He'd be a Fool Not To

Chapter Nine Recap:

"So what'd loverboy want?" she asked teasingly, reminding herself that she was giving this boy a chance.

Rory smiled gratefully at her mom but her blue eyes were still anxious and she pulled a pillow onto her lap, letting her fingers pick at the fray surrounding it. "Well…umm…I know that we usually watch movies and stay up on Christmas Eve but," she paused, drawing in a large breath before continuing, "Tristin invited me to a Christmas Party at his parents' house."

Lorelai let a small smile grace her face. She could tell only by looking at her daughter that Rory wanted to go. She tilted her head to the side and chewed at her bottom lip as she remembered all the past Christmas Eve's they'd spent together, always together. Bu Lorelai had known that this day would come. Rory was growing up.

She inhaled a breath and turned on the couch, tucking her feet underneath her. "What do you wear to that kind of party?" she asked, subtly giving Rory her permission.

"What? Oh, um, a dress I guess," Rory answered automatically before her eyes widened and her head snapped up to meet her mothers eyes. "You're letting me go?" she asked, hope in her eyes and voice.

"Of course, babe," Lorelai responded, smiling as her daughter launched herself into her arms and hugged her.

"Thank you!" Rory said and stayed like that for a minute before she leaned back and jumped off the couch. "I have to go tell him," she told Lorelai before almost skipping off into her room.

Lorelai sighed and fell back into the pillows on the couch as she heard Rory's door closed.

Her little girl was growing up…

Chapter Ten:

Rory frowned slightly, dragging her marker across one of the squares on her calendar. She starred silently at the marred white box, disappointment spreading through her system. She couldn't believe that she had to get up and go back to school the next morning. The two weeks they'd had off for winter break had been like heaven for her and even though she loved school, she just wasn't ready to go back.

Rory shuffled over to her bed and perched herself on the edge, absentmindedly chewing at the end of her Sharpie marker. She let her blue gaze drift over to the mass of pillows and blankets and couldn't stop her cheeks from flaming up. She knew the night before would be forever branded in her memory…

Flashback

"How could you lose your notes?" Rory asked sceptically, her hands on her hips.

"Well I didn't so much lose them…as I threw them out," Tristin told her, smiling boyishly as he turned around and fingered a random book lying on her dresser.

"Tristin!" Rory admonished. "It's only winter break, we still have exams!" she told him and when he smirked she smacked him on the chest.

"Ouch, Mary," he pouted and then smiled, walking over to her. "You see this is where you come into the plan."

"Oh really?"

"Really," he repeated and bent down slightly, threading his fingers through one of the straps on her bag and hoisting it up. "You're gonna let me borrow your notes," he whispered like it was a secret of some sort.

Rory frowned, "I need my notes Tristin, I can't study without them."

"Relax Rory, I was only gonna photocopy them," he grinned and then grabbed onto her hand and pulled her towards her desk. He dropped her back pack down on the floor and removed the book she'd been holding the entire time, setting them down on the desk.

"What are you doing?" Rory asked, watching him closely.

"Nothing," he said innocently and before Rory could even register what was happening in her mind he'd picked her up and dropped her unceremoniously on her bed.

"Tristin!" Rory cried and moved quickly to sit herself up and when she did she found Tristin lying back on her bed, his legs outstretched and his hands hanging onto the headboard behind him. "You can't be on my bed!" she told him, fighting the blush that was rising on her cheeks and nervously looking at her bedroom door that was still open a crack.

"Why not, Mary? I'm not doing anything," he reasoned with her, smiling at her pink blush and gently tugging at her arm to bring her closer to him. "Besides, I've never seen anyone so engrossed with a movie before than your mom."

"That's because it's not just some random movie! It's Willy Wonka and The Chocolate Factory!" she told him crossly, glaring at him even as she complied with his wishes and scooted closer to him on the bed.

"Anyway, I wasn't planning on doing anything to you," he told her which caused her to roll her eyes and shoot him a look, obviously not believing him. "Actually…" he drawled lengthening that word as he leaned over the bed and grabbed the book Rory had been holding before off the desk. "I was thinking we could read a little," he said, grinning charmingly and dangling the book in front of her.

Rory looked at him for a second, her eyes narrowed suspiciously before she smiled. Rory grabbed the book out of his hand but then moved closer to him and rested her head against his shoulder.

"Read to me?" she asked him shyly, not quite meeting his eyes and the action caused Tristin to swallowed loudly before he took the book back from her.

He started from the first page even thought Rory was already halfway through it. She didn't mind though. His voice was husky and rough, soothing her completely and making her just want to listen to him talk all day. She closed her eyes contently and let her fingers dance up his arm and onto his chest, not really realizing what she was doing.

After he finished reading the first chapter Rory could barely keep her eyes open. His smooth voice was lulling her into a peaceful slumber and she welcomed the relaxation it provided her with. She was almost completely asleep when he moved suddenly, putting the book back onto her desk. She felt him move around for a moment and then sighed as he pulled her closer to him, her head now resting on his chest and her legs automatically tangling with his. She couldn't stop the sleepy smile from spreading across her face when he wrapped an arm around her waist and kissed her sweetly on the top of her head.

"Sweet dreams, Mary," she heard him whisper before she finally succumbed to sleep.

End Flashback

Rory smiled at the memory alone, a giddy feeling flowing throughout her system. She felt stupid getting all excited over something as small as that but she couldn't help it. It had literally been the perfect moment. She would never be able to explain the feeling of safety she found in his arms, almost the kind she found when her mother would hug her after something bad happened.

Rory rolled her eyes at her own thoughts, smiling at how mushy she'd become and then pushed herself off her bed. She padded silently into the loving room and walked over to her mother who was sitting on the couch intently watching the TV.

"I'm gonna go to bed," she announced, sitting down to kiss her mom on the cheek.

"K, hon," Lorelai replied, smiling at her daughter as she watched her walk back to her room. "Oh Rory!" she called right when Rory got to her door.

"Yeah?"

"ET called when you were in the shower earlier," Lorelai told her innocently. She'd seen a little more of Tristin over the break, finding out that he may not be as evil as she'd thought. Turned out he was really good at mocking movies and had a great taste in music and he hated his parents, something Lorelai had to bond with him over.

"What?" Rory asked and immediately came back over and jumped onto the couch. "Why didn't you tell me?"

"Well he only said to pass on a message," she said and then hopped off the couch and walked into the kitchen and open the fridge.

"Mom!" Rory called and followed her, arms crossed across her chest. "Well?"

"Well what?" Lorelai asked fighting to keep the smile off her face; her daughter was just so fun to tease.

"What was the message?" Rory asked, feeling like pinching her mom for not telling her sooner.

"Oh nothing," Lorelai mused and walked away. "Just that he's gonna pick you up tomorrow," she called over her shoulder.

Rory stood in the kitchen her eyes wide in disbelief and then she narrowed them. She walked into the living and leaned over the back of the couch, her head beside her mom's. "He's picking me up?"

"I told him it wasn't necessary but he insisted," Lorelai said, smiling a little at the happy smile on her daughters face. "Night kid," she said, reminding Rory that she had been on her way to bed before.

"Yeah, night," she echoed and walked back to her.

Rory turned her light off and laid down in bed, she contemplated calling him but decided against it. Even though she didn't like the idea of him going out of his way in the morning just to pick her up, the idea was giving her butterflies.

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Rory was sitting with her mom at the kitchen table when they both heard the sound of a car pulling into the driveway. Rory had gotten up right as her alarm went off that day, not knowing what time he would come to get her. She'd been sitting in the kitchen for no more than ten minutes, though it had seemed like a lot longer.

"Bye mom," Rory told her and jumped up, grabbing her backpack and kissing her mom on the cheek.

"Not so fast," Lorelai said and grabbed her daughters' wrist. "Can't loverboy come in for a minute?" she asked, raising an eyebrow.

"Mom," Rory said, suddenly getting flashbacks to the dance she'd gone to with Dean and the way her grandmother had acted. However Rory smiled happily when she heard a car door slam and him walking up on the front porch.

"Well I guess he's smarter than Dean," Lorelai said although the teasing glint in her eyes told Rory she was just kidding.

"I'll get the door," Rory said and walking in front of her mom. "Be nice," she warned and rolled her eyes when Lorelai made a cross over her heart.

Rory opened the door and instantly felt her heart start to beat faster when she saw him standing there with his hands crammed in his pockets and a genuine smile on his face. She returned the smile and stepped outside onto the porch, almost forgetting about her completely.

"Rory?" Lorelai questioned and the two teens snapped their attention back to her. "Have fun at school," she told them and Rory felt relief wash through her system. She still wasn't exactly sure if her mom liked Tristin yet or even at all. She'd tolerated him when he'd been at their house over the break, even let them be in her bedroom together –although without the door closed of course.

"Bye mom," Rory told her and blushed as her mom winked at her, hoping Tristin hadn't seen it although she doubted it.

"Bye Lorelai," Tristin said, the first thing he'd uttered since he'd gotten there and Lorelai nodded at him before she closed the door.

Rory closed her eyes briefly before looking back up at Tristin who had his famous smirk playing on his lips and she blushed. "What?" she asked unable to stop herself.

"What was with the wink, Mary?" he asked, receiving a glare from Rory even as her blush reddened even more.

Rory smiled, "Oh you know, it's just our danger signal," she told him innocently.

"What?"

"Yep, you should be prepared, my mom is gifted in the field of attacking people with pillows," she told him as she started to walk over to his car, waiting by the side door for him to let her in.

Tristin laughed, "Pillows? I don't think I'd mind being in a pillow fight with you," he exclaimed, walking towards her his body immediately providing hers with warmth. "Pig tails…pyjama's…you climbing all over me…" he whispered into her ear, his hot breath hitting her neck and Rory felt her heart stop.

"In your dreams, Bible Boy," she told him, wanting her voice to come out teasing but instead it sounded breathy and weak.

"Every night," he promised and gently kissed her neck, the contact sending tremors down her spine. "You know Mary, you haven't said anything about me picking you up," he told her teasingly, although his blue eyes showed her how surprised he was.

"I haven't?" she questioned and smiled when he shook his head. Rory let her hands creep up his chest and twirl around his neck, pulling him down closer to her. "Thank you," she whispered before letting their lips connect.

Tristin sighed and let one of his hands delve into her silky hair while the other cupped her cheek. He kissed her back with the same gentleness, not pushing for anything but the tenderness sent shockwaves throughout both of them.

They soon broke apart, each trying to calm their breathing as they smiled. Tristin gently pulled Rory forward and opened the door behind her. After she was seated he closed the door and jogged to the other side, sliding in and starting the car.

"Tristin?" Rory asked, not meeting his eyes as she set her backpack down by her feet.

"Yeah?" he replied, backing the car out of the driveway and starting on his way to Chilton.

Rory grinned, "Don't think that I'm gonna let you do this every morning," she warned him, her earlier thoughts about not wanting him going out of his way for her coming back to her.

Tristin smirked, "I wouldn't dream of it, Mare," he told her, smiling just for her and reached over, enveloping her hand in his own.

Rory smiled, watching his profile as he concentrated on the road before them. She couldn't help but think back to the other night when she'd decided that falling asleep in his arms had been the perfect moment. Suddenly this morning felt like the perfect moment and she knew, without a doubt, that their relationship would be full of them. And the thought alone made her giddy.

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Sorry about the long wait but I'm seriously running out of ideas for this story, which is why this chapter is so short and really nothing happens in it...So if anyone knows of anything they might want to happen I would be forever grateful! Thanks and please review!

Hugs and Kisses,
-Ella