PAIRING: Finn/Rory.

RATING: PG and edging upwards. Fair warning: next chapter it'll edge upwards a lot.

SPOILERS: Everything that has aired so far is fair game.

DISCLAIMER: Not mine. All characters are property of ASP and the WB.

NOTES: Thanks to those who've reviewed thus far. You have my brand spanking new IPod Nano and it's fondness for Stars for this chapter. Title from the song 'Your Ex-Lover is Dead.'

Six: I'll Write You a Postcard, I'll Send You the News

Later, sitting in Rory's living room, Finn continued to badger Rory about the content of her conversation with his sister. He ignored the cup of coffee he had accepted and Rory calmly sipped her second as she shot his inquiries. Finally, she decided to change the subject, "Do you remember when we met?"

"Yes."

She arched an eyebrow, "Really? Because it wasn't until a couple of months into our acquaintance that you managed to remember my name.

"Not true. Remember, 'Damn it Gilmore! Give 'em back their balls!'" Finn smothered a laugh with a sip of coffee.

Rory shook her head, "Had I been sitting any closer to you at the time someone would have been removing that whistle from your esophagus."

"You loved it."

"At the time? I really, really did not."

"I looked hot in that uniform."

Rory rolled her eyes, "The hat was a wee bit much."

"Are you kidding me? The hat made the ensemble. Without the hat it would've just been silly."

"You're fashion sense was questionable back then."

"When did you become the fashion police, scarf-y?" Rory's reply was in the form of a withering glare, so he resumed their previous conversation, "In my defense, I met a lot of girls at Yale."

"That's the kind of defense that'll get you hanged, mister."

"Mostly, I was just messing with you. Well, there was the drinking, too."

"Excuses, excuses. I thought you were an idiot."

"Rory, love, I was an idiot. A sexy, fun idiot, but I was an idiot nonetheless. I mean, I almost single handedly sunk a yacht. A really nice one."

"Hold on a minute, I'm not so sure you should be using the past tense."

"You're right. I'm still sexy and fun."

"And full of yourself."

"That wasn't very nice, Rory," he intercepted her coffee cup as she was bringing it up to her lips, placing it on the side table.

"You can't just take my coffee!"

"I just did," he informed her.

"Give it back."

"No." Rory lunged for the coffee without much success as Finn's body was between her and her objective, and he wagged a finger at her, "Nice try, Rory."

"Finn…"

"Admit that I'm fun and sexy."

Rory snorted, "Hardly."

Finn rolled his eyes, "Charming. Really, really winning. Just admit it."

"Does coercion work with chicks in London?"

"Birds."

"What?"

"In London, you'd call them birds."

"Whatever. Gimme my coffee."

"After you say it."

"Fine," Rory sat up straight and made a grand, sweeping gesture, "You are the funnest and sexiest of them all."

"I know," he handed her the cup and mock sighed, "You're so easy."

She winked at him and used her best breathy bimbo voice, "In more ways than one," but unfortunately, she was unable to keep a straight face and burst into giggles.

Finn placed a hand over his heart, "A sexual innuendo! Rory Gilmore, I'm scandalized."

"You love it."

"I do," he agreed and leaned closer to her and leered, "if only it were true."

Rory fidgeted slightly, but did not move away. The banter that they'd always been so good at had an edge now, something beyond the playful and light. He'd kissed her last night and she'd replayed the moment, over and over, into the night. It wasn't as though he hadn't kissed her before, because he had. Exaggerated, platonic, smacking kisses, when he'd had a few too many libations. There had even been one alcohol fueled, Stephanie initiated (via truth or dare, shortly before she had graduated) mini makeout, that she'd ruined by laughing about ten seconds in. It hadn't had a remotely similar effect on her heartbeat or breathing as his mere proximity was having now. "Finn?"

"Yeah?" he spoke quietly, still sitting close to her on the couch.

"I think we need to talk."

He pulled back, ran a hand through his hair, and she watched him, noted that his eyes were serious, his expression resolute. "Yeah, we do." He stood up and moved to the other room.

Rory followed and watched, with some bewilderment as he pulled on his coat, "Talking doesn't require outerwear, Finn."

"I have to do something first."

"What?"

"I'll explain when I get back. It'll be soon, I promise."

He was out the door before she could protest.

He had to call Logan. It was the gentlemanly thing to do. It wasn't an easy thing, Finn found. He'd picked up the phone three times so far, and had yet to get beyond dialing the area code. He was pacing and muttering to himself, using every curse word in every language that he had a passing familiarity with. He was somewhat impressed with himself.

Finally, having exhausted the few words he knew in Japanese, he threw himself down on the bed and dialed Logan's direct line. It was a number very few people had, and Logan answered on the second ring. "Hello?"

"Hey Logan."

"Finn?"

"Yeah?"

"I've been expecting your call."

Finn sat up, "You have? Why?"

"I saw the picture. Read the blurb. Crap write up, but the photographer caught your best side."

"Oh."

"Yeah. It was in one of my papers, you know."

"Oh," Finn repeated. He hadn't realized that. He wondered if Rory had.

"It's a fairly recent acquisition."

"Oh." And now was really not the time to lose his ability to form complete sentences.

"How is Rory, anyway?" Logan asked and had Finn been listening for it he would have heard more than a touch of amusement in the other man's tone.

"Good," Finn was scrambling. The words he'd formulated in his head over the past few days escaped him. He'd expected chit chat and a gentle easing into the 'Mate, I'm in love with the girl you were in love with in college,' conversation. He really should have written something down. "She's good."

"Good."

"I think I love her," Finn blurted out, finally.

"Wow."

"Yeah."

"I didn't mean to, Logan."

Logan laughed, "Funny, I remember thinking the same thing."

"I'll understand if you want to punch me, the next time you see me. I broke the code."

"The code?"

"Never fall for a friend's girl. Isn't that in the code?"

"Probably. I've never paid much attention to rules, though."

"Me neither."

"I do seem to remember plenty of overlap of girls between the three of us."

"Not among the important ones"

"Of which there were few."

"Just, don't mess my face up permanently, alright? I'm attached to it."

"I'm not going to punch you, Finn."

"You're not?"

"Well, I might. If you mess it up too badly."

Finn deflated, "And that's a definite possibility. I'm shit at relationships."

Logan laughed again, "Just don't run. Rory's a runner and their can only be one in every relationship."

"Right. I'll try. I didn't expect you to be this easygoing, Logan. You're the classic only boy, after all. Not that I'm looking a gift horse in the mouth, or anything."

"You're my friend, Finn. And Stephanie called me."

"Oh?"

"Threatened me. Told me not to be a selfish jackass, for once in my life."

"I love that lady."

"Are you calling me a selfish jackass?"

"No. Wouldn't dream of it, mate. Your benevolence shall go down in history."

"That was overcompensating."

"Sorry."

"That's okay."

"So you're fine with this?"

"Not totally, but mostly," Logan drew in an audible breath, "You deserve someone amazing, Finn."

"Aw. You're such a cheese ball, Logan."

"Shut up."

They'd talked for awhile longer. Finn was distracted, but Logan prolonged the conversation, mostly for his own amusement. He'd given them his blessing, in a way, but that didn't mean he couldn't have a little fun at Finn's expense.

Logan's secretary interrupted after an eternity (in Finn's mind) of newspaper business related conversation. Finn was putting on his shoes as Logan promised to call next week. He hung up, threw the receiver in the bed's general direction, and was out the door before it landed.