CHAPTER 6

A/N: I know it took longer than usual to update this (and I do know the other 2 are also in dire need of new chapters). Thanks to Amy, she nudged me in the right direction.

Quotes are from the movie "When Harry Met Sally". Like the GG disclaimer, movie's not mine. However, I own a copy of the flick and had watched too many times.

Extra long chappie as compensation. Enjoy!

Tristin was tired. In fact, he knew that in any other situation he would've slept the day away without feeling guilty that he squandered the time away foolishly. However, today was different. For the next five days, it will remain this way.

He rubbed his eyes and sighed loudly.

It was going to be a long day.

It wasn't like he wasn't used to burning the candle at both ends. Anyone who knew him from Adam would tell you he thrived on tension but this situation was different. It involved someone he'd prefer not to see and someone he preferred to remain in his past.

He stared at what he called breakfast: a half-filled coffee cup, fruit, and a half-eaten croissant. Breakfast wasn't his thing, and trying to consume the meal made his stomach revolt.

He contemplated the events that were still left to be unraveled. He thought back on the conversation he'd had with Rory the day before. He cursed. Who were they deluding? There had to be a reason why she hadn't told Logan about their past. Who was he to interfere with their blissful ignorance?

"Hey, mate, where's your partner?" Finn approached him with a look of desperation.

"She hasn't come down yet," he replied. He watched Finn flinch on the spot. "What's up?"

"This whole thing is driving us mad. We can't get started because we can't ask around for help..." Finn enumerated.

"Finn, you know better than to solicit aid on neutral ground!" Jared chastised the Australian.

"If I were you, I would start looking in a guide book," Rory stage whispered as she slipped into a seat next to Tristin. "And are you or Tim fluent in Spanish?"

"Sweetheart, the only thing I habla is amore," he replied.

"Then tell him to speak loudly. Someone's bound to help you out," Rory continued whispering. "I don't think that constitutes as soliciting for help from the natives."

"You," Finn stated, kissing her soundly on the cheek, "are a godsend. I hope you reconsider my offer."

Rory laughed at the statement, and Tristin was left amused. "I don't think I'll be changing my mind soon. But thanks again."

"Fine," Finn rolled his eyes at her. "Maybe we'll see each other in town?"

"Maybe."

Finn winked at them before heading back to his table to join Stephanie and the other two Knights.

"Do I want to know what Finn was talking about?" Tristin asked, crossing his arms across his chest.

Rory licked the coffee stirrer absentmindedly before resuming the conversation. "Not really."

Tristin shot her an evil glare.

"Well, if you must know, he asked me to leave Logan and be part of his harem," she confessed.

"Really?" he arched a perfectly shaped eyebrow at her. "I didn't know that the LDB was into girlfriend swapping. Where do I sign up?"

"They're not, and there isn't a roster to sign up!" Rory answered heatedly. "Finn is just being himself."

Tristin was surprised at how quickly he could still bait her into an argument. The blush. It was still there when she spoke passionately. He stared at her as she rambled.

"Honestly, do you think I am Finn material?" Rory exclaimed as he continued to eyeball her, missing the underlying tones completely. "Last time I checked, he liked his women as wholesome as the Hooters girls."

Tristin chuckled. "I take it he's not picky?"

"I don't think 'picky' is part of his vocabulary. He prefers his women knowledgeable in all forms of Kama Sutra and then some," she commented.

"Classic!" he laughed.

"I know. Sometimes I wonder how he gets through school," Rory shook her head in disbelief. She recollected stories of the women that occupied Finn's life and bed since she met him. Both held on to their sides as they laughed at story after story.

Just like that, his defenses were down. "You're just toying with me now. Are you trying to distract me?"

"Is it working?" Rory asked, sipping her coffee. She dabbed her lips with the corner of her napkin.

"You're not going to win this time, Rory," he said, showing her the sealed envelope. "Are you ready?"

Getting up, Rory said, "Yeah."

Tristin had her lead the way. The walk to the shuttle bus didn't take long. He could tell from her fidgeting that she was uncomfortable with the sudden absence of conversation. He smiled at her. She smiled back. He tried to speak, but no words came out. He caught her out of the corner of his eye doing the same thing he tried do.

"I-," they chorused. Both stopped. Another awkward laugh escaped their lips.

"You go first," he said.

"I was just going to say-," Rory was once again interrupted.

"There you are," Logan grabbed Rory from behind and planted a firm kiss on the crook of her neck. "I missed you this morning."

Rory blushed. "Logan!" She faced him and kissed him properly.

Tristin was left watching from the side, suddenly feeling sick. He looked away to give them their privacy.

"Oh, sorry," Logan apologized through guarded eyes. "I didn't even see you there."

"Like I'd allow Rory to leave for Barcelona alone," Tristin guffawed.

"I don't know man," Logan sighed. A cocky air accompanied his statement. "Last time we were faced with a similar situation, you got a little careless and left something that should've been tended to a little more carefully."

"Logan…" Rory tried to stop her boyfriend from causing a scene.

Tristin inhaled sharply at the low blow Logan delivered. "I wouldn't be so smug if I were you."

"Hey look, it's the shuttle," Rory called out. She kissed Logan quickly on the cheek. "I'll see you when we get back."

"Rory," Logan replied to his girlfriend, grabbing her forearm before she escaped. "Just watch out for Tristin. He sometimes plays… dirty. I'll try to meet up with you later on today." His eyes shifted between Rory and Tristin in malice.

"Yeah, Rory, because Logan knows how much of an ass I can be. It takes one to know one, right?" Tristin supplied the smart remark to Logan. "Don't worry, Logan. I'll make sure the tag on you have on her won't be tampered with."

"Come on, Tristin," Rory tried to diffuse the argument by dismissing Logan's remark. She laced her fingers with Tristin's and pulled him toward the air-conditioned vehicle.

When the vehicle pulled away and Logan was clearly out of sight, Rory squared her shoulders and faced Tristin. "What the heck was that about?"

"Friendly banter?" he retorted.

"Seriously, is the word 'Credulous' stamped on my forehead?" Rory remarked.

"I don't know," Tristin said, staring at her in disinterest. "The chained collar around your neck should be choking you though."

"God, Tristin. Why do you make it so hard for anyone to like you?" Rory argued, leaving her seat to distance herself from her partner.

"That explains the 'Doesn't get along well with other children on the playground' remark from grade school then," he continued on sardonically.

"Fine," Rory glared at him. "I thought we were over this. Apparently, you like being stuck in the fifth grade."

"In the fifth grade, I was making out with Monica Sheen in Home Room," Tristin confessed, leaning back against the backrest.

"Whatever," Rory hissed. "Is it too late to give you a swift kick in the ass?"

"Honey, you're the one that has issues," Tristin argued. "I'm just here for the ride."

Just like yesterday, they had a stare off. However this time there was no look of challenge. All that was left between them was apathy and ennui.

"How is it that no matter how well we get along we always end up here?" Rory asked.

"I have no clue," he rubbed his eyes again.

"Oh you know how we get here. Don't be coy," she argued.

"You honestly want me to answer your question," he deadpanned.

"Yes."

"No holds barred, no running to the boyfriend who'd pretend he's going to solve all your problems?" he taunted.

"Yes."

Tristin scooted to the end of the shuttle bench to close the gap between them. "Rory, you and I might as well be Harry and Sally."

"Albright and Burns? You're quoting a chick flick?" Rory huffed. "Wow, why do I feel that a classic had been reduced to a Friday night movie?"

Tristin just stared at her.

"I've never looked at you any more than I did anyone else in Chilton…"

"Ouch," he flinched.

"I've never even faked an orgasm in front of you," she recalled the movie absentmindedly without toning down her voice.

They started gathering strange looks from the other passengers in the vehicle.

"Listen, we can't be friends because the sex part gets in the way," he bluntly responded.

Rory's eyes snapped up to meet his. "'Because no man can be friends with a woman that he finds attractive. He always wants to have sex with her,'" she quoted Harry Burns' line.

Tristin leaned the back of his head against the window. "Exactly."

"Huh," Rory hummed. "Never thought you were such a cynic."

They dropped the conversation until they got off in front of the La Sagadra Familia. Staring off at the gaudy façade, Rory asked, "So, what are we looking for this time?"

Tristin slipped his finger through the small opening at the corner of the envelope. He pulled out a white slip of paper.

"If you were Saint George, you'd slay me."

"Hmm, kinky," Rory replied without great concern over the clue. "Back to our previous conversation."

"What conversation?" he feigned ignorance as he scanned their surroundings and the map he took out from his knapsack.

Rory ignored his comment. "When you say sex, do you refer to the gender aspect of it or the act? Follow up question, say you have an ugly girl…"

"How ugly?" Tristin asked. "And don't tell me that you thought about this the whole trip?"

Rory paused, even a bit annoyed with his prodding. "Stella Malloy ugly."

"The girl who always had her finger in her nose at Chilton?" he asked before shrugging his shoulders. "I won't kick her out of bed."

"And I thought Finn didn't have standards," Rory groaned. "You mean you can't be friends with Stella Malloy because you think you can bang her?"

"Well you didn't state whether or not we have to be seen in public together," he goaded. "However, if she's Sandra Bernhard fugly…"

"There is a girl you actually consider fugly?" Rory reiterated.

"Have you seen her? It? Jury is still out on the gender. She looks like the love child of Keith Richards, Steven Tyler and Mick Jagger in a screwed up rock and roll laboratory," Tristin replied. "Look in the guidebook and try to find anything about Saint George or a dragon."

"Dragon?" Rory repeated, trying unsuccessfully to match his speeding stride. "Tristin, wait!"

"The sooner we get this done…" he reminded her.

"Einstein, we're not going to get there any faster if we don't know where there is," she replied, irritated.

He stopped immediately, almost instantly colliding with Rory.

"Oof!" the muffled sound escaped from Rory's lips. Their eyes met as Tristin steadied her.

"Physics. It's such a bear," Tristin murmured to her as he let her go.

Rory pulled away from him and opened her guidebook. She felt an odd tingly sensation race up and down her arms. She shook the feeling off and blamed it on the slight breeze blowing through.

"Anything?" he impatiently asked.

"Getting there," she muttered, fingering through the index. "There's a place called La Finca Guell, located at the University Zone. The pavilion has a chained dragon designed by Gaudi in 1885."

Tristin leaned over her shoulder to read the passage. Right beside the paragraph she read was an iron-cast dragon that could scare a small child. "Too predictable," he stated.

"Is Barcelona known for bigger dragons? Dinosaurs?" Rory questioned. It was only then she realized Tristin wasn't paying attention to her.

"Tristin," she broke his reverie with her singsong voice.

"What?" he asked without looking at her.

Rory followed his gaze to a pack of tourists walking down the street. Amazingly, she figured out why Tristin was looking.

"Nice butt, however, bow-legged," she stated.

"Huh?" her statement grabbed his attention. "What are you talking about?"

"Blonde, two o'clock. I know you were eyeing her," she teased.

"Was not," he huffed.

"Was, too!" she elbowed him jokingly. "Come on. Let's follow them."

"That will detract us from our goal," he hissed at her playfully.

"Come on. I know you can't pass an opportunity as good as this!" Rory teased.

They followed the slow moving crowd as the guide talked about the importance of Mançana de la Discòrdia.

"Can anyone tell me what 'mancana' means?" the guide asked.

A squeaky redhead answered, "It' means apple."

"Oho! I think we scored an American high school field trip. Way to go, DuGrey!" Rory teased Tristin.

"Oh, shut up," Tristin shoved Rory playfully.

They followed the group until they reached Passeig de Garcia where the "Block of Discord" was located. First, they passed the Pedrera. They listened to the tour guide talk all about the infrastructure until Tristin's eye caught the reflection of a blue green scaly rooftop.

"Rory, I think we've slain the dragon," he replied. A smile crept on his lips as he found his hand on the small of her back to nudge her forward.

"What are you…" she asked, almost hushing him to silence. She felt his soft touch and was immediately stunned to silence. She followed with her eyes the outstretched arm pointing towards the rooftop. Immediately, she snaked her arm around his waist and said, "What are we waiting for?"

The two raced toward the building and stared at the odd infrastructure. Like the other tourists, they stood there, awed and fascinated.

"The windows look like teeth," Rory whispered to Tristin.

"Like a dragon picking the bones?" Tristin added his vivid description.

Rory fished out her guidebook in search of the building. Reading out loud, she stated, "Casa Batllo is also known as The House of Bones. The apartment structure was renovated by Gaudi from 1904 to 1906 on commission by textile industrialist, Josep Batllo i Cassanovas. Known as one of Gaudi's completed works, this infrastructure is part of the Block of Discord, complimenting the works of Modernists Puig i Cadafalch and Dominic i Montaner."

"Wow. Isn't this impressive?" Tristin replied in reverence. He looked at her almost in contemplation. "Want to check what's inside a dragon?"

She smiled back at him. "I thought you'd never ask."

Like children in a candy store, they rushed to the ticket booth and purchased tickets and a guidebook. Rory handed him her Euros only to have Tristin decline it.

"Want the audio tour?" he asked.

Rory paused. "I don't think so."

"Good," he said before tucking his wallet back into his pocket. "I was hoping we could talk while we go through the place."

Sure enough, they enjoyed themselves marveling through the multi-colored glass mosaics and the unbelievable talent and skill that transformed the ceramics to works of art.

The interior impressed them. The art that took to make the dragon spine and the floral domes representing Saint George's sword intrigued them. It escaped them in their excitement that they seem to have invaded each other's personal space. Neither of them had the gumption to point out or rectify the situation.

"I can't believe you said that the arched doorway looked like a phallic symbol," Rory choked out in laughter as they stumbled out to the streets. "I was thinking 'mushroom'."

"Come on, don't tell me you didn't think of it when you saw it," he said.

"Ew, gross!" she said. "Maybe you were just thinking…"

"You better not complete that sentence," he threatened playfully.

Rory broke out into a sprint. "That if you could've been an…"

She didn't complete the sentence. Tristin bum rushed her and tickled her mercilessly until she collapsed on the sidewalk with tears escaping her eyes.

"Uncle. Uncle!" she surrendered.

"I thought you would," he replied, gasping for air.

He held out a hand to help Rory get off the pavement. However, letting go just became a little harder.

The laughter stopped. Their breathing halted.

"Rory," her name escaped his lips.

"There you are. I knew you guys were smart enough to figure your clue," Jared called out as he, Logan, Tim and Finn walked toward them.

Tristin and Rory jumped apart from each other quickly.

"Yeah, just had to figure out which dragon to slay," Tristin replied casually.

"Rory, we figured out the clue, thanks to you," Finn said excitedly as he showed her a Polaroid picture of their find. "Fascinating, isn't it?"

Rory gazed at the oddly shaped sculpture. "What is it?"

"It's Joan Miro's 'Woman and Bird'. The book said something about balance and serenity," he quoted loosely.

"And your thoughts?" Rory asked.

"I liked the statement that it looks like a penis. Love it," he smugly stated.

"Is everyone famished?" Logan asked. Everyone nodded in agreement. "Great. Let's get some lunch."

Except for a quick glance at each other at lunch, Rory and Tristin eluded each other's company.

Their silence was testament to The Harry/Sally argument.