably in the large crater dent the Mm man left in the seat. After a deep breathe and swearing to himself that he would be the gentleman and the bigger man, he turned to Rory.
Again, he couldn't read her face. She's still reading, she's not apologizing profusely for dropping the mug, she's not smiling. BUT SCORE! No tears either.
"Rory," he hesitated.
"You finally learned my name huh?" with a blush she continued. "But Mary is sort of growing on me."
"Mary is growing on me too." He smiled back at her. A genuine smile, none of that moody brooding or smirk, a simple smile.
"You want to see something funny?"
Tristan thought she's tentative, but she's ok I think. Maybe it's just not set in yet. I'll watch especially carefully for a while.
"Sure Mary."
Rory showed Tristan the photograph on the society page. Logan was there, looking not bad. His competition would have been tough if he had run into Rory when they were still involved. Logan looked every bit like American royalty. His "fiancée" as was confirmed in the picture of them browsing engagement rings in Tiffany and Co however looked like the down side of royalty and the snobiness associated with the snobiness; inbreeding. She had slightly large teeth showcased in her toothy smile. Her features were each lovely in turn, but somehow when put together in a package, just didn't seem to work.
"I know Logan, that's not love, that's a business merger." Rory began, but then faltered.
"I mean, she's not…what I mean is I'm not…" Rory's insecurities began to surface again. So Tristan did what Tristan did best. Distract her.
He made a grab for her chin and looked in her eyes. "Mary, listen to me…" everything from his tone to eye contact to hand gently cupping her cheek while caressing her lips with his thumb spoke volumes to back up his voice. "if it was true love, not only the I love you love but the I love you love AND the I'm in love with you love, then it would have been impossible for him to leave. It's dead easy to love someone, and its dead easy to be in love with some one, but for the two to exist in perfect balance and harmony that's true love. Someone does exist that can give you that, you just have to notice him when he tries."
At that Rory looked at him and crooked her head to the side as if she was seeing him for the first time. I just need a little more proof she reasoned.
"I know that there's something about me, men always leave…but could you just stay with me long enough, I just want someone to have fun with, someone that I can trust. I want to trust you. I do trust you. Just stay with me for now, when I'm stronger you can go, I won't hold it against you…I know its a lot to ask and you've done so much…" Rory started babbling.
Tristan just smiled. "If you won't believe me, believe another blond knight disguised as a pirate." He whispered. "Here this now: I will always come for you. I've just been waiting for you to be ready, that and I had to get my act together."
"But how can you be sure?" Rory smiled, I'll throw the list out, lists suck, and being completely spontaneous sucks. Maybe, just maybe, planning, and consideration then jumping might be better.
"This is true love- you think this happens every day?" With that Tristan smirked confident at the way this interchange was playing out. I've had years to sort out my feelings, I just needed a trip to verify it. Just promise me one thing, don't regret this and don't cry please. I can't stand it when you cry."
With that, he hesitantly brushed his lips against hers. The kiss was so light, so chaste, when Rory opened her eyes, if she hadn't noted his dazed dreamy look, she would have denied it ever happened. But she couldn't, she knew it was reflected in her eyes too.
"So where does this leave us?" Rory was scared to ask.
"Well, as I said, that's completely up to you. But let me say one thing. I will not be a rebound. If you say you want to try something more than friends, do it cause you want to, not because you need a warm body." Tristan's everything was on the line.
"Then I think…" Rory shifted so she was within Tristan's arms leaning on his shoulder. "I think we should stay like this a while. I like this." With that she snuggled closer and once again started drifting off to sleep. Tristan barely heard her last words, "I don't know what this is, but I want to give us a chance…" Rory yawned, "lets just take it slow."
Tristan couldn't disagree with that.
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A/N: Sorry, short once again, but two updates within a few days of each other…I think is a good equivalent for waiting for a long chapter. Anyways MCAT on Sat. So that's it for writing till after the weekend. Enjoy and thank you for all the kind reviews. I apologize if quality is not my 100 best. I've posted this with minimal editing.