A/N: Hello everyone! So, a little heads-up about this chapter. I messed with time a bit and made Rory's date from "The Fundamental Things Apply" occur after Spring Break. Yes, I do realize that in actuality this date occured WAY before Spring Break but I believe it fits. So, I hope you enjoy it! Italicized dialogue is directly from the show. The rest is mine.

Fair Play

She didn't answer his phone calls. It wasn't her acting out from what she had seen nor was it her way of getting back at him. They were in a casual relationship so whatever she had seen (and she still did not know exactly what she had seen) was really nothing to consider. She had been busy. It was really as simple as that. She had been preoccupied each time he had called. She didn't particularly like texting which explained his unanswered text messages. And the times she had changed course when seeing him on campus were completely innocent.

Unfortunately, she could not think of any innocent things to preoccupy herself with when he showed up at her door. He gave her a wide smile and asked, "Any company or can I come in?"

"Of course," she mumbled, stepping to the side to let him in. He walked past her and offered as an aside, "So, did you lose your phone or something?"

"No."

When he turned to her again she saw the strain on his face. "Ace, what's going on? I've been calling you day and night, sending you texts. You haven't answered anything."

"I've been busy."

"And I know you've been avoiding me," he continued. "I saw you over by Damen and after we made eye contact you veered immediately to your right. Nearly took out someone."

"I haven't been avoiding you, Logan. I just have had a lot on my mind."

"Want to talk about it?"

She didn't answer for a moment. He would be the prime person to discuss what was on her mind because he, in fact, was the nuisance that was keeping her from doing anything productive. And careening into unassuming people on campus. She didn't want to, though. She didn't want to ask him questions because she was afraid of the answers. Secretly she was hoping that blonde had only been a friend. Perhaps a sister, she knew that Logan had a sister named Honor. She had seen the pictures of them in his dorm room. But she had also seen the girl's face and knew that she bore no resemblance to Logan's sister. The more she rationalized his actions the more she worried.

"I don't want to talk about anything," Rory told him. "Um, so, did you just come to see if my phone imploded?"

He chuckled, his face still showing some discomfort. "I wanted to see you."

"Well, here I am," Rory said a bit awkwardly.

"Do you want to grab coffee or something? Maybe grab some food for lunch?"

"I'm really busy," Rory told him. "Maybe another time?"

"Yeah, um, sure. Another time." He stepped forward and kissed her softly. He placed his hand on her cheek and asked, "We're okay, right?"

She could feel the back of her eyes burning but she nodded. "Yeah, Logan, we're fine."

ROGAN-ROGAN-ROGAN

Rory left her Lit class, seriously reconsidering her love of Hemingway. She was all for scholastic debate but that Rachel girl took it to a new level. She scoffed more than Paris throughout their debate. And that is not an achievement to be proud of.

She fell in place beside Trevor, a friend from her class, and when he saw her beside him he grinned down at her and struck up a conversation.

"So, what are you up to this weekend?" he asked.

She shrugged and told him, "Oh, studying. Sleep, hopefully. A rarity in my dorm room."

He chuckled. "Yeah? You eat?"

"Habitually."

"Ever been to Pancia di Lucca? I hear it's good."

"Uh, no, I haven't," Rory said after a moment, beginning to hear something in Trevor's voice. Her suspicions were heightened as he nonchalantly said, "Well, I was thinking of going there this weekend."

She felt her stomach twist into knots as she faced his possible set-up for a date. Despite all the issues she had formed in her mind with Logan, he was the first thing she thought of when Trevor grinned down at her. Quickly she said, "Oh, cool. Tell me how it is."

"Okay, I will. Or, hey, you could come with me."

She had to give him credit, the pick-up was relatively smooth. She thought through her options and figured that the same tactics she employed on Logan would be best. "I can't this Saturday." His face fell and she hastily added, "If it's good, maybe another time?"

"Sure, okay. See you next week."

She gave him a small nod. "Bye Trevor."

After he moved ahead she let out a loud exhale. That was a close one.

ROGAN-ROGAN-ROGAN

"You should have said yes," Paris told her, after hearing about Rory's little conversation with Trevor. She was sitting at her craft table and inspected her sequin work on a frame as she told her, "You're nineteen years old and you should be out there experiencing the world."

"I know. I just feel weird with the whole Logan thing."

Paris rolled her eyes. "Rory, you guys are casually dating. Everyone knows he's not keeping it in his pants. So, why should you?"

Rory stiffened immediately and asked, "You've seen him with other girls?"

Paris stopped for a moment, her glue gun in mid-air. "Well, no, but this is Logan Huntzberger we're talking about. He's not short on options."

"That's true," Rory said, thinking of what she had seen. "You're right. I should have said yes."

"Get him to ask you again," Paris told her.

"And how do I do that?"

Paris lowered her head toward the frame to properly place the last few sequins and said, "Use your womanly wiles, Gilmore."

"I don't know, Paris-"

"You'll think of something. Now, open the window. These fumes are getting to me."

Rory got up from her bed and pushed open the window. With the wind gently brushing against her face she began to form her plan.

ROGAN-ROGAN-ROGAN

Her plan was solid. She had steps. She had lines. And then she had to run into Logan on the way to the class. He grinned when he saw her and headed over to her side. She noticed he didn't take her hand and his tone was almost overly pleasant. In reality, he might have been acting completely normal. The only thing different was that Rory had now decided that it was another girl he had been with. She had pushed away all of her excuses for him and accepted the fact that he was banking on the casual aspect of their relationship. The fact that he could be so cavelier with her while courting someone else made her furious. Sure, she was going to be doing the same thing in roughly an hour but it was entirely different. She at least had some reservations about the whole thing. She had seen them together. There were no reservations.

"Where you headed?" he asked.

"Lit class," she told him.

"What are you reading?"

"A Hemingway."

"Ah, very nice. So, you didn't answer my call last night."

She actually felt guilty about this. The missing had nothing to do with her and she immediately began to explain, "Paris took my phone. She wanted to compare my battery with hers. She was complaining about how my battery life is so much better than hers. She ended up dropping it in some water."

"How-"

"It's Paris," Rory told him with a small grin. "Yeah, so I had to go to store and get it fixed."

"You had an exciting day."

"Yes," she agreed. "I did. Well, this is my building."

"Alright, go to class. Oh, and this weekend I am taking you out. No excuses."

"I might have plans," she told him, the first bits of nerves beginning to creep up.

"Oh, okay. Well, whatever night you don't have plans I am claiming you."

"Okay, bye Logan."

"Bye, Ace."

She walked into the building and quickly made her way to the classroom. Trevor was at his usual seat beside her and he smiled pleasantly when she sat down. Her meeting with Logan had shaken her up but she was determined to go through with this. Class started and she sat through the longest fifty minutes of her life.

ROGAN-ROGAN-ROGAN

"Wow, good session today, huh?" Rory asked Trevor, a bit out of breath from rushing to catch up with him.

"It was fine."

"I can't believe we get to sit around and talk about books and get graded for it. I mean, there's almost nothing I like more than talking about a good book or bad book or really thick magazine."

He looked at her a bit oddly. "Mmhmm."

"Hey Trevor," she said slowly. "You know what else I like do besides talk about a really god book?" She waited briefly for a response. "Eat. Isn't that weird? And actually, for me, they're linked. It's true. It happens to me all the time. Like right now, for example, starving. And I will probably be hungry for quite some time. All weekend probably. Especially Saturday night."

His eyes lit up. "Saturday night?"

This was the point of no return and Rory felt her stomach do an uncomfortable flip as she repeated, "Saturday night."

"Are you saying you want to go to dinner Saturday night?"

In reality, she really did not want to but she had gone so far that all she could do was say, "Yes, that is what I am saying."

"Okay, I'll pick you up at-"

"Durfee, suite 5," she told him. "Six o'clock?"

"Sounds great. I'll, um, I'll see you then."

She nodded and he gave her the biggest smile before turning the corner toward his next class. Rory watched him walk away, wishing she had shared his enthusiasm.

ROGAN-ROGAN-ROGAN

"Mom, I need quick advice," Rory said over the phone, checking her watch and seeing that she had ten minutes before Trevor would pick her up.

"Don't get the tattoo," Lorelai said.

"Mom!"

"Sorry, sweetie, I'm listening. What's wrong?"

"So, Logan and I are casual. I am pretty sure that I saw him with another girl and-"

"What?"

"Another story for another day," Rory said quickly. "And now I am going on a date with Trevor."

"Who is.."

Rory tallied off, "Tall, brunette, always carries a water bottle."

"Okay, so he is hydrated. Let's get back to Logan with another girl."

"Am I doing the right thing going with Trevor?"

Lorelai sighed. "This, sweetie, is why you should never just be casual with someone."

"Well, that is what I have to work with right now and Trevor will be here in about eight minutes and he seems like someone who might show up early so-"

"Rory, breathe," Lorelai said. "One date with this guy will not kill you."

"I feel guilty."

"Don't. If Logan was out with another girl then you have every right to go out with this Trevor guy."

"Okay," Rory said, feeling her nerves lessen a bit. "Thanks Mom."

"What did she look like?" Lorelai asked after a moment.

"Who?"

"The girl Logan was out with."

Rory frowned. "Hanging up now. I'll talk to you later tonight."

"Alright, sweetie. Love you."'

"You too."

She hung up just as she heard a knock. Her assumptions were correct in that Trevor was an early bird. Already this date was not boding well.

ROGAN-ROGAN-ROGAN

Trevor was a very nice guy. He told stories and he listened intently when she would respond. He let her order first and didn't bat an eyelash when she ordered coffee with dessert.

He was also painfully, boring.

"So, yeah, that was how I decided to be an accounting major," he said, just finishing the longest and most pointless story she had ever heard.

"Wow, well, it sounds like you made the right decision."

He began to say something but her attention was entirely diverted by the back of a blonde head that she noticed in the back of the restaurant. He was sitting with a group of friends, people that she immediately identified as Colin and Finn. She felt as if her worst nightmare was coming true as Finn caught her eye and began waving ostentatiously at her from the table. Logan turned around and she just about wanted to hide beneath the table.

All the while, Trevor continued rattling on about God knows what, and she wanted to kick him as Logan rose from his seat and made his way over. This was all Trevor's fault. If he hadn't made the first move of asking her out she would not have pursued him and she wouldn't be sitting in a restaurant on a date with the guy she was casually seeing rapidly approaching. Her look must have been one of sheer terror when Logan finally reached the table. He looked down at her and said, "Ace, what are you doing here?" He looked at Trevor. "You on a date?"

Although her entire body was in a fit of panic she remembered that he had been the one to go outside of their casual relationship first and felt emboldened by this as she told him, "Yes, I am. This is Trevor."

"Logan Huntzberger," he said, extending a hand toward the boy. Trevor took it and gave him an agreeable smile. "So, you're taking my girl Ace here on a date? You're a lucky man."

Trevor nodded while Rory felt her irritation flare. Logan said a few more words and then made his way back to the table. Rory rose from the table, hurriedly telling Trevor that she would be back, and went after him.

"Come outside," Rory told him shortly, turning without seeing if he would follow. She knew he would and as the door closed behind her she turned and found herself face-to-face with him. "I can't believe you, Logan."

"What are you talking about?"

"The way you treated Trevor in there! Throwing around your name like that. It was completely unacceptable."

Logan frowned. "Look, Ace, I was nothing but nice in there. I was a lot nicer than I wanted to be."

"Oh please," she scoffed.

"How do you think I felt walking in on your little date? You should be happy I didn't say a lot more to that guy."

"You have no right to say anything," she argued.

"The hell I don't. I thought we had something, Ace."

"Oh, had something?" she hissed. "Our something meant so much to you that you ran around with some blonde harlot! If you can see other people then so can I!"

"What are you talking about?"

"I saw you Friday night," she said, feeling her stomach turn just at the thought. "I saw you walking with some girl. You had your arm around her, Logan. I saw it all."

He was silent for a moment and then he breathed out, "I don't believe it."

"Well, believe it," she told him. "I saw you two and-"

"It wasn't a date, Ace."

"Oh, really?"

She didn't believe him, even as he told her, "No, Ace it wasn't. I swear to you, it was not a date."

"Then what was it?"

"Her name is Jen," he said. Already Rory hated her. She hated Jens. They were always up to no good, she decided. "Jen is Colin's little sister. I was showing her around campus."

She stared at him, waiting for the bluff to read in his eyes but she saw nothing but sincerity. "Colin's sister? And you were showing her around? Logan, you don't show people around campus. You're.."

"I do when it's one of my best friend's sisters."

"Why didn't Colin just do it?"

Logan shrugged. "He was busy. Asked me if I would take over for a bit."

"And why did you have your arm around her?"

He sighed. "I don't know. I've known her for years, Ace. She's practically my sister. Look, I haven't dated anyone since we met. I haven't wanted to."

She shifted uncomfortably, feeling a bit foolish for going off on him. She knew he was telling the truth. There was no real way of her knowing this, of course, but she could tell that he wasn't lying. And she would be asking Colin if he had any sisters later.

"I didn't want us to be casual," he reminded her. "I want you." He paused for a moment and she felt her throat go dry as he said, "I thought you felt the same. Guess I was wrong."

She shook her head. "I only went out with Trevor because I thought you were seeing other girls."

"You what?"

"I was angry so I got Trevor to ask me out."

Logan smirked. "You got him to ask you out?"

"It was actually pretty easy," she said with a soft grin. "I don't want to see anyone else either, Logan. To be honest, this casual thing has been really hard for me."

In an instant Logan had taken her by the waist and pulled her to him. His lips covered hers and he kissed her until she could feel chills all the way down to her toes. "Can we stop this charade, then? I don't want to be casual."

"Neither do I," she admitted.

"So, it's decided." He looked down at her with a grin. "This is no longer casual."

She grinned, dipping her head into a nod. "No longer casual."

He leaned down and caught her lips with his again. Her small hands found the back of his neck and he thought of how nice they felt there. After a moment he pulled away and said, "You'd better get in there, Ace."

"Trying to get rid of me already?"

"Never. But you have a date to end."

She blushed, having actually forgotten Trevor for the few moment their lips had touched. Logan grinned. "You do remember that he is in there, right Ace?"

"Of course," she said quickly. Too quickly. Logan laughed and threw his arm around her shoulders. "Am I really that good?"

"Oh hush." She pushed his arm from her shoulders and walked back into the restaurant. Trevor was clearly looking for her, and he gave her an awkward wave when he caught sight of her. She reached the table and sat opposite him. She saw the check was dealt with and there was a small Andes mint in front of her place.

"They brought one for each of us," he told her. She reached forward and took the mint. Unwrapped, she popped it in her mouth and as she sucked on the chocolate mint he said, "I had a good time. We should do this again."

She nearly choked on the mint.

"Are you okay, Rory?"

She swallowed with difficulty. "Yeah, I'm fine. Um, I think we are better off as friends. I like you, but-well-we should be platonic."

His face fell. "Oh, okay."

"This was nice, though. Thank you."

"Yeah, uh, no problem. So, you ready to go?"

"Oh, yeah. Um, let's go."

They rose from the table and as they left the restaurant she thought this would be the longest ten minute walk of her life. She knew it would be filled with either silence or painfully awkward conversation, all which would lend to the never-ending walk.

It did last as long as she anticipated but what not nearly as painful. It had gone along one of her assumed routes-neither of them spoke-but with her mind constantly returning to her time outside with Logan she found she did not particularly mind the silence. She was thinking of the dejected tone his voice had held when he thought she did not have the same feelings for him as they arrived at Durfee.

"Well, I'll see you in class," Trevor said.

"Yeah, see you then."

She entered her building, relieved that it was all over. Her phone buzzed in her purse and she pulled it out in the elevator. Grinning, she read, "I'll be at your dorm to take you out in fifteen minutes."

It was from Logan.

A/N: So, last chapter reviews were down quite a bit. If you like this please leave feedback. That is the only way I can know if you are enjoying this or not. If you enjoyed this, let me know.