Disclaimer: They are not mine. I own nothing but my ideas.
Chapter 7Rory awoke with the smell of something heavenly beside her. She sat up sniffing the air as she rubbed her eyes, still with lids at half mast, she stuck her nose in the source of the heavenly smell. Tristan's Lobster Thermidor.
"Where's mine?" were the first words out of her mouth.
"You don't get this. I ordered this." Tristan replied while kindly nudging her nosy nose out of his meal. "You ordered your duck remember?"
"I wouldn't order a duck! I would remember. How could I eat a duck after making friends with Mr. Quackers last year. I would absolutely never order duck." Rory protested.
"Unless I was half asleep when my order was taken…"
With that Tristan gave Rory a pointed look. "I gather I was…fine. Where's my food?"
Tristan waved at the stewardess and she brought Rory's tray. Once the foil seals were lifted, Rory began to pick at her meal, eyeing Tristan's every bite.
With a sigh, he relented. "Your plate looks good, how about we switch. I'd like to try the duck."
Before he finished his statement, Rory had already stolen his tray and was in the process of demolishing the accompanying saffron rice. He sighed and reached for her tray finishing the poor abused duck that had been picked at and pushed all over the plate.
After the meal service, Hagen-Daz ice cream was served for desert with coffee in tiny individual portions. Tristan wondered not for the first time, what he had gotten into. Rory had commandeered his laptop to watch DVDs that she had brought even though there were a plethora of choices on the on-demand menu for her personal airplane screen.
Finn, leaned by Tristan's seat and commented on the sight. "Mate, she's got your ice cream, my ice cream, hers, and evidently 10 other peoples' who didn't want their ice cream, an entire carafe of coffee AND your laptop. Yet we're sitting here doing absolutely nothing." With a sigh he continued. "Crikey, never thought I'd be whipped by another man's doll."
"She's not mine yet…" Whispered Tristan as he looked longingly at the brunette beside him. At that moment, right in the middle of Charlie Bucket's "I've got a golden ticket" during the musical interlude that did not require her to mouth along with the song, she graced him with a beaming smile, eyes shining, the whole shebang.
"I pity you mate." Began Finn. "My god those are good genes, her smile struck me harder than the paintball pellets, and might I say this hurt in a good way. I can only pity its effect on you."
"Makes me want to give her the world, and at the same time, run away cause I'm not good enough and she needs someone more worthy." Tristan whispered almost reverently. "We might as well catch some sleep, see the sights when we get there. We're staying at my apartment there, so we'll be able to freshen up immediately. None of this afternoon check in nonsesnse."
"Right-o." Finn prepped for sleep. "Too bad I couldn't convince that gorgeous girl that sharing is always more polite."
Tristan tried to follow Finn off to the land of slumber, but his attention was continually pulled to the girl next to him. Even with his eyes closed, his ears were attentive to noises that were coming from her direction. She shifted in her seat, she changed the dvd, she sipped her coffee, she giggled quietly…eventually, he drifted off to meet her once again in her dreams, however now, he was unsure whether his position with dream Rory was more desirable than being beside reality Rory.
Coffee is a diuretic, as all sleep deprived college students realize and regret during long exams. Eventually even Rory's desensitized system required attention that tore her attention from the trials of Wesley. She left him hanging and climbing at an inhuman speed up a cliff, in search of the restroom. Carefully as to not disturb Tristan's slumber, she tried to squeeze by his form. She took note of his countenance, amazed at the amount of emotion, or lack thereof he could express. She remembered his mask from high school, and the laughter, concern and amusement she could see through his chocolate eyes. Rory Gilmore, I do believe you're falling for the fallen angel. She thought. With a small secret smile and treasuring the butterflies that were captive in her belly at the thought of him and the future, she left to take care of business.
With well-honed instincts, Tristan awoke the minute his Mary left his side. His first reaction was panic, that she'd left to break down, he immediately bounded out of his bed/seat and left to scour first class for Rory. As he walked up the isle in nothing but the sleeper set, socks and the sleeping eyeshades on his forehead, he encountered his princess exiting the washroom.
Aw, she blushes, I don't think there's a more beautiful sight in the world. Well…maybe but I've yet to see it, and it still involves her. Tristan's thoughts typically veered to more than PG-13, but were barely restrained as usual.
"Hi," Rory offered.
"Hi yourself Mary." Tristan's voice husky and gravely from slumber sent tingles up Rory's spine and sent her butterflies into a frenzy.
Rory finally looked up from her feet at Tristan's face and started to smile. What on earth is so funny about my face. Tristan wouldn't usually worry about his looks. I look good, I usually know what I look like, not that I'm a narcissist or anything. His defences went up, ready for an attack, playful or otherwise.
"Your hair, is all mussed, free from the gel, or wax, or whatever you use and your nightshade is on your forehead." Rory explained. "I guess its not that amusing, but, you just look good. Cute even." Rory hesitantly raised her hand to run her fingers through the aforementioned hair. Analyzing it with marked interest, separating the ash strands from the golden from the straw, running the locks through her fingers, testing the texture. Tristan's eyes closed at the touch. Who knew just running fingers through hair would be so sensual. She's doing no more than I do and yet she's setting me on fire. Tristan groaned.
"Mary…" he warned. She's doing a number on my control, and yet, she's doing nothing at all! Then, his poor delayed processors registered her words. Cute even! "Cute? Only cute?" He smirked. "Are you sure you don't mean hot? Well ravished? Worn out? Loved?"
Her only reply was to club him on the back of the head and smile. "No, I said and meant cute, besides, if any of the others applied, I would have first hand knowledge would I not?" Her teasing had taken a slightly more serious tone. "Right?"
Tristan could only groan once again. Still so oblivious! "Mary, only in my most far-fetched dreams." Rory's face began to fail, her smile faltering, she started to withdraw, confidence stung by his confession. "And hopefully, depending on you, in my future too." With that he smiled and slowly leaned forward to press his lips to her forehead, forcefully enough, he hoped to leave an impression both internally and externally.
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A/N: Dreadfully short, I know. But 62 reviews...you doknow how to set a girl on cloud 9.I plead a busy week and writers block. I wanted to post something for my dear readers and reviewers. Thank you for your support! To Pearl24, firstly, Logan broke things with Rory cause he knew what his family would do, ie. arrange a business mariage and he didn't have the backbone to keep defying them, though Rory has no idea of that. I had the entire break up scene, Logan was vague with Rory, essentially giving her guilt over fidelity, and re-evaluation of feelings for the breakup. I am Canadian but I did vacationdown under one year which is where I get part of the Aussie culture I stick in,and I have a weird thing for animal shows like Nature of Things, National Geographic and Croc. Hunter, the last one is also partially a source for Finn's colloquialisms. I hope that clarifies a bit. I promise to update again soon.