Australian Summer

Chapter 6:

"Sit Back, Relax.

Sit Back, Relapse Again."

Dirty was right. I was woken up in the middle of a perticularly graphic yet pleasing dream by my name being called in frustration. At first I thought it was still in my dreams that Finn was calling my name like that. I moved even closer to him, completely oblivious to the fact he was trying to wake me up. However, I was soon abruptly awaken my the sharp pain that ran through my left breast. I woke with a start, and looked down at Finn, glaring disbelievingly.

"Did you just bite my nipple?" I exclaimed, not really caring what I was saying.

"Well, if you woke up when I tried doing it politely, I wouldn't have had to." He too was glaring.

"Why are you mad?" I exclaimed.

"Because someone was having a bloody wet dream while laying on top of me and their moans and squirming got to the point that I couldn't take much more." The naughty side of me glanced down at his lap. He was smirking at me, though I didn't notice until I looked back at his face and realized I'd been caught looking. "It's not fair to do that!" His tone was teasing now.

"Well, its not fair to wake someone from an amazing dream by biting their nipple. Which really didn't help by the way." I began squirming a bit while rubbing my now sore breast.

He grabbed my hips, anchoring me down. "Stop," he stressed the word, "bloody squirming." I smirked at him before squirming a bit more. "Rory..." He half moaned.

"Okay, I'm done." I smiled at him.

"Would you hold it against me if I kissed you right now?" He asked, staring at me with this, intense look in his eyes. I couldn't speak. I was paralyzed by those eyes again. I didn't speak as his eyes flickered from mine to my lips as he moved closer; only stopping once his lips were hovering over my own.

The kiss was soft, gentle. Unlike any we'd shared yet. But I didn't know what it meant. And I didn't want to ask. After he pulled away, he rested his forehead against my own and just smiled at me.

"By the way," he whispered sexily, "Morning, Love." I grinned back at him.

"Good morning, Finn."

"We should get up." His voice was soft, quiet.

"I believe you already are." I smirked. He smiled before rephrasing.

"We should get out of bed."

"We should." I replied somberly.

"That would require moving."

"I pretty good right here."

"Me, too." We smiled at one another, a moment passing between us that would no doubt lead to another gentle kiss. Alas, our moment was ruined by the shrill disturbance of Finn's phone ringing. Agitated, he moved away from me and reached for the phone sitting on the nightstand. "What?" He snapped.

I could only hear Finn's half of the conversation, but his face fell as soon as he heard the other voice. "What? No. Don't. You don't get that option. No, you choose three weeks ago." He rubbed his eyes. "Not... not yet. I have," his eyes roamed over me, "Other things on my mind. I'm not getting into this." There was a pause as he sighed. "Just, give me some time to think, alright? I'm really not in the mood to deal with this right now. At all." ... "Just things. Like my sister and Logan. Colin and Steph..." ... "No. Not... look, I'm being really rude right now, so thank you for ruining my morning, good bye, Rose." He quickly shut the phone. He tossed his phone, looking at it with a sad and defeated look on his face.

"What's wrong?" I whispered softly, afraid to upset him with my words.
"Nothing." He snapped out of his reverie and smiled at me. "We should get going. I promised you a day at the beach." I could only nod, and followed him out of the bed.

He tossed a sweatshirt at me. "Go do whatever it is you do to get ready. Dress fall-ish." He called as he walked into his bathrom.

40 minutes later I exited my own bathroom to find him sitting on my bed. "Well?" I did a little spin for him. "Fall enough?" I had his hoody and a pair of boot-cut jeans on with sneakers poking out from under them.

"I didn't give you that to wear..." He commented. He himself was only dressed in jeans and button down.

"Then why did you?" I baited.

"So you could get back here. I was planning on wearing it." I smiled.

"Well, in that case..." I began lifting it off of myself, revealing my bare stomach.

"Rory, what do you have on under that?" His voice lowered as he spoke.

"Not much."

"Keep it. For the love of God keep the damn thing on." He groaned. I smiled once more before we left the room again.

-

-

I watched as the Australian landscape rolled passed. It was breath taking. When we'd finally arrived at the beach, I was utterly excited. Finn smiled over at me as I bounced in my seat.

"Chill, Love. It's just a beach. Ya know, sand, shells, pebbles, water. Same as America."

"I've only been to the beach once. When I was 3. I don't really remember it much." I said quietly, dipping my head, embarrased.

"Oh. Well, then. I promise to make sure you remember this for the rest of your life." I smiled softly. So far, this summer had been something I'd never forget.

As we ambled out of his SUV, I shivered slightly, the cool breeze not expected in the least bit. Seeing, Finn smirked. "I warned you..." He laughed. I simply glared in reply.

Once I adjusted to the climate of the beach, it was a lot more fun. We walked along the edge of the water, just barely being missed by the rising tide. A stong wind blew, causing me to wrap my arms around myself. Finn, being a gentlemen, threw his own over my shoulders.

"I'd offer my jacket, but I believe you've already taken it."

"Can we sit down for a while?" I asked as we'd now came back near the car.

"Sure. Wait here. I'll go get a blanket from the truck." Finn ran up the sand to the car, and I couldn't keep my eyes of him. Scolding myself, remembering we're only friends, I diverted my eyes. Instead I looked at some guy looking me up and down. I looked around and saw no one else that he could be looking at. He left the guys he was talking to and headed towards.

"Hey." He was American.

"Hello." I replied.

"Ah. So, my prayers were answered. I finally find a beautiful American girl."

"You're in Australia. Shouldn't you be looking for an exotic, beautiful, easy Aussi girl?"

"Not quite. I live here. Aussi girls have lost their appeal. I much prefer my native beauties." Now, call me naive, I hadn't a clue I was a. being flirted with, b. being hit on, c. I was flirting back, or that d. Finn was watching rather jealously. "I'm Jase, by the way."

"Rory. Well, Lorelai, but everyone calls me Rory."

"Why not Lorelai? It's a beautiful name for a beautiful girl."

"My mother and I have the same name."

"Ah. Makes more sense now." I nodded. "So, the guy you were talking to... boyfriend...?" I laughed slightly, nervous. I was feeling very uncomfortable.

"Not quite." I saw a slight smirk form on Jase's face and it repulsed me. But what sent off a warning was the direction of his eyes, and the way the smirk was being sent. Over my shoulder. I turned, and saw Finn shooting daggers at him. "Finny!" I squealed, thowing my arm around his waist, hugging him to my side permantently. He wrapped his arm around my back, and dipped his head to my ear.

"Now why'd you go and lie to the poor boy?" He smirked.

"Excuse me?" Jase asked.

"You're excused." Finn replied.

"I didn't lie, Finn."

"You told him you weren't with me!"

"No. He asked if you were my boyfriend. I said not quite. That's not lying. That's withholding information."

"Would someone care to fill me in, please?"

"I believe you were hitting on my fiance."

"Oh. Sorry." He turned and started walking away.

"That was mean of you, Love." Finn chasted me.

"I know. I couldn't help it. He was cute."

"Why you little..." He leaned down and kissed me. Finn had looked up and smirked into our kiss at the guy who was half watching us.

"Is he gone?" I mumbled.

"Yes."

"Thank you. He started creeping me out."

"Understandable."

We shared a smile and finally sat down on the blanket Finn had retrieved.

-

-

We stayed until the sun went down, talking about everything and anything. At one point, we ended up playing tag from one of our debates taken too far. Nothing serious, I just made a jokingly scathing remark that he took all in good fun. After we'd collapsed, exhausted on the blanket, we just talked. We spoke of books, music, movies. Finn regaled me with more stories of boarding school, and I told him tales of Stars Hollow.

"So, every year, you light an enormous bond fire in the middle of town? But it takes at least a half hour to find matches, because after 30 some odd years, no one has thought to bring matches?"

"Pretty much. It just adds to the experience."

"Oh, look, the suns setting." Finn pointed out across the horizon. I scooted over to sit between his legs and leaned back against him. He didn't protest, and wrapped his arms around me. We watched silently, until the very last few moments. I looked up to say thank you, but the words died on my lips as I got lost in Finn's eyes again. Time seemed to stop as he kissed me slowly, the last bit of sun disappearing from the view we were ignoring.

We didn't speak much as we gathered up the blanket and our shoes. But when he grabbed my hand as we walked back, I was shocked.

To say I was confused would be an understatement.

-

-

The car ride home was quiet, but peaceful. He'd held my hand again, while I kept them in my lap.

"Did you enjoy yourself today?" He asked as we walked back to my room.

"Yes, very much so."

"It's not your typical day at the beach, but, that's as good as you're going to get in the winter..."

"Well, then you'll have to show me a real day at the beach some day." I smiled at him as I leaned against my door.

"I will." He said serious. His eyes were doing the flickering thing again. After kissing me, he whispered, lips still grazing over mine, "G'night, kitten." Walking backward he smiled at me while giving me a once over.

I must've looked silly with my fingers hovering over where his lips had been moments before. As he turned around to turn the corner, I ran into my room, grabbing my phone on the way.

"Hello?"

"Mommy... I'm so confused..."

"What happened with Finn, now?"

"How did you..."

"Call a sixth sense. You've described him to be just like his uncle, Riley."

"Oh. Well, I spent the night in his room last night-"

"Why?"

"Because I couldn't sleep-"

"Why?"

"Because we were fighting and I was having trouble sleeping-"

"Why were you fighting?"

"Mom... I told you this! The whole Aryn-pedifile thing..."

"Right, right. Okay, so you were in his room... Wait! You were in his bed!" Silence follwed the acquastion. "Rory!"

"What, we didn't do anything but sleep!"

"Uh huh..."

"Anyway, so then this morning, Grandma and Grams come in, all paniced then see us and just tell us to go back to sleep. Then I'm pretty srue they squealed-"

"My mother squealed?"

"Yes. So then we wake up again later, and he kisses me again, and there was a moment, then he got a phone call that upset him, but he just bounced back and then we went to the beach-"

"It's like... cold there..."

"Yeah, well. So we spend an awesome day at the beach, and Finn pretended to be my fiance to get this guy to go away, so he kissed me again. And then we watched the sun set and we kissed again."

"Okay, so there has been a lot of kissing... maybe I should come out there early..." Mom sounded worried.

"Okay, but that's not the overly confusing part. When we were heading back to the car, he grabbed my hand, and then in the car we held hands again. He kissed me good night and then I ran in here to call you."

"Okay, so now that I know all of that disturbing information-"

"Mom..."

"What pray tell, is the problem. A guy likes you?"

"No. We decided to be friends... he's too much like Tristan and I'm too much like some girl. We agreed."

"Obviously you both suck at keeping things platonic."

"What? Me? He's kissing me..."

"And you're letting him."

"So, what? Don't let him kiss me?"

"Ding. Ding. Ding. Ladies and Gents, we have a winner!"

"Your sarcasm isn't needed right now, Mom."

"Rory, does he know about.."

"No. And he won't."

"Okay." Mom sighed. "Just promise me somethin', babe?"

"Sure, mom."

"If you do... take things further, be careful?"

"I promise."

"Alright. Go to bed, hun."

"Night, Mommy."

"Night, sweetie."

-

-

My conversation with my mother hadn't helped much. I spent the entire night tossing and turning. Finn and I were supposed to be friends. Friends don't kiss. But my god, I loved kissing him. But doubts still flooded my mind. Finn was a dark haired, exotic Tristan. What if I was just a chase? Or worse, what if I was convient? But then, why would he have held my hand?

Begrudgingly I rolled over as my door opened to reveal Stephanie.

"So you're in your own room this morning. Hmm. What happened, found out Finn snores?" She joked as she sat on my bed.

"Finn snores?" I replied, confused.

"Wow. You didn't notice?"

"No." I sat up, leaning my head against my headboard, utterly exhausted.

"Something wrong, Sleeping Beauty?"

"Finn." I mummbled.

"What about him?"

"He's him."

"Trouble in Paradise already?" Steph cocked an eyebrow.

"We agreed to be friends. And then yesterday, we kissed, like so many times. And he held my hand while we were at the beach.. and ugh! Guys suck."

"Okay, so I'm lost... you're mad that a guy like Finn likes you?" Her head rolled to the side to look at me in confusion.

"You are so like my mother."

"Thank you." She smiled.

"I'm just... scared." Steph's smile faded, and a slight frown replaced it.

"About what?"

I devoulged my fears to Stephanie, who then understood completely.

"Rory, there's things about Finn no one really understands. He may be a playboy, an alcoholic at times-"

"Finn's an alcholic?"

"At school, he mostly functions drunk better than sober. He doesn't drink when he's here. So not an alcholic persay. But anyway... but he's not a womanizer in the sense of most guys. Most use 'em and lose 'em. Finn only uses the ones that use him. Are you using him?"

"I..." I couldn't reply. I couldn't process.

"You're still hurting over Tristan, aren't you?" She looked so sympathetic. I only nodded. "Maybe you should let things go with the flow for now. When you can, resist, don't instigate either. See where he takes it. If it really is just a chase, he'll get bored. Finn doesn't waste his time too much. But if he keeps coming back for more, it's the real deal. That's what happened with-" She suddenly stopped speaking.

"With...?" I was curious.

"Someone. In the past. Not important. I've got to go now." With that she flew out of my room. I sighed. Everyone was making so much sense, yet none at all. My confusion was still ever present. But then again, so were the butterflies at the mere thought of Finn.

-

-

I entered the kitchen sluggishly. However, the sight before me both made my stomach sink, and heart beat faster. Finn was falling asleep against his hand. I tried to turn away but he saw me. "Morning, Love." He smiled a sleepy smile at me.

"Morning, Finn." I said a little apprehensive. I was going to make up an excuse, but he placed a coffee cup next to him. I caved. "Thanks."

"You know. I must say, sleeping is much easier with you in my bed." I blushed at his words.

"Hmm. Yeah." He reached for my hand, but I quickly withdrew. "I'm gonna go read for a little bit." I stood up as fast as possible.

"Want some company?"

"Uh, actually-"

"Rory!" Steph to the rescue. "Morning, Finn. Rory I need your help. Emergency." I was quickly dragged out of the room by Steph, leaving a perplexed and minorly hurt Finn behind.

-

-

Again, this went on for a few days. We weren't alone for too long, Steph always finding an excuse to pull me away. I was grateful for it really I was. But the less time I spent with him, the more I want him. Absence really does make the heart grow fonder. I hadn't gotten much sleep either. All I could do was think of how I'd much rather be sleeping in Finn's bed with him, than here alone in my own. The fifth night, I was laying on my bed, trying to sleep. However it really just wasn't working. My chances of sleeping at all were destroyed when a little knock sounded on my door. I didn't think it would be him, seeing as how I'd been ignoring him lately. However when he poked his head in, I couldn't help but smile.

"What's up, Finn?" He sighed as he entered the room.

"Couldn't sleep." He sat on the edge of my bed, looking away from me. "Seems like something has been bothering you lately." Indeed it was. Part of me couldn't get my conversation with Steph out of my head. "Almost seemed as if you were ignoring me." He glanced at me, before looking away once more. "Did I do something to upset you, again?"

"No... I'm just confused, Finn." He finally looked at me, shifting his postion.

"About what, kitten?"

"Everything. I recall us deciding to be friends, and then..." I bowed my head as I began to blush.

"Oh.. So, what did Stephanie tell you?"

"Hmm?" My head shot up, confused.

"I know Steph. She managed to keep you away from me for the last week."

"She just advised I resist and don't initiate."

"Rory, if it's making you uncomfortable, you could have just told me. Ignoring me gets us no where." He seemed angry, hurt, but most of all, rejected. I couldn't place the emotions coursing through his eyes, or inside my own body. To this day I don't know what made me utter the next words I did. He had stood from the bed, and was leaving in an angry huff.

"Finn, stay. Here. Tonight. Please." He stopped in the classical position, his hand frozen on the doorknob. He refused to look at me still.

"Why?"

"Because... Because I want you to. I understand nothing else about what's happening between us except I haven't slept like that since... everything with Tristan, and I need... I need you here. I hate not talking to you, but you, you confuse the hell out of me. I don't-" Through my rant I hadn't notice he'd moved. He sat on the bed again.

"What do want, Rory?" His voice was low, confused yet understanding.

"I don't... you. Finn, I want, you."

-

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