Chapter 13: Valentine's Day:

School had gotten really busy for Rory and Tristan, so they hadn't seen each other in a month. Rory decided she was going to Princeton for Valentine's Day. Tristan had that whole night planned out. They would go to dinner and then to see a movie, maybe Just Like Heaven because it was still playing in theatres and he knew Rory wanted to see it. He had also decided that it was time to let out the depth of his feelings for her. Even though they'd only been dating for close to two months, Tristan knew he was in love. He just didn't know for sure if Rory felt the same way. He'd also recently gotten the acceptance of transfer and planned on telling Rory about it. He clearly remembered the two letters. One from Princeton accepting his request for a transfer and the other from Harvard accepting him to the university.

Dear Mr. DuGrey,

We have accepted your request for a transfer and we have sent the request to Harvard. You should be getting a letter from Harvard sometime soon. If you have any questions please feel free to contact our office at (609) 235-7658.

Alice Parks
Transfer Request Office
Princeton University

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Dear Mr. DuGrey,

We received a request from your current university for a transfer and have looked over the application. There were no apparent reasons why we wouldn't accept you. Please call the admissions office at (617) 301-3456 for more information.

Sarah Matthews
Admissions Office
Harvard University

So now it was all figured out and he would be starting at Harvard in the fall. There was no way he was going to be this far away from Rory for an entire four years. At least now they could be at the same school and see each other. In the last month it had been just emails and phone calls. They'd both been extremely busy with school and hadn't had time to take a weekend to see each other. Plus there was the little problem that Rory hadn't found a car until just recently, so even if she had had the time she really had no way to drive to Princeton. This was working for the time being, but it just wasn't enough.

Rory was checking her email while Tristan was planning the Valentine's Day surprise.

To: Rory Hayden
From: Tristan DuGrey
Subject: Missing You

Hey Mar,

The distance and the fact that we haven't seen each other in a month are killing me. I miss you. I mean we talk on the phone and email but it's not the same as actually seeing each other. As you know school has been hectic lately…I need to start figuring out my classes for next year since there is three months of school left before the summer begins. But right now Philosophy is calling my name so I have to scoot. I'll probably IM you tonight.

Tristan

After the email from Tristan there was one from her mom.

To: Rory Hayden
From: Mom and Dad
Subject: Little Brother or Sister Update

Mini-me,

Well your dad and I had another doctor's appointment this week. On Monday actually and we found out the sex of the baby. And I know you really want to know, so…… you have a new baby sister. We haven't told anyone else yet. We're planning on doing that at the town meeting tonight. Then tomorrow night we will announce it to the Gilmore's at dinner and your dad has yet to tell me when we are telling his parents. Love you!

Mom

Later that night, after dinner and going to the movies with Paris, Lane and Anya, Rory was online waiting to see if Tristan would come on so they could chat. Luckily, he was online.

ET is Available.

ET: Hey, Mar.

Leigh: Again? Will you never quit?

ET: Maybe one day….

Leigh: Yeah I thought so.

ET: So get my email?

Leigh: Yeah. I did.

ET: Cool…didn't know if you did 'cause you didn't reply.

Leigh: Oh…yeah…

ET: How come?

Leigh: Because what I would have said is what we both already know.

ET: And that would be what?

Leigh: You really want me to say it, Tris?

ET: Yes.

Leigh: Okay…I miss you too.

ET: Good…didn't want to be the only one. So what did you do today?

Leigh: Classes, classes and more classes. And went out with Lane, Paris and Anya. We had dinner and went to a movie.

ET: Cool. What movie?

Leigh: Volcano Ash. It was interesting.

ET: Who picked the movie?

Leigh: Paris did…she figured that since Anya and Lane picked the restaurant she and I should pick the movie but in the end she ended up being the one to pick the movie.

ET: So what is Volcano Ash about?

Leigh: I couldn't tell you. It makes more sense if you actually go see it. So Valentine's Day is in a week. Almost exactly.

ET: Yeah. You're driving out here right?

Leigh: Yes. Next Friday right after my last class at 1. In my new car, that you still haven't seen.

ET: Well I will next weekend. So what are you doing this weekend?

Leigh: Studying. I have tests all next week. Paris has everyone here on a strict study schedule for the next week. We all have mid-terms.

ET: Already?

Leigh: Yeah.

ET: You know I really, really, really miss you?

Leigh: Not like it wasn't conveyed in the email.

ET: That your way of saying you do?

Leigh: Yes.

ET: It's true.

Leigh: Well we've both been busy in the last month.

ET: Weekends are supposed to be a little free though.

Leigh: Yeah.

ET: So besides not having a car until recently why have you been so busy?

Leigh: Tons of school work to do.

ET: Just that? Because you can tell me if it's something else.

Leigh: There is something else but I can't say anything.

ET: But you'll tell me when you can?

Leigh: Yeah. It's getting late and I should get to sleep sometime tonight.

ET: Okay. Me too actually. Just know that whatever is going on you can tell me, Ror.

Leigh: I know, Tris. I'm just kind of stressed.

ET: Okay.

Leigh is offline and cannot receive any messages.

After talking to Rory, Tristan had the feeling that she wasn't telling him something. He could tell by the way she tried to avoid his question about what had been keeping her so busy lately. She'd eventually tell him but until she did there was no way he would know what was bugging her even though he could tell something was. And she'd said she was stressed. He just wished Rory had told him what was stressing her out.

'She'll tell me eventually.' Tristan thought as he signed out, 'She always does.'

He knew it had to be something big. But he just didn't know what.

A week later all the plans had been made and everything was set. Rory was coming to Princeton for Valentine's Day. He knew Valentine's Day was the perfect time to tell Rory that he was in love with her and that he was transferring to Harvard for the next year. He had the whole thing planned out. Dinner, a movie, coffee, hanging out and finally getting to spend some time together after not seeing each other for a month. It was hard, especially since the relationship was so new. Tristan was reading his psych text book when his cell rang.

"Hello?" Tristan asked.

"Hey, Tris," Rory greeted.

"So how far are you from here?" Tristan asked.

"I am at the hotel already. I just thought I'd call and let you know I am at the Holiday Inn," Rory replied.

"Okay. So I'll pick you up there at seven," Tristan said.

"Room 204," Rory said.

"Okay. Be ready by seven. I made reservations for seven-thirty," Tristan said.

"Okay. I can't wait," Rory said, "How fancy is dinner tonight?"

"Semi. The place is kind of like Maria's," Tristan replied.

"Oooh. Cool. So what are you doing?" Rory asked.

"I was reading a chapter in my psychology text book when you called. Now I'm talking to you," Tristan replied.

"Yuck. Why you're talking psychology is beyond me," Rory said.

"I like it," He replied, "Plus if I want to be a psychologist, then I have to take it and major in it."

"Tristan Marcus DuGray the Psychologist," Rory remarked laughing.

"Yup. I should really go finish reading this chapter but I'll see you tonight," Tristan said.

"Okay. See you tonight," Rory said before they both hung up.

Tristan read his psych book until it was time to go pick up Rory and then he left his dorm room. He drove to the Holiday Inn where she was staying and when he got there she was standing in the lobby wearing a black dress with black shoes and had a black headband in her hair and a black handbag in her hand.

"Wow, Mar. You look great," He told her wrapping an arm around her waist and leading them out of the hotel.

"Thanks," She said to him, "You don't look too bad yourself."

They ate dinner and went to the movie and they were now sitting in Tristan's dorm room when he said the three words he'd been planning to say for sometime. His roommate was staying at his girlfriend's apartment for the night.

Tristan looked Rory in the face and said, "I love you, Ror." He said it not knowing what her reaction would be or if she would say it back. At least he'd said it and she knew.

"I love you too, Tris," Rory said. She had been too scared to say those words to anyone before and wasn't actually sure she'd ever felt it for anyone before Tristan. She looked at him when she said that.

"Baby, I can't stand being two hundred and thirteen miles away from you," Tristan told her. Yes, he knew it wasn't that much of a distance but he was totally and completely in love with Rory.

"Tris, it's not that far away," Rory remarked having looked at the distance.

"I know, but not seeing you for more than a few weekends at a time and having only the phone and email to talk is killing me," Tristan said truthfully.

"I hate it too," Rory said, "But we'll have spring break together and all summer vacation. Plus the weekends that we both hate," she added knowing it wasn't enough.

Tristan had planned what he was going to say next and how he would say it. He just hoped that she would be excited about it. "Ror, I'm transferring to Harvard next year."

Rory was surprised when Tristan said that. "But you like Princeton. And…" Rory stopped there not having anything else to say.

"Like Princeton. Love you. Hate the little amount of distance between us," Tristan told her, "Princeton accepted the transfer request and Harvard is ready to accept me. Princeton is great and I know we've only been dating for like two months but the two hundred and some odd miles between us is a pain. I want to see you everyday, not just some weekends and on holidays."

"I want to see you everyday too but I don't want you to end up regretting transferring just to be closer to me," Rory said. She had a very strong feeling that Tristan was doing it just for that reason but didn't know how to say that to him.

"I won't. Four years with that amount of distance between us is really not what I want and I don't think you do either, Mar," Tristan said using the now cherished nickname.

Rory listened to him as they sat face to face then said "True." Two months of being a couple and Rory felt so comfortable with Tristan and hated the distance with a passion. She had even considered transferring to Princeton just to be in the same state as him but was too happy at Harvard.

"I just want to not have to wait until we both have a free weekend to see you, plus, Harvard is just as good a school as Princeton," Tristan said.

"If transferring is really what you want to do then do it. I just don't want to be the only reason you're doing it," Rory told him carefully.

"Would it be so bad if you were?" Tristan wondered.

"It would if you ended up resenting me for it. I couldn't stand that happening, Tris," Rory replied.

"That would never happen. You are the best thing to ever happen to me and if I ever did resent you for it, then I would be very angry with myself for letting it happen," Tristan replied. In the years since he'd left Chilton for military school he'd grown up a lot and changed hoping that one day he'd have a chance with Rory. Now he had one and he wasn't giving it up for anything.

The couple was wrapped in each other's arms sitting on the couch in the common room of Tristan and his roommate's suite. They had been planning to watch a movie and then Tristan had dropped the bomb. Not a bad bomb really but a bomb none the less.

"Good," Rory said as she leaned her head on his shoulder, "So can we watch the movie now?" She knew that the conversation was probably not really over but she didn't want to think about serious stuff that much tonight. It was Valentine's Day after all.

Beta version.