Disclaimer: I don't own the series Gilmore Girls or the original characters. All I own is my imagination and the plot.
A/N: Well, it's probably been months since I even so much glanced at a GG story, let alone work on one of my own GG stories, though I have been thinking about the handful of unfinished GG stories. And eventually I will get to all of them, but it will just take me my share of time because, unfortunatelyI have lost all interest in the show and its characters. My new addiction and obsession is Lost and I foresee a lot of Kate/Sawyer in my future, apart from the ones I've already written of course. :) So, check those out if you want a change.
Weak (4)
Somewhere, early in the morning, a knock on her bedroom window awoke Rory from a restless sleep, one she had cried herself into only hours ago. The memories were as fresh as the sleep she dusted from her eyes, drowsily directing them towards the open door and taking her time in realizing where the sound had really come from. Another knock followed and she forced herself to get up, her limbs heavy as she dragged onwards towards the window. Recognizing the silhouette of what she used to think of as nothing but a golden-haired rich boy, she shortly hesitated before opening the window, slowly leveling her eyes with his as she slid up the window inch by inch. Lucky for her he was also still dressed in the same formal slacks and preppy sweater, making her feel less guilty for still having on her clothes from the party. ''What do you want?'' she asked rather curtly, giving him the same treatment as he offered her at the party.
''I deserved that,'' he said.
She bit her bottom lip at his words, unsure of what direction she should take them and how she was supposed to read into his abrupt change of heart. She ran her hand through her uncombed curls and dropped it back down to her side with a sigh. ''Come in if you have something to say. It's cold,'' she added, her back already turned. While he maneuvered his way into her room she sat down on the edge of her bed, instinctively wrapping her arms around herself as he came to stand in front of her.
He was uncomfortable, too, and instantly pocketed one of his hands, leaving the other one free to run across his face.
''Logan,'' she called on him, needing him to focus on her.
And he did. He even went so far as to crouch down in front of her, taking her by surprise. He gingerly placed his hands on her knees, steadying himself and seeking out physical contact at the same time. He needed something. He threw up his head and looked her in the eyes, making it harder on himself. ''Look, I know I wasn't that nice to you at the party and that I haven't treated you the way I should've...'' he trailed off in anticipation of her reply.
''No you weren't and you haven't,'' she said, a slight pout showing off her disappointment as she crossed her arms.
He couldn't help smiling at her. ''I'm sorry,'' he offered.
''Why?'' she tested him.
''Finn told me-''
''Everything?''
Logan nodded. ''Apparently his side wasn't the right one.''
''Told you,'' he heard her murmur beneath the breath.
''He also told me that he took you home.'' He raised a hand up to her hair, playfully tugging at one of her wound up locks. ''And that you've been crying.'' The brown of his eyes softened as she bent her head in embarrassment. He didn't give her a chance to shrink from his touch as he pulled his hand from her hair and tipped her head back up. ''Hey,'' he began while finding her eyes with his own, ''Sarah's just a girl. She doesn't mean anything and I shouldn't have used her to get to you.''
Rory shrugged. ''It's okay; I shouldn't have kissed Finn back, so I guess we're even.'' She tried a small smile he returned. ''Everyone makes mistakes right?''
''Thank you,'' she said.
He held out his hand. ''Fight over?''
''Fight over,'' she repeated and shook his hand, gently pulling him towards her as she did so. Their lips lightly grazed one and other before he leaned in and kissed her properly.
''Do you want me to stay?'' he asked afterwards.
Rory bit her lip and slowly nodded. ''I just have to do something, but it can wait for another few hours,'' she quickly added in assurance.
''Okay,'' he accepted her explanation, hiding the bitterness in his smile.
x-x-x
She saw Finn instantly, sitting on the edge of the lily-white fountain, located in the campus' center, his dark appearance a sharp contrast. She dragged her feet a little when heading over to him, a soft 'hey' making her presence known before claiming the spot beside him.
''Hey,'' he returned, wasting no more words on her, knowing what she was here for.
Briefly courageous enough to look him in the eye she said, ''Thank you.'' As soon as the words had left her mouth her eyes traveled back down to her hands, nervously pulling at the sleeves of her shirt as he tentatively pushed on. ''You know, we can try to be friends. I mean, I know you said that you couldn't...'' She took some time to think when pushing a lazy strand of hair aside. ''But maybe, for Logan's sake?'' She raised her eyes to his in doubt.
He took a puff from his cigarette, turning his eyes away as he flicked it onto the ground. He nodded and held out his hand to her. ''Okay.''
Rory smiled at the sight of his lightly shaking hand before clasping her fingers around his.
''What?'' Finn inquired with a small smile of his own.
She shrugged somewhat sheepishly. ''I've been wondering something... Your hands, why are they always shaking?''
He abruptly pulled his hand back, embarrassed. ''Sorry.''
''Oh, no, I didn't mean...'' she trailed off while lowering her eyes in shame, her cheeks flushed. ''I just noticed and... You don't have to answer me.''
He chuckled. ''Logan's right, you do ramble a lot.''
She gave him a sideways glance, the stubble on his face making her smile for some reason. ''Logan talks about me?'' she quickly asked when he caught her looking, hoping to maneuver her way out of an uncomfortable situation unnoticed, something he saw, but didn't tap into. Instead he nodded, like he could care less. ''Yeah, he talks about you.''
''Good or bad?''
''What?''
''Do you get to hear the good or the bad?'' she repeated.
''The good, always the good.''
''Really?'' Surprise was written in her eyes as she met his. ''Even when, well, you know.'' And she looked away again.
''Even then, princess.'' His smile was sad while hers was bashful as she turned her eyes away from him, momentarily out of things to say and so was he, though there was nothing left to say, nor was there any more time. Finn was the first to spot his best friend and gently nudged the hazel-haired girl beside him. She shot an inquisitive glance in his direction, colliding with Logan's the second after, a warm smile her immediate acknowledgement. She looked back at Finn with the same smile, a simple nod all she was getting. ''I'll see you later.''
''Later, doll,'' he murmured when she was already on her way over to Logan. He reached for another cigarette and got up, too, offering his friend a quick wave of his hand before disappearing out of their sights.
''I was thanking him,'' she offered to him as an immediate explanation. ''He isn't used to having friends. I mean-''
''I know what you mean.''
She dropped her eyes. ''It's just that I really want to try to be friends with him, but he-''
''Just give him some time to get used to the idea,'' Logan said, not mentioning the difficulty his friend had with trusting people, something Logan couldn't blame him for. ''It took Colin and me our share of time to get through to him.''
She obediently nodded. ''I just want everyone to get along.''
''We will. Just don't go and kiss him,'' followed his loaded remark, letting her know that all was long from forgotten, and she couldn't blame him.
x-x-x
At the end of their day out together, Logan invited Rory back to his dorm where they ended up ordering pizza. Finn accepted their invitation to join them, leaving Colin with the task to keep the level of tension low, even though it was still there. Everyone just did their best to hide it.
To Rory it felt like a test when she and Finn were left alone while the other two went out to rent videos, Logan insisting on going with Colin, even though he had offered to get them on his own. Their interaction was kept to a minimum and when the two others came back, she lay on the couch in the sitting area while Finn had retreated back into the room he shared with Logan, and it wasn't until Logan had asked her to stay the night that she ran into Finn again.
''I have to change,'' she stated when standing awkwardly in the door's frame. ''Logan asked me to stay the night.''
''Of course he did,'' he replied, though he did get up.
She caught his arm when he was on his way out and stopped him. ''Do you mind?''
He shook his head and pulled back his arm. ''Why would I?'' He paused briefly, catching her eyes. ''We're friends, right?''
She nodded and let him go; turning to shut the door, needing some time along with her thoughts, though Logan kept her from doing so. She gave him a look, repeating the question she had just asked one of his close friends, though the tone she used wasn't the same. ''Do you mind?''
''Depends on what you were about to do,'' he responded in a slick manner.
''I was going to change.''
''And who's stopping you?''
''Logan,'' she tiredly chided, fatigued by how he had decided to test her, doing everything he could to tempt her into crossing the newly set boundaries. She had noticed his eyes on her whenever she so much as glanced in Finn's direction. He was waiting for her to fall into his trap, desperately wanting to see her make the same mistake twice for some reason when she wasn't going to. Everyone made mistakes...
''I've seen you naked before, Ace.''
''I don't care, Logan,'' she shot back at him.
He clicked his tongue a couple of times before stepping further into the room, opening his mouth to say something, but she got to him before he could say anything. ''Don't turn this into a fight, Logan,'' she firmly warned him, having seen the two of his friends over his shoulder, one ready to jump in at any time while the other simply looked on, hands hidden in his pockets. ''Please? I passed the test, didn't I?'' she caught him off guard.
''With flying colors,'' he gave in, closing the door behind him as he stepped back out of the room.
She took her time stripping off her clothes, confident that no one would walk in on her. After changing into the first sweatshirt she could find she got into Logan's bed, pulling the covers up as far as she could, already fast asleep by the time Logan came and joined her, though she found herself awake only a few hours later.
She turned to look over at Finn's bed, Logan's breath hot against her skin. Finding it empty, she too slipped from between the covers and tip-toed over to the door, careful not to make any sound as she opened it to a crack that was just big enough for her to creep through.
''What are you doing?'' she asked, arms loosely at her sides as she came to a halt only a few feet from where Finn was sitting.
''Aren't you supposed to be in bed, princess?'' He didn't look back at her and waited for her to approach him.
''I could say the same for you,'' she noted while sitting down beside him on the couch.
He gave her a careful once-over. ''You're wearing my sweatshirt,'' he nonchalantly declared, leaning over to fish for his burning cigarette. ''Just thought you should know.''
Rory tucked her legs underneath her and stretched the sweatshirt as far as it could in her struggle to cover herself up. ''So, what are you doing?'' she asked, referring to the bowl in front of him, the contents a mystery to her because of the room's dimness.
''Having a bowl of midnight cereal. It's something I do.'' He shrugged.
''And the cigarette is your substitute for good old fashioned milk?''
Finn chuckled and stubbed out his cigarette with a pointed look in her direction. ''Better?''
She smiled. ''Much.''
''Glad to hear, love. Why don't you go and fetch yourself a spoon and join me?'' He gestured towards the bowl of cereal.
Rolling her eyes playfully she got up and hurried towards the drawer the boys used to keep their basic kitchen utensils in. She snatched herself one of the last clean spoons, letting it clatter loudly to the floor upon turning. ''Logan.''
Review please? (: Okay, so I haven't watched the show in a while, nor have I read any stories, hence the sudden disappearance of my reviews, something I apologize for. Anyway, I altered Finn's attitude a little because I thought that it suited the situation, and I hope you liked this chapter and that there are still people interested in this story? Thanks anyway. :)