A/N kind of a filler chapter, some of it, they need to address before the story can continue, but I didn't envision them having a super heavy conversation on the plane.
"Do I know you?"
It can't be. Rory thought as her head popped straight up. There at the other side of the divide between the two centre first class seats was Finn Morgan. His blue eyes were sparkling with wonder, his brunette waves longer than he wore them in college. He looked perfectly casual in a t-shirt and sports jacket.
"Finn!" Rory exclaimed, jumping up to give the tall Australian a hug.
"Kitten, it is you, I thought my eyes were deceiving me!" Finn said, while leaning over to return the hug.
"Nope, no deception here Mr Morgan." Rory replied with a smirk. "So are you sitting beside me or just blocking someone else's seat?"
"I'm your neighbour for the flight love, so prepare to have the flight of your life." said Finn, his eyes sparkling mischievously.
"Oh no, I'll be tortured!"
"I am hurt love, hurt I tell you."
"Sir, if you could please take your seat while we prepare for take off," said the flight attendant as she went around the cabin completing her departure checks.
"No problem, love," Finn said after her. He quickly stowed his hand luggage and jacket, also taking his laptop and airpods out.
Rory watched Finn surreptitiously through her lashes, the years had been kind to him, he looked healthier, more muscled and toned than he had in college, she wondered had he always looked that good and she hadn't noticed or had time just been that kind to him. College Finn had always been attractive but now he was almost downright delicious Rory thought with a blush.
Five years had passed since Rory had heard from any of the stooges, after graduation she had changed her cell number and only passed it on to some of her Yale friends, none of her and Logan's mutual friends had been recipients of it, so she actually had no idea if any of them had tried to contact her after that or what Logan had told them happened- which really could have an effect on how this flight could go Rory suddenly realized.
"So Kitten, are you heading to London for business or pleasure?" Finn asked, startling her from her musings.
"Mainly pleasure this trip Finn, but potentially a day or two of business. What about you, Finn, business or pleasure?"
"Surely anyone who has business dealings with me would call it a pleasure, so obviously pleasure," Finn's eyes sparkled with mischief again. "Are you saying my company isn't a pleasure?" he said with mock offence.
"Of course it is darling," Rory replied with a smirk.
"Same as yourself in all seriousness kitten, but maybe more of a fifty/fifty split between the two for myself."
"Wow, for once I'm going to be more of a slacker than Finn Morgan, will wonders ever cease?" Rory joked.
"Yeah, yeah laugh it up. All this inspecting fancy hotels is terrible. I'll maybe have to downgrade your room when you check in for those kind of comments Miss Gilmore."
"You can try, but I'm not staying at one of your fine establishments on this trip."
"I am devastated, kitten, where else would you even consider staying?"
"Let's just say I have alternative accommodation available when I'm in the UK, and for my trip to Ireland."
"You're going to Ireland aswell?"
"Yes I have a few things to check on there, so I will go for three or four days before I fly back home," Rory answered mysteriously.
Finn was looking at her questioningly, obviously he was trying to decide how much to push for straighter answers. He decided to leave it, it had after all been five years since they had been in each other's lives, so some secrecy was allowed. The crew were now moving around the cabin taking everyones drink orders. Finn ordered himself a sparkling water and a scotch on the rocks, he raised his eyebrow when he heard Rory order a tea instead of coffee.
"Excuse me Kitten, did I just hear you order tea?"
"Yes Finn, I try not to drink coffee at the start of a long flight in the hope I can nap and relax."
"I never thought I'd see the day that you picked tea over coffee." he said half seriously.
"Well Finnegan, a lot can change in five years," Rory replied with a smirk.
"Oh no, not the Finnegan!"
"It felt like a Finnegan situation there Finn," Rory replied laughing.
"So what are your plans while you are in the UK kitten?"
"Well I have a few things to take care of in London which will mean one day of business, then I might play tourist for two or three days around london potentially go to a show. Once I finish there I have to go further north to York for a day or two, depending on how that goes, I really want to go to Edinburgh and play tourist for a few days. I have to be in Ireland next week so I'm going to spend some time in Dublin and Galway. Most of my plans are pretty fluid so nothing is set in stone. What about yourself?"
"Similar actually but I have work in every stop. I am have to go to York, Belfast, Chester and Edinburgh for sure after I finish in London, I was considering a trip to Dublin aswell. Maybe we should see if any of our dates intersperse love?"
"We will have to see," Rory replies non-committedly. "So what have you downloaded as entertainment for the flight Mr Morgan?" she continues pointedly changing the subject.
"Do you want the manly answer or the guilty pleasure answer?"
"Obviously the guilty pleasure answer!"
"Well for manly movies, I have all the avengers movies kitten, I love a good marvel movie. For my guilty pleasure I have..." Finn beckons her closer to whisper, while looking shiftily from side to side, "Willy Wonka and the chocolate factory and The Lion King."
"No Way!" Rory exclaimed as loudly as she would allow herself on a quiet flight.
"Yes way!"
"I was planning on watching Iron Man and then following it up with Willy Wonka."
"Great minds think alike kitten.I have Iron man as well, we could try and watch it together on our ipads?"
"That's a great idea Finn," Rory replied, grabbing her ipad and airpods. They both appeared to be actively avoiding any conversation about the previous five years, seemingly knowing it could potentially lead to an awkward conversation that neither wanted to have in an open airplane cabin.
As they both put their ipads away for the meal service, Finn leaned over and whispered, "Should we address the elephant on the plane if you will?"
"You mean Logan?" Rory said with a sigh.
"Yes kitten, you know we all missed you after you said no."
"I figured that I lost any right to call you all friends when I said no to him. You were his friends first."
"True but we were your friends, we didn't just tolerate you for his sake Rory, we all liked you."
"Wow a real name, you must be serious."
"So why did you turn young Huntzberger down?"
"You know why I turned him down, Finn."
"I do? I can think of reasons why but I'm not sure if they are the reasons you chose."
"The main reasons were Bobbi, Vegas, bridesmaids and who knows how many others." Rory stated indifferently, she wasn't even feigning indifference, by now enough time has passed she actually doesn't care.
"Oh Kitten," Finn reached out to grab her gand and give it a squeeze, "those are the reasons why i wanted you to turn him down, but i hoped you wouldn't find out as i'm sure it hurt at the time."
Rory squeezed his hand back before releasing it. "Thank you finn, he actually ratted himself out, i heard him telling you and Colin he was planning to propose and have a few mistresses while you two tried to talk him out of it, and for that attempt I thank you."
"Your welcome kitten, I wish I had known you heard that you didn't need to deal with it alone, because if you had told Paris she would have castrated him."
"I actually went to my dads, got a male society perspective. Although I did tell Paris she agreed not to touch him, it was just after she was accepted to med school so she was feeling generous."
"Gellar is a doctor now?! Bloody hell, that's scary!"
"Yep, she's a surgeon in Boston. I know Logan is married now in case you were trying to figure out how to tell me Finn, my Grandmother is still Emily Gilmore." Rory could see him visibly relax out of the corner of her eye at that sentence, he must have been trying to work out how to break it to her. "How is Mr Mc Crae?"
"Ah yes, young Colin is working at the family firm, prepping for world domination. He actually just got engaged to Steph."
"That's great, I always wondered if they would ever finally get it together."
"Yes, they kept us guessing there for a while but now Steph is planning Hartfords wedding of the year." With that sentence they eased back into more relaxed territory of catching up on mutual friends and their exploits for the rest of the journey.
