Disclaimer: I own none of the character's from "Gilmore Girls." Nor the song "Here and Now" by Luther Vandross. This is just an attempt on my part of how I believe the piano scene should have gone. It's my first "Gilmore Girls" fanfic so let me know what you think. Oh, and those of you who have not heard 'Hear and Now' by Luther Vandross, please find it and listen to it. It is a great song.

Scene: Rory just told Tristan about the break-up between her and Dean.

From This Moment On

Tristan stared at his clenched hand and prayed his questions wouldn't offend. He needed to know how the ground lay concerning Rory. "Do you think you'll ever get back together?" Tristan asked as he tinkered with the piano. He didn't want to see her face when she expressed her hopes of a future involvement with Bagboy. He didn't think he could take that.

Rory sighed as she looked at her hands. "He was pretty set in his decision." She missed the look of relief that flashed across Tristan's face before he looked at her with concern.

"Hey…" he began softly. Rory looked up. "I'm sorry, for giving you such a hard time for a while."

"Oh, that's okay."

"It is?"

"No, but you're sad." Rory's smile flashed as she gently teased Tristan. He laughed huskily before looking at Rory again. It was now or never…

"Rory, you said…" he cleared his voice before continuing. "You said he was pretty set in his decision. What about you? Are you okay with it?" Tristan flinched visibly as the last word left his mouth. It sounded almost insensitive but he just… needed to know.

Rory sat silently for awhile before swiveling on the piano bench. She began to toy with the keys. Combined with Tristan's playing, the notes formed a discordant sound until they finally blended together into a complex melody that was almost sweet.

Even as he attempted to keep up with Rory, Tristan waited anxiously for an answer to his question. If Rory expressed a desire to go out with Dean again, then he would try to remain on the friendship level. But if she didn't… who knew? Yet he knew what he wished.

Rory began talking to the piano keys. It was easier to believe she was confiding in an inanimate object than in Tristan.

"Dean told me he loved me." Tristan seemed to brace himself until she continued talking. "When I couldn't say it back… he broke it off. Maybe I'm a little bit romantic but is seems to me that a person shouldn't do that. I mean, I could understand some indignation or hurt but anger? It threw me off. I'm hurt, too, that he'll end something that was going well for three months this way."

She trailed off when she realized she was staring into Tristan's earnest blue eyes. She couldn't remember looking up from the piano keys but at one point she apparently had. She felt a pressure on her hand and looked down. She was shocked and a little happy to find Tristan's hand holding hers. As she watched, his tanned hand gently squeezed her pale one.

"Rory, I'm sorry-"she cut him off as she quickly began shaking her head.

"No, I'm sorry. You said you didn't want to talk about your break-up and yet here I am talking about mine. That isn't fair to you. I'm sorry for bringing it up. You obviously aren't in the mood to hear all of this. I promise I had no intention of hurting you. I should just-"a tanned finger laid against her lips stopped her babbling. This time when her eyes met his, Tristan's were laughing. He smiled a genuine smile before absent-mindedly tracing the outline of her lips with the pad of his finger.

"Rory, I was going to say I'm sorry that you had to go through that. I appreciate the concern for me, but honestly I think it's just hurt pride more than hurt feelings. I wasn't romantically interested in Summer outside of lust. You, however, had a vested interest in the outcome of your relationship with

Dean. I wish I could say that I'm sorry you two didn't work out but I'd be lying." His eyes were following the path his finger was taking around her lips. Under her bottom lip, over the slight lift in the corners of her lips, into the indentation of the upper lip, over and over again. Rory watched him watch his finger. She saw his eyes go from light with humor, to dusky with desire until they were dark with want and… something hidden.

As he slid his hand to the nape of her neck, they leaned towards each other at the same time. Their lips meshed without an awkward readjustment of their heads. Their bodies acted on instinct, as if they knew each other and were comfortable with the knowledge. His free arm snuck around her back, bringing her torso flush against his where they sat on the bench. Her hands slid up his arms and buried themselves in his luscious hair. The added caresses caused ripples of pleasure to spread through both Rory and Tristan, causing them to tighten their embrace on the other simultaneously.

Tristan's lips were soft and persuasive as they cruised over Rory's. They begged for more of her even as they took from her. His tongue darted out and achingly caressed her bottom lip, asking, begging, pleading for admission. Without hesitation Rory opened for him. She wasn't prepared for his response.

Rather than an immediate attack on her mouth, his tongue slid almost shyly in. It played with hers and abandoned it to rediscover the outline of her lips before entering again. It stroked her own tongue, making her moan in her throat as she tried to get closer. This time her tongue entered his mouth and toyed with his. Tristan made a sound that was almost a growl. He shifted, attempting to bring Rory over to sit on his lap.

The movement made his arm crash into the piano keys. The harsh chord shocked both teens and they separated guiltily. They glanced at the piano, then at each other. Noticing the slick redness of Rory's lips, Tristan licked his own and almost moaned at the sweet taste of her.

"Rory…" he tried but she simply cut him off again with a shake of her head. "But, we have to talk." He pleaded, uneasy because of the knot in his stomach.

Rory pressed her hand against her own stomach, attempting to lighten the pressure there. "Not yet. Let's just… sit for awhile. I need to collect my thoughts so we can be clear about this." Tristan nodded sadly, keeping his eyes on hers. Trying to avoid the truth burning its way out of his eyes, Rory stood up and looked out the window. Lights flickered down the driveway, laughter and music indicated the party was still in full swing and Tristan had begun playing with the piano again. This time, however, he was playing an actual song.

Even though it was an R&B song, it struck a memory chord for Rory. She turned to face Tristan's back as he played. When he started to sing, her heart almost broke.

"One look in your eyes and there I see,

Just what you mean to me.

Here in my heart I believe your love is all I'll ever need.

Holding you close through the night

I need you.

I look at your eyes and there I see

What happiness really means.

The love that we share makes life so sweet.

Together we'll always be.

This special love feels so right and, oh, I need you.

Here and now, I promise to love faithfully.

You're all I'll ever need.

Here and now, I vow to be one with thee.

Your love is all I need.

When I look in your eyes, there I see,

All that a love should really mean.

And I need you more, more each day

Nothing can take your love away.

More than I dare to dream, I need you.

Here and now, I promise to love faithfully.

You're all I need

Here and now I vow to be one with thee.

Your love is all I need."

Rory was crying when Tristan finished singing. He stood and hugged her into his body. He repeated the most vital words of the song into her ear as he stroked her hair. "Here and now, I promise to love faithfully. You're all I need. Here and now, I vow to be one with thee. Your love is all I need." He kissed her temple before leaning back to stare into her eyes. He caught a tear as it escaped the corner of one eye. He smiled crookedly.

"I can't be any clearer than that. I love you, Rory. I've been trying to find a way to express it for awhile now, but I've found my technique is too outdated for trying to get a girl you really want. I know you don't care for me the same way I do for you, but I'm willing to wait it out. If, after time passes, you've decided you don't want to be with me anymore, I'll be okay with that. I just… want you for however long I can have you."

His eyes burned into hers, attempting to brand her with the veracity of his speech. Seeing the trust in her blue gaze, he sighed and leaned his forehead against hers. The close proximity made the vision of each other blurry, but he wanted the impression of togetherness. When Rory began to move in his embrace, he felt disappointed but immediately began to let her go. He would never hold her against her will. When she kept her arms firmly locked around his waist, Tristan looked at her questioningly. Rory merely smiled before leaning up to kiss him on his cheek.

"When I look in your eyes, there I see all that a love should really mean. And I need you more and more each day. Nothing can take your love away. More than I dare to dream, I need you. Here and now-" his arms tightened reflexively around her as he buried his face in her hair. Rory's smile grew as she continued, "I promise to love faithfully. Here and now I vow to be one with thee. Your love is all I need."

Unable to hold himself any longer, he began kissing her face softly. "Are you sure, Rory? You won't regret this in the morning when Dean calls begging to have you back? You won't break it off with me because I'm your rebound or anything like that, will you?" He pressed his lips against the hectic pulse at the base of her neck and simply held them there. Rory threaded her fingers through his hair as she smiled sadly.

"No, Tristan, I won't. I told you I couldn't say it back to Dean. It's because I didn't love him. I'd fallen in love with someone else: you. You constantly showed me sides of you that intrigued me before you covered them with the flirtatious and egotistical side that infuriated me."

"I really do like to flirt with you," he mumbled into her throat. "And the ego bit isn't true. I really am like that." He straightened up and locked his hands at the small of her back.

Rory rolled her eyes before smiling. "Yes, I appreciate that now, but then I didn't know how much I liked you. I only knew that it infuriated me I was being treated the same way every other girl was in our class. I wanted to be different for you, but I didn't understand why at the time. Now, I do."

"Rory, you've have been different for me. I called you Mary at the beginning to stake a claim on you but now it's a sign of affection and respect." He brought his hands in between their bodies and clasped hers within them. "Does this mean you'll be my girl?"

"How archaic of you. I will be your girlfriend but your girl sounds rather possessive, doesn't it?"
Tristan shrugged. "I plan on being very possessive with you." At Rory's arched eyebrow he grinned. "Not the 'where are you?' possessive but the 'don't touch her, she's mine' possessive. Again, will you be my girl?" he accompanied his request with a sweet kiss she didn't want to break off. When he began to back off, she leaned forward and made her lips cling lovingly to his. He hummed with pleasure.

"If I can be the 'he's mine, don't touch him' possessive then we have a deal." Rory bargained. Tristan's smirk lit up his eyes as he once more leaned down to her.

"From here on out." He promised. "My girl," he whispered as he pressed a kiss to her forehead. "My girlfriend" as he kissed her cheek; "My Rory" as he kissed the corner of her mouth; "My Mary" as he finally kissed her lips. Rory smiled against his lips for a moment until she was swept up in the power of the kiss.

Neither noticed the departure of guests or the end of the music. They were intent on acting out the promises made to each other: to love each other faithfully from this moment on.

Author's Note: please read and review! I would love to hear your thoughts.